shall be the patern of ours as here upon earth the spirits of believers are of the same fashion with Christs the same minde is in the Saints which was in Christ there is but one draft of grace in the main upon the souls of all holy men and that is a copy of Christs his being the originall So in heaven the bodies of all believers shall be of the same fashion with Christs There shall be but one draft of glory in the main for degrees do not vary the kinde upon the body of Christ and the bodies of all his members In reference to this future change of the body the body in its present state is vile Secondly Hence it follows That as we must not undervalue the frame of mans body in generall as imperfect so we may not despise any for their speciall bodily imperfections It is God who hath made and fashioned them round about It is said 2 Sam. 5.8 that the blinde and the lame were hated of Davids soul Yet to hate any for defects in the body is a very great defect in the soul and to contemn any for naturall blemishes is a spirituall blemish How then could David hate the blinde and the lame and not sin or are we to number this among his sins There are two expositions of those words upon either of which we may clear the difficulty First That when David sent to summon that fort the Iebusites who were the defendants trusting in the strength of the place told David in scorn that he must first conquer the blinde and the lame As implying that blinde and lame souldiers were garison good enough to deal with his great Army upon the advantage of such a fortresse Secondly The blinde and the lame may rather be the Idols and strange Gods which the Iebusites worshipped of whose protection they were not the lesse confident because the Jews counted them but blinde and lame As if they had said even these gods which you call blinde and lame see well enough what ye are doing and will come fast enough and too fast for your ease to our aid and succour These blinde and lame gods were justly hated of Davids soul but he had learned better then to hate men who were made lame or blinde by God Thirdly Seeing all men are fashioned round about by the hands of God then as we must not despise any for their bodily imperfections so not envy any for their bodily perfections Some are as much troubled to see another have a better body or a more beautifull face as many are alike sinfully both to see another have a better purse or a more plentifull estate then themselves Fourthly Let not the thing formed say to him that formed it Why hast thou made me thus If thy earthly Tabernacle be not so highly so strongly built if the materials of it be not so pure or not so exactly tempered if thou hast not so good a constitution so elegant a composition if thou art not so adorn'd and polish'd as some others are yet be not discontented the hands of God have made and fashioned thee round about It is a great honour to a vessel that he made it though he have made it in this sense a vessel of dishonour Fiftly If God hath fashioned our bodies then we must not put them out of fashion It is dangerous to deface the work of God to undo that which God hath done to unmake that which God hath made How sad is it that any should pull down a building of Gods own setting up without warrant from God! Self-murder or the murder of another is an high affront to God and should have a severe revenge from man He that sheds his own bloud takes revenge upon himself And who so sheddeth mans bloud by man shall his bloud be shed for in the image of God made he man Gen. 9.6 As what God hath joyned by a civil so by a naturall band Let no man put asunder Lastly If thou art made and fashioned by God then let God have the use of all thou art Let God dwell in the house which he hath set up Let thy body be imploied for God he that made it hath most right to it Every thing in man shews forth the wisdom and goodnesse of God towards man let every thing in man shew forth obedience and submission unto God This was the ground of Davids praier Psal 119.73 Thy hands have made me and fashioned me give me understanding that I may learn thy commandments as if he had said Lord I would use this body this soul this all which thou hast made for thy glory therefore give me understanding that I may learn thy will I would not do the will of another while I dwell in thy house and am thy tenant at will I would not imploy those members which thou hast given me to fulfill the Law of sin or the commands of Satan The Apostle is clear upon this argument in reference to redemption 1 Cor. 6.19 Ye are not your own ye are bought with a price therefore glorifie God with your bodies and in your spirits which are Gods Now as in the work of redemption we are of God by grace so in the work of creation we are of God by nature The reason holds in both glorifie God with your bodies which are not your own but Gods It is usuall in letting out of houses to put a clause in the lease that the house shall not be imploied to such and such uses but only to such as are expressed in the indenture Surely the Lord who hath built and furnished these houses hath taught us how to imploy them and what trade to exercise in them even the trade of holines Take heed you do not let out any room or corner of a room in this house for sin to trade in or for the work of iniquity This is to let out a house of Gods making to the devils using Yet thou dost destroy me The word signifies to swallow up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Absorbere est morsicatim destruere Coc. Deglutio significat omnimodā exterminationē resumque omnium profundissimum exitium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to swallow up with greedinesse Psal 52.4 Thou lovest all devouring or swallowing words words which swallow down thy neighbours credit and devour his good name as one morsel The holy Ghost expresseth our finall victory over death by a word which reacheth this sense 1 Cor. 15.54 Death is swallowed up or drunk down in victory death is drunk up at a draught Christ called his sufferings by which he got this victory a cup. The Apostle uses the same word again 2 Cor. 5.4 That mortality might be swallowed up of life When this mortall shall have put on immortality death shall be swallowed up in victory that is there shall be a compleat victory over death and not only so but mortality shall be swallowed up of life In heaven there shall be no death nor any thing like
will stop this sword from going on If he speak to the sword the sword shall wound no more We may entreat the sword to wound no more as they Jer. 47.6 cried out O thou sword of the Lord how long will it be ere thou be quiet put thy self into thy scabbard rest and be still The answer was How can it be quiet seeing the Lord hath given it a charge against Askelon c. Our answer might be changing place the same How can it be quiet seeing the Lord hath given it a charge against England A word from God draws and a word from God sheaths the sword He that commands the Sunne and it riseth not can command the sword and it smiteth not the fire and it burns not the water and it drowns not the Lions and they devour not How happy are they who serve the Lord over all Observe fourthly seeing He commandeth the Sunne and it riseth not That The daily rising of the Sunne is an act of grace and favour to the world The Sunne doth not rise alone of it self it is the Lord as we may say that helps it up every morning Therefore it is said Mat. 5.45 He makes his Sunne to rise His Sunne mark how Christ speaks of the Sunne as Gods own that Sunne which he can either cause to rise or not to rise cause to rise upon one people and not upon another He makes his Sunne to rise there is an act of common grace in making it to rise upon any especially in making it to rise upon all upon the evil and upon the good Mat. 5.41 That God makes the Sunne rise to give them light who use their eyes onely to rebell against the light how admirable is it Lastly As to the speciall aim of Job we see what a proof we have of the omnipotency of God He is great in power and mighty in strength Why because he can stop the Sunne He that can stay the Sunne what can he not doe We say to men that attempt impossibilities Climb up to the Moon it is more to stay the Sun than to climb the moon And if the Lord be able to overcome this difficulty what difficulty can he not overcome Here 's a clear proof of the infinite power and wisdome of God Qui efficit noctem diem nam donec oritur sol est nox adveniente die quasi obsignatae occultantur stellae Juâ— He speaks to the Sunne and it riseth not And He sealeth up the stars The Sunne is the light of the day the stars the light of the night He sealeth up the stars Some take it to be a Periphrasis or a description of night and day because till the Sunne riseth it is night and when day appears the stars are sealed up or disappear The Sun riseth and the stars are obscured we see them not So the former clause He commandeth the Sun and it riseth not is a description of the night and this later he sealeth up the stars is a description of the day The plain sense of both being this He maketh both night and day Secondly say others This seal is set upon the Sunne in behalf of the stars He sealeth up the Sunne for the stars that is Pro stellis signavit â—â—solem signaculo quasi in favorem stellarum Deus continet solis splendorem in altero Haemispherto Cajet in favour of the starres that the starres might sometime appear in their lustre and glory to the world he keepeth the Sunne from appearing But as we translate we may better keep the seal upon the stars He sealeth up the stars And so sealing may import either of those two things First The safe custody of the stars He sealeth up the stars that is he preserveth the stars in their orbs in the places where he hath set them they shall never drop out Sealing is often used for assurance and safe-keeping Darius Dan. 6. Anrulos non tam oâ—natus quam custodiae gratia olim inventos diâ—it Macrobius l. 7. Saturn c. 3. sealed the stone upon the den of Lions that so Daniel might not be rescued or fetcht out from the danger The Jews that they might keep Christ fast enough seal'd the stone of the sepulchre wherein his body was laid Mat. 27. And in a spirituall sense the sealing of the Spirit is to make the soul safe in the love and favour of God A soul that is sealed by the Spirit of God is secured of the love of God and shall never drop out of his heart So He sealeth up the stars is He makes the stars firm and fast in their Sphears But rather Secondly Sealing is for secrecie or for the hiding of a thing from the sight of others So in the sealing of letters that they be not seen and of treasures that they be not stoln or taken away Deut. 32.34 Job 14.17 Thus the Lord seals up the stars Clausae videntur cum non videntur Stellae omnia coeli lumina vetur characteres quidam efficiunt librum Pined when he clouds or obscures the stars and will not let them be seen Some make it an allusion to a book The heavens are a great volume wherein many truths of God are written his name is there and the stars are as so many characters or letters of his Name He often seals up this great volume and so blots these letters that no man can read or distinguish them Thirdly The meaning of He sealeth up the stars may be taken thus He keeps in and closes up the vertue and influences of the stars he stops those treasures which usually come down from the stars upon the earth Naturall Philosophy teaches us that all the fatnesse and fruitfulnesse of the earth is convaied from the heavens Heaven nurses and suckles the earth and if the Lord please he can dry up those brests seal up those influences stop those secret workings which the heavenly bodies have upon the earth Observe hence That the influences of the heavens are in the hand of God to let them out or stay them as he pleaseth As he can seal up the spirituall treasures of heaven that the soul shall receive no light comfort or refreshing from them in ordinances so he seals up the naturall influences of the heavens that the earth and the fruits of it here below shall receive no quickning no refreshing from them And the earth languishes when the Lord suspendeth and sealeth up the naturall influences of heaven as the soul languisheth when the Lord stops up the spirituall influences of heaven when he seals up that star of Jacob that day-star from on high Jesus Christ What we hear of God in naturall things should keep us in continuall dependance upon him for spirituals he seals with the comforts of his own Spirit and he seales up all comforts from our spirits Verse 8. Which alone spreadeth out the heavens and treadeth upon the waves of the sea This verse gives us a further argument
becomes us to have patience till the harvest though it be a late one Lastly There is an opinion which gives this verse connexion with the first of the next Chapter Quia non ita est sc quia à me terrorem suum non eximit ego mecum sc Loquar mecum ipse querar omnem aserbitatem animi effundam apud me ut facit in sequenti capite As if Job had thus resolved upon the Lords not answering his petition Had the Lord condescended to take away his rod and remove his terrour as I requested then I had somewhat to say and I would have spoken it out unto him but because it is not so or because I am not answered therfore I with my self The word Speak is not in the text but such supplies of a word are frequent not only in the Hebrew but also in other languages Seeing I have not liberty to speak to the Lord I will pour my complaints into mine own bosome and commune with my own heart He pursues this tacite resolution in the tenth Chapter which begins thus My soul is weary of my life I will leave my complaint upon my self JOB Chap. 10. Vers 1. My soul is weary of my life I will leave my complaint upon my self I will speak in the bitternesse of my soul JOB having in the former Chapter justified God in afflicting him and maintained his own integrity notwithstanding those afflictions now returneth to that work about which he had been too busie before yet that Afflicti saepe se exonerari putaÌ„t si laxis habenis de suo dolore querantur suas enumerent calamitates uberrima oratione Merc. wherein it seems he only found as the case stood with him some little ease and refreshing The breathing out of his afflicted spirit in sad complainings He resumes his former lamentation and renews afresh what he had been more then large enough in at the 3d 6th and 7th Chapters of this book Here as there he shews how ill it was with him and what cause he had to be in heavinesse under the pressure of so many evils And here more then there Argumentis utitur à natura Dei ante-acceptis ipsius beneficijs quibus mala haec quae immifit Deus magnopere repugnare videantur Merl. he remonstrates that he conceived himself more hardly dealt with then stood not only with the goodnesse of God in his nature but with that goodnesse which he had formerly acted both towards others and himself This encouraged him about the close of the Chapter vers 20 and 22. to petition again that he might have a little refreshing before he lay down in his grave and that God would after these storms return him some of those fair daies he had enjoyed before he returned to the earth and should be seen no more His complaint is very rhetoricall and high Vehemens quideÌ„ partibus omnibus gravis est querimonia â—ed medesta fi unum â—â—â—ud optatum exceperis ver 18 19. Merl. yet with an allay or mixture of modesty Indeed his spirit brake out and passion got head at the 18 and 19 verses where he expostulates with God in the language of the third Chapter Wherefore host thou brought me forth out of the womb c But abating that excesse of his tongue and spirit his complaints are knit up with solid arguments and his Queries put the point resolutely yet humbly home to God himself that he would be pleased to shew the reason of his present dealings and why he varied so much from what he had done in former times The first verse gives us a generall ground of this and of all his sorrowfull complaints The wearisomenesse of his life My soul is weary of my life I will leave my complaint upon my self The argument may be formed thus He hath reason to complain of his afflictions whose afflictions are so heavy upon him and so bitter that he hath reason to be weary of his very life But thus my case stands my afflictions are so bitter to and heavy upon me that I am weary of my life Therefore I have reason to complain The assumption of this syllogisme is contained in the first words of the verse My soul is weary of my life And the conclusion in the latter Therefore I will leave my complaint upon my self I will speak in the bitternesse of my soul My soul is weary of my life Life and soul are often in Scripture put promiscuously for the same but here they differ The soul may be taken two waies First Strictly as it is opposed to the body Secondly In a more large sense by a Synecdoche of the part for the whole for the whole man consisting of body and soul If so here then the meaning of Job in saying My soul is weary of my life is no more but this I Job am weary of my life that is of the marriage or union of my soul and body O that this band which I though most are grieved at the weaknesse of theirs finde too strong were broken or a bill of divorce granted for their separation Life is the band or tie by which soul and body subsist together And when that band is broken or cut asunder by the stroke of death the body goes to the grave and the soul or spirit returns to God who gave it Again When Job saith My soul is weary of my life Life may be taken either for the act of life and so the sense is I am weary of living or it may be taken for the manner of life and so the sense is I am weary of that course or state of life wherein I am Life is often put not strictly for the act of living but for the state or condition in which a man lives or with which life is cloathed The circumstances and concomitants of life are called life Thus in our common speech when a man is in misery another saith I would not have his life or what a life hath he The Apostles character of all naturall men is that they are alienated from the life of God Ephes 4.18 that is they cannot endure to live such a life as God lives or as he commands them to live they cannot endure to be holy as he is holy or holy as he cals them to be holy in all manner of conversation Thus Job was alienated from his own life I saith he am weary of my life that is of a life thus imbittered thus afflicted My soul is weary The word which we translate weary varies the understanding of this sentence It signifies properly to be weakned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Debilitatus languefactus per metapheram taeedio affectus offensus fuit as also to be melted or molten with heat because a man that is extremely heated or melted by heat is weakned his spirits and strength being drawn forth and dissipated But it is most commonly applied to that wearinesse which arises from
