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
Elihu's thoughts had upon him they would out there was no stopping of them Christ saith Math 9.17 No man putteth new wine into old bottles but men put new wine into new bottles why because they are stronger and so more fit to preserve the wine My belly is as wine It is ready to burst like new bottles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro utre non alibi reperitur saepe pro pythone quod qui hoc ariolaÌ„di genere uterentur velut ex utribus vocem emitterent Vnâ—e a Grecis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicuntur Merc The word which we render bottles is never used in Scripture elsewhere in this sence but it is often used to signifie Wizards or such as have familiar Spirits Isa 8.19 Isa 29.4 because they who used those hellish arts by compact with the Devill did speak out of their belly so as it were out of a bottle Now saith Elihu My belly is as new wine that hath no vent and it is ready to burst like new bottles even new bottles will break unlesse the new wine have some vent And because though new bottles be stronger then old to keepe in wine yet the wine may be so strong as to breake them therefore Elihu here-by shewes that his desire or necessity of speaking was so urgent upon him that though he should strengthen himselfe yea strive with himselfe as much as he could to refraine from speaking yet speake he must I am full of matter c. Observe First A man should not speak especially in weighty matters till himselfe be well stored with matter Secondly Observe When some vessells are drawne quite dry and instruments spent and worne to the stumps when they can neither doe nor say any more then God fills up and furnisheth others for his purpose There was not a drop more to be squeez'd out of Jobs friends but Elihu was a full bottle Mal 2.15 there is a residue of the Spirit God hath more Spirit or spirituall abilities to dispose of and bestow then he hath yet disposed of to or bestowed upon any one or all the sons of men Thirdly Note God can furnish Instruments with proper gifts for the worke which he Calls them to Here was a man Cut out on purpose for this worke he was Clothed with a spirit of prudence and courage as well as with a spirit of discerning We have a wonderfull Example of this in Luther who came forth against all the powers of the papacy What a spirit had he his was a spirit of might his spirit Constrained him his belly was like a bottle full of new wine there was no stopping of it Others would have been daunted and cowed downe with the tenth of that opposition which he met with but he was bold as a Lyon who turneth not aside Againe Why did Elihu come forth why did his spirit constraine him what made his belly like wine Some charge him with pride and arrogancy of spirit as if he did it out of vaine ostentation to shew his parts and gifts to set himselfe above those other Worthyes who had dealt and discoursed with Job before But we have reason enough considering what he spake and what the issue of his speaking was to determine that he was moved with a zeale for God and to doe good to Job not with a spirit of pride to shew his learning wit or wisdome among men and therefore we finde that when the whole matter was brought to an issue and God himselfe came to deale with Job and his three friends God commends Job and reproves his three friends but there is no reproofe upon Elihu Now for as much as God himselfe doth not charge him what hath man to doe to charge him Not only charity but reason and judgement command us to thinke his designe honest and his aymes sincere while he professeth under so vehement an impulse or impression upon his spirit to engage and speake in this matter Hence note Thirdly To see truth ill handled should fill our spirits with much zeal for God That was it which drew Elihu to this engagement he saw those men though good men had put a disguise upon the things and dealings of God and if men disguise the truth and maintaine error if they deface the doctrines of faith and pure worship with their owne phansies and false glosses it should kindle a holy fire and fervour of spirit in us to assert and vindicate the truth Our spirit within us in all such cases should Constraine us Fifthly In that Elihu was so Constrained and pressed in spirit as wine which hath no vent or as a woman with Child ready to travell Note It is a paine not to speake when we have much to utter and much minde to utter it When Elâ—hu was full he had a Constraint upon him to vent his opinion David saith Psal 39.1 2 3. I held my peace even from good words he did not only forbeare idle and evill discourse but refrain'd from good but it was a trouble to him not to speak especially not to speak good words therefore he adds My heart waxed hot within me Jeremy found it no easie worke to keepe in words yea he describes himselfe as much pained by not delivering his minde as a woman is when not delivered in child-birth Jer 20.9 Then said I I will not make mention of him nor speak any more in his name but his word was in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones and I was weary with forbearing and I could not stay There was wine new wine in his belly yea there was a fire within him as we may be weary with speaking so with not speaking or forbearing to speake Jer 4.19 My bowels my bowels I am pained at the very heart my heart maketh a noise in me I cannot hold my peace Read him in the like trouble upon the same occasion Jer 6.11 Eliphaz Chap 4.2 was thus pressed Who can withhold himselfe from speaking 'T is a great paine to be mind-bound or not to deliver our mind when our mindes are full and we full of desire to deliver it Sixthly When he saith I am Constrain'd I am like a bottle ready to burst It teacheth us The Spirit of God doth so over-power some men that they cannot containe The Pharisees and high Priests thought to stop up the Apostles those bottles full of the new wine of the mysteries of Christ and therefore gave them Counsell yea a command to speake no more in his name At the 10th verse they said of some in a common sence These men are full of new wine that is they are drunken but the truth was they were full of the Spirit full of Gospel-truths and like bottles full of new wine they could not hold And when the Pharisees and high Priests would have stopt up those bottles and charged them that they should speak no more in the name of Jesus they answered Whether it be meet to obey God or man judge ye for
how to stirre the humors and worke upon the phantasies of the children of men Satan is skilfull and diligent in solliciting our lusts and corruptions both day and night and they being once sollicited or moved to worke cannot but worke in us both sleeping and waking Yea the devill can inspire false doctrines and opinions by dreames as well as provoke to wicked practises Of such dreamers we read Deut 13.1 3. If there be among you a false Prophet or a dreamer of dreames False Prophets had many dreams Jer 23.25 Such were wont to say I have dreamed I have dreamed Because the holy Prophets had their dreams from God the Devill would give his unholy Prophets dreams too which were lies and vanity deceits and errours leading them out of the way of God whether we respect truth of doctrine or purity of worship We may reduce all diabolicall dreames to these two heads They are either First false dreames that is dreames of falshood for he is the father and former of lyes or Secondly they are filthy defiling dreames for he is an uncleane spirit and the feweller of all filthy fires and uncleannesses whether corporall or spirituall Thirdly There are divine dreames so called First because immediately sent by God Secondly because the subject matter of them is divine and heavenly or some manifestation of the holy will of God to man There are five speciall Messages upon which dreames are sent from God First To reprove or admonish Thus God dealt with Abimelech in a dreame that he should not meddle with Sarah Gen 20.3 and with Laban that he should not hurt Jacob nor hinder him in his journey back to his fathers house Gen 31. 24. whereupon Jacob told him God rebuked thee yester night That dream of Pilates wife Math 27.19 was sent to admonish Pilate about giving Judgement against Christ Secondly God sends dreams to instruct and informe There are teaching dreams that of Joseph Math 1.21 was not only to shew him what to doe about Mary his espoused wife but to instruct him about that Great mystery of God manifested in the flesh to save lost man Thirdly Dreams are sent for support and consolation in a time of trouble Gen 28.12 God comforted Jacob by that dream when he was in a desolate condition and assured him of his presence Fourthly Some dreams are sent of God upon a sad message to afflict and terrifie Job bemoaned his sufferings and sorrows by such dreames Chap 7.13 14. When I say my bed shall comfort me my couch shall ease my complaint then thou scarest me with dreames and terrifiest me with visions Fifthly God foresheweth what shall come to passe he reveals his own counsels as to future providences by dreames and visions The seven years of famine were revealed to Pharoah in a dreame And the great things of the Church and of the world too were revealed to Daniel in a dreame and in visions of his head upon his bed Dan 7.1 The message of the dreame in the text was for instruction and admonition as will appeare at the sixteenth verse God speaketh in a dream and further In a vision of the night Some take vision here as a second way of divine revelation And 't is true the Scripture speakes of dreams and visions distinctly Numb 12.6 Others make visions to be only appurtenances to dreams For though there have been