Secondly Consider the wicked proud man as one whom God treadeth down Then Observe God punisheth sinners with that which is most crosse to their lusts What more crosse to a high-spirited man than to be brought low and who can be brought lower than he that is trodden down As God sometimes punisheth Drunkards with thirst and Gluttons with hunger and covetous persons with poverty There is one saith Solomon Prov. 11.29 that with-holdeth more than is meet he doubtless is a covetous man that doth so it tendeth to poverty So God punisheth proud ones by that which is most contrary to their nature he abaseth and layeth them low The Prophet tells us Isa 3.16 17. how the Lord would punish wanton women who were proud either of their natural beauty or artificial dresses and ornaments The daughters of Zion saith he are haughty and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes walking and mincing as they go and making a tinckling with their feet there 's their pride but what was their punishment the next words resolve us Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion and the Lord will discover their secret parts they were proud of that which covered their skin and therefore the Lord punisht them with scabs or covered their skin with scurfe and scabs and as there the Lord shews what he would bring upon so what he would take from them Vers 18. In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinckling ornaments about their feet and their Caules and their round tyres like the Moon And Vers 24. it shall come to pass that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink and instead of a girdle a rent and instead of well set hair baldness and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth and burning instead of beauty What could be more contrary to the pride of these women than that which the Lord brought upon them or punished them with What do proud women more desire than beauty and bravery And what do proud men look after but to be respected honoured and to have every one point the finger at them or bow the knee to them Now when the Lord blasts proud women in their beauty and bravery when he blasts proud men in their honour and estimation when he thus abaseth and treads them down he toucheth them in that which the spirit of pride prizeth most and with greatest regret parteth from Pride is a base height of spirit therefore the Lord abaseth the proud There are five words in the Text all tending directly to crosse the spirit of a proud man First He shall be abased Secondly He shall be brought low A proud man would fain be high he would sit at the upper end of the Table yea he would sit at the upper end of the World too but saith the Lord he shall be brought low Thirdly What would a proud man do He would tread upon the necks of all others but he shall be trodden under foot Fourthly Where would the proud man be He would be conspicuous in high places but he shall be hid in the dust Fifthly He would be lookt at by all men with admiration but saith God his face shall be bound in secret he loves to appear and make a fair shew in the flesh but he shall not appear at all .. Proud ones cannot get so high but God in his Justice will get above them and strip them of that wherein they have chiefly prided themselves Read Isa 14.11 12 13 14 24 25. and Isa 23.9 Those Scriptures tell us how the Lord deals with proud men according to their pride or rather contrary to their pride he gives them that which they most disgust and takes that from them which they most passionately desire Secondly Take wicked men in the common notion for those that do evil at the highest rate that draw iniquity with cords of vanity and sin as it were with cart-ropes Then Observe First Wicked men that is impenitent sinners high-handed sinners are in a very sad condition and shall come to a sad conclusion The Lord will tread them down Psal 9.16 17. The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands yea the wicked shall be turned into hell That is the utmost of sorrow and suffering shall be their portion Isa 3.11 Wo to the wicked for the reward of their doings shall be given them Isa 57.21 There is no peace saith my God to the wicked As the tumultuousness of their own spirits will not let them be at peace so neither will the righteousnesse of God Secondly From those expressions Tread down the wicked in their place hide them in the dust together bind their faces in secret Observe God will at last purge and rid the world of wicked men As wicked men would fain purge and rid the world of godly men they would destroy all the seed of the righteous so certainly God will destroy the wicked of the world and rid the world of them though not at once of every wicked man yet in their times and seasons that they shall not do the mischief which their hearts are full of The last of the Prophets speaks as much of the Lords vengeance upon all the wicked Mal. 4.1 The day of the Lord. speaking of some great day of the Lords appearance shall burn as an oven and all the proud yea and all that do wickedly shall be stubble and the day that cometh shall burn them up saith the Lord of Hosts that it shall leave them neither root nor branch 'T is utter ruin to be destroyed root and branch such shall the ruin of the wicked be Thus also the Prophet Isaiah comforts the Church Chap. 52.1 Awake awake put on thy strength O Zion put on thy beautiful garments O Jerusalem the holy City for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean The wicked of the world are the uncircumcised they have not the spiritual circumcision the circumcision of the heart these shall no more trouble Jerusalem nor tread in Zions Courts Nahum 1.15 Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings that publisheth peace O Judah keep thy solemn feasts perform thy Vows for the wicked shall no more passe through thee he is utterly cut off The Hebrew is Belial shall no more passe through thee That is such as cast off the yoke of Jesus Christ shall no more bring Judah under their yoke This is also witnessed by another holy Prophet Zech. 14.21 In that day there shall be no more the Cananite in the house of the Lord of hosts they shall no more mingle themselves with the faithful servants of God much less rule over them Canaanites have often been in the house of the Lord but the Canaanite shall not always be there God will sweep them out of his house Answerable to these prophesies speaks the last prophesie Rev. 21.27 Chap. 22.15 which
