word with all readines of mind yet they did not swallow downe all whole that was sayd to them but searched the Scriptures dayly whether those things ware so Act. 17.11 The Apostles rule is sutable to their practice 1 Thes 5.21 Prove all things hold fast that which is good Now as it is the duty of hearers and learners to hold nothing till they have proved it so it is the duty of Teachers to offer every doctrine to the ballance or tryall which they desire others should hold Secondly While Job doth thus confidently offer his assertion to tryall We learne That Truth is not affrayd to be tryed Truth often lieth in a corner but truth doth not seeke corners truth never hides her head as ashamed to be seene or discussed by men Truth as some have sayd lyeth in a deepe pit it is hard to finde it out it lieth out of sight yet truth doth not hide it selfe but dares stand forth in the face of all the world truth no more feares the triall then pure gold feares the touchstone or then a schollar who hath made good progresse in his learning feares to be examined He that hath truth with him needs not care who appeares against him Thirdly In that he sayth if it be not so now who will make me a liar Note False doctrine is a lye Isa 9.15 The antient and the honourable he is the head the Prophet that teacheth lies that is the Prophet that teacheth false doctrine he is the tayle Jer. 9.3 They bend their tongues like their bowes for lies but they are not valiant for the truth on the earth The Prophet as I conceave intends not so much falsehood in discourse which we call telling a lye as falsehood of doctrine which we call teaching of lyes They bend their tongues as bows for lies that is they set themselves to the maintaining of false doctrine to the utmost stretch of their wit and words Againe saith the Lord Jer. 14.14 The Prophets that prophecy lyes in my name I sent them not neither have I commanded them neither spake unto them they prophecy unto you a false divination and a thing of nought and the deceit of their heart The whole doctrine of the man of sin is called a lye Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved therefore God gave them up to strong delusion that they should beleive a lye 2 Thes 2.11 All the faith-devouring and conscience-wasting errors that ever the man of sin vented to the world are wrapt up in this one syllable or word a lye He that receaveth a lye that is told wrongeth others by it but he that receaved a lye that is taught wrongeth himselfe most by it To tell a lye is very sinfull but to teach a lye is much more sinfull The evill of that sin is greatest which spreadeth furthest continueth longest A lye that is told and received sticketh not long in the memory but passeth away for the most part like a tale that is told and it is enough to many a man that telleth a lye if he be beleeved but a little while But a lye that is taught and receaved sticketh long in the understanding and abideth there like a nayle fastned by the Masters of the assemblyes and it is not enough to him that teacheth a lye unlesse it be beleeved for ever Thirdly When Job sayth Who will make me a liar Note The worst thing that can be proved against any man is that he is a lyar To be a lyar is to be as bad as may be For it is to be as bad as the Devill He deceaved the woman both by telling and teaching a lye Gen. 3. He abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him when he speaketh a lye he speaketh of his owne for he is a lyar and the father of it Joh. 6.44 Every sin is of the Devill both by temptation and approbation but onely some sinnes are of the Devill by way of practice and the sin which is chiefely of him by practice is lying Now every sin the more congeniall it is to the Devill the more sinfull abominable it is And therefore among those who shall be without lye-makers are chiefe Rev. 22.15 Without are doggs and sorcerers and whoremongers and murderers and Idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a lye The universality of this exclusion is onely expressed upon lyars as if he had sayd to be sure all lyars shall be without He that maketh a lye hath nothing worse to make and he that maketh that is proveth a man to be a lyar hath nothing worse to make of him And make my speech nothing worth The Hebrew is And bring my speech to nothing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ideÌ„ quod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Graeci bâ—nè interpretantur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verbum è verbo in non as if he had sayd I challenge all men to disprove my reasons or to prove that my reasons are not a proofe of that for which I brought them In briefe let any man refute or confute what I have sayd if he can and then let all that I have sayd goe for nothing or be counted nothing worth Hence note Vnsound doctrine is worthlesse doctrine The speech of a lyar is nothing worth sound doctrine is of great value it is worth thousands David preferr'd the word of God before thousands of Gold and silver every holy truth is the word of God eyther formally or vertually eyther in termes or by consequence The Apostle compares sound doctrine to things of greatest worth even to Gold silver and pretious stones and in the same place 1 Cor. 3.12 he compares unsound doctrine or doctrine unsutable to the foundation which is Jesus Christ alone to wood hay stubble which as they are things in their owne nature unconsiderable worthlesse in comparison of Gold silver and pretious stones so as to the busienes upon which he there treates a suitable building upon Christ they are altogether worthlesse And if those doctrines which because of some errour in them are unsutable to the foundation are to be accounted but wood hay and stubble how worthlesse are those doctrines which being altogether erroneous are inconsistent with and quite overthrow the foundation Such doctrines are worthy of nothing but a dung-hill being themselves nothing but drosse and dung What is that worth to us which is uselesse to us How worthlesse then is that which is destructive to us Every error is a Bable a thing of no use some errors are as poyson deadly in their use The Apostle Peter doth not spare to say as much of them 2 Epist 2.1 2. while he calleth them damnable heresies which bring swift destruction upon the bringers of them in or the broachers of them abroad And if they bring destruction upon those who bring them they that receave them cannot be safe To conclude this poynt and Chapter if erroneous doctrine be nothing worth
therefore shew the worke of the law written in their hearts Against this internal light the wicked rebel Secondly There is a light of divine Revelation which shines into the soule from the Scriptures or written word of God The word of God is so often called light in Scripture that I need not give particular Instances Divine truths inspired and directed by the Spirit of God are there written as with the beames of the Sun Yet the wicked man rebells as against the light of nature so against the light of Scripture against the clearest and fullest discoveryes of the minde of God Further Some by the light against which they rebelled understand God himselfe who is light as the Apostle John calls him 1 Ep 1.5 and in him is no darknes at all All that rebel against God must needs rebel against light seing God is light And the very reason why the light of nature and the light of Scripture are rebelled against is because the former hath somewhat of God in it and the latter much of God in it For as God is light so all light is of God And that light which is of God must needs be rebelled against by wicked men seing they most of all rebel against God who is light and the fountaine of it for as the Apostle John argues about love 1 Ep 5.1 Every one saith he that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him So we may argue about hatred and the effect of it rebellion He that hateth and rebelleth against him that begetteth light so God doth whence also he is called the Father of lights Jam 1.17 he I say that rebelleth against him that begetteth light hateth and rebelleth against that light which is begotten of him They are of those that rebell against the light Hence observe First Divine truth is as light As the Sunne gives light to the eye or outward man so the Spirit of truth gives light by the word to the inner man When God sends his word to a people he sends light to a people Christ is light and the word is light Christ in person is the light of the world the word in doctrine is the light of the world The truth of Divine Revelation is many wayes answerable to the light First Light is pure and beautifull and the light is so pure that you cannot impure or defile it so is truth Though many have attempted to corrupt the truth and word of God and shall at last be dealt with and judged as they who have corrupted it yet the truth remaines incorruptible and ever shall The beauty of it fades not nor is the purity of it stained by all the filth of false doctrine which hath been cast into the face of it from the beginning of the world unto this day Secondly Light is pleasant and delightfull Light is sweet saith Solomon Eccl. 11.7 and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the Sunne So truth is sweete and it is a pleasant thing to behold and receave the Sun-light of Divine Revelations where truth is taken in it doth even ravish the soule and fill it with unspeakeable delights Truth is as sutable and pleasant to the understanding as good is or can be to the will and affections David found not onely delight this or that single delight but all sorts and degrees of delight in the Law of God And therefore he speakes plurally Psal 119.92 Vnlesse my delights had been in thy law I had perished in my trouble And againe ver 143. Trouble and anguish have taken hold of me yet thy commandements are my delights All his troubles were over-ballanced and conquered by his delights in the law and all his delights and contentments were Center'd in the Law That light was so much his delight that it overcame all worldly darknes and did even extinguish all his worldly lights Thirdly Light hath heate in it and light is accompanied with influences or conveighes them with it All living creatures here below are cherished and refreshed yea and things without life as Gemms and mineralls are concocted and refined with the warmth and vertue of it And so hath truth The light of the word carrieth heat and Influences with it to warme the heart and comfort it to concoct the grossenes of mans minde and sublimate it into an heavenly purity Did not our heart burne within us while he talked with us by the way and while he opened to us the Scriptures sayd the Disciples of Christs discourse with them Luk. 24.31 Fourthly Light discovers and makes manifest so doth truth Joh 3.20 21. Every one that doth evill hateth the light neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved or as we put in the Margin discovered Light makes manifest the word of God as the Apostle speakes Heb. 4.12 is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart it discovers that to us not onely in others but in our selves which wee saw not before wee are much if not altogether unknowne to our selves till we see our selves in the Glasse of the Word Hence observe Secondly The light of truth is Clothed with Authority the truths of God have a Soveraignety over man Wee cannot be said to rebell against any thing but that which hath power and authority over us a man may oppose and contend with his equall but hee cannot be said to rebell against his equall wee rebell onely against those that are above us If a childe opposeth his father it is rebellion if a servant opposeth his Master it is rebellion because fathers and masters have authority over their children and servants All rebellion is the breaking of the bands of subjection And all the bands of subjection are broken when the light is rebelled against because the light of heavenly truth is invested with all power and authority over us it hath a power to lift up and a power to humble or cast downe It hath a power to convince and a power to comfort It hath a power to kill and it hath a power to make alive all these powers the light of the word hath But it hath two powers more especially and eminently First It hath the power of a rule or power to rule and governe both the hearts and lives of men the light of the word doth not onely offer advice and give Councell but it gives out a Command what the word speaketh we are not upon poynt of Indifferencies whether we Will receive it or no but upon poynt of duty Therefore not to receive it especially to resist it is rebellion the light of the word is as a King and where the light of that word comes there is power and no man may say What doth it Secondly It hath the power of a Judge It gives both Law and Judgement He that rejecteth me saith Christ Joh 12.48 and receaveth not my words The not receiving of the word of Christ is the rejecting of Christ himselfe and he that rejecteth
when the ungodly fall and not fall into sin themselves I answer First The righteous rejoyce at the fall of the wicked as blessing God who hath kept their feete from those wayes in which the wicked have fallen As 't is a great mercy to be kept out of those ill wayes to be kept from fiding with those corrupt interests in the pursuit of which we see many broken so 't is a duty to rejoyce that we have not walked in their way whose end we see to be nothing els but destruction Secondly The righteous have cause to rejoyce blesse God when they see the wicked fall because themselves are saved keepe their standing because themselves have escaped the danger and the Lord hath been a banner of protection over them in the day when the wicked fell Moses after the destruction of Amaleck built an Altar and called the name of it Jehova-Nissi Exod. 17.15 that is to say The Lord is my banner And in like cases the joy of the Saints is not properly in the destruction of the wicked but in their owne deliverance through the mighty power good hand of God with them It is the presence of God with them the appearance of God for them which is the gladnes of their hearts Thirdly The righteous then rejoyce because the Church and people of God are in a fayre way to peace when the Lyons are destroyed the sheepe are in safety when the Wolves and the Beares are cut off the flock rests quietly so in this case when men of devouring cruell spirits wicked and ungodly ones are removed the flocke of God the sheepe of his pasture feed quietly none making them afrayd The fall of the enemies of Sion is the establishment of Sion yea in a great measure of mankinde As the Prophet most elegantly sets it forth Isa 14.6 7 8. He who smote the people in wrath with a continuall stroke he that ruled the Nations in anger is persecuted and none hindereth The whole earth is at rest and is quiet they breake forth into singing yea the firre-trees rejoyce at thee and the Cedars of Lebanon saying since thou art layd downe no feller is come up against us How often have wicked men in power felled not onely the Firre-trees and Cedars of the world but the goodly trees of righteousnesse in the Lords plantations have they not therefore reason to sing when such fall seing the Fellers themselves are then felled and fallen Fourthly Joy ariseth to the righteous because God is honoured in the fall of wicked men And that 's their chiefest joy That God is honoured is more joy to the righteous then that themselves are saved how much more then then that the wicked are destroyed There is a threefold honour arising to God when the wicked fall First God is honoured in his justice such a day is the day of the declaration of the righteous judgement of God as the Apostle speakes of the great day of Judgement Rom. 2.5 Thou after thy hardnesse and impenitent heart treasurest up to thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God Some doe even question the justice of God when wicked men prosper but he is vindicated in his justice when wicked men fall It cannot but please righteous men to see the righteous God exalted or God exalted in his righteousnesse They know and beleeve that God is righteous when the wicked prosper Jer. 12.1 But when the wicked are punished they proclaime his righteousnes Then they sing the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lambe saying Great and marvailous are thy workes Lord God Almighty just and true are thy wayes thou King of Saints Who shall not feare thee O Lord and glorifie thy Name c. for thy Judgements are made manifest Rev. 15.3 4. The Lord is alwayes alike Just but it doth not alwayes alike appeare how just he it And as that God is just is the faith and stay of the Saints so the appearances of his justice are their joy and triumph Secondly God is honoured much in the attribute of his truth in the truth of his word in the truth of