every pressing danger let us go to God in faith and hope and he will either give us enlargements or do us good by and in our worst and greatest straits Thirdly Note As it is good when at any time we are in trouble to look to God so we should then look to God specially under this relation as he is our Maker It is good then to say God is my maker and I am the work of his hands therefore he will take care of me and deliver me out of the hand of my oppressors There are five duties which arise from this Consideration that God is our Maker First We should highly esteem and be thankfull for this benefit our making Secondly We should be confident that he who hath made us will preserve us Thirdly We should patiently submit to him when he afflicteth us himself or suffers others to afflict us Fourthly We should give him glory by believing that he will take care of us in or deliver us out of all our sufferings and afflictions Fifthly We should not think nor speak hardly of God because he hath made us subject to tryals and the exercise of patience neither should we take it ill that he hath made others so high or great that they have power to oppress us In all these respects we should look to God our maker and neither murmure at nor be afraid in a day of â—ffliction The Lord himself poynts us to that Isa 51.12 13. Who art thou that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall dye and of the son of man which shall be made as grasse and forgettest the Lord thy maker It is good in time of affliction to remember God in all our relations and in this as our maker in a three-fold making of us First As our maker in a natural capacity that is as he hath made these bodies of ours we may plead with and urge the Lord to take care of and preserve our bodyes because he ha h made them preservation is an act of providence and pâ—ovidence followeth creation Secondly As our maker in a civil capacity that is as he hath made us rich or poor high or low in the world or in any worldly enjoyments Pharaoh that great Dragon lying in the midst of the rivers said Ezek. 29.3 My river is mine own and I have made it for my self But grace teacheth us to say otherwise if we are rich or strong God hath made us so if our river be broad and deep full and over-flowing God hath made it so and if we are poor and weak if our river be naâ—row and shallow empty and dry God hath made it so and who shall say to him Why hast thou made it so That God is the maker of our crosse should make us quiet under it Thirdly A godly man should look to God in affliction as his maker in a spiritual capacity I do not mean as he hath made our spirits but as he hath made us spiritual or as we are his workmanship that 's the Apostles word created in Christ Jesus unto good works Eph. 2.10 That we are thus wrought works much upon the heart of God in the day of our affliction That God hath made us men that we are his creatures is a good argument a faire plea and moves much but that he hath made us new men or new creatures his Sons by grace and Temples of his Spirit that he hath made us holy believing righteous is a far stronger argument a suller plea and moves much more A soul that can go to God thus and tell him he is his maker a soul that can say as 't is said of the Church Isa 54.5 My maker is my husband He that made me hath married me to himself a soul that can say this may indeed triumph in and over all his tribulations How sweet is it to have an interest in Christ and by him a relation to God as our maker in this respect When the Lord rejects a people to the utmost he saith he will not be stayd no not by this relation as their maker from doing it Isa 27.11 This is a people of no understanding therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them and he that formed them will shew them no favour As if the Prophet had said If any argument could move the Lord to shew mercy this would do it to tell him he hath made such a people or he is their maker But there are none whom the Lord hath made in the third sense as to a new creation but he will have mercy on them and shew them favour his making of them such is a gâ—eater mercy and an higher favour thâ—n any they can ask of him nor are there any of that making who are of no understanding So then he that is made of God spiritually needs not care for all the unmaking or undoing he can receive from men nor fear that he shall ever be unmade or unmercy'd by God All he can lose in this world doth not cannot make him miserable who is made fit for the world to come He knoweth he hath an estate setled upon him by his Maker which cannot be taken away A man thus made may say to his spoylers Ye have taken nothing from me but the scraps and sweepings the parings and chippings of my estate The Archers indeed have sorely grieved me and shot at me but my bow abides in strength and the armes of my hands are made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob. He that is spiritually made or made a new creature is made for ever and in every strait he may look to God his Maker as a helper and restorer He that made us when we were nothing can help us when we are reduced to a very nothing It is an encouragement to go to God for healing because he hath wounded us Come and let us return unto the Lord saith the Church for he hath torne and he will heale us he hath smitten and he will bind us up Hos 6.1 Much more is it an encouragement to go unto God to be our healer because he hath been our Maker He that hath made us can mend us He that built us can repaire us if we say as we ought and have been taught Where is God our maker Who giveth songs in the night Those words contain a second Consideration why the oppressed should seek to God he giveth songs that is matter of songs or cause of singing joy and comfort even in the night There are several opinions about the meaning of these words Some as I shewed before interpret this verse of the oppressors None of them say Where is God my maker who giveth songs in the night So the words are a description as of the great worldly security so of the great worldly felicity of those oppressors Poor men labour all day hard and being wearied out with their labours when night cometh they go to bed But prophane great and rich men
is translated quite through with respect to wicked oppressors who cast God out of their thoughts never saying Where is God my maker who hath set me up who hath given me this power and given me songs that is occasions of joy in the night The wicked have abundance they can feast it and sing it day and night yet mind not God the fountain and bestower of all This is a truth in it self and because the interpretation is insisted upon by some as the truth intended in the present Text Take this Note from it Oppressors put away the thoughts of God or mind not God when they do or are about to do mischief They make the oppressed cry but they say not Where is God They neither speak nor think of God who hath cloathed them with power and made their arme mighty We finde this frame frequently ascribed in Scripture to oppressors Elihu chargeth Job with it Chap. 22d where having told him to his face of many acts of oppression Thou hast stripped the naked of their clothing v. 6. Thou hast withholden bread from the hungry v. 7. And the armes of the fatherless have been broken v. 9. Having I say reckoned up these his supposed oppressions he concludes v. 13. And thou sayest How doth God know can he judge through the dark Cloud David in prayer speaks the same of his oppressors Psal 86.14 O God the proud are risen against me and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul and have not set thee before them Psal 94.5 6. They break in pieces O Lord thy people and afflict thine heritage They slay the widow and the stranger and murder the fatherless Yet they say the Lord doth not see it neither shall the God of Jacob regard it All these Scriptures may be resolved into the Text They say not Where is God my maker They who do all they can to unmake and undo their fellow-creatures care not to remember him who is the maker and creator of us all But Secondly I conceive those words None saith Where is God my maker are rather to be referred to the oppressed than to the oppressors The oppressed cry indeed but not unto God their maker As Job said Job 24.12 Men groan from out of the City and the soul of the wounded cryeth out yet God layeth it not to heart so here Elihu saith men groan and cry yet themselves lay not God to heart None saith Where is God my maker Thus our translation seems to carry it and thus 't is most generally understood None of the oppressed say c. Taking this sense Elihu here begins to assigne the reason why the oppressed are not delivered As if he had said 'T is true there are a multitude of pressures and oppressions and they transport all manner of men with passion the oppressed cry they make much ado when they suffer against them under whom they suffer But few or none are so wise in such a case as to recollect themselves and make serious application to God putting him in mind of his own gracious nature towards the work of his hands to have mercy upon it and in faith to seek to him for remedy and comfort as being only able to relieve and glad the heart in great extremities they look not to the hand of God when they cry out by reason of the arme of the mighty they only toyle and teare themselves with complaints they cry out of this and that man of this and that instrument but alas they find neither redress nor deliverance because they say not Where is God my maker That is they are more forward to complain of wrong done them by men than to remember what good or what favours God hath done them They do not particularly and specially apply themselves to God in their trouble they do not seek nor enquire early after God Non habet cogitationem deliberationem propositum quaerendi deum neque agnitionem aestimationemque beneficiorum ejus sunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Coc nor humble themselves before him or under his mighty hand neither do they consider what God is to them nor whether he be with them and in them and if they find not God near them not in them they consider not how they may be united to him or get him near them We find God when we heare his voyce speaking to us by his Word and Spiâ—it and hearken to his voyce we find God when we are at peace with him trust upon him confidently and rejoyce in him comfortably The oppressed considered not these things None saith Here is an universal Negative none that is not so much as one yet we may understand it with an allay none that is few or none as we commonly speak say Where is God my maker Possibly many say it with their mouths but few or none say it either fiâ—st heartily or secondly spiritually or thirdly humbly or fourthly repentingly or fifthly believingly or sixthly submittingly and therefore no wonder if they are not heard and helped when they cry It is a common thing for men in distress or under oppression to cry out O God O Lord The name of God is taken by many in vaine when any thing afflicts or hurts them but few call upon his name It is no easie matter to cry out in deed O God my maker or to say with a serious holy and gracious frame of spirit Where is God my maker There is a twofold understanding of these words Sunt verba optontis First Some look upon them as an earnest wish or prayer for help None saith Where is God my maker That is none saith O that God my maker would appear in the present manifestations of his power to succour and deliver me In which sense Elisha is conceived to speak when he smote the waters with Eliahs Mantle 2 Kings 2.14 And said Where is the Lord God of Elijah As if he had said O thou God of Elijah come shew thy glorious power and divide these waters Sunt verba gratulantis Secondly Others expound them as an expression of praise or as the words of a man looking up to God in thankfulness for former benefits in present straights Where is God my maker Where 's he that made me and hath preserved me hitherto As if Elihu had said none of these oppressed ones have recourse to God in the day of their calamity confessing and acknowledging his great goodness to them in their creation and further preservation which might much comfort and encourage their hearts under present grievances and pressures None saith Where is God my maker The word maker may be taken in a threefold notion First for him that hath given us our being As God is the maker of heaven and of earth so he is our maker Gen. 1.26 27. Secondly for him that hath continued us in and preserved our being for providence is a renewed creation Thirdly for him who haâ—h raised us up or preferred us
serves their turn and answers their state by a common instinct of nature which man hath answerable to his state either by immediate Revelation or by means of instruction from God So then Beasts and Birds receive their peculiar qualities and abilities from God as well as their Being And God hath bestowed those qualities which are shadows of wisdome and understanding upon Beasts and Birds not only for their own preservation but for the benefit of man that they may be more useful to him and fitter for his service As God hath made both Man and Beast for himself so he hath made the Beasts of the Earth and Fowls of the Air for Man either to serve mans necessity or to procure his honest delight And that they might reach both these ends he hath furnished them accordingly A creature which hath not somwhat in it like Reason could be little made use of by the Reason of Man Thirdly Note Man is far better taught than either the Beasts of the Earth or Fowls of the Air. Man as Man hath that in him which wonderfully exceeds the Beasts of the Earth and Fowls of the Air he hath Reason in him which they have not he is a reasonable creature which they are not and so can do that which they cannot Man by the power of Reason is able first to propose to himself an end in what he doth secondly to chuse fit means for the attaining of that end neither of which Beasts can do And if any man be without wisdome to propose to himself a right end and to chuse due means loâ—ding thereunto there 's little difference between that man and a beast surely all his wisdome is but brutish Further God hath not only given Man a sense of those things which are hurtful to him as he hath to the Beasts of the Earth and Fowls of the Air but God hath given Man an Understanding by which he knowing God may worship him by which also he may see into and foresee the causes of things and likewise rightly apply known means either to prevent or remedy evils and to bring about that which is good Again as God hath bestowed that wonderful blessing of Reason upon Man above Beasts and Fowls which makes him capable of higher instructions and fruitions than either of them so God hath provided higher and better means for the instruction of Man than he hath for the instruction of Beasts He teacheth us more For First He hath given his Word to Man not to Beasts he hath not made a Bible for the Beast of the Earth and the Fowls of the Air but for Man he hath that he might both know his will and do it know his favour or good will to him and enjoy it Secondly He hath given some men his Spirit he hath not bestowed his Spirit upon any Beasts nor upon any Fowls of the Air and because his Spirit teacheth us we are said to be taught of God eminently taught of God Thirdly he hath given us his Ordinances and appointed Officers or set persons in Office to mannage and hold out those Ordinances wherein himself is both honoured and enjoyed He saith the Apostle Eph. 4.11 12. gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the Body of Christ for the bringing in and building up of souls He sheweth his Word unto Jacob his Statutes and Judgments unto Israel Psal 147.19 and as it follows in the next verse of the same Psalm He hath not dealt so with any Nation as with his Israel his Church to be sure he hath not dealt so with the Beasts of the Earth nor with the Fowls of the Air as was shewed also in opening the Text. Further as to the matter in question about the Providences and dealings of God with man God hath taught Man much more than Beasts As First That all things which befall us come from and are ordered by himself Secondly That we ought to receive the Rule and take instruction from God how to behave our selves under his various dealings Thirdly He hath taught us at all times and in all turns of Providence to stay our selves in waiting upon him Psal 37.7 Fourthly He hath taught us in times of trouble and affliction to cry to him and call upon him as his children in faith not barely to complain much less to be impatiently outragious like Beastâ— Now if God hath taught us more than the Beasts then we should not live by sense nor pursue sensible things as Beasts do but aspire to and seek after union and communion with God whom the beasts of the earth know not How greatly will this aggravate the sin of man if having been taught more than beasts any man should be found to have learned less than beasts as will appear yet more in the next observation but one Fourthly Elihu at least intimates this Note Men sometimes act but as or indeed below the very beasts of the earth and the fowls of the air For saith he they say not Where is God our maker who gives us songs in the night who teacheth us better or more than the beasts of the earth As if he had said In extremam stultitiae meam incidimus si sapientiores nos eo putemuâ— qui sapientes nos facit The beasts of the earth answer the instinct of nature which is all the cost God bestows in teaching them better than men do those costly teachings and instructions which God bestows upon them by his Word by his Spirit by his Ministers by his Ordinances and by his Providences for all these wayes doth the Lord teach and instruct men from day to day yet men often act not only beside and below but quite contrary to all these teachings The beasts of the earth keep up to the instruction which they have received the instinct of nature they move according to that but man who hath an understanding doth not alwayes move suitably to his understanding man hath reason yet he doth not alwayes regulate his motions by reason but is hurried by passion or led by sense as a beast Psal 49.20 Man that is in honour and understandeth not is like the beasts that perish that is though his state and spheare be higher than a beast yet he moves by as low a principle as a beast even by sense or sensual appetite either irrascible or concupiscible as a beast doth By the man in honour that understandeth not the Psalmist intends not a fool that hath no understanding nor an Idiot that hath no use of reason but he is said not to understand because he doth not use his understanding as he in the Parable that did not use his Talent is said to have none Mat. 25.29 Understanding is a Talent and a great one a choyce one too A man that hath the greatest natural understanding and reason yea possibly the greatest learning and experience