out of order or in danger Achish promiseth David I will make thee the keeper of my head for ever 1 Sam. 28.2 His meaning was he should be Captain of his guard Great Princes have their guards they have keepers of their heads The great King of heaven and earth is a guard to the meanest man and the keeper of his head God enquires of Cain for his brother Abel Gen. 4. Where is Abel thy brother What is become of him Cain was angry at the question Am I saith he my brothers keeper We ought to be one anothers keepers our mutuall visitations should preserve one anothers spirits Some are apt to think themselves too good for the work others that the work is too hard for them It is our comfort and it may be our assurance that God hath neither of these thoughts The Lord is thy keeper the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand The Sunne shall not smite thee by day nor the Moon by night The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil He shall preserve thy soul The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth and for evermore Psal 121.5 How large a writ or patent of protection is granted here No time shall be hurtfull neither day nor night which include all times Nothing shall hurt neither Sunne nor Moon nor heat nor cold These include all annoiances Nothing shall be hurt Thy soul shall be preserved thy out-goings and thy comings in shall be preserved These include the whole person of man and him in all his just affairs and actions Nothing of man is safe without a guard and nothing of man can be unsafe which is thus guarded They shall be kept who can say The Lord is our keeper And they cannot be kept no not by legions of Angels who have not the Lord for their keeper None can keep us but he and he hath promised to keep us for evermore Some men are weary of their offices and some are put out of office Praefecturam ejus accipiat alter id est omnia quae in ejus cura sunt quae sub sua potestate habet God is neither In that Prophetical curse against Iudas t is said Let another take his office Ps 109.8 What office It is this word and notes there the office of looking to or of preserving the souls of others we commonly call it The cure of souls Such is the office of all the Ministers of Christ That 's Episcopacy by divine right this in the text is divine Episcopacy That word which here in Job we translate visitation and in the Psalm now cited office is called Episcopacy by the Apostle Act. 1.21 Christ is the great Bishop or visitour both of our souls and bodies He is the oecumenicall Bishop The whole world is his Diocesse He preserveth man and beast See more of this point Chapter 7.20 Again For as much as this visitation which extendeth to the whole man is here in the letter determined upon the spirit We may observe First Taking spirit for life That as our well-being so our being in the world is at the daily dispose of God The living God not only giveth but maintaineth our lives We live not by bread while we are healthy nor by medicines when we are sick but by the Word of God His visitation doth all Secondly Take spirit for the soul then we are taught That our souls are not independently immortall or incorruptible As the life of the whole man is not so neither is the life of the soul of or in it self without support from God The Angelicall spirits who were never married to bodies of earth stand not meerly by Creation but by Providence The visitation of God preserveth those spirits how much more the spirits of men which are espoused to dust and clay Thirdly As spirit signifieth the soul not only in it's naturall but in it's spirituall state or in the state of grace We learn That our spirituall stook and treasure are in danger and would decay if the power and care of God did not preserve our spirits Grace cannot keep it self if left to its self We should loose not only degrees of grace but all grace were it left in our own hands But because it is grace therefore it is not left in our own hands and because grace is not left in our own hands therefore it cannot be lost So the Apostle clearly 1 Pet. 1.4 We are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation The word signifies to keep as a City beleaguered without by a strong enemy is kept by a Garison within Man at the first had an excellent estate in spirituals though it cannot be said properly that he had grace for that is in the hand of a Mediator yet he had the image of God and perfect innocency but because God did not visit his spirit by fresh assistances he was stript of all and fell from the throne of his created glory As God visits our souls by preventing grace to give us what we had not so he visits us by his preserving and persevering grace to continue what he hath given Lastly Forasmuch as though God createth and careth for the whole man yet the visitation of God is expressed only as to the spirit We may observe That God doth chiefly take care of and provide for the spirit or soul of man When God formed the body of man at first out of the dust of the earth and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life it is not said he became a living body or a living man But man became a living soul So here the work of providence is not enlarged to the whole man but restrained to his spirit As if the Lord did scarce thinke our bodies either worth or needing a visit in comparison of our spirits And seeing God cares for nothing in us so much as for our spirits should not our care be chiefly for our spirits The soul is upon the matter all man ought not man to be most of all for his soul Shall the thoughts of God be most busied his care and inspection most fixed upon our spirits and shall not ours While Christ in a manner dischargeth us of our outward man Mat. 6.25 Take no thought for your life what ye shall ear or what ye shall drink nor yet for your body what ye shall put on His meaning was to charge us more deeply with the inward man yet how many are there whose outward man stands them in more cost and care in more thoughts and visitations for one day then their spirits or inward man doth for a whole year yea for their whole lives Visitations are frequent and serious for the preserving of the body but where shall we finde serious thoughts of visiting the soul Take this word further If it be the visitation of God which preserveth our spirits we should often visit God with praier intreating him to continue these visitations Praier is
per loquelae instrumenta in verba formate Bald. And how long shall the words of thy mouth be as a strong winde The Hebrew word for word runs thus And the words of thy mouth a strong winde We resume in this later clause How long and adde be like to supply the sense There is no tearm of comparison expressed in the originall yet the strength of one is implyed and therefore to fill up the meaning we render And how long shall the words of thy mouth be as a strong winde M. Broughton translates it without a note of similitude How long wilt thou talk in this sort that the words of thy mouth be a vehement winde Words are air or breath formed and articulated by the instruments of speech Hence breath and words are put for the same in divers Scriptures Psal 33.6 By the word of the Lord were the heavens made and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth Breath in the later clause is no more then word in the first for it was a powerfull word which caused all the creatures to stand out in their severall forms So Isa 11.4 He shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips or with the winde of his lips shall he stay the wicked It is not blowing upon wicked men that will slay them but it is speaking to them there is a power in the word of a Prophet when spoken in the Name of Christ which destroyes those who will not obey it Hos 6.5 I have hewed them by my Prophets I have slain them by the words of my mouth Secondly * Graeci latini Prophetas quosdam ex Hebraeo Cabiros cognominarunt ob insignem eorum ad extra gravitatem loquacitatem idem dicti Corybantes Bold Quos Authores latini Divos potes seu potentes vocant Graecis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicuntur ab hac voce quae potem sive potentem denotat Drus Ad magnanimitatem referri potest quod corpore attenuato exhaustisque viribus fortiter tamen persisteret in loquendo respondendo Cajet Iobi oratio non fuit frigida languidased vehemens concitata Pined Bildad is conceived to allude to a certain sort or sect of men For from Cabir here translated strong the name of certain Poets or old Prophets is derived whom the Greeks and Latines called Cabirs or Cabirims These men had an affected outward gravity yet were full of words and much given to Battologie repeating the same things over and over Bildad ranks Job say some with those Prophets How long shall the words of thy mouth be like those roming Cabirs who by a needlesse multiplying of words grated the eares and burdened the spirits of all the hearers Why doest thou speak as if thou couldst carry the matter with empty words and bare repetitions Thirdly The word strong winde may note the stoutnesse of Jobs spirit or the magnanimity he exprest in his words Jobs language was not cold and chill as if his breath were frozen but he spake with hight and heat The spirit and courage of a man breaths out at his lips How long shall the words of thy mouth be a strong winde When wilt thou yeeld to God and lie humbly at his feet What a heart hast thou Thou speakest as big as if thou hadst never been touched as if God never laid one stroke upon thee thou hast a weak body but a stiff spirit Thou speakest as if thou wouldst bear all down before thee and by thy boldnesse storm and bluster those out of countenance who are here to give thee counsell Fourthly Take in the similitude How long shall the words of thy mouth be as a strong winde That is how long wilt thou speak so much and speak so fiercely For the word Caber is more then Gadol which signifies barely great Gramarians note that it signifies both continued quantity and discreet quantity multitude and magnitude How many words wilt thou speak and how great words wilt thou speak Spiritus multiplex ermones oris tui Vulg 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spiritus multiloquus Sept. Shall thy words be as a great various enfolded winde so the Vulgar Wilt thou blow all the points of the compasse at once and like a whirle-winde invade and circle us on every side Such words are like a strong winde First Because of their blustering noise There are stormy and tempestuous words The tempest of the tongue is one of the greatest tempests in the world Passionate language troubles both the air and ear makes all unquiet like an enraged angry winde Secondly In such words as in stormy windes there is great strength to bear all down before them or to sway all to that point they blow for As all the trees in a forrest look that way which the winde sits so all the spirits in any Assembly are apt to turn that way which words bearing a fair shew of reason direct How often are the judgements and opinions of men carried by words either to good or evil to truth or errour And unlesse a man have good abilities of judgement and reason to manage what he knows or holds and to make himself master of it It is a hard thing upon a large winde of anothers discourse not to have his opinion turned Hence the Apostle Tit. 1.11 speaking of vain-talkers saith Their words subvert whole houses as a strong winde so strong words blow houses down They subvert whole houses as that subverts the frame and materials of the house so this the people or inhabitants of the house when Christ breathed graciously towards Zacheus he said Luk. 19.9 This day is salvation come to this house when false teachers breathe erroniously subversion comes to many houses The Apostle Ephes 4.14 using this similitude about the doctrines of men adviseth us to look to our ground and that we be well rooted That we be no more children tossed too and fro and carried with every winde of doctrine as if he had said The winde that blows from the lips of seducers unlesse you be well established will carry you to and fro like children or wave your tops up and down as trees yea endanger the pulling you up by the roots Thirdly Strong words are as strong windes in a good sense for as many strong windes purge and cleanse the air making it more pure and healthy so those strong wholesome windes from the mouths of men purge the minde of errour and cleanse the soul of sinne This is the speciall means which Christ hath set up to cleanse his people from infectious and noisome opinions These he disperses and dispels by the breath of his Ministers in the faithfull and authoritative dispensation of the Gospel Fourthly There are ill qualities in strong windes some are infectious windes they corrupt the ayr conveying ill vapours to the places on which they breathe So there is a strong unwholsome winde of words which carries unto
seemed to depart farre from the Church of the Jews with how much fervency do they cry after him Isa 51.9 Awake awake put on strength O arm of the Lord awake as in the ancient daies c They double and treble it upon him and cry with an out-stretched voice Art not thou he that hath cut Rahab and wounded the dragon What a clamour what a holy stirre was here to awaken God God himself sometimes seems as it were willing to take his rest as when he said to Moses Let me alone he spake like a man that is in bed or very sleepy Doe not trouble me let me alone as he in the Gospel Luk. 11.7 when he was awakened in the night to come and give bread unto his neighbour Doe not trouble me saith he the doors are shut and I am in bed with my children I cannot rise and give thee let me alone Thus in some sense the Lord expresses himself to his people I am now in bed doe not trouble me Let me alone What must we do in this case We must knock harder at the door as he in the Gospel did For whom though his neighbour would not rise and give him because he was his friend yet because of his importunity he rises and gives him as many loaves as he needed We must be the more importunate to awake God by how much he seems more unwilling to hear us our modesty in this case pleases him not we must call and call again He will take it well at our hands if we doe so We must give our selves no rest and let him take none so the Prophet resolves Isa 62.1 For Jerusalems sake I will take no rest I will never give over praying and at the sixth verse I have set watchmen upon thy wals O Jerusalem which shall never hold their peace day nor night you that make mention of the Lord keep not silence and give him no rest till he establish and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth If the Lord should carry it in the present answers of his providence as if he were willing to rest and desired not to be troubled in this businesse be not you so put off but with a holy boldnesse and confidence come to him and awaken him take no answer till ye have an answer He is best pleased and most at ease when in prayer we give him no rest Lastly Observe If God doe but awake for us all is presently well with us If the eye of God be upon us for good that brings us in all good therefore Zech. 2. ult when the Church was in her return from Babylon the Prophet concludes with an exultation of spirit Be silent O all flesh before the Lord for he is raised up out of his holy habitation it is this word He is awaked out of his holy habitation now be silent O all flesh before the Lord All flesh ye that are the wicked of the world ye that are enemies be ye silent leave your boasting your reproaching and blaspheming for the Lord is awaked now he begins to stirre for his people he will stop your mouths shortly All flesh takes in the Church and people of God too O be ye silent in regard of your fears and doubtings murmurings and distracted complainings silence all these why The Lord is awaked he is raised up out of his holy habitation that is he that seemed before to confine himself to those higher regions and as the Atheist speaks in Job to walk in the circle of the heavens not intermedling with the earth This God is now awaked he is raised out of his holy habitation and now ye shall know that he orders all things here below therefore be silent O all flesh When Christ was asleep Matth. 8.25 A grievous tempest arose saith the text insomuch as the Ship was covered with waves When storms and tempests are upon the Church God is then asleep though even then he directs the storms and gives law to the proud waves But what did the Disciples in this storm They awoke Christ Master save us we perish and assoon as ever Christ was awakened He rebuked the storme and there was a great calm Thus when we are tost up and down with contrary windes and in danger to be split and sunke if God once awake all is calm How quietly may they sleep for whom God wakes I doe not say they should sleep carelesly but confidently they may God doth not wake for us to the intent we should sleep in security but we may sleepe quietly when He shewes himselfe awake for us who indeed never slumbereth nor sleepeth And if God awake not for us all our watchfulnesse is as uselesse to us as our sleepinesse The watchman waketh but in vain except the Lord keep the City Except he awake our watching can doe no good and if he awake good will come though we be asleep It is our duty to be carefull and it is our comfort that the care of God is enough for us The eye of divine providence helps us in many humane improvidences What their happinesse is for whom God awakes see in the next words He will make the habitation of thy righteousnesse prosperous This is the second degree or step of mercy promised when the Lord awakes he vvill awake to purpose We say of some men Early up and never the near They awake and doe little work but if God awakes see what he doth He will make the habitation of thy righteousnesse prosperous Some of the Rabbins understand these words as a description of the soul The habitation of thy righteousnesse that is Anima est justitiae omniū virtutum domicilium Aben. Ezr. thy soul shall prosper because the soul is the proper seat of righteousnesse and holinesse Righteousnesse belongeth to the inward man Righteousnesse being a spirituall thing is housed and lodged in the spirit that 's the habitation of it There are others of the Jews who take this habitation of righteousnes for the body because the body is the habitation of the soul in which righteousnesse is seated and so the habitation of righteousnesse by a second remove is the outward man The Lord shall blesse thy body which now lieth in a wofull plight distemper'd and disfigured with sores and sicknesses But rather take the word habitation in those two ordinary Scripture-senses either strictly for the place where Job dwelt or more largely for all that did belong unto him The habitation of a man is all his estate and all that appertains to his estate He will make thy habitation that is thy children thy servants thy fields thy cattell thy stock thy all to be prosperous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Chaldee Paraphrase readeth Significat domū vel speciem pul chritudinem justitiae tuae Tar. He will make thy beautifull place to be prosperous The word signifies beauty as well as an habitation as was shewed upon Chap. 5. ver 3. thither I referre the Reader
