word is a weariness to them they soon think they have enough Secondly There is need of patience for submission to what is heard How short soever the Sermon is yet when it pincheth the conscience and pricketh the heart it is not easily born They who hear quietly some woâ—ds of truth will not enduâ—e some other we hardly continue hearing with any patience when to us the word heard is a hard saying and bares hard upon either our consciences or our practises when the singer is as it were laid upon and presseth the sore few can endure it 'T is easie to hear pleasing things but that which crosseth our spirits or our wayes calls for patience When Stephen the Proto-martyr preached to the Jews and brought the word home to their consciences by that close application Acts 7.51 Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ear ye do alwayes resist the Holy Ghost as yâ—ur Fathers did so do ye At this word or when they heard these things they were cut to the heart saith the text and they gnashed on them with their teeth their patience was quite spent they could hear no longer And when St. Paul spake to that gâ—eat Assembly Acts 22.1 22 23. They gave him audience unto this word I will send thee to the Gentiles and then lift up their voices and said away with such a fellow from the earth for it is not fit that he should live Then they cryed out and cast off their clothes and threw dust in the air Thus they raved and were enraged like angry yea like mad dogs when once their title was questioned or as we speak their coppy-hold toucht by the mention of the Gentiles whom they greatly despised and judged themselves so much above Hearken to this to this pinching word to the word that strikes upon your lusts The length of a Sermon spoiles the patience of some but the strength and searching power of it spoiles the patience of more A sincere heart is willing to hear all and is most pleased to hear that word which gives deepest wounds to any corruption of heart or transgression of life Such words are wholsome though bitter or sharp and the more they make us smart the more medicinal and healing they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Stat sc permentis rectitudinem Aquin. Hearken unto this O Job Stand still and consider the wonderous works of God Elihu not only desires Job to hearken but to stand still and consider There is a twofold standing still First Bodily I do not conceive Elihu imposing any such gesture or composure upon Job as to stand still and not stir his body The Hebrew is but one word stand up There is a liberty as to any comly gesture of the body in hearing a man may lawfully sit as-well as stand and hear yet to stand up and hear sheweth a readinesse of the mind and a hungring desire after the Word Secondly There is a standing still of the mind The body may stand as still as a stake or stone while the mind is in strong motion yea while there are most vehement commotions and perturbations in the mind This still-standing of the mind in hearing what is spoken may be taken in a double opposition First To any impatience unquietness or uncomposedness of the mind when the word is spoken Secondly To any irreverence slighting or disregarding of the word spoken To stand still is to get the spirit quiet to hear patiently or to stand still is to get the heart into a reverential frame to hear affectionately So then to stand still implieth both patience and reverence We have like admonitions in the 30th chapter of this book vers 20. and chapter 32d vers 16. Yea that admonition of Balaam was of like sence with this Num. 23.18 Rise up Balak and hear When Balaam was about to deliver his parable and declare the mind of God concerning Israel he called upon Balak to rise and stand up that is to entertain the message with respect Hearken unto this O Job stand still Hence note We ought to be in a gracious quietness and composure of spirit when we are called to hear and mind what God hath done or spoken Further We ought to have a quiet sedate composed spi it not only when we hear doctrinal truths delivered from the word of God but also when we hear of the providences and various woâ—ks of God As this word stand still may refer to the words going before Hearken unto this so to those which follow Consider the wonderful works of God And then the duty required in them reaches both his Word and Works It is a great power of grace which causeth the heart to stand still in this sence that is to be in a quiet frame when the works of God trouble us or are troublesome to us Thus Mâ—ses bespake the Israelite Exod 14.12 Stand still and see the salvation of God It was a very tâ—oublesome time with the Israelites they were ready to give themselves and all they had for lost when Moses exhorted them to stand still Nothing but faith in God can make us stand still when we are ready to fail and that will certainly do it Unbelief makes the heart as unquiet as theirs was upon the report of a war against Judah Isa 7.2 And his heart that is the heart of Ahaz was moved and the heart of his people as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind 'T is hard travel of soul to staâ—d still and see the salvation of God when every thing seen threaâ—ens desâ—lation The Lord is represented requiring us to do so Psal 46.10 Be still and know that I am God When the Psalmist had spoken of the desolating works of God he added this word from the Lord be still as if he had said the Lord commandeth you â—o be of a quiet and composed spirit when all things seem to be in a hurry or confusion for he had said before vers 8. Come behold the works of the Lord what desolations he hath made in the earth Yet even now saith the Lord Be still and know that I am God David at the beginning of the Psalm had professed a fâ—rm purpose in himself and in all the faithful wâ—th him for such a still-standing how-ever things moved or matters should go yea tumble in this world vers 1 2. Though the earth be moved and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea though the waters thereof roar c. We will not fear God is our refuge and strength How comely is it for man thus to stand still in a silent and believing consideration of what God hath done or is doing to which Elihu called Job expresly in the next words stand still Consider the wonderous works of God Here is First Consideration Secondly Consideration of the works of God Thirdly Consideration of the wonderous works of God To consider 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intelligere is
Hence note What-ever stands in the way of our comforts God can quickly remove it When Clouds cover the light from us God hath â—is wind ready to chase them away and clear up the weather Never did any such thick and dark Cloud of sorrow and trouble hang over the heads or fill the hearts of the people of God but he had means at hand to dispell and scatter it or he could scatter it himself without means When dreadfull Clouds of danger looked black upon and threatned the Church of God during the Reign of Julian the Apostate Athanasius said It is but a little Cloud Nâ—becula est citò transibit a wind will shortly cleanse it away His meaning was now we are compassed about with fear and trouble but peace and prosperity will not stay long before they return This is true also if we carry it yet in a more spiritual way as to those Clouds of sorrow which often darken and afflict our minds in the midst of outward prosperity or in the clearest Sun-shine-day of peace that ever was in this world when these inward Clouds dwell as it were upon the soul the Lord hath a wind which passeth and cleanseth them away too What is that wind it is his holy Spirit The word in the text Bolduc is used often to signifie not only the natural wind in the air but that divine wind the Holy Ghost who is compared unto the wind in many places of Scripture and his opperations are like those of the wind For as the wind bloweth where it listeth we hear the sound thereof but know not whence it cometh nor whither it goeth so saith Christ is every one that is born of the Spirit John 3.8 And as our Regeneration is wrought by that secret yet strong and powerfull wind so likewise is our consolation The Spirit of God doth those â—ffices in our hearts which the winds do in the air As the wind dispells and sweeps away the Clouds which are gathered there so the Spirit of God cleanseth our souls from those Clouds and foggs of ignorance and unbelief of sin and lust which are gathered in and would else abide for ever upon our hearts From all these Clouds the holy Spirit of God cleanseth us in the work of Regeneration And from all those Clouds which trouble our Consciences the holy Spirit cleanseth us in the work of Consolation Some Interpreters expound the words only in this mystical sense quite rejecting the proper But though by allusion we may improve the words to this spiritual sense yet doubtless Elihu speaks here of the winds properly taken or of the natural winds and their sensible effects and so according to our reading this Text as it hath been opened teacheth us what sudden changes God makes in the Air. Now the light is shut up or shut in and anon it is let out again and all by the powerful hand of God who doth administer these things to us interchangeably as himself pleaseth Secondly The text according to another reading which others insist much upon and conceive pertinent to the scope of Elihu runs thus â—im enim non respiâ—iunt homines lucem quum nitida est in superioribus nubibus quas ventus transiens purgavit Translatio Jun For now men cannot see the bright light in the Clouds when the wind passeth and cleanseth them Mr Broughton translates clearly so his words are these And now men cannot look upon the light when it is bright in the Air then a wind passeth and cleanseth it And then the sence of the whole verse is plainly a setting forth of the excellency or superexcellency rather of the light of the Sun which is so clear and splendid that if the Air be but cleansed from Clouds if it be but a pure Air no man is able to face it nor his eye directly to behold it We behold all things by the light of the Sun but no man can stedfastly behold the light in the Sun no man can look right up to the Sun when it casts forth its fiery rayes and shines bright upon us And this some conceive so genuine and clear an exposition of the Text that the light of it may seem to obscure and darken all others Now according to this second reading the whole verse with that which followeth contains an argument to confirm the former proposition laid down at the 20th verse If a man speak he shall be swallowed up that is if a man come too nigh unto God and be over-bold with him he shal even be swallowed up of his brightness that it is so I prove thus saith Elâ—hu The very light of the Sun Nemo potest adversis oculis â—itidum solem contueri quis ergo ferat praesentiâ—m Majestaâ—â— dei Jun which shines in the Air is so bright and so powerful that no man is able to hold up his eyes against it And if so then from the lesser to the greater his argument riseth thus If when the Sun shineth brightly no man is able to look upon it then much less are we able to behold the bright Majesty of God or to comprehend his greatness This rendring hath a very profitable sense in it leading Job to reason thus with himself I plainly see by all that hath been discoursed that for as much as I am not able to bear the brightness which breaks through the Clouds nor the noise of Thunder of which Elihu spake before for as much as I am not able to bear the fiercenesâ— of a great Rain nor the coldness of the Frost nor the impetuousness of the Wind nor the violence of a Tempest for as much as I am not able to bear the clear light of the Sun shining in my face therefore surely I am much less able to bear the Majesty and glory of God if he should unvaile or open himself unto me Thus I say Elihu leads Job to an humbling conviction that he could not stand before the glorious Majesty of God because he was not able to endure the brightness of the Sun shining upon him If the light of the Sun the Created light be too excellent for mortal eyes then what is God the Creating light what is God who dwelleth in light who is light and in whom there is no darkness at all 'T is a Maxime in Nature Excellens visibile visum destruit A â—isible object exceeding bright dazles the eye and even destroys the sight And why was all this spoken to Job Surely to bring him upon his knees as afterwards it did to humble him to take him off from his frequent appeals or desires of approach to God for the debate and determination of his cause The sum of all in a word is as if Elihu had said O Job thou canst not see the bright light of the Air if the wind do but fan it and cleanse the Clouds how then shalt thou be able to dispute thy cause before God to whom the most glorious
