God made two great lights the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night he made the starres also and God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth God in Creation did with the light as he did with the waters which being made were divided the waters above the firmament were divided from the waters under the firmament and the waters under the heaven he gathered together into one place Gen. 1.9 God prepared a certaine great vessell into which the waters were called and gathered that they should not spread over the earth as they did at first which gathering together of the waters God called Seas Gen. 1.10 Thus the light which was spread and scattered through the ayre over all the earth God gathered into severall vessells Pulchritudo es ornamenta coeloruÌ„ stellae sunt sicut terrae animantia et plantae Sanct and the gathering together of light he called Sunne Moone Starrs which are as Job here calleth them the garnishing of the heavens Moses epitomiseth or briefly summs up his larger narrative of the Creation in these words Gen 2.1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished and all the host of them that is they were finished not onely as to their essentials but ornamentalls not only was the foundation layd the walls and pillars the beames and rafters of that goodly structure set up and perfected but all the furniture of it was brought in and the beautyes of it compleated Now as gemms minerals plants trees and all living creatures are the Garnishing of the Earth and the host of God there so the Sunne Moone and Starrs are the garnishing of heaven and the host of God there David speaketh of these distinctly 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 All creatures whether placed in heaven or earth are for their number their strength their order their readynes at a call or command the host of God Earthly Princes shew their power in their hosts and armyes of what power God is both his acts and his hosts aboundantly declare And as these creatures are the armyes or host of God in heaven and earth so they are the Adornings and Garnishings of heaven and earth Job in this place speaketh onely of the former By his Spirit he hath Garnished the Heavens Onely here take notice that some expound the word Spirit for the winde which bloweth in the ayre and so render the text thus By his winde hee garnisheth the heavens As if this were Jobs meaning that God sending forth the windes dispelleth and scattereth those clouds foggs and mists which often cover the face of the heavens and hinder our beholding their glory and garnishings According to this interpretation the garnishing of the heavens is nothing else but the removing of that which obscureth the Garnishing of them And it is true that when the heavens are maskt over with clouds and darknesse God by the winds cleareth the ayre and so reneweth the face of those heavenly bodyes But I passe by this and shall onely insist upon the former exposition of these words as being more sutable with Jobs scope and more expressive of the power and Glory of God in the great things which he hath wrought for us By his Spirit hee garnisheth the heavens Hence learne First We ought joyntly to acknowledge and give glory to the Father Son and Spirit in the worke of Creation Solomon in his advice to the young man sayth Eccl 12.1 Remember thy creators in the dayes of thy youth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 creatorum tuorum Mysterâ—um Sanctae Trinitatis Pisc Wee translate in the singular number creator but the Hebrew is plural Creators intimating the mystery of the Holy Trinity as Moses also is conceaved to doe in that plural expression Gen 1.26 And God sayd let us make man in our image after our likenes And though this be added in a way of Eminency when the particular creation of man is set downe yet we are to understand it so generally of the whole worke of Creation and as of the worke of Creation so of all other divine workes towards the creature Redemption is the worke of the Father and of the Spirit as wel as of the Son and sanctification is the worke of the Father and of the Son as wel as of the Spirit The three persons worke together onely they have a distinct manner of working according to which each worke is chiefely attributed to that person and so creation is specially appropriated to the Father Redemption to the Son and Sanctification to the Holy Ghost Seing then all Three worke together in all things towards us All three ought to be equally and eternally honoured worshipped loved and obeyed by us By his Spirit he hath garnished the Heavens Secondly Observe The heavens are full of beauty God hath not onely made them but adorn'd them What a rich and Royall Canopy hath God hung over the heads of poore wormes dust and ashes God did not thinke it enough to give us a house unlesse he gave us also a pleasant house he was not satisfied in setting up a large fabricke for us unlesse he also furnished and garnished it for us God hath made the world not onely usefull but contentfull to us he hath fitted it not onely for our necessity but delight The earth is beautifull but the heavens exceed in beauty The heavens are the Ceiling of our house and the Starres are like Golden studs and sparkling Diamonds in that Ceiling We may inferre three things from the Garnishing of these heavens First If the heavens which we see are so glorious what are the heavens which no eye hath seene If God hath thus discernably adorned the first and second heavens how unconceaveable are the ornaments of the third heavens If nature hath so much beauty in it how beâ—utifull a thing is Glory If God hath prepared such heavens as our eyes see for those who hate him then surely eye hath not seene eare hath not heard nor hath it entred into the heart of man to understand what those heavens are which God hath prepared for them and for them alone who love him The light of these visible heavens is but darkenes to that inheritance of the Saints in light The Moone-light if I may so speake of that state shall be better and more illustrious then the Sun-light of this and the light of the Sunne shall be sevenfold as the light of seven dayes in that Great day when the Lord shall perfectly bind up All the breaches of his people and heale the stroake of their wound God who by his Spirit hath garnished these heavens will be himselfe with his Son and Spirit the eternal Garnishing of those heavens Secondly Seing God hath been so bountifull and munificent as to Garnish the heavens for us even for us by his Spirit seing he hath provided such
gives such a vehement admonition to beware of the way of wicked men Pro. 4.14 15. Enter not into the path of the wicked and goe not in the way of evill men avoyd it passe not by it turne from it and passe away As in the former context he as a carefull father had pressed his Sonne to the closest pursuit of wisdomes way so here he as earnestly presseth him to depart from the path of wickednes He would have his sonne not only not goe into it but not so much as passe by it that is not goe neere it as the next words intimate turne from it as if he had sayd keepe at a distance keepe aloose off doe not stay so long within sight of it as to looke upon it that 's his last counsel passe away not to returne or come neere it any more And while we consider whither that way leads we shall easily grant that when all is sayd little enough is sayd to lead us away from it Where the way is sinne the wages is death Therefore let him who desires to avoyd the conclusion of the wicked say The counsell of the wicked is farre from me Job CHAP. 22. Vers 19 20. The righteous see it and are glad and the innocent laugh them to scorne Whereas our substance is not cut downe but the remnant of them the fire consumeth ELiphas still pursues the ruine and extirpation of wicked men he shewd us before the sinfullnes of their practises towards man and the folly of their opinion in saying to God depart from us who had never hurt them nor given them any cause to be weary of his presence unlesse this displeased them that he filled their houses with good things And because they declared themselves thus vaine therefore Eliphaz rejected both them and their way The counsell of the wicked is farre from me Now in this verse he acquaints us wiâ—h the event or issue of their counsells and how the righteous carry themselves when God calls the wicked to an account and reckons with them for their prophanenes and irreligion Vers 19. The righteous see it and are glad Who the righteous man is and what denominates a man righteous hath been shewed bâ—fore The righteous see it what do they see That which they beleeved looked for the fall of wicked men This act of seeing may be referr'd eyther to the person seeing or to the object seene as 't is referr'd to the person of the righteous so seeing notes both their priviledge and their pleasure They are admitted to see this spectacle of divine Justice and it is their happines to see it This David intimates Psal 37.34 Wait on the Lord and keepe his way and he shall exalt thee to inherit the Land when the wicked are cut off thou shalt see it The righteous shall be honoured with this fight yea and pleased with it the cutting off of wicked men by the hand of God The righteous man hath a promise to see this and promises are the conveyances of mercies Psal 91.8 A thousand shall fall at thy side and ten thousand at thy right hand but it shall not come nigh thee onely with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked Thou shalt be a spectator not a partaker in that calamity Wicked men sometimes glutt their eyes with â—eholding the troubles of the Saints and they account it a happy day when they can have such a sight They signe that day with a white stone when the black stone of the most unjust and cruell condemnation proves the present lot of the righteous David discovered such a spirit in his enemies Psal 35.21 They opened their mouth wide against me and said aha aha our eyes have seene it What had they seene The former verse tells us They speake not peace but they devise deceitfull matters against them that are quiet in the Land When these devises tooke and had successe then they were pleased then they had what they would and saw what they desired And thus the enemies of the Church are described Miâ— 4.11 Now also many Nations are gathered against thee and say let her be defiled there is a twofold defiling a defiling with sinne and