c. The Hebrew Text doth not expresse this Adverb of time there 't is onely the Lord answered but we well supply it rendering then the Lord answered as if the Penman had said at that very nick instant or juncture of time the Lord came in the words were no sooner out of the mouth of Elihu he had no sooner concluded his speech with Job but the Lord began and answered Job and if the Lord had not just then interposed possibly Job might have replyed and a new heat might have risen to the encreasing of his troubles and the inflaming of all their Spirits as was hinted before therefore the Lord to stop all further proceedings or speech between them two began presently to speak himself Then the Lord answered Take this Observation from it The Lord will appear in the fittest season It was time for the Lord to appear lest this poor man should have been utterly swallowed up with sorrows and over-whelmed with his affliction or lest he should have been drawn out too long and too far in his bitter complainings and impatiency The Lord is a God of judgement blessed are they that wait for him Isa 30.18 He is a wise God and knows how to time every action he knowes when to appear when to shew himself As he himself will not contend for ever Isa 57.16 so neither will he let others contend overlong least the Spirit should sail before him and the soules which he hath made This is a comfortable truth with respect both to Nations and Persons both to the case of the Church of God in general and of every believer in particular The Apostle Peter having counselled the afflicted to humble themselves under the mighty hand of God 1 Pet. 5.6 addes this encouragement in the next words to do so that he may exalt you in due time though not in your time nor at your day the day when you would have him do it yet he will do it in time and in due time that is when it shall be most fit and best for you Thus he appeared to and for Job in the Text when the sorrowes of his heart were enlarged and when he had most need of such an appearance The Lord knows how at any time and when 't is the most proper time to relieve his servants Then The Lord answered Job The word here used is Jehovah and several of the Learned take notice that it is here used with a special significancy for in the discourses of Job and his friends throughout this Book other names of God are if not universally yet mostly used as Elshaddai Eloah c. In the first Chapter indeed where God is spoken of by the divine Historian or sacred Penman of this History he is named Jehovah as also in some other such like places but in the body of the dispute not so And two reasons may be given of it First The name Jehovah imports the Being of God and therefore God himself being about to speak of his giving a Being to the whole Creation and to several sorts of creatures he is most properly represented by his name Jehovah which as it implyeth that he is the First Being the Fountain of his own Being or that he is of himself so that he gives a Being to all things and that in him as the Apostle told the great Philosophers of Athens Acts 17. we live and move and have our being Secondly The Lord though he came in a Whirle-wind yet manifested himself in a clearer light to Job than ever he had done before Now as in the third of Exodus when the Lord sent Moses to the people of Israel to bring them up out of Egypt to Canaan which was a great work one of the greatest that was ever done in the world and in which the Lord made the most glorious discovery of his Power Justice and Mercy when God I say sent Moses upon this service he said unto him Exod. 6.2 3. I am the Lord I am Jehovah and I appeared unto Abraham unto Isaac and unto Jacob by the Name of God Almighty but by my name Jehovah was I not known to them God being about to make himself more known in the world than he had been to that day by his dreadful plagues upon Pharaoh and the miraculous deliverance of his people out of Egypt as he said chap. 9.16 And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up for to shew in thee my power and that my name may be declared in all the earth The Lord I say being about to doe these great things for the manifestation of his own greatness gave this charge to Moses at the sixth verse of the sixth chapter before mentioned Wherefore say unto the children of Israel I am Jehovah and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians c. Thus in this latter part of the book of Job the Lord being about to loosen the bonds of Jobs affliction and to ease him of his burden as also to declare and manifest himself more clearly to him than formerly as he confessed chap. 42.5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the eare but now mine eyes have seen thee he therefore assumed his great name Jehovah Then the Lord Answered Job c. But some may say Job had not spoken lately much lesse last Elihu spake out six whole Chapters since Job spake a word and though Elihu gave him the liberty yea almost provoked him to speak yet he laid his hand upon his mouth he spake not a word How then can it be said The Lord answered Job To avoid this difficulty Some render Then the Lord answered concerning or about Job And these turn the whole discourse of God in this and the next Chapter upon Elihu in favour of Job I shall touch upon that opinion and interpretation as was said afterwards but at present affirm that Job was the person to whom the Lord here directed his Answer and to take off this doubt how the Lord could be said to answer Job when Job had not spoken last but Elihu I answer as upon a like occasion it hath been elsewhere shewed in this book ch 3.2 that sometimes in Scripture a Speech begun is called an Answer where nothing had been spoken before to which that speech could be applied in way of answer Matth. 11.25 Matth. 17.4 The reason of this Hebraisme is because such as begin to speak do either answer the necessity of the matter or the desire of the hearers and so they give a real and vertual though not a formal Answer Yet there are two considerations in which we may apply the word Answer formally and strictly taken to Job First If we consider Job's wishes and requests Secondly If we consider Job's complaints and though the word be somewhat hard his murmurings The Lord may be said to answer Job as to his wish desire or request because Job had earnestly desired and requested more than once that God would take
second of Providence in general chiefly in the Meteors from the 22d verse to the end of this Chapter the third of special Providence towards the Beast of the Earth and the Fowls of the Ayre from the first verse of the 39th Chapter to the end So that the proof of this Assumption that Job had no hand gâ—ve no counsel no furtherance no assistance in the Works of Creation and Providence I say this Assumption contains the history of the greatest things in all the parts of Nature for whatsoever belongs to true Philosophy may be reduced to it or clearly diâ—covered in it and herein we are taught the true use of Philosophy even to raise the mind of man to the contemplation of the Eternity Power and Wisdom of God as also of our own frailty weakness nothingness and so to sit down in an humble submission to whatsoever the Lord doth with us or ours in this world So much of the argument and general scope of this whole discourse The Lord begins with the Work of Creation thereby humbling Job to this Confession that he had nothing at all to do with it Vers 4. Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the Earth Quando deus interrogat ubi eras revocat in mentem Jobo quis sit ex quo quam brevis aevi Codur We have the Creation asserted in these words and God is pleased to speak of it metaphorically by a comparison drawn from Architecture or the model of a Building Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the Earth Eliphaz put a question of a near impoâ—t with this Chap. 15.7 Art thou the first man that was born or wast thou made before the hills Here the Lord speaks the same language Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the Earth Wast thou made before the World Antelunares There was a sort of men spoken of by the Ancients called Proselunes Men made before the Moon who boasted that they were a people before the Moon was made others said they were before the Earth The Scripture tells us that man was made out of the Earth well then might the Lord demand Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the Earth Wast thou before the Earth Or before the Moon Where wast thou Surely thou wast no where thou wast not in being when I laid the foundations of the Earth foâ—asmuch as thy foundation is of the Earth thou art but dust of the Earth therefoâ—e where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the Earth Thou hadst no Being then unless in my decree and purpose for the bringing of thee forth in thy season and generation We may say every man was somewhere when God laid the foundations of the Earth he was in the Purpose Decree and Counsel of God which was from Eternity Every man had a being in the mind of God when God laid the foundations of the Earth but where wast thou or any man as to any existence when I laid the foundations of the Earth Now if this be thy case thou hast no reason to be so high and big in thy own thoughts or to speak so discontentedly about my dealings with thee Do I need thy counsel in governing the World who needed it not in making the World Where wast thou c. And here we may take notice of the difference of Scripture language in this point with respect to our Lord Jesus Christ by considering the different language of the Scripture concerning Christ we have a clear argument to prove the God-head of Christ or that he is God by Nature forasmuch as he had his existence when God laid the foundation of the Earth Hear what Wisdom substantial Wisdom that is Jesus Christ spake of himself Prov. 8.22 The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way that is in the beginning of his ways of Creation before his works of old I was set up from everlasting from the beginning or ever the Earth was Where wast thou saith God to Job when I laid the foundations of the Earth But Jesus Christ the true Wisdom saith he was before the Earth was When there was no depth I was brought forth when there was no fountain abounding with water While as yet he had not made the Earth nor the fields nâ—r the highest parts of the dust of the World When he prepared the Heavens I was there When he set a compass upon the face of the depth When he established the Clouds above when he strengthened the fountains of the deep When he gave to the Sea his decree that the waters should not pass his commandements When he appointed the foundations of the Earth Then was I by him as one brought up with him and I was daily his delight rejoycing alwayes before him c. You see how the Spirit speaks concerning Christ the true Wisdom the substantial Wisdom he was before God laid the foundations of the Earth therefore he is God he is eternal But when God comes to speak to Job a man he saith Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the Earth John 1.1 In the beginning was the Word and the Word was God and by him all things were made Jesus Christ had a hand in making the World in laying the foundations of it the work is ascribed to him Here 's the glory of Jesus Christ above all creatures and this is an unanswerable proof of the God-head and Divinity of Jesus Christ as 't is of mans frailty when the Lord demands Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the Earth 'T is as if the Lord had said Remember how short a time thou hast been how little a while it is since thou cam'st into the World There are two things which men should much consider First How little a while they have been in this World Secondly How little a time they have to stay in this World Where wast thou When I laid the foundations of the Earth The Hebrew is but one word Where wast thou when I founded the Earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In fundare me vel cum fundarem we say When I laid the foundations of the Earth What 's a foundation There are four things to be noted about a foundation First A foundation is the lowest part of a building The Top or Head-stone Zach. 4.7 and the foundation-stone are at utmost distance the one highest the other lowest the one first laid down the other last set up Secondly The foundation is an unseen part of the building we behold the super-structure the walls and towers when raised we behold the battlements and pinnacles but we cannot behold the foundation that 's an unseen part of the building Thirdly The foundation is the most necessary part of the building There are some parts of a building which are onely for ornament and beauty there are other parts of a building which though they are somewhat necessary yet not much necessary the building might stand
than humane he commanded his chair to be set on the Sea-shore at the time of flood and sitting down thus bespake that Element I charge thee not to enter my land nor wet these robes but the sea keeping on its course he rose up and spake in the hearing of all about him Let all the inhabitants of the world know that vain and weak is the power of Kings and that none is indeed worthy of that Name but he that keeps both heaven and earth and sea in obedience Thirdly Then tremble at the power of God who can let the sea loose upon us in a moment We tremble at the sea if it break loose then tremble at the power of God who can let loose the sea It is he that calleth for the waters of the sea and poureth them out upon the face of the earth the Lord is his Name Amos 9.6 Fourthly when the sea breaks bounds in any degree either when we see a storm at sea or a deluge at land let us go only to the Lord who onely can still the raging of the sea and put swadling-bands about it even as if it were a child God alone is to be invocated when the winds are tempestuous and threaten either a deluge at land or a wrack at sea Heathens invoked Neptune and Aeolus Popish votaries call upon St. Nicholas and St. Christopher Let us learn of the Disciples who fearing to be swallowed up of a tempest went to Christ and said Master save us we perish Matth. 8.27 The poor Mariners in Jonah called every one upon his God Jorah 1.5 but none of them called upon the true God It is Jehovah the Lord the true God onely that raiseth the stormy wind which lifteth up the waves of the sea and it is he that maketh the storm a calm Psal 107.24 25 29. Fifthly If the sea so vast and violent a creature receive the bridle from God and is bound up by him even as an infant in swadling-bands how much more should man receive the bridle from him The Lord saith to the sons of men hitherto shall ye come and no further hitherto your works and actions shall go and no further yet how do the men of the world over-flow and break their bounds The prophet makes this application clearly Jer. 5.22 23. Fear ye not me saith the Lord will ye not tremble at my presence which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree that it cannot pass it and though the waves thereof toss themselves yet can they not prevail though they roar yet can they not pass over it but this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart they are revolted and gone As if he had said The sea doth not revolt against my command but this people doth they are more unruly than the sea All the wicked at best are like the troubled sea that cannot rest as the Prophet speaks Isa 57.20 How much worser then are they than the sea when they are at worst Lastly We may hence infer for our comfort If the Lord hath put bounds to the natural sea what unnatural sea is there to which the Lord cannot put bounds There is a five-fold metaphorical sea to which the Lord hath said hitherto shalt thou come and no further Or at least he hath said though thou come hither thou shalt come no further This the Lord hath said First To the sea of mans wrath The wrath of man is a grievous sea and of that David saith Psal 76.10 The wrath of man shall praise thee the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain Let men be as angry as they will let them be as stormy as a sea yet the Lord hath said hitherto shall ye come and no further For Psal 65.7 He stilleth the noise of the seas the noise of their waves and the tumult of the people Yea great men raging like the sea are sometimes stopt by very small matters such as the sea-sands The Chief-priest and Elders of the people were offended at Christ and therefore questioned his Authority yet forbare to answer his question as they had most mind to do it for fear of the people Matth. 21.23 26. Secondly He bounds the sea of the devils rage The devil is a sea in bonds We read of a special thousand years wherein it is prophesied that Satan shall be bound Rev. 20.2 yet indeed he is alwayes bound else no man could live a quiet hour for him nor have any rest from his furious temptations and vexations but his professed slaves and votaries Thirdly There is a sea of Affliction which we meet with in this world the Lord bounds that also and saith hitherto it shall come and no further 1 Cor. 10.13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man But God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that you may be able to bear it Fourthly The Lord sets a bound to the sea of prophaneness and ungodliness in the world that 's a sea that would over-flow all and that is a sea fâ—r whose over-flowing we have cause to pour out floods of tears Hence that prayer of David Psal 7.9 O let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end Did not the Loâ—d put an end to the prophaneness and ungodliness of men they would be endless in prophaneness and ungodliness The unjâ—st knoweth no shame Zeph. 3.5 That is he is never ashamed of any injustice but would go on to do unjustly and wickedly in infinitum who knows how long Fifthly The Lord sets a bound to the sea of error and false dâ—ct ine the Lord saith Hitherto shalt thou c me and no further Error would be as extravagant and boundless as the sea if the Lord did not bound it Epiphanius in his treatise of heresies alludes to this Scripture for the comfort of himself and oâ—hers when he saw such a high-grown sea of error broken in upon the Church As Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses so do such ungodly men withstand the truth of Christ but saith the Apostle 2 Tim. 3.9 They shall proceed no further Did not the Lord give a stop to the spirit of seduction that goeth out from the Devil and the false Prophet it would bring in a deluge of delusions upon the whole world and as Christ himself hath fore-warned us Matth. 24.24 deceive if it were possible the very Elect. But there is a bar and a bound for this sea also though they come hitherto to this and that person with their errors to this and that point of error yet they shall proceed no further and here even here their proud and poisonous waves shall be stayed JOB Chap. 38. Vers 12 13 14 15. 12. Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days and caused the day-spring to know his place 13. That it might take hold of the ends of the earth that the wicked might be
our blessed Saviouâ— the light and life of the world hath counselled us Let our light shine and so shine before men that they may see our good works and glorifie our father which is in heaven Matth. 5.16 We that have light commanded for us every day how should we be lights and go forth as the Sun casting out our rays and beams in a holy and godly conversation And while we go forth and walk in such a conversation we go forth and walk as the Sun in its strength we enlighten all the world where we come and dazel the eyes of the wicked world or of the wicked in the world Sixthly How should we who have light commanded for us avoid all the works of darkness yea We should as the Apostle exhorts Rom. 13.12 13. cast off the works of darkness and put on the armour of light we should walk honestly as in the day As in the day which the light of the natural Sun makes and as in the day which the light of the mystical Sun our Lord Jesus Christ hath made Seventhly Remember as God hath commanded a morning for us here so he will command a light or a morning a morning light for all our actions hereafter As God hath made the the light so he will bring all things to light Many now live in the light of this world whose works are in the dark as well as theirs are works of darkness Now as the Lord hath commanded a morning to shine for us to worke by so he will have a morning wherein all our works shall be seen 1 Cor. 4.5 He will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and the manifest the counsels of the heart Men may dig deep to hide their counsels from God but God knows how to bring them and their counsels to the morning and will cause a light to shine upon them though they have no light of truth or righteousness in them God will bring every work into judgement with every secret thing Eccl. 12.14 We must all appear saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.10 or we must all be manifest we must appear and so must our works too Those works of men shall be light as to their discovery which are nothing but darkness as to their impurity Those deeds which have no light in them shall come in the clearest light and be plainly seen to the bottom both by Men and Angels The Lord who hath commanded this moâ—ning light for us to do our work in will command another morning light to judge our works in and to give us the reward of them And let all the wicked of the earth to whom the morning of any day because they are in danger to be discovered by it is as the shadow of death Job 24.17 Let them I say consider how many thousand deaths that morning will be to them which will actually fully and impartially discover all their wickedness with all the secrets of it Lastly Consider if the Lord hath bestowed so great a mercy upon us in commanding the morning or in giving us light the light of the Sun then let us be minded how great a mercy the Lord hath bestowed upon us in commanding the light or morning of the Gospel to come upon us It was night with us and so it would have been for ever for any means we could have devised or used to help out selves out of it till God commanded Christ the bright Morning Star Rev. 22.16 and Sun of Righteousness to rise and shine upon us How unspeakable a mercy is it that such a light should appear to us who not only were in darkness but were darkness If we account it a mercy that God hath commanded a morning to shine to us O what a mercy is it that we have a Christ to shine upon us That the Day-Star from on high hath visited us That he who is the true light that enlightens every man that cometh into the world John 1.9 hath risen upon us both to scatter the darkness of sin and ignorance and to chear our souls with the sweet beams of his healing wings So much of the first part of the verse Hast thou commanded the mâ—rning since thy day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sâ—ir◠〈◊〉 auâ—â—râ—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mane 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aurora dâ—ssâ—runt Nam prima dici 〈…〉 diâ—tum 〈…〉 hâ—c a nigri◠〈◊〉 specio ut vid tur Nam 〈◊〉 res sub diâ—â—rulo apparere inâ—pturâ— nigricâ—â—â— viâ—entur Câ—c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eâ—t nigrescâ—re bin nigrescentem lucem scil diluculum significat Sol varie nec uno loco oritur quotidie ejus loâ—â—s mutatirut sol ascendit aut descendit in signis Zodiaci Merc. And caused the day-spring to know his place That is when and where it should break forth and appear every morning The day-spring is exprest by a different word in the original from the morning light it implieth the first of the morning when the air is darkish or duskish we commonly call it the gray of the morning The word signifies to be dark or that darkness which we call twilight When the day-spring ushers in the morning there is a kind of dimness in the light Now saith the Lord Hast thou caused the day-spring to know its place hast thou taught it where to shew it self to the world The Lord speaks nere of the day-spring as if it were a rational creature that took instructions or a word of direction where to begin the morning light God not man hath taught the day-spring to know its place We have a like expression Psal 16.11 Thou wilt shew me or thou wilt cause me to know the path of life Thus the Lord makes the day-spring know the path to its own place The day never springs twice immediately in one place but is in a continual variation as Astronomers with experience teach The place of the light or Sun-rising differeth every morning and from thence we have the difference of the dayes The Sun passing through the twelve signs of the Zodiack beginning with Aries c. I shall not trouble you with their names which have been devised and are used only for learning sake the Sun I say passing every year thâ—ough these twelve Signs all which Astronomers present unto us under various forms or figures such as themselves fancied most useful to subserve the understanding of that Art according to the situation of these Signs through which the Sun runs his course in the Heavens the day-spring to us on Earth changeth its place every day appearing sometimes more southerly and sometimes more easterly as the Sun either ascends to the Summer Solstice at which time the day is at longest and the night at shortest as about the eleventh of our Moneth called June or when it descends to the Winter Solstice at which time the day is shortest and the night longest as about the eleventh of our December To which we may add the Suns coming in its
her wing is but a Snail to the Sun yet God can forbid the Suns motion Job 9.7 He commandeth the Sun and it riseth not That is if he send forth a prohibition to the Sun it will not stir forwards one foot till he takes off his prohibition and bids it fulfill its wonted course as in Joshua's dayes Chap. 10.12 and at his command it will go backward as in the dayes of Hezekiah 2 Kings 20.11 Further The Lords voice disanuls and makes void the commands of any creature Lam. 3.32 Who is he that saith it and it cometh to pass if the Lord have not commanded it They reckon as we say without their host who hope to carry on any work without Gods concurrence for he can gâ—ve a negative to all our affirmatives and make all our wheels either stand still or go backward Fourthly There is a thunder in the teaching voice of God His teaching voice is a very still voice yet 't is a very strong voice the soul falls down at the sound of it 'T is promised Isa 54.13 that we shall be all taught of God that is effectually taught so taught as to â—eceive instruction The teaching voice of God makes the ignorant knowing and the foolish wise The Lord said the Prophet Isa 8.11 spake unto me with a strong hand and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people There had need be a strong hand in the voice of that instruction which keeps us out of the common walks of the world Yet there is such a power in the teaching voice of God that like a thunder-bolt it over-throweth and so pulls down all the strong-holds of sin casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10.4 5. Thus God thunders against sin and batters sinners which is infinitely harder to do than to battel and level the walls of a City to the ground with thundering Cannon The weapons of our warfare for the conquest of souls to Christ are all laid up in and fetcht out of the Arcenal of the holy Scriptures or Word of God and O what work have they made in the world How many have fallen by submitting to them to their own salvation and how many more have fallen by resisting them to their own everlasting desruction Fifthly There is a mighty power in the reproving voice of God When God deals verbal rebukes to sinners as well as verberal he often makes their beauty to consume away like a moth Psal 39.11 The Lord professeth to all hardned sinners whose consciences now give them no reproofs and who presume God will give them none neither that he hath thundering reproofs ready for them Psal 50.21 I will reprove thee and set them that is thy sins in order before thine eyes O consider this as 't is advised in the next verse of the same Psalm ye that forget God lest he tear you in pieces with the thunder of his reproof Sixthly There is also a mighty power in the comforting voice of God O what a vertue is there in those secret whispers wherein God speaketh peace to his people Hosea 2.14 I will allure her and bring her into the wilderness and speak comfortably unto her or to her heart A thunder as to power goeth with this voice of God This hath a power to settle a shaking or disconsolate soul and nothing but the power of Gods voice can do that When none can comfort the Lord can To comfort the conscience is said Luther as great a work as to make a world Seaventhly There is a mighty power as in the promising or comforting voice of God so also in his threatning voice The Lord thunders reproofs against those that have sinned and he thunders threatnings to keep all from sinning and how terrible that voice iâ— the Apostle knew who said Knowing the terrour of the Lord we perswade men 2 Cor. 5.11 And as the Apostle knew it by believing it so all final unbelievers shall know it by their sense and feeling of it Eighthly There is a thunder of power in the prophesying voice of God When the Lord fore-tells what shall come to pass who can withstand it We find those prophesies which hold forth the ruin of Christs enemies and of his Church shewred in with thunder Rev. 8.15 and Rev. 11.19 which did not only shew that those prophesies should be certainly and solemnly fulfilled in their season but that they should be terribly fulfilled or fullfilled with a terror like that of thunder All prophesies shall effectually come to pass and be fulfilled therefore power is in them Ninthly What a power is there in the swearing voice of God First God swears sometimes in his wrath he did so against that people of old I sware to them in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest And so powerful was that oath that not a man of them could come into Canaan their Carcasses fell in the wilderness And as when rhe Lord swears in wrath so Secondly When he swears in love and mercy there 's irresistible power in that also Thus God sware and made oath to Abraham Heb. 6.17 Wherein God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel confirmed it by an oath that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lye we might have strong consolation c. To David also God sware in love Psal 89.35 36. Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lye unto David His seed shall endure forever and his throne as the Sun before me c. The oath or swearing voice of God is so strong that we have reason enough both of strong fears when he sweareth in wrath as he did against the children of Israel and of strong consolation when he sweareth in love as he did to Abraham and to David And wo to those who believe not when God swears either in wrath or in love Tenthly There is a mighty power in the Judging voice of God When he shall speak from his throne in that great day what a thunder will there be in his voice When in that Judgment-day he shall acquit his elect that voice will have a ravishing power in it And when his condemning sentence shall be pronounced against the wicked that voice will have an astonishing power in it beyond that of thunder And it is to be considered that in many places of Scripture where the eminent judgments of God are mentioned his voice or thunder is mentioned as going before or accompanying those solemn and tremendous dispensations Psal 18.13 Psal 68.33 34 35. Isa 30.30 Jer. 25.30 Joel 4.16 To conclude this point seeing there is a power like that of thunder going forth with the voice of God in the effectual ministrations of his Word let us well consider whether God hath spoken to us effectually yea or no
of all men James 4.6 God resisteth the proud The proud contend with God they as it were wage war with God and therefore God will wage war and contend with them he resisteth the proud Prov. 3.34 Surely he scorneth the scorner but he giveth grace to the lowly The Lord hath two great works to do in the world The first is to lift up and exalt the humble The second is to humble and pull down the proud These two are the daily products of divine providence And the Lord is so much an enemy to pride that if he see it in any of his own servants he will abase them and lay them low for it as we see in the case of that good King Hezekiah His heart being lifted up not in thankfulness nor in zeal for the ways and things of God as once it was but in pride there was wrath upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem 2 Chron. 32.35 The Lord will not bear it when his own bear or behave themselves proudly Prov. 29.23 A mans pride any mans pride shall bring him low that is he shall be brought low for his pride or his pride will bring him into such extravagant wayes as will be a means to bring him low Thirdly Note God can easily abase and cast down proud ones If any ask how easily can he do it I answer He can do it with a look Look upon every one that is proud and bring him low saith God to Job shew thy self like me in this I can do it as easily as look upon him God by a cast of his eye can cast down all proud men as the Lord can help his people with a look David desired no more for his portion but that God would lift up the light of his countenance upon him Psal 4.6 that is that God would look upon him favourably And that prayer is made three times Psal 80 4 7 19. Cause thy face to shine upon us and we have enough we shall be saved we shall be delivered we shall be protected A good look from God is all good to man God with a good look can save us and if God withdraw his eye from any and will not look upon them if he turn his back upon them or hide his face from them his favour is withdrawn and they are helpless Now as God can save his people with a smiling look so he can destroy his enemies with a frowning one His look is as powerful and effectual to destroy as it is to save though to look savingly be much more the delight of God if I may so speak than to look destroyingly It is said God looked through the pillar of fire and the cloud upon the Hosts of Pharoah and troubled them and took off the chariot wheels Exod. 14.24 Surely God abaseth the proud men of the world easily when he doth it with a look He indeed as the holy Virgin spake in her song Luke 1.51 52. Sheweth strength with his arm or the strength of his arm when he scattereth the proud in the imaginations of their hearts and puts down the mighty from their seats and exalteth them of low degree yet all this the Lord can do with a look from heaven The habitation of his Holiness and of his Glory Now If the Lord deal thus with proud men take these inferences from it First Hath God such an evil eye upon proud men will he cast them down will he certainly do it and can he easily do it Then woe to proud men 't is the word of the Prophet Isa 28.1 Woe to the crown of pride to the drunkards of Ephraim that is to those who crown themselves with pride and make that their glory and their honour which will pâ—ove their shame and downfal and these the Prophet calls the drunkards of Ephraim I conceive he means not those that drink themselves drunk with wine but those that are drunk with their own presumptions with the pride of their spirits or as many also are with vain hopes and expectations We have vain confidents and expectants so expressed Nahum 1.10 While they are folded together as thorns and while they are drunken as drunkards they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry that is while they are drunken with pride and self-confidence to carry all before them while they are thus folded together like thorns in their plots and contrivements while they are drunken with false hopes they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry that is they shall be utterly consumed and devoured Secondly If there be such a woe to proud ones if the Lord hath such a bad eye upon them and is able to lay them low and will certainly do it and can easily do it we had need consider who are the proud ones Pride is an evil weed yet it groweth many times in the best soyl even in a good heart and it is no easie matter to find out who are the proud men intended in this Text and Point yet I answer In general First All they are proud who value themselves very highly yea they are proud who put any undue value upon themselves we can scarcely value our selves any thing at all but we shal over-value â—ur selves for we are worms and no men saith David He said also What is man O Lord that thou art mindful of him Man is so small a thing that the Psalmist could hardly tell what he is or what to make of him sure enough man is no such thing as most men make of themselves Doubtless if we have any high thoughts of our selves we over-think our selves and usually they that have least true worth have greatest thoughts of their own worthiness Man hath lost all is stript of all as he cometh into the world yet he is proud as if he had all As they that have much are proud or in great danger of pride so it is a truth that they who have nothing are often proud too The Apostle bids Timothy 1 Tim. 6.17 Charge them that be rich in this world that they be not high-minded And among rich men they who as I may say according to the phrase of the world have raised their own fortunes are most apt to be proud and there are two reasons of it First Because of the change of their state they were low and empty but now they are high and full This change of their condition changeth their disposition and as we say Their blood riseth with their good Secondly That which they have is say they of their own getting they think their skill and their diligence hath got it Hence Job protested If I rejoyced because my hand hath gotten much Nebuchadnezzar boasted of his great Palace because he had built it Is not this great Babel that I have built Now as they are apt to be proud who have much especially when it is of their own acquisition though indeed we have nothing meerly of our own acquisition so they who have little or nothing are not out of
for the subduing or destroying of this mighty creature He that made him can make his sword approach unto him From this rendring and the interpretation given of it which is very plain and obvious Observe There is no creature so great so strong but God is able to subdue and conquer him He that made the creature can make his sword approach unto him God can master whatsoever he hath made Behemoth the Elephant is a creature of a vast bigness a creature of admirable strength yet down he comes down he falls as soon as ever God draws near with his sword The inanimate creatures the Sun the Moon the Stars the Seas the Earth are strong and powerful yet God can shake the Earth and calm the Sea he can seal up the Stars and stop both Sun and Moon in their course and make them stand still as a stone God who made the fire hot and burning can take away the burning heat of it which is so connatural to it And as he subdueth inanimate or liveless creatures so as here in the Text the animate or living creatures The Lord who hath made the Elephant the Lion the Bear the Tyger can quickly put a stop to the power and rage of any of them We may exemplifie it also in man a rational creature Some men in comparison of others are like Behemoths like Elephants great powerful and strong Nimrods of the earth mighty hunters The Lord can make his sword approach to any of them The Lord hath infinitely more strength and power in himself than he hath placed or planted in any creature For what is the stâ—eam to the fountain what is the light in the air to the light in the Sun The strength of the creature is but a stream or a beam issuing from God The strength of the Elephant is no more to God than the strength of a silly Mouse the strength of an Eagle no more to God than the strength of a Fly the strength of a Leviathan in the sea of whom in the next Chapter is no more to God then the strength of a Shrimp or Sprat God can soon destroy the roaring Lions the raging Bears the fierce Tigers the ravening Wolves of this world Nothing is strong before the strength of God or before the strong God Now if the Lord hath a power whereby he can quickly over-power the most powerful creatures then this teacheth us First Not to trust in the power of any creature Though you have an Elephant a Behemoth for your help do not trust in him The Lord that made him can quickly make his sword approach unto him the Lord can make him as weak as water and of as little use to you as a little child The strong shall be as tow and the maker of it as a sparke that is the work or idol which he hath made shall be as a spark to tow and they shall both burn together and none shall quench them Isa 1.31 How often are we called off from trust in any creature from trust in horses from trust in man There 's no help in the strongest creatures unless First God gâ—ves them strength and works with their strength Secondly There is no help in any creature if God sets his strength against him Therefore trust not in any creature Secondly This teacheth us Not to fear the power of any creature while God is with us If an Elephant a Behemoth be against us we need not fear him Thus the Apostle concludes while he puts that supposition Rom. 8.28 If God be with us who can be against us that is to hurt us His meaning is none can There are none in the world against whom so many are as against those with whom God is that is whom he owns loves and favours Christ told his Disciples of this Joh. 15.19 I have chosen you out of the world therefore the world hateth you But though they with whom God is are hated of the world or have the world against them yet the world cannot be so against them as to harm or hurt them for he that made them can make his sword approach to those that would that is they are fully in and under his power The Prophet useth this argument Isa 54.16 17. Behold I have created the Smith that bloweth the coals in the fire and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work and I have created the waster to destroy Even the wasters of the world they that make spoil of all all they are of my creation I have made them and seeing I have made them surely I can hinder them in any of their wasting and destroying purposes and therefore the Lord in the next words gives a full and most comfortable assurance to the Church notwithstanding the skill of the Smith in making instruments and the strength of the Waster to destroy with them No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper and every thing that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn this is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their righteousness is of me saith the Lord. The very ground upon which the Lord assured them that no weapon formed against them should prosper was because the Smith and the Waster too were both of them his creatures or of his making as the Text speaks of Behemoth God can make his sword approach beasts in the likeness of men as well as beasts in their own likeness And hence it is that the Holy Ghost expresseth all those powers of the world which should afflict the Church in several ages by the name of beasts all of Gods making Daniel in his 7th Chapter had a vision of four great beasts that came up from the sea whereof the first was like a Lion the second like a Bear another like a Leopard and a fourth dreadful and terrible and strong so exceedingly dreadful terrible and strong that as if no beast could be found like it it is not expressed by the likeness of any beast But what were these beasts 't is answered ver 17. These great beasts which are four are four great Kings which shall arise out of the earth that is four successions of Kings The Babilonian the Persian the Grecian the Roman powers were those great beasts Now the Lord who made them made his sword approach unto every one of them as the histories both of the Church and of the world hold clearly out The Lord who made that great Behemoth the Babilonian power and that great Behemoth the Persian power that great Behemoth the Grecian power as also that great Behemoth the Roman power hath made his sword in several ages and by several steps or degrees approach unto them So in the Revelation of Saint John the great beasts there mentioned what were they but the powers of the earth set against the true Church of God We read Revel 12.3 of a great red dragon this red dragon was the heathenish Romane power persecuting the Church Again Revel 13.1
tryals and troubles which would have sunk him a thousand times had not he stood by him and assisted him The Lord is a master in Covenant with his servants and that a Covenant of grace in which every command hath a promise annexed to it and that not only a promise of reward when we have done it but of strength to do it and if so then we may conclude it easie as well as hohonourable and profitable to serve the Lord. Therefore Let us labour to approve our selves the Lords servants And if any ask who is the Lords servant I answer Fiâ—st He is the Lords servant that doth the Lords work His servants we are whom we obey he is our master whose work we do It is good for us to consider whose work we are about Jesus Christ was the fathers servant in that great undertaking the redemption of lost man Now all his work on earth was his fathers work John 9.4 I said he must work the work of him that sent me Unless we are in the Lords work and doing the Lords will we cannot be reckoned among his servants Secondly If you are the Lords servants then as you do the Lords work so you are ready to do all his work He is not a servant that doth what he pleaseth Some say they will do the Lords work but they pick and chuse they do this and leave the other undone He is the Lords servant that goeth through all the Lords work If we do easie work and refuse hard work if we refuse that work which displeaseth the world and chuse only that which is pleasing to the world we serve not the Lord but the world and our selves Here is the tryal when we do what God willeth whether the world will it and like it yea or no. The Lord said of David He is my servant and what will he do he will do all my will that is he will not stick at any of my work Thirdly If ye are the Lords servants as ye will do all his work so no woâ—k but his you will not do the work of the flesh you will not do any work for man in opposition to the work of God In subordination to the will of God we should readily do the work of man In serving men thus we are also the servants of God But he that is the Lords servant will not do any work for man which contradicteth or crosseth the service of God Christ saith expresly No man serveth two Masters ye cannot serve God and Mammon Mat. 6.24 We may serve many Masters if they command the same thing or things subordinate but we cannot serve two Masters if their commands interfere and clash one with the other as the work of God and Mammon doth And thus the Apostles caution is to be understood 1 Cor. 7.23 Ye are bought with a price be not ye the servants of men Fourthly If ye are the Lords servants as ye do the Lords work and all his work and only his work so ye will do his work willingly All the Lords servants are free men his servants are sons they do not serve as slaves but as children and God dealeth with them as a Father more than as a Master Consider have ye a free spirit for the service of God His servants find themselves indeed constrained to serve him but they do not serve him by constraint they are constrained by love not by base fear to serve him Fifthly If ye are the Lords servants ye do his work for his sake the will of the Lord is as much the reason why ye do his work as the rule by which ye do it Should we do never so much of that which is materially the Lords work unless we do it because it is his work we are not his servants in doing it He that doth the Lords work for self-ends only or chiefly is not the Lords servant but his own Sixthly If ye are the Lords servants ye have resolved to be his servants for ever your ears are bored at his post and ye have have said as the servant under the Law that loved his Master Exod. 21.5 6. Ye will not go out free It was so with Job he was the Lords servant before his rrouble and he was so at the end of his troubles The Lord doth not take servants for months and for years we must be his everlasting servants alwayes his servants if his servants at all And this should rejoyce our souls that we are and shall be for ever in the Lords work To serve the Lord is better than to rule the world God is so good a Master that we shall never have any the least occasion to desire a change and he is so sure a Master that we need not fear it Lastly Though the Lord said his wrath was kindled against Eliphaz and his two friends yet in the very next words he is directing them how to make their peace and return or be received again into his favour Hence note God often manifests more displeasure than ever he intends to act Yea when ever he manifests displeasure against his children it is that he might not act it Nineveh was threatned with destruction that repenting it might not be destroyed Sinners of all sorts are threatned with death and damnation that believing they may be saved and live What could Eliphaz and his two friends expect when the Lord said My wrath is kindled but that his wrath should have swallowed them up and consumed them in a moment Solomon saith Prov. 16.14 The wrath of a King is as messengers of death and like the roaring of a Lion Prov. 19.12 much more is the wrath of God like the roaring of a Lion and as the messengers of death But though the Lord told Jobs friends of wrath and of kindled wrath yet he only First reproved them mildly and Secondly instead of blowing up that fire sheweth or directeth them how to quench it and get into the Sun-shine of his favour as will appear further in the verse Vers 8. Therefore take unto you now seven Bullocks and seven Rams and go to my servant Job and offer up for your selves a burnt-offering and my servant Job shall pray for you for him will I accept lest I deal with you after your folly in that ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right like my servant Job This verse holds out the counsel or direction which the Lord gave Eliphaz and his two friends for the making of their peace and the reconciling of themselves to his Majesty whose wrath was kindled against them And here the Lord directs them to a twofold means of their reconciliation First The offering up of a sacrifice in which we may consider two things First The matter of the sacrifice or what was to be sacrificed Bullocks and Rams Secondly The quantity or number of the sacrifice seven and seven seven Bullocks and seven Rams such was the matter such the quantity of the sacrifice which they were
AN EXPOSITION WITH Practical Observations CONTINUED UPON The Thirty-eighth Thirty-ninth Fortieth Forty-first and Forty-second being the five last Chapters of the Book OF JOB Being the Substance of Fifty-two Lectures or Meditations By JOSEPH CARYL Minister of the Gospel JAMES 5.11 Ye have heard of the patience of Job and have seen the end of the Lord that the Lord is pitiful and of tender mercy LONDON Printed by M. and S. Simmons and are to be sold by Robert Boulter at the Turks-head near the Royal Exchange 1666. TO THE Christian Reader TO Those especially of the City of London who have been THE PROMOTERS Of this WORK SIRS THE end of a thing saith Solomon Eccl. 7 8. is better than the beginning thereof Not that all things end better than they begin some persons begin well and some things are begun well which end and are ended not so well that I say not very ill Through the All-disposing providence of God and the importunate call of not a few worthy friends I began this Work and now after twenty-four years travel making twelve stages in so many parts the whole is come forth I am come to the end of it And truly I might justly be reproved at least for dulness and indiligence or counted a very slow-paced Traveller had I spent that twenty-four years the best of my time and strength in measuring so short a journey But as I have this to say towards an Apology for my over-long stay in this work that I have had frequent diversions for a considerable part of that time quite from it so the whole time which I have spent in it hath been but a diversion or time I hope honestly stoln either from my rest or from that which was my more proper work And now that I have at last ended what I began all that I shall say of it is that I have ended it Whether I began it well or have ended it well and whether or no the end be better than the beginning is not for me to say Should I say that I began it well and have ended it well or that the end is better than the beginning it were a piece of most immodest pride and should I say the contrary of both or of either it might deservedly be called more than a piece of proudest modesty Such as it is from the beginning to the end 't is what my weakness with the strength of Christ given in what my small industriousness with the blessing given down from above could attain unto And I humbly give thanks to the Father of lights from whom every good gift and every perfect gift cometh for any light received or held out towards the understanding of this Book in which who sees not there are many things as the Apostle Peter saith of Saint Pauls Epistles hard to be understood so hard to be understood that though I am confident through the grace of God with me I have not wrested them to my own hurt or the hurt much less destruction of others as 't is there said the ignorant and unstable do the other Scriptures to their own destruction yet I am not ashamed to acknowledge that I fear I have not attained so clear an understanding about some of them as to clear them which hath been my desire with satisfaction to the understanding of others However if what I have attained to may be in any measure serviceable to the Church of God or helpful to any poor soul in an afflicted condition such was Jobs I have reached one great end aimed at and if God have any glory by it I have reached the greatest end which can be aimed at And though the work should be found to have many defects possibly mistakes in it yet the ingenuous Reader will candidly interpret them or charitably cover them knowing that failings are common to humane frailty in the best of men how much more in the meanest of them And I shall account it a great kindness if I may be friendly minded of those defects that so if ever any of these Pieces shall be admitted to come out again an amendment may be made and the Work grow up to more perfection This last Part now coming forth contains the whole transaction from first to last between God and Job none speaking but they two and Job but very little Elihu having finisht his speech in the close of the thirty seventh Chapter the Lord himself appeared at the entrance of the thirty eighth in a Majestick and tremendous manner bespeaking Job out of a vehement and tempestuous whirlwind and taking up the same argument which Elihu had so much insisted upon before for the conviction of Job carrieth him in discourse quite through the universe thereby farther to convince him by the view and consideration of his mighty and admirable works of creation and providence how ignorant and weak he was in himself how altogether unable and incompetent to contend with God and therefore how rash and inconsiderate he had been in not submitting how great soever his sufferings were more quietly to him And as Elihu said Chap. 35.11 That God teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth and maketh us wiser than the fowls of Heaven so doubtless one great scope which the Lord had in his eye throughout that discourse was to teach Job and with him us that his care was much more over him and is over us than over the beasts of the earth or the fowls of heaven And hereupon having shewed his own infinite power and wisdom as also his goodness and tender compassions in providing for all sorts of irrational living creatures he left Job and leaves us to make the Inference how watchful he is over how respectful to man a rational as well as a living creature Our blessed Saviour preaching upon the same subject to his Disciples expresseth the Inference Mat. 6.26 Behold the fowls of the air for they sow not neither do they reap nor gather into barns yet yâ—â— heavenly father feedeth them are ye not much better than they And again vers 30. Wherefore it God so cloath the grass of the field which to day is and to morrow is cast into the oven shall he not much more cloath you O ye of little faith Jesus Christ saw it necessary to make these express applications to his Disciples who at that time were both of little faith and of little understanding But here the Lord left Job a wise and knowing man to pick or spell out his meaning and make application to himself while he told him so particularly how his providence at once over-ruled maintained The roaring Lion the wild Goat the wilde Ass the stubborn Unicorn the strong Horse the mighty Behemoth among the beasts of the earth the devouring Raven the proud Peacock the foolish Ostrich the swift winged Hawk and the high-soaring Eagle among the fowls of the air as also the formidable Leviathan among or rather representing all the fishes of the Sea
Metaphorical Whirlwind in those three senses opened But Thirdly with others I take the Whirlwind here in proper sense that is for such a Whiâ—lwind as is often heard and felt sounding blustering and making great disturbance in the ayre blowing up Trees by the roots and overthrowing Houses to the very foundation Ex nube obscura Rab. Levi. Ex Nimbo Bez. Ex procella venti turbine horrifico Eturbine i. e. e nube e qua erupit turbo seu ventus turbineus Pisc Di nube aliqua praeter naturae ordinem facta Grot. De ipsa caligine in qua sc videtur nobis Deus delitescere Vatabl. One of the Rabbins calls it a dark cloud several of the Moderns express it by a rainy or watry cloud out of which issued that dreadful Storm called a Whirlwind Doubtless some sudden extraordinary Wind exceeding the constant order and common course of Nature gathered the clouds at that time Thus God at once hid the glory of his Majesty and testified it much after the same manner as he did at the promulgation of the Law upon Mount Sinai when he answered Job out of the Whirlwind But it may be questioned why did God answer Job out of a Whirlwind First Such a way of answering was most proper to the dispensation of those Old Testament Times when the Covenant of Grace lay covered with Legal Shadows and was usually administred in a clothing or shew of terror especially as was said before at the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai Exod. 19. Deut. 4.12 when so terrible was the sight that Moses said I exceedingly fear and quake Heb. 12.21 And surely the Lord appeared and spake very dreadfully to some of the Prophets in those Elder Times especially to the Prophet Habakkuk who thus reports the consternation of his mind chap. 3.16 When I heard my belly trembled my lips quivered at the voice rottenness entred into my bones and I trembled in my self that I might rest in the day of trouble Now Gospel Times being more clear and calm Christ speaks more clearly and calmly as it was phophesied Isa 42.2 3. He shall not cry nor lift up his voice in the street Christ did not speak out of a Whirlwind A bruised reed he shall not break and the smoaking flax shall he not quench he shall bring forth Judgement unto Victory That is he shall with all tenderness condescend to the weakest souls and deal with them most sweetly gently and compassionately Secondly The Lord spake in a Whirlwind that he might shew the greater State and Majesty to awaken Job yet more or to make him more attentive as also to affect him yet more deeply with the apprehension of his Power and Glory and to leave a greater impression upon his spirit of his own vileness weakness and nothingness Job was yet too big in his own eyes the Lord would annihilate or make him nothing the Lord would beat him out of all conceit with himself out of an opinion of his own integrity and righteousness that he might see and confess there was no way but to lie at his foot abhorring himself and repenting in dust and ashes Such to this day is the pride and stupidness of mans flesh that he hardly attends the Word or Works of God unless awed by some extraordinary Ministration Thirdly We may conceive the Lord appeared and spake in this Whirlwind Aerumnoso homini conformem exhibens aspoctum Munst that he might therein suit his appearance to the state and condition of Job at that time or that he might as it were symbolize with Jobs troubled estate Job as I toucht before was in a Storm and now God declares himself in a storm and that is the reason which some give why the Lord appeared to Moses Exod. 3.2 in a burning bush it was say they that his apparition might answer their present condition The Children of Israel were then in the fire of affliction and entangled in the bush of cruel bondage they were scratcht and torn with briars and thorns and the Lord spake out of a burning bush to Moses as here to Job out of the Whirlwind Fourthly and lastly I conceive the reason why the Lord spake o him in a Storm or Whirlwind was to let him know that he was not well pleased with him but purposed to reprove and chide him De turbine indignationis indice Though Job was a precious servant of God yet God was not well pleased with many passages under his affliction and therefore he would not flatter but humble him For though Job spake from an honest heart and what he said was truth yet God did not like his manner of defence and pleading for himself He was not pleased to see him hold up the Bucklers so long when he should have laid them down rather and submitted David to shew how greatly the Lord was displeased with his enemies tells us what dreadful effects followed the hearing and granting of his prayer against them Psal 18.7 8 9 c. Then the Earth shook and trembled the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken because he was wroth there went a smoke out of his nostrils and fire out of his mouth devoured coals also were kindled by it he bowed the Heavens also and came down and darkness was under his feet c. Thus the Lord appeared in an Earthquake in smoke in fire and darknesse to make the proud opposers of his faithful Servant David know how much his anger was kindled against them Thus also when the Lord revealed himself to Elijah 1 Kings 19.11 it s said a great and strong wind rent the mountains and brake the rocks and after the wind an Earthquake and after the Earthquake a fire before the still voice was heard And why all this but to shew that the Lord was highly displeased with the doings of the Kings of Israel at that time and with that idolatrous generation therefore he appeared in such a dreadful manner while he purposed to conclude all in a still voice Though the Lord was not in the Wind in the Earthquake nor in the Fire yet these were fore-runners of his appearance and signified that the Lord would shake that people with a mighty Wind and Earthquake of Judgement yea even consume them with the fire of his wrathful jealousie for their superstitious following after Baal and deserting his appointed Worship When the lusts of wicked men grow fiery and stormy God will convince them with fire and stormes and if his own servants grow too bold with him he will make them sensible of it as here he did Job by speaking to them out of a Whirlwind though he be intended to speak to them at last as he did to Elijah in a still voice and to Job with favour and approbation Thus much for the opening of these words Then the Lord answered Job out of the Whirlwind and said Hence Observe First The great goodness of God who condescends or lets
than a Whirle-wind yet Job found this storme ushering in a sweet calme and a most comfortable sunshine Job said chap. 9.16 17. If I had called and he had answered me yet would I not have beleeved that he had hearkened to my v ice for he breaketh me with a tempest or a Whirld-wind Now the Lord came in a Whirl-wind and Job finds the quite contrary God came in a Whirl-wind not to break him but to bind him up not to condemn him but to convince him not to discourage him but to comfort him comfort comes out of a storme Thus comfort hath come to many a poor soule and it comes thus sometimes to the whole Church of God When Jacob was in a stormy condition because of his brother Esau then the Lord came to him Gen. 32. but how came he to him one would have thought that Jacob being in such a condition the Lord who came to comfort him would have taken him by the hand and embraced him or walkt aside with him and told him I am come to help thee and deliver thee be of good cheer let not thy heart be troubled at the approach of thy bloody brother for I am with thee One would have thought I say the Lord should have treated him in some such manner but what saith the text v. 24 there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day Poor Jacob was tugging and swetting all night as if he would sweat his heart out here was a strange kind of greeting 't is not said the man saluted him or spake a kind word to him much less complemented with him he only wrestled with him and when he had toyled a geat while he put his thigh out of joyâ—t which was very course usage and only said Let me goe which was very course language yet the Lord came at that time with a full purpose to bless him deliver him out of the hand of Esau Then be not afraid of storms for the Lord hath sunshine in his heart when there 's nothing but a storm in his face The Lord may come to you in poverty and sickness he may chasten you with pain upon your bed Perpetuum deo est vulnerare quos vult sanare percellere quos vult consulari ostendere se maximum cum vult optimum demonstrare and the multitude of your bones with strong pains till you say as Hezekiah in his sickness Isa 38.13 I reckoned till morning that as a Lion so will he break all my bones and yet intend so much mercy that you shll say as David Ps 35.10 All my bones shall say Lord who is like unto thee which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him yea the poor and needy from him that spoileth him The Lord hath gracious purposes towards his people in saddest appearances Then the Lord answered Job out of the Whilrl-wind and said What said he His saying was as stormy as his appearing Vers 2. Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge This Verse and ths next are a Preface to what God had further to say unto his afflicted servant Job The former verse was the Historians Preface these two are the Lords Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge We have here First A check lighting somewhere Who is this Secondly We have the matter for which this person is checkt and that is for darkening counsel Thirdly We have that by which he is charged to have darkned counsel and that is By words without knowledge and his ignorance or want of knowledge is implied as discovered in speaking or rather complaining so much concerning his own sufferings and the severity of Gods dealings with him whereby he had at once cast a cloud upon the Justice and reflected upon the goodness and mercy of God Who 's is this The words may be taken First as a bare enquiry after he man Who is this what man is this as Saul spake of David after the victory which he had got over Goliah Whose son is this youth 1 Sam. 17.55 but that I conceive is too flat and lean a sense in this place as if the Lord did only make enquiry after the man Therefore Secondly These words Who is this carry in them a rebuke who is it that hath done this As if God pointing at Job had said is it you I could not have believed that my servant Job would have so much forgotten himself or have been so bold with me as to reflect upon my just though severe proceedings by his weak reasonings which faith only can make him understand aright Such Questions in Scripture often carry a rebuke in them yea Thirdly more then a rebuke they carry a slight or contempt of the person about whom the question is put As when men presume as some blasphemously have done to say Who is the Lord What is the Almighty that we should serve him they speak contemptuously and slightingly of God So when God speaks thus to man who is this he may be said to speak slightingly of man Again as when man speaking of himself saith as Psal 8.4 What is man that thou art mindful of him he slights or vilifies himself so when the Lord saith who is this or who is the other it carryeth the same sense Interrogations are quick sharp speeches and usually those speeches are quick and sharp which begin with an Interrogation and doubtless this Interrogation hath a double sharpness or two stings in it First Of rebuke or reprehension Forma ipsa interrogationis qua nullum exprimitur proprium nomen solet ad contemptum pertinere exprobrationem Secondly Of a slight or diminution Job though indeed a man of an excellent spirit had been too bold with God and therefore no wonder if God spake though he contemned him not contemningly to him Who is this Yet here it is questioned who the person was whether Job or no that is aimed at or intended in this rebuking or contemning Question There are two opinions about it and the matter is carried on both sides as one expresseth it by no inconsiderable Arguments First Some conceive Elihu was the person concerned in this Question Who is this and they give several reasons for it I shall only mention two First because he was the man that spake last we had him speaking six Chapters quite through while Job spake not a word and therefore say they it seems most probable that when God came to speak he would undertake him that spake last Who is this Secondly Because Elihu had not carryed the matter so clearly and fully with Job as he should but had failed though not as Jobs three friends had done before and that therefore as the Lord reproved and taxed them by name in the 42d Chapter so here Elihu is taxed more covertly for obsâ—uring his Counsel Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge These are the two chief Arguments which fasten the