his threatenings when the wicked are punished God hath spoken bloudy words concerning wicked men not onely in reference to their future estate in the next life but to their present estate in this Say to the wicked it shall be ill with him the reward of his hands shall be given him But what is this reward There are two sorts of rewards First rewards of love and favour according to the good which we have done Secondly rewards of wrath and anger poenal rewards according to the evill which we have done Now when the Lord puts these poenal rewards into the hands of the wicked or powres them upon their heads he is honoured in his truth as well as his justice for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it As the promises are yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 so also are the threatnings unto the glory of God by us But as when David saw his life in danger every day he began to question the truth of God in the promise that he should live to reigne and fit upon the throne of Israel for saith he Psal 116.11 when things went thus with him I said in my hast all men are lyars even Samuel among the rest who assured me of the Kingdome by expresse message from God but surely he also is deceived and hath fed me with vaine hopes Now as these words of David according to our translation of them and the truth of the thing in frequent experiences shew that Godly men are apt to question the truth of the promise when themselves are by seemingly contradicting providences much afflicted so they are apt to question the truth of the threatnings when they see outward providences prospering the wicked Therefore when the threatnings have their actuall yea and Amen that is when they are executed upon the ungodly this also is to the glory of God by us that is God is glorified by all his people who heare of it in the truth of what he hath spoken Againe as God is magnified in the truth of his threatnings when any particular wicked man is punished so when common calamities come upon the wicked the truth of God or God in his truth is magnified two wayes First As such calamities are a fullfilling of many Prophecies secondly As they are the answer or returne of many prayers The vengeance which falls upon the Enemies of the Church of God is drawne out by prayer Luke 18.7 8. And there is nothing wherein God is more honoured then when prayer is answered For as therein he fullfills our wants so his owne word Who hath not said to the seed of Jacob seeke ye mee in vaine Thirdly When the wicked fall the Lord is honoured in the attribute of his power How great is his power who puls downe great power It argues the Almightines
he is a God eyther he is talking c. Thus Hierusalem is expressed Isa 37.22 when Senacherib sent up that proud threatning message the Lord sent a comfortable message to his people by Isaiah the Prophet Thus saith the Lord God of Israel whereas thou hast prayed to me against Senacherib the king of Assyria this is the word which the Lord hath spoken concerning him the virgin the daughter of Zion hath despised thee and laughed thee to scorne the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee The daughter of Zion and the daughter of Jerusalem are but one and the same shee was called a virgin not as some have conceived because she was never taken or forced by any enemy nor was she so called because he had preserved her selfe pure and chast in the worship of the true God For she had her faylings and Idolatrous dalliances before that day but she was so called because of that speciall care which God had of her to protect and save her against the insultations of the enemy then ready to assault her even as a virgin is protected from violence in her fathers house And the Prophet to assure them that it should be so speakes of the ruine of Senacheribs Army and Jerusalems laughter as accomplisht and come to passe already The virgin daughter c. hath despised thee and laughed thee to scorne and shaken her head at thee What God saith shall be done is as good as done already The Assyrians were yet in their Jollity laughing at Jerusalem and promising themselves the spoyle of the people of God yet saith the Lord Jerusalem hath laughed thee to scorne that is assuredly she shall And as the people of God doe sometimes formally and explicitly laugh at the downfall and whitherings of the wicked so they alwayes virtually and secretly laugh them to scorne even when they stand and flourish in their greenenes and prosperity For while the Godly are not daunted with the power and splendour while they are not terrified with the threats and high lookes of the wicked but in the singlenes and simplicity of their hearts keepe close to God his wayes and truths even this though they use the duest respect to them in regard of their authority both in word and gesture is a laughing them to scorne For this is as a thorne in the sides of evill men and as a pricke in their eyes when they see they will not stoope to their greatnes in any sinfull complyance with their commands This is a truth but the former is the truth intended in this Text. Hence note That wicked men are not onely miserable but ridiculous They are the laughter of the innocent upon more accounts then one First because they doe such childish and ridiculous things such things as can never reach the ends they desire and purpose they are justly laughed at whose counsells and courses are unsuitable much more when contrary to their designes Secondly Wicked men become ridiculous while the Lord frustrates their wisest counsels and blasts those hopes which were bottom'd upon the most probable principles and foundations while he takes them in their own craft and entraps them in the snare which they layd for others Thirdly While he over-rules all that they plot or act to serve his owne ends and fullfill his owne holy counsels Hence the enemies of God are said to pine away this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feete he doth not say that they shall all be slaine but their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feete and their eyes shall consume away in their holes and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth Zech. 14.12 which as some interpret of their bodily languishment that they shall live dying continually or that their life shall be a continuall death so all interpret the cause of this consumption to arise from vexation of spirit because they shall see themselves scorn'd and laughed at or that they are become ridiculous to all the world but chiefly to Jerusalem the Church and people of God whom they shall behold in good condition notwithstanding all the opposition which they have made against them which Eliphaz also clearely expresseth in the next words Vers 20. Whereas our substance is not cut downe but the remnant of them the fire consumes There are divers readings and renderings of this verse first some with an affirmative interrogation is not their substance cut downe that is it is cut downe And then this verse is a continuation of the former discourse concerning the utter extirpation of the wicked The righteous are glad they laugh them to scorne is not their substance cut downe and doth not the fire consume the remnant of them As if Eliphaz had said Whatsoever they had of any substance or moment is cut downe and if possibly there be any small inconsiderable remainder of them fire that is some devouring Judgement will meete with it and make an utter end of it Innocens subsarnabit eos quia non fuit succisa substantia nostâ—a c. q. d. ut qui se res suas salvas illos autem penitùs igne illo divino videant jure absumptos Bez Secondly Another understands this 20 â—h verse as a reason of the former the righteous are glad when the wicked fall the innocent shall laugh them to scorne because our substance was not cut downe as if he had sayd our safety will be matter as of praise to God who hath preserved us so of holy scorne and insultation over ungodly men who longed to see our destruction and sayd in their hearts that surely our day was not onely comming but hastning whereas indeed we see the day come upon them which burneth as an oven and themselves as stubble Wicked men are for the most part doubly disappointed first by their owne fall when they looked to stand secondly by the standing of the righteous when they looke yea and long for their fall This double disappointment doth at once double their sorrow and the joy of the Innocent who laugh them to scorne because their owne substance is not cut downe but the remnant of them the fire consumeth Innocens subsannabiteos dicens etsi non est succisa substantia nostra tamen excellentiam illorum consumpsit ignis Pâ—sc There is a third translation which makes these words the forme in which the innocent expresse their laughter at the wicked When The innocent laugh them to scorne they will thus bespeake them Whereas or Although our substance is not cut downe yet the remnant of them or the best the excellency of them the fire hath consumed There is a fourth reading which makes the second part of the Chapter begin with this verse For hitherto Eliphaz hath been describing the sinfulnesse of wicked men and the wrath of God upon them for their wickednes
come to such so to stay and abide with them As good comes so good continues according to the command and commission which it hath from God Thus he promised in the Prophet Isa 48.18 in case his people had harkned to his commandements Then had thy peace been as a River and thy prosperity as the waves of the Sea Thy peace and prosperity had not been as a Land flood or Brooks of water which faile in summer when we have most need of them all worldly things are apt to doe so but they should have flowed perpetually as a river doth which is fed by a constant Spring or as the Sea doth which is the feeder of all Springs A godly man gets not onely a large portion of good things but a lasting portion yea a portion of those good things which are everlasting by acquainting himselfe with God And because by acquaintance with God so much good comes to us Therefore Eliphaz presseth Job further to it in the next verse Vers 22. Receive I pray thee the Law from his mouth and lay up his words in thine heart Receive that is learne from his mouth he that teaches gives Dat Magister quando docet capit discipulus quando discit Drus and he that learnes receives and the Hebrew word which we render here to Receive signifies not ordinary receiving but receiving with an earnest desire yea it implyeth a kinde of violence in desire such as they have who take spoyles in warre They fly upon the spoyle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verbum hoc ad praedam quae cum violentia tollitur referri potest and catch it with as much eargernes as they wonne it with courage So Receive the Law from his mouth David saith I have rejoyced in thy word more then they that finde great spoyles Psal 119.162 O how strongly did his heart run out to the word And there is an Elegancy also in it that this word which signifies to receive the Law Ex hac radice dicitur doctrina 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quase accepta vel accipienda quia sc lex debet accipi grato lubenti animo doth also signifie the Law or doctrine to be received Prov. 4.2 I give you good doctrine forsake you not my Law The word which is there used for doctrine is the same that â—s here rendred to receive the reason is because wholsome doctrine â—s worthy to be received and ought to be received willingly chearfully and gladly and therefore the Gospel which is the highest and most precious doctrine is called an Acceptable doctrine This is a faithfull saying and worthy of all Acceptation 1 Tim. 1.11 The Gospel is worthy not onely of Acceptation or of great but of all Acceptation and that from all men even from the Greatest And so also is the Law for as shall be opened further afterwards the Law in this place comprehends the Gospel also Receive the Law at his mouth Further The word which we expresse Receive is rendred by some to buy we may connect both sences here Receive the Law as a thing bought and carry it home with thee That of Solomon Prov. 23.23 suites it well Buy the truth and sell it not Truth is a Commodity the trade whereof goes but one way all Civill Trades and Merchandizes are continued by buying and selling but this spirituall trade is continued by buying onely without selling it will be our profit to have this Commodity alwayes upon our hands or rather alwayes in our hands Thus here Receive the Law at a price buy it and keepe it not that the Lord doth expect any price from us or that vve can bring any thing to him valuable for it We buy it when vve take paines for it vvhen vve doe our utmost endeavour to receive the truth vvhen vve receive the truth not onely as it is offered and brought home to us but vvhen we goe out for it and seeke after it in all the meanes vvhich God hath appoynted as conveyances of it that 's buying the Law of truth Receive the Law Againe We may profitably consider a double derivation of that word vvhich vve trenslate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 explorare aut circumquaque lustrare quia lex universa est diligentèr observanda ne qâ—is in uno offendat Law Some say it is from a roote that signifies to behold or Contemplate to Consider to looke about and the Lavv is vvell exprest by a word of that sence because the vvhole Law is diligently to be observed and considered looked into and meditated upon vvee are alwayes to behold it and that in every part For the vvhole Lavv is copulative and he that offends in one part offends in all David speaking of the righteous man Psal 1.2 saith hee meditates in the law of the Lord day and night What 's meditation but the Inward view of a thing or the beholding it with an Intellectuall eye meditation is the continuall turning of things over in the minde to behold the excellencies and perfections that are in them A radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod est pâ—uere irrigare quare commune fere idem est nomen pluviae Doctoris legislatoris Secondly Say others it proceeds from another radicall vvord that signifies to raine and that not onely some small drissling dewing raine but full showers or as we say to powre downe and in the Hebrew the same vvord signifies to raine and to teach because teaching by the vvord is like raining or the sending dovvne of raine The Apostle Heb. 6.7 alludes to it For the earth which drinketh in the raine that commeth oft upon it c. by the earth he meanes those vvho heare the vvord or doctrine vvhich comes dovvne upon them like raine to soften their hearts and make them fruitfull There are tvvo other Texts of Scripture very suitable to this Exposition Esay 30.20 Though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction yet shall not thy teachers be removed into Corners any more but thine eye shall see thy teachers Thy teachers shall not be removed so wee render but strictly from the letter of the Hebrew we may read it thus 〈◊〉 elongabit â—â—viam Though the Lord give thee the bread of adversitie c. yet shall not thy raine be removed from thee It may seeme strange that they should have the bread of adversity and the vvater of Affliction and yet have also raine vvhich naturally causeth the earth to bring forth bread and fills the pooles vvith vvater But the Prophet vvho speakes of corporall bread and vvater in the former part of the verse speakes of spirituall raine in the latter making this so full a compensation to the people of God for the want of other tvvo that they should have no cause to complain of it As if the Prophet had said Though you are cut short in outward things yet you shall not