visions without dreams yet dreams are seldome if at all without some kind of vision This seemes the intendment of this text In a dream in a vision of the night That is in a dream with a vision of the night as making the vision to be nothing else but either a representation of the matter dreamed of or of the manner wherein it was represented to the dreamer And I conceive that Elihu in this verse is speaking only of one not of two wayes of Gods revealing himselfe to man or rather of one then two Yet whether we take the vision distinctly from or joyntly with the dream the scope of Elihu in this text is equally answered and fulfilled Further Elihu doth not only report the way of Gods discovering himselfe that is in a dream in a vision but he declares the time or season of these dreams and visions or of these visions in a dream that is the night and the night considered under this division First When deep sleep falleth upon men Secondly When they have their slumberings upon their bed that is as I apprehend at the beginning of the night and break of day for those are the slumbring times of the night or in the middle of the night or midnight for then usually men are fallen into and abide in a deep sleep or as we render Then Deep sleep falleth upon men Some sleeps as we may say are but shallow sleeps slight sleeps in comparison of other Deep sleep is that which we call Dead sleep The word here used by Elihu notes the strongest and the soundest sleep and therefore 't is fitly distinguished from slumberings upon the bed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 plus et quam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 et 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 plus est quam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aben Ezra There are three words in the Hebrew which signifie sleep whereof the first signifies sleep in generall the second deep sleep the third any slight sleep which we here translate slumbering Ordinary sleeping is more then slumbring and a deep sleep more then ordinary sleep we commonly say such a man is fast asleep he is as it were bound hand and foote Sleep is the binding of the senses and so by consequence the binding of all the members of the body We often finde this distinction in Scripture Psal 132.4 I will not give sleep to mine eyes nor slumber to my eye-lids that is I will not only not give my selfe to fall asleep but I wil not so much as according to our manner of speaking in that matter forget my selfe We find the same distinction Ps 121.4 Behold he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aliquando simplicitèr redditur dormire Graecè est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 propriè capite nutante dormire Bold The words are a description of the exact watchfulnesse of God over his people he that doth not so much as slumber he that never lays his eyes together he that doth not only not take a nap as we say but not so much as once nod to so little the Hebrew-word may be drawne downe which is likewise the importance of the Greek-word he I say that doth not so much as nod is farre from sleepe furthest of all from deep sleep In both these degrees of sleep the Lord speakes by Dreames first in deep sleep Secondly in slumbrings Some conceive that Elihu intended by these different words to set forth two sorts of dreams First those dreams which men have when extraordinary deep sleep falls upon them such as that spoken of Gen 2.21 God
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
them more like to God then younger men Secondly Look to the speciall way wherein Elihu shewed reverence to his Elders even by his long silence he did not rudely not rashly breake into discourse but waited till they had done This modesty of Elihu is both commendable and imitable who would say nothing as longe as Job or any of his friends had any thing to say Mira in hoc elucet antiquuorum in publicis concertationibus gravitas et stupendum inviolabilitèr servati in dicendo ac respondendo ordinis exemplum Bold because they were elder then he As the light of nature teacheth reverence to the aged in all cases so more particularly in this There shines as to this poynt an admirable comlinesse in the disputes of the Ancients and a most eminent example of order inviolably kept both in proposing and answering Their rule or maxime was Let the Seniors speake let the Juniors hear Let Old men teach let young men learne It is the note of a learned Commentator upon this place from what himselfe had observed Living saith he once at Paris in France where in a Monastery Majores natu loquantur juniores audiant senes doceant adolescentes discant Pulcherrima disciplinae sententia Drus three Indians were brought up and instructed in the Christian Religion I could not but admire to behold how studiously and strictly they kept to the Lawes of speaking the younger not offering a word till the Elder had done The practice of these Indians brought with them out of Heathenisme may reprove the imprudence of many yea the impudence of some young men among us who will be first in talk when their betters and elders are in place The Prophet threatned this as a great judgment Isa 3.5 The Child shall behave himself proudly against the Ancient The child is not to be taken here strictly but for any inferiour in age though possibly himself be arrived to the state of manhood As if the Prophet had said there shall be a generall confusion among all degrees of men without respect had to age or place every stripling will take the boldness to talk and act unseemly before his betters Obeysance and silence bowing the body and holding the peace are respects which ought to be paid to our Superiours whether in time or authority But as young men should not be forward to speak in the presence of their elders so they should not be afraid to speak when there is cause for it especially when their elders forbear or refuse to speak any more Thus Elihu who had long kept his mouth as David in another case did Psal 39.1 with a bridle and was dumb with silence yet at last his heart was hot within him and while he was musing the fire burned and as it followeth he spake with his tongue Vers 5. When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men then his wrath was kindled When Elihu saw it that is when he was as much assured of it by their gesture and carriage as if it had been visible that those three men had no more to say or would say no more for the words may be referred indifferently to their will or power when I say he saw they had no more to say Either first to convince Job of error or secondly to defend the truth of God which they had undertaken when he saw this his wrath was kindled at that instant time and for that very reason his wrath was kindled Some conceive as was shewed before that this anger proceeded from the passionateness of his spirit and so tax him with it as his fault but I rather consent with those who say it proceeded from his zeal for God and so it was his vertue and his praise I have met with these words two or three times already since I entred upon this Chapter and therefore I shall not stay upon them here And as this anger of Elihu was spoken of before so the same reason which was given before of his anger is repeated and reported hear again Then his wrath was kindled because they had no answer in their mouths that is because they had no more to say against Job whom they had condemned and because they had no more to say for God whose cause in afflicting Job they had defended I shall only adde a few brief Notes upon this Verse and so passe on First Some men answer till they have no more to answer 'T is very possible for a good and a wise man to be at the bottom of his reason in some points or to be brought to such a wall that he can go no further David saith I have seen an end of all perfection which as it is true of all outward commodities and conveniences which men enjoy so both of their corporal and intellectual abilities or of what they can either do or say The best of men may see the end of their best perfections in all things but Grace and the hope of Glory Their stock and treasure may be quite spent their spring exhausted and they gone ro their utmost line and length There 's no more answer in their mouth nor work in their hand Secondly note It may put a wise man into passion to see how ill some wise men use their reason or that they can make no further use of it Then was the anger of Elihu kindled when he saw they could answer no more or that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men Thirdly As the anger of Elihu is often spoken of so still we find some what or other is assigned as a ground of it Whence note We should see good reason for our anger before we are angry whether in our own cause or in the cause of God There is nothing can excuse anger but the cause of it Reason is a good plea for passion And he that hath a true reason for his anger will probably manage his anger with reason yea and mingle it with grace And so his proves not only a rational but a gracious anger Fourthly note Provoked patience breaks out into greater passion In the former Verse we find Job waiting he waited long and patiently but being disappointed of what he waited for his wrath broke out His anger was kindled As when God waits long and is disappointed his anger is encreased in the manifestation of it Rom. 2.4 5. ver Despisest thou the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodnesse of God leads thee to repentance but after thy hardnesse and impenitent heart treasurest up wrath c. As if he had said the more patience God spends upon thee the more wrath is treasured up â—â—r thee and that wrath will break out the more fiercely and violently to consume thee the longer it hath been treasured up Now I say as the wrath of God is the more declared against man by how much his patience is the more abused So