God he will not bow his ear to us We only fill the air with words we are but sounding brass and tinkling Cimbals in all we say to God unless we do what God saith Elihu supposing Jâ—bs spirit yet unsubdued or not wrought and brought into a right frame under his affliction might well say he openeth his mouth in vaine and as it followeth to the same effect in the close of this verse and Chapter He multiplieth words without knowledge Here is another hard censure upon this good this holy and wise man Job Some Expositers fall heavy upon Elihu as charging Job too far he spake say they many things that were right but not rightly he spake many things that were true but he did not speak truly in fixing them upon Job he spake all uprightly but somewhat too rigorously And indeed if he had charged him so far as to say he had no knowledge at all and had not opened his mouth at all to purpose he had charged him beyond both truth and modesty But Elihu who was set up by God for this very end to humble Job had ground to tell him that as to some things he had both opened his mouth in vaine and multiplied words without knowledge that is he had spoken many words which seemed not to proceed from any sound or well-grounded knowledge and I may give a four-fold ground of it First Because he had not sufficiently attended and magnified the Soveraignty of God in laying those afflictions upon him Secondly Because he had not as he ought sate down quietly under the hand of God but often called to know the cause and that God would plainly tell him the reason or give him an account why he suffered Whereas he should have remembred that as many of the judgements of God are unsearchable and his wayes past finding out by man so he hath reserved some of them as secrets in his own breast and will no more give any man an account of them than any man ought to desire an account of them Thirdly Because he had not more considered his sin or had not been so much in considering the greatness of his sin as he had been in setting forth the greatness of his integrity For though it were true which Job spake that his way was upright and though God had given testimony to his uprightness and integrity in all his wayes yet he should not have insisted so much upon that poynt which had so much affinity with self-boasting though he intended it only for self clearing or for the righting of himself It had been more becoming him to have been aggravating his sin than setting forth his righteousness this was the poynt that Elihu struck at that he had justified himself too much and judged himself too little Yea Job was convinced of this at last Once have I spoken but I will speak no more that is of my own integrity or righteousness Fourthly He may be said to have multiplied words without knowledge because he had spoken so much in the aggravation of his afflictions 'T is true his afflictions were very great yet Elihu censures him deservedly because he took too much notice of them complaining often and often how heavy the hand of God was upon him yea that God was an enemy to him whereas he should rather have lookt upon the visitation of God as light and easie Inscritam objicit quod pugnantia saliem non satis inter se cohaerentia conjunaeit Merl or at least as but little comparatively to what the Lord was able to lay upon him or what his sin might justifie God in laying upon him Elihu having observed Job often and long striking upon that string hightning his sufferings and troubles had reason enough not only to call him off from it but to check him for it And therefore let us remember and be admonished that in all our afflictions we should not so much set forth the greatness of our suffering as the greatness of the mercy of God we should look upon little mercies as great it shews an excellent spirit when we heighten and greaten the mercy and goodness of God even in little things but we should speak of and look upon our greatest chastenings and afflictions as light and little Job fayled somewhat in all these things and in some of them his faylings were great and upon some of if not upon all these grounds I judge Elihu gave this judgement upon Job He openeth his mouth in vaine and multiplieth words without knowledge Job also yeilded himself thus faulty at last Chap. 42.3 Who is he there he speaks of himself in a third person Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge therefore have I uttered that I understood not things too wonderfull for me which I knew not I shall close my thoughts upon this Chapter with minding the Reader First of Elihu his candedness â—owards Job beyond what he found from his other friends for Elihu chargeth Job here only with vanity and inadvertency not with any premeditated wickedness or blasphemy as Eliphaz had done Chap. 22.13 14. Secondly let me mind the Reader of that liberty and plainness of speech which Elihu used towards Job in telling him of and censuring him for his faylings as also of that patience meekness and equanimity with which Job heard received and bare his sharpest censures not replying one word in passion nor so much as pleading the least excuse for his former passionateness but taking all in good part and doubtless improving all for his spirituall profit JOB Chap. 36. Vers 1 2 3 4. 1. Elihu also proceeded and said 2. Suffer me a little and I will shew thee that I have yet to speak on Gods behalf 3. I will fetch my knowledge from afar and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker 4. For truly my words shall not be false he that is perfect in knowledge is with thee ELihu hath already made three addresses or speeches to Job and here he begins a fourth this and the next Chapter are wholly spent in it and are the issue of his whole discourse with this sorrowful man In which we may consider three parts First The Preface or rather the Prefaces of his speech Secondly The Body or Substance of his Speech Thirdly The Conclusion of it The Preface or Prefaces the Introductions of this Discourse of Elihu with Job are contained in the foure verses of this Text under hand The Body of his Discourse is begun at the fifth verse inclusively and continued to the 23d verse of the next Chapter exclusively The Conclusion of all is laid down in the two last verses of the 37 Chapter In this copious Discourse or long Oration Elihu brings not any new assertion or saying of Job to be proved against him nor doth he reprove Job for any new fault but insists upon the proof of what himself had asserted before to shew that God is righteous or to maintain the righteousness of God which he doth variously by
of rigour when they see thy afflicting hand heavy upon me therefore either to prevent such rash judgements of man or that thou mayest gaine the day and have the better in the opinion of all good and wise men over thy Judges Behold I here freely confess my great sin with all the aggravating circumstances of it and surely they who know or shall hear how greatly I have sinned against thee cannot but justifie thee how great soever my sufferings may be To speak thus is to ascribe righteousness unto God in all that he doth whether with respect to his publique judgements upon Nations or particular upon persons in any way of affliction he is pleased and seeth need to exercise them with And the reason why Job was here charged by Elihu as a person not giving righteousness to God was because he did not sit down quietly and patiently under his hand in sufferings but muttered and complained as a man unsatisfied with though he did not openly murmur against the dealings of God with him To give righteousness to God is not only not to accuse him as unrighteous and unjust but to thank him for and honour him in all that he doth or to speak good of his Name under all our sufferings of evil Further to ascribe righteousness to God is to justifie him though he give never so much prosperity to unjust and wicked men Jer. 12.1 Righteous art thou O Lord when I plead with thee yet let me talke with thee of thy judgements Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously Some begin to think surely God is not righteous when they see the unrighteous prosper and at rest while righteous ones are afflicted with continual hurries and troubles but whatsoever God doth with us or ours whatsoever peace he gives to wicked men whatsoever trouble to good men he is still righteous and to acknowledge this sincerely is actually to do what Elihu undertakes to do even to ascribe righteousness to our Maker And surely that knowledge will quit the cost though we have fetcht it very far by which we are taught and have learn'd to ascribe righteousness for that 's the ascribing of gloâ—y to our Maker I saith Elihu will ascribe righteousness To my Maker There 's something in that expression very considerable Elihu doth not say I will ascribe righteousness to God but speaks of God under that relation His Maker 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 importat facere aliquid cum intentione diligentia energia quae valde enitet in formatione hominis Bold The word signifies not only in General to make or create of which work Moses treats in the first of Genesis but it notes the doing of a thing first with diligence secondly with skill great intention of mind 't is to draw all our spirits together in a work as Artists do This divine art or skill did chiefly appear and shine forth in the creation or formation of man Not that God straines himself in any work but he speaks thus to shew that the highest perfections and exactness imaginable yea beyond all imagination were centred and laid into the works of God or the things that he hath made will ascribe righteousness to My Maker He doth not say to the Maker of man or to the Maker of Heaven and Earth but to my Maker he appropriates that common work of God to himself God is the maker of every Creature the least worme the least fly is of his making yet Elihu speaks of it as his peculiar priviledge my Maker There 's a great Emphasis of affection in those Pronounes Mine Delicata sunt haec pronomina Meum Tuum Suum et plena affectionis pronomen hoc substantive ponitur pro amico Dulcesque meorum reliquias Virgil Aeniad 4. Ego meorum solus sum meus Terent Thine His. Elihu in this my intimates a friendly sweetness and closeness of relation between God and him To call another Mine is more than to call him a friend of mine And to say God is my Maker is more than to say He is the maker of me or the maker of my soul and body 'T is the Dialect of lovers Whom we love we call Ours It is so in the writings of Heathen Poets and Orators One of them said I must do this with the gifts of mine that is of my friends and another I only am my to mine Much love reignes in this Language of faith up and down the Scriptures chiefly in those raptures of divine delight between Christ and the Spouse in the Book of Canticles Elihu is here greatly affected as with the righteousness of God in all his works so in the workmanship bestowed on him I saith he will ascribe righteousness to my Maker Hence Note First God is the Maker of man I shall not stay upon that Secondly In that he holds himself engag'd to stand up for God as his Maker Note The Common benefits of God to man should be acknowledged and he honoured for them God hath made man and beast and he preserves man and beast A godly man sees peculiar mercy to him in both though they be common mercies General mercies should have they highly deserve special remembrances All the works of God are to be lookt to as personal engagements God hath made others as well as thee yet so remember him to be thy Maker as if he had made none but thee and indeed every one that is made is as much beholding to God as if he alone had been made As some things which are made in common for all men the Sun the Air c. are so made that no man could have more of them than he hath if they had been made for him only So though it be common to all men that God is their Maker yet no man could have more in his making if none had been made but he One of the Ancients represents all the Creatures offering themselves to man in general and speaking these three words Accipe Redde Cave First Receive us cheerfully for we were made for thee Secondly Render thanks for us daily for we are all made useful unto thee Thirdly Take heed you do not abuse us for you must give an account to our Maker and yours how you have used us And surely as we should strive to honour God for all things which he hath made so mostly for our own making The Lord is often in the Old Testament especially spoken of under this Relation Psal 121.2 Our help standeth in the Name of the Lord who made Heaven and Earth So Psal 124.8 Psal 95.6 Psal 146.6 Still God is remembred as the Maker of all things and he is thus remembred not only in opposition to Idols or false gods who are gods made by man not the makers of man but God is thus remembred and recorded in Scripture to preserve a grateful memory of God in man as he is the Maker of man He that
