And if we look into the first of John ver 2 3. we read thus In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God the same was in the beginning with God all things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made There our maker for the making of all things is attributed to him is the Son the second person in the holy Trinity or the Word who as it followeth in that Chapter was made flesh Why then doth Elihu here ascribe his making to the Spirit And how are these Scriptures reconciled I answer By that received Maxime in Divinity The workes of the holy Trinity towards the creature are undevided So that while this Scripture ascribes the making of man to the Spirit or Third person in the Trinity it doth not at all crosse those which ascribe it to the first or second the Father or the Son The Spirit of God hath made me Hence note First Man as to his bodily making or the making of his body is the workmanship of God As we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus to good or holy workes Eph 2.10 so we are his workmanship created to common and naturall workes We have heard of that divine consultation or resolution rather Gen 1.26 Let us make man The Father made man and the Son made man and the holy Spirit made man The Father by the Son through the holy Spirit made man What a glorious what a mighty power is put forth for the production of such a poore creature as man is And this is true not only of the first man in his creation but of every man since the creation there is a concurrence of a divine power and workmanship in the setting up of man as man Psal 100.3 It is he that made us and not we our selves God doth not only make us holy men but he makes us men Hence David Psal 13 9-14 I am fearefully and wonderfully made He speaks there of the frame of his body though that be much more true in reference to the admirable frame of the new creature which is set up in the soule so indeed we are fearefully and wonderfully made Isa 27.11 This is a people of no understanding But did God ever make a people without naturall understanding Surely no but they were a people without spirituall understanding they did not understand what the mind and meaning of God was and what their owne duty was Such are a people of no understanding how wise soever they are in their owne eyes or in the eyes of the world what followeth Therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them and he that formed them will shew them no favour That is God who made and formed them both in their naturall capacity as men as also in their civill and spirituall capacity as a Church and Nation or as a Nationall Church understanding it of the Jewes will not have mercy on them will not favour them We read the same Church at once looking to God as their maker and most earnestly moving and imploring his pity upon the same account Isa 64.8 9. But now O Lord thou art our father we are the clay and thou our potter and we all are the work of thy hand As if they had sayd Thou O Lord hast moulded us as thy creatures and fashioned us as thy Church when we were but a rude masse or heape without forme or comeliness therefore doe not marre thy owne worke doe not breake the vessels of thine owne making or as it followeth in the same Chapter Be not wroth very sore O Lord neither remember iniquity for ever behold we beseech thee we are all thy people Hence consider First That we owe not only our well-being but our very being unto God And therefore Secondly No man ought to looke upon himselfe as his owne So the Apostle argues 1 Cor 6.19 Know ye not that your body is the temple of the holy Ghost which is in you which ye have of God and ye are not your owne No man is his owne he is Gods who hath made him Saints and believers especially are not their own in that repsect as also because their bodies are the temple of the holy Ghost that is the holy Ghost hath sanctified them for himselfe for his peculiar service and for his habitation Now as the bodyes of Saints are the temple of the holy Ghost because he doth sanctifie them so they are the temple of the holy Ghost because he hath reared them up and built them That consideration should urge us to duty our bodies are temples built as well as temples sanctified by the holy Ghost And therefore we are not our owne at all nor in any respect and if we are not our owne at all but the Lords then we ought to be alwayes for the Lord. Hence Thirdly Hath the Spirit of God made us as Elihu saith then let the Spirit use us how sad is it that when the Spirit of God hath made our bodies and soules we should let the wicked spirit use either as he doth both the bodies and soules of carnall men to his base services The evill spirit did neither make your bodies nor your soules why should he have the command of either Therefore as your members have been weapons of unrighteousnesse to sin so let them be instruments of righteousnesse unto God Seeing the holy Spirit hath made us let not the evill spirit use so much as a little finger of us for he hath not made not only so much as a little finger of our hand but so much as the least haire of our heads as Christ saith we our selves cannot Math 5.36 white or blacke And therefore let not the evill spirit make use of one haire of our heads white or black as a flagge of pride and vanity or to be an occasion of sin to others He that maketh the house ought to have the possession and service of it either to dwell in it himselfe or to receive rent and profit from him that dwells in it The spirit having made us should not only have the rent and revenue but the full possession of us for ever That which is of God should be for God for him alwayes and only for him Secondly In that the making of man is attributed to the Spirit Observe The Spirit of God is God The holy Ghost is not only a power of God or a word gone out from God but the holy Ghost is God This is cleare from the efficiency of the holy Spirit The Spirit of God hath made me The work of creation is attributable to none but God That power which at first set up man in his creation continueth him to this day this power and great prerogative is given to the Spirit therefore the Spirit is God Psal 33.6 By the word of the Lord his substantiall Word or Son were the heavens made and all the host of them by the breath or
is venerable not which hath white hayre but which whiteneth with vertuous and worthy actions Senectus illa venerabilis est non quae canis sed meritis albescit Ambro lib 7. Epist 70. Elihu speaks here not only narratively but reprovingly he reflects upon the ancient whose abilities come not up to or doe not equall their yeares The aged may well blush and be ashamed to be sound ignorant of or unskilfull in any thing that they ought to know The Apostle shames the Hebrewes with this and tells them they were dull of hearing Heb. 5.11 12. because when for the time they ought to be teachers they had need that one should teach them againe which be the first principles of the oracles of God and were become such as had need of milke and not of strong meate As if he had said When for the time dayes and yeares which have gone over your heads the reproofe lyes there you should be able to teach others what a shame is it that you your selves should not be capable of those higher teachings which he calls strong meat but must be dealt with about the very principles of Religion and be fed like Children with milke and spoones How is it that you who should have had sences exercised to discerne both good evill should be so little able to distinguish them either in their minds or degrees These were spiritually Children while naturally old men They had not learned of their teachers when the Apostle had reason to hope they had been able to teach learners yea were learned teachers Some are exceeding old exceeding ignorant they have multitude of dayes upon them yet if asked they are not able to hold forth the least Number of divine truths possibly not one in a right understanding As gray haires are a crowne of glory when found in the way of righteousness so gray haires are crowns of glory when found in a way of wisdome knowledge and understanding otherwise to be old and dotish old and sottish how dishonorable is it yea they that are old and ignorant shall at last finde their old age a strong aggravation as of all their sins so especially of their ignorance JOB Chap. 32. Vers 8 9. But there is a spirit in man and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding Great men are not alwayes wise neither doe the aged understand judgement ELihu as was shewed in the former words having in vaine waited for the wisdome of the Ancient proceeds in this Context to give the reason why the Ancient are not alwayes wise Vers 8. There is a spirit in man and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth understanding There 's the reason of it we render the first word of this eight verse by the Adversative particle But there is a spirit in man it is usually rendered by the Affirmative particle verily truly or indeed Mr Broughton saith Certes a spirit is in sad man These is some difference in opinion about this spirit affirmed to be in man Divers expound Elihu intending the Spirit of God there is a spirit that is the divine Spirit the holy Spirit of God or God the Spirit is in man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Symmach One of the Greek translations puts it into the text Surely the Spirit of God is in man and the Chaldee paraphrase gives it in a like expression Surely there is a prophetick spirit in the son of man or in the sons of men Some are induced to this interpretation because it would be say they but a cold argument to commend what he had to say for the rectifying Job by telling him that man hath a reasonable soule which is common to all men Yet I rather conceive that in this first part of the verse the spirit spoken of is the naturall spirit of man which in the latter part of the verse he affirmes is instructed by the inspiration of the Almighty with supernatural light for speciall services The word is often used in Scripture to note the reasonable soule or those powers of the soule which are the vessells of reason or in which naturall reason hath its seate and exercise There is a power of reasoning in man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 animam rationalem denotat or a spirit which is able to discourse of all things there was such a naturall power implanted in man at his Creation and though that power be much weakned and broken by the fall yet there are to this day some remaines of it in all men as borne into this world Surely there is a spirit in man And because the word is universall or extendable to all men therefore it is more then probable the word spirit here is to be taken in the largest sence for every man hath not the Spirit of God yea the word here used for man notes man of the meanest ranke or lowest forme surely there is a spirit in enosh Mr Broughton translates in sad man in sickly man in weak man in the sickliest weakest and lowest of men there is a soule a spirit indued with reason this is as the substratum or ground of the whole businesse Surely there is a spirit in man And in the latter part of the verse Elihu sheweth what that is which heighteneth raiseth and improveth this naturall spirit certainly there is a spirit in man every man hath a reasonable soule And the inspiration of the Almighty giveth understanding Inest quidem hominibus vis illa rationatrix sed quae nisi dei afflatu dirigatur verè sapere non potest Bez. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 anhelavit The worke of God inlightning man is expressed by breathing when Jesus Christ gave his Disciples the Spirit he breathed upon them or inspired them and said receive ye the holy Ghost John 20.22 For as in the first Creation when God gave man a naturall being he breathed into his nostrills the breath of life and man became a living soule Gen. 2.7 so in the second or new Creation God breaths a spirituall life into that life and man becomes a quickned soule And as his own soule is quickned by the holy Spirit of grace so he is fitted as an instrument in the hand of God to quicken the soules of others with grace or to instruct them in the wayes of grace The inspiration of the Almighty giveth understanding But hath not the reasonable soule of every man an understanding Doubtlesse it hath Therefore I answer The understanding may be taken two wayes First for the facultie Secondly for the furniture and enrichings of it now though every man hath an understanding yet every man hath not a furnished and an enriched understanding a beautified and an adorned understanding The Scripture speakes of some men as if they were nothing but understanding Prov. 1.5 A wise man will increase knowledge and a man of understanding will attaine unto all Counsell Every man hath an understanding but every man is not
Elihu's thoughts had upon him they would out there was no stopping of them Christ saith Math 9.17 No man putteth new wine into old bottles but men put new wine into new bottles why because they are stronger and so more fit to preserve the wine My belly is as wine It is ready to burst like new bottles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro utre non alibi reperitur saepe pro pythone quod qui hoc ariolaÌ„di genere uterentur velut ex utribus vocem emitterent Vnâ—e a Grecis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicuntur Merc The word which we render bottles is never used in Scripture elsewhere in this sence but it is often used to signifie Wizards or such as have familiar Spirits Isa 8.19 Isa 29.4 because they who used those hellish arts by compact with the Devill did speak out of their belly so as it were out of a bottle Now saith Elihu My belly is as new wine that hath no vent and it is ready to burst like new bottles even new bottles will break unlesse the new wine have some vent And because though new bottles be stronger then old to keepe in wine yet the wine may be so strong as to breake them therefore Elihu here-by shewes that his desire or necessity of speaking was so urgent upon him that though he should strengthen himselfe yea strive with himselfe as much as he could to refraine from speaking yet speake he must I am full of matter c. Observe First A man should not speak especially in weighty matters till himselfe be well stored with matter Secondly Observe When some vessells are drawne quite dry and instruments spent and worne to the stumps when they can neither doe nor say any more then God fills up and furnisheth others for his purpose There was not a drop more to be squeez'd out of Jobs friends but Elihu was a full bottle Mal 2.15 there is a residue of the Spirit God hath more Spirit or spirituall abilities to dispose of and bestow then he hath yet disposed of to or bestowed upon any one or all the sons of men Thirdly Note God can furnish Instruments with proper gifts for the worke which he Calls them to Here was a man Cut out on purpose for this worke he was Clothed with a spirit of prudence and courage as well as with a spirit of discerning We have a wonderfull Example of this in Luther who came forth against all the powers of the papacy What a spirit had he his was a spirit of might his spirit Constrained him his belly was like a bottle full of new wine there was no stopping of it Others would have been daunted and cowed downe with the tenth of that opposition which he met with but he was bold as a Lyon who turneth not aside Againe Why did Elihu come forth why did his spirit constraine him what made his belly like wine Some charge him with pride and arrogancy of spirit as if he did it out of vaine ostentation to shew his parts and gifts to set himselfe above those other Worthyes who had dealt and discoursed with Job before But we have reason enough considering what he spake and what the issue of his speaking was to determine that he was moved with a zeale for God and to doe good to Job not with a spirit of pride to shew his learning wit or wisdome among men and therefore we finde that when the whole matter was brought to an issue and God himselfe came to deale with Job and his three friends God commends Job and reproves his three friends but there is no reproofe upon Elihu Now for as much as God himselfe doth not charge him what hath man to doe to charge him Not only charity but reason and judgement command us to thinke his designe honest and his aymes sincere while he professeth under so vehement an impulse or impression upon his spirit to engage and speake in this matter Hence note Thirdly To see truth ill handled should fill our spirits with much zeal for God That was it which drew Elihu to this engagement he saw those men though good men had put a disguise upon the things and dealings of God and if men disguise the truth and maintaine error if they deface the doctrines of faith and pure worship with their owne phansies and false glosses it should kindle a holy fire and fervour of spirit in us to assert and vindicate the truth Our spirit within us in all such cases should Constraine us Fifthly In that Elihu was so Constrained and pressed in spirit as wine which hath no vent or as a woman with Child ready to travell Note It is a paine not to speake when we have much to utter and much minde to utter it When Elâ—hu was full he had a Constraint upon him to vent his opinion David saith Psal 39.1 2 3. I held my peace even from good words he did not only forbeare idle and evill discourse but refrain'd from good but it was a trouble to him not to speak especially not to speak good words therefore he adds My heart waxed hot within me Jeremy found it no easie worke to keepe in words yea he describes himselfe as much pained by not delivering his minde as a woman is when not delivered in child-birth Jer 20.9 Then said I I will not make mention of him nor speak any more in his name but his word was in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones and I was weary with forbearing and I could not stay There was wine new wine in his belly yea there was a fire within him as we may be weary with speaking so with not speaking or forbearing to speake Jer 4.19 My bowels my bowels I am pained at the very heart my heart maketh a noise in me I cannot hold my peace Read him in the like trouble upon the same occasion Jer 6.11 Eliphaz Chap 4.2 was thus pressed Who can withhold himselfe from speaking 'T is a great paine to be mind-bound or not to deliver our mind when our mindes are full and we full of desire to deliver it Sixthly When he saith I am Constrain'd I am like a bottle ready to burst It teacheth us The Spirit of God doth so over-power some men that they cannot containe The Pharisees and high Priests thought to stop up the Apostles those bottles full of the new wine of the mysteries of Christ and therefore gave them Counsell yea a command to speake no more in his name At the 10th verse they said of some in a common sence These men are full of new wine that is they are drunken but the truth was they were full of the Spirit full of Gospel-truths and like bottles full of new wine they could not hold And when the Pharisees and high Priests would have stopt up those bottles and charged them that they should speak no more in the name of Jesus they answered Whether it be meet to obey God or man judge ye for
Spirit of his mouth that is Jehovah by his Eternall Son and Spirit made all things The heavens and their host are there expressed by a Synecdoche of the part for the whole creation or for all creatures both in heaven and in earth Againe Psal 104.30 Thou sendest forth thy Spirit they are created The Spirit of God creates every day what is it that continueth things in their created being but providence That 's a true axiome in Divinity Providence is creation continued Now the Spirit of God who created at first creates to this day Thou sendest forth thy Spirit they are created The work of creation was finished in the first six dayes of the world but the work of creation is renewed every day and so continued to the end of the world Successive providentiall creation as well as originall creation is ascribed to the Spirit The Scripture is full of arguments to prove that the holy Ghost is God Which because this fundamentall truth is blasphemously spoken against I shall a little touch upon First As the Spirit createth and makes the naturall man consisting of body and soule so he regenerateth which is a greater creation the whole into a spirituall man therefore he is God John 3.5 Except a man be borne againe of water and of the Spirit that is of the Spirit who is as water he cannot enter into the kingdome of God The holy Ghost is also call'd The sanctifier sanctification is regeneration in progress and motion regeneration is sanctification begun and sanctification is regeneration perfecting from day to day 2 Thes 2.13 We are bound to give thanks to God for you brethren beloved of the Lord because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and beliefe of the truth And the Apostle Peter writes to the Elect 1 Pet 1 2. according to the foreknowledge of God the father through sanctification of the Spirit Now who can doe these great things but God who can regenerate or give a new nature who can sanctifie or perfect that new nature but God alone Men and Angels must let these workes alone for ever or as we translate Psal 49.8 these acts cease for ever from men and Angels as much as the redemption of man from the grave or from hell from corruption or condemnation Secondly The Spirit is omniscient He knoweth all things 1 Cor 1.12 2 10.19 The Spirit knoweth all things yea the deep things of God He is not only acquainted with and privie to the surface and outside of things but he searcheth things to the bottom of them Nor doth he search only the deepe or bottome things of common men or of the chiefest of men Kings and Princes whose hearts are usually as much deeper then other mens as their persons and places are higher but the Spirit searcheth the deep things the bottome things of God the things of God that lye lowest and most out of sight the Spirit understandeth therefore the Spirit is God For as the Apostle argueth 1 Cor 2.11 No man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of a man that is in him even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God or he that is God if the spirit that is in man were not man or the intellectuall power in man it could never know the things of man and if the Spirit of God were not God he could never search and know the deep the deepest things of God Thirdly As the Spirit of God knoweth all things as he searcheth the deep things even all the secrets and mysteries of God so he teacheth all things even all those secrets and mysteries of God which 't is needful or useful for man to know The Spirit is a teacher and he teacheth effectually Joh 16.13 When the Spirit of truth is come he will guide you into all truth for he shall not speak of himselfe that is he shall not teach you a private doctrine or that which is contrary to what ye have learned of me but whatsoever he shall heare that shall he speake and he will shew you things to come Which last words are A fourth argument that he is God As the Spirit teacheth so he foretelleth all things 1 Tim 4.1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressely that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devills The Spirit of God clearly foreseeth and infallibly foretelleth what shall be before it is therefore he is God The Lord by his holy Prophet Isa 41.23 challengeth all the false Idol gods of the Heathen to give that proofe of their Divinity Shew the things that are to come hereafter that we may know that ye are Gods As if he had sayd Doe that and we will yield the cause Men and Devills may guesse at but none can indeed shew things to come but God Fifthly The Spirit appoints to himselfe officers and ministers in the Church therefore he is God Acts 13.2 The holy Ghost said separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them Sixthly The holy Ghost furnisheth those Officers whom he calleth with power and gifts as he pleaseth that they may be fit for the work or ministery of the Gospel 1 Cor 12.8.11 To one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdome to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit c. But all these worketh that one and the selfe-same Spirit dividing to every man severally as he will Now who can give wisdome and knowledge who can give them prerogatively following in this distribution or division of gifts no rule nor giving any other reason of it but his owne will except God only Seventhly The holy Ghost is sinned against therefore he is God Some possibly may object and say This is not a convincing or demonstrative argument that the holy Ghost is God because he is sinned against For man may sin against man All second table sins are sins against our Neighbour and the Apostle tells the Corinthians 1 Ep 8.12 that while they used their lawfull liberty in eating with offence they sinned against the Brethren I answer Whosoever is properly sinned against is God because God is the Law-giver And though many actions of men are direct wrongs to man yet in every wrong done to man God also is wronged and in strict sence he only is sinned against by man For the reason why any action is a wrong to man is because it is against some Law of God And if to be sinned against in strict sence be proper to God only then the argument stands good that the Holy Spirit is God because he is sinned against especially if we consider that there is such an Emphasis put upon sinning against the holy Ghost in the holy Scripture more if possible then upon sinning against the Father or the Son Math 12.31 Wherefore I say unto you saith Christ All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto
