my petition might come He had sent up a request a prayer a prayer for death and he thought his prayer too long gone upon that message Prayer was not quick enough in its returne from Heaven every houre was a yeare till he heard of it therefore saith he O that some body would give me that my request might come back againe unto me The word whereby 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he expresses his request notes a very strong desire a strong cry a strong prayer implying that Job had sent up mighty requests or strong cries about it As it is said of our Lord Christ Heb. 5. That in the dayes of his flesh he sent up strong cryes unto God who was able to deliver him Christ sent up strong cryes to be delivered from death and Job sent up strong cryes for death A word of the same root signifies the grave the grave is a craving a begging thing the grave is never satisfied as it is in the Proverbs The grave saith not it is enough And the grave is therefore exprest by a word that signifies to desire or request or to ask a thing importunately because the grave hath a mouth as it were continually open to ask and beg and cry out for more morsells it consumeth all and is never full such a desire Job put forth for death And that God would grant me the thing that I long for It is a repetition of the same desire in other words What it is to long hath been opened in the third Chapter ver 21. Who long for death Here Job reneweth the same suit againe O that I might have the thing that I long for or the thing which I expect with great expectation and vehemency of affection I shall not stay upon it But only give you the generall sence a little varied In this passage Job shewes himselfe assured that his comforts should not end though his life ended before he was restored to earthly comforts And he thus seemes to answer Eliphaz who had made large promises of outward felicity I am not stayed at all in Job expectaâ—ionem proximam facit mortem tanquam eam quae patiendi ultimam quietis ac faeli â—itatis primam representet liâ—â—â—â— my desires to die because I may possibly live in greater worldly honour and fullnesse then ever I enjoyed All that is in the creature is below wy longing I have not a sweet tooth after worldly dainties I shall not envy any who cut-live me to enjoy them let them divide my portion whatsoever it may be among them also The thing which I long for is death not for it selfe but as that which will bring me to the last of my ill dayes and the first of my best Jobs thoughts were in a higher forme then his friends They thought a golden offer of riches would have made him a gogge to live But Jobs heart lived above these even upon the riches of eternall life To enjoy which he even longs for temporall destruction and cutting off I have spoken at large in the third Chapter concerning the lawfulnesse of such a request and how farre Job might be approved in it therefore I need not discusse it here Only observe in generall That A praying soule is an expecting soule Job had prayed and prayed earnestly and though it was but a prayer to die yet he lived in the expectation of an answer When prayer is sent up unto God then the soul looks for it's return Prayer is as seed sowne After this spirituall husbandry the soul waits for the precious fruits of Heaven Psal 62. 1. My soule waiteth upon God and Psal 85. 8. I will hearken what the Lord God will say Job had sent up his request and now he was hearkening for an answer O that I might have the thing that I looke for Habbakkuk in the second of that prophecie verse 1. having prayed about the great concernments of those times resolves I will stand upon my watch and set me upon the Tower and will watch to see what he will say unto me They who send Embassadours to forreigne Princes waite for a returne Thus it is with the soul having put up it's request and sent an Embassie to God Observe Secondly Answer of our prayer is the grant of God Nothing stands between us and our desires but his will If he signe our petition no creature can hinder us of our expectation Observe Thirdly God often keepes the petitions of his servants by him unanswered Observe Fourthly The returne of prayer is the souls solace and satisfaction As cold water to a thirsty soule so is good news from that farre Country Prov. 25. 25. O that my request might come and O that I might have the thing that I long for Would you know what his request was He explains that in the 9 â—h verse and a man would wonder that one should be so very earnest to have such a request Many have prayed to God to save and deliver them but how unnaturall doth this prayer seeme to be cut off and destroyed Yet the thing which Job doth more then pray for long for is this That it would please God to destroy him and that he would let loose his hand and cut him off That it would please God to destroy me Some reade That he who hath begun would make an end in destroying of me For the word signifies both to be willing to doe a thing and likewise to begin to doe a thing therefore they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Significat liâ—ere velle inchoare acquiescere in re quapiam eamque tota voluntate amplecti make out the sense thus That he who hath begun thus to destroy me to teare and consume me would finish his worke and make an end of me As if Job had said I am already neare unto destruction a borderer upon the grave God hath begun to destroy me I would have him to goe on and perfect that worke As in workes of mercy Deut. 32. 4. He is the Rocke and his worke is perfect When he beginnes to deliver he will make an end So likewise when he beginnes to destroy he can make an end too Job desires that his afflictions might be perfected to the destruction of his dying body and that mercy might begin in the triumphs of his soule But rather take it in the other sense as we render it To be willing to doe a thing Even that it would please God or even that God would be willing to destroy me As if he had said I find as it were a kind of unwillingnesse in God to make an end of me his bowels seeme to yerne over me he seemes yet to be upon the dispute whether to cut me quite off or no now I even desire that God would lay aside that his tendernesse and compassion that he would determine and resolve to destroy me that he would acquiesce and fully rest satisfied in that resolution The word here used to destroy notes to
