Amos 5. Non ultra dissimulabo ei scelera tua Pang Merc. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 your wickedness or your sin and that carries a fair sense for when a man pardons or will not punish an offence he seemes to take no notice of it for that properly is to dissemble a thing as simulation is to pretend that which is not so dissimulation is to take no notice or not to hold forth that which is God passeth by and dissembles the sins of men in a gracious way when he will not observe or look upon them to question or punish them The Greek word Matth. 26. 39. answereth this Hebrew where our Lord Christ ptayeth earnestly about the removal of the cup Father saith he if it be possible let this cup pass away from me In the same sense that sin is said to pass away the cup of Gods displeasure and wrath passes also away when sin is pardoned therefore Christ prayed thrice that the cup might pass away from him that he might not be dealt with as a sinner but that there might be a course found out to spare him and save the glory of his fathers justice Yet he submits not my will but thy will be done if it must not passe away I am contented it should not passe Thus far we have seen what is meant by pardoning and taking away A word upon those two terms transgression and iniquity which are the objects on which pardoning mercy workes Why doest thou not pardon my transgression and put away mine iniquity Trangression and iniquity are words of great significancy for in them all manner of sins especially sins of a greater stature are comprehended The former transgression notes a violation of the Commands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Propriè rebellio peccatum ex superbia Non simplex qualiscunque sed malitiosa temeraria transgressio of God with a high hand or a rebellion of the mind when pride of spirit shews it self very much There is a spice of pride in every sin Because of pride saith Solomon cometh contention all the contentions we maintain against the word and will of God rise from the pride of our own hearts because we cannot submit to the will of God but in some sins pride holds up her head more proudly Such sins this word notes it is not simply any sin but sin very proudly and rebelliously committed The latter word Iniquity imports the crookedness and inequality 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Incurvationem declinationem à recta via ad animum translata significat per versitatem melitiam Curvi mores of a thing when it turns this way or that way and extends not in a straite and right line Hence it is applyed to the vitiosity and perverseness to the crookedness and inequality of mans nature Our nature is a crooked peece and that makes all the crookedness in our lives The Latines speak so in a moral sence they call ill manners and ill manner'd men crooked men and crooked manners David Psal 51. 5. bewaileth his birth sin under this notion I was born in iniquity And he that was first borne in the world applied this word to himself saying my iniquity the Peccata denotat quae fiunt ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 destinata malitia seu proposito cum sc mens videt quod aequū est tamen indulgens cupiditatibus sequitur deteriora Moller in Psal 106 6. perverseness the crookedness of my waies is greater than can be forgiven or made straight Gen. 4. 13. So that this word also take it strictly implies more than a bare act of sin arising from infirmity weakness or inanimad vertency it rather notes those sins which are committed from a crooked purpose from an ill or false bent of the heart when the mind sees that which is right and good just and straite and yet turns to crooked paths and follows that which is perverse and worse Take one thing further This word in Scripture signifies not only the act of such sins but secondly the punishment of them Psal 31. 10. Gen. 19. 15. And thirdly it is put for the means of expiation or pardon Hos 4. 8. They eat up the sin of my people and they set their heart on their iniquity But how did the Priests eat up the sin and set their hearts on the iniquity of the people Sin can make us but a hungry banquet The text bears variety of interpretations But to the point in hand sin is here put for the sacrifices offered up for sin out of divers of which the Priests had a portion for themselves to eat so that the Prophet here describes the horrible prophaneness of those degenerate Priests who set their hearts upon the sacrifices because themselves were fed by them not because the people came to seek the favour of God and make their peace by them when they had sinned As Physitians may be said to eat the diseases of the people and set their hearts upon their sicknesses when they because their own gain is in it are pleased to hear of spreading sicknesses c. Or as Lawyers eat the contentions and quarrels of the people when they are glad to hear of Suits c. because they grow rich by it So those base-spirited Priests were said to eat the sins of the People and set their hearts on their iniquities because they were glad to have of a multitude of sacrifices their provisions being inlarg'd by them So that then iniquity is the sacrifice for iniquity in which sense also Christ is said to be made sin for us namely a sacrifice for sin 1 Cor. 5. 21. From the words thus opened we may observe First to whom Job addresseth himself for pardon is it not unto God And why doest not thou pardon my transgression God onely can pardon sin Pardon is his act his proper and peculiar act he can do it and none can but he We read it among his royal Titles Exod. 34. 7. the Name of God is proclaimed in this stile The Lord the Lord God mercifull and gratious long suffering and abundant in goodness and in truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression an sin Pardoning sin is put the last of those seven attributes in which the Lord manifested himself to Moses as being that wherein all the former are summ'd up and into which they conveigh their several blessings to make man compleatly blessed or to shew that none can be a pardoner of sin but he who is vested with all those foregoing glorious titles and therefore none but God alone Hence the Prophet Micah chap. 7. ver 18. puts the question and challenges all the world Who is a God like unto thee pardoning iniquity Shew me one if you can there is no sin-pardoning God besides thee Who is a God like unto thee pardoning As if the Prophet had said some will be or have been offering at this work but they all have been or will be found
Eliphaz and Job I leave in your hands praying for a blessing from on high to convay truth home to every heart desiring earnest prayers for the Spirit of grace and illumination to be powred out according to the measure of the gift of Christ upon April 28 1645. Your very affectionate Friend and Servant in this worke of the Lord Joseph Caryl AN EXPOSITION Upon the Fourth Fifth Sixth and Seventh Chapters of the Book of JOB JOB Chap. 4. Verse 1. Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said 2. If we assay to commune with thee wilt thou be grieved But who can withhold himselfe from speaking 3. Behold thou hast instructed many thou hast strengthned the weak hands 4. Thy words have upholden him that was falling and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees 5. But now it is come upon thee and thou faintest it toucheth thee and thou art troubled 6. Is not this thy feare thy confidence the uprightnesse of thy wayes and thy hope IOBS complaint ended in the former Chapter in this a hot dispute begins Job having curs'd his day is now chid himselfe And he had such a chiding as was indeed a wounding such as almost at every word drew blood and was not onely a Red upon his back but a Sword at his heart Job was wounded first by Satan he was wounded a second time by his Wife a third time he was wounded not as it is spoken in the Prophet in the house of his friends but in his own house by his friends Zach. 13. 6. these last wounds are judg'd by good Physitians in soule-afflictions his deepest and soarest wounds Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said Eliphaz being as is supposed the elder and chiefe of the three first enters the list of this debate with Job concerning whose name person and pedigree we have spoken before at the eleventh Verse of the second Chapter and therefore referring the Reader thither for those circumstantials of the speaker I shall immediately descend unto the matter here spoken If we assay to commune with thee wilt thou be grieved c. The whole discourse of Eliphaz may be divided into three generall parts 1. The Preface of his Speech 2. The Body 3. The Conclusion The Preface of his speech is contained in the second Verse If we assay to commune with thee wilt thou be grieved c. The Body of his speech is extended through this fourth and to the last Verse of the fifth Chapter It consisteth especially of two members or two sorts of matter in which Eliphaz deals with Job The first is reprehensory by way of conviction and reproof The second is exhortatory by way of counsell and advice First Eliphaz reprehends Job This work of reprehension begins at the third Verse of this Chapter and is continued to the end of the fourth Verse of the fift Chapter And to shew that he did not reprehend him upon passion he grounds this reprehension upon reason and strengthens his reproofe with Arguments And there are four reasons or speciall Arguments which Eliphaz takes up to make this reprehension convincing the naming of them will give light to the whole before we come to particulars The first Argument is contained in the words I have read to the end of the sixth Verse And it is taken from the unsuitablenesse of his present practice to his