is greater reason why they should stumble at a mole-hill then we at a mountaine of trouble God having told us that seeing he hath given us such excellent things in Christ such glorious mercies and transcendent priviledges in the Gospel we may well take afflictions and troubles into the bargaine and never shrinke or straine at them but rather take them well So much for that verse The righteous are not cut off neither doe innocent persons perish Eliphaz having given Job his turne to search his experiences brings forth his own in the next words Even as I have seene Vers 8. they that plow iniquity and sow wickednesse reape the same As if he should say Job I know you are not able to give me one instance of a righteous mans perishing but I could give you many and many instances I could write whole books concerning wicked men perishing and of the ungodly cut off This he carries under a metaphor and by continued metaphors makes up an elegant allegorie in those termes of plowing sowing reaping Even as I have seene That word notes a curious observation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Significat non simpliciter videre sed curiese inspicere not a light transitory glance of the eye but a criticall consideration of any thing As it is said Gen. 1. 4. God saw the light that he had made God saw it discerningly for he found it was very good And so it is said Gen. 34. 1 2. that Dinah went forth to see the daughters of the land that is curiously though vainely to observe the manners and fashions of the people and in the fame verse Hamor the sonne of Sechem saw her he saw her so exactly as to be taken with her beauty his eye entangled his heart and both entangled his life So here Even as I have seene that is by a diligent inspection and judicious consideration of what I saw And what was that Mysticall Husbandry They that plow iniquity and sow wickednesse reape the same They that plow iniquity The word which we translate to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fâ—dit fundam â—ravit Peâ— metaphoram fodit cogitatione vel intentus fuit rei aliâ—ui conficiendae sicut arator praeparat terram ante seminaâ—orem plow signifies the use of any kinde of art or manufacture as the worke of a Smith or of a Carpenter in Iron wood or timber And as the art so the Artist or handicrafts-man Isa 44. 12. is exprest by this word The Smith with his tongs worketh in the coales And Zech. 1. 20. It is put for a Carpenter The Lord shewed me foure Carpenters Now here it is applyed to the Plowman and to his plowing So Hose 10. 13. Ye have plowed wickednesse ye have reaped iniquity ye have eaten the fruit of lies And this plowing of iniquity or plowing of wickednesse takes in both the outward act of sinne to plow iniquity is to commit and practise iniquity and the inward act of sinne to plow iniquity is as much as to devise and meditate iniquity Prov. 3. 29. Devise not Heb. plow not evill against thy neighbour So Prov. 6. 18. A heart that deviseth or ploweth wicked imaginations And Prov. 21. 4. The plowing of the wicked is sinne That is whatsoever they devise or whatsoever they doe inside and outside the cloath and linings of their garments are all sinne Likewise this word denotes not onely speculative evils but also secrecie of practice or a plot carried and acted secretly Thus 2 Sam. 23. 9. it is said David knew that Saul secretly practised evill against him The Hebrew is he knew that Saul plowed evill against him So that it may be taken either for the meditating of evill or for a politick close way of effecting any evill or wicked designe And the Scripture elegantly calls the musing or meditating of sinne plowing because a man in meditation when he would accomplish any wickednesse turnes up as it were all the corruptions that are in his heart and all the conveniencies that are in the world to attaine his end As a man that meditates upon any holy thing upon Christ or Free-grace c. turnes up all the graces and abilities that are in his spirit he plowes up his heart that he may fetch up the strength and enjoy the sweetnesse of them So then this ploughing noteth two things chiefly First the pains and labour which wicked men take in sinfull courses every one that sinnes doth not plough sinne or is not a worker which is an equivalent phrase of iniquity Secondly it implyes the black Art and hellish skill of wicked men in sinning To plough is a skill so is some kinde of sinning though to sin in generall be as naturall as to see and needs as little teaching as the eare to heare some men â—s we may say are bunglers in sinning others are their crafts-masters at this plough and can lay a furrow of iniquity so strait do an act of filthinesse so cleanly that you can hardly see any thing amisse in it Those words in the New Testament To commit sinne to worke iniquity an abomination or a lye Rev. 21. 27. c. are answerable to this in the Old Testament a plougher of iniquity And some translate this Text so the vulgar reades it thus They Qui operantur iniquitatem who worke iniquity all which expressions set forth and elegantly describe such who sinne resolvedly industriously cunningly curiously such as have the art and will spare no pains to do wickedly These have served an apprentiship to their lusts and are now as Freemen of Hell yet still Satans Drudges and active Engineers to plot and execute what God abhorres Note this further that ploughing in Scripture referres both to good actions and to bad there is a plowing for good the Metaphor is so applyed Prov. 4. 27. Doe not they erre that devise evill that plough evill but mercy and truth shall be to them that devise good to them that plough good the same word is used in both and it intimates as before both the paines and the skill which a godly man bestowes and shewes about holy things the great work of repentance is often allegorized by ploughing Breake up the follow ground and our obedience to the Gospell whether in the profession or preaching of it is called ploughing Luk. 9. 62. He that putteth his hand to the plough and lookes backe is not fit for the kingdome of God Grace is as active and as accurate as Lust can be It followes And sow wickednesse reape the same Eliphaz goes on with the Metaphor after plowing comes sowing and after seed time reaping time or harvest Sowing in Scripture is divers wayes applyed unto the actions of men First there is a sowing which is the work of charity when we dispense and drstribute to the helpe of the poore especially to the Saints so 2 Cor. 9. 6. He that soweth sparingly that is he that giveth unto the poore sparingly Secondly sowing
shortly will not be at all Hence some render the words thus Their hands cannot performe their wisedome that is they cannot bring to passe that enterprise which they had determined and layd as themselves conceived with so much wisedome and strength of reason Mr Broughton to the same sense Their hands brings nothing soundly to passe And the Chaldee exemplifies it in the Egyptians before mentioned who as the holy story informes us could not effect that which they had consulted with those depths of policie and principles of sinfull wisdome The destruction of the children of Israel Here then we may observe First That The wisdome of naturall men is nothing but craft or wit to doe wickedly The Prophet Jeremie gives us this character of them They are wise to doe evill Jer. 4. 22. And to be wise to doe evill is very ill wisedome the worst wisedome indeed meere folly better be a foole than to be but so wise And these have it from their father it dwels and is derived in their blood They are the seed of the Serpent as was toucht before and his subtilty was made the instrument of the greatest evill the tainting of that first created innocencie and the overthrow of man Now they are called the serpents seed because they are like the Serpent the Serpent was the subtillest of all the beasts of the field and these as Christ speakes of the men of the world are wiser in their generation than the children of light yet is but in their generation and their wisdome lasteth but for their generation if it last so long Elymas Acts 13. 10. being charged to be full of all subtilty and mischiefe is called at the next word child of the Devill Subtill to doe mischiefe is the Genius or disposition of the Devils children and they shall have the serpents the Devils portion For as the serpent who was once the subtillest of all the beast of the field applying his subtilty to mischiefe became the most cursed of of all the beasts of the field so they who are thus the subtillest among the children of men shall be the most cursed of all the children of men Jer. 18. 18. we find crafty men in consultation and under a curse Come say they let us devise a device against Jeremiah and let us smite him with the tongue Let us devise devices it is the same word in the text but doubled for greater emphasis These were their craftimasters To devise devices notes more then ordinary skill in that black art as to work a work Joh. 6. 28. notes great industry and intention of the mind in working Some play their works rather then work their works I must worke the workes of him that sent me saith our Lord Christ Joh. 9. 4. None ever laboured as Christ laboured therefore his was working a worke As I say to worke a worke notes great industry in working so to devise a device implies much cunning and skill laid out in devising Now as these men would be witty above others in devising evill so they are cursed above others in bearing evill The Prophet gives them their load ver 21 22. Therefore deliver up their children to the famine and powre out their blood by the force of the sword and let their wives be bereaved c. And it is most just that they should be deepest in the curse who are deepest in such craft for the truth is that Every sinfull act the more skill there is in it the more sinne there is in it it is best to be a dullhead a very bungler in doing mischiefe Wit commends and sets off other things bue it makes sin the more sinfull and deformed Secondly observe That Satan makes use of subtle crafty men and abuseth their parts for his own purposes He disappointeth the devices of the crafty God never disappointeth those whom he sets aworke If God disappoints the devices of men these devices were not of God Satan sets those aworke whose work God spoiles The Lord loves to breake Satans engines tooles and instruments Christ came to destroy the works of the Devill both his works within us and his workes against us All Satans works and workmen shall rue it when Christ pleases And here we see whom Satan sets aworke even men of the finest wits of the most reaching braines of the decepest judgements and richest endowments these he draweth in to his pay and makes serviceable for his ends that 's Satans designe such as are amongst men as the serpent amongst the beasts the most subtill of all these Satan makes use of The deepe policie of an Achitophel the Great Oracle of his times for counsell he desires to improve against a David The high parts and learning of a Julian he desires to improve and boyle up against the Christians such a one will not only Fire and sword but set hard to jeere and wit them out of the profession of the Gospell And it is observable that the seeds of the greatest heresies and errours that ever poyson'd the spirit of man or vext the Church of God have been sowne in that ranke soyle the wits of Philosophers Which gave Tertullian occasion to call Philosophers The Philosophi haereticorum Patriarchae Tert. Patriarkes of Heretickes or The Patrons of Heresies They were men of high conceits and apprehensions and in those fertile and rich grounds Satan with great successe cast the tares of errour When Christ came into the world he had most opposition among the craftie Scribes and Pharisees And Herod the Fox as Christ himselfe calls him for his subtilty was a notorious instrument of Satan to hinder the receiving of Christ Our Lord Christ sometimes chuseth the simplest the meanest the plainest men fishermen to do his worke But Satan chuseth the subtilest he can find in learned Throngs to send of his errand The reason of this difference betweene Christs choise and Satans is Satan cannot make a Mercury out ef every block he is not able to give a man understanding wisedome or abilities for his worke neither can he increase or improve any mans parts and gifts he must have instruments ready to his hand he can but put them forward and tempt them on He will give such as are strong and craftie many motives to serve him but he cannot furnish them with strength or craft to serve him But Christ can give gifts to men which they have not and raise the parts which they have He can make himself a Mercury a messenger out of any blocke Christ can send a foole of his errand and cause him to doe it wisely He can cause the stammering tongue to speake plaine and the plainest man to speake the highest Rhetorick When a Moses complaines of a slow tongue he can say I will be with thy mouth and teach thee what thou shalt say Exod. 4. 12. If he finds us not fit to doe his businesse he can make us fit If Christ please he can make a man master of his trade before
the poore hath hope and iniquity stoppeth her mouth IN these foure verses Eliphaz proceeds in finishes the former argument by a further fuller clearing of the power and wisdome of God in catching and over-matching crafty ones in their wayes and counsels Having shewed before in the 12th verse that their devices are disappointed he sheweth now that they are intangled in their devices There we say they could not performe their enterprises and here we shall see them ruined in their enterprises It is a sore trouble to ungodly men when they cannot doe the mischiefe which they intend to others but is a farr sorer trouble when their counsels recoyle and when their own projects promote their own ruine when their own actions effect that which they had rather die then see done when that mischiefe falleth upon their own heads which they intended others That 's their calamity in this text He taketh the wise in their own craftines These wise men are no better then the crafty before mentioned for we see their wisdome is but craftinesse We had the Crafty in the former verse and here we have their craft or craftines The Apostle in 1 Cor. 3. 19. quotes this text of Eliphaz The wisdom of this world is foolishnes with God For it is written He taketh the wise in their own craftines The Greeke word there used hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi diâ—as ad quodlibet opus promptus qui dexteritate ingenij valet ad quodlibet agendum somewhat more in it then the Hebrew word opened at the 12 v. For it notes a fitness for all purposes a dexterity to serve any turn be it never so sinister or evill Such a man can be on any side and is for any purpose you will turne him to A godly man hath but one worke and he can doe but one worke that is one worke in kind Every worke he doth as a godly man hath a stampe of goodnesse or godliesse of holinesse or justice upon it But these crafty ones are for any worke for various works you may turn them loose to any service they are ready to do good for a need to serve their owne ends and they will not sticke at any evill for their owne ends Their byas is not within them but upon them and they can clap it to which side they please or may be most pleasing to or taking with others yet this Turn-coat Crastines shall not serve their turne For saith the text He taketh the wise in their own craftines The word which we translate He taketh is very significant It imports a taking by force or strength and it imports a taking by skill or stratagem God will have them both wayes If these cunning men worke by their wits He can take them The Lord hath more stratagems to take them then they have had to take others Or if they worke by power and by plaine strength he can take them The Lord hath more strength to take them then they have had to take others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Câ—piâ— apprehendit de â—oâ—o aut urbes expugnavit in opinatu violenta expugnatione The word is applied to the taking in of Cities or Forts places strengthned both by art and nature and to the taking of them which includes both sences either by siege or sudden surprisall Reade Numb 21. 32. Josh 6. 2 Deut. 2. 34. And so the sense may be that although these men think they have so intrenched fortified themselves by their wits policies and counsells as it were in a strong City or Castle that they seem impregnable and laugh at all opposite power Yet then God besieges batters and takes them presently he takes in and sleights their works with ease he levels to the ground their great thoughts even the high Tower of their imaginations That may be the force of the word He taketh them For as every naturall man labours to secure himselfe and his insts against the power of the word of God by carnal reasonings and pleadings for them All which the Apostles cals strong holds 2 Cor. 10. 4 5. The weapons of our warfare are not carnall but they are mighty thorough God to the casting downe of strong holds Now I say as naturall men secure themselves aâ— it were in strong-holds by their carnall reasonings so wicked Politicians thinke to secure themselves and fortifie their designes by plots and platformes of craftie counsell But as God in the ministery of his word casteth downe all the arguments which a man frames in his heart to protect his lusts So the Lord in the administrations of his providence throwes down all the fortifications which crafty men frame in their hearts to protect their law-lesse practises and takes them in Secondly The word may imply the taking binding of a man in bonds or in fetters He takes the wise in their own craftines that is he takes and binds them as with a chaine or he fetters them in their own craftinesse so the word is used Prov. 5 22. His own iniquities shall take the wicked himselfe and he shall be holden with the cords of his sinnes Thirdly The metaphor may be carried in an allusion to Hunters of wild beasts or to bird takers who set nets and gins traps or toyles to take them These wise crafty men are cunning hunters their trade and businesse is to set nets to catch and toyles to intangle they dig pits and lay snares for others to fall into So the Prophet describes them Jer. 5. 26. They lay waite as he that setteth snares they set a trap they catch men But at last God takes the wise in their owne craftinesse that is the pits they have digged and the snares they have layed and the nets they have set shall catch themselves Fourthly The word is applied in Scripture to a taking or a discovery by a lot So Josh 7. 15. The rule was thus given He that shall be taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt and vers 18. Achan was taken that is taken by a lot the lot discovered and catcht him Achan had hid the Babylonish garment and the wedge of gold safe enough as he thought and one would have thought that in such a multitude in such an huge host and throng of people he might have been hidden too but God sends a lot and takes out Achan from the middest of all the multitude he calls him out by name this is the man There may be a like meaning and use of the word in this place He taketh the wise in their own craftines that is men who think to shelter themselves amongst the multitude or to walke in the clouds of craft men who hide and shadow themselves from the eye of the world as if none should see who they are or what they doe even these God will take he will direct a divine lot one time or other to apprehend and lay hold on them he will discover Achans the troublers of his
catechized or instructed servants The word signifies to train in the Principles of Religion as well as in the postures of war being the same used in the Book of Proverbs for teaching a childe the first elements of holy knowledge And that place of Genesis may very well comprehend both Fourthly observe That charity especially spirituall charity is very liberall and open-hearted Job instructed not onely his owne but he instructed others he instructed many he did not confine his doctrine and his advice to his own walls but the sound thereof went wheresoever he went he instructed many And if Job who had no special no direct calling to it were a teacher of many what shall we think of those whose calling and businesse it is to teach and yet teach not any at all their trade their profession is to teach yet they are so far from teaching many that they teach none and which is worse they hinder teaching they stop the mouth of the teacher and if they can the eare of the learner they take away the key of knowledge They neither open the doore themselves nor suffer those that would This is the very spirit of wickedness And blessed be God whose mighty power hath so graciously cast out and dispossest so many places of the Kingdome of these wicked spirits Further taking those other parts of his instruction as they respect persons afflicted who are here described by weak hands and feeble knees ready to fall unable to stand Observe first That sore afflictions doe exceedingly indispose for duty Sore afflictions make weak hands and feeble knees the weake hand and the feeble knee are as I said before emblems of one unfit for any businesse unfit to work unfit to walk when the hand is weak and the knee is feeble what is a man fit for Great sufferings unfit us for action Hence it is that the Lord moderates the afflictions of his people sweetens the bitternesse and takes off the oppressing weight of them God promiseth to come Isa 57. 16. with reviving and that he will not contend for ever with his people Why A principle Reason is Lest their spirits should fail before me and the soules which I have made Lest the spirits should faile that is lest they should faile in their duties the spirit cannot faile in the essence of it the spirit is of an eternall constitution but it faileth in the duty often And if afflictions lie too hard and too long upon a people their spirits fail their faith fails their courage failes their labours cannot be laborious to carry on and carry out their work Therefore when Job saw any under afflictions he endeavour'd to put courage into their hearts and so strength into their hands Secondly In the generall we may note further That the words of the wise have a mighty power strength and prevalence in them You see how efficatious the words of Job were Jobs instructions were strengthuings thou hast strengthned the weak hands and feeble knees his words were as stays to hold them up that were ready to fall Eliphaz doth not only say thou didst instruct many in instructing thou didst intend it was thy design and aime to strengthen the weak hands but he speaks of what Job had effected wrought thy words put sinews into the hands and knees of men that were weak and ready to fall thy words were as props to hold and bear up the spirits of those that were sinking Words wisely dispensed and followed with the blessing of God what can they not doe God doth the greatest things in the World by a word speaking as at the first he made the world it selfe by a word speaking so he hath done the greatest things and wrought the greatest changes in the World by a word speaking When a word goes forth cloathed with the authority and power of God it works wonders How hath it raised up sinking spirits how hath it made the fearfull undaunted and the weak-hearted couragious God by his word in the mouth of a weak man overthrows the strong holds of sinne and by a word brings every thought of man into subjection to Jesus 2 Cor. 10. 4. 5 Christ By a word he stops the mouth of blasphemy and evill speaking by a word speaking he makes a man deny himselfe by a word he opens the eyes of the blinde and makes the lame to run and leap like a Hart in the way of holinesse And I could wish that the word which I now speak might through the blessing of God have such an effect upon your spirits O that it might strengthen all weak hands and feeble knees O that it might uphold all who are ready to fall we are cast upon knee-feebling hand-weakning yea heart-weakning times the sight of those things which our eyes do see and the hearing of those things which our ears do heare cause many to fear and the spirits of some to fall Now a word invested with commission from God to go and comfort will master all our sorrowes and dispell all these fears If the Lord breathe upon a word that word will breathe lively activity into a very carkasse Look to those many and gracious promises made to those that mourne and comfort will flow in Promises are the treasures of comfort promises hold the Churches stock they are the patrimony of beleivers it is their priviledge and their honour to be called heirs of the promise While Heb. 6. 17. Christ and the Promise lives how can Faith dye or languish eying a promise So much of the first branch of the minor Proposition in the third and fourth Verses The second branch lies in the fifth Verse Now it is come upon thee and thou faintest it toucheth thee and thou art troubled Thou hast instructed many thou hast strengthned the weak hands c. but now it is come upon thee c. That is trouble and affliction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lassus fuit corpore vel animo prae lassitudine nescivit quid ageret are come upon thee And thou faintest The word signifies an extraordinary fainting when a man is so wearied and spent that he knowes not what he doth when his reason seemes tired as much as his strength So that the words Now it is come upon thee thou faintest may import thus much thou art in such a case that thou seemest to be besides thy selfe thou knowest not what thou doest thou speakest thou knowest not what The word is translated in the first Verse by grieved in other Scriptures by mad and furious Prov 26. 18. As a mad-man who casteth fire-brands c. And whereas we say Gen. 47. 13. the land of Egypt fainted by reason of the famine many render it the land of Egypt was inraged or mad because of In sanivit terra Egypti nan propter famem nimiam insanit homo Furebat terra i. e. tumultuabantur anno quinto famis mentem illâ—s adimente sane Jun. in loc the famine want of bread
part of his character or commendation Thou art reported to be a man fearing God is not this thy feare Feare is taken either for the whole compasse of Gods worship or for that awfulnesse of affection with which we worship God which we ought to mingle and mix in all our actions and duties Therefore saith the Apostle Heb. 12. Let us have grace to serve him with reverence and godly feare And Psalme the second Serve the Lord with feare God is to be served in love and yet God loves no service which hath not this ingredient Holy feare Feare is the most proper affection which we creatures dust and ashes who are at such an infinite distance from God can put forth in his worship God condescends so farre as to be loved by us yea he calleth for our love as a friend or as a father as a familiar as one in neer relation but considered in his Majesty glory and greatnesse feare is the most suitable affection in our approaches unto God The name of God in some languages is derived from feare and God is expresly called Fear by Jacob Gen. 31. in that dispute with Laban where he telleth him Except the fear of his father Isaac had been with him c. Verse 42 And Jacob sware by the fear of his father Isaac Verse 53. that is by that God whom his father Isaac feared Jacob was a man so holy that he would take nothing into his mouth to swear by but onely the holy Name of God Religious swearing is one of the highest acts of worshipping as vaine swearing is one of the highest acts of prophaning the name of God Thy confidence The word which we translate confidence signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Inconstantia levitas per Antiphrasin constantia considenâ—ia also and that most properly folly inconstancy levity when the Prophet Jeremy reproveth the idolatry of those times speaks to worshippers of Idols he expresses it by this word They are altogether bruitish and foolish Jer. 10. 8. And holy David Psalme 49. 13. speaking of wicked men who make riches their portion and who lay out all their endeavours in the raising of an outward estate gives this account of their practise in the 13 Verse This their way is their folly this is the course that worldly men take and they think it is a very wise course but indeed their way is their folly Some translators reade that text this their way is their confidence as here in Job and so they make the sense out thus this way of worldly men in gathering riches in heaping up abundance of these outward things is their confidence that is they have nothing else to trust unto they have nothing beyond the world to trust unto this their way is their confidence So againe Prov. 15. 26. A foolish man or a man of folly despiseth his mother And once 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more Psal 85. 8. where the Psalmist goeth up like Habakkuk to his Watch-tower to hearken for an answer of his prayer I will hearken what the Lord will say for he will speake peace unto his people but let them not returne againe to folly So some reade it in this Text of Job is not this thy fear thy folly that is was it not meere folly for thee to bragge and boast of thy feare sc That thou didst feare God c. But the word is often taken in a contrary sense as we translate for constancy or confidence and sometimes for hope and thus Job 31. 24. If I have said to gold thou art my hope or my confidence and Chap. 8. 14. speaking of the Hypocrite whose hope shall be cut off the same word is used and Prov. 3. 26. The Lord shall be thy confidence and he shall keep thy foot from being taken and not to heape many places Psal 78. 7. That they may set their hope in God In this sense it is generally understood here Is not this thy fear and thy confidence sc all the trust thou hast placed in thy God Feare and confidence are acts of naturall worship Confidence or Trust is the resting of the soule upon another here the resting of the soule upon the Word or promises of God upon the power faithfulnesse and truth of God an act thus put forth by the soule is confidence Now saith Eliphaz is not this thy confidence thou hast spoken much of resting and trusting upon God and his Word upon his power and faithfulnesse is not this that which thou hast all this while talked of See what a goodly confidence it is Doth it look like a proper piece of grace Confidence is an act beyond faith a soule confiding walkes in a higher Region of grace and comfort than a soule only believing there may be believing where there is not this confiding As patience is hope lengthned so confidence is hope strengthned Assurance is the highest degree of faith and confidence is the highest degree of assurance It carries with it first cheerfulnesse opposite to sorrow secondly courage opposite to fear and despondency of spirit thirdly boldnesse adventurousnesse opposite to cowardice Confidence having a good cause and a good call will take a Beare by the tooth or a Lion by the beard Fourthly it notes boasting or a kinde of spirituall wise bragging opposite to sinfull modesty or concealement of what God hath done for us Or take it thus Confidence is the noblest exercise of faith which looking steadily upon God in himselfe and in Christ through the promises raises the soule above all fears and discouragements above all doubts and disquietments either about the removing of evill or the obtaining of good Hence confidence is well called the rest of the soule therefore such as attaine to confidence are said to be in peace in perfect peace Isay 26. 3. Him wilt thou establish in perfect peace whose heart doth trust upon thee And this act of confidence or trust is proper and peculiar to God no creature must share in it This is worship commanded in the first precept Thou shalt have no other Gods before mee Whatsoever we confide in unlesse it be in subordination unto God we make it our God And it is one of the highest acts of the soule not onely as we respect the taking in our own comforts but also the giving out glory unto God This confidence is well coupled with holy feare the more we feare God so the more we trust him such feare is the mother and nurse of confidence But confidence is directly contrary yea contradictory to carnall feare he that trusts God indeed leaves both soule and body temporall and eternall estate with him without ever sending a fearefull thought or a jealous looke after either It followes And the uprightnesse of thy wayes It is the word used in the description of Job Cap. 1. 1. There it is in the concrete perfect here in the abstract uprightnesse We may reade it Is not this the perfection of thy wayes
notwithstanding all these shakings Would not thy feare be thy confidence It would Hence observe First That they who feare most in times of peace have most reason Timidum esse ad â—ala patrandâ— genus est fortitudinis fiduciae to be confident in times of trouble They who feare most in one sense feare least they who feare God most feare creatures least and creature-troubles least We have this point in so many words Prov. 14. 26. In the feare of the Lord is strong confidence The feare of the Lord is the cure of all other feares They who are most fearefull of the evill of sinne are most couragious among the evills of suffering To be fearefull thus raiseth the highest acts of confidence Psal 112. 7 8. We reade of one that will not be afraid for any evill tidings his heart is fixed Who is this confident man this fearelesse man It is this divine coward as we may call him you shall finde him so express'd vers 1. Blessed is the man that feareth God he shall not be afraid for any evill tidings Exod. 20. 20. When the people of Israel were much amazed and astonished at the giving of the Law Moses comes to cure them of that feare but what is the medicine Feare not for God is come to prove you and that his feare may be before your faces that ye sinne not As if he had said when God hath put his feare into your hearts such feares as these will be removed and vanish when your hearts are filled with this feare of God you will have confidence to heare and see the thunder and lightning of Mount Sinai you shall not feare no not this terrible tempest in which the Law it selfe is given So when the people were in a feare another time Samuel thus bespeakes them in that shaking fit 1 Sam. 12. 20. Feare not onely feare the Lord. If you will be confident in such a time as this for by prayer he procured thunder and raine in that time of wheate-harvest feare the Lord. The feare of the Lord will be our confidence in the wettest day in the most tempestuous and stormy night that ever fell upon the secure sinfull world A man fearing God is the onely dread-nought Secondly We may observe from the other branch for the sense is the same And would not thy uprightnesse be thy hope The uprightnesse of a mans wayes in good times doth mightily strengthen his hope in evill times When a man can looke back and approve his heart to God that he hath been upright in peace and plenty how full of hope will he be in trouble and in wants It was that which Hezekiah pleaded before God in the day of his trouble and tryall 2 King 20. 3. I beseech thee O Lord remember how I have walked before thee in truth and with an upright and perfect heart This was it when he lay upon his sick-bed and as he thought upon his death-bed that put life into him and bare up his spirit A fourth interpretatian is taken from our reading Is not this thy feare thy confidence the uprightnesse of thy wayes and thy hope So the words containe foure distinct affrming Questions Is not this thy feare Is not this thy confidence Is not this the uprightnesse of thy wayes and is not this thy hope This is thy feare c. As if Eliphaz had said Job without doubt thou hast shewed all thy goodnesse at once or Is not this all that thou art able to make out and shew Is not this all that thou canst say for all the testimony thou canst give of thy religion and holinesse Hast thou not shewed all Surely thy great boast of Religion is nothing but this Eliphaz seemes to call Job to make a further or cleerer proofe of his grace Is not this thy feare or if this be not shew me somewhat else Thou art a man very famous in the world much talked of and highly commended for feare and for confidence for uprightnesse and for hope what hast thou more to answer that report and save thy own credit with the credit of thy friends who have been so large in their commendations of and testimonies concerning thee Note hence First Afflictions discover that unto us which before we knew not Is not this thy feare thou diddest not know of what make or constitution thy feare was untill now That 's Eliphaz his supposition and it is a truth That some hypocrites know not that their graces are false till they are brought to such tryals They carry false counterfeit coine about them and suppose it currant money till they come to the ballance or a touch-stone Some are active hypocrites who go about intentionally to deceive and put a faire mask over a filthy face Others are passive hypocrites who are miserably deceived by the collusions of Satan and the base treachery of their own spirits Many a man is brought to see which before he could not by reason of those mists of hypocrisie what his feare is what his faith by those changes which affliction works in him Secondly thus We ought to make our graces visible in our actions Is not this thy feare Shew me what thy feare is if this be not make proofe of it The Apostle bids Timothy 2 Tim. 4. 5. Make full proofe of his Ministery It may be said to some Ministers is not this your Ministery if it be not make full proofe of it Or as the Apostle James in a case neere this James 2. 14. 18. Shew me thy faith by thy workes so we may say Shew me thy feare by thy workes Is not this it if it be not make it appeare what it is The tree is knowne by the fruits doe men gather grapes of thornes or figgs of thistles or doe men gather crabs from vines or sloes from figg-trees As an evill tree cannot bring forth good fruit so neither doth a good tree bring forth evill fruit If thou sayest thou art a vine make proofe of it by the fruit thou bearest or else I must conclude thou art but a thorne or a thistle We may question many for this grace and for the other grace they pretend unto For their actions have not the least print or impression of such graces upon them If any one should hold forth much faith and confidence in God and this man should run or take unlawfull courses to helpe himselfe might we not say Is this thy confidence Or if one speaking much of confidence in God for the accomplishing of a businesse should yet sit still and doe nothing himselfe might we not say Is this thy confidence this is to tempt God not to trust in him Once more if a man should professe much confidence in God and yet be taken up altogether about the creature swallowed up with creature-thoughts or swallowing in creature-delights seeking to and engaging this creature and that creature with neglect of God may we not say Is this thy confidence Hope is an anchor of
ever perished nor were the righteous ever cut off And Eliphaz conceiveth this to be so clear a truth that he challengeth Job to give one instance to the contrary out of his own experience he appeals to experience which is a strong way of arguing Remember I pray thee who ever perished being innocent shew me the man and withall he professeth that he could give many instances or examples out of his own experience that wicked men have perished and were cut off this he doth in the eighth Verse Even as I have seen they that plough iniquity and sow wickednesse reap the same which he inlarges in the three following Verses by the blast of God they perish and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed c. This in generall for the summe and substance of the Argument We will now consider the words and examine the strength of it in particulars Remember I pray thee He handleth Job tenderly in words he speaks gently and winningly to him Remember I pray thee To remember noteth often in Scripture a serious consideration of things present and before us Eccles 12. 1. Remember now thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth that is seriously bethink thy selfe at the present of God and his wayes and how thou oughtest to walk holily before him But properly to remember is the calling to minde of things which are past and so Eliphaz in this place directs Job to search the Records Goe and inquire into all the Monuments of Antiquity look the Registers and Histories of the Ages past and see if thou canst finde any such thing as this A righteous man perishing Memory is the soules store-house there we lay up Observations and from thence fetch them out as occasions invite Hence Christ Matth. 12. 57. compareth every Scribe which is instructed for the kingdome of Heaven to a house-holder which bringeth forth out of his treasury things both new and old This treasury is the memory there holy truths and profitable examples are stored and reserved Remember I pray thee In that Eliphaz sendeth Job back to former experiences we may note That it is our duty to lay up and record the dealings of God whether publick or personall whether with the godly or with the wicked It is our duty to observe what God doth Psal 111. 4. He hath made his wonderfull works to be remembred as if the Psalmist had said God hath not wrought such great things in the world whether respecting persons or Nations that we should write them upon the water or in the sand which the next puffe of winde defaces and blowes out but he hath made his wonderfull workes to be remembred hee will have them written in brasse with a pen of Iron and with the point of a Diamond that all ages may heare the judgements and loving kindnesses of the Lord he hath made his wonderfull workes to be remembred or he hath made them so as that they are most worthy to be remembred David was a great observer of experiences Psal 31. 35. he telleth us that he had as it were collected notes concerning Gods dealings all his dayes and it is to the very point in hand I have been young and now am old yet never saw I the righteous forsaken himselfe carefully observed the dealing of God in this Psalme and in the next Psal 37 35 36. he gives the like direction to others thus I have done doe you take the same course too I have seen the wicked in great power and spreading himselfe like a green Bay-tree then he goes on Mark the perfect man and behold the upright I have considered the estate of wicked men let all observe the estate of the godly Mark the perfect man and behold the upright The works of God expound his Word in his works his Word is often made visible That 's an excellent expression Psal 111. 7. The works of his hands are verity and judgement The acts of God are verity that is God acts his own truths As the works of our hands ought to be the verity and judgements of God every action of a Christian should be one of Christs truths so it is exactly with God himselfe the works of his hands are his owne verity and judgements When we cannot finde the meaning of God in his Word we may finde it out in his works his works are a Comment an infallible Comment upon his Word Yet we must take this Caution the dealings of God in the surface and outward part of them appear sometimes contrary to his Word contrary unto his promise but they only appear so they are never so When a man reads a promise and finds much good stor'd up in it for the righteous and then looks upon the state of the righteous and seeth it full of evill here is a seeming contrariety between the Word and the Works of God but it is onely a seeming contrariety as we shall see somewhat further anon Therefore in that Psalme 111. 2. where he saith The works of God are verity and judgement he addes The works of God are sought out if you will have the verity or judgement that is in the works of God you must not only look upon the outside of them but you must seek them out studie them studie them as you studie the Scriptures and then you will finde out the meaning of them and see how exactly they square with every part of the Word Why doth Eliphaz send Job to experience the ground is this the works of God are like the Word of God therefore if thou canst not make it out by experience from his works thou canst hardly make it out as a Position from his Word that righteous persons are cut off Remember now I pray thee who ever perished being innocent or where were the righteous cut off Here are foure termes to be opened perished cut off innocent righteous We will consider first what we are to understand by perishing and by cutting off Secondly whom we are to understand by innocent and righteus persons And then apply the whole sentence by shewing wherein the truth of this proposition stands that a righteous man or an innocent person cannot perish or be cut off The word which we translate perished hath divers significations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 First a returning to nothing an utter consumption which is to perish as a beast Psal 49. 20. the Holy Ghost describing a man who is not acquainted with God in his great estate compares him thus Man being in honour and not understanding sc the things of God becommeth like the beasts that perish not that he perisheth as a beast doth but he is like a perishing beast the similitude is not in perishing but in his qualities who perisheth he hath but such qualities he is upon the matter even of as grosse a temper as a perishing beast Secondly to perish signifies to dye The dissolution of man or the dis-union of soule and body Isay 57. 1. is thus
double according to her works it may seeme that her harvest of punishment must exceed in Rev. 18. 6. double proportion her seed time of sinning The Psalmist speakes yet higher Render unto our neighbours sevenfold into their bosome their reproach wherewith they have reproached thee O Lord. Render Psal 79. 12. sevenfold that is manifold That number in Scripture multiplies the sense into any number To render sevenfold may be rendred the greatest number I answer Babylons punishment shall be double respecting what Babylon shall have acted but not double respecting what Babylon shall have deserved Give to her double if it be possible let her have as much blood more to drinke as she hath spilt for she deserveth to drinke an hundred times more The blood of Saints is precious blood one drop of the blood of Sion is more worth than a whole ocean of the blood of Babylon therefore give her double though it be more in quantity it is not so much in value And so reward our neighbours that have reproached thee sevenfold it is not sevenfold beyond their deserts for one scorne that a wicked man powreth upon a childe of God and so upon God for that 's the meaning of the Psalme cannot be recompensed with ten thousand reproaches powred upon wicked men Reproach is the due of ungodly men here and everlasting reproach shall be their portion hereafter But the least reproach cast upon God is an infinite wrong and the reproach of his people is so much his that he reckons it as his own And will therefore take away all reproach from his people and render to their unkinde neighbours their reproach sevenfold and that 's but equall into their bosomes Lastly When it is said They shall reape the same We are taught That the punishment of sinne shall be like the sinne in kinde It shall be the same not only in degree but also in likenesse Punishment often beares the image and superscription of sin upon it You may see the fathers face and feature in the childe Whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reape saith the Apostle Gal. 6. 7. If a man sowe wheate he shall reape wheate the harvest tells you what kinde of graine was sowed in every feild if a man sowes wheate he shall not reape tares and if a man sowe tares he shall not reape wheate Thus God often returnes the sin of man upon him sin comes to him in its own likenesse and he may reade the name of it stampt upon the affliction or by the judgement inflicted interpret the wickednesse committed This was openly confess'd by Adonibezek Judg. 1. 7. As I have done so God hath requited me just so and what was that He speakes out in the former words Threescore and ten Kings having their thumbes and their great tooes cut off gathered their meate under my Table there was his sowing his reaping was the same They caught him saith the Text and cut off his thumbes and his great toes The very first Law that was formally made and published after the fall was a Law of retaliation or of counterpassion Gen. 6. 9. Whosoever sheddeth mans blood what shall he reape by man shall his blood be shed he must reape the same The Judicials of Moses are plaine for this Exod. 21. 24. Eye for eye and tooth for tooth c. They have moved me to jealousie saith the Lord by that Deut. 32. 21. which is not God and I will move them to jealousie by those who are not a people Like as ye have forsaken me and served strange Gods in your Land so shall ye serve strangers in a Land which is not yours Jer. 5. 19. God payeth them in their owne coine Who so stoppeth his eares at the cry of the poore he also shall cry himselfe but shall not be heard Prov. 21. 13. And so concerning the preaching of the word contemned Zech. 7. 13. Therefore it is come to passe that as he cryed and they would not heare so they cryed and I would not heare saith the Lord of Hosts They reape as they sowed they would not heare that was their sin they shall not be heard that 's the punishment they shall see how good it is to be wilfully deafe when God commands by his being judicially deafe when they complaine The Sodomites had a fire of unnaturall lust among them and God sent a showre of fire unnature to destroy them The Egyptians killed the Israelitish children that was the seed they sowed they reape the same God slew their children even all their first-borne in one night Nadab and Abihu offered strange fire there was their wickednesse they reaped the same God by fire from Heaven in a strange manner slew them in a moment Yea we find the Lord sometimes dealing thus with his own deare servants he will cause them to reape that which they have sowen in kind David had defiled his neighbours wife therefore saith the Lord I will take thy wives from before thine eyes 2 Sam. 12. 11. and give them to thy neighbour and he shall lye with thy wives in the sight of this Sunne Againe The Lord tells him Thou hast slaine Vriah with the sword of the children of Ammon therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house You see here was sword for sword and defilement for defilement even holy David reaped the same which he had sowed It is very remarkeable which is reported in the history of the Church by Socrates concerning Valens the Emperour who was a great persecuter Socrat Histor Eccl. l. 4. c. 3. of the orthodox Christians and a maintainer of Arianisme The story tells us that in his warres against the Gothes he was overthrowne and hiding himselfe in a little cottage the enemy came by burnt it and him together Now see how God in this gave him to reape what he had sowen for when fourscore of the orthodox sayled from Constantinople to Nicomedia to treate with him about the points of Arrianisme and to settle the matter by way of dispute the Emperour hearing of their approach while they were in the haven and before they could come on shore caused the Ships to be fired wherein they were and so consumed them all here was burntng for burning And it is observed in the French Historie that Charles the ninth of France who was the Anno 15 72. contriver of that great Massachre in Paris wherein so many thousand Protestants were forced through a Red sea a sea of blood to their rest in Canaan this bloody King at last dyed himselfe by a strange eruption of blood from all the passages of his body thus he also reaped what he had sowne he had powred out blood and his blood was powred out It were easie to give you plenty of instances bearing witnesse of this accurate justice of God Examples were frequent in Jobs time you see Eliphaz had store of these in his note-booke Even as I have seene they that plow iniquity and