and will not the Lord doe so Isa 3. 10 11. Say ye to the righteous it shall be well with him for they shall eate the fruit of their doings woe unto the wicked it shall be ill with him for the reward of his hands shall be given him But how doe the dispensations of God answer this direction to man when his providence seemes to huddle up all together to make the same portion serve both the righteous and the wicked I answer it first in the generall and then in some particulars In the generall the troubles of the righteous are good for them and therefore they have that which is promised God saith say to the righteous it shall be well with him when a righteous man is troubled it is vvell with him therefore he hath that which God promiseth him and when a wicked man prospereth it is ill with him therefore he hath that vvhich God thratneth against him Outward mercy is judgement to wicked men and their prosperity is their undoing therefore do not think that God varies a tittle from the tenour of his word when he saith it shall be ill with wicked men and yet you see them prosper for it is never worse with them then when they prosper then when they think it is best and when the world thinks so too the prosperity of fools shall destroy Prov. 1. them and what prosperity is there in destruction The meat in their mouthes is as a sword in their bowels If you saw the Lord formally sending a Sword to devoure wicked men you would think it justice the prosperity of wicked men is as sharpe as a Sword that can but destroy and so doth this It is their judgement that they are without judgements and not to be smitten is their scourge Now more particularly to answer this objection about the justice of God And it will be but needfull considering the times we live in threaten us with a common deluge or an overflowing scourge vvhich may sweep away both good and bad together First in reference to the godly Are they in a sad estate outwardly are they in great afflictions I answer though they are afflicted yet they prosper When they are impoverished they are enriched when they are as having nothing they possesse all things What is there vvhat can there be even in their saddest estate which doth not conduce to their good vvhich will not be a benefit unto them For first their troubles are but trials now is there any hurt in a triall or perturbation in a probation Troubles try their graces and their corruptions too Trouble tryes grace that it may be honour'd and corruption that it may be mortified there is no hurt in all this rather it is a most happy condition which makes grace conspicuous whereby a mans best side his inside wherein his glory lies The Kings Daughter is glorious within is turned outward That Scripture Dan. 11. 33 34 35. is very pregnant to the point in hand where the Prophet foretelling troublesome times saith They that understand amongst the people shall instrust many yet they shall fall by the sword and by flame by captivity and by spoyle many dayes They that understand that is godly men shall fall by these judgements some of them by the sword they shall utterly be cut off some by flame they shall be burnt to ashes others by captivity and by spoile their estates shall be plundered their persons imprisoned How doth this answer the justice of God will carnall reason object that it shall be thus ill with the righteous to whom the Lord promiseth it shall be well Yes well enough For it followeth Now when they shall fall they shall be holpen with a little helpe and some of them of understanding shall fall that is by captivity and by spoile to try them and to purge them and to make them white Here are two remarkable ends why They of understanding fall into these evils First for probation to try them Secondly for cleansing and purgation to purge them and make them white Gold is never wrong'd by being tryed A spotted garment a distempered body are not damnified by washing or by purging To be freed from filth without and bad humours within the body is more then a common favour How high an act of favour then is it to have ill humours and filthy spots washed purged out of the soule Such base humours a good man may have as call for these strong working pils Spoyling and Captivity to cast them out Now those men of understanding have no more hurt intended them by God when they fall into spoilers hands then when a diseased body fals into a Physitians hand or when a defiled garment fals into a Fullers hand sc to purge and make them white Affliction is a cleanser Christ is the onely lavatory and his blood the onely Fountaine to wash away the guilt of sinne yet God hath other Fountains and Lavatories to wash away the pollution of sin That blood cleanses in this sense also principally and all the waters or fires of affliction have no efficacy at all to refine or cleanse but in vertue of that blood A Crosse without a Christ never made any man better But with Christ all are made better by the Crosse We may then say at least that it is well with the righteous in affliction forasmuch as through the blessing of God they are bettered by affliction When you see a godly man cast out in the open aire and having the waters of sorrow powred continually upon him know that he is only laid out a whitening and will appeare shortly more resplendant then ever Secondly afflictions are sent to humble Pride is such a weed as often growes in the best soyle Now that which humbleth us cannot hurt us we lose nothing by the abatements of our pride no the more pride loses the more we gain And we seldome or never lose any thing but by pride Now saith God Deut. 8. 