incorruptible it hath naturally no seedes of dissolution in it because no contrariety no contrary qualities in it as all bodyes or corporeall substances have I know the Apostle saith 1 Tim 6.16 God only hath immortality it 's true he only hath it in himselfe independently originally but he derives and gives it as a talent to some creatures in a way of dependance upon himselfe Secondly Observe The soule brings in the life of the body The life of man What is the body without the soule but a lumpe of clay As soone as ever the soule departs life departs man dyeth and becomes a putrifying carkasse yet such is the folly of most men that all their care is for the life of the body which is at best a dying life they utterly neglect the soule which as it is the life of the body so it selfe never dyeth The soule is the Jewell the body is but the Cabinet the soule is the kernel the body is but the shell Will you be sollicitous about a Cabinet and a shell and slight the Jewel or throw away the kernel Will you take care of that which liveth the body and will you not take care of that which holds your life the soule Againe Note Life is the gift of God If the soule which is the cause of life in man be of God then the life of man is of God also The cause of the cause is the cause of the effect or thing caused But we need not argue it from Logick rules Scripture testimony being so aboundant in this thing Acts 17.25 He giveth to all life and breath and all things And v. 28. In him we live and move and have our being Spirituall and eternall life are the gift of God so also is naturall life And if so Then First Live to God Secondly Seeing God gives us life we should be willing to give our lives to God Yea Thirdly We should therefore be ready to give up or rather to lay downe our lives for God And as we should give up our lives to God when he calls for them by natural death so we should give up our lives for God when he calls us to beare witness to his name and truth by violent death I shall yet take notice of one thing further before I passe from this verse The Spirit of God hath made me and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life Some upon good grounds referre the first clause The Spirit of God hath made me to the creation both of soule and body and the second or latter clause the breath of the Almighty hath given me life to that quickning which we receive by the Spirit to the duties whereinto we are called in this life The breath of the Almighty hath given me life that is hath fitted and prepared me for the severall offices and services of life As if Elihu had sayd The Spirit of God hath not only made me a man but a man for worke yea the Spirit of God hath quickned me to the present worke and businesse I am come about Thus life imports not only spirituall life in the being of it but all the furniture ornaments and abilities of a spirituall life The Septuagint render this profession made by Elihu expressely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spiratio omnipotentis est quae docet me Sept Haud me latet non a meipso sed a deo hunc prudentiae sensum me accepisse Nicet to this sence holding out a strong assurance which Elihu had that God had both called and prepared him for the service he was come about and engaged in The Spirit of God hath made me and the breath of the Almighty hath instructed me Another of the Greek Interpreters speaks as much I am not ignorant that of my selfe I am able to doe nothing but I have received this power from God As if Elihu had said The Spirit of the Almighty hath quickned me to this worke I am now upon and taught me what both to say and doe in thy case O Job Hence note God giveth not only the life of nature unto men but he fits them for all the duties and services of this life We indeed are scarcely to be reckoned among the living if we have no more but a naturall life what is it to be able to eate and drinke to heare and see and speake unlesse we have more then this we deserve not to be numbred or written among the living we are upon the matter but dead lumps and clods of clay It is the breath of the Almighty that quickens us and superadds ability to doe good that frames fashions and fits us for every good word and worke This is the life of man when a man is fitted for duty and service when he is furnished for imployment to stand God and his Brethren in some stead while he is in this world then he lives The motions impulses and influences the teachings and guidings of the Spirit of God are the life of our lives We can doe nothing of our selves till the Almighty bestows a new life upon us and as we can doe nothing at all in spiritualls till he gives us a new life so we can do nothing to purpose till the Spirit acts stirres up that life in us It is the Spirit who first bestows Secondly encreaseth Thirdly excites our spirituall life puts the new creature into motion All our good thoughts and holy actings all our uprightnesse and sincerity all our strength and ability flow from the Spirit untill the holy Spirit workes in us we sit still and when the Spirit worketh we must not sit still I saith the Apostle Rom 15.18 will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me to make the Gentiles obedient by word and deed As if he had sayd My owne workes are not worth the naming I will not so much as mention any thing that Christ hath not wrought in me by the Spirit That was a mighty worke which he was enabled to doe to make the Gentiles obedient in word and deed Christ did not leave him to doe it in his owne power The breath of the Almighty enabled him and so he doth all those that are able and willing ready for and successefull in any such holy worke Let us therefore ascribe all to his working and quickening let us set down our severall Items of receit in our account-books confessing that we have nothing of our own This gift that grace that ability to doe to speake to suffer to act we have received from him Let the whole Inventory of our soules riches have Gods name written upon it and ascribed to his praise alone And if we thus uncloath our selves by giving God the glory of all we shall loose nothing by it for God will apparrell and furnish us deck and adorne us better every day The poorer we are in our selves the richer will he make us To be thus diminish't is the best way to
thy mouth for ever speak not thus to God If thou art as thou canst not deny a thing formed by God then say not why hast thou made me thus And as now thou strivest with God about that which thou canst not understand so at last though now thou dost not thou shalt understand that thou oughtest not to have striven with him about it And indeed if men have a mind to strive with God they may find as many occasions for it in the doctrine of his conditionall decrees of foreseene faith repentance and persevering obedience as in his absolute We shall never want matter of quarrelling with God till we have learned simply that is graciously to submit Secondly This truth should much more quiet our spirits and stop our strivings in reference to our temporall estate And that First As wrapt up in common with others Did we consider the soveraigne power of God in ordering the affairs of Nations and Churches we would glorifie him in a gracious silence however we see things goe with them The Scripture urgeth us often to this fixednesse of mind in the midst of all publick revolutions and changes upon this only account Heare David Psal 46.9 10. Come behold the works of the Lord What works ruining works what desolation he hath made in the earth God made strange work in the World at that time Those countryes which before were as the Garden of God became like a desolate Wildernesse who was able to beare this with patience Yet the Spirit of God saith in the next words it must be patiently borne when God lets men strive and warre with one another to a common confusion yet no man may strive with God about it and the reason given why no man may is only this which is indeed all the reason in the world He is God So it follows in the Psalme Be still and know that I am God As if the Lord had said not a word do not strive nor reply whatever you see hold your peace know that I being God I give no account of any of my matters Thus the Prophet cautions the whole world Zech. 2.13 Be silent O all flesh before the Lord doe not dispute the doings of God doe not murmure at them for he is raised up out of his holy habitation That is God is going to work as a man raised out of his bed is therefore doe not you trouble your selves nor rise up against him in your words or thoughts what work soever he makes Like counsell is given Psal 75.5 Lift not up your horne on high speak not with a stiffe neck for promotion cometh neither from the East nor from the West nor from the South But God is the Judge he putteth down one and setteth up another All great changes proceed from his judgment take heed of judging the sentence of the great Judge Remember That he whose name alone is Jehovah is the most high over all the earth Psal 83.18 Againe This is as true if we respect the private or personall estate of any man If God makes a man poor in estate or despised in the World if he make him sick or weak in body he must not say unquietly why doth God thus If he taketh away our Relations if he empty our families we must not strive with him When old Ely had received one of the saddest messages that ever was sent man It is the Lord said he let him doe what seemeth him good 1 Sam. 3.18 So David Psal 39.9 I was dumb I opened not my mouth because thou didst it Psal 62.1 Truly my soul waiteth patiently upon God The word is my soul is silent before God And Psal 42.5 How doth David chide his soul for making a noyse Why art thou disquieted O my soul hope thou in God But you will say May we not at all strive what ever God doth in the World or with us must we sit downe under it or rest satisfied in it and say nothing I answer First we may and ought to be very sensible of all the dealings of God But we must not be unquiet under any of them It is one thing to feele the smart and another thing to dispute the rod. Some are under a kind of Stoicall stupidity they doe not strive with God because they doe not mind what God doth they are not sensible Others are stout sturdy and proud spirited they care not for the crosse they slight and despise rebukes Thus or upon these grounds not to strive with God is as bad if not worse then that striving with him which this poynt disswades and disapproves We may yea we ought to take notice of every stroak we receive from God Secondly As we should be sensible of the hand of God at any time upon us so we may pray for the removing of his hand 'T is not a sinfull but a gracious act to strive with God by prayer for deliverance out of trouble Thirdly A man under the Rod may use means to get it off and free himselfe from it even while he is quiet under it So then the quietnesse of mind in our afflicted condition here intended and pressed is opposed only first to fretting and repining Secondly to vexing and tumultuating Thirdly to distracting cares Fourthly to desponding fears Fifthly to killing sorrows Sixthly to uncomposednesse of spirit for our callings Seventhly to hard thoughts of God Eighthly to the using of any unlawfull meanes to help or rescue our selves out of the hand of evill And that we may be preserved from all these strivings against God and unquietnesse of spirit under any of his saddest and darkest dispensations which will certainly run us upon some of if not all those eight most dangerous rocks last mentioned Let me lay down a few considerations why we should not strive with God in such a manner And prescribe some preservatives to keep us at the greatest distance from it First Consider to strive with God dishonours God and darkens his glory for hereby we call his wisdome and goodnesse yea his truth and faithfulnesse to us in question What can be done more dishonourable to God then this God resented it as a great dishonour that Moses and Aaron did not sanctifie him that is give glory to his name before the children of Israel Num 20.12 and therefore told them Ye shall not bring the children of Israel into the land which I have given them As if he had sayd Ye have not honoured me as ye ought in this thing and therefore I will not honour you in that But what is it that Moses and Aaron did not sanctifie God in it was saith the text in not believing And what is that at best but a striving with God as to the truth of his word and his faithfulnesse in fulfilling it Secondly Such striving with God hinders the exercise of grace and stops the worke of the new creature He that striveth with God by way of murmuring can never strive with God by praying and believing
