I finde not one wise man among you So much may be sayd without passion or reviling Nor did he question their wisedome in generall but as hath been answered for him upon a like passage onely to the point in hand As if he had sayd after all this arguing You are still besides the matter you have not hit the joynt of my case come to mee I will shew you your mistake and make it plaine that you are all out Venite ad me audiendum ostendam vos omnes decipere Drus Hence Observe First It is no fault to speake of men as we finde them The rule of Christ Matth. 7.1 Judge not that yee be not judged forbids first rash judgement of men secondly wrong judgement of men thirdly finall judgement of men that 's peculiar to God but it doth not forbid all judgement of men We may call a Spade a Spade and him unwise who is so All reproving is taken away if all judging be for wee must reprove no man but whom we judge faulty Let the righoeous smite me saith David Psal 141.5 Hee meanes it not of smiting with the Sword but of smiting with a deserved censure as if he had sayd If I have done amisse let me hear of it yea let me smart for it by a faithfull reproofe Secondly Observe A wise man may doe or speake that which is a just forfeiture of his present reputation for wisedome This proceeds sometimes from a speciall judgement of God upon men who in anger blasts their abilities and commands a decay upon their greatest treasures of wisedome Isa 29.14 The wisedome of their wise men shall perish and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid It shall be so saith God the understanding of man is as much at Gods dispose as his riches or honours are Now as this proceeds sometimes from the speciall judgement of God upon man so it may proceed at any time from the naturall frame of man who at the best is a creature composed of light and darknesse of wisedome and folly of knowledge and ignorance of grace and corruption of an old man as well as of a new The over actings of the worser part may soone leave a good and a wise man in the maine under an ecclipse both of his goodnesse and wisedome David sayd in his hast and as hee sayd it he sinned in saying so All men are lyars But we may say it with fullest deliberation and not sin at all in saying so that All men are lyars The Apostle saith it Rom. 3.4 while he saith Yea let God be true and every man a lyar that is Let this be acknowledged and confessed by all That God cannot lye such is his power that hee can neyther deceive nor be deceived but let it be as much acknowledged that every man is under a possibility to be deceived yea and to deceive in the worst sense that in some sense every man is actually deceived or a Deceiver which proves this to be a truth Every man is a lyar The lye is that which no man will beare at the hand of man yet all must beare it from the hand of God it is indeed a dishonour but it is no slander to say that every man is a lyar and because he is so hee may soone dis-intitle himselfe of wisedome We must not lay too much upon men for when they speake and doe most unwisely they speak and doe most like men The Prophet Hos 6.7 saith They like men have transgressed the Covenant The Hebrew is They have transgressed like Adam The Apostle speakes of some over whom death reigned who yet had not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression Rom. 5.14 Infants dye and they dye in that sin which Adam committed though they never come to commit sin actvally as Adam did but all who sin actually sin after the similitude of Adams transgression He set the first Copy and all his Posterity have written after him Wee doe but shew what we are and whence we are when we sin even a company of men the Sons of Adam To be a man is also to be a sinner Now as it may be sayd we like men have transgressed so we like men are unwise It is very easie for the wisest man to doe unwisely wee have but shewed our selves men when we have shewed our selves unwise That hath obtained as an Axiome It is humane for man to erre One of the wisest sentences among men is That man may doe unwisely He that doth all things wisely is more like God then a Man nor can we doe any thing wisely but as God is pleased to teach and guide us As we have need to aske our daily bread from God for the support of our bodies so our daily wisedome from God for the management of our affaires As God takes the wise in their owne craftinesse 1 Cor. 3.19 so he can take wisedome from the crafty and unlesse he supply wisedome to the vvise they will soone be so overtaken by their own folly that of a whole throng of them it may be sayd by him that engageth with them I have not found one wise man among you Thirdly Observe Wise men are rarely to be found There are store of subtle men and crafty men there are but too many but the wise man is a rare Jewel It was for a wise man that the Prophet commands a search to be made when he sayd Jer. 5.1 Run yee too and fro through the streets of Jerusalem and see now and know and seeke in the broad places thereof if you can finde a man Jerusalem was full of men and yet a man could not be found when diligently sought for What man was this The next words describe him for a wise man indeed if there be any that executeth judgement and seeketh the truth I cannot say that such wise men are thick sowne but I am very sure they are thinn come up Paul found so great a scarsity and dearth of them even among the Saints in the Church of Corinth that though he doth not say it positively with Job here I have not found a wise man among you yet he speakes it Interrogatively and chidingly 1 Cor. 6.5 I speake to your shame is it so that there is not a wise man among you No not one that shall be able to judge betweene his Brethren There are not many knowing wise men among all men but judging wise men are fewest of all Fourthly Observe Wise men are apt to shew themselves unwise in expounding and judging the providences and dealings of God toward man The workes of the most wise God are all right but few men are wise enough to pick out the right meaning of them Providence is carryed about the World in a Chariot of light and yet there is much darknesse in the minds of most men about it This arises chiefely two wayes First From the seeming confusions which are in the world God doth not keep a method nor
