will part with them on the account of man Only that which God hath taught us abideth with us and that no man can take from us Men may take the life of such a one from him which God hath given him but they cannot take the truth from him which God hath taught him What God teacheth is written as it were with a pen of iron and the point of a diamond it is graven upon the tables of the heart for ever Thus we may in some measure discern who are taught of God and seeing they who are taught of him are so taught we may very well insist upon Elihu's chalenge Who teacheth like him And as there is no teacher like God so neither is there any ruler like God this also is taught us by Elihu as a matter out of question while in the next verse he proceeds to make more questions or two questions more Vers 23. Who hath enjoyned him his way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pro jubere or who can say thou hast wrought iniquity This verse holds out two things First the soveraignty Secondly the integrity of God God is supream in power and he is righteous in the use of his power and therefore O Job thou hast much forgotten both thy self and him in making so many complaints about thy condition which is indeed to enjoyn God his way or prescribe to him how he shall govern the world And seeing no man hath enjoyned God his way who can question him about it what way soever he is pleased to take either with whole Nations or with any of the sons of men Who hath enjoyned him his way or visited him No man hath no man can enjoyn him his way God hath no visitors over him Mr. Broughton renders Who gave him charge over his wayes Like that Chap. 34.13 The way of God is any course which himself taketh either in governing the world in general or any person in particular who shall instruct him about either what or how he shall do whom he shall spare whom he shall punish whose heart he shall soften whose he shall harden whom he shall save whom he shall destroy how he shall teach which way he shall lead in a word how he shall administer justice and order any of his matters all must be bound to and by his Lawes he cannot be bound to or by the lawes and prescripts of any either in works of Judgment or of Mercy either in doing good to and for man or in dealing out of evil Further Who hath enjoyned him his way By the way of God we may understand both the actions of God themselves as also the reasons moving him to those actions As if Elihu had said Who hath taught God what to do Who hath or who can direct him what to do Who may be so bold with God who is the soveraign Lord over all the earth thus to enjoyn him his way Hence note God is the first mover of all that himself doth No man hath shewed him or enjoyned him his way He is the fountain of light he seeth what to do who hath been his counsellor 1 Cor. 2.16 that is no man hath or may instruct him Isa 40.13 Rom. 11.34 Again he is the fountain of power none hath authority to direct him he is above all as he needs not the counsel of any so he receiveth the rule from none I have had occasion more than once in the process of this Book to say somewhat of the soveraignty of God over all creatures and therefore only remind it here Who hath enjoyned him his way Or who can say thou hast wrought iniquity The world is full of iniquity but in God there is none at all As God is not obliged to give any men an account of his works so no man can find any the least real fault or defect in any of them and if his works do not appear so to us now yet at last they will appear to all without any shadow of iniquity Samuel called together the Israelites and demanded 1 Sam. 12.3 Whose oxe have I taken c. Whom have I defrauded c. Come charge me witness against me who can say I have wrought iniquity It was much and a rare thing for Samuel to carry it so justly that none could challenge him but when all the world shall be summoned before God he will be able to put the question Who of all the sons of men can say I have wrought iniquity None can say it but with utmost impudency and highest blasphemy It is impossible for God to work iniquity not only is his Command but his Will totally against it What-ever God works is according to his own Will and his Will is the Rule of Righteousness therefore he can do no iniquity There is no iniqui y in acting or working according to the Law If men act according to their will they usually act iniquity because their will is noâ— a Law and 't is seldome conformed to the Law The will of no man is so right or so fixed in the right as to be received foâ— a Law But seeing what-ever God doth he doth it according to his oâ—n Will and his Will is the righteous Rule of all things therefore all must be right which he doth Who-ever took him tripping in his dealings Who can say he bath wrought iniquity But why doth Elihu speak thus to Job Had he ever said that God works iniquity I answer He had not Yet because he thought God might have done better by good men or have given out that which was more suitable to their estate than such continual sorrows and afflictions as he endured therefore this saying is deservedly imputed to him For it would have become Job and doth every man to say that is best done which God doâ—h and that he hath chosen or pitched upon the best and most proper meanes of doing his own choisest servants good even when 't is worst with them in the world or when he afflicts them with the greatest evils For Who can then say he hath wrought iniquity Hence observe First The infinite purity of God as also his love to righteousness and justice Who though he be so absolute in power that none can call him in question none can enjoyn him his way and therefore none can question him for his way yet he is so perfect in righteousness that no fault can be found in him nor any error in his way Though the Lord hath power to do what he will yet he hath no will to do wrong with his power The Lord neither doth nor can do wrong to those who have to their power continually wronged him And indeed he that hath all power in his hand can have nothing but right in his heart How few are there in power though their way be injoyned to them though they have power meerly by commission from superior powers though their power be such as they are to give an account of yet I say how
