Job disclaime all selfe-Justification Chap. 9.20 21. If I justifie my selfe mine owne mouth shall condemne mee if I say I am perfect it shall also prove mee perverse Though I were perfect yet would not I know my owne soule I would despise my life What can be sayd more fully to the tenour of the Gospel for the abasement of selfe and the advancement of free grace in justification He sayd indeed Chap. 13.18 Behold now I have ordered my cause I know that I shall be justified But he never sayd that he should be justified for the cause sake which he had ordered There is a twofold justification First The justification of a man in reference unto some particular act or in his cause Secondly The justification of a man in his person When Job sayd I know that I shall be justified his meaning was I shall be justified in this case in this buisines I shall not be cast as an hypocrite for hee alwayes stood upon and stiffely maintained his integrity or I know I shall be justified in this opinion which I constantly maintaine That a righteous man may be greatly afflicted by God while in the meane time hee spareth the unrighteous and the sinner A man may have much to justifie himselfe by before God as to a controversie between him and man but he hath nothing at all to justifie himselfe by as to his state towards God Againe As these words are referred to Jobs complaint of the severity of Gods dealings with him Observe Whosoever complaines of the dispensations of God towards him cannot be justified in it Thus the Jewes of old complained Ezek. 18.25 Ye say the way of the Lord is not equall But were they justified in this complaint with God How doth the Lord expostulate with them in the next words Heare O house of Israel is not my way equall is not your way unequall As if he had sayd All the inequality is on your part there is none on mine The wayes of God how hard and grievous soever they may be as they were towards Job yet unequall or unrighteous they can never be The usuall dealings of God with us are full of mercy his severest dealings with us have no want of Justice How then can man be Justified with God Or how then can he be clean that is borne of a woman Here 's another question of the same tenour and in the 15th Chap ver 14th Eliphaz spake almost in the same termes What is man that he should be clean and hee that is borne of a woman that hee should be righteous Jobs friends beate often upon this poynt vehemently suspecting that he did over-weene his owne condition and thought too highly of himselfe Whereas Job did not onely freely and ingeniously but with a great deale of holy rhetorique and elegancy confesse against himselfe againe and againe that hee neither was nor could be cleane before God Onely hee would not admit their plea against him that hee suffered for his uncleanenes or that hee was uncleane because he suffered Master Broughton translates thus Or The borne of woman locke to be cleared We say How can hee be cleane that is borne of a woman that is how can hee have a nature at all cleane or be altogether cleane in his life who commeth into the world through a world of uncleanenes Can the streame be cleane when the fountaine is uncleane or the product be better then that which is produced Man borne of a woman by natural generation so Bildad is to be understood comes from an uncleane fountaine from an impure Original and therefore how can he be pure or cleane What the particular Emphasis and importance of this phrase To be borne of a woman is hath been opened already Chap 14.1 Chap 15.14 and therefore I referre the reader to those texts for a further Exposition And shall here onely give out this Observation All men borne of a woman by natural generation are impure and uncleane There was never but one man the Lord Jesus Christ borne of a woman who was not uncleane and he was borne of a woman not in an ordinary but miraculous way The holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the most high shall overshadow thee Luk. 1.35 All else borne of a woman have been and are uncleane It is sayd Gen. 5.3 Adam lived an hundred and thirty yeares and begat a Son in his owne likenes after his Image and called his name Seth. Adam begat a son in his owne likenes what likenes it is not meant of his outward likenes of the figure or feature of his body that was the least part of the likenes there intended in which his son was borne every father begets a son in a humane shape and we say the child is like his father not onely as having the same specifical nature but as having the personal figure and proportions of his father But when it is sayd Adam begat a son in his owne likenes in his Image the meaning is he begat a son that was a sinner as himselfe was and corrupt as himselfe was even Seth who was given in the place of Abel God in the creation made man in his image after his likenes Man by procreation begets a son not in Gods image but in his owne And that not onely like him in constitution as a man but in corruption as a sinner David confesseth of himselfe Psal 51.5 Behold I was shapen in Iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive mee Some to avoyd the strength and dint of that text as to the proofe of the corruption of nature by propagation put a most corrupt and base glosse upon it As if David had therein onely confessed his parents sinfullnes or inordinate affections in begetting and conceaving him not his owne natural sinfulnes as begotten and conceaved I know no better argument of the corruption of nature then such corrupt interpretations of Scripture For doubtlesse as Bildad here in the Text so David was acquainted not onely with the doctrine of original sin and the corruption of nature but had found and felt the sad effects of it in himselfe And from that experience could say I was shapen in iniquity c. as also consent to what Bildad saith in this place What is man that is borne of a woman that hee should be clean doe but acknowledge that any one is borne ordinarily of a woman and wee may conclude him to be sinfull and uncleane That I may make this a litle clearer I shall touch at three things which are distinctly considerable in the sin of Adam First That particular act or fact against the Law which he committed in eating the forbidden fruit Secondly The legal guilt that flowed from that act both upon his person and upon his posterity Thirdly The naturall Corruption which as a consequent of the former stayned all mankinde Or there was first the transgression of the Commandement which was his eating the forbidden fruit Secondly there was