soever because he is high nor the great how great soever because gâ—eat God himself is great and mighty and they that are like usually rejoyce in those that are like them Therefore God being mighty himself doth not despise or reject those that are mighty because they are so there must be some other reason it is not their mightinesse why God despises and casts down the mighty God is mighty and despiseth not the mighty Hence Note The great God is no enemy to greatnesse God doth not despise the mighty the Kings and Princes of the Earth as they are such he hath no antipathy in him against greatnesse nor doth he reject any man because he is great if he doth at any time reject a great man it is because of the abuse of his greatnesse God dislikes no mans just power but the unjust exercise of that power The Authority and Power of man over man is of God therefore God doth not despise men because they are in power He ordaineth Powers There is no Power but of God the Powers that be Non potentia justa sed actio prava damnatur Greg. l. 26. c. 24. are ordained or as our Margin hath it ordered of God He puts power into the hands of men and disposeth of their power God cannot despise his own Ordination 'T is the abuse of Power and not the Power it self which the Lord sets himself against and that indeed he doth set himself against he despiseth the most mighty and powerful Princes of the World when they instead of governing are only vexing others with their Power This causeth him to poure contempt upon Princes Psal 107.40 and renders him terrible to the Kings of the Earth Psal 76.12 Yet the Lord is never so angry with nor doth he so aggravate the faults of those that are in Power as to make Power it self faulty Indeed when great and mighty men turn their Power into oppression then the Lord speaks as if he had conceived a displeasure against all great and mighty men yet he is not displeased with their greatnesse but with the mis-improvement of their greatnesse and mal-administration of their Power The Prophet puts the Question Hab. â— 8 Was the Lord displeased against the Rivers was thine anger against the Rivers was thy wrath against the Sea What was the reason why God turned the River of Nilus in Egypt into blood What was the reason why God divided the Red Sea Was he wrath with the River or with the Sea No he was wrath with the great Ones of Egypt his wrath was against Pharoah and the Egyptians Such an expression we have Nahum 1.4 He rebuketh the Sea and maketh it dry and dryeth up all the Rivers Bashan languisheth and Carmel and the Flower of Lebanon languisheth What was the meaning of all this it only signified that the Lord was highly displeased with the great and mighty Ones of the world who were to others as the Sea is to a River and as Carmel and Lebanon were to the Plains and low Valleys of the Earth exceeding them in height and greatnesse I say he was highly displeased with them because these carried it amiss in the exercise of their high Power it was not because they were high and great but because they had not exalted God in their highnesse nor acted towards man as became those who were advanced above and over other men Thus all along the Lord speaks against and rebukes the high and mighty upon no other account but the unrighteous administration of their might highness God quarrels with no man meerly for his might The Historyes of all Ages have reported the great and mighty men of the World opposing the mighty purely because they were so Some say they did it out of Reason of Statel but the true Reason of it usually was their own pride or envy Superbia parem non fert because they could not bear those that were equal with them as Pompey much lesse a Superiour as Caesar could not Or it was out of fear that the great would undermine their greatnesse or bring them down Thus mighty men oppose the mighty as mighty but the Lord is infinitely above these thoughts He is mighty and he despiseth not the mighty nor doth he set himself against them Magnificus magnificentias cogitabit Heb. because they are mighty The liberal Isa 32.8 deviseth liberal things and by liberal things shall he stand David a great P ince prayed Psal 51.12 that God would establish him by his free or Princely Spirit that being a mighty King he might never any more entertain low and unworthy thoughts of any man Maximus virtute cordis Coc. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Potens est robore cordis i. e. valet animi praestantia est magni animi ergo opera manuum suarum non contemnit Merc. nor do any thing unworthy of God or of himself Again Our Translation distributes the latter part of the verse into two Branches of the mightinesse of God He is mighty first in strength and secondly In wisdome This by others is rendred a single Proposition He is mighty in strength of heart Strength of heart may be taken three wayes First For courage in dangers Secondly For patience in troubles Thirdly For noblenesse and greatnesse of mind in all we do In this third or last sense we are to understand it here as if Elihu had said The Reason why the Lord being mighty doth not despise the mighty is this Because he excels all others not only in mightiness and power but in the nobleness of his Spirit The Lord hath such an heroical Spirit that he can do nothing below or unbecoming himself This is an excellent reading of the words Take two Notes â—rom it First By way of Assertion Secondly By way of Illation By way of Assertion thus The Lord hath a wonderful noble heart and magnificent Spirit He hath not only an outward power as many have but an inward power he is not only Master of others but as I may say he is Master of himself Many are Masters of others who are not at all Masters of themselves they are mighty in the strength of hand yet weak as to strength of heart The inward excellency and mightinesse of the heart of God may be seen eminently in a threefold respect First The Lord is mighty of heart as to patience and long-sufferance in bearing with those that are evil The Lord is infinitely above that patience which consists in the bearing of evil though that as was toucht before shews much strength of heart but he is continually in the exercise of that patience which consists in bearing with those that are evil And O how great is the strength and might of Gods heart in this Some of the Rabbies translate the Original Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 long-suffering The Prophet Nahum speaks of God as slow to anger and great in power Chap. 1.3 It argueth strength of heart indeed when we
several of the Kings of Judah they were brought from the throne to the prison Zedekiah and Jeckoniah and Manasseh had such sad changes when they highly provoked God they came from their Thrones to the prison from a Crown to the cords of affliction yea this hath been the lot of many other righteous men exalted they have been brought to the prison and laid very low in this world Solomon saith of one Eccles 4.14 Out of prison he cometh to reigne and of another he saith in the same verse He also that is borne in his Kingdome becometh poor such vicissitudes and revolutions come over the heads of the children of men yea good men are not exempted from such changes and revolutions Therefore be not offended if at any time you see good men in chaines and fetters in a condition of great affliction Thirdly From the manner of expression When they are bound in fetters and holden in cords Affliction is set forth and described by cords and fetters Hence note Afflictions are grievous to the flesh Are not fetters so are not cords so The word here translated cords is several times in Scripture applyed to signifie the pains of a woman in travel those are most dolorous paines such are some afflictions The Apostle speaking of affliction in generall Heb. 12.11 saith No chastning for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous 'T is no easie thing to be in fetters and cords to be bound in chaines Afflictions streighten and press pinch gall like fetters they burthen the flesh they are no light matters Though the Apostle comparatively to the weight of glory calleth the heaviest outward afflictions light 2 Cor. 4.17 yet first in themselves and secondly to our flesh they are very heavy Therfore we should pity those that are in affliction as those that are in fetters and cords and we should pray for those that are in affliction as for those that are bound Every affliction is a kind of captivity If they be bound in fetters and holden in cords of affliction thus it may be with the righteous But is not this an argument that God hates them surely no we read the mind of God towards them notwithstanding this in the next verse Vers 9. Then he sheweth them their work That is when they are in cords and fetters But did he never shew them their work before yes doubtless he did but then especially and effectually then he sheweth he declareth he makes manifest to them or he causeth them to see and know their work The word in that conjugation signifieth not barely to shew but to make them see understand and consider their work he brings them to a review of what they have done and to see that they have done amiss Then he sheweth it is a shewing with power an efficacious shewing he sheweth them their work What work this their work may be considered two wayes First As to the matter of it what they had done Till we see what we have done we repent not of what we have done how much soever it ought to be repented of as the Lord complained of Israel by the Prophet Jer. 8.6 No man repented of his wickedâ—esse saying What have I done Secondly As to the vitiousnesse or falsenesse of it He sheweth them their work that is either what they had done which was evil in the matter of it or what they had done in an evil manner though in it self good â—he sheweth them the evil of their work the irregularity the crookednesse and sinfulnesse of their work That this is the meaning appeareth plainly in the words that follow Then he sheweth them their work and their transgression that is that there is some transgâ—ession or fault possibly many faults and transgressions in their work Then he sheweth them their work Hence Note Fiâ—st Sin is properly the work of man That is of the flesh in man Gal. 5.19 The works of the flesh are manifest which are these Adultery c. Good is Gods work in us evil is our work against the mind of God Sin is often called the work of our hands Psal 28.4 Give them after the work of their hands render to them their desert that is what they have deserved by their sins Moses declared his fear and holy jealousie concerning the children of Israel in this Language Deut. 31.29 I know that after my departure ye will utterly corrupt your selves because ye will do evil in the sight of the Lord to provoke him to anger by the work of your hands Idolatry is specially called the work of mans hands because Idolaters either worship that as a god or God by that which their hands have wrought Rev. 9.20 They repented not of the works of their hands that they should not worship Devils and Idols of Gold and Silver and Brasse c. Yet Idolatry is much more the work of the heart than of the hand And as Idolatry so any other sin whether of heart or tongue may be called the work of our hand it being that which is most properly our work though originally the Devils work As to pardon sin is properly the work of God so to commit sin is properly the work of man There is no work so much ours as that no work properly ours but bad work all the good we do is the work of God in us or by us Secondly Note Man doth not see the falseness and faultiness of his own work till God sheweth it him There may be many cracks and flaws in our good works which we perceive not we are ready to think and say All 's well we have done very well until God lets us see our work in his light in the light of his Word and Spirit and then we shall see cause to be humbled for those works which we were proud of and sometimes boasted in The Prophet Haggai 1.5 called the Jews to consider their ways they saw their wayes but they considered not their wayes and therefore they saw not the evil and error of their wayes As we see many of the works of God yet see not the excellency or admirable contrivance of them till himself sheweth it so we see many of our own works yet we see not the sinfulnesse vanity and folly that is in them till God shew it unto us he maketh us see our work as it is Thirdly From the circumstance of time when it is that the Lord sheweth unto man his woâ—k the falseness of his woâ—k the Text saith Then he sheweth them their work that is when they are bound in fetters and holden in cords of affliction Hence Note The badness or sinfulness of our works is most usually and most cleerly discovered to us in times of affliction then sheweth he them their work Josephs Brethren did a very ill work in selling him into Egypt and in putting off their Father with a lye yet they took little notice of this work for many years but when they were bound in fetters and holden in
way of admonition and counsel forasmuch as he had done amiss before and carried himself unduly under the hand of God even so far as to fulfil the counsel of the wicked that therefore he would now for the time to come take heed and be more wary And lest Job should slight this admonition or counsel Elihu adds a powerful motive to urge that duty upon him even the wrath of God Beware Why Because there is wrath Beware and beware lest this wrath breaking forth he take thee away with a stroke And how dreadful the wrath of God is Elihu shews in these three verses by a threefold Consideration First because if we fall into the Lords hand when he is in wrath there is no meanes under heaven that can deliver or bring us off This he asserteth at the latter end of the 18th verse Then a great ransome cannot deliver thee It is dangerous coming un-der that wrath from which a ransome especially a great ransome cannot deliver What that ransome is which cannot deliver us is expressed in the 19th verse Will he esteem thy riches no not gold A Second motive to beware oâ— this dreadful wrath is this because if once the wrath of God be up as there is no ransom so no power in the creature that can deliver That we have in the latter part of the 19th verse nor all the forces of strength though thou hast armies millions of men in armes yea though thou hast legions of Angels in pay yet they cannot prevail all the forces of strength cannot deliver thee There is also a third consideration to shew the unavoidableness of the wrath of God namely because there is no sleeing no making an escape from it Some indeed are so angry that you cannot satisfy them with a ransom and so powerful that no strength can deliver you from their power yet possibly you may make an escape and hide from them you may get out of the way and lye out of sight but saith Elihu that will not do neither in this case v. 20. desire not the night when people are cut off in their place the night or darkness will be no cover to thee from the wrath of an angry God Thus you have the sum and substance of this admonition to Job Beware because there is wrath and that wrath of God so terrible that nothing can deliver from it no ransom no power nor can we deliver our selves by flight or by darkness I shall now open the words more distinctly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 calor ira a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 caluit incaluit quod iracundi incalescunt Verse 18. Because there is wrath beware c. The word which we translate wrath comes from a root that signifies heat or to be hot and we know they that are angry and in wrath are very hot their mind and spirit are enflamed we use to say to an angry man why are you so hot the wrath of man is hot the wrath of God is certainly much hotter Because there is wrath but where is it I answer First there is wrath in the breast or heart of God there his anger is kindled against sinners Secondly There is wrath in the decree of God against sinners Zeph. 2.2 Thirdly there is wrath in the threatnings of God there it first appeares and breaketh forth Deut. 29.20 So the Apostle Rom. 1.18 The wrath of God is revealed from heaven How is it revealed As his love is revealed in promises so his wrath in threatnings Fourthly there is wrath in the works of God in his Judgments acted upon the children of men As there is wrath hidden in his breast and decreed so wrath is heard from his mouth in terrible threatnings and seen in his hand by terrible Judgments executed upon his enemies We may see wrath in the dealings of God his works tell us he is angry Therefore fear to persist lest in his anger he take thee quite away We should beware of sinful works lest we provoke and stir up the Lords anger to make bloody work There is wrath particularly as to the dealings of God with thee O Job saith Elihu therefore Beware The word beware is not expresly in the Hebrew texâ— but it is plainly intended and supplied by Interpreterâ— in geneâ—al to make up and clear the sence of this verse We have a like reading in the 36th of Isaiah v. 18. Beware lest Hezekiah perswade you c. The word beware is a supplement added there in a different character to shew that it is not expressed in the Hebrew As if Raoshakeh had said If Hezekiah perswade you to stand out against my Master Sennacherib you will provoke his wrath to your utter ruine and destruction therefore beware There as here beware bespeakes our caution because there is wrath take heed what you do or say Hence note First There is a wrath of God against sin or God will appear in wrath against sinners The Apostle John in his first Epistle Chap. 4.8 tells us in a direct predication God is love and 't is as true God is wrath The wrath of God is a divine perfection it is the perfection of God as his love is God is one and the same he is not divided into several passions perturbations or affections but thus the Scripture speaks of him to denote what we may expect from him and what he is and will be in his actings towards them who obey him not Secondly note The wrath of God appears and is put forth in his works of judgment As the goodness of God is his love acted or as the good things which God doth for us are love-actions so the evils that are upon us are wrath-actions I do not say that every evil which we endure in this world is the acting of wrath upon us but I say there is wrath in the actings of evil upon us Moses said to Aaron Numb 16.46 Go quickly take a Censer hast hast and make an atonement there is wrath gone out How did he know wrath was gone out He tells us in the next words the plague is begun He saw wrath in that dispensation of God the plague begun argued that God was angry Because there is wrath beware Hence note Thirdly We should by all meanes take heed and beware of the wrath of God The wrath of man is a small matter to the wrath of God yet we are very careful to beware of the wrath of man especially of great men The wrath of the Kings and Princes of the world is like the â—oaring of the Lion saith Solomon and we are ready to tremble at that but O how should we tremble at and beware of the wrath of God! Who knoweth the power of thine anger Psal 90.11 We may take some scantling some measure of the wrath of man and know how far it can go and what it can do but we can take no measure of the wrath of God for it is immesurable and therefore we should avoid every
