and downe-right in all his dealings and sayings There are no mockings with me I am what I appeare and I appeare what I am An Hypocrite is full of tricks and shifts he disguiseth both his person and his actions No man can tell where to have him or what to make of him When hee speakes his words doe not signifie what he meanes if they signifie any thing and when he acts his workes doe not signifie what he is they signifie any thing rather then that All are mockings of others though he will finde in the end that he hath mocked himselfe most of all Secondly As he joynes this with the next clause There are no mockings with me and yet mine eye continueth in their provocation Note that How plaine-hearted soever a man is yet it is very hard to perswade those who are once prejudiced against him that he is so Let Job say and professe what he would yet hee could not recover his credit nor set himselfe right in the opinion of men till God did it for him Chap. 42. But I passe that Are there not mockers with me What the mocking and scorning of Jobs Freinds was hath been opened Chap. 12.4 Cha. 16.19 and therefore I referr the Reader thither Doth not mine eye continue in their provocation Should he not rather have sayd Doth not mine eare continue c. Mocking is the object of the eare and not of the eye There are some mockings indeed by mimicall foolish gestures and they are the object of the eye Assiduè in id oculos mentis aciem intentam habeo quod me assidue irritant in eo defixae sunt omnes meae cogitationes Merc. Isti dies noctesque non cessant exacerbare animum meum Iun. Intenta cogitatio somnum impedit but here Job speakes of what he had from them in conference which is properly the busines of the eare and yet he faith Doth not mine eye continue in their provocation By the eye wee are to understand the eye of the minde Doth not mine eye that is Have I not a representation in my spirit or upon my fancy of your mockings and bitter provocations even as if they were visible before mine eyes Have I not night visions and apparitions upon my Bedd of what you speak or act against me every day Againe We may expound the Text properly of his bodily eye b cause the trouble which they gave him in the day time hindred his sleep in the night The letter of the Hebrew favours this sense Doth not mine eye lodge in their provocation So we put in the Margin of our Bibles Hence Master Broughton reads In these mens vexing lodgeth mine eye that is When I goe to Bed and hope to sleep then in stead of lodging in my Bed I lodge in the thoughts of my Freinds unkindnesse and indeed a man may sleep better upon the bare boards then upon hard words Such words keep the eyes waking and are as bad to sleep upon as a pillow of thornes especially when which was Jobs case the eye continueth in them Intentnesse of minde or vehement cogitation about any thing keep open the eyes and forbid the approach of rest Doth not mine eye continue In their provocation Provocations He called them Mockers and their mockings were provocations Vel a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 amarum esse Sive a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod est irritare sive exacerbare The word as some derive it signifies that which is bitter Provocation is a bitter thing Others derive it from a root signifying to irritate and stirr up the spirit of a man which is provocation properly Provocation is a high act of wrong A man may doe another wrong on this side a provocation as the provocation of God is a high act of sinne in man ordinary acts of sin doe not amount to a provocation Ps 106.7 They provoked him at the Sea it is this word even at the red Sea that is There they sinned extreamly So Ps 95.8 which the Apostle quotes Heb. 3.8 The holy Ghost cals the whole time of that peoples froward walking or sinning against God in the Wildernesse The provocation Harden not your hearts as in the provocation that is In the time when yee sinned not onely to the offending but to the provoking of God against you not to the breaking of his Lawes but to the vexing of his spirit When sin is compleat and iniquity growne to a full stature that day is justly marked in the Calendar of Scripture with a red letter implying wrath and is therefore called The provocation So when any man deales very unkindly frowardly or unfaithfully against his Brother then 't is a provocation Doth not mine eye continue in their provocation Now for as much as the same word signifieth both bitternesse and provocation and that most provocations are given by uncharitable and unconsiderate speeches Observe First Vnkinde words are bitter to the hearer The Apostle gives the rule to Husbands Col. 3.19 Husbands love your Wives and be not bitter to them that is Doe not give them bitter words in stead of faithfull counsels Some Husbands speak their Gall to their Wives to whom they have given their hearts Among the Heathens the Gall of the Sacrifice which they superstitiously offered at Marriages Quo instituto legis Author non obscure innuebat a conjugio semper debere bilem iramque abesse Drus Prov. Clas 2. l. â— was puld out and throwne away before it was presented at the Altar signifying that Man and Wife should be as Naturalists say the Dove is without Gall one towards another Wholesome counsels and admonitions for the matter are often administred with such an undue mixture of heat and passion as renders them not onely distastefull but hurtfull to the receiver Secondly Note Harsh words carry much provocation in them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 animum despondeo The same Apostle in the same Chapter enlarging his Institutes for the direction of Beleevers in all Relation bespeakes Parents Vers 21. Fathers provoke not your Children to anger The word signifies any kinde of provocation but that especially which is caused by contumelious and upbrayding speeches A Father provokes his Childe when he speakes hastily and threatningly terrifying his Childe rather then instructing him The reason why Fathers should not thus provoke their Children is added Lest they be discouraged or as the word imports be as if they were without soules â—noop't as we say and heartlesse For as there is a provocation in a good sense which heightens the spirit in well doing and enlivens it for action The Apostle exhorts to that Heb. 10.24 Let us consider one another to provoke one another to love and to good works that is let us set such copies of holinesse that others may be stirred up beyond their ordinary pitch and elevation of spirit to a zealous doing of good Or speake such winning words give such pressing exhortations that the hearts of your
