for the sensitive appetite and that shee is sayd to forsake the guide of her youth because in youth appetite commonly forsakes reason which is appoynted to be the guide of it But we may expound this guide eyther for her father who had the government of her in her younger yeares or else for her husband whom she married in her youth and whom by marriage shee receaved as the guide of her youth under God who is indeed the guide both of our youth and old age and what guide soever the wife forsaketh shee cheifely forsaketh God who is her chiefe guide and forgetteth the covenant of her God that is the covenant which God gave her in reference to that particular estate of marriage Every beleever is in covenant with God in reference to his spirituall estate but a married person hath a covenant with God in reference to that civil state And Adultery is the breach of this covenant Secondly This shewes the sinfullnesse of Adultery that it is a sin which cannot be committed alone there is alwayes a double sin in this sin of adultery two are defiled with it at once In which sense it is worse then murther and theft For these may be committed and but one defiled with the sinfullnes of them He that robs is guilty of stealing not he that is robbed He that murders is guilty of blood not he that is murdered But in Adultery the Agent and patient are both alike guilty of uncleanenes The defilement reacheth both Thirdly The evill of this sin appeares by the many and manifold evills which it brings with it Solomon hath set them forth very particularly and fully Pro. 6.26 27 28 29 30. Lust not after her that is after the strange woman in thine heart neither let her take thee with her eyelids why not First thou mayest be undone in thy outward estate by meanes of a whorish woman a man is brought to a peice of bread that is he is ruin'd in all he hath by it and brought to so low an ebbe of poverty that he hath scarce the worth of a peice of bread left And which is both a second and a worse evill the adulteresse will hunt for the pretious life which may either be understood of the naturall life sometimes the adulterer is murtherd by the adulteresse or of that which is a more pretious life then the natural even the life of the soule or the eternal good and happinesse of the soule she cares not to destroy body and soule for ever so her lust may be satisfied that 's the gaine which the adulteresse pursues shee hunts for the pretious life the life of the soule Thirdly Solomon describes the evill of this sin in the 27 and 28 verses by the guilt which it inevitably brings with it Can a man take fire in his bosome and his cloathes not be burnt can a man goe upon hot coales and his feete not be burnt So he that goeth into his neighbours wife whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent that is he shall surely be very guilty As if he had sayd You can no more retaine your innocency while you commit this folly then you can avoyd being burnt when you carry fire in your bosome or tread upon burning coales Fourthly the sinfullnes of this sin appeares by the comparison which the Scripture makes between it and theft Pro. 6.30 31. Men doe not despise a theife Ferenda est magis omnis necessitas quam perpetranda aliqua iniquitas if he steale to satisfie his soule when he is hungry it is a sin to steale though it be to satisfie hunger no necessity can excuse iniquity and we should rather chuse to starve then steale if at least that may be called stealing which is done meerly to avoyd starving Therefore saith Solomon if he be found he shall restore seavenfold he shall give all the substance of his house yet this sin of stealing which is to satisfie hunger is but a small sin compared with Adultery which is onely to satisfie a mans lust and beastiall sensualnes This Solomon affirmes to us in the next words But who so committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding he that doth it destroyeth his owne soule He that stealeth upon those termes doth it for want but he that commits adultery upon any termes doth it for wantonnes He that stealeth doth it for lacke of bread but he that commits adultery doth it for lacke of understanding He that stealeth when he is hungry doth it to satisfie his soule but he that committeth Adultery though he doth it not with an intent to destroy his soule yet in the issue he destroyeth his owne soule But is not stealing a soule-destroying sin too I answer it is and so is every sin in its owne nature but there are some sins and among these Adultery is a chiefe one which in the event prove usually more destructive to the soule and have oftener destroyed it And as this sin doth very often destroy the soule as to its happines hereafter so it destroyeth it as to its abiding here Thus the soule may be sayd to be destroyed when the life is destroyed and this destruction of the soule Solomon seemes directly to ayme at as the next words lead us to Judge ver 33. A wound and dishonour shall he get and his reproach shall not be wiped away for jealousie is the rage of a man therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance Another Scripture to be much minded in this poynt is that of St Paul 1 Cor. 6.13 14. where writing to the Church of Corinth among which people that sin was very common before they were called to the knowledge of Christ by the preaching of the Gospel he urgeth many arguments upon their consciences to prevent their relapse into it And we may discover six arguments which the Apostle useth in that place I shall onely touch them and so returne to the text in hand The first appeares at the close of the 13th verse Now the body is not for fornication but for the Lord and the Lord for the body As if he had said you put the body to a use for which it was never intended the body is not for fornication but for the Lord that is for the Lords use and service and the Lord is for the body that is for the good and salvation of the body Such is the wonderfull goodnesse of God that looke in whatsoever we are for him he is for us As our bodyes are for the Lords service as well as our soules so the Lord is for the good of our bodyes as well as for the good of our soules And therefore our bodyes ought to be imployed for his Glory in every thing The second argument is taken from the resurrection God hath both raised up the Lord and will also raise up us by his owne power ver 14. As if he had sayd your bodyes shall be raised againe if they were to be lost in
fatherlesse when extreamely needing the helpe eyther of God or man And so the word widow must be understood Rev. 18.7 where Babylon boasteth I sit as a Queene and am no widow that is I am neither friendlesse nor helplesse or as the next words seeme to expound it I shall see no sorrow which is usually the widows portion Thus in the Text by the widow and the fatherlesse wee must understand not onely those who are formally so but all in affliction who are equivalently so The armes of the fatherlesse have been broken In the former part of the verse he saith Thou hast sent the widow away empty charging the sinne personally upon Job here he onely sayth The armes of the fatherlesse have been broken As if he did not place the fault directly upon him yet some translate it so Thou hast broken the armes of the fatherlesse making it Jobs act However our rendring layes fault enough upon him and leaves him in particular without excuse while it speaks onely in gâ—nerall The armes of the fatherlesse have been broken For it is as if he had said thou hast permitted their armes to be broken And if he should object what if the armes of the fatherless have been broken what is that to mee Yes you being in place and power and having strength in your owne hands to preserve the fatherlesse if the armes of the fatherlesse have been broken the sinne must lye at your doore Every man is guiltie of all the evill which he hath power and a call to hinder and doth not hinder The armes of the fatherlesse Armes may be taken either properly or figuratively The arme properly is a noble and most usefull Limbe of the body we are not to understand it so here as if he had broken the naturall armes of their bodyes A mans arme is broken when his power is broken though his skin be not so much as touc ht So then Per brachia robur divitiae facultates quae Orphano pro brachijs manibus esse possunt intelliguntur By the armes of the fatherlesse wee are to understand whatsoever is the strength or makes for the defence of the fatherlesse The arme as was toucht in the former verse is put for strength because the arme hath much strength and activity in it for the defence and use of the whole body The estate the friends the kindred all the meanes helpes and ayds which are subservient to the good and protection of the fatherlesse are by a figure called the Armes of the fatherlesse These armes saith Eliphaz Have been broken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 confringere contundere The word notes an utter breaking a breaking to pieces To break as a thing is broken in a Morter with a pestle This breaking may be also considered two wayes 1 Non subveniendo 2 Detinendo substantiam ipsis a parentibus relictam either as done by a positive act or by a negative act that is by withholding that helpe which might preserve them from breaking The armes of the fatherlesse are broken by denying them protection as well as by exercising oppression upon them Thus wee see what a bill of inditement is here drawne up against Jâ—b how he is charged with crimes which are not onely against the light of Scripture but even against the very light of nature even with those crimes which his hand was farre from and his heart further from with those crimes which he did not onely forbeare to practice but which his soule did abhorre Hence observe That the most innocent persons are often charged with the foulest and sinfullest crimes Job was so cleare in his owne conscience from this accusation that he not onely professeth openly that he never did but imprecates a like vengeance upon himselfe if ever he had done it Chap. 31.21 If I have lift up my hands against the fatherlesse when I saw my helpe in the gate that is when by reason of my great power and authority in the place of judgement I could easily enough have done it no man daring to oppose or hinder mee but all rather being ready to countenance and assist me in it if I say when I had these advantages over the fatherlesse I did ever breake their armes then let mine arme fall from my shoulder blade and mine arme be broken from the bone As if he had said if I have done this thing let a divine and visible retaliation poynt me out for the man let all the world see and reade my sinne in my punishment and my injustice against man in the most discernable judgements of God upon my selfe Thus free and innocent was Job and yet thus accused And indeed if to accuse were enough there is no man in the world could be innocent or free Who is there of so unspotted a conversation that may not be spotted with accusation who while his conscience is pure may not have much dirt cast in his face Secondly Eliphaz accuses Job of all this not because he knew it to be so but because he thought it was so Whence note which hath formerly been toucht at That to charge any man upon surmise with things that wee cannot prove is a high breach not onely of charity but of justice The Lord reproves Jobs three friends in the last Chapter of this Booke because they had not spoken of him the thing that was right and as they had not spoken the thing that was right of God so not of Job They pitcht upon no reason why they condemned him so much but onely because he indured so much They concluded him a man of sinne because he was a man of sorrow The Apostle gives us the true genius of charity 1 Cor. 13.3 4. Charity beleeveth all things not that charity is so credulous as to take up every thing for truth which is scattered by any common and ungrounded report that 's no commendation in any man much lesse is it the commendation of a godly man therefore when the Apostle saith Charity beleeveth all things the meaning is Charity interprets every thing in the best sence which it will beare and makes the fayrest construction which every mans case and condition will admit And againe at the 5th verse Charity thinkes no evill that is it thinkes no evill of others As a godly man will not maintaine evill thoughts or suffer them to lodge within him in reference to any sinne which himselfe is tempted to commit So a charitable man will not maintaine or Iodge evill thoughts of others in reference to any sinne which he can onely suppose that they have committed Againe as charity thinkes no evill that is it doth not plot evill against others so thinkes no evill by a rash surmising it of others Thus charity beleeves all 's well and thinkes no evill How uncharitable then are they yea how unjust who beleeve all 's ill where they know of none and thinke the worst of them in whom they never saw any thing but what was
