in any new sufferings O saith he God hath made my heart soft that is I begin to faint I finde my selfe drooping I have not that strength of spirit and though I am not a coward yet I have not that courage that hardnes or hardines of spirit which I have had heretofore He queried indeed Ch. 6.12 Is my strength the strength of stones or is my flesh brass He had much strength but not the strength of stones nor was he hard as brass Now he saith plainly my heart is made soft it melteth like wax at the fire I am so litle like brass or stones in strength or hardnes that I am altogether like wax or water I am so far from having a minde to strive with or rise up against God that I know not how to stand before him if he which he seems to intend should still goe on to afflict me I am growne weake and unable to beare yet my burden remaines and will probably be made yet more heavie This interpretation carrieth a distinct sence in it and that which is most genuine to the scope of the place Mr Broughtons translation of the latter clause of the verse suites this exposition of the former with much clearenes For the Omnipotent hath softned my heart and the Almighty hath made me shrinke Whereas wee say the Almighty troubleth me he saith The Almighty hath made me shrinke For so a man commonly doth who eyther feares or feeles that which he is not well able to beare Hence Note The heart of a Godly man even of the most Godly may be so weakened under long continued sufferings that he may finde himselfe utterly unable to beare them any longer Wicked men labour to strengthen and harden themselves all they can to beare in opposition to God and Saints would strengthen and harden themselves all they can to beare in submission to God Pharaoh hardened his heart to oppose God striking him hee had stroake after stroake and Judgement after Judgement yet he would not yeeld but at last God made his heart soft in one sense though hee hardened it in another God appeared at last too hard for Pharaoh hee could hold out no longer And we finde the Lord speaking thus by Ezekiel to his people who it seemes by the language which God useth concerning them had as it were set themselves with unholy resolutions to stand or rather stout it out with God and beare the worst that hee could doe unto them But saith the Lord Ezek. 22.14 can thine heart endure or can thine hands be strong in the day that I shall deale with thee When I deale with thee in wayes of Judgement when I take thee in hand to punish and repay thee according to thy workes can thine heart endure no! it cannot endure it shall not be able to endure The Lord doth not meane it of an endureing with submission and patience So it is the honour of Saints to endure what ever God layes upon them but to endure with stoutnes and resistance art thou able to stand it out or can thine hand be strong no thy heart and hand will be soft and weake thou wilt not be able to beare it when I come to deale with thee It is sayd of Christ by David his type Psal 22.13 when hee was under those terrible sufferings for our sins that his heart was made soft and if it were so with the greene tree what must it be with the dry I am powred out like water and all my bones are out of joynt my heart is like wax it is melted in the midst of my bowells Thus the sufferings of Christ our head who was also the Captain of our salvation and the mighty God made his heart soft and melted him His heart was not melted with sorrow for his owne sin for he was without sin but the sorrow that was upon him for our sins melted his heart Whose heart will not melt grow soft that is unable to beare it when God layeth his hand heavy and long upon him Therefore we râ—ad in the Prophet how the Lord takes notice of this and condescends to the weaknes of man Isa 57.16 I will not contend for ever neither will I be alwayes wroth I will not goe onne to doe as I have done Why What 's the reason of it not but that God is able to continue his Contending and to carry on his warre whether with persons or with Nations for ever but he hath respect to the poore Creature for saith he I will not doe it lest the spirit should faile before mee and the soules which I have made How can soules faile the soule is an immortall substance and shall not faile for ever The soules of the damned shall be under everlasting Contendings and never faile they shall beare wrath for ever and not faile yea their bodyes shall not faile but through the power of God sustaining them under his Justice shall endure everlasting torments The meaning of that expression in the Prophet is the same with this in the Text Their heart will be made soft as yet they have strength faith and courage to beare these afflictions but if I continue them longer their spirit and strength their faith and patience will faile and be so worne out that they will not be able to abide it God would not Contend for ever lest as Job here complaines he should make their hearts soft And the Almighty troubleth mee That is his presence or his dispensations trouble me Deus in cujus potentia sufficientiaque divitiarum solatium meum esse debebat is me privavit omni solatio animam meam plane dejecit deserit me terret me Sanct wee see how much the spirit of Job was carryed out in the thing And he useth a word here that signifieth the power of God to comfort and refresh or God in his allsufficiency to comfort yet saith he this Almighty troubleth mee that is the thoughts or remembrance of him troubleth me He hath cast downe and grieved my soule already and I am much troubled with fearefull apprehensions of like severities from him againe These words the reader will easily perceive to be of the same minde and meaning with the 15th verse of this Chapter lately opened and therefore I shall not stay upon them but proceed to the last verse Vers 17. Because I was not cut off before the darknes neither hath he Covered the darknes from my face Here Job gives another reason of his being thus troubled at the presence of the Almighty It is saith he because I was not cut off before the darknes or because I dyed not by thick darknes so Mr Broughton we say because I was not cut off hee because I dyed not both meete in the same meaning For death is a cutting off and death will cut off or mow downe the strong yea the strongest as the sith doth eyther corne or grasse Thus spake Hezekiah in his sicknes Isa 38.10 I sayd in the
unable to resist or make his party good with him with much submission takes hold of his arme or weapon endeavouring by earnest suit to stay him from smiting And indeed to take hold of the strength of God is to take hold on his mercy The strength of God to save sinners lyes in his mercy and that mercy is in his Son who is his strength to save sinners if a sinner lay hold of this strength the mercy of God in his Son that he may make-peace with God if this be his designe he shall make peace there shall not be a treaty with God in Christ for peace in vaine if a sinner should take hold of the strength of his owne righteousnes performances if he should take hold of the strength of all the Angels in heaven he could not make peace with God nor would God agree with him upon those termes Such a soule must returne re infecta without his errand God is ready to be at peace with 〈◊〉 but we must have our peace in his way not in our owne Acquaint now thy selfe with him and be at peace And this peace whether in our selves or with God is no light or unprofitable thing as Eliphaz to provoke Job to pursue and seeke after it tells him in the last words of this verse Thereby good shall come unto thee Thereby whereby or by what what is it that shall procure or produce this good The answer is at hand Thy acquaintance with God thy being at peace will procure all good things for thee Acquaint thy selfe with him and be at peace be at peace in thy own spirit be quiet be at peace with God be reconciled every way good shall come unto thee Mr Broughton renders Prosperity shall come unto thee the sence is the same Others read in stead of good shall come unto thee thy comings in shall be good thou shalt have a good revenâ—â—â—ood income Proventus tuus erit bonus Drus whereas before evill came upon thee now thy coâ—â—â—gs in shall be good This also is of the same meaning with our translation I shall not need to stay upon the opening of the words there is no difficulty in them From their dependance in that he saith Acquaint thy selfe with him and be at peace so shall good come unto thee These words are brought in by way of inference upon the former whence Observe That when wee are estranged from God good is estranged from us God can stop the Influences of all our mercies from us he can lay an embargo upon all Creatures from bringing any good to us the there be store of treasure and rich Commodity in the place yet he can barre up all that no good can come unto us yea the Lord in such cases doth often lay a stop upon the spirit of prayer in his own people and when the heart is stopt that we cannot pray then usually good is stopt and kept back from coming to us Prayer is that which fetches in mercy and good things through the love of God in Jesus Christ Prayer may have a twofold stop First prayer may have a stop in the heart secondly Prayer which comes forth of the heart may have a stop in heaven the Lord doth even shut out-prayer sometimes and when prayer is shut out no good can get out to us Prayer is sent upon a message to heaven and if our messenger be shut out of doores and not admitted in what answer can we expect by his message And the Lord as he doth stop such from the receiving of further good so from the receiving of good by what they have already Wee may have that which in the nature of it is good and yet have no good by it God can stop the creature in our hands that it shall not at all give us any Comfort as well as he can stop any creature-comfort from comming into our hands Unlesse the Lord in one sence stop the creature it quickly leakes out all the Comfort which he hath put into it and proves to us indeed what sin hath made it a broken Cistern And unlesse the Lord open the creature the creature cannot give forth that good which it hath It will be to us as a Cisterne without a vent to passe out the water for our use There 's many a one who hath enough in his hand take it in any kinde but he enjoyes nothing of it because the Lord locks up the conduit or the cisterne and then how much good soever there is in it there 's none for him It