verse but it was the calamity of his spirit the affliction lying there A man can sustaine his infirmity but a wounded spirit that is when a man hath got a blow a wound an affliction upon his spirit who can beare Pro. 18. 14. As if Salomon had said I challenge all the world to find me out a man that can bear a burdened wounded spirit unlesse Christ put under his hand no strength of mans spirit can bear the burthen of a wounded spirit A spirit hath no weight at all only fleshly and materiall substances are ponderous but a wounded spirit is heavier then wounded flesh The spirit is strong enough to beare the burthen'd flesh but nothing in flesh can beare a burthen'd spirit In the close of the verse we have the effect of this heavy weight of affliction both spirituall and corporall Therefore saith he my words are swallowed up That is I want words to expresse my griefe a Verba deficiunt quibus mognitudinem doloruÌ„ exprimam Nulla possum oratione â—â—nsequi quanto infester dolore Merc. Vix satis esse queant tanto jaÌ„ verba dolori All language is too narrow for the vastnesse of my sorrows Some reade it b Propterea verba mea amaâ—a Symmach Therefore my words are bitter or therefore my words are steep'd in bitternesse as if he had said I my self feed upon bitter things I feed upon gall and wormewood therefore no wonder if my words tast of them The Vulgar goes farther from the letter of the Text rendring c Proptereaverba mea sunt dolore plena Vul. Therefore my words are full of sorrow as if he had said the sorrows which are in my mind flow out upon my tongue The Septuagint yet further off d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sep. Therefore it seemes my words are evill or ill taken My griefe renders my words more liable to exception or mis-interpretation M Broughton translates Therefore my words come short there is a weight upon me heavier than the sand of the sea Therefore my words come short or my expressions come not up to my intention We translate near that sence and answerably to the originall My words are swallowed up The Hebrew word signifies to lick up or to swallow downe and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lambit absorbuit per Metaphoram perdidit corrupit by a Metaphor to destroy or to consume in the prophecy of Obadiah vers 16. The word is used to that purpose They shall drink and they shall swallow downe And Prov. 20. 25. It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy or who swalloweth downe that which is holy So here Therefore my words are swallowed up that is when I would speake my words are as it were halfe-eaten before spoken or my words are snatcht downe in the Verba semesa Jun. speaking by the sharpe teeth and devouring stomack of my griefe and sorrowes Others from the letter reade Therefore my words are corrupted Verba mea corrupta sunt aut peâ—dita R. Levi deleta R. Moyses intercisa Theod Lasta Chald. Verbum perâ—inâ—t ad pronunciationem corruptâ—m ad â—albutiâ—m wearied lâ—st blotted blubber'd so cut-off that I cannot speak distinctly alluding unto those that stammer A stammerer is in such haste to speake that he eats his words and as we use to say proverbially in our language he clips the Kings English he swalloweth up halfe his mind when he would bring it out in words such is the meaning of Job My words are swallowed up I cannot speak all my griefe takes me off and cuts me short And so he seemes to excuse himselfe First in case he had spoken abruptly and brokenly my paine hath been so great that I can hardly speake therefore take no advantage Vix loqui possam vox faucibâ—a haeret Vat. of the abrupt language and broken sentences which have fallen from me for the truth is my griefe hath swallowed up my words I have rather sighed then declared my mind reall sorrow as well as poeticall passionate imitation of sorrow makes many an Ap siopesis or sudden stop and breach when the tongue is upon the swiftest speed and quickest motion And secondly he seemes to excuse himselfe for the matter of his speech I have not yet spoken all my mind I have not given you my full sense about my condition for through griefe I was forced to swallow up my words and to suppresse what I had further to say Therefore suppose my speech hath been imperfect yet be not scandalized at it for if you will have patience to stay I shall anone bring up the words againe which my sorrowes have snatcht from me and swallowed downe Stay a while and you shall heare more you shall heare all I will speake more largely and more distinctly than I have done One of the Rabbins takes the Rab. Kimchi words actively and referrs the act of swallowing to Jobs friends as if he had said Yee my friends have swallowed down my words Ye have not leasurely fed upon and digested them but swallowed them in such hast that ye have not tasted them As a man that swallowes down a morsell greedily without chewing never tastes either the sweetnesse or the bitternesse of it It is a usuall Metaphor to expresse hearing by eating and we have it as many interpret at the sixth verse of this Chapter Can that which is unsavoury be eaten without salt It is a truth that when words are thus swallowed or gobled downe we take not out the strength or intent of them But I stay not upon this exposition because it strains too hard upon the grammaticall construction and other circumstances of the Text. Observe out of the former meaning First Great griefe interrupteth speech and makes broken language Therefore my speech or my words are swallowed up As sometimes our words devoure so sometimes our words are devoured some men speake swallowing words and others swallow their words Psal 57. 4. Thou lovest all devouring words or thou lovest all swallowing words O thou deceitfull tongue There are swallowing words as well as swallowed words Malice makes a man swallow the integrity of another with his words And grief will make a man swallow downe his own words so that he cannot speake to maintaine his own integrity Secondly observe That some afflictions exceed all complaints and are too bigge for expression That note reaches M Broughtons sence my words come short of what my condition is there is no language large enough no Oratory eloquent enough to describe or make known my sorrowes Lastly observe Not to be able to expresse our griefe is an increase of our griefe Therefore my words are swallowed up This is an addition to my sorrowes that I cannot make knowne my sorrowes It is a great part of my trouble that I can tell you but a part of my trouble Let a man be hindred from expressing his
not that some of the Saints have been tempted and tryed they who are under tryals and temptations would find none on earth to succour them As God doth comfort some in all their tribulations that they may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble with the same comforts wherewith they themselves are comforted of God 2 Cor. 1. 4. So he afflicts them that they might pity and helpe others as being under the same troubles with which themselves have been afflicted A man that hath only traveld in Geographicall books and Maps is not able to give you such lively descriptions of or directions about forreigne Countries as he that hath traveld to and been upon the places so they who have read and studied much about afflictions can never give such enlivening strengthening heartning counsell as they who have been afflicted and have dwelt sometime upon the Land of sorrowes To passe on For now it would be heavier than the sand of the Sea That is it would be most heavy Who can tell how heavy that is which is heavier then the heaviest If my calamity saith Job were weighed it would have been found heavier than the sand of the Sea that account would be given of it though you my friend Eliphaz seeme to account it as light as a feather The sand of the Sea is applied three wayes in Scripture First to set forth an exceeding great number Gen. 22. 17. I will multiply thy seed as the Starres of the Heaven and as the sand which is upon the Sea shore That is I will exceedingly multiply thy seed thy children shall be not only numerous but numberlesse Though a book of Numbers be written concerning Abrahams posterity yet their totall number is not written So Psal 78. 27. He rained flesh upon them as dust and feathered fowles like as the sand of the Sea that is he rained aboundance of feathered fowles Secondly The sand of the Sea is used to expresse the largnesse the mighty extent or capacity of a thing The sand of the Sea is of a vaster extent then the Sea it self as being the outward line or bound of it therefore Jer. 33. 22. it is spoken of as a thing impossible for the sand of the sea to be measured As the host of Heaven sc the Starres cannot be numbred neither the sand of the Sea measured so will I multiply the seed of my servant David Measure is taken both of the content and extent of things The sand of the Sea is immeasurable both wayes it cannot as we speak of humane impossibles be measured by the pole or by the vessell And in 1 King 4. 29. it is said God gave Salomon wisdome and understanding exceeding much and largenesse of heart as the sand of the Sea that is as the sand incompasses and takes the Sea in its armes so Salomon had a heart comprehending all the depths and oceans of knowledge he had the compasse of all learning in his understanding Hence when a man attempts a thing impossible we say to him proverbially Thou measurest the sand Areâ—am metiris Thirdly The sand of the Sea is applied in Scripture to note the exceeding weight and heavinesse of a thing that instance is pregnant for it Prov. 23. 7. A stone is heavy and the sand is weighty but a fooles wrath is heavier than both when Salomon would Stulti mores â—ntolerabiles shew us how intollerably burthensome the manners of a wicked man are he compares them to a stone and to the sand The wrath of a wicked man is very weighty but by the way the wrath of God is incomparably more weighty Wrath proceeding from extreame folly is weighty but wrath proceeding from infinite wisdome is infinitely weighty The wrath of a foole upon his brother is heavier then a stone or then the sand How heavy then will the wrath of the most wise God be upon that foole It is further considerable that he saith not barely heavier than Triplex est aâ—enae genus fossâ—â—ia flavialis Marina Plin. lib. 3 naâ— hist cap. 23. the sand any sand is very heavy but heavier than the sand of the Sea Rivers have sand and dry pits have sand but sea-sand is the vastest and the heaviest sand Againe He speakes not in the singular number Heavier then the sand of the Sea but the Hebrew is plurall heavier than the sand of the Seas as if Job had said if thou shouldest shovell up all the sand that is upon the shores of all the seas together on a heap it would not be so heavy as my calamity In such Hyperbolies or high strains of eloquence Job rhetoricates about his sad condition as if he resolved to put more weight into his expressions as he found more weight put into his afflictions Hence observe Afflictions are heavy burthens The judgements of God upon wicked men are frequently in Scripture called burthens and they are heavy burthens Isa 15. 1. we read of the burthen of Moab that is the judgement and calamity that should fall upon Moab And Isa 17. 1. The burden of Damascus And Isa 19. 1. The burden of Egypt And Isa 21. 1. The burden of the desert of the Sea And afterwards The burden of the valley of vision that is of Jerusalem And 2 King 9. 25. when Jehu had killed Jehoram he said to Bidkar his Captaine Take up and cast him in the portion of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite for remember how that when I and thou rode together after Ahab his father the Lord laid this burden upon him That is that he should be slaine and throwne out in this manner As afflictions upon wicked men are burdens So afflictions upon the godly are burdens too they are also heavy burdens Their sinnes are burdens upon them My sinnes saith David are gone over my head they are a burthen too heavy for me to beare Psal 38. 4. Their sins are burdens and their sorrowes are burdens Sin doth not only burden man but it burthens God I am pressed under your sinnes as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves saith God Amos 2. 13. As man by sin burthens God so God by affliction burthens man But of all afflictions inward afflictions are the greatest burthens As the spirit of a man is stronger then his flesh so the afflictions which are upon his spirit are weightier then those that are upon his flesh The spirit hath wonderfull strength all spirits are strong Angells are mighty in strength One good Angel is an over-match for all men And the devils who are spirits are called not not only Principalities but powers because of their strength Proportionably the spirit of man hath a mighty strength in it and so the afflictions which are upon the spirit may have a greater weight in them The affliction which Job complains of as heavier then the sand was not so much the calamity that pressed his flesh or the paine that tormented his body as is plaine in the next
who walke in a spheare below beasts who are more foolish and ignorant then a beast Take heed of complaining without cause if beasts are satisfied with what is agreeable to nature man should be so much more When Nature hath not enough Grace hath all Grace will not bray or low when there is no grasse no fodder surely then they have a scarcity of grace in their hearts who bray and low over their grass and fodder Spirituall accommodations will make a good heart forget temporall incommodities and it is reason they should God promiseth Isa 30. 20. Though I give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction yet thy teachers shall no more be removed into a corner but thine eyes shall see thy teachers As if he had said though your bodies are coursely fed yet your souls shall be feasted Good cheare shal daily be served into them both at your eyes and eares Thine eyes shall see thy teachers and thou shalt heare a voice behind thee Thy sight and thy hearing shall be refreshed with heavenly Messengers and good news from heaven Now besides this promise exprest there is a duty implyed in the text namely that because their spirits were so well fed therfore they must not complain though their flesh come short in feeding The bread of affliction should be pleasant to us while we eate Gospel-dainties In these times God gives more plenty of spirituall food than formerly yet many complaine because their naturall bread is shortned Remember beasts complaine not when they have what is suitable to nature then let not Christians complaine when they have what is suitable to grace though nature have but spare diet and short commons Vers 6. Can that which is unsavory be eaten without salt He proceeds to another similitude It is as if Job had said Nature will complaine when it wants meat yea oftentimes nature will complaine when it wants pleasant meat Nature is not pleased if it want a graine of salt if it have not sauce it is not satisfied Therefore surely I am to be borne with and not to be charged thus deeply who complaine when you offer me that which is unsavoury when you give me meat without salt without sauce without any thing to render it either pleasing to my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Est quod debito condimento temperamento caret sive in defectu sive in excessu Sales pro facetijs quod sint quasi condimentum sermonis Literae Sparsae sale humanitatis Gicer ad Artic. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b Est prepositio absque fine Sed quidam accipiunt pro nomine composito ex Min quod est ex beli à Balab quod est veâ—â—stâ—s Hâ—nc locam reddunt Infaluatum ex vetustate salis potius quam insipidum absque salae Bold Job rem prae horrore prorsus impossibiliem vult significare Numquid comodetur c. At impossibile omnino non est comedere insipiduÌ„ sine sale carnes autem corruptae ex vetustate salismanducars nulla tenus possunt Bold pallate or easie to my digestion Unlesse I were sencelesse like a stock or a stone how should I not disrelish and disgust saplesse saltlesse how much more bitter things Can that which is unsavorie The word which we render unsavorie is the same used Chap. 1. ver 22. which wee there opened at large Job did not charge God with folly or foolishly or he spake not unsavorily of God There is a threefold application of that word in Scripture 1. To unpleasant meats 2. To untempered morter 3. To indiscreet speeches which want the seasoning either of wit wisdome or of truth Lam. 2. 14. Thy Prophets have seene vaine and foolish things for thee Lying visions without truth vain words without wisdome So here Can that which is unsavourie be eaten without salt Seasoning makes unsavory things sweet As salt gives a relish to meat so wisdome and wit to words And therefore the Latines expresse wise witty speeches pleasant discourse a good grace in speaking and a salt by the same word There is another Interpretation of that word which we render b without for some understand it not as a Preposition governing the word Salt but as a compound word noting the oldnesse or stalenesse of meat wherein the very salt it selfe is putrified and so whereas we say Can that which is unsavoury be eaten without salt They translate thus Can that which is unsavoury through the corruption of salt be eaten Or can that meat be eaten which having been salted is now putrified Salt which keeps meat from corruption may in time be overcome with the corruption of the meat And a learned Interpreter gives the reason why he rather chuseth this interpretation of the word because saith he it carries a stronger Emphasis with it Job speakes as of a thing in a manner unpossible to be done Now it is very possible to eat unsavoury meat without salt A good appetite will downe with unpleasant food and hunger will dispence much with Cookery But when season'd or salted meat corrupts and putrifies whose stomach doth not loath and abhorre it Therefore it is a fuller and a more flat deniall to say Can that which is unsavoury thorough the corruption of salt be eaten then Then to say Can that which is unsavory be eaten without salt Or is there any taste in the white of an Egge These words are much obscured by most Translators and have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 found almost as many expositions as Expositours Some translate thus Is there any taste in that which being taken brings death So the Vulgar Doubtlesse a man hath but little pleasure to taste An potest aliquis gustare quod gustatum affert mortem Vulg. that which tasted will be his death So the words are an aggravation of the unsavourinesse of those things which were offered him by his friends to touch or take them was to take poison or to drinke in a deadly cup. To cleare up this Exposition they make the Hebrew word Challamuth which we translate Egge a compound from Muth signifying to die whence Maueth death and Chala signifying froth or fome or from Chali signifying infirmity As if the word having these parts put together had this sence The froth and foame of death Or The infirmitie of death That is deadly froth on deadly infirmity As if he had said is there any pleasing taste in the spettle of dying men who we know often fome and froth at their mouthes when they lie drawing on Others thus Is there any taste in the spettle of a healthy man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sanus confortatus convaluit The word Rir which we translate white signifies spettle or froth As when David acted the mad-man before the King of Gath it is said that he let his spettle fall downe upon his beard 1 Sam. 21. 13. And the word which we translate Egge signifies Health and the verbe to be healthy Chap. 39. 4.