wild Goats of the rock bring forth What these Goats here called wild Goats 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rupicapra à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scandit ascendit quòd montes rupes ascendit and wild Goats of the rock are is commonly known The word which we render wild Goats signifies in the Hebrew ascending or clambering because Goats are clambering creatures getting up the steepest rocks and ascending the height of hills and mountains which they do many times exceeding dangerously seeming rather to hang by their feet than to go upon them Pendentem summa capream de rupe videbis Casuram speres decipit illa canes Martial Ibices quasi avices eò quòd instar avium ardua excelsa teneant Thus the old Poet fancied them when he said You may see the wild Goat hanging upon the rock you may hope she will tumble down presently But she deceives the hunter and his hounds though she seems to hang uncertainly yet she keeps her footing steddily The Latines have a word signifying wild Goats which criticks say comes from another latine word signifying a bird or flying fowl because Goats may be said rather to fly than go upon those craggy places or rather to use wings than feet Such are the creatures here called wild Goats and that with an addition wild Goats Of the rocks Because they specially delight in rocky places or because they breed and bring forth in rocks It is said 1 Sam. 24.2 that Saul in his pursuit of David came with a select army of three thousand men to seek him and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats which Scripture fitly answers this which calls them wild Goats of the rock Saul did not seek David only in the plains and valleys where flocks of sheep feed but upon the craggy rocks and precipices where wild Goats take up their quarters or use to feed This shewed his implacable rage and revengeful spirit against an innocent person that rather than not take him and have his will on him he would undertake an expedition not only tedious but very hazardous to himself and his army Wrathful men will not only not spare others but not themselves But to the Text Knowest thou the time when the wild Goats of the rock Bring forth that is their young ones 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verbum ipsum quod dâ—lere significat sumâ—tur pro parturire Merc. The word translated bring forth signifies pain and sorrow There is so much pain in bringing forth that bringing forth and pain may well be signified by one word The pains of the wild Goats in bringing forth here implyed are expressely spoken of at the third Verse But why did the Lord enquire of Job here whether he knew the time the exact time of their bringing forth is that a secret I answer doubtless it is a secret and such a secret as few are acquainted with Wild Goats come little under the eye or sight of men in that work they bringing forth upon inaccessable placeâ— câ—aggy rocks and mountains men cannot without much difficulty reach that piece of knowledge And therefore the Lord might well ask of Job Knowest thou the time when the wild Goats of the rock bring forth I may say also the Lord puts this familiar question to Job that he might the more awaken him into the consideration of his own weakness and utter inability to find out the secret of his other works As if the Lord had said thou canst not discover so much as the birth of the wild Goats how then canst thou find out the births of my wonderful providences My providences bring forth wonderful births and much more unknowable by thee than the birth and bringing forth of the wild Goats Thus the Lord would check his curiosity he who was unable to give him an account concerning the state of those poor creatures must not think himself able to pry into the great and unsearchable works of God in the amazing products of his providence towards the children of men Before I pass from these words it will not be unprofitable to mind the Reader how as one of the Antients hath hinted we may moralize or spiritualize this Text Gregor l. 30. mor. c. 16. there being much of the disposition or condition of a godly man especially of a faithful Teacher typed or fairly represented in the nature and qualities of these wild Goats First As these wild Goats seek both their food and rest their repast and refuge in rocks So the godly abide and dwell in the rock that is in the Lord Jesus Christ they look to him alone both for refuge and refreshing both for comfort and safety while they are in this world Christ is the rock upon which the Church is built Mat. 16.18 And as the state of the true Church in general so of every true believer is built upon this immovable rock the Lord Jesus Christ Secondly As the rocks so the mountains are much desired by the wild Goats Psal 104.18 The high hills are a refuge for the wild Goats Thus David was eying the hills for help Psal 121.1 I will lift up mine eyes to the hills from whence cometh my help What were these hills Surely neither the material nor metaphorical hills of this world of which latter the people of God spake Jerem. 3.23 disclamingly Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills and from the multitude of mountains that is from the greatest power of man or men What the hills were to which David lifted up his eyes for help himself tells us at the second verse of that Psalm My help cometh from the Lord which made heaven and earth As the affections of a godly man are set upon the things above not upon things below Col. 3.2 so his confidences are set upon God who is above not upon men here below Thirdly These wild Goats are very agil active creatures much in motion full of life full of spirits and so they resemble a godly man he is a man of motion of spiritual motion and he desires his motions and speed may be more and more speedy in the ways of God As David resolved to run the ways of Gods commandements when God should please to enlarge his heart so doubtless he prayed that God would enlarge his heart to run those ways And how often did he pray for quickning grace and liveliness that being delivered from a slow dull flegmatique spirit he might be active and full of holy fire about the things and for the things of God Fourthly Wild Goats of the rocks in those countries where they abound are much pursued and diâ—quieted by hunts-men as that passage which I before quoted from a Heathen Poet intimates so good men the best of men are often hunted and disturbed in this world there are hunters of men as well as hunters of beasts Nimrod was a mighty hunter Gen. 10.9 he was a hunter of men Saul
man The sin of man loosed the creatures from that bond of service to man in which and to which they were created Will the Vnicorn be willing to serve thee Observe Sixthly Those Creatures which will not do service unto man but live meerly to themselves are wild or fierce These clearly resemble the condition of those men who live only to themselves or who serve none but themselves Whatever some men do they serve themselves only they respect no mans good either spiritual or temporal besides their own were it not that they had a chief respect to their private ends and interests in serving they would never serve A gracious spirit is willing to serve his neighbour to serve his brother as well as or with himself Christ tells us his Disciples should be so far from serving themselves only that they should not serve themselves at all he that will be my Disciple saith our Lord Jesus Christ Mat. 16.24 Let him deny himself that is not serve nor seek himself either contrary to the good of others or with a neglect of their good Therefore they who in all they do do all for themselves live upon no better terms nor to any nobler ends than the Unicorn or wild Ass who are not willing to serve any man Let others sink or swim say such they care not they will look to their own Seventhly and Lastly Though God hath made a sort of creatures that as the case stands will not serve man nor contribute any help to him yet these creatures live not in vain to God nor are they altogether unserviceable to man though