potion and mistooke his case his was good searching physick for the foul stomach and grosse spirit of a hypocrite but it is enough to kill the heart of an upright-heart when God seemes angry with him and appeares against him when he is smitten without and smitten within by sore afflictions of mind and body then for his comforters to smite him with their tongues to lay at him with hard words and wound him with their unreasonable jealousies then for his counsellers and helpers to be angry with and opposite against him too Observe hence That not only words untrue but words misapplied are unsavoury and may be dangerous They are no food and they may be poison Prudence in applying is the salt and seasoning of what is spoken As a word spoken in the right season is precious and upon the wheele so is a word right placed When that faith full Prophet Ezek. 13. reproves the false prophets he saith They dawbed with untempered morter ver 10. it is the word of the text and why was theirs untempered morter even because they applied the word of God wrong They made sad the hearts of those whom God would have refreshed and they cheared the spirits of those whom God would have sadned they slay the souls that should not dye and save the souls alive that should not live This was untempered morter The Apostle advises all Col. 4 6. Let your speech be alwayes with grace seasoned with salt And speech must be seasoned not only with the falt of truth but with the salt of wisdome and discretion and therefore the Apostle adds that ye may know how to answer every one that is that you may give every man an answer fitting his case and the present constitution of his spirit Of some have compassion saith the Apostle Jude ver 22. making a difference and others save with feare This shewes the holy skill of managing the word of God when we make a difference of our patients by our different medicines and not serve all out of the same boxe Hence our Lord calleth those great Teachers of the Gospel and dispensers of his Oracles Light and Salt You are the Light of the world and you are the salt of the earth because they were to speake savoury things to every person to every pallate as well as to enlighten them with knowledge and prevent or cure the corruption of their manners and keep their lives sweet As there is an unsavourinesse in persons when they are mis-employed so there is an unsavourinesse in speeches when they are mis-applied The history of the Church speaks of one Eccebolius who changed religion so often and was so unsetled that at last Conculcate me salem insipidum Niceph. he cast himselfe down at the congregation doore and said Trample upon me for I am unsavoury salt And that word though in it self a truth which is unseasonably delivered or unduly placed may be cast at the doores of the Congregation to be trampled on for in this sence it is unsavoury salt Such corrupt the word and their's is but corrupt communication such as cannot minister grace unto the hearers and often grieves the holy Spirit of God These work-men for their ill division of the word of God have reason enough to be ashamed and the Lord may justly reprove them as he did Jobs friends Chap. 42. 7. Ye have not spoken of me nor of my wayes the thing that is right JOB Chap. 6. Vers 8 9 10 c. O that I might have my request and that God would grant me the thing that I long for Even that it would please God to destroy me that he would let loose his hand and cut me off Then should I yet have comfort yea I would harden my selfe in sorrow Let him not spare for I have not concealed the words of the holy One c. IN the former part of this Chapter we have had Job defending his former complaint of life and his desire of death In this context from the 8th verse unto the end of the 12th he reneweth and reinforceth that desire He not only maintaines and justifies what he had done but doth it again begging for death as heartily and importunately as he did in the third Chapter O that I might have my request and that God would grant me the thing that I long for The request it selfe is laid downe in the 8 â—h and 9 â—h verses and the reasons strengthning it in the 10 11 and 12 verses So these 5 verses are reduceable to these two heads 1. The renewing of his desire to dye 2. An enlargement of reasons confirming that desire O that I might have my request It is such a vehement desire and so exprest as Davids was 2 Sam. 23. 15. And David longed and said Oh that one would give me drinke of the water of the well of Bethlem which is by the gate David did not long more to tast a cup of that water then Job did to tast the cup of death The summe and scope of Jobs thoughts in this passage may be conceived thus He would assure his friends that his faith was firme and his comforts flowing from it very sweet That it was not impatience under the troubles of this life but assurance of the comforts of the next which caused him so often to call for death That these comforts caused his heart to triumph and glory in the very approaches of the most painfull death and made him despise and lightly to esteeme all the hopes of life That he was gone further then the motives which Eliphaz used from the hopes of a restitution to temporall happinesse he now was pitcht upon and lodg'd in the thoughts of eternall happinesse That he call'd for death not as that with which he had made any Covenant or was come to any agreement with but only as that which would bring him to his desired home The one Thing he desired That his comforts had not a foundation in a grave where all things are forgotten but in the Covenant of God who remembers mercy for ever and therefore it should not trouble him to die before he was restored to health riches and honour which his friends proposed to him as a great argument of comfort and of patience For in death he should have riches and glory and hence it was that he had rather endure the extreamest paines of death then stay to receive any outward comforts in this life His desires to be dissolved were not so much from the sence of his present paine for he would harden himselfe to endure yet more as from the apprehension of future joy This was not a fancie or a dreame but he had good proof and reall evidence of it in the whole course of his life which had been as a continued acting of the word of God and to a fitting him for nearest communion with God This in general The letter of the Hebrew runneth thus Who would give me that my request or that
the soule but thou art driven with every blast in this thy hope Hope makes Heb. 6. 1â— not ashamed but thou either art or oughtest to be ashamed is this thy hope The feare of the Lord is cleane but thou art defiled Rom. 5. 5. is this thy feare Then againe consider this when Job carries himselfe thus in his trouble Eliphaz telleth him what is not this thy feare thou art surely but an hypocrite for if thy feare were true it would have preserved thee from these impatient complainings and distempers Hence observe That true feare holy feare preserves the soule and keepes it holy Holy feare is as a golden bridle to the soule when it would runne out to any evill It is like the bankes to the sea which keepes in the raging waves of corruption when they would overflow all If thou haddest feare indeed thou wouldest never thus breake the bounds of patience The feare of the Lord is to depart from evill that 's the definition of it therefore if thou haddest any feare of God indeed thou wouldest never have done this evill Curse thy day Prov. 14. 27. The feare of the Lord is a fountaine of life to depart from the snares of death that is either from sinne which is spirituall death or from damnation which is prepetuall death the feare of the Lord is a fountaine of life to depart from both these snares of death where this feare is not we are ready to joyne with every evill and so to fall into the jawes of every death Abraham Gen. 20. 11. argues so The feare of the Lord is not in this place therefore they will kill me when we perceive a bent of spirit to devise evill and a readinesse of the hand to practise it we may conclude the feare of the Lord is not lodged in that heart Fourthly observe That trust or confidence in God settles the heart in all conditions Is not this thy confidence Thy confidence certainly is but a shadow for if it had been reall thou hast been established and upheld notwithstanding all that weight of affliction that lies upon thee When there was an unquietnesse upon the soule of David he first questions his soule about it Why art thou disquieted O my soule and then directs trust in God Psal 42. 11. So the Prophet promiseth Isa 26. 3. Him wilt thou establish in perfect peace whose heart doth trust upon thee They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion Psal 125. 1. He that is carried and tost thus about with every winde of trouble and gust of sorrow shewes he hath not cast out this anchor of hope upon the Rock Jesus Christ But here a question must be answered for the cleering of all and likewise for discovering the strength or weaknesse of this argument brought by Eliphaz in this particular case of Job Eliphaz taxed Job with hypocrisie because his graces did not act or they did not act like themselves like graces he gave not proofe of them at that time Hence the doubt is Doe a mans fallings or declinings from what he was before or what he did before argue him insincere Is there sufficient strength in this Argument for Eliphaz to say Job thou hast been a comforter of others thou hast profest much holinesse heretofore and now thou art come to the triall thou canst not make it out thy selfe therefore thou hast no grace therefore all thy religion is vaine For the resolving of that I answer first that the proposition is not simply true that every one who faileth or declineth or falleth off from what formerly he was or held forth is therefore an Hypocrite or that his graces are false and but pretences there may be many declinings and failings many breaches and backslidings and yet the spirit upright Indeed falling away and quite falling off are an argument of insincerity and hypocrisie for true grace is everlasting grace true holinesse endures for ever Therefore we are here to consider whence these failings were occasioned in Job and how a failing may be exprest and continue so as to conclude insincerity or hypocrisie First it was from a sudden perturbation not from a setled resolution Job was not resolvedly thus impatient and unruly an unexpected storme hurri'd his spirit so violently that he was not master of his own actions Job had not his affections at command they got the bridle as it were on their necks and away they carried him with such force that he was not able to stop or stay them Secondly it came from the smart and sense of pain in his flesh not from the perversnesse of his spirit If the taint had been in his spirit then Eliphaz had a ground a certain ground to have argued thus against him Thirdly Jobs graces were hid and obscured they were not lost or dead the acts were suspended the habits were not removed when the grace which hath been shewed is quite lost that grace was nothing but a shew of grace painted feare and painted confidence but in Jobs case there was only a hiding of his graces or a vaile cast over them Lastly We must not say he fals from grace who falleth into sin nor must it be concluded that he hath no grace who falls into a great sinne It followes not that grace is false or none because it doth not work like it selfe or because it doth not sometimes work at all True grace workes not alwayes uniformly though it be alwayes the same in it selfe yet it is not alwayes the same in its effects true grace is alwayes alive yet it doth not alwayes act it retains life when motion is undiscern'd Wherefore they who doe not work like themselves or do not work at all for a time in gracious wayes are not to be concluded as having no grace or nothing but a shew of grace And so much be spoken concerning this first Argument contained in these six Verses the conviction of Job from his failing in the actings of his grace the putting forth of that fruit which formerly he had born and shewed to the world JOB Chap. 4. Vers 7 8. Remember I pray thee who ever perished being innocent or where were the righteous cut off Even as I have seen they that plough iniquity and sow wickednesse reape the same IN these two Verses and the three following Eliphaz coucheth and confirmeth his second Argument wherein he further bespatters the innocency of Job and hopes to convince him of hypocrisie The Argument is taken from the constant experience of Gods dealings in the world Remember I pray thee who ever perished being innocent We may give it in this forme Innocent persons perish not righteous men are not cut off But Job thou perishest and thou art cut off Therefore thou art no innocent or righteous person The major proposition is plaine in the seventh Verse for that question Who ever perished being innocent or where were the righteous cut off is to be resolved into this Negation No innocent person
is greater reason why they should stumble at a mole-hill then we at a mountaine of trouble God having told us that seeing he hath given us such excellent things in Christ such glorious mercies and transcendent priviledges in the Gospel we may well take afflictions and troubles into the bargaine and never shrinke or straine at them but rather take them well So much for that verse The righteous are not cut off neither doe innocent persons perish Eliphaz having given Job his turne to search his experiences brings forth his own in the next words Even as I have seene Vers 8. they that plow iniquity and sow wickednesse reape the same As if he should say Job I know you are not able to give me one instance of a righteous mans perishing but I could give you many and many instances I could write whole books concerning wicked men perishing and of the ungodly cut off This he carries under a metaphor and by continued metaphors makes up an elegant allegorie in those termes of plowing sowing reaping Even as I have seene That word notes a curious observation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Significat non simpliciter videre sed curiese inspicere not a light transitory glance of the eye but a criticall consideration of any thing As it is said Gen. 1. 4. God saw the light that he had made God saw it discerningly for he found it was very good And so it is said Gen. 34. 1 2. that Dinah went forth to see the daughters of the land that is curiously though vainely to observe the manners and fashions of the people and in the fame verse Hamor the sonne of Sechem saw her he saw her so exactly as to be taken with her beauty his eye entangled his heart and both entangled his life So here Even as I have seene that is by a diligent inspection and judicious consideration of what I saw And what was that Mysticall Husbandry They that plow iniquity and sow wickednesse reape the same They that plow iniquity The word which we translate to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fâ—dit fundam â—ravit Peâ— metaphoram fodit cogitatione vel intentus fuit rei aliâ—ui conficiendae sicut arator praeparat terram ante seminaâ—orem plow signifies the use of any kinde of art or manufacture as the worke of a Smith or of a Carpenter in Iron wood or timber And as the art so the Artist or handicrafts-man Isa 44. 12. is exprest by this word The Smith with his tongs worketh in the coales And Zech. 1. 20. It is put for a Carpenter The Lord shewed me foure Carpenters Now here it is applyed to the Plowman and to his plowing So Hose 10. 13. Ye have plowed wickednesse ye have reaped iniquity ye have eaten the fruit of lies And this plowing of iniquity or plowing of wickednesse takes in both the outward act of sinne to plow iniquity is to commit and practise iniquity and the inward act of sinne to plow iniquity is as much as to devise and meditate iniquity Prov. 3. 29. Devise not Heb. plow not evill against thy neighbour So Prov. 6. 18. A heart that deviseth or ploweth wicked imaginations And Prov. 21. 4. The plowing of the wicked is sinne That is whatsoever they devise or whatsoever they doe inside and outside the cloath and linings of their garments are all sinne Likewise this word denotes not onely speculative evils but also secrecie of practice or a plot carried and acted secretly Thus 2 Sam. 23. 9. it is said David knew that Saul secretly practised evill against him The Hebrew is he knew that Saul plowed evill against him So that it may be taken either for the meditating of evill or for a politick close way of effecting any evill or wicked designe And the Scripture elegantly calls the musing or meditating of sinne plowing because a man in meditation when he would accomplish any wickednesse turnes up as it were all the corruptions that are in his heart and all the conveniencies that are in the world to attaine his end As a man that meditates upon any holy thing upon Christ or Free-grace c. turnes up all the graces and abilities that are in his spirit he plowes up his heart that he may fetch up the strength and enjoy the sweetnesse of them So then this ploughing noteth two things chiefly First the pains and labour which wicked men take in sinfull courses every one that sinnes doth not plough sinne or is not a worker which is an equivalent phrase of iniquity Secondly it implyes the black Art and hellish skill of wicked men in sinning To plough is a skill so is some kinde of sinning though to sin in generall be as naturall as to see and needs as little teaching as the eare to heare some men â—s we may say are bunglers in sinning others are their crafts-masters at this plough and can lay a furrow of iniquity so strait do an act of filthinesse so cleanly that you can hardly see any thing amisse in it Those words in the New Testament To commit sinne to worke iniquity an abomination or a lye Rev. 21. 27. c. are answerable to this in the Old Testament a plougher of iniquity And some translate this Text so the vulgar reades it thus They Qui operantur iniquitatem who worke iniquity all which expressions set forth and elegantly describe such who sinne resolvedly industriously cunningly curiously such as have the art and will spare no pains to do wickedly These have served an apprentiship to their lusts and are now as Freemen of Hell yet still Satans Drudges and active Engineers to plot and execute what God abhorres Note this further that ploughing in Scripture referres both to good actions and to bad there is a plowing for good the Metaphor is so applyed Prov. 4. 27. Doe not they erre that devise evill that plough evill but mercy and truth shall be to them that devise good to them that plough good the same word is used in both and it intimates as before both the paines and the skill which a godly man bestowes and shewes about holy things the great work of repentance is often allegorized by ploughing Breake up the follow ground and our obedience to the Gospell whether in the profession or preaching of it is called ploughing Luk. 9. 62. He that putteth his hand to the plough and lookes backe is not fit for the kingdome of God Grace is as active and as accurate as Lust can be It followes And sow wickednesse reape the same Eliphaz goes on with the Metaphor after plowing comes sowing and after seed time reaping time or harvest Sowing in Scripture is divers wayes applyed unto the actions of men First there is a sowing which is the work of charity when we dispense and drstribute to the helpe of the poore especially to the Saints so 2 Cor. 9. 6. He that soweth sparingly that is he that giveth unto the poore sparingly Secondly sowing