Brethren may be carryed beyond their usuall course in holinesse Thus he tels the Corinthians 2. Epist 9.2 That their zeale had provoked many But to what had it provoked them Not to anger and passion towards any but to charity yea and liberality towards the poore And though the Apostle useth another word in the Greek yet he meanes the same thing when hee assures us Rom. 11.11 that the Jewes stumbled not that they should fall but that they might rise for so it followes But rather through their fall salvation is come to the Gentiles for to provoke them to jealousie The salvation of the Gentiles bred emulation in the Jewes What Shall they goe away with all the salvation Shall the Gentiles possesse Heaven alone whom wee thought the meanest people upon the Earth Come let us also put in at least for a part and get a share in Gospel-mercies and priviledges with them Thus they were provoked to emulation and this emulation was and shall be through the power of God who is wonderfull in counsell and excellent in working a help to faith in Christ and so to their rising from their fall And the Apostle was so intent upon the promoting of this designe of God that he professeth Vers 13 14. that he magnified his Office among the Gentiles not onely to save them but saith he If by any meanes I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh and might save some of them He hoped the Jewes would at last beleeve for anger or for very shame and goe to Heaven in a holy chafe Now I say as there is a provocation which heates and hightens the minde of man to an eager pursuite of the best things so there is a provocation which abates and blunts his edge which chills and flats his spirits to any thing that is good which was the ground of the Apostles dehortation Provoke not your Children lest they be discouraged And as the effect of such provocations is to some a discouragement in doing their duty so the effect of it in others is a thrusting them onn to doe that which is most contrary not onely to their duty but to their disposition Rayling speeches uncomely and uncivill language have provoked many both to speak and to doe that which they never dreamt of or which was most remote from their naturall temper and inclination For though such distempers lye in the bottome of nature yet unlesse they had been stirred and spurred up those distempers would not have appeared and broken out Moses was the meekest man upon the earth yet when they provoked his spirit he spake unadvisedly with his lips Psal 106.33 There are three ill effects of provocations First Provoking speeches raise up hard thoughts of the speaker It is a high worke of grace to thinke well of them who speak ill of us or to us Secondly Provoking speeches blow up hard words of the speaker many excuse it when they give ill language You provoked me And though they be not to be excused who doe so when they are provoked yet their sin is the greater who provoke them Thirdly Provoking speeches are sometimes the cause of revengefull practices and very often of licentious practices Sober admonitions and grave reproofes reclaime those who goe astray but violent rebukes make them desperate Some care not what they doe when they heare others say they care not what Many Children have run ill courses by over much indulgence and neglect of discipline and so have not a few by the over mvch severity and sharpnesse of those that are over them Patience is hard put to it to keep eyther minde or tongue or hand in compasse when wee are provoked Great provocations are great temptations When God is provoked he is tempted Heb. 3.8 Harden not your hearts as in the provocation in the day of temptation in the Wildernesse when your Fathers tempted me c. Wee may expound it two wayes First That while they tempted God by questioning his power for them and presence with them they provoked him he was greatly displeased with them for it Secondly That while they provoked God they tempted him they tempted him to destroy them or to act that power against them which they did not beleeve after so many experiences able enough to deliver or protect them If then God himselfe be so tempted that as he is pleased often to expresse himselfe after the manner of men hee can scarce hold his hands or forbeare to doe that which he had no mind to doe when he is provoked how much more is weake man tempted to doe that which his corruptions are alwayes forward enough and too too much to doe when hee is provoked Againe When he saith Doth not mine eye continue in their provocation Learne thirdly Hard words stick upon the spirit They hang about the minde and are not easily gotten off Good words dwell much upon the spirit and so doe ill words when a man hath onee got a word of promise from God about any mercy set home upon his heart the eye continues in that consolation O it is a sweet word the soule lyes sucking at it night and day And when a man hath once got a word of command from God about any duty set home upon his spirit his eye continues in the direction of it O how I love thy Law saith David Psal 119.97 It is my meditation all the day he could not beate his thoughts off from it when love had fastned on it As these good words cleave to a gracious soule and dwell with it so it is hard even for a gracious soule to dislodge hard words O how doth the eye continue in those provocations And doth not experience teach us that vaine thoughts throwne into the minde by Satan will not easily be driven out How often doth the eye continue in his provocations The spirit of a man hath a strong retentive faculty it will hold the object close and as it were live and lodge in it How many make their abode in provocations and reside upon bitter words received from their Brethren How many lye downe with them at night and rise with them in the morning yea and walke with their eye upon them all the day long And here it may be questioned Was not this a sin in Job That rule of love then was in being which is now expressed Ephes 4.26 Be yee angry and sin not let not the Sun goe downe upon your wrath Then how could Job suffer his eye to continue in these provocations I answer There was an infirmity in this 't is our duty as to forgive so to forget or lay aside the thought of injuries and wrongs received And it is the Character of wicked men They sleep not unlesse they have done mischiefe Pro. 4.16 Their eye continues in their owne corruption or in the temptation of Satan till they have brough it forth For as when good men have strong impressions unto good upon their spirits they cannot sleep