Paul said he was in Deaths often but God had as often preserved his life but they are in Deaths alwayes whose life God never preserveth VVhat preservation of life can he have who hath not God for his preserver God in Creation or Propagation giveth us our life as to being but Preservation gives us our life as to well-being Can it be well with them that are not under the preservation of God To be redeemed by Christ would be but a small comfort unless we were also preserved by him Jude 1. To them that are sanctified by God the Father and preserved in Jesus Christ and called If we were only redeemed from death and not preserved in life what were our spiritual life to us So I may say in respect of the life of the body to be meerly created or propagated what is it if we are not preserved 'T is a high Priviledge when a man can not only say he hath received life from God but his life is preserved by God That 's the first poynt He preserveth not the Life of the wicked Again From that other Interpretation of the words as not to preserve is as much as to destroy and ruine Note As God utterly disowneth so he will at last utterly ruine all wicked men He not only doth not favour them but pours out fury upon them Jer. 10.25 Pour out thy fury upon the Heathen that know thee not and upon the Families that call not on thy Name The Prophesie of Isaiah speaks no better concerning them than that prayer of Jeremy Isa 3.11 Wo unto the wicked it shall be ill with him for the reward of his hand shall be given him And what can the hand of a wicked man earn the wages of sin is death he can get nothing but wrath and death nothing but tribulation and anguish here and eternal misery hereafter by the work of his hands VVoe to the wicked for the reward of his hands shall be given him that is eternal destruction and sorrow shall be given him according to the iniquity of his hand A godly man is rewarded according to the cleanness of his hands Psal 18.20 24. He labours to keep his hands much more his heart clean whatever the VVorld judge of him But woe to the wicked when God giveth them the reward of their hands of their unclean soul and filthy hands for what can such hands get or procure by all their labour but their own mischief and sorrow There is no peace saith my God to the wicked Isa 57.21 No peace is to them because no good is done by them their portion lyes in promises who keep Commandements so theirs must needs lye in threatnings who do nothing but break them or break them in all they do My meditation of him shall be sweet I will be glad in the Lord said David Pâ—al 104.34 As if he had said I know that I and eveâ—y Godly man shall receive so much good from the Lord that it doth me good at the heart to think of it But as for the wicked I can fore-see as we say with half an eye how ill it will be with them and so let it be I must subscribe to and vote with the righteous judgement of the Lord againâ—t them ver 35. Let the sinners be consumed out of the Earth and let the wicked be no more Lastly Consider these words He preserveth not the life of the wicked with respect to the wicked specially intended and treated of in this Context The Lord is mighty and despiseth not the mighty because they are mighty he preserveth not the wicked Hence Note Wicked men how mighty soever cannot preserve themselves nor doth the Lord undertake for their preservation The strongest of wicked men cannot stand by their own strength they cannot protect nor preserve themselves and the Lord will not put forth his strength to preserve them from falling As no mightiness no power can bear man up or maintain him against the Lord so not without the Lord if he preserveth not the life of the wicked they cannot escape death and destruction though high as Cedars and strong as Oakes They cannot but perish whom God preserveth not He preserveth not the life of the wicked But giveth right to the poor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pauperes afflicti Or to the afflicted Poverty it self is a great affliction and usually the poor are afflicted by others Here is a second instance of Gods goodnesse in the exercise of his power and might As He preserveth not the life of the wicked So he giveth right to the poor as he destroyeth wrong-doers so he will do right to those that suffer wrong Every word is considerable First He giveth that 's an act of bounty Secondly He giveth right that 's an act of equity And that Thirdly To the poor that 's an act of pity and charity Further When 't is said He giveth that implyes First a present or speedy act Secondly a constant and setled course of acting As the word giveth imports that the Lord doth it