every pressing danger let us go to God in faith and hope and he will either give us enlargements or do us good by and in our worst and greatest straits Thirdly Note As it is good when at any time we are in trouble to look to God so we should then look to God specially under this relation as he is our Maker It is good then to say God is my maker and I am the work of his hands therefore he will take care of me and deliver me out of the hand of my oppressors There are five duties which arise from this Consideration that God is our Maker First We should highly esteem and be thankfull for this benefit our making Secondly We should be confident that he who hath made us will preserve us Thirdly We should patiently submit to him when he afflicteth us himself or suffers others to afflict us Fourthly We should give him glory by believing that he will take care of us in or deliver us out of all our sufferings and afflictions Fifthly We should not think nor speak hardly of God because he hath made us subject to tryals and the exercise of patience neither should we take it ill that he hath made others so high or great that they have power to oppress us In all these respects we should look to God our maker and neither murmure at nor be afraid in a day of â—ffliction The Lord himself poynts us to that Isa 51.12 13. Who art thou that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall dye and of the son of man which shall be made as grasse and forgettest the Lord thy maker It is good in time of affliction to remember God in all our relations and in this as our maker in a three-fold making of us First As our maker in a natural capacity that is as he hath made these bodies of ours we may plead with and urge the Lord to take care of and preserve our bodyes because he ha h made them preservation is an act of providence and pâ—ovidence followeth creation Secondly As our maker in a civil capacity that is as he hath made us rich or poor high or low in the world or in any worldly enjoyments Pharaoh that great Dragon lying in the midst of the rivers said Ezek. 29.3 My river is mine own and I have made it for my self But grace teacheth us to say otherwise if we are rich or strong God hath made us so if our river be broad and deep full and over-flowing God hath made it so and if we are poor and weak if our river be naâ—row and shallow empty and dry God hath made it so and who shall say to him Why hast thou made it so That God is the maker of our crosse should make us quiet under it Thirdly A godly man should look to God in affliction as his maker in a spiritual capacity I do not mean as he hath made our spirits but as he hath made us spiritual or as we are his workmanship that 's the Apostles word created in Christ Jesus unto good works Eph. 2.10 That we are thus wrought works much upon the heart of God in the day of our affliction That God hath made us men that we are his creatures is a good argument a faire plea and moves much but that he hath made us new men or new creatures his Sons by grace and Temples of his Spirit that he hath made us holy believing righteous is a far stronger argument a suller plea and moves much more A soul that can go to God thus and tell him he is his maker a soul that can say as 't is said of the Church Isa 54.5 My maker is my husband He that made me hath married me to himself a soul that can say this may indeed triumph in and over all his tribulations How sweet is it to have an interest in Christ and by him a relation to God as our maker in this respect When the Lord rejects a people to the utmost he saith he will not be stayd no not by this relation as their maker from doing it Isa 27.11 This is a people of no understanding therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them and he that formed them will shew them no favour As if the Prophet had said If any argument could move the Lord to shew mercy this would do it to tell him he hath made such a people or he is their maker But there are none whom the Lord hath made in the third sense as to a new creation but he will have mercy on them and shew them favour his making of them such is a gâ—eater mercy and an higher favour thâ—n any they can ask of him nor are there any of that making who are of no understanding So then he that is made of God spiritually needs not care for all the unmaking or undoing he can receive from men nor fear that he shall ever be unmade or unmercy'd by God All he can lose in this world doth not cannot make him miserable who is made fit for the world to come He knoweth he hath an estate setled upon him by his Maker which cannot be taken away A man thus made may say to his spoylers Ye have taken nothing from me but the scraps and sweepings the parings and chippings of my estate The Archers indeed have sorely grieved me and shot at me but my bow abides in strength and the armes of my hands are made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob. He that is spiritually made or made a new creature is made for ever and in every strait he may look to God his Maker as a helper and restorer He that made us when we were nothing can help us when we are reduced to a very nothing It is an encouragement to go to God for healing because he hath wounded us Come and let us return unto the Lord saith the Church for he hath torne and he will heale us he hath smitten and he will bind us up Hos 6.1 Much more is it an encouragement to go unto God to be our healer because he hath been our Maker He that hath made us can mend us He that built us can repaire us if we say as we ought and have been taught Where is God our maker Who giveth songs in the night Those words contain a second Consideration why the oppressed should seek to God he giveth songs that is matter of songs or cause of singing joy and comfort even in the night There are several opinions about the meaning of these words Some as I shewed before interpret this verse of the oppressors None of them say Where is God my maker who giveth songs in the night So the words are a description as of the great worldly security so of the great worldly felicity of those oppressors Poor men labour all day hard and being wearied out with their labours when night cometh they go to bed But prophane great and rich men
18.2 He feared not God nor regarded man he despised all what cared he for them or their tears so he might serve his own turn and carry on his own ends Woe to the mighty who despise the Cause much more who despise the cryes of the oppressed Thirdly The mighty men of the earth usually despise those whom God honoureth most God despiseth not any but he highly esteemeth his own whereas the mighty men of the World are apt to despise all especially his that is the Generation of the righteous they that are nearest to Gods heart are farthest from theirs The affections and estimations of the mighty seldome fall in with but run cross to Gods Psal 10.3 He blesseth the Covetous whom God abhors that is he hath a high esteem of those whom God cannot abide and he that doth so will never abide those whom God highly esteems and those least whom God esteems most highly away saith he with those that are so strict in their way away with them saith he that walk in the narrow way O let such mighty ones as despise these consider how unlike they are to the mighty God who despiseth not any who greatly honoureth these Michal Davids Wife Sauls Daughter had a piece of this spirit in her though David was a mighty King she despised him only because he was a holy and a zealous King When she saw how he danced before the Ark when she saw how he was taken with the things of God she despised him in her heart and for that was punished with a barren womb as long as she lived 2 Sam. 6.23 They who act highest in holiness are alwayes lowest in the thoughts of the unholy Fourthly They that are mighty in Parts and Gifts of speech and knowledge they who are got a Form higher than their Brethren how apt are they to despise all that are below them Not is this the sin of carnal vain men only but of many for the main good men also who taking too much notice of their own great Abilities will scarce take any notice of them who have but little This dead Fly hath corrupted many a Box of precious Ointment this Weed hath been found growing in the richest grounds and the richer any ground is the more apt it is to bring forth this Weed unless the Lord with those other Gifts give also that which is more excellent than all Gifts even than the Tongue yea Hâ—ad of men and Angels an humble and self-denying heart St Paul himself was in danger to be lifted up and certainly had if God had not given him preventing Physick with this distemper through the abundance of Revelations now he that is lifted up in himself is within a step of despising others And O how unlike are these in this also to God who is mighty not only in strength but in wisdome yet despiseth not any And that God who is mighty and despiseth not any is mighty not only in stâ—ength but in wisdome is Elihu's Assertion also concerning God in the close of this verse and comes next to be opened and handled He is mighty in strength and wisdome The Original may be thus rendred strictly He is mighty the strength of heart Now the strength of the heart consists first in courage secondly in wisdome and hence we translate distinctly He is mighty in strength and wisdome Here are two poynts of Gods might according to our reading He is mighty First in strength Secondly in wisdome As before we had that Noble combination of Mightiness Meekness in God He is mighty and despiseth not any so here we have another noble combination in his mightiness of strength and wisdome He is mighty in