is all one to us whether we have onely a broken Cisterne for our portion or a Cisterne alwayes lockt up for as the one lets all the water run out so the other holds all the water in we are as farre from good if our Cisterne hold all as if it held nothing at all It is then not onely our duty and our holines to acquaint our selves and be at peace with God but our wisdome and our interest For it is as he pleaseth alwayes and usually as we please him that eyther we have any thing that is good comming to us or that any good commeth to us by that which we have Secondly Note which is a Corallary from the former observation That the renewing of our Communion with God and making peace with him is followed with all manner of mercies and good things So shall good come unto thee There was never any man a looser by acquaintance with God Gods acquaintance is a gainfull acquaintance Our acquaintance with God should we consider it abstractly and separate from all benefit but his very acquaintance yet that is benefit enough God is the chiefest Good and therefore when we enjoy him we enjoy all Good The enjoyment of God himselfe is infinitely more then the enjoyment of all created good things that come from God Friends are sometimes in those heights of friendship and noblenes of spirit one to another that they count the enjoyment of one another to be more then all the benefits they can heape upon or reape by one another it is your good Company saith such a friend and your acquaintance that delights me more then all the good you can bestow upon mee And is not God much more so to us Thus I say acquaintance with God alone is all good but besides as the poynt leads us to consider God gives out good things from himselfe to all his holy acquaintants temporall or bodily good comes to us by his acquaintance and so also and that chiefly doth spirituall or soule good Acquaint thy selfe with God and the dewes of grace showers of the Spirit shall fall into thy bosome Acquaint thy selfe with God and spirituall Comfort shall flow in unto thee spirituall strength shall flow in unto thee thy soule shall be filled as with marrow and fatnes And as good shall come to thee in person so to thine to thy family and posterity good shall come And as God will cause good to
though I confesse if God should put forth his power I were not able to hold up my head before him and that he could easily overthrow me with a breath yet I am perswaded he will take a more favourable course and deale with me in mercy not with rigour or severity Vers 6. Will he plead against me with his great power I know he is cloathed with Majesty and that the greatnes of power is his but will he plead against me with it The Hebrew text is will he plead with me to plead with and to plead against are the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contenâ—et quasi de jure suo ut illud exigat To plead is a Law terme He that pleadeth against another discovers eyther the faultines of his person when accused or the weaknes of his Title when controverted This word is used by the Prophet Isa 57.16 I will not contend or plead for ever I will not argue my owne prerogative nor will I argue thy sinfullnesse alwayes or without end why not if I should the spirit would faile before me and the soules which I have made where though spirit and soule are put synechdochically for the whole man that is for flesh and spirit for soule and body together yet the Lord mentions onely spirit and soule because of their strength to beare divine contendings beyond the body or the flesh As if he had sayd even that which is strongest in man would fayle if God should alwayes contend 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Num copia sui roboris c. Will he plead against me with his great power or strictly to the Letter with the multitude of his power with the forces of his power The power of God is great yea the power of God is greatest all his power is allmighty power yet God doth not alwayes put forth the greatnes of his power He is a most free agent and so can restraine and hold in his owne power when he pleaseth and not use it to the terror of a poore creature or plead against him with it Againe The power of God may be taken two wayes First for his strength or his power of doing and executing secondly for his prerogative authority or his power of commanding and ruling we may interpret it here of the latter will God deale with me by his prerogative power thinke you will he oppresse me with his meere authority Per multaÌ„ dei fortìtudineÌ„ potentiam ejus absolutam summum jus dici solet intelliguÌ„t multi Bold I have another opinion of God surely he will not doe so For he is good and gratious and he will attemper his prerogative with pity his great power with much mercy Will he plead against me with this great power Jobs question is a confident negation such negative interrogations are frequent in Scripture will he is he will not plead against me with his great power but Job is not satisfied that his speech carrieth a negation in it and therefore lest any should not fully enough understand him so he expresseth his negative will he plead with me with his great power no His power is not nor ever will it be against me He will take some other course with me he will deale with me upon the account of goodnes and mercy not upon the account of power He will not breake me a bruised reed nor quench me who am but smoaking flax he will rather bind me up and cherish the least sparke which he perceiveth alive in me Will he plead against me with his great power Hence observe First God hath great power much power All power is his The power of men and Angels is his What power soever whether for kinde or degree is in the hand of any creature that power belongs to God Thus David a man of Great power states it God hath spoken once twice have I heard this That power belongeth unto God The power that is scattered and divided all the world over is centred and united in him God hath a greatnesse of power in commanding and disposing what and how things shall be done he also hath a greatnes of power in doing and executing what he hath commanded The commands of men are often unperformed eyther because they to whom their commands are sent have no power to performe them or because they want power to backe their owne commands Wee may consider the Greatnes of the power of God several wayes First As he can doe all things and is omnipotent there is nothing too hard for him his hand is not shortened in reference to the longest or the greatest workes and difficulties And as he can doe whatsoever he hath a will to doe so he will doe whatsoever he pleaseth to have done whatsoever he purposeth to doe whatsoever is upon his heart to doe none of his counsells ever fayled nor have any of the thoughts of his heart been frustrated Men often purpose to doe but they seldome have power to doe what they have purposed they are bigge with the conceptions of many great matters but when the children come to the birth they have no strength to bring forth God never failes in his power to doe whatsoever he hath a purpose or a mind to doe God hath power enough to backe his commands and he can supply power to those whom he calleth to execute them Secondly The greatnesse of Gods power is seene in this that He hath a right to doe all that he doth As he hath a fullnesse of strength so a fulnesse of Authority he doth not usurp or intrench upon any other power in what he doth nor upon any mans property in what he hath it is his due to doe what he doth and to have what he hath God is supream giving the Law to all receiving the Law from none his is not a tyrannicall but a just and a righteous power his is not a might without right but a might with right What the Prophet speakes of the Chaldeans Hab. 1.7 is true of God in every sence in the strictest sence His judgement and his dignity proceedeth of himselfe he is a law unto himselfe his rule is internall and his power intrinsecall All derive power from him therefore his power is altogether underived Power underived must needs be great power yea the Greatnes of power Thirdly The greatnesse of his power appeareth further in this that no man may presume to question him for what he doth He hath great power in what he doth whom none may so much as aske what doest thou Nebucadnezzar a heathen in highest earthly power confesseth as much of the power of God as soone as he regained the reason of a man Dan. 4.34 35. At the end of the dayes that is after the terme of seven yeares was accomplished when for the heart of a beast a mans heart was restored to him I Nebuchadnezzar lift up mine eyes to heaven and mine understanding returned unto me and I blessed the most high and I
is that when God comes to plead with Beleevers he pleads not against them with his power and righteousnesse seing Christ with both pleads for them He pleads for them not onely as he is Jesus Christ the righteous but as he is the mighty the All-powerfull God This is the chiefest ground of a beleevers confidence that God as Job here saith will not plead against him with his great power What then did Job beleeve would God doe with him the next words enforme us what his faith was in that particular But he would put strength in mee So we render the Hebrew is onely thus He will put in mee Veruntatem ille pones in me Heb. what he would put is not expressed in the Original which hath caused some variety of opinion what it should be that the Lord would put into him and I finde a threefold conjecture in the poynt First The supplement is made thus He would produce arguments or reasons against me and this is conceived most suitable to the context and scope of the place as also to the action of pleading before spoken of Poneret afferret in me suas rationes Merc. Ipse poneret coÌ„tentioneÌ„ in me id est non robore mecum ageret sed verborum contentione Ch would he plead with or against me with his great power no but he would shew me the reason of his dealings with me he would not proceed against me in a martiall but in a legal way not in a prerogative but in a discoursive argumentative way he would shew me the cause why he thus contendeth with me and hath so sorely afflicted me God would condescend so farre to my weaknes as to give me an account though I dare not presume to call him to an account and though he hath both power and right to deale with me as he pleaseth yet I am much assured that he would be pleased to tell me why he deals thus