eternall death or going downe to the pit of hell Fourthly In that this word deliver him is given to the messenger Observe God conveighs deliverance and mercy to us by men like our selves He will have the creature beholding to the creature for his mercy though mercy come freely and only from himselfe God delivereth the sick and the sinner in such a method that we may owne though not stay in his messengers as the instruments of his favour God who can doe all things by himselfe will not doe many things but by meanes He saith to the messenger Deliver him from going downe to the pit You will say How can a Minister or a Messenger deliver the sick from going downe to the pit I answer as was touched before he delivers him by declaring to him the minde of God by acquainting the sick with the promises of deliverance and by pressing him to believe and rest upon them by assuring him that as God is able to performe the promise so he is faithfull and willing to performe it yea that he hath given some tokens for good that he will deliver him from going downe to the pit Thus the worke of Gods free grace mercy and power is oftentimes attributed to instruments and second causes because they have their place and use in the bringing about the purposes of God for the good of his people Hence some men are called Saviours And Saviours shall come up on mount Zion Obad v. 21. No man can save either from temporall or eternall destruction He that is our God is the God of salvation and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death Ps 68.20 yet saith the Prophet there shall come Saviours that is God will rayse up worthy men principall men as another Prophet cals them Mic 5.5 who shall destroy Zions enemies Thus Paul admonisheth Timothy Take heed to thy selfe and to thy doctrine continue in them for in so doing thou shalt save thy selfe and them that heare thee 1 Tim 4.16 The Apostle James Chap 5.20 speakes the same thing He which converteth a sinner from the errour of his way shall save a soule from death and shall hide a multitude of sins And the same Apostle faith as to the case in the text at the 15th verse of the same Chapter The prayer of faith shall save the sicke Though none can save yet many are means of our salvation And the Lord is pleased to honour those who are the meanes of any salvation so farre as to say They save It is indeed the duty of all to ascribe the all of every worke and piece of salvation and deliverance to God only When the people stood wondering at Peter and John after they had healed the lame man Peter answered Acts 3.12 Ye men of Israel why marvel ye at this or why looke ye so earnestly on us as if we by our own power or holiness had made this man to walke The God of Abraham c. hath glorified his Son Jesus As if they had said Therefore doe ye also glorifie him not us for delivering this lame man Though God is pleased to put much honour upon man by speaking of what himselfe doth as if man had done it yet he will not give the glory of what he doth to any man nor may any take it God saith to the messenger deliver him from going downe to the pit but woe to that messenger who saith when he is delivered I have delivered him from going downe to the pit Thus we see the spring of the sick mans recovery it is from the graciousness of God and we see the meanes of it God gives a warrant to his messenger saying Deliver him from going down to the pit But what is the procuring or meritorious cause of this deliverance As the Text hath shewed us the first moving cause The grace of God so it shewes us the meritorious cause by which his deliverance is procured Things are so ordered in the Covenant of grace that though the Lord acts with infinite freeness yet he hath appointed and ordered a way in which alone he will doe what he freely doth This is expressed in the last clause of the verse Fer I have found a ransome But where did God find it certainly in his own bosome in his own heart Jesus Christ came out of the bosome of the Father there he was God found him in and with himself God did not find the ransome by chance nor did he find it by advice and consultation with others but he found it in himself in his own infinite wisdome and goodness that is he contrived it he invented i◠there This rare this most excellent thing a ransome is the Lords own invention I have found it I know how to doe this man good I know how to save him and doe my own honour and Justice no hurt no wrong my honour is saved Verbum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denotet expiationem aut redemptionem tum etiam pretium quod pro redemptione offertur Significat etiam cooperire linire aut operire bitumine quasi pristinam faciē rei alicujus aut immunditiem abscondere quod elegantèr refertur ad ab stertionem peccati Pined my Justice is satisfied in doing it I have found a ransome The word here rendred a ransome signifies in the Verb to cover or to hide that which before lay open that it appeare no more Grace brings another face upon things a new face I may say upon our souls The covering of sin elegantly denotes the pardon of sin And what reason have we to be thankfull and rejoyce when sin our soul durt and deformity is covered We have very foul faces I meane outward conversations and more foul souls or inward inclinations till the Lord is graciously pleased to put a covering upon them If we cover our own sins we shall have no mercy but if the Lord once cover our sins he cannot deny us mercy that being it self our greatest mercy and the fruit of his great mercy The Mercy-seat so famous in the Mosaicall Poedogogy is exprest by this word which properly signifieth a Covering The Mercy-seat was it self a Covering of pure gold laid over the Arke in which Arke the Law was put Exod. 25.17.21 Thou shalt put the Mercy-seat above upon the Arke and in the Ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee And as the dimensions of the Arke were two Cubits and a halfe in length and a Cubit and a half in breadth so the same were the dimensions of the Mercy-seat Vers 10.17 which figured that as the Mercy-seat fully covered the Arke wherein the Law was so Christ should fully cover all our sins which are transgressions of the Law The righteousness of Christ is as long and as broad as the Law and so our sins being covered with that shall never appeare against us Therefore also from above this Mercy-seat between the two Cherubims the Lord said vers 22. I will meete thee and I will
enumerate the particular evill acts he had committed and was guilty of yet doubtlesse he had them as a burden upon his heart and was willing to unburden himselfe of them one by one in a hearty and heart-afflicting confession The publican Luke 18.13 stood a far off and durst not lift up his eyes to heaven but only sayd God be mercifull to me a sinner He struck at all his sins though he did not by name touch any one of them He that saith knowing what he saith I have sinned will not hide any one of his sins And he that indeed and truth confesseth any one will cover none of his sins Those sins may be pardoned which are not expressely confessed but if we conceale or hide any sin and will not bring it forth in confession we cannot in faith expect the pardon of it Againe Consider the time or season when the Lord looked for this confession It was a time of trouble and affliction of paine and sorrow the man was sick or but in a way of recovery out of his sickness Hence note Times of affliction are speciall times of confession and repentance Confession of sin must not be omitted especially not neglected in our most comfortable dayes much lesse in a day of trouble A sad and troubled state calls us aloud to a gracious sadness of heart to the search of our hearts and lives which are preparatory to repentance and Godly sorrow Usually in prosperity men will not be at leisure to search their hearts and take notice of their sins Therefore the Lord draweth them to confession by drawing them from the world by laying them upon their sick beds or by bringing them into straites And as when affliction is upon persons or families then is a speciall time to confesse personall and family sins so to confesse national sins is most seasonable when affliction hath seized upon kingdomes and nations The want and neglect of that publicke confession and sorrow in such a day is mightily aggravated and most severely threatned Isa 22.12 13 14. God looketh and loveth to heare every man saying and a whole nation as one man saying in a day of sorrow and trouble I have sinned and perverted that which was right From the latter words I have perverted that which was right or the Law Note First The law of God is the rule of righteousness a right rule All rightness and righteousness is comprehended in it and measured by it Secondly Learne Sin is a perverting of that which is right Every the least sin is so in some degree though here possibly sins are intended of any even of the highest degree The Apostle defining sin calleth it 1 John 3.4 A transgression of the Law and if so it must needs be a perverting of that which is right For what is or can be right if the rule of righteousness be not What the Apostle spake to Elymas Acts 13.10 Wilt thou not cease to pervert the right wayes of the Lord shewes the nature and effect of every sin and the more sinfull any sin is by so much the more doth it pervert that which is right Some sinners are sayd to make voyd the law of God to pervert it as if they would quite subvert and disanull it David remembers God of such and desires him to look to them betimes Psal 119.126 It is time for thee to work for they have made voyd thy law That is they have done their best or worst rather their utmost to make it voyd and of no force 'T is not in the power of all the powers of the world to vacat rescind or null one tittle of the law of God heaven and earth shall passe away before that yet many attempt it yea some doe that which will be found and interpreted a making voyd of the law of God who thinke themselves great zelotes for or very zealous of the law That will be the case of many especially of all will-worshippers Againe Consider though the person here spoken of had not only sinned but perverted that which was right that is sinned perversly yet upon confession the Lord deales graciously with him Hence Note The free grace of God extends to the pardon of the greatest sins even sins of perversness Where sin aboundeth Grace aboundeth much more Rom 5.20 whether the abounding of sin be taken in the number of it or in the weight of it that is in the greatness and aggravations of it Grace hath its sutable super-abounding Num 23.21 When Balaam would shew that the people of Israel were a people impenetrable by his curses he saith The Lord hath seen no iniquity in Jacob nor perversness in Israel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word there used is of a different root from this in the text but the sence is the same implying if the Lord had seen perversness in Israel it would have layd them open to a curse yet sins made up of perversness are within the compass of a pardon There is no sin excepted from pardon but that which at once refuseth and despiseth it the sin against the holy Ghost Math◠12.31 This should not incourage any to sin perversly only it is a comfort to those who have They who have sinned perversly or who have perversness mingled with their sin should not cast off the hope of pardon but woe to those who sin perversly that is against the light of their owne consciences upon hopes of pardon Such persons have no true hope they may have much presumption that they shall be pardoned They who having sinned perversly confesse it have good ground to pray for pardon but they who goe on sinning perversly have no ground while they doe so to hope for it This text speakes of a person confessing and bewayling that he hath sinned perversely not of a person purposing to sin so as appeares further in the last clause of the verse If any say I have sinned and perverted that which is right And it profiteth me not Here 's another poynt of confession we must not only confesse that we have sinned but the fruitlessness of sin or that sin profiteth not There are two rendrings and so two severall expositions of these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 potest esse verbum potest esse et nomen faemininum Vnde sensus est non accepi tantundem non reposita est mihi par paena pro peccato meo Coc Non dignè in me inquisivit pro his quae poccavi Sept The word signifieth most properly that which is equall And hence some give the sence thus which carrieth in it an eminent work of repentance I have sinned and perverted that which was right and have not that which is equall That is Though I am greatly afflicted and my sorrows lye heavie upon me yet they are not equall to my sinning or perverse dealings with the Lord. I have not received as I was worthy or according to my ill deservings The Septuagint speak thus God hath not made
man of wickedness nothing but wickedness altogether wicked The Lord looking downe from heaven upon all the children of men in a state of natureâ— sayd There is not one that doth good no not one Take any wicked man he hath no good in him no not one good thought in him he is a man of Iniquity he is meere wickedness till he be changed till his heart be broken by Godly sorrow till he be united unto Christ by faith and through the Spirit I know this expression is used severall times in Scripture to note those men who are sinners of the first forme being not only sinners in their state but in the highest degree of activity Thus Antichrist is called The man of sin 2 Thes 2. And when the Prophet saith Isa 55.7 Let the man of iniquity turne from his evill way he meanes the worst of men Yet this is a truth every man in an unconverted estate is a man of iniquity he hath no goodness nothing of God in him he bears only the Image and impresse of the devill upon him Christ told the Pharisees who were high in reputation with the world for good men John 8.44 Ye are of your father the devill and the lusts of your father ye will doe The naturall man is so sinfull that he is meerly sin And sometimes a godly man speakes and doth as if he were so too Job spake like men of Iniquity Elihu proceedeth more fully to declare both the reason why he would have Job further tryed and likewise what he meant by his answers for wicked men Vers 37. For he addeth rebellion or trespass to his sin Nomine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intelligitur peccatum ex errore commissum Nomine vero 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scelus propriè rebellio Here are two words sin and rebellion the first which we render sin signifies sin in common the least transgression of the Law it is sin the least vaine thought of the heart the least idle word of the tongue is sin but every sin is not rebellion that hath many speciall markes or brands rather upon it To rebell is to sin with a high hand to rebell is to sin with a stiff neck to rebell is to sin with obstinacy and resolvedness of will he addeth rebellion to his sin But did Job rebell indeed I conceive the rebellion which Elihu chargeth Job with is not rebellion in a strict but in a qualified and comparative sense As if he had said Job sinned before but now his sin is heightened we see him now in words rising up against God complaining of his justice or as if he had dealt unjustly with him What he did in the time of his prosperity those slips falls which he had then weighed nothing as laid in the ballance with the intemperate speeches which he hath uttered in the day of his trouble He addeth rebellion unto his sin So we render as respecting what he was and had done before Others render it potentially not indicatively Let Job be tryed unto the end because of his answers for wicked men for otherwise he may adde rebellion to his sin we know not whether his corruptions may carry him if suffered to goe onne This is a more favourable reading of the text not as a charge of naturall but feared rebellion against God As if he had sayd I see the mans spirit is so entangled that if he be not well and wisely dealt with possibly he may come to adde even rebellion unto his sin and whereas he sinned before out of ignorance or imprudence he may shortly sin out of contumacy and perverseness Hence Note First There are sins of severall degrees Every man sinneth he that saith he hath no sin or doth not sin there is no truth in him 1 John 1.8 But every mans sin is not rebellion every man doth not rise up to that height and degree of sinning If any shall enquire when is a mans sin rebellion I answer First That mans sin grows to be rebellion whose will is much in it He that will sin rebells The Apostle Paul saith Rom 7.19 The evill which I would not that I doe This is the case of every godly man at his best he doth those evills which he would not this is not rebellion because the will of a godly man is changed and turned off from sin he can say the evill which I would not doe that doe I. Rebellion is the doing of that evill which we would Secondly In rebellion or in rebellious acts of sin there is much of the understanding as well as of the will that is a man seeth cleerely what he doth is sin or that the rule is against him to rebell is to sin against the light It is sayd in the 24th Chapter of this booke The wicked are of them that rebell against the light that is they cannot abide the light he means it there of the naturall light the adulterer and the thiefe cannot indure Sun or day-light it is much more true of mysticall light if he hath any light of knowledge he resists and rebells against it It s great rebellion to resist the receiving of light offered but 't is greater rebellion to resist light received sins against knowledge are rebellious sins Thirdly A rebellious sin is a sin against reproofe admonition and warning when we have been often told of such a sin and admonished of such an evill course and yet we will goe on in it here is rebellion such a man hath not only light in his understanding that what he doth is sinfull but this light hath been brought home to him and wrought upon him by reproofe counsell and admonition here is still greater rebellion Therefore in the proceeding of the Church spoken of Math 18. when an offending brother hath been reproved and told of his fault first in pâ—ivate by a particular brother then by two or three then by the whole Church if after all these admonitions and reproofes he doth not repent he is to be cast out as a rebel and accounted as a heathen or a publican Lastly As 't is rebellion when we sin as against the reproofes of man so against the providences of God and those of two sorts First When we sin against the favourable providences of God I meane those which are outward when God bestows many mercies and comforts upon us when he gives us health and riches in the world and fullnesse of all things then to sin against him is rebellion Deut 32.15 Jesurun waxed fat and kicked and rebelled against the Lord and lightly regarded the rock of his salvation When we have received many and great mercies then to grow vaine and wanton and nourish our selves as in the day of slaughter this is rebellion against God Secondly When the providences of God have broken us by this evill or that evill when we are broken in our estates broken in our names broken in our relations broken with sickness after sickness and yet persist in
say it Againe When Elihu saith Thou hast spoken in my hearing and I have heard the voyce of thy words He would convince Job to the utmost Hence note To accuse or condemne any man out of his owne mouth must needs stop his mouth Or To be condemned out of our owne mouth is an unanswerable condemnation When our owne sayings are brought against us what have we to say Christ told the evill and unprofitable servant who would needs put in a plea for his idleness and excuse himselfe for hideing his Lords talent in a napkin that is for not using or improving his gift Luk 19.22 Out of thine owne mouth will I judge thee thou wicked servant I will goe no further then thy owne words And we see as that evill servant had done nothing before so then he could say nothing because judged out of his owne mouth When the offenders tongue condemneth him who can acquit him Psal 64.8 So they shall make their owne tongue to fall upon themselves The tongues of some men have fallen upon them and crusht them like a mountaine and they have been pressed downe yea irrecoverably oppressed with the weight of their owne words The Apostle Jude tells us what the Lord will do when he comes to Judgement in that great and solemne day of his second Appearing v 15. He shall convince all that are ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him He shall say to them are not these your words can you deny them or have you any plea for them Have you not spoken these things in my hearing And have I not heard the voyce of your words speaking thus and thus reproachfully of my wayes ordinances and servants This is like wounding a man with his own weapon 't is like the act of David in cutting off the head of Goliah with his owne sword He that is condemned by his owne saying dyeth by his own sword David saith of sychophants and slanderers Psal 55.21 Their words were smoother then oyle yet were they drawne swords Such draw these swords with an intent to wound other mens reputation or good name but they oftenest wound their owne And as their words who slander others rebound upon themselves and turne to their owne disgrace so also doe theirs for the most part who are much in commending or possibly only which was Jobs case in vindicating themselves Surely thou hast spoken in my hearing c. But what had Elihu heard Job speake the next words are an answer or declare the matter of his speech and in them as was said before in opening the Context Elihu first chargeth him with an over-zeale in justifying himselfe I have heard the voyce of thy words saying Vers 9. I am cleane without transgression I am innocent neither is there iniquity in me This thou hast sayd and this I charge upon thee as a great iniquity For the clearing of these words I shall doe these foure things because upon this charge the whole discourse of Elihu throughout the Chapter depends First I shall give the sence and explication of the words as here expressed by Elihu and some briefe notes from them Secondly I shall shew what matter of accusation or of fault there is in these words of Job as brought by Elihu in charge against him or how sinfull a thing it is for any man to say he is without sin Thirdly I shall enquire what ground Job had given Elihu to charge him with saying these things Fourthly which followeth upon the third I shall inquire whether Elihu dealt rightly and fairely with Job in bringing thi sore and severe charge against him First To open the words as they are an assertion Thou hast sayd I am cleane without transgression I am innocent neither is there iniquity in me Some distinguish the three terms used in the text as a deniall of three severall sorts of sin First That by being cleane without transgression he intends his freedome from sins against sobriety or that he had not sinn'd against himselfe Secondly that by being innocent his meaning is he had not done impiously against God Thirdly that by having no iniquity in him he cleares himselfe of wrong done to man These three sorts of sin containe sin in the whole latitude of it All sin is either against our selves strictly called intemperance or against God strictly called impiety or against man strictly called unrighteousnesse But though this hath a truth in it as to the distinction of sins yet it may be over-nice to conclude Elihu had such a distinct respect in these distinct expressions And it may be questioned whether the words will beare it quite thorow Therefore I passe from it and leave it to the readers Judgement Further as to the verse in generall we may take notice that the same thing is sayd foure times twice affirmatively I am cleane I am innocent And twice negatively I am without transgression There is no iniquity in me I am cleane without transgression The word which we render cleane implyeth the cleanest of cleannesse 't is rightly opposed to the word transgression which signifieth a defection or turning off from God Every sin in the nature of it is a defection from God but some sins are an intended or resolved defection from him Some even throw off the soveraignty of God over them and his power to command them not being willing to submit their backs to his burden nor their necks to his yoke These are justly called sons of Belial they not only transgresse the Law but throw off the yoke of Christ from their necks and his burden from their shoulderS and say like them Luke 19.14 We will not have this man reigne over us So then when Job sayd I am cleane without transgression he may be very well understood thus Though I have many failings yet I am free from defection though I have many weaknesses yet I am free from rebellion and obstinacy I still retaine an entire love to God and am ready to submit to his will though I often find my heart through corruption rising up against my duty I am turned aside through the strength of temptations but I turne not aside through the bent of my affections This doubtlesse or somewhat like this was Job's sence when ever he sayd I am cleane without transgression Hence note First Transgression is a pollution or Sin is a defilement If once men step over or besides the line and rule of holinesse the Law of God which to doe is transgression they become unholy Job supposed himselfe uncleane if guilty of transgression Sin is an uncleane thing and it maketh man uncleane This the Church confessed Isa 64.6 We all are as an unclean thing or person As if they had said Time was when there was a choice people among us who kept themselves pure from common defilements But now the contagion and corruption is so epidemicall and universal
utmost to pull him down And hereupon saith the text they sought occasions against Daniel concerning the kingdome that is they enquired narrowly into his proceedings as to the mannagement of that great power and trust which the King had committed to him in civill things but they could find no occasion nor fault forasmuch as he was faithfull They could not pick a hole in his coate as we say neither was there any error or fault found in him When this would not doe then they would needs goe another way to worke envie is restlesse and because they were disappointed in their first attempt about civills they proceeded to matters of religion Then said those men we shall not finde occasion against this Daniel except we finde it in regard of the Law of his God And we see in the following parts of the Chapter what occasion they found against him This is hard dealing indeed and it is quite contrary to the Law of Love in all the actings of it The Apostle assures us 1 Cor 13.7 Love beareth all things Love hath strong shoulders to beare wrongs and injuries and Love believeth all things not that a believer is a vaine credulous person giving out his faith he knows not how or to he knows not what but he believeth all things to the utmost line of truth and reality as also of appearance and probability he that loves is very willing to believe that things are meant as they are spoken and that they are intended as they are done Thus he that loves much believes all things and further charity hopeth all things it hopes the best and puts the fairest interpretation that may be upon those things and doings which carry in them at least some colour of suspition this is the Genius of Charity the Character of Love It beareth all things it believeth all things it hopeth all things All which stand in direct opposition to the seeking of occasions against our neighbour And I shall briefly shew how much such practices militate against and contradict the royall Law of love by seven steps First 'T is against the Law of love to be ready to take an occasion when it is given we should be very slow and backward in case of offence to embrace or admit what is offered though indeed it is with the heart of man I meane with the flesh in his heart in this poynt of the Law as it is with the flesh that is sinfull corruption in the heart as to the whole Law of God Of which the Apostle saith Rom 7.8 Sin taking occasion by the Commandement wrought in me all manner of concupiscence And againe v 11. Sin taking occasion by the commandement deceived me and by it slew me Sin took occasion by the Law The Law gave sin no occasion to work concupiscâ—nce in Paul The Law is farre enough from being the cause of sin but it is by accident not of it selfe the occasion of sin yea sin presently takes occasion when it hath not indeed the shew of any just occasion The Law by its prohibition by the stop and check which it puts upon the flesh by the discoveries which it makes of the contrariety of our corruptions to the holiness of it doth many times provoke and irritate yea enrage and enflame them but it affords not the least countenance or encouragement to our corruptions Now this I say is the wickedness of the heart of man with respect to sin in Generall that it takes occasion by the commandement to bend it selfe against the commandement and so as to any particular act against a brother to take an occasion to doe him a mischiefe is wickedness and a worke of the flesh Secondly It is sinfull to use our Christian liberty when it may be an occasion of sin or the laying of a stumbling block before others though we use it not with an intent or purpose to make them stumble or fall into sin The Apostle earnestly cautions the Romans to take heed of this Rom 14.13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more but judge this rather that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brothers way St Paul is there speaking about the observation of dayes commanded and the use of meates forbidden by the ceremoniall Law Now though some had a liberty in their consciences to observe the one and use the other yet he would not have them doe either with offence to weaker brethren our care should be either first to keepe our brother from falling or to raise him up when fallen Is it not then very sinfull not to forbeare those things which are no absolute duties by which another may fall And if it be so sinfull to doe many things which in themselves are not sinfull when we know they may be an offence or occasion of falling to others though we intend it not then how extreamly sinfull is it to do any thing with an intent to make them fall This is properly the devills trade and woe to those who take it out of his hand or joyne partners with him in it Thirdly When any shall desire and even hunger after an occasion of accusing others this is a very great height of wickednesse The Apostle speakes of such 2 Cor 11.9 12. where he tells us that he did forbeare his own right not receiving maintenance for preaching the Gospel When saith he v 9. I was present with you and wanted I was chargeable to no man But why he answers v 12. What I doe I will doe that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion Some did it seems desire an occasion to charge him with covetousnesse and worldly mindednesse that he preached the Gospel for filthy lucre therefore saith he I will doe this that I may cut off occasion from them that desire occasion to charge me with The heart of man is full of evill desires and this is one of the worst of them to desire another might be found doing that which might minister an advantage to render him odious or blame-worthy Fourthly Which is yet higher some even pursue and hunt for occasions to calumniate and slander their brethren The good Prophet Jeremie had store of these ill neighbours Jer 20.10 I have heard the defaming of many feare is on every side report say they and we will report it all my familiars watched for my halting saying peradventure he will be inticed and we shall prevaile against him and we shall take our revenge on him As if he had said How glad would not only my open familiars but close enemies be of an occasion against me it would make them leape for joy to see me halt By his halting they meant his sinning his doing that which was uncomely or not suitable to his profession they watched they lay at catch for his halting not to hold him up but to cast him downe They sayd report and we will report it we will make something or other of it though in