sow wickednesse reape the same JOB Chap. 4. Vers 9 10 11. By the blast of God they perish and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed The roaring of the Lion and the voice of the fierce Lion and the teeth of the young Lions are broken The old Lion perisheth for lack of prey and the stout Lions whelps are scattered abroad ELiphaz having given an account of his observation in generall that he had often seene wicked men perish ver 8. In these three verses he illustrates his observation by an elegant description of the manner how or the power by which wicked men perish and are cut off namely by the blast of God ver 9. By the blast of God they perish and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed and least any should think that this blast of God carries away onely strawes and feathers light and weake persons into perdition he adds the weightiest and the strongest The roaring of the Lion the teeth of the young Lions are broken God by his blast can take away or breake the strongest the mightiest Lion-like men men fierce like Lions and stout like the Lions whelpe Under the shadow of which allusions he closely strikes at Job who was once a great man the greatest of all the men in the East a fierce spoiling Lion in the apprehension of his friends and yet God brought him downe This in briefe is the illustration of the argument in these three verses By the blast of God they perish c. Eliphaz having in the former verse by the metaphor of plowing sowing and reaping set forth the actings and expectations the issues and successes of wicked men here as some conceive continues the metaphor or the Allegory by this expression of blahing which we know is often used in reference to the seed sowne As if Eliphaz had said when these men have plowed and sowed when they are in expectation of a fruitfully and plentifull harvest then God blasteth the seed and the seeds-man too he sendeth forth his rough winde which drieth up and withereth stalke and eare the counsell and the counsellours And though blasting spoile or prevent reaping in an ordinary sense yet blasting may be reaping as here in a figurative sense They who sow iniquity are often punished by reaping disappointments which is the blasting of their hopes and the consumption of their confidences Blasting of corne and fruits is often spoken of in the old Testament as 1 King 8. 37. If there be in the Land blasting and mildew Amos 4. 9 I have smitten you with blasting and mildew And a people spoiled by the sword and consumed by warre are compared to corne blasted before it be growne up Isa 37. 27. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Herba percussa uredine est percussio sementis vento orientali ingrediente spicas Adeo ut non perficiant maâ—uâ—itaâ—em suam Rab David in lib. rad from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the word in the Originall for blasting corne is different from this in the Text The roote of that signifies to dry up or cause to wither This to breathe as a man breathes with his nostrils By the breath of his nostrils or as we translate by the blast of his nostrils So in the description of mans creation Gen. 2. 7. Moses saith God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life or the blast of life This blasting or blast of God is sometime put for a storme or mighty tempest suddenly raised up by the power of God Thus Exod. 15. 8. Moses relating the sudden destruction of the Egyptians in the Red-sea saith With the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together the sloods stood upright as an heap c. That is with the wind which God sent out as his instrument he gathered Anhelavit the waters to swallow up the Egyptians and save his own people And we find the word Isa 25. 4. used to denote the furious blasting violence of wicked men in the day of their rage and madnesse against the Church When the blast of the terrible ones is as a storme against the wall thou shalt bring downe the noise of strangers as the heat in a dry place c. By the blast of God God in this act of vengance against the plowers of wickednesse is presented to us in his Name Eloah which signifies the mighty or puissant God So Mr Broughton translates it By the breath of the puissant they perish The strong God or God in his strength comes armed against strong transgressors The effect shewes the strength of this blast For By his blast they perish saith the Text it is the word used before they are not onely a little wither'd or scorched but they are utterly consumed they are destroyed roote and branch head and taile as in one day The next words in the Text by the breath of his nostrils they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 consumed are but the repeating of the same thing yet there is a considerable difference in the expressions By the breath of his nostrils The word Ruach which we there translate breath signifies generally spirit ghost breath or wind sometime the Holy Ghost who is breathed from the Father and Sonne The breath of God put alone notes the wrath of God Isa 30. 33. Tophet is prepared of old c. The breath of the Lord sc the wrath of the Lord like a streame of brimstone doth kindle it This phrase also The breath of Gods nostrils signifies the anger and wrath of God And the anger of God is called the breath of his Animalia commota spirant vehementiùs narium flatu iram indicant nostrils after the manner of men and other creatures because anger breathes out at their nostrils The naturalists observe that anger inflaming the spirits and heating the heart frequent breathing followes as it were to coole the fire and to ease that inflamation an angry man breathes quick and short When Saul was enraged and mad with malice against the Saints he is said To breath out threatnings and slaughter Act. 9. 1. therefore also anger is called the breath of Gods nostrils Further it is considerable that the word nostrill is put alone for the wrath of God Psal 95. 11. He sware in his nostrill that In naso enim iâ—ra apparet ex vehementiore spiratione potissimum ex remissione aut dilaâ—atione narium ira conspicitur is as we translate it he sware in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest Likewise Psal 2. 12. If his wrath be kindled but a little the Hebrew is if his nose or nostrill be kindled but a little the nostrill being an organ of the body in which wrath shewes it selfe is put for wrath it selfe Palenesse and snuffing of the nose are symptomes of anger In our broverbials to take a thing in snuffe is to take it in anger Againe in Scripture we finde that slownesse to anger and hastinesse to be
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Seperatus and uncleannesse No evil dwells with God none comes near him Therefore he is The Holy One He is so separated from evil that he cannot behold evil or look on iniquity Hab. 1. 13. except with a vindictive eye Sin never got a good look from God or ever shall Further God is called The Holy One in three respects First Deus vocatur Sanctus Israel vel Sanctus simpliciter vel quod sancté a nobis colendus est vel quod ipse solus vere sanctus est Because he is all holy in himself Secondly Because we receive all holiness from him Thirdly Because we are to serve him in holiness and righteousness all our daies A Holy God must have a holy Service God is The Holy One First In his Nature his essence is purity Or he is essential purity Secondly he is holy in his Word those are frequent adjuncts of the word of God holy pure and clean Thirdly He is holy in his works There is not the least imaginable stain or defilement upon any thing he hath done These three put together lift up the glory of God in this title The Holy One. He that is holy throughout in his nature holy in his word holy in his works is the Holy One Yea he is as Moses stileth him in his triumphant song Exod. 15. Glorious in holinesse A glorious holy One Or again We may consider God The holy One First Radically and fundamentally because the Divine nature is the root and original the spring of all holinesse and purity All holinesse is in God and there is no holinesse to be had but in God alone Secondly God is The holy One by way of example and patterne or in regard of the rule and measure of holinesse 1 Pet. 1. 16. Be ye holy as I am holy the Holinesse of God it is the exemplar and patterne of all the holinesse that is in the creature Thirdly God is The holy One by way of motive He is as the rule of holinesse so likewise the reason of our holinesse therefore another Scripture saith Be ye holy for I am holy I am The holy One and that is the reason why you must be holy too Fourthly God is The holy one effectively because he works conveies and propagates all holiness to and in the creature Nothing can frame a heart to holiness but the finger of God Man can no more make himself or another holy than he can redeem another or himself Fiftly He is called The holy One by way of eminency or super-excellency because his holiness is infinitely beyond all the holiness of men and Angels Angels are holy and God is pleased to say of men that they are holy but not man nor Angel can be called The holy One. His supereminency in holiness shines forth in such beams and rayes as these First Holiness in God it is not a quality but his essence Holiness in Angels is a quality the essence of many Angels continues though their holiness be lost and vanished the lapsed Angels who are now devils keep their nature but their holiness is gone therefore holiness was but a quality or accidental to them So in the Saints holiness is an infusion a quality a grace most men never had any holiness and the man would remain though his holiness should be lost But in God his essence and his holiness are the same The holiness of God It is the holy God as the wisdom of God it is the wise God and the power of God it is the powerful God The attributes of God for our learning are distinguished from his nature but in him they are the same Secondly God is The holy One eminently above men and Angels because he is absolutely perfect in holiness Absolutely perfect first because he is holy extensively if we may so speak of God in all parts he is holy throughout and then he is holy intensively as he is holy in all parts so he is altogether holy in every part Holy men have holiness in every part yet they are holy but in part and though Angels be holy in every part extensively and have also a perfection of holinesse yet they have not an absolute perfection of holiness therefore Angels themselves are chargeable with folly compared with God Chap. 4. 18. God is so light that in him there is no darkness at all he is so holy in him that there is no unholiness at all But men the best of men all the saints upon earth have darkness with their light and unholiness mixed with their holiness Therefore in the third place the eminency of God in holiness appeareth in this that God is ever equally holy ever in the same degree and frame of holiness Angels are so too because they are confirmed and though at the present the Saints are not yet when Christ shall set them up in that glorious estate they shall keep the same frame for ever But the Saints upon earth are unequally holy For first they are growing their estate here is an encreasing estate they are more holy one year than another as they grow more in knowledge so in every grace And then in regard of the exercise they are more holy at one time than at another which of the Saints hath not found or doth not find much variety in his spirit Now a heart enlarged in prayer and anon straightned now a heart believing and anon doubting now humble anon lifted up with pride c. But as the holy One is perfectly and absolutely holy so he is ever equally in the same degree and tenor of holiness not the least variety or shaddow of turning in him Put all these together and the title is clear How God by an excellency is called The holy One. As he is so strong that all the power of the creature compared with his is weakness and so wise that all the wisdom of the creature compared with his is folly So he is so holy that compared with him all holiness is unholy and he alone The holy One. Observe hence First That the holiness of man consists in his conformity unto God Holiness is our likeness to God or the application of our minds and actions to God as the Scholles define it God the holy One Sanctitas dicitur per quam mens seipsum suos actus applicat Deo is if we may so speak the standard the patern and the object of all holiness There is a two-fold conformity to God in holiness First a conformity to the nature of God Secondly a conformity to the will of God or to that which God wills These make up the total holiness of the creature First Holiness is our conformity to the nature of God And therefore beleevers are said to be partakers of the divine nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. This participation is our analogical resemblance unto the divine nature First in his attributes Secondly in his affections In his attributes when we are patient mercifull just
Eliphaz and Job I leave in your hands praying for a blessing from on high to convay truth home to every heart desiring earnest prayers for the Spirit of grace and illumination to be powred out according to the measure of the gift of Christ upon April 28 1645. Your very affectionate Friend and Servant in this worke of the Lord Joseph Caryl AN EXPOSITION Upon the Fourth Fifth Sixth and Seventh Chapters of the Book of JOB JOB Chap. 4. Verse 1. Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said 2. If we assay to commune with thee wilt thou be grieved But who can withhold himselfe from speaking 3. Behold thou hast instructed many thou hast strengthned the weak hands 4. Thy words have upholden him that was falling and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees 5. But now it is come upon thee and thou faintest it toucheth thee and thou art troubled 6. Is not this thy feare thy confidence the uprightnesse of thy wayes and thy hope IOBS complaint ended in the former Chapter in this a hot dispute begins Job having curs'd his day is now chid himselfe And he had such a chiding as was indeed a wounding such as almost at every word drew blood and was not onely a Red upon his back but a Sword at his heart Job was wounded first by Satan he was wounded a second time by his Wife a third time he was wounded not as it is spoken in the Prophet in the house of his friends but in his own house by his friends Zach. 13. 6. these last wounds are judg'd by good Physitians in soule-afflictions his deepest and soarest wounds Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said Eliphaz being as is supposed the elder and chiefe of the three first enters the list of this debate with Job concerning whose name person and pedigree we have spoken before at the eleventh Verse of the second Chapter and therefore referring the Reader thither for those circumstantials of the speaker I shall immediately descend unto the matter here spoken If we assay to commune with thee wilt thou be grieved c. The whole discourse of Eliphaz may be divided into three generall parts 1. The Preface of his Speech 2. The Body 3. The Conclusion The Preface of his speech is contained in the second Verse If we assay to commune with thee wilt thou be grieved c. The Body of his speech is extended through this fourth and to the last Verse of the fifth Chapter It consisteth especially of two members or two sorts of matter in which Eliphaz deals with Job The first is reprehensory by way of conviction and reproof The second is exhortatory by way of counsell and advice First Eliphaz reprehends Job This work of reprehension begins at the third Verse of this Chapter and is continued to the end of the fourth Verse of the fift Chapter And to shew that he did not reprehend him upon passion he grounds this reprehension upon reason and strengthens his reproofe with Arguments And there are four reasons or speciall Arguments which Eliphaz takes up to make this reprehension convincing the naming of them will give light to the whole before we come to particulars The first Argument is contained in the words I have read to the end of the sixth Verse And it is taken from the unsuitablenesse of his present practice to his former precepts Or from the inequality of the course he now took under affliction to the counsell he had given others under affliction His second Argument beginning at the seventh Verse and carried on to the twelfth is grounded upon a supposed inequality of Gods present dealing with him in reference to his former dealings with godly men Eliphaz thought thus surely Job is an Hypocrite otherwise God would have dealt with him as with an innocent Remember saith he I pray thee who ever perished being innocent I will convince thee by all examples by whatsoever is upon Record in the History of all Ages that thou art an Hypocrite a wicked person for see if thou canst finde an instance in any Story of an innocent person perishing That is his second Argument His third Argument is continued from the twelfth Verse to the end of this fourth Chapter and that he might make the deeper impression upon Jobs spirit he brings it in with a dreadfull Preamble a Vision from God at once terrifying and instructing him thus to reason downe the pride of man The Argument it selfe is coucht in the seventeenth verse It is drawn from an evidence of presumption in all such as shall dare to implead Gods justice or plead their own as if Eliphaz had said surely thou art a proud and a wicked person for there was never any godly man upon the face of the Earth no nor any Angel in Heaven that durst be so bold with God as thou hast been Shall mortall man saith he be more just than God shall a man be more pure than his maker Behold he put no trust in his servants and his Angels he charged with folly His fourth Argument begins at the fifth Chapter and ends with the fourth Verse and it is taken from the unlikenesse of Jobs carriage under his afflictions to that which any of the Saints in any age of the World did ever shew forth under their afflictions He that caries himselfe so as none of the Saints ever caried themselves gives an evidence against his Saintship Call now to the Saints either those now living upon the Earth or search the Records concerning all the Saints that ever lived consider and see whether thou canst observe or reade any paralell of thy complaints and unreasonable expostulotions So much for the summe of his convictions Then Eliphaz turnes himselfe to admonition and exhortation in the following part of that fifth Chapter and there are two Heads of his admonitory exhortation First he admonishes him to seek unto God and to call upon him Vers 8. I would seek unto God and unto God would I commit my cause I give thee no other counsell then I would take my selfe If I were in thy case I would not stand thus complaining and cursing my day but this I would doe I would seek unto God and unto God would I commit my cause This admonition is enforced by divers Arguments to the seventeenth Verse The second head of his exhortation beginneth at the seventeenth Verse and it is to prevaile with him patiently to bear and quietly to accept his affliction or the punishment of his iniquity in pursuance of this he shews him many benefits and blessings attending those who graciously comply with the correcting hand of God upon them Behold saith he Verse 17. happie is the man whom God correcteth therefore despise not thou the chastning of the Almighty he concludeth all from his certain knowledge and infallible experience of what he had said Verse 27. Loe this we have searched it so it is Back'd with a warranty that if he obey his own experience shall quickly teach him
catechized or instructed servants The word signifies to train in the Principles of Religion as well as in the postures of war being the same used in the Book of Proverbs for teaching a childe the first elements of holy knowledge And that place of Genesis may very well comprehend both Fourthly observe That charity especially spirituall charity is very liberall and open-hearted Job instructed not onely his owne but he instructed others he instructed many he did not confine his doctrine and his advice to his own walls but the sound thereof went wheresoever he went he instructed many And if Job who had no special no direct calling to it were a teacher of many what shall we think of those whose calling and businesse it is to teach and yet teach not any at all their trade their profession is to teach yet they are so far from teaching many that they teach none and which is worse they hinder teaching they stop the mouth of the teacher and if they can the eare of the learner they take away the key of knowledge They neither open the doore themselves nor suffer those that would This is the very spirit of wickedness And blessed be God whose mighty power hath so graciously cast out and dispossest so many places of the Kingdome of these wicked spirits Further taking those other parts of his instruction as they respect persons afflicted who are here described by weak hands and feeble knees ready to fall unable to stand Observe first That sore afflictions doe exceedingly indispose for duty Sore afflictions make weak hands and feeble knees the weake hand and the feeble knee are as I said before emblems of one unfit for any businesse unfit to work unfit to walk when the hand is weak and the knee is feeble what is a man fit for Great sufferings unfit us for action Hence it is that the Lord moderates the afflictions of his people sweetens the bitternesse and takes off the oppressing weight of them God promiseth to come Isa 57. 16. with reviving and that he will not contend for ever with his people Why A principle Reason is Lest their spirits should fail before me and the soules which I have made Lest the spirits should faile that is lest they should faile in their duties the spirit cannot faile in the essence of it the spirit is of an eternall constitution but it faileth in the duty often And if afflictions lie too hard and too long upon a people their spirits fail their faith fails their courage failes their labours cannot be laborious to carry on and carry out their work Therefore when Job saw any under afflictions he endeavour'd to put courage into their hearts and so strength into their hands Secondly In the generall we may note further That the words of the wise have a mighty power strength and prevalence in them You see how efficatious the words of Job were Jobs instructions were strengthuings thou hast strengthned the weak hands and feeble knees his words were as stays to hold them up that were ready to fall Eliphaz doth not only say thou didst instruct many in instructing thou didst intend it was thy design and aime to strengthen the weak hands but he speaks of what Job had effected wrought thy words put sinews into the hands and knees of men that were weak and ready to fall thy words were as props to hold and bear up the spirits of those that were sinking Words wisely dispensed and followed with the blessing of God what can they not doe God doth the greatest things in the World by a word speaking as at the first he made the world it selfe by a word speaking so he hath done the greatest things and wrought the greatest changes in the World by a word speaking When a word goes forth cloathed with the authority and power of God it works wonders How hath it raised up sinking spirits how hath it made the fearfull undaunted and the weak-hearted couragious God by his word in the mouth of a weak man overthrows the strong holds of sinne and by a word brings every thought of man into subjection to Jesus 2 Cor. 10. 4. 5 Christ By a word he stops the mouth of blasphemy and evill speaking by a word speaking he makes a man deny himselfe by a word he opens the eyes of the blinde and makes the lame to run and leap like a Hart in the way of holinesse And I could wish that the word which I now speak might through the blessing of God have such an effect upon your spirits O that it might strengthen all weak hands and feeble knees O that it might uphold all who are ready to fall we are cast upon knee-feebling hand-weakning yea heart-weakning times the sight of those things which our eyes do see and the hearing of those things which our ears do heare cause many to fear and the spirits of some to fall Now a word invested with commission from God to go and comfort will master all our sorrowes and dispell all these fears If the Lord breathe upon a word that word will breathe lively activity into a very carkasse Look to those many and gracious promises made to those that mourne and comfort will flow in Promises are the treasures of comfort promises hold the Churches stock they are the patrimony of beleivers it is their priviledge and their honour to be called heirs of the promise While Heb. 6. 17. Christ and the Promise lives how can Faith dye or languish eying a promise So much of the first branch of the minor Proposition in the third and fourth Verses The second branch lies in the fifth Verse Now it is come upon thee and thou faintest it toucheth thee and thou art troubled Thou hast instructed many thou hast strengthned the weak hands c. but now it is come upon thee c. That is trouble and affliction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lassus fuit corpore vel animo prae lassitudine nescivit quid ageret are come upon thee And thou faintest The word signifies an extraordinary fainting when a man is so wearied and spent that he knowes not what he doth when his reason seemes tired as much as his strength So that the words Now it is come upon thee thou faintest may import thus much thou art in such a case that thou seemest to be besides thy selfe thou knowest not what thou doest thou speakest thou knowest not what The word is translated in the first Verse by grieved in other Scriptures by mad and furious Prov 26. 18. As a mad-man who casteth fire-brands c. And whereas we say Gen. 47. 13. the land of Egypt fainted by reason of the famine many render it the land of Egypt was inraged or mad because of In sanivit terra Egypti nan propter famem nimiam insanit homo Furebat terra i. e. tumultuabantur anno quinto famis mentem illâ—s adimente sane Jun. in loc the famine want of bread