they have no will to serve him For First They declare the power and wisdome of God both in making and governing them and in that they declare his praise God would not give any creature a being that did not one way or other set forth his praise in the world there 's much of God shining in those creatures which man hath no service by Psal 148. Praise him ye Dragons and all Deeps Dragons praise God they raise up a revenue of glory to God though man get no service from them Secondly Such creatures adorn the universe the world is beautified with their variety Thirdly Even such creatures serve man when they are dead though they will not while they live some parts of them are Medicinal and many useful to man The Unicorn who will serve no man living while he lives yet his horn is accounted a great Antidote against Poyson and so is a means to prevent the death or prolong the life of many men So then there is no creature but is serviceable to God and man some way or other And though it may be truly said of some men as of the Unicorn with respect to man they will not serve God yet God hath service by them Will the Vnicorn be willing to serve thee Or abide by thy Crib A Crib is that in which an Oxe or an Ass feeds Isa 1.3 The Oxe knoweth his Owner and the Ass his Masters Crib that is the vessel in which he useth to be fed Solomon saith Prov. 14.4 Where no Oxen are the Crib is clean that is the Crib is not used and so remains clean If none come into a Room the Room is clean In one sense where Oxen are the Crib is clean that is they eat up all the fodder put into it But in Solomons sense where no Oxen are the Crib is clean because no fodder is put into it The Lord having said the Unicorn will do no work adds also he will not abide by thy Crib As he will do thee no service so he will put thee to no charge that 's a piece of ingenuity in the Unicorn as he does no work for man so he looks for no wages nor reward from man which may be a reproof to those men who are very unwilling to serve others yet are very willing to abide by their Crib they like it well to eat and drink upon you as long as you will and possibly whether you will or no but will not do a stroke of work Such a one we call proverbially a Lurdane from the lazy Danes who long since Lording it in this Kingdom would eat and drink in a good well-stored house but refused all labour The Unicorn is to be commended above such idle drones who use their teeth more than their hands as if they were born only to feed their bellies or to live upon the sweat of other mens brows for he hath a kind of honesty in him as he doth you no work so he will not trouble your Crib Hence note Some creatures will rather run the adventure of starving than work for their living They will rather indure hunger and thirst than be put upon labour There is much of this also in some mens spirits 't is so with all those whom Solomon calls sluggards they prefer hunger and ease which some calls a dogs life before plenty with industry and a thred-bare back before a sweating brow Secondly From the connexion in that the Text saith will he serve thee will be abide by thy Crib Note Whomsoever we call to our service we should provide a Crib for him We ought to feed those that do our work If the Unicorn would labour he should not want a Crib nor should any labouring man want a Table It were a most unrighteous thing in the sight of God and Man if he should As the Apostle gives the rule 2 Thess 3.10 He that will not work let him not eat so on the contrary he that doth work all the reason in the world he should eat therefore the Apostle James Chap. 5.4 denounceth a wo against rich men for detaining or keeping back either in whole or in part the hire of the labourers who had cut down their harvest Hire kept back crieth for what for wrath and vengeance upon them that detain or keep it back The law of God given by Moses Deut. 24.15 commanded that the labourers hire should be paid him presently his hire was not to be kept from him no not for a night As if the Lord had said he hath been willing to serve thee all the day therefore let him carry his wages home at night to comfort his Wife and Children The Lord is very jealous in this thing if a beast serve he must have a Crib Moratur ad praesepe Dâ—mini qui verbo Dei audiendo indesinenter dâ—t operam August and shall not man One of the Ancients applies this in a spiritual sense to hearing the Word of God The wicked will not serve God nor will they abide by his Crib they will not come where their souls may be fed to eternal life where they may have clean Provender as the Prophet speaks Isa 30.24 that is sound and wholesome doctrine directing them both what to believe and how to live that they may be saved and live for ever The Lord having in this 9th verse set forth the lawless
them The least bird that sits upon eggs may break them if she be careless and the greatest may preserve them by care Besides an Ostriches egg is a very hard egg and not easily broken therefore surely that cannot be the reason Secondly That she doth not sit upon her eggs her self because she wanteth feathers her under parts being bare and naked and so very unfit to yield warmth But if the Ostrich did thus upon a natural instinct there would be no reason to charge her with folly or to say God hath deprived her of wisdom for as the former reason so this would prove her to be a wise and provident creature therefore we must lay the reason somewhere else And God himself hath given us the true reason her blockish forgetfulness and unnaturalness having no consideration how soon her eggs may be spoiled Vers 15. And forgetteth that the foot may crush them That is she hath no thought that they may take hurt Ita stolida est ut non cogitat fieri posse ut ova sua quae humi reliquit pedibus serarum aut hominum premantur Merc. and therefore takes no care nor makes any provision to preserve them from hurt she minds not nor doth at all apprehend the danger which her eggs are â—n She forgetteth that the foot of man may crush them Or that the wild beast that passeth along in those wildernesses and desart places may break them The Hebrew is thresh them which implyeth more than cracking even breaking them all to pieces Thus we see what report God himself makes of the Ostrich but many other things are reported of the Ostrich by natural Historians which we have no reason to believe because they contradict the report which the Lord here makes of her unless they mean some other sort of Ostrich than is here described Aelianus l. 4. c. 6. 