God made two great lights the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night he made the starres also and God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth God in Creation did with the light as he did with the waters which being made were divided the waters above the firmament were divided from the waters under the firmament and the waters under the heaven he gathered together into one place Gen. 1.9 God prepared a certaine great vessell into which the waters were called and gathered that they should not spread over the earth as they did at first which gathering together of the waters God called Seas Gen. 1.10 Thus the light which was spread and scattered through the ayre over all the earth God gathered into severall vessells Pulchritudo es ornamenta coeloruÌ„ stellae sunt sicut terrae animantia et plantae Sanct and the gathering together of light he called Sunne Moone Starrs which are as Job here calleth them the garnishing of the heavens Moses epitomiseth or briefly summs up his larger narrative of the Creation in these words Gen 2.1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished and all the host of them that is they were finished not onely as to their essentials but ornamentalls not only was the foundation layd the walls and pillars the beames and rafters of that goodly structure set up and perfected but all the furniture of it was brought in and the beautyes of it compleated Now as gemms minerals plants trees and all living creatures are the Garnishing of the Earth and the host of God there so the Sunne Moone and Starrs are the garnishing of heaven and the host of God there David speaketh of these distinctly Psal 33.6 By the word of the Lord were the heavens made and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth All creatures whether placed in heaven or earth are for their number their strength their order their readynes at a call or command the host of God Earthly Princes shew their power in their hosts and armyes of what power God is both his acts and his hosts aboundantly declare And as these creatures are the armyes or host of God in heaven and earth so they are the Adornings and Garnishings of heaven and earth Job in this place speaketh onely of the former By his Spirit he hath Garnished the Heavens Onely here take notice that some expound the word Spirit for the winde which bloweth in the ayre and so render the text thus By his winde hee garnisheth the heavens As if this were Jobs meaning that God sending forth the windes dispelleth and scattereth those clouds foggs and mists which often cover the face of the heavens and hinder our beholding their glory and garnishings According to this interpretation the garnishing of the heavens is nothing else but the removing of that which obscureth the Garnishing of them And it is true that when the heavens are maskt over with clouds and darknesse God by the winds cleareth the ayre and so reneweth the face of those heavenly bodyes But I passe by this and shall onely insist upon the former exposition of these words as being more sutable with Jobs scope and more expressive of the power and Glory of God in the great things which he hath wrought for us By his Spirit hee garnisheth the heavens Hence learne First We ought joyntly to acknowledge and give glory to the Father Son and Spirit in the worke of Creation Solomon in his advice to the young man sayth Eccl 12.1 Remember thy creators in the dayes of thy youth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 creatorum tuorum Mysterâ—um Sanctae Trinitatis Pisc Wee translate in the singular number creator but the Hebrew is plural Creators intimating the mystery of the Holy Trinity as Moses also is conceaved to doe in that plural expression Gen 1.26 And God sayd let us make man in our image after our likenes And though this be added in a way of Eminency when the particular creation of man is set downe yet we are to understand it so generally of the whole worke of Creation and as of the worke of Creation so of all other divine workes towards the creature Redemption is the worke of the Father and of the Spirit as wel as of the Son and sanctification is the worke of the Father and of the Son as wel as of the Spirit The three persons worke together onely they have a distinct manner of working according to which each worke is chiefely attributed to that person and so creation is specially appropriated to the Father Redemption to the Son and Sanctification to the Holy Ghost Seing then all Three worke together in all things towards us All three ought to be equally and eternally honoured worshipped loved and obeyed by us By his Spirit he hath garnished the Heavens Secondly Observe The heavens are full of beauty God hath not onely made them but adorn'd them What a rich and Royall Canopy hath God hung over the heads of poore wormes dust and ashes God did not thinke it enough to give us a house unlesse he gave us also a pleasant house he was not satisfied in setting up a large fabricke for us unlesse he also furnished and garnished it for us God hath made the world not onely usefull but contentfull to us he hath fitted it not onely for our necessity but delight The earth is beautifull but the heavens exceed in beauty The heavens are the Ceiling of our house and the Starres are like Golden studs and sparkling Diamonds in that Ceiling We may inferre three things from the Garnishing of these heavens First If the heavens which we see are so glorious what are the heavens which no eye hath seene If God hath thus discernably adorned the first and second heavens how unconceaveable are the ornaments of the third heavens If nature hath so much beauty in it how beâ—utifull a thing is Glory If God hath prepared such heavens as our eyes see for those who hate him then surely eye hath not seene eare hath not heard nor hath it entred into the heart of man to understand what those heavens are which God hath prepared for them and for them alone who love him The light of these visible heavens is but darkenes to that inheritance of the Saints in light The Moone-light if I may so speake of that state shall be better and more illustrious then the Sun-light of this and the light of the Sunne shall be sevenfold as the light of seven dayes in that Great day when the Lord shall perfectly bind up All the breaches of his people and heale the stroake of their wound God who by his Spirit hath garnished these heavens will be himselfe with his Son and Spirit the eternal Garnishing of those heavens Secondly Seing God hath been so bountifull and munificent as to Garnish the heavens for us even for us by his Spirit seing he hath provided such
least work A natural man eyther makes the Law of God voyd by doing that which is against it or he lets it lie voyd by not doing it and would be glad that this talent committed to him might for ever be wrapt up in a napkin or be buryed in the earth Both these turnings whether to the right hand or to the left are evill The way of holines the good way lieth streight forward right on It hath no turning either to the right hand nor to the left All the wayes of sinne are called crooked wayes and they are our owne wayes Psal 125.5 As for such as turne aside to their crooked wayes the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquitie The Psalmist calls them Their crooked wayes that is wayes of their own devising whereas the way of holines is the Lords way To exceed or to doe more to be deficient or to doe lesse then God requires both these are crooked wayes the way of the Lord lyes streight forward right before us Pro. 28.18 Who so walketh vprightly shall be saved but he that is perverse or crooked in his wayes shall fall at once The motion of a godly man is like that of the kine that carryed the Arke 1 Sam. 6.12 Who tooke the streight way to the way of Bethshemesh and went along the high way lowing as they went and they turned not aside to the right hand or to the left But you will say Doe not good men even the best of good men decline sometimes and goe aside or doth it argue every man to be wicked who declines at any time I answer Job speakes of what he had not done not of what it was impossible for him to doe he had not declined yet he might have declined Wee finde many declinings among the godly how many are there that decline in degrees who are godly in the maine They love still but they have not the same warmth of love the same heate of affection They obey still but they have not the same strength of obedience There may be a declineing also not onely in the way but from the way to the right hand sometimes and sometimes to the left there may be an exceeding and there may be a coming short in those as to actions who as to their state are come home to God these things are possible yea common but we speake of what many godly men doe and what should be the aime and designe of every godly man that is to keepe the way of God and not to decline to keepe himselfe up in spirituall strength and to keepe himselfe onne in a spirituall course yea every godly man may and can say as David did Psal 18.21 I have kept the wayes of the Lord and have not wickedly departed from my God Though every godly man cannot say as godly Job did I have kept his way and not declined yet every godly man may say as David I have kept his wayes and have not wickedly departed from my God we should be afraid of declineing and decaying we should strive to be alwayes advancing and encreasing And as Saints are under a command to be such so they are under a promise to be such Psal 92.12 13 14. The righteous shall flourish like a Palme tree he shall grow like a Cedar in Libanon Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the Courts of our God they shall still bring forth fruit in old age they shall be fat and flourishing Here is not onely a mention of growing but of flourishing and here 's flourishing three times mentioned and 't is growing and flourishing not onely like a tree but like a Palme-tree which flourisheth under opression and like a Cedar not growing in ordinary places but in Lebanon where were the goodliest Cedars Nor doth the Spirit promise here a flourishing in boughes ane leaves onely as some trees doe and doe no more but in fruit And this not onely fruit for once in a yeare or one yeare but they still bring forth fruit and that not onely in the yeares of their youth or beginnings in grace but in old age and that not only in the entrance of that state which is called old age threescore yeares but that which the Scripture calls the perfection of old age threescore yeares and ten as the learned Hebrewes observe upon the word used in the Psalme What a divine climax doth the Spirit of God make in this Scripture to shew that the godly man as to his state is so farre from declining that he is still climbing higher and higher And if any shall aske how comes it to passe then that some godly men are observed not onely by themselves but by others to decline often in and sometimes from the wayes of God I answer these declinings may be assigned to severall Causes First To the power of some Corruption remaining much unmortified in them as in a garden when the weeds grow high the good herbs decline And as in a field when the weeds are strong the corne is weake so it is here the prevailing or growing of Corruption is the declining of Grace in degree and by reason of it some for a time decline from the way Secondly Declinings are from the prevalency of temptation while Satan plieth some with temptation he turneth them out of the way or causeth them to walke but slowly in it As temptation is a tryall of so a hindrance unto grace yea though corruption be kept much downe yet some through a violent gust of temptation have been over-borne Thirdly Declinings are caused in the good by the example of those that are evill therefore the Apostle gives that Caution Rom. 12.2 Not to be conformable to the world A godly man is apt enough to write by a false copie and to doe as he sees the world doth What was all their way or their onely way before conversion they after conversion through neglect of their watch may be found stepping into or taking a step or two in Before conversion our whole course sayth the Apostle Ephe. 2.2 is according to the course of this world And the examples of the world have drawne many aside after they have come out from the world The fashions and vanities of the world in pride and pleasure are very drawing All examples especially evill examples like the Loadstone have an attractive vertue in them and many of the godly have been drawne aside thus and have declined with much scandal fot a while from the way of God Fourthly Declinings are sometimes from afflictions and those we may consider of two sorts personall or publique both or either of these have caused many to decline The cold frost of affliction hath nipped the graces of some and made them to turn aside from the way of God Therefore the Church having reported her great troubles speakes it as an argument of much sinceritie towards God and strength of Grace received from him Psal 44.17 18. All this
fulfilled or done on earth as it is in Heaven Thus we see the second Propnsition cleared for the understanding of these words That as the Lord takes pleasure in those who are righteous by the imputed righteousnesse of his Son so even in those also who are reghteous by the Implanted righteousnesse or holinesse of his spirit Thirdly God takes pleasure to see a sincere and upright person justifie himselfe or plead his owne justice against all the false accusations and suspitions of men The Lord likes it well to hear a man who is falsly accused to stand up and maintaine his own innocency yea it is our duty and we are bound in conscience to maintain our own innocency So David in the seventh Psalm and in the eighteenth Psalm justified himselfe against Saul And thus Job all along in this Book justified himselfe against the opinion of his friends in this sense God takes pleasure when we are so righteous in all our dealings and perfect in all our wayes that we dare encounter whosoever speaks the contrary and can wash off all the aspersions which either misguided and mistaken friends or professed Enemies cast upon us You have now had those three affirmative Propositions for the understanding of the Text. Take three more in the Negative First God hath no pleasure to see us justifie our selves before him or to plead our own righteousnesse with him yea he is extreamly displeased at it This some conceive the chief thing which Eliphaz aimed at Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou doest justifie thy selfe No thou dost highly provoke him in doing so to plead with or to justifie our selves before God that we are righteous is worse then all our unrighteousnesse for this overthrowes the whole design of the Gospel which is 1 Cor. 1.29 That no flesh should glory in his presence but be that glorieth let him glory in the Lord. And Rom. 3.19 20. The Law convinceth all That all the world may become guilty before God therefore by the deeds of the Law there shall be no flesh justified in his sight God will have every mouth stopped or cry guilty and therefore for any one to open his mouth and justifie himselfe before God is to overthrow the Gospel They are ignorant of the righteousnesse of God who goe about to establish their own righteousnesse Rom. 10.3 And as God hath no pleasure in them who boast of their righteousnesse to justifie themselves before him so Secondly God hath no pleasure in them who boast of their owne righteousnesse and contemne others Though a man may assert the righteousnesse of his Conversation against all them who question it yet God resents it highly when any proclaim their own righteousnesse to the despising of others Christ speaks a Parable against those in the 18th of Luke v. 9 10 11. who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others Two men went up into the Temple to pray the one a Pharisee the other a Publican The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himselfe God I thank thee that I am not as other men are extortioners adulterers unjust or even as this Publican Here was one that advanced his owne active righteousnesse and he did it with the contempt of another I am not as this Publican The Lord takes no pleasure in this yea the Lord is highly displeased with this And Isa 65.5 the Prophet represents the Lords indignation against this pharisaicall spirit in dreadful eloquence Stand by thy selfe come not near to me for I am holier then thou Thus they pleaded their righteousnes in contempt of others These saith the Lord are a smoak in my nose that is greevous and displeasing a fire that burneth all the day Thirdly God hath no pleasure at all in any of our righteousnesse either in the righteousnesse of our Justification or the righteousnesse of our Sanctification as the least addition to his owne happiness The reason of it is because as was shewed from the former Verse God is self-sufficient and hath no dependance at all upon the Creature So that what pleasure soever the Lord hath in the righteousnesse of our Justification or of our Sanctification we cannot put it to this account that we add any thing to his happines All the pleasure which God taketh is in himselfe or in the fulfilling of his owne good pleasure in Christ And therefore the work which Jesus was to doe on Earth is called the pleasure of God Isa 53.10 Deus nullis rebus quae extra ipsum sunt tangitur aut mutatur It pleased the Lord to bruise him he hath put him to grief when thou shalt make his soule an offering for sin he shall see his seed he shall prolong his dayes and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand That pleasure of the Lord was the work which the Lord put into his hand or which he gave him to doe even the bringing about his eternal purpose for the recovery of lost man that 's a work in which the Lord takes pleasure so much pleasure that the Prophet calleth it His pleasure And thus the Apostle speaks Eph. 1.5 6. Having predestinated us to the adoption of Children by Jesus Christ according to the good pleasure of his owne will c. The good pleasure of God is onely in his owne will that 's his pleasure The Lord delights to see his will accomplisht in the saving of sinners as well as in the obedience of Saints that 's a part of the good will of God why doth he take pleasure in the obedience of Saints even because his own will is done It 's not any thing in us that doth it So when he saves us the pleasure which he takes is in the fulfilling of his owne will rather then in our salvation Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous Vers 4. Will he reprove thee for fear of thee Or will he enter with thee into judgement The Question is to be resolved into this negative He will not reprove thee for fear of thee c. Will he reprove thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 arguit redarguit corripuit judicavit The word signifies first to argue or dispute and so to convince by the authority of reason Secondly to plead so to convince by evidence of the Law and fact Mich. 6.2 Hear yee O Mountaines the Lords Controversie and ye strong foundations of the Earth for the Lord hath a controversie with his people and he will plead with Israel The Mountaines and the strong foundations of the earth are the great men of the earth or Magistratical powers with these the Lord threatens a Controversie and that he will plead or argue his cause with them Thirdly it signifies to argue or plead not with words onely but with blowes to reprove with correction Job 5.17 Happy is the man whom thou correctest The word which here we render reprove is there rendred to correct which is reproving by blowes Fourthly
latter part of the Verse may receive the same Exposition Will he enter with thee into judgment namely for thy feare Will God deale with thee upon the account of thy piety And when he comes to justifie thee will he impute that to thee Or when God enters into judgement with thee will he suffer thee to present thy fear thy piety or goodnesse to him and so thereby answer his plea or take away the action which he brings against thee When God enters with us into judgement we may boldly plead our interest or Faith in the Mediator but we must not plead our fear the Grace or Holinesse either of our persons or of our services Thus we see the Doctrine of the Text according to this Exposition and the Active signification of the word Feare carrieth in it the very life and spirit of the Gospel All the worth and merit of our works as to righteousnesse is nul'd and laid prostrate and we taught to glory in nothing but the free gift and grace of God by our Lord Jesus Christ Secondly As Fear is taken passively Will he reprove thee for feare of thee That is is God afraid of thee doth he pick quarrels with thee for fear of thee Or seek occasions against thee when there is none only lest thou shouldest stand in his way or be a detriment to him This appears plainly to be the sense of our Translators Whence Observe God is above the feare of the Creature As in the former Verse God is above any advantages or hopes that the Creature can give him so he is above the feare of any hurt that the creature can doe him As the goodnesse or righteousnesse of man cannot benefit the Lord so the wickednesse and sinfulnesse of man cannot at all impaire the eternall glory and happinesse of the Lord. Though the wickednesse of man be a darkening to the manifestations of his glory and for that wicked men shall be judged yet as to his essential glory all the wickednesse in the world cannot darken that nor be the least abatement to it Will he reprove thee for feare of thee No man cannot hurt the Lord by all his wickednesse and therefore The punishment which God layeth upon wicked men is not after the manner of men God doth not punish as man punisheth Eliphaz here speaks of that which is often indeed a true ground among men why they reprove or punish other men Some reprove others upon a vaine fear of them and some upon a just fear of them Why did the Jews accuse and reprove Christ Was it not for fear of him at least they pretended a fear why else were they so hasty to have Jesus Christ brought to judgement John 12.47 48. Then gathered the chief Priests and Pharisees a Councel and said what doe we for this man doth many Miracles if we let him thus alone all men will beleeve on him and the Romanes shall come and take away both our place and Nation They Crucified Christ for fear though it was but a vain fear that he would be the ruine of their state the Romanes must needs come and destroy them if they let him alone Feare makes men cruell and they are most ready to hurt others who continually suspect hurt from others It hath been an ancient Observation that Cowards are murtherous and revengefull while a man fears that such a man will be his ruine he ruines him if he can and removes that out of his way which he supposeth standing in the way of his owne safety Why did Pharaoh give Command to slay the Male-Children of the Jews and oppresse that people It was upon a vaine or cowardly fear Come let us deale wisely with them lest they multiply and it come to passe that when there falleth out any warre they joyne also with our enemyes and fight against us and so get them up out of the Land Ex. 1.10 It is sayd at the 7th verse of that Chap. that the children of Israel were fruitfull and God fullfilling herein his promise made to Abraham encreased aboundantly and multiplyed and waxed exceeding mighty and the Land was filled with them When God thus cast a gratious eye upon them Pharoah and his Councellers cast a jelous eye upon them and began to suspect their multiplying might at last diminish him that their rising might prove his ruine Therefore upon reason of state he must find out a way to suppress and keepe them under as slaves and bondmen whom his Ancestors received as welcom guests and had to that day enjoyed as faithful friends Pharoah being captivated with this feare saw no way to free himselfe but by taking away the freedome of that whole People As some through the prevalency of their owne feares dare not doe justice so others through the prevalency of feare doe that which is unjust Take one instance more why did Herod Matth. 2. send out to slay all the Children It was for fear of the King of the Jewes he was afraid of Christ and therefore that he might murther him he gave that horrible sentence to slay all the Infants Again some reprove and judge upon a due fear for as Tirants and wicked men are full of fear because full of cruelty and have suspitious thoughts that others will wrong them because they have a mind to wrong every man so just and righteous Magistrates when they see evil working they must reprove and punish it lest it spread to the endangering of the publick Peace This is a just fear and such as becomes a man even a man of courage and integrity such may feare that if seditious spirits be let alone Verissimum est illud quod inter argumentādum assumit Eliphaz ex timore frequenter nasci aut vehementius accendi solere severitatem in irrogando supplicio Pined they will undermine a whole Nation and destroy thousands A Magistrate reproves and Judges Theeves and Murtherers out of fear that if they encrease no man shall live quietly Such as either openly or secretly contrive evil against a Nation the Magistrate from a just ground of fear deals with them reproves least they should disturb or infect the whole But the Lord doth not reprove any man for fear of him he is of such infinite strength and stability so far out of the reach of all the plots and contrivances of the wicked that he needs not call them to account lest they should hurt his state pull him out of his Throne spoile his Kingdome or get his Dominion from him the Lord is not afraid of any of these things but the true reason why the Lord reproves wicked men is because he hates their iniquities and is a God of truth and judgment Though Magistrates may punish not only out of the love of Righteousnesse and Judgment but because they fear a State may be ruin'd if they do it not yet the Lord hath none of this fear in regard of his State but he doth it meerly out of love to justice
