object cannot be immoderate but in temperals they quickly may and therefore as to them our moderation should be known to all men Yet if God give in abundance of temporals in the lawfull exercise of our callings we may warraÌ„tably enjoy it as a blessing from him The providence of God doth often bound us to a little and we ought to be contented with the least portion of outward things with bare food rayment but the word of God doth not bound us to a little nor doth it say it is unlawfull to have much And as it is not unlawfull to have much of the world so it is a great exercise and tryall of our Graces to have much As there are some Graces of a Christian which come not to tryall till we are in want so there are other Graces which come not to tryall unlesse we have aboundance Want tryeth our patience and our dependance upon God for a supply of what we have not and aboundance tryeth our temperance our humility our liberality yea and our dependance upon and faith in God for the sanctifying blessing and making of that comfortable to us which we have When a rich man seeth an emptines in his aboundance without the enjoyments of God in it he exerciseth as high a grace and sheweth as heavenly a frame of mind as that poore man doth who seeth and enjoyeth a fullnes in God in the midst of all his emptines And therefore Paul puts both these alike upon a divine teaching Phil. 4.12 In all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and to suffer need And had it been unlawfull to enjoy plenty Eliphaz had never pressed Job to repentance by this motive The Almighty shall be thy defence and thou shalt have plenty of silver JOB CHAP. 22. Vers 26 27. For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty and shalt lift up thy face unto God Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him and â—e shall heare thee and thou shall pay thy Vowes IT hath been shewed from the former context how Eliphaz encouraged yea provoked Job to repentance and returning to God by the proposall of many promises by promises of outward and temporall mercies gold silver and protection He might have what he pleased of God for the comforts of this life if his life were once pleasing unto God In this latter part of the Chapter he riseth higher and proposeth spirituall promises And he begins with the best of spirituall promises the free injoyment of God himselfe Vers 26. For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty c. As if Eliphas had said If thou dost indeed repent and turne from sin thy conscience which now troubles yea torments thee shall have sweete peace in God and thou who now grovellest with thy eyes downe to the ground by reason of thy pressing guilt and misery shalt then with confidence lift up thy face unto God in prayer and thou shalt finde God so ready at hand with an answer that thou shalt see cause chearefully to performe thy Vowes which thou madest to him in the day of trouble That 's the generall scope of this latter part of the Chapter I shall now proceed to explicate the particulars For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Allmighty The first word implyeth a reason of what he had said before Having spoken of temporall promises he confirmes his interest in them by assuring him of spirituall for then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty As if he had said God will not deny thee outward comforts in the creature seing he intends to give thee the highest comforts even delight in himselfe 'T is an argument like that of the Apostle Rom. 8.32 He that spared not his owne Sonne but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him freely give us all things Thus Eliphaz seemes to argue seeing God will give thee himselfe to rejoyce in or to rejoyce in himselfe how can he deny thee gold and silver with those other conveniencies which concerne this life these being indeed as nothing in comparison of himselfe Then shalt thou delight c. Then that is when thou returnest to God and not till then then thou mayest expect to receive much sweetnesse from him such sweetnesse as thy soule never tasted or experienced to this day Then shalt thou have thy delight The word signifies to delight or take contentment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 delectatus fuit coâ—pore vel animo Sonai etiam aliquâ—d delicatum â—oâ—â—e whether it be outward contentment or inward contentment the delight of the body or the delight of the minde And so an universall delight thy whole delight shall be in the Lord. Moses Deut. 28.56 describes those women by this word who were made up of delight Thy tender and delicate woman that is such as are so delicate that they are the delight of all who behold them or who are themselves altogether devoted to their delights who as the Apostle Paul speaks of the wanton widdow 1 Tim. 5. live in pleasure These are threatned with such calamities as should render their very lives a paine to them The word is used againe Isa 58.13 14. where the Prophet speaks of keeping the Sabboth If thou turne away thy foote from the Sabbath from doing thy pleasure on my holy day and call the Sabbath a delight what then then shalt thou delight thy selfe in the Lord thou shalt have curious delight all manner of delight in the Lord if thou call the Sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord honourable and shalt honour him if thou hast a delight in duty thou shalt have the delight of reward Thus Eliphaz then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty And 't is considerable that he doth not say thou shalt have thy delight in the mercifull or gracious God but in the Allmighty in him thou shalt have thy delight whose power is over all and who is able to doe whatsoever pleaseth him Even the power and allmightinesse of the Lord shall be as pleasant to thee as his mercy and loving kindnesse Further delight in the generall nature of it consists in these two things First In the suitablenesse and conveniency of the object and the faculty whether sensitive or intellective Secondly It consists in the reflection and application of the faculty upon the object So that to delight our selves in the Allmighty hath these two things in it First A suitablenesse in our soules to the Lord. Secondly The soules reflecting upon the Lord as good and gratious unto us This reflect act breeds and brings in delight and works the heart to an unspeakeable joy in God By this last and highest act of faith we take in the sweetnesse of the Almighty and delight our selves in him mightily This faith doth not onely suck the promises wherein the love of God is evidenced to us but is it selfe an evidence of the love of God to
he further explaines in the next words Vers 3. Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous Or is it any gaine to him that thou makest thy way perfect In the former Verse Eliphaz denyed in generall that God receiveth any benefit from man In this third Verse he speaks the same thing but somewhat more distinctly denying first that he receives any pleasure which might add to his blessednesse or secondly any gaine which might add to his abundance Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous Is it any gaine to him that thou makest thy way perfect As if he had said Is the blessednesse of God encreased by thy righteousnesse Or doth the perfection of thy wayes augment his treasure Is he either the happier or the richer by any thing thou art or canst doe That 's the scope and sence of the words in generall Is it any pleasure The word which we Translate Pleasure signifies the will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Notat voluntatem cum complacentia vel acquiescentia and because it is so great a pleasure unto man to have his wil therefore the same wâ—rd signifieth both pleasure and the will So the word is used Psal 1.2 Blessed is the man whose delight is in the Law of God that is whose will is there or who takes pleasure in the Law of God his will being resolved into the will of God Then we take pleasure and delight in a thing when we conforme to it or close with it The judgment of God is so expressed upon Coniah Jer. 22.28 Is this man Coniah a despised broken Idol Vas in quo non est voluntas Is he a vessel wherein there is no pleasure A Vessel for the lowest use as 't is interpreted ver 21. A vessel in which there is no complacency it is onely for necessity So the word is taken also Prov. 3.15 He is more precious then Rubies all the things thou canst desire or have pleasure in are not to be compared to him And againe Isa 58.13 If thou forbeare to do thy pleasure upon mine holy day What is the pleasure of a carnal man upon the Sabboth upon the holy day of God It is to doe his own will and not the will of God If thou forbear to doe thine own pleasure that is thine own will upon my holy day Thus here Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Sept. The Septuagint Translate somewhat differently What cares the Almighty if thou art unblameable in thy wayes Thus a man usually speaks of that wherein he hath no pleasure What care I for it Is it any pleasure c. That thou art righteous Righteousnesse is two-fold First of Justification so some understand it here Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art justified Or secondly there is a righteousnesse in Conversation so most understand it here Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art holy Which is the same with the latter clause of the Text That thou makest thy way perfect Further the word signifies to plead our own justice as wel as to have a justice or righteousnesse of our own And thus it may be Expounded in this place An oblectationi est omnipotenti quod justificas te Jun. Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous that is that Thou dost justifie thy self or as Mr. Broughton pleadest justice Dost thou justifie thy selfe or stand upon thine owne integrity and then think to please God Se justificare non tam est justum esse quam contendere conari adversus calumnias scelera sibi objecta ex ratione coram judice respondere or to carry the day against man upon those tearms Is it any pleasure to the Almighty That word fully hits the design of Eliphaz it signifies both Almighty and All-sufficient one that hath all in his own compaâ—â— that needs not goe out of himselfe to fetch in any supplies or aid from abroad He is self-sufficient and he hath a sufficiency for all others Is it any pleasure to this Almighty one that thou dost thus justifie thy selfe Or is it any gaine to him that thou makest thy way perfect As it is no pleasure so no gaine The second Verse before opened clears the mind of this clause What there he calleth profit is here called gaine in different words And the word here used is rendred indifferently both gaine and profit Gen. 37.26 When Joseph was cast into the pit Judah said What profit is it to slay our Brother let us sell him let us make gaine of him that way slaying him wil be no profit to us And as it signifies gain so covetousnes the reason is because covetousnes hath gaine for its object covetousnesse provokes men to seek gain Jethro Exod. 18.21 gives councel that Magistrates should be Men fearing God and hating covetousnesse or hating gaine that is not onely all covetous practices but inordinate desires of gaine for these lead into unlawful wayes of gaine even to the perverting of Justice Is it any gaine to him that thou makest thy way perfect That is thy life thy conversation thy course what though thou strivest after the highest attainments of grace the purest purity of life is this any gaine to the Lord The Septuagint render That thou makest thy way simple The simple sincere plain way is the perfect way The perfection of our way is the simplicity sincerity and uprightnesse of it Another reads Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thy way is undefiled Or cleane that thou doest sweep and wash thy way so that there is no spot to be seen upon it Psal 119.1 Blessed are the undefiled or perfect in the way The severall parts of this Psalm begin with a new Letter Alphabetarius est hic Psalmus ostendens parvulos ab ipsis statim elementis pueritia infarmandos esse ad pietatem Hilar. according to the order of the Hebrew Alphabet intimating that it ought to be learned even of Children as one of the Ancients infers from it The undefiled in the way are such properly as have been holy or pure from their youth such as did never corrupt their wayes Timothy is said from a Child to learn the Scriptures Suppose thy way thus perfect that none could tax thee with any grosse sin even from thy Child-hood could this be any gaine to the Almighty There is yet another Translation Aut an lucro quod integras asseris vias tuas Iun. which implyeth not only the study of holinesse but a boasting in holinesse Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou doest justifie thy selfe Or is it any gaine to him that thou dost affirm thy wayes are perfect So it fals in with the third rendring of the former clause For the understanding and further clearing of these words I shall draw them forth into distinct Propositions