with me This interpretation is cleare to the generall scope of the context and argues nothing unbecoming that holy confidence which the Grace of the Gospel alloweth a beleever in yea encourageth him unto when in any distresse he approacheth unto God for the reliefe and comfort of his troubled Spirit Secondly Another thus Will he plead against me with his great power Fonet in me sc cor suum i e. compleâ—eretur me favoure Pisc no but he would put his heart upon me that is he would imbrace me with his favour and lay me in his bosome Though his hand hath been exceeding heavy upon me yet I believe his heart is towards me though he hath smitten me with the wound of an enemy yet he will receive me as a friend and give me signal testimonies of his love I should not feele the weight of his hand but see the tendernes of his bowels and his heart moving towards me This also is an interpretation full of truth and as full of comfort to a wearied soule Thirdly The supplement made in our translation reacheth both the former and suites also to the former branch of the Text with much elegancy Alij sub audiuÌ„t repetuÌ„t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in me robur poneret ad consistendum coram sâ— â—e infiâ—mum fulciens roborans Merc. Would he plead against me with his great power no but he would put power or strength into me he will be so farre from putting out his strength against me that he will put his strength into me he knoweth my weaknesse how unable I am to contend with or beare up against his power and therefore he would put power into me Mr Broughton renders clearely to this sense Would he by his great power plead against me no but he would helpe me helpe is power and he that helpeth another administers power to him he either puts new strength into him or joynes his strength with him So then Job was assured that God would put strength into him or be his strength to helpe and carry him through all the difficulties that lay before him Hence Observe First A beleiver hath no opinion of his owne strength or that he can doe any thing in his owne strength He trusts no more to his owne strength or power then to his owne righteousnesse or worthinesse As our Justification before God is purely founded in the righteousnesse of Christ so all the actings of our sanctification are maintained by the strength of Christ Holy Job spake nothing of his owne strength yea he spake as having no strength of his owne A Godly man knows his owne strength is but weaknesse and that when he prevailes with God it is with a power which he hath from God Paul useth a forme of speech which we may call a divine riddle 2 Cor. 12.10 When I am weake then I am strong he predicates or affirmes one contrary of another weaknesse is contrary to strength how a weake man should be strong and then especially strong when he is weake is hard to conceive by those who are spirituall and is unconceivable by those who are carnal This assertion is enough to pose and puzle nature He that is weake is strong or the readiest way to get strength is to be weake The truth and the Apostle Pauls meaning is plainly this When I am weake in my owne sense and opinion when I am convinced that I have no power of my owne then I feele power coming in then Christ strengthens me and I am strong then I experience that word My grace is sufficient for thee When I finde the waters of my owne cisterne low and fayling then I have a supply from the Spirit So the Apostle spake Phil. 1.19 I know that this also shall turne to my salvation through your prayers and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ The first Adam received all his strength at once we now receive our strength by dayly fresh supplyes from the second Adam The word there used by the Apostle which we render supply signifieth an under-supply implying thus much that as the naturall body and each particular member of it is supplyed with sence and motion together with a suitable strength and ability from the head so beleevers who are altogether the mysticall body of Christ and each of them members in particular are supplyed from Christ their head by the Spirit with spirituall life motion and strength of Grace for every duty to which they are called or which is required of them And because as this is so in its selfe so beleevers are instructed in it therfore they disclaime and goe out of their own strength that the power of Christ may rest upon them Christ fills none but the hungry nor doth he strengthen any but the weake They who thinke they have any thing of their owne shall receive nothing from him unlesse Christ be all in all to us he will not be any thing at all to us Secondly Observe God himselfe puts strength into humbled sinners that they
may stand before him As he knows what strength such need so he gives them the strengâ—h they need He will put strength in me maybe the confidence of any soule in Jobs case We are not able to stand before God under the burden of our corruptions nor yet are we able to walke before him under the burden of our duties unlesse himselfe be pleased to administer strength to us And surely if we have cause even to glory in our infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon us 2 Cor. 12.9 then much more have we cause to glory in the power of Christ when we finde so many infirmities resting in us The Prophet saw this fully while he said Isa 45.24 Surely shall one say in the Lord have I righteousnesse and strength even to him shall men come in the Lord shall all the seed of Israell be justified and shall glory That we have strength in and from the Lord is to us a ground of holy Glorying as wel as that we have righteousnesse in him For though to be justified be a higher favour then to be strengthned yet unlesse we were strengthned as we could not take in the comfort of our Justification freely so neyther could we give God the glory of it so fully as we ought And as it is the joy of beleevers that God will put strength into them when they are humbled under the greatest weaknesses so that their strength is still in him For God doth not so put it into us as to put that strength out of himselfe The strength which God puts into us is a strength still residing in himselfe The strength which we have received as well as that which we have not yet received is still in the hand of God And from his hand we shall receive renewalls of strength for all our needs and purposes Take five instances in speciall First A Believer shall receive strength to doe or an acting power from Christ Though Christ hath done all for us yet we have much to doe for Christ and such is the mystery of Godlinesse that the same Christ who hath done all for us will also doe all in us Christ layeth a yoak upon the necks of his people and a burden upon their shoulders but he puts power and strength into their shoulders to carry his yoak and beare his burden and that 's the reason why he calls his yoake easie and his burthen light it is not so considered in it selfe as if we could make light worke of the worke of Christ but his burden is light because he hath promised to give his at least a sufficient strength to bear it A heavy burthen is not grievous to equal strength it is light to a superior or greater strength As all our sins the least whereof is a burden too heavy for us to beare are light to us through the righteousnesse of Christ so all the commandements of God the least of which is too hard for us alone are light to us through the strength of Christ This was the Apostle Pauls profession I can doe all things through Christ that strengtheneth me Phil. 4.13 A little is too much for us all is but little for Christ as we have the anointing of the Spirit whereby we know all things 1 Joh. 2.20 so we have the strengthening of the Spirit whereby we doe all things It is a high priviledge that Saints who receive their worke from heaven receive their strength from heaven too And that as God puts his commands upon them so he puts this power into them The Lord is so farre from requiring worke of us without giving us wages for what we have done that he doth not require worke of us without giving us strength to doe it When we looke upon our reward it might seeme that we have done all our selves but when we looke upon his assistance it is as evident that we have done nothing of our selves The Lord is not like those Aegyptian task-masters who called for brick but would not give straw no the Lord who calls for brick doth not onely give us straw but strength even hands and hearts to doe our worke Gospel-grace or new-Covenant-grace promiseth us strength to doe what we are commanded to doe Secondly The Lord gives us as strength to doe so to suffer strength to beare his crosse as well as his yoake so the Apostle comforts the Corinthians 1 Ep 10.13 No temptation that is no affliction for as every temptation hath trouble in it and is therefore justly called an affliction so every affliction hath a tryall in it and is therefore justly called a temptation in which sence the Apostle there saith no temptation hath taken hold of you but that which is common to man but God is faithfull that will not suffer you to be tempted above what ye are able but with the temptation will make a way of escape that ye may be able to beare it As if he had sayd be not afrayd that you shall be oppressed with the burden of any affliction or temptation which ye endure in my cause or for my name sake for ye shall receive an ability commensarable to your affliction whatsoever it is you shall be supported in those afflictions which are immediately from the hand of God much more in those which are from the hand of man even in the extreamest and hottest persecutions Paul had experience of this 2 Tim. 4.17 There he tells a sad story of the fearefullnesse if not of the unfaithfullnes of men even of good men to him in an evill day and he tells as comfortable a story of the presence and faithfullnesse of God to him in an evill day even in the worst and blackest day that this world could lowre upon him in At my first answer no man stood with me that is no man appeared to strengthen to comfort me all men forsooke me I pray God it be not laid to their charge What then was he left of all because left of all men no such matter All men left him but God who is but one One-most God and who alone is more then all men abode by him as it followes in the Text notwithstanding the Lord stood with me and strengthned me that by me the preaching might be fully knowne and that all the Gentiles might heare and I was delivered out of the mouth of the Lyon that is out of the danger of my deadly persecuters even out of the danger of Nero himselfe by whose power so many had been destroyed The Lord alwayes stands by his in time of affliction and tryall eyther to strengthen them in it or to strengthen them out of it that is to escape it eyther to deliver them from the danger of it or to encourage them in the dangers of it Thirdly The Lord puts strength into his people to mortifie corruption he gives us not onely power against but power over our lusts Fleshly lusts and corruptions are strong and if we have not strength from