lodgeth in the hearts of debauched sinners they doe they know not what they rage and are furious as if they would pull God out of Heaven and throw the House yea the World out at the Windows These stretch their hands against God and they doe it three wayes First Against the very being of God such a wicked man opposeth God as God he wisheth there were no God or that himselfe were God he would have all power in his owne hand Francis Spira in his despayring distraction sayd I would I were above God In him nature spake her mind plainly and not in Parables Nature heightned in wickednesse would be above God therefore a carnall man is called A hater of God Now that which we hate we would destroy and take out of the way Secondly There is a stretching out the hand against God not onely in this open bold challenge or professed opposition this very few will owne Few Atheists will speak out their blasphemy or send their Trumpet to defie God and most wicked men take a suspicion of this as the highest dishonour and affront that can be put upon them What They oppose God They stretch out their hand against God They will tell you they love God and it may be they will tell you that God is their God and yet will be found sâ—retching out their hand against God therefore not onely doe his professed Enemies stretch out their hand against God but even those his professed Friends who live in the open violation of his righteous Laws they who oppose the will and Word of God the Statutes and Ordinances of God these will be found to stretch forth their hand against God himselfe The Lord complaines Mal. 3.13 Your words have beene stout against me Who we stout against God when did we speak against God we never had such a thought in our hearts much lesse such words in our mouthes So it followes Yet yee say What have we spoken so much against thee The Lord tells them because it seems they could not Vers 14 Yee have sayd it is a vaine thing to serve the Lord and what profit have we that wee have kept his Ordinances and yee call the proud happy c. To speak or thinke thus though such a word be not spoken formally as it is probable they did not is to be stout against God To say It is a vaine thing to serve the Lord is not onely a disservice but a Rebellion against the Lord To say There is no profit in keeping his Ordinances is the highest prophanation of his Ordinances to call The proud happy is to stretch out the hand against God for he stretcheth out his hand against and resisteth the proud Thirdly The hand is stretched out against God when it is stretched out against his people his Servants or any that are under his tuition and speciall protection to oppose or stretch out the hand against these is to stretch out the hand against God The Prophet Zacharie sets forth both the care of God to keep his people from trouble and his Sympathy with them in trouble by an elegant Similitude Hee that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye Zach. 2.8 What part is more sensible of the least hurt then the eye or being hurt causeth a greater smart God is as tender of his people as any man is of his owne eyes He that toucheth them sc to wrong or vexe them toucheth the apple of Gods eye he lifts up his hand against Gods face and against the most excellent part of his face his eye and against the most excellent part of his eye the apple of it or ball of the eye which is the proper instrument of seeing We use to say There is no sporting with the eyes men doe not like it to have their eyes played with Surely then God will not beare it Dicimus vulgo cum oculis non ludendum est that any should smite or wound his eyes And he interprets any hurt done to his people as done to his owne eye yea to the apple of his eye When it was under debate in the Councell what should be done with the Apostles Gamaliel advises Refraine from these men and let them alone c. Lest haply yee be found to fight against God Acts 5.38 39. Some possibly would reply We fighters against God We love God here is a company of turbulent Fellows called Apostles who disquiet the City may we not punish them but we must presently be judged fighters against God No saith Gamaliel you fight against God if they and their Apostleship be of God Saul was zealous of the Law and as he thought for God yet Christ rebukes him from Heaven with Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Thou stretchest forth thy hand against me when thou dost it against the Saints then there is a stretching out the hand against God not onely by a boysterous opposition of God As Pharoah Senacharib and Julian did but by opposing the wayes or word the Messengers or Servants of God Hence Observe First Though every sinne be against God yet some sinnes are more against God Wee cannot say that every one who sins stretcheth out his hand against God there is a difference of sins in degree though they are all in their nature deadly there is a presumptuous sin a sin committed with a high hand which hath these two things chiefely in it First