the spirit of the Almighty gave him understanding for the Government which he was called to for whereas before he had only a private spirit taken up about cattel and the affaires of husbandry then God gave him a spirit of prudence and valour a spirit of wisdome and magnanimity a Noble and an Heroicall Spirit befitting the Governour of so great and populous a kingdome both in peace and warre Every Calling is a mystery much more the Calling of Kings and Supreame Magistrates It was said to Imperiall Rome Tu regere im perio populos Romane memento Hae tibi sint artes Doe thou remember to Rule Nations and Kingdomes let these be thy arts This Art the Spirit of the Lord gave Saul even knowledge and skill to rule and governe yea he had a gift of Illumination not only for government but for prophesie he was found amongst the Prophets and when v. 11th they asked wondering Is Saul also amongst the Prophets As if they had said How strange and unheard of a thing is this that Saul should be furnished with the gift of prophecy and joyne himselfe with the Prophets They who before were acquainted with his person and manner of education were even amazed at the sight And while they were surprized with this amazement one of the same place as it seemes wiser then the rest Answered and said but who is their father ver 12. That 's the speciall word for which I alledge this text What Saul among the Prophets is it not strange that he should be Inspired Then one Answered and said who is their father As if he had said Doe not any longer stand wondering at this thing but consider who is the father of Saul as a Prophet as also the father of all these Prophets Saul was the son of Kish as to naturall descent but he had another father as he was a Prophet and so all these Prophets had besides theit Fathers as men one and the same father as Prophets Therefore wonder not that ye heare Saul prophecying for all these whom ye heare and see prophecying have not these gifts by birth from men nor by industry from themselves but from God who is a free agent and inspireth whom he pleaseth The same God who by inspiration hath freely bestowed those gifts upon the other Prophets hath also inspired Saul with a gift of prophecy The Spirit of God is his father in that capacity as well as the father of these other Prophets And hence that Scripture runs in the plurall number who is their father Unlesse God give power from above the understanding is darke the memory unfaithfull the tongue stammering It is light from on high that teacheth the skill of prophecy Solomon had the greatest measure of understanding of any meere man since the fall of man and of him it is said 1 Kings 4.29 God gave Solomon wisdome and understanding exceeding much and largenesse of heart even as the sand that is on the sea-shore Solomons heart had been as narrow as another mans if the Inspiration of the Almighty had not widened it When Moses was so sinfully modest as to excuse his Embassie to Pharoah supposing himselfe not fitted for such an undertaking Exod 4.10 11. O my Lord I am not eloquent neither heretofore nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant but I am slow of speech and of a slow tongue God presently put the question to him Who hath made mans mouth c. As if he had said Cannot he give words into thy mouth who gave thee a mouth cannot he act thy organs of speech who made them Now therefore goe and I will be with thy mouth Est deus in nobis sunt et commercia caeli sedibus aethereis spiritus iste venit Ovid. and teach thee what thou shalt say The Inspiration of the Almighty shall give thee understanding Heathen Poets have boasted of their â—â—ptures and inspirations The people of God have a promise of the Spirit to lead them into all truth and to helpe them in maintaining those truths From this generall that the furniture of the understanding is the gift of God or by Inspiration of the Almighty take these hints by way of Coralary First If a right understanding flow from the Inspiration of the Almighty then pray for an understanding pray for the Spirit Ye have not because ye aske not saith the Apostle James 4.2 God gives wisdome but he gives it to them that aske it Jam 1.5 If any man want wisdome let him ask it of God who giveth liberally and upbraideth not God upbraideth us not either with our want of wisdome or with the abundance of wisdome that he is pleased to supply us with and give out to us When Solomon was put to his choice what to aske he said Give thy servant an understanding heart God gave Solomon wisdome but Solomon asked it first All good things are shut up in promises and the promises are opened to give out their good things when we pray Prov. 23.5 When thou Cryest after knowledge and liftest up thy voyce for understanding then shalt thou understand the feare of the Lord and find the knowledge of God To pray well is to studâ—e well because by prayer light comes in from on high to make studies successfull and the worke to prosper in our hand As the Almighty breatheth downe on us so we must breath up to the Almighty To expect and not to pray is to tempt God not to trust him Secondly Doe not onely pray for wisdome but use meanes and be industrious for the obtaining of it The gift of God doth not take off the diligence of man God doth not worke in us that we should sit still Prov. 2.4 Then shalt thou know wisdome when thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for hid treasure And where is this treasure to be had Surely in the mines of Scripture and in all those Appoyntments wherein God hath promised to meete his people to shine upon them and give them the knowledge of his wayes in Jesus Christ Thirdly Be thankfull for any gift of knowledge for every beame and ray of light be thankfull It is God who commands light to shine out of darknesse and that God who at first commanded light to shine out of darknesse dayly shineth into our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 Fourthly If understanding be from Inspiration then they who have received much understanding must be caution'd against two evills First not to be proud nor high minded that our gifts come from on high should make us very low in our owne eyes What hast thou that thou hast not received and if thou hast received it why doest thou glory as if thou hadst not received it These are the Apostles soule-humbling and pride-mortifying questions or expostulations rather 1 Cor. 4.7 You that have received the greatest gifts whom the Inspiration of the
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
truth shall ride and prosper Truth may be borne downe by power and out-fac'd by impudence but it cannot be overcome Never feare to undertake a good Cause and ever feare to undertake a bad one for it will be slur'd at last Truth may be opposed but truth-defenders shall never be ashamed nor want a tongue to speake for it Christ Math 10.17 warnes his Disciples what entertainment they were like to find in the world They shall deliver you up to Rulers ye shall be brought before Governours and Kings for my sake But he withall encourageth them Take no thought what ye shall speak or what ye shall answer For some might say What if we should be called in question for the truths of the Gospel we are willing to burne for them as that Martyr said bâ—t we feare we cannot dispute for them Well saith Christ take no thought what you shall speak for it shall be given you in the same houre God himselfe by his Spirit will prompt you he will whisper such things into your eares as all your opposers shall not be able to gainsay Indeed we see some men of corrupt minds and reprobate concerning the truth as the Apostle gives their Character who have courage enough to set forth lyes and slander the truth who straine their wits to the utmost and as the Prophet speakes Jer 9.3 bend their tongues like their bow for lyes But let them remember what the Apostle sayd of such as they 2 Tim 3.8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses so doe these also resist the truth but v. 9. they shall proceed no further for their folly shall be made manifest to all men That is shortly all shall see that these men have but playd the fooles we may say of all those who hold wild taunting opinions they shall proceed no further though they act highly against the truth now yet stay but a while and they will have nothing to answer or returne they will have emptied their quiver and quite spent their powder you shall heare no more of them From that 16th verse where Elihu addeth I waited for they spake not but stood still and answered no more Observe First It is our wisdome and our duty to stay our time before we put our selves out upon business It is good to wait God himselfe is not hasty upon us he waits to be gracious and we must wait our season to be serviceable Elihu did not presently engage The providences of God and the Exigency of things must put us on we must not put our selves on Christ tells us Math 9.38 The harvest is great and the labourers few pray therefore the Lord of the harvest that he would thrust forth labourers into his harvest he doth not say pray that labourers would thrust forth themselves into the harvest or run into it before they are sent but pray the Lord of the harvest that he would thrust forth labourers that is that he would powerfully encline their hearts to the worke whom he hath fitted and prepared for it And as untill we are at least both competently prepared and fairely enclined to that or any other good worke 't is best for us to waite so when once we are prepared and