a defiling with bloud and misery the latter is meant by the Prophet let her be defiled and let our eyes looke upon Sion They counted it a blessed sight to see Sion bleed The wicked would have such sights often though usually their eyes fayle with waiting and their hope is as the giving up of the Ghost But righteous men shall see the righteous God hath sayd it vengeance powred upon the wicked Againe we may expound this act of seing with reference to the object seene and so it imports 2 things first the certainly of their fall wicked men shall undoubtedly be destroyed and there shall be eye-witnesses honest and faithfull witnesses testifying their destruction The righteous shall see it and report it to after generations Secondly As seeing notes the certainty of their fall or the evidence and clearenesse of it so the publiquenesse of it That which is done to the eye is done openly What the justice of God doth against the wicked shall not be done in a corner but as upon the house-top The reading of the Septuagint is full to this sence They shall be made publicke examples 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Denotat rem omnibus conspicuam in publicum exemplum propositam It is the care of just and wise Magistrates not onely to punish malefactors but to punish them openly That so all may see and feare and doe no more presumptuously There are three speciall reasons why offences are punished and the Greekes expresse each punishment by such a word as carryeth a distinct signification of those reasons First Some are punished that themselves may amend and better their manners This they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secondly Others are punished to repayre the honour or maintaine the dignity of those against whom they have offended lest if such should escape without condigne punishment authoritie should be contemned grow cheape or be lightly valued This they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A third sort were punished for example 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acerbitas ulciscendi maleficij bene atque cante vivendi disciplina est Caecilius apud Gel. l. 2. c. 1. that others might be deterred from doing the same things lest they also incurre the same sufferings This was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As much as to say the holding of a man forth in his sufferings to the open view that he may be seene of all men and that all may be warned to avoyd his error And thus the Lord who is the righteous Judge of all the world punisheth wicked men The same word is used by the Evangelist Matthew Chap. 1.19 Joseph being troubled that Mary was with childe for he knew not the mystery of hir over-shadowing
to God As David saith Psal 25.1 Vnto thee O Lord doe I lift up my soule Equiparantia sunâ— caput vel oculos vel faciem vel animam ad deum levare Bold Eliphaz meanes not the lifting up of a heart-lesse face or head such as the hypocrite or formalist lifts up to God in worship nor the lifting up of a meere living head or face such as all men lift up to God according to the forme or frame of their natural constitution Fiduciam habebis recurrendi ad deum Aquin. but the courage and confidence of the soule and that a holy courage and confidence is here intended And there are not many who can thus lift up their face to God as is promised here to Job by way of priviledge And shalt lift up thy face to God To lift up the face is taken under a twofold notion in Scripture first Faciei elevatio orantis habitus est Pinec as a gesture or bodily position in prayer He that prayeth doth usually lift up his face to God and so to lift up the face to God is to pray unto God A corporal posture being put often in Scripture to signifie a spirituall duty Thus some understand it here Thou shalt lift up thy face to God that is thou shalt pray secondly which further complyes with the duty of prayer To lift up the face Vultum attollit qui sibi bene conscius est animoque fidenti Drus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. notes as was touched before confidence of spirit and boldnesse courage and assurance towards him before whom the face is lifted up whether God or man The Septuagint who rather paraphrase then translate this text give this sense fully Thou shalt be confident before the Lord or thou shalt act fiducially and boldly before him and behold heaven chearefully This lifting up the face is opposed to casting downe the face that is a phrase used in Scripture to signifie shame and fayling of spirit When courage is downe the countenance is down too as we say such a man hath a downe looke that is there is an appearance of guilt upon him The face is cast downe three wayes First by feare secondly by sorrow thirdly by shame Ezra 9.6 O my God I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face unto thee for our iniquities are increased over our heads So Luk. 18.13 the Publican durst not lift up his eyes to heaven and possibly there was a complication of all these three causes why he durst not feare sorrow shame he was so much terrified so much grieved so much ashamed of himselfe that he durst not lift up his eyes to heaven It was the speech of Abner to Asahel 2 Sam. 2.22 Turne thee aside from following me why should I smite thee to the ground how then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother that is if I slay thee I shall be afraid to looke him in the face nor can I have any confidence of his favour and it is well conceived that he spake thus for it is indeed a very unusuall thing for the Generall of an Army in the very heate of warre to looke after the favour of the Generall of the opposite Army but I say 't is conceived he spake thus as being convinced that he had undertaken a bad cause in upholding the house of Saul against David and therefore had misgivings that he might shortly fall into the hands of Joab Davids Generall and was therefore unwilling to provoke him by killing his brother This made him say How shall I hold up my face to thy brother Joab As if he had sayd I shall obstruct the way of my owne reconciliation to thy brother in case The turne of things in this warre cast me into his hands by killing thee Againe we may looke backe to Gen. 4.5 where it is reported of Caine That he was wrath and his countenance fell anger and sorrow and shame falling at once upon him because the Lord had respect to Abel and his offering but had no respect to him or his caused his countenance to fall which phrase stands in direct opposition to lifting up the face in all the three occasions of it For it implyeth first feare which is opposed to boldnes secondly sorrow or anger which are opposed to content and joy thirdly shame which is opposed both to freedome of approach and liberty of speech We have an expression which paralels much with this in that Prophecy of Christ Psal 110.7 Qâ—od legitur Exod. â—4 8 egâ—essos filios Israel in manu excelsâ— Chaldaâ—â—è dicitur capite discooperto i. e. palam confidentèr sine metu He shall drinke of the brooke in the way therefore shall he lift up his head that is he shall rise and appeare like a mighty Conquerour with boldnesse honour and triumph So Christ himselfe prophecying of the troubles which shall be in the latter dayes comforts the surviving Saints in this language When these things begin to come to passe then looke up and lift up your heads that is then take heart and boldnesse for the day of your redemption draweth nigh Luke 21.28 that is the day is at hand wherein you shall be freed from all feares and sorrowes Hence observe Holinesse hath boldnesse and freedome of spirit with God Then shalt thou lift up thy face unto God As soone as Adam sinned he hid himselfe from the presence of the Lord amongst the trees of the Garden Gen. 3.8 He ran into the thickets for shelter he durst not appeare or shew his face But when once we are reconciled to God and sinne is taken off when we are freed from the bonds of guilt then we have boldnesse reconciliation is accompanied with the spirit of adoption whereby we cry abba father we can then speake to God as a childe to his father the childe dares lift up his face to his father and speakes freely to him Where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty faith the Apostle 2 Cor. 3.17 and that a threefold liberty First a liberty from sinne secondly a liberty unto righteousnes or a freenes and readines of spirit to doe good thirdly where the spirit of the Lord is there is a liberty of speech or accesse with boldnesse in all our holy Addresses unto God As the Apostle clearely sheweth at the 12 â—h verse of the same Chapter Seing then that we have such hope we use great plainnesse or boldnesse of speech as wee put in the Margin of our Bibles to expresse the significancy of the Greeke word in the full compasse of it For as because we have such hope we ought to use great plainnesse of speech towards men in preaching and dispensing the Gospel to them so great boldnesse towards God in receiving the offers and promises of the Gospel for our selves Eliphaz having thus shewed what freedome Job truely repenting might have with God in prayer proceeds in the next verse to shew what successe with