A sinning against cleare light Secondly A sinning with full consent and swindge of will In that place of Numbers where this sin is described Chap. 15.30 There are two other Characters put upon it First it is called A reproaching the Lord And secondly a despising of the Word of the Lord Every sin is a transgression of the Word of the Lord but every sin is not a despising of the Word of the Lord every sin is displeasing to God but every sin is not a reproaching of God Every sin even the least is a departure from God but some sins are full of activity against God It is conceived that the presumptuous sin in the old Testament is the same with or answers to the sin against the holy Ghost in the New and that which leads to this apprehension is because no sacrifice was appointed for that under the Law as this is sayd to be unpardonable under the Gospell And the Author to the Hebrewes is expresse Chap. 10.26 If we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins The Gospell knowes but of one Sacrifice for sin and that but once offered they who despise that have despised all for there remaines no more Sacrifice for sin God will not send his Son to dye a second time for those who have trodden the Son of God in his death under foot and have counted the blood of the Covenant an unholy thing God indeed stretcheth out his hand all the day long to a gainesaying and rebellious people that is to those who
is He shall be forgotten hee shall be as if hee had not beene And thus it is applyed to the pardon of sin Psal 32.1 Sin is vailed with the worthinesse and obedience of Christ as with a Garment and is to God as a thing forgotten or out of minde when once it is forgiven In both these senses Job seemes to bespeak the earth O earth cover not my blood Sanguis terra tegitur quando facinus dissimulatur nec vindictam exposcit that is If thou hast any of my blood doe not dissemble it bring it forth be not as if thou knewest of no such matter As simulation makes that to be which is not so dissimulation makes that not to be which is Againe Cover not my blood that is Forget it not if thou hast such a record upon thy Fyle let it be continued and remembred that the Generations to come may judge how I have been dealt with by this present age or how I have dealt in it O earth cover not my blood But what is his blood which he would not have covered His blood may be taken two wayes First Passively for his sufferings and grievous afflictions which were even to blood The Apostle tels the Hebrews Ye have not resisted to blood striving against sin Heb. 12.4 There is a threefold strife against sin First Against sin already acting and moving in our selves Secondly There is a striving against that sin which others move us to act whether by promises or by threatnings Thirdly There is a striving against that sin which others act The Apostle as I conceive intends one of or both the latter sorts of striving against sin which is indeed a striving against sinners and in this strife he saith Ye have not resisted unto blood yee have I grant resisted to the losse of your goods yea and to the losse of your credit and reputation in the World Chap. 10.33 34. but know yee are not come to the heat of the Battell till your bodies bleed Ne tegas sanguinem meum i. e. injuriam mihi latam qua innocens pereo Merc. yee have lost no blood yet striving against sin Job resisted or rather submitted to blood he had lost blood in the great fight of affliction which he indured hee was wounded all over Now say some he cryes O earth cover not my blood that is These my bloody sufferings what I have endured let it be remembred But we cannot well accommodate this interpretation to the Text For first there may be as much vanity in desiring the evils wee have suffered as the good wee have done should be knowne we must let God alone to erect the monument of our sufferings that must be none of our care Secondly Wee cannot so much as suspect that Job would maintaine the memory of his sufferings against God yet it was he who smote Job though by the hand of Satan and wicked men This Job had acknowledged more then once with much humble submission and therefore hee doth not desire that his blood might be forth-comming in a way of contestation with him Further If we looke onely to those instruments of his affliction who had indeed done him wrong Surely the spirit of this good man as it was farr from meditating revenge so his scope and businesse here was rather to bring himselfe to a tryall then them rather to have his owne innocency cleered then their guilt proved And therefore we have called these words an imprecation upon himselfe in case he were guilty not an accusation of their guiltinesse In pursuance of which generall sense we must expound blood under another notion And therefore Secondly Blood may be taken actively and so it falls under a threefold consideration First Blood is put for the generall sinfulnesse or corruption of mans nature as also for any particular sin as it is wrapt up in mans naturall corruption Augustine One of the Ancients interprets Davids prayer Psal 51.14 Deliver me from blood or bloods or as we render from blood-guiltinesse O God not of that speciall sin or not of that onely the death of Vriah but of all sin which saith he therefore beares that title because it flowes from the polluted nature of man which the Scripture calls flesh and blood That of the Prophet is more proper to this point Ezek. 16.6 When thou wast in thy blood I sayd unto thee live that is When thou was wrapt in and defiled with thy sin and misery then I had pitty on thee and spake life into thee Every soule tumbles in blood till it is