now and doth not put it off to hereafter only so it likewise importeth that the Lord will do it hereafter as well as now He giveth Right to the poor The poor suffer wrong but the Lord comes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and gives them right or rights them and that in a twofold notion First He gives them that right which is due to them according to his own righteous Laws or the righteous Laws of men That 's right done which is done according to a righteous Law Secondly He giveth them that right which is due to them according to the integrity of their own hearts and wayes We may say Thirdly The Lord giveth them right not according to the strictnesse of the Law but according to the integrity of their hearts Thus David prayed Psal 7.3 Judge me O Lord according to my righteousnesse and according to mine integrity that is in me that is according to my honest meaning and the simplicity of my Soul As if he had said O Lord do me right men have done me wrong they have false and wrong apprehensions of me they raise false reports concerning me but thou O Lord who knowest my integrity wilt judge me accordingly and 't is my humble and earnest Prayer that thou wouldest He giveth right To the poor The poor in Scripture are taken two wayes First as they stand in opposition to the rich Secondly as they are opposed to the proud thus here he giveth right to the poor as well as to the rich and he will especially give right to the humble poor to the righteous poor to the poor in spirit Such the Prophet speaks of Isa 66.2 To this man will I look even to him that is poor He means not the poor in purse as such he means not those as such who wear poor cloaths the Lord doth not always look to or respect such poor for many such are both proud and wicked but he
looks to him that is poor in spirit or of a contrite spirit let such be in Rags and lye upon the Dunghil the Lord will look to them and he hath a threefold look for them First A look of honour as respecting their Persons Secondly A look of care to supply their wants Thirdly A look of justice to deliver them from wrong And if they that are poor in spirit be rich also in the world they shall not fail to receive right from the hand of the Lord. The Lord giveth right to all sorts of men against their wicked oppressors but his poor the Godly poor believing poor those that are poor not only in purse but in spirit are more peculiarly under this priviledge of being righted by the Lord. And usually in Scripture the word poor is taken in a good sence Nomen pauperis in bonum sumitur pauperes sunt populus Dei for good men as the word rich in an ill sence for evil men Jam. 5.1 Go to now ye rich men weep and howl for the miseries that shall come upon you The Apostle speaks as if that were the case of all rich or as if he called all rich men to weeping and howling c. Yet some poor men are wicked and some rich men are righteous and therefore I conceive the word poor may be taken here for any wronged or oppressed poor yet especially for the Godly poor For though God giveth right to all men even the worst of men yet here the scope of Elihu is to shew that God takes most care of those whom the wicked do most not only neglect but injure and oppresse He giveth right to the poor Hence Note The poor especially the Godly poor are often wronged and go by the worst in the world Or thus The poor as poor usually suffer from and by the world As the world is apt to oppresse any poor so mostly the Godly poor Psal 12.5 For the oppression of the poor I will arise 'T is possible a rich man may be oppressed a mighty man may be oppressed by one mightier than he but usually the poor are oppressed and they trampled on who are already underfoot And therefore the Lord saith For the oppression of the poor for the sighing of the needy now will I arise and set him at safety from him that puffeth at him This is not exclusive the Lord will arise for the help of the rich and great when any such are wronged but he is said to arise for the help of the poor as intimating that the poor seldome come by their right or find help in the world unlesse God arise to help them or help them to it and because he hath said he will help them to their right we may be sure he will Davids Faith was strong upon this promise Psal 18.27 Thou wilt save the afflicted people Psal 72.4 He shall judge the poor of the People Pâ—al 140.12 I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted And his Experience was as clear as his Faith was strong Psal 37.25 I have been young and now am old yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken that is I have often yea alwayes seen him helped one way or other and sometimes set on high from affliction Psal 107.41 The Lord careth so for the poor as if he cared for none else and the best of the poor are little cared for by any but the Lord. Zeph. 3.12 I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people and they shall trust in the Name of the Lord. The rich of this world trust to creature helps but as the Lords poor know they ought not to trust in creature help so they have it not to trust to and therefore they trust in the Name of the Lord not only out of choice which is their grace and duty but out of necessity And what will the Lord do for them that trust in him not only out of necessity but choice he will surely take care of them and do them right Secondly Note God rights the poor freely He giveth them right he doth not sell it What freer