to his enemies to the Islands he will repay recompence Secondly as vanity in the former clause is taken for the Creature Observe The Creature is most vaine to those who trust it The Creature is a vaine thing in his hand who beleeves and trusts in God but it is exceeding vaine in his hand who trusts on it and the more it is trusted the more vaine it is If we make it our staffe it will be our scourge if we leane upon it as our rock it will run into our hands like a broken Reed The best way to keep up our comforts in the Creature is to keep our distance from the Creature And they shall finde most content in the World who live furthest off it and expect least from it God is good and the more we trust him the better he is to us yea he is not good at all to us unlesse we trust him But the best of creatures trusted to become evill yea an Idoll to us Trust not in vanity such are all creatures in their best estate for vanity shall be your recompence Againe The word which we translate recompence signifies a change or the exchange which is made of one thing for another While Job exalts the value and excellency of wisedome above all created excellencies he saith Chap. 28.17 The Gold and the Chrystall cannot equall it and the exchange of it shall not be for jewells of fine Gold So some render it here Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity A radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mutavit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 commutatio vanitas erit commutatio ejus i. e. in nihilum redigetur for vanity shall be his change Whensoever he changeth he shall change into vanity or when he hath driven a trade in sinfull vanity to the highest the best exchange which the Merchandize thereof yeelds him is miserable vanity Vanity can produce nothing to us but vanity The effect is not better then the cause nor the fruit then the Tree and that which we receive in exchange though it may be of another kinde yet it is of no better value then that we give in exchange Hence Observe That a wicked mans state never changeth for better but from good to bad or from bad to worse Till the man himselfe be changed from bad to good his state can never change from bad to good And suppose his outward state be good then the worst thing that can befall him is this that his state should not change His setlednesse in that which is civilly good doth but more settle him in that which is morally evill They have no changes therefore they feare not God Psal 55.19 What can be worse for man then this nâ—t to feare God who is the chiefest good Who would not feare to be without changes when he heares that being without them keeps out this feare Suppose further That the wicked mans outward estate be evill then it is worse to him when he changes to outward good if he change from sorrow to joy from povery to riches from sicknesse to health from a prison to liberty in all these or in any other of like nature with these he changes to his losse That man can never change for good who continues evill Such a mans outward estate often changes from bad to worse if it change from bad to good that is bad for him and if being good it change not at all that is worst of all It is a part of the misery of man that his state is changeable but that is incident to the best of men We shall not be unchangeable in our state till we come into the presence of God who is unchangeable in his nature We may say also considering the many troubles which we are subject to in this life that it is a part of our happinesse that our state is changeable Those changes which are from evill to good or from good to better are to be numbred among our blessings such are the changes of the Saints all their changes are for the better yea those changes of the Saints which are from joy to sorrow from riches to poverty from health to sicknesse from liberty to a prison from life to death in a word their changes from any kinde of outward temporary good to outward temporary evill are yet for their good He cannot change but for his good who is good and who abides alwayes under this promise that all shall work together for his good An evill and a good man differ in nothing more then in their changes nor should any selfe-consideration provoke an evill man more to desire that he may be changed to good then this that his changes may be for good Who would continue or trust in vanity were he perswaded that vanity shall be his change Secondly Observe That such as our way is such will our end be If we walk and trust in vanity we shall have vanity for our recompence or our change Every mans end is virtually in his way So the Apostle argues ellegantly Gal. 6.7 Be not deceived God is not mocked whatsoever a man sowes that shall he reape he that sowes to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption he that sowes to the spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting If the Husband-man sow tares he must look to reap tares A seed time of tares and a Harvest of Wheat were never heard of in the same ground As the seed is such is the crop Isa 3.11 Woe to the wicked it shall be ill with him for the reward of his hand shall be given him There is nothing worse for some then to have their reward brought in and all that is owing to them payd The very receiving of their debts and rewards is their undoing for ever All the misery of a wicked man is summed up in this He shall have the reward of his hands Wrath and death and Hell are his rewards and all the wages which the work both of his hands and heart can earne and these he shall have fully payd to him Vaine he hath been and vanity shall be his recompence Some read this Verse not as a dehortation Let not him that is deceived trust or beleeve in vanity but as a negative proposition for that particle in the Hebrew which sometimes carryeth a prohibition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Malo simpliciter negare quam prohibere Merc. Non credet qui vanitate errat quod vanitas erit permutatio ejus Merc. Non credet fore ut ejus faelicitas permutetur ad meâ—am vanitatem deveniet Vatâ—bl notes also a bare negation so here He that is deceived with vanity will not beleeve the same word signifies both to beleeve and trust that vanity shall be his recompence He will not beleeve a change much lesse such a change This is a cleare sense and it hints us this Observation That a wicked man is full of infidelity or unbeleife that his estate is evill or shall
addresses for comfort to any but God or in the way of God The Septuagint translate yet higher Sept. Exponunt de defectu rationis q. d. vix prae dolore sum mei compos Thou hast made me mad or besides my selfe The Hebrew word signifies to distract or to put one out of his wits As if Job had sayd I am scarse my owne man being over-burdened with those sorrowes God hath layd upon me Hence Observe First A state of affliction is a wearisome estate A man may be vvearyed who never stirrs foot from the place where he stands or sits O the vvearinesse of a sick bed Suffering vvearies more then doing and none are so vveary as they who are vvearied with doing nothing Observe Secondly Some afflictions are a wearinesse both to soule and body There are afflictions which strike quite through and there are afflictions which are onely skin-deep As there is a filthinesse of the flesh and a filthinesse of the spirit properly so called for though every sin of the flesh or outward man defile the spirit yet there are many filthinesses of the spirit which are never acted by the flesh or outward man Thus the Apostle distinguisheth 2 Cor. 7.1 There are also some filthinesses which strike quite through flesh and spirit body and soule Thus there are some afflictions which are meerly upon the flesh there are other afflictions vvhich are purely upon the spirit the skin is whole the body is in health but the soule is vvounded an Arrow sticks vvithin And there are a sort of afflictions vvhich strike quite through body and soule as old Simeon tells the Virgin Mary a Sword shall peirce through thy soule Luke 2.35 or as the Psalmist speakes of Joseph Psal 105.18 according to the letter of the Hebrew Whose feet they hurt with fetters his soule came into Iron or the iron entred into his soule Such afflictions are like the Roll spoken of by the Prophet Ezekiel Chap. 2. Written with lamentations mourning and woe within and without Some woes are vvritten onely vvithout some vvoes are writen onely vvithin others are written without and within Their Characters are legible upon the flesh and their effects descend and sinke into the spirit Jobs afflictions were of this extension he was smitten all over and vvritten quite through with woes and lamentations Thirdly As the word reacheth the distemper of the braine Observe Some afflictions doe not onely afflict but unsettle the minde They unsettle not onely the comforts but the powers and faculties of it a man under some afflictions can scarse speak sense vvhile he acts faith or doe rationally while hee lives graciously A soule that hath grace yea much grace may appeare much scanted in the use of reason As oppression from men makes a wise man madd Eccles 7.7 And the more wise a man is the more madd it makes him Fooles can beare oppression and not be troubled much because they doe not understand vvhat justice and right meanes and that 's the reason why in those parts of the World vvhere Tyrants reigne they love to keep the people ignorant poore and low for such are not much sensible of their oppressions but oppression is very grievous to an ingenious vvise and understanding man and therefore 't is sayd to make him madd The purest intellectualls have the quickest sense of injuries Thus also some afflictions from the hand of God may in a degree make a godly wise man madd and put him for a present plunge beyond the command of his understanding It is the confession of holy David Psal 73.22 I was even as a beast beefore thee so foolish was I and ignorant If David a godly man acted below reason when he saw the prosperity of the wicked how much more may a godly man act below reason under the feelings of his owne adversity Heman is expresse in this Psal 88.15 While I suffer thy terrours I am distracted Yet the word in the Psalme doth not signifie properly the distraction of a man that is madd but the distraction of a man that is in doubt or the distraction of a man who knowes not what to doe not of a man who knows not what he doth yet that distraction doth often lead to a degree of this for a man who is much troubled to know what to doe and cannot know it