But if what is awarded against him be right according to Law and sutable to Justice let the sentence be what it will let him be able to beare it or no much more if he be able also to beare it as in this case it is he hath no cause at all to desire a review of it Thus it is saith Elihu in all the dealings of God with man He will not lay upon man more then is right that he should enter into judgement with God To enter or goe into judgement as the word is is either to begin or renew a sute and to desire the hearing of the cause againe God makes no faulty Judgements why then should any cause determin'd by him come to a second hearing there may be reason enough among men to heare a cause againe but what God resolves needs not be reviewed much lesse reversed Here then Elihu meets with those frequent complaints of Job under his afflictions and likewise with those his severall motions and earnest petitions to have his cause heard afresh as if God had prest him too sore or at least had not done him right in suffering him to be so sorely prest by men Thus Elihu seemes to say God never gave any man any just cause to plead his cause over againe with him nor hath he given thee O Job any cause to desire it of him 'T is true carnall men yea and sometimes godly men when as Job here they are greatly afflicted are ready to thinke and say they are over-severely dealt with But the reason of Elihu stands good and firme against all these thoughts and sayings For he will not lay upon man more then is right Hence note God never wronged nor will wrong any man There are two speciall cases in which God never did nor ever will wrong man First he will not wrong man by denying him that reward which he hath freely promised no man shall serve God for naught he shall not say God hath promised but he hath not performed The experience of his people seale to the truth of his promises as wel as their faith imbraceth it That hope of man which is anchored in a promise of God never miscarried not made any man ashamed Secondly God will not wrong man by laying upon him a greater punishment then he hath threatned The Magistrate cannot be charged with laying more punishment upon an offender then is right if he punisheth him not more then the Law alloweth There may be a great deale of severity I grant in punishing up to the rigor of the Law but there is no unrighteousness in it The Mosaical law allowed of forty stripes now if they had layd forty-one upon any offender they had layd upon him more then was right because they exceeded the Law and to have layd full forty stripes which was the utmost they could by Law had been severe therefore they usually abated one stripe at least Hence the Apostle Paul saith 2 Cor 11.24 Of the Jewes five times received I forty stripes save one if they had given Paul forty stripes they had done no wrong as to the Law though one had been too many for and a wrong to him who had not broken their law Seeing the Lord lays no more upon the worst of sinners then the law alloweth he doth not lay upon man more then right Yea not only the chastisements which the Lord layeth upon his owne servants but the greatest punishments which he layeth upon the worst of the wicked in this world are much lesse then might with Justice be inflicted This was Ezra's humble acknowledgement before the Lord Ezra 9.13 And after all that is come upon us for our evill deeds and for our great trespasse seeing that thou our God hast punished us lesse then our iniquities deserve The punishment that was upon the people of Israel was exceeding great in so much that Daniel saith in his prayer Chap 9.11 12. Vnder the whole heavens hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem yet Ezra speaking of that very dispensation saith Thou hast punished us lesse then our iniquities deserve In this life the greatest of our punishments are lesse then the least of our sins Every sin or transgression of the Law deserves eternall death therefore in this life the greatest punishments that fall upon sinners are lesse then their sins As the least mercies which God bestoweth upon them are greater then the greatest of their deservings That was Jacobs free confession Gen 32.10 I am not worthy of the least of or I am lesse then all the mercies and of all the truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant So the greatest punishments that fall upon them in this life are lesse then the least of their sins And in the next life where sinners shall have full measure heaped up pressed downe running over and that for ever yet then they shall not have one graine more either of weight or measure then they have deserved The Lord layeth upon no man in this life so much nor in that to come more then is right Hence it followeth Secondly Man hath no cause to complaine of God or God hath not given any man any cause to complaine whatsoever his sufferings are Why should he complaine who hath but his right As God hath not given any man a liberty to complaine so he hath not given any man just occasion or a true reason to complaine If the burden of punishment be heavy upon any man let him thanke his own sin or selfe for it he hath but his due from God We are often cruel to and wrong our selves God is usually mercifull and never but just to us yea how great soever any affliction is 't is a mercy that 't is no greater and God can quickly make it greater how great soever it is and still be just As he never doth more then he may so he never doth so much as he can in punishing us The Lord hath more in the treasures of his wrath then yet he hath powred upon the worst of sinners Nor indeed can the most capacious vessels of wrath hold all his wrath 't is as himselfe is infinite Cain sayd My punishment is greater then I can beare Gen 4.13 yet God could have made his punishment greater then it was Therefore Jeremy confessed Lam 3.22 It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions faile not Whatsoever is lesse then utter consumption hath some mixture of compassion in it every punishment hath somewhat of compassion in it except that of everlasting damnation O then let all flesh feare and tremble to enter into Judgement with God to complaine or take offence at any of his proceedings with them There are foure things considerable in God which should stop all mens mouths from daring to doe so First He is most powerfull there is no escaping out of his hands Secondly He is most wise and seeth quite through all that man hath done with his hand
which is a farther description of the heart of man in a state of Nature Hence Note That which a natural man knoweth of the will of God he will not consider unless it be to reject and turn from it I saith Wisdome Prov. 1.24 25. have stretched out my hand as a Teacher doth to his hearers or disciples and no man that is no meer natural man regarded they set at nought my counsel and would none of my reproof Let me say what I would they would at most but give me the hearing they would not consider it though the light shined in upon them and they could not chuse but see somthing yet they would not sit down and rowl it in their thoughts and work it upon their hearts to finde out the excellency of what they saw It is a very great measure of sinfulnes not to know the wayes of God but not to consider what we know but lightly to pass it by that is a greater measure of sinfulness Thirdly comparing this assertion concerning wicked men they would not consider any of his wayes with their practice in the former part of the verse they turned back from God and with the effect of it in the verse following they made the cry of the poor to come up to him c. Observe The reason why men are so wicked and act so wickedly is because they minde not the Word of God They who consider not the rule of the Word are far both from righteousness towards man and holiness towards God If once a man throw aside the Word of God where will he stay He will neither abide in any wayes of holiness nor will he abide in any wayes of righteousness they cannot make conscience of the wayes of God who will not consider the wayes of God We have this clear character of a wicked man Psal 50. he is one that will possibly take the covenant of God in his mouth he will be talking of it his tongue may be tipt with it but vers 17. he hateth instruction and casteth the words of God behinde his back He that would consider a thing holds it before his eye and keeps it as much as he can in sight therefore the Lord when he would assure Zion how much he did consider her case though she had said a little before God hath forsaken me and my God hath forgotten me yet presently the Lord saith Isa 49.15 16. Can a woman forget her sucking childe that she should not have compassion on the son of her wombe Yea they may yet will not I forget thee what follows Behold I have graven thee upon the Palms of my hands thy walls are continually before me As if the Lord had said you may be sure I will consider your case for I have you here pourtrayed upon the palms of my hands and am alwayes viewing your walls either as ruin'd and demolished to move me to pity or in that strong beautiful model according to which I purpose to raise them up again or re-build them Thus I say both God and man intending to consider any thing have it alwayes before them but what a man hath no minde to consider he casts it behinde his back thou castest my words behinde thy back saith God to the hypocrite and when once the hypocrite hath got the word behinde him then he is ready for any wickedness vers 18 19 20. When thou sawest a thief thou consentedst with him and hast been partaker with the adulterer c. Whence was all this he had cast the word behinde his back It is David's question Psal 119.6 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way The answer is By taking heed thereto according to thy word that is by continual eying of the word and of his way and by comparing them together They that will make right work must be alwayes eying the rule if once you lay by the rule you will make but crooked or bungling work When the rule of righteousness is laid by righteousness is laid by too These mighty men of whom Elihu speaketh would not consider any the holy wayes of God and you see what ill favour'd work they made what soul wayes they walked in Fourthly The Text doth not say they would not consider some or such and such of his wayes but any of his wayes Hence Note A wicked man liketh delighteth in or loveth no one way of God better or more then another He is as much out with all as with any they are all alike to him that is he likes none of them they would not consider any of his wayes He that hateth one truth of God hateth all truth though possibly his hatred is not called out or acted against some truths and he that hateth one law of God hateth all his laws though possibly his lusts are not drawn out against some of them The reason why the Apostle James saith chap. 2.10 Whosoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offend in one point is guilty of all is because if a man hath a minde to sin against one branch of the law that evil principle will carry him to sin against any branch of it If he be not stopt from without he findes no stop within against the worst of sins as it is a sin Fifthly We translate any the Original word is all his ways which imports a refusing of every one of his wayes there are several Scriptures of a like sence Psal 103.1 2. O praise the Lord and forget not all his benefits that is forget not any one of his benefits not that a man shall be excused though he forget many of the benefits of God or half his benefits if so be he forget not all or remember some but when that Scripture saith forget not all his benefits the meaning is forget not any one at all Thus here they considered not all his wayes that 's the letter of the Text and so Mr Broughton translates that is none of them Taking that reading and the Scripture sence given of it it gives us this useful Observation That unless all the wayes of God be considered and obeyed there is not any one of them considered or obeyed God will not be obeyed by halves he must have entire obedience universal obedience or he owneth none there is a band or tye between all the commandments of God and unless you keep them all you break them all they that submit not to all submit to none of his laws It is not enough for a man to say he is no adulterer if he be a thief or to say he is not a murderer if he bears false witness He that doth the one in act doth the other in his heart nothing hinders him but the absence of a temptation or of an opportunity the Law doth not Further they would not consider any of his wayes Who were they No fools I dare say either in their own opinion or in the opinion of men Doubtless those mighty men spoken of by Elihu were
in dealing and tugging with Job And now as if their seventh day or Saboth were come they sate downe and took their rest Speaking especially arguing and disputing with a knowing and resolved adversary is tough worke And they who have been at it to purpose may for very wearinesse have causee-nough to rest or take their Saboth so did these three men they ceased or sabbatiz'd from answering Job We may yet further enquire why did they cease First some men cease to answer because they have no more to answer Secondly others cease to answer because they suppose they have answered enough already and will answer no more Some say the former was the reason why Jobs three friends ceased to answer they had no more to answer Others take the latter that they had no mind no will to give any further answer But the reason expressed in the text which should satisfie us and superseed further queries is Because he was righteous in his owne eyes As if it had been said Because they saw they had done no good upon him Job kept his ground and maintained his standing he disputed every inch with them and yeilded not an inch as they found him at first so he was at last they saw him a man immoveably set downe in his owne purpose and opinion and therefore because they could get nothing by speaking they would speak no more 'T is but lost labour as we say to wash the Blackmore The constancy and warmth of Job in defending himselfe they judged obstinacy and a humour to oppose or but the swelling of a proud spirit whereas indeed it was the love of truth not of contention a zeale to doe himselfe right not to doe them wrong which caused him still to hold up the Bucklers and adhere so stiffely to his owne opinion Thus despayring to convince or bring him to an acknowledgement that he was unrighteous they ceased Because he was righteous in his owne eyes That 's such another forme of speaking Pro. 3.7 Be not wise in thine owne eyes As also that Pro. 26.12 Seest thou a man wise in his owne conceit there is more hope of a fool then of him You may easier reduce a man that is indeed ignorant then him that thinks himselfe very wise or knowing but is not This was the apprehension of Jobs friends concerning him He was a man thought they and so they said righteous in his owne eyes There are three sorts of righteous persons First such as are righteous in the eyes of God and so the Godly are under a twofold notion First as being pardoned for or justified from their unrighteousnesse through faith in Christ Blessed are they who are thus accounted righteous in the eyes of God Secondly they are righteous as avoyding unrighteous and doing righteous things There is a seed a principle of righteousnesse in persons justified and regenerated which dayly puts it selfe forth in righteous actings He that doth righteousnesse is righteous 1 Joh 3.7 He is so both as to his state and as to his actions in the eyes of God and good men Secondly Many are righteous in the eyes of men they have faire appearances and out-sides you can read nothing amisse in their conversation yet they are unrighteous yea altogether unrighteous in the eyes of God yea and possibly in their owne too They cannot but see their own wickednesse though they can conceale it from the sight of others Hypocrites are like painted Sepulchers faire without as Christ spake of the Pharisees but within full of rottennesse They seeme that to men which God seeth they are not They can shew their best side to and hide their worst from men but they cannot play this game with God he seeth their best is bad because it is but the covering not the hating not the mortifying of that which is bad Thirdly There is another sort who are righteous in their own eyes such Solomon describes Prov. 30.12 There is a generation that are pure in their owne eyes and yet is not washed from their filthinesse These have a great opinion of themselves They think all is right and well with them when indeed they are filthy and uncleane their hearts being yet unchanged though their wayes are smoothed and though they may have left off to doe many filthy things yet they are not washed from their filthinesse The text in hand puts Job into this third sort of righteous men But was it thus with him I answer First Job was a man righteous in the eyes of God in both the notions mentioned he was righteous as justified and righteous as sanctified Secondly Job was a man righteous in the eyes of many men for he saith Chap. 29.11 The ear which heard me blessed me and the eye which saw me gave witnesse to me yet Job had not an universall testimony given by men There were some I cannot say many in whose eyes he was unrighteous He was so in the eyes and opinion of his friends especially Though none could as to the eye tax Job with any unrighteousnesse no not they who doubtlesse had sifted his life to the bran yet his friends thought him unrighteous and he stood judg'd as unrighteous in their eye As for the third sort of righteousnesse that of being righteous in our owne eyes we must distinguish Job was indeed righteous in his owne eyes in a good sence and that under a twofold consideration First as not having committed any gross or scandalous act of wickednesse as he professed at large and with much confidence in that apologie and vindication which he made for himselfe in the Chapter foregoing where he calls downe the severest judgements of God upon himselfe if he had done such things as he was suspected of especially if he had defiled himselfe with those common polutions of the world wantonnesse injustice and oppression Job stood upon it that he was thus righteous Secondly Job was righteous in his owne eyes as to the allowing of himselfe in any the least sin or unevennesse either of heart or life Thus much his protestation or imprecation amounts to in the 33d verse of that Chapter If I have covered my transgressions as Adam by hiding mine iniquity in my bosome As if he had said I have not lived in the love of any sin whatsoever Thus Job was righteous in his owne eyes protesting to God and before men that as he was not scandalously wicked in any kinde so he was not closely nor hypocritically wicked every sin was his burden and the abhorrence of his soule In any other sence Job was far from being righteous in his owne eyes He never either said or thought he had done no evill or was altogether sin-lesse like white paper without blot or blur yea we very often find him confessing his sins and failings Chap. 7.20 I have sinned what shall I doe unto thee thou preserver of men He maketh a like acknowledgement Chap. 9.2 I know it is so of a truth but how shall man be just
parable asserting there was no such reall thing But this one passage gives an undeniable proofe that this was a reall history and the matter really acted This person being described by his owne name and his fathers name and the next of his kindred From the consideration of the person who carried on so great a part in this businesse Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite of the kindred of Ram who was of a strange Country and if allyed to Abraham yet at a great distance we may observe God did preserve a seed of religion and of holy men to maintaine his truth among those who lived in darke places and were wrapt up in many errors and superstitions This was also noted from the first words of this booke There was a man in the Land of Vz A man of gracious accomplishments and of a heavenly light Here also was Elihu the Buzite A man that had great knowledge about holy things as we shall see afterwards in those parts and times when and where abundance of darknesse blindnesse and ignorance reigned Having thus described Elihu The history proceeds Against Job was his wrath kindled because he justified himselfe rather then God In the former part of the verse it is said Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu Not specifying against whom nor the cause why here he doubles the same words with an addition first of the person with whom he was angry Against Job was his wrath kindled And as he tells us the marke or object of his wrath so he gives secondly the reason of it Because he justified himself rather then God Before I come to the explication of this latter branch take these two brief notes First A godly man in maintaining a good cause may give just reason of anothers passion or anger Job was a good man and his cause was good yet you see a wise and a good mans wrath is kindled Paul and Barnabas were two good men yet a difference arose between them Acts 15.39 And the contention was so sharp between them that they departed asunder Secondly Considering the cause of this anger in generall Because he justified himselfe rather then God we see it was an anger for Gods cause Hence note Anger for God or in the cause of God is holy anger Though for the most part the flesh or our carnall corruption is the cause of anger and it begins at selfe yet sometimes it is stirr'd in the cause of God It is said of Moses the meekest man on earth Numb 12.3 that when he saw the idolatry of the people Exod. 32.19 His anger waxed hot He was so angry that he cast the Tables of the Law which God had written with his own hand out of his hand and broke them It is said Mar. 3.5 Jesus Christ looked about on them with anger being grieved for the hardnesse of their hearts He also exprest a great deale of zealous anger Joh. 2.15 When he made a whip of small cords and drove the buyers and sellers out of the Temple 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id genus irae notat quo fertur quis ad abolitionem peccati cum quo si sit veritas justissimus effectus est Coc Some of the Hebrews tell us that the word here used for anger signifieth anger carried out to the destruction of sin and that is a very gracious anger There are two things which exceedingly declare the holinesse of a mans spirit First when he can patiently beare loads of evills and wrongs in his owne cause or which have but a private respect Secondly When he is ready to take fire in the cause of God many dull and sluggish soules can heare God abused Hoc probes abnegationem tui mundi si injuriarum ferens sis peccatum autem ferre non possiis idque ita ut non ad vindicandum sed ad emendandum exstimulares and their spirits stirre no more then a stone Elihu was angry but it was in the cause of God or Because Job Justified himselfe rather then God When we are angry with sin we are angry as the Apostle adviseth us to be and sin not That 's anger without sin when we are angry with sin and are stirred up to oppose and suppresse the pride and insolency of mans spirit or speeches against God To be angry for our owne honour and interest or Gourd is an argument of undue love to selfe When God spared Nineveh the Prophet was exceeding angry Jon. 4.1 But his was sinfull anger because he was angry for his owne sake fearing to be called a false Prophet He set himselfe downe to see what would become of the City that he might have a personall glory and be cryed up for a Prophet indeed And when God had smitten his Gourd he was angry and angry unto the death ver 8. and all because he missed that which pleased himselfe Many can be angry when they themselves are discredited but when dishonour is cast upon God or his interest slighted how quiet and tame how cold and dull are their spirits The anger of this man was a noble anger as to the occasion and rise of it Jobs selfe-justification or Because he justified himselfe rather then God This is a high poynt and may justly provoke our anger Elihu was not angry with Job because he justified himselfe against his friends but because he justified himselfe rather then God Here a question will arise and it will ask some paines to determine it Was this true did Job justifie himselfe rather then God Was it possible Job should do so I shall give only a generall answer to this question Job did not justifie himself rather then God either explicitely or intentionally but by consequents he did And though it be granted that Job gave just occasion of this sharp reproofe by his rash and passionate speeches uttered in the heate of dispute and in the grief of his heart yet it cannot be denied that Elihu did somewhat strain Jobs words though not beyond their sence yet beyond his sence and gave them the hardest interpretation somewhat beside the rule of charity which they could beare nor did he observe that meeknesse and moderation which might well have become him to a man in that case O how hard is it not to offend or doe ill while we are doing well To cleare this a little further consider There is a twofold straining of words First beyond the sence of the words spoken Secondly beyond the sence of the speaker I doe not say Elihu in affirming this of Job strained his words beyond their sence but he strained them beyond Jobs sence Job spake words which might lay him under this censure that he justified himselfe rather then God But this was far from his intention For doubtlesse he had rather a thousand times his tongue should have been cut out of his mouth then to justifie himselfe with it rather then God or to speak a word to the disparagement of Gods Justice So then
many long answers but Elihu the Moderator was forced to tell them ye have not answered sufficiently Lastly Elihu having heard all their answers and finding that they did not reach a proofe against Job nor answer his reasonings and replyes he speaks himselfe Hence note When we have weighed all duely and find that others have not done the deed we must not dissemble our judgements nor flatter them in their faulty answers Elihu would not doe so and the reason why he would not is layd downe in the next words Vers 13. Lest ye should say we have found out wisdome God thrusteth him downe not man In the former verse Elihu shewed his owne disappoyntment while he waited upon others I attended unto you saith he to Jobs three friends and behold there was none of you that convinced Job or that answered his words Then followes Lest ye should say we have found out wisdome c. In which words Elihu proceeds with his Preface that he might the more fairely fall into discourse with Job for having told Jobs friends that he had waited in vaine for satisfaction from their answers or replyes they having not convinced him either by solid reason or by Authentick Authority and testimony that he was so bad as they judged him to be He adds this I affirme Lost ye should say we have found out wisdome That is lest ye should say it boastingly and cry victory against his afflicted man The word is often used in Scripture to signifie saying with boasting or speaking in pride of spirit The Baptist Math. 3.9 tells the Pharisees Thinke not to say within your selves we have Abraham to our father his meaning is doe not speake of your pedegree boastingly nor proudly that ye are Abrahams children will doe you no good unlesse ye are good like your father Abraham and doe as he did So here Rem acu tetimuâ— ipsum cardinum in quo tota controversia vertitur de Jobo Drus Lest ye should proudly say we have found out wisdome we have found the mystery of the whole matter we have found out the key which unlocks this secret or as Mr Calvins translater wittily as well as truly expresseth We have found out the beane in the Cake we say Lest ye should say we have found out wisdome That is that which will surely prove us wise men and gaine us the reputation of wisdome among all wise and knowing men What their speciall resolve was which they counted widome followes in the close of the verse according to our reading God thrusteth him downe not man But before I deale with that conclusion I shall briefly note two things from those words Lest ye should say we have found out wisdome First Man is very apt to speake boastingly to have high thoughts and then to utter great words of himselfe Man is a proud piece of flesh and a small matter will make him shew his pride and spread his plumes like that naturally-painted bird if not explicitely in words yet his spirit will swell and be puft up with towring conceits of himselfe The Prophet Habakkuk describes this temper Chap. 2.4 He that is lifted up his spirit is not upright in him A proud spirit is alwayes a false spirit They who thinke highly of themselves thinke themselves higher then they are And 't is a great argument that man is naturally very proud because God hath given so many stops and checks to his pride or hath made so many provisions against it The very contrivance of the work of Redemption in that way by the hand of Jesus Christ had this great designe in it For as the chiefe designe in reference to man was his salvation that was the ultimate end as to man so there was another designe in it why God would save man that way which the Apostle layeth downe 1 Cor 1.29 That no flesh should glory in his sight While God intended to give man glory he took a course to cut off all glorying from man God would not set up man againe to worke is owne salvation lest he should be proud of his workes Though we are now called to work out our owne salvation Phil. 2.12 yet it is wholly wrought by another and we are there commanded to work out our owne salvation with feare and trembling not with presumption and boasting Againe How apt is man to boast of any good he doth seeing he is not ashamed to boast sometimes when he doth evill and of that which is evill even of the lusts and lustings of his evill heart Psal 10.3 The wicked boasteth of his hearts desire And what good is there in the desire of a wicked mans heart He as such can desire nothing but what is worse then nothing sin or vanity and yet he boasts of it Yea man is ready to boast not only of evill done but of his ability to doe evill They in the Prophet boasted that they were mighty to drinke wine and men of strength to mingle strong drinke Isa 5.22 How doe some please themselves that they are in power only because that gives them an advantage to oppresse whom they please or all those with whom they are displeased David saw that spirit ruling and raging in spirefull Doeg whom he therefore checks Psal 52.1 Why boastest thou thy selfe in mischiefe O mighty man The Apostle found those Phil. 3.19 who gloried in their shame That is in sinfull practices even making their belly their God whereof they ought to be ashamed The Prophet spake of their like long before Isa 3.9 They declare their sin as Sodome they hide it not As if it had been their ornament and their honour their beauty and bravery to be wicked But especially if bad men doe that which is good they boast of it A carnal man may for the matter doe good yea he may have a zeale for God Jehu said Come see my zeale for the Lord 2 Kings 10.16 But Jehu desired more to have his zeale for the Lord seene then to be zealous for the Lord. And so his was indeed zeale for himselfe not for the Lord. The Pharisees did many good things but they could not foâ—beare boasting in the good they did They doe all saith Christ who knew not only what they did but with what heart to be seene of men or to have prayse with men Yea not only are evill men ready to boast of the good they doe but the temptation lies hard also upon godly men to doe so their hearts are often unduely transported as with the thoughts of their gifts parts and graces so with what they doe through the gift of grace Our very graces much more our outward priviledges may be an occasion of boasting Pride and boasting are weeds which grow up from the best and richest soyle 'T is rare to see any man rich in gifts and graces and poore in spirit poverty of spirit is the purest and truest riches of grace Secondly As to the particular here spoken of Lest ye should say we