enclined 't is best for us without delay to set upon the worke Elihu did so as appeares in the next verse Vers 17. I said also I will answer my part I will shew my opinion Now Elihu addresseth to his worke his duty and in this with the verses following to the end of the Chapter we have first his resolvednesse to speak I said I will answer for my part c. Secondly his ability readiness and furniture to speake v. 18. For I am full of matter c. Thirdly we have the motives that prest him to speak or that he was exceedingly prest to it in the latter end of the 18th verse as also v. 19 20. My spirit within me Constraineth me Behold my belly is as wine which hath no vent c. I will speake that I may be refreshed Fourthly in the two last verses he tells us what caution yea what conscience he meant to use in speaking v. 20. Let me not I pray you accept any mans person neither let me give flattering titles unto man c. I said I will answer for my part c. Now you have done I will begin those words I said are not in the Hebrew text explicitely yet are well understood I will answer for my part that is as some conceive the force of the phrase I will answer with my strength and might I will put my shoulders to it but better Grammarians conclude Illud quod aliqui partem interpretantur pro mea virili parte aut pro viribus latinè potius dictum est quam ad germanant vocis significationem Pined that the word imports A mans share or portion in any worke to be done rather then the strength which the workman useth or puts forth in doing it And so the sence is plaine as if Elihu had said they have done their part they have gone to the utmost of their line now I see it falls to my turne to speak and I will do what falls to my turne I will answer also for my part I also will shew my opinion We had these words in the negative at the 6th verse There Elihu sayd I was afraid and durst not shew you my opinion But here as also before v. 10. Elihu had taken courage and was resolved to shew his opinion I shall not stay upon any opening of this clause only I shall note two or three things briefely from it as connected with the former verse There we had Elihu waiting here we have him purposing to speake Hence note They who consider and waite before they speake speake most prevailingly most weightily It was long ere Elihu ventured to speake but when he did he did it to purpose and with full effect That which comes from our owne heart is most like to take upon the hearts of others they speake as much from their hearts as with their tongues whom we see long waiting before we heare them speaking And therefore it is not good no not for good speakers to be speaking before they have been waiting many through hast bring forth untimely births and unripe fruit Elihu could say I have waited before he sayd I will answer for my part Secondly Note We ought to observe order in speaking and act our proper part I will answer for my part saith Elihu or my turne is come to answer The Apostle Paul gives this rule at large 1 Cor 14.28 29 30. He would have no Interruption no confusion in Church-meetings or Church-speakings Thirdly When he saith I will answer also for my part I also will shew mine opinion Note He that hath received a gift or talent should make use of it and not hide it It is good to be doing our part and shewing our opinion where we may be usefull Some
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
upon revenge yea having upon the matter sworn revenge against Nabal and his house yet her Entreaties and mild words overcame that mighty warriour at least took off the edge of his spirit and of all his party 1 Sam 25.33 Nor did he only accept of or submit to her counsel but gave thanks both to God and her for it Blessed be the Lord and blessed be thy advice which hast kept me this day from shedding-blood Gentle words like gentle raine soake deep and make the soule like a fruitfull tree bud and blossome For as passion in the speaker begets passion in the hearer and heate brings forth heate so kinde and kindly words are not only most usefull but most powerfull There is a rebuking and that Cuttingly or a speaking of cutting words usefull in some cases then especially when sinners have not only done evill but are setled and resolved in it But in case of affliction specially of inward affliction or trouble of spirit soft words are best and doe best Heare I pray thee saith Elihu And hearken to all my words Here 's hearing and hearkening to hearken is more then to heare to heare is barely to receive the sound of words but to hearken is to take up the sense of them or as it were to suck out the strength and sweetnesse of them to hearken is to weigh or ponder every tittle spoken and take the value of it The word in the text which signifies to hearken hath a singular elegancy in it One of the Rabbins renders Eare my words heare my words and Eare them The same word which in the verbe signifies to hearken which is the worke of the eare signifies also the eare or instrument of that worke in the noune To eare words notes the most diligent attention as to eye a thing notes the most accurate inspection The word signifies also the beam of a ballance because by the eare or by the two ears as by a ballance words are tryed and poysed whether they are weighty and solid or light and chaffy when Elihu saith hearken to or weigh my words he intimates that he meant to speak words which had worth in them or that he meant to speak matter more then words And therefore he would not have a word lost Hearken saith he To all my words To all not to this or that only but to all As if he had sayd I intend not and I hope I shall not speak one needlesse or unusefull words not a word beside the businesse Therefore hearken to all my words Hence note First They who speak to instruction admonition or exhortation should not use one word more then is usefull not a word more then is to the purpose Seeing every idle word that men shall speak they shall give account for it in the day of Judgement Math 12.36 How should every man take heed of speaking an idle word a word of which he can give no good account for any good it is likely to doe Idle words will make sad worke one day and words of no value or account will turne to a heavy account in the great day That 's an idle word which doth neither worke the heart for good nor strengthen the hand to or in a good worke And if we should be carefull not to speake one idle word or not one word unworthy to be heard how should we avoyd evill words or words which corrupt the hearers Secondly As the words referre to that duty which Elihu minds Job of and moved him to Hearkning to all his words Note They who heare especially about holy things and soule-matters should heare all One word should not be lost when every word is precious We gather up the filings and least dusts of Gold The eare should gather all that truth which the mouth scatters and the heart should lay it up as treasure We may charge many sorts of men with deficiency at eare-worke And surely if men will not heare all that they ought to believe and doe they can neither doe nor believe any thing that they heare First Some will not heare the word at all they are like the deafe Adder stopping their eares at the voyce of the charmer charme he never so wisely to them Secondly Others thinke that there 's not a word more to be heard but what they have heard already who can speak what they know not Thirdly There are few who hearken to any word that is spoken that is who make it their businesse to heare who heare with diligence and labour at it As it is a great labour to speak so I assure you it is no small nor easie labour to heare if you heare indeed and as you should To heare the word is the exercise of the whole soule Among many hearers there are but few hearkeners such I meane as weigh and consider what they heare Fourthly There are very few who heare and hearken to all the words of righteousnesse and salvation As some though they heare all yet hearken to halves so others will heare but halfe or only so much as pleaseth them of what is spoken When the King of Judah Jer 36.23 had the Role brought to him which Baruch had written from the mouth of Jeremiah he heard three or foure leaves of it read to him as he sate by the fire and then he caused it to be cut with a penknife and cast into the fire He did not read it out he had enough of it he had as we say his belly full but his heart was altogether empty he was very angry and vext at the word but not at all humbled nor affected with it and therefore would not heare all those words Againe To hearken is to obey to submit and yield up our selves to the truth we heare Samuel tells Saul 1 Sam 15.22 To obey is better then sacrifice and to hearken then the fat of Rams to obey and to hearken is the same thing the obedient eare is the hearkening eare Mine eare hast thou opened saith Christ Psal 40.6 This opening or digging of his eare as we put in the Margin signified his readinesse to obey as 't is expressed v. 7 8. Then sayd I loe I come I delight to doe thy will O my God And in reference to this he had sayd before v 6. Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire burnt-offering and sin-offering hast thou not required that is for themselves or comparatively to that which in the volume of thy booke is written of me that I should doe Which clearely expounds and is almost the same in termes with that of Samuel To obey is better then sacrifice and to hearken then the fat of Rams Thus Elihu presseth Job to hearken to all his words obedientially or to hearken with a purpose to obey Take a few Considerations why we should both heare and hearken to that is obey the whole mind of God all those words which have the stamp of divine authority upon them First All the words of God are alike
