there is mercy in their lot Verse 12. Upon my right hand rise the youth they push away my feet and they raise up against me the wayes of their destruction 13. They mar my path they set forward my calamity they have no helper 14. They came upon me as a wide breaking in of waters in the desolation they rolled themselves upon me In these Verses we have the second Branch or Head of Jobs present miseries and a consequent also of loosing this Cord and afflicting him v. 11. which being a distinct tryal from the former contains an account of the violence and oppression he sustained Now after the Caldeans and others had robbed him The words are intricate and perplexed as being the language of a man surcharged with afflictions yet they may be taken up in this order First He propounds his Case more generally how he was oppressed and violented v. 12. Wherein we have to consider 1. The actors in this trouble the youth or young blossomes as the word purports These were either some of those of whom he hath been speaking v. 1. c. Or some others who were yet younger than they who were wont to hide themselves from him before chap. 29.7 8. 2. The insolence of their attempt they rise up in violence and rebellion upon the right hand which not onely imports that they thought themselves better than he for the Right hand is the more honourable place than the Left unlesse it be when the Person on the Left hand is set upon a throne of Majejesty for in that case to be upon the Right imports onely that one is next in dignity to him who is on the Throne as 1 King 2.19 Psal 110.1 But that now they were able to assault him in his greatest strength which usually is in mens Right hand and to prevail against him his power being now exhausted Thus Satan is said to stand at Joshuah's right hand Zech. 3.1 when he had fair advantages to accuse and prevail against him if the Lord the Intercessor had not interposed 3. A general account of their attempts against him in two expressions One is They pash away my feet which may be understood literally that when he went at any time abroad to take the aire they lay'd blocks in his way in contempt and malice to make him stumble and fall But it is rather spoken Metaphorically as this part of the discourse is full of figurative expressions that any means of standing and subsistence he had yet remaining they tripped and turned him out of it and when he would have sought redress they supplanted him that he could not proceed The other expression is They raise up against me the wayes of their destruction Which is a Metaphor taken from a Siege of which see chap. 19.12 Lam 3.5 wherein Souldiers besieging a place do draw lines and build forts to hemme in and annoy the besieged and when they are about to make an assault they do fill up the ditches that they may make an easie way whereby to enter in at the breaches to make havock of the besieged and plunder their wealth So they as the Metaphor is insisted upon v. 14. did omit no skill nor activity in falling upon him and oppressing him Secondly He gives a more particular account of the effects their violence and oppression had upon him v. 13. Where we have to consider 1. The effects themselves whereof one is They mar my path Thâ—s doth import in prosecution of the Metaphor That as besieged persons are shut up on all hands that they cannot stir abroad So they deprived him of any comfort or way to escape these violences and withall that they so disturbed his Spirit that he was put out of a good frame of patience and driven from these paths of tender walking which would have been comfortable to him The other effect is They set forward my calamity that is They added to the many afflictions that were already upon him not onely by robbing him of what had been left with him but by their perverse judgements false accusations and bitter reproaches of him whereof they made use as a pretence to palliate their violence 2. The facility which was in bringing these effects upon him which made them successfull in their undertaking Which he sub-joynes in these words That in doing all this to him they have no helper This imports that though they had no persons of respect to countenance and stir them up to their violence Yet these Youths were eager enough and able enough of themselves to undertake and effectuate it 3. He subjoynes a more particular account of their proceedings against him which produced these sad effects v. 14. Where he prosecutes the former Metaphor of a Siege v. 12. and as our Translation hath it though it be not so express in the Original which hath onely They came as a wide breach or at a wide breach illustrates it by a new Metaphor of the Sea or a Flood breaking in at a breach and overflowing all the Countrey Shewing That as when Besiegers have levelled the way for their assault and made a breach whereby to enter they do enter in at the breach in great numbers even like a