owne hearts may vow more care and diligence in and about all these things And thus wee are to understand that of Jacob Gen. 28.21 vowing that the Lord should be his God as also that of David Psal 119.106 I have sworne and will performe it that I will keepe thy righteous judgements David kept them before but now he would be more strict then before in keeping them So then when we vow things already commanded or forbidden we must pitch and place our vow not upon the matter of the commandement but upon the manner and intensenes of our spirits in keeping it Fourthly Let not vowes about indifferent things be perpetuall All vowes about things expressed in the Law of God must be perpetuall because the things themselves are allwayes a duty For the affirmative precepts of the Law are at all times binding and the negative binde at all times But as for things which are not precisely under a Law As for example in the affirmative to pray so many times in a day to reade so many Chapters of the holy Scriptures in a day to heare so many Sermons in a weeke and in the negative not to drinke any wine or strong drinke not to weare silke or lace for or upon our Apparrel not to take such or such a recreation in it selfe lawfull I say in these cases let not vowes be perpetuall but limited to a season lest thereby wee entangle our owne soules and cast our selves into temptation while through a zeale not according to knowledge we use such meanes to avoyd it Make no vowes to binde your selves at all times in things which are not necessary at all times eyther to be done or not to be done From the whole verse Observe That the answer of prayer received from the Lord doth call us to pay and performe all the duties that we have promised or vowed to the Lord in prayer Though we doe not alwayes make strict and formal vowes when we pray yet every prayer hath somewhat of a vow in it so that having prayed at any time we may say The vowes of God are upon us for when we pray we promise and then especially we doe so when we pray under any pressure of trouble or when we have any extraordinary request to make then I say we engage our selves in a more solemne manner to serve and walke with God And so the returne or answer of such prayers ingageth us more strongly to duty For wheresoever the Lord soweth there he lookes to reape and where he hath sowed much he looks to reape much but then and there chiefly when we promise him fruits of duty for our receipts of favour and mercy Did we take notice of this we should not be found as we are so much in arreare to the Lord eyther for our private or publique mercies What promises have we made in the day of our distresse that we would be holy that we would strive against and mortifie our sinnes or the deeds of the body through the Spirit power of our Lord Jesus Christ Now let conscience speake have wee performed our promises have we paid our vowes we can hardly say that we have put up a prayer which hath not had an answer by blessings and successes God hath been to us a prayer-hearing God have we been to him a vow-paying people Who amongst us is now more active for God or more carefull to please him then before Who amongst us is more watchfull over his heart or more circumspect in his walkings then he was before Who is more carefull over his family that it may be holy or more zealous for the publicke that it may be reformed then he was before What manner of men should we be in all holy conversation and Godlines did we but pay those vowes and make good those engagements which have gone out of our lips and we have layd upon our selves before the Lord in the day of our trouble how just how pure how righteous a Nation should we be were we what we promised our utmost endeavours to be the Lord hath done much for us let us up and be doing for him let us make good what we have spoken to the Lord in vowing and promising seing the Lord hath performed what we have spoken to him in praying and calling upon his name God hath answered us at the first call yea sometimes before we called let us not put God to call a second and a third time much lesse often and often for the payment of our vowes For though the Lord in patience waite many dayes for the payment of vowes yet according to righteousnes we should not let him waite one day for it All these spirituall debt-bills are payable at sight or upon demand God shewes us our owne bills and bonds wherein we stand engaged to his Majesty every day and every day by some or other of his Atturneyes that is by some meanes or other he makes his demand therefore pay to day pay every day for we can never come wholy out of these debts to God or say we owe him nothing how much soever we have payd him And know that if when God hath heard us we be sloathfull in paying our vowes eyther God will heare us no more or wee shall heare of him and that as we say with both eares till he make our eares tingle and our hearts ake for not paying them Swift Judgements have often followed these slow payments And though they have not been swift in comming presently upon the neglect yet when they have come they have come swiftly upon the neglecters And as wee may alwayes say of the evills and Judgements which come upon any of the people of God as the Prophet in a like case doth to the people of Israel Jer. 4.18 Thy way and thy doinâ—s have procured these things unto thee this is thy wickednes So in most cases when evills and judgements fall upon and afflict the people of God we may say Your not doing what you have promised hath procured these things unto you This is your vow-breaking or your neglect of paying your vowes And how just is it that their troubles should not onely be renewed but even doubled and trebled yea seventimes more encreased upon them who slight and throw off those very duties which they tooke upon them in the day of their trouble in expectation to have their troubles removed Every mans mouth will be stopt when he suffers for not doing that good which the mouth of the Lord hath spoken how much more will his mouth be stopt and he have nothing to say for himselfe who suffers for not doing that good or for not forbearing that evill which his owne mouth hath spoken and solemnly charged upon himselfe as a duty in the presence of the Lord. They will have least to say for themselves who goe against or come not up to what themselves have sayd Then pay your vowes JOB CHAP. 22. Vers 28 29 30. Thou shalt also decree
though I confesse if God should put forth his power I were not able to hold up my head before him and that he could easily overthrow me with a breath yet I am perswaded he will take a more favourable course and deale with me in mercy not with rigour or severity Vers 6. Will he plead against me with his great power I know he is cloathed with Majesty and that the greatnes of power is his but will he plead against me with it The Hebrew text is will he plead with me to plead with and to plead against are the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contenâ—et quasi de jure suo ut illud exigat To plead is a Law terme He that pleadeth against another discovers eyther the faultines of his person when accused or the weaknes of his Title when controverted This word is used by the Prophet Isa 57.16 I will not contend or plead for ever I will not argue my owne prerogative nor will I argue thy sinfullnesse alwayes or without end why not if I should the spirit would faile before me and the soules which I have made where though spirit and soule are put synechdochically for the whole man that is for flesh and spirit for soule and body together yet the Lord mentions onely spirit and soule because of their strength to beare divine contendings beyond the body or the flesh As if he had sayd even that which is strongest in man would fayle if God should alwayes contend 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Num copia sui roboris c. Will he plead against me with his great power or strictly to the Letter with the multitude of his power with the forces of his power The power of God is great yea the power of God is greatest all his power is allmighty power yet God doth not alwayes put forth the greatnes of his power He is a most free agent and so can restraine and hold in his owne power when he pleaseth and not use it to the terror of a poore creature or plead against him with it Againe The power of God may be taken two wayes First for his strength or his power of doing and executing secondly for his prerogative authority or his power of commanding and ruling we may interpret it here of the latter will God deale with me by his prerogative power thinke you will he oppresse me with his meere authority Per multaÌ„ dei fortìtudineÌ„ potentiam ejus absolutam summum jus dici solet intelliguÌ„t multi Bold I have another opinion of God surely he will not doe so For he is good and gratious and he will attemper his prerogative with pity his great power with much mercy Will he plead against me with this great power Jobs question is a confident negation such negative interrogations are frequent in Scripture will he is he will not plead against me with his great power but Job is not satisfied that his speech carrieth a negation in it and therefore lest any should not fully enough understand him so he expresseth his negative will he plead with me with his great power no His power is not nor ever will it be against me He will take some other course with me he will deale with me upon the account of goodnes and mercy not upon the account of power He will not breake me a bruised reed nor quench me who am but smoaking flax he will rather bind me up and cherish the least sparke which he perceiveth alive in me Will he plead against me with his great power Hence observe First God hath great power much power All power is his The power of men and Angels is his What power soever whether for kinde or degree is in the hand of any creature that power belongs to God Thus David a man of Great power states it God hath spoken once twice have I heard this That power belongeth unto God The power that is scattered and divided all the world over is centred and united in him God hath a greatnesse of power in commanding and disposing what and how things shall be done he also hath a greatnes of power in doing and executing what he hath commanded The commands of men are often unperformed eyther because they to whom their commands are sent have no power to performe them or because they want power to backe their owne commands Wee may consider the Greatnes of the power of God several wayes First As he can doe all things and is omnipotent there is nothing too hard for him his hand is not shortened in reference to the longest or the greatest workes and difficulties And as he can doe whatsoever he hath a will to doe so he will doe whatsoever he pleaseth to have done whatsoever he purposeth to doe whatsoever is upon his heart to doe none of his counsells ever fayled nor have any of the thoughts of his heart been frustrated Men often purpose to doe but they seldome have power to doe what they have purposed they are bigge with the conceptions of many great matters but when the children come to the birth they have no strength to bring forth God never failes in his power to doe whatsoever he hath a purpose or a mind to doe God hath power enough to backe his commands and he can supply power to those whom he calleth to execute them Secondly The greatnesse of Gods power is seene in this that He hath a right to doe all that he doth As he hath a fullnesse of strength so a fulnesse of Authority he doth not usurp or intrench upon any other power in what he doth nor upon any mans property in what he hath it is his due to doe what he doth and to have what he hath God is supream giving the Law to all receiving the Law from none his is not a tyrannicall but a just and a righteous power his is not a might without right but a might with right What the Prophet speakes of the Chaldeans Hab. 1.7 is true of God in every sence in the strictest sence His judgement and his dignity proceedeth of himselfe he is a law unto himselfe his rule is internall and his power intrinsecall All derive power from him therefore his power is altogether underived Power underived must needs be great power yea the Greatnes of power Thirdly The greatnesse of his power appeareth further in this that no man may presume to question him for what he doth He hath great power in what he doth whom none may so much as aske what doest thou Nebucadnezzar a heathen in highest earthly power confesseth as much of the power of God as soone as he regained the reason of a man Dan. 4.34 35. At the end of the dayes that is after the terme of seven yeares was accomplished when for the heart of a beast a mans heart was restored to him I Nebuchadnezzar lift up mine eyes to heaven and mine understanding returned unto me and I blessed the most high and I