usually teacheth by the Word never against it and it is a tempting of God while he gives us meanes to linger after immediate Revelations yea when the Lord reveales himselfe immediately he uses to doe it without mans fore-thought or expectations The Prophets did not set themselves to receive Revelations from God but his Spirit came upon them with mighty power and irresistible evidence And though God doth reveale some of his secrets yet he hath secrets which he will not reveale The secret of the Lord is with them that feare him Psal 24.14 And his secret is with the righteous Prov. 3.32 This secret is either the good will and favour of God of which the World knowes nothing or the good Word and Faith of God of which the World knowes as little Both these sorts of Divine secrets are with the righteous and men fearing God but the secrets of his Counsel are reserved in his owne breast He reveales to his people the secrets of his bounty and of their duty what he will doe for them and what they must doe for him but many things which himselfe will doe shall never be revealed but by the doing of them Hast thou heard the secrets of God And doest thou restraine wisedome to thy selfe That is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Detrahis ad te quod sensu in idem recidit cum eo quod est tibi ascribis fraudando alios negatam aliis sapientiam tibi assumpsisti ex divino arcano Sapientia ultra te suos terminos non porriget Tygur Doest thou thinke there is no wisedome besides thine art thou at the very border and utmost limit of knowledge and understanding is all beyond thee ignorance and folly Hast thou got and engrossed all the learning from others and reserved it to thy selfe alone as thy peculiar with which none must intermedle without a license obtained from thee hast thou the monopoly of wisdome or is all but enough for thee Shall none of thy neighbours share with thee This is either a charge of greater arrogancy then the former Doest thou restraine wisedome to thy selfe or at least a charge of greatest uncharitablenesse goodnesse is diffusive and so is wisedome and it is the duty of good men to diffuse wisedome When they have heard the secrets of God they must communicate them to others not restraine all to themselves But I conceive Eliphaz intends onely the former charge Hence observe It is the highest straine of pride for a man to restraine wisedome to himselfe or to thinke himselfe so wise that all must addresse to him for wisedome God hath not given all wisedome to any one man or sort of men though he hath trusted some with more Talents of it then he hath done others The Priests lips of old under the Law and so the lips of Ministers under the Gospel should preserve knowledge and the people should seek both Law and Gospel at their mouth Mal. 2.7 Yet neither might the Priests then nor may Ministers now restraine wisedome to themselves The rule of the Apostle is Be not wise above what is written that is above holy Writ or above what is written from the immediate dictates of the Spirit of God They are as we say fooles in Print who say they are wise above what is thus written but we may be wise above what is spoken or written by any man for no man ought to restraine all wisedome to himselfe to doe so is the top-staire of Antichristian pride The Pope restraines wisedome to himselfe he boasts that he hath the secrets of God and that all must come to him if they will have them unlockt and opened His sentences from the Chayre are Oracles and there he is infallible all are obliged to receive what he saith because he saith it no man must scruple much lesse oppose or contradict it Thus to impose upon men is to set our selves in the place of the God of Heaven yea to arrogate to our selves that we are Gods on earth So the Apostle hath characteriz'd that man of sin 2 Thes 2.4 He opposeth and exalteth himselfe above all that is called God or that is worshipped that is above all civill powers or Magistracy So that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himselfe that he is God And as he out of all measure wickedly so many others in a very great measure have shewed themselves as God while they have taken upon them as we speake proverbially To give the Law yea to give the Gospel to other mens consciences or to bind up all mens tongues and judgements unto the rule of their apprehensions When the Apostle had called God to record that he alwayes purposed to be bold and plaine with the Corinthians he presently subjoynes this corrective 2 Cor. 1.24 Not that we have Dominion over your Faith but are helpers of your joy As if he had sayd Doe not thinke that I take upon me as a Lord over your consciences to charge any command or observations of my owne upon them No I am but as a servant of God to instruct you in his counsels and to comfort you with his promises The Grecians who were men of great knowledge and learning a very witty and Philosophicall people called all other Nations Barbarians Such pride appeares among some in name Christians they speake and act as if all knowledge and truth were centred in them or as if all were in the darke who see not by their light Knowledge is apt to puffe up how are they puffed up who thinke they know all though indeed they who thinke they know any thing know nothing as they ought to know 1 Cor. 8.2 God reveales that to Babes and Sucklings which he hides from such wise and prudent ones who restraine all wisedome to themselves God in judgement restraines wisedome from them who in pride restraine it to themselves and as God takes all wisedome from them who in another sense restraine wisedome to themselves that is who will not use it because they have but one Talent of it or but a little so he will give them no wisedome at all who thinke they are possessors or Lord-Treasurers of all the Talents of it as if all wisedome were layd up in them The Babâ—s and Sucklings such as are low humble and meek are the objects of this bounty as for the proud God beholdeth them affar off and they can never get neere wisedome who are farre from the God of wisedome While such vainely restraine wisedome to themselves the hand of God is justly restrained from bestowing it upon them Eliphaz having thus reproved Job for entitling himselfe to so rich a stock of knowledge either brought in by his owne long experience or from the speciall inspirations and teachings of God proceeds to challenge to himselfe and his Freinds a knowledge equall at least to what he really had in the ninth and tenth Verses Vers 9. What knowest thou that we know not what understandest thou that is not in us