have found but wisdome Note Man is very prone to make boast of or glory in that which he calleth wisdome When he hath found out though but supposed wisdome he cannot containe he must cry it up Archimedes It is said of the old Mathematician when after long study and beating his braines he had found out a Conclusion in Geometry he ran about the Citie as if transported or ravished with this loud out-cry I have found it I have found it and thus Jobs friends were ready to cry out they had found they had found out wisdome There is indeed a very great temptation in the finding out or attaining of wisdome to puff man up and to make him vaine-glorious We have great cause to be humbled that we have so little wisdome and they that have any store as they thinke more then their neighbours are in great danger of being proud of it Knowledge puffeth up 1 Cor 8.1 When the head is full the heart grows high Yet this is to be understood of literall knowledge not of spirituall or of knowledge when and where it is alone without grace not of gracious knowledge The more a gracious man knowes the more humblâ— he is because his knowledge shewes him his own vileness and emptiness but the more a carnall man knowes the more proud he is became while such whatsoever or how much soever he knoweth he knoweth not himselfe nor doth he know any thing as he ought to know it as the Apostle speakes there at the second verse And as meere naturall men so they who are but smatterers or beginners in the wayes of godliness are also very ready to be transported with an opinion of their parts and knowledge And therefore the same Apostle gives it in charge to Timothy 1 Tim. 3.6 that he who is called and received unto Office in the Church should not be a novice he means it not so much of one that is young in yeares as of one that is young in the faith a new plant in the Church or one newly converted And he gives this as a reason Lest being puft up with pride he meanes by being in such a function or by having such reputation for wisdome and knowledge as is requisite to a Goâ—pel Minister he which is a sad fall if not a down-fall into utter ruine fall into the condemnation of the devill Not that the devill will condemne him for his pride no the more proud men are the more the devill approves of them nor is it the devills office to condemne it is his office to execute he is the executioner not the Judge and what ever he condemneth any man for he will not condemne him for pride no nor for any sin So that when the Apostle saith Lest he fall into the condemnation of the devill it is as if he had said Lest he be condemned for the same sin that the devill was condemned for which was pride And it was pride for he is the right father of the Gnosticks arising out of a high opinion or conceit of his owne wisdome and knowledge Zophar sayd Job 11.12 Vaine man would be wise But is it an argument of a mans vanity that he would be wise it is a mans duty to be wise that 's a good desire why then doth he say Vaine man would be wise The meaning is Vaine man would be in account for wisdome he would be reckoned among wise men or he desires more to be thought wise then to be wise A vaine man indeed cannot desire any good but in reference to some evill that cleaves to it and upon that account he may desire to be wise The first sin came into the world by an attempt to get wisdome or by a proud thought in the hopes of attaining farther wisdome The wisdome which our first parents sought for was not wisdome to know God for that is the most excellent wisdom It is eternall life to know God So then it was not wisdome to know God but it was wisdome to be knowing as God which they affected they would be high and lifted up above the rate of a creature in knowledge and that was their ruine And I shall shew in two things why there is such a temptation in wisdome or the reason why when we have found out that which hath a shew of wisdome in it we are so forward to applaud our selves boast in it First 'T is so because wisdome is no common Commodity as I may say wisdome is but in few hands if you consider the multitude of men in the world Now that which few have all who have it are ready to be proud of No man is proud of that which is every mans no man is proud that he is a man or proud that he hath reason because that is common to all men but all men are not wise all men are not learned all men have not an improved wisdome reason and understanding that hath a peculiarity in it and therefore of that many are proud Secondly Wisdome is not only rare but very usefull and which reacheth this poynt more fully very ornamentall and how apt are we to be proud of our ornaments A man is not proud of his ordinary Clothes nor a woman of her every-day dresse but when a man or woman have their ornaments and Jewells on their Gay-cloathing and rich apparel on then they are apt to be proud and lifted up so it is in this case Wisdome is like Gay-cloathing it is a Jewell an ornament and therefore man is under a temptation when he hath any thing of wisdome especially any eminency of wisdome about him to be lifted up and despise others yea to arrogate great things to himselfe and to presume that he can doe no small matters with his braine or the engine of his understanding It is a great attainment to be full of knowledge and full of humility high in parts and lowly in spirit Lest ye should say we have found out wisdome God thrusteth him downe not man or as others read God hath cast him downe not man The Omnipotent doth Toss him not man saith Mr. Broughton The word signifies to toss a man as it were in a blanket That is to toss him as we please farre enough from his pleasure or to toss him in open view As if they had sayd see how the omnipotent tosseth this man The Omnipotent tosseth him not man There are two references of these words given by Expositers First Some expound them as the words of Elihu Secondly Others as the words of Jobs three friends First Lest ye should say we have found out wisdome I saith Elihu say God shall thrust him downe not man That 's the principle by which I will deale with Job and so thrust him downe from that opinion which he hath of himselfe and humble him that 's the sence of the words thrust him downe according to this interpretation God shall doe it and not man Some of the learned insist much upon this
write after your Coppy nor take up directions from what you have done for I see you have gone and done amisse Againe When Elihu saith I will not answer him with your speeches Note Secondly What we speake should be our owne sence not the sence of others unlesse their sence either of things or persons be the same with ours Some pin their opinion upon the sleeves of others and they will be just of the judgement of such a man what he saith they will say As some expect that every one should be of their Judgement and say as they say they are many Masters which the Apostle James forbids My Brethren be not many Masters doe not take upon you to give the rule to all others some are proud at this rate they thinke themselves able to give the rule to all men so not a few are so easie that presently they will take up any thing as a rule from any Master whereas we should not be so apt to follow but labour to have the Judgment or reason of things in our selves rather then to take it up upon trust When Luther was much troubled about the dealings of God in the world to see how matters went and was saying within himselfe Surely it were better things were carried thus and thus while Luther I say was thus troubled he thought he heard this word of reproofe from God O Martin Martin Martine Martine in valde sapis sed ego non sum deus sequax I see thou art very wise thou canst give rules even to God himselfe but I am not a God easie to be led by men I will not take thy Counsell though I see thou hast an honest heart in what thou counsellest I have a way of my owne and I will have my owne way though the world yea though good men and my owne faithfull servants are grieved and mourne at it Man would appoint to God himselfe but God will not model matters by mans wisdome nor in his way Thus in the present case I only allude it is not good for us when we heare what others say presently to receive it or take the impression from them and so answer in their words or vote their opinions though they are wise and good men Elihu takes the liberty to dissent as in his opinion so in his Method of proceeding with Job I will answer but it shall not be with your speeches I will take my owne course Thirdly Note The faylings and mistakes of others should be our warnings not to doe the like Elihu observed where they missed as to the matter in hand he observ'd also wherein they missed as to the manner of proceeding and he observed both well and wisely to avoyd the like inconveniences and thereupon professed I will not answer him with your speeches Fourthly Note We should answer to every poynt and person with reason and sweetnesse not with passion and bitternesse There is no convincing others with wrath The wrath of man saith the Apostle works not the righteousnesse of God James 1.20 That is wrath will never bring about nor effect those righteous things or ends which God would have us ayme at The wrath of man puts him quite out of the way of righteousnesse both out of the way of right speaking and of right acting To shew much reason and little passion is our wisdome So the Apostle gives the rule 2 Tim 2.26 The servant of the Lord must not strive he doth not meane it of bodily striving As if he had said he must not be a fighter As when the Apostle saith 1 Tim 3.3 A Minister must not be a striker It can hardly be thought he should intend only if at all that Ministers should not be like grossly boysterous men who are not so much as Civill in their behaviour surely such are farre enough off from a fitness to be received into the Ministry therefore some expound the Apostle to the poynt in hand he must be no striker with his tongue in passion anger and wrath no word-striker There is great striking yea wounding with words Though Ministers must strike and wound with the authority of God yet not with their owne animosities They must wound the consciences of sinners with the Word and Spirit of God but not with their own wrathfull spirits such strikers they may not be nor may the servant of the Lord strive thus but be gentle to all men apt to teach yea patient in teaching It is a great exercise of patience to teach with line upon line precept upon precept When we see little received or heeded yet to insist upon it this is patience In meeknesse instructing such as oppose themselves if God peradventure will give repentance to the acknowledgement of the truth As the Apostle James exhorts Chap. 1.21 to receive the word with meeknesse that 's a most necessary rule in hearing the word for many times the hearer is in a passion there is such a storme in his bowels that he cannot heare to purpose therefore if any would receive the ingraffed word they must receive it with meeknesse I say also the word should be given out or spoken in meekness though not with coldnesse I doe not say with coldnesse or with a slightness of spirit but with meeknesse And the truth is milde speaking or meeknesse of speech as to the spirit and conscience of the hearer is not only most comfortable but most prevailing Meeknesse should be shewed even where there is the greatest zeale and zeale then prevailes most when there is most meeknesse in it The Apostle Jude saith Of some have compassion making a difference others save with feare That is save them by preaching that which may make them afraid scare them out of their sins but yet still this is to be done in a spirit of meeknesse Gal. 6.1 If any one be over-taken in a fault what then rayle on him rage against him and revile him no but saith the Apostle ye that are spirituall restore such a one with the spirit of meeknesse considering thy selfe lest thou also be tempted Bones must be set to that the word which we translate restore alludes with a tender hand Those three things which are required in a good Chirurgion or Bone-setter are as necessary in a reprover or in him that would reduce another from the error of his way First He must have an Eagles eye to discerne where the fault or fayling is Secondly A Lyons heart to deale freely with the faulty how great soever they are Thirdly A Ladies hand to use them gently and tenderly All which will more fully appeare while Lastly From the example of Elihu we collect and learne that a good Moderator or composer of differences must avoyd five things First slightness of spirit and of speech It is not good to speake lightly of little things but it is a shame to speake lightly of great things Weighty matters must be handled weightily and we should put not a little finger but our
only forbid us to exalt our selves above our betters but it also in many cases bids us set our selves below those whose betters we are One of the Ancients hath made three degrees of this kind of humility The first is when we make our selves inferior to our equals The second when we make our selves but equal to our inferiors The third when we make our selves inferior even to our inferiors and lesse then those who are lesser then we Of this third sort of humility the Apostle speakes againe in that serious admonition to the Church Phil 2.3 Let nothing be done through strife or vaine glory but in lowlinesse of minde Let each esteeme other better then himselfe As it is good to judge according to truth the worst of our selves and the best of others so it is good to have a better opinion of others then of our selves So then the poynt lyeth not against giving honour to any man or to men of all sorts but only against the giving of undue honour to any Of that the Apostle speakes Gal 1.10 If I yet please men I should not be the servant of Christ that is if I should please men by flattery smoothing them up in their sins or errors I could not be the servant of Christ They that were the strick observers of Christ could not but observe this in him that though he came to save man yet he was farre enough from pleasing that is humoring any man Luke 20.21 And they asked him saying Master we know that thou sayest and teachest rightly neither acceptest thou the person of any but teachest the way of God truly Yet caution is to be used here For some goe so farre to the other hand that while they thinke they ought not to flatter or pleaâ—e they care not how they slight or disrespect the persons of men and in stead of so bearing as they ought to give undue titles they will not as was toucht before give so much as those that are due that 's a sin in defect as the other is in excesse And they sin much more who while they refuse to give flattering titles aâ—e free to give reviling titles There are these two gâ—eat tongue-evills among men Some give flattering titles others give reviling titles detracting calumniating and biting titles it is as dangerous not to forbeare the one as to be free and forward in giving the other and therefore we should take heed of both these extreames that our speech may have an equall respect to truth both while we praise and while we reprove Vers 22. For I know not how to give flattering titles Nescio cognominare i. e. Blendiri Bez It seemes to have little vertue in it or matter of commendation not to give flattering titles when we are not able or know not how to give them To heare one that is as we speak a meere Countryman or a clowne say I will not give flattering titles speakes not his praise at all because 't is supposed he at most can but speake sence or true English but to heare a learned man or some Great Courtier say I will not give flattering titles this is something this shewes that his honesty masters his ability and that his conscience is too strong for his parts How is it then that Elihu saith I know not to give flattering titles Had not Elihu wit and skill words and language at command to give them Was he so coursely bred that he could not reach them I answer Those words I know not may have a three-fold interpretation First I know not is I have not made that piece of knowledge my study I have not set my selfe to learne the art of flattery nor to gaine the skill of carnal Courtship Thus I know not to doe it is I have not set my selfe to doe it I have not made it my businesse or my ayme to doe it A good man hath or at least desireth no skill in that which is evill or not his duty how much soever any man knows to flatter yet we may say he knows not to flatter who abhorreth flattery And can say as the Apostle speaks Ephes 4.20 He hath not so learned Christ that is he hath heard no such lessons nor received any such instruction in the schoole of Christ Thus Elihu saith I know not to give flattering titles And doubtlesse 't is best being an Ideot or a bungler at the doing of that which is not good or as the Apostle saith some are to every good work to be reprobate to every evill work and word How knowing are they who can say in truth they know not how to lie or flatter c. I dare not say with the Papists that ignorance is but I am sure this nescience is not only the mother of devotion but a great poynt of devotion it selfe And in this sence every godly man and only a godly man knoweth not how to doe evill For as the wicked may have the Theory of good workes and know what it is to pray what it is to heare the word of God yet they have no skill they are not studied nor fitted for the practise of those workes So a godly man may know in speculation what it is to doe wickedly and how to doe it as well as the most wicked man in the world yet he is not at all disposed nor ready for the practise of any wickedness As nature makes us reprobate to good so grace to evill workes The Prophet saith of a bad sort of men Jer 4.22 They are wise to doe evill but to doe good they have no knowledge Were they an ignorant people No the meaning is they had not set themselves to learne the doing of that good which they knew theirs were not sins of ignorance but of wilfulnesse and perversnesse So on the other hand 't is the commendation of the people of God They are wise to doe good but to doe evill they have no knowledge I know not to give flattering titles Secondly As to know a thing or person imports the allowance and approbation of it Psal 1.6 The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous that is he approveth it Psal 101.4 I will not know a wicked person that is I like him not I regard him not I will never give him testimony he shall neither have my hand nor my heart So not to know a thing or person notes our disallowance and distast of either in this sence Christ will say to those great knowing professors Luke 13.27 I tell you I know you not whence you are depart from me c. Thus here when Elihu professeth I know not to give flattering titles his meaning is I like not yea I cannot abide to doe it I may be as much skilled as any man to speake high words possibly I could Court it as well as others but I have no heart to doe it yea it is the abhorrence of my soule to doe it A good man doth not approve the doing of evill and
is a departure from the way in which and from the scope and mark to which we should direct our whole course Iniquity is an unequall an undue or crooked thing It turneth others from their right and is it selfe a continuall swerving from it So much for the opening of these words as they are a proposition containing a charge brought against Job I have heard the voyce of thy words saying I am cleane from transgression I am innocent neither is there iniquity in me The second poynt proposed was to consider what matter of accusation there is in these words Matters of accusation arise from our evill deeds That we are not cleane from transgression that we are not innocent that there is much iniquity in us these are properly matter of accusation But here Elihu makes it matter of accusation that Job sayd he was cleane from transgression that he was innocent that there was no iniquity in him And indeed to be charged with the greatest transgression is not more then this to be charged with saying we are cleane from transgression To say we have no sin is very sinfull to say we are without iniquity is a saying full of iniquity 1 John 1.8 If we say we have no sin Here is Job saying so as Elihu chargeth him we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us And v 10. If any man say he hath no sin he maketh God a lyar and his word is not in him Now what greater sin can there be if we consider the force of these two verses then for any man to say he hath no sin How extreamly sinfull this is may be shewed in foure things First It is extreame pride for any man to say I have no sin What is pride but an over-reckoning of our selves When we value our selves 't is best to doe it at an under rate and to say lesse of our selves if it may be then we are as Paul did who called himselfe lesse then the least of all Saints Pride alwayes over-reckons and casts us up more then we are worth Some reckon their temporall and many more their spirituall estates at many thousands as I may say when upon a true account they are worse then nothing So did the Church of Laodicea Rev 3.17 Thou sayest I am rich and encreased with goods and have need of nothing and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poore and blind and naked They who are soule-blind cannot see either how bad they are or what good they want Nothing hinders the sight of our wants so much as a conceit that we are full Secondly It is the greatest deceit even selfe-deceit to say or suppose that we are in this sence cleane without transgression so saith that text of the Apostle v 8. He that saith he hath no sin deceiveth himselfe It is bad enough to deceive others and woe to them that doe so but how bad is their condition who deceive themselves He is in an ill condition who is deceived by others But if a man deceive himselfe where shall he have his amends Selfe-admirers and selfe-flatterers are the Greatest selfe-deceivers And who or what shall be true to that man who is false to himselfe Thirdly It is a lye and the greatest lye that 's more then a bare deceit for it is such a lye as leaveth no truth at all in us He that saith he hath no sin in him hath no truth in him what hath he in him then but a lye Every sin is a lye and he that saith he hath no sin in him hath nothing of truth in him what hath he then in him or what is he but a lye v 10. The word of God is not in him which is the treasury of all truth and therefore he hath no truth in him nor can have till he hath repented of that lye Fourthly that ye may see there is exceeding much in this charge To say so is blasphemy and the highest blasphemy Why Because it makes God a lyar â—e that saith he hath no sin doth not only deceive himselfe but as much as in him lyeth he makes God a lyar v 10. To deceive with a lye is the worst sort of deceivings and what lye is worse then or so bad as that which makes the God of truth a lyar and turnes the truth of God into a lye Lay these foure considerations together and then it will appeare how heavie a charge is contained in these words when Elihu saith he had heard Job say he was cleane without transgression he was innocent and no iniquity in him Therefore thirdly consider a little further what occasion had Job given Elihu to say that he had sayd I am cleane from transgression c. I answer There are severall passages upon which Elihu might pitch this charge I will only name foure texts out of which possibly this might arise First Chap 10. 7. where Job speaking to God himselfe saith Thou knowest that I am not wicked He appealed to the knowledge of God himselfe in the thing The second may be collected from Chap 16. 17. Not for any injustice in my hand also my prayer is pure The third from Chap 23. 10. But he knoweth the way that I take when he hath tryed me I shall come forth as gold My foot hath held his steps his way have I kept and not declined In the fourth place Elihu might take those words Chap 27. 5. God forbid that I should justifie you till I die I will not remove my integrity from me My righteousness I hold fast and will not let it goe my heart shall not reproach me as long as I live All these are Job's assertions concerning his owne innocency And these or such like passages as these Elihu 't is likely being an attentive hearer had observed and picked up as the matter of this first part of his charge Job's self-justification Fourthly and lastly let us consider whether Elihu did rightly bring this charge against Job from these sayings or whether he dealt so ingenuously with Job as he promised while from these or the like passages he saith Job had sayd I am cleane without transgression c. For answer first take notice that Elihu was not the first that had charged Job thus he had been thus charged by his three friends before Zophar sayd Chap 11. 4. Thou hast sayd my doctrine is pure and I am cleane in thine eyes that is in the eyes of God Eliphaz seemâ—s to say as much Chap 15. 14. What is man that he should be clean and he which is borne of a woman that he should be righteous While Eliphaz put these questions he intimated that Job had made such affirmations Bildad likewise was upon the same strain with him Chap 25. 4. How then can man be justified with God or how can he be cleane that is borne of a woman We see then this was not the first time by three that Job had heard this charge and had made answer for
himselfe And as these charges so Job's answers have been opened heretofore upon those former passages and therefore I shall not stay much upon the poynt here Yet because Elihu reassumes this argument yea makes it his strongest argument against Job I shall a little consider whether he did rightly or no in this thing To cleare which we must remember that Job's innocency had received a three-fold testimony in this booke First He received a testimony from God himselfe and that a very notable and glorious one Chap 1. 8. Hast thou considered my servant Job that there is none like him in the earth a perfect and an upright man Secondly He received a further testimony from the pen-man of this book who having recorded the severall afflictions of Job and his behaviour under them repeats it twice Chap 1. 21. Chap 2. 10. In all this Job sinned not nor charged God foolishly The testimony which God gave him referred to his former actions or conversation before his affliction The testimony which the writer gave him referred specially to his latter words or speeches under his affliction Besides these testimonies which are not at all questioned nor can be we find a third testimony and that he gives of himselfe Now though Elihu did highly reverence the testimony which God had given if we may suppose he had notice of it and would also the testimony of the pen-man of the booke had it then been written yet he questioned the testimony which Job gave of himselfe Now that there was some severity in this charge upon that suspition may appeare by considering it in a few particulars First It must be sayd on Job's part or in favour of him according to truth that he never affirmed he was not a sinner Nay we shall find him more then once twice or thrice confessing the sinfulness of his nature and the sins of his life We find him also confessing that notwithstanding all the righteousness and integrity in him yet he would owne none of it before God and that if he should justifie himselfe his owne cloaths would abhorre him Therefore Job was far from saying he had no sin in him in a strict sence Secondly Most of those passages wherein he speakes of himselfe as cleane and righteous may be understood of his imputative cleanness and righteousness as a person justified in the redeemer of whom he spake with such a Gospel spirit and full assurance of faith that he might well assert this of himselfe I know that being justified I am cleane and without sin It is no fault for a believer to say I am cleane without transgression through free Grace in the righteousness of Jesus Christ Much of what Job spake in this matter is to be taken that way Thirdly When Job affirmes these things of himselfe we may say this in favour of him he meanes it of great transgressions The words in the text note defection and wilfull swerving from the right way His friends charged him with hypocrisie with oppression with taking the pledge for nought with stripping the naked of their clothing Thine iniquity is great said Eliphaz and thy sin is infinite Now saith Job I am cleane I have no such transgressions And he might well answer his friends charge of impiety against God and iniquity towards men with a flat deniall yea with an affirmation of the contrary There is no such iniquity in me prove it if you can He was unblameable in the sight of man Fourthly In favour of Job this may be sayd what he spake of himselfe and of his owne righteousness was upon much provocation of when his spirit was heated by his friends who so constantly urged these crimes against him In these heats he spake highly of himselfe and though it doth not excuse any mans sin when he hath spoken sinfully to say I was provoked yet it doth abate the greatness of the sin Good Moses who was the meekest man upon the earth when through provocation he spake unadvisedly with his lips felt the smart of it and God reckoned sorely with him for it Yet to speake amisse upon provocation is not so much amisse as to speake so in cold blood or unprovoked Fifthly Elihu might have put a fairer interpretation and construction upon these sayings of Job He might have taken them in the best sence as Job meant them that he was righteous cleane and innocent in all his transactions with men and had not wickedly at any time departed from God And then ther had not been such matter of fault in what he said as was broughe against him Yet in vindication of Elihu it must be granted Job gave him occasion to rebuke and blame what he had said and that chiefly upon these three accounts First Because he spake many things of himselfe which had an appearance of boasting and so of vaine speaking A little truly sayd of our selves or in our owne commendation may be thought too much how much more when we say much Secondly He spake such things as carri'd a shew of over-boldness with God He did not observe his distance as he ought when he so earnestly pressed for a hearing to plead his cause before God especially when he so often complained of the severity of Gods proceedure with him with which Elihu taxeth him directly in the two verses following Upon both these grounds Elihu thought and was no doubt guided in it by the Spirit of God to cut him to the quick that Job might learne to speake more humbly of himselfe and more temperately to God And therefore Thirdly The Lord did righteously yea and graciously let out the spirit of Elihu upon him in another way then his friends before had done He did not charge him with wickedness in fact but dealt with him about the unwariness of his words Job could not say he had never spoken such words for such words he did speake though he did not speake them as Elihu tooke them When words are out they must stand to the mercy of the hearers and abide such a judgement as may with truth be made of them though possibly besides the purpose of the speaker A man in that case is not wronged he should learne to speak more warily and not give occasion of offence Doubtlesse the Lord had a gracious intent upon Job in stirring the spirit of Elihu to represent his words in the hardest sence that he might humble him Job's spirit was yet too high and not broken enough as it was afterwards Nor doth Job reply or retort upon Elihu for this And when the Lord himselfe began to deal with him he saith Who is this that darkeneth councell by words without knowledge Chap 38. 2. and Job himselfe being brought upon his knees confesseth Chap 42. 3. I have uttered that I understood not things too wonderfull for me which I knew not I have been too bold I confesse Though it was not Jobs purpose or meaning to speake so he had integrity in what he spake yet his words