friend It is a hard choice whether to have wit or power in an enemy And who would not have both wit and power in his friend God is here represented under these two notions both meet in him either of which in an enemy render him dreadfull Will any man enter the lists or meddle with an adversary who would not rather humble himself and make him his friend Who is wise in heart and mighty in power He is wise in heart Humanitùs dictum cor in Hebraeo sumitur pro judicio intellectuali potentia ita homo vel Deus sapiens corde dicitur qui praestat sapientia â—in It is spoken after the manner of men the heart naturall is a principall organ or part of the body it is the seat of life thither the spirits have their recourse there they have one speciall seat of residence the heart is chief in man To say God is wise in heart is to say He is most wise because the heart is the seat of wisdome As when we say of a man he is holy in heart or he is humble in heart or upright in heart or he obeys God from his heart we report such a man for exceeding humble holy upright and obedient So when God is said to be wise in heart it imports that he hath infinite wisdome his is not only wisdome in the tongue or some flashes of wit but deep solid rooted wisdome He is wise yea he is wisdome at heart A foolish man is without an heart As an hypocrite hath two hearts a double heart an heart and an heart so a foolish man hath never an heart Hypocrites will be found at last to have no hearts they are the greatest fools of all Ephraim Hos 7.11 is called a silly Dove without heart Sillinesse is heartlesnesse Therefore in the 12th Chapter of this book ver 3. the heart is put alone for understanding I have an heart as well as you saith Job we translate it I have understanding as well as you Heart alone notes wisdome but a wise heart notes abundance of wisdome Hence observe God is infinitely wise He is wise in heart wisdom it self The Lord ingrosses all wisdom and is therefore stiled by the Apostle God only wise 1 Tim. 1.17 he is only wise because all wisdome is his the creature hath none but what he gives out he hath it all locked up in his own treasury and as he dispenseth it so man receives it There is a two-fold act of wisdome and both most eminent in God The first is knowledge in the nature of things The second is knowledge how to order and dispose of things The former is properly called Science and the later prudence Where there is much of the former and a want of the later man in that case is like a ship that hath a very large sail but wants a rudder to order it's course and ballast to poise it Both these meet in the Lord he hath as we may say a vast sail infinitely extending to the knowledge of all things and he hath a most exact rudder and ballast of prudence to order and to manage all things The knowledge of some men is too hard for their wisdome they are not master of their knowledge though they may be masters in their art The Lord knows all and he rules all his knowledge And mighty in strength It is much for man to be stiled strong or mighty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Differ◠à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod strenuit atem ad gesta praeclaâ—a significat idem quod Graecé 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quae se foras exerit in opere Merc. but mighty in strength is the stile of God These in construction note the Almightinesse the All-powerfulnesse the All-sufficiency of the Lord he is not only strong or mighty but mighty in strength The word which we translate strength referred to man imports that naturall power and lively vigour which in man is the principle of strength which nurses and feeds man with continuall supplies of activity The Lord is mighty in this strength he hath an infinite an everlasting spring of strength in him he spends no strength at all how much soever he uses His lamp consumes not with burning His strength is ever vigorous he knows no decaies or faintings Hast thou not known hast thou not heard that the everlasting God the Lord the Creatour of the ends of the earth fainteth not neither is weary Isa 40.28 As if he had said where hast thou been bred that thou seemest to be a stranger to this truth Man cannot doe much and he faints in doing a little God who can doe all things never faints how much soever he doth Strength maybe considered two waies There is civill strength and there is naturall strength Civill strength is authority and power to command 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A man is armed and strengthened by laws and commissions These put authority into his hands The Lord is mighty in this strength he hath all authority all command in his hands not by commission from others but originally from himself Naturall strength executes and exercises the former a man may have much civill strength but if he want naturall strength to put it in act he can do little or nothing As God by his Soveraignty is above all creatures so by his power he is able to bring all creatures under him and subdue them to his command Thus God is mighty in strength He hath a right of authority by which he may and an arm of power by which he can make all stoop to him Hence observe The power of God is an infinite power There is nothing too hard for the Lord If he will work who shall let it Isa 43.13 No creature can supersedeat or stay the works of God God can supersedeat all creatures when creatures are in their full carreer he can let them The power of God is as large as his will yea he can doe more then he wils If the power of men were as large as their wils what work would they quickly make in the world If infinite strength were not mannaged by infinite wisdome what a wofull condition were we in Both these are joyned in God Therefore we can fear no hurt from his power he can doe what he will but he will doe nothing which is hurtfull to his people he will not wrong any creature much lesse his servants The Lord if I may so speak is only weak about those things which proceed from weaknesse There are some things which he hath no strength to doe because to doe them argues a want of strength he cannot deny himself he cannot lie he cannot doe any evil he cannot sinne These things import impotency therefore the Lord cannot doe them But whatsoever is for the good of his people for the glory of his name for the executing of his justice for the fulfilling of his counsels whatsoever is for the making good of his promises for
without name Hence when the Lord shewed Abraham how great his seed should be he carries him out and bids him look toward heaven and tell the stars if he were able to number them Gen. 15.5 The stars to come a little nearer the Text observed and numbred by Students in this great volume of the heavens are distinguished into fourty and one images or representations whereof some for learnings sake are fancied the images of men and women others the images of beasts and fishes Omnes hae stellarum imagines non tantum ordine situ verum etiam certis nominibus inter se distinctae sunt others the images of things without life Of these images twelve are in the Zodiaque commonly called the twelve signs In the Southern part of the sphear eleven of those signs are placed and in the Northern eighteen which added to twelve in the Zodiaque make up the number of fourty and one Now when it is said in the Text That God makes Arcturus Orion and Pleiades and the chambers of the South We are not to take them for so many distinct and particular stars but for constellations or configurations because they stand in such a form or figure and so for the better knowledge of them they are called by the names of such creatures as they seem to represent We have three of those speciall figures here in the Text and one more generall Arcturus Orion and Pleiades are three figures or starry representations in the eighth sphear I will open their Hebrew names As also the Latine and Greek names used commonly in translations by which we shall get a clearer understanding in the nature of the things themselves Which maketh Arcturus The word Gnesh in Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Congregare conglobare huic respondet Graecum verbum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod est commeare vel undiquaque convenire Arcturus stella est in cauda minoris ursae Septentrio dicitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ab ursinae caudae similitudine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Constantiam robur vel inconstantiam significat quod ejus ortus tempestatibus orbem variè turbat Bold signifies a meeting or congregating of many things together because in that one many stars are joined Arcturus in Greek is as much as to say The tail of the Bear because the stars called Arcturus stand in a figure like the tail of a Bear The second Asterisme which we translate Orion is called in the Hebrew Chesil and that signifies either constancy or inconstancy the sense runs both waies setlednesse or variablenesse And it is applied to this starre or constellation in either sense First For constancy or setlednesse because there is much strength in the influences of that constellation Or secondly For inconstancy and unsetlednes Vnde November Haebraicè dicitur Chislu ab ortu Orionis quod eo mense magna fit Coeli inconstantia Arabicè vocatur Algeuse i. e bellator à Chaldaeis Algebar i. e. Gigas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Audax vehemens ardens Orion Plin. lib. 18. cap. 25. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Graecis est turbo concito Pagn in Thes Dum pelago desaevit hyems aquosus Orion because it is observed that upon the rising of this starre there is much variety changeablenesse and unsetlednesse in the weather Hence the Jews call that moneth which answers to our November or the ninth moneth Chislu Zec. 7.1 because that moneth was usually very stormy and the weather changeable Orion then arising in their Haemisphear The Arabick word Algeuse by which this Asterisme is named signifies a warriour and the Chaldee Algebar a Giant all aiming at the furious boisterous windes which usually attend the appearing of this constellation And so the Greek word from which Orion commeth QuidaÌ„ Pleiades dicta putant quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. plures quod nunquam singula apparent Pleiades 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—avigare signifies to trouble or to disturb And its usuall Epithetes are bold vehement impetuous Orion all betraying its unquiet and various temper The third starry association we call Pleiades the Hebrews Chimah This is a very cold constellation The Greeks expresse winter by this word because it brings in frost and cold with it The derivation of the Hebrew name is very obscure Cur vocatur Chimah libentèr fateor me nescire Bold Quidam deducunt à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chaldaicum quod denotat reÌ„ elevatam stabiliter in sublime firmiter erectam quia est instar cardinis quasi polus aut vertex mundi Alij a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod est defiderare in rem aliquam tendere quia Nautae affectant videre hoc signum Some professedly acknowledge their ignorance that they cannot tell how to derive it yet some dig the root of it in the Chaldee signifying firm Others in the Hebrew signifying to desire or earnestly to wish for a thing and the reason of it is say they because these stars the Pleiades the seven stars we often speak of are much desired by Sea-men for seeing them they have a perfect rule to guide and steer their course by And it is an observation among some of the Rabbins that Noah had a little window in the top of his Ark that from thence he might when the waters began to asswage and the stresse of the deluge was over look up to the heavens and know by those stars what course his Ark made Thus much we know that the stars are the Sea-mens night-guide and the rising of some of them fals under their more speciall observation The fourth title of the stars is * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Interiora austri Nam Deâ— ex ipsis promptuariis quasi de thesauris suis quosdam educit ventos per ipsos mirabiles fiderum illorum influxus intelligit aestiva si dera ut est Canicula c. Quae quia ad Polum Antarcticum spâ—ctant quâ— velut iâ—se rior subest Horâ—zonti noâ— ropenetratium Austri sid ravocantur quasi in penetralibus mundi a nobis ab condita The chambers of the South And why The chambers of the South The continent is put for the things contained The word which we translate Chambers signifies any thing that is very inward or retired and therefore translated a chamber Judg. 15.1 and Cant. 3.4 Mans spirit is thus expressed because it lies so farre inward Prov. 24.4 By knowledge shall the chambers be filled that is the most secret parts of the soul shall be filled by knowledge Prov. 18.8 The inward part of the belly Prov. 7.27 They goe down to the chambers of death that is to the inmost and most retired waies of death the grave Here The chambers of the South are the most remote hidden and secret parts of the South And the reason why after he had exprest the other constellations by speciall names he gives us these only in generall The chambers of the South is because
ye think God would yeeld to me if I should contend with him He multiplieth or He hath multiplied my wounds without cause that is His verbis evidenter exponit quae supra occultè dixerat si venerit adme non video Hoc enim ubique fere in dictis Jobi observanaum quod obscurè dicta per aliqua consequentia exponuntur Aquin. without giving me any account hitherto and do you think that now I shall have liberty to call him to an account or that he will give me one He wounds without cause is * Sine causa manifesta et ab homine afflâ—cto perceptibili Aquin. without cause manifested God hath not told me the reason of his chastenings And I doe not perceive the reason I know not why he contendeth with me And so he expounds what he spake at the 12th verse Loe he passeth by me and I see him not There are mysteries in providence Mans eye is not clear enough to see all that God doth before his eyes Job is his own Expositour This later expression gives us a comment upon the former And it is observable that both in this book and in the whole body of the Scripture easier texts may be found to interpret the harder and clear ones to enlighten those which are darker and more obscure The Word of God is not only a light and a rule to us but to it self Or He multiplieth my wounds without cause is Haec à Job dicta sunt quod intell gat se non tam flagellari quam probari as if Job had said I know the Lord deals not with me as with a guilty person nor doth he judge me as a malefactour mine is a probation not a punishment God doth only try me to see what is in my heart and how I can stand in an evil day He multiplieth my wounds without cause that is without the cause which you have so often objected against me namely that I am an hypocrite and wicked I know God looks upon me as a childe Animus in DeuÌ„ praeclare affectus sed tamen affectus doloribus Sanct. or a friend not as an enemy Therefore I have no cause to multiply words with God though God go on to multiply my wounds without cause To multiply wounds notes numerous and manifold afflictions many in number and many in kinde Iobs were deep deadly wounds and he had many of them he was all over wound body and soul were wounds he was smitten within and without as to multiply to pardon is to pardon abundantly Isa 55.7 So to multiply wounds or to multiply to wound is to wound abundantly Here a Question would be resolved How the justice of God may be acquitted in laying on and multiplying afflictions without cause I shall referre the Reader for further light about this point to the third verse of the second Chapter where those words are opened Thou movedst me against him to destroy him without cause yet take here three considerations more by way of answer to the doubt First Whatsoever the Lord wounds and takes from any man he wounds and takes his own He is Lord over all Our health and strength are his our riches are his The world is his and the fulnesse of it Psal 50. If he be hungry he needs not tell us he can goe to his own store It is no wrong to dispose what is our own wheresoever we finde it That rule is as true in revocations as distributions Friend I doe thee no wrong Mat. 20.15 Is it not lawfull for me to doe what I will with mine own Though there were no sinne in man yet there were no injustice in God because he takes nothing from us but what he gave us and hath full power to recall and take away Secondly Suppose man could say that what he had were his own that his riches were his own that health and strength of body were his own yet God may take them away and doe no wrong It is so among men Kings and States call out their Subjects to warre and in that warre their wounds are multiplied without any cause given by them They gave no occasion vvhy they should be appointed to such hazards of life and limb to such hardships of hunger and cold yet there is no injustice in this When God casts man into trouble he cals him out to his service he hath a vvarre some noble enterprize and design to send him upon To you it is given to suffer for his sake saith the Apostle Phil. 1.29 he puts it among the speciall priviledges vvhich some Saints are graced vvith not only above the vvorld but above many of the Saints To whom it is given and that 's a royall gift only to believe Now if in prosecuting this suffering task whether for Christ or from Christ a believer laies out his estate credit liberty or life he is so farre from being wronged that he is honoured Thousands are slain in publike imploiments who have given no cause to be so slain If according to the line of men this be no injustice much lesse is it injustice in God who is without line himself being the only line and rule to himself and to all besides himself Thirdly I may answer it thus Though the Lord multiply wounds without cause yet he doth it without wrong to the wounded because he wounds with an intent to heal and takes away with a purpose to give more as in the present case God made Iob an amends for all the wounds whether of his body or goods good name or spirit Now though it be a truth in respect of man that we may not break anothers head and say vve vvill give him a plaister or take away from a man his possession and say vve vvill give it him again yet God may Man must not be so bold vvith man because he hath no right to take away and vvound nor is he sure that he can restore and heal but it is no boldnesse but a due right in God to doe thus for he as Lord hath power to take away and ability to restore And he restores sometimes in temporals as to Iob but alwaies to his people in spirituals and eternals Hence the Apostle argueth 2 Cor. 4.17 Our light afflictions which are but for a moment work for us an eternall weight of glory Afflictions vvork glory for us not in a vvay of meriting glory but in a tendency to the receiving of glory and in preparations for it There is no wrong in those losses by which we are made gainers Those losses being sent that we may gain and the sender of the losse being able effectually to make us gainers He multiplieth my wounds without cause Hence observe First Afflictions are no argument that God doth not love us As the Lord hath a multitude of mercies in his heart so a multitude of afflictions in his hand and a multitude of afflictions may consist vvith a multitude of mercies At the same time
