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
holy and true pure and precious Though some truths are more necessary to be knowne and believed then others yet all are necessary nor can we be discharged from the duty of hearing and obeying any one of them if called Secondly There is a like or the same power and authority in all the words of God so that to neglect or slight any one word is to put a slight upon the authority of God himselfe There is but one Law-giver and word-sender Thirdly Not to submit to any one word though it be supposed we hearken to all others drawes upon us the guilt of non-submission or disobedience to the whole word of God That 's the Apostles conclusion James 2.12 ver Whosoever shall keepe the whole Law and yet offend in one poynt he is guilty of all for though in many things we offend all yet there is a Gospel-sence wherein we are said to keep the whole Law of God And so the Apostles meaning is that whosoever shall give himselfe a loose or a liberty whosoever shall dispence or indulge himselfe in breaking any one Command of God he breakes all that is he declares himselfe ready to break all if he had a like occasion or temptation Fourthly We would have all our words hearkened to by God we would have God grant all our Petitions all our requests and supplications and shall not we hearken to and obey all the precepts of God Shall we not receive and believe all his promises and threatnings Fifthly As we desire God would so God hath promised to heare all our words even all the requests of his people which are according to his will Christ speakes without restriction Math 21.22 All things whatsoever ye aske in my name believing ye shall receive And againe John 14.13 14. Whatsoever ye shall aske in my name that will I doe c. Nor are there any restrictions upon the promises of God in granting and doing what we aske but only these two First that we aske right things Secondly that we aske aright Now if the Lord hath promised to hearken to all our words not to this or that but to all our words which are according to his will we have no liberty to aske beyond the will of God beyond the rule of Scripture nor can we aske any thing beyond that but it is to our hurt and damage now if God I say will hearken to all our words should not we hearken to all his Lastly The condition upon which God hath promised to heare all our words is that we should be ready ro heare and hearken to all his words 1 John 3.22 Whatsoever we aske we receive because we keepe his Commandements and doe the things that please him It were not confidence but highest and most hatefull impudence to expect that God should please us by giving us what we aske while we refuse which is the condition of that promise to doe the things that please him Thus Elihu would have Job hearken to all his words he being about to speake not his owne but the words of God And that Job might â—ot delay the opening of his eare to heare Elihu tells him further in the next verse that himselfe had already opened his mouth to speake Vers 2. Behold now I have opened my mouth my tongue hath spoken in my mouth This phrase of opening the mouth imports foure things First That a man hath been long silent they that are full of talke and speake out of season may be said to have their mouth alwayes open rather then at any time to open their mouthes But Elihu professed in the former Chapter that he had waited as a Disciple to heare and to learne and had waited with utmost patience therefore he might well say Behold now I have opened my mouth and taken upon me to speake So Chap 3.1 after Job had sate silent a great while it is said Then Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth Thus to open the mouth intimates much silence or forbearance of speech and long expectation of a season or opportunity to speake Secondly Opening the mouth implyeth as speaking after much silence so with much prudence A fooles mouth is therefore sayd to be alwayes open because whensoever he speaketh he is found speaking imprudently and impertinently Os aperire dicuntur apud Hebraeos qui instituunt sermonem serium et de re gravi Pisc But a wise man will not speake unlesse he may speake to purpose and so opens his mouth to speake Solomon saith Prov. 24.7 Wisdome is too high for a foole he openeth not his mouth in the gate that is he is unfit to speak in the presence of wise and judicious men he may open his mouth in the streets and in common Company but he opens not his mouth in the gate where the Elders and Magistrates used to meete and judge the weightiest matters There is a foure-fold Consideration to be had as to the due opening of the mouth And 't is no small matter to open the mouth with those Considerations First Consideration is to be had of the place and Company where and to whom we speake We must not cast pearles before swine nor give strong meate to children Secondly The time and season wherein we speake must be considered every truth is not fit for every time Christ would not speak all at once to his Disciples for this reason John 16.12 I have many things to say unto you but ye cannot beare them now and because ye cannot beare them now therefore I will not say them now Thirdly Consideration is to be had how and in what way to speake whether instâ—uctingly or exhortingly reprovingly or Comfortably we should alwayes labour to divide the word of God and what we speake from it aright giving every one his proper part and portion Then a man opens his mouth to speake when he Considers how to sort his speech according to the state of things and persons before him Fourthly Consideration is to be had of the end or tendency of speech what our ayme and mark is we say a fooles bolt is soone shot he Considers not his ayme and mark in speaking he that opens his mouth looks to his mark and drives a designe or hath a purpose in every word that passeth from him Inde videtur dici 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pytho quod obsessi vel uti utres inflati turgescant spiritus immundus ex illorum ventre respondeat Thirdly This phrase of opening the mouth notes liberty of speech or boldnesse in speaking when a man doth not speake in his throat as untaught children doe nor in his belly or in a bottle as Witches and Sorcerers are sayd to doe that peepe and mutter Isa 8.19 When a man I say doth not speak any of these covert wayes but freely and liberally then indeed he opens his mouth to speake We have that Expression in the promise Ezek. 29.21 In that day will I cause the horn of
is enough to make all the Ministers of Christ tremble and cry out in the Apostles words Who is sufficient for these things to remember that when they speake to men they speake in Gods stead We saith the same Apostle 2 Cor 5.20 are Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be yee reconciled to God Thus spake he who had indeed an immediate call and commission from God and they who have not such an immediate call and commission as he had yet speaking of or about the things of God and coming in the name of God they should speake as placed in Gods stead And if the Ministers of Christ ought to speake as in Gods stead then surely they that heare should heare them as speaking in Gods stead The Apostle testifies of the Galathians Gal 4.14 My temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not nor rejected but received me as an Angel of God even as Christ Jesus Ye received me not only as an Angel or messenger of Christ but as if Christ had been there in person so did ye receive me He gives the same testimony of the Thessalonians 1 Thes 2.13 For this cause also thanke we God without ceasing because when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us ye received it not as the word of man but as it is in truth the word of God which effectually worketh also in you that beleeve I doe not say that what every man speaketh about the things of God is presently to be taken for the word of God or as if God spake it But if that be his scope and purpose if that be his Theame and his businesse if that be the subject matter and substance of his speech Then he as to the body of his speech is to be lookt upon as uttering the word and minde of God in Gods stead 'T is a very great means to advance our profit in hearing the word when they who speak it are lookt upon as speaking in Gods stead and not bringing an errand of their owne Before I passe from this first clause of the verse I shall briefely touch two other readings and interpretations of it First thus Behold I am as if thy mouth were to God that is Ecc◠ego quasi esset os tuum ad deum Coc thou needest not as thou hast wished to goe or addresse to God himselfe for the laying open of thy cause the matter may be done between me and thee even as if thou hadst spoken to God himselfe Secondly Some render those latter words not in Gods stead as we But in respect of God As if he had said In respect of God I stand in the same proportion or upon the same terms with thy selfe for he is the God of us both nor did God make me of any better or more excellent matter then thou art made of which he fully expresseth in the close of the verse as it followeth I also am formed out of the Clay These words are another argument as was shewed when I gave the prospect of the whole Context why Job should heare Elihu I am in Gods stead indeed but I am a poore creature moulded out of the dust made up of earth as thou art I also am formed out of the Clay therefore stand up answer me and feare not answer me and spare not The highest and holyest that ever dispenced the minde of God in Gods stead to his Church and people here on earth were made of earth and were formed out of Clay The Apostle makes that humble confession of himselfe and fellow-Apostles 2 Cor 4.6 We have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power might be of God The weakness of the instrument lifts up the glory of the superior agent They who by commission are the Ministers of God and so in Gods stead are yet but as other men in their naturall structure and constitution Acts 10.26 when Cornelius gave too much respect a kinde of Adoration to Peter he forbad him saying Stand up I also am a man As if he had said with Elihu I am formed out of the clay as well as thee There is a respect due to the persons of men and much more to the Messengers of God yet too much may soone be given I will none of that saith Peter I also am a man So Paul and Barnabas Acts 14.15 when the people were so hightned in their ignorant respects that they would have sacrificed to them as Gods They rent their cloathes as in case of blasphemy and ran in among the people crying out and saying Sirs why doe ye these things We also are men subject to like passions with you c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Excisus I am also formed or as the Hebrew signifies Cut out of the Clay As the potter cuts off a rude lump of clay from the whole masse of clay before him to make a vessel of it so man is cut out of that masse of mankinde for though the birth and originall of man is now by another way then the first mans was yet we may all look upon our selves as having the same originall we are cut out of the clay and formed out of the dust Hence note For the matter all men have one originall I also am formed out of Clay I have heretofore met with this poynt and therefore passe it here Secondly From the scope of Elihu Note The consideration of our common condition should fit us with compassion one to another much more should it keep us from insulting over one another Elihu used this expression to assure Job that he would deale very tenderly with him What dost thou think that I who am a piece of clay will insult over thee who art as good a piece of clay as I why should one earthen vessel dash hard upon another When we are tempted to pride in our selves let us remember that we are clay when we are provoked to anger against our brethren or to any harsh and rigorous dealing with them let us remember that we also are clay that our pedigree and our stock is from the dust as well as others If our feet be but a little fouled we think our selves somewhat humbled by it if but a little dirt stick to our shoes or hang about our cloaths we are somewhat ashamed of our selves yet the truth is we are all dust all clay all mire we are nothing as to our bodyes but a little living dust and breathing clay why then should we be lifted up in high thoughts of our selves I might hence also give a third note 'T is a common Theame but of important usefulnesse Man is a very fraile creature he is clay But having had occasion to speak to this also heretofore I shall not stay upon it Only consider that as man is clay so he is returning to clay yea turning into clay We are but a little well compacted and
they try and judge it But I conceive we need not insist strictly upon this For whether we compare these two senses in their severall operations to wise men or whether we compare them in their operations one with another yet according to the sense of our translation the meaning of Elihu is the same namely that those wise men to whom he spake should not only hear but try what they heard because they had received a power so to do for the ear tryeth words even at the mouth tasteth meat There is a twofold eare there is an outward eare Auris interna dicitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quae vox alibi legitur in Graeca editione pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cum sit ipsa mens quae verba et res dijudicat Drus and an inward eare And so a twofold tryall The outward eare tryeth words of what signification they are whether they are as we say good English or Latine c. It tryeth them also as to their grammaticall sense or the construction of what is spoken in the letter The inward eare or understanding tryeth them as to their logicall sense scope and tendency as to their use and force in the matter they are spoken to Both wayes the eare tryeth words as the mouth tasteth meate only with this difference that the tryall which the mouth makes is meerly sensitive and both begun and perfected in the mouth but the tryall which the ear makes is chiefly intellectuall it is begun at the ear but perfected by the understanding It is the mind which judgeth the eare only brings in the report of things to the mind Hence Note First The sense of hearing is a great mercy and of great use to mankind The eare is the chiefe Gate or inlet to the soul Aurem audientem dicit auditorem verbi obedientem Beda nor were our eares given only for an Ornament to the head but for the enriching and bettering of the heart The naturally rationall eare given to heare and try words is a mercy but when a spiritually rationall ear is given with it to heare and try words that 's a mercy indeed Solomon saith Prov. 20.12 The hearing eare and the seeing eye the Lord hath made even both of them These naturall senses are of Gods own creation and the use of them his blessing yet common to all mankind good and bad but the spirituall senses of seeing and hearing are a speciall priviledge promised to the elect and a fruit of Gospel grace Isa 35.5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened and the eares of the deafe shall be unstopped He meaneth it not either only or chiefly of the bodily eyes and eares though Christ wrought miracles upon them and healed both the blind and deafe in the dayes of his flesh but of the eyes and eares of the soul which are often darke and stopt while the other are free enough in the exercise of their severall faculties The seeing eye which both Solomon and Isaiah intend is the eye which so seeth as that it followeth the good which it seeth and that 's their hearing eare which beleeveth and obeyeth what it heareth A superficiall seeing eye is a blind eye and a formall hearing eare is a deafe eare in the sight and account of God We say it is the symptome of some distemper or growing disease upon the body when the pallate doth not rellish meate Surely it argueth a diseased and sick soul when we have no mind to heare nor find rellish in the word of God Secondly Note Words are not to be received nor submitted to nor beleeved as true till they are tryed Itching eares are bad 2 Tim. 4.3 Trying eares are good You will not swallow your meat till you have chewed and tasted it nor should you swallow words till you have tryed them why else have we eares to heare why are we trusted with reason to judge things with or with rules to judge them by There is no greater Tyranny in the World then to command a man to beleeve by an implicit faith as others beleeve or to impose our opinions and assertions upon those that hear them and not to give them liberty to try them This is to be at once as the Apostle James expresseth it Chap. 3.1 many Masters or many Masters where we should not be one But some will say when the Word of God is preached is that to be tryed by men have we a liberty to take that into consideration or to take and refuse it as we are perswaded in our own judgments I answer The word of God is not to be brought to the barre nor to be tryed by man The word of God is our Judge therefore ought not to be judged by us the word of God is perfect and how can we that are imperfect judge that which is perfect The word of God is truth and all men are lyars we are not therefore to judge the word of God nor try that Yet when any man speaks of or from the word of God we are to try what he speakes that is whether what he speaks be according to the word of God and his doctrine or interpretation grounded on the Text. Every one that speakes about spirituall things professeth he brings the word of God and it must be tryed whether he doth so or no. It is a truth to which all are to submit without dispute by beleeving that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners to wash away their sins with his blood This is the word of God yet when this truth is Preached we may consider whether it be mannaged according to the word of God or no. This great doctrine which containes the summe of the Gospel may have such things mingled with it as are not to be received for the word of God Some in the primitive time thought and taught that there was no salvation by Christ unlesse they still kept the ceremoniall Law and were circumcised though they held that fundamentall truth that Christ dyed to save sinners yet when they came to the explication of it they destroyed it by urging a necessity of continuing the ceremoniall Law whereas others judged rightly that faith only without the use of any Jewish ceremony purifieth the heart Therefore a counsell of spirituall and godly wise men was called to consider of this matter Acts 15.6 What to doe not to try the Word of God but to try which of those two different opinions was according to the Word of God Thus when we hear a Sermon though the Word of God and Christ crucified be the generall subject of it and that is not to be tryed but received by faith and obeyed yet what is spoken upon it and delivered about it as the mind of God in the Scripture that is to be tryed 1 Cor. 2.15 He that is spirituall tryeth or judgeth all things And againe 1 Cor. 14.29 the Apostle gives this counsell about prophesying Let one or two speak and let the
with God If he will contend with him he cannot answer him one of a thousand Againe ver 20. If I justifie my selfe my mouth shall condemne me If I say I am perfect it shall also prove me perverse And while he affirmes the generall viciousnesse of nature he must needs imply his owne Chap. 15.14 What is man that he should be cleane and he which is borne of a woman that he should be righteous Behold he putteth no trust in his Saints yea the heavens are not cleane in his sight how much more abominable and filthy is man In this universall conclusion he includeth himselfe therefore Job was far from being righteous in his owne eyes in any proud opinion of his owne righteousnesse or freedome from any staine of sin So much for the opening of those words containing the reason why his friends ceased to answer Because he was righteous in his owne eyes It was the designe of these three men not only to convince Job that he was a sinner but to bring him upon his knees as a notorious sinner And yet all their allegations and arguments could not bring him to it My righteousnesse said he Chapt. 27.6 I hold fast I will not let it goe Now when they saw him thus resolved and stiffe in maintaining the goodnesse of his cause and the integrity of his spirit they quitted the businesse or as the text saith ceased to answer Hence note We cease to doe when we cannot attaine our end in doing Impossibilium nullus est conatus When we see it is in vaine to perswade we give over perswading Despayre of working our end puts an end to our working Industry is at a stand yea withdraweth when impossibilities appeare And though nothing be impossible unto God yet we find God himselfe giving over both speaking and smiting when he seeth he is like to doe no good by eyther Thus he expresseth his purpose Isa 1.5 when he had spent many rods of sore Judgements afflictions upon that people when he had stricken them till from the crowne of the head to the sole of the feete they were nothing but a continued wound and yet they received not correction he presently reasons thus Why should ye be stricken any more ye will revolt more and more As if he had said The end why I smote you was to amend you to bring you home to my selfe to cause you to turne back or returne from your evill wayes but I see I have lost my labour and spent not only my rods but my scorpions in vaine upon you therefore I will cease from this kind of work why should ye be stricken any more ye will revolt more and more And when God hath spoken long to a people who regard it not he ceaseth to speak any more but saith Why should ye be taught any more Let the Prophets tongue cleave to the roof of his mouth let him be dumb and silent as the word is Ezek. 3.26 Thou shalt be dumb and shalt not be a reprover why for they are a rebellious house After all thy speaking they continue rebelling therefore speak no more We read the like dreadfull prohibition Hos 4.4 Let no man strive nor reprove another let all wayes of reclaiming this people be laid aside For thy people are as they that strive with the Priest That is they are obdurate and desperately ingaged in wickednesse Hos 4.17 Ephraim is joyned to Idols he cleaveth and sticketh fast to them he will not be pulled from his owne inventions Let him alone Thus God saith to his Prophets and Ministers cease he saith to his Ordinances cease when sinners will not cease to sin and doe wickedly against the Lord. The same unprofitable and incorrigible people are threatned in the same manner by another Prophet Amos 8.9 It shall come to passe in that day saith the Lord God that I will cause the Sun to goe downe at noone And ver 11. I will send a famine in the Land not a famine of bread but of hearing the words of the Lord. God would stop the raining down of heavenly Manna and the people should not heare because they would not Such was the sentence of Christ against the Jewes Math. 23.37 O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them which are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered thy children together as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings but ye would not What follows this refusall read and tremble ver 38. Behold your house is left unto you desolate for I say unto you ye shall not see me henceforth c. As if he had said because ye have been so unteachable therefore ye shall be taught no more It is sad when we give God occasion to give over either speaking to us or afflicting us God will not alwayes strive with the unwillingnesse much lesse with the wilfulnesse of man nor will men be alwayes doing that to men which they see doth them no good So these three men ceased c. Secondly Note hence When men are obstinate and will not be reclaimed it is good to give over Why should they who in any kind are absolutely resolved be further moved Acts 21.14 When Pauls friends saw he would not be perswaded they ceased they had used much perswasion to keepe him from going up to Jerusalem because of the sufferings that were prophesied should befall him there yet when he stood out in an holy obstinacy against them cloathed with a gracious spirit of courage to suffer for Christ When he would not be perswaded they ceased saying the will of the Lord be done As it was the height of Pauls holiness that he would not be perswaded he was obstinate for Gods cause or for the doing of a duty so it is the height of many mens wickednesse that they will not be perswaded they are obstinate against God or against the doing of their duty Such as are infected with the lust of contending will maintaine that opinion pertinaciously which they cannot maintaine truely As some strive for the love of victory rather then of truth so others strive because they love strife even more then victory and had rather contend then conquer because that puts an end to strife In such cases they doe best who doe no more And if Jobs case had been such if he had held up the discourse not for truth but for victory or because he would have the last word like a clamorous Sophister who hath alwayes somewhat to say though nothing to the purpose In that case I say Jobs friends had done wisely in ceasing to answer They indeed did well upon their owne supposition though as to the truth of Jobs condition they failed greatly Job was not a man of that spirit he that persists in holding and defending truth is not obstinate but constant Further as to the ground why they ceased according to their supposition Observe To be righteous in our owne eyes is hatefull both to God and
parable asserting there was no such reall thing But this one passage gives an undeniable proofe that this was a reall history and the matter really acted This person being described by his owne name and his fathers name and the next of his kindred From the consideration of the person who carried on so great a part in this businesse Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite of the kindred of Ram who was of a strange Country and if allyed to Abraham yet at a great distance we may observe God did preserve a seed of religion and of holy men to maintaine his truth among those who lived in darke places and were wrapt up in many errors and superstitions This was also noted from the first words of this booke There was a man in the Land of Vz A man of gracious accomplishments and of a heavenly light Here also was Elihu the Buzite A man that had great knowledge about holy things as we shall see afterwards in those parts and times when and where abundance of darknesse blindnesse and ignorance reigned Having thus described Elihu The history proceeds Against Job was his wrath kindled because he justified himselfe rather then God In the former part of the verse it is said Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu Not specifying against whom nor the cause why here he doubles the same words with an addition first of the person with whom he was angry Against Job was his wrath kindled And as he tells us the marke or object of his wrath so he gives secondly the reason of it Because he justified himself rather then God Before I come to the explication of this latter branch take these two brief notes First A godly man in maintaining a good cause may give just reason of anothers passion or anger Job was a good man and his cause was good yet you see a wise and a good mans wrath is kindled Paul and Barnabas were two good men yet a difference arose between them Acts 15.39 And the contention was so sharp between them that they departed asunder Secondly Considering the cause of this anger in generall Because he justified himselfe rather then God we see it was an anger for Gods cause Hence note Anger for God or in the cause of God is holy anger Though for the most part the flesh or our carnall corruption is the cause of anger and it begins at selfe yet sometimes it is stirr'd in the cause of God It is said of Moses the meekest man on earth Numb 12.3 that when he saw the idolatry of the people Exod. 32.19 His anger waxed hot He was so angry that he cast the Tables of the Law which God had written with his own hand out of his hand and broke them It is said Mar. 3.5 Jesus Christ looked about on them with anger being grieved for the hardnesse of their hearts He also exprest a great deale of zealous anger Joh. 2.15 When he made a whip of small cords and drove the buyers and sellers out of the Temple 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id genus irae notat quo fertur quis ad abolitionem peccati cum quo si sit veritas justissimus effectus est Coc Some of the Hebrews tell us that the word here used for anger signifieth anger carried out to the destruction of sin and that is a very gracious anger There are two things which exceedingly declare the holinesse of a mans spirit First when he can patiently beare loads of evills and wrongs in his owne cause or which have but a private respect Secondly When he is ready to take fire in the cause of God many dull and sluggish soules can heare God abused Hoc probes abnegationem tui mundi si injuriarum ferens sis peccatum autem ferre non possiis idque ita ut non ad vindicandum sed ad emendandum exstimulares and their spirits stirre no more then a stone Elihu was angry but it was in the cause of God or Because Job Justified himselfe rather then God When we are angry with sin we are angry as the Apostle adviseth us to be and sin not That 's anger without sin when we are angry with sin and are stirred up to oppose and suppresse the pride and insolency of mans spirit or speeches against God To be angry for our owne honour and interest or Gourd is an argument of undue love to selfe When God spared Nineveh the Prophet was exceeding angry Jon. 4.1 But his was sinfull anger because he was angry for his owne sake fearing to be called a false Prophet He set himselfe downe to see what would become of the City that he might have a personall glory and be cryed up for a Prophet indeed And when God had smitten his Gourd he was angry and angry unto the death ver 8. and all because he missed that which pleased himselfe Many can be angry when they themselves are discredited but when dishonour is cast upon God or his interest slighted how quiet and tame how cold and dull are their spirits The anger of this man was a noble anger as to the occasion and rise of it Jobs selfe-justification or Because he justified himselfe rather then God This is a high poynt and may justly provoke our anger Elihu was not angry with Job because he justified himselfe against his friends but because he justified himselfe rather then God Here a question will arise and it will ask some paines to determine it Was this true did Job justifie himselfe rather then God Was it possible Job should do so I shall give only a generall answer to this question Job did not justifie himself rather then God either explicitely or intentionally but by consequents he did And though it be granted that Job gave just occasion of this sharp reproofe by his rash and passionate speeches uttered in the heate of dispute and in the grief of his heart yet it cannot be denied that Elihu did somewhat strain Jobs words though not beyond their sence yet beyond his sence and gave them the hardest interpretation somewhat beside the rule of charity which they could beare nor did he observe that meeknesse and moderation which might well have become him to a man in that case O how hard is it not to offend or doe ill while we are doing well To cleare this a little further consider There is a twofold straining of words First beyond the sence of the words spoken Secondly beyond the sence of the speaker I doe not say Elihu in affirming this of Job strained his words beyond their sence but he strained them beyond Jobs sence Job spake words which might lay him under this censure that he justified himselfe rather then God But this was far from his intention For doubtlesse he had rather a thousand times his tongue should have been cut out of his mouth then to justifie himselfe with it rather then God or to speak a word to the disparagement of Gods Justice So then