else but wrest and darken the Word of God I intend not humane learning meerly in Arts and Sciences though there be great use of them but I mean especially Holy and Divine Learning They that are not taught of God nor have the light of God in them cannot but darken the things and Counsels of God how much humane learning soever they have The Prophet foretels us of Christ speaking thus of himself as the great Prophet Isa 50.4 The Lord hath given me the tongue the learned that I should kn w how to speak a word in season to him that is weary that is to those who are wearied not with bodily labours and travels but with soul-labours and travels about the pardon of their sins and the favour of God to their souls He that speaks a word effectually for the refreshing of such weary ones must open the Counsels of God to them and he that doth so must have the tongue of the learned that is a tongue taught of God how to speak else he will never be able to do it knowingly but through the darkness of his own mind will darken the Counsel of God concerning those dark souls and so rather weary them more than relieve them out of their weariness That the soul be without knowledge is not good Prov. 19.2 that is 't is very bad such Negatives in Scripture intend their contrary Affiâ—matives and as it is not good or very bad for themselves whosoever they are so it is not good for them with respect to others who are called to declare the Counsels of God to others Souls without knowledge cannot open but are apt to darken the Soul-counsels of God Sixthly Inasmuch as God reproved Job for this Note God will not take it well if we speak improperly darkly and unsafely of his Matters and Counsels though our minds be honest and our meaning good in what we speak We had need be cautious what we say and not talk at random about the things of God Job a holy and a wise man had a peal rung in his ear for speaking words without knowledge words not duly poized and placed There are some who will catch at and take hold of every slip of the tongue they will make a man an offender for a word which hath no real ground of offence in it as the Prophet spake Isa 29.11 God may justly make a man an offender for a word which he thought was without offece Lastly Consider when God came to reprove Job he did not charge him with iny ill intentions but with ill expressions He indeed had darkened his Counsel by words Without knowledge but God did not say he had a purpose and a mind to do it nor did he say that Job had spoken lastly but that he had spoken truth obscurely The Lord did not object hypocrisie or impiety against him but imbecility as not having handled the Judgements of God nor delivered his own judgement clearly and prudently enough but had hudled and put things so passionately and confusedly together that some could not tell how to distinguish them from blasphemy Hence Note God will not charge any man beyond his fault If he did it in a heat of passion God will not deal with him as if he had done it in cold blood as we sy or with a setled resolution The Lord will not call a slip of the tongue an errour of the mind much less a minded nor God knowe the intent and purpose of every man that speaks he weighs not only our actions but words he knows not only what we say but why and with what aimes we say it and therefore he never urgeth any mans sin beyond it self Job had darkned the Counsel of God only by words without knowledge therefore God would not charge him to have darkned his Counsel knowingly or against the light of knowledge Yea notwithstanding this fault the Lord having reproved him for it proceeds presently as some interpret the next verse to comfort and encourage him Vers 3. Gird up now thy loins like a man As if the Lord had said thou hast spoken thus and ths of my Counsels now give me an account of what thou hast spoken Gird up thy loins like a man Cinctus lumbonum erit pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Coc. To call a man to gird up his loins is to bid him be in a readiness or to prepare himselfe for any work The strength of a man is in his loins and they who are weak are said to be loin-lesse To gird up the lions is a powerbial speech and may be used to a man who weareth the shortest garments yea to him who is naked Hence the Lord bid Job to gird up his loins who possibly was so weak that he could not stand upon his legs or possibly had no long garments at all There is a girding the lions with sack-cloth that is with sorrow implying the work of repentance and mortification Isa 22.12 In that day did the Lord God of Hosts call to weeping and to mourning and to baldness and to girding with sackcloth The two Witnesses of Christ are said to prophesie in sackcloth one thousand two hundred any sixty dayes Rev. 11.3 to note that they were in a sad or sorrowful conditoin all the dayes of their Prophesie Thus Jobs loins had been girt a long time But Again There is a girding of the loins with joy Thou hast put off from me my sackcloth and girded me with gladness Psal 30.11 Also There is a girding of the lions with strength Psal 17.39 Further we may take notice of a fourfold use in Scripture of girding up the loins Cingulum amkulaturi First There is a girding up the lions for travel or when a man is to take a journey Thus Elisha said to Gehazi 2 Kings 4.29 Gird up thy loins and take thy staffe in thy hand and go thy way c. It was a fashion in those Eastern Countreys where they wore their garments long and ordinarily loose to gird them up in travel Secondly Cingulum ministraturi There is a girding up the loins for serving or waiting so Christ expresseth it Luke 12.35 Let your loins be girded about and your lamps burning and ye your selves like unto men that wait for their Lord. And he saith at the 37th vcese Blessed are those servants whom the Lord when he cometh shall find watching Verily I say unto you that he shall gird himself and make them to sit down to meat and will come forth and serve them that is he will be ready to do them offices of love as it were in person which is an expression of the greatest condescention For when Christ would set forth the common custom among men he saith Luke 17.7 8. Which of you having a servant plowing or feeding Cattel will say unto him by and by when he is come from the field Go and sit down to meat and will not rather say Gird thy self and serve me c. Girding is
preparatory to serving or waiting Thirdly Cingulum operaturi Accinctus dicitur qui industrius discinctus qui negligens est Drus Accingere se ad opus aliquod It notes in Scripture preparation for any labour or work that we are called to whether of mind or body He is alwayes girt that is ready for work and industrious at it whereas carelesse and idle persons are alwayes ungirt and so unbless'd When Jeremiah was called to that great work of the mind or inner man the Lord said to him chap. 1.17 Thou therefore gird up thy loins and arise and speak unto them all that I command thee A Prophets work begins at his heart and ends at his tongue yet for that his loins must be girt Fourthly Girding up the loins Cingulum pugnaturi Antiquitas cingulum consecravit Mart. notes a preparation for Battel and War Thus David spake of Christ Psal 45.3 Gird thy sword upon thy thigh O most mighty So spake that King to his proud Challenger Let not him that girdeth on his armour boast as he that putteth it off 1 Kings 20.11 That is let not him that prepareth himself for battel carry it as he that hah won the day and got the victory When the Apostle describing our spiritual warfare minds us to stand having our loins girt about with truth Eph. 6.14 he would also have us stand with our loins girt for the truth that is as another Apostle speaks Jude 3. to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints or to undertake the defence and maintenance of the truth against all comers or opposers Girding in the Text is of this latter sort Appara te ad suturam disceptationem Vatab Disputing is a kind of fighting and warring Opponents and Respondents are like Combatants Arma te nunc armis tuis sicut vir strenuus ad committendum duellum mecum Ecce venio ad literarum duellum tecum Arma te scientiae armis Cajet Signanter de praecinctione lumborum facit mentionem quia per lumbos carnalis voluptas intelligitur quae praecipue inipedit spirituaalem auditum Aquin. In arcano sermone significat libidinis in lumbis residentis compressionem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sonat virtutem fortitudinem quod opponitur blanditiis lenociniis infirmitati faemineae Ut vir emphatice animo viriti promptitudine virili Controversal Divinity is called Polemical Divinity Disputes are Word-Wars And there have been as hot wars made by the Pen as ever were by the Sword Thus the Lord seems to send Job a challenge to the battel by a further debate Arme thy self like a mighty man get ready for the duel for I am purposed to try what a man thou art in arguing or at an argument I have heard thee too stiffe in complaining or at a complaint Lastly This girding up of the loins hath as some conceive a spiritual intendment in it noting the mortification of lust or of the sensual appetite They that go about any business for God or with God had need to have their lusts subdued Gird up thy loins Like a maâ— That is like a mighty man a Giant emphatically as a man with manly courage and activity shew thy self what a man thou aâ—t let me see what thou canst do thou hast heretofore braved it and even challenged me and desired that thou mightest come to the battel O that I knew where I might find him that I might come even to his seat chap. 23.3 Now then Gird up thy loins like a man shew thy strength I mean to enter the list with thee I have taken up the glove as it were and am resolved to try it out with thee Gird up thy loins like a man Do not play the child do not trisle with me do not think that I come to trifle with thee Some carry the opposition thus Gird up thy loins like a man not like a woman who girds her self often for ornament only and sometimes for ostentation but like a man that resolves to go about his work and make a business of it Thus Gird up thy loins like a man To do a thing strenuously and with expedition is the work of a man who is neither recarded by difficulty not tired with labour nor frighted with danger therefore the Lord counsels Job to gird up his loins like as men do when they set themselves about or undertake any great business he would not have him do it as tender weak women or as effeminate men Taking these words in the first notion as an encouragement to Job or as comforting words which I conceive to be a good sense Observe God is ready to revive poor and afflicted souls when they are in any distress He knows how it is with us and he will not suffer any temptation to take hold of us but such as he will give strength to bear and encourage us in the bearing of it He saith to fainting ones as here Come gird up your loins or as Heb. 12.12 Lift up the hands which hang down and the feeble knees Secondly Take the words in that other general notion God calling Job to a great business saith Gird up thy loins prepare thy self VVhence Note We need actual preparation before any duty especially before great duties Never go about any work without your loins girt A man whose mind is ungirt is unready for any service though he may have much outward readiness and all manner of accomodations for it VVhen we pray we should gird up our loins to prayer The Prophet complained Isa 64.7 There 's none calls upon thy Name VVhat none at all Surely not so they were not come to that height of Prophaneness as to throw up or to throw off prayer quite Many among the Jews I may say all of them prayed but they did not gird up their loins to prayer That 's fully the Prophets meaning and almâ—st his language in the next words There is none that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee It is not enough to have a habit of grace unless it be stirred up to duty or unless we bestir our selves in duty The Apostle exhorts Timothy 2 Ep. 1.6 Stir up the gift of God that is in thee If fire be not stirred up it grows dead and gives little or no heat 't is so with our gifts and graces Therefore in prayer in hearing the VVord c. gird up the loins of your mind if you would either do any good in those duties or get any He that lies upon a sick-bed must gird up the loins of his mind to beat his affliction else he will never profit by it nor answer the ends of God in it No grace can be exercised by a soul ungirded Therefore remember St. Peters counsel 1 Ep. 1.13 Gird up the loins of your mind be sober and hope to the end hope perfectly for the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ Notat promptam
ab omni alia cupiditatâ— reductam spem Coc. As if the Apostle had said ye can never act your hope to purpose nor your faith to purpose unless you gird up your loins Habits of grace are unprofitable to us without this actual preparation and excitation of grace It is our duty Heb. 10.24 to provoke or stir up others to love and good works much more is it our duty to provoke and stir up our selves Thirdly In that he saith Gird up thy loins like a man Note God would have us do our best our utmost in every thing we do he would have us put our selves out in every duty Solomon adviseth Eccl. 9.10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it with all thy might that is do it like a man vigorously strenuously do it with both hands Quit you like men in doing it be strong as the Apostle exhorts 1 Cor. 16.3 To do the work of the Lord negligently and slightly with half a heart or no heart with half a hand or no hand scarce with a little finger with half strength or no strength this is not to do it like a man VVe should be in doing like the Sun in moving which saith David Psal 19.5 As a Bridegroom cometh out of his chamber and rejoyceth as a strong man to run a race If we would run our race like a strong man strongly and prevailingly we must be sure to do two things First VVe must lay aside every weight and the sin thut doth so easily beset us Heb. 12.1 Secondly VVe must as here the Lord directs Job gird up our loins and buckle to it Fourthly As these words carry in them a kind of Irony or divine scorn put upon Iob by the Holy God Come let me see what a man thou art thou hast spoken often what thou wouldst do and what thou wouldst say if thou couldst have thy option thy wish now thou hast thy wish let me see what a man thou art thou wilt surely appear a brave man by the time that I have done with thee Hence Note God will make men see how unable they are to deal with him when 't is best with them or when they are at the best even when their loins are girt Every man at his best estate is altogether vanity How vain then is man at his worst Job was low and in a bad condition as to his outward man especially when God dealt with him and how did he carry it in the day when God dealt with him Did his heart endure or were his hands strong as the Prophet spake to those Ezek. 22.14 Did he carry it like a man In one sense not but like a child he had not a word to speak Once have I spoken but I will speak no more yet it must be confessed he never carried it so like a godly man as when like a child he had a word to speak God will make man see what a nothing he is in his best condition when girt and prepared when armed Cap-a-pe all over for any service for God even then man is a vain thing without the present assistance of God what is he then when he is to contend or plead with God! If the whole world should lay their forces or as we say compare notes together what could they do in dispute with God They that think they touch the clouds with their heads would moulder as dust at his feet That such was the contention to which the Lord here calls Job and bids him gird up his loins or be in a readiness for appears plainly in the next words I will demand of thee and answer thou me As if the Lord had said Thou gavest me my choice So Iob did chap. 13.22 whether I would be Opponent or Defendant well then saith God this is my choice I will oppose and do thou answer I will demand of thee That is put questions to thee and we shall see presently how thick questions or demands came upon him like hail-shot and he had not a word to answer though God required it And answer thou me Mr. Broughton renders And let me see thy skill 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Et notifica mihi The word is Instruct me or Make me to know Wise me as we say I would fain be informed by thee teach thou me notifie the matter to me as the word may be translated I will demand and answer thou me The Lord did not call upon him for Answers as to be informed by him Sunt quaedam interrogationes quae non fiunt ut sciatur veritas ab inâ—errogante sed ut extorqueatur a respondente vel certo prodatur ignorantia respondentis cujusmodi esse solent magistratuum magistrorum interrogationes Ironia continuatur Non enim eo interrogaturus crat ut disceret sed ut doceret vel ut Job intelligeret fateretur se ignorare Coc. Ironia sed amica â—ua Jobum vult in viam reducere Merc. but only to convince him that he could not answer him as he confessed at the fifth verse of the fortieth Chapter Once have I spoken but I will not answer nor indeed could he To all the demands which the Lord made afterwards he made no answer at all so that these words Answer me or Instruct and inform me are a gentle irony whereby the Lord would make him know himself or be sensible of his own ignorance or small attainments in knowledge and thereby convince him that he had done rashly in desiring and wishing for such a debate or hearing of his cause The Lord was pleased to rebuke him thus secretly or in a figure and not to fall upon him in plain downright terms O thou weak and ignorant creature who hast presumed to appear before me and try thy cause with me Now Go to Let me see what thou canst do shew thy best skill put forth thy utmost strength of argument in reasoning about or against my dealings with thee Thus the Lord might have confounded him but he was pleased to carry it in a milder way yet in a way as effectual to humble and meeken Jobs spirit God needs not press man by power he can do it by reason or force of argument and so stop his mouth for ever The Apostle saith Rom. 3.19 All the world shall become guilty before God and in the same Chapter he saith God shall be justified in his sayings and overcome when he is judged The Lord alwayes doth things with so much justice and speaks with so much reason that no man is able to answer a word or reply upon him And though he might silence or stop any mans mouth by his meer Command and Authority yet he condescends to do it rather by reason and demonstration lest any should say or complain they were rather over-powered by the greatness of his Majesty than cast by the right and equity of his Cause Thus we see how the Lord in this Preface prepares Job to hearken to those demands
he hath founded it upon the waters as was shewed before yet that cannot be meant properly for how can water a fluid body naturally bear up or sustain the Earth a heavy body and not at all boyant We all see it hangeth or standeth in the ayre But what foundation can the ayre be to the Earth which will scarcely bear a feather It remains then undeniable that the Will and Power of God are the foundations of the Earth Rationi nihil occurrit cui innitatur terra si divinam exceperis voluntatem Nazian Orat. 24. There 's nothing can be given or assigned in reason if you look not to the Will of God for the foundation of the Earth Besides that there 's no bottom for it One of the Ancients giving a description of the Creation saith All things are laid up in his Power and Will these are the foundations the stay and establishment of all things Omnia reposita existimo in ejus potestate quod voluntas ejus sit fundamentum universorum Ambr. l. 1. Hexam c. 6. And as it is so with respect to the standing of the Earth so with respect to all those great things which God hath promised to do in the Earth the foundation of them all is his own Power and Will or his Powerful Will The foundation laid in Election and the foundation laid in Redemption by Jesus Christ other foundation can no man lay for all our spiritual comforts present priviledges and future hopes 1 Cor. 3.11 These foundations I say were laid in the Will of God Lo I come to do thy Will O God Heb. 10.7.9 The Will of God is the foundation and establishment of all things whether Natural or Civil Spiritual or Eternal Seventhly From the scope of these words we may Observe God who hath made the Earth by his Power doth also govern it and man who inhabits it And therefore man ought to be quiet and sit down in his governing as well as in his Creating Will. To convince and perswade Job of this is as hath been toucht the purpose of God in all that followeth He that hath made the World governs the World and if so shall poor creatures you or I or any other though a Job find fault with his government of it Will a Master-Builder suffer any one to find fault with his work who understands not how to lay a stone in it much less to give the rule or direction for the whole work Forasmuch then as the Lord is not only the Master-Builder but the sole Maker of this great House the World it becomes man for whose use it was made to acquiesce or rest quietly in his Government of it Surely the Maker of all things hath a right to dispose of all things and therefore all persons are to be satisfied in his disposal of them From the whole verse and the observations given upon it take these Scripture inferences First The Scripture makes this inference from it God is one and there is none like to him Isa 40.26 Isa 46.8 To whom will ye liken me to whom will you compare me I am he that stretched out the heavens and laid the foundation of the earth there 's none like to him in Wisdome none in Power who laid the foundation of the Earth There was never such a visible piece of work done in the World as the making of the World therefore theâ—e is none such as the Maker of the World The hypocrite is brought in dreaming that God was altogether such as himself Psal 50.21 And 't is as it hath been the common guise of Idolaters to think that God is no better than their Idol But what the Lord by his Prophet Jer. 10.11 12 taught the captive Jews to say to their great Lords the Babylonians the same hath he taught us to say to all Hypocrites and Idolaters The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under these heavens Then presently followeth as in Job He hath made the earth by his power he hath established the world by his wisdom and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion As if it had been said Will ye imagine that the Idols which you have made are like him who made you and all things And 't is considerable that whereas the whole Prophesie of Jeremy is written in the Hebrew Tongue this eleventh verse which holds out at once a testimony and a threatning against those Idolaters is written in the Chaldean Language with which the Jews by their long Captivity in Babylon were well acquainted that so the Babylonians might hear of it and know that the God of Israel who made heaven and earth was altogether unlike their gods who did never so much as arrogate to themsâ—lves any hand in much less the sole power of making heaven and earth Secondly Take this Scripture inference Seeing the Lord hath laid the foundations of the earth by his own Power and Wisdome then He is the Proprietor of the whole earth or the whole earth is the Lords proper possession Psal 34.1 The earth is the Lords aâ—d the fulness thereof the Lord made it and it is his He was not called nor set a work to build this great House for another but he made iâ— as by his own power so for his own pleasure all the inhabitants of the earth are his tenants and not only the earth but the whole stock and furniture of it is his For as the Lord made the earth so all that the earth is stored with Thus spake Abraham Gen. 14.22 to the King of Sodome who bid him take the goods to himself I have lifted up my hand unto the Lord the most high God possessor of heaven and earth that I will not take from a threed even to a shoe latchet c. As if he had said The Lord who is possessor of heaven and earth is my portion my possession and he can give me enough of the earth yea he will give me heaven also therefore I will not take any thing of thine lest thou shouldest say I have made Abraham rich The Lord who is possessor of the earth can give his people what earthly portions or possessions of the earth he pleaseth And let us remember what earthly portions soever we have in this world we have no reason to boast seeing all is the Lords and we are but his stewards and tenants at will And because 't is the Lords earth which we possess let us also remember to pay our rent our quit-rent to him that is thanks duly and daily lest we provoke him to distrain upon us or to take the forfeiture and turn us out of all Many hold lands from great Lords to pay only some small rent or service in a way of acknowledgement O let us remember to pay our rent to our Great Land-Lord The Lord of the whole earth They who acknowledge what they have is his or that they have and hold all they have
of him will honour him with what they have even with their substance and with the first fruits of all their increase Prov. 3.9 Thirdly We may infer Seing God founded the earth He is also the Ruler of it And that the Lord rules the earth is a mercy to all men on the earth The Lord reigns let the earth rejoyce Psal 97.1 That is men of the earth have cause to rejoyce because they have God who is infinitely both wise and good to rule them The Lord is King over all the earth sing ye praises with understanding Psal 47.7 And surely they who understand what a King he is will praise him Fourthly We may be encouraged to go unto God or apply our selves to God about all things here on earth seeing â—e hath laid the fouâ—dations of the earth The Lord having invited his people to ask him things to come concerning his sons and concerning the work of his hands to command him Isa 45.11 adds this in the next words as an encouragement to do so I have made the earth and created man upon it As if he had said Ask of me whatever you would have me do or would have done on earth for I am he that created the earth It may help our faith much when as David expresseth it Psal 11.3 the very foundations of earthly things are destroyed to consider that God laid the foundations of the earth In such a case it may be said as it followeth there in the Psalme What can the righteous do but may it not be said even in that hard case when foundations are destroyed What cannot the Lord do who laid the foundations of the earth This argument the Psalmist also useth Psal 124.8 Our help stands in the Name of the Lord who made heaven and earth Though earth and heaven shake and seem to be confounded or mingled together yet he who made heaven and earth without help can give us help or be our helper If our help stood in the best of men made of earth they might fail us but while our help stands in him that made the earth he will never fail us for he hath said he will not Heb. 13.5 and their experience who have trusted the Lord hath said it too Psal 9.10 This is the great priviledge of all that believe they may address to God by Christ for any thing in this earth because he is the Maker of it and having made it by a word speaking what cannot he do for them if he speak the word Fifthly Let us be much in praising the Lord for his wisdom power and greatness all which gloriously appear and shine forth in his laying the foundations of the earth David makes this a special part of Divine praise Psal 136.6 VVe should not onely praise the Lord for the great things he hath done on the earth but for this that he hath made the earth The work of God in laying the foundations of the earth calls as loudly for our praise as any thing except our redemption from the earth Rev. 5.9 chap. 14.3 which ever God wrought upon the face of the earth The making of the earth calls us to praise the Lord First Because he hath made so vast a body as this earth is or because he hath made such a large house for us Secondly Because he hath founded it so miraculosly hanging upon nothing that appears but in the ayre yet standing more firmly than any house built upon a rock Thirdly VVe should praise the wisdom of God that hath formed it so exactly and adorned it so richly It 's not a house huddled and clapt up together without skill or art though it was made word a word speaking in six days yet it was made with infinite wisdom as is more particularly held out v. 5. where the Lord speaks of laying the measures thereof and stretching the line upon it as also of fastning the foundations and laying the câ—rner-stone thereof all which â—â—ew it is not a house clapt up in haste but made with admirable exactness so that as 't is usual when great houses are built there were great acclamations made at the building of it as we have it the seventh verse of this Chapter then the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy to see such a magnificent pile reared up Lastly Take this inference If the visible world be such a building what is the invisible world the City having foundations which God hath prepared for those that love him Thus much of the first part of Jobs Conviction he had nothing to do in laying the foundations of the earth and he had as little in setting up and finishing that goodly structure as will appear in that which followeth Yet before the Lord proceeded any further to question Job about this great work of Creation he requires or calls for his answer in the close of this fourth verse to the question propounded in the former part of it Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the Earth Declare if thou hast understanding God challengeth Job to answer The Hebrew is If thou knowest understanding And so the word is used Isa 29.24 where we render They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding or as the Margin hath it shall know understanding Again Huram said 2 Chron. 2.12 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel that made heaven and earth who hath given to David the King a wise son endued with prudence and understanding The Original is thus strictly read Knowing prudence and understanding Daniel spake in the same forme chap. 2.21 He giveth wisdom to the wise and knowledge to them that know understanding To know is a work of the understanding No man knoweth any thing but by the help of his understanding The understanding is the first or Master-wheel in that noble engine the soul of man and when rightly informed and inlightned all the other wheels or faculties of the soul move aright unless over-poized by passions and self-ends Every rational creature hath an understanding yet every rational creature doth not know understanding that is doth not is not able to speak knowingly or to use and act his understanding knowingly about every matter The Lord supposeth Job might be defective here and therefore bespeaks him thus Declare if thou hast understanding or knowest understanding As if he had said The things which I question thee about may possibly be too high or too big for thy understanding Si perituâ— sis tantarum rerum Vatab. such as possibly thou canst not reach And hence some render or rather paraphrase the Text thus Declare if thou art skilful in such great things as I now speak of If thou art so wise as thou seemest to be by thy former contesting with my provideâ—ces declare thy wisdom in this point wherein I know thou wilt but declare thy ignorance thy infancy or inability to speak as one speaks Thou wilt shew thy self but a child while thou
goest about to resolve this question An experienced Architect is not to be corrected by a Novice who never took tool in hand nor hath ever read line about that Art Wilt thou therefore who art made of the earth undertake to reprehend my work who made the earth in ordering and disposing the condition of man on earth Declare if thou hast understanding Note First The right declaring of any thing is a work of the understanding A man must see into a matter by the eye of his mind before he can duly declare his mind sense or sentence about it A fools bolt we say is soon shot his tongue runs before his wit but a wise man will not declare no man can declare well before he understands His wit keeps pace at least with his tongue He that answereth a matter saith Solomon Prov. 18.13 before he heareth it it is folly and shame to him It is so also him that heareth it if he answereth it before he understands it Declare if thou hast understanding Note Secondly Some works of God are such and so high that no man hath understanding enough to reach or declare them Declare if thou hast understanding how the foundations of the earth were laid Man knoweth not where he was not what he was before he was how then should he declare how any thing was done by God before he was The great thing which God would inform Job in is the same which the Apostle would inform us all in Rom. 11.33 34. while he brake out as a man amazed at the sight of a tremendous gulf in this passionate Exclamation O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgements and his wayes past finding out for who hath known the mind of the Lord or who hath been his Counsellor The Lord having put this question to Job about the Creation of the Earth in general proceedeth more distinctly to put him questions about that work in allusion to buildings And here are four things in these two verses which have a twofold respect to buildings Here are two things which have respect to the form and symetry of a building And here are two things which have respect to the strength and firmness of a building The form symetry and right order of a building is laid down in the fifth verse where the Lord speaks of the measures of the earth and of stretching out a line upon it The measuring of a building and the stretching out of the line upon it respect the right ordering and modelling or the due frame of the fabrick The two other things that concern the strength of a building are the laying of the foundation and the fastening of the corner-stone both these we have in the sixth verse Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened or who laid the corner-stone thereof So then we have here these two great and necessary concernments of a building First The due form Secondly The firmness of it When a builder intends to raise a fabrick he first considereth and measureth the ground or plat where he intends to build With respect to this saith God Who hath laid the measures thereof Secondly When he is building Ad amussi eriguntur parietes he useth his line to keep the work level and right with respect to which God saith Who hath stretched the line upon it Thirdly The builder that his work may be substantial will be sure to fix his foundation sure in respect of which the Lord enquires of Job Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened Fourthly The builder will be very careful to set right the corner-stone which holds the walls together with respect to which he demands an account in these words Who hath laid the corner stone thereof Vers 5. Who hath laid the measures thereof That is taken the measures of the earth These measures respect the quantity or dimensions of the earth its length breadth and thickness these were laid meerly according to the good pleasure of God which no man is able to give a reason of and therefore he adds if thou knowest The word which we render laid implies a laying with art as also with care and diligence in all keeping a due decorum or proportion respecting the length breadth and deepness of the building God used this word when he spake to Moses about the fabrick of mans body which is a little world a compendium of the greater world Exod. 4.11 Who hath made mans mouth or who hath made the deaf or the seeing c. The Text is Who hath laid mans mouth Who hath laid it in that due proportion or so placed it that it may fit with the whole and every member that it with the eyes eares c. may stand in perfect order both for use and ornament Thus the Lord hath laid the measures of the earth He measured out the several parts of it where the vallies should be and where the plains where the hills and mountains and where the rivers and channels He measured all these that is he disposed them in a comely order There is a great appearance of the wisdom of God in setling every thing in its proper place that one may answer in proportion with another the perfection and beauty of the whole ariseth out of the symetry and proportionableness of the parts Who hath laid the measures thereof Further This laying the measures notes as the exactness so the greatness of the work In Scripture language a building of measures or an house of measures signifieth a great house or building Jer. 22.14 Wo to him that saith I will build me a wide house and large chambers Doman commensuratam Sept. The Hebrew is an house of measures that is of a great measure The Septuagint render it a measured house a house having a due proportion of longitude and latitude of heighth and depth When the searchers sent by Moses came back and reported the state of the land which they had viewed we saw said they men of a great stature Numb 13.32 The Text is men of measures vast and tall men Little things have little need of measuring and 't is scarce worth while to do it But as great things are greatly to be admired so they are worthy to be measured How great how marvelous is that mystical City and Temple whose measures were taken and shewed to Ezekiel in a Vision chap. 40.41 42.48 v. 30 31 32 33 34 35. Such is the earth in greatness that God only who is himself altogether immeasurable and therefore greatest of all can lay and hath laid the measures of it Who hath laid the measures thereof If thou knowest The Lord puts this supposition again to his question as before Declare if thou hast understanding so here if thou knowest Some read these words ironically thus Declare Quandoquident scitus es Jun. for thâ—u doubtless knowest who hath laid the measures thereof Thou art so wise and skilful a man that
surely thou canst declare this secret Mr. Broughton hits the same sense For thou wilt be skilful that is thought skilful and taken among men for no babe a knowing man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mensurare sumitur pro mensura activa qua aliquid monsuramus aut pro re ipsa mensurata Mensuras ejus puta circumferentiam seu latitudinem diametrum sive profunditatem Pisc and therefore canst give me a good account of the measures of the earth both as to its circumference and diameter that is what the compass of it is and what the depth through the middle of the earth is Thus the words carry in them a cutting irony the matter being so much beyond Jobs knowledge of which the Lord saith to him For thou knowest which we render If thou knowest But the Hebrew particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rather and oftner I suppose used in a causal than in a conditional signification Here it may be said what difficulty is there in this Question Who laid the measures of the earth Job might easily answer God laid them Therefore I conceive not only yea not so much who laid them as how they were laid or what they are is here intended The most learned and studied Mathematicians could never give a right measure of the earth nor yet agree about that matter They measure it first as to the depth of it what the diameter of the earth is from top to bottom but they differ much in opinion what the depth or diameter of the earth is Some have reckoned it three thousand and fifty miles Oâ—hers have said it containeth six thousand and seventy miles And a third sort have concluded that it is seven thousand one hundred and seventy miles Thus they guess but could never yet come to know the true measures of the earth in deepness And if we consider the Perimiter or circumference of the earth there hath been as much variety of conjecture about that Some of the learned have reckoned the earth fifty thousand miles in compass Oâ—hers make it thirty and four thousand six hundred twenty five A third computation gives it to be thirty one thousand and five hundred miles There are who have brought it down to twenty two thousand five hundred yea to twenty thousand and four hundred miles And they who are judged most exact among the Moderns have reduced the account of the compass of the whole earth to nineteen thousand and fourscore miles Thus the learned and wise men of the world after their greatest studies know not what the measures the just measures of the earth are nor how they were laid And therefore God might well say to Job Who hath laid the measures thereof if thou knowest Who ever could say to this day without mistake what the measures of it are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sumitur pro filo quod Latomi utrirque â—ffixum extendunt in longitudinem muri Appâ—llatur linea vel quia ex lino fit vel quia figuram rectam efficit quae etiam linea dicitur Bold Artifices ne quid indecenter fiat aut sine proportione regulam adhibent ad omnia dirigenda That is one thing A second followeth Or who hath stretched the line upon it As if he had said Who hath made the earth so exactly To do a thing in print and to do it by line are proverbials of the same signification The line is an instrument of great use in building Carpenters and Masons must have their line and plummet else they cannot keep their work even Now saith the Lord to Job Who hath stretched the line upon it The Lord still pursues the allusion to a building To stretch forth the line signifies in Scripture First The exercise of power And then Who hath stretched the line upon it is Who hath ordered and governed the earth The Apostle Paul spake of the line and of stretching forth the line in this sense 2 Cor. 10.8 where having said that he had power from God a spiritual power not for destruction but for edification he presently adds vers 13. But we will not boast of things without our measure but according to the measure of the rule or line as we put in the Margin which God hath distributed unto us for we stretch not our selves beyond our measure That is we are not greedy of nor do we grasp more power than is given and allowed us of God nor will we exercise our power further than Christ hath appointed and commanded us This stretching forth of the line is the exercise of power and that 's a metaphorical sense of it Secondly To stretch the line is to build or to make preparation for building Zech. 1.16 Thus saith the Lord I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies my house shall be built in it and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem Again chap. 4.10 Who hath despised the day of small things for they shall rejoyce and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel When the Lord would assure his people that Jerusalem should be restored he doth it by promising the stretching forth of the line and the sight of the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel commanding overseeing and directing the work The line and plummet being of much and most necessary use for the right setting of a building signified that God was about to build Thirdly The stretching forth of the line upon a place with some addition notes the destruction of it or the pulling of it down 2 Kings 21.13 I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria and the plummet of the house of Ahab That is I will make her desolate as Ahab and Samaria were and so the latter part of the verse expounds it and I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipeth a dish wiping and turning it upside down Again Isa 34.11 I will stretch forth upon it the line of confusion and the stones of emptiness That is It shall be utterly ruined And Isa 18.2 7. Wo to the land shadowing with wings c. that saith Go ye swift messengers to a Nation meted out and trodden down The Hebrew is Ad gentem quae conculcatur destruitur a deo lineatim i. e. paulatim destinitur cum modo ordine Go to a Nation of line as you have it in the Margin that is to a Nation who have the line stretched ouâ— upon them for desolation not a line stretched upon them to build them but to destroy them a Nation who are or shall be broken down as it were by line they shall come to perfect ruin or ruin shall come on them in full perfection As when the Lord will build he doth it by line that is exactly and fully even with a divine skill so when he will destroy fully he is said to mete out for destruction We have the word used both with respect to destruction and edification to building up and pulling down in that one place 2 Sam. 8.2 where
it is said that David smote Moab and measured them with a line casting them down to the ground even with two lines measured he to put to death and with one full line to keep alive and so the Moabites became Davids servants and brought gifts Some understand this act of David in measuring the Moabites with a line strictly and literally that David having made a full Conquest of their Country did cause it to be measured with a line and then appointed or allotted two thirds of the Land together with the inhabitants to ruin and destruction receiving only the third of the people to mercy and reserving only a third part of the Land to be planted by them Others take it only allusively that having conquered them he used them and their Country at his own pleasure as we do that which we measure out by line But whether we take Davids measuring the Moabites with a line in the one sense or in the other it fully reaches this third notion of it under hand Here in the Text when the Lord demanded of Job Who hath stretched the line upon it It is as if he had said Shew me if thou canst who hath given this great building this fabrick of the earth such symetry such a proportion and evenness that no fault or flaw can possibly be found in it From these two figurative expressions in the fifth verse implying the exactness of the earths frame Note The frame of the world is every way and in every respect proportionable and beautiful 'T is done as it were by measure and line The Lord is infinitely above the use of measures or lines yet condescending to our understanding he gives us to know that 't is as perfect a piece as if he had done it by measure and by line Survay the whole world or any part of it is it not a most exact piece The heavens are as the roof of the house the earth as the floor and foundation of it those elements aire and water as the walls and sides of it The lower parts of the earth are as pillars and bases hills and high mountains appear like emboslements of the earth to the eye of the beholder What can be added whether we consider the compleatness of the whole or the symetry of the parts Have we not reason to say admiringly or to cry out as Psal 104.24 O Lord how manifold are thy works in wisdom hast thâ—u made them all the earth is full of thy riches so is the great aâ—d wide sea c. Our hearts should be drawn up by all the works of God to admire his workmanship That thy name is near thy wondrous works declare said David Psal 65.1 speaking of the Woâ—ks of Providence and that the name of God is near his Works of Creation declare also his name is written upon them that is his power wisdome and goodness And therefore when we behold this Woâ—k of God in special his laying the measures of the earth we should admire both his goodness wisdom and power There are five things in this part of the Creation the earth as expressed to be done by line and measure which may raise up our admiration of God First The greatness of the work It is a vast peece or pile a huge fabrick though but a point to the Heavens We admire great buildings but what are the greatest buildings upon earth to the earth it self which the Lord hath built Secondly The harmony or uniformity of the building and so the beauty of it Thirdly The compactness of the building as knit close together and so the firmness of it Fourthly That all was done in so short a time We say Rome was not built in a day Solomon was seven years in building the Temple 1 Kings 6.38 And he was thirteen years in building his own house 1 Kings 7.1 And doubtlesse Solomon laid out all the power and skill he had for the setting up of those buildings But behold a greater building than either the Temple which Solomon built for God or the house which he built for himself set up as we say in a trice The Lord finished all his work in six dayes and that part of it the earth in one Nor did the Lord take either six dayes to finish the whole work or one to finish any one part of it because he needed so much time to do it in but because he would not do it in less Fifthly The Lord did all this without the use of any instrument rule or compass axe or hammer though here is mention made of a measure and of a line The skilfullest Aâ—chitect cannot raise up any considerable building without these though he hath the platform and idea of it in his head yet take away his line and his rule and he can do nothing But such is the glorious skill and power of God that though he is pleased to speak of a measure and of a line yet we must not be so gross as to think that he made use of any The whole work was natural to God and therefore he needed no artificial helps nor was any instrument employed in it but only his own creating word and will Some faithless Atheists of old and possibly there are such at this day asked in scorn with what tools and instruments with what ladders and scaffolds this building was set up But let us at once pity such in their unbeliefe and horrible prophaneness and labour to edifie or build up our selves in grace and holiness in the faith and fear of his great Name who built this world without tools or instruments without ladders or scaffolds Secondly As our hearts should be drawn out in admiration so in thankfulness forasmuch as God hath made such a world for us he hath laid the foundations of the earth he hath measured it out and stretched the line upon it that we might have the use of it that we might tenant and inhabit this house Man is the chief inhabitant of the earth that other creatures dwell there is for the service of man then let us be thankful Our greatest cause of thankfulness is that the Lord hath made another house for us of which the Apostle professeth his assurance 2 Cor. 5.1 We know that when the earthly house of this Tabernacle whether of our body or of the body of this world is dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens O how should we rejoyce in he thankful for that house But that we have this inferiour house built for us which is also a building of God an house not made with hands but purely and immediately by the power of God is and should be continual matter of great thankfulness Thirdly Seeing the Lord hath thus laid the measures of the earth and stretched forth the line upon it seeing he hath made such an exact building for us this earth let us walk exactly and orderly upon this earth which he hath made
of corner-stones First There is a corner-stone laid below or beneath in the earth with the foundation The Master-builder is very careful to set that right Secondly There is a corner-stone laid upon the foundation or in the joyning of the walls both below as soon as the building appears above ground and up to the top or utmost height of the building Our Lord Jesus Christ is expressed in Scripture under the notion of a corner-stone as to both these uses First He is the corner-stone laid below in the earth with the foundation Isa 28.16 Behold I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone a tried stone a precious corner-stone a sure foundation In fundamentum fundatum Quae sorte fundamenti repetitio significat infimam fundamenti partem 〈◊〉 out potissimam So we translate this latter part of the verse Some others render it thus A corner-stone founded upon a foundation implying that Châ—ist is the lowest the chiefest and firmest foundation stone as well as a tried precious corner-stone The Apostle affirms both these of Christ in one verse Eph. 2.20 Ye are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets not upon their persons but doctrine which is Christ Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone Christus dicitur caput anguli quod non solum sit principium sed fâ—rtis spiritualis aedificii Nyssen In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth into an holy Temple in the Lord. Again 1 Pet. 2.4 5. To whom coming as unto a living stone disallowed indeed of men but chosen of God and precious Ye also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house c. Some conceive that in this place the Lord fore-shewed Job the Incarnation of Christ who is the true corner-stone knitting all in One. For mostly when the Scripture would set forth the security of our salvation by Christ it doth it by this resemblance Upon him believers are founded and in him fastened If we had not Christ a corner-stone for our salvation it were not possible that our salvation should be sure to us The building cannot be fixt without it Christ is said to be our peace who hath made both one Eph. 2.14 where the Apostle speaks first of taking away the middle wall of partition and then of making both that is Jews and Gentiles one by Christ the only corner stone By one and the same faith in Christ two people Jews and Gentiles are joyned in one As in the corner of a building two walls alwayes meet and are closed together by the corner-stone And as Christ is a corner-stone laid in with the foundation so he is a corner-stone upon the foundation in the continued rising of the building till raised to the top As the corner-stone hath its use in any part of the corner from the foundation to the roof so it is placed in the highest part of the building There Christ is the chief corner-stone The Prophet speaks thus of Christ Zach. 4.7 And he that is Zerubbabel shall bring forth the head-stone thereof with shoutings crying grace grace unto it which seems to signifie that Christ should be manifested and brought publickly forth like the chief or uppermost corner-stone The corner-stone is called the Head-stone because 't is set above in the building and 't is called also the Head-stone because it is polished and appeareth above the rest like an head above the body Educet lapidem capitis Heb. Quod instar capitis promineat aut quod emineat in supremo loco Thus you see the use of the corner-stone in Scripture as applied to Christ in allusion to a building for the security and firmness of it the corner-stone being that which bindeth the building and fastens the contiguous walls together Here the Lord speaking of his framing the Earth tells us of a corner-stone to shew that the frame of the earth shall stand and continue unshaken undivided In opposition to this phrase when the prophet describeth the irreparable destruction of Babylon or that it shall be ruined without recovery he expresseth it thus Jer. 51.26 And they shall not take of thee a stone for a corner nor a stone for foundation but thou shalt be desolate for ever saith the Lord. Babylon shall have neither foundation nor corner-stone as much as to say it shall never be built Magistrates and chief Governours are also called corner-stones Psal 118.22 The stone which the builders refused is become the head-stone of the corner Which words as they relate to Christ chiefly so also to King David as a type of Christ The Scripture in several other places gives that title to great men 1 Sam. 14.38 Judges 20.2 Isa 20. Zeph. 3.6 In all these Texts Princes and great men are called corners or corner-stones because as the corner-stone holdeth the wall together so they hold Nations in their civil capacity together Who laid the corner-stone thereof saith God to Job Tell me who did it Didst thou do it Did Angels do it Consider the greatness the firmness of the work and thou wilt be convinced that it was I that laid the corner-stone thereof So then the general sense of this verse is to shew the stability of the Work of God Here are foundations and foundations fastened in the wisdom and power of God who is an everlasting strength the rock of ages Isa 26.4 Here also the corner-stone is laid therefore all is sure and firm Now what did the Lord aime at in all this Surely it was not barely to convince Job that the earth was a beautiful piece and a strong one There was somewhat else in it and what was that Even to convince Job that forasmuch as he could not deny but this admirable and well ordered building was the work of God that therefore he should sit down satisfied in all his other works If God alone perfected this work by his power if he contrived it by his wisdom shall man find fault with any of the works of God Doth not he who put the world into this beautiful frame wherein we see it carry on all his works on earth in beauty and order though we see it not And is there not a firmness and strength in all his works Is there not a measure laid in all his providences and a line stretched out upon all his dealings with the children of men Hath he not fastened the foundations and laid the corner-stone of all his dispensations right Job seemed to speak sometimes as if the Lord had not dealt with him in measure nor stretched an equal line upon his proceedings he looked upon all as off the hooks and out of course Now saith the Lord have I laid the measures of the earth and stretched the line upon it Have I fastened the foundations and laid the corner-stone thereof Have I done all these things and dost thou think that I will let the world in general or any mans case in particular run to ruin as if my works of providence had
neither foundation nor corner-stone Remember O Job and well consider that as when in the beginning I saw the earth without form and void Gen. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I by a creating word commanded it into form and fulness So when thou seest nothing but Tohu and Bohu confusion and disorder voidness and darkness in the earth even then I am laying the measures of Justice and stretching the line of Truth and Equity upon all that is done or suffered and will bring forth my work in full perfection Nothing shall be amiss or out of order when my work is finished how much soever it may seem to be amiss as to beginnings or present actings Therefore O Job leave off thy complainings and rest quietly in my dealings Some have questioned the Natural Works of God yet 't is impossible to mend any part or the least pin of them And 't is as impossible for the wit and understanding of Men or Angels to mend any thing in the Providential Works of God That 's the scope of this discourse even that the consideration of Gods power and wisdom in making the world should bâ—idle our curiosity and awe our spirits when they begin to quarrel with yea but to query about any thing that God hath done though it appear to us altogether irregular and confused or as done without either line or measure The Lords work is beautiful and glorious 't is also sure and strong As his Promise or Covenant is ordered in all things and sure 2 Sam. 23.5 So are his Providences too for they are the issues and accomplishments of his Promises oâ—dered as to means and sure as to the end They shall end oâ— issue in b inging about the things which are laid in the foundation and corner-stone of his purposes counsels and decrees all which work together for good to them that love God to them who are the called according to his purpose Rom. 8.28 And to convince Job from the Works of Creation that he ought not only to acquiesce or rest quietly under the Works of Providence whatsoever they were but to rejoyce in them the Lord tells him in the next verse that there was great rejoycing yea shouting for joy when the foundations of the earth were fastened and the corner-stone thereof laid JOB Chap. 38. Vers 7. 7. When the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy THere are two opinions among learned Interpreters concerning the general state of this verse First Some here reassuming the first words of these questions proposed at the fourth verse by God to Job Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth c. make this the second instance of Gods mighty power in the works of Creation Where wast thou when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy As if the Lord had said I have as yet questioned thee only where thou wast when I made the earth which is the most inferiour part of the world But now I purpose to rise higher in my discourse and therefore I put these questions to thee Where wast thou when I set up the morning stars those sparkling lights which shine to the earth through the firmament of heaven as also the sons of God those blessed spirits all which sang together and shouted for joy at the appearance of my power and wisdom Secondly Others connect these words in a continued sense and sentence with the verse going before Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth c. at which sight the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy Taking the words thus they carry an allusion to or are a similitude taken from noble buildings or structures whose foundations use to be laid with solemnity and their corner-stones to be set up with shouting and acclamation That it was anciently customary to make such acclamations at the laying of the foundation of some eminent building besides what is clear out of humane Authors and Histories we have several Scripture evidences The 87th Psalm throughout setting forth the structure of the Gospel Church of the spiritual Zion by way of prophesie begins thus His foundation is in the holy mountains there 's the foundation of Zion laid Then followeth as at the second verse The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken of thee O thou City of God! Selah As if he had said there was a great acclamation high praises at the laying the foundation of Zion with which the Psalme closeth more expresly v. 7. As well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there all my Springs are in thee Again Psal 118.22 23 24. there is no sooner mention made of the corner-stone the stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner but presently we have acclamations about it This is the Lords doing it is marvelous in our eyes This is a blessed work indeed This is the day which the Lord hath made we will rejoyce and be glad in it That corner-stone of salvation Jesus Christ being laid as I may say all the stars sang together and the sons of God shouted for joy This is the day which the Lord hath made If we go to those material buildings which were figurative of the Church and Christ we shall find the like Ezra 3.10 When the Jewes at the return of their Captivity began to build the Temple the Text saith at the tenth verse And when the builders laid the foundation of the Temple of the Lord then they set the Priests in their apparel and with their voices with the Levits and the sons of Asaph to praise the Lord. As soon as the foundation was laid they were all in song and raised up in holy rejoycings though some of the old men who remembred the first Temple wept when the foundation of this was laid That Scripture Zach. 4.7 speaks of the same thing where the Prophet in the Spirit fore-seeing the disappointments of all the enemies of the people of God thus triumphs over them by faith Who art thou O great Mountain before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain he shall bring forth the head-stone thereof with shouting That is the building of Hierusalem or the restoring of the Temple shall be brought to perfection and then they shall cry grace grace unto it Now in allusion to the practice both of men in common and of the people of God in special at the raising of great structures the Lord tells us here that when he laid the foundations of the earth and when he fastened the corner-stone thereof there was a Triumph made Then the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy Thus we have the state of this verse either taking it for another instance of the power of God in creating the Stars and the Angels or else subjoyning it as an acclamation
to the former instance of the power of God the Stars and Angels rejoycing at the laying of the foundations of the earth And the general reason why the Lord bâ—ings in the stars and the sons of God rejoycing at the laying the foundations of the earth and finishing that work we may conceive to be this that the Lord would thereby convince Job of his murmuring and complaining or of the unquietness of his spirit under the works of his providence As if he had said The stars and all the sons of God rejoyced at the founding of the Earth extolling the work Monetur Jobus ut exemplo angelorum dei opera miretur laudet non sugillet Scult and congratulating the appearances of my power and glory in it Now who art thou that when I have put forth my power and wisdom in this work of my providence towards thee thou shouldst complain and find fault with what I have done instead of resting and rejoycing in it Surely O Job thou thinkest my works of providence are imperfect though my work of Creation was not but consider was the Creation in the very first part of it such as caused all the sons of God to rejoyce and wilt thou who sayest thou art a son of God sit unsatisfied with any of my works Thus the Lord handles Job and from that testimony which the stars and his sons gave of the Works of Creation reproves him for his unquietness under his Works of Providence So much for the general state of the words Yet to clear them farther in general before I come to the particulars there are three veins of interpretation opened about them First Some interpret this whole verse concerning the stars or the heavenly bodies not only taking the first part of the verse literally for the stars in heaven but by the sons of God in the latter part of the verse they understand the stars in a figure as I shall shew more fully when I come to the opening of those words Thus they expound the whole verse concerning the glory and praise which the stars in heaven gave to God for the Work of Creation at the laying of the foundations of the Earth Hieronymus Gregorius Beda A second sort of Interpreters expound the whole verse of the Angels and not of the Stars properly at all they suppose the morning Stars to be Angels in a figure and the Sons of God to be Angels in the letter and so expound the whole verse of the Angels as if the words were a description only of that joy which the Angels of Heaven only expressed when they saw God beginning the Work of Creation or laying the foundations of the Earth The third sort of Interpreters divide the sense expounding the first part of the verse properly for the Stars those studs of light with which the Heavens are adorned whâ—ch in their kind are brought in singing at the Creation of the Earth and by the Sons of God in the latter part of the verse they understand the Angels those spiritual substances who are the Native Inhabitants of Heaven they especially are represented shouting for joy when that work was begun I cannot adhere to the first sort of Interpreters giving all to the Stars nor to the second giving all to the Angels though that hath many learned Authors who press it hard but following the middle way shall take the former part of this verse for the Stars of Heaven and the latter for the Angels in Heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sunt steâ—â—ae quaedam singulares quae non aliis admistae solae feruntur Sydora vero quae in aliquod signum stellarum plurium composita feruntur Macrob. l. 1. c. 14. Matutinas nominat meo judicio quod sub auroram magis splendere videantur Merc. When the morning Stars sang together There are single Stars and Stars as I may say in a combination commonly called a Constellation There is an Evening Star and a Morning Star which yet are but one called by the Greeks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and by the Latines Lucifer The light bringer because that Star appears very bright immediately before day-break or before the Sun riseth and the same Star which ushered or led in the Sun in the morning comes behind the Sun in the evening and is then called Hesperus The Evening Star Here the Lord speaks in the plural number of the morning Stars not in the singular of a morning Star And the Lord calls them morning Stars say some because the Stars appear most clearly and shine most brightly near the approach of the morning or break of the day Secondly Others conceive them so called Sydera summo mundi mane lucentia mequâ— suo formoso splendore landantia because they were created or formed in the very morning of the World they were early made For though as I shall touch afterward as to their perfection the Stars were made the fourth day yet their Creation is comprehended in the work of the first day under those general words Gen. 1.1 In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth the Heavens contained all the Stars in their materiality though not yet formally produced for the Stars being but the thicker part of the Heavenly Orb when the Heavens were made the Stars were also made and may therefore be called Morning Stars as being made in the Morning of the World early made Thirdly They may be called Morning Stars because they according to their manner exprest their joy early or betimes in the Morning of the World or as soon as the Lord had laid the foundations of the Earth Those things which are done early Qui mane aliquid aggrediuntur opus Matutini dicuntur Nec minus Aeneas se matutinus agebat Virg l. 8. Idem est matutina astra laudant atque mane laudant Sanct. are done in the morning and they who do things in the morning have the denomination of the morning upon them The Poet anciently said Aeneas was Matutinus A Morning Man because he was early at his work so these may be called Morning Stars because they were early at work singing the praise of God Thus the reason why the Wolf hath this Epithite An Evening Wolf is because he doth his work he comes forth for his prey in the evening Hab. 1.8 Zeph. 3.3 In the former Prophet the Chaldean Horse-men are compared to Evening Wolves for fierceness and in the latter the Judges of Israel are set under the same comparison for blood-sucking cruelty And as thus upon different accounts some are called Morning Men others Evening Men so 't is upon no good account that any are called Night-men though the general reason of it be the same with the former because they do their bad work or works of darkness under the shadow and favour of the Night The Thief the Murderer the Adulterer are Night-men all these are wont to do their work in the Night Job 24 13 14 15 16.