sprinkled with blood our blood is our filthinesse and the blood of Christ is our holinesse freeing us at once from the guilt and from the staine of sin This corruption of nature together with that issue of it the transgressions of life may be called bloud for two reasons First Because it deserves death and is a state of death wee are dead in sin and the wages of sin is death and as any kinde of death may be expressed by blood so a violent death is the pouring out of blood Secondly It may be called blood because sin is expiated by blood and without shedding of blood there is no remission no not of the least sin Secondly Blood signifies some notorious sin or sins Great sins are not onely bloody sins Sanguinis nomine intelligitur peccatum gravissimum ac detestandum facinus but in Scripture language blood Isa 1.15 When yee make many prayers I will not heare Why For your hands are full of blood that is Of great and foule crimes For should wee take blood there for any sin according to the former interpretation then whose prayer shall be heard Who is it that sins not yea who is not full of sin So that by hands full of blood he meanes hands stained with great sins or with sins if small in themselves yet which greatens the least sin loved and unrepented of Ezek. 9.9 Thus saith the Lord The iniquity of the House of Israel and Judah is exceeding great and the Land is full of blood that is Of all kinde of wickednesse Ezek. 24.7 For her blood is in the middest of her shee set it upon the top of a rock shee poured it not upon the ground to cover it with dust Which words describe as the sin of Jerusalem so her impudence in sinning Her blood was in the midst of her it was not cast behinde the doore or put into a corner Shee set it upon a rock and not onely so but upon the top of a rock as if shee not onely cared not who saw it but had taken care that all might see it Shee poured it not upon the ground to cover it with dust In which words the Prophet alludes to that Law Levit. 17.13 commanding that the blood of a Beast should be poured out and covered with dust And againe Hos 4.2 By swearing and killing and stealing and committing adultery they breake out and blood toucheth blood
or condemnes He that is righteous knowes that all his sins are covered by the freegrace of God in the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ and he knowes that he hath not covered his sin as Adam by excuses nor sewed the Fig-leaves of carnall reasonings together to hide his nakednesse he knowes also that he lives not in any knowne sin nor hath wickedly departed from the Lord. Now because in all these respects he knowes nothing by himselfe therefore he cares not who knows him he cals not for Masks or Visors for Curtaines or coverings to obscure or disguise himselfe or his actions under eyther from the sight of God or man but is willing to stand forth in the open light For though the best of men may have done some act which is not fit for the open light yet considering the whole frame of their hearts and lives towards God together with what hath past betweene God and their soules about that act they are not afrayd that the worst act which ever they have done should stand forth in the open light and as for those crimes which men uncharitably charge upon them every honest heart speakes boldly the sense of this first part of Jobs imprecation O earth cover not thou my blood From the second branch of Jobs imprecation Let my cry have no place Observe Not to have prayer heard and accepted by God is the greatest misery that can befall man God is the last refuge of a distressed soule and the meanes by which we make God our refuge or flye to him for refuge is beleeving and servent prayer Prayer is a duty and yet it is a priviledge it is a priviledge not onely to receive an answer of prayer but to put up our requests in prayer he therefore that askes a stop upon his owne prayers hath at once asked a stop upon all his mercies he cannot looke to be releeved who tells God he doth not looke to be heard and when prayer hath no place of acceptance in Heaven wee can have no place of contentment on the Earth Upon this account we may conclude That Man cannot bespeake any thing worse for himselfe then not to be heard when he speakes to God As it is one of the highest honours done to God that men make prayers to him so it is one of the deepest afflictions of man for God not to heare his prayers Such was Sauls condition 2 Sam. 28. God doth not answer me neither by dreames nor by Vrim nor by Prophets He could get no answer from God his cry had no place This troubled him more then the invasion of the Philistims I am sore distressed saith he the Philistims make Warr upon me and God is departed from me When trouble comes and God goes away man is in a wofull estate We have no promise to receive unlesse we aske and though we doe aske wee cannot receive unlesse our prayer be received God receives the prayer of man before man receives any thing from God in prayer All our treasure lies in Heaven our comfort is in Heaven our protection is in Heaven and prayer is the messenger which we send to Heaven in the name of Christ for all things or for whatsoever else we need on earth Now if prayer cannot get in if God will not heare prayer if hee send back our messenger without audience what can wee receive The sinfulnesse of man appeares in nothing more then in this That he calleth not upon God Psal 14.4 Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge Who eate up my people as they eate bread and call not upon the Lord Now as the sin of man appeares exceedingly in not calling upon God so the wrath of God appeares exceedingly