man is of impurer eyes then to behold the glory and holiness of God in cleare manifestations of it and therefore heaven is the seate the habitation of his holinesse and of his glory Hence we may take two further inferences First That our hearts and our eyes should be lifted upwards the whole currunt of Scripture speaks of God as above in heaven And that 's the reason why the Apostle Col. 3.1 exhorts Sett you affections on things above and not on things here below And as on things above so most of all upon God who is above Sursum corda The old word was Lift up your hearts and David sayth in prayer Psal 25.1 I lift up my soule to thee And againe Psal 123.1 Vnto thee lift I up mine eyes O thou that dwellest in the heavens Yea our Lord Jesus Christ himselfe when he prayed Joh. 17.1 Lift up his eyes to heaven and said Father the houre is come glorifie thy Sonne c. The eye lift up to heaven is a signe of the heart lift up to heaven and that corporeall visible action serves to fix our most spirituall affections upon the invisible God 'T is indeed an easie thing to lift the eyes up to heaven but it is very hard yea impossible without a divine assistance to lift up the heart to heaven the heart of a prophane worldling mudds so much in the earth that he seldome lifts up so much as his eyes to heaven and how much or how often soever a hypocrite lifts up his eyes to heaven yet still his heart muds in the earth The eye lookes upward naturally but if ever the heart looke upward 't is a worke of Grace Secondly Then serve the Lord with reverence and holy feare in in all your addresses to him and appearings before him Wee reverence those who are on high on earth and shall wee not reverence him who is higher then the highest him who is in the hight of heaven While Christ bids us say Our Father which art in heaven he teacheth us as to pray with confidence because God is our father so to pray with reverence because he is a father in heaven Matth. 6.9 The Preacher Eccl. 5.2 makes this an argument why wee should be taken up in high thoughts of God why we should speak in a reverentiall manner both of him and to him Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thy heart be hasty to utter any thing before God He puts as it were a double bridle upon man in his drawing neere to God first upon his mouth Let not thy mouth be rash and secondly upon his heart for the heart will talke at random as well as the mouth yea the heart will talke more at random then the mouth can and there is praying with the heart alone as well as with the heart and mouth together therefore sayth he Let not thy heart be hasty to utter any thing before God Why for God is in heaven and thou art upon the earth therefore let thy words be few Here are indeed two arguments to enforce this composure of spirit first the highnes and Greatnes of God secondly the lownes and vilenes of man Consider God is above and thou art below not onely in regard of place but of state and dignitie of power and majesty The being of God in heaven notes not onely a power of soveraignty to command us but a power of ability both to punish and to provide for us to punish our rashnes and to supply all our wants wherewith we acquaint him and humbly mention before him therefore Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thy heart be hasty c. The same Solomon in the same booke allegorically describing the declined decrepid condition of man saith of the old man that he is afraid of that which is high Eccl. 12.5 Young men will be clambering and ascending but old men are afraid of that which is high they dare not goe up a high steepe place least their strength or breath should fayle or least their braine should turne and they through giddines tumble downe Old men love to keepe upon levell or even ground and are afraid of that which is high Surely both young and old have reason to be afraid of him that is high to have reverentiall thoughts of God who is in the highâ— of heaven higher then the heavens The distance of man from God as God is in heaven and man on earth is great and the dissimilitude of man to God as God is holy and man corrupt is farre greater eyther of these Considerations single is enough but both these layd together is aboundantly enough to keepe the heart in an humble selfe-abasing frame before the Lord. 2ly Taking these words Is not God in the hight of heaven As the supposed speech of Job thou sayest God is in the hight of heaven that is confined to heaven so that he looks no further but thou art deceived God is not lockt up in heaven he looks to all things here on earth As the earth is the Lords and the fullnes of it as to right propriety so the earth is the Lords with all the fullnes of it as to care and providence Though there be a distinctnes in the manner or manifestation of his being in heaven and on earth yet he is as truly and as much on earth as he is in heaven Hence note God is omnipresent or every where Though we are to adore and worship God as in heaven yet we must not shutt up God in heaven as he is in heaven so he is upon the earth also he is with us yea he is in us he is in all places not circumscribed by any nor limited to any place God is present in all places and fills all places with his presence onely he doth not declare his presence alike in all places The Lord appeares where and as he pleaseth but he cannot be otherwise or otherwhere then he is and that is every where While the Psalmist queryed Whether shall I goe from thy presence He was so farre from imagining that any such place could be found that in the very next words he concludeth God to be every where by an enumeration of all places Psal 139.7 8. If I ascend up to heaven thou art there if I make my bed in Hel behold thou are there Hel standeth in utmost opposition to heaven as heaven in Scripture-language is the highest so hell is the lowest place now sayth David If I make my bed in hell thou art there If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the utmost parts of the sea even there shall thy hand leade me and thy right hand shall hold me That is there I shall findâ— thee efficaciously present with me The Lord having said Isa 66.1 Heaven is my throne presently adds and the earth is my footstoole So the earth is called because its scituation in nature is below the heavens his throne is there his footstoole
Godly men at least intimated in this and toucht before conclude that they are happy when they appeare most miserable and that at their worst estate they are altogether above uncertainty For as they have a foundation so such a foundation as will stand all stormes and weathers What can be added to their felicity who are in an estate so good in the nature of it that they need not desire a change and so sure in the foundation of it that they need not feare a change much lesse an overflowing flood Eliphaz proceeds to describe the particular wickednes of those men or how they did Expresse their wickednesse Whose foundation was thus overflowne They say unto God depart from us c. JOB CHAP. 22. Vers 17 18. Which said unto God Depart from us and what can the Almighty doe for them Yet he filled their houses with good things but the counsell of the wicked is farre from me IN the former context Eliphaz had charged Job with impiety against God and called him to consider the dispensations of God in former times towards impious men here he shewes us what their impiety was It was impiety hightned into blasphemy The seven abominations which were in their hearts brake out at their lips and were vomited out of their mouths in blacke choler in choler as blacke as hell Vers 17. Which said unto God depart from us c. These words are filled with the very spirit of malice against God himselfe And we have the same breathed out in the same language in the former Chapter at the 14th verse there the reader may finde them explicated and I shall add somewhat for a further explication here Which said to God depart from us To this hight of madnes doe some wicked men arise their spirits being bigge with sinne they bring forth or belch out this monster of words They say to God depart from us They as it were send God a writ of Ejectment they doe not pray or entreate God to depart from them but with as much rudenes and incivillity as unholynes and prophanenes Say unto God depart from us 'T is a word of command from man but such a one as breakes all the commandements of God Moses Numb 16.26 beseeches the people saying Depart I pray you from the tents of these wicked men and touch nothing of theirs but here we have wicked men not praying God to depart but bidding him they say depart from us David speakes to the wicked Psal 119.115 Depart from me ye evill doers for I will keepe the commandements of my God he bids them begone He would not give them the least wellcome or entertainment And so Jesus Christ is described speaking to the wicked in the day of Judgement Matth. 7.23 Depart from me away get you out of my presence I will not have to doe with you I will doe nothing for you Depart His is a word of command indeed which though they have no will to obey yet they shall obey it whether they will or no. Thus in the present text wicked men presume to say to God himselfe depart from us c. Hence note First That wicked or meere carnall men have some appearances and impresses of the presence of God upon their spirits They could not say to God depart from us had they not some impressions and notions of God of the will and Law of God of the truth and power of God upon them They who are alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them doe yet feele a presence of God with them Act. 17.27 That they should seeke the Lord if haply they might feele after him and finde him though he be not farre from every one of us Take mankind in generall good and bad beleevers and infidels there is a neerenesse of God unto them unto them all and that not onely a neerenesse of God in what the Apostle there speakes of common preservation vers 28. In him we live and move and have our being or of naturall communications of which the Apostle speakes there also From him we receave life and breath and all things vers 25. But further God is with them by a twofold light first by a light of Direction secondly by a light of Conviction All have a Light of direction 1. by the Law written in their hearts The Apostle is expresse for this Rom. 2.14 For when the Gentiles he meanes it of Gentiles unconverted which have not the Law doe by nature the things contained in the Law these having not the Law that is formally published and preached to them are a Law unto them selves Which shew the worke of the Law written in their hearts their conscience also bearing witnes c. And as all have a light of direction from the Law written in their hearts or in the booke of Conscience so also 2. they have a light of direction from the Law of the creation or from that which is written of God in the Booke of the creature The same Apostle makes this the ground of the righteousnes of God in that dreadfull Revelation of his wrath against all ungodlynes and unrighteousnes of men be they who they will who hold the truth in unrighteousnes because that which may be knowne of God is manifest in them or to them for God hath shewed it to them But how or where hath God shewed them this The Apostle answers in the next verse Rom. 1.20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearely seene being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and Godhead so that they are without excuse So that though all men have not a light of direction from God so powerfull as to change them and make them holy yet they have a light so cleare and full as is enough to make them guilty And when they refuse to follow this light of direction in doing what is right then followes that other light of convictiō their consciences troubling them or as the Apostles phrase is Rom. 2.15 their thoughts accusing them because they have done that which is not right This presence of God is common to all men to the worst of men and this is it which provokes them to say to God depart from us And this is argumēt enough to stop the mouth of the Atheist who saith in his heart there is no God when as yet he cannot stop the mouth of his owne conscience from saying there is a God while hee sayth and this he alwayes sayth eyther in plaine termes or in that which is equivalent to God depart from me And from hence wee may observe Secondly That the presence and manifestations of God to wicked men are a trouble to them None are troubled with the neerenes of God to them but they who are farre from him all naturall men are farre from God in state and in heart and God is neere all naturall men eyther in his word or in his works
Cum nondum abscinditur substantia nostra residuum illorum absumit ignis assuesce quaeso cum illo Jun But here he is supposed entring upon a very serious exhortation to repentance after this manner or to this effect O Job now while our substance is not quite out downe and the fire consumeth the residue or the remnant of the wicked acquaint thy selfe with God or apply thy selfe to God as if he should say before thou art cleane cut downe before thou art utterly ruined as many wicked men have been heretofore and now are humble thy selfe and seeke to God that thy sin may be forgiven and thy wound healed Some paralel this in sense with that of the Preacher Eccle. 12.1 Remember now thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth while the evill dayes come not nor the yeares draw nigh wherein thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them Thus Eliphaz is conceived exhorting Job While our substance is not cut downe while we are not totally undone Quum subsisteÌ„tia nostra non sit excisa reliquias autem istorum ignis assumpserit Tygur Ita bene ut nihil melius Bold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 extantâ—a vel potius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quo subsistimus duramus vel subsistantia nostra i. e. vita qua subsistimus nam stare valet interdum superstitem esse Drus while the fire of Gods wrath is consuming the remainder of wicked men doe thou acquaint thy selfe with God and repent And though our translation makes not this connection yet it joynes fully in the sense of the Originall Whereas our substance is not cut downe So this verse is an elegant conclusion of the whole matter hitherto insisted upon by Eliphaz and he shuts it up in two parts first shewing the state of the innocent who are brought in speaking thus Our substance is not cut downe strictly That by which we stand or subsist our substance or subsistence which some expound not by goods but by life we may take it both wayes our life and that by which our life is maintained or by which we and our families subsist is not cut downe There is yet a difficulty in regard of the grammaticall sense of these words For Eliphaz having spoken before in the third person plural The righteous are glad and the innocent laugh them to scorne should as it may be thought rather have continued his speech in the same forme and have sayd Whereas Their substance is not downe but he puts it in the first person plural Whereas our substance is not cut downe c. We may answer two wayes First that it is usuall in Scripture to vary the number while the same person or persons is or are spoken of take onely one Instance Hos 12.4 He that is the Angel of the Covenant found him in Bethel that is Jacob. And there he spake with us It should according to Grammar be read thus And there he spake with him Having found Jacob in Bethel he spake with him in Bethel But we see both the person and number are varied the former words running in the third person singular being meant particularly of Jacob the latter in the first person plural There he spake with us The Spirit of God thereby signifying that what God spake at that time to Jacob personally he spake to all the spirituall seed of Jacob whether of the Circumcision or Uncircumcision virtually He so spake to Jacob as that the substance and effect of his speech reacheth downe to and hath an influence upon us beleevers who are his posterity according to the Spirit Besides this other Scriptures hold out the like variation of the number as in the Text which is the first answer Secondly Eliphaz might purposely vary the number that himselfe might put in for a share and be numbred among those who had obtained that sparing mercy not to be cut downe while others were consumed And so this reason of the change is purely spirituall much like that last opened out of Hosea Whence note That the righteous are often preserved in common calamities Psal 20.8 They are brought downe and are fallen but we are risen and stand upright our substance is not cut downe God takes speciall care of his owne people they are under a promise there can be no greater safety no better security then to be under a promise the promise is the best shelter in a storme and the best shield against the dart The Apostle Peter gives us two famous examples of this 2 Pet. 2.5 6. God spared not the old world but saved Noah c. bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly And having turned the Cities of Sodome and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow c. and delivered just Lot c. From both which examples he concludeth v. 9. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the Godly out of temptation and to reserve the unjust unto the day of Judgement to be punished When judgement begins at the house of God what shall the end of them be that obey not the Gospel of God as the same Apostle speaks 1 Pet. 4.17 It is a sure argument to the wicked that they shall be judged when they see God bringing judgements upon his owne house and people but the wicked are many times judged while the house and people of God are preserved and untoucht and when both good and bad both the innocent and the wicked are wrapt up in the same calamity when they are as it were thrust together into the same furnace the Lord makes a difference they are not cut downe as the wicked are cut downe nor consumed as they are consumed When the righteous are cast into the fire they are purged but not consumed but as it follows in the second part of this conclusion shewing the state of the wicked The remnant of them the fire consumeth Fire in this place is not taken strictly as opposed to water God indeed hath often made fire in kinde his scourge And the Apostle Jude saith of Sodome That it suffered the vengeance of eternall fire But all the judgements of God are in Scripture compared to fire Mala. 4.1 Behold the day cometh that shall burne like an Oven and all the proud yea all that doe wickedly shall be stubble and the day that cometh shall burne them up saith the Lord of hosts that it shall leave them neither fruit nor branch There is a burning and not by fire There is so great a judgement and terror in fire let loose and breaking its bounds that it may well signifie all judgements or any thing that is terrible Isa 52.4 As the fire devoureth the stubble and the flame consumeth the chaffe so their roote shall be rottennesse and their blossome shall goe up as dust Thus here the remnant of them the fire consumeth that is the wrath of God appearing in some visible judgement consumeth the remnant But what is this remnant which the fire consumeth I answer
the Lord and the light shall shine upon thy wayes or there shall be light in stead of darknes in thy pathes This light may be taken three wayes First A light of direction thou shalt see what to doe So it answers the former promise Thou shalt decree a thing and it shall be established unto thee Thou shalt not make blind decrees or decrees in the darke thou shalt not decree at a venture or at random the light shall shine upon thy wayes thou shalt have the light of the Word and the light of the Spirit to direct thee in making thy decrees and for the ordering of thy whole conversation Secondly Light shining upon his wayes is the prosperity of his wayes as if he had sayd successe shall attend thy undertakings the favour of God and his blessing shall be upon what thou takest in hand as the Sun shining upon the earth ripens the fruits thereof so the light heate and influence of divine favour shall ripen thy undertakings and bring them to a desiered perfection Light in Scripture is often put for prosperity as hath been shewed from other passages of this booke Thirdly The light shall shine upon thy wayes that is thou shalt have personall Comfort and Contentment in thy wayes that 's a different blessing from the former 't is possible for a man to be in a prosperous way and yet himselfe to take no Comfort nor Contentment in it When these three lights shine upon any man in his way or upon the wayes of any man when the Lord shewes him what he should do when he prospereth succeeds what he doth and when he hath comfort joy in what he is doing or hath don then the blessing is full As the Lord meets him that rejoyceth in his way and worketh righteousnesse so the Lord doth often meet those that worke righteousnesse in their way causing them to rejoyce And then the light shines upon their way indeed This is a further adddition unto the promise of successe before given From the first notion of light first Observe The righteous are under a promise of direction and guidance by God they shall see their way and know what to doe by a divine light The steps of a Good man are ordered by the Lord Psal 37.23 That is the Lord gives him light to see how to order his steps He hath not onely an outward naturall light shining in the ayre and an outward spirituall light shining in the rule but he hath an inward spirituall light shining in his heart or that outward rule planted within as it followes at the 31 verse of the same Psalme The law of his God is in his heart and none of his steps shall slide The law in the heart is a rule within which directs the good man what to doe and gives him such good direction that none of his steps shall slide He shall not walke like a man upon glasse or ice all whose steps are slips or in danger of sliding but he shall walke like a man upon plaine firme ground whose very steps are as sure as standings As Saints who were darknes are made light in the Lord in reference to their state so they have light from the Lord in reference to their walkings and as they receive a light from God whereby they know all things that is those great things which concerne Eternal life 1 Joh. 2.20 Yee have an Vnction from the holy one and ye know all things Now as they have a light promised them that they may know all things that is all necessary saving truths or doctrines of salvation for attaining the next life so a light is promised them whereby they may doe all things that is all their necessary workes businesses and affaires which concerne their duty in this life From the second notion of light Observe Righteous men such as turne unto the Lord shall have a Blessing in their way their way shall prosper As they shall have a light shining to shew them their way so to prosper them in their way God is a Sunne and he is a Shield Psal 84.11 And as he is a Sunne to give light and a Shield to protect so no good thing will he withold from them that walke uprightly That is he will not hinder or stopp those good things from them which their soules desire or move after they shall prosper in their way yea when 't is sayd He will not withhold c. there is more intended then expressed for the meaning is he will plentifully give forth or powre out all good things to and upon them who walke uprightly From the third notion of light learne That the Lord gives Godly men Joy and Comfort in their way Though their way be a way of much labour yea and a way of much danger too though it prove a way full of sweat trouble yet the Lord will cause a light to shine upon them and refresh them in their way To the righteous there rises up light in darknes The light of joy in the darknes of sorrow the light of comfort in the darknes of trouble They who walke in the light of truth and holines usually finde the light of joy and comfort in their way and are sure to finde it in their end The wayes of wisdome saith Solomon Pro. 3.17 are wayes of pleasantnes and all her pathes are peace and if at any time her wayes and pathes are not peace and pleasantnes as to the outward man they often are not while we are travelling in them yet they are alwayes so in the close of our travells Psal 37.37 Marke the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace Yea when others finde most trouble in their way then God is neerest to him for support as it followes in the next words Vers 29. When men are cast downe then thou shalt say there is a lifting up and he shall save the humble person In this and the following verse Eliphaz gives a firme assurance to Job by way of promise that he should not onely be delivered but should have two further priviledges First That himselfe should be exalted when others were cast downe or that he should be saved in times of common calamity ver 29. Secondly That he should be a meanes of safety to others and should prevaile with God for their deliverance he shall deliver the Island of the Innocent c. vers 30. That 's the generall scope of these two verses according to our translation as will further appeare in the explication of them Vers 29. When men are cast downe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 depressus prostratus When they are prest or opprest with mountaines of affliction and trouble So the word is used Esay 2.17 The loftines of man shall be bowed downe that is the lofty man shall be bowed downe as a man with a heavy burden upon his backe Wee say when men are cast downe the word men is not exprest in the
my complaint bitter The Original word hath a twofold derivation Aliqui deducunt a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod signifi at amaritudinem alij a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denotane rebellionem seu contumaciam most render it as we bitter Bitternesse in Scripture is often used by a metaphor to denote any thing which is grievous troublesome afflictive or distastfull to us because bitter things are so to the pallate or tast of man Bitter things are troublesome to sence and troubles are bitter to the Spirit Affliction is a bitter pill thou writest bitter things against me sayd Job to God before Chap. 13.26 so that when he saith my complaint is bitter it sounds thus much my complaint is as great as great can be and I have the greatest reason to complaine For by complaint we are to understand not onely the act of complaining but the matter upon which he did complaine or the cause of his complaint As if he had sayd My afflictions about which I complaine are exceeding bitter no marvaile then if my complaint be so too Secondly The word comes from a roote signifying to rebell to disobey to be exasperated or as some learned in the Hebrew give it to vary or alter the frame of a mans spirit and the disposition of his minde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exasperatio propriè variatio altenitas ut sic diâ—am quod qui rebellet variet infringat verbum mandatum alterius aut foedus cum eo initum because they who disobey and rebell doe certainly vary and change their minds from what they ingaged to be or professed they were before they turne aside eyther from the lawfull command given them or from the promise and faith which they had given So the word is used 1 Kings 13.26 Where the sacred History tells us of a Prophet who was sent out upon a Message by the Lord unto Jeroboam and though he faithfully performed the Message yet hearkening to the counsell of another Prophet he was slaine by a Lion Thus saith the Lord for as much as thou hast disobeyed or rebelled against the mouth of the Lord that is the words that proceeded out of the mouth of the Lord and hast not kept the commandement which the Lord thy God commanded thee c. Thy carkasse shall not come into the sepulcher of thy fathers Thus the word is translated by some in this Text of Jobs disobedience or rebellion And they render the whole sentence with an interrogation Etiam hoc die contumacia habetur querimonia mea Contuman est questus meus perstat q. d. non paret non cedet solatijs vestris Rab. Sol What is my complaint this day accounted rebellion as if I did contumaciously set my selfe against God while I am powring out my sorrows before him whereas indeed my complaint is rather rebellious or stout against your consolations it yeelds not to them nor is at all abated by them The way or course which you take to comfort me is too weake to graple with much more is it too weake to conquer and subdue my sorrows Yet further This sence and translation of the word may be applyed to that speech of Eliphaz in the former Chapter ver 21. exhorting Job to acquaint himselfe with God and to be at peace As if he had sayd Leave off thy distances lay downe the weapons of that most unholy warre which thou hast taken up against God To which close rebuke Job answers here what Is my complaint to God looked upon by you as a combate with God or do ye thinke that while I beg pity and favour of God I have bid him defiance or declared my selfe his enemy What else can be the meaning of it that you exhort me so seriously to reconcile my selfe to God He that is called to make peace with another is supposed to be at warre with him or at least to beare him ill will So then according to this rendering and interpretation of the Text the drift of his speech is to shew how little ground there was yea how unjust it was that he should be accused of rebellion and contumacy against God while he was onely bemoaning his owne sad condition and putting up his complaint to God We may forme up his sence into this argumentation He cannot be justly accused of rebellion against God who complains much or greatly when his griefe is more or greater But my griefe is more and greater then my complaint Therefore I cannot be justly accused of rebellion against God because I complaine Againe The text is thus rendred Etiam hodiè est vel suo loco manet exasperatio querelae meae Merc. Quasi ex noxio medicamine vulnus crevit Etiam post tot tanta verba vestra quibus sperabam fore ut me sola remini augetur mea querela quia nihil est in vestris verbis consolationis Merc. Even to day the sharpnes or bitternesse of my complaint remaineth or my sorrow is as it was I am no way eased but rather more afflicted by what you have sayd for the easing of my affliction An improper plaister doth but enflame not at all heale the wound So that as according to the former interpretation he tooke off their charge of impatience contumacy and rebellion against God according to the minde of this he shews the weaknesse and insufficiency of what they had spoken as to the allay of his sorrow and the curing or satisfying of his distemperd spirit So that here he seemes to renew and confirme that opinion which he had given of his friends in their procedure with him Chap. 13.4 Ye are forgers of lyes ye are all Physitians of no value O that ye would altogether hold your peace and it should be your wisdome And againe Ch. 16.2 Miserable Comforters are ye all Shall vaine words have an end or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest So here ye have done nothing yet effectually to remove my complaint I am like a poore patient who having been long under the Physitians hand and suffered many painefull applications is yet as farre from a cure as the first houre of his undertaking Even to day the bitternes the sharpenes of my diseased minde remaineth I have been in paine as the Church speakes Isa 26.18 I have as it were brought forth winde Ye have not wrought any deliverance neyther hath this inhabitant my sorrow fallen by your hand Lastly Some referre these words to the promise made by Eliphaz Chap. 22.21 exhorting Job to acquaint himselfe with God c. and so good should come to him But saith Job here Though I am cleare from what you accuse me and also have communion with God in wayes of holines yet I experience no such good as you promise I am not brought into wayes of comfort but rather my sorrows encrease and my complaint is as bitter this day as ever it was And as it follows in the Text My stroake is heavier then