tremble The Naturalists observe that though many creatures are swifter of foot then the Lion yet when he roareth they fall downe and he overtakes them with his astonishing voyce so tyrannicall men with their roaring words their loud threatnings often affright and daunt the poor 7. They resemble Lions in the sowrenesse and sternenesse of their countenance and cloudinesse of their browes Much of mans heart is seene in his face frownes are as blowes hence we call it brow-beating The love of God is expressed by the pleasantnesse of his face and the light of his countenance So also is the love of man and we may see what the intent of another is in his very lookes Many are in this respect Lion-like men they have as Aristotle saith of the naturall Lion clouds and stormes hanging about their eye-browes It was a threatning against the Jewes in case of disobedience that God would send against them a Nation of a fierce countenance which should not regard the person of the old c. Deut. 28. 50. Lastly they are like Lions in regard of their greedinesse after prey They have set their eyes bowing downe to the earth like as a Lyon that is greedy of his prey Psal 17. 11 12. Thus you see both who are here meant by Lions and likewise how the resemblance or picture of a wicked man may be taken from a Lion Now when it is said that the teeth of the Lions are broken that the old Lions perish and the young Lions are scattered abroad By all these expressions of scattering perishing and being broken to peeces the Holy Ghost shewes us the utter full and finall consumption of wicked men they are not only touched troubled and roused up out of their dens but these Lions old and young are scattered and consumed They perish There is an opinion currant among the Jewish writers that this verse is to be understood as a description of the means or instruments by which God destroyes wicked men and not as we of wicked men themselves whom God will destroy Junius agrees with this interpretation of the Jewes translating the two verses in this sence By the blast of God they perish and by the breath of his nostrils they are consumed by the roariag of the Lion and by the voyce of the fierce Lion and by the teeth of young Lions they are consumed As if when wicked men so he giveth the glosse are not destroyed immediately by the breath and by the blast of God then God stirres up the creatures against them and will destroy them by Lions We know it was a speciall judgement threatned in the Law against the disobedient Levit. 26. 22. that God would send evill beasts among them The Prophet numbers this among Gods sore judgements Sword famine pestilence and evill beasts are put together In the history of the Kings we have a famous 2 King 17. â—â— record how the Lord sent Lions who slew some of those Idolaters whom the King of Bahylon had transplanted into the Cities of Samaria But I rather conceive the former exposition of the words to be the truth and most sutable to the context and there is this reason to be given because it agrees best with the purpose of Eliphaz whose worke was so to describe the destruction of wicked men in generall that he might particularly intimate the destruction fallen upon Job and his family with the reason of it Job was a great man in his time he was among men as the Lion among beasts a chiefe His friends thought him a cruell Lion too and so he is told to his face afterward by one of them that he like a greedy Lion had taken away the pledge and the garment from the poore This Eliphaz would hint at least to Job and that God had found him out in his Lion-like qualities that he being a Magistrate and a man in authority having dealt hardly and cruelly with others now the Lord had measured to him the same measure he had given others He the Lion and she the fierce Lion or Lionesse his wife they the young Lions his children were all broken and either perished or perishing So much for the cleering of the words I shall now adde some observations from them First Wicked men how powerfull how strong soever shall fall before the wrath and indignation of God The day of the Lord shall be against every one that is high and that is lifted up God desires in a speciall manner to be dealing with these for they in the pride of their spirits think themselves a match for God though indeed their strength be but weaknesse and their wisdome foolishnesse yet in their own conceits they are stronger and wiser then God himselfe Hence like Pharaoh they send defiance to Heaven and say Who is the Lord Exod. 5. 1. When God sees the hearts of men swolne to this height of insolent madnesse he delights to shew himselfe and graple with them that the pride of man may be abased and every one that is exalted may be laid low that he only may be exalted and his Name set up in that day David was much troubled at that murther of Abner yet he could not take vengeance presently upon the fierce Lion that had suckt his blood Why his power did not reach it ye sonnes of Zerviah saith he are too hard for me 2 Sam. 23. 3. But there are no sonnes of Zerviah too hard for God no Lions so strong but he can teare them with infinitely more ease then a Lion can the tender kid This should comfort us when we see great and potent enemies rising up against the Church what are these before the great Lion the Lion of the Tribe of Judah If the Lord doe but roare if the Lion of the Tribe of Judah come against these Lions they will run like a heard of fearfull deare The Kings of the earth and the great men and the rich men and the chiefe Captaines and the mighty men are described trembling at the presence of Christ when he appeared but as a Lambe Rev. 6. 15 16. They cry to the mountaines and the rockes to fall upon them and to hide them from his face If when Christ appeares like an angry Lambe the greatest in the world fall before him what then will these doe when Christ shall appeare as a roaring Lion Secondly observe how gradually the Holy Ghost expresses the destruction of wicked tyrants All is not done at once First the roaring of the Lion doth perish then their voice then their teeth are pulled out next their prey is taken away lastly their whelps are scattered Note hence That usually God destroyes wicked men by degrees Here are five steps or degrees of Gods justice against these Lions First He stops the roaring of the Lions they shall not be able to make such a dreadfull noise as heretofore their roaring may be stopt when their voice is not though they can speake yet they shall not yell In the second
notes a man hasty bold inconsiderate rushing on hand over head without feare or wit A man who either is master but of little knowledge or that which he hath be it little or much masters him It agrees fully in sense and is the same to a letter in found with our English word Evill Such the Prophet Zech. 11. 15. describes Take saith he the instruments of a foolish sheapheard he doth not meane the instruments of a rude and meerely ignorant sheapheard a man that hath no knowledge or learning but of a rash and imprudent shepheard or of a lazie and idle shepheard who though hath knowledge yet knowes not how or hath no heart to improve his knowledge for the good of his flock The Prophet Ezekiel gives us the character of such Chap. 34. 4. The diseased have ye not strengthened nor have ye healed that which was sicke nor bound up that which was broken c. but will ye know what work they made with furie and with crueltie have ye ruled them ye have been moved with fury not with pity and acted by passion not by reason much lesse by grace So in this place the foolish man whom envy slayes is not a meere ignorant one that hath no brains but one hare-brayn'd and uncompos'd Eliphaz hints at Job secretly in this word whom he knew reported for a man of great knowledge and learning according to the learning of those times yet he numbers him with Nâ—n his solum sed calamo iâ—os â—imur in scribendo eumque 〈◊〉 fraâ—gâ—mus pectoâ—â—s penecallo alcato res tesseris cuicunque instrumento quilâ—bet ex quo dâ—fficultatem se paâ—â— arbitratur August â—ra stultitiae comeâ— sooles because he conceived him wrathfull rash intemperate not having any true government of himselfe Anger resteth in the bosome of fooles Eccles 7. 9. A foole is not able to judge of the nature of things or times or occasions and therefore he is angry with every thing that hits not his nature or his humour He will be angry with the Sunne if it shine hotter then he would have it and with the winds if they blow harder then he would have them and with the clouds if they raine longer then serves his turne They that are emptiest of understanding are fullest of will and usually so full of will that we call them will-full Hence unlesse every thing be ready to serve their wills they are ready to dye by the hand or judgement of their passions Wrath kills this foolish man Wrath may be taken here two woyes either for the wrath of God or for the wrath of man In the former sense the meaning is That the wrath of God kills foolish men Which is an undoubted truth but I rather adhere to the latter which gives the meaning thus That the wrath of a foolish man kills himselfe his own wrath is as a knife at his throate and as a sword in his own bowels The word which we translate wrath signifies indignation anger teastinesse or touchinesse Properly wrath is anger inveterate anger is a short fury and wrath is a long anger when a man is set upon 't when his spirit is steeped and soak't in anger then 't is wrath Esau raked up the burning coales of his anger in the ashes till his Fathers Funerall The time of mourning for my father will shortly come then will I slay my brother But our word rather notes a servent heate and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 distemper of spirit presently breaking forth or an extreame vexation fretting and disquieting us within As Psal 112. 10. The wicked shall see it and be grieved that is he shall have secret indignation in himselfe to see matters goe so He shall gnash with his teeth and melt away Gnashing of the teeth is caused by vexing of the heart And therefore it followes he melts away which notes melting is from heate an extreame heate within The sense is very suitable to this of Eliphaz wrath slayeth the foolish or wrath makes him melt away it melts his grease with chafing as we say of a man furiously vext Hence that deplorable condition of the damned who are cast out of the presence of God for ever is described by weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth which imports not onely paine but extreame vexing at or in themselves Those fooles shall be slaine for ever with their own wrath as well as with the wrath of God Wrath killeth c. But how doth wrath kill a foolish man his wrath sometimes drawes his sword and kils others but is his wrath as a sword to kill himselfe Many like Simeon and Levi in their anger have slaine a man but that the anger of a man should slay himselfe may seeme strange The passion of vvrath is such an engine as recoyles upon him that uses or discharges it As the desire of the slothfull killeth him Prov. 21. 25. so the wrath of a foolish man kils him that place enlightens this how comes desire to stay the slothfull thus A man slothfull in action is full of desires and quick in his affections after many good things he would faine have them he longs for them but the man is so extreame lazie that he will not stirre hand or foot to get the things which he desires and so he pines away with wishing and woulding and dies with griefe because desire is not satisfied So in like manner wrath is said to slay a man first because it thrusts him headlong upon such things as are his death he runnes wilfully upon his own death sometimes by the dangerousnesse of the action whence casuall suddaine death surprises him sometime by the unlawfulnesse of the action which brings him to a legall or judiciary death Secondly his wrath is said to kill him because his wrath is so vexations to him that it makes his life a continuall death to him and at last so wearieth him out and wasts his spirits that he dyes for very griefe and so at once commits a three-fold murder First he murders him intentionally against whom he is wroth Secondly he really murders his own body and thirdly he meritoriously murders his soule for ever except the Lord be more mercifull then he hath been wrathfull and the death of Christ heal those wounds by which he would have procured the death of others and hath as much as in him lies procured his own And envie slayeth the silly one These two expressions meet neere upon a sense Envy is the trouble which a man conceives in himselfe at the good which another receives This disease gets in at the eyes and eares or is occasioned by seeing or hearing of our neighbours blessings In the 1 Joh. 2. All the lusts in the world are reduced to three heads The lust of the eyes the lust of the flesh and the pride of life Envy is the chiefest lust of the eyes and it is properly called the lust of the eye because a man seldom envieth another untill
Indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him saith the Church Micah 7. 9. As if she had said the remembrance of my sinne takes away all pleading much more all quarrelling in how angry a posture soever the Lord sets himselfe to afflict me And therefore my spirit is resolved that because my flesh hath sinned my flesh shall beare the indignation of the Lord. He that knowes what it is to sinne knowes that all sufferings lâ—sse then hell are lâ—sse then sinne If a man were convinced of this that what he beares is lesse then his sinne deserves he would beare it with thanks not with complaints Irascitur quia omnia sibi ceberi puâ—at Yea he would say that as he hath deserved all these and more then all these stroakes so he hath need of them The bundle of folly in his heart cals for a bundle of rods upon his backe and he sees want of correction might have been his undoing Therefore to be angry with affliction argues a man ignorant of himselfe as a creature much more as a sinfull creature Once more the foolishnesse of such wrath appeares to the eye of nature and common reason because this wrath brings no ease or remedy at all to those wounds but rather makes them more painfull if not remedilesse It is an argument of folly to doe a thing whereby we cannot helpe our selves but it is folly and madnesse to doe that which hurts which makes our wound fester and our disease grow desperate Did any man ever ease himselfe by fretting or raging under the crosse How many have made their crosse more heavie upon them by raging at it A mans owne wrath is heavier to him then his crosse A stone is heavie and sand weightie but a fooles wrath is heavier then them both Prov. 27. 3. A fooles wrath is very heavie to others but it is heaviest to himselfe The text is expresse for it which may be a third observation To be angry and discontent at Gods judgements is more destructive to us then the judgements themselves The wrath and judgements of God afflict onely but your owne wrath destroyes wrath slayes the foolish Probably God came onely to correct you but wrath kils you The wrath of man is a passion but it is very active upon man and eats up the spirit which nurses and brings it forth Frowardnesse and anger are at once our sinne and our torment He that is angry when God strikes strikes himselfe whereas humble submission to the blow turnes it into a kisse or an embrace and they that sit downe quietly and believingly under any evill beare it at present with more ease and in the end find it in the inventory of their goods So David It is good for me that I have been afflicted Fourthly note That to envie another mans good or prosperity is an argument of the worst simplicitie Envy slayeth the silly one Envie is a common theame I will not stay upon it but shall onely give you two reasons to demonstrate the silly simplicity of an envious person 1. The good of another is not thy hurt thou hast not the lesse because another hath more Leah's fruitfulnesse was no cause of Rachels barrennesse Thy portion is not impaired by thy brothers increase thou hast thy share and he hath but his how silly a thing then is it to envie him that hath much vvhen as his having much is not the cause why thou hast little Againe this troubling thy selfe that others have more will not get thee any more envie never brought in earnings or encrease 2. A man of wisedome will make all the good of another his good Take away envie and that vvhich is mine is thine and if I take away envie that vvhich is thine is mine To have a heart to blesse God for his blessings upon another is it selfe a great blessing and gives thee likewise a part in those blessings Thus we may enjoy all the joyes and comforts the favours and deliverances the Tolle invidiam quod meum est tuum est si ego tollam itvidiaÌ„ quod tuuÌ„ est meum est health and peace the riches and plenty the gifts yea and the very graces of all those in vvhose graces and gifts plenty and riches peace and health c. We can really and cordially rejoyce Whereas an envious man ever stands in his own light and cannot rejoyce in his own mercies for grieving at his Brothers So farre of the second part of the argument whereby Eliphaz would convince Job of wickednesse his likenesse to the wicked in bearing of or rather fretting against his troubles JOB Chap. 5. Vers 3 4 5. I have seen the foolish taking root but suddenly I cursed his habitation His children are far from safety and they are crushed in the gate neither is there any to deliver them Whose harvest the hungry eateth up and taketh it even out of the thorns and the robber swalloweth up their substance TWo parts of the fourth argument were cleared in the two former verses In these three Eliphaz argues further to the same effect His argument is grounded upon his own experience which had shewed many examples of foolish men like Job as he supposed both in his rising and in his falling in his good days and in his evill I have seen the foolish taking root and suddenly I cursed his habitation c. The argument may be thus framed Foolish men flourish a while and then come to certaine and sudden destruction they and their children and their estates are all crushed and swallowed up But thou didst flourish a while and grow up like some goodly tree yet sudden destruction came upon thy children and upon thy estate the robbers have consumed and swallowed all up Therefore thou art foolish c. I have seen the foolish taking root but suddenly I cursed his habitation I have seen thee taking root and I observe thy habitation cursed Thy outward condition is so paralell with theirs that I know not how to distinguish thee from them in thy inward and spirituall condition I have seen the foolish taking root Eliphaz urgeth experience He urged experience in the fourth Chapter v. 8. Even as I have seen they that plow iniquity and sow wickednesse reap the same c. He urgeth experience here againe and this superadded experience seemes to answer an objection which might be made against that former experience For some might say many wicked men plow iniquity enough and sow wickednesse abundantly yet they reap comforts and the contentments of this world they have what their hearts desire a full harvest of riches pleasures and honours It is true saith Eliphaz I grant it I have observed the like also I have seen the foolish taking root yea but I can answer quickly and remove this objection it doth not at all weaken my former assertion grounded upon that experience for as I have seen him take root so suddenly I cursed his habitation his children are far