strength and in wisdome Some men are mighty in strength who are weak in wisdome others are mighty in wisdome but not in strength boâ—h meet and are joyned in God in whom all things are but one he being but an infinite simplicity though they are acted diversly towards man both these I say meet in God and he equally excels in both Yet because if these two be taken distinctly we can understand nothing in God by strength but what was comprehended in mightiness before spoken of therefore I conceive these words He is mighty in strength and wisdome signifie no more in this place than this That God is mighty in the strength of wisdome or that he is mighty strong in wisdome And so I shall proceed with the Text. This strength of the wisdome of God or his strong wisdome is of two sorts or consists in a two-fold wisdome First there is his knowing and discerning wisdome Secondly there is his governing and disposing wisdome First There is a strength of wisdome in knowing and discerning God is mighty strong in this wisdome in this knowing this discerning wisdome 1 Sam. 2.3 The Lord is a God of knowledge by him actions are weighed He knoweth our actions exactly and he will weigh them to a grain he knoweth our actions to the utmost And as he knoweth our actions so our intentions he knoweth our inside as well as our outside Heb. 4.13 All things are naked and manifest before him with whom we have to do and they are not only naked to the skin but unbowelled and anatomized to every veine and bone Acts 15.18 Known to God are all his works from the beginning of the world he knoweth all his own works much more ours Thus God is strong in wisdome as wisdome consists in knowledge and thus strong he is he knoweth all things First the least things as well as the greatest 't is no burden no distraction to God to take notice of the smallest matters even to the numbering of the haires of our head That 's true greatness of knowledge to know the least things and motions of the meanest creature Secondly he knoweth the most secret things Secret things belong to God Deut. 29.29 that is God hath secrets which he reserves to himself man cannot know them man must not attempt to know them such an attempt were insufferable intrusion Now as God hath secrets of his own which no man must meddle with so be medles with all our secrets our secrets belong to God as well as his own he knows the secrets of our hearts he hath a key to that Cabinet and can unlock it and look into it we may lock men one and other out of our hearts but we cannot lock out God he seeth what 's there such is the strength of his knowing wisdome Thirdly He knows things future or what shall be he knoweth what as yet is not as clearly as what is He declareth the end from the beginning Isa 46.10 Upon this ground the Prophet challengeth all the Idols of the world Isa 41.23 Shew the things that are to come hereafter that we may know that ye are Gods tell us what shall be next tell us what will be to morrow that will be a demonstration of your Divinity the Lord declareth things to come and he only declares
can stop and bridle our boisterous and angry passions towards those that have offended us The Lord saith unto or concerning Pharoah Exod. 9.16 And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up for to shew in thee my power c. What power The Lord shewed forth a twofold power in the raising up of Pharoah First the power of his Arm that he was able to cast down such a mighty Prince Secondly The power of his Patience that he spared him from ruin till he had sent ten messages to him and poured ten Plagues upon him The Lord was so provoked by Pharoah that he might have crushed him upon the first denyal but he forbare him long the Lord might well say I have set thee up that I might shew forth my power my power in forbearing thee long as well as in destroying thee at last The Apostle speaks of this power Rom. 9.22 What if God willing to shew his wrath and make his power known the Lord will not only shew his wrath hereafter in breaking those vessels of destruction but he shews his power now in suffering them long and therefore he to make his power known endured with much long-suffering the Vessels of wrath fitted to destruction Here 's the strength of the Lords heart he bears long with wicked men Secondly There is a mighty power or strength of heart in God as in long-suffering towards impenitent sinners so in pardoning sinners who repent Who Magni animi est ignoscere but the Lord hath such a strength of Spirit to pardon and passe by offences After the People of Israel had mutined and murmured Sola sublimis et excelsa virtus est nec quicquam magnum nisi quod simul placidum Sen. and so provoked the Lord to the height Moses begs and bespeaks the power of the Lords pardoning-mercy Numb 14.17 And now I beseech thee let the power of my Lord be great according as thou hast spoken saying The Lord is long-suffering and of great mercy forgiving iniquity c. As if Moses had said Lord thou must put forth as much power in pardoning the sins of this People as ever thou didst in delivering them from their bondage-sufferings in Egypt Or thus O Lord thou mightest magnifie the power of thine anger in punishing this rebellious People but rather magnifie the power of thy patience and long-sufferance in sparing and pardoning them O what strength of heart is in God who passeth by the great transgressions of his People Thirdly The Lord hath a mightinesse of heart in executing his wrath upon his incorrigible enemies Psal 90.11 Who knoweth the power of thine anger The anger of God is such a thing as no man can go to the bottome of it in his thoughts The Lords wrath is powerful beyond all imagination and apprehension his anger as well as his love passeth knowledge In all these respects the Lord hath strength of heart or he is mighty in strength of heart as well as in hand or arm The greatest discoveries of Gods power are in the wayes of his mercy His Judgements are called his strange work but his mercy is his strength as the Prophet calls it Isa 27.5 where warning the Bryars and Thorns to take heed of warring with God he gives a sinner this counsel Let him take hold of my strength that he may make peace with me and he shall make peace with me But what is meant by the strength of God Some render Apprehendet arcem meam i. e. Christum Coc. Let him take hold of my Tower A Tower is a place of strength but here put for that which God glories in most as his chiefest strength even his goodnesse meâ—cy patience and long-sufferance yea Christ himself as if he had said Let not the sinner struggle with my strength let him not think by strâ—ng hand to overcome my strength but let him take hold of my Christ through whom all those glorious perfections of mine my Goodnesse Mercy Patience c. are given out to the children of men and he shall make peace with me This is the true strength of God nor doth any thing more set forth the strength of man than this that he is ready to pardon to forgive and passe by only impotent spirits are much for revenge 'T is our weaknesse not to passe by wrongs and injuries done to us To bear wrongs is to be like the high and mighty God to bear them in mind is to be like the lowest and weakest spirited men He is strong indeed who is strong in patience against Offenders and as strong in mercy to pardon humble ones as in power to punish stubborn and rebellious ones Secondly By way of Illation Note 'T is the greatness of Gods Spirit or the strength of his heart and mind which moderates him towards sinful man That which keeps men in a moderate frame towards men is true greatnesse of spirit They that are of such a spirit will neither despise those that are below them nor envy those that are above them not willingly oppose those that are equal to them The envy and opposition of others greatnesse ariseth from the meannesse and weaknesse of our own spirits The reason why one man is affraid that another should be high is because himself hath not a real highnesse of spirit or the reason why most oppose the greatnesse of others is the littlenesse of their own spirits Whence spring contentions and strifes envyings at and underminings of one another come they not from the narrownesse of our hearts that we cannot rejoyce in the good of others or from the impotent jealousies of our hearts that we fear others will do us hurt If such a one get up he will pull me down if such a one be high 't is dangerous to me therefore I must pull him down if I can whence comes this but from lownesse and poornesse of spirit from that pitiful thing in man called Pusillanimity The Lord hath so great a Spirit that as he envieth no mans greatnesse so he feareth no mans greatness and therefore doth that which is just and equal to all sorts of men bad and good as is further shewed in the next verse Vers 6. He preserveth not the life of the wicked but giveth right to the poor As if Elihu had said Though the Lord doth not despise any that are great yet he doth not respect any that aro bad he preserveth not the life of the wicked And as the Lord will not do any wrong to the rich so to be sure he will give right to the poor What Elihu had affiâ—med of God he now proveth by instances or particulars and that both in respect of the wicked and the godly That the Lord is most just and righteous he proveth thus He preserveth not the life of the wicked That 's the first instance and he expresseth it negatively 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non viâ—ificat He preserveth not the life of the wicked he
affliction they throw away their prayers Prayer will forsake them who forsake God while they pray Such as want Faith will not have a heart to pray in their wants If holy Duties cause us not to leave our sins sinning will at last cause us to throw off our holy Duties Will or doth the hypocrite pray alwayes was Jobs denying question at the 27th Chapter of this Book They who do not love prayer cannot hold out in prayer They who do not find a sweetness in drawing near to God in good Times will soon withdraw from him in evil Times Thirdly They cry not when he binds them Note Hypocrites when they have most need of prayer are least in the use of it When more need of Prayer than in time of affliction yet the hypocrite bound in affliction is bound in spirit from supplication Fourthly They are said not to cry though in some sense as hath been shewed they do cry when God bindeth them Hence Note That holy Duty which is not rightly and holily done is reckoned by God as not done at all What almost is more common among hypocrites yea among some prophane ones than to pâ—ay and desire others to pray for them in time of affliction Pharaoh will needs have Moses pray for him and when Ahab was threatned with a binding he humbled himself yet this goes for nothing and gets nothing at most but what Ahab got a reprieve from some present or temporal punishment Fifthly Those words are brought in as an aggravation of the sinfulness of the hypocrite he doth not cry when God binds him he prayeth not when God afflicts him Hence Note It is an heightning of our sin to neglect prayer in time of affliction It is a sin to neglect prayer at any time but their sin is exceeding sinful who neglect it then who cry not to God when God