it and have made that his businesse but hee had not a minde to doe it The bent of his spirit did not lye that way hee was all for Christ and the Gospell he was a Giant for the truth but an Infant a weakling as weake as water against it hee had neither an understanding to conceive nor a tongue to speake to the disservice of Jesus Christ It is a good observation of one of the Ancients upon this place Narrat justus quid facere potuit sed ne justitiam deserat quod facere potuit declinat Greg. A just man declares what he can doe but that hee may not desert Justice he forbeares to doe what he can The providence of God sets bounds to the power of a carnall man but the spirit of God sets bounds to the power of a holy man if a carnall man keep within compasse at any time it is because he is restrained but a godly man keeps within compasse because he is renewed Laban tels Jacob Gen. 31.29 It is in the power of my hand to doe thee hurt And vvhy did not Laban hurt Jacob Was it from any principle of love or righteousnesse in Labans breast The Text is silent in that and Laban himselfe seems to tell us whence it was in the same Verse The God of your Fathers spake unto me yesternight saying Take thou heede that thou speake not to Jacob c. And this his speaking to Laban Jacob cals Gods rebuking of Laban Vers 42. implying that if God had not stopt him he would have done him hurt It was more then once in the power of Davids hand to hurt yea to slay Saul and he was strongly moved by some of his great Officers to doe it yet he strongly refused to doe it or to suffer it to be done because it would have been sin in him to doe it himselfe being a private person and the way in which he had any opportunity to doe it being onely a private way when Saul was in the Cave covering his feet 1 Sam. 24.3 or in a Trench fast asleepe 1 Sam. 26.7 and therefore though he had strengthened himselfe against Saul with an Army and was ready upon his provocation to stretch forth his hand against him in Battell yet he saith Who can stretch forth his hand against the Lords annoynted and be guiltlesse David was not stopt from hurting Saul by a rebuke from God but by the rule and dictate of his owne conscience The thing might have been easily done but because it could not be innocently done therefore David could not doe it Secondly Observe more specially to the matter of this Text. A godly man when himselfe cannot be harsh and greivous to others though he have never so much advantage to be so His cannings are not for such uses What the Apostle saith of his Ministeriall power a gracious heart saith of all his power It is for edification not for destruction 2 Cor. 13.10 He designes his power for the helpe and comfort of all not for the hurt or greife of any A good man is mercifull to his Beast how then can he be unmercifull to his Brethren He pitieth a Beast fallen under a burthen how then can he be cruell to his Brother when he is under burthens Nature or common humanity abhorrs such actings much more doth Grace Paul gives this charge to Beleevers Beare yee one anothers burdens and so fulfill the Law of Christ Gal. 6.2 This Law of Christ is written in the heart of every man who is Christs and therefore he is farr from adding to another mans burden He that hath a fellow-feeling of his Brethrens sorrows will not encrease their sorrows no man will purposely encrease or add to that burden which himselfe must beare Could I speake as you doe Thus for the Negative what Job would not have done if their soule had been in his soules stead But What would he have done He tels us in the next Verse this is the course that I would take Vers 5. I would strengthen you with my mouth and the moving of my lips should asswage your griefe This is my designe and all the hurt I intend you These words in the substance of them have been opened Chap. 4.4 vvhere Eliphaz tels Job that he had done vvhat here he promised he would doe Thy words have upholden him that was falling and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees Thou hast instructed many and thou hast strengthened the weake hands Eliphaz had given testimony for Job that he had done what Job now professeth he vvas resolved to doe and vvould doe in case he vvere put into their condition and they into his I would strengthen you with my mouth that is With the vvords of my mouth and vvhich is the same the moving of my lips should asswage your griefe Here are the two parts of consolation and the two great duties of a comforter The first is to strengthen sorrowfull man The second is to abate the strength of his sorrows Job vvas resolved upon both Were they weake in faith and hope he vvould strengthen them were their feares and doubtings strong hee would endeavour to weaken them I would strengthen you with my mouth and the moving of my lips should asswage your greife The word Greife is not expressed in the Hebrew there it is onely thus Motio labiorum meorum prohiberet Heb. sc dolorem vestrum The moving of my lips should asswage be it what it will that greives you I would labour to asswage it I vvould asswage your feares your sorrowes your impatience your unbeleife vvhatever spirituall evill vvere upon you the moving of my lips should be for the removing of it Or as others render For the turning of it away For the word signifies First To abate in degree Secondly To turne away or to stop altogether My designe should be upon both I vvould study to the utmost of my power and parts not onely to mitigate but quite to remove whatsoever I should finde an affliction to you It hath been shewed Chap. 4.4 what power vvords have both to strengthen vveake faith and to asswage the strongest greife thither I referr the Reader onely take two breife notes from it First A good man doth not onely abstaine from the hurt that he might doe another but he labours to helpe him and to doe him good Not to heap words in anger upon them that are in misery not to shake the head at them in contempt is onely a Negative peice of charity and kindnesse 'T is our duty to use our utmost endeavour to refresh and comfort them Negative acts of kindnesse are not the fulfilling of the law of love it is not charity to the poor to say I will not make them poorer I will take nothing from them it is our duty to give them of what we have When a man is sorrowfull it is not enough to say I will not increase his griefe it is our duty to lessen it yea to
