will plead for a man with God and the Son of man for his Freind As if Job had sayd I know I have a Freind of Christ and Christ lookes on me as his freind and therefore I have highest confidence that he will plead my cause and take off this scandall So much for Jobs earnest desire upon his appeale that his cause might come to a hearing and that Christ would undertake the pleading of it before his Father He gives a reason in the last verse why he was thus pressing to have the businesse brought to an issue why he did thus appeale to God as his witnesse why he did powre out teares to Christ that he would plead for him Why all this Vers 22. When a few yeares are come then shall I goe the way whence I shall not returne Deum vellem jamjam in presentia disceptationem in se recipere quia ad mortem propero Jun. As if He had said For as much as I must dye shortly I desire to have this difference taken up before I dye I cannot live long in this world and I would not goe out of the world under such a cloud as is now upon me Is it not time for me to hasten my cause to an end when mine end hastens and to get my busines determined before my yeares are Anni numeri Heb. i. e. qui numerati sunt adeo et brevissima periodo circumscripti When a few yeares are come The Hebrew is yeares of number that is Yeares which may easily be numbred Isai 10.19 The trees that remaine shall be few that a Child may write them they shall be trees of number that is a small number and Gen. 34.29 Jacob saith We are but few the Hebrew is We are men of number we may soone be told a Child may tell us and yet you provoke Citie and Countrie against us We very well translate according to the Hebraisme yeares of number a few yeares When a few yeares are come I shall goe the way whence I shall not returne What way is that which hath Vestigiv nulla retrorsum where all steps are forwards and none backward this is such a way as wee meet not with in all our earthly travels yet every man on earth is travelling towards such a way travell which way you will you have as many steps backwards as forwards men comming and going but saith Job I shall goe the way I shall not returne What way is this This is the way of all flesh Joshua 23.15 1 King 2.2 This is the way to the grave that way hath no steps backwards But are there no returne from the grave It is true some have risen there have been some first fruits of a resurrection but they who have come from the grave are so few that their foot-steps are worn out by those many many thousands of thousands who have gone to the grave What multitudes have gone the way to the grave and are not returned some few have returned but these so few that we may still affirme the way to the grave knowes no returning That which is very rarely done the contrary being very frequently done is said not to be done at all or never to be done But Job seemes to deny his owne returne he speakes as if he should not be only lodged for a while but lost for ever in the grave I shall goe the way whence I shall not returne I answer That Jobs faith was clear in the point of the resurrection of the body appeares by the confession which he makes Chap. 19.25 26. and therefore when he saith I shall not returne his meaning is as was shewed upon a like passage Chap. 10.21 First That he should not returne by any power of nature Secondly That he should not returne to a State of nature he believed fully that he should returne by the power of God to an estate of glory Our bodies which are sowen naturall bodies shall be raised spirituall bodies Though that which was sowed shall returne yet vvhen it returnes it shall not be as it was sowed Lastly whereas Job saith I shall not returne his meaning is vvhen I dye or if I dye I shall no more returne to my house and dwelling in the vvorld I must take my leave of all these things for ever My place shall know me no more as he speakes to the same subject Chap. 7.10 From the first branch of the verse note The yeares of mans life are few You may quickly number them Secondly As the yeares of mans life come about quickly so when they are come vve must goe certainely vvee must goe with death I shall goe saith Job there is no hindring no stopping of that journey it will not serve any mans turne to say He hath no mind to goe he must goe it will not serve any mans turne to say He is not at leisure to goe he must go it will not serve any mans turne to say he is not fit to goe He is not prepared to goe he must goe as he is fit or unfit prepared or unprepared he must goe It will not serve any mans turne to say he will give all the treasure in his house all the money in his purse to be spared this journey he must goe It will not serve any mans turne to say he will get another to goe for him or he will send one in his rooome There is no dying by proxie every man when his few yeares are come must goe in person Thirdly Observe A Believer can speake of death familiarly It is a comfort to him in his sorrowes to thinke that he shall dye shortly When a few yares are come I shall goe the way c. he speakes pleasantly the mention of death was a life to him Jobs life was a kinde of death and therefore to him especially