he hath tasted in the goodness of God this is spiritualness in the very height of it but usually God is then sweetest to us when the world is bitterest to us Afflicted soules make most hast after God and it is well to doe so it is a very sad signe the worst Symptome that can appeare upon the soules of any when afflictions draw them off from God or when they grow cold in their affections towards God while the love of the world growes cold towards them The Prophet Amos 6.7 foresheweth a very great calamity that should fall upon the people of God Thou shalt goe Captive with the first that goe Captive c. And in the 8 verse The Lord God hath sworne by himselfe saith the Lord the God of hosts I abhorre the Excellency of Jacob and hate his Palaces As if he had sayd though I have invested him with excellent priviledges though he make a great profession of my name yet because of his provocations and unworthy walkings I will deliver up the City and all that is therein there 's Captivity then comes Pestilence in the 9 â—h verse And it shall come to pass if ten men remaine in one house that they shall dye and they shall not bury them after the ordinary way but burne them and the neerest relations shall doe it Ver. 10 â—h And a mans Vncle shall take him up and he that burneth him to bring the bones out of the house and shall say unto him that is by the sides of the house is there yet any with thee and he shall say no then shall he say hold thy tongue for wee may not make mention of the Name of the Lrrd. As if when all these evills and plagues were come upon them they had been stopt or restrained from prayer and totally withdrawn from God by some prohibition from men who were so farre from calling the people to solicite God by prayer to take off his hand Diligentius dâ—â— irati coluntur Sen. l. 1. Declam 1. that they forbid them so much as make mention of his name As if they were eyther afraid or abhorred to mention the name of God because he had been so terrible among them in his Judgements And whereas we translate We may not make mention of the names of the Lord. Ne illâ—â— inter pelles neque illuÌ„ tuis precibus solicites illius ve nomen aut memoriam usurpes qui tibi haec mala fecit mandavit voluit Pined Our late Annotators take notice of two other readings We have not or we will not make mention of the name of the Lord Implying that the stop lay onely in their owne spirits they being eyther so generally wicked that they had no minde to call upon God or so unbeleeving that they thought their case desperate and had no hope of help if they should A Heathen hath sayd That their gods were most worshipped when most displeased but we have some Christians in name who will not worship God at all when they are under the tokens of his displeasure Thoughts of God are never more pleasing to a gratious heart nor more troublesome to a wicked then when they are in trouble Fifthly which will further cleare what was last observed Observe That The unkindnesse and trouble which a godly man findeth among his friends or others in the world drives him neerer to God Job besides the hardship he found from strangers had been hardly used by his friends The use which he made of all this was to make more use of or to get neer unto God O that I knew where I might finde him This was Davids wisdome also Psal 142.4 5. I looked on my right hand and beheld but there was no man would know mee refuge failed mee no man cared for my soule When all slighted him when none tooke care of him what doth he in this case The next words tell us what I cryed unto thee O Lord I said thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living As if he had sayd Upon these unkindnesses disrespects and slightings which I found in the world I tooke occasion yea I was stirred in my spirit to cry unto thee O Lord and to say thou art my refuge that is then I made thee my refuge more then ever Having made thee my choyce in my best times when men honoured and embraced me I am much encouraged in these evill times when men regard me not and the more because they regard mee not to make thee my refuge to shelter my weather-beaten selfe in thy name and power As the naturall spirits in the body when the aire is very sharpe cold and unkinde to the outward parts retire inwards resort to the heart keep close to the heart whereas in warmer weather the spirits are drawne forth and therefore we are more subject to faintings and swoonings in hot weather then in cold so when it is cold weather in the world when it is as it were frost and snow storme and tempest then our spirituall spirits resort and come in to God and keep close to him When we have most friends in the world or when the world is most friendly unto us then God is our best friend his favour is the most beneficiall and desireable favour when we have as much as we can desire of favour among men But when the world hates us and frownes upon us especially when as the Prophet speakes of some Isa 66.5 Our Brethren hate us and cast us out for the name sake of God himselfe saying Let the Lord be glorified When 't is thus with us I say our soules are even forced into the presence of God to renew our interests in his love and to assure our soules that we are accepted with him If under such measure from men we finde not helpe in God we must remaine for ever miserable God alone is enough All without God is nothing to a Godly man The fullnes of the creature without God cannot satisfie him and the utmost want of the creature cannot discontent him while he enjoyeth God the more he wants in the creature the more he seeketh his content in God and when he findes nothing below he cryeth out with greatest earnestnes O that I knew where I might finde him whose throane is above and who is the onely happines of man while he is below Sixthly We see how Inquisitive Job was after God as he had a desire and a minde to finde God so he layes about him for information where and how to finde him Hence observe They who truely desire to finde God are diligent in searching after him O that I knew saith Job where I might finde him This was not an Idle wish many are much in the Optative mood full of wishings and wouldings but their wishes are altogether wishes and their desires nothing but desires and such desires are killing desires as Solomon hath taught us The desire of the sloathfull killeth him Prov. 21.25 an Idle
desire is a death to the desirer A godly mans desires are active desires they put him upon enquiry lead him to the meanes of enjoying the good desâ—ered And though God be unexpectedly found of some that seeke him not yet no man can expect to finde God but he that seeketh him And indeed what should the Creature doe but be upon an enquiry after God there is a Naturality in it hee being the supream beeing that we who have our being from him should seeke after him And the Apostle tells us Act. 17.26 27. that this is the designe of God in making of one blood all Nations of men for to dwel on the face of the earth and in determining the times before appoynted and the bounds of their habitation namely That they should seeke the Lord if haply they might feel after him and finde him though he be not farre from every one of us for in him we live c. The Lord is neer all he hath a presence in all places with all persons but the Lord would have all seeke feele grope after him even such as have but a dim light of him as those have that doe not seeke so much with their eyes as with their hands they onely feele after the things which they would have There is a light in the spirits of all men that haply they may feele after God and finde him They who have not Scripture light Gospel light the highest light yet have some kinde or degree of light they have some glimmerings though no cleare discernings And that should put them on to seeke God much more should they seeke after him who have clearest light And where there is any heate of affection to God a little light will serve them to seeke after him they that are true desierers will be diligent seekers And they who seeking God have found him will seeke him yet againe yea they will seeke him more and more as long as there is any thing more of God to be found And there will alwayes be more of God to be found for here we know God but in part and therefore have found him but in part and hence it is that all the Saints in this life or on this side Glory even they of the highest forme and greatest proficiency in grace and knowledge are called Seekers this is the generation of them that seeke him Psal 24.6 not such seekers as we finde too many in these dayes who as if all were upon uncertainties in religion say they have as yet found nothing for as there is something wherein the most knowing and strongest Christians may be to seeke so there are many things yea all things necessary to salvation or without which we cannot be saved which the weakest may finde and know sufficiently though not sully And as they who desire to finde these things will be diligent in seeking them so they may know in themselves or be fully assured that they have found them and so even while they still continue to be seekers know that they are already Finders Lastly Observe God is every where yet especially some where to be found As there is a finding time so there is a finding place and finding meanes There is a finding time saith holy David Psal 32.6 For this shall every one that is godly pray to thee in a time when thou mayest be found The Hebrew is in a finding time though I would not give any one a stop from seeking God at any time yet I must say there is a speciall finding time And this the Apostle calls the Accepted time 2 Cor. 6.2 that is the time which we ought to lay hold upon or accept as also the time wherein we shall be acceptable or finde acceptation There is also a finding place there is a where as well as a when God specially is to be found I mean it not of a meere locality as if God were now to be found more in one place then in another for Paul saith 1 Tim. 6.8 I will that men every where lift up pure hands without wrath and doubting And Christ told the woman Joh. 4.21 The houre cometh when ye shall neyther in this Mountaine nor yet at Jerusalem worship the father not as if Christ had forbid the worship of the father in those places for the time coming but he enlargeth publick worship to all places or abrogates all differences of place under the Gospel as to the worship of the Father Yet if any man shall enquire where may I find God or say as Job here O that I knew where I might finde him I would answer First Seeke him in his promises search the Scriptures there you will finde God Secondly Look for him in his Ordinaces of prayer and preaching c. for there he hath promised to be present Where two or three are met together in my name there am I in the midst of them Math. 18.20 When the Church or Spouse in the Canticles Chap. 1.7 8. Askes the Question Tell me O thou whom my soule loveth where thou feedest where thou makest thy flocks to rest at Noone Christ her Beloved answers If thou know not O thou fayrest among Women goe thy way forth by the footesteps of the flocke and feed thy kids besides the Sheepherds tents That is follow the holy practices and examples of the Saints in all former ages which the Apostle calls walking in the steps of the faith of Abraham Rom. 4.12 And againe hearken to the voyce of faithfull Teachers who as Shepherds feed the flocke of God with knowledge and understanding Waite at these Shepherds tents saith Christ and there thou shalt finde a presence of God with thee and his blessing upon thee Thirdly And above all Seeke God in Christ The father is onely to be found in the Sonne Looke to Jesus Christ and in him you cannot but behold God for he is the brightnes of his glory and the expresse image of his person Heb. 1.3 and therefore as he that hath the Son hath the Father also so he that by an eye of faith and in the light of the Word and Spirit Beholdeth the Son beholdeth the Father also For the light of the knowledge of the glory of God is given us in the face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 The light of the knowledge of the goodnesse of God of his mercy Justice holines which are his glory shineth forth from Jesus Christ that is in and by Christ it appeares gloriously that God is exceeding good mercifull just holy Therefore to every wearied soule complaining of the losse of God and crying out O that I knew where I might finde him The summe of all the Counsell that I can give or indeed that can be given is this Seek God in Christ and he will be found O that I knew where I might finde him That I might come even to his seat Some conceive these words as the issue of a distemperd spirit others tax Job with too much boldnes that
before thee Job speakes to this sence I would order my cause before him or to his face as the Hebrew Text hath it that is in his presence And fill my mouth with Arguments Pleno ore fidentèr constanter pro me dicam Bold I would have arguments enow or good store to prove that your proceeding hath been unequall toward mee And when he sayth I would fill my mouth with arguments it shewes that his heart was full of arguments Christ teacheth us to argue so Luk. 6.45 Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Jobs heart was full therefore he would fill his mouth David prayeth Psal 71.8 Let my mouth be filled with thy praise And the Church speakes of her joy when God had turned their captivity Psal 126.2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter In this language God bespeakes his people Psal 81.10 Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it Open it by faith and I will fill it with what fill it with mercy and with blessings So here I would fill my mouth with arguments that is I would not want matter to speake for my selfe Os meum replebo increpationibus Vulg. or in my owne cause The vulgar reades it I will fill my mouth with Chidings or with reproofs The word properly signifies Conviction and then wee are to understand it in reference to his friends I would abound with convincing reproving or chiding arguments against you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non redargutiones intelligit quibus deum injustitiae accusaret sed rationes quibus se tueretur Sic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Graecie sumitur Merc. who have thus long reproached mee I would bring such arguments as should not onely be a proofe of mine owne integrity but a reproof of my friends severity Some arguments have onely a proof in them others have a reproof too Job would fill his mouth with arguments which should be both proofs for himselfe and reproofs to his opposers Job had not a word to say against God but he had much to say against his friends I would fill my mouth with Arguments Note from it Troubled spirits have many things to say and usually abound much in their owne sence Furor arma ministrat As the passion of anger will administer weapons to a man though he be no great fighter so those passions of griefe and sorrow will administer arguments to him though he be no great disputer A troubled soule will hardly be put to a stand or non-plus They who suffer much will alwayes have somewhat to say If nature deny said one of old yet Indignation will make a man a Poet And if nature deny yet sorrow will make a man a Logician and trouble will make a man an Advocate in his owne cause The tongues of many are tipt with Oratory they have excellent words and strong reasons too from the pressures that are upon their spirits trouble of spirit fills the mouth with Arguments two wayes First Against themselves how strongly will some in that case dispute against their owne peace what arguments will they bring against any comfort that is offered them and how nimbly will they reply to any one that goes about to answer them how will they finde out new mediums when those are foyled by which they have formerly nourished their unbeleefe and discouraged themselves from taking hold on mercy 'T is wonderfull to heare the pleadings of a troubled spirit and 't is one of the hardest taskes in the world to answer the doubts which such a man will make against himselfe Secondly The troubles of many fills their mouths with arguments for themselves that 's the meaning of Job here in this place I would fill my mouth with arguments to maintaine my Cause I should not want eyther matter or words to plead this busienes were I before the Throne of God and yet I would not be so free and forward to speake as to neglect or slight what is spoken to me as it followes Vers 5. I would know the words that he would answer mee and understand what he would say unto mee Some are so hasty to speake that they will not heare they are so forward to plead their owne Cause that they will not receive the opinion of another Job discovers an equall spirit to both As I would order my Cause and fill my mouth with arguments so I would know the words that he would answer mee too I would have the good manners or the grace rather to heed and understand what God would say to mee Cognâ—scam sanationes quas loquetur mihi Sep. Quam mihi laboranti curationeÌ„ adhibiturus esset intelligeâ—em Chrysost The Septuagint render it thus I would know the healings which he would speake to me or as another What medicine or way of cure he would praescribe and administer to mee and this might respect eyther the quieting of his Spirit or the repayring of his credit and good name which had been sorely and deeply wounded by his friends not onely suspecting but charging him as an hypocrite or wicked man This is a fayre sence onely it straitens the Text For we may suppose Job in this addresse and application to God ready to heare whatsoever God should say unto him whether his were words of approbation or reproof whether for him or against him Though Job had doubtlesse a strong confidence that God would approve of him and give sentence on his side yet considering his owne weaknesses and distempers of minde he might well conceive that some things had fallen from him or been done by him which might deserve and call for chidings and rebukes as the issue indeed was And therefore it was most congruous that he should present himselfe before the Lord in a frame of heart to receive reprehensions as well as consolations I would know the words that he would answer me and understand c. Knowing and understanding may be taken here two wayes First for Considering and weighing what God would say or what Award he would make In which he seemes closely to checke his friends who thought him so dull and incapable that surely he did not apprehend nor understand their answers Well saith Job whatsoever you thinke of my dulnes to understand your answers or what you have sayd yet I doubt not but I shall understand the answers of God or what he shall say unto mee Secondly They note a reverence and respect to the word of God I would know the words that he would answer that is submit to them I would not oppose the Judgement or Opinion of God concerning me Though Job did not sit downe or acquiesse in the judgement of his friends yet he would reverence and sit downe quietly in the judgement of God in the answer which he should please to give In eyther of these interpretations the sence is good I would know that is I would study to finde out the minde of God and understand
though I confesse if God should put forth his power I were not able to hold up my head before him and that he could easily overthrow me with a breath yet I am perswaded he will take a more favourable course and deale with me in mercy not with rigour or severity Vers 6. Will he plead against me with his great power I know he is cloathed with Majesty and that the greatnes of power is his but will he plead against me with it The Hebrew text is will he plead with me to plead with and to plead against are the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contenâ—et quasi de jure suo ut illud exigat To plead is a Law terme He that pleadeth against another discovers eyther the faultines of his person when accused or the weaknes of his Title when controverted This word is used by the Prophet Isa 57.16 I will not contend or plead for ever I will not argue my owne prerogative nor will I argue thy sinfullnesse alwayes or without end why not if I should the spirit would faile before me and the soules which I have made where though spirit and soule are put synechdochically for the whole man that is for flesh and spirit for soule and body together yet the Lord mentions onely spirit and soule because of their strength to beare divine contendings beyond the body or the flesh As if he had sayd even that which is strongest in man would fayle if God should alwayes contend 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Num copia sui roboris c. Will he plead against me with his great power or strictly to the Letter with the multitude of his power with the forces of his power The power of God is great yea the power of God is greatest all his power is allmighty power yet God doth not alwayes put forth the greatnes of his power He is a most free agent and so can restraine and hold in his owne power when he pleaseth and not use it to the terror of a poore creature or plead against him with it Againe The power of God may be taken two wayes First for his strength or his power of doing and executing secondly for his prerogative authority or his power of commanding and ruling we may interpret it here of the latter will God deale with me by his prerogative power thinke you will he oppresse me with his meere authority Per multaÌ„ dei fortìtudineÌ„ potentiam ejus absolutam summum jus dici solet intelliguÌ„t multi Bold I have another opinion of God surely he will not doe so For he is good and gratious and he will attemper his prerogative with pity his great power with much mercy Will he plead against me with this great power Jobs question is a confident negation such negative interrogations are frequent in Scripture will he is he will not plead against me with his great power but Job is not satisfied that his speech carrieth a negation in it and therefore lest any should not fully enough understand him so he expresseth his negative will he plead with me with his great power no His power is not nor ever will it be against me He will take some other course with me he will deale with me upon the account of goodnes and mercy not upon the account of power He will not breake me a bruised reed nor quench me who am but smoaking flax he will rather bind me up and cherish the least sparke which he perceiveth alive in me Will he plead against me with his great power Hence observe First God hath great power much power All power is his The power of men and Angels is his What power soever whether for kinde or degree is in the hand of any creature that power belongs to God Thus David a man of Great power states it God hath spoken once twice have I heard this That power belongeth unto God The power that is scattered and divided all the world over is centred and united in him God hath a greatnesse of power in commanding and disposing what and how things shall be done he also hath a greatnes of power in doing and executing what he hath commanded The commands of men are often unperformed eyther because they to whom their commands are sent have no power to performe them or because they want power to backe their owne commands Wee may consider the Greatnes of the power of God several wayes First As he can doe all things and is omnipotent there is nothing too hard for him his hand is not shortened in reference to the longest or the greatest workes and difficulties And as he can doe whatsoever he hath a will to doe so he will doe whatsoever he pleaseth to have done whatsoever he purposeth to doe whatsoever is upon his heart to doe none of his counsells ever fayled nor have any of the thoughts of his heart been frustrated Men often purpose to doe but they seldome have power to doe what they have purposed they are bigge with the conceptions of many great matters but when the children come to the birth they have no strength to bring forth God never failes in his power to doe whatsoever he hath a purpose or a mind to doe God hath power enough to backe his commands and he can supply power to those whom he calleth to execute them Secondly The greatnesse of Gods power is seene in this that He hath a right to doe all that he doth As he hath a fullnesse of strength so a fulnesse of Authority he doth not usurp or intrench upon any other power in what he doth nor upon any mans property in what he hath it is his due to doe what he doth and to have what he hath God is supream giving the Law to all receiving the Law from none his is not a tyrannicall but a just and a righteous power his is not a might without right but a might with right What the Prophet speakes of the Chaldeans Hab. 1.7 is true of God in every sence in the strictest sence His judgement and his dignity proceedeth of himselfe he is a law unto himselfe his rule is internall and his power intrinsecall All derive power from him therefore his power is altogether underived Power underived must needs be great power yea the Greatnes of power Thirdly The greatnesse of his power appeareth further in this that no man may presume to question him for what he doth He hath great power in what he doth whom none may so much as aske what doest thou Nebucadnezzar a heathen in highest earthly power confesseth as much of the power of God as soone as he regained the reason of a man Dan. 4.34 35. At the end of the dayes that is after the terme of seven yeares was accomplished when for the heart of a beast a mans heart was restored to him I Nebuchadnezzar lift up mine eyes to heaven and mine understanding returned unto me and I blessed the most high and I