to what we should shun and avoid which is the work of God alone by his grace and Spirit Thus David shews how God is teaching while he is chastening Psal 99.12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest O Lord and teachest out of thy Law God teacheth First by his Word that 's his ordinary way of teaching Secondly he teacheth by his Works and those both the workes of Creation and of Providence and by those whether workes of Mercy or of Judgement By all these meanes God teacheth But that which Elihu chiefly aimeth at in this place speaking to afflicted Job is his teaching by affliction Who teacheth like him As if he had said God doth not lay his hand upon thee by affliction only to make thee smart but to make thee wise he is instructing thee while he is afflicting thee Further as God teacheth by his Word and by his Works so he teacheth most eminently by his Spirit who alone maketh the teaching both of his Word and of his Works effectual upon the hearts of the hearers and beholders Many are taught but none to purpose without the Spirit Who teacheth like him Note Secondly God is no ordinary teacher The teachings of God are above all other teachings There is no teacher to be compared with God Elihu doth not say Who teacheth besides God There are many other teachers but there is not one who teacheth like him Some may say wherein doth the excellency of divine teaching lie how hath that the supereminence above all other teachings Take the answer briefly in seven words First none teacheth so plainly and clearly as God The teachings of men are but dark and obscure to the teachings of God Christ said John 16.26 I shall no more speak unto you in parables but I shall shew you plainly of the Father God speaks by his Word and Spirit to the lowest and meanest understanding Secondly none teacheth like God that is so mildly so moderately so condescendingly to the condition and capacity of those with whom he hath to do Christ said John 16.12 I have many things to say unto you but ye cannot bear them now and therefore I will not say them now I will not buâ—den you beyond your strength I know what lessons what instructions you are fit for and I will give you only these and no moâ—e till ye are better prepared to receive them I will give you only milk because ye are children and so not able to digest-st ong meat Thirdly none teacketh like God so patienâ—ly and meekly There is nothing doth more provoke the passion of a teacher than the untowardness and dulness of those that are taught It was a very good Rule given by one of the Ancients he that will teach children must in a manner be a child He must consider what they are and forme himself to their condition else she will never have the patience to teach them O with what patience doth the infinite and only wise God teach his children Isa 28.9 10. He giveth line upon line and precept upon precept here a little and there a little Here is the patience of God He doth not say if ye cannot take it now I will teach you no more No saith God I will give precept upon precept and line upon line though former precepts have not been received yet I will give you more here a little and there a little ye shall have another little to the former little God was forty yeares tutoring and teaching the Israelites in the wilderness to fit them for the possession of Canaan These three yeares saith Christ have I come looking for fruit and all that while he was teaching them to make them fruitfull nor was he hasty then but upon the inâ—ercession of the vineyard-dresser waited one year more O the patience of God in teaching Fourthly none teacheth like him that is so constantly and continually He teacheth and he is alwayes teaching there is no hour no moment but one way or other God is reaching By every thing we hear or have to do with in the wayes of his providence he is teaching us B sides how constant is God in teaching us formally as 't is said in the Prophet Jer. 35.14 15. I have sent unto you all my servants the prophets rising up early and sending them As if the Lord did bestir himself in the moâ—ning to send our teachers betimes He soweth his seed in the morning and in the evening he doth not with hold his hand as he requireth us to do in all sorts of duty whether of charity and righteousness towards our nâ—ighbour or of piety and holy worship towards himself Eccl. 11.6 Fifthly none teacheth like him that is so truly so unerringly While men teach they sometimes mis-teach while they lead they often mis-lead they teach error for truth and unsafe doctrine for sound they build wood hay and stubble in stead of gold silver precious stone upon that sure foundation Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 3.12 The best the wisest and most knowing men may erre only God knoweth the full compass of all mysteries yea he is Truth therefore his teachings are most true Sixthly none teacheth like him that is so authoritatively Men teach in the name and authority of God but God teacheth in his own name and authority The Lord giveth Authentity to his own word If the Lord hath said it that 's warrant enough to receive it and believe it When Christ preached the people wondered at his doctrine Mat. 7.29 For he taught them as one having authority and not as the Scribes that is there went forth a mighty command with the word of Jesus Christ He did not as I may say beg attention and submission to his doctrine but exact it upon them and draw it from them Where God teacheth he commandeth his word worketh mightily when he speaketh all must hear at their peril Whâ—â—e Princes give the rule and publish their Laws subjects must hear and obeâ— or suffer for not obeying How much more where God gives the Rule and publisheth his Law Seventhly who teacheth like him that is so effectually so efficatiously As God hath authority to charge his teachings upon us at our peril to receive them so he hath a power to work our hearts to the receiving of them Who teacheth thus like God The Mâ—â—isters of Christ teach in the authority of God and charge all to receive what they say in his Name but they cannot give an effect to the charge Isa 48.17 He teacheth to profit One translation saith He teacheth things profitable But that is a lean rendring for so doth every Minister that teacheth as he ought but our rendring carrieth the efficacy of the word of God in it He teacheth to profit that is he can make the dullest Scholar learn he can make the most stubborn heart to submit Christ speaking of this great work of God in teaching saith John 6.45 No man cometh unto me except the Father draw him What is that drawing It is this
teaching as ye may see vers 45. Every one therefore that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me That is every one whom the Father hath vouchsafed to teach and instruct that man cometh to me that is he believeth and obeyeth the Gospel and submitteth both in judgment and practise Every one that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh to me There is not one whom God hath undertaken to teach that doth miscarry Isa 32.4 The heart of the rash shall understand knowledge or the heart of the hasty Now hasty and rash persons are heady and inconsiderate persons and therefore none of the wisest they usually have little judgment or discretion who are much in passion but God can make the heart of the rash to understand knowledge that is he can make them understand and know things aright who seem most uncapable of and are naturally at the greatest distance from a rightness of knowledge and understanding To close the Point take these inferences from the who I. First If God be such a teacher then stay not in the bare teachings of men What are the teachings of men to the teachings of God Though you should have an Angel from heaven to speak to you yet stay not in his teachings wait for the teachings of God Till ye are taught of God ye never learn to purpose Set your selves not only as in Gods presence but as under his Spirit to be taught wait for the moving of the Spirit in every ordinance as they did for the Angels moving of the waters who lay at the poole of Bethesda for healing Joh. 5.4 Secondly Seeing God teacheth thus paramount seeing none teach like him then submit to his teaching Do not question any of his rules of life or doctrines of faith they are all righteous and full of divine truth you cannot do amiss if you do nor believe amiss if you believe no nor miss of blessedness in doing and believing what he hath taught Thirdly Then appear as they who are taught of God You will say How or when doth it appear that we are or have been taught of God I shall answer that query in four things First If you are or have been taught of God his teaching unteacheh or emptyeth you that in a threefold respect First of your own carnal principles The great business of divine teaching is to unteach to take men off from their own Will and Reason from their own Rules as also from those Customes which they have received by tradition from their fathers If you would appear as taught of God you must lay down all these The teachings of grace empty the soul of what it hath taken up by Nature Secondly the teachings of God empty the soul of all self-righteousness If ye be taught of God ye will be nothing in your selves Paul before the teachings of God came had confidence in the flesh and boasted in his own righteousness but when he was taught of God he threw off all those Thirdly If ye are taught of God that will certainly unteach and empty you of all unrighteousness The Apostle speakes fully to that Ephes 4.20 21. Ye have not so learned Christ if so be that ye have been taught as the truth is in Jesus If ye have been divinely taught then this teaching hath emptyed you of the old man as of all self-righteousness so of all unrighteousness towards others It is impossible any should take in the teachings of God and yet hold any sinfull practisings Secondly divine teachings as they empty and unteach the soul so they keep it very humble Knowledg endangers us naturally to high thoughts of our selves and hath a tendency in it to pâ—ide 1 Cor. 8.1 Knowledge puffeth up but charity edifieth Take knowledge barely as received of men even the knowledge of divine things for ye may have a humane knowledge of divine things this usually makes the heart swell but the knowledge we have from the teachings of God makes us humble it will cause us to cry out as the Prophet did when the Lord appeared and let out a more than ordinary manifestation of his glory Isa 6.5 we are undone It was so with Job when the Lord had schooled him and made himself more fully known to him thâ—n ever before he presenâ—ly cried out Chap. 41.5 I have heaâ—d of thee by the hearing of the ear but now mine eye seeth thee wherefore I abhor my self in dust and ashes Nothing keeps the soul so humble as the teachings of God Where we see any proud of what they have learned it is an argument that either they were never taught of God or that as yet they have not understood his teachings Thirdly The teachings of God do not only empty and humble the soul but they transform the soul and change it into another thing than it was as to its state and qualities The teachings of God change not only our manners but our very natures they not only give a light to the Understanding but a newness to the Will new Affections new Desires This is it which the Apostle calls the new creature 2 Cor. 5.17 and that this creature is wrought to its highest perfection by the teachings of God he sheweth 2 Cor. 3.18 We all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord. The glass wherein we have this sight of the glory of God is chiefly the Word The glory into which we are changed by those sights is our conformity to that holiness which shineth in the Word And this change is twofold First from sin to grace which is a degree of glory Secondly from glory to glory that is from a high to a higher and at last to the highest degree of grace Look what the Word is and calleth us to be that are we when taught according to the truth of the word by the power and Spirit of God Fourthly The teachings of God confirm the soul in that which is taught or we have learned If God teach any divine lesson that will stick We receive many lessons from men and let them slip as the Apostles word is Heb. 2.1 Doctrine taught us of God settles upon us we hold the substance of it and hold forth the fruit or power of it in every season of our lives yea if trouble or persecution arise for the truth they who are taught of God will hold it fast though they let go all they have in this world for it If God teach us the doctrine of Free Grace how we are justified by the righteousness of Jesus Christ without our own works If God teach us the doctrine of pure Worship how he is to be served and honoured according to his own will without the Traditions of men as Christ spake Mat. 15.9 If I say God teach us these or any other saving truths we cannot but hold them whereas they who have received them from men
is it then said God is great and we know him not When Paul was at Athens he sound an Altar with that Inscription To the unknown God Act. 17.23 They worshipped a God whom they knew not but certainly we must know whom we worship Ye worship ye know not what was Christ's reproof of the Samaritans John 4.22 We know what we worship that is whom we worship For answer to this when the text saith God is great and we know him not we may say First That even heathens the untaught untutored and uncatechized heathens do or may know God that is they may know him in some degree or other they may yea they do know him as the Apostle saith Rom. 1.20 so far as to leave them without excuse they have no plea nor can they make any apologie for themselves Secondly 'T is certain all believers I mean all true believers know God savingly or so far as is sufficient for their salvation Every believer knows God There is no faith in God without the knowledge of God Thirdly Which shall be the point of Observation from this part as well as an answer to the question None know God fully perfectly comprehensively That 's Elihu's meaning when he saith God is great and we know him not that is we know not how great he is or we know not the utmost of his greatness God only knoweth himself fully and comprehensively There is no proportion between the greatness of God and the understanding of a man The greatness of God is infinite the understanding of a man is but finite and limited the deepest understanding among men yea the understanding of Angels is but shallow compared with God Thus we are to understand this text God is great and we know him not There is a greatness in every thing of God transcending the possibility of any created understanding This some give for the reason why the Seraphims spoken of Isa 6. are said with two of their wings to cover their faces they were not able to bear the light of the knowledge of the glory of God For though Christ in that admonition which he gave to take heed of offâ—nding and despising the little ones gives this reason for it Mat. 18.10 For in heaven there Angels do alwayes behold the face of my Father which is in heaven though I say it be a truth that the holy Angels and blessed Saints above do alwayes behold the face of God yet neither Saints nor Angels not the Saints in glory nor the glorious Angels can fully comprehend the greatness and majesty of God and therefore the Prophet as was said represented the Angels covering their faces with their wings We have heard of King Hiero putting the question to Simonides a Philosopher What God was who desiâ—ed not being able to give a sudden answer that the King would respit him till next day when next day came he desired a second and when that came he desired a third and still the more he searched the farther he was from finding his answer This is true not only of Philosophers who see but by the dark light of Nature but of those who are enlightened divinely or from above they who receive much light from God cannot comprehend the light of God the more they search into it the more they see themselves short of it The most we know of God is not so much as the least part of that which we know not of him and when we know as much of God as is knowable by man yet it may be said as in the text God is great and we know him not Hence take three brief Corolaries or Deductions First If God be great and we know him not that is we are not able to comprehend him then we must rest satisfied with what God hath manifested of himself and of his will God hath manifested himself these four wayes First In his Word Secondly In his works of Creation and Providence Thirdly In his Son Fourthly By his Spirit These wayes God is