hardnesse or bear evil As if he had said thou dost not know what hardship thou shalt be put unto in thy ministry I who am a veterane 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an old beaten though never conquered souldier in this warfare of Christ have been put to much hardship in my time and from my owne experience I advise thee to inure thy selfe to hardship to lie hard to fare hard to work hard to hear hard words and receive hard usage A tender spirit and a delicate body which must have warme and soft and fine and sweet continually is unfit for the warfare of the Gospel Such a sence is here I know I must endure more than now I doe but I would harden my selfe against that time and resolve to endure it let come what could come I am resolved and have fore-thought the worst Further for the clearing of these words it is considerable that some learned Interpreters put the two middle expressions into a parenthesis and read the whole thus I should have comfort though I should scorch with paine and though God should not spare me for I have not concealed the words of the holy One. One thus This yet is my comfort even while I scorch with pain Iunius and God doth not spare me that I have not concealed the words of the holy One Mr. Broughton as I touched before comes near this sence and translation So I should yet find comfort though I parch in paine when he would not spare For I kept not close the words of the most Holy That is when the long expected houre of my death shall come though God to take away my life should heat the fornace of my affliction seven times hotter then hitherto so that I must parch in paine yet I should have comfort Or take it in Master Broughtons owne glosse in all these pangs if God would make an end of me it should be my comfort and I would take courage in my sicknesse to beare it by my joy that I should die because I professed the Religion of God So that the strength of Job to bear the hand of God was from the conscience of his former integrity in doing the will and maintaining the truth of God Let him not spare Job having taken up his hope that he should have comfort 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pepercit clementia usus fuerit and this resolution that he would harden himselfe in sorrow speaks now as if he were at a point let God doe what he pleaseth let him not spare as if he had said what course soever the Lord shall see good to take for the cutting me off I am content he should goe on with it Let him not spare The word signifies to indulge or shew mercy to him whom by all right a man might justly destroy Ezek. 5. 11. Because thou hast done thus and thus saith God therefore will I also diminish thee neither shall mine eye spare neither will I have any pity Job seemes to invite what God threatens others Let him not spare let him not have any pity let him take his full swing in destroying of me In this sence it is said Rom. 8. 32. That God spared not his own sonne That is he abated not any thing which justice could inflict Christ therefore saves to the uttermost because he suffered to the uttermost He was not spared one blow one drop one sigh one sorrow one shame one circumstance of all or any one of these which justice could demand as a satisfaction for mans sinne Yea though in a sence he cryed to his father that he might be spared yet he was not There is a three-fold mercy in God There is a preventing mercy mercy that steps between us and trouble And there is a delivering mercy mercy that takes us out of the hand of trouble There is a third kinde of mercy coming in the middle of these two and that is called sparing mercy and that is two-fold First sparing for the time when God delaies and staies long ere he strike Secondly sparing for the degree when the Lord moderates and mitigates abates and qualifies our sufferings not letting them fall so heavie upon us as they might This sparing mercy stands I say in the middle of the two former it is not so much as preventing mercy stopping trouble that it come not neither is it so much as delivering mercy removing it when it is come Now Job did not only not aske delivering mercy that he asked not sparing mercie Let him not spare me in the time let him not delay or loose time let him come as soone as he will And let him not spare me in the degree and measure let him strike me as hard and lay his hand as heavily upon me as he will David Psal 39. 13. makes this his request O spare me that I may recover strength before I goe hence and be no more That is abate and mitigate my sufferings that I die not but Job desireth not to be spared at all He rather saith take away all my strength that I may goe hence and be seen no more Observe hence That the hope troubles will end comforteth yea hardneth in bearing present troubles Then will I comfort my selfe then will I harden my selfe let him not spare if I may have my request and die The sharpest sting of trouble is that it is endless and it is next to that when we can not looke to the end of it nor see any issue or way out of it That which discourages the damned in bearing their sorrowes and softens both their flesh and spirits to receive home to the head every arrow of wrath and dart of vengeance is they see no end and are assured there will be none They know they cannot be cut off and therefore they cannot harden themselves in sorrow no that very consideration makes their hearts which have been hardned to commit sin tender to receive punishment and exactly sencible of their pains could they see that at last they should be cut off even they would be hardned to bear the torments of Hell in the meane time though that time should be very long yea as long as time can be onely not endlesse The pain it selfe doth not afflict so much as the thought that they shall be afflicted for ever As the assurance that the glory of Heaven shall never end infinitely sweetnes it so the assurance that the paines of hell shall never end infinitely sharpens them And not to see the ending of worldly troubles neer puts us further off from comfort then the bearing of those troubles Therefore saith Job if I might be assured that God would cut me off I would harden my selfe in sorrow and let not God spare I would not desire him to hold his hand to mitigate or abate my paines * Eâ— haec mihi merces esset ejus seu pro eo quod nâ—n occultavi unquam sed diligentisâ— simè observavi quam commendatissima habui
help in me is wisdome driven quite from me Though I have no strength and so no help in my self wisdom is not therefore driven quite from me As if he had said will you conclude that I am a wicked man an hypocrite and a fool because I am not able to help and deliver my self out of these troubles Fifthly consider the words as we translate them with which most of the Rabbins and Jewish writers concur only they usually expresse the text affirmatively we interrogatively yet both equivalent and meet in the same meaning Our Question Is not my help in me is to be resolved into this affirmation my help is in me and the latter branch Is wisdome departed from me into this negation wisdome is not departed from me my help is in me and my An non auxilium meum in me quo me tueri possum ac defendere innuit innocentiam suam ac vitae integritatem qua nunquam destitutus fuit aut rectam ratienem sapientiam quam postea Tusiah Appellat Drus. An judicio ratione destituor ut dignoscere nequeam recta ab insulsis qualia sunt verba vestra non sum mentis inops wisdome is not departed from me Jobs sence may be taken thus Have I not that in me which is and will be a help unto me notwithstanding all the objections and assaults which you make against me Have not I that in me which may furnish me with wisdome to answer all the exceptions which you have taken at my complaints Master Broughtons translation favours this sence very much have not I my defence and is judgement driven away from me Though I thus complain and desire death yea renew my desire Have not I my defence have I nothing to say why I made that request have I no argument to help my selfe and bear up my spirit under the weight of these calamities Is wisdome quite departed from me Doe you take me for a man deserted of God deserted of his spirit and deserted of my own wisdom and understanding too because I am deserted of the world and destitute of outward comforts And so the help which Job knew he had in store was the Innoceney and integrity of his heart Is not my help in me I have no help no strength no comfort in my flesh what is my flesh my flesh is not of brasse but have I no help in me neither my outward man is destroyed my house of clay is almost battered down tottering failing it is but have I nothing within to help at a dead lift have I no grace no hope no testimony of a good conscience no witness in my self Doe you think me clean disâ—obed and stript and emptied of all wisdome and comfort Hath the Devil think you robbed me of my grace have the Sabeans plundered and spoiled me of my understanding Is not my help within me notwithstanding all the troubles that are upon me Thus the interpretation is fair and clear that when all his outward comforts were gone when the strength of his flesh could hold no longer yet then he had help within him his spirit could bear though his flesh could not Grace can hold out beyond nature and when bodily strength can do no more wisdom comes in with her Auxiliaries Is not my help in me and is wisdome departed from me The word wisdome in the Hebrew is of various significations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Significat â—egem sapientiam subsistentiam Et lex â—epulsa est á me Pagn Nâ—nquid officium impulsum fuit à me Vatab. Num subsistentia impulsa est a me Regia Quid facult as subsistendi me destituit Tygyr as was touched Chap. 5. 12. Here one renders it The law is not departed from me As if his meaning were I never forsooke the law of God Another thus Was my duty driven from me As if his meaning were I ever kept close to the rule of my place and calling A third Is my subsistence driven from me So a fourth Is my ability of subsisting gone from me As if he had said cannot I live because I have not the world to live upon To which sence those words of Christ are appliable Luke 12. 15. The life of man consists not in the aboundance of the things which he possesseth All which interpretations meet to make up a compleat Apology of Jobs piety constancy patience and flourishing resolutions in his dying withering condition The Sabeans drove away his cattel but they could not drive away his understanding They offered violence to his substance but his reason and his graces were untoucht Hence observe first That when all outward helps depart from a godly man he hath somewhat abiding in him to help and stay up his heart As when the outward glory and strength of the Church is utterly decayed Yet the Prophet tells us Isa 6. 13. in it shall be a Tenth as a Teyle tree and as an Oake whose substance is in them when they cast their leaves so the Holy seed shall be the strength thereof Thus also when the outward glory and strength of any true member of the Church is utterly decayed even then he shall be as an Oak his substance shall be in him the seed of Holinesse shall be his substance Is not my helpe in me I know my estate is gone my beauty is gone my strength is gone the strength I mean of my flesh yet I have invisible supports somewhat unseen to trust unto It is the comfort of beleevers that they have an estate riches and possessions lying as far beyond the reach of mens power as their eye and as far beyond the reach of Satans malice as either When they feel nothing but pain in the flesh when nothing but weakness inhabits the house of clay the outward man then the inward man is renewed with sweet refreshings and strong consolations day by day The spirit of a man of a godly man will bear his infirmities when his body cannot The strength of nature is not as the strength of stones nor is the flesh of brass but the strength of grace is stronger then the strength of stones and the spirit is more dureable then brasse Grace wears not out by using nor doth it spend by employing Afflictions are but the higher services and employments of grace A stock of grace is an inexhaustible treasure and a good heart assures us better then the barrs of a Castle Faith and a good conscience are under Christ our best helpes in trouble they are friends that will never forsake us They are to us as their Authour who hath promised that he will not Grace is our participation with the Divine Nature and grace participates with the divine nature in this it is an unchangeable good an everlasting comfort And yet we must take this warily grace and holiness faith and a good conscience are not to be trusted upon no more then riches or any outward meanes We may make an Idol of our faith
the bosome and spirit of a man Let it not trouble thee that I thus speak take my words in good part If we assay to commune with thee wilt thou be grieved Secondly observe That it is no easie thing to beare reproofe To take a reproofe well is as high a point of spirituall wisdome as to give it well When we reprove the sinne we should love the man but there are few men who can love their reprovers You know what is said in the Prophet They hate him that reproveth in the gate Reproofs are usually entertained with hatred and ill taken by evill persons reproofe is not alwayes taken in good part by those who are good It is but need to have some way made for its due entertainment by the best temper'd spirits Wilt thou be grieved it may be wearisome and troublesome unto thee but I pray let it not Thirdly observe from the Preface That in some cases it is our duty to speak and reprove whether men are troubled or no. How should I be pleased if thou wouldest receive my speech in good part but I cannot withhold my selfe from speaking though thou art displeased take it how you will I must speak these reproofs must out When we see plainly that God is dishonoured and that the soule of our brother is greatly endangered we must then speak as God chargeth the Prophet whether they will heare or whether they will forbeare In such cases we must adventure to save men by Ep. Jude v. 23 feare plucking them out of the fire Lastly observe That when the heart is full it is a very hard thing not to give it vent at the lips by speaking When the heart is full of matter the tongue will be full of words the tongue must bring forth the treasures that are laid up in the heart Who saith Eliphaz can withhold himselfe from speaking The Prophet Jeremiah Chap. 20. 9. thought to stifle the message of God in his heart I said I will not make mention of him nor speak any more in his name he began to take up a resolution to withhold himselfe from speaking but saith he his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones and I was weary with forbearing and I could not stay I could not hold it any longer So the Apostles Acts 4. 19. We cannot but speak that which we have heard and seen it is impossible for us the Lord hath spoken who can but prophesie Amos 3. 8. that is who can withhold himselfe from prophesying when once the Lord bids him speak Words are the conceptions of our mindes and when our thoughts are form'd and organized as it were and grown to perfection when those children come to the birth a little strength will bring them forth Or rather great strength cannot keepe them from being brought forth It is as possible for her that is with childe to withhold the birth as it is for those that have pregnant conceptions or an errand from God to withhold themselves from speaking When David kept silence it is a strange connexion he roared Psal 32. 3. When he held his peace from good his sorrow was stirred Psal 39. 2. Pangs took hold on him as upon a woman in travell which made him roare His heart waxt hot the fire burned till he spake with his tongue He was then delivered Our English phrase of Delivering a mans minde may hit this sense well Their hearts are barren whose mouths are alwayes shut Who can withhold himselfe from speaking But what is it that he could not forbeare He could not forbear to tell him that as he supposed he acted against his own principles Behold thou hast instructed many and thou hast strengthened the weak hands c. Behold This word is sometime used in a way of derision as Ecce doctorem egregium Ecce medicum aliorum qui seipsum curare nesciat Gen. 3. 22. where God saith concerning Adam Behold the man is become as one of us doe you not see what a God he is how like a God he lookes so Behold thou hast instructed many some make that the sense see now your great Teacher your learned Doctor he that hath been so forward and busie in teaching others see in what disorder how uncomposed he is himselfe he would needs physick his Neighbours but knows not how to cure his own distempers But rather take it by way of ásseveration Behold as if he should say this is a thing clear and certaine all that are about thee can witnesse it that thou hast instructed many and that thou hast strengthened the weak hands But how art thou changed thou art not like the man thou wast Here are foure speciall acts of spirituall charity so we may call and distinguish them First instructing of the ignorant secondly encouraging of the weak and sloathfull thirdly supporting of those that are ready to fall and fourthly comforting those that are ready to faint In these foure duties Job had been very conversant 1 Indoctos docere Instruction of the ignorant Behold thou hast instructed many 2 Torpentes excitare Encouragement of the weak and sloathfull Thou hast strengthned the weake hands 3 Labentes erigere Supportation of the weake Thy words have upholden him that was falling 4 Maestos consolari Consolation of those who were ready to faint Thou hast strengthned the feeble knees Here you see the four uses which Job made in his counsels First 2 Tim. 3. 16. of Instruction Secondly of Exhortation Thirdly of Admonition Fourthly of Consolation Job was a perfect Preacher he applyes the word to all the services and ends of it respecting the severall conditions tempers or distempers of those with whom he had to doe Further some take the three latter to be but as explications or branches of the first Behold thou hast instructed many namely concerning the nature of afflictions and their duty in the bearing afflction yea thou hast instructed them so farre that thou hast strengthned the weake hands upholden those that were falling and strengthned the feeble knees I come now to the opening of the severall expressions Thou hast instructed many The word which we translate instructed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eâ—udivit castigavit ut patres praeceptoris solent pueros Respondet GraecoruÌ„ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 docere verbi verberibus signifieth both to correct and to teach and the Hebrews give the reason of it because usually with instruction correction is joyned and so the same Greek word signifies both to teach and to chasten As there is a voice of the Rod instruction in correction so a Rod sometimes goes with the voice correction is helpfull to instruction In either or both the senses we may understand it here thou hast instructed many thou hast taught and directed thou hast where need was chastned and corrected many Many We have heard in the first Chapter that Job prayed for his Children