in not hearing man when he cals Prov. 1.20 Then shall they call upon me but I will not answer they shall seeke me early but they shall not finde me God will powre out wrath upon the Families that call not upon his name Jer. 10.25 but hee powres out most wrath upon those Families whom he heares not when they call upon his name All our mercies are shut out at once when prayer is shut out nor shall that person have any place or roome in Gods heart whose cry hath no place in his eare Holy Job was sensible enough of this nor durst hee have imprecated that his cry should have no place but that being conscious of no evill hee was assured that his cry had place and therefore as in the sincerity of his soule he made that imprecation so in the confidence of his soule he proceeds to make his Appeale to God in the next words Vers 19. Also now behold my witnesse is in Heaven and my record is on high As if he had sayd I feare no evidence that can be brought against me on earth and I rejoyce in the witnesse I have in Heaven though I have none to testifie for me here yet I have one that will testifie for me above My witnesse is in Heaven and my record is on high Vtitur testificatione caeli postquam terrae testimonium produxit Eugub Some conceive that as Job had spoken to the earth before so now he speakes to Heaven O earth cover not my blood O Heaven witnesse for me But he saith not my witnesse is Heaven but my witnesse is in Heaven nor doth he call the Heavens to witnesse for him but he cals him who is in Heaven to witnesse and that is God There are two branches of this appeal Idem bis dicit conscientiae suae integrae declarandae causa Lavat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Synonymum est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hieron in Trad. and they both intend the same thing My witnesse is in Heaven and my record is on high The words witnesse and record are of the same signification though they differ in the letter The one is properly an Hebrew word and the other Syriack When Jacob and Laban were in that contest Gen. 31.47 Jacob tooke a Stone and set up a Pillar for a witnesse And Jacob sayd to his Brethren Gather stones and they made an heape and they did eate there upon the heap and Laban called it Jegar-sahadatha that is a heap of witnesses as it is in the Margin but Jacob called it Galeed or Gilead Jacob speaking the pure Hebrew and Laban the Syriack language they take in both the words of Jobs appeale My witnesse is in Heaven my record is on high Est forma juramenti quo deum invocat innocentiae suae testem atque conscientiae spectatorem Cajet Job speakes the same thing twice to shew how strongly he beleeved that the Lord would be witnesse for him My witnesse is in Heaven my record is on high Heaven and high are the same as witnesse and record are And when he saith on high or in the high place he useth not the word Bamoth by which those high places are expressed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In excelsis malimin altissimis quia excelsa
say it shewed that the deed was very good because the Lord promised to reward his Children for it with the possession of the Throne of Israel to the fourth generation 2 Kings 10.30 Now as those acts have a great deale of excellency in them for which God rewards and blesseth to posterity so those sins have a speciall malignity in them which are threatened and pursued with revenges to Posterity Such sins have a touch of the first sin in them The punishment of Adams first sin is hereditary to the last man all have smarted for that sin and the eyes of his Children have failed because he looked upon and eate the forbidden fruit Now every sin which is thus spoken of in Scripture as Idolatry in the second Commandement and here flattery hath a speciall stampe of the first sin upon it not onely as being a sin and so a derivative from it but as having much of the sinfulnesse of that sin in it The evils of which did not dye with those who gave it life And as all flattery is very sinfull so spirituall flattery or flattery about spirituall things is most sinfull both because about them we ought to be most plaine-hearted and because a deceit about them doth most hurt Any kinde of flattery is bad enough but this is worst such was that of the falfe Prophets who daubed with untempered morter and cryed Peace peace when there was no peaee Who set themselves to please not to instruct the people and were therefore busie in sewing pillowes under every elbow A flatterer would make all men leane soft sit easie and be well perswaded of themselves though their case be starke naught He that thus speakes flattery to his Freind doth indeed speake misery yea and death to his Freind The flatterer is the greatest hater and no man speakes worse of another then hee who speakes better of him then he deserves or then his state will beare It is dangerous to speake all the good of a man that is true but to speake good of him which is not true may be his utter undoing And though it hath beene sayd and often experienced that flattery gaines Freinds and Truth-speaking hatred yet none have run into so much hatred as flatterers For as it is sayd of Treason That many love the Treason but all hate the Taytor so many love to heare themselves flattered but all hate flatterers And though true reproofes are bitter Pills and very distastfull to most in the taking downe yet wise Solomon hath assured us That he that rebuketh a man afterwards shall finde more favour even with that man then he that flattereth with his lips Prov. 28.23 There are many who as the Psalmist speakes Psal 36.2 Flatter themselves they are their owne Parasites But