is that when God comes to plead with Beleevers he pleads not against them with his power and righteousnesse seing Christ with both pleads for them He pleads for them not onely as he is Jesus Christ the righteous but as he is the mighty the All-powerfull God This is the chiefest ground of a beleevers confidence that God as Job here saith will not plead against him with his great power What then did Job beleeve would God doe with him the next words enforme us what his faith was in that particular But he would put strength in mee So we render the Hebrew is onely thus He will put in mee Veruntatem ille pones in me Heb. what he would put is not expressed in the Original which hath caused some variety of opinion what it should be that the Lord would put into him and I finde a threefold conjecture in the poynt First The supplement is made thus He would produce arguments or reasons against me and this is conceived most suitable to the context and scope of the place as also to the action of pleading before spoken of Poneret afferret in me suas rationes Merc. Ipse poneret coÌ„tentioneÌ„ in me id est non robore mecum ageret sed verborum contentione Ch would he plead with or against me with his great power no but he would shew me the reason of his dealings with me he would not proceed against me in a martiall but in a legal way not in a prerogative but in a discoursive argumentative way he would shew me the cause why he thus contendeth with me and hath so sorely afflicted me God would condescend so farre to my weaknes as to give me an account though I dare not presume to call him to an account and though he hath both power and right to deale with me as he pleaseth yet I am much assured that he would be pleased to tell me why he deals thus with me This interpretation is cleare to the generall scope of the context and argues nothing unbecoming that holy confidence which the Grace of the Gospel alloweth a beleever in yea encourageth him unto when in any distresse he approacheth unto God for the reliefe and comfort of his troubled Spirit Secondly Another thus Will he plead against me with his great power Fonet in me sc cor suum i e. compleâ—eretur me favoure Pisc no but he would put his heart upon me that is he would imbrace me with his favour and lay me in his bosome Though his hand hath been exceeding heavy upon me yet I believe his heart is towards me though he hath smitten me with the wound of an enemy yet he will receive me as a friend and give me signal testimonies of his love I should not feele the weight of his hand but see the tendernes of his bowels and his heart moving towards me This also is an interpretation full of truth and as full of comfort to a wearied soule Thirdly The supplement made in our translation reacheth both the former and suites also to the former branch of the Text with much elegancy Alij sub audiuÌ„t repetuÌ„t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in me robur poneret ad consistendum coram sâ— â—e infiâ—mum fulciens roborans Merc. Would he plead against me with his great power no but he would put power or strength into me he will be so farre from putting out his strength against me that he will put his strength into me he knoweth my weaknesse how unable I am to contend with or beare up against his power and therefore he would put power into me Mr Broughton renders clearely to this sense Would he by his great power plead against me no but he would helpe me helpe is power and he that helpeth another administers power to him he either puts new strength into him or joynes his strength with him So then Job was assured that God would put strength into him or be his strength to helpe and carry him through all the difficulties that lay before him Hence Observe First A beleiver hath no opinion of his owne strength or that he can doe any thing in his owne strength He trusts no more to his owne strength or power then to his owne righteousnesse or worthinesse As our Justification before God is purely founded in the righteousnesse of Christ so all the actings of our sanctification are maintained by the strength of Christ Holy Job spake nothing of his owne strength yea he spake as having no strength of his owne A Godly man knows his owne strength is but weaknesse and that when he prevailes with God it is with a power which he hath from God Paul useth a forme of speech which we may call a divine riddle 2 Cor. 12.10 When I am weake then I am strong he predicates or affirmes one contrary of another weaknesse is contrary to strength how a weake man should be strong and then especially strong when he is weake is hard to conceive by those who are spirituall and is unconceivable by those who are carnal This assertion is enough to pose and puzle nature He that is weake is strong or the readiest way to get strength is to be weake The truth and the Apostle Pauls meaning is plainly this When I am weake in my owne sense and opinion when I am convinced that I have no power of my owne then I feele power coming in then Christ strengthens me and I am strong then I experience that word My grace is sufficient for thee When I finde the waters of my owne cisterne low and fayling then I have a supply from the Spirit So the Apostle spake Phil. 1.19 I know that this also shall turne to my salvation through your prayers and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ The first Adam received all his strength at once we now receive our strength by dayly fresh supplyes from the second Adam The word there used by the Apostle which we render supply signifieth an under-supply implying thus much that as the naturall body and each particular member of it is supplyed with sence and motion together with a suitable strength and ability from the head so beleevers who are altogether the mysticall body of Christ and each of them members in particular are supplyed from Christ their head by the Spirit with spirituall life motion and strength of Grace for every duty to which they are called or which is required of them And because as this is so in its selfe so beleevers are instructed in it therfore they disclaime and goe out of their own strength that the power of Christ may rest upon them Christ fills none but the hungry nor doth he strengthen any but the weake They who thinke they have any thing of their owne shall receive nothing from him unlesse Christ be all in all to us he will not be any thing at all to us Secondly Observe God himselfe puts strength into humbled sinners that they
Christ to subdue and conquer them they will be too hard for us and foyle us We are easily and presently foiled by pride by covetousnesse by wrath by envie all these passions and lusts will trample us under their feete in the dirt of all sinfullnesse and pollution both of flesh and spirit unlesse we receive power from on high to subdue and mortifie them Rom. 8.13 If ye through the Spirit mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live that is ye shall live comfortably holyly and eternally The deeds of the body that is sinfull deeds and the roote of them sinfull lusts count all weapons as Leviathan doth speares and swords but straw and stubble rather to be laughed at then feared except onely the weapons or power of the Spirit And when once we take our lusts to taske with the weapons of the Spirit they presently fall and dye before us The Spirit is the strength of God in us for the mortification of Corruption Fourthly We are strengthened or God puts strength into us for the resisting and conquering of the temptations of Satan we meet with many assaults from the devill and from the world who are confederate with our lusts These we must resist stedfast in the faith and that not onely in the faith as the faith imports soundnes of doctrine or divine truth but as The faith imports dependance upon Christ for strength and assistance Peter being a cheife a grandee in the traine of Christ or among the Disciples of Christ was Satans eye-sore and the fayrer marke for his fiery darts Satans fingers itcht to be doing with him he saith our Saviour desired to have him that he might sift him as wheat Luk. 22.31 that is to sift him throughly not to fetch out his chaffe from him but indeed to make him chaffe How was Peter upheld I have prayed for thee saith Christ that thy faith faile not that is I have prayed that God would put strength into thee that thy faith faile not if once faith faile we are overcome But is faith our strength No but faith goes to and takes hold of him who is our strength or who puts strength into us that we fall not in temptation But you will say Peter fell and he fell grievously his fall was great he denyed his Master 'T is true Peter fell but he did not fall away his faith did not faile that is it was not totally lost and therefore when Christ lookt upon him and by that looke renewed his strength he gat up againe even when he denied Christ there was a seed of faith remaining in him though like a tree in the winter his fruit was gone yea and his leaves too and he looked dead and withered yet there was sap in the roote his faith failed not whence was this he had an invisible supply of strength from God I have prayed saith Christ that thy faith faile not The prayer of Christ fayled not and therefore his faith did not Christ prayed that he might have strength by beleeving and though he had not so much faith as to preserve him standing yet he had so much faith as to raise him from his fall And what Christ prayed for Peter he prayed for all that should beleeve on his name that in all their resistings of and contendings with temptation their faith also may not fayle As faith is one principall piece of our spirituall armour whereby we overcome temptation so it fetches in that which is the whole of the whole Armour of God even the strength of God When the Apostle exhorts Saints Eph. 6.11 To put on the whole armour of God He premises another most needfull exhortation or exhorts them first v. 10. to be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might implying that it is not any one piece no nor the whole armour of God abstractly or precisely taken which is our strength but that the God of this Armour is our strength in the spirituall combate Though our loynes were girt about with truth and we have on the breast-plate of righteousnesse though our feete were shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace and we have the shield of faith in our hand though we should take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God yet if thus arrayed it were possible for us to neglect or forget the God of the Word it were not possible for us to conquer the footmen lesser much lesse the horsemen Greater least of all The Charets of iron the greatest temptations of the Prince of darknes As no carnal weapon hath any thing at all to doe so no spirituall weapon can doe any thing at all in this warre without the strength of God or rather to conclude this poynt all these spirituall weapons and Armour are nothing else but the strength of God or the various puttings forth of the strength of God in weake man Fifthly and lastly God gives us strength to pray to and plead our cause before him he will not dazle us with his glory nor confound us with his Majesty when we come to plead with him but he will put strength into us In prayer we prevaile with God but the strength whereby we prevaile with God comes from God yea he doth not onely give us strength in prayer to act by but he acts that strength in prayer Rom. 8.26 Likewise the Spirit helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it selfe maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered Prayer is strong worke it calls forth the whole strength of the soul nor doth the soule in any thing shew its strength more then in prayer praying is wrestling and how can we wrestle without strength Even the king of Ninevy gave this direction at his fast Jon. 3.8 Let them cry mightily And our Lord Jesus Christ in the dayes of his flesh offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares Heb. 5.7 Now the Spirit is the strength of God in us for prayer he helpeth our infirmities and we are onely a bundle of infirmities without his helpe There is a threefold strength needfull in prayer and God by the Spirâ—t puts these three strengths into us First The Spirit helpes us with strength of argument to plead with God Secondly The Spirit helpes us with strength of faith in taking hold upon God Thirdly The Spirit helpes us with strength of patience in waiting upon God till we receive what we have prayed for Jacob by this threefold strength had power with God in prayer Hos 12.3 and it was the power or Spirit of God by which he had this threefold strength to prevaile with God Thus we are strengthened with might by the Spirit in the inner man Eph. 3.16 We are strong to doe and strong to suffer we are strong to mortifie corruptions and strong to conquer temptations we are strong to pray and strong to plead our
of the way by the perswasion of others A subtle head and a smooth oyly tongue may worke them off from their owne resolutions It hath been a question disputed among moral Philosophers Whether a wise man may be an uncertaine or a various man And they resolve it Negatively Wisdome is as balast which keeps the minde from floating And it hath been sayd of a wise man among the Heathen that the Sun might as soone be thrust out of his line as he from the line of Justice yet let no man glory in man no not in wise men The wisest and most constant among men may doe unwisely and prove unconstant The most resolved among the children of men may be wrought upon and brought over to what they purposed not But this is the glory of God that as he is in one minde so none can turn him or make him in two None can turne him out of the way eyther of his intended Judgements or promised mercies what he hath a minde to doe he will not be put by the doing it We may affirme three things concerning the workes of God or concerning God in his workings First The workes of God are so full of mystery that none can fully comprehend them there is much in his ordinary workes beyond man and his extraordinary workes are all beyond man We by reason of our indiligence see but little of any of his workes and some of his workes are such as we can see but a little way into them with all our diligence Secondly The workes of God are so full of righteousnesse that no man can justly reprove or finde fault with them They who come with the most curious critical eyes to examine the workes of God shall not finde any flaw or defect in them There have been many who through their presumptuous folly have found fault with the workes of God but there was never any who with his most refined wit could finde a fault in them The Jewes of old complained of and quarrel'd at the wayes of God as unequall Ezek. 18.25 but when it came to tryall they could prove nothing but the inequality of their owne Thirdly The workes of God are so full of power that none can put a stop to or hinder the accomplishment of them These are three excellent perfections of the workes of God And the last is that which is here under hand Hezekiah though a great King was not able to bring a worke about which he had a minde to The rescue of Jerusalem out of the hand of the Assyrians and therefore he sends this pitifull cry to the Prophet Isaiah 2 King 19.3 The children are come to the birth that is the busines is ripe for execution and there is no strength to bring forth The workes of the