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
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
incorruptible it hath naturally no seedes of dissolution in it because no contrariety no contrary qualities in it as all bodyes or corporeall substances have I know the Apostle saith 1 Tim 6.16 God only hath immortality it 's true he only hath it in himselfe independently originally but he derives and gives it as a talent to some creatures in a way of dependance upon himselfe Secondly Observe The soule brings in the life of the body The life of man What is the body without the soule but a lumpe of clay As soone as ever the soule departs life departs man dyeth and becomes a putrifying carkasse yet such is the folly of most men that all their care is for the life of the body which is at best a dying life they utterly neglect the soule which as it is the life of the body so it selfe never dyeth The soule is the Jewell the body is but the Cabinet the soule is the kernel the body is but the shell Will you be sollicitous about a Cabinet and a shell and slight the Jewel or throw away the kernel Will you take care of that which liveth the body and will you not take care of that which holds your life the soule Againe Note Life is the gift of God If the soule which is the cause of life in man be of God then the life of man is of God also The cause of the cause is the cause of the effect or thing caused But we need not argue it from Logick rules Scripture testimony being so aboundant in this thing Acts 17.25 He giveth to all life and breath and all things And v. 28. In him we live and move and have our being Spirituall and eternall life are the gift of God so also is naturall life And if so Then First Live to God Secondly Seeing God gives us life we should be willing to give our lives to God Yea Thirdly We should therefore be ready to give up or rather to lay downe our lives for God And as we should give up our lives to God when he calls for them by natural death so we should give up our lives for God when he calls us to beare witness to his name and truth by violent death I shall yet take notice of one thing further before I passe from this verse The Spirit of God hath made me and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life Some upon good grounds referre the first clause The Spirit of God hath made me to the creation both of soule and body and the second or latter clause the breath of the Almighty hath given me life to that quickning which we receive by the Spirit to the duties whereinto we are called in this life The breath of the Almighty hath given me life that is hath fitted and prepared me for the severall offices and services of life As if Elihu had sayd The Spirit of God hath not only made me a man but a man for worke yea the Spirit of God hath quickned me to the present worke and businesse I am come about Thus life imports not only spirituall life in the being of it but all the furniture ornaments and abilities of a spirituall life The Septuagint render this profession made by Elihu expressely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spiratio omnipotentis est quae docet me Sept Haud me latet non a meipso sed a deo hunc prudentiae sensum me accepisse Nicet to this sence holding out a strong assurance which Elihu had that God had both called and prepared him for the service he was come about and engaged in The Spirit of God hath made me and the breath of the Almighty hath instructed me Another of the Greek Interpreters speaks as much I am not ignorant that of my selfe I am able to doe nothing but I have received this power from God As if Elihu had said The Spirit of the Almighty hath quickned me to this worke I am now upon and taught me what both to say and doe in thy case O Job Hence note God giveth not only the life of nature unto men but he fits them for all the duties and services of this life We indeed are scarcely to be reckoned among the living if we have no more but a naturall life what is it to be able to eate and drinke to heare and see and speake unlesse we have more then this we deserve not to be numbred or written among the living we are upon the matter but dead lumps and clods of clay It is the breath of the Almighty that quickens us and superadds ability to doe good that frames fashions and fits us for every good word and worke This is the life of man when a man is fitted for duty and service when he is furnished for imployment to stand God and his Brethren in some stead while he is in this world then he lives The motions impulses and influences the teachings and guidings of the Spirit of God are the life of our lives We can doe nothing of our selves till the Almighty bestows a new life upon us and as we can doe nothing at all in spiritualls till he gives us a new life so we can do nothing to purpose till the Spirit acts stirres up that life in us It is the Spirit who first bestows Secondly encreaseth Thirdly excites our spirituall life puts the new creature into motion All our good thoughts and holy actings all our uprightnesse and sincerity all our strength and ability flow from the Spirit untill the holy Spirit workes in us we sit still and when the Spirit worketh we must not sit still I saith the Apostle Rom 15.18 will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me to make the Gentiles obedient by word and deed As if he had sayd My owne workes are not worth the naming I will not so much as mention any thing that Christ hath not wrought in me by the Spirit That was a mighty worke which he was enabled to doe to make the Gentiles obedient in word and deed Christ did not leave him to doe it in his owne power The breath of the Almighty enabled him and so he doth all those that are able and willing ready for and successefull in any such holy worke Let us therefore ascribe all to his working and quickening let us set down our severall Items of receit in our account-books confessing that we have nothing of our own This gift that grace that ability to doe to speake to suffer to act we have received from him Let the whole Inventory of our soules riches have Gods name written upon it and ascribed to his praise alone And if we thus uncloath our selves by giving God the glory of all we shall loose nothing by it for God will apparrell and furnish us deck and adorne us better every day The poorer we are in our selves the richer will he make us To be thus diminish't is the best way to
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
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
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
at the second verse of the former Chapter First and chiefly 't is applyed or attributed to God himselfe Rom 8.33 It is God that justifieth God puts man into a state of justification he justifieth his person so fully that none can of right lay any thing to his charge much lesse condemne him upon any charge layd against him Secondly Man justifieth God Luke 7.29 30. And all the people that heard him and the Publicans justified God being baptized with the baptisme of John God himselfe who is the Judge of all men is condemned by many men and when things are at worst he alwayes hath some to justifie him Man justifieth God when he honoureth God taking his part and owning both his power and his righteousnesse in whatsoever he doth It is impossible God should be unjust and God is pleased to say we justifie him when we maintaine his wayes as just and righteous Thirdly Man justifieth himselfe when he is either lifted up proudly in the thoughts of what he is or hath done well Luke 18.11 or when he upon good grounds can maintaine that to be well done which he hath done Fourthly Man justifieth man when he either consents to or approves of what he hath done or spoken whether it be good or bad he that approves of a man justifies him though the man be unjust Prov. 17.15 He that justifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the just even they both are an abomination unto the Lord. Let a man be never so wicked and doe never so wickedly some through ignorance of his wickednesse and others through love to and liking of his wickednesse being such themselves will approve of him and give him their good word But as Christ speaks Math. 11.19 Wisdome is justified of her children that is the true lovers and followers of wisdome having a right knowledge and estimation of her worth will stand by her and speake for her when slighted by the blind and unknowing world And as this is true of declarative wisdome so especially of Christ who is essentiall wisdome His children highly prize and justifie him while the world condemns and contemns him In this fourth sence Elihu is to be understood here I desire to justifie thee that is to give testimony unto thee or subscribe thy certificate that thou art worthy of commendation Though Elihu was a man of a very warme and keene spirit full of fire and mettle yet he discovered a very honest bent and a well governed intention towards Job in saying I desire to justifie thee for 't is as if he had said It would not please me at all to see cause of further censure but it would please me fully to see cause of approving and acquitting thee Therefore doe but state thy case and make out the merits of it and I shall yield so soon as I see cause So then Elihu did not carry himself in this business first as a party or as one that had taken a side and was resolved to hold it as some doe right or wrong because he had appeared in it Nor Secondly was he hurryed by passion or intemperance of spirit Nor Thirdly was he hood-winkt by prejudice or fore-stalled by his opinion against the person Nor Fourthly was he engaged