as they who flatter others doe most commonly fall under their displeasure so all they sooner or latter shall fall under their owne displeasure and that 's worse then the displeasure of any yea then of all men who have flattered themselves It is our wisedome and our peace to be plaine with our selves and with all men how much present disquiet so ever we get by it Paul speakes it out to the Thessalonians 1 Epist 2.3 4 5. Our exhortation was not of deceit neyther at any time used we flattering words But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the Gospel even so we speake not as pleasing men but God Further these words may be expounded not as a threat against his Freinds for their flattering of him but as a threat against himselfe in case he should have flattered them And so they carry also the weight of a reason why hee used so much freedome in reproving them and shewing them the danger that hung over their heads As if he had sayd You my Freinds may perhaps wonder at my boldnesse and plainenesse of speech while I tell you that God hath hid your hearts from understanding and that he will not exalt you But you must pardon me I had rather incurr your frownes by my downeright dealing with you then Gods by flattering you I had rather make your eares tingle by reproving you then make the eyes of my Children ake by my applauding you for this I have learned as a certaine truth that hee who speakes flattery to his Freind the eyes of his Children shall faile Hence Observe That even a godly man doth and ought to strengthen himselfe in doing his duty by the remembrance of those evills which are threatned against the neglect of it A Beleever makes use of the threatnings as well as of the promises to keep his heart close in obedience That is the best obedience which springs from the feare of the Lord and his goodnesse but that may be a good and a pure act of obedience which springs from the feare of the Lord and his wrath Christ exhorts and forewarnes his freinds to feare him who after hee hath killed hath power to cast into Hell Luke 12.5 'T is noblest and most spirituall to obey God for himselfe without respect eyther to Heaven or Hell yet wee may have respect both to Heaven and Hell to reward and punishment in our obedience Joseph resisted temptation by the highest argument when he sayd How can I doe this great evill and sinne against God Gen. 39.9 He resists temptation by a good argument who saith How can I sin against God which will doe so much evill to my selfe or draw many evils upon mine And thus Job argued according to this interpretation when he sayd He that speakes flattery to his freind the eyes of his Children shall faile Or as Master Broughton renders The eyes of the given that way that is to flattery shall be consumed Vox Ban in non filios sed intelligentes vel considerantes significat a Verbo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod est intelligere hinc sic conficitur textus Et ooculi considerantium eum deficient Bold There is another reading of the latter clause and so of the whole Verse The eyes of those that consider observe or attend him shall faile and so they derive the word Bamin not from Ben a Son or a Childe but from Bin which signifies to understand or consider The eyes of those that consider him shall faile Then the meaning is my freinds are so exact and accute in flattery in composing and uttering fauning speeches that they who heare them are wrapt into an extasie and their very eyes doe faile with their intentnesse in beholding them They are such powerfull Orators that they can draw the mindes and eyes of their Auditors whither they please and cause their eyes to ake with looking so wistly on them having as the Apostle speakes in a like case their persons in admiration Job having thus complained against and taxed his Freinds of flattery goes on to aggravate the sadnesse of his condition and upon the whole to move the Lord to hasten an end of his miseries or to hasten
will breake through all oppositions through Lawe through conscience through counsell through an host of threatnings armed against him through judgements inflicted on him he will breake through all these that he may have a draught of his beloved iniquity-water Secondly To drinke notes a strong desire so pleasure and content and where there is a great deale of desire there is also much content and pleasure in drinking Hence observe That it is a very pleasant thing to a carnall man to sin he drinkes iniquity not onely like water but in this sense like the sweetest Wine a draught of sin is the onely Merry-goe-downe to a carnall man A drunkard likes his drinke well but he likes his drunkennesse better His liquor is sweet to him but O how sweet is the satisfying of his lust When he hath his desire he is pleased when he is frustrated of his desire he is sullen and like Ahab when he could not obtaine Naboaths Vineyard he is displeased and refuses as he did to eate bread because he cannot have this water of iniquity to drink Thirdly Consider the easinesse of it to drink is no hard labour hence we speake proverbially I can do◠such a thing as easily as I can drinke there are no bones in drink Good liquor we say also needs no chewing Besides it is easie to drink because it is naturall to drink Children have no Tutors to teach them to drink Againe to drink water is easie because we may get it easily water is not kept under Lock and Key but in the common Storehouses or Cellars of nature Hence Note A naturall man sins with ease it is no paine to him to sin Sin is not easie in the effects so it leaves us in Little-ease q.d. Facillimè laxatis conscientiae habenis in omnia