angry are exprest by the different frame of the nostrils as namely when the Lord is said to be slow to anger the Hebrew is long of nostrils Psal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 103. 8. The Lord is slow to anger or Exod. 34. 6. Long-suffering In both places the Originall is long of nostrils that is of anger or long ere he be angry On the other side a passionate cholerick man a man ready to conceive anger is said to have a straite or a short nostrill He that is soone angry dealeth foolishly Prov. 14. 17. The Hebrew is he that hath a short or a narrow nostrill 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Brevis narium i. e. praeceps ad iram 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. Spiritu furoris ejus deficiunt dealeth foolishly because such men are most apt to conceive anger So then while Eliphaz saith by the breath of his nostrils they are consumed it is as if he had said by the wrath and displeasure of God they are consumed and the Septuagint translate it directly by anger They are consumed by the breath or spirit of his anger so others in the Latine They are consumed by the spirit of his fury And both these words breath and blast are found together in one place 2 Sam. 22. 16. At the blast of the breath of his nostrils the whole verse runneth thus The channels of the sea appeared the foundations of the earth were discovered at the rebuking of the Lord at the blast of the breath of his nostrils that is at the great displeasure of the Lord. So we see what we are here to understand by the breath and by the blast of the Lord. And in this passage Eliphaz seems to hint at the manner of the death of Jobs children who were destroyed by the strength of a mighty winde smiting the foure corners of the house so that it fell upon them that winde may well be called the breath and the blast of God both in regard of the wonder and strangenesse of it as also because though Satan was the instrument he had the ordering and disposing of it Satans breath all the winde he can raise cannot blow away a feather unlesse the Lord give and continue leave and strength to doe it Observe first God can easily destroy wicked men He doth it by a blast or by a breath Though to themselves and others they appeare as great Mountains yet before God they are but as dust or chaffe of the Mountains by a blast or by a breath he scatters and consumes them So David compares them Psal 1. 4. The ungodly are not so not so how they are not as a tree planted by the waters side that is the portion of the righteous how are the ungodly then they are as the chaffe that the winde scattereth or driveth away the best of them the most solid of them are no better And Isa 17. 13. The Nations shall be chased as the chaffe of the mountaines before the winde and as a rolling thing before the whirlwinde Though Nations mighty strong powerfull Nations come out against God and his people Fear them not For if God set himselfe against them they are no more before him then a little chaffe he scatters them by the breath of his displeasure You know it is no trouble for a man to breath or to make a blast with his mouth and this phrase is used to shew with what ease and facility God destroys all the plots and counsels of wicked men it putteth him to no paine no sweating no travel or labour to doe it men are put to much expence of paines and run many hazzards to oppose the wickedness of men but God doth it with a breath 2 King 19. 7. When God sent to Hezekiah to assure him that he would deliver him from Senacherib he not onely promiseth to doe it but shews him how he will do it even as in this Text Behold I will send a blast upon him that 's all I will doe I will not trouble my self much about the businesse you must gather armies and make great preparations against the enemy but I will doe it with a blast And which is yet more speedy Some understand this blast to note only the will and pleasure the intent or purpose of God by the blast of God they perish that is if he doe but will it it is done it is no more for him to act it then intend it The Septuagint translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 near this sence by the command of God they perish as if Eliphaz had said it is as easie for God to doe it as to say it shall or to command it to be done Men can command great things and talke much what they will doe and all proves but talking and commanding one man may command more in an houre then a Million can doe in a year but with God it is all one to command accomplish It is noted for a high speech that of Caesar to Metellus who opposing him when he came into the Roman Treasury to take the money there heaped together Caesar whose great spirit could not bear opposition saith to him Let me alone or I will lay thee dead upon the ground And presently at once to quallifie that threat and magnifie his owne power addes Young man it is harder for mee to speak this then to doe it It is most certainly so with God he can as easily doe any thing as speak it Yet further we finde the easinesse of Gods destroying his enemies set forth a degree higher He doth it by a looke as by a blast of his nostrils so by a cast of his eye that 's a small trouble and that 's all that it needs cost God to destroy the strongest the vilest and violentest foe in the world thus he consumed the Hoast of Pharaoh even with a look Exod. 14. 24. It came to passe that in the morning watch the Lord looked unto the hoast of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud and troubled the hoast of the Egyptians If God hide his face from his people they are troubled and if he look upon his enemies they are troubled He darts out both beams of life and beams of death from his eyes When a godly man is afflicted if he can but get the Lord to look upon his trouble he is delivered And when wicked men prosper if God do but look upon their glory they are withered With such ease doth the Scripture expresse the destruction of wicked ones it is by a breath by a word by a command by a look An intimation from the eye of God is execution Secondly note God can suddenly destroy the counsels and the plottings the ploughings and the sowings of wicked men In proverbial speaking to doe a thing suddenly and to doe a thing with a breath are the same God can as soon destroy his enemies as a man can breath Psal 73. 10. How are they brought into desolation in
tremble The Naturalists observe that though many creatures are swifter of foot then the Lion yet when he roareth they fall downe and he overtakes them with his astonishing voyce so tyrannicall men with their roaring words their loud threatnings often affright and daunt the poor 7. They resemble Lions in the sowrenesse and sternenesse of their countenance and cloudinesse of their browes Much of mans heart is seene in his face frownes are as blowes hence we call it brow-beating The love of God is expressed by the pleasantnesse of his face and the light of his countenance So also is the love of man and we may see what the intent of another is in his very lookes Many are in this respect Lion-like men they have as Aristotle saith of the naturall Lion clouds and stormes hanging about their eye-browes It was a threatning against the Jewes in case of disobedience that God would send against them a Nation of a fierce countenance which should not regard the person of the old c. Deut. 28. 50. Lastly they are like Lions in regard of their greedinesse after prey They have set their eyes bowing downe to the earth like as a Lyon that is greedy of his prey Psal 17. 11 12. Thus you see both who are here meant by Lions and likewise how the resemblance or picture of a wicked man may be taken from a Lion Now when it is said that the teeth of the Lions are broken that the old Lions perish and the young Lions are scattered abroad By all these expressions of scattering perishing and being broken to peeces the Holy Ghost shewes us the utter full and finall consumption of wicked men they are not only touched troubled and roused up out of their dens but these Lions old and young are scattered and consumed They perish There is an opinion currant among the Jewish writers that this verse is to be understood as a description of the means or instruments by which God destroyes wicked men and not as we of wicked men themselves whom God will destroy Junius agrees with this interpretation of the Jewes translating the two verses in this sence By the blast of God they perish and by the breath of his nostrils they are consumed by the roariag of the Lion and by the voyce of the fierce Lion and by the teeth of young Lions they are consumed As if when wicked men so he giveth the glosse are not destroyed immediately by the breath and by the blast of God then God stirres up the creatures against them and will destroy them by Lions We know it was a speciall judgement threatned in the Law against the disobedient Levit. 26. 22. that God would send evill beasts among them The Prophet numbers this among Gods sore judgements Sword famine pestilence and evill beasts are put together In the history of the Kings we have a famous 2 King 17. â—â— record how the Lord sent Lions who slew some of those Idolaters whom the King of Bahylon had transplanted into the Cities of Samaria But I rather conceive the former exposition of the words to be the truth and most sutable to the context and there is this reason to be given because it agrees best with the purpose of Eliphaz whose worke was so to describe the destruction of wicked men in generall that he might particularly intimate the destruction fallen upon Job and his family with the reason of it Job was a great man in his time he was among men as the Lion among beasts a chiefe His friends thought him a cruell Lion too and so he is told to his face afterward by one of them that he like a greedy Lion had taken away the pledge and the garment from the poore This Eliphaz would hint at least to Job and that God had found him out in his Lion-like qualities that he being a Magistrate and a man in authority having dealt hardly and cruelly with others now the Lord had measured to him the same measure he had given others He the Lion and she the fierce Lion or Lionesse his wife they the young Lions his children were all broken and either perished or perishing So much for the cleering of the words I shall now adde some observations from them First Wicked men how powerfull how strong soever shall fall before the wrath and indignation of God The day of the Lord shall be against every one that is high and that is lifted up God desires in a speciall manner to be dealing with these for they in the pride of their spirits think themselves a match for God though indeed their strength be but weaknesse and their wisdome foolishnesse yet in their own conceits they are stronger and wiser then God himselfe Hence like Pharaoh they send defiance to Heaven and say Who is the Lord Exod. 5. 1. When God sees the hearts of men swolne to this height of insolent madnesse he delights to shew himselfe and graple with them that the pride of man may be abased and every one that is exalted may be laid low that he only may be exalted and his Name set up in that day David was much troubled at that murther of Abner yet he could not take vengeance presently upon the fierce Lion that had suckt his blood Why his power did not reach it ye sonnes of Zerviah saith he are too hard for me 2 Sam. 23. 3. But there are no sonnes of Zerviah too hard for God no Lions so strong but he can teare them with infinitely more ease then a Lion can the tender kid This should comfort us when we see great and potent enemies rising up against the Church what are these before the great Lion the Lion of the Tribe of Judah If the Lord doe but roare if the Lion of the Tribe of Judah come against these Lions they will run like a heard of fearfull deare The Kings of the earth and the great men and the rich men and the chiefe Captaines and the mighty men are described trembling at the presence of Christ when he appeared but as a Lambe Rev. 6. 15 16. They cry to the mountaines and the rockes to fall upon them and to hide them from his face If when Christ appeares like an angry Lambe the greatest in the world fall before him what then will these doe when Christ shall appeare as a roaring Lion Secondly observe how gradually the Holy Ghost expresses the destruction of wicked tyrants All is not done at once First the roaring of the Lion doth perish then their voice then their teeth are pulled out next their prey is taken away lastly their whelps are scattered Note hence That usually God destroyes wicked men by degrees Here are five steps or degrees of Gods justice against these Lions First He stops the roaring of the Lions they shall not be able to make such a dreadfull noise as heretofore their roaring may be stopt when their voice is not though they can speake yet they shall not yell In the second
esse verbum alicut nihil aliud significat quam factam esse revelationem in aâ—iquo Deum cognitione futurorum instar luminiâ— mentem illustrasse Cyril in 1 cap. Hos v 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 brought unto me but it is usuall both in Hebrew and Greek to call A thing A word Luk. 2. 15. The Shepherds said Let us goe to Bethlem to see this thing the Greek is to see this word which is done Though here it is proper enough to say A word was brought unto me Now a thing or a word was brought unto me it was brought unto me secretly The language of the Prophets was The word of the Lord came unto me There are two words in our translation secretly brought but the Hebrew is one and that word signifies to steale or to do a thing by stealth so it may be translated A thing was brought unto me by stealth or was stole into me M Broughton near this A speech came by stealth upon me we translate fully to the sense A thing was secretly brought to me as if it were whispered into the eare and sent in closely to the spirit And it is thus expressed by way of opposition to another way in which God reveales his minde unto his people He sometimes comes openly and speaks aloud that all may take notice or because all ought Isa 58. 1. Cry aloud lift up thy voice like a Trumpet Things are brought openly to the people secretly to the Prophets what the Lord speaks in the eare or to the heart of a Prophet that he by the Prophet speaks on the house top to all his people A thing was secretly brought or a thing was whispered unto Eliphaz But he speaks it aloud to Job This word or this thing is said to be stolne into him or to be brought unto him by stealth for three reasons which I shall but name and proceed First a thing done by stealth is done suddenly The Thiefe hastens to doe mischiefe he makes no delayes Then secondly a thing done by stealth is done secretly a Thiefe comes closely in the dark stealth is committed with greatest privacy and to say a thing is brought by stealth is as much as to say it is brought privately Thirdly a thing done by stealth is done unexpectedly A man seldome looks for the Thiefe he is upon him in the way upon him in his house before he is aware A Thiefe is usually as unexpected as he is aâ— unwelcome guest So this word came or was brought in by stealth because it came suddely it came silently and it came unexpectedly to Eliphaz And in these three respects Christ himselfe is said to come as a Thiefe Behold I come as a thiefe in Rev. 16. 15. the night As the word of Christ comes to many of his people now so the person of Christ will come at the last unto all He will come by stealth or as a thiefe suddenly secretly unexpectedly when the world shall little dreame of him and his Church scarce be awake for him Note from this first That divine truths are infused into us not borne in us or borne with us every thing which is of Heaven commeth unto us from Heaven it is either stolne in secretly or thundred in loudly sometimes the Prophets and Ministers of Christ speaking aloud carry truth into the soule sometimes God whispers it into the soule one way or other truth must be brought in for it growes not in us our hearts by nature are not onely like white paper having no inscription not a letter of Gods will written in them but they are like paper blotted or blurred written all over with the corrupt principles and positions of our own wils God by his Spirit first crosses or wipes out those and then writes down his own golden rules of holy truth and heavenly wisdome This he doth first in conversion from sinne to grace and holinesse and afterward in all the increases of grace and growths of holinesse There is not a syllable of the law of God in any mans heart till the finger of God writes it there I will put my law in their minde and write it in their hearts which is an allusion unto the two Tables of the Law They were first written by the finger of God and then put into the Ark So God first writes the Law in our hearts and then puts it into our mindes he layes it up in the Ark of our understanding and memory Secondly observe That God steales truths into the hearts of his people unawares As they often expect and wait long for knowledge so they sometimes know before they expect A truth either in whole or part in the matter or clearer light of it comes like a Thief into the heart suddenly secretly unlooked for in which case it is ever true that truth unexpected is doubly welcom'd The way of the Spirit of God is alwayes undiscernable to flesh and blood The soule receives a thing and the man knowes not how he can scarce possibly not at all tell where by whom or which way it came to him it was brought secretly brought and with a most blessed gracious slight of hand conveyed into his heart Yet sometime truth enters in State may be said to make its passage visibly into the heart of a man The word comes not as a company of Thieves but as a band of Souldiers with weapons drawn and terrible shouts tearing open the soule and breaking open the iron gate of the heart lock'd and barr'd with unbeliefe to secure that cursed crue of lusts garrison'd within it The weapons of our warfare saith the Apostle are mighty through God 2 Cor. 10. 4. The word is mighty wonderfull in strength it comes upon the soule as an armed man to spoyle it of all sinfull treasures yea of the very life of sinne Sometimes the Lord proclaimes warre as by a Herald of Armes against a man and openly prepares for his siege and battery He surprises another and steals him into a happy captivity to himselfe A thing was secretly brought unto me and mine eare received a little thereof Mine eare caught somewhat of it so Mr. Broughton The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paâ—â—câ—la pars medicum signifies a part or a portion Mine eare received a little yet we are not to understand this as if Eliphaz had taken in onely some fragments or imperfect notes of what God delivered or had heard to halves For doubtlesse Eliphaz received all that was brought he turned nothing back he said not a little is enough I need not the rest that he received but a little was not from neglect of the rest but from inability to receive more or to receive it more perfectly And though he had not all of every part yet he had a part of all it was not a little of this and none of that little respects somewhat of every truth not some one truth He received though not all yet a perfect modell of all
love unto the world keeps awake but how few are there whom love to Christ keeps awake It was an harsh and in one sense an ignorant speech of a wise man amongst the Heathens who said There is no man who may not more holily be in any company than with himselfe alone And Nemo est cui non sanctius sit â—â—m quolibet esse quam secum Sen. yet there is a truth in it For if a man be by himself alone and deale only with his own heart probably he might be as profitably with any company as with himself One mans heart in it self is as bad as anothers and usually it is worst when it is by it selfe Some like Nebuchadnezzar being secluded from men converse only with beasts those most beastly beasts lusts in their own bosomes Dan. 4. 3. But to be alone from men to converse with God to be alone from men to converse with Christ is infinitely better then all the society of men The reason why many receive but little of Christ little of Heaven is because they are so much in the croud of the Pietas periclitatur in negoâ—iis world so long upon the Rack of earthly care they seldome let their hearts settle The Ballances must stand at an even poize before you can weigh aright If you desire to know which beares most weight in your hearts Earth or Heaven Christ or the Creature let your hearts stand still That in Psalm 4. 4. reaches this sense fully Commune with your owne hearts upon your beds and be still Our hearts will not be spoken with unlesse we be quiet And as the Picture-drawer cannot take the features of the face to the life so neither can we of our hearts or lives unlesse we have the patience to sit for it JOB Chap. 4. Vers 14 15 16. Feare came upon me and trembling which made all my bones to shake Then a Spirit passed before my face the haire of my flesh stood up It stood still but I could not discern the form thereof an Image was before mine eyes there was silence and I heard a voyce saying WE have already given the Logicall dependance of this whole Context from the 12 Verse unto the end of the Chapter and therein shewed how Eliphaz confirmes the principall Proposition lying in the 17 Verse by Divine Authority a Vision received from Heaven A thing saith he was secretly brought to me and mine eare received a little thereof in thoughts from visions of the night when deep sleep falleth on men Thus the manner of the vision is described in generall The effects of the vision upon Eliphaz and the particular manner how the vision appeared are now further described and set forth This 14 Verse contains one eminent effect of the vision with the consequents of it assoon saith he as I was in that heavenly rapture and extasie Fear came upon me and trembling which made all my bones to shake It was very usuall for Prophets and Holy men to be surprized with fear at the appearance of Jehovah in his messages by Angels or other visions It is naturall unto man to fear at the sight of an Angel and it is a received opinion among the Jews that whether God or an Angel did appear it was present death which they collect from divers Scriptures Ex. 33. 20. when Moses desired to see the face of God the Lord answered there is no man can see my face and live Those words of Gideon import as much Judg 6. 22. When Gideon perceived that he was an Angel of the Lord he said Alas O Lord God for because I have seen an Angell of the Lord face to face as if he had said alas woe is me I shall certainly dye And Judg. 13. 21. Manoah concludes it We shall surely dye because we have seene God when an Angel appeared to them Hence also Jacob Gen. 32. 30. after his wrastling with the Angel which was Christ called the name of the place Penuel which is The face of God for saith he I have seen God face to face and my life is preserv'd as noting that it was a wonderfull priviledge not to dye at such a sight the very appearance of God is death to the Creature And that which Hagar spake Gen. 16 13. may well be interpreted to this sense when flying from her Mistris God came to her in the Wildernesse she called the name of the Lord that spake unto her Thou God seest me the reason is added by way of admiration for she said Have I also here looked after him that seeth me Which words may well be translated Do I live after him sc God that seeth me for here one act of life is put for the whole looking or seeing for living Have I seen or Ex Habraeâ— ita reddi potest Etiamnè jam â—â—deo sâ—u lucem hanâ— espicio vivo post videntem me Parens have I beheld the light after God hath seen me that is Am I alive after God hath seen me How wonderfull The effect of this vision upon Eliphaz was not death but fear yet no ordinary fear but fear which looked almost as pale as death it was fear joyned with trembling and no ordinary trembling but such a fit of trembling as shook his very bones We have often spoken of fear both in this and in the former Chapters but such a fear as met Eliphaz we have not met with before That before was the grace of fear spirituall fear but this is the passion of fear naturall fear And it is naturall to man as some of Est homini naturale conspecto angelo etiam bono timere Bold ex Beda Origen Chrysostome the Ancients have observed to fear thus at the appearance of God by Angels Fear is caused by the apprehension of some evil imminent or at hand that 's the definition of naturall fear Now when God manifests himself though the greatest good be at hand yet the soul hath some misgivings and apprehensions of evil hence comes fear the foundation of this fear is laid in guilt sin is in the soul and guilt may be upon the soul thence naturall fear works when God who is all holy manifests himself And in special there is much unbelief remaining in the heart this fear is strengthned by unbelief Wherefore do ye fear saith Christ O ye of little faith Where there is little faith there is much fear and as unbelief prevails so fear prevails too Thirdly this fear arises from the suddennesse and unexpectednesse of the thing God as you may observe in all those Revelations of himself comes suddenly that which comes before we see it causeth fear when we see it sudden motions without us work strange commotions within And fourthly the over-powring Majesty and super-excelling excellency of God in any such revelation causeth astonishments of spirit a little appearance of God makes the creature disappear One drop of the Divine Ocean swallowes up all man and one
shall not taste of death till they see the Sonne of man comming in his Kingdome Yet here the posture is conceived to be an erect setled fixed posture to the intent Eliphaz might have his eye more setled and fixed upon it and likewise that his heart might be better prepared and fitted for the receiving of that message which should be delivered unto him by it when a man speakes he usually makes a stand An ambulatory speech a speech in motion is not so audible nor so comely In apparitions this posture is frequently mentioned When our Lord appeared to the Disciples after the resurrection Luke saith He stood amengst them cap. 24. 36. Zacharie saw the Angel standing on the right side of the Altar Luk. 1. 11. And while the Apostles were looking up stedfastly to Heaven at the ascention of Christ Behold two men stood by them in white apparel which also said c. Acts 1. 10. therefore also this spirit being to speake stood still I could not discerne the forme of it The face of it so some reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The countenance or aspect of it so others They who rise from the dead are not easily known by those who knew them living When Christ arise John 20. it is said that Mary who was very well acquainted with him in his life though he stood by her knew not that it was Jesus but thought it had been the Gardner When Christ walked with the Disciples to Emaus they knew him not and there a reason is given their eyes were held that they should not know him a speciall act of Gods providence suspended their eye-sight and took away though not the power of seeing yet the power of discerning God hath every sense so exactly in his own hand that he can let it out or call it back in any degree as himselfe pleaseth he can give a man so much power as to see another and not so much power as to discern him which by the way is an argument of the wonderfull exactnesse of Gods providence over us he holds our senses in his hand 〈◊〉 â—ell as our reason or our wils and saith thus farre you shall 〈◊〉 heare and no further therefore it is said Verse 31. that their eyes were opened they were opened before to see him but now they were opened to know him And at other times when Christ appeared after his resurrection his Disciples were at a stand whether it was he or no Thomas though he saw Christ before him yet he would not believe it was he untill he had put his finger into the hole of the Nayls and into the hole which the Speare made in his side untill he had assurance from another sense he would not believe his eyes Ethnicis semper absurdum fuit ut faciem deoruÌ„ agnoscerent hâ—mines quam deoâ—uÌ„ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 posteâ—ioâ—es poeâ—ae ab Homero Homerus ab Egyptiis vel poâ—ius ex sacris sâ—nâ—ti Moysis lâ—bris sumpsit Bâ—ld 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Signâ—ficat speciem vel sensibilem vel mentalem If then a body arising from the grave though it be seen yet can hardly be distinguished by mortall eyes how much lesse is the eye of man able to discern Angels or Spirits cloathed in humane forms The impressions of glory and immortality which appeare upon bodies assumed by spirits especially in sudden apparitions doe exceedingly master if not astonish sense The Heathens thought it absurd to say that their Gods could be known by face For though they were so grosse as to satisfie rhemselves with bodily Gods yet they believed those bodies were so refined had such a kinde of majestick Divinity stampt upon them that a meer mortall could not comprehend them Their doctrine shines a little into this Text. A spirit passed before Eliphaz he had a sight of it for it stood still yet he could not make out what it was or who it was he could not discerne the form thereof An Image was before mine eyes The word Themounah which we translate Image is taken either for a visible or intellectuall Image Sometime it is taken for the form of a thing which is apprehended visibly by the eye so in Deut. 4. 15 16. Take ye therefore good heed to your selves for ye saw no manner of similitude in the day that the Lord spake unto you in Horeb out of the middest of the fire lest ye corrupt your selves and make the similitude of any figure that is least you make a visible Image of the invisible God Secondly the same word signifies an Image in the minde Thus God himselfe who said in Deuteronomy that they saw no similitude and thereupon bad them take heed of making any similitude saith of Moses that the similitude of the Lord he shall behold Num. 21. 8. The word similitude in Numbers is the same for Image in the Text an intellectuall image a representation to the understanding Moses had this priviledge The similitude of God revealed to his SpectruÌ„ visuÌ„ vocant latini quicquid corpore apparet forma licet corpus non sit understanding but 〈◊〉 he saith in Deut ye had no similitude the meaning is no 〈◊〉 â—all no visible similitude no object of sense This Image in the â—ext was not intellectuall for it was before his eyes Nor was it the Image of a spirit gross d into a body but it was a spirit in or with the imaginary form of a body There was silence and I heard a voice saying That is the last thing which the Text holds forth about this vision There was silence The Hebrew thus Silence and I heard a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Silentium vocem per hyppallagen vocem silentii id est vocem tacitam submissam audiebam Mercer Et vocem quasi curae levis audivi Vulg. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. Silens murmur Ar. Mont. voice we supply there was The readings are various yet the sense one I heard the voice as it were of a gentle gale I heard a gale and a voice I heard a silent murmure Our Translators put in the margine I heard a still voice which comes near to that I heard a silent voice by a usuall figure silence and a voice for a voice of silence If any should say these two are so opposite that they cannot be predicated or affirmed one of another Silence is the direct contrary to a voice therfore to say there was a silent voice seemeth to be a contradiction in the adjunct I answer it is frequent to affirm contraries one of another in an inferiour remisse degree Though we cannot say light is darke yet we may say this is a dark light that is a glimmering imperfect obscure light Zech. 14. 6. The day shall be neither clear nor dark it shall be as it were a dark light So a low voice may well be called a silent voice I heard a silent voice that is I heard a low or a still voice
one commended and approved from the mouth of God for a man perfect and upright should be thus afflicted what Shall weake Job be justified before God Yea though Job be considered in his greenest flourishings of grace and highest pitch of his prosperity as he was Geber indeed the greatest the mightiest man in the Easterne world yet shall he be more pure than his Maker No cease your complainings God is just and his honour must be vindicated in what he doth or in what he shall doe against the weakest or against the mightiest against the meanest or against the best of men God will be found just and man a lyar Either of these three senses are faire from the construction of the Text and may be profitable for us I shall therefore draw them down into five or six conclusions which will be at least a portion of that marrow and fatnesse which this Scripture yeilds us to feed upon First we may observe That man naturally preferreth himselfe not onely above other men but even before God himselfe A principle of pride dwels in our hearts by nature which at some times and in some cases breeds better thoughts in us of our selves than of God himselfe And it is this height of spirit which the heavenly vision here would levell to the ground We know it was the first sin of man that man desired to be like God Gen. 3. The first temptation was baited with a parity to the Divine powers Ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evill This also was the language of Lucifers heart Thou hast said in thy heart I will ascend into heaven I will exalt my throne above the starres of God I will ascend above the heights of the Clouds I will be like the most high I say â—4 13 14. And the practise of the man of sinne is thus prophesied That he shall exalt himselfe above all that is called God 2 Thess 2. 4. But the heart of man is yet more mad and hath out-growne those sinfull principles For in troubles and temptations when things go not according to his minde he sometimes hath thoughts not only that he is like God but that he is more just than God and if he had the ordering of things he would order them better than God he sometime thinks himselfe juster than God and if he had the punishing of offenders justice should proceed more freely and impartially than it doth which is upon the matter not onely to exalt himself as the Man of Sin doth above Nuncupative Gods or all that is called God but to exalt himself above him who is God by nature above the onely one-most God Even to speak in this Dialect of highest blasphemy that he is more just than God more pure than his Maker Secondly Take this conclusion That it is a most high presumption not onely for low weak man but for the best the highest of men to compare themselves with God or to have any thoughts concerning his wayes as if they could mend them When God cals us to amend our wayes for us to presume we could amend Gods wayes is the very top branch the highest tower yea the most towring Pinnacle of presumption We say amongst men that comparisons are odious but this is the most odious comparison of all for a man to compare himselfe with God his thoughts with Gods thoughts what he hath done or would doe with what God doth If you consider the termes of opposition that are in the Text this conclusion will be more clear unto you Consider how Enosh weak mortall man is opposite to Elohah the mighty the strong God it is presumption for a weak man to compare with a strong man what presumption is it then for a weake man to compare with the mighty God for a reed to compare in strength with a rock for darknesse to compare with light for a cloud to compare with the Sunne for death to compare with life for folly to compare with wisdome for uncleanenesse to compare with holinesse for nothing to compare with All how presuptuous Will ye provoke the Lord saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 10. are ye stronger than he It implies that some such thoughts lodge in man as if he could make his partie good with God or might be stronger than he And it is equall folly in us and provocation against the Lord to thinke our selves juster as to thinke our selves stronger than he And then marke the other termes of opposition Man and his Maker Shall the great man compare with or be more pure than his Maker as if he should say How great and excellent soever this man is he was made and made by God with whom he thus compares than whom he thinks himselfe more pure And shall the thing formed stand upon termes with him that formed it shall the potsheard or the pot contend with the Potter what though it be an excellent vessell a vessell determined for the most excellent ends and uses yet whatsoever it is it was made to be and made to be by God both in its constitution and uses Shall it then boast it selfe against its maker The Lord made Geber as well as Enosh the strong man as well as the weake the wise and learned man as well as the foolish and ignorant the Noble as well as the base the holy and righteous as well as the wicked and prophane In a word the vessels of honour are as much yea more of his making than the vessels of dishonour shall they then be more pure than their Maker hath the Lord given more to others than he hath in himselfe hath he made a creature his superior or his Peere hath his bounty impaired his own stock or hath he made man more than God That God hath made the best out of the dust is enough to lay all our pride and boasting as low as the dust That what we are we are from another should ever keep us humble in our selves Thirdly Take this Conclusion That God in himselfe is most just and pure Shall mortall man be more just than God The question hath this position in it that God is infinitely just infinitely pure therefore he is perfectly pure perfectly just God is essentiall Justice essentiall purity Justice and purity are not qualities in God but they are his very nature A man may be a man and yet be unjust but God cannot be God and be unjust A man may be a man and yet impure but God cannot be God and be impure so that Justice and purity are not qualities or accidents in God but his very essence and being destroy or deny the purity and Justice of God and you put God out of the world as much as in you lies for he cannot be God unlesse he be both just to others and pure in himselfe Fourthly Take this conclusion The best men compared with God are evill and the holiest are impure Not onely is it presumption but a lye for men to compare with God
for the good of those that are the heires of salvation And so the words in the close of this verse are exigeticall expounding who are intended by those servants Behold he put no trust in his servants and his Angels he charged with folly that is he trusted not those servants the Angels but charged them with folly But there is a further reason more fully evidencing that it must be understood of Angels in the 19 verse where the persons standing in equall opposition to these servants and Angels are men Hâ—w much lesse saith he on them that dwell in houses of clay Now a dwelling in a house of clay is the periphrasis or description of mankinde in generall good or bad one or other high or low all mankinde dwels in a house of clay Seeing then the terme of opposition is mankinde in generall we must take somewhat which being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nutrivit in Hiphil credidâ—t fisus est A fide quae in nutrâ—endo requiritur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a raionall creature is not man for the other terme which cannot be any except Angels we cannot set any sort of men in opposition to others upon this ground because they dwell in houses of clay for the Saints on earth dwell in houses of clay as well as men of the earth therefore to make the opposition clear it necessarily follows that by Servants in the first clause of the verse Angels are implyed as well as in the latter where Angels are exprest nutriius dâ—ctus est cujus fidei pueâ— est commissus quasi fidum aut fidetem dicas saepe etiam accommodatur ad aeconomum dispensatorem proper fidelitatem eorum But if these servants be Angels how is it that he put no trust in or that as we may render it word for word out of the Hebrew he did not believe in these his servants I shall answer that when I have a little opened the wopd here translated To put trust We finde it used two wayes in Scripture sometime passively and sometime actively It is taken passively to be faithfull trusty and true in word or promise From this root the Hebrew takes the name of a Guardian or Foster-father or Steward because such to whose care children or families are committed ought to be most faithful in the discharge of so great a trust The Apostle 1 Cor. 4. 1 2. speaking of that heavenly Stewardship the ministery of the Gospel expresseth it thus Let a man so account of us as of the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the mysteries of God moreover saith he it is required in a Steward that a man be found faithfull And Numb 12. 7. where Moses is spoken of as a servant he is thus described My servant Moses is not so who is faithfull in all my house he is a man whom I may trust or give credit to for he is trusty and faithfull Heb. 3. 2 5. the Apostle comparing Christ and Moses saith of Christ That he was faithfull to him that appointed him as Moses was faithfull in all his house So that here is an elegant Antithesis His servants who according to their duty and office ought to be constant faithfull trusty he found unconstant unfaithfull not to be trusted Yet the word being in Hyphil is of an active signification and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A verbi preprietate non recedamus qua signâ—ficat cum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 credere fidere alicui Merc Verbum de verbo in servos suos credidit when it is in construction with Beth as Grammarians observe it imports to give credit unto or confide in a person and so here he put no trust that is he did not credit or condfie in those servants or he did not believe on them He saw somewhat in them which might betray them to disloyaltie if himselfe withdrawing his assistance should make an experiment or try what was in their hearts And this sense is most suitable to the state and office of a servant trusting or not trusting faithfulnesse or unfaithfulnesse are acts proper to that relation Lord and Servant So then the Lord put no trust or he could not confide in his servants they being such as he found not perfectly sure and loyall unto him We say commonly of a man whom we cannot rrust We will not give our word for him and we will not take his Our Lord Christ is therefore called a faithfull High Priest because his Father trusted him with the whole businesse of our salvation without the least misgiving thought of his faithfulnesse or the miscarriage of the work Thus Solomon describes a faithfull Wife and a confiding Husband Prov. 31 10 11. A rare couple indeed and as rarely found Therefore he makes proclamation for such a woman who can finde a vertuous Woman for her price is farre above Rubies the heart of her Husband doth safely trust in her so that he shall have no need of spoile there 's confidence to the height the heart of her Husband doth safely trust in her A Husband that hath such a Jewell to his Wife knowes she will order the family with discretion at home when he 's abroad he knowes she is faithfull to him body and goods Her chastity or her frugality never came in question before his thoughts therefore saith he I shall have no need of spoile which some interpret thus her care and wisdome in providing for the family will make it like an Army which hath overcome the Tam circum fluit bonis omnibus familia ejus quam milites spolijs ex pugnata urbe out hoste superaâ—o Enemy in the field or wonne a wealthy City where the Souldiers have spoile or pillage enough they need no spoile Or as others He shall have no need of spoile that is he shall have no need to spoile or oppresse others to helpe his family All things shall be so ordered by his wives prudence that he shall not need to take any unjust way to provide for or supply his household Thus the heart of her husband doth safely trust in her Such trust the heart of God could not put in those servants his Angels he knew they might come short in their accounts Such trust Christ could not give some who seemed to trust or believe on him John 2. 23. Many seeing Christs miracles believed on him yet Christ would not believe on them we translate he would not commit himselfe to them the Greek is he did not believe or trust himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto them Christ believes in or may trust them all the world over who truly believe in him But these believed so falsely upon him that he could not believe fully upon them and the text gives the reason For he himselfe knew all men he knew they were not metall of a due temper and therefore not to be trusted So God knew all Angels the uttermost perfection power and vertue that was in Angels therefore he would
not commit all to them he would not believe upon them We finde the word belief thus used Exod. 14. 31. when the children of Israel saw the great work that the Lord had wrought in destroying the Egyptians it is said The people feared the Lord and believed the Lord and his servant Moses he puts God and Moses as the joynt object of their faith as they had formerly been of their unbelief Except the servants of the Lord be believed the Lord himselfe is not And when they are believed the Lord is Believe in the Lord your God believe his Prophets saith good Jehosaphat to his people 2 Chron. 20 20. Moses had told them enough of the power of God before he had undertaken they should be delivered but they would not trust Moses upon his word nor would they trust the Word of God yet now when they saw this great deliverance present sight wrought faith for the time to come they perceived by this miracle that the Lord and Moses were to be credited they doubted not to credit them another time Though that faith which comes in at the eyes only seldome goes downe so low as the heart or sees further and longer then the eye Thus we may understand the first part of the Verse He put no trust no belief in his servants he gave no credit to them as knowing perfectly what their nature and power was what both could do that if left by God they would quickly leave God and prove unfaithfull I shall observe one point before I come to the latter part of the Verse for there the suspition of disloyaltie upon the Angels comes more fully to be considered from the title here given to the Angels His servants he put no trust in his servants Angels are the servants of God They are his servants as being altogether at his command and they are his servants as being fully conformable to his commands These great and glorious Spirits come under the same title and denomination with men who dwell in houses of clay servants of God To serve God is not only the duty but it is the honour of the highest creatures It is more honour to serve God then to rule the world The stile of the good Angels is Ministring Spirits Heb. 1. but the stile and title of the evill Angel is Prince of the power of the aire God of this word you would think these were weighty titles Prince of the aire God of the world but the additions diminish their weight yea make them lighter then vanity or rather heavie only with misery There is more glory in being a servant of God than in being a god of the world or a Prince of the power of the aire I might here enlarge my enquiry into the services of Angels in what they are servants and what their offices and duties are but I shall only touch Their service may be considered either in respect of the Church or the enemies of the Church Respecting the Church and people of God they have such services as these First they are as messengers to carry and reveale the minde of God They are as Tutors and instructors of the Churches Dan. 8. 9. God sent his Angel to teach Daniel the mysterie of those visions And Rev. 1. 11. an Angel was sent to instruct John Chap. 22. 16. I Jesus have sent mine Angell to testifie these things in the Churches Secondly they are sent as guardians and protectors of the people of God to take their part and to be on their side Psal 34. 7. The Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that feare him Psal 91. 11. He giveth his Angels a charge over them lest at any time they should dash their feet against a stone Gen. 32. 2. When Jacob journied it is said the Angels of God met him an army of Angels was his Convoy Gods Hoast coming out for his protection and safeguard and therefore he called the name of that place Nahanaim that is two Hosts or Camps either because the Angels appeared in two bands and so made as it were a guard for Jacob to passe between them Or because the great Angelicall Royall Army quartered and marched with Jacobs little Army and so two confederate Armies appeared in the field together Angels are called Chariots Psal 68. 17. The Chariots of God are twenty thousand even thousands of Angels That is God useth Angels for defence of his people as Chariots in Warr. The ancient Prophets were called the Chariots of Israel 2 King 3. 13. and the Angels are the Chariots of God Our strongest Militia is of Spirits or of men spiritualiz'd Thirdly Angels suggest good things holy thoughts to us If the Devill who is an evill Angel a wicked spirit can suggest evill sinfull filthy thoughts and help on the heart in wickednesse then doubtlesse a good Angel can help on the heart in holinesse in heavenly thoughts and meditations Christ speaks of Judas that Satan had put it into his heart to betray him John 13. and Peter to Ananias Acts 5. Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lye to the Holy Ghost The nature of a good Angel is as fit his power given as great to deale with our spirits as either the nature or the power of an evill Angel That of the Apostle 2 Cor. 11. 14. gives a hint if not a proofe of it where he tels the Corinthians That deceitfull workers transforme themselves into the Apostles of Christ and no marvell for Sathan himselfe is transformed into an Angell of light and when is Satan in this change from an Angel of darknesse to an Angel of light even when He suggests good for evill ends or evill for good ends And if he is called an Angel of light for this reason then Angels of light good Angels suggest good for good ends otherwise Satan could not be said to imitate them in suggesting good for ill ends and under specious pretences of bringing glory to God tempting to transgresse the will of God Fourthly good Angels comfort strengthen and support in times of distresse anguish and trouble an Angel comforted Hagar Gen. 21 and Matth. 4. 10. after Christ had finished his terrible combat with that wicked Angel the good Angels came and ministred unto him Againe when he was in that most bitter Agony in the garden Luke 22. 43. an Angel appeared to him from Heaven strengthning him That which they do to Christ the Head they do to his members in their proportion Their fifth service is to conveigh and carry the soules of departed Saints to Heaven they are Heavenly Porters Luke 16. 22. Lazarus dyed and was carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosome Lastly they shall convocate and gather all the Elect together at the last day Matth. 24. 31. Their services against the wicked and all enemies of the Church have been many and great Angels assist Saints and oppose the opposers of Sion Two Angels were sent upon a message of destruction to Sodome an Angel defeated the
Hoast of Senacherib an Angel smote bloody persecuting Herod Angels by name if not by nature powre out the seven vials of Gods wrath in the Revelation And at the last day Angels shall hurry the wicked to Christs Tribunall they are heavenly Pursivants and they shall bundle the Tares up together as fuell to be throwne into everlasting burnings Matth. 13. 41 42. And it may be a great comfort to us that God hath such servants When visible dangers are round about us we should remember God hath invisible servants round about us There are more with us then against us as Elisha told his fearfull servant 2 Kings 6. And in that low estate of the Church Zech. 1. 8. the Prophet is shewed Christ in a vision standing among the Mirtle trees in the bottome the Mirtle trees in the bortome noted the Church in a low estate and behinde him there were red Horses speckled and white that is horsemen speckled and white These diverse coloured Horses were Angels appointed for severall offices as the learned Junius with others interprets it The red horses being appointed for judgement the white for mercy and the speckled as he conjectures for mixt actions being sent out at once to protect and help the people of God and to execute wrath and judgement upon the adversary Thus we see the services of the Angels they are servants yet such as the most wise God put no trust in therefore we have an Angel better then Angels even the Angel of the Covenant the Lord Jesus into whose hands our safety is committed to whose care the Church is left in whom God puts the whole trust knowing that this great Angel is and for ever will be faithfull in and over his house to his highest delight and the Churches compleatest welfare And his Angels he charged with folly Nec in Angelis suis ponet lumen Tagn Nec in Angelis suis posuit lucem exactissimam Vatab. Angelis suis posuit vesaniam Tygur In Angelis suis ponet glorationem Bibl. Reg. In Angelis suis reperit vanitatem Sym. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Splenduit luxit claruit Metaphoricè in piel spiendidum illustrem claâ—uÌ„ reddidit laudavit praedicavit Per Antiph rasin inglorius insanus furore actus fuit insanivit There are very different readings of this part of the Verse Some as M. Beza read it thus He trusted not in his servants though he had put light into those his messengers Others reade it with a negation in both parts He put no trust in his servants neither hath he put light in his Angels Another thus neither hath he put perfect light in his Angels Mr. Broughton differs from all these Behold he holdeth not perfection to be in his own servants and in his Angels he judged no clear light to be Another sort read it to these senses He charged or put madnesse in or upon his Angels he put or charged vaine boasting in or upon his Angels he found vanity in or amongst his Angels he observed some evill amongst his Angels Now that which hath given occasion to this variety of translatings is the different senses which the Originall yields us The Hebrew word is very fruitfull of significations and hath as the Oracle told Rebecca concerning two contrary Nations two contrary meanings in the wombe of it and that makes the strugling amongst Interpreters The word in its proper sense signifies to shine forth with a resplendent brightnesse so Chap. 29. 3. Job wisheth O that I were as in moneths past when the candle of God shined upon my head it is a Verbe of which the word folly in this text of Job is a derivative And Isay 14. 12. Hielel signifies the Morning star whose shining brightnesse hath obtained the name Lucifer Light-bringer or Light-bearer How art thou fallen from Heaven O Lucifer sonne of the Morning How art thou fallen from Heaven Hielel thou shining day-star Thus the word properly signifies shining or brightnesse or to shine and be bright and hence by a Metaphor to be Famous or renowned or to make one renowned or famous or to paint out a man with praises because a man is as it were decked with light and hath rayes of brightnesse cast upon him when he is honoured and adorned with praises Due commendations are to a man as a robe or vesture of light which makes him shine to all about him And hence the word Halelujah is derived praise ye Jah or the Lord used frequently both in the beginning and end of the Psalmes in the beginning of the Psalmes by way of exhortation and in the end by way of acclamation crying up the honour and glory of God And to note that in passage it is well observed that this word Hallelujah is first used in the old Testament Psal 104. 35. where the utter consumption of sinners is mentioned and in the New Testament it is first used Rev. 19. 3 6. where the utter consumption of Antichrist is prophesied Judgement on the wicked is matter of high praise to God Thirdly the word signifies by the figure Antiphrasis or contrary speaking to boast and brag vainly foolishly or vaine foolish boasting To commend or extoll our selves is pride running mad and arrogance distracted It is the highest dotage to be in love with our owne wisdome and folly to publish our own works There may be wisdom though oftentimes there is a great deale of folly in commending others but in commending our selves there can be nothing but folly therefore the very same word which signifies to boast and commend our selves signifies both the concrete to be mad vaine or foolish and the abstract madnesse and folly thus in Eccles 2. 2 12. the word is used I said of laughter thou art mad I turned my selfe to behold wisdome and folly and madnesse and Psal 75. 4. I said unto the fooles deale not foolishly or to the mad-men do not play the mad-men that is do not exalt your selves for so he clears his meaning in the fifth Verse Lift not up your hornes on high speak not with a stiffe neck that is a neck stifned with pride and a horne lifted up with vaine-glory or self-confidence From this variety of significations the variety of translations before toucht ariseth First they who read it He put light into those his messengers take the word in a proper strict sense making out the meaning thus that God having put the light of excellent knowledge into the Angels could not yet trust them all their speculative knowledge and high raised illuminations were not enough to make them steadily and steadfastly holy that is the intent of Mr. Beza's interpretation He trusted not to his servants though he had put light into those his messengers For those who retaining the word light translate negatively neither hath he put light in his Angels or neither hath he put perfect light into his Angels or as Mr. Broughton In his Angels