by love to contention or hopes of victory Nor Fifthly was he purposed to suppresse smother or keepe downe the truth Nor Sixthly had he any desire to asperse Job and make him appear black Nor Seventhly had he a mind to grieve the man or burthen him with accusations but declared a cleare candor and much melting compassion towards his afflicted Antagonist hungring and thirsting yea even longing for a just occasion to justifie him Verbum justificare sumitur pro justitiam exercere justè ac recte procedere q. d. statui apud me juxta aequitatis leges tecum agere Bold Some I grant expound this word justifie as used here by Elihu in a very bare and barren sence as if it implyed only thus much I will doe thee right or I have no mind to doe thee wrong but surely the word is much more fruitfull and beares the signification of a great willingness in Elihu to render Job as faire as possibly he could or as his cause would beare to all the world he waited to understand so much of him and by him as might enable him to say he had neither spoken nor done any thing amisse Hence note First A good man is glad to see any mans cause or case prove good or better then he thought it The Apostle giving severall Characters of Gospell love or charity saith 1 Cor. 13.6 It rejoyceth not in iniquity but rejoyceth in the truth As charity rejoyceth not in the doing of iniquity so neither doth it when others are found to have done iniquity But it rejoyceth much when any who are either suspected or charged with iniquity are upon due tryall found cleare and acquitted Paul wished that all who heard him had been not only almost but altogether such as he except his bonds Acts 26.29 It is a great argument that a man is good and just when he heartily wisheth that he who hath given occasion to others to think ill of him may at last appeare better then they thought him Secondly note A good man seekes not victory but truth and the good of those he deals with When he contends earnestly with others he desires as earnestly that truth may gaine by that contention Where a spirit of strife uncharitableness possesseth the minds of many men they love to be vexing trampling upon those they deale with rather then helping and enforming them This evill spirit is the familiar of this age That which the Apostle spake Phil. 1.15 of not a few who had the name of Gospel Ministers some preach Christ even of envy and strife and some also of good will the one preach Christ of contention not sincerely the same may be said of many disputers and polemicall writers they doe it enviously they doe it out of love to strife and contention not out of love either to truth or to those with whom they contend and strive this is a bad spirit a spirit far unlike that which ruled in Elihu who wished that the sharpest reprehensions he gave Job might end in his justification There should be such a spirit in man contending with man as there is in God contending with man who doth not thunder against sinners because he would have them perish or delighteth in their destruction but doth it first to awaken them secondly to humble them thirdly to convert them fourthly to justifie them and lastly to save them for ever I write not these things saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 4.14 to shame you but as my beloved sons I warne you As if he had said I intend not to asperse you or throw dirt upon you but only advise you to wipe off the dirt that is cast upon you or to keep your selves out of the dirt I would either be
in my Judgement that is I am deceived in it or I fayle of it To lie in Scripture is to faile or to frustrate the hope of another Some insist much upon this sence as if he had sayd I come short of that which I looked for as my right or Judgement in this sence the word is often applyed to things but not to persons as some of the learned conclude upon this place Isa 58.11 Thou shalt be like a spring of water whose waters fayle not we put in the margin lie not or deceive not 'T is a promise made to those who keepe a true fast and keepe it truely God will be to them as a spring whose waters lie not All our fresh springs are or should be in God and he is a spring whose waters are always fresh No man ever came to him for matter and was frustrated of his expectation Thus also the word is used Hab 3.17 Although the labour of the Olive shall fayle that is though when you come to the Olive tree you find no Olives there nor see any hope of a drop of oyle in your whole Olive-yard yet you may still rejoyce in the Lord he is able to annoynt and fill you alwayes with the oyle of gladness Thus Job is conceived complaining here of his deceived hopes much in that sence as God himselfe in the Prophet Isa 5.7 is sayd to be deceived He looked for judgement but behold oppression for righteousness but behold a cry I saith Job looked for better things I looked for light but behold darkness I looked to be acquitted but behold I am hardly thought of and censured on every hand I am quite disappointed matters fall out and are otherwise then I did expect In Jure meo mentior i. e. quum innocentiam meam defendo putor mentiri Pisc Fourthly I lie in my right is thus expounded I am thought to lie while I maintaine my right or say I am righteous I am judged a lyar for saying I have walked in the truth All these readings of the text are given from the affirmative translation But we as also severall oâ—hers translate by an interrogation intimating the heate and earnestness of his spirit in wiping off this aspersion Should I lie against my right I should not I will not As if Elihu had sayd Job hath insisted so much upon his owne righteousness and right that he will not be taken off from it upon any termes nay he hath saâ—d what should I knowing my selfe to be innocent because of this cry against me cry guilty to this inditement and so betray my owne innocency or give away my right Job stands so much upon his owne righteousness An par est ut montiar super innocentia moa Vatabl that if he should but acknowledge himselfe faulty he thinkes he should lie or wrong himselfe by speaking against his knowledge and conscience And indeed Job Chap 27.4 5 6. spake fully to this effect That it would be a wrong to or a lie against himselfe if he should not stand up to the uttermost in his owne right and defend his innocency and 't is probable Elihu hits at that passage while he chargeth him with this passionate expostulation What! Should I lie against my right Would you have me say as you say and so beare false witness or be a false witness against my selfe What ever comes of it I will not doe that I will not lie against my right nor let goe my integrity I will not in civility to any other mans understanding of me subscribe to my owne wrong or say I am what I am not or have done what I have not Elihu brings this as a strong proofe of the height of Jobs spirit as if to confesse his fault were to fall below himselfe yea to belie himselfe Should I lie against my right Hence note First To acknowledge we have done that which we have not done or that we are what we are not is to lie against our owne right or to wrong our selves As many lie by speaking more good of themselves then is true or by denying that evill which in truth they are guilty of so he that submits to that guilt which he is free from or confesseth more evill of himselfe then is true lieth against his owne soule So did that Amalekite 2 Sam 1.10 compared with 2 Sam 31.4 charge himselfe falsely with killing Saul in hope of a reward from David for his good newes As no man ought to lie against another much lesse against himselfe And as that man doth wickedly belie himselfe who saith he is better then he is for that 's horrible hypocrisie all such God will unmask one time or other who thus cover themselves with lyes and say like those in the Prophet they have dreamed when they have seene nothing but the vaine phansies of their own braines nor felt any thing but the presumption of their false hearts Now I say as he doth wickedly bely himselfe who saith he is better then he is so for any man to deny that good which God hath done for him or wrought in him or what he hath done or wrought in the feare and power of God is a dangerous way of denying and belying his owne right Hence secondly note No man ought to admit any charge against himselfe wherein he is not guilty It is not in our liberty to give up our owne integrity we may not give up the righteousness and innocency of others to a false witness if we can detect it much lesse our owne Let no man lie against his right It is our affliction only to be wronged by others but 't is our sin to wrong either others or our selves Yet Thirdly Note We may quickly over-act in standing upon our own right That caution of Solomon Eccl 7.16 seemes to carry this observation in it Be not righteous overmuch neither make thy self over-wise Why shouldst thou destroy thy selfe Some expound this precept as a rule of policy advising all to a moderation in the practise of that wherein there can be indeed no excesse true piety and religion as if it were a duty to study and comport our selves to a kind of neutrality and indifferency in the things of God lest we expose our selves to the wrath and rage of men who cannot beare it with patience to see any that are better or do better then themselves But I conceive the Spirit of God in Solomon was farre from breathing any such cold blast to nip either the buddings or highest growths of godlinesse and that he would not at all abate any in the practise of holinesse but intends one of or all these three things First to take men off from any opinionativenesse about what they judge to be righteous and themselves righteous in doing it willing them to take advice and not to lean to their own understanding nor to rest in their own dictates as infallible or Secondly when he saith Be not righteous overmuch his meaning