binds them Is it not extreamly evil that they should not pray at all or but little when they should be all and alwayes in prayer Affliction doth as it were naturally draw us yea forcibly drive us to God In their affliction they will seek me early Hos 5.14 As if the Lord had said If ever they will seek me surely they will seek me then and then they will seek me early that is earnestly and with all their hearts Therefore how unnaturally sinfull are they who in their affliction will not seek God! The Prophet saith Isa 26.16 Lord in trouble have they visited thee they powred out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them Yet the hypocrite will not pray when chastened How sinful it is not to pray when God binds us appears upon many accounts First To neglect prayer in time of affliction is very sinful because then we have most occasion for it Secondly In time of affliction God especially calls us to prayer he commands us at all times but chiefly then Is any among you afflicted is that any mans case let him pray Jam. 5.14 What should an afflicted man do else What is he so much engag'd to do by his own necessity what so much by the will of God as to pâ—ay Affliction which takes us off from many other woâ—ks sets us upon and about this Thirdly Prayer in time of affliction is under most promises to be heard Now not to pray not to cry to God when we have so many promises to assure us of hearing encreaseth our sin in the neglect of prayer Though I do not say the hypocrites prayer is under these promises of hearing yet it shall be reckoned as a sin that he haâ—h not prayed in affliction because there are so many promises of hearing prayer in affliction The Lord is very gracious to those thaâ— cry in affliction and the hypocrite hath often heard that he will be so how wretchedly sinâ—ul is he then against God as well as regardless of his own good it God hear not of him or from him in his affliction Psal 102.17 He will regard the prayer of the destitute and not despise their prayer that is graciously accept and answer it Again Psal 69.33 The Lord heareth the poor and despiseth not his Prisoners that is any who are bound in affliction For I suppose that Text is not to be restrained to those only who are shut up in prisons but takes in all those that are bound in any trouble In which sense the word is used Lam. 3.34 The Lord doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men to crush under his feet all the Prisoners of the earth The Hebrew is All the bound of the earth by whom he means as chiefly the Jewes gone into Captivity who were more properly bound so any detained under any calamity whatsoever to all or any of them that Scripture is applyable The Lord doth not willingly afflâ—ct Seeing then there are so many promises made to those that cry in affliction this will be urged upon the hypocrite as an heightning of his naglect that he hath not cryed when God bound him Thus we see the second part of these hypocrites misery by what they do not They cry not when he bindeth them The third thing by which the woful misery of hypocrites in heart is set forth is by what they suffer Vers 14. They dye in youth and their life is among the unclean They dye in Youth The Hebrew is their Soul dyeth The Soul strictly taken is immortal and dyeth not yet 't is often said in Scâ—ipture the Soul dyeth the Soul being taken either First for the Life or Secondly for the Person To say their Soul dyeth in youth is no more than to say as we translate they dye in youth The word rendred Youth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sâ—gnifies in the Root of it to shake and trouble or to make some great concussion hence some render the Text In tempestate Vulg In excussione Rab. Sal. q. d. Excussione et vt afflictionum in quibus sunt peribunt They dye in a Tempest or in a Storm One of the Jewish Doctors gives it thus They shall dye with a stroaker shaking that is they shall perish by the force and violence of that affliction which hath arrested and taken hold of them But I conceive our reading is clear They dye in Youth because Youth is the most stirring time of our life or that time of life wherein we use the most violent motions without and are subject to the most violent passions within therefore the Hebrew expresseth both by one word Now when we say They dye in Youth the meaning is they dye in the prime in the best in the most flourishing time of their life in the spring of their dayes But is it true that all hypocrites in heart dye in youth Do not many who discover themselves to be but hypocrites dye in old age I answer Such-like Scriptures do not intend an universality as to every individual but only shew that 't is so for the most part or often so Hypocrites in heart men
of prophane spirits usually dye in their youth and are cut off in the Flower of their Age. They who multiply their sins substract from their dayes and they have least gâ—ound of hope to live long who live ill As bloody so deceitful men such are hypocrites in heart shall not live out half their dayes They who live not out half their dayes dye in youth That also is the meaning of Eliphaz Chap. 15.32 where he saith The wicked man shall have his recompence before his time as also when he saith Chap. 22.16 They were cut down out of time that is before the ordinary time of cutting man down by Death was come And therefore I answer Secondly they die in youth needs not be taken in that strictness as importing that they die before they come to mens estate but only that they die before the common time of dying To die in youth signifieth any immature death or when death cometh suddainly upon any they may be said to die in youth Thus here they die in youth that is some immature or suddain death overtakes them they come to an hasty or untimely end they prolong not their dayes on earth Thirdly this dying in youth may refer to the hypocrites unpreparedness or unfitness to die Unprepared persons may be said to die in youth because youths or younger men aâ—e usually unprepared to die Hence that serious memento or warning given them Eccles 12.1 Remember now thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth Young men are commonly so unprepared to die that whosoever die unprepared may be said to die in youth yea though they die in old age they die infants I may say at least in alusion to that of the Prophet possibly it may be a proof of what I say Isa 65.20 An old man that hath not filled his dayes by being good and doing good dieth a child As a child may be said to die an hundred years old when he dies full of grace so a man of an hundred years old may be said to die a child an infant when he hath no grace for though he hath been long in the world yet he can hardly be said to have lived at all So then how long soever the hypocrite in heart hath had a being on the earth and a breathing in the air he alwayes dieth in youth or before his time Moritur cum Juventa Jun. Ponitur ב pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut cap. 9.26 Psal 143.7 Pisc Aeque morientur pari judicio Dei conterentur atque juveniles illi animi qui proterve obnituntur Deo palam ad omne flagitium projecti sunt Jun. Vt hic vita mori dicitur sic Authores Latini dicunt vita vivere vitam vivere vita moritur cum homo vitam cum morte commutat Drus Vita eorum suppleo ausertur Pisc Cum meritoriis Pisc Latini vacant cinaedos pathicos qui in concubitu libidinoso vice mulieris funguntur Id. because he hath not yet learned the way to eternal life There is yet another reading of the woâ—ds we say they die in youth that saith they die with youth or young men that is as dissolute deboyst vitious and riotous young men die so hypocrites die The hypocrite is opposed to the outwardly profane in his life but he shall be like him in his death As if Elihu had said look as vain voluptuous youths carnal youths or young men who give themselves up to their pleasures look as or how they die look what wrath is upon them when they die even so shall the hypocrites in heart die they die with the youth I shall touch this further upon the last clause where Elihu gives us this sence in other words and in words that more fully reach this sence for having said they die in or with youth he thus concludes And their life is among the unclean Here it may be queried forasmuch as he said before they die in youth how doth he here say Their life is among the unclean what life have they when dead I answer By their liâ—e we may understand that life which hypocrites in heart shall have after death which may be taken two wayes First for the life of the soul while the body remaines a consuming or consumed caâ—kass in the grave that life after death the life of their soules is among the unclean Secondly for the life which they shall have after the resurrection of their bodies that will be among the unclean too Some translate the words thus Their life is taken away among the unclean we say their life is among the unclean The word is is not in the original text and we may make the supply by a word signifying to take away Their life is taken away among the unclean that is they shall die like the worst of sinners they shall make no better an end than the unclean and profane no better than the most foul and filthy Sodomites as the original imports For The word which we render unclean hath a double yea a contrary signification holy and unholy clean and unclean They who are holy onely in name are most unholy in heart and life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Duo contraria signifiâ—at sanctura profanum pollutum scortatorem Recte simulatores effaeminatis comparat quia ex pravitate animi contingit quod homines sint simulatores est enim proprium magnanimi esse manifestum Aquin. The Scripture often by the same word expresseth things of utmost opposition so here he calleth those who are most unholy by a word which signifieth holiness the Hebrew saith their life is among the Sodomites Mr. Broughton translates and their life with fornicators Sodomites who are the most unclean and filthy sinners worse than fornicators are expressed by a word by this word which also signifieth holy or holy ones Deut. 23.17 There shall not be a Sodomites or an holy one among you and therefore as we read of Sodomites in the land who are sinners against the the law of nature 1 Kings 14.24 so according to that law of Moses we read 1 Kings 15.12 and Chapter 22.46 as also 2 Kings 23.7 of the destroying of the houses of the Sodomites and of the removing of Sodomites out of the land Sodomites being the most abominable of all unclean ones how unclean are they whose life is among them or whose life is taken away wiâ—h them The Spirit of God doth rightly compare hypocrites to Sodomites and filthy persons because it proceeds from the heat of some base lust or other that any are hypocrites 'T is proper to those who are magnanimous or of noble spirits to be open clear-hearted and ingenious Their life is with the unclean Hypocrites have a great affectation to be numbered among the clean and holy and possibly they have been or may be high in the opinion of men for holiness for very Sainâ—s But their life shall be among the Sodomites or the unclean It being a shame to
