few are there in power who do not much iniquity who do not either for want of better information or of a better conscience oppress grieve and afflict those that have to do with them or are subject to them God may do what he will yet will do nothing but what is right How infinitely then is God to be exalted in his truth and righteousness And thus the word of truth exalts him Deut. 32.4 2 Chr. 19.7 Rom 9.14 There is no unevenness much less aberration in any of the ways of God he never trod awry nor took a false step Who can say unto him without great iniquity thou hast wrought iniquity Hence we may infer If God works no iniquity in any of his wayes whether in his general or special providences Then All ought to sit down quietly under the workes of God Though he bring never so great judgments upon nations he doth them no wrong though he break his people in the place of dragons and cover them with the shadow of death he doth them no wrong Though he sell his own people for nought yet he doth them no wrong All which and several other grievances the Church sadly bemoans Psal 44. yet without raising the least dust concerning the justice of God or giving the least intimation of iniquity in those several sad and severe wayes Secondly We should not only sit down quietly under all the dispensations of God as having no iniquity in them but exalt the righteousness of God in all his dispensations as mingled also sprinkled with mercy Though we cannot see the righteousness of God in some of them yet we must believe he is not only so but merciful in all of them though the day be dark we cannot discern how this or that su es with the righteousnes much less with the goodness and mercy of â—od yet sit down we ought in this faith that both this and that is righteous yea that God is good to Israel in the one and in the other When the prophet was about to touch upon that string he first laid down this principle as unquestionable Jer. 12.1 Righteous art thou O Lord yet give me leave to plead with thee about thy Judgments Why doth the way of the wicked prosper Why is it thus in the world I take the boldness to put these questions O Lord yet I make no question but thou art righteous O Lord. It becomes all the sons of men to rest patiently under the darkest providences of God And let us all not only not charg God foolishly but exalt him highly and cry up both his righteousness and kindness towards all his people For who can say to God thou hast wrought iniquity Having in several other passages of this book met with this matter also I here briefly pass it over JOB Chap. 36. Vers 24 25. 24. Remember that thou magnifie his work which men behold 25. Every man may see it man may behold it afar off THese two verses contain the third advice counsel or exhortation given by Elihu to Job stirring him up to give glory to God in his providential proceedings with him There are three things considerable in these two verses First The general duty commanded which is to magnifie the work of God Secondly We have here a special reason or ground of that duty the visibility and plainness yea more than so the illustriousness of his work The work of God is not only such as some men may see but such as every 〈◊〉 â—ay see yea behold afar off Thirdly We have here an incentive to provoke to this duty in the first words of the Text Remember Vers 24. Remember that thou magnifie his work which men behold To Remember imports chiefly these two things First to call to mind what is past Mat. 26.75 Then Peter remembred the words of Christ. Secondly To remember is to keep somewhat in mind against the time to come in which sence the Law runs Exod. 20.8 Remember the rest-day that is keep it in mind that when-ever it cometh or upon every return of that day 〈◊〉 may be in a fit posture and preparation for it Remember the rest or sabbath day to keep it holy To remember in this place is set I conceive in a double opposition First To forgetfulness of the duty here called for remember and do not forget it Secondly To the slight performance of the duty here called for the magnifying of the work of God Remember that thou magnifie As if he had said Be thou daily and duely affected with it do not put it off with a little or a bare remembrance the matter is weighty consider it fully As if Elihu had said to Job Thou hast much forgotten thy self and gone off from that which is thy proper work I have heard thee much complaining of the workes of God but thy work should have been to magnifie the work of God Though God hath cast thee down and laid thee low yet thy business should have been to exalt the work of God Remember it would much better become thee to act another part than this thou shouldest have acted the part of a magnifier of the work of God not the part of a complainer gainst it Remember that thou 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Augeas extollas ejus opus non accuses ut nunc facis Merc. Magnifie The root signifieth to encrease and extol We may consider a twofold magnifying of the work of God There is an inward magnifying of the work of God and there is an outward magnifying of the work of Goâ— First There is 〈◊〉 â—â—d magnifying of the work of God when we think highly 〈◊〉 it thus did the Virgin in her song Luke 1.46 My soul doth magnifie the Lord. Her heart was raised up and stretched out in high thoughts of God Secondly There is an outward magnifying of the work of God To speak highly of his work is to magnify his work to live holily and fruitfully is to magnifie his work We cannot make any addition to the work of God there is no such magnifying of it but we must strive to give the works of God their full dimension and not lessen them at all As we must not diminish the number of his works so we must not diminish the just weight and worth of them There is such a charge of God to the Prophet about his word Jer. 26.2 Go tell the people all the words that I command thee to speak unto them diminish not a word Deliver thy message in words at length or in the full length of those words in which it was delivered unto thee We then magnifie the woâ—k of God when we diminish not a tittle As we cannot add any thing to it so we must neither abate nor conceal any thing of it To magnifie is not to make the works of God great but to declare and set forth the greatness of them that 's the magnifying here especially intended Remember
as I have heard from thee I will answer them all how many soever they be I will undertake thee and all thy Party Thee and thy Companions with thee Hence Note He who hath truth on his sidâ— needs not fear the opposition of many no nor the opposition of all men To oppose two is a very great disadvantage but if a man have the truth on his side he may oppose all though he be alone He may be an Antipas Revel 2.13 a man against all men as that name of Christs faithful Martyr there mentioned doth import If there be a thousand of them he may undertake them all for in answering one he answers all Elijah said of himself 1 Kings 18.22 I even I only remain a Prophet of the Lord yet he stood up against all the Idolatrous Prophets of Baal who were no fewer than four hundred and fifty men That we have many with us is liâ—tle advantage and lesse honour many a time A long train of Followers will do us no good if our Cause be bad Truth is strong and will prevail 't is vain to fight against it though our partakers are many The ancient Fathers observed how some were wont to cry up those that had the multitude on their side and to boast that most were of their Opinion It was the saying of a Worthy in those times By my being alone Non mea solitudine minuitur verbum veritatis Dictum Liberti ad Constantium Arrianum Theod. lib. 2. Histor Eccl. c. 16. the word of truth and the truth of the word is not at all diminished One man and the truth are strong enough to oppose a multitude in error and a multitude of errors The more any men and the more men appear in opposing truth the more is God engaged in faithfulness to appear for it When one boasted to St Hierome that he had a multitude of Followers in his Opinion he answered That the number of his Companions did not prove him a Catholick Multitudo sâ—cioâ—um te nequaquam Catholicum sed Haereticum monstrabit Hieron l. 3. advers Pelag. but a Heretick But how did Elihu answer Job and his Companions The next verse tells us how Vers 5. Look unto the Heavens and see behold the Clouds which are higher than thou 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aspexit aliq tando ab oâ—ulis ad intellectum transfertur As if he had said Look to the Heavens and they 'l answer thee behold the Clouds and they will confute thee Thy very senses may convince thee that thou hast spoken these things against Reason And the Heaveâ—s will tell thee that thy mistake in this matter is Heaveâ—ly wide If thou turn thy eyes upward and considerest that distance which is between God Toto coelo erras who hath Heaven for the Habitation of his Holâ—nesse and of his Glory and thee who dwellest in thy house of Clay here on Earth thou mayest see that thy sins cannot hurt him nor thy goodnesse extend to him The distance between Heaven and man is very great but the distance between God and man is far greater the one is immensurable but the other is unimaginable unconceiveable Therefore if the Heavens be so high that thou canst not annoy them with thine Arrows much lesse art thou able to annoy God who is higher and infinitely more out of Bow-shot and Gun-shot than the Heavens That 's the scope of his Aâ—gumentation here to prove that Job could not or that no man can hurt God by his sin Look to the Heavens and see Both words are applyed to the sense or sight of the eye yet they have a reference also to an intellectual sight to the eye of the mind Look and see that is Take special notice of and contemplate the Heavens We may look and not see that is look and not consider look and not observe To look and see is to give earnest attention to the thing looked upon look curiously câ—itically how high the Heavens are Look and see 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Significat curiose inspicere intueri visa contemplare mente Aquin. We may apply the first word Look as some do to the truth of the thing look how high the Heavens are it may be seen by the eye that they are very high though we cannot see how high they are The latter word See may referre to the admirable contrivance and contexture of the thing