in dealing and tugging with Job And now as if their seventh day or Saboth were come they sate downe and took their rest Speaking especially arguing and disputing with a knowing and resolved adversary is tough worke And they who have been at it to purpose may for very wearinesse have causee-nough to rest or take their Saboth so did these three men they ceased or sabbatiz'd from answering Job We may yet further enquire why did they cease First some men cease to answer because they have no more to answer Secondly others cease to answer because they suppose they have answered enough already and will answer no more Some say the former was the reason why Jobs three friends ceased to answer they had no more to answer Others take the latter that they had no mind no will to give any further answer But the reason expressed in the text which should satisfie us and superseed further queries is Because he was righteous in his owne eyes As if it had been said Because they saw they had done no good upon him Job kept his ground and maintained his standing he disputed every inch with them and yeilded not an inch as they found him at first so he was at last they saw him a man immoveably set downe in his owne purpose and opinion and therefore because they could get nothing by speaking they would speak no more 'T is but lost labour as we say to wash the Blackmore The constancy and warmth of Job in defending himselfe they judged obstinacy and a humour to oppose or but the swelling of a proud spirit whereas indeed it was the love of truth not of contention a zeale to doe himselfe right not to doe them wrong which caused him still to hold up the Bucklers and adhere so stiffely to his owne opinion Thus despayring to convince or bring him to an acknowledgement that he was unrighteous they ceased Because he was righteous in his owne eyes That 's such another forme of speaking Pro. 3.7 Be not wise in thine owne eyes As also that Pro. 26.12 Seest thou a man wise in his owne conceit there is more hope of a fool then of him You may easier reduce a man that is indeed ignorant then him that thinks himselfe very wise or knowing but is not This was the apprehension of Jobs friends concerning him He was a man thought they and so they said righteous in his owne eyes There are three sorts of righteous persons First such as are righteous in the eyes of God and so the Godly are under a twofold notion First as being pardoned for or justified from their unrighteousnesse through faith in Christ Blessed are they who are thus accounted righteous in the eyes of God Secondly they are righteous as avoyding unrighteous and doing righteous things There is a seed a principle of righteousnesse in persons justified and regenerated which dayly puts it selfe forth in righteous actings He that doth righteousnesse is righteous 1 Joh 3.7 He is so both as to his state and as to his actions in the eyes of God and good men Secondly Many are righteous in the eyes of men they have faire appearances and out-sides you can read nothing amisse in their conversation yet they are unrighteous yea altogether unrighteous in the eyes of God yea and possibly in their owne too They cannot but see their own wickednesse though they can conceale it from the sight of others Hypocrites are like painted Sepulchers faire without as Christ spake of the Pharisees but within full of rottennesse They seeme that to men which God seeth they are not They can shew their best side to and hide their worst from men but they cannot play this game with God he seeth their best is bad because it is but the covering not the hating not the mortifying of that which is bad Thirdly There is another sort who are righteous in their own eyes such Solomon describes Prov. 30.12 There is a generation that are pure in their owne eyes and yet is not washed from their filthinesse These have a great opinion of themselves They think all is right and well with them when indeed they are filthy and uncleane their hearts being yet unchanged though their wayes are smoothed and though they may have left off to doe many filthy things yet they are not washed from their filthinesse The text in hand puts Job into this third sort of righteous men But was it thus with him I answer First Job was a man righteous in the eyes of God in both the notions mentioned he was righteous as justified and righteous as sanctified Secondly Job was a man righteous in the eyes of many men for he saith Chap. 29.11 The ear which heard me blessed me and the eye which saw me gave witnesse to me yet Job had not an universall testimony given by men There were some I cannot say many in whose eyes he was unrighteous He was so in the eyes and opinion of his friends especially Though none could as to the eye tax Job with any unrighteousnesse no not they who doubtlesse had sifted his life to the bran yet his friends thought him unrighteous and he stood judg'd as unrighteous in their eye As for the third sort of righteousnesse that of being righteous in our owne eyes we must distinguish Job was indeed righteous in his owne eyes in a good sence and that under a twofold consideration First as not having committed any gross or scandalous act of wickednesse as he professed at large and with much confidence in that apologie and vindication which he made for himselfe in the Chapter foregoing where he calls downe the severest judgements of God upon himselfe if he had done such things as he was suspected of especially if he had defiled himselfe with those common polutions of the world wantonnesse injustice and oppression Job stood upon it that he was thus righteous Secondly Job was righteous in his owne eyes as to the allowing of himselfe in any the least sin or unevennesse either of heart or life Thus much his protestation or imprecation amounts to in the 33d verse of that Chapter If I have covered my transgressions as Adam by hiding mine iniquity in my bosome As if he had said I have not lived in the love of any sin whatsoever Thus Job was righteous in his owne eyes protesting to God and before men that as he was not scandalously wicked in any kinde so he was not closely nor hypocritically wicked every sin was his burden and the abhorrence of his soule In any other sence Job was far from being righteous in his owne eyes He never either said or thought he had done no evill or was altogether sin-lesse like white paper without blot or blur yea we very often find him confessing his sins and failings Chap. 7.20 I have sinned what shall I doe unto thee thou preserver of men He maketh a like acknowledgement Chap. 9.2 I know it is so of a truth but how shall man be just
them more like to God then younger men Secondly Look to the speciall way wherein Elihu shewed reverence to his Elders even by his long silence he did not rudely not rashly breake into discourse but waited till they had done This modesty of Elihu is both commendable and imitable who would say nothing as longe as Job or any of his friends had any thing to say Mira in hoc elucet antiquuorum in publicis concertationibus gravitas et stupendum inviolabilitèr servati in dicendo ac respondendo ordinis exemplum Bold because they were elder then he As the light of nature teacheth reverence to the aged in all cases so more particularly in this There shines as to this poynt an admirable comlinesse in the disputes of the Ancients and a most eminent example of order inviolably kept both in proposing and answering Their rule or maxime was Let the Seniors speake let the Juniors hear Let Old men teach let young men learne It is the note of a learned Commentator upon this place from what himselfe had observed Living saith he once at Paris in France where in a Monastery Majores natu loquantur juniores audiant senes doceant adolescentes discant Pulcherrima disciplinae sententia Drus three Indians were brought up and instructed in the Christian Religion I could not but admire to behold how studiously and strictly they kept to the Lawes of speaking the younger not offering a word till the Elder had done The practice of these Indians brought with them out of Heathenisme may reprove the imprudence of many yea the impudence of some young men among us who will be first in talk when their betters and elders are in place The Prophet threatned this as a great judgment Isa 3.5 The Child shall behave himself proudly against the Ancient The child is not to be taken here strictly but for any inferiour in age though possibly himself be arrived to the state of manhood As if the Prophet had said there shall be a generall confusion among all degrees of men without respect had to age or place every stripling will take the boldness to talk and act unseemly before his betters Obeysance and silence bowing the body and holding the peace are respects which ought to be paid to our Superiours whether in time or authority But as young men should not be forward to speak in the presence of their elders so they should not be afraid to speak when there is cause for it especially when their elders forbear or refuse to speak any more Thus Elihu who had long kept his mouth as David in another case did Psal 39.1 with a bridle and was dumb with silence yet at last his heart was hot within him and while he was musing the fire burned and as it followeth he spake with his tongue Vers 5. When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men then his wrath was kindled When Elihu saw it that is when he was as much assured of it by their gesture and carriage as if it had been visible that those three men had no more to say or would say no more for the words may be referred indifferently to their will or power when I say he saw they had no more to say Either first to convince Job of error or secondly to defend the truth of God which they had undertaken when he saw this his wrath was kindled at that instant time and for that very reason his wrath was kindled Some conceive as was shewed before that this anger proceeded from the passionateness of his spirit and so tax him with it as his fault but I rather consent with those who say it proceeded from his zeal for God and so it was his vertue and his praise I have met with these words two or three times already since I entred upon this Chapter and therefore I shall not stay upon them here And as this anger of Elihu was spoken of before so the same reason which was given before of his anger is repeated and reported hear again Then his wrath was kindled because they had no answer in their mouths that is because they had no more to say against Job whom they had condemned and because they had no more to say for God whose cause in afflicting Job they had defended I shall only adde a few brief Notes upon this Verse and so passe on First Some men answer till they have no more to answer 'T is very possible for a good and a wise man to be at the bottom of his reason in some points or to be brought to such a wall that he can go no further David saith I have seen an end of all perfection which as it is true of all outward commodities and conveniences which men enjoy so both of their corporal and intellectual abilities or of what they can either do or say The best of men may see the end of their best perfections in all things but Grace and the hope of Glory Their stock and treasure may be quite spent their spring exhausted and they gone ro their utmost line and length There 's no more answer in their mouth nor work in their hand Secondly note It may put a wise man into passion to see how ill some wise men use their reason or that they can make no further use of it Then was the anger of Elihu kindled when he saw they could answer no more or that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men Thirdly As the anger of Elihu is often spoken of so still we find some what or other is assigned as a ground of it Whence note We should see good reason for our anger before we are angry whether in our own cause or in the cause of God There is nothing can excuse anger but the cause of it Reason is a good plea for passion And he that hath a true reason for his anger will probably manage his anger with reason yea and mingle it with grace And so his proves not only a rational but a gracious anger Fourthly note Provoked patience breaks out into greater passion In the former Verse we find Job waiting he waited long and patiently but being disappointed of what he waited for his wrath broke out His anger was kindled As when God waits long and is disappointed his anger is encreased in the manifestation of it Rom. 2.4 5. ver Despisest thou the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodnesse of God leads thee to repentance but after thy hardnesse and impenitent heart treasurest up wrath c. As if he had said the more patience God spends upon thee the more wrath is treasured up â—â—r thee and that wrath will break out the more fiercely and violently to consume thee the longer it hath been treasured up Now I say as the wrath of God is the more declared against man by how much his patience is the more abused So