1. If you would have an account vvhy I brought my people about in the wildernesse through so many difficulties know this vvas my designe it was to humble them God resists pride wheresoever he findes it they in vvhom pride totally prevailes are Gods enemies and he resists them they in vvhom pride hath some yea great prevalency may be Gods friends and God will resist pride in them the difference is observable betvveen resisting of pride and resisting the proud the resisting of the person and the resisting of the sin The great resistance vvhich God makes against the pride of mans heart is by the rods of affliction he vvhips them into humility and by taking away carnall comforts takes them off from carnall confidence And O blessed affliction which makes us lesse to our selves and all creatures lesse to us We are never so much in Gods eye as vvhen vve are least in our own nor have vve ever so much of God as vvhen vve expect little or least from man say therefore
unto us a place of broad rivers A river that shall not be drawn dry or sluced out as Euphrates was by Cyrus when he took Babylon but shall sill its bankes and shoares perpetually that is the Lord will be there a perpetual defence A river that shall never be impoverish'd but shall keep a full stock and treasure of streames and waters Dalilah had her name from this root and it carries an elegant allusion to the qualities of all Dalilahs or insinuating lascivious women they drayne the strength exhaust the purses dry up the credit wast the All of the mightiest Sampsons whose hearts are entangled by their flatteries or ensnared by their beauties The poore have hope The word hath been opened at the 6th verse of this Chapter to note strong and earnest expectation The poore man observing the wonders which God doth in the world cannot be out of hope though he be out of possession And though his own strength be gone yet he lives upon the strength of Christ he hopes strongly that 's the force of the word when he feeles no strength When I am weake saith the Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 12. 10. then am I strong that is I am strongest through hope in Christ when I am weakest through sense in my selfe More distinctly this hope may be taken two wayes 1. For the object or thing hoped for 2. For the act or grace of hope In the former notion of hope the sense runnes thus God having taken the wise in their own craftinesse and disappointed the device of the crafty having delivered the poore from the sword from their mouth and from the hand of the mighty now the poor hath the thing he looked for the thing he prayed for the thing for which he hath been seeking and waiting upon God So the poore hath hope that is he hath the mercy he expected salvation from the sword c. he is made partaker of his hope by those glorious administrations of the justice and mercy of God Hence observe First Gods poore hope for good in the worst times When deliverance comes these poore have but that which they looked for they looked for light when they were in the darkest condition When they were exhausted they knew God was not exhausted and when they were drawn dry they knew the Lord was not though their treasure was spent yet they were assured the treasury of Heaven was full When strength is gone and money is gone and friends are gone yet God is not gone and therefore they know the good may come which they hope for Turne ye to the strong holds ye priseners of hope saith the Prophet Zech. 9. 12. The people of God though prisoners are yet prisoners of hope that is they have hope of deliverance and enlargement in their greatest streights The power of God is never imprison'd and while his people can make this out their spirits are not Secondly observe It is no vain thing to hope in God The poore hath his hope The Prophet brings in the Jewes thus trumphing in God Isa 25. 9. And it shall be said in that day What day was that The former verse points it out A day wherein death shall be swallowed up in victory wherein teares shall be wiped away from off all faces c. And in that day the people of God shall thus boast of God and as it were shewing him to the world shall say Loe this is our God we have waited for him and he will save us This is the Lord we have waited for him we will be glad and rejoyce in his salvation vaine hopes fill our face with shame but hopes fulfilled fill our hearts with rejoycing The poore hath his hope he can shew his hope 't is visible As Hannah when she came to present her Son unto Eli For this child I prayed as if she should say Sir here is my prayer you could not heare my prayer when I was in the Temple you thought I was drunken but now you may see my prayer here it is for this child I prayed and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asâ—ed of him 1 Sam. 1. 