seen as the formeâ— to the truth and reallity of it Look and see how wonderful how full of wonders the Heavens are see with admiration what a vastness what an exâ—ctnesse there is in the Heavens above thee Thus the word is used by the Prophet Isa 42.18 Look ye blind that ye may see It is a Prophesie of Gospel times that is Consider the Messages and Mysteries of the Gospel exactly view them well that ye who are blind may behold the glorious light that shines forth in them There were many blind ones in Châ—ists time that looked upon the things of the Gospel and did not see the Pharisees lookt upon them and they were among the blind ones they indeed had better thoughts of themselves and therefore put that question to Christ in scorn John 9.40 Are we blind also They did not look so as to see they were blind when they looked and blind after they looked The holy Prophet exhorts poor blind souls to whom the Gospel should come to look better to look again and again till they saw Look ye blind that ye may see That is be diligent and humble that ye may see the light shining in the Gospel The proud Pharisees who would not see the light which Christ offered to them were the worst of blind ones This is the Look which the word in the Text calls for Look unto the Heavens and see it cannot be understood of the outward sight only for he that looks upon the Heavens cannot but see them but a man may look a great while upon the Heavens and not see them considerately nor understand what he seeth The words import attention and consideration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Intentis oculis intuitin est And so they are used and placed 2 Kings 3.14 Were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the King of Judah I would not look unto thee nor see thee said Elisha to Jehoram King of Israel that is I would give thee no respect nor take notice of thee Nomen hoc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non potest significare Nubes quae sunt substantiae densae nempe Aer condensatus At Shehhakim dicti sunt a substantiae tenuitate qualis est substantia coeli ergo verâ—o tenues coelos Pisc In this sense the Prophet represents the Church bespeaking the incompassionate Spectators of her calamity Lam. 1.12 Is it nothing to you all ye that passe by Behold and see that is weigh it well and consider if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow Look unto the Heavens
as happy as now he is let men do their worst and be as wicked as they can Thy wickednesse c. The word wickednesse notes sin in the highest degree at least of a high degree every wickednesse is sin but every sin is not wickednesse yet we are not to undeâ—stand Elihu's meaning as if great sins only did mischief and hurt The truth is every sin doth hurt and mischief as a little poyson and the least poyson may do hurt unless it be corrected We use to say of some things A little doth not hurt Modicum non noâ—et but we cannoâ— say a little poyson doth no hurt unlesse you do not take it or unlesse it be corrected a little poyson uncorrected will do hurt So then when Elihu saith here Thy wickednesse may hurt we are not to understand it only of great sins as whoredome murder perjury drunkenness and witchcraft c. but even of idle thoughts of vain words or undue passions these hurt as well as greater sins commonly called wickednesse Thy wickedness May hurt a man as thou art These words may hurt are not expressed in the Original Text but they are plainly intended and implyed Yet if we should leave them out of the reading the sence would be the same Thy wickedness is to hurt a man as thou art That is thy wickednesse is to the hurt or damage of a man as thou art it may hurt thee or thy brother it may hurt thy self or any like thy self Hence Note First That sin is a hurtfull thing Wheresoever sin is it doth mischief Sin is so bad in the nature of it that we have reason enough to avoid it and flye from it and sin is so dangerous in the Effects of it that we have further though not more reason to avoid it and flye from it indeed we should rather and that is our spiritualnesse in avoiding of sin avoid it because of the evil that is in the Nature of it because it riseth up against the Will and breaks the holy Commands of God we have greatest reason to depart from sin because it is a departure from God because of the blacknesse and filthinesse of it yet not onely the blacknesse of this Coal but the fire the eternal fire that is in it gives us cause enough to depart from it 'T is true a truly gracious heart would not sin though he might escape all the sad effects of sin but when he hears it is as hot as fire and as deadly as poyson and as killing as the plague when he hears that it is the ruine of Persons and of Families of Churches and Nations when he hears that 't is sin which hath done all the hurt and mischief that ever was in the world he sees he hath further reason to dread it and depart from it Again Thy wickedness may hurt a man Note Sin doth mischief to man and to man especially Sin doth mischief all the world over the whole Creation groans under the mischief and vanity which sin hath brought upon it Rom. 8.22 Sin hath done damage to the whole Creation but the great damage which sin doth is to man to him that acts it to others before whom it is acted or towards whom it is acted Sin is distributed into two sorts as to its hurtfulnesse Sin either respects our selves in the hurt it doth or others and those others are either God or our Neighbour sin hurts our selves most yet sin as it is a wrong to God may be said to hurt his honour and diminish the manifestation of his glory in the world as hath been shewed before And sin is really a wrong to our Neighbour There are a number of sins committed against our selves yea every sin though committed against our Neighbour hits and hurts our selves no man can hurt his Neighbour but he hurts himself most So that although there are many sins which respect others yet all are against our selves Some sins unbelief especially and the neglect of holy duties hurt our selves only there are sins which more properly hurt others as oppression and uncharitablenesse there are several sins which at once hurt others and our selves Adultery hurts self and others too evil words hurt our selves and others too as the Apostle tells us out of a Poet 1 Cor. 15.33 Evil communication corrupteth good manners that is you corrupt the good manners of others you debauch others by unsavoury speeches our ill example hurts our selves and others Our Neighbour is hurt by our sin First By any thing that is a wrong to him as to his Estate or as to his Person or as to his Credit Secondly By the scandal of it when we do that which is evil it hardens the wicked and makes them go on more securely in their sin and keeps them off from the wayes of God it endangers good men also and discourageth them in the duties they owe both to God and man in the profession of the Gospel Thus sin may hurt our selves and our Neighbours Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art But why saith he a man as thou art What a man just of thy Complexion or just of thy height stature and pitch what a man of thy State and Degree a man just of thy eminency in the world certainly no but when he saith A man as thou art his meaning is any man because all men are in many things alike they are all mortal and sinful and weak and apt to receive hurt by the sins of others Thus every man is a man as thou art Hence noâ—e All men are alike Though the faces of men are very differenâ— and we know one man from another because they are unlike in face yet as to their constitution and natural condition they are alike he that is greatest is such a man as the least and the strongest is such a man as the weakest the richest as the poorest the learnedest as the most ignorant and the godliest man is as the wickedest man as to his natural composition All men are alike in these foure things First all men need that which is good Secondly all men are sensible of that which is hurtful and afflictive to them Thirdly all men are apt to take hurt and to run into danger by the sin and ill Examples of others or to receive good by their good deeds and profitable examples all men being associated in the same common nature and familiar each to other Fourthly all men are alike in this that they are not self-sufficient but stand in need of the help of one another He that is helpful to a man like himself helpeth himself and doth acknowledge that considering humane frailty he may have occasion to call for and desire the help of another and therefore say some man hath two hands two armes that he may understand himself born as much to need and receive help as to give it Thus every man is a man as thou art and upon these and many other Considerations thou mayest
The Prophet saith concerning Ephraim Hos 7.9 Strangers have devoured his strength and he knoweth it not That is Enemies have swallowed up or taken away that wealth those riches they have subdued those Armies those Forces which he looked upon and boasted of as his strengâ—h they have broken him quite with Warrs Invasions yet Ephraim knew it not and not only so but as it followeth Yea Gray hairs are here and there upon him that is he hath many Symptomes or Signs or ruine and destruction yet he knoweth it not Grief of heart for great changes in our Estate change the hair many grow gray with sorrow So that when 't is said gray hairs are upon him 't is an allusion taken from the Body Natural to the Body Politick for as when the natural Body of a man hath gray hairs appearing or as Solomon allegorizeth Eccl. 12.5 when the Almond Tree flourisheth it is an argument that old Age and infirmities are coming upon him Gray hairs tell us that Death and the Grave are not farr off they signifie some decay of nature Now as the natural Body hath its gray hairs so a Politick Body the body of a State hath its gray hairs too that is somthing may come upon a State which sheweth that it is declining and waxing old that it is ready to break and go to the Grave I shall not stay to enquire what are the gray hairs of a Nation I only bring that Scripture to prove that many are insensible of the hand of God he visiteth in his anger yet man possibly a good man knoweth it not as Ephraim knew not of his gray hairs But did not Ephraim know his affliction or did not Job know his what is it to know or who may be said to know an