omnis generis scelera se dat praecipitem Bold paine and sorrow enough are the fruits of it but it is easie in the act of it it is to a wicked heart as easie as to drinke water which is every way easie For first Sin is a common thing every where to be had sin may be found like water in every Ditch sin also is like those waters which flow naturally you need not pumpe for it or fetch it up with Buckets Secondly No man needs be taught to sin children learne that lesson and till the spirit of God teach them they cannot unlearne it without a Schoole-master Thirdly Most sins in the act of them have little labour or difficulty in them Psal 50.20 Quasi per in curiam otium quasi nihil agens Thou sattest and spakest against thy Mothers Son A man may both speake and doe evill while he sits still and doth nothing an idle posture may serve the turne for such work as that Fourthly Water is but small drinke water hath little pleasure in it and lesse strength in it And therefore when Christ would shew that the lowest courtesie or charity done to one of his shall be highly esteemed by him he saith Whosoever shall give to drinke unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water onely in the name of a Disciple he shall not loose his reward Matth. 10.42 Hence Observe Man will sin upon very easie tearmes and smallest considerations Though there be little got by it though he get but a draught of water by it though his sin bring him in scare any thing of advantage yet sin he will the act of sinning pleaseth some more then the consequence or gaine of sin They care not much whether it be water or Wine which they drinke Eo improbitatis evadit impius ut vel solo peccati impietatis nomine nulla praeterea mercede proposita peccato inserviat so it be iniquity which they drinke As the Saints in a height of holinesse will doe good though they doe themselves little good or get no outward advantage by it They resolve to do good for good sake the duty abstractly considered or the act it selfe is the thing that pleaseth them so to a naturall man the very committing of sin satisfieth him more then the outward Income or Revenue of his sin He doth evill for evill sake and serves his lust for love not for wages Fifthly Drinking is a frequent act a temperate man drinkes every day and often every day healthy men eate often and most men drink oftner then they eate So that to drinke iniquity hints also the frequency of committing iniquity Hence Observe A carnall heart sins often He sins and sins hee cannot but sin Inveteratum ac inseparabilem peccandi habitum consuetudinem denotat it is a continuall yea a continued act he hath never done he is like the Drunkard that must alwayes be tipling Or like the covetous man who is alwaies having and the more he hath the more he desires to have Covetousnesse is a dry drunkennesse and drunkennesse is a wet covetousnesse both returne often upon the same acts and so doth every sinner naturally He cannot cease from sin as the Apostle Peter speakes Every imagination of the thoughts of his heart is onely evill and that continually The cup of iniquity is never from his mouth Sixtly To drink iniquity like water notes not onely the frequency of sinning but the abundance of sinning they take great draughts of sin who drinke iniquity like water Such as are accustomed to drink water in many places it is the common drink such I say drink more then men usually doe of Wine or strong drinke first because Wine and artificiall liquors are costly but you may drinke water good cheape and none will grutch you Secondly Water is not strong nor vaporous it doth not burden the braine like your heady liquors Now though iniquity be somewhat unlike water in both these respects for to some their sins are costly enough at present and they will cost all very deare except they repent of them before at the day of reckoning sin also flyes up into the braine and doth as much besot as defile the soule Now I say though sin be thus unlike water yet the naturall man drinkes it like water he takes in and sends out abundance of it what cares he what it costs him or how it besots him neither the present distemperings of it nor the after reckonings for it trouble him Seventhly Eating and drinking are the support of nature by these the body is maintained in life now as the body of nature is maintained by eating and drinking Perbibisti iniquitatem ita visceribus immiscuisti ut nisi cum ipsis exire non possit Sen. lib. P. de ira so the body and life of sin the corrupt state and strength of man are maintained by the continuall actings of sin The old Adam is nourished by these waters of iniquity We say in nature wee are nourished by that out of which we are made that which is the matter of our constitution is the matter of our nutrition so in this
case a man in nature is composed or constituted of sin and a naturall man is nourished and preserved by sinning Vt deficienti humido resarciendo nihil aptius est aqua utilius ia hominis beatitudini quae ipsi de est consummandae natura nihil suggerit nisi peccatum Coc. Continuall acts increase the habit and as a godly man is nourished by holy acts and strengthened in spirit by spirituall obedence doing the will of God is the food of the soule As Christ speakes John 4.21 so doth every true Christian in his degree It is my meat and drinke to doe the will of my Father which is in Heaven or as Job professeth of himselfe Chap. 23.12 I esteeme the words of thy mouth more then my necessary food Thus also the old man saith It is my meat and drink to doe the will of the flesh and that is indeed the will of his Father which is in Hell The words of his mouth his Counsels