somewhat a strange warning 2 Tim. 2.22 Flee youthfull lusts Timothy was young but was he noted for indulgence to any youthfull lusts what lusts doth he meane surely not drunkennesse nor uncleannesse nor any loose behaviour for though the most sober and temperate young men have in them the seed of all these yea of every lust yet Timothy at that time was a pattern a mirrour not only of sob iety but of holinesse and Paul was even forced to bid him take more liberty in the use of the creature then he used to allow himselfe Drink no longer water but use a little wine for thy stomack sake and for thy often infirmities Surely Timothy was a man that fled such youthfull lusts fast and far enough when he drank nothing but water and must be bid to drink a little wine 1 Tim 5.23 What lusts then were they which Timothy was exhorted to flee the words following ver 23 24 25. seeme to cleare it that because he was young he should take heed of rushing into unnecessary Questions and disputes which young men are apt to doe in the heat of their spirits nor are there any lusts of the lower or sensuall appetite to which the heart of man is more intemperately and vainely carried out then to those of the understanding and therefore the Apostle counsels Timothy to avoid unprofitable Questions knowing that these gender strife Those Questions cannot promote faith in or holinesse towards God which only stirre up and foment strife among men and the servants of the Lord must not strive but be gentle to all and patient These vertues and graces are opposed chiefely to the youthfull lusts which Paul exhorts Timothy to take heed of As if he had said Be not too hot-headed and hasty as young men are very apt to be in pursuing of controversies and entangling thy selfe in the thickets of Opinionists Elihu was of an excellent temper who because young was afraid and durst not shew his opinion Secondly Note It is good to feare and suspect our own judgements or to feare that we may erre they seldome doe or speak amisse who feare they may An over-confidence of being in the right hath setled many in a wrong way to be under a sence of our readinesse to fall preserves us from falling Hosea 13.1 When Ephraim spake trembling then he exalted himselfe There are severall sences given of that place but according to our translation the meaning is carried thus When Ephraim was in an humble frame and jealous of himselfe not confident nor over-bold as some are who presume to carry all before them when he spake trembling or did even tremble to speake then he did that which tended to his own advancement and exaltation This gracious trembling doth at once settle us the faster and rayse us the higher in the wayes and things of God It is a high poynt of wisdome to have low apprehensions of our selves though that be true Tanti eris aliis quanti tibi fueris You shall be esteemed of others as you esteem your selves If a man under-value himselfe others will yet 't is best erring on that hand Let the price be much too low rather then any thing too high when you are occasioned to put a value upon or rate your selves Againe Consider what an excellent speaker Elihu was when he came to it as will appeare hereafter yet see how he stood trembling he durst not speake nor offer his opinion Hence note Vsually they who have most ability to speak are most backward to speak or sparing of speech They are not easily brought to it who have it in them The belly of Elihu was as full with matter as an Egge with meate or a bottle with wine yet how slow was he in opening himselfe They who are and have least are most desirous if not ambitious to appeare most and would make up in seeming what they are not in being As Elihu in this verse hath shewed himselfe afraid to say any thing so he shewes us in the next who he hoped would have said all and altogether have saved him a labour Vers 7. I said dayes should speak and multitude of yeares should teach wisdome Or as the text may be rendred let dayes speak Loquantur dies sunt enim verba permittentis q.d. sinam loqui illos non praeripiam eis loquendi locum Pisc dayes shall not be hindred by me from speaking let dayes speak their fill But what meaneth he when he saith let dayes speak how can dayes speak 't is an elegancy in Rhetorick when that which belongs to a person is ascribed to a thing as here speech to time let dayes speak that is let those who number many dayes who have lived and seene many dayes let them speak they who have lived most dayes on earth are yet indeed as Bildad told Job Chap. 8.9 but of yesterday and so have lived as it were but a day yet according to common account some men are so very old that you may call them dayes and to them we may well say let Dayes speak Johannes de Temporibus We read of one who was called John of Times because he had lived if the Records spake true three hundred yeares and more An old man is a man of dayes and thus Elihu might say let dayes that is old men speak But Children can speak why then doth he say dayes should speak I answer There is a twofold speaking First naturall thus Children as soone as they are out of their swadling-bands learne to speak such speaking is but a naturall act Secondly There is a speaking which is an artificiall or studied act thus Orators and men of eloquence speake such speaking Elihu intended when he sayd dayes should speak He looked they should speake to purpose speak by rule even the quintessence of reason he presumed they would have brought forth somewhat worthy of their yeares and that he should have received such instruction from them as they had learned from old age it selfe I sayd dayes should speak Children can speak words but old men should speak things every word should have its weight their tongues should drop as the honey-combe and be a tree of life to feed and refresh many It is most truly said of the word of God in Scripture Every tittle of it hath a mountaine of sence a mighty weight of truth in it And surely the words of old men should be weighty and convincing They should speak truth with such evidence both of testimony and reason as may put to silence all those who speak against or besides either truth or reason As day unto day saith David Psal 19.2 uttereth speech that is every day speakes somewhat so men of dayes should speak much both for instruction and conviction I said dayes should speak Hence note That 's not to be esteemed as done at all which is not well done or not done to purpose An old man doth not speak unlesse he speaks wisely edifyingly and to
that come or stand in a day of Election before us JOB Chap. 32. Vers 10 11 12 13 14. Therefore I said Hearken to me I also will shew mine opinion Behold I waited for your words I gave care to your reasons whilest you searched out what to say Yea I attended unto you and behold there was none of you that convinced Job or that answered his words Lest ye should say We have found out wisdome God thrusteth him downe and not man Now he hath not directed his words against me neither will I answer him with your speeches ELihu having asserted this negative proposition in the former verse Great men are not alwayes wise neither doe the aged understand Judgement makes his inference from it in these words Vers 10. Therefore I sayd hearken to me As if he had said Though I am none of the great men of the world though I am none of the aged among the sons of men yet hearken unto me for seeing great and aged men are not alwayes wise nor have ingrossed all wisdome and understanding to themselves it is possible that some beames of wisdome may shine forth even from so meane a Junior even from such a puny as I must confesse I am We may also make the inference from the 8th verse There is a spirit in man and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth understanding Therefore I said hearken to me As if he had said Though I am a young man and have not had either those naturall or accidentall advantages of the ancient for the gathering of any great stocke or treasures of wisdome yet there is an inspiration of the Almighty which giveth understanding If the Lord will make use of me and inspire me if he please to breath his truths into me and irradiate my soule with divine light I may be able to doe and say some thing in this matter The inference you see followes well and without straine from either of those premises Therefore I said hearken to me It may be queried to whom did Elihu say this We translate the words indefinitely not determining them to this or thar person But the Original seemes to speake personally Therefore I said heare thou me Which may be understood two wayes First that Elihu directed his speech principally to Job Heare thou what I shall say Secondly that Elihu spake to the whole company there present as if they had been but one man we may speake in a congregation of hundreds and thousands we may speake to many as if there were but one to heare as what is spoken to a few may be intended to all Mark 13.37 What I say unto you my Disciples I say unto all watch So that which is said to all is surely said to every one in the assembly where 't is said Though we take Elihu here as speaking directly but to one person yet we must take him as desiring that every person present should take it as spoken to himselfe Hearken to me Hence note first When any speake reason and hold out truth they are to be heard No man should stop his eare with a prejudice to the person He that speaks truth deserves to be heard though as Elihu he be a young man or inferior to many in age yet he is to be heard though inferior to many in power and experience yet he is to be heard Eccle 4.13 Better is a poore and wise child then an old and foolish King that will not be admonished And better is a poore and wise child then an old man that can give no admonition As that man is in a sad condition whether king or subject that will not be admonished so that man be he never so ancient is not much to be regarded that is not able to give admonition But though both discreete young men and discreete poore men are to be heard when they speak truth and reason yet that of Solomon Eccle 9.16 is too often verified The poore mans wisdome is despised and his words are not heard Most conclude if a man be poore his counsell is so too and if he be young how can he be a counseller yet heare me saith Elihu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Scientiam meam Mont. I also will shew mine opinion or my knowledge I will shew what my understanding is or what light God hath given me in this case The words are plaine Note from them What truth ot truths we have received and know we should communicate and make knowne 'T is a duty to shew our opinion when we have a call and an occasion to shew it as Elihu here had Some have knowledge who will not shew it They which Christ forbids Math 5.15 put their candle under a bushell God hath lighted a candle and set it up in some mens spirits yet they either quite conceale or much obscure it God hath given them a talent of knowledge and they like the unprofitable servant wrap it up in a Napkin They will not shew their opinion Not to shew what we have when called to it is a deniall that we have it As good not have a candle or a talent as let our candle be hid or hide our talent The very Heathen condemned this while they sayd Covered vertue is buried vertue Yea while a man covers his vertues parts and abilities he burieth himselfe alive or is dead while he lives As the Scripture saith they have only a name to be alive but are dead who make a shew of more then they have Rev 3.2 so they have a name to be dead or may be numbred among the dead who will not shew what indeed they have There are two things which hinder men from shewing their opinion First idlenesse they are loath to take the paines to shew it Secondly shamefastnesse There is a commendable modesty 't is not good to be over-forward in shewing our opinion But that modesty is sinfull which quite hinders us from shewing our opinion They who keepe in their knowledge and opinion either through idlenesse or shamefastnesse doe almost as ill as they who shew their opinion and declare their knowledge through pride and and high-mindednesse or meerely to shew themselves to shew their wit and to make a noyse of their parts and learning 'T is sinfull selfe-pleasing either to know only that we may know or to publish what we know only to be knowne With some 't is nothing that they have knowledge unlesse others know that they have it An affectation to appeare knowing is as bad as to be ignorant I will shew mine opinion said Elihu But why would he shew it We have reason to judge it was from the honesty of his heart not from the height of his Spirit And when ever we shew our opinion we ought to shew it out of an honest heart and for honest ends such as these First To instruct those who are ignorant Secondly To reduce those who are out of the way Thirdly To feed hungry soules with wholesome doctrine Prov.
10.21 The lips of the righteous feed many Fourthly To strengthen the weake Fifthly To confirme the doubtfull Sixthly To comfort the sorrowfull Seventhly To encourage the fearefull Eightly To quicken the sloathfull in the wayes and worke of God Lastly And above all That God may be glorified by the use of the talent that he hath given 1 Pet. 4.10 As every man hath received the gift even so minister the same one to another as good Stewards of the manifold grace of God Stewards must not set up their owne but their Masters Interest We should minister by every gift as Stewards of the manifold grace of God I will shew mine opinion saith Elihu But what haste Elihu it seemeth foresaw some ready to object Why doe you a young man take upon you to speake in a cause wherein so many of your Elders and Betters have not prevailed why are you so busie 'T is much boldnes for you or such as you to declare your opinion in this controversie wherein such wise learned godly men have without successe ingaged already To this objection Elihu makes a preventing answer rendring this account of his undertaking As if he had said I have attentively observed all the passages and traverses of this dispute I have heard all that Jobs friends have offered whether for vindication of the justice and righteousness of God in laying that great affliction upon him or for the conviction of Job to make him see his sin and sit downe humbled I have heard all this saith Elihu and upon the whole matter I find Job is yet unanswered or that there is need of a further answer to stop his mouth to silence his complaints and humble him under the hand and soveraigne power of God This is the scope and summe of these two verses following Vers 11. Behold I waited for your words I gave care to your reasons whilest you searched out what to say Vers 12. Yea I attended unto you and behold there is none of you that convinced Job or that answered his words You have the generall sence of the text I shall yet proceed to a more particular explication of it Behold I waited for your words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 moratus est praestolatus est expectavit The word which we translate to waite imports three things in Scripture First an act of hope or to be carried towards any thing desirable with a wonderfull desire to enjoy it Hope causeth the soule to breath after fruition Secondly the word implyeth that griefe or trouble which possesseth the mind upon a long stay or detainment of that good which we desire and hope to attaine Thirdly it notes the soules patient waiting though grieved and burdened with present delayes for future enjoyment In all or any of these sences Elihu might say Behold I waited for your words I earnestly desired to heare you speake to satisfaction and I am grieved that you did not and I would if need were patiently waite still did I not perceive you had done and quitted your hands of this worke Behold I waited for your words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mr Broughton renders Behold I waited through your speech or into your words I stood still but I have not been asleep I have long expected you would say what is right and I have seriously considered what you sayd I waited for your words I gave eare to your reasons Attendi usque ad sensa vestra Iun i. e. Accuratissimè quam pentissime sensa animi vestri exploravi Id That is to find what convincing reason was couched in your arguments The Hebrew is I gave eare to your understanding That is I attended to find out your apprehensions or to gather up your sence in this matter that I might not mistake your meaning nor answer at randome The vulgar translation reads it I have heard your wisdome That is what wisdome there was in your words The truth or reason that is in words Audivi prudentiam vestram Vulg Diligentissimè auscultavi rationes vestras quas ex pro intelligentia vestra attulisti quas doctas esse purestis et ad rem aptas Merc is the wisdome of them So that when Elihu saith I gave eare to your reasons or to your understanding it intimates that he tooke the exactest heed he possibly could to find out the utmost tendency and purpose of their discourse As if he had said I have weighed every tittle that ye have spoken and tryed it by mine eare to find whether it were solid yea or no. There is one clause further to be opened in this verse I gave eare to your reasons While you searched out what to say This implyeth that Jobs friends did ever and anon take time to consider either each man with himselfe or that they consulted one with another what answer to shape and make to Job Whilest ye searched out The word which we translate to search out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Scrutatus perscrutatus est remota obstrusa notes the strictest search after that which is hidden remote and secret 'T is applyed Deut 13.14 to that care which Judges ought to take in finding out the truth of an accusation brought against enticers to Idolatry The strictness of the Originoll is While ye searched out words As if he had said I am perswaded you have strained your selves to the utmost to find out what to say you did not speake what came next but searched for your answers We may learne a good lesson from the practice of Elihu we see he was no idle hearer yea in him we have the description or character of an active hearer I waited for your words I gave eare to your reasonings while ye searched out what to say Hence note We must diligently heare and give eare weigh and consider what is spoken before we give answer No man is well prepared to answer but he that hath been an attentive hearer And as no man can be a fit answerer in poynts under disputation so no man can be a fruitfull practiser in poynts of instruction but he that hath been a diligent hearer 'T is our duty when the word is preacht to waite not for a sound of words not for fine words or words dressed up with affected eloquence but for sound savory words for words that have weight and light in them for words that have strength and authority in them to prevaile upon the heart and conquer us to obedience These are the only words worth the waiting for and for these we ought to waite Secondly Before Elihu comes to give his opinion he tells Jobs friends that he had diligently heard the matter out even all their reasonings and searchings Hence note We must not make a judgement from any one part of a discourse we must take all together We must compare the first and last the Alpha and Omega the beginning and ending of what is sayd We must looke quite through 'T is not
ingenuous to picke up this or that passage to take a piece here and a piece there we can never make a true judgement till the whole is layd together As many exceedingly mistake about the works of God so about the words of men because they judge the whole by this or that part Whereas they should judge of the parts by the whole As therefore we ought not to make conclusions about the providentiall works of God till the last Act or till all is concluded so we must not judge the discourses of men till the last word or till they have concluded their discourse Heare a man out and then answer him Ab aequo attentienem sibi conciliat Merc Thirdly Elihu seemes to chalenge it as his due to be heard speake after he had fully heard them speaking Hence note They who have had the patience to heare others ought to have the priviledge of being heard themselves Heare me saith Elihu Why so I have heard you It is but equall and rationall that he should have liberty of speaking who hath shewed an attentive perseverance in hearing From the last branch of the verse while ye searched out what to say Observe We ought to ponder and try what we speake before we speake it The worke of the tongue must follow that of the understanding Eccl 12.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words or words of delight words of pleasure The preacher sought But how did he seeke He sought diligently and earnestly The preacher sought but in what way did he seeke surely he sought by diligent study and earnest prayer to find out acceptable words What words were those not men-pleasing words not soft words which might passe with all sorts or humour all phansies not such words as would serve for pillows under bad mens elbows The acceptable words which the Preacher sought were words of truth and sobriety words of power and Authority in no other sence may we seeke out acceptable words or words of delight nor is there any true delight but in words of truth Thus every faithfull Preacher should seeke to find out acceptable words every holy and wholsome doctrine is made up of such words Only thole doctrines and exhortations which are formed and composed of such words are as the Apostle saith of the great doctrine of Jesus Christ manifested in the flesh to save sinners faithfull sayings and worthy of acceptation 1 Tim 1.15 Elihu tooke notice of this in Jobs friends they did not speak hand over head but searched what they might say most to the purpose as they judged of the cause in hand and to the profit of their hearers Elihu thought he had not yet spoken enough in way of apologie for himselfe And therefore the penman of this dispute represents him speaking further yet much to the same sence Vers 12. Yea I attended unto you and behold there was none of you that convinced Job or that answered his words I attended unto you That is I did not only desire to receive full satisfaction from you but I attended hoping at last to find it I stayed I did not make haste nor did I hasten you Vsque ad intima vestra considerabam vos Drus Some expound the word with a great significancy I did as throughly consider and attend what was sayd as if I had looked into you Thus saith Elihu I attended unto you But what did he find He found two faults in their words after he had attended unto them throughly First he found them faulty because none of them had convinced Job Their proofes did not make good their accusations The second fault which Elihu found was They had not refuted Jobs assertion As if he had said Ye have spoken much but upon the matter have done little I waited I attended expecting great things from you but I have bin deceived in my expectation For having taken out the strength and substance the spirits and quintessence of your speech I find nothing coming up either to a conviction of Job as faulty in matter of fact nor to an answer of him as defective in matter of argument So that when I have layd all that ye have spoken in the ballance it weighes too light Job is your match yea he hath over-matcht you Behold there is none of you that convinceth Job The Hebrew word which we here translate to convince answers the Greeke in the New Testament which is also translated To reprove or convince 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And both the Hebrew and the Greek carry a threefold signification First to prove or to make good what is affirmed either first by reason and argument or secondly by testimony and authority When such proofes and reasons such testimonies and authorities are brought in as a man can make no exceptions against or cannot evade nor reply to then he is convinced The Apostle giving a description of faith Heb 11.1 saith It is the substance of things hoped for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the evidence or conviction of things not seene The Spirit of God makes conviction before faith acts He brings such proofes such cleare evidences that though the thing be not seene yet the soule sits downe convinced that it is so as fully as if we had seene it The greatest conviction we have to believe is from authority and testimony yea that 's properly and only faith when we consent to a thing upon the testimony and authority of another Secondly The word signifies to reprove or rebuke with words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Math 18.15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespasse against thee goe and tell him of his fault To reprove a man is First to tell him of his fault and then to blame him for it Every mans fault must be clearely proved before he can be justly reproved Thus the Baptist reproved Herod Luke 3.19 And because Light proves therefore it also reproves John 3.20 Every one that doth evill hateth the light neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved The same word is used Eph 5.11 Have no fellowship with the unfruitfull works of darkness but rather reprove them And againe 1 Tim 5.20 Them that sin that is either openly before all or whose sin hath been proved before all rebuke before all and as the same Apostle directs Tit 2.25 Rebuke them sharply Thirdly The word signifieth as to prove and reprove so to chasten and correct to rebuke by the hand as well as by the tongue Heb 12.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cum ab eo argueris Ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children my son despise not thou the chastning of the Lord nor faint when thou art rebuked of him When thou art rebuked of him by blowes or receivest sencible convictions Rev 3.19 Whom I love I rebuke and chasten Here in the Text we must understand the word in the first sence There is none of you that
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
love to act other mens parts rather then their owne and to intrude into Provinces which are not theirs But whatsoever our hand findes to doe as Solomon speakes Eccl 9.10 that is whatsoever is as Elihu here calls it our part that we should doe with all our might More was given about using our talent and shewing our opinion at the 10th verse of this Chapter whether I referre the reader Fourthly Elihu was here but an auditor not a disputant not a party he came in only upon the by yet having received a word he utters it Hence note Every man should thinke himselfe Concern'd to speake for the truth when 't is wronged and doe his best to right it Or we should take all occasions and seasons of doing good by our words as well as by our workes As it is not good to out-â—un providence so to neglect or foreslow it is not good Lastly Observe What others fayle in we should labour to supply in the cause of God and for his truth It is a proverbiall speech among the Hebrewes Vbi non est vir tu vir esto Where there is not a man there be thou a man That is if we see any unable to carry on and goe thorow-stitch with the worke before them we should lend a hand to helpe and supply them thus saith Elihu I will answer for my part I also will shew mine opinion And it seemes by that which follows Elihu did so not only to answer his duty but to empty and ease his spirit For In the 18th 19th and 20th verses he gives us that further account of his interposition about this controversie Vers 18. For I am full of matter Yea I am under a mighty Constraint there is a kinde of force upon me The Spirit within me Constraineth me I am full of matter The Original is I am full of words yet of more then words as appeares in the following part of this Chapter therefore we translate I am full of matter that is I am full of such words as are materiall words of truth words of sobernesse I am full of such words as will carry with them a Conviction home to thy Conscience O Job silence all thy complaints Cum ait se plenum amicorum impiam notare videtur Pined Or as if Elihu had said to Job's friends Though ye have spent your store upon Job yet I have store and plenty by me to spend upon him Thus he reflects upon them as scanty and short in their undertaking your Lamps have spent their oyle you have emptied your vessels so have not I I am full of matter The Spirit within me Constraineth me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Hiphil anxit angustovit pressit The text is My spirit in my belly Constraineth me Master Broughton renders My bellye 's spirit doth press me The Seventy render The spirit of my belly destroyeth me A Greek translater saith My spirit within me sets me on fire or I am all in a flame 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comburit Sym. The word which we render Constraine signifies to press very sore Judges 14.17 And it came to passe the seventh day that he told her because she lay sore upon him or constrained him It may be questioned whose spirit or what spiâ—it it was that Constrained Elihu Some Expound it of the Spirit of God he dictates both words and matter to me Master Calvin seemes to Comply with this Exposition God hath printed such a marke in the doctrine of Elihu that the heavenly Spirit is apparent in his mouth God saith Elihu hath put his Seale to what I have to say therefore doe not receive it as the word of a mortall man the Spirit of God Constraines me Paul useth a word in the Greeke of like significancy 2 Cor. 5.14 The love of Christ Constraineth me it presseth and overbeareth me I am not able to get out of the power of it Againe Others understand it of his owne spirit yet acted by the Spirit of God Prov 29.11 A foole uttereth all his spirit we translate all his minde the spirit pressing Elihu was his mind carried strongly or resolvedly bent upon this business The strong inclination or disposition of a mans mind to any thing good or bad is in Scripture language called his Spirit The Spirit within me The Hebrew is The spirit of my belly Which forme of speech notes only that which is most internall Spiritus ventris est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alacritas urgens existimulans ad loquendum Coc or lyeth closest within us Solomon saith of the words of wisdome Prov 22.18 It is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee The Original is in thy belly John 7.38 Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water That is out of his inward man there shall be a spirit in his spirit for this Christ spake of the Spirit which should be given and the same word is used of the wicked man Job 15.35 His belly that is his mind or understanding prepareth deceit And Solomon Cant 7.2 speaking of the Church saith Her belly is like an heap of wheat set about with lillies That is she is big with holy thoughts and conceptions as a woman great with child ready to be delivered A gracious heart is continually meditating and conceiving holy things which it brings forth and is as it were delivered of upon any good occasion The spirit within me Constraineth me What Elihu had thus spoken in plaine termes by way of assertion in this verse he illustrates by way of similitude or allusion in the next Vers 19. Behold my belly is as wine which hath no vent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vinum novum vel mustum cui non est ademptum obthuraculum ut exhalet Iun it is ready to burst like new bottles Elihu prosecutes the same thing in another way and to shew how troublesome it was to refraine speaking any longer his thoughts being not only too many but too working to be enclosed in so narrow a roome as his owne breast he compares them to wine or to new wine which will either find or make its way out The whole similitude is exceeding elegant First he compares his thoughts or the matter he had in his mind to wine Secondly he compares his soule or spirit to bottles his inward man was the vessell that held this wine Thirdly he compares his long silence to the stople or Corke of the bottle Fourthly he compares that trouble and griefe of mind which this forbearance to speake brought upon him to the working which is in a bottle so stopt or having no vent Fifthly he compares his intended speaking to the opening of the bottle which gives it vent Behold my belly is as wine that is the thoughts of my belly are as wine The Chaldee Paraphrase saith as new wine which is full of spirits and being stopt is ready to breake the bottle which shews the mighty force which