figere contendant Bez. and for a signe to be spoken against What signe A Butt signe or a Butt mark A signe to be spoken against that is All shall direct the Arrowes of their words against him Bitter vvords are compared to Arrows many showres of these were shot against Jesus Christ He vvas aymed at on every side by envious spirits and malevolent tongues He might say as Job Thou hast set me up as a mark Observe from this Allusion First The Servants of God must expect many afflictions from the hand of God A mark is not set up or it is very rarely set up for one shot As God hath more mercies then one in store for his people so he hath more Arrows then one for them in his Quiver When thou hast received one shot prepare for a second and a third Observe Secondly God seemes to take pleasure in afflicting his people This also contributes to the proofe of the generall Observation before given For the more pleasure any one takes in afflicting the more severity he shewes in afflicting A Father chastiseth his Childe with teares in his eyes every stroake vvhich a vvise Father gives his Childe is as a wound to himselfe and this abates the smart of the blow but for Fathers to doe it as the Apostle speakes Heb. 12. For their pleasure or vvhen it pleaseth a Father in that sense to doe it this encreaseth the smart The sufferer feeles most paine vvhen it is a pleasure to another to make him suffer Now vvhat is shooting at a mark No man shoots at a marke for toyle to make a labour and a businesse of it but men shoot at a mark for their recreation and pleasure God delights not properly in the sorrows and sufferings of his people he is not like those cruell Tyrants vvho fasten their Captives to a Post and then shoot them dead for sport God doth not willingly much lesse sportingly afflict the Children of Men Lam. 3.33 yet it pleaseth him to afflict them yea as Job speakes Chap. 9. He laughs at the tryall of the innocent that is He carryes himselfe as to their sense as if he did not regard vvhat they suffered though indeed he be infinitely tender of them in all their sufferings yet because they doe not alwayes understand the language of this laughter it makes them cry out as if God had forsaken them and were either really turned an Enemy against them or at least did not use them as his Freinds from which neer relation nothing appeares more remote then to be set up and shot at as a mark Observe Thirdly Affliction doth not hit the Saints by chance but by direction There is a great difference betweene shooting at randome and shooting at a mark God doth now draw his Bow at a venture as he who slew Ahab did 1 Kings 22.34 or shoot at the vvhole host of mankinde let the Arrow light where and on vvhom it vvill but he singles out the particular person whom he intends to hit Every one of his Arrows goes upon a speciall errand and touches no breast but that against whom it vvas sent And as this speakes the honour of God who determines as much upon whom as vvhat to doe and chuseth out those at vvhom he meanes to shoot as vvell as the meanes by vvhich he shoots at them so it should establish our hearts to receive his shot and in this sense to be like a senselesse mark which stirrs not from the Arrow nor vvithdrawes from the deadly Bullet It is not onely the grace but the glory of a Beleever when he can stand as a But-mark and take affliction quietly The Apostle speakes neer this language and fully this truth 1 Thes 1.3 I would that no man should be moved for these afflictions for you your selves know that we are appointed thereunto As if he had sayd I would have you stand as Posts notwithstanding all these afflictions Not that he would have them carelesse or secure but couragious and full of holy undauntednesse I would have no man flinch or stirr a foot no more then a mark that is shot at Why Knowing that wee are appointed thereto As a mark is appointed to be shot at and set up on purpose that the Arrow may be directed against it so the Lord sets up his Saints and Servants on purpose that he may shoot the Arrows of affliction at them therefore let us keep our ground and not be moved We honour God yea it is our honour also when we are unmoveable in active obedience as the Apostle exhorts 2 Cor. 15.58 Wherefore my Brethren be stedfast and unmoveable alway abounding in the worke of the Lord for as much as yee know that your labour is not in vaine in the Lord. But as it is our honour and Gods honour too when we are unmoveable in doing the will of God so it is a greater honour both to him and us when we are so in suffering his will or in passive obedience when wee stand to it and move no more in way of cowardise and impatience then a Post when it is shot at This is the glory of a Christian and it is his duty this is the glory of God and it is his due though it be put here as an aggravation of the greatnesse of Jobs affliction that he was set as a standing mark yet it is a hightning of our praise contentedly to be so God will make wicked men his standing mark to all eternity against whom he will shoot the Arrowes the poysoned Arrows of his indignation which shall drinke up their spirits and yet their spirits shall not be consumed God makes his precious Servants and faithfull people his standing mark for a time they feele the Arrowes of affliction and are deeply wounded as Job further prosecutes his sad condition continuing the Allegory in the next Verse Vers 13. His Archers compasse me round about he cleaveth my reynes in sunder 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Magni ejus sed hic quadrare non potest Licet enim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sig. magnitudinem sive in quantitate continua sive in discreta hic tamen in discreta est accipienda a multitudine enim sagittarii dicuntur Rabim God hath a Bow he hath his Arrowes and his Archers all ready at a call The decree of God is his Quiver his Arrows are his purposes and the Instruments which execute them are his Archers whether rationall or irrationall whether men or things any thing which God useth to afflict man by is his Archer His Archers have compassed mee about The word is Rabbi His Archers from Rab great so some read it His great Ones have compassed me about The word Rab doth not onely signifie greatnesse in bulke or continued quantity but in number or discreet quantity Hence Archers are called Rabbi great ones not from their magnitude but from their multitude because Archers goe in company two at the least and usually many are a set or they are called