will lay aside my heavinesse I will comfort my self It is a hard thing to comfort others Luther said It is as easie a work to raise the dead as to comfort the conscience but it is harder for a man to comfort himself Eliphaz gave testimony to Job in the fourth Chapter vers 3 4. that he had upholden him that was falling and had strengthned the feeble knees But now it is come upon thee and thou faintest it toucheth thee and thou art troubled Thou who hast holpen others canst not help thy self Yet here Job was upon a resolve to comfort himself I answer Though it be a truth that no man is able to comfort himself no more then he can convert himself and that a man is no more able to change his heart from sorrow to joy then he is able to change his heart from sin to grace yet a man may attempt or assay he may use means to comfort himself When Job saith I will comfort my self the meaning is I will doe the utmost I can I will not be behinde in my endeavours I will take the best course and improve all opportunities to get out of these dumps whosoever will prescribe me a way or direct me to a remedy of these sorrows I will submit to it I will comfort my self From whence note That What a man really endeavoureth to doe that he may be said to doe I will comfort my self Why Because though he were not able to attain such an end Joy and comfort lieth beyond the line of the creature yet he reached at it he attempted and assaied all means to comfort himself Thus the salvation of a man is ascribed to himself A man is said to save himself though salvation belongeth to the Lord even temporall salvation but especially eternall salvation yet a man may be said to save himself As the Apostle 1 Epist 4.16 exhorts Timothy to walk by a holy rule to settle himself in his studies to read the Scriptures and to meditate in them to be faithfull in dispensing of the Gospel assuring him If thou dost these things thou shalt both save thy self and them that hear thee Save thy self No man can be his own Saviour he may be as well his own Creatour Timothy was thus encouraged because in so doing he did all that a man ought who expects salvation That was the way to though not the cause of salvation Salvation is all Christs yet he who doth his best to save himself may be said to save himself Thus also a man comforts himself converts himself instructs himself when he putteth himself out to the utmost of gifts graces and opportunities to doe or attain duties and blessings No man saith the Prophet doth stir himself up to take hold of the Lord. The word in the Prophet signifies to awake or to watch no man wakes or watches his opportunity to take hold of the Lord. It notes also that action of old birds who flutter with their wings and beat up their young ones to urge and provoke them to use their wings and flie abroad Thus he complained because the lazy dull-hearted Jews did not raise up and waken their hearts to doe what they could though to doe it was more then they could Secondly Observe That a man in affliction may help on his comforts or his sorrows I will comfort my self I will leave off my heavinesse Some adde to their afflictions and are active to aggravate and encrease them they make their night darker and obscure the light of counsell that is brought unto them they joyn with Satan their enemy and by the black melancholy vapours of their own hearts stifle the consolations that are administred them by faithfull friends Like Rachel Jer. 31. they refuse to be comforted when reviving Cordials are offered they spill them upon the ground and will not take in a drop they are so farre from comforting themselves that they will not receive comfort from others The Prophet seems to be resolved upon the point he would go on in sorrows Look away from me I will weep bitterly labour not to comfort me Isa 22.4 As sometimes a man under great affliction bespeaks comfort from others O I am in a sad case come comfort me shew me how I may get ease from these sorrows Many beg praiers and send bils of their afflictions desiring to have them spread before the Lord in the Congregation that some comfort may be dropt from heaven into their diseased bodies or wounded spirits Others sleight praiers and care not to be comforted as if it were an ease to them to mourn and a refreshing to be in heavinesse There is a two-fold ground upon which comforts are thus put off 1. Some put off their comforts upon fullennesse of spirit black and dark spirits love to bathe themselves in sorrow Sorrow is the bath of drooping spirits and it is Satans bath too Melancholly is commonly called The devils bath he takes delight to wash in the streams of our unnecessary tears Sorrow for sinne puts the devil to the greatest sorrow Godly grief is a grief to Satan but he delighteth in our worldly sorrows as the devil may be delighted if he have delight in any thing this is one thing he delights in our forbidden sorrows Some sorrows are as much forbidden as any pleasures The devil is as much pleased with our unlawfull sorrows as he is with our unlawfull pleasures And he labours as much to make us pleased with them 2. Others help on their own sorrows and lessen their comforts through forgetfulnesse or ignorance they as the Apostle chides the Hebrews Chap. 12.5 have forgotten the exhortation which speaks unto them as unto children Now as wicked men rejoyce because they forget or know not their ill condition So godly men are sad when they forget or know not how good their condition is Yet Job supposes the review of his good estate would neither check his sorrows nor establish his peace If I say I will forget my complaint I will comfort my self I am afraid of all my sorrows Thirdly Observe Man is not able to comfort himself we can make our selves crosses but we cannot make our selves comforts A man may say as Job did Chap. 7.13 to his bed comfort me or to his riches comfort me or to his wine and good chear comfort me or to his friends comfort me He may say to all outward acts of pleasure to merry company and musick eomfort me Yea a Saint may say to his graces and holinesse comfort me and yet none of these can comfort him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or they comfort him in vain Timuit expavit prae metu se abstrahere timorem denâ—tat imminentis calamitatis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Significat dolore affiâ—ere interdum figurare Qui materiam aliquam ut lucum vel ceram figurat manibus digitis is illam premendo quasi dolore afficit Bold Est elegans metaphora verba alicujus figurare nam
in our flesh was afraid of his sorrows which yet he knew he should overcome how much more may the fear of sorrows overcome us while we are in the flesh Lastly Observe That the fear of afflictions assaults and oppresses some most when they set themselves most to conquer and overcome them I saith Job would comfort myself but I am afraid of all my sorrows I fear they will be doubled and trebled upon me therefore I had rather sit still then by striving to unloose straiten the cords of my affliction faster upon me The next clause seems to hint this as a reason why his sorrows hung so close upon him I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent But how did Job know this As God said to Adam Gen. 3.11 Who told thee that thou wast naked So I may say to Job Who told thee that God would not hold thee innocent Or where hadst thou this assurance of thy condemnation The Saints may know or be assured that God will pardon them but a wicked man cannot know or be assured that God will not This knowledge of Job was but a suspition or at the most a conjecture And the giving out of this conjecture was but the language of his fear his faith could say no such thing for God had no where said it The best men speak sometime from their worser part Their graces may be silent a while and leave corruption to have all the talk When the flesh is under great pain the spirit is hindered from acting its part and then sense gets the mastery over faith Had it not been upon such a disadvantage Job had never offended with his tongue by saying he knew what he could not know I know that thou wilt not hold me înnocent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word which we translate innocent commeth from a root which signifieth pure and clean purus mundus per Metaphorae innocent insous and in the verb to cleanse and make pure And because innocency is the purity or cleannesse of a person therefore the same word signifies to cleanse and to hold or make innocent In which sense it is used frequently Exo. 20.2 Thou wilt not hold him guiltlesse or innocent that taketh thy Name in vain The counsell that David gave upon his death-bed unto Solomon concerning Joab was Therefore hold thou him not innocent or guiltlesse 1 King 2.9 that is let the bloud which he hath shed be upon him let his honour and his name continue stained and blemished in thy thoughts and judgement Hold him not innocent Here the Question is To what antecedent we are to referre the relative Thou I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent Thou who There are two opinions about it Some referre it to God and some to Bilaad to whom Job maketh answer in this place They that refer it unto God make out the sense thus Either first taking the word properly for cleansing and healing the sores and wounds which were upon his body Adversus illud quod amici statuunt probos videlicet etiam castigatos nunquam succidi hoc pro certo statuam ô Deus nunquam esse me ab istis quibus totus scateo foedissimis ulceribus ac vermibu◠repurgandum Bez Novi quod non sis me liberum dimissurus Coc. I know thou wilt not cleanse my body from this filthinesse from these diseases that now anoy me And so it is an answer to the words of Bildad telling Job that in case he sought unto God and humbled himself before him he would awaken for him and remove those judgements No saith Job when I think of ease and deliverance all my fears return upon me and I know God will not yet cleanse ease or deliver me from them Again Taking it tropically as we render it for a judiciall cleansing or purification so Thou wilt not hold me innocent is as much as this Lord such sorrows and troubles are upon me that I fear thou wilt not declare or pronounce or give testimony concerning me to the world that I am an innocent person Because the sores and troubles upon him were as an evidence against him in the judgement of his friends that he was a wicked person therefore saith he Lord I am afraid Thou wilt not hold me that is Thou wilt not declare me to be innocent by taking away these evils Non mundabis i. e. purum justum vel etiam innocentem non declarabis that so this opinion of my friends concerning me may be removed or confuted From this sense note First That even a godly man in deep afflictions may have misgiving thoughts of God The soul misgives sometimes about the pardon of sinne and is even swallowed up with despair concluding I know God will not hold me innocent he will not be reconciled unto me or blot out my transgression But especially which is rather the minde of Job the soul misgives about release from punishment Some being hamper'd in the bands of affliction conclude God will never let them loose or set them at liberty again Such a conclusion Davids unbelief made against himself I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul 1 Sam. 27.1 When Jonah was cast into the deep in the midst of the seas when the flouds compassed him and all the billows and waves passed over him then he said Chap. 2.4 I am cast out of the sight of thine eyes Indeed Jonah began to recover quickly his next words being a breath of faith Yet I will look again toward thy holy Temple Secondly Observe That untill fear of guilt be removed fear of trouble will not remove Job was not very clear about the pardon of his sinnes somewhat stuck upon his spirit while he was under the clouds and darknesse of this temptation therefore saith he I am afraid of all my sorrows Till the soul is setled in the matter of pardon or freedome from guilt it can never be setled about freedome from punishment Hence the Apostle Heb. 2.10 15. speaking of the Saints before the comming of Christ cals Christ the Captain of our salvation and assures us he took flesh that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the devil and deliver those who through fear of death were all their life time subject unto bondage The language is very near this of the Text I am afraid of all my sorrows As Job was in bondage under his afflictions through the fear of his returning sorrows So they were all their life time subject unto bondage through the fear of approaching death All the Saints before the comming of Christ were under such a bondage for the Apostle speaks as of a generall state That he might deliver those who through the fear of death were all their life time subject unto bondage The reason hereof was because they had not so manifest and convincing a light concerning the pardon of sinne the freenesse of grace
and the abundance of that mercy which was brought in afterwards and revealed by Jesus Christ when he actually made our atonement by the bloud of his crosse For howsoever it is undeniable that the faithfull under the old Testament had knowledge of that satisfaction which was to be made by the Mediatour for the removing of sinne and the taking away of guilt every sacrifice spake this shewing that there was an atonement to be made by some other bloud which the bloud of the sacrifice typified yet notwithstanding there was not a clearing and a quieting of their hearts because Christ though in the promise slain from the beginning of the world was not actually slain nor offered up for sinners The Apostle Heb. 10.1 2. argues upon the same point That the Law with those Sacrifices could not make the commers thereunto perfect that is it could not assure the heart that sinne was taken away for if it could then saith he the sacrifices should not have needed to be offered up so often What needed any repetition seeing they who were once so purged should have had no more conscience of sinne that is sinne should never have troubled and vexed their consciences any more But now Christ by one offering hath for ever perfected them that are sanctified vers 14. that is he hath made a perfect satisfaction for them and compleated the peace of their consciences So then while there remaineth any scruple about sinne fears of evil will hang upon the spirit And we finde that the old Saints were very fearfull of outward afflictions because they had as it were a relish or taste of the disfavour and displeasure of God in them And in proportion as any of them had more or lesse of free grace appearing to them so they were more or lesse enthralled with these fears We may observe thorow out the old Testament that there was not such a spirit of rejoycing in sufferings and afflictions as we finde breakings forth in the new Paul never saith I am afraid of all my sorrows No he saith As sorrowfull yet alwaies rejoycing You never hear him complain of his afflictions He indeed complains of his corruptions O miserable man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death But he never said O miserable man how am I afflicted I am in deaths often who shall deliver me from this death of the body We finde the Saints under the Gospel clothed with a spirit of exultation and rejoycing of which we hear little if any thing at all under the Law The want of which we are to ascribe to their want of a clear light about the removing of guilt and the pardon of sin I know thou wilt not hold me innocent Thirdly Observe That God often deals with his best servants in regard of outward troubles as if they were guilty I know thou wilt not hold me innocent that is thou wilt not deal with me as with an innocent person As the Lord dealt with his Son so he deals with his servants God the Father dealt with Jesus Christ as with a guilty person Isa 53.9 12. He was numbred among transgressours and made his grave with the wicked The Lord reckoned him as a sinner while he was satisfying his justice for sinne and making an atonement for sinners Job is no where called a type of Christ but he was like him and their parallel might be drawn in many things especially in this that both were numbred with the wicked and in that both were used as if they had been guilty The dispensations of God to his own beloved Sonne once did and to his faithfull servants often doe look like those to the greatest transgressours His Son was handled so that he might redeem sinners his servants are so handled sometimes to prevent often to purge them from sin sometimes to try their graces alwaies to make them fitter vessels for glory Though we cannot make any earnings toward glory by the weightiest afflictions yet these light afflictions which are but for a moment work for us a farre more exceeding and eternall weight of glory I shall passe from this reference of the word Thou when I have briefly vindicated the text from the corruptions of some Papists Bellarm. l. 5. de justif cap. 5. who urge it to prove the uncertainty of our justification Job say they doubted whether God would declare him just or no. I answer Justified persons may have doubts yet that doth not argue the uncertainty of justification Justification is a sure act in it self and we may be sure of it though some are unsetled about it This Scripture gives no shelter much lesse support to that doctrine of doubting The Vulgar reading grossely varying from the originall is all the shadow it hath in this place For as that Translatour mistakes the former clause which he renders I am afraid of all my works So this later which he renders Sciens quod non parceres delinquenti Vulg. Knowing that thou wilt not pardon or spare him that offendeth He that seeks to be justified by his works shall not want fears about his justification And if this be a truth which their translation seems to hold forth that God will not pardon him that offendeth the best and holiest men in the world have reason not only to fear whether they are justified but to resolve they can never be justified in his sight If every man that sinneth must doubt of the pardon of sinne all men must doubt In that common acception of the word offend it is false that God will not pardon him that offends whom should he pardon but such as offend They who are above sin are above pardon Job never thought God would not pardon him because he had sinned it being one of the royall titles of God The God pardoning iniquity transgression and sinne But if we take sinning or offending in a stricter sense as it imports a man obstinate and still engaged with delight to sin in which sense the next title of the Lords great name after Forgiving iniquity transgression and sinne is to be understood And that will by no means clear the guilty Exod. 34.7 The Hebrew is And that clearing will not clear We supply the word guilty which the Chaldee well explains by this periphrasis Him that will not convert or turn to the Lord such offenders the Lord will not pardon But to say that the Lord will not spare and pardon such guilty persons such delinquents as will not return unto him but go on to adde one wickednesse to another is no deniall of the Saints assurance of pardon they being already turned and converted to the Lord. So much for that clause as the antecedent referres unto God I know thou wilt not hold me innocent But rather take the antecedent to be Bildad I know Thou Bildad wilt not hold me innocent as if Job had said When I think of comforting my self my wounds bleed afresh and my sorrows present themselves to