Almighty hath made most wise and understanding be ye most humble in your selves Secondly let me adde which is another dangerous rock upon which great gifts are apt to dash and split you take heed of despising those who have received lesse our portions are divided and allotted to us by the hand of God Divine wisdome gives us our portion of wisdome He that hath most hath no more then God hath given and he that hath least hath as much as God is pleased to give They despise the wisdome and question the understanding of God in giving wisdome who despise those to whom he gives lesse wisdome and understanding then he hath given to themselves Fifthly To those who have received but little I say also two things by way of caution First doe not envie those who have received much It is of God that they have more then you is your eye evil because the eye of God is good Secondly be not discontented with your own lesser portion doe not sit downe sullen say not we will doe nothing with what we have received because we have not as much as others we know the doome passed on him who having but one talent hid it in a napkin If we are discontent with a little portion or with one talent that little is too much and that one too many for us nothing doth more dim the glory of God nor more destroy and eate out our own comforts then discontent the Devill since his fall is the most disconcented spirit in the world and he was not contented while he stood he thought he was not high enough that was his undoing They who are discontent with the gift of God loose what is given and so fall into deeper discontent yea as the Apostle speakes in another case 1 Tim. 3.6 into the condemnation of the devill Sixthly Then let us not be lifted up in our owne naturall wisdome and reason he that would be wise must become a foole 1 Cor. 3.18 untill we see our owne wisdome folly we cannot attaine the wisdome of God or Godly wisdome Seventhly This shews us the reason of the various kinds and severall measures of gifts among the sons of men Men differ not more in the measures and degrees of their outward estates worldly riches titles and honours then they doe in the measures and degrees of their inward abilities wisdome knowledge and understanding men differ not more in the feature and figure of their faces then in the furniture of their minds One hath five talents another two a third but one And as the various degrees of the same gift so diversities of gifts are from the soveraigne pleasure of God The Apostle is large and very distinct in this matter 1 Cor. 12.4 8 9 11. There are diversities of gifts but the same Spirit to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdome to another the word of knowledge by the same Sâ—â—rit to another prophecy to another discerning of Spirits to another divers kinds of tongues c. But all these worketh that one and the selfe-same Spirit dividing to every man severally as he will It is only the will of the Spirit the will of God which makes this division and diversification of gifts among men And as the Apostle sheweth here the rise or spring of all to be from God so he had shewed that the reason and intendment of all this is the benefit of men v. 7. The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withall What ever your gift is God hath given it for profit and use One hath skill in sciences another in languages one is more acute another more solid one hath a stronger judgement another a quicker phansie and a more searching invention One is best at an argument to convince the understanding another at a motive to quicken the affections one can confute an error and state a Controversie well and another can best discover sin and convince the Conscience one hath weight of matter but is slow of speech another hath a fluent tongue but is lesse materiall a third is both but all to profit withall Such a Character was given of those three Eminent men in the beginning of the reformation Res sine verbis Lutherus verba sine rebus Erasmus res verba Philippus Luther Erasmus and Melancthon Luther had matter and not words he did not affect any exactnesse of stile or speech Erasmus had words at will but lesse weight of matter Melancthon was full in both there was a concurrence or complication of many eminent gifts in him The same Erasmus mentioned last but one hath a like passage in his Preface to the workes of the Ancients which he with wonderfull skill and industry redeemed from many mistakes and set forth more defecate and pure to the view and use of the world where observing the different veines of divers Authors in their writings he concludes thus Severall men have their severall gifts as it pleaseth the gift giving Spirit to give to them In Athanasius we admire a serious perspicuity of speaking and in Chrysostome a flowing Eloquence in Basil besides his sublimity a pleasant language in Hilary we see a lofty stile well marcht with the loftinesse of his matter in Cyprian we reverence a spirit worthy the crowne of Martyrdome and we are in love with the sweet incentives and modesty of St Ambrose In Jerome we commend his rich treasures of Scripture-knowledge and must acknowledge in Gregory a pure and unpolisht sanctity He shuts up thus Least I should be tedious others â—â—ve from the bounty of the same Spirit their distinct abilities by which they are commended to the consciences of the Godly The Inspiration of the Almighty giveth understanding And as this is true with respect to the gifts of Illumination which Elihu pitcheth here upon so 't is much more true in reference to the gifts of sanctification The Inspiration of the Almighty giveth a spirituall understanding to know sin and hate it to know Christ and love him so to know as to be conformed unto yea transformed into that which we know The Inspiration of the Almighty gives this understanding this heart-changeing and life-renewing understanding Againe There is a spirit in man and the Inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding The word is Enos weake man Hence Note God can make the weakest and the unlikeliest of men wise and full of understanding It is no matter what the man is if God will use him he can make Enos to be Ish the weake man strong the ignorant a learned a knowing man Amos was a husbandman and God gave him an excellent understanding the Apostles were Fishermen and yet the Inspiration of the Almighty made them wise above many God can make the wise foolish and fooles wise The power of God triumphs over all humane power and in all humane infirmity So much the Apostle teacheth 1 Cor. 1.27 God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to
write after your Coppy nor take up directions from what you have done for I see you have gone and done amisse Againe When Elihu saith I will not answer him with your speeches Note Secondly What we speake should be our owne sence not the sence of others unlesse their sence either of things or persons be the same with ours Some pin their opinion upon the sleeves of others and they will be just of the judgement of such a man what he saith they will say As some expect that every one should be of their Judgement and say as they say they are many Masters which the Apostle James forbids My Brethren be not many Masters doe not take upon you to give the rule to all others some are proud at this rate they thinke themselves able to give the rule to all men so not a few are so easie that presently they will take up any thing as a rule from any Master whereas we should not be so apt to follow but labour to have the Judgment or reason of things in our selves rather then to take it up upon trust When Luther was much troubled about the dealings of God in the world to see how matters went and was saying within himselfe Surely it were better things were carried thus and thus while Luther I say was thus troubled he thought he heard this word of reproofe from God O Martin Martin Martine Martine in valde sapis sed ego non sum deus sequax I see thou art very wise thou canst give rules even to God himselfe but I am not a God easie to be led by men I will not take thy Counsell though I see thou hast an honest heart in what thou counsellest I have a way of my owne and I will have my owne way though the world yea though good men and my owne faithfull servants are grieved and mourne at it Man would appoint to God himselfe but God will not model matters by mans wisdome nor in his way Thus in the present case I only allude it is not good for us when we heare what others say presently to receive it or take the impression from them and so answer in their words or vote their opinions though they are wise and good men Elihu takes the liberty to dissent as in his opinion so in his Method of proceeding with Job I will answer but it shall not be with your speeches I will take my owne course Thirdly Note The faylings and mistakes of others should be our warnings not to doe the like Elihu observed where they missed as to the matter in hand he observ'd also wherein they missed as to the manner of proceeding and he observed both well and wisely to avoyd the like inconveniences and thereupon professed I will not answer him with your speeches Fourthly Note We should answer to every poynt and person with reason and sweetnesse not with passion and bitternesse There is no convincing others with wrath The wrath of man saith the Apostle works not the righteousnesse of God James 1.20 That is wrath will never bring about nor effect those righteous things or ends which God would have us ayme at The wrath of man puts him quite out of the way of righteousnesse both out of the way of right speaking and of right acting To shew much reason and little passion is our wisdome So the Apostle gives the rule 2 Tim 2.26 The servant of the Lord must not strive he doth not meane it of bodily striving As if he had said he must not be a fighter As when the Apostle saith 1 Tim 3.3 A Minister must not be a striker It can hardly be thought he should intend only if at all that Ministers should not be like grossly boysterous men who are not so much as Civill in their behaviour surely such are farre enough off from a fitness to be received into the Ministry therefore some expound the Apostle to the poynt in hand he must be no striker with his tongue in passion anger and wrath no word-striker There is great striking yea wounding with words Though Ministers must strike and wound with the authority of God yet not with their owne animosities They must wound the consciences of sinners with the Word and Spirit of God but not with their own wrathfull spirits such strikers they may not be nor may the servant of the Lord strive thus but be gentle to all men apt to teach yea patient in teaching It is a great exercise of patience to teach with line upon line precept upon precept When we see little