former precepts Or from the inequality of the course he now took under affliction to the counsell he had given others under affliction His second Argument beginning at the seventh Verse and carried on to the twelfth is grounded upon a supposed inequality of Gods present dealing with him in reference to his former dealings with godly men Eliphaz thought thus surely Job is an Hypocrite otherwise God would have dealt with him as with an innocent Remember saith he I pray thee who ever perished being innocent I will convince thee by all examples by whatsoever is upon Record in the History of all Ages that thou art an Hypocrite a wicked person for see if thou canst finde an instance in any Story of an innocent person perishing That is his second Argument His third Argument is continued from the twelfth Verse to the end of this fourth Chapter and that he might make the deeper impression upon Jobs spirit he brings it in with a dreadfull Preamble a Vision from God at once terrifying and instructing him thus to reason downe the pride of man The Argument it selfe is coucht in the seventeenth verse It is drawn from an evidence of presumption in all such as shall dare to implead Gods justice or plead their own as if Eliphaz had said surely thou art a proud and a wicked person for there was never any godly man upon the face of the Earth no nor any Angel in Heaven that durst be so bold with God as thou hast been Shall mortall man saith he be more just than God shall a man be more pure than his maker Behold he put no trust in his servants and his Angels he charged with folly His fourth Argument begins at the fifth Chapter and ends with the fourth Verse and it is taken from the unlikenesse of Jobs carriage under his afflictions to that which any of the Saints in any age of the World did ever shew forth under their afflictions He that caries himselfe so as none of the Saints ever caried themselves gives an evidence against his Saintship Call now to the Saints either those now living upon the Earth or search the Records concerning all the Saints that ever lived consider and see whether thou canst observe or reade any paralell of thy complaints and unreasonable expostulotions So much for the summe of his convictions Then Eliphaz turnes himselfe to admonition and exhortation in the following part of that fifth Chapter and there are two Heads of his admonitory exhortation First he admonishes him to seek unto God and to call upon him Vers 8. I would seek unto God and unto God would I commit my cause I give thee no other counsell then I would take my selfe If I were in thy case I would not stand thus complaining and cursing my day but this I would doe I would seek unto God and unto God would I commit my cause This admonition is enforced by divers Arguments to the seventeenth Verse The second head of his exhortation beginneth at the seventeenth Verse and it is to prevaile with him patiently to bear and quietly to accept his affliction or the punishment of his iniquity in pursuance of this he shews him many benefits and blessings attending those who graciously comply with the correcting hand of God upon them Behold saith he Verse 17. happie is the man whom God correcteth therefore despise not thou the chastning of the Almighty he concludeth all from his certain knowledge and infallible experience of what he had said Verse 27. Loe this we have searched it so it is Back'd with a warranty that if he obey his own experience shall quickly teach him
In the 1 Sam. 3. 1. we have the ground of the distinction In those dayes there was no open vision Open is opposed to private or secret the word imports a vision appearing in publique and the meaning of the text is this there were no Prophets sent openly and as it were In State invested with commission and furnished with messages Fuerantquidem singulares privatae visiones cum pijs communicatae ut cum Manoah Judic 13 Sed publiâ—è Prophetarum oâ—ne munus jacebat Jun. in loc from Heaven unto the people there was no open vision yet at that time there were private visions as to Manoah Judg. 13. God revealed himselfe in those darke times to some of his speciall servants And so he hath and will at all times While he hath a Church upon the earth he never shuts himselfe quite in Heaven Open vision may faile but all visions shall not faile So open profession may faile in the raigne of Antichrist in his houre and in the power of darknesse as it did in the time of Eliah yet all profession of the truth shall never faile The Lord hath alwayes his thousands in secret who never bowed their knee to Baal In many places since Christ came in the flesh there hath been no open vision no holding forth of the truth of Christ and yet even in those places there have been private visions and a remnant reserved to whom God hath made known the mysteries of the Kingdome of Christ When darknesse covers all in appearance there may be light which appeares not and candles under a bushell when there are none in the Candlesticks A Goshen hath light while Egypt is plagued with darknesse and when the Prophets are benighted it may be day with many of the people Thirdly Some visions were without any trance or ravishment Gen. 15. 1. The word of God came in a vision to Abraham speaking to his eare and bidding him look up to Heaven with his eyes ver 5. But often we finde that visions were accompanied with trances 'T was so with Balaam the false Prophet Num. 24. 16. He hath said which saw the visions rf the Almighty falling into a trance but having his eyes open And it was so with some of the true Prophets Daniel saw a vision and when he heard the voice Then saith he was I in a deepe sleepe upon my face Dan. 10. 9. Peter was in a trance when he had the vision of a sheete let downe from Heaven Act. 10. And the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 12. 1. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord whether in the body I cannot tell or whether out of the body I cannot tell God knoweth His soule had so much acquaintance with God that he became a stranger to his own body his soule was so busied in receiving knowledge from God that he was faine to put off the knowledge and care of his body wholly to God What the state of my body was I know not God knoweth Fourthly Some visions were presented only in bare naked words others were cloathed in types and figures in the shapes of beasts of the earth and soules of the ayre of trees and stones c. As to Ezekiel and Daniel in their Prophesies and to John in the book of Revelations These figures were as an Alphabet of sacred Letters which put together and spel'd made the minde of God legible to his servants Lastly The Scripture in hand hints us a fifth difference about visions In thoughts from the visions of the night that 's considerable There were visions of the day and visions of the night thus it is said Dan. 2. 19. when Daniel expounded Nebuchadnezzars dreame that God made it known to him in visions of the night opposing it to visions of the day Usually the night was the time for visions hence Numb 22. 18 19. Balaam the false Prophet when the messengers of Balack came to him saith Tarry this night and I will shew you in the morning he thought to have a vision in the night So it is observable that when Saul and his servant came to Samuel 1 Sam. 9. 19. to enquire about the straid Asses he tells him ye shall eate bread with me to day and to morow I will let thee goe and will tell thee all that is in thine heart he desired a night intimating that God used to reveale secrets unto him in the night So much concerning visions with the kindes and differences of them From this doctrine of visions we may take notice of our priviledge under the Gospel The Apostle saith at sundry times and in divers manners God spake unto our fathers by the Prophets but he hath spoken unto us one way which exceeds them all Even by his Sonne who is the brightnesse of his glory and the expresse image of his person Heb. 1. 2 3. We have a vision which outshines all the visions that ever the Prophets or Patriarchs had from the beginning of the world Their light was darknesse at most but a shadow their visions were obscurities and their revelations concealments compared with ours Our vision is Christ God manifested in the flesh Mine eyes have seen thy salvation saith old Simeon he had a vision of Christ in person The land of Judah was call'd the valley of vision because God revealed himselfe to that people more frequently and clearly than to all the world beside Where ever the Gospel is preached that Land is a valley of vision a valley of vision farre more lightsome and glorious than the land of Judah was the very darknesse of the Gospel is clearer than the light of the Law That which was made glorious had no glory by reason of that glory which excelleth 1 Cor. 3. 10. Only remember that as our priviledge is greater than theirs so is our duty A cleare light should be answered with a holier life And we who have more evidence of what God would have done should make more conscience to do it Now we are not taught by dreams and visions of the night We ought to walk as children of the day Not onely is darknesse gone but the shadows are fled away The true light now shines even he who enlightens every one that comes into the warld We need not dreams or visions now Why should we call for Candles when the Sunne is up We need not Starre-light when we have day-light or when the promised Day-starre is risen in our hearts 2 Pet. 1. 19. Here is one circumstance more in the Text about this vision very Sopor est somnus profundior somnus est plus quam do miâ—aâ—io sopor plus quam somnus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Significat gravem somnum imo plus quâ—m somnuÌ„ profundum somnuÌ„ quasi letharguÌ„â— remarkeable it was not only in the night but in the night when deepe sleepe falleth on men or on sorrowfull man man wearied with labour and travell This is a more distinct description of the time than the former