Thus there are men of the Night men of the Evening and men of the Morning or Morning Men. In this sense the Stars may be called Morning Stars because they were so early at that best work the praises of God When the Morning Stars 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gerundium est a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod inter aliâ— canere significat unde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 câ—ntus Drus Sang together Singing is an act of the voice and as there is a natural singing that of birds so an artificial But how could Stars sing either artificially seeing they have no reason or naturally seeing they have not so much as a life of sense I answer 'T is frequent in Scripture to attribute acts of life to liveless creatures and acts of reason to those things which have no sense The Earth is somewhere said to mourn Isa 33.9 The Trees of the Forrest as also the Hills and the Valleys are said to rejoyce and sing for joy Psal 65.12 13. And in the same senâ—e the Stars are here represented singing and in what sense they may be said to sing will be further shewed afterwards Nor did they onely sing but they sang Simul unico concentu unico consensu Together There was a kind of concord and harmony in their singing they sang as I may say with one consent or in consort Some translate They sang alone That is when there were no other creatures to jâ—yn with them yet as soon as they were in being they sang alone The word sometimes signifies only as well as together chap 34.29 Ezra 4.3 They did not sing every one of them alone but they all sang alone without any other creatures to joyn with them Thus they sang both alone and together Hence Note First Singing is an act of divine worship and praise They sang to the glory of God Note Secondly Singing is an expression of joy Is any one merry saith the Apostle Jam. 5.13 let him sing Though there are mouâ—nful songs and some sing in the very heaviness of their souls yet properly singing imports rejoycing When Christ told his Church Cant. 2 1â— The time of the singing of birds is come his meaning was rejoycing time is come sorrow and mouâ—ning are fled away Thirdly In that singing is attributed to the Stars Note Liveless creatures rejoyce and set forth the praises of God as they are able David saith All thy works shall praise thee O Lord Psal 145.10 All thy works that is the very lowest and least of thy works even the clods of the earth shall praise thee how much more the Stars of Heaven We find all the creatures called to sing the praise of the Lord quite through the 148th Psalm Praise him Sun and Moon praise him all ye Stars of light There 's the special instance of the Text. The Heavens declare the glory of God and the Firmament sheweth his handy-work Psal 19.1 There is a kind of dutiful conspiration among all Creatures even among the inanimate Creatures in their places to praise God And if you ask how they praise God or how they sing I answer in general after their manner More suo as they are able or as is suitable to their condition The Stars sing not formally and yet some say there is a harmony in the motions of the Heavens which being so constant concordant and uniform hath a kind of Musick in it but though they cannot praise God formally yet First They do it Materially That is they are that matter In caelestibus corporibus amplior occurrit dei collaundandi materia ideo illis cantus seu laeta proclamatio seu ovatio figurate tribuitur Merc for which God is to be praised they being such excellent and noble creatures The work praiseth the Workman That which is well done commends the Doer of it though all tongues be silent In this sense the Stars sing the praise of God They sing the praise of God as they are the objects of his praise or as they provoke Men and Angels to praise God for making them Secondly They praise God Vertually or equivalently they shew how praise-worthy God is Thirdly When we say the Stars praise God it intimates there is so much excellency in the Works of God that if the Stars could speak they would declare and shew forth his praise When the Disciples of Christ rejoyced and praised God with a loud voice for all the mighty works which they had seen saying Blessed be the King that cometh in the Name of the Lord peace in Heaven and glory in the Highest Luke 19.37 38. The envious Pharisees did not like the Musick and therefore â—aid to him from among the multitude Master rebuke thy Disciples vers 39. To these morose Masters Christ answered vers 40. I tell you that if these should hold their peace the stones would immediately cry out As if he had said you labour in vain to suppress or hinder the testimony given me by my Disciples for if they should be silent the stones would cry shame of them for neglecting their duty and God would rather cause senseless creatures to proclaim his praise in giving me an honourable testimony than I should want it Now as there was such a worth in the work of Redemption and in all the works of the Redeemer while here on Earth that the stones would have shewed forth his praise if men had not So there is such a worth in that Work of God the Creation of the Earth that rather than God should not have the glory of it the Stars would have done it by breaking out into joyful singing Lastly As Birds praise God by their singing so Stars may be said to sing the high praises of God by their shining by their brightness by their motion by their influence for all which God is to be praised and glorified And hence we may infer If not only irrational but inanimate creatures sing the praises of God at least by giving occasion of his praise then how much more should men set forth his praise who are not only living but reasonable creatures and if creatures without life and reason should provoke mankind in general as having life and reason to praise God how much more should godly men be provoked by them to sing his praise they having not only life which Stars have not and reason which Birds and Beasts have not but grace which the most of men have not Among visible creatures Men have most reason because they have reason to praise God and among Men Godly Men have most reason to praise God because they have Grace And therefore as soon as ever David had said All thy works shall praise thee O Lord Psal 145.10 11. he adds in the next words and thy Saints shall bless thee they shall speak of the glory of thy Kingdome and talk of thy power As if he had said As all thy works O Lord praise thee so Saints who are the choicest pieces
holy so they fell not from that holiness in which they were câ—eated and therefore Christ is not to them a Redeemer for their restauration but onely a Head for their confirmation and establishment Col. 2.10 As for the Angels which fell they are reserved in chairs of darkness to the Judgement of the Great Day they have â—o share in Redemption theiâ— fall is irrecoverable Thus we see how the Angels are not the Sons of God But how then are they the Sons of God I answer Affirmatively The Angels may be called the Sons of God in a sixfold sense First As Adam is called the Son of God Luke 3.38 in his primary Constitution or by Creation so Angels are the Sons of God as they are his Creatures Secondly Angels are called the Sons of God because of Gods great affection to them as well as his creation of them Such as we much affect and love intrinsically we are ready to call our Children Sons or Daughters The Lord bears abundance of love to the Angels therefore he calls them his Sons Thirdly If we consider their place or station The Angels wait upon God they are near to him they stand about his Throne as Sons to receive his Blessing and Commands There are three things specially considerable in the Angels First Their Nature so they are Spirits or spiritual Substances Secondly Their Offices so they are the Messengers and Ministers of God Thirdly Their Dignity or nearness to God so they are his Sons Christ the onely begotten Son is in the bosome of the Father John 1.18 that is he is nearest him and hath most intimate communion with him The Angels are so near to God that though they are not in his bosome yet they alwayes behold his face Matth. 18.10 that is stand in his presence as being in high favour with him and are therefore in that respect called his Sons Fourthly Angels may be called the Sons of God because of that constant uniform obediential frame that is in them towards God A Son honoureth his father Mal. 1.6 It should be the disposition and in the heart of every Son to do so And seeing it is not only fully the disposition of Angels and in their hearts to do so but they have alwayes actually done so the holy Angels may truly say unto God as the elder brother is brought in saying to his father Luke 15.29 Lo these many years even ever since the Creation we do serve thee neither have we transgrest at any time thy commandment either by leaving undone what thou hast bidden us do or by doing what thou hast forbidden us therefore Angels having the genuine spirit of Sons towards God may in that regard also be stiled the Sons of God Fifthly They may be called the Sons of God because of their essential likeness to God or their likeness to him in Essence God is a Spirit he is incorporeal the Angels also are incorporeal they are Spirits though the difference between God and Angels be as great as can be conceived yea unconceivable God being the Creating Spirit and they but created Spirits God being an Infinite Spirit and they but finite Spirits yet the Angels bear a resemblance to God in their essence as well as in their qualifications and may upon that ground likewise be called the Sons of God Sixthly Angels are called the Sons of God because they imitate him Do good to them that hate you saith Christ Matth. 5.44 that ye may be the Children of your Father which is in Heaven that is imitate God carry it towards evil men towards men that are evil to you or do you evil as God doth and this will be both an evidence that you are the Sons of God and God will honour you with the Title of his Sons The Angels imitate God in mercy and love and compassion as also in their good works their ways being all holy just and good pure and righteous Further they shew much kindness and tenderness to the children of men they doubtless are patient towards the froward and do good offices as they are called and deputed to those who deserve little good Now being like God by imitation they may be called the Sons of God Thus we have some account in these particulars why or how the Angels are called the Sons of God But what did these Sons of God the Angels when Spectators of the Worlds Creation The Text tells us Signanter astris tanquam inferioribus laudem Angelis tanquam superioribus attribuit Jubilationem Aquin. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significatur apprabatio illius operis cum gaudio They shouted for joy Some put a difference between that which is attributed to the Stars taking the Stars properly and the Angels as if here it were spoken signanter by way of excellency the Staâ—s did sing but the Angels shouted The word rendred to shout for joy signifies in general to make any great or loud cry sometimes for sorrow or consternation of mind When the army of the Mâ—dianites amazed wiâ—h Gideons stratagem of the pitchers and lamps ran and fled 't is said they cryed and their cry is expressed by this word Judges 7.21 When an army runs they make only a confused noise or shout for fear and sorrow But mostly and most properly the word signifies to shout for joy and in a way of triumph as when an army is victorious and ready to divide the spoil or as in the time of harvest or vintage when the fruits and good things of the earth are gathered in and such is the shouting here intended The Angels the Sons of God did not only sing as the Stars when the foundations of the Earth were laid but they shouted for joy It is but one word in the Hebrew which we render shouted for joy The Angels did not onely approve but applaud the works of God Further Consider the generality of this divine Plaudite or applause All the Sons of God shouted for joy As before the Lord saith The Stars sang together so here All the Sons of God not one of them was left out every one bare a part in this triumph they all with one accord with one heart and one voice joyned in it All the Sons of God there was not one dissenting voice shouted for joy Hence First I might refute their opinion who denied Angels and Spirits as the Sadduces did Acts 23.8 but I shall not stay upon that Further It being said All the Sons of God shouted for joy Note The Sons of God the holy Angels are of one mind It is a most blessed sight and hearing when all the Sons of God joyn in one thing It was not a part of the Sons of God it was not here one and there another but all of them Behold saith David Psal 133.1 how good and how pleasant a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in unity The Angels who aâ—e Bâ—ethren the Sons of one Father did all joyn together
in this duty The Apostle speaks concerning the Woâ—k of the Ministry 2 Cor. 6.1 We as workers together those words with him are put in by the Translators and the supply is to a very good sense We as workers together with him that is with God For he is pleased to use his Ministers as Workers together with himself Yet it may well be understood concerning the Ministers of the Gospel only joyning in this one thing that is with one voice or one cry beseeching sinners to be reconciled unto God chap. 5.20 and that as it followeth in the close of this first verse chap. 6. They receive not the grace of God in vain All Ministers should be workers together As all the Angels were siâ—gers together and shouters together so the Ministers of Christ should be workers together That which is the work of one is the work of them all and they should all joyn in it And how sad is it to see those who call themselves and would be accounted the Sons of God divided in their work and way when one rejoyceth in that which to another is cause of mourning when one mans meat is as we speak proverbially another mans poyson or one mans comfort another mans grief How many are there who cannot joyn in rejoycing and thanksgiving for works of God I mean Providential Works as eminent in their kind as the Creation Work or the laying of the foundations of the Earth That will be a blessed day when we shall see the full effect of that prophesie Zeph. 3.9 Then will I saith the Lord turn to the people a pure Lip of Language that they may all call upon the Name of the Lord with one consent or shoulder Here 's a promise of all as one and of all with one consent shoulder inward outward man associated in prayer or calling upon the Name of the Lord which by a Synechdoche includes all the parts and takes in the whole compass of the worship of God The accomplishment of this prophesie was the scope of Apostolical Prayer Rom. 15.5 6. Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like minded one towards another according to or as the Margin hath it after the example of Christ Jesus that ye may with one mind and with one mouth glorifie God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ All the Sons of God in the Text were of one mind and had as it were but one mouth the joy of one was the joy of them all All the Sons of God on Earth have this principle in them to rejoyce in God and to magnifie God for his mercy onely all have not the same light They that have not an habitual principle in them to praise God in and for his works are not of his family they are not worthy to be reckoned Sons of God who have not a readiness or present disposition in them to joyn with all or with any of his true Sons in shouting for joy at his gracious appearances in his mighty works of mercy as also in humbling themselves together with them at the terrible appearances of his dreadful works of Judgement or at the usual prognosticks or fore-runners of them Again Taking the Stars for the Angels they were Morning Stars the Angels sang and shouted for joy in the Morning Hence Observe The very first appearances of the power and wisdom of God in his works should put us upon the work of praise and rejoycing We say truly better late than never but 't is best to be early and with the first in a good work David did not onely awake early or in the morning to praise God but as the Hebrew may be rendred he awakened the morning Psal 57.8 David was a morning man in praising of God so were the Angels 'T is healthful both for soul and body to be morning men to be early both in praising God and praying to him God requires and he infinitely deserves the first fruits of our time our youth which is the morning of our life the first fruits of our age should be dedicated to God Eccles 12.1 and so should the morning which is the youth if I may so speak of every day Our first thoughts should be of God and with God as soon as we awake we should set open the door of our hearts by meditation to let God in and knock open the doors of heaven by prayer and supplication to get in to God It should not be unlamented that the course of most men runs so contrary to this their senses are no sooner loosed from the bands of sleep but they let loose their thoughts and set the doors of their souls wide open to sensitive sometimes to wicked and sensual objects and so shut out God and matters of greatest moment to and about their immortal souls How unworthy are such of this blessed relation under which the Angels those early praisers of God are here represented Sons of God Thirdly In that it is here said All the Sons of God shouted for joy that is all the Angels then created Observe They who have joyned in some outward worships of God may yet fall off and apostatize Here all the Angels of God joyned in this thanksgiving at first yet soon very soon after a great part of the Angels rebelled against God and became Apostates for presently upon the Creation of man which was the sixth day there was a Devil a Tempter who overthrew man yet here we have all the Angels in a holy Quire Hypocrites are forward to joyn in acts of praise in acts of prayer in acts of hearing who yet in time of temptation fall away and so fall into as bad a condition as the fallen Angels of whom the Apostle Jude saith vers 6. that not having kept their first estate or principality but leaving their own habitation appointed them of God he hath reserved them in everlasting chains both of Providence and Justice under darkness unto the Judgement of the Great Day Fourthly Observe The great business of Angels and that which they are most bent to is to praise God Psal 103.20 Psal 148.2 Isa 6.3 And as at the birth of the World the Angels shouted for joy so at the birth of Jesus Christ who was the Author of the second Creation as well as of the first the Angels shouted for joy suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God Luke 2.13 To praise God is heavenly work 't is angelical work the most proper work of the Sons of God We shall not alwayes have need of praying but we shall alwayes have cause to be praising and shouting for joy This shout will remain to all eternity Praise is the most spiritual work and requires the most spiritual frame of heart and therefore the chief of that work is reserved to an estate wherein not only our souls but our bodies too shall be altogether spiritual Fifthly Note The Work of Creation should continually call up
our thoughts to the praise of God to sing and shout his praises Did the Stars take them properly and did the Sons of God the Angels rejoyce when the work first began and is not the work to be rejoyced in now 't is finished Though sin hath sullied the work yet the glory of God is still transparent in it the power goodness and wisdom of God are gloriously seen in the things that are made Rom. 1.20 not onely were they seen but they are â—een to this day The creatures are still a glass wherein we may â—â—hold the invisible things of God even his eternal Power and God-head so that they who glorifie him not in and for those works will be found and left without excuse They are a book a volume consisting of as many leaves and lines as there are distinct sorts of creatures wherein we may read the great God plainly described to us and if so let us remember our fault this day Is it not our sin and shame that we are so little in admiring God for this work which set all the Angels in heaven a singing a shouting a wondring There are several things in the Works of Creation which well considered will soon provoke us to singing and to shouting First The multitude of Creatures Secondly The various kinds of Creatures Thirdly The beauty and excellency that is in the Creatures Fourthly The profit and the usefulness of the Creatures These laid together should draw out our praises and cause us to exalt the power wisdom and goodness of God manifested in and by his Creatures Lastly Consider what was iâ— that caused the Angels to â—hout for jâ—y when they saw this woâ—k of God begun Surely it was the appearance or manifestation of God shining brightly in the Work of Creation Hence Observe The discoveries of the power wisdom and goodness of God should stir up and engage every man and cannot but effectually stir up and engage those who are wise and good to rejoyce in God Somewhat of God is stamped or there are certain lines of his transcendent perfections drawn upon every Creature here a line of wisdom and there a line of power here a line of goodness and there a line of mercy the sight of these should cause us to shout for joy especially that this God the Creator of the ends of the Earth is our God for ever and ever and will be our guide even unto death How many lines have we of God in the World which we have not read much less studied and commented upon In how many things is God visible and yet we see him not nor acknowledge him as we ought Take onely these two things by way of inference from the whole First To be of a praising of a rejoycing spirit iâ—â—o be of an excellent spirit of an angelical spirit Let us imitate â—he Angels in praising God The Angels are called the Sons of God because they imitate him let us imitate the Angels in praising God so shall we approve our selves the Sons of God too Secondly Consider The Angels rejoyced at the laying of the foundations of the Earth The Earth was made for man Heaven was the Angels habitation they were well provided for if there had never been an Earth they had been provided for yet they shouted for joy when God laid the foundations of the Earth for the use of man and beast Hence take this Inference It shews a good spirit to rejoyce at the good of others or to be pleased with that which is beneficial to others though it be no benefit to us This argues an excellent spirit an angelical spirit Some if they are well housed and provided for care not whether others are housed and provided for or no nor can they rejoyce at the good of others but as their own good is concern'd In glory we shall be like to the Angels our very bodies shall be like to the Angels living without food without sleep without marriage in Heaven we shall neither marry nor be given in marriage but shall be like the Angels O let us strive to be like the Angels in our minds now as we hope to have our bodies like the Angels hereafter even clothed as the Schoolmen call them with angelical endowments Unless our spirits are like the Angels here unless we have hearts like the hearts of Angels in this World we shall never have bodies like them hereafter or in the World to come JOB Chap. 38. Vers 8 9 10 11. 8. Or who shut up the Sea with doors when it brake forth as if it had issued out of the womb 9. When I made the Cloud the garment thereof and thick darkness a swadling band for it 10. And brake up for it my decreed place and set bars and doors 11. And said Hitherto shalt thou come but no further and here shall thy proud waves be stayed THe Lord having questioned Job about the Fabrick of the Earth and shewed the triumph and acclamations of Angels at it in the former Context He next leads him to the waters or carrieth him to the Sea there to consider his Works of wonder As Moses in the beginning of Genesis having summarily and in general spoken of the Creation of Heaven and Earth descendeth to particulars so here we have the Lord passing from one part of the Creation to another from the Creation of the Earth to that other great part of the Creation the Waters or the Sea Vers 8. Who shut up the Sea with doors c. In these words we have First The Creation of the Sea Secondly Its Constitution both set forth by most elegant Metaphors The Creation or Production of the Sea is shadowed by allusion to an Infant breaking forth out of the womb Vers 8. The Constitution or settlement of the Sea is carried on in suitable Metaphors to the end of the eleventh Verse Vers 8. Or who hath shut up the Sea with doors when it brake forth c. We have here First The Birth or Nativity of the Sea Secondly What God did with the Sea when it was born and issued out of the womb Then God shut it in with doors and prepared garments and swadling bands for it then he restrained the rage force and fury of it and held it as his prisoner or captive in bonds As soon as an Infant is born it is bound up and swadled and as soon as the Sea as I may say was born or come into the World God took order with it and to keep it in order he provided doors to shut it in and garments to bind it up with What the Scripture speaks of Gods coercing the Sea may be reduced to two heads First To that restraint which he laid upon the Sea presently upon its Creation some say the first others the third day of the Creation according to that Gen. 1.9 God said Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together into one place and let the dry land appear and it was so Thus the
garment for the sea Clouds are water condensed and they dissolve into water and here the Lord having separated the sea from the earth made the cloud which is a kind of sea a sea in the air as a garment to cover and keep it warm And because a new-born child lest the limbs should not grow right hath not the liberty of its arms and feet for a time but is wrapt up with a swadling band therefore in pursuance of the Allegory the Text speaks of a swadling band prepared for the sea as soon as it was born But what was the swadling-band of the sea As the matter of its garment is a cloud so its swadling-band is thick darkness that is say some very dark clouds making this latter part of the verse but a repetition of the former because clouds are dark in themselves they are often expressed by darkness they are called black clouds and dark clouds yea sometimes clouds are called darkness So that the cloud and the thick darkness may be the same onely it is here exprest in different terms to shew the exactness of the Lords proceeding and the accurateness of his providing for the due ordering of the unruly child the sea And that the sea had at first such a swadling-band we find Gen. 1.2 Darkness was upon the face of the deep Hence First From the purpose of the Spirit of God as we may well conceive in representing the sea in such a dress a child in swadling-bands Note God can as easily rule and bind the sea a vast bulky body as a mother or a nurse can bind a little infant in swadling-bands And surely the Spirit of God would have us to take notice that though the sea be indeed such a giant such a monster as will make a heart of oak shake or a heart of brass melt yet what is it to God but an infant he can bind it and lay it to sleep even as a little child And if the great sea be in the hand of God as a little child what is great to God! and how great is God! What is strong to God! and how strong is God! What or who is too great or too strong for God to deal with Cannot God who hath swadled the turbulent sea provide swadling-bands to wrap up the stoutest and most turbulent spirits of this world Job â—pâ—aking of himself wondered that God should deal so with him chap. 7.12 Am I a Sea or a Whale that thou settest a watch over me The sea is a boisterous creature and had need be watched Am I a Sea or a Whale said Job Though a man be as a sea or a whale God can watch him and bind him from doing mischief Therefore fear not any power of the creature though a great sea while your behaviour is good but fear the Lord who binds the sea to its good behaviour Nations are before him but as the drop of a bucket Isa 40.15 A Nation confidered in it self is a mighty sea much more The Nations which indefinite is universal taking in all Nations yet they are all but as the drop of a bucket and how easily can we dispose of the drop of a bucket Even so easily can God dispose of those who are as the sea in opinion and appearance Secondly Consider what the Lord makes the swadling-band of the sea some strong thing no doubt the Text tells us it is but a dark cloud or a mist arising from the sea these are the bands with which God binds this mighty giant the sea Hence Observe The Lord can make weak and improbable means to do and effect the greatest things One would think we should have heard of some other matter even of adamantine chains to bind the Sea with but we see mists and fogs and clouds shall do it if God will Mists are but vapours gathered up and thickened a little in the air Is it not a wonder that they should get the upper hand of and bind the sea so that as soon as a mist riseth in the air by and by the sea is still There is indeed a natural reason why as calms are seldome without mists so mists can never be without calms because mists cannot endure nor live in the wind much less in a storm but must presently be dispersed or blown away by it yet 't is much that a mist or a fog or a cloud in the air should have a binding force upon the sea This was the Lords work to keep the sea quiet in its place And having considered this we are called to consider another Work of God whereby he keeps the sea from roving out of its place in the two verses following Vers 10. And brake up for it my decreed place and set bars and doors c. Here the Lord speaks of the second state of the sea according to one reading though according to ours of the first When the Lord had said Let the waters be gathered together into one place he prepared a place to receive the waters as when a man would have a place to hold water he digs or makes an earthen vessel or receptacle for it So when the waters issued out of the earth in their nativity the Lord gathered them together into a sea and prepared a stupendious pit or as some follow the allusion here of a new-born infant wrapt in swadling-bands he provided a great bed or cradle to put it into That vast concave into which the waters are put is somewhat like a cradle those channels I say which God made for the sea are as the cradle wherein it is laid The banks and shores are those bars and doors with which the infant is kept in his cradle What can be spoken more significantly than these similitudes to express the greatness of God who keeps in the sea by his power and leads it forth gently into several creeks and bosoms for the safety of Navigaâ—iâ—n and represseth its fury and violence by the sands and shores Thus saith the Lord I brake up for it my decreed place a hollow place for the holding of the sea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Et fregi i. e. decidi vâ—l decreviâ—i per illâ— stâ—tutiâ—â—â—eum q. d. de iâ—â—â— decretum meum coâ—stitui cum ei limiâ—es sunt à me praefiniti Merc. Vocabulum terrâ— recte hic suppleri tum ipsa historiae veritas tum pâ—opria fignitiâ—atio vâ—rbi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 evincit Itaque alii nâ—n recte cum vâ—rbo illo â—â—â—â—runt vâ—â—m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Hebrâ—â—o defâ—â—it prepositio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pisc Cum difregi pro eo sâ—â— terraâ—â— decreto meo i. e. Alveos velut â—unas exaravi circummuâ—iâ—i Jun. Some translate And established my decree upon it for the word place is not expressed in the Text there it is only and brake up my decree but it is more clear to the general sense of the Text and to the particular sense of the
Hebrew word to interpret it of breaking up a decreed place for the sea than of establishing a decree for the sea which is a consequent of the former and therefore I understand it only of a fitting room for the sea here called a decreed place or a place determined a place not only sound out as convenient but determined and set I brake up for it my decreed place or my statuted place a place that I appointed by an ordinance of heaven that place did I break up for it that is I made a vessel or channel like a cradle big enough and broad enough and deep enough to hold the vast waters of the sea I brake up for it my decreed place Note First The Lord who made the sea made also a place for it The ordering and placing of all things is of God as well as the making of them God hath provided a place for every thing and put every thing in its place God is the God of Order And how comely and ordeâ—ly are all things while they are kept in and all persons while they keep in the place which God hath decreed for them and put them in The Elements do not ponderate are not burdensome in their place The sea troubles us not while it keeps or breaks not out from that decreed place which God at first brake up for it There is not the least worm but hath a decreed place And as God hath appointed men their time there is a decreed time for their birth and for their continuance in life they die also and go out of the world in a decreed time so there is a decreed place for every man and that two-fold First Of his habitation in what part of the world he shall live Acts 17 26. Secondly Of his station or vocation what part he shall act in the world to serve his generation or to get his living He that abides within the bounds of his calling abides in his place though he every day move or remove from place to place It is best for our selves and for others also to abide in our decreed places as it is a mercy to us all that the sea abides where God placed it If men break out of their places they may quickly do mischief like the breach of the sea To prevent which God brake up for it his decreed place and not only so but as it followeth in the close of this tenth verse Set bars and doors In the eighth verse we have only doors he hath shut up or annointed the doors of the sea but here we have bars and doors It is an allusion to strong Cities and Castles or to great mens Houses which have not only doors but doors barred and double lockt Bars strengthen doors and keep them fast and sure A strong door if not well lockt and barred may quickly be broken open therefore the Lord to make all fast tells us that when he had put the sea into his decreed place that it should no more return to cover the earth at its own pleasure or according to its natural bent for there is a desire that is a natural bent in the sea to be over-flowing all and to repossess the place from which it was at first with-drawn the Lord I say tells us that he then set doors and bars to keep it in and shut it up fast enough And if you enquire what is meant by these doors and bars with which 't is shut in Some answer The sands of the sea others the rocks clifts and banks these are bars and doors by which the sea is shut in But though these things are indeed as bars and doors to keep the sea from returning again yet that which is the great bar and door is the word of command from God as appears fully in the next verse Vers 11. And said hitherto shalt thou come Et dixi ei sc prosopopeia Dicere dei est jubere constituere quid fiat and no further The Saying of God is Gods Command and Law And said To whom To whom did the Lord speak He said it to the sea though a senseless creature a creature without reason yea without life yet the Lord said it and he said it to the sea and he spake it as angry with the sea As if he had said I see what a raging creature thou art what a froward ungovern'd child thou art like to prove therefore I say hitherto shalt thou come and no further We may take this saying of the Lord under these two notions Hebraei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro termino ponunt ut apparet Ezek. 41.15 ideo recte 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vertitur hoc usque Câ—â—t First As expressing the firmness of what was done He said that is resolved determined and concluded made it a Law a Law like that of the Medes and Persians not to be reversed by any power Secondly He said as noting the facility of the work When the Lord took a course to shut up these doors and to put on these invincible bars what did he He said it and it was as soon done as said so that this word He said notes the infinite soveraignty and power of God that by a word speaking the matter was done He said Hitherto shalt thou come The Lord gives the sea line He makes it a prisoner but not a close prisoner He gives it a great scope large room to role and tumble its waves in Hitherto thou shalt come that is hitherto thou maist come It is not a Command that the sea should alwayes come so far but it is a dispensation or a permission that thus far the sea may come but no further As if the Lord had said I have drawn a line and I have set a mark I have given thee a bound so far to go hitherto shalt thou come But no further Rabbi Levi. The Hebrew is Thou shalt not add Thou shalt not go beyond the bound which I have set thee to destroy the earth A Jewish Writer gives a double exposition of this But no further First Of the waves and the waters in the midst of the sea When waves rise in the main ocean how high they may rise and toss the sailing ship we cannot tell but God knows Secondly Of the waves roaring at the sea-shore To both he saith Hitherto shall ye come and no further And here shall thy proud waves be stayed Why doth the Lord call them proud waves it is not because they are proud properly but by a Metaphor they lift up their heads as proud men do and are therefore called proud waves Thus Jethro spake of Pharaoh and his host Exod. 18.11 In the things wherein they dealt proudly the Lord was above them Pharaoh and the Egyptians like the proud waves of the sea thought to have swallowed up all Israel but God made the sea to swallow them up Proud men like mighty waves think to swallow up all but He is above them that saith to
the first day of the world God is the Father not onely of spiritual light Jam. 1.17 but of natural Psal 74.16 The day is thiâ—e the night also is thine thou hast prepared the light and the Sun This glory is ascribed to God by his holy Prophet also Jer. 31.35 Thus saith the Lord which giveth the Sun for a light by day and the ordinances of the Moon and of the Stars for a light by night The Lord gives these as well as command these and who but God can do either None can command the creatures unto their daily motion but God much less could any command the creatures into their first being but God How wise how great soever men are or seem to be in their own eyes or sight they cannot make nor bring forth the least ray of light much less can they make such a world of light as God hath made for the world And surely there is no creature wherein we may see and contemplate more of God than in the light which he made the first day and now commandeth to make the morning day by day Nor is there any thing in the whole compass of Nature either more comfoâ—table or more admirable than the light The commonness of it lessens our esteem of it and because it comes so constantly and never fails we are apt to look upon it as no great matter as no great mercy whereas indeed the light is not onely useful and comfortable but admirable and that it deserves these three attributes I shall briefly shew by giving a touch at each of them That light is an admirable creature must be confessed if we consider First It s original or the way of its production The Apostle treating about spiritual light tells us whence the natural light came 2 Cor. 4.6 God who commanded light to shine out of darkness c. Light came as it were out of the womb of darkness Now that out of darkness black darkness such a beautiful child such a goodly creature as light should be brought forth is it not marvellous Yet thus it was God commanded light to shine out of darkness The History of the Creation reports There was nothing but darkness upon the face of the earth when the Lord said Let there be light Darkness is totally contrary to light 't is the privation of light Now that the habit should come forth out of the privation light out of darkness or life out of death joy out of sorrow peace out of trouble these are the wonderful works of God And we may comfortably meditate upon this when we want any kind of light Whence did the Lord bring light at first even out of darkness therefore let us not think any darkness of trouble a leâ—t to the Lords production of light When we are in spiritual darkness the state of nature is a state of darkness that doth not hinder the Loâ—d can easily bring the light of the new creatuâ—e out of it and when we are in the darkness of any trouble though it be thick darkness darkâ—ess as Job spake chap. 10.22 like darkness it self and where the light is as darkness yet this doth not hinder the Lord can bring light out of it There 's the first wonder the Lord brought light out of darkness Secondly Light is wonderful in its operation power and efficacy in that it doth so suddenly chase away conquer and overcome darkness Light gets victory over darkness in a moment There 's no darkness can abide the face of light As soon as God commands the morning let it be as da k as pitch the darkness must away and fly before it Daâ—kness cannot withstand light nor stand in the presence of it there 's no long dispute light instantly gets the hands the day of darknâ—ss Thirdly If we consider the pure nature oâ— lighâ— 't is as pure as purity it self Light hath an inseparable and an insuperable purity though it may be a while obâ—cured yet it cannot be at all polluted Philosophers have spoken much about the natuâ—e of light but none were ever able to comprehend it Some said it is a habit or quality of a light some body Lâ—x diunt Physici est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seu qualitas corporis â—ucidi yet none of their definitions reach it fully They make it a quality yet we may conceive it is rather to be ranked and reckoned among substances than accidents it being a principal part of the Creation and the express subject of Gods work the first day of it Fourthly The light is very wonderful in the changes and vicissitudes of it How it passeth and repasseth how it increaseth and decreaseth how it comes and goes is an amazing consideration Fifthly Though the light be in continual changes yet there 's nothing more constant than the light to its appointed time Light never fails to come in its season Secondly That light is a most useful and beneficial creature who can deny seeing without light the whole Creation were a nothing to us What had the world been to us if God had not made light and set up lights in it The eye of the body whiâ—h is the light of the body Matth. 6.22 were of no use to us without outward light Till the Sun which is the eye of the great world shines the eye which is the Sun of the little world is no advantage to us There must be light in the aire as well as light in the eye else the most beautiful objects have no appearing beauty and therefore the Lord made light the first day that by it the beauty of the whole Creation might be seen Light discovers it self and all other things Light illustrates all the works of God and sets them in our sight And as all that God hath done would be nothing to us without light so we our selves could do nothing without light We cannot work at all or very hardly or very badly without light hence that of David Psal 104.22 23. The Sun ariseth man goeth forth to his work and to his labour until the evening John 9.4 The night cometh wherein no man can work Night of any sort is not for work because 't is dark and therefore they who work in the night get artificial light to supply the want of natural When the plague of darkness was upon the Egyptians they sate still and no man moved from the place where he was till that plague was removed Exod. 10.22 23. And as we cannot do the work of our Civil Callings without light either natural or artificial so we cannot do the work of our Christian Calling without spiritual light When Christ the Sun of righteousness ariseth with healing in his wings then we go forth to our spiritual labour as Christians and grow up as the calves of the stall Mal. 4.2 How long soever we live in this world we never go forth to that labour till the Sun of righteousness the Lord Jesus Christ ariseth upon us It was
said to those in the parable that were hired at the eleventh hour Matth. 11.6 Why stand ye all the day idle They of the eleventh hour were persons possibly very busie and laborious as to their Civil Callings in the world but had stood idle all the day as to any spiritual work as to any work of grace they had not done God nor their poor souls one stroke of work all that while until they were called and the light of grace shined upon them Jesus Christ is the light which lightened the Gentiles and the glory of Israel Luke 2.32 And wheresoever he comes The people which sat in darkness see a great light and to them which sat in the valley of the shadow of death light springs up Matth. 4.16 And that a two-fold light First Light to be saved by Secondly Light to serve God or to do the work of God by Thirdly How comfortable is the light 'T is so comfortable that light and comfort are often put for the same thing God is the Lord aith David Psal 118.27 which hath shewed us light that is the light of counsel what to do and the light of comfort in what we do or after all our sufferings Light is not only a candle held to us to do our work by but it comforts and cheareth us in our work Eccl. 11.7 Light is sweet and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the Sun Hence that of David Psal 65.8 Thou makest the out-goings of the evening and morning to rejoyce that is thou makest men to rejoyce they are glad they rejoyce in or at the out-goings of the morning Man takes comfort at the first appearance of the light light refresheth him at its out-goings in the morning And at the evening men rejoyce too for then they go to their rest being wearied with the labour of the day Possunt exitus matutini vâ—spertini sumi pro hominibus qui hâ—bitant ubi exit dies ubi exit nox i. e. pro Orientalibus Occidentaliâ—â—â— Or we may thus expound that Psalm Thou makest the out-goings of the morning and the evening to rejoyce That is thou makest men who live at the out-goings of the morning and at the out-goings of the evening to rejoyce As if it had been said thou makest the Eastern people and the Western people all people from East to West rejoyce And that which makes all people to rejoyce naturally is the rising of light with them in the East and the coming of light towards them in the West Thus we see what an excellent creature light is both as it hath a continually renewed rising in the morning of every day and as it had its first being in the morning of the world and both from the command of God Whence take these inferences First When we behold the morning coming forth by the command of God Let us consider who God is and what the beauty and purity the majesty and excellency of God are who is clothed with light and dwelleth in light yea who is light and in whom there is no darkness at all There is not any one creature which God doth so formally predicate of himself as this of light As God is love 1 John 4.8 so God is light 1 John 1.5 yet the light which shines to us the morning which God hath commanded for us is but darkness to God who hath commanded it Light it self is darkness compared with God yet 't is the clearest shadow the best resemblance of God in Nature Secondly As we should consider the excellency and beauty of God in the appearance of the morning so his goodness who hath made such a creature for us who hath also prepared so many vessels to hold it and hold it out or to dispence it to us 'T is God who hath made those great lights the Sun to rule the day and the Moon and Stars to rule the night Gen. 1.16 The day would be night to us if God had not prepared the Sun for though there were three days before the Sun was made yet now 't is the Sun which makes the day and the night would be nothing but darkness to us if God had not prepared the Moon and the Stars How great then is the goodness of God to man who hath made light for us and who thus conveys and dispenseth it to us according to our need both by day and by night Thirdly We should hence be minded to pay our debt of thankfulness to God every day History tells us that the ancient Rhodians or inhabitants of the Isle called Rhodes erected a mighty Colossus according to their heathenish superstition in honour of the Sun who once a day at least opened his face upon their Island though it were over-cast with clouds muffled up and vailed to all other parts of the world Though possibly we do not see the face of the Sun every day yet we enjoy the light and influences of it every day God hath commanded the Sun in the Firmament to attend us to be about us to comfort us every morning and shall we be unthankful If in a dark night a friend will but lend us a candle and a lanthorn we thank him What matter of thanks to God then should it be that he hath set up those candles those torches those lamps of light for our comfort and guidance continually Fourthly If God hath commanded the light so excellent a creature to serve us to be for our use then let us make use of the light to serve the Lord in and by let us make use of natural light that of the Sun in the air and of spiritual light that of Christ the Sun in the Gospel most of all Let us make use of natural light as to civil and of spiritual light as to holy ends and enjoyments let no beam of light shine to us in vain It is sinful not to make a good use of natural light 't is very sinful and dangerous not to make a good use of spiritual 't is condemnation to refuse â—piâ—iâ—ual Gospel light and to love darkness rather than the light John 3.19 Fifthly Seeing the Lord ha h commanded the morning light for us then by way of retribution let us shine forth in obedience to his commands and be as the morning light to glorifie God Matth. 5.16 We that have light made for us should carry our selves like lights The Apostle either commends the Saints at Phillippi for shining or commands them to shine as lights in the world Phil. 2.15 The Text runs in the Indicative Mood by way of commendation Among whom ye shine The Margin hath it in the Imperative Mood by way of command Among whâ—m shâ—ne ye as lights in the world The Lord who hath commanded the Sun to â—ise for our light hath commanded us to rise and shine as lights and be as so many Suns of light in the firmâ—ment of the Church and in all places to which we come Therefore as
wrath but of this City the Lord said it is wholly oppression they are given up to oppression every one is oppressing and wronging his brother now when they sinned at this rate when their arm was thus high in wickedness then it was to be broken There is a righteous God that judgeth the earth and therefore the high arm of unrighteouness shall be broken JOB Chap. 38. Vers 16 17 18. 16. Hast thou entred the springs of the Sea or hast thou walked in the search of the depth 17. Have the gates of death been opened unto thee or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death 18. Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth declare if thou knowest 〈◊〉 all IN the former Context the Lord made a short dâ—gression from those questionings with which he had begun with Job concerning his Works the occasion whereof was the mentioning of the wicked who improved not but abused his works In this Context the Lord returns to his former way of interrogating Job and having questioned him about the birth or production of the Sea the bands and bounds of the Sea at the 8th 9th 10th and 11th verses he questions him here First About the depth of the unsearchable depth of the Sea vers 16 17. Secondly About the vast breadth of the Earth vers 18. Thereby to convince Job that he not being able to reach the depth of those mighty waters nor to comprehend the breadth of the earth was much less able to comprehend the depth of those counsels or the breadth of those ways of providence in which himself had been walking towards him That 's the general scope and sum of these three verses as also of all that follow as hath been shewed formerly The last thing about which the Lord put the question was the Light whereby hidden and secret things are discovered here the question is about things that lie out of the light about hidden and secret things all which yet are more plain and obvious to more open and naked before the eye of God with whom we have to do than the Noon-day light to us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Numquâ—d ingressus es vel penetrâ—stâ— Vers 16. Hast thou entred into the springs of the sea Hast thou Doubtless thou hast not nor hast thou any mind to enter into those springs Who hath Hast thou entred or penetrated the springs of the sea There is a twofold entring into the springs of the sea or into any thing that lies remote from us Fiâ—st A Local Secondly An Intellectual entring To be sure Job had not locally entred the springs of the sea and it was as sure that he was not able to make any perfect intellectual entrance thither When therefore the Lord asked Job this question Opartet judicem nosse ea de quiâ—us judicaâ—â—â— us est tu voâ—â— judicas de operibus mo is cum ea non noris â—atabl Hast thou entred into the springs of the sea it is as if he had said It becomes him that makes a judgement upon any matter to enter into it either locally to view it with the eye or intellectually to view it with his understanding but thou O Job hast neither of these ways entred into the springs of the sea and there dâ—scovered how the waters flow or rise up out of the earth how then canst thou make up a judgement about the waters and if not what judgment canst thou make up concerning my deep counsels concerning the secret springs of my judgements Hast thou entred into the springs of the sea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ad plorâ—ta i. e. lacrymas mâ—riâ— Drus There is an elegancy in the word rendred springs which some derive from a root which signifies to weep or shed tears Hast thoâ— entred among the tears oâ— weeping places of the sea The same word in the Hebrew signifies an eye Aliqui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fluenta non a flendo sed a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perplexâ—m esse deducunt Et reddunt perplexitates mâ—ris Sensus eodem recidit sed Grammatica magis quadrat ut a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 flevit destectatur Mâ—rc as also a spring or fountain because as the eye drops yea pours out tears David saith Rivers of tears run down mine eyes so springs pour out waters and are as it were weeping continually Others derive the word from a root which signifieth to be infolden or intangled and so they render it Hast thou entred into the perplexities or intricacies of the sea Pharaoh used that word in the Verb Exod. 14.3 concerning the people of Israel They are intangled or perplexed in the land he thought he had caught them in the briars and should have had his will or satisfied his lust on them The sense is much the same whether we read the springs or the perplexities and intricate places of the sea both tending to the same purpose to shew Job his utter incompetency and inability for such an adventure Hast thou entred into the springs Of the sea The sea is a consluence of many waters the great vessel which God prepared to hold the multitude of waters as was shewed before at the eighth verse onely take notice Mâ—re dicitur Jâ—mim voce deducta à Maiim transpositis quibusdam literis that the word which signifies the sea is composed of the same letters a little transposed with that which signifies the water The sea being the gathering together of waters and water being the substance of the Sea one word in substance serves them both in the Hebrew tongue Yet others say it alludes at least to a word signifying to make a noise or to roar seas and floods make a terrible noise and roaâ—ing David ascribes a voice to the floods Psal 93.3 The floods have lifted up O Lord the floods have lifted up their voices These grammatical criticisms about words have their use giving some light about the nature and qualities of things But to the Text Hast thou entred into the springs of the sea And hast thou walked in the search of the depth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abyssus vorago altittulo expers fundi This latter part of the verse is of the same importance with the former The springs of the sea and the search of the depth have little if any difference and walking follows upon entring therefore the Lord having said Hast thou entred into the springs of the sea saith Hast thou walked c. But more distinctly what is the search and what the depth The depth is the sea where 't is deepest so deep that no bottom can be found by sounding The word rendred here search notes the last oâ— utmost of any thing and so the deepest of the depth which possibly may be called the search of the depth because how much or how long soever it is searched for it cannot be found out Mr. Broughton renders it The border of the sea the Vulgar Latine The last or
about to frame and O how many how exceeding many or innumerable are they yet God saw not onely some or many but every one of them It was said by one of the Ancients upon this place Profundum mâ—ris deuâ— ingreditâ—r quâ—ndo visitare mentes etiam pressâ—â— sceleribus non dedignatur Greg. l. 29. c. 7 God goes to the depth of the sea as often as he goeth into the depth of mans heart and beholds what is there And there â—e beholds not onely the great but small beasts as the Psalmist calls the fish of the sea that is not onely great but small lusts and foolish imaginations the huge multitudes and shoals of vain thoughts which swim and play in that wide sea of mans heart are distinctly seen and as distinctly judged as if but one were there Thirdly From the scope of this place note That seeing we cannot search into the depth of the sea it should stay our curiosity in searching into and stay us from discontent when we cannot find the depth of Gods Counsels concerning us and of his Providences towards us There is a dutiful search into the Works of God David speaks of it Psal 111.2 The works of the Lord are great sought out of all those that have pleasure in them They are sought out that is they who have pleasure in them do and will endeavour soberly to search them out as much as may be but let all take heed of searching them wantonly or presumptuously that is either to satisfie their curiosity or with an opinion that they can reach the depth of them The Lord would have us satisfie our selves in the ignorance or rather nescience of those natural things which he hath not made known to us Surely then which is as hath been said the scope of this Chapter we should be satisfied though we in some cases know not nor can perceive the reason of Gods providential dealings either towaâ—ds particular persons and families or his Church in general Will any wise or sober man vex and disquiet himself will he be angry and pettish because he knows not all the secrets of the earâ—h and sea as some say Aristotle the Philosopher was to death and drowning because he could not find out the reason why the sea in one place ebbed and slowed seven times in one day Why then should we be impatient because the reason of Gods proceedings with the sons of men or of the strange ebbings and slowings of things in the sea of this world is secreted and hidden fâ—om us And therefore when we are not able to enter into the springs of this sea nor to walk in the search of this depth let it not trouble us but humble us as it did Job to whom the Lord put these questions and proceeded to put more and more hard questions if harder can be in the next words Vers 17. Have the gates of death been opened or revealed unto thee Or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death Here is another strange question Who among the living hath had the gates of death opened to him Oâ— hath viewed the doors of the shadow of death We read often in Scripture of the gates of death Psal 9.13 Num illius profunda quae verè dixirim mortis regiam c. rimatus es Bez. Psal 107.18 and which is all one of the gates of the grave Isa 38.10 but who knows what these gates are yet we may say something towards the clearing of this question A gate in strict sense is that by which we are admitted into any place and so the gates of death are That whatsoever it is by which we enter into death or go into the black hall of the grave Again The gates of death are any great and eminent danger Then we may be said to be at the gates of death when our lives are in great hazard to be lost either by the violence of enemies or by any violent sickness In the former sense David spake in way of supplication Psal 9.13 Have mercy on me O Lord consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me thou that liftest me up from the gates of death that is from deadly danger In the latter he spake by way of narration in his elegant description of the sick Psal 107.18 Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat and they draw near unto the gates of death that is they are ready to die or sick unto death And thus said King Hezekiah upon his sick-bed and as he thought a little before upon his death-bed Isa 38.10 I shall go to the gates of the grave I am deprived of the residue of my years that is of those years which I might have reckoned upon as mine according to the common account of mans life or the usual course of nature These are the more general gates of death and about these all agree But there are several opinions what should be specially intended by the gates of death in this place Portae mortis sunt causae corruptionis quantum advirtutes corporum â—â—lestium Aquin. in loc First One riseth very high saying that by the gates of death we are to understand the visible heavens because the heavenly bodies send down sometimes malignant influences which have a mighty power to corrupt the bodies of men here below so causing death to carry them away Thus he imagins death issuing out of the clouds as out of opened gates upon men on earth But that 's a far fetcht interpretation Secondly Oâ—hers go to the utmost contrary point and say by the gates of death we are to understand Hell The Papists give a description of several receptacles for souls departed under the earth they make at least three distinctions First Limbus Patrum The place where they affiâ—m the souls of the Fathers were before Christ came in the flesh and had accomplished the work of our redemption here on earth Secondly Purgatory the place where the souls of all that die not in mortal sin as they distinguish are reserved to be purged by temporary punishments before they can get to heaven Thirdly The lowest of all is that which we call Hell the place of the damned whither all go say they and we too who die in sin without repentance This place of torment some take for the gates of death But seeing the Lord is here speaking of natural things not of moral actions not of the consequents of them rewards and punishments therefore though we may truly call Hell the gates or power of death yet that notion as well as the former is altogether heterogeneal in this Text. Thirdly Several expound the gates of death in connection with the former verse for the depth or bottom of the sea where many dead carcases lie rotting all such as are cast away by shipwracks or die at sea being usually thrown into the deep and therefore at last the sea shall give up her dead as well as the earth Fourthly The gates of death
mysteries of the Gospel are hidden from us till God is pleased to reveal them so in nature there are many things which are mysteries and secrets to us till God makes them known to us And there are some things which God will no more open to us than he hath the gates of death or the doors of the shadow of death And if so then as God will never blame us for not knowing those things which he hath hidden so we should not busie our selves with any enquiries about hidden things Though the secret of the Lord be with those that fear him Psal 25.14 yet they that fear him will not dare not meddle with nor search into the Lords secret Therefore Lastly Observe Whatsoever God is not pleased to reveal to us or is pleased to hide from us that we should be content not to know and be satisfied that it is hidden from us Deut. 29.29 The secret things belong unto the Lord our God but those things which are revealed belong unto us and our children for ever It is both our duty and our interest to be content with our own share or to be satisfied with what belongs to us and not to invade Gods peculiars or reserves It was Jobs fault he would be entring into the secrets of God but saith God Have the gates of death been opened unto thee or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death if not then be not troubled that those things are not opened to thee which I have reserved to my self God hath not straitned us in any needful point of knowledge there is enough opened to us though the gates of death be not Is it not enough for us that in the glass of the Gospel God hath set before us the mysteries of eternal salvation unless he also acquaint us in the day of our trial which was Jobs case with all the whole mystery of his temporal dispensations The Lord having urged Job with these hard questions about the depth of the Sea and the gates of death seems now to offer him a more easie question in the next verse Vers 18. Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth Declare if thou knowest it all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. Sic terram elegantèr circumloquuntur nâ—m qui quid sub coelo â—â—reâ— terra est â—er terram ambit Drus The Septuagint render Hast thou perceived the breadth of that which is under the heavens Under the Cope or Canopy of the heavens Hast thou perceived how broad that is which is spanned or compassed about by the heavens that is as we translate the breadth of the earth That which is circled or suâ—rounded by the aereal heavens is the earth Hast thou perceived the breadth of that Though the earth be better known to man than the depth of the sea yet no man ever saw the whole earth Many parts of the earth are deserts and unpassable by man The best Writers say the whole compass of the earth is 21600 miles yet that is rather a supposition than a demonstration no man having ever visited or viewed the whole face of the earth We find Job 11.9 length ascribed to the earth and breadth to the sea But in this place the Lord having ascribed depth to the sea gives breadth to the earth We are not here to take the breadth of the earth according to the rules of Geography for so the length of the earth is from East to West Terrae latitudo hoc in locâ— est universus terrae ambitus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pluralis a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 latitudo In qualibet re major dimensâ—o vocâ—tur longitudo minor latitudo Aquiâ— and the breadth from North to South but breadth is here put sinecdochically for all the dimensions or the whole circumference of the Earth As it the Lord had said Dost thou know how big how spacious the Earth is The breadth of the Earth imports the largeness of it opposed to straitness or narrowness and to shew that here the breadth contains all dimensions the word is in the Plural Number Hast thou known the breadths of the Earth that is the whole compass of it how broad and how long and so how big the Earth is Hast thou perceived the breadth of the Earth Hence Note First The earth is a huge vast body That is very big whose bigness is not easily perceived if at all perceivable and such is the breadth or bigness of the earth Whence take this double Inference First If the earth be such a great thing that a man cannot perceive the breadth or dimensions of it then how great are the heavens The earth in comparison of the heavens is but as a point 't is as little as is imaginable O what a broad thing is heaven if the earth be such that we cannot reach the breadth of it Secondly If the earth be so great how great is God who made the heavens and the earth too That 's it which God would lead Job to the consideration of even of his own infinite greatness How great is God who made this great earth To him as the prophet Isaiah speaks chap. 40.15 16. The Nations the people of the earth are but as the drop of a bucket and as the dust of the ballance He weighs the mountains in scales and the hills in a ballance He holds the dust as one single grain in his hand What a nothing are all things to God seeing the earth is a nothing to the heavens God puts the question to Job Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth and we may put that question into this negative Proposition O Job Thou hast not perceived the breadth of the earth The wisest of men know not the breadth or bigness of the earth Some have undertaken to tell us how great the circle of the earth is but theirs are but guesses though somewhat may be said that way yet no man can give it exactly and therefore the Roman Orator attempting to write about the earth and the dimensions of it prefaceth or apologizeth thus for himself De Geographia dabo operam ut tibi satisfaciam sed nihil certi polliceor magnum opus est Cicero ad Atticum l. 2. ep 4. I will do my endeavour to satisfie thee about Geography or the dimensions of the earth but I promise nothing of certainty 't is a great work Hast thou known the breadth of the earth Declare if thou knowest it all As if the Lord had said I have put the question to thee come now answer me declare what thou knowest let me know what her thou knowest it all God provokes or challengeth Job to say his utmost We may refer these last words either strictly to the immediate question only or generally to all the questions before yet I conceive they are rather to be restrained to the last question concerning the breadth of the earth because they run in the singular number Declare if thou knowest it all
generation lying upon his death-bed a friend asked him whether the light shining into the room did not offend him he answâ—red Hic sat lucis Oecolampadius putting his hand upon his heart Here I have light enough The heart of a godly man is the house of spiritual light there he hath and holds the light of divine knowledge about the things of the Gospel and the light of divine comfort arising from that knowledge It is also reported of Mr. Deering our Countrey-man that in his last sickness and towards his end being set upright in his bed for his ease a friend requested him that he would speak something for the edification and comfort of those about him Whereupon the Sun shining in his face he took occasion to speak thus There is but one Sun in the world and there is but one Sun of righteousness which graciously shineth upon me speaking further he concluded thus I bless God I have so much light of joy and comfort in my soul that were it put to my wish or choice I had rather a thousand times die than live As the hearts of these worthies were the dwelling place of light so is the heart of every godly person in his measure and degree the light of knowledge and of joy abide there The Apostle saith 2 Cor. 4.6 God who commanded light to shine out of darkness hath shined into our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ And where that shine of God gives the light of knowledge the light of comfort cannot be withheld unless it be for a season that the soul may rejoyce the more in the end and at last without end For Lastly There is an eternal light the light of Glory and that hath a certain dwelling place that light dwelleth alwayes in heaven and the Saints at rest in heaven dwell alwayes in that light Eternal glory is called the inheritance of the saints in light Col. 1.12 Again Spiritual darkness hath its place and we should labour to know the place of that darkness to avoid it Ignorance is spiritual darkness and that dwells in the heart of every man by nature All that continue in that sad condition have their understanding darkened through the ignorance that is in them Eph. 4.18 and they who now are in the light were once in the dark yea they were darkness Eph. 5.8 Let it also be remembred in whomsoever this darkness of sin and ignorance abides they must abide under the darkness of wrath and judgement for ever The place where that darkness dwells is hell and there outer darkness as 't is often called in the Gospel dwells even such darkness as wherein the damned are not onely out of the possession of the least ray or glimmering of light but without any hope or expectation of it Hell is quite beyond the bound or boundaries of light there 's darkness and thick darkness nothing but darkness Thus we see light and darkness have their places natural light and darkness have theirs and so have spiritual and eternal light and darkness Secondly From the scope of these two verses Observe It is God who disposeth and ordereth light and darkness The question was put to Job whether he had disposed of them but he could not assume to himself that he had taken or laid the light to the bound thereof or knew the paths to the house thereof Light and darkness are at the dispose and under the command of God alone And as the work or power of God is wonderful in the dispose of natural light and darkness so 't is much more wonness in the dispose of civil spiritual and eternal light and darkderful these the Lord taketh to their bound and knoweth the paths to their house I form light and create darkness saith the Lord Isa 45.7 What light and darkness doth the Lord there speak of Surely of civil light and darkness as the next words import I make peace and create evil I make and create them I also direct and appoint them whither to go whether to a Nation or to a man only whether to this or that man or Nation Darkness is of me as truly as light And that not only civil but spiritual and eternal light and darkness are at Gods dispose is as evident from the Scriptures of truth Some lands may be called lands of light like Goshen others like Egypt under that three days plague may be called lands of darkness Of such lands that complaint is made Psal 74.20 The dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty All places of the earth full of ignorance not knowing God of atheisme not acknowledging God of idolatry worshipping false gods or the true God â—alsly may be called lands of darkness or the dark places of the earth Now as the Lord maketh one land a place of spiritual light so he leaveth another to be a place of darkness And he often maketh changes from darkness to light that 's mercy and from light to darkness that 's wrath in the same lands Some lands which had sate in darkness for ages and generations the Lord hath visited with Gospel light and some lands which for ages and generations had that light are now laid in darkness How sad a witness of this are the anciently famous seats of the Asian and African Churches now under Mahometan power And further as the Lord disposeth that outward spiritual light and darkness giving the knowledge of the Gospel to or taking it away from Nations as he pleaseth so he dispoâ—eth inward light or darkness to every soul Some gracious souls walk in the light of Gods countenance and under the sweet shinings of his face every day others who also as the Prophet speaks Isa 50.10 Fear the Lord and obey the voice of his servants walk in darkness and see no light Now whence cometh this difference Is it not of the Lord who hath the command of our joys and of our sorrows and who appoints this kind of light and darkness their several and special places according to the soveraignty of his own Will From all that hath been said we may draw down this conclusion which the Lord did chiefly aim at in dealing with Job That we are to own and acknowledge the hand of God in every condition be it light or be it darkness be it joy or be it sorrow 't is all of God There is nothing which concerns either the comfort or trouble of man but comes forth from God and is ordered by him like as in all ages and revolutions of time light and darkness have held their course and kept their place according to his institution and direction Job was in darkness both as to his outward and inward estate his body was pained his soul was grieved anguish â—â—llâ—d 〈◊〉 spirit and God would have him see know and acknowledge his hand in all As if he had said Thou canst no more dispose the peace