but a day long Jonahs Gourd came up in a night and perished in a night and man commeth up in the morning and perisheth in the evening The Naturalists speake of a Fly they call Ephemeron a creature of one day which comes forth in the morning is very active about noone but when the Sunne declineth it declines too and sets with the setting of the Sunne Man is an Ephemeron a creature of one day for howsoever his life consisteth of many dayes is often lengthened out to many yeares yet betweene morning and evening or from morning to evening he is destroyed The first step he sets upon the stage of the world is a going out of the world his ascending to the height of his natural perfection hath in it a decent One part of his life compared with another is an increase but the whole in reference to his end is a decrease his life is but a breathing death life shortning as fast as it lengthns his life is death hastning upon him continually A hand breadth is quickly measured Behold saith David Psal 29. 5. thou hast made my dayes an hand breadth nothing needs no time to passe it in mans age in it self is but little and comparatively it is nothing it fals under no calculation before the face of Eternity Mine age is nothing before thee But though the life of man be thus short and himself be destroyed between a morning and an evening yet death lasts long they perish for ever without any regarding They perish for ever Death it seemes is everlasting They perish the word is often used in this book for the dissolution of soule and body not for the annihilation of either as perishing properly imports to perish is here but to dye for thus even the righteous perish and no man layes it to heart Isay 57. 1. But doth man perish thus dyes he for ever shall there not be a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 returne a resurrection shall not soule and body be reunited how is it said then they perish or dye for ever For ever is some time put for an infinite time and some time for an indefinite time 1 Chron. 23. 25 The Lord God of Israel hath given rest unto his people that they may dwell in Jerusalem for ever And yet the Jewes are now so farre from dwelling in Jerusalem that they have scarce rest or dwelling among any people The like sense of for ever reade 1 Kings 2. 33. Psal 132. 12 14. Yet further for ever is put for the finite time of one mans life 1 Sam. 27. 12. He shall be my servant for ever that is as long as he lives Psal 23. 6. I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever that is as long as I live In the text before us for ever is as long as this world lasts it notes the utmost terme of time not which is without terme eternity They perish for ever that is they shall not live in this world any more as Job 14. 14. If a man dye shall he live again As if he had said man can dye but once he cannot live againe that is in this world shall he any more return to his house to his wife and children to his riches or honours and shall he here againe enjoy such an estate as he had before That Psal 103. 16. explains it so As for man his days are as grass as a flower of the field so he flourisheth for the winde passeth over it and it is gone and the place thereof shall know it no more that is he shall never returne to that locall place or civill place in which he lived he shall not return to that place of magistracy or ministrey to that place of merchandizing or trading of husbandry or handicraft where he convers'd before Thus his place will know him no more Man dyes but once and therefore when he dies he is said to dye for ever There is a second death but it is only a second condition of life Some shall so live for ever that they shall be dying for ever The misery of all men here is that they are dying while they live the misery of the damned hereafter will be that they are living while they dye We see then that as life is a continuall going out of the world so from death there is no returning to the world they perish for ever when once you die you are dead for good and all as we say there 's an end in respect of any work proper to this world whether naturall civill or spirituall A dying man perishes for ever from eating and drinking from any outward content or pleasure When Barzillai was as it were but upon the borders of death and confines of the grave 2 Sam. 19. 25. he bespeaks David thus who had invited him to Court Can I taste what I eat and what I drink and it followes Can I any more heare the voice of singing-men and singing-women Can I any more as if he had said I am now nigh unto death these delights are gone they are perished for ever I can hardly taste any thing I eat or drink the pleasant Voice or musicall Instrument can I any more hear much more then in death it self are all these outward comforts perished and will perish for ever Againe in respect of civill works he that dyes perishes for ever no more buying or selling or trading or de aling all these things are past and past for ever Yea death puts an end to all spirituall workes such as were the Saints exercise and duty upon the earth at the grave there 's an end of them also a dying man perishes for ever in respect of repenting or believing in respect of praying or hearing the word These are heavenly works but the time for these is while you are upon the earth none of these labours are in Heaven or Hell no nor in the grave whether thou goest as the Preacher concludes Ecclesiastes 9. 10. Therefore Isay 38. 18. Hezekiah in his sickness makes it one part of his suit to God that he might be spared for saith he the grave cannot praise thee they that go downe into the pit cannot hope for thy truth the living the living he shall praise thee as I do this day To praise God shall be the work of Saints for ever and yet the Saints dying are truly said perish for ever from praising God All that praise shall cease in death which belong to the wayes of grace and then such praise begins as suits with glory which is our end That Hezekiah means it of such praise and not of all praise is cleare from his own words Verse 20. We will sing my song to the stringed instruments all the dayes of my life in the house of the Lord that is in the ordinances of thy publick worship They that are in the house of the grave cannot praise the Lord in his house And though the praises of the Lord in Heaven are transcendent
he sees some good he hath above himselfe This passion is a murderer also it begins at the eyes but it rots down into the bones Envy slayeth the silly one There is not much difference between the nature of these two the foolish man and the silly one But the Originall words by which they are expressed are very different The roote signifies to perswade to intice or allure And it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sua sus per sua sus dâ—â—eptus seductus fuit hâ—nc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sua deo apud Grecos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Japheth le Jaâ—heâ—h is taken sometime in a good sense as in Gen. 9. 27. where the Holy Ghost speakes with admirable elegancy God will perswade the perswadable we translate it God will perswade Japhet Japhet had his name from being perswaded or perswadable God shall intice or perswade Japhet which was a prophecie of the calling of the Gentiles who are descendants from Japhet as the Jewes are from Shem. So that word is applied to Gods drawing or alluring men by the sweet promises and winning enticements of the Gospell God doth let it be taken in holy reverence tole men on by promises and deceive them graciously into the Gospell Hos 2. 14. I will allure her and bring her into the wildernesse And because by perswasions men are often deceived and seduced to evill therefore the word signifies also to deceive and beguile as well as to perswade and in the passive to be beguiled and deceived Hence the word in the text is derived which we translate a simple one or a man that will easily be perswaded led by another a sequatious or easie man whom you may carry with a mouth full of good words and faire promises whether you will Yet we finde this word Psal 116. 6. used in a good sense for a man without sinfull guile and craft a simple honest plaine-hearted man The Lord preserveth the simple But here and often else-where it is taken in an ill sence for a man without sence and reason without heart and spirit a man that cannot in any competency judge of things or make out his way but is meerly led and lives upon the opinion and judgement of another To such wisdome cryeth without and uttereth her voyce in the streets how long yee simple ones will ye love simplicity Prov. 1. 20 22. This silly one envie slayeth Exiguo animo abjecto spiritu He is out of his wits already and a little matter will put him out of his life Envy slayeth him that is a simple man looking upon the prosperity and blessings of God upon his neighbour will needs afflict himselfe he lookes upon himselfe as having lost all if that man gaine he fals if his brother stands and can with more ease die miserably then see another live happily In this sense it is That envie kils the silly one Now the reason why Eliphaz speakes of these two the foolish and the simple one and characters them as dying by the hand of these two lusts wrath and envie is because he conceived all Jobs troubled and as he thought muddy complaints in the third Chapter arose from these two impure and filthy springs wrath and envie from proud wrath and impotent envie he looked upon him as angry and displeased yea as enraged because God had dealt so ill with him and he supposed he saw him pale and wanne eaten up and pined with envie because others were so well because his friends enjoyed health lived in prosperity round about him As if he had said Thou art wroth at thy owne povertie sicknesse and sores and thou art envious at our plentie health and ease And may not folly and simplicitie challenge that man for Theirs whose spirit thus resents either his own evils or his neighbours good Observe hence First Every wicked man is a foolish a silly man Sinne is pure folly In the Proverbs all along wickednesse is the Interpretation of foolishnesse It is folly to take brasse Counters for gold and to be pleased with Bugles more then with Diamonds When an heyre is impleaded for an Ideot the Judge commands an apple or a counter with a peece of gold to be set before him to try which he will take if he takes the apple or the counter and leaves the gold he is then cast for a foole and unable to mannage his estate for he knows not the value of things or how to make a true election Wicked men are thus foolish and more for when bugles and diamonds counters and gold are before them they leave the diamonds and the gold and please themselves with those toyes and bables when which is infinitely more sottish Heaven and hell life and death are set before them they chuse hell rather then Heaven and death rather then life they take the meane transitory trifling things of the world before the favour of God the pardon of finne a part in Jesus Christ and an inheritance among the Saints in light All the wisdome of wicked men is wisdome in their owne conceits And Solomon assures us that there is more hope of a foole then of such that is of those who are sensible of their owne failings and are willing as the Apostle directs to become fooles that they may be wise 1 Cor. 3. 18. Opinion in it selfe is weake but self-opinion is very strong even the strongest of those strong-holds and the highest of those high Towers which the spirituall warre by those weapons which are mightie through God is to oppose and cast down which till they are cast down these fooles are impregnable and will not be led captive unto Christ Secondly observe That to vex and to be angerie at the troubles that fall upon us or at the hand which sends them is a high point of folly and of ignorance Wrath and discontent slay the foolish such are at once twice slain slain with the wrath of God and with their own To die thus is to die like a foole indeed For first this wrath of man springs from his ignorance of God Man would not be angry at what the Lord doth if he knew he were the Lord and may doe what himselfe pleases The ground of anger is a supposition of wrong Secondly This wrath of man springs from ignorance of himselfe He cannot be angry with any crosse who rightly knows himselfe First to be a creature This notion of our selves teaches us that lesson of humility to be subject to the will of our Creatour The law of our creation cals us to all passive obedience as well as unto active as much and as quietly to suffer as to doe the will of God But especially if a man did fully know himselfe to be a sinfull creature he would not be angry yea he would lay a charge upon his mouth not to utter a word and a charge upon his heart not to utter a thought against what the Lord doth with him I will beare the
upon his estate upon the branches and the fruit of that goodly tree much like that in the vision Dan. 4. 13 14. I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed and behold a watcher and a holy One came downe from Heaven He cryed aloud and said thus Hew downe the tree and cut off his branches shake off his leaves and scatter his fruit c. This Allegory may be rendred in the plaine words of Eliphaz I cursed his habitation his children are far from safety The Master of the Family is the tree His children are either fruit or branches His leaves are riches and honour the beauty and pleasantnesse of his habitation Some things in the letter of the text are to be opened but I shall first observe one thing in the generall from the connection of this fourth verse with the third I suddenly cursed his habitation verse 3. Then follows his children are far from safety Observe from it That Creatures cannot stand before the curse of God How strongly soever they are rooted the blast of the breath of Gods displeasure will either blow them downe or wither them standing The curse comes powerfully suddenly and secretly it is often an invisible stroake When we see neither axe nor spade at the roote nor strome at rhe top yet downe it comes or stands without leafe or fruit When Christ in the Gospell curst the fruitlesse figg-tree his Disciples passing by that way wondred saying how quickly is this figg-tree whithered it was but onely a word from Christ Never beare fruit more and the fig-tree which had no fruit lost its life Some are such tall Cedars such mighty Oakes that men conclude there is no stirring of them no Axe can fell them or blast loosen them yet a word from the Lord will turne them up side downe or if he doe but say to them never fruit grow upon your actions or out of your counsels presently they wither The curse causlesse shall not come but when there is a cause and God speaks the word the curse will come Neither power nor policies neither threatnings or entreaties can hinder or block it up It is said of the water of jealousie in the booke of Numbers that when the woman dranke that water if there were cause of her husbands suspition presently her belly swel'd and her thighes did rot the effect was inevitable So if God bid judgement take hold of a man family or Nation it will obey A word made the world and a word is able to destroy it There is no armour of proofe against the shot or stroake of a curse Suddenly I cursed his habitation and the next news is His children are far from safety If God speake the word it is done as soone as spoken as that mysterious Letter said of the Gun-pouder plot As soone as the paper is burnt the thing is done Surely God can cause his judgements to passe upon his implacable enemies such horrid conspiratours against Churches and Common-wealths truth and peace with as much speed as a paper burns with a blaze and a blast they are consumed That in the generall from the connexion of these two verses Assoone as he was cursed his children and his estate all that he had went to wrack and ruine I shall now open the words distinctly His children are far from safety Some reade Were far from safety and so the whole passage in the time past because he speaks of a particular example which he himself had observeâ— in those daies as is cleare v. 2. Having shewed the curse upon the eoot he now shews the withering of the brauches Some of the Rabbins understand by Children the Followers or Imitators of wicked men such as assisted them or such as were like them These are morall children but take it rather in the letter for naturall children such as were borne to them or adopted by them these come under their fathers unhappinesse They are far from safety The Hebrew word is commonly rendred salvation His children are farre from salvation But then we must understand it for temporall salvation which our translation expresses clearely by safety His children are farre from safety It is possible that the children of a wicked man may be neare unto eternall salvation Though godly parents have a promise for their seed yet grace doth not runne in a bloud neither is the love of God tied or entayl'd upon any linage of men Election sometimes crosses the line and steps into the family of a reprobate father Therefore it is not said His children are farre from salvation in a strict but in a large sence We find the word salvation frequently used for safetie 2 Kings 13. 17. when Elisha bad Joash the King of Israel shot the arrow he called it the arrow of the Lords salvation which we render the arrow of the Lords deliverance So Moses bespeakes the trembling Israelites aâ— the red Sea Stand still and behold the salvation of the Lord that is behold what safety the Lord will give you from all these dangers what deliverance from the hand of Pharaoh The Prophet represents the Jewes thus bemoaning their outward judgements We roare all like Beares and mourne sore like Doves we looke for judgement but there is none for salvation but it is farre off Isa 59. 11. They are far from safety To be far from safety is a phrase importing extreame danger As when a man is said to be far from light he is in extreame darknesse and when a man is said to be far from health he is in extreame sicknesse and when a man is said to be far from riches he is in extreame poverty So here His children are far from safety that is they are in extreame danger and perill they walk as it were in the regions of trouble in the valley of the shadow of death continually That phrase is used also respecting the spirituall estate of unbeleevers They are far off from God far off from the Covenant Isa 57. 19. Ephes 12. 13. that is they have no benefit by the Covenant no interest in no favour at all or mercy from the Lord. To be far off from mercy is to be neare wrath and to be far from safety is to dwell upon the borders of danger And they are crushed in the gate In the forth Chapter Eliphaz describes man as crushed before the moth to shew how suddenly how easily man is destroyed This mans children are crushed in the gate as a man would crush a flie or a moth between his fingers They are crushed in the gate That notes two things First the publikenesse of their destruction they shall be destroyed in the sight of all men for the gate was a publike place Pro 31. 31. her workes praise her in the gates that is she is publikely knowne by her good works To doe a thing in the gate is opposed to the doing of a thing secretly To suffer in the gate is to suffer publikely Secondly to be crushed in the gate
seeke exactly and enquire laboriously unto God It signifies to seek by asking questions or by interrogating And it imports seeking with much wisedome and skill a curious or a criticall enquirie So Eccles 1. 13. I gave my heart saith Solomon to seeke and search out by wisedome And this seeking implies foure things First A supposition and a sense of our wants no man seekes that which he hath already or but thinks he hath it He that is full loathes a hony-combe Secondly A strong desire to find that which we want it notes not a bare desire only or woulding but a kind of unquietnesse or restlessenesse till we find such a desire tooke hold of David Psal 132. 4. I will not give rest to mine eyes nor slumber to mine eye-lids untill I find out a place for the Lord or untill I find the Lord. Thirdly A care to be directed about the meanes which may facilitate the finding or recovery of what we want and thus earnestly desire A seeking spirit is a carefull spirit after light and counsell Fourthly A diligent and faithfull endeavour in or about the use those meanes to which counsell directs us Through desire a man having separated himselfe seeketh and intermedleth with all wisdome Prov. 18. 1. That is he is very industrious in pursuing those advices which wisdome shews him or which are shewed him as the wayes of wisdome A lazy spirit is unfit to seeke I would seek unto God and unto God would I commit my cause In the former clause the word for God is El and in the latrer Elohim both names note the power of God El notes power or strength to act and execute Elohim power or authority to judge and determine I would seek unto El The strong God I would commit my cause to Elohim the Mighty God As if he had said Thou art in a weake and low condition now therefore seeke unto God the strong God the mighty God who is able to deliver thee Thou wantest the help of such a friend as he The Hebrew word for word is thus rendred Vnto God would I put my words or turne my speech We reach the meaning fully rendring Vnto God I would commit my cause or put my case The terme which we translate cause signifies any businesse or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Significat verâ—um vel negotium res meas ei committeâ—eÌ„ cause but most properly a word Explicite prayer is the turning of our thoughts into words or the putting of our case to God It is a speaking to or a pleading with the Lord. The Septuagint is clear in this sense I would deprecate the Lord I would call upon the Lord the governor of all things Both these significations of the word are profitable for us and congruous with the scope of the text I would turne my speech and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. prayer or I would commit my cause unto God The committing of our cause to God notes a resignation of our selves and of our condition into the hands of God It is as much as to say Let God doe what he will or determine what he pleaseth concerning me I will not strive or contend about question or dispute his decision or judgement of my cause I will lay my selfe down at his feet and tell him how she case stands with me then let him doe with me what seems good in his eyes This is the committing of our cause and condition unto God And the Originall word here used for God doth very well suite and correspond with this sense I will commit my cause unto God unto Elohim the great and impartiall Judge of Heaven and earth the God who loves Judgement and the habitation of whose Throne is righteousnes The God who knowes how to discern exactly between cause and cause person and person and will undoubtedly give a righteous sentence concerning every cause and person that comes before him Unto this Elohim would I commit my cause and refer my self to his arbitration Observe first in the general Eliphaz having reproved Job turnes himself to counsell and exhortation From which we may learne That As it is our duty to reprove a fault in our brother so it is our duty to advise and counsell him how to amend or come out of that fault for which we reprove him It is not enough to espy an error but we must labour to rectifie it or to tell another that he is out of the way but we must endeavour to reduce him Many can espy faults and failings in others who either know not how or care not to reforme and helpe them out Secondly observe That It is a duty to exhort and excite our bretheren to those duties wherein we find them flack or negligent Eliphaz conceived that Job was much behind in the duty of prayer and self-resignation unto God and therefore he quickens him up to it The Apostle calls us to this Christian inspection Heb. 3. 13. Exhort one another daily lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne sin growing and getting strength hardens the heart it is best to oppose it betimes and therefore he bids them doe it at all times exhort one another daily Though the Apostle Peter 2 Pet. 1. 12. was perswaded of the Saints establishment in the present truth yet saith he I will not cease to put you alwayes in remembrance of these things It is a dangerous error which some hold that the Saints in this life may out grow counsell and exhortation as if there were no need to bid a godly man pray seek unto God no need to bid a godly man repent or humble himself or believe he cannot but do these things say they these are connaturall to him They are indeed to the new man within him But let them withall remember that the neglect of all these duties is as connaturall to the old man within him While there are two men within us we had need every man to look not only to one but to one another It may goe ill with the better part the new man if while he hath an enemy within to oppose him he hath not a friend without to help him On this ground besides the command of Christ the holiest man on earth may be exhorted to look to his holinesse none are in more danger then they who think they are past danger And as it is a certaine argument that a man was never good if he desires not to be better so it is a great argument that a man was never good who feares not that he may be worse They who are truly assured they cannot fall from grace are assured also that they may fall in grace and fall into sin The foundation of God stands sure but the footing of man doth not and therefore Let him that stands take heed least he fall And let them who see their brethren heedlesly falling lend them the right hand of exhortation to raise them up againe and when
they are carelesse of or wandring from the Lord leade them by the hand of counsell into ways where he may be found I would seeke unto God Observe in the third place That We ought to manage our exhortations with meeknesse and tendernesse This of Eliphaz is a mild and tender expression and to make it more easie he puts the exhortation as was noted before in the first not in the second person he doth not say seeing afflictions come not from the ground and that man is borne unto trouble therefore doe thou seeke unto God and doe thou commit thy cause unto God but seeing thy case is thus truly brother I advise thee as I would advise mine own soul Seek unto God It moves strongly and gaines upon the affection of another to tell him we would do the things our selves which we desire he should and we wish him as we doe our own souls Fourthly observe That It is both our wisedome and our duty in all our afflictions to seek unto God I would saith Eliphaz if I were in thy case seek unto God Unto whom should we goe but unto God He is our best friend when it is best with us and he is our only friend when it is ill with us all other friends will be Physitians of no value as Job himselfe found them therefore seeke unto God As the Disciples said unto Christ when Christ asked them Will yee also goe away Whether shall we goe say they for thou hast the words of eternall life So faith the soule in afflictions To whom shall I goe Unto this creature or that creature unto this friend or that friend No I will seek unto God That is the wisest and shortest course all other courses are about if not in vain Other wayes may be used as helps but this must pitch mainly upon God When we are directed to seek unto God in afflictions it speakes foure things First To seek unto God about the cause of our afflictions desire that God would informe us what his mind is in sending such an affliction or what it is he aimes at in sending it Afflictions are the Lords messengers and we should never be quiet till we know their errand This is it which Job complained of in the third Chapter That his way was hid which was expounded that he knew not the cause of his afflictions the cause was hidden and so was the issue he could neither tell how he came in nor how he could come out If our way in afflictions be hid we must seeke unto God for the opening of it Secondly To seek unto God for strength and patience to beare the affliction As the affliction comes from God so doth the strength by which we stand under it or get victory over it Thirdly To seek unto God for the sanctifying of affliction to our profit that we may be partakers of his holinesse Afflictions are the good creatures of God and they as all other creatures are sanctifâ—ed to us by the word and prayer We have as much reason to seek unto God for a blessing upon our daily Rod as upon our daily bread Fourthly Seek unto God for cure and ease for the removing or mitigating of them In their affliction they will seeke me early saith the Lord Hos 5. 15. But for what will they seek even for medicine and healing Come and let us returne unto the Lord for he hath torne and he will heale us he hath smitten and he will bind us up Hos 6. 1. Observe from the other branch And unto God would I commit my cause That It is a very great ease unto the soule in affliction to commit our cause unto God and to put our affairs into his hand Man is not able to stand alone under the weight of his afflictions Both sinne and sorrow are burdens too heavie for us to beare if you would have ease lay both upon Christ it is no unbecomming boldnesse to doe so for he cals us to it and bids us doe it Psal 55. 22. Cast thy burden upon the Lord and he shall sustaine thee Christ is willing to beare a part and put his shoulder under these burdens yea it is his strength that beares the whole The committing of our cause to God is at once our duty our safety and our ease Thus David did Psal 142 2. I powred my complaint before him I shewed before him my trouble David brought out his evils and set them as it were one by one in the sight of God and told him thus it is with me We may see David acting this rule to the life when Absolom had fomented a most unnaturall rebellion against His He hastens out of Jerusalem All the Country wept with a loud voyce and the Priests with the Arke of the Covenant of God came with him also In what posture was Davids spirit in the midst of these commotions His words to Zadok shew no doubt the true picture of it And the King said to Zadok carry back the Arke of God into the City if I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord he will bring me againe and shew me both it and his habitation but if he say thus I have no delight in thee behold here am I let him doe to me as seemeth good unto him 2 Sam. 15. 25 26. As if he had said I am uncertaine what God will doe with me but I am resolved to let the Lord doe with mee what he will I am willing to be what God will have me I lay my cause and leave my businesse at his foot-stool if he will have me dethroned and unking'd I am content my honour should lye in the dust If he say I shall never come againe to Jerusalem or see the Arke of his strength and presence I am content for ever to be banisht Jerusalem never to see the Arke which to me is the most beautifull and desirable sight in the world any more Here was self-resignation and cause-committing to the height And when David had brought his heart to this his heart was unburden'd he doubtlesse found the weight and stresse of the whole businesse lying upon God himselfe His cause was with God and his cares were with God And therefore Though his throne shaked yet his heart was fixed Nor doe I find that ever his heart was more fixed then in this stresse while his Throne and Crowne were tottering Hezekiah did the like with like success In the day of that great and publike calamity he went and spread the letter of Rabshakeh before God he as it were desired God to reade it to observe the blasphemous contents and see in what condition he was He that commits his cause to God breathes a composed spirit when the greatest stormes and distractions are upon his bodie or estates upon Church or State Only take this caution be sure the cause you commit to God be a good cause The committing of a sinfull cause to God is a dishonour to and a high strain
be exalted to safety 2. By the future benefit of these works and that in two respects verse 16. 1. The raising up of their spirits who are oppressed So the poore hath hope 2. The confounding and shaming of their oppressours exprest in their silence at the latter end of the 16 verse And iniquity stoppeth her mouth Thus you have a briefe account of the severall points contained in this argument and the disposition of the whole context For the better understanding thereof we will first consider what might be the aime or scope of Eliphaz in making so accurate and large a description of God in his great and marvellous works and then survay these works in order as they are digested To the former we may take notice of a foure-fold aime which Eliphaz might have in describing these works of God First plainly to assert the providence of God in ordering or disposing all actions and events here below and so it is in prosecution of what he had said in the 6 verse Affliction commeth not forth of the dust neither doth trouble spring out of the ground Or secondly his intent might be to humble Job to bridle and take downe his spirit which he conceived over-bold with and too much heightned towards the Almighty A discovery whereof himself made in his extravagant speeches before noted in the third Chapter The remembrance of God in his greatnesse is one of the readiest means to humble man And God himselfe tooke this way to humble Job in the latter end of this booke even by a large discourse of his owne power exemplified in many great acts and peeces of the creation Or thirdly the intent of Eliphaz might be to support and comfort Job in his afflictions by shewing him a God that had done such wonders and therefore able to worke another wonder in delivering and raising him up againe A God who could provide medicines for all his diseases heale all his breaches repaire all his losses supply all his wants and resolve all his doubts To consider God in himselfe and in his works who he is and what he doth is a mighty encouragement to seeke unto God in our greatest extremities in the saddest and cloudiest day of our afflictions Neither can we doe any thing more prevalent for the support and reliefe of our owne spirits in a time when we are lowest than to spread before the eye of our owne thoughts the power greatness and goodnesse of the high God in his works and wonders A fourth intent in probability was to stop Jobs curiosity in enquiring so much into the reason of Gods dealing with him which Eliphaz it seemes observed in the complaints of the third Chapter where Job expostulates Why is light given to a man whose way is hid and whom God hath hedged in Job was troubled because he could not see the bottome of Gods dealings with him he could not see through them either what the cause was why he came into those troubles or by what issues and out-lets he should escape those troubles Now to stop Jobs curiosity in prying too far or too boldy into the secret workings of God Eliphaz tels him That God doth great things and unsearchable no marvell therefore if his wayes were hid That he doth marvellous things without number no marvaile then if he could not measure his dealings by the line of humane understanding or summe up their account by the best of his Arithmetick This in generall for the common tendency of his discourse about those noble acts of divine Providence in earthly things I come now to open the words in particular Which doth great things and unsearchable marvellous things without number Which doth He speakes in the present tense he sayes not which hath done great things or which will doe great things but which doth great things And that notes not only a present act but a continued act or an everlasting act or as if the workings of God were but one act past and to come all included in the present He doth As in his Nature and Essence though God was from all eternity and shall be unto all eternity yet his Name is I am So in his works though he hath done great things and shall doe great things for ever yet all are comprehended in this I doe or He doth great things Christ Joh. 5. 17. speakes this language My Father worketh hitherto worketh All that which God had done and all that he should doe is to be looked upon as his present act My Father worketh hitherto .. Againe there is some what to be considered in the naturall emphasis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the word it selfe as well as in the circumstantiall of the time The word which we translate Doth signifies more than an Aptè concinne exqâ—isiâ—è facit Eâ—aâ— vocatus quia cum nasceretur suit fâ—ctus perfectus pilis Esau sonat perfectum ornatum nam perfectior pueris ie instructus pilis in lucem venerit Jun. in loc ordinary Doing which doth great things The Criticks observe that in strictnesse and propriety of the Hebrew it signifies to doe a thing compleatly perfectly and exactly or as we say the setting of our last hand to a worke Hence Esau Gen. 25. 25. had his name When Jacob and Esau were borne Esau came forth first and the text saith they called his name Esau and why because he was borne made up in greater perfection than an ordinary child Esau signifies adorned and perfected because he came into the world hairy or with haire upon him which is both a naturall ornament and an argument of naturall strength activity and heate of spirit c. Hence they call'd him Esau So then the word doth imports doing not by way of essay or inchoation but doing compleatly or to carry a thing on or up to an extraordinary degree of perfection I shall give one Scripture to illustrate that significancy of the word Isa 43. 7. where the Lord by the Prophet shewing the abundant increase of the Church speaks thus Bring my sons from far and my daughters from the ends of the earth even every one that is called by my name for I have created him for my glory I have formed him yea I have made him Observe here is a plaine gradation in those three words Created 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Produxit ad esse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Constituit rem in forma su◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Perfecit disposuit formed made I have created him signifies the bringing of a thing from a not-being to a being But saith God I have not only given him a being but I have formed him which notes the limming proportioning and polishing of a thing And not only have I done so but in the third place which is the word of the text I have made him There is more in this word than in the former two and therefore we translate it with an emphasis yea I have made him that is
of time to make Heaven and earth and will it not be a great work to shake Heaven and earth That God hath said he will doe before the end of time Yet once it is a little while and I will shake the Heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land Hag. 2. 6. The words following seem to interpret this earthquake and Heaven-quake I will shake all Nations Againe It was a great work to make the old Heaven and earth and will it not be a great work to make a new Heaven and a new earth That is the businesse which God is about in these letter days as he promised Isa 65. 17. Behold I create a new heaven and a new earth what is that Jerusalem a praise and her people a joy When God reformeth the face of his Church and settles the affaires of Kingdomes and Common-wealths he makes new Heavens and a new Earth And if it be the property of God to doe great things then it is a duty in us to expect great things We ought to look for such things as come up to and answer the power and greatness of God we dishonour and as it were humble God when we look onely for low and meane things Great expectations from God honour the greatnesse of God As the Lord expects to receive the greatest services from us because he is a great King Mal. 1. 14. So we ought to expect that we shall receive the greatest mercies from the Lord because he is a great King It dishonours God as much and more when we believe little as when we doe little A great King thinks himselfe dishonoured if you aske him a petty suite he looks more what becomes him to give or doe in bounty then the petitioner to aske in necessity The Great Alexander could tell his suiter whom he had more astonisht then relieved with his favour That though the thing might be too great for him to receive yet it was not too great for Alexander to give If dust and ashes can speake and think at this rate O how large is the heart of God! Then it is not onely our priviledge but our duty to aske and believe great things we ought to have a great faith because God doth great things Is it becomming to have a great God and a little faith To have a God that doth great things and we to be a people his people that cannot believe great things nay To have a God who can easily doe great things and we a people that can hardly believe small things How unbecoming if some small thing be to be done then usually faith is upon the wing but if it be a great thing then faith is clogg'd her wings are clipt and we at a stand why should it be said unto us as Christ said unto his Disciples O ye of little faith It may be as dangerous to us if not as sinfull not to believe the day of great things as to despise the â—ay of small things Why should not our faith in a holy scorne baffle the greatest difficulties in that language of the Prophet Zech. 4. 7. Who art thou O great Mountaine before Zerubbabell thou shalt become a plaine There is another usefull consequence from this truth He that doth great works ought to have great praises As we ought to have great faith that he will doe great things so he ought to have great acknowledgments when he hath done great things Shall God doe great things for us and shall we give him some poor leane starven sacrifices of praise It is very observable that as soon as the Prophet had described the Lord in his greatnesse Isa 40. 15. he adds in the very next verse And Lebanon is not sufficient to burne nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt Offering That is no services are great enough for this great God Lebanon abounded in spices for Incense and perfume it abounded with cattell for Sacrifice and burnt offerings To say that Lebanon had not spice enough to burne for incense nor beasts enough to burne for Sacrifice shews the Lord far exalted in greatnesse above all the praises and holy services of his people Lastly seeing God doth great works for us let us shew great zeale for great love unto the Lord. We should aime at the doing of great things for God seeing God indeed doth great things for us So much of the first Attribute of the works of God Who doth great things And unsearchable The Hebrew is and no search The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports the search of those things which are most abstruce and secret As the heart which the Lord onely can search Jer. 17. 15. The heart lies too low not onely for the eye but for the understanding of man Hence it is used Psal 95. 4. to note the Foundations or deep places of the earth because they cannot be known but by deep searchings or rather because they are beyond the deepest Penetralia terrae ut Aben Ezra explicat quae sciâ—i nequeunt nisi exquisita per scrutatione vel potiùs quòd homini minimè sunt perscutabilia Deo autuÌ„ in prepatulo Buxtorf search of man And the same phrase we find Psal 145. 3. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised and his greatnesse is unsearchable or according to the letter of his greatnesse no search as when the Psalmist speaks of the greatnesse of God in his nature and essence presently he adds and of his greatnesse there is no search so here when Eliphaz speaks of the greatnesse of God in his works the next word is they are unsearchable As God in himselfe is great and of his greatnesse there is no search so many of the works of God are so great that of their greatnes there is no search that is you cannot find out their greatnesse by any search God is in working and so are men the hand cannot act beyond the head as he is in understanding There is no searching of his understanding Isa 40. 28. Therefore there is none of his working This unsearchablenesse of the works of God may be considered two wayes 1. As that which cannot be found by enquirie 2. As that which ought not to be found or enquired There are some works of God which are not to be searched into Arcana imperij they are to be adored by believing not to be pryed into by searching and in that sence they are called unsearchable Rom. 11. 33. O the depth of the riches both of the wisdome of and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgements Many of his judgements that is his works of judgement are so unsearchable that it is not industry or duty but presumption to search into them As those unspeakable words which Paul heard in the third heavens were such as 2 Cor. 12. 4. is not lawfull for a man to utter so unsearchable judgements may be interpreted such as is not lawfull for a man to search Great Princes will
grace yet he did give them light and restraint too in nature Neverthelesse he left not himselfe without witnesse in that he did good and gave us raine from heaven Acts 14. 17. As if he had said though yee have not had the raine of the word yet the raine of the cloud if such a Preacher of Gods power and goodnesse as will leave you for ever without excuse The Lord himselfe seemes to glory in this as one of the chiefest of his works Job 38. 37. Who can number the clouds in wisdome Or who can stay the bottles of heaven I challenge all creatures to a competition with me in this And again in this book Ch. 36. 26. Elihu lifts up the greatnesse of God in this act of his providence Behold God is great and we know him not wherein doth he instance his greatnesse it follows ver 27. For he maketh small the drops of water they powre downe raine according to the vapour thereof Reade paralell texts Jer. 10. 13. Psal 65. 10 11. Psal 147. 8. So much of this first worke of God the raine and of his power wisdome goodnes bounty visible and apparent in it The second instance of Gods power and wisdome c. is in civill things both in setting up and pulling downe First in raising and setting up To set up on high those that be low that those which mourne may be exalted to safetie As if he should say will you see another way wherein God shews himself in his power wisdome and goodnesse It is in looking thorough the world for such as are low that he may lift them up in espying out mourners and weeping eyes that he may wipe them and more exalt them to safety Some of the Jewish Writers connect this verse with the former making this as an effect of Gods bounty wonderfull worke in sending raine He sendeth raine and showers upon the earth with such plenty of blessings that by this means many who were poore low meane and sad-hearted may be set in high estate and exalted unto safety And there is a truth in it Gods blessing upon the earth hath exalted many that were low to an high estate to riches and prosperity But rather we shall take it in a more generall sence And so Eliphaz in these words seemes to comfort Job by giving him a hint that though his estate was now very low yet if he would apply himselfe unto God as he had advised ver 8. By seeking unto and committing his cause to him as low as he was he might be set high againe and though he was now a mourner sitting in dust and ashes He might be exalted to joy and safetie for in this the power wisdome and goodnesse of God are usually put forth and exalted The words carry an allusion to that custome of Princes and Magistrates who sit in high places upon erected thrones As 1K 16. 19. it is said of Solomon that he built him a magnificent throne or chaire of state which had an assent of six steps to it he sate on high And the Prophet Isaiah Chap. 6. ver 1. describes the Lord in the same manner sitting in state I saw the Lord saith he sitting upon a throne high and lifted up The pride and arrogancy of the Assyrian is thus exprest Isa 14. 13. He hath said in his heart I will exalt my throne above the stars I will sit also upon the Mount of the Congregation So that to sit on high is as much as to be preferred or advanced whether we respect honour or riches dignity or authority To set on high those that be low The word may note either those that are low in their own eyes or those that are made low by others active or passive lownesse Grace in our own hearts causes the former lownesse and sinfull oppression from the hand of others causes the latter The former are humble the latter are humbled The Lord sets both these on high And Those which mourne The Hebrew word signifies to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obscurus obscuritus luce privatus fuit nigruit per Metaphoram câ—nâ—ristatus fuit in tristitia enim fugit spleÌ„dor faciei Sic latinè Atriti dicuntùr lugentes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 maesti vultus blacke darke or obscured And the reason why that word is borrowed to note mourning or sorrow is because sorrow causeth blacknesse or darknesse of habit or countenance Mourning and blacknesse usually goe together Jer. 4. 28. For this cause shall the earth mourne and the heavens above shall be blacke And usually Mourners goe in blacke it is the die and dresse of Mourners As white is the colour of joy Let thy garments be alwayes white saith the Preacher to him that is to eat his bread with joy Eccles 8. 8. Yea the very beauty of the face is obscured the light of the countenance shadowed or clouded with teares and sorrow Hence the Seventy render it They whose faces are sad or sowre It is the word used Mat. 6. 16. When yee fast be not as the hypocrites of a sad countenance It implies an affected studied sadnesse severity austerity grimnesse gastlinesse unpleasantnesse of countenance proceeding from art rather then from nature much lesse from grace as the words following imply for they disfigure vitiate or discolour their faces corrupt or abolish their native complexion so as it appeares not what it is that they may appeare what they are not Hypocrisie can paint the face with blacke as well or rather worse then pride with red and white and so doth reall sorrow sometimes whether for sin or outward affliction True passion in the heart will dim the brightnesse and staine the beauty of the face These Mourners shall be exalted to safety The word which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in loâ—â—â—ubâ—â—mi sterit exalâ—aâ—us adeò ut ab hostibus pertingi nequeat Per Metaphorem taâ—us in expugnabilis Hinc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—uâ—â—is Olim munitiones extruebâ—ntur in locis editioribus in montibus prae uptis inaccessis ut latinê arx ab hoste arcendo dicto est we translate Exalted signifies to set in a high place and in a place so high that a man so placed is beyond the reach of danger or the power of an adversary it is to be set upon a place impregnable Hence the word is used for a Fort Tower or Castle because forts and Towers being places of defence were for the most part built upon some high place upon some rocke or praecipice Prov. 18. 10. The name of the Lord is a strong Tower That is we are as safe under his protection as in a strong Tower founded on the steepest rocke And the Prophet describing the safety of him who walks uprightly gives it in this word The place of defence shall be the munition of Rocks Isa 33. 16. So Jer. 48. 1. Misgab is confounded and dismayed That is the high place or Castle of