instruments of Gods displeasure This is grosse dispising But besides every undervaluing or inadvertency of the correcting hand of God hath a degree of this despising it That exhortation ought never to be forgotten which speaketh to us as unto children Hebr. 12. 5. My son despise not thou the chastening of the Lord nor faint when thou art rebuked of him The Greek word imports the Litling or thinking of them little Do not think the chastnings of God little doe not little or slight them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in thy thoughts Neither faint when thou art rebuked that is doe not thinke thy afflictions so great that thou must needs sinke and faint under them These are the two extreames into which our hearts usually run when chastnings are upon us Some erre by neglecting the hand of God as light and others by fainting under it as too heavy As a good heart takes notice of or will not despise a little the least comfort So it will take notice of and not despise a little the least crosse When a man hath a small losse in his estate if he say this will not undoe me I can beare this I will fare as well and goe as fine as ever for all this such speeches or thoughts are a despising of the chastening of the Lord. We are to observe the hand of God taking away as well as giving a penny So when a man hath a little fit of sicknesse If he say I shall rubb out this well enough this is to despise the chastning of the Lord We are to blesse God for every hours health and to be sensible of his hand in every hours sicknesse or aking joynt Every affliction is a messenger from God it hath somewhat to say to us from Heaven and God will not beare it if his messengers be despised how meane so ever If you send a child with a message to a friend and he slight and despise him you will take it ill I remember what the story relates of Galienus the Emperour who when the report came to him that Egypt was lost what then said he cannot I live without the flax of Egypt And when the report was brought that a great part of his dominions in Asia was wasted Cannot I live said he without the delicacies of Asia To speake thus from a principle of mortification toward the creature is the character of an excellent spirit but to speake thus from a contempt of the Providence of God is the character of a proud or of a stupid spirit When we heare of the losse of a child of a friend or of a losse in our estate To say what then I can beare that well enough I have more children other friends estate enough besides that This I say is a high despising of affliction There is one thing further in the fifth place observable in this word Despise not thou the chastnings of the Lord. The word is Extenuatio est nam plus signficatur quam dicitur sc maximi facito disciplinam Domini nihil tibi antiquius aut potius sit quam ut illius correctionem aequo animo accipies an extenuation or a lessening of the sense The holy Ghost intends more than is expressed for the truth is when he saith Despise not c. his meaning is this shew reverence highly prize and esteeme the chastning of the Lord. As for instance when the Apostle saith in 1 Thess 5. 20. Despise not prophecying Doe you thinke this is all that is due unto an Ordinance of God that a man should not despise it Surely no he meanes then prize prophecying highly have it in great esteeme So in 1 Tim 4. 12. and Tit. 2. 15 when he saith Let no man despise thy youth is that all the holy Ghost meanes That Timothy a godly Pastour should only not be despised by his people No his meaning is that they should honour respect and reverence him as one that watched over them in the Lord. I might give you divers other Scriptures where when the holy Ghost only forbiddeth the sin he intendeth the duty or grace in strictest opposition to that sin So here Despise not thou the chastning of the Almighty layes this charge and duty upon us highly to esteeme the chastning of the Lord we must put afflictions amongst our comforts and rank them with our blessings Not to despise is but the first step beyond sin but that includes the last and furthest step of duty which becomes us under chastenings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aradiâ—e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vincevit ligavit per Metaphoram castâ—gavit erudâ—vit verbis aut verberibus ad disciplinam vel poenam transfertuâ— Sicut vox Lamad quae doctrinam significa◠〈◊〉 all 〈…〉 So much of the act forbidden despising Now for the object chastning The originall verb fignifies to instruct or to teach so it is translated Chap. 4. v. 3. Thou hast instructed many Instruction is both by words and blowes The wisdome of God mixes a rod with his word and chastening with teaching Therefore it is promiscuously used in Scripture sometime for teaching and sometime for chastning Chastning belongs properly to children who are wanton and ungovern'd who have a bundle of folly in their hearts which the rod of correction driveth out To be chastned hath a double aspect upon us first upon our priviledge Secondly upon our weaknesse To be chastned notes our priviledge and relation as children unto God our father He hath revenges for his enemies but chastnings are a part of his childrens portion yet in that we are chastned it taxes us of weaknesse we are but children foolish unruly wanton and therefore we goe almost all our dayes with a rod at our backs Though the Saints on earth comâ—â—â—d among themselves are some Children and others men yet 〈…〉 earth compared with those in Heaven or with what themselves shall be in Heaven are children and therefore they have what fits their state chastening and correction This chastening is sometime put for revenge or the exactest and severest retribution of justice Thus it is said Prov. 7. 22. That the foolish young man caught by the subtill harlot went after her as a foole to the correction of the stocks That is as a wicked man goes to punishment And when the Prophet describes the sufferings of Christ which were vindictive in the highest degree he expresses it in this word The chastizement of our peace was upon him Isa 53. 5. though Christ were the infinitely and most entirely beloved Son of his Father yet he did not chastize him as a Son but as an enemy or malefactour for he chastened him in our stead and under the same notion that we must have been chastened who were enemies and malefactors So then the word signifies sometime judiciary chastening but here fatherly chastening which will yet appeare more clearely in opening the last terme of this verse which shewes us the efficient cause of this chastening The Almighty Despise
pavillion a secret hiding place for his Favourites where he preserves their credit and reputation untoucht against all the blots and causelesse blemishes of malignant spirits Thus they are hid from the strife of tongues Hence his Saints and people are called His stored or his hidden ones Psal 83. 3. Observe first The tongue is a scourge The tongue is a terrible engine The Scripture gives us variety of comparisons to set forth the evill of an ill tongue It is here called a scourge and it is a scourge of many lashes or knotted cords or rather stinging scorpions scoffing is one slander a second false accusations a third The former strictly taken is a lye told any neighbour and the latter is a lye told the Magistrate The tongue Psal 52 2. is called a sharpe rasor Psal 57. 4. it is compared to speares and arrowes and a sharpe Sword and if at any time with much using this Sword be blunted in the edge or point the Scripture speakes of whetting the tongue Psal 64. 3. It is as the sharpe arrowes of the mighty man and coales of juniper Psal 120. 4. They bend their tongues like a bow Jer. 9. 3. Their tongue is as an arrow shot out ver 8. In a word It is a fire and a world of mischiefe Jam. 3. 6. Jer. 18. 18. we reade of smiting with the tongue and of devouring words Psal 52. 4. As there are devouring opinions opinions which not only hurt the judgements of men but devoure their consciences and eat up truth as it were at a bit so there are devouring words words that eat up a mans reputation and devour his good name as bread Slanderous mouthes lâ—ve the whitest bread the finest of the wheate A mans credit which hath not a branne in it how sweet a morsell is it to such mouthes Though the truth is every name by how much the more pure and spotlesse it is by so much the more deadly will it be in the stomacks of these devourers A good name swallowed by an ill man will as Jonas did the Whale make him one time or other Stomach-sick if not conscience-sick and he shall be forced to vomit it out safe againe It is a sad thing when thus the people of God are wounded and scourged by the tongues of wicked men but I will tell you of a sadder scourging that is when the people and servants of God scourge one another with their tongues I beseech you leave this work to wicked men take not the scourge of the tongue out of their hands let us not only not slander but not speake hardly one of another The ancient Christians in the Primitive times were deepely wounded by the scourge of the tongue what strange things did ungodly men feigne and then fasten on them They reported them as black as hell as if their holy meetings were not to worship God but to defile themselves with incest and uncleannesse but among Christians themselves we reade not of this scourge at that time No Christians loved one another to the amazement of Heathens They were so farre from this scourging or wounding of one another that they were ready to be scourged to be wounded to be burned to die one for another This caused their Pagan persecuters to cry out Behold how the Christians love one another We are scourged by wicked ones as They O that we could love one another as They. Sons of Belial have revived the ancient reproaches and accusations against the brethren O that we could revive the ancient imbraces and most endeared affections of the Brethren Observe secondly It is a great mercy to be delivered from the Scourge of the tongue The Apostle speaks of it as a wonderfull mercy that he was delivered out of the Mouth of the Lion 2 Tim. 4. 