Christ to subdue and conquer them they will be too hard for us and foyle us We are easily and presently foiled by pride by covetousnesse by wrath by envie all these passions and lusts will trample us under their feete in the dirt of all sinfullnesse and pollution both of flesh and spirit unlesse we receive power from on high to subdue and mortifie them Rom. 8.13 If ye through the Spirit mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live that is ye shall live comfortably holyly and eternally The deeds of the body that is sinfull deeds and the roote of them sinfull lusts count all weapons as Leviathan doth speares and swords but straw and stubble rather to be laughed at then feared except onely the weapons or power of the Spirit And when once we take our lusts to taske with the weapons of the Spirit they presently fall and dye before us The Spirit is the strength of God in us for the mortification of Corruption Fourthly We are strengthened or God puts strength into us for the resisting and conquering of the temptations of Satan we meet with many assaults from the devill and from the world who are confederate with our lusts These we must resist stedfast in the faith and that not onely in the faith as the faith imports soundnes of doctrine or divine truth but as The faith imports dependance upon Christ for strength and assistance Peter being a cheife a grandee in the traine of Christ or among the Disciples of Christ was Satans eye-sore and the fayrer marke for his fiery darts Satans fingers itcht to be doing with him he saith our Saviour desired to have him that he might sift him as wheat Luk. 22.31 that is to sift him throughly not to fetch out his chaffe from him but indeed to make him chaffe How was Peter upheld I have prayed for thee saith Christ that thy faith faile not that is I have prayed that God would put strength into thee that thy faith faile not if once faith faile we are overcome But is faith our strength No but faith goes to and takes hold of him who is our strength or who puts strength into us that we fall not in temptation But you will say Peter fell and he fell grievously his fall was great he denyed his Master 'T is true Peter fell but he did not fall away his faith did not faile that is it was not totally lost and therefore when Christ lookt upon him and by that looke renewed his strength he gat up againe even when he denied Christ there was a seed of faith remaining in him though like a tree in the winter his fruit was gone yea and his leaves too and he looked dead and withered yet there was sap in the roote his faith failed not whence was this he had an invisible supply of strength from God I have prayed saith Christ that thy faith faile not The prayer of Christ fayled not and therefore his faith did not Christ prayed that he might have strength by beleeving and though he had not so much faith as to preserve him standing yet he had so much faith as to raise him from his fall And what Christ prayed for Peter he prayed for all that should beleeve on his name that in all their resistings of and contendings with temptation their faith also may not fayle As faith is one principall piece of our spirituall armour whereby we overcome temptation so it fetches in that which is the whole of the whole Armour of God even the strength of God When the Apostle exhorts Saints Eph. 6.11 To put on the whole armour of God He premises another most needfull exhortation or exhorts them first v. 10. to be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might implying that it is not any one piece no nor the whole armour of God abstractly or precisely taken which is our strength but that the God of this Armour is our strength in the spirituall combate Though our loynes were girt about with truth and we have on the breast-plate of righteousnesse though our feete were shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace and we have the shield of faith in our hand though we should take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God yet if thus arrayed it were possible for us to neglect or forget the God of the Word it were not possible for us to conquer the footmen lesser much lesse the horsemen Greater least of all The Charets of iron the greatest temptations of the Prince of darknes As no carnal weapon hath any thing at all to doe so no spirituall weapon can doe any thing at all in this warre without the strength of God or rather to conclude this poynt all these spirituall weapons and Armour are nothing else but the strength of God or the various puttings forth of the strength of God in weake man Fifthly and lastly God gives us strength to pray to and plead our cause before him he will not dazle us with his glory nor confound us with his Majesty when we come to plead with him but he will put strength into us In prayer we prevaile with God but the strength whereby we prevaile with God comes from God yea he doth not onely give us strength in prayer to act by but he acts that strength in prayer Rom. 8.26 Likewise the Spirit helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it selfe maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered Prayer is strong worke it calls forth the whole strength of the soul nor doth the soule in any thing shew its strength more then in prayer praying is wrestling and how can we wrestle without strength Even the king of Ninevy gave this direction at his fast Jon. 3.8 Let them cry mightily And our Lord Jesus Christ in the dayes of his flesh offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares Heb. 5.7 Now the Spirit is the strength of God in us for prayer he helpeth our infirmities and we are onely a bundle of infirmities without his helpe There is a threefold strength needfull in prayer and God by the Spirâ—t puts these three strengths into us First The Spirit helpes us with strength of argument to plead with God Secondly The Spirit helpes us with strength of faith in taking hold upon God Thirdly The Spirit helpes us with strength of patience in waiting upon God till we receive what we have prayed for Jacob by this threefold strength had power with God in prayer Hos 12.3 and it was the power or Spirit of God by which he had this threefold strength to prevaile with God Thus we are strengthened with might by the Spirit in the inner man Eph. 3.16 We are strong to doe and strong to suffer we are strong to mortifie corruptions and strong to conquer temptations we are strong to pray and strong to plead our
golden pipes which did empty the golden oyle or according to the letter of the Hebrew the Gold out of themselves That spirituall oyle was called golden or gold because like gold shineing pure and precious The gifts and graces of the Spirit are golden oyle indeed So Jer. 51.7 Babylon hath been a golden Cup in the hand of the Lord Which some expound tropically taking the Continent for the thing contained The cup for the wine Called golden wine because of the splendidnes and beauty of it as Solomon speakes Pro. 23.31 When it giveth his colour in the cup. Or Babylon is called a Golden cup first because of the great glory wealth and illustrious pomp of that Empire described in Daniel Chap. 2.32.38 by a head of Gold and marked out in Isaiah by the name of the Golden City Isa 14.4 and secondly because God had caused other Nations to drinke deep of his wrath by the power of the Babylonian Empire Upon which account Mysticall Babylon is sayd to have a Golden cup in her hand Rev. 17.4 Gold is the King the chiefe of metals gold is among metals as the Sunne is among the Starres and Planets of Heaven the glory and Prince of them all So that when Job saith I shall come forth as gold his meaning is I shall come forth pure and in much perfection Gold is first the most precious metal secondly the most honourable metal thirdly the most weighty metal fourthly the most durable metal fifthly the most desirerable metal Every one is for gold Aurum per ignem probatum symbolum est jâ—storum nam illâ— minime laedit examen â—gnis per ista igitur verba vir sanctus candorem suae innocentiae conscientiae puritatem maximam cirâ—umloquitur Bold So that when Job saith I shall come forth gold his meaning is as if he had sayd my tryall will not diminish but rather adde unto me I shall be precious honourable weighty durable desireable after I have been in the furnace or fineing pot of my sorest and severest Tryalls And he speakes thus in opposition to his friends who had an opinion of him as if he were but drosse or the off-scoureing of all things as the Apostles were reckoned in their time I shall come forth not drosse and trash but gold as if he had sayd Were I once tryed I should be for ever quit of those Charges brought in against mee and of those scandals cast upon mee I should shine in reputation and honour like pure gold coming out of the fire I should recover my good name and be found a man loyall to God and righteous towards men Hence note Grace renders man excellent and precious Every godly man is gold yea he is more precious then fine gold The finest gold is but drosse to Grace the wicked of the world are reprobate silver or refuse silver Jer. 6.30 the Saints are finer then Gold refined in the fire for they are precious they are honourable they are usefull they are dureable and lasting they shall endure everlastingly they are weighty in their worth and their portion is an eternall weight of glory Secondly Whereas Job saith when I am tryed I shall come forth as gold Observe A godly man is no looser by being tryed yea he gaines by it He who before was reputed but as drosse and had much drosse in him comes out of the tryal as gold and loseth nothing of his weight worth or beauty by being tryed he onely loseth a good losse his drosse and the rubbish of his corruptions Grace is not onely grace still