they grow and they bring forth fruit And who are these Surely the worst of men as the very next words evidence God is neare in their mouthes but he is far from their reines God is neare in the mouth of such that is they may speak of him sometimes but he is far from their reines there is nothing of God in their hearts and surely they that have nothing of God in their hearts have nothing of goodnesse in their hearts or in their lives This present glory and prosperity of wicked men lifts up the glory of Gods patience How is the glory of the patience of God exalted in letting them have ease who are a burthen unto himself in letting them prosper who are as God can be pained a paine unto himselfe in suffering them to flourish who vex his people in suffering them to laugh who make his people mourne Further He gives them leave to take root and flourish whom he could blast and root up every moment that all may see what is in their hearts If God did not permit them to take root yea and sometimes to grow up and flourish we should never see what fruit they would bring forth we should never see those grapes of gall those bitter clusters if these vines of Sodome and fields of Gomorrah were not watered with the dew and warmed with the Sun of some outward prosperity Lastly The prosperity of wicked men is a great tryall of good men The flourishing of the ungodly is as strong an exercise of their graces as their own witherings Observe secondly That wicked men may not onely flourish and grow but they may flourish and grow a great while I ground it upon this the text faith that they take root I have seen the foolish taking roote and the word notes a dcep rooting In the Parable of the sower 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 13. 21. it is said that the seed which fell into stony ground withered because it had no root noting that the cause of a suddaine decay or withering in any plant is the want of rooting whereas a tree well rooted will endure many a blast and stand out a storme Some wicked men stand out many stormes like old Oakes like trees deeply rooted they stand many a blast yea many a blow spectators are ready to say such and such stormes will certainly overthrow them and yet still they stand but though they stand so long that all wonder yet they shall fall that many may rejoyce and take up this proverb against them as of old against the King of Babylon How hath the oppressor ceased The Lord hath broken the staffe of the wicked and the scepter of the Rulers He who smote the people in wrath with a continued stroake he that ruled in the Nation with anger is persecuted and none hindreth Therefore many shall breake forth into singing yea the Fir trees shall rejoyce at him and the Cedars of Lebanon saying since thou art laid down no feller is come up amongst us Isa 14. Thirdly observe Outward good things are not good in themselves The foolish take root The worst of men may enjoy the best of outward comforts Outward things are unto us as we are If the man be good then they are good And though the Preacher tells us Eccles 9. That all things come alike unto all yet all things are not alike unto all There is a great difference between the flourishing of a wise man and the flourishing of a fool all his flourishing and fastning in the earth is no good to him because himselfe is not good Spirituall good things are so good that though they find us not good yet they will make us good we cannot have them indeed and be unlike them But worldly good things find some really good and make them worse others who had but a shew of goodnesse they are occasions of making stark nought Rooting in the earth never helpt any to grow heaven-wards Many deeply rooted in the earth have grown down and gone down to the depths of Hell Fourthly observe as a consequence from the former That the enjoyment of outward good things is no evidence can be made no argument that a man is good I have seen the foolish taking root And yet how many stick upon this evidence blessing themselves because they are outwardly blessed Yea though they meet with a discovery of their sins and sinfull bosomes in the word though they find those sins threatned yea cursed with a grievous curse in the word yet they blesse themselves and say we are rich and flourish we have a good estate and credit we take root and stand but they forget that all this may be the portion of a foole I have seen the foolish man taking root And suddenly I cursed his habitation The word here used to curse springs indifferently from two roots which yet meet and are one in signification Namely to strike through or to pierce as a man is struck through with a staffe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deducitur vel à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vel à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fodit perfodit terrebravit per me taphoram maledixit execratus est est metaphora translata ab his qui gladio aut pugione aliquem-transverberant tanquam si aliquis Dei aut hominis maledictione trajiceretur Cartw. in Prov. 11. 26. or sword or stabd with a dagger Thus Hab. 3. 14. Thou didst strike through with his Staves the head of the villages And Isa 36. 6. The piercing of a reed into the hand of him that leans upon it is exprest by this word So then it carries a metaphoricall allusion to the effect of a curse the curse of God alwayes and the curse of man upon due grounds is as a sword or a dagger piercing a man thorough and thorough through both soule and body I have cursed his habitation that is I have smitten his habitation quite through with a curse I cursed his habitation Some read I abhorred or I abhominated his habitation I was so far from envying this flourishing spreading tree or from being in love with his goodly seat and brave habitation that I loathed and could not abide it The cottage of an honest man was more delightfull to me then the tents or pallaces of wickednesse But the word beares rather to curse which is first to wish evill unto another And secondly to fore-tell to pronounce or denounce evill against another Often in the Psalmes Davids curses upon his enemies are predictions from the Spirit of God not maledictions or ill wishes from his own spirit Good men know not how to wish evill their cursings are Prophecies not prayers they fore-tell or fore-see evils but they desire them not I have Pium non decent dirae not desired the woefull day Lord thou knowest said that Prophet who had denounced many woefull dayes Jer. 17. 16. In Scripture many are said to doe that which they declare to Id fieri ab
of God in it his estate may vary and vary change and change a thousand times but the love of God towards him is unchangeable On the other side we see in the text when a wicked man takes roote and the branches of his outward estate beare fruit abundantly God curseth him when he is at ease God is angry with him That place is very observeable Zech. 1. 15. I am very sore displeased with the Heathen that are at ease the Heathen were at ease yet God was extreamely displeased with them When a wicked man is in health God curseth him when he is rich God curseth him when all men honour admire and flatter him God abhorreth hates and detests him he can be in no condition but he is sure to meet with the curse of God As a foolish man a wicked mâ—n gives God many things but he never gives God his love or his affection A wicked man may give God prayers but he doth not give him his love he may give him praises but he never gives him any love he may give God his purse but he gives not his love or his heart whether such a foole praiseth God or prayeth to God or giveth unto God he hateth God So likewise whatsoever God gives to a wicked man he hates him whatsoever he bestowes on him he curseth him This should awake men rooted in the earth to consider whether they are under the influences of Gods eternall love as well as under the influence of temporall blessings This is the ground of Davids conclusion Psal 37. 16. A little that the righteous hath is better than the ricehes of many wicked the reason is this because many ungodly ones swimming in a full sea of riches have not so much as one drop of the love of God nor one beame or ray of the light of his countenance shining upon them but a godly man if he have but a small estate he hath much love mixed with it if he have but a little purse he hath a large portion of the favour of God in it and this makes it so out-worth and out-value a wicked mans estate this puts the price and stamps an excellency upon his little The love of God doth so farre exceed the fatness of the earth in the esteeme of Saints that they in rating their estates reckon not upon earthly things at all they see nothing to value themselves by but their interests in the love of God As when God gives his people their portion he lookes upon outward things as meere additionalls or as an overplus given in by way of vantage All other things shall be added Mat. 6. 33. when a man casts in a handfull of wheate after the bushell is full or gives a fingers bredth after the due measure of the cloath So it is in the case of all temporals bestowed upon the Saints Then fourthly note Outward good things are no argument of the favour of God As we shewed before that they are no evidences of the goodnesse of a person so neither are they any evidences of the grace and favour of God unto a person A man cannot find an evidence of Gods love in his purse in his land in his honour in his credit Yea a man may flourish in better things then these I speake of and yet have no evidences of Gods love to him A man may flourish in knowledge be deeply rooted in learning may have extraordinary branches of parts and wonderfull fruits of gifts yet notwithstanding all this while his habitation and his person too under a curse And therefore be sure that you looke for your evidences of the love of God in the right boxe doe not looke for evidences of the love of God in your chests or in your purses but looke into your hearts and see what Christ hath done there looke into your lives and see what light shines there from the Spirit of Christ Looke whether grace flowes from the Spirit of Christ and is rooted in your spirits If grace be rooted in thee there if it spring up and bring forth fruit in the life this is an evidence indeed They that are thus rooted God never curseth Grace and holiness were never under any curse Observe one thing further As these words hold forth the judgement or opinion of a godly man concerning the wicked in prosperity I have seen the foolish taking root and presently I cursed his habitation A godly man sees the wicked of the world to be miserable in their best and most flourishing condition When thousands stand about the great ones of the earth admiring applauding making little gods of them envying their happinesse and thinking none happy but they or such as they are then a godly man pitties them mournes over them sees them and all such as they are miserable He lookes through all their outward glory and beauty riches and honours and sees them curst through all hated of God through all He sees nakednesse through their cloathing emptiness and want through all their plenty and aboundance neither is this unhappinesse confined to their own persons but derived to all to whom they derive life or stand related So it followes His children are farre from safety and they are crushed in the gate neither is there any to deliver them c. Secundum genus calamitatis quod Deus impâ—obisimmitâ—it posteritatis exitiam deploâ—aâ—uÌ„ quidem acclamante pubâ—ico consensu These words containe a further effect of this curse I cursed his habitation and what then was it an ineffectuall curse was it but wind and words returning and doing nothing or did it spend all its strength upon this foolish man in his own person No His children are farre from safety they are crushed in the gate c. One of the Rabbins conceives that these words and the verse following are the forme wherein the curse was pronounced upon the habitation of the foolish man As if Eliphaz had said I cursed Râ—bbi Salomon forâ—am maledictionis esse vult his habitation thus Let his children be far from safety and let them be crushed in the gate neither let there be any to deliver as for his harvest let the hungry eate it up and let the robbers swallow up their substance And we find such a forme Psal 109. David pronounces the curse upon those wicked enemies in language very sutable to this ver 6 7 8 9 10 11. Set thou a wicked man over him and let Satan an adversary stand at his right hand When he shall be judged let him be condemned and let his prayer become sinne Let his children be fatherlesse and his wife a widdow let his children be continually vagabonds and beg let them seeke their bread also out of desolate places let the extortioner cath all that he hath and let the stranger spoile his labour But we may rather take it as the matter then as the forme of a curse I cursed his habitation and the curse brake forth upon his children and
they are carelesse of or wandring from the Lord leade them by the hand of counsell into ways where he may be found I would seeke unto God Observe in the third place That We ought to manage our exhortations with meeknesse and tendernesse This of Eliphaz is a mild and tender expression and to make it more easie he puts the exhortation as was noted before in the first not in the second person he doth not say seeing afflictions come not from the ground and that man is borne unto trouble therefore doe thou seeke unto God and doe thou commit thy cause unto God but seeing thy case is thus truly brother I advise thee as I would advise mine own soul Seek unto God It moves strongly and gaines upon the affection of another to tell him we would do the things our selves which we desire he should and we wish him as we doe our own souls Fourthly observe That It is both our wisedome and our duty in all our afflictions to seek unto God I would saith Eliphaz if I were in thy case seek unto God Unto whom should we goe but unto God He is our best friend when it is best with us and he is our only friend when it is ill with us all other friends will be Physitians of no value as Job himselfe found them therefore seeke unto God As the Disciples said unto Christ when Christ asked them Will yee also goe away Whether shall we goe say they for thou hast the words of eternall life So faith the soule in afflictions To whom shall I goe Unto this creature or that creature unto this friend or that friend No I will seek unto God That is the wisest and shortest course all other courses are about if not in vain Other wayes may be used as helps but this must pitch mainly upon God When we are directed to seek unto God in afflictions it speakes foure things First To seek unto God about the cause of our afflictions desire that God would informe us what his mind is in sending such an affliction or what it is he aimes at in sending it Afflictions are the Lords messengers and we should never be quiet till we know their errand This is it which Job complained of in the third Chapter That his way was hid which was expounded that he knew not the cause of his afflictions the cause was hidden and so was the issue he could neither tell how he came in nor how he could come out If our way in afflictions be hid we must seeke unto God for the opening of it Secondly To seek unto God for strength and patience to beare the affliction As the affliction comes from God so doth the strength by which we stand under it or get victory over it Thirdly To seek unto God for the sanctifying of affliction to our profit that we may be partakers of his holinesse Afflictions are the good creatures of God and they as all other creatures are sanctifâ—ed to us by the word and prayer We have as much reason to seek unto God for a blessing upon our daily Rod as upon our daily bread Fourthly Seek unto God for cure and ease for the removing or mitigating of them In their affliction they will seeke me early saith the Lord Hos 5. 15. But for what will they seek even for medicine and healing Come and let us returne unto the Lord for he hath torne and he will heale us he hath smitten and he will bind us up Hos 6. 1. Observe from the other branch And unto God would I commit my cause That It is a very great ease unto the soule in affliction to commit our cause unto God and to put our affairs into his hand Man is not able to stand alone under the weight of his afflictions Both sinne and sorrow are burdens too heavie for us to beare if you would have ease lay both upon Christ it is no unbecomming boldnesse to doe so for he cals us to it and bids us doe it Psal 55. 22. Cast thy burden upon the Lord and he shall sustaine thee Christ is willing to beare a part and put his shoulder under these burdens yea it is his strength that beares the whole The committing of our cause to God is at once our duty our safety and our ease Thus David did Psal 142 2. I powred my complaint before him I shewed before him my trouble David brought out his evils and set them as it were one by one in the sight of God and told him thus it is with me We may see David acting this rule to the life when Absolom had fomented a most unnaturall rebellion against His He hastens out of Jerusalem All the Country wept with a loud voyce and the Priests with the Arke of the Covenant of God came with him also In what posture was Davids spirit in the midst of these commotions His words to Zadok shew no doubt the true picture of it And the King said to Zadok carry back the Arke of God into the City if I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord he will bring me againe and shew me both it and his habitation but if he say thus I have no delight in thee behold here am I let him doe to me as seemeth good unto him 2 Sam. 15. 25 26. As if he had said I am uncertaine what God will doe with me but I am resolved to let the Lord doe with mee what he will I am willing to be what God will have me I lay my cause and leave my businesse at his foot-stool if he will have me dethroned and unking'd I am content my honour should lye in the dust If he say I shall never come againe to Jerusalem or see the Arke of his strength and presence I am content for ever to be banisht Jerusalem never to see the Arke which to me is the most beautifull and desirable sight in the world any more Here was self-resignation and cause-committing to the height And when David had brought his heart to this his heart was unburden'd he doubtlesse found the weight and stresse of the whole businesse lying upon God himselfe His cause was with God and his cares were with God And therefore Though his throne shaked yet his heart was fixed Nor doe I find that ever his heart was more fixed then in this stresse while his Throne and Crowne were tottering Hezekiah did the like with like success In the day of that great and publike calamity he went and spread the letter of Rabshakeh before God he as it were desired God to reade it to observe the blasphemous contents and see in what condition he was He that commits his cause to God breathes a composed spirit when the greatest stormes and distractions are upon his bodie or estates upon Church or State Only take this caution be sure the cause you commit to God be a good cause The committing of a sinfull cause to God is a dishonour to and a high strain