in his Then all sorts and degrees of men are judged righteously when there is no regard had or notice taken in Judgement of what sort or degree any man is Judges are called gods and therefore should act like God without respect to men And as this is a truth in all those cases of judgement where Magistrates sit in the place of God so it is as true in all the private judgements and determinations of brethren concerning persons or things which by way of distinction from the former is commonly called the putting or referring of a matter in difference to men We must take heed in private judgements that we be not swayed according to the condition of persons nor must we make the fault great or lesse the cause better or worse because the person is greater or lesse friend or stranger to us The Apostle gives this counsel and caution to the Churches James 2.1 2 3 4 5. My Brethren have not the faith that is the doctrine of faith or profession of our Lord Jesus the Lord of glory with respect of persons For if there come into your assembly a man with a gold ring and there come in also a poore man in vile rayment and you have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing and say unto him sit thou here in a good place and say to the poore stand thou there or sit here under my footstool are ye not then partiall in your selves and are become judges of evill thoughts In administring the things of God which are spirituall we must observe no civill difference no distinction among men Christ hath given himselfe alike and equally to rich and poore bond and free and therefore as to Church-priviledges and enjoyments they must all be alike and equall unto us No man is to be knowne after the flesh in the things of the Spirit 2 Cor 5.16 that is no man is to be valued meerely upon natural or worldly accounts if we doe then as the Apostle James concludes in the place last â—efore mentioned are we not partiall in our selves that is as some also translate that reproving question Have we not made a difference a groundlesse difference or a difference grounded upon carnal respects rather then upon any solid reason and so as it follows in the close of the verse are become judges of evill thoughts that is have made our judgement of those persons according to the dictate of our owne evill and corrupt thoughts not according to the rule of the word Further this sin of respecting persons is found also in the ordinary converse of men For when we cast favours upon those that are ill deserving and commend those as we say to the skies who should rather fall under our severest censure and are led to doe all this also because the person is a kinsman or a friend for though eaeteris paribus other qualifications and circumstances being equall we are to respect friends and kindred who are our owne flesh before strangers yet vertue and worth should out-weigh relations and as Levi in doing Justice Deut 33.9 so we in bestowing rewards should not acknowledge our Brethren nor know our owne children but let such have our rewards who best deserve them I may adde this also To take up this or that forme of religion because such and such persons are in it and to reject another though better because none but a few that are despised and contemned are in it is a most dangerous way of respecting persons This was the meaning of that question John 7.48 Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him As if certainly that must alwayes be the best way and rule of believing which is professed by the rulers Or as if it were ground enough to reject a way of religion because the common people or the poore are mostly found in it Thus 't is storied of a Great Prince that was converted to the Christian faith and resolved to be baptized that seeing a great many poore men in his way as he went he asked to whom they belonged it was answered they were Christians and of that religion which he was entring into what doth Christ keep his servants so poore sayd he I will not serve such a Master and so drew backe even while he was but setting his face towards Christ I might instance the sinfullness of accepting persons in many other particular cases as well as these but these may suffice for a tast Let me not saith Elihu accept any mans person Neither let me give flattering titles unto man In the former part of the verse it was Ish here it is Adam Graeciverteum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cognominandi per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reverori et 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mirari persona in reddiderunt Merc Et deum homini non aequabo Vulg I will not respect the person of the greatest men nor will I flatter any earthly any mortall man Mr Broughton renders That I respect an earthly man The vulgar latine translates the whole verse thus I will not accept any mans persons and I will not equall God to man As if he had sayd I will not measure God by man in his dealings and proceedings with man As my purpose is to speake truth and spare no man so I will not wrong God by drawing him downe to the rules of men What is man that he should compare with God But though this be a truth yet because it departs so farre from the Original text I will not stay upon it Our reading is cleare I will not give flattering titles There are severall other readings of these words which I shall propose and passe to our owne Apud hominem Praefatione non utar Jun Et apud hominem ne permutem nomina Coc Et ad hominem non nutato nomine loquar Merc Ego non ingratiam ejus tectis verbis utar occultè eum designans nomen proprium immutans Verbum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat aliquem occultè designare Merc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est mutatis rerum nominibus agere ut non possis nisi obscurè quid sentiatur intelligi Cujus contrarium est aperire os et 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appellare Coc First I will not use a preface or I will not stand prefacing with man Flatteries are usually set forth in affected Prefaces and Apologies Secondly Let me not change names before men or let me not speak to man under a borrowed name That is let me speake plainly and clearly without ambages and fetches let me speake to every man and about every thing by its owne name and not with covered words as if I were unwilling to touch those to whom I speake Our translation is yet more cleare to the scope and tendency of this place I will not give flattering titles This sentence is but two words in the Hebrew The verbe signifies say the Rabbins to hide or conceale or to carry a matter closely
former Chapter in prefacing to Jobs friends directs his speech now to Job himselfe yet not without a renewed Preface as will appeare in opening this Chapter Wherein we may take notice of foure heads of his discourse First We have his Preface in the seven former verses of the Chapter Secondly A proposition of the matter to be debated or of the things that Elihu had observed in Job's speech about this Controversie from the 7th verse to the 12th Thirdly We have his confutation of what Job had affirmed from the 12th verse to the 31th Lastly We have his conclusion exciting Job to make answer to what he had spoken else to heare him speaking further in the three last verses of the Chapter Elihu in his Preface moves Job about two things First to attend what he was about to say Secondly To make reply to and answer what he should say Elihu moves Job to the former duty severall wayes First By a mild Entreaty and sweet Insinuation in the first verse Wherefore Job I pray thee heare my speeches and hearken to my words As if he had sayd I doe not come authoritatively and rigorously upon thee to command or demand thy attention but as a faithfull friend I desire thee to attend unto my speech and hearken to my voice Secondly He moves him to heare by professing his own readinesse and preparednesse to speak in the 2d verse Behold now I have opened my mouth my tongue hath spoken in my mouth that is I have been as it were tuning my instrument and fitting my selfe for discourse let me not loose my labour nor my study Thirdly He moves him to attend from the sincerity and gracious Ingenuity of his heart in that which he had to say to him This he layeth before him in the 3d verse My words shall be of the uprightnesse of my heart and my lips shall utter knowledge clearely What better Encouragement to heare And Fourthly Elihu moves him to heare from the Consideration of his present state as a man not only made by God but by him instructed for the work which he had undertaken the former of which is Exprest the latter Implyed in the 4th verse The Spirit of God hath made me and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life Thus Elihu Calls out Job to heare And Secondly As he invites him to heare what he had to say so he provokes him to answer what he should say vers 5. If thou canst answer me set thy words in order before me stand up As if he had said Be not discouraged take heart man doe thy best to defend thy selfe and make good thy owne cause against what I shall say Spare me not Doe thy best thy utmost Having thus encouraged him in General to answer he proceeds to give him two speciall Motives First From their Common state or Condition in the 6th verse Behold I am according to thy wish in Gods stead I also am formed out of the clay As if he had sayd You have often desired to plead with God or that God would heare your plea now consider I am in Gods stead though a man like your selfe Secondly He encourageth him from the tendernesse of his spirit toward him respecting his present Condition promising to deal with or treate him fairely gently in the 7th verse Behold my terror shall not make thee afraid neither shall my hand be heavy upon thee That favour Job hâ—d asked of God in the 9th Chapterâ— Let not thy terror make me afraid Now saith Elihu thaâ— which thou didst fear from God thou needest not at all feare in dealing with me My terror shall not make thee afraid c. Thus Elihu begins with Job that he might lead him to receive fairely or answer fully what he had to say The three first verses of the Chapter Containe the first part of the Preface wherein Elihu excites and calls forth Jobs attention by those foure Considerations already distinctly proposed the first whereof is layd downe Vers 1. Wherefore Job I pray thee heare my speeches and heerken to all my words Elihu begins very mildly sweetly insinuatingly even entreatingly and beseechingly Wherefore I pray thee The word which we translate I pray thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adhortartis vel excitantis tum etiam obsecranâ—â— is in the Hebrew language a monasyllable adverb of obsecration or exhortation I pray thee Hence note 'T is good to use gentlenesse towards those with whom we have to deale especially with those who are either outwardly afflicted or troubled in spirit Entreaties have great power and therefore though the Prophets and Apostles speake sometimes in a threatning way and command attention upon utmost peril yet for the most part they bespeake it with Entreaties 2 Cor 5.20 Now then we as Embassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled to God The Apostles went about a begging as it were with this message with the best message that ever was carried forth to the world Reconciliation unto God we pray you And againe 2 Cor 6.1 We then as workers together with him beseech you also that you receive not the grace of God in vaine that is the doctrine of the Gospel holding forth the grace and favour of God freely in Jesus Christ 1 Thes 4.1 Furthermore we beseech you brethren that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walke and to please God so ye would abound more and more As he did beseech them not to receive the grace of God in vaine so he did beseech them to a progress in an Improvement of that grace Again 1 Thes 2.7 We were gentle among you even as a Nurse cherisheth her Children how tender is a nurse to the infant hanging at her breast or dandled on her knee Speak ye Comfortably to Jerusalem was the Lords direction when she was in her warfare that is in a troubled and afflicted condition Isa 40.2 The Hebrew is Speak to her heart speak such words as may revive her heart and adde fresh spirits and life to her The Apostles rule for the restoring of those that are fallen is that they should be kindly treated Gal 6.1 Brethren if a man be overtaken in a fault ye that are spirituall restore such an one with the spirit of meeknesse It is a great poynt of holy skill so to order a reproofe as not to provoke so to speak as to speak open or pick the lock of the heart Affectionate Entreaties are blessed pick-locks which doe not straine the wards but effectually lift up the holders and shoote the bolt of the heart causing it to stand wide open to receive and take in the truth of promises counsels and reproofes Meeke words meeken the spirit 'T is hard to refuse what we perceive spoken in love and if any thing will soften a hard heart soft language is most likely to doe it When Abigail came out and met David upon his way hot
the house of Israel to bud forth and I will give thee the opening of the mouth in the midst of them and they shall know that I am the Lord That is I will give thee boldnesse and liberty of speech time was when thou didst not dare to â—peake a word for God or of God of his praise name and worship or if thou didst it was but in a Corner or whisperd in secret but the time shall come when I will give thee the opening of the mouth thou shalt speak my truth and praises boldly and the Enemy shall know that I the Lord have procured thee this liberty 'T is a great mercy when God gives his people the opening of the mouth or liberty of speech to speak boldly no man hindring no nor so much as discouraging them The Prophet makes that the character of an evill time when the prudent keep silence Amos 5.13 As in evill or calamitous times it becomes the Godly prudent to be willingly silent adoring the justice of Gods severest dispensations towards them with patience and without murmuring at his hand So in some evill times they are forced to keepe silence though as David spake Psal 39.2 their sorrows be stirred either lest by speaking even nothing but truth and reason they draw further sorrows upon themselves or because they see it but lost labour to speake to a people obstinate and resolved on their way Fourthly This phrase of opening the mouth to speake notes the things spoken to be of very great worth such as have been long concocted and digested and at last ready to be brought forth as out of the treasury of an honest and understanding heart Os aperire est bene discussa et praemeditata habere dicenda Bold The heart is the treasury of words there they are stored up and from thence issued forth as Christ saith Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh As there is a stock of evill words in the hearts of evill men so of good and gracious words in the hearts of Godly men and when they open their mouthes according to this notion it is to bring forth the treasures and riches of their hearts to bring forth the gold and silver and precious things stored up there all these are very usefull interpretations of this phrase and I might give distinct observations from them but it may suffice to have named them I shall only adde that the last is conceived by some to be chiefely intended in the latter branch of this verse My tongue hath spoken in my mouth This seems a strange Expression where should the tongue speak but in the mouth when the tongue is out of the mouth can it speak as the mouth cannot speak without the tongue so the tongue cannot speak out of the mouth why then doth he say My tongue hath spoken in my mouth The Hebrew is In my palate the palate being a part of the mouth and one speciall Instrument of speech Naturalists reckon five The lips the tongue the teeth the palate the throat 't is put for all but there is more in it then so for every man speaks in his mouth Palatum â—ris coelum est Drus Praemeditata et quasi intelligentiae meae palato praegustata sum prolaturus Bez Bene sapui verba mea antequam illa efferendo tibi aliisque sapienda et gustanda traderem Bold Non sequarverba aliorum sed propries conceptus enunciabo Aquin or by the palate which is the heaven roofe or cieling of the mouth Therefore when Elihu saith My tongue hath spoken in my mouth or in my palate The palate may be considered as the instrument of tasting as well as of speaking We say such a thing is very savory to the palate And we call that Palate wine which is quicke and lively briske and pleasant to the tast Thus when Elihu saith here My tongue hath spoken in my mouth or palate His meaning is I have uttered only that which I have wel considered what my tongue hath spoken to you I have tasted my selfe I have put every word to my palate For as a man that that tasteth wine or any other sapid thing must have it upon his palate before he can make a Judgement whether it be sweet or sharpe quick or flat so faith Elihu my mouth hath spoken in my palate I tasted my words before I spake them Hence note Judicious and wise men will tast and try what they intend to speake before they utter it The speaker presents his words to the tast of the hearer For as this Scripture hath it at the 3d verse of the next Chapter The eare tryeth words as the mouth tasteth meat now he that ventures his words to the tast and censure of others had need take a tast of them before he doth it My tongue hath spoken in my mouth Secondly From the scope of Elihu in adding this namely to gaine attention Note There is great reason we should heare that carefully which the speaker hath prepared with care They who regard not what they speake deserve no regard when they speake but a weighing speaker should have a weighing hearer And what any mans tongue in the sence of Elihu hath spoken in his mouth that we should heare not only with our eare but with our heart This a strong argument to quicken attention yet Elihu gives in another and a stronger in the next verse Vers 3. My words shall be of the uprightnesse of my heart my lips shall utter knowledge clearly In the former verse Elihu called for an open eare because he opened his mouth and was about to speak or had spoken what he had well tasted In this verse he presseth the same duty by professing all manner of Ingenuity and Integrity in what he was about to speake He would speake not only seriously but honestly not only from his understanding but his conscience My words shall be of the uprightnesse of my heart c. The meaning is not that the uprightnesse of his heart should be the subject upon which he would treat though that be a blessed and most usefull subject yet it was not the poynt he intended to discusse but when he saith My words shall be of the uprightnesse of my heart his meaning is my words shall flow from the uprightnesse of my heart I will speake in the uprightnesse of my heart or according to the uprightnesse of my heart my words shall be upright as my heart is the plain truth is this Sincerè et absque ullo suco proferam animi mei sensa Bez I will speak truth plainly I 'le speak as I thinke you may see the Image of my heart upon every word I will speak without dawbing without either simulation or dissimulation Some conceive this to be a secret reproofe of or reflection upon Jobs friends as if Elihu had suspected them to have spoken worse of Job then they could thinke him to be in their hearts But as
he invited them into the City as poore birds into a snare to destroy them presently He was seemingly troubled at their affliction and wept but his were Crocodiles tears he murthered them as soone as he had them in his power Thirdly Some speake against their hearts doctrinally or in the Doctrines which they propound and teach There are three sorts who speak amisse doctrinally First Some speak that which is not right in the uprightnesse of their hearts or I may say they speak that which is false with a true heart that is they think it to be a truth which they utter when 't is an error and will be found so at last When ever we see different opinions stifly maintained among honest and godly men which though it be a very sad sight yet it is too often seene in that case I say one side alwayes speaks that which is false with a true heart and utters error uprightly The truth is some men defend an error with better and more honest hearts then some others defend the truth For Secondly There are such as speak right without any uprightnesse of heart or they speak truth with a false heart this Elihu specially professeth against he would not only speak that which was right but with uprightnesse The Apostle found several teachers of this second sort Phil 1.16 17 18. Some preach Christ that is the Gospel yea the truth of Christ in the Gospel else the Apostle would not have rejoyced in it as he professeth he did at the 18th verse I therein doe rejoyce yea and will rejoyce Yet these men did not preach in the uprightnesse of their own hearts for saith he Some Preach Christ out of envy and strife and some out of good will they preached Christ pure Gospel yet not with pure hearts for he adds they did it supposing to adde affliction to my bonds They preacht to oppose the Apostles more then to set up Christ and though they preached the truth yet they did it more in pretence then in truth as 't is sayd at the 18th verse The same Apostle speakes of others 2 Cor 11.13 14. who preached what was true for the matter and yet he calls them false Apostles deceitfull workers transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ and no marvell for Satan himselfe is transformed into an Angel of light They formed and shaped themselves into Angels of light and tooke up the doctrine of the faithfull Apostles of Jesus Christ in some things yet they did it not in the uprightnesse of their hearts but that they might weaken the estimation of the true Apostles in the hearts of the people and set up themselves there that so in other things they might with greater efficacy or more effectually mis-lead them or draw them into error Thus some are found speaking lyes in the truth of their hearts and others speaking truth in the falsenesse of their hearts Thirdly Many speak that which is false with a false heart This is the height of wickednesse The Apostle prophesieth of such 1 Tim 4.2 Who shall speake lyes in hypocrisie the matter they speak is a lye and they speak it with a base and false heart too And therefore he saith of these in the same verse Their consciences are seared with a hot iron that is they are insencible both of the mischiefe they doe and of the misery they must suffer Elihu professeth himselfe to be none of all these He spake that which was right and true in the uprightnesse and truth of his heart Such a one the Apostle directs the Gospel Deacon to be 1 Tim 3.9 Holding the mystery of faith in a pure Conscience which is the same with an upright heart And he tells us 1 Thes 2.4 5. That himselfe did not use any guile in the ministration of the Gospel He had truth on his side and he had truth in his heart as he also professed to his Brethren the Jewes Rom 9.1 2. I speak the truth in Christ I lye not my Conscience also bearing me witnesse in the holy Ghost c. And againe 2 Cor 2.17 We are not of those that Corrupt the truth we speak the truth and speak it truly He is a better speaker that speaks with an upright heart then he that speakes with an eloquent tongue He is the happy speaker who speakes more with his heart then with his tongue that can say with Elihu to Job My words shall be of the uprightnesse of my heart Words spoken of that subject and words flowing from that subject are lovely words Of this latter sort saith Elihu to Job My words shall be And my lips shall utter knowledge clearly Job had charged his three friends Chap 13. 4. that they were forgers of lyes Quia tribus amicis Jobus imposherat quod essent fabricatures mendaâ—ij hoc a se exâ—lâ—dit dicens sententiam labia mea puram loquentur Aquin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 purum planum perspicuum a fuco alienum sincerum ab omni scoria doli aut mendacij purgatorem Merc This Elihu engageth against while he saith My lips shall utter knowledge clearly The word here translated Clearly is rendered two wayes First As an Adjective Secondly As an Adverb Many render it as an Adjective My lips shall utter cleare knowledge or distinct knowledge cleare as to the matter pure plaine without any adulteration deceit or guile as to the manner So the word is often used I might give you many Scriptures for it The Prophet speaking in the person of Christ Isa 49.2 saith He hath made me a polished shaft the Hebrew is a pure shaft a glittering shining shaft Jer 5.11 He made bright his arrowes there this word is used It is applyed also to Chiefe men 1 Chron 7.48 These were Choyce men pure men So saith Elihu My lips shall utter cleare shining pure knowledge Hence note We should speak cleare truth Truth without mixture truth well winnowed doctrine well refined The commandement of the Lord is a pure word Psal 19.8 There 's not any dross at all in it 't is like silver tryed seven times in the fire Psal 12.6 The Prophet among other blessings which God promiseth to his Church and people hath this Isa 30.24 The Oxen likewise and the young Asses that eare the ground shall eate cleane Provender free from the straw and chaff dust and darnel But may we not here renew the Apostles question 1 Cor 9.9 10. Doth God take care for oxen or saith he it altogether for our sakes for our sakes no doubt it is written That the mouth of the oxe treading out the corne should not be muzzl'd was written for the Ministers sake to assure them that while they labour in the Gospel to feed souls their bodies should be fed And that the oxen and young asses shall eate cleane provender was written for the peoples sake to assure them that Christ would send them such Ministers as should feed them with pure holy wholesome doctrine not with
the chaffe of unwritten traditions nor with the mixtures of humane iâ—â—entions They should be taught cleare knowledge as Elihu here speaketh This mercy was also prophecied Zeph 3.9 Then will I turne to the people a pure language or a Clean lip it is this word that is what they speak shall be pure truth Their language shall be not only Grammatically pure proper and genuine but Theologically pure without any tincture of error in it Secondly As the word is taken according to our translation Adverbially Note We ought to speake truth clearly Some speake cleare truths who yet doe not speak them clearly They speak great truths yet obscure them in their own way of expressions they who wrap up sound doctrine in hard uncouth words or deliver it in an unnecessary multitude of words doe rather puzzle and confound their Auditors then enforme or instruct them And they who speak not knowledge clearly are like those who mud the waters or raise a dust in the ayre which will not let others see distinctly what they hold or put in either Speaking in darke words and strange notions is like speaking in a strange language They only speak profitably who speak clearly We commonly say Truth seekes no corners truth would not be hid What are obscure and ambiguous words words of a doubtfull construction and interpretation but corners wherein many hide truth while they pretend to speak and publish it Such speakers as wel as they who speak in an unknowne language are Barbarians to their hearers And therefore as the Apostle in reference to an unknowne tongue so should we say in reference to any covert or obscure way of speaking in our owne mother tongue We had rather speak five words that others may be edified then ten thousand words in hard and strange expressions Though we speak in a knowne language yet doubtfull words hinder edifying as much as an unknowne language doth yea such are as a forreiner to their hearers while they speak in their owne Country tongue 'T is a speciall gift of God to speak knowledge clearly The Apostle hath left that excellent advice with all who are called to speak the great things of eternall life 1 Pet. 4.11 If any man speak that is if he speak about the things of God divine things let him speak as the Oracles of God What are they The oracles of God are the knowne word of God But how are those oracles to be knowne Surely as God spake them plainly and clearly The oracles of God were spoken without ambiguity therefore let no man speake them as the oracles of the devil were spoken or as the devill spake his oracles that is ambiguously and doubtfully The devill of old gave out all his answers and oracles doubtfully and darkly to his darke and blinded votaries what he sayd might beare severall Constructions And he spake so on purpose that whatsoever the event or issue proved to be he though the father of lyes might have the reputation of speaking truth Croesus Halym penetrans magnam perverâ—et opum vin The Devils oracle gave Croesus such an answer as he might Interpret either of a great successe or of a great overthrow when he asked counsel about his warres And when Saul came to Enquire of the Witch of Endor that is of the Devill 1 Sam 28.11 he gave him a doubtfull resolve To morrow shalt thou and thy Sons be with me v. 19. Which ambiguous answer might be understood as of the next day following so indefinitely of any day neere approaching Satan loves not to speake knowledge clearely But the servants and messengers of Christ must use great plainness of speech while they are treating of and giving out the mind of God to his people and be carefull that as the doctrine is sound which they deliver so there may be a clearness in their delivering of it Their lips as Elihu engaged his should ought to utter knowledge clarely JOB Chap. 33. Vers 4 5 6 7. The Spirit of God hath formed me and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life If thou canst answer me set thy words in order before me stand up Behold I am according to thy wish in Gods stead I also am formed out of the clay Behold my terror shall not make thee afraid neither shall my hand be heavie upon thee IN these foure verses Elihu still prosecutes a discreete praefatory insinuation both of himselfe and of his intended discourse into the heart of Job that both might find wellcome and good entertainment there Elihu had assured him at the third verse that he would speak in the uprightness of his heart or that he would deale candidly and clearly with him That was a strong argument to gaine attention And in this fourth verse he argueth with and urgeth Job to give him attention because he was a man of Gods making as Job also was The same hand wrought them both and therefore why should there be a strangenesse between them or an unwillingness to give or receive counsel and helpe from one another Vers 4. The spirit of God hath formed me and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life I shall open these words two wayes First As a direct proposition or assertion Secondly In their connection and dependance as they are here used for an argument of perswasion First Consider the Text as an assertion The spirit of God hath made me c. The word doth not signifie barely to make 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faciendi verbum artificiosam elaboratam agendi rationem affert Pined or to clap up a worke any how but to make with art to make skilfully to compose and fashion a thing with exactest grace comeliness and beauty Thus are we made by the Spirit of God Man is an excellent piece of worke yea man is the Master-piece of all the visible workes of God The Spirit of God hath made me There are two things here to be enquired First what we are to understand by the Spirit of God to whom Elihu attributes his making Secondly Why doth Elihu attribute his making to the Spirit of God To the former question I answer First negatively that by the Spirit of God we are not to understand a power or vertue put forth by God in which sence we sometimes read the Spirit of God in Scripture But by the Spirit of God here we are to understand God the Spirit In which sence we read Gen 1.2 The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters As also Math 3.16 He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting upon him that is upon Jesus Christ baptized by John in Jordan The second question is Why doth Elihu attribute his making to the Spirit of God Regeneration or our new-making is properly the work of the Spirit but is Creation or our naturall constitution his work also Saith not Moses Gen 2.7 The Lord God formed man out of the dust of the earth Jehovah Elohim formed man