bidding him receive that lavv which the mouth of God had spoken to Moses but though whether the law vvere then formally spoken or no is a dispute yet it is vvithout all dispute that the mouth of God had then given a lavv or rule of life to his people and so Eliphaz might safely and truely say Receive I pray thee the law from his mouth there having been a Revelation of the minde of God among the faithfull in all ages and times God never left his people to their own will nor them to be their own Guide and Counseller For when the Apostle sayth Rom. 2.14 that the Gentiles having not the law are a law unto themselves his meaning is not that they had no law but one of their own devising They indeed had not the law of God formally spoken to their eares and preserved in tables of stone but they had the substance of the law of God naturally vvritten in their hearts So then there hath alwayes been a lavv from his mouth formally in the Church naturally in the world Therefore saith Eliphaz Receive the law from his mouth and when he saith Receive the law from his mouth it may have a double Opposition First To the vvill and vvisdome of Job As if Eliphaz had said Thou hast been hitherto a law to thy selfe that is thou hast followed thy own advice Ex ore ejus notanter dicit i. e. non ex ore aut arbitrio tuo Merc. run on upon thy own head now Receive the lavv from his mouth Man naturally hath high thoughts of himselfe and vvould be a law to himselfe Not as Rom. 2.14 which place vvas touched before The Gentiles not having a law wâ—re a law to themselves that is they had the law of God written in their hearts by nature but besides that there is a lavv which man vvould be to himselfe against that law of nature vvritten in his heart and against the light of nature shining in his conscience he would set up a law even his own Lust in opposition to the law of God Thus he vvould be a law to himselfe and not Receive a law from the mouth of God Therefore saith Eliphaz Now receive the law from his mouth Secondly from his mouth may be opposed to the mouthes of others as if he should say if thou wilt not trust us nor take our vvord then trust God vve vvould not have thee depend upon us nor upon any man living not on the Judgement or Authority of any Creature but receive the lavv from his mouth there is a law and a truth come from God let thy faith be guided and thy life ordered by that Hence Note It is our duty to receive the rule from God The Lord hath povver to give us the law and vve must receive the lavv from him None have povver to Impose a lavv upon us but God himselfe nor may we devise a lavv for our selves God is the onely Master of the Conscience he alone can say Receive the law at my mouth If you aske vvhat is it to receive the law I ansvver it is more then to give it the hearing To receive is first to beleeve the lavv secondly to receive is to honour and reverence the law thirdly to receive the lavv is to yeeld up our selves to the obedience of it to be cast into the mould of it to subject our selves vvholly to the minde of God in it Then vve receive the lavv vvhen vve take the Impressions of it have as it vvere the Image and stampe of it upon our spirits and in our lives fourthly then we receive it vvhen as it followes in the Text we lay up his word in our hearts barely to receive it is not enough you must lay it up treasure it up And lay up his word in thy heart This is opposed First To forgetfullnes of the vvord Praecedentis partis ex positio amplificatio Ita legem suscipe ut ponas proprie disponas arte cura sollicitudine observandi Receive the lavv and let it not slip out of thy memory Secondly It is oppos'd to negligence in the practice of the law lay it up that it may be forth comming to direct thee in every duty In Conversion the law is vvritten in the heart every godly man hath a Copie of the lavv in his heart That 's the description of a godly man Psal 37.31 The law of God is in his heart none of his steps shall slide vvhich is not an universall exclusion of all fayling slipping as if every godly man were as much past sinning as he is past perishing but vvhen 't is sayd none of his steps the meaning is few of his steps shall slide or he shall never slide so in any of his steps as not to recover his feete and get up againe He shall vvalke very holily so holily as if all his vvalkings vvere but one continued act of holines But to the text None of his steps shall slide quite and for ever out of the vvay because the law of God is in his heart What David speakes in that propheticall Psalme of Christ Psal 40.8 Thy law is within my heart is true in its degree of every Christian all the lawes of God are in his heart That Character is againe given of them Psal 84.5 In whose heart are thy wayes there is a suiting of the minde of God and the heart of man together in regeneration But novv the duty spoken of in the Text is another thing for a man that hath the lavv vvritten in his heart may yet possibly forget to lay up the vvord and law of God in his heart he may under temptation and the pressures of corruption be negligent in that it is the worke of a godly man who hath the lavv of God in his heart already continually to lay up the law in his heart and so vve are to understand such Scriptures as these Pro. 7.3 Keepe my Commandements and live and my law as the apple of thine eye binde them on thy fingers write them on the table of thine heart c. The first writing of the law in the heart is by the finger of the Spirit by Gods own finger As it was God that first wrote the lavv in tables of stone vvith his own finger so it is he that writes the law in these fleshy Tables of the heart by the finger of the Spirit yet Solomon perswades his son to vvrite the law upon the Table of his heart vvhen grace is received and the law once written in our hearts vve doe as it vvere put in severall fresh Copies of the law vve are continually writing divine notions and Instructions upon our hearts this renewed act is ascribed to us because we through grace joyne in it We have an Expression of like import Pro. 4.21 My Son attend to my words encline thine eare to my sayings let them not depart from thine eyes keep them in the midst of thine heart The heart is
said to be the midst or Center of the body now saith he keep the law in the very midst of thine heart in the safest place as the heart is the safest place the middle of the body so the middle of the heart is the safest place of the heart So vve may understand that of David I have hid thy Commandements in my heart Psal 119.11 And Deut. 6.6 These words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart that is thou shalt lay them up there Of this laying up the law in the heart vve are to understand Eliphaz here as if he had sayd O Job thou hast often heard of the law but thou hast been a forgetfull hearer now heare it and hold it now as the Apostle exhorts the Hebrewes Heb. 2.1 give the more earnest heed to the things which thou hast heard or shalt hereafter heare lest at any time thou shouldest let them slip or thou shouldest run out as we there put in the margin as a leaking vessel Further This laying up the vvord in the heart is opposd unto a bare barren knowledge it is not enough to have the vvord of God in our heads that is to know it it is not enough to have the word of God upon our tongues that is to speake of it but we must lay it up in the heart For though the heart in Scripture takes in the understanding and the whole soule yet chiefly it respects the affections lay up the word in thine heart that is let thy affections be vvarm'd with it vvhile thy memory retaines and keepes it and thy understanding is enlightened vvith a true notion of it Hence Observe First The word of God is a precious thing We doe not lay up trifles and trash but precious things and treasure vve lay up our Plate and Jewells our Gold and Silver the vvord of God should be more to us than thousands of gold and silver it is the most precious Jewell 't is treasure and therefore it must be laid up Secondly The heart is the Arke or Cabinet in which the word must be laid up There was an Arke or Chest provided for the law Exod. 25.21 and that Arke was Christ he was typified by it and indeed the law would be too hot for our hearts too hot to lye there if it had not first layne in the heart of Christ wee since fallen could never have been an Arke for it if he had not been The tables of the law were laid in the Arke and the Arke in which the lavv vvas put had a mercy-seat vvhich did cover it all over The dimensions of the Arke and of the mercy-seate were exactly the same two cubits and a halfe in length and a cubit and a halfe in breadth Exod. 25.10.17 so that nothing of the law could appeare or rise up in Judgement against poore sinners The propitiatory or mercy-seate covered all Now as Christ hath been the Arke of the law to protect and cover us from the condemning power of it so the hearts of beleevers must be the Arke of the law where it must be layd up with a readines of minde to yeeld our selves up to the commanding power of it David prophecying of Christ saith Psal 40.10 I have not hid thy righteousnesse within my heart yet he had said before I delight to doe thy will thy law is within my heart To cleare which Scripture take notice that there is a twofold hiding of the righteousnesse or vvord of God in the heart First so as to obscure or conceale it from others in that sence David saith I have not hid thy righteousnesse in mine heart I have declared thy faithfullnes and thy salvation and not concealed thy loving kindnesse and truth from the great Congregation And thus no man ought to lay up the truths the law the promises of God in his heart to conceale and stifle them there Secondly There is a hiding of the law in our hearts first that it may be safe lest Satan or the world should snatch it from us Secondly That we may further consider of it when a man hath got an excellent truth or Scripture he should lay it up in his heart to ponder and meditate more upon it to draw out the sweetnes and to experience the power of it Thirdly That vve may have it ready at hand for our use and so the Scribe instructed for the kingdome of heaven is described by bringing forth out of his treasury things both new and old How sad is the condition of many that have heard much but laid up little or nothing at all of all that vvord which they have heard Some having laid it up in their note books are satisfied with that 't is good and usefull to doe so but doe not let it lye there get a Copie of it in your hearts a few truths in your hearts are better to you then many truths in your bookes no man was ever saved by the vvord in his booke unlesse that vvord were also written in his heart God commanded the Jewes Deut. 6.8 9. to vvrite the law upon the post of their houses and on their gates to bind them as a signe upon their hand and as frontlets between their eyes They were commanded also to put fringes upon the borders of their garments Numb 15.38 vvhich our Saviour calls Phylacteries Math. 23.5 these were ribands of blue silke or as some say scroles of parchment upon which the law being first wrought or written and then bound upon their garments they were to looke upon it and remember all the commandements of the Lord Num. 15.39 Vanissimi profecto pharisaei illi qui cum ipsi non servarent in corde mandaâ—a at membranulas decalogi complicantes quasi coronaÌ„ capiri facientes phylacterium eoc sua proprictate Custoditâ—rium est Bold Now saith Christ they make broad their Phylacteries and enlarge the borders of their Garments as much of the lavv as you vvill upon theiâ— Clothes but none of it in their hearts Thus the proud Scribes and Pharisees went about as it were Clothed with the vvord of God but his vvord was farre from their hearts nor did it appeare in their lives it is a meere vanity to have much of the law in our bookes while vve neglect to keepe it in our hearts and act it in our wayes The former is good but it doth no good without the latter The want of this the laying up the vvord in the heart causeth the great want of Saints in the things of God and as many loose that Grace which they seemed to have so many are at a losse in the use of that Grace which they have because they have not laid up the vvord of God in their hearts so carefully as they ought We say proverbially Sure bind and sure find They who would surely finde the comfort of the word of God when they need it had need to bind it sure when they receive it JOB CHAP. 22. Vers 23 24.25
God or what fruit he should have in prayer Verse 27. Thou shalt make thy prayer to him and he shall heare thee and thou shalt pay thy Vowes In these words we have a further promise leading to a further duty as beforâ— the duty of returning to the Almighty had a promise annexed to it of lifting up the face to God or boldnesse in prayer So now the promise of being heard in prayer is followed with a duty The payment of vowes Thou shalt make thy prayer to him c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 multiplicavit propriè verba fortia fâ—dâ—t in Oratione The word notes the powring out of many prayers or of a multitude of words in prayer yet not of bare wâ—rds but of words cloathed with power strong prayers as well as many prayers For as the Gospel comes from God to us not in word onely but in power and in the holy Ghost and in much assurance 1 Thes 1.5 so prayer should goe from us to God not in word onely but in power and in the holy Ghost c. Thus saith Eliphaz Thou shalt make many and mighty prayers strong prayers prevailing conquering prayers so the word is used Gen. 25.21 Tâ—en Isack intreated the Lord for his wife because she was barren that is he made many prayers to God he made a businesse of praying that he might have a sonne though there was a sure promise made to Abraham that he should have a sonne and that in him and from him should come the promised seed yet Isack was long without a sonne and he leaves it not carelesly in the decree of God resolving Idly God hath said I shall have a sonne at least if not many sonnes why should I trouble my selfe in the thing No Isack had not so learned the minde of God he was better skill'd in Divinity then so to separate the meanes from the end or to conclude that wee need not pray for that which God hath purposed and promised He I say was better instructed then so and therefore though he doubtlesse did fully beleeve that God would fullfill the promise made to Abraham in giving him a sonne yet he entreated the Lord for his wife because she was barren and he intreated the Lord earnestly he made plenty abundance of prayers for it cannot be supposed but that he had prayed for that mercy long before for it was neere twenty yeares since his marriage to Rebeccah as appeares plainely by comparing the 20 verse of that Chapter with the 26 â—h the former telling us that he was forty yeares old when he marryed Rebeccah and the latter that he was threescore when Rebeccah bare Jacob and Esau So that I say we cannot suppose but so holy a man as Isack had been suing out the good of the promise before but when he perceived it sticking so long in the birth then his soule fell in travel about it then he was very fervent in prayer and would give the Lord no rest Then he entreated the Lord c. The same is sayd of Manoah Judges 13.8 Then Manoah intreated the Lord and said oh my Lord let the man of God which thou didst send come againe unto us and teach us what we should doe unto the childe that shall be borne he prayed then with much earnestnes or made prayers for direction in that thing The word is often used to signifie abundance Isa 35.2 It shall blossome abundantly Jere. 33.6 Behold I will bring in health and cure and I will cure them and will reveale unto them the abundance of peace and truth Not onely shall they have peace and truth but abundance of them So here thou shalt not onely pray but a spirit of prayer shall be powred out upon thee aboundantly Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him Hence note First Prayer is a dutie We owe prayer to God as his creatures or in regard of our naturall dependance upon him much more as new creatures or in regard of our spirituall dependance upon him Secondly Note It is our duty not onely to pray but to pray much or to pray with much fervency The emphasis of the Originall word here used leades us to this as well as many Scripture Authorities Cold asking invites a denyall 't is effectuall or working fervent prayer that prevailes much Jam. 5.16 Note thirdly Prayer is due onely to God Prayer is a part of holy worship and all such worship is proper to God alone Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him Saints and Angels worship God with us we must not worship eyther Saint or Angel with God no nor God by the helpe and mediation of Saints or Angels We know no mediator of intercession but he who is the mediator of redemption the Lord Jesur Christ Fourthly Taking in the consideration of the time as before in the former part Then shalt thou have thy delight in the Lord then shalt thou make thy prayer to him Observe That we are never in a fit frame for prayer till wee turne from every sin by repentance As the Lord will not heare us when we pray if we regard iniquity in our heart Psal 68.18 so neyther are we in a fitnes to speake to God in prayer if we regard any iniquity in our hearts Repenting and praying must be of the same length unlesse we repent continually we cannot pray continually because we sin continually The more holy we are the more free we are to pray Sinne clogs and checks the spirit in this great duty cast off that weight and then shalt thou make thy prayer to him And he shall heare thee To heare prayer is more then to take notice of the matter or words spoken to heare prayer is to grant what we pray for as our hearing the word of God is more then to take in the sound or sence of what is spoken it is to submit to and obey what is spoken Now as we heare no more of the word of God then we beleeve and practice so the Lord heareth no more of what we pray in a Scripture sence then what he granteth There are two expressions in Scripture which note this First To have regard to a person or to a prayer 1 Kings 8.28 29. when Solomon prayed at the dedication of the Temple the Lords hearing of prayer which he then beggd is thus described Have thou respect unto the prayer of thy servant and to his supplication c. that thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day Respicere est audire So it is said of Abel Gen. 4.4 that the Lord had respect to his offering the Lord looked towards him and accepted of him to accept a prayer is to heare a prayer Secondly The hearing of prayer is described by the presence of God with those that pray Isa 58.9 Then shalt thou call and the Lord shall answer thou shalt cry and he shall say here I am This is a wonderfull condescension 't is even as when a Master calling to