or commanding stamps justice upon it as is clear in the case of Abrahams call to sacrifice his son and the Israelites carrying away the jewels of the Aegyptians If then the act of God whose will is the supream law makes that lawfull which according to the common rule is unlawfull how much more doth the act of God make that great which in ordinary proportion is accounted small Againe When it is said God doth great things we must not understand it as if God dealt not about little things or as if he let the small matters of the world passe and did not meddle with them Great in this place is not exclusive of Little for he doth not onely great but small even the smallest things The Heathens said their Jupiter had no leisure to be present at the doing of small Non vacat exignis rebus adesse Jovi things or it did not become him to attend them God attendeth the doing of small things and it is his honour to doe so the falling of a Sparrow to the ground is one of the smallest things that is yet that is not without the providence of God the haires of our head are small things yet as not too many so not too small for the great God to take notice of Christ assures us this The very haires of your head are all numbred Mat. 10. 29 30. We ought highly to adore and reverence the power and inspection of God about the lowest the meanest things and actions Is it not with the great God as with great men or as it was with that great man Moses who had such a burthen of businesse in the government of that people upon his shoulders that he could not bear it therefore his Father in law adviseth him to call in the aide of others and divide the work But how The great matters the weighty and knotty controversies must be brought to Moses but the petty differences and lesser causes are transmitted and handed over to inferiour judges And it shall be that every great matter they shall bring unto thee but every small matter they shall judge Exod. 18. 22. But God the great Judge of Heaven and earth hath not onely the great and weighty but small matters brought unto him the least motions of the creature are heard and resolved disposed and guided by his wisdome and power You will say What is this greatnesse and what are these great things I shall hint an answer to both for the clearing of the words There is a two-fold greatnesse upon the works of God There is so we may distinguish First the greatnesse of quantity Secondly the greatnesse of quality or vertue That work of God which is greatest in the bulk or quantity of it is the work of Creation How spacious huge and mighty a fabrique is Heaven and earth with all things compacted and comprehended in their circumference And in this work so vast for quantity what admirable qualities are every where intermixt Matter and forme power and order quantity and quality are so equally ballanced that no eye can discerne or judgement of man determine which weighes most in this mighty work Yet among these works of God some are called great in regard of quality rather then of quantity As it is said Gen. 1. 16. That God made two great lights the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night Sunne and Moone these are great lights not that there are no lights great but these or that both these are greater then all other heavenly lights for many Stars are greater then the Moon as the doctrine and observation of Astronomers assures us but the lesser of these is great in regard of light and influence excellency and usefulnesse to the world And as to these works of creation so the works of providence are great works When God destroyes great enemies the greatnesse of his work is proclaimed When great Babylon or Babylon the great shall be destroyed the Saints song of triumph shall be Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty just and true are thy wayes thou King of Saints Rev. 15. 3. Great and marvellous works why Because thou hast destroyed great Babylon and hast executed great judgement and powred out great wrath So great works of mercy and deliverance to his people are cryed up with admiration And hath given us such a deliverance as this saith Ezra Chap. 9. 13. when the Jewes returned from their captivity out of Babylon That mercy was a kind of miracle that deliverance a wonder and therefore he mentions it in termes of admiration Such deliverance as this How great So great that he had neither words to express nor example to paralell it but lets it stand nakedly by it selfe in its native glory Such deliverance as this The Spirituall works of God are yet far greater the work of redemption is called a great salvation the conversion and justification of a sinner the pardon of our sinnes and the purifying of our nature are works as high above creation and providence as the Heavens are in comparison of the earth Take two or three Corolaries or Deductions from hence As first It is the property of God to doe great things And because it is his property he can as easily doe great things as small things Among men Great spirits count nothing great A great spirit swallowes and overcomes all difficulties Much more is it so with the great God who is a Spirit all Spirit and the father of spirits To the great God there is nothing great He can as easily doe the greatest as the least 1 Sam 14. 6. 2 Chron. 14. There Animo magâ—â— nihil magnum is no restraint to the Lord to save with few or by many or it is nothing with thee to help whether with many or with them that have no power It is not so much as the dust of the ballance with God to turne the scale of victory in battell whether there be more or lesse Seeing all Nations before him are but as the dust of the ballance as nothing yea lesse then nothing So that whether you put him upon any great work or small work you put the Lord to no more stresse to no more paines in the one then in the other for he doth great things and to doe them is his property not his study his nature not his labour He needs not make provisions or preparations for what he would have done the same act by which he wills the doing of a thing doth it if he wills What great things hath the Lord done in our dayes We may say as the Virgin Luke 1. 49. He that is Mighty hath done to us great things and Holy is his Name and as they Acts 2. 11. We have both heard and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Magnalia Dei seen the great things of God done amongst us and I believe greater things are yet to be done It was a great work at the beginning
griefe either through want of power or through the restraint of power both wayes griefe increases Some who have been dying Apud SophocleÌ„ electra faelicem vocat Niobem cui lugere filiorum interâ—tum permissum est cum id sibi matris crudelitas negaverita upon cruell rackes or under bloudie tortures have yet esteemed this beyond all their tortures that they might not freely speak out their minds and sorrows to have their mouthes stopt was worse to them then to have their breath stopt It is a pain to be kept from speaking To command a man to swallow or eat downe his words is next to the command of eating and swallowing downe his own flesh The cruelty of a disease may gagge a man as well as the cruelty of a Tyrant Such is my griefe that my words are swallowed up JOB Chap. 6. Vers 4 5 6 7. For the arrowes of the Almighty are within me the poyson whereof drinketh up my spirit the terrours of God doe set themselves in aray against me Doth the wilde Asse bray when he hath grasse Or loweth the Ox over his fodder Can that which is unsavory be eaten without salt Or is there any taste in the white of an Egge The things that my soule refused to touch are as my sorrowfull meate JOB continueth his reply and his complaint He had exprest the greatnesse of his calamity by comparing it with the sand of the sea for weightinesse now he proceeds in the same sad aggravation by comparing it to an arrow for sharpenesse and to an army for terriblenesse For the arrows of the Almighty are within me The terrours of the Lord set themselves in array against me We are in this verse to open a quiver full of poysoned arrowes and to marshall an army full of divine terrours The arrows of the Almighty c. An Arrow is a deadly engine so called in the Hebrew from its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sagitta à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dimidiavit discidit qaod scindit rem percussaâ— effect cutting or wounding Being taken properly it is an instrument shot out of a Bow of wood or iron either for sport or fight But here figuratively And arrows in Scripture are taken in a figure divers wayes First For the word of God Psal 4. 5. Thine arrowes are sharpe in the heart of the Kings enemies whereby the people fall under thee That is thy words are sharpe and peircing whereby thou convincest and beatest downe sin and sinners either converting or destroying them The Rider on the white Horse going out conquering and to conquer who is conceived to be Truth or the word of God triumphing is described with a Bowe in his hand Rev. 6. 2. Secondly Arrows are put for the bitter and reproachfull words of men Ps 64. 3. 4. Ps 120. 4. They bend their bowes to shoot their arrows even bitter words Thirdly For any evill or mischievous purpose which a man intends or aimes to the hurt of his brother Psal 58. 7. When he bendeth his bow to shoot his arrowes let them be as cut in peeces Bending of the bow notes the preparing and setting of mischiefe The arrow shot out of this bent bowe is the mischiefe acted and finished Psal 2. The wicked bend their bowe they make ready their arrow upon the string they prepare mischiefs against their neighbour Fourthly For any kind of affliction judgement or punishment Zech. 9. 14. And the Lord shall be seene over them and his arrow shall goe forth as the lightning Particularly 1. For Famine Ezek. 5. 16. When I shall send upon them the evill arrowes of famine 2 For Pestilence Psal 91. 5. Thou shalt not be affraid for the terrour by nigbt nor for the arrow that fleeth by day What the terrour and the arrow are is explained in the next verse which is not an addition of other evils from which safety is promised but an explication of the same The pestilence that walks in darknesse and the destruction being the same pestilence wasting at noone-day The meaning of all is Thou shalt be kept or antidoted against the plague both night and day 3. Those thunder-bolts and haile-stones which God sends out of the Magazine of heaven and discharges in his wrath against wicked men are called the arrows of his indignation 2 Sam. 22. 15. Psal 144. 6. Hab. 3. 11. compared with Josh 10. 11. Further the arrows of God signifie inward afflictions troubles of the mind and spirit God often shoots an arrow which pierces into the very soule It was said of Joseph The iron entred into his soule And it is in this sense very usuall for the arrowes of God to enter into the soules of his people Psal 38. 1 2. O Lord rebuke me not in Thy wrath c. For Thine arrows sticke fast in me Where stuck they He meanes it not of his body haply the skin of that was not razed There is an arrow which touches not the sides but stickes fast in the soule of a childe of God Understand it here of the arrowes of affliction and those either externall outward calamities fastning in the flesh of Job or internall galling him to the soule and spirit Therefore he saith The Haret lateri Leâ—halis aruÌ„do arrows of the Almighty are within me the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit These arrowes are described in the text two waies 1. From the Efficient cause The arrowes of the Almighty They drink up my spirit Effect 2 They are the arrowes of the Almighty Shaddai Of which word we have spoken in the former Chapter verse 17th at large it being one of the names of God noting out his power and omnipotence There he cals them the chastnings of Shaddai the Almighty And here The Arrowes of Shaddai the Almighty 1. Because they are sent out from him His arme bends and draws the bow And 2. Because of the mighty force and strength in which they are sent home to the marke The strength in which those arrowes come and the depth of the wound which they make speak an Almighty arme drawing the bow None but an Almighty arme can shoot an arrow thus deep up to the feathers in the soul and spirit It is not in the power of all the tyrants in the world to strik or shoot thus deep The soule of a Saint hath such armour upon it as no bodily weapon can enter And therefore the Martyrs when all was wound in their flesh spoke and triumph'd because their spirits were whole and untoucht Onely a spirit can shoot arrowes into our spirits We finde it frequent among heathen Poets and others to describe Poetae deos arcu jaâ—ulis sagittisque armant intelligentes quas inserunt mortalibus clades quae feriunt eminus quod propriâ—m Dei videtur Bold their gods arm'd with bowes and arrowes And in that they shadowed their power to wound the minds of men and to wound them suddenly and secretly The Scripture describes the true God
thus furnished with his Quiver of arrowes and his bowe Psal 7. 13. He ordaineth his arrowes against the persecutors God â—ath an arow for the wounding of his enemies and an arrow for the wounding of his friends He hath arrowes for both and both are wounded and both are wounded with poyson'd fierie arrowes yet with a vast difference these are wounded and poyson'd that they may be healed and they are wounded and poyson'd that they may be destroyed Arrowes are 1. Swift instruments 2 Secret 3. Sharpe 4. Killing I will make mine arrowes drunke without bloud Deut. 32. 42. They are instruments drawing bloud and drinking bloud even unto drunkenesse afflictions are like arrowes in all these properties 1 Afflictions often come very speedily with a glance as an arrow quick as a thought 2. Afflictions come suddenly unexpectedly an arrow is upon a man afore he is aware so are afflictions Though Job saith The thing he feared came upon him he looked for this arrow before it came yet usually afflictions are unlooked for guests they thrust in upon us when we dreame nâ—t of them 3. They come with little noise an arrow is felt before or as soon as it is heard an arrow flies silently and secretly stealing upon and wounding a man unobserved and unseen Lastly all afflictions are sharpe and in their owne nature killing and deadly That any have good from them is from the grace of God not from their nature The poyson whereof drinketh up my spirits There 's the effect of his afflictions Some reade it The furie Quarum indignatio Vulg. Furor Sept. Fervor Tâ—gur pluâ—iâ—â— VenenuÌ„ or anger whereof drinkes up my spirit It may be called the fury and anger of an arrow because the arrow is often sent in fury and in anger We reade also of the fire of an arrow or of a fiery arrow Ps 76. 4. There brakest thou the arrows of the bow Arrows even firing themselves by the swiftnesse of their motion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sagitta ignita incalescens motu The word of the Text is derived from a roote signifying to waxe very hot and in the Nowne heate Hence by a Metaphor it signifies anger because angry men waxe hot Anger is breathed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Caluit incaluit ira sic dicta quod iraâ—â— inca â—escunt fire Isai 42. 25. Therefore he hath powred upon them the furie of his anger and the strength of battell and it hath set him on fire round about Fire and fury are neare in name and in nature When fury burns within fire quickly burns without and so by a Metonymie the same word signifies poison the reason is because poisons heat and inflame poysons inflame the flesh and as it were set the body on fire or because an angry man like an angry Serpent seemes to breath out fire or spet poyson Paul before his conversion breathed threatnings fire and sword against the Church Act. 9. 1. And therefore either way the word is well rendred The anger whereof or the poyson whereof drinketh up my spirit And in the Greek the same word signifies anger and Psal 58. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. poyson because of that inflammation which is about the heart of a man throughly angry In these words Job seemes to allude to the custome of cruell savage men who when they pursued their enemies with deadly Venenatis gâ—avida sagitâ—is pharetra Hor. Qui mortis saevo gem nent ut vulnera causas Omnia vipereo spicula Felle linunt Ovid. l. 1. de ponto Mos erat persarum ut ponant venenum serpentis in sagittis suis R. Solo. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hatred and would wound them to death used to dip the head of their arrows the top of their speares or the point of their swords or whatsoever weapon they fought with in poison that so every wound might be a death The poison of such an arrow speare or sword drinks up the spirit and corrupts the bloud presently Some poison strikes the heart almost as soon as the weapon strikes the arme Job compares the arrowes which God shot into him not to ordinary arrowes which kill only by piercing but to poison'd arrowes which kill by insecting As if God had set himselfe to the utmost to powre out the fiercenesse of his indignation upon him not only shooting an arrow but an arrow dipt in poison such an arrow as the most barbarous and cruell men shoot at their most professed and mortall enemies Drinketh up my spirit Poison gets quickly to the spirit and there drinks poison is subtle and spiritfull and therefore if I may so speake incorporates with that which is most subtle in man his spirit Flat pal'd grosse or dreggish liquor will not quench the fiery thirst of poison it drinkes nothing but pure spirits yet some reade It drinketh up my blood but this amounts to the same sencâ— for the spirit of a living creature is in the blood the spirits swim in the blood There are different opinions about this spirit or what we are to understand by it First Some take spirit here for the breath or for the act of Toâ— confossus vulneâ—ibus â—ix respiâ—are valeo Aquin. breathing As if he had said I have received so many wounds by these poisoned arrowes that I begin to faint and cannot draw my breath These arrowes sup up my spirit and by wounding stop my breath Secondly Others understand it more generally taking spirit for his strength and vigour spirits are so strong that they are put for strength The Aegyptians are men and not God and their horses flesh and not spirit Isa 31. 3. that is they are not strength but weaknesse So here it drinketh up my spirit that is the strength that is in me all the powers and abilities of body and Dolores mei â—â—c penitus enervant atque exhausto robore deâ—iciunt Pined soule are wasted and consumed These calamities spend upon my spirit where the stock of my strength is laid up or which is the lock wherein my strength lies A third apprehends that by spirit he meanes his judgement reason and understanding as if he had said showers of arrowes and troubles come so thick upon me that they even darken my mind and drink up the strength of my understanding Hence I may seeme to speake distractedly unadvisedly weakly I have not that spirit to quicken that strength of reason to judge which formerly I had the paines of my body disable and distemper my mind And therefore if I have spoken any thing below what I ought it is because I am cast below what I was The terrours of God doe set themselves in array against me Arrowes and terrors are the same thing in a different cloathing of words Or the arrow is the affliction it selfe and the terrour is the effect or consequent of it The word here used for
Terrour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 notes the most terrible terrour or affrightment Terrour is the extreame of feare or feare confused into amazement and astonishment Death is therefore called the King of terrours because there are so many powerfull terrours in death Psal 55. 4. That vexation which Saul felt when God sent out an evill spirit with commishion to vex him is exprest by this word 1 Sam. 16. 14. An evill spirit from the Lord troubled or terrified him Such terrors for the matter such for the manner and present workings of them seized upon upright-hearted Job and false-hearted Saul A beleever a child of God an heire of Heaven may feele himself haunted and pierced with hellish terrours These are called the Terrours of God eyther first by a common Hebraisme because great and strange terrours In that language God is often put as an Epithite to shew exceeding greatnesse himselfe being the greatest So Chap. 1. ver 16. Fire of God c. Secondly Terrours of God because he sent and commanded that Army of Terrours When Jacob journeyed with his little Army Gen. 35. 5. It is said The terrour of God was upon the Cities round about and they pursued them not that is the Lord sent an Army of terrours to oppose the Cities least they should arme against Jacob. The terrour of man is very terrible and therefore the Apostle armes the Saints against it 1 Pet. 3. 14. Be not afraid of their terror The terror of God is infinitely greater and thereupon the Apostle argues 2 Cor. 5. 11. Knowing therefore the terrour of the Lord we perswade Those terrours of God may be taken two wayes Either actively or passively Actively for that work of God in terrifying and troubling Thy terrours that is the terrours which thou didst afflict me with Or passively for those afflictions which oppresse Nomen terroris frâ—quenter in Scripturis sumitur pro flagellis malisque gravissimis a Deo missis the mind when God leads that army against us sets it in array to charge and commands it to encampe about us in either sence we may take this of Job as also that of Heman Psal 88. 15. While I suffer thy terrours I am distracted Further There is a two-fold terrour First caused by outward imminent danger Secondly caused by inward guilt Or Terrour comming from the wrath of man and terrour coming from the wrath of God Thus it was threatned Levit. 26. 16. I also will doe even this unto you I will appoint over you terrours Deut. 32. 25. The sword without and terrour within shall destroy both the young man and the virgin That is feare shall kill those who escape the sword A people cannot stand before the Army of men who are once surprised with an Army of terrours Hence Josh 2. 9. Your terrour is fallen upon us saith Rahab to assure the spies that the Canaanites could not stand before the people of Israel Againe The terrours of God afflict the soule First When sin is set openly to the eye of conscience in array against us An army of sins are an army of terrours The Church is called Terrible as an army with banners Cant. 6. 10. when she is strengthned and armed for the exercise of all that power which Christ hath given her and when our sins stand before us in all that strength which the law hath given them they also are terrible as an army with banners Secondly When God hides his face from us an army of terrours quickly faces us Though an army of sins come out in array against us yet if God appear to us in the fulnesse and freenesse of his grace if Christ our Captaine will but leade us on against this army we shall quickly overcome them or they will will fly before us But an army of sins is exceeding terrible when Christ appears not in the field for us or when God hides his face from us and leaves us in the dark It is usuall in Scripture to set forth terrours as the effect of that darknesse and the hidings of the face of God Naturally terrour accompanies darknesse children are afraid in the dark and not onely children but men Histories tell us of great Emperours who durst not be in the dark for fear And as naturall terrours meet us in naturall darknesse so spirituall terrours in spirituall darknesse When the light of Gods countenance is clouded and as it were benights the soule then terrour takes hold upon us Under either of these notions we may understand the terrours of this text The terrours of God doe set themselves in array against me It was true in respect of outward troubles they were very terrible But especially in regard of inward troubles when God set his sins in array before him or hid his face and obstructed the course of his wonted communion Set themselves in aray against me The Originall imports a very exact curious artificiall ordination 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ordinavit ratione proportione disposuit instruxit and disposall of things As if the Lord had even studied to be exact and exquisite in afflicting Job he puts his sorrowes into a method and his troubles into order The providence of God observes a rule and is harmonious in those things which appeare to us a chaos a heape of confusion The word is applied First To the ordering of speech or disputations There is a kind of embattailing in disputation when it is regular and artificiall Job 32. 14 Now he hath not directed his speech against me saith Elihu concerning Job as if he had said Job hath not marshalled his arguments against me but all the charge hath been upon you Secondly I find the word used in reference unto prayer Prayer ought to be full of holy order and composednesse Psal 5. 3. In the morning will I direct my prayer to Thee and looke up In the morning will I put my prayer in array I will posture my prayer in a gratious order my heart in order and my words in order every petition shall as it were keep ranke and file when I am seeking unto God Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thy heart be hasty to utter any thing before God is the counsell of the Holy Ghost by Solomon Eccles 5. 2. But properly the word is applied to the marshalling and imbattailing of an Army Jer. 50. 9 Loe I will raise and cause to come up against Bâ—bylon an assembly of great nations from the North countrey and they shall set themselves in array against her c. So then whereas Job saith The terrours of God are set in array against me he would intimate that God afflicted him both orderly and resolvedly It was not some confused terrour or sudden surptiâ—al but the Lord God like some great Commander or General mustered and marshal'd his army and led it up exactly form'd to a pitcht battell against him Observe from hence first Afflictions come sometimes by multitudes You shall have a whole Army