but more gracious even glorious after tryall Some speake of grace as if it were but drosse consumeable in the fire as if every temptation and tryal endanger'd it to an utter consumption or as if like lead it would quite evaporate and spend to nothing in the fire They sticke not to affirme that a true beleever may lose all his graces and how much soever enricht before by the Spirit yet prove a bankrupt in spiritualls Job was Confideâ—t that his gold would hold the tryal both of the hottest afflictions and of the strictest examinations He had been tryed long in the furnace of affliction heated seaven times more then ordinary and yet held his integrity and though he should come to tryal at the Judgement-seate of God which is more then seventy-times seven times stricter then the Judgement-seate of man according to truth can be yet he nothing doubted that nothing as to the general bent of his heart and frame of life should be found or appeare but integrity still That is but drossie grace natural grace if not hypocritical grace or a counterfeit onely of grace which aâ—ides not in the day of tryall They who loose the grace which they have shewed had onely a shew of grace Hypocrites shall â—oâ—e all at their tryal their paint their varnish will not endure the fire eyther of a lasting affliction or of that last examination when once a hypocrite is tryed then he is sham'd He may goe currant for pure gold a great while but at last he appeares but as a gilded sepulcher or drosse of gold Psal 119.119 Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like drosse And the Lord speaking of the degenerate house of Israel Ezek. 22.18 saith The house of Israel is to me become drosse all they are brasse and tin and iron and lead in the midst of the furnace they are even the drosse or drosses of silver That is though they are a professing people and hold out my name yet I having tryed and examined them throughly finde them to have nothing but a name of profession They being tryed are come forth like drosse The Apostle 1 Cor. 3.13 Allegorically shadowing out all sorts of superstructive doctrine by Gold silver precious stones wood hay stubble saith If any man build upon this foundation that is Christ Gold silver precious stones wood hay stubble every mans worke shall be made manifest for the day shall declare it because it shall be revealed by fire Dum pâ—obantur toti in fumum abeunt and the fire shall try every mans worke of what sort it is If any mans worke abide which he hath built thereupon hee shall receive a reward if any mans worke shall be burnt he shall suffer loss c. The wood hay stubble shall be burnt but the gold silver precious stones will abide the tryall of fire Whether it be the fire of persecution tribulation and temptation nothing but holy truth can abide these fires or the fire of the holy Spirit who in Scripture is often compared to fire and who together with the light of the Word revealeth the soundnes or falsenes of all doctrines delivered by men and like fire consumes what is false but gives a further brightnes and lustre to the truth Even truth untryed may be counted drosse but being tryed it comes forth like gold Now as the truth of doctrines so the truth of persons in
their workes and graces will abide when they come to the Test or tryall God who puts away all the wicked of the earth as drosse will gather up all the godly of the earth as Gold when he hath tryed them and try them he will We read Dan. 7.9 10. how dreadfully God comes to Judgement I beheld till the thrones were cast downe and the ancient of dayes did sit his Throne was like the fiery flame and his wheeles as burning fire a fiery streame issued and came forth from before him the judgement was set and the bookes were opened Which whether it be meant of the last Judgement or of some speciall Judgement upon a particular state or oppressing power comes all to one as to the poynt in hand while it shewes that God in the tryal of men will examine their persons and their actions as by fire Of every such tryall it may be sayd as Mala. 3.2 3. Who may abide the day of his coming and who shall stand when he appeareth The Prophet speakes of the coming of Christ in the flesh at which time he was also mighty in Spirit for he is like a refiners fire and like fullers soape and he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver When Christ came in the flesh to redeeme us he came with fire also to purge and sanctifie us and he comes with fire whensoever he comes in the Spirit to comfort and enlighten us and at last when he comes in glory he will come with fire to try examine and judge us When he comes to try us thus All the faithfull shall come forth as Gold but the wicked and their works will burne and be consumed When Saints come to tryal at last they will stand and when they are tryed here they will mend first their Corruptions will be the more outed and secondly their graces will be the more acted We may read this issue of their tryal Zech. 13.9 And it shall come to passe that in all the Land saith the Lord two parts therein shall be cut off and dye but the third shall be left therein Whether we take the Land in particular for Israel and the people of the Jewes or typically for all professors thorowout the world two parts shall be cut off and dye but the third shall be left therein And what will God doe with them or how will he deale with them We may see what at the 9th verse And I will bring the third part thorow the fire of affliction and examination and I will refine them as silver is refined and try them as gold is tryed and what will be the issue of this And they shall call on my name and I will heare them Here faith and prayer in which all graces are exercised are put for all graces When they are in this fire they shall call on my name In igne deum amantèr invocant candido germano sunt erga illum studio Theod. and I will heare them and I will say when they are in the fire it is my people and they shall say the Lord is my God They who pray in the fire of tryall or in the fiery tryall declare evidently that they are Gold in the fire but they to whom God saith in the fire of their tryalls yee are my people and they who being still in the same fire can say the Lord is our God are declared both by God and themselves eminently that they are gold in the fire They are as the choycest gold as the Gold of Ophir of whom the Lord saith by an act of distinguishing love yee are my people and who can say to God by an act of appropriating faith the Lord is our God Surely then Saints lose nothing in the fire but what is not worth the holding while God finds and owns them and they finde and owne God in the fire Further Some read this latter part of the verse as an offer Let him try mee Probat me and I shall come forth as gold as if Job had said I doe not refuse but desire a tryall God knowes my way the way that is in me let him come and try mee yea I am ready to come to him for my tryall Hence note A sincere heart is willing to be tryed 'T is a great part of the worke of a godly man to try himselfe and his workes and it is one of his greatest wishes that God would try him and his workes They who are sincere are much in trying themselves Let us search and try our wayes say they and turne againe unto the Lord. And they who are much in selfe tryal and Examination are willing to be tryed and examined both by God and man sure enough They that try themselves much are not afraid of the tryal of man no nor of the tryal of God If we compare the first verse of the 139th Psalme with the 23◠we shall see what an answer there is in them as to this poynt At the first verse David saith O Lord thou hast searched mee and knowne mee at the 23 verse hee prayes Search mee O God and know my heart why did David pray thus to God Search mee and know my heart having said before Thou hast searched mee and knowne mee Seing David knew that God had searched him what needed he to pray that God would search him why did he begge God to doe that which hee had done already The answer is at hand David was a diligent selfe-searcher and therefore he was so willing to be searched yea he delighted to be searched by God and that not as was said because himselfe had done it already but also because he knew God could doe it better Hee knew by his owne search that he did not live in any way of wickednes against his knowledge and yet he knew there might be some way of wickednes in him that he knew not of And therefore he doth not onely say Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts but he adds ver 24. see if there be any wicked way or any way of paine and griefe in me The same word signifies both because wicked wayes lead in the end to paine and griefe and lead me in the way everlasting As if he had said Lord I have searched my selfe and can see no wicked way in me but Lord thy sight is infinitely clearer then mine and if thou wilt but search me thou mayest see some wicked way in me which I could not see and I would faine see and know the worst of my selfe that I might amend it and grow better therefore Lord if there be any such way in me cause me to know it also O take that way out of me and take me out of that way lead me in the way everlasting David had tryed himselfe and he would againe be tryed by God that he being better tryed might become yet better He found himselfe Gold upon his owne tryall and yet he feared there