affliction I answer they only know their afflictions or that God is visiting in his anger First who labour to find out the cause of Gods visitation If we feel the afflicting hand of God upon us and enquire not whence is this why is it so what hath moved or provoked the Lord to this manner of proceeding with us If I say we make not such enquiries we are visited in anger and know it not And therefore in that case the Prophet Jeremy exhorts the afflicted captivated Church of the Jewes in Babylon to search and try their wayes Lam. 3.41 that is to consider why it was so with them what was the cause of their captivity Till we sit down and make diligent search why we are visited why any affliction or calamity is upon our Persons and Families or upon the Kingdomes and Nations respectively where we live we know neither the day of our visitation nor what our visitation is Then only we know Gods visitation when we are studying the causes of it Scire est per causas scire To know a thing is to know it in the causes of it Secondly They may be said to know the visitation of the Lord that are studying as the cause which they have given so the ends and purposes which God hath in visiting them for how much soever we find and see the causes of an affliction yet till our hearts are drawn out to answer the ends of it we do not truly know it But you will say what are the usual ends which the Lord hath in afflicting his people I answer First to turn them from sin Secondly to unglew and wean them from the world Thirdly that they may live nearer to or more with him Fourthly that they may live more unto him or which takes in both the latter ends that they may enjoy him more while they live honour him more with their lives Now I say till we are upon this kind of study both of the causes of our visitation and the ends of it beg that we may both remove those causes comply with or answer those ends we may be said not to know the visitation of the Lord though it be and we are in great extremity And if this be to know the visitation of God surely many are perishing and sinking under the hand of his visitation wâ—â— yet know it not How many are there who neither endeavour to search out the causes nor to fulfil the ends for which the Lord visiteth them in his anger I conceive this assertion or supposition at least of Elihu's concerning Job both as to his not trusting God in his affliction and not knowing his visitation was though in part true and occasion'd on Jobs part yet over-harsh and severe nor was the inference which he made from it in the next verse less severe and harsh Vers 16. Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain he multiplyeth words without knowledge Here 's the conclusion of Elihu's third Discourse with Job Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain Some connect this verse with the former according to the first reading of it before mentioned that giving a reason of this But now his anger or he in anger hath visited thee but a little or nothing c. Therefore thou O Job openest thy mouth in vain As if he had said Because the anger of God hath not punished Job sharply enough nor in proportion to the multitude and greatness of his sins therefore he speaks thus boldly and rashly Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain To open the mouth is a Pariphrasis of speaking As if he had said therefore Job speaks in vain To speak in vain or to use vain words is to speak to little or no purpose as I have had occasion to shew upon other places of this Book Chap. 15.2 Chap. 16.3 and therefore shall not stay upon it here Job was no vain speaker he used to speak words of weight words of soberness and truth yet was overborn by passion though not to speak vain words in the matter yet to speak or open his mouth in vain Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain Consider the Inference therefore that is First Because he doth not humble himself in a patient dependance upon God Secondly because he doth not as he ought duly take notice of the purpose of God in visiting him Thirdly because he seems more solicitous and zealous in defending his own right and credit than the honour and righteâ—usness of God for all these Reasons he openeth his mouth in vain that is he loseth his labour in all this discourse and might as we speak proverbially have saved his breath to cool his broth Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain Taking the Charge which Elihu brought against Job in the former verse to be well grounded and true we may Note All our complaints to and debates with God as also all our Apologies for our selves in affliction are fruitless and succesless till we give Glory to God and answer his purposes in laying his hand upon us Gratio vana sensus atque sapientiae inops tantum sonitu verborum querimoniarum clamosa Unless our hearts bow to
suffer us a little we will not burthen you much There are two things of admirable use in speaking First Brevity Secondly Perspicuity 'T is true that they that strive to be short prove very obscure yet doubtless 't is no very hard thing in most matters to joyn perspicuity with brevity and to give a clear sense in a few words And though it be a truth That when we have said much of God and of the things of God we have said but little yea that when we have spoken our all there remains infinitely more to be spoken yet we should as much as may be aim at brevity especially where the Person spoken to is weak and unfitted by bodily indispositions to hear much Suffer me a little And I will shew thee c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Amplam et susiorem rei elucidationem et declarationem importat Bold That is I will make all plain to thee I will give thee a full declaration of my mind and I hope of the truth I will set all before thee that so upon a â—eview thou mayest the easier apprehend my sense and give thy sentence about it Day unto day uttereth speech saith David Psal 19.2 and night unto night sheweth knowledge 'T is this word and it notes a very plain and evident manifestation of that which is offered to be known the very night carrieth a light in it concerning the glory of God I will shew thee That I have yet to speak on Gods behalf Dativus verba addities indicat honorem et cultum loqui Deo est non solum pro Deo defendendo sed etiam honorificando sermonem assumere Bold Some read for God or to God that is for the glory of God or to the honour of God in the clearing up of his righteousness against those blemishes which thy speech if not intentionally yet consequentially hath cast upon it I will speak that which may both convince thee and justifie God The Original Text strictly is thus I will shew thee that there are yet words for God that is I will make it appear that many things more may be said and proved in pursuance of this Poynt for thy further humiliation under the mighty hand of God and for the Lords vindication in all his dealings with thee I speak for God Nor was this a meer pretence Quia saepe arrogantes sibi sentium silentii reverentiam non deberi Domini non nunquam potentiam de quo quasi loquuntur insinuant c. Greg. in Loc. or a vain boast as I find some Expositers I conceive very causelesly charging Elihu as if here he published a zeal to speak for God that he might gain applause or draw a reverence upon himself in what he had to speak Some 't is granted have câ—yed up the Name of God when they closely aimed at their own But doubtless Elihu was honest and plain hearted when he said that what he had to say was for God as he pretended so he was really for God I have yet to speak on Gods behalf Hence Observe First It is a mans honour as well as his duty to be an Advocate for God As it is mans comfort his choicest comfort that God hath pâ—ovided an Advocate for him that he hath found out one to speak to himself in our behalf namely Jesus Christ so it is both the duty and honour of man to be an Advocate for God For if First it be a great honour to know God and to have God made known to us He hath not dealt so with any Nation as he dealt with the Jews in giving them the knowledge of his mind and as for his Judgements they have not known them Psal 147.20 Secondly If it be a greater honour to believe and obey according to what we know then Thirdly When we know when we believe and obey our greatest honour of all is to plead for and stand up in Gods behalf to undertake being called the defence of his truth and of his wayes to contend earnestly for the Faith once by God delivered to the Saints which is indeed the only good contention Paul saith Phil. 1.17 I am set for the defence of the Gospel Paul was a Champion ready to cope and buckle with all comers for Christ or the Gospel and therefore at the 20th verse of the same Chapter he saith the great thing he lookt after was That Jesus Christ might be magnified in his body whether by life or by death There are three wayes whereby we appear as Advocates on Gods behalf First By saying or arguing Secondly By doing or practising Thirdly By enduring and suffering and by all Christ is magnified in our body the two former wayes by life the latter by death or by that which bears the Image of it There 's noâ—hing needs a fuller measure of defence for God than the Truth of God and we never stand up so fully on Gods behalf as when we stand for his Truth though â—ur selves fall To speak and do on Gods behalf is most for our own behoof though we get but small fees or wages yea though we lose our all in this world for such speaking and doing I could wish there were not too much cause of complaint that God hath not many to speak on his behalf and that Christ Jesus our great our only Advocate with God hath few Advocates among men When God as it were calls to us Who is on my side who Truly there are but few that will appear for him that is for Truth for Holiness for holy Worship few appear for these things when differences arise about them The corrupt part of the world in any Age will not and the better part are not so free as they ought to speak and appear in such Cases on Gods behalf The world saith St. John in the Revelation wondred after the Beast he cannot want Advocates who hath so many Admirers But as the Admirers so the Advocates of the Lamb are not many they are only a sealed a selected Company We can be very warm in speaking in our own Cause and on our own behalf but how cold and dead-hearted are we when we come to speak in the behalf of God! what a sad withdrawing is there from that duty God stands up often on the behalf of his People and owns them in their need yet few own God or the Truth of God when there is most need Remember as it is our honour so our duty to speak on Gods behalf and they will come to a bad reckoning at last both for their doings and speakings for the work both of hand and tongue who have done and spoken much in their own behalf and little or nothing on Gods Again As Elihu makes this an Argument to provoke Job to hear him patiently Note They that speak for God ought to have audience It is an Argument commanding attention to say I speak from God or for God As when the Lord himself speaks all ought