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
thunder to the obstinate and rebellious to the proud and presumptuous sinner they must cut him out a portion to his condition and save him if it may be with feare But the generall temper and carriage of the Ministers of the Gospel is meekness and gentlenesse they should be full of love and of compassion instructing even those that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth 2 Tim 2.25 26. The Ministers of Christ must not deale out terror till there be a necessity of it And alwayes they who doe well or are humbled for the evill which they have done must be handled tenderly My terror shall not make thee afraid Neither shall my hand be heavie upon thee Onus meum super te non erit grave Targ Quidam vocem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ita sumunt quasi veniat ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod est incurvare q.d. opus meum quod tibi imponam non erit tale ut sub eo incurveris Bold Inflexit se super eum os suum Mont My Burthen shall not be heavie upon thee saith the Chaldee Paraphrase and so some translate out of the Hebrew taking the derivation of the word from a roote which signifieth to bow downe the backe as we doe when a burden is layd upon us So the word is rendred Prov 16.26 He that laboureth labours for himselfe for his mouth craveth it of him that 's our reading and we put in the Margent and his mouth boweth unto him The mouth of a labouring man boweth to him as begging that he would get and give it something to eate and satisfie the craving of his hungry stomacke 'T is sad to see some poore men so given to Idleness that they had rather starve then worke and when according to the propriety of this text in the Proverbs their mouth boweth to them that they would take paines to get a little bread to eate they had rather endure the burthen of hunger then the burthen of labour But I instance this place only for that word which signifies a burthen or to burthen Those dreadfull Prophecies which mere published against any people in Scripture are called Burthens The Burthen of Duma the burthen of Damascus the burthen of Babylon that is a prophecy which had a burthen of calamity in it able to break the backs of the strongest Nations So saith Elihu according to this translation My burthen shall not be heavie upon thee Others render it thus Eloquentia mea non erit tibi gravis Vulg My Eloquence shall not be heavie upon thee that 's farre from the text yet there is a truth in the thing As if Elihu had said Though I am about to speake and have much to speake yet I would not speak such words nor so many I hope as shall be burthensome to thee I would not burthen thee with Eloquence that is either with affected Eloquence or the over-flowings of Eloquence Multiplicity of expression is very burthensome nor is any thing in speech more grievous to a wise man then an unnecessary heape of words They who have a fluency of speech are usually more pleased to heare themselves speak then others are to heare them Elihu according to this reading spake discreetly and to the purpose while he thus engageth to Job I will not burthen thee with my Eloquence But I passe that also We translate fully and clearly to the text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vota mea i. e. manus plaga ut Aleph sit addititium sive Hermanticum Drus My hand shall not be heavie upon thee The hand is taken two wayes properly and improperly it is not to be taken properly here we cannot suspect Elihu of any such rude behaviour that he would lay a violent hand on Job Improperly the hand signifies any act of a man towards man so a mans words may be his hand A mans hand may be heavie on him whom he never touched or came neere yea a mans hand may be heavie upon him whom he never saw Our hand is heavie upon others not only by outward violence upon the body but by any pressure upon the mind or inward man our vexing or troubling another whether by doing or saying that which afflicts him is the laying of a heavie hand upon him That 's the meaning of Elihu My hand shall not be heavie upon thee that is I will doe nothing nor will I say any thing which in it selfe shall be grievous and vexatious to thee We finde David complaining Psal 32.4 that the hand of God was heavie upon him day and night that is God appeared as displeased with him he could not get evidence of his love in the pardon of his sin This pressed his soule like an intollerable burthen Great afflictions of any kinde are a heavie hand upon us Elihu who saw the heavie hand of God upon Job already giveth him this comfortable promise That he would not adde griefe to his sorrow My hand shall not be heavie upon thee I know thou hast thy load already These latter words are of the same generall importance with the former And we may Note further from them Meekness and gentle dealing becomes us while we would reduce others from their error or reprove them for it My hand shall not be heavie upon thee The Apostle called God to record concerning the Corinthians 2 Cor 1.23 24. that it was to spare them that he had not come as then to Corinth As if he had sayd I was loth to lay so heavie a hand upon you or deale with such severity as your case required And yet he adds what severity soever I or others shall use towards you we shall use it Not for that we have dominion over your faith but as helpers of your Joy We shall not come with Lordly power upon you we purpose not to carry it by meere authority and command but of entreaty and love we will not Lord it over your consciences but only regulate them that your comforts may flow in more freely Hard words are oftentimes more pressing then the hardest blowes Words may weigh much more upon the spirit then a heavie burthen upon the backe I grant a heavie hand must be layd upon some there is no other way to deale with them The word is a hammer and a fire But as I intimated before we must distinguish of persons and of causes and accordingly lay our hand God hath not made his Ministers Lyons to scare his flock nor Bulls to gore them but Shepheards to feed them and watch over them And especially when the hand of God is upon any our hand should not For conclusion take here the laws of a just disputation Elihu in this Preface I have yet gone no farther gives Job free leave to answer and set himselfe to the battaile with him and promiseth to deale with him in the fairest and in the meetest way he could wish or
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
say it Againe When Elihu saith Thou hast spoken in my hearing and I have heard the voyce of thy words He would convince Job to the utmost Hence note To accuse or condemne any man out of his owne mouth must needs stop his mouth Or To be condemned out of our owne mouth is an unanswerable condemnation When our owne sayings are brought against us what have we to say Christ told the evill and unprofitable servant who would needs put in a plea for his idleness and excuse himselfe for hideing his Lords talent in a napkin that is for not using or improving his gift Luk 19.22 Out of thine owne mouth will I judge thee thou wicked servant I will goe no further then thy owne words And we see as that evill servant had done nothing before so then he could say nothing because judged out of his owne mouth When the offenders tongue condemneth him who can acquit him Psal 64.8 So they shall make their owne tongue to fall upon themselves The tongues of some men have fallen upon them and crusht them like a mountaine and they have been pressed downe yea irrecoverably oppressed with the weight of their owne words The Apostle Jude tells us what the Lord will do when he comes to Judgement in that great and solemne day of his second Appearing v 15. He shall convince all that are ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him He shall say to them are not these your words can you deny them or have you any plea for them Have you not spoken these things in my hearing And have I not heard the voyce of your words speaking thus and thus reproachfully of my wayes ordinances and servants This is like wounding a man with his own weapon 't is like the act of David in cutting off the head of Goliah with his owne sword He that is condemned by his owne saying dyeth by his own sword David saith of sychophants and slanderers Psal 55.21 Their words were smoother then oyle yet were they drawne swords Such draw these swords with an intent to wound other mens reputation or good name but they oftenest wound their owne And as their words who slander others rebound upon themselves and turne to their owne disgrace so also doe theirs for the most part who are much in commending or possibly only which was Jobs case in vindicating themselves Surely thou hast spoken in my hearing c. But what had Elihu heard Job speake the next words are an answer or declare the matter of his speech and in them as was said before in opening the Context Elihu first chargeth him with an over-zeale in justifying himselfe I have heard the voyce of thy words saying Vers 9. I am cleane without transgression I am innocent neither is there iniquity in me This thou hast sayd and this I charge upon thee as a great iniquity For the clearing of these words I shall doe these foure things because upon this charge the whole discourse of Elihu throughout the Chapter depends First I shall give the sence and explication of the words as here expressed by Elihu and some briefe notes from them Secondly I shall shew what matter of accusation or of fault there is in these words of Job as brought by Elihu in charge against him or how sinfull a thing it is for any man to say he is without sin Thirdly I shall enquire what ground Job had given Elihu to charge him with saying these things Fourthly which followeth upon the third I shall inquire whether Elihu dealt rightly and fairely with Job in bringing thi sore and severe charge against him First To open the words as they are an assertion Thou hast sayd I am cleane without transgression I am innocent neither is there iniquity in me Some distinguish the three terms used in the text as a deniall of three severall sorts of sin First That by being cleane without transgression he intends his freedome from sins against sobriety or that he had not sinn'd against himselfe Secondly that by being innocent his meaning is he had not done impiously against God Thirdly that by having no iniquity in him he cleares himselfe of wrong done to man These three sorts of sin containe sin in the whole latitude of it All sin is either against our selves strictly called intemperance or against God strictly called impiety or against man strictly called unrighteousnesse But though this hath a truth in it as to the distinction of sins yet it may be over-nice to conclude Elihu had such a distinct respect in these distinct expressions And it may be questioned whether the words will beare it quite thorow Therefore I passe from it and leave it to the readers Judgement Further as to the verse in generall we may take notice that the same thing is sayd foure times twice affirmatively I am cleane I am innocent And twice negatively I am without transgression There is no iniquity in me I am cleane without transgression The word which we render cleane implyeth the cleanest of cleannesse 't is rightly opposed to the word transgression which signifieth a defection or turning off from God Every sin in the nature of it is a defection from God but some sins are an intended or resolved defection from him Some even throw off the soveraignty of God over them and his power to command them not being willing to submit their backs to his burden nor their necks to his yoke These are justly called sons of Belial they not only transgresse the Law but throw off the yoke of Christ from their necks and his burden from their shoulderS and say like them Luke 19.14 We will not have this man reigne over us So then when Job sayd I am cleane without transgression he may be very well understood thus Though I have many failings yet I am free from defection though I have many weaknesses yet I am free from rebellion and obstinacy I still retaine an entire love to God and am ready to submit to his will though I often find my heart through corruption rising up against my duty I am turned aside through the strength of temptations but I turne not aside through the bent of my affections This doubtlesse or somewhat like this was Job's sence when ever he sayd I am cleane without transgression Hence note First Transgression is a pollution or Sin is a defilement If once men step over or besides the line and rule of holinesse the Law of God which to doe is transgression they become unholy Job supposed himselfe uncleane if guilty of transgression Sin is an uncleane thing and it maketh man uncleane This the Church confessed Isa 64.6 We all are as an unclean thing or person As if they had said Time was when there was a choice people among us who kept themselves pure from common defilements But now the contagion and corruption is so epidemicall and universal
is a departure from the way in which and from the scope and mark to which we should direct our whole course Iniquity is an unequall an undue or crooked thing It turneth others from their right and is it selfe a continuall swerving from it So much for the opening of these words as they are a proposition containing a charge brought against Job I have heard the voyce of thy words saying I am cleane from transgression I am innocent neither is there iniquity in me The second poynt proposed was to consider what matter of accusation there is in these words Matters of accusation arise from our evill deeds That we are not cleane from transgression that we are not innocent that there is much iniquity in us these are properly matter of accusation But here Elihu makes it matter of accusation that Job sayd he was cleane from transgression that he was innocent that there was no iniquity in him And indeed to be charged with the greatest transgression is not more then this to be charged with saying we are cleane from transgression To say we have no sin is very sinfull to say we are without iniquity is a saying full of iniquity 1 John 1.8 If we say we have no sin Here is Job saying so as Elihu chargeth him we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us And v 10. If any man say he hath no sin he maketh God a lyar and his word is not in him Now what greater sin can there be if we consider the force of these two verses then for any man to say he hath no sin How extreamly sinfull this is may be shewed in foure things First It is extreame pride for any man to say I have no sin What is pride but an over-reckoning of our selves When we value our selves 't is best to doe it at an under rate and to say lesse of our selves if it may be then we are as Paul did who called himselfe lesse then the least of all Saints Pride alwayes over-reckons and casts us up more then we are worth Some reckon their temporall and many more their spirituall estates at many thousands as I may say when upon a true account they are worse then nothing So did the Church of Laodicea Rev 3.17 Thou sayest I am rich and encreased with goods and have need of nothing and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poore and blind and naked They who are soule-blind cannot see either how bad they are or what good they want Nothing hinders the sight of our wants so much as a conceit that we are full Secondly It is the greatest deceit even selfe-deceit to say or suppose that we are in this sence cleane without transgression so saith that text of the Apostle v 8. He that saith he hath no sin deceiveth himselfe It is bad enough to deceive others and woe to them that doe so but how bad is their condition who deceive themselves He is in an ill condition who is deceived by others But if a man deceive himselfe where shall he have his amends Selfe-admirers and selfe-flatterers are the Greatest selfe-deceivers And who or what shall be true to that man who is false to himselfe Thirdly It is a lye and the greatest lye that 's more then a bare deceit for it is such a lye as leaveth no truth at all in us He that saith he hath no sin in him hath no truth in him what hath he in him then but a lye Every sin is a lye and he that saith he hath no sin in him hath nothing of truth in him what hath he then in him or what is he but a lye v 10. The word of God is not in him which is the treasury of all truth and therefore he hath no truth in him nor can have till he hath repented of that lye Fourthly that ye may see there is exceeding much in this charge To say so is blasphemy and the highest blasphemy Why Because it makes God a lyar â—e that saith he hath no sin doth not only deceive himselfe but as much as in him lyeth he makes God a lyar v 10. To deceive with a lye is the worst sort of deceivings and what lye is worse then or so bad as that which makes the God of truth a lyar and turnes the truth of God into a lye Lay these foure considerations together and then it will appeare how heavie a charge is contained in these words when Elihu saith he had heard Job say he was cleane without transgression he was innocent and no iniquity in him Therefore thirdly consider a little further what occasion had Job given Elihu to say that he had sayd I am cleane from transgression c. I answer There are severall passages upon which Elihu might pitch this charge I will only name foure texts out of which possibly this might arise First Chap 10. 7. where Job speaking to God himselfe saith Thou knowest that I am not wicked He appealed to the knowledge of God himselfe in the thing The second may be collected from Chap 16. 17. Not for any injustice in my hand also my prayer is pure The third from Chap 23. 10. But he knoweth the way that I take when he hath tryed me I shall come forth as gold My foot hath held his steps his way have I kept and not declined In the fourth place Elihu might take those words Chap 27. 5. God forbid that I should justifie you till I die I will not remove my integrity from me My righteousness I hold fast and will not let it goe my heart shall not reproach me as long as I live All these are Job's assertions concerning his owne innocency And these or such like passages as these Elihu 't is likely being an attentive hearer had observed and picked up as the matter of this first part of his charge Job's self-justification Fourthly and lastly let us consider whether Elihu did rightly bring this charge against Job from these sayings or whether he dealt so ingenuously with Job as he promised while from these or the like passages he saith Job had sayd I am cleane without transgression c. For answer first take notice that Elihu was not the first that had charged Job thus he had been thus charged by his three friends before Zophar sayd Chap 11. 4. Thou hast sayd my doctrine is pure and I am cleane in thine eyes that is in the eyes of God Eliphaz seemâ—s to say as much Chap 15. 14. What is man that he should be clean and he which is borne of a woman that he should be righteous While Eliphaz put these questions he intimated that Job had made such affirmations Bildad likewise was upon the same strain with him Chap 25. 4. How then can man be justified with God or how can he be cleane that is borne of a woman We see then this was not the first time by three that Job had heard this charge and had made answer for
himselfe And as these charges so Job's answers have been opened heretofore upon those former passages and therefore I shall not stay much upon the poynt here Yet because Elihu reassumes this argument yea makes it his strongest argument against Job I shall a little consider whether he did rightly or no in this thing To cleare which we must remember that Job's innocency had received a three-fold testimony in this booke First He received a testimony from God himselfe and that a very notable and glorious one Chap 1. 8. Hast thou considered my servant Job that there is none like him in the earth a perfect and an upright man Secondly He received a further testimony from the pen-man of this book who having recorded the severall afflictions of Job and his behaviour under them repeats it twice Chap 1. 21. Chap 2. 10. In all this Job sinned not nor charged God foolishly The testimony which God gave him referred to his former actions or conversation before his affliction The testimony which the writer gave him referred specially to his latter words or speeches under his affliction Besides these testimonies which are not at all questioned nor can be we find a third testimony and that he gives of himselfe Now though Elihu did highly reverence the testimony which God had given if we may suppose he had notice of it and would also the testimony of the pen-man of the booke had it then been written yet he questioned the testimony which Job gave of himselfe Now that there was some severity in this charge upon that suspition may appeare by considering it in a few particulars First It must be sayd on Job's part or in favour of him according to truth that he never affirmed he was not a sinner Nay we shall find him more then once twice or thrice confessing the sinfulness of his nature and the sins of his life We find him also confessing that notwithstanding all the righteousness and integrity in him yet he would owne none of it before God and that if he should justifie himselfe his owne cloaths would abhorre him Therefore Job was far from saying he had no sin in him in a strict sence Secondly Most of those passages wherein he speakes of himselfe as cleane and righteous may be understood of his imputative cleanness and righteousness as a person justified in the redeemer of whom he spake with such a Gospel spirit and full assurance of faith that he might well assert this of himselfe I know that being justified I am cleane and without sin It is no fault for a believer to say I am cleane without transgression through free Grace in the righteousness of Jesus Christ Much of what Job spake in this matter is to be taken that way Thirdly When Job affirmes these things of himselfe we may say this in favour of him he meanes it of great transgressions The words in the text note defection and wilfull swerving from the right way His friends charged him with hypocrisie with oppression with taking the pledge for nought with stripping the naked of their clothing Thine iniquity is great said Eliphaz and thy sin is infinite Now saith Job I am cleane I have no such transgressions And he might well answer his friends charge of impiety against God and iniquity towards men with a flat deniall yea with an affirmation of the contrary There is no such iniquity in me prove it if you can He was unblameable in the sight of man Fourthly In favour of Job this may be sayd what he spake of himselfe and of his owne righteousness was upon much provocation of when his spirit was heated by his friends who so constantly urged these crimes against him In these heats he spake highly of himselfe and though it doth not excuse any mans sin when he hath spoken sinfully to say I was provoked yet it doth abate the greatness of the sin Good Moses who was the meekest man upon the earth when through provocation he spake unadvisedly with his lips felt the smart of it and God reckoned sorely with him for it Yet to speake amisse upon provocation is not so much amisse as to speake so in cold blood or unprovoked Fifthly Elihu might have put a fairer interpretation and construction upon these sayings of Job He might have taken them in the best sence as Job meant them that he was righteous cleane and innocent in all his transactions with men and had not wickedly at any time departed from God And then ther had not been such matter of fault in what he said as was broughe against him Yet in vindication of Elihu it must be granted Job gave him occasion to rebuke and blame what he had said and that chiefly upon these three accounts First Because he spake many things of himselfe which had an appearance of boasting and so of vaine speaking A little truly sayd of our selves or in our owne commendation may be thought too much how much more when we say much Secondly He spake such things as carri'd a shew of over-boldness with God He did not observe his distance as he ought when he so earnestly pressed for a hearing to plead his cause before God especially when he so often complained of the severity of Gods proceedure with him with which Elihu taxeth him directly in the two verses following Upon both these grounds Elihu thought and was no doubt guided in it by the Spirit of God to cut him to the quick that Job might learne to speake more humbly of himselfe and more temperately to God And therefore Thirdly The Lord did righteously yea and graciously let out the spirit of Elihu upon him in another way then his friends before had done He did not charge him with wickedness in fact but dealt with him about the unwariness of his words Job could not say he had never spoken such words for such words he did speake though he did not speake them as Elihu tooke them When words are out they must stand to the mercy of the hearers and abide such a judgement as may with truth be made of them though possibly besides the purpose of the speaker A man in that case is not wronged he should learne to speak more warily and not give occasion of offence Doubtlesse the Lord had a gracious intent upon Job in stirring the spirit of Elihu to represent his words in the hardest sence that he might humble him Job's spirit was yet too high and not broken enough as it was afterwards Nor doth Job reply or retort upon Elihu for this And when the Lord himselfe began to deal with him he saith Who is this that darkeneth councell by words without knowledge Chap 38. 2. and Job himselfe being brought upon his knees confesseth Chap 42. 3. I have uttered that I understood not things too wonderfull for me which I knew not I have been too bold I confesse Though it was not Jobs purpose or meaning to speake so he had integrity in what he spake yet his words
either immediate from himselfe in those dreames and visions to the Prophets or mediate by the Prophets And though now God doth not speake to us immediately as he did to the Prophets before Christ came in the flesh and to the Apostles after he was come in the flesh yet All the Propheticall and Apostolicall writings are the speakings of God to us besides what he dayly speaketh to us answerable to what is written both inwardly by the workings of his Spirit and outwardly by the workes of his providence For he speaketh once c. Hence note In what way soever God reveales his minde unto man he speakes unto him Every manifestation of the will of God to us is a Sermon what man speaketh to us according to the word of God is to be received as the word of God For as God speaketh to us though not formally yet expressely in the holy Scriptures which are his word so he speaketh to us vertually though not expressely by his works And that First by his workes of creation by them God is continually opening and manifesting himselfe to man in his wisdome power and goodnesse He speaketh to us Secondly by his works of providence whether first they be works of mercy every mercy hath a voyce in it every blessing a speech or secondly whether they be works of judgement Micah 6.9 The Lords voyce cryeth unto the Citie and the man of wisdome shall see thy name heare ye the rod and who hath appointed it Sicknesses and losses the crosses and troubles that we meet with in the world cry aloud to us especially when they make us as they often doe cry aloud As the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy worke day unto day uttereth speech and night unto night sheweth knowledge Psal 19.1 2. so those things that are done and acted night and day utter the mind and speak out the heart of God unto man For God speaketh once yea twice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in una pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in una vice The Hebrew is in once that is for one Turne or Time or by one meanes or way The word once hath a threefold signification in Scripture all which are applyable to the text in hand First Once is as much as surely certainly verily irrevocably Thus Psal 89.35 Once have I sworne by my holinesse that I will not lie unto David That is I have surely sworne certainly sworne irrevocably sworne my word yea my oath is out and it is immutable That which God in this sence once saith it is alwayes sayd or 't is sayd for ever how much more that which he swareth Thus the Apostle argueth Heb 6.17 18. God willing more abundantly or more then needed as to him and the truth of the thing in it self to shew unto the heires of promise the immutability of his counsel confirmed it by an oath that by two immutable things in which it is impossible for God to lye namely his promise and his oath we might have strong consolation c. In like notion we may expound that once which we finde Heb 9.27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die or to dye once and after that cometh the judgement Some referre once to dye as if the meaning were it is appointed unto men to dye once that is men must expect to dye a naturall death which happens but once and once at least equivalently will and must happen to all men Others referre the once to appointed in the sence of this present exposition It is appointed once that is God hath certainly and firmly appointed established and decreed this thing he hath ratified it in heaven that men must dye This statute is irrevocable The thing is appointed and there is no reversing or revoking of that appointment This is a good sence and sutable enough to the scope of Elihu God speaketh once that is what he speaketh is a sure and certain word an infallible word the word setled for ever in heaven Psal 119.89 his promise is not only sure but most sure As the Apostle speakes 2 Pet. 1.18 19. And this voyce which came from heaven we heard when we were with him in the holy Mount We have also a more sure the Comparative imports the Superlative a most sure word of prophecy whereunto ye doe well that ye take heed as unto a light that shineth in a darke place untill the day dawne and the day-starre arise in your hearts As the whole propheticall so the whole historicall and doctrinall word of God is most sure being once spoken it is spoken for ever And written as with a pen of iron and the point of a Diamond and that upon a rocke which cannot be removed That which was vaine-gloriously and beyond the line of man sayd of the Law of the Medes and Persians Dan 6.8 is only true of the word of God it altereth not Secondly This once speaking Semel loquitur deus et secundo id ipsum non repetet Vulg Quia quod sufficienter factum est iterare superfluum est Aq notes the speaking of a thing so sufficiently or fully that there is enough sayd at once and so no more needs be sayd The vulgar translation takes up this sence God hath spoken once that is he hath spoken fully or sufficiently for mans instruction and admonition at once and therefore he translates the latter part of the verse thus And he doth not repeate it the second time That which is done at once sufficiently needs not be done a second time This is a truth There is a sufficiency and a fullnesse in the word of God once spoken there needs nothing to be added or as others expound this translation When once God speakes that is resolves and determines a thing he doth not as man who often repents of what he hath purposed bring it into a second consideration for he cannot erre and therefore he needs decree but once But though this be a truth yet I doe not conceive it to be the meaning of this place because it doth not well agree with what goes before and lesse with that which followeth at the 29th verse Loe all these things worketh God oftentimes or as our Margin hath it twice and thrice with man And therefore here Elihu rather intimates the variety of those wayes by which God reveales himselfe to man then the sufficiency of any one of them For though we grant any one of them sufficient yet God out of his abundant goodnesse is pleased to reveale himselfe more wayes then one and more times then once Thirdly This once may be taken exclusively so iâ— Scripture once is once and no more once and not againe or as we say once for all and so it is opposed to the repeating and acting over of the same thing Thus Abisha sayd to David 1 Sam 26.8 God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day now therefore lâ—â— me smite him I pray thee