the Armories or Arcenals of Heaven and the Scripture both in this Text of Job and in several other places besides those which have been mentioned sheweth what Ammunition what instruments of the Lords fierce anger and fiery indignation are stored laid up or reserved there against the time of trouble against the day of battel and war with the rebellious world Now Forasmuch as snow and hail c. are at once the Lords Host and his Arms by which he fights against the wicked we may take notice of these five following inferences for the help of our meditations about this matter and to make all that hath been already held forth from these two verses more profitable to us First God needeth not borrow help from man on earth when he would be avenged on his enemies If he doth but speak the word and declare his will it is enough The heavens the clouds of heaven will bâ—ing him Armies and Arms without number He that covers the earth a foot deep with snow can cover all as we say over head and ears with it He that powres down showres of hail no bigger than a pease can send it of a talent weight as 't is expressed Rev. 16.21 God cannot want Armies at any time for his day of battel and war who can make any thing serve him effectively as an Army and therefore they who being in distress see no more help in man than David when he said Psal 142.4 I looked on my right hand and beheld but there was no man that would know me how well soever I was known to him refuge failed me there was no man that cared for my soul that is that regarded what became of me I was left at six and sevens to sink or swim to shift for my self as well as I could they I say who are thus distressed having an interest in God need not despair nor despond seeing the Lord can charge or press any creature for our aid and help yea can help us without the aid of any creature Secondly Take heed of provoking God who hath sâ—ch Armes and Armies alwayes at command 'T is dangerous medling wiâ—h a prepared enemy God can never be suâ—prised not taken unprovided As the wicked bend their bow and make ready their arrow upon the string that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart Psal 11.2 So the Lord hath his bow alwayes bent and his arrow made ready upon the string openly to shoot at the false in heart Though it be usually long before he takes revenge yet 't is not because he is unready and cannot but because patient and will not take it sooner He is alwayes able to avenge himself not onely speedily but presently As he will do what he hath spoken so he can do what he will with a word speaking Thirdly Would we not fear snow or hail or any missive weapon of heaven then let us get God to be our friend in whose hand and at whose command they are No creature moves but by direction from God and surely he will never direct them to the hurt though often to the affliction and correction of those whom he loves As such are in league with the stones of the field and the beasts of the field are at peace with them so also are the stars of heaven and all the meteors snow and hail c. in the air Fourthly God will charge them with hardness of heart and impenitency who humble not themselves when he fights against them with these weapons Every judiciary shower of hail though it break not our heads yet it should break our hearts That hail which doth any hurt to the works of our hands should work good upon our hearts And therefore the Lord complained when his hail-stones left no more sign or impression upon his peoples hearts than they did upon a rock or stone Hag. 2.17 I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in all your labours yet ye turned not to me saith the Lord. This Scripture teacheth us two useful lessons First When God smites any thing that is ours or belongs to us he smites us If our fields or gardens be smitten we are smitten Secondly God expects we should and even wonders if we do not turn upon such smitings He looks upon them as hardned sinners who melt not by every afflictive fall of hail from heaven They are even resolved to be bad who mind not being good or better when evils fall upon either them or theirs Fifthly Hasten to make peace with God when he gives signs and alarums of war God had no sooner said to Israel Amos 4.12 Therefore that is because thou hast not taken the alarum by former judgement therefore thus will I do unto thee O Israel that is I will bring some sorer judgement upon thee than any of those already brought but he adds and because I will do this unto thee unless prevented by speedy repentance prepare to meet thy God O Israel As if God had said Consider as Christ adviseth on another occasion Luke 14.31 whether thou art able with thy ten thousand to meet me with my twenty thousand all the power of man is not onely less by half as ten thousand to twenty thousand but indeed nothing at all to the power of God and if not as I know thou art not then I counsel thee while I onely tell thee I will do thus unto thee but am yet a great way off possibly from coming to do it prepare to meet me send an Embassage of prayers and tears and desire conditions of peace It will be too late to call for a composition or to think of a treaty when the trumpets have sounded and the battel is joyned If we get not through Christ our peace made before the day of battel and war in this world I mean before temporal judgements aâ—e actually come upon us and have taken hold of us we may smart soundly before we have our peace and pay dearly for it before we have it But if we prepare not to meet God and get our peace made through Christ before the day of battel and war in the next world I mean before Death and the Eternal Judgement come upon us we shall not onely smart soundly and pay dearly for that wretched neglect of our season but must perish for ever under an impossibility of having our peace made The Day of Gods battel and war with the wicked in the next world is Eternity Here in this world God saith to the worst of sinners to him that is but briars and thorns Isa 27.5 Let him take hold of my strength that is of my Grace or of my Son which are my strength to save sinners that he may make peace with me and I assure him his assay shall not be in vain he shall make peace with me I am no inexorable God yea I am easie to be intreated if treated with when and in whom and in such a way as I have offered my self
it goeth to the West and so when it comes from the North and goes to the South but we know not whence it comes and whither it goes as to the way of it we know not how it comes to passe or is brought about That 's done by the sole command of the Lord who hath the whole Creation at his beck and whose word every creature obeys moving and going where and when he himself gives order It is the Lord who by the light or by what means seems good unto him scattereth the East-wind or any other wind upon the Earth The next Question concerns the waters Vers 25. Who hath divided a Water-course for the over-flowing of waters The former Question was about the parting of the Light here we have a Question about the Division of the Waters Who hath divided c. The Hebrew Word for a River comes from this Root and so also doth the Latine Word Pelagus Quis dedit imbri vehementissimo cursum Vulg 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rivus Pelagus nomen habet quod ex illo dividantur deriventur flumino which signifieth the Sea out of which Rivers are derived and divided into the Land From this word also the Elder or First-born Son of Eber was called Peleg Gen. 10.25 and the Text gives us the reason why he was so called For saith Moses in his days the Earth was divided that is it was distinguished into several Coasts and Countries and by several Names which before lay all as it were in one Common There have been too many hurtful divisions in the Earth that is of men on Earth ever since in another sense and are at this day It is sad to see the spirits opinions and practices of men so much divided but it was and is useful to have both the soil of the Earth and the body of the Water divided Here we have the division of the Waters Who hath divided a Water-course for the over-flowing of waters There is a two-fold division of water We read of the former in the description of the Creation Gen. 1.7 where the Lord divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters that were above the firmament and it was so The division here intended is of the waters above theâ—e the Lord makes a division of the waters and gives them their courses The word rendred Water-courses signifies to ascend 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ductus aquae or to be on high because the course of the water is from above or from on high Water moves alwayes from a higher place Water naturally floweth downward 't is a heavy body and cannot ascend naturally therefore the course of the water is from above Quis nisi ego cursum dat aquis è coelo defluentibus veluti percanales ab hominibus manu-factos Homines suos Aquae-ductus per terram efficiunt sed deus per aerem nubem distribuit Merc. Inundationem aquarum non terrestrium sed c. Merc. As men make Aqueducts Water-courses or Conveyances for water by artificial pipes of Lead or Wood as we see in this City or by Channels cut in the Earth so the Lord hath his Water-courses above he hath his Pipes his Channels in the Clouds Who hath divided a Water-course For the over-flowing of waters The Word signifies a great inundation or a pouring forth of water a Chataract Moses describing the Deluge saith Gen. 7.11 The windows of heaven were opened And when at any time it rains it may be said the Lord in some degree opens the windows of heaven We are not to understand as was toucht before this over-flowing of water of the waters flowing upon the Earth but of the waters flowing from Heaven down upon the Earth for the Lord speaks not of Floods on Earth to destroy but of plentiful and seasonable rain to nourish the fruits of the Earth as is clear from the 27th verse Now saith the Lord Who hath divided a Water-course for these waters that they might not come down as I may say in a Full-sea but as by or in pipes and channels to refresh the Earth The Lord hath his water-Water-works in Heaven as men have theirs on Earth This elegant Metaphor shadows out that certain Rule or Law of Nature which the Lord hath given those waters above when they are commanded to slow down for the use and service of Man and Beast here below The Lord enquires of Job for the Author of these upper Water-works Who hath divided a Water-course for the over-flowing of Waters Hence Note God makes a division of his stores and treasures of water in the clouds as himself pleaseth or the course of the water is directed by God where to fall and when As God hath divided the Earth to the Sons of men Acts 17.26 as he hath determined their times and the bounds of their habitation so he hath also divided the waters for the Earth the waters that are above and he proportions them according to his own will Amos 4.7 I caused it to rain upon one City and I caused it not to rain upon another God is so good that usually he causeth his rain to fall upon the jâ—st and upon the unjust Matth. 5.44 But he can cause the rain to fall distinguishingly and not promiscuously It was the saying of a Heathen in his fourth Book concerning the bestowing of benefits chap. 28. The gods give many benefits to unthankful persons Dii multa ingratis tribuunt sed illa bonis paraverant contingunt autem etiam malis quia separari non possunt Nec poterat lex casuris imbribus dici ne in malorum improborumque râ—ra defluerent Sen. de â—enef l. 4. c. 28. they provided them for the good but they fall to the share â—f the bad because it is impossible to divide them And instancing in rain he saith No law can be given to the falling showers or to the showers when they fall that they distill not upon the lands of wicked men Thus what that Scâ—ipture in Matthew saith God doth out of choice to shew his goodness that this Heathen said their Gods did but of necessity because they could do no otherwise If they sent rain upon the just the unjust must have it too he thought there was no avoiding of that but this Text in Job and many more up and down the Scripture teach us that God can put a law upon the showers of rain he hath his Water-courses and câ—n direct the rain to what place and persons he will he can command it to fall by his law when and where and upon whom he appoints God retains his sâ—veraignty for a distinct distribution of the wateâ—s though to declare his bounty and mercy he usually makes no difference but distributes it alike to all The Lord is so good that he feeds his enemies and nourisheth a world of wicked ones or the wicked world every day yet he retains his Empire over the clouds still and he divides a Water-course
our lives these are or may be seen of men yet they must not be brought forth that we may be seen in doing them but that men seeing our good works may glorifie our Father which is in Heaven Matth. 5.16 Our inward good fruits which are indeed our choicest and most spiritual good fruits are of three sorts First Good Thoughts To do good is best for others but to think good or to have many good thoughts is the best proof that we our selves are good Solomon saith Prov. 12.12 The root of the righteous yieldeth fruit The root of a righteous man is his heart and the first-fruits of a good heart are good thoughts He is a precious person and hath a precious heart that can say as holy David did Psal 139.17 How precious are thy thoughts unto me O God how great is the sum of them That is the thoughts which I have of thee O God are exceeding precious unto me and I have many very many of them more than I am able to sum or reckon up Secondly Good affections are good inward fruits such are godly sorrow joy in God love to God longing after God Psal 27.4 Psal 42.1 2. Isa 26.9 hatred of evil all these movings of the heart are good and precious fruits Thirdly which are the issue and result of both the former good purposes and holy resolves to cleave fast to God to stick as David expresseth it Psal 119.31 to his testimonies wayes and truths at all times especially in times of trial or to continue with Christ in his temptation these are very good inward fruits Psal 17.3 Dan. 1.8 Acts 11.23 Outward good fruits are of two sorts First Good words are good fruits The lips of the righteous feed many Prov. 10.21 Edifying words Eph. 4.29 words of exhortation to good Heb. 3.13 words of reproof as to evil Gal. 6.1 words of comfort to the sad and sorrowful 1 Thess 5.14 all these words are good fruits Secondly Good works first of holiness towards God secondly of righteousness and love towards all men thirdly of charity to the poor all these are outward good fruits and all these the Lord looks for where-ever or upon whomsoever he sends the rain of his word JOB Chap. 38. Vers 28 29 30. 28. Hath the Rain a Father or who hath begotten the drops of dew 29. Out of whose Womb came the Ice and the hoary frost of Heaven who hath gendred it 30. The Waters are hid as with a stone and the face of the deep is frozen THe Lord having questioned Job in the former context about the course of the Rain and the free dispensation of it even to those places where no man is and to the Wilderness where there is no man here he questions him about the cause and original of the Rain and not only of the Rain but of the Dew the Ice and the Frost So then in these three verses we have four Questions First about the Rain and Secondly about the Dew in the 28th verse Thirdly about the Ice and Fourthly about the Frost in the 29th verse together with the marvelous force and effects of it vers 30. Vers 28. Hath the Rain a Father The Inquiry is who is the Father of the Rain that is who is the Author what is the cause of it Not as if the cauâ—e of that or of the other Meteors here mentioned could not at all be known but to shew First That much of them all is unknown There are many things in this lower Sphear beyond mans Sphear even these are not propagated altogether according to our understanding or apprehensions of them Secondly To shew that he must be plentifully stored with all sorts of good who as a Father begets and as a Mother brings forth such useful and necessary things for the preservation of living Creatures Thirdly To shew that these creatures are not produced by causes which are constant and unvariable in nature but proceed from and daily depend upon the power and will of God who somtimes checks and stops the course of Nature and at other times impregnates it for the production of these effects or brings them forth by the Midwifery and help of second causes Fourthly When the Lord propounds the Question under this Relation of a Father he would shew or teach us that he gives Rain and Dew to the earth as a father gives food and other requisites to his children Further This seems to be the design of God in putting these Questions to Job that forasmuch as he could not fully comprehend the causation and production of these things much less was able to cause or produce them himself but must receive them from the power and according to the dispose and providence of God therefore he should refer all his concernments to the same Providence and so rest satisfied whether God sent him a sweet and refreshing Rain and Dew or a grievous and afflictive season of Ice and Fâ—ost Thus we may conceive the general scope of this Context Now to the particulars Hath the Rain a father The question may be resolved both negatively and affirmatively First Negatively the Rain hath no Father that is on earth or among men There is no creature power that can produce a drop of Rain Secondly affiâ—matively Hath the Rain a father Yes it hath God is the Father of the Rain The Rain is not fatherless there is one who will own the Rain as his child or issue The causation of Rain is a great secret in nature a secret about which though wise and learned men have discoursed much and given out much light about it yet they have not reached the utmost nor attained the full knowledge of it and the reason of that is because the Rain hath a Father whose wayes and workings as in the first constitution of Nature so in the daily motions of it exceed our knowledg Hath the Rain a father Not on earth Nor are the Heavens the Father of the Rain the God of Heaven is As not a shower no nor a drop of Rain falls on the earth at the will or by the power of man Si quis alium praeter Deum pluviae patrem quaerat is erit vapor qui ex humidis locis entractus eâ— alevatus a Solo concrescit in nebulam aut nubem et inde a Sole repefactus liquescit et solvitur Sanct. so not by the power of the Sun drawing up the vapours and dissolving the Clouds nor by the Winds scattering the Clouds The Sun may shine the Moon may change the Winds may blow and turn long enough yet no Rain till the Lord gives the Word Some and that not improperly have called the Sun The father of the Rain The Sun draws up those vapours from the earth into the Air which are the matter of Rain and there those vapours are condensed into Clouds and afterwards rarified and dissolved into Rain yet these natural causes produce these effects only as God sets them on work and he can
God is here compared to a Mother for the same reason for which he was before compared to a Father We are to note saith Aquinas upon this place that Cold is the cause of Ice which is a feminine or womanish quality but the cause of rain and dew is heat which is a masculine or manly quality And therefore the Lord speaking of the generation of rain and dew useth the word Father and about the generation of Ice and Frost he useth a word most proper to the Mother Out of whose womb came the Ice The word rendred womb signifies the whole belly yea the whole body Thus Psal 132.11 Of the fruit of thy body c. The Hebrew is belly so the word is used Gen. 15.4 2 Chron. 22.21 but according to our Translation it strictly relates to the Mother as if God would take upon him both sexes and be as the Father of the rain and dew so the Mother of the Ice and Frost The Ancients insist much upon this setting forth the glory of God in the former verse as a Father and here as a Mother out of whose womb the Ice comes and they tell us of some who never had Scripture light Clemens Alexandrinus l. 5. Strom. Docet Deum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ab Orpheo vocatum that yet did speak of God according to this Notion calling him Mother-Father They looked to God and honoured him as having not onely the power of a Father but the care of a Mother conceiving nourishing nursing and educating the Creature as a Mother doth her children and therefore called God Mother-Father and so much this change of the word in the Text doth imply Out of whose womb Came the Ice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gelu Radix evulsit pilos quia gelu terram gramine arbâ—res plantasquefolits dejectis quasi glabrat Yet this manner of speaking signifies no more than this that Ice and Frost are caused and brought forth by the power of God The word rendred Ice comes from a root which signifies to make bald or to pull off the hair because when Frost and Ice come they quickly pull off the leaves from the trees and the flowers from the hearbs they mâ—ke all bare-headed and so Ice hath its denomination from that effect Out of whose womb came the Ice And the hoary frâ—st of heaven who hath gendred it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Texit operuit The word rendred hoary frost signifies to cover over because the â—oary frost covers all over The trees and hearbs all things above ground aâ—e covered with the hoary frost therefore it hath its name from covering and here the Lord calls it The hoary Frost Of Heaven Because the cold which makes the hoary Frost comes from the Air which is oâ—ten in Scripture called Heaven Hence Note The Lord will be acknowledged as the Author of Ice and Frost They are the effects of his power and declaration of his glory and therefore the Lord calls such-like meteors to praise him Psal 148.8 as evidences or pâ—â—ofs of his power and wonderous works Psal 147.16 17. He scattereth his hoar Frost like ashes he casteth forth his Ice like morsels who can stand before his cold The Lord takes the Ice and Frost and Cold to be his it is not onely his Sun but his Ice and his Frost he scatters his hoar Frost like ashes The Frost is compared to ashes in a threefold respect first Because the hoar Fâ—ost gives a little interruption to the fight Iâ— you scatter ashes into the Air it darkens the light so doth the hoaâ—y Frost Secondly hoary Frost is like ashes because near in colour to ashes Thirdly 'T is like ashes because there is a kind of burning in it Fâ—ost burns the tender buds and blossoms Vnde pruinae nomen è perurendo quod fruges perurit vocant Carbunculationem iâ— nips them and dries them up The hoary Frost hath its denomination in the Latine Tongue from burning it diffeâ—s but a very little from that word which is commonly used in Latine for a coal of fire The cold Frost hath a kind of scotching in it as well as the hot Sun Unseasonable Frosts in the Spring scorch the tender fruits which bad effect of Frost is usually exprest by Carbunculation or blasting Frost is sometimes a great benefit and sometimes a great scourge when it comes opportunely and in season 't is a great benefit but if it comes in the spring of the year if it comes when the youth of the spring buds and blossomes are put forth it proves very detrimental and kills that hopeful spring of the Earth which the warmth of a benigne Sun and wind had invited out The Frost of a few nights hath spoiled the hopes of Husbandmen and Vine-dressers for the whole year Frost is both a benefit and a scourge whether it proves the one or the other it is God who gendreth it and must therefore be acknowledged in it As in this 29th verse Goâ— declares himself the Author of the Frost and of the Ice and in opening it somewhat hath been said of their effects so in the next verse one remarkable and very forcible effect of the Frost is held forth that we may learn and 't is no more than our exâ—erience and eye-sâ—ght have often taught us what Cold or Frost can do Why what can it do It can tuâ—n water into stones Such is the power of Cold that it hardens the liquid water like a stone Ice in its very first appearance hath the resemblâ—nce of a stone and being very thick as in long Frosts 't is like a rock like a mountain of stone Thus tâ—e Text speaks Vers 30. The waters are hid as with a stone That is when extream cold freezes the waters into Ice the waters are not seen they are loâ—kt up and as it were paved over with a stone or the waters seem to suffer a strange metamorphosis and leaving their natural liquidiâ—y and softness are condensed or hardened into râ—cks such is the force of cold Some express it actively not as we The waters are hid but the waters hide themselves like a stone Thus Mr. Broughton expresseth it Naturalists tell us that in some cold Countries Nives in Chrystallum durantur Plin. l. 37. c. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Aqua frigore conâ—reta where there are great falls of snow and rain the snow and rain grow into such a hardness that you cannot reduce them into waâ—er Chrystal say they is nothing but water hardened by câ—ld And thus water is more than hid as with a stone for it becomes a stone Hence Note The Lord can make wonderful changes in Nature What is more fluid than water more moveable than water it was of old grown into a divine Proverb Gen. 49.4 Vnstable as water yet this unstable body can the Lord change into a stone and make it hard as a rock Histories are full of strange reports concerning the effects
obeyed This readiness at the call of God David professed from his own experience Psal 27.8 When thou saidst seek ye my face my heart said unto thee thy face Lord will I seek That is as thou hast commanded that I should worship thee so I do or what thou O Lord sayest is my desire thy command is not only the resolution but the request and supplication of my soul We have the like readiness of that holy Prophet Isaiah who after the Angel with a coal from the Altar had touched his lips and cleansed him from his filthiness hearing the Lord enquire for a messenger Whom shall I send presently answered as the lightning in the Text Here am I send me Is 6.8 Lord I am ready to go whithersoever thou wilt send me This should be in some measure is the temper of all believers though they may have to their sorrow find many reluctancies and stops yet this is in the heart of every true believer to be ready at the call of God to say Here I am When the Apostle Paul had a call to preach the gospel of Christ which once he persecuted Immediately saith he Gal. 1.16 I conferred not with flesh and blood he made no delayes much less any excuses least of all any dâ—nials but was obedient to the heavenly Vision As soon as he had that vision and call from God to go and preach the Gospel he never stood reasoning and conferring with flesh and blood he put no questions he asked not this or that mans opinion whether it were best for him to go or not neither did he confer with the flesh and blood in his own heart he conferred not with himself he consulted not his own safety nor any carnal interests but did as he was commanded And unless we do thus not only will the ordinary practise of servants to Masters rise up in judgement against us Mat. 8.9 I am a man under authority said the Centurion having soldiers under me I have a superior officer and I have inferior soldiers and I say to one go and he goeth and to another come and he cometh Such is or ought to be the carriage of soldiers and servants towards their Superiors Now I say unless we readily obey the voice of God not only will the daily practise of servants but the practise if I may so speak of the lightnings from the clouds will rise up in judgement against us and condemn us Shall a servant say Here I am at the call of man Shall the lightning say here I am at the call of God and shall not man say so at Gods call Shall men put questions to Gods commands Shall they query Will the world bear it if I do this or will this stand with my ease and profit with my credit or commodity when God requires it If any do so the lightning may flash in the face of their consciences and not only blast them as stubborn and disobedient but brand them for foolish and unwise or at least for want of wisdom about which the question is put to Job in the next verse Vers 36. Who hath put wisdom into the inward parts and who hath given understanding to the heart Some Interpreters conceive that at this verse the Lord enters discourse with or begins to question Job concerning living creatures and beginning here with man the chiefest of visible living creatures he proceeds to inferior living creatures the beasts of the earth and the fowls of the air as followeth in the 39th Chapter Yet the very next verse offers a great objection against this opinion for there return is made to the former matter the works of nature Vers 37. Who can number the clouds in wâ—sâ—om or who can stay the bottles of heaven And therefore I rather conceive that this 36th verse is to be joyned with the two former already opened as if here the Lord would convince man that as he hath not power sufficient to command so not wisdom enough to dispose either of the Rain or of the Lightnings under which by a Synechdoche all other creatures may be comprehended As if God had said Whatever wisdom man hath is of my putting into him now I have not given him wisdom enough nor taught him how to order and dispose the clouds and lightnings and if I have not given him wisdom for these things whence should he have it So then according to this way of interpâ—etation the 37th verse which followeth gives a reason why man cannot attain to this priviledge the government of the clouds the disposal of rain and lightnings even because God hath not given him any such wisdom All the wisdom which man hath is the gift of God but God hath not given man wisdom to order the clouds and lightnings therefore he hath no such wisdom Who hath pâ—t wisdom into the inward parts Wiâ—â—â—â— may be taken either generally for knowledge which is the 〈◊〉 of the mind and may be called speculative knowledgâ—◠〈◊〉 pâ—â—ticularly for prudence which is practical knowledge in the duâ— ordering and manage of things before us Who hath puâ— wâ—sâ—â—◠〈◊〉 either sort Into the inward parts The word which we translate inward parts signifies sometimes the Reins and sometimes the Heart The Chaldee paraphrase renders Who hath put wisdom into the heart The matter is not much to which of them we determine it for though the heart in Scripture is usually put for the seat of wisdom and the Reins for the seat of the affections yet David saith My reins instruct me in the night season Psal 16.7 To instruct or teach is properly the work of wisdom The word is well rendred by us the inward parts for that takes in all wisdom lyeth within Psal 51.6 Behold thou desirest truth in the inward parts and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom The inward parts in the foâ—mer part of that verse and the hidden part in the latter are the same by both or either he means his soul in all the faculties or operations of it And indeed neither the Reins not the Heart nor any nor all the members of the body are properly oâ— strictly wisdoms seat Wisdom is lodged in the soul in the man of man as some call it and therefore that must needs be intended here Sapientia non tantum in cordeâ—sed in renibus aliquo modo posita est ie Quòd omnis hominis affectus à divina quadam sapientia irradietur Coc. Renes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vocantur ut quidam volent quia sunt oblitae adipe Drus. but because Naturalists speak of wisdom as lodged and exercised in bodily parts some placing it in the heart some in the head others in the reins therefore we may well place it as our Translation expresseth it in the inward parts The original word strictly imports that which is covered over the root is rendred to cover and Grammarians give this reason of it because the reins and
and resideth everlastingly in himself he now undertakes Job for the same ends by putting him questions about the living creatures and those of three forms or sorts First About the beasts of the earth Secondly About the fowls of the Air. Thirdly About the fish of the Sea The Lord gives particular instance or makes inquiry about thirteen kinds of living creatures whereof seven abide upon the earth five in the air one in the waters The seven creatures inquired about which abide on the earth are First The Lion Secondly The wilde Goat Thirdly The Hind Fourthly The wilde Ass Fifthly The Vnicorn Sixthly the Horse and Seventhly The Elephant under the name of Behemoth as is most generally conceived The five creatures inquired about that live in the air are First The Raven Secondly The Peacock Thirdly The Ostrich Fourthly The Hawk and Fifthly The Eagle Of the third sort namely such as live in the water or in the Sea Job is questioned only about one the Leviathan or the Whale a creature of a vast magnitude of so vast a magnitude that take all the other twelve creatures and joyn them together the Leviathan exceeds them all in magnitude as will appear in the description given of him at large in the one and fortieth Chapter The Lord in this latter discourse with or questioning of Job seems to descend or to put matter of easier resolution to him than he had done before and doubtless he doth yet he doth it for the greater and fuller conviction and humiliation of Job As if the Lord had said If O Job thou findest thy self puzled and unable to give any tolerable answer and resolution to the questions which I have proposed about the whole bulk or body of the earth and Sea or about those great things that are wrought in the heavens and in the air then consider how thou art able to answer my questions about these lesser things which are also near unto thee the beasts of the earth fowls of the air and the fish of the Sea The Lord even in these works makes manifest his glorious perfections far exceeding the reach and apprehension of man as well as in yea more than in those other works of his mentioned before There are two things especially of which the Lord would convince Job with respect to these living creatures First Of his care and providence in the provision that he daily makes for them Secondly Of his power and wisdom in the extraordinary strength and strange qualities which he hath bestowed upon them and indued them with in some of which they much surpass man the master-piece and master of the whole invisible Creation The general scope and aim of God in putting questions to Job about these living creatures seems to answer a secret doubt which some might have concerning his pâ—ovidence True the Lord governs the Heavens the Stars the Thunder the Lightnings the Rain but doth he look after things below Yea the Lords care and providence about inferior creatures is very great condescending to the very wilde beasts of the earth Ego qui omnio justa dispensatione procuro circa te tantum O Job videbor injustus Philip. to the fowls of the air as also to the fish of the Sea and hence the Lord would have Job understand that surely he had a much greater care of him and of the affairs of the children of men Who can but conclude That if the Lord hath such a respect to these irrational creatures which live only the life of sence then much more hath he a care of man and among men of good men who are his children and of them most of all in their afflictions and troubles So that the Lord by these questions seems to bespeak Job thus How comes it to pass that thou shouldst so much as doubt whether I take care of thee or no when I take care of and look to the wilde beasts of the earth to the fowls that flie in the air yea to the fish that swim unseen in the Sea Or thus Am I thus solicitous to look after Lions and Goats Hinds and Vnicorns the Ostrich and the Peacock c. am I so careful to look after these creatures Vt disâ—at Job Deum non saevum esse in suos qui tam beneficus sit in feras Chrysost many of which are of very little use to man and some of them a trouble to man and dost thou think I will not have a care of thee learn therefore from what I now question thee about that I can never be cruel to thee or forgetful of my faithful servants who am mindful of the bruit beasts and ravenous birds This seems to be the general tendency of the Lords discourse with Job continued from the close of this 38. Chapter quite through the 39. a great part of the 40. and the whole 41 Chapter Having thus given a prospect of the whole I shall now proceed to the particular animals here named and to that first which is not only named in the order of the Text but is looked upon also as first in dignity a King among beasts the Lion Vers 39. Wilt thou hunt the prey for the Lion The Lord speaks thus because the Lion is a beast of prey he liveth by hunting by hunting catching and seeding upon other beasts the Lion is a Nimrod in the world a mighty Hunter Naturalists say he is so curious in his diet that he scorns to feed upon any carcase that he hath not hunted and killed himself or that hath not been hunted by a Lion He will not touch a carcase that lies dead in the field but what he feeds upon is what he conquers and kills and that therefore it is here said Wilt thou hunt the prey for the Lion thou needst not he is able enough to hunt for himself Yet some Travellers report that there is a little beast called Jackal somewhat bigger than a Fox who usually doth that service for the Lion to hunt the prey for him and may be called the Lions Hunter Purchas Pilgr Mr. Purchas in that Book called his Pilgrimage â—â—â—s us this relation The Lion saith he hath the Jackal for his Vsher which is a little black shag-haired beast about the bigness of a Spaniel which when the evening comes hunts for his prey and coming on the foot follows the scent with open cry to which the Lion as chief hunter gives diligent ear following for his advantage If the Jackal set up his chase before the Lion comes in he howls out mainly and then the Lion seizeth on it making a grumbling noise whilst his servant stands by barking and when the Lion hath done the Jackal feeds on the relicks Thus far that industrious collector of observations from most of the remote parts of the world And though neither Pliny nor any natuâ—al Historian no nor any Interpreter upon this Text that ever I met with have given any intimation that the Lion hath such a servant
yet it is pleasing and toothsom and savoury to them What the Lord pâ—ovides for Ravens is to them dainties and delicacies carrion is so to them because 't is sutable to their nature such as their stomack likes very well The sutableness of any food to our taste and palate makes it delightful to us What makes sin which is as odious as a carrion or corrupt thing to God and good men pleasant to carnal and wicked men but the sutableness of it to their nature they can feed upon sin as heartily and hungrily as a Raven doth upon a putrified carcase And what 's the reason that the ways of God are so pleasant to a godly man is it not because his heart is made through grace sutable to them To do the will of God is meat and drink to a godly man but his soul being in a right frame can no more delightfully do any thing that is sinfully evil than he can delight to feed bodily upon putrifaction or poyson Who provideth his food For the Raven The Hebrew word for a Raven signifies blâ—ckness darkness Corvus in Hebraeo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dictus à colore nigro Graecè 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 crocitare or the evening The Raven is the true Black-bird a dark-coloured creature black as a Raven is the Scripture language for perfect blackness The Greek word for a Raven intimates her hoarse harsh and unpleasant cry or croking As the coat of the Raven is eminent for a beautiful blackness so his note is well known by his unpleasant and jarring hoarsness The note of the Crow or Raven sounds like the Latine Cras cras in English To morrow to morrow or the day to come And hence men who when called to present repentance and forsaking of their sins desire time and say to morrow to morrow are said to resemble Crows and Ravens Zorom l. 4. whose only song is cras cras 'T is reported concerning Athanasius that walking in the streets of a Heathenish or Gentile City a Raven slew over his head and croked the Heathens that stood by laught and smil'd to see the Raven flie and croke so neer him and they asked What said the Raven to thee He answered The Raven cryed to morrow to morrow for to morrow the Emperor will send out such an Edict or Decree as will put a stop to your superstitious observation of Heathenish Feasts And though he knew nothing of the Emperors purpose at that time to put forth such a decree yet the next day there came a command from the Emperor that they should no more observe them And then the Heathens cryed out against Athanasius and said that he was a Witch Further The Raven is so called in our language from her ravening her name speaks her nature as Nabals did his 1 Sam. 25.25 yet even Ravens are under the Lords inspection Who provideth for the Raven his food Hence note The worst and vilest creatures are under the care of God The Lord doth not give Job an instance of his care in the people of Israel for whom he provided a long time in Egypt and whom he fed forty years in the wilderness nor in Elias fed by Ravens but in his feeding Ravens nor among fowls doth he instance in the Hawk or Falcon which are highly prized and fed by Princes nor in the sweet singing Nightingale or such like musical pretty birds which men keep choicely and much delight in but in that hateful and malicious bird the croking Raven whom no man values but as she eats up the carrion which might annoy him Behold then and wonder at the providence and kindness of God that he should provide food for the Raven a creature of so dismal a hue and of so untuneable a tone a creature that is so odious to most men Avis inauspicata and ominous to some There is a great providence of God seen in providing for the Ant or Pismire who gathers her meat in Summer Prov. 6.8 but a greater in the Raven who though he forgets or is careless to provide for himself yet God provides and layeth up for him One would think the Lord should say of Ravens let them shift for themselves or perish no the Lord God doth not despise any work of his hands the Raven hath his being from God and therefore the Raven shall be provided for by him not only the fair innocent Dove but the ugly Raven hath his meat from God As the Lord feeds not only Doves but Ravens in kind so he feeds not only Doves but Ravens in a figure that is he feeds not only dove-like or innocent men but raven-like or wicked men Mat. 5.45 He causeth his Sun to rise on the evil and on the good sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust Thus he feeds Ravens in the likeness of men Such men whose minds feed upon carrion the Lord feeds their bodies with excellent dainties they fare deliciously every day as the rich Glutton is said to do who was but a Raven The Lord I say doth not only provide for his better and more excellent ones but he provides for the bad for the evil for the wicked such an indulgent father and provider is God towards all his creatures We find this reported to the praise of God Psal 104.10 11. He sendeth the Springs into the valleys which run among the Hills they give drink to every beast of the field the wilde Asses quench their thirst And again Psal 145.15 16. The eyes of all wait upon or look unto thee and thou givest them their meat in due season thou openest thy hand and satisfiest the desire that is the hunger and thirst of every living thing He that gives life to all upholds the lives of all As it shews the great power of God that he hath made some living creatures the Angels and souls of men which need no mear so it is a very great glory that he provides meat for all that â—eed it God hath a great houshold and he keeps a plentiful house the meanest of his houshold have food convenient for them Now Doth the Lord provide a table for the Ravens Remember Christâ— Inference from it Then much more will he provide a Table for his children who fear him and trust upon him Behold saith Christ Mat. 6.26 the fowls of the air for they sow not neither do they reap nor gather into barns yet your heavenly father feedeth them Are ye not much better than they And that which Christ spake in general there concerning the fowls of the air he in the 12th of Luke ver 24. spake particularly of the Raven Coâ—sider the Ravens for they neither sow nor reap c. and God feedeth them how much more are ye better as if the Lord had said than the fowls Ye are much better than the best of fowls then how much better than the worst the Ravens and be ye assured that as much as ye are better than
wild Goats of the rock bring forth What these Goats here called wild Goats 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rupicapra à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scandit ascendit quòd montes rupes ascendit and wild Goats of the rock are is commonly known The word which we render wild Goats signifies in the Hebrew ascending or clambering because Goats are clambering creatures getting up the steepest rocks and ascending the height of hills and mountains which they do many times exceeding dangerously seeming rather to hang by their feet than to go upon them Pendentem summa capream de rupe videbis Casuram speres decipit illa canes Martial Ibices quasi avices eò quòd instar avium ardua excelsa teneant Thus the old Poet fancied them when he said You may see the wild Goat hanging upon the rock you may hope she will tumble down presently But she deceives the hunter and his hounds though she seems to hang uncertainly yet she keeps her footing steddily The Latines have a word signifying wild Goats which criticks say comes from another latine word signifying a bird or flying fowl because Goats may be said rather to fly than go upon those craggy places or rather to use wings than feet Such are the creatures here called wild Goats and that with an addition wild Goats Of the rocks Because they specially delight in rocky places or because they breed and bring forth in rocks It is said 1 Sam. 24.2 that Saul in his pursuit of David came with a select army of three thousand men to seek him and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats which Scripture fitly answers this which calls them wild Goats of the rock Saul did not seek David only in the plains and valleys where flocks of sheep feed but upon the craggy rocks and precipices where wild Goats take up their quarters or use to feed This shewed his implacable rage and revengeful spirit against an innocent person that rather than not take him and have his will on him he would undertake an expedition not only tedious but very hazardous to himself and his army Wrathful men will not only not spare others but not themselves But to the Text Knowest thou the time when the wild Goats of the rock Bring forth that is their young ones 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verbum ipsum quod dâ—lere significat sumâ—tur pro parturire Merc. The word translated bring forth signifies pain and sorrow There is so much pain in bringing forth that bringing forth and pain may well be signified by one word The pains of the wild Goats in bringing forth here implyed are expressely spoken of at the third Verse But why did the Lord enquire of Job here whether he knew the time the exact time of their bringing forth is that a secret I answer doubtless it is a secret and such a secret as few are acquainted with Wild Goats come little under the eye or sight of men in that work they bringing forth upon inaccessable placeâ— câ—aggy rocks and mountains men cannot without much difficulty reach that piece of knowledge And therefore the Lord might well ask of Job Knowest thou the time when the wild Goats of the rock bring forth I may say also the Lord puts this familiar question to Job that he might the more awaken him into the consideration of his own weakness and utter inability to find out the secret of his other works As if the Lord had said thou canst not discover so much as the birth of the wild Goats how then canst thou find out the births of my wonderful providences My providences bring forth wonderful births and much more unknowable by thee than the birth and bringing forth of the wild Goats Thus the Lord would check his curiosity he who was unable to give him an account concerning the state of those poor creatures must not think himself able to pry into the great and unsearchable works of God in the amazing products of his providence towards the children of men Before I pass from these words it will not be unprofitable to mind the Reader how as one of the Antients hath hinted we may moralize or spiritualize this Text Gregor l. 30. mor. c. 16. there being much of the disposition or condition of a godly man especially of a faithful Teacher typed or fairly represented in the nature and qualities of these wild Goats First As these wild Goats seek both their food and rest their repast and refuge in rocks So the godly abide and dwell in the rock that is in the Lord Jesus Christ they look to him alone both for refuge and refreshing both for comfort and safety while they are in this world Christ is the rock upon which the Church is built Mat. 16.18 And as the state of the true Church in general so of every true believer is built upon this immovable rock the Lord Jesus Christ Secondly As the rocks so the mountains are much desired by the wild Goats Psal 104.18 The high hills are a refuge for the wild Goats Thus David was eying the hills for help Psal 121.1 I will lift up mine eyes to the hills from whence cometh my help What were these hills Surely neither the material nor metaphorical hills of this world of which latter the people of God spake Jerem. 3.23 disclamingly Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills and from the multitude of mountains that is from the greatest power of man or men What the hills were to which David lifted up his eyes for help himself tells us at the second verse of that Psalm My help cometh from the Lord which made heaven and earth As the affections of a godly man are set upon the things above not upon things below Col. 3.2 so his confidences are set upon God who is above not upon men here below Thirdly These wild Goats are very agil active creatures much in motion full of life full of spirits and so they resemble a godly man he is a man of motion of spiritual motion and he desires his motions and speed may be more and more speedy in the ways of God As David resolved to run the ways of Gods commandements when God should please to enlarge his heart so doubtless he prayed that God would enlarge his heart to run those ways And how often did he pray for quickning grace and liveliness that being delivered from a slow dull flegmatique spirit he might be active and full of holy fire about the things and for the things of God Fourthly Wild Goats of the rocks in those countries where they abound are much pursued and diâ—quieted by hunts-men as that passage which I before quoted from a Heathen Poet intimates so good men the best of men are often hunted and disturbed in this world there are hunters of men as well as hunters of beasts Nimrod was a mighty hunter Gen. 10.9 he was a hunter of men Saul
Gen. 3.17 18 19. Cursed is the ground for thy sake in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread till thou return unto the ground Our ordinary bread is not easily come by remember the Husband-mans labour Hence the Apostle when he would shew what pains God taketh either immediately by the work of his Spirit or mediately by the labour of his Ministers to convert and build up souls in the faith he tells us 1 Cor. 3.9 That we are Gods husbandry and Gods building As if he had said great pains hath been or must be bestowed upon you that your souls may be saved and that ye may bring forth fruits of righteousness unto eternal life The Lord hath his spiritual Plow-men his Labourers his Oxen by these the faithful and industrious Ministers of the Gospel are emblem'd and set forth in the holy Scriptures 1 Cor. 9.10 Rev. 4.7 Note Secondly There is no Sowing without Plowing You must stir up and break the ground before you cast the seed into it 't is not else fit to receive the seed and improve it for a harvest The Scripture speaks first of Plowing then of Sowing Isa 28.24 c. The Plow-man opens the earth and breaks the clods before he casts in his seed the cumin the fitches and the principal wheat He doth not Plow for Plowing sake but for Sowing and when he hath Plowed he leaveth not his work till he hath Sowed what he Plowed This method doth the Lord use in his spiritual husbandry the Plow of repentance must break up the Fallow ground of the heart and the Harrow must smooth the face of the soul before it be fit to bring forth The Spirit makes frequent use of these Metaphors Jer. 4.6 Plow up the Fallow ground of your hearts read also Hosea 10.12 Further Harrowing comes after Plowing and either before or immediatly after sowing there is some variety as to husbandry in this point that the seed sown may be preserved from being devoured by the Fowls of the air it must unless sowed under Furrows be Harrowed Harrowing helps the seed to spring more freely and grow more thrivingly And thus it is also in spiritual husbandry When the seed of the Word is Sown the heart must be Harrowed else the Seed will miscarry In that Parable of the Sower Mat. 13. some seed fell upon the high-way which was neither Plowed nor Harrowed This High-way ground signifieth those careless hearers who receive the Word in a formality only the Fowls of the air evil spirits quickly picked up that because it was not covered by Harrowing Now there are two Harrows by which the Seed of the Word cast into the Vallies and Furrows of our Hearts is covered and secured that it may bring forth fruit to perfection these are meditation and prayer By meditation we hide the word in our hearts and by prayer we obtain a blessing upon it from God both for the securing of it and our fruit-bearing according to it There are two resemblances in Scripture setting forth the use of meditation and prayer about the word received The one is chewing of the cud the other is Harrowing Clean beasts under the Law chewed the cud and wise men both under Law and Gospel Harrow their land a godly man doth both in a spiritual way while he meditates in the Word and prays for a blessing upon it Thus husbandry for our daily bread teacheth us what course the Lord expects we should take for our souls that we may bring forth fruit and answer the end of receiving his Word The Unicorn will not be brought to either of these parts of the Husband-mans labour and his refusal is aggravated in the next Verse by the ability which he hath for both Vers 11. Wilt thou trust in him because his strength is great or wilt thou leave thy labour unto him The Vnicorn hath strength sufficient he is a beast stronger say Naturalists than either the Ox or the Horse but Wilt thou trust him because his strength is great The word notes trusting with much confidence and rest of the mind as 't is said Isa 12.2 I will trust and not be afraid Confidence upon a good ground leads us into a full as well as a good security I will trust and not be afraid for the Lord Jehovah is my strength saith the believing soul in that place But saith the Lord here to Job Wilt thou trust this strong beast without fear or jealousie Wilt thou trust him Because his strength is great The strength or force of his body is great very great but the force or stubbornness of his will that is his wilfulness is far greater 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Propriè significat vigorem illum corporis animalis qui consisit in humido radicali even so great that it will not suffer him to lay out the strength of his body for the service of man We find strength often attributed to the Unicorn in Scripture Numb 23.22 He that is God or Israel through the presence of God with him as was shewed before hath as it were the strength of an Vnicorn 'T is not said he hath as it were the strength of an Horse or of an Ox which are very strong creatures but of an Vnicorn thereby implying that the Unicorn is a creature of such great strength that he knew not where to find a stronger The Unicorn hath strength enough for his work but he hath no mind to his work and therefore wilt thou trust him because his strength is great Hence note First Great strength is required for great work There are some works that are done not so much by strength as by art or as it were by slight of hand such a work a feeble weak man may do but there are other works which require great strength all the wit and skill and learning cunning of men cannot do them unless they have a sutable that is a great portion of strength for the doing of them David Psal 144.14 describing the temporal felicity of his people makes this request for them That our Oxen be strong to labour The labour of the Ox is great and therefore he needs great strength to do his work and go through with his labour Note Secondly They who have great strength may do great works Great strength is a great advantage for service If the Unicorn would imploy and put out his strength he might do much Strength of body is a talent much may be done by that strength of mind is an excellent talent much more very much more may be done by that But when a man hath much strength of body and mind together what may not he do Let those who have much strength consider how they use it For a man to have the strength of an Unicorn much bodily strength and make no use of it is to become more beastly than the Unicorn A strong man rejoyceth to run
a race Psal 19.5 He that hath great strength may run a great race A race requireth great strength and he that hath strength or is a strong man should rejoyce to run it A strong man if he have an heart and a will to his work delighteth in his work more than in his reward Note Thirdly Some have strength enough to do much work to do great and good things yet are not at all to be trusted with the doing of any thing that is great or good Strength is not alwayes to be trusted There is a twofold trust in strength First There is a trust in strength as to confidence in it for success and thus we are not to trust any strength in the world neither our own nor others Cursed is the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arm Jer. 17.5 The arm of flesh is too weak to be trusted in though never so strong though it have the strength of the Unicorn it must not be trusted no creatures strength is to be trusted in as to dependance upon it Secondly There is a trusting of strength as to the using and imploying of it thus strength may be trusted We may trust the strong that they will use their strength for us only we must not rest in their strength They who like the Unicorn in the Text have great strength and yet are not to be trusted that they will use it are in a much worse condition than they who have no strength to use or to make them any way useful There are three sorts of men to be considered in respect of strength First Some have a will to do more than they have strength to do they have a will to do more in ordinary work than they have strength to do and they have a will to do more in extraordinary work duty than they have strength and ability to do The Apostle speaking of the labour of love or charity in the ministration of the good things of this life to those that stand in need thus commendeth the Macedonians 2 Cor. 8.5 For to their power I bear them record and beyond their power they were willing c. He meaneth not the power of their bodies but of their purses and estates Some are willing beyond the power of their estates to relieve the necessities of others and some are willing beyond the power of their bodies to labour not only for the supply of their own necessities but in any publick service To have a will to labour according to our strength for labour sheweth an honest heart but to have a will to labour beyond our strength for labour sheweth an Heroick heart But Secondly Most have strength to do more than they have a will to do they are like the Unicorn and that upon a double ground First Some are so lazy and idle that they will not do what they have strength to do Thus Solomon describeth the sluggard Prov. 21.5 His hands refuse to labour He hath strength enough in his hand but for idleness he will do nothing Secondly Others are so proud that though they have strength enough to labour yet they will not they are so stout so stubborn so high-minded that they scoâ—n to work or do service they think themselves too good to take pains I shall say too little if I say these are in a very bad frame They are right Unicorns who are so stout that they will not serve nor be bound to attend any service There is a third sort who have strength to do service and they have also will to do it they have will and they have strength but they want an opportunity to do service This may be the case of a good man who is like the labouring Ox A good man hath alwayes a will to work and may have strength for his work too yet many times wants work As they in the Parable Mat. 20.6 7. answered when questioned Why stand ye all the day idle It was not so they excused themselves because they had no will to work or had no strength to work but say they No man hath hired us we have not been called to work we know not where to have a dayes work Such there are who have will and strength while they want a call Thus the Apostle spake concerning the Philippians Chap. 4.10 Ye were careful but ye lacked opportunity The dore was not open and so ye could not do what ye desired and had both a mind and an ability to do The point in hand leadeth us to the middle sort of persons truly shaddowed by the Unicorn who though they have much strength to do service yet they have no mind to serve but hide their Talent in a Napkin and put their Candle under a Bushel These are not to be trusted though they are well furnished I may say to any man concerning such men as the Lord to Job concerning the Unicorn Wilt thou trust them because their strength is great because their strength of mind their strength of body their strength of estate is great Can we trust all rich men that they will do works of charity because their estate is great Can we trust all healthy men who have sound and able limbes that they will take pains because their bodily strength is great Can we trust all knowing men who have quick parts and excellent gifts much knowledge that they will go through with their work because the strength of their minds is great We can hardly find any to trust what strength soever they have but those who have received strength of grace from God and so have strength of faith in God strength of love strength of affections to God strength of zeal for God And even they who have strength of grace may fail their trust very much Job 4.18 Behold he put no trust in his Servants and his Angels he charged with folly The Lord could not be confident of Angels who are mighty in strength If God should leave Angels to themselves they would soon fail it is because Angels are confirmed by grace Christ being the head of Angels that they stand fast to their work and abide by their duty else the Lord could not trust Angels with all their created strength much less then could the Lord trust the best of Saints with all the spiritual strength he hath planted in them did he not continually confirm them and quicken them to the work which he hath called them to by his holy Spirit No further than any man trusteth in Christ for strength or maketh Christ his strength as well as his righteousness is he to be trusted with the doing of any work any more than the Unicorn how much soever his strength is Many are set a work and do work because their strength is great but none in a due sense can be trusted but they who make Christ their strength and look daily to him for it Wilt thou trust him because his strength is great Or wilt thou leave
thy labour to hâ—m This latter part of the Verse is of the same importance with the former yet I shall touch a little upon it Wilt thou leave thy labour to him Labour is taken in Scripture two ways First For the very act of labour Jacob said Gen. 31.42 God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands God knows said he to Laban what pains I have taken what hard work I have been at in thy service and how hard he had been at work he told Laban ver 40. Thus I was in the day the drought consumed me and the frost by night and my sleep departed from me To such hard work in spirituals the Apostle exhorts Be stedfast and unmoveable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Labor à radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 laboravit defatigatus fuit always abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as you know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord 1 Cor. 15.58 The word in the Text which we render labour signifieth a labouring to weariness or a labour which causeth weariness Strong labour diligent labour wearieth a strong man and though an industrious person is not weary of his labour yet he may be wearied with his labour yea the more industrious he is in labouring the sooner he may be wearied with his labour Secondly Labour is taken sometimes for the fruit of labour or for that which is got by labour the reward and wages given and received for work and service done is called labour Psal 128.2 Thou shalt eat the labour of thy hands No man can eat the acts of his labour but every man should eat the fruit of his labour labour brings in bread and that bread is sweetest which comes in by labour The Lord threateneth his people Deut. 28.33 strangers shall eat thy labour that is the encrease that comes in or hath been gotten by thy labour even that which thou hast laboured for And it was a mercy bestowed by the Lord upon his Israel Psal 105.44 that they inhâ—rited the labour of the people that is they dwelt in the houses which they had built and enjoyed the gardens which they had planted reaped the fields which they the Heathen had sowed In a word they had the fruit of all their labours Some understand the word here in this latter sence Wilt thou leave thy labour unto him that is Fruges tuas labore tuo partas Pisc wilt thou allow him any of the fruit of thy ground seeing he refuseth to work in thy ground surely thou wilt not Labouring cattel have somewhat for their labour they share in those good things which are the product of their labour 1 Cor. 9.9 Thou shalt not muzzel the Oxe that treadeth out the corn But though it is a truth that labouring cattel eat of and are fed with the fruit of their labour yet here by labour I understand the very act of labour not the fruit of it Wilt thou leave thy labour to him that is wilt thou leave thy business with him wilt thou trust him with thy Plow or with thy Harrow And consider the dependance if thou darest not trust him then thou wilt not leave thy labour unto him Note hence First It is not Wisdom to leave our work to such as we cannot trust Our work will be ill done or half done or not done at all by those that we cannot trust We trust those much to whom we leave our business and there are three things requisite in those to whom we leave it First That they have strength and ability for it there is a necessity of that No wise man will trust or leave his business with him that hath no strength to do it no ability for it Secondly That they be subject and obedient to us No wise man will leave his business in the hand of those who acknowledge no obedience nor subjection to him how much strength soever they have An unsubmitting strength will work against us rather than for us Thirdly That they be faithful No man will leave his business to a person of strength and in subjection to him if he be not honest to him Solomon hath sufficienâ—ly caution'd us against trusting such while he saith Prov. 25.19 Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble 't is true also in time of peace is like a broken tooth and a foot out of joynt A bâ—oken tooth cannot chew our meat and a foot out of joynt can worse go a journey an unfaithful man will prove a worser servant to us than the worst of these And as it is thus among men they will not leave their business with an Unicorn with one that hath strength but yeilds no subjection nor ever shewed any faithfulness so God will not leave his labour his work and service to such as are like the Unicorn he will not leave it in such hands as have great ability to carry it through yet want obedience to his will and faithfulness in his work There must be a concurrence of these three strength subjection and faithfulness in all those to whom the Lord God the God only wise will leave his labour or commit the doing of any service for him But where these three meet and center in any person strength of body and mind submission of will and faithfulness to a work how great things may they do in the service whether of God or Man Secondly Observe A will a mind to work or a wâ—lling mind to work is better than great strength As the Unicorn with his great strength so they who are like the Unicorn in strength may do little or nothing But they that have only a little strength and a mind to be doing have done and may do much Little strength is a kind of weakness yet where there is a willing mind weakness will do more than great strength without a willing mind We have a common saying John is a good servant when Will is at home Willingness to work works better than bare strength We have this conclusion Neh. 4.6 So built we the wall Nehemiah spake there of the Jews return'd from Babylon And all the wall was joyned together unto the half thereof For the people had a mind or as the Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an heart to work The wall of a great City being soon raised half up the reason given was because they had a mind to work The Jews at that time were a people under so much weakness that the enemies jâ—ar'd them with it ver 2. What will these feeble Jews do will they fortifie themselves will they sacrifice will they make an end in a day will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish c. Will they work miracles remove mountains But how feeble soever they were the work went on amain For the people had a mind a heart to work Though they were no Unicorns no people of great strength though they were feeble Jews yet they