our hearts and our thoughts are the writings of our hearts when our purposes and thoughts are broken the Tables of our hearts are broken Hence Observe First Right purposes are good but it is not good to live upon purposes Action must presently follow resolution and performance must be speeded after purposes else they are to little purpose When David had sayd I will confesse my transgressions unto the Lord Psal 32.5 he instantly confessed them And when he sayd I will take heed to my wayes Psal 39.1 he instantly tooke heed to them His purpose was in nature before his practice but in time they went together There is a double danger in delaying purposes First That the minde of the purposer may change and his spirit grow flat towards them Secondly that the seasons may change and though hee have a mind yet he may want means and opportunity to performe them There is danger in both wayes and much sin in the former way of breaking purposes The danger of both will be more discovered in the second Observation Secondly Observe When great afflictions come especially when death comes all our purposes are broken off As man is apt to busie himselfe about many things which he cannot know so about many things which though they are possible to be done yet he shall never doe It is in man to purpose but wee must aske leave of God before we can performe Crosse providences breake many purposes but death breakes all All our purposes concerning the World and the things of the World dye with us When the breath of great Princes goeth forth Psal 146.4 In that very day all their thoughts perish Great Princes are full of great thoughts but they who cannot keep themselves from perishing shall never keepe their thoughts from perishing The imaginary frames which they set up the contrivances plots and projects of their hearts are all swept away like the Spiders webb or broken like the Cockatrices Egge when themselves are swept away from the face of the Earth and broken by the power of death The thoughts of many Princes and Politicians dye while themselves live Achitophels purposes were broken and disappointed while himselfe looked on and he was so vexed to see it that hee executed himselfe because his purposes were not executed In these times of publick shaking how many purposes have we seen goe to wrack They who have been long laying their designes and brooding upon their counsels have had their egs broken in a moment their thoughts blown away like Chaffe before the wind or the lightest dust before the whirlwind Now as the purposes of many about gathering riches about taking their pleasure about advancing themselves to or establishing themselves in honor and high places have perished before they dyed so when such dye all their purposes shall certainly perish And as the purposes of all about worldly things perish in the approaches of death so doe the purposes of some about spirituall and heavenly things How many have had purposes to repent to amend their lives and turne to God which have been prevented and totally broken off by the extremity of paine and sicknesse but chiefly by the stroake of death when they have as they thought been about to repent and as we say turne over a new leafe in their lives they have been turned into the Grave by death and into Hell by the just wrath of God Some interpret this Text as Jobs complaint of the unsettlement of his thoughts about heavenly things and the breaking of his purposes in the pursuit of eternity He could not make his thoughts about Heaven hold or hange together even those thoughts were full of gaps and empty spaces or rather like Ropes of Sand. Many honest and gracious soules have found worke enough upon a death-bed or a sick-bed to attend the paine and infirmity of their bodyes When they have purposely set themselves the habituall bent of their hearts being alwayes set that way actually to seek God Non poterat jugi contemplatio in rerum divinarum ut quondam solebat intendere propter vim doloris Phil. to meditate upon the precious promises to put forth fresh lively workings of Faith upon the Lord Jesus Christ they have been suddenly recalled yea even forcibly fetcht back by some violent assault of paine or a previous charge of death So that those thoughts which should be and they desired that they might be like their objects most durable and steady were yet more like some odd ends or broken pot-sheards more like vanishing flashes or wandring fansies then that beautifull frame of heart or those well combined and fastned meditations which they intended For though all the troubles of this life and the approaches of death it selfe cannot breake disappoint or scatter those fixed purposes and thoughts which a Beleever hath had Propter multiplices animi motus perturbationes jam dolebat jam timebat nunc se erigebatin spem meliorem nunc iterum concidebat or those results and resolves which he hath often made in his own soule about the hopes and concernments of eternall life yet he may be pitifully puzzled amuzed and interrupted in his present motions and meditations about them Hence take this Caution Seeing not onely our worldly thoughts perish but our spirituall thoughts may be much broken by strong temptations and variety of bodily distempers in times of trouble and sicknesse let us hasten to settle our purposes and thoughts about eternall life yea to see our soules passed from death to life before we see sicknesse and sorrow much more before we see our selves ready to passe from life to death Purposes to repent or to minde heavenly things not onely may but for the most part are broken off and lost when sicknesse and sorrow finde us Beware of this deceit of the Devill who tells us we shall have leasure to seek God when wee are sick and that we shall have a faire opportunity to settle all the affaires of our souls when we are going out of the body then he tels us we shall have nothing else to doe and therefore we shall surely do it then Let not Satan deceive us with these vaine words for then he intends us most blowes then is his season to breake our thoughts into a thousand peices and to vex us with the splinters even when we lye upon our sicke beds or are bewildred with affliction There is scarse one of twenty but findes breakings and convulsions upon his thoughts at the same time when he feeles them upon his body How often have sick men been heard to say We cannot set our selves to think seriously of Heaven or to act Faith c. To suffer and be sicke is worke enough for any man at one time He had not need to have his greatest worke to doe when he hath such worke to doe They who have had brave spirits and fixed holy purposes upon their death-beds were such as had been long excercised in them before