precedent EXPOSITIONS A ABoundance a great tryall of Grace as wel as want 151 Abundance of worldly things not to be desired yet may lawfully be enjoyed 250 Accusation to accuse meerely upon suspition very uncharitable 83 84 Acquainting our selves with God what it is and the several steps by which Saints arise to it 207 208 209. A twofold acquaintance with God 210. The more we are acquainted with God the more like we are to him 211. No acquaintance with God but by a Mediator 211. We can have no true peace till we acquaint our selves with God 214. While wee are unacquainted or estranged from God we are estranged from Good 216. Acquaintance with God brings in all Good 218 Adams sin in eating the forbidden fruit how aggravated in one particular 57 Three things in Adams sin 706. Sin of Adam fallen upon his whole posterity three wayes 706 Adultery the kinds of it 575. The extreame wickednes of it set forth many wayes 576 577 Adulterer hath a waiting eye which implyeth three things 583 Affliction hath much instruction in it 15. God hath abundance of affliction in his hand 97. Difference between the afflictions of a Godly and a wicked man 99. Affliction doth usually vent it selfe by complaints groanes 305. Afflictions abide long upon some who are eminently godly 308 The afflictions of some exceed all their complaints 309. There are two things which a godly man may see in his greatest afflictions which are matter of thanksgiving 312. God sweetest to the soule in affliction 320. Affliction drives the godly neerer to God 322. Affliction a tryall 380. Afflictions fore-appoynted by God 444. God hath variety of afflictions in his hand to exexercise his children with 448. We deserve more and sorer afflictions then God layeth upon us 450. A godly man may be unable to beare afflictions any longer 459 Angels how in a place 109. Angels Gods Armyes or host 690. Angels how they may be called the pillars of heaven 781 Angry dispensations of God make all tremble 786 Appoyntment how all things are under a divine appointment shewed by several instances 445 446. Arke in which the Law was put typed Christ 227 Arme in Scripture notes power 71 Armyes of God what they are 690. All creatures the Armyes of God up on a threefold consideration 692 Asses or wild asses the resemblance between them and the wicked shewed in severall things 514 Assemblyes of the Saints to worship are the dwelling place of God 199 Ayre how it may be called an empty place 754 B Barren land a cursed land 607 Beasts evill men are like beasts or beastiall in their dispositions and actions 513 Beleever he hath no opinion of his owne strength 344 Boanerges why two of the Disciples called so 824 Body in what sence every sin that a man doth except adultery is without the body 580 Bodyes of the wicked shall be raysed immortall though not incorruptible 751 Booke of the living what meant by it as also what by the Booke which God hath written 628 629 Brethren of two sorts 53. To doe wrong to or not to releive a brother hightens the sin 53 Building and to be built up what it signifyes in Scripture 134 135 C Carnal men their spirits are meerely mercenary 164. They are full of unconstancy 602 Censure The best of men may fall under the hashest Censures 357 Change twofold made in a sinner by grace 701 Changes of time or season none beyond this world 779 Charity must and will make ventures 45. Charity is accepted and uncharitableness condemned in the smallest matters 63. Churlish persons sticke at small charities as wel as great 64 How charity beleeveth all things 84. Children why compared to a building 235 Christ an everlasting foundation 154 Christ how he commeth as a theife 573 Cisterns what kind of cisterne the creature is 217 Cloathing put for all good things of this life 59 Clouds and darkenes how God is sayd to dwel in them 125. Clouds what they are 764. Why appropriated unto God 764. That waters are contained in the Clouds a great wonder in three things 766. Three inferences from it 767 Comforts smal comforts are welcome to us in times of great affliction 527 Complaining to complaine more then we have cause is very sinfull 310 Condemnation God will for ever acquit the righteous from it 356 Confidence of many proceedeth onely from ignorance 454 Conscience Gods Deputy in man 597 Consideration the want of it causeth us to be so little affected with great things 115 116 Contentation it is our duty to sit downe quiet and content under the saddest dispensations of God 213 Contention about worldly things to be carefully avoyded 488 Continuance things which continue but a little while are but of little worth 658 659 Conviction most sinners have a secret conviction upon them that what they doe is not good 595 Covetousnes knoweth no bounds 531 Counsel of the wicked what 175. The excellency of good counsel 723. Good and gracious counsel should be given the weake 723 Creatures we ought to consider the several excellencyes of them 116. The creature leads us to God 118. Creature can neyther hold nor give out the good it hath but by a word from God 217. The goodness and glory of the creature is nothing compared with God 710 Creation we ought joyntly to acknowledge the Father Son and Spirit in the worke of creation 806 Cruelty of man to man boundlesse 528 Curiosity very naturall to man to be enquiring into times 471 Curse sin brings a curse with it 607 They who are generally under the curse of men are often under the curse of God too 608. Why sin doth not alwayes bring a curse 609. How the wicked are alwayes cursed even in their greatest prosperity 609 610 D Damned under endlesse sufferings one reason of it 43 Darkness twofold external internal this internal darkenes twofold 93 94 Day night in what sence they end after the end of this present world 778 Day or to day taken two wayes in Scripture 300 Dayes of God or day of God what in Scripture 474 Death when and to whom sudden 9â— The death of a wicked man is violent to him though he dye in his bed 668 Death the territory of it as large as that of sin 619 death hath more power over great sinners shewed two wayes 620. 622. Some remembred after death chiefely for the strangenes of their death 625 626 Declining in reference to the wayes of God twofold 393 394. Some decline in them others decline from them 395. Declining from the wayes of God twofold first to the right hand secondly to the left 395 396. Whether a godly man may decline or no. 396. Declinings in grace severall causes of it 398 399 All sin is a declining from the wayes of God 400 Decree by man what how he may be sayd to decree a thing and have it established 275. The successe of our decrees or counsels is a great mercy 278. The successe