than gift They need not bribe for it As he freely giveth them the Righteousnesse of his Son to justifie them so they have common right of free gift to relieve them Note Thirdly The Lord relieves or rights the poor speedily He giveth implyeth a present act and that doubles the mercy Note Fourthly God will always right the wronged poor He giveth imports even a continued act as he did it in former times in the dayes of old so he doth it at this day and will do it always As the Lord giveth right speedily so constantly with him is no variablenesse or shadow of turning Most men do right only by fits but the Lord is ever giving right Lastly He giveth right to the poor not to this or that poor man but to the poor Hence Note The Lord distributes right to all that are wronged As his Mercy so his Justice is not confined to a few but floweth out to all But it may be objected Why then are so many poor without their right If the Lord giveth right and giveth it continually and impartially why do the poor cry and sigh and groan and mourn why see we so many tears of the poor If they have right why do they complain I answer First The Lord giveth right to the poor sometimes when the poor perceive it not Psal 97.2 Clouds and darknesse are round about him Righteousnesse and Judgement are the habitation of his Throne When a man cannot see the Lord doing right yet the Lord doth right The Sun shineth when eclipsed or covered with a Cloud The Lord never ceaseth to right the poor though neither poor nor rich perceive how or which way he doth it Secondly I answer He giveth right to the poor even when they want right or when they are under the sorest oppressions by supporting their hearts in this perswasion that he will give them right The poor have right when their minds are satisfied that they shall have right There is no true Godly poor man in the world how much soever afflicted but his heart is or may be satisfied that he shall have right That 's a sure word Psal 9.18 The needy shall not always be forgotten the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever And therefore we may pray with confidence Forget not O Lord the Congregation of thy poor for ever Psal 74.19 The poor may rest in this assurance while their troubles rest upon them that God will bring forth their Righteousnesse as the Light and their Judgement as the Noon day Psal 37.6 He hath right who believes he shall have it as he that believeth hath everlasting life in hope long before he attains the possession of it John 3.36 Thirdly Though we say The Lord giveth right to the poor both speedily and constantly yet he reserveth to himself a liberty as to
impenitents among his own people by the Prophet Isa 1.15 Though you make many prayers I will not hear for your hands are full of blood Ye are full of bloody sins and ye have not humbled your selves nor cleansed your hearts and hands by the blood of the Covenant to this day and being in that case you may cry and pray till your hearts ake and your tongues ake too yet no prevailing with God no grant no hearing Another Prophet tells them as sad newes from the Lord Jer. 11.11 Behold I will bring evil upon them which they shall not be able to escape or go forth of and though they shall cry unto me I will not hearken to them Though the Lord threatned I will bring such evil upon them that they shall not escape they might say well but when the evil hath taken hold of us we hope God will hear us and deliver us No saith God when the evil hath overtaken and arrested you yet your prayers shall not overtake me Though you cry yet I will not hearken unto you That 's a dreadful Scripture of the same import Psal 18.41 They cryed but there was none to save them even unto the Lord but he answered them not They cryed being in great distresse and they cryed to the Lord he brings in that lest any should say they cryed indeed but possibly 't was to false gods to idols possibly they knockt at a wrong doore and so were not heard No they cryed to the Lord to the Lord by name they were right as to the object of prayer but their hearts were not right they were not right subjects of prayer That once blind man saw this truth when answering the Pharisees about the person by whose power he received his sight he told them plainly Joh. 9.31 We know that God heareth not sinners that is Such as love and live in sin such as go on impenitently in their sins By this answer he closely but strongly confuted that blasphemous opinion and censure of the Pharisees who reputed and reported the Lord Jesus Christ who came into the world to save sinners as one of the vilest sinners in the world and upon that account got him crucified at last As if the man had said Were he that cured me of my blindness such a sinner as you reckon him to be he could never have obtained power from God to cure me of my blindness for we know God heareth not sinners When men sin and pray as it were by turns their prayers are turned into sin and therefore will not be returned in mercy God sometimes hears sinners in wrath and judgement and he sometimes will rot hear Saints as to the grant of the thing in hand prayed for in love and mercy but he never denies praying Saints in wrath nor doth he ever hear a sinner such a one as is here intended in mercy when he prayeth Now as when the Disciples heard Christs answer to the Pharisees question about Divorce they presently said Math. 19.10 If the case of the man be so with his wife it is not good to marry so some