the vvords as a wish O that your soules were in my soules stead yet Job did not wish it for their hurt but that he might have an opportunity to shew how much hee would labour to bee their Servant in Love to doe them good Hence Note A good man doth not wish ill to those who have rewarded him with evill upon any other termes then a discovery of his owne goodnesse 'T is sin to wish that they who are in a comfortable condition might fall into our misery though they have been miserable comforters to us in our misery We may not in this case wish paine or sorrow to any sort of men except upon one of these two considerations First That vve may give them an experiment of our tendernesse towards them in doing them all the good vve can in their affliction Or secondly That God may give an experiment of his graciousnesse towards them in doing them good by their afflictions The Prophet Isaiah Chap. 14.10 foreshewes how they vvho had been vveakened by the power of Babylon should insult over vveakned Babylon All they shall speake and say unto thee Art thou also become weake as we Art thou become like unto us The people of God shall at last rejoyce in reference to the glory of God and publick good to see their destroyers destroyed and those weake who have weakned them But the people of God in reference to any private or personall interest cannot rejoyce at the destruction or in the weaknesse of any man much lesse can they wish them weake that they might have an opportunity to rejoyce over them Paul was a Prisoner and in bonds yet he did not wish the worst of his Enemies in Prison or in Bonds with him he onely wisht that they might enjoy the same liberty by Jesus Christ which himselfe enjoyed For when he had almost perswaded King Agrippa to become a Christian he sayd I would to God that not thou onely but also all that heare me this day were both almost and altogether such as I am except these bonds Acts 26.28 29. I would keep my chaines and troubles to my selfe I would have none of you know my sorrows but I would that all your soules were in as good a state as mine and knew my comforts A holy heart wisheth all well as well as it selfe and if at any time he wisheth that to the worst of his enemies which is penally evill he doth it with an eye both to their spirituall and eternall good Thus of the words as they are read in the forme of a wish We read them as a Supposition If your soules were in my soules stead And then the two latter branches must be interpreted as acts of unfreindlinesse shewing what Job could but would not doe as was toucht before I could heap up words against you That is I could make long speeches and enlarge my selfe in discourse I could speake terrour and thunder out whole volleys of threats against you I could deafe your eares with loud voyces and sad your hearts with heavy censures There is a figure in Rhetorick called Congeries or The Heape Many words to the same sense especially when there is little in them but words are called justly a heape of words Now saith Job Quassare caput apud authores Latinos gestus est hominis irati aut minantis aut lamentantis Drus .. Ridentes caput motitant Drus I could be as nimble at this figure as you and with my speech I could mix your action Shake my head at you Shaking the head notes scorne and threatning Psal 22.7 All they that seeme laugh me to scorne they shoot out the lip and shake the head saying He trusted on the Lord c. So the afflicted Church complaines Psal 44.14 Thou makest us a by-word among the Heathen a shaking of the head among the people We have this action joyned with two more which signifie the greatest contempt by lamenting Jeremiah Lam. 2.15 All that passe by clap their hands at thee they hisse and wag their head at the Daughter of Jerusalem saying Is this the City that men call the perfection of beauty the joy of the whole Earth Our blessed Saviour upon whom contempt and scorne was to vent it selfe all manner of wayes hee being to beare all that scorne as well as all that paine which was due to our sins our blessed Saviour I say was scorned this way Matth 27.39 And they that passed by reviled him wagging their heads So then to shake or wagg the head at a man in affliction speakes as sometimes our pity so most times our contempt and as it is usually accompanyed with audible mockings so it selfe is a visible mock Which being interpreted speakes thus to the person afflicted Thou evill-doer or thou hypocrite thou doest even well become thy sufferings all these miseries are well bestowed on thee c. In this sense Job seemes to speake here I could shake my head at you I have indeed been as one mocked of his Freind Chap. 12.4 and I could mock my Freinds I could laugh at your calamity and mocke when your feare commeth but my conscience beares witnesse with me that if it should come I would not Hence Note First A godly man hath a power to doe that evill which he hath no will to doe A carnall man hath a will to many evills for which hee hath no power or opportunity A godly man would not doe any evill how much power and opportunity soever he hath And indeed though he hath a naturall or civill yet hee hath not a morall power to doe any evill In which sense the Apostle speakes of a regenerate person 1 John 3.9 He that is borne of God cannot sin He hath a naturall power to sin any sin to lye to be drunk to be uncleane c. He may have a civill power to oppresse to deceive to wrong his Brother yet he cannot turne either his hand or his heart to such works as these are he hath learned better and is better He is borne of God his blood and pedigree is so high that hee cannot meddle nor trade in such low things Wisedome is too high for a foole saith Solomon Prov. 24.7 and folly is too low for a wisedome When Joseph was solicited by his Mistresse to commit folly with her he answers How can I doe this great wickednesse and sin against God Gen. 39.9 Joseph wanted neyther power nor opportunity to doe that wickednesse yet he saith How can I doe it Paul and his fellow-Apostles had wit and parts sufficient to oppose the truth yet he saith 2 Cor. 13.8 We can doe nothing against the truth but for the truth Paul was a great doer and he saith Phil. 4.13 I can doe all things through Christ strengthening of me but Paul could doe nothing to the dishonour of Christ Doubtlesse Paul could have maintained an argument and drive on an objection as farr as another man against the truth if he would have set himselfe to