death would be a kind of life were our hearts rightly affected they that have the most lively life would thinke death better thâ—n this life I desire saith Paul to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is best of all Death was better to him then life and lest any should say no marvaile if Paul desired to dye who could scarse tell where to live and no marvaile if he would dye once for all who was in deaths often to prevent this cavil he adds Which is best of all Barely to dye is better to some then a troublesome life but to dye and be with Christ is better then the best life much more is it better then that life in this world which is a continuall death as Jobes was how shoul such a man sing out Job's verse When a few dayes are come I shall goe the way whence I shall not returne Fourthly Observe It is good to put death before us under the easiest notions Here Job cals it only a going a going out of the world that is all he elsewhere cals it a sleepe and the Spirit of God every where in reference to Saints
well as to the quality of our works and that 's a worke of wickednesse in Folio or of the largest size which is done with a hand stertbhed out What revenge is bigg enough for a sin thus bigg He stretcheth out his hand against God Here are three things to be opened Tanto supplicio nunc scelus dignissimum explicat Pined First What is meant by the hand Secondly What is meant by stretching out the hand Thirdly How the hand may be stretched out against God The hand may be taken properly or improperly properly for that member of the body which is so usefull and instrumentall in all the services of this life and then to stretch out the hand must be taken in a proper sense for so wicked men sometimes doe they stretch out the hand of the body against God by acting sins of violence and by acting violently in many sins The outward members especially the hand and tongue are made the weapons of unrighteousnesse both against God and Man Theod. l. 3. cap. 20. Niceph l. 10. cap. 35. The Church-Historian reports of Julian the Apostate that when he was wounded in the Battell against the Parthians he tooke of his blood and threw it up to Heaven he stretched out his hand against God saying in derision of Christ O Galilaean thou hast overcome This outward gesture of his body expressed the secret indignation of his minde And it is observed by Jerom Amalachitae Israelitas in Exitu de Egypto vel ob lassitudinem vel ob legalem immunditiem extra castra degentes occiderunt eorum circumcisionem amputatam in subsannationem Dei projecerunt in caelum Hieron who saith he received it from the Tradition of the Jewes that the Amalakites who were professed Enemies to the Jewes did lye upon the watch to take all advantages against them in their march from Aegypt to Canaan and when at any time they turned aside out of the way either because of legall uncleannesse or upon any naturall necessity they would fall upon them and slay them which being done they cut off that member which had the Seale of the Covenant Circumcision upon it and with their hands stretched out threw it up towards Heaven as if they would challenge God himselfe to revenge their blasphemy of him and the contempt of that sacred Institution Secondly The hand is taken improperly or metaphorically so the power of a man is his hand the strength of his whole body state and minde may be called his hand his riches are his hand his credit is his hand his wit and parts Learning and Eloquence are his hand as there is a power in all these And when it is sayd here He stretcheth forth his hand against God we may understand it in that latitude for a wicked man improves the strength of his body the power of his Estate his Credit his Wit all his accommodations in the way of Rebellion against God A man is sayd to stretch out himselfe Extendere manum est omnem adhibere conatum ad percutiendum hostem aut aliquid aliud aggrediendum when he doth his utmost to attaine his end and makes the most of himselfe to any purpose In such cases he stretcheth all that he is as we say upon the Tenters and this all of his put together is his hand stretched out against God Further To stretch out the hand imports foure things First To doe a thing with the utmost intention of minde and body to doe it with all our might and fullest resolution Joshua being resolved to bring totall destruction upon the men of Ai Drew not his hand back wherewith he stretched out his Speare till he utterly destroyed all the Inhabitants of Ai Josh 8.26 The stretching forth of his hand was emblematicall speaking or implying that his spirit kept up to the height of resolution for the ruine of that City and people When the Scripture speaks of God acting towards Man either in a way of judgement or mercy this phrase is often used Exod. 6.6 Wherefore say to the Children of Israel I am the Lord and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Aegyptians and I will rid you out of their bondage and I will redeeme you with an out-stretched arme Exod. 14.8 The Children of Israel went out with an high hand and at the sixt Verse of the same Chapter the Lord bid Moses Stretch his hand over the Sea to shew