27. So the soule saith In such a time of trouble personall or nationall I was praying and seeking God I was beleeving and hoping men knew not understood not the workings of my soule toward Christ yet now they may see them here is the thing I prayed for here is that I hoped for So first the poore hath hope Secondly The poore hath hope that is the grace of hope or the gracious actings of hope and taking it so the sense rises thus So that is God having done such great things in disappointing the devices of the crafty and in saving his poore by this meanes the poore come to have hope the grace of hope strengthned and confirmed in them Hence observe That The experience we have of Gods power and mercy in saving us out of former troubles breeds and nourishes hope against future times of trouble So the poore hath hope Though the poore man was in a hopelesse condition before yet now seeing the works of God he hath hope laid up for ever Psal 64. 9 10. All men shall feare and declare the workes of God for they shall wisely consider of this thing And what followes The righteous shall be glad in the Lord and trust in him that is if they have fail'd in their trust hâ—â—etofore and not given God honour by confiding in him yet these wonderfull works of God of which he speakes in that Psalme worke this hope Rom. 5. 4. Tribulation worketh patience and patience experience and experience hope Graces have a generation one from another though all have but one generation from Christ at once We have here the genealogy of hope in three descents Experience is the next or immediate parent of hope So the poore hath hope Thus it is begotten 2 Cor. 1. 10. God who hath delivered us from so great a death and doth deliver in him we trust that he will yet deliver us An armed daring Goliah should be looked upon as vanquisht already when we can but remember a vanquisht Lion and a Beare Againe The poore hath hope He doth not say God having thus destroyed the ungodly and saved his own people from the sword c. now they have liberty now they have peace now they have aboundance of riches and prosperity but he makes this the issue now they have hope Whence note That Hope is a greater and better possession unto the people of God here than all the great and good things which they possesse Put as much into their hands us you can there is more than that put in their hearts by hope The poore hath hope he lookes over all his possessions and pitcheth upon expectation as his portion The estate which a beleever hath in the promises is more than the estate he hath in possession Riches in the promise is better than riches in the chest And so the deliverances and
Prayer Meditation and the whole course of holy obedience The life of man is a continued temptation and that 's a spiritual warfare a continual bickering with a world of enemies And though they without stand still yet a soul can scarce passe one hour but he shall have many fights and bouts with his own heart In this sence Is there not an appointed time of warfare or temptation to man upon earth Our life is a warfare in divers respects First it is a warfare because Christians do or ought to live under the greatest command of any in the world they ought to stand armed at a call A Souldier is under absolute command he must not dispute the Orders of his General but obey them The Centurian in the Gospel saith I have Souldiers under me and I say to one go and he goeth to another come and he cometh and to a third do this and he doth it which he speaks not as commending the special vertue and good disposition of his own Souldiers but as describing the duty of all Souldiers therefore Souldiary is well defined To be the obedience of a stout and valiant mind Militia est obedientia quadam fortis invicti animi arbitrio carentis suo out of his own dispose A Souldier moves upon direction so must a Christian he is in a warfaring condition he must have a charge or a word from his Commander for every step he treads or action he undertakes Secondly it is a warfare in regard of perpetuall motions and travels A Souldiers life is an unsetled life while he is in actuall service he hath no rest he is either marching or charging and when he comes in his quarters his stay is but little he cannot build him a house he can but pitch him down a tent for a night or two he must away againe Mans life hath no stop we have here no abiding City we dwell in tents and tabernacles waifaring and warfaring out our dayes Thirdly a warfare because of continual watching It is the watch-word which Christ gave his followers I say unto you watch that 's the souldiers word and work too warring and watching goe together The Souldier stands Centinel fearing the enemies surprise A Christian should stand upon his guard and his watch at all hours is not that a warfare Fourthly a warfare because Christians ought to keep their rank and file that is the places and relations wherein God hath set them A Souldier commanded to stand such a ground must not stirre though he die for it and if he stirs by Martial law he shall die There is so much keeping of order in warre and Battels that whatsoever keeps order is said to fight or warre The Sarres are said to have fought against Sisera in their courses Judg. 5. 20. The Stars are embattaild or encampt in their sphears out of which they move not and are therefore often called the Militia or host of Heaven Fifthly a warfare because so full of hazzards troubles and labours or because so much hardship is to be endured A Souldier converses with dangers and dwels in the territories of death continually This caused Deborah to begin her Triumphant Song with praise to the Lord because the people offered themselves willingly Many are forc'd and press'd to the warrs and most who are not press'd by the Authority of others are press'd by their own hopes of gaine or desire of vain-glory and renown A true Voluntiere in warre is a rare man There is so much danger in it that there is seldome much of the will in it The whole life of man is full either of visible or invisible dangers he passes the pikes every day The Apostle reckons eight distinct perlis in one verse which met him which way soever he turned 2 Cor. 11. 