pleased to manifest himself or make himself known unto his People now what knowledge of God can be gathered up in these wayes what can be learned of him out of his word out of his works by considering him in his Son and by waiting for the help of his blessed Spirit we must labour to take in but take heed of a bold pressing into the secrets of God or of a curious prying into the nature of God which indeed will but dazle our eyes and the more we think or look into it the blinder we shall be Secondly If God be so great that we know him not Then we ought not presumptuously to enquire into a reason of the works and wayes of God for that which is true of God himself is true of his works and of his wayes we cannot know them in the sence opened Therefore the Apostle speaking about that wonderful dispensation of God the laying aside of the Jewes and calling of the Gentiles Rom. 11.33 cryeth out O the depth of the knowledge and wisdom of God! how unsearchable are his Judgments and his wayes past finding out As God himself cannot be fully known so neither can his wayes nor works Thirdly If God cannot be fully known neither in himself nor in his works Then take heed of murmuring or complaining of the wayes works and dealings of God Will you find fault with that which you neither do nor can fully know how little is it of any of the works of God that we know how little a way do we see into them let us not find fault with that thing the perfections whereof we cannot find out say not why is it thus why doth God let things go thus why are his providences ordered thus there are many such queryings in the hearts of men and some such are exprest by the tongues of men But remember the Lord cannot be known in his works therefore let us not complain of his works but sitting down in silence submit to them let us as David Be dumb because God hath done it Psal 39.9 David was silent not only with respect to the soveraignty of God who he knew had power and liberty to do whatsoever he pleased but with respect to his incomprehensibility because he knew he was not able to know or understand the bottome-reason of that which God had done This some conceive the special intendment of Elihu in this Text as reproving Job for his many complaints and murmurings and disputings about the dealings of God with him in the extremity of his sufferings Therefore said he Consider God is great and we know him not Yet let none be discouâ—aged in seeking after the knowledge of God because 't is told us we cannot know God yea let no man think to excuse himself in his neglect of pursuing the knowledge of God because this Text saith we cannot know him Some possibly will say If God be so great that we cannot know him then why should we labour after
a spoon platter oâ— bool or such like utensils which are bowed with a convex and concave superficies it hath also particularly two eminent significations both of which are made use of in this place by Interpreters First it signifieth the hand so we translate it Job 16.17 There is no injustice in my hand The word which here we translate a Cloud is there translated a hand Now the hand we know hath a hollowness or cavity in it unless when it is purposely held forth plaine The second signification is that of the Text a Cloud which is also hollow and as most conclude the same word is put to signifie a hand and a Cloud because Clouds usually â—t the first appearance are but small or like a hand as Elijahs servant repo ted to him after his seventh going to view the Heavens 1 Kings 18.44 Behold a little Cloud like a mans hand In this sence we take it here in our translation Some render With his hand he covereth the light we say With Clouds He covereth the light He covereth or hideth the light that is from our eyes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Texitâ— abscondiâ— imponendo aliquid quo tegos tanquam operculo vel veste he causeth it to disappear or not to appear to us The wo d notes covering as with a garment or covering with any thing that intercepts and stops the sight and hence by a Trope it is applyed to the pardon of sin Psal 32.1 Blessed is the man whose sin is covered When the Lord pardons sin he is said to cover it because he will not suffer it to appear against the sinner nor be charged upon him to condemnation As pardon covers sins so Clouds cover the Heavens and when they are covered the light is covered With Clouds he covereth the light The Prophet Jeremy in his Lamentations Chap. 3.44 complained sadly because God who is light had covered himself Thou hast covered thy self with a Cloud that our prayers should not pass through As God doth sometimes cover himself oâ— hide the light of his Countenance from his people as with a cloud that their prayers cannot pass through so he ofâ—en hides or coveâ—s the light of the aire with natural oâ— proper Clouds that the Sun beams for a time cannot pierce noâ— pass through With Clouds he covereth The light 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tum lucom tum solem a quo lux vel quia est fons lucu significat The word used by Elihu signifies both light and the Sun which is the fountain from whence light flows and issues yea the word signifies also fire The Sun Moon and Stars are called ignes the fires of heaven because like so many fires or mighty torches they give light to us on earth And by a metaphor the word signifies Joy Comfort all sorts of good things as on the other side by darkness troubles and calamities of all sorts are metaphorically exprest in Scripture With Clouds he covereth the light And commandeth it not to shine by the Cloud that cometh between As if he had said When a Cloud covereth the light 't is the command of God which puts the Cloud as a covering upon it Those words not to shine are not expresly in the Hebrew Text theâ—e it is only thus With Clouds he covereth the light and commandeth it by that which cometh between nor is the word Cloud exprest in the latter part of the verse we put it in as a suppliment in another Character more fully to express the sence of the Text. And commandeth it not to shine The word which we translate to command properly signifies to bid or command a thing to be done Verbum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod significat praecipere quum regit praepositionem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat intordicere Pisc but when it stands in construction as here with Gnal it signifieth to forbid or stay a thing that it be not done Gen. 2.16 God commanded the man or concerning the man c. As that command expressed a liberty to eat of every other tree in the Garden so it included a prohibition of eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge which is also expressed at the 17th verse We have a like construction of the word Gen. 28.6 1 Kings 2.43 He commandeth it not to shine By the Cloud that cometh between By that which comeâ—h between or by that which meets it that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 occuâ—rit irruit aggressus est per Metaphorâ—m intercessit occurrit deprecandi cauâ—a Hinc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per occurrens sc per occurrenâ—em nubem quaâ—interveniente lucem solu tegit Drus Merc as we supply it by the thick and daâ—k Cloud which meets and intercepts the bright beames of the Sun The root of the word signifies to meet with force not only occurrere but irruere to rush upon to invade to assault or to charge as an enemy is charged in battel and it signifies by a Metaphor to intercede to make prayer or supplication for another which is as iâ— were a coming between man and man An Intercessor cometh between two parties the party offending and the party offended he interposeth himself to make up the breach or to take up the difference that if possible a reconciliation may be made The Latine word which we translate Latinely to intercede is of the same significancy and this Hebrew word is often so rendred Jer. 7.16 Pray not for this people nor make intercession to me that is thou shalt not come between me and this people to stop or stay me that I break not out into wrath or from pouring out my wrath upon them In other Scriptures it is used to note an act of intercession between man and man Gen. 23.8 as also an act of address by prayer and intreaty whether towards God or man Job 21.15 Ruth 1.16 And because the word properly notes meeting another with a kind of violence it intimates with what a holy violence with what strength earnestness and fervency of spirit we ought to meet God either in prayer for our selves or when we come as intercessors and stand before him in the behalf of others whether Persons Nations or Churches Many Interpreters as I shall shew afterward take the word in this sence here for an Intercessor or for a person that prayeth and intercedeth for another We in our translation expound it of a thing and that thing of a Cloud that interposeth or cometh between us and the Light He commandeth the light not to shine by the Cloud that cometh between or by the Cloud that passeth between us and the light of the Sun Hence note First The best and sweetest mercies we have in this world may quickly meet with a stop When we have the Light a Cloud may soon come between the Light and us Which as it is true of the natural Light and Clouds so of that which is Light in a figure our most comfortable enjoyments and that
and Lightning In Thunder and Lightning the Law was delivered to Moses on mount Sinai Exod. 19.6 And to affect the peoâ—le of Israel when they had provoked God by their peremptory and discontented way of asking a King Samuel coming to deal with them about it 1 Sam. 12.16 17 18. said Stand and see this great thing which the Lord will do before your eyes Is it not wheat-harvest to day I will call unto the Lord and he shall send Thunder and Rain that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness is great And the Lord sent Thunder and Rain that day even while Samuel was speaking for their conviction and humiliation as the next words shew and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel Thus possibly while Elihu was about to speak of Thunder for the humbling of Job God commanded it to Thunder for his deeper humiliation and if so the cause why Elihu trembled is apparent enough The terrible Thunder-claps which then rent the Clouds and even shook the earth might well cause him to tremble Secondly We may understand these words at this my heart trembleth with reference to the whole matter which Elihu had before him what he had begun to speak and was further to speak of Gods dreadful power might shake his heart with astonishment The due apprehensions of the greatness of God may soon strike man into a fit of trembling it did Job as himself confessed at the 21th Chapter of this Book v. 5 6. Mark ye and be astonished and lay your hand upon your mouth for when I remember I am afraid and trembling takes hold of my flesh as if he had said Quoties mihi divinae majestatis abyssus in mentem venerit expavesâ—it â—or meum c. Brent while I duly consider the great things that I have spoken those greater things if greater may be that I am about to speak I cannot but tremble and stand as one filled with astonishment How was the Apostle Paul amazed at that most mysterious dispensation of God in casting off his ancient people the Jewes the seed of Abraham his friend for so long a time Rom. 11.33 O the Depth c. At this my heart trembleth that is I am heartily afraid The heart is here put for the whole inner man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Motus commotus fuit corpore aut anima ex cura aut metu mali 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. or for all the powers of the soul and the word rendered to tremble notes a disturbance of the whole man both of soul and body the Septuagint render it by the same Greek word used Math. 2.3 where upon the wise mens coming from the East to inquire concerning the King of the Jewes it is said When Herod heard this he was troubled and all Jerusalem with him That news of a new King put them into a grievous fright they knew not what to make of it nor which way to turn themselves in such a turn of affaires in such a new world as that new-born King might make This word is else-where in Scripture used to note the suddenest surprize and the strongest possession of fear Thus when Isaac through the subtilty of Rebekah had given the blessing to Jacob which he intended for Esau 't is said that upon the appearance of his mistake he trembled exceedingly Gen. 27.33 Doubtless it did wonderfully astonish the good old man to think that God should carry him beyond and beside his own purpose to bless the yonger brother instead of the elder This strange disappointment by the over-ruling providence of God put him to a stand and troubled his thoughts more than a little especially because he was now taught that by his carnal affections to Esau he was running quite cross to the mind of God revealed Chap. 25.23 Read the same force of the word Exod. 19.16 to which the Apostle reâ—eâ—â—ing saith Heb. 12.21 So terrible was the sight that Moses said I exceedingly fear and quake Read also the same impoâ—tance of the word 1 Sam. 4.13 Chap. 14.15 Such was the Condition of Elihu he was deeply affected tâ—embling â—ook hold of him The Spirits run to the heart in a time of feaâ— or upon a sudden fâ—ight as Ciâ—iz ns to the Castle in a day of danger and then the outward members being deseâ—ted by the spirits grow cold and tremble There is a natural infirmity called The palpitation or trembling of the heart But this of Elihu was supernatural at least some-what more then natural as arising either from the consideration of what God hâ—d done or of what himself was about to speak and not only did his heart tremble but Cordis palpitatio totius animae concursus ad cor in pavoribus oâ—idens est Galen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Effluxit Sept. Evulsum est August Emotum est Hieron Salit seu subsilit Tharg Hiâ— verbis excessum quem Graeci 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vocant puto denotari quae 〈◊〉 effectus causam admirationem cum pavore subsequi solet Bold Et humâ—nas motura tonitrua montes Ovid. 1. Met. Was moved out of its place Which is added to set forth the exceeding greatness of that fear which seized upon him The Text speaks as if his heart were indeed removed or taken out of his body It is usual in Scripture to affirm that as done which is like to be done The ship was said to be broken John 1.4 and the net Luke 5.6 because both were in eminent danger of breaking We say of a man in great fear his heart is ready to leap out of or out at his mouth One of the Ancients renders here my heart is pluckt out the septuagint It floweth out the Chaldee paraphrase takes up the foâ—mer expression my heart leaps or jumps which as it doth sometimes for joy so often for ear or at the unexpected appearance of danger Some conceive by this moving of his heart out of his place that Elihu was in a kind of extasie that he was as it were carâ—ied out of himself upon the hearing of that dreadful voice of God the thunder taking it so Note Thunder is a terrible thing It hath made and may make the stoutest heart to tremble One of Christs Apostles was called Lebbeus Mat. 10.3 as much as to say the hearty man or all-heart Now he that is Lebbeus a man of the greatest courage the most hearty man may be put to a tremble at this when he heares it thunder Heathens have spoken much of this and by a peculiar word have called those who are much amazed men thunder struck Hos Laetinus Attonitos vocat Attonitus est cui casus vicini fulminis sonitus tonitruum dant stuporem Serv in tertium Aenid Tonitrus dici videtur a terrendo quod conterreat hominem Aliqui a tono ruendo quia magno cum sonitu fiat irruat Suetonius de Augusto Caliguâ—a men being so much amazed at the sound of