grows at last to doe he knows not what We may also take in that about distraction arising from affliction which was toucht about distraction caused by oppression Those Christians who are highest in spirituals and have the quickest sense of Gods dispensations towards them doe soonest fall into it whereas a soule upright in the maine yet being of weake and low parts and of small experience in the things of God will goe yea groane under a heavy burden of affliction all his dayes and not be much moved with it Fourthly Observe A godly man may grow extreame weary of his afflictions Affliction is the burthen which God layes upon us and it is our duty not onely to beare it but to beare it with contentednesse yea we should labour to beare it with joyfulnesse My brethren saith the Apostle James Chap. 1. Account it all joy when yee fall into diverse temptations that is Into diverse afflictions But yet the best cannot alwayes rejoyce in temptations nor tryumph under a crosse when affliction according to that description of the word Heb 4.12 comes quick and powerfull as a two edged Sword and peirceth to divide betweene the soule and the spirit the joynts and the marrow when affliction I say cuts to the quick a Beleever is put hard to it he may be so farr for a time from tryumphing and rejoycing that he can scarsely finde himselfe contented or patient his burden may cause him to cry out O the wearinesse Carnall men cry out at every burden of duty in the service of God O what a wearinesse is it They are tyred with an houres attendance in holy things O the burthen Much more doe they cry out under the lighter burdens of affliction How tedious is a day or an houre of affliction two or three fits of an ague an aking tooth a soare finger O what a wearinesse is this They sinke presently True Beleevers as they have more patience in doing so in suffering yet even their patience doth not alwayes hold out they as Job speak sometimes mournfully and complainingly But now he hath made us weary Thou hast made desolate all my company Quod loquitur nunc in secunda nunc in tertia persona nihil in sententia mâ—tat id quod admodum frequens est in Scriptura Pined 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vastari seu desolari ita ut videntes obstupescant horreant It was Hee in the first clause Thou in the second hee and thou are the same person in Jobs Grammar as was toucht before Thou hast made desolate The word Shamam signifies to waste and destroy and that not by an ordinary destruction
though I will not boast of my selfe yet this I feele and speake by experience Hee that hath cleane hands shall wax Stronger and stronger 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Addet fortitudinem purus manibus sumet audaciam Sept. Is cujus vita pura est addet robur i. e. magis ac magis invalescet ut bene aget Merc. The Hebrew is He shall add strength that is Hee shall goe on from one degree of strength to another But vvhat strength shall hee add Hee meanes not bodily strength The best of Saints may loose that in the battels of affliction and grow every day weaker and weaker But hee shall add spirituall strength so the Apostle states it 2 Cor. 4.16 Though our outward man perish yet the inward man is renewed day by day The more evill a Beleever suffers the stronger he is in goodnesse and to doe good while his flesh weares off and wasts he gets new spirits hee takes heart and is more couragious as the Septuagint render Jobs text Hence Observe First Grace is of an increasing nature it growes stronger and stronger True grace lives and therefore it must needs grow The graine of Mustard-seed proves a great tree Psal 84. They goe from strength to strength or from company to company that is From one good company to another still gathering up goodnesse as they goe As the Bee goes from Flower to Flower to gather Honey so Beleevers goe from duty to duty from Ordinance to Ordinance from praying to hearing to gather grace and strength every grace hath strength and the more grace the more strength till we come to that which is strictly called Strength of grace Secondly Observe A thorow godly man doth not onely not fall from grace in time of trouble but hee increaseth and groweth in grace hee addeth strength As affliction gives a proofe of grace vvhether it be true or no so where it is true it is improved by affliction Naturalists tell us that the reason of thunder and lightening is Tanto magis integritati studebit Bez. because the heat being pent in and imprisoned by the cold of the middle Region breakes out by an Antiperistasis with terrible noyse and flashings And thus when grace is pent in by opposition persecution and affliction it enlargeth it selfe and breakes out with greater strength yea with a kinde of heavenly violence and not onely maintaines its owne but is a gainer It is sayd of the Lacedemonian Republique That vvhen all other Kingdomes were undone by Warr that onely grew rich was bettered by it Wee may say that whereas all prophane persons and Hypocrites are undone by affliction all their Paint is washed off their Varnish discovered onely true Beleevers thrive and are advantaged by it He that hath an upright heart and cleane hands growes stronger and stronger His inward man encreaseth in outward decayes It is sayd of the Israelites Exod. 1.12 that the more the Egyptians afflicted them the more they multiplyed and grew They multiplyed in number they grew in strength and stature their oppression their was addition in temporals It is so with all true Israelites in spirituals the more they are afflicted and troubled the more they increase And whereas the Lord speakes in reference to wicked men Isa 1.5 Why should you be smitten any more yee will revolt more and more The more evill men are smitten for their good the worse they are We may say on the contrary that the righteous the more they are smitten with evill the better they are yea they sometimes put wicked men to such a stopping expostulation as God makes there concerning wicked men Why should we trouble them any more They will hold fast more and more they will not be beaten off with sowre lookes and hard words no nor with our hardest blows We may trouble and weary out our selves yea and breake our owne hearts but we shall never dishearten them All Ages have given experiments of this The Apostles in the Acts rejoyced when they were threatned and were emboldned with scourging 'T is sayd of the suffering Saints Heb. 10.34 They tooke joyfully the spoyling of their goods They were glad of an opportunity to put off their worldly goods at so great a rate as a proofe of the sincerity of their graces Our goods never goe off at so high a price nor come to so good a Market as when they are spoyled in a good cause Paul tells us That many waxed confident by his bonds Phil. 1.14 They were so farr from withdrawing from the profession of the Gospell because Paul was clapt up in Prison and layd by the heeles that they were more bold to avouch it As some have been weakned and terrified by the sufferings of others so many have been confirmed and heartned they have been not onely kept from discouragement but they have waxed confident by bonds and their spirits have been at greater liberty by seeing others in Prison though they had reason enough to expect their turne would be next Exquisitior crudelitas gentium adversus Christianos illecebra est magis sectae plures efficimur quoties metimur Tertull. One of the Ancients tells us The more cunning and exact our Persecutors are the more constant and exact Beleevers are The Christians of those times grew into a kinde of artificialnesse in grace while the Heathens grew so artificiall in cruelty and the oftner they were mowed downe by the bloody Sword the more were begotten and quickned by the Word The opposition which truth and holinesse found was a provocation to owne the truth and to them a sweet temptation unto holinesse Thirdly Note When God gives new tryals he will give new strength The righteous grow stronger as their afflictions grow stronger Never feare greater tryals when you are promised greater strength If you have more burdens you shall have more shoulders Whether the Lord calls us to passive obedience or to active hee is wise and faithfull to proportion and give out suitable ability It is not from the improvements of Free-will but from the fresh annoyntings of the spirit that we are strengthned with might in the inner man Eph. 3.16 And againe Col. 1.12 We are strengthened with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long-sufferance with joyfulnesse Affliction it selfe cannot strengthen us in grace it rather weakens us the increase of strength flowes from the same Fountaine whence wee had the first strength All is from God In the Lord have we righteousnesse and strength Isa 45.24 And he is an everlasting strength the rock of Ages Isa 26.4 As he is an everlasting strength in himselfe so he is to his people And the reason why his people are everlastingly strong is because he is so Even the youths shall faint and be weary and the young men shall utterly fall but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary and they