they have given the Lord occasion to destroy them when they have put a sword into his hand to smite them when by their unbeliefe and pride and neglect of knowne duties they have layd themselves open to ruine and destruction even then he hath held his hand and spared them Is it not then a great a grosse sin to charge the Lord that he seekes occasions against us Yea indeed as was touched before the Lord needs not seek occasion against any man for as much as the best of men give him too much occasion and too often He needs not stand to spy advantages against us we lay our selves too open and naked to him continually As in Fenceing when two that are very expert at that art are engaged there is watching for an occasion or advantage to get the mastery but if an expert Master of Defence be to deale with an ignorant fellow that knows not his postures nor how to use his weapon he needs not seeke occasion he may have him here and there and every where It is so with the best of Saints when they have to doe with God He needs not watch for an occasion where to hit or smite them for they through their ignorance and folly lay their naked breasts open to his stroakes every day Were he not infinite in mercy to cover our sins Ecce invenit in me vacillationes Scult 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vocat ea quae pij faciunt praeter rectum sed citra animum a deo aversum c. Coc and to pardon our transgressions we must needs perish under his justice Againe The word is rendred Infirmities faylings or lesser sins that 's another translation of the text and 't is a usefull one For as the former supposeth the Lord taking occasion where none at all was given so this supposeth him to take the least occasion As if Elihu supposed Job saying Behold he seeks out my little faults Quaesivit deus parva quaedam imo penè nulla peccata propter quae velut si nefanda crimina commisissem atroci me sententia condemnavit Bold my vacillations my trippings my stumblings in a word my infirmities We may take them two wayes First for his youthfull sins the slips of his youth Secondly for his dayly sins commonly called faylings As if Job had sayd Though I can charge my selfe and freely doe with many sins and weaknesses yet I am not a man chargeable with any crimes nor wickednesses mine are no black nor bloody sins no crimson no skarlet sins I have not sinned presumptuously or with a high hand I have not given scope to my lusts nor indulged my corruptions I have not pleased my selfe with displeasing God nor hath the bent of my soule been to breake his commandements as bonds yoakes or shakles put upon me by an enemy I have not rejected his dominion or rule over me in any wilfull defection or departure from his word Yet notwithstanding God findes out my infirmities and faylings and urgeth them sorely against me yea he deales with me as if I were his enemy even for those sins which I have committed through inadvertency or meere humane frailty Some Interpreters insist most upon this signification of the word as if the matter which Elihu charged Job with were that he should say God carried it towards him as an enemy for small faults or lesser sins Nor doe I see any thing which hinders the joyning of this and the former reading together for surely he seekes occasions to punish and vex anoâ—her who insists upon his lesser sins and imperfections as if they were great and grievous crimes From this laâ—ter or second sence of the word Observe First in General To take strict notice of the faylings infirmities or lesser sins of others is a poynt of very great severity Some are pleased with nothing more then to heare and discourse of other mens faylings 'T is a great fault to be picking up the lesser faults of others yet how many are there who if they can but see as it were any bare place they will be charging at it if they see but the least scratch or sore they as the fly love to be feeding upon it or raking in it 'T is our holinesse to take notice of the least sin in our selves and the more holy any man is the more quick-sighted and quick-sented he is in taking notice of his lesser sins when the least neglect of duty and of the least negligence in performance of duty any ill frame of heart any vaine thought any idle word any undue carriage any uncomelinesse is taken notice of and corrected this shewes an excellent frame of spirit and a great measure of Grace but it is not good to do so by others yea it is an argument we are very much wanting and fayling in holinesse our selves when we are so apt to take notice of and aggravate every want and fayling in our brethren Yea when as Christ saith Math 7.3 We see a mâ—te in our brothers eye we seldome see the beame in our owne And it is an argument men have beames in their owne eyes when they are so quick-sighted in looking after motes in their brothers eye I grant it is a duty to be watchfull over one another as brethren and to take notice for right ends of the least faylings and faults of any This is a duty if we doe it with a purpose to pray for them that they may walke more circumspectly or that we may lovingly reprove admonish and counsell them as also that we may consider our selves and our owne wayes lest we fall as they have done Thus to take notice of the least faylings of others is a great Gospel duty But to take notice of mens faults to censure or defame their persons to insult over them or accuse them this is the spirit of a Cham who mocked at his fathers nakedness And thus to be critticall about the faults of others argues that we are careless of our owne Secondly As to the particular case in the text for which Job is tax'd by Elihu that he said thus of God Observe To say or think of the Lord that he takes a strict and severe notice of our infirmities to reckon with us riggedly for them is very sinfull Such thoughts are a great derogation from the goodnesse and mercy of God The Lord doth not willingly see the faults of his people Though he seeth them yet he doth not willingly see them he is glad when it is with his people as it was at that time with Israel Numb 23.21 He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob neither hath he seene perversness in Israel But was there no sin to be seene in Jacob Was Israel altogether innocent at that time Surely they even they and even then were a sinfull people and had their faults neither few nor small but because there was no iniquity no perversness nor prevarication against God found among them at that time therefore he over-looked
all their ordinary faylings and transgressions As the Lord is so holy and of such pure eyes that he cannot behold any sin the least iniquity to approve of it Habak 1.13 so the Lord is so gracious and so full of compassion that he doth not severely take notice of nor look upon the lesser sins of his people David exalts the name and glory of God at large for this Psal 103.8 9 10. The Lord is mercifull and gracious slow to anger plenteous in mercy he will not alwayes chide They are alwayes chideing that are alwayes spying faults in children servants or relations they who take notice of every little fault shall finde chiding-worke enough in a family But the Lord will not alwayes chide neither will he keepe his anger for ever He hath not dealt with us after our sins nor rewarded us according to our iniquities Like as a father pittieth his children so the Lord pittieth them that feare him A father doth not enquire into much lesse punish every neglect of his child I will spare them saith the Lord Mal 3.17 as a father spareth a son that serveth him If a father seeth or is well perswaded that his son hath a heart to serve him he will not curiously spy out the faults of his service but saith to his child It is well done or at least I take that well which thou hast done Yea the Lord is so farre from a strict inquiry after such faults that he passeth by great transgressions Mic 7.18 Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his people he retaineth not his anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy Though Asa 1 Kings 15.14 was not through in the reformation the high places were not removed yet the Lord did not charge this upon him for presently it followeth in the sacred Story Neverthelesse the heart of Asa was perfect with God all his dayes Yea though Asa did fall into severall sins afterwards imprisoning one of the Prophets and oppressing some of the people and in his sickness seeking to the Physitians and not to the Lord yet the Lord did not charge these acts upon him He was so farre from a strict inquiry after his lesser sins that he tooke no notice of those greater sins but saith His heart was perfect all his dayes So in the case of David the Lord would not see many of his sins he would not blot David nor burden his owne memory with them but passed an Act of Oblivion upon them for ever Sarah Gen 18.12 spake very unhandsomely when the Angel came to her and told her she should have a son yet the Apostle 1 Pet 3.6 referring to that story gives Sarah a very high testimony or commendation for one good word that was mingled with a great many ill or undue ones yea and actions too for she laughed Notwithstanding all which Peter sets her as a patterne for all good women professing the Gospel to imitate He would have them be in subjection unto their owne husbands even as Sarah obeyed Abraham calling him Lord whose daughters ye are saith he as long as ye doe that which is well That one word which she spake well is recorded yea reported to her praise and all that were ill are buried in silence forgotten and covered The Lord hath respect to a little pure gold though mingled with a great deale of dross and ownes a little good Corne though a great deale of chaffe be in the same floore or heape Surely then he will not bring our infirmities and slips to account against us while our hearts are upright with him Thus you see what matter of charge there was in these words when Job sayd God sought occasion against him when he had given none or that he had only given some smaller occasion and yet God dealt with him as an enemy But did Job ever say That God sought occasions against him or tooke notice of his lesser sins so severely I answer Though some acquit Job wholly of this charge and recriminate Elihu with this accusation as a slander yet Job had spoken words which might give occasion to charge him thus as was shewed also concerning those former speeches I am cleane from transgression I am innocent there is no iniquity in me though Job had not spoken these or such like words with that scope and spirit as Elihu might seeme to alledge them yet he had given Elihu cause enough to say so while he spake more of himselfe then came to his share considering that he was a sinfull man and more then did become him in his condition being an afflicted man Upon both which accounts it had better becom'd him to have been much in humbling himselfe rather then at all in justifying himselfe Now as Job had spoken words which might beare out Elihu in his former charge Secundum veritatem neutruÌ„ diuit Job in sensu quem imponit in Elihu so we finde severall speeches or complaints concerning God which may justifie him in this As for instance Chap 14.16 17. For now thou numbrest or numbring thou numbrest my steps dost thou not watch over my sins As if he had sayd thou watchest me so strictly so narrowly that I cannot in the least step awry but presently I am observed and shall be sure to heare of it Yea my transgressâ—on is sealed up in a bag and thou sowest up mine iniquity that is thou keepest the memory of my sins thou dost not passe them by but hast them ready by thee When chast Joseps wanton mistresse disappoynted in her lust was resolved to seeke an occasion of revenge she layd up his garment by her untill her Lord came home Gen 39.16 To lay up the evill deed of another presageth ill to him And therefore when Elihu heard Job speaking thus might he not say Job hath sayd God seeketh occasions against me yea which is more as it followeth in the verse under hand And counteth me for his enemy These words having been insisted upon somewhat largely from other passages of this Booke Chap 13.24 19.11 Chap. 30.21 In all which places Job spake this complaint sometimes expressely alwayes Equivalently I shall not here stay upon the explication of them only for as much as Job having sayd That God took hold of small occasions given or sought occasions not given is presently charged further by Elihu with saying He counteth me for his enemy From this Connection of the former with the latter part of the verse Note To seek or take easie occasions against another is an argument that we beare no good will to him or It is a signe we look upon a man as an enemy when we are apt and ready to seeke or take occasions against him There are two things which we are very ready to doe towards those we beare no good will unâ—o or whom we account our enemies First to diminish the good which they doe to speak lightly of
say how was Job such a mirror such a patterne of patience as the Apostle James makes him Chap 5.11 if he manifested so much impatience as might be interpreted by others though not intended by him a deniall of the Greatnesse of God I answer though all agree and the testimony of the Spirit of God is enough to confirme it though all should not agree that the patience of Job was exceeding great yet no man may say nor doth the Spirit of God in Scripture say it that his patience was perfect his patience was such as exceeded the most yea for ought that we know the best of men yet his was but the patience of a man of a man compassed about with the like passions as other men His patience was sincere and without hypocrisie but his patience was not compleate nor without infirmity or his patience we may say was perfect as to the kind but it was not perfect as to the degree His patience deserved both commendation and imitation yet he shewed at times such impatience as deserved reproofe and should not be imitated but mortified and avoyded Good men doe not only act lesse in goodnesse sometimes but ill and much amisse And while we see tallest Cedars fayle they shall not utterly fall Job did not Let him that thinketh he standeth that is who hath a strong opinion of his owne strength take heed lest he fall as the Apostle cautions him 1 Cor 10.12 for even the impatient complaints of Job in his sufferings like those sufferings of the Israelites for their sins spoken of in the former verses of that Chapter fell from him for an ensample or type and are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come Thus you see the reason why Elihu tooke up this common principle Quae pueris ipsis deâ—antata sunt nobis in gravi lucta perturbatione ut nova quaedam proponenda sunt Mert. which every Child learnes out of a Caâ—echisme to convince this holy man with What was more knowne to Job or to any knowing man then this that God is greater then man yet Elihu chose this as the most commodious and effectuall argument to compose his spirit and quiet him after all his distempered and tumultuating complaints nor hâ—th Elihu yet done arguing downe the hight and unquietnesse 〈◊〉 Job's spirit We have him both reproving him for it by way of question and giving him another unanswerable argument against it in the next verse Vers 13. Why dost thou strive against him for he giveth not account of any of his matters The words are a reproving question As if he had sayd Thou dost ill very ill to strive There is a four-fold striving three of which are held forth in Scripture under the word of the text First There is a striving with outward force and power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contondere pertinet ad judicialem forensem litem ad dei tribunal instituendamâ—e quod saepe pustulavit Job either personally man with man properly called contention or more generally nation with nation properly called warre Secondly There is a legall striving a striving by way of plea about matters of right and title The word in the text chiefly imports such a judiciary striving a strife in law when the adverse party or Plaintiffe impleads and commenseth his suit against the Defendant Striving is taken in this sence and joyned with warring in the description of that contest which Jephtah had with the King of the Children of Ammon Judg 11.25 And now art thou any thing better then Balak the son of Zippor king of Moab did he ever strive against Israel or did he ever fight against them That is did he either make warre with Israel or did he so much as challenge and plead his right to their land by law That other name which Joash Gideons father occasionally gave him Judg 6.31 32. takes part from this word Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal saying Let Baal plead against him because he hath throwne downe his altar As if he had sayd Let Baal come and enter his action against my Son if he please and let my Son alone to answer him Thirdly There is a logicall striving or a striving by dint of argument and reason Thus disputants strive and Books of controversie about matters of faith and worship are called Bookes of Polemicall Divinity Nor indeed hath any kind of strife been carried on with higher and hotter animosities then those mannaged by tongue and pen in writing and disputing Foutthly The word is applyed to any angry passionate chideing and complaining Thus 't is used in that famous history Exod 17. where thâ— people of Israel having journeyed from Sin and pitched in Repâ—â—â—â—m v. 1. did chide with Moses from which act v 7th He called the place Massa and Meribah because of the chideing of the chidren of Israel and because they tempted the Lord sayiâ—g Is the Lord among us or not Because the people of Israel strove with Moses or rather with God himselfe Therefore to keepe them under the sence of this sin and provocation Moses called the name of the place Meribah which signifieth Striving In this last sence as striving is used by way of chideing and complaining we are to understand it here Why dost thou strive against him saith Elihu That is why doest thou chide and complaine about the dealings of God with thee or because he will not render thee a reason of his dealings with thee in this affliction Job made many striving and chideing complaints his first were eminently such Chap 3.11 Why dyed I not from the womb why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly why did the knees prevent me or why the breasts that I should sucke He chideth hard about the hardnesse of his condition in this life who chideth because he liveth Read him in the same language Chap 10.18 and in a language not much unlike it in severall other places Yea Job doth I say not formally yet vertually call out or challenge God more then once to plead with him and make good his cause against him Why dost thou strive with him For he giveth no account of any of his matters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word signifieth properly to answer and so the text might well enough be rendred here out of the originall he answereth not Mr Broughton saith He will not speake for all his dealings If If any man demand of God a reason of his doings he may chuse whether he will give it him or no He will not be brought to a reckoning He will not he needeth not to answer or give an account Of any of his matters or of any of his words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 'T is frequent in the Hebrew to expresse matters or things by this word which in strictness signifieth but a word Chap 19.28 Seeing the root of the matter the text is the root of the
needs strive strive with these Secondly If you will needs be striving then strive with the sins of others in a gracious and zealous manner as Nehemiah did who contended with the Nobles for their prophanation of the Sabbath and their unlawfull marriages Neh 13.17 25. we should strive with onâ— anoâ—her to hinder that which is evill Gideon broke downe Baals altar he stâ—ove with Baal and was therefore sirnamed Jerubbaal Judg 6.32 So let us strive with the corrupt practices courses and customes of the times we live in not dâ—lly and comply with them as many doe The Apostle saith Heb 12.4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood striving against sin That is either the sin of others or the sin which others would force you to Though we should strive against our owne sins especially yet 't is good to strive against sin in whomsoever we see it Thirdly If you will be striving then strive with Satan The Adversary Submit to God and resist the Devill containe the whole duty of man James 4.7 Our businesse is not to strive with God but to submit to him And our businesse is not to submit to the Devill but to strive with him How doe most run a contrary course They resist God and submit to the Devill O sad Here 's a threefold blessed strife First Strive with the lusts and corruptions of your owne hearts Secondly Strive with the sins of others and their sollicitations of you to sin Thirdly Strive with the Devill and his temptations Doe not strive with God why should we strive with God at any time or in any thing whom at all times and in all things we ought to serve honour and obey So much of this chideing question in which Elihu reproves Job and he had given but too much occasion for it Why dost thou strive with him he giveth not account of any of his matters JOB Chap. 33. Vers 14. For God speaketh once yea twice yet man perceiveth it not IN this verse and the context following Elihu begins his second answer to Job which is also continued to the end of the Chapter His answer is layd downe First In generall at the 14th verse Secondly In particulars by way of instance from the 15 verse to the 29th Thirdly He summes up or recapitulates the whole of his discourse in the 29th and 30th verses Fourthly Concludes seriously inviting Job to answer what he had sayd as also what he had yet to say vers 31 32 33. This 14th verse hath some difficulty in it And though the crosse and various thoughts of Interpreters about it have made it more difficult yet there is one thing wherein all Center and agree That Elihu in this 14th verse and so forward propounds certaine wayes by which God is pleased to reveale and manifest himselfe unto man First to humble and bring man to a true sence of himselfe Secondly to worke in him an acknowledgement of his great goodnesse and righteousnesse in all his dealings with the children of men For having sayd at the 13th verse God gives not account of any of his matters He is above all reckonings and dayes of Audit having thus I say asserted the absolute soveraignty of God over man he adds to mittigate and allay the seeming severity of this assertion That although God be so high and great Deus nomini rationem reddere tenetur Tanto tamen amore nos complectitur ut saepius judicioruÌ„ suorum rationes aperire dignetur etsi id non semper observamus Lavat that he is not at all obliged to give any account of himselfe or of his wayes to the creature nor will allow any man to be so bold as to strive with him about or question any of his matters yet he is pleased freely and graciously to condescend unto man many wayes and not only once but often not only often in one way but by severall wayes to give him cleare intimations what his will is what he requires of him and calls unto him for if man had but will and understanding to perceive it for he speaketh once yea twice yet man perceiveth it not So then man hath no reason to complaine as Job sometimes had done and many others in like distresses doe that he is in the darke and doth not perceive the minde of God towards him why he is so afflicted and why God contendeth with him for God doth give touches hints and admonitions sometimes more privately sometimes more openly and if man doth not perceive them it is his owne fault Vers 14. For he speaketh once yea twice yet man perceiveth it not We render the first word of this verse by that causall particle For yet because the text doth not strictly carry a reason in it of what was sayd before but is rather an explication or an accommodation of it therefore some begin the verse not with that causall particle For but with an adverb of time When. So Mr Broughton When the omnipotent speaketh once c. And the reason of it is because we find another adverb of time answering this at the 16th verse When God speaketh once or twice and man perceiveth it not c. then he openeth the ears of men and sealeth their instruction As if Elihu had sayd If speaking will not doe it somewhat else shall or when God having spoken once or twice yet findes man unattentive and unsencible he takes another course then he openeth the ears of men and sealeth up their instruction If they understand not his meaning by dreams and visions he will awaken them to purpose We say For God speaketh As if here a reason were given why God should not be called at all as being so great he ought not to give man an account of any of his matters for he speaketh once or twice he is aforehand with man For God speaketh To speake in strict sence as speaking is the forming up of words by an articulate voyce is proper to man yet in Scripture God is sayd to speake when or howsoever he maketh knowne his mind to man Which he alwayes doth in such a way as is most suitable to his owne greatnesse with respect to mans weaknesse When God giveth us any intimation of his owne will and of our duty of what he will doe for us or of what he would have us doe then he is sayd to speake to us Heb 1.1 God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the Prophets hath in these last dayes spoken to us by his Son God spake to the old fathers as at many times or by many parts so in divers wayes and manners he delivered his mind unto the people usually by the Prophets Dei admonitio vocu et sermonis saepe loco est etsi non semper ipse et loquatur ut saepo veteribus patribus loqui solebat quocunque tandem modo admonear Merc and to the Prophets in dreames and visions The speaking of God was