that he was purposed to worke a Miracle for the deliverance of his people The Prophets are frequent in this language Isa 5.25 Therefore is the anger of the Lord kindled against his people and he hath stretched forth his hand against them Read Chap. 9. Verse 12 17.21 Chap. 10.4 Jer. 51.25 Ezek. 14.13 Chap. 15.7 In all these places when the Lord went with full purpose to punish he is said To stretch out his hand Now as when God stretcheth out his hand against Man it shews his resolvednesse to smite so when man stretcheth out his hand against God it shews his resolvednesse to sin or his actuall sinning with full intention and strength of spirit Secondly Mans stretching out his hand Extendere manum est habitus considentis potentiam viresque ostendentis speaks the confidence of a man that he shall carry all before him and win the day it is usuall with contenders especially with Souldiers before they joyne Battell to stretch their hands out to draw and brandish their Swords in token both of their courage to fight and of their confidence to prevaile Obstinate sinners are full of false hopes that they shall obtaine what they designe and prosper in their projects of wickednesse and therefore they are sayd to stretch out the hand against God Thirdly Stretching out the hand is a posture of pride and impudence pride is written upon a stretched-out-hand To sin presumptuously Anima quae in manu superbiae Sept. is in the Originall to sin with a high hand Numb 15.30 The Septuagint render that place The soule that in the hand of pride thinkes so shall be cut off The Caldee Paraphrase gives it thus He that sins with an uncovered head An uncovered head is an argument of boldnesse and that he who acts cares not who sees him Modesty causeth us to hang downe or cover the head when we have done ill and shame makes us cover the head when we receive evill or are punished Jer. 14.4 The Plowmen were ashamed they covered their heads because the ground was chapt for there was no raine in the Earth So that to do or suffer with an uncovered head is like doing or suffering with a high or stretched-out-hand boldly presumptuously and as it were hanging out a Falg of defiance against the God of Heaven Fourthly Stretching out the hand is the posture of a furious maddman he that wants the use of his reason makes this use of his hand laying about him as if he would doe wonders such madnesse
and he wept plentifully much eye-water doth not cleanse but foule the face My face is foule with weeping Facies mea inturnuit a fletu Vulg. or my face is swolne and my cheekes blubbered with weeping saith the Latine Translator Note here three sorts of teares spoken of in Scripture First There are teares of worldly sorrow Secondly Teares of godly sorrow Thirdly Teares of Hypocrisie The last sort is applyable to both the former it respects sometimes worldly sorrow and sometimes godly sorrow for both may be feyned Such were those teares Jer. 41. when Ishmael had killed Gedaliah the Text saith Ishmael went to Mizpeh and met the men weeping all along as he went as if he had been greatly troubled for the afflictions of the Land but they were Crokadiles teares Ishmael wept onely till hee had gotten those men as a prey in his power and then he destroyed them Ishmael was a State-hypocrite and seemed full of compassion that he might get an opportunity to vent his malice There are many Church-hypocrites who can foule and disfigure their faces with weeping as Christ reproves the Pharisees Matth. 6.16 while they have no thought of washing or reforming either their hearts or lives Jobs face was foule with weeping but his heart and life were cleane he needed not straine for teares or weep by art how could hee restraine teares whose troubles were enlarged The word which we render foule is doubled in the Originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Facies mea faedata est a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lutum hic duplicatur ut ante ad augendam fignisicationem which speakes thus much that his face double-dirtyed or double-dyed in his owne teares Neither yet was this all the argument of his reall sorrowes for he had not onely quite wept away his beauty but he had almost wept away his life too and was even dead with griefe as it followes in the next words And on my eye lids is the shadow of death That is Mine eyes are darkned and I looke like one that 's ready to give up the Ghost As if he had sayd My sorrow may be seen upon my eyes and eye lids which with extremity of griefe and multitude of teares are even wasted away and sunke in my head as when a man is dead or dying Much weeping weakens the eye-sight yea some are sayd to weepe out their eyes David gives us that effect of weeping Psal 6.7 I water my couch with teares that is I weep abundantly then it followes Mine eyes are consumed because of my griefe And Psal 38.10 My heart panteth my strength faileth as for the light of mine eyes it is also gone from me I am even growne blinde with sorrow or as the Church bemoanes her sad estate Lament 2.11 Mine eyes doe faile with teares Abundance of teares bring fayling of eyes and hee that useth his eyes to much weeping shall