flood of waters and do overwhelm the defenders as if they tumbled and rolled themselves upon them and do plunder all their goods So these Oppressors having now access to deal with Job by reason that God had made a breach upon him and brought him to desolation or a desolate condition they break in upon him and overwhelm him in this day of his calamity and seek all occasions against him as the word rolling is translated Gen. 43.18 to render him odious and suspected of Injustice that they may spoyle him of what he hath The meaning of all which is That they violently invaded his possessions which were left by the Caldeans and Sabeans or not taken away by the immediate hand of God and spoyled him of all under a pretence of seeking reparation of former injuries They who either were poor or alledged that he had wronged them in the exercise of his office did all come upon him and assault him taking what was in his House dividing and possessing his land and making profit of his losse From v. 12. Learn 1. When the Lord le ts loose one tryal upon his people they may look for others upon the back of it For here he hath yet more tryals to endure beside that of derision v. 1. And of Gods afflicting hand upon him v. 11. 2. Youth is but a flourishing blossome which soon and easily fades For so much doth the word in the Original import Which may warn youth not to glory in it 3. As youth are ordinarily prone to much ill as here they were So it is an evidence of a youthful disposition and of unacquaintedness with the vanity and revolutions of time be in whom it will to be insolent and violent against the afflicted For he complains that the youth rise
By all which it should be stained or its beauty hid and taken away as a Room without light and the blackness of the day should terrifie it or make it terrible to others 2. He wisheth that God may not regard it from above That it may not only want light but all other evidences of his favour and noticing of it such as dew rain c. or its being happy by any good event upon it By all which expressions so appositely chosen though he pour forth his own passion Yet withal he insinuates these truths 1. That it is a great though ordinary mercy that we enjoy the light of the day seeing it would be a curse to the day or rather to men to want it And that it is a mercy God hath so contrived the vicissitudes of light and darkness as may be most comfortable and not terrible 2. That Gods Providence doth so particularly notice every day as the blessing and comfort thereof depends on him If he do not regard it from above it will prove but a sad day Thirdly Against the night ver 6 7 8 9. Unto which he wisheth 1. That darkness may seise upon it ver 6. which though it be natural to the night to be dark he wisheth to it in a singular manner v. 9. That it may not have the very light of Stars which are comfortable in the night as small mercies are in sad times and that no light or dawning of the day may succeed to it and so it should be denyed all hope of comfort which rendereth hard conditions intolerable 2. That Nature should disclaim it from coming in the account of the course of the Sun or Moon ver 6. or that it should not be reckoned among joyful nights Which is indeed a great curse when any creature stands useless 3. Whereas it was an usual custom to have Festival Assemblies and mirth in the night 1 Thes 5.6 7. the abuse whereof is not here approved but only the custome alluded unto it is wished that this might be honoured with none such but that it be a mournful solitary night wherein men are deprived of the society of friends which is one of the great comforts of time v. 7. 4. That it may be execrated by all as well as it was by him as grieved persons would have all to be displeased with that which vexeth themselves and that with as great vehemency as those hired mourning women who have signs of sorrow and tears at their command and who in imitation of real mourners are ready to raise up and renew their mourning after they have mourned much before do use to execrate the day of their Benefactors death ver 8. The expressions allude to that custom 2 Chron. 35.25 Jer. 9.17 Amos 5.16 And this I take to be the right translation and sense of this verse rather then with some to understand it of Mariners who being tossed with a Tempest do curse the day in which they went to Sea and are ready by their wishes to raise up Leviathan which is here rendered their mourning or the Sea-monsters to swallow them up For though Jobs resentments in this Chapter be no less unreasonable then if one should wish to be violently swallowed to avoid a present tempest yet that is not the usual practice of Mariners in a Tempest Jonah 1.5 6. Neither do they hit upon the true sense who taking Leviathan also for a proper Name do understand it here figuratively of the Devil that great Dragon whom some wicked men are ready to raise up in great