twice at once that is I heard it speedily and I heard it believingly as soon as ever the word came to me I received it and I received it not only with my eare but with my heart That 's a blessed way of hearing and they who heare so at first speaking may well be sayd to heare that twice which God speaketh once But how sad is it that God should speake twice thrice yea foure times and yet not be heard so much as once When Job was brought upon his knees Chap 40.5 he said Once have I spoken but I will not answer yea twice but I will proceed no further Job began to be sensible of that which Elihu was working him to that he had been too forward yea too forward with God Job began to see his error and recanted it I have spoken once yea twice but I will proceed no further 'T is good that after once or twice sinning or failing we yet say we will proceed no further O how deplorable is mans condition when the Lord shall say I have spoken once yea twice but now I will proceed no further I will speake no more And this usually comes to passe when men are dull and slow of heart to understand what he speaketh which as naturall men alwayes so godly men often are as it followeth in this text He speaketh once yea twice Yet man perceiveth it not That is apprehendeth not sometimes that God is speaking to him and he seldome understandeth what God is speaking to him There is a little varietie in the exposition of this latter clause of the verse The word man not being expressely in the Hebrew and therefore we finde it put by our translaters in a distinct character the text runs only thus God speaketh once yea twice he perceiveth it not This hath occasion'd the vulgar latine interpreter to referre this last clause of the verse to God also giving out the sence thus God speaketh once and a second time he doth not repeate it Semel loquitur deus et secundò id ipsum non repetit Vulg. As if here were a warning given that all should attend the very first motion of Gods voyce to them For he speaketh once and doth not repeate the same But I shall not stay upon that because I see not how the Hebrew word by us rendred to perceive can with any tolerable significancy be rendred to repeate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a radice intendit oculos prosperit animadvertis viderit Semel loquitur deus et secundo illud non considerat Scult yet there is a second rendring of the text in the same tenour giving a genuine sence of that word which is very profitable and proper enough to the scope of the place God speaketh once and he doth not consider upon it a second time That is when God speaks or decrees to give forth any thing he doth not take it into consideration againe or review and bring it about upon second thoughts as men often doe yea it is their duty though it be a duty arising from their frailty so to doe Men ought to consider often and review their owne words as well as their works But saith Elihu according to this reading God speaks once and doth not consider of it againe for he hath the measure and compasse of all things so fully in himselfe that he needs not turne backe his thoughts upon any of his determinations as if there could be a mistake or any error in them This is a very glorious truth highly advancing the name of God above every name among the best of the children of men And it ariseth clearely from the text leaving out the suppliment which we make of the word man Yet according to the opinion of the most and best expositers yea according to the clearest scope and tendency of the text that word man is rather to be supplyed God speaketh once yea twice And man perceiveth it not 'T is common in Scripture to leave such words unexpressed as must necessarily be understood And therefore I shall only insist upon our owne translation Yet before I proceed to that I shall touch upon another reading of these words as referring unto man which doth not so much carry a reproofe of mans dullnesse as a commendation of Gods goodnesse thus God speaks once yea twice Loquitur deus semel et duabus vicibus ad eum qui non consideravit eam Pisc if man perceiveth it not As if he had sayd If man be so weake and darke so dull and slow of apprehension as not to perceive Gods minde at his first speaking yet God is usually so gracious and condescending as to speake twice or a second time even to that man This reading doth exceedingly exalt and set forth the goodnesse and graciousnesse of God and we have frequent experience of it that when God speakes once and findes creatures dull of hearing he speakes a second time Our reading gives in these words as a charge of mans darknesse and slownesse to apprehend the meaning of God speaking to us either in his word or works God speakes once yea twice Yet man perceiveth it not The Hebrew is man seeth it not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non viderit illud sc homo quod deus loquitur Verbo hoc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Elihu utitur sexies Job ter Zophar semel Videtur isto verbo diligens et clara significari speculatio et observatio curiosa Coc. There is an eye in the understanding the mind of man heholdeth the sence of words even as his bodily eye beholdeth the colours and dimensions of any materiall object Yet the eye of mans mind is so bleared and dim-sighted that though God speak once yea twice he seeth he perceiveth it not That is he doth not clearly perceive it Elihu makes use of this word six times Job thrice Zophar once in all which places they intend an exact observation and through speculation of the matter which they treate upon either in the affirmative or in the negative here as a rebuke to man Elihu makes use of it in the negative man perceiveth it not Hence note Man of himself cannot perceive the mind of God in spirituall speakings or God speakâ—ng about spirituall things The propheticall Sermons are called visions The vision of Isaiah the son of Amos which he saw Isa 1.1 yet when they preached them to the people many of them saw nothing their visions were to the people as parables or darke sayings Man in generall falls under a twofold consideration first as unconverted or carnall and in that state he perceiveth not at all when God speaks once and twice yea thrice he perceiveth nothing And that proceeds from a double ground First from the naturall pravity of his heart and the blindnesse of his mind Of such the Apostle saith Eph. 4.18 They have their understanding darkened being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindnesse
the meaning scope and mind of any sentence or the purpose of man in what he speaketh Thirdly there is the divine of spirituall interpreter who labours to bring the truths of God and the heart of man together The Apostle having treated about prophecying concludes 1 Cor. 14.25 And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest and so falling down on his face he will worship God and report that God is in you of a truth as if the man that beleeved not or one unlearned for of such he speaks vers 24. had said surely these men understand what is in my heart for they have brought the truth of God and my heart together so that I must confesse God is in them that is there is a divine wisdome or interpretation in them When Elihu faith If there be an interpreter we are to understand him in this last sence not of one that can interpret words like a Grammarian or give the scope and sence of words like a Logician but of one that hath a divine skill to bring the truths of God home to the heart of man that is to convince informe an ignorant conscience and to comfort relieve and support a troubled conscience If there be an interpreter Hence note The Ministers of Christ are the interpreters of the mind and good will of God toward poor sinners They interpret the mind of God as to peace and reconciliation as to grace and salvation as well as to duty and holiness of conversation 'T is the nicest and hardest thing in the world to interpret the mind of God aright to a sinner to bring his heart to a closing with the great truths and promises of the Gospel he that can doe this skilfully is worthy the name of an interpreter The Apostle saith of him who is but a babe in Christ and useth milke that is lives upon the lower and more easie principles of faith he is unskillfull in the word of righteousnesse Heb. 5.13 that is he knowes not how to make out and mannage for his own comfort the doctrine of free grace through the alone righteousness of Jesus Christ And therefore as first God himself is the author and fountaine of this grace as secondly Jesus Christ is the purchaser or procurer of the fruits of this grace to sinners as thirdly the effectuall worker of our hearts to receive this grace as also the witness-bearer and sealer of it to our souls is the holy Spirit as fourthly the word of the Gospell is the Charter and Covenant of this grace so fifthly the Ministers of Christ are the interpreters of this grace and they are or ought to be skillfull in this word of righteousness Their skill and duty is first to explaine what the Covenant is and rightly to lay down how the sinners reconciliation to God is wrought Secondly to make a sutable and seasonable application of it or to bring it home to the souls and consciences of poor sinners as they find their state to be And as the Ministers of Christ are Gods interpreters to his people so they are the peoples interpreters unto God They are the former two wayes First by opening the mind of God to his people Secondly by urging and pressing them to receive it both for their direction and consolation They are the latter four wayes First by laying open and spreading the peoples wants and weaknesses before God Secondly by confessing their sins and transgressions to God Thirdly by intreating the Lord for them or by praying for mercy pardon and forgiveness in their behalfe for sins committed Fourthly by giving thanks in their name for mercies received Thus they are first Gods mouth to the people in preaching declaring the Gospel Secondly the peoples mouth to God in prayer and thanksgiving And in both performe the worke and Office of an interpreter And if the Ministers of the Gospell are interpreters Then First Every Minister must be acquainted with the mind of God He must have skill in the mystery of the Gospel How shall he be able to interpret the mind of God to sinners who is not acquainted with the mind of God We have the mind of Christ saith the Apostle of himselfe and his fellow-labourers in the Gospel 1 Cor. 2.16 and when he saith we have the mind of Christ his meaning is not only this that they had the mind of Christ written in a book but they had a cleare understanding of it and so were fitted to interpret it to others Secondly As he must have the knowledge of the mystery so he must have the tongue of the learned Isa 50.4 That he may be able to speak a word in season to him that is weary that is to the wounded and troubled in conscience This is the interpreter intended by Elihu He is one that hath learned and is taught of God Humane learning the knowledge of Arts and Sciences is good and hath its use but divine learning or learning in divine things that is to be divinely learned 't is possible for one to have learning in divine things and not to be divinely learned is absolutely necessary to make him an interpreter It is not enough to know divine things but he must know them divinely or by the unction and teachings of the Spirit The Apostle John Rev 10.8 is commanded to eat the book this eating of the book signifieth the spirituall knowledg of divine truths in this sence we know no more then we eat then we as it were turn into our own substance that which is eaten becomes one with us the mystery of the Gospell must be eaten by the interpreter of Gospell mysteries A man cannot interpret the mind of God till he knows it and he cannot know the mind of God unlesse God himself reveals it so the Apostle argueth 1 Cor. 2. from 12 to 16. As no man knoweth the mind of a man but the spirit of a man that is in him so the things of the spirit of God knoweth no man but the spirit of God and he to whom the Spirit of God doth reveale them And therefore though a man may have an abillity to interpret the word of God as 't is an excellent book a book full of admirable knowledge he may I say have an abillity to interpret it soundly by humane learning yet no man can doe it savingly and convertingly but by the help of the Spirit Psal 25.14 The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them his Covenant he will shew it effectually he will make them know it Thus David prayed Psal 119.18 Lord open thou mine eyes that I may behold wonderous things out of thy Law Naturall parts and humane learning arts and languages may give us an understanding of the tenour and literal meaning of the Law of God but none of these can open our eyes to behold the wonders of the Law much lesse the wonders and mysteries of the Gospell The opening of our eyes to behold these
is sayd he will render unto man his righteousness we are not to understand it of righteousness in kinde but of the reward or fruit of his righteousness For here Elihu speaks of a person already righteous or at least of him who had repented of and turned from his unrighteousness So that to returne or render unto man his righteousness is to returne the mercy promised to those that are righteous Reddet justitiam i. e. praemium justitiae Drus For as iniquity or unrighteousness is often put for the punishment of unrighteousness so equity or righteousness is often put for the reward of righteousness or for that which God according to his righteous promise returnes unto a righteous person Thus we may understand Elihu here As if he had sayd God dealt with this man before as with a sinner or he afflicted him for his sin But now he will deale kindly with him as with a righteous person and removing his affliction and taking his hand off from him he will render his righteousness to him he will not reckon with him for any former unrighteousness From this notion of the word Observe God usually deals with men as they are and according to what they doe If a godly man sin he shall smart for it and if a sinner return and repent God will shew him kindness Though the mercy and kindness which God shews to a returning sinner be not for his returnings or repentings yet 't is according to them The favour which God sheweth any man is for Christs sake or for what Christ hath done and suffered but it is according to what himselfe hath done or suffered David experienced this himselfe Psal 18.20 The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousnes c. That is as I have been a righteous and just person so the Lord hath dealt with me And he gives the rule with respect to all others v. 25. With the upright thou wilt shew thy selfe upright with the pure thou wilt shew thy selfe pure c. That is Thou wilt be such to men in thy dispensations as they are in their conversations and dispositions in the frame and bent of their hearts and lives And as it followeth v. 27. Thou wilt save the afflicted or humble people but wilt bring downe high lookes that is those that are proud and high-minded The Prophet holds out the same truth in way of direction Isa 3.10 Say ye to the righteous it shall be well with him for they shall eat of the fruit of their doings that is they shall have good for the good they have done or according to the good which they have done Rom 2.10 Glory honour and peace to every man that worketh good to the Jew first and also to the Gentile If any object But may it not be ill with men that doe good and are good doth the Lord alwayes render to man according to his righteousness I answer It is well at present with most that doe well look over all the sons of men and generally ye shall find that usually the better they are the better they live Secondly I answer It shall be well with all that doe well in the issue and for ever This truth will abide to eternity God will render unto man according to his righteousness Secondly We may take the word righteousness Justiam quam ei confert in Christo reputans eum pro justo Jun for the righteousness of justification Mr Broughton inclines to that sence He will restore unto man his justice And presently adds by way of glosse Justice is Christ It is Christs Justice or righteousness that is restored to man Christ is indeed The Lord our righteousness Jer 23.6 And thus severall others of the learned expound these words He will render unto man his righteousness That is he will bestow upon him or restore to him righteousness in Christ he will account him righteous though he hath no righteousness of his owne which will hold in Gods account Elihu I grant calleth it Mans righteousness his righteousness yet we may well understand him calling it so not because it is wrought by but because it is imputed to or bestowed upon man as his righteousness That is ours which is freely given us so is righteousness in justification by faith in Christ We have no righteousness wrought in us or by us for that purpose but we have a righteousness wrought for us and freely bestowed upon us for that purpose which is therefore truely called mans righteousness But some may question how can it be sayd that God doth render or return to man this righteousness that is the righteousness of justification Can this righteousness be lost can a person justified fall out of a justified state I answer The righteousness of justification which is true also of the righteousness of sanctification as to the substance and being of it cannot be lost But it may be lost as to the comfortable enjoyments and fruits of it or as to our apprehension of it And the Lord is sayd to returne to man the righteousness of his justification not as if the grace it selfe were lost or taken away from him but because the sight and sence of it the sweetness and joy of it Non enim ablata justitia redditur sed ablatae justitiae sensus Coc the workings and effects of it having been lost are now restored to him againe When the Lord by his Spirit gives the soule a cleare and fresh evidence of it or reneweth the testimony of his Spirit with our spirits that our sins are forgiven and that we are justified beloved and accepted in Christ then the Lord is sayd to render unto man his righteousness otherwise neither the faith by which this righteousness is applyed nor the righteousness it selfe which is applyed to us by faith is at any time lost or removed Only in this sence as in many other Scriptures so in this the Lord is sayd to render unto man his righteousness both of sanctification and justification For when a beleever through sin hath blotted his own evidences and God hath left him under the darkness of his own spirit for his negligent unwatchfull unworthy walking or when the Lord hideth his face to try him what he will doe whether he will trust in his name while he walketh in darkness and seeth no light when I say after withdrawings for either of these reasons or for any other the Lord gives him in a renewed evidence of his love then he is sayd to render unto man his righteousness It is in this case as with a man that labours under some strong and dangerous disease which taketh away his sences and leaves him halfe dead we say the man is gone yet he recovers his speech returnes and his spirits revive and then we say his life is rendred to him or he is brought back from the grave we have fetched him againe not that his life was quite taken away for he was not a carkasse in
praeparat terram ante seminatorem 'T is but one word in the Hebrew which we translate hold thy peace and it signifieth properly to dig or plow the ground and by a metaphor to thinke of or to meditate because thoughts goe deep in the soule a man doth as it were plow up his own spirit while he is meditating or thinking seriously Pro 3.29 Devise not evill or it is this word plow not up evill that 's a bad soyle indeed to be plowing up They that plow evill shall sow the wind and except they repent reape the whirlewind The prophet exhorting Ephraim to break up their fallow ground and sow in righteousness that they might reap mercy Hos 10.12 reproves them v. 13. for a very unprofitable piece of husbandry by this word Ye have plowed wickedness ye have reaped iniquity ye have eaten the fruit of lyes that is ye have plotted devised and contrived wicked things and ye have fared accordingly Now as the word signifieth to meditate by a metaphor from digging or plowing so by the figure antiphrasis or contrary speaking it signifies to forbeare doing or speaking to sit still or as we render it here to hold our peace and say nothing Isa 41.1 Keepe silence before me O Islands Psal 50.3 Our God shall come and shall not keep silence that is he will speak aloud Elihu bespeakes Job in the affirmative hold thy peace be silent Some conceive Job began to interrupt Elihu Vidatur Jobin se avertisse vel displiceÌ„tiae signum dedisse illum igitur ad so audiendum invitat Scult or gave some token of dislike while he was discoursing as if he had received his speech with disgust and not only inwardly stomacked at it But did not forbeare to discover it by some significant gesture or frowne and that Elihu perceiving this desired him to hold his peace As if he had sayd If you desire to reape any benefit by what I speak be patient and doe not interrupt me But I conceive there was no such height nor heate of spirit in Job at that time He began now to be sedate and quiet enough being somewhat convinced of his former error and intemperance of speech But some may say was it not an over-bold part in Elihu a young man to impose silence upon Job or to bid him hold his peace I answer Elihu doth not bid Job hold his peace either first as if he had seene him unwilling to let him speake or would not heare him any more Job was a very patient hearer he heard his friends patiently and he had heard Elihu too with silence and patience yea though Elihu offered him leave yea almost provoked him to speake v. 5. yet he did not but gave him scope to speake out Nor did Elihu speake this secondly as if he slighted Job or thought him a man unable to answer him or speake to purpose for presently in the next verse he desireth him againe to speake Nor thirdly as if he had such high thoughts of his owne wisdome and loved so much to heare himselfe speake as some men doe that he cared not to heare others but would engrosse all the discourse Nor was it fourthly because he saw such an affectation in Job to speake that he needed as the Apostle speaks of some Tit 1.11 to have his mouth stopt It was not upon any of these or such like reasons that Elihu desired Job to hold his peace but it was either first that himselfe might speak more clearely and carry his matter through to his understanding or secondly that he might set the matter more home upon his conscience and move him to consider yet more seriously what he had sayd of the various wayes of Gods dealing with man to humble his soule and bring him neerer to himselfe or lastly that Job might perceive and take notice that he was the man aymed at in all the foregoing parable As if he had sayd Sir downe quietly and consider with thy selfe whether all this discourse hath tended or whether or no thou art not the man intended in it As Christ when he had spoken that parable of the sower concluded Math 13.9 He that hath an eare to heare let him heare that is let him take it home to himselfe or as Christ concludeth his Epistles to the seven Churches in the second and third Chapters of the Revelation with He that hath an eare let him heare what the Spirit saith to the Churches so doth Elihu to Job in speciall Mark-well O Job and hearken unto me hold thy peace This silence was made of old in great assemblyes Majestate manus by putting the hand to the mouth and then stretching it forth Acts 12.17 Acts 13.16 Chap. 19.23 Chap. 26.1 If any would know yet more distinctly what Elihu meant when he bid Job hold his peace I answer First Negatively not a bare silence or saying nothing but affirmatively when he sayth hold thy peace it might note these two things First That he would have him much in the worke of consideration or to forbeare speaking that he might be more in meditating and weighing and laying things to heart he would have him bring what he had spoken to the ballance of the Sanctuary and then to his owne heart A man is never more busie then when he thus holds his peace Secondly When he saith hold thy peace it might note that he desired his submission to the counsel given or to be given him He would have him bridle his tongue in token that his spirit was brideled He would have Jobs silence say speake on I will say nothing let the truth of God reigne and rule over me by thy word What Samuel answered to the Lord himselfe 1 Sam 3.10 Speak Lord for thy servant heareth that should we answer to those who speak to us from the Lord speak ye we will heare and hold our peace or we should say with good Cornelius when Peter came to him Acts 10.33 We are all here present before God to heare all things that are commanded thee of God When a man holds his peace upon these termes 't is a signe he layeth downe his owne wisdome and his will he doth not stand upon his pantofloes as we say nor abound in his owne sence but is ready to be delivered or cast into the mould of any holy and wholesome doctrine which shall be delivered unto him They are in the fittest frame to hold the truth which others speake who can withhold themselves from speaking Further There is a two-fold holding of the peace First at the works of God or at what God doth Lev 10.3 when God had smitten the two sons of Aaron dead with fire frâ—m heaven Aaron held his peace that is he did not murmure at nor contradict what God had done That also was Davids temper Psal 39.9 I was dumbe I opened not my mouth because thou Lord didst it The Prophet Jeremy describes an humbled soule in the same posture Lam 3.28 He sitteth alone and
keepeth silence because he hath borne it upon him When God layeth his yoke or crosse upon us 't is our duty to be silent and submit Zach 2.13 Be silent O all flesh before the Lord for he is raised up out of his holy habitation that is the Lord begins to worke therefore let all men or men of all sorts and degrees be quiet and say nothing either discontentedly or complainingly In all these Scriptures holding our peace is called for and commanded or shewed at the workes of God Secondly There is a holding of our peace at the word of God or at what God speaketh Thus 't is when not only the tongue but the heart is silent and every thought is brought into subjection or captivity to the obedience of Christ The heart of man often speakes much and is very clamorous when he saith nothing with his tongue That 's to hold our peace indeed when the heart is quiet let God say or doe what he will 'T is not more our duty to resist the Devill that is all his hellish whisperings and temptations to the doing of evill then 't is to submit to God in all his speakings and dispensations Elihu speaking in the name of the Lord faithfully adviseth Job in this sence to hold his peace Hence learne We ought to submit and keep silence when the truth of God is spoken Or when the minde of God is brought unto us there must be no replying but obeying no disputing but submitting They have learned much who know how and when to say nothing Solomon saith Eccl 3.6 There is a time to keep silence and a time to speake but this kind of silence is in season at all times we ought alwayes to be silent thus that is alwayes submit to the minde of God We need to be minded of this because the pride and over-weening of man is great We have need to put a bridle upon our tongues much more upon our hearts it is hard to bring our wills and our understandings under we are apt to strive and struggle when truth comes neere us yea to kick at it when it comes very neeâ—â— and home to us though indeed the neerer it comes the better nor can it ever come too neere The Apostle James apprehended this when he gave that admonition Chap 1.21 Receive with meeknesse the ingraffed word which is able to save your soules Meeknesse is that grace which moderates anger a passionate or fierce spirit receiveth not the word but riseth up against it turnes not to it but upon it and which is worst of all turnes it to evill not to good turnes light into darknesse and so the word of life becomes a savour of death for want of a due submission to it Therefore hearken and hold your peace when the word of God is spoken Do not say it is but the word of man because delivered by man God speaks in and by his faithfull Messengers ye oppose the authority of the living God not a mortall dying creature when you reject the word And remember it is not only our duty but our liberty to give up our selves prisoners to the truths of God we are never so free as when bound by it or to it And as we should hold our peace at or submit to all the truths of God in all cases so especially in these three First When we are reproved for our sins in practice then we should not stand excusing what we have done but repent of it Secondly When we are shewed our errour in opinion then we should not stand disputing and arguing for what we hold but recant it 'T is time to hold our peace when once it appeares to us that we doe not hold the truth To erre is common to man but to persevere in an errour to the defence and patronage of it is more then inhumane devilish Thirdly We should hold our peace when our duty is plaine before us then we should not stand questioning it but doe it Whatsoever thy hand findeth to doe saith Solomon Eccl 9.10 that is whatsoever appeares to be a duty doe it with all thy might Hold thy tongue but doe not withhold thy hand when once thy hand hath found what must be done Elihu at this time was dealing with Job upon all these three poynts He told him his sin that he had been too querious and impatient he shewed him his error that he had been too bold with God because innâ—cent towards men And he pressed him to duty both that and how he ought to humble himselfe before the Lord. The Apostle treating about that great poynt of justification tells us God will at last cause all men to hold their peace Rom 3.19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith it saith to them who are under the law that every month may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God that is man will have nothing to say but sit downe silent and hold his peace or only say I am nothing I have deserved nothing but death and condemnation when he once understands the holiness and strictness of the law together with the unholiness and looseness of his owne heart and life Hence note It speakes yea proclaimes a gracious prudence to know how and when to hold our peace and say nothing When men insist upon their owne conceit and reason when they logick it unduely with God or men and will needs seeme to know more then the word teacheth them what doe they but give evidence against themselves that as yet they know nothing as the word teacheth or as they ought to know and themselves least of all 'T is pride and presumption not prudence and understanding which opens such mens mouths We never profit by what we heare till in the sence opened we have learned to hold our peace The counsel which Elihu gave Job was to hold his peace yet he layd no constraint upon him to refraine necessary speaking but put him upon it in the next verse Vers 32. If thou hast any thing to say answer me speake for I desire to justifie thee Lest Elihu should be interpreted to have taken too much upon him or to have denied Job his liberty of speaking when he sayd hold thy peace he here calls him to speake This is a full proofe that his intent was not to barre him from speaking but only that he should forbeare unnecessary speaking As if he had sayd Now that I have gone thus farre if I have spoken any thing that thou at unsatisfied in and dost desire I should explaine my selfe about speake thy minde freely for though I have more to say yet I will not hinder thee from saying what thou canst fairely say for thy selfe neither will I ever-burthen thy memory with too much at once therefore come now and answer if thou wilt or canst to what is already spoken The Hebrew is If thou hast words answer me that is if thou hast arguments to defend thy selfe with or to