strongest men may sticke in the birth for want of strength to bring them forth But the workes of God never sticke in the birth upon that or any other account He is in one minde and who can turne him There are foure wayes by which men are usually turned off from or stopped in their workes but by none of them will God be turned when he hath a minde to worke First Men are often stopt by outward power they doe not eyther that good or that evill which they would because they cannot and their cannot possibly doth not lie in this that they have not a power in themselves proportionable to the worke or because they have medled with a matter too great for them and for which they are no match but they therefore onely cannot doe what they would because they are hindered from doing it A man may have ability to master the worke he is about to doe yet not to master the impediments that stand in the way of it But all the power of the creature cannot hinder God If he will worke none can let him Isa 43.13 The power of men is weaknesse unto God And that which lookes like weaknesse in God is stronger then the united strength of all men 1 Cor. 1.25 The foolishnes of God is wiser then men and the weaknesse of God is stronger then men Secondly Men are or may be turned by counsel or advice and some who could not be stopt by power have yet been stopt by perswasion An eloquent tongue hath prevailed where a violent hand could not We read how Abigail prevailed upon David a mightie warrier and mightily resolved to destroy Nabal and all his house 1 Sam. 25.22 So and more also doe God unto the enemies of David if I leave of all that pertain to him by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall David spake not onely peremptorily but with a kinde of adjuration And he was upon his march with foure hundred armed men at his heeles to put his purpose into Execution Yet a discreet woman goes out to meet and turne him from his course and turne him she did she did it effectually But what could Abigail a woman doe to prevaile with David and his Souldiers What she did she did by perswasion she layed arguments before him and managed them with so much pathetical rhetoricke and clearnes that he could not withstand her ver 32.33 And David said unto Abigail Blessed be the Lord God of Israel which sent thee this day to meete me and blessed be thy advice and blessed be thou which hast kept me this day from coming to shed bloud and to avenge my selfe with mine owne hand Thus men may be turned from what they have resolved especially when they doe not well deliberate before they resolve But God cannot be turned by any counsel or advice seing whatsoever he purposeth to doe he doth it upon the unerring advice and counsel of his owne will Those passions of anger and jealousie in which as he is set forth to us in Scripture God is sayd to act are yet the issues of infinite deliberation He that doth all things by the best counsel can never be turned by any Thirdly Men are often turned by petition when they will not by argument and you may entreate them to desist from what they were about to doe though you cannot advise them out of it And we know that of all things prayer is the most prevailing with God Nothing hath ever turned God so much as prayer hath and yet prayer it selfe in the sence here intended cannot turne God We must not thinke that we change God by our prayers though when we pray God often makes a gratious change for us Whatsoever his minde is to doe he doth it yea though prayer stand in his way Wee may say that the greatest providentiall changes that were ever made in the world God hath made them upon the prayers of his people yet he never changed his owne minde in the least at the prayer of his people The Lord calls his people earnestly to call upon him so and meeting him by prayer to stop him when he is preparing to doe some great thing against them
in any new sufferings O saith he God hath made my heart soft that is I begin to faint I finde my selfe drooping I have not that strength of spirit and though I am not a coward yet I have not that courage that hardnes or hardines of spirit which I have had heretofore He queried indeed Ch. 6.12 Is my strength the strength of stones or is my flesh brass He had much strength but not the strength of stones nor was he hard as brass Now he saith plainly my heart is made soft it melteth like wax at the fire I am so litle like brass or stones in strength or hardnes that I am altogether like wax or water I am so far from having a minde to strive with or rise up against God that I know not how to stand before him if he which he seems to intend should still goe on to afflict me I am growne weake and unable to beare yet my burden remaines and will probably be made yet more heavie This interpretation carrieth a distinct sence in it and that which is most genuine to the scope of the place Mr Broughtons translation of the latter clause of the verse suites this exposition of the former with much clearenes For the Omnipotent hath softned my heart and the Almighty hath made me shrinke Whereas wee say the Almighty troubleth me he saith The Almighty hath made me shrinke For so a man commonly doth who eyther feares or feeles that which he is not well able to beare Hence Note The heart of a Godly man even of the most Godly may be so weakened under long continued sufferings that he may finde himselfe utterly unable to beare them any longer Wicked men labour to strengthen and harden themselves all they can to beare in opposition to God and Saints would strengthen and harden themselves all they can to beare in submission to God Pharaoh hardened his heart to oppose God striking him hee had stroake after stroake and Judgement after Judgement yet he would not yeeld but at last God made his heart soft in one sense though hee hardened it in another God appeared at last too hard for Pharaoh hee could hold out no longer And we finde the Lord speaking thus by Ezekiel to his people who it seemes by the language which God useth concerning them had as it were set themselves with unholy resolutions to stand or rather stout it out with God and beare the worst that hee could doe unto them But saith the Lord Ezek. 22.14 can thine heart endure or can thine hands be strong in the day that I shall deale with thee When I deale with thee in wayes of Judgement when I take thee in hand to punish and repay thee according to thy workes can thine heart endure no! it cannot endure it shall not be able to endure The Lord doth not meane it of an endureing with submission and patience So it is the honour of Saints to endure what ever God layes upon them but to endure with stoutnes and resistance art thou able to stand it out or can thine hand be strong no thy heart and hand will be soft and weake thou wilt not be able to beare it when I come to deale with thee It is sayd of Christ by David his type Psal 22.13 when hee was under those terrible sufferings for our sins that his heart was made soft and if it were so with the greene tree what must it be with the dry I am powred out like water and all my bones are out of joynt my heart is like wax it is melted in the midst of my bowells Thus the sufferings of Christ our head who was also the Captain of our salvation and the mighty God made his heart soft and melted him His heart was not melted with sorrow for his owne sin for he was without sin but the sorrow that was upon him for our sins melted his heart Whose heart will not melt grow soft that is unable to beare it when God layeth his hand heavy and long upon him Therefore we râ—ad in the Prophet how the Lord takes notice of this and condescends to the weaknes of man Isa 57.16 I will not contend for ever neither will I be alwayes wroth I will not goe onne to doe as I have done Why What 's the reason of it not but that God is able to continue his Contending and to carry on his warre whether with persons or with Nations for ever but he hath respect to the poore Creature for saith he I will not doe it lest the spirit should faile before mee and the soules which I have made How can soules faile the soule is an immortall substance and shall not faile for ever The soules of the damned shall be under everlasting Contendings and never faile they shall beare wrath for ever and not faile yea their bodyes shall not faile but through the power of God sustaining them under his Justice shall endure everlasting torments The meaning of that expression in the Prophet is the same with this in the Text Their heart will be made soft as yet they have strength faith and courage to beare these afflictions but if I continue them longer their spirit and strength their faith and patience will faile and be so worne out that they will not be able to abide it God would not Contend for ever lest as Job here complaines he should make their hearts soft And the Almighty troubleth mee That is his presence or his dispensations trouble me Deus in cujus potentia sufficientiaque divitiarum solatium meum esse debebat is me privavit omni solatio animam meam plane dejecit deserit me terret me Sanct wee see how much the spirit of Job was carryed out in the thing And he useth a word here that signifieth the power of God to comfort and refresh or God in his allsufficiency to comfort yet saith he this Almighty troubleth mee that is the thoughts or remembrance of him troubleth me He hath cast downe and grieved my soule already and I am much troubled with fearefull apprehensions of like severities from him againe These words the reader will easily perceive to be of the same minde and meaning with the 15th verse of this Chapter lately opened and therefore I shall not stay upon them but proceed to the last verse Vers 17. Because I was not cut off before the darknes neither hath he Covered the darknes from my face Here Job gives another reason of his being thus troubled at the presence of the Almighty It is saith he because I was not cut off before the darknes or because I dyed not by thick darknes so Mr Broughton we say because I was not cut off hee because I dyed not both meete in the same meaning For death is a cutting off and death will cut off or mow downe the strong yea the strongest as the sith doth eyther corne or grasse Thus spake Hezekiah in his sicknes Isa 38.10 I sayd in the
the sinner purely to his owne election but it is a perswasion which hath an over-comming power going along with it God doth not draw us against our wills to Christ but hee drawes the will to Christ or makes us willing to come to Christ And the Lord drawes beleevers thus also after conversion to neerer converse with Christ The Church begged the putting forth of this powerfull drawing Cant. 1.3 Draw me and I will run after thee As the soule must have a drawing before we can come to Christ at all so after we are come to Christ wee need drawing still that we may follow hard after him This sence of the word may have place in the present text Wicked men have a power of drawing others after them though they doe not act any outward power Hee draweth the mighty by his power That is he allureth them to his side or to a complyance with him And he doth this sometimes as without any formal threatnings to exercise his power against them so without any formal promises of using his power for them As they usually draw the mighty by the power of perswasion so their power and example draw much without perswasion Secondly There is a drawing by an outward violence or a drawing by force And this I take to be most proper here Hee causeth the mighty to come in and stoope to his power though they have no mind at all to it Hee draweth the mighty That is first those that are mighty in courage secondly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est ingens 1 numero 2 motu 3 potentia those that are mighty in strength whether of body or estate Psal 76.5 The stout-hearted or mighty are spoyled they have slept their sleepe hee drawes the mighty the stout-hearted by his power There is a twofold power first of natural strength or activity secondly there is a power of civill strength or authority Rom. 13.1 The powers that bee are ordained of God That is the Authoritative or Magistraticall powers are ordained of God Wee may suppose the wicked man here spoken of cloathed with both these sorts of power and so as he tramples upon the poore the widow the barren and the weake so he keepes downe the mighty the rich the Great and in conclusion he so tyrannizeth and domineereth over all that all are over-awed to connive at him and stand as Neuters if not to joyne with him and be of his party He draweth the mighty by his power Hence observe Oppressors and Tyrants will reach men of all degrees and qualities When wicked men have undone the poore they will engage the mighty when they have done with the barren and with â—he widow they will have to doe with the most numerous and potent familyes Their oppression of the poore doth not satisfie but whet their appetites it doth not Extinguish but onely Encrease their desires of attempting greater persons and things As godly men proceed from lesser acts of holynes to greater from lower acts of faith to higher They goe from faith to faith and from strength to strength their path is like the morning light shining more and more unto the perfect day so the wicked goe on from lesser acts of wickednesse to greater from lust to lust from sin to sin their path is like the evening darkenes which darkneth more and more unto the perfect night As God addeth eniquity to their iniquity Psal 69.27 by way of punishment so they adde iniquity to their owne iniquity in a way of pleasure and care not to come into his righteousnesse Secondly Observe The rule by which wicked men act is their power They act according to their strength rather then according to righteousnesse or reason