highest in grace are censured as acting and speaking below nature And as these whose graces are â—oving aloft are often suspected of madnesse So secondly they who lye below complaining under the pressures of nature by affliction are as often suspected of and charged with impatience A troubled spirit can hardly judge aright of it selfe and is seldome rightly judged by others I will end this poynt with two Cautions The first to all concerning those that are afflicted The second to all that are afflicted To the former I say judge charitably of those who complaine bitterly for as a man in a low condition knoweth not what himselfe would eyther be or doe were he advanced to the heights of honour and power so he that is at ease and wel knoweth not what himselfe would eyther be or doe were he in paine or overwhelmed with sorrows Extreames in any â—â—ate are rarely borne with a wel or duely tempered moderation Secondly To the latter I say let them expect to heare themselves hardly censured and learne to beare it let not such thinke strange of their sufferings eyther under the hand of God or by the tongues of men Great sufferers speake often unbecommingly and are as often so spoken of Thirdly Forasmuch as the matter of this suggestion against Job tumultuous and rebellious speeches at least speeches savouring strongly of rebellion are incident to any Godly man in Jobs condition Observe There may be rebellion against God in a good mans complainings under the afflicting hand of God An unquiet spirit is not onely a great burden to man but a dishonour to God Our dissatisfaction with the dealings of God carrieth in it at least an implicit accusation of him or that God hath not done well because it is ill to sence with us There is a rebellion against the rod as wel as against the word of God For as our strugling and striving with the word of God and the unquietnesse of our hearts under any truth when it takes hold of us is rebellion against God so to strive and struggle with the rod of God or with the crosse that he layes upon us is rebellion against him also God speakes to us by his rod as wel as by his word and we spurne at God in wrangling with his rod as wel as in wrangling with his word Yea to have hard thoughts of God as that he is severe and rigourous that he hath put off his bowells of compassion towards us and forgotten to be gratious such thoughts as these of God under affliction are rebellious thoughts And as there is a rebellion in the thoughts against God in case of affliction so also in the Tongue Thus to murmur is to rebell I doe not say that all complaining is rebelling but all murmuring is we may complaine and tell the Lord how sad it is with us how much our soules our bodies our estates our relations bleed and smart We may complaine and make great complaints without sin but the least murmuring is sinfull yea in the very nature of it so full of sin that it usually and deservedly passeth under the name of Rebellion The children of Israel were as often charged with rebellion as with murmuring And therefore when they murmured for want of Water Moses sayd unto them Heare now ye rebels must we fetch you water out of this Rocke Numb 20.10 And againe Moses chargeth this upon them with his last breath as it were Deut. 31.27 I know thy rebellion and thy stiffe necke behold while I am yet alive with you this day ye have been rebellious against the Lord and how much more after my death yea the Lord himselfe chargeth rebellion upon that unparalleld payre of Brethren Moses and Aaron themselves because they had not so fully as they ought at all times and in all things submitted unto his divine dispensations among that people Numb 24. The Lord spake to Moses saying Aaron shall be gathered unto his people for he shall not enter into the Land which I have given unto the children of Israel because yee the Lord puts them both together in the sin rebelled against my word at the waters of Meribah Fourthly whereas Job sayth Even to day my complaint is bitter Observe The Afflictions and sorrows of some eminently Godly sticke by them or continue long upon them It is with afflictions as with diseases there are some acute diseases sharpe and feirce for a while but they last not they are over in a few dayes for eyther the disease departs from the man or the man departs out of the world by the feircenes of his disease There are also Chronicall diseases lasting lingring diseases that hang about a man many dayes yea moneths and yeares and will not be gone while he lives but lye downe in the grave with him Such a difference we finde among thosâ— other afflictions and troubles which are not seated as diseases in the body but reach the whole estate of man Some are acute and sharpe like the fierce fitts of a feavor but they last not or like Summers sudden stormes which are soone followed with a succession of faire weather But there are also chronicall afflictions tuffe and unmoveable troubles which abide by us which dwell with us day after day yeare after yeare and never leave us while we live or till we leave the world Many a good man hath carryed his affliction with him to the grave If any shall object how then is that of David true Psal 30.5 Weeping may endure for a night â—â—t joy commeth in the morning I answer First That Scripture speakes of that which is often experienced but not alwayes secondly It is most true also that all our weeping is but for a night yea but for a Moment as the Apostle speakes 2 Cor. 4.17 compared with that morning of joy when the day of our blessed eternity shall begin Thirdly the Psalme hath this scope cheifely to shew that the troubles of the Saints are not everlasting not that they are never lasting or to shew that the night of weeping shall at last conclude in a morning of joy to the Godly not that their night of weeping shall presently conclude For as some have onely a Summers night or a short night of sorrow so others have a winters night or a long night of sorrow And this night of sorrow may be as long not onely as many natural dayes or as somes yeares but as long as all the naturall dayes and yeares of this present life The morning of joy is not to be understood of the next morrow after the sorrow began for how long soever our weeping continues it is night with us and whensoever joy comes though at midnight 't is morning with us For sure enough as those sonnes of pleasure are described Isa 56.12 promising themselves the continuance of their joyes To morrow shall be as this day and much more abundant therefore come fetch wine and let us drinke to day there will be wine enough
my hand hath found the kingdomes of the Idolls and whose graven Images did excell them of Jerusalem and Samaria Thus spake the proud Assyrian my hand hath found them Why the Kingdomes of the Heathen were not in a Corner that he had need to search after them he did not make a new discovery of those kingdomes They were not terra Incognita an unknowne or a new found land that 's not the meaning but when he saith my hand hath found them the sence is I have laid hold on them and ceized them to my owne use I have added them to my owne dominion and brought them under my subjection So in the 14 verse of that Chapter My hand hath found as a Nest the riches of the people that is I have laid hold on their riches and said all 's mine I have taken the whole nest with all the eggs all their goods and treasures into my custody and possession Thus Job would finde God that he might lay hold on him for his owne or owne him as his Thus also the word is used Psal 21.8 Thine hand shall finde out all thine Enemies thy right hand shall finde out those that hate thee It is not meant onely of a discovery of a person though it be a truth that the Lord will discover all that are his Enemies but thine hand shall finde them out is it shall take hold of them graspe them and arrest them Thy hand shall finde out all thine Enemies though close though Covert Enemies not onely thy above-ground Enemies but thy under-ground Enemies as well those that undermine thee as those that assault thee Once more in the 116th Psal ver 3. we have an Illustration of this sence The sorrowes of death Compassed mee and the paines of hell gate hold upon me The Hebrew text is the paines of hell found mee the painâ—s of hell that is the greatest the extreamest paines gat hold upon mee they found mee that is they ceized upon mee and held me fast a word of the same roote is used in both parts of that text that which wee translate to get hold is the same with that I found trouble and sorrow they found mee and I found them thus saith Job O that I knew where I might finde him that I might take hold of him why how doth the hand of a Saint finde God how doth he take hold of and apprehend God how doth he as it were arrest him and keepe him close I answer By faith and reliance upon him O that I knew where to finde him that the Lord might not be at such a distance from mee as he hath been but that I finding him might fix my soule upon him That 's a good sence Yet I conceive in this place wee may rather expound Job speaking of God after the manner of Magistrates among men who appoynt certaine places where to sit in Judgement where to heare Causes whither all that are wronged and oppressed resort for reliefe and right 1 Sam. 7.17 Samuel was the Chiefe Magistrate The Judge in Israel Now the text saith at the 16th verse that he went from yeare to yeare in Circuit as wee have the Judges of the Circuit to Bethel and Gilgal and Mizpeh and Judged Israel in all those places and returned to Ramah for there was his house and there he Judged Israel As if he had sayd his standing house was at Ramoth and thither all causes were brought and all persons grieved resorted for Justice in their severall cases Hee rid Circuit every yeare that all the people might the more easily finde him yet he had a fixed seate In alusion to this practice Job appealing from his friends to God saith O that I knew where I might finde him and goe to him for Judgement O that I might have Audience before him in this great buisines But it may be said Did not Job know where to finde God or was Job out of the presence of God I answer the Lord carryed himselfe to Job at that time as a stranger and though he were with him as he alwayes is with all his yet he did not finde him The Lord is with many of his people when they are not with him that is when they doe not finde him or are not sencible of his presence God is with his people even when they walke through the valley of the shadow of death yet they are not alwayes with God yea God doth not alwayes manifest himselfe to them while they walke in the most delicious and lightsome paradises of this life God sometimes hides himselfe so that they cannot make it out that God is present with them God is never seene in regard of the invisibility of his nature and he is often unseene in regard of the obscurity of his dispensations as Job shewes further at the 8th verse Behold I goe forward but he is not there and backward but I cannot perceive him I goe forward and backward that is I goe every way I take all courses to finde him but I cannot perceive God for he hides and covers himselfe with clouds that our prayers cannot come at him as the Church complaines Lament 3.44 though wee are alwayes present to God yet God is not alwayes present to us that is to our apprehension as God is not at all present to our sense so he is not alwayes present to our faith that 's the meaning of Job when he saith I goe forward but he is not there c. God is every where whither can I goe from his presence saith David Psal 139. If I goe up into heaven he is there c. yet saith Job if I goe forward he is not there that is I have no Enjoyments of God there and upon this ground he saith in the present text O that I knew where I might finde him Job was well acquainted with the doctrine of Gods Omnipresence he was farre from thinking that there was any certaine place where God was fixt and whether he must repaire as to the Kings and Princes of this world for helpe Job knew better Divinity then this he was acquainted with the nature and divine perfections of God but he speaks as to his present want O that I knew where I might finde him Hence observe first A godly man hath earnest and longing desires after God Whatsoever or whomsoever he findes he thinks he hath found nothing or no body till he findes God O that I might finde him How doth David Psal 42.1 2. shew his unsatisfiednes till he found God As the hart panteth after the water Brookes so panteth my soule after thee O God my soule thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come and appeare before God nothing but God was in his mouth nothing in his desire David had a kingdome David had a Throne David had honour and riches as much as he could desire why would not these satisfie his thirst Could not he sit downe in these Enjoyments no! David was hungry and
what he saith to mee and then reverently submit thereunto Further This forme of speaking I would know the words and I would understand c. seemeth to imply a vehement desire in Job to know the minde of God concerning him As a man that is accused longs to heare the minde of the Judge as for others 't is not much to him what they say for him or against him As Paul spake in a like case 1 Cor. 4.3 With me it is a very small thing to be judged of you or of mans judgement c. he that judgeth me is the Lord that is to his judgement I must stand He is above all Hence note First That a godly man is carefull to understand the answer and determinations of God concerning him I would know the words that he would answer mee and this not onely according to the supposition which Job makes here if God should speake to him personally or mouth to mouth but in what way soever God should speake to him It is the great care of a Godly man to know the word of God written and deliver'd over to us as the rule of our life and faith for indeed therein wee have our judgement and our answer as Christ saith the words that I speake they shall judge you at the last day that is by the word you shall be judged Likewise it is the care of a Godly man to understand what God speakes to him by his workes and providences by his rods and chastnings In these the Lord speakes to us and gives us answers They who are wise will study to know and understand them We may conceive that Job had respect to two things especially about which he desiered that he might understand the answer and words of God to him First That God would shew him the true Cause of his affliction for he did not take that to be the Cause which his friends had so often suggested and so disputed upon that Fallacy all along which Logicians call The putting of that for a Cause which is not the Cause Therefore Job hoped to know of God what he would say as to the reason why he did Contend with him Secondly What God would say to him by way of Direction and Councell by way of remedy and redress he was sollicitous to understand the minde of God and what God expected from him under this dispensation So that Jobs scope was not at all as Eliphaz suspected to plead his owne righteousnesse and holy walkings before God as if God had been beholding to him for them and so must needs grant him as having deserved it whatsoever he should aske But that he might be acquainted with the holy will and purpose of God concerning himselfe and to be instructed by him about the grounds and ends of his long and sharpe affliction that so he might beare it more chearefully and more fruitfully As also and that principally that he might heare from his Majesty which was the great poynt in controversie between him and his friends whether he did correct and chasten him as a son or punish and take vengeance on him as on a rebell and so set him among the examples of caution for sinners in time to come Secondly Note A Godly man rests in the Judgement of God Si me nisontem pronunciaret cum gaudio si sontem cum patientia sâ—sciperem sententiam ejus Scult Job would not rest in his friends judgement but in Gods judgement he would rest and enquire no further