no more then it is a sinne to buy sell or to ingage a man any other way to performe a bargaine or repay a debt The Law of God published by Moses allowed the taking of a pledge what is it then which Eliphaz chargeth upon Job as sinfull in taking a pledge I conceive there are two things which shew sinfulness in taking a pledge and that both are implyed here First He intimates that Job did not waite to receive a pledge at the hand of his brother but he did as it were rush in upon him and tooke the pledge for so tender was the Lord in reference to the poore of his People or to those that should be in need to borrow of their brethren and so give a pledge for security that he giveth this speciall order Deut. 34.10 When thou dost lend thy brother any thing thou shalt not goe into his house to fetch his pledge it was not unlawful to receive a pledge from his brother but to goe into his house was against the Law but thou shalt stand abroad and the man shall bring it out to thee Some conceive that this was the sinne charged upon Job Thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother thou hast not according to this expresse Law of God tarried for it and supposing that Eliphaz and Job lived before the giving of that Law yet the light of nature teacheth that we should not presse a man or pull his pledge from him but that the borrower should goe into his house and bringing his pledge deliver it up freely with his owne hand into the hand of the lender It is an affliction to have need to borrow Ipsa pignoris etymologia docere hominem videtur pignus non tam propria manu auferendum ab invito misero debitore quam accipiendum non nisi ipsius debitoris manu oblatum pignus enim appellatum est a pugno quia res quae pignori dantur manu traduntur Cajus and therefore the borrower should be so tenderly dealt with by the lender as not to adde affliction to him It is a curtesie to lend to him that is in need but as some in giving so most in lending spoyle all the curtesie of it while they lend their money they snatch or gripe at their security whereas the old Law sayd the equity whereof though not the formality remaines to this day Thou shalt not goe into thy brothers house to fetch his pledge but thou shalt stand abroad and the man shall bring it out to thee Some Critticks tells us that this is signified in the Etymologie of the Latine word which signifies a pledge Namely that the lender should not take but receive it from the hand of the borrower It is the duty of borrowers to pay The wicked borroweth and payeth not againe Psal 37.21 The Apostles rule to the Godly is Owe no man any thing but to love one another Rom. 13.8 Now as it is the duty of the borrower to pay so of the lender to be moderate and not to exact or impose heavily upon him for the assuring of his payments As he that buyeth should be as if he bought not so he that lends should be in this respect as if he lent not He should lend with so much mildnesse and meeknes of spirit as if he gave rather then lent or as if the contrary whereof Solomon found in his experience Pro. 22.7 himselfe the lender were servant to the borrower Job is charged first with fayling in this As if he had over eagerly pressed upon his brother for a pledge Thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother Secondly The taking a pledge from a brother may be expounded of withholding a pledge when it is called for or of the not restoring it when the Covenants are performed This is not onely to take it but to take it away suppose the pledge hath been given into a mans hand yet if he will not restore it or give it backe out of his hand when called for but make excuses or delayes This is to take away the pledge And thus some make out the sin of the Text Thou hast taken a pledge that is thou hast swept it quite away thou hast refused to restore the pledge when that which was borrowed upon it hath been in due time tendered to be payed or restored The Prophet Ezekiel Chap. 18.14 15 16. numbers the contrary practices among those Negatives for which the Lord declares himselfe much pleased with the son of a wicked father A son that seeth all his fathers sinnes that he hath done and doth not such like that hath not eaten upon the mountaines neither hath lift up his eyes to the idolls of the house of Israell that hath not defiled his neighbours wife neither hath oppressed any that hath not withholden the pledge neyther hath spoyled by violence c. he shall not dye for the iniquitie of his father he shall surely live Here sinning in the matter of a pledge is pitcht upon with-holding it not upon taking it For though a man have a pledge fayrely delivered up to him though he doe not rush into the borrowers house and there be his owne carver taking what himselfe listeth to secure that which he hath lent yet if he withhold the pledge when it is required and desired to be returned upon promised satisfaction made this is very sinfull and oppressive Some when they get a good thing in their hands they are loth to part with it and will have a device to prove it forfeited by the borrower when indeed 't is onely coveted by the lender Hence note That violently to take or unjustly to detaine the pledge committed to us is to act the part of the oppressor That Law which saith Thou shalt not steale doth as much forbid the detaining in our hands as the laying of our hands upon that which is our neighbours And he that withholds the pledge when the debtor is ready and offers to redeem it is like him that withholdes the debt when the lender desires him and he is able to repay it Thou hast taken or withholden a pledge That 's thy sinne Secondly There is a further aggravation of sinne in the words respecting the person from which the pledge was taken A Brother Thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother This addeth to the sinne we should be kinde to all but especially to a brother A brother may be taken either strictly for one next or neere by birth or bloud a brother by consanguinity such are in the most proper sence our brethren and our owne flesh Or the word brother may be taken in a large sense for any that are neere to us as being eyther of the same profession of Religion with us or living in the same Citâ—â— society or under the same Government with us These are our brethren and our owne flesh too And so the Prophet calleth them even when pinched with hunger and nakedness the more to move the bowels of our
Godly men at least intimated in this and toucht before conclude that they are happy when they appeare most miserable and that at their worst estate they are altogether above uncertainty For as they have a foundation so such a foundation as will stand all stormes and weathers What can be added to their felicity who are in an estate so good in the nature of it that they need not desire a change and so sure in the foundation of it that they need not feare a change much lesse an overflowing flood Eliphaz proceeds to describe the particular wickednes of those men or how they did Expresse their wickednesse Whose foundation was thus overflowne They say unto God depart from us c. JOB CHAP. 22. Vers 17 18. Which said unto God Depart from us and what can the Almighty doe for them Yet he filled their houses with good things but the counsell of the wicked is farre from me IN the former context Eliphaz had charged Job with impiety against God and called him to consider the dispensations of God in former times towards impious men here he shewes us what their impiety was It was impiety hightned into blasphemy The seven abominations which were in their hearts brake out at their lips and were vomited out of their mouths in blacke choler in choler as blacke as hell Vers 17. Which said unto God depart from us c. These words are filled with the very spirit of malice against God himselfe And we have the same breathed out in the same language in the former Chapter at the 14th verse there the reader may finde them explicated and I shall add somewhat for a further explication here Which said to God depart from us To this hight of madnes doe some wicked men arise their spirits being bigge with sinne they bring forth or belch out this monster of words They say to God depart from us They as it were send God a writ of Ejectment they doe not pray or entreate God to depart from them but with as much rudenes and incivillity as unholynes and prophanenes Say unto God depart from us 'T is a word of command from man but such a one as breakes all the commandements of God Moses Numb 16.26 beseeches the people saying Depart I pray you from the tents of these wicked men and touch nothing of theirs but here we have wicked men not praying God to depart but bidding him they say depart from us David speakes to the wicked Psal 119.115 Depart from me ye evill doers for I will keepe the commandements of my God he bids them begone He would not give them the least wellcome or entertainment And so Jesus Christ is described speaking to the wicked in the day of Judgement Matth. 7.23 Depart from me away get you out of my presence I will not have to doe with you I will doe nothing for you Depart His is a word of command indeed which though they have no will to obey yet they shall obey it whether they will or no. Thus in the present text wicked men presume to say to God himselfe depart from us c. Hence note First That wicked or meere carnall men have some appearances and impresses of the presence of God upon their spirits They could not say to God depart from us had they not some impressions and notions of God of the will and Law of God of the truth and power of God upon them They who are alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them doe yet feele a presence of God with them Act. 17.27 That they should seeke the Lord if haply they might feele after him and finde him though he be not farre from every one of us Take mankind in generall good and bad beleevers and infidels there is a neerenesse of God unto them unto them all and that not onely a neerenesse of God in what the Apostle there speakes of common preservation vers 28. In him we live and move and have our being or of naturall communications of which the Apostle speakes there also From him we receave life and breath and all things vers 25. But further God is with them by a twofold light first by a light of Direction secondly by a light of Conviction All have a Light of direction 1. by the Law written in their hearts The Apostle is expresse for this Rom. 2.14 For when the Gentiles he meanes it of Gentiles unconverted which have not the Law doe by nature the things contained in the Law these having not the Law that is formally published and preached to them are a Law unto them selves Which shew the worke of the Law written in their hearts their conscience also bearing witnes c. And as all have a light of direction from the Law written in their hearts or in the booke of Conscience so also 2. they have a light of direction from the Law of the creation or from that which is written of God in the Booke of the creature The same Apostle makes this the ground of the righteousnes of God in that dreadfull Revelation of his wrath against all ungodlynes and unrighteousnes of men be they who they will who hold the truth in unrighteousnes because that which may be knowne of God is manifest in them or to them for God hath shewed it to them But how or where hath God shewed them this The Apostle answers in the next verse Rom. 1.20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearely seene being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and Godhead so that they are without excuse So that though all men have not a light of direction from God so powerfull as to change them and make them holy yet they have a light so cleare and full as is enough to make them guilty And when they refuse to follow this light of direction in doing what is right then followes that other light of convictiō their consciences troubling them or as the Apostles phrase is Rom. 2.15 their thoughts accusing them because they have done that which is not right This presence of God is common to all men to the worst of men and this is it which provokes them to say to God depart from us And this is argumēt enough to stop the mouth of the Atheist who saith in his heart there is no God when as yet he cannot stop the mouth of his owne conscience from saying there is a God while hee sayth and this he alwayes sayth eyther in plaine termes or in that which is equivalent to God depart from me And from hence wee may observe Secondly That the presence and manifestations of God to wicked men are a trouble to them None are troubled with the neerenes of God to them but they who are farre from him all naturall men are farre from God in state and in heart and God is neere all naturall men eyther in his word or in his works