alone will not do it For that there may be an increase these five things must concur First The skill and industry of the Husband-man Secondly The strength and labour of the Ox or Horse Thirdly The vertue and fatness of the earth Fourthly The showers and influences of heaven Fifthly And above all the blessing of God Old Isaac said of his Son Jacob Gen. 27.27 See the smell of my Son is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed As there is no increase without the blessing of God how much soever men or oxen labour so there is great increase the Lord adding his blessing by the labour of men and oxen Labour and increase usually go together and where no labour is there except by miracle is no increase Where no labour is the barn is empty the crib is empty the belly is empty the purse is empty Of doing nothing comes nothing but want and misery 'T is said when the Ox is weariest he treads surest To be sure they who are most wearied by honest pains-taking tread surest upon honest profit Secondly observe Seed sown is not lost but returns and comes home again That which was scattered abroad in the field is gathered into the barn Some may think when they see the Husbandman cast his seed into the ground that he casts it away but by the labour of the Ox by the skill of the Husbandman and the blessing of God upon all the seed cometh home again Thus the Apostle spake in a spiritual sense He that ploweth should plow in hope and he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope 1 Cor. 9.10 It should be so according to the ordination of God as to the faithful Ministers of God of whose labour in plowing up souls by the word and sowing those souls with the word the Apostle there treats And it is so through the benediction of God as to laborious Husband-men and their cattel in plowing and sowing the soyl of the earth Yea thus it is in all we do our actions good or bad are as seed sown which will certainly come again they will not be lost Good done will assuredly turn to good and evil done and not undone by repentance will as surely turn to evil The Apostle gives us this double assurance Gal. 6.7 8. Whatsoever a man soweth that not numerically but specifically shall he also reap For He that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption but he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting And thus in special works of charity or our distributions to the necessities of others are more significantly called sowing Psal 112.9 He hath dispersed he hath given to the poor That is he hath sowed his alms abundantly what then It followeth His righteousness endureth for ever his horn shall be exalted with honor To give to the poor especially to Gods poor to the godly poor or to those that are made poor for Gods sake is sowing good seed and he that soweth thus shall receive a fruitful crop Grain sowed in the field may yield a good increase but that which is rightly sowed in the bowels of the poor shall certainly yield a better What we give is like seed sowed in the field which increaseth thirty sixty an hundred fold What we keep by us is like corn stored up in the garner which we bring forth and spend and there 's an end of it Here 's great encouragement to do good yea to abound in doing good to others What we so part with is not lost but sowed it will come back to the barn it will come home again and that with a great increase And doubtless where there hath been a plowing up of the heart by a work of grace there will be a free sowing in every good work And though we are not to do good works meerly eying a return or our personal advantage yet we may have an eye to it as Moses had in his holy sufferings and services to the recompence of reward yea and take incouragement from the Lords bounty to be more in duty more in charity even unto bounty We may consider the harvest while we are diligent in sowing yea to make us more diligent in sowing Having thus opened the several properties of this creature here called the Vnicorn properly taken and given out some meditations upon them it will not be I conceive either unuseful or unacceptable to the Reader if for the conclusion of the whole matter in hand I shew how the holy Scriptures together with some of the Ancients make use of this creature tropically or in a figure to resemble and represent First The state of the Church and people of God Thus Moses reports Balaam shadowing the power and blessedness of Israel when he came and was hired to curse them Numb 23.22 God saith he brought them that is the children of Israel out of Egypt he hath as it were the strength of an Vnicorn Most expound the word He collectively concerning that whole people as one body He that is Israel hath as it were the strength of an Vnicorn that is he is exceeding strong Some expound it of God He that is God who brought them out of Egypt the mighty God of Jacob hath as it were the strength of an Unicorn God is indeed infinitely strong stronger than the Unicorn That which is most eminent in any creature or for which any creature is most eminent the Scripture often ascribes in a way of super-eminency unto God The Lord hath strength like the strongest and how strong soever he is he is strong for his Israel yea he is the strength of his Israel So that if we take the word in this latter sense it reaches the same thing setting forth the power and strength of Israel by the strength of the Unicorn for the Lord who is their strength will make them strong like Unicorns Balaam spake thus again Numb 24.8 God brought him all Israel as one man out of Egypt he hath as it were the strength of an Vnicorn he shall eat up the Nations his enemies and shall break their bones and pierce them through with his arrows Thus also Moses spake or prophecyed of the Tribe of Joseph Deut. 33.17 His glory is like the firstling of his Bullock and his horns are like the horns of Vnicorns with them shall he push the people or peoples the word is plural together to the ends of the earth and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim and they are the thousands of Manasseh Moses sets out the fruitfulness of Ephraim beyond that of Manasseh ten for one and in both joyntly shews how powerful how prevailing they shall be even as if they pusht their enemies with horns like those of Unicorns In all these Scriptures the Lord fore-shewed the wonderful force of the Jewish Church of old his portion and peculiar people by that of the Unicorn David also as was said before expresseth his assurance of
Son of righteousness with open face For as this Son of righteousness hath said behold me behold me Isa 65.1 and again Look to me and be ye saved all the ends of the earth Isa 45.22 that is all ye that dwell on earth even to the ends of it so he gives a power or a spiritual eye to behold and look upon him and that beholding or looking is a healing to them as the beholding of the Sun is to the natural eye of the Eagle Mal. 4.2 To them that fear my name shall the Son of righteousness arise with healing in his wings Sixthly Do Eagles suck blood both young and old so do believers The first living of the new creature is upon blood every godly man drinks the blood of Jesus Christ by faith as offered to him both in the promises and in the Ordinances of the Gospel A believer could not live a moment nor have any subsistence in grace if he had not as the Eagle blood to suck in and drink A godly man is nourished by a believing contemplation upon the sufferings of Christ and the effusion of his blood Seventhly Doth the Eagle feed upon the slain so believers feed upon Christ as slain Christ by his death is become our food to eternal life Joh. 6.51 53. Though the raised and glorified body of Christ be entred into the full possession of a divine and eternal life and though we by faith look to Jesus Christ not according to the flesh nor as dead but as living and sitting for ever at the right hand of the Father there making intercession for us yet we must look to him as entring into the holy place by the sacrifice of himself and with his own blood not with the blood of others Heb. 9.24 25 26. The Apostle told the Corinthians I determined to know nothing among you but Jesus Christ and him crucified that is so to know him as to feed upon him my self and so to make him known to you that you might feed upon him also Further It is considerable that as believers in Scripture are compared to Eagles and the Lord is said to have born the old Church of the Jews upon Eagles wings so under the Gospel Eagles wings are said to have been given to the Christian Church whereupon she was born out of the reach of danger Rev. 12.13 15. And when the Dragon saw that he was cast to the earth he persecuted the woman that brought forth the man-child And to the woman were given two wings of a great Eagle that she might flie into the Wilderness that is convenient and sufficient means to further her slight and retirement into her place wheresoever it is where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time from the face of the serpent All the means of the Churches escape from danger are shadowed by two wings not but that God hath more means than two by which his providence works and procures the safety of the Church but because it had been improper speaking of her flight to express more wings than two For the Seraphims which are described having each one six wings Isa 6.2 yet two of them only were put to that use of flying And these two wings given the Church are said to be the two wings of an Eagle because among all the winged tribes Eagles are stâ—ongest and swiftest of wing they can fly fastest and they can fly furthest as in height so in length Nor are the wings given the Church barely called the wings of an Eagle but of a great Eagle implying not only the best kind of wings but the best wings of that kind not only the wings of an Eagle but of a great Eagle By all which is meant the wise and tender care of God over his Church in times of greatest danger when the Dragon become a Serpent or the Serpentine Dragon seeks most to annoy her Thus far the Lord hath been interrogating Job not only about the inanimate creatures the Heavens the Air the Sea the Earth but also about several Animals in the least of which because they not only have a being but life sense and motion more of the power wisdom and goodness of God shines forth than in the greatest of the former And all the questions proposed to Job in these two Chapters have as hath been hinted heretofore and should be constantly minded this general scope to convince as then Job so now all men both of their own nothingness and of the all-sufficiency wisdom care and power of God who hath so wisely made and doth so wisely dispose of all the creatures which he hath made And therefore man who hath received more from God than they all and of whom God is more tender than of them all should submit to the dispose of God in all things without disputing about much more without murmuring at or complaining of his dispensations in one kind or other The Lord though he had done much in the way of interrogating hath not yet done interrogating Job concerning the works of his hands Nevertheless before he proceeded any further to enquire of him about the creatures he saw it fit to feel his pulse a little by a close application of what he had already said mingled with high language and cutting reproofs thereby to try what effect this forepassed discourse had wrought upon him or whether he were come to a more humble and submitting frame than before as will appear in opening the former part of the Chapter following JOB Chap. 40. Vers 1 2. 1. Moreover the Lord answered Job and said 2. Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him he that reproveth God let him answer it IN the two former Chapters we have heard what the Lord said to Job out of the Whirlwind with what questions he apposed him about the works of Creation and Providence To all or any of which Job being unable to make Answer especially to give a present and perfect Answer the Lord it seems gave him some little respite to recollect himself in expectation of his Answer but finding him silent proceeds in this Chapter to urge him yet further upon the whole matter for an Answer yea the Lord having said all this to him â—sets it home upon him with this sharp reprehension Moreover the Lord answered Job and said shall he c. As if he had said O Job hadst thou diligently considered my work of Creation in making and my work of Providence in governing this whole world even the motions of the least and most inferiour Creatures therein contained surely thou hadst never ventured to think what thou hast uttered and now thou canst not but see how unduly thou hast complained of my proceedings with thee nor canst thou be unconvinced how unable thou art to enter into the secrets of my Counsel for as much as the causes of many lesser and common things in the world are secrets unto thee and such as exceed the reach of thy understanding Thus
bad men and that 's the first Case Secondly When good men are vexed oppressed and trodden under feet as mire in the streets what risings of heart and what unsatisfiedness of spirit is there in many good men In both these Cases there is much contending with God though in both our hearts upon many accounts should acquiesce and rest in the will of God who in the former doth not declare himself a friend to evil men nor doth he in the latter declare himself an enemy to those who are good But seeing there is a spirit in man even to contend with God let us watch our selves in this thing that such thoughts rise not or let us carefully suppress them as soon as they are risen It is good for us and our duty to keep down the Contendings of our hearts with men for we are very apt to be out with one another 'T is sad to see breaches the fruit of heart-burnings between man and man But much more should we keep down those contendings yea qâ—ench the first sparkes which may kindle heart-burnings about the works of God for they may soon come to be Contendings with him For the close of thiâ— point take these four Considerations which may move all sorts of men to watch their hearts against Contendings with God whether as to his dealings in the world or with themselves First Remember Whatsoever the Lord doth he may do for he is an absolutely sovereign Lord and therefore not to be contended with about any thing he doth because no way accountable for any thing he doth as hath been shewed upon several occasions offered in opening this Book He is Lord of our being and hath given to all life breath and all things as the Apostle told the superstitious Athenians Acts 17.25 and may not he do what he will to all beings in whom all have their being and who hath given all things to all which concern that being He is our Maker and hath not the potter power over the clay to do what he will with it Hath not the Creator power over the creature to dispose of it as he pleaseth Isa 45.9 Let the potsheard strive with the potsheards of the earth If any will be striving let them strive with their like potsheards with potsheards not potsheards with the potter to whom they are so unlike The Lord used no other aâ—gument but this to quiet all Psal 46.10 Be still and know that I am God remember that and you will either not begin or quickly have done contending with God Yet in that Psalm the Lord is represented making most dreadful work Come behold the works of the Lord what desolations he hath made on the earth Though God make that which was as a garden to become a desolate wilderness yet contend not with him be still and know that he is God Secondly Remember whatsoever work the Lord makes in the world it is all righteous workâ— there is nothing amiss in it He is a rock said Moses Deut. 32.4 His work is perfect for all his wayes are judgements not as judgements are opposed to mercies but to injustice as it followeth in that verse a God of truth and without iniquity just and right is he To this David gives witness Psal 145.17 The Lord is righteous in all his wayes and holy in all his works Not only is he righteous and holy in this and that way or work but in all his wayes and works in wayes of judgement as well as in wayes of mercy in wayes of destruction as well as in wayes of salvation He is righteous in pulling down as well as in building up in rooting up as well as in planting Now if there be a righteousness in all the wayes and works of God who shall contend with him about any of his wayes or works Thirdly All the works of God have an infinite wisdom in them they are done wisely even in exactest wisdom and shall we fools contend with him who is not onely a wise God but the God onely wise Rom. 16.27 and all whose works are done in and according to the Idea or platforme of his own infinite and eternal wisdom The foolishness of God saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 1.25 is wiser than men that is the wisest men are meer fools to God or that work of God which some men call foolishness is infinitely more wisely done than the wisest work that the wisest men in the world ever did or can do with all their wisdome Fourthly Let all that fear and love God especially take heed of contending with God about any of his works for God is good to all such in all his works and all his works are good to such Shall any contend with God about that which is for their own good Not onely are those works of God good to such which are good in themselves that is which we call good being favourable providences and for our comfort and support in this world but even those works of God which we call cross providences or providences which bring the Crosse with them are all good to such even to all them that love God and are the called according to his purpose Rom. 8.28 Shall they contend with God about any thing who hear and may be assured that he hath an intendment of good to them in all things Psal 73.1 Truly God is good to Israel that is though he afflicts them and the Cup be very bitter which he gives them to drink yet he is good to them Or thus Truly God not the world or though the world be not is good to Israel Once more we may take the Psalmist thus Truly God is good to Israel not so as to them to the world though as it followeth in the Psalme they enjoy never so much worldly good These Considerations may perswade all not to contend with God about his works to which I shall adde onely this counsel If the works of God are grievous to us at any time let us go the right way to work in our Contendings with him For I do not urge this point as if we should sit still and let the Lord alone as he seemingly said to Moses Exod. 32.10 when he dealeth out hard and grievous things to us There is a contending with God by supplication and prayer by mourning and humiliation this becomes us when the works of God are hard when they are breaking desolating scattering and afflictive towards us Take heed of discontent with providence yet wrestle and contend earnestly with God by prayer when providences go hard with you or with the whole Israel of God Moses in a holy manner assaulted God and contended with him in that case and therefore the Lord said to him in the place last mentioned Let me alone as we say to a man that contends and strives with us Let me alone Moses was contending with the Lord about that dispensation but it was in a gracious way and so may we yea so must we The Lord
expects prayer in all such cases which if it be as it ought to be earnest and fervent is a striving a contending with him very pleasing and acceptable to him When the providences of God were grievous to Jacob and he feared they might be much more grievous to him the Text saith he wrestled with the Angel but how was that the Prophet Hosea tells us Chap. 12.4 it was by weeping and making supplication The Apostle useth the same expression Rom. 15.30 I beseech you brethren that you strive together with me in your prayers to God for me that is let you and I set our shoulders to it wrestling with God in the actings of faith for mercy This is a dutiful contending with God a blessed striving with God Let us strive so and we shall as Jacob did prevail with God and obtain the blessing We may warrantably and confidently venture upon this contention with God as for any other take heed of it so bear it why should we meddle to our hurt as the King of Israel cautioned the King of Judah when he would needs be contending with him 2 Kings 14.10 The Lord may contend with us and he will when we give him cause yet he hath assured his people that he will not contend for ever nor be alwayes wroth Isa 57.16 But we must humble our selves under his mighty hand alwayes as the Apostle directs 1 Pet. 5.6 and not contend with him at all unlesse in the sense and way last opened It is as much our duty to let God do what he will what he pleaseth with us patiently as to do readily whatsoever his will and pleasure is Secondly In that the Text saith shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him Observe They who contend with God or are discontent with the works of God seem to themselves able to instruct and teach God That 's the thing at the bottom which the Lord would convince Job of Discontented persons seem to say unto God they could put things into a better way if they had the handling of them or that they could model the government of the world more equally if it were in their hands Such is the pride and sinfulness or the sinful pride of mans heart that he thinks himself able to instruct God and teach him to mend his work Some have been so arrogant and presumptuous as to say they could have mended some things in the natural fabrick of the world had they been the contrivers of it and many have said at least in their hearts where the fool saith there is no God that they could mend the providential fabrick or course of it Beware of these presumptions Remember it is our duty to be instructed by God to receive instruction from God Wo to those who would give him instruction Job 22.22 Acquaint thy self now with him and receive the law at his mouth that is the rule of all thy actions but do not give the law to him No man hath moâ—e need of instruction than he who thinks he can give instruction to God It is said proverbially when we see an inferior much more a smatterer in any Art or Science offer to controule a perfect Artist What A Sow or a Swine teach Minerva Sus minervam how much more may we say so of the most learned that controule God or contend with him about his works The works of God of every kind are so exact in every kind that it is impossible to find any real defect or redundancy in them To go about to mend them is to marr them to alter them were to deface them Those things which men call or count the blemishes of Gods works are the true beauty of them and what they contend with him about is the commendation of them and the glory of his workmanship And as at last Jesus Christ will Present the whole body of believers or the persons of all that believe to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing Eph. 5.27 so he will at last represent the providences of God or his works of providence both in the Church and all over the world without spot or wrinkle or any such thing Only here will be the difference the Church will be presented not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing she hath had her spots and wrinkles and many such things But the works of God shall then be represented as never having had any spot or wrinkle or any such thing that is then it shall be made appear that they were always without spot or wrinkle altogether just righteous and perfect Further From the whole sentence in that here we have an intimation of mans contending with God and presuming to instruct him take these two inferences from it First There is much pride in the heart of man There would never be any contending with God were there not much pride in the heart of man For Prov. 13.10 only by pride cometh contention If so then where no pride is there is no contention There are indeed several other occasions of contention some out of covetousness others out of malice contend with their neighbours yet all may be resolved into this the pride of mans heart pride bears part with all the occasions and causes of contention It should be matter of great humiliation to us that our hearts are proud at all but that they rise even to such a hight of pride as produceth contention and trying Masteries as it were with God himself how should that humble us And if to contend with man our equal be a symptome of pride what is it to contend with God who is infinitely above all men Secondly Take this Inference from it There is a great deal of folly bound up in the heart of man If man were not vain and foolish he would not willingly do any thing that should have the least signification of a contention with God much less that which can signifie nothing else Solomon saith fools will be medling it is highest folly to be thus medling with Gods matters Again it is a sufficient proof of our ignorance and folly to attempt in any way to instruct God or teach him either what to do or how to do either when to do or in what measure to do or towards whom to do any of his works but they who are unsatisfied with the works of God and in that sense contend with him about them make an attempt always in some of these respects sometimes in all of them to instruct and teach him Is not their folly manifest to all men who are not as foolish as themselves Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him He that reproveth God let him answer it This second part of the verse is of near alliance to the former Contending with God is indeed a reproving of God These two Acts expound each other yet more distinctly to reprove supposeth First The finding of a fault Secondly A rebuke given for that
fault There must be a fault found else we cannot justly reprove Qui vult Deum arsuere aut cum Deo disputare respondeat ad unum aliquod eorum quae in medium attuliâ— Drus and a fault being found we may justly rebuke the fault So then to reprove God implies a finding of a fault with Gods works and then a kind of rebuking God for that fault and if all this be in a reproof rhen to reprove God for any of his works is a daring work indeed I grant the word rendred reprove may be taken in a milder sence He that argueth or pleadeth with God Our reading hightens the sense of the Hebrew word or takes it in the highest sense he that reproveth God Let him answer it That is First Let him answer the former question whether he be able to instruct God or no or according to the other reading whether he doth not deserve punishment for contending with God Secondly Let him answer it that is let him answer all those questions proposed in the two former Chapters As if God had said Job thou hast reproved my works yet canst not answer my questions So Master Broughton carrieth the sense Let the reprover saith he of the puissant speak to any one of these things Thirdly Let him answer it that is let him answer for so doing let him bear his punishment There is a two-fold answering First A Logical answering Secondly A Forinsecal answering Or there is an answer in Schools and an answer in Courts And answer in Logick is made three ways First By denying Secondly By granting Thirdly By distinguishing or limmitting the proposition and matter proposed Logicians in Schools answer by denying or by granting or by distinguishing The distinguisher grants somewhat and denies the rest An answer in Law if the matter be criminal is made by pleading guilty or not guilty to the Inditement If the matter be civil to answer is to shew our right to take off the charge or defend our title There is also an answering in Law by submitting and that two ways First By submitting to the mercy of the Court. Secondly To the penalty of the Law Now when the Lord saith in the Text Let him answer it I conceive we may take it not only in a Logical sense let him answer it if he can by reasoning but in a Court sense let him answer it by bearing the penalty of his rashness and folly as we say to one that hath wrong'd us It shall cost you dear you shall answer it I conceive as was said we may understand it here both ways Let him that reproves God answer it either as a disputant in Schools or as a defendant in Courts of Law and if he cannot answer it as a Logician by giving a reason for what he hath done he shall certainly answer it in Court by undergoing the penalty of the Law for what he hath done Some translate thus He that argues with or reproves God ought to answer it that is he must not think it enough to put in a charge or to give a reproof but he must make it good He that reproveth a man ought to give a ground of his reproof how much more he that reproveth God! The Text concludes it should be so yea that it shall be so He that reproveth God let him answer it Hence note First 'T is dangerous 't is at our peril to find fault with what God doth He that doth so must and shall answer it there 's no avoiding it There are two sorts of reproving which are our duty First The reproving of other men when we have an opportunity and a call Levit. 19.17 Gal. 6.1 As all they who reprove God shall answer it so many shall answer it because they have not reproved men Secondly It is a duty to reprove our selves and a great point of wisdom to see what is reproveable in our selves Many are quick-sighted at finding faults in others but very blind as to finding out their own I may adde it is both a great duty and a sign of much grace meekly to take and receive a reproof from others Now as it is our duty to take a reproof from others when we have failed and to see our own faults and reprove our selves for them as also wisely to reprove others for the faults we see in them so it is our sin danger and peril to reprove God in whom there is no fault nor can be And if any say we never had a thought of reproving God know if you find fault with the works of God you reprove God to find fault with what God hath done to you or your relations is to reprove God and this you must answer or answer for it Nemo in officina audet reprehendere fabrum audet homo in hoc mundo reprehendere Deum August in Psal 145. Will a Master in any Art endure that an ignorant person should find fault with his work how then will the Lord take it if men shall come into his great shop the world and find fault with this and that and the other work of his There is no temptation that Satan our great enemy doth more follow us with than this even to make us find fault with the works of God There are these two things about which Satan labours much First to keep us from finding out the faults of our own works which are almost nothing else but faults Satan would perswade us that we have done all well when we have done that which is altogether evil or stark naught for the matter of it and how doth he hinder us from seeing our faults in the manner of our doing good works he would not suffer us to have the least suspicion that we may have done evilly while we have been doing good Secondly Satans great business is to put us upon finding faults where none are in Gods works Almost all the murmurings of the sons of men arise from this misconceit in man that there is somewhat amiss in the works of God towards them or that he hath not dealt well and wisely with them This false and blasphemous principle Satan would plant and water in the hearts of all men as he did to the overthrow of mankind in the heart of the first man This this is his work and he hath got a great victory over that soul who either sees not the faults of his own works or finds fault with the works of God Further these words Let him answer it may imply the Lords gentleness and mildness in speaking to Job The Lord doth not thunder against him but saith come let me see what you can answer let me hear what you can say in favour of your self either to shew the equity of what you have said in reproving me or any iniquity in what I have done in afflicting you I give you free leave to speak for your self Some insist much upon this sense and it may yield us this note God is very
gracious in condescending to man He is willing we should answer for our selves and do our best to clear our selves when we have done our works amiss or have spoken amiss of his JOB Chap. 40. Vers 3 4 5. 3. Then Job answered the Lord and said 4. Behold I am vile what shall I answer thee I will lay my hand upon my mouth 5. Once have I spoken but I will not answer yea twice but I will proceed no further IN the former verse the Lord urged Job to answer He that reproveth God let him answer it Job being thus urged by the Lord to answer gave his answer and the answer which he gave was this in general That he could not answer Or we have here First An humble confession of his utter inability to answer Secondly His settled resolution not to answer His inability to answer appears at the 4th verse Behold I am vile what shall I answer thee I will lay my hand upon my mouth His resolution not to answer or only to give this for an answer That he could not answer is expressed in the 5th verse Once have I spoken but I will not answer yea twice but I will proceed no further Jobs spirit it seems was much appaled by the Lords appearance to him and immediate parlee with him his understanding also was much puzzled yea non-plust with those many and intricate questions which God had put to him and therefore he submits at once acknowledging he had done amiss in his over-free discourses before and promising that he would run that course no more Vers 3. Then Job answered the Lord and said What he said by way of answer followeth Vers 4. Behold I am vile what shall I answer Behold Job doth not conceal nor cover but calls all eyes to the view of his own vileness Behold Let God behold let Angels behold let men behold what now I my self behold that I am vile The root of the word which we translate vile 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Et levem vilem ac contemptum esse significat signifies three things First To be light or of little weight and because light things are lightly esteemed therefore it signifies Secondly To be contemned or that which is contemptible and Thirdly Because light things and things contemptible are also vile things therefore as we translate it signifies vile As if Job had said I am light I have no substance no solidity in me I am but as chaff or as a feather I bear no weight I deserve no esteem no respect I am vile As the Hebrew word for honour and glory is derived from a root which signifies heaviness or weightiness whence the Apostles phrase in the Greek tongue 2 Cor. 4.17 which we translate an exceeding weight of glory Glory is such a weighty thing that we must have other manner of shoulders other manner of strength than now we have before we can be able to bear the weight of it Flesh and blood as it is unrefined or meerly natural would soon sink under that weight Now I say as glory and honour are exprest by a word which signifies weightiness so that which is vile and contemptible is exprest by a word that signifies lightness or to be light Thus saith Job Behold I am light or Behold I am vile There are two other translations of these words whereof the one refers to the speeches the other to the actions of Job First The old Latine translation saith thus Qui leviter loquutus sum respondere quid possum Vulg. I have spoken lightly how shall I answer thee Ours refers to his person I am light or I am vile that to his words I have spoken lightly To speak lightly or vainly is to be vain and light Some words have a great deal of weight in them words of truth words of soberness holy words gracious words are weighty words evil words impertinent words unprofitable words specially corrupt filthy sinful words are light words how many words soever of those sorts any man speaks they are all light words they have not a grain of goodness and therefore not a grain of weightiness in them That 's a good sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ecce leviter feci Aquila Secondly One of the Greek translators renders Behold I have done or acted lightly There is lightness in our actions as well as in our speeches We say such a man is of a light that is of a vain carriage and we say of another he is a grave man or there is gravity in his carriage Thus some speak and act gravely or weightily others speak and act loosely lightly When Job saith Behold I am vile it may take in both I have spoken lightly I have done lightly and therefore I am light therefore I am vile or contemptible Cum nihil siâ— Sept. Yet further The greek Septuagint translates I am nothing they carry the sense to the lowest and least imaginable There is nothing less than nothing How shall I answer thee seeing I am nothing All that I am is so light a thing that I am nothing at all that is nothing of worth nothing of value I am of so little validity that I have scarce any entity From all these readings we may fully gather up Jobs sense in this self-abasing confession Behold I am vile Lastly For the clearing of these words consider we are not to understand Job when he saith I am vile as speaking only with reference to his then present sad sorrowful deplorable condition sometimes such are accounted vile by men who are low and mean in the eye of the world Job did not count himself vile upon that consideration because stript of all his worldly greatness power and glory health and strength he did not call himself vile because of the present dispensation of God towards him but he called himself vile with respect to the common natural condition of mankind or as he was a sinful man though his providential condition had been never so good and prosperous Behold I am vile Hence observe First Man at his best estate is vile David saith he is even then altogether vanity Psal 39.5 and what is vile if that be not or what can be viler than that which is altogether vanity Man is vile First If we consider the matter of his body Was he not originally made of the dust and moulded out of the clay which we tread upon and trample undeâ— feet In which sense among others the Apostle Phil. 3.21 calls oâ—r body a vile body the materials of it being vile it iâ—â—â—so vile Secondly Man is very vile ch â—â—â—y vile through the sinfulness both of his nature and life Sin reâ—ders us vile indeed corruption makes us of no repâ—â—ation Thâ—ugh man as to the matter of his body might have bâ—en called vile iâ— the day of his creation yet he had never deserved that diminishing title if he had not sinned Sin hath degraded man and laid him low sin hath dishonoured
own personal afflictions and when under sad dispensations All this is as it were a speaking in the whirlwind And he speaks graciously winningly and comfortably or to the hearts of his people even when he leads them into the wilderness Hos 2.14 The Apostle saith Knowing the terror of the Lord we perswade men that is we perswade men by the terror of the Lord and so knowing the goodness and the mercy of the Lord we perswade men that is we perswade them by the goodness the mercy of the Lord. I saith the Apostle Rom 12.1 beseech you by the mercies of God present your bodies c. Of some we must have compassion making a difference others save with fear Jude vers 22.23 that is we must put them in fear that they may be saved or as I may say scare and fright them to heaven Secondly Consider who it is that the Lord spake to in a whirlwind he spake to Job and who was Job surely a very godly man a man that feared God a man that had a very noble testimony from God himself and yet here God spake to Job himself in a whirlwind Hence Note The best of men may sometimes need the terrible appearances of God to humble them and to bring them to a due confession of their sins Certainly God would not have spoken to Job in a whirlwind if there had not been cause for it he would not have spoken twice in a whirlwind if there had not been double cause for it The Apostle Peter saith 1 Eph. 1.6 Ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations that is afflictions and trials if need be We should never feel any affliction from the hand of God never be in heaviness if there were not need There is need that the holiest in this world should sometimes be made heavy or that heaviness should be upon them for a time We should always have calms and fair weather never any storms nor tempests nor whirlwinds from God did not our needs call for it As we every day need bread which is therefore called by Christ our daily bread so most days we need a rod either the rod of his mouth to reprove us or the rod of his hand to chasten us And we do so especially for these reasons First To bring us into a deep sence of our own vileness to humble us to lay us low Secondly To make greater impressions upon our hearts of the power and soveraignty of God of the holiness and righteousness of God It is that we might know our selves more and that we might know God more that God speaks to us in whirlwinds in terrible dispensations Further As this is a second whirlwind as it is a second speaking to Job a good man in a whirlwind Observe God will not give over terrible dispensations and appearances till he hath brought man to his purpose God hath an end a purpose in every work and every work of his goeth on till he hath attained his purpose As the word which goeth out of the Lords mouth shall not return unto him void but shall accomplish that which he pleaseth and prosper in the thing whereto he sends it Isa 55.11 So the work which God takes in hand shall not be in vain but shall prosper to the purpose for which he undertakes it Now if any ask what is the purpose of God in whirlwind dispensations that was shewed before even to make us more humble and to have higher thoughts of God in every respect But some may say Job had very low thoughts of himself before he had said I am vile doubtless Job spake this in great humility why then doth the Lord speak to Job in a whirlwind again seeing he was truly humbled at his first speaking I answer Though Job was humbled yet he was not humbled enough he was not yet laid low enough nor melted down enough and therefore God spake to him in a whirlwind again It would not serve his turn barely to say I am vile God must have more of him than that he must make a fuller confession of his fault than that God brought him at last to say I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes which is a description of deepest humiliation Now because Job was not come to that but had only said I am vile though there was matter of great humiliation in that the Lord questions with him again in a whirlwind This should be of great consideration to us in any day of affliction For if God hath not his purpose in bringing the first affliction we shall be spoken to in a whirlwind a second time We are apt to wonder and think it strange that God should speak terribly to us so often that he should renew our afflictions and make us new crosses We think if we do but make a light confession of our sins and say we are vile presently the storm should cease and the affliction be removed Let us not deceive our selves Job had said he was vile yet God continued the storm because he was not yet low enough 'T is not enough for us that we are truly humbled As there must be truth in our humiliation so there must be depth in it for questionless when Job said before I am vile he did not dissemble with God he was hearty in it and spake his heart what he spake was from his very soul and in sincerity he did not complement with God he did not flatter God with his mouth nor lie unto him with his tongue as the Israelites did Psal 78.36 his heart was right with God as theirs was not ver 37. yet because his spirit was not come down as it should therefore he must be awakened and humbled more with another whirlwind he must be further school'd that he might give further glory to God in his own abasement And hence we may infer If the Lord spake thus to Job and may speak thus terribly to any good man once and again Then with what terror in how dreadful a whirlwind will God at last speak to all the wicked of the world If he spake out of a whirlwind to a Job a gracious godly man what will that whirlwind be out of which he will speak to a Pharoah to prophane and hard-hearted sinners As our Lord Jesus Christ said of himself in the Gospel If it be thus done to a green tree what shall be done to the dry If God hath whirlwinds for his Jobs for his own people who are as green flourishing trees in grace and holiness what will he do with the dry sticks of the world And I may argue it as the Apostle doth 1 Pet. 4.13 If judgment begin at the house of God what shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospel what shall their end be no man is able to say no nor to conceive how sad it will be Judgment begins at the house of God God will not spare his own house not his own houshold he will not
draw in or hide his arm but when he delivered them then he was said to stretch it out Thirdly As the arm of God is for the protection and delivering of his people so for the destroying of his and their enemies God hath a destroying arm and of that Moses spake Deut. 33.27 The eternal God is thy refuge and underneath are the everlasting arms and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee that 's sometimes the work of the everlasting arms of God and shall say destroy them Fourthly The Lord hath an assisting helping strengthning arm to carry us thorough any good work or duty which he calleth us unto Isa 53.1 Who hath believed our report and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed that is who hath received power to believe and do according to what the Lord hath revealed The arm of God works powerfully not only upon the outward man but upon the heart of man for the converting and saving of souls Psal 110.3 In the day of thy power thy people shall be willing The power of God put forth upon the inner man for full conviction and sound conversion is greater than any power that worketh upon for or against the body of man God hath a mighty arm for all these purposes and for many more even for as many as he is pleased to make use of it or employ it in And if any ask How mighty is his arm I answer No man knoweth how mighty it is only this we know It is Almighty What the might of Almightiness is who can understand Moses spake admiringly more than knowingly to this point Psal 90.11 Who knoweth the power of thine anger The anger of God is beyond comprehension and so is his love Who knoweth the power of his love We are exhorted Eph. 3.19 To know the love of God which passeth knowledge What the heighth depth length and bredth of divine love are anger no man knoweth nor doth any man know the dimensions of divine power The Apostle speaking of God as a Spirit saith 1 Tim. 6.16 Whom no man hath seen nor can see So we may say of God as powerful no man knoweth nor can know how powerful he is He must be as powerful as God who knoweth how powerful God is Only this we may say First his power is so great that he can do all things and he can do all things with ease There is nothing hard to God Hard things are easie to God Some things are hard and others easie to men but to God all things are alike Not only is nothing too hard for the Lord as he said to Abraham Gen. 18.14 but the truth is nothing is hard to him Secondly His power is so great that he can do whatsoever he willeth or hath a mind to do Job 23.13 He is in one mind and who can turn him and what his soul desireth even that he doth And as the Lord can and will do whatever he hath a will to do so to clear the point a little further we may boldly say he hath a will to do all things of these three sorts First He hath a will to do whatsoever he hath promised purposed or determined to do Now if we duly weigh what great things there are in the promises and purposes in the counsels and decrees of God to do in the world we may soon conclude with truth and sobriety that great things will be done in their proper times and seasons Secondly The Lord doth assure us he hath a will to do whatsoever we ask of him in faith and according to his will If we have a rule for our asking or if we ask by rule we have a Gods word for it that it shall be done and given to us according to our askings 1 John 5.14 And this is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us What is that is it only that he perceives or knows what we ask no his hearing is the granting and giving what we ask God is engaged by his gracious promise that his arm shall do all that we pray for right for the matter and aright for the manner in faith and in sincerity Thirdly It is the will of God to do whatsoever is for the real good of his people though possibly they ask it not It is the will of God not only to do what we ask but many times more than we ask As God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think Eph. 3.20 so he actually doth for us much more than we ask or think The Lord expects we should pray for every good thing which he hath promised and therefore he had no sooner made many large and most gracious promises of doing great things for the Church with this assurance Ezek. 36.36 I the Lord have spoken it and I will do it But presently he adds vers 37. Thus saith the Lord God I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them We should extend our prayers and our seekings to the utmost line of the word or our prayers should be commensurate both to prophesies and promises Prayer helps them all to the birth and they seldom bring forth alone And indeed prayer is nothing else in the matter of it but a turning or putting the promises into petitions t is a suing out the good of the promise Yet there are some good things in the promises which we cannot reach or at least are not mindful of There is a great latitude in the promises The Commandements of God are exceeding broad Psal 119.96 Who can find out all the duty of them And doubtless the promises are exceeding broad who can find out all the mercy in them The Apostle Peter 2 Epist 1.4 calls them exceeding great and precious promises they are exceeding good and they are exceeding great they are as great as they are good and who hath a heart great and good enough to see and sue out all the good and great things in them Now I say though possibly we ask not for all the good of the promise at least not expresly yet it is the will of God to do all that for us and to bestow all that good upon us which he hath promised He hath preventing grace his first grace he alwayes giveth unasked When he begins to manifest himself to a poor soul to bring him out of a state of darkness is such a soul begging this of God no he is running from and rebelling against God I am found of them that sought me not saith the Lord Isa 65.1 Now as they who are not the Lords receive grace to become his unasked so they that are the Lords through grace receive many mercies unasked God will not fall in giving all that he hath promised though we fail in asking some things promised His arm is powerful enough to do what he willeth and this is the will of
or rather as the Prophet there speaks will not behold it no not when it shines in the plainest demonstrations whether of wrath against wicked men or of love and mercy to the godly as clearly as the Sun at noon day Secondly As we should tremble at the majesty of the Lord so admire his excellency they that excel others especially they who excel all others in any kind are much admired The Lord is cloathed with excellency how then should we admire him and say Who is a God like unto thee This God is our God Thirdly Seeing the Lord is cloathed with glory we should glorifie him and that First in his essential glory Secondly in the glory of his acts and operations We should glorifie him for the greatness of his power especially for the greatness of his grace because the grace and mercy of God are his glory as the Apostle spake in that prayer Eph. 3.16 That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory that is of his grace and favour towards you to be strengthned with might by his Spirit in the inner man And as the grace and goodness of God is his glory so also is his holiness Exod. 15.11 Who is a God like unto thee glorious in holiness Let us glorifie God in and for all his glories in and for the glory of his power mercy grace and holiness Fourthly God is arrayed with beauty Beauty is a taking thing then how should our souls delight in the Lord We delight in things that are beautiful we love beauty how should this draw forth our love our affections to God! All the beauty of the world is but a blot 't is darkness and a stained thing in comparison of the Lords beauty the beauty of his holiness and therefore if we have a love to beauty let us love the Lord who is arrayed with beauty even with the perfection of beauty Lastly In general Seeing the Lord is deckt with majesty and excellency arrayed with glory and beauty let us continually ascribe all these to God What God is and hath shewed himself to be we should shew forth 1 Chron. 29.11 Thine O Lord saith David is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty for all that is in heaven and in earth is thine David ascribed all to God there as also Psal 145.10 All thy works praise thee O Lord and thy Saints shall bless thee they shall speak of the glory of thy Kingdom and talk of thy power to make known to the sons of men his mighty acts and the glorious majesty of his Kingdom thy Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations Thus Saints are to blazon the name of God and to make his praise glorious The Apostle Jude concludes his Epistle with this Doxology To the only wise God our Saviour that is Jesus Christ be glory and majesty and dominion and power now and ever Amen Further to remember the majesty and excellency of God may and should be First an incouragement to serve him Who would not serve a Prince who is decked with majesty and excellency who is arrayed with glory and beauty who would not serve such a King as this How ambitious are men to serve those who are deckt with worldly majesty and excellency shall not we have a holy ambition to serve the Lord who is thus decked and arrayed Secondly This may exceedingly hearten and embolden us against all the danger we may meet with in the Lords service If we encounter with hardships and hazards in Gods work let us remember he that is cloathed with majesty and excellency c. can protect us in his service and reward us for it we can lose nothing by him though we should lose all for him life and all Thirdly This should fill our souls with reverential thoughts of God continually Did we know the Lord in these divine discoveries of himself in his majesty and excellency in his glory and beauty how would our hearts be filled with high thoughts of him we would neither speak nor think of God but with a gracious awe upon our spirits Fourthly This should provoke us in all holy duties to do our best The Lord reproved the Jews Mal. 1.8 when they brought him a poor lean sacrifice Offer it now unto thy Governour will he be pleased with thee or accept thy person Shall we put off God who is full of majesty and excellency of glory and beauty with poor weak and sickly services such as our Governours men in high place power will not accept from our hands but turn back with disdain upon our hands The worship and service of God consists not in a bodily exercise nor in any outward beauty he is a spirit and must be worshipped in spirit and in truth that is in truth of heart and according to the truth of his word which the Apostle calls the simplicity that is in Christ 2 Cor. 11.3 The glory and beauty of God is spiritual and the beauty that he must be served with is above all the inward beauty of faith and love and holy fear in our hearts Fifthly If God be thus deckt with majesty c. This may assure us in praying to him and calling upon him that we shall not seek him in vain It is worth the while to attend such a God and pour out our hearts before him We may safely depend upon God for all seeing majesty and excellency are his The Lords prayer by which we are to form or unto which we should conform all our prayers concludes with this thine is the kingdom power and glory all is thine and therefore we have great encouragement to ask all of thee Men can give to those that ask them according to the extent of their power There is a confluence or comprehension of all power in the majesty excellency and glory of God and therefore he can give whatsoever we ask Now as that God is thus deckt and arrayed with majesty and excellency is implied in this Text so 't is also implied that he hath thus deckt himself while he saith to Job Deck thy self with majesty and excellency Hence observe Secondly The majesty and excellency the glory and beauty of God are all of and from himself He is the fountain as of his own being so of the majesty and excellency of the glory and beauty of his being he decks and arrays himself he is not decked by others Moralists say honour is not or resides not in him that is honoured but in him that honoureth yet here honour is seated in him that is honoured We honour God and give glory to him but we cannot add any honour to him all is originally in himself he is the beginning without beginning of his own majesty And as Gods majesty is his own so of his own putting on he borroweth nothing from the creature nor needs he any creature to deck him He is not what others will make
him or have him to be but what he is he is of and from himself Thirdly Observe The majesty and glory of the greatest among men is the gift of God Deck thy self with majesty saith God to Job but Job could not deck himself he could not pâ—t a clothing of majesty and excellency of glory and beauty upon himself All that man hath is received from God and is but a ray from his unconceiveable light As all our spiritual aâ—ray deckings and ornaments are put on us by God Ezek. 16.10 11. I cloathed thee with broidered work I covered thee with silk I decked thee also with ornaments I put a jewel on thy forehead c. So all civil ornaments are put on man by God I girded thee said God of Cyrus Isa 45.5 though thou hast not known me that is I gave thee all thy power and greatness thy honour and dignity though thou tookest no notice of me in doing it nor that I did it Thus it is said of Solomon 1 Chron. 29.25 The Lord magnified Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel and bestowed upon him such royal majesty as had not been on any king before him in Israel And thus spake Daniel to Belshazzar concerning his father Nebuchadnezar Dan. 5.19 And for the majesty that he that is God gave him all Nations People and Languages trembled and feared before him All the majesty and excellency all the glory and beauty of the greatest Monarchs is derived from God Fourthly Observe The majesty and excellency the glory and beauty of man is nothing to Gods Christ saith Mat. 6.29 Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these Solomon was a King in the greatest majesty and excellency glory and beauty of any that ever was in the world yet saith Christ he was not decked like one of these Lillies then how far short did his glory fall of the glory of God! how doth all the glory of the world vanish and disappear at the appearance of the glory of God even as the lustre of the moon stars doth at the rising of the thrice illustrious Sun And as mans glory is nothing to Gods while it lasts or endures so it is nothing to his in the lastingness and duration of it Dominion and majesty are Gods and shall be ascribed to God everlastingly It is said of Ahasuerus Esther 1.4 that he shewed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the honour of his excellent Majesty many days even a hundred and fourscore days but the Lord sheweth his excellent Majesty for ever and ever for it abides for ever and if so what is the majesty of man compared with the Lords Isa 40.6 All flesh is grass and the goodliness of it as the flower of the field The majesty and excellency the glory and beauty of man is but the goodliness of flesh or the best of a fleshly earthly state and what is that but the goodliness of a fading flower or of the grass that is cut down and withers yea which sometimes withers before it is cut down as David saith Psal 129.6 7. the grass doth upon the house tops which withereth afore it groweth up wherewith the mower filleth not his hand nor he that bindeth sheaves his bosome Fourthly note The way to lay the creature low is to consider the Majesty of God Why doth the Lord call Job to deck himself with humane majesty and excellency was it not to bring him to a due consideration of his own divine majesty and excellency Job must compare himself with God in his glory that he might fall down convinced that himself had no glory Thus the Lord shewed Job his own meanness and exility by bidding him imitate the divine Majesty and excellency Secondly The Lord calls him further to imitate him if he could in the mighty effects of his power or in his powerful works against proud and wicked men Vers 11. Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath As if he had said let me see now what a man thou art or rather what a God thou art when thou art enflamed with anger Cast abroad That is furiously disperse and scatter thy rage or rages The word signifies a scattering after breaking to pieces Psal 2.9 As a Potters vessel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 notat confractionem cum dispersione 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indignatio à transeundo vel quod citò transeat Ira furor brevis est when it is broken is scattered abroad so saith the Lord scatter abroad the rage of thy wrath the Hebrew word is The passing of thy wrath Rage makes a speedy passage it hath a swift motion and do thou cast it abroad while 't is stirring and in motion let it not cool cast it abroad hot The word notes a violent hurrying along Scatter abroad the rage Of thy wrath Or as the Hebrew hath it of thy nostrils Raging appears by breathing or in the quick stirring of the nostrils when we breath but why would the Lord have Job shew his rage The answers is do it to the destruction of the proud Behold every one that is proud and abase him Go look upon proud ones in thine anger deal with them as they deserve The word implies more than bare beholding There is a twofold beholding of things or persons First With favour delight and pleasure Psal 33.18 and 34.15 In both places the Lord is represented beholding or casting an eye upon his people with grace and favour for their good and comfort Secondly There is a beholding with anger and displeasure that is the meaning here behold every one that is proud behold them all not only to take notice of them who they are but behold them as I do in wrath and anger Behold Every one that is proud Be they few or many great or small shew thy self against every one that is proud and Abase him Every proud man is as a mountain Go shew thy self like me behold those that are as mountains among men and make them valleys abase them that 's the Lords work and the meaning of his word here as if he had said I have a power that though proud ones are as great mountains yet I can make them as valleys The Lord speaks this again at the beginning of the Vers 12. Look on every one that is proud and bring him low Here is an elegant repetition of the same thing almost in the same words meerly to inforce the matter look on every one that is proud bend thy brows look frowningly upon him as if thou wouldst look him thorough And bring him low The Septuagint say quench him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Superbum extingue Sept. The proud man is all in a flame now saith God behold this proud man and quench him extinguish him put him out Thus the Lord calls Job to express his displeasure in these effects against proud men that he might appear in wrath like him As if the Lord had said I behold the proud man and I abase
him I look upon the proud man and bring him low now let me see you do so too Canst thou with a look only abate their pride and bring down the pomp of man Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath Hence note First There is wrath in God God knoweth how to cast forth his wrath as well as to send forth his love Habet ira Domini suam energiam nunquam egreditur vana or shed it abroad as the Apostles word is Rom. 5.5 in the hearts of his justified ones by the holy Ghost which is given unto them The wrath of God saith the same Apostle Rom. 1.18 is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness The wrath of God is such as we can neither First withstand nor Secondly avoid there 's no out-running no making an escape from it but only by Jesus Christ and therefore the Apostle gives that glory to him alone 1 Thess 1.10 Even Jesus which delivered us from the wrath to come There is a wrath to come which God will scatter over all this sinful wicked world blessed are they that are delivered from it Yea not only is there wrath in God but a fierceness of wrath terrible wrath such as will cause the wicked as was said before to run into the holes of the rocks and into the caves of the earth for fear of the Lord and for the glory of his majesty when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth Isa 2.19 Let us mind this wrath and the fierceness of it and let us bless the Lord who hath sent Jesus Christ â—o deliver us from this wrath and from the fierceness of it When wrath shall be cast abroad upon the wicked world that it falls not upon the godly is the fruit of highest and freest love And though they sip of the cup yet that they drink not the dregs of it is rich mercy Psal 75.98 In the hand of the Lord there is a cup and the wine is red it is full of mixture and he powreth out the same in this powring out possibly a godly man may drink somewhat of it especially in a time of common calamity but the dregs thereof all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out and drink them It is of the Lords mercy and because his compassions fail not that we are delivered from the fierceness of his wrath and from drinking the very dregs of the cup of his displeasure Consider further upon whom this wrath will be exercised Cast forth the rage of thy wrath behold every one that is proud and abase him This the Lord bids Job do to shew what himself usually doth Hence note First The Lord takes special notice of proud persons He beholds them he locks upon them As it is said Saul 1 Sam. 18.9 He eyed David from that day forward that is which was his great sin he cast a revengeful envious eye upon him Thus when the holy God seeth wicked men gâ—ow lofty and proud he eyeth and beholdeth them from that very day with an eye of just revenge or with a purpose to break them and be revenged on them God beholds them as I may say with an evil eye that is with an intent to bring evil upon them He saith David Psal 138.6 knoweth the proud afar off As it is said of the Father of the humbled Prodigal in the Parable Luke 15. When he was yet a great way off his father saw him and had compassion So God quickly spies out a proud man even a great way off and hath indignation against him or as we may rather expound the Psalm He knoweth the proud afar off that is a proud man shall never come near him he will not admit him into his presence much less into his imbraces To be known afar off is to be far from the favourable or respectful knowledge of God yea to those whom the Lord knows afar off in this world he will say in the next I never knew you depart from me ye workers of iniquity Mat. 7.23 Secondly Note God is able to and will cast down proud men That which he would have Job do he himself as was said usually doth He beholdeth the proud and abaseth them he layeth them low Nebuchadnezzar that proud Monarch was brought to that confession Dan. 4.37 Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and honour and extol the King of Heaven all whose works are true and his ways judgment and those that walk in pride he is able to abase If men will be proud and lofty the Lord both knoweth very well how and is able very easily to bring them down And as he knows how and is able to deal with proud men so he desires and delights to deal with them above all sorts of sinners his greatest contests are with the proud Isa 2.12 13 14. The day of the Lord of Hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty and upon every one that is lifted up in his own conceit especially and he shall be brought low and upon all the Cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up and upon all the Oaks of Bashan and upon all the high mountains c. What meaneth the Prophet by these is the Lord angry with trees and mountains These are but the shadows of great and proud men the day of the Lord shall be upon every one of them and his hand will be heavy upon them in that day Proud men look upon themselves much above others but as God is above them so he loves to shew himself ahove them especially when they shew out their pride As Jethroe said to Moses Exod. 18.9 11. Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them God sheweth himself above all when he acts above proud men and acts them down in their proudest actings And as the Lord delights to bring proud men down so he will certainly do it he is resolved upon it He looketh upon every one that is proud to abase him The Angels that fell were proud they kept not their first estate but left their habitation they did not like the state wherein God had placed them and therefo e God cast them down and he hath reserved them in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day Jude 6. When man in Paradise began to be proud and would be more than God made him God made him above all earthly creatures but he would be as God as his Creator he would be as it were the founder of his own happiness pride and unbelief at once took hold of him and led him to his sin-fall and then followed his fall his judgment-fall God cast him down God abased him and not only that proud man but man-kind for his pride they being in him his pride was theirs And to this day God hath all along set his face against all proud men and the pride
would confess that his own right hand could save him Note He that can destroy all others can save himself Illa facere posse seipsum salvare unius ejusdem sunt virtutis There goes no more to save our selves out of any trouble than to destroy all others The Apostle James saith Chap. 4.12 There is one law-giver who is able to save and destroy God is this law-giver he is able to do both and because he can destroy all he can save all and will save all that trust in him The devil is called a destroyer he is called Abaddon in Hebrew and Apollyon in Greek that is a destroyer Rev. 9.11 but he cannot destroy all if he could he would soon make sad work none should be saved There is but one law-giver who can save and destroy take away life and give life he can do the one as well as the other and both as often as he will The Lord hath an absolutely supream power over men and may dispose of them for life or death as he pleaseth even eternal life and death salvation and damnation are in his hand 't is therefore a fearful thing to fall into the hand the revenging hand of the living God Heb. 10.31 upon the neglect much more upon the despising and contempt of the covenant of life and peace by Jesus Christ as 't is said at the 29th verse of that Chapter Christ is the best friend and the worst enemy To him belong the issues from death Psal 68.20 and he hath the keyes af death and hell Rev. 1.18 Let us rejoyce with trembling before him who is able to save and destroy Secondly Note Man cannot save himself by the best of his power No not by his own right hand Man cannot save himself First from temporal evils he cannot save himself from sickness nor from poverty he cannot save himself from any danger that is ready to fall upon him nor can the strongest creatures save him Psal 33.17 A horse is a vain thing to save a man and man is as vain a thing to save himself a horse cannot deliver us by his great strength or by the greatness of his skill and wisdom Secondly much less can man save himself from spiritual and eternal evils While we consider First out of what misery we are saved Secondly from what mighty enemies we are saved Thirdly from whose wrath we are saved Fourthly what price was required that we might be saved Fifthly what mercy and grace were needful to save us we must needs confess that our right hand cannot save us spiritually and eternally Who can save himself out of the hand of that great enemy the devil and his legions of darkness who can save himself from that gulf of misery into which sin hath plunged us who can deliver himself from the curse of the Law or from sin the sting of death who can deliver himself from the power of his lusts from the pride unbelief covetousness and hardness of his own heart Our own right hand cannot save us from any of these evils The devil and the world are too strong for us and so is every lust and corruption of our own evil hearts Can we by any power of our own convert our selves or preserve our selves after conversion Can we get out of the Kingdom of darkness by our own power or put our selves into the Kingdom of light by our own poâ—er That we are either temporally or spiritually or eternally saved is all from the power from the right hand of God not at all from our own Unless we give all to God we take all from him He that is our God is the God of salvation and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death Psal 68.20 Salvation of every kind and the issues from every kind of death are of the Lord. Thirdly Note God can save alone or by his own right hand That the Lord would have Job understand and this we understand from other Scriptures Psal 17.7 Shew thy marvellous loving kindness O thou that savest by thy right hand those that put their trust in thee This is one of Gods royal Titles Thou that savest by thy right hand Psal 98.1 O sing unto the Lord a new song for he hath done marvellous things his right hand and his holy arm hath gotten him the victory Psal 44.4 Thou art my King of old commanding deliverances for Jacob. How easily can the Lord save with his hand who can save with his tongue and deliver by commanding deliverances Nor is it one deliverance only which the Lord commands but many yea any That Psalm gives it plurally commanding deliverances The Prophet speaks of this sole and solitary saving power of God Isa 59.16 He saw that there was no man that is no man that offered any help and wondred that there was no intercessor that is no man to speak a good word for them therefore his arm brought salvation to him and his righteousness it sustained him And again Isa 63.5 I looked and there was none to help and I wondred that there was none to uphold therefore mine own arm brought salvation to me This is it which was said before vers 3. I have trodden the wine-press alone and of the people there was none with me Hence we may infer First If the Lords right hand can save alone Then there can never be too few hands for God to save us by There may be sometimes too many for God to save us by but never too few Why because he can save by his own right hand The Lord said to Gideon Judg. 7.2 The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands they were so many that the sole salvation of God would not appear lest Israel vaunt themselves against me saying mine own hand hath saved me Though we have but little strength yet it may be too much for Gods purpose we being apt to boast our selves when we have any hands to save us as if our own right hand had saved us Secondly If God can save by his own right hand Then when we see none when we see nothing to save us by let us trust God alone If God be with us we have strength enough and hands enough with us It is all one with the Lord to save by few or by many yea by few or by none at all for his own right hand can do it Thirdly Then trust in Gods right hand alone for salvation how many hands soever you have at any time at work for your salvation This is our sin that when we have many hands to save us we trust in them rather than in the right hand of God The Lord often and usually makes use of mans hand to save us by Obad. ver ult And Saviours shall come upon mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau and the Kingdom shall be the Lords Now though the Lord useth other right hands to save us by and to judge