received or heeded yet to insist upon it this is patience In meeknesse instructing such as oppose themselves if God peradventure will give repentance to the acknowledgement of the truth As the Apostle James exhorts Chap. 1.21 to receive the word with meeknesse that 's a most necessary rule in hearing the word for many times the hearer is in a passion there is such a storme in his bowels that he cannot heare to purpose therefore if any would receive the ingraffed word they must receive it with meeknesse I say also the word should be given out or spoken in meekness though not with coldnesse I doe not say with coldnesse or with a slightness of spirit but with meeknesse And the truth is milde speaking or meeknesse of speech as to the spirit and conscience of the hearer is not only most comfortable but most prevailing Meeknesse should be shewed even where there is the greatest zeale and zeale then prevailes most when there is most meeknesse in it The Apostle Jude saith Of some have compassion making a difference others save with feare That is save them by preaching that which may make them afraid scare them out of their sins but yet still this is to be done in a spirit of meeknesse Gal. 6.1 If any one be over-taken in a fault what then rayle on him rage against him and revile him no but saith the Apostle ye that are spirituall restore such a one with the spirit of meeknesse considering thy selfe lest thou also be tempted Bones must be set to that the word which we translate restore alludes with a tender hand Those three things which are required in a good Chirurgion or Bone-setter are as necessary in a reprover or in him that would reduce another from the error of his way First He must have an Eagles eye to discerne where the fault or fayling is Secondly A Lyons heart to deale freely with the faulty how great soever they are Thirdly A Ladies hand to use them gently and tenderly All which will more fully appeare while Lastly From the example of Elihu we collect and learne that a good Moderator or composer of differences must avoyd five things First slightness of spirit and of speech It is not good to speake lightly of little things but it is a shame to speake lightly of great things Weighty matters must be handled weightily and we should put not a little finger but our
Elihu's thoughts had upon him they would out there was no stopping of them Christ saith Math 9.17 No man putteth new wine into old bottles but men put new wine into new bottles why because they are stronger and so more fit to preserve the wine My belly is as wine It is ready to burst like new bottles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro utre non alibi reperitur saepe pro pythone quod qui hoc ariolaÌ„di genere uterentur velut ex utribus vocem emitterent Vnâ—e a Grecis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicuntur Merc The word which we render bottles is never used in Scripture elsewhere in this sence but it is often used to signifie Wizards or such as have familiar Spirits Isa 8.19 Isa 29.4 because they who used those hellish arts by compact with the Devill did speak out of their belly so as it were out of a bottle Now saith Elihu My belly is as new wine that hath no vent and it is ready to burst like new bottles even new bottles will break unlesse the new wine have some vent And because though new bottles be stronger then old to keepe in wine yet the wine may be so strong as to breake them therefore Elihu here-by shewes that his desire or necessity of speaking was so urgent upon him that though he should strengthen himselfe yea strive with himselfe as much as he could to refraine from speaking yet speake he must I am full of matter c. Observe First A man should not speak especially in weighty matters till himselfe be well stored with matter Secondly Observe When some vessells are drawne quite dry and instruments spent and worne to the stumps when they can neither doe nor say any more then God fills up and furnisheth others for his purpose There was not a drop more to be squeez'd out of Jobs friends but Elihu was a full bottle Mal 2.15 there is a residue of the Spirit God hath more Spirit or spirituall abilities to dispose of and bestow then he hath yet disposed of to or bestowed upon any one or all the sons of men Thirdly Note God can furnish Instruments with proper gifts for the worke which he Calls them to Here was a man Cut out on purpose for this worke he was Clothed with a spirit of prudence and courage as well as with a spirit of discerning We have a wonderfull Example of this in Luther who came forth against all the powers of the papacy What a spirit had he his was a spirit of might his spirit Constrained him his belly was like a bottle full of new wine there was no stopping of it Others would have been daunted and cowed downe with the tenth of that opposition which he met with but he was bold as a Lyon who turneth not aside Againe Why did Elihu come forth why did his spirit constraine him what made his belly like wine Some charge him with pride and arrogancy of spirit as if he did it out of vaine ostentation to shew his parts and gifts to set himselfe above those other Worthyes who had dealt and discoursed with Job before But we have reason enough considering what he spake and what the issue of his speaking was to determine that he was moved with a zeale for God and to doe good to Job not with a spirit of pride to shew his learning wit or wisdome among men and therefore we finde that when the whole matter was brought to an issue and God himselfe came to deale with Job and his three friends God commends Job and reproves his three friends but there is no reproofe upon Elihu Now for as much as God himselfe doth not charge him what hath man to doe to charge him Not only charity but reason and judgement command us to thinke his designe honest and his aymes sincere while he professeth under so vehement an impulse or impression upon his spirit to engage and speake in this matter Hence note Thirdly To see truth ill handled should fill our spirits with much zeal for God That was it which drew Elihu to this engagement he saw those men though good men had put a disguise upon the things and dealings of God and if men disguise the truth and maintaine error if they deface the doctrines of faith and pure worship with their owne phansies and false glosses it should kindle a holy fire and fervour of spirit in us to assert and vindicate the truth Our spirit within us in all such cases should Constraine us Fifthly In that Elihu was so Constrained and pressed in spirit as wine which hath no vent or as a woman with Child ready to travell Note It is a paine not to speake when we have much to utter and much minde to utter it When Elâ—hu was full he had a Constraint upon him to vent his opinion David saith Psal 39.1 2 3. I held my peace even from good words he did not only forbeare idle and evill discourse but refrain'd from good but it was a trouble to him not to speak especially not to speak good words therefore he adds My heart waxed hot within me Jeremy found it no easie worke to keepe in words yea he describes himselfe as much pained by not delivering his minde as a woman is when not delivered in child-birth Jer 20.9 Then said I I will not make mention of him nor speak any more in his name but his word was in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones and I was weary with forbearing and I could not stay There was wine new wine in his belly yea there was a fire within him as we may be weary with speaking so with not speaking or forbearing to speake Jer 4.19 My bowels my bowels I am pained at the very heart my heart maketh a noise in me I cannot hold my peace Read him in the like trouble upon the same occasion Jer 6.11 Eliphaz Chap 4.2 was thus pressed Who can withhold himselfe from speaking 'T is a great paine to be mind-bound or not to deliver our mind when our mindes are full and we full of desire to deliver it Sixthly When he saith I am Constrain'd I am like a bottle ready to burst It teacheth us The Spirit of God doth so over-power some men that they cannot containe The Pharisees and high Priests thought to stop up the Apostles those bottles full of the new wine of the mysteries of Christ and therefore gave them Counsell yea a command to speake no more in his name At the 10th verse they said of some in a common sence These men are full of new wine that is they are drunken but the truth was they were full of the Spirit full of Gospel-truths and like bottles full of new wine they could not hold And when the Pharisees and high Priests would have stopt up those bottles and charged them that they should speak no more in the name of Jesus they answered Whether it be meet to obey God or man judge ye for
And if we look into the first of John ver 2 3. we read thus In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God the same was in the beginning with God all things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made There our maker for the making of all things is attributed to him is the Son the second person in the holy Trinity or the Word who as it followeth in that Chapter was made flesh Why then doth Elihu here ascribe his making to the Spirit And how are these Scriptures reconciled I answer By that received Maxime in Divinity The workes of the holy Trinity towards the creature are undevided So that while this Scripture ascribes the making of man to the Spirit or Third person in the Trinity it doth not at all crosse those which ascribe it to the first or second the Father or the Son The Spirit of God hath made me Hence note First Man as to his bodily making or the making of his body is the workmanship of God As we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus to good or holy workes Eph 2.10 so we are his workmanship created to common and naturall workes We have heard of that divine consultation or resolution rather Gen 1.26 Let us make man The Father made man and the Son made man and the holy Spirit made man The Father by the Son through the holy Spirit made man What a glorious what a mighty power is put forth for the production of such a poore creature as man is And this is true not only of the first man in his creation but of every man since the creation there is a concurrence of a divine power and workmanship in the setting up of man as man Psal 100.3 It is he that made us and not we our selves God doth not only make us holy men but he makes us men Hence David Psal 13 9-14 I am fearefully and wonderfully made He speaks there of the frame of his body though that be much more true in reference to the admirable frame of the new creature which is set up in the soule so indeed we are fearefully and wonderfully made Isa 27.11 This is a people of no understanding But did God ever make a people without naturall understanding Surely no but they were a people without spirituall understanding they did not understand what the mind and meaning of God was and what their owne duty was Such are a people of no understanding how wise soever they are in their owne eyes or in the eyes of the world what followeth Therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them and he that formed them will shew them no favour That is God who made and formed them both in their naturall capacity as men as also in their civill and spirituall capacity as a Church and Nation or as a Nationall Church understanding it of the Jewes will not have mercy on them will not favour them We read the same Church at once looking to God as their maker and most earnestly moving and imploring his pity upon the same account Isa 64.8 9. But now O Lord thou art our father we are the clay and thou our potter and we all are the work of thy hand As if they had sayd Thou O Lord hast moulded us as thy creatures and fashioned us as thy Church when we were but a rude masse or heape without forme or comeliness therefore doe not marre thy owne worke doe not breake the vessels of thine owne making or as it followeth in the same Chapter Be not wroth very sore O Lord neither remember iniquity for ever behold we beseech thee we are all thy people Hence consider First That we owe not only our well-being but our very being unto