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Impingere quod saepe consequitur ruere cadere stumble or strike the foot against a thing and so it is put for that which is the consequent of stumbling falling he that strikes his foot or stumbles at a thing is in danger of a fall So Isay 40. 30. The young men shall utterly fall it is this word but doubled falling they shall fall that is they shall utterly fall There is a threefold falling mentioned in Scripture 1. There is a falling into sinne Gal. 6. 1. If a man be overtaken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Praecipuè significat peccata actualia à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad verbum praeter cadere cuÌ„ scil ultra rectam justitiae lineam cadimus de erratis etiam levioribus usurpatur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in compositione minuit sensum in a fault that word like this Hebrew in the Text signifies a fall taken by stumbling or by tripping upon any thing that lies in the way In this sense we understand the fall of Adam the fall of Angels and the fals of the Saints 2. There is a falling into affliction a falling into trouble So Prov 24. 16. The just man falleth seven times a day that is he meets affliction at every turn he fals into trouble almost at every step Seven times a day is very often in the day or often every day 3. There is a falling under trouble And of persons falling so we are chiefly to understand this Text. Many fall into trouble who yet through the strength of Christ stand firmely under trouble Others no sooner fall in but they fall under it The shoulders of some are not able to beare a light affliction and the afflictions of others are so heavie that no shoulders are able to beare them the back breaks the spirit sinkes under the load To such as these Job lent his hand his shoulders his counsell was as a staffe in their hands as ligaments to their loynes and knees Job was well skill'd in setting props and buttresses of holy advice to such tottering soules Thou hast upheld him that was falling We may take the words in all or either of these three interpretations yet most properly of the latter Thou hast strengthned the feeble knees The Hebrew word for a knee signifieth in the root to blesse or to pray because in blessing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Genu quod flecti solet in Benedictionibus et salutationibus and praying for one or in saluting we use to bow the knee And here what we translate the feeble knees is word for word the bowing knees because when knees bow and buckle or double under us it proceeds from weaknesse and feeblenesse hence the bowing knee is called the feeble knee Dan. 6. 5. it is said of Belshazzar his knees smote one against the other he fainted his spirits sanke within him then his knees as a Symptome of his feare beat one against another The hanging down of hands notes a kinde of despaire in regard of present evils and feeble quaking knees seeme to referre to some expected evill Taking the words with that difference Jobs work of love appears more full he not only upheld in present troubles but labour'd to strengthen against such as were to come Thou hast instructed many and instructed them many even all these wayes We may note First That to teach instruct and comfort others is not onely a mans duty but his praise for here Eliphaz speaks it in a way of commendation though with an intent to ground a reproofe upon it Job himselfe speaks of what he had done in that kinde as a defence of his own innocence Chap. 29. vers 21. c. Vnto me men gave eare and waited and kept silence at my counsell after my words they spake not againe and my speech dropped upon them and they waited for me as for the rain and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain This was his practise and this was the praise of Job That which the Apostle speaks as a speciall qualification or gift of a Bishop 1 Tim. 3. 2. is an excellent a noble qualification 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in any person of what rank or degree soever to be apt to teach Secondly Consider who Job was he was a holy man one that had much acquaintance and communion with God Now though his friends mistook what was in his heart yet they hit right upon his practise and we knowing both what his heart was by the testimony of God and what his practise was from the testimony of men may ground a second point upon it That such as know God in truth and holinesse are very ready to communicate the knowledge Quae autem est ceâ—â—â—or eleemosyna quod majus opus miserecordiae quam docere rudes segnes ad bene agendum extimulare labentem erigere maestos consâ—lari of God unto others They who know God themselves are desirous that others should know God too David Psal 51. 13. promiseth and professeth that he would communicate his experiences of Gods love in pardoning his sinne when he had tasted the sweetnesse of a pardon Then will I teach transgressors thy wayes and sinners shall be converted unto thee when my heart hath learned more of God others shall learne more of God from my mouth This is spirituall charity and it is the most excellent and noblest charity of all Charity to the soule is the soule of charity charity to the better part is the best charity In this sence also Job was eyes to the blinde and feet to the lame by guiding them to see Job 29. 15. and by directing their feet to walk in the wayes of God To give knowledge is better then to give Gold Instruction is the highest almes Thirdly if we consider Job of whom all this is affirmed as he was a great rich man we may note thus much That honourable and great men loose nothing of their honour and greatnesse by descending to the instruction of others though their inferiours Some think it belongs onely unto Ministers to instruct What we instruct They resent it as a disparagement they trust out that work wholly into the hands of others Where shall we finde an Abraham a great Prince in his time of whom God gave this Testimony I know him that he will command his children c. and they shall keep the way of the Lord and because he was willing to teach others God condescends to teach him Shall I hide from Gen 18. 17 18 19. Abraham that thing which I doe They receive most knowledge who are most ready to impart it And we finde before this Abraham so successefull in teaching that he had an Army of scholers in his house The Text saith when he prepar'd for that expedition to rescue his Nephew Lot that he armed three hundred and eighteen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 14. 14. Prov. 22. 6. of his trained
catechized or instructed servants The word signifies to train in the Principles of Religion as well as in the postures of war being the same used in the Book of Proverbs for teaching a childe the first elements of holy knowledge And that place of Genesis may very well comprehend both Fourthly observe That charity especially spirituall charity is very liberall and open-hearted Job instructed not onely his owne but he instructed others he instructed many he did not confine his doctrine and his advice to his own walls but the sound thereof went wheresoever he went he instructed many And if Job who had no special no direct calling to it were a teacher of many what shall we think of those whose calling and businesse it is to teach and yet teach not any at all their trade their profession is to teach yet they are so far from teaching many that they teach none and which is worse they hinder teaching they stop the mouth of the teacher and if they can the eare of the learner they take away the key of knowledge They neither open the doore themselves nor suffer those that would This is the very spirit of wickedness And blessed be God whose mighty power hath so graciously cast out and dispossest so many places of the Kingdome of these wicked spirits Further taking those other parts of his instruction as they respect persons afflicted who are here described by weak hands and feeble knees ready to fall unable to stand Observe first That sore afflictions doe exceedingly indispose for duty Sore afflictions make weak hands and feeble knees the weake hand and the feeble knee are as I said before emblems of one unfit for any businesse unfit to work unfit to walk when the hand is weak and the knee is feeble what is a man fit for Great sufferings unfit us for action Hence it is that the Lord moderates the afflictions of his people sweetens the bitternesse and takes off the oppressing weight of them God promiseth to come Isa 57. 16. with reviving and that he will not contend for ever with his people Why A principle Reason is Lest their spirits should fail before me and the soules which I have made Lest the spirits should faile that is lest they should faile in their duties the spirit cannot faile in the essence of it the spirit is of an eternall constitution but it faileth in the duty often And if afflictions lie too hard and too long upon a people their spirits fail their faith fails their courage failes their labours cannot be laborious to carry on and carry out their work Therefore when Job saw any under afflictions he endeavour'd to put courage into their hearts and so strength into their hands Secondly In the generall we may note further That the words of the wise have a mighty power strength and prevalence in them You see how efficatious the words of Job were Jobs instructions were strengthuings thou hast strengthned the weak hands and feeble knees his words were as stays to hold them up that were ready to fall Eliphaz doth not only say thou didst instruct many in instructing thou didst intend it was thy design and aime to strengthen the weak hands but he speaks of what Job had effected wrought thy words put sinews into the hands and knees of men that were weak and ready to fall thy words were as props to hold and bear up the spirits of those that were sinking Words wisely dispensed and followed with the blessing of God what can they not doe God doth the greatest things in the World by a word speaking as at the first he made the world it selfe by a word speaking so he hath done the greatest things and wrought the greatest changes in the World by a word speaking When a word goes forth cloathed with the authority and power of God it works wonders How hath it raised up sinking spirits how hath it made the fearfull undaunted and the weak-hearted couragious God by his word in the mouth of a weak man overthrows the strong holds of sinne and by a word brings every thought of man into subjection to Jesus 2 Cor. 10. 4. 5 Christ By a word he stops the mouth of blasphemy and evill speaking by a word speaking he makes a man deny himselfe by a word he opens the eyes of the blinde and makes the lame to run and leap like a Hart in the way of holinesse And I could wish that the word which I now speak might through the blessing of God have such an effect upon your spirits O that it might strengthen all weak hands and feeble knees O that it might uphold all who are ready to fall we are cast upon knee-feebling hand-weakning yea heart-weakning times the sight of those things which our eyes do see and the hearing of those things which our ears do heare cause many to fear and the spirits of some to fall Now a word invested with commission from God to go and comfort will master all our sorrowes and dispell all these fears If the Lord breathe upon a word that word will breathe lively activity into a very carkasse Look to those many and gracious promises made to those that mourne and comfort will flow in Promises are the treasures of comfort promises hold the Churches stock they are the patrimony of beleivers it is their priviledge and their honour to be called heirs of the promise While Heb. 6. 17. Christ and the Promise lives how can Faith dye or languish eying a promise So much of the first branch of the minor Proposition in the third and fourth Verses The second branch lies in the fifth Verse Now it is come upon thee and thou faintest it toucheth thee and thou art troubled Thou hast instructed many thou hast strengthned the weak hands c. but now it is come upon thee c. That is trouble and affliction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lassus fuit corpore vel animo prae lassitudine nescivit quid ageret are come upon thee And thou faintest The word signifies an extraordinary fainting when a man is so wearied and spent that he knowes not what he doth when his reason seemes tired as much as his strength So that the words Now it is come upon thee thou faintest may import thus much thou art in such a case that thou seemest to be besides thy selfe thou knowest not what thou doest thou speakest thou knowest not what The word is translated in the first Verse by grieved in other Scriptures by mad and furious Prov 26. 18. As a mad-man who casteth fire-brands c. And whereas we say Gen. 47. 13. the land of Egypt fainted by reason of the famine many render it the land of Egypt was inraged or mad because of In sanivit terra Egypti nan propter famem nimiam insanit homo Furebat terra i. e. tumultuabantur anno quinto famis mentem illâ—s adimente sane Jun. in loc the famine want of bread
part of his character or commendation Thou art reported to be a man fearing God is not this thy feare Feare is taken either for the whole compasse of Gods worship or for that awfulnesse of affection with which we worship God which we ought to mingle and mix in all our actions and duties Therefore saith the Apostle Heb. 12. Let us have grace to serve him with reverence and godly feare And Psalme the second Serve the Lord with feare God is to be served in love and yet God loves no service which hath not this ingredient Holy feare Feare is the most proper affection which we creatures dust and ashes who are at such an infinite distance from God can put forth in his worship God condescends so farre as to be loved by us yea he calleth for our love as a friend or as a father as a familiar as one in neer relation but considered in his Majesty glory and greatnesse feare is the most suitable affection in our approaches unto God The name of God in some languages is derived from feare and God is expresly called Fear by Jacob Gen. 31. in that dispute with Laban where he telleth him Except the fear of his father Isaac had been with him c. Verse 42 And Jacob sware by the fear of his father Isaac Verse 53. that is by that God whom his father Isaac feared Jacob was a man so holy that he would take nothing into his mouth to swear by but onely the holy Name of God Religious swearing is one of the highest acts of worshipping as vaine swearing is one of the highest acts of prophaning the name of God Thy confidence The word which we translate confidence signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Inconstantia levitas per Antiphrasin constantia considenâ—ia also and that most properly folly inconstancy levity when the Prophet Jeremy reproveth the idolatry of those times speaks to worshippers of Idols he expresses it by this word They are altogether bruitish and foolish Jer. 10. 8. And holy David Psalme 49. 13. speaking of wicked men who make riches their portion and who lay out all their endeavours in the raising of an outward estate gives this account of their practise in the 13 Verse This their way is their folly this is the course that worldly men take and they think it is a very wise course but indeed their way is their folly Some translators reade that text this their way is their confidence as here in Job and so they make the sense out thus this way of worldly men in gathering riches in heaping up abundance of these outward things is their confidence that is they have nothing else to trust unto they have nothing beyond the world to trust unto this their way is their confidence So againe Prov. 15. 26. A foolish man or a man of folly despiseth his mother And once 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more Psal 85. 8. where the Psalmist goeth up like Habakkuk to his Watch-tower to hearken for an answer of his prayer I will hearken what the Lord will say for he will speake peace unto his people but let them not returne againe to folly So some reade it in this Text of Job is not this thy fear thy folly that is was it not meere folly for thee to bragge and boast of thy feare sc That thou didst feare God c. But the word is often taken in a contrary sense as we translate for constancy or confidence and sometimes for hope and thus Job 31. 24. If I have said to gold thou art my hope or my confidence and Chap. 8. 14. speaking of the Hypocrite whose hope shall be cut off the same word is used and Prov. 3. 26. The Lord shall be thy confidence and he shall keep thy foot from being taken and not to heape many places Psal 78. 7. That they may set their hope in God In this sense it is generally understood here Is not this thy fear and thy confidence sc all the trust thou hast placed in thy God Feare and confidence are acts of naturall worship Confidence or Trust is the resting of the soule upon another here the resting of the soule upon the Word or promises of God upon the power faithfulnesse and truth of God an act thus put forth by the soule is confidence Now saith Eliphaz is not this thy confidence thou hast spoken much of resting and trusting upon God and his Word upon his power and faithfulnesse is not this that which thou hast all this while talked of See what a goodly confidence it is Doth it look like a proper piece of grace Confidence is an act beyond faith a soule confiding walkes in a higher Region of grace and comfort than a soule only believing there may be believing where there is not this confiding As patience is hope lengthned so confidence is hope strengthned Assurance is the highest degree of faith and confidence is the highest degree of assurance It carries with it first cheerfulnesse opposite to sorrow secondly courage opposite to fear and despondency of spirit thirdly boldnesse adventurousnesse opposite to cowardice Confidence having a good cause and a good call will take a Beare by the tooth or a Lion by the beard Fourthly it notes boasting or a kinde of spirituall wise bragging opposite to sinfull modesty or concealement of what God hath done for us Or take it thus Confidence is the noblest exercise of faith which looking steadily upon God in himselfe and in Christ through the promises raises the soule above all fears and discouragements above all doubts and disquietments either about the removing of evill or the obtaining of good Hence confidence is well called the rest of the soule therefore such as attaine to confidence are said to be in peace in perfect peace Isay 26. 3. Him wilt thou establish in perfect peace whose heart doth trust upon thee And this act of confidence or trust is proper and peculiar to God no creature must share in it This is worship commanded in the first precept Thou shalt have no other Gods before mee Whatsoever we confide in unlesse it be in subordination unto God we make it our God And it is one of the highest acts of the soule not onely as we respect the taking in our own comforts but also the giving out glory unto God This confidence is well coupled with holy feare the more we feare God so the more we trust him such feare is the mother and nurse of confidence But confidence is directly contrary yea contradictory to carnall feare he that trusts God indeed leaves both soule and body temporall and eternall estate with him without ever sending a fearefull thought or a jealous looke after either It followes And the uprightnesse of thy wayes It is the word used in the description of Job Cap. 1. 1. There it is in the concrete perfect here in the abstract uprightnesse We may reade it Is not this the perfection of thy wayes