usually teacheth by the Word never against it and it is a tempting of God while he gives us meanes to linger after immediate Revelations yea when the Lord reveales himselfe immediately he uses to doe it without mans fore-thought or expectations The Prophets did not set themselves to receive Revelations from God but his Spirit came upon them with mighty power and irresistible evidence And though God doth reveale some of his secrets yet he hath secrets which he will not reveale The secret of the Lord is with them that feare him Psal 24.14 And his secret is with the righteous Prov. 3.32 This secret is either the good will and favour of God of which the World knowes nothing or the good Word and Faith of God of which the World knowes as little Both these sorts of Divine secrets are with the righteous and men fearing God but the secrets of his Counsel are reserved in his owne breast He reveales to his people the secrets of his bounty and of their duty what he will doe for them and what they must doe for him but many things which himselfe will doe shall never be revealed but by the doing of them Hast thou heard the secrets of God And doest thou restraine wisedome to thy selfe That is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Detrahis ad te quod sensu in idem recidit cum eo quod est tibi ascribis fraudando alios negatam aliis sapientiam tibi assumpsisti ex divino arcano Sapientia ultra te suos terminos non porriget Tygur Doest thou thinke there is no wisedome besides thine art thou at the very border and utmost limit of knowledge and understanding is all beyond thee ignorance and folly Hast thou got and engrossed all the learning from others and reserved it to thy selfe alone as thy peculiar with which none must intermedle without a license obtained from thee hast thou the monopoly of wisdome or is all but enough for thee Shall none of thy neighbours share with thee This is either a charge of greater arrogancy then the former Doest thou restraine wisedome to thy selfe or at least a charge of greatest uncharitablenesse goodnesse is diffusive and so is wisedome and it is the duty of good men to diffuse wisedome When they have heard the secrets of God they must communicate them to others not restraine all to themselves But I conceive Eliphaz intends onely the former charge Hence observe It is the highest straine of pride for a man to restraine wisedome to himselfe or to thinke himselfe so wise that all must addresse to him for wisedome God hath not given all wisedome to any one man or sort of men though he hath trusted some with more Talents of it then he hath done others The Priests lips of old under the Law and so the lips of Ministers under the Gospel should preserve knowledge and the people should seek both Law and Gospel at their mouth Mal. 2.7 Yet neither might the Priests then nor may Ministers now restraine wisedome to themselves The rule of the Apostle is Be not wise above what is written that is above holy Writ or above what is written from the immediate dictates of the Spirit of God They are as we say fooles in Print who say they are wise above what is thus written but we may be wise above what is spoken or written by any man for no man ought to restraine all wisedome to himselfe to doe so is the top-staire of Antichristian pride The Pope restraines wisedome to himselfe he boasts that he hath the secrets of God and that all must come to him if they will have them unlockt and opened His sentences from the Chayre are Oracles and there he is infallible all are obliged to receive what he saith because he saith it no man must scruple much lesse oppose or contradict it Thus to impose upon men is to set our selves in the place of the God of Heaven yea to arrogate to our selves that we are Gods on earth So the Apostle hath characteriz'd that man of sin 2 Thes 2.4 He opposeth and exalteth himselfe above all that is called God or that is worshipped that is above all civill powers or Magistracy So that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himselfe that he is God And as he out of all measure wickedly so many others in a very great measure have shewed themselves as God while they have taken upon them as we speake proverbially To give the Law yea to give the Gospel to other mens consciences or to bind up all mens tongues and judgements unto the rule of their apprehensions When the Apostle had called God to record that he alwayes purposed to be bold and plaine with the Corinthians he presently subjoynes this corrective 2 Cor. 1.24 Not that we have Dominion over your Faith but are helpers of your joy As if he had sayd Doe not thinke that I take upon me as a Lord over your consciences to charge any command or observations of my owne upon them No I am but as a servant of God to instruct you in his counsels and to comfort you with his promises The Grecians who were men of great knowledge and learning a very witty and Philosophicall people called all other Nations Barbarians Such pride appeares among some in name Christians they speake and act as if all knowledge and truth were centred in them or as if all were in the darke who see not by their light Knowledge is apt to puffe up how are they puffed up who thinke they know all though indeed they who thinke they know any thing know nothing as they ought to know 1 Cor. 8.2 God reveales that to Babes and Sucklings which he hides from such wise and prudent ones who restraine all wisedome to themselves God in judgement restraines wisedome from them who in pride restraine it to themselves and as God takes all wisedome from them who in another sense restraine wisedome to themselves that is who will not use it because they have but one Talent of it or but a little so he will give them no wisedome at all who thinke they are possessors or Lord-Treasurers of all the Talents of it as if all wisedome were layd up in them The Babâ—s and Sucklings such as are low humble and meek are the objects of this bounty as for the proud God beholdeth them affar off and they can never get neere wisedome who are farre from the God of wisedome While such vainely restraine wisedome to themselves the hand of God is justly restrained from bestowing it upon them Eliphaz having thus reproved Job for entitling himselfe to so rich a stock of knowledge either brought in by his owne long experience or from the speciall inspirations and teachings of God proceeds to challenge to himselfe and his Freinds a knowledge equall at least to what he really had in the ninth and tenth Verses Vers 9. What knowest thou that we know not what understandest thou that is not in us
whom God comforts shall say Thou hast comforted me and I was comforted This the Apostle speaks out to the praise of God 2 Cor. 1.3 4. Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of mercies and the God of all consolations all consolation belongs to God he hath all comfort in his owne power and dispose there is not any creature in the World can give out the least dram of comfort to us without the commission or leave of God it is possible for one man to give another man riches but he cannot give him comfort man may give honour to man but he cannot give him comfort A man may have a pleasant dwelling a loving Wife sweet Children and yet none of these a comfort to him The consolation of all our possessions and relations is from God Whosoever would have comfort must trade to Heaven for it that 's a commodity can be found upon no earthly coast you may fetch in wealth from many coasts of the earth but you cannot fetch in comfort till you addresse your selves to the God of Heaven We can procure our owne sorrow quickly but God onely makes us to rejoyce our releife from outward affliction or inward griefe is the gift of God He onely can comfort us in outward afflictions who can command the creature and he onely can comfort us against our inward griefes who can convince the conscience None can doe either of these but God therefore consolations are from God Luther spake true It is easier to make a World then to comfort the conscience the Hebrew phrase to comfort used in diverse places of the old Testament is To speake to the heart Now God onely can speake to the heart man can speake to the eare he can speake words but he can goe no further Therefore the act and art of comforting belongs properly to God Christ is the true Noah Lamech saith of Noah Gen. 5.29 This man shall comfort us concerning our worke and the toyle of our hands it was not in Noah to comfort but as God made him a comfort and he was said to comfort as a type of Christ Christ is true comfort He is comfort cloathed in our flesh he is as it were comfort incarnate Noah sent a Dove out of his Arke which returned with an Olive branch Jesus Christ sends the holy Ghost who is called the Comforter with the Olive branch of true peace to our wearied souls and to shew that it is now the highest act of Christs love care as mediator to give comfort he promised to send the holy Ghost when himselfe was taking his leave of the Church in regard of any visible abode or bodily presence being ready to ascend and step into Heaven he sayd I will send the comforter When God rained fire and brimstone from Heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah it is sayd by some of the Ancients that he sent a Hell out of Heaven But when he powres the holy Spirit from Heaven upon his Sion we may say he sends a heaven out of heaven Heaven above is nothing else but holy comfort and the comforts of the holy Spirit are the onely Heaven below How highly then ought we to esteeme how carefully to maintaine communion with God who hath all comfort seeing comfort is more to us then all we have If wee have comfort let our estate be what it will we are well enough comfort is as the spring of our yeare as the light of our day as the Sun in our Firmament as the life of our lives Have we not reason then to draw yea to presse neerer unto God who hath all comfort in his hand and without whom the best things cannot comfort us Not our riches nor our relations not Wife nor Children not health nor beauty not credit nor honour none of these can comfort us without God and if God please he can make any thing comfort us he can make a crust of dry bread a feast of fat things a cup of cold water a banquet of Wine to us And as he can make our comforts crosses so our crosse a comfort as David speakes Psal 23.4 Thy rod and thy staffe comfort me not onely the supporting staffe but the correcting rod shall comfort if God command it to be a comforter Who would not maintaine communion with this God who can make a comfort of any thing who can answer every crosse with a comfort If we have a thousand crosses God hath ten thousand comforts hee can multiply comforts faster then the World can multiply crosses Againe if God be the God of all consolation then goe to God for consolation as the Angel said to the women when they came to the Sepulcher enquiring for Christ Why seek yee the living among the dead he is risen he is not here So I may say Why seek yee living comforts among dead or dying creatures Seeke them there no longer Job complaines in this Booke When I sayd my bed shall comfort me then thou scarest me with dreames Chap. 7. Job went to a wrong place when he went to his bed for comfort most soules misse of comfort because they goe to a wrong place for it one goes to his bed another to his freind for comfort a third to his wife and Children these saith he shall comfort me alas why seeke yee the living among the dead none of these can comfort though these may be meanes of comfort Who or whatsoever is the instrument God is the author of all our comfort whatsoever hand brings it God sends it God saith Paul who comforteth those who are cast downe comforted us by the comming of Titus 2 Cor. 7.6 Titus was a good man and brought good tydings yet Paul doth not say that the comming of Titus did not comfort them but saith Paul God comforted us by the comming of Titus T is not your freind who comforts you but God who comforts you by the comming of such a freind when you are in sorrow by sending in such reliefe when you are poor by sending such medicines when you are sick such salves when you are sore such counsell when you are in doubt and know not what to doe Once more It is happy for Saints that consolation is in the hand of God if it were in the hand of the creature sure they should have but little of it but it is in the hand of God There are these foure considerations which may comfort Saints that comfort is in the hand of God First Considering his nature he is willing and ready to do good he is full of compassion and to shew mercy pleaseth him more then it releeveth us Secondly Considering his relation to his people he is a Father Will a Father let a Child lye comfortlesse when he can help him he is our Husband he is our Freind all relations provoke God to give out comfort to the Saints Thirdly Considering his Omniscience and Omnipresence he knowes where the shooe wrings he knowes what comfort we want a
