Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	differ_v	zeal_n	zealous_a	12	3	8.2942	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A45240	An exposition of the book of Job being the sum of CCCXVI lectures, preached in the city of Edenburgh / by George Hutcheson ...	Hutcheson, George, 1615-1674.	1669 (1669)	Wing H3825; ESTC R20540	1,364,734	644

Baal 1 King 18.40 But these are not to be imitated and we are to take heed to wild-fire instead of true zeal And particularly well managed and sober zeal hath those properties which may be gathered from the Text. 1. It will nor drive men rashly and in an headlong way to engage in quarrels and debates which they can avoid For he waited long to see if these mistakes might be cleared and rectified without him This rule is transgressed by all who do precipitantly rush and engage in debates and particularly by private men when they do needlesly engage in Controversies and Church quarrels which lye out of their way See Prov. 26 17 2. Right and sober zeal proceeds according to knowledge see Rom. 10.2 and will not pass judgement upon any thing but after a fair hearing and serious tryal of the matter For before his anger was kindled and brake forth he had waited and heard them patiently that he might take up the business well as he professeth v. 11. See Prov. 13.10 and 18.13 This is little observed by an any whose wit is all in their fore-head and their heart at their mouth And therefore they rush upon courses before they ponder them they are beguiled with fair masks and pretences and they look not to the consequences of courses before they do engage in them 3. True and sober zeal will never lead men to seek themselves but makes them content that a good turn be done though they be not seen in it For he waited upon them as minding if the matter were otherwise cleared not to appear Hence it may be concluded That boasters of themselves and extollers of themselves do reflect upon their own zeal as not found 4. True zeal teacheth men to reverence those with whom they have to do for their age parts and experience For he waited and heard them patiently and reverently because they were elder than he Of this afterward Only it argues passion and not zeal when men leave the defence of their cause to reflect upon persons and do behave themselves unsoberly toward them Doct. 2. Though true zeal ought to be managed with sobriety as hath been said yet it is no evidence of sobriety or of a right temper of zeal for men not to see the errours that are in the best of men and not to defend truth were it even against never so many godly men For Elihu marks errours in Job and here also and v. 3. in his three Friends and argues against them all 3. It is also no kindly mark of zeal for men to be furious at a fit and then to cool if they be not taken at first but true zeal is constant in its heat and fervour For here after all his long waiting his wrath is kindled 4. Men and even good men may have that opinion of themselves and their way which differs very farr from truth For v. 1. they judged they had said enough and that Job was obstinate and yet Elihu finds there was no answer in their mouth as hath been fully cleared v. 3. 5. They are justly censurable in the judgement of all zealous men who deserts cause of God and either in a neutral way or otherwise lye by from defending it For this kindles his wrath that they had no answer to Job especially on Gods behalf Verse 6. And Elihu the Son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said I am young and ye are very old wherefore I was afraid and durst not shew you mine opinion 7. I said Dayes should speak and multitude of years should teach wisdome The rest of this Chapter contains Elihu's general Preface directed to both parties but chiefly to Jobs three Friends And he insists the longer in Prefacing Partly because he was a young man in which case it was necessary to clear that he appeared not in this cause out of any arrogance or impudence but meerly out of love to truth and to plead that it was equitable they should lay aside all extrinsick advantages of age experience wit c. which they had on their side in this debate and that none of these should pre-judge his cause but let naked truth carry it Partly that he might here once for all condemn and lay by the three Friends with whom he deals no more after this Preface but leaves them to see the errour of their proceeding by taking notice of that right way which he followed whereby also he might insinuate into Jobs affection and invite him to hearken more patiently to what he was to say seeing he did not take part with his Friends against him In these Verses we have the first branch of this Preface wherein he g●●● a reason why he had kept silence so long and had not interposed sooner to end this difference Namely That the conscience of his own youth and his respect to their age and opinion of their wisdome made him afraid to speak in so grave an audience upon such a subject v. 6. As reckoning and judging within himself for so this phrase I said is to be understood here as Gen. 20.11 where it is said and not thought in the Original that it became such aged men and they were only fit to speak to such a matter seeing their long experience should teach them more wisdome which they might communicate to others v 7. In general Learn 1. Albeit zeal should be managed with sobriety yet that zeal is not approved which burns only in mens breasts against an evil course or errour unless it break forth also as need requires in their station For he whose wrath was kindled v. 2 3 5. now answered and said c. and spake when he was called to it Not as many who dislike evil courses if men may trust their professions and discourses and yet they never appear to do any thing against them in their stations 2. Zeal in defending of a good cause may yet suffer prejudices in mens opinions by reason of disadvantages in the person who manageth it As here his youth might readily cause them mistake his zeal and frequently we find many ready to except against and reflect upon the persons of men that thereby they may render their cause suspicious And therefore men who would find out truth had need to try a cause impartially abstracting from the consideration of persons who manage it 3. Albeit real disadvantages in mens persons do not warrant them to desert a good cause yet they should teach them to manage it with soberness and fear As here Elihu doth considering his youth wherein he is imitated but by very few young men who have any thing of zeal and honesty in them In particular Learn 1. Youth considered in it self is attended with many weaknesses For so doth Elihu grant That his youth gave him cause to fear l●st he run into mistak●s in speaking of so weighty and grave matters and that their age gave them many advantages which he wanted Who so will consider the heat of young