affliction and trouble that thou carest not what thou chusest Mr. Broughton thus Beware thou look not to sorrow to choose that for thy affliction The summe of all is as if Elihu had thus bespoken Job in this part of the verse O Job whereas God requires of thee to give him glory in the humble submission of thy soul unto him and sitting patiently under his mighty hand thou hast behaved thy self quite otherwise thou hast carried it stoutly and uttered very bitter complainings of thy condition thou hast not given God the glory of his soveraignty of his holiness justice purity and goodness in thy afflâ—ction thou hast not set thy self to do this as thou shouldest but thou hast run out exceedingly and overshot thy self So that I may even say of thee thou hast chose this iniquity rather than submitted to thy affliction Elihu speakes reprovingly this thou hast chosen Is this a good choice Hence note First Sin or that which is sinful ought not to be chosen whatsoever we choose As Solomon counseleth in the book of Proverbs with all thy gettings get understanding he meanes spiritual understanding as if he had said What ever thou are getting be sure thou get wisdom for thy soul wisdom to salvation wisdom for eternity in all thy gettings get understanding So I may lay in this place among all your choosings be sure you never choose sin that 's not to be chosen leave that out or pass that by in all your elections This is a point of very large compass it suits not my work here to insist much upon it yet I shall take leave a little What ever you châ—ose choose not sin Why First Sin is evil in it self and that which is malum in se evil in it self or evil it self is not the object of choice no man is to choose evil nor properly can choose it Secondly Choose not sin for sin is an evil forbidden the Law is against it and the Gospel too Thirdly Choose not sin for sin is a dishonour to God and we should rather choose to die than dishonour â—od Fourthly Choose not sin for it brings destruction upon man Sin strictly and abstractly considered cannot properly be chosen A rational creature cannot choose sin properly because sin is evil and election being the office of the Will whose adaequate objâ—ct is good sin strictly taken cannot be chosen But sin is often chosen and 't is the choice of most men they choose iniquity rather than affliction iniquity is the choice and the beloved of many a mans soul But how It is under the pretence of something that is good no man can choose it as 't is evil For though some love sin and choose sin for sins sake such come up highest and nearest to the frame of the devil as they that do good for goods sake come nearest to the holy Angels yet I say sin is alwayes chosen under some consideration or shadow of good and if any man choose to sin without respect to profit or gaine yet he hath some good in his eye namely to please himself he would have his will and will not let God have his will and this is good to him who is starke naught But usually sin is chosen upon one of these three accounts First sin is very often chosen by a mistake for that which is good They who as the Apostle speaks Heb. 5.12 are uâ—skilful in the word of righteousness they who have not sences exercised to discern between good and evil are very apt to choose evil in stead of good that is thinking it to be good Thus error in opinion is chosen upon a mistake for truth and iniquity in practise is chosen upon a mistake for duty Of such the Prophet speakes Isa 5.20 They call evil good and good evil they put darkness for light and light for darkness which as some do knowingly out of perverseness of spirit so others ignorantly out of unsoundness of judgement imagining that to be good which is evil and that to be light which is nothing else but darkness that to be sound doctrine which is erâ—our and that holy worship which is superstition So did Paul before he was converted he chose iniquity and thought he had done very well I thought saith he I ought to do many things against the name of Jesus Christ Acts 26. I thought it my duty I verily thought I ought to persecute and vex those who beleeved in Jesus where-ever I found them And Jesus Christ himself forewarns his Disciples John 16.2 that the time was coming that whosoever killed them would think they did God service Thus many do not understand what is right and so choose what is wrong Secondly Others choose that which is evil hoping that some good will come of it that God may have some glory by it and men themselves and others may have some advantage by it This reproach was cast upon the Apostles and their doctrine which St. Paul rejected with highest disdain Rom. 3.8 Not as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say let us do evil that good may come thereof whose damnation is just The glory of the free grace of God will be manifested in the pardoning of our sin come therefore say some let us sin our fill that so the immeasurableness of the Lords goodness and mercy may appear Woe to those who make such inferences their damnation is just To do evil upon any hopes of good by it though it be the glory of God subjects to the worst evil of suffering damnation Others choose sin Why They look some good will come by it that is some profit If we strain our consciences to do this we may get or keep favour with men if we do this evil it may gain us acceptance in the world Many choose evil because in doing so they swim with the stream and comply with the many or as the Apostle speakes with the course of this world these choose evil because they would be in the fashion of the most they consider which way the world is like to go and set themselves to go that way Thirdly Others do evil hoping to avoid and escape danger by it they choose the evil of sin that they may escape the evil of punishment As many sin for a little advantage so others to avoid loss and that they may sleep in a whole skin Some will deny what they have done to save themselves No body can prove it against us we will deny it and so avoid trouble and keep out of the reach of danger Yea for this cause many deny the truth and renounce the wayes of God in which they have walked Demas forsook Paul he left the Church of God that he might keep in with and close to the world Upon these pretences and hopes many choose evil not meerly and barely in it self but as it comes thus clothed As some choose it through ignorance so others upon hopes of getting good and not a few upon
mortifie whaâ— grace hath the work of God put you upon the exercise of They only indeed magnifie the work of God who have such workings towards God It were better not receive a mercy than not to be bettered by a mercy It is not our crying up the works of God in our words but in our works which is the magnifying of them It is more safe for us to say nothing of what God hath wrought for us than to publish it or make our boast of it when we our selves do â—â—â—hing worthy of it in a way of condecency and proportion to it 'T is the design of God in giving promises to make us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7.1 Much more having given us any great performances of his promises doth he expect that we should be clean and holy O then what a pittiful course do they take who pretending to magnifie the works of God do such things as are a defilement both to flesh and spirit A third design of God in working for us is to make us trust him more or to be more in believing 'T is shewed Psal 78.4 what great things God did for the Jewish nation and for their fathers But what did God ayme at in all we have the answer v. 8. That they might set their hope in him and not forget his workes The aim which God had in those great works was that their hope might be set upon him that they might trust in him more then ever they had done The Lord by the great works he doth would gain upon our faith or cause us to trust him for the future How dishonorably do they carry it towards God who believe not his word much more they who believe not his workes that is who believe him not notwithstanding his workes as 't is said of Israel Ps 78.32 For all this they sinned still and believed not his wondrous works The Psalmist doth not mean that they did not believe such works had been done but the meaning is they did not trust God who had done those woâ—ks These and many more dutyes the Lord teacheth us by his word and he teacheth them also by his workes as it is said v. 22. who teacheth like him The Lord teacheth us many excellent lessons by his works if we had hearts to learn them Lay these things together in practise and they will be the best yea they are the only way of magnifying the works of God done for us And if the works of God are to be magnified all these wayes then they fall short of this duty First Who only make a report of the works of God who tell the story of what he hath done and so have done As we ought to adorne the doctrine of God Tit. 2. so likewise the doings of God or what God hath done by our doings Meer narratives about the work of God is far below magnifying his work Secondly They fail much more who extenuate and diminish the works of God whâ—â—bscure or eclipse his workes As in our confessions of repentance it is a sign of a bad heart barely to report our sins before God without aggravating them in their sinfulness but in confession to extenuate our sin sheweth a very rotten and naughty heart so in our confessions of praise meerly â—o report what God hath done for us without putting an accent or a due emphasis upon his mercies shews much â—oldness of spirit in the duty but to clip and lessen the workes of God to hide and darken them to abate and detract from them shewes a base and a wicked spirit Thirdly How do they fail in magnifying the workes of God who do not only conceal how good they are but bring up an ill report upon them as those searchers did upon the land of Canaan Those works and dispensations of God which like that land slow with milk and honey may be looked upon and censured by some as good for nothing but to eat up and consume those that are under them Fourthly They who ate impatient under any work of God who murmur and repine at it are far from magnifying the work of God Fifthly They are far from magnifying the work of God who think themselves so wise that they could mend the work of God had they the pensel in their hand they would make fairer work of it what hudling is here think some what confusion is here say others what sad work is here saith a third If we had the ordering of things what an orderly woâ—ld would we make if we had the ordering of things as God hath we would quickly cure and remedy all these disorders Though such formal speeches be not uttered yet such things are spoken in parables the actions of some tell us such are their thoughts as if they could mend the work of God and govern the world with greater moderation than t is though indeed we need not scruple to call the wisest man in the world a very dotard if he thinks so or that any thing can be done more equally than God hath done it Let all flesh adore let none presume to question the work of God let God alone with his work as he will have no controler so he needs no counseller Remember t is mans duty to magnifie his work not to mend it to shew how good it is not to attempt the making of it better And indeed as it is the highest poynt of presumption so of ignorance to meddle with the mending of it The Lord is a Rock saith Moses Deut. 32.4 and his work is perfect Who but a fool or who but by the over-working of his own folly would venture to mend that which is already not only perfected but perfect were it only the work of a man much more when it is the work of God the only wise God And that we may be provoked humbly to magnify and for ever deterred from that proud attempt of finding fault with or mending the work of God consider these three things First Take the argument in the text the plainness of the work of God it is such as may be seen afar off none can pretend ignorance of it or if they do that 's a vain covert or excuse every man may see it man may behold it afar off as most worthy to be magnified Secondly If we do not magnifie the work of God God will lessen his own works of mercy and favour toward us Thirdly He will do no more for us if we magnifie not what he hath done It is said Math. 13.58 Christ did not many mighty works there because of their unbeleif God will do no more mighty works for them who refuse or neglect to pay him a tribute of praise and glory for what he hath done JOB Chap. 36. Vers 26. 26. Behold God is great and we know him not neither can the number of his years be searched out ELihu having called upon Job to magnifie