men but the blasphemy against the holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men As if he had said Though you sin against the Father and the Son it shall be forgiven you but if you sin against the holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven either in this world or in the world to come that is it shall never be forgiven Seeing then there is more in sinning against the holy Ghost then against the Father or the Son who are God the holy Ghost must needs be God For though there is no degree or graduall difference in the deity each person being coeternall coequall and consubstantiall yet the Scripture attributes more in that case as to the poynt of sinning against the holy Ghost then to sinning against the Father or the Son therefore certainly the holy Ghost is God Lastly The holy Ghost is the object of divine worship are not we baptized in the Name of the Father Son and holy Ghost Is the Father and the Son God and the holy Ghost not God who is joyned with them in the same honour Shall a creature come in competition with God And doth not the Scripture or word of God direct us to pray for grace from the Spirit as well as from the Father or the Son 2 Cor 13.13 Rev 1.4 Thus we see how full the Scripture is in giving the glory of the same workes upon us and of the same worship from us to the Spirit as to the Father and the Son And therefore from all these premises we may conclude That the Holy-Ghost with the Father and the Son is God blessed and to be glorified for evermore The Spirit of God hath made me And the breath of the Almighty hath given me life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spiritus ex ore egregiens halitus flatus anima proprie significat halitem pâ—r metonymiam effecti animam per synechdoâ—hen membri animal Pisc in Deut 10.16 The words carry an allusion as Interpreters generally agree to that of Moses describing the creation of man Gen 2.7 And the Lord God formed man out of the dust of the earth and breathed into his nostrills the breath of life and man became a living soule Elihu speakes neere in the same forme fully to the same effect The breath of the Almighty hath given me life or enlivened me As if he had sayd That soule which the Lord hath breathed into me hath made me live The soule of man may be called the breath of the Almighty because the Almighty is expressed infusing it into man at first by breathing And therefore the word Neshamah which properly signifies the breath doth also by a Metonymie of the effect signifie the soule it selfe which causeth breathing Thus our translaters render it Isa 57.16 I saith the Lord will not contend for ever neither will I be alwayes wroth for the spirit should faile before me and the soules which I have made As the soule of man was breathed in by God so the soule is that by which man breathes Breath and soule come and goe together Some comparing the originall word Shamaijm for the heavens with this word Neshamah which here we translate breath take notice of their neere affinity intimating that the soule of man is of a heavenly pedegree or comes from heaven yea the latine word mens signifying the mind is of the same consonant letters with the Hebrew Neshamah and as some conceive is derived from it So then I take these words The breath of the Almighty as a description of that part of man which is opposed to his body The Spirit of God hath made me that is hath set me up as a man in humane shape And the breath of the Almighty hath given me life that is this soule which the Almighty hath breathed into me hath made me a living man ready for any humane act or as Moses speakes God breathing into my nostrills the breath of life I became a living soule Hence observe First The soule of man floweth immediately from God 'T is the breath of God not that God liveth by breathing the way of his life is infinitely above our apprehension But 't is cleare in Scripture That the Almighty breathed into man the powers of life And therefore he is called by way of Eminence The father of spirits Heb 12.9 For though the Almighty is rightly entituled the Father of the whole man though both body and soule are the worke of God yet he is in a further sence the father of our spirits or soules then of our bodyes And here Solomon shewing how man is disposed of when these two are separated by death saith Eccl 12.7 Then shall the dust that is the body returne to the earth as it was and the spirit that is the soule shall returne to God who gave it The body is the gift of God but the body is not the breath of God it is not such an immediate gift of God as the soule is when the body of man was made at first God tooke the dust of the earth and formed his body out of it but when he gave him a soule he breathed that from himselfe it was an immediate effect of Gods power not dealing with nor working upon any prae-existing matter The spirit or soule of man is purely of God solely of God And hence we may inferre First Then the soule is not a vapour arising from the crasis or temperament of the body as the life of a beast is Secondly Then the soule of man is not traduced from the parents in generation as many learned men affirme especially to ease themselves of those difficulties about the conveyance of originall sin or defilement into the soule Thirdly We may hence also inferre then the soule is not corruptible it is an immortall substance How can that be corruptible or mortall which hath its rise as I may say immediately from God or is breathed in by the Almighty who is altogether incorruptible and immortal And whereas there is a twofold incorruptibility First by divine ordination that is God appoynts such a thing shall not corrupt and therefore it doth not so the body of man in it's first creation was incorruptible for though it were in it selfe corruptible being made out of the earth yet by the appoyntment of God if man had continued in his integrity he had not dyed And therefore it is said By sin came death yea doubtlesse if God should command and appoynt the meanest worme that moves upon the earth to live for ever or the most fading flower that groweth out of the earth to flourish for ever both the one and the other would doe so Secondly there is an incorruptibility in some things not meerely by a law or appoyntment of God but as from that intrinsecall nature which God hath bestowed upon them and implanted in them Thus the Angels are immortall they have an incorruptible nature and likewise the soule of man being breathed from the Almighty is in it's owne nature
and as in the former sense 't is the prerogative of Kings to be Keepers of the Law so it is their piety and their goodness to be Keepers of them in the latter 'T is possible a King may be a Keeper of the Law by Conservation and yet not be a Keeper of it by Observation but then he shines most bright in the sphear of his Royal Soveraignty when he is every way a keeper of the Law of God and so far as they respect himself of his own Further Is it fit to say to a King Belial As Belial designs an unprofitable person a man good for nothing a man of no use what Upon the Throne and yet of no use to a Nation How high an indignity is this to Regal dignity Kings are set up for the greatest use for the most important services even for the profit and advantage of mankinde especially of all within their Kingdoms and Dominions as all are to serve them in their state so they count it their chiefest honour to advance the peace and profit of all their peaceable and profitable subjects Therefore nothing can be said more dishonourably to a King then this Thou art good for nothing an unprofitable person Belial Is it fit to say to a King Thou art wicked And to Princes ye are ungodly The word rendred Princes signifies munificent bountiful free willing Principes hic vocantur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a liberalitate munificentia quasi tu dicas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Drus so Princes are called to shew what they are or should be men of bountiful noble munificent heroick free spirits open hearted and open handed they who are so are Princes in truth as well as in Title The holy Spirit of God or God the holy Spirit is called a Princely Spirit Psal 51.12 we read it Free Spirit and this free Princely Spirit of God makes all his people of a free Princely spirit of a large heart both as to duty God-wards and as to charity man-wards Psal 110.3 In the day of thy power the people shall be willing they shall be as Princes they shall serve thee as sons not as slaves a Royal Spirit is conveyed into them by the Spirit in the day of the Power of Jesus Christ or when he conquers them to the obedience of himself By this appellation worldly Princes the Princes of this world are expressed in sacred language that so their very names might minde them of being such and of doing such things as are the ornament both of their persons and places These two high Titles in the Text Kings and Princes are somtimes taken for the same and in strictest sence Princes are the next degree or but one remove from Kings Again There are some called Princes who have the supreame power within their own Territories Others are called Princes who have a delegated or derived power from Kings The Apostle speaks of such 1 Pet. 2.13 charging the Church and people of God to submit to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether to the King as supream or unto Governours as sent by him for the punishment of evil doers and for the praise of them that do well Elihu brings in both for the fuller confirmation of his point and the stronger conviction of Job Is it fit to say to a King thou art wicked and to Princes who stand about his Throne and serve him in his Government ye are ungodly Ye regard neither right nor reason neither what 's fit to be done nor what to be advised That 's the sence of the words as they are an argument from the less to the greater If it be an uncomely and undecent thing saith Elihu to say to a King thou art wicked and to Princes ye are ungodly How much more to him that accepteth not the persons of Princes c. Hence Note First Men are not all of a rank or all are not of an equal state in this world This Text speaks of Kings and Princes and the most of men are inferiour not only to Kings but to Princes God hath not made man upon earth as minims in writing all of a height but as in the alphabet of Letters some are longer and deeper then others so in the Alphabet of mankinde some men are bigger and higher then others Kings and Princes are but men yet they are men in a great letter or they are among men as the Aleph among the letters which as it is first in order so it signifies a Prince a Chief a Leader And if the most wise God had not ordered such an inequality among men how should order have been kept among men Nothing considering the corruptions and lusts of men can be more unequal then that equality which some have vainly contended for among men All men would fall down into confusion if some were not above That which keeps all up is only that some are uppermost Kings and Princes Secondly which is here principally aimed at Note It is most uncomly and sinful to revile or give reproachful words to Kings or Princes When we say It is not fit we say less then the thing is or then the Text intendeth there is more evil in it then a bare unfitness 't is indeed a very great wickedness and ungodliness to say to a King thou art wicked and to Princes ye are ungodly To say so is expresly against the Rule Exod. 22.28 Thou shalt not revile the gods or as we put in the margin Judges nor curse the Ruler of thy people And the Apostle Paul quotes this Text Acts 23.5 when himself had slipt in that point as he stood before the Judgement seat and pleaded his own integrity for when Ananias the high Priest commanded them that stood by to smite him on the mouth Paul said unto him God shall smite thee thou whited wall This drew a reproof upon him presently from them that stood by v. 4. Revilest thou Gods high Priest And what doth Paul answer v. 5. I wist not Brethren that he was the high Priest for it is written Thou shalt not speak evil of the Ruler of thy people There hath been much dispute about that answer I wist not that he was the high Priest Certainly Paul saw and knew that he was the high Priest and it is as certain that he did not tell a lye when he said I wist not that he was the high Priest His meaning I conceive was only this as if he had said having received such unjust usage in the Court as to be openly smitten in time of hearing I confess I was in a passion and did not consider 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as I ought that it was the high Priest I spake rashly and unadvisedly I wist not that is I deliberated not with my self who it was I spake to for I ought not to have used such language the Scripture also having forbidden it which saith Thou shalt not curse the Ruler of thy people It will not bear us
such a manner I give you my peace therefore let not your hearts be troubled neither be you afraid what-ever outward trouble the world can give you be not afraid of it before it cometh nor troubled at it when 't is come I will give you inward peace in the midst of all your troubles Christ invites the weary and the heavie laden to come to him with this promise I will give you rest Matth. 11.29 soul-rest he meaneth that Title or name of Christ Shiloh Gen. 49.10 The Scepter shall not depart from Judah until Shiloh come signifies tranquility peace and rest As Jesus Christ hath bought our peace and rest with his blood so he bears it in his name The fountain of our soul-peace is the heart of the father Grace and Peace from God the Father c. Col. 1.1 2. 1 Thess 1.1 The purchase or price of this peace is the blood of the Son Col. 1.22 He hath made our peace through the blood of his Cross Our peace cost dear it cost blood and that the blood of the Son of God The conveyance of this peace is made by the holy Spirit he is sent to bring the good tydings of peace unto believers the Spirit speaks peace from God and witnesseth with our spirits that we are at peace with God And as this peace is at first from God the Father as the fountain of it from God the Son as the Purchaser of it and from God the holy Ghost as the Speaker of it so the continuing and renewing of this peace is from the same God He establisheth and setleth the heart in that peace which he hath given and he restoreth that peace when at any time we have lost it and the heart is unsetled David's soul being unquiet and his peace ravell'd after his sin he addressed to God for the renewing of it Psal 51.12 Restore to me the joy of thy salvation David petitioned the restoring of his peace while he petitioned the restoring of his joy 't is possible to have peace without joy but there can be no joy in that soul which hath not first attained to peace We must wait upon God both for the restoring of our peace when it is departed and for the continuance of it when it is enjoyed When he giveth quietness to a man either as to soul or body or both Who can make trouble Note Secondly The quietness or peace which God bestows upon any person is an invincible an insuperable peace and quietness as to all that this world can do or he suffer in this world If God will give a quiet outward estate no man can disturb it when God gave Job outward quietness what a mighty man was he how did he flourish Nor could any break his outward peace Satan confest it in the first chapter Thou hast made a hedge about him and about his house and about all that he hath on every side there is not the least gap open no nor stake loosned in his hedge who can touch him who can come at him I cannot touch him Sabeans and Chaldeans cannot touch him While the Lord giveth and guardeth our outward peace it is inviolable And as to our spiritual peace if the Lord speak it who or what can trouble the soul First The afflictions tribulations and vexations which we meet with in the world cannot trouble this inward peace while storms are without there will be a calm within the soul may be at peace and the conscience quiet in the greatest visible confusions Let the world turn about and overturn let it shake and break into a thousand pieces this peace abides unshaken unbroken let the world rage in the heat either of war or persecution yet the heart is serene fixt and quiet like Mount Zion that cannot be removed Christ tells his Disciples John 16.33 These things have I spoken unto you that in me ye might have peace and in the same verse he foretells them In the world you shall have tribulation as if he had said you shall have a peace concurrent and contemporary with your tribulation trouble from the world shall not hinder the peace you have from me yea my peace shall conquer the troubles you have in the world Thus the Prophet tryumphed in believing Hab. 3.17 Though the labour of the Olive should fail and the Vine yeild no fruit though there be no Calves in the stall nor Sheep in the fold c. yet I will joy in the Lord and rejoyce in the God of my salvation To rejoyce in the Lord is more then to be quiet or to have peace in the Lord. Joy is the exaltation of peace it is the most delicious fruit of peace The worst of worldly evils cannot despoil us of the least purely spiritual good much less of the greatest Him wilt thou keep in perfect peace whose minde is stayed on thee Isa 26.3 That 's perfectly perfect to which nothing can be added and from which nothing can be taken away yet that is truly perfect to which though somthing may be added yet it cannot be either totally or finally taken away Such is the soul-peace of true believers in this life and therefore a perfect peace Secondly As outward tribulation cannot hinder the soul-peace of a godly man so the policy plots and temptations of Satan our arch-enemy cannot yea his charges and most spiteful accusations shall not The great designe of the devil is to destroy and devour souls his own condition being most miserable he at once envies all those who are not in the same condition and attempts to make them so and when he fails in that attempt the destruction of souls yet he will not cease to attempt their molestation and to trouble those whom he cannot utterly devour Now as Satan cannot at all prevail in the former attempt the destroying of souls so he cannot wholly prevail in the latter the troubling of souls Hence that gallant challenge of the Apostle Rom. 8.33 34. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect it is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth it is Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen again c. As if he had said let all the enemies of our spiritual peace rise up and combine together they shall not be able to condemn that is wholly to discourage or disquiet the heart of a believer he having received his quietus est rest and peace from God in the justification of his person and the pardon of his sins Satan can do much and would do more if his chain were lengthned and he not restrained to the trouble and molestation of our souls there 's not a godly man living should rest an hour in quiet for him if he might have his wish or his will but because God gives quietness to some believers and will not have it so much as stirr'd therefore Satan cannot make any trouble at all in their souls but they live in the constant light of God's countenance and in
with God If he will contend with him he cannot answer him one of a thousand Againe ver 20. If I justifie my selfe my mouth shall condemne me If I say I am perfect it shall also prove me perverse And while he affirmes the generall viciousnesse of nature he must needs imply his owne Chap. 15.14 What is man that he should be cleane and he which is borne of a woman that he should be righteous Behold he putteth no trust in his Saints yea the heavens are not cleane in his sight how much more abominable and filthy is man In this universall conclusion he includeth himselfe therefore Job was far from being righteous in his owne eyes in any proud opinion of his owne righteousnesse or freedome from any staine of sin So much for the opening of those words containing the reason why his friends ceased to answer Because he was righteous in his owne eyes It was the designe of these three men not only to convince Job that he was a sinner but to bring him upon his knees as a notorious sinner And yet all their allegations and arguments could not bring him to it My righteousnesse said he Chapt. 27.6 I hold fast I will not let it goe Now when they saw him thus resolved and stiffe in maintaining the goodnesse of his cause and the integrity of his spirit they quitted the businesse or as the text saith ceased to answer Hence note We cease to doe when we cannot attaine our end in doing Impossibilium nullus est conatus When we see it is in vaine to perswade we give over perswading Despayre of working our end puts an end to our working Industry is at a stand yea withdraweth when impossibilities appeare And though nothing be impossible unto God yet we find God himselfe giving over both speaking and smiting when he seeth he is like to doe no good by eyther Thus he expresseth his purpose Isa 1.5 when he had spent many rods of sore Judgements afflictions upon that people when he had stricken them till from the crowne of the head to the sole of the feete they were nothing but a continued wound and yet they received not correction he presently reasons thus Why should ye be stricken any more ye will revolt more and more As if he had said The end why I smote you was to amend you to bring you home to my selfe to cause you to turne back or returne from your evill wayes but I see I have lost my labour and spent not only my rods but my scorpions in vaine upon you therefore I will cease from this kind of work why should ye be stricken any more ye will revolt more and more And when God hath spoken long to a people who regard it not he ceaseth to speak any more but saith Why should ye be taught any more Let the Prophets tongue cleave to the roof of his mouth let him be dumb and silent as the word is Ezek. 3.26 Thou shalt be dumb and shalt not be a reprover why for they are a rebellious house After all thy speaking they continue rebelling therefore speak no more We read the like dreadfull prohibition Hos 4.4 Let no man strive nor reprove another let all wayes of reclaiming this people be laid aside For thy people are as they that strive with the Priest That is they are obdurate and desperately ingaged in wickednesse Hos 4.17 Ephraim is joyned to Idols he cleaveth and sticketh fast to them he will not be pulled from his owne inventions Let him alone Thus God saith to his Prophets and Ministers cease he saith to his Ordinances cease when sinners will not cease to sin and doe wickedly against the Lord. The same unprofitable and incorrigible people are threatned in the same manner by another Prophet Amos 8.9 It shall come to passe in that day saith the Lord God that I will cause the Sun to goe downe at noone And ver 11. I will send a famine in the Land not a famine of bread but of hearing the words of the Lord. God would stop the raining down of heavenly Manna and the people should not heare because they would not Such was the sentence of Christ against the Jewes Math. 23.37 O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them which are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered thy children together as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings but ye would not What follows this refusall read and tremble ver 38. Behold your house is left unto you desolate for I say unto you ye shall not see me henceforth c. As if he had said because ye have been so unteachable therefore ye shall be taught no more It is sad when we give God occasion to give over either speaking to us or afflicting us God will not alwayes strive with the unwillingnesse much lesse with the wilfulnesse of man nor will men be alwayes doing that to men which they see doth them no good So these three men ceased c. Secondly Note hence When men are obstinate and will not be reclaimed it is good to give over Why should they who in any kind are absolutely resolved be further moved Acts 21.14 When Pauls friends saw he would not be perswaded they ceased they had used much perswasion to keepe him from going up to Jerusalem because of the sufferings that were prophesied should befall him there yet when he stood out in an holy obstinacy against them cloathed with a gracious spirit of courage to suffer for Christ When he would not be perswaded they ceased saying the will of the Lord be done As it was the height of Pauls holiness that he would not be perswaded he was obstinate for Gods cause or for the doing of a duty so it is the height of many mens wickednesse that they will not be perswaded they are obstinate against God or against the doing of their duty Such as are infected with the lust of contending will maintaine that opinion pertinaciously which they cannot maintaine truely As some strive for the love of victory rather then of truth so others strive because they love strife even more then victory and had rather contend then conquer because that puts an end to strife In such cases they doe best who doe no more And if Jobs case had been such if he had held up the discourse not for truth but for victory or because he would have the last word like a clamorous Sophister who hath alwayes somewhat to say though nothing to the purpose In that case I say Jobs friends had done wisely in ceasing to answer They indeed did well upon their owne supposition though as to the truth of Jobs condition they failed greatly Job was not a man of that spirit he that persists in holding and defending truth is not obstinate but constant Further as to the ground why they ceased according to their supposition Observe To be righteous in our owne eyes is hatefull both to God and