with the speare even to the earth at once and I will not smite him the second time Once smiting is there opposed to smiting more then once As if he had sayd I will pay him home or dispatch him at once there will be no need to fetch another blow Thus when the Apostle had sayd in the Epistle to the Hebrews Chap 9.27 It is appointed unto men once to dye and after this the judgement presently he addeth So Christ was once offered to beare the sins of many there also once is opposed to twice or a second time excluding all repetition of the sacrifice of Christ As 't is sayd Heb 10.10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all And therefore the same Apostle in the same Chapter v. 26. terrifieth Apostates with this dreadfull doome If we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins that is neither will Christ give up himselfe to be a sacrifice againe for such as have after light received about it and some seeming closings with it cast off that his sacrifice nor can any other sacrifice be given In this sence also sometimes God speakes once He speakes once and will speake no more once and not a second time though we have a twice here in the text yet I say in some cases and unto some persons God speaketh once and will not speake againe Whence take this observation or Admonition rather It is dangerous refusing the first call the first Word of God Possibly you may never heare more of him or from him once may be all God may speak in thy case not only once that is firmly and certainly not only once that is sufficiently but once that is exclusively once and no more for ever That moving caution of the Apostle is grounded upon such a sad possibillity as this Heb. 3.7 Wherefore as the holy Ghost saith to day if ye will heare his voyce harden not your hearts and again vers 13. Exhort one another dayly while it is called to day lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfullnesse of sin As if it had been said heare to day hear this hour of the day for you know not first whether there will be a morrow or another day for you secondly if you have a morrow yet you know not whether you shall have a word to morrow both time and season dayes and opportunities are in the hand of God and he that neglects the season of one day hath no assurance of another day much lesse of a season with the day Wh◠knows whether the cock shall crow twice or no possibly the cock may crow but once in what a condition had Peter been if it had been so with him for after he had as Christ notwithstanding all his confidence to the contrary told him Mark 14.30 denyed his Master thrice he never called to mind the words of Christ nor had any thought of humbling himself for what he had done till as 't is said vers 72. The second time the Cock crew Every one hath not a promise as Peter equivalently had that the cock shall crow twice or that God will affoard him meanes a second time to awaken him out of his sin That which the Lord spake of affliction to shew the fullnesse of it may also be fullfilled concerning his warnings and admonitions Nahum 1.9 I will make an utter end affliction shall not rise up the second time We should hear at first speaking lest it should prove that when the Lord hath spoken once he should make an utter end and say instruction and admonition shall not rise up a second time And to be sure as Abraham after he had interceded for Sodom and Gomorrah severall times said at last Gen. 18.32 O let not the Lord he angry and I will speak yet but this once So the Lord when he hath spoken oft to sinners and is not heard growes so angry that he comes at last and saith I will speak yet but this once God will at last come to his but once more to all men and with some he is at his once at first and no more for ever There is a time when every man shall hear his last word and God will speak but that once and somtimes it is but once in all that God will speak Therefore take heed it is dangerous deferrings if God speaks once if he call knock once it is our sin folly too that we doe not hearken to and open at his first call and knock though the Lord doth I grant usually and mostly exercise much patience towards sinners calling and knocking once and againe as it followeth in the text He speaketh once Tea twice or a second time Severall of the Jewish writers interpret this twice of the two sorts or wayes of divine revelation which are spoken of in the following parts of this context God speaks to man by visions and dreams and God speaks to man by diseases and sicknesses as we shall see afterward But I rather take it more generally not only as to the divers manner and distinct wayes of his speaking but as to the divers times or reiteration of his speaking he speaketh once yea twice As he speaks severall wayes so severall times twice or thrice possibly in the same way twice by visions twice by dreams twice by sicknesses and often by his Ministers He speaketh once In ditabus et sc vicibus i. e. bis quod uno verbo dicunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aut secundo i. e. iterum semel iterumque loquitur deus una admonitione non semper contentus Drus Yea twice I shall consider this twice three wayes and give a brief note from each First consider twice as to number twice strictly taken is more then once One is no number but two is Hence note God is so gracious that he speaks once and againe once and a second time to sinners Who is there among us that hath not had experience of Gods speaking to him more then once And that not only with respect to the various wayes of speaking but with respect to various times of speaking He speakes more then once by his word more then once by his workes whether of judgment or of mercy Some sinners are consumed in a moment or at once as it is said of Corah Dathan and Abiram with their confederates Numb 16.21 others dye of a lingring consumption God waiteth to be gracious and therefore he rarely speaketh his all or striketh his all at once He gives precept upon precept line upon line he sends sorrow upon sorrow crosse upon crosse that sinners may at last remember themselves returne and live Secondly As twice notes a number so it may be considered as a small number yea as the smallest number twice or two is the first number the first step into number They that doe a thing more then once
purpose Lastly consider God withdraweth man from his sinfull purpose all or any of these wayes by putting forth his mighty power with them For his word alone his works alone his patience alone the counsell of man alone would not doe it if God did not stretch forth his own arme in and with these meanes for the doing of it Nothing is any further efficacious then as God is with it Numb 22. Balaam was going on in his wicked purpose being sent for by Balak to curse the people of God And though the Lord sent his Angell to be an adversary to him in his way vers 22. so that his Asse turned out of the way into the field yet Balaam went on in his purpose yea though the Angell standing between two walls caused his Asse to turne so suddenly that she crusht Balaams foot against the wall vers 25. yet Balaam went on in his purpose Once more though the Angell went further and stood in a narrow way where there was no way to turne to the right hand nor to the left so that the poor Asse fell down under him v. 27. and speaking as the Apostle Peter expresseth it 2 Epist 2. with mans voyce rebuked the madnesse of the Prophet Yet so mad he was that all these checks and warnings could not withdraw him from his purpose And what the Lord did at that time to Balaam by an Angell that he doth by some other means and providences to stop many from their evill purposes who yet will not be stopt He speaks to them in the ministry of his word he speaks to them in his works he spreads their way with roses he hedgeth up their way with thorns he bestoweth sweet mercies upon them he sends sharp afflictions upon them to withdraw them from their evill projects and purposes yet on they goe like Balaam unlesse he send more then an Angell even his holy Spirit to withdraw them Lastly Elihu reports it as a speciall favour of God to withdraw man from his purpose Whence note It is a great mercy to be hinder'd in sinfull purposes and intendments Disappointments are acts of grace when we are acting against grace If God stop us from doing evill not onely by his word but by blowes or by a hedge of thorns yea if he stop us by a drawn sword it is a great mercy Though God throw us to the ground as he did Saul afterwards Paul when he went with a bloody purpose to vex and persecute the Saints Acts 9. let us count our selves exalted and rejoyce in it more then in any worldly exaltation 'T is a rich mercy to be kept from executing an evill purpose though by our owne poverty and outward misery The doing of that which is sinfull is worse then any thing that can be done to us or endured by us as a stop against sin Sin hath death in it sin hath wrath in it sin hath hell in it sin hath Devill and all in it therefore to be kept from sin let it be by what means it will if by paines and pining sicknesses if by reproaches and disgraces yea if by death we have cause to blesse God The greatest and sorest Judgement which God powres upon sinfull men is to let them alone in or not to withdraw them from their sins To be suffered to goe on and prosper in sin is the worst of sufferings the last of Judgements the next Judgement to hell it selfe and an infallible signe of an heire of hell Thus the wrath of God waxed hot against Israel when he gave them up to their owne hearts lusts and they walked in their owne Councel Psal 81.11 This was the highest revenge that God could take upon that sinfull people He sayd a little before Israel would none of me when God wooed them they were so coy they would have none of him and then said he goe on take your fill of sin I give you up to your owne hearts lusts The Lord did not say I gave them up to the sword to the famine or to the pestilence but to their owne hearts lusts and to walke on in their own way That person or people may be sure God hath purposed evill against them whom he will not withdraw from their evill purposes The severity of the wrath of God against the Gentiles is exprest and summ'd up in this Rom 1.26 28. He gave them up to vile affections he gave them up to a reprobate mind to doe things which were not convenient A naturall man left to himselfe will soone doe such things as nature it selfe abhorreth and blusheth at The same dreadfull doome is denounced Rev 22.11 He that is unjust let him be unjust still and he that is filthy let him be filthy still I will not withdraw him from his way let him goe on and perish let him goe on and sink downe to the pit of perdition for ever As St. John in the Revelation foretelling the Church given up or left to not in great sufferings of all sorts Here is the patience of the Saints So when we see the world given up and left in great sinnings of any sort especially if to sinnings of all sorts we may truely and sadly say Here is the wrath of God 'T is therefore a great mercy if God will any way withdraw man from his sinfull wayes and purposes especially when he taketh such gentle wayes as dreams and visions counsels and instructions to withdraw man from his purpose and as it followeth in this verse to hide pride from man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 texit operuit imponendo aliquid quo tegas The word which we render to hide is to hide by casting a covering a vayle a garment or any other thing over what we desire should be hid Prov 12.23 A prudent man concealeth knowledge it is this word he doth not pretend to know so much as he knoweth he puts a vayle upon his own abilities as Moses upon his face when there was such a shining beauty imprinted there rather then reveales them unnecessarily or uncalled 'T is the foolish man or he that hath but a shew of wisdome who loves and affects to be shewing it But to the text The word is used also to note that gracious act of God his pardoning the sin of man Psal 32.1 Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven and whose sin is covered God covers our sins in the riches of his grace by the perfect righteousnesse of Jesus Christ Now there are two wayes by which God hideth pride from man First by pardoning it Secondly preventing it Here to hide pride from man properly is not to pardon it when acted but to prevent or keep man from the acting of it God indeed hides the pride of man by pardoning it and that 's a high act of grace and he hideth pride from man by keeping man from doing proudly or from shewing his pride in his doings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 superbia excellentia The word rendred pride
the meaning scope and mind of any sentence or the purpose of man in what he speaketh Thirdly there is the divine of spirituall interpreter who labours to bring the truths of God and the heart of man together The Apostle having treated about prophecying concludes 1 Cor. 14.25 And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest and so falling down on his face he will worship God and report that God is in you of a truth as if the man that beleeved not or one unlearned for of such he speaks vers 24. had said surely these men understand what is in my heart for they have brought the truth of God and my heart together so that I must confesse God is in them that is there is a divine wisdome or interpretation in them When Elihu faith If there be an interpreter we are to understand him in this last sence not of one that can interpret words like a Grammarian or give the scope and sence of words like a Logician but of one that hath a divine skill to bring the truths of God home to the heart of man that is to convince informe an ignorant conscience and to comfort relieve and support a troubled conscience If there be an interpreter Hence note The Ministers of Christ are the interpreters of the mind and good will of God toward poor sinners They interpret the mind of God as to peace and reconciliation as to grace and salvation as well as to duty and holiness of conversation 'T is the nicest and hardest thing in the world to interpret the mind of God aright to a sinner to bring his heart to a closing with the great truths and promises of the Gospel he that can doe this skilfully is worthy the name of an interpreter The Apostle saith of him who is but a babe in Christ and useth milke that is lives upon the lower and more easie principles of faith he is unskillfull in the word of righteousnesse Heb. 5.13 that is he knowes not how to make out and mannage for his own comfort the doctrine of free grace through the alone righteousness of Jesus Christ And therefore as first God himself is the author and fountaine of this grace as secondly Jesus Christ is the purchaser or procurer of the fruits of this grace to sinners as thirdly the effectuall worker of our hearts to receive this grace as also the witness-bearer and sealer of it to our souls is the holy Spirit as fourthly the word of the Gospell is the Charter and Covenant of this grace so fifthly the Ministers of Christ are the interpreters of this grace and they are or ought to be skillfull in this word of righteousness Their skill and duty is first to explaine what the Covenant is and rightly to lay down how the sinners reconciliation to God is wrought Secondly to make a sutable and seasonable application of it or to bring it home to the souls and consciences of poor sinners as they find their state to be And as the Ministers of Christ are Gods interpreters to his people so they are the peoples interpreters unto God They are the former two wayes First by opening the mind of God to his people Secondly by urging and pressing them to receive it both for their direction and consolation They are the latter four wayes First by laying open and spreading the peoples wants and weaknesses before God Secondly by confessing their sins and transgressions to God Thirdly by intreating the Lord for them or by praying for mercy pardon and forgiveness in their behalfe for sins committed Fourthly by giving thanks in their name for mercies received Thus they are first Gods mouth to the people in preaching declaring the Gospel Secondly the peoples mouth to God in prayer and thanksgiving And in both performe the worke and Office of an interpreter And if the Ministers of the Gospell are interpreters Then First Every Minister must be acquainted with the mind of God He must have skill in the mystery of the Gospel How shall he be able to interpret the mind of God to sinners who is not acquainted with the mind of God We have the mind of Christ saith the Apostle of himselfe and his fellow-labourers in the Gospel 1 Cor. 2.16 and when he saith we have the mind of Christ his meaning is not only this that they had the mind of Christ written in a book but they had a cleare understanding of it and so were fitted to interpret it to others Secondly As he must have the knowledge of the mystery so he must have the tongue of the learned Isa 50.4 That he may be able to speak a word in season to him that is weary that is to the wounded and troubled in conscience This is the interpreter intended by Elihu He is one that hath learned and is taught of God Humane learning the knowledge of Arts and Sciences is good and hath its use but divine learning or learning in divine things that is to be divinely learned 't is possible for one to have learning in divine things and not to be divinely learned is absolutely necessary to make him an interpreter It is not enough to know divine things but he must know them divinely or by the unction and teachings of the Spirit The Apostle John Rev 10.8 is commanded to eat the book this eating of the book signifieth the spirituall knowledg of divine truths in this sence we know no more then we eat then we as it were turn into our own substance that which is eaten becomes one with us the mystery of the Gospell must be eaten by the interpreter of Gospell mysteries A man cannot interpret the mind of God till he knows it and he cannot know the mind of God unlesse God himself reveals it so the Apostle argueth 1 Cor. 2. from 12 to 16. As no man knoweth the mind of a man but the spirit of a man that is in him so the things of the spirit of God knoweth no man but the spirit of God and he to whom the Spirit of God doth reveale them And therefore though a man may have an abillity to interpret the word of God as 't is an excellent book a book full of admirable knowledge he may I say have an abillity to interpret it soundly by humane learning yet no man can doe it savingly and convertingly but by the help of the Spirit Psal 25.14 The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them his Covenant he will shew it effectually he will make them know it Thus David prayed Psal 119.18 Lord open thou mine eyes that I may behold wonderous things out of thy Law Naturall parts and humane learning arts and languages may give us an understanding of the tenour and literal meaning of the Law of God but none of these can open our eyes to behold the wonders of the Law much lesse the wonders and mysteries of the Gospell The opening of our eyes to behold these
not to look for much or not to doe their worke for filthy lucre but of a ready mind 1 Pet. 5.2 Thirdly As the reward is small so the opposition is great Ministers are often persecuted and reproacht and the more faithfull and dilligent they are the more they are opposed and reproached To preach the Gospel fully as it should be preacht is to provoke thousands and bring the World about our eares No marvell then iâ— rhe messengers and interpreters of it be not many if they be but as one among a thousand Thus you see what hinders the generallity of men from medling with that work 'T is but one among a thousand that will engage in a work upon these hard termes or that prae-apprehending them hath faith and self-denyal enough to swallow and overcome them Againe Consider those that outwardly bear the name and Title of the Ministers of Christ and you will find that among them they who are true and faithfull to their trust are upon the matter but one among a thousand As there are but few Ministers among many men so there are but few Ministers among many that are true and right interpreters Doe but take out or sever these five sorts from among them who pretend to be Ministers and then it will soone appear that the interpreters in truth are but few among many of those that are so in Title First Take away all those who thrust themselves boldly or are admitted carelesly or by mistake into the Ministery who yet are ignorant blind ungifted and so unable for the worke Secondly Take away those who though they have gifts and abilities yet are lazie and sloathfull such as will not take paines nor worke in the worke Thirdly Take away those who have gifts and are industrious yet are unsound at least in many poynts and erronious in their judgements and so mis-lead and mis-guide those whose guides and leaders they are Fourthly Take away those who though they are not unsound and erronious yet are prophane and scandalous pulling downe that truth with one hand which they have set up with another or building againe those sins by their practise which they have destroyed by preaching and so make themselves as the Apostle speakes in a like case Gal 2.18 transgressours for as God justly calls such transgressours because they have sinned against his word so they make themselves transgressours because they sin against their owne even against the doctrine by which they have condemned those sins which themselves live in Fifthly Take away those who though they are neither of these neither ignorant nor idle nor unsound nor scandalous yet are but meere formall preachers such as only speake words deliver the out-side and skin of the Gospel but have no acquaintance with the marrow and power of it Take away these five sorts from among Ministers and surely this expression of Elihu will be but too much verified The interpreter is but one among a thousand Abstract all that are ignorant idle unsound scandalous formall dispencers of the word from those who are commonly called Ministers and then they who remaine will be very few so few that every one of them may be reckoned one among a thousand And we shall be forced to say that Elihu hath not sayd without cause whether we respect their excellency or their scarsity that any faithfull messenger or interpreter is one among a thousand This is not spoken by Elihu here nor ought it to be taken up by any of the most faithfull Ministers of Christ to draw honour and respect upon themselves or that their persons may be had in admiration who are faithfull this were a pittifull designe of holding out such a truth but it serves for this end that the people of God may see they have a blessing where any are faithfull and may learne how they ought to prize those faithfull messengers whom the Lord sends among them yea how readily they should receive the grace of God which is tendred in their ministry These are not only each of them one messenger or interpreter but each one of them is one of a thousand A soule-convincing converting quickning comforting Minister of the Gospel is worth thousands and one among a thousand The Prophet saith Isa 52.7 How beautifull are the feet of them that bring glad tideings c. By their feet he meaneth their coming feete being the instruments of their coming to bring this glad tideings yet when he saith their feete are beautifull it may have a greater emphasis for the feete being the lowest part of the structure of mans body it may intend thus much that even that which is lowest and meanest in a messenger of the Gospel his feete wearied and wet yea foule and dirty with travel have a beauty upon them how much more his face and countenance for if the very feete of such news-bringers of such messengers and interpreters should be acceptable and lovely so beauty is to all men how much more should their persons and most of all their message and tideings be And doubtlesse if men did but understand it they would acknowledge that God hath committed such a treasury to them as is better and more beautifull then all the gold and precious things of this world and would cry out O what a mercy is it to have such a News-bringer and what Greedy News-mongers would they be The one among a thousand would be more desirable then many thousands of Gold and Silver Elihu having described the person whom the Lord often makes instrumentall for the restoring and comforting of the sick sinner calling him A messenger an interpreter one of a thousand which latter may be applicable to both the former proceeds to shew the business of this messenger or interpreter who is one of a thousand more expressely or to set out what his worke is surely excellent and glorious worke even this To shew unto man his uprightness We are not to understand this shewing for a bare report of the thing in which sense the Prophet complain'd Lord who hath believed our report Isa 53.1 that is we have shewed good things to the world but who hath believed us The shewing spoken of by Elihu is not a bare declaration of the matter to the eare but an effectuall and powerfull impression of it upon the heart Such a shewing as is spoken of at the 16th verse of this Chapter then he openeth the eares of men The Lord speakes so by his messengers and interpreters that he not only makes the eare heare but the heart too The heart heares when we have a sense and are under the power of what is heard As before we had a spirituall interpreter so here we have a spirituall shewing of his interpretation Here 's a heavenly messenger and a heavenly message to the earthly man To tell the earthly his rightfullness saith Mr Broughton Now because of the pronoune his his uprightness It may be demanded whose uprightness he meanes or what this
received and in receiving more grace favour and comfort from God as will appeare in opening the words Vers 26. He shall pray to God and he will be favourable to him and he shall see his face with joy for he will render to man his righteousness Elâ—hu gave us before one meanes of the sick sinfull mans recovery from his bodyly and soule sickness that was the counsell and instruction given in by the messenger the interpreter one of a thousand And here he sets downe another meanes by which he is restored to both especially to the sweetness of both He shall pray unto God The word here used to pray signifieth not barely to pray 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 multiplicavit propriè verba fortia et magnacopia fudit in oratione inde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 supplices Zeph. 3.10 or put up requests to God 'T is a word with an emphasis implying the Multiplying of prayer and that not the multiplying of prayer so much by number as by weight the powring forth or multiplying of strong prayers or as it is sayd of Christ In the dayes of his flesh Heb. 5.7 the offering up prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares There may be a multiplying of weak insignificant words in the eares of God by prayer But the faithfull people of God through the Spirit powre out many strong words in prayer as Christ did in the dayes of his flesh to him who is able to save them from death or danger and give them life When Elihu saith He shall pray he intends such prayers even the urgency importunity or vehemency of the soule in prayer When Isaac saw his wife Rebecca was long barren he was forty yeares old before he married and many yeares being elapsed in marriage there was no appearance of Children Then saith the Text Gen 25.21 Isaac intreated the Lord for his wife because shee was barren and the Lord was entreated of him and Rebecca his wife conceived It cannot be imagined that Isaac being so holy and gracious a man had not prayed for that mercy before Doubtless he prayed that God would fullfill the promise to his father Abraham in giving him a childe but when he saw the promise so long delayed or stick so long in the birth then he intreated the Lord 't is this word he powred out many and strong prayers The word is used againe concerning Manoah after his wife had received a promise from the Lord of hearing a Son afterwards called Sampson Judg 13.8 Then Manoah entreated the Lord and sayd O my Lord let the man of God which thou didst send come againe unto us c. Fearing they might not fully follow the instructions given his wife for the education of their son he earnestly begged of the Lord further direction in that matter That prophecy either of the Gentiles to be converted or of the returne of the dispersed Jewes expresseth them by this word Zeph 3.10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants shall come even the daughter of my dispersed shall bring mine offerings As if the Prophet had sayd They shall spend themselves in supplications at their returne they shall come with strong petitions with mighty prayers as making prayer their business They shall not come with frozen affections and cold requests but with hearts flaming up in the ardency of their desires and urgency of their supplications to the Lord. That 's the force of the word He shall pray As if Elihu had sayd He shall not come with dead-hearted prayers and petitions as many doe in their sicknesses and sorrowes nor with a formal Lord have mercy upon me and helpe me but he shall make a business of it he shall pray to purpose he shall pray with his whole strength In which sence the Lord bid Ananias goe to Saul afterwards Paul Acts 9.11 For behold he prayeth intimating that he had never prayed all his dayes before nor indeed had he though being brought up a strict Pharisee he was much in the forme of prayer ever prayed in power before He shall pray Some understand this He relating to the messenger praying for the sick man He shall pray and God will be favourable to him That 's a truth 't is the worke and duty of the messenger to pray for as well as advise the sick man But I conceive rather the person here intended praying is the sick man for himselfe who after he hath been counselled directed and advised by the messenger what to doe applyeth himselfe to the doing of it Further Some who agree that the sick man is the person praying yet understand it of prayer after his recovery who finding himself healed and strengthened prayeth unto God for grace or for a right use of his health strength But I rather understand it of his prayer unto God in the time of his affliction who when his sins and transgressions have been laid before him by the messenger and his soul-soars searched to the bottome and faithfully dealt with and so brought to a sight of himselfe and of his sin with the sad effects of it visible upon this pained and consumptive body is then stirred to seek the Lord and entreat his favour He shall pray unto God Hence Note Sicknesse is a prayer season Prayer is a duty never out of season yet at some times more in season and most in season in times of affliction Is any man afflicted let him pray James 5.13 And among all afflictions the affliction of sickness seemes to be a speciall season calling for this duty Therefore in the 14. verse of the same Chapter assoon as he had said is any man afflicted let him pray it followeth is any sick among you let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them pray over him 'T is high time for us when sick to look about us to call in prayer-aide or helpe from others in prayer yet 't is not enough fot the afflicted or the sick to get others to pray for them they must pray for themselves some put off the duty of prayer to others and think it sufficeth if they send bills to ministers or move friends to pray for them I know sickness indisposeth to prayer bodily paine and weakness hinder continuance and abiding in the duty but that doth not excuse the sick from praying for themselves To desire others to pray for us in bodyly sickness and neglect it our selves is an ill symptome of a sick soul yea to desire others in that case to pray for us when we have no heart to pray for our selves is too cleare a prognostick that their prayers will not profit us nor be prevailing for us Pharoah when under those dreadfull plagues could send for Moses and Aaron more then once and said unto them entreat the Lord for me Exod. 9.27 28. Chap. 10.16 17. But we read not that he entreated the Lord for himself Simon Magus when struck with the terrible threatnings of Peter said Pray ye to the