I saith he freely yeeld up my selfe to that if the Lord should pronounce mee Innocent I would rest in his sentence and be thankfull if the Lord should pronounce mee faulty yet I would rest in his sentence and be patient yea then I would aske mercy and begg his grace for the pardon of my faylings God is an Infallible Judge and therefore no man ought to question his determinations Indeed Every mouth shall be stopped and all the world become guilty before God Rom. 3.19 that is acknowledg theÌ„selves guilty before him when he judgeth And as there is no avoyding the judgement of God so a godly man desires to rejoyce in it Good is the word of the Lord sayd Hezekiah 2 King 20 19. When a very sore sentence was past against him and he sayd is it not Good if peace and truth be in my dayes By good in the former part of the verse he meanes just and equall as if he had sayd though this word be full of gall and wormewood yet it is no other then I and my people have deserved and drawne upon our selves By good in the latter part of the verse he meanes Gracious and mercifull as if he had sayd God in this sentence hath mixed the good of justice and equity with the good of graciousnes and mercy or in the midst of Judgement he hath remembred mercy Thus also when God gave sentence by fire against the two sons of Aaron Moses sayd to Aaron This is that the Lord spake saying I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me and before all the people I will be glorified Lev. 10.3 Now when Aaron heard this the text saith And Aaron held his peace He murmured not he contradicted not but rested patiently in the judgement of God And thus Job was resolved to give himselfe up to the judgement of God whatsoever it should be And we shall finde him in the next words hoping strongly to finde God very sweete and gratious to him could he but obtaine a hearing at his Judgement seate JOB CHAP. 23. Vers 6 7. Will he plead against me with his great power No but he would put strength in me There the righteous might dispute with him so should I be delivered for ever from my Judge JOb still prosecutes the proofe of his integrity from his willingnesse to appeare before God and plead his case at his throne and as in the two former verses he told us what he would doe upon supposition that he could finde God and have accesse unto him even that he would state his case and then fill his mouth with arguments he would also seriously attend and strive to understand the answer which God should give him So in these two verses he holds out what entertainment he assured himselfe of in this his addresse to God as also what confidence he had of a faire hearing and of a good issue As if he had said O Eliphaz you have often deterred and over-awed me with the Majesty of God as if he would certainly crush such a worme as I am and that I could not at at all stand or abide a tryall before him in Judgement Eliphaz hath spoken to that sense at the 4th verse of the former Chapter Will he reprove thee for feare of thee will he enter with thee into judgement dost thou thinke that God will condescend so farre as to treate with thee but know O Eliphaz that I am not afraid of the presence of God for
golden pipes which did empty the golden oyle or according to the letter of the Hebrew the Gold out of themselves That spirituall oyle was called golden or gold because like gold shineing pure and precious The gifts and graces of the Spirit are golden oyle indeed So Jer. 51.7 Babylon hath been a golden Cup in the hand of the Lord Which some expound tropically taking the Continent for the thing contained The cup for the wine Called golden wine because of the splendidnes and beauty of it as Solomon speakes Pro. 23.31 When it giveth his colour in the cup. Or Babylon is called a Golden cup first because of the great glory wealth and illustrious pomp of that Empire described in Daniel Chap. 2.32.38 by a head of Gold and marked out in Isaiah by the name of the Golden City Isa 14.4 and secondly because God had caused other Nations to drinke deep of his wrath by the power of the Babylonian Empire Upon which account Mysticall Babylon is sayd to have a Golden cup in her hand Rev. 17.4 Gold is the King the chiefe of metals gold is among metals as the Sunne is among the Starres and Planets of Heaven the glory and Prince of them all So that when Job saith I shall come forth as gold his meaning is I shall come forth pure and in much perfection Gold is first the most precious metal secondly the most honourable metal thirdly the most weighty metal fourthly the most durable metal fifthly the most desirerable metal Every one is for gold Aurum per ignem probatum symbolum est jâ—storum nam illâ— minime laedit examen â—gnis per ista igitur verba vir sanctus candorem suae innocentiae conscientiae puritatem maximam cirâ—umloquitur Bold So that when Job saith I shall come forth gold his meaning is as if he had sayd my tryall will not diminish but rather adde unto me I shall be precious honourable weighty durable desireable after I have been in the furnace or fineing pot of my sorest and severest Tryalls And he speakes thus in opposition to his friends who had an opinion of him as if he were but drosse or the off-scoureing of all things as the Apostles were reckoned in their time I shall come forth not drosse and trash but gold as if he had sayd Were I once tryed I should be for ever quit of those Charges brought in against mee and of those scandals cast upon mee I should shine in reputation and honour like pure gold coming out of the fire I should recover my good name and be found a man loyall to God and righteous towards men Hence note Grace renders man excellent and precious Every godly man is gold yea he is more precious then fine gold The finest gold is but drosse to Grace the wicked of the world are reprobate silver or refuse silver Jer. 6.30 the Saints are finer then Gold refined in the fire for they are precious they are honourable they are usefull they are dureable and lasting they shall endure everlastingly they are weighty in their worth and their portion is an eternall weight of glory Secondly Whereas Job saith when I am tryed I shall come forth as gold Observe A godly man is no looser by being tryed yea he gaines by it He who before was reputed but as drosse and had much drosse in him comes out of the tryal as gold and loseth nothing of his weight worth or beauty by being tryed he onely loseth a good losse his drosse and the rubbish of his corruptions Grace is not onely grace still but more gracious even glorious after tryall Some speake of grace as if it were but drosse consumeable in the fire as if every temptation and tryal endanger'd it to an utter consumption or as if like lead it would quite evaporate and spend to nothing in the fire They sticke not to affirme that a true beleever may lose all his graces and how much soever enricht before by the Spirit yet prove a bankrupt in spiritualls Job was Confideâ—t that his gold would hold the tryal both of the hottest afflictions and of the strictest examinations He had been tryed long in the furnace of affliction heated seaven times more then ordinary and yet held his integrity and though he should come to tryal at the Judgement-seate of God which is more then seventy-times seven times stricter then the Judgement-seate of man according to truth can be yet he nothing doubted that nothing as to the general bent of his heart and frame of life should be found or appeare but integrity still That is but drossie grace natural grace if not hypocritical grace or a counterfeit onely of grace which aâ—ides not in the day of tryall They who loose the grace which they have shewed had onely a shew of grace Hypocrites shall â—oâ—e all at their tryal their paint their varnish will not endure the fire eyther of a lasting affliction or of that last examination when once a hypocrite is tryed then he is sham'd He may goe currant for pure gold a great while but at last he appeares but as a gilded sepulcher or drosse of gold Psal 119.119 Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like drosse And the Lord speaking of the degenerate house of Israel Ezek. 22.18 saith The house of Israel is to me become drosse all they are brasse and tin and iron and lead in the midst of the furnace they are even the drosse or drosses of silver That is though they are a professing people and hold out my name yet I having tryed and examined them throughly finde them to have nothing but a name of profession They being tryed are come forth like drosse The Apostle 1 Cor. 3.13 Allegorically shadowing out all sorts of superstructive doctrine by Gold silver precious stones wood hay stubble saith If any man build upon this foundation that is Christ Gold silver precious stones wood hay stubble every mans worke shall be made manifest for the day shall declare it because it shall be revealed by fire Dum pâ—obantur toti in fumum abeunt and the fire shall try every mans worke of what sort it is If any mans worke abide which he hath built thereupon hee shall receive a reward if any mans worke shall be burnt he shall suffer loss c. The wood hay stubble shall be burnt but the gold silver precious stones will abide the tryall of fire Whether it be the fire of persecution tribulation and temptation nothing but holy truth can abide these fires or the fire of the holy Spirit who in Scripture is often compared to fire and who together with the light of the Word revealeth the soundnes or falsenes of all doctrines delivered by men and like fire consumes what is false but gives a further brightnes and lustre to the truth Even truth untryed may be counted drosse but being tryed it comes forth like gold Now as the truth of doctrines so the truth of persons in
but I have hid or layd up the words of his mouth that 's a good reading and so Mâ— Broughton translates More then my daily bread have I layd up the words of his mouth The Vulgar gives another reading In my bosome have I hid the words of his mouth in this following the Septuagint who by the change of a letter in the Originall translate the word which we render More then my necessary or statute food in my bosome But I passe that as a mistake of the text in that word yet in the former part it consents with Mr Broughton I have hid or layd up the words of his mouth more then my daily bread And as this translation holds out a truth in it selfe so the sense meets with ours for as the Originall word doth as properly signifie to hide or lay up as to esteeme so those things are layd up or hidden by us which are of most esteeme And this action of hiding or laying up the word is often spoken of in Scripture both as the practise and as the duty of the Saints Psal 119.11 I have hid thy commandements in my heart And the rule is given by wisedome Prov. 2.1 My sonne if thou wilt receive my words and hide my commandements with thee Wisdome counselleth us not onely to receive but to hide the commandements And Pro. 4.20 21. Wisdome goeth yet further My sonne attend to my words incline thine eare to my sayings let them not depart from thine eyes keepe them in the midst of thy heart The heart as Naturalists say is in the midst or center of the body Holy truths must be kept in the midst of the heart in the midst of the middle that is in the safest place in that most retyred chamber the midst of the heart But why should these words be hidden in the heart which are and ought to be proclaimed in the eare and upon the house-top I answer wee hide things first that we may know where to have them what is throwne at our heeles wee know not where to have Secondly We hide things for safety or from danger as well as to have them ready at hand for use There are enemies who watch their opportunity to steale the word away from us and therefore it is our wisdome as well as our duty to hide it or lay it up safe So that in both notioÌ„s we ought to hide the word of God first that wee may have it at hand for use as it is sayd of the Good house-holder in the Gospel that he layeth up and hath in his treasure things both new and old Secondly that it may be kept out of the hand of the theife who would rob us of that precious treasure Satan and the world are Word-stealers and they steale away the Word not because they desire to make any use of it but lest we should therefore as Gideon Judg. 6.11 threshed wheat by the wine-presse to hide it from the Midianites so seing there are mysticall Midianites who dayly steale away the Word that most necessary and precious wheat from thousands who have heard and received it we should in a holy jelousie and suspition of them hide it out of their reach In conversion God puts the Law in our minde and writes it in our heart And through that grace received and dayly renewed we also are enabled to lay it up there Pectus meum feci Bibliothe cam dei Hieron de Nepotiano A Good man as one of the ancients speaketh makes his heart Gods library there he layeth up whole volumes of holy precepts and of precious promises And looke what precepts or promises he finds in the Bible or written booke of the Word of God the same he finds transcribed into his owne heart and so into his life But I will not insist upon that reading I have laid up the words of his mouth more then my necessary food We render I have esteemed the words of his mouth c. These two rendrings of the word give light to each other That which we esteeme we hide and the more we esteeme a thing the more carefully we hide it No man will lay up that which is worth nothing what we hide is of value at least we judge it to be so Childrens pockets are often full of Bables but to them they are no Bables they esteeme them as men doe gold and silver else they would not take them up much lesse lay them up I have esteemed the words of his mouth Before it was the commandement of his lips some make a distinction between these expounding the commandement of his lips for the preceptive part of the word and the word of his mouth for the promissive part of the word or for the promises which are gracious declarations and manifestations of the love and good will of God to sinfull man Dicta oris distinguo a praeceptis dictum oris est verbum gratiosae nunciationis et promissionis q. d. gratiam annunciatam libentè◠accepi animi fide Coc As if Job in the former words had a respect chiefely to the Law or rule of doing and in this latter to the Gospel or ground of beleeving But though I see not well how these seemes can beare that distinction yet the matter doth yea and seemes to require it for though a godly man esteemes the precepts of God as well as the promises and the commandements are the words of Gods mouth as well as the promises yet the promises are the most feeding fatning and refreshing part of the word and if so surely they were not left out yea possibly were principally inteÌ„ded by Job in this place that he might shew how his Spirit was carried out to the full latitude and compasse of the minde of God both in the Law and in the Gospel And because the promises have so much soule-food in them he doth therefore elegantly preferre them before his necessary food I have esteemed the word of his mouth But how much or at what rate did he esteeme them it follows in the next words More then my necessary food There is yet some variety observable in the reading of these latter words Some give it thus A statuto meo abscondi eloquia oris ejus Mont Ex statuto meo vel more meo ut ab â—nevute aetate assuevi praetermittere quae deus odio habet i. e. plena electione deliberatione fixa apud se non externè tantum et levitèr divinam legem custodire apud se decreverit Cajet Aliqui ad actiones hominis consuetas quas de more facit referunt ut antiquius habuerit legem domini animo recondere ei operam dare quam solita constitua sibi ac usitata facere Merc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 proprie statutum et decretum sonat hinc certam decretam cibi rationem Quicquid advictum vitam fovendam ac tuendam est necessarium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appellatur Merc I