and Lawes I esteem more then my necessary food So much for the opening and illustration of this Scripture-phrase Drinking iniquity like water I shall propound one Quere in generall concerning the whole Verse and so conclude it Here is a full description of sinfull man But whether Eliphaz speakes this strictly of a person unregenerate and so applyeth it to Job or whether this description be not also applicable to a man who is regenerate and godly for the maine and was so intended by Eliphaz is here a question Some conceive that the words will suite none but an unregenerate man and t is granted upon all hands that they are most sutable to him An unregenerate man is abominable and filthy he drinks iniquity like water And yet in a qualified sense we may say all this of a man regenerate Even He in reference to the remaines of corruption is abominable and filthy and He under some distempers and temptations drinks iniquity like water Agit Eliphaz cum Jobo non ut improbo sed ut errante Coc. which words of Eliphaz a moderne Interpreter paralels with those of Paul concerning himselfe Rom. 7.25 With the flesh I serve the Law of sin And delivers his opinion in this case That though Eliphaz aimed at Job in all this yet he deales with him not as with a wicked man but as with an erring brother For whereas he had sayd Chap. 13.23 How many are mine iniquities Eliphaz might judge by his words that surely he thought his iniquities were not very many and whereas he had sayd at the 26. Verse of the same Chapter Thou makest me to possesse the iniquityes of my youth Eliphaz might collect surely this man thinks his elder yeares have been so free from sin that God can finde nothing in them which might justifie him in these severe punishments Now Eliphaz opposeth these apprehensions and would both teach and convince him that as originall sin pollutes every man wholly till he is washed and borne againe by the spirit so no man is so farre washed by the spirit but that many spots and pollutions of the flesh doe still cleave to him and often appeare upon him And Eliphaz may be conceived to handle Job in this manner First To shew him that though a man be in a state of regeneration yet he can deserve nothing at the hand of God because his holinesse is still imperfect and his corruptions are abominable Secondly That the greatest sufferings and afflictions of good men in this life are very consistent with the Justice of God Thirdly That he might humble Job who as he feared was still too high in his owne opinion and thought better of himselfe then did become him Fourthly To provoke him to resist his owne corruptions stedfastly And lastly To beare the crosse which the Lord had layd upon him for his good especially for the taming and subduing of his corruptions patiently So that Eliphaz doeh not dispute with him upon this hypothesis or supposition or not upon this onely That man by nature and without the grace of God is filthy and abominable drinking iniquity like water but upon this or this in consort with the former That man in a state of grace or a godly man is filthy and abominable in reference to the flesh that dwelleth in him and that in reference to his frequent sinnings he may be sayd to drink iniquity like water And therefore Job had no reason to be proud how good so ever he was or how much good soever he had done and that there was all the reason in the World he should be patient and take it well at the hand of God how much evill so ever he should suffer This resolution of the Quere as it is profitable so probable For howsoever Jobs Freinds had branded him in diverse passages of this dispute as a wicked man and an hypocrite and were so understood by Job as appeares in his answers and replyes yet 't is most likely his Freinds spake so in reference to his actions not in reference to his state That he had done like an Hypocrite or a wicked man was clearely their opinion but there is no necessity to conclude from what they sayd that they judged him absolutely to be one JOB CHAP. 15. Vers 17 18 19 20. I will shew thee heare mee and that which I have seene I will declare Which wise men have told from their Fathers and have not hid it Vnto whom alone the earth was given and no stranger passed among them The wicked man travelleth with paine all his dayes and the number of yeares is hidden to the oppressour ELiphaz having argued against Jobs supposed opinion of Selfe-cleannesse and personall righteousnesse proceeds to the confirmation of his owne position to which he leads us by a new Exordium or Preface in the 17 18 and 19. Verses of this Chapter Secondly he largely handles and illustrates it from the 20. to the 31. Verse Thirdly hee applyeth the whole Doctrine to Job by way of dehortation at the 31. Verse and so forward to the end of the Chapter The generall argument which he brings to confirme his Tenet may be thus formed up That is true which continued experience and the consent of wise men in all ages have taught and delivered to us But the experience and consent of wise men in all ages have taught and delivered this that a wicked man travels with paine all his dayes that he is punished outwardly by want and sicknesse and inwardly by the gripes and scourges of his owne conscience Therefore this is a truth The major proposition is the sum of the Preface contained in the 17 18. and 19. Verses The minor or second Proposition is held forth in the 20. Verse and is prosecuted to the one and thirtieth I will shew thee heare thou me and that which I have seene I will declare So the Preface begins He layes downe a double proofe in this Preface a proofe first from his owne experience secondly from the