hearing this doctrine that God heareth not proud sinners when they cry or pray may possibly say if the case of the proud be thus with God it is not good for them to pray at all To such I answer this doctrine is not urged to make proud or impenitent sinners to leave praying but to leave their pride 't is urged to make them humble under their oppressions and afflictions not to make them prophane They who as they are cannot get by prayer certainly they cannot get by casting off prayer What answer can they have who cry not at all to God when some may cry and get no answer as Elihu here speaks There they cry but none giveth answer because of the pride of wicked men This sense or interpretation most insisted upon in this 12th verse will appear more full and faire in opening the 13th Ad dicti superioris confirmationem Epiphonemaris vice subjicit in which Elihu brings down what he said here into a strong and peremptory conclusion or the next verse renders another reason why God would not relieve those oppressed ones It was not only for the pride of their spirits v. 12. but also for the emptiness and heartlesness of their prayers or because the prayers of proud and evil men are heartless or empty Vers 13. Surely God will not hear vanity neither will the Almighty regard it They cry but God will not hear why will he not hear what hinders He tells us both why and what Surely God will not hear vanity What is vanity What saith vanity hath vanity a tongue can vanity speak the Text saith God will not hear vanity 'T is frequent in Scripture to ascribe a tongue and a voyce to sin of any kind though some sins are more vocall and speak louder than others yet all speak But when he saith Surely or without all Question the Lord will not hear vanity by vanity we are to understand vaine men praying or vanity is put for the prayers and crys of those persons who are as vaine as vanity it self The word rendred vanity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 temeritas falsitas mendacium dicitur de re salsa vana levi mutili signifieth a lie as also rashness temerity God will neither hear rash-headed nor false-hearted prayers he will not hear vaine prayers or the prayers of vaine men The Abstract is often put for the Concrete in Scripture Psal 107.42 All iniquity shall stop her mouth When the Lord brings about that mighty work the bringing down of the mighty sets the poor on high those that are at once poor and humble the Lord will set on high then Iniquity that is wicked men men of iniquity shall stop their mouths or have their mouths stopt they shall not have a word to say as gaine-saying that righteous and glorious work of God So here God will not hear vanity that is vaine men or men that pray vainly all that which men speak or act is vaine or vanity if it be not good if it be not answerable to the will and ends of God yea whatsoever prayer doth not proceed from faith and flow from a pure heart is vanity 't is but straw and stubble dross and dung God will not hear vanity Neither will the Almighty regard it He that will not hear will much less regard vanity The sense is gradual regarding is more than hearing we may put both together he will not hear with regard nor regard what he hears from such The strong God who hath all power in his hand the power of Authority or the power of a Judge will not hear vanity The All-mighty The All-sufficient who hath all power of efficiency in his hand the nourisher and preserver the punisher and correcter of all men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intendit oculos visum intentis fiaeis oculis intuitus est solicitè
forgets God as his Maker will never remember much less answer and accomplish the ends for which he was made Thirdly I will ascribe righteousness to My Maker Note A godly man takes God as his own and appropriates him by Faith in all his Relations Faith takes not only a share in God but all of God My God my Father my Maker my Redeemer are strains of Faith A Believer doth as it were ingross God to himself yet desires and endeavours that all as well as himself may have their part and portion in God yea God for their Portion Job said Chap. 19.25 I know that my Redeemer liveth He spake as if he had got a Redeemer not only to but by himself Thus also holy Paul of Christ Gal. 2.22 Who loved me gave himself for me as if he had been given for him alone and loved none but him This is the highest work of Faith and 't is the signification of our hottest love to God it shews endearedness of affection to him as well as neerness and clearness of interest in him when we thus take him as our own Saviour Father Maker I will ascribe righteousness to my Maker Observe Fourthly He who is the Maker of all men can be unrighteous to nâ— man nor is lyable to the censure of any man whatever he doth 'T is impossible that he who made us should wrong or injure us and that upon a twofold Principle First Of the respect he hath for Justice towards all those whom he hath made God is so tender that he doth not willingly or with his heart afflâ—ct nor grieve the children of men to crush under his feet all the Prisoners of the earth Lam. 3.33 34. much less will he as it followeth vers 35 â—6 turn away the right of a man before the face of the most High that is before his own face who is the Most High As if it had been said The Lord will not pervert Judgment in any mans Case that comes before him Or if we take those words before the face of the Most High as denoting the highest