the God of glory speaking to us Some will excuse themselves they are ignorant they have never been taught to know God But did such never hear it thunder that â—eacheth much of God so much as will make them inexcusable who obey him noâ— who tremble not at his Power and Majesty Thunder calls for and more it commands our fear of our reverence and submission unto Goâ— eâ—â—â—cially when God together with this voice sends his arrowâ— bolâ—s o bullets to do great things against his enemies as he did against Pharaoh Ezod 9.23 and against the Philistines 1 Sam. 7.10 Yea the Lord threatened to distress Jerusalem with Thunder and with Earth-quake and with great noise Isa 29.6 Now if Thunder be the Voice of God or the noise of his Voice then take these brief Inferences from it First Let us see what a powerful and mighty God we have When it thunders every believing soul may â—ay This is the Voâ—ce of my Father what cannot he do for me that can speak thus Secondly If God hath such a dreadful Voice if he thunder with his Voice we should learn to secure aim and fence â—ur selves against the dread and danger of Thundeâ— by the actings of Faith in him and of Repentance and godly Sorrow for our sinnings against him Some of the Heathens have given pittiful counsel what to do in time of thunder Seneca was a wiâ—e man Adversus tonitrua coelorum minas subterraneae damus dei defussi in altum specus remedia sunt Sen. lib. 6. Natur. quest cap. 4. yet he directs to poor shifts in such extreamities The remedies saith he against Thunder and the Batteries of the heavens are under-ground houses caves or holes of the earth to hide our selves in These were the best helps he could advise his Roman Gallants to when God uttered his mighty voice in Thunder But Christians know better how to hide themselves even in the goodness of God against those terrible appearances of his Power Thirdly If God speak with such a Voice as this in the Air take heed of slighting his Voice whensoever he speaks in the Church as Athiests and Epicures do He who speaks so loud in Thunder can thunder upon us at any time The Word preached if not obeyed will at last come upon all those who obey it not with as great a terror as Thunder Fourthly Let us not be amazed and frighted at Thunder as Heathens or Unbelievers Fifthly Let us not think lightly of it as if it either came by chance or meerly from natural causes Sixthly Let us fear the God of Thunder not fear Thunder as a God Some have superstitiously thought Thunder was a God and adored it so 't is reported of the Lithuanians anciently Lithuani fulmon deum esse puâ—abant propterea illud adorabant Cromeruâ— l. 15. Hist Pol. and possibly some of them do so to this day Secondly In that Elihu calls so earnestly for attention to this voice Hear attentively the noise of his Voice Learn Those things which are most easie to be heard possibly may not at all be understood Who doth not hear when it thunders but how few are there who attend or understand the Thunder or hear Thunder attentively God speaks to us not only with a stiâ—â— voice few hearing or attending him but though he thunders few attend him yea those wo ks of providence which speak lowder than Thunder and shine cleâ—rer â—â—an the Lightning yet are neither heard noâ— seen As When his hand is lifted up some will not see Isa 26.11 So when his Voice is liâ—ted up when 't is lifted up not only like a trumpet but like thunder when he speaks most audibly yea most terribly some will not hear and he is not heard by many much less diligenâ—ly attended to how loudly how terribly soever he speaketh The Lord often thunders by the voice of this Word what are his teâ—rible threats but loud thunder-claps yet few hear or though they hear yet they attend not Not to hear the voice of God in his Word is as if you did not attend to the voice of Thunder Every word of God though spoken with a still voice hath a greater force in it than Thunder from the Clouds As the terrible works of God are signified by Thunder Rev. 10.3 4. So the terrible words of God his threatning words against impenitent sinners are resembled to Thunder And therefore such as the Lord fitted among his own Apostles for that dispensation are called in Scripture Sons of Thunder Mark 3.17 And they who dispence the Word with a strong voice and fiery zeal are truly so called to this day and may be said both to Thunder in their Exhortation and to Lighten in their Conversation And indeed the Word of God truly and faithfully dispensed by any is like Thunder For First As Thunder so the Word spoken is the Voice of God and a more excellent and distinct Voice than Thunder that only shewing in general that God is or that he is great and powerful this shewing us distinctly who and what God is and what he requireth of us Secondly Thunder throwes down and dissipates high things So doth the Word of God 2 Cor. 10.5 Thirdly Thunder is irresistable by any power of man it will make its way through all opposition so is and doth the Word of God Fourthly Thunder pierceth very subtilly it reacheth the bones quite through the flesh the Word of God doth more it divideth soul and spirit and the joynts and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heaâ—t Heb. 4.12 Fifthly Thunder breaketh the hardest things which resist it but not soft things so the Word of God breaks the stout but binds up the contrite spirit it resists the proud but giveth grace to the humble Jam. 4.6 Now if the Word of God be in all these respects like Thunder Let us not only hear but attend or as the text saith hear attentively the sound of his voice If any ask when do we both hear and attend with the inward and outward ear the Thunder of God or his voice both in his works and in his word I answer First When we are stirred up to high and holy thoughts of God We are never rightly affected with the Word of God till our hearts are wrought up to and deeply at least truly affected with the God of the Word Secondly When our hearts are raised up in thankfulness for any discoveries of God in his goodness and mercy to us who can so easily destroy us by his power He that trembles at this voice of God and hath no sense nor tast of his goodness nor is moved to praise and serve him trembles only like a bruit beast Thirdly When we learn to depend and hang upon him for all as he that can do all things graciously for us as well as speak so terribly to us then we hear diligently the noise of his voice axd the sound that goeth out of his
mouth For the close of this matter I shall only adde That though we ought to be affected with the voice of God in his Word as with his voice in Thunder yet let us not stay in that which notes chiefly if not only that dread of God which the word leaves upon our spirits but let us look after and labour for that effect of the Word which like the beames and light of the Sun may warme our hearts with joy and leave strongest impressions of the kindness and favour of God upon them Mr. Forbes opening that Scripture Rev. 14.2 where St. John saith He heard a voice from heaven and that of three sorts First He heard a voice as the voice of many Waters Secondly As the voice of a great Thunder Thirdly He heard the voice of harpers harping wâ—th their harpss Upon consideration of this threefold voice which St. John heard the fore-named worthy Author takes up a meditation to this puâ—pose The word of God saith he hath three degrees of operation in the hearts of men First It comes into mens eares as the sound of many waters which is a kind of confused noise and commonly bringeth neither terror nor joy but a wondering acknowledgment of a strange force and more than humane power as we read of those Mark. 1. who having heard the word of Christ were astonished at his doctrine v. 22. and were all amazed v. 27. insomuch that they questioned among themselves what thing is this what new doctrine is this But knew not what to make of it The second degree is that the Word of God cometh to the ear of man like Thunder which causeth not only wonder but greater astonishment and amazement Both these may be in a wicked prophane person and are often found upon common professors But â—here is a third degree or effect of the Words operation which strictly taken is proper and peculiar to the Elect and that is when the Word heard is as the voice of harpers harping with their harpes that is when the Word doth not only affect us with admiration or strike the heart with astonishment and terrour like the sound of many waters and the voice of Thunder but also filleth it with sweet peace and joy in the Holy Ghost when the Word is like melodious musick to the soul ravishing us with divine delights and raising us up to a heavenly life while we are here sojourning on this earth JOB Chap. 37. Vers 3 4 5. 3. He directeth it under the whole heaven and his Lightning unto the ends of the earth 4. After it a voice roareth he thundereth with the voice of his excellency and he will not stay them when his voice is heard 5. God thundereth marvelously with his voice great things doth he which we cannot comprehend ELihu having shewed in the two former verses how much himself was affected with what God then did or with what himself was about to say concerning the doings of God having also called upon others for due attention and laboured to make the same impression upon their spirits that he found upon his own he proceeds to speak to the special matter First To the workes of God in those terrible fiery Meteors Thunder and Lightning which he doth in the three verses now under discussion and then goeth on to speak of other wonderful works of the wonder-working God in the following part of this Chapter as was before shewed in laying open the whole Vers 3. He directeth it under the whole heaven This verse holds forth the divine guidance of those things which seem most remote from any guidance He directeth it under the whole heaven Here we may consider First In whose hand this guiding power is He that is God directeth it Secondly how far he guideth or the extent of his guiding power 't is not limited but universal far and near even under the heaven and to the ends of the earth There is some variety as of reading so of interpretation about this verse arising from the various significations of that word which we render directeth there is a threefold sence given of it Aliqui a Rabinic◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod est resolvere humectare exprimere Hinc September ab illis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tishâ—i dictus qâ—â—si expressoâ—â—â— quod eo â—â—â—se fiat Vindeâ—â—a Merc. First As taken from a root which signifieth to press or sqeeze and so 't is applyed to the pressing of grapes which causeth the juice or liqour of them to flow out And upon that consideration the seventh month of the year our September hath its name among the Jews from this word because then the Vintage being ready the ripe Grapes are gathered and prest into Wine From this notion of the word some render the text thus he presseth or dissolveth it under the whole heaven that is God presseth the Cloud as a bunch of Grapes is pressed these Intepreters make that the antecedâ—nt to it he presseth it that is the Cloud and so causeth it to rain 'T is God who presseth and as I may say squeezeth the Clouds by his power and then showers fall down and distil upon the ea th uâ—der the whole Heaven That 's a tâ—uâ—h and some-where else spoken of in this book wheâ—e we read of Gods melting or pressing the Clouds as we do a bunch of Grapes or a spung so causing them to give forth rain Alii a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intueri respicere considerare quasi Deus omnia sub coelo consideret Sed nec Grammatica convenit tum euim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicendum fuerat nec sensus admodum propter afflâ—â—um Merc. Subier omnes coelos ipse confiderat Vulg. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod est dirigi re rectificare Secondly Others derive the word from a root that signifieth to behold attentively to behold and consider Thus the latine translator renders it he considereth under the whole heaven that is according to this interpretation there is a Providence of God a wise and an unerring Providence of God at work in all places he considers and takes notice of all things under heaven the least motion of the Creature falls under his inspection He beholdeth or considereth under the whole heavens that 's a truth also yet I conceive with others the Grammar of the Text will not well comply with this reading Therefore Thirdly I conclude our own translation most suitable both to the Original text and to the scope of this whole Chapter Now according to our rendring the word comes from a root which signifieth to set a thing right or strait and from that a person who is right a man of a right spirit who squares and orders his actions by a right rule and to a right end is expressed Chap. 1.1 where Jobs character is given by this word A man perfect and right we say upright that is a man that hath right aimes and walkes by
again At the hearing of this voice the people that stood by said that it thundred others said that an Angel spake to him This voice was an articulate sound coming with the Thunder and the Hebrew word which we commonly translate voyces signifieth thunder The Jewish Writers tell us that Bath col the daughter of voice which they reckon the only way of divine revelation left them after the Babylonish Captivity was the will of God made known to them immediately from heaven by this sort of Thunder Thunders and voyces are often joyned in the Book of the Revelations Chap. 4.5 chap. 8.5 implying the revelation of those prophetick wonders was made by Voyces accompanied with Thunder And thus those two texts which seem contradictory may be reconciled Act. 9.7 it is said They who journied with Paul stood speechless hearing a voice But Act. 22.9 Paul saith They saw indeed the light and were afraid but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me The voice which they heard in the 9th Chapter was the voice of Thunder and the voice which they did not hear the 22d was the distinct articulate voice of Christ saying Saul Saul Why persecutest thou me From this consideration of Gods gradual speaking to us in the Clouds we may be led to consider how gradually he speaks to us in the Ministry of his Word there he speaks sometimes whisperingly gently he at first awakens the ear a little but at last he roareth with his voice If we will not hear he hath louder and louder voices which we shall hear whether we will or no. At the giving of the Law Exod. 19.19 The voice of the trumpet sounded long and waxed louder and louder There are different degrees in the loudness of the voice when God speaks to his people We should take warning by the light that shineth we should hear the smallest voice the first whisperings of God and not put him to his roaring voice God is said to roar out of Zion Joel 3.16 yea many times he roareth upon Zion because of the disobedience and negligence of the Citizens of Zion After it a voice roareth the words that follow speak the same thing He thundereth with the voice of his excellency This is the first time that we have the word Thunder exprest in the text though the sense of the whole place speakes thunder 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tonuit intonuit commotus fuit prae indignatione Tonitru est fragor editus ex plaga compactorum ignium e nube erumpeutium Plin. The word which signifieth Thunder signifieth any great noise or dreadful cry Ezek. 27.35 Psal 96.11 it signifieth also the voice of any one that complaineth or bemoaneth his or her condition or that is troubled or fretted at the crosness of relations It is said of Peninnah she provoked her that is Hannah sore or as the Margin reads it angred her for to make her fret because the Lord had shut up her womb The word is that of the text to make her thunder or to cause a tumultuation in her spirit like that in the Clouds Tonitru est horrendus sonus in nube spissa qui excitatur ab exhalatione calida sicca conclusa intra nubem quae cum fremitu quaerons exitum magna violentia erumpit undique nubem concutit Garcae Meteorolog ex Aristot lib. 2. Meteor c. 9. when heat and cold contend for the masteryes Thunder is so unquiet and tumultuous that any thing which is so may by a figure be called Thunder The text speaks of proper Thunder and if we enquire among Philosophers about the nature and generation of Thunder some tell us briefly Thunder is a crashing or cracking noise made by the stroke of enclosed fires breaking through the louds Or thus Thunder is a dreadful sound in a thick Cloud caused by the hot and dry exhalation shut up in the bowels of it which seeking passage out makes its own way with mighty violence But though the matter here treated upon by Elihu be philosophical yet I must remember that mine is a Divinity not a Philosophy Lecture and therefore it may suffice me to touch these things and leave the Reader who desires to know more of them or of other mysteries in Nature to seek his satisfaction in those learned Authors who professedly handle this subject of Thunder and shall here only take notice that Elihu doth not only say He thundereth but He thundereth With the voice of his excellency 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Excellentia elatio supernia verbum medium est That 's an explication of he roareth The voice of his excellency is his high voice The word signifieth pride because they that are in high places are so apt to be proud or because high-mindedness is the same with pride Proud men think themselves higher than their brethren as Saul was above the people by head and shoulders therefore the same word signifieth pride and light The Lord thundereth with the voice of his highness or excellency of his greatness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In voce â—â—ntutumâ—â—iae suae Sept. Scoâ—ia explicant in voceâ—â—in â—rum plena The Septuagint saith He thundereth with the voice of his reproach or with his reproaching voice A man that is angry poures out his displeasure in reproaches upon such as have provoked him God knowes how to Thunder just and deserved reproaches upon provoking sinners The Scoliasts explain that translation of the seventy with the voice of his reproach thus with â—r by a voice fall of threatning and 't is a truth the mouth of God is full of threatnings and his heart of indignation against presuming sinners We may put all these together yet I conceive our own reading most suitable He thundereth with the voice of his excellency like a great Commander in war of whom God speaks Job 39.25 in the most high-strained rhetorical description of the strength and courage of the horse He smelleth the Battel afar off the thunder of the Captain and the Shoutings When an Army is engaged in Battel there is not only a thundering of the Guns but of the Captains and Commanders they speak highly they thunder with a voice of their high courage and excellency much more doth God in the day of his Battel thunder with the voice of his excellency Hence note God works like himself he makes his excellency and his highness appear to the children of men in the very works of nature And doth he not often so it in his works of Providence whether for the Salvation of his faithful people or for the Destruction of his enemies I shall not stay upon this point having met with matter of the same purpoâ—t more than once before He thundereth with the voice of his excellency And he will not stay them when his voyce is heard 'T is question'd who are meant by them He will not stay them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 calcaneum tenuit Aliqui exponunt retardabuntur impersonaliter