Why doth he yet finde fault for who hath resisted his will Nay but O man who art thou that replyest against God What wilt thou chop logick with God himself Wilt thou as the Margent saith answer againe or dispute with God Hold thy peace quiet thy selfe What 's the matter that thou turnest thy spirit against God Spirit is here put for the will thoughts and counsells Spiritus pro arrogantia Latine diciur magnos gerere animos qui superbia tumet Merc. Quid tumet adversus Deum spiritus tuus Vulg. Quid torva convertis in caelum Lumina quid in Deum refundis stomacum evocas conceptam iram Pined Animum indignatione accensum Jun. Omnem spiritum suum depromit stultus i. e. iram Aben Ezra Rege animum i. e. iram Horat of Man cloathed and elated with arrogancy stoutnesse and pride In all languages Spirit imports that which is high And to say Such a one is a man of spirit notes not onely the activenesse of that man but often his pride and haughtinesse Besides Spirit is sometimes put for indignation for fury and wrath in all which acceptions the word may be rendred here Thou turnest thy spirit that is thy anger and wrath thy fury and indignation against God So the word is used Isa 25.4 When the spirit or blast of the terrible ones is as a storme against the Wall that is while the fury of the terrible ones is in its highest march and motion God promiseth to be a strength to the poore a strength and a refuge to the needy in his distresse So Prov. 29.11 A foole uttereth all his minde or all his spirit that is all his anger he lets it out and discovers himselfe presently but a wise man if there be cause of anger keepeth it in till afterwards that is till a fit season He hath a retentive faculty which a Foole hath not Now in which sense soever of these explained we understand Spirit in the present Text the charge is as high as it can goe upon any man when 't is sayd Hee turneth his Spirit against God Hence Observe To turne the spirit against God is the very spirit of ungodlinesse there is no greater wickednesse then this A godly man may doe an act which is against God but his spirit cannot act against God that 's the character of the wicked A godly man delights in the Law of God according to the inward man whilst the outward man sins against the Law of God an ungodly man turnes his inward man against the Law of God while his outward man pretends obedience to it and as it is an act of highest disobedience so of the proudest pride to turne the spirit against God The Vulgar Latine translates it well Why doth thy spirit swell against God Thou hast an impostumation in thy spirit against God yea it is not onely an act of the proudest pride but of the maddest madnesse to turne the spirit against God Furorem erupisti ante dominum Sept. so the Septuagint gives it Thou hast caused thy fury or thy madnesse to breake forth before God he that acts against God is a mad man indeed Will yee provoke the Lord are you stronger then he is the Apostles chiding question to such mad men are you so mad after your lusts hath sin made you so foolish Have you lost both grace and reason at once that you dare thus provoke the Lord and challenge the Almighty God resists the proud and the proud assault him Grace turnes the spirit to God repentance is the returne of our spirits to God then what is the turning of our spirits against God but a cleare demonstration of a totally impenitent and gracelesse Spirit Againe when Eliphaz saith Job turned his Spirit against God he doth not meane it of a direct or professed opposition against God as if Job had openly defied him and blasphemed his Name but his meaning is that Job shewing so much impatience and unsatisfiednesse of spirit under the dealings of God with him did not submit to God as he ought Eliphaz I conceive did not so much as suspect that Job turned his spirit immediately or as wee say poynt blanke against God himselfe but onely against his dispensations Hence observe That while we speake or our hearts rise up against the dealings of God with our selves or others we may be sayd to turne our spirits against God himselfe Many who think they have not neglected Christ will be found to have neglected him because they have neglected those by whom or that wherein Christ is offered The Evangelist brings in Christ speaking thus Matth. 25. I was hungry and yee fed me not thirsty and yee gave me no drinke they to whom hee speakes wonder at this Lord say they when saw we thee hungry and gave thee no meat or thirsty and gave thee no drinke surely we have not been guilty of such a wickednesse Yea saith Christ In as much as yee did it not to one of these yee did it not to me when yee refused to feed these yee refused to feed me I was in these and these were in me Now in the same manner many will say when wee charge them with turning their spirits against God with fighting against and opposing God Who we oppose God we never opposed God as we know of yea peradventure they will say we have honoured God and doe you charge us that we have turned our spirit against God to many such God will say In as much as yee opposed my word and murmured against my workes in as much as yee were angry with my dispensations and discontented with what I have done ye have turned your spirit against me We may become guilty of this sin before we thinke of it for as there is a direct and litterall contending with God so an equivalent or constructive contending with him As some men commit plaine open Treason against a State but others commit only constructive Treason 'T is so here the God of Heaven knowes when spirits turne against him directly and when by consequence and he will take vengeance not onely of direct and avowed but also of consequentiall and constructive Treason against his Soveraignty unlesse the offender repent and be humbled before him He will judge thousands at the last day for opposing him who it may be in some things have pleaded for him yea who have in some things not onely acted but suffered for him though usually when the spirit of any man turneth against God that mans workes and words turne against him too So Eliphaz further taxeth Job in the latter clause of the Verse And lettest such words goe out of thy mouth As if he had sayd Such stuffe as thou hast in thy heart even such flowes out of thy mouth the word Such is added by most Translators the Hebrew is And lettest words goe out of thy mouth it is no fault to let words goe out of the mouth 't is no sin to speak
of the Battell is given by sound of Trumpet beat of Drum or discharge of Cannon they run on upon one another and when the Battell comes to the heat and hight they charge home even upon the necks of one another and upon the Bosses of their Bucklers Here 's the description of a fierce charge This wicked one is a Champion for Hell he challenges the God of Heaven and runs upon him c. with utmost violence Quia impius manum in Deum extendit ideo currit in eum Deus ad collum in densitate dorsorum clypeorum ejus q.d. in ea quibus ille maxime roboratur Rab. Lev. Vatabl. Beza Multo aptior est ut describatur adhuc ille impiorum conatus adversus Deum Pined Inauditam impii temeritatem describere prosequitur Bold That 's the sum of the words I shall now open them a little further He runs upon him even upon his neck There is a difference among Interpreters about that Antecedent some understand God As it the meaning were God runneth upon a wicked man like a strong Warrier with incredible swiftnesse and irresistible force to cast him downe The wicked man having stretched out his hand and strengthned himselfe against the Almighty now the Almighty runs upon his necke even upon the thick bosses of his Buckler Come saith God I will have about with thee if thou darest I will try it out with thee I am not afrayd of thy stiffe necke though it hath Iron sinews nor of the thick bosses of thy Buckler though they be of Steele Thus some both later Writers and ancient Rabbins give the sense but I rather conceive with others that Eliphaz still prosecutes the strange progresse and hightned wickednesse of man who having strengthned himselfe by hardning his heart against God runs upon him even upon his necke c. Taking this sense there is a different reading thus He runs upon him with his necke we say the wicked man runs upon the neck of God they say A wicked man runs upon God with his neck their meaning is He runs upon him audaciously and proudly The neck lifted up is a token of pride and presumptuous boldnesse And to run with the neck is to run with the neck lifted up or stretched out Currere collo est collo duro erecto sunilia sunt cum lana ponitur pro lana alba c. Drus which is indeed the periphrasis of pride Psalm 75.5 Speake not with a stiffe necke that is with a spirit unwilling to submit to my dispensations The Prophet Isaiah complaines and threatens Isa 3.16 Because the Daughters of Sion are haughty and walke with stretched out necks That is because they testifie the pride of their hearts by the gate and postures of the body as much as by the vaine attire and apparrell of the body Therefore the Lord will smite c. The Lord tells Moses Exod. 32.9 I have seen this people and behold it is a stiffe-necked people He complaines by the Prophet Isa 48.4 I knew that thou art obstinate and thy neck is an Iron sinew Stephen the Proto-Martyr gives a breviate of all their rebellions Acts 7. and concludes Vers 51. Yee stiffe necked c. The stiffe neck and the proud hard heart are the same all the Bible over Thus the wicked man runneth upon God with his stiffe In erectione colli fastus agnoscitur Merc. that is