the poynt The aged speak like children when they speak foolishly or unfruitfully He only is a good speaker who speaks that which may doe others good or make them better We say proverbially and truly both of saying and doing As good never a whit as never the better I said dayes should speak and multitude of yeares should teach wisdome Elihu reckons the age of aged men by multitude of yeares this he doth only to highten the matter what wisdome might he not expect from a multitude of yeares that is from such as had lived a multitude of yeares Certainly thought Elihu they will Teach wisdome There is a twofold wisdome First that which is meerely rational Secondly that which is spirituall or there is first a common secondly an holy wisdome Elihu expected wisdome of both sorts but chiefely of the latter from multitude of yeares He expected they would teach the wisdome which the Spirit of God had taught them Sapientiam intelligit quae in vera dei nostri cognitione sita est cujus author sit spiritus dei non hominis animus non anni non usus non experientia Merl that wisdome which consists in the true knowledge of God and of our selves that wisdome which is from above that which man hath not from himselfe nor is taught him by dayes or yeares by use or experience only And it was very probable that they who from their youth had been instructed in the things of God being growne old should also be growne further in this wisdome and riper in this sort of knowledge And therefore Elihu spake according to the rule of right reason when he judged that those three aged men had attained to a very high degree of divine light Such is the goodnesse of God to his people that usually they grow in grace and knowledge as they grow in yeares For though God is Debror to no man but Creditor to all men and though old age in it selfe considered deserves nothing of God yea is not only undeserving but because sin multiplyes as our dayes doe ill deserving yet as Christ saith To him that hath that is who useth and improveth what he hath more shall be given And therefore though true wisdome be a free gift and is infused and wrought by the Spirit of God yet we may in probability and ought according to charity judge that they who have most dayes have also most wisdome Though wisdome be not entayled upon old age yet there we are most likely to finde it I sayd multitude of yeares should teach wisdome Hence observe first We may well expect they should be very wise and knowing who have had much meanes and many opportunities of obtaining knowledge and wisdome And therefore we have reason to expect much wisdome from those who have had a multitude of yeares past over their heads It is a common rule in Logick Causis sufficientibus positis in aâ—tu necessario sequitur effectus When sufficient causes are put in act the effect must needs follow And so where probable causes are in act probably the effect will follow Old men having been well brought up in youth and having had faire opportunities to attaine knowledge and wisdome are rightly presumed and judged well stor'd and stockt with both Where shall we finde wisdome if not among the Ancients where if not among a multitude or throng of yeares and dayes where else should we look for it shall we goe and enquire among the greene heads and young beginners for it shall we goe to novices and children for it We may say surely they who have been long taught have learned much surely they who have heard many soule-searching Sermons and continued from day to day under the droppings of divine truths are full of fruit and very fruitfull whether shall we goe for fruit else if not to these shall we goe to those that live as upon the mountaines of Gilboa where David prayed no raine might fall shall we goe for Gospel-fruit to the wild naked untaught Indians and Barbarians or to the rightly instituted and plentifully instructed Churches of Christ may we not more then say conclude surely these are wise and full of spirituall understanding Quanquam te Marce Fili Annum jam audientem Cratippum idque Athenis abundare oportet praeceptis institutisque philosophiae c. Cic de Offi lib. t. The Roman Orator Cicero took it for granted that his son Marcus was well grounded in and plentifully furnished with the principles of Philosophy because he had been at Athens a whole yeare and there heard Cratippus a famous Philosopher read many excellent Lectures about things natural and morall And may we not say to many thousands of Gospel-hearers and professors what you that have heard such and such able Ministers you that have had the word so long preached and that at London more famous for Gospel knowledge then Athens for philosophy surely you are filled with all knowledge in the mystery of Christ and with all goodnesse in the practice of goâ—linesse And doubtlesse the Lord will argue it with those that have had time and opportunities as a rich price in their hand to get wisdome as Elihu did with his friends being aged men Who can imagine but that they are full of wisdome that they abound in knowledge and spirituall understanding who abounding in dayes and yeares have abounded also in meanes of knowledge Note Secondly As old men should abound in knowledge so they should approve themselves ready to teach the ignorant I said dayes should speak and multitude of yeares should teach wisdome 'T is a duty incumbent upon them who have learned much to teach much To conveigh wisdome and knowledge to others is most proper to such as well as most ornamental and honourable To be knowing our selves is a great mercy and to helpe others to the knowledge of what we know is a great duty we loose one speciall end of knowing if we know only for our selves To communicate and diffuse our knowledge to others is the noblest way of using it and the best way of improving it and that in a double respect First it is the best way of improving it as to encrease Secondly it is the best way of improving it as to reward The more we give out our knowledge the more we shall have of it and the more we shall have for it both from God and men The Apostle saith of a Gospel Minister 1 Tim. 3.2 He must be apt to teach not only able but apt that is ready and willing to teach now what the Apostle speaks there of an Elder by office is true of those that are elders in time they also should be apt to teach not only able but ready and willing to teach in and according to their spheare and power I said dayes should speak c. Thirdly Note 'T is a reproach to old age not to be knowing and wâ—se not to be able and apt to teach wisdome That old age
hath convinced Job That is ye have not proved what ye have sayd Ye have called him an hypocrite and told him that he hath oppressed the poore and detained the right of the fatherless But ye have proved none of these evills against him Ye have not proved the matter of fact that he might sit downe penitentially confessing himselfe such an offender as ye have accused him to be Hence note We can never convince another by what we say untill we prove what we say If we reprove any man for an errour in his judgement and doe not prove it to be an errour or if we reprove a man for sin in practice and doe not prove his practice sinfull or that he hath practised that sin no conviction follows What is sayd and not proved comes to the eare only not to the conscience Therefore saith Christ John 8.46 Which of you convinceth me of sin Find a spot in my life if you can I know you are ready to slander me with but you cannot convince me of evill It is sayd of Apollos Acts 18.28 He mightily convinced the Jewes How did he convince them not by reproving them only for not receiving the Messias he did not barely tell them ye are a company of unbelievers but he reproved them by proving the necessity of their receiving Christ the Messias and the evill of rejecting him shewing by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ Here was proofe and so conviction followed He convinced them by authority by the testimony of the word comparing Scripture with Scripture the prophesie with the history of Christ The Apostle would have the Ministers of the Gospel mighty at this worke Tit 1.8 They must hold fast the faithfull word that they may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gain-sayers Not only must they be able to rebuke gain-sayers this will not doe it they must also convince them or stop their mouths James 2.9 If any of you have respect to persons ye commit sin and are convinced of the Law as transgressours How doth the Law convince Not only by reproving but by proving It shews us a rule and saith there you have departed from it here is the line and there ye have transgressed or gone over it Thus ye are convinced that ye are transgressors He is both wise and faithfull he doth his worke like a workman that needeth not be ashamed who not only gives reproofe but proofe either of error in judgement or of evill in practise For the close of this poynt I may shew you three great convincers First The holy Spirit of God This office of the Spirit Christ sets forth John 16.7 I will send the Comforter and when he is come what shall he doe He will convince the world of sin and of righteousness and of Judgement That is he will bring proofe home to the conscience to shew sinners their evill state and evill lives He will also bring home to their spirits the alsufficiency of the righteousness of Jesus Christ and so overcome their unbeliefe that they shall nor be able to refuse the offers of grace He will likewise shew them such reasons why they ought to be holy and walke in the wayes of righteousness that they shall neither have power nor will to gain-say The second great convincer is Conscience They who were so forward to accuse the woman taken in adultery John 8.9 were at last convicted by their owne Conscience and went out one by one Their conscience told them they were guilty if not for that sin yet of other sins as bad as that They were so far before from judging themselves for that they tooke no notice of their owne faults they were severe against the woman but they flattered themselves till Christ made their owne consciences their convincers And surely conscience will one time or other convince to purpose They who have refused or outstood conviction by the word yea and put by the motions of the Spirit shall at last find conscience convincing and speaking home to them The third great Convincer is Jesus Christ in person Of him in the performance of this office the Apostle speakes clearely Jude v 15. Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his Saints And what comes he to doe To execute judgement upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him Christ will make the greatest of ungodly ones in that great day to acknowledge that all their hard speeches which they have spoken against the Saints or godly men were spoken against him When prophane men are among their wicked companions they can jeare at the godly professors of the name of Christ even while they pretend to honour Christ But Christ will make them see that they scoâ—ned him while they scorned the least of those that feared him and believed on his name The great day will be a day not only of executing Judgement but of conviction every mouth shall be stopped and all the world of wicked men shall become guilty in their owne sight before God These are the three great Convincers The holy Spirit of God the Conscience of every man and Jesus Christ in the judgement of the great day And let those who now undertake that great worke of conviction often remember which was a little before mentioned and set downe the method to be used and observed in it First prove the matter and then reprove the man None were ever wrought to any good by bare reproofe much lesse by force Men are not to be driven into the faith by fire and sword by terrors and imprisonments conviction must doe it and that will doe it to purpose This is the first thing which Elâ—hu blamed and burdened Jobs friends with They reproved him but did not bring sufficient convincing proofe against him There was none of you that convinced Job Secondly He lays this to their charge that They had not answered his words As ye have not proved your owne allegations so ye have not refured nor infirmed his reasons But how could Elihu say They had not answered his words when to every word he spake we find their severall answers Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said The like is said of Zophar the Naamath te They had been answering all the while yet saith Elihu Behold there was none of you that answered his words I shall resolve this doubt by giving this note which was also given upon the 3d verse where see more Vnlesse we answer home to the matter and as we say hit the naile on the head we have given no answer We have not answered unlesse we give a satisfactory answer When the Respondent in Schooles acquits himselfe well The Moderator brings him off honorably saying Thy Answers suffice Jobs friends had been answering long and they made
love to act other mens parts rather then their owne and to intrude into Provinces which are not theirs But whatsoever our hand findes to doe as Solomon speakes Eccl 9.10 that is whatsoever is as Elihu here calls it our part that we should doe with all our might More was given about using our talent and shewing our opinion at the 10th verse of this Chapter whether I referre the reader Fourthly Elihu was here but an auditor not a disputant not a party he came in only upon the by yet having received a word he utters it Hence note Every man should thinke himselfe Concern'd to speake for the truth when 't is wronged and doe his best to right it Or we should take all occasions and seasons of doing good by our words as well as by our workes As it is not good to out-â—un providence so to neglect or foreslow it is not good Lastly Observe What others fayle in we should labour to supply in the cause of God and for his truth It is a proverbiall speech among the Hebrewes Vbi non est vir tu vir esto Where there is not a man there be thou a man That is if we see any unable to carry on and goe thorow-stitch with the worke before them we should lend a hand to helpe and supply them thus saith Elihu I will answer for my part I also will shew mine opinion And it seemes by that which follows Elihu did so not only to answer his duty but to empty and ease his spirit For In the 18th 19th and 20th verses he gives us that further account of his interposition about this controversie Vers 18. For I am full of matter Yea I am under a mighty Constraint there is a kinde of force upon me The Spirit within me Constraineth me I am full of matter The Original is I am full of words yet of more then words as appeares in the following part of this Chapter therefore we translate I am full of matter that is I am full of such words as are materiall words of truth words of sobernesse I am full of such words as will carry with them a Conviction home to thy Conscience O Job silence all thy complaints Cum ait se plenum amicorum impiam notare videtur Pined Or as if Elihu had said to Job's friends Though ye have spent your store upon Job yet I have store and plenty by me to spend upon him Thus he reflects upon them as scanty and short in their undertaking your Lamps have spent their oyle you have emptied your vessels so have not I I am full of matter The Spirit within me Constraineth me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Hiphil anxit angustovit pressit The text is My spirit in my belly Constraineth me Master Broughton renders My bellye 's spirit doth press me The Seventy render The spirit of my belly destroyeth me A Greek translater saith My spirit within me sets me on fire or I am all in a flame 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comburit Sym. The word which we render Constraine signifies to press very sore Judges 14.17 And it came to passe the seventh day that he told her because she lay sore upon him or constrained him It may be questioned whose spirit or what spiâ—it it was that Constrained Elihu Some Expound it of the Spirit of God he dictates both words and matter to me Master Calvin seemes to Comply with this Exposition God hath printed such a marke in the doctrine of Elihu that the heavenly Spirit is apparent in his mouth God saith Elihu hath put his Seale to what I have to say therefore doe not receive it as the word of a mortall man the Spirit of God Constraines me Paul useth a word in the Greeke of like significancy 2 Cor. 5.14 The love of Christ Constraineth me it presseth and overbeareth me I am not able to get out of the power of it Againe Others understand it of his owne spirit yet acted by the Spirit of God Prov 29.11 A foole uttereth all his spirit we translate all his minde the spirit pressing Elihu was his mind carried strongly or resolvedly bent upon this business The strong inclination or disposition of a mans mind to any thing good or bad is in Scripture language called his Spirit The Spirit within me The Hebrew is The spirit of my belly Which forme of speech notes only that which is most internall Spiritus ventris est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alacritas urgens existimulans ad loquendum Coc or lyeth closest within us Solomon saith of the words of wisdome Prov 22.18 It is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee The Original is in thy belly John 7.38 Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water That is out of his inward man there shall be a spirit in his spirit for this Christ spake of the Spirit which should be given and the same word is used of the wicked man Job 15.35 His belly that is his mind or understanding prepareth deceit And Solomon Cant 7.2 speaking of the Church saith Her belly is like an heap of wheat set about with lillies That is she is big with holy thoughts and conceptions as a woman great with child ready to be delivered A gracious heart is continually meditating and conceiving holy things which it brings forth and is as it were delivered of upon any good occasion The spirit within me Constraineth me What Elihu had thus spoken in plaine termes by way of assertion in this verse he illustrates by way of similitude or allusion in the next Vers 19. Behold my belly is as wine which hath no vent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vinum novum vel mustum cui non est ademptum obthuraculum ut exhalet Iun it is ready to burst like new bottles Elihu prosecutes the same thing in another way and to shew how troublesome it was to refraine speaking any longer his thoughts being not only too many but too working to be enclosed in so narrow a roome as his owne breast he compares them to wine or to new wine which will either find or make its way out The whole similitude is exceeding elegant First he compares his thoughts or the matter he had in his mind to wine Secondly he compares his soule or spirit to bottles his inward man was the vessell that held this wine Thirdly he compares his long silence to the stople or Corke of the bottle Fourthly he compares that trouble and griefe of mind which this forbearance to speake brought upon him to the working which is in a bottle so stopt or having no vent Fifthly he compares his intended speaking to the opening of the bottle which gives it vent Behold my belly is as wine that is the thoughts of my belly are as wine The Chaldee Paraphrase saith as new wine which is full of spirits and being stopt is ready to breake the bottle which shews the mighty force which
incorruptible it hath naturally no seedes of dissolution in it because no contrariety no contrary qualities in it as all bodyes or corporeall substances have I know the Apostle saith 1 Tim 6.16 God only hath immortality it 's true he only hath it in himselfe independently originally but he derives and gives it as a talent to some creatures in a way of dependance upon himselfe Secondly Observe The soule brings in the life of the body The life of man What is the body without the soule but a lumpe of clay As soone as ever the soule departs life departs man dyeth and becomes a putrifying carkasse yet such is the folly of most men that all their care is for the life of the body which is at best a dying life they utterly neglect the soule which as it is the life of the body so it selfe never dyeth The soule is the Jewell the body is but the Cabinet the soule is the kernel the body is but the shell Will you be sollicitous about a Cabinet and a shell and slight the Jewel or throw away the kernel Will you take care of that which liveth the body and will you not take care of that which holds your life the soule Againe Note Life is the gift of God If the soule which is the cause of life in man be of God then the life of man is of God also The cause of the cause is the cause of the effect or thing caused But we need not argue it from Logick rules Scripture testimony being so aboundant in this thing Acts 17.25 He giveth to all life and breath and all things And v. 28. In him we live and move and have our being Spirituall and eternall life are the gift of God so also is naturall life And if so Then First Live to God Secondly Seeing God gives us life we should be willing to give our lives to God Yea Thirdly We should therefore be ready to give up or rather to lay downe our lives for God And as we should give up our lives to God when he calls for them by natural death so we should give up our lives for God when he calls us to beare witness to his name and truth by violent death I shall yet take notice of one thing further before I passe from this verse The Spirit of God hath made me and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life Some upon good grounds referre the first clause The Spirit of God hath made me to the creation both of soule and body and the second or latter clause the breath of the Almighty hath given me life to that quickning which we receive by the Spirit to the duties whereinto we are called in this life The breath of the Almighty hath given me life that is hath fitted and prepared me for the severall offices and services of life As if Elihu had sayd The Spirit of God hath not only made me a man but a man for worke yea the Spirit of God hath quickned me to the present worke and businesse I am come about Thus life imports not only spirituall life in the being of it but all the furniture ornaments and abilities of a spirituall life The Septuagint render this profession made by Elihu expressely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spiratio omnipotentis est quae docet me Sept Haud me latet non a meipso sed a deo hunc prudentiae sensum me accepisse Nicet to this sence holding out a strong assurance which Elihu had that God had both called and prepared him for the service he was come about and engaged in The Spirit of God hath made me and the breath of the Almighty hath instructed me Another of the Greek Interpreters speaks as much I am not ignorant that of my selfe I am able to doe nothing but I have received this power from God As if Elihu had said The Spirit of the Almighty hath quickned me to this worke I am now upon and taught me what both to say and doe in thy case O Job Hence note God giveth not only the life of nature unto men but he fits them for all the duties and services of this life We indeed are scarcely to be reckoned among the living if we have no more but a naturall life what is it to be able to eate and drinke to heare and see and speake unlesse we have more then this we deserve not to be numbred or written among the living we are upon the matter but dead lumps and clods of clay It is the breath of the Almighty that quickens us and superadds ability to doe good that frames fashions and fits us for every good word and worke This is the life of man when a man is fitted for duty and service when he is furnished for imployment to stand God and his Brethren in some stead while he is in this world then he lives The motions impulses and influences the teachings and guidings of the Spirit of God are the life of our lives We can doe nothing of our selves till the Almighty bestows a new life upon us and as we can doe nothing at all in spiritualls till he gives us a new life so we can do nothing to purpose till the Spirit acts stirres up that life in us It is the Spirit who first bestows Secondly encreaseth Thirdly excites our spirituall life puts the new creature into motion All our good thoughts and holy actings all our uprightnesse and sincerity all our strength and ability flow from the Spirit untill the holy Spirit workes in us we sit still and when the Spirit worketh we must not sit still I saith the Apostle Rom 15.18 will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me to make the Gentiles obedient by word and deed As if he had sayd My owne workes are not worth the naming I will not so much as mention any thing that Christ hath not wrought in me by the Spirit That was a mighty worke which he was enabled to doe to make the Gentiles obedient in word and deed Christ did not leave him to doe it in his owne power The breath of the Almighty enabled him and so he doth all those that are able and willing ready for and successefull in any such holy worke Let us therefore ascribe all to his working and quickening let us set down our severall Items of receit in our account-books confessing that we have nothing of our own This gift that grace that ability to doe to speake to suffer to act we have received from him Let the whole Inventory of our soules riches have Gods name written upon it and ascribed to his praise alone And if we thus uncloath our selves by giving God the glory of all we shall loose nothing by it for God will apparrell and furnish us deck and adorne us better every day The poorer we are in our selves the richer will he make us To be thus diminish't is the best way to
say how was Job such a mirror such a patterne of patience as the Apostle James makes him Chap 5.11 if he manifested so much impatience as might be interpreted by others though not intended by him a deniall of the Greatnesse of God I answer though all agree and the testimony of the Spirit of God is enough to confirme it though all should not agree that the patience of Job was exceeding great yet no man may say nor doth the Spirit of God in Scripture say it that his patience was perfect his patience was such as exceeded the most yea for ought that we know the best of men yet his was but the patience of a man of a man compassed about with the like passions as other men His patience was sincere and without hypocrisie but his patience was not compleate nor without infirmity or his patience we may say was perfect as to the kind but it was not perfect as to the degree His patience deserved both commendation and imitation yet he shewed at times such impatience as deserved reproofe and should not be imitated but mortified and avoyded Good men doe not only act lesse in goodnesse sometimes but ill and much amisse And while we see tallest Cedars fayle they shall not utterly fall Job did not Let him that thinketh he standeth that is who hath a strong opinion of his owne strength take heed lest he fall as the Apostle cautions him 1 Cor 10.12 for even the impatient complaints of Job in his sufferings like those sufferings of the Israelites for their sins spoken of in the former verses of that Chapter fell from him for an ensample or type and are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come Thus you see the reason why Elihu tooke up this common principle Quae pueris ipsis deâ—antata sunt nobis in gravi lucta perturbatione ut nova quaedam proponenda sunt Mert. which every Child learnes out of a Caâ—echisme to convince this holy man with What was more knowne to Job or to any knowing man then this that God is greater then man yet Elihu chose this as the most commodious and effectuall argument to compose his spirit and quiet him after all his distempered and tumultuating complaints nor hâ—th Elihu yet done arguing downe the hight and unquietnesse 〈◊〉 Job's spirit We have him both reproving him for it by way of question and giving him another unanswerable argument against it in the next verse Vers 13. Why dost thou strive against him for he giveth not account of any of his matters The words are a reproving question As if he had sayd Thou dost ill very ill to strive There is a four-fold striving three of which are held forth in Scripture under the word of the text First There is a striving with outward force and power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contondere pertinet ad judicialem forensem litem ad dei tribunal instituendamâ—e quod saepe pustulavit Job either personally man with man properly called contention or more generally nation with nation properly called warre Secondly There is a legall striving a striving by way of plea about matters of right and title The word in the text chiefly imports such a judiciary striving a strife in law when the adverse party or Plaintiffe impleads and commenseth his suit against the Defendant Striving is taken in this sence and joyned with warring in the description of that contest which Jephtah had with the King of the Children of Ammon Judg 11.25 And now art thou any thing better then Balak the son of Zippor king of Moab did he ever strive against Israel or did he ever fight against them That is did he either make warre with Israel or did he so much as challenge and plead his right to their land by law That other name which Joash Gideons father occasionally gave him Judg 6.31 32. takes part from this word Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal saying Let Baal plead against him because he hath throwne downe his altar As if he had sayd Let Baal come and enter his action against my Son if he please and let my Son alone to answer him Thirdly There is a logicall striving or a striving by dint of argument and reason Thus disputants strive and Books of controversie about matters of faith and worship are called Bookes of Polemicall Divinity Nor indeed hath any kind of strife been carried on with higher and hotter animosities then those mannaged by tongue and pen in writing and disputing Foutthly The word is applyed to any angry passionate chideing and complaining Thus 't is used in that famous history Exod 17. where thâ— people of Israel having journeyed from Sin and pitched in Repâ—â—â—â—m v. 1. did chide with Moses from which act v 7th He called the place Massa and Meribah because of the chideing of the chidren of Israel and because they tempted the Lord sayiâ—g Is the Lord among us or not Because the people of Israel strove with Moses or rather with God himselfe Therefore to keepe them under the sence of this sin and provocation Moses called the name of the place Meribah which signifieth Striving In this last sence as striving is used by way of chideing and complaining we are to understand it here Why dost thou strive against him saith Elihu That is why doest thou chide and complaine about the dealings of God with thee or because he will not render thee a reason of his dealings with thee in this affliction Job made many striving and chideing complaints his first were eminently such Chap 3.11 Why dyed I not from the womb why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly why did the knees prevent me or why the breasts that I should sucke He chideth hard about the hardnesse of his condition in this life who chideth because he liveth Read him in the same language Chap 10.18 and in a language not much unlike it in severall other places Yea Job doth I say not formally yet vertually call out or challenge God more then once to plead with him and make good his cause against him Why dost thou strive with him For he giveth no account of any of his matters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word signifieth properly to answer and so the text might well enough be rendred here out of the originall he answereth not Mr Broughton saith He will not speake for all his dealings If If any man demand of God a reason of his doings he may chuse whether he will give it him or no He will not be brought to a reckoning He will not he needeth not to answer or give an account Of any of his matters or of any of his words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 'T is frequent in the Hebrew to expresse matters or things by this word which in strictness signifieth but a word Chap 19.28 Seeing the root of the matter the text is the root of the