enterprise 'T is so all along therefore Psal 2. 1. it is said Why doe the Heathen imagine a vaine thing a vaine thing because a thing successelesse their hands could not performe it It was vaine not only because there was not true ground of reason why they should imagine or doe such a thing but vaine also because they laboured in vaine they could not doe it And therefore it followes v. 4. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh the Lord hath them in derision The Lord sees what fooles they are and men yea themselves shall see it The Prophet gives us an elegant description to this purpose Isa 59. 9. They weave the spiders web but their webs shall not become garments neither shall they cover themselves with their workes As if he had said they have beene devising and setting things in a goodly frame to catch flies they have been spinning a fine thread out of their braines as the Spider doth out of her bowels such is their web but when they have this web They cannot cut it out or make it up into a garment They shall go naked and cold notwithstanding all their spinning and weaving all their plotting and devising The next broome that comes will sweepe away all their webs and the Spiders too except they creepe apace God loves and delights to crosse worldly proverbs and worldly crase How many visible demonstrations have we of this in our times How many cunning but ruining devices lie by the wals at this day unacted They went through the Head-worke but they could not get through their Hand-worke We may say as in the Psalme 76. 5. None of the men of might have found their hands The men of craft sound their heads but the men of might blessed be God have not yet found their hands to execute up to the height of the divisers either wit or malice In this we see the glorious prerogative of God How many thousand thousand thousand thoughts do men loose The thoughts of many yeares are lost in a moment God never lost nor never shall loose one thought And therefore David puts these two together in a breath Having said Psal 33. 10 The Lord bringeth the counsell of the Heathen to nought he maketh the devices of the people of none effect In the next verse he subjoynes The counsell of the Lord standeth for ever the thoughts of his heart to all Generations And as the counsel of the Lord stands so he causeth the counsell of those to stand who consult for him He confirmeth the word of his servants and performeth the counsell of his Messengers Isa 44. 26. So that their hands shall performe their enterprise as the Lord encourageth the ancient people Zac. 4. 9 The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house his hands shall also finish it And againe Chap. 8. 13. Fear not let your hands be strong As if he had said Feare not goe on with your worke For your hands shall performe their enterprise you shall not beaten from your worke neither shall ye work in vain The Lord himselfe hath no barren counsels and he makes all the counsels which are for him bring forth in their due time desired fruit the longed for and beloved issue Lastly observe That It is a great and wonderfull worke of God to disappoint the devices and stop the enterprises of crafty men Eliphaz puts this among the wonders of God This is reported in a way of admiration concerning God Isa 44. 25. He frustrateth the tokens of the liars and maketh diviners mad he turneth wise men backwards and maketh their knowledge foolish The wisdome of God is most seen in defeating the wise as the power of God is most seene in overthrowing the strong While we consider that Theirs are secret devices and that they are subtill devices that they have many devices and that they have many wayes to bring these devices to passe it cannot fall below a wonder in our thoughts that their thoughts or devices are not accomplished Therefore the Psalmist concludes Psal 124. Vnlesse it had bin the Lord who was on our side c. we had bin swallowed up quick and taken in their snare As if he had said if we should have had any lesse then God to helpe us we had been gone all the world could not save us To passe through a place full of gins and snares and pits set and made on purpose to take a man and that man not taken is marvellous in our eyes Thus it is with the people of God they walk among snares and traps The trade of most wicked men is to be Trap-makers Snare makers if not Sword makers against the Saints of the most high They meet with devices upon devices and plots upon plots now that God shall disappoint all these and exalt his people to safety in the very face of death and dangers how admirable But some may object Yet we see that at least some of these plots are not disappointed at least some of these devices take and we have seen bloudy hands performing their enterprise I answer in a word First this text and the observation bottom'd upon it are to be understoood of what is often done not strictly of what is alwaies done The Lord very frequently disappoints the devices of the crafty But secondly their very successe is a disappointment and their prosperity is their curse For their cause is under a curse and so are their persons when both seeme most succesfull If outward judgements slay not wicked men Their prosperitie shall Pro. 1. 32. Thirdly all the successe which the devices of wicked craftie ones have tends to the fulfilling of Gods counsels more then their own So that though it be to the eye or in the letter success to them yet in truth and upon the matter it is success to the cause of God Craft prevailes no further no longer on earth then serves to accomplish the counsels of heaven and fulfill what infinite wisdom hath devised Therefore when you see any devices of the craftie thrive know that God is serving himselfe upon them and that they are but acting What his hand and counsell hath determined before to be done Act. 4 28. As Christ himselfe overcame by dying so doe they who are Christs they have successe in all their disappointments and these are disappointed in all their successes and die while they overcome No sinfull device of man ever did or ever shall prevaile beyond a contribution to the just and holy purpose of God All their prevailings are disappointments who intentionally oppose though they really accomplish the good pleasure and purpose of God JOB Chap. 5. Vers 13 14 15. 16. He taketh the wise in their own craftines and the counsell of the froward is carried headlong They meet with darknes in the day time and grope in the noon day as in the night But he saveth the poor from the Sword from their mouth and from the hand of the mighty So
sister and I have prevailed and she called his name Napthali The Hebrew is with wrastlings of God that is divine and vehement wrastlings As if she had said I have used great and earnest endeavours both with God in prayer and all other meanes as a wrastler by might and flight to obtaine these blessings given before to my sister and now I have prevailed And it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 No â—â—ne liteâ—â—sâ— gâ—minatis uâ— insignis vafricies quâ—si duplicaâ—a caâ—â—ditâ—s signifâ—â—etur Conâ—oâ—tuplâ—catus is observeable that the Hebrews call an extraordinary cunning wrastler Pethalthol which is this word doubled in the latter syllable because he is a man of a double or extraordinary skill in wrastling the word is doubled and so it expresses one that is double witted or that hath craft enough for two or three though not honesty enough for one And this word is applied to the Lord himself Psal 18. 26. * Vâ—iur hoc veâ—bo ut indicetur maxima quaedam invicta Dei quasi distorâ—io implâ—â—atio sacra caliditas adversus pravos calidos distortos q. d. adversus Cretensès cretiz at Deus cum vafro luctatorevare luctatur Deus supplantatores supplantaâ— with the froward thou wilt shew thy selfe froward that is If men will be winding and turning and thinking to catch others or over-reach the Lord himselfe with tricks and turnings of wit the Lord will meet and answer them in their own kind he can turne as fast as they he can put himselfe into such intricate labyrinths of infinite wisdome and sacred craft as shall entangle and ensuare the most cunning wrastâ—er or tumbler of them all He will Cretize the Cretians supplant the supplaâ—tâ—rs of his people Some of the Greekes * Olymprodorus vertit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hominâ—s varios nodosoâ— imâ—licitos intricatos interpret this elegantly by a word in that language noting a thing that hath many knots folds or twists wreathes or plaits in it as plaited haire or a folded garment thereby shadowing out men like a serpent of knotted twisted enfolded spirits men who wreath and plaite their actions so closely and artificially that few can understand or tell what to make of them or where to find them The counsels of these cunning intricate froward men Are carried headlong It is very observeable Isa 44. 25. how the Prophet threatneth that the counsels of the wise shall be turned backward And here their counsels shall be carried headlong that is froward God hath wayes of all sorts to crosse ungodly policies he turns them sometime backward and sometime forward by both or either they are disappointed Counsels are turned backward when the event is quite crosse to the designe or the motion of things to the resolutions of the mind As if a man purposing to goe Eastward should be turned about he knowes not how with his face into the West Counsels are carried headlong when Omne consilium aâ—ta um in seâ—â—â—naâ—â—one est stultitia Rab. Sol. they goâ— too fast forward and make so much haste on in their way that they tire and are out of breath or stumble and breake themselves before they can attaine their journies end The Originall word signifâ—â—s to hasten and thence to be precipitate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a radiâ—e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Accelâ—rare festinare aâ—q inde praecipitem esse impruden tem stultum tam prudentia tranquilâ—â—aâ—e deliberatione gaudet Eruto impeturuunt in suâ—m pestem Coc. rash or foolish in counsell Prudence uses to goe softly wisdome keeps a kind of state in her pace and loves to goe step by step not headlong A prudent man sets his head before his feet his head goes before his feet in consultation but he loves to goe upon his feet not upon his head in action It is the curse of the froward their councels are carried headlong when they should go steddily upon their feet they run upon their heads or run their heads against the next wall The meaning in a word is They shall make more hast then good speed or they shall go so fast to their ends that their end shall be their undoing As the Lord in mercy makes the rash understand so in judgement he makes the understanding rash As this is here threatned so the former is graciously promised Isa 32. 4. The heart of the rash shall understand knowledge and the tongue of the stammerer shall speake plainly When the Prophet would shew how great a blessing God powres out upon his people by Christ he thus expresses it Christ who is the wisdome of the Father causeth the heart of the rash to understand knowledge it is the word of the text the heart of those who naturally run headlong upon businesses who have no steadiness nor stableness in their understandings shall be stayed and ballanced with wisdome and gravity from above Christ will take them off their hurrying pace and teach them to goe and doe to advise and act with sobriety and deliberation The letter clause of the promise joints fitly with this And the tongue of the Vt bâ—â—sit do lâ—â—gâ—ae accelerationem habet cum fitan haesiâ—ia ut nihil experite pronunciare possit quo magis propeâ—at eo minus proficit citata illa lingâ—a votubilitate Ita qui intelligentia festinus est nullum profert utilâ— integrum consilium sed manca omnia 〈…〉 Bold Bold stammerer shall speake plainly such as stammering is to speech the same is rashnesse to counsell A man that stammers huddles his words he that hath an impediment in speech speakes fastest and because he cannot speake one word well he speakes many words at once This hast is his hinderance in making so much hast to speak he cannot speak at all therefore we usually advise stammerers to take heed of speaking hastily that they may speak plainly The Prophet joynes these sweetly to note the complete abilities of a Cstristian The rash shall understand the stammerer shall speake plainly that is he shall advise judiciously and speake elegantly depth of wisedome and sweetnesse of elocution shall meet in him though before rude and rustick But the counsels of the froward though men of great parts and filed speech shall be crried headlong Observe hence Hasty counsels are successelesse counsels Hast in counselling alwaies makes waste and so doth hastinesse in acting Hast in either may hurt as much as sloth though usually we may divide the miscarriages that are in the world between hastiness in counsell and slownesse in action I know not which is the greater prejudice to an honest designe to be quick in concluding or to be dull in executing They who will not take time to consult about what they aâ— may have time enough to repent of what they have done And they who will not take the time for doing what they consult loose all the time they took for consultation Note Secondly That God disappoints evill counsels
light at high-noon So then this word includes all kinds and degrees of happines yet here it is properly to be understood of the happines of this life which only is consistent with correction There are no rods in Heaven and we shall be past children before we come thither Thirdly we may answer plainly that the word in the Hebrew Simplex genuina responsio est quod nomen ipsum quo He braei beaâ—itudinem notant est plurale tantum ut latinis opes dâ—vitiae Ames in Ps 3. is only Plurall or Duall being never read in the singular number As in the Latine we have many the like words It is further observable concerning this word that it is alwayes applied unto man whereas the word Barac blessed is applied both to God and man This happinesse is a speciall and peculiar happinesse of man The Lord being infinitely above both obeying and suffering Happy is the Man Enosh the Hebrew word for Man of whom happinesse under correction is predicated is very sutable to this businesse of correction Enosh signifies a sickly weake miserable man We might render the full sence of the word thus Happy is that miserable man whom God corrects That is look upon a man according to the ordinary account of the world and calculation of reason he is a miserable man a weake sickly man yet happy is this weake sickly miserable man in the account of God and by the calculation of faith Grace makes that good sence which is a contradiction both in nature and in reason A miserable man and a happy man one and the same In Psal 1. the word Ish is used Blessed is the man that is Blessed is that excellent man that holy man that strong man walking and delighting in the Law of the Lord. Yea blessed with the same blessednesse is that miserable man smarting under the rod of the Lord whom God correcteth And yet blessednesse is joyned with all the words by which man is expressed It is joyned with Adam Psal 32. 1. Blessed is the man whose iniquity is forgiven Adam is the generall word for Man and is therefore most fitly joyned with blessednesse in pardon of sinne because all men are sinners and no man can be blessed except he be pardoned Blessednesse is joyned also with Geber a strong powerfull and mighty man Psal 94. 12. Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest O Lord and teachest him out of thy Law Blessed is Geber the great man the honourable man the highest by birth or place whom thou chastnest The Chaldee Paraphrase restraines the word Man to an individuall Beatus AbrahaÌ„ virpius quem corripuit Deus Chald. Paâ—ap to Abraham as if Eliphaz had put the instance in Abraham and said Behold happy was that holy man Abraham whom God corrected therefore despise not thou the chastning of the Almighty I can give thee a famous example of a godly man corrected Abraham thy Ancestor met with afflictions as well as thou and yet he was a most happy man therefore despise not thou the chastning of the Lord. But the word is generall and so we are to understand it though this be a truth in any or every instance among the servants of God I must yet put in a caution for the right understanding of this proposition Blessed is the man whom God corrects The meaning is not as if happinesse were the portion of every miserable man or of every man that is afflicted doe not thinke so many are at once corrected and cursed troubled and miserable in trouble To many their present sorrows are but the fore-tasts of eternall sorrowes As Christ spake in a common case These things are but the beginning of sorrowes So we may say to the particular cases of many groaning under sicknesse poverty disgrace c. Alas poore soules ye are so far from being happy in these that these are but the beginnings of your unhappinesse God doth but begin to call for some arreares due to his justice which you must be a paying and satisfying to all eternity There is no happinesse in affliction naturally considered it is accidentall to afflictions that happinesse is associated with them Affliction in it selfe is grievous and it would be only so to us did not the over-ruling admirable dispensations of God temper order dispose and worke it to an end above its own nature it is the art and wisdome of the Physitian which corrects poysonous simples and ingredients so as to make them medicineable And did not the wisedome and goodnesse of of God correct our corrections they would not be medicine to us but poyson It is not correction but the hand of God with it and in it which makes us happy Happie is the man whom God correcteth The word which we translate * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arguit redarguit corripuit praeparavit verba contra aliquem disputaÌ„do ostendendojus Quod et si verbis plerumque fiat pertinet tamen ea vox ad sevirorem discip inam verbera quae cujuspiaÌ„ peccati reprehensionem comitari solet Pined correct signifies to reprove or to convince by arguments or dispute To argue a man down from his errour by the strength and clearnesse of reason or divine authority So Levit. 19. 19. Thou shalt not suffer sinne upon thy brother thou shalt surely rebuke him Thou shalt rebuke him it is the word here used that is thou shalt bring such arguments as may convince him of his sin and lay his wickednesse open before him This word is applied to corrections and afflictions in Scripture because with convictions we feele corrections frequently joyned The Lord argues the matter and as it were disputes with some very long who yet will not let in divine truth nor be perswaded though they are perswaded What doth he then Then he sends correction with his redargution he cloaths his words with blowes disputes with a God in his hand and brings an argument from feeling when reasoning prevailes not In this booke of Job Elihu shewes it Chap. 33. 16 19. Then he openeth the eares of men and sealeth their instruction he is chastened also with paine upon his bed Hence observe First That afflictions to the children of God at sorest are but corrections Blessed or happie is the man whom God corrects You will say but what is a correction And how in a strict sence differenced from judgements and punishments and wherein doe they agree They agree first in the efficient cause God layes his hand on man in both Secondly They agree in the matter the same evill the same trouble to one man is a correction to another a judgement Thirdly they may agree also in the degree A trouble or an affliction may fall and lie as heavy and be as painfull to sence upon a child of God as upon the vilest wretch in the world he may be as poore as friendlesse as sicke as sorrowfull in his outward man as any wicked man he may lie in the
your selves despise it It is most just with God that they who loath his will should at last loath their own desires And that the creatures should not long please them who take no heed to please the Creator The least mixture of Gods displeasure sowres our sweetest contents and makes our very pleasures loathsome Where also by the way we may observe the great difference between earthly and spirituall things The best of earthly things used too much or too often grow loathsome Angels food Manna or Quailes will not goe down long with us But Christ the spirituall Manna and all heavenly things the more we have of them and the longer we are dieted with them the more we shall delight in them These will not loath us after two or five or ten or twenty dayes or after a whole months feeding on them No we shall feed on them dayes without number or the whole day of eternity without any loathings use and delight shall never cease or abate appetite shall renew every moment though our enjoyment be but one and the same Yea the Saints shall be so farr from loathing the pleasant cup of glory that they ought not to loath and Christ strengthning them they shall not loath the bitter cup of sorrow Their stomachs shall not turne though dieted more then two or five or ten or twenty dayes with the bread of adversity and the water of affliction That is the first sense of the word in allusion to nauseating at the sight or long use of meate Loath not the chastning of the Lord. Or the word may seeme to carry a reference to physick or medicines as well as meate which you know is many times given in a better pill or in a distastfull potion The sick man is apt to loath the potion brought him and turne his head away from it what he take it no not he He had rather die then drink such a draught he is ready to through it against the wall and spil it one the ground rather then drinke it But then his friends or the Pbysitian perswade with him Be not angry though it â—e loathsome to your stomach yet it is wholesome for your body It is an enemy only to your disease therefore loath it not So here Eliphaz as it were brings in God standing like a Physitian or a father or a tender mother at the beds-side where a sick child oâ— friend lies using many entreaties and perswasive reasons to take a bitter potion my child or my friend doe not loath doe not dispise no nor distast this medicine doe not cast it away though it â—e bitter in your mouth yet take it downe and the effects of it will be sweet to your whole body We find in Scripture afflictions compared to a cup Our Lord Jesus calls all his sufferings for our salvation a cup and it was a cup tempered with the venome and poison with the gall and wormewood of all our sinnes it was a loathsome potion indeed and such as would have turned the stomachs of all men and Angels to have drunke it So much of the first sense of the word as it signifies loathing whether in respect of meates or medicines Now forasmuch as here is a charge given under this notion not to loath chastnings We may observe There is or possibly may be an aversnesse in the best of Gods children for a time from the due entertainement of chastnings He speakes as if most were loth to take them downe and therefore he exhorts not to loath them Even the Lord Jesus Christ so farre as he was partaker of our nature seemed to loath the bitter cup of sufferings Hence he prayed hard once and againe ye a third time Father if it be possible let this cup passe from me Mat. 26. 39. Yet at another time he speakes as if he had been a thirst for that cup and angry with Peter who would have hindred his draught The cup which my Father giveth me shall I not drinke it Joh. 18. 11. and shortly after he indeed drunke it up to the bottome Affliction is also a bitter cup to the Saints and they as Christ pray again and again yea thrice against it because to sense no chastning seemeth joyous but grievous Heb. 12. 11. through grace perswades them to drinke it and faith gives them a tast of much sweetnesse when they have drunke it As a sick man is backward to take a distastfull medicine till his reason hath overcome his sense so a godly man is unwilling to beare afflictions till his faith hath overcome his reason Nor can he quietly endure the troublesome smart of the rod till he is assured of the peaceable fruits of righteousnesse which grow from it to those who are exercised by it When the Apostle is carryed up on those Eagles wings of assurance to see a house not made with hands eternall in the Heavens then he groanes earnestly under the burden of his earthly Tabernacle and desires to die yet looking upon death he saw no forme or comelinesse in that why he should desire it and therefore he seemes to correct himselfe at least to draw his mind plainer with the next drop of his pen Not for that we would be uncloathed but cloathed upon that mortality may be swallowed up of life He speakes somewhat like a man who in a time of heate hastily strips himselfe to goe into the water but putting a foot in and finding it cold calls for his cloathes againe The Apostle in a true holy heate of spirit had in his desires almost stript himselfe of his body but putting a foot into the grave he found that so cold that he had no great mind to it and therefore had rather keepe on the cloathing of his body and have a suite of glory over it then lay it downe The Saints desire to live with Christ but in it selfe they desire not to die They had rather their mortality should be swallowed up of eternall life then their temporall life should be swallowed up of mortality They that have grace like not the disunions of nature Now as it is in the case of death which iâ— to the Saints the last and greatest affliction so likewise in the case of all afflictions which are as renewed and lesser deaths Though they embrace and kisse them both in a holy submission to the will of God and in an assured expectation of their own good yet they have nothing pleasing in them much which creates so much loathing that the best doe but need counsell and encouragement to take and digest them And then if there be some aversnesse even in the best from these potions of affliction tempered with the mercy and goodnesse of God no wonder if there be an abhorrence in wicked men from those deadly potions mixt only with his wrath and justice The Psalmist presents the Lord to us with a cup in his hand Psal 75. 8. In the hand of the Lord there is a cup the wine thereof
instruments of Gods displeasure This is grosse dispising But besides every undervaluing or inadvertency of the correcting hand of God hath a degree of this despising it That exhortation ought never to be forgotten which speaketh to us as unto children Hebr. 12. 5. My son despise not thou the chastening of the Lord nor faint when thou art rebuked of him The Greek word imports the Litling or thinking of them little Do not think the chastnings of God little doe not little or slight them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in thy thoughts Neither faint when thou art rebuked that is doe not thinke thy afflictions so great that thou must needs sinke and faint under them These are the two extreames into which our hearts usually run when chastnings are upon us Some erre by neglecting the hand of God as light and others by fainting under it as too heavy As a good heart takes notice of or will not despise a little the least comfort So it will take notice of and not despise a little the least crosse When a man hath a small losse in his estate if he say this will not undoe me I can beare this I will fare as well and goe as fine as ever for all this such speeches or thoughts are a despising of the chastening of the Lord. We are to observe the hand of God taking away as well as giving a penny So when a man hath a little fit of sicknesse If he say I shall rubb out this well enough this is to despise the chastning of the Lord We are to blesse God for every hours health and to be sensible of his hand in every hours sicknesse or aking joynt Every affliction is a messenger from God it hath somewhat to say to us from Heaven and God will not beare it if his messengers be despised how meane so ever If you send a child with a message to a friend and he slight and despise him you will take it ill I remember what the story relates of Galienus the Emperour who when the report came to him that Egypt was lost what then said he cannot I live without the flax of Egypt And when the report was brought that a great part of his dominions in Asia was wasted Cannot I live said he without the delicacies of Asia To speake thus from a principle of mortification toward the creature is the character of an excellent spirit but to speake thus from a contempt of the Providence of God is the character of a proud or of a stupid spirit When we heare of the losse of a child of a friend or of a losse in our estate To say what then I can beare that well enough I have more children other friends estate enough besides that This I say is a high despising of affliction There is one thing further in the fifth place observable in this word Despise not thou the chastnings of the Lord. The word is Extenuatio est nam plus signficatur quam dicitur sc maximi facito disciplinam Domini nihil tibi antiquius aut potius sit quam ut illius correctionem aequo animo accipies an extenuation or a lessening of the sense The holy Ghost intends more than is expressed for the truth is when he saith Despise not c. his meaning is this shew reverence highly prize and esteeme the chastning of the Lord. As for instance when the Apostle saith in 1 Thess 5. 20. Despise not prophecying Doe you thinke this is all that is due unto an Ordinance of God that a man should not despise it Surely no he meanes then prize prophecying highly have it in great esteeme So in 1 Tim 4. 12. and Tit. 2. 15 when he saith Let no man despise thy youth is that all the holy Ghost meanes That Timothy a godly Pastour should only not be despised by his people No his meaning is that they should honour respect and reverence him as one that watched over them in the Lord. I might give you divers other Scriptures where when the holy Ghost only forbiddeth the sin he intendeth the duty or grace in strictest opposition to that sin So here Despise not thou the chastning of the Almighty layes this charge and duty upon us highly to esteeme the chastning of the Lord we must put afflictions amongst our comforts and rank them with our blessings Not to despise is but the first step beyond sin but that includes the last and furthest step of duty which becomes us under chastenings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aradiâ—e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vincevit ligavit per Metaphoram castâ—gavit erudâ—vit verbis aut verberibus ad disciplinam vel poenam transfertuâ— Sicut vox Lamad quae doctrinam significa◠〈◊〉 all 〈…〉 So much of the act forbidden despising Now for the object chastning The originall verb fignifies to instruct or to teach so it is translated Chap. 4. v. 3. Thou hast instructed many Instruction is both by words and blowes The wisdome of God mixes a rod with his word and chastening with teaching Therefore it is promiscuously used in Scripture sometime for teaching and sometime for chastning Chastning belongs properly to children who are wanton and ungovern'd who have a bundle of folly in their hearts which the rod of correction driveth out To be chastned hath a double aspect upon us first upon our priviledge Secondly upon our weaknesse To be chastned notes our priviledge and relation as children unto God our father He hath revenges for his enemies but chastnings are a part of his childrens portion yet in that we are chastned it taxes us of weaknesse we are but children foolish unruly wanton and therefore we goe almost all our dayes with a rod at our backs Though the Saints on earth comâ—â—â—d among themselves are some Children and others men yet 〈…〉 earth compared with those in Heaven or with what themselves shall be in Heaven are children and therefore they have what fits their state chastening and correction This chastening is sometime put for revenge or the exactest and severest retribution of justice Thus it is said Prov. 7. 22. That the foolish young man caught by the subtill harlot went after her as a foole to the correction of the stocks That is as a wicked man goes to punishment And when the Prophet describes the sufferings of Christ which were vindictive in the highest degree he expresses it in this word The chastizement of our peace was upon him Isa 53. 5. though Christ were the infinitely and most entirely beloved Son of his Father yet he did not chastize him as a Son but as an enemy or malefactour for he chastened him in our stead and under the same notion that we must have been chastened who were enemies and malefactors So then the word signifies sometime judiciary chastening but here fatherly chastening which will yet appeare more clearely in opening the last terme of this verse which shewes us the efficient cause of this chastening The Almighty Despise
not the chastning of the Almighty The chastening rod is in the hand of Shaddai the Almighty This is one of the glorious names of God And he is so called first from his power to goe thorough with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Variè derivatur Primò á radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vastavit spoliavit populatus est perdidit quasi vastatorem dicas ie invictum potentem cui nemo resistere possit Et volunt non nulli Deum hoc nomen traxisse á vastatione mundi facta in dâ—luvio Graeci reddunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 latini Omnipotens what he takes in hand His worke never stickes in the mid way for want of strength to bring it to the end Despise not the correction of an Almighty hand Further the word notes not only power enough to correct but power to destroy spoyle and lay all waste before him God hath gained this Title or Attribute from destroying or wasting his enemies Some of the Rabbins designe the Originall of it to that speciall act of his destroying power The drowning of the old world he shewes his Almighty power in destroying and pulling downe as well as in making and setting up this goodly frame To this the holy Prophets are well conceived to allude when they say that Shod scil Destruction commeth from Shaddai The Almighty We have it in two expresse Texts Isa 13. 6. Howle yee for the day of the Lord is at hand it shall come as a Destruction from the Almighty It shall come as Shod from Shaddai So Joel 1. 15. Alas for the day for the day of the Lord is at hand and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come It will be profitable for us to consider under what name God is expressed when he is chastening his own children Secondly others derive this name from the conjunction of two Hebrew words whereof the one Dai signifies it Sufficeth or is sufficient And the other though it be but a letter Shin yet Nonnulli putát 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 composituÌ„ esse ex verbo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sufficit litera 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quae supplet locum sensum relativi Ascher ita denotat Deum sibi sufficientem qui omnibus largitur sufficientiam respoÌ„dens Graeco 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Drus Alii dedurunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quod Mammam significat quasi mammosum dicas quod omnia alet Drus it supplieth the part or place of the Relative Ascher which and so the word put together sounds thus much Who is sufficient or who is All sufficient Despise not the chastning of him that is All-sufficient Thou art under his correction who doth not take from thee because he wants himselfe who doth not let thee want because his owne store is spent out of which he used to supply thee He alone hath sufficiencie in himselfe and he is at all times Allsufficient for all others and gives sufficiency to as many as he pleaseth That of the Apostle fils this signification of the word Act. 17. 25. Neither is he worshipped with mens hands as if he needed any thing for he giveth to all life and breath and all things Thirdly the word is conceived to come from Shad which in the Hebrew signifies a breast the mothers breast or pap by which she suckles her child And answerable to this notion in most of those places wherein God is expressed in that act of his providence making fruitfull and giving increase he hath this name Shaddai as noting that he hath the Great milkie breast which nourishes and suckles which feeds and strengthens all creatures that is the word of his blessing not only makes fruitfull multiplies but preserves and keeps alive Thus Gen. 49. 25. The Patriarch old dying Jacob blesses his son Joseph in this forme And by the Almighty Shaddai who shall blesse thee with blessings of heaven above blessings of the deepe that lies vnder blessings of the breasts and of the wombe His Father Isaack had sent him to Padan Aram under the influences of the same blessing almost in the same words Gen 28. 3. God Almighty blesse thee and make thee fruitfull and multiply thee And the Lord himself speaks thus to Jacob when be appeared the second time to him after his coming from Padan-Aram I am El-Shaddai God almighty be thou fruitfull and multiply Gen. 35. 11. that is I can make thee fruitfull and multiply thy posterity and I can feed them as fast as they multiply and give thee fruit for thy family as well as make thy family fruitfull Thou shalt not over-charge me with the greatnesse or numerousnesse of thy house Trouble not thy selfe let thy children be my care at my finding how many soever they are let my purse pay for all I am El-Shaddai God Almighty â—o then as the justice and exact wisdome of God are set forth in the former branch under the title Elohim Happy is the man whom God Elohim corrects So least we should thinke of God under that notion only his power and alsufficiency his goodnesse and tendernesse are set forth in the next branch Despise not the chastening of the Almighty You are under the rod of Shaddai an All-powerfull an Allsufficient an All-nourishing God The verse following seems to joynt in with and suit this fully He makes sore and he bindeth up he woundeth and he healeth One part shewing us God as a Judge wounding and making sore the other as an Allsufficient Friend and father or Physitian healing and binding up Take two or three Notes from the consideration of the name under which God is here expressed First The lightest chastnings come from a hand that is able to destroy When the stroak is little yet a great God strikes Although God give thee but a touch a strip which scarce razes the skin Yet he is able to wound thee to the heart Know it is not because he wants power to strike harder but because he will not because he is pleased to moderate his power Thou hast but such a chastning as a child of a year old may well beare but at that time know thou art chastned with a hand able to pull down the Pondus est â—n voce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 noli â—speâ—nere clementiam ejus in quo vivis qui te uno momento potest comminuere Coc. whole world The hand of Shaddai The Almighty gives that little blow Men seldome strike their brethren lesse then their power they would often strike them more their will is stronger then their Arme. But the Lords arme is stronger in this sence then his will He doth but chasten who could destroy And this carries a mighty perswasion with it not to despise the chastning of the Lord how little soever for he can strike harder if thou slightest this He can break thy bones who hath not yet broken thy flesh Feare him as our Lord Christ argues who
I cannot heale you your troubles are past my skill to remedy or redresse Thus man is sometimes at a stand he cannot heale what men have wounded but God is never at a stand your old festred sores and wrankled wounds which have taken wind discourage not his chirurgery When a people are in such a pickle or pittifull plight as the Prophet Isaiah describes the kingdome of Judah in Chap. 1. 5 6. The whole head is sicke and the whole heart is faint from the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundnesse in it but wounds and bruises and putrifying sores they have not been closed neither bound up neither mollified with oyntment When I say the case of a people is thus and they can get no healer Yea though a people like the woman Mark 5 25 have had an issue of blood in bloody battels which is now almost Englands case many yeares and have suffered many things of many Physitians and have spent all that they have and are nothing bettered but rather grow worse yet if Christ doe but touch such a sicke diseased bleeding people in mercy and they touch him by faith they shall be healed and their fountaine of blood will immediately dry up Or if their condition requires some longer operation he can effectually take such a course for their cure He is abundantly furnished with all instruments and abilities for the making of a perfect cure It is well observed that three things are necessary for a Chyrurgion First He must have an Eagles eye one that is good at healing had need be good at seeing Secondly He must have a Ladies hand soft and tender to handle the sore gently Thirdly A Lions heart a stout strong heart for if he faint how shall his patient keep up his courage These three are exceeding necessary in Chyrurgery about naturall bodies but much more in Chyrurgery about Civill and Ecclesiastical bodies the healing of Churches and Kingdoms And where shall we find whither shall we send for Physitians qualified with this Eagles eye to look into all our sores and sicknesses with this Ladies hand to deal gently and tenderly with our wounds with this Lions heart stoutly and couragiously without fears and faintings to go thorough with the work Well if men should not be found thus furnished the Lord is He hath an Eagles eye an All-seeing eye seven eyes of providence and wisdome to look through our sores and into all our distempers He hath as in allusion we may speak a Ladies hand soft and tender to deal gently and graciously with a people He can dresse our wounds and paine us little scarce be felt while he doth it And he hath the Lions heart infinite courage and strength of spirit to undertake the most gastly wounds or swolne putrified sores Let us therefore rest our selves assured that whatsoever our personall or our nationall sores our personall or our nationall wounds be be they what they will or what we can call them desperate incurable such as have discourag'd many from medling with their cure or sham'd those that have yet our Shaddai the Almighty God can bind them up and heale them fetch the core from the bottome and close the skin upon the top so tenderly dresse and so perfectly cure them that a scarre shall not remaine unlesse it be to mind us of his infinite skill and goodnesse or of our own duty and thankfullnesse JOB Chap. 5. Vers 19 20 21. He shall deliver thee in six troubles yea in seven there shall no evill touch thee In famine he shall redeem thee from death and in war from the power of the the sword Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh ELiphaz still prosecuteth his former Argument to take Job off from despising the chastnings of the Almighty spoken of at the 17th verse And having shewed first in generall that they are happy whom the Lord corrects and secondly That the Lord heals as well as wounds is as ready to bind up as to make the sore he illustrates this by giving First An assurance of deliverance from evill and that 1. In the generall at the 19th verse 2. By an enumeration of particular cases of greatest dangers and outward evills And secondly to shew the happinesse of those whom God corrects he gives an assurance of positive blessings which shall in due time be heaped upon their heads whom God had before wounded with sorrows and loaded with afflictions The nineteenth verse is a promise of deliverance from evill He shall deliver thee from six troubles yea in seven there shall no evill touch thee To deliver notes here the snatching or pulling of a man out of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spoltavit rapuit eripuit tanquam ab hoste â—ut malo Eripere praedam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Augustia interdum significat hostem quasi angustiatorem dicas the hand of an enemy out of the mouth of danger The Hebrew word for Trouble comes from a roote which signifies to straiten or to narrow a thing up in a little compasse and so by a metaphor to vex and trouble because they who are straitned in any kind are pained and troubled And when we heare of any in trouble we usually say such are in straits And this word is often translated a strait 2 Sam. 24. 14. I am in a great strait saith David when he was put upon that hard election between sword pestilence and famine So Judg. 11. 7. and 1 Sam. 13. 6. The holy language expresses an enemy or adversary by this word because an enemy puts us upon straits and so to much trouble And to raise the force of this word to the highest it is used to signifie the pangs and throwes of women in child-bearing in which the mother labours in grievous straits while the infant labours for enlargement Troubles ever meet us in or bring us into straits they may well change names which are so neere in nature I find the word so translated here in some books He shall deliver thee in six straits and in seven when thou art so encompast about shut in and incircled by evils on every side that thou knowest not which way to move or turne much lesse to get out then the Lord will give enlargement and either find a way out for thee or make one as he did for Israel at the red sea through those mighty waters In six yea in seven This phrase of speech is very considerable Some numbers in Scripture have a kind of eminency or excellency in them I intend not any large discourse about numbers only in briefe Those three numbers Three Six and Seven are applied to a speciall signification by the Holy Ghost A great number a perfect number is expressed by any one of these three numbers A three-fold cord that is a cord of many or sufficient folds is not easily broken Eccles 4. 12. Three times thou shalt
Christ himselfe will smite them with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked Isa 11. 4. He once made a Scourge of cords and whipt the buyers and sellers out of the Temple he will at last make a Scourge of words which shall whip all impenitents and unbelievers out of his presence into hell where they shall gnash their teeth and gnaw Those tongues which have scourg'd his faithfull servants with many stripes only for doing or speaking his their Masters will Neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it commeth The word Destruction signifies a confluence or meeting together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more praedonum impetu Hostili vastari de populari of all kinds of evill when evils breake in together as theeves and robbers into a house to spoyle and take away all Isa 60. 18. Jer. 48. 3. When such destruction comes thou shalt have this priviledge Not to be afraid of it Not afraid the word signifies any kinde of feare holy fearing as well as naturall here it is used for excessive distracting feare It is not meant that a man shall be secure or senslesse when destruction commeth So to be fearlesse is worse then to be reasonlesse But this is the meaning Thou shalt not be afraid That is thou shalt not bee dismayed with fear thou shalt not be amazed or astonished with feare thou shalt not be at thy wits end much lesse at thy Faiths end when destruction commeth Feare is good in it's kind yea it is an excellent grace Some feare in time of destruction is the daughter of faith Heb. 11. 7. By Faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet moved with feare prepared an Ark to the saving of his house He fears destruction savingly whose fear moves him to prepare due means of safty Such preparatory fears are holy fears and well become the Saints when destruction cometh Exod. 9. 20. He that heard of the destruction coming and feared the word of the Lord made his servants and cattle flee into the houses God would not have his people when they hear destruction is comming stand at the doore in a daring manner to meet it and lay themselves open to it no he would have them flee into the house and enter into the chamber and shut the doors about them hiding themselves as it were for a little moment untill the indignation be overpast Isa 26. 20. The feare which God promiseth his people protection from is unbelieving frare or feare which is the daughter of despaire Such as that Isa 7. 2. where when a report came of destruction comming it is said That the heart of the King and the heart of his people was moved as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind They were so afraid so unsetled and disorder'd within that they knew not how to settle and order their affaires without Such a feare the Prophet Jeremy threatens upon Pashur Jer. 20. 3. The Lord hath not called thy name Pashur but Magor-missabib For thus saith the Lord behold I will make thee a terrour to thy selfe and to all thy friends Feare round about and fear within this feare God promiseth to deliver his people from in times of danger Observe hence The power and presence of God is able to uphold his people in the face of dangers and in the presence of destruction They shall not be afraid of destruction when it commeth Suppose God doth not keepe the destruction off from them yet he will keepe finking feares off from them How terribly soever men looke upon them they shall not be a terrour to themselves neither will God be a terrour to them Many a man is his own Bugg-bear And there is nothing can be so terrible to us except an angry God as we may be to our selves But he to whom God is not a terrour and to whom himselfe is not a terrour will not be afraid of the King of Terrours So long as we are at peace with God and our selves destruction cannot come so fast as consolation will And destruction cannot carry that away wherein consolation lies The best part of the Saints estate is out of the reach of destroyers They can destroy houses and goods They can carry away gold and silver but they cannot destroy faith and hope shey cannot carry away grace or holinesse They may burne your writings and the evidences of your Lands and Tenements but they cannot burne your evidences for Heaven or weaken your tenure and interests in Jesus Christ Upon the wings of this assurance the Saints are carried beyond the borders of feare when destruction comes into their borders or death is breaking open their doores and climbing up unto their windowes Yea this assurance which carries them beyond the confines of feare sets them down in a very comfortable place in the Land of joy or upon the mountaines of delight It is too little to say They shall not be afraid when destruction comes for at destruction they shall laugh As Eliphaz undertakes with his next breath Vers 22. At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh neither shalt thou be afraid of the Beasts of the Earth 23. For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field and the Beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee In the former words we had a promise of redemption from famine and from feare at the comming of destruction Here both the mercy and the promise are heightned or the promise is made yet more mercifull At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh It is a high priviledge to be redeem'd from famine and not to be afraid of destruction but to laugh at these is the highest priviledge But is it not a sin to laugh at these And if so how will it be any priviledge at all I saith the wise man Eccl. 2. 2. said of laughter it is madd and of mirth what doth it And is not this madd laughter to laugh at destruction and to be merry in famine The Prophet vehemently reproves joy in sad times Isa 22. 12 13. and brands it for an iniquity that shall not be purged from them till they die And can it then be commendable to rejoyce in famine c. It is comely for man to be merry when God is angry And to be rejoycing when the Lord is destroying To cleare this I shall open the sence of the Text and shew that this Laughter is neither 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—aeÌ„ quod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sumitur in bonam vel in malam partem pro loci ratione risus gaudij risus contemptus sinne nor madnesse but the holinesse and sobriety of the Saints At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh The word is ordinarily used for laughing whence Isaac hath his name The sonne of the promise was called Isaac because Abraham laughed or because he rejoyced at the promise
or birth of his sonne especially at the promise of His birth who was to be the joy and desire of Nations the Lord Jesus Christ who referring to this act of Abraham tels the Jewes Joh. 8. 56. Your Father Abraham rejoyced to see my day he saw it and was glad To laugh in Scripture is taken two waies Sometimes in a good sense and Sometimes in an ill sense In a good sense and so To laugh is an outward expression of sound inward joy and true comfort To laugh is an act proper to man There cannot be true and solid joy and so not this effect of it laughing where there is not true solid reason Even passion strictly taken is founded in reason In the 29. of this book ver 24. Job describing the great prosperity of his former daies saith If I laughed on them they believed it not Job was a man of that esteem and veneration that though he expressed in his gesture or countenance a kind of familiarity and how well he was pleased yet the people did so much reverence him and his piety and unspotted justice did so over-awe them that they suspected still he might observe somewhat amisse in them Secondly to laugh is used for scorning and deriding In the 39 of this book v 7. Laughter is ascribed unto the wild Asse improperly He sc the wild Asse scornes or laughs at the multitude of the City And Psal 2. 4. when the Princes and the people gather themselves together to take counsell against the Lord and against his Christ He that sitteth in heaven shall laugh and the Lord shall have them in derision That is the Lord in a most holy manner scornes or derides the counsels and practises of wicked men Man is never in so sad a condition as when God laughs at him Again Laughter proper to man is either sinfull and reprooveable or holy and commendable Sinfull laughter is that which arises First from unbeliefe or weaknesse of faith Such was the laughter of Sarah Gen. 18. 12. when the Angel brought his message that Sarah should have a sonne Sarah heard it as she was in the Tent doore and the Text saith Sarah laughed The ground of her laughter was unbeliefe she thought it an impossible thing for her to have a son as a man will laugh at a thing you tell him when he thinks it impossible to be done That her laughter was from unbeliefe is plaine from the Angels reproving question in the next words Wherefore did Sarah laugh saying shall I of a Jurety beare a child which am old Is any thing too hard for the Lord As if he had said surely Sarah thinkes the Lord hath out promis'd his own power to performe Secondly Sinfull laughter ariseth from contempt or slighting of counsell and carnall security in times of danger 2 Chron. 30. 10. when Hezekiah sent messengers to Ephraim and Manasseh to warn them to come up to the house of the Lord to keepe the Passeover it is said That they laughed the messengers to scorn and mocked them they laughed slighting and contemning this admonition thinking themselves safe and well enough though they came not up to that solemne Passeover Thirdly Sinfull laughter arises from pride and selfe-confidence Hab. 1. 10. The Prophet describes the proud Chaldeans invading Judah thus They shall scâ—ffe at the Kings and Princes shall be a scorn unto them and they shall deride every strong-hold They shall come up with such an army with such an arm of flesh as all flesh must fall downe and yeeld unto Lastly There is a sinfull laughter springing from sensuality and excesse of creature contentments Such laughter Christ threatens Luk. 6. 25. Woe to you that are full woe to you that laugh now That is woe to you that laugh because of your creature-fulnesse Laughter which is good and commendable hath such roots as these First it springs up from faith such was the laughter of Abraham Gen. 17. 17. when he heard the promise that he should have a sonne the text saith Abraham fell upon his face and laughed That the laughter of Abraham was from faith is cleare from the Apostle Rom. 4. 19. affirming that He not being weak in faith considered not his own body now dead when he was about an hundred years old neither yet the deadnes of Sarahs wombe he staggered not at the promise of God through unbeliefe c. Abraham laughed out his faith not as Sarah his unbelief Therfore also Christ saith as was toucht before Abraham rejoyced to see my day he saw it and was glad In the promise of his sonne he saw the Promised seâ—d in whom all the Nations of the earth should be blessed This sight of the day of Christ in that prospective of the promise drew it â—eare to the old-mans heart though it were farre off and made him glad Secondly Commendable laughter comes from holy courage and well grounded confidence well temper'd magnanimity and Christian heroicalnesse of spirit lifts us so farre above dangers and fears that we laugh at them And then there is a laughter in dangers grounded upon assurance of deliverance from or support in dangers A man that sees a great Ridehis ventos hoc munere tectus imbres Mart. storme coming laughs at it knowing where to goe to shelter presently where to get a warme house over his head The Pilot knowing he hath a strong Ship and good Tackling laughs at the windes In that sense not to feare is used Prov. 31. 21. where it is said of the wise woman She is not afraid of the snow for her houshold If the snow and cold weather come she doth not feare it she can laugh at the snow Why For all her houshold are cloathed with scarlet or double cloth she hath made such provision against cold weather that she feares neither frost nor snow Now the text when it is said At famine thou shalt laugh is not meant of laughter springing either from unbeliefe or pride or self-confidence or sensuality or senslesnesse as if he should not care what God did in the world let God doe what he would he would laugh As that proud Emperour said not only as one before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 him when I am dead but while I live let heaven and earth be mingled together I care not scorning and contemning what could come But this laughter comes from strength of faith from holy courage and well grounded confidence from an assurance of shelter safeguard and protection from or support in the greatest dangers even in famine and destruction He fixes on such a promise In vastitate ita eris munitus ac de tua salute securus ut ridere possis etiam sâ— famescas non te enecabit fames verum Deus sue te consolationiâ— papulo ita reficiet ut ridere possis Ipsa te fames redâ—et saturum caÌ„â—abis non secus ac si tibi plenus esset venter Pined as this Psal 37. 19. They shall not