is that when God comes to plead with Beleevers he pleads not against them with his power and righteousnesse seing Christ with both pleads for them He pleads for them not onely as he is Jesus Christ the righteous but as he is the mighty the All-powerfull God This is the chiefest ground of a beleevers confidence that God as Job here saith will not plead against him with his great power What then did Job beleeve would God doe with him the next words enforme us what his faith was in that particular But he would put strength in mee So we render the Hebrew is onely thus He will put in mee Veruntatem ille pones in me Heb. what he would put is not expressed in the Original which hath caused some variety of opinion what it should be that the Lord would put into him and I finde a threefold conjecture in the poynt First The supplement is made thus He would produce arguments or reasons against me and this is conceived most suitable to the context and scope of the place as also to the action of pleading before spoken of Poneret afferret in me suas rationes Merc. Ipse poneret coÌ„tentioneÌ„ in me id est non robore mecum ageret sed verborum contentione Ch would he plead with or against me with his great power no but he would shew me the reason of his dealings with me he would not proceed against me in a martiall but in a legal way not in a prerogative but in a discoursive argumentative way he would shew me the cause why he thus contendeth with me and hath so sorely afflicted me God would condescend so farre to my weaknes as to give me an account though I dare not presume to call him to an account and though he hath both power and right to deale with me as he pleaseth yet I am much assured that he would be pleased to tell me why he deals thus with me This interpretation is cleare to the generall scope of the context and argues nothing unbecoming that holy confidence which the Grace of the Gospel alloweth a beleever in yea encourageth him unto when in any distresse he approacheth unto God for the reliefe and comfort of his troubled Spirit Secondly Another thus Will he plead against me with his great power Fonet in me sc cor suum i e. compleâ—eretur me favoure Pisc no but he would put his heart upon me that is he would imbrace me with his favour and lay me in his bosome Though his hand hath been exceeding heavy upon me yet I believe his heart is towards me though he hath smitten me with the wound of an enemy yet he will receive me as a friend and give me signal testimonies of his love I should not feele the weight of his hand but see the tendernes of his bowels and his heart moving towards me This also is an interpretation full of truth and as full of comfort to a wearied soule Thirdly The supplement made in our translation reacheth both the former and suites also to the former branch of the Text with much elegancy Alij sub audiuÌ„t repetuÌ„t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in me robur poneret ad consistendum coram sâ— â—e infiâ—mum fulciens roborans Merc. Would he plead against me with his great power no but he would put power or strength into me he will be so farre from putting out his strength against me that he will put his strength into me he knoweth my weaknesse how unable I am to contend with or beare up against his power and therefore he would put power into me Mr Broughton renders clearely to this sense Would he by his great power plead against me no but he would helpe me helpe is power and he that helpeth another administers power to him he either puts new strength into him or joynes his strength with him So then Job was assured that God would put strength into him or be his strength to helpe and carry him through all the difficulties that lay before him Hence Observe First A beleiver hath no opinion of his owne strength or that he can doe any thing in his owne strength He trusts no more to his owne strength or power then to his owne righteousnesse or worthinesse As our Justification before God is purely founded in the righteousnesse of Christ so all the actings of our sanctification are maintained by the strength of Christ Holy Job spake nothing of his owne strength yea he spake as having no strength of his owne A Godly man knows his owne strength is but weaknesse and that when he prevailes with God it is with a power which he hath from God Paul useth a forme of speech which we may call a divine riddle 2 Cor. 12.10 When I am weake then I am strong he predicates or affirmes one contrary of another weaknesse is contrary to strength how a weake man should be strong and then especially strong when he is weake is hard to conceive by those who are spirituall and is unconceivable by those who are carnal This assertion is enough to pose and puzle nature He that is weake is strong or the readiest way to get strength is to be weake The truth and the Apostle Pauls meaning is plainly this When I am weake in my owne sense and opinion when I am convinced that I have no power of my owne then I feele power coming in then Christ strengthens me and I am strong then I experience that word My grace is sufficient for thee When I finde the waters of my owne cisterne low and fayling then I have a supply from the Spirit So the Apostle spake Phil. 1.19 I know that this also shall turne to my salvation through your prayers and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ The first Adam received all his strength at once we now receive our strength by dayly fresh supplyes from the second Adam The word there used by the Apostle which we render supply signifieth an under-supply implying thus much that as the naturall body and each particular member of it is supplyed with sence and motion together with a suitable strength and ability from the head so beleevers who are altogether the mysticall body of Christ and each of them members in particular are supplyed from Christ their head by the Spirit with spirituall life motion and strength of Grace for every duty to which they are called or which is required of them And because as this is so in its selfe so beleevers are instructed in it therfore they disclaime and goe out of their own strength that the power of Christ may rest upon them Christ fills none but the hungry nor doth he strengthen any but the weake They who thinke they have any thing of their owne shall receive nothing from him unlesse Christ be all in all to us he will not be any thing at all to us Secondly Observe God himselfe puts strength into humbled sinners that they
and that not onely in doing but in suffering 1 Pet. 2.21 For even hereunto are we called because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps â—equere deum Epict. Christ is not onely a principle of holinesse in us or our spirituall life but he is also a patterne of holinesse according to which we ought to live And the same Apostle represents the holinesse of God both as a rule and as a motive of that holinesse which should be acted by us 1 Ep 1.15 16. As he that hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation because it is written Lev 11.14 Be ye holy for I am holy To be holy as God is in all manner of conversation is stedfastly to hold the steps of God And when as Christ exhorts Math. 5.55 Wee are mercifull as our father which is in heaven is mercifull When as the Apostle exhorts Eph. 4.32 Wee forgive as God for Christs sake hath forgiven us when we are patient and long-suffering one towards another as God is towards us all then we take hold of his steps this should be our businesse every day to follow God in his word and in his workes to follow him fully It is said of Caleb Num. 14.24 My servant Caleb hath another spirit he hath followed me fully Here some may object to follow the counsel of God fully is the dutie of all but to follow the example of God is surely beyond the attainment of any This seemes to be a hight of holinesse too high for man For if Solomon said Eccl 2.12 What can the man doe that cometh after the King even that which hath been already done or more close to the Original in those things which have been already done How much more may we say What can the man doe that comes after God the King of Kings can he doe that which hath been done already I answer no man can paralel the workes of God but all men are called to imitate him in his workes though we cannot follow him with equall steps yet we may follow the equity and holines of his steps This Job did and we through grace may doe My foote hath held his steps His way have I kept and not declined The way of God is his Law in that he will have us to walke and that is called his way because he hath prescribed it and is the author of it as that is mans way wherein he walks so that is Gods way wherein he will have man to walke Blessed is the undefiled in the way Psal 119.1 What the way is he tels us in the next words Blessed are they that keepe his testimonies and who walke in the Law of the Lord. His law and testimonies are his way now sayth Job As I have held his steps or followed his example so I have kept his way that is I have done that which he hath commanded The way of God is put sometimes in Scripture for that which himselfe hath done Ezek. 18.25 Via del hominis sumitur 1 Pro itinere gressibus 2 Pâ—o ipsa via strata Heare O house of Israel is not my way equall that is the way wherein I my selfe have gone the way of my dispensations to you both in rewarding and punishing And as the workes of providence so the worke of Creation is called the way of God Pro. 8.22 The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way that is before he came forth in the worke of Creation before his workes of old his way and his workes are the same or his workes are his way But in this Text as I touch't before we may rather take way for that which God would have us doe or for the way in which we ought to walke And so we have the compleatnes of Jobs obedience he imitated the example and he obeyed the command of God His way have I kept Yet further There is a twofold keeping of the way of God First by practice and obedience thus we keepe the way of God by submitting to it Secondly There is a keeping the way of God by protection and defence Thus we keepe the way of God when we stand up to maintaine it We may take it here in both senses and in both doubtlesse Jobs Spirit was led out to keepe the way of God Hence note A godly man keepes close to the word of God He keepes close to it by obeying it and he keepes it close by defending it and this he doth as Job did it universally for so this indefinite proposition His way have I kept is to be understood it was not this or that way but any or every way of God which he kept And thus a godly man keepes the way of God though it be a difficult and to the flesh an uneasie way though it be among men a reproachfull and ignominious way though it be as to his outward concernements a disadvantageous and dangerous way yet he keepes it he that is through with God doth not onely keepe those wayes which suit with his owne pleasure and credit with the safety of his owne interests and accommodations in the world but if the way of God lie through difficulties through dangers and disgraces he will yet keepe it And if we thus keepe the way of God we may be sure that the way of God or rather the God of this way will keepe us and keepe us in perfect peace in spirituall freedome safetie and honour though we have trouble in and from the world His way have I kept and which doth heighten his obedience care and zeale in keeping it He addes And not declined 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word signifies to be unsteady or to move every way As if he had said I have kept his wayes stedfastly and unmoveably Job speakes both in the affirmative I have kept and in the negative I have not declined Some keepe the wayes of God a while but they keepe not on much lesse doe they keepe up in keeping them There is a twofold declining First a declining from the way of God to evill and sinfull wayes and these are of two sorts first erroneous opinions secondly wicked practices secondly there is a declining in the way of God when though we keepe the good way yet we are not so good in the way as we were but slacke our pace coole in our zeale to the good wayes of God We may expound Jobs negative in reference to both these as if he had sayd I have neither gone out of the way of God nor have I been sloathfull in it 'T is the highest commendation of man thus to keepe the way of God and not decline Hence note A godly man is or ought to be and 't is his honour to be steady in a good way Perfeverance is our Crowne The Apostle 1 Cor. 15.58 Exhorts to be steady and unmoveable alwayes abounding in the worke of the Lord. We should
To draw backe is perdition as they who draw backe are the most forward to destroy others Hos 5.2 The revoulters are profound to make slaughter so they shall be sure to be destroyed themselves The people of Israel in their travels through the wildernes to Canaan did often discover this spirit of Apostacy Psal 78.41 They turned backe and tempted God We finde them at a consultation about it Numb 14.4 They said one to another let us make us a Captaine and let us returne into Egypt Our Lord Jesus had such a sort of men who followed him in person Joh. 6.66 From that time many of his Disciples went backe from him and walked no more with him They were Disciples who went backe and there were many of them so many that Christ in the next verse sayd to the twelve Will ye also goe away Then Peter answered Lord whether shall we goe thou hast the words of eternall life As if he had sayd we cannot mend our selves whether soever we goe why then should we goe from thee As a Godly man goeth on so he seeth reason why he should 'T is as irrationall as sinfull to goe backe from him who hath the words of eternall life or from the commandement of his lips who hath given the promise of life The Apostle Paul had a reaching spirit and he was alwayes reaching forward Phil. 3.12 13. Not as though I had already attained or were already perfect but I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus As if he had sayd I would to the utmost answer the designe which Christ had upon me when he first tooke hold of me effectually by his grace Paul was so farre from going backe that he forgot what was backward Some remember what is past or what they have done so much that they forget what is to be done But saith Paul this one thing I doe forgetting those things which are behinde and reaching forth unto those things which are before I presse towards the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus The marke and the price are alwayes before us there is no coming at the marke nor winning of the price by turning backe Prov. 4.18 The path of the just is like the shining or morning light which shineth more and more unto the perfect day The path of the unjust if it have any light in it is but like the evening light which shines lesse and lesse which declines and goeth downward till the perfect night and till himselfe be wrapt up in everlasting darknesse The Sun in the firmament went backe by miracle for a signe to Hezekiah that he should recover the health of his body But if we see any goe back who have heretofore shined like the Sunne in a Gospel pofession we have just cause to looke upon it as a sad symtome that their soules are in a dangerous if not in an irrecoverable condition I have not gone backe sayth Job from the commandement of his lips Againe from all these expressions in that Job speaking of the same thing calls it the way of God the commandement of his lips and in the latter part of this verse the word of his mouth to which he had cleaved and wholy devoted himselfe for the guiding of his whole man in the duty which he owed and had been carefull to pay both to God and man Observe The word of God is the onely rule of life And in this poynt the word or commandement of God is to be taken in a double opposition first to our owne devises and rules secondly to the devises and rules of other men man must not prescribe to himselfe nor may we receive the prescriptions of men to order our practise by God is the onely Law-giver and we must receive the Law from his mouth He that will please God must shutt all his own imaginations out of doores and have nothing to doe with them 'T is not what man hath a minde to doe but what the minde of God is he should doe that pleaseth him or is eyther a worship or a service acceptable to him We never dishonour God more then when we take upon us to serve him our owne way and leaving his rule make a rule for our selves Such a serving of God is rebellion against him as was told Saul by the Prophet 1 Sam. 15.22 Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voyce of the Lord. Saul thought he had done very well when he saved the sheep and oxen for sacrifice But he was told that to obey is better then sacrifice and to hearken then the fat of Rams God had commanded burnt offerings and sacrifice but he had no delight in them when his owne voyce was not obeyed or when they were offered eyther beside or against his command Luk. 16.15 That which is highly esteemed among men is an abomination to the Lord His thoughts are not our thoughts eyther in the doing of what is good or in the pardoning of what is sinfull As man is apt to thinke that God will not pardon what he hath done sinfully so that he will accept of what he thinkes he hath done holyly though he hath no rule for the doing of it but what himselfe hath devised We alwayes fayle in our measure while we measure God by our selves And it is as dangerous to take the rule of our actions from men as not to take the rule of God In this sence we must call no man Master nor may we be the servants of the wisest men And as we must not be the servants of men because which is the Apostles reason 1 Cor. 7.23 We are bought with a price that is dearely redeemed by Christ so neyther may we be the servants of men in following their dictates because we have received a word from God whom alone we ought to follow and none else but in subordination to or complyance with his word and the commandement of his lips or as it followes in the conclusion of this verse the words of his mouth I have esteemed the words of his mouth more then my necessary food Job having given us two negatives I have not declined I have not turned backe as proofes of his integrity and holines now gives us an affirmative to make up the fullnes of his proofe Not to doe evill is commendable but to doe good is a higher commendation I have esteemed the words of his mouth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Hebrew word signifies two things first to hide or conceale secondly to prise value or esteeme Some render this Text by the former not as we I have esteemed the words of his mouth In sinu meo abscondi verba oris ejus Vul◠Graecos secetus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 legit non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at ventit ac si scriptum esset 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in sinu meo abscondi Merc.
but I have hid or layd up the words of his mouth that 's a good reading and so Mâ— Broughton translates More then my daily bread have I layd up the words of his mouth The Vulgar gives another reading In my bosome have I hid the words of his mouth in this following the Septuagint who by the change of a letter in the Originall translate the word which we render More then my necessary or statute food in my bosome But I passe that as a mistake of the text in that word yet in the former part it consents with Mr Broughton I have hid or layd up the words of his mouth more then my daily bread And as this translation holds out a truth in it selfe so the sense meets with ours for as the Originall word doth as properly signifie to hide or lay up as to esteeme so those things are layd up or hidden by us which are of most esteeme And this action of hiding or laying up the word is often spoken of in Scripture both as the practise and as the duty of the Saints Psal 119.11 I have hid thy commandements in my heart And the rule is given by wisedome Prov. 2.1 My sonne if thou wilt receive my words and hide my commandements with thee Wisdome counselleth us not onely to receive but to hide the commandements And Pro. 4.20 21. Wisdome goeth yet further My sonne attend to my words incline thine eare to my sayings let them not depart from thine eyes keepe them in the midst of thy heart The heart as Naturalists say is in the midst or center of the body Holy truths must be kept in the midst of the heart in the midst of the middle that is in the safest place in that most retyred chamber the midst of the heart But why should these words be hidden in the heart which are and ought to be proclaimed in the eare and upon the house-top I answer wee hide things first that we may know where to have them what is throwne at our heeles wee know not where to have Secondly We hide things for safety or from danger as well as to have them ready at hand for use There are enemies who watch their opportunity to steale the word away from us and therefore it is our wisdome as well as our duty to hide it or lay it up safe So that in both notioÌ„s we ought to hide the word of God first that wee may have it at hand for use as it is sayd of the Good house-holder in the Gospel that he layeth up and hath in his treasure things both new and old Secondly that it may be kept out of the hand of the theife who would rob us of that precious treasure Satan and the world are Word-stealers and they steale away the Word not because they desire to make any use of it but lest we should therefore as Gideon Judg. 6.11 threshed wheat by the wine-presse to hide it from the Midianites so seing there are mysticall Midianites who dayly steale away the Word that most necessary and precious wheat from thousands who have heard and received it we should in a holy jelousie and suspition of them hide it out of their reach In conversion God puts the Law in our minde and writes it in our heart And through that grace received and dayly renewed we also are enabled to lay it up there Pectus meum feci Bibliothe cam dei Hieron de Nepotiano A Good man as one of the ancients speaketh makes his heart Gods library there he layeth up whole volumes of holy precepts and of precious promises And looke what precepts or promises he finds in the Bible or written booke of the Word of God the same he finds transcribed into his owne heart and so into his life But I will not insist upon that reading I have laid up the words of his mouth more then my necessary food We render I have esteemed the words of his mouth c. These two rendrings of the word give light to each other That which we esteeme we hide and the more we esteeme a thing the more carefully we hide it No man will lay up that which is worth nothing what we hide is of value at least we judge it to be so Childrens pockets are often full of Bables but to them they are no Bables they esteeme them as men doe gold and silver else they would not take them up much lesse lay them up I have esteemed the words of his mouth Before it was the commandement of his lips some make a distinction between these expounding the commandement of his lips for the preceptive part of the word and the word of his mouth for the promissive part of the word or for the promises which are gracious declarations and manifestations of the love and good will of God to sinfull man Dicta oris distinguo a praeceptis dictum oris est verbum gratiosae nunciationis et promissionis q. d. gratiam annunciatam libentè◠accepi animi fide Coc As if Job in the former words had a respect chiefely to the Law or rule of doing and in this latter to the Gospel or ground of beleeving But though I see not well how these seemes can beare that distinction yet the matter doth yea and seemes to require it for though a godly man esteemes the precepts of God as well as the promises and the commandements are the words of Gods mouth as well as the promises yet the promises are the most feeding fatning and refreshing part of the word and if so surely they were not left out yea possibly were principally inteÌ„ded by Job in this place that he might shew how his Spirit was carried out to the full latitude and compasse of the minde of God both in the Law and in the Gospel And because the promises have so much soule-food in them he doth therefore elegantly preferre them before his necessary food I have esteemed the word of his mouth But how much or at what rate did he esteeme them it follows in the next words More then my necessary food There is yet some variety observable in the reading of these latter words Some give it thus A statuto meo abscondi eloquia oris ejus Mont Ex statuto meo vel more meo ut ab â—nevute aetate assuevi praetermittere quae deus odio habet i. e. plena electione deliberatione fixa apud se non externè tantum et levitèr divinam legem custodire apud se decreverit Cajet Aliqui ad actiones hominis consuetas quas de more facit referunt ut antiquius habuerit legem domini animo recondere ei operam dare quam solita constitua sibi ac usitata facere Merc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 proprie statutum et decretum sonat hinc certam decretam cibi rationem Quicquid advictum vitam fovendam ac tuendam est necessarium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appellatur Merc I
of what he spake in the verse immediatly foregoing here giving an account why he had kept so close to God and to his wayes My foot hath held his steps his way have I kept and not declined neither have I gone backe from the commandements of his lips c. And why all this for he is of one minde That is God will have his way there 's no resisting his commandements must be observed that which he once made a law and rule for me to walke by continueth so still He is of one minde Therefore I must keepe close to his minde It were a vaine thing for me to turne any other way when God holds the same way It were folly for me to change my practice when I finde no change at all in his precepts they being still one and the same in themselves and having the same obligation upon me Secondly These words may give an account or a reason of his afflictions As if he had thus expressed himselfe Though my conscience beareth me witnesse that I have not gone onne in any such sinfull way as ye tax me with nor defiled my selfe with such grosse iniquities as usually draw downe the visible Judgements of God upon men Yet I finde God going on still to afflict me he keeps his rod upon my backe and his burden upon my shoulders his terrors still incamp about me and his arrowes drinke up my spirit Nor will he be moved by any entreaty of mine to withdraw his hand from me What ever pleaseth him he will doe how unpleasant soever it is to me And what 's the reason of all this He is in one minde God is unalterable therefore doe not thinke that because he continueth these afflictions and burdens upon mee that therefore all must be resolved into my sinne No we may resolve all this into the soveraigntie and unchangeablenes of God he is in one minde and he will doe what his minde is and none shall turne him Egregie tuetur divinam providentiam nam cum amici illa tantum ratione pro divina providentia pugnent quod scelera puniat at Job illam agnoscit cum aerumnas ille immittit propter praeclaros fines nobis occultos soli deo notos Pined Juri libertati dei assignat afflictiones quas amici peccatis Coc Thirdly which sutes the former That Job here shewes his friends the true way of reconciling his owne innocency with the sharp afflictions and troubles which were upon him Job felt and saw and others eyther did or might that he was sorely afflicted And Job knew though others did not that he was innocent as to the charge brought against him Then how shall he reconcile the justice of divine providence with his owne innocence His friends knew not how to reconcile the innocency of an afflicted man and the Justice of an afflicting God This was a riddle which they could not unfold And therefore when they saw God thus afflicting him they concluded as strongly as if they had seene it that Job had greatly offended God But Job knew how to unlocke this secret and expound this riddle Hee knew how to maintaine and assert his owne integritie while he suffered and yet acquit the Justice of God in laying those sufferings upon him He could say God is supreame He is in one minde And what he doth he may doe because he hath a minde to doe it He hath deep purposes and designes which I am not able to reach or fathome Therefore though I complaine I doe not complaine as if God had done me wrong but because I smart because I feel such paines and so heavie a pressure upon me I am far from saying that he hath injured me though he hath thus afflicted me nor can any thing which he hath done or shall further doe be an injury to me for I confesse that he hath a right to doe whatsoever he pleaseth to doe Thus we have an excellent defence made by Job in these words to vindicate the Lords sharp dealings with him from the least suspition of injustice and to accord the assertion of his owne afflicted innocence with a beleeving reverence of the righteousnesse of God and so these words of his are the breathings of a very gracious spirit teaching us far better then his friends had done how to answer for God in his saddest dispensations towards man They knew no other way to doe it but by rendering Job a notorious hypocrite an haynous offender and these his sufferings to be the punishments of his hypocrisie and offences But Job resolves all into the unchangeablenes of Gods will and the soveraignty of his power Thus much for the generall scope of these words Vers 13. But he is of one minde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These words undergoe variety of readings I will name foure First Some translate thus For he is alone That is Ipse enim solus est Vulg. he is the onely Judge there is none above him to whom I might appeale from him nor hath he any equall to ballance him There 's none to be found upon the earth no nor in heaven that can alter and controule his decrees or supercede and checke any of his proceedings He is alone Ipse unus est Pagn Aliqui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 redundare putant Merc Cum nemo absolutè sit nisi deus nemo sit absolute bonus nisi deus ita nemo unus est nisi deus Deus est unissimus Sed si ipse contra unum agit quis revocet eum Jun Et ipse in uno Mont In uno supple fixus ipse perpetuò sui similis est i. e. non mutatur ut homo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Et quis averiet eum Mont Et quis redire faciet eum retrorsum Pagn i. e ab instituto vel a semel statuta sententia Secondly Others conceave there is a redundancy in the affix beth in And so in stead of He is in one the words are thus given He is one As if Jobs meaning were this There is none One but He or none One as He. As Christ saith There is none good but God or there is but one good that is absolutely good so there is none one but God that is absolutely One God is suherlatively one the one-most-one Thirdly Thus But if he act against one who can turne him And so M. Broughton Yet when he is against me who can stay him This hath a cleare truth in it and fully hits the scope of the place But I conceive a fourth reading which leads to ours to be yet more cleare and that is He is in one and who can turne him In one what one we answer in one minde noting the stabilitie of the thoughts and purposes of God his minde is one his purpose is one his decree is one he is alwayes like himselfe in all these He doth not change his minde as man doth He is constant and fixed to his owne purposes