of this booke Their young ones are in good liking So Isa 38. vers 16. But I leave this as a very diseased and sickly Interpretatiion I shall therefore passe from these to our owne rendring Is In albumine vitelli there any taste in the white of an Egge The word signifies strictly but the yolke of the Egge so Mr Broughton Is there any taste in the white of the yolke And in the root to waxe fat or strong and it is therefore taken for the yolke of the Egge because that is the fatter grosser and more condense part of the Egge As the white being the thinner and much like spettle is therefore exprest by a word which also signifies spettle The white of an egge is an embleame of things without taste or savour And so the summe of all is that Job in this place by a Proverbiall speech for so I take this to be intends only thus much that he had very infipid tastlesse things presented to him such as he found to rellish at all in such as no way raised his appetite or quickned his stomake to receive them all were unseason'd and flat In the next words he goes yet higher even to the highest Antipathy against them Vers 7. The things which my soule refused to touch are as my sorrowfull meat Here is the application and explication of both the former similitudes The things which my soule refused that is the things Anima 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 partem scilicet animae qua concupiscimus noâ—at hoc loco which I exceedingly refused or abhominated The soule is here taken for the appetite As to desire with the soule notes a strong intension of desire Isa 26. 9. With my soule have I desired thee in the night yea with my spirit within me will I seeke thee early That is I have most vehemently desired and in my most retired thoughts sought the Lord When the soule is expressed to doe that which nothing can doe but the soule it imports the highest actings of the soule in doing it To desire with the soule implies the sweetest delight and so to refuse with the soule implies the bitterest aversation a refusall to the uttermost The word refuse is proper to the nauseating of the stomacke at the sight of any filthy thing Isa 30. 22. Thou shalt defile the covering of the graven images c. Thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth thou shalt say unto them get ye hence So here the things which my soule refuseth as a man refuses a filthy clout or as he should refuse that which is most loathsome then any filthy clout an Image or an Idoll These things saith he are now my sorrowfull meate or the meate of my sorrow The termes of the latter clause are at farthest distance from and opposition with that which went before Not to touch a thing notes the greatest aversation from it and to have a thing given us as meate notes our greatest communion with it That which a man will not touch with his finger how farre is he from chewing it between his teeth or letting it downe into his stomach and digesting it into himselfe So that Jobs meaning seemes to be this that what he desired to be the greatest stranger from was now offered to his neerest familiarity and acquaintance He was now as it were to eate what before he would not touch This we call sorrowfull meat Psal 127. 2. We reade of the bread of sorrow that is bread gotten with sorrow bread eaten with sorrow or course bread As bread of pleasure Dan. 10. 3. is fine bread here sorrowfull meat is either unpleasant meate or any meate eaten in that time of his sorrow That relative the Things is not in the Hebrew and so we may render word for word thus my soule refused to touch them as my sorrowfull meate Or as another My mind refuses to touch them these are plainly the very sicknesse of my meate As if he had said I am so farre from being refreshed with these that the truth is they make my very meate and so my whole life unpleasant to me Mr. Broughton varies the latter clause Those things which I have loathed to touch are now the very sicknesse of my flesh The word Lechem which we translate meat or prepared flesh signifies also living flesh in the Syriacke and Arabique languages as the learned Grammarians observe Besides we render the word Lechem flesh Zeph. 1. 17. Their blood shall be powred out as dust and their flesh as dung Hence he translates These things are to me as the sicknesse of my flesh That is the things which my soule refused to touch are now brought very neere and laid close upon me as sicknesse or soares cleave unto and are in the flesh or they trouble me as much as the sicknesse of my flesh The right application of these words is as difficult as the translation of them there are divers wayes to make out the sence I shall reduce them unto two Either first That all these unsavoury tastlesse sorrowfull meates which Job speakes of are but the shadowes of his afflictions and troubles received from the hand of God Or Secondly That they are shadowes of the counsels and reproofes which he had received from the mouth of his friends Nauseabam ego quondam ad hujusmodi aerumnas movebant mihi stomachum squâ—lor paupertas viliorâ—cibus ulcerna sanios verss nunc vero his ipsie abundè pascor Pined First Some refer and apply all to the troubles which were upon Job and so these words are a fuller justification of himselfe that he had great cause to complaine because his grasse and fodder that is comforts suitable to mans nature as they to a beasts were taken from him and he was now fed and dieted with unsavoury meate meate without salt the white of an egge distastfull grievous afflictions very gall and wormewood The things which heretofore my soule refused to touch are as my meate I am put as it were to feed upon that which I would not willingly come neere poverty and soares sorrowes and wormes are my companions and my cates From that sence note What at one time we loath at another time may be our diet We have a saying what is one mans meat is another mans poison but it may fall out to the same man that what he disgusted and avoided as poison he shall be constrained to receive for his meat and portion Lam. 4. 5. They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghils When those gallants were in scarlet how did their soules loath to touch a dunghill they loathed to touch it with their feet but now they must hugge it in their armes and lay it in their bosomes they embrace dunghils How many have been brought from faring deliciously from wearing purple and fine linnen every day to scraps and rags to hunger and nakednesse every day The Lord threatens the
passe out against him A if he had said Let not God spare me let him write â—s bitter a sentence against me as he pleaseth for my part I would not conceale the word of the most High but I would publish his judgement and sentence against me yea I would praise him and extoll him for it The vulgar Latine to this sence I would not contradict the word of the holy One Let him not spare me for as for my part whatsoever God shall determine and resolve whatsoever word God shall speake concerning me I will never withstand or open my mouth against it This is a truth and carries in it a high frame of holinesse when we can bring our hearts to this that let God write as bitter things against us as he pleaseth we will never contradict his word or decree but our minds and spirits shall submit wholly and fully to his dispositions of us and dispensations towards us It is as clear an evidence of grace to be passive under as to be active in the word of God Not to contradict his writ for our sufferings as not to conceale what he speaks for our practise But I rather stick to the former interpretation Job giving this as a reason of his great confidence in pursuing his petition for death because he had been so sincere holding forth the word of God both in doctrine and in life And so we may observe from it First That the testimony of a good conscience is the best ground of our willingnesse to die That man speakes enough for his willingnesse to die who hath lived speaking and doing the will of God and he is in a very miserable case who hath no other reason why he desireth death but onely because he is in misery This was one but not the only reason why Job desired death he had a reason transcending this I have not concealed the words of the holy One and I know if I have not concealed the word of God God will not conceal his mercy and loving kindness from me David bottoms his hopes of comfort in sad times upon this Psal 40. 9 10. I have preached righteousness in the great Congregation I have not refrained my lips O Lord thou knowest he was not actively or politickly silent I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart if lay there but it was imprisoned or stifl'd there I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvations I have not concealed thy loving kindness and thy truth from the great Congregation Upon this he fals a praying with a mighty spirit of beleeving vers 11. Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me O Lord let thy loving-kindness and thy truth continually preserve me for innumerable evils have compassed me about The remembrance of our active faithfulness to the truth of God will bear up our hearts in hoping for the mercy of God He that in Davids and in Jobs sence can say I have not concealed the words of the most high may triumph over innumerable evils and shall be more then a conquerer over the last and worst of temporal evils death God cannot long conceal his love from them who have not concealed his truth Secondly observe positively That the counsels of God his truths must be revealed God hath secrets which belong not to us but then he puts them not forth in a word nor writes them in his book he keeps his secrets close in the cabinet of his decrees and counsels but what he reveals either in his word or by his works man ought to reveal too It is as dangerous if not more to conceal what God hath made known as to be inquisitive to know what God hath concealed Yea it is as dangerous to hide the word of God as it is to hide our own sins And we equally give glory to God by the profession of the one as by the confession of the other Paul with much earnestnesse professes his integrity about this as was even now toucht Act. 20. Fourthly observe That the study of a godly man is to make the word of God visible I have not concealed that is I have made plain I have revealed or I have published the words of the holy One Much of Jobs mind is concealed under that word I have not concealed For in this negative there is an affirmative as if he had said this hath been my labour and my businesse my work in the world to make known so much of the will of God as I know This was the work of Christ here below Father I have glorified thee upon earth I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do Joh. 17. 4. What this work was he shewes vers 6th I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world Lasty observe That it is a dangerous thing for any man to conceale the word of God either in his opinion or in his practice For it is as if Job had said if I had ever concealed the words of God I had bin but in an ill case at this time God might now justly reveale his wrath against me if I had concealed his word from others or God might justly hide his mercies from me if I had hid his word from men Smothered truths will one time or other set the conscience in a flame and that which Jeremiah spake once concerning his resolution to conceale the word of God and the effect of it will be a truth upon every one who shall set himselfe under a resolution to doe what he under a temptation did Jer. 20. 9. Then I said I will not make mention of him nor speake any more in his name what followes Then his word was in my breast as a burning fire shut up in my bones and I was weary with forbearing If a gracious heart hath taken up such a sodaine resolution to conceale the word of God he quickly repents of it or smarts under it He findes that word as a burning fire in his bones he is not able to bear it I was weary with forbearing saith the prophet Nothing in the world will burthen the conscience so much as concealed truth and they who have taken a meditated resolution that they will not reveale the word of God may be sure that word will one time or other reveale it selfe to them in the Light and heat of a burning fire seeding upon their consciences I have not concealed the words whose words The words of the Holy One Who is that The Holy One is a periphrasis for God When you hear that Title The holy One you may know who is meant This is a Title too bigge for any but a God All holinesse is in God and God is so holy that properly he onely is Holy Hence the Scripture sets God forth under this as a peculiar attribute The Holy One The Prophets often use this addition or stile The Holy One of Israel The Holy One Is One separate or set apart from all filthinesse
help in me is wisdome driven quite from me Though I have no strength and so no help in my self wisdom is not therefore driven quite from me As if he had said will you conclude that I am a wicked man an hypocrite and a fool because I am not able to help and deliver my self out of these troubles Fifthly consider the words as we translate them with which most of the Rabbins and Jewish writers concur only they usually expresse the text affirmatively we interrogatively yet both equivalent and meet in the same meaning Our Question Is not my help in me is to be resolved into this affirmation my help is in me and the latter branch Is wisdome departed from me into this negation wisdome is not departed from me my help is in me and my An non auxilium meum in me quo me tueri possum ac defendere innuit innocentiam suam ac vitae integritatem qua nunquam destitutus fuit aut rectam ratienem sapientiam quam postea Tusiah Appellat Drus. An judicio ratione destituor ut dignoscere nequeam recta ab insulsis qualia sunt verba vestra non sum mentis inops wisdome is not departed from me Jobs sence may be taken thus Have I not that in me which is and will be a help unto me notwithstanding all the objections and assaults which you make against me Have not I that in me which may furnish me with wisdome to answer all the exceptions which you have taken at my complaints Master Broughtons translation favours this sence very much have not I my defence and is judgement driven away from me Though I thus complain and desire death yea renew my desire Have not I my defence have I nothing to say why I made that request have I no argument to help my selfe and bear up my spirit under the weight of these calamities Is wisdome quite departed from me Doe you take me for a man deserted of God deserted of his spirit and deserted of my own wisdom and understanding too because I am deserted of the world and destitute of outward comforts And so the help which Job knew he had in store was the Innoceney and integrity of his heart Is not my help in me I have no help no strength no comfort in my flesh what is my flesh my flesh is not of brasse but have I no help in me neither my outward man is destroyed my house of clay is almost battered down tottering failing it is but have I nothing within to help at a dead lift have I no grace no hope no testimony of a good conscience no witness in my self Doe you think me clean disâ—obed and stript and emptied of all wisdome and comfort Hath the Devil think you robbed me of my grace have the Sabeans plundered and spoiled me of my understanding Is not my help within me notwithstanding all the troubles that are upon me Thus the interpretation is fair and clear that when all his outward comforts were gone when the strength of his flesh could hold no longer yet then he had help within him his spirit could bear though his flesh could not Grace can hold out beyond nature and when bodily strength can do no more wisdom comes in with her Auxiliaries Is not my help in me and is wisdome departed from me The word wisdome in the Hebrew is of various significations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Significat â—egem sapientiam subsistentiam Et lex â—epulsa est á me Pagn Nâ—nquid officium impulsum fuit à me Vatab. Num subsistentia impulsa est a me Regia Quid facult as subsistendi me destituit Tygyr as was touched Chap. 5. 12. Here one renders it The law is not departed from me As if his meaning were I never forsooke the law of God Another thus Was my duty driven from me As if his meaning were I ever kept close to the rule of my place and calling A third Is my subsistence driven from me So a fourth Is my ability of subsisting gone from me As if he had said cannot I live because I have not the world to live upon To which sence those words of Christ are appliable Luke 12. 15. The life of man consists not in the aboundance of the things which he possesseth All which interpretations meet to make up a compleat Apology of Jobs piety constancy patience and flourishing resolutions in his dying withering condition The Sabeans drove away his cattel but they could not drive away his understanding They offered violence to his substance but his reason and his graces were untoucht Hence observe first That when all outward helps depart from a godly man he hath somewhat abiding in him to help and stay up his heart As when the outward glory and strength of the Church is utterly decayed Yet the Prophet tells us Isa 6. 13. in it shall be a Tenth as a Teyle tree and as an Oake whose substance is in them when they cast their leaves so the Holy seed shall be the strength thereof Thus also when the outward glory and strength of any true member of the Church is utterly decayed even then he shall be as an Oak his substance shall be in him the seed of Holinesse shall be his substance Is not my helpe in me I know my estate is gone my beauty is gone my strength is gone the strength I mean of my flesh yet I have invisible supports somewhat unseen to trust unto It is the comfort of beleevers that they have an estate riches and possessions lying as far beyond the reach of mens power as their eye and as far beyond the reach of Satans malice as either When they feel nothing but pain in the flesh when nothing but weakness inhabits the house of clay the outward man then the inward man is renewed with sweet refreshings and strong consolations day by day The spirit of a man of a godly man will bear his infirmities when his body cannot The strength of nature is not as the strength of stones nor is the flesh of brass but the strength of grace is stronger then the strength of stones and the spirit is more dureable then brasse Grace wears not out by using nor doth it spend by employing Afflictions are but the higher services and employments of grace A stock of grace is an inexhaustible treasure and a good heart assures us better then the barrs of a Castle Faith and a good conscience are under Christ our best helpes in trouble they are friends that will never forsake us They are to us as their Authour who hath promised that he will not Grace is our participation with the Divine Nature and grace participates with the divine nature in this it is an unchangeable good an everlasting comfort And yet we must take this warily grace and holiness faith and a good conscience are not to be trusted upon no more then riches or any outward meanes We may make an Idol of our faith