on both sides with moderation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and be cautious inclining neither one way nor other but as the merit of the cause fully heard shall sway her judgement à radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Job desires that his calamity might be layed thus in the ballances Levavit sustulit nam qui appendit ali quid tollit lances in altum Drus before his sentence Laid The word is O that my calamity might ascend in the ballances And that manner of speaking is used either because in weighing the lighter scale of the ballances doth ascend or because when things are weighed the ballances ascend or are lifted up A man takes up the ballances in his hand to weigh So it is as if he had said O that these might be poised together and lifted up to see which way the scales will turne Together There is some difference in opinion about that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pariter vel potius similiter Nulla ejus parte praeter missa Together whether he meaneth thus O that all my griefe and calamity were weighed you consider things to halves and leave out those points which are most weighty and material you should take in all together Or whether his desire be that his griefe and calamity both together might be put into one ballance and the sand of the sea into another and so an experiment be made whether his griefe and calamity or the sand of the sea were heavier Or thirdly Whether thus that his griefe should be put into one ballance and his calamity into another and then triall be made which of those two were heavier his griefe and sorrow or his calamity and trouble A learned interpreter conceives that Iob Mercerus wishes his griefe and calamity might both together be put into one ballance and all the sand of the sea if it were possible in the other supposing that his griefe and calamity would out-weigh that vast ponderous aggregated body His opinion is chiefely strengthned by some difficulties in the Gramatical construction unlesse this be admitted and yet if it be a greater difficulty is shewed by a second and therefore I rather take it thus O that Bolduc my griefe and calamity were laid in the ballances together that is O that my griefe were put one into one ballance and my calamity into another or O that my griefe might be weighed with my calamity and it would appeare notwithstanding your judgement of me that yet there is nothing so much weight in my greife as there is in my calamity that is I have not yet grieved or complained up to the height or weight of those calamities which are upon me So that if my sorrow were laid in one ballance and my affliction in another my affliction would outweigh my sorrow and it would appeare that I have complained not only not without a cause but not so much as I had cause And to prove that his calamity was heavier then his griefe he adds in the next words It namely his calamity thus weighed would be heavier then the sand of the sea As if he had said it is possible that in trying all heavy things somewhat might be found heavier then my griefe or my complaint hath been but I am sure nothing can be found of equal weight with my calamity for my calamity which is the immediate antecedent would be heavier than the sand of the sea then which nothing can be found more heavy That of David Psal 62. 9. is paralell to this expression in Job Surely men of low degree are vanity and men of high degree are a lye To be laid in the ballances they are altogether lighter then vanity The meaning is That if men of all degrees high and low were put in one scale and vanity in the other vanity it selfe would be weightier then the gravest and most weighty men Hence some reade They together are lighter then vanity Others to this sence Men and vanity being weighed together vanity will not be so light as vaine man As David to shew mans lightnesse makes him lighter then the lightest thing vanity So Iob to shew the heavinesse of his calamity makes it heavier then the heaviest thing the fand of the sea Observe hence first That it is a duty to weigh the sad estate and afflicted condition of our brethren thoroughly But you will say what is it to weigh them throughly I answer It is not only to weigh the matter of an affliction to see what it is which aman suffers but to weigh an affliction in every circumstance and aggravation of it The circumstance of an affliction is often more considerable then the matter of the affliction If a man would confesse his sins and confesse them throughly he is to confesse not only the matter of them as sins are the transgressions of the Law and errors against the rule but he must eye the manner in which sin hath been committed the circumstances with which it is cloathed these render his sin out of measure and out of weight sinful Likewise would a man consider the mercies and favours received from God would he know them throughly and see how much they weigh let him look not only what but how and when and where and by whom he hath received them There may be and often is a great wickedness in a little evil committed and a great mercy in a little good received As relations so circumstances have the least entitie but they have the greatest efficacie Now as there is often more in the circumstances than in the matter of a sin or of a mercy so there is often more in the circumstance than there is in the matter of an affliction therefore he that would thoroughly weigh the afflictions of another must consider all these accidents as wel as the substance of it As namely the time when sent the time how long endured whether a single affliction or in conjucture with other afflictions the strength of the patient and the dependencies that are upon him Secondly He that would weigh an affliction throughly must put himselfe in the case of the afflicted and as it were make anothers griefe his owne He must act the passions of his brother and a while personate the poore the sick the afflicted man He must get atast of the wormwood and of the gall upon which his brother feedeth In a word He must lay such a condition to heart The Prophet Malachy threatens a curse upon those who laid not the word and works of God to heart Chap. 2. 2 I will curse your blessings saith the Lord because ye doe not lay it to heart that is ye doe not consider what I say or doe throughly God cursed them throughly because they would not throughly consider His Laws and judgements So then to weigh the affliction of another throughly is to put our soules as it were in their soules stead Hence that we may be assured Christ hath throughly weighed all our
Terrour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 notes the most terrible terrour or affrightment Terrour is the extreame of feare or feare confused into amazement and astonishment Death is therefore called the King of terrours because there are so many powerfull terrours in death Psal 55. 4. That vexation which Saul felt when God sent out an evill spirit with commishion to vex him is exprest by this word 1 Sam. 16. 14. An evill spirit from the Lord troubled or terrified him Such terrors for the matter such for the manner and present workings of them seized upon upright-hearted Job and false-hearted Saul A beleever a child of God an heire of Heaven may feele himself haunted and pierced with hellish terrours These are called the Terrours of God eyther first by a common Hebraisme because great and strange terrours In that language God is often put as an Epithite to shew exceeding greatnesse himselfe being the greatest So Chap. 1. ver 16. Fire of God c. Secondly Terrours of God because he sent and commanded that Army of Terrours When Jacob journeyed with his little Army Gen. 35. 5. It is said The terrour of God was upon the Cities round about and they pursued them not that is the Lord sent an Army of terrours to oppose the Cities least they should arme against Jacob. The terrour of man is very terrible and therefore the Apostle armes the Saints against it 1 Pet. 3. 14. Be not afraid of their terror The terror of God is infinitely greater and thereupon the Apostle argues 2 Cor. 5. 11. Knowing therefore the terrour of the Lord we perswade Those terrours of God may be taken two wayes Either actively or passively Actively for that work of God in terrifying and troubling Thy terrours that is the terrours which thou didst afflict me with Or passively for those afflictions which oppresse Nomen terroris frâ—quenter in Scripturis sumitur pro flagellis malisque gravissimis a Deo missis the mind when God leads that army against us sets it in array to charge and commands it to encampe about us in either sence we may take this of Job as also that of Heman Psal 88. 15. While I suffer thy terrours I am distracted Further There is a two-fold terrour First caused by outward imminent danger Secondly caused by inward guilt Or Terrour comming from the wrath of man and terrour coming from the wrath of God Thus it was threatned Levit. 26. 16. I also will doe even this unto you I will appoint over you terrours Deut. 32. 25. The sword without and terrour within shall destroy both the young man and the virgin That is feare shall kill those who escape the sword A people cannot stand before the Army of men who are once surprised with an Army of terrours Hence Josh 2. 9. Your terrour is fallen upon us saith Rahab to assure the spies that the Canaanites could not stand before the people of Israel Againe The terrours of God afflict the soule First When sin is set openly to the eye of conscience in array against us An army of sins are an army of terrours The Church is called Terrible as an army with banners Cant. 6. 10. when she is strengthned and armed for the exercise of all that power which Christ hath given her and when our sins stand before us in all that strength which the law hath given them they also are terrible as an army with banners Secondly When God hides his face from us an army of terrours quickly faces us Though an army of sins come out in array against us yet if God appear to us in the fulnesse and freenesse of his grace if Christ our Captaine will but leade us on against this army we shall quickly overcome them or they will will fly before us But an army of sins is exceeding terrible when Christ appears not in the field for us or when God hides his face from us and leaves us in the dark It is usuall in Scripture to set forth terrours as the effect of that darknesse and the hidings of the face of God Naturally terrour accompanies darknesse children are afraid in the dark and not onely children but men Histories tell us of great Emperours who durst not be in the dark for fear And as naturall terrours meet us in naturall darknesse so spirituall terrours in spirituall darknesse When the light of Gods countenance is clouded and as it were benights the soule then terrour takes hold upon us Under either of these notions we may understand the terrours of this text The terrours of God doe set themselves in array against me It was true in respect of outward troubles they were very terrible But especially in regard of inward troubles when God set his sins in array before him or hid his face and obstructed the course of his wonted communion Set themselves in aray against me The Originall imports a very exact curious artificiall ordination 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ordinavit ratione proportione disposuit instruxit and disposall of things As if the Lord had even studied to be exact and exquisite in afflicting Job he puts his sorrowes into a method and his troubles into order The providence of God observes a rule and is harmonious in those things which appeare to us a chaos a heape of confusion The word is applied First To the ordering of speech or disputations There is a kind of embattailing in disputation when it is regular and artificiall Job 32. 14 Now he hath not directed his speech against me saith Elihu concerning Job as if he had said Job hath not marshalled his arguments against me but all the charge hath been upon you Secondly I find the word used in reference unto prayer Prayer ought to be full of holy order and composednesse Psal 5. 3. In the morning will I direct my prayer to Thee and looke up In the morning will I put my prayer in array I will posture my prayer in a gratious order my heart in order and my words in order every petition shall as it were keep ranke and file when I am seeking unto God Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thy heart be hasty to utter any thing before God is the counsell of the Holy Ghost by Solomon Eccles 5. 2. But properly the word is applied to the marshalling and imbattailing of an Army Jer. 50. 9 Loe I will raise and cause to come up against Bâ—bylon an assembly of great nations from the North countrey and they shall set themselves in array against her c. So then whereas Job saith The terrours of God are set in array against me he would intimate that God afflicted him both orderly and resolvedly It was not some confused terrour or sudden surptiâ—al but the Lord God like some great Commander or General mustered and marshal'd his army and led it up exactly form'd to a pitcht battell against him Observe from hence first Afflictions come sometimes by multitudes You shall have a whole Army
potion and mistooke his case his was good searching physick for the foul stomach and grosse spirit of a hypocrite but it is enough to kill the heart of an upright-heart when God seemes angry with him and appeares against him when he is smitten without and smitten within by sore afflictions of mind and body then for his comforters to smite him with their tongues to lay at him with hard words and wound him with their unreasonable jealousies then for his counsellers and helpers to be angry with and opposite against him too Observe hence That not only words untrue but words misapplied are unsavoury and may be dangerous They are no food and they may be poison Prudence in applying is the salt and seasoning of what is spoken As a word spoken in the right season is precious and upon the wheele so is a word right placed When that faith full Prophet Ezek. 13. reproves the false prophets he saith They dawbed with untempered morter ver 10. it is the word of the text and why was theirs untempered morter even because they applied the word of God wrong They made sad the hearts of those whom God would have refreshed and they cheared the spirits of those whom God would have sadned they slay the souls that should not dye and save the souls alive that should not live This was untempered morter The Apostle advises all Col. 4 6. Let your speech be alwayes with grace seasoned with salt And speech must be seasoned not only with the falt of truth but with the salt of wisdome and discretion and therefore the Apostle adds that ye may know how to answer every one that is that you may give every man an answer fitting his case and the present constitution of his spirit Of some have compassion saith the Apostle Jude ver 22. making a difference and others save with feare This shewes the holy skill of managing the word of God when we make a difference of our patients by our different medicines and not serve all out of the same boxe Hence our Lord calleth those great Teachers of the Gospel and dispensers of his Oracles Light and Salt You are the Light of the world and you are the salt of the earth because they were to speake savoury things to every person to every pallate as well as to enlighten them with knowledge and prevent or cure the corruption of their manners and keep their lives sweet As there is an unsavourinesse in persons when they are mis-employed so there is an unsavourinesse in speeches when they are mis-applied The history of the Church speaks of one Eccebolius who changed religion so often and was so unsetled that at last Conculcate me salem insipidum Niceph. he cast himselfe down at the congregation doore and said Trample upon me for I am unsavoury salt And that word though in it self a truth which is unseasonably delivered or unduly placed may be cast at the doores of the Congregation to be trampled on for in this sence it is unsavoury salt Such corrupt the word and their's is but corrupt communication such as cannot minister grace unto the hearers and often grieves the holy Spirit of God These work-men for their ill division of the word of God have reason enough to be ashamed and the Lord may justly reprove them as he did Jobs friends Chap. 42. 7. Ye have not spoken of me nor of my wayes the thing that is right JOB Chap. 6. Vers 8 9 10 c. O that I might have my request and that God would grant me the thing that I long for Even that it would please God to destroy me that he would let loose his hand and cut me off Then should I yet have comfort yea I would harden my selfe in sorrow Let him not spare for I have not concealed the words of the holy One c. IN the former part of this Chapter we have had Job defending his former complaint of life and his desire of death In this context from the 8th verse unto the end of the 12th he reneweth and reinforceth that desire He not only maintaines and justifies what he had done but doth it again begging for death as heartily and importunately as he did in the third Chapter O that I might have my request and that God would grant me the thing that I long for The request it selfe is laid downe in the 8 â—h and 9 â—h verses and the reasons strengthning it in the 10 11 and 12 verses So these 5 verses are reduceable to these two heads 1. The renewing of his desire to dye 2. An enlargement of reasons confirming that desire O that I might have my request It is such a vehement desire and so exprest as Davids was 2 Sam. 23. 15. And David longed and said Oh that one would give me drinke of the water of the well of Bethlem which is by the gate David did not long more to tast a cup of that water then Job did to tast the cup of death The summe and scope of Jobs thoughts in this passage may be conceived thus He would assure his friends that his faith was firme and his comforts flowing from it very sweet That it was not impatience under the troubles of this life but assurance of the comforts of the next which caused him so often to call for death That these comforts caused his heart to triumph and glory in the very approaches of the most painfull death and made him despise and lightly to esteeme all the hopes of life That he was gone further then the motives which Eliphaz used from the hopes of a restitution to temporall happinesse he now was pitcht upon and lodg'd in the thoughts of eternall happinesse That he call'd for death not as that with which he had made any Covenant or was come to any agreement with but only as that which would bring him to his desired home The one Thing he desired That his comforts had not a foundation in a grave where all things are forgotten but in the Covenant of God who remembers mercy for ever and therefore it should not trouble him to die before he was restored to health riches and honour which his friends proposed to him as a great argument of comfort and of patience For in death he should have riches and glory and hence it was that he had rather endure the extreamest paines of death then stay to receive any outward comforts in this life His desires to be dissolved were not so much from the sence of his present paine for he would harden himselfe to endure yet more as from the apprehension of future joy This was not a fancie or a dreame but he had good proof and reall evidence of it in the whole course of his life which had been as a continued acting of the word of God and to a fitting him for nearest communion with God This in general The letter of the Hebrew runneth thus Who would give me that my request or that
my petition might come He had sent up a request a prayer a prayer for death and he thought his prayer too long gone upon that message Prayer was not quick enough in its returne from Heaven every houre was a yeare till he heard of it therefore saith he O that some body would give me that my request might come back againe unto me The word whereby 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he expresses his request notes a very strong desire a strong cry a strong prayer implying that Job had sent up mighty requests or strong cries about it As it is said of our Lord Christ Heb. 5. That in the dayes of his flesh he sent up strong cryes unto God who was able to deliver him Christ sent up strong cryes to be delivered from death and Job sent up strong cryes for death A word of the same root signifies the grave the grave is a craving a begging thing the grave is never satisfied as it is in the Proverbs The grave saith not it is enough And the grave is therefore exprest by a word that signifies to desire or request or to ask a thing importunately because the grave hath a mouth as it were continually open to ask and beg and cry out for more morsells it consumeth all and is never full such a desire Job put forth for death And that God would grant me the thing that I long for It is a repetition of the same desire in other words What it is to long hath been opened in the third Chapter ver 21. Who long for death Here Job reneweth the same suit againe O that I might have the thing that I long for or the thing which I expect with great expectation and vehemency of affection I shall not stay upon it But only give you the generall sence a little varied In this passage Job shewes himselfe assured that his comforts should not end though his life ended before he was restored to earthly comforts And he thus seemes to answer Eliphaz who had made large promises of outward felicity I am not stayed at all in Job expectaâ—ionem proximam facit mortem tanquam eam quae patiendi ultimam quietis ac faeli â—itatis primam representet liâ—â—â—â— my desires to die because I may possibly live in greater worldly honour and fullnesse then ever I enjoyed All that is in the creature is below wy longing I have not a sweet tooth after worldly dainties I shall not envy any who cut-live me to enjoy them let them divide my portion whatsoever it may be among them also The thing which I long for is death not for it selfe but as that which will bring me to the last of my ill dayes and the first of my best Jobs thoughts were in a higher forme then his friends They thought a golden offer of riches would have made him a gogge to live But Jobs heart lived above these even upon the riches of eternall life To enjoy which he even longs for temporall destruction and cutting off I have spoken at large in the third Chapter concerning the lawfulnesse of such a request and how farre Job might be approved in it therefore I need not discusse it here Only observe in generall That A praying soule is an expecting soule Job had prayed and prayed earnestly and though it was but a prayer to die yet he lived in the expectation of an answer When prayer is sent up unto God then the soul looks for it's return Prayer is as seed sowne After this spirituall husbandry the soul waits for the precious fruits of Heaven Psal 62. 1. My soule waiteth upon God and Psal 85. 8. I will hearken what the Lord God will say Job had sent up his request and now he was hearkening for an answer O that I might have the thing that I looke for Habbakkuk in the second of that prophecie verse 1. having prayed about the great concernments of those times resolves I will stand upon my watch and set me upon the Tower and will watch to see what he will say unto me They who send Embassadours to forreigne Princes waite for a returne Thus it is with the soul having put up it's request and sent an Embassie to God Observe Secondly Answer of our prayer is the grant of God Nothing stands between us and our desires but his will If he signe our petition no creature can hinder us of our expectation Observe Thirdly God often keepes the petitions of his servants by him unanswered Observe Fourthly The returne of prayer is the souls solace and satisfaction As cold water to a thirsty soule so is good news from that farre Country Prov. 25. 25. O that my request might come and O that I might have the thing that I long for Would you know what his request was He explains that in the 9 â—h verse and a man would wonder that one should be so very earnest to have such a request Many have prayed to God to save and deliver them but how unnaturall doth this prayer seeme to be cut off and destroyed Yet the thing which Job doth more then pray for long for is this That it would please God to destroy him and that he would let loose his hand and cut him off That it would please God to destroy me Some reade That he who hath begun would make an end in destroying of me For the word signifies both to be willing to doe a thing and likewise to begin to doe a thing therefore they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Significat liâ—ere velle inchoare acquiescere in re quapiam eamque tota voluntate amplecti make out the sense thus That he who hath begun thus to destroy me to teare and consume me would finish his worke and make an end of me As if Job had said I am already neare unto destruction a borderer upon the grave God hath begun to destroy me I would have him to goe on and perfect that worke As in workes of mercy Deut. 32. 4. He is the Rocke and his worke is perfect When he beginnes to deliver he will make an end So likewise when he beginnes to destroy he can make an end too Job desires that his afflictions might be perfected to the destruction of his dying body and that mercy might begin in the triumphs of his soule But rather take it in the other sense as we render it To be willing to doe a thing Even that it would please God or even that God would be willing to destroy me As if he had said I find as it were a kind of unwillingnesse in God to make an end of me his bowels seeme to yerne over me he seemes yet to be upon the dispute whether to cut me quite off or no now I even desire that God would lay aside that his tendernesse and compassion that he would determine and resolve to destroy me that he would acquiesce and fully rest satisfied in that resolution The word here used to destroy notes to
beat a thing to powder 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Contudit contrivit comminuit or to beat a thing to pieces Psal 143. 3. He hath smitten my life downe to the ground that is He hath beaten me as it were to dirt So Job here I would have the Lord even beat me to dust or dirt The word is used for contrition of spirit Isa 57. 15. I dwell with him that is of an humble heart and of a contrite spirit That is with him that hath a spirit beaten to powder or all to pieces as any hard thing is with a hammer or pestle A hard heart is a heart all in a lumpe condensate and closed together but an humble a repenting heart is a heart beaten small and ground to powder Thus Job desires here O that it would please God to beat my life downe to dust and breake me all to shatters that he would crush me as Eliphaz spake in the 14th Chapter ver 19. as a Moth. Observe then in how sad a condition Job was who not onely makes but renewes such a request as this Some upon a suddaine pang wish to die and hastily call for death yet are willing it should take it 's own time and come leisurely and as soon as death appeares they are crying as hard for life It is rare for any mans second thoughts to keepe up to such desires Job spake once and he speakes it over again O that I might die yea he wooes destruction and is an importunate suiter for the grave How sad is a mans outward condition when he hath only this complaint left that he cannot die when a man hath no helpe but in destruction or healing but in a deeper wound Job in this appeares like a man that is to be pressed to death lying under a heavy weight yet the weight not heavy enough to crush him to death he cries out more weight more weight It will be a kindnesse to crush out my breath and bowels the greatest favour I expect in this world is but to have more weight laid upon them that I may die Some of the Martyrs when the fire was scant have cried out more fire The cruellest flame was their friend and the more the fire raged the more merciful it was to them The book of our Martyrs reports of reverend Latimer that when he was giving witnesse to the truth and glorifying the name of Christ in the fire he cried out Oh I cannot burne the fire came not fast enough upon him Such this expression of Job seemes to be Oh I cannot die I cannot be destroyed I cannot perish yet O that the hand of God would lay more weight upon me that I might die He seemes to aske such a curtesie as that Amalekite said King Saul craved of him 2 Sam. 1. 9. Stand I pray thee upon me and slay me for anguish is come upon me because my life is yet whole in me This is the favour the only favour that remaines for me I am capable of no worldly comfort but a quicker dispatch out of the world And that he would let loose his hand and cut me off Here is the same Petition though other language That he would 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Loco movit evulsit excussit let loose his hand That 's an elegant expression The word signifies to loose the bond that a man may have use of his hands or feet As prisoners are loosed Psal 146. 2. The Lord looseth the prisoners So that it is as if Job had said Lord thou hast been smiting and wounding me but I see thou hast not given thy hand the full scope thy hand is as it were bound or tied behind thee As you know a man that hath great advantage of another or is much his over-mach will say to him I will fight with thee with Translatio ab his qui manum vinctam habent my hand tied behind me The truth is God is able to contend with all the creatures with his hand bound behind him with his hands fast bound that is without putting forth the least part to speake on of his power He can overcome with speaking Job observing here that God contended with him as it were with his hands bound or tied up desires now that God would give himselfe full scope and put out his strength and not strike as if his hand were a prisoner And he may have a respect in speaking thus to the Non se gera◠erga me instar hominis colligatam habentis manum restraint or binding up of Satans power In this worke Satan was Gods hand God put power into the hand of Satan All that he hath is in thy power or in thy hand Chap. 1. 12. First God loosened Satans hand to take away his estate Next he let loose his hand a little further to the afflicting of his body but saith God spare his life there he bound up his hand againe Now Job alluding probably to that restraint Lord saith he loosen thy hand a third time doe not only loosen it to take away my estate to take away my health and strength but O that thou wouldest loosen it to take away my life too enlarge I pray thee Satans Commission who is thy hand let it quite loose that he may make an end of me and cut me off The word here used to cut off comes up to heighten Jobs sence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Inexplebilem cupiditatem atque immanem aviditatem vulnerandi humani sanguinu perfundendi sign ficat still signifying to cut off with an unsatiable appetite of revenge As if he should say Cut me off spare me not spare not my blood doe it as they who are most greedy of blood and thirst most vehemently after revenge Let Satan that blood-sucker come with as great revenge thy hand being loosened from restraining his as ever the greatest Tyrant hastned with to suck the blood of innocents Let him greedily cut me off even as if he were to have some great gain or get some rich booty by my blood What profit is there in my blood saith David Psal 30. 9. Let him make what profit he can of my blood saith Job The word signifies to covet or desire gaine And it notes the worst kind of covetousnesse covetousnesse of filthy lucre or covetousnesse of bloodie lucre Hence Job saith Let God cut me off as if he were to have profit or raise Avidè me absumat quasi ex mea morte ingens lucrum reportaturus Pined himselfe a revenew out of my blood or let Satan come upon me and take his penny-worths out of my blood let him murder me as if he were to find all manner of treasure in my bowels and could thence fill and adorn all his chambers of darknes with spoils We may note from hence First That God dispenceth and acteth his power as he pleaseth He looseth his hand gradually as to him seemeth good First To the estate then to the body
passe out against him A if he had said Let not God spare me let him write â—s bitter a sentence against me as he pleaseth for my part I would not conceale the word of the most High but I would publish his judgement and sentence against me yea I would praise him and extoll him for it The vulgar Latine to this sence I would not contradict the word of the holy One Let him not spare me for as for my part whatsoever God shall determine and resolve whatsoever word God shall speake concerning me I will never withstand or open my mouth against it This is a truth and carries in it a high frame of holinesse when we can bring our hearts to this that let God write as bitter things against us as he pleaseth we will never contradict his word or decree but our minds and spirits shall submit wholly and fully to his dispositions of us and dispensations towards us It is as clear an evidence of grace to be passive under as to be active in the word of God Not to contradict his writ for our sufferings as not to conceale what he speaks for our practise But I rather stick to the former interpretation Job giving this as a reason of his great confidence in pursuing his petition for death because he had been so sincere holding forth the word of God both in doctrine and in life And so we may observe from it First That the testimony of a good conscience is the best ground of our willingnesse to die That man speakes enough for his willingnesse to die who hath lived speaking and doing the will of God and he is in a very miserable case who hath no other reason why he desireth death but onely because he is in misery This was one but not the only reason why Job desired death he had a reason transcending this I have not concealed the words of the holy One and I know if I have not concealed the word of God God will not conceal his mercy and loving kindness from me David bottoms his hopes of comfort in sad times upon this Psal 40. 9 10. I have preached righteousness in the great Congregation I have not refrained my lips O Lord thou knowest he was not actively or politickly silent I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart if lay there but it was imprisoned or stifl'd there I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvations I have not concealed thy loving kindness and thy truth from the great Congregation Upon this he fals a praying with a mighty spirit of beleeving vers 11. Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me O Lord let thy loving-kindness and thy truth continually preserve me for innumerable evils have compassed me about The remembrance of our active faithfulness to the truth of God will bear up our hearts in hoping for the mercy of God He that in Davids and in Jobs sence can say I have not concealed the words of the most high may triumph over innumerable evils and shall be more then a conquerer over the last and worst of temporal evils death God cannot long conceal his love from them who have not concealed his truth Secondly observe positively That the counsels of God his truths must be revealed God hath secrets which belong not to us but then he puts them not forth in a word nor writes them in his book he keeps his secrets close in the cabinet of his decrees and counsels but what he reveals either in his word or by his works man ought to reveal too It is as dangerous if not more to conceal what God hath made known as to be inquisitive to know what God hath concealed Yea it is as dangerous to hide the word of God as it is to hide our own sins And we equally give glory to God by the profession of the one as by the confession of the other Paul with much earnestnesse professes his integrity about this as was even now toucht Act. 20. Fourthly observe That the study of a godly man is to make the word of God visible I have not concealed that is I have made plain I have revealed or I have published the words of the holy One Much of Jobs mind is concealed under that word I have not concealed For in this negative there is an affirmative as if he had said this hath been my labour and my businesse my work in the world to make known so much of the will of God as I know This was the work of Christ here below Father I have glorified thee upon earth I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do Joh. 17. 4. What this work was he shewes vers 6th I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world Lasty observe That it is a dangerous thing for any man to conceale the word of God either in his opinion or in his practice For it is as if Job had said if I had ever concealed the words of God I had bin but in an ill case at this time God might now justly reveale his wrath against me if I had concealed his word from others or God might justly hide his mercies from me if I had hid his word from men Smothered truths will one time or other set the conscience in a flame and that which Jeremiah spake once concerning his resolution to conceale the word of God and the effect of it will be a truth upon every one who shall set himselfe under a resolution to doe what he under a temptation did Jer. 20. 9. Then I said I will not make mention of him nor speake any more in his name what followes Then his word was in my breast as a burning fire shut up in my bones and I was weary with forbearing If a gracious heart hath taken up such a sodaine resolution to conceale the word of God he quickly repents of it or smarts under it He findes that word as a burning fire in his bones he is not able to bear it I was weary with forbearing saith the prophet Nothing in the world will burthen the conscience so much as concealed truth and they who have taken a meditated resolution that they will not reveale the word of God may be sure that word will one time or other reveale it selfe to them in the Light and heat of a burning fire seeding upon their consciences I have not concealed the words whose words The words of the Holy One Who is that The Holy One is a periphrasis for God When you hear that Title The holy One you may know who is meant This is a Title too bigge for any but a God All holinesse is in God and God is so holy that properly he onely is Holy Hence the Scripture sets God forth under this as a peculiar attribute The Holy One The Prophets often use this addition or stile The Holy One of Israel The Holy One Is One separate or set apart from all filthinesse
God and prayer all this while God hath put his everlasting armes under me otherwise I had fallen before this day hid I not prayed in ayd from heaven I had not lived thus long upon the earth for what is my strength compared to these burthens which are upon me This is a good sence For as the Apostle speakes Gal 2. 10. The life which I now live I live by the faith of the Son of God So Job seems to say the life which I have lived ever since these afflictions have encompass'd me I have lived by the power of God and the strength of faith in him What iâ— my strength that I should bear We have this treasure saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 4. 7. in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be from God and not from us As he speakes there respecting the burthen of the Ministry So we may in respect of any burthen of trouble or weight of affliction We have these afflictions laid upon our earthen vessels and one would wonder that an earthen vessel should not cracke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Moratus praestolatus Vel significat anxia spe potiendi voto rem aliquam expectare aegrè ferre protractionem rei expectatae Chemnit Spes est cum praeparatio ad boni futuri promissi susceptionem tum patientia morae ex intuitu illius boni Coc. and shatter to pieccs under them but it is that the excellency of the power might be from God and not from us when we are weak then we are strong strong in God and in the power of his might God loves to shew the world what his strength can doe in a weak creature as well as what his grace and mercy can do for a sinful creature This I say is a good sence but the word rather signifies to hope and yet these two are not at any great odds for hope is the strength the bearing-strength of the soul What is my strength that I should hope That I should wait and tarry that I should expect or stay for such and such changes as thou hast promised Psalm 130 5. we have these words put together I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait and in his word do I hope The soul which is in a hoping condition is also in a waiting condition waiting and hoping ever attend the same thing No man will wait at all for that of which he hath no hope and he who hath hope will wait always He gives not over waiting till he gives over hoping The object of hope is some future good but the act of hoping is a present good and that is present pay to bear our charges in waiting So then the word implies both a patient writing and a hopefull trusting So Christ expoundes it Mat. 12. 21. rendring that of the prophet Isa 42. 4. The isles shall wait for his Law thus In his name shall the Gentiles trust Noah after the strength of the deluge was spent Gen 8. 10 12. opened the window of the Arke and sent forth the Dove and she returned then saith the text He waited seven daies and again he waited yet other seven daies hoping at last the floud would be dried up and the waters return into their ancient channels Now saith Job what is my strength that I should hope or expect deliverance and therefore why should I wait for it The waters of my afflictions are so deepe and swolne so high that I have no hope to see dry ground againe And in this passage he seemes to answer what Eliphaz speak in the 5th Chapter vers 16. and 25. for doubtlesse Job applies himselfe exactly to what Eliphaz had spoken and the truest interpretation of his answer will be in finding out and suiting the references to what the other Propounded Eliphaz in the 16. verse of the fifth Chapter where he makes a report of the wonderfull workes of God had said So the poore hath hope and iniquity stoppeth her mouth And at the 25 verse he tels Job that a godly man notwithstanding all his afflictions may know that his tabernacle shall be in peace and that his seed shall be very great Job in answer to those words replies What is my strength that I should hope As if he had said Eliphaz you speake of great hopes that the poore may have and you speak of a peaceable Tabernacle of a flourishing off-spring Alas my condition is such I am so worne out with paine with sicknesses with diseases with distempers with griefes that I have no hope left in regard of any strength in me ever to enjoy such promises What is my strength Quae fortitudo mea ut sperem liberos Vatab. Quid in longiorem spem me adducitis quum sperando non fim jam propè◠mortuus videat Hoc à lobo dicitur ut consilâ—j importunitatem expresso sensitivae partis affectu retunderet non quod de divina potentia diffideret that I should hope What is my strength that I should expect to live to see such good daies as you speak of that my Tabernacle should be in peace that I should have plenty that I should have a numerous issue Alas my strength is gone what is my strength that I should looke after these things Not that Job measured all his hope by his owne strength but here he expresses the griefe and paine which was in his sensitive part or upon his outward man thereby to answer the sowre reproofs and sweet promises of Eliphaz For we find Job himself in the thirteenth Chapter vers 13. resolving thus Though he kill me yet will I trust or hope in him he would trust and hope in God though he died therefore he did hope while he lived And it is the property of that grace and where it is in strength it shâ—wes as much to hope against hope Rom. 4. 18. Who against hope beleeved in hope When there was no strength in Abraham no possibility in nature yet against hope he beleeved in hope So at this time there was such a grace in Job he had a hope by which he could hope against hope but when he looked into his own stock of strength What is my strength that I should hope I know the strength of God is a rock sure enough for my hope to anchor in Abraham said in effect what is my strength that I should hope to have a childe for he looked upon himself as a dead man but saith he there is power in God he knew his own weakness but he considered it not waxing strong in faith and giving glory to God So here while Job saith What is my strength that I should hope my strength is dried up and withered and so is my hope in my own strength The strength of God is vigorous and green and in him my hope also is green and vigorous Though all the earth about us be like a dry heath and barren wilderness yet our hope buds and blossoms like a
plant while it is rooted by the springs of heavenly promises And what is mine end that I should prolong my life The letter of the Hebrew is That I should prolong or lengthen out my soul that my soul should inhabit longer in the tabernacle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of my body The word prolong is differently joyned to life or dayes Deut. 5. 16. Honour thy father and thy mother as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee that thy dayes may be prolonged c Ezek. 12 22. Son of man what is that proverbe that you have in the land of Israel saying The dayes are prolonged and every vision faileth To prolong dayes and prolong life are the same Yet hear the word Nephesh soul which we translate life may be taken for desire which is a vehement act of the soul The soul expresses it self so much in desires that the same word may expresse both And so we may render Jobs sence thus What is my end that I should lengthen out or extend my desires any further after the things of this world or that I should defer and put off my desires after the things of the world to come Is there any thing in this life worth my staying for it or any thing so worthless in the next that I should not wish presently to enjoy it In this sence the word Nephesh is often used as Gen. 23. 8. Abraham speaks to the children of Heth If it be your soul or your desire we translate if it be your mind that I should bury my dead So Prev 23 2. If thou be a man given to thy appetite or whose desires are thy Lord and master as the elegancy of that place beares And again Psal 27. 12. Psal 41. 2. Eccl 6. 9. The word is applied to signifie the will or desire So here What is mine end that I should prolong my life or my desire of life His End may be considered two wayes First His end may be taken for the latter part of his life which Eliphaz promised would be very comfortable Thou shalt come to thy grave in a good old age as a shock of corn commeth into the flore As if Job should say you are promising me good dayes and a happy old age but what is mine end what 's the latter part of a mans life that he should desire to prolong his dayes to take it out why should I desire to prolong my life I am now well stricken in years and as for the end the latter part of a mans life it is nothing for the most part but trouble and sorrow As old Barzillai 2 Sam. 19. 35. when David offered him the pleasures of the Court answers I am thus old and can I taste my meat and taste my drink or hear musique What is the Fagge-end of mans life that one should hunger after it The sweetest comforts of this life are in the fore-part of life in the spring of youth in the strength and flower of age As for the winter of life what is that but wet and cold but clouds and darkness What is my end of old age that I should desire my life to be prolonged or eeked out to that But rather we may take this End First For the end of his troubles As if he had said What end so gainfull or comfortable can I have of these evils that should recompence my pains in bearing them till I receive it No worldly comforts can answer my sorrows and therefore why should I desire to prolong my life for them Secondly Take End for the very last term of life not that latter part or condition of a mans life troublesome old age as before or a renewed estate as here But take End for the ending the termination the period of life What is my end that I should prolong my life and so End is as much as death what is my death that I should desire to live I know no evil in death that should make me afraid of the end of my life I know no such trouble in dying that I should be desirous to spinne out this troublesome life longer surely the trouble and pain of death is not so much as the present trouble and pain of my life and as for any other trouble I fear none then What is my end that I should prolong my life that I should not desire death or that you should be so angry with me for desiring it Hence observe first There is no strength in man that may give him assured hope of long life What is my strength that I should hope No though man be in the flourish of his age the greenesse of his years yet what is youth or strength or beauty what all those fair leaves and fruits which hang upon and adorn this goodly tree that he should hope to hand long Man in his best estate is altogether vanity Psal 39. 5. He that hopes to live upon any of these things hopes in a vain thing trusts but in a shadow Our hopes to live this natural life as well as the spiritual and eternal must be in the living God The Image of death sits upon the best of our strength and beauty while we grow we decline and while we flourish we wither The lengthening of our dayes is the shortning of them and all the time we live is but a passage unto and should be but a preparation for death We are most miserable if in this life only we have hope and we are most foolish if our hopes of this life be in our own strength And because there is no strength in nature which may give us hope to live long It is our greatest wisdome to consider what provision we have in grace to maintain our hopes that we shall live for ever They are in an ill case who when they cannot hope to live long care not to settle their hopes of living eternally It is a most sad spectacle to see a languishing body and a languishing hope meet in one man Some have a Kalender in their bones shewing them they have but few dayes here and many distempers upon the whole body crying in their ears with a loud voice what is your strength that you should hope to live who yet prepare not at all to die They are both unready and unwilling to be dissolved when they see no hope to keep up their tabernacle from desolution Secondly taking the word in the last sense which I conceive rather to be the mind of the holy Ghost in this place observe That there is no evil in the death of a godly man which should make him unwilling to die or which should make him linger after this life What is the end of a godly man that he should prolong his life All the bitterness of death is removed or sweetned by Christ Death the King of terrours is made a servant to let us in to our comforts by the power of Christ that prince of life who hath abolished death and brought life