they will doe what they can not what they ought might serves their turne in stead of right and they thinke any thing is done well enough which they have power enough to doe Thus the Prophet Michah describes the oppressors of that age Chap. 2.1 They worke evill in their thoughts upon their beds when the morning is light they practise it because it is in the power of their hand So saith the present text They draw the mighty by their power Fourthly See here the powerfull man working upon the mighty man Hee drawes the mighty by his power Hence note Mighty men may not onely meet with their matches but be overmatched Mighty men thinke themselves safe or out of danger and while the poore are under oppression possibly they smile at their owne indemnity and applaud their owne happines yet it may soone come to the turne of the mighty to be overturned by might their power may quickly be overpowred as the might of God doth allwayes overmatch the might of man Luk. 1.56 Hee hath put downe the mighty from their seate so he often armes men sometimes the worst of men to pull downe the mighty from their seates The power of God is above all power he is higher then the highest And some men get so high that they are higher then all others who besides themselves are highest among the children of men The mighty may meet with their match and be overmatched Hee draweth the mighty by his power Hee riseth up and no man is sure of his life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 surrexit â—d standum These words are a cleare description of the oppressor Hee riseth up the word signifyeth first onely to stand or so to rise as to stand which is common to all men in nature Secondly To rise up is to get higher to advance a mans selfe to further degrees of honour and power thirdly it signifyes to rise in a hostile manner to rise as an Enemy against another Psal 18.39 Thou hast girded me with strength unto the battell thou hast subdued under me those that rise up against me And againe Psal 44.5 Through thee will we push downe our enemies through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us The wicked oppressor in the text riseth up in all these sences He riseth up to stand or to settle and establish himselfe to take good footing and lay a good foundation for the perpetuating of his greatnesse secondly he riseth up to higher honour thirdly having thus setled and advanced himselfe he riseth up as an enemy to vexe all those who oppose him or stand in his way fourthly some give another sence of this action Hee riseth up or standeth What to doe even to make faire promises and to enter engagements what good he will doe and how good he will be when as he intends all these things to be but snares to catch others not at all to be as bonds to ty himselfe which suites and falls in fully with the last words of the verse and no man is sure of his life The Hebrew is plural No man is sure of his lives Non fidere vitae est ambigere de vita spe abjecta omnibus circuÌ„stantijs mortem
Kings of the earth and the great men and the rich men and the chiefe Captaines and the mighty men and every bondman and every free man shall hide themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountaines and say to the rocks and to the mountaines fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lambe They who having been threatned with the wrath of God were no more afrayd then the rocks shall for feare wooe the rocks to hide them from the wrath of God Though Adam had not the feare of God to keepe him from sinne yet the feare of God fell upon him as soone as he had sinned Gen. 3.10 I heard thy voice in the garden and I was affraid because I was naked and I hid my selfe Hence Observe First God is in himselfe very dreadfull hee is to be feared God is so much to be feared that not onely feare is with him but hee is feare As because God is so full of love therefore the Scripture predicates love directly of God God is love 1 Joh. 4.8 so because God is greatly to be feared therefore he is called feare Gen. 31.42.53 Except the God of my father the God of Abraham and the feare of Isaac that is the God whom my father Isaac feared had been with me surely thou hadst sent me away empty sayd Jacob in his contest with Laban And at the 53d verse of the same Chapter he sayth againe to Laban the God of Abraham and the Gâ—d of Nahor the God of their father judge betwixt us and Jacob â—ware by the feare of his father Isaac that is hee sware by God for by him onely can we sweare in a holy manner An oath being a part or an act of divine worship The dominion and feare of God are put together Mal. 1.14 I am a great King there is dominion and my name is dreadfull among the Heathen there is feare Even Heathens who know God oâ—ely by the ligâ—t of Nature which is so imperfect a way of knowing God that the Heathen are sayd not to know him Jer. 10.25 yet I say the Heathen who know God onely thus doe feare him they feare him in proportion to or according to the way of their knowledge of him How much more then is the Lord to be feared and how dreadfull is be to and among his owâ—e people who know him savingly who know him by Gospel light God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the Saints and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him Psal 89.7 Hee is terribly dreadfull amongst the Heathen hee is awfully or reverentially dreadfull among the Saints Feare is with him First In reference to the greatnesse of his power consider what God can doe and that renders him dreadfull Wee feare those that can doe great things those especially that can doe great things against us For this reason Christ exhorts his Disciples to feare God when hee saw them in danger of a surprisal by the feare of what men could doe against them Luk. 12.4 5. I say unto you my friends be not afraid of them that kill the body and after that have no more that they can doe But I will forewarne you whom yee shall feare feare him which after hee hath killed hath power to cast into hell yea I say unto you feare him How is he to be feared who at one stroake can peirce body and soule quite through and throw both into hell The Lord is to be feared upon the consideration of the ordinary providentiall puttings forth of his power how much more when he puts forth his power extraordinarily and Judicially Jer 5.22 Feare ye not me sayth the Lord will yee not tremble at my presence which have placed the sand for the bound of the Sea by a perpetuall decree that it cannot passe it and though the waves thereof tosse themselves yet can they not prevaile though they roare yet can they not passe over it I have done this thing put a stop to the Sea I have put a bridle into the mouth of the Sea I can check the waves when they roare and tosse and will ye not feare me Secondly God is to be feared for his goodnesse as we read at the 24th verse of the same Chapter where the Lord upbraides their want of feare while they remembred his most ordinary good providences at land Neither say they in their heart let us now feare the Lord our God that giveth raine both the former and the latter in his season hee reserveth unto us the appointed weekes of the harvest If God be to be feared for that witnes of his goodnesse which is held out by raine and fruitfull seasons or by filling the hearts of men in common with food and gladnes then how much more is God to be feared for the distinguishing acts of his goodnes and mercy the pardon of sin and the giving out of his Spirit There is forgivenes with thee that thou mayest be feared sayd the Psalmist 130.4 and Hos 3.5 They shall feare the Lord and his goodnesse in the latter dayes that is they shall feare the Lord because of his goodnes his speciall goodnes to his Church and people in advancing them to all their spirituall liberties priviledges in the latter dayes And thus the Lord is sayd to be not onely glorious in holinesse but fearefull in praises because we should feare him when wee are praising him both because hee hath wrought so much goodnes and mercy for those who are unworthy as also lest while we receave so much from the hand of his goodnes and mercy we should walke unworthyly Secondly When the text sayth Feare is with him wee learne That God can strike man with feare when he pleaseth Power is with him and he can put forth his power if God send out his power it goeth and prevaileth So feare is with him and hee can send out his feare to strike whom he will with feare when and as oft as hee will The Scriprure sheweth the Lord sending forth his feare at pleasure and attaching the strongest and hardyest of the children of men It is sayd Gen. 35.5 And they journeyed that is Jacob and his small company and the terrour of God was upon the Cities that were round about them and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob. The terrour of God was sent out to keepe them in so that none of them stirred Else no doubt but all the Cities would have pursued them because of that high provocation which the sons of Jacob had given them by the late slaughter of the Sichemites When God promised to send Hornets before the people of Israel to drive out the uncircumcised Nations this feare was the Hornet Exod. 23.28 God stung their hearts with feare or as it were by Hornets buzz'd a feare into their eares as he did into the eares of the Syrians who encamped before Samaria 2
Kings 7.6 7. The Lord made the host of the Syrians to heare a noise of Charets and a noise of Horses even the noise of a great host and they sayd one to another loe the King of Israel hath hired against us the Kings of the Hittites and the Kings of the Egyptians to come upon us Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight and left their tents and their horses and their asses even the campe as it was and fled for their life As a word from God makes the heart confident and bold in the greatest danger so a word from God makes the heart fearefull and cowardly where there is no danger at all This is the glory of God that he can command our passions That by a word he can make them feare who doe not at all feare his word Many men have feare belonging to them yet they cannot send out their feare they are in great place and so both dominion over men and feare are with them for unto whomsoever dominion belongs feare doth belong Rom. 13.7 Render to every man his due tribute to whom tribute is due custome to whom custome feare to whom feare honour to whom honour Yet I say many have dominion and feare belonging unto them who cannot send out their feare Their power is despised and none regards them they command and are not obeyed they promise and are not beleeved they threaten and are not feared Onely God can send out his feare and make every man fall and tremble before him When many armed men came to take Christ Christ sent out a feare upon them so that they went backward and fell to the ground Joh. 18.6 Christ gave them never an angry word he onely confessed himselfe to be the man they sought for I am he and they were as men astonished with feare Christ in speaking those words did onely let out a little ray or beame of his Deity and this struck them downe O what feare will Christ send out when he commeth to judge the world who could send forth such a feare while he yeelded himselfe up to be judged and condemned by the world Dominion and feare are with him He can make all afrayd and yet as it followeth Hee maketh peace in his high places This latter part of the verse is a continued description of the irresistible power of God as all agree in making peace yet there is some difference what should be meant by the high places where God maketh peace Hee maketh peace in his high places First Many understand these high places to be the Heavens or as the Scripture speaketh the Host of Heaven Sunne Moone and Starres There or among them peace is made through the power of God keeping them in or to order that is in their duest motions The heavenly bodies are in continuall strong motion and they are kept in their motion by the power of God The Sunne Moone and Starres are mighty bodies and they are in a perpetuall career yet they justle not one against another nor doe they fall fowle upon one another In this sence it may be sayd that God maketh peace among them They all according to his appoyntment keepe their places and stirre not out of their owne spheares No man could ever keepe his Watch or Clock in such order as God keepes the Sunne Secondly By these high places others understand that which is somewhat lower not Sunne Moone and Starres but the severall regions of the ayre God makes peace in those high places where stormes and tempests and all manner of fiery impressions are bred and wrought Naturalists say that the second region of the ayre is both the shop where those dreadfull instruments of warre Thunder lightning hayle snow are formed as also the store-house where they are layd up yet even in those high places God maketh peace If hee speake to the thunder Deus vel solo nutu tranquillat elementorum dissidia tempestatesque serenat it doth not stirre and to the lightning it doth not goe forth if he speake to the winde it bloweth not and to the storme it is husht and quiet Fire and hayle snow and vapour stormy winde and tempest fullfill his word Psal 148.8 And they fullfill it whether in going or in staying Thus God maketh peace in the high places of the ayre and upon the high waves of the Sea Christ did but rebuke the Sea and say to it when it was in its feircest rage peace be still and there was a great calme Mark 4.39 The ayre is under the Empire of God as much as Sea or Land And he maketh peace in those high places Thirdly The words are expounded of those high places which are the more proper seate of Angels And so God may be sayd to make peace in his places because hee maketh peace among the Angels that is he keepeth the Angels in peace The Angells doe not contend one with another and none of them dares contend with God Some urge this exposition as most pertinent to Bildads purpose for the conviction of Job As if he had sayd His verbis vellicatur Job quasi insolens seditiâ—sus querulus homo Pined The Angels dare not contend with God And doest thou O Job contend with God The Angels utter not a word against God and darest thou undertake to plead with him and engage him in a controversie A fourth sort by Gods making peace in his high places understand onely thus much That all is quiet in heaven or that God hath a most peaceable and quiet fruition and enjoyment of himselfe Hee hath had it from eternity and will have it unto eternity this is the blessednesse of God hee is above all trouble and disturbment And thus also Bildad seemes to reprove Job Wilt thou begin a contest with God wilt thou trouble God himselfe who maketh peace in his high places who lives in everlasting rest and quiet God doth not use to be sued and pleaded with as thou seemest over-boldly to desire Lastly These high places are expounded for the high places of the earth As if he had sayd God makes peace amongst the States Princes and powers of the world who are in high places and in Gods high places For every throne is Gods and thrones are high places As the heavens are high places in comparison of the whole earth so some places of the earth in a civil capacity as wel as in a natural are higher then the rest Now among those that are in his high places of power and authority the Lord maketh peace and this is a very glorious worke of God Thus wee see there are many high places and they are all the high places of God yet I conceave that Bilded cheifely if not onely aymes at Heaven which is more peculiarly the high place of God as being that to which though many lay claime to the high places of the earth none besides God ever did make claime or lay title Further Besides these different apprehensions about