and a vaine thing of a good conscience The meaning then is faith and a good conscience are our best helds and friends because faith carries us unto Christ who is our best help Faith pitches upon Christ and a good conscience feasts us in the favour of God Faith alone is no help but faith is our help because it is not alone Grace left alone would be our strength but little more then nature is and our spirit little more then the flesh And therefore our comforts are not to be resolved into this That we have grace in our hearts but into this That we and our graces are in the hand of Christ Faith can live no where but upon Christ That which faith respects as our help is Christ in whom we beleeve not the act of beleeving We are helped by the grace within us but the grace within us is not our help Secondly Observe A godly man in the darkest affliction or night of sorrow finds a light of holy wisdome to answer all the objections of his enemies and the suspitions of his friends Is wisdome departed quite from me Doe you think I have nothing to say nothing to reply by way of apologie for what I have don or spoken Though Job had many afflictions upon him and his friends against him yet see how he recollects himselfe Is not my help in me he makes out the goodnesse of his cause in the midst of a thousand evils and can plead his own integrity in the throng of many jealousies and contradictions Is not my help in me Doe you think you have so daunted me that I am not able to make out my own estate or that I know not what I am The truth is sometimes God leaves his servants in so much darkness for their tryal and exercise that they cannot see their own estates but cry out they are lost and undone Many a good soul cannot reflect upon his graces or get his heart into any communion with Christ in promises This is walking in darkness and seeing no light As our sins are sometimes secrets to us so also our graces may But let a man be encompast with never so many outward afflictions yet if his spirit be free he is able to judge of his own interests through all the black clouds which hang over him through all the distractions and confusions that are about him The eye of faith is usually quickest in a dark night And while trouble is near at hand beholds Christ near at hand He can never be without help who carries his help about him or within him Nor can he utterly want counsel to direct him whose heart is as a councel Table where Christ the wisdom of God is ever President and in the Chair My worldly comforts are quite driven from me but wisdome is not I am afflicted and therefore should not be thus suspected but pittied Vers 14. To him that is afflicted pitty should be shewed from his friend but he forsaketh the fear of the Almighty This verse begins the third Section of the chapter wherein Job draws up a strong charge against his friends for their uncharitablenesse See the progresse and links of his Discourse First he refuted and answered their objections against him from the first to the 8 verse Secondly he renewed his complaint which was the ground of all their objections from the 8th verse unto the end of the 13th Here at verse 14. he begins a charge against his friends of unkindness indiscretion yea of cruelty in managing of this dispute against him He giveth it first in general or by way of Preface To him that is afflicted pitty should be shewed from his friend But he forsaketh the fear of the Almighty As if he had said You should have dealt otherwise with me then you have in this case though blessed be God I find help within me God hath given me the light of his spirit and wisdome to discern my own condition yet it is no thank to you I have found no help in my friends you have dealt unfriendly with me you should have pittied me but you have opposed me and so forsaken that duty which the fear of the Almighty teaches He proceeds to illustrate this more particularly by way of similitude comparing his friends to a brook whose waters fail when we are athirst or when there is most need of water To him that is afflicted The word signifies Him that is melted and the reason is because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Solvit dissolvit liquidum fluidum reddidit Sic mea perpetuis liquescant pectora curis Ovid. de Pont 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Tributum sic dictum quia paulatim liquescere facit facultates maximo si nimium imponatur Buxtorf b Quidam Pontificii volunt suam Missam hac voce hebraica fuisse appellatam Recte quidem per eam scilicet pietas omnis liquefacta est dâ—ssoluta Rivet affliction dissolves the spirit of a man and as it were melts his heart therefore it is called the fire of affliction To be dissolved or melted and to be afflicted are the same And that effect is ascribed to fear and trouble of spirit arising from affliction Psalm 22 15. My heart saith David a type of Christ in the middest of my belly is like melting wax By reason of the heat and greatness of his trouble and the anguish of his spirit he was as metal melted in a furnace At the defeat of the Israelites before Ai it is said the hearts of the people melted and became as water Josh 7. 5. And in the sixth Psalm verse 6. David cryes up the exuberance of his sorrowes by this word I melted or watered my couch with tears Thus the Prophet threatning a day of great fear against Jerusalem tells them They shall be as when a Standard-bearer fainteth Isa 10. 18. When the Battell waxes hot and a vanquisht army is running and crying for quarter the standard bearer is in greatest danger all make up to him and then he fainteth or melteth away with fear a Tributes and taxes are exprest in the Hebrew by a word coming from this root because if heavily imposed they melt away the estates of a people b It is a witty observation that whereas some of the Papists conceive their word Masse was derived from this Hebrew word Massas which signifyeth to melt One of ours answers let it be so It suites this sense of the word exactly and the effect oâ— that abhominable Idolatry for the Masse hath dissolved and melted away truth and pitty out of the Popish Territories To him that is offlicted pitty should be shewed That word pitty in the Hebrew signifies a sacred sweet affection of mercy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pietas bonitas benignitas per Antiphrasin impletas crudetitas ex Calâ—aicae linguae usu benignity goodness and piety And by Contraries in which sense words are often used in that language it notes First Reproach Prov. 14. 34 Sin is
compassion making a difference and others to save with fear pulling them out of the fire A difference must be made some are to be dealt with compassionately and gently rained upon others must be saved with fear that is they must be made afraid with thunder and lightning with stormy and tempestuous doctrine Some spirits will not be kept out of the fire but by casting them into the fire so much that text in Jude imports Others save with fear pulling them out of the fire As if he had said your terrifying them with the fire will be as a pulling them out of the fire A showre of spiritual brimstone such as God rained on Sodom in the letter is best for them if you spare them you destroy them Teach me and I will be silent or I will hold my tongue The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fedit terram per metaphoram fodit cogitatione siluit word properly taken signifies to digge or to plow And sometime improperly to meditate or think and it implies much thoughtfulness because a musing meditating thoughtfull man is ever digging into matters he rests not in the out-side and face of things but puts in his plow deep turning them up to the very bottom From whence by one step further into the Metaphor it is translated to signifie silence or to hold our peace because they who have many thoughts have fewest words Musing men are no great talkers when the mind is much at worke and very busie the tongue usually doth little Job promises silence as if he meant to sit down and consider fully what they should further say unto him This promised silence or holding of his tongne may have a threefold reference First in general to the duty of a learner Teach yee me and I will keep silence I will learn Or secondly to his former complaints Teach me and I will be silent That is I will give over complaining I confess I have made a bitter complaint in the 3d Chapter but if you will teach me better I will complain no more Thirdly it may have reference to that which they should speak to him in their next advices Teach me aright and I will hold my tongue that is I will reply no more I will not gain-say your counsels but rather if I have offended acknowledge my errour and sit down in silence I will not wrangle when I cannot answer I can doe nothing against the truth but for the truth From hence we may observe first That a gracious spirit is a teachable spirit A gracious heart cals for teaching Teach me and I will hold my tongue As a gracious heart cals for strengthning from Christ so it cals for teaching from Christ and from any who can teach the truth as it is in Christ A weak soul saith Lord draw me and I will runne after thee an ignorant soul saith Lord instruct me that I may understand thee Give me the wisdome of the prudent that I may understand my way and I shall walk therein A godly man loves not to be at his own disposing nor at his own Tutoring He that will learn of none but himself hath sure enough a fool to his Master And there is more hope of a fool then of him that is thus wise in his own conceit Pro 26. 12. Secondly Observe A teachable spirit is an excellent spirit A man that is willing to be taught is in a better condition then many who are able to teach It argues a holier temper of the heart to be willing to be taught than to be able to teach And it is far worse to be unwilling to learn then not to be knowing Vnteachablenesse is more dangerous then ignorance It is sad to consider how unteachable many are they will not be taught or they think they have learned all they have devoured all knowledge they are full and need no more some deceived souls and they most carry it as if they had a spirit of infallibility what teach them they are above teaching It is a sweet frame of spirit when a man sees he may be out of frame He is in a fair way to truth who acknowledges he may be in an errour And he who will not acknowledge that he may be in an error is certainly out of the way of truth The Apostle resolves it 1 Cor. 8. 2. If any man think that he knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know Not as if the Apostles meaning were that all knowledge must be sceptical or uncertain all in quaeries and nothing in conclusions that we should halt between two opinions and hang like meteors in the air Nor doth he commend to us that proud modesty which will not let us acknowledge we know what we know but his mind is to meet with those who think they know any thing so well that they need not or cannot know it better and abound so in their own sence that they have no room to admit the sence of others As he who thinks himselfe so good that he cannot be better was never so good as he should so he that thinks he knows so much that he can learn no more knowes nothing as he ought It is best to be fixed in judgement but it is very ill to be fixed in opinion It is to be feared that man is much divorced from right reason who is so married to his own that he resolves nothing but death shall part him and his opinion What if this man have espoused a fancy of his own not any truth of God To be so fixed that a man may be fixed in evil it is as dangerous as to be so unfixed that he may be unfixed in good It was a high breathing of holiness when David said Psal 57. 7. My heart is fixed O God my heart is fixed While we are upon a known duty or have known truth on our side our hearts cannot be too much fixed set upon them To be of an unfixed moveable wavering spirit in goodnesse is within one degree of falling into evil but to say I am fixed I am fixed I am resolved resolved when yet things are doubful and under difficult dispute is actually to be in an errour though possibly the thing we fix on be a truth The Apostle cautions his Ephesians and us in them Chap. 4. 14. That they and we be not henceforth children tossed too and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine and yet they are under a rebuke who will not be moved by any wind of doctrine that is let never so powerful and forcible a wind of truth breath and blow upon them they will not be carried or moved in judgement by it Observe thirdly Silence becometh learners Yet not all silence There is a speaking helpful to learning To move doubts is the way to be resolved and to ask the question the readiest means for instruction But he that will have all the talk shall have but little profit The ear is the
tempt in the day but as he hath a power given him but permitted he causes sometimes sinfull and fifthly dreames as Augustine bewailes in the tenth book of his Confessions sometimes terrible and troublesome Aug. confess li. 10. Ca. 30. dreames sometimes treacherous and deluding dreames It is by some conceived that the dreame of Pilats wife Mat. 27. 19. was from the Devill she comes to Pilat and desires him to have nothing to doe with that Just man for saith she I have suffered many things this night in a dreame because of him The reason why some conceive that dreame was from the Devill is this because thereby Satan would have hindred the work of mans redemption if Christ had not died and so by saving him would have destroyed us all I will not assert this but it is cleare to the point in hand that there are dreames from the temptations motions and suggestions of the Devill who hath a power over us as God lengthens out his chain both day and night But when it is said Thou skarest me with dreames what dreames were these divine or Diabolicall Job speaks unto God Thou skarest me with dreames doubtlesse divine dreames had an influence upon his spirit and left terrifying impressions there But Satan having power to afflict Job which way he pleased was instrumentall here and yet Job saith to God Thou skarest me As before when Satan by his instruments took away all from him he said The Lord hath taken so here when Satan vexed him with visions representing horrid and fearfull spectacles yet he saith Thou skarest me with dreames and terrifiest me with visions as pointing still unto the power and providence of God who hath all second causes Satan and all at his own dispose Observe here first That even our dreames are ordered by God Though Satan be the instrument yet we may say Thou skarest me with dreames and terrifiest me with visions Job was not ignorant that second causes had a great power upon the body to produce dreames and nightly fancies he was not ignorant that the strength of a disease might doe very much in this and that Satan his former enemy was busie to improve the distempers of his body for the trouble of his mind yet he overlooks all these as he did before and saith Lord thou skarest me with dreames and terrifiest me with visions Dreames are in the hand of God As our waking times are in the hand of God so are our sleeping times when we are sleeping we are in the armes of an ever waking Father Satan hath not power to touch us sleeping or waking without leave Secondly Ged can make our sleepe an affliction Jobs were skaring and terrifying dreames Some dreames are for warning and admonition The Lord warned Joseph in a dream Some are for counsell and instruction he revealed great things in dreames Others are for comfort and consolation Many a soul hath tasted more of heaven in a night-dreame than in many daies attendance upon holy Ordinances As the lusts of wicked men have dreames attending them so also have the graces of the Saints Jobs dreames were for terrour and afflictions Observe secondly Satans desire of troubling poore souls is restlesse It is restlesse indeed for he will not give them leave to rest they shall not sleep in quiet their very dreames shall be distractions and their nightly representations a vexation to them Note further That if God permit Satan can make dreames very terrible to us He can shew himselfe in a dreame and offer ugly sights extreamly perplexing to the Spirit He is able to cast himself into a thousand ill favour'd shapes into horrid and dreadfull shapes he can cloath himself with what habit he pleases if God give him a generall Commission And hence the devill terrifies not only by temptations to the mind but by aparitions to the eye and is seen at least conceived to be seen especially by such as labour under strong diseases like a Lion a Beare a Dogge gaping grinning staring whence we say of any terrifying sight it looks like a devill We depend upon God as for sleep so for the comfort of sleep Many lie downe to sleep and their sleep is their terrour As that evill spirit in the Gospel went about seeking rest but found none So he hinders some and would more from finding rest when they seeke it Therefore blesse God for any refreshing you have by sleepe Blesse God when your dreames are not your skares nor your beds your racke See the effect what deepe impressions dreadfull dreams made in Jobs spirit he was so affrighted with them that he professes with his next breath Verse 15. My soule chuseth strangling and death rather then life I loath it I would not live alwayes So that my soul chooseth strangling He renews his former often repeated motion but with a greater ardency He not only prefers death before his troubled condition but a violent death and in the opinion of some the worst of violent deaths strangling which though it be not the most painfull of violent deaths yet it is looked upon as the most ignominious of violent deaths Some referre these words to the terrour which Job had in his dreames and visions as if they were so violent upon him that they almost distracted him and made him mad that they even put him upon desperate thoughts of destroying himselfe My soule chooseth strangling that is I am often tempted and almost prevailed Ab hujusmodi spectris multos sejam strangulasse profiliisse in puteos asserit Hippoc. with to make my selfe away The learned Physitians tell us that their Patients have often attempted to destroy themselves thorough the terrours of dreams and visions Yet we may understand the word strangling only of naturall and ordinary Every death is a kind of strangling and some diseases stop and choke a man even as strangling doth so that My soule chooseth strangling may be taken in generall My soul chooseth death rather then life My soul chooseth He puts the soul as it is often in Scripture for the whole man and the sence of all is as if he had said If I might be my own chooser if I might have my election I would even take the worst of deaths rather than the life which now I live My soul chooseth strangling And death rather then life If we take strangling for a speciall death then here death is put in generall As thus if strangling be too easie a death let me die any kind of death Death rather then life The Hebrew in the letter is And death rather than my bones which some render thus And death rather than to be with my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Os a robore dictum nihil in ipso taem sorte firmum quod vis doloris non debilitarat confregerat Aquin. bones To be with our bones is to live Others make this choosing an act of his bones My soul chooseth strangling and my bones death that is every
of the goodnesse of God to man When I behold the heavens the work of thy fingers the Moone and the Starres which thou hast made Lord what is man God in the work of creation made all these things serviceable and instrumentall for the good of man What is man that he should have a Sun a Moon and Stars planted in the firmament for him what creature is this when great preparations are made in any place much provisions layed in and the house adorned with richest furnitures We say what is this man that comes to such a house when such a goodly fabrique was raised up the goodly house of the world adorned and furnished we have reason admiring to say what is this man that must be the tenant or inhabitant of this house There is yet a higher exaltation of man in the creation man was magnified with the stampe of Gods image one part whereof the Psalmist describes at the fift verse Thou hast given him to have dominion over the works of thy hands Thou hast put all things under his feet all sheepe and oxen yea and the beasts of the field the fowle of the aire and the fish of the sea c. Thus man was magnified in creation What was man that he should have the rule of the world given him that he should be the Lord over the fish of the sea over the beasts of the field and over the foules of the ayr Again man was magnified in creation in that God set him in the next degree to the Angels Thou hast made him a little lower than the Angels there is the first part of the answer to this question man was magnified in being made so excellent a creature and in having so many excellent creatures made for him All which may be understood of man as created in Gods image and Lord of the world but since the transgression it is peculiar to Christ As the Apostle applies it Heb. 2. 6. and to those who have their bloud and dignity restored by the work of redemption which is the next part of mans exaltation Secondly Man is magnified or made great by the work of redemption That exalts man indeed Man was laid low and his honour in the dust notwithstanding all that greatnesse which he received in creation Though Sun and Moone and Stars the fish of the Sea and the fowles of the ayre c. were made his servants and himselfe a companion of Angels yet by sin he fell below all these priviledges and was made a companion for Devils a citizen of hell Therefore the second magnifying of man was by the work of redemption And what was man that thou shouldest redeeme him when he was a captive raise him when he was downe build and repaire him when he was ruin'd when he was lost seeke him and when he was bankrupt and undone give him a better stock and set him up againe What was man that thou shouldest doe all this for him How did the mercy of God magnifie his servants when he gave his Son to pay their debt to his own justice If man was magnified when the Sun and Moone and heavens were made for him how was he magnifyed when God was made man for him how was he exalted when the Son of God was humbled for him Thirdly Man is magnified or made great in the work of regeneration wherein God re-stamps his Image upon him in those shining characters of holinesse and knowledge The first creation being spoiled occasion'd redemption and redemption purchased a second creation Every one that is in Christ is a new creature 2 Cor. 5. 17. Our dignity is far greater in being new creatures then in being creatures Lastly Man is magnified by those severall acts of favour and grace which God casts upon him every day smiling upon him embracing him in his armes admitting him to neere communion with himselfe watching over him tending him guarding him with Angels directing him counselling him comforting him upholding him by his spirit till he bring him unto glory which is the highest step of preferment that mans nature is capable of What is man that thou shouldest magnifie him in all these things Observe hence first That All the worth and dignity of man is out of himselfe What is man As if he had said man hath nothing of his own to commend him to or to ingratiate himself with God God hath put something upon him he hath magnified man and given him a reall worth because he would Free grace exalts man Hence Psal 90. 20. the Psalmist prayes Let the heathen know themselves to be but men As if he had said man who is high in his own esteeme conceits himselfe to be somewhat above man he judges of himselfe beyound his own sphere and border Therefore Lord bring their thoughts within the compasse of their own condition let them know that they are but men A man that is acquainted with himselfe will be humble enough A meere man is but meere earth The Prophet tells him so thrice over with one breath Jer. 22. 29. O earth earth earth heare the word of the Lord. Man is earth in the constitution of his body that was framed out of the earth he is earthly in the corruption of his mind that muds in the earth The Apostles stile is earthly minded men And he will be earth in his dissolution when he dies he returnes to his earth A naturall man is earth all over earth in his making earthly in his mind his spirit earthly earth gets into this heaven his upper regions and the body his lower region shall moulder to earth againe Then what is man Hence I say it is that when man at any time would exalt and lift himself up he thinks himselfe above man he hath some notion or apprehension of an excellency beyound the line of a creature He conceits he hath or is a peece of a deity The first ground of hope upon which man raised himselfe against God was that he might be a god he was not satisfied in being made like unto God he would be which was the highest robbery Gods equall and stand by himselfe this thought was his fall There is such a principle of pride in the hearts of all men by nature They are not contented in the spheare of a creature they would be somewhat beyound that The truth is all the true worth and dignity of man is in what he hath beyound himselfe his excellency is in Christ and his glory in being made partaker of the divine nature It abased man when he aspired to take a divine nature to himselfe but it exalts man when God inspires him with a participation of the divine nature What is man that thou doest thus magnifie him Christ makes us very great and glorious by the dignity which he puts upon us as he tells the Church Ezek. 16. 14. Thy beauty was perfect through my comelinesse which I had put upon thee thou hadst no comelinesse no beauty of thine own