17. Surely it is no ordinary mercy though lying be very ordinary to be delivered out of the Mouth of a lyar This is joyned in one promise with deliverance from the most deadly instrumenrs of warre Isa 54. 17. No weapon formed against thee shall prosper that is no weapon of warre neither Sword nor Speare shall hurt thee Then followes And every tongue that shall rise up against thee in judgement thou shalt condemne This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord. The tongue of a Ziba or of a Tertullus will devour and destroy as bad as the Sword of a Caesar or a Pompey The holy story tels us what woefull work the tongue had made upon Joseph and Mephibosheth if the good providenee of God had not spoken a good word for them Lastly Let me add one seasonable word of admonition to these tongue scourgers As the word is They that smite with the sword shall perish with the sword so they that smite with the tongue shall perish with the tongue The tongues of the Saints are in some sence sharper and sorer scourges then the tongues of wicked men The word of God in their mouths is a Two-edged Sword yea sharper then any Two-edged Sword A Prophet or a Minister of Christ can strike as hard with his tongue as and infinitely harder then any Prophane wretch or railing Rabshakeb in the world Truth well set home will wound deeper than slander can I saith the Lord Hos 6. 5. have hewed them by my Prophets and slaine them by the words of my mouth In the 11th of the Revelation it is prophecied That fire shall goe out of the mouths of the two Witnesses and devour their enemies vers 5. That is the word of their mouths shall be as a fire to scorch and consume the gain saying world and with this instrument their tongue for that only is sutable for the work of Witnesses they are said to have tormented those that dwell upon the earth ver 10. Some indeed are Sermon-proofe and Word-proofe They at present doe even laugh at all our spirituall Artillery Let whole volleyes of threats be discharg'd upon them let them be hackt and hewed all day long with the Sword of the Word they feele it not it may be they jeer at it at least they regard it not As they Jer. 18. 18. conspiring against the Prophet Come let us devise devices c. let us smite him with the tongue And least any should say if we smite him with the tongue he will smite us againe For these Prophets are notable at that weapon To secure themselves they resolve thus Let us not give heed to any of his words As if they had said we know he will speake bigge words and threaten us terribly with Sword and pestilence and famine and hell c. But let 's arme our selves against him and make no more of all then of a Squibb or a pot-gun then of a stabbe with a wooden dagger or a charge with a Bull rush Let us not give heed to any of his words But let these know though now they are hardned against the spirituall scourge and sword in the mouth of Christs Ministers yet at the last
passe out against him A if he had said Let not God spare me let him write â—s bitter a sentence against me as he pleaseth for my part I would not conceale the word of the most High but I would publish his judgement and sentence against me yea I would praise him and extoll him for it The vulgar Latine to this sence I would not contradict the word of the holy One Let him not spare me for as for my part whatsoever God shall determine and resolve whatsoever word God shall speake concerning me I will never withstand or open my mouth against it This is a truth and carries in it a high frame of holinesse when we can bring our hearts to this that let God write as bitter things against us as he pleaseth we will never contradict his word or decree but our minds and spirits shall submit wholly and fully to his dispositions of us and dispensations towards us It is as clear an evidence of grace to be passive under as to be active in the word of God Not to contradict his writ for our sufferings as not to conceale what he speaks for our practise But I rather stick to the former interpretation Job giving this as a reason of his great confidence in pursuing his petition for death because he had been so sincere holding forth the word of God both in doctrine and in life And so we may observe from it First That the testimony of a good conscience is the best ground of our willingnesse to die That man speakes enough for his willingnesse to die who hath lived speaking and doing the will of God and he is in a very miserable case who hath no other reason why he desireth death but onely because he is in misery This was one but not the only reason why Job desired death he had a reason transcending this I have not concealed the words of the holy One and I know if I have not concealed the word of God God will not conceal his mercy and loving kindness from me David bottoms his hopes of comfort in sad times upon this Psal 40. 9 10. I have preached righteousness in the great Congregation I have not refrained my lips O Lord thou knowest he was not actively or politickly silent I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart if lay there but it was imprisoned or stifl'd there I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvations I have not concealed thy loving kindness and thy truth from the great Congregation Upon this he fals a praying with a mighty spirit of beleeving vers 11. Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me O Lord let thy loving-kindness and thy truth continually preserve me for innumerable evils have compassed me about The remembrance of our active faithfulness to the truth of God will bear up our hearts in hoping for the mercy of God He that in Davids and in Jobs sence can say I have not concealed the words of the most high may triumph over innumerable evils and shall be more then a conquerer over the last and worst of temporal evils death God cannot long conceal his love from them who have not concealed his truth Secondly observe positively That the counsels of God his truths must be revealed God hath secrets which belong not to us but then he puts them not forth in a word nor writes them in his book he keeps his secrets close in the cabinet of his decrees and counsels but what he reveals either in his word or by his works man ought to reveal too It is as dangerous if not more to conceal what God hath made known as to be inquisitive to know what God hath concealed Yea it is as dangerous to hide the word of God as it is to hide our own sins And we equally give glory to God by the profession of the one as by the confession of the other Paul with much earnestnesse professes his integrity about this as was even now toucht Act. 20. Fourthly observe That the study of a godly man is to make the word of God visible I have not concealed that is I have made plain I have revealed or I have published the words of the holy One Much of Jobs mind is concealed under that word I have not concealed For in this negative there is an affirmative as if he had said this hath been my labour and my businesse my work in the world to make known so much of the will of God as I know This was the work of Christ here below Father I have glorified thee upon earth I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do Joh. 17. 4. What this work was he shewes vers 6th I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world Lasty observe That it is a dangerous thing for any man to conceale the word of God either in his opinion or in his practice For it is as if Job had said if I had ever concealed the words of God I had bin but in an ill case at this time God might now justly reveale his wrath against me if I had concealed his word from others or God might justly hide his mercies from me if I had hid his word from men Smothered truths will one time or other set the conscience in a flame and that which Jeremiah spake once concerning his resolution to conceale the word of God and the effect of it will be a truth upon every one who shall set himselfe under a resolution to doe what he under a temptation did Jer. 20. 9. Then I said I will not make mention of him nor speake any more in his name what followes Then his word was in my breast as a burning fire shut up in my bones and I was weary with forbearing If a gracious heart hath taken up such a sodaine resolution to conceale the word of God he quickly repents of it or smarts under it He findes that word as a burning fire in his bones he is not able to bear it I was weary with forbearing saith the prophet Nothing in the world will burthen the conscience so much as concealed truth and they who have taken a meditated resolution that they will not reveale the word of God may be sure that word will one time or other reveale it selfe to them in the Light and heat of a burning fire seeding upon their consciences I have not concealed the words whose words The words of the Holy One Who is that The Holy One is a periphrasis for God When you hear that Title The holy One you may know who is meant This is a Title too bigge for any but a God All holinesse is in God and God is so holy that properly he onely is Holy Hence the Scripture sets God forth under this as a peculiar attribute The Holy One The Prophets often use this addition or stile The Holy One of Israel The Holy One Is One separate or set apart from all filthinesse