is when there was no reason to take so great a pledge of thy brother the thing which thou didst lend him was but some trifle yet thou wouldest have a pledge of thy brother for it thou wouldest have great security for an inconsiderable debt that 's the course of many oppressors by lending a little they will have much to secure it And this is to take a pledge from a brother for nought there should be some equality between the debt and the security he that lends a trifle a small matter and requires great assurance takes a pledge of his brother for nought So that all unreasonable and unequall demands for security eyther taking where charity bids us trust from the poore or taking it where in justice we should not take any thing when nothing was lent or when there is no reason we should take so much any of these harsh and injurious practices is the taking a pledge of our brother for nought Hence observe That the lesse cause we have to doe any evill the greater is the evill which we doe But hath any man a cause to doe any evill he hath not by cause I meane a provocation there is no cause for which we should doe any evill but there may be many provocations or temptations to doe evill Peninah provoked Hannah sore to make her fret 1 Sam. 1.6 It was not for nought or without cause that Moses his passion was stirr'd and that he spake unadvisedly with his lips the murmuring and complainings of that unsteady people provoked his Spirit Psal 106.33 Now the lesse provocation the greater alwayes is the sinne as to sinne against admonition or against any of those meanes that might keepe us from sinne makes the sin greater so when there is no occasion leading us unto sinne This was one reason of greatening the sin of our first parents in eating the forbidden fruit why did they eate were they ready to starve were they in any streights had they not the whole garden before them did they not eate the forbidden fruit without cause or for nought Solomon saith Pro. 6.30 Men doe not despise a theife if he steale to satisfie his soule when he is hungry for though to steale for meere hunger doth not take away the sinfullnes of the fact yet it doth much abate it because the man is provoked to doe it for the supply of his present and pressing need But for a rich man who hath no need to steale for a man to steale who is not hungry how sinfull is it Our greatest necessities cannot wholly excuse our sin but to sin where there is no necessity doth greatly encrease our sinne Saul thought he should come off without blame when he had so much to say for his rash sacrifice 1 Sam. 13.12 I said the Philistines will come downe upon me to Gilgal and I have not made supplication unto the Lord I forced my selfe therefore and offered a burnt offering But doth Samuel approve this plea We have his resolution in the next verse Thou hast done foolishly thou hast not kept the Commandement of the Lord thy God Though Saul found himselfe under a moral force to doe what he did yet that did not free him eyther from guilt or punishment when he ventured to doe it David smarted for numbring Israel though Satan stood up against Israel and provoked David to number them 1 Chron. 21.1 What shall we say then of those who doe more then David altogether unprovoked by Satan who rather tempt themselves then are tempted unto evill As the Good we doe is so much the better so the evill we doe is by so much the worse by how much we doe it the more freely and unconstrained Thus Eliphaz aggravates the first Instance of Jobs supposed wickedness To take a pledge from a man in the manner expounded is not onely illiberal but sinfull To take a pledge from a brother in distresse is more sinfull but to take a pledge of a brother for nought is a degree of sin which hath many degrees of sinfullnes beyond both the former Eliphaz hath yet but begun Jobs Inditement this is the first Crime objected A second and a third and more are following Thou hast taken a pledge of thy brother for nought And stript the naked of their Clothing It may be questioned If they were naked how could they be stript of their clothing he that is naked hath no cloaths to be stript of Nudus nec a centum viris spoliatur 'T is gon into a Proverb A naked man cannot be stript by a hundred men hee that hath nothing can loose nothing How then is it said here Thou hast stript the naked of their cloathing I answer The naked are not here to be taken strictly for such as have no cloaths at all but for those who have but few cloaths or for such as are but meanly and thinly clothed any that are poore and low any who are in want may be numbred among the naked 'T is frequent as in Scripture so in Common speech to expresse those as beeing quite without that of which they have but little Quaedam etiāsi vera non sint propter similitudinem eodem vocabulo comprehenja sunt sic qui male vestitum pannosū videt nudum se vidisse dicit Sen. l. 5. Ben cap. 13. Wee say of a man that hath but a little knowledge he is an Ignorant man and of a man who hath but a little learning that he is an Illiterate or an unlearned man Thus we may say of a man that hath but little store of cloaths little store of the world about him that he is naked that he hath nothing The Apostle useth this Language 1 Cor. 4.11 Even to this present houre wee both hunger and thirst and are naked c. not that the Apostles went about without cloaths but they were but mean in their Apparrell poore in their Appearances and that he calls nakednes So the Apostle James in the second Chapter of that Epistle vers 15. If a Brother or a Sister be naked c. Hee doth not mean it onely of such as have never a ragg to cover their nakedness but of such as are ill furnished with cloaths The Lord threatens his owne People Deut. 28th from the 4th ver to the 48th in case of their disobedience with this affliction Because thou servedst not the Lord with gladness of heart in the abundance of all things therefore thou shalt serve thine enemies in hunger and in thirst and in nakednes c. That is thou shalt not have thy Wardrobes stored and filled with change of rayment but thou shalt feele and be pincht with want and poverty So here Thou hast stript the naked of their clothing That is those that were ill clothed thou hast uncloathed and in stead of releiving their wants thou hast encreased them And thus the words may allude to the taking of a Pledge about which Eliphaz spake before Thou hast stript the naked