these words and therefore I shall with the more speed pass thorow them and part with them Therefore am I troubled at his presence The words probably are an answer to an objection for his friends had charged him with feare and trouble of spirit at the presence of God upon another account even because of the guiltines of his conscience or because of his great wickednes So Chap. 22. v. 10. Eliphaz having shewed him his sin thou hast sent the widdow empty away the armes of the fatherles have been broken presently adds the sad effects which were upon him therefore suddain feare troubleth thee and snares are round about thee As if he had sayd thou hast been very wicked in thy actions and therefore thou art so unquiet in thy spirit Thou hast been uncharitable and injurious to men therefore thou art troubled at the presence of God No saith Job my trouble of spirit doth not arise from my guilt though I have sin and iniquity enough about mee to deserve greater Chastenings then these which are upon me but the cause of my trouble ariseth from the knowledge and apprehensions which I have of God who is in one minde Quia ita potens est ut absolutè quicquid libet faciet hac potestate nunc in me utitur Merc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 turbare accelerare and who can turne him hee performeth the thing that is appoynted for mee and many such things are with him This is the spring and ground of my trouble I am troubled both with the feeling of my present calamities and with the feare of greater The word signifies both to make haste and to trouble the reason is because as some say trouble makes hast ill newes comes apace or secondly because wee are very hasty to get out of trouble and usually over-hasty he that is in trouble would faine be out of it no man loves to sticke in such a condition therefore the same word in the Hebrew elegantly signifies both to make hast and to trouble And hence one of the Ancients translates Therefore have I hastened to his presence Expounding it thus Propterea ad eum festinavi quod ipse exponit Quia me tribulavit ideo relictis temporalibus ad eum festinavi August Because he hath thus afflicted mee therefore leaving all the world I make hast to him I throw my selfe upon him and leave my cause to him that 's a good sence and very spirituall For the Saints being afflicted make hast to God because he is their father and because hee alone is able to be their deliverer who would not make hast to God upon such an interest A wicked man turnes from God by sinning against him and he runs away from God afflicting him He that delights in sin cannot delight in God who is the avenger of sin But afflictions draw Saints neerer to God therefore have I hastened saith that translation into his presence But wee have rendered it as I conceave better to the Intendment of this place Therefore am I troubled at his presence The letter is at his face or because of him that is for feare of him Therefore am I troubled Job was troubled upon a twofold account Sensu flagellorum praesentium mutu furorum Jun. First With the paine and smart of his then present sufferings Secondly With feare of further or future sufferings I am troubled at his presence The presence of God is most desireable what is it that Saints wish and rejoyce in comparatively to the presence of God My soule thirsteth for God when shall I come and appeare before God saith David Psal 42.2 How greedy was he of the presence of God how did he as it were tell the clocks and count every houre a day every day a yeare till he was restored to it And in another place how earnestly doth he deprecate his banishment from the face of God as the sorest punishment Psal 51.11 Cast me not away from thy presence Yet here Job confesseth I am troubled at his presence Hence note God can easily vary the appearances of himselfe to us He can discover himselfe so to us as that his presence shall be better to us then life better to us then ten thousand of these lower worlds or as the heaven of this lower world yea as the onely felicity of that heaven which is above What is heaven but this presence of God Thou wilt shew me the path of life In thy presence is fullnes of Joy Psal 16.11 Thus God can make himselfe knowne with a delightfull presence yet he can make himselfe knowne and often doth even to his owne with a dreadfull and an amazing presence God in whom there is no variablenes nor shadow of turning can vary the demonstrations of himselfe to us as much as light varieth from darknesse or life from the shadow of death God hath a light side and a darke side as to manifestation though in himselfe he is light and in him there is no darknes at all Sometimes his presence is sweetnes and joy even joy unspeakeable and glorious at other times his presence is bitternes and sorrow even sorrow unspeakeably grievous There is nothing so dreadfull to wicked men at any time as the presence of God As it hath been their wretched care to hide their sins from God as much as they could so they would count it their happines to have their persons hid for ever from the presence of God That which is both the sin and trouble of the wicked at all times is the trouble if not the sin of some godly men at sometimes namely the presence of God not in it selfe but with respect to the manner of his manifesting himselfe to them and dealing with them As will appeare further in the next clause of this verse I am troubled at his presence When I consider I am afraid As if he had sayd Cum diligentius considero ejus tantam potentiam cujus nunc in me specimen vides noe possum quin expavescam non quid in me sit iniquitas sed ne deinceps pergat sua potentia me affligere Merc When I seriously weigh and have deep thoughts in my minde when I set my understanding throughly on work to consider the severity of Gods proceedings with me and when I remember the wormewood and the gall those bitter tasts and sad experiences which I have had already of his dreadfull power then I am afraid And this feare ariseth not from the guilt or accusations of my own conscience but lest the Lord should againe act and put forth that his terrible power upon me But what feare is here meant or how was Job afraid upon the taking up of this consideration I answer There is first a pure filial or son-like feare when wee are afraid to sin against and displease our father This feare is a speciall grace promised in the new Covenant and the beginning of wisdome Secondly There is a pure slavish feare when wee
of the way to give them place or they made the poore to keepe out of their sight for feare of them lest as they had already spoyled them of their estates so they should also abuse their persons Illis grassantibus nullis ne tenuis quidem sortis viatoribus tuta est via adeo ut deflectere a via publica et latebras quaerere passim cogantur Bez and make them slaves Thus they turned the poore out of the way that is they durst not come in sight for feare this suites well with the last clause of the verse The poore of the earth hide themselves together The word needy in the former part of the verse as was toucht before signifies one full of desires here the word which we render poore notes one that is humble meeke lowly not onely one low in estate but lowly in minde not onely him that is poore in purse but poore in spirit so 't is translated Zeph. 2.3 Seeke ye the Lord ye meeke of the earth even these poore of the earth hide themselves together Invisibiles fecerunt Author Cat wicked proud men make the poore seeke corners the poore have often had experience of their cruelty and rough dealing and therefore run together into holes and corners to hide themselves as desireing rather the society of wild beasts then of such beastly men Further the word which we render together may be translated alike They hide themselves alike that is one poore godly man as well as another they all fare alike they deale no better with one then with another none have hope to escape the hands of these unmercifull tyrants Thus it was in the time of that great oppression which the Israelites were under by the Philistims The Israelites hid themselves When Jonathan and his Armour-bearer got up and discovered themselves to the Garrison of the Philistims the Philistims said Behold the Hebrewes come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves 1 Sam. 14.11 The Author to the Hebrewes gives us a description of the poore Saints thus hiding themselves together Heb. 11.37 They wandred about in sheepe-skins and goate-skins being destitute afflicted and tormented they wandred in deserts and mountains in dens and caves of the earth The poore and meeke of the earth hid themselves together Thus we have had a large enumeration of those violences which Job had observed among men and men prospering in them First violence upon lands secondly upon cattle thirdly upon persons the needy and the poore are forced to run together into corners While The sin of some encreaseth the affliction of others must needes encrease Hence note Sinners know no bounds They who at first wrong men in their lands will not sticke to wrong them in their cattle and within a while they make no bones to fall upon their persons Secondly Note Those evills which are done to men immediately in their persons are more sinfull then those that are done to them in their goods cattle and estate Job shews the worst of their doings last 'T is bad enough to touch the goods of a poore man but to trouble his person or causelessely to make him hide his head is farre worse Thirdly Note That the promotion and exaltation of wicked men is the oppression and vexation of poore men especially of all of poore godly men It is a sad time with poore men most of all with poore godly men when the wicked are exalted Solomon gives us this note in expresse termes Prov. 28.28 When the wicked rise that is when they rise in power and authority men hide themselves that is good men hide themselves poore men hide themselves when the wicked rise but most of all such poore men as are godly The reigne of wicked men is the ruine of the godly Which is more plaine by the opposition made in the last clause of the verse When the wicked rise men hide themselves but when they perish the righteous increase In which Proverb rising is opposed to perishing but men and righteous are the same When the wicked perish those righteous men who before hid themselves appeare and shew themselves againe Some poore men are turbulent proud untractable seditious men of unquiet spirits if such be dealt with by justice and made to hide themselves they have their desert But the poore who are also humble meeke and of a quiet spirit as the word here imports are the aime of the wicked Such David found in his low estate and against them he prayed Psal 35.19 20. Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoyce over me neyther let them winke with the eye that is let them not have occasion to contemne and despise me of which winking with the eye was a token that hate me without a cause For they speake not peace but they devise deceitfull matters against them that are quiet in the land Lastly Note The poore goe by the worst and the weakest to the wall the needy are turned out of the way and the poore hide themselves And therefore saith God Psal 12.5 For the oppression of the poore and for the sighing of the needy now will I arise and set him in safety from him that puffeth at him Oppression may quickly empoverish the rich but usually the poore fall under oppression they that are full sigh when they are made needy and empty when all is taken from them but usually the needy and empty are made to sigh for the oppression of the poore will I arise saith the Lord. Rich and great men can defend themselves from oppression but the poore have no shelter rich men will purchase their right but the poore who hath nothing to give seldome finds a friend to deliver him and get him his right The storme falls upon the poore and most upon Gods poore they are most subject or lie most open to the evills of this world of whom this present evill world is not worthy and for whom the good of the next world is prepared And therefore they should fly to shelter while they are here get under covert run into the name of God for safety and protection they who are most subject to oppression need most protection Some are so poore that they have nothing to loose and so needy that they need not feare oppression They have neyther bread to eate nor cloathes to put onne These are no baite for covetousnes But they also are to be reckoned among the poore who have no more then will save them from poverty and they are among the needy who have onely so much as serves to supply their owne needs These poore and needy ones are game for the oppressors these the Wolves and Lyons of the earth make their prey The oppression and wickednes of these hath ascended three steps in the context now opened They are first Land-invaders secondly Cattel-takers thirdly men-troublers Job carrieth on the description of their wickednes yet further in the following parts of this Chapter JOB CHAP.
or a dunghill that we would be glad of the crums that fall from our tables and of the worst scraps we leave upon our trenchers Thus the old Saints are described Heb. 11.36 glad they were of Caves and Dens they wandred in deserts and in mountaines and in dens and Caves of the earth being destitute afflicted and tormented they were glad to live among the wild beasts when they could not live quietly among men When the winde and the Sunne beat upon the head of Jonah the text saith Jonah was glad of his gourd a thing of little value very meane and fadeing in it selfe yet when the Sunne shined hot and the winde beat strongly upon him then hee was glad of a gourd In times of plenty and peace wre are scarse thankfull for goodly houses for full tables and rich Cloaths But a little and that course food will cause the hungry to be thankfull The naked will catch at old raggs and they who have no house will embrace a rocke There is a rocke a mysticall rocke whom the Saints embrace for a shelter and rejoyce in above all the goodly houses in the world yea above this whole world Christ is a rocke to be embraced in our best dayes as our best shelter and in our bad dayes he is our onely shelter And while we are constrained by outward wants to embrace natural rocks for the shelter of our bodyes let us remember how our inward and spirituall wants doe alwayes constraine us to embrace that mystical rocke for the shelter of our soules Lastly Observe The Cruelty of man to man knowes no bounds Wee have seene in this context several steps of cruelty men ravening for their prey like wild beasts men invading the harvest and the vintage of their neighbours men robbing both the fatherles and the widdow men pulling cloaths from the backes of the poore and exposing them naked to the cold and to the raine to the mercy of rocks and mountaines Thus man who should be a God to man kinde mercifull charitable bountifull courteous proves himselfe a Devill to man churlish cruel merciles yea such that even his tender mercies are cruell How cruel are their cruelties whose mercies whose tender mercies are cruel JOB CHAP. 24. Vers 9 10 11 12. They plucke the fatherles from the breast and take a pledge of the poore They cause him to goe naked without Cloathing and they take away the sheafe from the hungry Which make oyle within their walls and tread their wine-presses and suffer thirst Which groane from out of the City and the soule of the wounded cryeth out yet God layeth not folly to them JOb still drawes out the line of the oppressors wickednes or discovers the severall wayes of his oppression We have seene much of his bloody worke before here we have more even highest oppression oppression devoyd not onely of all justice but of all humanity such is that which is next instanced in Vers 9. They plucke the fatherles from the breast They that is the oppressors before spoken of doe it eyther with their owne hands or 't is done at their command by their ministers and instruments They plucke the fatherlesse The word notes an act of violence they lay violent hands upon the fatherlesse Who are meant by the fatherlesse hath been opened more then once already Here the fatherlesse are taken not largely for any that are destitute of helpe and meanes as the word is often used in Scripture but strictly for children whose fathers are lately dead and they yet in their minority yea in their infancy and in the first of their infancy sucking children children hanging upon their mothers breasts which exceedingly hightens the cruelty of these oppressors To use any violence to the fatherlesse though growne up is as hath been shewed a great wickednesse to use violence towards fatherlesse infants is much more wicked but to pull fatherlesse infants from their mothers or nurses breast which is all the livelihood a childe hath this is utmost wickednes And this is not onely an affliction to the children but to the mother a disconsolate widdow who having lost her husband is now bereaved of her childe also Thus they adde affliction to the afflicted and sorrow to the sorrowfull 'T is here enquired what should move them to plucke the fatherlesse from the breasts or what their intent might be in this barbarous action Some answer That it was their covetousnesse which moved them to be cruel They pull'd the children from their mothers breasts that so their mothers might be the fitter to doe them service they would needs weane the children before they were fit that the mother might be the more fitt to labour and toile for them or they pluckt the fatherlesse from the breast to sel them and to make money of them when they had murthered the father and taken all from the widow they made their markets of their children So we may interpret that of the Prophet Isa 10.2 Woe to them that decree unrighteous decrees and that write grievousnesse which they have prescribed to turne aside the needy from judgement and to take away the right from the poore of my people that widdows may be their prey and that they may rob the fatherlesse So we reade implying that they tooke away the estate of the fatherlesse and so robbed them Others give this sence of thâ—se words that they tooke away the persons of the fatherlesse or more plainely thus That they stole away fatherlesse children and sould them into slavery There is a generation among us called spirits who pull children from the breast or enveigle away such as know not their right hand from the left to make merchandize of them The smell of gaine is sweet to some from any thing even from the sale of poore fatherlesse children 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mamma etiam vastitas a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vastavit Rapiunt pupillo quod post vastationem relictum est Tygur Secondly Others reade the text thus They plucke from the fatherlesse that which was left after the prey or destruction for the word which we translate breast is derived from a roote which signifies to destroy or lay wast so the sense is given thus They take away from the fatherlesse even that poore pittance which was left after they had made havocke of all that was their fathers And take a pledge of the poore What a pledge is hath been opened Chap. 22.6 The words may also beare this translation They take that which is upon the poore for a pledge namely their rayment not onely the cloaths which they have by them to spare a poore man may have a little change but the cloaths which they actually weare How contrary this practise was to the Law hath been shewed before which forbad to take a pledge of such things as without which the poore cannot conveniently subsist There is a third reading which sayth not as we they take a pledge of the poore but
therefore shew the worke of the law written in their hearts Against this internal light the wicked rebel Secondly There is a light of divine Revelation which shines into the soule from the Scriptures or written word of God The word of God is so often called light in Scripture that I need not give particular Instances Divine truths inspired and directed by the Spirit of God are there written as with the beames of the Sun Yet the wicked man rebells as against the light of nature so against the light of Scripture against the clearest and fullest discoveryes of the minde of God Further Some by the light against which they rebelled understand God himselfe who is light as the Apostle John calls him 1 Ep 1.5 and in him is no darknes at all All that rebel against God must needs rebel against light seing God is light And the very reason why the light of nature and the light of Scripture are rebelled against is because the former hath somewhat of God in it and the latter much of God in it For as God is light so all light is of God And that light which is of God must needs be rebelled against by wicked men seing they most of all rebel against God who is light and the fountaine of it for as the Apostle John argues about love 1 Ep 5.1 Every one saith he that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him So we may argue about hatred and the effect of it rebellion He that hateth and rebelleth against him that begetteth light so God doth whence also he is called the Father of lights Jam 1.17 he I say that rebelleth against him that begetteth light hateth and rebelleth against that light which is begotten of him They are of those that rebell against the light Hence observe First Divine truth is as light As the Sunne gives light to the eye or outward man so the Spirit of truth gives light by the word to the inner man When God sends his word to a people he sends light to a people Christ is light and the word is light Christ in person is the light of the world the word in doctrine is the light of the world The truth of Divine Revelation is many wayes answerable to the light First Light is pure and beautifull and the light is so pure that you cannot impure or defile it so is truth Though many have attempted to corrupt the truth and word of God and shall at last be dealt with and judged as they who have corrupted it yet the truth remaines incorruptible and ever shall The beauty of it fades not nor is the purity of it stained by all the filth of false doctrine which hath been cast into the face of it from the beginning of the world unto this day Secondly Light is pleasant and delightfull Light is sweet saith Solomon Eccl. 11.7 and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the Sunne So truth is sweete and it is a pleasant thing to behold and receave the Sun-light of Divine Revelations where truth is taken in it doth even ravish the soule and fill it with unspeakeable delights Truth is as sutable and pleasant to the understanding as good is or can be to the will and affections David found not onely delight this or that single delight but all sorts and degrees of delight in the Law of God And therefore he speakes plurally Psal 119.92 Vnlesse my delights had been in thy law I had perished in my trouble And againe ver 143. Trouble and anguish have taken hold of me yet thy commandements are my delights All his troubles were over-ballanced and conquered by his delights in the law and all his delights and contentments were Center'd in the Law That light was so much his delight that it overcame all worldly darknes and did even extinguish all his worldly lights Thirdly Light hath heate in it and light is accompanied with influences or conveighes them with it All living creatures here below are cherished and refreshed yea and things without life as Gemms and mineralls are concocted and refined with the warmth and vertue of it And so hath truth The light of the word carrieth heat and Influences with it to warme the heart and comfort it to concoct the grossenes of mans minde and sublimate it into an heavenly purity Did not our heart burne within us while he talked with us by the way and while he opened to us the Scriptures sayd the Disciples of Christs discourse with them Luk. 24.31 Fourthly Light discovers and makes manifest so doth truth Joh 3.20 21. Every one that doth evill hateth the light neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved or as we put in the Margin discovered Light makes manifest the word of God as the Apostle speakes Heb. 4.12 is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart it discovers that to us not onely in others but in our selves which wee saw not before wee are much if not altogether unknowne to our selves till we see our selves in the Glasse of the Word Hence observe Secondly The light of truth is Clothed with Authority the truths of God have a Soveraignety over man Wee cannot be said to rebell against any thing but that which hath power and authority over us a man may oppose and contend with his equall but hee cannot be said to rebell against his equall wee rebell onely against those that are above us If a childe opposeth his father it is rebellion if a servant opposeth his Master it is rebellion because fathers and masters have authority over their children and servants All rebellion is the breaking of the bands of subjection And all the bands of subjection are broken when the light is rebelled against because the light of heavenly truth is invested with all power and authority over us it hath a power to lift up and a power to humble or cast downe It hath a power to convince and a power to comfort It hath a power to kill and it hath a power to make alive all these powers the light of the word hath But it hath two powers more especially and eminently First It hath the power of a rule or power to rule and governe both the hearts and lives of men the light of the word doth not onely offer advice and give Councell but it gives out a Command what the word speaketh we are not upon poynt of Indifferencies whether we Will receive it or no but upon poynt of duty Therefore not to receive it especially to resist it is rebellion the light of the word is as a King and where the light of that word comes there is power and no man may say What doth it Secondly It hath the power of a Judge It gives both Law and Judgement He that rejecteth me saith Christ Joh 12.48 and receaveth not my words The not receiving of the word of Christ is the rejecting of Christ himselfe and he that rejecteth
the dust then it were no great matter how you did defile and abuse them but as God hath raised up the Lord so he will raise you up Seeing then God hath promised and you are such as professe faith in that promise that your bodyes shall be raised up out of the dust to put on glory as a Garment in the last day therefote in the meane time while your bodyes are in your keeping doe ye keepe your bodyes pure Thirdly He argues thus with the beleeving Corinthians v. 15th Know ye not that your bodyos are the members of Christ not onely is the soule of a beleever a member of Christ but his body too yet it is not properly eyther the body or the soule that is a member of Christ but the person for the union is made between Christ and the person of a beleever consisting of soule and body But thus the Apostle argues Know ye not that your bodyes are the members of Christ shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of an harlot God forbid What! will ye dispose the members of Christ to so base a use will ye who prefesse your selves joyned to Christ condiscend to such a base conjunction And hence he expostulates at the 16th and 17th verses What know ye not that he which is joyned to an harlot is one body for two saith he shall be one flesh They who abuse marriage are as the marryed The Adulterer and the harlot are one flesh as well as the husband and the wife but he that is joyned to the Lord by faith and love is one spirit He hath a neerer and a more noble union then that of flesh and therefore he ought to maintame the hight of honour and purity both in minde and body and as he is one Spirit with the Lord so to make it good that he is guided and governed by one Spirit and that The holy One. We have a fourth argument at the 18 â—h verse Flee fornication why so The reason is added every sin that a man doth is without the body but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his owne body But are all other sins without the body I answer first other sinnes have the body as an instrument for the committing of them if a man steale the body is an instrument if a man commit murther the body is an instrument but in this sin the body is more instrumentall then in other sins the body is cheifely instrumentall in this sin so that comparatively to this every sin that a man doth is without the body And therefore this sin is more against the body then other sins are Againe secondly when the Apostle saith every sin is without the body he is to be understood of those sinnes which are externall otherwise every sin that a man commits is not without the body there are a thousand acts of sin that are done within the body or in the soule envy wrath malice are sinnes within the body being bred and acted in the Spirit But we may say of every sin which is externall about which the discourse there is that comparatively to this sin of adultery fornication it is without the body I answer thirdly The body is not onely the instrument of this sin but the object of it also for the uncleane person doth not onely sin with his body but he sins against his body Adultery leaves that blot and brand of ignominy and basenes upon the body which no other sin doth making it the member of a harlot as was toucht before and degrading it from that excellent honour whereunto God advanced it even in a Naturall consideration much more degrading it from that honour whereuntor God hath advanced it in a spirituall consideration And as that was the Apostles third Argument so upon another relation of the bodyes of beleevers he makes his 5th argument which is layd downe at the 19th verse What know you not that your body is the Temple of the Holy-Ghost which is in you which ye have of God and ye are not your owne As if he had sayd A Temple is a holy and sacred thing and will ye defile the Temple of the Holy-Ghost The Jewes how angry were they what an uproar did they make when they thought Paul had brought Greeks into the Temple who by the law were looked upon as prophane persons and so not to be admitted to come there they cry out This is the man that hath polluted this holy place Acts 21.28 Much more may it be urged upon Gospel-professors what commit such a sin as this what pollute the Temple of God Know ye not which every beleever is bound to know that your body is the Temple of the Holy-Ghost as well as the soule The last argument concludes the 19th verse and is prosecuted in the 20 h Ye are not your owne for ye are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirit which are Gods Redemption is a strong engagement ye are bought and dearely payd for ye are bought with a price ye are not your owne Some who take liberty in this sin would excuse themselves by the contrary argument Our bodyes say they are our owne and we may doe what we will with our owne No sayth the Apostle ye are bought with a price ye are not your owne ye have your bodies of God in their natural constitution It is he who hath made us in that capacity and not we our selves Psal 100.3 and ye are not your owne for ye are redeemed or bought with a price both body and soule Yee are bought out of your owne hands as well as out of the hand of divine justice and displeasure The Apostle speaks especially to beleevers For though it be a truth concerning all whether beleevers or unbeleevers that they are not their owne none of the sons of men are their owne God hath a right to them by creation as also by his continuall providence provision and preservation yet beleevers or the redeemed in a speciall manner are not their owne and therefore they ought above others to glorifie God in their body and in their spirit which are Gods Having thus opened several Scripture grounds and arguments to demonstrate the soulenes and filthines of this sin of Adultery which is the generall subject of this verse I shall now proceed in the exposition of particulars in it The eye also of the adulterer waiteth c. The word also referres to the murderer spoken of in the former verse implying that the Adulterer and he though their sins are very different yet agree much in taking their opportunities of sinning How contrary soever sinners are in their particular practice yet they have all one common principle and Spirit The Murderer and the Adulterer are alike desierous of privacy They both love darkenes rather then light or that which is neyther Twilight Jeb seemes to speake of a man that is no novice but of one long verst and practiced