by the Holy Ghost was minded to put her away secretly and would not make her a publique example He was unwilling to bring her to justice or that others should see eyther her supposed sin or punishment But as God doth worke many glorious salvations for his people that the wicked may see it and be ashamed so he brings many visible destructions upon the wicked not onely that the righteous may see it and rejoyce or be glad which act follows next to be opened but that the wicked may see it and tremble to doe wickedly Hence observe First That the Lord sets up wicked men many times as examples of his wrathfull justice Not onely doe they feele wrath upon themselves but others see it The Lord sometimes chastens his owne people in the view of the world and sets them up as examples of his fatherly displeasure Thus Nathan speakes in the name of the Lord to David 2 Sam 12.12 Thou didst it secretly but I will doe this thing what thing I will afflict and chasten thee for this great offence before all Israel and before the Sâ—nne that is in plaine and cleare light Though thou hast done this evill in the darknes ot many close contrivances yet I will draw the curtaine and make the poenall effects of thy sinne as conspicuous as the actings of thy sin have been close and covert Againe Numb 25.4 when the people began to commit whoredome with the daughters of Moab and Israel had joynâ—d himselfe unto Baal peor so that the Anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel Then the Lord said to Moses take all the heads of the people that is the capital offenders or chiefe rulers who gave way or at best gave no stop to such wickednes and hang them up before the Lord against the Sunne that the feirce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel To hang them up before the Sunne is a phrase of speech importing the publicknes of their punishment as it is sayd of the seven Sons of Saul that they were hanged on the hill before the Lord 2 Sam. 21.9 for caution unto all whatsoever is done in the fight of all or so that all may see is sayd in the Language of the Jewes to be done before the Sunne To which sence also we may interpret that vision of the Prophet Zechariah Chap. 5 6. 9 10 11. at the 6th verse we reade of an Ephah and this lift up ver 9th between earth and heaven the Ephah was a measure of dry things among the Jewes and in that vision it signified that the sinne and punishment of the Jewes were measured and proportioned This Ephah being lifted up and carried I sayth the Prophet said whether doe these beare the Ephah ver 10. And he said unto me to build it an house in the land of Shinar and it shall be established and set there upon her owne base The building it a house in the land of Shinar that is in Babylon signified the lastingnes or continuance of their sinne in the sad consequents of it their punishment and banishment in strange lands not for the space of seventy yeares onely as by the Babylonians but as some of the Learned expound the vision for many seventyes by the Romanes and as this Ephah had a house built for it noting the setlednes and durâ—tion of the Judgement which should come upon them for their sinne so also it was set upon its own base to signifie the notoriousnes or conspicuousnes of the Judgement it being as a house set upon pillars for all to behold and take notice of as we see fullfilled to this day since the first overthrow of their estate by Titus Vespatianus and their final dispersion by Aelius Adrianus There are I grant other conceptions about that vision but as this suits wel with the poynt in hand so with the calamitous state of that people to this day And thus the Lord threatned the King of Tyrus Ezek. 28.17 Whose heart was lifted up because of his beauty and who had corrupted his wisdome by reason of his brightnesse Now what will the Lord doe what course will he take with him The next words enforme us I will cast thee to the ground and I will lay thee before Kings that they may behold thee He doth not say I will cast thee into the ground but to the ground and lay thee before Kings that is thou shalt he a spectacle for all the Kings of the Earth that they may behold as what thy pride and selfe-confidence have brought thee to so what their owne if they tread thy path eyther will or justly may bring them unto Thus also in the 7th verse of Jude Epistle the Apostle sayth that Sodome and Gomorrha and the Cities about them in like manner giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh are set forth for an example suffering the vengeance of Eternal fire The Judgements of God are not onely punishments to them who went before but premonotions to them who come after The righteous see it and are glad Here is the effect which that sight wrought upon the righteous The eye affects the heart and the heart is affected sutably to the object eyther with joy or with sorrow The destruction of men is a sorrowfull object and therefore we might rather expect that the righteous beholding it should be affected with sorrow but the Text affirmes a direct contrary effect of this fight The righteous see it and are glad Hence observe The judgements of God upon the wicked are matter of joy to the righteous It is the duty of the Saints to mourne with them that mourne and to rejoyce with them that rejoyce Rom. 12.15 But then we must understand these mourners and rejoycers to be such as themselves are Saints must mourne with mourning Saints and rejoyce with rejoycing Saint The godly are not bound eyther to joy the joyes or sorrow the sorrowes of the wicked The judgements of God upon the wicked have a twofold effect eminently noted in Scripture First they cause feare and secondly they cause joy When exemplary justice was to be done according to the law of Moses upon presumptuous transgressours it is sayd Deut. 13.11 All Israel shall heare and feare and shall doe no more any such wickednes David Psal 64. having complained to God in prayer of the cruelty of his enemies and begged protection from their malicious practises growes up to much assurance that downe they must v. 7 8. But God shall shoot at them with an arrow suddenly shall they be wounded and then ver 9. All men shall feare and shall declare the worke of God for they shall wisely consider of his doings Thus feare is the issue of divine judgement And yet joy is the issue of them at the 10th verse of the same Psalme The righteous shall be glad in the Lord and trust in him and all the upright in heart shall glory Feare is a common effect All men shall
answer wee who of our selves are a 〈…〉 by the bloud of Jesus Christ and being thus made nigh in our state wee draw nigh or acquaint our selves with him by severall Acts. As first To thinke or meditate of God is to acquaint our selves with and draw nigh to God meditation is an inward discourse and converse with God it is a Soliloquie between God and the soule acquaintance is got by Conference when friends meet and confer that doth not onely begin but confirme strengthen and highten their acquaintance Saints have many thoughts of God and that 's their acquaintance with God How precious are thy thoughts to mee O God! saith David Psal 139.17 how great is the summe of them when I awake I am still with thee How was David still or ever with God He was so in his thoughts and meditations in the actings goings forth of his soule to him Now he that is still or ever with a person must needs be acquainted with him I am still with thee alwayes meditating upon thee We finde him againe in the same holy frame Psal 63.5 6. My soule shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatnes and my mouth shall praise thee with joyfull lips while I remember thee upon my bed and meditate on thee in the night watches As the Lord is ever thinking upon his people they are written upon his heart and graven upon the palmes of his hand and when his outward actings towards them are such as may seeme to intimate that his heart is withrawne from all intimacy with them yet even then he thinks most of them This he acknowledgeth concerning Ephraim Jer. 31.20 Since I spake against him I doe earnestly remember him still Since I spake against him that is since I spake against him by words of rebuke and correction since I spake against him by rods of chastisement and correction as Ephraim found and confessed he had Thou didst chastise mee and I was chastised since I spake thus against him I do earnestly remember him still I remember him and I remember him strongly my heart is much upon him And when the Lord saith thus wee are not to understand it as a man will remember an Enemy when he speaks against him hee 'le remember him indeed and that earnestly to plot mischiefe against him and to execute his revenge but the meaning is I remember him in mercy my affections goe out to him my bowels are moved towards him Such is the remembrance which God had of Ephraim even when he was speaking against him and smiting him Now as the Lord doth remember his people at all times and earnestly remember them at sometimes So his people in their proportion doe earnestly remember the Lord they minde him often they would minde him alwayes they like to retaine God which the natural man liketh not Rom. 1.28 in their knowledge or to acknowledge God They have not some flitting transient thoughts and acknowledgements of God as a carnall man may have but they fix and retaine God in their thoughts acknowledgements they thinke of God what he is in his nature they thinke what God is in all his perfections they meditate of all his glory of his justice of his mercy of his faithfulnes of his power of his truth of his unchangeablenes of his all-sufficiency they acquaint themselves with God in all these for indeed we are never acquainted with God till we come to a distinct knowledge of him in all these parts of his glory which yet are all but one and the same glorious God To know onely in generall that there is a God is not to acquaint our selves with God our acquaintance with him consists in a spirituall and fiduciall knowledge of all his revealed perfections so farre as it is possible or lawfull for man to search and know To be acquainted with any man notes more than a generall knowledge of him how much more to be acquainted with God Secondly Wee acquaint our selves with God not onely when wee study his nature or what he is but when we study his workes or what he hath done God is visible in his workes That his name is neare his wondrous workes declare Psal 75.1 Wee may acquaint our selves much with God in the workes of Creation but more in the workes of Providence in those wee may most legibly read his name that is his greatnes and power as also his goodnes and mercy Thirdly Wee acquaint our selves with God in the study of his word there he hath made a full discovery of himselfe and of his will O how I love thy Law saith David my meditation is in it might and day The word of God is the demonstration of the holines of God There he hath set forth himselfe how just how pure and how gracious he is The word is a glasse in which God is seene therefore acquaint thy selfe with the word of God and thou shalt be acquainted with God reading and hearing the word of God is our going to God for Counsell as wee acquaint our selves with a man when we goe to him and aske his advice and counsel in any matter or consult his bookes so every time we eyther read or heare the word of God in faith we are asking counsel of God and so acquainting our selves with him Fourthly Wee especially acquaint our selves with God in prayer That is nothing else but the opening of our hearts to God a declaring of our wants to him Prayer is the ascending the lifting up of the soule to God therefore in prayer wee acquaint our selves with God Fifthly Our daily holy walking is a daily acquainting our selves with God every step of a holy life is both towards and with God the life of Enoch who was too holy for a life here on earth and therefore he was translated that he should not see death his life I say is described thus Enoch walked with God Gen. 5.24 God and Enoch were like two familiars or intimate friends walking together And because he took so much delight in Gods acquaintance God took him from all acquaintance with men so saith that text Enoch walked with God and was not for God tooke him He was so taken with God that God took him or as the Authour to the Hebrews saith translated him ch 11.5 He was before translated from nature to Grace he proved so great a proficient in that schoole that he was translated from Grace to Glory as it were per saltum by a leape over the grave for he saw not death From which sad vision but one more that I read of in all the Scripture Elias by name was excused before he was admitted to the beatificall vision Holy walking is the summe of all our acquaintance with God and our fullest acquaintance with God is but the issue of our holy walkings To draw towards a close of this poynt wee may take notice That there is a twofold acquaintance with God First from necessity when wee come to him and desire to