have cause to boast of the penny-worth he hath had by sin which hath occasion'd the sorrows of that repentance One houres communion with God in wayes of holiness is better then all the profits and pleasures which any man hath got while he was committing that sin or running any course of sin whereof he now repenteth At the best sin dishonours God troubles our consciences and breakes our peace at the best nothing is got by sin which is worth the having at worst the soule is lost by it which of all things we have is most worth the having Thirdly Note Sin is exceeding dangerous and destructive to man Some would sin for the pleasures and carnal contentments which are found in sin though they knew they should make no earnings or get no profit by it yea though they knew they should be and dye beggers by it Once more if this were all that they should loose heaven by it or if the meaning of loosing their soules were only this that their soules should be no more they would easily venture it But there is an affirmative in the negative and when 't is sayd sin profiteth not the meaning is it brings trouble and renders us miserable for ever Fooles that is all sinfull men saith the Spirit of God Psal 107.17 because of their transgression and because of their iniquities are afflicted and all such among these fooles as dye in their sin are damned and who is able to summe up the dammage of damnation Fourthly Learne Sinners shall be forced at last to confesse that there is no profit in sin True penitents confesse it willingly now and impenitents shall confesse it at last whether they will or no they shall have such a conviction of the evill of sin by their sufferings as will make them say what hath pride profited me and what hath envy profited me what hath malice and wrath profited me And what hath the fraudulent deceiving of my neighbour profited me this will be the cry of sinners to all eternity Oh what hath sin profited us That which is the willing confession of a gracious repentant here will be the forced confession of damned impenitents for ever hereafter This will be a bitter repentance Hell is and will be full of the words of repentance but no fruit of repentance shall be found there The damned shall not find either amendment in themselves or mercy from God This will be the confession of all sinners at last as of those that repent and are saved so of those who repent when damned we have sinned and perverted that which was right and it hath not profited us And when once man hath made this hearty confession to God of his sin and folly then God maketh him a gracious promise of deliverance and mercy as appeares in the tenour of the next verse Vers 28. He will deliver his soule from going into the pit and his life shall see the light There is a two-fold reading of this 28th verse as was shewed in opening the former For whereas that 27th verse is understood by some as the humble confession of the sick man recovered and so read in this forme He looketh upon men and saith I have sinned and perverted that which was right and it profited me not then this 28th verse is rendred to make up that sence as a thankfull acknowledgement of his recovery He hath delivered my soule from going into the pit and my life seeth the light Thus as we had his confession of repentance in the verse fore-going I have sinned Juâ—ta hanc loctionem erit etiamnuÌ„ hic versus ex coÌ„fessione restituti aegri dei in se summam beneficentiam agnoscâ—ntis Merc c. so here we have his confession of praise and thankfulness He hath delivered my soule from going into the pit Mr Broughton translates to this sence He saved my soule from going into the pit that my life doth see the light Thus the sick man being restored breakes out into thanksgiving The Lord in mercy hath freed me from death hell and the grave I need not feare Satans accusations my body enjoyes the light of the world and my soule the light of Gods countenance shining upon me which is better then life But because our owne reading is cleare in the originall text and holds out the scope of the context fully enough therefore I shall prosecute that only He will deliver his soule from going into the pit The words are an assertion of the favour and goodnesse of God to the penitent sick man He that is God looketh upon men and if he heare any saying I have sinned and perverted that which is right and it profiteth me not if he make such an humble and gracious confession this will be the issue the Lord will deliver his soule from going into the pit At the 18th verse we had words of the same import He keepeth back his soule from the pit and his life from perishing by the sword And againe at the 24th verse Deliver him from going downe to the pit To be delivered from the pit as was there shewed is to be delivered from death And the word soule as was then likewise expounded is put for the person As if it were sayd He will deliver him the penitent man from death and that both from temporall death the death of the body and from eternall death the destruction of body and soule or he will deliver him first from the pit of the grave and secondly from the pit of hell He will deliver his soule from the pit And his life shall see the light Videre lucem periphrasis est vitae sicut è contrario tenebrae sunt symbolum mortis Pined That is he shall live to see the light To see the light is a circumlocution of life As if it had been sayd He shall recover out of his deadly sickness and behold the light of the Sun as living men doe Thus David prayed Psal 56.13 That he might walke before God in the light of the living And thus the wicked man is threatned with eternall death Psal 49.19 He shall goe to the generation of his fathers they shall never see light That is they shall never enjoy life but be shut up in a perpetuall night of death or in the night of perpetuall death Secondly When 't is sayd his life shall see the light we may understand it not only for a bare returne to life or that he shall live but that he shall live comfortably and prosperously he shall lead a happy life To see the light is to live and rejoyce light is pleasant it is comfortable to behold the Sun as Solomon speakes To see light comprehends all the comforts of this life and of that to come which is called the inheritance of the Saints in light Col 1.12 For as darkness is put not only for death but for all the troubles of this life and the torments of the next so light is put both for life and
those who are true fruit-bearing branches more and more that they may bring forth more fruit And the means by which he purgeth them that is mortifieth their corruptions seldome reach this blessed effect at once or twice working and therefore the Lord is even constrained to worke these things twice thrice or oftentimes else the worke would not be brought to the intended issue Thirdly In that it is sayd All these things worketh God oftentimes not alwayes Observe Man should make hast to answer the call of God and come up to what he requireth of him For though God worke these things oftentimes yet no man knowes how often he will worke and we may all know he will not worke alwayes 'T is a high and dangerous presumption to deferre at any time upon hopes that God will work at another time because in some cases he workes oftentimes Remember as was shewed before in opening the words this thrice is the least number of often as twice is the least number of any two or three are the least number that makes a Church-assembly Math 18.20 The Prophet saith Amos 2.4 For three transgressions of Judah and for four I will not turne away the punishment thereof Implying that if men multiply their transgressions God will not alwayes give them meanes of repentance but powre out wrath upon them So Elihu saith God worketh twice and thrice but if men will sin three or foure times where is their warrant that God will pardon or passe by their sins The Prophet did not binde up the mercy of God precisely to two or three transgressions Rabbi Solom colligit tertantum homini ignoscere deum at quarto si ad peccandum redierit esse quod sibiâ—Ã gehenna timeat et id esse putat quod hoc loco ab Elihu dicatur but if men sin without bounds he shewes they have no ground to expect God should be mercifull One of the Jewish Rabbins as some expound him concludes peremptorily If man sin twice or thrice God will spare but if foure times God will punish We doe not circumscribe the grace of God to a speciall number and possibly that Rabbin did not intend it so but only that all should take heed they doe not abuse the grace of God That God multiplyeth to pardon or as we render Isa 55.7 Pardoneth aboundantly is no security for any man to sin aboundantly or to multiply transgressions My spirit shall not alwayes strive with man saith the Lord Gen 6.3 I have striven long already and I will yet strive longer even an hundred and twenty yeares but I will not strive alwayes God gave Jezebel a space to repent Rev 2.21 but when she repented not he did not promise her a new space to repent in but threatned her with wrath to the utmost if she repented not There is a frequency in the worke of God to reduce sinners but not a perpetuity And as in this verse Elihu reports this frequency of his worke so in the next he reports that to be the designe of it Vers 30. To bring back his soule from the pit to be enlightned with the light of the living This verse I say sheweth the purpose of God in working twice thrice or oftentimes with man This purpose as was touched before is two-fold First to free and deliver him from evill the worst of evills a horrible pit Secondly to estate him in and give him possession of not only that which is good but best of all the light of the living Not is this purpose of God a bare desire that 's often fruitless and successless but a strong or setled resolution to bring back the sick mans soule from the pit And Elihu we may suppose spake thus as to presse Job to hasten the worke of his repentance so to put him in hope upon consideration of this designe of God in afflicting him that he should be delivered from his afflictions and have not only his life continued but the comforts of it restored to him As if he had sayd Be not afraid doe not look upon thy condition as hopeless or that the humiliation of thy selfe will be fruitlesse for I dare assure thee God hath gracious purposes and intendments towards thee in working these things And here we have a two-fold gracious purpose of God expressed First to deliver him from evill to bring back his soule from the pit Secondly to doe him good or to bestow positive blessings upon him as was shewed at the 28th verse even to be enlightned with the light of the living As if he had sayd God in all this aymes only at mans good that his sin unrepented of be not his death and destruction and that under a sence of Divine favour towards him he may lead a comfortable life here and be happy for ever To bring back his soule from the pit It is sayd at the 28th verse He will deliver his soule from going into the pit in both places the pit is the same But seeing the Lord there promised to deliver his soule from going into the pit how is he sayd here to bring back his soule from the pit A man being delivered from going to the pit cannot be sayd to be brought back from the pit I answer in two things the words rendred to bring back his soule from the pit may be read thus to turne away his soule from the pit that is to preserve him from death So the Hebrew word is used Chap 15.13 as also Mal 2.6 He walked with me in peace and equity and did turne away many from iniquity If we take that rendring of the word then the expressions in both places beare the same sence But taking it according to our reading in which to bring back his soule from the pit sounds as if the man had been in the pit already and it may well be sayd so because a man in great affliction whether of soule or body is as it were dead or buried alive For as when God converts a sinner he upon the matter brings him back from hell so when he delivers him from any grievous sickness he doth upon the matter bring him back from the grave Heman in spirituall afflictions and soule-desertions the terrours of the Lord being upon him called himselfe free among the dead like the slaine that lye in the grave whom God remembreth no more and they are cut off from thy hand Psal 88.5 They that are neere the pit of death are not much improperly called dead and they that being in such a desperate case are kept from going downe to the pit are not much improperly sayd to be brought back from the pit or pulled out of it In which sence we may keep to our owne reading and so to bring back his soule from the pit notes only the extreame danger wherein he was whether spirituall or temporall and Gods graciousness in delivering him from it Hence note When God restores a man out of any desperate condition whether of
is doe not exact the utmost of others which the Law in the rigour of it will allow he that will not remit any thing of his right is not only over-righteous but may soon doe wrong or Thirdly when he saith be not over-righteous as he would not have men stand strictly upon their right with others so he would not have them speak much of their own righteousnesse but rather sometimes take blame to themselves then which was Jobs case proclaime themselves altogether blamelesse As we are not to betray our innocency so not give a shadow of any boasting in it We seldome lose by saying little of our selves And in most cases we should rather trust God who hath promised he will doe it Psal 37.6 to bring forth our righteousnesse as the light then be over-industrious in bringing it to light or in bringing it out of that darknesse with which it lyeth obscured either by or among men As we ought never to lye against our right so it may not be convenient at some times to speake all the truth of it which we can This at least was Jobs fault and it will be any mans who doth like Job yea though he should be which few have been or are like to be under as great sufferings as Job The greatnesse whereof he aggravated to the hight in the next words with which Elihu chargeth him My wound is incurable without transgression An incurable wound is the worst of wounds and though to be wounded without transgression is best for him that receives it yet it is worst for him that gives it My wound is incurable The Hebrew is my arrow the arrow is a wounding weapon and in this Text 't is put for the wound it self Job complained Chap. 6.4 The arrows of the Allmighty drink up my spirits There are arrows of two sorts and answerably there are wounds of two sorts There are first externall secondly internall arrows God shooteth his arrows both into the flesh and spirit the former make a wounded body the latter a wounded soule Job may intend both for he received wounds in both his flesh was wounded and all that belong'd to flesh his estate his credit and good name were wounded his soule and spirit were wounded also the arrowes of God were shot thick at him and hit him from head to foot The Archers as dying Jacob said of Joseph Gen. 49.23 Gravissima est sagitta mea absque transgressione Bez 24. sorely grieved him they all shot at him and one of them Satan hated him but though his bow as to the maine abode in strength and the arms of his hands were made strong by tht hands of the mighty God of Jacob yet he cryed out as if there had been no helpe no healing no hope for him My wound Is incurable Hanc sagittam Elihu vocat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. gravem doloratam pessimè habentem hinc Enosh homo ab infirmitate et fragilitate dictus The word which we render incurable signifies not only what is very dolorous or grievous but mischievous mortall and deadly And from this word man is called Enosh in the Hebrew to shew how infirme and fraile he is sin having given him a wound which is incurable by any thing but the blood of Jesus Christ Job felt his wounds and he spake of them as a man swallowed up with desperation and expected no cure of his present sad condition My wound is incurable and he concluded with that which is yet harder My wound is incurable Without transgression Mr. Broughton translates My stroak is sore without trespasse Job in saying his wound was incurable shewed a defect in his faith but in saying it was incurable without transgression he seemeth to shew his defect in truth For surely had there not been transgression in him there had never been a wound upon him God had never so much as broken our skin but for sin Man had never felt so much as the scratch of a pins poynt by the hand of God if he had not once prevaricated and Apostatiz'd from God We ow all our sorrows to our sins all our woundings to our transgressings How then doth Job say My wound is incurable without transgression The word here used is not usually put to signifie sin in generall though some take it so but some speciall kind of sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denotat grave scelus vel Apostasiâ—m Scult that of more then an ordinary degree a sin with a malignity a provoking sin As if the meaning of Elihu were that he heard Job say Though his sin were not great though it were not any rebellion against light nor dangerous Apostacy though his were a very curable sin yet his wound was altogether incurable his wound was great though his sin was little Now because Justice doth usually apportion the punishment inflicted both to the nature and measure of the sin committed therefore Elihu takes it and he had too much occasion to doe so as a great reflection upon the justice of God when he heard Job thus bemoaning himselfe My wound is incurable without transgression To receive the least wound without transgression is a great wound to justice how greatly then doth he wound the Justice of God who saith he hath received a great yea an incurable wound without transgression But where spake Job these words when said he My wound is incurable without transgression we must bring in that Job hath said to every one of these charges I answer Job spake of the arrows of God Chap 6.4 and that they were incurable he saith in other words Chap 16.13 His arrowes compasse me round about he cleaveth my reines asunder he powreth out my gall upon the ground When a mans reines are cleft in sunder with an arrow and his gall powred on the ground his wound is incurable But where did he say My wound is incurable without transgression Elihu might collect that from Chap 9.17 He breaketh me with a tempest and multiplyeth my wounds without cause and from Chap 16.16 17. My face is foule with weeping c. not for any injustice in my hands While Mary washed the feete of Christ with her teares Luke 7.38 she might be sayd to foule her owne face with her teares Teares which in a qualified sence or as a token of true repentance wash and cleanse the soule doe yet blubber and disfigure the face My face saith Job is soule with weeping though my hands are not foule with sinning or any evill doing This was in effect to say what Elihu here censureth him for saying My wound is incurable without transgression Hence note First God hath his arrows he can wound us when and where he pleaseth He shooteth and misseth not his marke He hath a quiver full of deadly arrows take heed how ye provoke him Jbb had a whole quiver of arrows emptied upon him for triall for the exercise of his patience Woe to those upon whom God emptieth his quivers
used as flaggs of pride and vanity nor doth pride appeare so much in praising our selves though there it appeareth much as it doth in scorning others Proud scorner is his name And as the scorner is a proud despiser of others so a quarrelsome contender with others and till he is separated from men there is nothing but separation no peace among men Prov 22.10 Cast out the scorner and contention shall goe out yea strife and reproach shall cease which plainly intimateth that strife cannot goe out till the scorner be cast out And therefore Solomon Pro 24.9 calleth the scorner an abomination to man Thus the Scripture sets the scorner among sinners of the chiefest rank and first forme I may say he is of the first three if not the first of that three Therefore take heed how ye drinke scorning especially take heed it be not your mornings draught for as it comes from the heart so it will fly up into your head and unfit you for any good worke at least that day Againe from the similitude here used to drink up scorning like water which as hath been shewed holds out the readiness and connaturallness of an action unto him that is charged with it Note The more easily any one sinneth the greater is his sin It is best to come hardly off in sinning and when it goeth hardly downe Many sin as easily as they eat or drink They eat up my people as bread saith God Psal 14.4 that is as we say they make no bones of it there 's nothing stickes in their throats nor troubles their conscience Where sin lives altogether unmortiâ—â—ed in any man it doth so in every meere naturall or unregenerate man 't is no more to him to sin then it is either to live or to eate and drink for the maintaining of life But they shall feele sorest paines for sinning who have sinned with greatest ease they shall drinke dammage by scorning like Gall and Wormewood who have drunke scorning like water Elihu having thus taxed Job with scorning at good men proceeds to tax him with overmuch freedome and familiarity with evill men Vers 8. Which goeth in company with the worâ—â—â—s of iniquity and walketh with wicked men Noscitur ex comite c. As if he had sayd you may know what he is by the company he keepes He goeth in company with the workers of iniquity or he associates and puts himselfe into the society of the workers of iniquity Elihu doth not say he dwelleth among the workers of iniquity The best man in the world may dwell among bad men Let dwelt in Sodome We must goe out of the world if we will not be among the wicked the world is every where full of the workers of iniquity But saith he he goeth in company with them Which intimates the activenes of his spirit with them yea the election of his spirit or that he chose their company Though a good man may be in the company of the wicked yet he doth not choose their company He is not of their body of their society or gang A wicked man doth not content himselfe to be among the ordinary sort of sinners he is for and best likes the worst of sinners workers of iniquity All are sinners naturally but some are sinners artificially they study sin they contrive and plot mischiefe They devise iniquity upon their beds saith one Scripture They weave the spiders webb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith another Here 's artificiall sinning The Greekes call such sin-workers and crafts-men in evill I have had occasion to speake of these from other passages of this Booke Here Elihu to highten the charge against Job saith He goeth in company with such or chooseth such kind of company the workers of iniquity And walketh with wicked men As our holinesse is expressed by walking with God so our sinfullnesse by walking with wicked men To walk with God is all the commendation of Enoch who was so holy on earth that God tooke him up to Heaven Gen. 5.22 He had this testimony faith the Apostle Heb. 11.15 before his translation that he pleased God To walk with God is to please God or to give up our selves wholly to God Can two walk together except they be agreed is the Prophets question Amos 3.3 They who walke together are supposed to have one will as they are seen to have one way What God willeth they will and what God willeth not they will not who walk with him To walk with wicked men implyeth an agreement with them and a conformity to them as being of their fraternity company and livery They that walk with wicked men declare their familiarity with them or that their mind and manners are the same The Apostle tells the Corinthians 1 Cor. 3.2 Whereas there is among you envying strife and divisions are ye not carnall and walk as men that is as men in their naturall and sinfull condition walke Though ye are spirituall in your state yet ye act as carnall men Now as it is sinfull for a godly man to walke as a man or according to man as our Margin hath it for he should walk as God so it is much more sinfull to walk with wicked men or according to the worst of men Thus the Apostle describes the conversation of the Ephesians before conversion Eph. 22. And you hath he quickened who were dead in sins and trespasses in which sometime ye walked according to the course of this World That is according to the tide current and streame of the times and places wherein ye lived Qua itur non qua â—undum Man naturally doth not walk where he ought to goe but where he seeth the most goe He is led by the worst of examples such are the examples of the most or of the many rather then by the best of rules It is our duty and it should be our delight to walk with those who delight in the Law and in the way of God David saith of his deceitfull friend but reall enemy Psal 55.14 We walked unto the house of God in company As if he had said time was when he and I were as if he had been I both of us but one in that one thing necessary the worship and service of God It is a good argument that man hath an heart for God who walks with good men in the wayes of God To converse much with or to be much in the company of good men is a probable signe of goodnesse but when we walke with them to the house and worship of God or converse with them in the dutyes of holinesse this is a great though no infallible argument of goodnesse And to be sure to walk with evill men especially to joyne with them in doing evill is an argument that the man is evill Therefore Elihu may seeme to bring a demonstration against Jobs godlinesse that he intended it not so I shall shew afterwards but I say he seemes to say so while he saith
be answered for whether good or bad Math. 12.36 37. For every idle word that men shall speak they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment for by thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned that is it shall be rendered to thee according to thy words or as thy words have been so it shall be with thee Nor secondly are we to take the works of a man exclusively or in opposition to his thoughts as if God would render to man what he hath acted outwardly but not what he hath acted inwardly or would passe by his thoughts We must give an account of our thoughts which are the spring of our works as well as of our words which are the publishers and proclaimers of them God shall bring every work saith Solomon Eccl. 12.14 to judgment and every secret thing the most secret whispers of the tongue and the most secret plottings contrivings devisings designings yea the simple and single thinkings of the heart These are not only the moulds and principles of every work but every one of these is a work and all of them the whole work of the inner man whose work or what is wrought there is chiefly as well as only under the inspection and eye of God Againe The work of a man shall he render unto him c. He doth not say the works of another man shall he render to any man but the work of a man shall he render to him he that doth the work shall have the reward the works of one man shall not be rendered to another but every mans own works shall As the faith of another man shall not help us if we have no faith Abrahams faith who had a mighty faith will doe us no good if we have no faith of our own so the good works of another man shall doe us no good if we have none of our own And as not the good works so the evill works of others shall not be rendered to us The hurtfull works of others shall not hurt us if we doe no hurt I grant we may partake of the evill works of others yea we may make other mens works our own either by consenting to them before they are done or by approving them after they are done or by not reproving them when we have opportunity In these and many other cases we may make other mens evill works our own and so farre as other mens works are our own God shall render them also unto us Hence that caution given by the Apostle to Timothy 1 Tim. 5.22 Lay hands suddainly on no man neither be partaker of other mens sins keep thy self pure They that partake in any of those wayes mentioned before or in any other way of any mans sins may also quickly partake of his punishment Thus John heard a voyce from Heaven Rev. 18.4 saying come out of her that is out of Babylon my people that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues Not only is that work ours which we doe but that also may be ours by participation which others do And by what title soever a work becomes any mans the worke of the man shall God render unto him And he will cause every man to find according to his wayes This latter part of the verse containes the same thing with the former in another cloathing of words In semita virt inveniet eum Some read the Text thus and he will find every man in his way let man goe in what way he will God will meet with him That 's a truth God will meet or find a man in a good way to incourage guide assist and reward him And God will meet or find a man in an evill way to stop oppose and punish him God will find every man in his way and man shall find God to him according as the way is wherein he findeth him We render very well and fully to the sence he will cause every man to find according to his way I find an Interpreter over-curiously distinguishing between a mans work and his way which doubtlesse here in effect Cajetanus are the same yet there may be a graduall difference 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 via actiones significat quatenus ad finem diriguntur Quemadmodum via initur metae et termini causa Emphaticè via dicuntur actiones ad certum finem directa Coc work being taken for this or that particular act and way for a continued course either good or evill Againe The way of a man may be considered in association with his ends Every man goeth such or such a way for some speciall end no man takes a step in any way without a purpose nor doth any wise or good man take a step in any way without a good purpose Yet there is finis operis an end or issue of the work as also finis operantis an end proposed by the worker And oftentimes that proves to be the end of a work which was not the end purposed by the worker The end of a mans work or way proves sometimes better and sometimes worser then he proposed Possibly a man may not find according to that end of his way and work which he intended not whether good or evill But assuredly whatsoever good or evill end a man proposeth to himself when he enters upon his work or way God will cause him to find accordingly So that when Elihu saith God will cause every man to find according to his way he intimates that God will not only render to man according to the matter of his work or outward path of his way but well considereth every mans scope and intendment or what he would have his work issue in and causeth him to find as he findeth that to be As the end which man proposeth to himselfe hath a great influence upon his way so upon his account with God about it This is a good sence God will cause every man to find according to his way both as his way is taken for the matter or course of his actions as also sor the scope and design of them Hence Observe First Every man shall have according to what he hath done Our receivings will be according to our layings out whether good or evill God is so farre from doing any man wrong that every man shall have his due reward Psal 62.12 Also to thee O Lord belongeth mercy for thou renderest to every man according to his work And lest any should hope to escape the evill which at least some of their evill works deserve by the secrecy of them that hope is quite dashed because God is the searcher and seer not only of our works but of our hearts Prov. 24.12 Doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it and he that keepeth the soul doth not he know it what followes and shall not he render to every man according to his works Solomon speaks in that place