stubborn under the rod and their hearts are hardened while themselves are melted in the fire of affliction As man lives not by bread alone So man mends not by the rod alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God T is little lesse then a miracle that this dry rod as that of Aaron did naturall should blossom and bring forth spirituall fruit the fruits of righteousnesse 3. We may pray for the removing of afflictions because the Lord often sends afflictions upon this message to bespeak praier Many a soul is sluggish in prayer till awakened by the voice of the rod. When the rod makes the flesh smart then the Spirit in whom any thing of the Spirit is cries mightily unto God and among the many things about which the soul exercises prayer under afflictions this is one that the affliction may be removed As they alwaies sin who murmur at and quarrell with God because he corrects them so also doe they who say they care not how long he corrects them or let him correct them as long as he will It is as ill a sign when a childe will not pray his parent to spare him when he is about to chasten him or to stay his hand when he is chastening of him as it is to resist his chastisement There may be greater contempt of God in lying under affliction then in resisting it Now as it is our duty to pray for deliverance out of trouble so it is one end why the Lord casts us into trouble that we may be engaged to pray for deliverance But take it with a caution we must not pray absolutely for deliverance or the removall of afflictions but at least with an implicit limitation While we are striving earnestly for the taking away of the rod we should be ready to submit if the Lord will not take it away A believer may say to the Lord as wrestling Jacob I will not let thee goe except thou blesse me but he must not say I will not let thee goe except thou now deliver me Time and means and manner must all be laid at Gods feet and submitted to his wisdome And we must honour God though he will not remove the rod even while we are praying that he would remove it For the close of this point consider the rod may be removed not only by a totall release from affliction But First By an abatement of the affliction as we are said to leave off those graces from the degrees and lively actings of which we fall and decline He that lacketh these things that is who aboundeth not as he hath heretofore in the exercise of them is blinde c. 2 Pet. 1.9 Thou hast left thy first love saith Christ to the Angel of Ephesus when the heat of his former love was cooled So the Lord may be said to remove our troubles when he remits the extremity and cools the heat of them Secondly The rod is removed when it is sanctified to us when the Lord who is excellent in working causeth it to doe us good The Saints die yet death is abolished as to the Saints by the death of Christ 2 Tim. 1.10 because Christ hath pluckt out the sting of their death and made it a gain to them Thus while Christ makes temporall losses or sufferings an advantage to the spirituall estate of his people he takes them away And as outward blessings are taken away from wicked men while they possesse them riches are not riches to them nor is their honour an honour to them because they are ensnared by them So the outward crosse is taken away from the godly while they suffer because they are bettered by the crosse Thirdly Affliction is removed from us when Christ gives us strength to bear affliction Nothing grieves us either in active or passive obedience but what is either against our wils or above our power It is all one to have a burthen taken off our shoulders or to have so much strength given as makes it easie to us While the Saints have trouble upon their backs and loins they have no trouble in their hearts and spirits when their spirits are carried above those troubles To conquer an enemy is more noble then to have none Much more which is promised the Saints in the throng of sorest enemies to be more then conquerours In all or any of these waies Jobs praier may be fulfilled Take away thy rod from me And let not thy fear terrifie me There was somewhat more upon Job then a rod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Formidabilis terribilis Emathah or it was an extraordinary rod a rod like a Scorpion Let not thy fear terrifie me The word which we translate fear comes from a root signifying that which is very formidable and terrible Fear and dread shall fall upon them Exod. 15.16 that is they shall be extremely afraid even dead with fear as the next words import They shall be still as a stone c. There is a letter added as the Hebricians observe to the word used by Moses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ne me transversum agat Sept. alius ne me consternet implying the excesse of fear Giants are called by this name Emims Deut. 2.11 because they are of a dreadfull aspect The whole host of Israel trembled at the sight of Goliah 1 Sam. 17.24 〈◊〉 Idols 〈◊〉 exprest by this name Emim And there is a double reason of it Either because Idols are a terrour to their worshippers we hear how at this day poor Pagans who worship Idols are extremely opprest with slavish fear of displeasing them The true God is terrible to his despisers but false Gods are terrible to their worshippers Or secondly They were called Emims in a way of contempt Yours are terrible Gods sure They have hands and handle not feet and walk not eyes and see not Here are terrible gods So then Idols are Emims either because they are really to be feared so little or because they are superstitiously feared so much Jobs fear was no needlesse fear he was not terrified with a fancy Ex vi verbi originalis ejusno di terror est qui hominem exaâ—itat quasi extra evalde distrabat though his fancy was ready enough to over-act upon his affliction and so encreased his fear Let not thy fear that is say some fearfull thoughts or sights terrifie me So Chap. 7.14 When I say My bed shall comfort me my couch shall ease my complaint then thou scarest me with dreams and terrifiest me with visions There is an humbling and a cleansing fear The fear of the Lord is clean not only in the nature of it but in the effects of it Psal 19.9 There is also an amazing and a terrifying fear such the letter of the originall imports this to be even a fear bordering upon madnesse as if he were rather frighted then afraid and scared rather then troubled Others expound this
fear with reference to the two former verses especially to the verse immediately fore-going There Job desires a Daies-man or complains that there is none here he tels us what he might have expected if he had one As if he had said Had I a Daies-man then I know he would take away the rod from me that is he would give judgement that I should be eased of this affliction and his fear should not terrifie me that is he would never give a sentence which should be a terrour to me That 's a fair sense in reference to what he spake before but I rather keep his meaning within the compasse of what he is speaking here And then by fear we may understand Paveris nomine intelligendum putareÌ„ fulgoreÌ„ splendorem vel majestatem niniam qua priscis illis temporibus nonnunquam Deus vel Angelus pro Deo serviâ— suis apparabat Bol. First Those raies and beams of Majesty which the Lord letting out a little upon Job he was not able to bear them We finde when in those ancient times God appeared the beholders were terrified Manoahs wife tels her husband A man of God came unto me and his countenance was like the countenance of an Angel of God very terrible Judg. 13.6 And when God appeared to Abraham An horrour of great darknesse fell upon him Gen. 15.12 in what a wofull plight was Daniel receiving the visions of God Dan. 10.8 God who is the joy of his people is also a terrour to them Things which are not what they seem to be are not so terrible near hand as at a distance God who is infinitely more then he can seem to be is more terrible near hand then at a distance Hence it is that when God who is alwaies near us shews himself to be so our spirits fail within us In that presence of God which we shall have in glory there will be fulnesse of joy And in that presence of God which we have in the waies of grace there is abundance of joy But if while we are here in a state of grace some little of that presence of God which is proper to the state of glory fals upon us we are more distressed then comforted with it How much more then when God clothes himself with terrour and as he did to Job so reveals himself unto us Secondly We may interpret this fear by the former part of the verse the rod his afflictions were terrible the hand of God lifted up to smite him made him afraid But whether it were this or that the majesty of God overawing him or the rod of God chastening him the sense is plain Job was opprest with fear from the Lord yea with terrour from the Almighty causing this vehement deprecation Let not his fear terrifie me Hence observe First That God sometimes appears terribly to those he loves entirely Job was one of Gods darlings and God was imbracing him while he was scourging him Job had kisses from heaven when he felt nothing but lashes here upon the earth The heart of God was full of love while his hand was filled with a rod his bowels yearn'd upon Job and his face terrified him at the same time That precious man Heman was followed with terrours and visions of amazement all his daies I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up while I suffer thy terrours I am distracted Psal 88.15 The terrours of God even terrours to distraction may be the present portion of those whose portion is everlasting mercy Observe Secondly Man is not able to bear the anger of G d. Though he be but correcting us yet we cannot bear his anger toward us This caused the Prophet to cry out Jer. 10.24 Correct me O Lord but not in thine anger The words are not a praier for correction I know no warrant for that but a submission to it As if he had said Lord I am willing to bear thy correction but I cannot and who can bear thine anger The Church complains Psal 90.7 We are consumed by thine anger and by thy wrath we are troubled The fatherly anger of God is as a consuming fire and we are but as stubble before it What then is the fiercenesse of that anger which he will pour out upon wicked men for ever Who knoweth the power of thine anger Psal 90.11 Man cannot understand how powerfull the anger of God is much lesse stand before the power of his anger As man cannot comprehend the love of God Ephes 3.18 19. The Apostle exhorts To know the love of God which passeth knowledge that is to know so much of it as is knowable the love of God is past the knowledge not only of nature but of grace because it is infinite So we should labour To know the anger of God which passeth knowledge that is to know it so farre as it is knowable The anger of God cannot be fully known because it hath an infinitenesse in it as well as his love And as the one shall never be fully known but by enjoying it so neither can the other but by feeling it Upon this consideration the Lord makes that gracious promise to his people Isa 57.16 I will not contend for ever neither will I be alwaies wroth for the spirit should fail before me and the souls which I have made But is not the spirit or soul of man of an everlasting make And shall not the damned endure the contendings of Gods wrath for ever and not fail The substance of the soul cannot fail and the spirit is incorruptible The spirit is full of morall corruption but it is not subject to naturall corruption or the corruption of its nature How glad would the damned be if their spirits might fail and their souls return to nothing The failing of the spirit under the wrath of God is the failing of its hope and courage Thus the spirit sinks and the immortall soul dies away under the sense and weight of Gods displeasure But what if the Lord should take away his rod and change his â—errours into smiles What will Iob do then when this is granted see what he will do Verse 35. Then would I speak and not fear him but it is not so with me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. But is this the use which Iob would make of the mercy he begs Doth he entreat the Lord to take his terrifying fear away from him and then resolve not to fear him at all Whose voice is this Is this the voice of Job I will speak and not fear him Jobs character in the first Chapter was A man fearing God and dares he now say I will speak and not fear him As the fear of God ought to be the seasoning of all our works and actions so it ought to be the seasoning of all our words and speeches why then doth he say I will speak and not fear him To clear this I answer Fear may be taken two waies Either for the grace of fear or
house saith I am weary of dwelling in it or as a man that hath a filthy garment saith R Moyses cum alijs Hebraeis doctoribus existimat propriam vocis significationem esse litigare aut contendere Litigavit anima mea in vita mea I am weary of wearing it So saith Job here My soul is weary of my life were I well rid of it I should be well Fourthly Many of the Jewish Doctors tell us that the most strict and proper signification of this word is To contend or strive to chide or wrangle we may give it in that homely language As if the meaning of Job were My soul doth even contend chide and wrangle with my life my soul contests and disputes the matter with my life why it will not end that I may get out from this body of mine and goe beyond the reach of these afflictions The 95. Psalm vers 10. is so translated Litigavi Pag Fourty years long did I contend chide or contest angerly with that generation The Lord did often chide with the people of Israel and they used to chide with Moses whence one place was called Meribah yea through their unbelief they did chide with God himself and there is no reason dust and ashes should have the last word God also gave them their chidings and told them plainly their own more then once Thus the soul of Job chid his life what 's the reason that I am held in this condition why wilt not thou be gone that I may be at rest Carnall men chide with their lives for hastening so fast away because they know of no rest or have hope of none hereafter A godly man may be brought to chide with his life for making no more haste away because he findes none or so little rest here Elihu Ch. 33.19 describing in the method which God uses to humble proud man ads He is chastened also with pain upon his bed and the multitude of his bones with strong pains He is chastened the word signifies also reproving or convincing by arguments and that in a quick and passionate as well as in a rationall and solid way Now while afflictions chidingly smite us we are apt to chide them and give them at least a word for a blow Job did not only chide with his afflictions but with his life because it would not depart and be gone being so unkindly used and imbittered by afflictions His soul did even chide his life out a doors Crudelis effecta est anima mea Chald. Homo qui sibi ipsi mortem precatur adversum se saevire videtur The Chaldee paraphrast gives the meaning yet higher My soul is grown cruell against my life As if he had said I am so exceedingly afflicted and pained that my soul begins to rage against my life I can hardly hold my own hands off from my life and I would not have God hold his Let not my life be spared how glad should I be to see it poured out Anguish is come upon me as the Amalekite reports of Saul 2 Sam. 1.9 because my life is whole in me O that God would stand upon me and slay me my soul is hardned against my life like the Ostrich against her young ones Chap. 39.16 as if it were not mine Let me die and that shall be a favour smite me and that will be to me as a precious ointment though it break my head and let out my troubled spirits Then we are cruell to our lives when we care not what 's done to us or how we are used so we may be rid of our lives But to passe this our translation is clear and significant My soul is weary of my life I am so weary of the pains wherein I live that I had rather my life should end then my pains should continue Job complained in the third Chapter he complained at the sixth and seventh Chapters he erred twice yea thrice upon this point before yet now we hear him complaining as if he had not complained at all This was Jobs infirmity though somewhat hath and more may be said to take off those aspersions which his friends cast upon him for complaining yet no doubt it was his sinne to complain especially to break out so often and in such bitter complainings Hence observe A godly man may possibly fall often into the same sin Where grace taketh hold of the heart it breaks the custom and spoils the trade of sinne yet a godly man may sinne over the same sinne and renew the same transgression The trade of sinne is spoiled when the soul leaves devising plotting contriving sinne which acts denominate a worker of iniquity The custom of sinne is broken when though the same sinne be committed again yet the soul puts in it's plea and complaint against it 'T is here as in civil things if we make our challenge or demand the custom is gone though the acts be renewed by the power and prevalency of the opposite party yet when I say a godly man may fall into sinne often I mean not of grosse and scandalous sins God doth not let his people fall often into the mire Noah was not often drunk nor did David commit adultery often or more then once The grace of God which bringeth salvation teacheth us to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts And if a godly man fall often into any the least sin yet he lies not in sinne because he renews repentance as often as he sins and rises as often as he fals he resolves through the strength of Christ never to sinne when through his own weaknesse and the violence of temptation he is soon after over-taken or surpriz'd with sinne David professeth Psal 119.30 I have chosen the way of truth His election was truth truth of heart which is opposed to hypocrisie truth of judgement which is opposed to errour and truth of speech which is opposed to lying yet he slipt with his tongue more then once and told an untruth more then one He cannot be acquitted from this failing when he answered Ahimelech the Priest The King hath commanded me a businesse and hath said unto me Let not any man know any thing of the businesse whereabout I send thee and what I have commanded thee and I have appointed my servants to such a place 1 Sam. 21.2 He again faulters with his tongue and speaks either falsly or doubtfully when the King of the Philistines asked him Whether have ye made a rode to day And David said against the South of Iudah c. 1 Sam. 27.10 when as his invasion was against the Geshurites and the Geâ—rites and the Amalekites vers 8. He that overcame the Bear the Lion and Goliah the Giant is overcome by fear and the mother of it unbelief Davids example should be no encouragement shall be no excuse to those who willingly fall often into the same sinne A good man is not priviledg'd from doing it but no man is priviledg'd to doe it Such