trouble that they may consult him about an issue as Saul did 1 Sam. 28. and all of them are ready to raise him up by their cursed invocating of him that either they may be delivered or cut off For though Job be passionate enough in this Discourse yet he was very far from this height of impiety The reason of all this Imprecation v. 10. is because that day fell out to be his birth-day upon which so much sorrow followed reckoning that if he had not been born he had not met withal that vexation If we consider this whole Imprecation against the day of his birth with the ground of it As we may not ascend so high as to tax Job of blasphemy or of condemning the order of Nature and consequently of condemning God who established it So we cannot but discern great passion and impatience evidenced by its fruits and effects in these particulars 1. His inconsiderateness That trouble being so natural to Adams posterity Chap. 5.7 as is acknowledged by himself Chap. 14.1 and submitted unto Chap. 1.21 2.10 Yet he doth now free at it They had need of much wisdome considerately to ponder all things who would be patient in trouble Iam. 1.5 with 4. 2. His rash stubbornness in fretting at trouble For albeit it be lawful to desire to be rid of trouble with submission to the will of God Yet when we see it is the Lords will that we should be under trouble it is not our duty peremptorily to stand out and refuse but to stoop and submit For by this submission we take the sting out of our own crosses Jer. 10.19 Whereas want of resolution and stooping doubleth the bitterness thereof 3. His selfishness Had this complaint been because of common troubles upon the people of God it had been more tolerable But being only for his own ease and that albeit he disputed afterward that Saints might be in the like case sorrow was not hid from his eyes ver 10. as if he had been a priviledged person was very selfish Impatience is ordinarily a great ponderer of greifs because they are ours little weighing the troubles of others 4. His absurd and unreasonable blaming of a wrong cause of his trouble For what influence had his birth-day on his trouble or on his birth either it being but a naked circumstance Impatience is still unreasonable and when a man is thereby imbittered he madly breaks forth on what comes nearest him whether it be too blame or not 5. His poor shift which he takes to help himself For beside that he wisheth a thing impossible as the expunging of a day he wisheth also that which was unprofitable for his help For suppose the day were either so expunged or marked as he wisheth what could that help him now would it recall all his sufferings But it is always found that impatience taketh the longest way and falls not upon the most speedy remedy and mean of help 6. His ingratitude and under-valuing of all the mercies he had received as not able to counter-balance his present grief contrary to his own Principle formerly Chap. 2.10 But now his birth and all the mercies he had received are his burden Ingratitude will soon bury in oblivion many favours if we be cast in any trouble But it is our duty to remember former kindnesses or present continued mercies even in the midst of trouble and to reckon that new proofs of love
argue our blindness for he cannot be unreasonable in what he doth Vers 5. Seeing his days are determined the number of months are with thee thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass 6. Turn from him that he may rest till he shall accomplish as an hireling his day The third Argument enlarging the first is taken from the certainty of his death at the time appointed by God He shews that his life is bounded by God even how many days and months he shall live that he must die at the time appointed by God and cannot pass those bounds and limits which are set to him and that in the mean time his life was but short and troublesome like the time of an hireling Whence he argues That seeing death is the appointed punishment of sin which he had acknowledged to be in himself v. 4. Gen. 2.17 And seeing God had fixed the time of that at his pleasure and had made life short and troublesome he thinks that God needs not add a new sentâ—nce to the former and bring man into judgment of new And therefore he pleads that God would not abandon him by turning altogether from him but forbear to pursue him with such rigour and let him take some breathing and respite from these extraordinary afflictions till he accomplish his course in his ordinary toil and labour whereof he will be content to see an end whensoever God will as the word imports The substance of the grounds of this Argument being made use of Chap. 7.1 2 c. to prove another conclusion that he might lawfully desire death I shall here shortly Obs 1. Mans life and days are bounded so that Man must come to a period and must quit life whether it be sweet or sowr bitter or comfortable For so is