36. For Aelian tells us The Ostrich sits diligently upon her eggs till the young ones are hatcht and then is very tender over them Both which the Lord denies concerning the Ostrich in the Text while he saith She leaveth her eggs in the earth and warmeth them in the dust and forgetteth that the foot may crush them c. Hence note First Among unreasonable creatures beasts or birds there are some farther from reason than others are Though none of the beasts of the earth or fowls of the air have Reason properly so called that 's the priviledge of Angels and Men yet there are some of them that by a natural instinct shew a great deal of reason in what they do both as to their own preservation and the provision which they make for their young ones in which latter respect especially this Scripture takes notice of the deficiency of the Ostrich Secondly Forasmuch as the spirit of God reports this as the folly of the Ostrich that she leaves her eggs to so much hazzard and danger Observe To leave any thing in danger or not to provide against danger is a great argument of folly It is a great piece of wisdom to foresee danger and a greater to provide well against it A prudent man saith Solomon Prov. 22.3 foreseeth the evil and hideth himself but the simple puss on and are punished Noah heard of the flood and being warned of God moved with fear he both feared God and was afraid of the danger prepared an Ark to the saving of his house that is his houshold and family In all cases as 't is our wisdom to forsee danger so 't is our duty to provide against danger not to leave our eggs any thing we have much less our lives least of all our own souls or the souls of others in danger How many leave the souls of their children the souls of their relations in the earth yea to the earth or as we say to the wide world and forget what snares what temptations they may fall into what foot may crush them what wild beast may tread upon them yea many that have the charge of souls as Ministers leave their flocks and forget the danger that may come to them they forget that the foot may crush them that Satan and those wild beasts their lusts may ruin and destroy them We may say to such as Eliab the elder brother of David said to him when he was sent by his father to visit his brethren in the Camp 1 Sam. 17.28 With whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness dost thou know what will become of thy sheep thou hast left them for Lions and Bears to devoure and to tear So we may say to many who are hardened like the Ostrich against her eggs with whom have you left your flocks with whom have you left those few sheep those poor souls left under your charge may not wild beasts Bears and Lions destroy them Not to foresee danger shews some want of prudence but not to provide against danger foreseen is an argument of greatest folly Again consider this foolish creature the Ostrich leaves her eggs at as we say sixes and sevens and is gone she never troubles her self more with them yet they are preserved and her kind is continued though little thanks to her Hence we learn Thirdly There is a wonderful providence of God the Creator watching over those things which are left in hazzard by the folly of man or of any other creature By how much the Ostrich is more neglectful by so much the providence of God is more watchful In the carelesness of the creature how doth the care of God shine forth when they that are ingaged to or should provide for the good of others or to prevent their evil neglect that duty how wonderful is the goodness and kindness of God in providing for them and protecting them David had this confidence Psal 27.10 When my father and my mother like the Ostrich forsake me that is though my father and mother should prove so unnatural as to forsake me and expose me to the wide world yet the Lord will take me up How good is God who takes care for them for whom nearest relations take none The Prophet puts this question Quanto struthio-camelus stotidior est suorum ovorum oblitior tanto Dei providentia solicitur benignior as if the negative answer were out of question Isa 49.15 Can a woman forget like the Ostrich her eggs her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb Surely if the answer were to be made to this question in the light of nature would it not be this She cannot 't is impossible she should But how doth the spirit of God answer in the Text Not absolute in the negative she cannot nor absolutely in the affirmatively she will but mixtly or comparatively Yea they may forget yet will I not forget thee that is though it would be a very strange thing if they should yet possibly they may but 't is impossible that I should forget thee Or thus
made strong even forgetting God who hath made him strong That people thought themselves strong enough with horses without the strong God and therefore the Lord told them at the third verse The Egyptians are men and not God and their horses are flesh and not spirit that is they are weak and not strong not that they were weak in themselves but weak to save and deliver them or to give them victory in battel they are but flesh and not spirit flesh notes weakness and spirit notes strength so that though a horse hath a mighty strength yet if you trust to him he is but flesh that is he is weak And some conceive this was the reason why the Lord commanded Joshua in his war with the Canaanites to hough their horses as the rule is given Josh 11.6 Thou shalt hough their horses and burn their chariots with fire that is cut their nerves or as we say their ham-strings Why did the Lord command him to hough their horses why might he not preserve them for service in his wars Doubtless it was lest he should think that horses could do the work And therefore according to this command of God when David took a thousand chariots and seven hundred horse-men from the Moabites he houghed all the chariot-horses but reserved of them for an hundred chariots 2 Sam. 8.4 He would not multiply horses to himself out of the spoyls of the enemy lest he should seem to trust their strength and numbers Fifthly Fear not the strength of horses The Prophet saith to the fearful Jer. 12.5 If thou hast run with foot-men and they have wearied thee how canst thou contend with horses When we have horses to contend with 't is a very dangerous conflict The Prophet by foot-men and horse-men intends lesser and greater oppositions when we have to deal with lesser difficulties we have to deal with foot-men but when with greater then with horse-men If then you have to do with horses either in the metaphor or in plain sense fear them not why for they are but creatures and God who hath given them their strength can take away their strength and make them useless Psal 76.6 At thy rebuke O God of Jacob both the chariot and the horse are cast into a deep sleep Suppose a multitude of chariots and horses should come against us yet at the Lords rebuke if he doth but speak the word if the God of Jacob do but give a rebuke the chariots and horses are laid in a deep sleep that is they are as nothing or as dead Death is a deep sleep therefore though horses have a mighty strength yet be no more afraid of them than of that which is dead the Lord God who hath given them their strength can defend us against their strength or disable them notwithstanding their strength to offend us Hast thou given the Horse strength Hast thou cloathed his neck with thunder To cloath with or to be cloathed with this or that is a very common Scriptural phrase metaphorically applyed to things both corporeal and incorporeal Of the first sort are all those places of Scripture where man is said to be cloathed with skin and flesh Job 10.11 The flesh with worms and clods of dust Job 7.5 The fields with flocks Psal 65.13 The earth with Sea Psal 104.6 The Sea with clouds Job 38.9 The heavens with blackness Isa 50.3 Of the second sort are all those Scriptures which say A person is cloathed with righteousness Job 39.14 Psal 132.9 With salvation Psal 132.16 With glory and beauty Job 40.10 With power or strength Psal 93.1 Isa 51.9 With the Spirit of God Judg. 6.34 2 Chron. 