saw him languishing under such unparallel'd evils of punishment This moved him to pray Lord do not condemn me by making me an object of the worlds condemnation Again The words Doe not condemn me may have this meaning Lord * Permitto reruÌ„ aliarum â—jâ—cturam sed non possum non doâ—ene vehementer laesam meae sanctitatis innocentiae existimationem Pined Do what thou wilt with me only doe not condemn me His earnest deprecation of this may carry in it a willing submission to any thing besides this And 't is very usuall with men to do so we think we could bear any affliction but that or better then that which is upon us Yet Job had great reason to chuse any affliction rather then this He might well say I can through thy grace enabling me bear these or any other pains of my body and losses in my estate but I know not how to bear the losse of mine innocency or the reproach of being thrown out of thy favour The world and these my friends will be confirmed in their misapprehensions of me if thou doest not speedily deliver me and confute their rash jugement by some eminent mercy Condemnation hath three things in it which make it grievous First The penalty of the sentence Secondly The disfavour of the Judge Thirdly The stain of his integrity who is condemned To have but so much as a suspition or jealousie of the displeasure of God afflicts the spirit of a godly man more then all his other afflictions Though Job had a sure interest in the favour of God and was freed from the penalty of condemnation by his union with Christ yet sometimes clouds and darknesse came over him and the terrours of the Lord did fight against him which caused those sad lamentations in the sixth Chapter but here he is chiefly troubled at the stain of his integrity in the eye of the world who beholding his afflictions blotted him as a wicked man and esteemed him forsaken of God even utterly discarded and cast out of his sight Observe hence First That Great afflictions carry a charge of wickednesse upon the afflicted Paul having escaped death in a wreck at sea could not escape a hard censure at land when a viper was seen upon his hand This man say those Barbarians of Melita among themselves is no doubt a murderer whom though he hath escaped the sea yet vengeance suffereth not to live Act. 28.4 We finde also that those exemplary judgements which befell the Galileans whose bloud Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices it seems he caused them to be slain while they offered sacrifice and those upon whom the Tower of Siloe fell left them all under a charge of highest wickednesse else Christ had not taken it off saying Suppose ye that those Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans because they suffered such things or those eighteen upon whom the Tower of Siloe fell thinke ye that they were sinners above all that dwelt in Jerusalem As if he had said I who know your thoughts know ye are ready to think so It is a very ill but it is a very common thing to judge both of persons and of causes by successe Doth a man gain and thrive in the world here 's a man sure whom God loves saith the world Though a Jeremy can say Why doth the way of the wicked prosper He can see them to be wicked thorow all their prosperity yet how often are they accounted righteous who prosper and good who enjoy good But doth a man wither and go down the winde in the world He 's a man sure whom God hates saith the world Man is apt to think them the worst who suffer worst and that they have sinned most who have most sorrow The Prophet Isa 53.4 5. fore-tels that Christ himself While he bore our griefs and carried our sorrows should be esteemed stricken smitten of God and afflicted Christ was esteemed a great sinner when God gave him up to be smitten for sinners therefore he adds but he was wounded for our transgressions c. Secondly observe The displeasure of God is more grievous to the Saints then all other pressures and sorrows whatsoever Job saith not Lord do not afflict me do not chasten me lay not thine hand upon me any more but Lord do not condemn me It is infinitely worse to be condemned then to be chastened yea then to be killed Condemnation carries in it an argument of disfavour and that makes it so burdensome As the love of God is better to us then all the good things of this life Psal 4.6 Many will say Who will shew us any good This is the great query of the world but what saith David Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us thou hast put gladnesse in my heart more than in the time that their corn and their wine encreased And as the favour of God is better to us then the good things of this life so then life which is better then all earthly goods Ps 63.3 Thy loving kindenesse is better then life Now I say as the love of God is better to us then the best things in the world so the displeasure of God is worser to us then the worst things that are in the world all the torments and racks all the sicknesses and distempers all the reproaches and contempts of men have not so much evil in them to us as one frown from God Hence as when two sore diseases suppose the gout and the stone both very painfull yet one much exceeding at once afflict the body the patient forgets the lesse so it is when inward and outward sorrows at once ceaze upon one man when the arrows of God are fastned in his spirit he forgets the arrow in his flesh The wounds of the spirit heal all the wounds of the flesh they make them as if they were no wounds or not worth the complaining of Thirdly observe To be accounted wicked is a sore affliction It is an affliction to have an ill name though we deserve it not and to be accounted wicked though we are not it is I grant far better to be censured then to be flattered It is very ill when others count us and worst of all when we account our selves better then we are yet it is no small evil to be accounted worse then we are especially to be accounted evil when we are good A wound in our honour is not a wound to be sleighted It was no small part of the sufferings of Christ that he was numbred with the transgressours in his death and called Beelzebub a friend of Publicans and sinners while he lived Fourthly observe from this Do not condemn me That condemnation is the adjudging of one to be wicked Condemnation supposeth a man guilty and leaveth him under a penalty As Justification is the adjudging and declaring of a person to be righteous or the accepting of him for righteous in another who is not righteous
knowledge of us beyond ours though he know us better then we know our selves yet no man can tell the Lord Thou knowest that I am not wicked but he who knows that he is not The excellency of our condition consists in being godly the comfort of it consists in knowing that we are godly When David offers himself to the triall Psal 139.24 Search me O Lord and see if there be any way of wickednesse in me He speaks not as doubting whether he were wicked or no but as being assured that he was not As if he had said There are many weaknesses in me I know but I know not of any wickednesse He that offers himself to Gods search for his wickednesse gives a strong argument of his own uprightnesse The best of the Saints may be at a losse sometimes for their assurances and not know they are good They may stand sometimes hovering between heaven and earth yea between heaven and hell as uncertain to which they shall be accounted Yet many of the Saints are fully perswaded they are Saints and sit with Christ in heavenly places while they are wâ—ndering here upon on the earth A godly man may know this two vvaies First By the vvorkings of grace in his heart Secondly By the testimony of the Spirit with his heart First By the vvorkings of grace in his heart 1 Joh. 2.3 Hereby we know that we know him if we keep his Commandments and chap. 3.14 We know that we are passed from death to life because we love the brethren There may be such workings of grace in the heart as may amount to an evidence of grace What our being is is discernable in our workings The word is as clear as light that our justification may have a light or evidence in our sanctification though no cause or foundation there Grace is the image of Christ stamped upon the soul and they who reflecting upon their souls see the image of Christ there may be sure that Christ is theirs Christ hath given all himself to those to whom he hath given this part of himself Secondly This may be known by the testimony of the Spirit with the heart 2 Cor. 5.5 He that hath wrought us for the self same thing is God God sets up a frame of holinesse in every believer He hath wrought us and how are we assured that he hath Who also hath given us the earnest of his Spirit The graces of the Spirit are a reall earnest of the Spirit yet they are not alwaies an evidentiall earnest therefore an earnest is often superadded to our graces There is a three-fold work of the Spirit First To conveigh and plant grace in the soul Secondly To act and help us to exercise the graces which are planted there Thirdly To shine upon and enlighten those graces or to give an earnest of those graces This last work the Spirit fullfils two waies First By arguments and inferences which is a mediate work Secondly By presence and influence which is an immediate work This the Apostle cals witnesse-bearing 1 Joh. 5.8 There are three that bear witnesse in earth The Spirit and the water and the bloud The Spirit brings in the witnesse of the water and of the bloud which is his mediate work but besides and above these he gives a distinct witnesse of his own which is his immediate work and is in a way of peculiarity and transcendency called the witnesse of the Spirit Hence that of the Apostle Paul We have not received the spirit of the world but we have received the Spirit which is of Christ that we may know the things that are freely given us of God 1 Cor. 2.12 The things freely given may be received by us and yet the receit of them not known to us therefore we receive the Spirit that we may know what is given us and what we have received The Spirit doth as it were put his hand to our receits and his seal also whence he is said To seal us up to the day of redemption Ephes 4.30 Sixthly Observe A godly man dares appeal to God himself that he is not wicked He dares stand before God to justifie his sincerity though he dares not stand to justifie himself before God Job had often laid all thoughts of his own righteousnesse in the dust but he alwaies stands up for his own uprightnesse God is my witnesse saith the Apostle Paul Rom 9.1 whom I serve in my spirit in the Gospel of his Sonne I serve God in my spirit and God knows that I do so I dare appeal unto him that it is so God is my witnesse When Christ put that question and drove it home upon Peter thrice Simon Lovest thou me Lord saith he Thou knowest all things Thou knowest that I love thee Joh. 21. As if he had said I will not give testimony of my self thou shalt not have it upon my word but upon thine own knowledge It were easie for me to say Master I love thee with all my heart with all my soul but I refer my self to thy own bosome Thou knowest I love thee So when Hezekiah lay as he thought upon his death-bed he turned himself to the wall desiring God to look upon the integrity of his life Lord remember how I have walked before thee in truth Isa 38.3 I do not go to the world for their good word of me I rest not in what my Subjects or neighbour Princes say of me Lord it is enough for me that what I have been and what I am is laid up safe in the treasury of thy thoughts This brings strong consolation when we take not up the testimony of men nor rest in the good opinion of our brethren but can have God himself to make affidavit or bear witnesse with us and for us That such a man will say I am an honest man that such a man will give his word for me is cold comfort but when the soul can say God will give his word for me The Lord knows that I am not wicked here 's enough to warm our hearts when the love of the world is waxen so cold and their tongues so frozen with uncharitablenesse that they will not speak a good word of us how much good soever they know by us Seventhly Consider the condition wherein Job was when he spake this he was upon the rack and as it were under an inquisition God laid his hand extream hard upon him yet at that time even then he saith Lord thou knowest that I am not wicked Hence observe A man of an upright heart and good conscience will not be brought to think that God hath ill thoughts of him how much evil so ever God brings upon him The actings of God toward us are often full of changes and turnings but the thoughts of God never change A soul may be afflicted till he is weary of himself yet he knows God is not weary of him Whomsoever he hath once made good he cannot but for ever esteem good
flower of the field Some read goodnesse for goodlinesse the sense holds if we take it so the naturall the morall goodnes of man is but a flower As no goodlines so no goodnes of man except spiritual lasteth long and that lasteth long and long even for ever Grace is not as the flower of the field that is durable substance that as the Prophet speaks there of the Word of God in v. 8. shall stand for ever The grace of God is as lasting as the Word of God for his Word is the externall seed or principle of grace But all other goodnesse and goodlinesse of man how good how goodly soever his other beauty how beautifull soever his strength how strong his favour how well favoured so ever is but as the flower of the field which is either cut down while it is green or soon fades while it stands Take favour in this sense and the sense of the whole verse is harmonious and sound Thou hast granted me life my body is formed and quickned and more then so Thou hast given me favour my body is full of beauty and comelinesse The comelinesse of the body is a favour received and many receive favour because they are comely From either of which considerations we may call the comelinesse of the body favour and it is no common favour God denies this to many he grants them the life of nature but not favour yea he grants many the life of grace but not favour Beautifull souls are often ill-housed and filthy souls clearly housed 't is admirable when both beauties meet in the same man Moses was a goodly childe Exod. 2.2 and a good man As grace in the inward man is the best favour so favour is gracefull to the outward man Thou hast granted me life and favour And thy visitation hath preserved my spirit Here is the third benefit of this Royall grant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Inspectio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. The visitation of God One reads Thy presence A second Thy assistance A third Thy inspection thy over-looking or super intendency hath preserved my spirit The Hebrew word signifies The visitation of a superiour over an inferiour as when masters enquire into their families or governours into their Colledges and Hospitals Visitatio est Dominorum superiorum cum ad Deum refertur denotat providentiam Pined to see whether the statutes and orders appointed by the founders and benefactours be observed There is a three-fold visitation of God held forth in Scripture 1. A visitation of condemnation God visits to take vengeance by destructive punishments when warning is not taken nor repentance shewed after corrective punishments Shall not I visit for these things saith the Lord Shall not my soul be avenged on such a Nation as this Jer. 5.9 2. A visitation of correction Psal 89.32 If thy children forsake my law c. then will I visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes Neverthelesse my loving kindenesse will I not utterly take from him c Though they break my laws yet I will not break my Covenant they shall smart for it but they shall not perish for it This is a fatherly visitation 3. A visitation of consolation And this two-fold 1. For deliverance out of an evil estate and that either temporall the Lord is said to visit his people Israel when he delivered them out of Aegypt Exod. 4.31 or spirituall and eternall God hath visited and redeemed his people saith the blessed Virgin Luk. 1.68 that is he hath visited his people to redeem them from sin and Satan death and hell by Jesus Christ Secondly Which is most proper to this Text there is a visitation for protection in a good estate When God having caused our line to fall in a fair place draws his line of providentiall communication round about us So M. Broughton translates Life and loving kindenesse hast thou dealt to me and thy providence preserveth my spirit As if Iob had said Thou didst not only give me life and favour but thou didst protect me for many years in the enjoyment of those favours Providence was the hedge not only of his outward but of his inward estate Thy visitation hath preserved my spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The verb which we translate hath preserved signifieth to preserve Summa solertia atque diligentia prospexit cavit oberravit ut solent custodiae excubiae nocturnae vel gregum custodes both by strength and watchfulnesse The Noun expresseth a Watch-tower in Hebrew because a watch-man standeth upon his Tower and looks round about him to espy and give notice of approaching dangers The Lord preserveth both waies by his watchfulnes and by his strength his eie is wakefull enough and his arm is powerfull enough to preserve us He that keepeth Israel doth neither slumber nor sleep Psal 121.1 the creatour of the ends of the earth fainteth not neither is weary Isa 40.28 He that is thus wakefull can easily visit and he that is thus powerfull can easily preserve those whom he visiteth Thy visitation hath preserved my spirit But how did the visitation of God preserve the spirit of Iob Or what are we to understand by his spirit which was thus preserved The spirit of a man is taken three waies First For life Thus God keepeth us from death while he preserves our spirits Secondly For the soul Thus God preserveth our spirits while he keeps us from falling into or from falling in temptation while he keeps our corruptions from prevailing and our graces from decaying Thirdly The spirit of man is taken for his courage Thus God preserveth our spirits while he keeps us from needlesse fears and cowardly despondencies Doubtlesse Iob had experience of the visitation of God preserving his spirit in all these senses yet here he seems chiefly to intend the preservation of his life which God had granted him with favour or of those comforts which were granted him with his life Hence observe First in generall That what God granteth he preserveth It is a part of his grant that he will preserve Should the Lord bestow the greatest stock of mercy upon us and leave us to the wide world we should quickly loose all God is not like the Carpenter or the Mason who buildeth up a house and then leaveth it to it self or to the care of others The Lord surveys what he builds and keeps up what he sets up all would come down else Providence succeedeth Creation or Providence is a continued Creation Assoon as ever the Lord had made man and a garden He took the man and put him into the Garden which he had made to dresse it and to keep it Gen. 2.15 God putteth the creatures under mans charge yet he keepeth all creatures in his own charge and especially man A Garden without a man to visit it would soon be a wildernesse And man without God to visit him would soon be or be in a wildernesse either