whose substance is in them when they cast their leaves so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof Secondly In this we see the honour which God puts upon Godly men What can be greater then this to be really though perhaps farre from being accounted so the Deliverers and Saviours of their Country What an honour was it to Abraham when God told a King that he was beholding to Abraham for his life or that favour must be granted to him at the suite and as it were sent him by the hand of Abraham Gen. 20.7 Hee shall pray for thee and thou shalt live An honour much like this God put upon Job also at the latter end of this Booke Chap. 42.8 My servant Job shall pray for you for him will I accept lest I deale with you after your folly Such Honour in some degree have all the Saints Thirdly Let men honour those whom God honours thus and let the Princes and Powers of the world be glad when they heare that they have many such in their Dominions When such are subject to them as rule with God It is sayd of Zerxes the Greatest Monarch in the world in his time that when Themistocles came over to him who was a man eminent for wisdome and Eloquence that being over-joyed at such a treasure he cryed out in his sleepe I have got Themistocles the Athenian Spirituall wisdome renders men a Greater treasure to States then moral wisdome can Surely then they who are spiritually wise deserve to be rejoyced in I am sure it is not safe to let them be discouraged by whom our safety is established much lesse is it safe to let them fall by whom in their capacity kingdomes stand least of all is it safe to cast them downe who by the rule of divine politicks are State-upholders Therefore let me say this to all the powers of this world doe not destroy those who have the priviledge to be Saviours and deliverers Yea Take heed of deading and straitning their spirits in prayer for you above all take heed of turning their prayers against you Doe not provoke your owne Horsemen to fight against you and your owne Chariot-wheeles to run over you As these are the best friends to a Nation so the worst enemies Better have many outwardly opposing you then one upon just ground secretly praying or but complaining to God against you They who have no power at all in their hands no not so much as to helpe or save themselves may yet destroy many by the purenes of their hands that is they holding up pure hands in prayer may bring downe destruction upon many who are wicked and the adversaries of Christ because their adversaries But that which they mostly doe and that which they worst of all desire to doe is That Lands and Islands may be delivered by the purenes of their hands To shut up this poynt and Chapter we see that as the Saints are killed all the day long by the wicked world for the Lords sake Rom. 8.36 that is because they owne the Lord and his wayes so the wicked of the world are spared even all the day long or as often as they are spared by the Lord for the sake of the Saints that is because the Lord ownes and approves them and their wayes and doth therefore give peace to the world that so in their peace they also may have peace JOB CHAP. 23. Vers 1 2. Then Job answered and said Even to day is my complaint bitter my stroake is heavier then my groaning IN the former Chapter we had the third last charge of Eliphaz against Job in this and that which followeth Job makes his reply and defends himselfe against what Eliphaz had objected and charged upon him There are two opinions concerning the tendency of this reply First Some interpret it in favour of Job as if he onely summoned his friends to the tribunall of God being confident of a good issue there Secondly Others enterpret it as a presumptuous suggestion against God himselfe and the strictnesse of his proceedings with him which they endeavour to prove upon as they conceive these foure grounds of his complaint First Because he complained that his afflictions were beyond all his complaints and that what he had sayd was but little to what he felt or to the greatnesse of his sorrow ver 1 2. Eveâ—â—o day is my complaint bitter my stroake is heavier then my groaning These words are conceived to cary in them at least an intimation that Job thought himselfe too hardly dealt with or that there was no just cause why he should be prosecuted and proceeded against with so much severity by the continued and renewed stroakes of God upon him And indeed it cannot be denyed That he whosoever he is is justly judged as over-bold with God who judgeth any of the dealings of God with himselfe or with any other man over-severe But wee shall finde that though Job complained often that his sorrows as to him were exceeding great yet he never complained that as to God they were unjust Secondly Say they because he complained that he could not get admittance unto God nor audience with him which was a further aggravation of his sorrow This he prosecutes from the third verse to the end of the ninth O that I knew where I might finde him that I might come even to his seate I would order my cause before him and fill my mouth with arguments I would know the words which he would answer me c. As if according to the scope of this exposition he had sayd I have waited long under my pressures and burdens with my petition in my hand yea I have tendered up my petition but as yet I can get no answer Alas I am greatly afflicted yet so farre from being releeved That I cannot be heard I would therefore gett neare God to spread and order my cause before him To be heard and to be releeved are often in Scripture sence the same thing and alwayes not to be heard signifies as much as not to be releeved Till the Lord gives us his eare he never gives us his hand therefore Job must needs think himselfe farre from being helped while he thought that he was not heard Thirdly Because he complained that the Lord did thus afflict and try him when he already knew what he was and what he would be after his tryall by the sorest afflictions when he knew that he was innocent that he would continue hold out in his innocency to the end That he would not be weary of well-doing though under the worst of sufferings Ver. 10 11 12. He knoweth the way that I take c. As if he had sayd The Lords needs not doe this to try me for he knoweth well enough who I am and the way that I goe he knoweth both the frame of my heart and the course of my life he knoweth how it is with me now and that I shall be found such 〈◊〉 I
have often professed my selfe to be when he hath kept me to the utmost of his purpose in this fiery furnace of affliction When he hath tryed me I shall come forth as gold that is when all 's done he knows that I shall hereafter approve my selfe upright in heart and that through his grace already bestowed upon me I have hetherto kept his way and not declined nor gon back ftom the commandements of his lips yea that I have esteemed the words of his mouth more then my necessary food Thus Job is conceived complaining upon this account that he should be so extreamely afflicted though the Lord knew his way and that he was both a lover of his Word and a keeper of his Commandements and that he would persevere with joy in keeping them to the end though he should not see the expected and desiered end of those sorrows Fourthly Because he is conceived complaining that he found the Lord altogether inexorable so that no impression could be made upon him by any thing he could say or doe to take him off from his severity towards him Ver. 13 14. He is of one minde who can turne him there is no dealing with God and what his soule desireth even that he doth let it fall where and on whom it will he will doe it for he performeth the thing that is appoynted for me From all which Job inferreth that he had cause enough to complaine much more that he did not complaine without cause Ver. 15 16 17. Therefore am I troubled at his presence when I consider I am afraid of him for God makes my heart soft and the Allmighty troubleth me because I was not cut off before the darknesse neither hath he covered the darknesse from my face Thus you have the parts and scope of the whole Chapter as 't is supposed to be an over-bold complaint in reference to the dealings of the Lord with him From all which 't is concluded Saepe antea statuerat Job se amicorum exacerbantibus sermonibus â—efessum nolle amplius cum ijs disserere sed potius cum deo aequissimo judice Nunc hoc suum proposituÌ„ ad implere tentans ad deum sermonem dirigit vel ad seipsum i. e. secum ipse ratiocinatur Bold that though the Chapter begins with Then Job answered and said yet that Job doth not answer Eliphaz nor apply himselfe to what he had said but that being wearied with his often repeating and renewing the same arguments against him he doth upon the matter leave him and his friends and all discourse with them turning himselfe to God and powring his sorrows into his bosome as if the answer were directed to God and not at all to Eliphaz But I rather apprehend according to the former interpretation of this reply that Job doth here plainly hold forth an answer to what Eliphaz had objected or layd to his charge and that being still so hotly opposed he doth first defend his owne integrity in this Chapter and that secondly in the next he overthroweth the ground or foundation upon which his friends built their generall opposition affirming that there is neither any certaine time nor way in which the Lord doth punish wicked men in this world and that therefore no argument can be framed or judgement given of any mans condition by his present state or the external dispensations of God towards him Taking this sence we may reduce the whole Chapter to these two parts First A preface secondly the pleading it selfe The preface is layd downe in the second verse Even to day is my complaint bitter my stroake is heavier then my groaning the pleading follows in the subsequent parts of the Chapter the summe of which may be collected into this formal Argumentation Yee doe falsely accuse him of wickednesse and hypocrisie who is ready to plead his cause and doth earnestly desire that he may doe it before the throane of God But I am ready and doe earnestly desire to plead my cause before the throane of God Therefore yee falsely accuse mee of wickednes and hypocrisie The assumption only of this Syllogisme is handled in this Chapter from the second verse to the end in which it appeares that Job was ready not onely to dispute the poynt in controversie with his friends but was most willing that the Lord should have the hearing of it for so he sayth O that I knew where I might finde him that I might come even to his seate I would order my cause before him and fill my mouth with arguments That is I would produce such arguments for my selfe and against my opposers as would render my cause just and innocent before God how guilty soever I am found and represented in the opinion of men Thus farre concerning the general state of this Chapter I shall next proceed to explicate the parts and particulars of it Vers 1. Then Job answered and said These words have occurr'd often before I shall not stay upon them But what said he and how did he answer Vers 2. Even to day is my complaint bitter my stroake is heavier then my groaning Thus Job begins This is at once his prologue to what he had to say and his Apology for what he had passionately sayd already Even to day or even this day The word day is taken eyther more largely for the time neere at hand or strictly for the present time Psal 95.8 To day if ye will heare his voyce harden not your hearts That is Heare his voyce this instant day and harden not your hearts one day longer Againe Deut. 4.8 What Nation is there so great that hath statutes and judgements so righteous as all this law that I have set before you this day or at this present time Jacob saith to Esau Gen. 25.31 Sell me this day thy birth-right that is let me have it now let us strike up the bargaine this houre or before we part Thus here To day c. As if Job had said O friend Eliphaz I perceive that after all those dayes of disputation which have passed between us this day is like to be spent and run out in as harsh censures on your part and in as bitter complaints on my part as any of the former Even this day is my complaint bitter The word rendered complaint is translated also sometimes prayer and sometimes meditation Gen. 24.69 Isack went out into the field to meditate we put in the Margin to pray Hannah useth the same word 1 Sam. 1.16 Account not thy handmaide for a daughter of Beliall for out of the abundance of my complaint we put in the Margin Meditation and griefe have I spoken hitherto Many complaine who pray not some pray who complaine not and others meditate who doe neyther complaine nor pray yet usually we meditate that we may consider what to pray about in prayer powre out our complaints both about those sins and wants and mercies which have fallen under our meditation Even to day is