have little use of them for seeing Hos gestus in humiliationibus Orientales etiam Graecos usurpasse testatur videt Plutarchus in libello de superstitione Densissima caligo est oculis meis offusa Merc. wee may assigne the reason of it from nature because continuall powring forth of teares spends the spirits and so weakneth the viâ—ive power Now as death is a totall privation of sight so they whose sight is much impayred looke somewhat like the dead Hence Jobs complaint On my eye-lids is the shadow of death Shaddow of death notes the cleerest appearance the strongest signes of death Or this shadow of death upon his eye-lids together with the fouling of his face in the former clause may be an allusion to some fashions or customes of mourners in those times or places This phrase which also often occurrs in other Scriptures was opened Chap. 3.5 thither I referr the Reader Thus we have Jobs behaviour in his affliction by a twofold act and a twofold effect of it The first act was Sowing sack-cloth on his flesh The second was Defiling his horne in the dust The first effect was Foulenesse upon his face The second was Death upon his eyes Hence Observe First They are most sensible of the hand of God who are most submissive to it As Jobs afflictions were great so was his sorrowe and so was his submission Sorrow is not contrary to patience Job was the most patiâ—nt and the most sorrowfull man in the World There is an immoderate sorrow inconsistent with patience but great sorrow is not onely consistent with patience but an argument of it and unlesse we have some sorrow we are not patient at all how can he be called patient who either feeles not or slights his affliction It is as ill a symptome of a diseased soule to be unsensible of judgements as to be unsensible of mercies Unlesse wee feele the rod wee cannot heare the voice of the rod nor receive instruction by it To be as a Trunk or a Stone under correction is not to be patient under it but to despise it Humble your selves under the mighty hand of God is the advice of the spirit by the Apostle 1 Pet. 5.6 As God humbles us for sin or for the tryall of grace so they who have grace receive power to humble themselves and to humble our selves is not onely an act but an high act of grace both the grace of God toward us and the graces of God in us are exalted when wee are low in our owne eyes Secondly From the manner of this sorrowful humiliation He sowed sack-cloth upon his skin and defiled his horne in the dust Observe That as God letteth out visible tokens of his afflicting hand upon us so we should let out visible tokens of our humiliation under his hand As we are visibly afflicted so we should be visibly affected We may make our humblings seene though we must not doe it to be seene As the light of our active obedience should so shine before men that they may see our good workes and glorifie our Father which is in Heaven Matth. 5.16 So also should the light of our passive obedience shine before men that they may see our holy sufferings and glorifie our Father which is in Heaven It is as great a sin to boast of our poverty as it is to boast of our riches and as great a vanity to be proud of a crosse as to be proud of a Crowne yet it is an honour to God when men see that we are not ashamed either of poverty or of a crosse The crosse should be carryed upon our shoulders not put up in our pockets God loves to see us owne our troubles as well as our comforts and as hee will condemne those who wrap the Talent of their gifts and abilities in a Napkin and hide it from the use of others so he doth not approve those who wrap up their crosses and afflictions in a Napkin and hide them from the sight of others especially considering that even these also are Talents for which we stand accountable how
not mine eye continue in their provocation And therefore he renews his appeale to God and beggs to be heard before indifferent Judges or Umpires Lay downe now put me in a surety with thee who is he that will strike hands with me In the fourth and fifth Verses he further urgeth the reasons of his appeale or he backs his motion that God would doe him right from the insufficiency of his Freinds to doe him right Thou hast hid their heart from understanding As if he should say Who would stand to the judgement of those who want understanding Thou hast hid their heart from understanding therefore shalt thou not exalt them so To this honour of judging my cause and deciding this controversie yea I finde them so unfit to be eyther my Judges or my Arbitrators that they are indeed but Flatterers and therefore they may rather expect some sudden judgement upon themselves or their Children then that God should doe them this honour to judge for me He that speakes flattery to his Freinds even the eyes of his Children shall faile Vers 5. Thus I have opened Jobs scope in the context of these five Verses which I have put together because the matter runs in a continued dependence And though for the maine it be the same with which he concluded in the sixteenth Chapter yet the variety of reading and expression will yeeld us variety of meditation I descend to particulars Vers 1. My