chesed a reproach to any people Secondly Impiety and cruelty harshness and severity Thirdly It signifies any abhominable wickedness Levit. 20. 17. where Moses speaking of incest incest between brother and sister calls that abomination by this word Chesod A wicked thing That may have a good name the nature whereof is so ill that it is not to be named Further The word as we translate imports more than a bare act of pitty or commiseration as suppose a man see his brother in misery compassionates him but relieves him not this is not pity Such the Apostle James describes in his first Chapter vers 15. If a brother or a sister be naked and destitute of daily food and you say unto them be filled be warmed be cloathed poor creatures ye are hungry yea are naked I pitty you I am sorry to see you thus be filled be cloathed I wish it were otherwise with you and yet in the mean time he gives them nothing wherewith either to cloath or feed them Is this fulfilling the law of love Is this charity Nothing lesse The pity here spoken of is not a verbal piety Our saying to a brother in trouble be comforted or I would course were taken for you I wish you well with all my heart and so we bestow a mouth-ful of good words but not so much as a morsell of bread or a cup of cold water Good words alone are cheap charity to mans expence and they are so cheap in Gods esteem that they will not be found of any value at all in the day of reckening good words not realized if they be found any where will be found in the treasures of wrath This is not the pitty which Job teacheth us should be shewed to him that is afflicted The Apostles quesion shakes such out of all claime to this grace 1 John 3. 17. whosoever saith he hath this worlds goods and seeth his brother in need and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him how doth the love of God dwell in him Though a mans mouth be open with good words yet if he shut his bowels from good deeds there is no love to God or man hous'd in that mans heart It is no Pitty to speak of onely to speak pitty and therefore the Apostle addes verse 18 My little children let us not love in word and in tongue but in deed and in truth that 's the true meaning of this word to him that is afflicted pitty should be shewed But you my friends have not given me so much as the sound of pitty you have not bemoaned me much less have you relieved me which is the substance of pitty reall pitty You have not loved me in tongue giving me good words much less in deed and in truth Deed-pitty is both the duty and the disposition of a godly man therefore this word Chasid in the concrete is often used in Scripture to signify a godly man He is one that hath obtained much grace and pitty from the Lord and he is kind gracious and pittiful unto men The holy Proverb assures us That a good man is merciful pittiful to his beast much more to a man and most of all to a godly man who is his brother in the nearest bond And it is considerable how this word was used by way of distinction among the Jewes who cast their whole people or nation into three ranks and it is grounded upon Rom. 5 6 7. where the Apostle alludes to those three sorts First There were Reshagnim ungodlymen the prophane rabble Secondly there were the Tsadikmi righteous men And thirdly there were Chasidim good men or pittiful mâ—n scarcely saith the Apostle will one die for a righteous man for a man fair and just in his dealings peradventure for one of the Chasidim for a good man some one may chance to dy He that had been pittiful might haply find pitty and having done so much good in his life all would desire he should live still But herein God commended his love to us that while we were â—et sinners Reshagnim in the worst raâ—ke of men Christ died for us No man had either love or pitty enough to die for them who had so much impiety The farthest that the natural line oâ— mans pitty can reach is to do good to those who do him good or are good Pitty notes out such a sort of men and such a sort of actions as Antiqui vocant Ciconâ—am pietatis cultricem Ciconiis pietas eximia est Soâ— are fullest of love of bowels of brotherly kindeness and compassion Hence the Stork which by divers of the ancients was put for the Emblem of love and benignity is exprest in the Hebrew by this word Levit. 11. 19. The Storke is very tender towards her young ones and her young ones are as tender of her when she is old as naturalists have observed So then this word imports the height of all offices and affections of love from man to man especially from Christian to Christian in times of trouble and cases of extremity This Pitty you should have shewed me saith Job But he forsaketh the fear of the Almighty That is he forsakes all godlinesse goodness and religion Fear takes in all that 's good and so it is conceived that Job retorts the words of Eliphaz in the fourth chap. Is this thy fear or where is thy fear thy Religion Now Job saith Is this your fear You have forsaken the fear of the Almighty Is this your Religion to deal so harshly with a distressed friend or to give him such cold comfort Surely you have forsaken that fear of the Almighty which you charged me with Have not I reason to ask Is this thy fear or to conclude You have forsaken the fear of the Almighty These words are diversly rendred Some thus He that takes away pitty from his friend hath forsaken the fear of the Almighty And Qui tollit ab â—mico suo misericordiam timorem Domini derelinquit Vulg. that 's a truth and a good sense though not so clear to the letter of the Text. Mr. Broughton joins this with the former verse By him whose mercy is molten toward his friend and who leaveth the fear of the Almighty So referring this melting to mercy and not to the man joining it with the former thus Have not I my defence and is judgment driven away from me by him whose mercy is molten away toward his neighbour and who leaveth the fear of the Almighty As if Job had said Eliphaz doest thou thinke thou haste driven away all wisdome from me by thy dispute Doest thou think that I have lost my reason as thou hast lost thy pitty Thou thinkest wisdome and understanding have forsaken me but it appears by thy dealings that thou hast forsaken the fear of God which is the beginning of wisdome Thirdly it is rendred in the contrary sense The word Chesid An dissoluto à sodali suo convitium et quod timorem omnipotentis
〈◊〉 Significat haereditatem deinde fluvium quoniam torrens plerumque in valle labitur accipitur aliquando provale Mer They are as a brook The word signifies both a brook and a valley because brookes usually runne in valleys therefore one word expresseth both The same word signifies also to inherit and an inheritance Hence some joine all the three sences together in this one word A brook a valley and an inheritance because valleys inherit the brooks which descend to them from the maintains valleys are the heirs or inheritresses of the streams which issue from the hills Psa 104. 10. The holy Ghost describes a spring or a brook thus He sendeth springs into the Valleyes which run among the hills hills are the original of Rivers and they runne among the hills hills send them down as a portion to the valleys But the brook here spoken of is not such a brook as hath a spring in a hill mountain or rock but a brook or torrent caused by rain or melted snow The text cleares that meaning My friends have dealt deceitfully as a brook A brook springing from a hill will not deceive such a brook being fed with continuall supplies of water will give us drink continually but a brook falling from a hill failes quickly such a brook the next words expresse more clearly and as the stream of brooks they passe away As a stream of brooks That is as those torrents and overflowings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aqua impetuosa violenta quae fluit cum vi impetu of brooks A brook hath a constant channel and it hath an accidental channel We see many streames running into a brook in a time of rain and that brook swolne above its banks sending out many streames So that to say they are like the stream of brooks is to say they are like brooks when they stream forth or to those streames of brooks which by waters from the clouds are sodainly increast These streams of brooks usually called Land-flouds having their spring or fountain in the clouds which sometimes distill in soft soaking dewey showers and often pour out in strong violent stormy raines whence these streames which in the Hebrew are denominated from their impetuous violent strength run violently and spend their strength as quickly That which is violent cannot be permanent much lesse perpetual Nullum violâ—ntum perpetuum We have the word Psal 126. 4. Where the Church prays Turn again our captivity O Lord as the streames in the South which some render As the mighty waters in the South Why Tanquam aquas validissimas Jun. would they have their captivity turned like those mighty flouds in the south The reason is this because the South is a dry country where there are few springs scarce a fountain â—o be found in a whole desart What then are the waters they have in the South in those parched Countries They are these mighty strong torrents which are caused by the showers of Heaven So the meaning of that prayer in the Psalm is that God would suddenly turn their captivity Rivers come suddenly in the South where no spring appears nor any sign of a River yet in an hour the water is up and the streams overflow As when Eliah sent his servant toward the Sea in the time of Ahab he went and looked and said There is nothing That is no shew of rain not the least cloud to be seen yet presently the heavens grew black and there was a great rain 1 Kings 18. 44. Thus let our captivity be turned thus speedily and suddenly though there be no appearance of salvation no more than there is of fountain in the sandy desart or of rain in the clearest heavens yet bring salvation for us We use to say of things beyond our supply have we a spring of them or can we fetch them out of the clouds so though no ground appears whence such Rivers should flow yet let our salvation be as Rivers in the South as Rivers fetched out of the clouds and dropt in an instant immediately from the Heavens Job compares his brethren and friends to those streames of brooks they came suddenly but they are quickly down again The Comparison in the Psalm is made onely with respect to the sudden appearance of those Rivers but Job applyeth it to the sudden passing away of those Rivers as the stream of Brooks they pass away Their coming so suddenly is a great refreshing but their sudden departure is as great a disappointment The word notes two things First motion and secondly consumption 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Est praeterire perire evanescere quia quae praeterierunt non amplius existunt In both sences violent torrents pass away First they pass away with a strong motion and then they pass away with a sudden consumption they runne so fast that they run themselves off their legs they come to nothing their motion spends them whereas the motion of a River doth not So the word is used Psal 37. 36 He passed away and lo he was not yea I sought him but he could not be found Those things that passe away are many times said to loose their being and their use he passed away and lo he was not So Job meaneth here these streams passe away and lo they are not Having thus proposed this similitude that his friends dealt deceitfully as a brock and shewed what kind of brook he meant those violent torrents which pass away now he gives a further description of those brooks Vers 16. Which are blackish by reason of the ice and wherein the snow is hid The Vulgar Latine puts a strange sense upon this passage rendring it thus He who fears the frost shall be overwhelmed by Qui timet pruinam irruet super eum nix Vulg. snow Which seemes to be a proverbial speech to set torth those who shifting from one danger or extream run into another more dangerous like that of the Prophet Amos ch 5. 19. As if a man did flee from a Lion and a Bear met him or went into his house Elegans dictum in socios Iobi sed minus concordat cum Ebraica veritate Drus * Tinebam peccata minima nunc punior quasi pro magnis sceleribus Glos and leaned his hand on a wall and a Serpent bit him But as their translation is a corruption of the Text so their ordinary glosse corrupts their translation * I feared smallest sins but now I am punished after the rate of great sins Whereas indeed Iob was ready to acknowledge that the least sin he ever committed deserved a greater punishment then the greatest pain he felt and yet never lookt upon any of his pains as the punishment of his sins But to pass that Take the mind of Job as pursuing his similitude in more words to this effect These mighty streames are but for a while they pass away or if at any time they continue it is not from any quality
to have found water there and it grieved and repented them that ever they had hope to find water there because there was none to be found They were confounded The word signifies indifferently to be ashamed or to be confounded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Puduit rei vel facti and to be confounded in regard of events or actions The word is very neer in sound to our English Abashed It notes also a waxing pale and wan when the colour failes and withers comes and goes If a man be failed much in what he much hoped his countenance fails too his visage changes as his thoughts change and he waxeth pale Therefore we translate it well confounded And it is expressed by confounding for two reasons First because the complexion is confounded at such a time shame and blushing make a kinde of confusion upon nature Secondly the Spirits are confounded the heart is troubled Disappointments of our hope perplex a man both within and without He is disordered quite through And because long delaies cause shame therefore by a Metonymie of the cause for the effect this word signifies to delay time Exod. 32. 1. And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down c. that is when Ainsworth on Exod. the people saw that Moses made them ashamed by his long delay they gathered themselves together c. They waited for Moses 40. daies and now Moses had staied so long that they were ashamed of his stay that is they expected but he came not as they expected this troubled them We read the word in the same sence Judg. 5. 28. The mother of Sisera looked out at a window and cried through the latice why is his chariot so long in comming Why tarry the wheels of his chariots Why is his chariot ashamed that is why doth his chariot stay so long as to make us ashamed of our stay We have long looked what trophies Sisera would bring home why doth his chariot by delayes make us ashamed Thus in the text these travellers are said to be confounded because they had great hope to find water but were disappointed They were confounded because they had hoped the latter clause carries 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fodit effodit-per Metaphoram traductam a fodientibus erubuit Nam qui rubore perfusâ— sunt ex peccato caâ—ut in terram dimittunt instar eorum qui terram defodiunt Cartâ— the same sence They came thither and were ashamed Yet there is a special elegancy in the word ashamed which signifies to digge to digge that we may hide a thing At it is said of the evil servant who received but one talent that he went and digged and hid his Lords mony Mat. 25. 18. And so by a Metaphor this word is translated to signifie being ashamed because a man that is ashamed would hide his head in a hole as we say if he could he would runne his head into the ground and rather be at the pains to digge a hole in the earth to hide himself then to endure the shame of shewing himselfe No man loves that should appear or to appeare in that which is his shame These two things to be ashamed and confounded are often owned by the Saints in their repentance It is best not to doe any thing whereof to be ashamed but when we have done evil iâ— is good to be ashamed To hide our sinnes for shame and not to be ashamed of them when they are not hid are equall aggravations of sinne Hence when the holy Ghost would set â—orth mâ—n impudent or shameless in sinning who sinned and cared not who saw them he saith Jer. 2. 34. Also upon thy skirts is found the blood of innocents I have not found iâ— by secret search so we translate it the Hebrew is I have not found it by digging As if he had said some men are so ashamed of their sins that when God comes to finde them out he must dig for them because they have digged into the earth as it were to hide their sins but others are so impudent in sinning that God needs not digg to finde out their sins they are so shameless that they let their sinnes lie above ground or as the Prophet speaks Isa 3. 9. They declare their sinnes like Sodome that is openly Truth and holiness never seek corners and sometimes sinne and wickedness do not And as the doing of evill forbidden causeth or should cause shame so doth the not receiving of good expected Hence when the Lord would assure his people that they should undoubtedly receive all the good he had promised and which they on that ground could expect he concludes with them thus And my people shall never be ashamed Why The reason is plain in the Text Ye shall eaâ— in plenty and be satisfyed Joel 2 26. which is directly opposite to this in Job The Temanites were ashamed because being thirsty they were not satisfyed And because Jesus Christ shall so aboundantly satisfy all the hunger and thirst and supply all â—hâ— wants and weaknesses of every believing soul therefore it is exprest under this word and notion Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed Rom. 9. 33. Such a meaning the word bears in this text They were ashamed Foderunt putees sc ad aquam inveniendam That is when they saw there was no water to be had they would have hid themselves in the earth or digged holes to hide themselves in for grief and shame And some render this word here though to another sence They digged That is when they saw that there was no water in the streames then they fell a digging to see if they could finde any springs That 's a good sense But rather take digging as before To shew what shame would have us do when we have done amisse or when we Misse what we would find then we seek covert and hide our selves Hence these two are often joyned in Scripture Shame and hiding with the disappointment of hope Reade a text of near compliance with this in the letter Jer. 14. 3. Their Nobles have sent their little ones to the waters they came to the pits and found no water it was in a time of drought they returned with their vessels empty What followeth they were ashamed and confounded and covered their heads Again verse 4. Because the ground is chapt for there was no raine in the earth the plow-men were ashamed they covered their heads And Joel 1. 10. 11. The corn is wasted the new wine is dried up What followeth Be ashamed O ye husband-men howle O ye Vinedressers because the harvest of the field is perished So that in the common language and current of the Scripture shame is an effect of disappointment and hiding the face or covering the head an effect of both Observe hence First That deceived hopes trouble us as much if not more than present wants A present want is a present smart but deceived hopes are a perpetual smart And that
's the reason why the burthen of sorrow is so heavy and the drought of the damned who as Dives in the Parable shall never have a drop of water so intollerable They to allude to the text hoped to come to the over flowing streams of their former earthly delights But alas the paths of the way of those brooks are turned aside for ever they are gone to nothing and perished All the while they travel and that will be an eternity through that howling wildernesse and fiery desert they shall not meet with one rivolet nor tast one drop of comfort to cool their parched tongues or refresh their inflamed bowels Hopes delayed trouble but hopes deceived confound Secondly observe from this passage That deceived hopes fill with shame Deceived hopes make a man hide his head Shame arises two wayes either from doing a thing against common principles Or from loosing a thing against common expectation The Lord threatens the idolatrous Israelites That they shall be ashamed of the Oaks which they have desired and confounded for the gardens which they had chosen Isa 1. 29. Why ashamed of Oakes and gardens because in gardens and under shadie Oaks they set up and worshipped Idols in which they trusted for deliverance and protection therefore when destruction should over take them they must needs be ashamed of Oakes and gardens because their hopes were so fowlly deceived by them In the same sence the Lord soretels them by the same Prophet that they shall be ashamed of Ethiopia their expectation and of Egypt their glory Chap. 20. 5. because they had hoped for so much help from confederacies with these Nations who in the issue would delude their hopes and give them no help at all Thus also he speaks historically Chap. 30 5. They were all ashamed of a people that could not profit them nor be a help All they who hope in any thing save the Lord shall as these troops of Tema be ashamed because they have hoped for they shall be deceived of their hopes And this is the reason why hypocrites at the last day when Christ comes to judge them shall be filled with shame The reason I say is because they have been so full of deluding hopes It appears they had great hopes because they speak great words and make great boasts They presume if any are to be saved they are the men They shew fair for heaven Mat. 7. 22. Many shall say unto me in that day Lord Lord have we not prophecyed in thy Name And in thy Name cast out devils c. They shall say Lord we have done thus and thus what doth this repetition of their great works intimate but the greatnesse of their hopes Now when Christ shall say I know you not How will shame cover their faces for ever And how will they cover their faces for shame wishing they might never be either seen or known When Jacob had served a full apprentiship in order to his marriage with beautiful Rachel and at last through the guile of Laban was put off with blear-eyed Leah the holy Ghost expresseth him in a kind of passionate amazement And it came to passe that in the morning behold it was Leah And he said unto Laban what is this thou hast done unto me As if Jacob had been in such a distraction that he could not tell how to expresse himself And therefore saith What is this thou hast done unto me I know not by what name to call such a usage or disappointment as this O in what a case will they be at the last day who have served out as it were an apprentiship in hopes of Rachel the beauty of heaven and salvation And yet when they awake at the resurrection Behold it will be infinitely worse than Leah Hell and Damnation How will shame and confusion of face take hold of such for ever So much for the Letter of this similitude The failing of those streames exemplified in the sad experiences of the troops of Tema and the companies of Sheba as often deceived and ashamed as they came to them for water Now follows the application of the similitude as if Job had said I have spoken in the clouds and told you stories of forraign concernment I tell you friends I must even apply all this to you and leave it at your doors As Nathan when he had told David the Parable of the poor man and his little ew-lamb which his rich neighbor took away to dress for the way-saringman that was come unto him He I say brings it home to David in the close saying Thou art the man So after Job had told a story in the general or in a third person about deceitfull brooks and travellers deceived by them now he applies it to his friends Ye my friends are the men I mean by these brooks Ye are they I have all this while delineated and set forth by these unfaithful and unconstant streams of water Ver. 21. For now ye are nothing ye see my casting down and are afraid For now ye are nothing What nothing Ye are nothing at 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fuistis non Estis mihi nihili vanissimi ut torientes descripti Merc. Ex nihilo nihil fit Ex quo nihil fit nihil est all unto me Ye are no more to me in any way of refreshing then those streames of the brook which I even now described were to the troops of Tema for now ye are nothing As out of nothing comes nothing so that is as nothing unto us out of which nothing comes If we render it word for word according to the Hebrew it is Ye were not ye are unto me as if you had never been or ye have deceived me in what I took you to be I hoped for flouds of comfort for rivers of joy and streams of consolation from you but now I cannot find a drop Ye are not unto me That man is indeed who doth that for which he is or that which is expected The Chaldee translates Ye have been as if ye were not And there is a difference in the Hebrew word for some read it with Vos suistis quasi non essetis Chald. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est idem quod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In textu Hebraeo scribitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed in Margin notatur legendum esse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ei q. d. fuistis ei similes sc Torrenti Drus the Pronoun Them most with the Adverb Not But though the translation differ yet it comes to the same sense ye are them that is like to them like to those streames or ye are not that is ye are nothing to me As those streams were nothing or were not to the Travellers The phrase ye are not imports the deceivableness of those men Iob thought they would be something to him yea he thought they would be very much to him even as much as water-brooks to a thirsty man
Organ of discipline Hearing is the sence of learning and the seasonable stopping of our own mouths a ready means to open our understandings To be swift to hear and flow to speak James 1. 19. is the speediest way to attain wisdom Fourthly observe He that is shewed his errour should speak no more but sit down convinced Teach me saith Job and I will hold my tongue That is I will reply no more upon you I will never stand up in maintaining an errour I wil be no pattern of evil though my self am in the fault Errour shall not be excused or a mistake apologized for by me Some wits are able to make a fair cover for and put a glosse upon the most deformed and grossest errours There was never any opinion in the world but some have seconded it and undertaken it's protection When conscience hath never a word to say wit will be very talkative and when they have ended reasoning some can wrangle everlastingly When wit and learning undertake a cause and leave conscience out of the Commission there must either be a very ill end of it or no end A subtil Sophister will despute any thing and bring probable arguments where reason alone sits judge against the most undoubted truths It is an ill office to be an Oratour for our own or others errous for our own or others sinful practises Prov. 30. 32. If thou hast done evil in lifting up thy selfe or if thou hast thought evil or maintained evil lay thine hand upon thy mouth speake no more never be an advocate in a bad cause though it be thine own when our faults are shewed us we should not open our mouths unlesse it be to renounce and disclaim them A sad account will be given of that time and of those parts which have been laid out in the patronage of our failings and mistakes It is as sinful to few figg-leaves or make fair pretexts to cover the nakednesse of our opinions as of our practises And cause me to understand wherein I have erred As if Job had said when once you bring me to see clearly that I am in an errour and cast light into my conscience you shall find me readily submitting to you A question arises here in the general whether Job doubted his Concessio est quam Quintilianus dicit esse cum aliquid iniquum videmur causae fiducia pati Apud eum dicitur confessio nihil nocitura Quin. lib. 3 cap. 2. Non submittit se errasse sed humiliter se submittit amicorum censure Bold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Hiphil intelligentem secit erudii◠cause or whether or no there were an hesitancy in his spirit about what he had done or spoken I answer this speech implies not that he had any doubt of himself or an admission that he had erred Job speaks like Oratours or Disputants who when they are sure of a point will yet grant a little doubtfulness or raise doubts about what they are able to maintain and confident to carry It is ordinary to put things by way of supposition of which we make no question When Job saith Cause me to understand wherein I have erred it is not an acknowledgement that he had a erred but a submission in case he had or a concession that he might Job was not lifted up with an opinion of his own infallibility he knew to erre was common to man and therefore he speaks of himself under the common notion of all men Not from any consciousnesse of his own errour Cause me to understand It is but one word in the Original and it signifies to convince by reason or argument Cause me to understand that is doe not think to force my opinion or to offer violence to my judgement doe not think to club me down with great words and clomorous threats but doe it by solid Arguments by evident demonstration of reason Doe it by savourie advices and counsel not by bitter reproaches and invectives Deal with my understanding not barely with my affections Cause me to understand My errour It signifies local corporal wandrings and errours and bodily erring or wandring and sometimes it signifies the wandrings of the mind judgement and affections Prov. 5. 19 20. Solomon bids the husband Rejoyce in the wife of his youth let her be as a loving Hind and pleasant Roe let her breasts satisfie thee at all times and be thou ravished alwayes with her love The Hebrew as our Translatours put in the margin is erre thou alwaies in her love that is let all thy wandring erring thoughts and affections be reduced and brought home to the wife whom God hath given thee the next words seeme to interpret so for why my sonne wilt thou be ravished with a strange woman and imbrace the bosome of a stranger That 's dangerous erring in love Therefore saith he let all thine errings and wandrings all thy delights and ravishments be chast and conjugal towards the wife of thy youth Further it signifies erring or wandring out of meer ignorance This word is often used in Leviticus for the sin of ignorance Chap. 4. 2. and Chap. 5. 18. and Chap. 22. 14. If any man hath sinned through ignorance or committed an errour then he shall offer these and these sacrifices and oblations So Psal 19. 12. who can understand his errours That is those sinnes which he commits out of ignorance and inadvertency Hence he concludes with this prayer Cleanse thou me from secret faults He doth not mean faults which he committed privately and so were secrets to others but faults which he had committed ignorantly and so were Secrets to himselfe That is they were sinnes of ignorance And I conceive he means not only such sins as he had committed ignorantly but then knew they were sins but even such sins as he was ignorant whether ever he had committed them or no That is he prayes for the pardon of all those sins which possible he might have committed though to him as yet altogether unknown and undiscovered The title of the 7th Psalm is Shiggaion of David it is the same Original word we have in the text and some translate it awandring song And the reason for it is either because of the Cantio erratica variable and wandring poetry or because of the variable or wandring tune in which that Psalm was sung and to which it was set for greater delight others makes the title sutable to the translation of the word here the Psalm of Davids errours because sets forth his fears and dangers which made him wonder in body and sometime also to go a little astray in mind this Psalm was sung to the Lord concerning the words or the business of Cush the Benjamite that is of Saul who was of Kish and of Jemini 1 Sam. 9. 1. called here Cush that is Ethiopian or Blackmore figuratively from his black and ill conditions his heart not being changed as the Blackmore changeth not his skin Saul was a bitter enemy
doing evil is not good to us and our doing good is to us no better then evil Verse 25. How forcible are right words but what doth your arguing reprove Job speakes by way of admiration How forcible I cannot In Haebreo Admirativum est elegans patheticum Bold tell how forcible It is an elegant way of expressing the highness of our thoughts As Psal 84. 1. How aimable are thy dwelling places O Lord of hosts He admires in stead of speaking they are so aimable as I cannot tell how aimable they are Put your thoughts to their utmost conceptions of beauty and that beauty is in the dwellings of the Lord So saith Job here How forcible are right words they are so forcible as I cannot tell how forcible they are I must admire and be silent How forcible are right words The Chaldee Paraphrase reads it how sweet are right words interpreting it by that Psal 119. 103. Oh how sweet are thy Commandements unto me they are sweeter than the honey and the honey comb But the Originals differ though that be a good sense We read How forcible The word signifies any thing that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acrimoniae notionem habet strong potent or mighty It notes also acrimony sharpnesse or smartnesse and so it is often applyed to words either good or bad 1 King 2. 8. when David lay upon his death bead giving his last advices to Solomon Thou saith he hast Shimei with thee who cursed me with a grievous curse In the Hebrew it is this word who cursed me with a sharp strong forcible curse he cursed me with all his heart with all his might he laid load upon me Evil words are strong right words are strongest Job had before at the 6th verse of this Chapter called the discourses of Eliphaz unsavoury in this he taxes them for flat or weak right words have a pleasing acrimony upon the palate of the soul and a power upon the judgement to sway and carry it but yours are dull and feeble Some render it after the letter of the Hebrew words of right or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eloquia rectitudinis Mont. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aquil. truth Others in the Concret how forcible are the words of a right or upright man But take it as we translate How forcible are right words Words are right three wayes 1. In the matter when they are true 2. In the manner when they are plain direct and perspicuous 3. In their use when they are duely and properly applied when the arrow is carried home to the white then they are right words or words of righteousnesse When this three-fold rightnesse meets in words how forcible how strong are such words But what doth your arguing reprove I confess there is great strength in right words and in the words of the upright but you have been long disputing the matter with me and what have you got where are your gains The word signifies to rebuke with conviction and argument to shew what is right and to refute that which is contrary Job 13. 3. the word is so used Surely I would speak to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arguit redarguit praeparavit verba contra aliquem disputando ostendendo jus the Almighty and I desire to reason with God to reason it out as it were by force of Argument with God The word is answerable in sence to that in the Greek used by the Apostle Heb. 11. 1. Faith is a conviction or the evidence of things not seen that is an evident conviction faith gives a stronger evidence then any reason yea then sence therefore though faith be of things that fall not under sence and are above reason yet faith is an evidence or a conviction fuller then any Logical conviction or demonstration The Argument from such authority as faith grounds upon is stronger and more convincing then any or then all the reason in the world What doth your arguing reprove Word for ward what doth Quid disceptando conficiet disceptatio vestra q. d. quod vos reâ—â—â—guitis redarguendi verbo non est donandum your disputation dispute Or what doe your arguments argue as if he had said your arguing is no arguing your reasons are no reasons that which you have been arguing all this while with me doth not so much as deserve the name of an argument in my case it hath no power or strength in it Job laies a charge upon his friends by this opposition Right words are forcible but your arguments are not right or you are not right who argue therefore what force what power is there in what you have spoken I can blow it all off as easily as a man can blow off a feather Mr. Broughtton varies somewhat from this sence And what can your blame soundly blame that is you shall finde nothing blame worthy or reprovable in me Observe hence first Words rightly spoken are very forcible Take it in the general What mighty things have words words duly spoken done Abigail a weak woman by a few right words overcame the strength and wrath of mighty David and turned his whole army back David with all his men were in the heat of resolution and upon a hot march to destroy Nabal yet she stops them And that woman speaking to Johab when Sheba fled to the City with a few right words prevailed to save the City and stay the fury of war Take the point more strictly The words of truth are full of power full of strength Naked truth is too hard for armed errour Truth hath the strength of God in it therefore that must needs prevail The Apostle professes 2 Cor. 1. 3. We can doe nothing against the truth He means it in regard of the bent of his spirit his heart could not move against truth but we may use it in another sence We can doe nothing against the truth that is let us put out the uttermost of our power we can never prevail against the truth Look upon truth in the promises that will conquer all Look upon truth in the threatnings that 's forcible to overcome all Jer. 1. 10. God gives the Prophet a commission I have set thee over the Nations and over the Kingdoms to root out and to pull down and to destroy and to throw down to build and to plant Here is a strange commission for a Prophet How could Jeremiah plant or root up build or pull down Nations He never drew sword yet he performed this commission fully by his word he pulled them down and rooted them up by the word of threatning and he planted them and built them with the word of promise Zech. 1. 10. Your fathers are dead they are gone but my words saith the Lord which I spake by my servants the Prophets did not they take hold of your fathers Your fathers are dead and the Prophets are dead but my words live still and did not they hold
vain words are no words they are but wind Hence those prophane ones in Jeremy who said the true Prophets had belied the Lord and were but wind adde presently And the word is not in them That is the words of these Prophets are no words Indeed the Lord answers for his Prophets at the 14th verse telling the people because they had thus dishonoured his messengers that they should find those words which they accounted wind to be a fire Thus saith the Lord because ye speak this word behold I will make my words in thy mouth fire and this people wood and it shall devour them Whosoever esteems the word of God to be wind shall find it to be a fire and they who will not be taught by it shall be consumed by it But to the point in hand we see in that Scripture vain words are windie words and windie words as are no words The Prophets as they supposed were wind and thence they inferre the word is not in them That is their words have no substance strength or power at all in them So Hos 12. 1. Ephraim feedeth on wind and followeth after the East-wind What was the wind that Ephraim fed upon Some vain words some promises he had from the creature to be delivered some hopes raised by the word of man who is a wind therefore his feeding upon those hopes was but a feeding upon wind there was no ground or strength to make those words good So the next words interpret He daily increaseth lyes Such words are by the learned called bubbles And why Bullatus nugas Pers Sat 5. utpoâ—e similia bullis vento plenis bubbles Because a bubble upon the water is only filled with wind toucht it and it is nothing These words have nothing in them but the breath of the speaker Unlesse the spirit of reason fills our mouths we speak nothing but our breath or as we phrase it in our language we doe but vapour The Apostle Peter describes such 2 Epist 2. 18. They speak great swelling words of vanity And the Apostle Jude 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 uses the same expression in the 16th verse of his Epistle Their mouth speaketh great swelling words that is words greatly swelled with vanity Or swel'd as the flesh swels by the gathering of corruption and ill humours The greatnesse of these words was their disease and not their nature Wise men speak great things and fools speak great words Secondly Observe That windie empty words will never either convince or convert Such words doe no work they are wind and they passe away like wind without any impression upon the hearers They trouble the eare but touch not the heart When the noise of them is past all is past They are a sound and besides that a nothing Windy meats are not nourishing for the body neither are windy words for the soul Some knowledge doth not build up but puffe up 1 Cor. 8. 1. and that 's all the knowledge which such words can breed when they breed any Thirdly observe We are apt to judge the words of those that are greatly afflicted to be but vain windy words And we are ready to conclude they complaine more then they need When the Israelites groaning under the pressures of that bondage sent to Pharaoh for some abatement of their burdens we will not diminish the tale of the bricks only let straw be given us no saith Pharaoh Exod. 5. 17. They are idle let more work be laid upon the people that they may labour therein and let them not regard vain words He resolved to deal wisely with them and therefore must count them mad their persons were near Jobs condition and their words were fully under the same censure Fourthly hence note That it is very sinfull to esteem the words of the afflicted to be but wind It was great uncharitablenesse in Jobs friends thus to expound and glosse the text of his complaints We should heare a man in affliction as if every word were drenched and steeped in the sorrowes of his heart and take every sentence as coming bloudy from his wounded spirit Lastly observe how Job describes his own estate he was as a man desperate not utterly desperate for in another place he professes in highest confidence that though God kill him yet he will trust in him yet desperate he was in regard of outward help or temporal succour A godly man in affliction may sometime think his case desperate and remedilesse Wicked men resolve in the Psalme There is no help for him in his God and a good man under a cloud of temptation may say Surely there is no help for me in my God that is I see not which way I shall be helped I have no assurance no evidence that God will help me Not that he doubts the power of God to help him But the providence of God seemes to speak that he will not I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul saith holy David Heman looked upon himself as a man that had no strength free among the dead Psal 88. 5. As if he had got a discharge from the service of this world and was enfranchiz'd a Citizen of the grave where all are free As to note that only in passage It is said of Azariah being smitten with leprosie and so put from the exercise of the government which was a civil death that he dwelt in a several house or in a house of freedome 2 Kin. 15. 5. Verse 27. Yea you overwhelm the fatherless and you digg a pit for your friend After he had convinced them of their uncharitableness in accounting his words light and windie he shewes them how they dealt with him what kind of words theirs were towards him their words were as swords their words were blowes every expression of theirs to his ear was an oppression upon his spirit Yea overwhelm the fatherless He sets forth their as he conceived cruelty against him by two things very odious both First the undoing of a fatherless child Secondly the digging of a pit not for an enemy but for a friend First Ye overwhelm the fatherless The Original is full of Emphasis word for word it may be translated thus You throw your selves upon the fatherlesse and so it is an allusion to hunters either to men when they hunt wilde beasts or to wilde beasts when they hunt their prey as soon as the hunter can reach the game hee overwhelmes it he casts himself down or layes all his strength upon it A dogge having caught the hare falls upon it and keeps it under Some conceive that expression Gen. 49 9. concerning Judah compared to a lion reaches this sense Judah is a Lions whelp from the prey my sonne thou art gone up he stooped down he couched as a lion and as an old Lion who shall rouse him up As if that that crouching and lying down were when he hath taken his prey who dares to stirre up a Lion when he hath his prey under
the soule whereby we discerne or distinguish just from unjust truth from false-hood as sweet is distinguished from bitter by the pallate is elegantly called the pallate of the soul Cannot my taste discern The Hebrew is Cannot my taste * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Scriptura saepe linguae faucibus manibus tribuit quod men t is intellectus proprium est sc med tari intelligere Magna est rationis orationis cognatio understand perverse things It is usuall in Scripture to ascribe understanding not onely to the senses but also to the tongue and sometimes to the hand Understanding is ascribed to the tongue in the place before named Psal 52. where the tongue is said to de vise mischiefe The tongue properly cannot devise the tongue doth but utter mischiefe it is the mind or heart that deviseth The shop is within where mischiefe is forged and framed yet the contrivance of it is in that text given to the tongue There is a two-fold reason of it why the holy Ghost attributes the worke of the understanding to the tongue hand or senses First there is a great affinity beween reason and speech and therefore the tongue which is the instrument of speech is honoured with the worke of the understanding And so grat is the affinity beween reason and speech that no creature void of reason can speak Speech is a peculiar property of the rationall creature Speech is or ought to be the immediate issue or birth of reason Words are conceived in the mind and born at the tongue And words are the image of the mind We may see what work is wrought in the mind by that which is spoken by the tongue The shape of a mans heart when he speakes himself comes out at his mouth And therefore before a man speakes he meditates Meditation is the conception of words As speaking is the production of them Thus the Lord charges Joshua Chap. 1. 8. The book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night One would think it should rather have been said The book of the Law shall not depart out of thine heart but thou shalt meditate therein or if not cut of thy mouth then Ita meditaberis ut exipsa cogitatione mentis effervescente redundent ebulliant in ore verba thou shalt speak of it Meditation is too high a worke for the mouth Yet because there ought to be much meditation about the Law of God before a word of it comes out of the mouth therefore the Lord saith The book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that is as oft as thou shalt speak thou shalt meditate thou shalt not speake rashly it shall not be the work of thy tongue alone but of thy mind and tongue together There is a second reason why acts of the understanding are ascribed to the tongue or to the senses because when a thing is well spoken or duly acted by any sense Reason is the guide and the bodily Organ is under the dictates of the minde or understanding So Gen. 41. 14. when old Jacob in giving the blessing unto Josephs children Manasseh and Ephraim laid his right hand upon the younger and his left hand upon the elder the text saith he made his hands to understand we translate he guided his hands wittingly there was so much reason such divine reason in that act of Jacobs hands in laying his right-hand upon the younger that the Prudenter egit manibus sun ac siiplae manus mysteriorum consciae erant Onkel Hebrew gives it with this elegancie he made his hands to understand which one of the Jewish Writers learnedly expounds thus He order'd his hands wisely as if they had been made acquainted with that great mystery of Gods counsels that the greater blessing was the portion of the younger sonne And so the Psalmist Psal 78 72. speaking of Davids raigne and government saith He governed them by the skilfulnesse of his hands The Hebrew is by the understanding of his hands and more the understandings of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In intelligentiis manuum vel volâ—rum his hands Or as one renders it The discretions of his hands or the prudency of his Palmes ascribing all kind of politicall knowledge and understanding unto David David in the outward administrations of the kingdome acted with so much reason and justice that his very hands are said to understand His hands understood more than the heads of other Princes As Davids hands so Jobs pallate or taite had an understanding Cannot my pallate understand Yet further it is frequent in Scripture metaphorically to translate things which are only acted or apprehended by the inward senses to the outward Taste properly is of meat and drink the humour or moisture which is in meats sutable to the salivall humour in the mouth causeth pleasantness of taste Here Job speaks of Doctrines or of actions Cannot my taste discerne perverse things If a thing be perversly or properly truely or falsely spoken cannot I taste it quickly And hence the word of God is compared to those things which are the object of taste as to milk and to strong meat 1 Cor. 3. 2. I saith the Apostle have fed you with milk and not with meat That is with easie and common truths not with the more mysterious parts of Gospel-knowledge because ye were not able to bear it The taste of such mysteries was too strong for your pallates The same Metaphor is enlarged by the Apostle Heb. 5. 12 13 14. And in this Book we find it more than once Doth not the eare trie words and the mouth taste his meat Job 12. 11. Chap. 34. 3. That is doth not the eare try words as the mouth tastes meat Cannot my taste discern Perverse things That is words ill spoken or wrong placed The word signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 also any calamity or sad accident And so Mr. Broughton renders it Cannot my pallate declare all kind of heavy sorrowes Do ye think I have lost my judgment of things and that I cannot tell when I am pinch't or pain'd First in that he saith here Is there iniquity in my tongue Observe The tongue oft-times discovers the iniquity of the heart If there be iniquity in the heart it will one time or other break forth at and blister upon the tongue He that is rotten at his heart is commonly rotten in his talk Matth. 12. 34. Out of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speakes And when there is aboundance of iniquity in the heart there is seldome a dearth or scarcity of it in the mouth especially in times of trouble that iniquity and corruption that disease and plague of the heart will break forth at the lips As Evill words corrupt good manners So evil words discover that our manners are corrupt There are few men but as the Damosel spake to
shadow to get under a tree or a bush a little to refresh himself Or Thirdly the shadow may be taken for the house to come into a mans house or under a mans roof is called a comming under his shadow Gen. 19. 8. Therefore they are come under my shadow saith Lot to the men of Sodome that is under the covert of my roof The shadow is used often in Scripture to note protection and mercy Shadows are substantial mercies and the promise of a shadow â—â—bra id significat quod proteâ—endo custoâ—â—endo obâ—mbrat is a real favour Isa 4. 6. The Church hath a promise under this notion There shall be a Tabernacle for a shadow in the day time from the heat Isa 25. 4. A refuge from the storm a shadow from the heat And Isa 32. 2. The Lord promises that he will be as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land unto his people And David flies to this shadow for safety Vnder the shadow of thy wings shall be my refuge till these calamities be over-past Psal 57. 1. So Psal 17. 8. Psal 91. 1. So that in these words As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow Job means that which is most refreshing and desirable by a servant And in those Eastern hot Countries shadows were very refreshing and much desired Jacob reporting his labours in keeping Labans sheep saith In the day time I was consumed with heat or parched with heat Therefore a servant hath reason to desire the shadow And as an hireling looketh for the reward of his work There are two things which a servant or an hireling desires much Rest and reward Shadow and pay When he is hot the shadow refreshes him And when he is hungry his pay refreshes him while his hand is at work in the day his heart is upon the wages he shall receive at night Hence the Lord in compassion to servants made a gracious provision for them by a law Deut. 24. 14 15. Thou shalt not oppress a hired servant c. at his day thou shalt give him his hire neither shall the Sun go down upon it for he is poor and setteth his heart upon it lest he cry against thee to the Lord and it be sin unto thee Job puts the instance in both As the hireling looks for the reward of his work c. He looketh The word signifieth to expect a thing with an eye 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 toward it what we earnestly expect our eyes move after it David in his waiting upon God saith Mine eyes are towards thee I lift up mine eyes and my heart to God The same word is here used The hireling looks For the reward of his work So we translate it The Hebrew is He looks for his work 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Why he had work before he had his work all day long his Master shewed him his work he needed not look for that then his work is the reward of his work In the Scripture the word work signifies three things 1. The very act of labour 2. The effect of labour the thing wrought or that which is the product of labour When a man hath laboured what he labour'd about is visible and that we call his work as well as the act of his labour 3. The reward or the wages which a man receives for his labour Levit. 19. 13. we read a plain text for it The wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning The Hebrew is The work of him that is hired shal not abide with thee So Psal 109. 20. Let this be the reward of mine adversaries Obus est fructus seu merces oberis quae pro labore datur ber Metonymiam from the Lord The Hebrew is Let this be the work of mine adversaries from the Lord. And Jer. 22. 13. we have the word in the same sence work for wages As it is usual to put prayer for the thing prayed for a petition for the thing petitioned or for the thing obtained by petition The Lord hath given me my petition saith Hannah 1 Sam. 1. 27. that is the child for whom I did petition It is usual also in Scripture to put sin for the punishment or reward of sin Gen. 4. 13. My sin is greater that is my punishment is greater than I can bear And the Master is forbidden to detain the servants wages least it be sin to him Deut. 24. 15. that is least he be punished for detaining it Thus also it is usual to put the work for the reward of the work The hireling expects his work that is he earnestly looks that he shall have wages in the evening for his work Now saith Job as these wait the servant and the hireling for the shadow in the day and for their wages at night So I am made to possesse months of vanity c. I shall note a point or two in passage from the words as they contain a general truth before I examine them in this application Take the words as they are a direct proposition A servant desires the shadow and an hireling looks for the reward of his work Hence observe First The condition of a servant is a very laborious and a wearisome condition He longs for some rest he earnestly desires the shadow Observe Secondly The servant must have a reward Ther 's all the reason in the world he should Observe Thirdly The hireling hath earnest thoughts upon his reward His reward is in his eye It is the reason given why the wages of the hired servant should not be with-held Deut. 24. 15. The Lord the righteous judge between Masters and servants gives this account or ground of his Law Thou shalt not detaine his wages for he setteth his heart upon it Poor man he hath been working all day and he hath had his heart upon his wages the hopes of that gave him some relief and ease in going through his hard task and service therfore thou shalt not keep it from him his heart is set upon it But it may be questioned Is not this a sin in the servant to set his heart upon his wages A charge is given Psal 62. 10. If riches increase set not your heart upon them and is it approveable in a servant to set his heart upon his wages or encrease There is a great difference and it is worthy our notice between those two Scriptures The word in Deutronomy speaking of the poor servant notes the lifting up of the soul He hath lifted up his soul unto it so we read in the margin of our Bibles But in the Psame where he speaks of the covetous rich man the word imports the letting down or setling of his heart upon it A poor man hath but a little and his wages it may be is above him his wages possibly is more than he is worth therefore he lifteth up his mind to it as a mercy and a blessing from God for the