and 't is usuall in Scripture to speake that in negative words which was before spoken in affirmative As to be naked and to have no covering are the same so hell and destruction are the same and these two are often put together Pro. 15.11 Hell and destruction are before the Lord how much more the hearts of the children of men Though we know not where hel is nor what is done there though wee know not what is become of those that are destroyed nor what they suffer yet God doth and if the secrets of hel and devills are knowne to him then much more the secrets of the hearts of the children of men And as that proverb teacheth us that nothing is hid from God because hell and destruction are not so another proverb delivered in the same forme teacheth us that nothing in the creature can satisfie the desires and lustings of man even as hell and destruction can never be satisfied Prov. 27.20 Hell and destruction are never full so the eyes of men are never satisfyed The Devill who is the great executioner of the wrath of God is exprest by this word as hell is called destruction in the abstract so the Devill is called a destroyer in the concrete Revel 9.11 And they had a King over them which is the Angel of the bottomlesse pit or hell whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon but in the Greeke tongue hath his name Apollyon both the one and the other the Hebrew and the Greeke signifie the same thing a destroyer The Devill who is the Jaylour of hell is called a destroyer as hell it selfe is called destruction from the Co-incidency of these two termes Note Hell is destruction They that are once there are lost and lost for ever The reason why hell is called destruction is because they that are cast to hell are undone to eternity We read of a City Isa 19.18 which was called the City of destruction because it was to be utterly destroyed Hell may be called a City of destruction not because it shall ever be destroyed but because it shall ever be full of destruction and nothing but destruction shall be there There is no estate on earth so miserable but a man may be delivered out of it but out of hell there is no deliverance Heman saith Psal 88.11 Shall thy loving kindnesse be declared in the grave or thy faithfullnesse in destruction There grave and destruction are put together much more may hell and destruction be put together or for each other What ever comes into the grave is destroyed it rots and perisheth much more doth hell destroy all that comes thither And looke as the grave is to the body now a destroyer consuming so hell is to the soule now and will be to soule and body after the resurrection a destroyer tormenting The loving kindnesse of God shall not be declared in Hell nor any faithfullnesse of his in destruction unlesse it be his faithfullnesse according to what is threatned in the Word to destroy The Apostle Peter sayth 1 Ep 3.19 20. that Christ by the Spirit went and preached to the Spirits in prison which sometime were disobedient when once the long-suffering of God waited in the dayes of Noah c. It is true that Christ by the Spirit in the ministery of Noah did preach to those Spirits who were disobedient in the time when Noah preached and were in prison or in hel in the time when Peter wrote But Christ did not preach by his Spirit in the ministery of Noah or any other way to Spirits who were in prison or in hel while he preached to them There are no Sermons in hel nor any salvation there The loving kindnesse of God is aboundantly declared on earth but it shall not be declared in hel As there is nothing felt in hel but destruction so there is no salvation offered to those who are in hel There 's teares enow and mourning enough in hel but there is not the least Godly sorrow in hel which onely worketh repentance to salvation August lib. 21. de Civ dei cap 17. not to be repented of 2 Cor. 7.10 One of the ancients hath reported the opinion of some in his time who thought that though there be destruction in hel yet not eternal destruction but that sinners should be punished some a lesse others a longer time and that at last all shall be freed and yet saith he Origen was more mercifull in this poynt then these men for he held that the Devill himselfe should be saved at last Of this opinion I shall say no more in this place then this one thing which he there sayd These men will be found to erre by so much the more foulely against the right words of God so much the more perversely by how much they seeme to themselves to judge more mercifully for indeed the justice of God in punishing sinners is as much above the scale of mans thoughts as his mercyes in pardoning them are let not sinners flatter themselves in a hope of salvation when they are in hel who have neglected salvation while they were on the earth For as the Apostle saith Heb. 2.3 How shall we escape that is how shall we escape falling into hel if we neglect so great salvation so I may say how shall any escape by getting out of hell who neglect so great salvation Hel is destruction and as because heaven is a place of happinesse and salvation therefore heaven and happinesse heaven and salvation mutually or reciprocally signifie one another to obtaine heaven is to obtaine salvation to obtaine heaven is to obtaine happines So because hel is a place of misery and destruction therefore hel and misery hel and destruction signifie the same thing nor can they be separated Againe when he sayth Hell is naked before him and destruction hath no covering we learne There is nothing hid from the eye or knowledge of God Philosophy and reason teach us that the vertue and force of the heavenly bodyes the Sunne Moone and Starres doe not onely act upon those parts of the earth which are uppermost but send their influences and powers to the lowest parts or bowels of the earth for as was sayd before according to the ordinance of God dead things are formed there Now I say as the power of the heavenly bodyes reacheth downe into the earth much more doth the power and light of God reach into hell it selfe I will not stay upon any curious enquiries where this hell is wheresoever it is God seeth it Hel is naked before him therefore sayth David Psal 139.8 If I ascend up into heaven thou art there if I make my bed in hell behold thou art there that is there thou art by thy power and inspection thou seest what is in hell and if so how much more doth God behold what is done heere upon the earth if hell be naked before him then the earth is naked before him if destruction have no
covering then our actions heere have no covering Hypocrites put many coverings upon their actions they have many policies to vaile and screene them from the eye of man but the actions of men have no covering before God yea the hearts of men have no covering before God As Solomon in the Proverbs which place was lately toucht upon argues from this reason because hell and destruction are before him Prov. 15.11 Hell and destruction are before the Lord how much more then the hearts of the children of men As if he had sayd God who looketh into hell which is not onely darkenes but outer darkenes that is darkenes without any thing that hath the least ray or similitude of light in it God I say who looketh into this hel can looke into the hearts of men much more There are some men I grant whose hearts are a very hell a very deepe and they hope to hide themselves in the depth of their owne hearts from the sight of God as the Prophet telleth us Isai 29.15 Woe unto them that seeke deepe to hide their councell from the Lord and their workes are in the darke and they say who seeth us and who knoweth us And what doth he meane by the deeps which they seeke doe they seeke caves and dens of the earth to take counsel or consult together in no they may be in the open ayre and yet seeke deepe to hide their counsells from God so that the meaning is they seeke to keepe their counsels close lockt up in their hearts but woe unto them that digge thus deepe to hide their counsells from God for they cannot be hid for even hel is before him and destruction hath no covering how then shall these destroyers cover themselves or any of their counsels from him As the reason of all things is naked and manifest before God so are the motions and actions of all persons Thirdly When 't is sayd Hell and destruction are before him that word before doth not onely imply that God hath a view or sight of what is in hel but also that hee hath power in and over hel and can doe what he will there hell is naked before him that is hee hath hell at his dispose Hence note The power and providence of God reaches to those things that are most remote He orders all things in hell as well as upon the earth his power rules there where there seemes to be least order yea where there is no order at all They who are cast into hel kept no order while they were upon the earth nor are they in any willing order there when we see confusions in the world wee say what a hell is there or we say Hel is broken loose hell is a place of confusion yet hell is before God he keepes hell in order And when by reason of troubles and confusion among men wee are ready to say there is a hell in the world yet this hell is naked before God he disposeth and orders those places persons and things which are most confused hell and destruction are before him Before I passe from these words I shall onely take notice that there are many words in Scripture by which hell is exprest The Rabbins number seven or eight heere are two First Sheol or the grave because we lye as it were buried there in a second death Secondly Abaddon or destruction because all are there in a perishing state or as given up into the hand of destruction Thirdly Hel is called Tsalmaveth or the shadow of death and by the shadow of death is not meant a smal appearance of death as the word shadow is used Jam 1.17 where the Apostle exalts the glory of the Lord in his unchangeablenes that he is the Father of lights from whom every good gift and every perfect gift cometh downe with whom is no variablenesse neither shadow of turning that is he is not subject to any turning at all but hel is called the shadow of death as shadow is put for strength and power and so to be under the shadow of God or man is to be under their protection Thus hell is the shadow of death that is the strength and power of it Death never triumphs so much in its strength as it doth in hell Fourthly Hel is called Erets tachith which signifyes first the earth under or the lowest and most inferiour earth whence in Scripture hell is called the bottomlesse pit and the way to it is described by descending and going downe as heaven is described by ascending and hight heaven is high and the highest ascending is our ascending to heaven so hell is low and the lowest descending is descending into hel Secondly it imports feare vexation and trembling hell is a land of trembling it is a land of feare it is sayd of Caine that when he went out of the presence of God after he had murthered his brother he went into the land of Nod that is into a land of trembling which some expound not of any speciall place that he went to but that every place where he went was to him a land of trembling hee having much feare and dread upon his conscience after he had embrewed his hands in his brothers blood Hel is indeed the land of Nod a Trembling land They who have not rejoyced with trembling in this world shall sorrow with trembling for ever in the world to come Fifthly Hel is called Bershiachathith that is the piâ—â—â— corruption not that the bodyes of the damned shall corrupt in hell as they doe in the grave for though we cannot say that the bodyes of the wicked shall be raysed incorruptible as the bodyes of the Saints shall yet they shall be raysed immortall and in that sence incorruptible that is they shall never dye but they shall be corruptible that is filthines and corruption shall be upon them The bodyes of Saints onely shall be raysed so incorruptible that nothing of corruption shall be seene upon them or felt by them but the bodyes of the wicked shall ever feele corruption and beare the markes of it without total corrupting or perishing as corrupting and perishing are taken for not-being The wicked would be glad that they might perish so but they shall not hel will be a pit of corruption to them for whatsoever is painefull and grievous to the flesh shall dwell in their bodyes and therefore it is called the pit of corruption and it may also be called a pit of corruption in a morall sence because all their sins and lusts shall remaine upon them for ever hel-fire cannot purge the soule from sin nor free any man from the power of that old man who as the Apostle speakes Eph 4.22 Is corrupt according to the deceitfull lusts Nothing but the blood of Christ can purge the soule from corruption Hell is for the punishment of corruption but not at all for the purging of it and therefore it is well called the pit of corruption Sixthly It is called Erets