it until I call or take and dissolve thee into water The same command which is here thee off exprest concerning the Snow is also sent forth to the Rain He saith to the Snow be thou on the earth Likewise to the small rain c. That is he saith to the small Rain do thou descend upon the earth By small Rain is meant any gentle Rain softly and sweetly dropping and deâ—tilling out of the Clouds Now as God orders this small Rain so likewise as it followeth The great Rain of his strength The whole O iginal Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Et imbri pluviae imbri pluviarum potentiae ejus Heb. Imber est agmen coelestium aquarum pluviarum Nonius Coacervatio haec nominum et genitivus iâ—â—e pluralis vehementissimum procâ—llosum imbrem guisicat Merc. Cum duâ— nomia copulantur idem fere significâ—ntia quorum pâ—â—â—â—ius ponitur lo o adjectivi alterum determinâ—ntu si fuerit pluralis numeri erit superlativae significationis Bold Imber pluviarum quasi ox multis pluviâ—â— constâ—ns Drus which we render the small Rain and the great Rain of â—is strength hath a great Elegancy in it word for word tâ—us He saith to the showre of Rain and to the showre of Rains of his strength The word Rain in both is the same only the former is in the singulaâ— and the latter in the plural number which hightens or encreaseth the sence as Criticks and Grammarians tell us and therefore we render small Rain and great Rain to which Elihu gives this further addition in the cloâ—e of the verse The great Rain Of his strength Of whose strength surely of the strength of God as if God did in somâ— Rain put forth his mighty stâ—ength and make bare his own Arm in the showrs which he sends upon the earth The great Rain of his strength is that violent Rain which comes forth from God and shews forth to us the great strength of God For neither of those two Epithetes smâ—â—â— and great are expresly in the Texâ— yet bâ—th the scope and Grammatical constâ—uction of the words justifie that Translation A showre of Rain in thâ— singular number implying a mild gente Rain or as we call it a small Rain and a showre of Rains in the plural number implying a continued vehement fierce Rain or as well call it a great Rain especially having that remarkable adjunct following of his strength When the Lord p omised to give showres of Rain for the a king Zach. 10.1 he meant a plentiful strong Rain by which also he intended to signifie the abundance of spiritual gifts and graces which he would pour down upon the Church So much for the opening of this verse For he saith to the Snow be thou on the Earth likewise to the small Rain and to the great Rain of his strength First From the cauâ—al paâ—ticle for which referreth to the former words God doth marveilous things which we cannot comprehend for he saith to the Snow and to the small Rain c. Observe The Snow and Rain are to be written in the Catalogue of Gods wonderful works Wâ—aâ— more common than Snow and Rain and yet as common as they are they have wonders in them Some of the Ancients hâ—ve observed many VVonders in the Snow such as these Fiâ—â—t That being in its own naâ—uâ—e so extreamly cold yet it is formed in that pâ—rt oâ— the Air which is comparatively near the eaâ—â—h and so hath moâ—e heaâ— in it Secondly That Snow being so exceeding cold doâ—h yet by Gods Command fall in some very hâ—t Countries even in the hottest of Sommer Geogâ—aphers tell us of Snow in many places of Tartary which are extreamly hot Thirdly they give this as a VVonder That whereas it never Snows at all upon the Main Ocean yet there is an Island spoken of by Pliny Plin. lib. 6. cap. 32. Nat. Histor called Nivaria from Nix the Snow Isle which though compassed with the Sea is alwayes covered with Snow Fourthly this is given as a Wonder That Snow being so apt to melt by heat yet Mount Aetna which is full of Sulphur and casts out flames of fire continually hath the Head of it hidden continually under or covered with a Cap of â—now Fifthly That in some places VVorms are bred and live in the Snow of a fiery colour Sixthly That the Snow though it be very cold and chilling hath in it a fecundating or fatning power as to the earth is also wondeâ—ful Snow is a great cherisher and nourisher of Plants and Trees of Corn and Gâ—ass and therefore David saith Psal 147.15 16. He giveth Snow like Wool and hoary Frost like ashes There are three things considerable in Snow for which it is compared to VVool. First for the whiteness of it Snow is white as VVool Snow is so exceeding white that the whiteness of a Soul cleansed by pardoning Grace in the blood of Christ is likened to it Isa 1.18 and the latter part of the same verse intimates that the whiteness of Snow bears resemblance to that of VVool. The whiteness of Snow is caused by the abundance of Air and spirits that are in that pelluvid Body Causa albedinis est Spiritus aerisque copia in corpore diaphano Arist lib. 2. de Mundo as the Naturalists speak Any thing that is of a watery substance being frozen or much wrought upon by cold appears more white And hence it is that all persons inhabiting cold Climates or Countries are of a whiter complexion than they who inhabite hot Secondly Snow is like Wool for softness 't is as plyable to the hand as a Lock or Fleece of Wool Thirdly Snow is like Wool which may seem strange with respect to the warmness of it Though Snow be cold in it self as I said before yet it is to the earth as Wool or as a woolen cloth or blanket that keeps the body warm Snow is not warm formally yet it is warm effectively and vertually and thereâ—ore is it compared to Wool and for that respect also the hoary Frost is said to be like ashes in the same place of the Psalm Ashes are warm Frost is cold yet that is a known expression burning cold that is Vreâ—s frigus Pruinam dici volunt Grammatici quasi urinam quod urat arbores flores there is an effect in Frost in the hoary Frost of heat things are kept warm by that which is contrary to warmth Frost and Snow Naturalists have beat their Brains but can assign no satisfying reason of these things and therefore we must ascribe them especially to the power and wisdome of God These particulars laid together are a sufficient witness that even Snow and Rain a e to be reckoned with and numbred among the wonderful works of God Hence Note Secondly God can do what he will by a word speaking And as himself can do what he will by his word so he can make the creature do what he will by
from the Clouds put his Bow in the Cloud A second significancy of mercy in the Rainbow is because the Bow is bended upwards or Heaven-ward the Bow doth not stand bent to the Earth or downward the string of the Bow is towards us not the back of it He that would shoot hath the bottom or back of the Bow in his hand and the string is towards himself but God that he might shew he doth not intend to shoot that Arrow any more holds the string of the Bow downwards which no man doth that hath a mind to shoot The Lord by this Bow in the Cloud shoots no man unlesse it be as one well expresseth it with admiration and love or I may say the Lord having shot his Arrowes of immoderate Rain from the Region of the air for mans chastning seems to return to Heaven with his Bow reversed as a token of peace and serenity to the woâ—ld or that in Judgment he remembers his Covenant-mercy The wicked are said to bend their Bow they make ready their arrow upon the string that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart Psal 11.2 But he that tuâ—ns the string of his Bow downwards is not ready nor seems minded to shoot at all Thiâ—dly This bow shews mercy because there is no Arrow seen at it or with it Concisit iris aquas alimentaque nubibus assert Ovid 1. Metam Fourthly It sheweth or signifieth mercy because the Rainbow usually appears when Rain is ready to come implying that the Rain shall not hurt us and so we have a support of our faith as soon as we have any appearance of feare Fifthly When-ever the Rainbow appears there is clearness in some part of the air for it cannot be but when the Sun shines In the time of the Flood the light of the Sun was wholly obscured All the dayes which the world had during that dreadfull Rain weâ—e like the day described Joel 2.2 Zeph. 1.15 dayes of darkness and of gloominess dayes of Clouds and of thick darkness Therefore 't is said Gen. 8.22 Day and night shall continue for ever Intimating that in the time of the Flood the day was so obâ—cured so black that it could scarcely be known to be day or distinguished from night But now when the Rainbow is seen the Sun shines to give assuâ—ance that though there be an appearance of Rain Lux in rube rorida mille effiâ—it colores et varias et pulcherrimas lucis temperationes Plin Natur Hist l. 12. c. 24. yet the light of the day shall not cease Sixthly The various colours of the Rainbow are very significant for our comfort making as some Naturalists have told us a thousand sweet delights for the eye by the admirable mixtures and shadowings of colours therein discernable Seventhly The Natu al Historian assureth us that where the Rainbow at any time toucheth the Earth as we may often observe it doth it leaveth a fragrant smell upon the grass shrubs and bushes Thus you see how properly and fitly the Rainbow is called The shining of the light of his Cloud as also what significations of favour are discernable in it From this explication of the words we may note Fiâ—st After troubles and stormes God will give his people comforts and calmes He causeth the light of his Cloud to shine Clouds are dark things but while the Cloud shews Rain Gods light in the Cloud shews faire weather That 's matter of rejoycing to all that fear God as with respect unto that particular Judgment of the Deluge so of all evils and troubles which fall upon them in this woâ—ld This light shining in the Cloud may comfort and refresh us in the