chesed a reproach to any people Secondly Impiety and cruelty harshness and severity Thirdly It signifies any abhominable wickedness Levit. 20. 17. where Moses speaking of incest incest between brother and sister calls that abomination by this word Chesod A wicked thing That may have a good name the nature whereof is so ill that it is not to be named Further The word as we translate imports more than a bare act of pitty or commiseration as suppose a man see his brother in misery compassionates him but relieves him not this is not pity Such the Apostle James describes in his first Chapter vers 15. If a brother or a sister be naked and destitute of daily food and you say unto them be filled be warmed be cloathed poor creatures ye are hungry yea are naked I pitty you I am sorry to see you thus be filled be cloathed I wish it were otherwise with you and yet in the mean time he gives them nothing wherewith either to cloath or feed them Is this fulfilling the law of love Is this charity Nothing lesse The pity here spoken of is not a verbal piety Our saying to a brother in trouble be comforted or I would course were taken for you I wish you well with all my heart and so we bestow a mouth-ful of good words but not so much as a morsell of bread or a cup of cold water Good words alone are cheap charity to mans expence and they are so cheap in Gods esteem that they will not be found of any value at all in the day of reckening good words not realized if they be found any where will be found in the treasures of wrath This is not the pitty which Job teacheth us should be shewed to him that is afflicted The Apostles quesion shakes such out of all claime to this grace 1 John 3. 17. whosoever saith he hath this worlds goods and seeth his brother in need and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him how doth the love of God dwell in him Though a mans mouth be open with good words yet if he shut his bowels from good deeds there is no love to God or man hous'd in that mans heart It is no Pitty to speak of onely to speak pitty and therefore the Apostle addes verse 18 My little children let us not love in word and in tongue but in deed and in truth that 's the true meaning of this word to him that is afflicted pitty should be shewed But you my friends have not given me so much as the sound of pitty you have not bemoaned me much less have you relieved me which is the substance of pitty reall pitty You have not loved me in tongue giving me good words much less in deed and in truth Deed-pitty is both the duty and the disposition of a godly man therefore this word Chasid in the concrete is often used in Scripture to signify a godly man He is one that hath obtained much grace and pitty from the Lord and he is kind gracious and pittiful unto men The holy Proverb assures us That a good man is merciful pittiful to his beast much more to a man and most of all to a godly man who is his brother in the nearest bond And it is considerable how this word was used by way of distinction among the Jewes who cast their whole people or nation into three ranks and it is grounded upon Rom. 5 6 7. where the Apostle alludes to those three sorts First There were Reshagnim ungodlymen the prophane rabble Secondly there were the Tsadikmi righteous men And thirdly there were Chasidim good men or pittiful mâ—n scarcely saith the Apostle will one die for a righteous man for a man fair and just in his dealings peradventure for one of the Chasidim for a good man some one may chance to dy He that had been pittiful might haply find pitty and having done so much good in his life all would desire he should live still But herein God commended his love to us that while we were â—et sinners Reshagnim in the worst raâ—ke of men Christ died for us No man had either love or pitty enough to die for them who had so much impiety The farthest that the natural line oâ— mans pitty can reach is to do good to those who do him good or are good Pitty notes out such a sort of men and such a sort of actions as Antiqui vocant Ciconâ—am pietatis cultricem Ciconiis pietas eximia est Soâ— are fullest of love of bowels of brotherly kindeness and compassion Hence the Stork which by divers of the ancients was put for the Emblem of love and benignity is exprest in the Hebrew by this word Levit. 11. 19. The Storke is very tender towards her young ones and her young ones are as tender of her when she is old as naturalists have observed So then this word imports the height of all offices and affections of love from man to man especially from Christian to Christian in times of trouble and cases of extremity This Pitty you should have shewed me saith Job But he forsaketh the fear of the Almighty That is he forsakes all godlinesse goodness and religion Fear takes in all that 's good and so it is conceived that Job retorts the words of Eliphaz in the fourth chap. Is this thy fear or where is thy fear thy Religion Now Job saith Is this your fear You have forsaken the fear of the Almighty Is this your Religion to deal so harshly with a distressed friend or to give him such cold comfort Surely you have forsaken that fear of the Almighty which you charged me with Have not I reason to ask Is this thy fear or to conclude You have forsaken the fear of the Almighty These words are diversly rendred Some thus He that takes away pitty from his friend hath forsaken the fear of the Almighty And Qui tollit ab â—mico suo misericordiam timorem Domini derelinquit Vulg. that 's a truth and a good sense though not so clear to the letter of the Text. Mr. Broughton joins this with the former verse By him whose mercy is molten toward his friend and who leaveth the fear of the Almighty So referring this melting to mercy and not to the man joining it with the former thus Have not I my defence and is judgment driven away from me by him whose mercy is molten away toward his neighbour and who leaveth the fear of the Almighty As if Job had said Eliphaz doest thou thinke thou haste driven away all wisdome from me by thy dispute Doest thou think that I have lost my reason as thou hast lost thy pitty Thou thinkest wisdome and understanding have forsaken me but it appears by thy dealings that thou hast forsaken the fear of God which is the beginning of wisdome Thirdly it is rendred in the contrary sense The word Chesid An dissoluto à sodali suo convitium et quod timorem omnipotentis
to have found water there and it grieved and repented them that ever they had hope to find water there because there was none to be found They were confounded The word signifies indifferently to be ashamed or to be confounded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Puduit rei vel facti and to be confounded in regard of events or actions The word is very neer in sound to our English Abashed It notes also a waxing pale and wan when the colour failes and withers comes and goes If a man be failed much in what he much hoped his countenance fails too his visage changes as his thoughts change and he waxeth pale Therefore we translate it well confounded And it is expressed by confounding for two reasons First because the complexion is confounded at such a time shame and blushing make a kinde of confusion upon nature Secondly the Spirits are confounded the heart is troubled Disappointments of our hope perplex a man both within and without He is disordered quite through And because long delaies cause shame therefore by a Metonymie of the cause for the effect this word signifies to delay time Exod. 32. 1. And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down c. that is when Ainsworth on Exod. the people saw that Moses made them ashamed by his long delay they gathered themselves together c. They waited for Moses 40. daies and now Moses had staied so long that they were ashamed of his stay that is they expected but he came not as they expected this troubled them We read the word in the same sence Judg. 5. 28. The mother of Sisera looked out at a window and cried through the latice why is his chariot so long in comming Why tarry the wheels of his chariots Why is his chariot ashamed that is why doth his chariot stay so long as to make us ashamed of our stay We have long looked what trophies Sisera would bring home why doth his chariot by delayes make us ashamed Thus in the text these travellers are said to be confounded because they had great hope to find water but were disappointed They were confounded because they had hoped the latter clause carries 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fodit effodit-per Metaphoram traductam a fodientibus erubuit Nam qui rubore perfusâ— sunt ex peccato caâ—ut in terram dimittunt instar eorum qui terram defodiunt Cartâ— the same sence They came thither and were ashamed Yet there is a special elegancy in the word ashamed which signifies to digge to digge that we may hide a thing At it is said of the evil servant who received but one talent that he went and digged and hid his Lords mony Mat. 25. 18. And so by a Metaphor this word is translated to signifie being ashamed because a man that is ashamed would hide his head in a hole as we say if he could he would runne his head into the ground and rather be at the pains to digge a hole in the earth to hide himself then to endure the shame of shewing himselfe No man loves that should appear or to appeare in that which is his shame These two things to be ashamed and confounded are often owned by the Saints in their repentance It is best not to doe any thing whereof to be ashamed but when we have done evil iâ— is good to be ashamed To hide our sinnes for shame and not to be ashamed of them when they are not hid are equall aggravations of sinne Hence when the holy Ghost would set â—orth mâ—n impudent or shameless in sinning who sinned and cared not who saw them he saith Jer. 2. 