from the waters which were above the firmament Where by the firmament we are to understand that vast space which is extended or stretched out from the earth up to the clouds commonly called The ayre and by the waters above the firmament those raine-waters bound up in the clouds These upper waters are the waters of which our divine Philosopher here sayth that God bindeth them up In his thicke clouds Though clouds are much thinner then the water which they hold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 densitas as Naturalists teach us yet they are thicker then the common ayre or they may be called thickned ayre and therefore the Hebrew word for a cloud is derived from a roote that signifyeth Thicknes And though we have a distinction of clouds into thicke and thinne comparing one with another yet all clouds compared to the ayre are thicke and compared to the waters all are thinne Besides the Hebrew word signifyes clouds indifferently as wel thinne as thicke or rather clouds Generally without any determination or restriction eyther to thick or thinne And therefore the text is best translated without an Epithete In his clouds or if any Epithete were given It would advance Jobs scope and purpose most to translate it In his thinne clouds for the thinner the cloud is the greater is the power of God and the wonder the more wonderfull in making them the Continent of such mighty waters But we translate wel Hee bindeth up the waters in his thicke clouds It may here be enquired why the clouds are appropriated unto God in such a speciall manner by calling them His clouds I answer the clouds are His not onely First In that common sence in which all things in the world are his because he maketh and disposeth of them for that use to hold the waters which the heate of the Sun exhaleth or draweth up in vapours from the earth But they are called his clouds Secondly Because God is sayd to use them as Princes doe Horses of State or Charets of triumph to ride upon Isa 19.1 Behold the Lord rideth upon a swift cloud as also because the Lord to shew the unsearchablenes incomprehensiblenes of his wayes and counsells in governing this world and in ordering the affaires of his chosen people is often expressed in Scripture as dwelling in a cloud or covering himselfe with clouds Psal 18.11 Hee made darkenes his secret place his pavilion round about him were darke waters and thicke clouds of the skies And againe it is no sooner sayd Psal 97.1 The Lord reigneth but in the very next verse it is sayd Clouds and darkenes are round about him righteousnes and Judgement are the habitation of his throane that is his administrations are alwayes full of righteousnes though seldome full of clearenes they are alwayes cloathed with equity though usually cloathed with obscurity His way and his dwelling is in the clouds and therefore also the clouds are his He bindeth up the waters in his thicke clouds Some Philosophers hold that the cloud doth not so much hold the water as is water and that the cloud is dissolved into water when it raineth others that the clouds hold water like a spunge which being pressed yeelds it out againe But Jobs Philosophy lifts up the glory of God most which maketh the cloud as a vessel or garment in which the waters are bound and yet see the wonder The cloud is not rent under them The waters being of a mighty bulke and weight 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 discidit rupit secuit in duas partes usurpatur de quavis violeÌ„ta ruptione aut segregatione rerum ante hac cohaerentium might easily breake their way through the clouds did not God both bind and ballance them as Elihu speakes Chap. 37.16 Doest thou know the ballancing of the clouds To his ballancing to his binding we must ascribe the not renting of the cloud As binding in the former clause noted an act of power and force in God so this word renting noteth a power and force in the water It is sayd Ps 78.13 God rent or divided the Sea that his people might passe through And this word is used 1 Chron 11.18 concerning those mighty men who fetched David water from the wel of Bethlem And the three brake through the host of the Philistines And thus would the waters naturally breake through the clouds but they are forbidden The cloud is not rent under all that weight for God holds it together and makes it as firme as brasse Hence observe It is an eminent a wonderfull act of divine power by which the waters are contained and stayed within the clouds The mighty power of God is seene in keeping the waters of the Sea in compasse by the sands and shoares but it is a greater act of power to keepe the waters of the ayre in compasse by the clouds There are three things very wonderfull or there are three wonders in this detention of the waters First That the waters which are a fluid body and love to be continually flowing and diffusing themselves should yet be stopt and stayed together by a cloud which is a thinner and so a more fluid body then the water It is no great matter to see water kept in conduits of stone or in vessels of wood and brasse because these are firme and solid bodyes such as the water cannot penetrate nor force it selfe through but in the Judgement of nature how improbable is it that a thinne cloud should beare such a weight and power of waters and yet not rent nor breake under them When Peter had enclosed a multitude of Great fishes in his net even an hundred fifty and three Joh. 21.11 we find this added as a wonder And for all there were so many yet was not the net broken How much more may this be added as a wonder that such a multitude of waters should be held in a cloud and yet the cloud not broken Hac sane est ex illis naturae mirabilâ—bus quae assiduitate vituerunt yea though the cloud be tossed and driven with feirce and raging windes This is one of those wonders in nature which is therefore onely not wondered at because it is so common and which because it is continually done few enquire into or admire the power by which it is done Secondly As it is a wonder that the cloud is not rent with the weight of the water so that the cloud is rent at the speciall order and command of God At his word it is that the clouds are lockt up and by his word they are opened As in spiritualls so also in naturalls Nulla gutta descendit ex illis donec veniat verbum ejus mittat illas per plateas Moses Gerund He openeth and no man shutteth he shutteth and no man openeth It is not in the power of all the world to rent or open a cloud though the earth be parcht and all things that live languish
rule and governe the floods for a while but he ruleth and governeth them alwayes he sitteth upon them king for ever even untill day and night come to an end Thirdly note The waters shall never totally overflow the earth As God hath given them a bound so such a bound as shall keepe them in compasse for ever And as we have an assurance in the power of God that he can keepe or compasse the waters with bounds to the end of the world so also we have his promise and his faithfullnes engaged that he will maintaine those bankes and bounds and keepe them in such repayre that the waters shall never prevaile over them Gen. 9.8 9 10 11. And God spake unto Noah and to his sons with him saying and I behold I establish my Covenant with you and with your seed after you c. neyther shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood neyther shall there be any more a flood to destroy the earth And as mankinde is under this promise of freedome from an universal deluge so every godly man may rise up to this assurance that no waters of any sort can wet so much as the sole of his foote or the hemme of his garment but as they have leave and commission from him who hath compassed the waters with bonnds untill the day and night come to an end JOB CHAP. 26. Vers 11 12. The pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at his reproofe He divideth the Sea by his power and by his understanding he smiteth through the proud JOB still proceedeth in the enumeration and illustration of the mighty works of God what he doth in the clouds and what in the heavens was shewed from the former context Here Job tells us what the Lord doth with the heavens He who made the heavens and stretched out the North over the empty place can make these heavens totter in their place and tremble when he pleaseth The pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at his reproofe There are three things to be enquired into for the opening of this verse First What is meant by the pillars of heaven Secondly How the pillars of heaven may be said to tremble and be astonished Thirdly What we are to understand by the reproofe of God Columnae coeli i. e. Angeli contremiscunt Aquin Angelos vocat columnas coeli quia sâ—ilicet eorum officio admâ—nistratur motus coelorum Aquin when he sayth they are astonished at his reproofe The pillars of heaven tremble There are various opinions about these pillars first many of the Latins hold that these pillars of heaven are the Angells by whose assistance say some Philosophers the motions of the heavenly bodyes with their orbes or spheares are guided and maintained And doubtlesse as the Angels have great employments upon and about the earth so also in and about the heavens and therefore may not improperly be called the pillars of heaven in which sence also the Angels are called the powers of heaven as some interpret Math 24.29 where Christ prophesieth that immediatly after the tribulation of those dayes the Sunne shall be darkened and the Moone shall not give her light the starrs shall fall from heaven and the powers of heaven shall be shaken Many of the antients interpret those powers of heaven by the Angels as if the Lord would doe such things in that great day as should trouble and astonish not onely men on earth but the Angels in heaven who may be called the pillars of heaven as some eminent men for parts and power are called the pillars of the earth And wee may suppose them pillars of heaven not for the strength and sustainement of heaven Stabilitaâ—eÌ„ permanenteÌ„ in natura angelorum intelligamus nemine Columnarum Philip but for the beauty and ornament of it As we see many pillars in stately Pallaces which are not placed there to beare up the weight of those buildings but only to adorn beautifie them Or Angels may be called the pillars of heaven because of the firmenes and stability of their owne nature not as if they were any firmenes or establishment unto heaven Secondly By these pillars of heaven are conceaved to be meant the high mountaines of the earth which seeme to touch the heavens according to sence and so to sustaine and beare them up as pillars but this opinion not being grounded upon any truth in nature but onely upon a popular errour though it be a truth that even these supposed pillars of heaven tremble at the reproofes of God I shall not insist at all upon this interpretalion Thirdly These pillars of heaven say others are the ayre for as the lowest parts of the earth are called the foundations of the earth because the foundation of a building is layd lowest so the lower parts of heaven the ayre which is sometimes called heaven yea the firmament of heaven Gen. 1.20 may be called the pillar of heaven 'T is true also that the Lord maketh dreadfull combustions by stormes and tempests in the ayre insomuch that those pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at his reproofe But I shall not give this neyther as Jobs meaning here Terra tota velut orbis totius fundamentum ac firmanentum Merc Fourthly By the pillars of heaven others understand not the ayre or the mountains but the whole body on globe of the earth Thus David speakes 2 Sam. 22.8 Then the earth shooke and trembled the foundations of heaven moved and shooke because he was wroth where the foundations of heaven in the latter part of the verse may be expounded by the earth in the former part of the verse For if we consider the whole fabricke of the world together then the earth seemes to be the foundation or pillar of heaven And frequent experiences in all ages especially in some parts of the world have felt and reported the trembling of the earth We commonly call it an Earth-quake and Philosophers teach us that the reason of it in nature is the strength of vapours included in and striving to make their way out of the bowels of the earth And as this trembling of the earth hath a reason in nature so it is often caused by speciall command from God as a reproofe of the sinfullnes of man or to awaken him from his sin yet Fifthly I rather conceive that this phrase The pillars of heaven is used onely in a generall sense and not particularly intended eyther of Angels or mountains of the ayre or of the earth but that the pillars of heaven are the strength of heaven the strength of a building consists in the pillars that beare it up take away the pillars and it falls downe as Sampson sayd to the lad that held him by the hand suffer me that I may feele the pillars whereupon the house standeth and when he had once moved them the house fell Judg. 16.26.30 so that when Job sayth the pillars of heaven tremble the