here held out His days are determined he hath bounds that he cannot pass See Psal 49.10 Eccl. 2.16 Heb. 9.27 Obs 2. God is the infallible and irresistible bounder of mans life even to months and days For his days are determined the number of his months are with thee thou hast appointed his bounds c. See Act. 17.26 This Truth 1. Doth not contradict other Scriptures which speak of the lengthening and shortening of mens days 2 King 20.1 6. Eccl. 7.16 17. Psal 55.23 For these speak of shortening or lengthening the days of Man in respect of what otherwise they might be according to probability or considering the course of Nature and second Causes but speak nothing of Gods altering the periods of Man's life which are set by himself Nor 2. Doth this warrant men to neglect lawful means which God hath appointed in order to his end as Paul reasons Act. 27.22 23 24. with 31. But it teacheth us 1. To adore the Universal Providence of God which extends it self to all persons and things See Matth. 10.24 30. Our not observing of this in common things makes us so Atheistical in greater matters 2. It teacheth us to submit to his will in all those turns and lots that befal us and in the use of all means of life to submit to live long in trouble or short while in ease as he pleaseth 3. It teacheth his people to rest confidently on him who hath Times and Seasons in his hand both of particular persons Psal 31.15 and of Nations also Gen 15.13 14. Jer. 29.10 Obs 3. Mans life till he come to his appointed end is but like a hirelings day For so is held forth v. 6. that he must accomplish as an hireling his day Not only is his life short like a day wherein the hireling is conduced to work But 1. Man ought not to be his own nor at his own work but his Masters For so it is with the hireling And if Man will not voluntarily do duty and what is commanded him Yet he shall be made to serve Providence whether he will or not And his most irregular enterprises shall be made subservient to Gods holy purposes Psal 76.10 2. Man is but an indigent empty creature standing in need of continual uninterrupted supply from God As an hireling must have wages if not meat also from his Master to maintain him at his work 3. Man must resolve to have much toil in the service of his Generation For he is like a toiled servant or hireling And this is the lot even of greatest Undertakers and Conquerours in the world Hab. 2.12 13. 4. Man is a servant who must be accountable for his work that he may be rewarded accordingly as it is with hirelings All this may teach men not to stumble if they find their life to be such as is here described And since it is thus they who sell Heaven for a Portion in this life make but a poor bargain and will get but sober chear for it Obs 4. Job's plea and desire in this Argument v. 6. hath somethings in it very commendable and imitable As 1. Turn saith he that is take away thy hand and displeasure evidenced by these severe afflictions Which Teacheth That it is only God who giveth a being or putteth an end to afflâ—ctions As this desire supposeth Also That as God appears to the afflicted to be angry when trouble is on So this affects a godly man most and the removal of this is more to him then the taking away of the affliction For he desires the cross to be removed under that notion of Gods turning frâ—m him and ceasing to pursue him in anger 2. Turn saith he from him in the third Person with an eye to what he hath spoken of all mens life and toil v. 5. and to shew that he would be content of the common lot of hirelings of Adam's posterity It Teacheth That it is an evidence of a subdued spirit when men do not seek to be singular in their lots and allowances but are content patiently to bear the common lots that befal mankind 3. Turn saith he that he may rest or have a cessation righteous and the wicked Christ will be glorified and admired in them 2 Thes 1.10 all clouds and mistakes will be cleared and when he raiseth their bodies he will raise their good Name also Vers 13. O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave that thou wouldest keepe me secret until thy wrath be past that thou wouldest appoint me a set time and remember me 14. If a man die shall he live again All the days of my appointed time will I wait till my change câ—mâ— 15. Thou shalt call and I will answere thee thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands The fourth Argument propounded in these verses and amplified and enlarged to the end of the Chapter is taken from the great perplexities and strange wishes to which his trouble drave him in so much that though he see somewhat of a black cloud in death in the foregoing verses yet here he would be content of something like it for a time The sum of the Argument whereof the Antecedent is expressed in