God And therefore Secondly No man ought to looke upon himselfe as his owne So the Apostle argues 1 Cor 6.19 Know ye not that your body is the temple of the holy Ghost which is in you which ye have of God and ye are not your owne No man is his owne he is Gods who hath made him Saints and believers especially are not their own in that repsect as also because their bodies are the temple of the holy Ghost that is the holy Ghost hath sanctified them for himselfe for his peculiar service and for his habitation Now as the bodyes of Saints are the temple of the holy Ghost because he doth sanctifie them so they are the temple of the holy Ghost because he hath reared them up and built them That consideration should urge us to duty our bodies are temples built as well as temples sanctified by the holy Ghost And therefore we are not our owne at all nor in any respect and if we are not our owne at all but the Lords then we ought to be alwayes for the Lord. Hence Thirdly Hath the Spirit of God made us as Elihu saith then let the Spirit use us how sad is it that when the Spirit of God hath made our bodies and soules we should let the wicked spirit use either as he doth both the bodies and soules of carnall men to his base services The evill spirit did neither make your bodies nor your soules why should he have the command of either Therefore as your members have been weapons of unrighteousnesse to sin so let them be instruments of righteousnesse unto God Seeing the holy Spirit hath made us let not the evill spirit use so much as a little finger of us for he hath not made not only so much as a little finger of our hand but so much as the least haire of our heads as Christ saith we our selves cannot Math 5.36 white or blacke And therefore let not the evill spirit make use of one haire of our heads white or black as a flagge of pride and vanity or to be an occasion of sin to others He that maketh the house ought to have the possession and service of it either to dwell in it himselfe or to receive rent and profit from him that dwells in it The spirit having made us should not only have the rent and revenue but the full possession of us for ever That which is of God should be for God for him alwayes and only for him Secondly In that the making of man is attributed to the Spirit Observe The Spirit of God is God The holy Ghost is not only a power of God or a word gone out from God but the holy Ghost is God This is cleare from the efficiency of the holy Spirit The Spirit of God hath made me The work of creation is attributable to none but God That power which at first set up man in his creation continueth him to this day this power and great prerogative is given to the Spirit therefore the Spirit is God Psal 33.6 By the word of the Lord his substantiall Word or Son were the heavens made and all the host of them by the breath or
Spirit of his mouth that is Jehovah by his Eternall Son and Spirit made all things The heavens and their host are there expressed by a Synecdoche of the part for the whole creation or for all creatures both in heaven and in earth Againe Psal 104.30 Thou sendest forth thy Spirit they are created The Spirit of God creates every day what is it that continueth things in their created being but providence That 's a true axiome in Divinity Providence is creation continued Now the Spirit of God who created at first creates to this day Thou sendest forth thy Spirit they are created The work of creation was finished in the first six dayes of the world but the work of creation is renewed every day and so continued to the end of the world Successive providentiall creation as well as originall creation is ascribed to the Spirit The Scripture is full of arguments to prove that the holy Ghost is God Which because this fundamentall truth is blasphemously spoken against I shall a little touch upon First As the Spirit createth and makes the naturall man consisting of body and soule so he regenerateth which is a greater creation the whole into a spirituall man therefore he is God John 3.5 Except a man be borne againe of water and of the Spirit that is of the Spirit who is as water he cannot enter into the kingdome of God The holy Ghost is also call'd The sanctifier sanctification is regeneration in progress and motion regeneration is sanctification begun and sanctification is regeneration perfecting from day to day 2 Thes 2.13 We are bound to give thanks to God for you brethren beloved of the Lord because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and beliefe of the truth And the Apostle Peter writes to the Elect 1 Pet 1 2. according to the foreknowledge of God the father through sanctification of the Spirit Now who can doe these great things but God who can regenerate or give a new nature who can sanctifie or perfect that new nature but God alone Men and Angels must let these workes alone for ever or as we translate Psal 49.8 these acts cease for ever from men and Angels as much as the redemption of man from the grave or from hell from corruption or condemnation Secondly The Spirit is omniscient He knoweth all things 1 Cor 1.12 2 10.19 The Spirit knoweth all things yea the deep things of God He is not only acquainted with and privie to the surface and outside of things but he searcheth things to the bottom of them Nor doth he search only the deepe or bottome things of common men or of the chiefest of men Kings and Princes whose hearts are usually as much deeper then other mens as their persons and places are higher but the Spirit searcheth the deep things the bottome things of God the things of God that lye lowest and most out of sight the Spirit understandeth therefore the Spirit is God For as the Apostle argueth 1 Cor 2.11 No man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of a man that is in him even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God or he that is God if the spirit that is in man were not man or the intellectuall power in man it could never know the things of man and if the Spirit of God were not God he could never search and know the deep the deepest things of God Thirdly As the Spirit of God knoweth all things as he searcheth the deep things even all the secrets and mysteries of God so he teacheth all things even all those secrets and mysteries of God which 't is needful or useful for man to know The Spirit is a teacher and he teacheth effectually Joh 16.13 When the Spirit of truth is come he will guide you into all truth for he shall not speak of himselfe that is he shall not teach you a private doctrine or that which is contrary to what ye have learned of me but whatsoever he shall heare that shall he speake and he will shew you things to come Which last words are A fourth argument that he is God As the Spirit teacheth so he foretelleth all things 1 Tim 4.1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressely that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devills The Spirit of God clearly foreseeth and infallibly foretelleth what shall be before it is therefore he is God The Lord by his holy Prophet Isa 41.23 challengeth all the false Idol gods of the Heathen to give that proofe of their Divinity Shew the things that are to come hereafter that we may know that ye are Gods As if he had sayd Doe that and we will yield the cause Men and Devills may guesse at but none can indeed shew things to come but God Fifthly The Spirit appoints to himselfe officers and ministers in the Church therefore he is God Acts 13.2 The holy Ghost said separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them Sixthly The holy Ghost furnisheth those Officers whom he calleth with power and gifts as he pleaseth that they may be fit for the work or ministery of the Gospel 1 Cor 12.8.11 To one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdome to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit c. But all these worketh that one and the selfe-same Spirit dividing to every man severally as he will Now who can give wisdome and knowledge who can give them prerogatively following in this distribution or division of gifts no rule nor giving any other reason of it but his owne will except God only Seventhly The holy Ghost is sinned against therefore he is God Some possibly may object and say This is not a convincing or demonstrative argument that the holy Ghost is God because he is sinned against For man may sin against man All second table sins are sins against our Neighbour and the Apostle tells the Corinthians 1 Ep 8.12 that while they used their lawfull liberty in eating with offence they sinned against the Brethren I answer Whosoever is properly sinned against is God because God is the Law-giver And though many actions of men are direct wrongs to man yet in every wrong done to man God also is wronged and in strict sence he only is sinned against by man For the reason why any action is a wrong to man is because it is against some Law of God And if to be sinned against in strict sence be proper to God only then the argument stands good that the Holy Spirit is God because he is sinned against especially if we consider that there is such an Emphasis put upon sinning against the holy Ghost in the holy Scripture more if possible then upon sinning against the Father or the Son Math 12.31 Wherefore I say unto you saith Christ All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto
men but the blasphemy against the holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men As if he had said Though you sin against the Father and the Son it shall be forgiven you but if you sin against the holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven either in this world or in the world to come that is it shall never be forgiven Seeing then there is more in sinning against the holy Ghost then against the Father or the Son who are God the holy Ghost must needs be God For though there is no degree or graduall difference in the deity each person being coeternall coequall and consubstantiall yet the Scripture attributes more in that case as to the poynt of sinning against the holy Ghost then to sinning against the Father or the Son therefore certainly the holy Ghost is God Lastly The holy Ghost is the object of divine worship are not we baptized in the Name of the Father Son and holy Ghost Is the Father and the Son God and the holy Ghost not God who is joyned with them in the same honour Shall a creature come in competition with God And doth not the Scripture or word of God direct us to pray for grace from the Spirit as well as from the Father or the Son 2 Cor 13.13 Rev 1.4 Thus we see how full the Scripture is in giving the glory of the same workes upon us and of the same worship from us to the Spirit as to the Father and the Son And therefore from all these premises we may conclude That the Holy-Ghost with the Father and the Son is God blessed and to be glorified for evermore The Spirit of God hath made me And the breath of the Almighty hath given me life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spiritus ex ore egregiens halitus flatus anima proprie significat halitem pâ—r metonymiam effecti animam per synechdoâ—hen membri animal Pisc in Deut 10.16 The words carry an allusion as Interpreters generally agree to that of Moses describing the creation of man Gen 2.7 And the Lord God formed man out of the dust of the earth and breathed into his nostrills the breath of life and man became a living soule Elihu speakes neere in the same forme fully to the same effect The breath of the Almighty hath given me life or enlivened me As if he had sayd That soule which the Lord hath breathed into me hath made me live The soule of man may be called the breath of the Almighty because the Almighty is expressed infusing it into man at first by breathing And therefore the word Neshamah which properly signifies the breath doth also by a Metonymie of the effect signifie the soule it selfe which causeth breathing Thus our translaters render it Isa 57.16 I saith the Lord will not contend for ever neither will I be alwayes wroth for the spirit should faile before me and the soules which I have made As the soule of man was breathed in by God so the soule is that by which man