till they have done good their eye continues in that holy provocation Psal 132.4 I will not saith zealous David give sleep to my eyes nor slumber to my eye lids untill I finde out a place for the Lord an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob So wicked men give no sleep to their eyes till they have done that mischeife or executed that revenge to which they conceive themselves provoked But the eye of Job did not continue in those unfreindly provocations to watch an opportunity for selfe-revenge upon or of doing mischeife to his Freinds He did not let the Sun goe downe upon wrath that he might devise their ruine in the darke He was not so wise as he should have been to hurt himselfe and hinder his rest by such a continuall poring upon their unkindnesses but he was not wicked at all much lesse so wicked which some from this passage may conceive him as to pore upon their unkindnesses with a purpose to hurt them So that act might have somewhat of sin in it because hee troubled his owne peace more then he needed but it had not this sin in it that he studyed how to trouble the peace of others Lastly We may rather interpret these words to the blame of his Freinds who continued to provoke him then to his whose eye because they did so could see nothing but provocation or at least must see that whatsoever it saw and therefore could not but continue in it How could the eye of Hannah chuse but continue in the provocation of Peninnah when it is sayd 1 Sam. 1.6 7. That as her Husband Elkanah gave her speciall tokens of his love yeare by yeare so shee provoked her to make her fret yeare by yeare therefore shee wept and did not eate While a provocation is continued our sense of it can hardly be intermitted Job having complained of received provocations renews his appeale to God Vers 3. Lay downe now put me in a surety with thee who is he that will strike hands with me The words are an Apostrophe to God That Job speakes to God not to Eliphaz is cleerer then needs be proved The word which we render lay downe signifies also to appoint Exod. 1.11 They did set or appoint over them Taske-masters And againe Exod. 21.13 I will appoint thee a place whither he the man-slayer shall flee Appone cor tuum i. e. adverte quaeso animum meis verbis Vatabl. In the present Text both rendrings of the word are used We make use of the first Put or lay downe What would Job have God lay downe Some give it thus Lay downe or apply thine heart to me attend I pray thee to my words and consider my cause Secondly The words may be conceived as an allusion to those who going before a Judge or having a cause to be tryed by Umpires use to lay downe an ingagement or as wee call it an Assâ—mpsit that they will stand to the award or arbitrement which shall be made Put me in a surety with thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Est fideijubere pro aliquo seu aliquem in suam fidem recipere Hinç arrabo spiritus Pone pignus vadem aut fidejussorem mihi tecum Pagn-Dispone quaeso consponsorem mihi tecum Jun. Num Arrabonem dabis The Originall word properly signifying to undertake for or to give credit and assurance in the behalfe of another and hence the Noune derived from it signifies an earnest because an earnest layd downe is a reall surety that such a thing shall be performed In which sense Thamar useth the word Gen. 38.17 who when Judah promised to send a Kid of the Goates said wilt thou give me a pledg til thou send it and hence in the new Testament the word Arrabo is used in the Greek as also in the Latine for the earnest of the spirit or for that assurance which the spirit settles upon the hearts of Beleevers in this life that they shall inherit eternall life 2 Cor. 1.22 Who hath also sealed us and given the earnest of the spirit in our hearts And againe 2 Cor. 5.5 Now he that hath wrought us for the selfe same thing is God God having prepared a place for us prepares us for the place and then gives us our evidences that in due time wee shall take possession of it Who also hath given us the earnest of the spirit The same Apostle tells the Ephesians that After they beleeved they were sealed with the spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance till the redemption of the purchased possession Ephes 1.14 So that an earnest is a reall suâ—ety and a surety is a personall earnest While Job saith Put me in a surety his meaning is hee would have some person to be an undertaker for the ordering of his cause or an ensurer that all should be performed according to the determination that should be given about it Put in a surety with me Who is he that will strike hands with me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sig Defigere infigere si de contractibus dicitur percutere manum He proceeds in the same allusion These words are disposed two wayes Some put the Interrogation after He Give or put me in a surety Who is he I would gladly see the man or know who it is Who is he let him come and strike hands with me whosoever he is As if hee had sayd I shall easily agree that any man should have the hearing and determining of this businesse whom thou shalt appoint Quis est manui meae plaudatur Jun. Quisquis ille sit fide jussor meus veniat paciscatur mecum In sponsionibus manus invicem complodebant hinc manum complodere pro pacisci stipulari Merc. We put the Interrogation after the whole sentence Who is he that will strike hands with me And then the sense appears thus If God once put in a surety to undertake for me who is hee that will contend with mee or engage in this Quarrell against me To strike hands is a phrase of speech grounded upon that ancient forme of making bargaines or entring contracts by joyning or striking hands And these contracts may be taken two wayes or under a double notion First As they concerned suretiship for Money in which sense Solomon speakes of it more then once Prov. 6.1 My Son if thou be surety for thy Freind If thou have striken hands with a stranger that is if thou hast entred into Bond for him and hast testified it by striking hands then c. Prov. 22.26 Haec est sponsio quae propriè ad mammorum negotium spectat Aben Ezra in Prov. 6. Be not thou one of them that strike hands that is Be not too forward to engage thy selfe or to undertake for others as it is expounded in the next words or of them that are sureties for debts such hasty engagements may bring thee into more trouble then thou wilt