the punishment of that transgression which was death inflicted for eating thirdly the depravation of the whole masse of mans nature by which as Bildad speaks Every man borne of a woman is uncleane And these three fell upon the whole posterity of Adam or upon all that are borne of a woman in a threefold way First The very act of Adams sin becometh ours for wee did participate with him and had as it were a hand in it because wee all were seminally in him so that when he sinned wee all sinned being in his loynes long before we were borne as Levi paid tythes in Abraham before hee was borne Heb. 7.9.10 Thus wee all sinned in his sinning and had a share in that act of his because hee stood as the roote of mankinde and as having entred a covenant with God in that capacity For he sinned not onely as a single person but as hee was the representative of all mankinde and therefore what hee did we are reckoned as doing the same with him Secondly The guilt of that sin is ours by particular Imputation as the fact is ours by common participation for as if Adam had stood in a state of Innocency that had redounded to us for good so his fall or sin redoundeth to us for evill Thirdly There is the pravity or corruption of nature issuing from that first sin and that is chiefly aymed at in the present text And this is derived to us by propagation The defilement of nature descendeth and passeth from generation to generation therefore how can hee that is borne of a woman be clean and that defilement hath two things in it First The losse of original purity or the defaceing and blotting out of the image of God in which man was created Secondly A succession of horrible deformity and disorder which consisteth first in a pronenes to all evill secondly in an impotency and weakenes yea in an aversenes from and enmity against all that is good So then we have to doe with the very act of Adams sin by participation with the guilt of it by imputation and with the filth and deformity of it by propagation From all which it may wel be questioned How can hee be cleane that is borne of a woman and concluded Every man borne of a woman is uncleane Vers 5. Behold even to the Moone and it shineth not and the Starres are not pure in his sight In this verse Bildad proceedeth to argue downe the presumption as hee conceived of Job by calling him to consider those things which are farre below God and yet were farre above him as if he had said Wilt thou contend with God when thou canst not contend with the Moone and Starres they have a brightnes beyond any thing of thine why then doest thou insist so stiffely upon the shinings of thy conversation towards men and the brightnes of thine integrity towards God Behold even to the Moone and it shineth not There is a twofold understanding of these words first some expound them by descending as if Bildad had spoken thus Behold O Job and be both ashamed of and astonished at thy owne folly in venturing upon a tryal before God who is of such infinite purity that while he looketh upon all these heavenly lights that are above the Moone even to or as low as the Moone which as Astronomers teach is the lowest of all the planets it shineth not there is no brightnes no beauty in any of them They are all in comparison of God but clouds and darkenes but clods of earth and dirt And if they shine not in the eye of God surely much lesse doest thou who art a worme and but a clod of moving or breathing earth Secondly Others expound it by ascending As if Bildad had spoken thus Behold O Job and tremble at thy presumption in desiring that God should take so exact a scrutiny of thee of thy cause for look upon all the parts of the inferiour visible world look upon all their glories and excellencies and look not only upon those things that are creeping here upon the Earth but lift up thine eyes as high as the Moone it selfe Behold even to the Moone which is as it were the boundary between the upper and the lower world The Moone being the lowest of the upper world and the highest of the lower world now saith Bildad surveigh the world up to the Moone and it shineth not But doth not the Moone shine yes the Moone shineth the Moone is that lesser light which was made to rule the night Gen. 1.16 Why then doth hee say it shineth not the meaning is onely this that Moone-light and Sun-light that all creature-light is no light nor their shining to be called shining when we speake of the light and shinings of God himselfe The Moone shineth for the use and to the eye of man but the Moone shineth not for any use to or in the eye of God As because he is light he needeth no light so because there was no light till he created it the light of the creature is nothing unto him The Moone and Starres shine but when the Sunne is up they shine not that is not to our view the Starres shine as much in the day as in the night though wee cannot see them being over-powred by that greater light the light of the Sunne So when the glory of the Lord appeareth both Sunne and Moone disappeare and are no moore seene Ne luna quidem lucida est collata eum deo Vatabl. The light of the world is no light where God is named doe but speake of God and all the beauty and brightnesse of the creature fades and is extinct The Moone is a very beautifull creature considered by it selfe as Job speakes to shew how farre he was from idolizing it notwithstanding all that beauty wherein it appeared to him Chap. 31.26 If I beheld the Sunne when it shined or the Moone walking in brightnesse that is if I beheld eyther Sunne or Moone so as to adore and worship them if I reckoned any thing of Moone and Sunne in comparison of God if I did not judge the light of both as darknes and obscurity in reference to him if I did not behold them so as if I did not behold them not being taken up or dazzl'd at all with their shining brightnes scarse at all seeing not at all admiring any brightnes but the brightnes of God if it were not thus with me if I stood not at this distance and upon these termes with the best of the creatures then c. It argues that there is much natural beauty in the Moone when as Job to shew his spirituall chastity saith that the beauty of it did not at all withdraw or steale away his heart from God Indeed such is the beauty of the Moone that it is used to shadow out the Church in her spirituall beauty Cant. 6.10 Who is shee that looketh forth as the morning faire as the Moone The Moone is