breathes Breath and soule come and goe together Some comparing the originall word Shamaijm for the heavens with this word Neshamah which here we translate breath take notice of their neere affinity intimating that the soule of man is of a heavenly pedegree or comes from heaven yea the latine word mens signifying the mind is of the same consonant letters with the Hebrew Neshamah and as some conceive is derived from it So then I take these words The breath of the Almighty as a description of that part of man which is opposed to his body The Spirit of God hath made me that is hath set me up as a man in humane shape And the breath of the Almighty hath given me life that is this soule which the Almighty hath breathed into me hath made me a living man ready for any humane act or as Moses speakes God breathing into my nostrills the breath of life I became a living soule Hence observe First The soule of man floweth immediately from God 'T is the breath of God not that God liveth by breathing the way of his life is infinitely above our apprehension But 't is cleare in Scripture That the Almighty breathed into man the powers of life And therefore he is called by way of Eminence The father of spirits Heb 12.9 For though the Almighty is rightly entituled the Father of the whole man though both body and soule are the worke of God yet he is in a further sence the father of our spirits or soules then of our bodyes And here Solomon shewing how man is disposed of when these two are separated by death saith Eccl 12.7 Then shall the dust that is the body returne to the earth as it was and the spirit that is the soule shall returne to God who gave it The body is the gift of God but the body is not the breath of God it is not such an immediate gift of God as the soule is when the body of man was made at first God tooke the dust of the earth and formed his body out of it but when he gave him a soule he breathed that from himselfe it was an immediate effect of Gods power not dealing with nor working upon any prae-existing matter The spirit or soule of man is purely of God solely of God And hence we may inferre First Then the soule is not a vapour arising from the crasis or temperament of the body as the life of a beast is Secondly Then the soule of man is not traduced from the parents in generation as many learned men affirme especially to ease themselves of those difficulties about the conveyance of originall sin or defilement into the soule Thirdly We may hence also inferre then the soule is not corruptible it is an immortall substance How can that be corruptible or mortall which hath its rise as I may say immediately from God or is breathed in by the Almighty who is altogether incorruptible and immortal And whereas there is a twofold incorruptibility First by divine ordination that is God appoynts such a thing shall not corrupt and therefore it doth not so the body of man in it's first creation was incorruptible for though it were in it selfe corruptible being made out of the earth yet by the appoyntment of God if man had continued in his integrity he had not dyed And therefore it is said By sin came death yea doubtlesse if God should command and appoynt the meanest worme that moves upon the earth to live for ever or the most fading flower that groweth out of the earth to flourish for ever both the one and the other would doe so Secondly there is an incorruptibility in some things not meerely by a law or appoyntment of God but as from that intrinsecall nature which God hath bestowed upon them and implanted in them Thus the Angels are immortall they have an incorruptible nature and likewise the soule of man being breathed from the Almighty is in it's owne nature
desire It is the observation of a moderne Expositer upon this place considering the equanimity and gentlenesse with which Elihu engaged himselfe to mannage this dispute If such a spirit saith he could be found as here Elihu professeth in this controversie with Job Levaterus how soone might all our controversies be ended but we see most men every where magisterially imposing one upon another yea magistratically If they cannot impose magesterially and make others believe what they say because they say it then they will impose magistratically the Magistrates sword shall make way if strength of argument cannot And saith he when they have disputed a while and answer is made they will not receive answer but tell of prisons of sword and fire Thus he taxed the Popish Magistrates of those times who layed indeed a most heavie hand upon all who submitted not to the Babylonish yoke And it were well if there were not something of such a spirit a bitter spirit an imposing spirit a spirit of dominion over the faith of others remaining at this day but that we could with sweetness and gentleness treat about our differencies and say as this man did though a man full of zeale for truth to our dissenters we will not terrifie you with the Magistrates sword nor will we deale by subtleness we will not perswade you by bonds and prisons Our terror shall not make you afraid nor our hand be heavie upon you neither will we provoke other hands to be heavie on you we will carry all things fairely amicably Christianly waiting in the use of proper meanes counsels convictions and prayers till God shall make way into every mans spirit to receive the truth Thus farre Elihu hath like a subtle Orator prefac'd it with Job to prepare him for an attentive hearing Hactenus exordium sequitur propositio for a candid construction of and a ready condiscention to what he had ready to propose and say JOB Chap. 33. Vers 8 9 10 11. Surely thou hast spoken in my hearing and I have heard the voyce of thy words saying I am clean without transgression I am innocent neither is there iniquity in me Behold he findeth occasions against me he counteth me for his enemy He putteth my feet in the stocks he marketh all my paths ELihu having ended his sweet ingenuous and insinuating Preface falls roundly to his business and begins a very sharp charge Bitter pills will hardly downe unlesse guilded over and wrapped in sugar nor will any mans stomack receive and digest them unlesse well prepared Elihu was wise enough to consider this He knew well what he had to say and with whom to doe and therefore layd his business accordingly In this charge to give a briefe of the parts of it Elihu tells Job first he had heard him speak v 8. Secondly he tells him what he hath heard him speak And that may fall under these two heads First that he had heard him justifying himselfe v 9. I have heard thee saying I am cleane without transgression I am innocent neither is there iniquity in me Secondly He had heard him unduely reflecting upon God and that two wayes First as over-severely observing him as it were to gather up matter against him in the beginning of the 10th verse and in the latter end of the 11th Behold he findeth occasion against me and marketh all my paths That 's one reflection and a very sore one upon God Secondly Elihu chargeth him with reflecting upon God as over-severely dealing with him That we have v 10th and 11th He counteth me for his enemy he putteth my feet in the stocks c. These things saith Elihu I have heard thee saying And having sayd all this he had indeed sayd enough to make him blame-worthy Vers 8. Surely thou hast spoken in my hearing and I have heard the voyce of thy words saying There is nothing difficult in this verse That which we render Thou hast spoken in my hearing is in the text Thou hast spoken in mine eare that is I have not gathered up what I bring against thee upon uncertaine reports But have been an eare-witnesse of them I have been one of thine hearers I have stood by thee attentively while thou hast been complaining so bitterly Surely thou hast spoken in mine eare And I have heard the voyce of thy words saying Thus and thus as it followeth in the next words As if Elihu had sayd O Job while I consider thy present suffering condition I deny not that thy affliction is great and thy crosse heavie I deny not that thy afflictions are many and of long continuance I deny not that in the debate held with thy friends thou hast spoken many things well and hast insisted upon very profitable and remarkable truths neverthelesse I cannot dissemble my dislike of some things thou hast spoken and must tell thee plainly wherein either through passion or want of information thou hast been much mistaken And yet thou shalt see that I will not impose my sense upon thy words nor strain nor torture them by undue and odious inferences to thy disadvantage But shall recollect and fairly represent some passages which have fallen from thee and shew thee the error of them I know thou canst not deny that thou hast sayd the things which I am offended with and I believe when thou hast heard me a while and considered better of them thou wilt not undertake to defend them Surely thou hast spoken in my hearing and I have heard the voyce of thy words saying I am cleane c. First In that Elihu coming to charge Job about what he had spoken professeth he had been a serious hearer of him while he was speaking Observe What we object against others we should have good evidence and proofe of it our selves There are two infallible witnesses or they may be so First eye-witnesses such as have seene that which they say the witness of the eye is surest as to what is done Secondly Eare-witnesses and they are the surest as to what is spoken We should not take up accusations by heare-say but be able to say we have heard the accused say it Thus said Elihu I have not taken up this matter by the way from those I met with But I have been upon the place my selfe I stood by thee and heard while these words dropped from thy mouth Many report what they never heard they report upon report as those accusers in the Prophet Jer 20.10 Report say they and we will report it They cannot say as Elihu You have spoken it in our hearing and we have heard the voyce of your words but we heare you have spoken it or you are famed for speaking it How many transgress the rules of charity and break the bonds not only of civill friendship but of Christian love upon reports of what others report 'T is dangerous to report more of others then we have heard them say till at least we are sure the reporters heard them
of their Countenance testifieth against them that is they look proudly though which should lay them in the dust they live very lewdly yea they are proud of their lewdness Thirdly How often doth pride bud in apparell in vaine fashions and new-fangled attires in the affected adornings and trimmings of a body of clay What are these but the buddings of pride yea the flaggs and banners of pride Some are as proud of their gay dresses as the Peacock of his feathers We commonly say Fine feathers make fine birds but how foolish are those birds that are proud of Feathers Secondly There is pride of heart or pride budding in the spirit of man which doth not shew it selfe only the mind swels within When men have high thoughts of themselves though they doe not as the Apostle Jude hath it speake great swelling words of vanity yet they have great swelling thoughts of vanity then pride buddeth in their spirits their minds swell and the mind will swell more then the tongue The tongue swells mightily but the heart much more The spirit of a man may lift up it selfe on high when the man looks very demurely Hab 2.4 Behold his soule which is lifted up is not upright in him If the soule be lifted up the man falls He that is high-minded cannot be upright in his minde It may be questioned Whence it cometh to passe that the soule of man is so much and so often lifted up with pride What causeth this swelling and heaving of his spirit I answer First Some are proud of their birth either that they are borne of great men or that they are borne of good men The Baptist admonished the Jewes of this piece of pride Math 3.19 Thinke not to say within your selves we have Abraham to our father As if he had sayd I well perceive what makes you as we speake proverbially stand so much upon your pantafloes and talk within your selves at such a rate of your selves is it not because you are of