my complaint bitter The Original word hath a twofold derivation Aliqui deducunt a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod signifi at amaritudinem alij a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denotane rebellionem seu contumaciam most render it as we bitter Bitternesse in Scripture is often used by a metaphor to denote any thing which is grievous troublesome afflictive or distastfull to us because bitter things are so to the pallate or tast of man Bitter things are troublesome to sence and troubles are bitter to the Spirit Affliction is a bitter pill thou writest bitter things against me sayd Job to God before Chap. 13.26 so that when he saith my complaint is bitter it sounds thus much my complaint is as great as great can be and I have the greatest reason to complaine For by complaint we are to understand not onely the act of complaining but the matter upon which he did complaine or the cause of his complaint As if he had sayd My afflictions about which I complaine are exceeding bitter no marvaile then if my complaint be so too Secondly The word comes from a roote signifying to rebell to disobey to be exasperated or as some learned in the Hebrew give it to vary or alter the frame of a mans spirit and the disposition of his minde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exasperatio propriè variatio altenitas ut sic diâ—am quod qui rebellet variet infringat verbum mandatum alterius aut foedus cum eo initum because they who disobey and rebell doe certainly vary and change their minds from what they ingaged to be or professed they were before they turne aside eyther from the lawfull command given them or from the promise and faith which they had given So the word is used 1 Kings 13.26 Where the sacred History tells us of a Prophet who was sent out upon a Message by the Lord unto Jeroboam and though he faithfully performed the Message yet hearkening to the counsell of another Prophet he was slaine by a Lion Thus saith the Lord for as much as thou hast disobeyed or rebelled against the mouth of the Lord that is the words that proceeded out of the mouth of the Lord and hast not kept the commandement which the Lord thy God commanded thee c. Thy carkasse shall not come into the sepulcher of thy fathers Thus the word is translated by some in this Text of Jobs disobedience or rebellion And they render the whole sentence with an interrogation Etiam hoc die contumacia habetur querimonia mea Contuman est questus meus perstat q. d. non paret non cedet solatijs vestris Rab. Sol What is my complaint this day accounted rebellion as if I did contumaciously set my selfe against God while I am powring out my sorrows before him whereas indeed my complaint is rather rebellious or stout against your consolations it yeelds not to them nor is at all abated by them The way or course which you take to comfort me is too weake to graple with much more is it too weake to conquer and subdue my sorrows Yet further This sence and translation of the word may be applyed to that speech of Eliphaz in the former Chapter ver 21. exhorting Job to acquaint himselfe with God and to be at peace As if he had sayd Leave off thy distances lay downe the weapons of that most unholy warre which thou hast taken up against God To which close rebuke Job answers here what Is my complaint to God looked upon by you as a combate with God or do ye thinke that while I beg pity and favour of God I have bid him defiance or declared my selfe his enemy What else can be the meaning of it that you exhort me so seriously to reconcile my selfe to God He that is called to make peace with another is supposed to be at warre with him or at least to beare him ill will So then according to this rendering and interpretation of the Text the drift of his speech is to shew how little ground there was yea how unjust it was that he should be accused of rebellion and contumacy against God while he was onely bemoaning his owne sad condition and putting up his complaint to God We may forme up his sence into this argumentation He cannot be justly accused of rebellion against God who complains much or greatly when his griefe is more or greater But my griefe is more and greater then my complaint Therefore I cannot be justly accused of rebellion against God because I complaine Againe The text is thus rendred Etiam hodiè est vel suo loco manet exasperatio querelae meae Merc. Quasi ex noxio medicamine vulnus crevit Etiam post tot tanta verba vestra quibus sperabam fore ut me sola remini augetur mea querela quia nihil est in vestris verbis consolationis Merc. Even to day the sharpnes or bitternesse of my complaint remaineth or my sorrow is as it was I am no way eased but rather more afflicted by what you have sayd for the easing of my affliction An improper plaister doth but enflame not at all heale the wound So that as according to the former interpretation he tooke off their charge of impatience contumacy and rebellion against God according to the minde of this he shews the weaknesse and insufficiency of what they had spoken as to the allay of his sorrow and the curing or satisfying of his distemperd spirit So that here he seemes to renew and confirme that opinion which he had given of his friends in their procedure with him Chap. 13.4 Ye are forgers of lyes ye are all Physitians of no value O that ye would altogether hold your peace and it should be your wisdome And againe Ch. 16.2 Miserable Comforters are ye all Shall vaine words have an end or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest So here ye have done nothing yet effectually to remove my complaint I am like a poore patient who having been long under the Physitians hand and suffered many painefull applications is yet as farre from a cure as the first houre of his undertaking Even to day the bitternes the sharpenes of my diseased minde remaineth I have been in paine as the Church speakes Isa 26.18 I have as it were brought forth winde Ye have not wrought any deliverance neyther hath this inhabitant my sorrow fallen by your hand Lastly Some referre these words to the promise made by Eliphaz Chap. 22.21 exhorting Job to acquaint himselfe with God c. and so good should come to him But saith Job here Though I am cleare from what you accuse me and also have communion with God in wayes of holines yet I experience no such good as you promise I am not brought into wayes of comfort but rather my sorrows encrease and my complaint is as bitter this day as ever it was And as it follows in the Text My stroake is heavier then
for to morrow too thus they promised themselves that their pleasures should continue in a succession of many morrows now as these sonnes of pleasure promised themselves the continuance of their delight so many of the sons daughters of sorrow have found and still finde a continuance of their troubles and have cause to say this day is even as bad as yesterday was yea our bitter cup our wine of astonishment is much more abundant our sorrow is greater this day then it was yesterday that was a blacke sad gloomy day and this is a day more blacke sad and gloomy then that was Fifthly From these words My stroake is heavier then my groaning Observe That the afflictions of some of the pretious servants of God exceed and surpasse all their complaints and groanes The groanes of some are heavier then their stroake and the stroakes of not a few are heavier then their groanes Some shew more sorrow then they have and others have more sorrows then they can shew I sayth Job cannot tell you no not so much as by the language of my groaning how heavy my stroake is As there is a peace of God a peace which he giveth to many of his people in this life which passeth all understanding Phil. 4.6 they have a sence of such peace sometimes upon their spirits as their understandings know not what to make of it they are so farre from being able to tell you what it is that they are not able to conceive what it is but must confesse that their peace is greater and larger then their understanding now I say as the peace which God gives his passeth their understandings so the troubles and sorrows of many who are deare to God exceed or surpasse all their expressions they cannot declare nor can any for them how it is with them Againe as there is in this life a joy in beleiving which is unspeakeable 1 Pet. 1.8 so there is a sorrow in suffering which is unspeakeable And which is very wonderfull these two meet sometimes in the same person who at the very instant while his sorrow is so great that he is not able to expresse it hath also sweete and ravishing joyes beyond expression Yet I conceive as to Jobs case his spirit was darke and his minde troubled as well as his body was pained and his outward estate torne and ruin'd Sixthly From these words My stroake is heavier then my groaning Observe That it is sinfull to groane and complaine beyond the stroake that is upon us or to complaine more then we have cause Job seemes here to yeeld it and confesse that if his stroake had not been so heavy his groanes had not been innocent and if it be sinfull to groane and complaine more or beyond our stroakes how sinfull is it to complaine without any stroake at all Some complaine without cause and groane before they are smitten yea some are ready to complaine when they are incompassed about with many mercies and are not satisfied when they are filled they complaine because they have not what they would or because others have more then they though themselves have enough if they knew what is enough The Oxe and the Asse are a rebuke to such For as Job speaketh Chap. 6th Will the Asse bray when he hath grasse or loweth the Oxe over his fodder Irrationall creatures will not complaine when they have the conveniences of nature Surely then those men act much below grace who complaine when they have food convenient and health convenient yea all things convenient possibly aboundant for the support of nature who complaine when they have not so much as an akeing joynt about them or the scratch of a pin no nor the want of a pin nor of a shoe-lachet Some complaine when they have meate enough because they have not sauce yea some complaine when they have both meate and sauce enough the affluence of all things not onely for necessity but for delight What shall we say of them who are never well neyther full nor fasting who are so farre from having learned the Apostles lesson to be content in all estates that are content in none The people of Israel murmured not onely when they wanted bread but when they had it when they had Mannah they murmured for Quailes and at last they murmured at their very Mannah their soules loathed that light bread Consider how â—â—at their sinne is who complaine upon such termes as these who complaine before they are hurt yea who complaine when they have no cause but to be very thankfull Wee live in complaining times many cry out of pressures and burthens nothing pleaseth many among us because every thing is not as they please Take heed your groanings be not heavier then your stroake especially take heed yee be not found groaning without a stroake and complaining over your blessings the Lord hath healed our stroakes in a great degree but our complainings are not healed If we be found complaining when we have no cause or when we should be giving thankes wee may quickly provoke God to give us cause enough of complaining God haâ—h heavier stroakes for them whose groaning is heavier then their stroake and he hath heaviest stroakes for them who groan when they are not stricken When children cry for nothing they are usually made to feele something which will make them cry to purpose This humour is childish enough in children it is worse in men but it is worst of all in Christians who are also the children of God There are two things which God will not beare in his First when they grow wanton with a mercy secondly when they complaine without a crosse To complaine under a crosse is to act below grace To complaine of a crosse is to act against grace To complaine beyond a crosse is a defect of grace but to complaine without a crosse is a defect in nature The Apostles rule is 1 Thes 5.18 in every thing give thankes and he gives his reason for it in the words which follow for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you Now if it be the will of God that we should give thankes in every thing then it must be against his will that we should complaine in any thing Complaining is contrary to thankesgiving A godly man may see two things in the heaviest stroakes of his affliction which may provoke him to thanksgiving at least which may stop him from all immoderate complaining First That God hath a respect to his good in his heaviest afflictions and that the issue shall certainly be good to him Secondly that how heavy so ever his stroake is his sin hath deserved a heavier and that God could have made it heavier even his little finger heavier upon him then his loynes have been That our stroake might have been heavier may stop our complaining but our heaâ—â—st stroake shall turne to our benefit should stirre us up to thanksgiving In heaven there will not be the least shadow of