signifies the evill of affliction yet here I shall take it for the evill of sinne or as we translate wickednesse which denotes not ordinary but great sinne for though every wicked man be a sinner yet every sinner is not properly a wicked man Further wickednesse in the former and iniquity in the latter part of the verse may be thus distinguished wickednesse specially respects those acts by which we hurt and wrong others iniquitie those in which we passe by or neglect the duty which we owe to others Malitiam dicit plurimam sed iniquitates infinitas quia in pluribus peccat homo omittendo quam committendo Aquin. and therefore Eliphaz calls his wickednesse great but his iniquities infinite because sinnes of omission are more in number then sinnes of commission Man fayles oftner by not doing the good required then by doing the evill forbidden Nature can easier forbeare that which it likes or pleaseth it then be conversant in that which it likes not or with which it is displeased Is not thy wickednesse great The word signifies both magnitude and multitude and it may be taken both wayes here for great in bulke and great in number But it may be said whose wickednesse is not great or is any sinne little Why then doth Eliphaz fasten this upon Job Is not thy wickednesse great I answer first that it is unbecoming any man to say his finnes are little we should not little or lessen our sinnes or have low thoughts of them as wee ought not to have low thoughts of any of the mercies of God but to thinke them all great to us yea too great for us so we should not have light thoughts of any of our sinnes but judge the least of them great and the lightest of them heavy yea even too great and too heavy for us to beare Nor doth any thing more greaten a mans sinne then his opinion that it is little Secondly I answer that indeed no sinne is little in the least sinne that ever was committed there is a greatnesse as committed against the great God as it is a breach of the Law and an abuse of the love of the Great God Neverthelesse though every sinne thus considered is great yet comparatively some sinnes are but little and sinnes being weighed one with the other we may give this distinction of them into little and great light and heavy And as some Godly men are faithfull and feare God above many so some wicked men are sinfull and dishonour God above many Is not thy wickednesse great Hence note 'T is our duty not onely to take notice of our sinnes but of the greatnesse and degree of our sinnes Eliphaz doth well to put Job upon that enquirie Is not thy wickednesse Great Though he did ill so groundlesly to suspect much more to conclude that it was so When Moses Exod. 32.31 interceded for the people after they had made the golden Calfe he makes report of their sin to God in the fullest aggravation of it O this people have sinned a great sinne and have made them Gods of Gold he doth not onely confesse in their behalfe that they had sinned but they had sinned greatly They have sayth he sinned a sin that 's more then to doe a thing that is sinfull and which is yet more They have sinned a great sin and which is most of all they though they have been taught and have professed that God made them have made them gods of Gold David makes this the ground why he did beg pardon of his sin Psal 25.11 Pardon mine iniquitie for it is great As we are to looke upon the greatnesse of sinne to humble our soules with godly sorrow so we are to looke upon the greatnesse of sinne when wee sue to the Lord for pardon pardon my sinne for it is great our very senciblenesse that our sinne is great is a prevayling argument with God to pardon it and our insenciblenesse that our sinnes are great gives the greatest stop to the pardon of them And as every sinne hath the more need of pardon by how much the greater it is so God will have the more glory in pardoning it by how much the greater it is The great wounds and sicknesses of the Patient have the more need of curing and if a Phycitian cure a great wound or sicknesse he hath the more honour by the cure Now that we may take the truest measure of our sinnes we must looke upon them first in their nature and kinde of what sort they are and to what they relate in their commission secondly in their circumstances when how and in what manner they have been committed That sinne which is but little in the nature of it may be a very great one in the circumstances of it As there are some mercies which we receive from God little in their kinde yet great in their circumstances and very obligeing so are our sinnes Some finnes are very horrid in their owne nature they lay the conscience wast and eate out the very principles of Godlinesse such are Atheisme Blasphemy and Idolatry The sinne of the people of Israel in making Gods of Gold how detestable was it a golden God what an ugly sight is that and indeed there are many sinnes which by how much they have the more externall beauty and glory upon them the more ugly and filthy they are Other sinnes are small in their kinde yet by additionall considerations they swell into an immense vastnesse and become out of measure finfull For Instance first to sinne against light that is not onely to commit a knowne sinne but to commit it knowingly T is possible that while we know such a thing to be a sinne yet to doe it unknowingly or not to know that we have done it He that knoweth it is a sinne to tell any untruth may yet tell one and not know it But when we doe that which is a knowne sin and likewise know that we doe it then we have no cloake for our sinne Secondly To sinne against many received mercies greatens it exceedingly Thus the Lord aggravates the sinne of David I have done thus and thus for thee and if this had been to little I would moreover have given thee such and such things Wherefore hast thou despised the commandement of the Lord to doe evill in his sight 2 Sam. 12.8 9. Thirdly It greatens sinne when continued in after warnings and renewed admonitions He that being often reproved hardneth his necke shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy Prov. 29.1 The Greatnesse of his punishment he shall be not afflicted but destroyed the quicknes of it he shall suddenly be destroyed the irrecoverablenes of it and that without remedy all these with one consent vote the greatnes of that sin whatsoever it be in its kinde which is persisted in after perswasion to desist and depart from it The Church is commanded to passe her extreamest censure upon that offending brother who having been told his fault first