owne hearts may vow more care and diligence in and about all these things And thus wee are to understand that of Jacob Gen. 28.21 vowing that the Lord should be his God as also that of David Psal 119.106 I have sworne and will performe it that I will keepe thy righteous judgements David kept them before but now he would be more strict then before in keeping them So then when we vow things already commanded or forbidden we must pitch and place our vow not upon the matter of the commandement but upon the manner and intensenes of our spirits in keeping it Fourthly Let not vowes about indifferent things be perpetuall All vowes about things expressed in the Law of God must be perpetuall because the things themselves are allwayes a duty For the affirmative precepts of the Law are at all times binding and the negative binde at all times But as for things which are not precisely under a Law As for example in the affirmative to pray so many times in a day to reade so many Chapters of the holy Scriptures in a day to heare so many Sermons in a weeke and in the negative not to drinke any wine or strong drinke not to weare silke or lace for or upon our Apparrel not to take such or such a recreation in it selfe lawfull I say in these cases let not vowes be perpetuall but limited to a season lest thereby wee entangle our owne soules and cast our selves into temptation while through a zeale not according to knowledge we use such meanes to avoyd it Make no vowes to binde your selves at all times in things which are not necessary at all times eyther to be done or not to be done From the whole verse Observe That the answer of prayer received from the Lord doth call us to pay and performe all the duties that we have promised or vowed to the Lord in prayer Though we doe not alwayes make strict and formal vowes when we pray yet every prayer hath somewhat of a vow in it so that having prayed at any time we may say The vowes of God are upon us for when we pray we promise and then especially we doe so when we pray under any pressure of trouble or when we have any extraordinary request to make then I say we engage our selves in a more solemne manner to serve and walke with God And so the returne or answer of such prayers ingageth us more strongly to duty For wheresoever the Lord soweth there he lookes to reape and where he hath sowed much he looks to reape much but then and there chiefly when we promise him fruits of duty for our receipts of favour and mercy Did we take notice of this we should not be found as we are so much in arreare to the Lord eyther for our private or publique mercies What promises have we made in the day of our distresse that we would be holy that we would strive against and mortifie our sinnes or the deeds of the body through the Spirit power of our Lord Jesus Christ Now let conscience speake have wee performed our promises have we paid our vowes we can hardly say that we have put up a prayer which hath not had an answer by blessings and successes God hath been to us a prayer-hearing God have we been to him a vow-paying people Who amongst us is now more active for God or more carefull to please him then before Who amongst us is more watchfull over his heart or more circumspect in his walkings then he was before Who is more carefull over his family that it may be holy or more zealous for the publicke that it may be reformed then he was before What manner of men should we be in all holy conversation and Godlines did we but pay those vowes and make good those engagements which have gone out of our lips and we have layd upon our selves before the Lord in the day of our trouble how just how pure how righteous a Nation should we be were we what we promised our utmost endeavours to be the Lord hath done much for us let us up and be doing for him let us make good what we have spoken to the Lord in vowing and promising seing the Lord hath performed what we have spoken to him in praying and calling upon his name God hath answered us at the first call yea sometimes before we called let us not put God to call a second and a third time much lesse often and often for the payment of our vowes For though the Lord in patience waite many dayes for the payment of vowes yet according to righteousnes we should not let him waite one day for it All these spirituall debt-bills are payable at sight or upon demand God shewes us our owne bills and bonds wherein we stand engaged to his Majesty every day and every day by some or other of his Atturneyes that is by some meanes or other he makes his demand therefore pay to day pay every day for we can never come wholy out of these debts to God or say we owe him nothing how much soever we have payd him And know that if when God hath heard us we be sloathfull in paying our vowes eyther God will heare us no more or wee shall heare of him and that as we say with both eares till he make our eares tingle and our hearts ake for not paying them Swift Judgements have often followed these slow payments And though they have not been swift in comming presently upon the neglect yet when they have come they have come swiftly upon the neglecters And as wee may alwayes say of the evills and Judgements which come upon any of the people of God as the Prophet in a like case doth to the people of Israel Jer. 4.18 Thy way and thy doinâ—s have procured these things unto thee this is thy wickednes So in most cases when evills and judgements fall upon and afflict the people of God we may say Your not doing what you have promised hath procured these things unto you This is your vow-breaking or your neglect of paying your vowes And how just is it that their troubles should not onely be renewed but even doubled and trebled yea seventimes more encreased upon them who slight and throw off those very duties which they tooke upon them in the day of their trouble in expectation to have their troubles removed Every mans mouth will be stopt when he suffers for not doing that good which the mouth of the Lord hath spoken how much more will his mouth be stopt and he have nothing to say for himselfe who suffers for not doing that good or for not forbearing that evill which his owne mouth hath spoken and solemnly charged upon himselfe as a duty in the presence of the Lord. They will have least to say for themselves who goe against or come not up to what themselves have sayd Then pay your vowes JOB CHAP. 22. Vers 28 29 30. Thou shalt also decree
Christ to subdue and conquer them they will be too hard for us and foyle us We are easily and presently foiled by pride by covetousnesse by wrath by envie all these passions and lusts will trample us under their feete in the dirt of all sinfullnesse and pollution both of flesh and spirit unlesse we receive power from on high to subdue and mortifie them Rom. 8.13 If ye through the Spirit mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live that is ye shall live comfortably holyly and eternally The deeds of the body that is sinfull deeds and the roote of them sinfull lusts count all weapons as Leviathan doth speares and swords but straw and stubble rather to be laughed at then feared except onely the weapons or power of the Spirit And when once we take our lusts to taske with the weapons of the Spirit they presently fall and dye before us The Spirit is the strength of God in us for the mortification of Corruption Fourthly We are strengthened or God puts strength into us for the resisting and conquering of the temptations of Satan we meet with many assaults from the devill and from the world who are confederate with our lusts These we must resist stedfast in the faith and that not onely in the faith as the faith imports soundnes of doctrine or divine truth but as The faith imports dependance upon Christ for strength and assistance Peter being a cheife a grandee in the traine of Christ or among the Disciples of Christ was Satans eye-sore and the fayrer marke for his fiery darts Satans fingers itcht to be doing with him he saith our Saviour desired to have him that he might sift him as wheat Luk. 22.31 that is to sift him throughly not to fetch out his chaffe from him but indeed to make him chaffe How was Peter upheld I have prayed for thee saith Christ that thy faith faile not that is I have prayed that God would put strength into thee that thy faith faile not if once faith faile we are overcome But is faith our strength No but faith goes to and takes hold of him who is our strength or who puts strength into us that we fall not in temptation But you will say Peter fell and he fell grievously his fall was great he denyed his Master 'T is true Peter fell but he did not fall away his faith did not faile that is it was not totally lost and therefore when Christ lookt upon him and by that looke renewed his strength he gat up againe even when he denied Christ there was a seed of faith remaining in him though like a tree in the winter his fruit was gone yea and his leaves too and he looked dead and withered yet there was sap in the roote his faith failed not whence was this he had an invisible supply of strength from God I have prayed saith Christ that thy faith faile not The prayer of Christ fayled not and therefore his faith did not Christ prayed that he might have strength by beleeving and though he had not so much faith as to preserve him standing yet he had so much faith as to raise him from his fall And what Christ prayed for Peter he prayed for all that should beleeve on his name that in all their resistings of and contendings with temptation their faith also may not fayle As faith is one principall piece of our spirituall armour whereby we overcome temptation so it fetches in that which is the whole of the whole Armour of God even the strength of God When the Apostle exhorts Saints Eph. 6.11 To put on the whole armour of God He premises another most needfull exhortation or exhorts them first v. 10. to be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might implying that it is not any one piece no nor the whole armour of God abstractly or precisely taken which is our strength but that the God of this Armour is our strength in the spirituall combate Though our loynes were girt about with truth and we have on the breast-plate of righteousnesse though our feete were shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace and we have the shield of faith in our hand though we should take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God yet if thus arrayed it were possible for us to neglect or forget the God of the Word it were not possible for us to conquer the footmen lesser much lesse the horsemen Greater least of all The Charets of iron the greatest temptations of the Prince of darknes As no carnal weapon hath any thing at all to doe so no spirituall weapon can doe any thing at all in this warre without the strength of God or rather to conclude this poynt all these spirituall weapons and Armour are nothing else but the strength of God or the various puttings forth of the strength of God in weake man Fifthly and lastly God gives us strength to pray to and plead our cause before him he will not dazle us with his glory nor confound us with his Majesty when we come to plead with him but he will put strength into us In prayer we prevaile with God but the strength whereby we prevaile with God comes from God yea he doth not onely give us strength in prayer to act by but he acts that strength in prayer Rom. 8.26 Likewise the Spirit helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it selfe maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered Prayer is strong worke it calls forth the whole strength of the soul nor doth the soule in any thing shew its strength more then in prayer praying is wrestling and how can we wrestle without strength Even the king of Ninevy gave this direction at his fast Jon. 3.8 Let them cry mightily And our Lord Jesus Christ in the dayes of his flesh offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares Heb. 5.7 Now the Spirit is the strength of God in us for prayer he helpeth our infirmities and we are onely a bundle of infirmities without his helpe There is a threefold strength needfull in prayer and God by the Spirâ—t puts these three strengths into us First The Spirit helpes us with strength of argument to plead with God Secondly The Spirit helpes us with strength of faith in taking hold upon God Thirdly The Spirit helpes us with strength of patience in waiting upon God till we receive what we have prayed for Jacob by this threefold strength had power with God in prayer Hos 12.3 and it was the power or Spirit of God by which he had this threefold strength to prevaile with God Thus we are strengthened with might by the Spirit in the inner man Eph. 3.16 We are strong to doe and strong to suffer we are strong to mortifie corruptions and strong to conquer temptations we are strong to pray and strong to plead our