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
and that not onely in doing but in suffering 1 Pet. 2.21 For even hereunto are we called because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps â—equere deum Epict. Christ is not onely a principle of holinesse in us or our spirituall life but he is also a patterne of holinesse according to which we ought to live And the same Apostle represents the holinesse of God both as a rule and as a motive of that holinesse which should be acted by us 1 Ep 1.15 16. As he that hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation because it is written Lev 11.14 Be ye holy for I am holy To be holy as God is in all manner of conversation is stedfastly to hold the steps of God And when as Christ exhorts Math. 5.55 Wee are mercifull as our father which is in heaven is mercifull When as the Apostle exhorts Eph. 4.32 Wee forgive as God for Christs sake hath forgiven us when we are patient and long-suffering one towards another as God is towards us all then we take hold of his steps this should be our businesse every day to follow God in his word and in his workes to follow him fully It is said of Caleb Num. 14.24 My servant Caleb hath another spirit he hath followed me fully Here some may object to follow the counsel of God fully is the dutie of all but to follow the example of God is surely beyond the attainment of any This seemes to be a hight of holinesse too high for man For if Solomon said Eccl 2.12 What can the man doe that cometh after the King even that which hath been already done or more close to the Original in those things which have been already done How much more may we say What can the man doe that comes after God the King of Kings can he doe that which hath been done already I answer no man can paralel the workes of God but all men are called to imitate him in his workes though we cannot follow him with equall steps yet we may follow the equity and holines of his steps This Job did and we through grace may doe My foote hath held his steps His way have I kept and not declined The way of God is his Law in that he will have us to walke and that is called his way because he hath prescribed it and is the author of it as that is mans way wherein he walks so that is Gods way wherein he will have man to walke Blessed is the undefiled in the way Psal 119.1 What the way is he tels us in the next words Blessed are they that keepe his testimonies and who walke in the Law of the Lord. His law and testimonies are his way now sayth Job As I have held his steps or followed his example so I have kept his way that is I have done that which he hath commanded The way of God is put sometimes in Scripture for that which himselfe hath done Ezek. 18.25 Via del hominis sumitur 1 Pro itinere gressibus 2 Pâ—o ipsa via strata Heare O house of Israel is not my way equall that is the way wherein I my selfe have gone the way of my dispensations to you both in rewarding and punishing And as the workes of providence so the worke of Creation is called the way of God Pro. 8.22 The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way that is before he came forth in the worke of Creation before his workes of old his way and his workes are the same or his workes are his way But in this Text as I touch't before we may rather take way for that which God would have us doe or for the way in which we ought to walke And so we have the compleatnes of Jobs obedience he imitated the example and he obeyed the command of God His way have I kept Yet further There is a twofold keeping of the way of God First by practice and obedience thus we keepe the way of God by submitting to it Secondly There is a keeping the way of God by protection and defence Thus we keepe the way of God when we stand up to maintaine it We may take it here in both senses and in both doubtlesse Jobs Spirit was led out to keepe the way of God Hence note A godly man keepes close to the word of God He keepes close to it by obeying it and he keepes it close by defending it and this he doth as Job did it universally for so this indefinite proposition His way have I kept is to be understood it was not this or that way but any or every way of God which he kept And thus a godly man keepes the way of God though it be a difficult and to the flesh an uneasie way though it be among men a reproachfull and ignominious way though it be as to his outward concernements a disadvantageous and dangerous way yet he keepes it he that is through with God doth not onely keepe those wayes which suit with his owne pleasure and credit with the safety of his owne interests and accommodations in the world but if the way of God lie through difficulties through dangers and disgraces he will yet keepe it And if we thus keepe the way of God we may be sure that the way of God or rather the God of this way will keepe us and keepe us in perfect peace in spirituall freedome safetie and honour though we have trouble in and from the world His way have I kept and which doth heighten his obedience care and zeale in keeping it He addes And not declined 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word signifies to be unsteady or to move every way As if he had said I have kept his wayes stedfastly and unmoveably Job speakes both in the affirmative I have kept and in the negative I have not declined Some keepe the wayes of God a while but they keepe not on much lesse doe they keepe up in keeping them There is a twofold declining First a declining from the way of God to evill and sinfull wayes and these are of two sorts first erroneous opinions secondly wicked practices secondly there is a declining in the way of God when though we keepe the good way yet we are not so good in the way as we were but slacke our pace coole in our zeale to the good wayes of God We may expound Jobs negative in reference to both these as if he had sayd I have neither gone out of the way of God nor have I been sloathfull in it 'T is the highest commendation of man thus to keepe the way of God and not decline Hence note A godly man is or ought to be and 't is his honour to be steady in a good way Perfeverance is our Crowne The Apostle 1 Cor. 15.58 Exhorts to be steady and unmoveable alwayes abounding in the worke of the Lord. We should
lesse then what he spake before for having sayd I did not decline what need he say I did not apostatize for he that doth not so much as decline is farre from apostatising I answer that in this negative there is that ordinary figure extenuation speaking lesse then is intended or intending more then is expressed and so not to goe backe from is to goe forward in or to proceed on in the commandements of God and so the sense riseth higher I have kept his way and have not declined Non recedere a mandatis est illa opere complere tenere non dimittere de manu aut actione Pined neither have I gone backe from his commandement I have kept close to it without the least willing declension I have not layd the commandement out of my hand much lesse have I put it out of my heart And then we are to interpret this negative I have not gone backe by this affirmative I have stood to thy commandements constantly and resolvedly The Scripture is full of such negatives Thus when the Lord makes that promise Joel 2.26 My people shall never be ashamed It seemes to be but a small matter that the people of God shall not be ashamed but the meaning is they shall be highly honoured they shall have a name and reputation in the world they shall make their boast in of me their God all the day long So when the Apostle gives that negative counsel 1 Thes 5.18 Despise not prophesie his purpose is to exhort the Thessalonians and us in them to the readiest embraces and highest estimations of it Not to despise is to honour prophesie that is the preaching of the word in a due exposition and application of it to exhortation and edification and comfort So then there is much more in these words I have not gone backe from the commandement then thus I have not turned or apostatized from the commandement I have not throwne up nor abjured my profession Jobs meaning is I have kept strictly and firmely to it I have asserted it and affirmed it and will maintaine it to the end as I have hitherto lived so I am purposed to dye in the obedience of it I have not gone backe from the commandement of his lips We finde the word used in such a signification Prov. 17.13 Who so rewardeth evill for good evill shall not depart from his house Semper familiariter in illius domo versabitur or evill shall not goe backe from his house As evill shall come so evill shall not goe backe he shall not be able to dismisse it when it cometh evill shall keepe close to his house dwell and abide in his house or hang upon him like an unwelcome guest he shall not get it out for ever Againe Isa 54.10 The mountaines shall depart and the hills shall be removed but my kindnesse shall not depart from thee neither shall the Covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee Thus the Lord assures his people of the grace and good of the new Covenant The mountaines shall depart that is though the mountaines depart or let them depart and the hills remove yet my kindnes shall not depart or it shall not goe back from you that is my kindnesse shall imbrace you sticke close to you and abide with you for ever so here I have not gone backe that is I have imbraced and stuck to the commandement of his lips We also finde such a sense of the word Mich. 2.3 Therefore thus saith the Lord Behold against this family doe I devise an evill from which you shall not remove or withdraw your neckes that is the evill which I devise against you shall remaine upon you and stick by you ye shall not get this yoake off your neckes nor your neckes out of this collar it shall be an abiding evill which will not goe backe as ye have not gone backe from the evill of sin so ye shall not goe backe from the evill of punishment it will not remove from you nor shall ye remove from it So here I have not gone backe or removed my necke from the commandement of God I have not stirred a foote from it Yet further that which before he called the way of God here he calls the commandement of his lips lips are the instruments of speech God is a spirit and hath no corporeall parts the Scripture speakes thus of God after the manner of men because men speake with their lips their lips being a principall instrument of speech therefore the commandement which God hath made knowne and spoken in a way peculiar to himselfe is called the commandement of his lips Praeceptum labiorum i. e. praeceptum labijs ejus pronounciatum Genitivus adjūcti vel efficientis Pisc Mr Broughton translates strictly to the letter His lips lawes I cast not off And when Job calleth the commandements of God the commandements of his lips it hath a great force in it to oblige man to reverence and obey them They are not commandements which he hath published by others onely he hath also published them himselfe They are the commandements of his lips that is those commandements which as he made and others speake in his name so he hath spoken them too Emphaticus est iste Hebraismus ad majorē praeceptorū dei commendationē reverentiam observantiam sc quod ab ipso dei ore prolata Bold He is both the Author and the publisher of them Exod. 20.1 And God spake all these words and sayd David Psal 66.13 14. puts that imphatically upon his holy vowes to shew how he was engaged to performe them I will goe into thy house with burnt offerings and I will pay thee my vowes that my lips have uttered and my mouth hath spoken when I was in trouble As if he had said my vowes are not onely such as I have conceaved in my heart and resolved in my owne thoughts but I have spoken them out and declared them openly therefore it lyes upon me not onely in conscience but in honour to pay and performe them If we must doe what our lips have uttered much more wust we doe what God hath uttered with his lips Lip-labour will not answer those commandements which are the labour of Gods lips Therefore saith Job I have not turned back from the commandement of his lips Hence Observe First A godly mans way is forward he doth not turne backe He doth not decline either to the right hand or to the left much lesse doth he goe backe he doth not onely stay where he was but he is better then he was his course is onward and forward Job 17.9 The righteous shall hold on his way It is bad enough not to goe forward but to goe backward is farre worse If any draw backe saith God Heb. 10.38 my soule shall have no pleasure in them And what pleasure can their soules take in whom the soule of God takes no pleasure