darkest night of sorrow It is said Psal 97.11 Light is sowne for the righteous and joy for the upright in heart And in the 4th of the Revelations which is as it were a Prologue or Preface to all the Prophesies of the dark times that should come upon the world and over the Church of God in this world we find Jesus Christ is represented with a Rainbâ—â—â—bout him vers 3. I was in the spirit and behold a Throne seâ—â—â—eaven and one sat on the Throne and he that sat was to look upon like a Jasper and Sardix stone and there was a Rainbow round about the Throne in sight like to an Emrald From this Throne it is that Jesus Christ doth as I may say dispence all the affaires of his Churches and people Now though Jesus Christ in the providential or mediatorial government of his Churches doth often send Clouds upon them and though Clouds and darkness are round about him yet the Throne hath a Rainbow about it And why a Rainbow to shew that Jesus Christ is mindfull of his Churches and people to save them when the Serpent casts out Floods to drown them 'T is said Rev 12.15 The Serpent cast out of his mouth water as a Flood after the Woman that he might cause her to be carried away of the Flood but Jesus Christ that sitteth upon the Throne hath a Rainbow about hâ—â— which gives assurance that the Floods shall not quite overwhelme the Church she shall be delivered though it be in a Wilderness from those mighty water-floods of persecution raised and caused by the Serpent and his seed against the seed of the Woman or against the Woman and her seed Though Christ may suffer great Floods of sorrow and tribulation to be powred upon them yet there is a Rainbow about the Throne to which we may look and get our faith confirmed that the Woman and her Seed shall not be swallowed up Take one place more Rev. 10.1 I saw another mighty Angel coming down from heaven that was Jesus Christ cloathed with a cloud that is with dark dispensations such as his people should not well know what to make of but what follows and a Rainbow was on his head That Prophesie leads into a description of the greatest pressures and troubles that ever the Church of God was to suffer in this world Jesus Christ was cloathed with a Cloud but for the comfort of his Church there was a Rain-bow on his head there was light shining in this Cloud to bear up the spirits of his people that the mischief should not be to their destruction though it might be very much not only to their tryal but correction And we find the Church supported though not directly under this notion of a Rain-bow yet by a promise plainly hinting if not referring to it Isa 54.9 In the 8th verse the Prophet tells us that the poor Church was in very great trouble Why Surely because of some cleâ—â—ly providences which interrupted the light of Gods counteâ— from shining upon them at least to their apprehension for thus he bâ—spake the Church In a little wrath have I hid my face from thee for a moment there was the Cloud but with everlasting loving-kindness will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer there 's
exactly what they aâ—e what they would be and what they would do And as by waters common people or nations so by mountaines and hills the great the mighty ones of the nations are exprest Princes and honourable men are as great mountains Thus spake the Prophet The day of the Lord shall be against the mountains Isa 2. that is against the mighty men of this world Hence that deriding question Who art thou O great mountain before Zerubbabel Zac. 4.7 That is O thou great man who art thou surely thou art not so much as a mole-hil before the God of Zerubbabel who when he comes down the mountaines melt down at his presence Isa 64.1 who if he doth but touch the mountains they smoake Psal 144.5 as if struck with Thunder God weighs these mountains of the earth that is he considers and unstands them exactly God weighed him who was the greatest mountain of a man in his time Belshazzar was the sole Monarch of the earth he had almost the whole known world at his command yet the Lord said of him Dan. 5.22 Thou art numbred thou art weighed and thou art found too light Thirdly As God weigheth men of all sorts so he weigheth the actions of all sorts of men 2 Sam. 2.3 By him actions are weighed that is all actions are weighed by him the least actions are weighed by the mighty God and so are the greatest he knoweth how to poyse them and so make use of them that they â—ay effâ—ct what is answerable to his own counsel and purpose This is it which the Prophet intended when he said of the Lord Thou most upright dost weigh the path of the Just Isa 26.7 that is the motions and goings or doings of the Just The pathes of the Just come often into very uneven ballances in this world every one will be weighing them one gives this judgement of them and another that few hit right the most of men being either blinded with ignorance of them or prejâ—diced wiâ—h malice against them But the comfort of the just is the most upright weigheth their path and will give the just weight of them Fourthly and lastly God weigheth the very spirits of men All the wayes of man are clean in his own eyes but the Lord weigheth the spirits saith Solomon Prov. 16.2 The Lord doth not only weigh actions and pathes that is the whole outward course and tenour of our lives but he weighs our spirits that is the principles from which our actions flow and by which we are carried on in our pathes he findes one man to be of a light of a vain spirit and another man to be of a proud high spirit a third to be of a covetous having holding spirit a fourth of an envious spirit that cannot bear the good of another and a fifth to be of a revengful spirit that wil do another as much hurt as he can Again the Lord by weighing finds out them whosoever they are that have a weighty serious spirit that have an upright sincere spirit that have a heavenly gracious spirit God knowes who they are that have a spirit for the things and wayes of God in the midst of all contradictions of men and having thus weighed the spirits of men he disposeth of them and deals with them accordingly And I may add this to the question in the text Dost thou know the ballancing of spirits Surely no for thou knowest not the ballancing of the Clouds which may be known much easier The wonderous works of him which is perfect in knowledge Mr. Broughton renders The miracles of the perfect in knowledge As if he had said the shining of the light in his Cloud and the ballancing of the Clouds are to be numbred among the wonderous works of him that is perfect in knowledge The wonderousness of Gods works was touched at the 14th verse I shall not stay upon that here only mark how Elihu describes God by a periphrasis or circumlocution he doth not say the wonderful works of God but the wonderful works of him That is perfect in knowledge This is a description of God and such a description as will fit none but God who hath and who only hath not â—nly knowledge but the perfection of it We need not name God when we speak of him that is perfect in knowledge it can be meant of none but him Elihu at the 4th verse of the former Chapter said to Job He that is perfect in knowledge meaning himself as that text was expounded is with thee In what sense Elihu might say of himself that he was perfect in knowledge was there shewed and here it must be shewed and confessed that neither Elihu was nor any the most knowing are perfect in knowledge like God or as God is The Apostle saith of the best knowers in this world 1 Cor. 13.9 We know in part and we prophesie in part we behold darkly as in a glass They that have the clearest eye-sight the purest intellectuals know but in part and see but darkly which is far from perfectly therefore I say this description of perfect in knowledge hath a peculiar meaning here proper only to God as will appear more particularly in opening this Observation from it God is not only full of knowledge but perfect in knowledge or The knowledge of God is perfectly perfect That 's perfectly perfect to which nothing can be added and from which nothing can be taken Such is the knowledge of God it is impossible to add any thing to it and it is as impossible to diminish it God cannot forget or unlearn any thing already known nor can he know any more things no nor any thing moâ—e than he already knoweth therefore he is perfect in knowledge More distinctly the knowledge of God is peâ—fect For First He knoweth all things what-ever is knowable he knoweth He knowes First All things past Secondly He knowes all things present Thi dly He knows all things to come Isa 46.10 He declareth the end from the beginning Now he that knowes all things past present or to come is perfect in knowledge Secondly He is perfect in knowledge for he knowes all things at once in one prospect oâ— by one aspect he doth not know one thing after another nor one thing by another he knows all at once Thirdly He is perfect in knowledge for he knows all things as they aâ—e â—e doâ—h nâ—t know things according to appearance only or as they are held foâ—th to be Many will make fair shews and offer both themâ—elves and their actions as very good holy righteous religious yet the Lord who seeth through them seeth them 〈◊〉 nought quiâ—e thâ—ough Heb. 4.12 All things are naked and manifest to him He seeth to the skin he seeth thâ—ough cloaks and â—izâ—rds yea he seeth through skin and all he lookes into the breast the breasts of men are to him as if they were cut open as the word there imports Fourthly He is perfect in knowledge For he knoweth all