Hac ratione liber evaderem ab iniquis vitae meae Judicibus calumniatoribus ut ultra mihi disceptatione contentione opus non erit all their charges shall be reprobated and rejected God who hath once Justified a person will never lay any thing to his charge and what charge soever others bring against him Gods justification will take it off The Apostles challenge is universal Who shall lay any thing c It is universal two wayes First in regard of persons accusing he excepts none in earth heaven or hell Secondly in regard of crimes he excepts no sort of sinne let them seeke and finde what they can be they sins against God or man be they sins of omission or commission be they sins never so much aggravated or sadly circumstantiated though against both light and love yet they will not doe against a person Elect and Justified Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect wipes away all charges Accused they may be though justified but condemned they cannot be because justified The best of Saints on earth have much in them and much is done by them which might be matter of charge against them for he that saith he hath no sin in him hath indeed no truth in him 1 Joh. 1.8 but Justifying Grace is their full discharge Againe As the word Judge is expounded universally for all those that did or might accuse Job Observe The best and most righteous on earth meete with many harsh accusers and hard Judges David had those who layd to his charge things that he knew not Psal 35.11 The Jewes returned from Babylon to build their City and Temple were charged with sedition Jeremie was charged with treason Paul was called a pestilent fellow and the primitive Christians were generally loaded with slaunders by the Heathen Misreport and reproach are the portion of Saints from the world And how sadly Job was charged all along by his friends and how severely censured hath appeared every where in this Booke especially in the former Chapter ver 5 6 7. Is not thy wickednes great and thine iniquities infinite for thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought and stripped the naked of their cloathing c. Had not Job reason to looke upon it as a great mercy to be delivered from such a Judge And hath not every Godly man reason to make Davids choyce 2 Sam. 24.14 Let me fall into the hand of the Lord for his mercies are great and let me not fall into the hand of men Now as men are for the most part over-severe executioners of Gods sentence so they are usually over-severe Judges in giving their owne whether sence or sentence concerning others And therefore Jobs faith did prophecy this good to himselfe That God having heard him and judged him he should be delivered for euer from man his Judge And let this be the comfort of the righteous who are oppressed with the hard opinions of men That God will at last deliver them for ever from every rigorous and unrighteous Judge In that Great day as the Apostle Jude calls it the cause of every righteous man shall be disputed before God and then they shall be delivered for ever from their Judge And this did exceedingly beare up the spirit of the Apostle Paul in the midst of the various censures and judgements of men concerning him he knew their judgement should be taken off at last 1 Cor. 4.3 4. With me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you or of mans judgement yea I judge not my owne selfe But he that judgeth me is the Lord therefore judge nothing before the time till the Lord come who both will bring to light the hidden things of darknesse and make manifest the counsells of the hearts and then shall every man have praise of God That is every righteous man though dispraised and despised though judged and condemned by men though blackt over with false reports and reproaches yet then every righteous man shall have praise from the most righteous God He will then doe all his people right who have been wronged and passe a just sentence upon those who have suffered much and long under unjust censures And so shall they be for ever delivered from their Judge JOB CHAP. 23. Vers 8 9 10. Behold I goe forward but he is not there and backward but I cannot perceive him On the left hand where he doth worke but I cannot behold him hee hideth himselfe on the right hand that I cannot see him But he knoweth the way that I take when he hath tryed mee I shall come forth as gold IN the two former verses Job exprest much Confidence of a good issue in his Cause could he but finde God and come to tryall And he reneweth this againe at the 10th verse Expressing the same Confidence When he hath tryed mee I shall come forth as gold But though he was thus Confident of a faire coming off in Case he could finde God yet he seemes in these words to cast off all Confidence of finding him forasmuch as yet he could not or had not Expressing himselfe here as a man that had travelled into all parts and quarters of the world East West North and South to finde a friend yet could not meet with him Behold I goe forward but he is not there and backward but I cannot perceive him On the left hand where he doth worke but I cannot behold him he hideth himselfe on the right hand that I cannot see him There is a threefold scope held forth about these words First As if Job did here deplore his fruitles paines in wishing for his appearing before God and in appealing to his Tribunal for as yet he saw himselfe unanswered and frustrated in his expectation God did not appeare to him in his troubles nor declare his purpose towards him Declarat Job se non posse ratione humana per res naturales quas per quatuor mundi plagas significat cognoscere certò clare rationes divinorum judiciorum Pined Secondly His scope may be to assert the hiddennes of the wayes of God or that the wayes of God are not to be found out nor understood by all the paines and industry by all the endeavours and disquisitions of man let him turne himselfe which way he will East or West North or South yet he must say I cannot behold him Thirdly Some conceive that Jobs intent is to declare his owne understanding or meaning in that earnest wish which he lately made Haec subjungit ad declarandū dei immensita tem ne quis putaret eum ex istimasse deum corporeum esse aut corporali loco circumscribi cum de illius tribunali loquutus est Id about his admittance to the Throne of God O that I knew where I might finde him that I might come even to his seat v. 3d He was not so grosse as to thinke that God was Confined to any
their workes and graces will abide when they come to the Test or tryall God who puts away all the wicked of the earth as drosse will gather up all the godly of the earth as Gold when he hath tryed them and try them he will We read Dan. 7.9 10. how dreadfully God comes to Judgement I beheld till the thrones were cast downe and the ancient of dayes did sit his Throne was like the fiery flame and his wheeles as burning fire a fiery streame issued and came forth from before him the judgement was set and the bookes were opened Which whether it be meant of the last Judgement or of some speciall Judgement upon a particular state or oppressing power comes all to one as to the poynt in hand while it shewes that God in the tryal of men will examine their persons and their actions as by fire Of every such tryall it may be sayd as Mala. 3.2 3. Who may abide the day of his coming and who shall stand when he appeareth The Prophet speakes of the coming of Christ in the flesh at which time he was also mighty in Spirit for he is like a refiners fire and like fullers soape and he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver When Christ came in the flesh to redeeme us he came with fire also to purge and sanctifie us and he comes with fire whensoever he comes in the Spirit to comfort and enlighten us and at last when he comes in glory he will come with fire to try examine and judge us When he comes to try us thus All the faithfull shall come forth as Gold but the wicked and their works will burne and be consumed When Saints come to tryal at last they will stand and when they are tryed here they will mend first their Corruptions will be the more outed and secondly their graces will be the more acted We may read this issue of their tryal Zech. 13.9 And it shall come to passe that in all the Land saith the Lord two parts therein shall be cut off and dye but the third shall be left therein Whether we take the Land in particular for Israel and the people of the Jewes or typically for all professors thorowout the world two parts shall be cut off and dye but the third shall be left therein And what will God doe with them or how will he deale with them We may see what at the 9th verse And I will bring the third part thorow the fire of affliction and examination and I will refine them as silver is refined and try them as gold is tryed and what will be the issue of this And they shall call on my name and I will heare them Here faith and prayer in which all graces are exercised are put for all graces When they are in this fire they shall call on my name In igne deum amantèr invocant candido germano sunt erga illum studio Theod. and I will heare them and I will say when they are in the fire it is my people and they shall say the Lord is my God They who pray in the fire of tryall or in the fiery tryall declare evidently that they