to doe iniquitie is their trade of life or that which they live by and dayly set themselves about The worke of God is none of their worke nor doe they count it so being as the Apostle speakes Tit. 1.16 abominable disobedient and unto every good worke reprobate Good worke is put into the hand of man by the hand of God but they have their worke from another hand the lusts of your father yee will doe saith Christ to the Pharisees Joh. 8.44 that is ye will doe the devills worke That 's their worke and they goe forth to it as the honest labouring man goeth forth unto his worke and to his labour untill the Evening Psal 104.23 so the wicked man goeth forth to sin as to his worke And that he doth so is evident upon a foure-fold account First Because he doth not stumble upon it but intends it a godly man falls into sin but to sin is not his intendment a godly man may sin when he goeth forth but he doth not goe forth to sin he doth not make it his buisines That is properly a mans worke which he proposeth to himselfe to doe and purposeth to doe Secondly He goeth forth to it as to his worke for he delights in it he is pleased with it It is his meate and drinke yea his mirth and musicke to doe evill That is properly a mans worke which though it be painefull to him to doe it yet he is pleased in doing it Thirdly Hee goes forth to it as to his worke for he spends his spirits his strength and time in it wee doe many things which are not our worke they are but by-works or beside our worke wee bestow little of our time and strength in such things that which a man bestowes his time and strength upon that whereat he labours to sweat and wearines of body that 's his worke now the time of wicked men runs out and their strength is consumed in sinning and though they are not weary of committing iniquity yet they weary themselves as the Prophet speakes Jer. 9.5 to commit iniquitie therefore that 's their worke Fourthly Wicked men are skillfull to sin they sin with a kinde of art therefore that 's their worke that which is a mans proper worke hee hath knowledge about it and is dextrous at He doth not bungle but makes cleane worke as we say of that which is his worke A Minister should preach the Gospel like a workman that needs not be ashamed as the Apostle speakes The wicked sin like workmen though the more they doe so the more cause they have to be ashamed The Prophet Jer. 9.5 bewayling the extreame sinfullnes of those times saith They have taught their tongues to speake lies As if they had studyed the art and language of lying while they told or made grosse lies they would not make them grossely but with a kinde of finenes and neatenes As though what a Godly man doth according to the minde of God he doth by grace yet he useth a kinde of artificialnes in doing it and is therefore exhorted to walke circumspectly or accurately that is to act all his duties with exactnes so though what an ungodly man doth against the minde of God he doth it by nature or very naturally yet he useth a kind of artificiallnes in doing it and therefore he is sayd Psal 50.19 20. To give his mouth to evill and to frame deceit with his tonuge to sit as an artist at his worke and speake against his brother and slaunder his owne mothers sonne Thus they goe forth to their worke Rising betimes for a prey Whence observe A wicked man is very industrious and diligent in doing his worke To rise betimes and to doe a thing diligently are the same in Scripture ro rise betimes is to rise somewhat before the ordinary time of rising Now when a man breaks his sleepe to goe about his worke this shews that he is industrious at it As some wicked men quickly throw off their sleepe that they may doe mischiefe So which argues the same principle and spirit Others sleepe not unlesse they have done mischiefe and their sleepe is taken away unlesse they cause some to fall Prov. 4.16 Their owne sleepe is taken away unlesse they take away somewhat which is not their owne They will defraud themselves of rest rather then not defraud others of their right They goe not more unwillingly to prison after they have done evill then they goe to bed before they have done it O how are they set upon mischiefe whose sleepe departs from them unlesse they doe it and who cannot rest unlesse they trouble others The servants of God when they are up in zeale cannot sleepe unlesse they doe good as David speakes Psal 132.4 5 6. Surely I will not come into the Tabernacle of my house nor clime up to my bed I will give no sleepe to mine eyes nor slumber to mine eyelids till I have found a place for God c. hee was so zealous for God that if he could he would not sleepe hee would forbid his owne rest though hee had never so much minde to it till he had finisht that worke for God So sayth the wicked man I will give mine eyes no sleepe nor slumber to mine eyelids till I have done this or that mischeife and brought my device to passe When the wicked lye wakeing on their beds what are they about then their wakeing thoughts in the night are to doe mischiefe in the morning Michah 2.1 2. Woe to them that devise Iniquity and worke evill upon their beds How doe they worke it upon their beds they worke it in their thoughts in their inward shop there they fashion it and when the morning is light they practice it because it is in the power of their hand they hinder themselves from sleepe that they may forward themselves in sin The night is spent in Imagineing and plotting and the day in accomplishing what they have imagined and plotted Their morning light is spent in the workes of darkenes and the text sayth They practice it because it is in the power of their hand They never consider what is Just for them to doe but what they have power to doe if they have ability they want no will for the vilest practices Againe as they cannot sleepe sometimes for devising evill so when they have slept their first waking thoughts are about evill and this also is a further proofe of their extreame industriousnes in doing evill For as it is with a zealous Godly man his first wakeing thoughts are with God and Christ or about his owne soule how God may be honoured how his soule may be saved Psal 139.18 O how precious are thy thoughts that is thoughts of thee to mee O God how great is the summe of them when I awake I am still with thee that is my thoughts and meditations are with thee as soone as ever I awake here 's the diligence of the soule after God so the
for a love to the truths and wayes of God which they practice for want of this they often apostatiâ—e and fall back even from the practice of them No bonds can hold us alwayes to the duties of obedience but those of love to God and to the things wherein duty calls us to obey And as want of this love is the reason why man is so apt to backslide and is so far as a Negative may be the very seed and principle of backsliding so it is the reason why God gives such up to the power and spirit of backsliding 2 Thes 2.10 11. Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved for this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should beleeve a lie What is not begun in our affections will not abide long in our actions Secondly Observe Not to abide in the pathes of truth and holines is the marke of an ungodly man They who are not what they appeare in goodnesse will not alwayes so much as appear good They that are as Jacob spake of his eldest Son Reuben Gen. 49.4 unstable as water shall not excell nor are they to be numbred among the excellent ones The Apostle exhorts Saints 1 Cor. 15.58 To be stedfast and unmoveable alwayes abounding in the worke of the Lord. Saints move in the worke of the Lord but they must not move out of the worke of the Lord Bee ye stedfast and unmoveable but in what in the worke of the Lord That is the sphere in which Saints move the sphere of their activity and use and out of that they dare not move The Sun in the firmament is moving continually but it is in his proper line called by Astronomers The Eclipticke line So a godly man is alwayes moveing in the way of godlines that 's his proper line and he never moves out of it wholy Hee may have through the power of corruption and temptation his wandrings and goings astray but then he hath his repentings and returnings into the way againe he cannot abide long much lesse alwayes in the pathes of darknes Hee comes to himselfe with the prodigal and then he comes to his father he bethinkes himselfe where he is and comes backes into the path where he ought to be if at any time he walke in the counsel of the ungodly the gradation is made in the first Psalme which thing he ought not to doe yet surely he will not as it followes stand in the way of sinners or if he stand a while in that way yet he will not sit downe in the seat of the scornfull he will not rest nor stay there Now as it is an argument and a marke of Godlines when a man findes that though he hath many faylings and wandrings yet he abideth not in the pathes of darknes so it is an argument of the noughtines of a mans heart and state when though he now and then hits upon the doing of a good thing yet he abides not in the pathes of light Vaine thoughts as the Prophet Reproves the Jewes lodge in the wicked so long that the Lord complaines How long shall vaine thoughts lodge in you But as good thoughts seldome come to an ungodly man so they lodge not at all with him they are great strangers to him and he useth them as the worst of strangers yea as enemies he quickly turnes them off yea he thrusts them away from him he abideth not in the pathes of light Job having thus set forth the Spirit of a wicked man by his rebellion against the light by his unaffectednes with and unstayednes in the wayes and pathes of it proceeds to give us a further account of his wicked courses and workes of darknes Vers 14. The murtherer rising with the light killeth the poore and needy and in the night is as a Theife The murtherer is hee that killeth a man without warrant and authority every slaying of a man is not murther but to slay a man or to take away the life of a man without warrant that 's murther And that 's the grosse sinne forbidden in the sixt Commandement Thou shalt not kill or thou shalt doe no murther And this is usually committed eyther in malice to the person or in Covetousnesse after the spoyle Some take away the life of a man in malice to his person they hate him deliberately as Cain did Abel and therefore they kill him Others have no quarrel to the man possibly they never saw him before but they covet his goods and that they may rob him of his goods they rob him of his life They are such as live upon the spoyle and they will spoyle though they cause the innocent to dye for it and themselves too in the end In eyther of these wayes wee may understand the murtherer here The former because 't is sayd in the next words He slayes the poore and needy and there is little gaine in their blood when they goe downe into the pit The latter because 't is sayd in the latter part of the verse That in the night he is as a theife But Job first shewes us that this murtherer is a diligent man Rising with the light That is rising as early or as soon as the light riseth The murtherer is no sluggard the light doth not finde him in bed he takes the prime of the morning he will loose no time Men who love hunting rise early So doe these hunters of men When the morning is light they practice it saith the Prophet Mich. 2.1 Honest men rise early to goe about the workes of their Calling and wicked men rise early to fulfill the lusts of their hearts David saith Psal 101.7 I will early destroy all the wicked of the Earth As if David had sayd I will rise with the light to destroy the wicked and here you see how the wicked are described riseing Early to destroy the righteous to murther the Innocent So the next words expresse the designe of his early rising He riseth with the light what to doe no good I warrant you 't is To kill the poore and needy That 's his busienes He begins his mornings worke with a worke of cruelty you heare of killing presently The murtherers heart is full of blood and it will not be long ere his hand be full too for their feete are swift to shed blood Rom. 3.15 and they are skilfull to destroy But it may seeme that they are not very wise for themselves though they are very bloody against others For Job doth not say they slay the fat and full ones but The poore and needy There are some who distinguish between these two and tell us that in these two words two yea all sorts of poore are Included The first word they say intends those poore who heretofore were rich but now empoverished or fallen into poverty and that by the second word are meant those who have been born and alwayes bred up in a low condition But wee