the true knowledge of Jesus Christ and to encourage the faithfull dispencers and professors of it both by your favour and example worshiping the Lord in the beauty of holiness If any should ask Why is the Lord to be so worshipped why must he have such high honours from those that are high what doth he in the World which calls for such adoration David answers Meteorologically as well as Theologically he answers from the Clouds vers 3. The Voyce of the Lord is upon the Waters the God of glory thundreth the Lord is upon many Waters The voyce of the Lord is powerful the voyce of the Lord is full of Majesty As if he had said Although the Lord Jesus Christ will not set up an outward pompous political Kingdome such as that of Cyrus or Alexander c. yet by the Ministry of the Gospel he will erect a spiâ—itual Kingdome and gather to himself a Church that shall abide for ever out of all the Nations of the earth For the Gospel shall be carryed and preached to not only the people of Israel the Jewes but to the Gentiles all the world over that the minds of men may be awakened enlightned and moved with that unheard of Doctrine of Salvation by Christ which had been hid from Ages and Generations And though many shall be hardned against and oppose that glad-tydings yet because the God of glory thundereth that is because the voyce of the Lord is powerful and full of Majesty he accompanying the Ministry of the Gospel with power and terror like that of Thunder home to the Consciences of men for their conviction and conversion therefore it shall do great and glorious things subduing the greatest and stoutest sinners to the obedience of his Will This Thunder will cast down the strong holds of sin and every thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10.4 5. This is it which the Prophet David intendeth according to this allegorical interpretation by the effects of Thunder elegantly expressed vers 5 6 7 8 9 The Voyce of the Lord breaketh the Cedars yea the Lord breaketh the Cedars of Lebanon that is proud and high-minded men who are in their own conceit as tall as Cedars these he will make to see that they are but shrubs these he will humble and break â—heir hearts by true repentance for the pride of their hearts and all the abominations of their lives Further vers 6. He maketh them also to skip like a Calf Lebanon and Syrion like a young Vnicorn that is the Lord by his thundering powerful voyce first will make them skip as frighted with fear and secondly as revived with joy Yet more vers 7. The Voyce of the Lord divideth the Flames of fire that is will send and divide to every one as they need 1 Cor. 12.11 the holy Spirit who is compared to and called Fire Mat. 3.11 and who came as with a Thunder-storm of a mighty rushing wind and with the appearance of cloven Tongues like as of fire and sate upon each one of the Apostles Acts 2.2 3. Nor did this Voyce of Thunder accompanied with divided flâ—mes of fire reach Jerusalem only for as it follows vers 8. The Vâ—yce of the Lord shaketh the Wilderness the Wilderness of Kadesh that is the Lord by the voyce of the Gospel shall go forth with power to those Gentiles who are like a wilderness barren oâ— goodness and unmanur'd in spirituals though they dwell in well-govern'd Cities and are well-furnished with Morals It shall go forth also to those Gentiles who inhabit wast wildernesses and are not so much as reduced to civility These wildernesses the thundering voice of the Lord hath shaken heretofore and doth shake at this day and will yet further shake that the fulness of the Gentiles may come in Many of these wildernesses hath the Lord turned into fruitful fields and pleasant lands by the voice of the Gospel sounding among them For in these wildernesses as it followeth vers 9. The voice of the Lord maketh the hinds to calve that is they that were as wild as untaught and untamed as the hind or any beast in the forrest he brings to the sorrows of theiâ— new-birth to Repentance and Gospel-humiliation And in doing this He as the Psalmist goes on discovereth the forrests that is opens the hearts of men which are as thick set and full grown with vanity pride hypocrisie self-love and self-sufficiency as also with wantonness and sensuality as any forest is over-grown with thickets of trees and bushes which deny all passage through till cleared away by cutting down or burning up Such an opening such a discovery doth the Lord make in the forrests of mens hearts by the Sword and Fire that is by the Word and Spirit of the Gospel and when all this is done the forrest becomes a Temple and as that verse concludes In his temple doth every one speak of his glory And if the floods of ungodliness rise up against this people whom the thunder and lightning of the Gospel have subdued to Christ and framed into a holy Temple then the Psalmist assureth us vers 10. The Lord sitteth upon the flood that is 't is under his power he ruleth and over-ruleth it yea The Lord sitteth King for ever and v. 11. The Lord will give strength to his people the Lord will bless his people with peace Thus the Lord thundereth marveilously and these are glorious marvels which he thundereth he converts sinners The thunder of the Gospel frights them out of sin and the grace of it gives them peace Thus though I like not their way who are given to allegorize the Scriptures yet I doubt not but we may make a profitable use both of this and many other Scriptures by way of allegory This being an undeniable truth which is the ground of it That the Lord puts forth as it were the power of Thunder and Lightning in the preaching of his Word these two things are to be marked First That Thunder and Lightning are a kind of Word of God to us they tell us though confusedly yet plainly enough for the conviction and condemnation of gainsayers there is a God the greatest Princes of the world have taken notice of Thunder and Tempest that there is a God over all governing all nor needs there any more teaching than that to condemne Athiests and Mockers at Religion We say proverbially of some men who make a rude noise they are so loud that we cannot hear God Thunder for them yet know there 's no noise can so drown the voice of Gods Thunder in the Clouds but it will condemn all that hear it not so as to acknowledg God in it Secondly We should mark that as Thunder and Lightning are a kind of Voice or Word of God to us so the Word of God or the Voice of God speaking in his Word is a kind of Thunder and Lightning to us
goodness in all the outward dispensations of God ordering the motions and Meteors of the Heavens the Clouds the Rain the Snow and Hail the Lightning and the Thunder then surely Job ought to sit down convinced that there is a like temperament of eqâ—ity with severity and of goodness with sharpnesse in all his dealings with men and was with him in particular That 's the scope and purpose of Elihu all along in reading Job this Philosophical Lectuâ—e or in putting Questions to him about the things of Nature and the regiment of God in these inferiour heavens the Air where all things seem to move without rule or by no rule other than what Nature alone imposeth Vers 14. Hearken unto this O Job We have more than once met with this awakening exhortation which calleth for such an harkening as if a man were to be all ear in attending what is spoken We may well render it Ear this O Job take it drink it in at thine ear Hearken Vnto this Elihu doth not exhort him to attention in general but draws it down to some special matter Hearken unto this O Job Which words may have a double reference either First to what he had said before vers 13th telling him how God sends the Rain and causeth the Cloud to come either for correction or for his land or for mercy Hearken unto this O Job here 's a lesson for thee remember it well God sends forth these servants of his the Clouds to do his work either for correction or for mercy either in favour or in judgment Hearken unto this O Job Or Secondly The words may refer to that which followeth and so as one calls them they are an Exordium a brief Exordium or short preface to what Elihu had further to say as if he would a little relieve the spirits and quicken the attention of Job by acquainting him that he had some new matter to lay before him As if he had said I have not yet uttered all my mind I have somewhat more upon my heart which I cannot hold in both for thy conviction and instruction Hearken unto this O Job Yet it may be questioned why Elihu should thus stir up his attention either to consider what he had spoken or what he was now about to speak Was Job a heedless an un-attentive hearer We may conceive he was occasioned to give him this spur or excitation for these three reasons or at least some of them First We may suppose that Job having been entertained with a long discourse began to grow weary and slacken his attention and therefore as when we see one in a congregation remisse in hearing or sleeping out a weighty point we jog him or say Hearken to this so Elihu here Hence note First A good hearer of the Word may sometimes want an awakening word He that is not as Job was not a first nor second nor third-ground-hearer but as Job was a fourth-ground-hearer one that heareth with a good and honest heart yet even he may a little let down his watch and give just occasion to the speaker for such a short diversion as Elihu here used Hearken I pray to this There is a willingness of spirit in all fourth-ground or right-hearted hearers yet there is also even in them a weakness of the flesh corruption may be stirring temptation may be working therefore 't is no unnecessary jealousie in the Ministers of the Gospel sometimes to mingle or interweave such passages as these in speaking to them pray hearken stir up and awaken your selves There may be need of this I say where there is a general good bent of heart Some pretending hearers are like the Idols of the heathen who have eyes and see not eares and hear not who when they are hearing set themselves at least give way to sleep and willingly yeeld to the drowsiness of their spirits this sheweth an evil heart but a good man may be overtaken with drowsinesse and find much indisposition to duty while he is in duty and then he will count it a favour to hear such a word as this cast in Pray hearken Secondly Elihu might afresh provoke him to more serious attention because the matter he had to deliver was of more importance or did more nearly concern him than what he had said before Hence note Though the whole truth of God is to be attended to yet there are some truths that call for special attention Here is an accent put upon the point in hand Hearken to this We should not let any truth fall to the ground truth is precious quite through and we may say of truth as of gold the very filings of it are precious We save the least dust of Gold every grain of it is of worth and so is every grain or the least dust of divine truth One jot one tittle of the Law saith Christ Mat. 5.18 shall in no wise passe till all be fulfilled Surely then no jot no tittle of it should be lightly passed by by us Yet there are some divine truth like studs of masse gold or as jewels which ought to be more carefully attended to and laid up in the cabinet of the heart Some truths have an emphasis a Selah set upon them O hearken to these Christ saith in the Gospel about the tything of mint annise and cummin These things ye ought to do but be sure ye do not leave the weightier matters of the Law Judgment Mercy and Faith undone Matth. 23.23 so say I attend to the least truths but be sure ye attend to fundamental truths to those truths upon which the whole weight of the soul stands Such is The great Mystery of Godliness God manifest in the flesh and the great Grace of Faith in that Mystery These with several others are the fundamentals the very vitalls of Religion all falls and dies unlesse ye stand fast and live in these O hearken unto them Thirdly Elihu may be conceived to speak thus to Job because he saw him about to interrupt him possibly he might perceive a little passion stirring in him therefore not only to keep up his attention or to wind up his watch but to repress and keep down some stormy troubled motions rising in his spirit Elihu made this short interlocution or digression Hearken to this O Job suffer me to speak out do not take me off I have not yet done Hence note Patience is necessary in a good hearer And that not only for the doing what is heard but for the hearing of it As we can never bring forth the fruit of that which we hear without patience so neither can we without patience hear that which should make us fruitful The great grace to be exercised in hearing the Word is Faith yet we have need of Patience in hearing the Word and that in a double respect First We have need of Patience as to continuance in hearing Some would fain have done presently they cannot sit it out an hour is an year to them the