his proud daring spirit As before Hee stretched out his hand so now which is more his necke against God The metaphor is taken either from Souldiers in battell Metaphora a milite Fortissimo in hostem impetum faciente Metaphora a lascivienti procaci vitulo Pined who to shew their valour hold up their heads and stretch out their necks running head to head and shoulder to shoulder when they come to close fight Or It is a metaphor taken from a Bullock unaccustomed to the yoake who therefore will not submit his neck to bear it Wicked men are called Children of Belial because they endure not the yoak of obedience when God would put his yoak upon their necks they lift up their necks or run upon him with their stiffe necks Hence Note It is pride of spirit which causeth man to oppose God The Apostle James saith God resisteth the proud Jam. 4. which intimates yea and speakes out that the proud assault God As the wicked in his pride persecutes the poore Psal 10.2 So in his pride he opposeth God And as he that loveth God follows yea runs after God to obey him so he that hates God runs upon him by disobedience An act of ignorant disobedience is a going froâ— God Per superbiam homo maximè deo resistit superbus propter praesumptionem spiritus contra Deum currere dicitur Aquin. an act of knowne disobedience is a running upon God Running upon God is not onely sinning but impudent sinning The Angels in Heaven cover their faces before God dâ—â—ing not to behold him Humble sinners on earth such as the poor Publican Luke 18. venture not to lift up their eyes to Heaven but proud sinners lift up their necks against God They who care not what God saith to them care as little what they doe to God And they who have no faith in God seldome have any feare of him these run upon him with their necks But I returne to our Translation He runs upon him even on his necke That is on the neck of God that is he sins fiercely and fearelessely he doth not dare God at a distance or like a Coward speak great words and vaunt of what he will doe when his Adversary is out of sight and hearing but he charges on boldly in his very face It is sayd of the Ramm by whom the Prophet meanes Alexander the Great King of Greece That when he saw the Hee-Goat that is Darius King of Persia he ran upon him That is he assaulted him speedily and boldly overthrowing his whole estate and so making himselfe sole Lord of Asia The whole course of his Victories are described by this word He ran upon him Dan. 8.6 And when Job would shew how fiercely the Lord handled him he gives it in this language I was at ease but he hath broken me asunder he hath also taken me by the necke and shaken me to peeces Job 16.12 Cum eo concurrens collum invadet Tigur As God in a way of highest punishment or chastisement is sayd to take a man by the neck so man in a way of highest sinning and rebelling is sayd to take God by the neck or to run upon his neck He that ventures upon the necke cares not where he ventures and he that runs upon the neck of God cares not on whom he ventures And as in height of love a freind runs and falls upon the neck of his freind thus Joseph did on his Brethrens necks Gen. 45.14 and the Father of the Prodigall Luke 15.20 Ran and fell upon
word All that ever was done in the World hath been done by the breath of Gods mouth that is by the word or decree of God So some understand that of the Apostle 2 Thes 2.8 And then shall that wicked one be revealed whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit or breath of his mouth and destroy with the brightnesse of his comming Antichrist hath stood long and he hath been for some time declining his downfall hastens the breath of God will leave him breathlesse As he hath stood by the flattering breath of men so he shall fall by the consuming breath of God This consuming with breath notes either as before the easinesse of that consumption 't is done with a breath or the way and manner of doing it 't is done by the command and decree of God or by the Preaching of the Gospell which indeed gives Antichrist his fatall blow and shakes all the Towres of mysticall Babylon and is called by the Prophet The rod of his mouth Spiritu oris sc ipsius impii credo potius referrendum esse ad impium quasi ille sibi ipsi fuerit mortis causa dum contra Deum loquitur confidenter libere Sanct. and the breath of his lips Isa 11.4 He shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked Life and death sit upon the lips of Christ he hath a reviving breath and a killing breath he quickens the deadest heart and deads the quickest the proudest heart with a word speaking By the breath of his mouth the wicked goe away Further The breath of his mouth say some is the breath of the wicked mans owne mouth By the breath of his mouth shall he goe away That is by the words which breath out of his mouth His passionate distempered speeches shall undoe him while he speaks either outragiously and blasphemously against God or falsely and seditiously towards man his ruine enters at the opening of his lips The motion of the breath is the preserver of life Spiritu oris sui i. e. suis verbis quae spiritu halitu in ore ormantur and while breath lasts life lasts yet many a mans life had lasted longer had it not been for his breath The wicked mans breath proves his death and his tongue which hath been a scourge to others becomes a Sword to himselfe His words possibly have wounded and his breath hath been the death of many But now he is wounded by his owne words and crusht to death by the weight of his owne breath or by the fall of his owne tongue upon him So the Psalmist gives it Psal 64.8 They shall make their owne tongues to fall upon themselves that is Their owne words shall be brought as a Testimony against them and condemne them The tongue is a little member saith the Apostle James Chap. 3.5 and therefore a light member yet it falls heavy as heavy as lead A man were better have his House fall upon him then that in this sense his tongue should fall upon him Some have been pressed to death because they would not speak but stood mute before the Judge but more have been pressed to death by their sinfull freedome or rather licentiousnesse in speaking this hath brought them to judgement and cast them in judgement Their tongue hath fallen upon them and by the breath of their mouth they have gone away Lastly but I will not stay upon it because the Originall doth not well beare it these words are cast into the forme of a similitude describing the manner how the wicked man and all his glory shall goe away even as a breath or as his breath As the breath of his mouth he shall goe away that is he shall go speedily he shall goe suddenly A breath is soon fetcht it is both come and gone in a moment A breathing time is a Proverbiall for a little time much like that In the twinckling of an eye Thus man comes and goes is come and gone especially a wicked man who is driven by the wrath of God as soon as seen by others as soon as he hath breathed himselfe It will not be long ere he goes and he will not be long a going For as the breath of his mouth he shall goe away The breath of man goes continually and so doth the life of man while man sleeps his breath goes and so doth his life while man stands still his breath goes and so doth his life The breath indeed is sometimes in a hurry and goes faster then it doth at other times but though the life of man doth not goe faster at one time then at another yet it alwayes goes Or if at any time our life may be sayd to goe faster then at another it is when our breath is by some stop in its passage at a stand and when ever our breath comes to a full stop our life is not onely going but quite gone The life of man hath so much dependence upon his breath that it is called Breath and the breath of life When God formed man out of the dust of the ground he breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soule Gen. 2.7 And as soon as God calls back this breath of life man becomes a dead body or a carkasse The life of man must needs goe as his breath for it goes with his breath and when the life of a wicked man is gone all that he called his his worldly glory goes with him In that day all his thoughts perish For As the breath of his mouth he shall goe away Eliphaz having layd downe the wicked mans sad condition and the causes of it concludes with a use or application of the whole Doctrine at the 31. Verse Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity c. JOB CHAP. 15. Vers 31 32 33 34 35. Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity for vanity shall be his recompence It shall be accomplished before his time and his branch shall not be greene He shall shake off his unripe Grape as the Vine and shall cast off his flower as the Olive For the Congregation of Hypocrites shall be desolate and fire shall consume the Tabernacles of bribery They conceive mischiefe and bring forth vanity and their belly prepareth deceit ELiphaz layd downe his Doctrine at the 20. Verse of this Chapter That a wicked mans life is a miserable life he travells in paine all his dayes and having insisted long upon the proofe he now gives us the application of it in a use of dehortation Vers 31. Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity He inforceth this dehortation by a summary repetition of the Doctrine before delivered which he doth First Plainly in the close of the 31. and in the beginning of the 32. Verses For vanity shall he his recompence it shall be accomplished before its time Secondly He doth it allegorically in the