are Gold in the fire but they to whom God saith in the fire of their tryalls yee are my people and they who being still in the same fire can say the Lord is our God are declared both by God and themselves eminently that they are gold in the fire They are as the choycest gold as the Gold of Ophir of whom the Lord saith by an act of distinguishing love yee are my people and who can say to God by an act of appropriating faith the Lord is our God Surely then Saints lose nothing in the fire but what is not worth the holding while God finds and owns them and they finde and owne God in the fire Further Some read this latter part of the verse as an offer Let him try mee Probat me and I shall come forth as gold as if Job had said I doe not refuse but desire a tryall God knowes my way the way that is in me let him come and try mee yea I am ready to come to him for my tryall Hence note A sincere heart is willing to be tryed 'T is a great part of the worke of a godly man to try himselfe and his workes and it is one of his greatest wishes that God would try him and his workes They who are sincere are much in trying themselves Let us search and try our wayes say they and turne againe unto the Lord. And they who are much in selfe tryal and Examination are willing to be tryed and examined both by God and man sure enough They that try themselves much are not afraid of the tryal of man no nor of the tryal of God If we compare the first verse of the 139th Psalme with the 23◠we shall see what an answer there is in them as to this poynt At the first verse David saith O Lord thou hast searched mee and knowne mee at the 23 verse hee prayes Search mee O God and know my heart why did David pray thus to God Search mee and know my heart having said before Thou hast searched mee and knowne mee Seing David knew that God had searched him what needed he to pray that God would search him why did he begge God to doe that which hee had done already The answer is at hand David was a diligent selfe-searcher and therefore he was so willing to be searched yea he delighted to be searched by God and that not as was said because himselfe had done it already but also because he knew God could doe it better Hee knew by his owne search that he did not live in any way of wickednes against his knowledge and yet he knew there might be some way of wickednes in him that he knew not of And therefore he doth not onely say Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts but he adds ver 24. see if there be any wicked way or any way of paine and griefe in me The same word signifies both because wicked wayes lead in the end to paine and griefe and lead me in the way everlasting As if he had said Lord I have searched my selfe and can see no wicked way in me but Lord thy sight is infinitely clearer then mine and if thou wilt but search me thou mayest see some wicked way in me which I could not see and I would faine see and know the worst of my selfe that I might amend it and grow better therefore Lord if there be any such way in me cause me to know it also O take that way out of me and take me out of that way lead me in the way everlasting David had tryed himselfe and he would againe be tryed by God that he being better tryed might become yet better He found himselfe Gold upon his owne tryall and yet he feared there
and that not onely in doing but in suffering 1 Pet. 2.21 For even hereunto are we called because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps â—equere deum Epict. Christ is not onely a principle of holinesse in us or our spirituall life but he is also a patterne of holinesse according to which we ought to live And the same Apostle represents the holinesse of God both as a rule and as a motive of that holinesse which should be acted by us 1 Ep 1.15 16. As he that hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation because it is written Lev 11.14 Be ye holy for I am holy To be holy as God is in all manner of conversation is stedfastly to hold the steps of God And when as Christ exhorts Math. 5.55 Wee are mercifull as our father which is in heaven is mercifull When as the Apostle exhorts Eph. 4.32 Wee forgive as God for Christs sake hath forgiven us when we are patient and long-suffering one towards another as God is towards us all then we take hold of his steps this should be our businesse every day to follow God in his word and in his workes to follow him fully It is said of Caleb Num. 14.24 My servant Caleb hath another spirit he hath followed me fully Here some may object to follow the counsel of God fully is the dutie of all but to follow the example of God is surely beyond the attainment of any This seemes to be a hight of holinesse too high for man For if Solomon said Eccl 2.12 What can the man doe that cometh after the King even that which hath been already done or more close to the Original in those things which have been already done How much more may we say What can the man doe that comes after God the King of Kings can he doe that which hath been done already I answer no man can paralel the workes of God but all men are called to imitate him in his workes though we cannot follow him with equall steps yet we may follow the equity and holines of his steps This Job did and we through grace may doe My foote hath held his steps His way have I kept and not declined The way of God is his Law in that he will have us to walke and that is called his way because he hath prescribed it and is the author of it as that is mans way wherein he walks so that is Gods way wherein he will have man to walke Blessed is the undefiled in the way Psal 119.1 What the way is he tels us in the next words Blessed are they that keepe his testimonies and who walke in the Law of the Lord. His law and testimonies are his way now sayth Job As I have held his steps or followed his example so I have kept his way that is I have done that which he hath commanded The way of God is put sometimes in Scripture for that which himselfe hath done Ezek. 18.25 Via del hominis sumitur 1 Pro itinere gressibus 2 Pâ—o ipsa via strata Heare O house of Israel is not my way equall that is the way wherein I my selfe have gone the way of my dispensations to you both in rewarding and punishing And as the workes of providence so the worke of Creation is called the way of God Pro. 8.22 The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way that is before he came forth in the worke of Creation before his workes of old his way and his workes are the same or his workes are his way But in this Text as I touch't before we may rather take way for that which God would have us doe or for the way in which we ought to walke And so we have the compleatnes of Jobs obedience he imitated the example and he obeyed the command of God His way have I kept Yet further There is a twofold keeping of the way of God First by practice and obedience thus we keepe the way of God by submitting to it Secondly There is a keeping the way of God by protection and defence Thus we keepe the way of God when we stand up to maintaine it We may take it here in both senses and in both doubtlesse Jobs Spirit was led out to keepe the way of God Hence note A godly man keepes close to the word of God He keepes close to it by obeying it and he keepes it close by defending it and this he doth as Job did it universally for so this indefinite proposition His way have I kept is to be understood it was not this or that way but any or every way of God which he kept And thus a godly man keepes the way of God though it be a difficult and to the flesh an uneasie way though it be among men a reproachfull and ignominious way though it be as to his outward concernements a disadvantageous and dangerous way yet he keepes it he that is through with God doth not onely keepe those wayes which suit with his owne pleasure and credit with the safety of his owne interests and accommodations in the world but if the way of God lie through difficulties through dangers and disgraces he will yet keepe it And if we thus keepe the way of God we may be sure that the way of God or rather the God of this way will keepe us and keepe us in perfect peace in spirituall freedome safetie and honour though we have trouble in and from the world His way have I kept and which doth heighten his obedience care and zeale in keeping it He addes And not declined 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word signifies to be unsteady or to move every way As if he had said I have kept his wayes stedfastly and unmoveably Job speakes both in the affirmative I have kept and in the negative I have not declined Some keepe the wayes of God a while but they keepe not on much lesse doe they keepe up in keeping them There is a twofold declining First a declining from the way of God to evill and sinfull wayes and these are of two sorts first erroneous opinions secondly wicked practices secondly there is a declining in the way of God when though we keepe the good way yet we are not so good in the way as we were but slacke our pace coole in our zeale to the good wayes of God We may expound Jobs negative in reference to both these as if he had sayd I have neither gone out of the way of God nor have I been sloathfull in it 'T is the highest commendation of man thus to keepe the way of God and not decline Hence note A godly man is or ought to be and 't is his honour to be steady in a good way Perfeverance is our Crowne The Apostle 1 Cor. 15.58 Exhorts to be steady and unmoveable alwayes abounding in the worke of the Lord. We should