breath is corrupt my dayes are extinct the graves are ready for me Here are three things every of which speakes a dying man First Corrupt breath Secondly Extinguished dayes Thirdly A grave made ready Pereo spiritu agitatus Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vox 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ligavit constrinxit per antiphrasin significat solutus ruptus corruptus accommodatur etiam ad dolores intensissimos quales sunt parturientium quia cor valde constringunt First My breath is corrupt Ruach There are three interpretations given of that word My breath some understand it of his minde or whole inward man As if he had sayd My thoughts are or my minde is exceedingly troubled and so most of the Greek Interpreters read it and then the word which we translate Corrupt may signifie greived pained or afflicted and it is often applyed to those paines which are most painefull even the paine of a Woman in travell And so the sense is made out thus as if Job had sayd I am extreamely troubled ' or I am pained like a Woman in the houre of travell as shee is in bodily paine so I am pained in minde I hvve felt many inward pangs and throwes and yet I am not delivered But I conceive this exposition unsuitable to the scope of the place Job being about to describe the state of his body or of his outward man and not the affliction and trouble of his minde Secondly The word Ruach signifieth the vitall powers or spirits which support man Spiritus vitales qui animae instrumentum sunt ad vitae functiones Aquin. and serve him in all the functions of life spirits are the promoters of action and when the vitall spirits are corrupted man is unable not onely to act but to live The expence of spirits is the most chargeable expence to the life of man and when a mans spirits are much spent he is like a dead man though he be alive Wee say ordinarily when we are weary Our spirits are spent that is Our vitall spirits which give activity and strength to the whole body Thirdly Rather understand it literally and strictly for the breath which comes forth by respiration My breath is corrupt and then the corrupting here spoken of is not to be taken for any ill savour in his breath they who have corrupt breath are offensive to others in breathing Corruptio non hic denotat spiritum graveolentum sed spiritum qui cum ingenti nisu dolore emittitur Pined Medici Asthma vocant quia Asthmaticus suffocari videtur ideo legitur hic jam quidem Ago animam Tygur The breath is said to be corrupt because it smels of the corruption of those parts from whence it is drawne we must not understand Job so But when he saith My breath is corrupt his meaning is that eyther hee had obstructions and stoppings of breath which distemper Physitians call the Tissicke a man under that infirmity may be sayd to have his breath corrupted because he breathes difficultly And as it is so in some diseases so it is alway so in the approaches of death a little before a man dyes his breath shortens he breathes hardly or he hardly breathes he lyes gasping for life and catching for breath Such a state Job here intends The Tygurine translation takes that sense My life is departing or I am giving up the ghost Hence Note The breath of man is corruptible though his soule be not These two are very distinct Some make the soule and breaâ—h one thing and argue the corruptibility of the soule from such Texts as this But the breath differs not onely from the soule but from the life The soule hath a life of its owne and the life of the body is its union with the soule breathing is the acting of life proceeding from that union and ending when that union is dissolved Breath may be corrupt and life may banish but the soule continues the breath is so vanishing that the Prophet gives caution Isa 2.22 Cease from man whose breath is in his nostrills The breath of man is so ready to cease that it is our wisedome to cease from man for when breath goes man is gone and all goes with him in that day his thoughts perish and therefore Job had no sooner sayd My breath is corrupt but he adds My dayes are extinct 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vox tantum hoc loco reperta significat excidere amputare extinguere My dayes that is The time appointed for my life which is measured by dayes by naturall dayes or by artificial dayes Our dayes come and goe continually and when our tale of dayes is come and gone our dayes are extinct The word which here we translate extinct is found no where else in the Hebrew of the Old Testament It is rendered three wayes First Thus my dayes are cutt off which metaphor is often used in reference to life our dayes are as it were so many threads Excissi sunt Pagn and our life is like a peece of clooth woven together by many dayes when the Webb be it more or lesse longer or shorter is finished the thred is cut My dayes are cut off Secondly The Vulgar reads it my dayes will be shortned they shall be put in a narrow roome into a little compendium I shall soone be able to read over the volume of my dayes Breviabuntur dies mei Vulg they are but short a meer Epitome Thirdly We read my dayes are extinct or put out Which is a