treasure I need not stay to tell you The Judgements of God saith David Psal 19.10 are more to be desired then Gold yea then much fine gold And againe Psal 119.72.127 The law of thy mouth is better to me then thousands of Gold and silver And ver 127. when he saw how some made voyd the Law of God he sayth Therefore I love thy commandements above Gold yea above fine Gold As if he had sayd because I see some men esteeme and reckon thy law as if it were drosse and throw it up as voyd and antiquated or taking the boldnes as it were to repeale and make it voyd that they may set up their own lusts and vaine imaginations because I see both prophane and superstitious men thus out of love with thy Law therefore my love is more enflamed to it I love it above gold which leads the most of men away captives in the love of it and I esteeme it more then that which is most esteemed by men and gaines men most esteeme in this world Fine Gold yea as he sayd Psal 19. more then much fine Gold Secondly Observe A high and reverentiall esteeme of the word of God workes the heart and keepes it close to the obedience of the word Job having said before I have kept the commandements of his mouth I have kept his wayes and not declined I have not gone back now comes to the spring of all this constancy in obedience I have esteemed the words of his mouth c. Love is the spring of action and esteeme is the top of love we love nothing which we doe not esteeme and what we love much we thinke we can never esteeme enough And what we thus love and esteeme we strive to keepe close unto They that receive the truth and doe not receive the love of it quickly turne from it to beleive a lye yea God therefore sends them strong delusion to beleive a lye because they received not the love of the truth As not to love the truth is a sin so it is punished with another sin the love of error Though we have taken much truth into our understandings yet unlesse we take it into our affections also we cannot hold it long 'T is love which holds the heart and the word together No man willingly obeyes that Law which he doth not love Before David could say The Law is my meditation all the day he sayth O how I love thy law Ps 119.97 The hypocrite who hates instruction and casts the word of God behinde his backe that is slights and vilifies it to the utmost for so much to cast behinde the backe imports the hypocrite I say who thus casts the word of God behinde his backe will be talking of the word and have it much in his mouth yea he will mouth it so or be so talkative about it that God reproves or checks him for it Psal 50.16 Vnto the wicked saith God What hast thou to doe to declare my statutes or that thou shouldest take my Covenant in thy mouth So then the hypocrite was very busie with his tongue and he could speake much of that which he loved never a whit But was the hypocrite a man of his hands also was he busie in obeying the word which he had cast behinde his back The next words of the Psalme ver 18 19 20 21. tell us what he was busie about even this he was breaking the Law as fast as he could When thou sawest a theife then thou consentest with him and hast been partaker with Adulterers c. The inditement is large and upon many heads yet all true and is therefore closed with These things hast thou done ver 21. I the Lord am witnes and so is thy owne Conscience That Scripture is a cleare glasse wherein we may see how all they will use the Law of God who doe not highly esteeme the words of his mouth We may read Jobs text backward for their character Their feete have not held his steps his way have they not kept but declined they have gone back from the commandement of his lips And why so for they have esteemed the words of his mouth no more then their un-necessary food no more then the scraps that fall from their Table no more then as the Proverb saith their old shoes I have esteemed the word of his mouth more then my necessary food When Job saith I have esteemed the word of his mouth c. It is as if he had sayd this is enough for me that God hath sayd it to make me esteeme it Hence observe Thirdly Whatsoever God saith is to be esteemed for his owne sake or because he hath sayd it As God needs not borrow light from any what to speake so he needs not borrow testimony or Authority from any to ratifie what he hath spoken He is to be beleeved for himselfe His words need no sanction but ipse dixit I the Lord have sayd it or thus saith the Lord that is enough to silence all queryes and disputes both about the truth of what is delivered and the necessity of our obedience to it As the word of Gods mouth is to be obeyed so it is therefore to be obeyed because it is the word of his mouth That he hath sayd it must command our faith As he is the true God so he is the God of truth Every word of his mouth is pretious As what God hath spoken must be the rule of our faith so that he hath spoken it must be the reason of our faith I have esteemed the words of his mouth c. Lastly From both these verses we may take notice of the severall steps by which Jobs piety did arise to so eminent a hight First He strongly tooke hold of the steps of God Secondly He diligently kept his way Thirdly He declined not eyther to the right hand or to the left Fourthly He went not backe from the Holy commandement both which negatives may be resolved into this affirmative He walked very closely and exactly with God in utmost perseverance Fifthly He tooke a delightfull care about all those things which the word of God called him unto even beyond all the care which he tooke for those things which are most conducible to and necessary for the comforts of his body or natural life JOB CHAP. 23. Vers 13. But he is in one minde and who can turne hinc and what his soule desireth even that he doth IN this verse Job is conceived by some at once making discovery of his owne infirmitie and of the soveraignty of God But though all agree that they carry a full discovery of the soveraignty of God yet many are so farre from judging them a discovery of Jobs infirmitie that they rather discover the strength and hight of his Grace and holines To cleare the whole matter we may take notice That there are three apprehensions about the scope and sence of these words First As if in them Job renderd a reason
taken all worldly comforts from him and heaped all those afflictions upon him And here Job sayth God layeth not folly to wicked men notwithstanding all the unjust and unreasonable things which they have done in heaping troubles causelessely upon the poore Though aboundance of folly and madnes was committed and acted by them with a high and heavy hand yet God did not lay folly to them Some reade the text thus Notwithstanding all this God doth nothing that is unsavory Non ponit infulsum q. d. nihil sine maxima sapientia agit vel permisit faciendum deas we supply those words to them the Hebrew text is onely this God putteth not folly so the last mentioned translation may well stand for when Job had reported all those things it might wel be questioned how is it that God permits and suffers such wickednesse in the world O sayth Job God puts no folly or he doth nothing which is unjust or unreasonable in all these things as if he had sayd how unreasonable and unrighteous soever men are in these actings yet God is not unrighteous God doth nothing unbecoming himselfe nothing unseemely or unsavory in it selfe Severall of the Jewish Doctors fall in with this translation Deus non facit hoc gratis frustra i. e. non temere absque ratione Rab Abr Deus non ponet imminutionem i. e. rem deficientem aliqua vel justitiae vel aequitatis circumstantia Rab Kimhi Deus nihil absurdum aut reprehensione dignum agit dum haec omnia permittit Pisc God doth not this gratis or without cause saith one He hath aboundant reason to let that be done which men doe without eyther rule or reason A second renders thus God doth not that which is defective or wanting in any circumstance of Justice and equity The sence of both which rendrings or paraphrases of the text are given in fully in the Annotations of a moderne writer upon it God sayth he doth nothing uncomely or blame-worthy while he suffers all these things to be done which are not onely uncomely and worthy of blame but abominable and worthy of the severest punishment Hence observe Whatsoever God doth he doth it wisely and justly God who is wisdome and justice it selfe and is to himselfe and all others the rule of wisdome and justice can no more doe any thing unwisely or unjustly then he can cease to be wise or just and he can no more cease to be wise or just then cease to be for his wisdome is himselfe and his Justice is himselfe There needs no more to be sayd to acquit any action of weaknes or unrighteousnes then to say God hath done it For as the Apostle speakes 1 Cor. 1.25 The foolishnesse of God is wiser then men and the weaknesse of God stronger then men We may say also and in saying so we say no more then the Apostle sayd before that The injustice of God is juster then men that is those things which God seemes to doe unjustly and unrighteously As when he suffers wicked men to devoure the man that is more righteous then they this seemes to be an act of unrighteousnesse yet this is juster and more righteous then the justice and righteousnesse of men And if the very unrighteousnesse of God that is what appeares to man as unrighteousnesse be righteous Then how righteous is the righteousnesse of God That I meane which appeares righteousnesse in the eyes of all men This reading and sence of the words is safe and holds out an excellent poynt of truth That God doth nothing which is unsavory or unjust Yet our translation is both profitable and clearly suitable to the context and therefore I shall a little insist upon that Yet God layeth not folly to them As if he had sayd These men doe most unsavory and foolish things yet God doth not charge folly upon them The sence of this translation riseth by foure steps First God doth not presently call evill men to an account or charge their sinne upon them Secondly God doth not presently punish evill men for their sin To lay folly to a man is not onely to call him to answer for what he hath done but to punish him as having done foolishly He looks for a sentence next who hath already received his charge and is not able to acquit himselfe and wipe it off Non posuit deus prohibitionem Vatabl in Hebraeo est insâ—ljuÌ„ i. e nihil adversi in grati illis accidere patitur Vatabl Quasi in sulsum significet mala naturae palato malè gratas tribulationes quas deus impiorum conatibus opponere possit Bold Thirdly God doth not presently stop evill men in their worke or make their worke like the worke of a foole which seldome prospers or proves successefull The Prophet Jeremie complained of this to God Chap. 12.1 Why doth the way of the wicked prosper Wherefore are all they happy that deale very treacherously As if he had sayd Lord why doest thou not send out a prohibition from thy Court above and stop the proceedings of wicked and treacherous men they goe on smoothly they meete no rubs in their way but carry all before them they meete with nothing that doth disgust or distast them A stop in our way is to our spirits like hard and unsavory meate to our stomackes that which we cannot digest Thus sayth Job God doth not lay folly to them he doth not make them like foolish builders that begin but are not able to carry on their worke God layd folly in this sence to the builders of Babel he checkt and confounded them in their worke so that they left off to build the City Gen. 11.7 8. But many begin a Babel a worke of confusion to others but are not confounded themselves they not onely begin to build but finish They set up the topstone of their worke while many cry woe woe to it and yet God doth not lay folly to them Fourthly Wee may resolve this Negative God layeth not folly to them into an Affirmative God lets them goe on as if they had done wisely discreetly justly And whereas it is sayd to Christ in that prophecy Psal 45.4 Ride prosperously because of truth and meeknes and righteousnes God seemes to say to them ride prosperously even in deceit and wrath and unrighteousnesse They hate righteousnes and love wickednes yet God seemes to anoynt them with the oyle of Gladnes and successe above their fellowes God layeth not folly to them Hence note First The wayes of unrighteousnesse are foolish and unsavory wayes Whatsoever hath sinne in it wanteth salt in it Christ sayth to his Disciples Mark 9.50 Have salt in your selves and have peace one with another that is let there be a savour of Christ a savour of grace and holinesse and equity in your owne spirits and be ye sweetly mildly amiably brotherly disposed one to another They have no salt of wisdome in themselves whose conversation is unsavory and
the skie So the face of the earth is the superficies or upper part of the earth and the face of the waters is the upper part of the waters The word in the text is plural faces he is swift upon the faces of the water that is when he hath murtherd committed Adultery and robbed at land when the Earth is weary of him then he betakes himselfe to the Sea and turnes Pyrate There is a truth in this Velocitêr manâ— se ad mare recipiunt Vatab Levis est ad nâ—tandum sive remiganduÌ„ super faciens aquae Targ some men make such a progresse in wickednesse they try all trades of sin upon the earth and then trade sinfully upon the water defileing both earth and water both sea and shoare polluting all the Elements with their abominations And in pursuance of this exposition the two other Clauses of the verse are thus expounded Their portion is Cursed in the earth that is they who live at land Curse them when they are gone to Sea fearing lest they should take their ships spoyl them of their goods by pyracy And then he beholdeth not the way of the vineyards that is he will come no more on shoare he will not live at land vineyards by a synecdoche of the part for the whole being put for any kinde of home or land possession of which vineyards in many places are the chiefe he who lived by dressing and planting the earth now takes another course of life hee beholdeth not the way of the vineyards he will labour no more in a Country life he will not get his liveing by the sweat of his face but by the face of the waters What cares he to get wine by dressing of vineyards when he can get whole Shiploads of wine upon the waters And having got a smatch of the sweetnes of robbing at Sea he will worke no more aland We have too much experience of it that when a man hath once given himselfe up to stealing he cannot abide labouring He is better pleased with an easie life that is sinfull then with an honest life that is painefull and because ease pleaseth him more then honesty therefore he will not behold the way of the vineyards nor the way of the Corne feilds nor of the pasture grounds Ad piratas referre divinare est ex proprio cerebro cum hic tantum de infesâ—â—toribus agâ—orum mentio fiat non navium aut maris Pined for all these are wayes of labour But I shall not Insist upon this Interpretation it may suffice onely to name it And though as to the thing it selfe as also to the practice of many this be a truth yet it is scarsely probable that Job had that practice in his eye Secondly Wee may here conceave that Job is describing the miserable and unsetled Condition of the murtherer of the Adulterer and of the Theife hee is swift upon the waters or swift as the waters say wee Mr Broughton renders He is lighter then the face of the waters The Hebrew particle serves eyther reading as or upon He is swift or light upon the face of the waters that is he is as a light thing that swimmeth upon the face of the waters light things swim there things which are of no worth of no price as strawes or chips or feathers or the foame which is light and hoven swim upon the face of the water Mr Broughton translates thus He is lighter then the face of the waters The sence is the same for as those things which swim upon the face of the waters are light so also is the face of the waters Every blast or puffe of winde moves and tosseth up the face of the waters Levitas pro velocitate sumitur leve enim facile movetur quod facile movetur velox est He is swift or light upon the face of the waters The Hebrew word which we render swift in our translation signifieth also light because those things that are swift in motion are light wee say of one that is slow paced hee is heavie heel'd and that he is a heavy man or that a heavy beast which is slow of foot all swift things are light The meaning of this Interpretation is that a wicked man is a Contemptible Creature what is hee when he hath done all those mischiefes before specifyed and walked to wearynes in all those sinfull wayes Proverbialis loquutio ad exprimendum aliquid quod flocci penditur fere nihil est Bold Leves erunt ut res quae super aquas natant fluctuabunt abibant diffluent The best account which we can give of him is this Hee is light or as a light thing upon the face of the water which is a Proverbiall speech to Expresse that which is nothing worth Thus the destruction of the King of Samaria is expressed Hos 10.7 As for Samaria her King is cut off as the foame upon the water or as the Margin hath it upon the face of the water that is though he be a great King yet he shall perish as a very light and contemptible thing even as a little foame and froth or as a buble upon the water Hence observe Wickednes makes men Contemptible and vile they are but as light things upon the water In the 21th of this booke v. 18. the wicked are sayd to be as stubble before the fire and as Chaff before the whirle-winde So David Psal 1.4 speaking of the wicked in general saith They are like the chaffe which the wind driveth away Stubble and chaffe are light things and they are also worthles things what 's the stubble worth or what the chaffe What is the chaffe to the wheat such are wicked men in comparison of the Godly The Scripture doth even strive for Expressions as I may say to set forth the lightnes the vanity Indeed the nullity the non-entity the nothingnes of men given up to their lusts David Psal 62.9 speaking of them who trust in oppression and become vaine in robberie saith they are vanity and a lye and that to be layd in the ballance they are alltogether lighter then vanity And Solomon putting the tongue of a Godly man and the heart of a wicked man together into the ballance gives this determination between them Pro. 10.20 The tongue of the just is as choyce silver but the heart of the wicked is little worth The heart is there taken in the highest sence for the best thing that the wicked man hath for though where the heart is nought it is the worst thing that a man hath yet the sence of the proverbe is to shew that the best thing that a wicked man hath is of little worth and therefore the instance is made in that which he accounts his chiefest treasure his heart for by the heart all that man hath within him all the powers and faculties of the soule with their best and richest furniture are understood all these saith Solomon in a wicked man