Quoties de feris bestiis dicitur quod faenum comesturae sint sicut bos metaphoricè innuitur eos mansuefieri cicurari The same Prophet shadows the peaceablenesse of those Gospel times under a like Allegory Chap. 65.25 where having shewed Verse 24. the goodnesse and tendernesse of God in hearing the prayers of his people It shall come to passe that before they call I will answer and while â—hey are yet praying I will hear he presently shews how good and kind God who hath the spirits and passions of all men in his hand will make the most ruffe-spirited and passionate men to his people The wolfe and the Lamb shall feed together and the Lion shall eat straw like the Bullâ—ck That is they who were sometimes as fierce as evening Wolves shall quietly and sweetly converse with the Lambs of Christ c. Thus here the Lord speaks of the Elephant eating grasse like an Oxe to shew that though he be exceeding strong yet he is of an exceeding quiet and harmless disposition Non alitèr quam perparvuli catelli ex hominis manu gaudet cibum sumere Aelian cap. 9. 30. And Naturalists tell us he is so gentle and harmlesse that he will take meat out of a mans hand like a Dog or Spaniel Thirdly The Elephant is described by his strength Verse 16. Lo Now or Behold it is the same word As in the former Verse God awakened the attention of Job to consider this Beast in general with a Behold so here coming to particulars he reassumeth the same note of admiration and serious meditation Lo now or Behold His strength is in his loins He hath strength proportionable to his greatness And as Sampsons strength was symbolically in his locks so the Elephants strength is naturally in his loins there 's the seat of strength in most creatures His strength is in his loins that is he hath very strong loins and is therefore very strong the loins being as was said the natural seat of strength To gird up the loins to do a thing is to do it strongly A weak man a man of little strength is said to have no loins Elumbus sive elumbis quasi sine lumbis i. e. viribus Drus or to be if I may so speak a loinlesse man And hence the failing or shaking of the loins notes the failing of strength and want of spirits to atchieve any great thing David speaking of the woful condition of the rejected Jews and the curse of God upon them gives it thus Psal 69.23 Let their eyes be darkened that they see not and make their loins continually to shake that is let them alwayes be in a weak and low condition let them not gather strength nor courage The effect of which curse is evident upon that people at this day their loins shake they gather no considerable strength they do no considerable thing nor shall till they return to the Lord. It is said of the vertuous woman Prov. 31.17 She girdeth her loins with strength that is she is ready and able for any work or action within her sphere or becoming her sex Non rectè nostri quod de lumbis dicitur adlibidinema commodant cum Eliphas tradatur esse animal maximè pudicum Merc. And when the Lord called the Prophet to lay to heart the grievous evils of those times he saith Ezek. 21.6 Sigh to the breaking of thy loins that is sigh mourn and lament till thou hast sighed away all thy strength till thou art become feeble with mourning lamenting and sighing The Elephant is mighty and strong His strength is in his loins And his force in the Navel of his Belly As much as to say he is strong every-where he is strong in back and strong in belly The Navel is the strength of the lower parts of the body as the loin of the upper The Navel is as the center of the body there is a colligation or knitting of several veins and arteries which pass from thence into several parts of the body as Anatomists observe There is so much force in the Navel that it may well be called the second seat of strength When the Lord would encourage us to fear him and depart from evil he makes this a motive Prov. 3.8 It shall be health to thy navel and marrow to thy bones that is thou shalt have much health and strength much comfort and sweetness in thy life His force is in the Navel of his Belly His strength is not in his horns to do hurt as the Bulls and Unicorns nor in his claws to tear as the Lions and Bears but in his Loins and Navel As if the Lord had said I have placed the strength of Behemoth where it may be most useful or serviceable and least hurtful I have endowed and furnished him with wonderful strength but how and where Not in any offensive part his head hath no horns his feet no claws to do mischief with but to the end he might be more serviceable to man in bearing burdens I have placed it chiefly in his Loins and Belly Yet saith the learned Bochartus This latter part of the verse doth not agree with the Elephant seeing both Pliny and Solinus teach us that the Elephant hath indeed a very hard skin upon his back but a soft one under his belly whence it is saith he that the Rhinoceros fighting with the Elephant aimes chiefly at his belly which he knows is his tenderest part He gives many other proofs of this as also that the Hippopotame hath a skin so extreamly thick and hard that 't is even impenitrable To this I may answer That though it be granted that the Hippop tame hath a very hard skin all over his body and not at all denied that the skin of the Elephant is softer by much under his belly than upon his back yet it cannot in my understanding be hence concluded that he hath not a great force in the Navel of his Belly For though he hath not a hardnesse there to resist the point either of a natural or artificial weapon yet he may have a force there enabling him to do mighty things 'T is rather from the compactness or well knitting of the Navel that he or any other like creature hath his force than from the hardnesse of it nor doth the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here rendred force signifie any force depending upon the hardnesse of any part but that force which ariseth from the good constitution of the body Gen. 49.3 or from the plentifulnesse of a mans outward estate or substance Job 18.7 Hos 12.8 What the Elephants strength and force is appears yet further in that which followeth Verse 17. He moveth his tail like a Cedar Some take the tail properly Secondly Eâ—si caudam habeat quae magnitudine cedrum aequare videatur tamen eam fâ—cile movet Insignis hyperbole Merc. Sunt qui caudam hic putant appellari promuscidem Elephantis planè alienè
chief in the word of God is the truth of it that which rules and reigns and holds as it were the headship in and throughout the word of God is the truth of it or Gods trueness and faithfulness in making it good and therefore the first thing which faith doth is to set to its seal that God is true true of his word or that his word is true John 3.33 The Greeks call honey the first of sweetnesses because it is the sweetest of all natural things Mel dicitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quòd dulcedine praestat rebus omnibus Now here when the Text saith he is the chief or beginning of the wayes of God we are not to take it of a beginning in time several creatures were seniors to Behemoth being made before him but in excellency which we render clearly He is the chief of the wayes of God But you will say how is the Elephant the chief of the wayes of God Are not Angels and men at least above him I answer There is a twofold chief First Absolute Secondly in its kind Behemoth is the chief of the wayes of God not absolutely not as if God had made nothing more excellent than the Elephant but in his kind that is among the beasts of the earth he is the chief and as we say bears away the bell from all the rest Behemoth is not only of the first three but like Adino the Tachmonite among Davids worthies he is the first of the first three among all the irrational creatures which move upon the face of the earth And though in some one thing many excel him yet taking him altogether he excels them all He is the chief of the wayes of God that is of the works of God The works of God are called his ways because he appears stands forth in his works as man doth in his way God did not appear at all til he did create then he appeared gloriously in all his divine perfections of power wisdom and goodness And as he appeared in the works of creation so he daily appeareth in his woâ—ks of providence as in his way for in them also it is seen how powerful how wise how good he is Behemoth both as to creation and providence is the chief of the wayes or works of God in his kind Angels and Men are indeed above him but as for other creatures Behemoth is the chief Thus the Lord having spoken of many particular excellencies in this creature recapitulates or sums up all that he had said like an eloquent Orator in these crowning words He is the chief of the ways of God Hence note First There is a difference as to excellency or there are degrees of excellency in the works of God God hath bestowed more upon some creatures than he hath upon others God bestowed most upon man in the first creation for how excellent soever he made any visible creature yet it is said of no creature he made him in his image after his likeness till he came to man and the new creature which comes in by redemption is far more excellent than man in his first creation Now I say as man is far more excellent than all earthly creatures he is next to Angels man is placed in the uppermost form of the visible world So among the creatures there are some that very much excel others here 's one called the chief of the ways of God himself This is not an Orators flattery the Spirit of God gives Behemoth this encomium this commendation he hath precedency by a divine right All creatures are not alike they cannot all be chief and there are none like this he is the chief of all Among the inanimate creatures there is a gradual difference 1 Cor. 15.40 There are coelestial bodies and bodies terrestial but the glory of the coelestial is one and the glory of the terrestial is another and all coelestial bodies are not alike for There is one glory of the Sun and another of the Moon and another of the Stars and one Star differs from another in glory There are also various excellencies both as to kind and degree among vegetatives or plants What is a Nettle in the Ditch to Hysope in the Garden and what is the Thistle in Lebanon to the Cedar in Lebanon that 's one of the lowest and most ignoble plants this one of the highest and most honourable Consider animals What variety among the fish of the sea what is a Sprat to a Whale What variety among the fowls of the air what is a Sparrow to the Eagle What variety among the beasts of the earth what is a Bullock to an Elephant or an Ass to a Lion Coâ—sider â—ationals Men are not all alike some men do almost as much excel other men as all men excel beasts yea there is a difference in the same man his soul is more excellent than his body some parts of the body are more excellent than others some powers and faculties of the soul are more excellent than the rest The Apostle 1 Cor. 12.28 29. speaking of the Church shews how God hath put the guides of it into several ranks He hath set some in the Church First Apostles Secondly Prophets Thirdly Teachers after that miracles then gifts of healing helps governments diversities of tongues Are all Apostles are all Prophets are all Teachers do all speak with tongues are all workers of miracles are all chief are all in the first rank no some are in one condition some in another And thus it is in the world God hath set some Kings all others Subjects and among them some are Lords some Judges and Magistrates c. Are all Kings are all Lords are all Judges and Magistrates surely not To have all men of one order would put all men and all things too out of order There is a chief among beasts And those men are worse than beasts who acknowledge not a chief among men God is not the author of confusion as in all the Churches of the Saints saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 14.33 so I may say in all the Kingdoms of the world And if so I would only infer then let none be troubled that they are not chief no nor that they are not of equal rank with other men let us be content with our station though it be a low one 'T is best for us to be where God hath placed us and to be thankful for what God hath given us though in gifts and parts we are much inferior to many God doth not bestow a like measure of gifts no nor of grace upon all And though it may be a favour and a mercy to have outward preheminency above others yet to love or affect preheminency as the Apostle John taxed Diotrophes is very sinful The Apostle would have us covet earnestly the best gifts 1. Cor. 12.31 and he there minds us of a better thing to be coveted than the best gifts that is grace Faith hope charity to covet
concerning his own self-sufficiency or absolute independency upon any creature either for councel what to do or for assistance in doing it Thus much is clearly affirmed in that question at the beginning of the 11th verse Who hath prevented me that I should repay him As if the Lord had said Let the man come forth that hath contributed any thing to me in any of my works or that hath given any help in the doing them and he shall be well rewarded for his pains Both these Inferences or Uses the Lord confirms by a grand Assertion or Maxime in the close of the 11th verse Whatsoever is under the whole Heaven is mine If all be mine then who can stand before me If all be mine then who hath prevented me that I should repay him This is the Application these the Uses which the Lord himself makes of the doctrine laid down about this creature the Leviathan These Uses close the third part of the description of Leviathan The fourth part of his description contains many particulars concerning his parts power and proportion as also the wonderful effects of his power all which are set down in highest strains of divine rhetorick from the 11th verse to the end of the 32. The second part of the Chapter I call the conclusion and it flows naturally from the whole foregoing discourse in the two last verses of it Vpon earth there is not his like the Lord said concerning Behemoth He is the chief of the wayes of God that is upon earth and here he saith of Leviathan Vpon earth there is not his like no not Behemoth himself he is made without fear he beholdeth all high things he is a King over all the children of pride Thus far concerning the state and parts of the whole Chapter in which the Lord hath this general scope even to humble Job yet more As if he had said That thou O Job maist see and be convinced of thy presumption in pleading with me look upon Leviathan consider whether thou art able to deal with him if not how canst thou deal with me who made him and can both master and destroy him when I will Thus the Lord makes his triumph over creatures mightier in outward force than man to the intent all men may know they shall certainly fall and be utterly confounded if they lift up themselves against God All which will appear further in opening the description of this Leviathan Vers 1. Canst thou draw out Leviathan with an hook For the clearing of these words and towards the clearing of all that follows I shall shew First the signification of this word Leviathan or what it imports Secondly what kind of creature this Leviathan is or is conceived to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Additus adjunctus The word Leviathan is derived from an Hebrew root which signifies added to or joyned together When Leah had brought forth a third son to Jacob she called his name from this word Levi and said Now my Husband will be joyned to me because I have born him three sons Gen. 29.34 And it is supposed that this creature is so called upon a double respect First Because of the fast-joyning or closure of his scales vers 15 16 17. Secondly Because he is so great of body that he appears as if many bodies were joyned and knit together in his And because the Hebrew word for a Dragon is Thannin some have conceived that the last syllable in Leviathan is a contract of that and added to Levijath as implying that in one Leviathan many Dragons were conjoyned But I rather adhere to that learned Author who takes Leviathan to be a simple not a compound word and saith That the last syllable than belongs to the form of the Nown Leviathan sinuosum est animal in pluros spiras volubile Bochart as in Nehushtan c. And he finds the root of the word Leviathan neither in the Hebrew nor in the Syriack but in the Arabick language where it signifies to wind plight or fold together fitly intimating the crooked winding postures and motions of that animal called Leviathan But what is this Leviathan First Most of the Ancients both Greek and Latine turn this Scripture wholly into an Allegory expounding as Behemoth before so here Leviathan wholly of the old enemy of mankind the Devil 'T is true that many things here spoken of Leviathan are applicable to the Devil but to bring all to that sense is doubtless a forcing or straining of the Text. Others who prosecute the Allegory apply it to bad Princes who having great power use it for the oppression and vexation of those that are under their dominion Nor can it be denyed that the King of Babylon was intended by the Prophet under the word Leviathan Isa 27.1 2. as Pharoah King of Egypt is expresly called Tannin or a Sea-Dragon Ezek. 29.3 and Chap. 32.2 Hebraei grandiores omnes pisces sc cetacei generis hac voce significari putant Merl. Secondly Several of the Jewish Writers expound Leviathan not of any particular species or sort of fishes but in general of all great fishes Thirdly The most general and hitherto most received opinion concludes Leviathan to be among all fishes the Whale in particular Fourthly Beza of the former age and in this Bochartus confidently assert that Leviathan is the Crocodile The general reason given for it by them is because what is here spoken of Leviathan is not every way sutable nor agreeable to the Whale and they who expound Leviathan by the Whale are as confident that several things here affirmed of Leviathan are not agreeable to the Crocodile What my own apprehensions are in this matter of difference whether the Whale or the Crocodile be intended by Leviathan I have already declared at the fifteenth vers of the fortieth Chapter where the Lord begins to present Behemoth purposing also in the same continued speech to present Leviathan to the consideration of Job in the liveliest colours and highest expressions of divine eloquence for his yet fuller conviction and humiliation There I say the Reader may find my thoughts about this matter yet in opening the Text I shall touch at most of those particulars which the learned Bochartus takes notice of either as more clearly or as only applicable to the Crocodile leaving the Reader as was there said at his liberty to deteâ—mine his own thoughts where he sees most reason and fairest probability For it must be confessed that there are no small difficulties in making out the common and hitherto most received opinion that Leviathan is the Whale as will appear in our passage through this Chapter and therefore I dare not be very positive much less tenacious in it For though it be an unquestionable truth and to be received and to be as the matter of an historical faith because God hath said it that there is a living creature in the compass of nature exactly answering every particular in the following description
of the Leviathan yet it is questionable what that creature is and to say the Crocodile is meant by Leviathan or the Whale is meant by Leviathan is only matter of opinion and the judgment of man Vers 1. Canst thou draw out Leviathan Our Translators say in the Margin a Whale or a Whirle-pool 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. The Septuagint render Canst thou draw out the Dragon As if by way of eminence Leviathan were the chiefest and greatest among all that are or may be called Dragons And say some the word Leviathan is the same with Thannin which in the Hebrew signifies a Dragon Insomuch that these two words Thannin and Laviathan are taken in Scripture promiscuously Psal 74.13 14. Thou breakest the heads Thanninim of the Dragons in the waters we put Whales in the Margin Arias renders the Text so then followeth in the next verse Thou breakest the heads of Leviathan in pieces c. meaning in both verses Pharaoh and his Captains who pursued Israel not only to but into the Red-sea and were drowned Thus also these two words are used Isa 27.1 where Leviathan the piercing or crossing the sea like a bar Serpent even Leviathan the crooked Serpent whom the Lord will punish with his sore and great and long sword as 't is said in the former part of the verse is the same with the dragon that is in the sea whom he will slay as 't is said in the latter part of the verse Some of the Jewish Writers distinguish these two only in growth or greatness defining Leviathan to be a great Thannin or Dragon But as the word Thannin doth so signifie a Dragon that yet it is often applied to signifie Whales and Sea-beasts because they in some sort resemble the form and flectuation of Dragons thus 't is said Gen. 1.21 that on the fifth day God created great Thanninim Whales Now I say as in Scripture the word Thannin is rendred Whale so Whales and such like great fishes are in Scripture expressed by the word Leviathan And in one place possibly in more nothing else can be understood by the word Leviathan but the Whale or fishes of the Cetacean or Whale kind The Psalmist being wrapt into an admiration of the works of God or rather of God in his works speaks thus Psal 104.24 25 26. O Lord how manifold are thy works in wisdom hast thou made them them all The earth is full of thy riches So is this great and wide sea wherein are things creeping innumerable both small and great beasts There go the ships there is that Leviathan whom thou hast made to play therein Now though it be granted that in some places of Scripture oâ—her animals and for instance the Crocodile of Nilus may be understood by Leviathan yet in this place of the Psalm the Crocodile cannot be understood For the Leviathan there spoken of abides in the great and wide sea where the ships generally go Now though Nilus may be called a Sea as Lakes and great Rivers sometimes are in Scripture yet it cannot be called the great and wide sea 't is at most but a small and a narrow sea and therefore we find the river of Egypt that is Nilus and the great sea distinctly and distinguishingly mentioned Josh 15.47 So then it appears that the Whale is somewhere meant by Leviathan And forasmuch as there is an Emphasis put upon the Leviathan spoken of in the Psalm he being there called That Leviathan as if it had been said though there are other Leviathans such as are Dragons Crocodiles in other great waters yet the chief and great Leviathan of all is an inhabitant of the great and wide sea Now seeing the Leviathan described in Job hath such characters given of him as plainly shew that he is the chief Leviathan it may with fair probability be supposed that he is the Leviathan spoken of in the Psalm and if so then the Leviathan in Job cannot be the Crocoâ—ile for the Crocodile is not an inhabitant of the great and wide sea Facetae ironicae sunt interregationes quae habentur quinque primis versibus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 interrogativum rectè suppletur ex collatione proximè sequentium Pisc Let that be considered as to the negative and what the whole Text in Job holds out for the affirmative I shall leave it to consideration as I pass through the several parts of iâ— Canst thou draw out Leviathan with a hook The first thing considerable in Leviathan is the greatness and vastness of his body which as was said is plainly intended in these words Canst thou draw out Leviathan with a hook or his tongue wâ—th a cord which thou lettest down As if the Lord had said Thou canst draw up some great fishes with a hook and line and if it should be told thee there is a fish so big that no man with hook and line is able to draw him out of the water thou wouldst say that must needs be a huge fish now such a one at least is Leviathan This the Lord would convince Job of in putting this question Canst thou draw out Leviathan with a hook Thou canst not Leviathan is too heavy for thy draught The interrogation is a negation Canst thou thou canst not draw out Leviathan with all thy strength if thou hadst the strength often men thou couldst not draw him out Little fishes yea very great fishes may be drawn out but Leviathan cannot he will break all thy tackling Further Canst than draw out Leviathan with a hook and line No nor with a cart-rope As if we should say to a man canst thou knock down an Oxe with a fillip of thy finger No nor with the force of thy fist And as this question Canst thou c. implyes that man cannot so it seems to intimate that God can as easily take up this huge Leviathan as any man can draw up a small even the smallest fish with hook and line or play with it in the water As he that made Behemoth can make his sword approach unto him Chap. 40.19 so he that made Leviathan hath a hook to draw him out with Canst thou draw out Leviathan with an hook Or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down If the fish bite the hook takes him by the tongue or jaws The Hebrew word is Canst thou take him with a cord which thou drownest That which is let down deep or far into the water may be said to be drowned in the water Unless the line or cord of the angle sink deep into or be drowned in the water the hook is useless and therefore the Angler hath a lead fastned upon his line to make it sink deep as well as a cork or quil to keep it from sinking too deep Canst thou draw out his tongue with a cord which thou drownest or lettest down Vnum hoc animal terrestre linguae usu caret Plin. l. 8. c. 25. The mention
great things and we should use means proportionable for the doing of every thing You cannot batter down a stone wall or a strong tower with paper-shot nor with a pot-gun no you must plant cannon for that service Again when this Scripture saith Canst thou draw out Leviathan The emphasis as was shewed before in opening the words lieth in the word thou As if the Lord had said thou canst not but I can Hence note The Lord is able to do the greatest things by smallest means Leviathan to God is but as any little fish to us which is taken with a hook and line To take up Leviathan to do the greatest thing is as easie to God as the least to man As the power of God supplyeth all the weakness of the creature to do any thing so it surpasseth all that strength and greatness of the creature which may seem to hinder him from doing any thing with it or upon it He saith the Apostle Phil. 3.21 shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body how shall he do this according to the working of his mighty power whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself The Lord can doubtless subdue Leviathan to himself by the working of that mighty power which subdueth all things to himself And it is much more easie for Christ to subdue any Leviathan than to change our vile body into the likeness of his own glorious body For as Jesus Christ was once declared to be the Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by the resurrection that is his own resurrection from the dead so he will again declare himself to be the Son of God with power according to the spirit of power by our resurrection from the dead He that can draw our dust out of the grave with a word can soon draw Leviathan out of the deepest gulf in the Sea by his hook and cord This may comfort those and strengthen their faith who at any time see Leviathans ready to swallow them up as the Whale did Jonah As the Lord prepared that great fish to swallow up Jonah Jonah 1.17 so he commanded that great fish to deliver him back safe again or as that Scripture saith Chap. 2.10 He spake to the fish and he vomited out Jonah upon the dry land Both were acts of great power and teach us that the Lord hath a soveraign commanding power over all even the greatest creatures The Lord hath a hook for Leviathan He had hooks for Pharaoh The great Dragon in the midst of his Rivers Ezek. 29.3 4. And of him the Lord commanded the same Prophet to speak in a like notion Ezek. 32.2 Son of man take up a lamentation for Pharaoh and say to him thou art like a young Lion of the Nations and thou art as a Whale in the Seas and thou camest forth with thy Rivers and troubledst the waters with thy feet and fouledst their Rivers therefore I will spread out my net over thee and they shall bring thee up in my net I have a net for thee saith this Chapter I have hooks for thee saith that other The Prophet Isaiah to engage the Lord to do some great thing for his Church minded him of what he had formerly and anciently done for Israel Isa 51.9 Awake awake put on strength O arm of the Lord awake as in the ancient dayes as in the generations of old art thou not it that hath cut Rahab and wounded the Dragon This Rahab was Egypt and the Dragon was Pharoah as Interpreters generally agree The Psalmist reports the dealings of God with Pharoah and Egypt in language nearer that of the Text Psal 74.13 14. Thou breakest the heads of the Dragons in the waters thou breakest the heads of Leviathan in pieces and gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness that is the remembrance of that mercy and of the mighty power of God in destroying Pharoah and his Egyptian Host who pursued them after their departure from Egypt to the red Sea was to be food for their faith in all the dangers and hardships which they were like to meet with in their travels through the howling wilderness to the Land of promise Take one Scripture-instance more 2 Kin. 19.28 Sennacherib was a Leviathan he came up against Hezekiah to destroy him and his people which provoked the Lord to speak thus of him Because thy rage against me is come into my ears therefore I will put my hook into thy nose and my bridle in thy lips and turn thee back by the way thou camest Thus far of the first thing in the description of Leviathan his greatness The second part of his description sheweth the stoutness and stubbornness of his spirit he will not comply he will not yield he will not any way submit This is laid down in the 3d 4th and 5th verses Vers 3. Will he make many supplications to thee The word in the Hebrew properly signifies deprecation Precamur bona deprecamur tantum mala which is prayer for the turning away of evil when evil is near then we deprecate it Will he do this not he He will not petition thee he scorns to petition thee or to cry for quarter But it may be said can fishes pray or make supplications to do so is at least the work of rational creatures I answer Per Prosopopoeian tribuit ei orationem these words are to be understood by that figure Prosopopoeia frequently used in Scripture when acts of Reason are attributed to irrational yea to senseless and lifeless creatures The very hills and valleys the Seas and waters praise God by a figure and here by a like figure Leviathan will not make supplications unto man which shews the stoutness of his spirit As some prisoners taken in war scorn to ask their lives so if Leviathan were taken with a hook he would make no supplications nor beg your favour so stout is he his heart is too great his stomack too big for any kind of submission Will he make many supplications unto thee no he will make none at all This is further expressed in the latter part of the verse Will he speak soft words to thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mollibus vel blandis vâ—rbis aut sermonibus Pisc Mr. Broughton renders or Will he speak to thee tenderly Will he flatter or humour thee that he may get loose or be freed from thee When the Gibeonites Josh 9.9 were afraid they should be taken and destroyed they came and begged peace they spake soft words There are words of two sorts Some are very hard words and hard words wound like hard blows And though no blows are given The Lord will come to execute judgement upon the ungodly for all their hard speeches Jude vers 15. Many speak words as hard as stones they throw hard words at the heads and about the
he should not only be salvation to the Jews but also to the ends of the earth or to the Gentiles he no longer said I have laboured in vain but thought himself well rewarded for all his cost and pains for all that he did or suffered to bring about and effect the salvation of man Hope is in vain when we have and get but little expecting much Secondly Hope it much more in vain when we hope for much and get nothing at all As Peter said to Christ Luke 5.5 We have toyled all night and have taken nothing That 's like fishing for Leviathan such hope is utterly in vain Such a vain hope the Church spake of Jerem. 8.15 We looked for peace looking is an act of hope and no good came no good at all that hope is vain when we look for peace and no good no benefit comes And thus the Lord spake of his smiting in vain Jerem. 2.30 In vain have I smitten your Children Why in vain they have received no correction that is they were never a whit the better for it they were not amended by it When God spends his rods upon us and we neither cease to do evil nor learn to do good then he correcteth us in vain And when he sends his word and we receive no good by it no instruction by it then his word is in vain To wash an Aethiopian is the embleam of labour in vain because how much soever you wash him he is not at all the whiter nor is any change wrought in his complexion Thirdly Hope is yet more in vain when we look for good and get hurt instead of good The Prophet complained Jerem. 8.15 not only thus We look for peace and no good came but as it follows for a time of health and behold trouble But what was the time of health which they looked for or what was the health which they looked for at that time There is a two-fold health a health of the body natural and a health of the body politick which consists in prosperity and peace for this health they looked but behold trouble So Jer. 14.19 We looked for peace and there was no good and for a time of healing and behold trouble Thus the Lords Vineyard that is the Church of the Jews disappointed the Lords expectation Isa 5.5 when while he looked for grapes it brought forth wild grapes that is as 't is explained ver 7. Oppression instead of judgment and instead of righteousness a cry This was the quite contrary and this is the worst way of having our hope in vain It is said Job 27.8 What is the hope of the hypocrite though he hath gained when God taketh away his soul Suppose a hypocrite hath gained much in this world yea suppose he hath got or gained all the world yet what is his hope when God taketh away his soul then he will not only find no God but much trouble pain and anguish and wrath and hell for evermore upon him When Christ saith Mat. 16.26 What is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul His meaning is not only this that he shall have no profit at all but he shall be utterly undone and broke for ever How vain then is the hope of that man yea how vain a man is that who hopes for profit or gain in doing that which endangers the loss of his soul much more that by which his soul is absolutely and for ever lost Thus hope is in vain First when we hope for much and get little Secondly when we hope for much and get nothing Thirdly when we hope for good and get hurt Now in these two latter senses we are to take the meaning of God here A man may hope by use of means to catch Leviathan yet he gets nothing yea probably loseth much or gets much hurt Behold the hâ—pe of him is in vain Hence note First It is hope of gain that usually puts men upon action The Lord supposeth that they who undertake the taking of Leviathan hope to gain much by taking him 'T is hope of attaining that encourageth to doing No man would be stirring much less bestir himself about any business were it not for hope of getting And as it is hope of attaining that puts upon doing so it is hope of attaining that puts us upon suffering Who would suffer for Jesus Christ if he had not a hope of attaining somewhat better than he can lose by his sufferings therefore Jesus Christ hath set that hope before us To suffer rightly for Jesus Christ is so honourable that we should suffer willingly though we get nothing by it yet he hath set a reward before us a crown by his Cross he hath assured us all our losses even our loss of life for his sake shall turn to our gain and profit Hope of attaining is the motive to every undertaking No wise man will meddle with doing that which is either impossible to be done or altogether unprofitable when it is done Were it not for hope the heart would faint First in labouring Secondly in suffering Thirdly in waiting Hope is like a Helmet upon the head when we are in danger of blows 2 Thes 5.8 and like an Anchor both sure and stedfast when we are in storms Heb. 6.19 Secondly The Lord having said before Remember the battel and do no more adds The hope of him is in vain Hence note It is a vain thing to go about that which we see no ground of hope to have success in to do good upon or to get any good by As the Apostle exhorts us To be stedfast and unmoveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch as we know true believers do know and all men should know that our labour is not in vain in the Lord so we have ground enough to dehort all men from those works which we know or may know will be in vain And if so Then First How vain a thing is it for any man to sin Is there any thing to be gotten by sin I may well say to sinners as the Lord saith to Job in the latter end of the 8th verse Do no more sin no more your hope is in vain that think to gain by sin that hope to make your selves rich great or happy by sin Do no more your hope is in vain The Apostle puts the question Rom. 6.21 What fruit had you then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed Have you got any benefit by them have you got any thing worth the getting All that is gained by sin will turn to loss at last Samuel charged the Israelites upon this account 1 Sam. 12.21 Turn ye not aside that is do not sin do not turn from the Law of the Lord do not depart from God why for then should you go after vain things which cannot profit nor deliver for they are vain If you turn aside from the wayes of God to by-wayes from the truths of
God in our selves there is no standing before God without a Mediator and there is no Mediator but Jesus Christ who is both God and Man or God-man for man to stand before God in Thus much of the first use or inference which the Lord makes from all that he had said of Leviathan The second inference followeth in the next verse Vers 11. Who hath prevented me that I should repay him As in the former verse the Lord gave us instruction concerning his own all-sufficiency and irresistible power Who can stand before me So in this he instructs us concerning his own absolute independency Who hath prevented me that I should repay him Both which parts of the Application the Lords shuts up with an Assertion of his universal soveraignty and lordship over all creatures in the close of this 11th verse Whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine Who hath prevented me that I should repay him Master Broughton renders Who gave me any thing first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quis precessit me that I may pay him again These words the Apostle Paul plainly alludes to some conceive he quotes them in the 35th verse of the 11th Chapter of his Epistle to the Romans Who hath known the mind of the Lord or who hath been his counseller or who hath first given to him and it shall be recompensed unto him again So saith Saint Paul and here the Lord himself saith Who hath prevented me that I should repay him as much as to say Who hath first given to me and it shall be recompensed unto him again Who hath prevented me The Lord seems in these words Quis ostendit mihi viam in cretione totius mundi Vatebl to make proclamation all the world over to enquire among Angels and Men who it is or whether there be any one that can come forth and say he hath prevented him To prevent is to be aforehand with another in courtesie or kindness in help or assistance God prevents man in all these but no man hath prevented God in any one of them We may give a three-fold interpretation of this divine challenge First Who hath prevented me or who was afore-hand with me in the work of Creation who helpt me to make Leviathan you see what a piece of work he is how vast how dreadful a creature he is who helped me or who gave me any help in the forming or creating of him Several expound this question of the Lords independency in the work of creation none began to him none directed him how to create none counselled him what to create The Apostle useth that word Who hath been his counseller No man hath been the Lords counseller nor did he need any counsel in or about any of his works And as none were his counsellers to give him advice so none were his helpers to give him any assistance to bring the work about no hand hath been put to it but his own no hand was at it nor in it but his own I am he saith the Lord Isa 54.24 that maketh all things that stretcheth forth the heavens alone that spreadeth abroad the earth by my self I have done all alone all by my self the Angels did not help me As God made the Angels without help so he used not the help of Angels in making any thing else Secondly Who hath prevented me in governing and disposing the affairs of the world I have had no counsel hitherto for that And shall any now take upon them to teach me the art of government Thirdly In general Who hath prevented me that is who hath done me any good office who contributed the least benefit to me to whom am I beholding for the least mite That I should repay him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à verbo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is that I should be engaged to repay him The word which we render to repay signifies properly to make peace because when debts are paid and what is due discharged then all is quiet there is no matter of difference remaining As if the Lord had said If any one can produce any bill or bond or make proof that I stand indebted to him I am ready to satisfie him and to discharge all my obligations Who hath prevented me that I should repay him Hence note First God will not be in any mans debt If any can make it good that they have prevented him that they have given him counsel or assistance in his works of creation and providence or that they have done him the least courtesie they shall receive to the full worth and value of it What we do in way of duty to the Lord he is ready to reward us for it we shall not lose our labour though God be no gainer by it And though it be through his grace strength and assistance that we do any good yet we shall be rewarded as if we had done it alone Surely then God would not be in our debt if we could do any thing alone or that did in it self oblige him Secondly Note God is afore-hand with us not we with him The Lord prevents us we do not prevent him That 's it which the Lord would then have Job and now us to understand by this question Who hath prevented me even that himself hath prevented us all and in all by his grace and goodness in any good we have received or done David waited for this preventing grace Psal 59.10 The God of my mercy shall prevent me he shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies he shall prevent not only my endeavours but even my desires and wishes Yet what in this Psalm he professed an assurance of in another Psalm to shew that our assurance of mercy must not give a stop to duty he puts into a prayer Psal 79.8 O remember not against us former iniquities let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us for we are brought very low The Lord hath preventing mercies for his people in their low estate Though we do not prevent the Lord though we are not before-hand with him by our preparations and prayers by our repentings and reformings in our low estate yet he hath mercies ready and prepared for us yea though we come forth to meet the Lord as we are advised Amos 4.12 humbling our selves before him in prayers and tears yet this doth not prevent the Lord but he prevents us by his grace and favour helping us to mourn and pray And as the Lord alwayes prevents us by helping us to pray so he sometimes prevents us with an answer to our prayers before he helps us to pray Isa 65.24 It shall come to pass that before they call I will answer and while they are yet speaking I will hear that is they shall have an answer to their prayers before they have made their prayers so that when we have made many prayers and have been long in prayer much fasting and humbling our selves yet mercy prevents us Mercy comes usually before
we are well fitted for mercy alwayes before we have merited or deserved it But saith not David Psal 88.13 Vnto thee have I cryed O Lord and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee Here David seemed to be afore-hand with God Who hath prevented me saith God yet David said My prayer shall prevent thee The meaning is only this That David would pray very early and very earnestly or that David would watch unto prayer and so if possible even prevent God not that his prayers did indeed prevent God but he was resolved to set so hard to and sit so close at the duty of prayer that if such a thing could be he would even prevent him he would as we may say take God before he was awake as the Psalmist spake elsewhere Arise O God why sleepest thou Their prayer may be said to prevent God who pray early and earnestly according to that of David Psal 5.3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning O Lord in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee and will look up And again Psal 119.140 Mine eyes prevent the night watches He was at it very early he sought the Lord very diligently That 's all we are to understand by such expressions for the Lord is then afore-hand with us in mercies when we are most early and most instant in our duties The Lord who is the beginning and the end and who knows the end of all things from the beginning often gives us our end or what we aimed at in prayer before we begin Thirdly Note God is self-sufficient he can do his whole work alone Take it in the instance of the Text he needs no help to create Leviathan nor needs he the help of any creature to destroy Leviathan what he made without help he can as I may say unmake make without help The Lord who is all-sufficient to do any work or bring what he pleaseth to pass for us is also self-sufficient or able to do any work or what he pleaseth for himself that is to please himself It is a great honour to God that he can command what he will and whom he will to help him in any of his works but it is a far greater honour to the great God that he needs not any help to do or bring about any of his works When the Apostle had said Who hath given to him and it shall be recompenced unto him again Rom. 11.35 He presently gives this reason which is the point in hand ver 36. For of him are all things that is he is the sole efficient of all things all things are from him as from the first principle or mover and he orders all things as it followeth in the same verse through him are all things Deus est omnè modo omnium rerum causa 1. Causa efficiens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Causa administrans 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. Causa finalis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad quem omnia quasi in circulum redeunt As of him are all things in their constitution so through him are all things in their dispensation We have the work of creation in the first part of the verse Of him are all things and the work of providence in the latter Through him are all things that is he dispenceth and disposeth all things And thus spake the same Apostle to the great Philosophers at Athens Acts 17.28 In him we live and move and have our being As if it had been said Of him are all things and through him are all things and therefore to him are all things All creatures turn about as in a circle to their Creator all things end in him or he is the end of all as all things began in him and by him This truth is a spring of comfort and consolation to all the faithful or from this general head many streams flow which may both instruct and comfort the City of God From hence we may learn or be instructed First Creatures one or other men or Angels cannot merit any thing at the hand of God Man gives God nothing but what he first receives from him for who hath prevented him therefore there 's no merit preventing-mercy excludes and shuts it out of doors Secondly which followeth upon that God is debtor to no creature he oweth us nothing we owe him all Deus factus est debitor non aliquid à nobis accipiendo sed quod ei placuit promitiendo Aug. de verb. Dom. Ser. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nihil aliud est quam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deus enim propriè non retribuit sed tribuit Who hath prevented me saith God If we have any thing we have it from him but he hath nothing from us therefore we are in his books he is not at all in ours All that God is indebted to us is by his promises which proceed freely from himself we receive no good upon the worthiness of what we have done but because he hath assured us we shall receive good if we do good so and so or are such and such God gives us much but retributes us nothing all his rewards are free gifts or pure alms Thirdly God can do no creature any wrong Man hath no right to any thing he hath inherent in or arising from himself nor hath man obliged God at all to give him any thing therefore he can do man no wrong how little soever he gives him or how much soever he takes from him So that if any man shall say he will not contend with me by right but by might and shall complain that something is taken from him which he would not or not given him which he would what right hath any man to plead with God upon who hath no right to any thing but by the gift of God Fourthly Then the grace of God to man is altogether free Many expound this Scripture as denying the fore-sight of mans works or worthiness of his faith or perseverance in grace as to the grace of Election God did not elect us because he foresaw any worthiness in us Nemo ut divina illum subsequatur gratia prius aliquid contulit Deo si ergo electi praeveniente se gratia sequuntur reprobi juxta quod merentur accipiunt de miserecordia inveniunt electi quod laudent de justitia non habent reprobi quod accusent Bene igitur dicitur quis ante dedit Greg. nor will he save us upon the desert of any thing done by us The foundation-stone of Election and the top-stone of Salvation are laid in free grace Fifthly We have no reason to be discouraged what deficiency soever we see in the creature as to any thing we desire God should do for us forasmuch as none have prevented God either with counsel or assistance in any of those great things which he hath already done either for our selves or others What cannot he do for us alone who made Heaven and
to be had without running such a hazard and thou mayst take thy choice all the world over for the earth is the Lords Fourthly This grand Assertion carrieth in it great encouragement to be much in the Lords work Why because he is able to give us a good reward We shall not need to fear any loss of labour in doing what we do for him he can recompence us fully for all is his under the whole heaven he is able to pay us well for any service we do him Saul wondered why the Benjamites followed David what 's the matter said he 1 Sam. 22.7 Hear ye Benjamites will the Son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards and make you Captains of thousands and Captains of hundreds Can the Son of Jess do these things for you It is a wonder that any should serve him that hath nothing to bestow upon them but who can wonder that the people of God should serve him and stick close to his service while they do but remember that he hath fields and vineyards the silver and the gold together with all the great offices and preferments that he hath in his hand This was the Motive which the Apostle used to edge his Exhortation 1 Cor. 15.5 8. Be ye stedfast and immovable always abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as ye know that your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. He saith as much 1 Tim. 4.8 Godliness is profitable unto all things having the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come Godliness hath the promise of a comfortable portion in this life as well as of a full one in the life to come Fifthly Fear not to lose for Christ Do not fear to lose any thing under heaven for Christ for whatsoever is under the whole heaven is Christs he is able to make up all again We need not wonder at that promise which is made by Christ He that suffers loss of any thing for my name sake shall receive a hundred-fold now in this time Mark 10.36 Not only dotâ— the Lord promise a hundred fold in sweet inward contentments in this time to them who lose for him but he is able to supply a hundred fold even in this life of the things of this life and as he is able so he will surely fulfill it according to that promise when he sees it fit to give or us fit to receive such enjoyments O saith one I may lose my lands and I my trade saith another and I my liberty saith a third As many fear and fly from suffering because of the punishment of sense so not a few because of the punishment of loss they are in danger of losing all and they are not willing to lose any thing for Christ Now I may answer all who upon that account fear of loss refuse to suffer for Christ as the Prophet did that King of Judah 2 Chron. 25.9 who when he had word brought him from the Lord that he must let go the Army of Israel that he had hired against the Edomites presently objected But what shall I do for the hundred talents of silver that I have given to the Army The man of God answered The Lord is able to give thee much more than this Do thou obey the Lords command and do not trouble thy self about the hundred talents the Lord is able to give thee more than this This hath been the question of many when called to suffer What shall we do for the hundred talents what shall we do for our worldly substance and subsistence what shall we do for a lively-hood I may say as the Prophet then did the Lord is able to give you abundantly more than what you lose for him Sixthly As we should not fear to lose for the Lord's sake so let us not forbear to give for the Lords sake Some are afraid to give for the Lords sake to supply the necessities of their brethren but remember what you give to the poor you lend to the Lord and to such a Lord as hath all things under the whole heaven for his If we give the Lord is able to repay us The Apostle makes use of this very argument Phil. 4.18.19 I have all and abound I am full having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you an odour of a sweet smell a sacrifice acceptable well pleasing to God What follows But my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus Do not think you shall want because of the supply you give to my wants no my God shall supply your wants or needs according to his riches in glory that is according to his rich and glorious grace There is no need to be supplied in the glory of the next life but there is a glory in rich grace which readily and plentifully supplieth all our needs in this life Seventhly If all under the whole heaven be the Lords then all places are the Lords This is comfort to those who are at any time Gods out-casts he can say to any place as he did to Moab Isa 16.4 Let mine out-casts dwell with thee c. All countries are the Lords he can make room for his in any part of the world for all the world is his The Lord provided a place for the Church Rev. 12.6 14. when she was cast out The Church fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared of God The wilderness was her troublesome condition but the Lord provided a place for her then and there The Lord can command a place for his any where if not in one country yet in another because all the countries and kingdoms under heaven are his demean he is Lord over all blessed for evermore Whatsoever is under the whole heaven is his both in his possession and at his disposition Eighthly If all that is under the whole heaven be the Lords then go to God for all Phil. 4.5 Let your moderation be known unto all men the Lord is at hand he is at hand as a Judge to right you and he is at hand as a Father to provide for you therefore be careful in nothing but let your request be made known unto God by prayer and supplication If you would have any thing of the earth you must go to God for it as well as for heaven it self Ninthly If all things under the whole heaven be the Lords then whatever good things you have under the whole heaven acknowledge the Lord as the Donor and Giver of them all 1 Chron. 29.14 When David together with the Princes and People of Israel had offered so freely towards the building of the Temple he said Lord who am I and what is my people that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort for all things come of thee and of thine own have we given thee He acknowledged the Lord as the giver of all that himself and
might declare himself in Leviathan Hence note The parts powers and comely proportions of the creature clearly evidence the excellencies of God The Lord chiefly proclaimed his own name when he proclaimed the name of Leviathan Rom. 1.20 The invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and Godhead The unseen God hath made all things that he may be seen in them When he makes a Comment upon his own works why is it but that he may make a Comment upon himself and expound his own glory in them And as the excellencies of the Lord are seen in the works of creation so in the works of providence and he hath therefore made so many declarations of them to us that his power wisdom and justice may shine through them to us Psal 75.1 That thy name is neer thy wondrous works declare And he said to Pharaoh Exod. 9.16 For this cause have I raised thee up for to shew in thee my power and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth All that the Lord doth to or in the creature is to get himself a name and a glory therefore let us give God the glory of his power wisdom and goodness in all his works Negare Pagaganus Christum potest negare Deum omnipotentem non potest August ser 139. de Temp. It was the saying of one of the Ancients A Pagan may deny that there is a Christ but a Pagan cannot deny Almighty God A Pagan may deny Christ for that 's meerly matter of faith but sense will lead a Pagan to believe there is a God or some omnipotent power that hath wrought all these things If we see a stream that assures us there is a Spring or Fountain if we see a goodly Palace built that assures us it had a builder a maker And if the stream be full what is the fountain If the Palace built be great and magnificent how great how magnificent was the builder Every house as the Author to the Hebrews said upon another occasion Chap. 3.4 is builded by some man but he that built all things is God Fourthly Seeing the Lord is pleased to read such a natural Phylosophy Lecture upon this creature we may take this Observation from it God would have man know the parts and powers of the creatures Why doth the Lord in this book speak at large of them and of their powers but that we may take notice of them and understand them or that we should search and study them What the Psalmist speaks concerning the works of providence is true of the Lords works in nature Psal 111.2 The works of the Lord are great And vers 4. He hath made his wonderful works to be remembred that is that they should be spoken of and memoriz'd And therefore having said at the beginning of the second verse The works of the Lord are great he adds in the close of it Sought out of all them that have pleasure therein His work is honourable and glorious c. The works of God are to be searched to the bottom though their bottom cannot be found by all those that have pleasure and delight either in God or in his works and they therefore search them out also because they encrease and better their knowledge of God the Creator by encreasing and bettering their knowledge about the creature From the whole verse we may infer First If God will not conceal the parts the power and comliness of his creatures then let not us conceal the power the glory and the excellency of God Yea let us with heart and tongue declare the glorious perfections of God how holy how just how wise how merciful how patient and long-suffering a God he is When God makes the creature known to us he would much more have us know himself and make him known Davids heart was set upon this duty Psal 9.14 Thou hast lifted me up from the gates of death that I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Sion As if he had said This O Lord was thy design in lifting me up from the gates of death that is from deadly dangers or killing diseases that I might declare thy praise in Sions gates or that I might declare how praise-worthy thou art to all who come into the gates of Sion And again Psal 118.17 I shall not die but live and declare the works of the Lord. In the 40th Psalm which is a Prophecy of Christ he speaks in the words of the Text vers 10. I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation I have not concealed thy loving kindness and thy truth from the great congregation As the Lord saith here concerning Leviathan I will not conceal his parts so saith the Prophet I will not conceal his loving kindness and truth c. Which as it is most true of Christ whose work it was to do so as also the end of all his works so it sheweth what we ought to do and what should be the end of all our works not to conceal the righteousness and goodness of God but declare them in the great congregation And as Christ declared the glory of the Father so should we the glory of Christ We read the Church engaged in this As I shewed before Christ could not conceal the parts of the Church so the Church could not conceal the parts of Christ Cant. 5.9 There the question is put to the Church What is thy beloved more than another beloved that thou dost thus charge us The Church being asked this question will not conceal the parts nor the power nor the comely proportion of Christ her Beloved but gives a copious Narrative of his gracious excellencies vers 10. My Beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest among ten thousand his head is as most fine gold his locks are bushy and black as a Raven his eyes are as the eyes of Doves by the rivers of waters washed with milk and fitly set his cheeks are as a bed of spices as sweet flowers his lips like Lillies dropping sweet smelling myrrh his hands are as gold rings set with Beryle his belly is as bright Ivory overlaid with Saphyres his legs are as pillars of marble set upon sockets of fine gold his countenance is as Lebanon excellent as the Cedars his mouth is sweet yea he is altogether lovely This is my beloved and this is my friend O daughters of Jerusalem Thus as Christ concealed not the parts of the Church so the Church concealed not the parts the power and comely proportion of Christ And did we more consider who Christ is and what he is both in himself and unto us we should be more both in admiring within our selves and in reporting to others his parts his power and comely proportion Secondly If God hath not concealed the knowledge of his creatures from us if
dares come within his lips or jaws which look like a double bridle Surely no man dares make such an adventure seeing his jaws are so vast or wide and terrible that it may even strike a man of courage with terror or into a fit of trembling to look into them Secondly Others because the jaws are spoken of afterwards understand this double bridle of any thing which man may attempt to put into his jaws to subdue him with as if it had been said who can coerce or bridle him though he have never so strong a bridle though he have a double bridle The word rendred bridle properly signifies the reine of a bridle Fraena nominantur eae partes quae utrinque ad maxillat desinunt Quis cum fraeno duplicato audeat accedere ad eum ut ejus rictui inserat sicut fit equo Sed malo parabolicè intelligere pro labiis Merc. There are two words by which a bridle is expressed the one signifying the bit which is put into the mouth of a horse the other the nead-stall and reins which a horseman holdeth in his hands Here we may take it for the whole bridle and that the strongest bridle as we render a double bridle As if it had been said who dares come neer Leviathan as we commonly do to a horse to put a bridle into his mouth who will undertake to halter or bridle him with all his skill and strength Thus the Relative His doth not respect Leviathan but the man who comes to bridle him And this is most probable because if by the double bridle we understand the jaws of Leviathan this would be the same with what is spoken plainly in the next words Vers 14. Who can open the doors of his face The Lord compareth the gaping jaws of Leviathan to doors to which also the lips are compared in Scripture Psal 141.3 Keep the door of my lips As by a Metaphor our lips are called doors so Leviathans jaws bear the similitude of a two-leav'd door which who can open This seems to carry on the allusion to a horse whose mouth must be opened before he can be bridled Who can force Leviathan to gape that he may put a bridle into his mouth That which is said of him in the latter part of the verse may make any one afraid to do so for His teeth are terrible round about or terrour is round about his teeth His teeth are not to be meddled with they are so terrible As the holy Prophet said to Pashur that false Prophet Thy name shall be called Magor Missabib terrour round about Jer. 20.2 So the teeth of the Leviathan are terrour round about Per gyrum deutium ejus formido Hieron If any one come near him he will see reason enough to be afraid His teeth are terrible Dread dwells round about his teeth and why so why are his teeth so terrible Surely because they are so hurtful he being able to tear any man to pieces with or to break a mans bones with his teeth Hence note That is terrible to us which we perceive hurtful to us The teeth of Leviathan are terrible round about because he can soon crush those that come near him with his teeth Now if that be terrible which we see can hurt us let us remember how terrible the unseen God is His teeth as I may say are terrible round about The Apostle tells us so while he saith 2 Cor. 5.11 Knowing the terrour of the Lord that is knowing how terrible the Lord is we perswade men God loves to save but he can destroy us sooner than Leviathan can crush us were we between his teeth The consideration of the terribleness that is in any creature should lead us to consider how terrible the Lord is to those who provoke him Are the teeth of a Leviathan or the teeth and paws of a Lion teâ—rible is the sting of a Serpent or the poison of Aspes terrible how terrible then is the wrath of God! As what is sweet and comfortable to us in the creature should lead us to consider how surpassing sweet and comfortable God is so that which is dreadful and terrible in the creature should lead us to consider how dreadful and terrible God is And as it is good for us often to say unto our selves O how good is God! so to say O how terrible is God! Yea David would have us say so unto God Psal 66.3 Say unto God that is acknowledge with admiration how terrible art thou in thy works And ver 5. Come and see the works of God he is terrible in his doings toward the children of men Yea God is terrible to his own people Psal 68.35 O God! thou art terrible out of thy holy places that is out of the Church and Church assemblies the Lord many times declares himself very terribly in those sacred assemblies How terrible was God in his Church when he devoured Nadab and Abihu with fire for offering strange fire before him which he commanded not Levit. 10.1 2. How terrible was the Lord out of his Church when he struck Ananias and Saphira dead Acts 5.5 10. how terrible was the Lord out of his holy place the Church to the Corinthians concerning whom the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 11.30 For this cause that is their unworthy partaking of the Lords Supper many are weak and sickly among you and many sleep God deals terribly with those who are not regardful of him who prepare not themselves with due and reverential respect to his holiness for holy duties He is a jealous God and he will not hold them guiltless that is he will hold them very guilty or deal with them as with guilty persons who take his Name in vain Exod. 20.7 When the Law was given so terrible was the sight that Moses said I exceedingly fear and quake Heb. 12.21 The Lord appeared thus terrible at the giving of the Law to shew how terrible he will be to sinners who transgress the Law and repent not of nor turn from their sins and transgressions yea the Lord for their trial shews himself very terrible to good men to broken-hearted and repenting sinners Heman had long and sad experience of this Psal 88.15 I am afflicted and ready to dye from my youth up while I suffer thy terrours I am distracted And for this Job made that grievous complaint Chap. 6.4 The arrows of the Almighty are within me the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit the terrours of God do set themselves in array against me Now if the Lord make such a terrible war upon Saints if he terrifie them even till he hath distracted them how will he draw up his terrours as an army or his army of terrours in battle array against the wicked and ungodly How often doth the Lord express himself by terrible things against such As he sometimes destroyeth sinners secretly or without any appearare of terrour Hosea 5.12 I will be unto Ephraim as a moth So often openly
humiliation before the Lord and in that we may consider these two general parts First Jobs Testimony concerning God Secondly His Charge brought against himself His Testimony concerning God we have in the second verse that is twofold or he commends and exalts God in two of his most glorious attributes First About his Omnipotency That thou canst do every thing Secondly About his Omnisciency as most expound the words And that no thought can be with-holden from thee Jobs Charge or Accusation which he brought against himself hath these four things in it First The Confession of his own ignorance and rashness in the third verse Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge I have spoken saith he things which I understood not things too wonderful for me which I knew not Thus he chargeth himself with rashness and ignorance Secondly The Submission of himself to the better instruction and teaching of God or to what God should be pleased yet further to reveal unto him at the 4th verse Hear I beseech thee and I will speak I will demand of thee and declare thou unto me He begs yet a word more with God and he begs a word more from God or that God would speak a word more to him Thirdly A Thankful Acknowledgment that he had already received much more light from God than formerly he had attained to at the 5th verse I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear I had a knowledg of thee O God before but now saith he mine eye seeth thee now I have more knowledg and clearer light concerning thee than ever I had before Fourthly The Issue or Effect of all this and that is his repentance Wherefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes Thus we have both the general parts of the whole Chapter and the more particular resolution of this first part which I call Jobs humiliation And in this manner he humbled himself before the Lord as followeth Vers 1. Then Job answered the Lord and said These are the words of the Divine Historian connecting this Chapter with the former And all that I shall say upon this first first verse shall be but to Answer this Question How came it to pass that Job answered the Lord again seing he had professed before chap. 40.5 that he would answer no more Once have I spoken but I will not answer yea twice but I will proceed no further There Job seemed to take up a resolution to answer no more how is it then that here this Chapter beginneth with Then Job answered the Lord and said I shall give a three-fold answer to this doubt First Thus we may conceive Job in the former promise that he would answer no more meant it of such a kind of answer as he had given the Lord and his friends before he would answer no more in that way or after that sort and so it was not an absolute resolve not to answer but not to answer as he had done As if he had said I will answer no more justifying my self no nor so much as excusing my self or taking off the weight of any charge the Lord hath brought against me There being such a change in his answer he may very well be said to answer no more for he answered no more as once he did The best and safest way of justifying and excusing our selves is to lay our selves at the foot of God A confession of or a charging our selves with our sins is the best way of acquitting our selves before God from our sins I mean 't is the best that we can do to justifie or acquit our selves Secondly we may answer thus 'T is true Job said he would answer no more but it is as true that the Lord commanded him to answer again chap. 40.1 For when Job had said there at the fifth verse Once have I spoken but I will not answer yea twice but I will proceed no further The Lord saith at the 7th verse Gird up thy loyns like a man I will demand of thee and declare thou unto me God called him forth and bad him speak I have somewhat to say to thee and do thou answer me so that the Lord took off Job or released him from that bond that he had put upon himself Thou hast said thou wilt answer no more but I will have thee answer yet more Now though we take up a resolve to do or not to do such a thing yet a word from God must over-rule us As a word from God must over-rule us not to do what we have resolved to do so a word from God must over-rule us to do that which we have resolved not to do Thirdly The Lord had not only given Job a command to answer but inclined and moved his heart to answer The reason why Job resolved not to answer was the lowness of his own spirit and the terror of the Lord that was upon him The majesty and dread of the Lord put him upon a resolve for silence but now some favour appearing and the Lord giving him hopes of a gracious acceptance he was encouraged to speak and had a freedom of speech restored to him and accordingly he answered the Lord. Thus we may salve Jobs credit from lightness much more from a lie though after he had said he would answer no more we find him answering again Then Job answered the Lord and said The Lord having set forth his own infinite power and wisdom in that long and accurate speech which he made out of the whirlwind concerning his works of creation and providence especially by his discourse about that unparallel'd pair Behemoth and Leviathan the greatest of living creatures upon the land and in the sea I say the Lord having by this discourse humbled Job he saw and was convinced there was no disputing with God nor enquiring into much less complaining of or murmuring at his secret counsels and judgments he now saw it was not for him to call God to an account about any of his dealings and proceedings as sometimes he had done but rather to adore them and therefore he submits and answers only with exalting God and abasing himself He begins with the exaltation of God Then Job answered the Lord and said Vers 2. I know that thou canst do every thing That 's his first word and it teacheth us That when we begin to have high and great thoughts of God we cannot but have low and mean thoughts of our selves Our own humiliation begins at the exaltation of God and our self-emptiness and weakness at the sight of his fulness and Almightiness Thus Job began his humiliation I know that thou canst do every thing This verse exalts God both in his omnipotency and in his omnisciency Non exigit à nobis Deus multa verba sed multam fidem 'T is a short yet a full confession of his faith in this matter and though it were short yet it pleased God much and fully because Job uttered it in