24.20 With desolation Ezek. 7.27 With shame Psal 71.13 Psal 109.29 And as both things and persons are said to be cloathed with these so to be cloathed with any thing notes two things either First that such have much of it Thus to be cloathed with glory is to be exceeding glorious and to be cloathed with shame is to be exceedingly ashamed and to be cloathed with pride is to be exceeding proud and to be cloathed with righteousness and honour is to be exceeding righteous and honourable and to be cloathed with humility is to be exceeding humble and lastly to be cloathed with the Spirit is to be exceeding spiritual and full of the Spirit Or Secondly to be cloathed with any thing that is good notes it to be very becoming and ornamental to us as rich and sutable garments are or if it be bad that it is very disgraceful and detrimental to us as filthy and uncomely garments are Now here in the Text when the neck of the horse is said to be cloathed with thunder it must needs note somewhat in which the horse exceeds and which is both an honour and an ornament to the horse Hast thou saith God to Job or I cloathed his neck with thunder There are various interpretations of the word which we here translate thunder First Some affirm That the word by us rendred thunder Hic tonitru est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eum tonitru alias 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicatur Vestimenti nomine intelligo Jubas densas crisâ—â—antes Cajet signifies nothing less than thunder or that it doth not signifie thunder at all neither in a proper nor in a metaphorical sense but that it signifies the horses mane Nor can it be denyed but that this form of speaking is very apt and elegant to say the neck of a horse is cloathed with his mane as birds may be said to be cloathed with feathers or beasts with hair And here the mention of the horses mane is fitly brought in because the scope of the place is to set forth the chief signes and conditions of a generous stomackful War-horse For though the meanest horses have manes and that of an ancient Author be true in part of all horses That the mane is given them for an ornament Zenophon in Comment de re equestri yet generous horses have thickest and fullest manes hanging down and covering their necks as the old Poets often describe noble and warlikâ— Horses And that in this place of Job not an ordinary thin or shoâ—t mane but a thick and a deep one is intended we may collect from the word cloathed which will not well agree with those of ordinary Horses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arnol. Bootius Animad Sacrae l. 3. c. 6. sect 10. The only difficulty with which this interpretation is attended is how to make it out that the Hebrew word Ragnemah signifies the mane of a Horse it being never used in any place of Scripture but this and it is much questioned whither the word be to be found in the writings of any of the Jewish Rabbins in that sense The only answer is that it is to be reckoned among those words of which there are several in Scripture which are only once read or used and so the sense of them is to be given from the
give God the rule the law how to guide the world more equally in general or him in particular Whether the Contention lieth about the providence of God to the whole world or any Nation family or person it comes under the same question Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him That is Can he direct God to do and order things better or put them into a righter or more equitable course than they are disposed in No he cannot Who is the pleader saith Mr. Broughton that will instruct the Omnipotent let him come forth and try his skill Thus the Lord yet in a tender and fatherly way derides the folly of Job who would needs attempt upon the matter to teach him who is perfect in knowledge and to over-rule his decrees and determinations who is not only The Lord Chief Justice of all the World but Justice it self and the sole rule of it Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him Hence observe First There is a spirit in man in weak sinful man ready to contend with the Almighty God The question in the Text may be resolved into this position There are Contenders with God There are Contenders with the Word of God as was shewed before There are Contenders also with the Works of God or with God about his Works as I shall shew further now and this will soon appear if we do but compare the 4th verse of the 51th Psalme with the 4th verse of Rom. 3. In the Psalme David made Confession of his sin of that special enormous sin Adultery with the Murder that followed it Against thee onely have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight that thou mâ—ghtest be justified when thou speakest and clear when thou judgest As if David had said I humbly confesse my sin my adultery and my murder that when-ever the Lord shall bring any chastisement upon my person or upon my family when ever he shall afflict me or mine greatly he may be justified in so doing or that all the world may see that God had great reason to correct me and so justifie him in it For some possibly may say with wonder at the hearing of it What! the Lord correct David such a man as David so holy a man as David so just and upright a man as David Yes and the Lord is just in doing it and Dâ—vid confessed his sin that God might be justified when he should speak terrible things and be cleared when he should judge that is correct and afflict him terribly as the word is used 1 Cor. 11.31 If we would judge our selves we should not be judged that is we should not be chastened as 't is expounded vers 32. When we are judged saith the Apostle there we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world Now those words spoken by David are applied by the Apostle Rom. 3.4 to vindicate the honour of God against all aspersions whatsoever in his proceeding with man Let God be true and every man a liar as it is written that thou mightest be justified in thy sayings and mightest overcome when thou art judged In the Psalme the words are active That thou mayest be clear when thou judgest But St. Paul following as I remember the Septuagint renders them passively That thou mayest overcome when thou art judged As if he had said Some take upon them to judge God they who judge him contend with him that is they judge and passe sentence upon his works now saith the Apostle Let God be true and every man a liar that thou mightest be justified in thy sayings and mightest overcome when thou art judged that is that all men may see and say thou art righteous though thou afflictest the godly for they sin and though thou condemnest the wicked for they sin and repent not of their sins These two Scriptures considered either apart or compared together besides many more which might be called into this service are a clear proof that there are Contenders with God about his works Yet possibly some may say surely there are none to be found so bold and presumptuous What contend with God I answer First There are some who do it very openly avowedly and with a bare face they stick not to speak their dis-satisfaction concerning the works of God and belch