word is a weariness to them they soon think they have enough Secondly There is need of patience for submission to what is heard How short soever the Sermon is yet when it pincheth the conscience and pricketh the heart it is not easily born They who hear quietly some woâ—ds of truth will not enduâ—e some other we hardly continue hearing with any patience when to us the word heard is a hard saying and bares hard upon either our consciences or our practises when the singer is as it were laid upon and presseth the sore few can endure it 'T is easie to hear pleasing things but that which crosseth our spirits or our wayes calls for patience When Stephen the Proto-martyr preached to the Jews and brought the word home to their consciences by that close application Acts 7.51 Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ear ye do alwayes resist the Holy Ghost as yâ—ur Fathers did so do ye At this word or when they heard these things they were cut to the heart saith the text and they gnashed on them with their teeth their patience was quite spent they could hear no longer And when St. Paul spake to that gâ—eat Assembly Acts 22.1 22 23. They gave him audience unto this word I will send thee to the Gentiles and then lift up their voices and said away with such a fellow from the earth for it is not fit that he should live Then they cryed out and cast off their clothes and threw dust in the air Thus they raved and were enraged like angry yea like mad dogs when once their title was questioned or as we speak their coppy-hold toucht by the mention of the Gentiles whom they greatly despised and judged themselves so much above Hearken to this to this pinching word to the word that strikes upon your lusts The length of a Sermon spoiles the patience of some but the strength and searching power of it spoiles the patience of more A sincere heart is willing to hear all and is most pleased to hear that word which gives deepest wounds to any corruption of heart or transgression of life Such words are wholsome though bitter or sharp and the more they make us smart the more medicinal and healing they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Stat sc permentis rectitudinem Aquin. Hearken unto this O Job Stand still and consider the wonderous works of God Elihu not only desires Job to hearken but to stand still and consider There is a twofold standing still First Bodily I do not conceive Elihu imposing any such gesture or composure upon Job as to stand still and not stir his body The Hebrew is but one word stand up There is a liberty as to any comly gesture of the body in hearing a man may lawfully sit as-well as stand and hear yet to stand up and hear sheweth a readinesse of the mind and a hungring desire after the Word Secondly There is a standing still of the mind The body may stand as still as a stake or stone while the mind is in strong motion yea while there are most vehement commotions and perturbations in the mind This still-standing of the mind in hearing what is spoken may be taken in a double opposition First To any impatience unquietness or uncomposedness of the mind when the word is spoken Secondly To any irreverence slighting or disregarding of the word spoken To stand still is to get the spirit quiet to hear patiently or to stand still is to get the heart into a reverential frame to hear affectionately So then to stand still implieth both patience and reverence We have like admonitions in the 30th chapter of this book vers 20. and chapter 32d vers 16. Yea that admonition of Balaam was of like sence with this Num. 23.18 Rise up Balak and hear When Balaam was about to deliver his parable and declare the mind of God concerning Israel he called upon Balak to rise and stand up that is to entertain the message with respect Hearken unto this O Job stand still Hence note We ought to be in a gracious quietness and composure of spirit when we are called to hear and mind what God hath done or spoken Further We ought to have a quiet sedate composed spi it not only when we hear doctrinal truths delivered from the word of God but also when we hear of the providences and various woâ—ks of God As this word stand still may refer to the words going before Hearken unto this so to those which follow Consider the wonderful works of God And then the duty required in them reaches both his Word and Works It is a great power of grace which causeth the heart to stand still in this sence that is to be in a quiet frame when the works of God trouble us or are troublesome to us Thus Mâ—ses bespake the Israelite Exod 14.12 Stand still and see the salvation of God It was a very tâ—oublesome time with the Israelites they were ready to give themselves and all they had for lost when Moses exhorted them to stand still Nothing but faith in God can make us stand still when we are ready to fail and that will certainly do it Unbelief makes the heart as unquiet as theirs was upon the report of a war against Judah Isa 7.2 And his heart that is the heart of Ahaz was moved and the heart of his people as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind 'T is hard travel of soul to staâ—d still and see the salvation of God when every thing seen threaâ—ens desâ—lation The Lord is represented requiring us to do so Psal 46.10 Be still and know that I am God When the Psalmist had spoken of the desolating works of God he added this word from the Lord be still as if he had said the Lord commandeth you â—o be of a quiet and composed spirit when all things seem to be in a hurry or confusion for he had said before vers 8. Come behold the works of the Lord what desolations he hath made in the earth Yet even now saith the Lord Be still and know that I am God David at the beginning of the Psalm had professed a fâ—rm purpose in himself and in all the faithful wâ—th him for such a still-standing how-ever things moved or matters should go yea tumble in this world vers 1 2. Though the earth be moved and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea though the waters thereof roar c. We will not fear God is our refuge and strength How comely is it for man thus to stand still in a silent and believing consideration of what God hath done or is doing to which Elihu called Job expresly in the next words stand still Consider the wonderous works of God Here is First Consideration Secondly Consideration of the works of God Thirdly Consideration of the wonderous works of God To consider 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intelligere is
be swallowed up shewed in three things 594. How we may speak to him and not be swallowed up unless in his love 594. How God cannot be found out 614. In what he cannot be found out shewed several wayes 615 616. Three inferences from it 617. Power of God excellent two wayes 619. God cannot be seen 650 Godly not alwayes sensible of their defects and failings in grace 128 Good men apt to make sad conclusions against themselves 105 Good doing good They consult their own good best who do most good 248. Three fruites of doing good 248 Gospel light how it hath removed or been taken from many places 421. Grace free to the best and wisest 649 Greatness the great God is no enemy to greatneâ—s aâ— such 182. The greatness of God wherein 369. Several inferences from the greatness of God both for direction and consolation 369 H Hand of God and man how they differ 41. Hand and strength signified by the same word 478 Hard things easie to God 465 Hearing twofold 440 Hearer a good hearer of the word may sâ—metimes want an awakening word 524. Patience necessary in a good hearer and that in a double respect 525. Composure of Spirit necessary in a hearer 527 Heaven how to be looked upon 26 27. The Heavens are a divine glass a natural Alphabet c. 28. Heavens declare five things concerning God 20 Heavens are strong and transparent 570. Heavens as a looking-glass how 571. In the Heavens we may see God in five of his excellencies 571 572. In them we may see our selves 572 573. Heedfulness how necessary 318. Five things to be heeded 319 Hell how both large and streight 281. Hidings of God the lot sometimes of good men 105 Hypocrite an hypocriâ—e in heart who meant by it shewed in three particulars 257 258. The bad condition of a hypocrite in heart set out in three things 259. The hypocrite in heart growes w rse by affliction 261. Policies of hypocrites will avail them nothing 262. God extreamly angry with them 262 263. Hypocâ—ites humble not themselves though God humble them 265. The closest hypocrite shall fare no better than the deboistest sinner 273. I Jerusalem warning of its ruine by the Romans 425 Ignorance what ignorance inconsistent with godliness 253. Heedless ignorance an undoing to many 255. Ignorance is darkness 581. Six things which a man cannot see how to order because of the darkness of ignorance 581 582. Three inferences from it 582 583. Duties arising from this notion of ignorance 583 584. Much darkness of ignorance remains in the best while in this world 584. Three inferences from it 585. Ignorance is a great hindrance in our approaches to God 585 Impatience and distrust provoking sins 121. Hard to keep from impatience in hard times 320. Impatience our sin though troubles great 321 327 Impenitent persons their danger 304 Iniquity and a vaine thing expressed by the same word 233 234 319. To have any regard to iniquity is the marâ— of a wicked man 322 Intercession what it is 419 Judging it is our duty tâ— judge our selves 99. Three things required to a right self judging 99 100. Selâ— judging preserves us from rash judging the wayes of God or his dealings with us 100. Self judging keeps us humble 101. Judging or to judge taken three wayes in Scripture 411 Judges blind two wayes 628 Judgment taken three wayes in Scripture 108. Judgment of the wicked in what sense a good man may be said to fulfill it 290 291. Judgment day terrible to sinners 610. Judgment taken four wayes in Scripture how God excels in every one of them 621. Why God doth not presently execute judgments upon the wicked 625 Julians purpose of having the Temple at Jerusalem rebuilt prevented by an earthquake and thunder 461 Justice of God 108 109. God is righteous though it appear nâ—t 110. That God is just should cause us to trust him 114. Justice and Judgment how or whether they differ 292. There is no avoiding divine Justice 294. Justice a scarce commodity among men 626. Plenty of Justice in God shewed five wayes 627 628. Two Inferences from it 629 K Key of the Cl uds in Gods hand 391 Know to kâ—ow taken three wayes 127. Nâ—t to know or we know not signifieth two things 465. It is a shame not to know some things 538. It is a presumption to seek the knowledge of other things 538 Knowledge not to do according to what we know is very shamful 82 Knâ—wledge fetcht from afar what 143 144. Knowledge is worth our longest travel 146. What the perfection of knowledge is or who is perfect in knowledge 157 158. Knâ—wledge of God 175 176. In what sence a good man may dy without knowledge 253 254. In what sence God is not known by any 373 374. Inferences from it 355. Yet this must not discourage us in seeking after the knowledge of God nor wâ—ll it excuse any who neglect to know him 376. Men know little of the works or wayes of God 538. Knowledge but in part here 584 L Land what Land God especially owns as his 517 Law no iniquity in acting according to Law 346 Life shortness of it 382. Yet man hath an Eternity to wait for 382 Light within us of great force 5. How that Principle is abused 6. Light God loves to entitle himself to Light 410. Light about seven things needful in those who come to God in any duty 585. Light properly not seen 596. Light of â—ods countenance sometimes hidden 598 Lightning what it is 449. Two things wonderful in it 449. The swiftness of it 451 Look and see what thâ—se two words joyned impâ—rt 24 Looking-glass how the heavens are so 57â— Love to God should be great because he is great 370 Luthers godly â—ear and resolution 288 Luthers meditation upon a Cloud 405. Luther saw a circular Rain-bâ—w 543. His opinion when the Rain-bow began 544 M Magistrates why called shâ—elds in Scripture not swords 61 Mâ—gnifying of God two wayes 350 Our magnifying the works of God a mâ—st necessary duty 358. How or when we magnifie the works of â—od shewed in five things 359 360 Five sorts faile in magnifying the works of God 365 366. Three mâ—tives to it 367 Majesty and glory of â—od man not able to bear it 592. Majesty of God 606. It is terrible 607. Two inferences from it 608 Mâ—ker God is so to us three wayes 65 68. It is good to look to God as our Maker at all times specially in afflicton 67. Five duties from the consideration that God is our Maker 68. God is to be honoured as our Maker 150. The Maker of all men can be unrighteous to no man 151 Meditation two things should be the daily Meditation of a Christian 241 Meekness to be high in Power and meek in Spâ—rit shews a God like Spirit 172 Mâ—n in what sence all men are alike 50. Shewed in fâ—ur things 50. Men of twâ— sorts 353 Mercies of God unless we are bettered by
signifies every believer a Servant 238 Service and Worship often the same in Scripture 237. God expects our seâ—vice and then especially when we suffer under his hand 237. To serve God what or the service of God described 238 239. To seâ—ve God our Freedâ—m 240. Service of God pleasant and easie in a twofold respect 240. Service of God not lean but prâ—fitable 240 241 Sight of God two-fold immediate mediate and that by a threefold means 102. The sight of God or his discovery of himself to us very sweet to the the soul 104 Signes of changes in the weather and other natural things 424. Inferences from it as to other thâ—ngs 424 Signes why given by God 549 Sin how sinful it is to say there is no profit in leaving sin 17. The benefit or profit of leaving sin 19. God receives no hurt or damage by the sin of man how many or how great soever his sins are 31. Yet sinners shall be dealt with as if they had hurt him and why 31. How the sins both of good and evil men turn to the glory of God 32. Sin considered in a threefold opposition 33. Sin dâ—th six things to God yet cleared how no damage to him 34 35 36. The least sin hurtful 47 48. Sin hurts the whole Creation but chiefly man 48 49. The sad effects of sin as well as the filthy nature of it should move us to avoid it 48. Sin hurts others but thâ—se most who commit it 49. Sin is vâ—cal 92. God doth not severely mark the sins of his people 116. Sin mans work 224. God doth not suffer sin to grow potent in his people 226. There is an excessiveness in some sins 227. In what sence sin may reign in a righteous man 228. Sin may be seen and not the exceedingness of it 228. The exceedâ—ngness of sin shewed in three things 228 2â—9 Sin a vain thing how 234. God will not indulge sin in any 293. Sin should have no respect 321. Sin not to be chosen in any case 324. Sin strictly taken cannot be chosen 325. Vpon what accounts sin is chosen by many 325 326. They make a very bad choice who choose sin rather than affliction 372. Sin worse than any the worst affliction 330 331 Singing an act of Praise 352 Skie two things considerable in it clearness and strength 568. How the skie may be said to be strong 569 Snow what it is 469. When it usually falleth 469. Six things wonderful concerning the Snow 472. Snow how like wâ—ol shewed in three things 472 473. Snoâ— and Rain at the command of God 474 Sodomites how expressed in the Hebrew 271 Song in the night what 70 71 73 Soveraignty of God over all creatures three Inferences from it 14 20 Soul how taken in Scripture 268 South why expressed by a word that signifies a secret place 487. Whirlwinds come from it 488 Sparing mercy God will not spare his own if they obey not 252 Speaking two things of great use in it 139. Speaking of two sorts 232 233 Spirits of men weighed â—y God 552 Standing-still two-fold that of the mind to what opposed 527 Star-gazers their vanity 27 Stormes in the hearts of men allayed by God 562 Streight who may be said to be in it 282. No streight so great but God can deliver out of it 283 Strength of heart wherein it consists 175. 183. Strength of wisdom in God two-fold 175. There is no strength against the Lord. 311 Suddenness of divine Judgments 300 Sufferings did not hurt the Martyrs and why 51 Sun in its brightness cannot be looked upon 602 Swearing the Lords saying as much as his swearing 549 Sword how taken in Scripture 252 T Tabernacle what 407 408 Teacher God is pleased to be a Teacher of his people 338. The teachings of God above all teachings 339. How God exceeds all Teachers shewed in seven things 339 340. Three Inferences from it 342. Several Evidences of our having been taught of God 342 343 344. Teaching 'T is mans shame when he acts not according to the teachings of God 82. Teaching is to make us knowing 576. There are two sorts of persons who call for teaching 577 Terribleness of God to sinners in four dayes 609 Thundering Legion 460. Thunder a terrible thing 436. Thunder the Voyce of God 440 442. Thunder called the Voyce of God in a twofold respect 442. Six Inferences from it 443. Word of God like Thunder shewed in five things 444. Thunder Gods Hera d. 454. Thunder how it followeth Lâ—ghtning 454. Why we see the Lightning before we hear the Thunder 454. Six degrees or sâ—rts of Thunder 455. Thunder described 457. Marvels in Thunder 460. The effects of the Word like those of Thunder 461 462. Two Inferences from it 464 Tiberius the Romane Emperour his Character 630 Time at the dispose of God 379 Trembling what 436. Great appearances of God should make us tremble 437. A fourfold trembling 437 438 Troubles are streights 281 282 Trusting in God a Duty in darkest times 112. Tâ—ust in God fixes the heart 113. Some not to be trusted 114. We should trust God more upon experience of what he hath wrought 365. The Eternity of God a groâ—nd of trusting him 380 Truth will prevail though many be against it 23. No matter if we are alone so Truth be on our side 23. Some speak Truth with false hearts others speak falsly with a true heart 153. To speak truth a high commendation of the Speaker 154. Truth taught us by God four effects of it 342 343 344. Some Truths are specially to be attended to 524 U Valentinian his zeal and advancement 213 Vanity what aâ—d who 92 Visiting of three sorts 119 Undeâ—standing how an undeâ—â—â—anâ—ing man may be said not to undersâ—aâ—d 81 Uprightness That which is not done uprightly will not be done constantly 266 W Waiting on God in hardest times 112 113. Warnings Gâ—d gives them before he sends great Judgmeâ—ts 425 426. Warning God gives waâ—ning before he strikes 455 Water of two sâ—rts 388. Waâ—er held up in the Air by the Power â—f God 392 Way of God what it is 345 Whirlwind what 489 Wickedness what 47 Wicked men out of Gods Protection he takes not care of them 189. How God doth and doth not preserve the lives of the wicked 189 190. Wicked not so much preserved as reserved 191. Wicked men of two sorts 192. Their life sad 192. God will at last utterly destroy them 193. God will not be taken off by any outward respect from destroying them 301 Winds four Cardinal 487. What the Wind is 489. Winds come at Gods appoyntment 489. God makes a twofold use of the Wind. 490. Six uses of it for mercy or for the good of man 490 491. Winds the Broomes of Heaven 490. Afflicting effects of the Wind. 492. Seven Wonders observable in the Winds 493 494. What the Wind is 598. Causes of the Wind. 599. Life preserved by the Wind. 599. Spirit of God compared to the Wind. 601 Wise