to God As David saith Psal 25.1 Vnto thee O Lord doe I lift up my soule Equiparantia sunâ— caput vel oculos vel faciem vel animam ad deum levare Bold Eliphaz meanes not the lifting up of a heart-lesse face or head such as the hypocrite or formalist lifts up to God in worship nor the lifting up of a meere living head or face such as all men lift up to God according to the forme or frame of their natural constitution Fiduciam habebis recurrendi ad deum Aquin. but the courage and confidence of the soule and that a holy courage and confidence is here intended And there are not many who can thus lift up their face to God as is promised here to Job by way of priviledge And shalt lift up thy face to God To lift up the face is taken under a twofold notion in Scripture first Faciei elevatio orantis habitus est Pinec as a gesture or bodily position in prayer He that prayeth doth usually lift up his face to God and so to lift up the face to God is to pray unto God A corporal posture being put often in Scripture to signifie a spirituall duty Thus some understand it here Thou shalt lift up thy face to God that is thou shalt pray secondly which further complyes with the duty of prayer To lift up the face Vultum attollit qui sibi bene conscius est animoque fidenti Drus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. notes as was touched before confidence of spirit and boldnesse courage and assurance towards him before whom the face is lifted up whether God or man The Septuagint who rather paraphrase then translate this text give this sense fully Thou shalt be confident before the Lord or thou shalt act fiducially and boldly before him and behold heaven chearefully This lifting up the face is opposed to casting downe the face that is a phrase used in Scripture to signifie shame and fayling of spirit When courage is downe the countenance is down too as we say such a man hath a downe looke that is there is an appearance of guilt upon him The face is cast downe three wayes First by feare secondly by sorrow thirdly by shame Ezra 9.6 O my God I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face unto thee for our iniquities are increased over our heads So Luk. 18.13 the Publican durst not lift up his eyes to heaven and possibly there was a complication of all these three causes why he durst not feare sorrow shame he was so much terrified so much grieved so much ashamed of himselfe that he durst not lift up his eyes to heaven It was the speech of Abner to Asahel 2 Sam. 2.22 Turne thee aside from following me why should I smite thee to the ground how then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother that is if I slay thee I shall be afraid to looke him in the face nor can I have any confidence of his favour and it is well conceived that he spake thus for it is indeed a very unusuall thing for the Generall of an Army in the very heate of warre to looke after the favour of the Generall of the opposite Army but I say 't is conceived he spake thus as being convinced that he had undertaken a bad cause in upholding the house of Saul against David and therefore had misgivings that he might shortly fall into the hands of Joab Davids Generall and was therefore unwilling to provoke him by killing his brother This made him say How shall I hold up my face to thy brother Joab As if he had sayd I shall obstruct the way of my owne reconciliation to thy brother in case The turne of things in this warre cast me into his hands by killing thee Againe we may looke backe to Gen. 4.5 where it is reported of Caine That he was wrath and his countenance fell anger and sorrow and shame falling at once upon him because the Lord had respect to Abel and his offering but had no respect to him or his caused his countenance to fall which phrase stands in direct opposition to lifting up the face in all the three occasions of it For it implyeth first feare which is opposed to boldnes secondly sorrow or anger which are opposed to content and joy thirdly shame which is opposed both to freedome of approach and liberty of speech We have an expression which paralels much with this in that Prophecy of Christ Psal 110.7 Qâ—od legitur Exod. â—4 8 egâ—essos filios Israel in manu excelsâ— Chaldaâ—â—è dicitur capite discooperto i. e. palam confidentèr sine metu He shall drinke of the brooke in the way therefore shall he lift up his head that is he shall rise and appeare like a mighty Conquerour with boldnesse honour and triumph So Christ himselfe prophecying of the troubles which shall be in the latter dayes comforts the surviving Saints in this language When these things begin to come to passe then looke up and lift up your heads that is then take heart and boldnesse for the day of your redemption draweth nigh Luke 21.28 that is the day is at hand wherein you shall be freed from all feares and sorrowes Hence observe Holinesse hath boldnesse and freedome of spirit with God Then shalt thou lift up thy face unto God As soone as Adam sinned he hid himselfe from the presence of the Lord amongst the trees of the Garden Gen. 3.8 He ran into the thickets for shelter he durst not appeare or shew his face But when once we are reconciled to God and sinne is taken off when we are freed from the bonds of guilt then we have boldnesse reconciliation is accompanied with the spirit of adoption whereby we cry abba father we can then speake to God as a childe to his father the childe dares lift up his face to his father and speakes freely to him Where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty faith the Apostle 2 Cor. 3.17 and that a threefold liberty First a liberty from sinne secondly a liberty unto righteousnes or a freenes and readines of spirit to doe good thirdly where the spirit of the Lord is there is a liberty of speech or accesse with boldnesse in all our holy Addresses unto God As the Apostle clearely sheweth at the 12 â—h verse of the same Chapter Seing then that we have such hope we use great plainnesse or boldnesse of speech as wee put in the Margin of our Bibles to expresse the significancy of the Greeke word in the full compasse of it For as because we have such hope we ought to use great plainnesse of speech towards men in preaching and dispensing the Gospel to them so great boldnesse towards God in receiving the offers and promises of the Gospel for our selves Eliphaz having thus shewed what freedome Job truely repenting might have with God in prayer proceeds in the next verse to shew what successe with