point at the sixteenth Chapter of this book and the eighth verse which may be a Commentary upon this Thou hast filled me with wrinckles which is a witnesse against me and my leannesse rising up in me beareth witnes to my face Afflictions bring in evidence and testifie many waies They sometimes witnesse for us evidencing our graces our faith patience sincerity and submission to the hand of God they are witnesses also of our adoption or spirituall sonship Heb. 12.8 If you be without chastisement whereof all are partakers then are ye bastards and not sons It is no good sign to be free from sufferings Hear ye the rod saith the Prophet Micah as we ought to hear it calling us from sin so we may hear it calling us sons Chastenings speak our priviledges as well as our duties They often witnesse against us First That sin is seated in us and hath been acted by us If we had no sin vve should know no sorrow Though some afflictions are not sent out directly against sin yet every affliction is both a consequent and a testimony of remaining sin The bundle of rods at our backs saith there is folly and sin bound up in our hearts and vvhen once we are purged from all sin vve shall hear no more of any affliction of any rod. We shall be past suffering as soon as vve are past sinning Secondly They are vvitnesses in speciall of that great sin the pride of our hearts and lives If there were not swellings and impostumations of pride in our spirits vve should not feel such lancings Paul himself acknowledges that they vvere growing upon him if God had not taken a severe course to keep them down Lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of revelations there was given to me a thorn in the flesh the messenger of Satan to buffet me 2 Cor. 12.7 Hence afflictions are called humiliations both because an afflicted person is humbled or laid low by the hand of God as also because afflictions are sent to humble and lay us low in our selves Now if one speciall businesse vvhich affliction hath vvith us be to humble us then doubtlesse affliction vvitnesseth that there is pride in us That vvhich is sent to remove an evil shews the presence of it Thirdly They are vvitnesses by bringing to our remembrance the acting of forgotten sins Affliction is a help to memory That vvhich vve forget we have done or spoken vvitnesses coming in make us remember so also do our troubles When the brethren of Joseph had been put in ward three daies and heard him demand one of them to be left as an hostage in prison till they brought Benjamin This distresse caused them to say We are verily guilty concerning our brother in that we saw the anguish of his soul when he besought us and we would not hear therefore is this distresse come upon us Gen. 42.21 The guilt of that sin was about twenty years old but they felt not the smart of it till themselves smarted for it their imprisonment set their memories at liberty and vvhen they saw themselves in danger to become bond-men to the Aegyptians they had vvitnesse enough of their selling Joseph for a captive to the Ishmaelites Fourthly Afflictions vvitnesse obstinacy and resolvednesse in the waies of sin or that afflicted persons or Nations turn not for sinne Every vvound vvill open it's mouth as a vvitnesse and every stroak will bring an evidence against the impenitent The troubles which God brought upon Ahaz witnessed emphatically 2 Chron. 28.22 This is that King Ahaz who in the time of his distresse did trespasse yet more against the Lord. If we are not bettered by our distresses our distresses testifie that we are naught how much more when we are worse in our distresse As all good things which we have received so all evils which we have suffered will rise up in judgement against those who still continue evil Fifthly Afflictions witnesse two things concerning God First That he hath an eye upon us and care of us He will not let us want any thing that is needfull for us no not affliction Due chastisement given a childe is an argument that his father loveth him and looks to him Secondly They are witnesses of Gods fatherly displeasure Some say God cannot be displeased with his children because his love is everlasting But will any man say A father doth not love his childe because he corrects him yet a father never correcteth his childe but when he is displeased with him Parents may not strike unprovoked and 't is rare that God doth so A man may be much displeased with and much love the same person at the same time and 't is very usuall for God to do so Afflictions never testifie any the least hatred of God against his people but they often testifie some and sometimes great displeasure against his people Lastly Afflictions upon the godly are reckoned very sufficient and credible witnesses by the world that either they are not godly or that surely some great ungodlinesse hath been acted by them How many precious men have been cast upon this evidence for traitors and rebels against God Iobs friends took this for proof enough that he was wicked They could not be perswaded he was good because he endured so many evils As the high Priest cried out against Christ what further need have we of witnesses behold now ye have heard his blasphemy so said Iobs friends concerning him What need have vve of further vvitnesse Behold vve have seen his misery What do these losses in his estate and ruines upon his family What do these sores upon his body and sorrows in his soul but publish unto us what he hath kept close and concealed the profanenesse of his spirit and the hypocrisie of his former profession Iob perceiving his friends making use all along of this proof as of their chiefest and strongest medium might well complain to God upon the renewall of every daies affliction Thou renewest thy witnesses against me And encreasest thine indignation upon me or Thy indignation encreaseth upon me In the beginning of the verse his own afflictions did encrease but here the indignation of God Indignation is more grievous then affliction and the indignation of God is the most grievous indignation The word signifies wrath displeasure fierce fiery wrath hot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 consuming displeasure Increasest There is a double increase here noted First Extensive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secondly Intensive an increase both in multitude and magnitude As if he had said I have more troubles in number and more in weight Indignation is here put for the effects of indignation neither the wrath nor the love of God do ever encrease in him but in their exertions or in the putting of them forth towards us Observe from it First That a godly man may conceive himself under the indignation of God The Church stoops to it Mich. 7.9 I will bear the indignation of
the Lord because I have sinned against him Secondly Observe That the more we see of the indignation of God in any affliction the sorer is the affliction As the love and smiles of God comfort the Saints more then all the outward comforts he heaps upon them a little with much sensible love is to us huge mercy So the disfavour and frowns of God trouble the Saints more then all the troubles which he heaps upon them A little with much sensible disfavour is to us a heavy crosse Let trouble increase yet if displeasure abate the spirit of a man will bear and stand under it though his flesh and outward man fall under it Though the furnace should be heated seven times hotter yet if the Lord do but let down one beam or ray of his love into the soul all that burning fire will be but like a warm Sun But when the scorchings of indignation mingle with affliction this is dreadfull The anger of a fool saith Solomon is very heavy yet that is not so much as a feather to a milstone or a mountain compared with the anger of God And though believers are freed from that anger and indignation which he darts upon his enemies yet they to sense yea to their present opinion may be dealt with as enemies And though the indignation which God pours upon his own people and that upon the wicked be as different as their states are yet the one may be under as much temporary pain and sorrow as the other is For as an hypocrite may for a time taste as much of the goodnesse of God and feel as much joy in his service and sometimes more then a man who is godly and sincere so also may one who is godly and sincere taste more of the displeasure of God for a time and feel as much sorrow in his sufferings and sometimes more then a wicked man Job concludes with the same thing in a different habit of words Changes and war are against me I have variety of afflictions a multitude of afflictions and afflictions in their strength these three things are implied in those two words Poenae militant in me Vulg. Changes and warre He had variety of afflictions for changes were upon him He had many and strong afflictions For warre was upon him One strong man cannot make a war nor many weak ones And it is as strange that this should be called a warre which was but against one weak man The Roman stories cry up the honour of a man who alone upon a narrow passe made a stand against a whole army till supplies came what shall we say then of Job who single and alone maintained his standing against many armies and held out a long war 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Excidere quod exciditur immutatur à statu suo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Est tempus quoquis in statione aut militari officio est Citra hos tantos dolores mihi certum tempus est praescriptum intra quod sum moriturus Mer. Changes and warre are upon me The first word which signifies changes signifies also destruction or cutting off Some render it so here excision or cutting off by which he meaneth death is upon me The other word which we translate warre noteth also a set or an appointed time as was shewed at the first verse of the 7th Chapter Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth So some translate it here putting all together thus Excision or death the cause being put for the effect is upon me and a determined time of my life M. Broughton translates Changes and staied army have I. Taking in both interpretations of the word so his sense may be expressed in this tenour Lord have not I a setled and determined time to die Why then are such extream afflictions prepared against and charged upon me as if by those thou wouldest hasten my death and bring me to my grave sooner then thou thy self hast appointed I shall die at the time thou hast determined though thou shouldest not distresse my life and even force out my breath with such pressing extremities Further Taking the later word for a prescribed time some conceive Iob carrying an allusion to those who are surprized with feavers and agues they have changes some well daies Hunc sensum aâ—â—pâ—ctuâ—tur Abâ—â—-Ezra Rab. Sal. and some sick daies yet the fever returns upon a set time or in a constant recourse till the distemper is checked As if he had said My afflictions are like fever fits though I have some intermission yet I finde a regression the fit comes upon me again Changes at set times are upon me But rather according to the letter of our translation Changes and warre are against me that is I am exercised with variety of wars The word imports any kinde of change change of times or change of things it signifies also change of garments Exerceor contrariu interse compugnantibus malis vel potius varijs sibi invicem succedentibus malorum agminibu Merc. Judg. 14.12 That notion of the word hath an elegancy in it in reference to Jobs condition He was a man cloathed with affliction sorrow encompassed him as a long mourning cloak and Iob had changes of this raiment he went not alwaies in one sute though his sutes were still of one colour for he went alwaies in blacks Again We may interpret this change of his change from one estate to another from joy to sorrows from peace to trouble from plenty to want from costly robes to filthy rags Time was when Job went in scarlet and fine linen and if he pleased might have fared deliciously every day but when he spake this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was in another state and habit cloathed with sackcloth and lying in the dust It is said of wicked men Psal 55.9 Because they have no changes therefore they fear not God Every creature is subject to change and hath some changes every day God only is unchangeable Yet some men seem to have no changes though they cannot be free from naturall changes one moment yet they may be free from many years civil changes they maybe so far from such changes as Job felt from good to evil that all the changes they are acquainted with may be only from good to better from strong to stronger from rich to richer that 's the intent of the Psalm They have no changes from joy to sorrow from health to sicknes from riches to poverty from honour to disgrace therefore they fear not God their hearts were hardned because their estates prospered So then these changes import either divers sorts of afflictions or divers returns and charges of the same afflictions The second word carrieth that allusion Agmen quiddaÌ„ malorum ut etiam dicitur lerna vel Ilias malorum Mer. Vexationes turmatim me invadunt Drus Sagittandi militandi verba saepe eleganter in scripturis declarant Dei contra impios
the displeasednesse or irksomnesse of our mindes All burdens upon the body are light compared with those which reach the soul Three things weary and load the soul First The filth and guilt of our own sins I will sprinkle you saith the Lord Ezek. 36.31 with clean water c. What 's the effect of this It follows Then shall you remember your own evil waies and loath or be weary of your selves it is this word because of all your abominations As if the Lord had said before I change your hearts ye sinne and are not wearâ—â— of your sins nay ye make a sport of and dally with them But when I shall work that great change upon your hearts your opinion and apprehensions of sin will change too nothing will be so bitter or burdensome so unpleasant or wearisome to your souls as sinne Fools make a mock of sin they who are truly wise mourn and groan under the sense and weight of it Secondly The unsutablenesse and perversenesse of other mens manners or dispositions weary the soul The righteous soul of Lot was vexed from day to day in seeing and hearing the unrighteous deeds of the debauched Sodomites 2 Pet. 2.8 The soul of God is said to be wearied by such courses of the sons of men Psal 95.10 Fourty years long was I grieved or wearied with that generation The Lord as we may speak with reverence was even weary of his life he had such a troublesome people to deal with they grieved him at the heart as the old world did Gen. 6.6 and were a heavy burden to his Spirit That 's the Apostles language in his description of that peoples frowardnesse and of Gods patience towards them Act. 13.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He suffered their manners fourty years in the wildernesse which some render He bare them as a burthen the continuall murmurings and unbelief of that people were to the Lord who is yet above all passion as a heavy weight is to a man or as the peevishnesse and unquietnesse of a sucking childe is to the nurse as our translatours conceive the Greek word should rather be Thus also he reproves the same people by the Prophet Isa 43.24 Thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities And Christ though by another word speaks the same thing of his own Disciples Mark 9.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tolero 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 autem dâ—â—untur translatitiè qui volentes onus subeunt sub eo perdurant when the man possest with an unclean spirit being brought to them they could not cast him out How long shall I be with you How long shall I suffer you I am wearied with your unbelief O ye of little faith The Disciples were still so slow of heart and came so short of a Gospel-spirit that Christ professeth He was burthened even with them How long shall I suffer you The il manners of all are a wearinesse to the good but theirs most who are neerest to them Which is also the reason why a godly man is wearied most of all with the corruption of his own heart for that is nearest to him of all Now as our own sins and the il manners of others weary the soul so Thirdly The pains and troubles which are upon the body often cause such grief of minde as is an extream wearinesse to the soul That 's the meaning of this text My soul is weary of my life That is my life is filled with such outward troubles as fill my inward man with trouble and weary my very soul Verbum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exsententia R. David R. Mardoc significat excidere aut succidere Excisa est anima meaâ—n me Pag. Vatao c. Aâ—um est de vita mea en mar or vel perinde ac si mortuâ—s pâ—are sum Secondly The word is translated by divers of the learned Rabbies To cut yea to cut off as with a sword or any other edged instrument These render Jobs minde thus My soul is cut off in me or My soul is cut off from my life As if he had said My daies are at an end I am ready to die the threed of my life is cut I am but a dead man While life continues soul and body are as it were one peece but death divides them or the recourse of night and day runs the threed of time thorow our lives till our web longer or shorter be finished and then the threed is cut To which similitude Hezekiah alludes in his mourning death-bed song as he supposed Isa 38.10 12. I said in the cutting off of my daies c. Mine age is removed from me as a shepherds tent I have cut off like a Weaver my life he will cut me off with pining sicknesse or from the thrum which being woond about the beam the Weaver having finished his work cuts the web off from it The same word in the Hebrew signifies pining sicknesse and a thrum because of the thinnesse and weaknesse of it My life saith Hezekiah is spent I am at the very last cast the yern of time is all wrought off therefore my life is ready to be cut off I am a borderer upon death and to be numbred among the dead rather then among the living Such a sense this reading gives the text of Job My soul is cut off from my life Denotat displicentiam qua homo interius tabescit prae doloru sensu Propriè significat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. remputidaÌ„ quae nauseaÌ„ parit aversari Thirdly The word signifies a reluctance or displicency of spirit arising from the sight and sense of that which is very loathsome filthy and of an evil savour It answers the Greek work rendered Abomination Matth. 24.15 The abomination of desolation he means the Romans who being Idolaters their worship was abominable and who being Lords of the world their power was formidable and laid all countries waste and desolate which opposed them or which they had a minde to oppose And so when Job saith My soul is weary of my life his meaning is represented thus My soul refuses to inhabit or to act so filthy a body as mine My soul loaths to dwell or stay any longer in this nasty lodging As David Psal 120.5 speaks of his wearinesse in dwelling amongst wicked men because of their morall filthinesse or the pollution of their mindes and waies Woe is me that I sojourn in Meshec that I dwell in the tâ—nts of Kedar So Job seems to speak in reference to the naturall pollution and filthinesse of his own body Woe is me that I sojourn in such a diseased body and dwell which yet will not die in such a dying carease The noble tenant my soul is wearie of staying in such a stinking and filthy habitation and I perceive for I have moved him hitherto in vain the great land-lord will neither repair it nor as yet let it fall As then a man who lives in an ill or incommodious