uncapableness and unfruitfulness than to complain of God And this Argument he prosecutes at length that he may take occasion to give some further account of Gods mind in troubles and afflictions In this Verse we have this Argument more generally propounded both as to Gods condescendence and mans unfruitfulness That God speaks his mind oftner than men perceive it And for clearing of the words Consider 1. For the matter which God is here supposed to speak to man it is of his matters v. 13. so farr as it concerns or is profitable for man to know in order to his Souls good as the enlargement of this Argument makes clear 2. For the manner of his speaking or the means whereby he communicates his mind to man the following instances clear that he speaks both by his Word extraordinarily revealed by visions v. 15. or dispensed in ordinary way by Ministers v. 23. and by afflictions v. 19. Under which though Elihu's present scope lead him to speak only of afflictions all other dispensations of Providence are to be comprehended by which God speaks his mind to men 3. As for his frequency in speaking while it is said God speaketh once yea twice and that he worketh twice thrice which is translated oftentimes v. 29. it is not to be restricted to any certain number though afterward three means of Gods speaking be instanced by Visions Sickness and a Ministry but the meaning is That which soever of these wayes he speak though it were enough if he spake but once yet he is pleased to speak more frequently though after frequent warnings once twice or thrice he may give over to warn any more Some understand it thus That if God speak once and men perceive it not he will speak again till men take it up And it is true that God doth pursue his people with instructions till they learn their lesson yea God will also speak at last to the wicked in a language which they will understand however now they slight many warnings and instructions But that is not the scope which Elihu aims at in this Argument but rather to give a check to mans quarrelling of God while himself is rather ignorant even after all those admonitions 4. For mans not perceiving when God speaks albeit in the first place it be meant of his ignorance or inadvertency in taking up those frequent warnings Yet it includes also as a consequent and effect of the former his not improving or making use of that which possibly he may perceive of Gods mind when he speaks In this Verse that I may more distinctly speak to it we may consider First The connexion and dependance of this Verse upon the former held out in the Particle For. Some do here translate it otherwise as judging there is no connexion betwixt this and the other Argument and instead of For they read When or Albeit which the word doth also signifie And so the whole Verse will run thus When God speaks or Albeit God speak yet man perceiveth it not or he that is man as is well supplyed in the Translation doth not perceive or contemplate it But I shall follow our Translation as conceiving that this Argument serves not only to prove the principal Conclusion but is an amplification of the former Argument also And the Connexion may be taken up in these two 1. Why should God give an account of his matters v. 13. seeing man doth not perceive what he is pleased to reveal and give him some account of Which teacheth That the ill use men make of what they receive is the ready way to obstruct and hinder their getting of more 2. If men perceive not what is obvious and revealed to them for their instruction v. 14. why should God give them an account of his deep counsels v. 13. This is Gods own Argument which he afterward presseth by many instances to convince Job of his presumption and folly in desiring to plead with him And it teacheth That our blindness and inadvertency in many obvious things may silence our quarrellings when God keeps us in the dark in other things Secondly Consider the general scope of this Argument which is To lead Job from quarelling of God about his afflictions and his being kept ignorant of the reasons thereof to accuse himself of ignorance and inadvertency It teacheth 1. It is an usual fault in men to complain of God and his dealing when themselves are to blame For here he sheweth That however Job complained of Gods way and that he could not see a cause of his dealing toward him yet God had rather cause to complain that he saw so ill what he had revealed concerning it Thus the hearts of many fret against the Lord when their own foolishness hath perverted their way Prov. 19.3 And the Lord Ezek. 18.23 declares That that people reasoned ill when they said His wayes were not equal when indeed their wayes were unequal Thus also men are apt to complain of sharp rods when they should complain of their own boily skins or their want of mortification casting away of strength c. which make the rod grievous In a word as Hagar had a Well near her in her distress though her eyes were not open to discern it Gen. 21.15 19. So in many of our distempers