who stand in the grace of the Covenant That nothing is too hard for God is a marvelous Consolation to us in all our hardships When God promised Abraham a Son in his old age Gen. 18. what a hard task was here for God Sarah could not believe it she laughed but what saith the Lord Is any thing too hard for me he presently urgeth his own power where he had declared his will Whatsoever God hath declared to be his will either as to particular persons or the whole Church it matters not how hard it is if we have but his will for it As Christ will at last Change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself Phil. 3.21 so according to that working he is able to change and subdue all things to and according to his own will When the Jews were to be carried into captivity to Babylon the Lord commanded Jeremy to make purchase of a field in Anathoth Jer. 32.7 8 9. Now Jeremy might object behold the Chaldaeans are come to the City to take it and shall I go and buy land Is this a time to make purchases is this a time to buy land when the City is ready to be taken and the whole land like to be lost yes saith God Buy the field for money seal the evidences and take witnesses for thus saith the God of Israel vers 15. houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land Am not I able to bring you back again And therefore after Jeremy had confessed in prayer to the Lord vers 17. Nothing is too hard for thee The Hebrew is hidden from thee or wonderful to thee because hard things are hidden from us strange and wonderful to us The Prophet I say having said this to the Lord in prayer the Lord said to him vers 27. Is any thing too hard for me And to the same point the Lord spake again Zech. 8.6 Thus saith the Lord of hosts if it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people namely that Jerusalem should be restored should it also be marvellous in mine eyes saith the Lord of hosts to perform what was said ver 4. There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem and every man with his staff in his hand for very age and the streets of the City shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof Who could beleive this but it was the will of God it should be so And therefore he said If it be marvellous in your eyes should it be so in mine eyes You think this can never be brought about But must it needs be marvellous in my eyes because it is so in yours or as the margin hath it must it needs be hard or difficult to me because 't is so to you The same word which signifies marvellous signifies difficult because that which is difficult and hard we marvel at But saith the Lord because this thing is marvellous in your eyes must it be so in mine who can do every thing And we may conceive that when Job spake thus he began to have some hope of his restauration He had lost all children and health and strength and estate all was gone and he many times gave up all for gone and spake despairingly as to a restitution but now God having spoken of what he had done Jobs faith and hope revived in these words I know that thou canst do every thing and among other things thou canst restore all to me again thou canst give me as much health and strength of body as many children as full an estate as ever I had Secondly This truth is matter of great terrour to the wicked As God can strengthen the weak so he can weaken the strong and as he can raise up the godly so he can easily pull down the ungodly as he can fill up the vallies so he can level the mountains Thus the Lord spake Ezek. 17.24 All the trees of the field shall know that I the Lord have brought down the high tree have exalted the low tree have dryed up the green tree and have made the dry tree to flourish I the Lord have spoken and have done it It must needs be terrible to the wicked that God can do what he will seing his will is to destroy them except they repent and turn to him he hath power enough to do it and his will is to do it what then can hinder his doing it but their repentance for what they have done There are no sons of Zerviah too hard for him who can do every thing Again from the second notion of these words Thou canst do every thing that is thou hast right as well as might to do every thing Observe The Lord may do he hath an unquestionable right to do whatsoever he is pleased to do God gives a law to all others for their actions but he is the law to himself He can do every thing of right he willeth as well as he hath might to do what he will Then let none complain that God hath done them wrong for every thing is right which God doth Job had failed in this by speeches reflecting upon the justice of God in his dealings with him and therefore we may conceive that in this confession I know thou canst do every thing he chiefly aimed at this to give God the glory of his justice As if he had said Though thou O Lord layest thy hand heavy upon an innocent person and strippest him of all that he hath though thou O Lord makest a wicked man to flourish in this world and fillest him with outward felicity yet all ought to rest in thy will for this thou canst do of right being absolute Lord over all I said Job know that thou canst do every thing And that no thought can be with-holden from thee Master Broughton renders that no wisdom was with-holden from thee which he thus glosseth Thou hast made all things in perfect wisdom to shew thy eternal power and God-head The same word signifies both wisdom and thought 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 breviavit abrupit decerpsit propriè uvas fructus vindemiavit Hinc Bozra metropolis Idumeae cum vinetis vini proventu fuit celebris nomen soâ—â—ita est Isa 63.1 Nihil cogitas quod non possis si velis efficere quid enim te prohibebit aut impediet Drus Nec avertito posse à cogitatione sc perficienda Jun. Et quòd non vindemiabitur à te cogitatio i. e. rei cogitatae atque propositae effectionem Pisc and well it may for unless we have wise thoughts in our selves we can never shew wisdom either in our words or actions towards others There is a difference amongst Interpreters whose thought we are here to understand when Job saith No thought can be with-holden from thee First Many very
worthy and learned men are of opinion that by thought we are to understand the thought of God Gods own thought and so these words are but the carrying on of the same thing or a further explication what was said before I know that thou canst do every thing that is whatsoever is in thy thought or in thy heart to do no power in the world can with-hold thee from doing it no thought that is not any one of thy thoughts can be with-holden from thee that is from thy fulfilling it or bringing it to pass what thou hast in thy mind thou wilt perform with thy hand If thou hast but a thought to do such a thing thou canst not be hindered of thy thought it shall be done The words hold out a very glorious truth concerning God if we take thought in this sense and as it is a great truth in it self so it is a very useful one to us The Observation is this Whatsoever God hath a thought to do he will do it he cannot be hindered in the effect of a thought As none of Gods thoughts are vain so none of them are in vain or ineffectual they all reach their end Isa 43.13 I will work and who shall lett it God will work if he hath but a thought to work and if all the Powers in the world set themselves against him they shall not be able to disappoint any one of his thoughts Prtv. 19.21 There are many devices in a mans heart yet the counsel of the Lord shall stand that is there are many thoughts in mans heart opposite to the counsel and thought of God Men think this and that they make up many things in their thoughts yet can make nothing of them because against the thoughts of God for all the devices that are in mans heart cannot hinder the effect of Gods counsel his counsel shall stand fast and firm without any bowing without any bending while their devices fall and are utterly broken The conclusion of wise Solomon is Prov. 21.30 There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord. Let men take or give counsel as long as they will against the Lord they cannot avoid the effect of his counsels We have both these the standing of the Lords counsel and the overthrowing of all counsels that are against him in that one Scripture Psal 33.10 11. The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought he maketh the devices of the people of none effect The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever the thoughts of his heart to all generations God never lost a thought all come to pass This sheweth the mighty efficacy of the counsel of God this is more than can be said of any man or men in the world the wisest and greatest have had many thoughts withholden from them They have thought to do this and that but could not effect it nor bring it about Psal 146.4 Their thoughts perish they have a great many plots in their heads but they prove not they often live to see their own thoughts dye Their thoughts perish not only when they dye but they live to see them perish and dye The Prophet Isa 44.25 sheweth how the Lord frustrates the counsels of men and turneth them backward he shews also that without him they cannot go forward Lamen 3.37 Who is he that saith and it cometh to pass when the Lord commandeth it not But some may object the Lord speaketh of the builders of Babel as Job here speaketh of him Gen. 11.6 Behold the people is one and they have all one language and this they begin to do and now nothing will be restrained from them which they have imagined to do as if he had said there will be no with-holding of them from their thoughts 'T is very true amongst men there was nothing to stop them they being all as one man and of one mind would have accomplished any thing that they did imagine but though there was nothing upon earth nothing among men that could restrain them yet God could do it and he did it he confounded their language and one brought morter when he should have brought brick and another brought stones when he should have brought timber they thought to build a tower that should reach as high as heaven they would be drowned no more but they and their thoughts were soon scattered and blown away This point hath in it also abundance of comfort as the former for take thought for the thought of God and it runs parallel with what I spake before of the work of God he can do every thing every thing that is in his thought to do we may take fresh comfort from it Can no thought be with-holden from God what a comfort is this to all that he hath good thoughts of or thoughts for good The heart of God is full of good thoughts to his people though he many times speaks hard words to them and doth hard things against them yet he hath good thoughts concerning them Psal 40.5 Many O Lord my God are thy wonderful works which thou hast done and thy thoughts which thou hast to us-ward Thoughts to us-ward are thoughts for us that is thoughts of good intended us Now hath the Lord many good thoughts for us and none of these shall be with-holden is not this comfort When the Church of the Jews was in Babilon the Lord dealt very hardly with them though not so hardly as they deserved But what were his thoughts Jer. 29.11 I know the thoughts that I think towards you you do not know the thoughts that I have towards you but I do what are they thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you an expected end that is the end which you expect and wait for What a mercy is this that no thought of God can be with-holden whenas he hath so many thoughts of mercy and good things to his people Again I might shew how dreadful this is to wicked men for the Lord hath nothing but thoughts of revenge and evil towards them But 't is enough to hint it Before I pass from this interpretation some may object If all the thoughts of God shall be brought to pass and none can withhold them if God will do what he hath a purpose to do then what need we trouble our selves so much in prayer For if God hath any thoughts of good to us it shall be done but if not we cannot bring it to pass by prayer And so some urge what need we repent and humble our selves the thoughts of God shall be fulfilled To this I say in general take heed of such reasonings for as they are very absurd and reasonless so they are very dangerous and leave us remediless More particularly I answer thus Though God hath thoughts and purposes of good to his people yet whatsoever good he will do for his people he will be sought unto to do it for them and therefore prayer repentance and humiliation are needful to
bring forth thoughts of good from God to us And though not man can hinder the bringing to pass of any of his thoughts yet we may help their birth and bringing forth So much of the first interpretation of these words And that no thought can be with-holden from thee Secondly no thought that is no thought of man can be withholden from thee thou knowest the thoughts of every one what they are of what kind they are The Latine translation is express There is no thought secret to thee Some read the whole verse thus Thou knowest that thou canst do thing every and no thought is hidden to thee As if Job had said O Lord as none know what thy power is better than thy self or as none know like thy self what thou canst do even that thou canst do all things so none know better than thy self not I my self what my thought or opinion or faith rather is concerning thy power and self-sufficiency to do all things Which manner of speech importeth the deep submission of himself unto God or a kind of demission or letting of himself down into God while he saith nothing expressly of himself or what his thoughts were of Gods power but refers all to God as knowing him and his mind fully and subjects himself wholly to his testimony So that he seems to call God to witness or appeals to God as a witness of the sincerity of his heart in the acknowledgment which he made of his All-sufficiency as the Apostle Peter of his love to Christ when so often pressed him even a third time with that searching question Simon son of Jonas lovest thou me Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee John 21.17 Peter would not be confident that he loved Christ more then those but referred himself in that matter to the judgment of Christ who knew all things and himself both as to the truth and degree of his affections to him perfectly Thus said Job thou knowest and I acknowledge that no thought can be with-holden from thee therefore not mine Hence note Our very thoughts are plain to God neither is there any way of concealing our thoughts from him We cannot put our thoughts into a secret place where God cannot see them we cannot with-hold them from God as we easily may from man if we can but hold our tongues and not let our thoughts drop out of our mouths in words Psal 139.2 The Lord knoweth our thoughts afar off He knew what thoughts there were in the hearts of the Jews Jer. 4.14 O Jerusalem wash thine heart from wickedness that thou maist be saved how long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee These vain thoughts were thoughts about their continuance in that peaceable condition that the enemy should never come to molest them or they should never come into the hand of the enemy as others afterwards had vain thoughts that they should be speedily delivered out of their hands First They had vain thoughts that they should never go into captivity And Secondly They had as vain thoughts that they should be presently delivered out of captivity These are your vain thoughts and these I know saith God Our thoughts are as open to God as our works all our thoughts good and bad are alike known to God He knoweth our good thoughts and the thoughts which we have to do good If we have a thought of good to any man the Lord knoweth it and if we have a thought for evil to any man the Lord knoweth it The Lord knoweth not only what thoughts are evil in their own nature but what are detrimentally evil unto others Thus spake distressed Jeremy in the person of the whole Jewish Church Lament 3.60 61 62. Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their imaginations against me Thou hast heard their reproach O Lord and all their imaginations against me and their devices against me all the day long The Lord knoweth all the good thoughts that others have for us and all the evil thoughts which they have against us Now If no thought of ours can be with-holden from God then keep guard and watch over your thoughts hold your thoughts in good order for you cannot with-hold your disorderly thoughts from God bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10.5 Secondly If the Lord knoweth all our thoughts then certainly all good thoughts shall be rewarded as well as good words yea even as well as good deeds As the Lord will not lose a good thought which was shewed in the former point so we shall not lose a good thought God will reward them fully for he knoweth them fully There was a good thought in Davids heart to build the Lord a temple and the Lord said as Solomon his Son reports it 1 Kings 8.18 Whereas it was in thy heart to build a house to my name thou didst well that it was in thine heart I take it as well as if thou hadst done it God takes notice of our thoughts And therefore this is comfort when we can do but little yet God knows what we would do what work our thoughts are at and our thoughts are our best and choicest works they are the first-born of the soul Wicked men may do works and speak words good for the matter but they cannot properly think good thoughts Thirdly if the Lord knoweth our thoughts then evil thoughts shall not go unpunished When the Lord brought the deluge upon the old world we find him speaking thus Gen. 6.5 God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually God spake not of their works but of the imagination of their hearts their thoughts The Apostle counsel'd Simon Magus to repent of his wickedness and pray God Recognoscit so interius fuisse aliquo cogitatione superba pulsatum quod Deum non latuisse cognoscit Aquin. Latini existimant loqui Jobum de suis tumultuantibus cogitationibus sive superbiae de sua sanctitate sive iniquae expostulationis cum divina providentia Accusat cogitationes suas Philip. if perhaps the thought of his heart might be forgiven him Acts 8.22 There lieth the danger take heed of evil thoughts we are in as much danger by them as by the worst evil actions Take heed First of proud thoughts though pride blossom not that is though it appear not openly nor hang out its flag in words and works yet take heed of it Secondly take heed of wanton and adulterous thoughts though you act not wantonly nor commit adultery Thirdly take heed of covetous thoughts though you proceed not to covetous practices Fourthly of envious thoughts or of being troubled at the good of your neighbours though you hinder not his good Fifthly take heed of revengeful thoughts or of devising evil against your neighbour though you hurt him not nor bring evil upon him Sixthly take heed of hard thoughts of God
say understand and meditate upon these two things it would quiet our minds in the greatest storms of adversity and be a preservative against all impatience But if with these two we consider a third thing that the end which the Lord hath in bringing sufferings upon his people is to do them good how unreasonable a thing will impatience appear shall we be impatient at our profit If we are well instructed in this great truth that all things work together for good to them that love God and are the called according to his purpose Rom. 8.28 Where is there any room for impatience in those who are effectually called and truly love God! Impatience floweth from ignorance Again in that Job confesseth himself to be the man that hid the counsels of God when he had only been speaking unadvisedly of them Note He that speaketh improperly and unskilfully of the counsel or things of God hideth them When in discourses about divine truths we do not advance the honour of God we as it were cast a vail upon it Not to do what we ought is to do what we ought not our omissions of good may be censured as commissions of evil We should display and magnifie the wisdom of God in all his dealings with us and dispensations towards us else we do unwisely Thirdly Job chargeth it upon himself as a fault that he uttered what he knew not Hence note Our words and our understandings should go both together Let us take heed of venting with our tongues what we have not in some good degree reached with our understandings The understanding should give light to the tongue nor need we any other light to speak by but that of the understanding True light cannot shine out of our mouths if there be much darkness in our minds How shall we utter knowledge if we have it not Psal 147.7 God is the King in all the earth sing ye praises with understanding In singing praises as there is an exercise of our affections so there should be of our understanding also The Apostle puts it twice in those duties of prayer and praise 1 Cor. 14.15 I will pray with the Spirit and will pray with understanding also I will sing with the Spirit and I will sing with the understanding also A word should not go out of our mouths but such as the understanding dictates and directs better not to speak than speak what we know not If we understand not what we speak we seldom edifie others never our selves As the tongues of some utter things above their experiences and affections so do the tongues of others utter words beyond their judgements Fourthly When Job spake he thought he had spoken very well yet now he is convinced of his weakness and mistakes in what he spake Hence note Good-meaning men may sometimes arrogate and pretend to more knowledg than cometh to their share They may think they know the truth in a better manner and measure than indeed they do Our opinion of our selves is often greater than our knowledg of other matters and we may soon imagine we know that which indeed we know not The Apostle saith 1 Cor. 8.2 If any man think that he knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know He that really knoweth any thing as he ought cannot but have thoughts that he knoweth it but he that thinketh that is is much or proudly thinking that he knoweth any thing doth only think so for he knoweth nothing as he ought that is really groundedly and effectually Fifthly Observe God will bring his servants at last to see how short they are of that knowledg which they sometimes presume to have Job thought he had more knowledg than he indeed had and God made him see it 'T is a work of great goodness in God to shew us how defective we are both in knowledge and goodness We are full of self till God convinceth us of our self-emptiness we are full of self-wisdom and self-strength and self-righteousness till the Lord convinceth us that our wisdom is folly our strength weakness our righteousness an unclean thing and sheweth us yea causeth us to recieve and take Christ for our righteousness strength and wisdom God did not leave Job till he had brought him out of and off from himself as to whatsoever he had too high an opinion of or any confidence in himself Again Job was upon his humiliation before God he had not any gross sin to charge himself with for he stood still upon his integrity as he had done before nor was Job mistaken in that point he had not lived in any gross sin That which he charged himself with was want of knowledg and his erroâ— in managing his cause towards God arising from it Hence note Sixthly Our ignorance and errors are to be confessed and bewailed before the Lord and we to be deeply humbled for them What though we have not any open wickedness to charge our selves with what though the world cannot charge us nor we our selves with any foul and black-fac'd enormities yet have we not errors have we not ignorances have we not weaknesses to confess Jobs eye had none of those beams in it but he began to see the moates in his eye and repented of his shortness in knowledg and of his rashness in language Though great sins call loudest for repentance yet the least sin even a sin of ignorance calleth us to repentance also and wo to those who knowingly neglect or stop their ears against that call When David was only stagger'd at the providence of God giving prosperity to the wicked so spake unadvisedly with his lips as Job in a parallel case did Psal 73.13 14. Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain and washed my hands in innocency For all the day long have I been plagued and chastened every morning Yet as soon as he recovered out of this temptation how deeply did he charge himself ver 22. So foolish was I and ignorant I was as a beast before thee Why did he then call himself a fool a beast was it for adultery and murder which were once his sins no but for ignorance and rashness David called himself a beast in judging of the dealings of God by sense not for living in any beastly sensuality Let us remember and not lightly pass it over that though we have not which rarely we have not gross sins to confess yet we have ignorances and errors too too many The same David said and prayed Psal 19.12 Who can understand his errors cleanse thou me from secret faults that is from those faults and errors which I do not understand yea cleanse me from this fault that I have not a better understanding As he there prayed to be kept from the dominion and so from the guilt of presumptuous sins that is of sins committed against the light of knowledg so to be cleansed from the guilt of his secret sins that is of sins committed without his knowledg Thus
a godly man acknowledgeth his weaknesses and lies low before God in sense of them when he hath not great and gross sins to be humbled for Seventhly As Job was now discovering his former ignorance so upon an increase of knowledge he was growing up into a clearer light about the things of God than he had manifested in his former discourses Hence note It is a good degree of knowledg and understanding to be convinced that we know and understand little As to be conscious of our weakness is a great part of our strength so to be sensible of our ignorance is a good degree of knowledg Agur said of himself Prov. 30.2 Surely I am more brutish than any man and have not the understanding of a man I neither learned wisdom nor have the knowledg of the holy This good man was none of the ignorant ones he had knowledg in a large measure and was growing into a further light while he thus bewailed his own darkness Davids knowledg was then clearest when he made that confession So ignorant was I. Eighthly When was it that Job saw he knew little It was when God was come nearer to him when God had been dealing with him and speaking to him Hence note No man knoweth what a nothing he is in knowledge and grace and goodness till the Lord is pleased to reveal himself to him It is upon some eminent discovery of God to us that we see we have little grace righteousness or knowledg While we compare our selves with our selves or compare our selves with others below our selves we have high thoughts of our selves but when we compare our selves with God who is infinitely above us we are little we are nothing we are little or nothing in our own eyes when God appears in his fulness to us we appear empty to our selves Lastly From those words Things too wonderful for me which I knew not These wonderful things being the dealings of God with him according to the counsel of God concerning him Note Ninthly The dealings of God with men are wonderful Not only the decrees of God from eternity but the works of God in time are full of wonder nor can his works in time be otherwise seeing they bear the express image and are the issue of those eternal decrees Jesus Christ is called wonderful counseller Isa 9.6 and he is wonderful in his counsels As the works of God in us so his works towards us are called wonderful Pal. 40.5 Many O Lord my God are thy wonderful works which thou hast done and thy thoughts which are to us-ward The works of God as of man too are the birth of his thoughts and the thoughts of God about the birth of man have many wonders in them David said Psal 139 6. Such knowledg is too wonderful for me it is high I cannot attain unto it What knowledg was it that he could not attain unto The context tells us it was the knowledg of Gods knowledg concerning the formation of his body before he was born ver 14 15 16. I will praise thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made c. Again the Prophet having described the various courses and methods which God useth in humbling sinners by afflictions and tribulations which are shadowed under those Metaphors and Allegorical expressions of Plowing and Harrowing and the different ways of Threshing out the Corn by the staff or the rod or the wheel The Spirit of God doth not there intend the husband-mans work alone in which yet there is much of God and his teachings The Prophet I say having done this concludes Isa 28.29 This also cometh forth from the Lord of Hosts who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in working And as there are wonders in the works of God which are the fulfilling of his secret and hidden counsel so there are wonders in the Word of God which is his revealed and open counsel Psal 119.18 Open thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy Law The Law is wonderful but the Gospel is as it were a continued wonder and we shall be for ever wondring at and admiring the grace and goodness of God discovered therein when we come to heaven and now as we see further into the mistery of Christ we do it too 1 Cor. 2.7 We speak the wisdom of God in a mistery even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him They are wonderful things which man by all his natural wisdom cannot attain unto Philosophers who pry into all the secrets of nature cannot understand these supernatural secrets how long soever they stand prying upon them And though Job had been long considering of and speaking about those things of God which the eye often sees and the ear heard yea which he himself to his grief had felt yet he saw reason enough at last to say that even those things in the whole compass of them exceeded his reason I said he have uttered that I understood not things too wonderful for me which I knew not Job having thus acknowledged his want of knowledg and the weakness of his understanding in the misteries of providence applieth himself to God for instruction in the next verse Vers 4. Hear I beseech thee and I will speak I will demand of thee and declare thou unto me This is Jobs humble petition and it consisteth of two parts First That God would not reject but give ear to a poor creature burdened with the sense of his infirmities in his addresses to him Hear I beseech thee and I will speak or as Mr. Broughton renders Oh hear me when I do speak Secondly That God would admit him under his tuition and instruct him while he waited for advice and counsel I will demand of thee and declare thou unto me Lord teach thou me Job speaketh submissively as became a learner he is not now what he was he comes to God in another manner than he had done before Hear I beseech thee and I will speak As if he had said I have formerly desired to plead my cause with thee Chap. 13.22 and thou hast justly checkt and chid me for it Chap. 38.3 Chap. 40.2 as if I presumed I could teach thee but now I see my error I submit and earnestly desire to be taught by thee I have spoken heretofore otherwise than I ought and otherwise than I purpose to speak hereafter I spake before in a challenging strain Chap. 13.22 Then call thou and I will answer or let me speak and answer thou me There Job seemed to challenge God to be either opponent or respondent and he would argue or dispute it out with him But here though his words are near the same in sound yet his sence is far different Hear I beseech thee and I will speak I will demand of thee and declare thou unto me There is a
took impression upon my heart heretofore but I never had such an impression as in this tempest I never heard God speaking thus immediately to me nor did he ever give me any such visible demonstration of his presence as he hath vouchsafed me at this time speaking out of the whirlwind And from all we may conclude that as Job had a powerful illumination of the Spirit so an outward apparition of the Glory and Majesty of God or of Gods glorious Majesty to convince and humble him So that though Job had a saving knowledge of God formerly yet this discourse of God with him and discovery of God to him had made him a better Scholar than all his earthly teachers I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear But now mine eye seeth thee That is now I have as clear a sight or knowledge of thy mind and will of thy justice and goodness of thy power and soveraignty as if I had seen thee with mine eyes and had seen or looked into thy heart Or thus Not only hast thou graciously instructed me by speaking so much to me but thou hast manifested thy self present with me by an aspectable sign Mine eye hath seen thee that is thou hast given me to see that which assures me thou art neer unto me namely the Cloud out of which thou hast been pleased to speak and make known thy mind to me who am but dust and ashes The Lord may be seen these four wayes First In his Word Secondly In his works Thirdly In outward apparitions Fourthly And above all God is seen in his Son our Lord Jesus Christ whom the Apostle calls Heb. 1.3 The brightness of his glory and the express image of his person and in whose face the light of the knowledge of God shineth 2 Cor. 4.6 And hence Christ saith John 14.9 He that hath seen me hath seen the father The invisible father is seen in his Son who was made visible in our flesh John 1.18 Thus God may be seen But in his nature God is altogether invisible he cannot be seen Moses saw him that is invisible Heb. 11.27 that is he saw him by an eye of faith who is invisible to the eye of sense I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear but now mine eye seeth thee Hence note First It is a great mercy and much to be acknowledged that we have the word of God sounding in our ears Faith cometh by hearing Rom. 10.17 The Prophet saith Isa 55.3 Hear and your soul shall live Now if faith and life come by hearing to have the word of God sounding in our ears must needs be a great mercy Though to have the word only sounding in our ear will do no man good yet 't is good to hear that joyful sound Though that sad Prophesie mentioned by Christ Mat. 13.14 be fulfilled in many By hearing ye shall hear and shall not understand and seeing ye shall see and shall not perceive Yet he said to his faithful followers vers 16. Blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear They receive a blessing by hearing whose ears are blessed when they hear O how many souls are blessing God that ever they heard of himself and his Son our Lord Jesus Christ by the hearing of the ear To have an ear to hear is a common blessing but to have an hearing ear or to hear by the hearing of the ear is a special blessing Observe Secondly We should hear the Word very diligently That phrase I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear as the Hebrew Writers note signifieth a very attentive hearing Every hearing is not an hearing with the ear nor every seeing like that we intend when a man saith I saw it with my eyes One may see and not see hear and not hear The Word of God is to be heard with a hearing Such doublings in Scripture have a great emphasis in them As when the Lord saith They are cursed with a curse it notes a great and a certain curse is coming so to hear by the hearing of the ear implyeth fruitful hearing and a laying up of that in the mind which hath been heard Psal 44.1 We have heard with our ears O God our fathers have told us what work thou didst in their dayes in the times of old They who thus hear with their ears treasure up in their hearts and do with their hands what they have heard The Lord charged Ezekiel Chap. 44.5 Son of man mark well and behold with thine eyes and hear with thine ears all that I say unto thee that is mind diligently what I shew and say unto thee The Lord called for the exercise of both senses in attending to what he spake to the Prophet He did not only say Hear with thine ears but see with thine eyes that is hear as if thou didst even see that which thou hearest For though possibly the Lord presented somewhat to the eye of the Prophet as well as he spake to his ear yet the former notion may well be taken in yea and intended in that command Many hear as if they had no ears and see as if they had no eyes One of the Ancients taking notice of that saith Such kind of hearers are like Malchus in the Gospel who had his ear cut off From those words But now mine eye seeth thee taken distinctly Observe Thirdly God revealeth himself more clearly and fully at one time than at another Seeing is somewhat more than hearing though it be attentive hearing As the full and clear manifestation which we shall have of God in the next life is expressed by seeing and called vision so the fullest and clearest apprehension which we have of God and the things of God in this life is a degree of seeing both him and them 't is the sight of faith and may also be called vision A true and strong believer tasts and feels and sees the truths of the Gospel which he hath heard his faith which is the eye of his soul is the evidence of those things to him which are not seen nor can be seen by an eye of sense He by the help of the Holy Ghost looks stedfastly into heaven and with this eye seeth the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God in his measure as blessed Stephen did Acts 7.55 This sight of God and spirituals hath three things in it beyond that ordinary though real knowledge which comes in by the hearing of the ear First a surpassing clearness Secondly an undoubted certainty Thirdly a ravishing sweetness and the overflowings of consolation Fourthly Note According to the measure of Gods revealing himself to us such is the measure of our profiting in the knowledge of God The word is spoken to all in the publick Ministry of it it is scattered upon all but they only learn to know God themselves truly to whom God doth inwardly reveal it whose hearts he toucheth and openeth by
Testament was Repent ye for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand Mat. 3.2 And the end or design of the first Sacrament or seal of the Gospel-covenant is expressed to be repentance Mat. 3.11 I baptize you with water unto repentance yea the first word of the first Sermon upon record which Christ himself preached in person was Repent Mat. 4.17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say repent This also was the substance of the Apostles Sermons when first sent forth by Christ to preach the Gospel Mark 6.12 They went out and preached that men should repent The first word of counsel which the Apostle Peter gave to the Jews crying out men and brethren what shall we do was Repent Acts 2.38 And the Apostle Paul saith that the whole of his work in preaching the Gospel was his testifying both to Jews and Gentiles repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ Act. 20.21 'T is through the Gospel only that repentance is possible And this appears two wayes First Because we have not a liberty to repent or we are not admitted to repent but by the Gospel We find no place for repentance in the Law strictly taken or as opposed to the Gospel The Law speaks thus Gal. 3.10 Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the Law to do them Where we see First the Law requires personal obedience every one must do for himself Secondly The Law requires perpetual obedience every one that continueth not doing Thirdly The Law requires universal obedience every one that continueth not in all things If any one continue not at all times in all things saith the Law or if he fail but once in any one thing he is gone for ever he is cursed The Law doth not say if a man continue not to do all let him repent that admits no second thoughts but claps the curse presently upon the offender If Adam as soon as he had eaten of the forbidden tree had bewailed his sin and said I repent no favour could have been shewed him while under the Law Secondly Under the Law there is no ability given for repentance All the promises of a broken heart and of godly sorrow are appendants of the Gospel This spiritual curse which falls upon the soul sinning under the Law is impenitency for sin Death in sin is the punishment of sin and therefore when Adam had sinned he never gave the least intimation of nor shewed the least inclination to repentance all he did was to hide himself from God among the trees of the garden and to hide his sin from God as well as he could by vain excuses he had not a heart to mourn for his sin nor a tongue to confess it till the Promise came and the Gospel was published and then though his repentance be not mentioned yet doubtless he repented And hence the Apostle concludes Apostates from the profession which they once made of Christ under an utter impossibily of repentance Heb. 6.4 5 6. And the reason why the fallen Angels never repented was because they had no Mediator nor did Jesus Christ take their nature on him Heb. 2.16 Thus far of the first thing in the description of repentance the general nature of it 't is a grace of the Gospel Secondly Consider the seat or subject of it where 't is wrought the heart of a sinner Repentance is heart-heart-work or it is a work upon the heart There repentance began in those converts Act. 2.37 whom the Apostle Peter advised to a thorough work of repentance vers 38. The promise of repentance runs in this tenour I will take away saith the Lord Ezek. 36.26 the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you an heart of flesh When David said Psal 51.17 A broken and contrite heart he means only a repenting heart O God thou wilt not despise As faith is wrought in the heart and with the heart man believeth Rom. 10.10 so repentance is wrought in the heart and with the heart man repenteth Neither a weeping eye nor a confessing tongue nor in case of wrong done to man a restoring hand will be taken for repentance without a broken heart Thirdly Consider the means by which saving repentance or repentance to salvation is wrought 1st the Word 2ly the Spirit The Word of God is the usual the ordinary instrument in the hand that is in the power of the Spirit of God working repentance in the heart of man The word of a Philosopher with all his reasonings the word of an Orator with all his flourishings cannot do it only the Word of God spoken in plainness and simplicity hath strength and efficacy to do it The Word is compared to a fire which melts the hardest heart 't is also in the same place Jer. 23.29 compared to a hammer which breaketh the rock in pieces The Word passing through the ear pierceth the heart Acts 2.27 Now when they heard this they were pricked in their heart And when even the devils Devotionists they that used curious arts burnt their books Acts 19.19 it is said vers 20. so mightily grew the Word of God and prevailed The word of God cloathed with the Spirit hath as to this matter a fourfold operation First to awaken a drowsie soul Eph. 5.14 Secondly to enlighten a dark soul Acts 26.18 Thirdly to convince a gain-saying soul Fourthly to convert a wandring soul Acts 26.18 1 Thes 1.9 Till the soul is awakened it cannot be enlightned till it is enlightned it cannot be convinced till it is convinced it cannot be converted and until it is all this it hath not truly repented For Fourthly as was said in the description first laid down the effect of true repentance is the turning of the whole man from all sin to God All the members of the body the hand the foot the eyes the ears the tongue are turned all the faculties of the soul the understanding will affections are turned from all sin First of what kind soever whether of omission or commission against God neighbour self Secondly of what degree soever little as well as great appearances of evil as well as apparent evils Further as in repentance there is a turning from sin so unto God in the sincere obedience of his whole will We read in Scripture First of Gods returning to us Secondly of our returning to God both are acts of repentance When God returns to us he repents of the evil of trouble brought or threatned to be brought upon us and when we return to God that 's a fruit of our repentance for the evil of sin committed against him Unless our repentance bring us neerer to God we as we say are never the neer for our repentance that is our repentance is not good nor shall we have any good by it The Prophet found Israels repentance defective in this Hos 7.16 They return but not to the most high Some in repenting return only to self
of his life Secondly That outward good is not always the portion of the good nor outward evil the portion of evil men always in this life Thirdly That God is not unrighteous though he exercise the righteous with grievous troubles all their days and heap worldly blessings upon the wicked all the days of this life Fourthly That we are not to take measure of nor estimate the goodness or badness of any mans person by the good or bad days which pass over his head in this life Fifthly That no mans happiness or unhappiness is to be judged by what befals him in this life Job spake right and righter of God than Eliphaz and his two friends in all these particulars And whereas he sometimes acted impatiently and spake uncomely blotting a good cause with passionate and hasty words such as ignorant and evil men might make an ill use of and draw to the patronage of their prophanity these proceeded not out of the abundance of his heart but from the abundance of his pains under the heavy hand of God And when he seemed to tax the judgment of God it was not any affirmation that God was unjust or unequal in it but an expostulation with him about it or as some express it a confession of his own ignorance and an earnest desire of clearer light and better information concerning the way of it But if we consider the sum of what Eliphaz and his two friends spake of God we shall find Eliphaz in this great mistake affirming that all the sufferings and afflictions which befal man in this world are laid upon him by God as a punishment for sin And all three joyned in two other mistakes First That all wicked men sooner or later are visibly punished for their sin in this life Secondly That though a good man may possibly suffer grievous afflictions in this life yet God always delivers him out of them before he departs this life Hence it must needs follow that if a man for long continuance of time especially if all his life long he continue in great calamity that man must be judged wicked though no apparant wickedness can be charged upon him nor proved against him Upon these unsound principles they were all confident to infer against Job that he was an hypocrite and that all those troubles which befel him were inflicted by the righteous hand of God as a punishment for his sin Now if this be the sum of what they spake we have reason enough to answer the question proposed That the Lords decisive sentence between Job and his friends respecteth what Job spake of or to God throughout the book and is not to be understood only of what he spake towards the close of it Ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right As my servant Job hath There are two parts of a Judges office First To condemn the guilty Secondly To acquit the innocent God the great Judge doth both here the first in the former words the second in these Yea the Lord doth not only acquit but own Job in the close of all as his servant The Lord said to Satan in the first chapter Hast thou considered my servant Job and here he concludes after Satan had done his worst to make Job quit the service of God in the same stile my servant Job as if the Lord had said Job shall wear my livery still he is my servant still Several useful observations issue from this latter part of the verse which I shall briefly hint First Who were these that had not spoken aright they were wise grave and learned men yea they were godly men too Hence note Wise learned and good men may err They may err in judgment and in speech Jobs friends spake many truths but did not apply them truly to Jobs case The best men may not only miss but mistake their mark They who are in the light yea who are light in the Lord have yet some darkness in them and may both do and speak from that darkness such was the case of these men in the text David may be understood of good men in a degree as well as of bad men when he said Psal 62.9 Men of low degree are vanity and men of high degree are a lie they are so both actively and passively they may be deceived and they may deceive As when the Lord of old hearkened and heard they that is all wicked men spake not aright no man repented of his wickedness saying what have I done Jer. 8.6 So when the Lord hearkens and hears at this day they that is all good men speak not aright in all things neither of him nor of what he hath done Secondly Consider who it was that God vindicated in this matter It was his servant Job Hence note God will sooner or later one time or other vindicate the credit of his faithful servants He will as we speak proverbially set the saddle upon the right horse and make it appear before men and angels who have done and spoken right yea who rightest Let patience under sufferance have its perfect work for God will give a perfect judgment of every mans word and work Psal 37.6 Thirdly Note The Lords knowledge is infinite and unerring He knoweth who hath the better who is in the right He could tell Eliphaz and his two friends that though they had spoken some things right yet not all nor so right as Job The Lord as we say can cleave a hair in any controversie and tell every one where he is out whether in opinion or practise God is light and in him is no darkness at all 1 John 1.5 Our light is but little and 't is mingled with much darkness our light is dark and will be so till we come to that inheritance among the Saints in light But Gods light is all light altogether light both concerning things and persons Fourthly What Eliphaz and his friends spake that was not right concerned Job immediately they spake very glorious things of God out of his case yet the Lord saith not Ye have not spoken of Job the thing that is right but Ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right Hence note God takes himself concerned in what is spoken amiss of or concerning his servants Jobs friends looked upon themselves as strong witnesses yea as great Advocates for God and doubtless they intended no less than a plea for God in what they spake to and against Job yet because they in many things grieved and in some things wronged his servant Job therefore saith God ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right The Lord will say in the great day to the wicked about their neglects of duty to his faithful ones In-as-much as ye did it not to one of the least of these ye did it not to me Mat. 25.45 In-as-much as ye have not fed and cloathed these ye have not fed nor cloathed me Now as the Lord taketh all the
neglects of good to his people to himself so the Lord taketh all that evil which any speak of his people to himself He saith God that speaketh amiss of mine speaketh amiss of me The Lord accounteth himself interested in all that good or evil which is done and spoken to his people and he is very angry when any thing is mis-spoken of or misapplied to them though with respect to himself or as a service unto himself Fifthly Consider Jobs friends spake many excellent truths yet saith the Lord ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right as my servant Job hath Hence note The Lord is greatly displeased when truth or that which is right in it self is wrong applied Jobs friends were mostly right in their Doctrine but often out in their Uses all their open assertions had some truth in them but so had not all their secret Inferences God will not bear it to have truths put to any ill use especially this to grieve and discourage any of his suffering servants To speak of the holiness justice and righteousness of God so as to terrifie an afflicted soul is to make a bad improvement of the best things 'T is a fly in the box of ointment Dead flies saith Solomon Eccles 10.1 cause the ointment of the Apothecary to send forth a stinking savour so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour Jobs friends were in reputation for wisdom and honour yet this little folly sent forth an ill savour in the Lords nostrils and caused him to say Ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right Sixthly Jobs friends certainly meant well and had a zeal for God yet God was angry and said they had not spoken right Hence note Our good intentions yea zeal for God will not bear us out when we do or speak amiss These men had a zeal for God else Job had not said as once he did Will ye lye for God Though they did not knowingly speak a lye yet a lye was in what they spake and therefore their speaking for God would not bear them out Seventhly The Lord said to Jobs friends Ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right as my servant Job hath Though Job spake some things amiss yet the Lord did not charge him with them as he did his friends Hence note The Lord over-looketh many failings and will not upbraid his servants with them Job had his failings but the Lord took no notice of them but made a determination in his case as if he had spoken right in all things The Lord will not flatter his servants when they fail yet he is very favourable to them even when they fail he told Job plainly enough that he had darkned counsel by words without knowledge while he asked him who did it Chap. 38.2 He intimated also that Job had contended with him and reproved him that he had consequentially attempted to disannul his Judgement and condemn him Chap. 40.2 8. yet here when the Lord came to make up the matter between Job and his friends he spake as if he had forgot both his own censures of him and the occasion of them Holy David acknowledged Psal 130.3 If thou Lord shouldst mark iniquities O Lord who shall stand The Lord doth not mark iniquity where he seeth much integrity the Lord doth not mark every arrow that flies beside the mark when he seeth the mark was honestly aimed at We say he may be a good Archer that doth not hit the white if he come but somewhat near it he indeed is a bungler that misseth the Butt Job aimed at and came neer the mark though he did not alwayes hit it The Lord will give a good testimony of us if we aim right at though we sometimes miss the mark It is said of Zachariah and Elizabeth Luke 1.6 They were both righteous There 's not a word spoken of their failings though doubtless they had their failings both as to the Ordinances and Commandements of God Eighthly The Lords wrath being kindled against Jobs friends we might expect he would thunder upon them yet he only saith Ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right Hence observe The Lord dealeth mildly with sinners He did not give wrathful words though his wrath was kindled he did not call Eliphaz and his friends Hereticks nor tell them they had belyed him and slandered his proceedings he did not aggravate their fault by grievous words he did not upbraid them particularly but without bitterness or hard reflections comprehended their all faults in one general soft word Ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right This should be our pattern in dealing with an offending brother whereas many if a brother do but differ from them a little if he do not say as they say and concur with them fully in opinion are ready to censure him hardly and give him reproachful language The Apostles rule is Gal. 6.1 Brethren if a man be overtaken in a fault ye that are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of meekness considering thy self lest thou also be tempted God who is above all temptation meekly restored these faulty men yea though his wrath was kindled against them yet his speech was mild and cool only saying and what less could he say if he said any thing Ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right As my servant Job Why doth the Lord call Job his servant Surely at once to put an honour upon him and to comfort him Eliphaz and his two friends were Gods servants yet because of their miscarriage in that service God did not own them at that time as such God was wont to call David his servant at every turn yet when he had numbred the people Nathan was sent to him with a hard message and is bid Go and say unto David not my servant David 2 Sam. 24.12 Hence note Ninthly God honours man much by owning him as his servant To serve the Lord is as much our priviledge as our duty and when the Lord calleth us to his service he rather puts a favour up-us than a burden The Lord is the highest master and they are highly honoured who are his servants It is an honour to serve Kings and Princes what is it then to serve the King of Kings the Prince of the Kings of the earth as Jesus Christ is called Rev. 1.5 'T is also profitable as well as honourable to serve the Lord for he is the best master his work is the best woâ—k and his wages is the best wages And not only so but 't is easie to be the Lords servant for as he expects we should do his work so we may expect help and strength hearts and hands from him to do it If the Lord doth but own us for his servants we shall not faint at his work whether it be doing or suffering work God upheld his servant Job in and carryed him through all those
on earth praying for those that live on earth Job was alive in the body and so were those three men to whom the Lord said My servant Job shall pray for you The Lord having assured Eliphaz and his two friends that Job would pray for them giveth them encouâ—agement to go and desiâ—e his prayers by a gracious promise For saith he him will I accept and threatneth them in case they should forbear in the next words Lest I deal with you according to your folly in that ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right like my servant Job First Of the gracious promise him will I accept The Hebrew saith his face will I lift up Acceptation with God is the lifting up of the face of man then man lifteth up his face with boldness when he is accepted with God When God refused to accept Cain and his offering his countenaâ—ce fell or was cast down Gen. 4.5 Unless the Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon us as David prayed Psal 4.6 we cannot with any comfort much less with true confidence lift up our face or countenance unto God That 's the significancy of the word Him will I accept God is no accepter of persons as the word is often used in Scripture Deut. 10.17 The Lord is a great God mighty and terrible which regardeth not persons It is the same phrase in the Hebrew with this in the Text he lifteth not up faces that is the Lord doth not accept persons upon any outward respect First The Lord doth not accept persons for their personableness as I may say the Lord doth not delight in any mans legs his delight is in them that fear him Psal 147.10 11. he doth not accept men for their goodly stature as he told Samuel when he would needs have poured the oile upon the first-born of the Sons of Jesse 1 Sam. 16.7 Look not on his countenance or on the height of his stature because I have refused him for the Lord seeth not as man seeth for man looketh on the outward appearance but the Lord looketh on the heart 'T is the beauty of holiness and integrity in the heart not the beauty of fairness upon the face with which God is taken 't is a lowly mind not a high stature which God accepts Secondly The Lord is no accepter of persons as to the nation or country where they were born or live Thus the Apostle Peter spake Acts 10.35 I perceive that God is no respecter of persons but in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him God doth not prefer Jews before Gentiles Barbarians or Scythians that a man had his birth in this or that Nation neither helps nor hinders acceptation with God Thirdly The Lord accepteth no mans person for his riches Prov. 11.4 Riches profit not in the day of wrath No mans person is acceptable to God for his purse or his penny no not at all Fouâ—thly The Lord â—ccepteth no mans person for his worldly greatness honour and dignity He poureth contempt upon Princes Psal 107.40 The day of the Lord is against the hills and mountains Isa 2.14 The great God regardeth not any man meerly for greatness the Lord accepts no mans person upon these or any such like accounts He only accepts the persons of those that fear him and do his will Suscipit faciem Deus quando precantem câ—audit The Lords acceptance of any person in the sense of this promise concerning Job is First To shew favour and manifest affection to him Secondly To honour aâ—d highly esteem him Thirdly Which is here specially intended to answer his prayers and grant his requests not only for himself but for others When a person is once accepted his prayers shall not be denied nor suffer a repulse The Lord accepteth persons as a King the persons of those loyal Subjects who come to intreat his favour and pardon for those that have offended him and rebelled against him he grants their suit and treats them fairly In this sense the Lord maketh promise to Eliphaz and his two friends that he will accept Job Hence Observe First It is a very high favour and priviledge to be accepted of God Him will I accept saith the Lord of Job This was a favour beyond all the favours that follow after in the close of the book about the doubling of his estate If Jacob Gen 32.20 was so taken with a hope of acceptance by his brother Esau Peradventure he will accept me If when he was accepted by Esau he said chap. 33.10 I have seen thy face as though I had seen the face of God and thou wast pleased with me Then how much more should we rejoyce in this assurance that God hath accepted of us and that he is pleased with us If the Apostle Rom. 15.3 prayed so earnestly and desired others to strive with him in prayer to God that his service which he had for Jerusalem might be accepted of the Saints then how much more should we pray that our services may be accepted of God and rejoyce when they are accepted The Apostle made it his chief work to get acceptation with God 2 Cor. 5.9 Wherefore we labour that whether present or absent that is whether living or dying we may be accepted with him we are ambitious of divine acceptation The word which we translate labour noteth a labouring after honour which ambitious men labour much after implying that to be accepted with the Lord is a very high honour indeed the highest honour There is a two-fold acceptation First Of our persons Secondly Of our services The former is the ground of the latter and Jesus Christ is the foundation of both Ephes 1.6 He through glorious grace hath made us accepted in the beloved Jesus Christ is so dearly beloved of the father that he is called The Beloved as if only beloved The acceptation of our services is often promised in Scripture as a high favouâ— Exod. 28.38 Ezek. 20.40 41. Isa 56.7 This Moses prayed for in the behalf of the Tribe of Levy which Tribe was appointed to offer sacrifice and to pray for the people Deut. 33.11 Bless Lord his substance and accept the work of his hands What was the work of Levies hands it was to offer sacrifice to which prayer and intercession was joyned That Levi who had the priest-hoâ—d fixed in the family of Aaron should be accepted in the work of his hands was a blessing not only to himself but to many more This David prayed earnestly for Psal 19.14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my redeemer He put up a like prayer Psal 119.108 Accept I beseech thee the free-will-offerings of my mouth O Lord. This was the prayer of Araunah for David 2 Sam. 24.23 The Lord thy God accept thee So great a priviledge it is for our persons and services to be accepted with the Lord
that when once we have it we may rejoyce all our days Eccles 9.7 Go thy way eat thy bread with joy and drink thy wine with a merry heart for God now accepteth thy works Solomon doth not mean it of a sensitive joy only much less of any sensual joy but of a gracious and spiritual joy In this joy we may eat and drink when our work is accepted and our work is never accepted till our persons are Now if it be so great a priviledge to be accepted with the Lord how great a misery is it not to be accepted this inference floweth naturally from that great truth And how great a misery it is not to be accepted of God several Scriptures hold out The Prophet Amos 5.22 declareth no other judgment upon that people but this The Lord accepteth them not And the same declaration is made by several other Prophets Jerem. 14.10 12. Hos 8.13 Mal. 1.8 10. Acceptance is our greatest mercy and non-acceptance our greatest misery and that 's the reason why the understanding and faithful servants of God are so strict or as the world accounts it precise and scrupleous that they will not turn aside no not in those things which are called small matters and of which many think God will take no notice They desire to be accepted of God in every thing and because they know in some measure what is acceptable to him therefore they would do nothing no not the least thing which is unacceptable to him Prov. 10.32 The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable The lips are organs or instruments of speech not of knowledge the understanding knoweth the lips only speak Yet here Solomon ascribes the work of the understing to the lips and this he doth because there is or should be a great cognation between the understanding and the lips we should speak nothing but what we understand we should speak only what we know and according to our knowledge The lips of the righteous have such an intercourse with their understanding that their very lips may be said to know what is acceptable and therefore they speak what is acceptable It is said of David that he guided the people with the skilfulness saith our with the discretion saith another translation with the understanding of his hands saith the original Psal 78.72 The hand hath no more understanding skill or discretion seated in it than the lips yet because David consulted with his understanding in what he did with his hand it is said He guided them by the skilfulness or discretion or understanding of his hand Thus the lips of the righteous understand and know what is acceptable and they know that unless they have an aime to honour God in small matters yea in all matters they greatly dishonour him and so cannot be accepted with him at all The excellency of a gracious heart appears greatly when he maketh conscience of doing the least thing which he knows ye only fears will be unacceptable to God or wherein he may run the hazard of this priviledge his acceptation with him There are three things which shew why it is so great a priviledg to be accepted with God and why his servants are so careful not to do any thing that is unacceptable unto him First Because Once accepted with God and always accepted For though possibly a person accepted may have some frowns from God upon his uneven walkings or sinful actings yet his state of acceptation continues firm in the main The Lord doth not utterly cast off his favourites no nor any whom he taketh into his favour or a nearness with himself Secondly If we are once accepted with God he can make us accepted with men and that not only with good men Rom. 14.18 but even with bad men God can give us favour in the eyes of those men who have not an eye to see that we are in his favour Daniel who was so careful to keep up his acceptation with God That he purposed in his heart not to defile himself with the portion of the Kings meat Dan. 1.8 9. Of him it is said ver 9. God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the Prince of the Eunuches He a conscientious Jew had great acceptation with him who was an idolatrous Heathen Thirdly If once accepted of the Lord we need not be much troubled though we are reprobate to the world though the world reject and cast us off yea cast us out The Lords acceptation of us will bear or may bear up our spirits in the midst of the worlds reproaches repulses and rejections Again When the Lord saith Him will I accept Observe The Lord accepts some godly men more than others Jobs three friends were godly men questionless they were yet they had not that acceptation with God which Job had All that are godly have acceptation with God but they have not all alike acceptation Acts 10.35 In every Nation they that fear him and work righteousness are accepted with him Which we must not take meerly for a moral or legal righteousness but as in conjunction with an Evangelical righteousness Now let them be who they will that fear God and work righteousness they are accepted but all are not equally accepted him will I accept saith the Lord concerning Job with an Emphasis why was it so because Job was one of the most eminent persons for godliness yea the most eminent at that time upon the face of the whole earth as was shewed at the 2d verse of the first chapter Noah was a man highly accepted of the Lord above others and he was righteous above others Gen. 7.1 Thee saith God have I seen righteous before me in this generation Possibly there might be others righteous but there was no man so righteous as Noah and none so accepted as he And if it be enquired who amongst good men are most accepted or accepted beyond other good men I answer First They among good men are most accepted who live most by faith As without faith it is impossible to please God in any degree Heb. 11.6 so they that live most by faith please God most or in the highest degree and are most accepted by him Abraham who lived so much by faith that he was called the father of the faithful was so much accepted of God that he is called The friend of God Jam. 2.23 Secondly Among godly men they who are most upright in their walkings who walk with a single eye and with a right foot are most acceptable such a man was Job The character given him Chap. 1.1 was A man perfect and upright Thirdly They that walk most humbly are most acceptable unto God For 〈◊〉 God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble Jam. 4.6 so he sheweth grace that is favour or graceth and adorneth them with his favours When one said Mich. 6.6 Wherewith shall I come before the Lord c. The Prophet answered vers 8. He hath shewed thee O man what is