take Jobs picture as in the day of his afflictions must draw him thus A man clothed with worms and clods of dust there 's his garment his skin scabby and discolor'd full of chaps and running sores angry biles and enflamed ulcers his posture lying on the ground scraping himself with a pot-sheard 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 caroper Synecdochen corpus in Piel Bisher significat Evangelium My flesh is clothed with worms My flesh That is my body by a Synechdoche and the word which we translate flesh springs from a root or hath neare relation to it which signifies to bring and publish good tidings or welcome news and therefore the Gospel is exprest by it Evangelium is the same in Latin or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greeke with this in the Hebrew And some Criticks give the reason why flesh is exprest by this word which signifies to publish or bring good tydings because there should be a taking of flesh or a making of flesh namely the incarnation of our Lord Iesus Christ which should be the best tidings and the most joyfull news that ever the world heard of Is clothed with worms In the first Chapter of this booke at the 21. verse Iob describes himself thus Naked came I out of my mothers wombe and naked shall I return but now it seemes Iob hath got clothing and being ready to lie downe in the grave he had a vesture put upon him now it seemes Iob should not goe naked out of the world for he said My flesh is clothed but what is this clothing My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust that 's a suite of clothes very fit and sutable for the grave but it is usually put on in the grave Iob is in his grave-clothes before he dies or he speakes this to shew that he accounted himself dead while he lived or as Heman mourns Psa 88. Free among the dead A member of that Corporation a brother of that society already For he was now in their habet or livery A gown of worms set or embroidered with clods of dust My flesh is clothed with wormes It is frequent in Scripture when the holy Ghost would heighten the sense of what we are enjoy would to note the abundance of Quavis re vestiri dicimur Cujus accessione vel dedecoramur vel ocnamur a thing or how man is adorned or defiled with it all over then to expresse it under the notion of cloathing God himself is exprest cloathed with Majesty because he is Majestie all over and there is nothing but glory upon him God is also described clothed with judgement and with justice why Because these are his honour and his ornament he is justice and judgement all over we find Job in the 29. of this book at the 14 verse speaking thus of himself in his state of Magistracy I put on righteousnesse and it clothed me my judgement was as a robe and a diademe that is I was full of righteousnesse I was altogether reghteous in dispensing re wards and punishments in exercising my power among the people To be cloathed with humility to be cloathed with the Spirit to be clothed with Christ are phrases of the same importance So on the other hand to be cloathed with pride with shame with dishonour Let mine enemies saith David be cloathed with shame Psal 109. 29. Let them be cloathed with dishonour Psal 35. 26. that is let them be ashamed and dishonour'd all over or exceedingly ashamed or dishonoured And so a great desolation is called a cloathing with desolation Ezekiel 7. 27. That which stripps a man naked is in this sence called his cloathing cloathed with desolation Thus we are to understand Job when he saith That his flesh was cloathed with wormes his meaning is he had many wormes crawling upon his flesh or lying within his flesh and so were as a lining to his upper garment of nature These worms spread themselves all over him as a filthy and loathsome garment covering his whole body And besides this figure Job spake properly while he was thus full of sores and botches and boyles to say he was cloathed with wormes wormes are proper to sores many sores breed wormes and wormes are a disease in the flesh as well as within the bowels and such diseases are accounted the foulest and filthiest diseases of all other Such was Jobs his sores and boiles corrupted and bred wormes which made him an abhorring to himself Putrifaction is the foyle out of which worms grow Rotten flesh breeds wormes and a rotten conscience breeds a worm Isa 66. 24. Their worme shall not die why doth the holy Ghost say of those men who were never washed nor healed of their sinne-sores of their soul-sicknesses and pollutions that when they die they have a worme that dieth not It is in allusion to this because as a corrupt body or corrupt putrid flesh breeds noisome wormes so a corrupt conscience a soule full of filthinesse and uncleannesse which was never washed or healed in the fountain of the bloud of Christ this soul this conscience breeds wormes even that gnawing worme which shall live with it feed upon it and cloath it for ever Both the naturall and the spirituall worme arise from rottennesse and derive their pedigree from sores sicknesses and putrifaction And clods of dust Wormes and clods of dust Here are strange materials course stuffe for Jobs cloathing clods of dust Some conceive that Job sate in the dust and so the dust gathered about him as a garment Others that these clods of dust were the scrapings of his sores for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word signifies the filings of any mettall or the scrapings of an uncleane thing It is said expressely in the second Chapter that he tooke a pot-sherd to scrape himself those clods of filthy dust or scales scrap'd from his putrifying sores these with the crawling wormes bred in them cover'd his whole body like a garment and therefore he complaines I am cloathed with worms and clods of dust You see what his garment was see now to carry on the allusion his skin upon which this garment was put My skin saith he is broken and become loathsome The skin is the immediate garment of the flesh his sicknesse had worne out his skin he had many holes and rents in that garment which needed mending and it was all over so filthy that it needed washing My flesh is broken and become loathsome Sores breake the skin and defile the skin Jobs skin was so broken and chapt so defiled and filthy that he was loathsome to all beholders and to himself This is the picture of Job A few daies before you might have pictured or drawn him thus Job cloathed with silk and scarlet his garment set with precious orientall stones his skin smooth and beautifull his face cheerfull and manly his eye quick and piercing But now Job is cloathed with worms and clods of dust his skin is broken and become
similibus locis Scriptura in telligenda est de statu mortuorum in morte quis consitebitur tibi post resurrectâ—onem pii laudabunt Deum sed ante illam quamdiuerunt in sepulchro nemo confitebitur ei anima corpore simul Drus Iuxta raturae cursum hic loquitur regans rediturum â—ominem ubi hine excessit Reâ—urrectio mortuorum divinum supra naturam opus est quo hic non respicit nutuâ—e tantum consuctum ordinem afferens quomodo intellïgendâ— sunt qâ—aecunque talia in hoc libro in Psalmis alijs Scripturae libris occurrunt Psal 115. 17. The dead praise the not c. there is no work device or businesse at all in the grave Eccl. 9. 10. The hand works not the tongue speakes not The eye shall no more see this good Iob expresses himself by an act of the eye which carries the greatest strength for refreshing to the whole man All the joy and pleasure we shall have in Heaven comes in by sight we shall see him as â—e is The heholding of God in Christ is the beatificall vision much of the good which we have in this world comes in by the sense of seeing and all the good of the next is placed in seeing therefore he doth not say I shall no more taste good or no more feele good but no more see good * Per Analogiâ— ad summi boni possessionem quae in visione consistit aliorum honorum possessio rectè dicitur videre bona because the chiefest good eternal good consists in vision therefore proportionably our present good doth so likewise Sick Hezekiah speaks in the language of sick Job I said I shall not see the Lord even the Lord in the land of the living I shall behold man no more with the inhabitants of the world Isa 38. 11. When Hezekiah thought he should die he describes the state of the dead by a deprivation of all those comforts which are taken in by the sight of the eye But you wil say how saith he I shal not see the Lord He doth not say absolutely I shall not see the Lord But with a modification thus I shall not see the Lord even the Lord in the land of the living But did Hezekiah see the Lord in the land of the living or while he lived Yes as Moses saw him that was invisible so did Hezekiah God makes himself visible to the Saints in this life Though God cannot be seen in his essence in Heaven much lesse on earth yet he is seen in his works in the acts of his providence and in his ordinances we may see the goings of God in the Sanctuary and behold the beauty of the Lord while we enquire in his Temple Psalm 27. 4. So that when Hezekiah saith I shall not see the Lord in the land of the living his meaning is I shall not behold God in his great works and in the ordinances of his holy worship and in the Congregations of his holy people In all these God is visible and most in the last and therefore he saith I shall behold man no more with the inhabitants of the world God is visible in all creatures but most in man and among men most in his Saints and among his Saints most when they meet in the comely order of his house and worship The ignorant and unlearned coming into such a sacred throng sees so much of God that he is convinced and goes away reporting that God is in them of a truth In Christ is seen the brightnesse of his Fathers glory and in the Saints much of the beauty of it is seen Christ is the express image of his person and in the Saints so meeting much of his image is expressed First in that Job betakes himself to God O remember that my life is wind c. Observe That In our distresses it is better to cry to God then to complaine to creatures God is usually the last but he is alwayes the best refuge when we have told over the story of our sorrowes and sad condition and powr'd our wants into the bosomes of our most faithfull friends yet this Apostrophe is sweetest to the soul when we can turn unto God O remember me It is said of Hezekiah in his sicknesse that he turned himself unto the wall and prayed he turned from the people from those that were about his bed unto the wall why what was the wall to him Or what could the wall doe for him surely nothing As good turne to an Idol for helpe or ease as to a wall yea such a turn to the wall turnes the wall into an idol Good Hezekiah had no thought of the wall nor had he any message to any image hanging there But as 't is probable many of his loving Subjects and servants were weeping about the bed of their sicke King and he had been discoursing of his disease and telling them of his sicknesse but at last he turns to the wall that is he leaves speaking to the company and turnes away from them that he might have communion with God and his first word of prayer is the same with Jobs Remember now O Lord Isa 38. 3. Creatures are but creatures and when they have done their best for us it may be they can doe no good for us when they have tried all their skill and all their strength and stirred the utmost of their abilities to give us counsell and ease we must say to them all stand by and come to Iobs Turne O Lord remember That man is most to be bemoaned who can make his moane to man only He who knows not how to complaine to God or to speake out his sorrowes and his griefes in the eare of Christ shall gaine little though he receive much by complaining to the creature But so long as we have a God to turne to and spread our cause before though men turne from us yea though they turne against us and forget us yet it is enough that we have said O Lord remember Secondly from the matter which Iob puts God in mind of namely his naturall frailty and fleeting condition that he was a passing wind Observe It is an argument moving the Lord to compassion to mind him of the frailty of our condition There is no argument from our selves so effectuall to draw out the bowels of Gods compassions toward us either in regard of our spirituall or temporall estate as this to tell him how fraile we are The Psalmist shewes this the motive of mercy often to that ancient people the Jewes Psal 78. 38. He being full of compassion forgave their iniquity and destroyed them not yea many a time turned he his anger away and did not stirre up all his wrath But what moved the Lord to deale thus with his people What was it out of himselfe We know the inward moving cause was his own free-grace but what did he look upon abroad in the creature He remembred that they were but flesh
gale of love breathing through the covenant of Grace And as the life of man is compared by Job to a cloud so to that which is the matter of the cloud by the Apostle James Chap. 4. verse 14. where he puts the question what 's the life of man Is it not saith he even a vapour that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away A vapour is exhaled from the earth by the heat of the Sunne and is the matter out of which the cloud is made Mans life is not only like a cloud which is more condense and strong but like those thin vapours sometimes observed arising from moorish grounds which are the original of clouds and more vanishing then clouds Even these are but vanishing enough to shadow the vanishing decaying quickly dis-appearing life of man As the cloud consumes and vanishes the next words speak out the mind of the comparison So he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more The grave is a descent And the word which is here used for the grave is Sheol about which many disputes are raised among the learned The root of it signifies to desire or to crave with earnestness and the reason given is because the grave is always craving and asking Though the grave hath devoured the bodies of millions of men yet it is as hungry as it was the first morsel still it is asking and craving The grave is numbred among those things which are not satisfied Prov. 30. 16. In the Greeke of the new Testament it is translated Hades which by change of letters some form out of the Hebrew Adam and Adamah the earth unto which God condemned fallen man to returne Gen. 3. 19. We find this word Sheol taken five wayes in Scripture 1. Strictly and properly for the place of the damned Prov. 15. II. Hell and destruction are before the Lord how much more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then all the hearts of the children of men God looks through the darkness of hell which is utter darkness Tam infernus quam sepulchrum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. Status mortuorum vel sepalchrum nam ut anima de corpore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 de sepulchro usurpatur Ps 16. Drus 2. It is put Metaphorically for great and extream dangers or miseries which seem irrecoverable and remediless these are figuratively called hell because hell properly taken is a place from whence there is no recovery There 's no release from the chaines of darknesse all changes are on earth Heaven and hell know none When David praises the Lord Psalm 86. 13. for delivering his soul from the lowest hell he meaneth an estate on earth of the lowest and deepest danger imaginable Mercy helpt him at the worst To be as low as hell is to be at the lowest 3. The word signifies the lower parts of the earth without relation to punishment Psal 139. 8. If I go down into hell thou art there He had said before if I ascend up into Heaven thou art there by Heaven he meanes the upper Region of the world without any respect to the estate of blessednesse and hell is the most opposite and remote in distance without respect to misery As is he had said let me go whither I will thy presence finds me out 4. It is taken for the state of the dead whether those dead are in the grave or no Psal 30. 3. Isa 38. 18 19. Gen. 37. 35. In all which places to go out of the world is to go to Sheol Jacob in the text alledged Gen. 37. 35. said he would go down into the grave to his son mourning yet Jacob thought his Son was devoured by a wild beast he could not goe down into the grave to his son for the bowels of a wild beast was his supposed grave but he meaneth only this I wil even die as he is dead So Numb 16. 33. where that dreadful judgement of God upon Korah Dathan and Abiram is storied it is said that they their sheep and their oxen and their tents and all went down into Sheol that is they were all devoured and swallowed up But 5. Sheol signifies the place where the body is layed after death namely the grave Prov. 30. 16. Man hath a demension of earth fitted to the dimensions of his body this portion or allotment is his Sheol Yet it signifies the grave only in generall as it is natural to man-kind not that grave which is artificial and proper to any particular man this the Hebrew expresses by another * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word He that goeth down to the grave goes to his long home to a house out of which he is never able to see or make his way and Ainsw in Gen. 37. therefore it followes He shall come up no more No that 's sad news indeed to go down to the grave and come up no more Are all the hopes of man shut up in the grave and is there an utter end of him when his life ends Shall he come up no more Many of the Greek writers tax Job as not acquainted with the doctrine of the Resurrection as if he either knew not that mystery or doubted at this time of it And some of the Rabbins say plainly Hic abnegat Iob resuscitationem mortuorum Rab. Sol. Non negatur resurrectio ad vitam sed ad similem vitam Pined he denied it But he is so cleare in the 19th Chapter that we need not think him so much as cloudy here And if we look a little farther himself will give us the comment of this text When he saith he shall come up no more it is not a denyal of a dying mans resurrection to life but of his restitution to the same life or to such a life as he parted with at the graves mouth They who die a natural death shall not live a natural life again therefore he addeth in the next verse Verse 10. He shall return no more to his house He doth not say absolutely he shall return no more but he shall return no more to his house he shall have no more to do with this world with worldly businesses or contentments with the labour or comforts of the creature or of his Family He shall return no more to his house But some may say how doth this answer the comparison That as the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more for we find another description of clouds Eccles 12. 2. where the text saith that the clouds return after raine So that it seems though clouds vanish and are consumed yet they returne and come againe The clouds are like bottles full of raine or spunges full of water God crushes these spunges or unstops these bottles and they are emptied and in emptying vanish away but yet Solomon affirms the clouds return after raine how then doth Job say that as the cloud vanisheth so man goeth to the grave
of God only The clouds also shew forth the handy work and power of God Psal 147. 8. Who covereth the heavens with clouds The hand of God drawes those curtaines and puts that maske upon the face of Heaven But as the heavens declare the glory of God so they publish and declare the weaknesse of man the vapours and the winds shew forth how fraile he is As the invisible things of God to wit his eternall power and Godhead are seen in the things which are made God is as it were visible in the creatures so likewise the frailty and mutability the weaknesse and inconstancy of man is visible in the things which are created we may reade a lecture of our own transitorinesse in the most transitory texts of nature And that is an admirable contrivance and complication of things that out of the very same text of the creature where the infinite wisdom power of God may be learned man also may learn his own frailty He that studies the creature much shall find much of God and of himselfe Some conceive when Isaac Gen 24. 63. went forth into the field to meditate that he studied the booke of the creatures probably the holy man did so but we are sure he might How will it shame those men at last who know not God not themselves when they have or might have had without cost or travell so many tutors and instructers JOB Chap. 7. Vers 11 12 13 14 15 16. Therefore I will not refraine my mouth I will speake in the anguish of my spirit I will complaine in the bitternesse of my soule Am I a sea or a whale that thou settest a watch over me When I say my bed shall comfort me my couch shall ease my complaint Then thou skarest me with dreames and terrifiest me through visions So that my soul chuseth strangling and death rather then life I loath it I would not live alwayes let me alone for my dayes are vanity IN the context of these six verses we may take notice of foure things 1. Jobs violent resolution to complaine ver 11. 2. His vehement complaint ver 12. 3. An amplification of his sorrowes ver 13 14. 4. A renovation of his often repeated desires to die and the tediousnesse of his life ver 15. 16. Therefore Job having in an apostrophe to God shewed his weake condition takes up a fresh resolution of complaining to God Therefore I will not refraine my mouth c. as if he had said The consideration of these things is so farre from putting me to silence that it doth rather enlarge my heart and open my mouth to speake and complaine once more seeing death is by Gods appointment the certain end of all outward troubles and perceiving my self upon the very borders or brink of death my body past cure my estate irrecoverable and remedilesse therefore I will complaine yet againe I will yet farther lay open my misery before the Lord and presse him to hasten me thorough the confines of this land of sorrow that I may accomplish my dayes and see an end of these troubles for my soule is in great bitternesse I will not refraine my mouth The word signifies to stop inhibit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Proprie est continere probibere cum ad liuguam orationem refertur â—ffert suppressionem quandam cohibitionem eluctantis spiritus sermonis conantis se aperto ore effundere or prohibit Those writs which stay the processe of inferiour Courts are called Prohibitions and then no man may open his mouth more in that businesse untill the Prohibition be dissolved or taken off I saith Job will not give my self a prohibition I will not silence or suppresse my sorrowes I will give my heart full liberty to meditate and my tongue to speake out my sufferings Being emptied of all my comforts I will surely take my fill of complainings It will be some ease to me to make known how I am pained I will not refraine my mouth That word is used Isa 58. 1. Cry aloud spare not when the Prophet is commanded to tell the people of their sins the Lord sets his tongue at liberty spare not thou art not silenced or limited therefore cry aloud Theirs were crying sins and crying sins must have crying reproofs loud sinners must not be whispered to therefore Cry aloud spare not I will not spare my mouth saith Job or refraine as we translate But I will speake in the anguish of my spirit or in the straightnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ie in angustiis spiritus mei coarctat me spiritus pectore inclusus patefaciam liberum illi aditum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Proprie meditari vel ex meditatione interius animo concepta aliquid exterius agere loqui orari conqueri Vocem edam querulam musfitando meditandi Merc. of my spirit I am in a straight I am pent in my spirit and unlesse I let my spirit out my heart will breake I must give it vent and ayre I will speake in the anguish of my spirit I will complaine in the bitternesse of my soule The word render'd complaine signifies to meditate and so to speake upon meditation or to speake deliberately It implies first a forming and fashioning of what we would say in our thoughts Thoughts are the moulds of our words Job intends not rash speaking what he intended to speake should be moulded shapt and wrought in his heart before brought forth by his tongue Prayer is exprest by this word because prayer ought first to be formed in the heart Prayer is the manifestation of our desires to God If the tongue speakes before the heart before the heart makes up our requests we take Gods name in vaine Hannah takes up this word 1 Sam. 1. 16. Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial for out of the aboundance of my complaint or meditation so the word is rendered and greife have I spoken Hunnah was praying her voice was not heard only her lips moved which caused Eli to suspect and censure her for drunk or distracted but she answers in words of turth and sobernesse O my Lord count not thine handmaid a daughter of Belial for though my voice hath not been heard yet I have been speaking out of the aboundance of my complaint that is out of the aboundance of my meditation my complaints are not the work of my tongue but of my heart and my lips moved not untill my heart moved my complaint is my meditation Hence likewise that phrase of powring out prayer Psal 142. 2. I powred out my complaint before him He that powres out must have somewhat yea much within where there is a constant stream there also is a fountain I powred out my complaint or my complaining prayer it is the same word here I have gathered the bitter waters of sorrow into my own heart and now I powre them forth in complainings I will complain
in the bitternesse of my soul What the bitternesse Amarum non solum dulci opponitur sed etiam jucundo Amariorem me fecit senectus i. e asperiorem Plauâ— of the soule is hath been expounded already in the third Chapter therefore I shall not stay upon it It notes only the height or extremity of affliction Bitter is opposed to unpleasant as well as to sweet In the bitternesse of my soule The affliction appeared most upon his body but it afflicted him most in his soule He speaks little of the pain of his body in comparison of the trouble upon his spirit he insists principally upon that I will speake in the anguish of my spirit I will complaine in the bitternesse of my soule not in the pains of my flesh or sufferings of my body and yet that forme of speaking excludes not his sence and sensiblenesse of bodily paines for a man may well say his soul is in bitternesse by reason of the paines of his body Being in this condition we see what his remedy was he falls a crying and a complaining before God telling how it was with him Jobs complaints have been spoken of in former passages of the Book and why he complaines hath been shewed An afflicted soule finds some ease in complaining of affliction To complaine out of impatience distrust and hard thoughts of God is very sinfull in that sence we must be silent as David Psal 39. 9. when the hand of God was heavy upon him I was dumbe I opened not my mouth because thou didst it in reference to the dealing of God with him David had not a word to say Our Lord Christ the great patterne of suffering was as a sheepe before the shearer dumbe and opened not his mouth no impatient speech came from him Though the griefe of Job was very great and so it might somewhat as hath formerly been cleared excuse the greatnesse of his complaint yet in this Job shewed himselfe a Docemur quantae sint hominis virâ—s sibi à Deo derelisti Merc. man subject to like passions as we are Man thinks to get cure by complaining but usually he gets a wound What poore shifts are we poore creatures often put to How often doe we entangle our selves because we are straightned Though Jobs heart kept close to God in the maine though his spirit was preserved untoucht of blaspheming yet we find him touching too often and too loud upon this string of complaining He cannot be excused from some motions of impatience while we hear him setling upon these resolutions to take his fill of or to let loose the reins of his passion to complain I will complaine in the bitterness of my soul Anguish is a very ill guide of the tongue It must needs be troubled matter which passion dictates Observe further That when sorrow continues and hangs long upon us it grows boysterous and resolute We have three wils in the text as if Job had turned all his reason into Will and his will into passion I will not refraine I will speak in the anguish of my spirit I will complaine in the bitternesse of my soule He was grown to a kinde of resolvednesse in his sorrow It is as unsafe for man in this sence to will what Nec tamen is fuit Job qui quod sibi licere non putaret protervè ac procaciter vellet aggredi Meri he doth as to do what he will we ought to will the will of God but we must submit our own We should not mourne over our afflictions nor rejoyce over our comforts but as God wils Yet in this the wil of Job was rather strong then pertinacious He was not a man of that rough make to oppose his wil against the wil and good pleasure of God though that were a paine to him Having thus resolved to complain he complains in this very high Language Verse 12. Am I a sea or a whale that thou settest a watch over me These are his first words words full of deep complaint like the sea which whether he was or no he would be answered Am I a sea Tell me His question is of like importance with that at the 12. verse of the 6. Chapter Is my strength the strength of stones or is my flesh brasse He expostulates with God why hast thou laid such trouble upon me Am I stone or brass that I should be able to bear it And here like a sea swolne with bitter waters in the bitterness of his soul he begins to break the bounds again Am I a sea or a whale that thou settest a watch over me A sea or a whale The sea and the whale are often joyned in Scripture Psal 104. 25 26. O Lord how manifold are thy works c. the earth is full of thy riches so is the great and the wide sea there goe the ships there is that Leviathan whom thou hast made to play therein Againe Psal 74. 13. 14. Thou diddest divide the sea by thy strength thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters thou brakest the head of Leviathan in pieces But why doth Job speake this language In briefe the meaning is this The sea you know is a mighty boisterous and unruly creature and the whale is the strongest mightest and most dreadfull creature in the sea the greatest of the creatures whether upon sea or land The sea is the most boisterous of all the inanimate creatures and the whale is the most boisterous of all living creatures So that here Job gives instance in two creatures which are the most head-strong violent and out-ragious in the whole creation The whale and the sea And he sets forth his own weaknesse by the Antithesis of these two creatures surpassing all in strength with which God only is able to graple and encounter And in asking Am I a sea or a whale he may be conceived to speake thus Lord thou seemest to deale with me in a way beyond all thy dealings with the children of men Thou carriest thy selfe towards me as if I were more proud heady hard to be reclaimed then any man in the world thou seemest to take such a course with me as with the unruly sea and with the boisterous whale to keepe me in compasse He speaks as if God laid too heavy an affliction upon him and tooke too strong a course to tame him or as if he might be more gently dealt with and that God needed not prepare such bonds and fetters for him or lay such law upon him as upon the mighty sea and the monstrous whale But for the words in particular Am I a sea There are three things in the sea specially considerable at which Mare barbarum indomitum elementum est Job might have an aime here First the turbulency of the sea the sea is stormy and turbulent so stormy and turbulent that it threatneth to over-whelme all to over-whelme the ships sailing upon it to over-whelme the Visat est
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Levavit evexit sustu li◠signifies to ease or to lift up or to ease by lifting up if a man have a burthen upon him the way to ease him is to lift it off from him so Job here I lye down upon my couch with a burthen of heavy sorrows upon me God knows hoping my couch will be a means to take off that burthen a while that I may have a little breathing but to my grief I find it doth not The use of sleep is to unburthen the spirit and take off the load of cares The word is used in that sense Magnum est peccatum meum prae tollendo vel majus quam ut tolli possit Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quam ut remittatur mihi quam ut sustinere possim Jun. Gen. 4. 13. about the sin of Cain which lay upon him as a heavy burthen My sin saith he is greater than can be forgiven so some translations or greater than I can beare word for word thus my sin is greater than can be taken off Forgivenesse is the taking sin off from us it is the word here used for easing my sin is greater than I can be eased of as if Cain thought his sin a burthen which the arme of mercy could not lift from his shoulders Pardon is the easing of the conscience sin the burthening of it sin is a burthen and so is sorrow My couch saith he shall ease my complaint by taking off or at least intermitting the troubles which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In retractatione five meditatione miseriae apud animum Loquen mecum cause me to complaine or my couch shall ease me in my conplaint when I am meditating revolving and rowling my troubles up and down in my thoughts then my couch and I am discoursing together and reasoning out the matter but no ease comes We may observe from hence first That a man in paine expects ease from every change My bed saith Job shall comfort me my couch shall ease my complaint every thing he sees raises his hope every man that comes to him he lookes upon as a messenger of good newes I said this shall help me and that shall help me surely if I had such a thing saith a sick man it would do me good if I had such meat I could eate if I had such drink my pallat would relish it if I were in such an ayre it would restore my health and I should get up againe As a Bee goes from flower to flower to suck out somewhat so man from instrument to instrument from meanes to meanes from bed to couch still hoping to find reliefe or mitigation at least for his troubled mind or pained body Secondly observe hence That the most probable or proper meanes are unable of themselves to give us any ease or comfort What is fitter to give a man rest than a bed what is more proper to give one refreshing than a couch but Job goes to his bed in vaine and goes to his couch in vaine nor this nor that nor tother administred him any help Creatures are not able of themseves to give out the comforts committed to them Their common nature must be assisted with a speciall word of blessing or else they doe us no good If God will command a bed to comfort us it shall comfort us if he will say to a couch ease such a mans complaint it shall ease his complaint Job saith it and his saying could not effect it Nay if God will say to a hard stone give such a man rest he shall rest and sleepe sweetly upon it when another shall not get a wink of sleep upon a downe pillow If God say to a prison give such a man rest he shall find rest there if God speake to bonds and fetters give such a man content and pleasure he shall find not only contentment but pleasure in bonds and fetters if God say to flames of fire refresh such as are cast into your armes the fire will obey him and refresh them The most probable meanes cannot help us of themselves and a word from God will make the most improbable meanes helpfull to us yea that which is destructive shall save us For as God can create that good for us which is absent so he can as it were uncreate the evill that is present Providence can take away or suspend that hurting and destroying power which creation gave no creature is able to help or to hurt if God forbid and lay his restraint upon it Bread cannot nourish or cloathes warme us if he say they shall not poison shall not kill or fire burne us if he say they shall not Mans saying is but saying Gods saying is doing Man may say to his bed comfort me to his riches and honours content me to his wife and children please me to wine and musick make me merry he may lay his command or send his desires to all creatures and yet remaine comfortlesse contentlesse mirthlesse Pleasure it selfe will not please him nor the having of his will satisfie his mind at his own saying or biding Observe in the fourth place That rest and sleepe are from the especiall blessing of God When I said to my bed do it the bed could not sleepe is not from a soft bed or from an easie couch Psal 127. 2. For so he giveth his beloved sleepe that is sleepe with quietnesse or extraordinary quiet refreshing sleepe which some have noted in the Grammar of the text The Hebrew word Shena for sleepe being with Aleph a quiet or resting letter otherwise than is usuall in that language He giveth sleepe to his Jedidiaths as the word is there alluding to one of the names of Solomon The Lord gives sleepe sometimes as a love token to his beloved The connection is somewhat obscure the words before run thus It is in vaine for you to rise up early to sit up late to eat the bread of sorrow for so he giveth his beloved sleep how is sleepe a consequent of fruitlesse labour and eating the bread of sorrow these rather hinder sleepe Some referre it to the words of the first verse Except the Lord build the house they labour in vaine that build it except the Lord keep the City the watchman waketh but in vaine for so he giveth his beloved sleepe the Lord watches and takes a care of a City and family and thus gives his people rest and quiet sleep they are not awakened with alarms or surprizes of the enemy Others reade it thus for surely he will give his c. that is notwithstanding the ungodly are eaten up with cares to provide bread for themselves and families to eate yet without faile the Lord of his meere mercy will give food convenient to his people by their labours and quiet sleepe which includes all inward contentments with it So Prov. 3. 24. Thou shall lie downe and thy sleep shall be sweet And Psal 41. 3. there is a speciall promise made to
of the goodnesse of God to man When I behold the heavens the work of thy fingers the Moone and the Starres which thou hast made Lord what is man God in the work of creation made all these things serviceable and instrumentall for the good of man What is man that he should have a Sun a Moon and Stars planted in the firmament for him what creature is this when great preparations are made in any place much provisions layed in and the house adorned with richest furnitures We say what is this man that comes to such a house when such a goodly fabrique was raised up the goodly house of the world adorned and furnished we have reason admiring to say what is this man that must be the tenant or inhabitant of this house There is yet a higher exaltation of man in the creation man was magnified with the stampe of Gods image one part whereof the Psalmist describes at the fift verse Thou hast given him to have dominion over the works of thy hands Thou hast put all things under his feet all sheepe and oxen yea and the beasts of the field the fowle of the aire and the fish of the sea c. Thus man was magnified in creation What was man that he should have the rule of the world given him that he should be the Lord over the fish of the sea over the beasts of the field and over the foules of the ayr Again man was magnified in creation in that God set him in the next degree to the Angels Thou hast made him a little lower than the Angels there is the first part of the answer to this question man was magnified in being made so excellent a creature and in having so many excellent creatures made for him All which may be understood of man as created in Gods image and Lord of the world but since the transgression it is peculiar to Christ As the Apostle applies it Heb. 2. 6. and to those who have their bloud and dignity restored by the work of redemption which is the next part of mans exaltation Secondly Man is magnified or made great by the work of redemption That exalts man indeed Man was laid low and his honour in the dust notwithstanding all that greatnesse which he received in creation Though Sun and Moone and Stars the fish of the Sea and the fowles of the ayre c. were made his servants and himselfe a companion of Angels yet by sin he fell below all these priviledges and was made a companion for Devils a citizen of hell Therefore the second magnifying of man was by the work of redemption And what was man that thou shouldest redeeme him when he was a captive raise him when he was downe build and repaire him when he was ruin'd when he was lost seeke him and when he was bankrupt and undone give him a better stock and set him up againe What was man that thou shouldest doe all this for him How did the mercy of God magnifie his servants when he gave his Son to pay their debt to his own justice If man was magnified when the Sun and Moone and heavens were made for him how was he magnifyed when God was made man for him how was he exalted when the Son of God was humbled for him Thirdly Man is magnified or made great in the work of regeneration wherein God re-stamps his Image upon him in those shining characters of holinesse and knowledge The first creation being spoiled occasion'd redemption and redemption purchased a second creation Every one that is in Christ is a new creature 2 Cor. 5. 17. Our dignity is far greater in being new creatures then in being creatures Lastly Man is magnified by those severall acts of favour and grace which God casts upon him every day smiling upon him embracing him in his armes admitting him to neere communion with himselfe watching over him tending him guarding him with Angels directing him counselling him comforting him upholding him by his spirit till he bring him unto glory which is the highest step of preferment that mans nature is capable of What is man that thou shouldest magnifie him in all these things Observe hence first That All the worth and dignity of man is out of himselfe What is man As if he had said man hath nothing of his own to commend him to or to ingratiate himself with God God hath put something upon him he hath magnified man and given him a reall worth because he would Free grace exalts man Hence Psal 90. 20. the Psalmist prayes Let the heathen know themselves to be but men As if he had said man who is high in his own esteeme conceits himselfe to be somewhat above man he judges of himselfe beyound his own sphere and border Therefore Lord bring their thoughts within the compasse of their own condition let them know that they are but men A man that is acquainted with himselfe will be humble enough A meere man is but meere earth The Prophet tells him so thrice over with one breath Jer. 22. 29. O earth earth earth heare the word of the Lord. Man is earth in the constitution of his body that was framed out of the earth he is earthly in the corruption of his mind that muds in the earth The Apostles stile is earthly minded men And he will be earth in his dissolution when he dies he returnes to his earth A naturall man is earth all over earth in his making earthly in his mind his spirit earthly earth gets into this heaven his upper regions and the body his lower region shall moulder to earth againe Then what is man Hence I say it is that when man at any time would exalt and lift himself up he thinks himselfe above man he hath some notion or apprehension of an excellency beyound the line of a creature He conceits he hath or is a peece of a deity The first ground of hope upon which man raised himselfe against God was that he might be a god he was not satisfied in being made like unto God he would be which was the highest robbery Gods equall and stand by himselfe this thought was his fall There is such a principle of pride in the hearts of all men by nature They are not contented in the spheare of a creature they would be somewhat beyound that The truth is all the true worth and dignity of man is in what he hath beyound himselfe his excellency is in Christ and his glory in being made partaker of the divine nature It abased man when he aspired to take a divine nature to himselfe but it exalts man when God inspires him with a participation of the divine nature What is man that thou doest thus magnifie him Christ makes us very great and glorious by the dignity which he puts upon us as he tells the Church Ezek. 16. 14. Thy beauty was perfect through my comelinesse which I had put upon thee thou hadst no comelinesse no beauty of thine own
as himself speaks of a third person Chap. 14. 6. Turne from him that he may rest till he shall accomplish as a hireling his daies This sence is given us fully in the next clause of the verse Nor let me alone till I may swallow down my spittle This is not a refusall of suport from God in the way of his providence by which he upholds every creature For the truth is if Accipienda sunt haec de Deo affligente non providente curante God should so let us alone we of our selves are not able to swallow downe our spittle We are insufficient barely of our selves not only for spirituall acts but also for naturall We can not only not pray and here and believe and repent without the strength of Christ but we cannot goe nor walke nor eat nor drinke nor spit nor swallow downe our spittle without an assistance sutable to those acts from him for in him we live and move and have our being This letting alone is like the departing before spoken in the first clause of the verse As we use to say to a man assaulting or smiting us Pray let me alone Such is Jobs meaning pray give over these bitter chastenings leave off to wound or smite me any more The word signifies to loosen or untie that which is bound or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dimitâ—ere illud quod tenet ligatâ—m laxare dotores dissolvere funi mos cruciatuum straightned and so to deal more gently and tenderly then before The word is used sometimes in a good sence to note that the Lord keepes close and straight to his people as being knit and bound to them by the tie and knot of his own love and free-grace Josh 1. 5. I will never leave thee or let thee loose from me And as it is applied in the negative to the close-keeping of God to us in love so in the affirmative to our departure from God by unbeliefe Prov. 24. 10. If thou faintest in the day of adversity or art loosened from God by feare and want of faith thy strength is small If thou faintest thus in the time of straights and poverty it argues thou hast a very straight narrow poore spirit That 's the elegancy of the originall Si remissus suisâ—◠〈…〉 â—â—gustiae angusta foritudo tua When Job desires to be let alone or loosened his meaning is loosen the bonds of my affliction take me off from the racke of these tortures and troubles As we are girded with strength so also we are girded with weaknesse Job speaks of God in this word Chap. 12. 21. He we 〈…〉 the strength of the mighty The Hebrew is He looseth 〈…〉 of the strong The same God who looseth the girdle of our strength looseth the bands of our infirmity and therefore Job praies O depart from me loosen me let me alone let me goe Hence observe First The Lord can make his owne presence grievous to his own servants In his presence there is fullnesse of joy and at his right hand there are pleasures for evermore Psal 16. Yet he can make his presence to be the fullnesse of sorrow and give us paines with his right hand As he can be to his people like a Sun to warme and comfort them so like a fire to consume and burne them as like a shield to defend so like a sword to wound them The Lord is a Sunne and a shield Psal 84 11. yea and he is sometime as a fire and a sword even to those who walke uprightly The sinners in Zion are afraid fearfullnesse hath surpriz'd the hypocrites Who among us shall dwell with devouring fire who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings That is who shall be able to beare the displeased presence of God which makes him to sinners as a devouring fire Isa 33. 14. And thus the Saints in Sion are sometimes afraid and fearfullnesse surprizes the upright in heart Even they cry out how shall we dwell with this devouring fire with this everlasting burning They especially who have sleighted the presence of God may quickly feele the burden of it Not only doe they so who say formally and in plain termes depart from us but they also doe it in a great measure who doe not prize the presence of God who doe not welcome and entertaine him in all his approaches to them If a friend come to your house and you will not looke upon him or speake to him you bid him be gone and your silence interprets his non-acceptance with you Then take heed of neglecting the comfortable and sanctifying presence of God least you fall speedily into his afflicting presence The angry presence of God is never so terrible to us as it is after our undervaluings of his gracious presence Secondly note if the presence of God chastning be so grievous what will his presence be punishing and tormenting If afflictions which are but for tryall and are all steep'd in love be so grievous what will those terrours be which all steept in pure everlasting wrath If his chastnings be so intolerable to some of his dearest friends what will his revenges be to all his professed enemies Wiâ—â—â—â— men are now burden'd with the presence of God becauâ—◠〈◊〉 so holy they say depart for we desire not the knowledge â—â— thy law but hereafter they shall find the presence of God burdensome to them because he is so just O how will they cry out How long shall not thy wrath depart from us How long wilt thou be angry for ever and shall thy jealousie burne like fire for evermore Yes that it shall They who have so often said in their hearts to God depart from us shall heare his voice saying to them Depart from me ye cursed c. Yee who have not loved my presence shall be banished from it for ever Thirdly observe Troublesome times are very tedious times to us How long The Psalmist under some hidings and ecclipses of divine favour thought himselfe in an everlasting night Hath the Lurd forgotten to be gracious c. Will the Lord cast off for ever Psalme 77. 8. Fourthly observe from the latter branch That afflictions are bonds Eirst They should bind and hold us fast from sinne and to our good behaviour It is better to be bound fast with the cords of affliction then to be loose and at liberty in the wayes of sin Secondly They will bind us from taking in our worldly comforts and sometimes they do which they ought not bind us from taking in spirituall comforts Fifthly observe That man cannot rescue himselfe out of the bands of affliction till God please to loosen him If he bind none can untie if he imprison none can set free we cannot breake his bands nor cast away the cords of his afflictions from us He opens and no man shuts he shuts and no man opens Revel 3. 7. Be yee not mockers saith the Prophet least your bands be made strong Isa 28. 22. that