out blasphemy against what he hath done or is doing in the world Such doubtlesse were they of whom it is said Isa 8.21 They shall passe through it hardly bestead and hungry and it shall come to passe that when they be hungry they shall fret themselves and curse their King and their God and look upward not in faith and patience as they who in such extremities call earnestly and humbly upon God but in passion and vexation as they who wickedly curse God and depart from him Such also are they spoken of Rev. 16.9 who being scorched with great heat at the pouring out of the fourth vial upon the Sun blasphemed the Name of God who had power over those plagues and repented not to give him glory Secondly I answer There are many who do this secretly or within their teeth they bite in their words yet 't is the language of their hearts in tumultuating thoughts arising and working there about the works of God and thus a good man a Job who was a good man of the first form may be found contending with the works of God Any discontent with the works of God is a degree of contending with God about them Any secret rising of heart against what God doth is in this sence a striving with God yea our being not fully pleased and satisfied with what God doth is in some sense a contending with God And if all this be to contend with God how many are there that contend with God! and who almost is there that doth not Who can say in this thing my heart is clean Who can say but at one time or other he hath contended with God Remember when we would have things after our mind and mode when we are not free to comply with the will of God this is to contend with God There are two Cases as to the common state of the world in which the hearts even of good men are very apt to rise against the work of God First When they see the wicked prosper and carry all before them in the world then they are ready to say Why doth God suffer this Jeremiah had much adoe to keep his heart from contending with God in this case Jer. 12.1 And David could hardly keep his from it Psal 73.2 3. As for me my feet were almost gone my steps had well nigh slipt for I was envious at the foolish when I saw the prosperity of the wicked And for this he befooled himself vers 22. So foolish was I and ignorant I was as a beast before thee Thus David was and many more have been offended at the work of God in giving good to
John stood upon the sand of the sea and saw a beast rise up out of the sea having seven heads and ten horns What was this beast Master Mead saith that by this beast and his seven heads and ten horns we are to understand the Pope with the companies or associations of all those Princes that put themselves under his power all these were figured saith he by that beast rising up out of the sea At the 11th verse of the same Chapter Saint John saith I beheld another beast coming out of the earth and he had two horns like a lamb and he spake like a dragon Apocalyptical Interpreters have various opâ—nions about this second beast but whoever or whatever this or the former beast is to be sure they are some body the spirit of God represents them as terrible Behemoths and the Church hath no help nor comfort against them but that in the Text He that made them can make his sword approach unto them The Prophet Isaiah Chap. 27.1 speaks of the Lords sword and of the use he will put it to In that day the Lord with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish Leviathan the piercing Serpent even Leviathan the crooked Serpent and he shall slay the Dragon that is in the Sea that is overcome the devil and all his instruments who oppose and would destroy his Vineyard of Red wine that is his Church Thus we see how the Lord in all ages past hath and how we are assured concerning the Ages to come that he will make that good concerning mystical Behemoths which here he speaks concerning the natural Behemoth He that made him can make his sword approach unto him The Lord having thus far described Behemoth by several parts of his body and by his great strength or power proceeds to describe him further by the manner of his life or by his meat drink and lodging in the latter part of this context to the end of the Chapter Vers 20. Surely the Mountains bring him forth food where all the beasts of the field do play In these words we have the provision which God hath appointed for Behemoth and where Though he be a very great beast and therefore needs much food 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quicquid terra prosert ut sunt herbae arbores yet the Lord hath store enough for him and hath set him where he may feed his fill The Mountains bring him forth grass that is all sorts of herbage and green things And though this part of the description of Behemoth may serve the Hippopotame who as Bochartus saith feeds upon the Hills and Mountains such as they are which lye near the River Nilus as other Amphibions do the Morse especially in other parts of the world yet no man can deny but it doth as well that I say not much better agree to the Elephant that the Mountains bring him forth food The words are plain and need no explication Note two things from them First God provideth food for all creatures even for Behemoth He provides them food from the greatest to the least they are all at Gods finding And doth God take care for Behemoths for Elephants or as some determine it Hippopotames River-Horses and Sea-monsters Surely then as David spake Psal 111.4 He will give meat to them that fear him he will ever be mindful of his Covenant This Inference hath been made from other passages in the former Chapter I only remind the Reader of it here The Lord who provideth mountains of grass or grass upon the mountains for Behemoth hath mountains of provision for all his faithful servants Secondly Note God provides proportionable food for all hiâ— creatures Behemoth is a vast creature therefore God hath whole mountains for him to graze upon he is not shut up in a little pytle or narrow field he hath large mountains for his storeâ— and will not the Lord give proportionable supplies to his people according to all their needs If our needs be great his store is greater The world is mine saith God Psal 50.12 and the fulness of it He that is the fulness of all things and hath in his power and at his dispose the fulness of all the world will not let them of whom the world is not worthy want any thing that is good and expedient for them The mountains and valleys too yea deserts and hard rocks shall bring them forth food God will turn stones into bread and rocks into water rather than they shall want As David said Psal 34.10 The young Lions so I may say the Elephants do lack and suffer hunger but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing that is Lions and Elephants shall rather want than they Surely the mountains bring him forth food Where all the beasts of the field play This argues the milde nature and gentleness of Behemoth the Elephant as was shewed at the 15th verse he lives upon grass not upon flesh as Lions and Bears he lives upon grass and therefore all the beasts of the field play where the Elephant feeds for they know he will not eat nor feed upon them he eats only grass Natural Historians tell us that the beasts seem to rejoyce when