many because every one hath many Arrows Men carry but one Sword and one Speare but they carry many Arrows therefore the word signifies many His Archers or many compasse me round about Hence note in prosecution of the same point That God hath variety of meanes to afflict He can make any creature his Archer and he hath many Quivers full of Arrows Old Jacob sayd of Joseph Gen. 49.23 The Archers shot sore at him and grieved him Joseph was a mark of envy because God had put so many markes of honour upon him His owne Brethren were the Archers Job had many Archers shooting at him I can name you seven eminent Archers that shot at Job First Heaven was an Archer the heavens shot fire which burnt up his flocks of sheep Secondly The Ayre was an Archer that shot winde and downe fell the House upon his Children Thirdly The Chaldeans and Sabeans were Archers and they shot spoyling and plundering they tooke away all his Cattell and slew his Servants with the edge of the Sword Fourthly The Devill was an Archer he shot diseases and wounded his body all over with soares Fifthly The earth was an Archer and that shot Wormes he was cloathed with Worms and clods of Earth Sixthly His Wife was an Archer or an Archeresse she shot terrible Arrows evill and bitter words Seventhly His Freinds were Archers they shot reproofes and uncomfortable comforts they peirced him with their salyes and the very meanes that they used to heal him grieved him more All these shot at him hee must needs have many hurts who was compassed about with so many Archers David felt the anguish of these Arrows Psal 38 1. O Lord rebuke me not in thy wrath neither chasten mee in thy hot displeasure For thine arrows stick fast in me and thy hand presseth me sore David was full of Arrows what those Arrows were is not determined in the Text. One of the Ancients saith They were the threatnings of God with which his conscience was wounded for sin as for his body and outward estate they were in a whole skin 't is true judgements or wrath threatned wound the spirit deeper then judgements or wrath executed wound the outward man and as the whole word of God so that part of it especially which consists of threatnings is as the Apostle speakes Heb. 4.12 Quick and powerfull and sharper then any two-edged Sword peircing even to the dividing asunder of the soule and spirit c. Yet I rather conceive that Davids Arrows were bodily troubles or diseases already inflicted the immediate cause of which was the anger of God and the cause of that vvas his owne sinne both vvhich are expressed at the third Verse There is no soundnesse in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin When sin stirrs up the anger of God the anger of God can quickly send his Arrowes abroad nor is there any thing in this World so neere unto us but hee can make an Arrow or an Archer of it His Archers compasse me round And see what kind of Archers his were they were no bunglers they were good marks men like the left handed Benjamites Judg. 20.16 They could shoot at a haires breadth and not misse For it follows He cleaveth my reines asunder They are expert Archers who can cleave the reines The reines are in the middle of the back he that shoots at a Butt and hits the middle of it shoots exactly the whole Butt is not the mark but the White vvhich is set according to a Geometricall proportion in the middle of it He that hits the mark hits the middle of the Butt but he that cleaves the Pin that 's the Archers Dialect which fastens the mark to the Butt That 's the Archer or That 's He as they also use to speake at their sport he wins the prize Renes sedes sunt affectus libidinis vehementissimi Renum nomen in Hebraeo a desiderando dicitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vulnerare renes est tenuiores affectus configere An Archer may hit the man and not his reynes but to hit his reynes is skilfull archery Jobs Archers were thus cunning in their art They compasse mee about and cleave my reynes asunder That 's the first Further We may understand it by a metaphor and so two wayes First The reynes being the seat of desire as Naturalists speake some interpret he cleaveth my reines asunder thus He smites me in that which is to me most pleasant and desireable and then the seat of affection is put for the thing which we affect This holds out a profitable truth God can wound us in that upon which wee most entirely set our affections He knowes how to cleave our very reines asunder and he often doth it that which vve inordinately love is usually the mark at vvhich he aymes his Arrow The readyest vvay to lose any comfort is to over-love it I add that by vvay of caution not of direction And indeed though it be a great deal of smart to us yet it may prove a great deal of ease to us to be vvounded in that which vve over-love God in much mercy to those he loves takes that from them vvhich they love too much that so they may love him the more to whom all their love and more if they had it is but due He cleaves their reines that their reines may cleave to him Secondly The reines in a metaphor Renes occultissima denotant cor intelligit renes consulunt signifie that which is most secret and hidden Psal 16.7 My reines also instruct me in the night season that is my most inward thoughts instruct me I have secret communion with my selfe and my heart reads me a curtaine Lecture every night My reines instruct mee in the night season This metaphoricall interpretation gives us this plaine Note God peirceth into our most retired thoughts and can punish our most secret sins Those sins which lye as much out of sight as the reines doe he seeth and he seeth them as plainely as an Archer doth the White or marke which stands open to the eye for all things are naked and manifest anatomiz'd or cut open to the reines of the back so much the word beares and so manifest are we before his eyes with whom we have to doe Take it literally and then to cleave the reines is an expression of putting a man to the greatest sorrow or paine imaginable if the back vvere chyned as we speake and cut quite downe through the reynes this would be an exquisite torment the reynes are a very tender part A deep vvound in some other parts of the body is but a scratch and such vvounding were a kinde of embracing in comparison of that Secondly To cleave the reynes is to weaken because the reynes or the loynes are the strength of a man or of any creature Loe his strength is in his loynes saith God of Behemoth
vocantur quae Ebraeis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in quibus sacrificabant idolis Caeterum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 proprie de Deo usurpatur de caelo de Deo in singulari numero de caelo in utroque Drus Dicitur Deus testis in excelsis propter locum aptissimum ad contemplandum tanquam in sublimi specula quicquid agitur Pined wherein the false gods were worshipped or the true God falsely Job puts that word into his appeale which belongs properly to God and signifies in Scripture the place of his glorious residence Jobs record was not onely on high but Bemerumim the Hebrew is Plurall in the heights Some translate it in the Superlative not in excelsis on high but in altissimis in the highests As if he had sayd My witnesse is above all witnesses and therefore he is a witnesse above all exception And Job did well for his purpose to say his record was on high not onely because of the dignity of that which is high but for the advantage which hee hath who is on high or in the highest to be a witnesse God is sayd to be a witnesse in Heaven or on high to shew how easily he can observe and take notice of those things which are below God hath eyes infinitely pure and piercing he beholds all things and hee beholds them from on high as from a watch-tower which renders the object more obvious to the eye The sight is soone intercepted upon a levell but The Lord saith David Psal 14.2 looked downe from Heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any that did understand and seeke God If but one had sought God God had found him out but the report which he makes upon that surveigh tels us They are all gone aside they are altogether become filthy there is none that doth good no not one Vers 3. Further he saith My witnesse is in Heaven or on high implying that he was such a witnesse as was able to protect him a witnesse who is above all feare and who needs no favour Some witnesses are not onely men of no state but of no conscience Such underlings will be hirelings upon Oath against the truth and are ready to testifie any thing for hope of gaine or for feare of a frown My witnesse saith Job is in Heaven my record is on high such a witnesse he is as cannot be corrupted by gifts such as hath no need of any mans gifts seeing he gives to all men life and breath and all things Hence Observe First That as God is the Judge of all men so hee is their witnesse God is the Judge of all the earth and God is the witnesse of all the earth too Jer. 29.23 Because they have committed villanie in Israel and have committed adultery with their neighbours Wives and have spoken lying words in my name that I have not commanded them even I know and am a witnesse saith the Lord Hee saith not I know and am Judge but I know and am witnesse Let no man hope to escape the judgement of God because there is none to witnesse against him for if God hath not the witnesse of man if our sin be a secret to all the World yet God hath alwayes two witnesses First Our owne conscience Secondly Himselfe An earthly Judge must not be a witnesse his duty is to give sentence not to give evidence hee must determine according to what is alleaged and proved upon testimony given but he cannot give testimony he cannot be Judge and Party too But God is so transcendently Soveraigne that hee is both Judge and Partie he pronounceth sentence and gives in evidence Christ is called The faithfull and the true witnesse Revel 3.14 And yet All judgement is given into his hand John 5.22 27. God judgeth upon his owne knowledge not upon the knowledge of others and therefore as there can be no fayling in so no avoyding of his judgement Secondly Observe It is lawfull to appeale to God or to take God to witnesse An Oath is the calling of God to witnesse and whensoever we appeale to God or call him to witnesse it is an Oath The Apostle Paul tooke an Oath when he sayd Rom. 1.9 God is my witnesse whom I serve with my spirit in the Gospel of his Son that without ceasing I make mention of you in my prayers Thus in highest holinesse he sware that he prayed for the Romans spirituall good while he was absent from them and had never so much as seene them and that he passionately desired to be present with them and see them that hee might impart unto them some spirituall gift Because being a meere stranger he had not yet made his actions a witnesse of his love to them and because no man can be an unerring witnesse of another mans heart or of the moving of his affections therefore he calls God to witnesse who alone knowes the heart and can tell how much we love eyther himselfe or one another He speakes as much though in another case to the Corinthians 2 Cor. 1.23 Moreover I call God for a record upon my soule that to spare you I came not as yet unto Corinth As if he had sayd By this my earnest adjuration I assure you that the reason why I have deferred my comming to you was not from any levity of minde or change of purpose in me but onely because I was unwilling to use such severity as the distempers among you call for and would have pressed mee unto being present We find him in the same tenour of speech towards the Philippians Chap. 1.8 For God is my record how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Christ that is I call God to witnesse I love you And againe 1 Thes 2.5 Neyther at any time used wee flattering words as you know nor a cloak of covetousnesse God is witnesse As if he had sayd Had I used flattering words you might witnesse it and that I have not used a cloake of covetousnesse God is witnesse I might have worne a cloak of covetousnesse so closely that you could not have seene it but God could he can judge through the darkest clouds and see through the thickest cloaks and coverings but I appeale to him whether I have put on such a cloake or no. As Paul by Oath purged himselfe from covetousnesse of spirit so Abraham protested by Oath against all covetous practices Gen. 14.22 I have lifted up mine hand to the most high God the possessour of Heaven and Earth that I will not take any thing that is thine This gesture of lifting up the hand when an Oath is taken is there put for an Oath it selfe by which Abraham appealed to God as a witnesse of his sincere intentions in taking up those Armes for the rescue of his Nephew Lot and that as he had overcome his Enemies so he had overcome covetousnesse which was of the two the farr more noble victory This calling of God to witnesse is