and grievances we have a cure very near us if we saw it even within by the change of our dispositions more mortification and encouragement in God c. 2. Whatever needful humbling there be through want of light under trouble yet light is not mens greatest want in such a case For that is the particular wherein Elihu asserts that Job wanted not instruction and means of light however he complained Thus the Lord answers the question of Hypocrites Mich. 6.6 7 with 8. So that when Saints do mistake troubles or mistake God because of their troubles or when they think they have cause to run away from God because he hath afflicted them or do sit idle under the Cross as not knowing what to do c. they do but evidence that their own petted and peevish Spirits have bemisted themselves For Gods mind hath been often spoken to those businesses if men would employ his Spirit for grace to take it up Thirdly Consider the matter of this Argument as it contains this general challenge against man That God speaks and reveals his mind to him by his Word and Dispensations and yet he perceiveth it not It teacheth 1. Albeit the Lord will have men to acknowledge his Soveraignty yet he deals not alwayes at that rate with them For albeit he be not bound to give account of any of his matters v. 13. yet he condescends to speak of those things to man Albeit he keep up mysteries yet so much is said to man as is needful for him to know Job 28.28 And even when dispensations are dark yet something of Gods mind concerning them is revealed We need not fear Gods exercising of his Soveraignty where we do
performing or not performing of them is in mercy Vers 27. Loe this we have searched it so it is hear it and know thou it for thy good This verse contains the Conclusion of the whole Discourse wherein he exhorts Job to hear and notice what is said Considering 1. That it is not rashly uttered but after serious search and grave deliberation 2. That it is true doctrine as they had found both in reason and experience so it is or so the matter stands and so is thy duty as I have told 3. That it would be Jobs good and profit to notice and apply it All this he speaks in name of all the Friends who it seems had consulted about it And indeed all of them all along speak to the same purpose This way of concluding according as Eliphaz judged of the matter and his mistake therein may teach 1. Men should not publish anything in the Name of God particularly to persons in distress but what is truth indeed and well grounded So much doth Eliphaz import while he hath spoken nothing but what he apprehends is so certain as he may say so it is 2. Such as would find out truth especially in the intricacies of Divine Providence ought to search painfully and take all the assistance from others they can have For saith Eliphaz in name of all the rest Lo this we have searched it 3. The advantage of sound Doctrine consists in the Application thereof made by the hearers which it is a pity it should be wanting when men have spent their time and strength to find it out For this is a general truth If a Doctrine be found sound upon search then know thou it for thy good or for thy self is the duty of every particular hearer 4. Such is the frailty of fallible men especially when they are prepossessed with prejudices and corrupt Principles that after much search for truth and confidence that they have found it out so that they dare recommend it to others yet they may still stick in the mire of Errour As here Eliphaz did after this search and his confident Assertion and serious Exhortation to Job CHAP. VI. In this and the following Chapter we have Job's Reply to Eliphaz's large Discourse recorded in the two preceeding Chapters He doth not succumb nor acquiesce in what was said but finding his case much mistaken and the cure mis-applied he replies at length and with much Eloquence in his own defence And that we may take up his scope in this Reply we are to consider that Job chap. 3. had complained that ever he was born or had a being to meet with so much misery and closeth that complaint with a desire to be now dead and a regret that he was not dead In answer to which the scope of Eliphaz's Discourse was To convince Job that it was a great fault yea an evidence of hypocrisie in him who had comforted others to complain so much under trouble Chap. 4 3-6 5.2 and his afflictions proving him wicked Chap. 4.7 c. 5.3 c. it were more fit for him to be seeking Reconciliation with God and studying patience under the hand of God in hope of Restitution then to be thirsting after death in such a condition Chap. 5 6-26 Now Job in answer to all this sheweth 1. That his complaints were not causeless 2. That being confident of his own integrity and hopeless to get through that trouble or to attain that restitution he promised him upon condition of repentance he did well in desiring to die The first of those is propounded ver 1. 