man chafed and enraged as a man full of wrath and fury but as a man most tenderly affected and full of pity for a bruised reade shall he not breake and smoaking flax shall he not quench a bruised read and smoaking flax are emblems of the weake of the arme without strength of those who are without wisdome Christ will not deale roughly with those he will not breake the bruised read nor quench the smoaking flax that is such as are broken with the sence of sin such as are weake in faith such as are so much over-powred by corruption that they doe rather smoake and make an ill-sented smother then burne or shine in a gracious profession such as are thus low and meane in spiritualls Christ will not breake with his power nor quench with his rebukes till he send forth judgement to victory that is till he hath perfected their conversion and hightned their graces to the full and caused the better part in them to prevaile over the worse as the house of David did over the house of Saul till it arive at a blessed victory And againe Isa 61.2 The spirit of the Lord God is upon me for whâ—t because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meeke he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted to proclaime liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound Here is helping those that have no power and saving the arme that hath no strength Thus Christ handles those who through temptation affliction or any trouble are brought low For the neglect of this duty the Lord reproves the Shepheards Ezek. 34.2 3 4. Son of man prophesie against the Shepheards of Israel prophecy and say unto them thus saith the Lord God unto the Shepheards Woe be to the Shepheards of Israel that doe feed themselves should not the Shepheards feed the flockes That is should they not be more intent upon the feeding of their flocke with spiritualls then upon the feeding of themselves with temporalls should they not labour more to feed the peoples soules then their owne bellyes surely they ought But what did the Shepheards of Israel The next words shew us both what they did and what they did not Ye eate the fat and ye cloath you with the wool ye kill them that are fed These things they were forward enough to doe But see what they did not ye feed not the flock That 's a general neglect of duty then followeth their neglect of particular duties The diseased have ye not strengthened neyther have ye healed that which is sicke neyther have ye bound up that which was broken neyther have ye brought againe that which was driven away by force of Satans temptation neyther have ye sought that which was lost through selfe-folly and corruption Here is a large enditement against the Shepheards All which may be summed up in Jobs language to Bildad They did not helpe those who had no power they did not save the arme without strength nor counsel those who had no wisdome See againe how the Prophet describes the compassionatenesse of God to his people in an afflicted condition Isa 27.8 In measure that is moderately when it shooteth forth thou wilt debate with it he stayeth his rough winde in the day of the East winde that is when affliction like an East winde blowes feircely upon his from the world then he stayeth his rough winde he will not bring his rough winde out of his treasures to joyn with the East-winde God will deale gently with his when they are hardly dealt with by men And thus it is our duty when it is a day of the East winde a day of trouble and temptation upon any soule to stay the rough winde to breath gently to give refreshment and ease to the weary soule How hast thou helped him that hath no power how savest thou the arme that hath no strength Secondly Observe The manner how we performe any duty is to be attended as well as the matter Bildads businesse was to comfort the sorrowfull to strengthen the infirme how did he performe this his strengthening was a weakning his helping was a grieving of Job already weake and grieved and the reason was because he failed in the manner or mannaging of this worke we must be carefull as to doe good for the matter so to doe it effectually which cannot be unlesse it be done rightly Some goe with an honest purpose to helpe who yet administer no helpe at all to every such helper it may be sayd with rebuke How hast thou helped him that is without power how unhandsomely hast thou done it what worke hast thou made of it Thou hast but entangled the poore soule worse then before This runs through all duties We may say to some How have you prayed and called upon God They onely speake a few words present a few petitions but without a heart without faith without a sense of the presence of God or of their owne wants how have such prayed call ye this prayer we may say to others how have you heard the word of God is this to heare what to reâ—eive the sound or the sense of the word and never to minde it more never to digest nor turne what is heard into practice is this hearing We may say to others how have you fâ—sted and humbled your soules before God Is this a fast that God hath chosen a day for a man to hang downe his head like a bullrush Is this fasting to God even to God No This is but a mock-fast a No-fast God hates such formality in praying hearing fasting with a perfect hatred A body exercised and a soule sitting still is not worship God is a spirit and will be worshipped in spirit and in truth In the truth or according to the rule of his owne word as also in the truth or according to the sincerity of our owne hearts unlesse we worship God in this twofold truth we worship him not at all as he will be worshipped how much soever we seeme to have a will to worship him As Job here puts a question mixt with admiration and indignation to his helper How hast thou helped him that hath no power How ilfavordly how bunglingly hast thou done it So the Lord will put such a question to many of his worshippers How have ye worshipped him that hath all power how slightly how formally how hypocritically have ye done it Therefore in all duties looke to the manner as well as to the matter and labour to doe them well as well as to doe them To neglect the doing of a duty or the doing of it negligently are alike offensive unto God and he will say to the latter with as much displeasure How hast thou done what I commanded as he will to the latter Why hast thou not done what I commanded yea Thirdly Observe That which is not done as it ought is to be judged as if not done That which we strive not
to doe in a right manner we upon the matter doe not at all We may resolve these interrogations of the Text into negations How hast thou helped him that is without power is as much as this thou hast not helped him how savest thou the arme that hath no strength is indeed Thou hast not saved him how hast thou counselled him that hath no wisdome caryeth this meaning thou hast given him no counsell we use to say as good never a whit as never the better and how good soever any thing is that we doe if we doe it amisse it will be reckoned by God what reckoning soever men make of it as if we had done no such thing Moses said to the Lord under a temptation when he was troubled at the complaint of the people because the deliverance promised did not come on and they were not freed as was expected Lord wherefore hast thou so evill entreated this people why is it that thou hast sent me for since I came to Pharaoh to speake in thy name he hath done evill to this people neither hast thou delivered thy people at all Exod. 5.23 Is this a deliverance this is no deliverance we are apt to thinke the mercyes of God no mercyes unlesse he give us full and perfect mercyes unlesse we presently receave all that we looke for we looke upon it as if we had receaved nothing at all But how truely may the Lord say to the children of men when they performe duties slightly and negligently ye have not done them at all ye have neyther prayed nor heard nor fasted at all because ye have been negligent in and unprofitable under them The workes and dutyes of the best are not every way full but the workes and dutyes of some are alltogether empty and they doe nothing in all they doe Fourthly In these severall interrogations are here held forth the severall effects of holy advice given according to the word and minde of God how hast thou helped him that is without power saved the arme that hath no strength counselled him that hath no wisdome As if he had sayd thou indeed hast offered me counsell from God if thou hadst managed it right this would have been the fruit of it I who have no power should have been helped and I who am as an arme without strength should have been saved Hence observe That the word of God or divine truths are mighty in operation when duely administred The word of truth conveigheth strength to the weake wisdome to the simple comfort to the sorrowfull light to those who are in darkenes and life unto the dead The word lifts up the hands which hang downe and the feeble knees The law of the Lord that is every holy truth saith David Psal 19.7 8. is perfect and what can it doe the next words tell us converting or restoring the soule The testimony of the Lord is sure and what can that doe the next words tell us making wise the simple The statutes of the Lord are right and what can they doe even that which is most sweete where it is done reioycing the heart The commandement of the Lord is pure in it selfe and it worketh gloriously in us enlightning the eyes I may say also The word of the Lord is mighty and it giveth strength to those who have no might As it is mighty for the pulling downe of strong holds casting downe imaginations every thing that exalteth it selfe against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor 10.4 5. So it is as mighty for the raysing up of the weake for the lifting up of those who are cast downe and fallen below the knowledge of God through unbeliefe and for the bringing of poore soules out of captivity into that blessed liberty of faith in Christ What Great things the word rightly applyed and divine truths brought home with Authority have done and still can doe was shewed at the 4 â—h Chapter of that booke verse 3d and 4th As also at the 25 â—h verse of the sixth Chapter upon those words How forcible are right words Though we ought to helpe those who have no power by more then words yet words have holpen many who had no power as Job doth more then intimate while he reproves Bildad for his unskillfull wording it with him How hast thou helped c. And how hast thou plentifully declared the thing as it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unde Graecum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Appellatio a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod esse significat sapientia enim rerum omnium existentium prima praecipua est Drus That which we render The thing as it is is but one word in the Original and it hath a threefold signification First It is put for the essence substance or being of a thing The Greek word for substance is very neere this in sound and may possibly be a derivative from it Secondly It signifieth that working or operation which flowes from being Things first are and then they act and they are to little or no purpose unlesse they act Thirdly It signifieth counsell advice wisdome or sound wisdome Prov. 3.21 so Mr Broughton translates And makest advice knowne aboundantly Others taking up the same notion render How hast thou declared wisdome abundantly As if he had sayd Thou thinkest thou hast opened a treasure and declared store of wisdome and knovledge in this discourse or that thou hast made a very wise and learned discourse whereas indeed it will be found leane and short in it selfe as also impertinent to the poynt in hand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad multitudinem vel multiplicitèr Our translation takes it in the first sense How hast thou plentifully declared the thing as it is that is how hast thou declared the substance of the thing or the solid truth in plenty or as the Hebrew phrase imports in great number and with much variety Hence note First Every thing ought to be declared as it is that is the naked truth ought to be declared It is our duty to speake of things as they are not to put colours upon them and so make them appeare what they are not or otherwise then they are truth is plaine and truth should be told plainely The naked truth or the thing as it is is most beautifull to the eye of the understanding And though Bildad did misreport what he spake of God yet he did not make a full report How hast thou plentifully declared the thing as it is Secondly Hence note As we ought to speake the truth so to speake the truth out or all the truth Paul tells the Church of Eâ—hesus Acts 20.20 That he had kept nothing back that was profitable for them and sayth he ver 27. I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God Paul plentifully declared the thing as it was Bildad spake truth but not all the truth as to Jobs case
He spake great things of the power and holynes of God but Jobs case called him to speake as much if not more and rather of the goodness and kindnes of God He spake enough to humble and cast Job downe at the sight of his natural uncleanenes but he should have spoken more to rayse him up and comfort him by shewing him that fountaine which is opened to wash in for sin and for uncleanenes Wee may quickly entangle a soule by speaking truth unlesse we shew him all that ruth which belongs to his condition The Scriptures have plenty of truth in them and are therefore able to make as wise unto salvation They are profitable for doctrine for reproofe for correction for instruction in righteousnes The Scripture is like that River spoken of Gen. 2.10 which went out of Eden to water the Garden and from thence it was parted and became into foure heads Paul in that place now mentioned 2 Tim. 3.16 shewes us the Scripture parting it selfe into foure heads first of Doctrine for establishing the truth secondly of reproofe for removing of error thirdly of correction for the beating downe of ill manners fourthly of instruction for building up in a holy conversation That so as it there follows the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good workes that is in Jobs language that he may be able plentifully to declare the solid truth the thing as it is and as knowingly to declare General truths so to apply them discerningly to the state of every person A fayling wherein Job is supposed to charge Bildad with in the next verse Vers 4. To whom hast thou uttered words Here Job taxeth Bildad with inconsideratenesse in reference to the person to whom he spake To whom hast thou uttered words hast thou considered to whom thou spakest Quem docere voluisti nonne eum qui fecit spiramentum Vulg The vulgar translation referrs it to God whom wouldst thou teach wouldst not thou teach him who made the breath surely thou takest upon thee to teach him who is the teacher of us all Thus many carry on the sense of this fourth verse according to the second interpretation of the second and third verses With which presumption Job taxed his friends once before and that in expresse termes Chap. 21 22. Shall any teach God knowledge seeing he judgeth those that are high But I conceive Jobs meaning is onely to shew Bildad that he had not well advised about his case and condition before he spake for Bildad might say is this a question to be asked to whom have I uttered words have not I been speaking to thee all this while art not thou the man for whose sake we