forgets God as his Maker will never remember much less answer and accomplish the ends for which he was made Thirdly I will ascribe righteousness to My Maker Note A godly man takes God as his own and appropriates him by Faith in all his Relations Faith takes not only a share in God but all of God My God my Father my Maker my Redeemer are strains of Faith A Believer doth as it were ingross God to himself yet desires and endeavours that all as well as himself may have their part and portion in God yea God for their Portion Job said Chap. 19.25 I know that my Redeemer liveth He spake as if he had got a Redeemer not only to but by himself Thus also holy Paul of Christ Gal. 2.22 Who loved me gave himself for me as if he had been given for him alone and loved none but him This is the highest work of Faith and 't is the signification of our hottest love to God it shews endearedness of affection to him as well as neerness and clearness of interest in him when we thus take him as our own Saviour Father Maker I will ascribe righteousness to my Maker Observe Fourthly He who is the Maker of all men can be unrighteous to nâ— man nor is lyable to the censure of any man whatever he doth 'T is impossible that he who made us should wrong or injure us and that upon a twofold Principle First Of the respect he hath for Justice towards all those whom he hath made God is so tender that he doth not willingly or with his heart afflâ—ct nor grieve the children of men to crush under his feet all the Prisoners of the earth Lam. 3.33 34. much less will he as it followeth vers 35 â—6 turn away the right of a man before the face of the most High that is before his own face who is the Most High As if it had been said The Lord will not pervert Judgment in any mans Case that comes before him Or if we take those words before the face of the Most High as denoting the highest Judicatory on Earth as our Margin intimates putting there for Most High A Superiour then the meaning is The Lord doth not approve that any earthly Judge though Supream or most Superiour should turn aside the right of a man how inferiour soever for as the 36th verse hath it To subvert a man in his Cause the Lord approveth not or as the Hebrew is rendred seeth not that is he seeth it not with approbation but indeed with detestation and will severely punish such subverters of Justice Secondly It is impossible that he who hath made us should wrong or injure us upon the principle of his Soveraignty over all those whom he hath made He that gives all men their being he that gives all to all men that are in being can be unrighteous to no man whatsoever he taketh from him or doth with him We have Job in the beginning of this Book Chap. 1.21 ascribing righteousness to God his Maker upon this reason or principle The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the Name of the Lord. It is he that made me a man 't is he who once made me a rich man a great man the greatest man of all the men of the East Chap. 1.3 What if now he hath lessened me and left me little or nothing what if he hath now made me a mean man a poor man in account a no man what if God hath now stript me naked and taken all from me He hath taken nothing but what he gave why then should I take it ill at his hands or have so much as an ill thought of him the Lord gives and the Lord takes there 's no unrighteousness in all this If God should utterly undoe us he doth us no wrong if he should as it were unmake us let us consider he is our Maker then we must say there is no unrighteousness in him yea we shall be ready with Elihu in the Text to ascribe righteousness unto him And therefore as a Corollary from the whole Note Fifthly Whatsoever God doth with us or others we ought to maintain the honour of God and retain good thoughts of him both as righteous and good Though Heaven and Earth be moved though the World be full of confusion and unâ—ighteousness yet we must ascribe righteouâ—nesse to God Whatsoever or whosoever falls to the dust the Honour and Justice of God must not Thus far of Elihu's third Argument for attention the Fourth is at hand in the next verse Vers 4. For truly my words shall not be false he that is perfect in knowledge is with thee As if he had said I am purposed to speak the truth and nothing but the truth therefore hear me Truly my words shall not be false He gives assurance for or warrants the truth of his words while he saith they shall not be false Negatives in Scripture often carry a strong affirmation The Father of a Fool hath no joy Non est â—â—num pro passimum est sic non remittâ—tur ei i. e. famietur Drus saith Solomon Prov. 17.21 that is he shall have a great deal of sorrow When the Scripture denyeth forgiveness to any sort of impenitent sinners or saith their sin shall not be forgiven the sense is they shall be punished When we say proverbially Goods ill gotten shall not prosper the meaning is they shall perish and do him mischief that hath gotten them not only shall he not thrive with them but they shall ruine and undoe him his goods ill gotten shall do him no good when the evill day is come much less shall they be able or he by them to prevent the coming of an evil day Once more When we say Such a thing is not ill done our intendment is 't is very well done excellently done So here when Elihu saith Truly my words shall not be false his meaning is I will speak truth and truth to the highest I will speak nothing but what shall endure the Touchstone and the Test I will not offer thee a Syllable of falshood what I alledge and urge either for God or against thee shall not be fetcht oâ— hammer'd out of my own brain and so subject to errour and mistake but such as God who cannot erre by whose Spirit and in whose stead I speak unto thee hath inspired me with or taught me for thy conviction and instruction Fourthly When he saith Truly my words shall not be false we may take it two wayes First As to the matter spoken Secondly As to the mind of the Speaker when truth is thus spoken t is truly spoken thus much Elihu engag'd for As if he had said The matter that I speak shall be true and I will speak it in truth or with a true mind and heart I will not speak any thing to flatter thee nor for my own ends to trouble thee my words shall be candid and sincere
as well as found and orthodox I will speak the truth and speak it in truth Some speak that which is false as I may say in the sincerity of their heart thinking it to be true and others speak truth in the falseness of their heart that is they have some by ends in speaking it from both those Elihu here clears himself and with both these Job had taxed his Friends Chap. 13.7 Chap. 17.5 Hence observe It is the highest Commendation of a Speaker to speak truth and the higher the Truth the higher the Commendation of the Speaker Words can have no greater beauty nor richer ornament than Truth and Truth is never more adorn'd than by plainness of Speech nor more beautiful than when like our first Parents in innocency 't is naked To speak truly is much more honourable than to speak eloquently one plain word of plain truth is better than a long painted Oration tinctured with the least errour What then are long Orations and large Volumes which have upon the matter as many errours as words as many lyes and flatteries as Periods and Sentences at best some in putting off their words do as others in putting off their wares mingle good and bad together 'T is dangerous to make such medlies As we must not put bad for good darkness for light bitter for sweet falshood for Truth so we must not blend or put bad among the good nor mix darkness with light nor falshood with Truth And as 't is dangerous to mix any falshood of Doctrine with Truth so to mix falshood of Heart with Truth of Doctrine or to speak Truth but not in truth The Apostle is zealous in protesting against falshood and professing for the Truth in both these respects First as to the truth of the Doctrine or of the matter spoken 2 Cor. 2.17 We are not as many which corrupt or deal deceitfully with the Word of God we do not adulterate or mix it with our own imaginations or inventions which he further confirms Chap. 4.2 We have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty c. Secondly As he spake truth of Doctrine so he spake it in the truth of his heart as he assured the Corinthians in both the places last mentioned we are not only no corrupters of the Word of God but as of sincerity there 's truth of heart as of God in the sight of God speak we in Christ And again We walk not in craftiness nor handle the Word of God deceitfully but by manifestation of the truth commend our selves to every mans Conscience in the sight of God He makes a protest yet once more in the same tenour and somewhat higher 2 Cor. 13.8 We can do nothing against the Truth O blessed Impotency but for the Truth O blessed Ability Who would not be weak against the Truth who would not be strong for the Truth which is strongest of all and will prevail And as we should speak nothing against the Truth so nothing but the Truth nothing beside the Truth nothing that may be any blemish or turn to the least disservice of the Truth yea though it should be as we hope for the service of that excellent and amiable thing called Peace a thing so excellent that we cannot over-bid nor pay too much for it unless we part with and pay away truth for it and if ever we do so we over-bid for it and over-buy it indeed and shall have cause at last to repent of our bargain and cry out we have burnt our Fingers and it would be well if that were all Therefore let us remember the Lords admonition by his Prophet Zech. 8.19 Love the Truth and Peace First Truth then Peace Nor was there ever any true Lover of Truth that was not also a Lover of Peace nor