before we judge either of things or persons Though we may judge rightly of that we have not heard or of that which we have heard slightly yet we are not right Judges of any matter till we have heard it 'T is possible to hit upon a right judgement blind-fold but Judges must not be blind nor judge blind-fold To judge right not knowing it to be so shall have no better reward then a wrong judgement Yea they that are called to judge must both heare and give eare else they may quickly give wrong judgement Againe Elihu is speaking here to wise and good men yet how strictly doth he exhort them Heare and give eare Hence note Good men are often dull of hearing and had need to be put forward Christ tells his Disciples that many are judicially so and we know that all are naturally so Math 13.15 and the Apostle tells the Hebrewes they were so Chap 5.11 where treating of Christ called of God an high Priest after the order of Melchisedeck he concludeth of whom we have many things to say and hard to be uttered seeing ye are dull of hearing But how did their dullness of hearing make those things hard to be spoken or uttered may it not be easie enough for a man to utter that which others are dull to heare I answer the Apostles meaning seemes to be this It was hard for him to utter or expound them so as they might perceive the cleare truth of those great mysteries because their internal eare or apprehending faculty was weake and dull There is a stople in the eare of man and 't is hard to pull it out When any one speakes to purpose 't is the duty of those that are present to heare and yet he that speakes had need to invite and presse all to heare yea to heare and give eare The words of the wise are goads to provoke and pricke us on to heare the truth as well as nayles to fasten it Eccl 12.11 Elihu having called wise men to heare or eare his words sheweth the use or force of the eare in the next verse Vers 3. For the ear tryeth words as the mouth tasteth meat In this verse Elihu gives the reason why he so earnestly exhorted them to heare and give ear The ear tryeth words that is by the hearing of the ear words are tryed It is the office of the eare to conveigh words to the understanding that so a judgement may be made of them before they are either received or rejected The word which we translate to try 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pericula fecit probavit signifies to try as gold is tryed in the fire the eare is as it were a furnace wherein words are tryed the ear will discover whether what is sayd be dross or pure mettal The Prophet Zach 13.9 speaketh of a third part of men that should be brought thorow the fire and tryed as the fire of affliction and persecution tryeth persons so man hath a fire and a touchstone in his eare which tryeth words The ear is given not only to heare a sound of words not only to understand the general meaning of words what they signifie in any language but the eare is given to try the sense and soundness of words And when Elihu saith words speaking indefinitely he includeth all words of one sort or other it tryeth good words and it tryeth bad words it tryeth heavenly words and it tryeth earthly words it tryeth naturall words and it tryeth spirituall words the truth or falshood of words are brought to tryall at the barre and tribunall of the eare But in what manner or after what similitude doth the eare try words The answer followeth as the mouth tasteth meat In the 12th Chapter we had the same expression and therefore I shall not stay upon it here Only there the sentence is made up by a particle Copulative The ear tryeth words and the mouth tasteth meat Here by a particle of likeness The eare tryeth words as the mouth tasteth meat There is a faire analogy or proportion between the eare and the mouth in discriminating their proper obiects Hearing and tasting are two of those five excellent usefull senses which God hath planted in the nature of man the other three are seeing smelling feeling Here we have a comparison between two of the five senses look what the mouth is to meat the same is the ear to words In the mouth the sense of tasting is placed as a Judge to discerne between good and bad savory and unsavory meates and the eare of a man which receiveth words is accompanied with an understanding whereby we apprehend what is true what is false what is to be approved and what refused And the comparison runs yet more clearely while we consider that as the food which the mouth receiveth is prepared for the helpe of our natural or bodily life so the words of instruction which the eare receiveth are prepared for the food of our soules and the maintaining of our spirituall life Some conceive the comparison is not here made between the two senses of tasting and hearing but that both are compared to those wise and knowing men spoken of and to whom appeale is made in the former verse For as all the senses are not fitted to judge of words and meates but only the eare and palate so all men are not fit nor capable to judge of weighty matters and profound questions but only wise and knowing men And so according to this interpretation both or either of these sensitive faculties and both or either of their properties are alike compared to wise and learned men who are able not only to understand the sound of words but also exercise a judgement upon them both to discerne and determine what there is of truth and right in them Sapientia est sapida scientia Hence that saying of the Ancient Wisdome is a savory knowledge Wise men tast and savour the things which they know He surely was a wise man who sayd of the word of God Jer 15.16 Thy words were sound and I did eate them and thy word was to me the joy and rejoycing of my heart Heare O ye wise men and give ear to me ye that have knowledge the ear tryeth words as the mouth tasteth meat that is as the ear of a man tryeth words and as the mouth of a man doth tast meat so wise and knowing men try and tast that which is spoken and heard Thus both these sensitive faculties their properties and powers are compared to wise men who doe not only heare the voyce of him that speaketh but sit downe to consider it The mouth having taken meat and chawed it tasts it and makes a judgement of it Thus wise men deal with all they hear so that look what these two natural faculties doe with naturall things with words naturally spoken with meat naturally eaten the same they who are wise and knowing do to what is spoken spiritually and rationally
others judge what the Word of God no! but whether they speake according to the word of God or no In this sense every one must judg sor himselfe we must not take all for granted but try what we heare by the eare as we doe what we eat by the mouth Thirdly Note A spiritually judicious and considerate man will take time to judge of things that are spoken as the pallate doth of meates that are eaten The eare tryeth words as the mouth tasteth meat God hath given man a faculty for that end and he is to use his faculty We commonly fay Look before you leape Surely then we should tast before we eate and prove all things whether they are good or no before we electively hold that which is good 1 Thes 5.21 The noble Bereans received the word with all readinesse of mind yet they would make no more hast then good speed to receive it for as the Text saith Acts 17.11 They searched the Scriptures dayly whether those things were so Fourthly Here are two Organs of sense spoken of the ear and the mouth both are of great use to man but one of them the eare is of a more frequent and noble use Beasts have both mouths and eares but because theirs is only a sensitive life they make more use of their mouths then of their eares Whereas man whose life is rationall yea and spirituall too must or ought to make more use of his eares then of his mouth How doth this reprove all those who are more in trying meats then in trying words or more for tasting then they are for hearing It was a complaint of some in the former age that they made themselves like bruit beasts which having both those powers of hearing and tasting have yet no regard to hearing but are all for feeding and eating They carry it like beasts and are more bruitish then a beast who employ their mouths more then their eares A beast is made in that low forme to live to eat and worke and so to dye man is of a higher forme next to that of Angells and for him to spend his time in eating and drinking as if his worke lay at his mouth not at his ear is to degrade himself and lead a bruitish life The Apostle brings in such bruits speaking thus 1 Cor. 15.32 Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall dye not a word of using their eares they say not come let us hear the word of God let us seek bread for our soules but come let us eat and drink now for a man to be so much in eating as to neglect hearing and meditating what doth he but make himselfe like a beast of the earth who should be like the Angels in Heaven dayly rising up to a spirituall and heavenly life God lifts us up to Heaven as I may say by the eares Our eares were not given us only to heare delightfull sounds or to commune one with another about the affaires of this life the use of the eare is yet more noble even to helpe us in the receiving of all saving and sanctifying knowledge Faith comes by hearing Rom. 15.17 and so doth every grace both as to the implantation and growth of it till we come to glory Therefore consider how you use this excellent sense of hearing and how you improve in spirituals by what you have heard We were made after the Image of God in knowledge and righteousnesse and it should be the great designe of our lives to get this image renewed and that is done at the eare 't is wrought by hearing faith repentance and every grace come in and are wrought at the eare Some scoffe at this latter age calling it a hearing age not a working age we say they are much for ear-work little for hand-work all for Preaching nothing for doing nor can this reproach be quite wiped off seeing with our plenty of Preaching there is so little practising as if men had turned all the members of their body into eares and were nothing but hearing To doe nothing but heare or to heare and doe nothing to heare much and act little is a high provocation To have a swel'd head and a feeble hand is the disease of Religion Yet let not voluptuous Epicures who are all for the palate and belly-cheere think to excuse themselves for not hearing or for seldome hearing because some who hear much are found doing little or seldome do what they hear for as these shall be condemned by the word which they have heard and not done so shall these for not hearing the word which would have shewed them what to doe It hath been anciently said The belly hath no eares nor will they either mind hearing or mind what they hear who mind their bellyes not for hunger and the support of nature that is as Solomon speaks Eccles 10.17 for strength but for drunkennesse or surfet Cum eo vivere non possum cui palatum magis sapiat quam cor Plutarchus in vita Catonis When a voluptuous person desired Cato that he might live with him No said Cato I like not your society I doe not love to converse with a man who useth his mouth more then his eares who is busied more to please his tast in eating and drinking then to enrich his understanding by hearing and discoursing The Apostle Tit. 1.12 referring them to one of their own Poets calleth the Cretians evill beasts slow bellies They were not slow to fill their bellyes but their full bellyes their belly being their God as he told some among the Philippians Chap. 3.19 made them slow yea reprobate to every good word and worke Solomon gives man a great charge when he saith Prov. 23.23 Buy truth and sell it not The mart for those most precious commodities grace and truth is kept not at the belly but at the eare there we buy without money and without price both grace and truth to get these is to be wise merchants The best market we can make the best trade we can drive is with and at our eares The eare tryeth words as the mouth tasteth meat And from this Elihu infers Vers 4. Let us chuse to our selves judgment let us know among our selves what is good This verse containes the second request which Elihu made to Jobs friends The summe of it is that they might proceed judiciously and fairly in the cause before them As if he had said Seeing it is the office of the eare to try words as the mouth tasteth meat let us see what we can do with our eares towards the determination of this matter Job hath often wished to find one with whom he might debate and try this cause in judgment let us give him his wish and having throughly weighed the matter and merits of his cause let us see what justice will award him Let us chuse to our selves judgment c. Let us chuse To elect or chuse is the worke of the will And to chuse
turn the sence of the words into another channell Absit a me coram domino impie ager◠c. Sept as if Elihu spake here in his own vindication and not in Gods and so they render the Text personally of Elihu Farre be it from me that I should do wickedly before God or that I should pervert Justice before the Almighty as if Elihu had said I am now to speake before God or in Gods presence God being my witnesse therefore I had need look to it while I am speaking before the righteous God that I speake righteously and while I speak before the God of truth that I speak according unto truth farre be it from me that I should doe wickedly before God there is a truth in this translation But this is not a true translation according to the Hebrew nor is it the truth of this place Elihu speaking in so weighty a matter might well say farre be it from me to pervert justice so much as in a word because I speake before God and am in the presence of the Almighty We should not speak a word amisse in his sight or hearing who seeth and heareth what all men doe and say whatsoever they are doing or saying especially when they are doing or saying that which is of neare concernment to himselfe This rendring gives us a usefull caution But doubtlesse Elihu's purpose here was not to shew with what reverence of God himselfe was about to speak but that he was about to speak for the vindication of the righteousness of God which he thought Job had wronged by that assertion when he said vers 9. It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God Hereupon Elihu with some heat of spirit turnes upon him in these words Farre be it from God that he should doe wickedly The word rendred God forbid is often used in Scripture implying the greatest detestation and utter abhorrence of that which is extreamly offensive to us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 profanum aut pollutum esse A deo procul est omne profanum Affectionem indicat animi qui scelus aliquid a se vel ab alio deprecatur et horret Sanct the root of it signifieth any thing that is prophane filthy or polluted because all prophane things and persons are farre from God that is such as he utterly abhorreth Further the verbe signifieth as to pollute or to prophane so to offer violence to wound and kill uniustly or murtherously which sence complyeth fully with the businesse in hand Job had complained that his innocency at least that he being innocent was sorely afflicted and wounded and lay as it were weltring in in his gore and blood Hereupon Eiihu stands up to vindicate the righteousnesse and justice of God Farre be it from God c. When a Judge doth unrighteously he offereth violence to the Law and viciates that chast Virgin Justice committed to his care and keeping All acts of injustice are therefore farre from God even the abomination of his soul because polluted and filthy in themselves as also such as pollute and defile all those that use them Thus Abraham spake to God Gen. 18.23 25. Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked that be farre from thee c. He spake of it with indignation as a thing most unworthy of God to wrap up good and bad in the same common calamity When all Josephs brethren as one man Gen. 44.17 offered to become his prisoners God forbid said he that I should doe so ye shall not all suffer for one mans sault let that be farre from me he that is found in fault only shall be my prisoner Thus Elihu would remove the remotest suspicion of unrighteousnesse from God when he saith farre be it from God that he should doe wickedness Hence note We should reject all unworthy thoughts of God with indignation and detestation The Apostle shewed a spirit full of this fire Rom. 3.5 6. Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance I speak as a man that is naturall or carnall men are apt to think so but God forbid or let it not be once named by those who name that is profess the name of God If every one who nameth the name of Christ must depart from iniquity 2 Tim. 2.19 woe to those who say that Christ himself closeth with any iniquity As God himself puts all evill farre from him so should we put the least thought of it farre from God What can be more unjust then to have so much as the shadow of a thought that God doth any injustice away with such blasphemous suggestions can he who is the very rule of righteousnesse doe unrighteously To throw this dirt into the face of God hath as much absurdity and irrationallity as blasphemy in it None but they who know not God can have such apprehensions of him To doe wickednesse is farre from God and therefore let man be farre even as farre as the east is from the west from saying or thinking that he doth any Farre be it from God That he should doe wickedness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat quodvis peccati genus quod contra aequitatis sit normam omnique careat legis ratione Bold The Text is farre be it from God from wickedness we render that he should doe wickedness The word signifieth wickedness of the worst sort that wickedness which does not only break the Law so every the least sin doth but slights it and denyeth it any reverence or regard It is farre from a godly man to sin at this rate to doe wickednesse Then O how farre is it from God that he should doe wickedness And from the Almighty that he should commit iniquity Elihu useth two Titles or Names of God First the strong God the mighty God Secondly Almighty the Allsufficient God farre be it from the Allsufficient that he should doe any iniquity He that hath all things in his power and can command Heaven and Earth heart and hand he that is able to supply all deficiencies in the creature by his allsufficiency farre be it from this Allmighty God that he should commit iniquity towards man Strength without goodnesse is alwayes unprofitable and often hurtfull Goodness without strength is very unusefull because so weake But where both strength and goodness meere and center in the same person as he is able to doe much good so he hath no will to doe evill or offer injury to others How then should the Allsufficient commit iniquity The word rendred iniquity signifies any crookedness or perversnesse any distortion of right and justice Now right or justice is distorted many wayes chiefly these five 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fraudem aliquando innuit Et generaliter diutur de omni injuria omnique malo contra leges First by a flat denyall of it Secondly by a tedious delaying of it Thirdly by punishing where there is no fault Fourthly by not rewarding where there is desert Fifthly Justice or right
condemne him that is most just wilt thou do such a thing what condemne him that is most just How great a wickednesse is this if we consider First that what-ever God doth we ought to be patient under it Secondly that whatsoever God doth we ought to acquiesce or rest quietly and contentedly in it that 's more then to be patient Thirdly that whatsoever he doth we ought to approve and justifie God in it Fourthly that we ought to magnifie God whatsoever he doth though his dispensations are bitter burthensome and if we do so we shall finde the bitterest dispensations sweete to us Now if we ought to be patient under to acquiesce in to approve of yea to magnifie and exalt the name of God in all his dealings with us and determinations concerning us then how sinfull is it to condemne him What shall such poore creatures as we take upon us to censure and condemne the workes of God! Some say it at least in their hearts if they had the reines of government in their hands they would carry things evener then God doth they would put all things right if they might have the rule if they might a while doe as they thinke fit they would doe all things fitly Some will talke thus arrogantly of their fitness to governe the whole world who have not wit enough to governe their owne familyes nor any grace at all to governe themselves yea they will presume they could governe all men who are scarce fit to governe a heard of swine or as Job speakes Chap 30.1 to be set over the dogs of a mans flocke such as these will take upon them to governe the world say they could do it better then 't is done Things should not goe thus if they might have their will Though indeed like that rash and inconsiderate young man in the fabulous Poet who desired for one day at least to be Charioteere to the Sun if they might have their will they would set the whole world a-fire or put all into a flame in one day Thus vaine man would be wise as Zophar sayd Chap 11.12 Though man be borne like a wild asses colt that is being altogether unwilling to be governed by any right law he would faine give the law to and governe all what is this but to condemne the most just and how great how blasphemously impudent a wickednesse is this But some may say Did Job ever thus condemne God I answer he did not condemne him in so many words he did not formally sit upon his tribunall and condemne God but he spake such words as did shew a condemning of God and Elihu justly condemned him for speaking them Hence note lastly Not to submit freely to or to complaine of the dealings of God is a condemning of God This is a hard saying we may be almost astonished to heare it what condemne God yeas so farre as any man murmurs against the dealings of God so farre he condemnes God The workes of God must be submitted to as wel as his word his dispensations must be obeyed as wel as his lawes and constitutions Our complaints of what he doth are censures of his person We question not only the soveraignty and power of God but his very wisdome and truth and justice when we reluct against any of his actings or awards concerning us though they produce our greatest sufferings This Elihu further aggravates in the next words Is it fit to say to a King Thou art wicked and to Princes Ye are ungodly If men will be mannerly to Princes how much more mannerly ought they to be towards God JOB Chap. 34. Vers 18 19. Is it fit to say to a King thou art wicked and to Princes ye are ungodly How much less to him that accepteth not the Persons of Princes nor regardeth the rich more then the poor for they are all the work of his hands THese two verses are both an Illustration and a Confirmation or proof of what Elihu spake last in the close of the 17th verse Wilt thou condemn him that is most just Hereupon he infers Vers 18. Is it sit to say to a King thou art wicked Those words Is it fit are not literally and expresly in the hebrew and therefore some connect these two verses immediately with the former Wilt thou condemn him that is most just Who saith to a King O thou wicked and to Princes O ye ungodly That is Qui dicit Regi Apostata qui vocat Duces impios c. Vulg. An dicentem Regi O nequam O improbe ingenuis condemnares Jun. Quinquennium Neronis who is so just that he spares not to tell the greatest Kings and Princes of their wickedness and ungodliness Or as the Vulgar Translation hath it Who saith to a King O thou Apostate I tell thee Thou art fallen from that Justice and Righteousness which thou didst once exercise in thy Government It is said of Nero he had his five years wherein he govern'd excellently but afterward he proved Apostate cruelly tyrannizing over instead of ruling his people as there are Apostates in Spirituals so in Civils an apostate is an hypocrite revealed an hypocrite is an apostate vail'd God unvails hypocrites of all sorts and will not fail sooner or later to reprove their Apostacy It is better not to be good then not to continue good Backsliders are worse then they who never set one step in the wayes of God and goodness So then according to this reading the sence may be given out thus As if Elihu had said How canst thou O Job possibly imagine that God should be unjust when he doth not forbear to tell the greatest Kings of their injustice and convince them of it he who calleth degenerate Kings Apostates and unjust Princes wicked he that is thus impartial in reckoning with Kings and the mighty men of the earth as indeed God hath alwaies been and will ever be How should he be unjust Wilt thou condemn the most Just Even him who is so just that he rebukes injustice wheresoever he sindes it and who can finde it wheresoever it is Psal 105.14 He reproved Kings for their sakes that is for the sake of his peculiar people when they did them wrong saying Touch not mine anointed and do my Prophets no harm implying that he trusts Kings with that great power to protect his anointed and to save his Prophets from harm and therefore would not take it well at their hands if they abused their power to hurt and afflict them This is a good reading but I shall not insist upon it though some insist much upon it because I would rather favour our own Translation and carry the Interpretation that way as containing an argument to prove that it is a most wicked thing to condemn God as unjust because men are scarce any where found so presumptuous or bold as to say to a King Thou art wicked or to Princes ye are ungodly It is much easier for any man much more for
man Thus if we take the wayes in that distinction of internal and external the eyes of God are upon them Secondly Take the wayes of man as differenced in their kinds as they are either good or evil the eyes of the Lord are upon both They are saith Solomon Prov. 15.3 in every place beholding the evil and the good that is the evil wayes and the good wayes of men But saith not the Prophet Habbak 1.14 Thou art of purer eyes then to behold evil Which may seem at first reading to imply that God doth not behold the evil wayes or actings of men I answer if we distinguish the word behold we shall soon reconcile these Scriptures To behold is either to discerne what is before us or to behold is to approve what is before us There is a seeing of knowledge and there is a seeing of contentment now when the Prophet saith the Lord is of purer eyes then to behold evil his meaning is he doth not he cannot behold evil with contentment or approbation otherwise the Lord beholds evil even all the evil in the world both good and evil are before him who is himself only and altogether good His eyes are upon the ways of Man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not only upon the wayes of this or that man but of every man let man be what he will for a man let him be a great man or a mean man let him be a rich man or a poor man let him be a wise man or a fool let him be an ignorant or a knowing man let him be a holy or a prophane man let him be a subtle or a simple man his eyes are upon him Those things which difference men among themselves make no difference at all among them as to the eye of God His eyes are upon the wayes of whomsoever you can câ—ll man And he seeth all his goings This latter clause of the verse is of the same sence with the former therefore I shall not stay upon the opening of it The Scripture often useth Synonoma's and repeats the same thing in other terms to shew the truth and certainty of it and surely the Spirit gives a double stroke here to strike this truth home into our hearts and fasten it in our mindes He beholdeth the wayes and he seeth alâ— the goings of man The word translated seeing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth a very curious or critical sight as was opened before Again these latter words say he seeth All his goings Where we have the universal particle exprest which was only understood in the forme And though these two words wayes and goings may be expounded for the same thing yet in this conjunction we may distinguish them by understanding the word wayes for the constant course of a man's life and the word goings for his particular and renewed motions in those wayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 incedore cum pompa propriè deambulare The Original word rendred goings signifies somtimes going with much caution yea with a kinde of state or pomp yet frequently any ordinary going Now when Elihu asserts The Lord seeth all his goings we may sum up the matter under these five considerations He seeth First Where he goeth what his path is Secondly He seeth whether he is going what he makes the end of his journey or travel Thirdly when he goeth or sets out what time he takes for every undertaking Fourthly how far he goeth the Lord takes notice of everystep what progress he makes in any business good or bad Fifthly he seeth in what manner he goeth with what heart with what mind or frame of soule he goeth Thus distinct and exact is the Lord in beholding the wayes and in seeing all the goings of man Hence note First Surely the Lord is a God of knowledge If we could conceive a man to have his eyes in all places and upon all persons an eye upon all hearts and an eye in all hearts as wel as an eye upon all hands you would say this man must needs be a knowing man especially if he have such an eye as the eye of God is a discerning eye a distinguishing eye a trying eye an eye which seeth to the bottome of whatsoever it seeth Hannah sayd this in her song 1 Sam. 2.3 Speak not so proudly let not arrogancy come out of your lips for the Lord is a God of knowledge and by him actions are weighed 'T is not a slight superficial knowledge which God hath of things or persons by him actions are weighed and so are the Actors God puts all into an even ballance and he will weigh both persons and actions to a graine yea every word and thought shall goe into the ballance It was said to that great Monarch Belteshazer by a hand-writing upon the wall Thou art weighed in the ballances The Lord weighed that great King he weighed all his power and the exercise of it and he that weigheth Kings will not leave the meanest subject unweighed by him actions are weighed We many times passe over our actions without consideration and never take the weight of them at least we never weigh them in the Sanctuary ballance If they will beare weight in the ballance of the world we presume they will in Gods ballance also But as the Lord is a God of knowledge otherwise then man is so by him actions are weighed otherwise then by man It is said of Idolls Psal 115.15 They have eyes and see not but we may say of the Lord Jehovah the true God the living God he hath properly no eyes yet he seeth and his faculty of seeing is infinitely above that which himselfe hath planted in man The Atheist while he is about the worst work in the world the breaking in pieces of the people of God and afflicting his heritage while he is slaying the widow and the stranger and murdering the fatherlesse while he is I say at such kind of worke as this he saith Psal 94.7 The Lord shall not see neither shall the God of Jacob regard it But what saith the Psalmist to him and such as he v. 8 9. Vnderstand ye brutish among the people he that formed the eye shall not he see Those words of the Prophet to King Asa 2 Chron 16.9 The eyes of the Lord run too and fro through the whole earth are an allusion to a man who having a desire to know much or to see all in the world runs up and down travels from place to place from Country to Country for information The Lord would have us know that he knoweth every thing as exactly as they who run from place to place to see what 's done in every place It is prophecyed of the latter times Dan 12.4 Many shall run too and fro and knowledge shall be increased that is many shall be so graciously greedy of knowledge that they will refuse no labour nor travel to attaine it They will run too and fro to inquire and search for it they