and terror as appeared like one In the Booke of the Revelation which hath as one of the Ancients speaketh as many mysteryes as words the dreadfull judgements prophecyed to come upon the world in the severall Ages of it are expressed by Thunder Revel 10.4 And when the seven thunders had uttered their voyces I was about to write and I heard a voyce from heaven saying unto mee seale up those things which the seven thunders uttered and write them not And as elsewhere so especially in this booke of Job we find those things which carry the greatest strength and terror in them exprest by thunder Job 39.19 Hast thou given the horse strength hast thou clothed his necke with thunder that is hast thou made the horse who is so strong and terrible And at the 25th verse treating still of the horse he sayth among the trumpets Haec nos cogitata et levitèr cōmemorata obstupefaciūt quid si majora quae illius potestate continentur c. Pined Quis comprehendere potest ingentes domini virtutes quae velut vocem tonitrui more attollant prae magnitudine et multitudine Merc Quis satis consideret Pisc Tonitru fortitudinū vocat sermonem clarum fortitèr prolatum quod sit velut tonitru maximum Coc Tonitru potentiae i. e. Ipsum intonantem loquentem coram Argumentum est per comparationem majoris Jun Tonare eos dicimus qui orarationis et eloquentiae vi maximè pollent Novar ha ha and he smelleth the battaile afarre of the thunder of the Captaines and the shouting that is the horse is pleased to heare the Great Commanders speake with a loud voyce eyther directing threatning or encouraging their Souldiers Thus the Thunder of Gods power is some wonderfull act of his power which lifts up its voyce as it were like Thunder This who can understand none can The word signifyes also to weigh and consider so some render it here Who can sufficiently consider the Thunder of his power who can consider it as he ought eyther first according to the depth and mysteriousnesse of it or secondly according to the dignity and worthines of it Thirdly These words who can understand the thunder of his power may be expounded of the highest and clearest publication of his power The thundering of it out As if Job had sayd I have whispered a little to you but if God should thunder out himselfe or if his workes were spoken out as they deserve in thunder the minds of men would be amazed and their understandings confounded The thunder of his power who can understand 'T is usuall among the learned to expresse high eloquence and strong confidence of speech by thundering It was sayd of Alcibiades that hee thundred Greece He was a man so mighty in Elocution that he made his hearers tremble And hence Christ himselfe surnamed two of his owne Disciples James the son of Zebedee and John the Brother of James Boanerges which is The Sons of Thunder They did not speake as we say like a mouse in a cheese but with a great voyce and with a greater spirit they spake the messages of heaven as if it thundered from heaven There may be a great force in a low voyce while what is spoken comes with much clearenes of reason and strength of Authority or as the Apostle gives it in the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit but when all these are convayed by a mighty voyce a voyce like thunder how forceable are they Basil was sayd to Thunder in his doctrine and lighten in his life Such to the hight was that voyce of words in Mount Horeb at the giving of the Law Which voyce they that heard intreated that the Word should not be spoken to them any more Heb 12.19 that is that it should not be spoken to them any more in that manner or by an immediate voyce from God as appeares Exod 20. v 18 19. And all the people saw the Thunderings and the lightnings and the noyse of the Trumpet c. And they sayd unto Moses speake thou with us and we will heare but let not God speake with us lest we dye We cannot understand the Thunder of his power Hence note Man is not able to receave and beare those highest discoveryes of God God can speake in such a light as will blind the eyes of man and in such a language as will rather astonish then instruct him As among beleevers they who are carnal and babes in Christ are not able to eate strong meate they must be fed with milke as the Apostles speakes 1 Cor. 3.2 So wee may say of all Beleevers even of those that are strongest God doth onely whisper and speake gently to them the thunder of his power they cannot understand For as there is a peace of God which passeth all understanding Phil. 4.7 they that have it not understand nothing of it and they that have it understand but little of it it passeth all understanding not a naturall understanding onely but also a spirituall And as there is a love of Christ passing knowledge Eph. 3.19 which yet we should labour to know a love which hath an incomprehensible height and length and bredth and depth in it which yet all the Saints are labouring to comprehend so there is a manifestation of the will and workes of God a Thunder of his power which were it made and spoken out to us our understanding could not graspe nor comprehend how much soever we should desire and labour to comprehend it And therefore God is pleased to put the treasure of his minde and messages in earthen vessells not onely as the Apostle gives the reason 2 Cor 4.7 That the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us but he doth it also condiscending to our weakenes lest if he should give out this treasure immediately from himselfe or should put it into some heavenly vessel we should not be able to beare the excellency or as Job here speakes The Thunder of his power Thus after a very long ventilation of the Question between Job and his friends wee are arrived at the Conclusion of their dispute Job hath answered two of his friends thrice the third Zophar I meane onely twice He it seemes gave out and sate downe whether satisfyed or wearyed whether having no more to say or being unwilling to say any more or thinking that enough had been sayd already I determine not But though Jobs friends have done arguing against him yet he hath not done arguing for himselfe Which he doth in five entire Chapters twice called the continuation of his Parable In what sence he calleth his ensuing speech a parable together with the subject matter of it may through the Gratious presence and supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ who hath helped hetherto and hath not suffered that little oyle in the Cruse to fayle shine forth with a clearer light A TABLE Directing to some speciall Points noted in the
honour a great tryall or temptation 379. Many have declined in goodnes by outward prosperity 399 Proud men alwayes in danger of falling 798. Proud men shall be smitten 802 Punishment of offenders three speciall reasons of it 181 182. Some whose sins are very great are punished very little in this life 546. Punishment of losse a great misery as wel as that of sence 612. Eternal punishment why just for sin cōmitted in time 617 Q Questions how put in Scripture 699 R Racha what it meanes to call one so 79 Rebellion what it is or what they doe who rebel 301 302. How there may be rebellion against God in complaining under affliction 307. Rebellion against light the highest wickednes 557 Redemption of sinners by Christ is Gods pleasure 26 Relations cannot change God 437 Remembred some are onely upon the account of judgements upon them 626 Not to be remembred as it is a curse taken two wayes 627. Not to be remembred in what sence it is the portion of the wicked 628 Repentance reneweth our communion with God 207. Affliction bespeakes our repentance 230. True repentance is a home-returning to God 232 Repentance followed with a blessing and a building of us up 236. In true repentance sin is utterly cast off 237 They who repent truly endeavour to put away sin not onely from themselves but from all that belong to them 239. Repentance properly taken what it is how repentance may be sayd to have been in God 426 Rephaim what it signifyes 741 742 Reproofe how dangerous to sin against reproofe 38. Reproofe twofold 784 Restraint of others from sin two wayes 76 77 Returne to God when we may be sayd to doe so 233 Reward the difference between a godly man and a carnal man in looking to his reward 16. Reward twofold 190 Riches how we may lay up a good foundation for our selves by them 18. Riches may lawfully be possessed they are at Gods dispose 249 Rich covetous men in what sence they would be alone in the earth 75 76 Right-hand turning out of the wayes of God as dangerous as left-hand turning 395 Righteous how the Lord hath and hath not pleasure in us as righteous shewed in six propositions 21 22. Righteous men often preserved in common calamityes 200 Righteousnes twofold 19 Romans their severity against those who removed Land-markes 489 Rome whence so called 654 S Safety is a great outward mercy 647 Even the safety of a wicked man is of the Lord. 647. Outward safety is the foundation of a wicked mans peace 647 648 Scornings how the godly may be sayd to scorne the wicked in their troubles 194 195. Scorning very sinfull 195 Scripture parting it selfe into foure heads 730 Sea the mighty power of God in bounding it 774. Inferences from it 775 Sea called proud God can calme the Sea in its greatest rage and pride 799. This a comfort in our stormes at land 800. Two other inferences of comfort from it 801 Seasons how doing of evill hath its season as wel as doing of good 585. wicked men very carefull to hit those seasons 586 Secrets several secrets of the Lord with them that feare him 479 Serapis the honour which the Egyptians did to that Idol 175 Serpent crooked Serpent who or what 809 810 Service of God counted an unprofitable thing by carnal men 164 Shadow what properly it is and what it signifyeth in Scripture 595 Silence twofold 214. Silence comely in women especially in widdows 636 Sin no disadvantage to God 13. We should not thinke any sin little 36 In what sence no sin is little 36. It is our duty to take notice of the greatnes of our sin 37. How we may take the measure of sin 37 38. Seven aggravations of sin 38 39. In what sence sin may be sayd to be infinite 40 41. How our sins may be sayd to be innumerable 42. The lesse we are provoked to sin the greater is our sin if we fall into it 56. 