that God is not sayd to forme man of the water or ayre or fire but of the dust of the ground Gen 2.7 though all those as well as earth were ingredients in the composition and formation of mans body As man with respect to his spiritualls and moralls is denominated from that which is chief in him so with respect to his naturalls Every man hath the seeds and principles of all sin in him yet many men are knowne and expressed by some speciall sin Thus one is called a covetous man another a malicious man c. because covetousnesse and malice are their predominant sins in practice though the principles of all other sins are in them So for grace one is sayd to be a patient man and another an humble man and a third a self-denying man Though where any grace is all graces are yet a godly man is knowne by that grace which acts most eminently and vigorously in him In this notion man is sayd to be of the dust and to returne to dust as if he were nothing but dust because dust is the predominant Element in the naturall constitution of man And if so then this is an humbling consideration Some walke as if they thought the ground or earth not good enough for them to goe upon Moses setting forth the dreadfullness of famine as a punishment threatned the Jewish nation in case of disobedience tells us it shall fall on all sorts both of men and women Deut 28.56 The tender and delicate woman among you which would not adventure to set the sole of her foot upon the ground for delicateness and tenderness c. Some are loth to put their feet to the ground whereas the best foote that ever trod upon the ground is dust as wel as the ground trodden on and 't is but dust to dust when they are in the dust and dirt to dirt if they fall into the dirt The Apostle among other reasons for this also calleth the body of man a vile body Phil 3.21 Who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body Our bodies are vile chiefly from the contagion of sin that hath made them most vile But they are comparatively vile with respect to the very matter out of which they were all representatively made when the first man was made without the least taint or touch of sin Man at best as to the body is but a little breathing dust or moving clay And did we spiritually look upon the matter of our bodyes it would exceedingly humble our spirits and keep them low even when like Jordan they are ready to over-flow all the banks of modesty and moderation We heare of a bird who priding himselfe in spreading and perusing his fine feathers is presently as it were ashamed by looking down upon his owne black feete Surely did man often consider that his whole body is of the earth it would be an excellent meanes to keepe his heart in a lowly frame how highly soever himselfe is exalted in the earth And as man while he lives is from the dust so when he dyeth that 's another humbling consideration his body not only returneth unto dust but turneth into dust David as the figure of Christ cryed out Psal 22.15 Thou hast brought me into the dust of death Dust and death are neere acquaintance and all that dy grow quickly into neerer acquaintance with the dust It is sayd Psal 103.14 The Lord knoweth our frame he remembreth that we are but dust But what advantage is that to us that the Lord knoweth the one and remembreth the other I may answer as the Apostle doth to another question Rom 3.2 much every way chiefly because he will pitty us and spare us and deale tenderly with us as considering how frayle we are Now as it may be our comfort that God remembreth we are but dust so 't is our duty to remember that we are but dust and that we must to the dust Shall God remember that we are dust and shall not we remember it our selves Did we more remember that we are dust we should more prepare for our return to the dust Yea I may say we should be more in heaven if we were more in our dust that is the gracious and serious meditation of our naturall vilenes and infirmities would provoke us to looke heaven-wards and prepare for heaven where these our naturall bodyes shall become spirituall 1 Cor 15.44 that is they shall be like spirits though not turned into spirits living without food or sleep living free from weariness and sickness from paines and languishments yea free from the remotest feare of ever dying or returning againe into dust Such as these and many more would be our soules advantages did we often as becomes us remember that our bodyes are of the earth and must shortly be earth againe Thus to be earthly minded is the way to be heavenly minded Many are earthly minded that is they mind earthly things but few mind that themselves are earth In what holy heights and elevations of spirit should we be if we could spiritually remember how low we once were and how low as to our bodyes we within a few dayes shall be Lastly This truth should take us off from all creature-confidence from trusting in man Cursed is the man saith the Lord Jer 17.5 that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme 'T is a cursed thing for man to trust in man becausâ— trust is an honour proper to God he alone is to be trusted And as it is a cursed so it is also a foolish thing to trust in man David a Great Prince giveth us this counsel from God Psal 146.3 4. Put not your trust in Princes nor in the son of man in whom there is no help his breath goeth forth he returneth to his earth or to his dust in that day all his thoughts perish happy is the man that hath the God of Jacob for his help What can dust do for dust what can dust get by dust that which is weake may become strong by trusting to or leaning upon that which is strong the weakest man is strong enough while he trusteth upon the strong God but if weake trust upon weake how shall it be made strong Therefore let all flesh hearken to the words of the holy Prophet Isa 2.21 Cease ye from man whose breath is in his nostrills for wherein is he to be accounted of Man himselfe is a soone-ceasing creature David useth the noune of this verbe to expresse himselfe so Psal 39.4 and therefore we have reason to cease from man to cease from any high estimation of the highest men much more from any confidence in them What can we assure our selves of from any man living seeing he hath no assurance of his owne life The Prophet would have us understand that while he saith his breath is in his nostrills Mans life is gone as soone as his breath is gone and how soone may that be
hide themselves from God yet they come to this that God hideth himself as not regarding what they do from them Hence David affirms of the wicked man Psal 10.11 He hath said in his heart God hath forgotten he hideth his face he will never see it Many say in their hearts God seeth them not while with their tongues they confess he is an all-seeing God The heart hath a tongue in it as well as the head and these two tongues seldome speak the same language While the head-tongue saith we cannot hide our selves from the sight of God the heart-tongue of wicked men will say God will hide himself from us he will not see But if their heart speak not thus then as the Prophet saith Isa 29.15 They dig deep to hide their counsels from God surely they have a hope to hide their counsels else they would not dig deep to hide them Their digging is not proper but tropical as men dig deep to hide what they would not have seen in the earth so they by heir wits plots and devices do their best to hide their counsels from God and they say who seeth who knoweth We surely are not seen either by God or man Now 't is very natural for sinners to endeavour the hiding of themselves from God upon a two-fold account First To avoid shame All sinners are not altogether deboist all have not altogether baffled their own consciences they have a kinde of modesty they would not be seen sinning it troubles them not to do evil but a fear to be detected in doing it is their trouble Secondly Sinners hide themselves for fear so Adam did he wa◠afraid as well as ashamed I was afraid said he because I was naked and I hid my self Gen. 3.10 The Prophet tells us of such Isa 2.21 They shall go into the clefts of the rock and into the tops of the ragged rocks for fear of the Lord and for the glory of his Majesty when he shall arise to shake terribly the earth We finde all sorts call to the hills to hide them for fear of him that sate on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb Rev. 6.15 16. Secondly Observe How much soever sinners attempt yet they cannot hide themselves from God Let them study never so long and dig never so deep they cannot be hid Where can a sinner be hid from him who is every where Or what thing can be our covering from him in whose sight all things are open Then let none think they have made a good market in sinning when they have hid their sins from the eyes of men what will it avail to hide your selves from men when you lie open and manifest to the eye of God read Psal 139.12 Amos 3.2 The Apostle saith 1 Tim. 5.24 25. some mens sins are open before hand going before to judgment that is other men quickly see what they are can judge what they have done and some men they follow after though they were hidden at the first yet they are afterward discovered unto men often as alwayes unto God As they are not hid from God now so he will bring them forth at last in the sight of men that the Apostle adds in the next verse Likewise also the good works of some are manifest before hand and they that are otherwise cannot be hid The word otherwise may have a two-fold reference First to the word manifest As if he had said though the good works of a man be not presently manifest yet they cannot be long hid they shall be opened and revealed Secondly The word otherwise may refer to good works and so it reaches the point fully that is those works which are not good or otherwise then good cannot be hid though men labour much to hide them Sinners leave off your hiding leave off your hiding for you shall not be hid There is no way for sinners to hide themselves from God they may hide themselves in God in the love in the favour and mercy of God Thus sinners may hide themselves in God but from God they cannot be hid Christ is a hiding place unto his people and he is so in a double respect First from trouble or in time of trouble thus David spake Psal 32.7 Thou art my hiding place The name of the Lord is a strong Tower saith Solomon Prov. 18.10 the righteous runneth into it for shelter in time of trouble and is safe The Prophet is express in this Isa 32.2 A man that is Christ shall be for a hiding place from the winde a covert from the Tempest Christ is truly so as to the outward troubles and storms which men raise against his people in the things of this life he is so especially as to those internal troubles and storms which Satan or our owne unbelieving hearts raise against us about the things and concernments of the next life That man who is also God who is God-man is the hiding place of humbled sinners against the assault of all evils whether temporal or spiritual Secondly As Christ is a hiding place from those troubles which men bring us unto for righteousness sake or which Satan and our own hearts bring us into by raising questions about our interest in the righteousness of Christ So he is a hiding place for us against our own unrighteousness Sinners or unrighteous persons cannot hide themselves from Christ And as Christ is the best hiding place from bodily dangers so he is the only hiding place from soul-danger Any sinner may hide himself in Christ as to the guilt of sin whose eyes are opened to see and acknowledge his sin Or more distinctly sinners under a fourfold consideration may hide themselves in Christ First if humbled sinners Secondly if confessing sinners Thirdly if reforming sinners Fourthly believing sinners Christ is a hiding place to all such sinners Cum videri nos non credimus in sole clausos oculos tenemus Illum à nos abscondimus non nos illi Greg. l 25. c. 6. And seeing no sinner can hide himself from the wrath of God by any means of his own devising or contriving Let all sinners give over such vain contrivements and learn that Gospel wisdome to hide themselves in Christ from that wrath which is to come When we labour to hide our selves any other way we lose our labour and do not hide our selves from God but God from our selves that is we hide the favour and mercy of God from our selves Lastly Observe Men are not easily perswaded that they cannot hide themselves from the sight of God That hath much hold of us which we are often warned to avoid This is not the only place of the whole Scripture no nor of this particular book where this truth is held forth There are many and many Scriptures wherein this common truth is pressed upon us And doth not this if not strongly infer yet intimate at least that man doth not easily believe it Yea Is it not an argument
men at once to rule over them and entangle them with the snares of those sufferings which are most proper to their sins And thus 't is conceived Elihu answers those expostulating demands which Job puts chap. 21.7 Wherefore do the wicked live become old yea are mighty in power Here are three questions First Why do they live they are not worthy to breathe Secondly Why become they old they deserve to be cut off in their youth and not to live out half their dayes Thirdly Why are they mighty Why do they command all who use their might only to do mischief Elihu answers these questions in a word God giveth power into the hands of evil men because of the sins of the people As if he had said if at any time you see the wicked in great power and prosperity 't is a signe the people are very wicked and God will punish and scourge them by the hands of such for their wickedness This is a truth and much is said by some Interpreters for the making of it out from the Text but taking it as 't is given I shall only give you two Notes from it First Bad Princes are set up by the permission yea disposition of God He makes evil men to reigne The same power which brings wicked men into the world sets wicked men high in the woâ—ld It is of God that any wicked man hath a place in the wo ld and it is of God that any wicked man gets into the high places of the world All the Kings of Israel from first to last were stark naught Cujus jussu homines nascuntur hujus jussu reges constituuntur apti his qui in illo tempore ab ipsis regnantur Irene l. 5. c. 24. and very wicked yet they were all of God's setting up though their own ambition or the satisfying of some lust put most of them upon aspiring to get up In the first book of the Kings chap. 11.29 30 31. Ahijah the Prophet finding Jeroboam the first and worst of them in the way caught the new Garment that was on him and rent it into twelve pieces and he said unto Jeroboam take thee ten pâ—eces for thus saith the Lord the God of Israel behold I will rend the Kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and will give ten Tribes to thee This Jeroboam was so bad a man that he was not content to sin alone but made Israel to sin yet even him did God set up and sent a Prophet to him to tell him so How unholy soever men are in their place and how unjust soever in the exercise of their power yet the holy and just God for reasons known to himself placeth them in power Secondly Observe God permits wicked Princes to reigne as a punishment of the reigning sins and wickednesses of the people The power of wicked Princes is the punishment of a wicked people Quidam reges ad utilitatem subjectorum dantur conservationem justitiae quidam autem ad poenam Dei justo judicio in omnibus aequaliter superveniente Irene l. 5. c. 25. Some Princes and Magistrates are given as a blessing for the protection peace and profit of a Nation and for the exaltation of righteousness in it Others are given as a curse for the vexation trouble and impoverishing of a Nation The Lord takes this fully upon himself Hos 13.11 I gave them a King in mine anger c. Angry providences are the fruit of sin God gave Saul in anger he gave Jeroboam and the rest of the Israelitish Kings in anger and as he gave them in anger so he took them away in wrath The sins both of Princes and people produce mutual ill effects towards one another First The sins of the people are the cause somtimes why good Princes are immaturely or suddenly taken away from them Josiah that good King was removed very early for the sin of Judah Pharaoh Necho had never slain him had not the people been unworthy of him Hence that of Solomon Prov. 28.2 for the transgression of a land many are the Princes thereof He means not as I conceive many together but many successively that is good Princes go quickly off the stage one after another for the transgression of the people of the land But as it followeth in the same verse by a man of understanding knowledg the state thereof shal be prolonged Our Translaters render these latter words in the plural number as the margin hath it by men of understanding wisdom shall they likewise be prolonged that is when there are many godly wise and understanding men in a Nation God blesseth them with long-lived and aged good Kings or Governours Secondly Whole Nations or a people are somtimes punished for the sins of their Princes Jer. 15.4 the Lord tells the Jewish state he would bring all that evil upon them for the sin of Manasseh Regum lapsus poena populoruÌ„ est sicut enim eorum virtate servamur ita eorum errore periclitamur Quid enim possit habere corpus reipublicae capite languido The sins of Princes prove oftentimes the sufferings of the people As both by and for their goodness and vertues a people are blessed so by and for their evills errors and vices a people are endangered yea sometimes ruined When the Head of a Kingdome or Common-wealth is sicke the Body is seldome well Thirdly The sins of a people bring destruction both upon their Princes and themselves together and wrap all up in one ruinous heape as Samuel threatned the people of Israel 1 Sam 12.25 If ye still doe wickedly ye shall be destroyed both you and your King He speakes not a word of any sin in their King but tells them that their wickednesse may bring destruction not only upon themselves but upon him also Fourthly which is the poynt in hand the sins of a people cause the Lord to set evill Princes over them When once a people refuse the sweet and easie yoke of Christ or say we will not have this man to rule over us he in Judgement sends such to rule over them as shall lay heavy yokes upon them indeed God useth some Princes as his staff to support a people and as his shield to defend a people yea as his Sun to cherish and influence them with aboundance of mercies He useth others only as his sword to wound them or as his scourge to correct them for their sin Vterum fert civitas haec timeo autem ne pariat virum CorrectoreÌ„ malae insolentiae vestrae Theogn Cur Domino Phocam imperatorem constituisti responsum datum quiâ— non inveni pejorem Cur superbis non es creatus Episcopus quod dignus sacerdetio sis sed quod civitas tali digna erat Episcopo Anast Deus quibusdaÌ„ malis tanquam carnificibus usus est ad sumendum de aliis paenas quod verum esse de plerisque tyrannis arbitror Tale medicamentum fuit Argentinu Phalaru
readings I will not offend or I will not corrupt meet in the same sence for to corrupt our wayes is to offend and to offend is to corrupt our wayes to do any evil is to corrupt our selves or others So then Non tantum in Piel sed in Kall videtur usurpari pro corrumpere Zech. 11.7.14 Job 34 31. De Dieu in loc the meaning plainly is this I will corrupt my way no more the man in affliction must say to God in a deep sence of and sorrow for his former sins offences and corruptions I will offend I will corrupt no more Now comparing the former counsel with this Observe First Chastisement is for amendment The evil of affliction is brought upon us that we may take heed of and turn from the evil of sin that 's intimated by the connexion therefore to go on offending while God is chastening is to add rebellion to our sin It was the brand of Ahaz 2 Chron. 28.22 in the time of his distress he trespassed yet more against the Lord whereas being in distress he should have said to the Lord I will trespass no more Note secondly When God chastens us we should promise amendment We should tel God we will him offend no more we wil grieve him no more we will provoke him no more we will dishonour him no more the least sin once committed is too much therefore we should engage to sin no more But it may be question'd can any man make such a pâ—omise or take such an engagement upon himself when under chastisement that he will offend no more Is that degree of perfection attainable in this life to offend no more How then is this meet to be said unto God I will offend no more Must we promise things that we cannot perform Is there any man chastened that offends not again saith not the Apostle James in many things we offend all Is it then meet to say this unto God I will offend no more Is it not sinful to make a promise not to sin I answer First by way of concession No man may promise what ever his chastisements are that he never will sin at all any more no man can make any such promise neither is that the meaning here but he that is under the chastening hand of God may and must promise that he will not commit such or such a sin any more especially not such a sin as he most suspects to have brought the chastisement upon his back we may make promises against particular sins though we cannot promise we will never sin Secondly We may promise when we are under the chastening hand of God that we will offend no more in such a manner as we have offended formerly so foolishly so vainly so negligently we may and must promise to be more watchful that we sin not the same sin again either for matter or manner Thirdly When chastened we may say unto God absolutely we will offend no more with respect to the purpose of our souls that is we must lay aside all purposes of committing any sin yea we may we must tell the Lord 't is the desire and purpose of our souls 't is our ayme and shall be our endeavour to offend no more The ayme of every true believer is not to sin though in this world it be not the attainment of any 1 John 2.1 My little children these things write I unto you that ye sin not As if the Apostle had said I would fain wynde up your hearts to such a pitch that you may not sin at all But if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father I know you cannot but sin yet let it be your care not to sin and your prayer to offend no more And how should we bless the Lord if we could live without sin and be for ever rid of it we should wish a thousand times more to be quit of sin then affliction thus we must say unto God we will offend no more Fourthly though we cannot promise or take up such a resolution absolutely nor in our own strength yet we may and ought in the strength of Christ or to the utmost of that strength and grace which he gives out and bestoweth upon us I shall have occasion to speak further to this poinâ— from those words of the 32d or next verse which are of neer alliance both as to matter and form with these here If I have done iniquity I will do no more Only before I pass from this rendering of the Text in hand take two Notes more In that Elihu telleth the penitent person he ought to say unto God I will not offend any more Note First A truly humbled and repenting soul is as careful to avoid the act of sin for the time to come as to be freed from the guilt of sin past This holy care is a sure argument of a good conscience A wicked wretch may be desirous to have former offences pardoned but he hath not any unfeigned purpose not to offend any more and usually he hath no sooner cast up his sin by a seeming penitent confession but he returns with the dog to his vomit by a fresh commission of his sin Sorrow for sin yeilds no comfort if not accompanied with a care not to sin Christ was not so rigid to the woman taken in Adultery as her accusers were yet he saith to her John 8.11 Go and sin no more as if he had said thy case will be sad though now thou hast escaped or got rid of thy accusers it thou tradest on in this wicked way And when David prayed for purging the sin past he also prayed for establishing by the free Spirit of God against such-like temptations in time to come Psal 51. as if he had said Lord I do not ask pardon that I might take liberty to offend again but I desire thy confirming and preventing grace that I may offend no more Secondly From the extensiveness of this engagement to which Elihu directs the penitent person I will not offend any more neither in one kinde nor other Note He that is truly humbled for any one sin will to his utmost avoid every sin He saith I will not offend any more He that loves God cannot live in the doing of any one thing which God hates but as he expects good out of all the promises so he hath respect to all the commandments whosoever hath so would not offend in any thing any more Further as this latter clause is translated I will corrupt no more Note First Sin is a corruption We shall do well to look upon sin in all its notions to make it loathsom to us this is one notion of it sin corrupts every thing and person it hath to do with First Sin is the corruption of our nature the whole mass of mankinde and the whole of every man is leavened by it Secondly Sin is the corruption of our conversation and of our way Gen. 6.11 12. God
heaven to bear But pardon easeth the soul of that burden or 't is the unburdening of the soul Hence also pardon is called the removing of sin Psal 103.12 Thou removest our sins from us as far as the East is from the West Pardon removes sin even to the utmost distance such is that of the East from the West Pardon is called in another Scripture the casting of sin behinde Gods back Isa 38.17 Thou hast cast all my sins behinde thy back Ye when God by pardon takes sin from off our backs he doth not only cast it behinde his owne back but he layeth it upon the back of his Son Sin must lye somwhere till it is satisfied for therefore pardon takes sin off from us and layeth it upon Christ Isa 53. 6. He hath laid on him the iniquities of us all While sin is unpardoned we bear it and that it might be pardoned Christ hath born it 1 Pet. 2.24 He bare our sins in his body on the tree Pardoned sin is taken off from the sinner and laid upon Christ and he can do well enough with it he can bear it and discharge it fully none else can Indeed heaps of sin lye on the souls of some sinners and they feel them no more then a fly what 's the reason of it Because they are dead in their sins and nothing is a burden to a dead man throw a thousand Milstones upon him he feels none of them but a soul that is awakened that hath but so much life put into it as to feel a conviction of sin O how is that soul prest and burden'd with the weight of sin Yet till pardon take sin off from the soul there it must lye there it must abide therefore Christ saith John 9.41 Because ye say ye see your sin remains What 's that You are unpardoned your sin is upon you still you think your selves very wise and understanding you think you can do well enough without me therefore your sin remaineth that is it stands in full power and force against you Fifthly Here are no conditions God saith not I pardon upon such and such terms but I pardon Hence Note God pardons freely he doth not clog pardon with hard terms 'T is the glory of God that he pardons freely The pardon of sin may be considered First In the Decree of God from everlasting Secondly In the Execution of his Decree which is when any are effectually called and converted Thirdly As to the manifestation and Declaration of it to the person pardoned A poor sinner may be unpardoned in his own sence or in the Court of Conscience when he is pardoned in the Court of Heaven Now as pardon is free in the Decree of it so in the Execution of it as also in the Declaration of it to the soul for though somthing yea much must be done in the soul before pardon is declared yet nothing is deserved all is of free grace God doth not manifest pardon till man repents and believes yet he doth not pardon him because he repents and believes It may be objected Surely there is somthing in us which moves God to pardon for saith not Christ of Mary Luke 7.47 Many sins are forgiven her for she loved much Hence Papists argue that pardon of sin is from somthing in us she repented much believed much loved much therefore much was forgiven her I answer That Scripture declares her great love to be the effect of great pardoning mercy not the cause of it Christ saith to Peter much is forgiven her this woman was a noted sinner and it appears plainly that much hath been forgiven her for she loved much That her many sins are forgiven her this is the testimony she loved much The love of God to us not our love to him is the reason and original of pardon Isa 43.25 I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my own sake God pardoneth sin for his own sake and for Christs sake not for ours In one Scripture God saith Exod. 34.6 7. I will by no means clear the guilty In another John 6.37 Christ saith He that comes to me I will in no wise cast out Till the sinner cometh to Christ his sins are upon his own account that is he stands guilty and God saith I will by no means clear the guilty no man shall ever be clear'd of the punishment due to his sin while the guilt of his sin is untaken off by the blood of Jesus Christ but besides respect to the blood of Christ which is the ransome paid for us God respects nothing out of himself as the reason why he pardoneth us I forgive I will not destroy Our Translation reads it I will not offend The word signifies first to offend or sin it signifies also to destroy and because destruction is a fruit or effect of sin one word may well serve for both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so we render it Micah 2.10 This is not your rest because it is polluted it shall destroy you even with a sore destruction Canaan was the resting place of God himself Psal 132.14 and it was the resting place of the Jewes after their travel through the wilderness Jer. 31.2 but when once they had polluted the land by sin the land gave them no rest but destroyed them that is they were destroyed out of the land Here God declaring himself gracious in pardoning penitent sinners promiseth rest to them and freedome from destruction I forgive I will not destroy Hence observe first God is able to destroy Thus God reported himself by Moses Deut. 32.39 See now that I even I am he and there is no God with me I kill and I make alive I wound and I heal neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand God doth not say I cannot but I will not destroy James 4.12 There is one Law-giver who is able to save and to destroy There is but one supream Law-giver and that 's God and this one Law-giver is able to save and to destroy There are many Law-givers that are neither able to save nor to destroy or if they be able to destroy they are not able to save Men in authority or worldly Powers have not power alwayes to act their authority but there is one Law-giver that 's able to save and to destroy he can save those that obey his Lawes and destroy all those that transgress them he is too strong for the strongest sinner there is no making peace with him by opposing or overcoming his strength but by taking hold of his strength that is by submitting to it Isa 27.5 Secondly Note To forgive sin or to shew mercy to sinners is an act to which God declares himself more enclin'd or better pleased with then to destroy sinners Every one that sinneth deserves to be destroyed yet saith the Lord I pardon I will not destroy I could destroy and any one sin committed by any man would justifie me against all the world in his