notwithstanding all these shakings Would not thy feare be thy confidence It would Hence observe First That they who feare most in times of peace have most reason Timidum esse ad â—ala patrandâ— genus est fortitudinis fiduciae to be confident in times of trouble They who feare most in one sense feare least they who feare God most feare creatures least and creature-troubles least We have this point in so many words Prov. 14. 26. In the feare of the Lord is strong confidence The feare of the Lord is the cure of all other feares They who are most fearefull of the evill of sinne are most couragious among the evills of suffering To be fearefull thus raiseth the highest acts of confidence Psal 112. 7 8. We reade of one that will not be afraid for any evill tidings his heart is fixed Who is this confident man this fearelesse man It is this divine coward as we may call him you shall finde him so express'd vers 1. Blessed is the man that feareth God he shall not be afraid for any evill tidings Exod. 20. 20. When the people of Israel were much amazed and astonished at the giving of the Law Moses comes to cure them of that feare but what is the medicine Feare not for God is come to prove you and that his feare may be before your faces that ye sinne not As if he had said when God hath put his feare into your hearts such feares as these will be removed and vanish when your hearts are filled with this feare of God you will have confidence to heare and see the thunder and lightning of Mount Sinai you shall not feare no not this terrible tempest in which the Law it selfe is given So when the people were in a feare another time Samuel thus bespeakes them in that shaking fit 1 Sam. 12. 20. Feare not onely feare the Lord. If you will be confident in such a time as this for by prayer he procured thunder and raine in that time of wheate-harvest feare the Lord. The feare of the Lord will be our confidence in the wettest day in the most tempestuous and stormy night that ever fell upon the secure sinfull world A man fearing God is the onely dread-nought Secondly We may observe from the other branch for the sense is the same And would not thy uprightnesse be thy hope The uprightnesse of a mans wayes in good times doth mightily strengthen his hope in evill times When a man can looke back and approve his heart to God that he hath been upright in peace and plenty how full of hope will he be in trouble and in wants It was that which Hezekiah pleaded before God in the day of his trouble and tryall 2 King 20. 3. I beseech thee O Lord remember how I have walked before thee in truth and with an upright and perfect heart This was it when he lay upon his sick-bed and as he thought upon his death-bed that put life into him and bare up his spirit A fourth interpretatian is taken from our reading Is not this thy feare thy confidence the uprightnesse of thy wayes and thy hope So the words containe foure distinct affrming Questions Is not this thy feare Is not this thy confidence Is not this the uprightnesse of thy wayes and is not this thy hope This is thy feare c. As if Eliphaz had said Job without doubt thou hast shewed all thy goodnesse at once or Is not this all that thou art able to make out and shew Is not this all that thou canst say for all the testimony thou canst give of thy religion and holinesse Hast thou not shewed all Surely thy great boast of Religion is nothing but this Eliphaz seemes to call Job to make a further or cleerer proofe of his grace Is not this thy feare or if this be not shew me somewhat else Thou art a man very famous in the world much talked of and highly commended for feare and for confidence for uprightnesse and for hope what hast thou more to answer that report and save thy own credit with the credit of thy friends who have been so large in their commendations of and testimonies concerning thee Note hence First Afflictions discover that unto us which before we knew not Is not this thy feare thou diddest not know of what make or constitution thy feare was untill now That 's Eliphaz his supposition and it is a truth That some hypocrites know not that their graces are false till they are brought to such tryals They carry false counterfeit coine about them and suppose it currant money till they come to the ballance or a touch-stone Some are active hypocrites who go about intentionally to deceive and put a faire mask over a filthy face Others are passive hypocrites who are miserably deceived by the collusions of Satan and the base treachery of their own spirits Many a man is brought to see which before he could not by reason of those mists of hypocrisie what his feare is what his faith by those changes which affliction works in him Secondly thus We ought to make our graces visible in our actions Is not this thy feare Shew me what thy feare is if this be not make proofe of it The Apostle bids Timothy 2 Tim. 4. 5. Make full proofe of his Ministery It may be said to some Ministers is not this your Ministery if it be not make full proofe of it Or as the Apostle James in a case neere this James 2. 14. 18. Shew me thy faith by thy workes so we may say Shew me thy feare by thy workes Is not this it if it be not make it appeare what it is The tree is knowne by the fruits doe men gather grapes of thornes or figgs of thistles or doe men gather crabs from vines or sloes from figg-trees As an evill tree cannot bring forth good fruit so neither doth a good tree bring forth evill fruit If thou sayest thou art a vine make proofe of it by the fruit thou bearest or else I must conclude thou art but a thorne or a thistle We may question many for this grace and for the other grace they pretend unto For their actions have not the least print or impression of such graces upon them If any one should hold forth much faith and confidence in God and this man should run or take unlawfull courses to helpe himselfe might we not say Is this thy confidence Or if one speaking much of confidence in God for the accomplishing of a businesse should yet sit still and doe nothing himselfe might we not say Is this thy confidence this is to tempt God not to trust in him Once more if a man should professe much confidence in God and yet be taken up altogether about the creature swallowed up with creature-thoughts or swallowing in creature-delights seeking to and engaging this creature and that creature with neglect of God may we not say Is this thy confidence Hope is an anchor of
that was brought Further this speech may have reference unto our present condition concerning which the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 13. We know but in part now when he saith we know but in part it is not as if we had but a part of Gods will made knowne unto us The Word of God and the works of God are perfect And the Apostle assures the Church of Ephesus That he had not shunned to declare unto them the whole counsell of God Acts 20. 27. The whole which concernes man is declared but we know that whole but in part Such is our weaknesse and infirmity that we cannot take in All of All no nor any part of all in the full latitude and extent of it Thus we know but in part so saith Eliphaz when this was brought to me mine eare received but little of it my narrow eare could drinke in but some drops of that ocean which was poured out upon me All that man apprehends is but little in respect of what Modestè loquiâ—ur quâ—si nâ—n plenè acceperâ—t quod sciendâ—m esset de hac â—e Quod optimum est eximiam comprehendere non potest mortalis homo Mercer God offers now or of what hereafter he shall apprehend Eliphaz speakes modestly and humbly of himselfe God brought a thing unto me and I am such a poore streightned vessell that I could receive but a little of it yet somewhat I caught hold of which I am about to make known unto thee We may note from this First Holy truths are very pleasant to the eare of a holy person A thing was brought unto me and mine eare caught a little of it As when meates pleasant to the tast are brought to a man he puts forth his hand and takes them or when pleasant musique sounds the eare catches it or we drinke it in greedily at the eare so when holy truths are revealed a holy heart catches them The eare is not more affected with pleasant musique or the pallate with pleasant meates then the understanding spiritualiz'd is affected with spirituall truths The eare of a holy man takes in holy things with pleasure and therefore he is said to catch them or drinke them in as with much desire and ravishing delight David sound more sweetnesse in the truths of God then in the honey or honey combe The spirit of a regenerate man doth so much catch heavenly Doctrine that in the Hebrew the word which signifies such doctrine signifies also catching or receiving and a word from the same roote signifies the palate Vide Buxtorf Lex in verto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the mouth which may hint us thus much that heavenly doctrine pleases the palate or taste of a heavenly minde And the reason of it is because there is a suitablenesse in the heart of every godly man with every truth of God All delight arises from proportion and suitablenesse between the object and the organ in sensitives between the object and the understanding will affections in spirituals That which makes delight to the eye is the sutablenesse of visibles to the eye and that which makes delight the taste is the sutablenesse of edibles to the pallate and so that which makes delight to the soule is the sutablenesse of intelligibles to the understanding Hence the reason is cleere why wicked men will not receive the things of God but insteed of catching them catch at them snarle and murmure at them speake yea raile and fight against them their hearts are unsutable to those truths therefore they distast them therefore they relish them no more then the white of an egge or a dry stick Nay not only have they no pleasant taste but they have a bitter tast in their mouthes they are as gall and wormewood to them they are a vexation and torment to them The truth which the two Witnesses publish torments Revel 11. them that dwell on the earth and then no marvaile if instead of catching those truths to embrace them they catcht the Witnesses and kill them Observe secondly That the eare and heart of man in this state of corruption are vessels too narrow to take in or hold all the truths of God I have many things to say saith Christ to his Disciples but ye cannot beare them now Joh. 16. 12. Nor could they ever fully beare so much as Christ had to say We have line upon line precept upon precept here a little and there a little Isa 28. 10. because it is but here and there a little some few lines or precepts which we are able to learne and digest into our spirits whole showers of divine truths are often rained upon us Heb. 6. yet we drinke in but a drop or two we swimme as it were in a whole ocean a sea of holy revelations but we are narrow-necked-bottles and how little is it which bubbleth in mine eare received a little thereof The truth of God is like God himselfe infinite Truth is nothing else but the minde of God and that is infinite therefore we who are not only finite but streightned cannot possibly comprehend it Thirdly Mine eare received a little thereof it was but a little he received yet he received a little all did not fall beside his eare all did not slip away he caught somewhat Note from hence That the eare and heart of a godly man ever receive somewhat when the truths of God are revealed I cannot get in all my heart will not receive all my memory will not retaine all but a little it will hold somewhat it takes in at every Sermon and from every vision of God Sermons are the visions of God and somewhat of Gods mind is brought to you in every holy Sermon Naturall men are like sieves like vessels without a bottome or full of holes into which these truths being put run out every drop the best in this life are leaking vessels much drops out Eliphaz received a little How many heare much and receive nothing They come empty to the Ordinances and they returne empty their eaâ—es have been fill'd with a sound but their hearts have not caught a sillable not a word of truth is written in their hearts not a letter laid up in their minds And that 's the reason why not a word is to be seen in their lives How can they hold out the word in a pure conversation who have not received it into a pure conscience In thoughts from the visions of the night when deepe sleepe falleth on men The former Verse shewed us the manner how that thing was brought to Eliphaz a thing was secretly brought to me this shewes the time when it was brought it was saith he in thoughts from the visions of the night when deepe sleepe falleth on men In thoughts from the visions of the night Some reade it in the Vel post visio nes noctis sicut dicimus à coena à â—randio sic Hos 6. 2. vel â—n cogitationibuâ— visâ—â—num noctis ut
men we need not the helpe of fooles to counsell us or of unfaithfull ones to act for us Besides Creatures are no helpe to God For the truth is God and the creature are no more than God alone I say God and the utmost perfection of all creatures put together are no more than God alone The reason of it is because if there be any perfection in creatures it is but what God himselfe hath put into them What a man gives to another is no addition to himselfe much lesse is that which God gives man or Angel any addition to God God is infinite and no addition can be made to infinite When the creature doth most for us the creature of it selfe doth nothing for us God doth all in all by all The creature doth you no more good at one time than at another all the good which is done at any time God doth it So then every way God hath no need of creatures And it is our comfort I am sure it ought to be that he hath not He saith to wisemen I have no need of your counsels to rich men I have no need of your purses and to great men I have no deed of your power hee sees all is vanity Lastly If God trust not Angels let not us trust in man if he charges his Angels with folly let not us adore the wisedome of man This discovery of imperfection in Angels should lay all creatures low before us and take us off from confidence or boasting in any arme of flesh To this sense Eliphaz prosecutes the argument in the following words to the end of the Chapter If Angels the chiefest and choicest of creatures be thus weake what then is man who dwels in a house of clay whose foundation is in the dust and who are crushed before the moth JOB Chap. 4. Vers 19 20 21. How much lesse on them that dwell in houses of clay whose foundation is in the dust which are crushed before the moth They are destroyed from morning to evening they perish for ever without any regarding it Doth not their excellency which is in them goe away they die even without wisedome THese three verses containe a description of man in opposition to the Angels The forme of the argument was given before to this effect That if Angels those excellent creatures cannot stand before God or be justified in his sight then much lesse man a weake creature man who dwels in a house of clay and whose foundation is in the dust Two things this Context holds forth to us concerning the weaknesse of man in opposition to Angels First It shewes that man is a materiall substance so are not Angels Angels are spirits spirituall substances Secondly It shewes us that man is a mortall substance so are not Angels spirits die not That man is a materiall substance is proved in the beginning of the 19. verse from those words He dwels in a house of clay whose foundation is in the dust That man is a mortall substance is implied in the former That which is made of clay and dust must needes be brittle ware But besides that his mortality is implied in those words it is proved expresly and in termes in the words following to the end of the Chapter And this mortality of man is set forth by divers adjuncts or circumstances 1. By a similitude shadowing the quicknesse or the suddennesse of mans death They are crushed before the moth 2. By the shortnesse of life They are destroyed from morning to evening 3. By the everlasting power which death hath upon us respecting this world They perish for ever 4. By the common and generall insensiblenesse and inconsideration of this fraile life of this long lasting death Man saith he is destroyed from morning to evening he dieth quickly perisheth for ever he lies as long as the world lasts in his grave yet such is the stupidity of man that none regard all this he dies without any regarding 5. And least any should say surely man is not such a pitifull creature as this sad description represents him man was the most excellent part of the inferior creation God planted many noble endowments upon man and is there no more to be said of him but this he is crush'd like a moth and dies no man regarding That objection is taken away in the last verse as if the Holy Ghost had said I grant that man besides dust and clay which are his materials hath many heavenly yea divine endowments he hath the impressions of Gods Image in reason and understanding stamped upon him but though he be thus qualified yet all his excellency all that which may be accounted the choisest and the best in him will not keepe him sweet or protect him from death and rottennesse Doth not saith he their excellency which is in them goe away as if he had said If you alledge that man is more than dust and clay then weaknesse and corruption t is granted but what then Doth not their excellency that is in them goe away doth it not vanish and where is it and where is he All naturall perfections whatsoever man hath under the notion of a reasonable creature be they never so high and raised quickly passe wither and decay They have no abiding excellency in them Doth not their excelleny that is in them goe away They have wisdome but they die without wisedome even as bruit beasts either their wisdome decayes while they live or it is not able to keepe them alive wisedome parts and learning stand them in no stead to prevent death Now if their excellency goe away they must goe too if wisedome cannot keepe them alive die they must as we shall see further in opening the severall parts having thus given the sense in generall These things considered we may see the strength of the Argument in the 19. verse How much lesse on them who dwell in houses of clay c. as if he should say Forasmuch as Angels cannot stand in competition with God or approve themselves in his sight certainly much lesse can man how great thoughts soever he hath of himselfe much lesse can man be justified in his sight who comes so many degrees short of Angelicall perfections For his soule which is within him though it be a noble and a spirituall substance and that wherein he is most like to Angels yet this soule of his sojournes dwels and acts in a body composed of corruptible clay and hath no better a foundation in a naturall capacitie than the very dust And so subject is this man to mortality thus composed of dust and clay as what through the inward distempers of his body what through outward accidents and casualties he is as transitory and as subject to death as the meanest worme as the poorest creature in the world he is crushed before the moth How much lesse on them that dwell in houses of clay The Hebrew beares a double rendring either how much lesse as we or