he being but dust and ashes should thus presse upon God and that he was afterwards reproved for it in the 38th Chapter of this Booke verse the first and second Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlewinde and said there he found him who is this that darkeneth Councell by words without knowledge gird up now thy loynes like a man for I will demand of thee and answer thou me And againe in the 40th Chap. ver 2d 3d 4th 5th Shall he that Contendeth with the Almighty instruct him he that reproveth God let him answer it Then Job answered the Lord and said Behold I am vile I will lay my hand upon my mouth Once have I spoken but I will not answer yea twice but I will proceed no further As if he had acknowledged his error and overboldnes in pressing upon God as in other places so also in this O that I might come even to his seate Yet I conceive that Job in this passage doth but put forth the nobler and higher actings of his faith and that he speaks this not as forgetting the distance of dust and ashes from the glory of God or from the glorious God but as remembring the promise and as insisting upon his priviledge as a beleever who is invited to come and to come with boldnes to the throane of Grace For though that promise was not given out as to the formality of it in those times yet the vertue of it was though in a lower degree then now To come with boldnes to the throne of grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denetat loâ—um praeparatum a â—adice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In voce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 puâ—o esse metotonymiam q d. vsque ad locuÌ„ in quo ipse proâ—ptus paratusque est ad audiendum ubi sui copâ—am facit Coc. Representat deum tanquam supremum Judicem in solio excelso sedenteÌ„ jusque suum unicuique reddentem Bold sounds much like this to come even to his seate and this Job did not onely as emboldened by the clearnes of his conscience towards men but as by the freenes of the Grace of God in Christ towards him In pursuance whereof it is well conceived by a learned enterpreter that there is a metonymie in the word which signifies a prepared seate that is such a seate as whereon God presents himselfe to poore sinners prepared and ready to give them both admittance to himselfe and a gratious audience of their requests and suites The word which wee translate seate signifieth a prepared place a place fitted implying somewhat speciall and peculiar unto God Heaven is called the habitation of his holines and of his glory Esay 63.15 yet wheresoever the Lord is hee makes it a heaven Thus also he can make any place where he is a hell The wicked shall be punished with everlasting fire from the presence of the Lord 2 Thes 1.9 that is the very presence of the Lord shall be a hell and torment to them The Lord can be both terrible and gratious in his presence any where yet he is somewhere more gratiously some where more terribly present Some cannot beare those expressions The Throne of God the seat of God heaven and hell As if these were but the Imaginations fancies and fictions of mans braine But the Lord hath his seates and dwelling places whence and where he declares himselfe both in mercy and in judgement both in his holines and in his glory Isa 6.1 I saw also the Lord sitting upon his Throne high and lifted up Thus the Lord manifested himselfe in vision to the Prophet and David confesseth Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever Psal 45.6 that is thy Power and Soveraigntie David speakes not of a material Throne such as Kings have the Power and Soveraignty of God are his throne wheresoever he is and is pleased to declare himselfe in his soveraignty and power So that when Job saith O that I might come even to his seate or throane the meaning is O that I might come as neer him as possibly I may I would not stand at a distance or keepe aloofe off as a guilty malefactor but draw neere to him in a holy and well-grounded confidence Thus Job speakes in answer to that Charge of Eliphaz in the former Chapter Is not thy wickednes great and thine iniquities infinite Now saith Job you shall see what my sinnes are and what my guilt seing I dare venture even to the very throne of God where no hypocrite dares appeare While Job professeth That if God after the manner of men should sit in open Judgement there will be such a Judgement at the last day he would come neer to him and not be afraid he seemes fully assured of his owne integrity or of the goodnes of his cause as also that God would be good unto him Hence observe That true holines and uprightnes hath abundance of Confidence before God Adam having sinned and the guilt of his sin being upon him durst not come to the Seat to the Throne of God God came to him in the coole of the day to examine and question him about his sin but he hid himselfe among the trees of the garden he withdrew not daring to abide him and that 's the state of all sinners who have the guilt of sin upon them they hide they run from God when once their Consciences are awakened As sin in the act of it is a turning or departure from the holines of God so sin acted or sin in the guilt of it causeth not onely a departure but a running and a hiding from the justice of God Guilty sinners are so farre from coming up to his Seat that they cannot endure to come in his sight a malefactor hath little minde to come before the Judge or to the Bench where the Judge sitteth Solomon saith Prov. 20.8 A king that sitteth in the Throne of Judgement scattereth away all evill with his eyes Wee may understand it thus he scattereth evill actions and evill persons evill workes and evill workers with his eyes there 's not an evill man willing to appeare or that dares to appeare before him They who are selfe-condemned must needs be afraid that others will condemne them also Magistrates sitting in Judgement are terrible to guilty malefactors Or thus Hee scattereth the evill with his eyes that is he makes evill men reveale and scatter their most secret evills by his prying into them and industrious Examination of them that evill or wicked practice which they had bound up in their hearts and said none shall know it he scatters and discovers Solomons proverb carryes an experienced truth in it both wayes And we may argue from it That if an earthly King or Magistrate sitting on the Throne scattereth all evill with his eyes how much more doth God neither any evill matter nor any evill man can stand before him And seing the Lord discovers all the evill that is in the hearts and wayes of men what