34. Also upon thy skirts is found the blood of innocents I have not found iâ— by secret search so we translate it the Hebrew is I have not found it by digging As if he had said some men are so ashamed of their sins that when God comes to finde them out he must dig for them because they have digged into the earth as it were to hide their sins but others are so impudent in sinning that God needs not digg to finde out their sins they are so shameless that they let their sinnes lie above ground or as the Prophet speaks Isa 3. 9. They declare their sinnes like Sodome that is openly Truth and holiness never seek corners and sometimes sinne and wickedness do not And as the doing of evill forbidden causeth or should cause shame so doth the not receiving of good expected Hence when the Lord would assure his people that they should undoubtedly receive all the good he had promised and which they on that ground could expect he concludes with them thus And my people shall never be ashamed Why The reason is plain in the Text Ye shall eaâ— in plenty and be satisfyed Joel 2 26. which is directly opposite to this in Job The Temanites were ashamed because being thirsty they were not satisfyed And because Jesus Christ shall so aboundantly satisfy all the hunger and thirst and supply all â—hâ— wants and weaknesses of every believing soul therefore it is exprest under this word and notion Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed Rom. 9. 33. Such a meaning the word bears in this text They were ashamed Foderunt putees sc ad aquam inveniendam That is when they saw there was no water to be had they would have hid themselves in the earth or digged holes to hide themselves in for grief and shame And some render this word here though to another sence They digged That is when they saw that there was no water in the streames then they fell a digging to see if they could finde any springs That 's a good sense But rather take digging as before To shew what shame would have us do when we have done amisse or when we Misse what we would find then we seek covert and hide our selves Hence these two are often joyned in Scripture Shame and hiding with the disappointment of hope Reade a text of near compliance with this in the letter Jer. 14. 3. Their Nobles have sent their little ones to the waters they came to the pits and found no water it was in a time of drought they returned with their vessels empty What followeth they were ashamed and confounded and covered their heads Again verse 4. Because the ground is chapt for there was no raine in the earth the plow-men were ashamed they covered their heads And Joel 1. 10. 11. The corn is wasted the new wine is dried up What followeth Be ashamed O ye husband-men howle O ye Vinedressers because the harvest of the field is perished So that in the common language and current of the Scripture shame is an effect of disappointment and hiding the face or covering the head an effect of both Observe hence First That deceived hopes trouble us as much if not more than present wants A present want is a present smart but deceived hopes are a perpetual smart And that
cursing whose end is to be burned A people well instructed are like that ground which is under continual showers and dews And doctrine is fitly compared to rain and teaching to raining First because all true holy doctrine comes from God as the rain doth The rain is Gods proper gift Jer. 14. 22. Can any of the vanities of the Gentiles give rain All the men in the world are not able to make one drop of rain So we may say of this figurative rain of truth and holy doctrine Can any of the vanities of the Gentiles yea can any of the most learned among the sons of men give this rain Can any man make any one truth which hath not first been made above Truth like rain comes from Heaven it drops from beyond the clouds Art not thou He O Lord our God therefore we will wait upon Thee say they of the natural rain Jer. 14. 22. and so we must in regard of the spiritual Hence the word which Moses uses Deut. 32. 2 for Accipere est discipuli ficut dare praeceptoris 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doctrine dropping as the rain signifies a received learning Holy Truths are so called in that language because the doctrine of Religion is received from God not devised by men So the Apostle phrases it 1 Cor. 11. 23. I received of the Lord that which I delivered unto you And Christ himself As my Father hath taught me so I speak these things John 8. 28. That which Nicodemus said of Christ is true of every one that teacheth truth Joh. 3. 2. Thou art a Teacher come from God As truth it self so the teachers of it are from God as a lye and the tellers of it are from the Devil John 1. 44. Secondly Like rain as in regard of the original whence it comes so in regard of the effect rain refresheth the earth when the earth is weary and faint when the earth gaspes and is parched how doth a showre of rain revive it When the Psalmist had spoken of the rain coming down upon the earth he presently adds this effect The little hills rejoyce on every side they shout for joy they also sing Thus also a people wearied and languishing and fainting in ignorance when they receive truths and holy instructions how do their hearts rejoyce how do they laugh and sing In the Parable Mat 13. Some are said to receive the word with joy Even they who are but formalists and hypocrites for it is spoken of them rejoyce and are refreshed for a season with the word Truth is such a gracious showre that they sometimes receive it with joy who have no grace And if truth refresh men who are but nature or move in spiritual workes but upon natural principles how will it refresh those who have grace and spiritual principles sutable to it Thou O God saith David Psal 68. 9 10. didst send a plentiful rain whereby thou didst refresh thine inheritance when it was weary That is a truth in the letter and some understand it of natural rain but others interpret that plentiful rain in a figure for the rain of doctrine which God sent down upon his people when he gave the Law and dropt those heavenly Oracles from Mount Sinai upon his people Israel that showre of the Law came indeed in a storm Thunder and lightning and a terrible tempest accompanied it But though the thunder terrified yet the showre refreshed and the Saints have ever delighted in the matter of those instructions and holy counsels given there though Moses a chief amongst the Saints seared and quaked exceedingly at the manner of giving them Thirdly as rain so teaching makes fruitful The Prophet Isaiah makes out this part of the similitude expressly Chap. 55. 10 11. As the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven and returns not thither but waters the earth and maketh it bring forth and bud that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater So shall my word be that goeth out of my mouth c. Hence also the people of God are compared Deut. 32. 2. to grasse and tender herbs which grow and flourish which are fed and bring forth fruit when watered with the rain It cannot be denied though it be much to be lamented that many souls upon whom much of this rain falls are altogether barren and unfruitful But Oh! How barren are those souls upon whom not a droop of this rain ever fell They that are deprived of these showres are under a grievous curse even such a curse as David imprecates upon the mountains of Gilboa 2 Sam. 1. 21. Ye mountains of Gilboa let there be no dew neither let there be rain upon you c. When God saith unto a people let there be no dew no raine upon you no Moses to drop doctrine upon you no Paul to plant no Appollo's to water you with the word this is the saddest showre of curses that can fall upon a people as without rain so without the word ordinarily there can be no fruitfulnesse You see at this time how upon a little with-holding of the natural raine we presently fear barrennesse and famine the want of spiritual rain brings in a This was preacht in a time of drought worse barrennesse though there are not many who fear it or are sensible of it Fourthly the word taught is like rain in regard of the dispensing of it The rain comes not down alike at all times showres are very various sometimes it raines softly then we call it a still soaking rain sometimes we have a strong mighty rain at another time rain is accompanied with thunder and lightning while the showres descend the great Ordnance of heaven discharge from the clouds and fill the air with terrour Thus also it is or should be in teaching Many soules require a still soft quiet rain Others must have stronger showres mighty raine you must powre down upon them A third sort must have thunder joyned with rain they need a Boanerges a sonne of thunder a mixture of terrour with instruction to bore their eares and break their hearts Those teachers mistake their work who in stead of raining are alwayes thundering and lightning As if their pulpit were set upon Mount Sinai And I believe it is as great a mistake to think Teachers need never thunder The word of God in all parts of it and in all manner of dispensations of it is exceeding useful A Minister without teaching is as Iude speakes a cloud without water And he shall doe but little good upon some if he have nothing but water in his cloud Fire sometime must mingle with the rain and a Tempest come after or before the dewing distilling still voice The word of God is compared to fire as well as unto water Only it must be the wisdome and it is the duty of every Teacher to know how to give every one his portion or as the Apostle Jude counsels ver 22 23. Of some to have