they grow and they bring forth fruit And who are these Surely the worst of men as the very next words evidence God is neare in their mouthes but he is far from their reines God is neare in the mouth of such that is they may speak of him sometimes but he is far from their reines there is nothing of God in their hearts and surely they that have nothing of God in their hearts have nothing of goodnesse in their hearts or in their lives This present glory and prosperity of wicked men lifts up the glory of Gods patience How is the glory of the patience of God exalted in letting them have ease who are a burthen unto himself in letting them prosper who are as God can be pained a paine unto himselfe in suffering them to flourish who vex his people in suffering them to laugh who make his people mourne Further He gives them leave to take root and flourish whom he could blast and root up every moment that all may see what is in their hearts If God did not permit them to take root yea and sometimes to grow up and flourish we should never see what fruit they would bring forth we should never see those grapes of gall those bitter clusters if these vines of Sodome and fields of Gomorrah were not watered with the dew and warmed with the Sun of some outward prosperity Lastly The prosperity of wicked men is a great tryall of good men The flourishing of the ungodly is as strong an exercise of their graces as their own witherings Observe secondly That wicked men may not onely flourish and grow but they may flourish and grow a great while I ground it upon this the text faith that they take root I have seen the foolish taking roote and the word notes a dcep rooting In the Parable of the sower 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 13. 21. it is said that the seed which fell into stony ground withered because it had no root noting that the cause of a suddaine decay or withering in any plant is the want of rooting whereas a tree well rooted will endure many a blast and stand out a storme Some wicked men stand out many stormes like old Oakes like trees deeply rooted they stand many a blast yea many a blow spectators are ready to say such and such stormes will certainly overthrow them and yet still they stand but though they stand so long that all wonder yet they shall fall that many may rejoyce and take up this proverb against them as of old against the King of Babylon How hath the oppressor ceased The Lord hath broken the staffe of the wicked and the scepter of the Rulers He who smote the people in wrath with a continued stroake he that ruled in the Nation with anger is persecuted and none hindreth Therefore many shall breake forth into singing yea the Fir trees shall rejoyce at him and the Cedars of Lebanon saying since thou art laid down no feller is come up amongst us Isa 14. Thirdly observe Outward good things are not good in themselves The foolish take root The worst of men may enjoy the best of outward comforts Outward things are unto us as we are If the man be good then they are good And though the Preacher tells us Eccles 9. That all things come alike unto all yet all things are not alike unto all There is a great difference between the flourishing of a wise man and the flourishing of a fool all his flourishing and fastning in the earth is no good to him because himselfe is not good Spirituall good things are so good that though they find us not good yet they will make us good we cannot have them indeed and be unlike them But worldly good things find some really good and make them worse others who had but a shew of goodnesse they are occasions of making stark nought Rooting in the earth never helpt any to grow heaven-wards Many deeply rooted in the earth have grown down and gone down to the depths of Hell Fourthly observe as a consequence from the former That the enjoyment of outward good things is no evidence can be made no argument that a man is good I have seen the foolish taking root And yet how many stick upon this evidence blessing themselves because they are outwardly blessed Yea though they meet with a discovery of their sins and sinfull bosomes in the word though they find those sins threatned yea cursed with a grievous curse in the word yet they blesse themselves and say we are rich and flourish we have a good estate and credit we take root and stand but they forget that all this may be the portion of a foole I have seen the foolish man taking root And suddenly I cursed his habitation The word here used to curse springs indifferently from two roots which yet meet and are one in signification Namely to strike through or to pierce as a man is struck through with a staffe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deducitur vel à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vel à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fodit perfodit terrebravit per me taphoram maledixit execratus est est metaphora translata ab his qui gladio aut pugione aliquem-transverberant tanquam si aliquis Dei aut hominis maledictione trajiceretur Cartw. in Prov. 11. 26. or sword or stabd with a dagger Thus Hab. 3. 14. Thou didst strike through with his Staves the head of the villages And Isa 36. 6. The piercing of a reed into the hand of him that leans upon it is exprest by this word So then it carries a metaphoricall allusion to the effect of a curse the curse of God alwayes and the curse of man upon due grounds is as a sword or a dagger piercing a man thorough and thorough through both soule and body I have cursed his habitation that is I have smitten his habitation quite through with a curse I cursed his habitation Some read I abhorred or I abhominated his habitation I was so far from envying this flourishing spreading tree or from being in love with his goodly seat and brave habitation that I loathed and could not abide it The cottage of an honest man was more delightfull to me then the tents or pallaces of wickednesse But the word beares rather to curse which is first to wish evill unto another And secondly to fore-tell to pronounce or denounce evill against another Often in the Psalmes Davids curses upon his enemies are predictions from the Spirit of God not maledictions or ill wishes from his own spirit Good men know not how to wish evill their cursings are Prophecies not prayers they fore-tell or fore-see evils but they desire them not I have Pium non decent dirae not desired the woefull day Lord thou knowest said that Prophet who had denounced many woefull dayes Jer. 17. 16. In Scripture many are said to doe that which they declare to Id fieri ab
be exalted to safety 2. By the future benefit of these works and that in two respects verse 16. 1. The raising up of their spirits who are oppressed So the poore hath hope 2. The confounding and shaming of their oppressours exprest in their silence at the latter end of the 16 verse And iniquity stoppeth her mouth Thus you have a briefe account of the severall points contained in this argument and the disposition of the whole context For the better understanding thereof we will first consider what might be the aime or scope of Eliphaz in making so accurate and large a description of God in his great and marvellous works and then survay these works in order as they are digested To the former we may take notice of a foure-fold aime which Eliphaz might have in describing these works of God First plainly to assert the providence of God in ordering or disposing all actions and events here below and so it is in prosecution of what he had said in the 6 verse Affliction commeth not forth of the dust neither doth trouble spring out of the ground Or secondly his intent might be to humble Job to bridle and take downe his spirit which he conceived over-bold with and too much heightned towards the Almighty A discovery whereof himself made in his extravagant speeches before noted in the third Chapter The remembrance of God in his greatnesse is one of the readiest means to humble man And God himselfe tooke this way to humble Job in the latter end of this booke even by a large discourse of his owne power exemplified in many great acts and peeces of the creation Or thirdly the intent of Eliphaz might be to support and comfort Job in his afflictions by shewing him a God that had done such wonders and therefore able to worke another wonder in delivering and raising him up againe A God who could provide medicines for all his diseases heale all his breaches repaire all his losses supply all his wants and resolve all his doubts To consider God in himselfe and in his works who he is and what he doth is a mighty encouragement to seeke unto God in our greatest extremities in the saddest and cloudiest day of our afflictions Neither can we doe any thing more prevalent for the support and reliefe of our owne spirits in a time when we are lowest than to spread before the eye of our owne thoughts the power greatness and goodnesse of the high God in his works and wonders A fourth intent in probability was to stop Jobs curiosity in enquiring so much into the reason of Gods dealing with him which Eliphaz it seemes observed in the complaints of the third Chapter where Job expostulates Why is light given to a man whose way is hid and whom God hath hedged in Job was troubled because he could not see the bottome of Gods dealings with him he could not see through them either what the cause was why he came into those troubles or by what issues and out-lets he should escape those troubles Now to stop Jobs curiosity in prying too far or too boldy into the secret workings of God Eliphaz tels him That God doth great things and unsearchable no marvell therefore if his wayes were hid That he doth marvellous things without number no marvaile then if he could not measure his dealings by the line of humane understanding or summe up their account by the best of his Arithmetick This in generall for the common tendency of his discourse about those noble acts of divine Providence in earthly things I come now to open the words in particular Which doth great things and unsearchable marvellous things without number Which doth He speakes in the present tense he sayes not which hath done great things or which will doe great things but which doth great things And that notes not only a present act but a continued act or an everlasting act or as if the workings of God were but one act past and to come all included in the present He doth As in his Nature and Essence though God was from all eternity and shall be unto all eternity yet his Name is I am So in his works though he hath done great things and shall doe great things for ever yet all are comprehended in this I doe or He doth great things Christ Joh. 5. 17. speakes this language My Father worketh hitherto worketh All that which God had done and all that he should doe is to be looked upon as his present act My Father worketh hitherto .. Againe there is some what to be considered in the naturall emphasis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the word it selfe as well as in the circumstantiall of the time The word which we translate Doth signifies more than an Aptè concinne exqâ—isiâ—è facit Eâ—aâ— vocatus quia cum nasceretur suit fâ—ctus perfectus pilis Esau sonat perfectum ornatum nam perfectior pueris ie instructus pilis in lucem venerit Jun. in loc ordinary Doing which doth great things The Criticks observe that in strictnesse and propriety of the Hebrew it signifies to doe a thing compleatly perfectly and exactly or as we say the setting of our last hand to a worke Hence Esau Gen. 25. 25. had his name When Jacob and Esau were borne Esau came forth first and the text saith they called his name Esau and why because he was borne made up in greater perfection than an ordinary child Esau signifies adorned and perfected because he came into the world hairy or with haire upon him which is both a naturall ornament and an argument of naturall strength activity and heate of spirit c. Hence they call'd him Esau So then the word doth imports doing not by way of essay or inchoation but doing compleatly or to carry a thing on or up to an extraordinary degree of perfection I shall give one Scripture to illustrate that significancy of the word Isa 43. 7. where the Lord by the Prophet shewing the abundant increase of the Church speaks thus Bring my sons from far and my daughters from the ends of the earth even every one that is called by my name for I have created him for my glory I have formed him yea I have made him Observe here is a plaine gradation in those three words Created 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Produxit ad esse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Constituit rem in forma su◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Perfecit disposuit formed made I have created him signifies the bringing of a thing from a not-being to a being But saith God I have not only given him a being but I have formed him which notes the limming proportioning and polishing of a thing And not only have I done so but in the third place which is the word of the text I have made him There is more in this word than in the former two and therefore we translate it with an emphasis yea I have made him that is
they not perceive when they see The Prophet tels us because the Lord had said Shut their eyes least they see The work of a Prophet is to open eys but when men wilfuly shut their eys then God shuts them judicially and blinds them with light The Apostle quoting this text Acts 28. 27 expounds it so Their eyes have they closed least they should see for this God closed them that they could not see Paul was preaching and he preached Christ the true light The Sun of righteousnesse Behold the misery spoken of in this text They met with darknes in the day time This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darknes rather than light Why love they darknesse Because they see not the light And because they see not the light therefore they cannot love it It is impossible to see the light the beautifull face of the truth as it is revealed in Christ and not to love it A Heathen said if vertue much more if Gospell truth were seen every eye would be taken and every heart led captive by it A great part of the world hath not this light to see and the greatest part of those who have this light see it not They must needs meet with darknesse who are darknesse in the day-time And they must grope at noon day as in the night who are night If men heare the law and the testimony and neither speake nor doe according to that word it is as the Prophet gives the reason because there is no light in them or as the Hebrew No Morning in them Isa 8. 20. Till the day starr arises in our hearts the day before our eyes is night Secondly observe Plain things are often obscure to the wisest and most knowing men They grope at noon day as in the night That which a man may see with halfe an eye as we say these men who thinke themselves All eye cannot see Men of acute and sagacious understandings men quick-sighted like Eagles prove as dull as Beetles Owles and Bats see in the darke better then in the light And in a sense it is true of these they can see about the works of darknesse but the light of holinesse and justice they cannot see The reason is given in that of Christ The light that is in them is darknesse no wonder then if the light without them be darknes if the inward light the light that iâ— in them be darknesse how great is that darknesse so great that it quite darkens the outward light Inward darkness is to outward light as a great outward light is to a small one in regard of our use or benefit it extinguishes and overcomes it Hence these men cannot see the plainest object in the clearest light Light shineth in darknes and the darknes comprehendeth it not Joh. 1. 5. Christ breaks forth into a vehement gratulation to his Father Mat. 11. 25. I thanke thee O Father Lord of heaven nnd earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes The wise and prudent could not see so much as children They were so wise in their own conceits that they could not conceive the things of God As it is in spirituals so likewise in regard of civill counsels God hides wisedome from the wise and understanding from the prudent They shall not be able to doe or see what a child might have done or seen they shall doe such things and so absurdly that a child would not do them Mysteries are plain when the Lord opens and plainest things are mysterious when he shuts the eyes of our understanding Thus farre Eliphaz hath set forth the power and justice of God against subtill crafty counsellours Now he shews the opposite effect of his power and goodnesse Vers 15. But he saveth the poore from the Sword from their mouth and from the hand of the mighty But he saveth the poor It is very observeable in Scripture that usually if not alwayes after the mention of judgement and wrath upon the wicked the mercy goodnesse and love of God unto his own people are represented least any should thinke that judgement is a worke wherein God delighteth he quickly passeth from it and concludes in what he delighteth Mercy As he retains not his anger for ever towards his own people so he stay â—s not long upon the description of his anger against his enemies because he delighteth in mercy Mich. 7. 18 A subject of mercy is most pleasant both to the hand and pen of the Lord. He wishes rather to write in hony than in gall and to draw golden lines of love then bloudy lines of wrath Satan is a Destroyer and he doth nothing but destroy and pull down The Lord destroyeth and he pulleth down he defeats and disappointeth but he hath another worke besides he saves and delivers he builds up and revives the hopes of his people He saveth the poore These poore are Gods poore Some may be called the Devils poore for they have done his worke and he hath given them poverty for their wages Satan will give all his hirelings full pay when they die The wages of sin is death while they live many of them receive only the earnest of it poverty and trouble All that are poore stand not under the rich influences of this promise He saveth the poore Wicked poore are no more under Gods protection then wicked oppressouâ—s or wicked rich men are This poore man cryed and the Lord heard Ps 34. 6. Not every or any poore man Some poor men may cry and the Lord heare them no more then he did the cry of Dives the rich man in hell Luk. 16. Forget not the Congregation of thy poore Psal 74. 19 Thy poore by way of discrimination There may be a greater distance between poore and poore then there is between poore and rich There are many ragged regiments Congregations of poore whom the Lord will forget for ever But his poore shall be saved And these poore are of two sorts either poore in regard of wealth and outward substance or poor in regard of friends or outward assistance A rich man especially a godly rich man may be in a poore case destitute and forsaken wanting patronage and protection God saveth his poore in both notions both those that have no friends and those that have no estates The Hebrew word for Poor springs from a root signifying desire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a radiâ—e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod est desiderare quasi pauper omnia deâ—ideret cum nihil habeat inde Ebion haerâ—tiâ—us quasi mentis inteligentiae inops Schiud Quia omnibus indiget omnia cupit gâ—ata habeâ— Rab. Da. and the reason is because poore men are commonly rich in desires They that are full of sensible wants are full of earnest wishings They that are emptiâ—st of enjoyments are fullest of hopes and longings And the reason why poverty of spirit in our spirituall