God made two great lights the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night he made the starres also and God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth God in Creation did with the light as he did with the waters which being made were divided the waters above the firmament were divided from the waters under the firmament and the waters under the heaven he gathered together into one place Gen. 1.9 God prepared a certaine great vessell into which the waters were called and gathered that they should not spread over the earth as they did at first which gathering together of the waters God called Seas Gen. 1.10 Thus the light which was spread and scattered through the ayre over all the earth God gathered into severall vessells Pulchritudo es ornamenta coeloruÌ„ stellae sunt sicut terrae animantia et plantae Sanct and the gathering together of light he called Sunne Moone Starrs which are as Job here calleth them the garnishing of the heavens Moses epitomiseth or briefly summs up his larger narrative of the Creation in these words Gen 2.1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished and all the host of them that is they were finished not onely as to their essentials but ornamentalls not only was the foundation layd the walls and pillars the beames and rafters of that goodly structure set up and perfected but all the furniture of it was brought in and the beautyes of it compleated Now as gemms minerals plants trees and all living creatures are the Garnishing of the Earth and the host of God there so the Sunne Moone and Starrs are the garnishing of heaven and the host of God there David speaketh of these distinctly Psal 33.6 By the word of the Lord were the heavens made and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth All creatures whether placed in heaven or earth are for their number their strength their order their readynes at a call or command the host of God Earthly Princes shew their power in their hosts and armyes of what power God is both his acts and his hosts aboundantly declare And as these creatures are the armyes or host of God in heaven and earth so they are the Adornings and Garnishings of heaven and earth Job in this place speaketh onely of the former By his Spirit he hath Garnished the Heavens Onely here take notice that some expound the word Spirit for the winde which bloweth in the ayre and so render the text thus By his winde hee garnisheth the heavens As if this were Jobs meaning that God sending forth the windes dispelleth and scattereth those clouds foggs and mists which often cover the face of the heavens and hinder our beholding their glory and garnishings According to this interpretation the garnishing of the heavens is nothing else but the removing of that which obscureth the Garnishing of them And it is true that when the heavens are maskt over with clouds and darknesse God by the winds cleareth the ayre and so reneweth the face of those heavenly bodyes But I passe by this and shall onely insist upon the former exposition of these words as being more sutable with Jobs scope and more expressive of the power and Glory of God in the great things which he hath wrought for us By his Spirit hee garnisheth the heavens Hence learne First We ought joyntly to acknowledge and give glory to the Father Son and Spirit in the worke of Creation Solomon in his advice to the young man sayth Eccl 12.1 Remember thy creators in the dayes of thy youth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 creatorum tuorum Mysterâ—um Sanctae Trinitatis Pisc Wee translate in the singular number creator but the Hebrew is plural Creators intimating the mystery of the Holy Trinity as Moses also is conceaved to doe in that plural expression Gen 1.26 And God sayd let us make man in our image after our likenes And though this be added in a way of Eminency when the particular creation of man is set downe yet we are to understand it so generally of the whole worke of Creation and as of the worke of Creation so of all other divine workes towards the creature Redemption is the worke of the Father and of the Spirit as wel as of the Son and sanctification is the worke of the Father and of the Son as wel as of the Spirit The three persons worke together onely they have a distinct manner of working according to which each worke is chiefely attributed to that person and so creation is specially appropriated to the Father Redemption to the Son and Sanctification to the Holy Ghost Seing then all Three worke together in all things towards us All three ought to be equally and eternally honoured worshipped loved and obeyed by us By his Spirit he hath garnished the Heavens Secondly Observe The heavens are full of beauty God hath not onely made them but adorn'd them What a rich and Royall Canopy hath God hung over the heads of poore wormes dust and ashes God did not thinke it enough to give us a house unlesse he gave us also a pleasant house he was not satisfied in setting up a large fabricke for us unlesse he also furnished and garnished it for us God hath made the world not onely usefull but contentfull to us he hath fitted it not onely for our necessity but delight The earth is beautifull but the heavens exceed in beauty The heavens are the Ceiling of our house and the Starres are like Golden studs and sparkling Diamonds in that Ceiling We may inferre three things from the Garnishing of these heavens First If the heavens which we see are so glorious what are the heavens which no eye hath seene If God hath thus discernably adorned the first and second heavens how unconceaveable are the ornaments of the third heavens If nature hath so much beauty in it how beâ—utifull a thing is Glory If God hath prepared such heavens as our eyes see for those who hate him then surely eye hath not seene eare hath not heard nor hath it entred into the heart of man to understand what those heavens are which God hath prepared for them and for them alone who love him The light of these visible heavens is but darkenes to that inheritance of the Saints in light The Moone-light if I may so speake of that state shall be better and more illustrious then the Sun-light of this and the light of the Sunne shall be sevenfold as the light of seven dayes in that Great day when the Lord shall perfectly bind up All the breaches of his people and heale the stroake of their wound God who by his Spirit hath garnished these heavens will be himselfe with his Son and Spirit the eternal Garnishing of those heavens Secondly Seing God hath been so bountifull and munificent as to Garnish the heavens for us even for us by his Spirit seing he hath provided such
and terror as appeared like one In the Booke of the Revelation which hath as one of the Ancients speaketh as many mysteryes as words the dreadfull judgements prophecyed to come upon the world in the severall Ages of it are expressed by Thunder Revel 10.4 And when the seven thunders had uttered their voyces I was about to write and I heard a voyce from heaven saying unto mee seale up those things which the seven thunders uttered and write them not And as elsewhere so especially in this booke of Job we find those things which carry the greatest strength and terror in them exprest by thunder Job 39.19 Hast thou given the horse strength hast thou clothed his necke with thunder that is hast thou made the horse who is so strong and terrible And at the 25th verse treating still of the horse he sayth among the trumpets Haec nos cogitata et levitèr cōmemorata obstupefaciūt quid si majora quae illius potestate continentur c. Pined Quis comprehendere potest ingentes domini virtutes quae velut vocem tonitrui more attollant prae magnitudine et multitudine Merc Quis satis consideret Pisc Tonitru fortitudinū vocat sermonem clarum fortitèr prolatum quod sit velut tonitru maximum Coc Tonitru potentiae i. e. Ipsum intonantem loquentem coram Argumentum est per comparationem majoris Jun Tonare eos dicimus qui orarationis et eloquentiae vi maximè pollent Novar ha ha and he smelleth the battaile afarre of the thunder of the Captaines and the shouting that is the horse is pleased to heare the Great Commanders speake with a loud voyce eyther directing threatning or encouraging their Souldiers Thus the Thunder of Gods power is some wonderfull act of his power which lifts up its voyce as it were like Thunder This who can understand none can The word signifyes also to weigh and consider so some render it here Who can sufficiently consider the Thunder of his power who can consider it as he ought eyther first according to the depth and mysteriousnesse of it or secondly according to the dignity and worthines of it Thirdly These words who can understand the thunder of his power may be expounded of the highest and clearest publication of his power The thundering of it out As if Job had sayd I have whispered a little to you but if God should thunder out himselfe or if his workes were spoken out as they deserve in thunder the minds of men would be amazed and their understandings confounded The thunder of his power who can understand 'T is usuall among the learned to expresse high eloquence and strong confidence of speech by thundering It was sayd of Alcibiades that hee thundred Greece He was a man so mighty in Elocution that he made his hearers tremble And hence Christ himselfe surnamed two of his owne Disciples James the son of Zebedee and John the Brother of James Boanerges which is The Sons of Thunder They did not speake as we say like a mouse in a cheese but with a great voyce and with a greater spirit they spake the messages of heaven as if it thundered from heaven There may be a great force in a low voyce while what is spoken comes with much clearenes of reason and strength of Authority or as the Apostle gives it in the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit but when all these are convayed by a mighty voyce a voyce like thunder how forceable are they Basil was sayd to Thunder in his doctrine and lighten in his life Such to the hight was that voyce of words in Mount Horeb at the giving of the Law Which voyce they that heard intreated that the Word should not be spoken to them any more Heb 12.19 that is that it should not be spoken to them any more in that manner or by an immediate voyce from God as appeares Exod 20. v 18 19. And all the people saw the Thunderings and the lightnings and the noyse of the Trumpet c. And they sayd unto Moses speake thou with us and we will heare but let not God speake with us lest we dye We cannot understand the Thunder of his power Hence note Man is not able to receave and beare those highest discoveryes of God God can speake in such a light as will blind the eyes of man and in such a language as will rather astonish then instruct him As among beleevers they who are carnal and babes in Christ are not able to eate strong meate they must be fed with milke as the Apostles speakes 1 Cor. 3.2 So wee may say of all Beleevers even of those that are strongest God doth onely whisper and speake gently to them the thunder of his power they cannot understand For as there is a peace of God which passeth all understanding Phil. 4.7 they that have it not understand nothing of it and they that have it understand but little of it it passeth all understanding not a naturall understanding onely but also a spirituall And as there is a love of Christ passing knowledge Eph. 3.19 which yet we should labour to know a love which hath an incomprehensible height and length and bredth and depth in it which yet all the Saints are labouring to comprehend so there is a manifestation of the will and workes of God a Thunder of his power which were it made and spoken out to us our understanding could not graspe nor comprehend how much soever we should desire and labour to comprehend it And therefore God is pleased to put the treasure of his minde and messages in earthen vessells not onely as the Apostle gives the reason 2 Cor 4.7 That the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us but he doth it also condiscending to our weakenes lest if he should give out this treasure immediately from himselfe or should put it into some heavenly vessel we should not be able to beare the excellency or as Job here speakes The Thunder of his power Thus after a very long ventilation of the Question between Job and his friends wee are arrived at the Conclusion of their dispute Job hath answered two of his friends thrice the third Zophar I meane onely twice He it seemes gave out and sate downe whether satisfyed or wearyed whether having no more to say or being unwilling to say any more or thinking that enough had been sayd already I determine not But though Jobs friends have done arguing against him yet he hath not done arguing for himselfe Which he doth in five entire Chapters twice called the continuation of his Parable In what sence he calleth his ensuing speech a parable together with the subject matter of it may through the Gratious presence and supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ who hath helped hetherto and hath not suffered that little oyle in the Cruse to fayle shine forth with a clearer light A TABLE Directing to some speciall Points noted in the