cannot do it lesse then twice nor can that number which is more then one be lesse then two When the woman in the book of Kings told the Prophet 1 Kings 17.12 I am going to gather two sticks Her meaning was a very few sticks onlye now to make a little fire to bake a Cake with And when the Spirit of God would shew how few comparatively to the rout of the World they are and will be that bear witnesse to the truths of Jesus Christ he calleth them two Witnesses Rev. 11.3 they are a number yet exprest by the lest number that we should not have our eyes upon the multitude or think that is not the truth which is not followed by great numbers or the most of the World The traine of Christ is not large nor are his wayes throng'd few there be that find them As they whom he calls forth to be eminently his witnesses are not many therefore called two so they that receive their witnesse are not many The world wonders after the beast Thus as two or twice imply a small number so in Scripture language that which is done more then twice is supposed done often or many times 2 Kings 6.10 When the Prophet had told the King of Israel where the forces of the King of Assyria would come and by that meanes defeated him of his purpose it is said And the King of Israel sent unto the place which the man of God told him and warned him of and saved himself there not once nor twice that is many times which made the King of Syria wonder how it came to passe that he was so often defeated he thought he had laid his plots so wisely and closely that the King of Israel could not escape but he saved himself not once nor twice more then twice is many but bare twice is the narrowest compasse of number imaginable Hence note God hath not given us any ground to presume upon frequent warnings or speakings Though he speake more then once yet it may be but twice possibly but twice precisely probably but twice restrainedly taken The Lord would not have us build upon the hope of future speakings to the neglect of what is presently spoken Though God be very patient and long-suffering to sinfull men yet he hath not given any man the least occasion no not by a promise of speaking a second day to continue one day much lesse to continue long in sin When God spake as I may say at the largest rate of his patience to sinners he sayd Gen. 6.3 My spirit shall not alwayes strive with man not alwayes that is though it strive long yet it shall not strive very long and that he may know it I will give him a day yet his dayes shall be an hundred and twenty yeares This was somewhat a long day indeed But remember this hundred and twenty yeares was all the time that was granted to all the men of that world there was not so much granted to every particular man of that world possibly the Spirit of God did not strive a day longer with many a one among them Therefore take heed of presuming When the Lord speaketh once doe not say I will stay till he speakes a second time and if he condescend to speake twice doe not believe that he will alwayes speake Thirdly Twice may be considered as a small certaine number put for a small uncertaine number 'T is frequent in Scripture to put a certaine number of any kinde for an uncertaine Sometimes a certaine great number for an uncertaine great number and sometimes a small certaine number for a small uncertaine number As twice is not to be tyed up strictly to the smallest number so not to any number whether small or great Hence note No man knows how oft he shall be warned or spoken unto by God God doth not put an absolute stint upon any of his actions Beware of neglecting the least twice the first twice which is the lowest twice for though we cannot binde God up strictly to twice it may prove three times or foure times yet whether it shall be so many or how many it shall be no man nor Angel knoweth Twice cannot be very often and 't is uncertaine how often Therefore if you hearken not when God hath spoken once take it strictly doe not stop your eares at the second speaking It is sayd Moses smote the rock twice that was twice beyond his Commission for he should not have smitten it at all and the mater came out aboundantly How many rocks that is hard hearts hath God smitten by his word and his workes twice and yet we see not the waters of Godly sorrow flowing out the rocks are smitten more then twice with the rod of God with the rod of his mouth in the ministery of his word they are smitten with admonition upon admonition with reproofe upon reproofe with threatning upon threatning and yet the waters came not out aboundantly yea scarce at all May not they feare that they shall have poenall sorrow upon sorrow Paul tooke notice of the goodnesse of God to him that he did not let him have afflictive sorrow upon sorrow Phil 2.27 but I say may not they feare they shall have poenall sorrow upon sorrow that is everlasting floods of sorrow who after the Lords speaking upon speaking and reproving upon reproving give no proofe of their godly pâ—enitentiall sorrow O how angry was the Lord with Solomon because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel which had appeared to him twice 1 Kings 11.9 God appeared to him in Gibeon 1 Kings 3.5 when he was first made King putting him to his choice or giving him a blanke to aske what he would and he chose well he chose wisdome and had it God appeared to him a second time after the building and dedication of the Temple 1 Kings 9.2 And said unto him I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication that thou hast made before me c. Thus the Lord appeared solemnly unto Solomon twice and but twice for any thing that appeares upon record in that solemne manner Now when notwithstanding these two appearings of the Lord to Solomon the heart of Solomon was turned away from the Lord God of Israel his anger was kindled against Solomon and the Lord smote him once yea twice renting his kingdome and pulling away ten tribes at once from his son and successor O doe not refuse God speaking to you twice or the renewed speaking of God to doe so is very sinfull and therefore very dangerous For as 't is a signe of a holy heart of a gracious frame of spirit to heare twice at once speaking as David professed he did Psal 62.11 God hath spoken once twice have I heard this that power belongeth unto God also unto thee O Lord belongeth mercy There are severall rendrings and interpretations of those words But that which to me seemes most intended by our rendring is I heard what was once spoken
concerning the state of his Church to the end of the world revealed to him in severall visions I saith he Rev. 1.10 was in the spirit on the Lords day c. That 's is a famous promise which was first reported by the Prophet Joel Chap 2.28 and after repeated by the Apostle Peter Acts 2.17 I will poure out my Spirit upon all flesh c. and your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream dreams Thus it is every where clear in Scripture that dreames and visions were frequent both in the Old Testament times and in the beginning of the New But now in these last dayes as the Apostle saith Heb. 1.2 3. passing from those former wayes of Revelation described in the first verse God having spoken to us by his Son whom he hath appointed heir of all things by whom also he made the Worlds who is also the brightnesse of his glory and the expresse Image of his person God I say having spoken to us by his Son and we having now a clearer manifestation of the mind of God then the old fathers had the Son who once spake to us in person on earth still speaking to us in the Gospell every day therefore now for any to look after dreams and visions or visible apparitions for the revealing of the mind of God is to goe backward to the old state of the Jewish Church or to the infancy of the Gospell Church while the Canon or Rule of the Scripture as to all matters of faith and holy life was not fully finished and compleated And though we ought to be farre from limiting God yet he hath limited us from looking after any wisdome in the knowledge of his will above that which is written 1 Cor. 4.6 The Apostle also testifying by the Spirit of God that the Scripture is sufficient to make every man wise to salvation and the man of God perfect throughly furnished unto all good works that good work especially of helping others to salvation 1 Tim. 3.15.17 Ardentibus votu precatus sum ut daret mihi deus certuÌ„ sensum scripturae et pactum feci cum domino deo meo ne mihi visiones vel somnia mitteret Luth. loci com quartae clasâ—is Luther observing how many were deluded in his time by dreames and visions which they falsely attributed to God as the immediate Author of them earnestly prayed about two things First that God would give him a sound understanding of his mind revealed in the Scriptures Secondly that he would nor send him dreames or visions yea saith he I even contracted with God that he would not And doubtlesse he did this upon a double ground First to oppose the wild opinions and practices of those who had nothing to pretend for them but dreames and visions Secondly to advance the honour of the written word in its sufficiency not only without the help of any humane tradition but without any further divine revelation And therefore though God should please to speak to us now by dreames and visions yet that were only as the Apostle speaks about his adding of an oath to his promise Heb. 6.17 to shew that he is ex abundanti more abundantly willing to satisfie our weaknesse by such a condiscention then that there is a necessity of it with respect to any deficiency of the Scriptures fullnesse And hence it is that if men shall professe they have received any thing from God by dreams or visions concerning what is either to be beleeved or done the matter of those dreams must be examined and weighed at the ballance of the Scriptures and is no further to be credited then as 't is found agreeable thereunto It cannot be denyed but that men may make profitable use of their dreames at this day they may see much of themselves when their eyes are shut up by sleepe Evill men may see their lusts at worke in the night and find out what lust is most working and wakefull in them What is said in History of the ancient Persian Kings that they were seldome seen in the day but came to view in the night is true of a mans speciall sin or of that sin which reignes and Kings it in him What ugly apparitions of lust hath many a man in his nightly dreams especially of those filthy lusts which are most proper to the night Thus also good men have sometimes a clearer sight of their graces in the night by dreames then in the duties of the day What holy frames of heart what lively actings of grace what sweet and ravishing communion with God have many godly men found and felt in dreames That may at lest be somewhat of Davids meaning when he said Psal 16.17 My reines also instruct me in the night season Lastly Though we cannot make any certaine conclusions either what we are or what we are to doe from dreames yet from them they who are wise and watchfull may sometimes gather strong conjectures about both or either To make dreames the rule or warrant of what we doe is extreamly dangerous yet that we may have hints what to do in a dreame I nothing doubt nor can there be any danger in it while the matter hinted is consonant to the rule of the word both as that which is lawfull to be done and lawfull for us all circumstances considered to doe Otherwise whatsoever we may think our selves warned or warranted to doe by dreames is but a mock or trick put upon us by the Devill or a deceit of our own foolish selfish hearts Thus we have seene the first way of Gods speaking to men of old by dreames and visions of the night what work God is pleased to make with and in man by such speakings will appeare distinctly in the three following verses Vers 16. Then he openeth the ears of men and sealeth there instruction In this verse Elihu gives us the first of those gracious designes or purposes of God in sending dreams or visions of the night then he openeth the ears of men There is a twofold eare of man first externall that organ of hearing placed in the head Secondly internall that power of hearing seated in the heart God can uncover or open both There are but few who have their outward eare stopt we rarely meet with a deaf man But we every where meete with and speak to those who are internally deafe The Lord openeth this inward eare and he only is able to doe it God opened the heart or internall eare of Lydia to attend to the things which were spoken of Paul Acts 16.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sep. The Septuagint render this place of Job expressely so Then he openeth the mind of men Their translation comes close to the sence though not to the letter of the Originall Quidam hanc loquendi formulam natam esso putant ex hebraeorum consuetudine qui cum antiquis seculis prolixam alerent comam eaque aures operirent si quis
purpose Lastly consider God withdraweth man from his sinfull purpose all or any of these wayes by putting forth his mighty power with them For his word alone his works alone his patience alone the counsell of man alone would not doe it if God did not stretch forth his own arme in and with these meanes for the doing of it Nothing is any further efficacious then as God is with it Numb 22. Balaam was going on in his wicked purpose being sent for by Balak to curse the people of God And though the Lord sent his Angell to be an adversary to him in his way vers 22. so that his Asse turned out of the way into the field yet Balaam went on in his purpose yea though the Angell standing between two walls caused his Asse to turne so suddenly that she crusht Balaams foot against the wall vers 25. yet Balaam went on in his purpose Once more though the Angell went further and stood in a narrow way where there was no way to turne to the right hand nor to the left so that the poor Asse fell down under him v. 27. and speaking as the Apostle Peter expresseth it 2 Epist 2. with mans voyce rebuked the madnesse of the Prophet Yet so mad he was that all these checks and warnings could not withdraw him from his purpose And what the Lord did at that time to Balaam by an Angell that he doth by some other means and providences to stop many from their evill purposes who yet will not be stopt He speaks to them in the ministry of his word he speaks to them in his works he spreads their way with roses he hedgeth up their way with thorns he bestoweth sweet mercies upon them he sends sharp afflictions upon them to withdraw them from their evill projects and purposes yet on they goe like Balaam unlesse he send more then an Angell even his holy Spirit to withdraw them Lastly Elihu reports it as a speciall favour of God to withdraw man from his purpose Whence note It is a great mercy to be hinder'd in sinfull purposes and intendments Disappointments are acts of grace when we are acting against grace If God stop us from doing evill not onely by his word but by blowes or by a hedge of thorns yea if he stop us by a drawn sword it is a great mercy Though God throw us to the ground as he did Saul afterwards Paul when he went with a bloody purpose to vex and persecute the Saints Acts 9. let us count our selves exalted and rejoyce in it more then in any worldly exaltation 'T is a rich mercy to be kept from executing an evill purpose though by our owne poverty and outward misery The doing of that which is sinfull is worse then any thing that can be done to us or endured by us as a stop against sin Sin hath death in it sin hath wrath in it sin hath hell in it sin hath Devill and all in it therefore to be kept from sin let it be by what means it will if by paines and pining sicknesses if by reproaches and disgraces yea if by death we have cause to blesse God The greatest and sorest Judgement which God powres upon sinfull men is to let them alone in or not to withdraw them from their sins To be suffered to goe on and prosper in sin is the worst of sufferings the last of Judgements the next Judgement to hell it selfe and an infallible signe of an heire of hell Thus the wrath of God waxed hot against Israel when he gave them up to their owne hearts lusts and they walked in their owne Councel Psal 81.11 This was the highest revenge that God could take upon that sinfull people He sayd a little before Israel would none of me when God wooed them they were so coy they would have none of him and then said he goe on take your fill of sin I give you up to your owne hearts lusts The Lord did not say I gave them up to the sword to the famine or to the pestilence but to their owne hearts lusts and to walke on in their own way That person or people may be sure God hath purposed evill against them whom he will not withdraw from their evill purposes The severity of the wrath of God against the Gentiles is exprest and summ'd up in this Rom 1.26 28. He gave them up to vile affections he gave them up to a reprobate mind to doe things which were not convenient A naturall man left to himselfe will soone doe such things as nature it selfe abhorreth and blusheth at The same dreadfull doome is denounced Rev 22.11 He that is unjust let him be unjust still and he that is filthy let him be filthy still I will not withdraw him from his way let him goe on and perish let him goe on and sink downe to the pit of perdition for ever As St. John in the Revelation foretelling the Church given up or left to not in great sufferings of all sorts Here is the patience of the Saints So when we see the world given up and left in great sinnings of any sort especially if to sinnings of all sorts we may truely and sadly say Here is the wrath of God 'T is therefore a great mercy if God will any way withdraw man from his sinfull wayes and purposes especially when he taketh such gentle wayes as dreams and visions counsels and instructions to withdraw man from his purpose and as it followeth in this verse to hide pride from man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 texit operuit imponendo aliquid quo tegas The word which we render to hide is to hide by casting a covering a vayle a garment or any other thing over what we desire should be hid Prov 12.23 A prudent man concealeth knowledge it is this word he doth not pretend to know so much as he knoweth he puts a vayle upon his own abilities as Moses upon his face when there was such a shining beauty imprinted there rather then reveales them unnecessarily or uncalled 'T is the foolish man or he that hath but a shew of wisdome who loves and affects to be shewing it But to the text The word is used also to note that gracious act of God his pardoning the sin of man Psal 32.1 Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven and whose sin is covered God covers our sins in the riches of his grace by the perfect righteousnesse of Jesus Christ Now there are two wayes by which God hideth pride from man First by pardoning it Secondly preventing it Here to hide pride from man properly is not to pardon it when acted but to prevent or keep man from the acting of it God indeed hides the pride of man by pardoning it and that 's a high act of grace and he hideth pride from man by keeping man from doing proudly or from shewing his pride in his doings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 superbia excellentia The word rendred pride
Church they enjoy pure ordinances and administrations of holy worship above others For this kind of pride the Prophet reproved the Jewes Jer 7.3 4. Heare ye the word of the Lord all ye of Judah that enter in at these gates to worship the Lord c. Trust ye not in lying words saying The temple of the Lord the temple of the Lord are we The temple of the Lord are these As if he had sayd Be not proud of the Temple what we trust to besides God we are proud of nor of your Temple priviledges you will find no sanctuary no security there unlesse you amend your wayes these things will doe you no good except you be better The Jewes were taxed also by the Apostle for such a proud cry Rom 2.17 Thou makest thy boast of God and can a man doe better then to boast of God but they swell'd with pride they did not rejoyce with thankfulnesse they contemn'd others as if God were a God to them only and saw somewhat in them above others as the reason why he chose them for his people above others This was pride of spirit or spirituall pride And againe to the Jew v. 22. Thou that makest thy boast of the Law And is it not our duty to boast of the law or word of God But the Apostle saw them proud of the Law not obedient to it He perceived their hearts were lifted up in their priviledge of having the letter of the Law while both their hearts and lives were unconformed and unsubdued to the spirituallnesse of the Law Tenthly Pride is ready to rise in the heart of man from that divine light those extraordinary Revelations which he receives from God and it is hard to keep the heart under when God discovers very much of himselfe to man This was Pauls case 2 Cor 12.7 Lest I should be lifted up above measure through the aboundance of revelations there was given me a thorne in the flesh the messenger of Satan to buffet me Even Paul in that case needed a thorne in his flesh to let out or prevent the Impostumation of his spirit Some conceive the reason why the Prophet Ezekiel is so often called Son of Man was to keepe him humble while he had many revelations from God Eleventhly Some have been proud not only of divine and heavenly but of diabolicall and hellish Revelations We read of one Theudas boasting himselfe to be some body Acts 5.36 This vaine man pretended revelations from God which were indeed from the Devill And he swell'd with this conceit boasted himselfe to be some body that is he thought himselfe to be every body as if the perfections of all men were Center'd in him or as if all others were no body and he himselfe the only some body The Apostle Acts 8.9 speaking of Symon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 idem atque 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hinc illud pindari 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quid est Aliquis i. e. qui se putat esse aliquam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vmbrae somnium homo Hinc illud Est filius alicujus i. e. egregij viri non è media turba aut terrae filius Et illud Fac ut me velis esse aliquem Cic Lib 3. ad Atticum Epist 52. who had used sorcery and bewitched the people of Samaria saith He gave out that himselfe was some great one he swell'd with pride from his diabolicall Revelations giving out not only as Theudas that he was some body but that he was some great one Though indeed for a man to report himselfe some body is as both learned Grecians and Latines noted in the Margin tell us to report himselfe a Great one And who are greater in pride then they who make Great reports of themselves or report themselves great How great a proneness there is in the heart of man to pride may appeare by all these instances by which it appeares that as there is much pride abiding in man so by all or any of these occasions it is dayly budding out unlesse God hide it from man and nip it in the bud Yet here it may be questioned Whence it cometh to passe that man is so prone to pride or what is the spring of it I answer First Pride springs from Inordinate selfe-love 2 Tim 3.2 Men shall be lovers of their own selves Covetous Boasters Proud They that are undue lovers of themselves or in love with themselves they presently grow proud of themselves Selfe-love and selfe-flattery are glasses in which if a man look upon himselfe he appears double to what he is or much greater then what he really is Selfe-love is a multiplying yea and a magnifying glasse 'T is dangerous to see our selves through our owne selfe-love That sight of selfe affects the heart with high thoughts of selfe which high thoughts the Lord would have all men cast downe or cast away while he gives that admonition by his Apostle to the Romans Rom 12.3 Let no man thinke of himselfe more highly then he ought to thinke that is let him not thinke highly of himselfe at all but as it followeth in the same verse Soberly or to sobriety For indeed many are drunken yea mad or mad-drunke with high that is proud thoughts of themselves Hence that of the same Apostle Gal 6.3 If a man think himselfe to be something when he is nothing he deceiveth himselfe he that thinks himselfe to be something is he that hath proud thoughts of himselfe and such a something is a meere nothing that is is no such thing as he thinks himselfe to be as is cleare in the case of the Church of Laodicea Rev 3.16 Hence Secondly Pride springs from an opinion that what we have is better then indeed it is the proud man thinks all his silver gold and his brass silver We speak proverbially of such All their geese are swans they alwayes over-rate their own commodities Thirdly Pride springs from this false opinion that what we have we have it from our selves or that 't is of our own getting The Apostles Pride-confounding question is 1 Cor 4.7 What hast thou that thou hast not received As if he had sayd the true reason why men boast or the ground of all their proud boasting is this they think not themselves beholding to any for what they have all is of themselves or by a selfe-improvement they have somewhat they imagine which they have not received Fourthly The proud man thinkes what he hath he alone hath it at least that he hath it in a greater measure then any other He is the Cedar others are but shrubs He is the Giant others are but dwarfes Only the humble attaine that rule Rom 12.10 In honour preferring one another as also that Phil 2.3 In lowliness of mind let each esteeme other better then himselfe Fifthly Pride riseth from this thought that what we have we shall alwayes have Holy David began to be blowne up with pride as soone as ever he sayd in