estate is pronounced a blessing is because the poore in spirit are full of desires after spirituall riches They are ever craving and seeking to be filled with that fulnesse which is in Christ with grace for grace they would have every image of every grace in Christ engraven upon their souls Or in a holy covetuousnesse they would be as rich in grace as Christ is Grace for grace as a covetous man would have penny for penny pound for pound with his richest neighbour or as an ambitious man would have honour for honour title for title with his greatest neighbour That Christian who sees his estate lowest usually set his desires highest his affections are ever upon the wing for supplies from Christ Both the civill poor man and the spirituall poor soul would fain be enriched He saveth the poor from the Sword from their mouth and from the hand of the mighty Some reade this by apposition he saveth the poore from the Sword their mouth making the latter to be but an exposition of the former From the Sword their mouth that is their mouth is the Sword from which God saveth his poore So taken it is a truth for the mouth is a sharpe Sword as killing as any instrument or engine of warre Hence others who keepe this sence reade it thus A gladio orâ—â—â—orum Vulg. Ab oâ—â—isione oris eorum Chas Vt 〈◊〉 gennâ—ivum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gâ—adâ—â— oris est ipsa lingua mala i. e. calumnia falsa quâ— homo tanquam gâ—adio neâ—aâ—ur Sed meâ—ius a gladio qui â—x ore ipsoâ—um i. e. a falsis Testimoniis Drus He saveth the poore from the Sword of their mouth or from the killing stroake of their mouth making the particle Mem in the Originall to governe the genitive case The Sword of their mouth or the Sword comming out of the mouth There are two Swords of the mouth two comming out of the mouth or one double edged 1. Slander 2. False-witnesse by which often the reputation and sometime the person of a man is murthered But I conceive that the clearest meaning of the Originall though both are good is to reade these as distinct evils from which He saveth the poore namely 1. From the Sword And 2 From their mouth 3. From the hand of the mighty That is From Nimrods mighty hunters oppressours of the poore or from the violent man I returned saith the Preacher Eccles 4. 1. and considered all the oppressions that are done under the Sunne and behold the teares of such as were oppressed and they had no comforter and one the side of their oppressours there was power but they had no comforter Oppressours are alwaies cloathed with power and the oppressed seldome find so much pity from men as to be their comforters Therefore for the oppression of the poore and the cry of the needy the Lord arises and he saves his poor From the slaying Sword slandering tongue oppressing hand These three wayes crafty powerfull men seeke to destroy the poore First by the Sword to cut off their lives Secondly by slander to blemish and blot out their good names Thirdly by strong hand to captivate their persons or oppresse their estates and liberties To be saved from all these destructions is compleate salvation Let the wicked attempt as many wayes as they will or can to destroy the Lord both will and can find out as many wayes to save The malice of man shall never out act or over-match the mercy of God He saveth the poore from the sword c. I should here more distinctly open these great evils The Sword The mouth and the hand of the mighty with the goodnesse of God in saving his poore from them But these particulars occurre againe v. 20 21. Where you may find a more distinct explication of them From these words thus farre opened Observe First to what all the devices and crafty counsels of ungodly Politicians tend Here we have the issue or English of their counsels the meaning of their State mysteries is interpreted Oppression Their craft concludes in cruelty and their witty devices in drawn Swords slandering tongues or the hands of violence We may say of them as Jacob of his sonnes Simeon and Levi Gen. 49. 5 6. Instruments of cruelty are in their habitations O my soule come not thou in their secret for in their anger they will slay men and in their selfe will digge down a wall Secondly observe their method First here is the bloudy Sword they will cut them off and rid their hands of them if they can They could wish as that bloudy Roman Emperor that the heads of their smpposed enemies possibly their best friends were set upon one shoulder and that they might cut them all off at one blow But if God save his poore from the mouth of the Sword then the next weapon is the Sword of their mouths Slanders and defamations lyes and false accusations shall reach them whom iron and steele pike and shot cannot The tongue is a little member but it is a world of iniquity and beasteth often acteth great things Jam. 3. 5 6. But if God saves his poore from both mouth and Sword so that their enemies cannot prevaile at sharpes Then they try at blunts by a heavy hand to over-loade oppresse and keepe them down in their estates liberties and priviledges Observe thirdly That Salvation is of the Lord. The faith of David grasped this as his richest treasure Psal 68. 20. He that is our God he is the God of salvation The Lord is called the God of salvation as the God of comfort both affirmatively and negatively Salvation is to be had in him and there is no salvation to be had without him Truly in vaine is salvation hoped for from the hils and from the multitude of mountains from Armies or from counsels from the power and polices of men In the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel Jer. 3. 23. Fourthly it is observeable against whom these crafty cruell men muster up and levie the united forces of sword tongue and hand They are the poore He saveth the poore Why will not God save the rich will he not save the mighty the Princes of the earth Yes God will save all that feare him both high and low rich and poore Why then is it said He saveth the poore As it were determining Salvation upon them The reason is because as the poore are most easily opprest so usually they are most opprest where the hedge is lowest men goe over fastest And because for the most part Gods people are poore comparatively to others they are the vallies the lower parts of the earth and wickednesse is commonly advanced upon the mountaines of wealth honour and greatnesse therefore the denomination is taken from them He saveth the poore They whom God loves most the world loves least and they have least of the world The world gives most to its own And God hath given his own so much beyond the
is red which notes fierce wrath and it is full of mixture This mixture is of judgements plagues and punishments this is the portion of their cup Psal 11. ult But what will the Lord doe with this mixed cup who shall sip at the top of the cup he tels us not but he is expresse whose the bottome is He powreth out of the same some drops are spilt here and there but the dreggs thereof all the ungodly of the earth shall wring them out and drinke them Alas they loath it their stomacks turne at it They have not been brought up to drink dreggs they have had their wine well refined and sparkeling with spirits in Christall glasses and how can they get this down They who have drunke so willingly and freely of the cup of sin shall be forced whether they will or no to drink the cup of judgement And it is not a sip or two shall serve their turnes they must drinke all dreggs and all they shall drinke it to the bottome and yet they shall never come to the bottome they have loved long draughts and now they shall have one long enough there is eternity to the bottom If a cup of affliction which in the effect is a cup of salvation be sometime or for a time nauseous to the godly how deadly sick will the ungodly be who must for ever drinke a cup of wrath and death Secondly The word which we translate despise notes the rejecting of a thing as unprfitable or unusefull That which a man despiseth he thinkes he shall have no good by it Things which are unprofitable are despicable So the word is used Psal 118. 22. The stone which the builders refused or despised is become the head stone of the corner There were master builders in the Church who when they surveighed all sorts of materials or stones for their fabrique of faith looking upon the person of Christ thought him fit only to cast out among the rubbish as altogether unusefull They layed him by as a refuse-stone who is the head corner-stone both the strength and beauty of the whole building Thus the word is very appliable to the present Text refuse not corrections as unprofitable and uselesse Say not as the Jewes of Christ Can any good come out of Nazareth so can any good come out of chastnings Despise not the chastning of the Almighty And from this Notion of the word we may observe a second prejudice against the rod Even the Saints are ready to conceive afflictions to be unusefull and that they could well enough spare and be without their troubles A naturall eye never sees nor finds any thing but dammage by affliction and a spirituall eye doth not alwayes see the advantage that comes by them Yea he may sometime say of an affliction it will be my undoing and the ruine of my house and yet afterwards find it as a corner stone the choicest outward meanes which through the blessing of God hath united the walls both of his spirituall and civill building the frame both of grace within and comforts without The Apostle Peter hath a strange Parenthesis 1 Pet. 1. 6. For having told them of their rejoycing in the safety of their spirituall estate being kept or secured as with a Garrison from Heaven by the power of God through faith unto salvation Though now for a season if need be ye are in heavinesse through manifold Temptations or afflictions Observe how he puts an If need be or a supposition of necessity upon the afflictions of believers As if he had said ye who are the Candidates of eternity and heirs of salvation may judge your selves past the rod or the ferula and thinke now ye have need of nothing but comfort or rejoycing in the hope of that salvation ready to be revealed but I tell you you may have need of heavinesse yet before you come to Heaven and of manifold temptations for the removing or subduing the corruptions of your hearts before you enter upon your incorruptible inheritance We are apt to conceive chastnings to be of no use when they are as necessary as our daily bread Therefore despise not chastnings as uselesse or unprofitable Thirdly the word is applied often to the rejecting of a thing or person as low dishonourable and disgracefull In this sense also it is appliable here Despise not chestnings That is doe not thinke thy selfe disgrac'd when thou art chastised the heart of man is naturally full of pride Man is a proud peece of flesh Nor doth he resent any thing more then his own dishonour many can beare the paine of the crosse better then the shame of the crosse It is very observable to this purpose how the Apostle describes the Lord Christ in his sufferings Heb. 12. 2. He endureth the crosse despising the shame as noting that his being above the shame of the crosse bore up his spirit under the crosse To despise shame is to looke upon that which the world counts shamefull not only as despicable in it selfe but as not hurtfull to us When a man despises an enemy as Goliah disdained David 1 Sam 17. 42. he presumes himselfe above his enemies power to hurt him So to despise shame is to make nothing of it or to thinke our selves no whit the worse for it yea rather to thinke our selves honoured by it And untill in this sense we can despise shame we shall despise correction and the crosse Who is it almost that finds not this the hardest text in all the chapter of afflictions Zedekiah was more afraid to be mocked by the sugitive Jewes then to be a prisoner to the King of Babylon Jer. 38. 19. If a man be poore presently he thinks he is disgraced If he be weake he doubts he shall be contemned If he loose his estate he fears he shall loose his credit in the world he was a man of place some body among his neighbours but now he shall be slighted Suffering for well doing is our crowne suffering for evill doing is our shame but it is our shame to suffer Fourthly To despise a thing notes the slighting of it as if we did not think it worth while to take any notice of it and so this will be the sense Despise not thou the chastnings of the Lord that is doe not slight the chastnings do not lightly passe them by do not look upon them as inconsiderable as not caring what God doth with thee or thine When God layes his hand upon us he would have us lay it to our hearts As it is our duty to be affected with mercies so likewise with chastnings If a malefactor should say to the Judge do what you will with me I care not or a child to the parent correct me as long as you will I care not how unnaturall were this This is properly to despise afflictions Some are like Leviathan in this sense Job 41. 27. They esteeme iron as straw and brasse as rotten wood They make nothing of the acts or
keepe a feast to me in the yeare Exod. 23. 14. Three times in a yeare all thy males shall appeare before the Lord ver 17. The candlestick had three branches Exod. 25. 32. and three cubits was the height of the Altar Exod. 27. 1. Three Cities of refuge were appontinted for the manslayer Deut. 19. 7. and the addition made is of another three ver 9. Three witnesses gave the compleatest evidence requireable as Two the least admittable in the law Deut. 17. 6. That besides a rule there was a mystery in most of these I think no man doubts though what the mystery was may be presumption in any man to determine Of this we are sure that the highest mystery and perfection of all numbers and things is found in One Three That Three in One The sacred Trinity And in the common speech of most if not of all languages Thrice happy Thrice great Thrice honourable note a man advanced to the very pinnacle of Happinesse Greatnesse and Honour The number Three or the Numeral Thrice imply a compleatnesse in all numbers That the number six notes perfection may be seene in the work of Creation The Lord could as easily have made the world in six or in one moment as in six dayes but the Lord saw it good to take a compleate number of dayes for so compleate a worke God threatens Gog his perfect and compleate enemy with a compleate punishment or with judgement in perfection The justice of God can be as compleate in punishing as the malice of man can be in sinning Ezek. 39. 2. I am against thee O God the chiefe Prince of Meshech and Tubal I will turne thee backe and leave but the sixth part of thee so we translate yet in the margin of our books we find the Hebrew thus I will strike thee with six plagues or I will draw thee back with a hooke of six teeth Seven is a famous number implying First multitude Secondly perfection The barren hath borne seven saith Hannah in her song 1 Sam. 2. 5. that is many she is a compleate mother she hath a flourishing family many children And in opposition to this Jer. 15. 9. She that hath born seven languisheth that is she that had many children now hath none Seven devils were cast out of the woman Luk. 8. 2. that is a multitude of devils So the seven Spirits the seven Churches the seven Trumpets the seven Seales the seven Vials c. in the Revelation speake the compleatnesse and perfection of each in their kind whether good or evill and that is appliable to the particular sense of the text Prov. 24. 16. The just falleth seven times a day that is he falleth often almost continually into trouble and yet he rises againe God delivers him The Hebrew word Shebange is neere in sound to our English seven and to note that seven is a compleate full number the same Hebrew word signifies seven and full seven and satisfied or compleate And the word to swear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saturatus impletus abundavit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Juravit inde juramentem a Septenario numero ut quidam patant quod juramenta fieri debeant multis adhibitis idoneis multumque confirmatis testibus et causis is of the same extraction in that language with the word seven the reason is added because in or about an oath many and important causes and grounds are required But to passe from single numbers I shall consider them in construction or conjunction as here six and seven He shall deliver thee in six troubles yea in seven there shall no evill touch thee Some understand this strictly and precisely of those two numbers six and seven And expound the text by the enumeration of those six or seven particular evils made by Eliphaz in the following verses For having said in generall that God will deliver his in six troubles and in seven he reckoneth up severall troubles and gives us as it were a catologue or a particular of those evils by name amounting to six or seven As 1. Famine 2. Warre 3. Scourge of the tongue 4. Destruction 5. Evill beasts 6. Hurtfull stones here are six and if a seventh evill come upon thee in seven no evill shall touch thee But I rather take this expression six yea seven to be a fixed number put for an unfixed a certaine number for an uncertaine and that uncertaine number to be a great number the greatest number any number imaginable We find this kind of speaking frequently in Scripture In the thirty third of this booke of Job v. 29. Loe these things God workes twice and thrice which we translate these things God workes often-times when numbers are doubled with an increase in the latter it notes a mighty growth of the whole number Twice and twice we know is but foure times but twice and thrice may be more then five times twice and thrice is oftentimes no man knowes how often We find the number next above this in the same signification Three and foure are put for many very many Amos 1. 3. For three transgressions of Damascus and for foure Some understand it of three or foure speciall sins of which Damascus was chiefely guilty namely 1. Idolatry 2. Incest 3. Luxurie 4. Oppression Or Three may be taken for a Cardinal number and Foure for an Ordinal for the Fourth as if some fourth sin were so sinfull and had such a malignity in it as the Lord would not pardon Thus Foure is put for the fourth Prov. 30. 15 18 21 29. Three things are never satisfied yea foure things say not it is enough That is a fourth thing sc fire being the most insatiable of all the rest saith not it is enough The copulative particle and is often in Scripture taken comparatively for much more Psal 125. The mountaines are round about Jerusalem and the Lord is about his people So the Hebrew we translate by a comparative of similitude As So. But more emphatically to the scope of the place by a comparative of excesse Thus As the mountaines are about Jerusalem sc to fortifie and defend it so much more is the Lord about his people fortifie and defend them In this sense we may take the copulative And in Amos. For three transgressions the Lord would not turne c. but much more for a fourth would he not turne away the punishment thereof The former three were enough to provoke the Lord to destroy you but for this fourth he is resolved to be irreconcileable and will destroy you Others adde Three to Foure which make seven as if the Holy Ghost had said for seven that is manifold transgressions of Damascus I will not turne away c. But rather take the numbers distinct for Three and Foure that is for the many for the multitude of transgressions committed in Damascus I will not turne away the punishment thereof Not that the mercies of God are exceeded by any number