any true Lover of Peace but was such a Lover of Truth that he could lay down or let go his Peace for it One of the Ancients tells us Tantus sit in te veritatis amor ut quicquid dixeris juratum putes Hieron There ought to be so great a love of Truth in us that whatsoever we say to be true should be as much as if we had sworn it to be true or had delivered it upon Oath There is no more goodness in what we say than there is Truth in what we say A Lye in report or Discourse and a Lye in Doctrine or Dispute are both abominable to God and should be so to man therefore Elihu heartily disclaims it Truly my words shall not be false He that is perfect in knowledge is with thee This Assertion suits well with the fore-going Protestation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Integer scientiarum vel integer scientis Heb. He that is perfect in knowledge will not cannot utter words of falshood But who is that and where to be found Some understand it of God He that is perfect in knowledge is with thee that is God is with thee in this business and without all controversie it may be said of God in the highest and strictest sense of Peâ—fection He is perfect in knowledge The Lord is a God of knowledge 1 Sam. 2.3 as well as 〈◊〉 God of mercy he is as knowing as he is merciful perfect in both Taking the Text so 't is as if Elihu had said Thou hadst need O Job look to thy self and diligently attend to what is spoken for thou hast not to do with man with one like thy self only but thou hast to do with God Some insist much yea altogether upon this Interpretation of the word God is with thee therefore receive truth God cannot be deceiv'd nor doth he deceive therefore hearken and obey Yet Elihu might speak thus with respect to the message brought by himself for when man speaking in the Name of God speaks the mind of God to us it may be said God is with us and speaks to us by him The Apostle saith 2 Cor. 13.5 If any require a Sign or Token of Christ speaking in me Christ speaks while his Messengers and Ministers speak truth The same Apostle testified of the Thessalonians that they took his speaking as Gods speaking 1 Thess 2.13 When ye received the Word of God which ye heard of us ye received it not as the word of man but as it is in truth the Word of God And therefore I conceive we are to understand the words of Elihu concerning Elihu himself yet not as in himself but as fitted for and assisted in the work by God He that is perfect in knowledge is with thee As if he had said Though I am but a young man yet thou hast not to deal with an ignorant man with one who is but a novice or smatterer in the things of God with one that is yet in the Elements of Divine knowledge and learning He that is perfect in knowledge is with thee And it is conceiv'd that Elihu speaks thus in the third person for Modesties sake as the Apostle Paul also did 2 Cor.
time and means and manner as in all his outward Administrations so in ministring or giving out this right the Lord waits to be gracious till we are ready for his grace and he waits in the same sence to be righteous till the poor are ready for their right they shall not stay for it when once they are ready for it and it would be a wrong to them to have their right before they are ready for it Lastly There is a day spoken of wherein the Lord will do all his poor right in the view of all the world Acts 17.31 He hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the World in Righteousnesse by that man whom he hath ordained The day approacheth wherein the Lord will judge the world in righteousness Right is prepared designed for them The time till right shall be done to all as is desired or to the utmost of their desires maketh hast He that shall come will come and will not tarry Behold saith he I come quickly and my reward is with me to give every man according as his works shall be Rev. 22.12 And if the Lord come with a reward in his hand for those who have done well he will undoubtedly come with right in his hand to give all those who have suffered wrongfully JOB Chap. 36. Vers 7. He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous but with Kings are they on the throne yea he doth establish them for ever and they are exalted THis verse contains a further confirmation of Gods righteous and gracious dealing with the righteous and gracious poor yea with all that are righteous and gracious The words may be taken either in a stricter or in a larger sense First Strictly as an Exposition of the latter part of the former verse He giveth right to the poor that is He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous We may put both together He is so set to give right to the righteous poor he takes such care of them that he cannot take his eye off from them Secondly In a larger and more general sense as a Conclusion upon the whole matter that God will not desert any righteous person whether poor or rich high or low God will take notice of piety and godliness wheresoever he finds it He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 minuit diminuit ademit substraxit The word which we translate withdraweth and is here used negatively He withdraweth not signifies strictly in the Noune any kind of abatement or diminution and in the Verb to diminish or abate or take short in any kind that which was before When Pharaoh Exod. 5.8 gave out a fresh Charge for burdening or indeed oppressing the Children of Israel in their bondage the Order ran in this stile The tale of bricks which they did make heretofore you shall lay upon them you shall not diminish or withdraw any you shall not abate them a brick And Moses shewing how sacred a thing the Word of God is Deut. 9.2 gives a double check or prohibition to all medlers with it First to medlers by way of addition Ye shall not add unto the Word Secondly by way of abateâ—ent or abstraction Ye shall not diminish or withdraw from it it is this word As if the Lord had said Every tittle of my word shall stand by it self and every Iota be establisht be sure that ye put nothing to it that you withdraw nothing from it Further this word which we translate withdraw is rendred also to clip as the hayr of the head or beard is clipt Jer. 48.37 It is indeed high treason against the King of Heaven to clip his coyn his word which bears the royal stamp and superscription of his truth and holiness Thus here he withdraweth not that is the Lord doth not abate lessen diminish or take off his eyes from the righteous his eyes are fixed on them for good alwayes and they are alwayes fixed in the same strength and vertue He withdraweth not His eyes God is a Spirit without parts and passions yet often in Scripture parts and passions are ascribed to him in allusion to man here eyes He withdraweth not his eyes that is his sight Oculos domini esso super aliquem nisi aliquid additur semper in bonum sumitur peculiarem ejus favorem et curam importat Bold or his providence And we may take notice that in Scripture where this expression is used without any further addition it is alwayes taken in a good sense When we read either of Gods keeping his eyes upon his people or of his not withdrawing his eyes from his people it alwayes respects their priviledge benefit and comfort He withdraweth not his eyes From the righteous He doth not say from this or that righteous man but from the righteous implying the whole kind or generation of the righteous The indefinite is universal we may render it thus he withdraweth not his eyes from any that are righteous The righteous here may be taken in a two-fold notion First for the righteous as to their state or who are in a state of righteousness Man wanting a righteousness of his own hath the righteousness of another assigned and imputed to him Justified persons through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ are righteous persons as hath been shewed heretofore Secondly We may take righteous here with respect to the righteousness of their wayes and actions They who do righteousness are righteous saith the Apostle John To a righteous state there belongs a righteous way a righteous walk righteous acting not that the righteous do not sin but they would not nor do they sin at all as the unrighteous It is a high blemish or staine to the Gospel when any that pretend to a righteous state or to righteousness by Jesus Christ are not righteous as to their wayes and course as to their walkings and workings whether towards God or man 'T is true in a strict legal sense none are righteous no not one but in a Gospel sense all justified and fanctified persons are righteous and they are called so not only positively as to what themselves are but comparatively as to what the men of the world are who live in a state or walk in a course of sin and unrighteousness The Lord withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous But some may here object or question Is this true only of the righteous Doth the Lord at any time withdraw his eyes from the unrighteous truly that would be very good newes to many unrighteous persons they would be glad that they and their way might be hid from God or that God would not look upon them I answer This Scripture is not to be so understood as if God did behold the righteous and not the wicked for Prov. 15.3 The eyes of the Lord are every where beholding the evil and the good whether things done or persons doing them The Lord doth not withdraw his eyes from