that God is not sayd to forme man of the water or ayre or fire but of the dust of the ground Gen 2.7 though all those as well as earth were ingredients in the composition and formation of mans body As man with respect to his spiritualls and moralls is denominated from that which is chief in him so with respect to his naturalls Every man hath the seeds and principles of all sin in him yet many men are knowne and expressed by some speciall sin Thus one is called a covetous man another a malicious man c. because covetousnesse and malice are their predominant sins in practice though the principles of all other sins are in them So for grace one is sayd to be a patient man and another an humble man and a third a self-denying man Though where any grace is all graces are yet a godly man is knowne by that grace which acts most eminently and vigorously in him In this notion man is sayd to be of the dust and to returne to dust as if he were nothing but dust because dust is the predominant Element in the naturall constitution of man And if so then this is an humbling consideration Some walke as if they thought the ground or earth not good enough for them to goe upon Moses setting forth the dreadfullness of famine as a punishment threatned the Jewish nation in case of disobedience tells us it shall fall on all sorts both of men and women Deut 28.56 The tender and delicate woman among you which would not adventure to set the sole of her foot upon the ground for delicateness and tenderness c. Some are loth to put their feet to the ground whereas the best foote that ever trod upon the ground is dust as wel as the ground trodden on and 't is but dust to dust when they are in the dust and dirt to dirt if they fall into the dirt The Apostle among other reasons for this also calleth the body of man a vile body Phil 3.21 Who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body Our bodies are vile chiefly from the contagion of sin that hath made them most vile But they are comparatively vile with respect to the very matter out of which they were all representatively made when the first man was made without the least taint or touch of sin Man at best as to the body is but a little breathing dust or moving clay And did we spiritually look upon the matter of our bodyes it would exceedingly humble our spirits and keep them low even when like Jordan they are ready to over-flow all the banks of modesty and moderation We heare of a bird who priding himselfe in spreading and perusing his fine feathers is presently as it were ashamed by looking down upon his owne black feete Surely did man often consider that his whole body is of the earth it would be an excellent meanes to keepe his heart in a lowly frame how highly soever himselfe is exalted in the earth And as man while he lives is from the dust so when he dyeth that 's another humbling consideration his body not only returneth unto dust but turneth into dust David as the figure of Christ cryed out Psal 22.15 Thou hast brought me into the dust of death Dust and death are neere acquaintance and all that dy grow quickly into neerer acquaintance with the dust It is sayd Psal 103.14 The Lord knoweth our frame he remembreth that we are but dust But what advantage is that to us that the Lord knoweth the one and remembreth the other I may answer as the Apostle doth to another question Rom 3.2 much every way chiefly because he will pitty us and spare us and deale tenderly with us as considering how frayle we are Now as it may be our comfort that God remembreth we are but dust so 't is our duty to remember that we are but dust and that we must to the dust Shall God remember that we are dust and shall not we remember it our selves Did we more remember that we are dust we should more prepare for our return to the dust Yea I may say we should be more in heaven if we were more in our dust that is the gracious and serious meditation of our naturall vilenes and infirmities would provoke us to looke heaven-wards and prepare for heaven where these our naturall bodyes shall become spirituall 1 Cor 15.44 that is they shall be like spirits though not turned into spirits living without food or sleep living free from weariness and sickness from paines and languishments yea free from the remotest feare of ever dying or returning againe into dust Such as these and many more would be our soules advantages did we often as becomes us remember that our bodyes are of the earth and must shortly be earth againe Thus to be earthly minded is the way to be heavenly minded Many are earthly minded that is they mind earthly things but few mind that themselves are earth In what holy heights and elevations of spirit should we be if we could spiritually remember how low we once were and how low as to our bodyes we within a few dayes shall be Lastly This truth should take us off from all creature-confidence from trusting in man Cursed is the man saith the Lord Jer 17.5 that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme 'T is a cursed thing for man to trust in man becausâ— trust is an honour proper to God he alone is to be trusted And as it is a cursed so it is also a foolish thing to trust in man David a Great Prince giveth us this counsel from God Psal 146.3 4. Put not your trust in Princes nor in the son of man in whom there is no help his breath goeth forth he returneth to his earth or to his dust in that day all his thoughts perish happy is the man that hath the God of Jacob for his help What can dust do for dust what can dust get by dust that which is weake may become strong by trusting to or leaning upon that which is strong the weakest man is strong enough while he trusteth upon the strong God but if weake trust upon weake how shall it be made strong Therefore let all flesh hearken to the words of the holy Prophet Isa 2.21 Cease ye from man whose breath is in his nostrills for wherein is he to be accounted of Man himselfe is a soone-ceasing creature David useth the noune of this verbe to expresse himselfe so Psal 39.4 and therefore we have reason to cease from man to cease from any high estimation of the highest men much more from any confidence in them What can we assure our selves of from any man living seeing he hath no assurance of his owne life The Prophet would have us understand that while he saith his breath is in his nostrills Mans life is gone as soone as his breath is gone and how soone may that be
and as in the former sense 't is the prerogative of Kings to be Keepers of the Law so it is their piety and their goodness to be Keepers of them in the latter 'T is possible a King may be a Keeper of the Law by Conservation and yet not be a Keeper of it by Observation but then he shines most bright in the sphear of his Royal Soveraignty when he is every way a keeper of the Law of God and so far as they respect himself of his own Further Is it fit to say to a King Belial As Belial designs an unprofitable person a man good for nothing a man of no use what Upon the Throne and yet of no use to a Nation How high an indignity is this to Regal dignity Kings are set up for the greatest use for the most important services even for the profit and advantage of mankinde especially of all within their Kingdoms and Dominions as all are to serve them in their state so they count it their chiefest honour to advance the peace and profit of all their peaceable and profitable subjects Therefore nothing can be said more dishonourably to a King then this Thou art good for nothing an unprofitable person Belial Is it fit to say to a King Thou art wicked And to Princes ye are ungodly The word rendred Princes signifies munificent bountiful free willing Principes hic vocantur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a liberalitate munificentia quasi tu dicas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Drus so Princes are called to shew what they are or should be men of bountiful noble munificent heroick free spirits open hearted and open handed they who are so are Princes in truth as well as in Title The holy Spirit of God or God the holy Spirit is called a Princely Spirit Psal 51.12 we read it Free Spirit and this free Princely Spirit of God makes all his people of a free Princely spirit of a large heart both as to duty God-wards and as to charity man-wards Psal 110.3 In the day of thy power the people shall be willing they shall be as Princes they shall serve thee as sons not as slaves a Royal Spirit is conveyed into them by the Spirit in the day of the Power of Jesus Christ or when he conquers them to the obedience of himself By this appellation worldly Princes the Princes of this world are expressed in sacred language that so their very names might minde them of being such and of doing such things as are the ornament both of their persons and places These two high Titles in the Text Kings and Princes are somtimes taken for the same and in strictest sence Princes are the next degree or but one remove from Kings Again There are some called Princes who have the supreame power within their own Territories Others are called Princes who have a delegated or derived power from Kings The Apostle speaks of such 1 Pet. 2.13 charging the Church and people of God to submit to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether to the King as supream or unto Governours as sent by him for the punishment of evil doers and for the praise of them that do well Elihu brings in both for the fuller confirmation of his point and the stronger conviction of Job Is it fit to say to a King thou art wicked and to Princes who stand