sight of God Jer 32.19 He is great in councell and he is mighty in working for his eyes are upon all the wayes of the sons of men to give to every one according to his wayes and according to the fruit of his doings Fourthly If the eyes of the Lord are upon all the wayes of the Children of men then the Lord will call all men to an account for their wayes Why doth he take notice of their wayes but to bring them to a reckoning That 's the Apostles conclusion Rom 14.12 So then every one of us shall give an account of himselfe to God God would not take an account of our wayes while we live if he did not intend to bring us to an account when we dye As the omniscience of God fits him to call every man to an account so it is an evidence that he will Why should our wayes and workes be strictly observed and recorded if they were not to be judged Fifthly This truth that the eyes of God are upon all the wayes of man should awaken every man to take heed as David resolved he would Psal 39.1 to his wayes Did we walke as remembring we are under his All-seeing eye O how circumspectly should we walke doth the Lord inspect our wayes O how should we inspect our owne wayes It argueth a great deale of Atheisme in the heart if not the grossest Atheisme yet Atheisme quo-ad hoc as to this or that thing while that which some are afraid to doe if a man yea if a child see them they are not afraid to doe though they heare that God seeth them To feare to doe a thing when the eye of a creature is upon us and yet to doe it notwithstanding God seeth us what is this but either an unbeliefe that the eye of God seeth us or a contempt of his All seeing eye This Divine Attribute the All-seeing eye of God wel wrought upon the heart by faith is enough to over-aw the sinfullnesse of our hearts And though the people of God have a higher principle upon which they forbeare the doing of evill then this because God will see it and punish it yet to keep the heart in a holy feare of doing evill upon that principle is both needfull and our duty The Apostle would not have servants doe their Masters commands with eye-service as men-pleasers It is indeed a baseness in a servant to doe his duty meerely because his Masters eye is upon him or to forbeare to doe what is against or beside his duty because his Master seeth him but how great is the impudence and wickedness of that servant who will not keep to his duty when his Masters eye is upon him So in this case meerely to forbeare doing evill because we heare God sees us is eye-service but how great is their wickedness who will not forbeare to doe evill though they heare and know that God seeth it Which Elihu confirmes yet further in the next words Vers 22. There is no darkness nor shaddow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves This verse holds out that truth negatively which the former held out affirmatively There Gods knowledge of mans wayes was asserted here his ignorance or nescience of the wayes of man is denied There is no darkness c. The words seeme to be the prevention of an objection For some possibly might say 'T is true indeed God hath a large knowledge his eye seeth farre but we hope we may sometime be under covert or compassed about with such darkness that the Lord cannot see us Therefore saith Elihu there is no darkness nor shaddow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves The Prophet gives a parallel proofe and testimony of this knowledge of God both in the affirmative and negative part of it Jer 16.17 where he first asserts that God seeth all mine eyes are upon all their wayes and then denyeth that any thing is a secret unto him They are not hid from my face neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes These latter words of the Prophet are of the same signification with these of Elihu There is no darkness c. We may take darkness two wayes First for naturall darkness that darkness which spreads it selfe over the face of the earth upon the going downe of the Sun 't is the privation of Light Secondly there is artificiall darkness that darkness which men make to hide themselves and their actions in from the eye of God or man many are very skillfull yea and successefull in making shaddowes to hide their actions from men They cover the evill which they have done with such cunning excuses or flat denyalls and they cover what they purpose to doe how foule soever under such faire trappings of words and specious pretenses they glosse their worst actions and intentions with such appearances of good that the wisest and best sighted men cannot finde them out When Absalon had a most unnaturall as well as a most disloyall purpose to rayse a tebellion against his king-father he coloured it with a devout profession of performing a vow This was artificiall darkness 'T is reported by the naturall Historian of a little fish which seeing its enemy neare casts out a kinde of blackness from it selfe which darkens the water and so escapes the danger Thus men indeed hide themselves from man and they would hide themselves from God too but there is no darkness neither naturall nor artificiall that can cover their wayes from his eye No Nor shaddow of death The importance of this expression hath been opened more then once in this book chap. 3.5 chap 10.21 chap. 12.22 chap. 28.3 therefore I shall not stay upon it here only consider when he saith There is no darkness nor shaddow of death by shaddow of death he means extreamest darkness If there be any darkness as Job speaks chap. 10.22 like darkness it self and whose light is as darkness that is it The metaphor is taken from the grave where the dead being buried have not the least glympse ray or shine of light coming in to them death wraps us up in extreamest darkness And we finde in Scripture the shaddow of death put first to express the extreamest of spiritual darkness or the darkest spiritual state Isa 9.2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light they that dwell in the land of the shaddow of death upon them hath the light shined that is they that were wrapped up in the ignorance utter unbelief of God in Christ to these is Christ the true light of God the Sun of righteousness preached and openly revealed and they pressed to the receiving of him that their souls may live further as the shaddow of death is put for the worst of spiritual evils or to note man's natural state before conversion so likewise it is used in Scripture to note the worst of his spiritual evils who being converted is in a spiritual state He that is in a
God where did God appeare to us that we are thus charged with turning back from him I answer First God manifests himselfe to man in his workes or in his providences Secondly He manifests himselfe in every part of his word especially in his Commands in his promises and in his threatenings in his Commands he manifests himselfe a holy God in his promises a gracious and bountifull God in his threatenings a just and righteous God who will neither do wrong nor suffer himselfe to be wronged 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quia declinaverum de leg◠del Sept The Septuagint make this Exposition the text translating these words of Elihu thus Because they have turned from the Law of God Hence note They who turn from the word of God turn back from God When a Command comes if you slight the authority and obligation of it you turn back from God when a promise comes if you doe not believe the truth of it and hope for the good of it you turn back from God look what of the mind of God is manifested to you in the dispensation of the word if you doe not obedientially close with it you neglect to close with God himselfe and while you turn from it you turn from God himselfe Thus the Apostle speakes concerning back-sliders 2 Pet 2.20 21. If after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they are againe entangled therein and overcome the latter end is worse with them then the beginning For it had been better for them not to have knowne the way of God then after they have knowne it to turn from the holy commandement delivered unto them so that a turning from the Commandement of God is a turning from God himselfe He turneth back from the holy commanding God who turneth back from the holy commandement of God and he turneth back from the God of the promise who turneth back from the promise of God Fifthly Note As it is exceeding sinfull to turn back from God so they who doe so grow every day more and more sinful If a man be once upon a course of back-sliding and Apostatizing from the commands and promises of God he will find himselfe worse and worse day after day for still the further from God any man goeth the more vaine he groweth and the more doth lust get a hand over him As unbeliefe is the roote of Apostacy from God so Apostacy encreaseth all that wickednesse which is in man As the cause of all evill whether of punishment or of sin is our departure and turning from God so the very nature of sin is a turning from God and therefore the more we turne from God the more sinfull and the fuller of sin we are As the neerer we come to God the more holy and spirituall and heavenly we are while we with open face as in a glasse saith the Apostle 2 Cor 3.18 Behold the glory of God that is while we draw neere to him in his holy ordinances we are changed into the same image that is we become more like to God so the more we keep at a distance from God the more unlike we are to him that is the more unholy we are And as persons unconverted or in an unholy state are wholly alienated from the life of God and cannot endure to come neere him so it is in a degree by any of our withdrawings or turnings from him we are made more unholy and are changed more into the image of those carnal and earthly things which we behold and with which we over-intimately converse in the time of those withdrawings Lastly Note A holy life consists in following of and keeping close to God To keep close to God is both a holy and a comfortable life 'T is the perfection of Saints to walk with God Enoch walked with God and that was his holiness Gen 5.24 Caleb followed God fully Optima vivendi ratio est deum sequi Religiosissimus dei cultus est imitari quem colis Lact lib 5. Instit cap 10. and that was his holiness A spirituall life is nothing else but our following God The most religious worship of God is to imitate whom we worship And our imitation of God is our following of God no man can imitate any thing but when his eye is upon its pattern or the Idaea of it abides in his mind And therefore it is sayd of the ungodly man Psal 10.4 God is not in all his thoughts then followeth v. 5. his wayes are alwayes grievous If God be not in the thoughts of a man nothing of God is stampt upon the wayes of that man In vaine are we called Christians unless we keep close to Christ and in vaine doe any pretend to godliness unless they walke with God Jesus Christ hath called himselfe the way Joh 14.6 chiefly upon this account because by him we goe to the Father and have acceptance with God by the grace of Justification but Jesus Christ is the way also of our Sanctification we must walke in him and as he walked 1 Joh 2.6 that we may be holy every departure from God lets the heart loose to sin That which shall maintaine the Saints holiness to Eternity is They shall alwayes behold the face of God they shall never turn back from God they shall never be taken off one moment from the actuall vision enjoyment and contemplation of God in glory therefore they shall never be taken off from actuall holiness and purity now in proportion as we keep our hearts and spirits steady upon God and doe not turn back from him such is our holiness in this life and as our holiness is such will our comfort and peace and joy be in this life For as because when we arrive at glory we shall never turn back from God much less turn our back 's upon him therefore in glory there is fullness of Joy and pleasure for evermore so the neerer we keep to God and the closer we walke with him in this life the fuller and more lasting will our joyes and pleasures be As in this former part of the 27th verse we have had the first cause opened why God striketh the mighty as wicked men in the open sight of others namely their apostacy from God Because they turned back from him So in the latter part of this verse we have another reason assigned why God doth it and that is because They would not Consider any of his wayes The word which we render Consider signifies also to understand or know which is an act precedent to consideration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intellexit cognovit cōtemplatus est Hinc Maschil carmen erudiens ode didascalica Tit Psal 32. Consideration is a contemplative act by consideration we become more knowing but we cannot consider any thing till we have some understanding or knowledge of it And this word is often in another Conjugation used in the title of some speciall
hide his pleased face or withdraw his favour who can behold him confidently or come to him with hopes to speed Fierce Abner sayd to Asael 2 Sam 2.22 Turne thee aside from following me wherefore should I smite thee to the ground I could easily doe it and he did it presently how then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother As if he had sayd I can have no confidence to come to Joab thy Generall if I should kill thee Guilt of evill done to others drawes a jealousie that others will do evill to us especially they who are neerely concern'd in the evill which we have done we cannot hold up our face to or behold them with expectation of acceptance and favour to whose neere relations we have been unkind or injurious Thus if God hide his face who can behold him either with confidence or with comfort Some referre the relative him who can behold him to man not to God as if the meaning of Elihu were this if God hide his face from any man all men will hide their faces from him too no man will looke kindly upon such a deserted person Quis favorem ei exhibebit a quo deus vultum averterit Drus or give him a good look he shall have but frownes from men from whom God withdraweth his favour that 's a truth He that is out with God cannot keep in long with men Usually all sorts disowne him that is forlorne and forsaken of God As when a mans wayes please God because then God is pleased with him his enemies shall be at peace with him Pro 16.7 so when God is displeased with a man his very best friends shall turne enemies to him Yet I conceive the text carrieth it rather the other way referring to God himselfe If God hide his face who can behold him that is who can confidently behold God or draw neere to him with comfort And so it generally comes to passe or thus it is Whether it be done against a nation or against a man only As if Elihu had sayd What I have affirmed that when God giveth quietness no man can make trouble or when he hideth his face no man can behold him is appliable to whole nations as well as to particular persons This is an extensive truth a truth of large concernment and therefore a truth of necessary and important consideration That which may be any mans or all mens case should be studyed by every man Whether it be done against a nation c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The particle which we render against signifieth also for We find it so translated Psal 32.6 and at the 36th verse of this Chapter Now to doe a thing for a nation or for a person notes the doing of it with respect to or in favour of either Thus we commonly speake in our language pray doe such or such a thing for me To this sense some render here whether it be done for a nation or for a man only So Mr Broughton whether it be done for a nation or for an earthly man alone But whether we read for or against the generall truth is the same The word and power of God in sending good or evill upon nations or persons in acting for or against them is uncontrouleable and irresistible Further to cleare the text that word in the close of the verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 trio significat simul pariter solum rendred only signifieth sometimes together Ezra 4.3 sometimes alike Psal 34.15 and sometimes as we understand it alone or only whether it be done against a nation or a man together or against a man only or alone the matter is alike or the same to God Many or one make a great difference among men in any matter but they make no difference with God he can deale with whole nations in wayes of Judgement or mercy as well as with single persons yet because of the opposition which the text makes between one man and a nation it is most sutable to translate it either only or alike not together Thus we see how the Spirit of God by Elihu hath made a double application of the fo mer part of the text when he giveth quietness who can make trouble c. in this latter first to a nation secondly to a person If the text were not thus exprest it might be thus expounded and improved without any streine at all to it But forasmuch as the Spirit of God hath told us distinctly that this great truth concernes nations as well as persons This Lecture was preached upon the Fifth of November 1658. therefore we have a cleare ground besides the great usefullness of it to speake to the words in both their references And this present memorable day as also their native order leades me specially to speake of them first under a National consideration When he giveth quietness to a nation who can make trouble or disturbe the peace of it And the text may well respect that national blessing peace because the word translated giveth quietness signifies such quietness primarily as is opposite unto warre sedition and tumult in a nation Josh 11.23 And the land rested from warre it is this word so Judg 3.11 The land had rest forty yeares Judg 3.30 And the land had rest fourscore yeares 2 Chron 14.1 In his dayes the land was quiet ten yeares Zech 1.11 And behold all the earth sitteth still and is at rest in all these places we have the word here rendred quietness in opposition to warre who knows not how great an unquietness warre makes wheresoever it comes and by a like analogie the word is sometimes rendred to be silent Warre is full of clamour Isa 9.5 Every battell of the warrier is with confused noise Not only is it so in some battells but saith that Scripture 't is so in all battels Every battel of the warrier is with confused noise What a noise is there in an Army especially when joyning battell with another Army what beating of drums what sounding of trumpets what neighing of horses what clashing of armour what groanings of the wounded When God gives quietness or peace there is none of this noise none of this confused noise of the warrier Hannah saith in her song 1. Sam 2.9 The wicked shall be silent in darkness that is either they shall be destroyed and thrust into their graves where there 's nothing but rottenness and stench darkness and silence or they shall be so affrighted confounded with the horror and darkness of those miseries which shall come upon them while they live that they shall not have a word to say the mouth of iniquity shall be stopt In this manner the wicked are silent in darkness but the Lord can make his people silent in light that is he can give such quietness as shall at once silence the noise of warre and all their own complaints When he giveth quietness this blessed silence to nations who then can
lesse towards the things of God as such zelots grow warmer and warmer in their nests and find their carnal interests more and more served or secured 'T is reported by a Popish Author that a Fryar or Monke was observed very precise and circumspect in all his wayes hanging downe his head to the earth very humbly and devoutly as if he meditated continually upon his mortality or returne to the earth who afterwards being chosen Abbot or Governour of the Covent grew very proud high and insolent Some wondring at this change of behaviour tooke the boldness to aske him the reason of it O said he I was but seeking the keyes of the Abbey and now I have found them Having gotten what he sought for he layd aside his strictness in religion and threw off his vayle When Jehu that hypocrite was in his way to the Kingdome how zealous was he yet no sooner setled in it but he was unsetled in religion turned Idolater worshipping the Calves that were in Dan and Bethel When Julian had obtained the Empire he had done with Christ and gave all the world a full argument against himselfe that he was but a hypocrite in his former profession of Christianity David was as zealous for God and as holy when he was upon the throne as when he kept sheepe upon the Mountaines as good when a princely traine followed him as when he followed the Ewes great with young Moses was as faithfull when he was the ruler of Israel as when he was an exile in Midian Joseph was as gracious when he wore a chaine of Gold and had the power of all Egypt put into his hand as when himselfe was a prisoner in Potiphers house and the iron chaines entred into his soule I feare God sayd he Gen 42.18 when he had no man to feare And when after his fathers death his brethren feared he would reckon with them for their old faults or at least be carelesse of and unkind to them who had been so unkind and cruel to him yet he would doe them nothing but kindnesses and courtesies and thereof bid them be confident Gen 50.21 Fourthly As successe discovereth some hypocrites so the crosse discovereth many more The hypocrite will run from his colours when he comes to the battel or seeth he must either quit the truths of God or his owne peace If once he findeth that he cannot thrive by religion he will meddle no more with it There is a generation who will appeare no further for truth then serves their owne turne and when they see they cannot serve that by holding the truth they will neither hold nor professe it any longer They will venter no further in such matters then they may make a faire retreate if they see themselves in danger or cannot carry onne their owne interests Thus the second ground is described Math 13.20 21. He that heareth the word and anon with joy receiveth it yet hath he not roote in himselfe but dureth for a while for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word by and by he is offended He hath enough of the word when he seeth he cannot have that and enough of the world too Many will get aboard the ship of the true Church in a calme who if they see the clouds gather the ayre darken the winds rising the storme coming they dare not ride it out in an angry Sea but will be calling for the boate and row to the next shoare These never purposed to endure all winds and weathers with the Church of God but hoped to be transported to the cape of their worldly good hope and wished for earthly haven Their slight interprets their intents and lists them among designing hypocrites The house founded on the sand sheweth as faire in a faire day as that founded on a rocke But when the raine descends and the flouds come and the winds blow you may distinguish it by the down-fall He was never more nor better then a meere out-side professor who doth not hold fast his profession in a day of trouble as wel as in a day of peace in the greatest distresse as wel as in the highest successe and triumph of the people of God in this world To shut up this poynt and observation I shall only give three or foure considerations which may move all to take heed of hypocrisie Christ saith Luke 12.1 Beware of the Leven of the Pharisees which is hypocrisie As Leven sowres the whole lump of bread so doâ—h hypocrisie both the persons and conversations of those who are infected with it First Beware of hypocrisie or of hiding what you are for what you are doth alwayes appeare to God though not to men All things are naked and manifest unto the eyes of him with whom we have to doe Heb 4.13 though we are painted over though we are cloaked and hooded and vizarded with pretences yet we are naked before the eye of God And that was the argument with which God pressed Abraham to beware of hypocrisie Gen 17.1 Walke before me and be thou perfect that is remember thou art alwayes in my eye and sight therefore take heed of falsenesse and insincerity We use to say There is no halting before a Criple Criples know whether yours be a fained or reall lamenesse O take heed of halting before God he knoweth how it is with you he knoweth the temper of your soules as wel as the body of your conversations he doth not only know what you doe but with what aimes with what heart and purpose you doe it Paul sayd 1 Thes 2.5 We have not used a cloake of covetousnesse God is witnesse As if he had sayd God will quickly see through us and find out our covetousnesse though we cover it with never so thicke or faire a cloake of devotional professions Secondly Consider as the Lord seeth through you so he will make you throughly seene he will make you knowne or unmaske you before men one time or other As he will bring forth the righteousnesse of a godly man as the light after it hath been long hid under the darknesse of uncharitable suspitions or false accusations and his just dealing as the noone day Psal 37.6 so he will bring forth the unrighteousnesse of a hypocrite as the light and his false-dealing as the noone-day though it have layne hid a while under the cloake and faire colours of the most pious semblances and protestations God loves to uncase hypocrites because he is a God of truth and because it magnifieth his truth justice and omniscience to do so And he doth it many times by letting them fall into foule sins they make faire shewes in religion through restraining grace and as soone as that bridle of restraining grace is let loose that very shew is gone and they shew plainly what they are The closest designing hypocrites often prove open Apostates and though some may abide long possibly as long as they live in this vaine shew or forme of Godliness
which some Princes have held out to all the world as the rule of their reigning He that knoweth not how to dissemble Qui nescit dissimulare nescit regnore knows not how to reigne Dissimulation is a great part of hypocrisie there is dissimulation both as to the things of God and the things of men Some if they knew not how to dissemble in both at least with men would not believe that they knew how to rule over or governe men Now as many who are great and in power make little conscience to dissemble or make use of hypocrisie to carry on their government and secure themselves so most hypocrites have a mind and will use all meanes not forbearing those which are bad enough to get into power and make themselves great The spirit of hypocrisie is an aspiring spirit Againe Elihu saith That the hypocrite reigne not lest the people be ensnared here 's not one word of the good government or protection of the people which should be the maine businesse of those that reigne The text speaks only of snares That the hypocrite reigne not lest the people be ensnared Hence observe Thirdly Hypocrites getting into power doe either secretly or openly wrong and oppresse the people They lay snares for them in stead of being shields to them Hypocrites in power ensnare chiefly two wayes First By their ill example there is a great snare in that Inferiors are very apt to be formed up according to their mould and manners who are above them Râ—gis ad exemplum totus componitur orbis the example of Kings and Princes are seldome unconformed to by their Subjects There is a great power in example what is done perswades as wel as what is spoken And the errors of those that rule become rules of error men sin with a kind of authority through the sins of those who are in authority Jeroboam made Israel to sin not only by commanding them to worship the Calves at Dan and Bethel but by commending that Idolatous worship to them in his owne practise and example Secondly They ensnare the people by sinfull and bad Lawes The Prophet denounceth a woe distinctly unto men of severall ranks and places Hos 5.1 Heare ye this O Priests and hearken ye house of Israel and give ye eare O house of the King he directs his speech in that three-fold division First to the Priests Secondly to the body of the people Thirdly and chiefly to the house of the King why to the house of the King Because ye have been a snare on Mizpah and a net spread upon Tabor That Scripture may be interpreted First as an allusion to such as were wont to hunt upon those mountaines Mizpah and Tabor were famous places for hunting there they were wont to set netts and lay snares to catch their game now saith the Prophet ye have been even like hunters spreading netts and laying snares Nimrod is called a mighty hunter before God He was a hunter of men more then of wild beasts Now look what nets and snares are to wild beasts the same are sinfull lawes to the consciences of honest and upright-hearted men And it is wel conceived that the Prophet there referrs to those ensnaring Lawes made by Jeroboam and the succeeding Princes in the Kingdome of Israel whereby they endeavoured to draw off the people of God from his true worship and vexed those who kept close to it Secondly some expound those words Ye have been a snare on Mizpah and a net spread upon Tabor to signifie their setting spies upon those mountaines to watch and so to give information who went to the solemne feasts that so they might be proceeded against according to those ensnaring Laws Which way soever we take it 't is cleare that Scripture reproves and threatens Judgement against the Priests and Apostatizing people of Israel complying with if not provoking the the ruling powers to trouble those who could not digest the Idolatrous worship set up by Jeroboam at Dan Bethel upon a politique consideration lest the people going to Jerusalem should fall off from him and weaken the kingdome of Israel in his hand Another Prophet complained Mic 6.16 The Statutes of Omri are kept Omri was a king of Israel a successor of Jeroboam both in his power and hypocrisie he also pretended a zeale for the worship of God after his owne devising and therefore made ensnaring Statutes to entangle those that were sincere and persevered in the true worship which the Statutes of God appoynted The Prophet speakes of a strange kind of bridle or of a bridle used for an unusuall purpose Isa 30.28 There shall be a bridle in the jawes of the people causing them to erre A bridle is put upon the head of a horse or mule as David speaks Psal 32.9 not to cause either to erre or goe out of the way but to keep them in the way 'T is evident by the context of this Chapter as also by the expresse text of the 37th Chapter v. 29. that this bridle was the Lords power against Senacharib and his host whereby as with a bridle in their jawes he diverted them from their purpose of besiedging Jerusalem 'T is a truth also to which we may warrantably enough apply those words of the Prophet in a way of allusion that good lawes are like a bridle in the jawes of a people the multitude or the most would else be like head-strong horses if authority did not keep them in 'T is a great mercy when Laws are as a bridle to keep us from erring but 't is sad when any Lawes are a bridle in the jawes of a people causing them to erre or go out of the way of the Laws of God such Laws are not which all Lawes should be rules but snares Such were the Lawes of Jeroboam and the Statutes of Omri in Israel of old and what Nation is there that hath not had experience in one age or other of such Lawes as have been a bridle in their jawes causing them to erre or a snare to their souls and consciences Fourthly When Elihu saith That the hypocrite reigne not lest the people be ensnared he intends an act of divine wrath upon hypocrites abusing their power to the hurt of the people Hence Note God is highly displeased with Princes and Magistrates when they ensnare the people We read Isa 3.12 how the people of Israel were ensnared and how the Lord was highly displeased with those who did ensnare them O my people they which lead thee cause thee to erre and destroy the way of thy paths Thy Leaders mislead thee There are two sorts of Leaders First Spiritual Leaders the Ministers and Preachers of the Word now as of old the Priests Levites and Prophets were Leaders of the people and somtimes proved their misleaders Jer. 23.1.3 in Spirituals Secondly There are Leaders of the people in Civil things such are all Princes and Magistrates We may understand that Text in the Prophet Isaiah of