afflictions He is said to be afflicted in all our afflictions He doth not only intuitively consider or contemplate them but he is though above enduring as actually enduring them He is afflicted in all our afflictions that is he considers our afflictions as his owne and is affected with them as if himselfe were pained with all our paines and therefore it is said that himselfe tooke our infirmities and bare our sicknesses Mat. 8. 17. the meaning is he weighed the griefe of his people fully In these two points this holy art of weighing griefe consists consideration of circumstances and simpathy of the smart Meere speculation moves little We have no feeling of anothers suffering till we have a fellow-feeling The bare Theory of affliction affects no more then the bare Theory of fire heates Secondly When Job saith O that my griefe were throughly weiged we may observe That it is an addition to a mans affliction when others are not sensible of his affliction For it is as if Job had said This makes me cry out so much of the weight of my sorrows because my friends weigh them so little The Church Lam. 1. 12. complaines thus Is it nothing to you all ye that passe by behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow Is it nothing to you as if the Church had said My affliction is something to me and this aflicts me above all my affliction that passengers and beholders slight my calamities and think my affliction no affliction that is not so great as indeed it is Or it is nothing to them they are not toucht with it how great soever they see it is to me That which wounds and breakes my heart doth not prick their little fingers And because man is so ready to afflict his brother with this negative affliction a not being sensible of his afflictions therefore the Apostle assures us Heb. 4. 15. That we have not an High Priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are This is spoken to comfort the Saints in their extreamest sufferings what though men will not take notice and be sensible of your condition what though men will not weigh your griefe yet Christ will our High Priest is none of your senselesse Priests who care not what weather the People endure so they be warme and at ease Thirdly observe We can never rightly judge till we throughly weigh the condition of an afflicted brother For Job conceiv'd that Eliphaz proceeded to judgement before he had been in consideration This is the reason why thou hast judged me uncharitably because thou hast not weighed me seriously To shew that consideration must goe before judgement God himselfe is exprest to us in Scripture considering the state of things before himselfe judges So Gen. 11th in the case of the builders of Babel and Gen. 18 â—h in the case of the men of Sodome it is said that the Lord came downe to see whether they had done altogether according to that cry which was come up unto him Not as if the Lord moves from one place to another from Heaven to earth for he filleth all places not that the Lord needs come down to receive information or to examine his own intelligence to see whether things are as they are reported but it is only an allusion to the manner of men or to shew that he doth not censure or judge any man or men or Nations till he hath taken a full cognisance of their condition Now if God who is infinite in knowledge and wisdome represents himselfe coming downe and by degrees deliberating about and weighing the estates of men before he censures them what need then have blindfold men ignorant men men who at best have much darknesse mixed with their light what need I say have they to examine weigh and try every mans estate before they sentence or determine it Fourthly observe A man who hath not been or is not afflicted himselfe can hardly apprehend what another endures who is under affliction As there are comforts especially spirituall comforts which no man knows or can know but by the enjoying of them The white stone promised Rev. 2. 17. hath a new name written in it which no man knowes saving he that receiveth it A man that is a stranger to Christ and his wayes is not able to make any judgement what the comforts and refreshings of a Christian are He admires to heare men speak of spirituall comforts and consolations he knowes not the meaning of those things The naturall man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2. 14. It is so proportionably in all sorrowes and afflictions especially in spirituall sorrowes and afflictions which lye off from sence yea which lye quite beyond the reach and borders of reason spirituall sorrowes the hidings of Gods face the withdrawing of assistance few pity in others because few have had experience of these things in themselves They think men are mad when they complaine of such afflictions when they cry out of their sins of the want of the favour of God and the shining of his love of deadnesse and coldnesse in duty of unbeleefe and hardnesse of heart c. And therefore our Lord Jesus to assure our hearts that he hath a full sence of all our sorrows tasted himselfe of our sorrowes There is not any sorrow that can be upon any soul or any affliction that can be upon the body but our Lord Jesus hath had some way or other an experience of it This makes him to our apprehensions most fit to judg and compassionate the distresses of his people As all the sins of his people were laid upon him so all their sorrowes were laid upon him too therefore the Prophet Isaiah describes him thus Ch. 53. 3. A man of sorrowes and acquainted with griefe Griefe and he were no strangers while he was here upon the earth griefe was his acquaintance and Familiar as it were that went up and down with him all the while he travelled here below Therefore seeing it is so the whole church and every particular believer have strong consolation in their sorrows that the Lord Jesus Christ doth throughly weigh their condition and knoweth fully what it is We have not as was toucht before an High-Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities why what assurance have we of this it followes He was tempted in all things like unto us yet without sin Christ had temptations unto sin yet without sin therefore he knowes how to succour us when we are tempted unto sin Christ was tempted by manifold sorrowes therefore he knowes how to succour us when we are under manifold sorrowfull temptations If we had a Mediatour in Heaven that had not been tempted on earth we might doubt whether he would be toucht with the feeling of our infirmities whether sinning infirmities or sorrowing infirmities And were it
of them together Sometimes we see a duell or single combate one man matcht with one trouble Bellum atque virum Here a man and an affliction there a man and an affliction but another time we may see a man and an army as he spake in the story when one made good a passe against a whole host of the enemy in the spirituall war one soul grapples with a multitude of troubls and conflicts with a thousand temptations As there are legions of evill spirits so legions of spirituall evils assaulting at once Secondly Observe God sometimes appeares as an enemy to his own servants The terrours of God and the arrowes of God saith Job God shootes the arrowes and sets the terrours in array Job expected favour and succor from God but he finds terrours and arrowes Those wounds make our hearts bleed most which we apprehend given us from his anger whom we have chosen as our only friend The Church had that apprehension of God Lam. 3. 3. Surely against me is he turned he turneth his hand against me all the day The Church speakes as if God were quite changed as if he having been her friend were now turn'd enemy So Job I that was wont to have showers of sweet mercies shot and darted into my soule now feele deadly arrowes there shot from the same hand my spirit was wont to drinke in the pleasant influences of Heaven but now poison drinks up my spirits I was wont to walk safe under the guard of divine favours but now divine terrours assault me on every side Thirdly observe When God appeareth an enemy man is not able to hold out any longer See how Job poor soul cries out as soon as he found that these were Gods arrowes and Gods terrours Job was a man at armes a man of valour and of an undaunted courage A man that had been in many skiâ— mishes with Satan and had often through the power of God foiled him and come off with victory Chaldeans and Sabeans were indeed too hard for his servants and conquer'd his cattell yet the spirit of Job beate those bands of robbers and triumphed over them but he was never in battell with God before and perceiving now God himselfe to appeare as an enemy in the field he cries out O the terrours of God O the arrowes of the Almighty When God is angry no man can abide it 2 Cor. 5. 11. Knowing the terrour of the Lord we perswade men We saith the Apostle who have felt by experience or by faith have understood the terrour of the Lord we knowing it experimentally or knowing it beleevingly we being fully perswaded that the terrour of the Lord is most terrible perswade men O take heed you put not your selves under the terrour of the Lord or provoke the terrour of the Lord against your selves Those terrours of the Lord which come from pure wrath are altogether intollerable And those which come from love and are set in array by the infinite wisdome and gratious providence of God ordering all things for good to his in the issue even those are very dreadfull no man not the holiest of men and they are the strongest in this warre are able to stand before them Psal 38. 2. Thine arrowes stick fast in me and thy hand presseth me sore there is no soundnesse in my flesh by reason of thine anger that is I am as a man who hath not a whole peece of skin all his body over all is a wound or I am as one whose flesh is all rotten by reason of his wounds As Ely speakes to his sonnes 1 Sam. 2. 25. If one man sin against another the Judge shall judge him but if a man sin against the Lord who shall intreate for him So we may say on the other side if man contend with man some one may helpe him he may have a Second to releeve him but if once a man be contending with God who will be his Second who will undertake for him who can come in to the rescue when God is fighting and contending with us We wrastle not against flesh and blood saith the Apostle Ephes 6. 12. when he would shew what a terrible thing it is to wrastle with the Devill but against principalities and powers against spirituall wickednesses in high places Flesh and blood is no match for a spirit though a created spirit though an uncleane spirit a Devill how then shall flesh and blood be able to wrastle with the creating Spirit with him who is a most holy Spirit with God who is The Principality The Power The High the Srong The Almighty Shaddai In other battels it is man with man or at worst man with Devils but here it is man with God weaknesse and frailty contending with omnipotency and therefore when once God appeares against the soul the soul can hold out no longer His anger who is The Spirit quickly drinks up our spiirts Fourthly observe Inward wounds and terrrours are most terrible Doe not think that the soares upon Jobs body fetcht all these complaint from him He shewes you now what it was that made him complaine indeed The arrows of the Almighty are within Tanto poena intolerabilior quanâ—o spiritus corpore subtilior me the terrours of God set themselves in array against me As the joyes and exultations of the spirit doe infinitely exceed all the pleasures which come in from the senses all bodily pleasures so the troubles and afflictions which are upon the spirit infinitly exceed all the troubles and afflictions which fall upon the body As God hath such comforts such joyes to bestow upon his people as the world can neither give nor take away so likewise he hath terrours and troubles which all the world is not able to remove or mitigate There are no medicines in the whole circuite of nature that can heale a wounded spirit All your friends all your relations all your riches yea all your naturall wisdome will be but as the white of an egge to your tast in the day when God smites the heart with these terrours These arrowes and terrours are often preparatorie to conversion when some men are overcome to receive Christ an Army of terrours is sent out to take them captive and bring them in There are many I grant whom God wounds with love he shootes an arrow of favour into their hearts and overcomes them with Troopes of mercies Againe An army of terrours is sent out to try the holy courage of those who are converted as well as to conquer the unholy enmity of person unconverted That was Jobs case here and these second armies may be as terrible to the soule as the first and often are more terrible And we have such cases a man that was converted without an army of terrours may have an army of terrour sent against him after conversion The dispensations and methods of God are various though both his rule and end be ever the same But whether this army of terrour comes
before conversion or after conversion whensoever it comes it must needs distresse the soule exceedingly A broken spirit is very comfortable but a wounded spirit is very dreadfull Of a wounded spirit we may say as I remember the Moralist speakes concerning those barbarous naked fights among the Romans when men fought naked with men or naked with beasts Surely saith he all the former fights and battels were sports and Quicquid ante pugnotum est misericoâ—dia fuit Sen. mercy to these So all other troubles all other terrours are pleasures and recreations to these When you come to this bout when God sends these arrowes and arrayeth such an army of terrours against you fire and sword stone and goute are yea Hell it selfe to present apprehension is a pleasure Many under those assaults have thought they should gain by the exchange and have wished to be in Hell so they might be out of those terrours Few beleeve this but they who have had experience of it As the joyes of the spirit so the terrours of the spirit are secrets unto most As the Prophet speakes concerning those carnall ones in his time If one prophesie unto them of wine and strong drinke he shall even be the Prophet of this people To prophesie or to speake unto some of riches and of honour and of pleasure they find some tast in these things this is wine and strong drinke unto them There is some rellish in these things they understand what you meane but if you speake unto them of joy in the holy Ghost of peace of conscience of the refreshings which are had in communion with Christ they understand not the language they know not what is meant So on the other side if you would be a Prophet or speake or preach to some of fire and sword of spoiling and plundering their estates preach to them of plague and pestilence preach to them of the gout and of the stone of burning feavers and languishing consumptions they understand these and are afraid they even tremble to heare you speake of these things but preach to them of the arrowes of the Almighty shot into the spirit of the terrours of God set in array against them preach to them of trouble of conscience and the hiding of Gods face they smile at these things they wonder what you would have they know no such matters Spirituall good or evill is seldome knowne till felt yea neither of them is knowne to purpose till it is felt Spirituall troubles are as little knowne till felt as spirituall joyes are The naturall man perceives none of the things of God he cannot know them because they are spiritually discerned And there is as much spiritualnesse evidenced in discerning spirituall sorrowes and afflictions our own or others as there is in discerning our own or others spirituall joyes and consolations I shall adde a word here to those who live securely in or dally with their sins Surely if Job here in the text if David often in the Psalmes and Heman Psal 88. 15. cryeth out While I suffer thy terrours I am distracted If these cried out thus of the terrours and arrowes of God then I say Sinners and Secure ones what will you doe when God bends his bow and opens his quiver and shoots his arrowes at your naked breasts What will you do when God shall bring up armies of terrours to charge upon you When you heare a Job thus crying out of terrours How sad will it be to you who will be a terrour to your selves Mâ—gor missabâ—b as Pashur was threatned Jer. 20. 4. and God a terrour to you likewise What will you doe when there is a feare round about and feare within The sinners of Zion are afraid fearfullnesse hath surprized the Hypocrites who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire Who amongst us shall dwell with everlasting burnings Isa 33. 14. If they who have a shield of faith to keep off these arrowes and a rock of salvation Jesus Christ to hide themselves in when these armies come to battell against them are thus afraid what will become of you that are unarmed of you naked ones of you who have no shield no shelter no faith no Christ One thing more Forasmuch as there are such arrowes and terrours sent by God even against his owne for their triall Take heed of making arrowes against your selves Take heed you be not found to raise and prepaâ—e an army of terrours against your own souls All the while men sin knowingly and presumptuously they shoot arrowes against God and God may take those arrowes and shoot them back into their breasts he can make their sins recoyle upon themselves and pierce their own hearts with the workes of their owne hands Men muster as it were whole armies of terrours and levie a bloody war against themselves by wilfull sinnings That text Psal 50. 21. telleth us that God will bring Significat quasi distinctio ordine bellico apparatu catalogum omnium scelerum proponere the sins of wicked men as an army against them I will reprove thee and set thy sinnes in order before thine eyes It is the same Hebrew word we have in the text I will set thy sinnes in aray before thine eyes as if he should say thou thoughtest all thy sinnes were scattered and disperst that there was not a sin to be found that they should never be rallyed and brought together but I assure thee I will make an army of those sins a compleate army of them I will set them in rank and file before thine eyes and see how thou canst behold much lesse contend with such a host as they Take heed therefore you doe not levy warre against your owne soules that 's the worst of all civill or intestine wars If an army of divine terrours be so fearfull what will an army of blacke hellish sins be When God shall bring whole Regiments of sins against you here a Regiment of oaths there a Regiment of lies there a third of false dealings here a Troope of filthy actions and here a Legion of uncleane or prophane thoughts all at once fighting against thy life and everlasting peace Lastly you that have never felt these arrowes nor seene any of these armies and yet God hath been pleased to discover to you his love in his Christ see what cause you have to blesse God Or if you have at any time felt them and are now againe at peace and if those terrours are removed and the poyson of those arrows sucked out and the heads of the arrows drawn out blesse God Doe you not heare how Job complaines of arrows and of terrours The arrowes of the Almighty are within me the poyson whereof drinketh up my spirit the terrours of God doe set themselves in array against me Vers 5. Doth the wild Asse bray when he hath grasse Or loweth the Oxe over his fodder c. The three verses following containe similitudes taken from nature by which Job tells on