Judicatory on Earth as our Margin intimates putting there for Most High A Superiour then the meaning is The Lord doth not approve that any earthly Judge though Supream or most Superiour should turn aside the right of a man how inferiour soever for as the 36th verse hath it To subvert a man in his Cause the Lord approveth not or as the Hebrew is rendred seeth not that is he seeth it not with approbation but indeed with detestation and will severely punish such subverters of Justice Secondly It is impossible that he who hath made us should wrong or injure us upon the principle of his Soveraignty over all those whom he hath made He that gives all men their being he that gives all to all men that are in being can be unrighteous to no man whatsoever he taketh from him or doth with him We have Job in the beginning of this Book Chap. 1.21 ascribing righteousness to God his Maker upon this reason or principle The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the Name of the Lord. It is he that made me a man 't is he who once made me a rich man a great man the greatest man of all the men of the East Chap. 1.3 What if now he hath lessened me and left me little or nothing what if he hath now made me a mean man a poor man in account a no man what if God hath now stript me naked and taken all from me He hath taken nothing but what he gave why then should I take it ill at his hands or have so much as an ill thought of him the Lord gives and the Lord takes there 's no unrighteousness in all this If God should utterly undoe us he doth us no wrong if he should as it were unmake us let us consider he is our Maker then we must say there is no unrighteousness in him yea we shall be ready with Elihu in the Text to ascribe righteousness unto him And therefore as a Corollary from the whole Note Fifthly Whatsoever God doth with us or others we ought to maintain the honour of God and retain good thoughts of him both as righteous and good Though Heaven and Earth be moved though the World be full of confusion and unâ—ighteousness yet we must ascribe righteouâ—nesse to God Whatsoever or whosoever falls to the dust the Honour and Justice of God must not Thus far of Elihu's third Argument for attention the Fourth is at hand in the next verse Vers 4. For truly my words shall not be false he that is perfect in knowledge is with thee As if he had said I am purposed to speak the truth and nothing but the truth therefore hear me Truly my words shall not be false He gives assurance for or warrants the truth of his words while he saith they shall not be false Negatives in Scripture often carry a strong affirmation The Father of a Fool hath no joy Non est â—â—num pro passimum est sic non remittâ—tur ei i. e. famietur Drus saith Solomon Prov. 17.21 that is he shall have a great deal of sorrow When the Scripture denyeth forgiveness to any sort of impenitent sinners or saith their sin shall not be forgiven the sense is they shall be punished When we say proverbially Goods ill gotten shall not prosper the meaning is they shall perish and do him mischief that hath gotten them not only shall he not thrive with them but they shall ruine and undoe him his goods ill gotten shall do him no good when the evill day is come much less shall they be able or he by them to prevent the coming of an evil day Once more When we say Such a thing is not ill done our intendment is 't is very well done excellently done So here when Elihu saith Truly my words shall not be false his meaning is I will speak truth and truth to the highest I will speak nothing but what shall endure the Touchstone and the Test I will not offer thee a Syllable of falshood what I alledge and urge either for God or against thee shall not be fetcht oâ— hammer'd out of my own brain and so subject to errour and mistake but such as God who cannot erre by whose Spirit and in whose stead I speak unto thee hath inspired me with or taught me for thy conviction and instruction Fourthly When he saith Truly my words shall not be false we may take it two wayes First As to the matter spoken Secondly As to the mind of the Speaker when truth is thus spoken t is truly spoken thus much Elihu engag'd for As if he had said The matter that I speak shall be true and I will speak it in truth or with a true mind and heart I will not speak any thing to flatter thee nor for my own ends to trouble thee my words shall be candid and sincere
and Sacrifices as in obeying the voyce of the Lord â— Saul had been very carefull to bring home sacrifices He had not obeyed the command of God yet hoped to put him off with a sacrifice But what were heards and flocks of cattel to be sacrificed when Saul rebelled against God Nothing provokes God more than outward services of worship when they are not accompanied with inward and universal submission to his will for that 's no better a sacrifice no purer worship than a Heathen payes to his Idol-god Hypocrites offer God only the blind and the lame Mal. 1.14 that is maymed and imperfect services there is imperfection in the services of the best but theirs are imperfect services so imperfect blind and lame that they are fit only for the blind and the lame so Idol-gods are called 2 Sam. 5.8 And do not they heap the wrath of the true God who serve him no better than false gods are served by their Idolatrous Devoâ—ionists Secondly There must needs be a continual heaping up of wrath by Hypocrites for if not to set the heart right provokes God to wrath Psal 