is stronger then they were So I may say be yee not strivers or strugglers with God for your bands are made strong It is said Exod. 4. 25 26. That the Lord met Moses in the Inne and sought to kill him The Lord is never to seeke to doe what he pleases but thus he speakes after the manner of men who offer or assay at any businesse They seeke to do it But Zipporah having circumcised her sonne He let Moses goe It is this word He slacked or loosened having before as it were arrested and attached him or clapt him in prison for making that great default the neglect of Circumcision Sometimes we find the Lord himself speaking as if he were at the mercy or under the power of man and therefore calling in this word to be loosened or let alone Deut. 9. 14. Let me alone that I may destroy them The prayer of faith is as a band upon Gods hand holding him so fast that he seems as one that cannot strike or destroy till a Moses will give him leave by ceasing to pray unto him To be sure we are at Gods mercy and under his power so that nothing but the prayer of faith can loosen us And therefore Job doth not attempt to break the cords or cut them asunder nor seeks he to untie their knots but desires God himself to do it let me alone loosen me I will be a prisoner till thou openest the door for my deliverance As Jephtahs daughter said to him Judg. 11. 37. when he had bound himself and her in the bands of a rash vow Let me alone for two months or loosen me from the ingagement of my vow for two months as if she had said I will not loose my self by a wilful refusal but doe thou give me a willing dispensation So a godly man bespeaks the Lord in his straights Loosen me Lord. Unlesse God be pleased to loosen him he will be contented and when in a good frame of heart and freeness of spirit well-pleased with his bands In some sence he speakes as Paul and Silas when they were in prison Acts 16. 37. Let the Lord himself come and fetch us out That is let us see such means of our inlargement and freedome from trouble as may assure us that the Lord hath loosened and enlarged us A godly man had a thousand times rather be put into a prison by God than put himself into a paradice He had rather be bound by Gods hand than loosened by his own That place toucht before may reach this sence Prov. 24. 10. if thou faintest so we or loosnest thy self in the day of adversity Thy strength is small that is the strengh of thy faith and patience is small There is nothing discovers our weakness more than striving to break the cords of our afflictions The stronger we are in faith in love in humility the more quietly we lie bound Faith seeks ease and release onely in God to say Lord loosen me is a duty to loosen our selves is both our sin and our punishment Till I may swallow down my spittle Some conceive that from this Hebrew word Rak which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saliva undè quidam deducunt Raca Mat. 5. 22. quod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 interpretantur i. e. conspuendum vel dignum qui conspuatur Alii a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vacum quasi cerebro vacuus judicio carens Drus we translate spittle Raca is derived Mat. 5. 22. as if to call a man Raca were as much as to say he is worthy to be spit upon or that one should spit in his face though others spring that word from Rik which signifies empty as if it were as much as to call a man an empty fellow without wit or brains or within one degree of a foole which is the next word in Matthew But what is Iobs intendment in desiring God to let him alone Till he might swallow down his spittle First Some refer it to a bodily distemper as if Iob were troubled with a (a) Inter caetera mala Synanchen habuisse se perhibet Hieron squinsie or sore throat which hindered the swallowing of his spittle (b) Dimitta me ut gustum aliqâ—em hujus vitae capiam Albert. Another takes it in a Philosophical notion as if Iob had said Lord let me have some ease that I may at least tast once more what it is to live or how sweet life is For that sence of tast works by the salival humour or spittle in the mouth which mixing with the juice or sap that is in meats affects and delights the pallate Thirdly these words are taken as the discription of a man ready to die who is disabl'd either to swallow his spittle or to void it As if he had said I am now even at the point of death let me alone a little Davids prayer comes near this sense Psal 39. 13. O spare me that I may recover strength before I go hence and be no more Fourthly It may be taken proverbially and that two waies First To note the shortest time even so much as may serve a Serno proverbialis talis est neque ad scalpendas aures mihi otium est man to spit As if he had said O let me have a little intermission a little respit such is the sence of that phrase Chap. 9. 18. He will not suffer me to take my breath And the like are those used in some countries I have not leisure or time to scratch my ear or to pare my nails My sorrows know no interim my feaver is one continued fit I have no well daies no nor a good hour Ne tantillum quidem temporis est quoÌ„ non tenter aâ—te Coc. therefore let me at least have so much time of ease as I may swallow my spittle let me have the shortest time That I may once more know though but for a moment what it is to be without pain To whlch interpretation that also subscribes which makes these words to be a circumlocution for silence For while a man is swallowing his spittle his speech stops he cannot bring up his words and let down the spittle at the same time so his meaning is I am forced to complain continually I would be silent and forbear speaking but my grief will not suffer me The second proverbial understanding of the word is that they Elegans proverbialis loquutio ad denotandum diligentem in alium intuitum quo minim as in alio discernet actiones Saliva ferè imperceptibiliter obsorvetur import a very strict watch held upon another in all his motions so that he cannot stir a finger or move his tongue silently in his mouth unobserved If I do but stir my tongue to swallow my spittle which is one of the most unperceivable acts of man thou takest notice O do not hold so strict a hand and so curious an eye upon me Let me have a little liberty do not examine every failing do
not question me upon the least infirmity From the former proverbial exposition Observe first Afflictions are continued upon some without any intermission Iob had not so much whole skin as one might set a pin on nor so much whole time as a man might spit in Every hour brought a wound with it and the renewing of every moment renewed his affliction Observe secondly A short refreshing may be a great mercy Dives in hell desires not a large draught but a drop of water which alas could not have eased him so long as a man is swallowing down his spittle The eternity of pain in hell shall not find so much abatement as that either in time or in degree Every affliction in this life by how much it is with less intermission by so much the more like it is to hell and every comfort by how much the more it is unbroken and without stops by so much it is the more like to Heaven Consider then your mercies who have un-interrupted mercies dayes and years of ease and not pained so long as a man is swallowing down his spittle your mercies are like the glory and the joy of Heaven From the latter proverbial exposition Note That God observes the least the most secret motions of man He tels our steps our wandrings and those not onely corporal but moral and spiritual He knows how many steps our hearts fetch every day and how far they travel Thou hast searched and known me saith David Psal 139. 1 2. and this search is not made in the out-rooms onely but in the inner parlour and closest closets Thou understandest my thoughts and those not onely present or produced but to come and unborn thou knowest them a far off What can scape that eye which a thought cannot And he that sees man swallowing down his spittle how shall not he both hear and see him coffing up and spitting out the rottenness and corruption the filth and flegm of his sinful heart JOB Chap. 7. Vers 20 21. I have sinned what shall I do unto thee O thou preserver of men why hast thou set me as a mark against thee so that I am a burden to my self And why doest thou not pardon my transgression and take away mine iniquity for now shall I sleep in the dust and thou shalt seek me in the morning but I shall not be JOB having in the former part of this Chapter contested with his friends and expostulated the matter with God now turns himself into another posture even to humble his soul and make confession of his sin He had justified himself against the accusations of men but now he accuses and judges himself in the presence of his God He will a while forget his sorrows and bethink himself of his sins I have sinned what shall I do unto thee O thou preserver of men The words may be taken two waies 1. As a confession or a prayer 2. As a confession or a grant I shall first open them under the notion of a repenting prayer and confession of sin I have sinned As if he had said Lord if thou holdest me thus long upon the rack of this affliction to gain a confession of me to make me confess here I am ready to do it I do it I have sinned The word signifies to miss the mark we aim at or the way wherein we would walk And so it is put strictly for sins of infirmity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat errare aberrare declinare deflectere a via vel scope when the purpose of a mans heart is like the Archers when he draws his bow to hit the white or like the honest travellers in his journey to keep the right way and yet he miscarries and is drawn aside I have sinned But is this a sufficient confession What! to say only in general I have sinned Did not hard-hearted Pharaoh Ezod 9. 25 False-hearted Saul 1 Sam 15. 24. and Traitor-Judas Matth. 27. 4. make as good a confession as this Every one of these said I have sinned and what doth Job say more It is surely no great cost nor pain to sinful nature to bring up such a confession as this I answer First a general confession may be a sound confession It is one thing not to express particular sins with the circumstances of those sins and another thing purposely to conceale them I grant implicit confession may be as dangerous as implicit faith And to digg in the earth and hide our sins in the Napkin of our excuses is worse than to hide our Talents in the Napkin of our idleness And as it is most dangerous knowingly to conceale sin from God so it is very dangerous to do it through ignorance or inadvertency Some confess sin in general termes only because they know not what their sins are or have quite forgot them As Nebuchadnezzar called the Astrologers and Sorcerers and Chaldeans and told them he had dreamed a dreame but he could not tell what it was For the thing was gone from him Dan. 2. 5. Some such there are who can or will only say They have sinned they have sinned but what they cannot tell or they doe not remember Those things are gone from them That which is written of the learned Bellarmine a great Cardinal and a Champion for Auricular particular Confession of sinne to man seemes very strange That when he lay upon his death-bed and the Priest after the Popish manner came to absolve him he had nothing to confess at last he thought of some sleight extravagancies of his youth which was all he had to say of his owne miscarriages We see a man may de a Schollar in all the knowledg of the world of nature and of Scripture and yet not know his own heart nor be studied or read in himself He that is so in a spiritual notion can never want particular matter in his most innocent daies to confesse before the Lord and to shame himselfe for What though he hath escaped the pollutions of the world and is cleansed from the filthiness of the flesh yet he knowes that still in his flesh there dwels no good thing and that in his spirit there are at least touches of many spiritual filthinesses as pride unbelief c. besides his great deficiencies in every duty and in his love to Jesus Christ which is the ground of all So then in any of these sences to confesse sin only in general is a sinful confession And yet Job made a holy confession here and so did the Publican Luk. 18. when he smote his breast and said onely thus God be merciful to me a sinner For secondly though to speak a general confession be an easie matter and every mans work yet to make a general confession is a hard matter a work beyond man As no man in a spiritual sence can say Iesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12. 3. so no man can say in a Holy manner I have sinned but by
it is our duty to confesse sinne aboundantly that grace may abound Lastly Though we need not confesse sin at all to informe God he knowes our sins though we will not make them known and hath an eye to see though we should not have a tongue to confes Though I say we confesse not to informe God what we are or what we have done yet we must confesse to glorifie God While we shame our selves we honour him My sonne saith Joshua to Achan c. 7. v. 19 give I pray thee glory to the Lord God of Israel and make confession unto him Every attribute of God receives this gift of glory by mans confession Justice is glorified and mercy is glorified patience is glorified and holinesse is glorified Holinesse is glorified in opposing sin and patience in sparing the sinner mercy is glorified in pardoning sin and justice in receiving satisfaction at the hand of Christ for the pardon of it Fourthly observe Holy confession of sin leades the way to gratious pardoning of sin Job begins the next verse with a vehement prayer for pardon And why doest thou not pardon my transgression and take away mine iniquity Sin concealed and kept close growes upon us And it growes three wayes First in the strength of it Secondly in the guilt of it Thirdly in the terrour and vexation of it Psal 32. 3 4. When I kept silence my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long Confession is a meanes to obtaine the abatement of sin in all three The strength of it is weakened the guilt removed and the terrour overcome Then heare the counsell of the Prophet Isa 43. 26. declare that thou mayest be justified Thus farre of the words as they are a confession of sin I shall now handle them as they are a concession or a grant that he had sinned and so the sence may be given thus I have sinned what shall I doe unto thee As if he had said Let it be granted or subpose that I have sinned and sinned as deepely as my friends have charged me supâ—â—â—e I have been as wicked as they imagin what thâ—n if this were my case what shall I doe unto thee O thou preserver of men The later words plainly import a question What shall I doe unto thee But the sence of the question is not so plaine The question may be taken two wayes Either affirmatively or negatively Take it affirmatively and so the sence is what shall I doe that is Lord direct me councell me order me teach me what becomes me to doe in such a case in such a sinfull condition as I either confesse my selfe to be in or am supposed to be in That 's the affirmative sence What shall I doe The word which we translate do signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a radice pagnal respondet Graeco 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est agere cum energia effectu Piscat working or doing under a two fold qualification 1. Working with great willingnesse and readinesse of mind and hence it is applied to the workings of sin in naturall men who work with the greatest freedome that can be Man sins naturally and therefore freely he is carried on with a full swing with tide and wind he sins nothing in himself contradicting or giving a contrary vote He is a true worker of iniquity Psal 5. 5. 2. Working with energie and successe and the doing of a thing not only effectually but willingly Numb 23. 23. What hath God wrought When God works he works thoroughly he doth not his busines to halves So Isa 26. 12. Thou hast wrought all our works in us that is thou hast brought them to passe they have succeeded through thy help and the influences of thy blessing The word being taken in this height of sence the question for an affirmation What shall I doe that is shew me direct me what to do we may observe from it First That What to do in case of sin is a point of the highest consideration I have sinned what shall I do If ever we have need to go and aske counsell to sit down and debate the mater with our sevles or others it is when we have sinned Such is the nature of sin and such the consequences that it calls us to highest consideration what to do about it Matters of great consequence are matters of great consultation Sin hath an influence upon an eternity If any thing be more worthy your thoughts then that let it have them Secondly Look upon the question as following Jobs confession Observe thence That sincere confession of sin makes the soule very active and inquisitive about the remedies of sin I have sinned the very next word is What shall I doe Many make confession of sin who are never troubled about the cure and redresse of sin Lord what shall I doe is not the next question to Lord I have sinned Nay it may be the next action is to sin over the same sin they have confest As soon as those Jewes heard of the foulenesse of their sin in crucifying Christ and of the sadnesse of their condition their question is like this of Job what shall we doe what shall we doe that we may be saved As Christ speakes to the woman of Samaria Job 4. 10. when he offered her the water of life If thou didst know the gift of God and who it is that speakes unto thee thou wouldest have asked c. That is if thou wert sensible of the excellency and vertue of this water and thy need of it thou wouldest be very inquisitive how to get it how to have a tast of it As in regard of Christ and the benefits we have by him so of sin and the evils which come by it When a man hath confest and acknowledged his sin we may say to him if thou didst but know what thou hast confest if thou didst but know what thou hast acknowleged thou wouldest presently be asking how shall I get free how shall I get clear of these sins which are so deadly poisonous destroying condemning He that is but sensible what the wound of sin is wil never be at rest never give over enquiring til he hath found a plaister or a medicine for it He that knowes what he saith when he saith I have sinned will resolve as David in another case that his eyes shall not have a winke of sleep till he sees where to have helpe against it Thirdly In that he saith what shall I doe Observe That a soule truly sensible of sin is ready to submit to any termes which God shall put upon him What shall I doe unto thee O thou preserver of men Put what termes thou wilt upon me I am ready to accept them That was the sence of their question Acts 2. 32. what shall we do shew us the way let it be what it will we will not stand making of conditions we will not pick and choose this we will doe and that we will not doe
a gift as whosoever hath it is sure and safe for ever And therefore the gift being much more precious than that of Simon Magus Take heed of offering this kind of mony for it your works and doings To doe so is the worst Simonie in the world Better offer literall money for those gifts of the holy Ghost then this figurative money for the favour of God in the pardon of sin What Peter threatned Simon Magus may be affirmed of them Their money must perish with them That is their prayers and teares their sorrows and their humblings their almes and good deeds forasmuch as they have thought that this gift of pardon may be obtained by such money They have neither part nor lot in that mercy for their hearts are not right in the sight of God A good worke trusted to is as mortall as a sin unrepented of Againe There is somewhat to be done when we have sinn'd but nothing to be paid That 's Gospel-language when a man hath sinned to say What shall I doe Those converts in the Acts who enquired What shall we doe were told by the Apostles of some what to be done Repent and be baptized believe and thou shalt be saved These are waies wherein salvation is tender'd not works for which it is bestowed It is a dangerous error so to lift up the grace of God as to deny the industry of man through grace because he can do nothing by way of satisfaction that therefore he must doe nothing The Apostles gave Gospel-counsell yet when men asked them what shall we doe to be saved They said not ye must doe nothing God will save you by his free-grace no they called them to repent and beleeve c. Take heed when ye have sinned to say we need not mourne for sin we need not be humbled we need not repent for Lord what can we do unto thee O thou Saviour of men These are the inferences of our own spirits not of the Spirit of Christ They who lift up the grace of Christ to lessen the necessity of gracious actings in themselves shew they know not the meaning of his grace and have not indeed tasted how gracious the Lord is To deny our owne righteousnesse and to be very active in the waies of righteousnesse is the due Gospel-temper The Apostle Phil. 3. 8. counts all things but losse and dung all duties and humblings all legall righteousnesse and obedience not that he refused righteousnesse or neglected duties but he would not mingle them with Christ or bring them in as contributions to the purchase of blessednesse Our righteousnesse and holy duties are dung and drosse in justification but they are gold and precious things in sanctification without these we cannot walk worthy of our holy calling or as it becomes the Gospel of Christ So much for these words what shall I doe unto thee O thou preserver of men Here is the Compellation or the title under which Job bespeaks the Lord and it is a royall one The preserver of men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Narsar conservavit observa vit custodivit dise dit de qualibet custodia dicitur significat etiam se ris vectebasque elaudere licet proprie custos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicitur sed confundi scias Drus The words signifies both to preserve and to observe and hence it is applied to our keeping the law of God Psal 119. 22. I have kept thy testimonies I have kept them by observation that is I have obeyed thy Commandements The word is often applied to God in reference to mans protection and preservation Deut. 32. 10. Moses describes the care of God over his people Israel He found them in the wildernesse as a people wandring and going astray and he kept them as the apple of his eye that is he looked to them and had a continuall tender care over them So Psal 17. 8. Keep me as the apple of thine eye The Septuagint render it O thou observer of men What shall I doe unto thee O thou who art the observer and looker into the very hearts of men Lord saith he what wilt thou have me to doe Thou lookest quite through me and seest all that is in me I 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qui prespectam habis mentem hominum Sept. need not declare my selfe unto thee thou knowest me altogether Thou who art the searcher of the heart and the trier of the reins Thou who art a most vigilant watcher over all my waies what have I done or spoken but thou knowest and canst easily observe Thus Job speaks at the 14th of this booke vers 16. Thou numberest my steps a man observes another curiously when he tels how many steps he treads it is an expression noting the exactest observation Salomon joynes the act of keeping with observing Prov. 24. 12. If thou saiest behold he knoweth it not this is the refutation of an Atheist doth not he that pondereth the hears consider it and he that keepeth thy soule doth not he know He that preserves us in our wayes must needs see us in all our waies Again Preserving or keeping may be understood two waies First There is a preserving or keeping of man that he shal not escape And Secondly A preserving or keeping of man that he shall not Custos hominu sc qui homine talibus malis quasi quadam custodia includis it non sit effugium take hurt Some understand it in the first sence O thou preserver of men that is O thou who art so strict a keeper and watcher over men that they cannot escape thine hand A man is said to be in safe custodie when he is a prisoner and so the sence is thus given Lord thou hast me fast enough I cannot breake away from thee I am lockt up within iron-gates and barrs what wouldest thou have me doe unto thee Thou maiest put what conditions thou pleasest upon me I must submit Such language we have Lam. 3. 5 7. which may illustrate this He hath builded against me and compassed me with gall and travell he hath hedged me about that I cannot get out he hath made my chaine heavie You see he speakes of God as we may speake with reverence as of the master of a prison who saith to his under-officers there is such a one looke to him well make his chaine heavie that he may not get a way put him in a place where there is a strong wall least he breake prison This sence of the word makes Job speaking like Jeremy He hath builded against me he hath compassed me about he hath made my chaine heavie upon me But the second sence according to the letter of our Translation is most cleare and apt O thou preserver of men Thou who keepest man least he take hurt or fall into danger As if Job had bespoke God thus Thou art the Saviour and protectour of men thou hast not only given man a being but thou providest for his
well-being thou art a preserver of our outward estates and a preserver of our spirituall estates A God in whom we live move and have our being as well as we receive being life and motion from thee and therefore seeing such is thy nature and this thy office to be a preserver of men what wouldst thou have me to doe unto thee Why dost thou thus destroy me and breake me to peeces Why dost thou follow me with affliction upon affliction till I am utterly ruin'd and undone Thus Jacob Gen 28. 15. If thou wilt keepe me in the way that I shall go he makes a vow to God and indents or articles with God to be kept and preserved by him The word there is Thomer but that and this are used promiscuously as Psal 121. 4. The keeper of Israel In the word of the text and Psal 31. 23. The Lord preserveth the faithfull he preserveth them from the reach of dangers and troubles incompassing them on every side So then in this title we have the worke and office of God held forth the second act of his power The first is the act of creation the second is this act of preservation or providence Preservation or ptovidence is a continued creation Observe from this title First Man wants a preserver If God having made man and set him in the world had left him to his own keeping what would become of him When God trusted man to goe a little alone and did not hold a speciall hand of preservation over him to keepe him from or in temptation how quickly did he fall and loose himselfe Man like a little child which if the mother or the nurse leaveth alone unwatched or uneyed runs into dangers and deaths every moment Man is a weake creature therefore he needs a preserver Againe man as fallen especially is a foolish creature he hath no understanding to guide himselfe he is as ignorant as a child if God leave him how to dispose of his own waies and order his goings The way of man is not in himselfe neither is it in him that goeth to direct his own steps Lastly Man walks in the midst of enemies He is beset with dangers therefore he needs a protectour what would become of a man living in a throng of adversaries were it not that he hath a God whose name is the preserver of men It is good for us to know God by this Name in every letter of it in the full extent of it First Immediately his owne hand and out-stretched arme is our safety Zech. 2. 5. I will be unto Jerusalem a wall of fire round Mirus sane Dei amor in populu suum mira previdemia Sanct. in Zech. 2 about If you want a wall I will be your wall my immediate providence shall be your defence rather then you shall not be defended Is my strength the strength of stones or is my flesh brasse was Jobs question Chap. 6. 12. We may resolve it the strength of God is more then the strength of stones and he The Spirit is more firme then brasse The Romans in their warrs used to call out the Tutelar gods of those Cities they besieged c. as believing them a stronger defence to those places than wals or forts And yet our God is more then a wall of stone or brasse he promised to be a wall of fire Now who can batter downe a fire that is it 's own fewell or who can set up ladders to scale the flames And as the Lord is a wall of fire so a wall of water for the safety of his people Isa 33. 21. there will I be a place of broad rivers and of streames that is I will be their preservation the broad river preserves a place from the invasion of enemies waters are stronger then bulwarks of stones And least any should object though broad rivers keepe of Foot or Horse yet they give advantage to ships therefore it is added I will be such a river to thee as wherein shall goe no galley with oares neither shall gallant Ship passe thereby But if any shall venture their Navies upon these streames to thy annoyance then know as the 23. vers intimates Their tacklings shall be loosed they shall not well strengthen their masts they shall not spread their sailes They shall be so ruffled and entangled that the lame shall take the prey that is the weakest resistance shall subdue them and make prize of their whole fleete even of their invincible Armado's I love the Lord my strength my rock my tower my fortresse my buckler the horne of my salvation Ps 18. 1 2. all these titles meete in this one The preserver of men Secondly God is a preserver of men mediatly by instruments he preserves man by man and man sometimes by the beasts of the earth and fowles of the ayre but chiefely he preserveth men by Angels Are they not ministring spirits sent out for the good of those that shall be heires of salvation Psa 91. He shall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy wayes they shall beare thee up in thy wayes least thou dash thy foote against a stone A promise so full of sweetnesse for faith to feed on that the devil hath no way to elude it but by tempting us as he did Christ to over-act it surfet faith into a presumption by a wilfull needlesse throwing our selves into danger And there is a necessity that God himself should thus take upon him the preservation of men This necessity is three-fold 1. None are strong enough to preserve us without him our enemies would breake thorough all strength below God so that if he were not our preserver none could In vaine is salvation hoped for from hils and from the multitude of mountains truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel Jer. 2. 2. None are wise enough to preserve us except the Lord. As evill spirits are powers for strength so likewise serpents for policie and craft this craft of hell cannot be discovered much lesse disappointed without wisedome from Heaven 3. None but God are patient enough to be the preservers of men I beleeve if the Angels left to their naturall temper were set to be keepers of men they had all given over this charge long before this time as it is supposed they who fell refused to undertake or take it up at first Angels have not the patience to keepe such a froward peece as man It is a wonder God doth not give over that care and in stead of preserving dash him in peeces When the Lord told Moses he would send an Angel before him and drive out the Canaanite Exod. 34. 2. For I will not goe up in the midst of thee for thou art a stiffe-necked people least I consume thee in the way The text saith when the people heard this evill tidings they mourned and no man did put upon him his ornaments Why what was it that troubled them was it that
thus when God sends his archers their bowes shoote so true that they cleave the reines asunder the reines are in the middest of a man and to cleave the reines is to shoot level as pouring out the gall or unbowelling imports to shoot dead Fourthly observe this Why hast thou set me as a mark God takes the most eminent and choisest of his servants for the choicest and most eminent afflictions He makes a Job the white Why hast thou chosen me There was great reason God should choose him he was the most eminent in holiness and grace of all about him he was the most remarkable man for grace and goodness therefore he must be the marke They who have received most grace from God are able to bear most affliction from God God doth this in infinite wisdome as the Apostle Rom. 14. 11. gives an excellent advice in reference to weake brethren such as are weak receive but not to doubtful disputations take heed how you ingage your weake brethren in doubtfull disputes you may loose them so take those that are strong and able such as have their senses exercised to discern both good and evill such as are well ballasted for a storme take these men if you will to doubtfull disputations but doe not take weake brethren If God will not have us take a weak Christian to a doubtful disputation surely then he calls such to sufferings of whose strengh he is well assured A man under great affliction is brought to a very doubtful disputation therefore the Lord will not bring a weak one one low in grace to it but he takes out the strong As the General of an Army chooses out the valiantest and most experienced veterane Souldiers to put them upon hard adventures it is not wisdom to venture a fresh-water Souldier upon difficult services God will not put new wine into old bottles as it is in acting duties so in sufferings And as Christ orders the word in such wisdom that he will not have counsel given to any soul who is unprepared to receive it or unable to bear it Iohn 16. 12. I have many things yet to say unto you but you cannot beare them now therefore I will deferre until you have got more strength So God saith of a young Christian one that is newly come in thou hast great afflictions to undergoe before thou dyest but thou art not fit to beare them yet I will defer thy triall till thou art grown more hardie through more communion with me to fit thee for that encounter As our Lord Christ told Peter Joh. 21. 18. When thou wast young thou girdest thy self and walkedst whither thou wouldest but when thou shalt be old thou shalt stretch forth thy hands and another shall gird thee and carry thee whether thou wouldest not That is when thou wast young and unexperienced thou enjoyest thy liberty but when thou shalt be grown older in years and stronger in grace thou shalt willingly stretch forth thy hands and quietly suffer thy self to be bound to the Crosse Peter was not nailed as Christ but tied to the Crosse and there die in witness of my truth for this Christ spake signifying by what death he should die and glorifie God ver 19. Fiftly In that he saith Why hast thou set me as a marke against thee Why doest thou run thus against me Observe Man in sinning runneth contrary to God and God in afflicting seemeth to run contrary to man Every act of sin is a direct opposition unto God we set God as a marke and shoot arrows of disobedience against him sin is a missing the mark of duty but it ames to hit the Lord as a mark who charges us with that duty In affliction God runneth upon us and makes the trangressor his marke Moses Levit. 26. 41. speakes both wayes If your uncircumcised hearts be humbled and ye acknowledge that ye have walked contrary unto me and that I have walked contrary unto you that I have made you a marke and shot at you by my judgements and that you have made me a marke shooting at me by your sins then I will remember c. So that our sinning is a walking contrary unto God and Gods corrections are his walking contrary to us There is an excellent expression noting how sin strikes and as it were shoots at God Iob 15. 25 26. He stretcheth out his hand against God speaking of a wicked man and strengtheneth himselfe against the Almighty here this word is used he runneth upon him even on his neck upon the thick bosses of his bucklers See how he describes a wicked man in his natural course what doth he he runs upon God he runneth upon him even upon his neck as a man that encounters an enemy runs upon him and sets his feet upon his neck he runneth upon the thick bosses of his bucklers a warrier hath bosses upon his arms both for beauty and defence The enemy runs upon the very bosses and fears nothing such is a wicked man He runs against God wil not God run upon him He wil certainly be upon the bosses of their bucklers and upon their necks too one time or other till they shall be forced to cry out that as they have been burdens unto God so now they are burdens to themselves Thus Job concludes in his own case So that I am a burthen to my self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tulit onus à tollendo ac ferendo dictum Sum super te onus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alii vertunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ouerosus molestus quo alluditur ad importunos peccatores qui auribus Iudicum perstrepunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tibi quod scriba mutarunt in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mibi quòd indignum divina majestate arbitrarentur ut homuncio et oneri essâ—t Abe Ezr. Drus The former words are the cause and these the effect Thou hast set me as a marke what follows O I am a burthen to my selfe The Septuagint reade thus so that I am a burthen unto thee or so that I am burdensome to thee And then his meaning may be conceived thus Lord thou settest me as a marke so that I become burthensome unto thee I have such a weight of afflictions upon me that I am forced to complainings and expostulations wherein I am afraid I am burthensome to thee as poor Suters when they cry long in the ears of a Judge or Magistrate he saith forbear you are very troublesome very burthensome to me The Rabbins observe that this was the ancient reading of the Text I am a burthen unto thee and that the Scribes who wrote out the Bibles in Hebrew made this alteration a burthen to my self because they conceived it was unbecoming the Majestie of God that Job should say he was a burthen to him There is a general truth in that translation a burthen unto thee The sins of man are burthensome to God the frowardness and impatience of men are burthensome unto God
Amos 5. Non ultra dissimulabo ei scelera tua Pang Merc. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 your wickedness or your sin and that carries a fair sense for when a man pardons or will not punish an offence he seemes to take no notice of it for that properly is to dissemble a thing as simulation is to pretend that which is not so dissimulation is to take no notice or not to hold forth that which is God passeth by and dissembles the sins of men in a gracious way when he will not observe or look upon them to question or punish them The Greek word Matth. 26. 39. answereth this Hebrew where our Lord Christ ptayeth earnestly about the removal of the cup Father saith he if it be possible let this cup pass away from me In the same sense that sin is said to pass away the cup of Gods displeasure and wrath passes also away when sin is pardoned therefore Christ prayed thrice that the cup might pass away from him that he might not be dealt with as a sinner but that there might be a course found out to spare him and save the glory of his fathers justice Yet he submits not my will but thy will be done if it must not passe away I am contented it should not passe Thus far we have seen what is meant by pardoning and taking away A word upon those two terms transgression and iniquity which are the objects on which pardoning mercy workes Why doest thou not pardon my transgression and put away mine iniquity Trangression and iniquity are words of great significancy for in them all manner of sins especially sins of a greater stature are comprehended The former transgression notes a violation of the Commands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Propriè rebellio peccatum ex superbia Non simplex qualiscunque sed malitiosa temeraria transgressio of God with a high hand or a rebellion of the mind when pride of spirit shews it self very much There is a spice of pride in every sin Because of pride saith Solomon cometh contention all the contentions we maintain against the word and will of God rise from the pride of our own hearts because we cannot submit to the will of God but in some sins pride holds up her head more proudly Such sins this word notes it is not simply any sin but sin very proudly and rebelliously committed The latter word Iniquity imports the crookedness and inequality 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Incurvationem declinationem à recta via ad animum translata significat per versitatem melitiam Curvi mores of a thing when it turns this way or that way and extends not in a straite and right line Hence it is applyed to the vitiosity and perverseness to the crookedness and inequality of mans nature Our nature is a crooked peece and that makes all the crookedness in our lives The Latines speak so in a moral sence they call ill manners and ill manner'd men crooked men and crooked manners David Psal 51. 5. bewaileth his birth sin under this notion I was born in iniquity And he that was first borne in the world applied this word to himself saying my iniquity the Peccata denotat quae fiunt ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 destinata malitia seu proposito cum sc mens videt quod aequū est tamen indulgens cupiditatibus sequitur deteriora Moller in Psal 106 6. perverseness the crookedness of my waies is greater than can be forgiven or made straight Gen. 4. 13. So that this word also take it strictly implies more than a bare act of sin arising from infirmity weakness or inanimad vertency it rather notes those sins which are committed from a crooked purpose from an ill or false bent of the heart when the mind sees that which is right and good just and straite and yet turns to crooked paths and follows that which is perverse and worse Take one thing further This word in Scripture signifies not only the act of such sins but secondly the punishment of them Psal 31. 10. Gen. 19. 15. And thirdly it is put for the means of expiation or pardon Hos 4. 8. They eat up the sin of my people and they set their heart on their iniquity But how did the Priests eat up the sin and set their hearts on the iniquity of the people Sin can make us but a hungry banquet The text bears variety of interpretations But to the point in hand sin is here put for the sacrifices offered up for sin out of divers of which the Priests had a portion for themselves to eat so that the Prophet here describes the horrible prophaneness of those degenerate Priests who set their hearts upon the sacrifices because themselves were fed by them not because the people came to seek the favour of God and make their peace by them when they had sinned As Physitians may be said to eat the diseases of the people and set their hearts upon their sicknesses when they because their own gain is in it are pleased to hear of spreading sicknesses c. Or as Lawyers eat the contentions and quarrels of the people when they are glad to hear of Suits c. because they grow rich by it So those base-spirited Priests were said to eat the sins of the People and set their hearts on their iniquities because they were glad to have of a multitude of sacrifices their provisions being inlarg'd by them So that then iniquity is the sacrifice for iniquity in which sense also Christ is said to be made sin for us namely a sacrifice for sin 1 Cor. 5. 21. From the words thus opened we may observe First to whom Job addresseth himself for pardon is it not unto God And why doest not thou pardon my transgression God onely can pardon sin Pardon is his act his proper and peculiar act he can do it and none can but he We read it among his royal Titles Exod. 34. 7. the Name of God is proclaimed in this stile The Lord the Lord God mercifull and gratious long suffering and abundant in goodness and in truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression an sin Pardoning sin is put the last of those seven attributes in which the Lord manifested himself to Moses as being that wherein all the former are summ'd up and into which they conveigh their several blessings to make man compleatly blessed or to shew that none can be a pardoner of sin but he who is vested with all those foregoing glorious titles and therefore none but God alone Hence the Prophet Micah chap. 7. ver 18. puts the question and challenges all the world Who is a God like unto thee pardoning iniquity Shew me one if you can there is no sin-pardoning God besides thee Who is a God like unto thee pardoning As if the Prophet had said some will be or have been offering at this work but they all have been or will be found
atque in summa aqua extaret Herod l. 1. b Montanus ex iib. Mifna cap. de phase was anciently the Emblem of everlasting forgetfulness or of a resolution never to recal that which was resolved †A learned Hebrician observes that it was a custome among the Jewes to take those things which they abominated as filthy and unclean and cast them into the sea which act noted either the purging of them or the overwhelming them out of sight for ever And a like usage is noted by * Iosephus Aeosta l. 5. de Historia Natur Moral Novi orbis a reporter of the manners of the Americans that those barbarous people either desciphering some wicked thing upon a stone or making a symbole or sign of it used to throw it into a river which should carry it down into the sea never to be remembred Thirdly Pardon of sin is noted by washing and purging to shew that the filthiness of it is removed from us Psal 51. 2. Fourthly By covering Psal 32. 1. and by not imputing ver 2. Fifthly By blotting out Isa 43. 25. and blotting out as a thick cloud Isa 44. 22. All these notions of pardon concurre in this one that sin passes away is lifted up and taken off from the Conscience of the sinner when it is pardoned The summe of all which is read in that one text Jer. 50. 20. In those daies and in that time saith the Lord the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none c. why For I will pardon them whom I reserve So that pardoned sin in God's account is no sin and the pardoned sinner is as if he had never sinned Forgiveness destroys sin as forgiving a debt destroyes the debt and cancelling a Bond destroyes the Bond. Thirdly observe When sin is pardoned the punishment of sin is pardoned Both words signifie both the punishment and the sin and Job having complain'd that he was set up as a mark and wounded by sharp afflictions now seeks ease in the surest and speediest way the pardon of sin why doest not thou pardon my transgression c. There are three things in sin The inward matter the foul evil the stock the root of sin which is natural corruption dwelling in us and flowing out by actions Secondly The defilement and pollution of sin Thirdly The guilt when we say sin is pardoned or taken away it is not in the former though in pardoned persons corruption is mortified and the actings of it abated but in the latter the guilt is taken away which is the Obligation to punishment and so the punishment is taken away too nothing vindictive or satisfactory to the justice of God shall ever be laid upon that soul whose sin is pardoned Hence Isa 33. 24. the Prophet fore-shewing how happy a pardoned people shall be assures them The inhabitant shall nâ—â— say I am sick the people that dwell therein shall he forgiven their iniqâ—â—ty When iniquity is forgiven our infirmity is cured When the soul is healed the body shall be recovered Both the body natural and the body politick Plague and sword and famine and death all these evils go away when sin goes Judgments are nothing else but unpardoned sins sin unpardoned is the root which giveth sap and life to all the Troubles which are upon man or Nation And as sin committed is every judgment radically that is there is a fitness in sin to produce and bring forth any evil upon man so pardon of sin is every Mercy radically when you have pardon from thence every other particular Mercy springs you may cut out any blessing any comfort out of the pardon of sin particular Mercies are but pardon of sin specificated or individuated brought into this or that particular Mercy of all blessings you may say this is pardon of sin that 's pardon of sin and t'other is pardon of sin Forgiveness destroyeth that wherein the strength of sin lies it destroyeth our guilt and to us abolisheth the condemning power of the Law in these the strength of sin lies Hence when the people of Israel had committed that great sin in making the golden Calf the first thing Moses did was to pray for the pardon of sin and he did it with a strange kind of Rhetoricke Exod. 32. 32. Oh this people have sinned a great sin and have made them gods of Gold And now if thou wilt forgive their sin what then Moses There 's no more said Moses is silent in the rest it is an imperfect speech a pause made by holy passion not the fulness of the Sentence Such are often used in Scripture as Luk. 13. 9. And if it bear fruit what then Our own thoughts are left to supply the event Our translaters add well The Greek translators supply that in Exodus thus If thou wilt forgive them their sin forgive them We may supply it with the word in Luke If thou wilt forgive them well As if Moses had said Lord forgive them and then though they have done very ill yet I know it will be very well with them God cannot with-hold any mercy where he hath granted pardon for that with the antecedents and requisites of it is every mercy Moses knew what would follow well enough if they were pardoned and what if they were not therefore he adds And if not blot me I pray thee out of thy book which thou hast written If their sins must stand upon record Moses would not he knew if they were an unpardoned people they were an undone people all miseries would quickly break in upon yea overwhelm them and he desired not to out-live the prosperity of that people If Israel must bear their sins they must also bear the wrath of God and if their sin be but taken off then his love is settled on them God gives quailes sometime but he never gives pardons in anger Fourthly observe The greatest sins fall within the compass of Gods pardoning mercy The words in the text are of the highest signification Job speaks not in a diminutive language he is willing to lay load upon himself they whose hearts are upright will not stand mincing the matter and say they have sins but theirs are small ones sins not grown to the stature of other mens As the sins of a godly man may be very great sins so when they are he acknowledges that they are I know not where to set the bounds in regard of the nature or quantity of sin what sin is there which a wicked man commits but a godly man possibly may commit it excepting that against the holy Ghost These Job did and the Saints may put to God in confession and as he did not so they need not be discouraged to ask pardon for them because they are great The grace of the Gospel is as large as any evil of sin the Law can charge us with The grace of the Gospel is as large as the curse of the Law whatsoever the Law can call or
a nothing and ye your selves rage against me with such violence as a cruel hard-hearted tyrant is enraged with against a poor helplesse innocent and forsaken friendlesse Orphan or at best ye deal with me as cunning sophisters and subtill disputants seeking to catch me in your intricate discourses and doubtfull debates you make a pit for your friend This for the general sense of those two verses containing an expostulation about his friends unfriendly dealing with him Now to the particulars Doe ye imagine to reprove words The word we translate imagine notes a very curious exquisite and elaborate invention of any thing The Vulgar referrs imagining 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the words with which they did reprove not to the act of reproving Ye make a neat frame of wards to reprove me and Ad increpandum tantum verba concinnatis Vulg. so the sense rises thus you artificially imagine mint and coyne elequent speeches and subtill argumentes to reprove and convince me with As if you came hither to shew your selves Logicians and Oratours rather than loving friends This is your dealing You imagine Num verba nuda putatis arguere q d. putatesne verba satis esse ad arguendum disceptandum sine ratione Planior fuerit sensus si 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ante 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subaudias an cogitatis arguere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meris verbis Merc. words to reprove with Others thus Do you thinke that words reprove That great words shall overcome me without weight of reason This sence referres also to the speech of Iobs friends as if he had said Do you stand devising words against me or wording it with me Do you thinke that your sine phrases and elaborate polisht language will carry the matter with me will words repoove me And so we may connect it with the sentence immediately fore-going How forcible are right words But what doth your arguing reprove Your arguings that are slight arguings Your words are meere words a sound and a noise * Verba nuda sola Vt mulier mulier bona Lana lana alba si quae alia Gramaticis observata Drus words set alone are often taken for words only for naked words words without any due clothing of comelinesse and moderation and without any ballast or weight of reason and discretion And doe you my friends imagine to gain me by such a parcel of words as these But according to the sense toucht before Iob rather referrs to the opinion which his friends had of his words Do ye imagine to reprove words That is doe you thinke that you have nothing to answer or reprove but a company of empty sillables have I not spoke reason or sence all this while Doe you thinke you dispute with some idle-headed fellow who cares not what he saith or saith he knows not what Do you think that your words are strong and full of reason that yours are irrefragable arguments and mine but idle talk or a frothie discourse That 's a second interpretation and that which I conceive more clear to this place It followeth And the speeches of one that is desperate which are as winds We must understand or repeat the first branch And do ye imagine to reprove the speeches of one that is desperate which are as wind The speeches of one that is desperate The word signifies a person 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Diffidit desperavit spem omnem rei alicujus efficiendae aut consequâ—nde abjecit seu amisit that is quite without hope who thinkes his estate past remedy or redresse his wound incurable his losses irreparable and his breaches such as can never be made up or healed So Jer. 2. 25. where the Prophet counsels the Church to return and repent but Thou saist there is no hope or as we read it in the margin thy case is desperate what doe you talke of repentance and of returning now all 's lost all is gone I am undon my estate can never be recovered Doe ye imagine to reprove the speeches of one that is desperate Some referre this also to the friends of Iob thus Doe yee thinke that bare words are answer enough for me and that the speeches of a desperate mad man which are nothing but wind and sound are sufficient to refute me And therefore you rise up against me in this storm and fury speaking any thing without study or premeditation But we may rather understand it of Job himself and that as before he gave their sence of his words that they were but wind So here he gives us their apprehension of his person that sure he was mad or desperate Doe ye imagine that I am desperate or distracted because I have little or no hope to be restored Because I have lost my estate my strength my children doe ye also think I have lost my wits my reason and understanding I confesse I am even worne to pieces and brought to nothing I am spent and consumed with sorrows that 's my condition but am I therefore desperate and regard not what I speak It is an easie and a compendious way of refuting all a man can say to say he is mad His words must needs be but wind without weight who is himself without reason Doe ye think to reprove the words of one that is desperate that are as wind Or as Haud sane ita convenit ut pro futilibus verba mea habeatis eo quod afflictonibus attritus sum tabefactus Merc. Mr Broughton reads Doe ye hold the termes of the forlorne a wind That is doe ye thinke because I am in such a sad condition and in appearance in a desperate condition that therefore my words are light and vain such as are no more to be regarded or heeded than a puffe of wind And so it is as if he had said ye ought not to slight what I speak because I am in such a low forlorne condition That of Solomon comes to this sence Eccl. 9. 16. The poor mans wisdome is despised and his words are not heard It is common in Scripture to put light vain and unprofitable words under this expression they are but wind In the 15th of this book verse 3. Should he reason with unprofitable talk or with speeches wherewith he can doe no good Should a wise man utter vain knowledge and fill his belly with the East-wind That is should a man talk nothing but that which is vain and unprofitable And so Jer. 5. 13. The Prophet shall become wind That is their prophecies shall become wind whatsoever they speak said that unbelieving people shall be put as a vain thing it shall be as nothing it shall pass away and the place of it shall be known no more Thus they undervalued the Prophets in those times when they spake the truth of God and brought them immediate messages from heaven Hence observe First That words without reason meer