nice delicate dames of Jerusalem with such things as their proud spirits and naughty soules refused to touch Isa 3. 24. It shall come to passe that instead of sweet smell there shall be a stinke and instead of a girdle a rent and in stead of well set haire baldnesse and instead of a stomacher a girding with sackcloath and burning instead of beauty Take heed of coynesse and curiosity many a dainty tooth hath been taught by hunger to knaw bones and water for a crust of bread Observe secondly That which makes afflictions most grievous to us is the unsuitablenesse of our spirits to afflictions Delight and content consist in suitablenesse of the object to our affections and desires God offers spirituall food to the naturall man but his soule refuses to touch it he loathes Angels food and is weary of the manna of the word The precious Gospel the bread of life is an affliction to him because his heart is unsutable to it how will such be afflicted at the last when they find That as their sorrowfull meate for ever which their souls will for ever refuse to touch They who loath Christ and his wayes shall find nothing in the end to feed upon but what is most contrary to their appetite even fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest these shall be the portion of their cups and the meate in their dish for ever How sorrowfull will that meale be But we may rather apply all to the words of Eliphaz in the two former Chapters And Jobs ready submission in the first and second Chapters to the afflicting hand of God argues for him that afflictions how grievous soever were not the things which his soule refused to touch And the apprehension of a learned interpreter atisfies me in it This sense saith he is too low for a man Sensus humilior est quam hominem deceat gravioribm malis exagtiatum Pined 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 afflicted with troubles farre above these which concern'd his outward man The Septuagint are expressely for this opinion who translate those words Is there any tast in the white of an egge thus Is there any tast in vain words they are so farre off the judgement that these unsavoury things the things which Jobs soule refused to touch and the white of the egge in the Text are all meant of vain words that they put it into the very text It is a usuall boldnes with them and a very unwarrantable one to vary so from the words of the Originall and make their glosse the text but it shews us how strongly they were engaged to that sence Most of the Greek writers concurre with them in it viz. that Joh aimes at the counsels and speeches of Eliphaz which wanted the seasoning of wisedome and prudence yea of truth and soundnesse as applied to the spirit of so sick a man as Job was And besides many moderne writers are cleare in the same apprehension giving the summe of all plainly to this effect as the mind of Job in those fore going passages I would not have complained of the things which ye have spoken if they had been meate for me but I assure you your counsels are not nourishing I can find no food much lesse any sweetnesse or fatnesse in them Your counsels want the due seasoning of wisdome and the right temperament of holy zeale They are either unsavory or tastlesse Taneum abest ut sermonibus vestris recreet aut corum condimento reficiatur vita mea uté contrà â—â—bum ipsum mihi amarioreÌ„ vitamque injucundiorem reddâ—t Jun. Absit ut vir sâ—nctu aliquando amicorum suorum dicta despexerit qui humilio servut fueris Greg. saplesse stuffe Such as I am so farre from being refreshed with that indeed they are a burden to me and the remedy you prescribe me is worse then my disease How can you expect that I should submit or subscribe to what you have spoken or that I should rest and acquiesse in your reproofes or advices seeing I assure you they are not for me they hit my state or spirit no more then unsavoury meate doth my palate or that which I abhorre to touch can please my tast And therefore with my soule I refuse and reject what you have spoken And you have not only not satisfied me all this while but you have vext or tired me and instead of mitigating my sorrowes have added to them But an objection arises against this and one of the Ancients is very angry with those who make this application to the counsels of Eliphaz as if Job had rejected them as unfit food and unsavoury meate Let no man saith he think that this holy man despised the counsell of his friend who himselfe was humble as a fervant To which I answer That the counsels of Eliphaz are to be considered either in the doctrine or in the use His counsels in the doctrine of them were good and savoury he spake wholesome food but as to Jobs case he was quite mistaken in their use and so instead of easing troubled him A Physitian may give his sick patient that which is good in it selfe very cordiall and soveraigne and yet it may kill him instead of curing him if it be not proper for his body and his disease Thus it is also in giving counsell what we speake must be fitted to the person and to the season There are many good counsels of which we may say as Hushai did of Achitophels ill ones 2 Sa. 17. 7. They are not good at this time That which is good counsell to a man at one time may be or might have been ill to the same man at another I have many things to say saith Christ but ye cannot beare them now Joh. 16. 12. And that which one man can beare another cannot at the same time And therefore the Apostle was made all things to all men 1 Cor. 9. 2. And accounted himselfe debtor both to the wise and to the foolish to the learned and unlearned to the weake and to the strong that is he looked upon it as his duty to speake truths suiting the state of every degree and sort of men which is the meaning of his rule to all the dispencers of holy mysteries that they divide the word aright The rightnesse respects not only or not so much the subject or word divided as the object or persons â— Tim. 2. 15. to whom the division is to be made in giving every one his portion or foode convenient for him One man may surfet with that which another digests kindly what fattens a second may sicken or starve a third This plainly is the meaneing of Job what Eliphaz had said was not savoury foode for him nor drest for one in his condition His soule did even refuse to touch what he spake because his soule was not of that temper for which Eliphaz had fitted his speech He was a Physitian of no value to him because he brought a wrong
wherein he is Fourthly observe That hope is the last refuge of the soule My dayes are spent without hope my hope is spent too If I had hope left I had somewhat left but my hope is gone It is so in naturall things it is so in spirituall things The Apostle Heb 6. tells us that hope is the anchor of the soule sure and stedfast while hope holds comfort holds and when hope 's gone all 's gone Observe lastly That sometimes a godly mans hope may lye prostrate My dayes saith he are cut off without hope Job thought as I have noted from some passages before that his case was desperate his hope lay in the dust as well as his body or his honour Every godly man is not an Abraham of whom it is said Rom. 4. 18. That against hope he beleeved in hope Nay Abraham is not alwayes Abraham he that hath such a strong hope hath it not alwayes even his hope may sometimes possibly be hopelesse There are weakenesses in the strongest and imperfections may come upon those who are perfect ebbings after the greatest flowings and declinings after the greatest heights of graces and gracious actings My dayes are spent without hope Job having thus complained of his condition and asserted his own desires of death now turnes from his friends with whom he had discoursed all this while and betakes himself to God to speake a while with him The next words are generally understood an Apostrophe to God Verse 7. Or member that my life is wind mine eye shall no more see good c. O remember that my life is wind To remember is not here taken strictly for to God all things are present Remembrance is the calling of that to mind which is past when the act of remembring is applied to God in Scriprure it hath one of these three sences 1. It notes a resolution or setled purpose in God to act his justice or inflict punishment upon his enemies Psal 137. 7. Remember O Lord the children of Edom that is Lord bring forth that decree of thine for the ruine and destruction of these bloudy Edomites who have been cruell against thy people Secondly it signifies an affection in God ready to help and releeve his own people Psal 74. 2. Remember thy Congregation which thou didst purchase of old that is doe good to thy Congregation blesse thy Congregation Thirdly To remember imports an act of present consideration to remember is fully to weigh observe and take notice of the estate of things or persons Psal 38. 39. He remembred that they were but flesh a wind that passeth away and cometh not againe that is he consider'd and weighed the estate of man So in this place O remember that my life is wind that is consider and weigh it well Lord put my condition into the ballance observe what a weak creature I am how short my llfe is therefore deal with me as with a weak short-lived creature Thou needest not lay any great stresse upon me thou needest not trouble thy self much to make an end of me my life is but wind 't is but a puffe which quickly passes away O remember that my life is wind This is a proverbial speech Vita ventus Elegans proverbiale like that before of a weavers shuttle The word translated wind signifies the holy Ghost the third Person in the blessed Trinity As also a Spirit in general And because the wind is of a spiritual nature invisible swift powerful therefore it is applied to that aerial or elementary spirit And the operation of the holy Ghost is shadowed by wind or breath Christ breathed upon his Disciples saying receive the holy Ghost John 20. 22. and the holy Ghost came as a mighty rushing wind Acts 2. 2. When Job saith remember that my life is wind he means my Quasi ventus Targum life is like the wind It is a similitude not an assertion The life of man is like the wind in two things First the wind passeth away speedily so doth mans life Secondly the wind when it is past returns no more as you cannot stop the wind or change its course So all the power in the world is not powerful enough to recallor divert the wind which way the wind goes it will goe and when it goes 't is gone Ps 78. 34. He remembred that they were but flesh wind that passeth away in this sence Job calleth his life a wind it passeth away and shall not return by any law or constitution of nature or by any efficacy of natural causes Yet here observe Job saith not His soul was a wind but his life was a wind Some have philosophiz'd the soul into a wind a blast or a breath and tell us that it goes as the soul of a beast that life and soul are but the same thing when the life 's gone out of the body the soule 's gone from its being They acknowledg a restoring of it again with the body at the resurrection but deny it any existence when separate from the body How dishonourable this is to the noble constitution of man and how dissonant to Scripture is proved in mentioning it we acknowledge that life which is the union of soul and body is a wind and passeth away In all the learned languages Hebrew Greek Latine the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Flare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spiritus a spirando Animum quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quidam dictum existimant Graeci pro respiratione seu spiritu quem ducimas aceipiunt primo quod vita nostra respiratione indigeâ—t sccundo quod flatu videatur humana vita in prima sua origine constitisse word which signifies spirit or life hath its original from respiring and when we say my wind was gone or my wind was almost beaten out of my body our meaning is my Life was almost gone In the creation Gen. 2. 7. God breathed into man the breath of life or of lives implying the many facultes and operations of life And in as much as the body of man was first formed and this life brought in after to act and move it this is an abundant proof that the soule of man is not any temperament of the body the body being compleated as a body before it and yet no life resulting Wheras beasts to whom that beastly opinion compares man in his creation had living bodies as soone as bodies their totall form being but an extract from the matter Solomen Eccl. 3. 19 20 21. brings in the Atheist drawing this conclusion from those confused oppressions which he observed in the world men carried themselves so like beasts preying upon and devouring one another that he who had nothing but carnall reason to judge by presently resolves That which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts even one thing befalleth them as the one dieth so dieth the other yea they have all one breath so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast for all
not question me upon the least infirmity From the former proverbial exposition Observe first Afflictions are continued upon some without any intermission Iob had not so much whole skin as one might set a pin on nor so much whole time as a man might spit in Every hour brought a wound with it and the renewing of every moment renewed his affliction Observe secondly A short refreshing may be a great mercy Dives in hell desires not a large draught but a drop of water which alas could not have eased him so long as a man is swallowing down his spittle The eternity of pain in hell shall not find so much abatement as that either in time or in degree Every affliction in this life by how much it is with less intermission by so much the more like it is to hell and every comfort by how much the more it is unbroken and without stops by so much it is the more like to Heaven Consider then your mercies who have un-interrupted mercies dayes and years of ease and not pained so long as a man is swallowing down his spittle your mercies are like the glory and the joy of Heaven From the latter proverbial exposition Note That God observes the least the most secret motions of man He tels our steps our wandrings and those not onely corporal but moral and spiritual He knows how many steps our hearts fetch every day and how far they travel Thou hast searched and known me saith David Psal 139. 1 2. and this search is not made in the out-rooms onely but in the inner parlour and closest closets Thou understandest my thoughts and those not onely present or produced but to come and unborn thou knowest them a far off What can scape that eye which a thought cannot And he that sees man swallowing down his spittle how shall not he both hear and see him coffing up and spitting out the rottenness and corruption the filth and flegm of his sinful heart JOB Chap. 7. Vers 20 21. I have sinned what shall I do unto thee O thou preserver of men why hast thou set me as a mark against thee so that I am a burden to my self And why doest thou not pardon my transgression and take away mine iniquity for now shall I sleep in the dust and thou shalt seek me in the morning but I shall not be JOB having in the former part of this Chapter contested with his friends and expostulated the matter with God now turns himself into another posture even to humble his soul and make confession of his sin He had justified himself against the accusations of men but now he accuses and judges himself in the presence of his God He will a while forget his sorrows and bethink himself of his sins I have sinned what shall I do unto thee O thou preserver of men The words may be taken two waies 1. As a confession or a prayer 2. As a confession or a grant I shall first open them under the notion of a repenting prayer and confession of sin I have sinned As if he had said Lord if thou holdest me thus long upon the rack of this affliction to gain a confession of me to make me confess here I am ready to do it I do it I have sinned The word signifies to miss the mark we aim at or the way wherein we would walk And so it is put strictly for sins of infirmity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat errare aberrare declinare deflectere a via vel scope when the purpose of a mans heart is like the Archers when he draws his bow to hit the white or like the honest travellers in his journey to keep the right way and yet he miscarries and is drawn aside I have sinned But is this a sufficient confession What! to say only in general I have sinned Did not hard-hearted Pharaoh Ezod 9. 25 False-hearted Saul 1 Sam 15. 24. and Traitor-Judas Matth. 27. 4. make as good a confession as this Every one of these said I have sinned and what doth Job say more It is surely no great cost nor pain to sinful nature to bring up such a confession as this I answer First a general confession may be a sound confession It is one thing not to express particular sins with the circumstances of those sins and another thing purposely to conceale them I grant implicit confession may be as dangerous as implicit faith And to digg in the earth and hide our sins in the Napkin of our excuses is worse than to hide our Talents in the Napkin of our idleness And as it is most dangerous knowingly to conceale sin from God so it is very dangerous to do it through ignorance or inadvertency Some confess sin in general termes only because they know not what their sins are or have quite forgot them As Nebuchadnezzar called the Astrologers and Sorcerers and Chaldeans and told them he had dreamed a dreame but he could not tell what it was For the thing was gone from him Dan. 2. 5. Some such there are who can or will only say They have sinned they have sinned but what they cannot tell or they doe not remember Those things are gone from them That which is written of the learned Bellarmine a great Cardinal and a Champion for Auricular particular Confession of sinne to man seemes very strange That when he lay upon his death-bed and the Priest after the Popish manner came to absolve him he had nothing to confess at last he thought of some sleight extravagancies of his youth which was all he had to say of his owne miscarriages We see a man may de a Schollar in all the knowledg of the world of nature and of Scripture and yet not know his own heart nor be studied or read in himself He that is so in a spiritual notion can never want particular matter in his most innocent daies to confesse before the Lord and to shame himselfe for What though he hath escaped the pollutions of the world and is cleansed from the filthiness of the flesh yet he knowes that still in his flesh there dwels no good thing and that in his spirit there are at least touches of many spiritual filthinesses as pride unbelief c. besides his great deficiencies in every duty and in his love to Jesus Christ which is the ground of all So then in any of these sences to confesse sin only in general is a sinful confession And yet Job made a holy confession here and so did the Publican Luk. 18. when he smote his breast and said onely thus God be merciful to me a sinner For secondly though to speak a general confession be an easie matter and every mans work yet to make a general confession is a hard matter a work beyond man As no man in a spiritual sence can say Iesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12. 3. so no man can say in a Holy manner I have sinned but by