good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God That is as he requireth of thee to exercise justice toward all men and mercy to the poor or any in misery so to walk humbly with himself that is to acknowledge thou hast need of the righteousness of a Saviour and of the mercy of a God how much righteousness and mercy soever thou hast exercised towards others When we are low in our own eyes then are we highest in Gods eye when we as it were reject our selves and all that we have done as unworthy of any acceptation then are we most accepted of the Lord. Fourthly Among Believers they are most accepted with God who are most fruitful in their lives and do most good in their places and according to their opportunities The Lord loveth a fruitful Christian Many are barren trees unfruitful ground little can be seen of good which they do these are a burden to God But when a Christian as it is said of Christ Act. 10.38 goeth about doing good when a Christian as Christ giveth the account of his own life John 17.4 Glorifieth God on earth and finisheth the work which God gives him to do O how acceptable is such a one to God! And therefore Let us labour to know and do what is acceptable to the Lord. The Apostle would have us prove what is acceptable to the Lord Eph. 5.10 that is First study the Word to find out what is acceptable to the Lord. Secondly approve and embrace with our whole hearts what we find to be so Thirdly practice and do what we have so approved or embraced And because the Scripture speaks of some duties which are specially acceptable to the Lord I shall instance the Point in a few particulars First Doing right to every one Prov. 21.3 To do justice and judgement is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice This is true or may be affiâ—med of justice both commutative and distributive To do justice in our dealings with men called commutative justice is more acceptable than sacrifice that is than any outward worship given to God without this 'T is true also of distributive justice which is done by Magistrates in rewarding good men and in punishing them that do evil these works of justice also are more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice Secondly The true worship and service of God which the Apostle calls sacrifice is highly acceptable to God Rom. 12.1 I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable to God which is your reasonable service These first Table-duties when in consort with those former second Table-duties are highly honourable and therefore cannot but be highly acceptable to the Lord. Sacrifice to God without justice to man is meer hypocrisie Justice to man without sacrifice to God is no better than Heathenish morality Both united are the beauty of Christianity Thirdly To serve Christ that is to aim at the honouring as well as the enjoying of Christ with our Gospel-priviledges and liberties is exceeding acceptable The Apostle having said Rom. 14.17 The Kingdom of God is not meat and drink but righteteousness and peace and joy in the holy Ghost presently adds vers 18. He that in these things that is in righteousness and peace and joy in the holy Ghost serveth Christ is acceptable unto God that is this shews he is a person accepted with God The doing of things purely acceptable to God is a clear and strong argument of our acceptation with him Fourthly To do any good we do be it little or much with a willing mind is very acceptable to God 2 Cor. 8.12 If there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath Though it be little that we have yet if the mind be free if there be much of the will in it though but little of the purse if we have no more to give or give according to what we have if there be much of the heart in it though but little of the hand if we do according to the power that is in our hand the Lord hath a very great respect to it Fifthly To be much in prayer for others especially for those that are in power over us is very acceptable to the Lord 1 Tim. 2.2 3. I exhort that supplications c. be made for all men for Kings and all that are in authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour As it is good and acceptable in the sight of God that we should lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty under Kings and all in authority so that we should pray for Kings and those that are in authority Sixthly When children do well requite their parents that saith the Apostle 1 Tim. 5.4 is acceptable unto God Seventhly To suffer patiently for well-doing is greatly pleasing unto God 1 Pet. 2.20 In a word they among good men are most acceptable of God who are most zealous in doing any thing in a right manner which for the matter is acceptable unto God Observe Thirdly As the Lord accepteth some godly men more than others so he accepteth some godly men for others The Lord doth not speak here of accepting Job strictly for himself but of his acceptation in the behalf of his friends Him will I accept that is for you I will be intreated by him I will not give you the honour to be intreated by you but to him I give it I will be intreated by him The Prophet Elisha said to the King of Israel 2 Kings 3.14 Were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the King of Judah I would not look toward thee nor see thee he would not vouchsafe that bad King a look but for the respect that he bare to good Jehoshaphat And it is a truth that God would not have so much respect to some good men were it not for the sake of some others who are better Yet that the Lord accepts one mans person more than anothers or one mans person for another is primarily and principally in and for the sake of Jesus Christ Job had acceptation with God more than his friends and for his friends he had the former by his being in Christ and the latter as he was a figure of Christ No mans person no mans work is accepted of otherwise than in relation to Christ The Apostle affirms this fully Eph. 1.6 He hath made us accepted in the Beloved Christians are beloved but Christ only is the Beloved we are accepted in him the beloved as to our selves and 't is in the beloved that any are accepted more than others or for others Take this Inference from the whole The Lord accepted Job praying for others then he will accept a good man praying upon right
greater while against the Laws of piety ye have judged of a mans holiness by his outward unhappiness and have censured him as a bad man because he hath in this world endured so much evil This hath been your sin ye have in this dealt foolishly with my servant Job therefore hasten to him and do as I have said Lest I deal with you ac-according to your folly Hence note First Sin is folly And not only is it simple folly which a man committeth for want of wit or because he hath little understanding what a man doth for want of wit and understanding is simple folly but sin is wicked folly which is the abuse of wit and parts and gifts yea the overflowing of lust And though we cannot charge these men that they did intentionally use their wit and parts to grieve Job yet it proved so though it was not the end or design of them that spake yet it was the issue of their speech they did him a great deal of wrong and doubtless Satan stirred much or provoked them to use their parts and gifts to imbitter the spirit of the poor man and God left them to do it This was their folly and all such actings or speakings are no better nor do they deserve better or softer language This word folly is often applied in Scripture to sin especially to great sins Another word is used in the Proverbs of Solomon but in several other places sin is expressed by this Gen 34.7 When that great affliction fell upon Jacob the ravishing of Dinah her bretâ—â—â—â— came home very wroth saying He hath committed folly in â—â—â—â—â—l So Judges 19.23 Judges 20.6 the abusing of the Levites Concubine is called the committing of folly Whoredom is expressed by folly Deut. 22.21 And this word with reference I conceive to the sin of whoredom which is spoken of in that place is translated villany Jer. 29.23 All sin is folly especially any great sin is so For First It is a folly to hurt our selves No man can hurt us if we do not hurt our selves by sin The Apostle Peter saith 1 Epist 3.13 Who is he that will harm you if ye be followers of that which is good 'T is strange that any should Though it be true enough that many have had not only a will to harm them that follow good but have actually done them many and great outward harms yet this is a great truth none can indeed harm them that follow good because all harms turn to their good Nothing can hurt us but our sin Secondly Sin is folly for in sinning we strive with one that is too hard for us Do we saith St. Paul 1 Cor. 10.23 provoke the Lord to jealousie are we so simple are we stronger than he Thirdly It is folly to do that by which we can get no good that 's the part of a fool Rom. 6.21 What fruit have ye of those things whereof ye are now ashamed What have ye got by them have ye made any gains or earnings to boast of the end of those things is death is it not folly to begin that which ends in death and that a never-ending an eternal death Fourthly It is folly to sin for by that at best we run a hazard of our best portion for fading pleasures and perishing profits If we have any pleasure by sin it is but pleasure for a season and that a very short one too What a foolish thing is it to venture things that are incorruptable for perishing things It were a great folly for a man to venture gold against grass they do infinitely more foolishly who sin against the Lord for all that they can get by it is not so much to what they hazard as grass to gold Mat. 16.26 What is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul As all flesh is grass so all that flesh lusteth after is no better What kind of Merchants what kind of Exchange-men are they that will traffick or truck away their souls for the profits or pleasures of sin and 't is for one of these that most if not all men traffick away their souls Secondly Observe When God dealeth mâ—st severely with sinners he dealeth justly with them What rod soever he layeth upon their backs what shame what poverty what sickness he affl cts them with It is but according to their folly they have but their own they have no reason to complain The Prophet told the people of Israel as one man when under grievous affl ctions Jerem. 4.18 Thy ways and thy doings have procured these things unto thee Thou hast no reason to complain for thy punishment is of thy own procurement that is thy sin is visible in thy punishment thou eatest but the fruit of thy own doings how bitter soever it is Another Scripture saith Num. 32.23 Your sin shall find you out that is you shall suffer according to what you have done and reap what ye have sowed And is it not folly to sow to the corrupt flesh when of the flesh we shall reap corruption Gal. 6.8 The flesh is a corrupt thing and can yield us no better a thing than it is the effect is like the cause corruption that is a miserable condition both here and hereafter now and for ever Thirdly Note The Lord will not pass by nor spare no not a godly man when he sinneth and repenteth not All this is included in the going of these men to Job As if the Lord had said I will punish you Eliphaz and Bildad and Zophar for your folly unless ye repent They that are in a state of grace cannot expect favour from the Lord unless they turn from their sin and give him glory by repenting and believing Good men doing evil may suffer for it as well as the worst of men The Lord will see a work of repentance and selâ—-humbling a work of faith looking to Christ the sacrifice else he will deal with them even with them as he threatned these good men according to their folly But what was the folly of Eliphaz and his two friends for which the Lord threatned to deal so severely with them The latter part of the verse tells us what God accounted and called their folly In that ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right The Lord had told them as much at the seventh verse My wrath is kindled against you because ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right Here the Loâ—d pointeth them to their sin again and layeth his finger afresh upon the soar But why doth he so Take these three reasons why Probably the Lord repeated these words First To shew that he was very sensible of their sin in speaking amiss of him and very angry with them for it They provoked the Lord much when they measured him as it were by themselves or by their own meet-wand in his ways of
c. This Text answereth that command they went and did according as the Lord commanded them Their obedience to the Lords command is described three wayes First by the speediness of it They went Secondly by the exactness of it They went and did according as the Lord commanded them Thirdly by the good issue and fruit of it The Lord also accepted Job So Eliphaz the Temanitâ— and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went These were the three persons who had to do with Job in that long contest opened in the body of this book these are the persons against whom the Lords wrath was kindled because they had not spoken of him the thing that was right as his servant Job these were the persons to whom the Lord gave command to b ing their sacrifice to Job and offer it up for themselves that reconciliation might be made theâ—e persons went all three went As all th ee were wrapt up in one fault as all three were in the same sin so they all three joyned together and agreed in their obedience to the command of God and in repentance for their sin and faultiness They went Having received a command to go they did not tarry and stay to coâ—sider whether they should go or stay they did not put in any demur to the matter but went which implyeth first as was said the speediness of their obedience they went presently secondly the willingness of their obedience their minds were in the work as well as their bodies thirdly the cheerfulness of their obedience they went as if they had been to take a pleasing or pleasant Journey They went and what did they They went And did according as the Lord commanded them Their obedience was not only speedy and willing and cheerful but exact These words They did according as the Lord commanded them yield us a great example of full of compleat obedience they not only did what was commanded but they did it as it was commanded yea and they did it because it was commanded Singulare eâ— emplum docilitatis et modestiae ut qui etiam nec improbitate nec malevolentia sed pet imprudentiam peccarunt Bez. for that must come in to make up the fulness of our obedience Here is then a great example of humility of modesty of meekness and of submission to the will of God They went and did according as the Lord commanded them What was that They brought their sacrifice first for kind and secondly for number as the Lord had commanded them The Lord commanded them to bring Bullocks and Rams they brought them The Lord commanded them to bring seven Bullocks and seven Rams they brought them as the Lord commanded both for kind and for number Secondly They brought them to Job The Lord said Go to my servant Job they went to Job according as the Lord commanded them Thirdly We must suppose they intreated Job to undertake the Office of a Reconciler of a Mediator of a Priest between God and them according as the Lord commanded Though this piece of their submission and obedience be not expressed yet it is intimated and implyed nor could it be omitted it being not only a part but the principal part of that duty which the Lord laid upon them Thus in all things they submitted and were obedient according to the command of the Lord. First In that we have all three named here in this matter of obedience Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went Observe It is very good in it self and very pleasing to God when they who have joyned in any sin or miscarriage towards himself or others joyn readily together in shewing their sorrow and repentance for it It was a blessed sight to see those three men coming as one man about this duty not one of them drawing back not one of them putting in any plea against the command of God There are three things wherein it is very pleasant to behold the people of God joyning in one First when they joyn or are one in Opinion and Judgment when they all think the same thing and are of one mind in the truth Secondly When they joyne together and are one in affection when they are all of one heart though possibly they are not all of one mind or when they meet in affection though not in opinion Psal 133.1 Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity And when David had spoken admiringly of this goodly sight he spake declaratively concerning the goodness of it vers 2. It is like the precious oyntment upon the head 'T is so first for the sweetness of it 't is so secondly for the diffusiveness of it as followeth that ran down upon the beard even Aarons beard that went down to the skirts of his garments Thirdly which is the matter in the text it is a blessed thing to see them joyning together in duty either as duty is considered First in doing that which is good or when as the Apostles word is 2 Cor. 6.1 they are among themselves workers together in any good work we say to fill up the Text workers together with God That 's a blessed sight indeed when we joyne with God and God joyneth with us in his work It is also a blessed sight when all the Ministers of Jesus Christ and any as members of Jesus Christ joyn in any good work in this especially to beseech all we have to do with that they receive not the grace of God in vain Secondly in turning from evil and putting iniquity far from them in praying for the pardon of sin and making their peace with God In this work the three in the Text joyned together 'T is a good work to turn away from evil especially when all who are concerned in it joyn in it A great mourning is prophesied Zech. 12.11 12 13. And the land shall mourn every family apart the family of the house of David apart and their wives apart the family of the house of Nathan apart and their wives apart the Family of the house of Levi apart and their Wives apart c. Here 's a great mourning with a turning from sin prophesied of as also the manner of it Every family shall mourn apart But though they shall mourn apart yet they shall all joyn in mourning a whole family shall mourn apart not a part of a family and as the whole of a family shall mourn so â—ll the Families shall mourn and repent and seek reconciliation to God as if they were but one family yea but one person As to joyn in sin and to be brethren in iniquity is the worst of unions indeed a combination against God so to joyn as Brethren in mourning for sin and repenting of our iniquities is a blessed union and highly pleasing unto God Secondly In that it is said They went and did as the Lord commanded Observe When the Lord commandeth we must speedily obey We
must make no excuse no delay we may not dispute the commands of God nor may we at all excuse our selves from doing the commands of God These men did not so much as desire to be excused they said not it is true we have failed but it was through ignorance or we had a good meaning in what we said we intended Job no hurt may we not then be spared this cost and trouble we hear of none of this but presently they did as the Lord commanded Though the command of the Lord be hard and very unpleasing to flesh and blood yet we must speedily obey it The command which these men received was to flesh and blood a hard command Is it not hard to flesh and blood First to confess that we have erred and are out Secondly Is it not hard to flesh and blood goeth it not against the grain to submit to one whom we have wronged Thirdly Is it not hard to flesh and blood to honour whom we have reproached and thought light of All these are hard meat to flesh and blood and we can hardly digest them as was toucht before yet these men without disputes and delays went about the work Abraham received a hard command from God a far harder command to flesh and blood than these men received For First they received a command to go and offer bullocks and rams in sacrifice but Abraham was commanded to offer his Son in sacrifice Secondly He was to offer his only Son that was harder Thirdly He was to offer his only Son Isaac whom he loved A man may have an only son who is a vexation and a trouble to him but as he was a son and an only son so a son whom Abraham greatly loved yet God layed this hard and grievous command upon him Go and offer up thy son thine only son Isaac whom thou lovest upon one of the mountains that I shall shew thee Gen. 22.2 When Abraham had received this command from God to offer up his son for a sacrifice as these had received a command to offer up beasts in sacrifice What did Abraham He rose up early in the morning saith the text and sadled his ass and took two of the young men with him and Isaac his son and went unto the place which God had told him As here these men went so Abraham went he did not linger nor lye long in bed but rose up early in the morning This was an amazing work of obedience to the command of God a very hard and grievous command of God Abraham had shewed an eminent act of obedience to the Lord before this offering up of his son when God called him out of Vr of the Caldees he went The Apostle saith Heb. 11.8 By faith Abraham when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance obeyed and he went out not knowing whither he went he followed God as it were blind-fold So the Apostle yeilded present obedience he made no diversions no stop When it pleased God said he who separated me from my mothers womb and called me by his grace to reveal his son in me that I might preach him amongst the heathen immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were Apostles before me but I went into Arabia c. Gal. 1.15 16 17. He conferred not with flesh and blood that is neither with his own heart or with his own interest what would be safest and best for him nor did he go to consult with other men who were flesh and blood but followed his call Whatever God commands we have nothing to do but to obey As the Centurion said Mat. 8.9 I am a man under authority and I have souldiers under me and I say to one go and he goeth and to another come and he cometh and to a third do this he doth it Such an obedience are we to yeild to the commands of God The Apostle giveth a like charge concerning servants with respect to all their masters lawful commands Tit. 2.9 Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters and to please them well in all things not answering again that is not gain-saying or not contradicting as the word may be translated When a servant receiveth a just command from his master he must not contradict he must not put in his advice thus or thus but follow the orders given him Now if Masters on earth ought to receive in all lawful commands such obedience from their servants how much more is this due to our Lord and Master in heaven especially if we consider what the commands of the Lord are under these three titles or attributes of them First They are all just and good It is impossible for God to command that which is not right to be done for his command maketh that right which is done whatsoever it is his will is righteousness it self and the rule of it Secondly His commands are not only just and good in themselves but they are good to us they are given for our profit and benefit it is our interest as well as our duty to obey them In keeping them there is great reward Psal 19.11 yea the keeping of them is a great reward Do not my words saith the Lord Mic. 2.7 do good to him that walketh uprightly Thirdly The commands of the Lord are easie That 's the Apostles meaning when he saith 1 John 5.3 His commandements are not grievous The Lord doth not put grievous things nor heavy burdens upon his people My yoke saith Christ Mat. 11.30 is easie and my burden light Easie and light to a spiritual mind to the new creature though grievous to corruption and burdensome to the flesh Hard things are easie and heavy things light to a sutable mind whereas easie things are hard and light things heavy to a mind that is not so Seing then the commands of the Lord are just in themselves good to us and not grievous he being our Soveraign we ought speedily to obey whatsoever he commands and leaving off or laying aside all disputes and excuses presently fall upon the work which he at any time calleth us unto This was commendable in Eliphaz and his two friends They went and did as the Lord commanded them Thirdly Observe The Lords commands must be done as he commandeth them We may do what the Lord commandeth yet not as he commandeth The Lords commands must be done as we say to a hair to a tittle they must be done exactly It is not enough to do what God commandeth but according as he commandeth The As is remarkable Not only must we do good but we must do it in a good way that is in Gods way First The matter must be according to his command Secondly The manner must be according to his command and this a two-fold manner First the external manner must be as the Lord hath commanded David bringing home the Arke 2 Sam. 6.3
they carried it on a new Cart when it should have been carryed upon the Levites shoulders that was a failing in the outward manner of that work Hence that confession of David when he undertook that work a second time 1 Chron. 15.13 The Lord made a breach upon us at first for that we sought him not after the due order We must worship God aright for the outward manner of his commands and institutions else we dishonour him while we intend to worship him Secondly The inward manner must be according to the command of God 'T is possible we may hit the outward form of worship yet miss in the inward manner of it The Lord searcheth the heart he knoweth what is within and must be worshipped in spirit and in truth John 4.24 that is according to the truth of the rule made known in the word and in truth of heart The inward manner of worship is First That we worship in faith Without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 If we have not a justifying faith yea if we have not a perswading faith Rom. 14.5 23. that what we do is according to the will of God our worship iâ— not according to what the Lord hath commanded and so becomes sin to us Secondly That we worship in love Though we do never so many holy services to the Lord if we do them not in love to him we fail in the inward manner of our worship The sum of all the Lords commands is Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy might It is not heaâ—ing and praying but these in love which is the fulfilling of the commandement Every duty must be mixt also with love to man We may do many things commanded to men yet if we do them not in love to men we do nothing as the Lord commandeth Thus the holy Apostle concluded peremptorily 1 Cor. 13.1 Though I speak with the tongue of men and angels c. and have not charity I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling cimbal and though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor and though I give my body to be burnt and have not charity it profiteth nothing Thirdly To do all that the Lord commands according to the inward manner is to do all in humility that is First Acknowledging that we have no power of our own to do any thing Secondly That we have deserved nothing how much soever we have done or how well soever we have done it Thus in doing the Lords commands we should labour to answer the mind of the Lord fully and to hit every circumstance to omit nothing no not the lest thing Moses Exod. 10.16 being to carry the people of Israel out of Egypt would not compound the matter with Pharaoh Ye may go said Pharaoh after he had been broken by several plagues Only let your little ones stay no saith Moses that is not as the Lord hath commanded me And at another time he said Go only let your cattle stay no saith Moses this is not as the Lord commanded I will not leave so much as a hoof behind me And so said Moses concerning the observances of the law For thus I am commanded or this is as the Loâ—d commanded as we read all along the books of Exodus and Leviticus We are not full in our obedience till we obey fully It is said of Caleb Num. 14.24 He had another spirit he followed the Lord fully that is as to matter and manner as to out-side and in-side Let us labour to be full followers of God not out-side followers of God only but in-side followers Let us not rest in the in-side when we are not right in the out-side nor please our selves with an out-side service when we are careless of the inward Thus of their obedience as considered in general They did according as the Lord commanded Further consider their doing as the Lord commanded them in that special matter their reconciliation first to himself and then to Job Hence Observe Fourthly What the Lord appointeth for our reconciliation we must do and we must do it as he hath appointed Cur te pudeat peccatum tuum dicere cum non pudet facere Bernard in Sentent Erubescere mala sapientiae est bonum verò erubescere fatuitatis Greg. l. 1. in Ezek. hom 10. Though the means which God appointeth seem to us improbable and weak though it be troublesome and chargeable as here the offering up of so many bullocks and rams yet we must do it Yea though it put us to shame before men by the acknowledgment of our errors and mistakes as here Eliphaz and his two friends also did yet we must do it They who are ashamed of sin will not be ashamed to acknowledge their sin But what must we do to be reconciled to God or maâ— They who desire reconcilion with God must go out of themselves and go to Jesus Christ they must as Eliphaz c. did bring a sacrifice to God not as they did of bullocks and rams but which was shadowed by those legal sacrifices the sacrifice of Jesus Christ himself Who by one offering hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Heb. 10.14 They who desire reconciliation with man must do that which God here appointed these men go to him whom they have wronged and acknowledge their error or that they have wronged him they must also desire his pardon and prayers Thus did these men and they did as the Lord commanded for their reconciliation first to himself and then to Job Fifthly We may consider this their obedience as to the spring of it What made them so ready when the Lord commanded them to go and do as he had commanded them doubtless this was one thing the men were now humbled God had brought them to a fight of their sin Ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right this they were made sensible of and confessed and so obeyed Hence Observe They who are truly humbled and touched with a clear sight and deep sense of their sins will do whatsoever the Lord commandeth and as he commandeth They who are made sensible of the wrath of God deserved by and kindled against them for their sins will do any thing which he commands for the obtaining of his favour God may have any thing of an humble soul had the Lord commanded these men to go to Job and offer sacrifice before he had convinced them of their sin they might have flung away over the field and not have kept the path of his commandments but having humbled them they submitted When Peter had preached that notable Sermon which prickt his hearers at the very heart Acts 2.37 Then they said unto Peter and to the rest of the Apostles men and brethren what shall we do They were not only ready to do what they were commanded but did even ask for commands What shall we do They as it
also accepted Job This gives evidence or witness to the goodness of Job and his eminence in grace how full of love how ready to forgive was he He did not insult over Eliphaz c. nor say now I have got the day God hath determined the matter for me Amicè ut amicos illos amplexus est he did not tell them ye have wronged and abused me ye have unjustly censured and reproached me but putting their unkindnesses into oblivion and laying aside the thought of them he laid out his soul to the utmost for the healing or making up of the difference arising from their folly between God and them For the better improvement of these words First Let us compare them with those in the eighth verse Here it is said The Lord also accepted Job and there the Lord said Him will I accept there it is a promise here a performance Hence note Whatsoever the Lord promiseth to do he will certainly perform and do A word from God is as sure as his deed our hope upon promise as good as possession In hope of eternal life which God who cannot lye promised before the world began Tit. 1.2 Christ will be Amen that is performance 2 Cor. 1.20 to all the promises 2 Cor. 1.20 As they are all made in him so they shall every one of them and in every thing be made good by him unto the glory of God by us that is we shall at last have abundant cause of glorifying of God in performing and making good of all the promises upon the undertaking of Jesus Christ for us No man shall fail of acceptance that is under as Job was a promise of acceptation get under promises and you shall partake the good promised Secondly Whereas upon their doing according as the Lord commanded presently it followeth The Lord also accepted Job Note Though the Lord will surely perform what he hath promised yet if we would have the good promised we must do the duty commanded otherwise our faith is but presumption If Eliphaz and his two friends had not done as the Lord commanded them they could not rightly have expected God should do what he promised accept Job and so themselves There are promises of two sorts First of preventing grace these are made to the wicked and unconverted Secondly there are promises of rewarding grace these are made to the godly who must perform the duty commanded if they would receive the mercy promised As many as walk according to this rule peace be on them and mercy Gal. 6.16 If you will have peace you must walk according to rule the Lord is not bound to fulfil promises if we take liberty to break Commandements or neglect to do them And they who have true faith in the truth and faithfulness of God to fulfil the one can never take liberty to break the other None are so sure to the Command as they who have fullest assurance in the Promise The Lord also accepted Job Here are but few words yet much matter and who knoweth how much mercy Here is much yea all in a little The Lord accepted Job Hence note Thirdly To be accepted of God is the answer of all our prayers and desires a full reward for all our services Acceptation with God is the happiness of man and should be his satisfaction If we are accepted in our services we are bountifully rewarded for them and if our persons are accepted we shall be everlastingly saved When the Lord accepted Job he he heard his prayer for his friends they were reconciled This good news The Lord also accepted Job was enough to make their hearts leap for joy Acceptation is a reviving word the sum of all that we can wish or pray for 't is enough enough to confirm our faith and to wind up our assurance to the very highest expectation of a supply to all our wants and of pardon for all our sins All the kindnesses of God are comprehended in this one word Acceptation Fourthly The Lord accepted Job Here is no mention at all of accepting his sacrifice yet that was accepted too Hence note The Lord having respect to our persons cannot but have respect to our services If our persons are accepted our services are and if the services of any are not respected it is because their persons are not 'T is said Gen. 4.4 5. The Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering but unto Cain and his offering he had no respect Respect or no respect to what is done alwayes begins with the person of the doer Yet further Job was accepted but uâ—on what account or how was Job accepted not in himself nor for himself but in Christ the promised Messias Hence note Fifthly That any mans person is accepted is from free grace through Jesus Christ When we have done all we deserve nothing we are only accepted The Lord accepted Job not for his own sake not for the worth of his service not for the worthiness of his person but for him whom he in that action represented and in whom he believed Jesus Christ Job himself needed Christ for his acceptation 't is in and through him that any are accepted The word Acceptance plainly implieth that there is nothing of merit in us acceptation notes grace and favour This respect to us is not for any desert in us From the whole we may infer First If the Lord accepted Job when he offered sacrifice and prayed for his friends how much more doth he accept Jesus Christ who offered himself a sacrifice for sinners and ever liveth to make intercession for them whose sacrifice he is Did the Lord presently accept Job and his friends or Job for his friends then what confidence may we have that Jesus Christ who is our everlasting sacrifice and Advocate who is entred into the holiest the Sanctuary of heaven and there pleads for us with his own blood is accepted for us and we through him Christs suit shall never be refused nor shall we while we come to God through him This act of divine grace was as I may say but a shadow or figure of that great work of Jesus Christ in reconciling sinners and making them accepted with the Lord and therefore as often as we pray Christs everlasting sacrifice should come to our remembrance for the confirmation of our faith and our encouragement against fears We may argue down all our doubts about acceptation by Christ upon this account that Jobs friends were accepted at his suit and their acceptation not bottom'd on him nor in his sacrifice but as both shadowed Christ Where the Reconciler is accepted they that are in him and for whom he makes request are accepted too What the Lord spake from heaven Mat. 3.17 This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased reacheth all believers to the end of the world whose head and representer Christ is Let us adore and ever be thankful that we have received such grace in Christ for though Jesus
Christ in his person is of infinite worth and his sacrifice of so great a value that it became a price sufficient for the ransom and redemption of all sinners yet it was of free grace that Christ was made a ransom for sinners and we accepted through him Secondly Take this Inference If the Lord be ready to hear a Job for his friends then the Lord will much more hear a Job for himself That the prayers and supplications which Believers put up to the Lord obtain mercy and good things for others may strengthen faith that they shall obtain for themselves Thirdly We may infer Job was become a great favourite with God after his humiliation and self-abhorrence He no sooner fell out with himself for his former miscarriages but the Lord as it were fell in love with him afresh What a favourite was he grown who could thus readily get an answer and obtain favour for those against whom the Lord said My wrath is kindled Thus much concerning the judgment and determination of God in this matter which put a period to the long continued controversie between Job and his three friends and reconciled both parties both unto God and between themselves O how blessed is the issue of the Lords Judgment and undertaking towards his servants and children When once he was pleased to appear in the case he soon silenced both sides and made them in the conclusion both of one heart and of one mind And no sooner was this humbling and reconciling work done and over but restoring and restitution work followed as will appear in opening the third and last part of this Chapter which is also the last part of the whole Book JOB Chap. 42. Vers 10. 10. And the Lord turned the Captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends Also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before THis verse begins the third part of the Chapter We have seen Jâ—b humbled before God in the first part we have seen Jobs friends reconciled to God and his anger turned away from them in the second In this third we have Job himself restored or the restitution of Job to as good yea to a better estate than he had before and this was done when he prayed for his friends The Crown is set upon the head of prayer The restitution of Job is set down two wayes First more generally in this verse where it is described three wayes First by the Author of it The Lord it was he that turned the Captivity of Job Secondly by the season of it When he prayed for his friends Thirdly by the degree and measure of it Also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before His was not a bare return or restitution but with advantage and that to a duplication And the Lord turned the captivity of Job Before I open the words as translated by us I shall briefly mind the Reader of another translation Probarem si esset 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ubi nunc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conversio paenitentia Drus Dominus quoque conversus est ad paenitentiam Job Vulg. The word which we render Captivity is by some rendred Repentance and there is a twofold interpretation of that rendring First Some refer it to God and read the words thus The Lord was turned to repentance concerning Job And then the meaning is the Lord repented or changed his dispensation with respect to the affliction of Job when he prayed for his friends The Scripture speaks of the Lords repentance two wayes First that he repenteth of the good which he hath done for or bestowed upon man Gen. 6.6 It repented the Lord that he had made man he seemed as one troubled in his mind that ever he had set up man in such a condition And as there the Lord repented of his making mankind in general in that good natural state so elsewhere he is said to repent of his doing good to some men in particular as to their civil state 1 Sam. 15.11 The Lord repented that he had made Saul King that he had set him upon a Throne to rule men on earth who had no better obeyed the Rule given from his own Throne in heaven Secondly The Lord is said to repent of the evil which he hath either actually brought upon man or threatned to bring upon him In the former sense Moses saith Deut. 32.36 The Lord shall judge his people and repent himself for his servanss when he seeth that their power is gone and there is none shut up or left that is when they are in an afflicted low condition the Lord taketh the opportunity or season to restore them and then he is said to repent concerning any afflictive evil brought upon his people In the latter sense as he is said to repent of the evil threatned it is said of repenting Niniveh Jonah 3.10 The Lord repented of the evil that he had said that he would do unto them and he did it not Thus the Lord is turned to repentance with respect to evil either brought or threatned to be brought upon a people for which we have that remarkable promise Jer. 18.7 8. At what instant I shall speak concerning a Nation and concerning a Kingdome to pluck up and to pull down and to destroy it if that Nation against whom I have pronounced turn from their evil I will repent of the evil I thought to do unto them If they turn I will turn Another word is used in the Hebrew there but it imports the same thing Repentance in God is not any change of his Will Counsel or Purpose it only notes a change in his providences and dispensations The Lord is of one mind who can turn him Job 23.13 But he is not alwayes of one way he repenteth that is he changeth his way somtimes and so he did towards Job He once cast him down and left him as a captive bound hand and foot under the power of Satan as to his outward man and worldly enjoyments but the Lord turned and repented that is turned his Captivity This sense and reading is much insisted on by several Interpreters and it is a comfortable truth yet I am not satisfied that it is the truth intended in this place Secondly Others who follow that translation refer this repentance to Job and so the sense is this The Lord turned at the repentance or upon the repentance of Job when he prayed for his friends of which repentance we read in the foâ—mer part of the Chapter The Observation which naturally ariseth from this interpretation is clear from many other Texts of Scripture When persons or Nations pray and depart from iniquity when they joyn true repentance with prayer the Lord turneth to them in mercy and turneth evil away from them The Lord turned in mercy to repenting Job when he prayed for his friends And this was promised to Gods peculiar people the Jewish Nation 2 Chron. 7.14 If my
found matters mending with himself and the answers of prayer in the mercies of God coming tumbling in thick and three-fold His captivity fled far away when he had thus drawn near to God he had as a very full and satisfactory so a very speedy answer When he prayed Prayer is the making known our wants and desires to God It is a spiritual work not a meer bodily exercise it is the labour of the heart not lip-labour Jobs prayer was a fervent working or effectual prayer as the Apostle James speaks chap. 5.16 not a cold slothful sleepy prayer when he prayed he made work of prayer Many speak words of prayer that make no work of prayer nor are they at work in prayer Job prayed in the same sense that Saul afterwards Paul did Acts. 9.11 when the Lord Jesus bid Ananias go to him for Behold he prayeth implying that he was at it indeed He had been brought up after the strictest rule of the Pharisees who prayed much or made many prayers but he prayed to so little purpose before that we may well call that his first prayer and say he had never prayed before Job prayed for his friends as Paul for himself he was very earnest with God for them and prevailed Extraordinary cases call for extraordinary layings out in duty It was an extraordinary case When he prayed For his friends The Hebrew is When he prayed for his friend Singulare partitivum pro plurali Merc. It is usual in the Grammar of the holy Text to put the singular for the plural 'T is so here either First because he prayed for every one of them distinctly and by name or Secondly because he looked upon them all as one and bound them up in the same requests When he prayed For his friends They are called his friends to shew the esteem that he had of them notwithstanding all their unkindness and unfriendliness towards him He prayed for them in much love O raram singularem virtutem quae in paucissimis vel Christianis reperiatur Merc. though they had shewed little love to him and his heart was so much towards them that the Text speaks as if he had forgot himself or left himself at that time quite out of his prayers Doubtless Job prayed for himself but his great business at that time with God was for his friends Now in that Jobs prayer is said expresly to be for his friends not for himself though we cannot doubt but that he prayed and prayed much for himself Observe A godly man is free to pray for others as well as for himself and in some cases or at some times more for others than for himself He seldom drives this blessed trade with heaven for self only and he sometimes doth it upon the alone account of others 'T is a great piece of spiritualness to walk exactly and keep in with God to the utmost that so our own personal soul concerns may not take up our whole time in prayer but that we may have a freedom of spirit to inlarge for the benefit of others Many by their uneven walkings exceedingly hinder themselves in this duty of praying for friends and of praying for the whole Church Uneven walkings hinder that duty in a twofold respect First Because they indispose the heart to prayer in general which is one special reason why the Apostle Peter gives that counsel to Husband and Wife 1 Pet. 3.7 to walk according to knowledge and as being heirs together of the same grace of life that saith he your prayers be not hindred that is lest your hearts be indisposed to prayer Secondly Because uneven walkings will find us so much work for our selves in prayer that we shall scarce have time or leisure to intend or sue out the benefit of others in prayer He that watcheth over his own heart and wayes will be and do most in prayer for others And that First For the removing or preventing of the sorrows and sufferings of others Secondly For the removing of the sins of others yea though their sins have been against himself which was Jobs case He prayed for those who had dealt very hardly with him and sinned against God in doing so he prayed for the pardon of their sin God being very angry with them and having told them he would deal with them according to their folly unless they made Job their friend to him This was the occasion of Jobs travelling in prayer for his friends and in this he shewed a spirit becoming the Gospel though he lived not in the clear light of it And how uncomely is it that any should live less in the power of the Gospel while they live more in the light of it To pray much for others especially for those who have wronged and grieved us hath much of the power of the Gospel and of the Spirit of Christ in it For thus Jesus Christ while he was nailed to the Cross prayed for the pardon of their sins and out-rages who had crucified him Father forgive them for they know not what they do Luke 23.34 Even while his crucifiers were reviling him he was begging for them and beseeching his Father that he would shew them mercy who had shewed him no mercy no nor done him common justice And thus in his measure Jobs heart was carryed out in his prayer for his friends that those sins of theirs might be forgiven them by which they had much wronged him yea and derided him in a sort upon his Cross as the Jews did Christ upon his This also was the frame of Davids heart towards those that had injured him Psal 109.4 For my love they are my adversaries that 's an ill requital but how did he requite them we may take his own word for it he tells us how but I give my self unto prayer yea he seemed a man wholly given unto prayer The elegant conciseness of the Hebrew is But I prayer we supply it thus But I give my self unto prayer They are sinning against me requiting my love with hatred But I give my self unto prayer But for whom did he pray doubtless he prayed and prayed much for himself he prayed also for them We may understand those words I give my self unto prayer two wayes First I pray against their plots and evil dealings with me prayer was Davids best strength alwayes against his enemies yet that was not all But Secondly I give my self to prayer that the Lord would pardon their sin and turn their hearts when they are doing me mischief or though they have done me mischief I am wishing them the best good David in another place shewed what a spirit of charity he was cloathed with when no reproof could hinder him from praying for others in some good men reproofs stir up passion not prayer Psal 141.5 Let the righteous smite me it shall be a kindness smite me how with reproof so it followeth Let him reprove me it shall be an excellent oyl which shall not break my
Jun. the Lord added all his cattle double in number Yet we need not tye up the word double or twice as much strictly to that sense Therefore Secondly Double may be taken largely and so double or twice as much is very much He added to him double that is he made a very great addition possibly in some things treble yea fourfold to what he had before And thus the Lord made good what Bildad had spoken to Job closely hinting that surely Job lay in some secret sin and was not right with God because God let him lye in that forlorn condition and did not so much as restore him to the same much less raise him to a better estate than he had before chap. 8.6 7. If thou wert pure and upright surely now he would awake for thee and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous Though thy beginning was small yet thy latter end should greatly increase It is usual in the Hebrew to say those things are double which excel and are great Thus spake Zophar chap. 11.6 O that God would speak and open his lips against thee and that he would shew thee the secrets of wisdom that they are double to that which is Know therefore c. The secrets of Divine wisdom are double to what is namely to what they appear or are apprehended to be The wisdom of God is double yea an hundred fold more than what man is able to conceive it to be The secrets of Gods wisdom are unsearchable and past any creatures finding out Thus in other Scriptures double is put for very much Isa 40.2 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished that her iniquity is pardoned for she hath received of the Lords hand double for all her sins We must not think that Jerusalem made satisfaction to the Lord for her sinâ— much less may we imagine that Jerusalems sufferings did exceed her sins or the desert of her sins For 't is said Ezra 9.13 Thou hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve And Lam. 3.22 It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed But the meaning of double thâ—re is plainly this she hath received a very great punishment the Loâ—d hath made her feel the sorrowful effects of her sin fully For said Daniel chap. 9.12 Vnder the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done unto Jerusalem This is called a double recompence by another Prophet Jerem. 16.18 I will recompence their iniquity and their sin double because they have defiled my land And thus Jeremy prayed against the opposers and despisers of his prophesie chap. 17.18 Destroy them with double destruction So then when it is said the Lord added double or twice as much to Job as he had before it noteth at least a very great addition to the prosperous estate which Job had before even in outward things Hence Observe First When we are about spirituals the Lord takes occasion to minister to us in temporals The Lord not only turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends but gave him twice as much Job did not pray for the doubling of his estate or for great things in the world we find him many times giving up his hopes as to temporals when he would not give up his hopes as to spirituals and eternals Though he kill me yet will I trust in him he also shall be my salvation He submitted his life to God in hope of a better life but he had little or no expectation about the things of this life yet the Lord gave him abundance with his life as also an aboundant or long life as we read at the end of this Book There are two special reasons why the Lord gave Job a great increase in temporals First Because in those Old Testament times the promises went much in temporals Secondly Because Job having lost his credit in the world when he lost his estate spiritual supplies would never have set him right in the eye of the world he had suffered as to his reputation in spirituals by his loss in temporals and therefore the Lord doubled his estate to vindicate his reputation in the eye of the world And the Lord did this unsought unthought of by Job therefore as the point saith it is a truth that while we are careful about spirituals the Lord takes care of our temporals Mat. 6.33 Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you Secondly Note The Lord is a bountiful rewarder of his servants and a liberal repairer of their losses The Lord is a bountiful rewarder two ways First For what we do we shall not lose our labour in serving him God gives good and great wages 1 Cor. 15.58 Be ye stedfast and unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord for as-much as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord that is labour abundantly for your labour shall have an aboundant reward Not only shall it not be in vain but richly rewarded The Lord is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love Heb. 6.10 The Lord should be unrighteous to forget our labour of love not because any labour of ours can endebt him to reward us but because he hath freely promised to reward us Secondly The Lord is a bountiful rewarder of us for what we suffer And that First When we suffer under his own hand Secondly When for his sake we suffer peaceably and patiently under the hand of men Job was a great sufferer both ways he suffered greatly under the afflicting hand of God and he suffered greatly under the violent hands and reproachful tongues of men and the Lord was to him a bountiful rewarder with respect to both For he did not only heal his wounded state and make him up as well as he was before according to that in Jerem. 30.17 I will restore health unto thee and I will heal thy wounds but he did it double insomuch that he who in the days of his former prosperity was only the greatest of all the men of the East became in the days of his latter prosperity greater than he had been himself The Lord hath plentiful rewards for the godly and so he hath though of another kind for the wicked He saith David plentifully rewardeth the proud doer Psal 31.23 There is a reward of wrath as well as a reward of favour Wrath is the reward of proud men Thus the Lord will plentifully reward proud Babilon at one time or other by some hand or other Revel 18.6 Reward her even as she rewarded you and double unto her double according to her works In the cup which she hath filled fill to her double Babilon shall at last lose double blood for the blood that she hath drawn yea as the Text saith double double that is four times as much and who knows how much that double unto her double means For 't
ascend into the hill of the Lord c. and answered it vers 4 5. He that hath clean hands and a pure heart who hath not lift up his soul to vanity nor sworn deceitfully he shall receive the blessing from the Lord and righteousness that is a righteous reward or a reward according to righteousness from the God of his salvation Solomon asserts the present performance of what is only promised in this Psalm he saith not The just shall receive the blessing but they have actually received it Prov. 10.6 Blessings are upon the head of the just By the just man we may understand First him that is in a justified state or him that is just by faith Secondly him that walks in a just way or that do justly And they who are indeed justified are not only engaged by that high act of grace to do justly but are either constantly kept in doing so or are soon brought to see they have not done so and to repentance for it Just and upright men in these two notions are so much blessed that they are a blessing Prov. 11.11 By the blessing of the upright is the City exalted As an upright man wisheth and prayeth for a blessing upon the City where he liveth so he is a blessing to it and that no small one but to the greatning enriching and exaltation of it He that is good in his person becomes a common good to Cities yea to whole Nations such are a blessing because they receive so many blessings Pro. 28.20 A faithful man shall abound with blessings This faithful man is one that acts and doth all things faithfully as appears by his opposition in the same verse to him that maketh hast to be rich of whom the Text saith he shall not be innocent that is he must needs deal unfaithfully or unrighteously for in making such post-hast to riches he usually rides as we say over hedge and ditch and cannot keep the plain way of honesty Thirdly As they who are in a state of grace and they who act graciously in that state so they who worship holily or holy worshippers have a special promise of the blessing As Sion is the seat of holy worship so there the Lord commandeth the blessing upon holy worshippers Psal 133.3 And again Psal 115.12 13. He will bless the house of Israel he will bless the house of Aaron he will bless them that fear the Lord both small and great that is the generality of holy worshippers shall be blessed The fear of the Lord is often put in Scripture for the worship of the Lord and so they that fear him are the same with them that worship him Fourthly They are the blessed of the Lord who trust the Lord for all and so make him the all of their trust Psal 34.8 O tast and see that the Lord is gracious blessed is the man that trustith in him that is in him only or alone being convinced of the utter insufficiency of the creature That man is cursed who trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arm Jer. 17.5 therefore pure trust in God hath the blessing Fifthly They that are a blessing unto others shall have the blessing from the Lord. What it is to be a blessing to others read at large in the 29th Chapter of this Book vers 11. and in 31. Chapter vers 20. They that do good to others they especially who do good to the souls of others are a blessing to others Now they who do good they shall receive good themselves Prov. 11.25 The liberal shall be made fat and he that watereth shall be watered also himself He that watereth is a common good a blessing to the place where he lives a blessing to the rich a blessing to the poor a blessing to relations a blessing to strangers upon such the Scripture assures the blessing of the Lord. Sixthly They who promote the worship and service of God they that are friends to the Ark of God shall be blessed 2 Sam. 6.11 The Lord blessed the house of Obed-edom because he entertained the Ark shewed kindness to the Ark and was ready to do any service for the Ark of God he will be a friend to the true friends of his Church Seventhly They shall receive a blessing of God who strive in prayer for his blessing Jacob was blessed but he wâ—estled for it They that would have it must ask it with a gracious importunity they that seek it diligently shall find it These are the chief characters of the persons whom the Lord will bless And seeing his blessing is so effectual for the procurement of our good we should above all things labour to procure his blessing When Jacob wrestled with the Angel he asked nothing of him but a blessing Gen. 32.26 He did not say I will not let thee go except thou deliver me from my brother Esau he did not say I will not let thee go unless thou make me rich or great he only said I will not let thee go except thou bless me let me be blessed and let me be what thou wilt or I can be What should we desire in comparison of the blessing of God seeing his blessing strictly taken is the fruit of his fatherly love A man may be rich and great and honoured among men yet not beloved but he that is indeed blessed is certainly beloved of God Esau could not obtain the blessing Now what saith the Lord by the Prophet of him as the Apostle quotes the Prophet Rom. 9.13 Esau have I hated Esau got much riches but he could not get the blessing for he was hated of the Lord and therefore it is said Heb. 12.17 He found no place for repentance though he sought it carefully with tears that is he could not make Isaac repent of blessing Jacob though through a mistake yet according to Gods appointment he could not prevail with him no not by tears to take off the blessing from his brother Jacob and place it upon himself And the reason why the blessing remained with Jacob was because he was loved of God The blessing must go where the love goes The loved of the Lord are and shall be blessed and they who are blessed have all good with a blessing Read Gen. 24.35 Gen. 26.13 Gen. 28.3 2 Sam. 6.11 Psal 107.38 Yea as God giveth all good with a blessing so he giveth himself who is the chief good best of all and blessed for evermore to those whom he blesseth Then how should we desire the blessing of God or to be blessed by God It is wonderful how passionately and even impatiently the Votaries of Rome desire the Popes blessing they think themselves made men if they can but have his blessing I have read of a Cardinal who seeing the people so strangely desirous of his blessing Quando quidem populus hic vult decipi dicipiatur said Seeing this people will be deceived let them be deceived But we cannot be too desirous of a blessing from
equivalently or vertually for when it is said he offered sacrifice when it is said he did eat bread with his friends in his house these are proofs of his health and what was last spoken that he had so many children proves it much more So then though this fourth part of his mercy be not mentioned yet it is implied in all that went before But that being granted 't is further queried when his health was restored whether before he prayed for his friends or in the time of his prayer for his friends or whether after all was done Some make hot disputes about this matter which surely is not much material if we knew the certainty of it nor do I know how any should attain the certain kuowledg of it seing the Scripture is utterly silent as to any determination of it There is one question more The text saith God gave Job twice as much in cattle c. but here is nothing said of his twice as much in grace here is no mention of any amendment in his spiritual state his goods were doubled but was his goodness did Job recover only in temporals I answer First The graces of Job were never lost as his cattle and children were and therefore there needed no mention of the restoring of his graces Satan by the Lords permission put him to it and tried all his graces but could not rob him of one Secondly Jobs graces were not only not lost but doubled in that exercise or combate True grace encreaseth by the ordinary use of it much more by the extraordinary trials of it And doubtless Job who was so eminently gracious increased in every grace while he continued in this fiery trial He said of himself chap. 23.10 When he hath tried me I shall come forth as gold I shall come out better than I came in He lost dross and corruption in the trial but no grace nor any degree of grace his graces were doubled or increased A believer thrives as to the inner man in affliction how much soever he loseth and goeth backward as a man As the time of affliction is a special time for the using of grace so for the increasing of it Grace never grows more in a gracious heart than in a day of trouble And though possibly a godly man doth not sensibly or to appearance grow in grace presently yet he truly doth so and in due time it will appear that he hath done so We may take this chapter for a proof of it God himself found Job much bettered in his graces else he had not used him as a mediator for his friends which was as high a spiritual honour as could be put upon him acceptance being promised and given him in that work Nor would the Lord have used that endearing word My servant my servant Job four times in one verse had not Job improved in his service which could not be but by the improvement of his graces God called Job servant once in the first chapter surely he was become a better servant now that the Lord seemed so much delighted to call him servant in this last chapter of the book when he had taken full trial of him by suffering as formerly by doing We may well conclude Job was become a more humble servant a more profitable servant a more holy servant a more spiritual servant than ever he had been when we find the Lord insisting so much upon and so often repeating that relation to him My servant Job His sufferings had mended his service and his passive obedience had fitted him more for active God was so much pleased with his service that he took pleasure to call him servant So then we may answer the querie proposed Jobs increase was not only in cattle that had been but a poor increase his increase was also in grace and goodness and he who was a servant of the Lord before was then a more approved servant The Lord having told us in the close of this verse how many sons and daughters Job had he is pleased to give us a character or description of his daughters in the two verses following JOB Chap. 42. Vers 14 15. 14. And he called the name of the first Jemima and the name of the second Kezia and the name of the third Keren-happuch 15. And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren THe former verse gave us the account of Jobs children He had also seven sons and three daughters Nor is any thing more said of his sons but that they were seven but much more is said of his daughters in these two verses than that they were three and more is spoken of his daughters in three particulars First They are set forth by their names Secondly By the comliness of their persons Thirdly By the greatness of their dowry Their names are exprest in the 14th verse He called the name of the first Jemima and the name of the second Kezia and the name of the third Keren-happuch The comliness of their persons is shewed at the beginning of the 15th verse And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job The greatness of their dowry is set down at the close of the 15th verse And their father gave them inheritance among their brethren Some have queried why no more is said of the sons of Job than how many they were To such this answer may suffice it was the Lords pleasure to have no more spoken of them and where no more is said why should we expect more If any shall further enquire but were not his sons worthy persons that they are put off thus slightly and mention made only of their number not of their weight Were they not worthy to have so much as their names recorded which honour and much more is done their sisters the daughters of Job I answer We may upon good ground believe that Jobs seven sons were worthy persons because they were a great part yea the chief part of his restored happiness for as children are better than riches so among children sons are better than daughters as being the more worthy sex Sons if not well qualified are not only less worthy than daughters but a great cross to their father And therefore it would have been a diminishing of Jobs felicity to have had sons equal in number with the former yet inferior in vertue and man-like qualities we may for this reason safely conclude that though nothing be said of their worth that Jobs sons were worthy persons or persons of praise worthy qualities But seing we have nothing from divine authority but only from well-grounded reason to assert concerning Jobs sons I shall not stay the reader in any further discourse about them but proceed as the text doth with the daugtiters concerning whom we have many things to say from divine authority And First Their names must not be past with silence And
he God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction He was once very much afflicted and now he was very fruitful therefore he called the name of his younger son Ephraim that he might remember the kindness of God to him as often as he beheld or spake to or of that son So Moses called his son Gershom stranger for he said I have been a stranger in a strange Land Exod. 2.22 We find also names given to things as well as to persons by way of remembrance Thus 1 Sam. 7.12 after a great victory obtained against the Philistines Samuel set up a stone and gave it a name He called it Eben-ezar or the Stone of help The reason was for said he hitherto the Lord hath helped us The name of the stone was to mind them of the Lords constant readiness to help them even unto that day So Moses Exod. 17. after that great deliverance from the Amalekites built an Altar and called it Jehovah nissi which signifieth the Lord is my Banner to put them in remembrance how the Lord went forth as a man of War and mightily confounded their enemies There is a prudence to be used in the names both of things and persons We read Gen. 10.25 Vnto Eber were born two sons and the name of the one he called Peleg and why Peleg for in his days saith that Text was the earth divided Peleg signifieth division The whole world which lay before as one common field in his days was divided and cantoniz'd into several Countries therefore his name was called Peleg And as many names have been given from past or present providences so some names have been given as it were by Prophesie with respect to after providences Gen. 5.29 Lamech lived a hundred eighty and two years and begat a son and called his name Noah which signifieth rest Why so not from a providence that was past or present but from what he believed should be For this same said he shall comfort us concerning our work and toyl of our hands because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed Thus much of the names of Jobs daughters as they signified the providences of God towards him and the turn of his state Secondly We may consider these nemes with reference to the personal qualifications or endowments of his daughters and those twofold First their corporal external qualifications Secondly their spiritual internal qualifications which we may well conceive Job had a chief respect unto in giving them these names First He called the names of the first Jemima or Day thereby signifying First the clear natural beauty of that daughter or the brightness of her complexion like the brightness of the day or as if she shined in beauty like the day when beautified by the beams of the Sun Thus Christ spake of the Church Cant. 6.10 Who is she that looketh forth as the morning fair as the Moon clear as the Sun Jobs eldest daughter looked forth as the day she was of a resplendent comeliness and we may well suppose Job who gave her this name had prayed she might have and hoped she would have and doubtless in her time she had not only a beautiful face and a comly feature of body but which is far better a beautiful soul a well-featured disposition of mind much grace and goodness in which sense the Church in the place last mentioned is said to look forth as the morning to be fair as the Moon and clear as the Sun The name Day doth very well shadow both the virgin beauty of the body and the divine unspotted beauty of the soul Secondly he might call her so thereby signifying that as the day is sweet and pleasant so was she both as to her bodily aspect in comeliness and the aspect of her soul in holiness Thirdly say some he called her name Day Vna dies aperit susturit uno dies because beauty bodily beauty they mean is of no long continuance it is but as it were for a day like a flower which a day opens and withers He called the second Kezia or as one of the Ancients renders Cassia signifying spice and perfume to note that she was of a fragrant temper of a winning disposition and conversation Grace and vertue yield the sweetest smell in the nostrils of God and of all good men The Church Cant. 1.3 saith of Christ Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is an ointment poured forth therefore do the virgins love thee These ointments were the precious graces of Christ 'T is so in some proportion with all the godly their ointments the unction of the Spirit poured upon them cast a delightful savour Solomon saith Eccl. 7.1 A good name is better than precious ointment A good name arising from good qualities from grace received and acted is the most precious ointment more precious than all the ointments which affect the sense To be Jemima beautiful in body as the day and not to be Kezia not to have a spirit sweet as Cassia what is it but a piece of pageantry or gilding upon a common post Job called the name of the 3d Keren-happuch or Horn of beauty First with respect to her out-side intimating that she was a great beauty Some say she was called Keren-happuch by an Antiphrasis because she needed not much less used the horn of beauty to make her self beautiful she was even beauty it self Her natural beauty exceeded all that artificial beauty which proud women make shew of by painting their faces She was also a horn of beauty as to her graces and spiritual endowments Thus Job might give his daughters these names not only with respect to the change of his condition but considering the conditions of his daughters both with respect to their bodily beauty and the divine excellency of grace bestowed upon their souls Hence note It is good to give names exciting to vertue and to duty The names of Job's three daughters Day Perfume Nomina bona calcar ad virtutem habent Horn of beauty might stir them up to approve themselves such as their names imported Vertuous names or names of vertue should mind us to do vertuously 'T is also a piece of spiritual prudence and policy to put as the names of excellent things of graces and vertues so of excellent persons such as have excelled in grace and vertue upon our children that they may be provoked to imitate and follow their examples whose names they bear The good wishes and desires of parents concerning children may be silently if I may so speak expressed in their names They who would have their children excel in such a grace or good way may do well to six it in their names Apud nos votiva quasi ob virtutis auspi cium ponuntur vocabula sc Victoris Casti Pii Probi sic apud Hebraeos Micheas Habdias Zacharias caeteraque his similia ex virtutem vocabulo liberis à parentibus