and downe-right in all his dealings and sayings There are no mockings with me I am what I appeare and I appeare what I am An Hypocrite is full of tricks and shifts he disguiseth both his person and his actions No man can tell where to have him or what to make of him When hee speakes his words doe not signifie what he meanes if they signifie any thing and when he acts his workes doe not signifie what he is they signifie any thing rather then that All are mockings of others though he will finde in the end that he hath mocked himselfe most of all Secondly As he joynes this with the next clause There are no mockings with me and yet mine eye continueth in their provocation Note that How plaine-hearted soever a man is yet it is very hard to perswade those who are once prejudiced against him that he is so Let Job say and professe what he would yet hee could not recover his credit nor set himselfe right in the opinion of men till God did it for him Chap. 42. But I passe that Are there not mockers with me What the mocking and scorning of Jobs Freinds was hath been opened Chap. 12.4 Cha. 16.19 and therefore I referr the Reader thither Doth not mine eye continue in their provocation Should he not rather have sayd Doth not mine eare continue c. Mocking is the object of the eare and not of the eye There are some mockings indeed by mimicall foolish gestures and they are the object of the eye Assiduè in id oculos mentis aciem intentam habeo quod me assidue irritant in eo defixae sunt omnes meae cogitationes Merc. Isti dies noctesque non cessant exacerbare animum meum Iun. Intenta cogitatio somnum impedit but here Job speakes of what he had from them in conference which is properly the busines of the eare and yet he faith Doth not mine eye continue in their provocation By the eye wee are to understand the eye of the minde Doth not mine eye that is Have I not a representation in my spirit or upon my fancy of your mockings and bitter provocations even as if they were visible before mine eyes Have I not night visions and apparitions upon my Bedd of what you speak or act against me every day Againe We may expound the Text properly of his bodily eye b cause the trouble which they gave him in the day time hindred his sleep in the night The letter of the Hebrew favours this sense Doth not mine eye lodge in their provocation So we put in the Margin of our Bibles Hence Master Broughton reads In these mens vexing lodgeth mine eye that is When I goe to Bed and hope to sleep then in stead of lodging in my Bed I lodge in the thoughts of my Freinds unkindnesse and indeed a man may sleep better upon the bare boards then upon hard words Such words keep the eyes waking and are as bad to sleep upon as a pillow of thornes especially when which was Jobs case the eye continueth in them Intentnesse of minde or vehement cogitation about any thing keep open the eyes and forbid the approach of rest Doth not mine eye continue In their provocation Provocations He called them Mockers and their mockings were provocations Vel a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 amarum esse Sive a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod est irritare sive exacerbare The word as some derive it signifies that which is bitter Provocation is a bitter thing Others derive it from a root signifying to irritate and stirr up the spirit of a man which is provocation properly Provocation is a high act of wrong A man may doe another wrong on this side a provocation as the provocation of God is a high act of sinne in man ordinary acts of sin doe not amount to a provocation Ps 106.7 They provoked him at the Sea it is this word even at the red Sea that is There they sinned extreamly So Ps 95.8 which the Apostle quotes Heb. 3.8 The holy Ghost cals the whole time of that peoples froward walking or sinning against God in the Wildernesse The provocation Harden not your hearts as in the provocation that is In the time when yee sinned not onely to the offending but to the provoking of God against you not to the breaking of his Lawes but to the vexing of his spirit When sin is compleat and iniquity growne to a full stature that day is justly marked in the Calendar of Scripture with a red letter implying wrath and is therefore called The provocation So when any man deales very unkindly frowardly or unfaithfully against his Brother then 't is a provocation Doth not mine eye continue in their provocation Now for as much as the same word signifieth both bitternesse and provocation and that most provocations are given by uncharitable and unconsiderate speeches Observe First Vnkinde words are bitter to the hearer The Apostle gives the rule to Husbands Col. 3.19 Husbands love your Wives and be not bitter to them that is Doe not give them bitter words in stead of faithfull counsels Some Husbands speak their Gall to their Wives to whom they have given their hearts Among the Heathens the Gall of the Sacrifice which they superstitiously offered at Marriages Quo instituto legis Author non obscure innuebat a conjugio semper debere bilem iramque abesse Drus Prov. Clas 2. l. â— was puld out and throwne away before it was presented at the Altar signifying that Man and Wife should be as Naturalists say the Dove is without Gall one towards another Wholesome counsels and admonitions for the matter are often administred with such an undue mixture of heat and passion as renders them not onely distastefull but hurtfull to the receiver Secondly Note Harsh words carry much provocation in them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 animum despondeo The same Apostle in the same Chapter enlarging his Institutes for the direction of Beleevers in all Relation bespeakes Parents Vers 21. Fathers provoke not your Children to anger The word signifies any kinde of provocation but that especially which is caused by contumelious and upbrayding speeches A Father provokes his Childe when he speakes hastily and threatningly terrifying his Childe rather then instructing him The reason why Fathers should not thus provoke their Children is added Lest they be discouraged or as the word imports be as if they were without soules â—noop't as we say and heartlesse For as there is a provocation in a good sense which heightens the spirit in well doing and enlivens it for action The Apostle exhorts to that Heb. 10.24 Let us consider one another to provoke one another to love and to good works that is let us set such copies of holinesse that others may be stirred up beyond their ordinary pitch and elevation of spirit to a zealous doing of good Or speake such winning words give such pressing exhortations that the hearts of your
till they have done good their eye continues in that holy provocation Psal 132.4 I will not saith zealous David give sleep to my eyes nor slumber to my eye lids untill I finde out a place for the Lord an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob So wicked men give no sleep to their eyes till they have done that mischeife or executed that revenge to which they conceive themselves provoked But the eye of Job did not continue in those unfreindly provocations to watch an opportunity for selfe-revenge upon or of doing mischeife to his Freinds He did not let the Sun goe downe upon wrath that he might devise their ruine in the darke He was not so wise as he should have been to hurt himselfe and hinder his rest by such a continuall poring upon their unkindnesses but he was not wicked at all much lesse so wicked which some from this passage may conceive him as to pore upon their unkindnesses with a purpose to hurt them So that act might have somewhat of sin in it because hee troubled his owne peace more then he needed but it had not this sin in it that he studyed how to trouble the peace of others Lastly We may rather interpret these words to the blame of his Freinds who continued to provoke him then to his whose eye because they did so could see nothing but provocation or at least must see that whatsoever it saw and therefore could not but continue in it How could the eye of Hannah chuse but continue in the provocation of Peninnah when it is sayd 1 Sam. 1.6 7. That as her Husband Elkanah gave her speciall tokens of his love yeare by yeare so shee provoked her to make her fret yeare by yeare therefore shee wept and did not eate While a provocation is continued our sense of it can hardly be intermitted Job having complained of received provocations renews his appeale to God Vers 3. Lay downe now put me in a surety with thee who is he that will strike hands with me The words are an Apostrophe to God That Job speakes to God not to Eliphaz is cleerer then needs be proved The word which we render lay downe signifies also to appoint Exod. 1.11 They did set or appoint over them Taske-masters And againe Exod. 21.13 I will appoint thee a place whither he the man-slayer shall flee Appone cor tuum i. e. adverte quaeso animum meis verbis Vatabl. In the present Text both rendrings of the word are used We make use of the first Put or lay downe What would Job have God lay downe Some give it thus Lay downe or apply thine heart to me attend I pray thee to my words and consider my cause Secondly The words may be conceived as an allusion to those who going before a