78.8 The Lord was exceedingly displeased with the Israelites because they set not their heart aright Now if the Lord be so angry when the heart is not set aright much more must it provoke the Lord when then do purposely set their hearts wrong when they do evil knowingly advisedly when as it were they study to do evil To do good only in shew doth more displease the Lord than the doing of that which in shew is evil or which is evil above-board known to be so by all beholders As Hypocrites often deceive men so they attempt to deceive God himself This cannot but heap up wrath being it self so great a heap of sin They who think God will be pleas'd with outward Services alone or have no care to give him inward are alike displeasing to him Therefore among all sorts of sinners the Lord declares his wrath and thunders woe upon woe in the Gospel against Hypocrites They have heaped up wrath and it shall be heaped upon them They shall have their Portion in the Lake that burneth with fire and brimstone That 's the first thing what they do They heap up wrath When the hand of God is upon them they are so far from coming forth humbly and penitentially to turn away his wrath or to seek his face that they provoke him more and more and dreadfully enflame the reckoning against themselves They heap up wrath Secondly Elihu tells us what the Hypocrites in heart do not They cry not when hâ— bindeth them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vincire pro castigare species pro genere Licet hanc doctrinam in communi Elihu propâ—nat verisimile tamen est Jobum dicendo pungere But is it a fault or so great a fault not to cry when God bindeth us Are we commanded or bound to cry when we are bound in fetters and holden in cords of affliction wherein lyeth this sin That will appear while I shew what crying is here intended To cry is First to complain and make a noyse this is the cry of impatience Secondly to mourn and be sorrowful this is the cry of Repentance Thirdly to pray to supplicate yea to pray mightily to pray strongly and this is the cry of Faith Luke 18.7 Shall not God avenge his own Elect which cry day and night unto him That is which pray mightily to him night and day The hypocrite in heart often makes the first cry when God bindeth him the cry of impatience but never the two latter he makes not either the cry of Repentance or the cry of Faith in Prayer when God bindeth him This lets us see the second Part of the wickedness of these hypocrites 't is the omission of a most necessary duty yea of two They act very sinfully for they heap up wrath they act not holily for they do not cry when God binds them that is they neither repent nor pray or they repent not heartily they pray not earnestly in the day of their affliction Hence note First Hypocrites humble not themselves when God humbleth them When he binds them as it were hand and foot they are tongue-tyed and heart-tyed The Lord said of such Hos 7.14 They cryed not unto me with their heart when they howled upon their beds they assemble themselves for Corn and Wine and rebel against me They howled and made a noyse but saith the Loâ—d all the while they cryed not to me There was no Repentance no Prayer in their cry they cryed not with their heart Hypocrites will first complain much when God binds them secondly they murmure much when God binds them thirdly they will vex themselves like a Bull in a Nett when God binds them Fourthly they will rail and curse when God binds them but repent or pray they do not Isa 8.21 They shall pass through it hardly bested and hungry and it shall come to pass that when they shall be hungry they shall fret themselves and curse their King and their God and look upward Here was blaspheming but no crying no repenting no praying no deprecating the hand of God or the Judgment felt in an humble and spiritual way Hypocrites cry not to the Lord though he makes them cry they are readier to find fault with God than with themselves in the day of adversity they neither cry the cry of godly sorrow for their sin nor the cry of godly Prayers for help out of their affliction They who are false with God in times of Peace seldom if at all repent or duty apply themselves to God for help in times of trouble the reason is The Conscience of the hypocrite in heart tells him Anteactae turpis â—itae â—emâ—ria anintum enervat he hath dealt basely with God and therefore when he is in streights or bound what face what faith what liberty of spirit can he have to cry to God Such hypocrites often cry out despaiâ—ingly but oh how rately are they brought to cry either believingly or repentingly when God bindeth them Secondly Consider this cry a little further as a Prayer-cry Hypocrites in heart may be much for prayer in time of prosperity they were not hypocrites else if they did not pray they were openly prophane not hypocrites Christ speaking of hypocrites Math. 6. tells us they pray much and Math. 7. they cry Lord Lord. Hypocrites are much in praying especially in times of prosperity yet here he saith They cry not when he bindeth them that is in the day of adversity Hence Observe That which is not done uprightly will not be done constantly Hypocrites cry to God only in shew at best and when 't is best with them but when they fall into a troubled condition they cry not they even lay down their shew they throw up their duties when they miss their desires They who have prayed often in a time of prosperity not throwing away their sins coming into