they see the Elephant because they know he will not hurt them not only do they feed with him to satisfie hunger but play and sport for delight Hence Note First God can restrain the strongest and most dangerous creatures from hurting the weakest Mitissimus est Elephas neque illius congressum exhorrent caetera animalia sed laeta in iisdem pascuis versantur Plin. l. 69. c. 9. The beasts would have little heart to play where the Elephant feeds were he as fierce and cruel as he is great and strong Thus the Lord orders the spirits of powerful men or of men in great power into such meekness and gentleness that even the meanest live quietly and peaceably by them without fear of hurt as was toucht before The Church is set forth playing as it were not only where the Elephant a gentle beast feeds but where wilde and ravenous beasts feed Isa 11.6 7 8 9. The wolfe shall dwell with the Lamb the Leopard shall lie down with the Kid the Calf and the young Lion and the Fatling shall lie down together and a little child shall lead them that is the Wolfe shall not hurt the Lamb the Leopard shall not trouble the Kid yea saith that illustrious Prophecy vers 8. The sucking child shall play on the hole of the Asp the weaned child shall put his hand on the Cockatrice den they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea The care of God over his Church and servants appears two wayes First In hiding them from such as would do them hurt As it is said Jer. 36.26 when Baruch and Jeremiah had done
commanded to offer Secondly The Lord directs Eliphaz and his two friends to apply themselves unto Job and desire his intercession for them Go to my servant Job and my servant Job shall pray for you To this direction the Lord subjoyns two things First An incouragement by a gracious promise in these words For him will I accept Secondly A threat in case they should neglect or refuse to go and perform this duty laid down in the close of the verse Lest I deal with you according to your folly in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right like my servant Job These are the particulars considerable in this 8th verse Therefore take unto you seven Bullocks and seven Rams The Lord spake this to Eliphaz and his two friends The word of illation Therefore at the beginning of the verse refers to the word For at the latter end of the former verse As if the Lord had said unto them Because ye have sinned against me and provoked me to anger so that my wrath is kindled by your not speaking of me the thing that is right therefore I advise you and be ye sure at your peril to follow my advice I advise you for the making up of this breach and the recovery of my favour to take unto you seven Bullocks and seven Rams Take unto you Some conceive that these words Vnto you are redundant yet doubtless they carry a clear sense as they stand in the Text Take unto you that is for your use and behoof in this great service Take unto you Seven Bullocks and seven Rams This was a great sacrifice and it was so under a twofold consideration First As to the matter of the sacrifice bullocks and rams were great cattle there were sacrifices of lesser matters We read in the law of Moses of a pair of turtle doves and two young pigeons for a sacrifice these the poorer sort under the law did offer with acceptation whereas rich and great men and such were these Eliphaz and his two friends in their time were commanded to bring great and richer sacrifices The rich as Solomon exhorts Prov. 3.9 were to honour the Lord with their substance and with the first fruits of their increase These rich men were to bring bullocks and rams a great sacrifice in the matter of it Jubentur septem tauros c. immolare quis perfectissimum est sacrificium Christ una expiotione omnia peccata delens Perfectus cuim uumerius septe narius est Brent Septem est numerus plentitu dinis persectionis id quod obsolutam expiationem s remissionam clpae eorum designabat Etsi interim in omnibus sacrificiis veteribus ad emicum Christi sacrificium cujus illa erant imago umbra respiciebatur Nerc Secondly It was a great sacrifice if we consider the number seven bullocks and seven rams One bullock was a sacrifice and one ram was a sacrifice but here God commanded seven of each Seven is a number of perfection and of plenitude seven is a great number and seven is a perfect number it is often used mystically or enigmatically to note perfection The Lord made all things in six days and rested the seventh seven days made up a compleat week and seven years are a week of years We read of A candlestick all of gold with a bowl upon the top of it and his seven lamps thereon and seven pipes to the seven lamps which were on the top thereof Zech. 4.2 We read also of the seven spirits Revel 1.4 and of seven golden candlesticks Rev. 1.12 These were mysterious sevens and there are many more mentioned in Scripture which to insist upon would make too great a digression from the purpose of the text under hand where we have seven bullocks and seven rams which make up and imply a great and perfect sacrifice as the law of Moses also directed in some cases Levit 23.18 And ye shall offer with the bread seven lambs without blemish So 1 Chron. 15.26 When the Lord helped the Levites that bare the Arke of the Covenant of the Lord they offered seven bullocks and seven rams Again 2 Chron. 29.21 They brought seven bullocks and seven rams and seven lambs and seven he-goats for a sin-offering for the kingdom and for the sanctuary and for Judah Balaam incited and hired to curse Israel said unto Balak Num. 21.1 Build me here seven altars s prepare me here seven seven oxen and rams He would needs imitate them whom he desired to ruin and offer a full sacrifice that he might curse them fully The greatest sacrifice for number that we read of was at the dedication of the Temple where the offering of the King was two and twenty thousand oxen and an hundred and twenty thousand htep l Kings 8.63 We read also of great sacrifices 1 Chron. 29.21 2 Chron. 17.11 and Chap. 30.24 There were greater sacrifices than seven yet seven was a great sacrifice Some Interpreters conceive that every one of the three was to offr seven bullocks and seven rams that had been a very great sacrifice but in that the Text is silent The law of Moses appointed Levit. 4.3 that if a Priest committed a sin of ignorance he should bring a young bullock without blemish unto the Lord for a sin-offering Thelaw required no more for a sin of ignorance in a Priest and if the whole congregation were guilty of a sin of ignorance their ossering was no more ver 13 14. and if a Ruler had committed a sin of ignorance the law required only a kid of the goats a male without blemish ver 23. and if any one of the common people committed a sin of ignorance they were to bring a kid of the goat a female ver 28. So that whereas the law required but one bullock for the sin of ignorance in a Priest and but one bullock for the whole congregation and for a Ruler but a kid of the goats a male and for any common person but a kid of the goats a female Here Jobs friends were commanded by the Lord to offer up seven bullocks and seven rams for the expiation of their sin which doubtless was only a sin of ignorance This plainly signified that the Lord was highly displeased with them for their harsh judgment and uncharitable censures of his servant Job and to let them know that their doing so could not be excused by their good intentions and zeal for God Thus we see what the sacrifice was both for kind and number The next words tell us what they must do with their sacrifice Go to my servant Job faith God Why to Job several reasons may be given why they should go to Job I shall name five or six First Because they had wronged Job and therefore they must be reconciled to him Secondly Because God would have them understand that himself notwithstanding their ill opinion of Job approved him as a good man yea as a man far exceeding them in godliness