very great progress in his spirit Both these wayes we may understand it here though chieflly I conceive in the latter Sometimes God keepeth man either by his power or by perswasions and commands sent to him from setting so much as one foot forward in any sinfull way leading to the pit yet often he suffers him to goe on a great way and when he is advanced far towards yea is near very neer to the pits brink even ready to drop into it then then the Lord graciously keeps his soule from falling into it This word is used â—in the negative twice to set forth the high commendation of Abraham Gen. 22.12.16 When God had commanded Abraham to offer his Son and he was so ready to doe it that presently God tells him Now I know thou fearest God seeing thou hast not withheld or kept back thy son thine only son from me Abraham might have had many reasonings within himselfe to keep back and withhold his Son from being a Sacrifice but saith the Lord thou hast not withheld or kept him back There the word is used in the negative as also upon the same occasion at the 16 verse of the same Chapter And so by Job Chap. 7.11 Therefore I will not refraine or keep back my mouth It is as hard a matter to keep back or hold the mouth in as it is to keep back a head-strong horse with a bridle Therefore the Holy Ghost useth that Metaphor Psal 39.1 But saith Job I will not refraine my mouth I will not keep it back let it take its course I will speak in the bitternesse of my spirit The word imports powerfull acting take it either in the negative or affirmative When the tongue is kept back 't is done by a mighty power of grace and O how great as well as gracious is that power which the Lord putteth forth to keep back a poor soul that is going going apace too from falling into the pit He keepeth back His soul from the pit But doth the soul fall into the pit I answer first The soul is often in Scripture by a Synecdoche put for the whole man He keepeth back his soul that is he keepeth him from the pit secondly possibly 't is said he keepeth his soul from the pit to teach us that man by running on in sin ruines his best part it is not only his body and his skin that he destroyeth by sin but his very soul 'T is a mercy that God telleth us aforehand the worst of that danger and the greatnesse of the hazard or how great a matter we venture upon evill wayes and workes He keepeth back his soul from the pit What pit The word is rendred variously First thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 foveat corruptio mors he keeps back his soul from corruption Eruens animam ejus a corruptione Vulg. The word is used for corrupting by sin Gen. 6.12 And God locked-upon the earth and behold it was corrupt for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth that is all men were grown wicked and stark naught In the very next verse vers 13. The same word is used to denote corrupting by punishment due to sin Behold I will destroy or corrupt them with the earth that is I will destroy the face of the earth or deface the beauty of the earth and I will also destroy all men from off the face of the earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. Prohibebit animam ejus a fovea Targ. Secondly the Septuagint render He spares his soul from death Thirdly the Caldee Paraphrase as we He prohibits his soul from the pit these three corruption death and the pit are of neer aliance and the same word in the Hebrew tongue signifieth corruption the pit and death The pit or grave is the place of corruption and the seat or house of death We find the pit and destruction put together Psal 55.23 they shall goe to the pit of destruction So then the same word may well serve to signifie a pit corruption and death because in the pit dead bodies or carkasses putrifie and corrupt Yet David prophecying of Christ speaks his assurance of escaping corruption Videre foveam est amplius quaÌ„ sepeliri nimiruÌ„ ut is demum perfectè dicatur videre foveam non qui ad tempus est in fovea sed qui ejus vim corruptricem experitur sive videt corruptionem in ea videre enim est sentire sive pati aliquid Coc. though not the pit or grave Psal 16.10 Thou wilt not suffer thy holy one to see corruption or the pit It is this word that is thou wilt not suffer him to corrupt in the pit of the grave though being dead was buried and laid in the pit yet he did not see corruption in the pit That is corruption had no power no mastery over him for he loosed the bonds of death it being impossible that he should be held by them the third day yea with the first of that day or as soon as it might be truly said that it was the third day Christ was buryed in the latter part of the sixth day of the week and arose early the first day of the week even when it did but begin to dawn towards the first day of the week Math. 28.1 And therefore seeing as naturalists according to Scripture evidence Joh. 11.39 testifie corruption doth not naturally take hold of the body till the fourth day after death The dead body of Christ was altogether free from corruption or Christ as was fore-shewed by David in the Psalme saw no corruption Further this word pit is taken not only for death the grave and corruption but for those contrivances and plots which are made and laid for any mans death or distruction Thus David said of his malicious and subtle enemies Ps 7.5 Fovea denotat omnia vitae discrimina Pin. Into the pit which they have digged themselves are fallen that is they are taken in their own plots Those words of the Psalmist are an allusion to Hunters or Fowlers who make pits to ensnare birds or beasts we must not imagine that there were pits literally made for David but the pit was a plot or a contrivance to doe him mischief and he blessed God that as himself had escaped that mischief so that the mischief-plotters and contrivers were taken with it themselves We have David speaking againe under the same metaphor Ps 9.15 The Heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made And Psal 35.7 Without cause they have hid for me their net in a pit which without cause have they digged for my soul that is they have laid a plot to undoe and destroy me And if we take pit in this sence it may hold well enough with the scope of the Text for what is the pit into which pride and evill purposes thrust sinfull man but that mischief and misery which Satan is continually plotting against him And from this mischievous plot
that food which how sick soever we are our stomacks will never loath yea the sicker we are our soules will the more like hunger after and feed the more heartily upon The flesh of Christ is meat indeed Joh 6.55 Feed upon him by faith in health and in sicknesse ye will never loath him His flesh is the true meat of desires such meat as will fill and fatten us but never cloy us A hungry craving appetite after Christ and sweet satisfaction in him are inseparable and still the stronger is our appetite the greater is our satisfaction And which is yet a greater happiness our soules will have the strongest appetite the most sharp-set stomacke after Christ when through bodily sickness our stomacks cannot take down but loath the very scent and sight of the most pleasant perishing meate and delicious earthly dainties Looke that ye provide somewhat to eat that will goe downe upon a sick-bed your sick bed meat is Christ all other dainty food may be an abhorring to you Further Not only are we to consider the sickness of the body as the cause of this tastlesness and listlesness after bread But we are to consider the sick man abhorring dainty meate under the hideings of Gods face or in feares about his spirituall state as appeares by that which followeth If there be a messenger with him an interpreter one of a thousand to shew unto man his uprightnessâ— or to set him right in his spirituall state c. The sick man for want of that as well as for want of health can taste no sweetness in the rarest dainties Hence note A sense of divine displeasure or the hideing of divine favour from the soule renders all outward comforts comfortlesse to us If a man have never so much health yet the appearances of divine displeasure will make him sick of his most pleasant things Carnall men can eat and drink and live upon pleasures yea upon the pleasures of sin and goe on merrily with them a while because they know not the meaning of the displeasure of God nor doe they know what the favour of God meaneth they understand not what they want yea they flatter themselves that they have enough and are well enough though they have nothing and are nothing that is of any worth But if God once awaken them out of this dreame and shew them their cursed condition all will be gall and wormwood to their taste or as gravel between their teeth As the sense of divine favour makes bitter things sweet and sorrowfull things comfortable to us the soure herbs of affliction dainties to us So not only common but dainty meat all the cates and viands of this world will be not only tastless but bitter to us when God frownes upon us An earnest in the love and favour of God is the good of all good things For the close of all take these two Counsells upon the occasion of these words First Receive your bread and dainty meate with prayer and thankesgiving you may quickly else come to abhorre your bread yea and your dainties The word and prayer both sanctifie and sweeten all creature-enjoyments Secondly Take heed of abusing your meate ye may quickly be brought to a loathing of it When they who have given themselves up to luxury and intemperance lye upon their sick-beds and find their stomacke turned from all their dainties it will be most grievous to them to consider how they have abused their dainties to feed their lusts As some who abuse the creatures are punished with the want of them so others with an abhorrence and loathing of them So much for this second symptome of sickness His life abhorreth bread and his soul dainty meat The third followeth and appeareth in the generall decay and languishment of the sick mans body Vers 21. His flesh is consumed away that it cannot be seene and his bones that were not seene stick out In this verse and the next Elihu still insists upon his description of the sick mans condition and in them he gives us two other sad effects or symptomes of his sickness First The generall wast and consumption of the body vers 21. Secondly The utmost perill of life v. 22. Elihu describes the first effect of sicknesse the first here but the third in order by two things First By the disappearing of that which used to be seene and appeare very faire and beautifull the visible part grows as it were invisible his flesh is consumed away that it cannot be seene Secondly By the appearing of that which used not to be seene his invisible parts not so in their own nature but as to their place I say his invisible parts grow visible His bones which were not seen stick out Thus with much elegancy he sets forth the sorrowfull and deplorable estate of the sick man His flesh is consumed away As if he had sayd Before his sicknesse he was full of flesh fat and faire but falling into sickness he falls away and is worne as we say to skin and bones his flesh is consumed Flesh in Scripture is taken two wayes First Improperly and Tropically Secondly Literally or Properly In a Tropicall and Improper sense flesh signifieth our sinfull corruption Gal 5.17 The flesh evermore lusteth against the spirit that is the unregenerate part in man against the regenerate These two are always contending and combating with one another in all those whom Christ hath conquered to himselfe Happy are they that finde their flesh in this sense consuming away and 't is that which every man is studying who knows what godlinesse meanes the consumption of this flesh even the mortification of his lusts of pride and earthliness of wrath envie and unbeliefe Secondly flesh by a figure is put for the whole naturall body consisting of many parts dissimilar to flesh Thus the Psalmist complained in prayer that the Lord had given the flesh of his Saints to the beasts of the earth Psal 79.2 that is he had exposed their bodies through the rage and cruelty of their enemies to the teeth and bowells of savage and ravenous beasts Thirdly flesh is also put for the whole man consisting both of soul and body Gen. 6.12 13. The Lord saw that all flesh had corrupted their wayes That is all men who are made up of a body and soul had corrupted their wayes by letting loose and acting their sinfull corruptions Fourthly flesh is sometimes put for that which is bâ—st in man his greatest naturall perfections whatsoever in him is lesse then grace whatsoever is highest in him below the spirit is called flesh in Scripture When Peter Math. 16.17 had made that blessed confession which is the rock upon which the Church is built thou art Christ the Son of the living God presently Christ tells him flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee that is the highest and the most perfect piece of nature hath not taught thee this lesson the Evangelist saith of all true beleevers who have received
his soule v. 26. He shall pray and God shall be favourable to him and he shall see his face with joy for he will render to man his righteousness Thus you have the parts and purpose of these words I shall now proceed to the particulars If there be a messenger with him Hypothetica locutio significat libertatem dei in conferendo hoc beneficio Indicatio contingit quibus deus vult Coc. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 missus legatus nuncius These words are Hypotheticall or by way of supposition if there be noting that it is not alwayes so every one hath not this mercy to have a messenger sent him it 's a speciall priviledge granted by God to some If there be A messenger What or who is this messenger The word in the Hebrew hath a three-fold signification all which are insisted upon by interpreters upon this place First It signifieth an Angel Now Angels properly taken are spirituall or incorporeall substances whose both office and high dignity it is to attend about the throne of God and to be sent forth upon his speciall service Psal 103.20 Bless the Lord ye his Angels that excell in strength that doe his commandements and hearken to the voyce of his word God hath thousand thousands of these servants ministring to him and ten thousand times ten thousand standing before him Dan 7.10 Some stay upon this exposition affirming that here we are to understand an Angel by nature And hereupon ground the ministring of Angels to those who are either sick in body or troubled in mind Yea the Popish writers would hence prove the intercession of Angels for man and mans invocation of Angels but though the exposition be granted yet it yeilds no ground for this Inference For what though God should send an Angel to instruct and comfort a sick man will it therefore follow that the sick man should pray to him and so give him the honour which is due to God Secondly The word is applyed in particular to Jesus Christ the uncreated Angel or the creating Angel the Lord of Angels who by way of eminency is called The Angel of his presence Isa 63.9 and the Angel or messenger of the Covenant Mal 3.1 He also was that Angel of whom the Lord spake to the children of Israel Exod 23.20 saying Vides quam clarè hoc loco Elihu de Christo concionetur per quem omnis conscientia quontumcunque per legem occisa vivificatur per quem omnis crux vitae et liberationis initium est Brent Behold I send an Angel before thee to keepe thee in the way and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared Beware of him and obey his voyce provoke him not for he will not pardon your transgressions if you persist in them for my name is in him that is he is of the same nature with my selfe and with that nature he hath my name Jehovah Thus some carry it here as if Elihu specially intended the ministration of Jesus Christ the Angel of the Covenant to the sick sinner for his restoring both as to the health of soule and body 'T is true Jesus Christ is the great Angel or messenger and he primarily and chiefly doth all the business for poore sinners he is the messenger sent from God and he is the interpreter of the mind of God he came from the bosom of the father and reveales the mysteries of heaven to us by his holy Spirit He indeed is the one of a thousand the chiefest of ten thousand to shew unto man his uprightness Yet I conceive that in this place not the Lord of Angels alone but some Angel of the Lord is also intended And therefore Thirdly The word Angel is applyable to every Messenger The Scripture gives it first to those that are sent by men about any errand or business 1 Sam 23.27 But there came a messenger unto Saul saying hast thee and come for the Philistims have invaded the land We read of an evill messenger Pro 13.17 who is either such a one as brings an evill message or is himselfe evill Isa 14.32 What shall one then answer to the messengers of the Nation the Lord hath founded Zion and the poore of his people shall trust in it And as it notes a messenger first by man so a messenger sent by God The ancient Prophets were in this sence the Angells of God his messengers and so are the Ministers of the Gospel at this day The Epistles to the seaven Churches are all directed to the Angells of the Churches that is to the severall Pastors or Ministers of the Churches respectively And thus we may conclude that by the messenger in this text we are to understand any faithfull Minister of Christ sent to convince convert or comfort a sick troubled soule And as was intimated before we may very well gather up both these latter interpretations into one that which applyeth it to Christ and that which applyeth it to the Ministers of Christ For so we have here both the author and the instrument of this comfort to the sick man Jesus Christ is the chiefe messenger and comforter of poore sinners and the Ministers of the Gospel are instruments in his hand sent out by him for the perfecting of that worke The word is applyed to both Mal 3.1 Nuncius est propheta aliquis seu doctor à deo missus Pisc Behold I will send my messenger or my Angel and he shall prepare the way before me John the Baptist was Christs messenger as Christ himselfe an infallible interpreter assureth us Math 11.10 And presently it follows The Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his Temple even the messenger of the Covenant whom ye delight in Behold he shall come saith the Lord of hosts In the first part of the verse John is called the Lords messenger and in the latter part Christ is called the Lords messenger Both were messengers yet with a mighty difference and therefore John the messenger of Christ saith of Christ the messenger Math 3.11 He that cometh after me is mightier then I whose shoes I am not worthy to beare And againe John 1.26 He it is that coming after me is preferred before me whose shoes latchet I am not worthy to unloose If there be a messenger Hence note First The Ministers of Christ are the messengers of Christ Christ is the fathers messenger and they are messengers sent out by Christ As my father hath sent me so send I you said Christ to his Apostles John 20.21 And though that Title of Apostle which signifieth One sent or a Messenger be most properly attributed to those who were immediately called and inspired by Christ yet in an allayed sence it may be applyed commodiously enough to any true Minister of the Gospel for he also is sent he hath both his mission and commission mediately from Christ Yea the word Apostle is applyed in common to all or
the meaning scope and mind of any sentence or the purpose of man in what he speaketh Thirdly there is the divine of spirituall interpreter who labours to bring the truths of God and the heart of man together The Apostle having treated about prophecying concludes 1 Cor. 14.25 And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest and so falling down on his face he will worship God and report that God is in you of a truth as if the man that beleeved not or one unlearned for of such he speaks vers 24. had said surely these men understand what is in my heart for they have brought the truth of God and my heart together so that I must confesse God is in them that is there is a divine wisdome or interpretation in them When Elihu faith If there be an interpreter we are to understand him in this last sence not of one that can interpret words like a Grammarian or give the scope and sence of words like a Logician but of one that hath a divine skill to bring the truths of God home to the heart of man that is to convince informe an ignorant conscience and to comfort relieve and support a troubled conscience If there be an interpreter Hence note The Ministers of Christ are the interpreters of the mind and good will of God toward poor sinners They interpret the mind of God as to peace and reconciliation as to grace and salvation as well as to duty and holiness of conversation 'T is the nicest and hardest thing in the world to interpret the mind of God aright to a sinner to bring his heart to a closing with the great truths and promises of the Gospel he that can doe this skilfully is worthy the name of an interpreter The Apostle saith of him who is but a babe in Christ and useth milke that is lives upon the lower and more easie principles of faith he is unskillfull in the word of righteousnesse Heb. 5.13 that is he knowes not how to make out and mannage for his own comfort the doctrine of free grace through the alone righteousness of Jesus Christ And therefore as first God himself is the author and fountaine of this grace as secondly Jesus Christ is the purchaser or procurer of the fruits of this grace to sinners as thirdly the effectuall worker of our hearts to receive this grace as also the witness-bearer and sealer of it to our souls is the holy Spirit as fourthly the word of the Gospell is the Charter and Covenant of this grace so fifthly the Ministers of Christ are the interpreters of this grace and they are or ought to be skillfull in this word of righteousness Their skill and duty is first to explaine what the Covenant is and rightly to lay down how the sinners reconciliation to God is wrought Secondly to make a sutable and seasonable application of it or to bring it home to the souls and consciences of poor sinners as they find their state to be And as the Ministers of Christ are Gods interpreters to his people so they are the peoples interpreters unto God They are the former two wayes First by opening the mind of God to his people Secondly by urging and pressing them to receive it both for their direction and consolation They are the latter four wayes First by laying open and spreading the peoples wants and weaknesses before God Secondly by confessing their sins and transgressions to God Thirdly by intreating the Lord for them or by praying for mercy pardon and forgiveness in their behalfe for sins committed Fourthly by giving thanks in their name for mercies received Thus they are first Gods mouth to the people in preaching declaring the Gospel Secondly the peoples mouth to God in prayer and thanksgiving And in both performe the worke and Office of an interpreter And if the Ministers of the Gospell are interpreters Then First Every Minister must be acquainted with the mind of God He must have skill in the mystery of the Gospel How shall he be able to interpret the mind of God to sinners who is not acquainted with the mind of God We have the mind of Christ saith the Apostle of himselfe and his fellow-labourers in the Gospel 1 Cor. 2.16 and when he saith we have the mind of Christ his meaning is not only this that they had the mind of Christ written in a book but they had a cleare understanding of it and so were fitted to interpret it to others Secondly As he must have the knowledge of the mystery so he must have the tongue of the learned Isa 50.4 That he may be able to speak a word in season to him that is weary that is to the wounded and troubled in conscience This is the interpreter intended by Elihu He is one that hath learned and is taught of God Humane learning the knowledge of Arts and Sciences is good and hath its use but divine learning or learning in divine things that is to be divinely learned 't is possible for one to have learning in divine things and not to be divinely learned is absolutely necessary to make him an interpreter It is not enough to know divine things but he must know them divinely or by the unction and teachings of the Spirit The Apostle John Rev 10.8 is commanded to eat the book this eating of the book signifieth the spirituall knowledg of divine truths in this sence we know no more then we eat then we as it were turn into our own substance that which is eaten becomes one with us the mystery of the Gospell must be eaten by the interpreter of Gospell mysteries A man cannot interpret the mind of God till he knows it and he cannot know the mind of God unlesse God himself reveals it so the Apostle argueth 1 Cor. 2. from 12 to 16. As no man knoweth the mind of a man but the spirit of a man that is in him so the things of the spirit of God knoweth no man but the spirit of God and he to whom the Spirit of God doth reveale them And therefore though a man may have an abillity to interpret the word of God as 't is an excellent book a book full of admirable knowledge he may I say have an abillity to interpret it soundly by humane learning yet no man can doe it savingly and convertingly but by the help of the Spirit Psal 25.14 The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them his Covenant he will shew it effectually he will make them know it Thus David prayed Psal 119.18 Lord open thou mine eyes that I may behold wonderous things out of thy Law Naturall parts and humane learning arts and languages may give us an understanding of the tenour and literal meaning of the Law of God but none of these can open our eyes to behold the wonders of the Law much lesse the wonders and mysteries of the Gospell The opening of our eyes to behold these