are here met and about whom we have had all this dispute Why then doest thou aske to whom hast thou uttered words Job doubted not who it was to whom he spake but Job questions him as fearing he was not well acquainted with or had not enough layd to heart the state of the man to whom he spake dost thou know what my condition is and hast thou suited and cut out thy discourse to my condition to whom hast thou uttered words Hence note We should well consider the state of every person to whom we speak and apply our speech or doctrine accordingly Bildad in the former Chapter had been setting forth the power majesty and dread of God as also his infinite purity befoâ—e whom the Angels are not-cleane now sayth Job to whom hast thou uttered these words should I be thus dealt with thus handled who am a man cast downe already and under the terrours of God Is this discourse though an undoubted truth sutable to my condition Thou shouldst rather have represented God to my faith in his goodnesse and mercy in his long suffering and patience in his tendernesse and gentlenesse towards sinners thou shouldst have proclaimed that name of God to me which is his Glory Exod. 34.6 The Lord The Lord gracious and mercifull long suffering and aboundant in goodnes and truth this had been a description of God a proclamation of God fit for a man in my case Whereas thou hast onely told me of his mighty power and dominion of his Hosts and Armyes doest thou know to whom thou hast uttered these words Jesus Christ when here on earth considered to whom he was uttering words and therefore tells his Disciples Joh. 16.12 I have many things to say unto you but ye cannot beare them now Christ would not put new wine into old botles but attemper'd his speech to the strength and capacity of his hearers Some must heare that which they cannot beare when that springs from their passion and impatience especially when from their love to and resolvednesse to goe onne in sinne Amos must not forbeare to speake though Amaziah cry out The Land is not able to beare all his words But we must take heed of forcing words upon any which they cannot beare or are not fit to heare eyther by reason of their afflictions and temptations or by reason of their present infirmities and incapacities The Apostle 2 Tim. 2.15 bids Timothy study to shew thy selfe approved unto God he doth not meane it in his private course of life and dayly converse which is the duty of every beleever but in his publicke course of life or converse as a Minister of the Gospel in that sayth he study to shew thy selfe approved unto God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed what kind of workman was Timothy his worke lay in the Word shew thy selfe a workeman and a Master in thy worke rightly dividing the word of truth how is the word to be divided he doth not meane of a gramaticall nor of a logicall division though there may be a use of these divisions of the Word but the dividing of the word intended by Paul is the dividing of it spiritually to the severall states and conditions of men giving to such a word of instruction to others a word of reproofe to a third sort words of comfort This is dividing the word aright And in doing this Paul would have Timothy declare himfelfe a workman that he needed not be ashamed He would have him know to whom he uttered words to know when he spake to sinners and when to Saints when he spake to the afflicted and when to them that were in a comfortable estate He would have him know when he spake to those who were hardned in their sin and when to those whose hearts were broken under the weight and sence of sin And thus as every man who uttereth words so Ministers of the Gospel especially should be well advised to whom they utter them For as the same garment will not serve every body to weare nor the same bed to lye upon so the same word will not serve every soule We must not doe as the tyrant who made one bed serve all his guests and they that were too long for it were cut shorter and they who
the breath whose spirit or whose breath came from thee The sense is the same And. First Some interpret Job thus Whose spirit or whose breath came from thee That is Consider O Bildad whose spirit moved thee or who breathed these things into thee whose breath or whose spirit came from thee when thou didst utter these words so 't is a rebuke of Bildads presumption as if he had conceaved himselfe wrought or acted by some extraordinary spirit while he was speaking or that the things which he uttered had been dropt into him by an immediate Revelation from heaven whose spirit came from thee what breath what gale hath filled thy sayles thou hast high conceits of thy selfe as if God had spoken to thee by his Spirit or as if thou hadst spoken these things to me from his mouth But is it not rather thy owne spirit thy owne heart which hath dictated these words unto thee Some thinke the same spirit comes from them when they speak which came from the holy Prophets and Apostles who yet are deceaved The Disciples of Christ thought the same spirit came from them which came from Eliah when they said Luk. 9.54 Lord wilt thou that we command fiâ—e to come downe from heaven and consume them as Elias did But he turned and rebuked them and sayd ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of As if he had sayd in the language of Job ye know not whose spirit comes from you ye would speake the words of Elias but ye have not the spirit of Elias you have a zeale but not according to knowledge yours is but a humane affection not a divine inspiration as Elias his was his was a pure spirit of zeale but yours is a rash spirit of revenge And therefore your motion suites not with your calling for as I am come so I send you to save not to destroy We may speake the same words and doe the same things which others have done and spoken and yet not with the same but with quite another spirit Therefore examine whose spirit comes from you This is a good and profitable sence Yet Cujus anima prodijt ex te i. e. quem consolatus es tam efficaciter sermone tuo ut anima ejus ex maerore quasi in corpore sepulta jacebat rursum è latebris prodierit seseq per corpus exserue rit Pisc Cujus animam verbis tuis vivificasti Hebraei Apud Merc Secondly Rather thus Whose spirit came from thee that is whose soule or whose minde hath been recovered out of trouble and feare out of sadnesse and sorrow by the words which thou hast spoken Thus the spirit is taken for his to whom he spake not for his spirit who spake or not for the spirit with which he spake This is a Great truth gratious and right words rightly applyed doe as it were releive the spirit and bring back the fainting yea dead soule from the grave of griefe and sorrow wherein it lay as buried Now sayth Job whose spirit came from thee Hast thou recovered or raysed any languishing soule by what thou hast sayd who hath felt life and power coming from thee I am sure I have not though I have heard thee out and heard thee attentively What the Moralist sayd of Idlenes the same may we say of sorrow or heavynes It is the buriall of a man while he liveth And therefore he that hath comforted a man and recovered him out of his sorrows may be sayd to give him a new life and that the spâ—rit of such a man is come forth from him yea he that instructeth the ignorant and bringeth them to the saving knowledge of God may be sayd to breath or put a soule into them In which sence some of the Jewish writers expound that place Gen. 12.5 where it is sayd That Abraham tooke Sarah his wife and Lot his Brothers son and all their substance that they had gathered and the soules that they had gotten in Charan c. that is all those whom by good instruction and example they had gained to God or as the Apostle speakes 1 Thes 1.9 had by their meanes turned to God from Idolls to serve the living and true God These soules they got in Charan though Abraham and Sarah were barren of naturall issue yet they had much spirituall issue many soules or the soules of many came from them And therefore when Job would put a disparagement upon what Bildad had spoken he puts him this Question Whose spirit or whose soule came forth from thee or whom hast thou resouled as the Greeke word which the Apostle useth for refreshing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth elegantly signifie Acts 3.19 Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the time of refreshing or resouling shall come from the presence of the Lord. When a man faints or is very weary we say he hath lost his spirits and he is even as a man without a soule But when in the use of any meanes he is refreshed then we say his spirit or soule is come to him againe The spirit of man comes onely from God in its natural constitution he is the father of Spirits Eccl 12.7 Heb. 12.9 But the spirit of man may come from man in its refreshings and consolations And therefore sayth Job to Bildad Whose spirit came from thee or whom hast thou comforted Thou hast undertaken to comfort me but I am not comforted Hence note Holy truths or words rightly applyed have a releiving yea a reviving power in them Such words give a man his soule againe when he hath lost it and when he is as it were gone from himselfe he is brought backe to himselfe againe For as it is sayd of the repenting Prodigall he came to himselfe he was gone he was lost from himselfe his soule was departed from him his understanding was none of his he was no more Master of any spiritually rationall faculty then a dead man is of any meere rationall faculty and so his father reported him whilst in that condition this our sonne was dead but is alive he was lost but he is found Luk. 15.32 Now I say as it is in extreame sinnings so in extreame sorrowings and dejections of spirit a man is lost from himselfe he is as a dead man and so when comfort comes in againe life may be sayd to come in againe he who before was lost is found and he who was dead revives The word revives from a twofold death It revives a natural man from the death of sin and it revives a Godly man from a death in sorrow How many spirits have come forth at the voyce of the Word out of the grave of sin Christ foretold this resurrection of the soule by the preaching and publication of the Gospel Joh. 5.25 The houre is coming and now is when the dead shall heare the voyce of the son of God in the ministery of the word and they shall live And lest any
layd up in the dust 241. The natural place of Gold should abate our desires after it 242. Gold the most excellent metal in five respects 382 Grace renders a man precious 383. The glory of grace is that it continueth 659 Greatest and strongest as easily cast downe by God as the least or weakest 665 Growth of Grace 397 H Hands purenes of hands what 290 Hardnes of heart in sin when the sinner can feed upon it 494. Hard heart trembles not at the reproofes of God 790 Heart lift up to heaven the worke of Grace 106. Laying up the word in the heart hath a twofold opposition 225. The heart of man is the Arke where the word of God must be layd up 227. Truth in the heart better to us then truth in the booke 228. Heart of man makes more false Gods then his hand ever made 128. The word to be hid in the heart 407. Soft heart what several sorts of it 457 Heathens confined their Gods to certain places 114 Heaven is the place of Gods speciall residence 105. 111. Two inferences given from it 106. Heaven and hel know no changes 779 Heavens what the garnishing of them is 804. Visible heavens are full of Beauty 807. Severall inferences from it 807 808 Hel in what sence it consumes those who are cast into it 624. What meant by hel in Scripture 746. Hel is destruction 747. Hel expressed by eight words in Scripture 751 Heresie like a flood yet bounded by God 777 Hiding the word of two sorts 227. Three ends of hiding the word in the heart 228 Hidings of God from his people 367 368. God hideth himselfe five wayes 368. God will be as hid to his people sometimes after the use of much meanes to finde him 371 High places of God what they are 684 Holynes the Lord takes pleasure in it three reasons why 22 23. Why we should be every where holy 113. Holynes hath boldnes with God 261 328. Holynes gives us weight and honour 602 Holy-Ghost sin against the Holy-Ghost what it it in general 557 Honour a threefold honour arising to God by the fall of the wicked 189 Houses God hath two speciall houses 808 Humble persons of two sorts 287. Humble persons under the speciall care of God 288 Hypocrites some not discovered in this world 330. Hypocrites feare the judgement of God or to be tryed by God 330. An hypocrite cannot rejoyce that God knoweth him shewed in three things 377. Hypocrites cannot hold out when they come to the tryall 384 I Jelousie guilt makes men full of it 642 Ignorance wicked men love it 554. A twofold ignorance 560 561 Imitation of God our duty 390 Impenitency under sin cōmitted worse then the sin committed 44 Imprisonment when a cruelty 54 Inconstancy of a carnal man shewed two wayes 602 Industriousnesse of the wicked in sinning 517 518 Infinite what Nothing strictly infinite but God 40 Innocent oft charged with foulest crimes 83. Innocent taken two wayes in Scripture 192 Joy at the troubles which befall wicked men how lawfull 186 187. What kind of joy that is not and what it is 192 Judge God the most desireable Judge to the godly and sincere five grounds of it 429 430. A Godly man rests in the Judgement of God 336. God is every way fitted to be a righteous Judge 378. In a Judge two things specially needfull 378 Judging man apt to judge favourably of himselfe hardly of others 48. We must take heed of Judging upon suspition 48. What Judging of others forbidden 49 Judgement wicked ripe for judgement sometimes before ripe in years 143. Judgements of God have somewhat of mercy in them 168. Judgements of God upon the wicked how matter of Joy to the righteous 184. Why the Judgements of God upon the wicked are not visible 482 Jupiter Hammon why so called 618 Justice how blind and how seeing 124 Justice must be done for the example of others 182 183 Justice of God honoured by the fall of evill men 189 Justification selfe justification extreamely displeasing unto God 24. God hath no respect to our righteousnes in the busienes of Justification 29. Justification what it is 700. Man hath nothing of his owne to justifie him before God two grounds of it 702. A twofold Justification 703 K Keeping the way of God twofold 392 Knowers of God or they who know God who they are 473. Every Godly man is a knower of God 476. Some godly men know God much more then others who are godly too 478 Knowing and understanding taken two wayes 334. 372 Knowledge evill men will act against their owne knowledge 555. Knowledge of God how and what God knoweth 121. The most secret wayes of man even the way within him is knowne to God 373. A general inference from this knowledge of God 374. It is the Joy of the upright that God knowes their most secret wayes 374. That God knowes the wayes of a godly man assures him of three things 375. Nothing is hid from the eye or knowledge of God 749. All our knowledge of the wayes and workes of God is but in part 819 L Labourer not to be wronged 536. Nothing cheape but poore mens labours why sayd so 538. It may be a dangerous thing to be the labourers purse-bearer but for a night 539 Land-markes the removing of them very sinfull 489 Law of God the Elegancy of the Hebrew word whereby it is expressed opened 220. Law taken two wayes 222. To receive the Law what it is 225. God onely can give a Law to the conscience 224. Law how written in our hearts by God and how by our selves 226 Left-hand declining what it importeth 396 Levelling principles confuted by the naturall state of the creature 117 Leviathan or Whale the mighty power of God in forming the Leviathan 814. An inference from it 815 Liberty threefold where the Spirit is 262. Life of man in what sence it should alwayes hang in doubt to him 641. How no man is sure of his life 643 Light of God fourefold 695 Light God is with all men by a twofold light 157. Light threefold shining upon the wayes of a Godly man 282. Light twofold 550. Wicked love not the light neyther to see what good they should doe nor to be seene in the evill they doe 554. Light internall against which the wicked rebel twofold 550. Holy truth is light 551. How divine truth is like light shewed in severall resemblances 552. Sinning against light exceeding sinfull 557. Foure degrees of sinning against light 558 They who sin against light are ready for every sin 560 Looke of God twofold 652 Love true love to man will not easily conceave or nourish suspition 102 Love we cannot be constant in that which we doe not love or affect 561 Lusts and corruptions like a stormy Sea within us 801 802 Lyars men are made lyars two wayes 670. The worst that can be sayd of a man is that he is a lyar 672 Lye false doctrine is a lye 671