26. He was in deaths often And though there are but few such Heroes as he yet 't is seldome but any of us are in deaths Especially while we remember the mighty spirituall enemies and oppositions which encompasse and beset us every day We wrastle not with flesh and blood but with principalities and powers c. And are therefore advised to take to us the whole armour of God never to stir without our sword Sixthly a warfare in regard of the issue victory and triumph or slavery and death is the issue of our lives Either we overcome and are more then conquerours that 's the Apostles language Rom. 8. or else we are conquered and more then captives that 's the Apostles sence too both in allusion They are taken captive by the Devill at his will To be led captive by the Devill is the lowest captivity lower then any captivity unto men In reference to 2. Tim. 2. 26. the spirituall part of our warfare there 's no comming off upon equall rermes We must be victors or slaves conquer or die Only this is the Saints assurance that as the Captaine of their salvation was made perfect by sufferings and conquer'd by dying so at the worst shall they spirituall death as sinners hath no power over them at all and when they die as men naturall or by men violently they shall receive fuller power Thus our life is a warfare upon earth But take the word as we translate for an appointed time Is there not an appointed time to man upon the earth And the reason why it beares that sence is grounded upon these two things 1. Because there is a speciall season of the yeare most fit and Non significat tempus simpliciter sed tempus certum ac constitutum ea analogia quod determinato anni tempore exerceri solet militia Militia ideo tempus determinatum dicitur quia non quae vis aetas bello apta est sed determinata certa sutable for warre 2 Sam. 11. 1. And it came to passe at the return of the yeare when Kings go forth to battell The time for war is such a known appointed season that the same word signifies warfare and any appointed season 2. Because men go out to war at a speciall time of their age There is an appointed setled time of mans life wherein he is fit to beare arms Every age is not fit for arms Old men and children are not fit for the field Hence we finde Numbers the first throughout that the muster of the children of Israel is thus made ver 3 20 22 c. From twenty yeares old and upward all that are able to goe forth to warre The Roman and Greek histories are distinct in this In some Common-wealths from Fifteen to Fifty in others from Twenty to Sixty and in ours the appointed time is between Sixteen Sixty so men are press'd and listed for war And because there is such an appointed or a set time of life in all States to goe out to war therefore that word is elegantly applied to signifie a set or an appointed time for any businesse Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth Vpon earth
654. Marvellous things what p. 249. They are separated from man three wayes ib. Ordinary works of nature and providence are marvellous in two respects 251. Marvels are a token of Gods presence 253. Many marvels wrought in our dayes ib. Marvels should work faith in us ib. 254. Christ will wonder at our unbelief if we beleeve not when he doth wonders 254. Mass a Popish conceit about the Name of it p. 489. Memory and to remember what p. 33. The Works of God are to be remembred ibid. Mercy A three-fold mercy in God p. 460. Mercy of God most moved towards us by telling him our misery 609. Miracles Signs and Marvels how they differ p. 250 251. Morning To do a thing in the morning and every morning what they import p. 667 723. Moth How man is crushed as a moth a three-fold meaning of it p. 152 153. Mourners described p. 266. Such nearest joy and exaltation 268. Murmuring or complaining To murmur at the dealings of God is to make our selves juster than God 123. complain to God but not of God 124. Musing men no great talkers p. 527. N NOstril of God what meant by it pag. 56. Numbers Three six and seven how used in Scripture 337 338. Twice and thrice three and four six and seven seven eight what they signifie in Scripture 339 340. O OLd-age a full old-age what 390 391. A perishign old-age a flourishing old-age 392. A godly man ever dies in a full age 394. A blessing to live to Old-age 395. Oppression To oppress the poor and fatherless a grievous sin p. 549. P PAssion carries us out of our selves p. 556. Pardon of sin God only can do it p. 713. Why pardoning or remitting sin is committed to men in what sence 714 715. How pardon of sin is expressed in Scripture 715 716. When sin is pardoned the punishment of sin is also pardoned 717. Greatest sins pardonable 718. They whose sins are pardoned may and ought to pray for pardon 719. In two cases prayer for pardon is especially to be renewed p. 712. Peace with beasts how p. 378. When God is at peace with us he can quickly make all Creatures at peace with us 379. Peace a great mercy 380 383. Perishing or to perish taken five wayes in Scripture p. 35 36. How righteous persons may or cannot perish p. 38 c. Persisting in evil most dangerous p. 557. Pity what it is p. 490 c. It is a duty to pity the distressed 494. Plowing of iniquity c. p. 44. Plowing referr'd to good actions p. 45. Poor Some Gods poor and some