upon ourselves First When we let them lie wholly upon our selves and will not go to God for strength or patience to bear them Who can sufficiently mourn over them who leave their complaints in this sense upon themselves It is sinfull and foolish to leave our complaints thus upon our selves 'T is a duty to leave them upon God and to pour them into the bosom of Christ who can and who only can either ease us of them or make them easie to us who can and who only can take off our burdens or enable us to carry them The burden of our ordinary cares will break our backs if left upon our selves how then shall we in our own strength stand under the burden of extreamest sorrows Secondly We leave our complaint upon our selves When we make no excuses or evasions but plainly charge the fault upon our selves Thus we ought to leave all our complaints upon our selves It is sinfull and foolish to charge any of them wholly upon the devil or at all upon God An honest heart takes them home and saith God is righteous but I am a transgressour what he hath done he may do and he hath done justly in all that he hath done This is the sense of Iobs resolution I will leave my complaint upon my self Hence observe Whatsoever a godly man suffereth he will not charge God with it but himself He is more carefull of the honour of God then of his own peace and had rather die then the glory of God should suffer O Lord saith Daniel chap. 9.7 righteousnesse belongeth unto thee but unto us confusion of face And vers 14. the Lord is righteous in all his works which he doth for we obeyed not his voice When the Angel was smiting Israel with the plague of pestilence David bespeaks the Lord in reference to the people Loe I have sinned and I have done wickedly but these sheep What have they done Let thine hand I pray thee be against me c. 2 Sam. 24.17 I take the blame to my self Lord upon me let thy stroak be even upon me not upon Israel So saith the soul in reference unto God upon me be the blame of all the troubles and afflictions which I feel not upon God What hath God done All that he hath done is right and just and good It is an argument of a holy frame of heart to be often judging our selves and alwaies acquitting of God To be often complaining of our selves and to be ever exalting God To be alwaies thanking him for our comforts and alwaies saying we may thank our selves for our sorrows Whatsoever the Lord saith or doth concerning us we should not only say with Hezekiah when a sad message was brought him 2 King 20.19 Good is the Word of the Lord but also Good are the works of the Lord. Many men are ready to lay their sins much more their sorrows upon God So the Apostle represents them Rom. 9.19 Thou wilt say unto me Why doth he then finde fault Why doth God complain of us we have more reason to complain of and charge our faults on God If he hardeneth whom he will Why are we blamed for being hardened For who hath resisted his will Thus they question God Who hath resisted thy will whose lives are nothing else but a continued warre against and resistance of his will They who strive most to comply with the will of God complain often of themselves for resisting it And though they know God hardeneth vvhom he vvill yet they will not leave the hardening of any upon God as his fault but as his prerogative They confesse it to be as great an act of holinesse in God to harden some men in sin as it is to soften others by his grace Mercy appears chiefly in the one justice appears chiefly in the other but holinesse equally in both I will speak in the bitternesse of my soul A bitter soul bringeth forth bitter words Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh If there be abundance of joy in the heart the mouth will speak joyfully and if there be abundance of sorrow in the heart the mouth speaks sorrowfully Loquar quicquid mihi afflictio suggesserit As when there is abundance of filth in the heart the mouth speaks filthinesse We may see the lines and image of mans minde drawn upon his words One man speaks in the anger of his soul and he speaks angerly Another speaks in the pride of his soul and he speaks proudly A third speaks in the profanenesse of his soul and he speaks profanely Again one speaks in the courage of his soul and he speaks couragiously Another speaks in the patience of his soul and he speaks patiently A third speaks in the faith of his soul and he speaks beleevingly There is a neernesse to this sense in that of the sixtieth Psalm vers 6. God hath spoken in his holinesse and we are assured he cannot but speak holily who is all holy I saith Job will speak in the bitternesse of my soul and he spake bitterly his soul was bitter and so was his speech too What he means by the bitternesse of his soul hath been opened heretofore in the third Chapter and in the seventh Chapter vers 11. thither I refer the Reader In brief I will speak in the bitternesse of my soul is either this I will let out the sorrows of my heart at my tongue and it shall appear by what I say what I feel Or Further I will speak in the bitternesse of my soul may be taken as an Apology for what he spake As if he had said Doe not charge my complaint upon my own account Nō rā mea futura sunt verba quam meae amaritudinis haec enim imperat extorquet orationem If I speak bitterly it is not I that speak but the bitternesse that is in me As Paul when he did what he would not pleads in the seventh of the Romans It is no more I that doe it but sinne that dwelleth in me It is not I Paul an Apostle not I regenerate Paul but the remains of unregenerate Paul of Paul a Pharisee which rebell against the Law of God In the same manner saith Iob here and so say the Saints Are we at any time impatient and complain more then becommeth us know it is not we that speak but the bitternesse of our hearts The thing which we would not that speak we and therefore it is not we that speak but the sorrow that dwelleth in us So then speaking in the bitternesse of the soul notes either the excesse or greatnesse of a complaint or the cause and spring of a complaint The complaints of Job came not from the ordinary temper of his spirit but from the troubles of his estate distempering his spirit he desired rather to be praising and glorifying God for his receits then complaining over his own wants But his wants were such as he could not refrain from complaining I will
speak in the bitternesse of my soul But what speaks he As when he first spake these words Chap. 7.11 he presently turned his speech to God desiring him to deal more sweetly with him and puts the question Am I a Sea or a Whale c. So here after he hath set forth his resolvednesse to complain he presently turns his speech to God imploring favour I will say unto God doe not condemn me vers 2. and he puts the question vers 3. Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppresse As if he had said Lord I cannot but complain of my condition and I must take the boldnesse to complain to thee but I will not complain of thee as if thou wert mine enemy nor will I contend with thee as if thou wert a party my meaning and scope is only this to supplicate thee as my Judge I will say unto God Doe not condemn me c. JOB Chap. 10. Vers 2 3. I will say unto God Doe not condemn me show me wherefore thou contendest with me Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppresse That thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands and shine upon the counsel of the wicked IN the former verse Job resolved to complain in this second he begins his complaint I will say unto God c. He complains to God not against God He leaves his complaint upon himself but he tendereth and presenteth it before the Lord I will say unto God What he saith may be cast into a double request 1. That God would not condemn him 2. That he would instruct or convince him as if he had said Lord do not use thy absolute power to destroy me Do not reject me because thou wilt Shew me the reason of thy proceedings that I may either sit down contented with what is amisse in my state or reform and amend what is amisse in my life Doe not condemn me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Noli me docere impium esse Sept. Forte graviore aliqua tristitia obrutus impiam aliquam vocem emittam q. d. Noli occasionē quaerere mei lapsus The Septuagint hath a very different rendering of this clause I will say unto God Do not teach me to be wicked or to do wickedly but is it not wickednesse as black as hell to suppose that God teaches any man to be wicked The Lord hates wickednesse and can he teach it The Lord punishes wickednesse therefore he cannot teach it The minde of the Greek translatours is not that God doth formally teach any to be wicked but that some learn wickednesse or are ensnared in sinne by that which God doth unto them As if Iob had said Lord doe not encrease and heap afflictions upon me Doe not over-grieve and burden the spirit of thy poor creature lest he should even be forced through impatience to speak unadvisedly or doe any thing unbecommingly Lord do not occasion me thorow the extremity of my afflictions to say or doe that which I must repent and be ashamed of Which is also the sense of that petition in the Lords-praier Lead us not into temptation Great affliction lay us open to great temptations And as calamity is an occasion for our graces and vertues to shew themselves So also for our lusts and corruptions Some never appear so holy and others I mean of those who are really godly never shew so much unholinesse as in affliction Hence that request of Agur Prov. 30.9 Lord feed me with food convenient for me lest I be poor and steal and take the Name of my God in vain Such is the meaning of the Septuagint when they say Lord teach me not to be wicked God teaches man to be holy both by his word and by his works yet some of his works may occasion the flesh to learn wickednesse and to act wickedly Verba sunt hominis se excusantis quasi praecastigantis liberiorem suam orationem Aquin. Secondly These words may be understood as a Preface or a rhetoricall introduction to prepare the ears of the Lord to re-receive the bill of complaint which Iob was about to put up unto him As if he had said Lord possibly through the tediousnesse of my pain and the continuance of my sorrows words may slip from me of which I shall not be able to give a good account or others make a fair construction yet Lord Doe not condemn Doe not censure me I speak only to excuse my self not to accuse thy Majesty I speak only in my own defence let not what I speak be an offence to thee Lord I have so great a weight of affliction upon me that I cannot but hope thou wilt give my words some grains of allowance if they should want their due weight of wisdom and of holinesse As Abraham when he was about to pray for Sodome makes his apologies and preparatory speeches unto God Let not my Lord be angry and I will speak and I will speak yet this once Gen. 18. So here I will speak c. but I will first say unto God be not angry Doe not condemn me If my infirmities prevailing over me I speak amisse Lord be not criticall with me examine not every word strictly Strong passions make an unruly Oratour and when the speaker bears much he may expect to be much borne with by his hearers That 's a second But rather 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verbum condemnandi fere semper ad culpam pertinet Noli me peragere reum aut sontem pronunciare His suppliciis videris me velat impium sceleratumque palā declarare Pin. Ne quaeso me ita affligas ut omnes qui hoc vident judicant me propter peccata gravissima talia pati Thirdly We may take the words as a plain deprecation Doe not condemn me The Hebrew is litterally thus rendered Doe not wicked me that is Doe not count me or cast me for a wicked man But did the Lord account Iob as a wicked man Or had Job an opinion that the Lord did account him so Surely Job had good yet humble thoughts of himself though he endured so many evils yea he was perswaded that the Lord who laid those evils on him had good thoughts of him too and when he saith Doe not condemn me doubtlesse he had hopes possibly he had assurances that the Lord had justified and acquitted him why then resolves he I will say unto God Doe not condemn me First We may expound him thus Lord Doe not that against me which may give the world occasion to condemn me or Lay not thy hand so heavily upon me lest they that understand not the reason of thy dealings should be occasioned to adjudge me wicked Though Job had a witnesse above and a record on high though he knew his reputation was unblemished before God in the midst of all these breaches upon his family and botches upon his body yet he knew men would condemn him as guilty of the most notorious evils of sin when they
Quantus quantus sum magna Dei cura artificio elaboratus sum Pined 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Together round about is as vvas touched before me in every part or all me When some took offence at Christs healing of a sick man upon the Sabbath-day he answers Are ye angry at me because I have made a man every whit whole on the Sabbath day Joh. 7.23 or that I have made the whole man vvhole not leaving any unsound limb about him There is a like phrase Luk. 11.40 vvhich may illustrate this Ye fools Did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also That is Did not he that made man make him together round about Did not he make vvhatsoever is man So Iobs together round about is as if he had said Thou hast made me within and without from head to foot thou hast made me all that I am how great how good how strong how beautifull soever I am I am made by thee Thou as David speaks Psal 139.5 hast beset or formed me so the Hebrew behinde and before and laid thine hand upon me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Formasti me Fourthly By together round about vve may understand all vvithout man vvhich man hath about him Thou hast made and fashioned not only my body but my estate my honour my friends my children children round about the Table Psal 128.2 Per circuitam omnia etiam illa intelligamus quae hominem cingunt sc facultates liberos familiam universam Thou hast given me all that I have about me Whatsoever I am I am made and fashioned by thine hands So the phrase is used Chap. 19.9 10. He hath stript me of my glory and taken the crown from my head he hath destroied me on every side or he hath destroied me round about that is All that he hath made round about me he hath taken away from me he hath stript me of all he once clothed me vvith Mr Broughton translates much to that sense Thou hast fashioned me and made me in every point that is Look vvhatsoever I am considerable in under vvhat notion so ever I may be taken Thou hast made me and fashioned me in all Observe First The making of man now is the work of God as well as the making of the first man was Iob doth not say The Lord did once make and fashion man but thine hands have made me He ascribeth his own making to God as vvell as Adams The structure and frame of nature is the vvork of God not of nature Nature and naturall causes are nothing but the order in vvhich God vvorketh God turneth or changeth stops or sets them forward as he pleaseth Natura nihil aliud est quam divinorum operumordo Brent Second causes vvork purely at the vvill of God though means be used by man yet the effect is Gods Corn groweth in the field by the hand of God You vvill say What then doth the hushandman What doth the earth What do the Sunne and rain Doe not all these vvork All those are nothing but the order vvherein and by vvhich the hand of God makes the corn to grow for let all those second causes vvork as hard as they can yet the corn grows not unlesse God speak the word His steps not the husbandmans drop fatnesse It is he not the Sunne or the rain which makes the valleys stand thick with corn to laugh and sing As in spirituals so in naturals he that planteth and he that vvatereth is nothing but God that giveth the increase The Psalmist speaks exclusively of man as to the point of mans making and he putteth an emphasis upon it as if man did not take notice enough if a◠all of this that in this man is nothing Know ye that the Lord he is God Psal 100.3 it is he that hath made us and not we our selves There may be a great deal of grace acted in acknowledging God to be the authour of nature yet I conceive the Psalmist speaks there rather of Gods making us in grace then in nature Secondly Observe Iob recounting what God had done for him brings in Thy hands have made me and fashioned me then Our making and naturall constitution are to be reckoned amongst the great benefits received from God Psal 139.14 I will praise thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made The making of a man is a wonder though the frequency of it makes the wonder little observed yet the wonder is not in it self the lesse David who had serious and holy thoughts about naturall things confesseth I am fearfully and wonderfully made A Heathen had three reasons for which he used especially to thank God One of them was this because he had made him a man If men who have but the light of nature can see so much of God in nature How much of God should we see in nature who have the light of grace to see it by Thirdly From the words put together Thine hands have made me and fashioned me together round about Observe The whole fashion and fabrick of man is from God From which generall take these consectaries See more of this point before at the third verse of this Chapter pag. 443. First Then do not undervalue the body it is the work of God He hath fashioned it round about We alwaies look upon and value our bodies too much when we are proud of them but we can never look upon or value our bodies too much while we are thankfull for them and that we may be so we ought to view every room of this house of clay from story to story from the garret to the cellar from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot that we seeing the wonderfull works of God may have our hearts enlarged in his praises Some have put ignoble titles upon the body of man calling it a prison or a shackle The body is not a prison it is a palace it is not a shackle it is an organ a fit instrument for the soul to use and act by If at any time the body be unusefull to the soul that proceeds from sinfull corruption not from its naturall constitution 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the Apostle Phil. 3.21 calleth our body a vile body or the body of our vilenesse Mans body is not vile as God made it so it is a stately structure but as sin hath made it The Apostle cals it vile not absolutely and in it self but relatively The body clothed with mortality is vile compared with the body when it shall be clothed with glory and that glory like the glory of the body of Christ as is assured us Who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body The words carry an allusion to those who changing old and broken vessels desire to have them wrought in the best and newest fashion The body of Christ is the richest piece of Gods work and this