affliction and trouble that thou carest not what thou chusest Mr. Broughton thus Beware thou look not to sorrow to choose that for thy affliction The summe of all is as if Elihu had thus bespoken Job in this part of the verse O Job whereas God requires of thee to give him glory in the humble submission of thy soul unto him and sitting patiently under his mighty hand thou hast behaved thy self quite otherwise thou hast carried it stoutly and uttered very bitter complainings of thy condition thou hast not given God the glory of his soveraignty of his holiness justice purity and goodness in thy afflâ—ction thou hast not set thy self to do this as thou shouldest but thou hast run out exceedingly and overshot thy self So that I may even say of thee thou hast chose this iniquity rather than submitted to thy affliction Elihu speakes reprovingly this thou hast chosen Is this a good choice Hence note First Sin or that which is sinful ought not to be chosen whatsoever we choose As Solomon counseleth in the book of Proverbs with all thy gettings get understanding he meanes spiritual understanding as if he had said What ever thou are getting be sure thou get wisdom for thy soul wisdom to salvation wisdom for eternity in all thy gettings get understanding So I may lay in this place among all your choosings be sure you never choose sin that 's not to be chosen leave that out or pass that by in all your elections This is a point of very large compass it suits not my work here to insist much upon it yet I shall take leave a little What ever you châ—ose choose not sin Why First Sin is evil in it self and that which is malum in se evil in it self or evil it self is not the object of choice no man is to choose evil nor properly can choose it Secondly Choose not sin for sin is an evil forbidden the Law is against it and the Gospel too Thirdly Choose not sin for sin is a dishonour to God and we should rather choose to die than dishonour â—od Fourthly Choose not sin for it brings destruction upon man Sin strictly and abstractly considered cannot properly be chosen A rational creature cannot choose sin properly because sin is evil and election being the office of the Will whose adaequate objâ—ct is good sin strictly taken cannot be chosen But sin is often chosen and 't is the choice of most men they choose iniquity rather than affliction iniquity is the choice and the beloved of many a mans soul But how It is under the pretence of something that is good no man can choose it as 't is evil For though some love sin and choose sin for sins sake such come up highest and nearest to the frame of the devil as they that do good for goods sake come nearest to the holy Angels yet I say sin is alwayes chosen under some consideration or shadow of good and if any man choose to sin without respect to profit or gaine yet he hath some good in his eye namely to please himself he would have his will and will not let God have his will and this is good to him who is starke naught But usually sin is chosen upon one of these three accounts First sin is very often chosen by a mistake for that which is good They who as the Apostle speaks Heb. 5.12 are uâ—skilful in the word of righteousness they who have not sences exercised to discern between good and evil are very apt to choose evil in stead of good that is thinking it to be good Thus error in opinion is chosen upon a mistake for truth and iniquity in practise is chosen upon a mistake for duty Of such the Prophet speakes Isa 5.20 They call evil good and good evil they put darkness for light and light for darkness which as some do knowingly out of perverseness of spirit so others ignorantly out of unsoundness of judgement imagining that to be good which is evil and that to be light which is nothing else but darkness that to be sound doctrine which is erâ—our and that holy worship which is superstition So did Paul before he was converted he chose iniquity and thought he had done very well I thought saith he I ought to do many things against the name of Jesus Christ Acts 26. I thought it my duty I verily thought I ought to persecute and vex those who beleeved in Jesus where-ever I found them And Jesus Christ himself forewarns his Disciples John 16.2 that the time was coming that whosoever killed them would think they did God service Thus many do not understand what is right and so choose what is wrong Secondly Others choose that which is evil hoping that some good will come of it that God may have some glory by it and men themselves and others may have some advantage by it This reproach was cast upon the Apostles and their doctrine which St. Paul rejected with highest disdain Rom. 3.8 Not as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say let us do evil that good may come thereof whose damnation is just The glory of the free grace of God will be manifested in the pardoning of our sin come therefore say some let us sin our fill that so the immeasurableness of the Lords goodness and mercy may appear Woe to those who make such inferences their damnation is just To do evil upon any hopes of good by it though it be the glory of God subjects to the worst evil of suffering damnation Others choose sin Why They look some good will come by it that is some profit If we strain our consciences to do this we may get or keep favour with men if we do this evil it may gain us acceptance in the world Many choose evil because in doing so they swim with the stream and comply with the many or as the Apostle speakes with the course of this world these choose evil because they would be in the fashion of the most they consider which way the world is like to go and set themselves to go that way Thirdly Others do evil hoping to avoid and escape danger by it they choose the evil of sin that they may escape the evil of punishment As many sin for a little advantage so others to avoid loss and that they may sleep in a whole skin Some will deny what they have done to save themselves No body can prove it against us we will deny it and so avoid trouble and keep out of the reach of danger Yea for this cause many deny the truth and renounce the wayes of God in which they have walked Demas forsook Paul he left the Church of God that he might keep in with and close to the world Upon these pretences and hopes many choose evil not meerly and barely in it self but as it comes thus clothed As some choose it through ignorance so others upon hopes of getting good and not a few upon
teaching as ye may see vers 45. Every one therefore that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me That is every one whom the Father hath vouchsafed to teach and instruct that man cometh to me that is he believeth and obeyeth the Gospel and submitteth both in judgment and practise Every one that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh to me There is not one whom God hath undertaken to teach that doth miscarry Isa 32.4 The heart of the rash shall understand knowledge or the heart of the hasty Now hasty and rash persons are heady and inconsiderate persons and therefore none of the wisest they usually have little judgment or discretion who are much in passion but God can make the heart of the rash to understand knowledge that is he can make them understand and know things aright who seem most uncapable of and are naturally at the greatest distance from a rightness of knowledge and understanding To close the Point take these inferences from the who I. First If God be such a teacher then stay not in the bare teachings of men What are the teachings of men to the teachings of God Though you should have an Angel from heaven to speak to you yet stay not in his teachings wait for the teachings of God Till ye are taught of God ye never learn to purpose Set your selves not only as in Gods presence but as under his Spirit to be taught wait for the moving of the Spirit in every ordinance as they did for the Angels moving of the waters who lay at the poole of Bethesda for healing Joh. 5.4 Secondly Seeing God teacheth thus paramount seeing none teach like him then submit to his teaching Do not question any of his rules of life or doctrines of faith they are all righteous and full of divine truth you cannot do amiss if you do nor believe amiss if you believe no nor miss of blessedness in doing and believing what he hath taught Thirdly Then appear as they who are taught of God You will say How or when doth it appear that we are or have been taught of God I shall answer that query in four things First If you are or have been taught of God his teaching unteacheh or emptyeth you that in a threefold respect First of your own carnal principles The great business of divine teaching is to unteach to take men off from their own Will and Reason from their own Rules as also from those Customes which they have received by tradition from their fathers If you would appear as taught of God you must lay down all these The teachings of grace empty the soul of what it hath taken up by Nature Secondly the teachings of God empty the soul of all self-righteousness If ye be taught of God ye will be nothing in your selves Paul before the teachings of God came had confidence in the flesh and boasted in his own righteousness but when he was taught of God he threw off all those Thirdly If ye are taught of God that will certainly unteach and empty you of all unrighteousness The Apostle speakes fully to that Ephes 4.20 21. Ye have not so learned Christ if so be that ye have been taught as the truth is in Jesus If ye have been divinely taught then this teaching hath emptyed you of the old man as of all self-righteousness so of all unrighteousness towards others It is impossible any should take in the teachings of God and yet hold any sinfull practisings Secondly divine teachings as they empty and unteach the soul so they keep it very humble Knowledg endangers us naturally to high thoughts of our selves and hath a tendency in it to pâ—ide 1 Cor. 8.1 Knowledge puffeth up but charity edifieth Take knowledge barely as received of men even the knowledge of divine things for ye may have a humane knowledge of divine things this usually makes the heart swell but the knowledge we have from the teachings of God makes us humble it will cause us to cry out as the Prophet did when the Lord appeared and let out a more than ordinary manifestation of his glory Isa 6.5 we are undone It was so with Job when the Lord had schooled him and made himself more fully known to him thâ—n ever before he presenâ—ly cried out Chap. 41.5 I have heaâ—d of thee by the hearing of the ear but now mine eye seeth thee wherefore I abhor my self in dust and ashes Nothing keeps the soul so humble as the teachings of God Where we see any proud of what they have learned it is an argument that either they were never taught of God or that as yet they have not understood his teachings Thirdly The teachings of God do not only empty and humble the soul but they transform the soul and change it into another thing than it was as to its state and qualities The teachings of God change not only our manners but our very natures they not only give a light to the Understanding but a newness to the Will new Affections new Desires This is it which the Apostle calls the new creature 2 Cor. 5.17 and that this creature is wrought to its highest perfection by the teachings of God he sheweth 2 Cor. 3.18 We all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord. The glass wherein we have this sight of the glory of God is chiefly the Word The glory into which we are changed by those sights is our conformity to that holiness which shineth in the Word And this change is twofold First from sin to grace which is a degree of glory Secondly from glory to glory that is from a high to a higher and at last to the highest degree of grace Look what the Word is and calleth us to be that are we when taught according to the truth of the word by the power and Spirit of God Fourthly The teachings of God confirm the soul in that which is taught or we have learned If God teach any divine lesson that will stick We receive many lessons from men and let them slip as the Apostles word is Heb. 2.1 Doctrine taught us of God settles upon us we hold the substance of it and hold forth the fruit or power of it in every season of our lives yea if trouble or persecution arise for the truth they who are taught of God will hold it fast though they let go all they have in this world for it If God teach us the doctrine of Free Grace how we are justified by the righteousness of Jesus Christ without our own works If God teach us the doctrine of pure Worship how he is to be served and honoured according to his own will without the Traditions of men as Christ spake Mat. 15.9 If I say God teach us these or any other saving truths we cannot but hold them whereas they who have received them from men