are little worth so that take him at his best and in his best he is but trash or as a trifle Sin is a reproach both to persons and nations as honour is a mans weight in the esteeme of others so reproach abates his weight makes him light upon the balance Since thou wast precious in mine eyes thou wast honourable saith God Isa 43.4 holynes adds honour and weight to our persons sin makes us light and then we are lightest when we make light of sin sin is a weight that presseth us downe yet they who sin most weigh least in the esteeme of God and of all good men Sin will quickly sinke the soule like lead under water even to the bottome of the water yet the sinner is as a light thing that swims upon the top or face of the water This is a profitable sence of the words Thirdly Others expound these words as a description of the wicked mans shifting and running from place to place for feare of pursuers or that being conscious to himselfe or selfe-condemned in his owne conscience he is as the Lord threatned Cain Gen. 4.14 a fugitive and a vagabond upon the earth swift as the waters of a streame which glide along and never stay in one place or he is upon the earth as a light thing upon the waters continually moved and tossed up and downe But I passe from this And conclude Fourthly That wee may rather understand these words as a description of the spirit and temper of a wicked man in reference to his sinfull actings or the fulfilling of his lusts Hee is swift or light as the water or as the light things upon the water that is hee is a man very unsetled he is hurryed to and fro there is no stability eyther in his wayes or in his spirit He abides not in one place nor doth he abide in one minde He is full of Inconstancy he is constant in nothing but in his unconstancy and it must needs be so if we Consider First his lusts within How can he but be swift as the water who hath such windes blowing and striving in him A carnal man is hurryed with stormes and tempests rising in his owne minde as the winde tosseth and rolleth the waters of the Sea or light things upon the water so the lusts of evill men toss and tumble them up and downe Pride tosseth some and Covetousnesse tosseth others luxury and wantonnes tosse thousands into a thousand vanities and sinful wayes as the windes tosse the waves of the Sea Lusts are strong and boysterous lusts are many and numerous he that serveth any one of them is a slave to them all and must goe upon their errand whethersoever they will send or rather hurry him Secondly Carnal men must needs be swift as the water or light upon the water very unconstant and unsetled if we Consider the temptations that blow upon them from without For though our owne lusts are temptations and every man as the Apostle James saith Chapter 1.14 is tempted when he is drawne away of his owne lust and enticed yet our lusts also are tempted or our lusts are drawne away and enticed by temptation Man is apt enough to sin of himselfe alone if once God leave him but he is seldome left to himselfe alone to sin by the Devill and most usually he is tempted with a kinde of violence unto sinne his lusts which are a fire are blowne and kindled by Satans breath and he is driven to doe evill by vehement blasts of temptation Temptations blow upon Saints they blow strongly upon them Satan breathes out a mighty wind to make them swift as the water unto sin but they have received a power to resist and stand fast They are founded upon the rocke Jesus Christ Though the winde moves the water yet it cannot move the rock they that are founded upon Christ are in their proporion firme as Christ himselfe is firme 'T is true Saints are many times grievously shaken with temptations but the wicked are tossed and overwhelmed by them They are swift as the water or as the lightest thing upon the face of the waters when strongly moved by temptation Dying Jacob called Reuben his first-borne unstable as water Gen. 49.4 though wee will not number him among the wicked yet hee did a very wicked act and in reference to that though he was a great man and a Patriarke the head of the Tribe yet in reference to that act he received this Character unstable as water And if he was so unstable when hurryed by passion and temptation how much more are meer wicked men so when they meet with such temptatioÌ„s For as they are not fixed in any thing that is good as was touched at the 13 â—h verse They know not the wayes of light nor doe they abide in the pathes of it if at any time they stumble upon the doing of that which is right yet they abide not in the doing of it they are light as the water unstable and unsetled in all good wayes So though they are fixed as to the subject in doing that which is evill yet they are extreamly tossed and swiftly moved both to and in and after the doing of it Againe As this similitude implyes The easines of evill men to be moved by temptation unto sinne even as easily as water or the lightest things upon the face of the water are moved by the winde So it implyeth also their speedyness and activity in sinning The water moves swiftly sinners are like swift ships upon the water they make speed to doe evill or to trade upon any forbidden coast but they are very sluggs to any thing that is good or to trade upon any coast where they are bidden A learned Interpreter insists much upon the emphasis of this Expression to shew not onely the swiftnes but the feircenes of a wicked mans spirit in sinning hee is swift upon the face of those waters and is carryed on with full sayles in sinning hee runs so swiftly and treads so lightly that he might run even upon the surface of the water and not sinke Those creatures which are very swift leave little Impression behinde them they that goe slowly tread heavy and unlesse they be upon firme land fall in It is sayd in the 8th of Daniel v. 5th Concerning the hee-goate who represented Alexander the Great That he touched not the ground Alexander was extreame swift in his Conquests hee Conquered the world in as little time as another could have traveld over it His motto was Without delay or I doe all by making no delay He was swift upon the face of the earth De facilitate peccandi atque velocitate ad castanduÌ„ quamcuÌ„que sceleris occasionem intelligi posse videtur Tam leviter in terra figunt pedem ut etiam super aquas incedere passe videantur Sanct Thus wicked men are light upon the face of the water that is they are swift and fierce for the attayning of their
mine holy one wee shall not dye thou hast ordained them for Judgement and O God thou hast stablished them for Correction Thou art of purer Eyes then to behold evill and canst not looke on iniquity Wherefore lookest thou on them that deale treacherously and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous then he As if he had sayd Lord I know thou beholdest all the Evill in the world and art of purer eyes then to behold it with any delight or approbation Now seeing it is so why then doest thou looke on them that deale treacherously In the former part of the verse he sayd Thou canst not looke on iniquity and in the latter he saith why doest thou looke on them that deale treacherously There is a twofold looke of God First as was toucht before a looke of approbation secondly a looke of patience And so the meaning of the Prophet is seeing O Lord thou canst not looke upon sin approvingly why doest thou looke upon it patiently And holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoure the righteous As if he had said How is it Lord that thou doest not breake forth into the severest rebukes against them How is it that they have not so much to appearance as a frowne or an ill word from thee who have deserved blowes and utter breakings Indeed if God had but the patience of all Creatures had he but the patience of men and Angels the sin of man would spend it out in one day God could not hold his tongue nor his hand an houre Considering that he clearely discerneth all the wickednes that is in the wayes of men and that every the least unevennes as well as wickednes is extreamly displeasing to him were not his Infinite patience God could not hold but destroy all the wicked of the world or all that world which lyeth in wickednes were it not that hee is resolved to magnifie his patience And though for reasons knowne to himselfe hee beares with those that are burdensome to him very long not onely many dayes but yeares yet the time is at hand when he will bring them to Judgement and Judge them according to those wayes upon which his eyes have been Then the wicked shall finde that as the eyes of God have been upon all their wayes so that he hath not at all or not in the least been pleased with any of them JOB CHAP. 24. Vers 24 25. They are exalted for a little while but are gone and brought low they are taken out of the way as all other and cut off as the tops of the eares of Corne. And if it be not so now who will make me a lyar and make my speech nothing worth JOb still proceedeth to describe and here concludeth his description of the state of wicked men he hath as hath been shewed in the exposition of the former part of the Chapter drawne the blackest character of their wickednesse as also given the fayrest prospect of their outward happinesse They sin and prosper they sin and are safe they have much good while they doe much evill This text speakes againe of their prosperity yet with a diminution they are exalted but it is onely for a little while for they are gone and brought low they are taken out of the way as all others and cut off as the tops of the eares of Corne. There are two opinions concerning the general scope of these words First Some conceive that Jobs aime is to shew that both in life and death wicked men fare like other men They are exalted for a little while as all others are they are gone brought low and taken out of the way as all others are Yet secondly I rather incline that he here intends to set forth the miserable conclusion of wicked men not onely as they are cut off from worldly enjoyments as all men sooner or latter are but as they are cut off from worldly enjoyments in a way which is not common to other men or which is not the common way of man And the reason why I rather incline to this as Jobs scope is because these various expressions of the same thing they are gone they are brought low they are taken out of the way they are cut off these various expressions I say seeme to carry somewhat more then the remove of men out of the world by the ordinary way of dying or then by a naturall death Vers 24. They are exalted for a little while but are gone They that is the wicked the adulterer the theife the oppressour such he had before described are exalted they grow great and spread farre they grow high or are advanced to high places The originall word which we render to be exalted signifies to be lifted up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 levavit exaltavit exaltatus fuit latini Romā hac originatione decorare gestiunt ab magnitudinem or any thing that is lifted up in height or greatnesse and hereupon some Critricks tell us that the Great City Rome had her name from this Hebrew roote Rome as all who know any thing of antiquity know is a City which hath been exalted over the nations a City great in strength and mighty in power Rome is as much as height or exaltation As Abraham is a high father an exalted father They are exalted The word may be applyed to a twofold exaltation first an inward exaltation by pride some rise within faster then they rise without yea there are some that rise very high within when they are cast very low without they exalt and lift up themselves in pride of spirit though they are cast downe in state The word is often applyed to note pride or haughtinesse Micah 2.3 Thus saith the Lord behold against this family doe I devise an evill from which ye shall not remove your necks neither shall ye goe haughtily The word is ye shall not goe in your height in your altitudes as ye have done the case shall be altered with you and the Tables turned for this is an evill time that is an evill time to you a time of calling you to an account about and of punishing you for all your wickednes and especially for your pride As ye have made it an evill time by your sin so ye shall finde it to be an evill time to and by your smart And this hight of spirit often breakes forth and is signified in height of action or in haughty postures The lifting up of the head the stretching out of the neck Thus Isa 2.11 The lofty looks of man shall be humbled The heart looks out at the eye the lofty heart makes a lofty looke according to the frame of the heart is the cast of the eye the eye is not proud but as it is instructed and tutoured by the heart so it acts proudly and looks haughtily And thus they alwayes act who though they are not exalted yet have a minde to exalt themselves who when others cast no
man soever light ariseth it is of God As the light of the ayre is his so also is the light of our hearts The light of life is his and so is all that light of comfort which shines upon us while we live God is the father of lights from whom every good gift and every perfect gift commeth Jam 1.17 Secondly Observe God is very communicative of his goodnesse upon whom doth not his light arise God doth not keep his light to himselfe he is good and doth good hee hath good and doth good he distributes it God would not have us much lesse doth he himselfe put his candle or light under a bushell but hee sets it upon a candlesticke and it giveth light to all the world it refresheth and warmeth all the world As the light of the speciall goodnes of God in Christ ariseth upon all sorts and conditions of men in the world so there is a light of his common providentiall goodnes which ariseth upon each man of every sort and condition in the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 super quem nâ—n stabit lumen ejus ut non solum exorientem suâ—gentem luceÌ„ sed etiam con sistentem calore lumine et agendifacultate prae potentem rebus omnibus humanis immineÌ„tem intelligamus Bold Another reading sayth Vpon whom doth not his light abide The light of God is not onely an arising or springing light but a continuing and an abiding light It doth not onely breake out upon us but dwell with us The naturall Sunne ariseth every day upon us but it doth not dwell with us but is going from us as soone as it appeares unto us and therefore it was miraculous when the Sunne stood still or hasted not to goe downe about a whole day Josh 10.13 But the mysticall light of the goodnes of God is a light that dwelleth alwayes over our heads and hasteth not to goe downe And indeed if God should withdraw this light or let it goe downe if he should stop the influences of his kindnes from us and cease to doe us good wee were ruin'd and undone for in him all things subsist and are upheld by the word of his power if his light did not arise upon the creature the creature would sinke into darknesse Nor could wee abide what wee are if this light did not abide upon us And as this is true in reference to our naturall subsistence so much more in reference to our spirituall This light arising and abiding upon the Saints maintaines and upholds them both in their graces and in their comforts Bildad having thus set forth the power and greatnes of God in his dominion and feare in his hosts and armyes as also his kindnes and beneficence in his light arising and abiding upon man proceeds in the latter part of the Chapter to shew the sinfullnes and unworthynes the impurity and impotency of man compared with God JOB CHAP. 25. Vers 4 5 6. How then can man be Justified with God or how can man be clean that is borne of a woman Behold even to the Moon and it shineth not yea the Stars are not pure in his sight How much less man that is a worme and the son of man which is a worme IN this context Bildad gives further check to Jobs presumption as hee conceived in appealing to heaven and in begging audience of God himselfe which he did as hath been shewed with earnestnes at the 23d Chapter Vers 4. How then can man be Justified with God The words are an Inference from what he had insisted upon and discoursed before concerning the dominion and feare of God concerning the number of his Armyes and the shinings of his light every where from all which hee concludes How then can man be Justified with God As if he had sayd Seeing God is so dreadfull seeing hee is an all-powerfull an all-seeing and an all-upholding God how darest thou or any man living plead with him or how is it possible for any man living to stand out with God and live How then can man be justified with God This question carrieth a strong denyall To say How then can man be Justified with God is more then barely to say Man cannot be Justified with God How can it be is not onely thus much It cannot easily be it cannot probably be but it cannot possibly be or it is Impossible to be Such questions how a thing may be are usually an answer that they cannot be at all Questions are sometimes put for Information or with desire to be directed or to have the mystery opened how such things may be The holy virgin put such a question Luk. 1.34 when the Angel had told her shee should have a son Then said Mary unto the Angel how shall this bee seeing I know not a man her question did not Import her denyall of the thing but her wonder at it nor did it imply her unbeleefe as if shee thought it Impossible to be but her desire to be Informed in the way and manner how it should be and to that sence shee is answered The holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the most high shall over-shadow thee But here I say the question how can man be Justified with God is reducible to this plaine negative proposition Man cannot be Justified with God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 calâ—â—rilosus aegrotabilis morbis mortique obnoâ—â—lus sic latini mortalem pro homine dicunt How can man that is as the word signifieth miserable man sickly man weake Impotent man and it may note not onely the Impotency of his body but of his spirit Man is of a weake body at best and of a more weake and sickly spirit Master Broughtons translation reacheth both And why should sorrowfull man plead Justice with the Omnipotent Man is compassed about with sorrowes and every man is in himselfe what Christ was more eminently for us all a man of sorrowes and acquainted with griefe Isa 53.3 We take the word in its general signification How then can man be Justified Bildad seemes as some expound him by this question to suspect that Job had asserted a selfe-Justification and it must be confessed that what he spake at the 23d Chapter ver 10 11 12. might give him some colour for that suspicion Hee knoweth the way that I take when he hath tryed mee I shall come forth as gold My foot hath followed his steps his way have I kept and haue not declined neither have I gone back from the Commandements of his lips I have esteemed the words of his mouth more then my necessary food While Job thus asserted his owne Innocency and Integrity Bildad might possibly suppose that hee was asserting his owne righteousnesse and therefore not without some indignation hee expostulates the matter with him How can man be Justified that is pronounced cleane and quit at the Throne of God Justification Considered in the Gospel notion is that gracious sentence of God
say a worme thou art and to wormes thou shalt returne Thus wee see man is a poore thing a very poore thing and hence I shall make foure or five briefe inferences First Let no man be proud or have high thoughts of himselfe the son of man is but a worme O why doth man swel above the clouds or proudly make his nest among the Starres when as he must shortly fall among the clods and as he is a worme so be eaten up of wormes Secondly Let men take heed of adorning one another with great words and flattering titles let us take heed of having the persons of men in admiration it is as vaine a thing for any man to give great flattering titles to others as it is to have high thoughts of himselfe The titles which the Spirit of God gives to man are humbling titles a flower a shadow c. any thing which may keep downe his spirit and abate selfe-valuations we should learne as to thinke of our selves so to speake of other men as the Holy Ghost speaketh As he doth not paint man out with praises nor speake of him as Courtiers whose hearts are the shops of complements and their tongues the venters of them doe of Princes So neyther should we There are two extreames which wee should labour exceedingly to avoyd in our references to men and yet most men walke in one of these extreames towards men First we should take heed or reproaching vilifying and despising others for though it be a duty for every man to thinke meanely of himselfe and to say of himselfe I am a worme and though wee may lawfully thinke and say so of all men as to the general truth of the proposition yet it is so farre from being a duty that it is not at all lawfull to call any man worme with reproach and contempt of the meanenes of his person Secondly we should take heed of flattering and daubing others as those Tyrians did Herod crying out it is the voyce of God and not of man Acts 12.22 whereas God to shew their mistake and that he was indeed but a worme smote him and he was eaten up of wormes Elihu concludes and resolves excellently to this poynt Job 32.21 22. Let me not I pray you accept any mans person neyther let me give flattering titles unto man for I know not to give flattering titles in so doing my maker would soone take me away As God tooke away Herod for receaving flattering titles so they who give them are in danger to be taken away by God Thirdly Be not Envious at others what if another have a little more glory riches beauty strength power then thou hast what though he have a little more knowledge and be a little higher in gifts then others yet hee is but a worme still what 's man but a worme and what 's the son of man the best of men but a worme why should a worme Envy a worme what though some men are silke wormes a little better furnished and richer then others in mind and body yet they are but wormes in silke and many who appeare so are but Glow-wormes which shine a little but have no consistence Fourthly Let the sons of men take heed of vexing one another why should wormes rise up against wormes why should wormes destroy wormes cruelly bloodily Wee are all weake as wormes let us therefore engage that little strength wee have for the supporting not for the ruining of one another Wee usually have so much tendernes towards wormes in kinde that when wee see them crawling upō the ground we avoyd treading upon them yet how doe men purposely tread upon wormes in likenes All men are wormes in likenes we should not willingly tread upon or hurt any man But poore men and men of low degree are more wormes then rich men and men in high places are therefore take heed of oppressing the poore for that is indeed a treading upon wormes And though while you tread upon wormes the weake and needy they cannot as Christ speakes of swine Math. 7.6 turne againe and rent you yet if you doe so God the strong God will turne upon you and teare you while there is none to deliver Lastly Take this inference from it Man by sin is much degraded and fallen below himselfe Man by sin is become inferiour to the meanest creatures who was once above all visible creatures man in the state of Creation was the chiefe piece of the visible world hee was next to the Angels who are of the Invisible world but now man is fallen very low he is levell'd with the lowest of the Creatures a worme not onely doe the heavenly bodyes exceed him in beauty but even the earthly bodyes the beasts of the field and the worme that crawles upon the earth and lives in the bowels of it is good enough to make comparison with him See what man hath lost by sin see how hee is degraded and fallen from his state and statelynes yea I may say that man by sin is not onely fallen from that state and statelynes wherein he was created but he is fallen below the state of the lowest creature Man by sin is not onely a worme but worse then a worme A worme is not capable of morall polution a toad hath naturall poyson but man hath morall poyson in him which is worse then naturall poyson and which makes the condition of man yet more vile his moral poyson sin I meane is to him naturall It is his misery and his dishonour that he hath it and it is his greater misery and dishonour that he loves it and that it is not so much his disease as his desire and as the first sin the sin of nature hath debased all mankinde at once so every man that goeth on in and multiplyeth with desire the acts of sin debaseth himselfe yet more and maketh himselfe not onely lower then the worme which is the lowest of living things but even lower then the lowest things that have no life Sencelesse livelesse creatures are better then sinfull men such I meane as live in sin and better it had been for any never to have had a being or not to have lived at all then to dye in sin Seeing then sin hath degraded us and placed us among and below the wormes who were once next to Angels how are we engaged to Jesus Christ who by becoming a worme for us hath raised us to be heyres of blessedness with the holy Angels for ever and hath lifted us up to that hight of honour that even the holy Angels minister to us as long as we are here And how should we strive to raise our selves up higher and higher in the Improvement of all that grace which is freely offered to us in Christ even to our dayly conversation in heaven and our sitting together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus as the Apostle speakes Eph. 2.16 It is sad for any man who is but a worme to be lifted up in himselfe