7. The second ver 8. 13. Afterward he enlargeth both of them And he insists upon the cause of his complaints in a sad reproof of his friends for their inhumanity and unfaithfulness in dealing so harshly when they should have sympathized with him and comforted him Chap. 6.14 30. And his desire of death is very pathetically enlarged Chap. 7. in a Speech directed to God before his Friends having declined them as no fit Judges So this Chapter after an Historical Transition ver 1. Contains 1. Jobs excusing of his own complaints from the greatness of his trouble ver 2 3 4. and because his Friends afforded nothing that might ease him ver 5 6 7 2. His desire of death not only pressed with great vehemency ver 8 9. but endeavoured to be justified From the comfort he expected in death having the testimony of a good Conscience ver 10. From his inability to endure this trouble ver 11 12. and from his own skill to discern what is best for him ver 13. 3. His sharp reproof of Eliphaz and his other Friends for their inhumanity ver 14. and unfaithful disappointing of his expectation ver 15. 21. which he aggravates from the smalness of the favour which he expected from them ver 22 23. From his readiness to take with wholesom Instruction ver 24 25. From their under-valuing of his condition and what he said ver 26. and in a word From that eminent cruelty and unfaithfulness that appeared in their carriage ver 27.4 A Conclusion subjoyned to the former reproof which also is a Preface to what he hath further to say Wherein he desires that since they had so far mistaken and miscarried they would give him audience to speak for himself ver 28 29 30. Vers 1. But Job answered and said 2. Oh that my grief were throughly weighed and my calamity laid in the ballances together THe scope of the first part of the Chapter is to prove that Job had cause to complain as he did as is darkly expressed ver 5. and is to be understood throughout the rest of the verses And his first Argument ver 2 3 4. from the greatness of his trouble may be put in this form He whose great trouble presseth him so hard as he must seek some ease by complaining ought not to be censured as an impatient man or wicked But such is my trouble as will be found by any who shall weigh it impartially Therefore c. As for the force of this Argument in general or the first Proposition This may be granted 1. That men should not bewray their own unsubduedness by making too much noise about ordinary and lesser troubles But they should be put to it before they complain For Job doth not justifie his complaints if his trouble be not great 2. That Saints under great trouble are tenderly pitied by God when they pour forth their complaints to seek ease to themselves Provided they pour them out in Gods own bosom As we find Saints have laid their grievous tentations before him Isa 63.17 Jer. 15 18. But 3. Albeit God do tenderly pity the bitterness of his Children as pondering their grievous tentations and great troubles which extort those distempers and passions from them and will be far from judging them hypocrites or wicked men because of these fits of passion as Eliphaz did Yet this is withal to be considered that no
greatness of trouble can excuse any impertinent complaint against God or our birth day but they ought to be mourned for albeit God look tenderly on them And herein did Job fail as God afterward layeth to his charge But to follow the words in order Job passing the first part of the Argument wherein the great errour lay doth prove the greatness of his trouble or the Second Proposition by four instances and evidences thereof Whereof the first ver 2. is taken from their not pondering and weighing of his trouble This is indeed but an extrinsecal addition to his trouble yet he mentions it first as having at this time brought all the rest sadly to his remembrance which makes him begin so pathetically as a man over-whelmed and bring in the other evidences of his great trouble only to prove that they had not pondered it For as their former silence Chap. 2 13. occasioned in part that bitter sit Chap. 3. So now having heard Eliphaz speak with the approbation of all the rest Chap. 5.27 and not ponder his great affliction it rips up his wounds so much the more In sum his regret imports That if Eliphaz had weighed his trouble and felt it as he did he would have found his complaints not equal to his sorrow and trouble But since he did not so he could not be a fit Judge of this case nor be able to comfort him but would rather increase his sorrow the more And this is very true Though he saw Job in great trouble yet not only did he call it but a touch Chap. 4.5 but he did not ponder the matter so as to deal compassionately and tenderly with a distressed godly man but judging him to be an ungodly and wicked man did deal cruelly with him As for the words here of grief or indignation or anger for