the purest part of the world yet comparatively to God they are impure This Eliphaz asserts expresly Chap. 15.15 Behold he putteth no trust in his Saints yea the Heavens are not clean in his sight Biluad puts it yet further Chap. 26.5 Yea the Starrs which are the most pure and resplendent part of the Heavens are not pure in his sight Secondly The Heavens are a Glasse wherein we may behold the power of God How unconceiveable is his power who hath made such a Canopie and spread it over the heads of all Creatures And if the visible Heavens are so glorious what is the Heaven of Heavens The Heaven which we see is but the pavement of that which is unseen God hath made such a Ceeling for this House below as never needed mending or repaire he hath set such a Roof upon it as abides all weathers Thirdly We may see in this Glass the wisdome of God â—is wonderfull wisdome in contriving and fitting such a beauâ—ifuâ—l roof for this great House the Woâ—ld We admire the skill and wisdome of Architects in some peices of their woâ—k O the wisdome of God in this Fourthly We may see in the Heavens the unchangeableness of God If he hath made the Heavens of such a lasting nature that they have continued many thousand years without alteration surely then he himself hath continued and will continue for ever without change as he is at this day The unchangeableness of God infinitely exceeds that of the Heavens We find the Spirit of God by holy David infinitely preferring the God of Heavâ—n before the Heavens â—f God in his unchangeableness Psal 102.26 27. Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the Earth and the Heavens are the â—oâ—k of thy hands they shall perish but thou shalt enduâ—e yea all of them shall wax old lâ—ke a garment and as a vesture shalt thou chaâ—ge â—hem and they shall be changed but thou art the same The Heavenâ— have but a shadow of unchangeablâ—ness compared with God Wâ—th whom is no variableness nor shadâ—w of changing Fifthly In this Glass of the Heavens we may lâ—ok upon or contemplate the wonde full goodness of God to the soâ— of men Psal 8 3. When I consider the Heavens the work of thy singers the Moon and the Starrâ— wh ch thou hast ordained What is man that thou art mindful◠〈◊〉 and the son of man that thou visitest him When-eveâ— wâ— bâ— old the Heavens it should mind us of the mercy an◠〈◊〉 of God to man two wayes Fi st in making the Hâ—avens 〈◊〉 use while he dwels on the Earth Secondly 〈◊〉 he hâ—â—h p epared and provided him such a dwelling house when he shall leave this Earth 2 Cor. 5.1 We know that when the earthly house of this Tabernacle shaâ—l be dissâ—lved we haâ—e a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the Heavens Again The Heavens are a Looking-Glass wherein we may bâ—â—old our selves First We may behold our weakness and impurity and so our unlikeness to the Hâ—avens much more to the â—od of Heaven When â—pposi es are set one by oâ—â—ver against the otheâ— they illustrate each other In the spotlâ—ss Heavens we may â—ee our spoâ—s The pure Heavens may shew us our imâ—u iâ—y Secondly As in the Heavens we may see what we aâ—e so what we should be The purity of the Heavens tells us we should be pure they tell us we should be heavenly-minded that is set our minds chiefly upon heavenly things yea that our minds should be like the Heavens pure and spotless It is said of the Church Cant. 6.10 Who is this that looketh forth as the morning fair as the Moon clear as the Sun Such in a qualified sense are all the parts and true members of the Chuâ—ch Shall a man say he hopes for an inheritance in the Heavens when his mind is earthly or when he minds only earthly things Worldly men are not only earthly-minded but their minds are earth and themselves are called earth Jer. 22.29 and Rev. 12.16 Surely then they are earthly On the other hand godly men should not only mind heavenly things but be a Heaven before they come to Heaven The Chuâ—ch on Earth is called Heaven Heb. 12.26 Yet once more I shake not the Earth only but also Heaven that is the Church state St John saith Rev. 12.7 There was war in Heaven But is there war in Heaven is it not all peace and joy thâ—â—e How then saith that Scripture There was war in Heaven By Hâ—aven there he means the Church on eaâ—th which is called Heaven First because there is not a more lively represâ—ntation or resemblance of the highest Heavens which is the habitation of Gods holiness and of his glory than the Church here below which is a company of Saints and faithfull ones Secondly because the Church while on Earth hath more to do in Heaven and for Heaven then in or for the Earth and that in three respects First Her birth is from Heaven being boâ—n of God Secondly Her traffick is in and for Heaven The Apostle saith of himself and of all such as are truly the Chuâ—ch of God Phil. 3.20 Our conversation is in Heaven our trade is in Heaven Though we have business on Earth yet that which is our business indeed is in Heaven The Church hath more to do in Heaven than on Earth her paines and labours her cares and endeavours are more foâ— heavenly than for earthly things They that bestow most of their labouâ— upon earâ—hly things are earthly In all things we ought to be heavenly and in every thing we do we ought to be doing for Heaven Thirdly Because her Head and her Inheritance is in Heaven Here she is a stranger there is her home nor is she ever truly at home till she comes thither Thus as Hâ—aven is a Glass wherein we may se what we ought to be now we should labour to be pure â—â—â—an and of an unvariable temper as the Heavens are so what we shall be and shall have hereafter 'T is such a Glass as God hath made for us to behold our selves in and above all to behold himâ—elf his blessed self in Let us dresse our selves by this Glasse every day Let it not satisfie us to look upon the Heavens that we may see and be taken with their own beauty and excellency as Philosophers do in their discourses of Heaven but let us see God in them let us see Grace and Glory in them Theâ—e is so little of God in the discourses of Philosophers saith one that they are colder than the Frost and Snow of which they often discourse But let us see God in this Looking-Glass of the Heavens and therein also let us see our selves and learn to be fitting and preparing our selves for heavenly joyes and enjoyments We have never looked well upon or in this Glass till we have mended our dresse and are become better and more beautifull by looking in it JOB Chap. 37. Vers
Secondly We have an enforcement of this Inference by a cogent reason For he respecteth not any that are wise in heart Who these wise-hearted ones are whom God respecteth not will appear in the opening those words Men do therefore fear him The word rendred Men properly signifieth weak or feeble men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vir miser imbecillus as also men in affliction men under the afflicting hand or rod of God This strict acception of the word renders the opposition more cleare setting the lowest of humane frailty against the highest divine power Yet we need not stand strictly upon the Grammatical signification of the word but may take men in all their divisions and formes men be they high or low afflicted or in prosperity ought therefore to fear him Only it may seem most sutable in way of application to Job for Elihu to use this word in that restrained sence Afflicted feeble men do fear him As if he had said O Job thou art a weak man a man greatly afflicted thou hast been long under the rod and chastning hand of God therefore thou oughtest to fear him and not expostulate the matter with him as thou hast done Men do Therefore fear him This illative Therefore hath reference as was intimated to all that was said in the former verse yet we may take it specially in these two particulars Therefore men do fear him Why First Because he is so great so immense so incomprehensible so powerful so just because he hath such plenty of justice therefore men do fear him Secondly Therefore men do fear him Why Because though he be cloathed with power justice and judgement yet he will not afflict that is he will not afflict extreamly in any of thoâ—e four sences before given he moderates his power by compassion in his sharpest dispensations towards his people there is a great mixture of love mercy with his justice therefore men do fear him As if Elihu had thus bespoken Job Others fear God because they experience or find him kind and good to them even in afflictiâ—n how then cometh it to pass that thou hast from the beginning carried it as if God mixt no kindnes nor shewed any tenderness in his afflicting of thee why is it that thou hast cursed thy day that thou hast complained that ever thou wast born that thou hast so often wished for death Why hast thou said that thou art not only pressed but even oppressed that though thy cause be good yet thâ—u hast born the heaviest loads of evill Why dost thou strive with him These are no arguments of thy fear but of an impatient and fretful spirit if not of a kind of rage and fury against God himself These are no proofs that thou doest acknowledge his goodness in afflicting thee and so fear him for by these thou dost rather charge and accuse him of harshnesse and severity Now though it may be said as it hath often in the opening this Book that Job spake such words partly in the heat of his passion partly through the greatnesse of his pain partly through the infirmity of his flesh as also being much moved and provoked by the grievous censures of his friends yet notwithstanding all this his words were such as neither could nor ought to be wholly excused so that Elihu might say Men do therefore fear him But O Job thou hast carried it as if thou didst not fear him thou hast not behaved thy self like other men under the same or a like afflicting hand of God For though Job is to be reckoned among men that feared God yea in the highest form of those that feared him yet he failed much in his affliction as to the expression of this holy fear Thus we have that two-fold reference in which Elihu saith Therefore do men fear him First Because of his great power Secondly Because of that great tendernesse which he useth in the exercise of his power Which yet Job did scarce acknowledge as appeared by his complainings and murmurings about the dealings of God Men do therefore fear him so we render Ideo timebunt eum homines Mont. Verbum futuri temporis solet denotari idquod debet quod expedit fieri quare timebunt idem erit quod timere debent timere jubentur yet 't is considerable that the Hebrew runs in the future time Men will therefore fear him that is men should therefore fear him or men therefore ought to fear him Words in the Hebrew of a future signification bear the importance of a present duty what good 't is said men will do is as if it had been said they do or ought to do And as to the duty here spoken of the fear of God we may make this conclusion All good men do fear God upon those accounts and all men should or ought to fear him The thing is to be done whether men do it or no. Where an expresse command is given every man concerned is bound to obey and where or who is the man that is not concern'd in this command fear the great and gracious God Men do therefore Fear him What it is to fear God was shewed largely at the 28th Chapter of this Book and the last Verse Deum vereri Deum timere Proprieveretur Deum pius timet superstitiosus Tamen hanc differentiam interpretes non observant nam passim timere usurpant pro vereri Drus therefore I shall not stay upon it hear Only remember the word signifieth a gracious a child-like fear not a servile flavish fear There are two words by which the fear of God is expressed in the Latine tongue which we may expresse thus to fear God or to be afraid of God Good men fear God but wicked men are afraid of God Now though the words are often used promiscuously and to fear is sometimes taken in the worser sometimes in the better sence yet here we are to take it in the best sence Therefore do men fear him that is they ought to stand in awe and not sin against him they should submit to not dispute his dealings The fear of God in the general notion of it is nothing else but Piety and Religion or the whole worship of God To say a man is godly or religious is all one as to say he is a man fearing God Now whereas usually a general rule is urged to lead in a general practise here a general practise is urged as leading to a general rule Men do therefore fear him Whence we may take this general Observation It is the duty of all men of every man to fear God Men one or other ought to have high and honourable thoughts of God they ought to have holy and reverentiall thoughts of God they ought to put far away from them all slightness and vanity of spirit when they think or speak of God they ought to put far from them all boldness and presumption when they have to do with God To put away all