but it is the duty of every man to strive that he may be lifted up not onely above the wormes but above the heavens Wee may quickly sin in seeking our owne exaltation in a worldly But the more we seeke our exaltation in a heavenly state the more holy yea the more humble we are Wee never act as those who know they are but wormes here on earth till we have an ambition to be like the Angels who are in heaven Thus I have opened and done with this third and that a very short discourse of Bildad in this Chapter wherein he hath spoken Excellently as to the generall truth in exalting God and humbling man yet he is upon the old mistake Concluding Job a selfe-Justifier yea a contender with God Whereas indeed his thoughts were as low as his state or person in reference to any conceit of righteousnesse in himselfe or of any boldnes in charging God with the least unrighteousnesse though there was much severity in his dealings with him JOB CHAP. 26. Vers 1 2 3 4. But Job answered and said How hast thou helped him that is without power how savest thou the arm that hath no strength How hast thou counselled him that hath no wisdome and how hast thou plentifully declared the thing as it is To whom hast thou uttered words and whose spirit came from thee THis Chapter containeth Jobs answer to the third and last dispute or opposition of his second freind Bildad Non respondit ad Bildadi dicta sed eum ridet quasi ea attulerit quae parum ad rem faciant imo ab instituto aliena Merc wherein he doth two things First He complaineth of and in a manner derideth Bildads dealing with him as if what he had urged were not onely little to the purpose but very wide from it This he doth in the foure first verses of the Chapter Secondly Job gives out a large narrative of the power perfections and excellencies of God of his wonderfull works and providences which Bildad had but lightly touched this he doth in the remaining part of the Chapter Vers 1 2. But Job answered and said How hast thou helped him that is without power There is a question among Interpreters who is here meant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 admirantis est haec dicit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Drus by him that is without power and who by the arme that hath no strength who by him that hath no wisedome There are three opinions about the resolving of this question First Some expound it not of a person but of a thing for the original leaves it in such words as may be determined upon eyther In qua re adjuvisti sententiam tuam de providentia dei particulari in qua nullae sunt viris Quare ex Hebraeo legit non cujus sed quid adjuvisti Vatabl and may as wel be rendred that which hath no power as him that hath no power And the thing without power which this interpretation aymes at is the opinion or tenet which Bildad and his friends had held forth in their discourse which Job is conceived to looke upon as weake and without power as having neyther strength nor wisdome in it And because Bildad made the last reply Job according to this exposition bespeaks him thus Thine owne former arguments as also those of thy friends had no power no strength of reason nor true wisdome in them and hast thou mended the matter now hast thou by what thou spakest last put any strength into what hath been weakly and feebly argued already As for my selfe I am neyther better enformed nor comforted then I was and therefore have reason to conclude that there is no more strength nor power in what is now sayd then in what was sayd before It is usuall to apply strength to a speech we say such a man made a strong speech as for such a one his speech had no strength no sinewes in it And that speech which hath no strength in it can never administer strength to those to whom it is spoken so that to say how hast thou helped him that hath no power is to say the speech by which thou hast attempted or endeavoured to helpe him that hath no power Yet I conceave that Job doth here intend a person whom his freinds supposed without power strength or wisdome Hoc de deo accipio O quam egregâ—e eum adjuvisti qui imbecillis erat invalido es patrocinatus Quasi tua defensione deus indigerit Merc Cujus adjuâ—or es num in becillis sustentas brachium ejus qui non est fortis Vulg Cui Auxiliatus es cui non potentia Mont rather then his freinds speech which himselfe judged and as his owne releife found to be so Secondly By him that hath no power and the arme that hath no strength some understand God himselfe who is indeed all power all arme who is altogether strong and onely wise As if Job had sayd O Bildad thou hast stood up in the defence of God as if he had not been able to defend himselfe thou hast been an Advocate for him who hath no need thou shouldest Hath not he power hath his arme no strength in it or is he destitute of counsel surely God hath no need of thy patronage or assistance Therefore consider whose helper hast thou been what the helper of him that is weake and hast thou sustained the armes of him that hath no strength surely no God hath strength enough to defend his own cause and wisdome enough to maintaine his own acts against me and all men else Thou oughtest indeed to have helped him that hath no power but thou hast onely given helpe to him that hath all power Thus some cary on the whole context under that frame and forme of this exposition as if Job did but rebuke Bildad for undertaking the matter on Gods part whereas he should have used his utmost endeavours for the support and comfort of him a poore weake creature labouring under heavy burdens of most sad afflictions and wanting counsel how to beare and improve them as layed upon him by the hand of God For this Job had no power and might expect helpe from his friend but he bestowed all his helpe in vindicating the honour of God against Job not in helping or advising Job how to beare up under the hand of God and therefore he thus interrogates him How hast thou helped him that hath no power But Thirdly I rather expound the words of Job himselfe as being now burdened and distressed with great affliction and under sore temptations and therefore fitly represented in these words a man without power an arme without strength and him that had no wisdome at least that he was such in the opinion and judgement of his friends As if he had sayd O Bildad Thou lookest upon me as a man without power strength or wisdome very well be it so
were too short were stretched longer Yet thus doe they who have but one word for all commers or for all they come to We would judge him a very unskilfull Physitian who let the disease be what it will should prescribe one and the same medicine or apply the same salve though a very soveraigne one to every soare As wee say That which is one mans meate is another mans poyson so we may also say That which is one mans medicine may be another mans poyson That which cures one disease may encrease another Therefore the Physician must consider to whom he gives the potion as well as what he gives and the Chirurgion must not onely know what his salve is but to whom he applyes it so in this case To whom hast thou uttered words weigh it wel whether they be babes or strong men in Christ whether they be under peaceable or troublesome dispensations whether obstinate or tender-hearted For these must be differently dealt with as their states doe differ We may else doe more hurt then good We may quickly as the Prophet speakes Ezek. 13.19 Slay the soules that should not dye that is grieve trouble the godly and save the soules alive which should not live that is harden and fatten the wicked in their sinnes The Apostle hath left us an excellent rule by his owne practice 1 Cor. 9.19 Though I be free from all men yet have I made my selfe servant to all that I might gaine the more and unto the Jewes I became as a Jew that I might gaine the Jewes to them that are under the Law as under the Law that I might gaine them that are under the Law to them that are without the Law as without Law being not without law to God but under the law to Christ that I might gaine them that are without Law to the weak became I as weak that I might gaine the weak I am made all things to all men that I might by all meanes save some and this I do for the Gospel sake that I might be partaker thereof with you In this context we see what was chiefely in the Apostles eye even that which is the highest and fayrest marke in the world the saving of soules And that he might attaine this end he critically observed the temper and state of his hearers striving to frame and sute himselfe and his speech accordingly He was not the same to all but he would be as they were to whom he spake or with whom he did converse yet Paul did not symbolize with nor connive at any in their sins he did not take upon him all colours he was not a man for all men or a man for all houres and humours The holy Apostle did not turne as flatterers doe with the times nor fashion himselfe to the severall garbes of men in a sinfull way Paul was so farre from any such base complyances that he having put the question doe I yet please men answers and concludes in the next words Gal. 1.10 If I yet pleased men I should not be the servant of Christ But weighing the state of all men he formed his words and did accommodate his Ministery for their gaine or rather for the gaining of them Some are all things to all men that they may gaine by all that they may advantage themselves by all which is a spirit not onely unworthy of a Minister but of a man but Paul complyed with all that he might gaine them or bring them in the greatest gaine Or he complyed with all men that Christ might gaine and faith in him be propagated this I doe for the Gospel sake I doe not this for my owne sake I doe not put my selfe into all formes towards men for my own preferment in the world but that Christ may be preferred in the hearts and acceptations of all men with whom I have to doe before the world And that this was his purpose we have his sence fully from his owne pen 1 Cor. 10.32 33. Give none offence neyther to the Jewes nor to the Gentiles nor to the Church of God even as I please all men in all things not seeking mine own profit but the profit of many that they may be saved There are five things to be taken notice of that we may utter words to profit First The matter or what we speake Those words which have no worth in themselves can never profit others While the Prophet Hos 14.2 exhorteth the people to repentance He sayth Take with you words that is choise words select words consider what words you take with you when you turne to the Lord and plead with him for mercy saying take away all iniquity and receave us graciously And as we are to take words with us choyse words to expresse choyse matter in when we speake to the Lord so also in proportion when we speake to Men as from the Lord. Secondly We must consider to whom we are to utter words we must not shoot at random or without a marke Some doctrines are generall but there ought to be a speciall application of Generall doctrines Other Doctrines are peculiar to some We must not cast pearles before swine nor give childrens bread to doggs And we must be as carefull that we speake not to children that is to the truely Godly as we should doe to doggs and swine for so the Scripture calls them prophane and ungodly men Thirdly We must consider the season or time when we speake Those words will take at one time which will not at another There is as much care to be had and as much skill seene in a due timeing of our words as of our actions Fourthly We must consider the quantum or the measure of words uttered we may over-lay and over-charge those to whom we speake Every one cannot beare a strong shower of speech or words powred out like a flood upon such Our doctrine as Moses sayd his did Deut. 32.2 must drop as the raine our speech must distill as the dew as the smal raine upon the tender hearbe and as the showers upon the grasse Fifthly We must consider the manner in which we utter words whether to speake as a Barnabas or as a Boanarges whether as a son of thunder of wrath and judgement or as a son of peace of joy and consolation Of some have compassion that is deale tenderly with them Jude v. 22. making a difference and others save with feare pulling them out of the fire We doe but cast words into the ayre unlesse we thus make a difference in the manner of speech as they differ to whom we speake When we have duely weighed the matter which the persons to whom the season when the measure how much and the manner in which we ought to speake then we are like to speake to purpose and shall be above this reproofe which Job here gives Bildad To whom hast thou uttered words And whose spirit came from thee The word which we translate spirit signifyes also
the breath whose spirit or whose breath came from thee The sense is the same And. First Some interpret Job thus Whose spirit or whose breath came from thee That is Consider O Bildad whose spirit moved thee or who breathed these things into thee whose breath or whose spirit came from thee when thou didst utter these words so 't is a rebuke of Bildads presumption as if he had conceaved himselfe wrought or acted by some extraordinary spirit while he was speaking or that the things which he uttered had been dropt into him by an immediate Revelation from heaven whose spirit came from thee what breath what gale hath filled thy sayles thou hast high conceits of thy selfe as if God had spoken to thee by his Spirit or as if thou hadst spoken these things to me from his mouth But is it not rather thy owne spirit thy owne heart which hath dictated these words unto thee Some thinke the same spirit comes from them when they speak which came from the holy Prophets and Apostles who yet are deceaved The Disciples of Christ thought the same spirit came from them which came from Eliah when they said Luk. 9.54 Lord wilt thou that we command fiâ—e to come downe from heaven and consume them as Elias did But he turned and rebuked them and sayd ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of As if he had sayd in the language of Job ye know not whose spirit comes from you ye would speake the words of Elias but ye have not the spirit of Elias you have a zeale but not according to knowledge yours is but a humane affection not a divine inspiration as Elias his was his was a pure spirit of zeale but yours is a rash spirit of revenge And therefore your motion suites not with your calling for as I am come so I send you to save not to destroy We may speake the same words and doe the same things which others have done and spoken and yet not with the same but with quite another spirit Therefore examine whose spirit comes from you This is a good and profitable sence Yet Cujus anima prodijt ex te i. e. quem consolatus es tam efficaciter sermone tuo ut anima ejus ex maerore quasi in corpore sepulta jacebat rursum è latebris prodierit seseq per corpus exserue rit Pisc Cujus animam verbis tuis vivificasti Hebraei Apud Merc Secondly Rather thus Whose spirit came from thee that is whose soule or whose minde hath been recovered out of trouble and feare out of sadnesse and sorrow by the words which thou hast spoken Thus the spirit is taken for his to whom he spake not for his spirit who spake or not for the spirit with which he spake This is a Great truth gratious and right words rightly applyed doe as it were releive the spirit and bring back the fainting yea dead soule from the grave of griefe and sorrow wherein it lay as buried Now sayth Job whose spirit came from thee Hast thou recovered or raysed any languishing soule by what thou hast sayd who hath felt life and power coming from thee I am sure I have not though I have heard thee out and heard thee attentively What the Moralist sayd of Idlenes the same may we say of sorrow or heavynes It is the buriall of a man while he liveth And therefore he that hath comforted a man and recovered him out of his sorrows may be sayd to give him a new life and that the spâ—rit of such a man is come forth from him yea he that instructeth the ignorant and bringeth them to the saving knowledge of God may be sayd to breath or put a soule into them In which sence some of the Jewish writers expound that place Gen. 12.5 where it is sayd That Abraham tooke Sarah his wife and Lot his Brothers son and all their substance that they had gathered and the soules that they had gotten in Charan c. that is all those whom by good instruction and example they had gained to God or as the Apostle speakes 1 Thes 1.9 had by their meanes turned to God from Idolls to serve the living and true God These soules they got in Charan though Abraham and Sarah were barren of naturall issue yet they had much spirituall issue many soules or the soules of many came from them And therefore when Job would put a disparagement upon what Bildad had spoken he puts him this Question Whose spirit or whose soule came forth from thee or whom hast thou resouled as the Greeke word which the Apostle useth for refreshing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth elegantly signifie Acts 3.19 Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the time of refreshing or resouling shall come from the presence of the Lord. When a man faints or is very weary we say he hath lost his spirits and he is even as a man without a soule But when in the use of any meanes he is refreshed then we say his spirit or soule is come to him againe The spirit of man comes onely from God in its natural constitution he is the father of Spirits Eccl 12.7 Heb. 12.9 But the spirit of man may come from man in its refreshings and consolations And therefore sayth Job to Bildad Whose spirit came from thee or whom hast thou comforted Thou hast undertaken to comfort me but I am not comforted Hence note Holy truths or words rightly applyed have a releiving yea a reviving power in them Such words give a man his soule againe when he hath lost it and when he is as it were gone from himselfe he is brought backe to himselfe againe For as it is sayd of the repenting Prodigall he came to himselfe he was gone he was lost from himselfe his soule was departed from him his understanding was none of his he was no more Master of any spiritually rationall faculty then a dead man is of any meere rationall faculty and so his father reported him whilst in that condition this our sonne was dead but is alive he was lost but he is found Luk. 15.32 Now I say as it is in extreame sinnings so in extreame sorrowings and dejections of spirit a man is lost from himselfe he is as a dead man and so when comfort comes in againe life may be sayd to come in againe he who before was lost is found and he who was dead revives The word revives from a twofold death It revives a natural man from the death of sin and it revives a Godly man from a death in sorrow How many spirits have come forth at the voyce of the Word out of the grave of sin Christ foretold this resurrection of the soule by the preaching and publication of the Gospel Joh. 5.25 The houre is coming and now is when the dead shall heare the voyce of the son of God in the ministery of the word and they shall live And lest any
should thinke that this is meant of the resurrection of the body Christ speakes of that distinctly ver 28. Marvel not at this for the houre is coming he doth not say as before and now is in the which all that are in the Graves dead bodyes shall heare his voyce and come forth they that have done good unto the resurrection of life and they that have done evill unto the resurrection of damnation As if Christ had sayd That powerfull voyce and a voyce lesse powerfull then that will not doe it which is able to rayse dead bodyes bodyes mouldered into dust from the earth and cause them to live againe that voyce I say is able to rayse a dead soule from a state of sin to newnes of life The Apostle saith as much while he calleth the preaching of the Word a savour of life unto life in them that are saved 2 Cor 2.16 They smel and tast life even eternal life at the receaving of the Word And as it is the meanes of conveighing life to those who are dead in sinne so of recovering and renewing life to those who are dead in sorrow Worldly sorrow or the sorrow of the world worketh death 2 Cor. 7.10 and extreame spirituall sorrow or the extreame sorrow of the soule about spiritualls puts us into a kinde of death Thus Heman spake of himselfe in that case Ps 88.4 5. I am counted with them that goe downe into the pit I am as a man that hath no strength free among the dead like the slaine that lie in the grave whom thou remembrest no more and they are cut off from thy hand As Heman was counted among the dead by others so he was like a dead man in his owne account too as he speakes at the 15th verse I am afflicted and ready to dye from my youth up while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted He was not ready to dye of bodyly diseases but of soule terrours nor could any thing revive him or fetch him backe from that death but the favour of God shining to him in the word of promise how glorious is the word by the workings of the Spirit which causeth the spirit to come forth and maketh them who were free among the dead become free among the living This effect and fruit of the word Job expected from his friends before and now from Bildad but all in vaine As their so his discourse with Job was fruitlesse and ineffectuall Much hath been spoken but I have got nothing I have got no spirit no refreshing my heart is no whit cheared nor my soule comforted both you and the rest of your brethren have proved miserable comforters to me To whom hast thou uttered words I am no better then if you had sayd nothing And whose spirit came from thee not mine for as yet notwithstanding all your reasonings my spirit is not returned to me I am as deepe in sorrow as ever I was There is yet another reading of this last clause of the verse given by Mr Broughton And whose soule admired thee The same word may signifie to admire and to come forth because the soule or spirit of a man comes forth as it were to gaze upon those things and persons which he admireth As if Job had sayd Possibly O Bildad thou presumest that thou hast spoken like an Oracle of Wisdome even much beyond the rate and proportion of ordinary men or of what is common to man and therefore doest expect to be applauded yea to be admired But whose soule is come forth by reason of thee who hath admired thee not I nor doe I know that any man hath reason so to doe unlesse it be because thou hast so much mistaken my meaning and intention in what I sayd and hast sayd things so improper to my condition Some have the persons of men in admiration because of advantage Jude v. 16. and others desire no other advantage but to be cryed up and had in admiration I dare not say that Bildad was a man of such a spirit though this translation whose soule admired thee seemes to charge him with such a folly JOB CHAP. 26. Vers 5 6 7. Dead things are formed from under the waters and the inhabitants thereof Hell is naked before him and destruction hath no covering He stretcheth out the North over the empty place and hangeth the earth upon nothing IN the former part of this Chapter Job reproved the last discourse of Bildad as unprofitable not that it was so in it selfe for that was true and a great truth which he spake of the greatnesse of God but the method which he used and the application of it to his case made it so How hast thou helped him that is without power c. In this Context and the subsequent part of the Chapter Job enters upon or reassumes the same argument or subject which Bildad had handled before The power soveraigntie and dreadfullnes of God in his workes both of Creation and providence all the world over Job would let Bildad understand that he was not unacquainted with the doctrine that he had prest upon him in the former Chapter As if he had sayd Doest thou thinke that I know not these things surely I can tell thee as much yea more of the power of God then thou hast spoken and thereby thou shalt see that I am not to learne nor to seeke in this matter yea I will point and paint out the power of God not onely in the visible heavens but in those things which lye unseene I will goe downe to the deepes to the bottome of the mighty waters I can tell thee that he is not onely admirable above but beneath in so much as nothing is bred or brought forth whether animate or inanimate in the vast Ocean but it is by his power and at his disposing Yea I will goe as low as hell and search the power of God there I will also ascend up to heaven and speake of the great things that God doth in the ayre and in the clouds and among the starrs whereby you may see that I am no stranger to such divine Philosophy and therefore this was not the poynt you should have insisted upon or that I needed to be informed in That 's the general scope and aime of Job in these words I shall now touch upon the particulars Dead things are formed from under the waters Jobs first instance concerning the power of God is about things under the waters Dead livelesse inanimate things are formed there Properly that onely is a dead thing which hath sometime lived wee cannot say a stone is a dead thing because it never had any life neither can wee say that water or earth are dead things for they never had any life but those things that have had life whether vegetative or sensitive or rationall as man or beasts or plants when once that life is withdrawne from any of them that is properly called a dead thing Yet in a generall
and 't is usuall in Scripture to speake that in negative words which was before spoken in affirmative As to be naked and to have no covering are the same so hell and destruction are the same and these two are often put together Pro. 15.11 Hell and destruction are before the Lord how much more the hearts of the children of men Though we know not where hel is nor what is done there though wee know not what is become of those that are destroyed nor what they suffer yet God doth and if the secrets of hel and devills are knowne to him then much more the secrets of the hearts of the children of men And as that proverb teacheth us that nothing is hid from God because hell and destruction are not so another proverb delivered in the same forme teacheth us that nothing in the creature can satisfie the desires and lustings of man even as hell and destruction can never be satisfied Prov. 27.20 Hell and destruction are never full so the eyes of men are never satisfyed The Devill who is the great executioner of the wrath of God is exprest by this word as hell is called destruction in the abstract so the Devill is called a destroyer in the concrete Revel 9.11 And they had a King over them which is the Angel of the bottomlesse pit or hell whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon but in the Greeke tongue hath his name Apollyon both the one and the other the Hebrew and the Greeke signifie the same thing a destroyer The Devill who is the Jaylour of hell is called a destroyer as hell it selfe is called destruction from the Co-incidency of these two termes Note Hell is destruction They that are once there are lost and lost for ever The reason why hell is called destruction is because they that are cast to hell are undone to eternity We read of a City Isa 19.18 which was called the City of destruction because it was to be utterly destroyed Hell may be called a City of destruction not because it shall ever be destroyed but because it shall ever be full of destruction and nothing but destruction shall be there There is no estate on earth so miserable but a man may be delivered out of it but out of hell there is no deliverance Heman saith Psal 88.11 Shall thy loving kindnesse be declared in the grave or thy faithfullnesse in destruction There grave and destruction are put together much more may hell and destruction be put together or for each other What ever comes into the grave is destroyed it rots and perisheth much more doth hell destroy all that comes thither And looke as the grave is to the body now a destroyer consuming so hell is to the soule now and will be to soule and body after the resurrection a destroyer tormenting The loving kindnesse of God shall not be declared in Hell nor any faithfullnesse of his in destruction unlesse it be his faithfullnesse according to what is threatned in the Word to destroy The Apostle Peter sayth 1 Ep 3.19 20. that Christ by the Spirit went and preached to the Spirits in prison which sometime were disobedient when once the long-suffering of God waited in the dayes of Noah c. It is true that Christ by the Spirit in the ministery of Noah did preach to those Spirits who were disobedient in the time when Noah preached and were in prison or in hel in the time when Peter wrote But Christ did not preach by his Spirit in the ministery of Noah or any other way to Spirits who were in prison or in hel while he preached to them There are no Sermons in hel nor any salvation there The loving kindnesse of God is aboundantly declared on earth but it shall not be declared in hel As there is nothing felt in hel but destruction so there is no salvation offered to those who are in hel There 's teares enow and mourning enough in hel but there is not the least Godly sorrow in hel which onely worketh repentance to salvation August lib. 21. de Civ dei cap 17. not to be repented of 2 Cor. 7.10 One of the ancients hath reported the opinion of some in his time who thought that though there be destruction in hel yet not eternal destruction but that sinners should be punished some a lesse others a longer time and that at last all shall be freed and yet saith he Origen was more mercifull in this poynt then these men for he held that the Devill himselfe should be saved at last Of this opinion I shall say no more in this place then this one thing which he there sayd These men will be found to erre by so much the more foulely against the right words of God so much the more perversely by how much they seeme to themselves to judge more mercifully for indeed the justice of God in punishing sinners is as much above the scale of mans thoughts as his mercyes in pardoning them are let not sinners flatter themselves in a hope of salvation when they are in hel who have neglected salvation while they were on the earth For as the Apostle saith Heb. 2.3 How shall we escape that is how shall we escape falling into hel if we neglect so great salvation so I may say how shall any escape by getting out of hell who neglect so great salvation Hel is destruction and as because heaven is a place of happinesse and salvation therefore heaven and happinesse heaven and salvation mutually or reciprocally signifie one another to obtaine heaven is to obtaine salvation to obtaine heaven is to obtaine happines So because hel is a place of misery and destruction therefore hel and misery hel and destruction signifie the same thing nor can they be separated Againe when he sayth Hell is naked before him and destruction hath no covering we learne There is nothing hid from the eye or knowledge of God Philosophy and reason teach us that the vertue and force of the heavenly bodyes the Sunne Moone and Starres doe not onely act upon those parts of the earth which are uppermost but send their influences and powers to the lowest parts or bowels of the earth for as was sayd before according to the ordinance of God dead things are formed there Now I say as the power of the heavenly bodyes reacheth downe into the earth much more doth the power and light of God reach into hell it selfe I will not stay upon any curious enquiries where this hell is wheresoever it is God seeth it Hel is naked before him therefore sayth David Psal 139.8 If I ascend up into heaven thou art there if I make my bed in hell behold thou art there that is there thou art by thy power and inspection thou seest what is in hell and if so how much more doth God behold what is done heere upon the earth if hell be naked before him then the earth is naked before him if destruction have no