upon the matter even exhaust and undoe themselves by liberallity unto others and they who give most or have most to give cannot alwayes give It is said in this Book Chap. 37.11 By watering he wearieth the thick cloud that is God commandeth the cloud to give raine so long that it hath not a drop more to give but is quite spent Springs or fountaines are never wearied or spent with watering because their waters come as freely and as fast as they goe God is an everlasting spring of grace and goodness He is not wearyed nor emptyed by what he giveth out to or doth for the creature because all floweth from his naturall graciousnesse as from a fountaine Then he is gracious I would urge the second reference of that word then a little further It was shewed before that it might refer First to the extreamity of the sick man Secondly to the sick mans humiliation or the right disposure of his spirit to receive renewed acts of grace and favour from the Lord. Hence observe Secondly God usually dispenseth or giveth out acts of grace when we repent and turne from sin Si aegrotus ille monitis illius nuncij paruerit ac proinde resipuerit tum c. Pisc when we believe and lay hold upon the promise Then he is gracious It is said Isa 30.18 Therefore will the Lord wait that he may be gracious The Lord hath alwayes a gracious disposition a gracious nature he alwayes hath a store and a stocke a rich stocke and store of mercy by him but he doth not alwayes give it forth no he waits to be gracious that is he waits till we are in a fit frame till we are in a due temper to receive his grace And because as to the dispensings of grace God waits to be gracious therefore many retard and hinder their owne good they are not yet in a frame to receive their vessell is not yet seasoned to hold mercy The Lord waited to be gracious to David after his grievous fall and therefore he did not give Nathan a Commission to say Thy sin is done away till Davids heart was broken and had said 2 Sam 12.13 I have sinned against the Lord But when once that word fell from him then Nathan declared how gracious the Lord was to him As soone as David said I have sinned that 's an act of repentance presently Nathan said the Lord hath done away thy sin that 's an act of grace When did Ephraim heare a word of comfort from God The Prophet tells us Jer 31.18 19 20. I have heard Ephraim bemoaning himselfe that is mourning over and bewayling his sin saying thou hast chastised me and I was chastised as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoake We have him there also praying Turne me O Lord and I shall be turned c. Upon this how graciously how meltingly did the Lord speak Is Ephraim my deare son is he a pleasant child since I spake against him I doe earnestly remember him still or in remembring I remember him my bowells are troubled for him I will surely have mercy on him Now I will manifest my grace and acquaint him with my goodness The Lord was very gracious to Saul afterwards Paul he sent Ananias to him with a message of mercy as to restore the sight of his bodyly eyes so to assure him that he should be an instrument in the hand of Christ to open the eyes of many and a chosen vessel to beare his name before the Gentiles and Kings and the Children of Israel Acts 9.15 But when was this message delivered him the text tells us v. 11. For behold he prayeth the man is in the dust he is brought upon his knees his spirit is broken that word he prayeth comprehends the whole worke of a gracious soule as to his humiliation and returning to the Lord. In the parable of the prodigall Son his father is represented abundantly gracious to him but he did not signifie it he did not send the ring not the rich robe to him when he was abroad in a strange Country among harlots drinking and wasting his estate time and strength vainely we read of no acts of grace to him then but when being pinched with famine and hunger he came to himselfe and began to bethink himselfe of coming back to his fathers house and that he had brought himselfe by his own folly to beggery and want and husks when he was upon these termes or resolves to goe home to his father and cast himselfe at his feet as unworthy the name or priviledge of a Son then his father ran to meete him fell on his neck and kissed him then he put on the ring and cloathed him with the robe then he killed the fatted calfe and made a feast for him All which sceane of mercy doth but hold out this one word in the text Then he is gracious There are two sorts of gracious acts of God First some are acts of absolute grace or of preventing grace These are put forth upon and exercised towards the creature before there is any the lest preparation in the heart to draw them out or invite the bestowing of them Thus the grace of God in election is absolutely free there was no prevision of any qualification in man moving God to elect him And so that wonderfull act of grace in which election first descends and discovers it selfe effectuall vocation is absolutely free God calls a sinner when he is in the heat and hurry of his evill wayes pursuing his lusts in the height of his pride and in the hardness of his impenitent heart Now if when God first calleth a sinner there is nothing in him but sin What can move God to call him but free grace A third absolute act of grace is justification God doth not justifie a sinner for any thing that he finds or sees in us As to us 't is altogether free He justifieth the ungodly Rom 4.5 when that wretched infant was in its blood which expresseth a miserable uncleane poluted condition then was a time of love Ezek 16.8 then was God gracious What loveliness was there in that infant representing the best of men in that fallen naturall estate to draw out the love of God nothing at all yea she was altogether unlovely yet then saith God thy time was the time of love or then was the time of putting forth love in her conversion and vocâ—tion Then I sayd unto thee when thou wast in thy blood live And because the thing might seeme not only strange but even impossible that the heart of God should be towards such a wretched one for good the word is doubled yea I sayd unto theâ— when thou wast in thy blood live These acts of absolute free grace are the glory of the Covenant of grace for if the Covenant should hold out acts of Grace only upon our pre-dispositions when should we receive any act of grace The promise is not of this tenour I will pardon them when
the land of the living Secondly From the way of expressing this in allusion to a childe or a youth Note God he can quickly make the greatest changes in nature either for the better or for the worse He can turne youth into old age and old age into youth That is he can make a young or a healthy man weake as an old man and an old or sickly man strong as a young man and as it is with naturall so with politicall bodyes as with persons so with nations A nation that is flourishing in its youth heate strength and glory rich and full of peace and plenty God can bring an oldness upon it and cause it to decline every day The Prophet spake of the state of Israel in this notion Hos 7.9 Gray haires are here and there upon them and they perceive it not they thought ttemselves to be in a very youthfull flourishing condition as a state but the Lord brought gray haires that is they were decaying withering weakning and became a decrepid nation And when a nation is gray-hayred old and withered he can make it youthfull he can recover the honour and power of it and cause the dread of it to fall upon the neighbouring nations round about He turnes a land into a wilderness which before was as the Garden of God And he can change that land into a Garden of God which now is a desolate wildernes The unchangeable Lord is visible and glorious in all these changes The health and strength both of the body politick and naturall are at his dispose He can bring a decay upon what is built and repaire what is decayed whether in nations or persons When the earthly house of this Tabernacle is ready to drop downe into the grave and crumble into dust God by a word speaking repayreth it to as much beauty and strength as when the first stone being layd the top-stone was set up When Naaman had once submitted to and obeyed the Prophets counsell which at first he despised washed in Jorden His flesh saith the text 2 Kings 5.14 came againe like unto the flesh of a little childe The holy Psalmist charged his owne soule to praise the Lord and all that was within him to blesse his holy name Psal 103.1 5. Who had satisfied his mouth with good things so that his youth was renewed as the Eagle This renovation of his youth may be understood three wayes First as to his naturall state or bodyly strength Secondly as to his civill state or worldly successes as to his honour and kingly renowne Thirdly as to his spirituall state or the hightning of his gifts graces and comforts 'T is probable David had found a declension in all these and at last through the goodness of God and his blessing upon him the renewing of them all from that oldness to a youthfullness againe like that of Eagles We find the same allusion in the Prophet Isa 40.31 They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up as with Eagles wings Some Naturalists say the Eagle reneweth her strength by sucking blood when her stomack is so weake that shee cannot seed upon the flesh of her prey Saints indeed renew their strength as the Eagle while by faith they sucke the blood of Jesus Christ and they get cure of their owne weaknesses while they believingly lay hold upon his strength Thirdly We heard in the former verse of a divine warrant issued out for this mans recovery Then he is gracious to him and saith deliver him Here we have the warrant executed His flesh shall be fresher then a childes Hence observe The commands and warrants of God are effectuall they shall be obeyed and made good to man If God say deliver him from a sick bed he shall be delivered I will worke saith the Lord Isa 43.13 14. and who shall let it for your sake I have sent to Babylon and have brought downe all their Nobles or barrs as the margin reads it I will have it done I will breake all those Nobles who are as barrs in the way of my peoples deliverance So when the Lord sends his warrant for the delivering of a sick man he will break all those barrs and bands by which diseases and sicknesses hold him as a prisoner in his bed Nothing can stand against the word of God as by a word speaking he gave the creature a being when it had none The Lord only spake the word Let there be light let there be a firmament c. and it was so Thus also the word or warrant of God reneweth a wel-being to those with whom it is worst or a comfortable life to those who are compassed about with the sorrowes of death The word of God prevailes over all or is effectuall to every purpose Psal 33.9 He spake and it was done he commanded and it stood fast Further In this restoring of the sick we have a shadow of the resurrection The raysing of a dying man from his bed is like the raysing of the dead from the grave The spring of the yeare is a shadow of the resurrection because then the earth returnes to her youth and is fresh as a child In winter all things are dead and desolate their glosse and beauty is gone but then cometh the spring and all revives againe the face of the earth looks fresh corne and grasse trees and plants flourish and put forth their buds and blossomes Now what the spring of the yeare is to the body of the earth the same is the returne of health to the body of man In both we have an exemplar of the resurrection as also in the regeneration or new birth of the soule by the power of the holy Ghost For till then we are like old sickly men in the old man yea we are dead But no sooner doth the Spirit bring us forth by a second creation into the life of the new man but we become in spirit fresh like Children our youth returnes to us againe that is we returne to that state wherein we were first created and set up by God in righteousness and true holiness yea into a better and surer state then that Man through grace is not only as he was in the first day of his creation but better He returnes to the day of his youth and receives such a youth as shall never decay into old age yea the older he is in nature the younger that is the stronger and more beautifull he shall be in grace He shall according to that promise Psal 92.14 still bring forth fruit in old age he shall be fat and flourishing This renewed youthfullness and flourishing condition of the restored sick man in spiritualls is specially and fully set forth in the next verse For Elihu having shewed the recovery of the sick mans body he proceeds to the recovery of his soule which eminently returnes to the dayes of its youth both in the puttings forth of or exercising the grace of God
stile Psal 67.1 God be mercifull to us and bless us and cause his face to shine upon us that is give us tokens and pledges of his favour Secondly How see we the face of God Doth not God tell Moses No man can see my face and live How then can the face of God be seene I answer The face of God which was touched before as taken for the essence of God or for his essentiall glory cannot be seene That 's too transcendent a glory for man to behold What we see of God is but some ray or beaming out of light and glory from himselfe we cannot see himselfe The essentiall or personall glory of God is that face which cannot be seene but the declarative glory of God is a face of God which may be clearely seene by faith in the light of his word and workes And to see the face of God is nothing else but for a man to know in himselfe as the Apostles word is in somewhat a parallel case Heb 10.34 that God is gracious to him that is to have an assurance of his favour or a reflect act of faith about it The holy Spirit sheweth us what God is and what the things of God are 1 Cor 2.12 We have received not the spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God that we may know the things that are freely given to us of God that is that we mayâ—e enlightned with the knowledge of the grace goodness and favour of God to us discovered in the Gospel The Spirit sheweth us this blessed face of God and we see it by the actings of our faith all our visions of God in this life are visions of faith upon whose wings all our intellectuall powers soare aloft and are carried up to God Faith is not only a worke of the will in consent and application but a worke of the understanding by assent and knowledge Thus we see God as a Spirit is only to be seene with a spirituall eye The vision of God is intellectuall the vision of faith Videre faciem dei nihil aliud est quam sentire apud animum suum deum propitium Coc In Jubilo i. e. in quodam inexplicabili gaudio Aquin Thus the reconciled sinner finding God favourable to him he seeth his face with joy The word signifies joyfull acclamation or shouting for joy such as men use after great favours done them and benefits or rather bounties bestowed upon them There is a seeing of the face of God with terror so the wicked shall see God that is they shall have manifestations of Gods displeasure they shall be made to see him with shame and sorrow They shall say when they see him to the mountaines and rockes fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lambe They who never saw the face of God with joy shall see it with horror amazement Saints see it with joy they have unexpressible comfort and contentment in beholding God they shall rejoyce with shouting as in the yeare of Jubile when they sounded out their joyes with trumpets or made a joyfull noyse 'T is no ordinary but a triumphant joy with which the godly see the face of God Extraordinary sights affect with extraordinary joy Now the face of God being the highest and most glorious sight in the world it must needs affect the beholder with a glorious with a Jubilean joy He shall see his face with joy First It being sayd He shall see his face with joy upon his prayer and the humbling of himselfe before God Observe God hides or vayles his face till we humble our soules and seeke his face God will not be seene at all times no not by his owne people There are severall cases in which he turneth away his face in anger or drawes a curtaine as it were yea a cloud between himselfe and the soule And this he doth First and most usually to try his people how they can beare his withdrawings and to see whether or to what they will betake themselves when he takes himselfe so much from them that they cannot see him Secondly He doth it often to chasten and correct man for sin To be under the hidings of Gods face is the saddest effect of sin to a sencible or an awakened soule David made a grievous complaint because of this what ever the cause or occasion of it was Psal 13.1 The absence of God from him though possibly but for a short time was so tedious to him that he cryed out How long wilt thou forget me O Lord for ever How long wilt thou hide thy face from me Even Jesus Christ while he stood in the place of sinners bare the hiding of his fathers face as the summe of all those punishments which were due to and deserved by our sin This pressed him more then all bodyly sufferings and made him cry out while he hung upon the Crosse My God my God not why hast thou left me to be crucified but why hast thou forsaken me Math 27.46 Thirdly God hideth his face from some because the manifestations of it have not been received thankfully nor improved rightly We ought to give thankes for the light of the Sun shining in the ayre and also doe our worke in it Is it any wonder if God cloud and eclipse the light of his countenance towards those who neither prize it nor improve it If you would alwayes see the face of God then be ye alwayes seene at the worke and in the wayes of God Secondly Observe It is the sole priviledge of Gods Favourites or of those to whom he is favourable to see his face As no man can see that face of God his essentiall presence so none but Godly men shall see this face of God his comfortable or blessed-making presence Without holiness no man shall see the Lord Heb 12.14 There is a two-fold vision or sight of God and that negative assertion may be understood of either or of both There 's first a vision of God on earth thus we see his face as was shewed before in the actings of faith For though the Apostle opposeth these two faith and sight We walke by faith and not by sight 2 Cor 5.7 yet faith hath its sight we walke not by sight as the worldly men walk who doe as they see and make their eyes both the guide of their consciences and the in-bringers of their comforts we walke not by outward sight nor doe we make conclusions how to guide our conversations by what we see We walke by faith and that 's the sight which we have of God while we are here on earth which cannot possibly be without holiness faith being so great a part of our holiness and by drawing vertue from Christ dayly the maintainer of it all Secondly there is a sight of the face of God in glory And if none can enter into glory but holy men then no man without
that condition a body without a soule but his life was for that time withdrawne there was no appearance of it no sencible breathing no motion no vitall visible operation Thus we may conceive what is meant by the rendring unto man his righteousness Hence observe First A justified person is a righteous person He hath a clothing of righteousness that which we call his righteousness is not properly but imputedly his It is not a cloathing of his owne making but made for him and bestowed freely upon him Rom 10.3 They being ignorant of the righteousness of God and going about to establish their owne righteousness have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God It is Gods righteousness not our owne and yet it is our owne as well as the righteousness of God it being imputed and reckoned unto us for our righteousness it is the believers righteousness as given to him it is Christs righteousness as wrought by him Secondly Observe A justified person under great afflictions and temptations often looseth the comfortable sight and sence of his owne righteousness And so may look upon himselfe as an unrighteous person as having no righteousnes or as being unreconciled unjustified For as many bold sinners hypocrites presume they have a righteousness when they have none and boast themselves to be in the number of the justified when they are not So many an afflicted and tempted soule who is indeed justified in the sight of God may be unjustified in his owne Great afflictions have an appearance of divine displeasure which stands most opposite to justification As affliction is a kinde of darkness so it often leaves the soule in much darkness And he that is in the dark is full of feare he is apt to question his state whether he hath any thing of God in him or no. For though it be not good for a Christian alwayes to begin to live he should come to a poynt and labour for a certainty yet some are brought to such a pass that their former evidences and experiences are even dead and lye prostrate and they constrained to begin a new reckoning about their spirituall estate or as it were to begin againe to live Thirdly Note Mans righteousness or justification is as lost to him when he wants the evidence that is the comfort sweetness and peace of it When his soul-state is so ravel'd and intangled that he can make nothing of it then his righteousness is as lost Those things which appeare not are to us as if they were not Not to know what we have is a degree of not having When grace doth not act or is not used we are sayd in Scripture to lack grace or to have none 2 Pet 1.9 But he that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see afar off The whole context carrieth it of believers who are in a state of grace who yet not using grace are sayd to lack it and are called blinde as not able to see afar off how it was with them when the work of conversion first began so have upon the matter forgotten that they were ever purged from their old sins That is they act as a man that hath never had any acquaintance with God or knew so much as the meaning of repentance from dead workes He in the Gospel who had but one talent and did not use it is sayd to have none From him that hath not shall be taken away even that he hath Math 25.29 'T is a strange expression to say that shall be taken away from a man which he hath not yet the idle servant is sayd not to have that one talent which he had because he did not use it but layd it by as a dead stocke Now as in reference unto the grace of sanctification in us when we doe not act we are sayd to lack it or not to have it so in reference to the peace of justification when we have not the comfort of it we are sayd to be without it And therefore when peace is restored to the soule righteousness or justification is restored also Further from the connexion of these words He shall see his face with joy for he will render unto man his righteousness Note Fourthly When the sight of our righteousness or justified state in Christ returnes to us our comforts returne We may be justified or in a justified state and not rejoyce But if we know we are in a state of justification we cannot but rejoyce It will make a man rejoyce to purpose when he seeth the righteousness of justification is clearely his Isa 45.25 Surely shall one say in the Lord have I righteousness and strength One shall say this He shall not only have righteousness in the Lord but he shall say he hath that is he shall be able to make it out he shall have the light of it upon his spirit and then as it followeth in the Prophet In him shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shall glory When they are able to say this then they shall not only rejoyce but glory Glorying is the height of joy or joy is in its full strength The Apostle saith Rom 14.17 The kingdome of God is not meat and drink What is it then but righteousness and what else peace and joy in the holy Ghost Righteousness brings in peace that 's the first fruit The warre is ended the controversie determined between God and the soule and when once peace is entred joy will follow It is usuall to make triumphs when a formerly broken peace is made between two nations When Abimilech sent commissioners to make a covenant of peace with Isaac the holy Story saith Gen 26.30 He made them a feast and they did eate and drinke Surely when God sends his holy Spirit to speake peace to a troubled soule against whom his terrors have been set in array as Job sayd in his own case Chap 6.4 and the arrowes of the Almighty within him have drunke up his spirit he I say having his peace thus restored to him cannot but have the joy of the Lord restored to him as David prayed his might Psal 51.12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation That is shew me that I am justified that my sin is pardoned this will bring back into my bosome the joy of thy salvation and my drooping soul shall be not only refreshed but feasted as with marrow and fatness Joy is a certaine consequent upon the sight of our justification Yea joy is not only a consequent but a fruit and effect of it joy floweth out of the nature of it nor is it ever interrupted or suspended but upon the hiding of righteousness out of our sight And therefore joy returnes unfayleably when the Lord is pleased thus to render unto man his righteousness JOB Chap. 33. Vers 27 28 29 30. He looketh upon men and if any say I have sinned and perverted that which was right and it profiteth me not He will deliver his soule from