prevent them or repent of them will not only meet them in their greatest straits and take them at a disadvantage but may provoke God to arise and visit them with judgements Therefore Job mentions Gods rising up and visiting in case he had failed in this and puts a perplexing question What he shall do or answer if God do rise up To intimate not only that such a miscarriage might sadly trouble him when God riseth up to visit Jam. 2.13 but that it might justly provoke God to arise and plague him Ps 12.5 4. It is also seriously to be studied that however some men be set on high above others yet God is infinitely more high above them and able to reach them For so much doth the scope of Gods argument import that though he needed not regard what his servants could do to him though he wronged them being so eminent above them Yet he durst not grapple with God above him when he should arise to plead their cause See Eccl. 5.8 No eminency of men should make them forget the super-eminency of God or cause them say Who is the Lord Exod. 5.2 But they should abase themselves daily before him lest he make them know upon their own expences that these that walk in pride he is able to abase Dan. 4.37 5. Such as do rightly study the super-eminent Majesty of God will tremble to do wrong to the meanest as considering that all sinners and particularly Oppressours will be at their wits end when he calls them to an account For this perswaded Job not to despise the cause of his man-servant c. v. 13. For if it had been otherwise What then saith he shall I do when God riseth up And When he visiteth what shall I answer him See Is 10.1 2 3. Eph. 6.9 Col. 4.1 From v. 15. Learn 1. God is the curious framer of man in the womb as well as he created man at first For saith Job He made me in the womb This doth demonstrate the perfection of God this little World Man pointing out what a God he is who made him as well as the greater World is full of his glory Ps 139.13 14 15 16. is a ground upon which we may claim an interest in him when other grounds do disappear Ps 22.9 and 119.73 Job 10.8 c. and an argument why we should not employ what he hath made as weapons wherewith to fight against him 2. God is the framer of all mankind the small as well as the great and that equally of the same kind and in the same way whatever difference of state there be afterward For He that made me made him and one did fashion us in the womb or in one womb The meanest have favours of this kind which they should acknowledge albeit they want other things See Pro. 22.2 3. The greatest of men if they be gracious will not forget their Original common to them with others though they differ in degrees of Civil dignity from them For so did Job here and propounds it by way of question as a certain truth and a truth which he seriously thought upon Humility is the Ornament of Eminency and it is sweet to see men a base themselves when God exalts them and not swelling up with pride because they are raised out of the dust and set above others 4. Such as do seriously consider their Original common to them with others will bear a low sayl toward the meanest as considering they are their own flesh Is 58.7 That by sleighting or wronging them because they are mean they reflect upon God who made them and who carved out their lot Pro. 14.31 And that God can soon cause those who are insolent because of their eminency know themselves and that they are but men Ps 9.19 20. Ezek. 28.9 For this was an argument disswading Job from sleighting or wronging of his servants Did not he that made me in the womb make him c. Verse 16. If I have with-held the poor from their desire or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail The sixth Vertue whereof he maketh profession whereby also he refutes that challenge of injustice Chap. 22.6 7. is Humanity toward all distressed and indigent persons and that he was so farr from wronging any of them that he was helpful to all of them This he instanceth in several particular branches to v. 24. according to the several sorts of distressed persons and their several necessities which he supplyed Confirming those several assertions by tacite asseverations intimated in the form of expression If I have done so and so which imply an Imprecation or submission to Gods judgements if it were not as he said and subjoyning to the last an express Imprecation and Argument In this Verse we have the first branch of that Humanity whereof he professeth to have made conscience That not only he appeared for the righteous cause of the poor and of widows but having promised to assist them in their cause he did not disappoint and kill them with delayes but chearfully and speedily performed what he had promised Or it may be understood more generally That whatever were their lawful desires whereof rationally they might expect satisfaction from a man of his piety wealth prudence or authority or wherein he had promised to give them satisfaction he chearfully and readily satisfied them Whence Learn 1. Mens Consciences in a day of distress will find as much peace in their humanity and tenderness toward others as in any other fruit of faith and act of piety Therefore doth Job insist so much upon that here See Jam. 1.27 When men are thus tender and compassionate it evidenceth that they are humble and have a sense of the common miseries of mankind that have entred by sin and that they do read their own deservings in the sad lots of others It is also an evidence that they are sensible of Christs kindness to them which kindleth these bowels of compassion Yea this is the touchstone whereby men will be tryed in the last day Mat. 25.54 55. And therefore it cannot but be refreshful when men find this fruit of the Spirit in themselves 2. The Lord hath so ordered that poverty widow-hood accompanied with distresses and other miseries will not be wanting among the children of men both for the tryal and exercise of those who are under these lots and to be a tryal to others also and a touchstone of their sympathy and humanity For so were there poor and widows in Jobs dayes who were afflicted with their miseries and driven to seek relief from others and who gave Job occasion to give proof of his disposition See Deut. 15.11 Crosses of all kinds will not be wanting in any time and who so are free of these particular afflictions here mentioned may yet look for others no less searching and trying to them 3. Albeit poverty or widow-hood or any other affliction doth not warrant any to countenance men in an ill cause Exod. 23.3 Lev. 19.15