compassion making a difference and others to save with fear pulling them out of the fire A difference must be made some are to be dealt with compassionately and gently rained upon others must be saved with fear that is they must be made afraid with thunder and lightning with stormy and tempestuous doctrine Some spirits will not be kept out of the fire but by casting them into the fire so much that text in Jude imports Others save with fear pulling them out of the fire As if he had said your terrifying them with the fire will be as a pulling them out of the fire A showre of spiritual brimstone such as God rained on Sodom in the letter is best for them if you spare them you destroy them Teach me and I will be silent or I will hold my tongue The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fedit terram per metaphoram fodit cogitatione siluit word properly taken signifies to digge or to plow And sometime improperly to meditate or think and it implies much thoughtfulness because a musing meditating thoughtfull man is ever digging into matters he rests not in the out-side and face of things but puts in his plow deep turning them up to the very bottom From whence by one step further into the Metaphor it is translated to signifie silence or to hold our peace because they who have many thoughts have fewest words Musing men are no great talkers when the mind is much at worke and very busie the tongue usually doth little Job promises silence as if he meant to sit down and consider fully what they should further say unto him This promised silence or holding of his tongne may have a threefold reference First in general to the duty of a learner Teach yee me and I will keep silence I will learn Or secondly to his former complaints Teach me and I will be silent That is I will give over complaining I confess I have made a bitter complaint in the 3d Chapter but if you will teach me better I will complain no more Thirdly it may have reference to that which they should speak to him in their next advices Teach me aright and I will hold my tongue that is I will reply no more I will not gain-say your counsels but rather if I have offended acknowledge my errour and sit down in silence I will not wrangle when I cannot answer I can doe nothing against the truth but for the truth From hence we may observe first That a gracious spirit is a teachable spirit A gracious heart cals for teaching Teach me and I will hold my tongue As a gracious heart cals for strengthning from Christ so it cals for teaching from Christ and from any who can teach the truth as it is in Christ A weak soul saith Lord draw me and I will runne after thee an ignorant soul saith Lord instruct me that I may understand thee Give me the wisdome of the prudent that I may understand my way and I shall walk therein A godly man loves not to be at his own disposing nor at his own Tutoring He that will learn of none but himself hath sure enough a fool to his Master And there is more hope of a fool then of him that is thus wise in his own conceit Pro 26. 12. Secondly Observe A teachable spirit is an excellent spirit A man that is willing to be taught is in a better condition then many who are able to teach It argues a holier temper of the heart to be willing to be taught than to be able to teach And it is far worse to be unwilling to learn then not to be knowing Vnteachablenesse is more dangerous then ignorance It is sad to consider how unteachable many are they will not be taught or they think they have learned all they have devoured all knowledge they are full and need no more some deceived souls and they most carry it as if they had a spirit of infallibility what teach them they are above teaching It is a sweet frame of spirit when a man sees he may be out of frame He is in a fair way to truth who acknowledges he may be in an errour And he who will not acknowledge that he may be in an error is certainly out of the way of truth The Apostle resolves it 1 Cor. 8. 2. If any man think that he knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know Not as if the Apostles meaning were that all knowledge must be sceptical or uncertain all in quaeries and nothing in conclusions that we should halt between two opinions and hang like meteors in the air Nor doth he commend to us that proud modesty which will not let us acknowledge we know what we know but his mind is to meet with those who think they know any thing so well that they need not or cannot know it better and abound so in their own sence that they have no room to admit the sence of others As he who thinks himselfe so good that he cannot be better was never so good as he should so he that thinks he knows so much that he can learn no more knowes nothing as he ought It is best to be fixed in judgement but it is very ill to be fixed in opinion It is to be feared that man is much divorced from right reason who is so married to his own that he resolves nothing but death shall part him and his opinion What if this man have espoused a fancy of his own not any truth of God To be so fixed that a man may be fixed in evil it is as dangerous as to be so unfixed that he may be unfixed in good It was a high breathing of holiness when David said Psal 57. 7. My heart is fixed O God my heart is fixed While we are upon a known duty or have known truth on our side our hearts cannot be too much fixed set upon them To be of an unfixed moveable wavering spirit in goodnesse is within one degree of falling into evil but to say I am fixed I am fixed I am resolved resolved when yet things are doubful and under difficult dispute is actually to be in an errour though possibly the thing we fix on be a truth The Apostle cautions his Ephesians and us in them Chap. 4. 14. That they and we be not henceforth children tossed too and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine and yet they are under a rebuke who will not be moved by any wind of doctrine that is let never so powerful and forcible a wind of truth breath and blow upon them they will not be carried or moved in judgement by it Observe thirdly Silence becometh learners Yet not all silence There is a speaking helpful to learning To move doubts is the way to be resolved and to ask the question the readiest means for instruction But he that will have all the talk shall have but little profit The ear is the
a nothing and ye your selves rage against me with such violence as a cruel hard-hearted tyrant is enraged with against a poor helplesse innocent and forsaken friendlesse Orphan or at best ye deal with me as cunning sophisters and subtill disputants seeking to catch me in your intricate discourses and doubtfull debates you make a pit for your friend This for the general sense of those two verses containing an expostulation about his friends unfriendly dealing with him Now to the particulars Doe ye imagine to reprove words The word we translate imagine notes a very curious exquisite and elaborate invention of any thing The Vulgar referrs imagining 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the words with which they did reprove not to the act of reproving Ye make a neat frame of wards to reprove me and Ad increpandum tantum verba concinnatis Vulg. so the sense rises thus you artificially imagine mint and coyne elequent speeches and subtill argumentes to reprove and convince me with As if you came hither to shew your selves Logicians and Oratours rather than loving friends This is your dealing You imagine Num verba nuda putatis arguere q d. putatesne verba satis esse ad arguendum disceptandum sine ratione Planior fuerit sensus si 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ante 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subaudias an cogitatis arguere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meris verbis Merc. words to reprove with Others thus Do you thinke that words reprove That great words shall overcome me without weight of reason This sence referres also to the speech of Iobs friends as if he had said Do you stand devising words against me or wording it with me Do you thinke that your sine phrases and elaborate polisht language will carry the matter with me will words repoove me And so we may connect it with the sentence immediately fore-going How forcible are right words But what doth your arguing reprove Your arguings that are slight arguings Your words are meere words a sound and a noise * Verba nuda sola Vt mulier mulier bona Lana lana alba si quae alia Gramaticis observata Drus words set alone are often taken for words only for naked words words without any due clothing of comelinesse and moderation and without any ballast or weight of reason and discretion And doe you my friends imagine to gain me by such a parcel of words as these But according to the sense toucht before Iob rather referrs to the opinion which his friends had of his words Do ye imagine to reprove words That is doe you thinke that you have nothing to answer or reprove but a company of empty sillables have I not spoke reason or sence all this while Doe you thinke you dispute with some idle-headed fellow who cares not what he saith or saith he knows not what Do you think that your words are strong and full of reason that yours are irrefragable arguments and mine but idle talk or a frothie discourse That 's a second interpretation and that which I conceive more clear to this place It followeth And the speeches of one that is desperate which are as winds We must understand or repeat the first branch And do ye imagine to reprove the speeches of one that is desperate which are as wind The speeches of one that is desperate The word signifies a person 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Diffidit desperavit spem omnem rei alicujus efficiendae aut consequâ—nde abjecit seu amisit that is quite without hope who thinkes his estate past remedy or redresse his wound incurable his losses irreparable and his breaches such as can never be made up or healed So Jer. 2. 