the Devils poor p. 297. Poor are full of desires because full of wants 298. Poor most subject to oppression 301. Wicked men plot against the people of God how poor soever and why 301. God delights to help the poor 302. Poor must take heed of greedy seeking the creatures 522. Poor that are modest in asking should be soonest supplied 522. Prayer Some wicked men thrust out of the prayers of Gods people p. 192. A dreadful thing to be so 193. Prayer is the putting of our case to God 228. They who pray much expect much 452. God often keeps prayer by him unanswered 453. The return of prayer is the solace of the soul 453. Presence of God two-fold p. 671. God can make his own presence grievous to us 673. Preservation of man the work of God p. 692. Man wants a preserver and why 693. How God is a preserver 694. A necessity that God should be mans preserver 695. He preserves his own people in a special manner and why 696. His preserving care is perpetual 697. Pride grows in the best soyl 117. God resists the persons of the proud and he will resist pride in his best friends p. 118. Pride in apparel and beauty p. 596 597. Probability of finding is ground enough for seeking 507. Promises are the portion of Beleevers p. 403. Providence the common blessing of God not dispenced without a special providence p. 260 261. Providence watches over all creatures most over such as are hurtful to man p. 627. Prudence goes softly p. 292. Punishment may come long after the sin p. 49. It shall be proportionable to the degrees of sin 50. It shall not exceed the desert of sin ibid. It is often like the sin in kind 51. The strongest sinner shall not escape punishment 65. Punishment is gradual 66. Reasons why the Lord suspends punishment 69. Wicked punish'd by those whom they have oppressed 204 206. God can punish the strongest by the weakest instruments 207. Q Quections in Scriture sometime heighten the sence and sometime abate it p. 649. R RAin the benefit of it p. 259. 260. How it is a special gift of God 261. It is a wonderful work of God to send raine 262. The giving of raine a motive to fruitful obedience and a conviction of the disobedient 263 264. Raine of Doctrine 523. Reason is the souls taster pag. 562. Redemption what it is p. 341 521 Remembring what it imports when ascribed to God p. 602. Reproof must be sweeten'd with friendly insinuations p. 6. It is no easie thing to bear a reproof 7. in some cases we must reproove whether men take it well or no ibid. Returning what it imports in Scripture p. 554. Return return what it imports 555. Reward every man shall have a reward p. 577. Riches wordly men very careful to secure their riches p. 209. Ill gotten riches cannot be secured 210. Riches why called strength 213. Righteous men so called in a four-fold sence p. 37 38. S SAints what a Saint is p. 173. It is our duty to look upon and imitate the examples of the Saints 175. When God forsakes a man the Saints on earth forsake him too 177. Salvation or safety is of the Lord p. 300. Salt in our speech what p. 442. Ministers of the Gospel why called Salt 449. Sanctifie how man sanctifies God 473. Sand of the sea applied three wayes in Scripture p. 419. Satisfaction for sin cannot be made by man p. 688. A threefold deficiency in all our works for that end 689. Scandal what 546. Scourge of the tongue vide Tongue Sea three things in it most considerable p. 624. How like man in his natural condition 628. Especially to covetous oppressors 629 Season every thing even pale death is beautiful in it 397 Seeking implies four things p. 227. We must seek God especially in times of affliction 230 Sence of want carries us to loâ—k for a remedy p. 507. Shame how caused p. 511. Shaddai One of the names of God what it signifies p. 327 328. Shadow How taken in Scripture p. 580. Sheol How taken in Scripture p. 615. Shekel Whence so called it 's use p. 411. Shiggaion What it means p. 532. Sight of the eye much comfort comes in by it p. 606 607. Silence or stopping of the mouth caused two wayes p. 307. Mouths of wicked men stopt two wayes 308 Silence becomes learners 529. Sin
of God only The clouds also shew forth the handy work and power of God Psal 147. 8. Who covereth the heavens with clouds The hand of God drawes those curtaines and puts that maske upon the face of Heaven But as the heavens declare the glory of God so they publish and declare the weaknesse of man the vapours and the winds shew forth how fraile he is As the invisible things of God to wit his eternall power and Godhead are seen in the things which are made God is as it were visible in the creatures so likewise the frailty and mutability the weaknesse and inconstancy of man is visible in the things which are created we may reade a lecture of our own transitorinesse in the most transitory texts of nature And that is an admirable contrivance and complication of things that out of the very same text of the creature where the infinite wisdom power of God may be learned man also may learn his own frailty He that studies the creature much shall find much of God and of himselfe Some conceive when Isaac Gen 24. 63. went forth into the field to meditate that he studied the booke of the creatures probably the holy man did so but we are sure he might How will it shame those men at last who know not God not themselves when they have or might have had without cost or travell so many tutors and instructers JOB Chap. 7. Vers 11 12 13 14 15 16. Therefore I will not refraine my mouth I will speake in the anguish of my spirit I will complaine in the bitternesse of my soule Am I a sea or a whale that thou settest a watch over me When I say my bed shall comfort me my couch shall ease my complaint Then thou skarest me with dreames and terrifiest me through visions So that my soul chuseth strangling and death rather then life I loath it I would not live alwayes let me alone for my dayes are vanity IN the context of these six verses we may take notice of foure things 1. Jobs violent resolution to complaine ver 11. 