rains cause or produce plentifull fruits ordinarily from the Earth and little rains little fruits Sixthly and lastly man is nourished and hath his outward Comforts encreased or lessened in proportion to the fruits which the Earth bringeth forth or to the fruitfulness of the Earth All these things attend and depend upon one another They pour down according to the vapour thereof and God draws up in proportion to what himself purposeth they shall pour down Thus we see how God by the Sun draws out the moisture and sap of the Earth to return it back with advantage Drawing up the moisture makes the Earth languish and her fruits wither sending it down again makes the Earth green flourishing and fruitful They pour down rain c. And what more Elihu answers Vers 28. Which the Clouds do drop 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nunc Coelum nunc nubes denotâ—t a tenuissimâ— earum Substantia Drus Here he speaks more expresly and tells us more clearly than before what the vapours are made up into According to the vapour thereof which the Clouds do drop As Clouds are made of vapours so they are the receptacles or vessels of rain which they hold as was shewed before as long as God pleaseth and when he gives the word then they drop And distill upon man abundantly That 's another elegant word implying the manner in which the rain comes or falls it is as by a distillation Here also 't is expressed for whose use or sake principally the rain is sent The Clouds saith the Text drop and distill upon man yet we know men get themselves out of the rain as soon and as fast as they can The rain falls upon the earth and abides there yet 't is said to distil upon man because the rain distils at mans request and for mans sake That other creatures are cherished by the rain is not for themselves but for man as man is not cherished and maintained by those creatures for himself but for God As the rain distills chiefly for the glory of God so nextly for the relief and comfort of man and for man it distills Abundantly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Super hominem multum vel super homines affluentèr ut 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sit adverbium quod eù minùs se probaâ— mihi quia Rab. hic scrilitur eum Cametz Drus There is a double reading of this word Some take it as an Adjective to the Substanâ—ive man rendring thus it distills upon many men we take it adverbially Which distill upon man plentifully that is in great plenty upon man We may take in both readings without strain to the Text or departure from the matter in hand For as the rain all 's or distills upon man abundantly so upon abundance of men the rain we know falls sometimes very plentifully and at times or one time or other all the world over watering every mans ground and serving every mans turn or occasions Therefore Elihu expresseth the blessing fully when he saith The Clouds distill upon man abundantly or upon abundance of men Hence Note First The Lord haih rain enough in store He hath vessels plentifully filled for the watering of the Earth and The Lord is so free in his dispensation of the rain that as he gives it to many in number so to many in kind he maketh his rain to fall as well as his Sun to shine upon the just and on the unjust Math. 5.45 It shews the exceeding goodness as well as the bounty of God that the evill partake of his benefits as well as the good And for our further improvement of this bounty of God remember that if God be so abundant and liberall in blessings to us we ought in proportion to abound in duty towards him or as the Apostle exhorts 1 Cor. 15.58 we should be stedfast and immoveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord. Some do only a little I may say only here a stitch and there a stitch of work for God but we should abound in it and that not only now and then by fits but be alwayes fixed in it especially we should do so with respect to that which the rain is a Symbol of the word of God When God drops and distills the rain of Gospel tâ—uths and holy soul-saving instructions abundantly upon us how should we abound in every good word and work It was prophesied of Christ Psal 72.6 He shall come down as rain upon the mown grass as showers that water the earth Some of the Ancients expound that place of the coming down of Christ in his Incarnation then indeed he came down like rain upon the mown grass he came down sweetly and powerfully 'T is true also that Christ who is God the Word the substantial Word comes down as rain in and with the declarative word of God preached and faithfully dispenced to the souls of men and when Christ comes down thus to us we should rise up to him and return fruits of grace according to the showres of grace which we have received The Prophet gives us an elegant comparison of the natural and spiritual rain in their effects and issues Isa 55.10 11. For as the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven and returneth not thither but watereth the earth and maketh it bring forth and bud that it may give feed to the sower and bread to the eater so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth it shall not return unto me voyd but it shall accomplish that which I please and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I send it Now what is the pleasure of God in giving his Word what is the arrand upon which he sends it 'T is I grant sometimes to harden deafen and blind a people Isa 6.9 10. 't is sometimes to be a savour of death unto death 2 Cor. 2.16 These are dreadfull judiciary purposes of God in sending his Word nor doth it ever please the Lord to send his Word upon this arrand but when he is sorely displeased by a peoples slighting and contempt of his Word The thing which primaâ—ily pleaseth him the purpose which he chiefly puâ—sueth in sending his Word is that his people may have as the Apostle speaks Their fruit unto holiness in this life and in the end everlasting life For these ends the Lord is daily distilling upon us the rain of his Word both in commands and promises and in both abundantly Therefore let us labour to abound in returns of faith of love of hope of self-deniall of zeal for God and of fruit-bearing unto God If when God distills the natural rain that should provoke us to fruitfulness in spiritualls how much more when he pours down so much spiritual rain upon us For the close of this meditation consider That As the natural rain First softens the earth and mollifies it Secondly cleanseth the earth and washeth it Thirdly enricheth the earth and makes it fruitfull Fourthly comforts the earth and makes every
goodness in all the outward dispensations of God ordering the motions and Meteors of the Heavens the Clouds the Rain the Snow and Hail the Lightning and the Thunder then surely Job ought to sit down convinced that there is a like temperament of eqâ—ity with severity and of goodness with sharpnesse in all his dealings with men and was with him in particular That 's the scope and purpose of Elihu all along in reading Job this Philosophical Lectuâ—e or in putting Questions to him about the things of Nature and the regiment of God in these inferiour heavens the Air where all things seem to move without rule or by no rule other than what Nature alone imposeth Vers 14. Hearken unto this O Job We have more than once met with this awakening exhortation which calleth for such an harkening as if a man were to be all ear in attending what is spoken We may well render it Ear this O Job take it drink it in at thine ear Hearken Vnto this Elihu doth not exhort him to attention in general but draws it down to some special matter Hearken unto this O Job Which words may have a double reference either First to what he had said before vers 13th telling him how God sends the Rain and causeth the Cloud to come either for correction or for his land or for mercy Hearken unto this O Job here 's a lesson for thee remember it well God sends forth these servants of his the Clouds to do his work either for correction or for mercy either in favour or in judgment Hearken unto this O Job Or Secondly The words may refer to that which followeth and so as one calls them they are an Exordium a brief Exordium or short preface to what Elihu had further to say as if he would a little relieve the spirits and quicken the attention of Job by acquainting him that he had some new matter to lay before him As if he had said I have not yet uttered all my mind I have somewhat more upon my heart which I cannot hold in both for thy conviction and instruction Hearken unto this O Job Yet it may be questioned why Elihu should thus stir up his attention either to consider what he had spoken or what he was now about to speak Was Job a heedless an un-attentive hearer We may conceive he was occasioned to give him this spur or excitation for these three reasons or at least some of them First We may suppose that Job having been entertained with a long discourse began to grow weary and slacken his attention and therefore as when we see one in a congregation remisse in