least work A natural man eyther makes the Law of God voyd by doing that which is against it or he lets it lie voyd by not doing it and would be glad that this talent committed to him might for ever be wrapt up in a napkin or be buryed in the earth Both these turnings whether to the right hand or to the left are evill The way of holines the good way lieth streight forward right on It hath no turning either to the right hand nor to the left All the wayes of sinne are called crooked wayes and they are our owne wayes Psal 125.5 As for such as turne aside to their crooked wayes the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquitie The Psalmist calls them Their crooked wayes that is wayes of their own devising whereas the way of holines is the Lords way To exceed or to doe more to be deficient or to doe lesse then God requires both these are crooked wayes the way of the Lord lyes streight forward right before us Pro. 28.18 Who so walketh vprightly shall be saved but he that is perverse or crooked in his wayes shall fall at once The motion of a godly man is like that of the kine that carryed the Arke 1 Sam. 6.12 Who tooke the streight way to the way of Bethshemesh and went along the high way lowing as they went and they turned not aside to the right hand or to the left But you will say Doe not good men even the best of good men decline sometimes and goe aside or doth it argue every man to be wicked who declines at any time I answer Job speakes of what he had not done not of what it was impossible for him to doe he had not declined yet he might have declined Wee finde many declinings among the godly how many are there that decline in degrees who are godly in the maine They love still but they have not the same warmth of love the same heate of affection They obey still but they have not the same strength of obedience There may be a declineing also not onely in the way but from the way to the right hand sometimes and sometimes to the left there may be an exceeding and there may be a coming short in those as to actions who as to their state are come home to God these things are possible yea common but we speake of what many godly men doe and what should be the aime and designe of every godly man that is to keepe the way of God and not to decline to keepe himselfe up in spirituall strength and to keepe himselfe onne in a spirituall course yea every godly man may and can say as David did Psal 18.21 I have kept the wayes of the Lord and have not wickedly departed from my God Though every godly man cannot say as godly Job did I have kept his way and not declined yet every godly man may say as David I have kept his wayes and have not wickedly departed from my God we should be afraid of declineing and decaying we should strive to be alwayes advancing and encreasing And as Saints are under a command to be such so they are under a promise to be such Psal 92.12 13 14. The righteous shall flourish like a Palme tree he shall grow like a Cedar in Libanon Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the Courts of our God they shall still bring forth fruit in old age they shall be fat and flourishing Here is not onely a mention of growing but of flourishing and here 's flourishing three times mentioned and 't is growing and flourishing not onely like a tree but like a Palme-tree which flourisheth under opression and like a Cedar not growing in ordinary places but in Lebanon where were the goodliest Cedars Nor doth the Spirit promise here a flourishing in boughes ane leaves onely as some trees doe and doe no more but in fruit And this not onely fruit for once in a yeare or one yeare but they still bring forth fruit and that not onely in the yeares of their youth or beginnings in grace but in old age and that not only in the entrance of that state which is called old age threescore yeares but that which the Scripture calls the perfection of old age threescore yeares and ten as the learned Hebrewes observe upon the word used in the Psalme What a divine climax doth the Spirit of God make in this Scripture to shew that the godly man as to his state is so farre from declining that he is still climbing higher and higher And if any shall aske how comes it to passe then that some godly men are observed not onely by themselves but by others to decline often in and sometimes from the wayes of God I answer these declinings may be assigned to severall Causes First To the power of some Corruption remaining much unmortified in them as in a garden when the weeds grow high the good herbs decline And as in a field when the weeds are strong the corne is weake so it is here the prevailing or growing of Corruption is the declining of Grace in degree and by reason of it some for a time decline from the way Secondly Declinings are from the prevalency of temptation while Satan plieth some with temptation he turneth them out of the way or causeth them to walke but slowly in it As temptation is a tryall of so a hindrance unto grace yea though corruption be kept much downe yet some through a violent gust of temptation have been over-borne Thirdly Declinings are caused in the good by the example of those that are evill therefore the Apostle gives that Caution Rom. 12.2 Not to be conformable to the world A godly man is apt enough to write by a false copie and to doe as he sees the world doth What was all their way or their onely way before conversion they after conversion through neglect of their watch may be found stepping into or taking a step or two in Before conversion our whole course sayth the Apostle Ephe. 2.2 is according to the course of this world And the examples of the world have drawne many aside after they have come out from the world The fashions and vanities of the world in pride and pleasure are very drawing All examples especially evill examples like the Loadstone have an attractive vertue in them and many of the godly have been drawne aside thus and have declined with much scandal fot a while from the way of God Fourthly Declinings are sometimes from afflictions and those we may consider of two sorts personall or publique both or either of these have caused many to decline The cold frost of affliction hath nipped the graces of some and made them to turn aside from the way of God Therefore the Church having reported her great troubles speakes it as an argument of much sinceritie towards God and strength of Grace received from him Psal 44.17 18. All this
dayes and yeares of our lives many such things are with him So when we have suffered and been troubled this day we may say hee hath other sufferings and troubles for us against next day when these are gone and blowne over this I suppose is the thing that Job aymes at so that he seemes to prepare himselfe for new rods and to say in the sweetest and humblest composure of a meek and quiet spirit It is the Lord let him doe with me what seemeth good in his owne eyes All that God hath performed to me-wards hee hath appoynted for mee yet I am not of opinion that God hath spent all his appoyntments upon mee surely hee hath not drawne his quiver dry hee hath yet more arrowes to shoot at my poore already wounded and bleeding breast My heart misgives or rather gives me that he hath not yet shewed me all the troubles which he hath appoynted for the tryall of my graces for the exercise of my patience and for the purging out of my corruptions For many such things are with him And this wee may take two wayes First In reference to the power of God hee can doe many such things as these he can doe what he hath done his arme is not shortned Secondly In reference to his owne deservings many sins are with me and therefore I have reason enough to suspect that many more sorrowes are appoynted for mee I may need more humbling and refining and therefore it is like I shall have it and that another furnace is heating for me In how holy a frame was the spirit of this good man He justifieth God in all that he had done and he was ready to submit though it made his flesh feare and tremble at the thought of it as he confesseth it did in the next verse yet I say he was ready to submit to whatsoever God would yet doe knowing that he could and being much perswaded that he would doe much and many things more then he had done yet For saith he Many such things are with him Hence note First God hath variety of wayes to exercise and chasten his in As hee hath more then one Blessing so he hath more then one Chastening as he hath many Comforts so he hath many sorrowes ready at his hand as hee is the God of all Consolation so hee is the God also of all tribulation and as hee can make all Consolation to abound so hee can make all tribulation to abound many such things are with him When you have suffered one affliction doe not thinke that you have suffered all there may be a second at hand They are usually twin-borne and sometimes we may say as Leah in another case Gen. 30.11 A troupe cometh Troubles come by Troupes We read the Lord threatning his antient people the Jewes after great sufferings and Judgements had been upon them with a succession of new Judgements The whole twenty eight Chapter of Deuteronomie is but a continued description of that variety both of blessings and curses which God hath at hand stored up in his Treasures Read how various his Judgements are 1 Kings 8.37 2 Chron. 6.28 I will punish you yet seaven times more for your sins Lev 26.18.24 And that seaven times more may be understood First in reference to the variety of their punishments you shall have seaven kindes of punishments more then you had secondly in reference to the degrees of their punishment I will make them seaven times greater then they were As Nebuchadnezar commanded the fiery furnace to be heated seaven times hotter so the Lord can command the furnace to be heated seaven times hotter And as the Lord can chasten and afflict his people seaven times more both in kinde and degree so they may need seaven sorts of afflictions more and a furnace heated seaven times more then formerly eyther for the purging out of their sins or for the exercise and proofe of their Graces For though the Lord hath a great variety of afflictions at his command yet he never layeth any one of them upon us but when there is need The Apostle Peter gives us assurance of this from God 1 Ep 1.6 For having said that Saints are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation wherein they greatly rejoyce he presently adds though now for a season if need be ye are in heavinesse through manifold temptations Wee see the temptations wherewith the Lord exerciseth the heires of heaven here on earth are many yet they never feele these but when need is And many have as much need of the rod for their spirituall estate as they have of bread for their naturall Many such things are with him Secondly Note Wee deserve more and sorer afflictions then God hath yet layed upon any of us They who sin least suffer lesse then their sin how much soever they suffer here Psal 103.10 Hee hath not dealt with us after our sins nor rewarded us according to our iniquities so great is his mercy to them that feare him The Text is to be understood of them that feare God Hee hath not dealt with us after our sins that is in proportion to our sins nor rewarded us according to our iniquities that is wee have not had that measure of trouble which answers the measure of our iniquities Ezra made humble confession of this in the name of the Jewish Church Ezra 9.13 And after all that is come upon us much is come upon us for our evill deeds Non sunt condignae passiones hujus vitae 1 ad praeteritam culpam quae remittiâ—ur 2 ad praesentem consolationis gratiam quae immittitur 3 ad futuram gloriam quae promittitur Punit deus intra condignum retribuit bona ultra condignum and for our great trespasse seing that thou our God hast punished us lesse then our sins deserve c. Their punishment was great yet lesse then their iniquities As all the afflictions and miseries of this life are lesse then the glory that is promised Rom. 8.18 I count that the sufferings of this present life are not worthy to be compared to the glory that shall be revealed So all the sufferings of this life are not to be compared with the deserts of the least sin committed by us nor with the least comfort of the Spirit which is given to us As the good things which God bestows upon us are above and beyond any worthines of ours so the evills with which he chastneth his children yea or punisheth the worst of wicked men in this life are below and on this side what they are worthy to receave Vers 15. Therefore am I troubled at his presence when I consider him I am afraid of him c. This and the next verse expresse the state of Jobs spirit upon the former discovery or how he was affected with this thing that many such things were with God I have often met with other passages in this booke which have a neernes of signification with