about his Throne and serve him in his Government ye are ungodly Ye regard neither right nor reason neither what 's fit to be done nor what to be advised That 's the sence of the words as they are an argument from the less to the greater If it be an uncomely and undecent thing saith Elihu to say to a King thou art wicked and to Princes ye are ungodly How much more to him that accepteth not the persons of Princes c. Hence Note First Men are not all of a rank or all are not of an equal state in this world This Text speaks of Kings and Princes and the most of men are inferiour not only to Kings but to Princes God hath not made man upon earth as minims in writing all of a height but as in the alphabet of Letters some are longer and deeper then others so in the Alphabet of mankinde some men are bigger and higher then others Kings and Princes are but men yet they are men in a great letter or they are among men as the Aleph among the letters which as it is first in order so it signifies a Prince a Chief a Leader And if the most wise God had not ordered such an inequality among men how should order have been kept among men Nothing considering the corruptions and lusts of men can be more unequal then that equality which some have vainly contended for among men All men would fall down into confusion if some were not above That which keeps all up is only that some are uppermost Kings and Princes Secondly which is here principally aimed at Note It is most uncomly and sinful to revile or give reproachful words to Kings or Princes When we say It is not fit we say less then the thing is or then the Text intendeth there is more evil in it then a bare unfitness 't is indeed a very great wickedness and ungodliness to say to a King thou art wicked and to Princes ye are ungodly To say so is expresly against the Rule Exod. 22.28 Thou shalt not revile the gods or as we put in the margin Judges nor curse the Ruler of thy people And the Apostle Paul quotes this Text Acts 23.5 when himself had slipt in that point as he stood before the Judgement seat and pleaded his own integrity for when Ananias the high Priest commanded them that stood by to smite him on the mouth Paul said unto him God shall smite thee thou whited wall This drew a reproof upon him presently from them that stood by v. 4. Revilest thou Gods high Priest And what doth Paul answer v. 5. I wist not Brethren that he was the high Priest for it is written Thou shalt not speak evil of the Ruler of thy people There hath been much dispute about that answer I wist not that he was the high Priest Certainly Paul saw and knew that he was the high Priest and it is as certain that he did not tell a lye when he said I wist not that he was the high Priest His meaning I conceive was only this as if he had said having received such unjust usage in the Court as to be openly smitten in time of hearing I confess I was in a passion and did not consider 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as I ought that it was the high Priest I spake rashly and unadvisedly I wist not that is I deliberated not with my self who it was I spake to for I ought not to have used such language the Scripture also having forbidden it which saith Thou shalt not curse the Ruler of thy people It will not bear us
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
to stand The Lord can establish those whom he setteth up The Lord doth not only set up but keep up whom he pleaseth Though they are weak whom he setteth up yet he can keep them up though they whom he setteth up are opposed by the strong yet he can keep them up He can make a shrub stand fast though opposed by a Cedar and a reed to stand firm like a rock though opposed by an Oak Thirdly Note The Lord taketh care of the Government of the world He is not for breaking work only he is for setting and setling too God will not let the body of a people perish for want of a head but when in judgement he hath broken one in pieces he in mercy sets up another Mighty men are like pillars which bear the weight of a whole Commonwealth or Kingdom God rarely deals with Nations as Sampson did with the house wherein the Philistims were assembled who at once pull'd away the pillar and pull'd down the house but if he pulleth away one pillar he puts in another that the house may stand God will not leave the world without rule or rulers when he takes with one hand he gives with another when Judas the Traytor was broken Christ found out a better man Matthias to set in his stead And when the whole Nation or Church of the Jewes was broken and rejected God called in the Gentiles and set them up for a Church and people to himself in their stead and which is the greatest instance of all when Jesus Christ was taken from the earth when he left the world who was the mighty one he was first broken in pieces for our sins and afterwards taken away yet he gave a supply and left us another in his stead I will not leave you comfortless saith he John 14.18 I will come unto you though not till the great day in person yet every day in the gifts and graces of my Spirit I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever John 14.16 Again John 16.13 When he the Spirit of Truth is come he will guide you into all truth God sent the Spirit in Christ's stead he doth that for us which Christ did for us while he abode on the earth and therefore the holy Spirit is not unfitly call'd the Vicar of Christ here on earth he feeds the flock of Christ he looks to his people he teacheth he comforteth them in Christ's stead And thus in Nations when God breaketh one Governour he sets up an other in his stead he will not leave Nations without guides and leaders nor suffer the staff of Government to be utterly broken which is the greatest plague that can come upon any people From the whole verse take these tree deductions First There is a vanity and an uncertainty at least the vanity of uncertainty in all worldly greatness and powers God blasts and breaks them as he pleaseth The most substantial things on earth are but as a shaddow or like the Land-sea's continually flowing and ebbing One is cast down and another is exalted one is broken and another is set up yea the same man who was lately exalted and set up may quickly be cast down and broken There is no assurance to be had of the best things here below but only this that we cannot be sure of them and 't is good for us that we cannot be sure of the best things here below both because we are so apt to say It is good for us to be here where yet our best things are not to be had as also because by this consideration we may be provoked to look after and make sure of better things then any are here enjoyed even those best things which are under hope Secondly Great examples of God's judgements are to be eyed and marked Why doth Elihu call Job to this consideration but that he might be humbled and give God glory it is not for nought that God breaks in pieces the mighty ones of the earth 1 Cor. 10.11 All these things have hapned unto them for ensamples and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come As all those things among the Jewes were Types so all that God doth to this day upon the Princes and Powers of the world Nunquam culpam suam reprobi nisi in poena agnoscunt Greg. lib. 25. Moral cap. 9. are but as types and ensamples they are for admonition that we should consider those sins which have brought such judgments upon men such breaking judgements and avoid them some will never see sin in it self but in the judgments of God all may see what sin is when mighty men are broken in pieces what will God do with the rest if they sin against him and provoke the eyes of his glory Zenacharib that proud Prince who invaded the land of Israel in the time of Hezekiah being broken in pieces by his own bowels his sons slew him it was ordered to be writ upon his Tomb In me intuens pius esto Herod lib. 2. Let every one that seeth me learn to fear God and not to defie him as I have done The breaking of the powers of the earth should exceedingly exalt the fear of God in our hearts Quicunque celsa dominatur aula me videat tu Troja nunquam documenta dedit sors majora quam frogili loco starent superbi Senec. in Troad de Hecuba Act 1. Sc. 1. It is better to learn wisdome by the punishment of others then by our own Thirdly If God will break the mighty though many yea though innumerable This is comfort to the people of God when they are opprest and broken by oppressors let them remember God is able to break their oppressors though they rise up like Hydra's heads one after another read the whole fifty and second Psalm as also the 39th and 40th verses of the 107th Psalm as a clear proof of this Elihu having shewed what sad breaches God makes upon mighty men makes a fourth inference in the words following Vers 25. Therefore he knoweth their works and he overturneth them in the night so that they are destroyed For as much as God breaketh them it is an argument that he knoweth what they are and what they have been doing There is a threefold reading of these words First Some read them as implying God's making others to know their works God maketh the secret sins of men visible Propterea facit ut nota sint facta ipsorum Bez. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cognoscit aliqui exponunt faci cognoscere sc facit ut ab omnibus eorum scelera cognoscantur Merc. by his visible judgements Wrath seen may give us a sight of sin Some insist much upon this exposition and 't is a truth the Lord by his judgments brings to light and doth as it were spread open as in the face of the Sun the wickedness and wicked deeds of
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
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