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
oppression when Princes turne oppressors and Great ones theeves Secondly When it is sayd that they take away flocks and fed them it shewes that these robbers persisted in their sin and were not ashamed of it They could spoyle their neighbours and never blush They declared their sin as Sodome they hid it not Thirdly This imports that they had quiet possession of their ill gotten goods What they got unjustly they held securely and unmolested Their stolne goods were neyther recovered by law nor forceably retaken from them they fed them and kept them as their owne wickednes prospered in their hand no man saw the day of Gods reckoning with them This their impunity Job specially aymed at when he sayd They violently take away flocks and feed them or feed upon them Hence note That God leaves some wicked men in a long and quiet possession of what they have unjustly gotten To hold by injustice and oppression is the worst and most slippery title and tenure in the world yet as unjust gaine makes some rich as they improve and thrive as they trade in and encrease by wayes of unrighteousnes so they live prosperously and hold strongly what they have unrighteously gained They both feed upon and feed the flocks which they have taken away by violence Though some oppressors are so suddainly attached by pursuing vengeance that they can neyther feed nor feed upon their stolne flockes but even before the meate is in their mouthes the wrath of God and justice of man falls upon them will not suffer them to rost what they have got in this kinde of cruel hunting yet others rost and eate to the full though indeed they doe but fat themselves against a day of slaughter which though it come slowly will surely come Job still proceeds in describing their other acts of violence Vers 3. They drive away the Asse of the fatherlesse they take the widows Oxe for a pledge There is somewhat considerable in these words though they are but a continued description of the same thing under variety of instances They drive away the Asse of the fatherlesse Here is more violence still Some conceave the singular is here put for the plurall The Asse for the Asses of the fatherlesse Abigeus is propriè dicitur qui pecora ex pascuis vel ex armenâ—is subtrahit abigendi studium quasi artem exercet Ulpian Insigne est apud Jurisconsultos Abigeatus crimen that is all the Asses that he had they left not one but swept all away But if we take the word strictly for one single Asse then it aggravates the sinne They drive away the Asse of the fatherlesse Though he hath but one they drive that away this hightens the oppressioÌ„ as 2 Sam. 12.3 in the parable which Nathan put to David to convince him of his sinne He tells him of a rich man that had exceeding many flocks and herds but the poore man had nothing save one little Ewe-lambe which he had bought and nourished up and it grew up together with him and with his children it did eate of his owne meate and dranke of his owne cup and lay in his bosome and was unto him as a daughter Now when the traveller came to the rich man he spared to take of his owne flocke and of his owne herd to dresse for the waifareing man but tooke the poore mans lambe c. So here they drive away the Asse of the fatherlesse though he hath but one they drive that away Further when he sayth They drive away the Asse there are two things considerable in it First the Asse is a usefull and serviceable beast for the bearing of burthens Secondly the Asse is a meane creature a beast of no great value though of some use They drive away the very Asse and that the Asse of the Fatherlesse In the former verse where it is sayd They violently take away flocks and feed thereof there is no mention at all made whose the flocks were or from whom they tooke them But here Job seemes to lay the emphasis of their sinne not so much upon what they drove away as upon the person whose it was which they drove away They drive away not the great or the rich man asse but the asse of the Fatherlesse The word fatherlesse may be taken two wayes eyther strictly for a childe that is left without a father to take care of him provide for him or secondly we may expound the word fatherlesse more largely for any that are poore and in distresse as was shewed Chap. 22.9 How cruel are they and how covetous are they who will not spare the poore no not poore Orphans To take from the fatherlesse in eyther sence aggravates the sinne Which aggravation of their sin is further prosecuted in the next instance of their oppression They take away the widdows Oxe for a pledge What a pledge is hath been opened at the 22d Chap. ver 6. It is not sinfull to take a pledge but there is a twofold sinne implyed in this place while they are charged with taking the widdows oxe for a pledge First in reference to the person of whom the pledge was taken the widdow Secondly in reference to the thing which was taken for a pledge it was the widdows oxe For the oxe being used for labour in tilling the ground a most necessary use should not be taken or at lest not detained as a pledge Viduae pupillae asinum bovem certa vitae instrumenta averiunt Nicet Ipsarum viduarum facultates per vim eripiuÌ„t quasi jure quodam instar creditorum pignorarentur Bez Quasi sub quodam colore justitiae viduam gravantes Aquin therefore we finde that those things which were for necessary use and livelihood were forbidden to be taken for pledge Exod. 22.26 27. or if they were taken they were presently to be restored before the Sunne went downe But these cruel men took the widdows oxe for a pledge and restored him not We may also understand it as some that they tooke the oxe as if it were a pledge doing it as of right or under pretence and colour of Justice as being her creditors for a debt And so the whole proceeding is expounded eyther of tyrants that lay heavie taxes upon the poore people and if they are not able to pay presently take all away by distreine or of common extortioners who lend money or let leases and upon every default of payment take the forfeiture and carry all away as due to themselves Further we may observe in Scripture that as we have these two usually put together the fatherlesse and the widdow so we have these two usually joyned together the asse and the oxe Thus they are joyned twice in the ten Commandements in the fourth and tenth and often elsewhere But some may question Hath the poore widdow an oxe The oxe seems rather to belong to rich men then to the poore widdow To which we may answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
man hath but an Omer just enough for a day as our Saviour teacheth us to pray Give us this day our dayly bread or the bread of our necessity so much bread as will suffice us for a day our Omer how much soever we have we are to aske no more and usually poore men have no more The rich have food aforehand or food for many dayes or yeares as he said to his soule Luk. 12.19 soule thou hast goods laid up for many yeares he was before-hand with the world but the poore man hath only enough for a day if he hath that and that these oppressors tooke away They take away the sheafe or the Omer from the hungry The hungry is put for the poore and to aggravate the sinne 't is sayd they take away the sheafe from the hungry That is before the poore man hath eaten his belly full yea before he hath broken his fast they finde the poore man hungry and so they leave him for they leave him nothing to appease his hunger with They take away the sheafe the Omer from the hungry There is yet a fourth reading and those that carry their sheaves they make to goe away a hungry The meaning is Their labourers in harvest or their harvest-men have no provision made for them they worke all day and are sent home hungry at night Which sinne is more expresly noted in the next verse where Job taxeth the wickednesse of those Masters who are forward enough to imploy poore labourers but are backward to give them a reward or rather keepe backe their reward altogether Vers 11. Which make Oyle within their walls and tread their wine-presses and suffer thirst The last reading of the 10th verse joynes fitly with this verse Those that carry their sheaves they make to goe away hungry and those that make oyle within their walls and tread their wine-presses suffer thirst they are both hungry and thirsty who doe their worke Which make oyle within their walls The word which we translate to make oyle signifies light or noone day in the nowne Meridiati sunt inter acervos Vulg and in the verbe to be abroad in the light or Sun about noone-day And hence the words are thus translated by the vulgar latine They noone it among the heapes or they are abroad among the heapes at noone And there is a double exposition given of the words in this translation first they are expounded of the wicked themselves who oppresse the poore as if he had sayd They come forth to please themselves and take the aire or to Sun themselves among the heapes of those things which they have taken from others by oppression But I conceave this very unsutable to that which is joyned with it in this verse Their treading of their wine-presses and suffering thirst And therefore I lay it by Secondly The words in this translation are expounded of the poore They abide till noone day or till the heate of the day among the heapes that is among the sheaves or among the oile-fats or among the wine-presses poore men labour there unto the very heate of the day and then are turned home hungry and thirsty without meate or drinke or any thing to procure eyther We translate which make oile and the same word signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 merediati sunt vel oleum fecerunt tam meridies quam oleum a splendore puritate dicitur Hebraice Est enim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 splendere Vel quia oleum accensum lucem facit ut meridies Aben-Ezra noone-day light and oile because of the light and splendidnesse of oyle The eye enformes us that oyle is a cleare body which hath much light and purity in it and therefore the word is applicable unto eyther which make oile Within their walls There is a twofold exposition of these words within their walls that is say some within their owne walls the poore make oile within their walls and tread their owne wine-presses yet they suffer thirst that is the poore are so opprest by the rich that all the wine and oile they can make for themselves will not satisfie their ordinary thirst or necessity or when the poore have made wine and oyle within their owne walls they suffer thirst that is the rich come and take all from them Thus we may enterpret it of the poore making wine oile for themselves For in those Countries where Vines and Olive-trees abound the poore have their quantity and portion of wine and oyle as here they have of corne or any other commodity which is of the growth of this Country But I rather expound the whole verse of the poore making oile for and treading the wine-presses of the rich The poore labour for the rich making oile within their walls or within their rankes that is among their