89. Sin punished in all ages 139. Sin breeds an estrangement from God 206. Two degrees of putting away sin 238 A sin is the greater by how much the matter about which it is committed is the lesse 502. Some will sinne though they get nothing by it 565. A wicked man sins with resolution 584. Sin befooles the sinner 597. Speedynes of wicked men to sin 604. Evill men would sin alwayes 616 617. Sin hath degraded man 716 Sins of omission more frequent and numerous then sins of commssion 36 Sinners some sin so fast and much as if they only were sinners 621 Sinning advisedly the property of the wicked 177. Some will sin for the meanest advantage 500. Sinning is the worke of wicked men 516 Smallest matters fall under the knowledge and care of God 134 135 Soft heart of five sorts 457 Sorrow for sin may be excessive 96. There is an unavoydable sequele between sin and sorrow 99. Sorrows of life may be more bitter then death 462 Soule the soules desireing or hating what it signifyes in Scripture 418. Soule how and why it should be garnished 808 Speaking that we may speake to profit five things must be considered 734 Starres to be considered especially in foure things 116 117. The consideration of the Starres should make us humble and thankefull 119 Steps taken two wayes in Scripture 389 Strength of God in what 215 216. God puts strength into an humble soule especially for five things 345 346 Spirit many speake the words of the Prophets who speake not in their Spirit 735 Spirit of God taken two wayes in Scripture 803 Stedfastnes in good the honour of the godly 393 Strength men usually proud of any kind of strength 797. Our strength lyes much in the sence of our weakenes 798 Sufferers great sufferers usually thought to be great sinners 46 Suffering few hit upon any other cause of suffering but sin 41. Other causes of suffering noted 47. In suffering it is good to suspect our sins search after them 48 Superstition the forwardnes of mans nature to such worship 520 T Temptation prevayleth easily over carnal men 603. Comfort in temptation what 801 Thoughts evill thoughts of God the Character of a wicked man 123. Thoughts of God how we acquaint our selves with God by them 208 Throane of God what 327. 767. In what sence God spreadeth a cloud upon his throane 770. God manifesteth himselfe in heaven as Princes manifest themselves upon their Throanes 771 Thunder a reproofe from God 785. Thunder of Gods power what 822 823 Time God can pull downe the stoutest sinners in a little time even without time 144. God needs not take time to doe what he hath a mind to 145 Times God hideth times from men as he pleaseth 470. Why God hideth times or keepeth them in his power 471. Times are perfectly knowne to God 475 Treasure in what sence the Lords people are his treasure 8 Troubled minds have much to say 332 Truth God honoured in his truth by the fall of the wicked 189.
cause at the throane of Grace when God puts strength into us Job who had received great strength from God in all the former cases was assured that he should receive strength also in the last were he admitted to the seate of God Would he there plead against me with his great power No but he would put strength in me to plead with him And as he was thus assured that God would put strength into him to plead his cause so also liberty and freedome to doe it as appeares more fully in the next verse Verse 7th There the righteous might dispute with him so should I be delivered for ever from my Judge There where he meanes at the seate of God as if he had said Could I but once come to the throne or seate of God I should have free leave and liberty enough to open and argue to state and debate my case my long controverted and yet unresolved case with him He would not plead against me with his great power of Authority but he would give me the power of liberty to dispute and reason out that matter with him Severall passages in the former part of this Booke clearely hold out this sense Chap. 9.34 35. Let him take his rod away from me and let not his feare terrifie me then would I speake and not feare him but it is not so with me as yet God pleadeth against me with his great power Againe Chap. 13.21 22. Withdraw thy hand farre from me and let not thy dread make me afraid as if he had sayd Plead not against me with thy great power then call thou and I will answer or let me speake and answer thou me Those Texts already opened are of the fame generall scope and tendency with this underhand There that is All things being put into such a posture the righteous might dispute with him Some read the text in the first person There I being righteous might dispute with him Others thus I should be found righteous if I did dispute with him As if he had sayd I make no doubt of proving my selfe righteous or innocent in this controversie with my friends There I should not be found a false-hearted hypocrite God who knowes both my thoughts and my wayes would judge otherwise of me then men have done We reade the text indefinitely not restraining it to his person but as taking in any that are righteous The righteous that is any righteous man might dispute with him there his Court his tribunal is free and open for all that are upright or righteous In what sense the word righteous is used in this Booke hath been opened more then once In a word the righteous man is not he that is legally righteous but righteous in a redeemer or righteous as opposed to an hypocrite In both these senses we may take the word here The righteous may dispute with him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est apud alium ita argumentari ut petas responsio nem qua vicissim si quid erraveris redarguaris Merc. The word is properly applyed to scholasticke exercises where questions being put arguments are brought by the opponent which the respondent takes away and the Moderator states between them both This is the nature and manner of a strict dispute But in a large or vulgar sence every discoursing and reasoning about a doubtfull poynt is called disputing There the righteous may dispute with him Hence note God is free and ready to heare the pleadings and reasonings of those who are upright and righteous As the prayer of the upright is the delight of God so their modest and humble disputings are not displeasing to him A righteous man may plead with God freely but he must not plead with God proudly eyther crying up and boasting in his owne righteousnesse or laying the least imputation of unrighteousnesse upon the wayes of God in dealing with him The righteous dispute with God yet they know and keep their distance and while they doe so God is willing they should and welcomes them when they doe draw nigh to him disputing as wel as praying In opposition to which 't is sayd Psal 5.5 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight thou hatest all workers of iniquity The foolish that is the wicked man the hypocrite with his false-hearted and flattering tongue are an abomination to God The foolish man that the Psalmist meanes is not the man low in parts but unsound in spirit This foolish man shall not stand in the sight of God nor will God heare him eyther disputing or praying but reject him with his disputes and prayers Thou hatest all the workers of iniquity and to the wicked God saith what hast thou to doe to declare my statutes or that thou shouldest take my Covenant in thy mouth Psal 50.16 God will not endure it that wicked men should speake of him much lesse will he endure that a wicked man should dispute with him God will have nothing to doe in way of arguing and reasoning eyther with a person or with a people while he or they continue in their sinnes Isa 1.15 16. When ye spread forth your hands I will hide my eyes from you yea when ye make many prayers I will not heare your hands are full of blood that is eyther of bloody sinnes in speciall as murder and oppression or of sinnes in generall for every sin is blood and bloody every sin may be called blood and while the hands are full of blood in eyther sence God will not heare that is he will not graciously heare or accept so much as one of many prayers But are the wicked and their prayers and their disputings excluded for ever while they continue such or to doe such things they are and therefore in the next words the Lord by his Prophet gives them this counsel Wash ye make ye cleane put away the evill of your doings from before my eyes cease to doe evill learne to doe well seeke judgement releive the oppressed judge the fatherlesse plead for the widdow here 's a description of a righteous person righteous in his way upright with God and men and with such God will speake such may dispute with him as it follows v. 18. Come now and let us reason together We know saith the blind man after he was healed Joh. 9.31 that God heareth not sinners that is such as plead for or please themselves in any sin but if any man be a worshipper of God and doth his will him he heareth him he heareth praying and him he heareth disputing Whereas of the prayings of the wicked he saith they are but meere bablings and of their disputings they are but vaine fanglings If saith David Ps 66. 18. I regard iniquity in my heart God will not heare me God will not regard his prayers therefore not his disputes who regards iniquity but to the righteous and to such as repent of and turne from their unrighteousnesse the Lord saith Come let us reason together let us