and proper to it Further as God hideth his glory from man because he is not able to beare it all so he hideth much of that from him which he is able to beare both to make him hunger and thirst the more after it and to draw him into the greater reverence and estimation of it We usually esteeme that more which is veyled and under a cloud then that which is very cleare and openly revealed and according to our present state and frame that is most reverenced by us which is most concealed from us When a cloud hath dwelt a while upon the Sunne we desire the more to see the face of it and are the more affected with the sight of it God will not hold backe the face of his throne from us in glory nor will he ever spread a cloud upon it and yet we shall have fresh desires after it and high valuations of it everlastingly But while we dwel in this corrupt and corruptible flesh wee are apt to neglect that which is alwayes with us especially if it be alwayes alike with us And therefore as the wise and gracious God will not let us see his throne here at all in the full glory of it because we cannot beare it so he will not let us see that glory of it continually which we are able to beare lest we should grow eyther carelesse of it or unthankfull for it It is even best for us that we have but a darke and imperfect sight of God in this world both in reference to what he is and to what he doth or first in reference to himselfe in his nature and Excellencyes Secondly in reference to his wayes or workes in their speciall reasons and ends As our darkenes cannot at all comprehend the light of God so God is pleased to cover much of his own light with darkenes that we should not comprehend it How many glorious truths are there the face of which he holdeth backe from many of his precious servants how often doth he spread a cloud as upon the truths which he sendeth in his Word so upon the graces which he hath wrought in us by his Spirit so that the soule is not onely hindred from beholding what is without but what is within and is so farre from beholding the glorious perfection of God and his workes abroad that it cannot so much as discerne any of the gracious workes of God at home He spreadeth his cloud upon it Vers 10. He compasseth the waters with bounds untill the day and night come to an end Job having described marvaylous acts of divine power in the heavens descends againe to shew his marvayles in or about the Seas and mighty waters He compasseth the waters with bounds The word which we render to compasse Proprietas pecaliaris verbi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est lineam vel circulum describere quasi circino Forte etiam in dicatur eodem circumdandi verbo unum effici globuÌ„ ex terra et aqua atque unum idem utriusque elementi esse centrum Pined signifyeth properly to draw a line or make a circle as Mathematicians doe with a payre of Compasses so that it notes the shutting up or circumscribing any thing to a certaine place or measure beyond which it cannot move And thus God compasseth the waters At the 8th verse Job shewed how God compasseth the upper waters the waters in the ayre He bindeth up the waters in his thicke clouds Here he sheweth how God by the same almighty power compasseth about the lower waters the waters of the Sea The Hebrew is The face of the waters as in the former verse The face of his throne The face of the earth is the upper part of the earth Gen. 1.29 I have given you every herbe bearing or seeding seed which is upon the face of all the earth And so the face of the waters is the upper part of the waters because the upper part of the water as also of the earth lyeth open to the eye as the face of a man doth And it may therefore be sayd that he compasseth the face of the waters because though the whole body and bulke of the waters swel and rage yet the face or upper part of the waters is that which at any times breaketh over and overfloweth And therefore the face of the waters onely as to us is compassed about with bounds The word noteth a legal bound a statute or decree and is frequently used in Scripture especially in the 119th Psalme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stanuum constitutie dec câ—etum sign ficat praecepti constantiam durationem nam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est insculpere seu incidere lapidi ligno vel Metallo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septu for the Law or rule which God hath given man both for his worship and continuall course of life And hence the Prophet Jeremiah speaking to the Jewes about this thing useth another word to signifie the bound of the Sea and the word which here we render Bound is there rendred Decree Jer 5.22 Feare ye not me saith the Lord will ye not tremble at my presence which have placed the sand for the bound of the Sea by a perpetuall decree that it cannot passe it And there is so much of a Law or of an appoyntment in it that the word is applicable to any thing which is put under a certaine law or appoyntment So it is put for an appoynted time in the 14th Chapter of this booke v. 13th and for appoynted foode in the 23d Chapter of this booke v. 12th as here for an appoynted space or circle within which as within a wall or with gates and barrs the waters of the Sea are kept He compasseth the waters with bounds Hence Note First The Sea is bounded by the power of God As God hath given man understanding to provide a bit and a bridle for the mouth of the horse and mule which have no understanding lest they come neere unto him Psal 32.9 that is neerer to him then they should or neere to him not to serve him or be used by him but to kicke him or tread upon him Thus God himselfe who is infinite in understanding hath put a bit or bridle into the mouth of the Sea which is further from understanding then eyther Horse or mule lest it come neere to drowne and overwhelme us Neyther shoares nor sands neyther cliffs nor rockes are the bound and bridle of the Sea but the Decree and command of God Observe Secondly It is an unanswerable argument of the glorious power and soveraignetie of God that he is able to compasse the waters with bounds Who shut up the Sea with dores was Gods humbling Question to Job in the 38th Chapter of this booke v. 8.10 11. and sayd hitherto shalt thou come and no further here shall thy proud waves be stayed The Psalmist Ps 104. having shewed how at first Gen. 1 1. the whole earth was covered with the deep as
in man to desire God to strike through his pride and it is a great act of mercy to man when God doth so The more God smiteth our sins the more he declares his love to and his care of our soules The remainders of pride in the Saints shall be smitten through but sinners who remaine in their pride shall be smitten through themselves God whose power and understanding are made known by smiting through the proud waves of the Sea will at last make his Justice and his holynes knowne by smiting through the proud hearts of men or rather men of proud hearts Proud men strike at God yea kicke against him no wonder then if he strike and kicke them All the sufferings of Christ are wrapt up under that one word His humiliation implying that as he was smitten for all our sins so most of all for our pride That man whose pride is not smitten to death or mortifyed by the death of Christ shall surely be smitten to death even to eternall death for his pride As God understandeth thoroughly who are proud so by his understanding he will smite through the proud JOB CHAP. 26. Vers 13 14. By his Spirit he hath garnished the heavens his hand hath formed the crooked Serpent Lo these are parts of his wayes but how little a portion is heard of him but the thunder of his power who can understand JOB hath given us a particular of many illustrious works of God what he doth in the depths below Et ut in opere ipsius pulcherrimo desinam hic ille est qui coelos illa enarrabili pulchritudine exornavit spherae illae suis giris undique coelos serpeÌ„tium instar percurreÌ„tes sunt opus manibus ipsius tornatum Bez and what in the hights above in this verse he gives another instance and that a very choyce one upon the same subject As if he had sayd After all this large discourse which I have made of the workes of God I will conclude with that which is the most remarkeable peice of them all This is he who hath adorn'd the heavens with that unutterable beauty wherewith they shine and the spheares which wind and turne round about the heavens like Serpents are smoothed and polished by his hand Vers 13. By his Spirit he hath garnished the heavens The Spirit of God is taken two wayes in Scripture First q. d. visua voluntate ut nomen spiritus saepius in scriptura usurpatur sed malo ipsum dei spiritum almum accipere quo omnia deus fecit Merc for the power of God Secondly and so here for God the power as distinct from the Father and the Son By whom God wrought all things in the creation of the world Gen 1.2 The Earth was without forme and voyd and darkenes was upon the face of the deepe and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters It is a rule in Divinity That the external workes of the Trinity are undevided and so the Three Persons concurred in the making of the world God the Father created and is called Father in Scripture not onely in relation to the Eternall ineffable Generation of God the Son but also in reference to the production of the creature God the Son or the Eternal Word created Joh. 1.1 2 3. In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God All things were made by him and without him was nothing made that was made God the Spirit or Holy-Ghost he likewise created and He onely is mentioned by Moses distinctly or by name as the Agent in the original constitution of all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non simplicem motionem denotat sed qualem columba perficit cum evis ad excludendum pullos incubat Rab Selom Verbum â—ranslatum ab avibus pullitiei suae incubantibus Jun. And the Hebrew word rendred in our translatioÌ„ moved the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters by which the Agency of the Spirit in that Great worke is expressed caryeth in it a very accurate significancy of that formative vertue or power which the Spirit put forth about it For it is a metaphor taken from birds who sit upon their eggs to hatch and bring forth their young ones and so importeth the effectual working of the Spirit whereby that confused masse or heape was drawne out and formed up into those severall creatures specifyed by Moses in the Historie of the Creation Among which we find the Garnishing of the heavens spoken of here by Job is reported by Moses for the worke of the fourth day Further we may consider the heavens first in their matter and being secondly in their beauty and ornaments Job speakes of the latter By his Spirit he hath garnished the heavens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adornavit decoravit pulchrè fecit God hath not onely created but pollished and as it were painted or embroydered the heavens The originall word implyeth the making of them beautifull contentfull and pleasant unto the eye this is the Lords worke And therefore as the whole world because of the excellent order and beauty of it is exprest in the Greeke by a word that signifies beautifull 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so some parts of the world have a speciall beauty and lustre put upon them beyond the rest The heavens are not like a plaine garment as we say without welt or guard but they are laced and trimmed they are enamel'd and spangled they glister and sparkle in our eyes with rayes and beames of light By his Spirit he hath garnished the heavens If it be asked what is this garnishing of the heavens I answer the setting or placing in of those excellent lights Sunne Moone and Starres in the heavens are the garnishing of them Light is beautifull and the more light any thing hath the more beauty it hath Precious stones have much light in them those lights the Starres are as so many stones of beauty and glory set or moving in the heavens Light as diffused and shed abroad in the ayre is exceeding delightfull and beautifull but light as it is contracted and drawne together into the Sunne Moone and Starres is farre more beautifull light in the ayre pleaseth the eye but light in the Sunne conquers and dazzel's the eye by the excessive beauty and brightnesse of it In the first day of the Creation God sayd Let there be light and there was light but in the fourth day he sayd let there be lights that is let there be severall vessells to receave hold and containe light and then to issue it out among the inhabitants of the earth Gen. 1.14 And God sayd let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night and let them be for signes and for seasons and for dayes and for yeares and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth and it was so And
precedent EXPOSITIONS A ABoundance a great tryall of Grace as wel as want 151 Abundance of worldly things not to be desired yet may lawfully be enjoyed 250 Accusation to accuse meerely upon suspition very uncharitable 83 84 Acquainting our selves with God what it is and the several steps by which Saints arise to it 207 208 209. A twofold acquaintance with God 210. The more we are acquainted with God the more like we are to him 211. No acquaintance with God but by a Mediator 211. We can have no true peace till we acquaint our selves with God 214. While wee are unacquainted or estranged from God we are estranged from Good 216. Acquaintance with God brings in all Good 218 Adams sin in eating the forbidden fruit how aggravated in one particular 57 Three things in Adams sin 706. Sin of Adam fallen upon his whole posterity three wayes 706 Adultery the kinds of it 575. The extreame wickednes of it set forth many wayes 576 577 Adulterer hath a waiting eye which implyeth three things 583 Affliction hath much instruction in it 15. God hath abundance of affliction in his hand 97. Difference between the afflictions of a Godly and a wicked man 99. Affliction doth usually vent it selfe by complaints groanes 305. Afflictions abide long upon some who are eminently godly 308 The afflictions of some exceed all their complaints 309. There are two things which a godly man may see in his greatest afflictions which are matter of thanksgiving 312. God sweetest to the soule in affliction 320. Affliction drives the godly neerer to God 322. Affliction a tryall 380. Afflictions fore-appoynted by God 444. God hath variety of afflictions in his hand to exexercise his children with 448. We deserve more and sorer afflictions then God layeth upon us 450. A godly man may be unable to beare afflictions any longer 459 Angels how in a place 109. Angels Gods Armyes or host 690. Angels how they may be called the pillars of heaven 781 Angry dispensations of God make all tremble 786 Appoyntment how all things are under a divine appointment shewed by several instances 445 446. Arke in which the Law was put typed Christ 227 Arme in Scripture notes power 71 Armyes of God what they are 690. All creatures the Armyes of God up on a threefold consideration 692 Asses or wild asses the resemblance between them and the wicked shewed in severall things 514 Assemblyes of the Saints to worship are the dwelling place of God 199 Ayre how it may be called an empty place 754 B Barren land a cursed land 607 Beasts evill men are like beasts or beastiall in their dispositions and actions 513 Beleever he hath no opinion of his owne strength 344 Boanerges why two of the Disciples called so 824 Body in what sence every sin that a man doth except adultery is without the body 580 Bodyes of the wicked shall be raysed immortall though not incorruptible 751 Booke of the living what meant by it as also what by the Booke which God hath written 628 629 Brethren of two sorts 53. To doe wrong to or not to releive a brother hightens the sin 53 Building and to be built up what it signifyes in Scripture 134 135 C Carnal men their spirits are meerely mercenary 164. They are full of unconstancy 602 Censure The best of men may fall under the hashest Censures 357 Change twofold made in a sinner by grace 701 Changes of time or season none beyond this world 779 Charity must and will make ventures 45. Charity is accepted and uncharitableness condemned in the smallest matters 63. Churlish persons sticke at small charities as wel as great 64 How charity beleeveth all things 84. Children why compared to a building 235 Christ an everlasting foundation 154 Christ how he commeth as a theife 573 Cisterns what kind of cisterne the creature is 217 Cloathing put for all good things of this life 59 Clouds and darkenes how God is sayd to dwel in them 125. Clouds what they are 764. Why appropriated unto God 764. That waters are contained in the Clouds a great wonder in three things 766. Three inferences from it 767 Comforts smal comforts are welcome to us in times of great affliction 527 Complaining to complaine more then we have cause is very sinfull 310 Condemnation God will for ever acquit the righteous from it 356 Confidence of many proceedeth onely from ignorance 454 Conscience Gods Deputy in man 597 Consideration the want of it causeth us to be so little affected with great things 115 116 Contentation it is our duty to sit downe quiet and content under the saddest dispensations of God 213 Contention about worldly things to be carefully avoyded 488 Continuance things which continue but a little while are but of little worth 658 659 Conviction most sinners have a secret conviction upon them that what they doe is not good 595 Covetousnes knoweth no bounds 531 Counsel of the wicked what 175. The excellency of good counsel 723. Good and gracious counsel should be given the weake 723 Creatures we ought to consider the several excellencyes of them 116. The creature leads us to God 118. Creature can neyther hold nor give out the good it hath but by a word from God 217. The goodness and glory of the creature is nothing compared with God 710 Creation we ought joyntly to acknowledge the Father Son and Spirit in the worke of creation 806 Cruelty of man to man boundlesse 528 Curiosity very naturall to man to be enquiring into times 471 Curse sin brings a curse with it 607 They who are generally under the curse of men are often under the curse of God too 608. Why sin doth not alwayes bring a curse 609. How the wicked are alwayes cursed even in their greatest prosperity 609 610 D Damned under endlesse sufferings one reason of it 43 Darkness twofold external internal this internal darkenes twofold 93 94 Day night in what sence they end after the end of this present world 778 Day or to day taken two wayes in Scripture 300 Dayes of God or day of God what in Scripture 474 Death when and to whom sudden 9â— The death of a wicked man is violent to him though he dye in his bed 668 Death the territory of it as large as that of sin 619 death hath more power over great sinners shewed two wayes 620. 622. Some remembred after death chiefely for the strangenes of their death 625 626 Declining in reference to the wayes of God twofold 393 394. Some decline in them others decline from them 395. Declining from the wayes of God twofold first to the right hand secondly to the left 395 396. Whether a godly man may decline or no. 396. Declinings in grace severall causes of it 398 399 All sin is a declining from the wayes of God 400 Decree by man what how he may be sayd to decree a thing and have it established 275. The successe of our decrees or counsels is a great mercy 278. The successe
honour a great tryall or temptation 379. Many have declined in goodnes by outward prosperity 399 Proud men alwayes in danger of falling 798. Proud men shall be smitten 802 Punishment of offenders three speciall reasons of it 181 182. Some whose sins are very great are punished very little in this life 546. Punishment of losse a great misery as wel as that of sence 612. Eternal punishment why just for sin cōmitted in time 617 Q Questions how put in Scripture 699 R Racha what it meanes to call one so 79 Rebellion what it is or what they doe who rebel 301 302. How there may be rebellion against God in complaining under affliction 307. Rebellion against light the highest wickednes 557 Redemption of sinners by Christ is Gods pleasure 26 Relations cannot change God 437 Remembred some are onely upon the account of judgements upon them 626 Not to be remembred as it is a curse taken two wayes 627. Not to be remembred in what sence it is the portion of the wicked 628 Repentance reneweth our communion with God 207. Affliction bespeakes our repentance 230. True repentance is a home-returning to God 232 Repentance followed with a blessing and a building of us up 236. In true repentance sin is utterly cast off 237 They who repent truly endeavour to put away sin not onely from themselves but from all that belong to them 239. Repentance properly taken what it is how repentance may be sayd to have been in God 426 Rephaim what it signifyes 741 742 Reproofe how dangerous to sin against reproofe 38. Reproofe twofold 784 Restraint of others from sin two wayes 76 77 Returne to God when we may be sayd to doe so 233 Reward the difference between a godly man and a carnal man in looking to his reward 16. Reward twofold 190 Riches how we may lay up a good foundation for our selves by them 18. Riches may lawfully be possessed they are at Gods dispose 249 Rich covetous men in what sence they would be alone in the earth 75 76 Right-hand turning out of the wayes of God as dangerous as left-hand turning 395 Righteous how the Lord hath and hath not pleasure in us as righteous shewed in six propositions 21 22. Righteous men often preserved in common calamityes 200 Righteousnes twofold 19 Romans their severity against those who removed Land-markes 489 Rome whence so called 654 S Safety is a great outward mercy 647 Even the safety of a wicked man is of the Lord. 647. Outward safety is the foundation of a wicked mans peace 647 648 Scornings how the godly may be sayd to scorne the wicked in their troubles 194 195. Scorning very sinfull 195 Scripture parting it selfe into foure heads 730 Sea the mighty power of God in bounding it 774. Inferences from it 775 Sea called proud God can calme the Sea in its greatest rage and pride 799. This a comfort in our stormes at land 800. Two other inferences of comfort from it 801 Seasons how doing of evill hath its season as wel as doing of good 585. wicked men very carefull to hit those seasons 586 Secrets several secrets of the Lord with them that feare him 479 Serapis the honour which the Egyptians did to that Idol 175 Serpent crooked Serpent who or what 809 810 Service of God counted an unprofitable thing by carnal men 164 Shadow what properly it is and what it signifyeth in Scripture 595 Silence twofold 214. Silence comely in women especially in widdows 636 Sin no disadvantage to God 13. We should not thinke any sin little 36 In what sence no sin is little 36. It is our duty to take notice of the greatnes of our sin 37. How we may take the measure of sin 37 38. Seven aggravations of sin 38 39. In what sence sin may be sayd to be infinite 40 41. How our sins may be sayd to be innumerable 42. The lesse we are provoked to sin the greater is our sin if we fall into it 56. 89. Sin punished in all ages 139. Sin breeds an estrangement from God 206. Two degrees of putting away sin 238 A sin is the greater by how much the matter about which it is committed is the lesse 502. Some will sinne though they get nothing by it 565. A wicked man sins with resolution 584. Sin befooles the sinner 597. Speedynes of wicked men to sin 604. Evill men would sin alwayes 616 617. Sin hath degraded man 716 Sins of omission more frequent and numerous then sins of commssion 36 Sinners some sin so fast and much as if they only were sinners 621 Sinning advisedly the property of the wicked 177. Some will sin for the meanest advantage 500. Sinning is the worke of wicked men 516 Smallest matters fall under the knowledge and care of God 134 135 Soft heart of five sorts 457 Sorrow for sin may be excessive 96. There is an unavoydable sequele between sin and sorrow 99. Sorrows of life may be more bitter then death 462 Soule the soules desireing or hating what it signifyes in Scripture 418. Soule how and why it should be garnished 808 Speaking that we may speake to profit five things must be considered 734 Starres to be considered especially in foure things 116 117. The consideration of the Starres should make us humble and thankefull 119 Steps taken two wayes in Scripture 389 Strength of God in what 215 216. God puts strength into an humble soule especially for five things 345 346 Spirit many speake the words of the Prophets who speake not in their Spirit 735 Spirit of God taken two wayes in Scripture 803 Stedfastnes in good the honour of the godly 393 Strength men usually proud of any kind of strength 797. Our strength lyes much in the sence of our weakenes 798 Sufferers great sufferers usually thought to be great sinners 46 Suffering few hit upon any other cause of suffering but sin 41. Other causes of suffering noted 47. In suffering it is good to suspect our sins search after them 48 Superstition the forwardnes of mans nature to such worship 520 T Temptation prevayleth easily over carnal men 603. Comfort in temptation what 801 Thoughts evill thoughts of God the Character of a wicked man 123. Thoughts of God how we acquaint our selves with God by them 208 Throane of God what 327. 767. In what sence God spreadeth a cloud upon his throane 770. God manifesteth himselfe in heaven as Princes manifest themselves upon their Throanes 771 Thunder a reproofe from God 785. Thunder of Gods power what 822 823 Time God can pull downe the stoutest sinners in a little time even without time 144. God needs not take time to doe what he hath a mind to 145 Times God hideth times from men as he pleaseth 470. Why God hideth times or keepeth them in his power 471. Times are perfectly knowne to God 475 Treasure in what sence the Lords people are his treasure 8 Troubled minds have much to say 332 Truth God honoured in his truth by the fall of the wicked 189.