2. His vehement complaint ver 12. 3. An amplification of his sorrowes ver 13 14. 4. A renovation of his often repeated desires to die and the tediousnesse of his life ver 15. 16. Therefore Job having in an apostrophe to God shewed his weake condition takes up a fresh resolution of complaining to God Therefore I will not refraine my mouth c. as if he had said The consideration of these things is so farre from putting me to silence that it doth rather enlarge my heart and open my mouth to speake and complaine once more seeing death is by Gods appointment the certain end of all outward troubles and perceiving my self upon the very borders or brink of death my body past cure my estate irrecoverable and remedilesse therefore I will complaine yet againe I will yet farther lay open my misery before the Lord and presse him to hasten me thorough the confines of this land of sorrow that I may accomplish my dayes and see an end of these troubles for my soule is in great bitternesse I will not refraine my mouth The word signifies to stop inhibit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Proprie est continere probibere cum ad liuguam orationem refertur â—ffert suppressionem quandam cohibitionem eluctantis spiritus sermonis conantis se aperto ore effundere or prohibit Those writs which stay the processe of inferiour Courts are called Prohibitions and then no man may open his mouth more in that businesse untill the Prohibition be dissolved or taken off I saith Job will not give my self a prohibition I will not silence or suppresse my sorrowes I will give my heart full liberty to meditate and my tongue to speake out my sufferings Being emptied of all my comforts I will surely take my fill of complainings It will be some ease to me to make known how I am pained I will not refraine my mouth That word is used Isa 58. 1. Cry aloud spare not when the Prophet is commanded to tell the people of their sins the Lord sets his tongue at liberty spare not thou art not silenced or limited therefore cry aloud Theirs were crying sins and crying sins must have crying reproofs loud sinners must not be whispered to therefore Cry aloud spare not I will not spare my mouth saith Job or refraine as we translate But I will speake in the anguish of my spirit or in the straightnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ie in angustiis spiritus mei coarctat me spiritus pectore inclusus patefaciam liberum illi aditum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Proprie meditari vel ex meditatione interius animo concepta aliquid exterius agere loqui orari conqueri Vocem edam querulam musfitando meditandi Merc. of my spirit I am in a straight I am pent in my spirit and unlesse I let my spirit out my heart will breake I must give it vent and ayre I will speake in the anguish of my spirit I will complaine in the bitternesse of my soule The word render'd complaine signifies to meditate and so to speake upon meditation or to speake deliberately It implies first a forming and fashioning of what we would say in our thoughts Thoughts are the moulds of our words Job intends not rash speaking what he intended to speake should be moulded shapt and wrought in his heart before brought forth by his tongue Prayer is exprest by this word because prayer ought first to be formed in the heart Prayer is the manifestation of our desires to God If the tongue speakes before the heart before the heart makes up our requests we take Gods name in vaine Hannah takes up this word 1 Sam. 1. 16. Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial for out of the aboundance of my complaint or meditation so the word is rendered and greife have I spoken Hunnah was praying her voice was not heard only her lips moved which caused Eli to suspect and censure her for drunk or distracted but she answers in words of turth and sobernesse O my Lord count not thine handmaid a daughter of Belial for though my voice hath not been heard yet I have been speaking out of the aboundance of my complaint that is out of the aboundance of my meditation my complaints are not the work of my tongue but of my heart and my lips moved not untill my heart moved my complaint is my meditation Hence likewise that phrase of powring out prayer Psal 142. 2. I powred out my complaint before him He that powres out must have somewhat yea much within where there is a constant stream there also is a fountain I powred out my complaint or my complaining prayer it is the same word here I have gathered the bitter waters of sorrow into my own heart and now I powre them forth in complainings I will complain