God alone is intimate And with these God is more intimate then man can be with that which is wholly outward And seing God knowes all the wayes which man takes let no man goe about to hide his wayes from God 'T is vaine to hide any thing from him who sees all that is hidden He that comes before a Judge that knowes what he hath done and is able to prove it why should he deny it The heart of a naturall man is not more busied about any thing then in making veiles for his sin the first thing that man did after he had sin'd was to make such a veile As all men have sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression so they cover their transgressions according to the similitude of his covering The Holy Ghost Psal 32.1 calleth them blessed whose sins are covered but it is with a covering of Gods provideing not of their owne woe to those whose sinnes are hid by a covering of their owne provideing God hath given us his Son our Lord Jesus Christ in his righteousnesse for our covering while our sins are so covered blessed are we but if we cover them with a covering of our owne God will lay them open for ever to our shame Wo to the rebellious children saith the Lord Isa 30.1 that take counsel but not of me and that cover with a covering but not of my Spirit that they may adde sin unto sin if we cover our sins with any thing but the righteousnes of Christ we cover them with a sin not onely because all our righteousnes which is the best thing of our owne that we have to cover them with is sinfull but because the very act of covering them so is a sin and therefore in so doing what doe we but adde sin unto sin And if to cover our sins with our owne righteousnesse be a sin how doe we heape sin upon sin while we cover it as many endeavour to doe with our denyalls dissemblings and excuses Secondly Consider with what Confidence Job speakes hee had discoursed of his fruitles labour and travell in the use of all meanes to finde God well saith he yet it is a Comfort that God knowes my wayes though I cannot finde out his Hence Note It is the Joy of the upright that God knowes them and their wayes yea the wayes that are in them Thus Jeremy Chap. 12.3 having complained of the prosperity of evill men before the Lord concludes But thou O Lord knowest mee thou hast seen mee and tryed my heart toward thee this was the Prophets joy and so it was the Apostles when he sayd But wee are made manifest unto God 2 Cor. 5.11 That 's the thing that pleaseth us David 1 Chron. 29.17 speakes in the same frame of spirituall contentment I know also ô my God that thou tryest my heart and hast pleasure in uprightnes This was a pleasure to David this was his Joy and crowne of Rejoycing that God knew him and a godly man hath much Cause of rejoycing in this that God knowes him perfectly considering how much he is mistaken and misunderstood by men When our wayes are mistaken by men 't is great content to remember that God knowes the way that we take without the least mistake For this assures a godly man of three things First That God will reckon his wayes such as they are and him such a one as he is He is much assured that God will never put a false glosse or an unjust construction which men are apt to doe upon the text of his life Secondly This assures him that his workes of righteousnesse shall not want a reward for God is not unrighteous to forget our worke and labour of love Heb. 6.10 that is he will not let us goe without a reward for such workes for as then we are said not to forget the word of God when we obey it so God is said not to forget our workes when he doth reward them Thirdly This assures him that God will give testimony to his integrity and beare his witnes when most seasonable to his righteous workes Though men will not give him Testimony yet God who knowes his wayes will God will not doe lesse for a good man then a good Conscience will For as an evill Conscience will accuse so a good Conscience will excuse Rom. 2.15 Their Consciences in the meane time accusing or excusing one another Conscience knowes our wayes and therefore Conscience gives Testimony against them that doe evill and Conscience will give Testimony with those that doe well let all the world clamour against them Conscience will not because Conscience knowes the way that a man takes Much more then will God Testifie for that man whose way is good and how sweet is this 'T is sweete and satisfying to a gracious soule to doe good but when God himselfe shall testifie for a gracious soule that he hath done good this is much more sweete and satisfying 1 Joh. 3.20 21. If our heart or Conscience condemne us he is greater then our heart or Conscience and knoweth all things Beloved if our heart condemne us not then have we confidence toward God even this confidence that God will not onely not condemne us but acquit us yea and testifie for us And as it is worse to be condemned by God then by Conscience so it is better and sweete◠to be acquitted by God then by our owne Conscience when once our Consciences are acquainted with his acquittall of us and testimony for us Yea there is this further Comfort in it that for as much as our wayes are knowne to God he will give testimony of them to others as well as to our owne Consciences The world shall know what our wayes are one time or other as well as God knowes them now they who are most prejudiced against them and draw the blackest lines over them shall one day be made to know that they did not know the beauty of them And this God will doe eyther First In this world by some extraordinary providence as David speakes Psal 37.6 Hee shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light and thy judgement as the noon day A mans righteousnesse may lye in obscurity or in the darke no man knowing it and most men judging him unrighteous and wicked but Providence some time or other will bring forth this mans righteousnes as the light and his just dealing as the noon day Or Secondly If a good mans wayes lye hid from the world all the dayes of his life in this world yet the Apostle assures him that in the great day God will proclaime them in the eares of all the world 1 Cor. 4.5 Judge nothing before the time till the Lord come who will both bring to light the hidden things of darknes and will make manifest the Councels of the heart So then a day is coming which will make thorough lights in the world and bring to light the most hidden things of the darkest darknes And by
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