upon that two-fold manifestation of the goodnesse of God as a God that willingly pardoneth sin and as a God that is unwilling to destroy sinners Or we may give the summe of these two verses according unto this second translation thus 1 Condono in quo est remissio culpae 2 Non destruam in quo est remissio paenae We have first an Exhortation to repentance from the most mercifull nature of God both as ready to forgive and as loth to destroy his creatures The former act importing the taking away of the guilt of sin the latter the remittal and removall of the punishment Secondly We have here a direction about repentance or to the penitent shewing how an humbled soule should behave himselfe toward God He ought to say thus What I see not teach thou me and if I have done iniquity I will doe no more Where we see the humbled soule in the exercise of a fourefold duty First He confesseth what sins he knoweth Secondly He confesseth or supposeth that he hath many sins which he doth not know Thirdly He entreateth the Lord to shew him every sin whether of heart or life which he knoweth not of Fourthly He engageth that he will not continue in any sin which the Lord shall discover to him or give him the knowledge of You have thus the generall scope of these two verses according to this second reading I shall now a little open the words and give Notes from them according to this translation But unto God who saith I forgive It may here be justly questioned how the Original can be render'd into such variety one translation saith It is meete to be sayd to God I have borne chastisemen this other saiâ—h â—o God who saith I forgive I will not destroy It ought to be said c. The first reading makes the words to be spoken by man this second reading gives the words as spoken both by God and man Verbum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 latissimè patet si quid aliud Hebraicum inter alios tolerandi parcendi condonandi remittendi signifiâ—atum habet etiam solitariè positum ut hic or they are a direction given by the Spirit of God to man what to say to God Who saith I forgive I will not destroy I answer for the clearing of that doubt the difference of the readings ariseth from the copious significaâ—ion of one Hebrew word which is rendred many wayes in Scripture especially two First To bear in which sense we translate I have born chastisement The word chastisement as was shewed before is not expresly in the text but supplyed to make out the sense by our translaters I have born what thy hand thy chastisement Secondly It signifies also to pardon or to forgive I shall referre you to one Scripture in which that word is used in both these senses Gen 4.13 And Cain said unto the Lord my punishment is greater then I can bear that 's the text but if you read the margin of our larger Bibles that saith My iniquity is greater then that it may be forgiven or pardoned the text saith my punishment the margin saith my iniquity the same word signifieth both sin the cause and punishment the fruit Againe there the text saith My punishment is greater then I can bear and the margin saith my iniquity is greater then that it can be forgiven So that according to the text the words are Cains complaint against the justice of God that he dealt over-rigorously with him My punishment is greater then I can bear And according to the margin they are a description of his despair of the mercy of God my sin is greater then that it may be forgiven And as we find the word used in that place both for bearing and for pardoning So in severall other places it is translated by pardoning take but one Instance in the Psalms where we find it translated twice in the space of a few verses to forgive or pardon Psal 32.1 Blessed is the man whose iniquity is forgiven And againe v. 5th I said I will confesse my iniquity and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin So that though there be a different version and translation of the word in this text of Scripture yet it is such as is consonant to the use of the word in other Scriptures and also to the truth of the whole Scripture Yea we know that in our English tongue to bear with a man signifies to forgive him his present fault or not to punish him and use extremity against him for it And therefore according to the exigence of any place the word may be translated either way and here it may be safely taken in both But to God who saith I forgive I will not destroy it ought or it is meete to be said what I see not teach thou me Elihu according to the reading now before us brings in God thus speaking yea even boasting thus of himselfe I forgive or I pardon Hence note First It is Gods owne profession of his owne selfe that he is a sin-pardoning God And God doth so much say or professe this of himselfe that when he was entreated by Moses to shew him his glory this was the chiefe thing which he sayd of himselfe Exod 34.6 7. And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed the Lord the Lord God mercifull and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodnesse and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin Here 's my name saith God if you would know how I am called or what I would call my selfe this is it I am a God forgiving iniquity c. And as God pardoneth sin so there is none in heaven or in earth that pardoneth like him that hath such a name for pardon as God hath Mic 7.18 Who is a God like unto thee pardoning iniquity c. The gods of the Earth that is Kings and Princes give pardons and to doe so is the sweetest and choycest flower in the Crowne of Princes and they usually shew their Greatness by this act of grace when they come first to their Crowne and exercise of their soveraigne power The Princes or gods of the Earth can pardon but 't is no disparagement to put that question Can they pardon like God no their pardon is no pardon in comparison of Gods pardon yea their pardoning is a kinde of condemning compared with the pardoning grace of God The pardons which Kings give are but the shadow of his pardon who is King of kings Isa 43.25 I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgression As if he had said I am he and there is none else this glory is proper to me and none can partake with me in it nor will I give this glory to another All sins are committed against God and in a sense against him only therefore only to be pardoned by him Who can remit the debt but the Creditor Psal 51.1 Against thee thee only have I sinned What debt soever we
heare and consider the matter let them speake their minds we should not leane to nor rely upon our owne understanding in the things which concerne our selves only much lesse in those wherein others are concerned more then our selves Eyes see more then an eye And though it be an argument of too much weakness to see with other mens eyes yet it is an argument of much goodness and humility to call in the helpe of other mens eyes Secondly Note The more wise men agree in any matter the greater is the Conviction One man may speak to Conviction but if many speak the same it is a very strong Conviction Many I confesse may center and agree in a wrong Judgement yet we ought to have a reverend esteeme of and not easily differ from that Judgement wherein many wise and understanding men agree Christ speaking of Church-proceedings and censures saith Math 18.19 If two of you who constitute the least number much more if a greater number of godly wise men shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall aske it shall be done for them c. So still the more wise holy and learned men agree in any poynt the greater is our conviction and the stronger our obligation to submit to it He that doth not heare a single brother his fault is great much more if he heare not two or three most of all when he doth not heare the Church speaking to him and testifying against him in the name of Jesus Christ Thirdly Elihu having made a long discourse appeal's to wise men Hence note He that believeth he hath spoken truth is not afraid to have it considered by those who are best able to judge what is true Truth feares not any test or tryall He that offers pure gold and silver cares not who toucheth it or takes the Assay Wisdome is sure enough to be justified of her children They who understand truth and love it can doe nothing against the truth but for it Fourthly Elihu having discoursed long is willing to referre it to men and to let them judge of it Hence note He that hath spoken truth in his uprightness hath reason to believe that he shall have the Consent of the upright with him There is a samenesse of spirit in all wise and godly men for the maine and for the most part it is so in particulars If a godly man conscienciously judge such an opinion to be truth he may be much assured that other wise and godly men will be of his opinion too He dares say as Elihu Let wise men hearken unto me Fifthly and lastly In that Elihu makes his appeal to wise men to men of heart Note All men are not fit to give their Judgement in a case All are not Competent Judges nor prepared to give an opinion and if they doe 't is not much to be regarded wise men specially godly wise men men of a holy understanding are the men whose judgement and opinion is to be regarded Elihu having bespoken the thoughts and opinion of wise men seemes to give his owne in the next words Vers 35. Job hath spoken without knowledge and his words were without wisdome When Elihu had offered it to the Consideration of wise and understanding men whether Job had spoken right about that great poynt Submission to the absolute Soveraignty of God he forbare not first and plainly to declare his owne understanding of it Job hath spoken without knowledge The Hebrew is not in knowledge or not knowingly that is ignorantly foolishly a very high charge Job hath spoken without knowledge yet we are not to understand it as if Elihu thought Job an Ignorant or an unknowing man he could not but know otherwise but as to this particular case he reports him as a man that had spoken without knowledge and declared himselfe both beside his duty and the rule Hence note They who are very wise and knowing in many things yet may be out in some The best of men are not perfect either in grace or knowledge We may know much and yet come short in what we ought to know A man may speak some things very understandingly and yet speak other things very erroneously A Job may be out sometimes Job hath spoken without knowledge And his words were without wisdome When the Lord comes to decide this great Controversie in the last Chapter of this Book he tells Job's three friends that their words had not been right as the words of Job and yet here Elihu saith Job's words were without wisdome or not in wisdome When God said the words of Job were right we may understand it that they were so according to their general tenour or they were so comparatively to what his friends Eliphaz Zophar and Bildad had said in his case or at least his last wo ds after God had throughly convinced and humbled him were so though in many things he had fayled in speech or spoken those things which were not right before Yet here Elihu spake truth while he sayd his words were without wisdome in the speciall poynt he had to doe with him about and so much Job himselfe acknowledged I have spoken once yea twice but I will speak no more I will no more set my wisdome against the wisdome of God nor presume to have things goe according to my mind let God doe what he will with me hereafter Consider how well this good man tooke the plain-dealing of Elihu It might be expected that Job would quickly have risen up in passion especially when he heard himselfe thus urged But being convinced with what Elihu spake he gave him not a word much lesse an angry word Hence note A good man where he is faulty will heare reproofe with patience A gracious heart will soone be angry with himselfe for speaking or doing amisse but he can take it well to heare himselfe reproved when he hath indeed either spoken or done amisse Nor are there many greater and clearer arguments of a gracious heart then this To beare a reproofe wel is a high poynt of commendation Grace may be shewed as eminently by our patience when we are rebuked for doing that which is evill as by our forwardness and zeale in doing that which is good When Nathan the Prophet applyed the parable home to David after he had not only committed but continued long impenitently in his grievous sins of adultery and murder telling him to his face Thou art the man 2 Sam 12.7 and not only telling him so but at once upbrayding him with all the former benefits and kindnesses of God to him threatning him with many dreadfull future judgements v. 8 9 10 11 12. when I say he was thus sharply dealt with it might have been feared that this Great king would have risen up in passion and roared like a fierce Lyon upon the Prophet yet we heare nothing from him but words of sorrowfull confession and humble submission v. 13. I have sinned against the Lord. The boldnesse
Elihu so earnestly importune that Job might be brought to tryall I answer The word signifies a two-fold tryall First a tryall by way of examination or argumentation we try a man when we examine him and argue with him when we scann and search out what he hath spoken or what he hath done In this sence the word is used Chap 12.11 and at the 3d verse of this Chapter the care tryeth words that is the eare examineth the sense and meaning of those things which are spoken and by the eare he meanes not only the sensitive faculty taken abstractly but the sensitive faculty joyned with the intellectuall A beast hath an eare and can heare but a beast cannot try or examine that which is spoken and heard only they that have rationall faculties joyned with the sensitive are able to try words and matter delivered by them I desire Job may be tryed to the utmost that the words and speeches which have past from him may be fully considered or considered to the end that it may at last appeare what he hath asserted and maintained Sunt qui intel-iligunt probari pro exagitari disputatione sed praestat ut ad tentationem referatur per afflictiones Merc Secondly It signifies a tryall by affliction Zech 13.9 One third shall be brought through the fire and tryed As mettall gold or silver is tryed and refined in the fire so shall they in the fire of affliction Jesus Christ is called a tryed stone Isa 28.16 and he was so in both these accounts he was examined and argued with to the end and he was afflicted and grieved to the end he was a man of sorrows and acquainted with griefs all his dayes Behold I lay in Zion a tryed stone a sure Corner stone that which is tryed is sure we may trust that which hath been tryed We say try me and trust me we may understand Elihu in both or in either of these senses My desire is that Job may be tryed that what he hath sayd may be further examined OptatuÌ„ ut tantisper flagelletur Job donec deo vincenti cedat et responsis vanis renunciet Jun 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verbum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat instare et urgere opus donec ad finem perductum fuerit or that his affliction may be continued till he be brought to a sight of his errors and mistakes I would have him corrected till he submits to God as a conqueror and recanteth his rash and inconsiderate answers My desire is that Job may be tryed Vnto the end He doth not say barely tryed but tryed unto the end that is fully and throughly tryed not by halves overley and slightly If he be indeed just and sincere the fire of this tryall how long soever he continueth in it will doe him no hurt it will only purge and refine him from his remaining drosse but if he be unsound and nought he will evaporate and fume away into vaine complaints and murmurings Therefore let him be tryed to the end Some of the Latines translate I would have him tryed to death which is the end or period of man in this world The word signifies sempeternity as also victory because that which continueth ever must needs be victorious 1 Sam 15.29 Plerisque latini ad mortem usque reddunt quod in Originali habetur usque in saeculum vel in sempiternum Vatablus longo Tempore Gregorius Ad huc Philippus Jugiter The strength of Israel will not lie we put in the Margin The eternity or victory of Israel that is the eternall God who is victor over all will not lie Thus some render here I desire Job may be tryed unto victory that is that God would never give over trying him till he hath overcome him and brought downe his spirit for still the man is too high too stout his spirit is still too big too unbroken my desire therefore is that God would try him to victory till he hath brought him upon his knees and made him eate his words or till he give glory to God by humbling himselfe and confessing his sin I would have him fully convinced by argument and throughly humbled by chastisement till he at last resigneth up himselfe to the will of God The Italion glosse puts it in the forme of a prayer Withdraw not thy visâ—tation from Job untill thou hast brought him to the duty of a child Further this word unto the end doth not imply a desire of the everlastingness of his tryall but of the profitableness of it He would not have him alwayes kept upon the rack or under the rod but he would have him effectually dealt with that the matter might issue wel with him From the words thus opened note first Affliction is a tryall It makes us appeare what we are most have but an appearance till they are tryed and being tryed what they are doth really appeare Afflictions try our graces what they are and afflictions try our corruptions what they are Afflictions draw forth the spirit of a man they turne his inside outward and set him as it were in the open light Take tryall in the second sence by way of examination and it yeilds us the same truth He that is throughly sifted will appeare in his own likeness Let a man be fully dealt and argued with let his speeches and his actions be brought to the rule of the word what he is and what they are will soone be seene That 's the tryall which the Apostle means 1 Thes 5.2 Prove all things prove what men say and hold prove their assertions and opinions and you shall come to a cleare understanding of them Rectum est index sui et obliqui The rule of the word is a straight or right rule and that which is right will shew you both it self and that which is crooked or any way swerving and departing from it Secondly As tryall is taken in the former notion for affliction My desire is that Job may be tryed unto the end Note It is lawfull to pray or wish for afflictions upon others in some cases We may pray for and wish afflictions upon others for their good or for the glory of God It is not good to wish evill as evill upon any man no not upon the worst of men Job professed against that Chap 31.29 30. If I have rejoyced at the destruction of him that hated me or have suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soule then c. As if he had sayd If I have prayed or wished that any evill might befall mine enemy as evill I should have done very ill and deserved to suffer ill For that had been an evill wish Yet as we our selves ought to chuse affliction rather then sin so we may pray for affliction upon others rather then that they should goe on in sin As in that case of the Churches proceeding to the sentence of excommunication which is the delivering of a person
Sickness brings downe the strongest men 342. Severall ends for which God sends sickness 343 344. In sickness all creature-comforts are vaine and tastless to us 347. Sickness brings great decay upon the body 351 352. Sickness in what sense called a spending time 356. Sickness makes a wonderfull change in man 358. Sickneâ—s neere the grave three inferences from it 361 362. Other cautions from the nature of sickness 367 368. Sight twofold 816 Silence or holding our peace Vid peace Sincere persons doe not affect to be seene 770 Sin to say we have no sin how extreamly sinfull it is shewed in foure things 202 203. That shewed further 515. Sin three things in it 31. How man is sinned against God only sinned against properly 167. All sin reducible to three heads 198. Sin a defection from God 198. Sin is a defilement 199. Sin a hurtfull thing three wayes 201. Every step in sin is a step to misery 331. What sin is 448 450. Sin pretends to bring in profit to the sinner 454. No good can be gotten by sin 455. Sin is exceeding dangerous and destructive 455. Sinners shall confesse at last there is no profit in sin 456. The heart strongly set to sin 472 473. The more easily any man sinneth the greater is his sin 537. Sins of others how they may become ours 562 Sin unpardoned a great burden yet by some unfelt 809. We have many unknowne sins 818. A godly man desires God would shew him his sins 824. A godly man may live free from grosse sins 826. Sin considered three wayes 827. A godly man may commit sin after sin but he doth not adde sin to sin 828. The addition of sin to sin a great and most dangerous sio 830. To sin rebelliously what 856. When a sin may be called rebellion shewed in foure things 857 858. 'T is the burden of a godly man to sin and 't is his care not to sin 858 859 Sinners would but cannot hide themselves either from the eye or revenging hand of God 669 670. Sinners would hide themselves upon a twofold account 670. Foure things upon which sinners thinke themselves hid from God 672 673 Sirnames or titles of two sorts 126 Sleepe what it is 280. Three words in the Hebrew signifying sleepe 284 Soveraignty of God shewed 255 839 Man is never displeased with what God doth till he forgets what himselfe is 840. Soveraignty of God in afflicting the most innocent person 515. The Soveraignty of God shewed in five things 580. Three inferences from it 581. God hath an absolute power to pull downe and set up whom he pleaseth 683 Soule of man why called the breath of the Almighty 169. The soule floweth immediately from God 169 170 594. Three inferences from it 170. Soule put for the whole man 359 Speaker he that speaketh is at the mercy of his hearers 530 Speaking twofold 46. 'T is very painfull not to speake in some cases 114 He that speaketh his mind easeth his mind 116. The right end of speaking 116. To neglect speaking where duty calls very dangerous 117 A fourfold consideration is to be had of what we speake 149. We should first try and tast what we are about to speake 152. Three sorts who speake amisse doctrinally 156 157 How or when God is sayd to speake 264. Severall wayes of Gods speaking to man 265 Speech they who have most ability are usually most sparing of speech 45 Spirit often taken for the soule of man 51. Spirit of God free not tyed to age nor to any order of men 66 67 Spirit an imposing Spirit how bad 193. Spirit of God mightily over-powers some men both to doe and speake 114. Why our making is attributed to the Spirit 162. The Spirit of God is God 165. Eight reasons from Scripture proving that the holy Ghost is God 165 166 167 168. The Spirit supplyes the absence of Christ in the Church 685 Spirituall things are not understood by a naturall or unregenerate man 275 Two reasons of it 276. They that are spirituall doe not alwayes perceive spirituall things 277. Three grounds of it 277 278 Striving fourefold described 243. Man is apt to strive with God 248. Foure wayes shewed in which man striveth with God 249. Striving with God very uncomely and sinfull 250. Striving with God a presumptuous sin 251. Striving with God an irrationall thing 252. Striving with God of two sorts 255 256. Seven considerations why we should not strive with God 258. Seven preservatives against striving with God 259 260 Three things to be striven with 261 Submission with silence to the will of God alwayes a duty 479 Sufferings we may not will our sufferings though we must suffer willingly 793 Suspition a godly man suspects himselfe that he is worse and hath done worse then he knows by himselfe 825 Sword put for all violent calamities 330 T Talent not to be hid 72 108 Teachers should be leaders 489 Teaching of God twofold 821. God only can teach effectually 821. We should pray and wait for the teachings of God 823 Teachableness or a willingness to learn shewes an humble and gracious spirit 823 Threatnings it is good to thinke of them 139 Tongue he hath a great command over his spirit that can command his tongue 208. Tongue an unruly member 547 Troubles both nationall and personall at the command of God 644 Troubles overtake many when they least expect 645 Truth must be held and held to in all cases 121. Cleare truth should be spoken 158. We should speake truth clearely 159. Truth to be maintained with all our might 179. A good man seeks not victory but truth 487. We should grow up into highest confidences about the truth 569. Why some truths are and ought to be often repeated 571 572 Tryall word preached to be tryed before it be received 502. Tryall of two sorts 850. A person tryed may be trusted 851. Tryall by affliction 852 Turning back from God how sinners doe so 700. Three sorts of them who turne back from God 700 701 How some good men and how all unregenerate men turne back from God 701. The whole life of a person unregenerate is a turning from God 703 Twice considered three wayes 270 Twice thrice what it implyeth 464 V Vanity of all earthly greatness 685 Vision of God in this life what it is 432 Visitation or visiting a threefold sense or use of it 575 Unbeliefe a striving with God 249 Unbeliefe is the roote of Apostacy 704 Understanding of man taken two wayes 52. God can furnish the weakest man with much wisdome and understanding 61. In what sense every man hath not an understanding 602 604. Three attributes of the understanding 603. Only a spirituall understanding can receive spirituall things 604 605. What we heare we should labour to understand 605 Unity among the Saints the great argument moving to it 175 Vocation an act of absolute free grace 397 Uprightness of heart in speaking standing in a threefold opposition 153 Uprightness
9. 106. Hebrewes 1. 1. 265. 2. 14. 754 363. 3. 7 13. 268. 3. 12. 703. 5. 11. 498. 5. 1â— 12. 50. 5. 13. 376. 6. 10. 556. 6. 18 19. 266. 9. 27. 593 268 266. 10. 10 26. 268. 11. 1. 78. 11. 25 26. 507. 12. 4. 262. 12. 5. 79. 12. 9 10. 594 92. 12. 14. 434. James 1. 5. 57. 1. 17. 54. 1. 20 21. 100. 2. 1 2 3 4 5. 124. 2. 9. 80. 2. 10. 712. 2. 12. 147. 4. 12. 811. 5. 15. 398. I Peter 1. 12. 408. 1. 18. 598. 3. 6. 220. 3. 19 20. 740. 4. 11. 159. 4. 17. 94. II Peter 1. 9. 441. 1. 18 19. 266. 3. 16. 9. I John 1. 9. 556. 2. 19. 155. 2. 27. 821. 3. 7. 4. 5. 16. 815. Jude 0. 6. 317. 0. 15. 197 81. Revelation 2. 9. 155. 3. 0. 155. 10. 8. 3â—8 11. 3. 270. 14. 13. 560. 15. 4. 695. 21. 17. 183. ERRATA PAge 14 line 27. for History read Historian p. 145. l. 22. for words r. word p. 236. l. 11. for inseparable r. insuperable p. 238. l. 13. for hath r. had p. 328. l. 23. supple Christ p. 338. l. 8. for epethite r. epithete p. 339. l. 24. dele and. p. 239. l. 26. for to r. being p. 355. l. 38. for 61. r. 11. p. 390. l. 9. for in r. to p. 392. l. 30. for yet more r. Thus. p. 409. in the Margin for Cato r. Calvin p. 511 l. 14. dele yea p. 639. l. 9 for 2. r. 12. p. 652. l. 30. for 58. r. 52 p. 709. l. 23. for God r. good p. 787. l. 39. for yet a r. but. FINIS Books lately printed for Thomas Parkhurst at the Sign of the three Crowns over against the great Conduit at the lower end of Cheap-side A Commentary upon the three first Chapters of Genesis by Mr. John White in fol. A learned Commentary or Exposition upon the first Chapter of the second Epistle to the Corinthians by Dr. Richard Sibbs published for publick good by Thomas Manton Folio There is come forth Mr. William Fenner his Continuation of Christs Alarm to drowsie Saints with a Treatise of effectual Calling The Killing Power of the Law The Spirituall Watch New Birth A Christians ingrafting into Christ A Treatise on the Sabbath which were never before printed bound in one Volume Fol. and may be had alone of them that have his other Works as well as bound with all his former Works which are newly printed in the same Volume The History of the Evangelical Churches of the Valleys of Piemont Containing a most exact Geographical Description of the place and a faithfull account of the doctrine life and persecutions of the Ancient Inhabitants Together with a most naked and punctual relation of the late bloody Massacre 1655. and a Narrative of all the following transactions to 1658. Justified partly by divers ancient Manuscripts written many hundred years before Calvin or Luther By Samuel Morland Esq in fol. Divine Characters in two parts acutely distinguishing the more secret and undiscerned differences between the Hypocrite in his best dress of seeming vertues and formal duties and the true Christian in his real graces and sincere obedience by Mr. Samuel Crooke in fol. The humbled sinner resolved what he should do to be saved or faith in the Lord Jesus Christ the only way of salvation by Mr. Obadiah Sedgewick in 40. The Fountain oâ—ened and the water of life flowing so th for the refreshing of thirsty sinners by the same Author in 4. Anatomy of secret sins presumptuous sins sins in dominion and up ightnesse on Psal 19.12 13. together with a Treatise of the sin against the Holy Ghost by Obadiah Sedgewich The hypocritical Nation described with an Epistle prefixed by Mâ— Samuel Jacomb in 4. A Sermon of the baptizing of Infants by Mr. Stephen Marshal in 4. The unity of the Saints with Christ the Head by the same Author in 4. Truth brought to light and discovered by time or an Historical Narration of the first fourteen years of King James in 4. The Tryall of the Marquesse of Argyle wherein you have his Inditement and his Answer together with his last speech and words upon the Scaffold in 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Great Mysterie of Godliness opened by way of Antidote against the Great Mystery of Iniquity now awork in the Romish Church wherein 1. The Incarnation of the Son of God is fully displayed 2. Ceremonies in poynt of Worship proved to be by Christ abrogated 3. Christian liberty with its 8 Steps and 5 Boundiaries by Thomas Douglass M. A. in 4. Moses and Aaron or the Priviledges and Boundaries given by God both to Magistrates and Ministers Mr. Robinsons Christians Armour in large 8o. A Book of Emblems with Latine and English verses made upon Lights by Robert Farlie small 8o. The one thing necessary By Mr. Thomas Watson Minister of Stephens Walbrook 8o. The Riches of grace displayed in the offer and tender of salvation to poore sinners by Obadiah Sedgewick in 12. Hidden Manna by Mr. Fenner in 12. Picturae Louventes or Pictures drawn forth into Characters in 12. A most excellent Treatise containing the way to seek Heavens Glory to fly Earths Vanity to feare Hells Horror with godly Prayers and the Bell-mans Summons 12. The singular Actions of sanctified Christians in several Sermons on the 5. of Math. 47. An Exposition on the whole book of the Canticles by R. R. There is printed an Exhortation of the Churches of Bohemiah to the Churches of England wherein is set forth the good of unity order discipline and obedience in Churches rightly constituted With an Exhortation premised of the order and Discipline used in the Churches of the Brethren of Bohemia Dedicated to His Most Excellent Majesty Charls the IId in Holland at His departure for England if possibly it may be for an accommodation among the Church of Christ By J. Amos Comenius the only surviving Bishop of the remains of those Churches Grace to the humble as a preparation to the Sacrament in five Sermons by Dr. John Preston Johnsons Essaies expressed in sundry Exquisite Fancies Sion in the House of Mourning because of Sin and Suffering being an Exposition on the fifth Chapter of the Lamentations by D. S. Pastor of Vpingham in the County of Rutland Groans of the Spirit or the Trial of the Truth of Prayer A Handkercher for Parents Wet-eyes upon the death of their children or friends The Dead Saint speaking to Saints and Sinners living in several Treatises viz On 2 Sam 24.10 on Cant. 4.9 on John 8.15 on John 1.50 on Isa 58.2 on Exod. 15.11 Never Published before By Samuel Bolton D. D. late Mr. of Christs Colledge in Cambridge Peoples Need of a Living Pastor at the Funerall of Mr. John Frost M. A. by Mr. Zach. Crofton A Treatise against the Toleration of all Religions By Mr. Thomas Edwards Catechizing Gods Ordinance in sundry Sermons by Mr. Zachary Crofton Minister of Buttolphs Algate London the second Edition corrected and augmented A Theatre of Political Flying Insects Wherein especially the Nature the Worth the Work the Wonder and the manner of the Right-ordering of the Bee is discovered and described By Samuel Purchas M. A. and Pastor at Sutton in Essex The second part of Mans wilfull Impenitency upon Ezek. 18.32 By Mr. William Fenner late of Rochford in Essex With some other Pieces of his preserved by a special Providence