hearing or sleeping out a weighty point we jog him or say Hearken to this so Elihu here Hence note First A good hearer of the Word may sometimes want an awakening word He that is not as Job was not a first nor second nor third-ground-hearer but as Job was a fourth-ground-hearer one that heareth with a good and honest heart yet even he may a little let down his watch and give just occasion to the speaker for such a short diversion as Elihu here used Hearken I pray to this There is a willingness of spirit in all fourth-ground or right-hearted hearers yet there is also even in them a weakness of the flesh corruption may be stirring temptation may be working therefore 't is no unnecessary jealousie in the Ministers of the Gospel sometimes to mingle or interweave such passages as these in speaking to them pray hearken stir up and awaken your selves There may be need of this I say where there is a general good bent of heart Some pretending hearers are like the Idols of the heathen who have eyes and see not eares and hear not who when they are hearing set themselves at least give way to sleep and willingly yeeld to the drowsiness of their spirits this sheweth an evil heart but a good man may be overtaken with drowsinesse and find much indisposition to duty while he is in duty and then he will count it a favour to hear such a word as this cast in Pray hearken Secondly Elihu might afresh provoke him to more serious attention because the matter he had to deliver was of more importance or did more nearly concern him than what he had said before Hence note Though the whole truth of God is to be attended to yet there are some truths that call for special attention Here is an accent put upon the point in hand Hearken to this We should not let any truth fall to the ground truth is precious quite through and we may say of truth as of gold the very filings of it are precious We save the least dust of Gold every grain of it is of worth and so is every grain or the least dust of divine truth One jot one tittle of the Law saith Christ Mat. 5.18 shall in no wise passe till all be fulfilled Surely then no jot no tittle of it should be lightly passed by by us Yet there are some divine truth like studs of masse gold or as jewels which ought to be more carefully attended to and laid up in the cabinet of the heart Some truths have an emphasis a Selah set upon them O hearken to these Christ saith in the Gospel about the tything of mint annise and cummin These things ye ought to do but be sure ye do not leave the weightier matters of the Law Judgment Mercy and Faith undone Matth. 23.23 so say I attend to the least truths but be sure ye attend to fundamental truths to those truths upon which the whole weight of the soul stands Such is The great Mystery of Godliness God manifest in the flesh and the great Grace of Faith in that Mystery These with several others are the fundamentals the very vitalls of Religion all falls and dies unlesse ye stand fast and live in these O hearken unto them Thirdly Elihu may be conceived to speak thus to Job because he saw him about to interrupt him possibly he might perceive a little passion stirring in him therefore not only to keep up his attention or to wind up his watch but to repress and keep down some stormy troubled motions rising in his spirit Elihu made this short interlocution or digression Hearken to this O Job suffer me to speak out do not take me off I have not yet done Hence note Patience is necessary in a good hearer And that not only for the doing what is heard but for the hearing of it As we can never bring forth the fruit of that which we hear without patience so neither can we without patience hear that which should make us fruitful The great grace to be exercised in hearing the Word is Faith yet we have need of Patience in hearing the Word and that in a double respect First We have need of Patience as to continuance in hearing Some would fain have done presently they cannot sit it out an hour is an year to them the
But with thee is forgiveness As God is most bountiful in giving so is he most merciful in forgiving This holds the head of believing and repenting sinners above water and keeps them from sinking into the bottomless gulfe of despaire that they have a forgiving God to go unto and that there is none like him in forgiving Mich. 7.18 None forgiving so freely Isa 42.25 â—o abundantly Isa 55.7 none so constantly and conâ—inually as he There is forgiveness with thee 't is a continued a perpetual act Now because God pardons so freely he doth not he will not he cannot because he will not punish extreamly God dealeth with sinners in measure because he dealeth with them in a Mediator Though he be great in power yet he will not afflict according to the greatness of his power or the plenty of his justice Secondly Some of the Jewish Doctors render the latter part of the verse thus whereas we say He is excellent in judgement and in plenty of justice he will not afflâ—ct they say Judiâ—ium copiam justitiae non affliget i. e. jus non pervertet Merc. ex Rabbinis He will not afflict judgement and plenty of justice that is as they give the gloss Though he be great in power yet he will not pervert justice We may well say justice is afflicted when it is perverted and then justice is perverted when any man is wronged or when at any time the wronged or wrongfully afflicted are not righted and relieved Thus God will not afflict justice These translators do not joyn the word afflict as we to the person of man but to the justice of God or the actings of his justice He is great in power but he will not afflict he will not oppress judgement and justice This is doubtless a great truth in it self yet I doubt whether it be the truth intended by Elihu in this place Certainly God will not do any man wrong though he hath power enough all power in his hand yea God will do all men right though he be great in power yet what affliction soever he layeth upon the creature shall be no affliction to justice or judgement to that justice or judgement with which God is cloathed and will declare by executing it among the children of men But I pass this as over-nice Thirdly Others render thus He is excellent in power Non respondebit Tygur Probarem si esset 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in fonte nunc cum sit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non potest aliter legi quam affliget vexaâ— Drus Merc. and in judgement and plenty in justice he will not answer The woâ—d which we translate to afflict with some alteration in the Hebrew pointing signifieth also to answer and so the words carry a sence of the absolute soveraignty of God who is so great in power and in judgement and plenty of justice that he will not answer that is though men complain of his justice or think he hath done them wrong or at least is over-severe towards them yet he will not come to an answer he will give no man a reason of his wayes Of this Elihu spake expresly Chap. 33. v. 13. He giveth not an account of any of his matters God is so powerful that no man can call him to an account and so just in the use or exercise of his power that there is no reason why any should But though this also be a great truth yet because Elihu had asserted it fully before as also because this translation is grounded upon a change in the ordinary pointing of the Hebrew word from which I conceive with others we ought not easily to recede therefore I shall not stay upon it Nor shall I more than mention that apprehension of some Raboins who thus give out a 4th sence or interpretation of the words whereas we say As touching the Almighty we cannot find him out Omnipotentem non invenimus multum robore judicio Et taliâ— sit tamen talem eum non experimur in mâ—ndatis suiâ— ut immodice nos oneret aut immodicam a noâ—is exiget justitiam c. Rabbi Selc moth Rambam he is excellent in power and in judgement c. They say thus although the Almighty be great in power and in judgment and plenty of justice yet we find him not so That is we do not find him putting out the gâ—eatness of his power or the exactness of his justice in the commands which he hath laid upon us or in the duties which he hath required of uâ— he doth not over-burthen us nor exact hard things of us And they instance in the rules which God gave about offerings and sacrifices he required say they of some only a turtle dove or a pair of young pigeons of others but a lamb or a bullock such things he required for sacrifice as were of easie price and might easily be obtained he did not put us upon the getting of strange and rare beasts as Buffes or Unicorns or any sort of creature which may put us to much paines in getting them or to much expense in buying them And as in these so in other things God hath graciously condescended to our weakness as appears every where in the Law Thus the Jewish Writers make out their translation and though it be a truth that in one sense the Ceremonial Law was as St Peter in that council at Jerusalem declared Acts 15.10 A Yoak which neither they nor their fathers were able to bear yet there was much favour mixed with it which caused the Lord to appeale in that point to their own consciences or to make themselves the Judges Mâ—ch 6.3 O my people what have I done unto thee or wherein have I wearied thee testifie against me And as God though great in power did not over-lay the Jews so much less hath he over-laid us Christians with duty 1 Joh. 5.3 His Commandements are not grievous And Christ said of his yoke and burden Mat. 11.10 My yoke is easie and my burden is light Christ may lay what burdens he pleaseth upon us but he is not pleased to lay any grievous burdens upon us This therefore is a truth both as to them and us yet I conceive it beside the design of Elihu in this place and I only mind the Reader of these different interpretations of all which some good improvement may be made So much of this verse The whole discourse of Elihu concludes in the next Vers 24. Men do therefore fear him He respecteth not any that are wise in heart This verse containeth two things First a practical inference by way of use from that fourfold doctrine held forth in the former verse concerning God As if Elihu had said For as much as the Almighty is incomprehensible so that we cannot find him out for as much as he is mighty in power and judgement and plenty of justice so that we can neither avoid him nor delude him therefore men do fear him