is stronger then they were So I may say be yee not strivers or strugglers with God for your bands are made strong It is said Exod. 4. 25 26. That the Lord met Moses in the Inne and sought to kill him The Lord is never to seeke to doe what he pleases but thus he speakes after the manner of men who offer or assay at any businesse They seeke to do it But Zipporah having circumcised her sonne He let Moses goe It is this word He slacked or loosened having before as it were arrested and attached him or clapt him in prison for making that great default the neglect of Circumcision Sometimes we find the Lord himself speaking as if he were at the mercy or under the power of man and therefore calling in this word to be loosened or let alone Deut. 9. 14. Let me alone that I may destroy them The prayer of faith is as a band upon Gods hand holding him so fast that he seems as one that cannot strike or destroy till a Moses will give him leave by ceasing to pray unto him To be sure we are at Gods mercy and under his power so that nothing but the prayer of faith can loosen us And therefore Job doth not attempt to break the cords or cut them asunder nor seeks he to untie their knots but desires God himself to do it let me alone loosen me I will be a prisoner till thou openest the door for my deliverance As Jephtahs daughter said to him Judg. 11. 37. when he had bound himself and her in the bands of a rash vow Let me alone for two months or loosen me from the ingagement of my vow for two months as if she had said I will not loose my self by a wilful refusal but doe thou give me a willing dispensation So a godly man bespeaks the Lord in his straights Loosen me Lord. Unlesse God be pleased to loosen him he will be contented and when in a good frame of heart and freeness of spirit well-pleased with his bands In some sence he speakes as Paul and Silas when they were in prison Acts 16. 37. Let the Lord himself come and fetch us out That is let us see such means of our inlargement and freedome from trouble as may assure us that the Lord hath loosened and enlarged us A godly man had a thousand times rather be put into a prison by God than put himself into a paradice He had rather be bound by Gods hand than loosened by his own That place toucht before may reach this sence Prov. 24. 10. if thou faintest so we or loosnest thy self in the day of adversity Thy strength is small that is the strengh of thy faith and patience is small There is nothing discovers our weakness more than striving to break the cords of our afflictions The stronger we are in faith in love in humility the more quietly we lie bound Faith seeks ease and release onely in God to say Lord loosen me is a duty to loosen our selves is both our sin and our punishment Till I may swallow down my spittle Some conceive that from this Hebrew word Rak which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saliva undè quidam deducunt Raca Mat. 5. 22. quod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 interpretantur i. e. conspuendum vel dignum qui conspuatur Alii a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vacum quasi cerebro vacuus judicio carens Drus we translate spittle Raca is derived Mat. 5. 22. as if to call a man Raca were as much as to say he is worthy to be spit upon or that one should spit in his face though others spring that word from Rik which signifies empty as if it were as much as to call a man an empty fellow without wit or brains or within one degree of a foole which is the next word in Matthew But what is Iobs intendment in desiring God to let him alone Till he might swallow down his spittle First Some refer it to a bodily distemper as if Iob were troubled with a (a) Inter caetera mala Synanchen habuisse se perhibet Hieron squinsie or sore throat which hindered the swallowing of his spittle (b) Dimitta me ut gustum aliqâ—em hujus vitae capiam Albert. Another takes it in a Philosophical notion as if Iob had said Lord let me have some ease that I may at least tast once more what it is to live or how sweet life is For that sence of tast works by the salival humour or spittle in the mouth which mixing with the juice or sap that is in meats affects and delights the pallate Thirdly these words are taken as the discription of a man ready to die who is disabl'd either to swallow his spittle or to void it As if he had said I am now even at the point of death let me alone a little Davids prayer comes near this sense Psal 39. 13. O spare me that I may recover strength before I go hence and be no more Fourthly It may be taken proverbially and that two waies First To note the shortest time even so much as may serve a Serno proverbialis talis est neque ad scalpendas aures mihi otium est man to spit As if he had said O let me have a little intermission a little respit such is the sence of that phrase Chap. 9. 18. He will not suffer me to take my breath And the like are those used in some countries I have not leisure or time to scratch my ear or to pare my nails My sorrows know no interim my feaver is one continued fit I have no well daies no nor a good hour Ne tantillum quidem temporis est quoÌ„ non tenter aâ—te Coc. therefore let me at least have so much time of ease as I may swallow my spittle let me have the shortest time That I may once more know though but for a moment what it is to be without pain To whlch interpretation that also subscribes which makes these words to be a circumlocution for silence For while a man is swallowing his spittle his speech stops he cannot bring up his words and let down the spittle at the same time so his meaning is I am forced to complain continually I would be silent and forbear speaking but my grief will not suffer me The second proverbial understanding of the word is that they Elegans proverbialis loquutio ad denotandum diligentem in alium intuitum quo minim as in alio discernet actiones Saliva ferè imperceptibiliter obsorvetur import a very strict watch held upon another in all his motions so that he cannot stir a finger or move his tongue silently in his mouth unobserved If I do but stir my tongue to swallow my spittle which is one of the most unperceivable acts of man thou takest notice O do not hold so strict a hand and so curious an eye upon me Let me have a little liberty do not examine every failing do
a gift as whosoever hath it is sure and safe for ever And therefore the gift being much more precious than that of Simon Magus Take heed of offering this kind of mony for it your works and doings To doe so is the worst Simonie in the world Better offer literall money for those gifts of the holy Ghost then this figurative money for the favour of God in the pardon of sin What Peter threatned Simon Magus may be affirmed of them Their money must perish with them That is their prayers and teares their sorrows and their humblings their almes and good deeds forasmuch as they have thought that this gift of pardon may be obtained by such money They have neither part nor lot in that mercy for their hearts are not right in the sight of God A good worke trusted to is as mortall as a sin unrepented of Againe There is somewhat to be done when we have sinn'd but nothing to be paid That 's Gospel-language when a man hath sinned to say What shall I doe Those converts in the Acts who enquired What shall we doe were told by the Apostles of some what to be done Repent and be baptized believe and thou shalt be saved These are waies wherein salvation is tender'd not works for which it is bestowed It is a dangerous error so to lift up the grace of God as to deny the industry of man through grace because he can do nothing by way of satisfaction that therefore he must doe nothing The Apostles gave Gospel-counsell yet when men asked them what shall we doe to be saved They said not ye must doe nothing God will save you by his free-grace no they called them to repent and beleeve c. Take heed when ye have sinned to say we need not mourne for sin we need not be humbled we need not repent for Lord what can we do unto thee O thou Saviour of men These are the inferences of our own spirits not of the Spirit of Christ They who lift up the grace of Christ to lessen the necessity of gracious actings in themselves shew they know not the meaning of his grace and have not indeed tasted how gracious the Lord is To deny our owne righteousnesse and to be very active in the waies of righteousnesse is the due Gospel-temper The Apostle Phil. 3. 8. counts all things but losse and dung all duties and humblings all legall righteousnesse and obedience not that he refused righteousnesse or neglected duties but he would not mingle them with Christ or bring them in as contributions to the purchase of blessednesse Our righteousnesse and holy duties are dung and drosse in justification but they are gold and precious things in sanctification without these we cannot walk worthy of our holy calling or as it becomes the Gospel of Christ So much for these words what shall I doe unto thee O thou preserver of men Here is the Compellation or the title under which Job bespeaks the Lord and it is a royall one The preserver of men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Narsar conservavit observa vit custodivit dise dit de qualibet custodia dicitur significat etiam se ris vectebasque elaudere licet proprie custos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicitur sed confundi scias Drus The words signifies both to preserve and to observe and hence it is applied to our keeping the law of God Psal 119. 22. I have kept thy testimonies I have kept them by observation that is I have obeyed thy Commandements The word is often applied to God in reference to mans protection and preservation Deut. 32. 10. Moses describes the care of God over his people Israel He found them in the wildernesse as a people wandring and going astray and he kept them as the apple of his eye that is he looked to them and had a continuall tender care over them So Psal 17. 8. Keep me as the apple of thine eye The Septuagint render it O thou observer of men What shall I doe unto thee O thou who art the observer and looker into the very hearts of men Lord saith he what wilt thou have me to doe Thou lookest quite through me and seest all that is in me I 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qui prespectam habis mentem hominum Sept. need not declare my selfe unto thee thou knowest me altogether Thou who art the searcher of the heart and the trier of the reins Thou who art a most vigilant watcher over all my waies what have I done or spoken but thou knowest and canst easily observe Thus Job speaks at the 14th of this booke vers 16. Thou numberest my steps a man observes another curiously when he tels how many steps he treads it is an expression noting the exactest observation Salomon joynes the act of keeping with observing Prov. 24. 12. If thou saiest behold he knoweth it not this is the refutation of an Atheist doth not he that pondereth the hears consider it and he that keepeth thy soule doth not he know He that preserves us in our wayes must needs see us in all our waies Again Preserving or keeping may be understood two waies First There is a preserving or keeping of man that he shal not escape And Secondly A preserving or keeping of man that he shall not Custos hominu sc qui homine talibus malis quasi quadam custodia includis it non sit effugium take hurt Some understand it in the first sence O thou preserver of men that is O thou who art so strict a keeper and watcher over men that they cannot escape thine hand A man is said to be in safe custodie when he is a prisoner and so the sence is thus given Lord thou hast me fast enough I cannot breake away from thee I am lockt up within iron-gates and barrs what wouldest thou have me doe unto thee Thou maiest put what conditions thou pleasest upon me I must submit Such language we have Lam. 3. 5 7. which may illustrate this He hath builded against me and compassed me with gall and travell he hath hedged me about that I cannot get out he hath made my chaine heavie You see he speakes of God as we may speake with reverence as of the master of a prison who saith to his under-officers there is such a one looke to him well make his chaine heavie that he may not get a way put him in a place where there is a strong wall least he breake prison This sence of the word makes Job speaking like Jeremy He hath builded against me he hath compassed me about he hath made my chaine heavie upon me But the second sence according to the letter of our Translation is most cleare and apt O thou preserver of men Thou who keepest man least he take hurt or fall into danger As if Job had bespoke God thus Thou art the Saviour and protectour of men thou hast not only given man a being but thou providest for his
though sin cannot be more pardoned in respect of God at one time than at another yet in regard of man it may He apprehends the pardon of his sin more now than before and may hereafter apprehend it more than now And it is worth the while to bestow pains in prayer for pardon to have the pardon a little more inlightned The degrees of any grace or favour as well as the matter and substance of them are worthy all our seekings and most serious enquiries at the throne of Grace Fourthly He that hath assurance of the pardon of sin is to pray for the pardon of sin because he continueth still to sin And though it be a truth that sin uncommitted is pardoned in the decree and purpose of God yet we must not walk by the decrees of God but by his commandements and rules His decree pardons sin from all eternity but his rule is that we should pray for pardon every day as we pray for the bread we eat every day Matth. 6. 11 12. We must not say God hath pardoned all sin at once therefore no matter to ask it again or I have once had the sight of pardon and therefore the sight of sin shall never trouble me seeing we are directed to search our hearts for sin and to seek to God for pardon continually So long as we sin it becomes us to be suitors for the pardon of sin He that hath ceased to sin may cease to ask the forgiveness of sin till then I know neither rule nor promise that gives a dispensation for this duty To close this point there are two Cases wherein believers are especially to renew their suits about the pardon of sin First which though it be lamentable yet it is possible in the case of falling into scandalous and gross sins These not only weaken assurance and be-night the soul but exceedingly dishonour God and grieve the holy Ghost This caused David to pray and cry for the pardon and purging of his sin as freshly and as strongly as if he had never received a pardon or any evidence of Gods love of which yet he had great store before that day Ps 51. Secondly In times of great troubles and trials whether personal or National the Saints re-inforce prayer about pardon This was Jobs case his personal afflictions occasion'd him to begg the remission of sins and not only remission for sins then committed but for all the sins he had committed either before or after Conversion Even our formerly pardon'd sins need pardon when we loose the sight of pardon and when the soul hath no visions but visions of terrour it must seek visions of peace in the free-grace of God renewing and sealing pardon in the bloud of Jesus Christ Job having thus breathed his spirit in arguings complaints and prayers moves the Lord for a speedy end and gracious answer otherwise he sees no way but he must breath back his spirit into the hands of the Lord who gave it and lay his body in the dust from whence it was taken For now shall I sleep in the dust and thou shalt seek me in the morning but I shall not be Now shall I sleep in the dust What he means by this sleep hath been handled Chap. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Propriè est cubare hinc mortui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vocantur ut etiam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 13. where it was shewed that death is called a sleep why and in what manner death is a sleep The word here translated to sleep signifies properly to lie down but the sence is the same because men lie down when they compose and fit themselves to sleep And the dead are called down-lyers as well as sleepers in the Hebrew The Septuagint reads it now shall I go to the earth David speaks near this language Psal 22. 15. Thou hast brought me to the dust of death Observe hence whether we are travelling and where we must take up a lodging for our bodies ere long They whose heads are highest they who lie in beds of Ivory must lie down in a bed of earth and rest their heads upon a pillow of dust Most sleep in the dust while they live but all must sleep in the dust when they die Earthly men have earthly minds and they cannot rest but in earth for it is their Center Onely he who hath laid up his heart in Heaven can comfortably think of laying down his head in the dust Further it is remarkable in how pleasing a notion Job speaks of death when his life was most unpleasant to him He complained of restless nights in the third fourth thirteenth and fourteenth verses of this Chapter yet he could think of a time when he should lie quietly in his bed and not have so much as a waking moment or a distracting dream And when he was once gone to this bed the curtains of darkness being close drawn about him he should open his eyes no more till the eye-lids of that eternity-morning opened therefore he concludes Thou shalt seek me in the morning sc of time but I shall not be In the Hebrew Thou shalt seek me in the morning is but one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Si dilucula veris me ficto verbo word And some cut out a latine word fit to serve it We may English it strictly to the letter If thou morning me that is if thou commest to seek me as the force of this word hath been formerly given with never so much diligence and care I shall not be found thou wilt not have Job alive upon the earth to bestow thy mercies upon For I shall not be The Hebrew is And not I that is I shall not be alive I shall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non ego subaudi sum vel ero Cum jam in isto not be to be had he means a non-existence not a non-essence a being he should have but he should not appear to be It is as if he had said Lord I shall not be a Subject capable of outward deliverances and bodily comforts unless they come speedily Lord if thou wilt give me any help give it for death hastens upon me as if it hoped to be too nimble for or to out-run thy succours Mr. Broughtons translation seems to intend another sence pulvere decumbam aut quid non tempesti ivè requisivisti me ut non essem Jun. which others of the learned Hebricians favour too He renders the latter part of the verse thus Whereas I lie now in the dust referring it to his present condition I am now lying in the dust to be pitied of the keeper of men so he himself expounds Lord I lie in the dust a pitiful object then Why doest thou not quickly seek me out that I should no more be which he interprets I would by a quick death be rid from these pains As if in these words Job had again renewed his former desire of death concerning which many