it is the word used by Eliphaz Chap. 5.2 and calamity they may be thus distinguished His grief may signifie his complaint and his calamity his trouble of which he complained And so his regret comes to this That Eliphaz who reflected upon his complaint did not lay that in the ballance with the trouble and tentations from which it flowed For then he should have found that his stroke was greater then his cry And however Job did err if this be his mind For no stroke upon him did justifie his complaints already and afterward uttered yet there is a general truth in it That if we look to the troubles of distempered souls we will find cause to pity many passions in them which yet cannot be justified 2 King 4.27 But the following verse will not allow us to rest on this distinction For there both his grief and calamity must be understood to be resumed and declared insupportably weighty Now it were contrary to Jobs scope to assert that his complaints were such For his aim is rather to extenuate then aggravate those Therefore if we make a difference for he speaks of them ver 3. in the singular number his grief may point out his inward vexations and tentations of mind and his calamity his outward trouble which together with Gods hiding of his face and their unseasonable silence and Eliphaz's impertinent doctrine did so disorder his mind Both those may come under one common name of tryal which changeth the speech into the singular number ver 3. and were the causes mediate or immediate of his complaint From this purpose Learn 1. It is the duty of godly men to maintain their own integrity Nor is it any evidence that a man doth not stoop under Gods correcting hand when he will not yield to unjust accusations against him For albeit Job was now crushed under the hand of God yet when Eliphaz reflects upon his integrity he couragiously replieth But Job answered and said c. 2. When God permits Controversies to arise amongst his people it may be expected that they will not only contribute to the â—ul or clearing of Truth and further manifesting of Errour But that thereby also mens passions and affections will be raised yea and even the weaknesses of the Friends of Truth discovered For so appears in this Debate Not only is Truth cleared and a gainer thereby in the issue But here in the very entry Jobs passion breaks out in a sad regret And though he spake much truth concerning his great trouble though it cannot be denied that his passion and distemper did heighten it and make it more grievous yet he stumbles in the very entry while he insinuates that his troubles did warrant him to complain as he did which the Lord doth not sustain as we heard in the Exposition 3. It is the duty of such as would be useful by their counsel to the afflicted seriously to ponder their case Not to look superficially upon their troubles but seriously to weigh them and that throughly or in weighing to weigh them in all their ingredients circumstances aggravations concomitants and effects and together in all the parts and branches thereof whether inward griefs and tentations or outward calamities Yea they ought to put themselves in the afflicteds stead before they resolve how to deal with them For Job looks for no good at their hand or that they could speak to his case who had not throughly weighed his grief and laid his calamity in the ballance together See Psal 41.1 Job 16.4 4. It is very rare to find a tender consideration of the afflicteds case among men even when they profess friendship yea and are really pious For Job may cry O that my grief were throughly weighed c. when he finds few to do it Yea his regret insinuatâ—s that his godly friend had not weighed it A mans own heart and not a stranger knoweth its bitterness Prov. 14.10 Self-love and present ease make the sad afflictions of others to be lightly regarded by many Job 12.5 Psal 123.4 Corrupt Principles concerning afflictions make others very cruel as the practice of Jobs friends doth teach Yea it is not easie even for a Child of God rightly principled and who in his own experience hath known the sharpness of afflictions and tentations but now doth only remember it as a thing long since past to be so sensible of the same affliction in the person of another as when himself was under it And therefore the Apostles who were to minister comfort to others were kept under exercise themselves 2 Cor. 1.3 4 5. This may teach Saints to lay their account that they may be left desolate and solitary in their troubles like Owls and Pelicans Psal 102.6 7. that so they may make much use of Christ who was a man of sorrows and acquainted with griefs Isai 53 3. Heb. 4.15 5. It is a great addition to Saints troubles to miss sympathie from friends or any to give them so much ease and relief as impartially to weigh their condition For this is Jobs great regret and this did waken all his other troubles on him that his grief was