dread God as a Judge and revenger This feare is the issue of the Covenant of workes and the beginning of sorrow Thirdly There is a mixt feare not a pure filial nor a pure slavish feare but with a mixture or ingrediency of both Such I conceive the feare of Job was his was a mixt feare it had some tang of slavery in it and it had some touch of Son-ship in it there was much of the spirit of Bondage in it and something of the Spirit of Adoption in it With the former feare many good men have been much exercised in all ages especially before Christ came in the flesh and the clearer breaking and beaming out of Gospel light Rom. 8.15 Yee have not received the spirit of bondage to feare againe And Job 14.27 Let not your hearts be troubled nor be yee afraid that is be not burdened and opprest with that servile and slavish feare which you are subject to Christ spake it to his owne Disciples for even at that time deep impressions of that feare were upon them doubting much what would become of them when he should of which he had told them leave the world and be gone from them And besides that speciall reason which the Disciples then had to feare at that time This feare usually ariseth from two reasons in others at all times First From the Consideration of their owne weaknesse and faylings Secondly From the Consideration of the Majesty and greatnes of God when they Consider these things they are afraid And though Beleevers are freed from the praedominancy of slavish feare and are endued with infusions of true filial feare yet they are often taken with this mixt feare as in reference to their owne weaknes so respecting the Majesty of God with whom they have to doe When I Consider I am afraid of him Observe That the Majesty and power of God duely Considered are terrible even to his owne people Many men have slight thoughts of the great God they tremble not they feare not what 's the reason they Consider not they are careles and therefore they are fearelesse they are ignorant and therefore they are confident There are none so bold as they who are thus blind Who is the Lord sayd Hard-hearted Pharaoh that I should obey his voyce to let Israel goe I know not the Lord neyther will I let Israel goe That 's a sad Confidence that proceeds from ignorance and a sad fearelesnes that hath no ground but carelesnesse I remember what the answer was of a very Godly man upon his death-bed who having much trembling upon his spirit at the apprehension of the greatnes Majesty and glory of God it was said to him by a Godly friend that came to visit him Sir you have knowne God and been long acquainted with him why are you thus full of feare and trembling O saith he if I knew God more I should tremble more If we were but more acquainted with and did more Consider of the Infinite greatnes of God and of our owne distance from him as creatures much more as sinners how should we be swallowed up with divine amazements so that we must charge it upon the want of Consideration that so many have such undue and unbecoming thoughts of God as also that their thoughts fall so much below both their duty and their sins if wee did but Consider how sinfull we are and how holy God is we should alwayes serve him with feare and rejoyce with trembling When I consider I am afraid of him Job was afraid of him when he considered him and so was Asaph Psal 77.3 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord my sore ran in the night and ceased not my soule refused to be comforted I remembred God and was troubled I complained and my spirit was overwhelmed Such a remembering of God is not a bare act of the minde in opposition to forgetfulnes as if Asaph had sayd I remembered God that is I did not forget him but I remembered God that is I fixed my heart upon him I minded him fully or set him fully before my minde though the rememberance of God is the spring of Comfort to us and that many wayes yet an Asaph a holy man The holyest among many men may be troubled when he remembers God when he Considers his glory greatnes power and Majesty and himselfe a poore worme When the holy Prophet Isaiah saw the Lord in vision sitting upon a throne high and lifted up and saw the Seraphims covering their faces and their feete and heard them crying one unto another and saying Holy holy holy is the Lord of hosts the whole earth is full of his glory Then he sayd Woe is mee for I am undone because I am a man of uncleane lips c. What a concussion was there upon his spirit upon the meeting of these two visions first that of the holines of God secondly that of his own uncleanenes Isa 6.1 2 3 4 5. Moses who had such intimacy with and accesse unto God is yet described trembling at his giving the Law Heb. 12.21 And so terrible was the sight that Moses said I am exceedingly afraid and tremble Moses knew that God was his friend a God in Covenant with him yet Moses said I exceedingly feare and quake the sight and voyce oâ— God is our Blessednes yet there may be a troublesome and a terrible both sight and voyce of God even Moses was afraid and so was Habakkuk Chap. 3.16 When I heard that is thy speech v. 2. my belly trembled my lips quivered at the voyce rottennes entred into my bones and I trembled in my selfe c. And at last wicked men though now so unconsidering who God is shall have such Considerations of him as shall for ever drowne and swallow them up in a deluge of feare the thoughts of the presence of God will be Eternall terror to them who now are unmoved with the thoughts of his presence or who have not God in all their thoughts There is a presence of God which shall be death to them who have not lived in a due and awfull consideration of his presence Thus the Apostle describes the punishment of wicked men 2 Thes 1.9 They shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord. Wee may understand it two wayes First They shall be punished by being put from the presence of the Lord That 's the punishment of losse they shall be for ever excluded and banished from his presence That which was their desire here shall be their misery hereafter They who care not for the presence of God in this world shall be everlastingly cursed with the want of it in the world which is to come Secondly I rather conceive the meaning of that Text to be this there shall be a manifestation of the wrathfull presence of God to them and that shall be their punishment the presence of the Lord is everlasting life and light and joy to his owne people but
and 't is usuall in Scripture to speake that in negative words which was before spoken in affirmative As to be naked and to have no covering are the same so hell and destruction are the same and these two are often put together Pro. 15.11 Hell and destruction are before the Lord how much more the hearts of the children of men Though we know not where hel is nor what is done there though wee know not what is become of those that are destroyed nor what they suffer yet God doth and if the secrets of hel and devills are knowne to him then much more the secrets of the hearts of the children of men And as that proverb teacheth us that nothing is hid from God because hell and destruction are not so another proverb delivered in the same forme teacheth us that nothing in the creature can satisfie the desires and lustings of man even as hell and destruction can never be satisfied Prov. 27.20 Hell and destruction are never full so the eyes of men are never satisfyed The Devill who is the great executioner of the wrath of God is exprest by this word as hell is called destruction in the abstract so the Devill is called a destroyer in the concrete Revel 9.11 And they had a King over them which is the Angel of the bottomlesse pit or hell whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon but in the Greeke tongue hath his name Apollyon both the one and the other the Hebrew and the Greeke signifie the same thing a destroyer The Devill who is the Jaylour of hell is called a destroyer as hell it selfe is called destruction from the Co-incidency of these two termes Note Hell is destruction They that are once there are lost and lost for ever The reason why hell is called destruction is because they that are cast to hell are undone to eternity We read of a City Isa 19.18 which was called the City of destruction because it was to be utterly destroyed Hell may be called a City of destruction not because it shall ever be destroyed but because it shall ever be full of destruction and nothing but destruction shall be there There is no estate on earth so miserable but a man may be delivered out of it but out of hell there is no deliverance Heman saith Psal 88.11 Shall thy loving kindnesse be declared in the grave or thy faithfullnesse in destruction There grave and destruction are put together much more may hell and destruction be put together or for each other What ever comes into the grave is destroyed it rots and perisheth much more doth hell destroy all that comes thither And looke as the grave