in the bitternesse of my soul What the bitternesse Amarum non solum dulci opponitur sed etiam jucundo Amariorem me fecit senectus i. e asperiorem Plauâ— of the soule is hath been expounded already in the third Chapter therefore I shall not stay upon it It notes only the height or extremity of affliction Bitter is opposed to unpleasant as well as to sweet In the bitternesse of my soule The affliction appeared most upon his body but it afflicted him most in his soule He speaks little of the pain of his body in comparison of the trouble upon his spirit he insists principally upon that I will speake in the anguish of my spirit I will complaine in the bitternesse of my soule not in the pains of my flesh or sufferings of my body and yet that forme of speaking excludes not his sence and sensiblenesse of bodily paines for a man may well say his soul is in bitternesse by reason of the paines of his body Being in this condition we see what his remedy was he falls a crying and a complaining before God telling how it was with him Jobs complaints have been spoken of in former passages of the Book and why he complaines hath been shewed An afflicted soule finds some ease in complaining of affliction To complaine out of impatience distrust and hard thoughts of God is very sinfull in that sence we must be silent as David Psal 39. 9. when the hand of God was heavy upon him I was dumbe I opened not my mouth because thou didst it in reference to the dealing of God with him David had not a word to say Our Lord Christ the great patterne of suffering was as a sheepe before the shearer dumbe and opened not his mouth no impatient speech came from him Though the griefe of Job was very great and so it might somewhat as hath formerly been cleared excuse the greatnesse of his complaint yet in this Job shewed himselfe a Docemur quantae sint hominis virâ—s sibi à Deo derelisti Merc. man subject to like passions as we are Man thinks to get cure by complaining but usually he gets a wound What poore shifts are we poore creatures often put to How often doe we entangle our selves because we are straightned Though Jobs heart kept close to God in the maine though his spirit was preserved untoucht of blaspheming yet we find him touching too often and too loud upon this string of complaining He cannot be excused from some motions of impatience while we hear him setling upon these resolutions to take his fill of or to let loose the reins of his passion to complain I will complaine in the bitterness of my soul Anguish is a very ill guide of the tongue It must needs be troubled matter which passion dictates Observe further That when sorrow continues and hangs long upon us it grows boysterous and resolute We have three wils in the text as if Job had turned all his reason into Will and his will into passion I will not refraine I will speak in the anguish of my spirit I will complaine in the bitternesse of my soule He was grown to a kinde of resolvednesse in his sorrow It is as unsafe for man in this sence to will what Nec tamen is fuit Job qui quod sibi licere non putaret protervè ac procaciter vellet aggredi Meri he doth as to do what he will we ought to will the will of God but we must submit our own We should not mourne over our afflictions nor rejoyce over our comforts but as God wils Yet in this the wil of Job was rather strong then pertinacious He was not a man of that rough make to oppose his wil against the wil and good pleasure of God though that were a paine to him Having thus resolved to complain he complains in this very high Language Verse 12. Am I a sea or a whale that thou settest a watch over me These are his first words words full of deep complaint like the sea which whether he was or no he would be answered Am I a sea Tell me His question is of like importance with that at the 12. verse of the 6. Chapter Is my strength the strength of stones or is my flesh brasse He expostulates with God why hast thou laid such trouble upon me Am I stone or brass that I should be able to bear it And here like a sea swolne with bitter waters in the bitterness of his soul he begins to break the bounds again Am I a sea or a whale that thou settest a watch over me A sea or a whale The sea and the whale are often joyned in Scripture Psal 104. 25 26. O Lord how manifold are thy works c. the earth is full of thy riches so is the great and the wide sea there goe the ships there is that Leviathan whom thou hast made to play therein Againe Psal 74. 13. 14. Thou diddest divide the sea by thy strength thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters thou brakest the head of Leviathan in pieces But why doth Job speake this language In briefe the meaning is this The sea you know is a mighty boisterous and unruly creature and the whale is the strongest mightest and most dreadfull creature in the sea the greatest of the creatures whether upon sea or land The sea is the most boisterous of all the inanimate creatures and the whale is the most boisterous of all living creatures So that here Job gives instance in two creatures which are the most head-strong violent and out-ragious in the whole creation The whale and the sea And he sets forth his own weaknesse by the Antithesis of these two creatures surpassing all in strength with which God only is able to graple and encounter And in asking Am I a sea or a whale he may be conceived to speake thus Lord thou seemest to deale with me in a way beyond all thy dealings with the children of men Thou carriest thy selfe towards me as if I were more proud heady hard to be reclaimed then any man in the world thou seemest to take such a course with me as with the unruly sea and with the boisterous whale to keepe me in compasse He speaks as if God laid too heavy an affliction upon him and tooke too strong a course to tame him or as if he might be more gently dealt with and that God needed not prepare such bonds and fetters for him or lay such law upon him as upon the mighty sea and the monstrous whale But for the words in particular Am I a sea There are three things in the sea specially considerable at which Mare barbarum indomitum elementum est Job might have an aime here First the turbulency of the sea the sea is stormy and turbulent so stormy and turbulent that it threatneth to over-whelme all to over-whelme the ships sailing upon it to over-whelme the Visat est