destruction Every mouth must be stopped and all the world become guilty before God upon that account Rom. 3.19 yet God doth not destroy And that he hath no content in destroying he bindes it with an Oath Ezek. 33.11 As I live saith the Lord I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked c. as if he had said I am not bent upon your destruction I had rather be taken off and save you I pardon I will not destroy If any shall say Hath God no pleasure in destruction Hath he not a will to destroy as well as to save I answer God hath pleasure in destroying but it is in the destruction of those who obstinately resist his Will who refuse both his counsel and his Covenant to such indeed he saith Prov. 1.26 I will laugh at your calamity and mock when your fear that is the thing you feared cometh as desolation c. That the men in whose calamity God laugheth are such is evident by the character given of them at the 25th verse Ye have set at nought all my counsel and would none of my reproof As if God had said you have laughed at my counsel therefore I will laugh at your calamity The Lord will declare himself delighted in their destruction who have despised instruction and he will glorifie himself in the actings of his Justice upon them who have slighted and put by the tenders and entreaties of his mercy Yet still God declareth himself more pleased in acting and putting forth his saving power then his destroying power The Prophet Hos 11.8 9. most pathetically represents as it were a debate in the breast of God himself between his Justice and his Mercy How shall I give thee up Ephraim How shall I deliver thee Israel How shall I make thee as Admah How shall I set thee as Zeboim Mine heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled together v. 9. I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger I will not return to destroy Ephraim We see after the debate the Lord determines for sparing not for destroying So then though he can and will not only destroy but laugh at the destruction of obstinate sinners yet he loves to spare rather then to destroy Thirdly From the connexion of these two pardoning and sparing mercy God saith first I pardon and then secondly I will not destroy who are they whom God will not destroy they are are such as he pardons Hence Note Pardoned persons shall never be destroyed As soon as Nathan had said to David the Lord hath put away thy sin the very next word is this thou shalt not dye 2 Sam. 12.13 if Davids sin had not been pardoned Daved must have dyed for it 'T is a Logical Maxime When the Cause is taken away Sublata causa collitur effectus the Effect is taken away Sin is the cause of destruction therefore when God takes away sin which is the cause destruction the effect must needs be taken away too pardon destroyeth sin therefore how can they that are pardoned be destroyed Pardon swallows up sin As the Apostle speaks of life 2 Cor. 5.4 That mortality might be swallowed up of life Here mortality swallows up our lives by degrees but hereafter mortality shall be swallowed up at once of life Now as life shall then swallow up mortality so pardon at present swalloweth up sin for as in our glorified state there shall never any thing of mortality appear so in a pardon'd estate nothing of sin shall appear as to hurt us Sin pardoned cannot be found Jer. 50.20 In those dayes and in that time saith the Lord the iniquity of Jacob shall be sought for and there shall be none and the sins of Judah and they shall not be found why not The Lord answers for I will pardon them whom I reserve And if their sins shall not be found surely they shall not be found guilty and therefore not destroyed God may chasten them whom he hath pardoned but he will not destroy those whom he hath pardon'd pardoned persons may smart and smart greatly for sin but they shall not dye eternally for it they shall not be destroyed for it David was pardoned yet God told him the sword shall never depart from thy house and the Lord told him particularly of a sore destruction upon a part of his house presently because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of God to blaspheme thou being a Professor hast opened the mouths of the wicked against profession therefore though thou shalt not dye yet the childe also that is born unto thee shall surely dye There are two things which the pardon of sin takes away First the power or reigne of sin where-ever sin is pardoned the strength of it is subdued God doth not pardon sin as Princes do they may pardon an evil doer and yet he still remain as evil and as ready to do evil as ever they may pardon a thief and yet he continue to be a thief still but if God pardons a drunkard an adulterer or a thief he doth not remain a drunkard or an adulterer or a thief still God takes away the power of that sin which he pardoneth Secondly The pardon of sin takes away the punishment of sin it may leave some chastisement but it wholly takes away the punishment The Popish doctrine saith the fault is taken away by pardon but there is a commutation of the punishment eternal punishment is changed into temporal either in this life or that to come hence their doctrines of Purgatory and of Prayer for the dead c. all which stuffe comes in upon this account They cast all men into three sorts some are Apostles and Martyrs men very eminently godly and they go immediately to heaven there are another sort and these are Apostates from or persecuters of the faith notorious sinners these go immediately to hell there are a third or middle sort of ordinary sinners and they go immediately after death neither to heaven nor hell but to Purgatory where they must bear the punishment of their sins till they can be prayed out Christ hath only got so much favour for them say they to change their eternal punishment into a temporal The grace of the Gospel knows nothing of this Doctrine that tells us when sin is pardoned all is pardoned both guilt and punishment both temporal and eternal nothing remains but only chastisement how sorely soever a believer suffers in this life yet strictly taken it is but a chastisement and there remaineth nothing for him to suffer in the life which is to come And if so then Pardon of sin is a precious mercy 'T is so First Because it proceeds from the precious mercies of God Secondly Because it comes thorow the precious blood of Christ Col. 1.14 Thirdly Because it opens a door to all precious mercies as sin unpardoned with-holds all good things from us Jer. 5.25 so sin pardoned opens the door for all mercy
no sin but now ye say we see therefore your sin remaineth that is your sin remaineth upon you in the power and guilt of it In that sense also Christ useth the word Math 13.14 Hearing ye shall hear and not understand and seeing ye shall see and not perceive ye shall have only such a knowledge of God and of the things of God of his word of his works as will be of no other use to you then to leave you without excuse Seeing ye shall see but not perceive ye shall have a fruitless and an unprofitable sight That which I see not or have no understanding of teach thou me is the prayer of the humble soule But what were those things which he feared or supposed he did not see Those unseene things might be of three sorts First Those sins which he did not see and those in a double notion either corruptions dwelling in him or evills acted by him What corruptions or what transgressions I see not acquaint me with anoynt mine eyes that I may see them Secondly Those favours and mercies which he did not see we have many mercies which are not knowne to us or of which we take little yea no notice at all those good turns which I have received and have not been thankfull or have not improved and made sutable returns for them shew thou me Thirdly Among the things not seene we may number the purposes aimes and ends of God in laying those chastisements upon him As if he had sayd If I have not yet apprehended what thou drivest at in my affliction shew it me I beg and heartily desire a discovery of it And if I have acted unduely with respect to thy aimes in chastising me I will doe so no more The acts of God are plaine but his aymes lie close and are not perceived but by an enlightned yea and a very attentive eye That which I see not c. Hence observe First The choycest servants of God may be much in the darke about and short in the knowledge of many things which it much concerns them to know Though every believer hath an eye and an eye open to see the things of God the things which concern his peace yet the clearest-sighted among believers know but in part 1 Cor. 13.9 We all know but we do not know all Those words of the Apostle may have a twosold understanding First we know but a little of any thing that which we know we have but a part of it in our knowledge in this life we know nothing throughly nothing to the bottome no not common principles David saith Psal 119.96 I have seen an end of all perfection but thy commandement is exceeding broad There is such a perfection in thy commandement that I cannot see nor can any man come to the out-side of it in this world And as the holiness of God in the Law is exceeding broad so there is a hight a depth a length and a breadth in the love of God revealed in the Gospel which exceedeth all our knowledge Eph 3.19 That ye may know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge c. We know but a part of that love of God the fruits and effects whereof are all our portion We are not able to comprehend though we labour to comprehend the breadth and length and depth and height of it Our measure of loving God is to love him out of measure but 't is a very small measure of the love of God to us which we can know Thus we know but little of that we know Secondly We know in part that is there are many things which we know not at all we have no knowledge of some things which may be fully knowne Though we know many of our sins and corruptions yet we have sins and corruptions which we know not of Psal 19.12 Who can understand his errors Who can understand the errors of his understanding who can understand the errors of his will who can understand the errors of his affections who can understand the errors of his actions who can understand them all yet they are all understandable There are many errors in all these which we know not to be errors therefore we have need every one of us to pray as David there did Clense thou me from my secret faults From secret faults in my understanding from secret faults in my will and affections in my practice and conversation The secret faults which he asked pardon for were not those faults which he had committed in secret or which other men know not of but those faults which were secrets to himselfe or which himselfe knew not of Further we know not our faults First either in reference to the doing of evill or sins of commission nor Secondly in reference to the not doing of good or sins of omission nor Thirdly doe we know our faults in reference to the manner of doing that which is good Though we doe not quite omit a duty yet we faile many times in the doing of it We doe little of the good which we ought and little of the good which we doe is done as it ought We have secret sins not only of commission in doing that which is evill and of omission in not doing that which is good but also in doing good There are many flaws and errors in our doing of that which is good which though we perceive not yet the pure eyes of God perceive So then as we see not all our errors in omitting duties so we see not all our errors in performing duties to see them requireth a spirituall sight indeed Many can see when they omit a duty altogether and charge themselves with a fault for it but our faults in performance of duty in prayer in hearing none take notice of them but they who have a spiritual eye nor do they alwayes take notice of all of them nor fully of any of them at any time We are much in the dark about these errors which accompany our holy duties The iniquities of our holy things are many and they lie very close We may quickly and easily fall into them but we cannot easily discerne them For First though we performe an act of worship of Church-worship of instituted worship right for the substance yet we may miss and erre in severall circumstances and not come up exactly to the outward performance of it Secondly much more may we run into errors and faults in the performance of duty as to the internall part of it or that frame of heart with which a duty is to be performed We seldome I may safely say we never come up to that zeale to that self-abasement to that faith to that love and delight which should be in us when we approach to and appeare before God in the duties of his holy worship whether publick or private The best of Saints come farre short of knowing all the evill and faylings of their evill and deceitfull hearts while they are engaged about
and messengers of his word with his Spirit he will impower them from on high and so we shall learn his Statutes and understand his wayes David ascribes even his skill in Military affairs to Gods teaching Psal 144.1 Blessed be the Lord my strength who teacheth my hand◠to war and my fingers to fight God only teacheth a man powerfully to be a good Souldier Surely then it is God only who teacheth us to be good Christians to be Believers to be holy He hath his seat in heaven who teacheth hearts on earth Secondly As these words hold out to us the temper of an humble sinner Note A gracious humble soul is teachable or is willing to be taught As it is the duty of the Ministers of the Gospel to be apt to teach that 's their special gift or characteristical property so 't is the peoples duty and grace to be apt to be taught to be willing to be led and instructed naturally we are unteachable and untractable As we know nothing of God savingly by nature so we are not willing to know we would sit down in our ignorance or at most in a form of knowledge To be willing to learn is the first or rather the second step to learning The first is a sight of our ignorance and the second a readiness to be taught and entertain the means of knowledge Thirdly The words being the form of a Prayer Note It is our duty to entreat the Lord earnestly that he would teach us what we know not It is a great favour and a mercy that God will teach us that he will be our master our Tutor Now as we are to ask and pray for every mercy so for this that God would vouchsafe to be our Teacher Psal 25.4 5. Shew me thy wayes O Lord teach me thy paths Lead me in thy truth and teach me David spake it twice in prayer Lead me and Teach me Lead me on in the truth which I know and teach me the truths which I know not So he prayeth again Psal 119.26 Teach me thy Statutes make me to understand the way of thy precepts David was convinced that he could not understand the Statutes of God unless God would be his Teacher though he could read the Statutes of God and understand the language of them yet he did not understand the Spirit of them till he was taught and taught of God and therefore he prayed so earnestly once and again for his teaching When Philip put that question to the Eunuch Acts 8.30 Vnderstandest thou what thou readest He said how can I except some man should guide me Or unless I am taught Though we read the Statutes of God and read them every day yet we shall know little unless the Lord teach us Solomon made it his request for all Israel at the solemn Dedication of the Temple 1 Kings 8.37 Teach them the good way wherein they should walk God who is our Commander is also our Counseller Fourthly From the special matter wherein this penitent person would be taught which is plain from part of the latter verse If I have done iniquity Note A gracious heart is willing to know and see the worst of himself He would have God teach him what iniquity he hath done David was often upon that prayer Psal 139.24 Search me O God and know my heart and see if there be any wicked way in me Lord shew me my sin as I would not conceal my sin from thee so I would not have my sin concealed from my self A carnal man who lives in sin though possibly he may pray for knowledge in some things and would be a knowing man yet he hath no minde that either God or man should shew him his sin He loves not to see the worst of himself his dark part he as little loves to see his sin as to have it seen But a godly man never thinks he seeth his sin enough how little soever he sins he thinks he sins too much that 's the general bent of a gracious mans heart and how much soever he sees his sin he thinks he sees it too little And therefore as he tells God what he knows of his sin so he would have God tell him that of his sin which he doth not know That which I know not teach thou me If I have done iniquity I will do no more There are two special parts of repentance First Confession of sin whether known or unknown This we have in the former part of the verse That which I see not teach thou me There is the confession of sin even of unknown sin The second part of repentance is reformation or amendment a turning from sin a forsaking of that iniquity which we desire God would shew us we have this second part of repentance in this latter part of the verse If I have done iniquity I will do no more But why doth he say If I have c. Had he any any doubt whether he had done iniquity or no every man must confess down right that he hath sinned and done iniquity without ifs or an's Solomon having made such a supposition in his prayer at the Dedication of the Temple 1 Kings 8.46 If they sin against thee presently puts it into this position for there is no man that sinneth not The Apostle concludes 1 John 1.8 If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us Therefore this If I have done iniquity is not to be understood as if this or that man as if he or any man might be without sin but when the penitent is brought in saying If I have done iniquity h◠meaning is First What ever iniquity I have done I am willing to leave it to abandon it I will do so no more Secondly Thus If I have done iniquity that is if I have done any great iniquity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Perverse agere if I have acted perverseness or perversly as the word signifieth I will do so no more to do iniquity is more then barely to sin As if he had said though I cannot promise that I will sin no more yet Lord if thou dost discover to me any iniquity any gross sin or perversenesse I will do that no more I will engage my self against that sin with all my might and to the utmost of my power by grace received I will keep my self pure from every sin If I have done iniquity Hence Note First A godly man hath a gracious suspition of himself that he hath done evil yea some great evil that he hath done amiss yea greatly amiss though he be not able to charge himself with this or that particular iniquity He knoweth he hath sinned done evil though he knoweth not every evil he hath done nor how sinfully he may have sinned he doubts it may be worse with him then he seeth Possibly he hath done iniquity Job in reference to his children chap. 1.5 had an holy suspition that in their feasting
they might sin against God he knew no sin they had run into nor could charge them with any excess but he was jealous they had sinned nor did Job speak thus as if his meaning were that possibly in their feasting some corruption might work in them he knew there is no man in the best duties of his life wholly freed from the workings of sin but he had this jealousie that they might have fallen into some great sin and so provoked God greatly against them therefore he did as it were way-lay such guilt and early sought reconciliation with God As Job was thus jealous of his children so a gracious heart though he cannot charge himselfe with this or that evill yet he is apt to suspect his owne heart and feares it may be worse with him then possibly it is Secondly When he saith If I have done iniquity This humble man though he doth suppose that he might have done iniquity yet he doth but suppose it Hence note A godly man may live free from the doing of any grosse sin He doth not put an if upon it whether he had sinned or no but whether he had done iniquity Zachariah and Elizabeth were not without sin but they did no iniquity for saith the text Luke 1.6 They were both righteous before God walking in all the commandements and ordinances of the Lord blamelesse It cannot be imagined but that the people of Israel sinned yet Num 23.21 God saw no iniquity in Jacob nor perversenesse in Israel There may be such a time in the Church when the people of God have no iniquity no provocation to be seene or found among them Though a Godly man cannot deny but he hath sinned yet he can affirme that he hath not indulged himselfe in any sin If I have done iniquity I will doe no more The Hebrew is I will not adde We render I will doe no more As if he had sayd If upon tryall it be found that I have done iniquity yet I will not adde iniquity to iniquity I will not goe on I will not persist nor proceed in iniquity I will not take a step more in any way which God shall discover to me to be an evill way If I am out of the way I will not goe on in my way Hence observe First A godly penitent person is resolute against sin His will is set against it I will doe no more I shewed in opening the former verse It is meere to be sayd unto God I have borne chastisement I will offend no more in what sence a godly man may make such a promise or say I will sin no more here I say A godly man is resolute against sin especially against great sins As a carnall man hath but very weake resolves for the doing of good he hath as some expresse it but a velleity somewhat like a will to doe that which is good so a carnall man makes but weake resolves against evill he hath not a setled will but a kind of noleity against it He makes some flourishes of profession against it but he is not resolvedly ingaged against it whereas a godly man is resolute both as to the doing of good and the not doing of evill If a godly man might have his will he would never sin more And as a Godly man waiteth joyfully for that state of glory wherein he shall sin no more so a resolution to sin no more hath as I may say somewhat of glory in it In glory we shall sin no more and where grace is in truth that soule would gladly be rid of sin and sin no more A godly man is resolved against all ungodlinesse and this is a kind of entrance into glory Againe Whereas the penitent man saith I will doe no more Note Continuance in any knowne sin for saith he what I know not teach thou me or in that which is made knowne to us to be sinfull is inconsistent with true repentance Repentance for and continuance in sin cannot consist in the same subject This is the voyce of every gracious soule I would not sin any more or I would not continue any longer in sin To sin is common to man but to continue in sin is proper to a wicked man To erre and faile that 's humane but to persevere in error is diabolicall Sin will continue in us while we continue in this world but they that are not of the world doe not will not continue in sin how long so ever they are in the world Sin may be considered three wayes First as remaining in us Secondly as reserved Thirdly as preserved by us There is sin remaining in the best of Saints on this side heaven Rom 7.20 21 22 23 24. Sin is reserved only in carnall men they save their sins and would be saved not from but in their sins Sin is preserved or maintained and defended in the worst of wicked men Sin is heightned to the utmost where 't is not only retained but maintained and preserved The Apostle having closed the fifth Chapter of his Epistle to the Romanes in the triumph of Gospel grace That as sin hath reigned unto death so grace might reigne through righteousnesse unto eternall life by Jesus Christ our Lord begins the next with a prevention of the abuse of this Grace What shall we say then shall we continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein How can we continue in sin that are partakers of Gospel grace Sin will continue in us but we cannot continue in it The question implyeth a kind of impossibility We were once dead in sin but now we are dead to sin how then can we live or continue in it Perseverance is either our best or our worst To persevere is best when we persevere in good and to persevere is worst when we persevere in evill It is bad to be or doe evill but it is worse to abide in evill The first best is not to sin the next best is not to continue nor lodge in sin no not for an houre Paul sayd in another case Gal 2.5 To whom we gave place by subjection no not for an houre We should not give place to sin no not for a minute but resist it to the utmost and totally displace it if we can Lastly From the Hebrew elegancy which saith I will not adde Note A godly man may commit sin after sin but he doth not adde sin to sin When he hath committed any one sin he breaks it off and dedestroyeth it by repentance He doth not adde sin to sin because the sin formerly committed is destroyed by repentance His former sin is taken off the file before he acts a second who heartily repenteth of the first and as heartily resolveth not to commit a second Such a man doth not run a round of sinning and repenting though he sinneth after â—he hath repented Daniel gave that advice to Nebuchadnezzar Dan 4.27 Break off thy sins by
a sinfull way this is rebellion this is sin in the very height of it This was the rebellion of Ahaz 2 Chron 28.22 Who in the time of his distresse trespassed yet more against the Lord. And this was the rebellion of Judah Isa 1.5 Why should ye be strieken any more ye will revolt more and more Take heed of this 't is too much that we sin at all let us not be found adding rebellion to our sin I may say these two things concerning the habit or any act of sin First It is a burthen to a Godly man O wretched man that I am sayd Paul who shall deliver me from this body of death Secondly As it is a Godly mans burthen when he sins so it is his care and study not to sin he would not sin at all he watcheth himselfe that he may not sin in the least degree That was the Apostle Johns desire and care for all the Churches 1 John 2.1 My little children these things I write unto you that ye sin not I would have you watch over your hearts and wayes so narrowly that no sin might slip you that ye might not have a wrong thought nor speake an idle word how much more should we take heed that we adde not rebellion to our sin There is somewhat of rebellion in every sin even in the sins of good men but 't is sad when they adde rebellion to their sin Samuel gives a dreadfull description of that sin which is rebellion 1 Sam 15.23 Rebellion is as the sin of witch-craft and stubbornness is as Iniquity and Idolatry Witch-craft is that sin wherein men have much converse and compliance with the devill The devill and the witch or the devill and the Diviner as our Margin hath it act as loving companions they have mutual converse yea commerse they trade together Rebellion is that sin or we sin rebelliously when we declare our selves most averse to God The witch declares himselfe a friend to the devill the rebellious soule defieth and despiseth God now those sins that have most compliance with the devill and most defiance against God are put together if a man doth much set himselfe to oppose God by sinning against light against reproofes and against providences whether the gracious or afflicting providences of God If a man I say rebell thus against God it is like the sin of witch-craft which is compliance and converse with the devill Here is an extreame on the one side and an extreame on the other side yet both meete rebellion is as the sin of witch-craft and stubbornness is as Iniquity and Idolatry These latter words are exegaticall stubbornness that is when a man is stout and will goe on his way is as Iniquity and Idolatry We may consider a great elegancy in those words Stubbornness is as Idolatry What is Idolatry it is worshipping or giving honour to a false god which is indeed worshipping the devill all Idolatry is devill-worship the witch worshippeth the devill intentionally and so doth the Idolater though he intend it not 1 Cor 10.20 The things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to devills and not to God I doe not say every error or fayling in worship is devill-worship but that which is Idolatry indeed or the setting up of a worship of our owne devising is Idolatry and devill-worship Thus stubbornness is as Idolatry and rebellion is as witch-craft What is witch-craft compliance with the devill What is Idolatry devill-worship a falling downe to the devill Let the wicked consider what they doe when they rebell and let the people of God take heed of any sin or way of sinning which may be accounted rebellion To sin with much will against much light against many reproofs from men and against the reproving or against the inviting providences of God hath rebellion in it He addeth rebellion to his sin Secondly Taking the words in the mildest sence Note Sometimes a good man may goe backward he may be worse and worse and doe worse and worse We should be alwayes growing in grace that 's the condition of believers and their duty yet under some dispensations they may decline for a time and grow worse and worse adding that which is like rebellion to their sin Thirdly If we consider these words in connection with the former Elihu having prayed for further tryall upon Job as fearing that else he might adde rebellion to his sin Note He that is not throughly convinced and chastned may quickly grow worse and worse He may or he will adde rebellion to his sin I doe not know where a mans sin will end if the Lord should let him alone 'T is a mercy that any man especially that God hath a continuall inspection over us if some mens wayes were not tryed and questioned they might adde rebellion to their sin who knows where they would stop it is a mercy to have both words and actions examined by brethren and Churches how sadly else would many wander yea it is a mercy to be tryed by affliction When God keeps us from a foule way by building a wall against us it is a mercy else we might adde rebellion to sin No man knowes the measure of his owne evill heart or what it would doe for though believers have a generall promise to be kept by the power of God to salvation yet how lamentably have good men â—â—llen though kept from falling away Elihu aggravates this yet further by the example of Job in the latter and last part of the verse He clappeth his hands amongst us and multiplieth his words against God He clappeth his hands or maketh a noyse amongst us as Mr Broughton reads it clapping of the hands in Scripture hath a three-fold signification First It implyeth passion or sorrow A man under affliction claps or wrings his hands for griefe Both those gestures are of the same significancy Secondly There is a clapping of the hands with indignation when we are very angry then we clap our hands Thirdly There is a clapping of the hands for joy or in a way of triumph when a man thinks he has conquered and got the day he claps his hands and so doe they who are on his side Psal 47.1 O clap your hands all ye people shout unto God with the voyce of triumph Explosurus esset nos ut qui vicisset nos disputando Pisc I conceive Elihu intends Job clapping his hands in this third sense he clappeth his hands amongst us or insults over us as if he had conquered and wonne the Garland and therefore Elihu prayed that he might be further tryed This is another aggravation of that ill frame which Elihu conceived Job to be in And indeed to clap our hands when we have done or spoken evill is worse then the evill which we have either done or spoken He clappeth his hands And multiplieth his words or may multiply words against God Solomon saith Pro 10.19 in the multitude of words there doth not want sin that is