understanding men It cannot be denied nor doth Elihu in speaking thus coursely of him deny it but that Job moved doubtless by the holy Ghost had spoken many excellent things full of divine light and learning yet moved with passion he spake sometimes much amisse and is charged for it as if like a shameless person he had proffered himselfe by lavish and intemperate language to the lash of every tongue Secondly Scorning may be taken actively What man is like Job who drinketh scorning like water That is where shall we find such a scorner who hath uttered so many reproachfull speeches as Job He drinketh scorning as if he thought he could never fill himselfe enough with scorning This interpretation may have a a double reference First To his friends who it seemes were very sensible that he put scornes upon them Zophar complaineth of it Chap 11.3 When thou mockest shall no man make thee ashamed As if he had sayd when thou hast mocked and derided us shall we let thee alone and say nothing shall we suffer our selves to be abused and passe it by in silence ought we not to tell thee of it and rebuke thee for it openly and to thy face that thou mayest see thy error and be ashamed of it Secondly which is yet higher and I judge too high his scorning is referred by some to the dealings and providences of God Bibere subsannationem velut aquam est esse plenum sermonibus ridiculis Vatabl as if he had spoken of them with a kind of scorne at least with that irreverence and slightness of spirit which Eliphaz did early and earnestly admonish him of Chap 5.17 Despise not thou the chastning of the Lord and which the Apostle cals The exhortation which speaketh unto us as unto children Heb 12.5 My son despise not thou the chastening of the Lord. Thus also Elihu may in a qualified sence be understood charging Job with drinking up scorning like water As if upon the whole matter he had sayd Job hath drunke scorne till he is almost drunken with it at least he is so full of it that he powres it out upon every one that comes neare him and which is worst of all he speakes so unbecomingly that we shall not much wrong him if we say he hath spoken or acted despisingly which is a degree of speaking or acting scornefully concerning the chastenings of God upon him Further When 't is said He drinketh scorning like water It may imply three things First the frequency of his scorning he doth it commonly he is at scorning as often as at drinking Secondly the content which he was supposed to take in scorning water cooleth and refresheth the heated and wearied body Thirdly it may note the easiness or naturallness of it to him To drinke is naturall to man it puts him to no paines nor study We say proverbially of that which a man doth without trouble He doth it as easily as he drinkes But of this word drinking and drinking like water the reader may see more upon those words Chap 15.16 Man drinketh iniquity like water Once more whereas Elihu saith of Job He drinketh scorning like water Some have made a criticall observation or distinction about it Elihu doth not say he drinketh scorning like wine but like water They who are provoked or led on to sin by the delight and sweetness which they find in sin are sayd to drink it like wine Prov 4.17 They drink the wine of violence or they drink violence like wine It goeth downe sweetly and pleasantly But say they such as sin not out of pleasure but out of will or out of an affected maliciousness are sayd to drink iniquity like water which hath little pleasure in it little sweetness or tast in it There 's small savour in water comparatively to wine and other delicate or delicious liquors So that according to this notion they drink iniquity like water who sin for sins sake And indeed some are so delighted in sin it self that they will sin in that which yeilds them no delight The very act of doing evill is more contentfull to them then any fruit or consequent of it But we need not stay in this nicity the generall sence falls hard enough upon Job to drink scorning like water is to be much and often in scorning Water is the cheapest liquor and of most common use every man can goe to the price of that which costs nothing in most places but the labour of taking it up What man is like Job that drinketh scorning like water Taking the words in a passive sence as Job was a person scorned and drunk in the scornes of men powred upon him as the earth drinketh in water Note He behaveth himselfe unlike a man that layeth himselfe open to and readily admits the scorne of men It is an affliction to be scorned by others But it is a sin to render our selves a scorne to others and not to be sencible of it Secondly which I rather adhere to taking the active sence he is charged with speaking scornfully to his friends or of the dealings of God with him how farre this charge might reach Job hath been toucht a little already and will be cleared yet further before the close of the whole matter brought against him in this context But in the meane time from the general sence of the words not concluding Job broadly such a one Observe Scorners are the vilest sort of men What man is like Job who drinketh scorning Not to doe good is sinfull but either to scorn that which is good or those that are good is farre more sinfull That man is gone his furthest length or ascended to the highest step of sin who turneth scorner or gives himselfe a liberty to scorne others The first words of David speake this Psal 1.1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsell of the ungodly nor standeth in the way of sinners nor sitteth in the seat of the scornfull Here are three degrees of sinning walking standing sitting He that sitteth in the seate of the scornfull or hath commenced scorner hath taken the highest degree and is the chiefe Graduate in the Schooles of sin And as to sit in the seate of the scornfull is the highest degree of sinning so they that are got into that seat care not how long they sit in it yea are hardly ever got out of it So much that chiding question or expostulation of Solomon doth fully import Prov. 1.22 Ye scorners how long will ye delight in scorning As if he had sayd When shall it once be will ye never have done nor give over that trade Scorners are therefore the worst of men because they deride the best both of things and men Prov 21.24 Proud and haughty scorner is his name who dealeth in proud wrath Scorners are the children of pride A proud spirit vents it selfe in scorning Pride doth not appeare so much in apparrell in gay clothes and new fangled fashions all which are often
for all things having the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come which Scriptures though not extant when Job lived yet the truth contained in them was Elihu might well be led into this apprehension that Job had brought up an ill report upon the wayes of God as in this life unprofitable unto man But though Job spake thus yet he was farre from speaking this to justifie such an opinion that there is no profit for a man to delight himselfe with God His meaning was only this that a man may want temporall present profit notwithstanding his delighting in God He was full and positive enough that they who now delight in God besides the present inward peace and profit which they find and feele shall hereafter be crowned with everlasting rewards and delights Job should indeed have been more in justifying God more in setting forth the present profitableness of his wayes in the practise of an holy life And because he was so sparing in this poynt and insisted so often upon the afflictions of the people of God Elihu chargeth him with saying It profiteth a man nothing to delight himselfe with God Hence note First It is our duty and the summe of all holy duties to delight our selves in God The very spirit of holiness consists in this There is as I may call it a body of holiness but if you would have the spirit of holiness as by distillation we take the spirits of any liquor or of any thing that liquor and moysture hath in it if I say we would have the spirits of holiness 't is delighting in God For as 't is the spirit of sinfullness to delight in sin so the spirit of Godliness is to delight in God Note Secondly To account the service of God unprofitable is wickedness bordering upon blasphemy Job himselfe is now charged with that which he charged upon the wicked Chap 21.15 What is the Almighty that we should serve him and what profit shall we have that we pray unto him This grand prophanesse the Prophet rebukes Mal 3.14 Ye have said It is in vaine to serve God and what profit is there that we have kept his ordinances Thus the carnal heart which would faine free or keepe it selfe from keeping the ordinances of God is ready to question whether there be any profit in keeping them And while such seeme only to put the question they indeed conclude that there is no profit in keeping them yet the truth is the very keeping the ordinances of God as it is an act of obedience to him and of communion with him is very profitable though we should have no visible nor sensible profit by it In keeping the commandements of God there is great reward Psal 19.11 that is the keeping of them is a reward as well as a reward is promised to those that keepe them The Reader may consult this poynt further at the 15th verse of the 21th Chapter Note Thirdly Good men sometimes speak worse then they meane Job never thought it was no profit to serve God yet he had let fall words which might beare that glosse As wicked men often speake better then they meane They have golden words in their mouths when there is nothing but dross in their hearts their words are smoother then oyle yet they are drawne swords their words sound well while they wound deep now as a carnal man speakes often better then he meanes and sometimes speakes purposely the best when he meanes worst so a godly man speakes sometimes worse then he meanes or he may speak ill when he intends nothing but good Holy David which comes up fully to the sence of what Job is taxed for saying here sayd and what could he speak more unholyly Psal 73.15 Verily I have cleansed my heart in vaine c. What language was here would one think to heare David foule his mouth with such words as these would one think that such a word could have dropt from the mouth of David whose mouth used to drop like an honey-comb whose lips were wont to be like a tree of life feeding many yet David in temptation that is in great affliction for he there complaines that he was chastened every morning spake thus with his tongue to the griefe of his heart a little after The tongue is an unruly member as the Apostle James saith Chap 3.8 The tongue can no man tame we need a great command upon the heart to bridle the tongue and tame that unruly beast Many a good man hath been over-borne with his tongue That little member hath sometimes crusht both soule and body very sorely Jobs tongue fell heavily upon him Observe Fourthly Inconsiderate words render us obnoxious to severest censures Thou hast sayd It profiteth a man nothing to delight himselfe in God is a very severe censure And though Joh did not deserve it fully yet he might have expressed himselfe more commodiously and profitably Just consequences from what we say may be charged upon us as our sayings Indeed to wier-draw words or straine consequences from them is very unchristian Some deale so with the holy Scriptures 2 Pet 3.16 Wresting them to their owne destruction They torture and stretch them upon the tenters to their owne hurt And to wrest a mans words or as the Prophet speakes Isa 29.21 To make a man an offender for a word is an act of great uncharitableness towards man and to God an high offence Not but that a man may be an offender for his words nor can a man be more truly an offender for any words then when he speakes reproachfully or sleightly of the workes of God But when men speak such words as are reall offences and yeild foule consequences fairly they must beare the burden And that was Jobs case here But some may say If Job never spake these words in termes nor any words like them with such an intent why doth he suffer Elihu to to accuse him and not take off his accusation nor give a word of answer for himselfe Why did he not vindicate himselfe or make his Apology I answer and my answer shall be the last note from this context A godly man will rather beare more blame then he deserveth then stand to excuse himselfe when he hath deserved any blame Job replyed no more spake no more but to shew that he yeilded to what was sayd and submitted to this dispensation of God in sending Elihu to charge him thus He tooke more upon him then he had sayd lest he should seeme to justifie any thing that he had sayd amisse Chap 40.5 Once have I spoken but I will not answer yea twice but I will proceed no further As if he had sayd I will make no more pleas for my selfe nor excuses I will cry guilty to the whole matter of my charge though I might cleare and discharge my selfe of much of it How far was the spirit of Job from theirs who though charged with that only which
all flesh perisheth and turneth again unto what it once was dust 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Hebrew word which we render to gather signifieth to add one thing or person to another When Rachel had conceived and bare a son Gen. 30.22 23. she called from this word his name Joseph and said the Lord shall add to me another son Thus here If God add or gather to himself his spirit and his breath that is the spirit and breath of man c. We may distinguish between these two Spiritus animam flatus vitam quae ab anima provenit conservatur significat ego opinâ—r idem esse hoc loco Sanct. spirit and breath Some insist much and curiously upon this distinction The spirit denoting the soul or the internal rational power of man and the breath that effect of life which followeth or floweth from the union of soul and body The life of man is often expressed by breath Cease ye from man whose breath or life is in his nostrils Isa 2.22 If once man's breath goeth out his life cannot stay behinde the spirit of a man is in this sence distinct from his breath for when the breath is vanished and is no more the soul or spirit liveth The Apostle in his prayer for the Thessalonians 1 Thess 5.23 puts soul and spirit together The very God of peace sanctifie you wholly and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved harmless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ There 't is most probable by the soul he intends the inferiour powers in man or his affections and by the spirit his higher powers of reason and understanding yet the spirit is often put for that whole part of man which is contradistinct to his body Into thy hands I commend my spirit that is my soul not forgetting my body And I conceive we may safely expound it here in that latitude as comprehending the whole inner man Yet it is all one as to the sence of this place whether we take spirit and breath distinctly or for the same the spirit being so called from spiration or breathing If he gather unto him his spirit and his breath The gathering of the spirit and breath of man unto God is but a periphrasis or circumlocution of death or of man's departure out of this life when man was formed or created Gen. 2.7 it is said God breathed into him the breath of life and man became a living soul And when man dyeth his breath or spirit may be said to be gathered or returned back unto God so then the meaning of Elihu in this double supposition If he set his heart upon man if he he gather to himself his spirit and his breath is clearly this if God were once resolved or should but say the word that man must presently die die he must and that presently Hence Note First God can easily do whatsoever he hath a minde to do If he do put his heart upon the doing of any thing it is done Men often set their hearts yea and their hands unto that which they cannot do if men could do that which they set their hearts to do or have a minde to do and thereupon set their hands to do we should have strange work in the world 'T is a mercy to many men that man is often frustrated in his thoughts and purposes in his attempts and undertakings and 't is a glorious mercy to all that have an interest in God that God never lost a thought nor can be hindred in any work he setteth his heart upon He that can lett or stop all men in their works can work and none shall lett or stop him What God will do is not defecible or undoeable if I may so express it by any power in heaven or earth And as God can do what he will and ask no man leave so he can do what he will without trouble to himself 't is but the resolve of his will the turning of his hand or the cast of his eye all which are soon dispatcht and 't is done Thus God breathed out his wishes for the welfare of Israel Psal 81.13 O that my people had hearkned unto me c. I should soon have subdued theâ—r enemies and turned my hand against their adversaries As if he had said I could and would have eased them of all their enemies even of all that rose up against them easily even with the turning of my hand What is more easily done or moâ—e speedily done then the turning of a hand Many things are hard to man and indeed very few things are easie to him except it be to sin or to do evil he can do evil easily some things are not only hard but too hard impossible for man but there is nothing hard much less too hard for God he can easily do the hardest things yea the hardest things are as easie to him as the easiest for as Psal 139.12 Darkness hideth not from the sight of God the darkness and the light are both alike to him so hardness hinders not the work of God hardness and easiness are both alike to him if he set his heart upon it From this general truth take two inferences First How should we fear before this God How should we tremble at the remembrance of and walk humbly in our highest assurance with this God We are much afraid to displease those men who can easily hurt us and in whose hand it is to ruine us every hour But O how little are we in this thought to fear the Lord to take heed of displeasing the Lord who can with ease either help or hurt either bring salvation or destruction who in a moment can thrust the soul out of the body and cast both into hell Secondly We may hence make a strong inference for the comfort of the people of God when their straits are most pinching and their difficulties look like impossibilities and are so indeed while they look to man when their enemies are strongest and the mountains which stand in the way of their expected comforts greatest if then God will be entreated to set his heart and cast his eye upon them their straits are presently turned into enlargements difficulties become easie and mountains plains If we can but engage the Lord his own promise is the surest engagement and indeed all that we can put upon him or minde him of if I say we can thus engage the Lord to be with us who can be to our hurt many will be to their own against us Secondly Note Our life is at the beck dispose and pleasure of God He can gather the spirit and the breath to himself whensoever he pleaseth Psal 104.29 Thou hidest thy face and they are troubled and thou takest away their breath they die and return to their dust If God hideth his face from us 't is death while we live but if he take away our breath we cannot live but die Psal 90.3 Thou
turnest man to destruction and sayest Return ye children of men Here 's man turning and returning upon the saying of God man turneth to death he returneth to dust and shall at last return from the dust and all this when God saith he must Our life is a very frail thing and it is in the hand of God to continue or take it away to let us hold it or gather it home to himself Thirdly From the manner of speaking If he gather to himself his spirit and his breath Note When man dieth he is gathered to God When as Solomon allegorizeth the death of man Eccl. 12.6 7. The silver cord is loosed and the golden bowl broken c. Then shall the dust that is the body return to the earth as it was and the spirit shall return to God who gave it that is each part of man when he departeth this world shall go its proper way and return to that which is most congenial to it his body to the earth from whence it is his soul to God of whom it is God is a Spirit the creating Spirit and our created spirits are gathered to God when they are separated from the body yet remember there is a two-fold gathering or returning of the spirit to God First To abide and be blessed with him for ever thus the spirits of believers or saints only are gathered to God when they depart out of this world Secondly There is a gathering of the spirit to God to be judged and disposed of by him to receive a sentence of life or death from him And thus the spirit of every man or woman that dieth is gathered to God be they good or bad believers or unbelievers Heb. 9.27 It is appointed for men once to die but after this the judgement 'T is the Statute Law of God man must die and the sound of Judgement is at the heels of death That Text saith but after this the Judgement The general day of judgement shall not be till the resurrection of man from the dead But there is a personal judgement or a determining of every mans state when he dieth and for that end every mans spirit is gathered to God to receive his sentence The spirits of wicked men are gathered to him and condemned the spirits of the righteous are gathered to him and acquitted We are come saith the Apostle Heb. 12.23 to God the Judge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect David knew he must be gathered to God but he earnestly deprecated such a gathering as most shall have Psal 26.9 Gather not my soul with sinners nor my life with bloody men It is this word when sinners die they are gathered but David would not be gathered as they are gathered They are gathered to God but it is that they may be for ever separated from him they are gathered to a day of vengeance and wrath Therefore David prayed Gather not my soul with sinners Death is called a gathering in a threefold reference First A gathering to our people Thus it is said of Aaron Num. 20.24 Aaron shall be gathered unto his people for he shall not enter into the land c. Death separates the people of God from their people that is from those that are like them on earth but it will be a means of bringing them into the society of their people or fellow believers who are gone before them into heaven Secondly Death is called a gathering to our Fathers 2 Chron. 34 28. Behold I will gather thee to thy Fathers and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace There 's a gathering to a more special company and that with other like Scriptures are an argument that we shall know our relations in heaven For to be gathered to our Fathers spoken of in the first part of the verse is more then to be gathered to the grave spoken of in the latter and by our fathers we are to understand more of our fathers then the grave hath in its keeping which is but their bodies even their souls which are kept in heaven Thirdly According to the phrase of this Text death is called a gathering to God If he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath Whence Note Fourthly The spirit or soul of man hath its original from God It is of him to whom it returneth The soul or spirit of man is of God in a more special way then his body is for though God giveth both yet the Scripture in the place before named speaks of the soul as the gift of God but passeth by the body Eccles 12.7 The dust shall return to the earth as it was and the spirit shall return to God who gave it 'T is God not man alone who hath given us these bodies but 't is not man but God alone who hath given us these spirits therefore men are called the fathers of our flesh that is of the body in way of distinction from God who is the father of spirits Heb. 12.9 We have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us and we gave them reverence shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live that is shall we not rather be subject to God then to man Father of spirits is an Attribute or Title too high and honourable for any but God One of the Ancients in his gracious breathing after God brake out into this holy Passion My soul O God came from thee and my heart is unquiet or restless until it return to thee again God is our center and our rest He gathereth to himself mans spirit and when he doth so what then what 's the issue of it Elihu tells us what in the next verse Vers 15. All flesh shall perish together and man shall turn again to his dust As if he had said As soon as ever the spirit is gathered the flesh is consumed or as we render perisheth All flesh may be taken in the largest sence not only for all men that live but for all living creatures Thus largely Moses extendeth it Gen. 6.17 Behold saith the Lord I will bring a flood of water to destroy all flesh that is all the Beasts of the earth and Fowls of the ayre together with Mankinde except a few of each in the Ark so Psal 136.25 Who giveth food to all flesh that is to man and beast for his mercy endureth for ever Yet some understand this first part more narrowly for all flesh except man because he addeth in the latter part of the verse and man shall return again to his dust But I conceive we are to take all flesh here for all men and only for men it being usual in Scripture to put the same thing twice under different expressions So then All flesh that is every man be he who he will shall perish Thus as all flesh is restrained to man so it extendeth over all men yea over all things of man Isa 40.6 All flesh is grass and all the
that God is not sayd to forme man of the water or ayre or fire but of the dust of the ground Gen 2.7 though all those as well as earth were ingredients in the composition and formation of mans body As man with respect to his spiritualls and moralls is denominated from that which is chief in him so with respect to his naturalls Every man hath the seeds and principles of all sin in him yet many men are knowne and expressed by some speciall sin Thus one is called a covetous man another a malicious man c. because covetousnesse and malice are their predominant sins in practice though the principles of all other sins are in them So for grace one is sayd to be a patient man and another an humble man and a third a self-denying man Though where any grace is all graces are yet a godly man is knowne by that grace which acts most eminently and vigorously in him In this notion man is sayd to be of the dust and to returne to dust as if he were nothing but dust because dust is the predominant Element in the naturall constitution of man And if so then this is an humbling consideration Some walke as if they thought the ground or earth not good enough for them to goe upon Moses setting forth the dreadfullness of famine as a punishment threatned the Jewish nation in case of disobedience tells us it shall fall on all sorts both of men and women Deut 28.56 The tender and delicate woman among you which would not adventure to set the sole of her foot upon the ground for delicateness and tenderness c. Some are loth to put their feet to the ground whereas the best foote that ever trod upon the ground is dust as wel as the ground trodden on and 't is but dust to dust when they are in the dust and dirt to dirt if they fall into the dirt The Apostle among other reasons for this also calleth the body of man a vile body Phil 3.21 Who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body Our bodies are vile chiefly from the contagion of sin that hath made them most vile But they are comparatively vile with respect to the very matter out of which they were all representatively made when the first man was made without the least taint or touch of sin Man at best as to the body is but a little breathing dust or moving clay And did we spiritually look upon the matter of our bodyes it would exceedingly humble our spirits and keep them low even when like Jordan they are ready to over-flow all the banks of modesty and moderation We heare of a bird who priding himselfe in spreading and perusing his fine feathers is presently as it were ashamed by looking down upon his owne black feete Surely did man often consider that his whole body is of the earth it would be an excellent meanes to keepe his heart in a lowly frame how highly soever himselfe is exalted in the earth And as man while he lives is from the dust so when he dyeth that 's another humbling consideration his body not only returneth unto dust but turneth into dust David as the figure of Christ cryed out Psal 22.15 Thou hast brought me into the dust of death Dust and death are neere acquaintance and all that dy grow quickly into neerer acquaintance with the dust It is sayd Psal 103.14 The Lord knoweth our frame he remembreth that we are but dust But what advantage is that to us that the Lord knoweth the one and remembreth the other I may answer as the Apostle doth to another question Rom 3.2 much every way chiefly because he will pitty us and spare us and deale tenderly with us as considering how frayle we are Now as it may be our comfort that God remembreth we are but dust so 't is our duty to remember that we are but dust and that we must to the dust Shall God remember that we are dust and shall not we remember it our selves Did we more remember that we are dust we should more prepare for our return to the dust Yea I may say we should be more in heaven if we were more in our dust that is the gracious and serious meditation of our naturall vilenes and infirmities would provoke us to looke heaven-wards and prepare for heaven where these our naturall bodyes shall become spirituall 1 Cor 15.44 that is they shall be like spirits though not turned into spirits living without food or sleep living free from weariness and sickness from paines and languishments yea free from the remotest feare of ever dying or returning againe into dust Such as these and many more would be our soules advantages did we often as becomes us remember that our bodyes are of the earth and must shortly be earth againe Thus to be earthly minded is the way to be heavenly minded Many are earthly minded that is they mind earthly things but few mind that themselves are earth In what holy heights and elevations of spirit should we be if we could spiritually remember how low we once were and how low as to our bodyes we within a few dayes shall be Lastly This truth should take us off from all creature-confidence from trusting in man Cursed is the man saith the Lord Jer 17.5 that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme 'T is a cursed thing for man to trust in man becausâ— trust is an honour proper to God he alone is to be trusted And as it is a cursed so it is also a foolish thing to trust in man David a Great Prince giveth us this counsel from God Psal 146.3 4. Put not your trust in Princes nor in the son of man in whom there is no help his breath goeth forth he returneth to his earth or to his dust in that day all his thoughts perish happy is the man that hath the God of Jacob for his help What can dust do for dust what can dust get by dust that which is weake may become strong by trusting to or leaning upon that which is strong the weakest man is strong enough while he trusteth upon the strong God but if weake trust upon weake how shall it be made strong Therefore let all flesh hearken to the words of the holy Prophet Isa 2.21 Cease ye from man whose breath is in his nostrills for wherein is he to be accounted of Man himselfe is a soone-ceasing creature David useth the noune of this verbe to expresse himselfe so Psal 39.4 and therefore we have reason to cease from man to cease from any high estimation of the highest men much more from any confidence in them What can we assure our selves of from any man living seeing he hath no assurance of his owne life The Prophet would have us understand that while he saith his breath is in his nostrills Mans life is gone as soone as his breath is gone and how soone may that be