is to the body now a destroyer consuming so hell is to the soule now and will be to soule and body after the resurrection a destroyer tormenting The loving kindnesse of God shall not be declared in Hell nor any faithfullnesse of his in destruction unlesse it be his faithfullnesse according to what is threatned in the Word to destroy The Apostle Peter sayth 1 Ep 3.19 20. that Christ by the Spirit went and preached to the Spirits in prison which sometime were disobedient when once the long-suffering of God waited in the dayes of Noah c. It is true that Christ by the Spirit in the ministery of Noah did preach to those Spirits who were disobedient in the time when Noah preached and were in prison or in hel in the time when Peter wrote But Christ did not preach by his Spirit in the ministery of Noah or any other way to Spirits who were in prison or in hel while he preached to them There are no Sermons in hel nor any salvation there The loving kindnesse of God is aboundantly declared on earth but it shall not be declared in hel As there is nothing felt in hel but destruction so there is no salvation offered to those who are in hel There 's teares enow and mourning enough in hel but there is not the least Godly sorrow in hel which onely worketh repentance to salvation August lib. 21. de Civ dei cap 17. not to be repented of 2 Cor. 7.10 One of the ancients hath reported the opinion of some in his time who thought that though there be destruction in hel yet not eternal destruction but that sinners should be punished some a lesse others a longer time and that at last all shall be freed and yet saith he Origen was more mercifull in this poynt then these men for he held that the Devill himselfe should be saved at last Of this opinion I shall say no more in this place then this one thing which he there sayd These men will be found to erre by so much the more foulely against the right words of God so much the more perversely by how much they seeme to themselves to judge more mercifully for indeed the justice of God in punishing sinners is as much above the scale of mans thoughts as his mercyes in pardoning them are let not sinners flatter themselves in a hope of salvation when they are in hel who have neglected salvation while they were on the earth For as the Apostle saith Heb. 2.3 How shall we escape that is how shall we escape falling into hel if we neglect so great salvation so I may say how shall any escape by getting out of hell who neglect so great salvation Hel is destruction and as because heaven is a place of happinesse and salvation therefore heaven and happinesse heaven and salvation mutually or reciprocally signifie one another to obtaine heaven is to obtaine salvation to obtaine heaven is to obtaine happines So because hel is a place of misery and destruction therefore hel and misery hel and destruction signifie the same thing nor can they be separated Againe when he sayth Hell is naked before him and destruction hath no covering we learne There is nothing hid from the eye or knowledge of God Philosophy and reason teach us that the vertue and force of the heavenly bodyes the Sunne Moone and Starres doe not onely act upon those parts of the earth which are uppermost but send their influences and powers to the lowest parts or bowels of the earth for as was sayd before according to the ordinance of God dead things are formed there Now I say as the power of the heavenly bodyes reacheth downe into the earth much more doth the power and light of God reach into hell it selfe I will not stay upon any curious enquiries where this hell is wheresoever it is God seeth it Hel is naked before him therefore sayth David Psal 139.8 If I ascend up into heaven thou art there if I make my bed in hell behold thou art there that is there thou art by thy power and inspection thou seest what is in hell and if so how much more doth God behold what is done heere upon the earth if hell be naked before him then the earth is naked before him if destruction have no
in man to desire God to strike through his pride and it is a great act of mercy to man when God doth so The more God smiteth our sins the more he declares his love to and his care of our soules The remainders of pride in the Saints shall be smitten through but sinners who remaine in their pride shall be smitten through themselves God whose power and understanding are made known by smiting through the proud waves of the Sea will at last make his Justice and his holynes knowne by smiting through the proud hearts of men or rather men of proud hearts Proud men strike at God yea kicke against him no wonder then if he strike and kicke them All the sufferings of Christ are wrapt up under that one word His humiliation implying that as he was smitten for all our sins so most of all for our pride That man whose pride is not smitten to death or mortifyed by the death of Christ shall surely be smitten to death even to eternall death for his pride As God understandeth thoroughly who are proud so by his understanding he will smite through the proud JOB CHAP. 26. Vers 13 14. By his Spirit he hath garnished the heavens his hand hath formed the crooked Serpent Lo these are parts of his wayes but how little a portion is heard of him but the thunder of his power who can understand JOB hath given us a particular of many illustrious works of God what he doth in the depths below Et ut in opere ipsius pulcherrimo desinam hic ille est qui coelos illa enarrabili pulchritudine exornavit spherae illae suis giris undique coelos serpeÌ„tium instar percurreÌ„tes sunt opus manibus ipsius tornatum Bez and what in the hights above in this verse he gives another instance and that a very choyce one upon the same subject As if he had sayd After all this large discourse which I have made of the workes of God I will conclude with that which is the most remarkeable peice of them all This is he who hath adorn'd the heavens with that unutterable beauty wherewith they shine and the spheares which wind and turne round about the heavens like Serpents are smoothed and polished by his hand Vers 13. By his Spirit he hath garnished the heavens The Spirit of God is taken two wayes in Scripture First q. d. visua voluntate ut nomen spiritus saepius in scriptura usurpatur sed malo ipsum dei spiritum almum accipere quo omnia deus fecit Merc for the power of God Secondly and so here for God the power as distinct from the Father and the Son By whom God wrought all things in the creation of the world Gen 1.2 The Earth was without forme and voyd and darkenes was upon the face of the deepe and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters It is a rule in Divinity That the external workes of the Trinity are undevided and so the Three Persons concurred in the making of the world God the Father created and is called Father in Scripture not onely in relation to the Eternall ineffable Generation of God the Son but also in reference to the production of the creature God the Son or the Eternal Word created Joh. 1.1 2 3. In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God All things were made by him and without him was nothing made that was made God the Spirit or Holy-Ghost he likewise created and He onely is mentioned by Moses distinctly or by name as the Agent in the original constitution of all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non simplicem motionem denotat sed qualem columba perficit cum evis ad excludendum pullos incubat Rab Selom Verbum â—ranslatum ab avibus pullitiei suae incubantibus Jun. And the Hebrew word rendred in our translatioÌ„ moved the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters by which the Agency of the Spirit in that Great worke is expressed caryeth in it a very accurate significancy of that formative vertue or power which the Spirit put forth about it For it is a metaphor taken from birds who sit upon their eggs to hatch and bring forth their young ones and so importeth the effectual working of the Spirit whereby that confused masse or heape was drawne out and formed up into those severall creatures specifyed by Moses in the Historie of the Creation Among which we find the Garnishing of the heavens spoken of here by Job is reported by Moses for the worke of the fourth day Further we may consider the heavens first in their matter and being secondly in their beauty and ornaments Job speakes of the latter By his Spirit he hath garnished the heavens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adornavit decoravit pulchrè fecit God hath not onely created but pollished and as it were painted or embroydered the heavens The originall word implyeth the making of them beautifull contentfull and pleasant unto the eye this is the Lords worke And therefore as the whole world because of the excellent order and beauty of it is exprest in the Greeke by a word that signifies beautifull 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so some parts of the world have a speciall beauty and lustre put upon them beyond the rest The heavens are not like a plaine garment as we say without welt or guard but they are laced and trimmed they are enamel'd and spangled they glister and sparkle in our eyes with rayes and beames of light By his Spirit he hath garnished the heavens If it be asked what is this garnishing of the heavens I answer the setting or placing in of those excellent lights Sunne Moone and Starres in the heavens are the garnishing of them Light is beautifull and the more light any thing hath the more beauty it hath Precious stones have much light in them those lights the Starres are as so many stones of beauty and glory set or moving in the heavens Light as diffused and shed abroad in the ayre is exceeding delightfull and beautifull but light as it is contracted and drawne together into the Sunne Moone and Starres is farre more beautifull light in the ayre pleaseth the eye but light in the Sunne conquers and dazzel's the eye by the excessive beauty and brightnesse of it In the first day of the Creation God sayd Let there be light and there was light but in the fourth day he sayd let there be lights that is let there be severall vessells to receave hold and containe light and then to issue it out among the inhabitants of the earth Gen. 1.14 And God sayd let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night and let them be for signes and for seasons and for dayes and for yeares and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth and it was so And