Abrahams stock But I say unto you let not your heart swell with these thoughts we are Children of Abraham for God is able even of these stones to raise up children to Abraham that is God will not want a people though he should lay you aside and entertaine you no longer for his people Secondly Others are proud of riches yea they boast of the multitude of their riches Psal 49.6 Even they who desire to hide their riches as much as they can yet cannot but tell the world they are proud of their riches so proud that they slight and contemne all men that have not as much riches as they O what rejoycings have most rich men over their riches Hezekiah a great King and a Good man a rare conjunction had much of that upon his spirit Isa 39.2 when Ambassadours came from Babylon He was glad of them and shewed them all his treasure He affected they should see what a rich King he was and what masses of Gold and silver as well as what multitudes of men were at his command Thirdly Many are proud of their honours and powers in the world They are high-minded because they are set in high places 'T is a dishonour to some great men that they have not truely great spirits And 't is the temptation of all great men to have proud spirits Fourthly Not a few are proud of their bodyly perfections and strength many a soule is defiled and deformed with pride by the bodyes beauty and fairenesse many look not after the beauty of holinesse while they doat upon the beauty of their owne comelinesse they see themselves in their beauty till they are proud of it and care not which should be our greatest care and shall be our greatest priviledge Isa 33.17 to see the King in his beauty As some trust in their spirituall beauty Ezek 16.15 so others over-weene their corporall both are the effects of pride and the first is by so much the worse of the two by how much it riseth from a better object Fifthly Many are proud of their naturall parts proud of their gifts proud of their wit proud of their memory proud of their eloquence and abilities of speaking As knowledge it selfe puffeth up 1 Cor 8.1 so doe all those endowments which serve either for the getting or expressing of our knowledge Gifts and abilities whether naturall or improved and acquired doe not more fit us for service then tempt us to and unlesse grace worke mightily taint us with pride Sixthly As many are proud of what they have so others are proud of what they have done they are proud of their actions their spirits swell with the thoughts of their owne workes Some are so wicked that they are proud of their evill workes The Apostle saith They glory in their shame Phil 3.19 David complain'd of many Psal 4. who turned his glory into shame but these turne their shame into glory that is they are proud of that for which they ought to be ashamed Now if some are proud of the evill of the mischief which they have done how easily may we grow proud of the good which we have done proud of our duties proud of our righteous deeds proud of our charitable deeds to men proud of our prayers to God proud of our zeale for God as Jehu was who sayd Come and see my zeale for the Lord. The heart of a good man may soone have too much to doe with what he hath done his thoughts may quickly worke too much towards and upon his owne workes But as for hypocrites and selfe-seekers who doe good to be seene of men they cannot forbeare seeing it themselves and surely that sight of the eye cannot but affect the heart with pride Seventhly Pride riseth often from the successe of what is attempted and done men are proud of victories The Assyrian is described Isa 10.13 14. triumphing and insulting because he had put downe the nations as a valiant man And Hab 1.16 we have the Chaldeans sacrificing to their net and burning incense to their drage because by them their portion is fat and their meat plenteous that is they boasted of and gloried in their great atchievements in warre so it seemes to be explained in the next words v. 17. Shall they therefore empty their net and not spare continually to slay the nations Eighthly Pride springeth out of the very mercies and salvation of God Thus 't is sayd of Hezekiah 2 Chron 32.25 after he had received two great mercies First deliverance from a great enemy and Secondly from a great sicknesse He rendred not againe according to the benefit done unto him for his heart was lifted up How lifted up not in thankfulnesse for he rendred not according to the kindnesse but in pride and high-mindednesse for presently it is said v. 26. Notwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himselfe for the pride of his heart Ninthly The heart is lifted up and waxeth proud with Church-Priviledges Some say they are in the Church or they are the
mighty men that all may know his judgements are deserved by their works he makes their works known Secondly Others render He maketh them know or acknowledge their works The Lord at last by sore and severe judgements will extort confessions from the worst of them he will make the mighty acknowledge that their works have been nought and their wayes perverse In Scripture the same word signifies to know or to confess and acknowledg Thus here he makes them to know or to acknowledge what their works have been Thirdly Rather take it as we render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non significat notum facio quod sciam sed tantum cognosco ideo transtuli cognoscit Drus of Gods act in taking notice of all they had done Therefore he knoweth their works As if Elihu had said these mighty men of the earth thought themselves under covert or that the Lord took no notice of them nor of their works their works were done in the dark and they supposed the Lord could not pierce into them but he will make it appear that he knew their works when he maketh his justice appear in punishing them for their works Hence Note We have an assurance that God knoweth the works of all mon because he punisheth all wicked works or the works of the wicked so punctually and exactly He punisheth many of them here and will punish them all hereafter when we see him breaking the mighty men of the world 't is a proof that God was in their Cabinet counsels and saw what was done there we may conclude he knew their works though men knew them not he could never lay his judgements so exactly upon them as he doth if he did not know their works That God knows the works of all men is a point I have met with before and therefore pass from it here And he overturneth them in the night There are several readings of this clause First Some thus Therefore the Lord knoweth their works and turneth into night that is he turneth their prosperity into adversity he bringeth trouble and affliction upon them they lived before in a day of prosperity in a day of power and worldly greatness but he turneth them into night Secondly Or as others thus He turneth the night that is he changeth the night into day Simul atque mutavit noctum c. Jun. i. e. Lucem protulit qua revelantur omnia in judicio ejus Id. he takes away the dark and close covers of their sins and makes them as manifest as the light Now as the Apostle saith Eph. 5.13 That which maketh manifest is light If God were not light he could not bring to light the hidden things of darkness nor manifest the counsels of the heart Thirdly thus Therefore he knoweth their works and when the night is turned he destroyeth them that is they are destroyed and perish as soon and as easily as the day takes place of the night or as soon as the night is turned into day so soon doth the Lord destroy them he can quickly make an end of them he can destroy them with the morning light We render and I judge that best He overturneth them their persons in the night and so Elihu points at the season or time of Gods breaking and overthrowing them he doth it in the night We may take it strictly as in the case of Pharaoh and the Egyptians Exod. 12.29 as also in that of Belshazzer Dan. 5.30 or in the night that is suddenly unexpectedly Though a man be destroyed in the day yet if it be done suddenly he looking for no such matter we may say it was done in the night because then men are most secure This way of expressing an unlookt for evil the coming of in the night was opened at the twentieth verse therefore I shall not stay upon it He overturneth them in the night So that they are destroyed Elihu said before He shall break in pieces mighty men Here he saith they are destroyed that is they shall be broken to purpose or throughly God doth not break them in pieces for correction but for destruction there are great breakings upon the persons and estates of some men and yet it is but for correction others the Lord breaketh for utter ruine as here so that they are destroyed The Original word signifieth to destroy as it were by pounding in a Morter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contrivit atirivit contudit and the same word is used to signifie a contrite heart a heart broken by godly sorrow under the sense of sin They are destroyed or as it were ground to powder you may break a thing into many pieces yet not grinde it to powder or dust as corn in a Mill or spice in a Morter but these saith Elihu are not only broken to pieces but beaten to dust that 's the strength of the word which we render they are destroyed Hence Note What God hath a mind to do he can do it certainly and will do it throughly He breaks men in pieces so that they are destroyed and brought to dust When the Prophet declares the breaking of the four Monarchies it is said Dan. 2.35 They shall be as the chaffe of the Summer threshing upon the Mountains if the Lord will destroy the mightiest they shall certainly be destroyed as Balak said to Balaam I wo◠that whom thou cursest are cursed as if he had said thou canst curse effectually if thou wilt set thy self to it 't is not in the power of all the Balaams in the world to effect a curse though they pronounce a curse 't is only in the power of the Lord to curse effectually he can bless whom he pleaseth and they are blessed he can curse whom he pleaseth and they are cursed Thus as Ephraim lamenting his sin and sorrow confessed Jer. 31.18 Lord thou hast chastised me and I was chastised God paid him home as we speak if we chastise a childe he is chastised but when Ephraim saith thou hast chastised me and I was chastised his meaning is I was greatly and effectually chastised that is first In a literal sence I found thy hand heavie upon me it was a sore affliction that I was under Secondly In a spiritual sence Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised that is my heart was humbled and broken under thy chastisements in either notion we see the effectualness of the Lords work Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised And therefore Ephraim invited the Lord to another work Turn me O Lord and I shall be turned if thou wilt but turn thy Spirit upon this hard heart of mine it will be effectually turned it will be not only broken for sin but from sin As if he had said I have received reproofs and counsels from men and they have not turned me but Lord if thou wilt reprove and counsel me I shall be turned thus the Lord carrieth his work home to conversion in his spiritual dealings with some and to