all outward deficiencies yea for deformities and monstrosities whereas if the house of the body be never so well framed and built yet if it be inhabited by a proud unclean ignorant impious soul how doth that spoil defile and dishonour that body and make it no better than a darksome dungeon So far concerning the names of Jobs daughters who being qualified in body and mind according to the import of their names were themselves portion enough to any husband yet Job did not put them off so but gave an honourable share of his plentiful estate to them as it followeth And their father gave them inheritance among their brethren And well they deserved it Their father gave them He made the distribution to prevent contention which often falls out among children and possibly might among Jobs about their fathers estate This was a high favour and somewhat unusual to give daughters inheritance among their brethren they use only to inherit when they have no brethren For among the Jews and probably among the Idumeans it was a custome and it past into a law among the Jews that sons should have the whole inheritance the reason was because their families and inheritances were preserved distinct by the male not so by the females The Hebrew word for a male signifies Remembrance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but that for a female Forgetfulness because daughters lose the name of their family in marriage and therefore daughters did not inherit but when there was no male issue Thus it was in the case of the daughters of Zelophehad their father left no son so they inherited Num. 27.7 An immoveable inheritance came not to daughters they had only a moveable inheritance Illud Inter vel ut in Hebraeo est in medio fratrum aequalitatem quandam communem rationem denotat Pined But Job giving his daughters inheritance among their brethren implyeth as some Interpreters conceive that they had an equal inheritance in lands with their brethren which is also the opinion of our Annotators as if out of love to them and in reward of their vertues he gave to every one of them as to his sons a portion of land to inherit so that they shared proportionally with their brethren by their fathers Will and Testament and were coheirs with them in his estate equally Inter fratres sc ad designandum convenientiam virtutis in utrisque Aquin. Yet those words among or in the midst of their brethren note faith another Expositor only an equality in their good qualities vertues I suppose if you take equally in a strict sense that is just as much foot for foot penny for penny they did not inherit equally but if we take it in a common or large sense so they had as great an inheritance as their bâ—ethren they had as much for daughters as their brethren for sons Their fathers gave them inheritance among their brethren Hence note First It is the fathers duty to provide for his Children 1 Tim. 5.8 If any provide not for his own and specially for those of his own house he hath denied the faith and is worse than an infidel The Apostles meaning is in that point he hath denied the faith and doth not carry it like a believer no nor so well as unbelievers or infidels commonly do Secondly Their father gave them inheritance Hence note It is the fathers priviledge to dispose of his estate to his children Children must not take their portions their father must give it them Children must not carve to themselves It is the priviledge of the father to dispose of what he hath according to right and reason and the law of the place Thirdly Who were they that had this gift they were his daughters Their father gave them inheritance Hence note Daughters are to be provided for as well as sons Some fathers are all for their sons and neglect their daughters altogether Sons should not be denied their priviledge and daughters should not be unprovided for Sons bear up the name of the family and daughters may bring both strength and honour to the family by matching into worthy families Note Fourthly The better daughters are the better should parents father or mother do and provide for them The reason why Job went so high to give his daughters inheritance among their brethren was because his daughters were not only beautiful but dutiful and though women by sex yet of a masculine spirit The very grammer of the Text as some take notice leads us to this ground of their fathers bounty and nobleness to them he dealt with them as with sons because they had the vertues of sons for in three places the Holy Ghost useth the masculine affixe מ mem where according to ordinary rule he should use the feminine × nun to shew say they that Job was not moved by fond affection to his daughters but sound judgement he seing them exceed their sex in vertue equall'd them in his fatherly provision with those who were of a more excellent sex and dealt with them as with sons in their degree Lastly Observe Children ought to be satisfied with their fathers pleasure in disposing his estate among them We do not hear that there was any discontent in the sons because the daughters had so much nor in the daughters because they had no more both rested in what their father was pleased to do for them How much more should we rest content with that portion and inheritance which our father in heaven provides for us and indeed he will give all his daughters at last inheritance among his sons For as the Apostle speaketh with respect to grace so 't is true in respect to glory There is neither male nor female but Christ is all and in all The grace of God is not more to the male than to the female and as it is in the giving of grace here so it will be in the distribution of glory hereafter Brethren and sisters husbands and wives who are heirs of the same grace of life shall be all heirs together in the life of glory oâ— in the glorious life and therefore let us be content with what portion or inheritance our heavenly father is pleased to give us to allor or allow us in this life JOB Chap. 42. Vers 16 17. 16. After this lived Job an hundred and forty years and saw his sons and his sons sons even four gegenerations 17. So Job died being old and full of dayes THese two verses conclude the History and whole Book of Job and in them we may consider these six things First The length of Jobs life or how long he lived even an hundred and forty years Secondly From whence we are to date this account of his life After this saith the Text lived Job an hundred and forty years Thirdly We have here the great increase of his family he had not only sons of his own but saw his sons and his sons sons even four generations Fourthly