out to use ill words to Magistrates though as Paul's case was we are ill used by them Shimei taking the advantage of David's affliction rose up to this height of impudence against him mentioned with indignation by Elihu in the Text he openly and to his face called him Belial 2 Sam. 16.5.7 Come out thou bloody man and thou man of Belial But we know what the issue was he paid dear for it at last though David forgave him at present and did not suffer Abishai to take a sudden revenge yet upon his death-bed he delivered him over to his son Solomon to deal with him as he should see good And so great is the offensiveness and unfitness of speaking thus unto a King that the Jewes joyned it with blasphemy against God himself We read 1 Kings 21.13 how two false Witnesses came against Naboth saying Naboth blaspemed God and the King as much as to say we heard Naboth say of the King Belial And as soon as these two had brought in their evidence against him that he had blasphemed God and the King they drew him out and stoned him Blasphemy against God was death by the express letter of the Law Lev. 24.15 16. It was also death by the same Law for any man to curse his Father or his Mother Exod. 21.17 And because the King is Pater Patriae the father of his Country it seems the cursing or blaspheming of him was also punishable by death The Apostle Jude useth an equivalent word in the Greek Ep. of Jude v. 8. reproving a wicked Sect in those times They fear not to blaspheme or speak evil of Dignities There is blasphemy against Princes who are titular Gods as well as against the only true God Kings are to be feared to be submitted to they are to be prayed for therefore not to be reviled Is it fit to say unto a King Belial Yet this doth not stop the mouths of all men from telling Kings and Princes their faults nor doth it justifie a silent dissembling of them much less doth it open the mouthes of any to dawb Kings and Princes with the untempered morter of flatteries Kings are no more to be flattered then they are to be reproached Dignities must not be spoken evil of yet they may be prudently and humbly told of their evils and informed of their failings plainly When Eliah met Ahab who said Art thou he that troubleth Israel Eliah answered 1 Kings 18.18 I have not troubled Israel but thou and thy fathers house in that ye have forsaken the Commandments of the Lord and thou hast followed Baal And we read how boldly Elisha carried it to the King of Israel 2 Kings 3.13 14. What have I to do with thee Get thee to the Prophets of thy father and to the Prophets of thy mother And Elisha said as the Lord of Hosts liveth before whom I stand Surely were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the King of Judah I would not look toward thee nor see thee Thus the Prophets dealt with much gracious severity towards mighty Princes The Prophet Isaiah feared not to say Isa 1.10 Hear the word of the Lord ye Rulers of Sodome Give ear unto the Law of our God ye people of Gomorrah implying that the Rulers of Jerusalem were then but such as the Rulers of Sodome once were and that the people were no better then the people of Gomorrah and it is conceived that for this plainness and liberty of speech which the Prophet Isaiah used toward the Princes and Rulers of Judah he was put to death being cut or mangled asunder with a wooden Sawe One might think that Ezekiel did much forget himself when he gave those opprobrious terms to Zedekiah King of Judah Ezek. 21.25 And thou prophane wicked Prince of Israel whose day is come when iniquity shall have an end yet he sinned not in this harsh reproof of his sin because commanded of God to do it and specially directed by the holy Spirit The Prophets might not diminish a word but must give out what God gave in John the Baptist reproved Herod for Herodias his brother Philips wife and for all the evils which he had done Luke 3.19 And Jesus Christ himself called Herod Fox Luke 13.32 The Prophets were often Instructed and Commissioned to prophesie against the mountains that is against the Princes and Powers of the world and therefore take the state of the point and of our duty about it in these few conclusions that we may not run upon the rocks either way neither upon the rock of blasphemy against Kings and Princes on the one side nor upon the rock of flattery on the other First The Power or State of Princes must never be reviled nor evill spoken of kingly Power and Authority is alwayes to be reverenced and honoured though the Prince be wicked yet his Power is to be reverenced and that 's the purest reverence Regia per se dignitas nunquam non est colenda etiam cum princeps iniquus est For to reverence the power of Princes only because or when they are good and do us good and rule every way according to our mind this is but a piece of selfishness but when Princes are evill and bring evills upon us yet to bear respect to the Power and Authority which they Exercise this is to honour God and to give true submission to his ordinance Whatsoever the person is the power must be reverentially submitted to Secondly It is high wickednesse to speak evill of the persons of just and righteous Princes that every man will acknowledge Thirdly Kings and Princes must not be reproved for personall or private faults publickly To doe so is against the rule in any mans case much more in the case of Kings and Princes Fourthly Kings are not to be reproved for any of their faults but by those who have a Call to it that was the reason of the liberty which the old Prophets used towards Kings they were specially commanded and Commissioned by God for it and the peril was upon their own heads if they did it not it is not for every one to reprove Princes but for those that are called to it Lastly Even those that are called to it must doe it with much submission though they must not doe it to halves and deceitfully yet they are to doe it respectfully It is not fit to say to a King Belial such rough and unhewne language is not for Princes their faults must only be insinuated if that may serve as Nathan dealt with David who though he knew what his sin was yet he did not say to him Thou murtherer thou Adulterer but intimated the matter by a parable and made him covertly or in a third person charge himselfe before he charged him or applyed the parable personally to him with Thou art the man When Miriam the Sister and Aaron the Brother of Moses spake against him because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married
to stand The Lord can establish those whom he setteth up The Lord doth not only set up but keep up whom he pleaseth Though they are weak whom he setteth up yet he can keep them up though they whom he setteth up are opposed by the strong yet he can keep them up He can make a shrub stand fast though opposed by a Cedar and a reed to stand firm like a rock though opposed by an Oak Thirdly Note The Lord taketh care of the Government of the world He is not for breaking work only he is for setting and setling too God will not let the body of a people perish for want of a head but when in judgement he hath broken one in pieces he in mercy sets up another Mighty men are like pillars which bear the weight of a whole Commonwealth or Kingdom God rarely deals with Nations as Sampson did with the house wherein the Philistims were assembled who at once pull'd away the pillar and pull'd down the house but if he pulleth away one pillar he puts in another that the house may stand God will not leave the world without rule or rulers when he takes with one hand he gives with another when Judas the Traytor was broken Christ found out a better man Matthias to set in his stead And when the whole Nation or Church of the Jewes was broken and rejected God called in the Gentiles and set them up for a Church and people to himself in their stead and which is the greatest instance of all when Jesus Christ was taken from the earth when he left the world who was the mighty one he was first broken in pieces for our sins and afterwards taken away yet he gave a supply and left us another in his stead I will not leave you comfortless saith he John 14.18 I will come unto you though not till the great day in person yet every day in the gifts and graces of my Spirit I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever John 14.16 Again John 16.13 When he the Spirit of Truth is come he will guide you into all truth God sent the Spirit in Christ's stead he doth that for us which Christ did for us while he abode on the earth and therefore the holy Spirit is not unfitly call'd the Vicar of Christ here on earth he feeds the flock of Christ he looks to his people he teacheth he comforteth them in Christ's stead And thus in Nations when God breaketh one Governour he sets up an other in his stead he will not leave Nations without guides and leaders nor suffer the staff of Government to be utterly broken which is the greatest plague that can come upon any people From the whole verse take these tree deductions First There is a vanity and an uncertainty at least the vanity of uncertainty in all worldly greatness and powers God blasts and breaks them as he pleaseth The most substantial things on earth are but as a shaddow or like the Land-sea's continually flowing and ebbing One is cast down and another is exalted one is broken and another is set up yea the same man who was lately exalted and set up may quickly be cast down and broken There is no assurance to be had of the best things here below but only this that we cannot be sure of them and 't is good for us that we cannot be sure of the best things here below both because we are so apt to say It is good for us to be here where yet our best things are not to be had as also because by this consideration we may be provoked to look after and make sure of better things then any are here enjoyed even those best things which are under hope Secondly Great examples of God's judgements are to be eyed and marked Why doth Elihu call Job to this consideration but that he might be humbled and give God glory it is not for nought that God breaks in pieces the mighty ones of the earth 1 Cor. 10.11 All these things have hapned unto them for ensamples and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come As all those things among the Jewes were Types so all that God doth to this day upon the Princes and Powers of the world Nunquam culpam suam reprobi nisi in poena agnoscunt Greg. lib. 25. Moral cap. 9. are but as types and ensamples they are for admonition that we should consider those sins which have brought such judgments upon men such breaking judgements and avoid them some will never see sin in it self but in the judgments of God all may see what sin is when mighty men are broken in pieces what will God do with the rest if they sin against him and provoke the eyes of his glory Zenacharib that proud Prince who invaded the land of Israel in the time of Hezekiah being broken in pieces by his own bowels his sons slew him it was ordered to be writ upon his Tomb In me intuens pius esto Herod lib. 2. Let every one that seeth me learn to fear God and not to defie him as I have done The breaking of the powers of the earth should exceedingly exalt the fear of God in our hearts Quicunque celsa dominatur aula me videat tu Troja nunquam documenta dedit sors majora quam frogili loco starent superbi Senec. in Troad de Hecuba Act 1. Sc. 1. It is better to learn wisdome by the punishment of others then by our own Thirdly If God will break the mighty though many yea though innumerable This is comfort to the people of God when they are opprest and broken by oppressors let them remember God is able to break their oppressors though they rise up like Hydra's heads one after another read the whole fifty and second Psalm as also the 39th and 40th verses of the 107th Psalm as a clear proof of this Elihu having shewed what sad breaches God makes upon mighty men makes a fourth inference in the words following Vers 25. Therefore he knoweth their works and he overturneth them in the night so that they are destroyed For as much as God breaketh them it is an argument that he knoweth what they are and what they have been doing There is a threefold reading of these words First Some read them as implying God's making others to know their works God maketh the secret sins of men visible Propterea facit ut nota sint facta ipsorum Bez. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cognoscit aliqui exponunt faci cognoscere sc facit ut ab omnibus eorum scelera cognoscantur Merc. by his visible judgements Wrath seen may give us a sight of sin Some insist much upon this exposition and 't is a truth the Lord by his judgments brings to light and doth as it were spread open as in the face of the Sun the wickedness and wicked deeds of
Sickness brings downe the strongest men 342. Severall ends for which God sends sickness 343 344. In sickness all creature-comforts are vaine and tastless to us 347. Sickness brings great decay upon the body 351 352. Sickness in what sense called a spending time 356. Sickness makes a wonderfull change in man 358. Sickneâ—s neere the grave three inferences from it 361 362. Other cautions from the nature of sickness 367 368. Sight twofold 816 Silence or holding our peace Vid peace Sincere persons doe not affect to be seene 770 Sin to say we have no sin how extreamly sinfull it is shewed in foure things 202 203. That shewed further 515. Sin three things in it 31. How man is sinned against God only sinned against properly 167. All sin reducible to three heads 198. Sin a defection from God 198. Sin is a defilement 199. Sin a hurtfull thing three wayes 201. Every step in sin is a step to misery 331. What sin is 448 450. Sin pretends to bring in profit to the sinner 454. No good can be gotten by sin 455. Sin is exceeding dangerous and destructive 455. Sinners shall confesse at last there is no profit in sin 456. The heart strongly set to sin 472 473. The more easily any man sinneth the greater is his sin 537. Sins of others how they may become ours 562 Sin unpardoned a great burden yet by some unfelt 809. We have many unknowne sins 818. A godly man desires God would shew him his sins 824. A godly man may live free from grosse sins 826. Sin considered three wayes 827. A godly man may commit sin after sin but he doth not adde sin to sin 828. The addition of sin to sin a great and most dangerous sio 830. To sin rebelliously what 856. When a sin may be called rebellion shewed in foure things 857 858. 'T is the burden of a godly man to sin and 't is his care not to sin 858 859 Sinners would but cannot hide themselves either from the eye or revenging hand of God 669 670. Sinners would hide themselves upon a twofold account 670. Foure things upon which sinners thinke themselves hid from God 672 673 Sirnames or titles of two sorts 126 Sleepe what it is 280. Three words in the Hebrew signifying sleepe 284 Soveraignty of God shewed 255 839 Man is never displeased with what God doth till he forgets what himselfe is 840. Soveraignty of God in afflicting the most innocent person 515. The Soveraignty of God shewed in five things 580. Three inferences from it 581. God hath an absolute power to pull downe and set up whom he pleaseth 683 Soule of man why called the breath of the Almighty 169. The soule floweth immediately from God 169 170 594. Three inferences from it 170. Soule put for the whole man 359 Speaker he that speaketh is at the mercy of his hearers 530 Speaking twofold 46. 'T is very painfull not to speake in some cases 114 He that speaketh his mind easeth his mind 116. The right end of speaking 116. To neglect speaking where duty calls very dangerous 117 A fourfold consideration is to be had of what we speake 149. We should first try and tast what we are about to speake 152. Three sorts who speake amisse doctrinally 156 157 How or when God is sayd to speake 264. Severall wayes of Gods speaking to man 265 Speech they who have most ability are usually most sparing of speech 45 Spirit often taken for the soule of man 51. Spirit of God free not tyed to age nor to any order of men 66 67 Spirit an imposing Spirit how bad 193. Spirit of God mightily over-powers some men both to doe and speake 114. Why our making is attributed to the Spirit 162. The Spirit of God is God 165. Eight reasons from Scripture proving that the holy Ghost is God 165 166 167 168. The Spirit supplyes the absence of Christ in the Church 685 Spirituall things are not understood by a naturall or unregenerate man 275 Two reasons of it 276. They that are spirituall doe not alwayes perceive spirituall things 277. Three grounds of it 277 278 Striving fourefold described 243. Man is apt to strive with God 248. Foure wayes shewed in which man striveth with God 249. Striving with God very uncomely and sinfull 250. Striving with God a presumptuous sin 251. Striving with God an irrationall thing 252. Striving with God of two sorts 255 256. Seven considerations why we should not strive with God 258. Seven preservatives against striving with God 259 260 Three things to be striven with 261 Submission with silence to the will of God alwayes a duty 479 Sufferings we may not will our sufferings though we must suffer willingly 793 Suspition a godly man suspects himselfe that he is worse and hath done worse then he knows by himselfe 825 Sword put for all violent calamities 330 T Talent not to be hid 72 108 Teachers should be leaders 489 Teaching of God twofold 821. God only can teach effectually 821. We should pray and wait for the teachings of God 823 Teachableness or a willingness to learn shewes an humble and gracious spirit 823 Threatnings it is good to thinke of them 139 Tongue he hath a great command over his spirit that can command his tongue 208. Tongue an unruly member 547 Troubles both nationall and personall at the command of God 644 Troubles overtake many when they least expect 645 Truth must be held and held to in all cases 121. Cleare truth should be spoken 158. We should speake truth clearely 159. Truth to be maintained with all our might 179. A good man seeks not victory but truth 487. We should grow up into highest confidences about the truth 569. Why some truths are and ought to be often repeated 571 572 Tryall word preached to be tryed before it be received 502. Tryall of two sorts 850. A person tryed may be trusted 851. Tryall by affliction 852 Turning back from God how sinners doe so 700. Three sorts of them who turne back from God 700 701 How some good men and how all unregenerate men turne back from God 701. The whole life of a person unregenerate is a turning from God 703 Twice considered three wayes 270 Twice thrice what it implyeth 464 V Vanity of all earthly greatness 685 Vision of God in this life what it is 432 Visitation or visiting a threefold sense or use of it 575 Unbeliefe a striving with God 249 Unbeliefe is the roote of Apostacy 704 Understanding of man taken two wayes 52. God can furnish the weakest man with much wisdome and understanding 61. In what sense every man hath not an understanding 602 604. Three attributes of the understanding 603. Only a spirituall understanding can receive spirituall things 604 605. What we heare we should labour to understand 605 Unity among the Saints the great argument moving to it 175 Vocation an act of absolute free grace 397 Uprightness of heart in speaking standing in a threefold opposition 153 Uprightness
he doth not thus put out his power We live and live comfortably we enjoy not only our lives but many mercies of this life and therefore surely God doth not deale rigorously much lesse unrighteously with man He that doth all men good beyond their deserts will not punish any man beyond his demerits He that doth not exercise his power alwayes where he might will not exercise it all where he ought not That 's the summe and scope of Elihu in the context under hand Vers 14. If he set his heart upon man To set the heart upon any thing or person is a Scripture expression often used noting more then barely to think upon or mind both or either It signifieth to have deep and serious thoughts to think with consideration and attention yea with some height and heat of affection And all this whether that thing which the heart and affections are set upon please or displease be comfortable or grievous for both love and hatred hope and feare are thoughtfull of and sollicitous about their severall objects Hence that caution Psal 62.10 If riches encrease set not your heart upon them we naturally love riches and therefore as naturally spend many thoughts both how to get and how to keepe them If a man have riches or an encrease of riches it is not unlawfull for him to thinke or them yet we should be as sparing of our thoughts that way as can be our thoughts and the bent of our soules should alwayes be upon God but that which the Psalmist forbids is the setling of our hearts As if he had sayd Let not your thoughts stay or dwell there Riches are themselves transient things therefore they should have but our transient thoughts Set not your hearts upon them for they may quickly be unsetled Samuel bespake Saul in the same language about a worldly concernment when he went out to seek his fathers Asses 1 Sam 9.20 Set not thy mind on them 'T is like Saul was over-burdened with this thought What 's become of or what shall I doe for my fathers Asses Be not sollicitous about them saith Samuel greater things are towards thee Abigail useth the same forme of speaking to David concerning Naball 1 Sam 25.23 Let not my Lord regard this man of Belial lay not to heart what Nabal hath sayd or done Thus Jonadab took off Davids feare that in one day he had been deprived of all his Sons 2 Sam 13.33 Now therefore let not my Lord the King take the thing to heart to think that all the Kings sons are dead for Amnon only is dead We are as apt to set our heart upon our losses as upon our enjoyments And to shew how little Pharoah regarded the heavy hand of God upon him it is sayd after Moses had turned all the waters that were in the river to blood Exod 7.23 And Pharoah turned and went into his house neither did set his heart to this also That is he slighted what God had done Let God speak and strike once and againe Apponere cor est vello decernere constituere q. d. Si ei suus animus suggererit Vatabl yea a third time yet hard-hearted men doe not lay it to heart nor set their heart upon it Thus here in the Affirmative it is sayd of God If he set his heart upon man that is if he doe but intend and mind this matter he can quickly bring it about even the perishing of all flesh If he set his heart upon man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Valet contra Si poneret concra eum cor suum i. e. si sibi proponeret hostiliter eum aggredi Pisc The text is rendered also If he set his heart against man The Hebrew particle signifieth not only upon but against Amos 7.16 Prophesie not against Israel c. And the generall sence of that reading may be given two wayes First If he set his heart against man to enquire strictly into his life and wayes if he should critically mark all his errours or faults and so resolve to proceed against him he might soon make an end of him as it followeth in the next verse As the strongest so the best and holyest of men are not able to stand before him Thus the words are an answer given by Elihu to that frequent request of Job that God would let him come near to judgement and hear his cause argued and debated before him even at his Bar but saith Elihu according to this sence If God set his heart against man if he doth but strictly enquire into his condition course and conversation it would be sad with him All men must perish Those two places in the Psalmes answer this interpretation fully Psal 130.3 If thou Lord shouldst mark iniquities O Lord who should stand That is No man shall We cannot stand in our righteousness before God how then shall we stand in our iniquities And therefore the second Text deprecates the Lord 's severe enquiry into our purest and most perfect services Psal 143.2 Enter not into judgement with thy servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified Secondly If he set his heart against man that is If he have a general purpose to destroy and ruine him by his absolute Soveraignty he can easily do it what God hath a minde to do or only willeth it to be done he hath power enough to do it He can make any man miserable and not only strip him of the comforts of this life but of his life too And as he hath power enough if he would use it so he hath soveraign unquestionable authority enough to bear him out in the use of his power Now seeing God who is cloathed with this absolute power yet doth not exercise such a power but having given man a being continues to very many men a comfortable being in this world and doth not willingly grieve or afflict any of the children of men nor execute any vengeance upon them without their desert surely then God is righteous he will not do wickedly Thus we have the importance of the Translation If he set his heart against man We say which also beareth fairly enough the same sence If he set his heart upon man Si direxerit ad eum cor suum spiritum illius flatum ad so trahet Vulg. If he gathereth unto himself his Spirit and his breath Some render it thus If he set his heart upon or against man he will gather unto him his spirit and his breath and then as it followeth All flesh shall perish together We repeat the supposition according to the Hebrew Text If he set his heart upon man If he gather to himself his spirit and his breath then c. Take either reading the general sense is the same and in brief 't is this If God have a minde to it he can quickly thrust all men out of the world He that gave man his spirit and his breath can at pleasure recal both and then