they do whether they give almes or pray or fast is not for the glory of God but that they may have glory of men and be pointed at for charitable and holy persons Praise or glory with men is the food of hypocrisie If the hypocrite have but an applause from and acceptance with men he doth not look after acceptance with God which above all things a sincere heart looketh after and laboureth for In this we labour saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.9 that whether present or absent we may be accepted of him that 's the highest ambition of a sincere heart but the hypocrites ambition is to be accepted of and to have praise among men and therefore hypocrites are more troubled if at any time they fail in expressing themselves to men then because which they do at all times they fail and faulter in their affections to God whereas he that is sincere and honest with God can bear it well enough though he hath not such plausible expressions towards men because he knoweth his affections stand right with God That great Macedonian Alexander having run many hazards in war turned himself to his souldiers and said What pains have I taken what dangers have I under gone only to be praised and cryed up by you As many in their worldly actings aime only at their own praise so do this sort of hypocrites in their spiritual and holy actings they pray and hear and deal about their almes for applause with men What the Histosian writes of the Camelion is most true of them they live by the ayre and are fed with the vapours of an earthly praise Secondly Others most of all the mighty of whom Elihu is discoursing act for God in the out-side of Religion to get an opportunity of revenge upon men they put on a fair shew of godliness that they may have a fairer advantage to let out their malice and vent their spleen When either a real or supposed injury falls upon an impotent and impatient spirit malice will provoke to give that back which charity teacheth to forgive The tyrannie of this passion gives no rest to the discontented soul all methods shall be studied and stratagems devised to content hatred by the compassing of revenge and when common projects fail the habit of zeal and religion shall be put on that the conceived malice may be let out Such a man will cloath himself with the garments of piety that he may cover the instruments of cruelty and do a mischief unsuspected Saul was a hypocrite and false with God yet how did he encourage David to follow the War and fight the Lord's battels against the uncircumcised Philistines 1 Sam. 18.17 whereas Saul sought not the honour of God at all nor the overthrow of the Philistines so much as the overthrow of David his intent was to take his own revenge upon David rather then Gods revenge on them for he hoped David would one time or other over-act his valour against the Philistines and lose his life to win honour and reputation How religiously did Abner who was a great Prince as David called him urge the promise of God to make David King 2 Sam. 3.18 and yet 't is plain in the Text that his designe was to revenge himself upon Ishbosheth who had put as he thought an affront upon him rather then to be instrumental for the fulfilling of the promise of God to David Jezebel a great Queen proclaimed a Fast which is one of the highest acts of Religion while her purpose was only to get an opportunity to feast her self upon the destruction of Naboth and to drink his innocent blood Herod a King Matth. 2.8 desired to have the young childe Christ that he might come and worship him but his designe was to murder him and because he could not have his will to kill him alone he resolved to kill him in the multitude commanding all the infants of such an age to be slain lest he should escape We have a sad instance of this in two of the Patriarcks Gen. 34. I do not say they were hypocrites but I say they acted a high strain of hypocrisie and put on a religious pretence for the compassing of revenge Dinah Jacobs daughter being deflowred by Shechem he sued to have her for his wife and would wipe off the stain of his lust by a legal marriage old Hamor pleaded for his son and Jacob was willing enough 't is like to salve the credit of his daughter but the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully v. 13. and they said we cannot match with you except you be circumcised and so become Proselytes to our Religion If Shechem will be of their family he must be of their faith they stood not upon their sisters joynture the matter stuck only upon a scruple of conscience What argument of greater zeal for God could they have given then this Yet while these religious words were in their mouths they had bloody swords in their hearts And all this pretence for circumcision was only that they might have an advantage to come upon them in their soreness and destroy them which as the holy story tells us they soon after effected Thirdly Hypocrites often designe worldly gain and ayme at the purse more then at God in all their holy services Many take up a profession of Religion as all men take up a Trade that they may get a Living by it the Apostle speaks of such 1 Tim. 6.5 who â—urpose that gain is godliness whereas he saith vers 6. Godliness with contentment is great gain they say Gain is godliness And all they look at by their profession of godliness is worldly gain Religion is often made as the Apostles word is 1 Thess 2.5 a cloak of covetousness and he professeth in the same place that in the dispensation of the Gospel he had not used his Ministery as such a cloak God was his witness but there are many against whom though men cannot yet their own consciences do and God will witness that their appearance in Religion is but the hiding of or a cloak for their covetousness Hamor and Shechem used no other argument to perswade their Citizens to take upon them the seal of the Covenant but only this Shall not their cattel and their substance and every beast of theirs be ours Gen. 34.27 And it seems the very mention of their own emolument overcame them they thought it a bargain well made to sell a little of their blood at so high a rate and to exchange their foreskins for so many head of Cattel And hence it is that among those seven sorts of Pharisees collected out of the Talmud the first are called Pharisaei Shechemitae receiving it seems both their Order and Denomination from these Shechemites because as they turned Hebrewes so these became Pharisees upon the hopes of worldly benefit And such were those Pharisees in truth whatsoever their Title was who as was touched before devoured widdows houses and
in a pretence made long prayers As it is a very great point of ungodliness prophaneness indeed to say What profit is there in serving the Lord So it is gross hypocrisie to take up Religion meerly for profit there is profit even worldly profit in Religion Godliness is profitable for all things 1 Tim. 4.8 and hath the promise of this life as well as of that to come but wo to those that take it up designing profit and the filling either of their purses or their bellies Our Saviours Divine Spirit quickly discovered this carnal spirit in his followers John 6.26 Ye seek me not because ye saw the miracles but because ye did eat of the loaves and were filled Judas followed Christ but the motive of it was in the bag John 12.6 The zeal of Demetrius to his Idol Diana was kindled by as pure a fire as the zeal of these hypocrites to Jesus Christ Acts 19.24 By this we get our living They know nothing of the life of Religion who are religious only that they may live If profit be the Loadstone of our profession our profession will never profit us for what shall it profit a man to gain the whole world by a profession of the name of Christ if he lose his own soul Sathan charged Job with this gross hypocrisie chap. 1.9 Doth Job fear God for nought as if he had said Job findes 't is no lean business to be religious and therefore no wonder if he be found so religious Who would not do and be as much as he in Religion to have his fields full of Cattel and his folds full of Sheep and his house full of Riches He knows well enough which side his bread is buttered on what makes for his profit all the account he makes of Religion is that he perceives by his books and the inventory of his goods that it turns every year to a good account Jobs slander is the just charge of many they use Religion but as a stalking horse to catch worldly riches Fourthly The grosse hypocrite often designes that which is higher in the esteeme and more taking upon the spirits of many then worldly riches even worldly power or to get very high if not uppermost in the world 'T is no new thing for men to make religion a stayre to ascend the highest roomes among men or a stirrup to get into the saddle of honour and when they have got high enough then downe with the stayres or 't is no matter for the stirrup by which they ascended Jehu was very zealous in the cause of God and for reformation but his designe was for a kingdome or his owne exaltation 2 Kings 10.16 he made a noyse of much piety Come see my zeale for the Lord yet all was but a piece of State-hypocrisie His care in destroying Ahabs house and Baals Priests according to the command of God was but to pave the way to the throne The same way Absolom was taking to his fathers Crowne he told the people he was troubled that they were no better governed that they had no quicker dispatch in their suites and businesses he told his father he had made a vow and desired the liberty of his absence from Court that he might goe and performe it all he pretended was righteousnesse and religion yet he intended only to get an advanâ—â—ge to make his party strong that so he might thrust his fa her out of the throne and get up himselfe He seemed a Saint whilâ— he meant to be a Traytor The History of the Church reports of Juliaâ— the Apostate Socrates Hist Ecclesiast lib 3. c. 1. that when his predecessor being a Christian held the Empire he highly pretended the profession of Christ and read a Gospel-Lecture in the Church of Nichomedia yet while he was in shew a Christian and in hope an Emperour he was in heart a pagan He saw the times served him not to act the pagan openly and therefore he subtlely betooke himselfe to his disguise and personated the Christian even in the mortified way of a monasticke life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tandem simulationem professionis christianae penitus deposuit Socrat ubi supra that he might smooth his way to the Empire To which having once attained he presently put off his disguise and to his utmost disgraced and opposed the name and faith of Christ which he had formerly owned and professed Thus I have touch't upon the foure grand designes of the Grosse hypocrite First praise among all men Secondly revenge upon some men Thirdly the gaine of worldly riches Fourthly the attainment of power dominion and Greatness in the world These are as the foure wheeles of Satans chariot wherein he hurrieth thousands to the land of darkness while they would be esteemed children of the light Or some one of these is as the primum mobile first mover of which Philosophers speake in their doctrine of the heavens carrying many with a rapt and violent motion in the spheare of religion while they have in the Interim a secret undiscerned natural motion of their owne directly opposite to this by which they hope at last to steale on faire and softly to their wished periods Having thus farre shewed the close purposes of the designing hypocrite who is so hatefull to God and hurtfull to man I shall a little discover and unmaske his hypocrisie by shewing how we may know him how we may looke through these vayles and see his ugly face Designing hypocrites are usually discovered these foure wayes First By their affectation to be seene and taken notice of they that will have praise and glory with men must needs affect to be seene of men for no glory comes to man from men but by what falls under the eye and observation of man Job saith of murderers Chap 24.13 They are of those that rebell against the light they know not the wayes thereof nor abide in the paths thereof The murderer cannot endure the light either natural or moral because that tells who he is or what he hath been about The contrary in one sense is true of the hypocrite he loveth the light and will doe nothing willingly but as he may be taken notice of and seene of men as for those acts or exercises of religion which are private retirements between God and his owne soule he is a great stranger to them he cannot delight in them but any thing that may fall under publick observation he can be forward enough in Christ Math. 6.5 gives us this plaine discovery of the hypocricall Pharisees They love to pray standing in the Synagogues and in the corners of the streets that they may be seene of men This was so much in Jehu's heart that he could not but blab it out with his tongue 2 Kings 10. Come see my zeale A false fire kindled his zeale else he had not made such a blaze It was insincere rotten-hearted Saul that sayd 1 Sam 15.13 Come thou blessed of the Lord I