Judge or having a cause to be tryed by Umpires use to lay downe an ingagement or as wee call it an Assâ—mpsit that they will stand to the award or arbitrement which shall be made Put me in a surety with thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Est fideijubere pro aliquo seu aliquem in suam fidem recipere Hinç arrabo spiritus Pone pignus vadem aut fidejussorem mihi tecum Pagn-Dispone quaeso consponsorem mihi tecum Jun. Num Arrabonem dabis The Originall word properly signifying to undertake for or to give credit and assurance in the behalfe of another and hence the Noune derived from it signifies an earnest because an earnest layd downe is a reall surety that such a thing shall be performed In which sense Thamar useth the word Gen. 38.17 who when Judah promised to send a Kid of the Goates said wilt thou give me a pledg til thou send it and hence in the new Testament the word Arrabo is used in the Greek as also in the Latine for the earnest of the spirit or for that assurance which the spirit settles upon the hearts of Beleevers in this life that they shall inherit eternall life 2 Cor. 1.22 Who hath also sealed us and given the earnest of the spirit in our hearts And againe 2 Cor. 5.5 Now he that hath wrought us for the selfe same thing is God God having prepared a place for us prepares us for the place and then gives us our evidences that in due time wee shall take possession of it Who also hath given us the earnest of the spirit The same Apostle tells the Ephesians that After they beleeved they were sealed with the spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance till the redemption of the purchased possession Ephes 1.14 So that an earnest is a reall suâ—ety and a surety is a personall earnest While Job saith Put me in a surety his meaning is hee would have some person to be an undertaker for the ordering of his cause or an ensurer that all should be performed according to the determination that should be given about it Put in a surety with me Who is he that will strike hands with me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sig Defigere infigere si de contractibus dicitur percutere manum He proceeds in the same allusion These words are disposed two wayes Some put the Interrogation after He Give or put me in a surety Who is he I would gladly see the man or know who it is Who is he let him come and strike hands with me whosoever he is As if hee had sayd I shall easily agree that any man should have the hearing and determining of this businesse whom thou shalt appoint Quis est manui meae plaudatur Jun. Quisquis ille sit fide jussor meus veniat paciscatur mecum In sponsionibus manus invicem complodebant hinc manum complodere pro pacisci stipulari Merc. We put the Interrogation after the whole sentence Who is he that will strike hands with me And then the sense appears thus If God once put in a surety to undertake for me who is hee that will contend with mee or engage in this Quarrell against me To strike hands is a phrase of speech grounded upon that ancient forme of making bargaines or entring contracts by joyning or striking hands And these contracts may be taken two wayes or under a double notion First As they concerned suretiship for Money in which sense Solomon speakes of it more then once Prov. 6.1 My Son if thou be surety for thy Freind If thou have striken hands with a stranger that is if thou hast entred into Bond for him and hast testified it by striking hands then c. Prov. 22.26 Haec est sponsio quae propriè ad mammorum negotium spectat Aben Ezra in Prov. 6. Be not thou one of them that strike hands that is Be not too forward to engage thy selfe or to undertake for others as it is expounded in the next words or of them that are sureties for debts such hasty engagements may bring thee into more trouble then thou wilt
but as Parties putting in their accusation and pleading against him Hence Observe It is an honour and an exaltation to win the day in any cause or to get the better Whatsoever the contention be or in what way so ever mannaged whether by the Sword or by the tongue or by the Pen to be victorious in it is honourable and hee that loses his Causes loses much of his credit also And though prevailing or successe doth not at all justifie the matter it is the matter which must justifie the successe yet successe doth alwayes exalt the man He that overcomes in a dispute carries away the honour though possibly he carry not away the truth Lastly From the connexion of this with the former part of the Verse Observe They who maintaine errour among men shall not finde favour with God A heart hid from understanding is hid from the truth God loves his truth so well that he will not exalt those who depresse his truth Jobs Freinds being left in the darke as to that point in question Did not speake of God the thing that was right Chap. 42.7 And therefore the Lord sayd to Eliphaz My wrath is kindled against thee and against thy two Freinds Though an error be held unknowne and in zeale for God as they did yet the jealousie of God waxeth hot against such These repenting were and such as they repenting may be pardoned but they shall not be exalted And if they who for want of light of knowledge and in much heat of honest zeale defend a lesser error such was theirs shall not be exalted how will the Lord cast them downe who broach and spread blasphemous errors and damnable Doctrines in a time of cleere light and against frequent admonitions if not convictions Whosoever saith Christ Matth. 5.19 shall breake one of these least Commandements and teach men so Joyning the error of his practice with or turning it into the error of his opinion he shall be called least that is nothing at all or No-body in the Kingdome of Heaven And he who is nothing in the Kingdome of Heaven is not exalted how high soever he may get in the Kingdomes of the earth And if the teacher of error against the least Commandement of the Law shall have no place in Heaven where vvill their place be who teach errors against the greatest Commandements of the Law yea against the most precious and absolute necessary principles and foundations of the Gospell Vers 5. He that speakes flattery to his freind even the eyes of his Children shall faile There is some variety in expounding these words because of the severall notions into which the Originall is rendred As we read the Text it is a plaine affirmation of judgment upon the posterity of Flatterers The word vvhich we translate Flatterie signifies in the Verbe to divide into parts and hence in the Noune 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Divisit in partes in Hiphil emollivit laevigavit blanditus fuit a lott or portion because every lott or portion is divided from the whole it signifies also a prey or booty which men take in Warr or which Theeves and Robbers take from Travellers upon the high way and that upon the former reason because when a prey is taken they divide or cast it into severall portions or parts Hence also say some it signifies to flatter because the tongue of a flatterer is divided from his heart Further It signifieth to smooth and pollish or as wee say to make a thing very glib and neate This comes neerest our translation for a flatterer hath a smooth pollished tongue and his trade is to smooth or sooth both things and persons The flatterers tongue is like the Harlots tongue to whom this word is applyed Prov. 7.21 With much faire speech shee caused him to yeild with the flattering of her lips with the smoothnesse or as some translate with the lenity of her lips shee forced him Flattery seemes to be farr from force yet nothing puts or holds men under a greater force then flattery He that speakes flattery to his freind Flattery is a speciall language though it be spoken in all languages 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Men learne to speake flattery even as we learne to speake Latine French Italian Spanish or any other language Flattery is an Art it hath rules of its owne and termes of its owne he that speakes flattery Master Broughton in this place calls it Vaine-goodly-speech And the Apostle Paul calls it Good words and faire speeches Rom. 16.18 The expressions which the Apostle useth are most proper to the description of flattery they are both Compounds as the spirit of the Flatterer also is He hates simplicity or singlenesse of heart making a shew of much goodnesse in word but is voyd of deed and substance Hee promiseth faire and when hee speakes you would thinke hee minded nothing or were sollicitous about nothing but the Honour and advantage of him to whom hee speakes when indeed he minds nothing but himselfe and selfe-concernements as the Apostle in that place desciphers him He serves not our Lord Jesus Christ Haec est blandities quae a Graecis vocatur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristoteles vulgo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appellari docet eos qui comiter cum omnibus conversantur sed veram amicitiam cum nemine colunt Arist l. 8. ad Nicom Pertinax Imperator dictus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod blandus esset magis quam benignus Bez. in loc ex Aurelio Vict. but his owne belly and by his good words and faire speeches he deceives the hearts of the simple The Greeks have another characteristicall word for this sort of men by which they meane all such as seeme to carry it faire with all men but maintaine true freindship with no man wee may call them Men-pleasers but Selfe-seekers As also one of the old Emperours had his Sir-name from that word used by the Apostle in the place last mentioned because hee was observed very ready to give all men good words but had no regard to doe good yea he did very much evill or as another gives the reason because he was a Fanning Prince rather then a kinde one Job seemes to charge his Freinds that they were men of such a temperament and had rather faund upon him then been reall freinds to him But here it may be questioned Why doth Job speake his Freinds speakers of flattery Hee had little reason to complaine he was flattered and wee finde him often complaining that he was roughly dealt with Job heard few pollished or buttered words but bitter words great store why then doth he say He that speakes flattery to his freind We may understand it two wayes In reference to Job God First His Freinds had spoken flattery to him for though in some things they were very severe and harsh yet in other things he might interpret their sayings to be but soothings Is est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qui