25. where the Prophet counsels the Church to return and repent but Thou saist there is no hope or as we read it in the margin thy case is desperate what doe you talke of repentance and of returning now all 's lost all is gone I am undon my estate can never be recovered Doe ye imagine to reprove the speeches of one that is desperate Some referre this also to the friends of Iob thus Doe yee thinke that bare words are answer enough for me and that the speeches of a desperate mad man which are nothing but wind and sound are sufficient to refute me And therefore you rise up against me in this storm and fury speaking any thing without study or premeditation But we may rather understand it of Job himself and that as before he gave their sence of his words that they were but wind So here he gives us their apprehension of his person that sure he was mad or desperate Doe ye imagine that I am desperate or distracted because I have little or no hope to be restored Because I have lost my estate my strength my children doe ye also think I have lost my wits my reason and understanding I confesse I am even worne to pieces and brought to nothing I am spent and consumed with sorrows that 's my condition but am I therefore desperate and regard not what I speak It is an easie and a compendious way of refuting all a man can say to say he is mad His words must needs be but wind without weight who is himself without reason Doe ye think to reprove the words of one that is desperate that are as wind Or as Haud sane ita convenit ut pro futilibus verba mea habeatis eo quod afflictonibus attritus sum tabefactus Merc. Mr Broughton reads Doe ye hold the termes of the forlorne a wind That is doe ye thinke because I am in such a sad condition and in appearance in a desperate condition that therefore my words are light and vain such as are no more to be regarded or heeded than a puffe of wind And so it is as if he had said ye ought not to slight what I speak because I am in such a low forlorne condition That of Solomon comes to this sence Eccl. 9. 16. The poor mans wisdome is despised and his words are not heard It is common in Scripture to put light vain and unprofitable words under this expression they are but wind In the 15th of this book verse 3. Should he reason with unprofitable talk or with speeches wherewith he can doe no good Should a wise man utter vain knowledge and fill his belly with the East-wind That is should a man talk nothing but that which is vain and unprofitable And so Jer. 5. 13. The Prophet shall become wind That is their prophecies shall become wind whatsoever they speak said that unbelieving people shall be put as a vain thing it shall be as nothing it shall pass away and the place of it shall be known no more Thus they undervalued the Prophets in those times when they spake the truth of God and brought them immediate messages from heaven Hence observe First That words without reason meer
vain words are no words they are but wind Hence those prophane ones in Jeremy who said the true Prophets had belied the Lord and were but wind adde presently And the word is not in them That is the words of these Prophets are no words Indeed the Lord answers for his Prophets at the 14th verse telling the people because they had thus dishonoured his messengers that they should find those words which they accounted wind to be a fire Thus saith the Lord because ye speak this word behold I will make my words in thy mouth fire and this people wood and it shall devour them Whosoever esteems the word of God to be wind shall find it to be a fire and they who will not be taught by it shall be consumed by it But to the point in hand we see in that Scripture vain words are windie words and windie words as are no words The Prophets as they supposed were wind and thence they inferre the word is not in them That is their words have no substance strength or power at all in them So Hos 12. 1. Ephraim feedeth on wind and followeth after the East-wind What was the wind that Ephraim fed upon Some vain words some promises he had from the creature to be delivered some hopes raised by the word of man who is a wind therefore his feeding upon those hopes was but a feeding upon wind there was no ground or strength to make those words good So the next words interpret He daily increaseth lyes Such words are by the learned called bubbles And why Bullatus nugas Pers Sat 5. utpoâ—e similia bullis vento plenis bubbles Because a bubble upon the water is only filled with wind toucht it and it is nothing These words have nothing in them but the breath of the speaker Unlesse the spirit of reason fills our mouths we speak nothing but our breath or as we phrase it in our language we doe but vapour The Apostle Peter describes such 2 Epist 2. 18. They speak great swelling words of vanity And the Apostle Jude 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 uses the same expression in the 16th verse of his Epistle Their mouth speaketh great swelling words that is words greatly swelled with vanity Or swel'd as the flesh swels by the gathering of corruption and ill humours The greatnesse of these words was their disease and not their nature Wise men speak great things and fools speak great words Secondly Observe That windie empty words will never either convince or convert Such words doe no work they are wind and they passe away like wind without any impression upon the hearers They trouble the eare but touch not the heart When the noise of them is past all is past They are a sound and besides that a nothing Windy meats are not nourishing for the body neither are windy words for the soul Some knowledge doth not build up but puffe up 1 Cor. 8. 1. and that 's all the knowledge which such words can breed when they breed any Thirdly observe We are apt to judge the words of those that are greatly afflicted to be but vain windy words And we are ready to conclude they complaine more then they need When the Israelites groaning under the pressures of that bondage sent to Pharaoh for some abatement of their burdens we will not diminish the tale of the bricks only let straw be given us no saith Pharaoh Exod. 5. 17. They are idle let more work be laid upon the people that they may labour therein and let them not regard vain words He resolved to deal wisely with them and therefore must count them mad their persons were near Jobs condition and their words were fully under the same censure Fourthly hence note That it is very sinfull to esteem the words of the afflicted to be but wind It was great uncharitablenesse in Jobs friends thus to expound and glosse the text of his complaints We should heare a man in affliction as if every word were drenched and steeped in the sorrowes of his heart and take every sentence as coming bloudy from his wounded spirit Lastly observe how Job describes his own estate he was as a man desperate not utterly desperate for in another place he professes in highest confidence that though God kill him yet he will trust in him yet desperate he was in regard of outward help or temporal succour A godly man in affliction may sometime think his case desperate and remedilesse Wicked men resolve in the Psalme There is no help for him in his God and a good man under a cloud of temptation may say Surely there is no help for me in my God that is I see not which way I shall be helped I have no assurance no evidence that God will help me Not that he doubts the power of God to help him But the providence of God seemes to speak that he will not I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul saith holy David Heman looked upon himself as a man that had no strength free among the dead Psal 88. 5. As if he had got a discharge from the service of this world and was enfranchiz'd a Citizen of the grave where all are free As to note that only in passage It is said of Azariah being smitten with leprosie and so put from the exercise of the government which was a civil death that he dwelt in a several house or in a house of freedome 2 Kin. 15. 5. Verse 27. Yea you overwhelm the fatherless and you digg a pit for your friend After he had convinced them of their uncharitableness in accounting his words light and windie he shewes them how they dealt with him what kind of words theirs were towards him their words were as swords their words were blowes every expression of theirs to his ear was an oppression upon his spirit Yea overwhelm the fatherless He sets forth their as he conceived cruelty against him by two things very odious both First the undoing of a fatherless child Secondly the digging of a pit not for an enemy but for a friend First Ye overwhelm the fatherless The Original is full of Emphasis word for word it may be translated thus You throw your selves upon the fatherlesse and so it is an allusion to hunters either to men when they hunt wilde beasts or to wilde beasts when they hunt their prey as soon as the hunter can reach the game hee overwhelmes it he casts himself down or layes all his strength upon it A dogge having caught the hare falls upon it and keeps it under Some conceive that expression Gen. 49 9. concerning Judah compared to a lion reaches this sense Judah is a Lions whelp from the prey my sonne thou art gone up he stooped down he couched as a lion and as an old Lion who shall rouse him up As if that that crouching and lying down were when he hath taken his prey who dares to stirre up a Lion when he hath his prey under