Olive trees they grow in rankes and tread their wine-presses yet they suffer thirst that is though they labour hard for them yet they have nothing for their labour they make oile but they have no oile to anoint themselves they make wine but they have no wine to quench their thirst those cruell men neyther gave them wine nor oyle in specie or in kinde but used them as Poets feine of Tantalus who was set in a river of water up to his chin but could not reach it so the rich Tantaliz'd the poore calling them to worke all day in their oyle fatts and wine presses and yet sent them home hungry and thirsty or they sent them home without that which is virtually or amounts to wine and oyle that is their wages or reward they gave them not that which their service deserved This is that speciall oppression which I conceive Job intended in this place both to discover and reprove the unconsiderablenes and cruelty of the rich towards the poore labouring man Hence observe That to deteine the wages of the labouring man is a provoking oppression When men carry sheaves and yet are hungry when they make oile and tread the wine-presse and yet suffer thirst this is a crying sinne The Lord forbad this expressely Deut. 24.14 15. Thou shalt not oppresse an hired servant that is poore and needy whether he be of thy brethren or of the strangers which are in thy land within thy gates at his day thou shalt give him his hire neither shall the Sunne goe downe upon it for he is poore and setteth his heart upon it lest he cry against thee to the Lord and it be sinne unto thee The Law also sayth Deut. 25.4 Thou shalt not muzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corne Which though the Apostle applyeth in two places 1 Cor. 9.9 1 Tim. 5.18 to shew the equity of it that they who labour in the word and doctrine or preach the Gospel which is spirituall food the food of soules should be comfortably supplyed with temporall food the food of their bodyes though I say the Apostle doth peculiarly apply it to this sort of
Christ hath one that Judgeth him the word that I have spoken the same shall Judge him in the last day The word is now the rule of living and it shall be hereafter the rule of Judging Now it is the rule by which we must live to Christ and then it shall be the rule by which Christ will Judge us Thirdly Where it is sayd They are of those who rebell against the light Observe Wicked men cannot abide to be seene in what they doe nor doe they love to see what they doe They would neyther see their wicked practices nor be seene in them They are darknes and they walke in darknes As they walke in the darknes of sin so they would walke in the darknes of secrecy that others should not see what evill they doe and in the darknes of ignorance that they might not see that what they doe is evill They are like those uncouth Creatures Batts and Owles that come abroad onely in the night knowing that if they doe but stirre out in the day all the birds in the ayre will gather about them and hoote at them because of their strangenes and deformity And doubtlesse if wicked men did but see the mishapen and ugly visage of their owne wayes in the light of the word they would abhorre and run from themselves as the most abhorred monsters in the world and so would all men who see the uglynes of sin in the glasse of the word abhorre them and poynt at them as monsters did they but see them in their sinfull workes And hence the Apostle hinting the general disposition of sinners saith 1 Thes 5.7 They that are drunken are drunken in the night And againe Ephes 5.12 For it is a shame even to speake of those things which are done of them in secret that is when they are out of the sight of men and possibly had it not been that they were out of sight or in secret themselves would not have done those things for shame For though some wicked men as they have cast off their honesty so their modesty too and act not onely wickedly but impudently the shew of their faces testifying against them they declaring their sin as Sodom yet as the most of sinners presume God doth not see them when they doe evill so they are unwilling that men should for though their Conscience puts no barre to their sinning openly yet their credit doth So that as every wicked man would be glad he did not know that what he doth is evill and doth what he can to hinder or extinguish the light of that knowledge in him so most wicked men would be glad that no man knew of the evill which they doe and they doe what they can to hinder others from knowing it as hypocrites love to be seen in all the good they doe and would doe no good were it not as Christ assures us Math. 6.5 to be seene of men They fast and pray and give Almes and all to be seene of men that is that men may applaud them and poynt at them with a Behold of admiration There goe the men The charitable men The humble men The devout men and if men see them not or applaud them not they are as in the shadow of death they are dead-hearted to every good word and worke Now I say as all grosse hypocrites love the light or to be seene while they are doing good so the most prophane and wicked usually avoyd the light and love not to be seene when they are doing evill For though they are not troubled at the dishonour they doe to God by sinning yet to be dishonoured among men is a trouble to them They can easily venture their soules as to the life to come but they are afraid to doe wickedly in the sight of men lest they endanger their ease and safety in this present life That God seeth them not is their hope that men may not see them is their care and that they may not see themselves is their desire They are unwilling to know their duty lest their consciences should check them for not doing or for doing that which is not their duty Thus in every sence They are of those who rebell against the light Fourthly As rebelling against the light is an argument as hath been shewed that wicked men desire not to know what they ought to doe so it teacheth us Further That wicked men will doe against that which they know Men will have fellowship with the workes of darknes while their eyes are dazzled with light if their hearts have not been changed by it They would be glad if they might never be troubled with the light but suppose the light doe come as many times it doth come whether they will or no suppose the light darted upon them so clearely and convincingly that they cannot but see and know what they ought and what they ought not to doe yet they rebell against it eyther they will not doe what they know or they will doe contrary to their knowledge When some of the Pharisees were offended at those words Joh. 9.39 For Judgement am I come into this world that they which see not might see and that they which see might be made blinde What say they are we also blind Jesus said unto them if ye were blind ye should have no sin but now ye say we see therefore your sin remaineth that is it remaineth in the guilt and aggravations of it For as they eonfessed that they saw so Christ would convince them that they acted against what they saw or that though they had the light and so knew their duty yet they had done contrary to duty Man breakes through all the light that stands in his way he breakes through the light both of nature and Conscience both of the Spirit and Scripture till himselfe be made light The Apostle demonstrates the former in the example of the old Gentiles who though they were under a conviction of the power and presence of God by the workes of Creation and so were sayd to know God yet they did not like to retaine God in their knowledge nor did they glorifie him as God ver 21.28 but rebelled against that light which shone into their understandings from the creature And in the second Chapter of the same Epistle to the Romans the Apostle demonstrates the latter in the example of the old Jewes who though they were under a conviction not onely of the power and and presence of God but of the minde and will of God also by a divine Revelation or by the light of the word yet they rebelled against that word which they boasted of and while they judged themselves onely in the light and all the rest of the world in darknes they walked in darknes Behold saith he v. 17 18. thou art called a Jew and restest in the law and makest thy boast of God and knowest his will c. But how did the Jew answer this knowledge and this
sayth when he is in a right frame in reference to the wayes of holynes Psal 108.1 O God my heart is prepared or fixed A godly man doth not good upon a sudden or by chance as we say but he sets himselfe to it his heart is fixed or prepared and his face is set heaven-ward or for heavenly duties So Daniel spake of himselfe Dan. 9.3 I set my face unto the Lord God to seeke by prayer and supplications and as a godly man is in the wayes of God so the wayes of God are in him Thus David describes him Psal 84.5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee in whose heart are the wayes of them that is the wayes which Godly men walke in and they are the wayes of God Now as this is the true state of godlinesse when the heart is in it and prepared for it so the true state of wickednesse is when a mans heart is in it and prepared for it This is the proper character of a wicked man The eye of the Adulterer waiteth for the twilight Every word hath weight in it the twilight is the Adulterers season It is not sayd he waites for the night or for the day but he waiteth for the twilight which is neither day nor night but between both We have such a description of time in reference to the mixt and uncertaine state of things Zach. 14.6 7. And it shall come to passe in that day that the light shall not be cleare nor darke But it shall be one day which shall be knowne to the Lord not day nor night Such a thing is Twilight it is neyther cleare nor darke neyther day nor night but between both There is a twofold twilight first the morning twilight and secondly Diluculum Crepusculū the evening twilight the morning twilight begins when the night ends the evening twilight begins when the day ends The Latines have two distinct words to expresse these distinct twilights by but our language is not so well stored and therefore we must distinguish them by the matter spoken of or the scope of the speaker Thus here when 't is sayd in the text he waiteth for the twilight we are to understand it of the evening twilight not for the morning twilight and the reason is because the morning twilight is not for the adulterers turne or purpose for then the light prevailes upon the darkness but it is the evening twilight for then darkness prevailes upon the light And that this is the Adulterers twilight is cleare Prov. 7. v. 6 7 8 9. Nox et tenebrae administrae sunt impijs suarum libidinum Ipsa nox alioquin caeca infandarum tamen libidinū oculatus testis est At the window of my house saith Solomon I looked through the casement and behold among the simple ones I discerned among the youths a man voyd of understanding passing by the way to her house and he went neere her corner in the twilight in the evening or in the evening of the day in the blacke and darke night And behold there met him a woman with the attire of a harlot c. His eye waited for the twilight and in the twilight he was taken Hence note The doing of evill hath its proper seasons as well as the doing of good Though sin be never in season yet it hath some times which are more seasonable for it to sin is never in season as to the lawfullnesse of committing it but sin hath its seasons as to the conveniency of committing it The Adulterer takes his season he waiteth for the twilight Whence note secondly Evill men are very carefull to hit their seasons for the doing of evill It were desireable that the godly were as carefull to hit their seasons and take their times as the ungodly are To every thing saith the Preacher Eccl 3.1 there is a season and a time for every purpose under the Sunne And because it is so saith the same Preacher Eccl 8.6 The misery of man is great upon him But why doth this make the misery of man great upon him I answer The reason of this misery upon man is not because there is a season but because eyther of his ignorance or negligence to find it There are a thousand wayes to misse a season and but one to hit it And were there as many wayes to hit as to misse it were a thousand to one but man would misse rather then hit and therefore the misery of man is great upon him Because if once he misse his season it cannot be recovered and then he must needs be miserable Good men are miserable as to some cases because they are often so carelesse to hit their season of doing good and doe so often misse it notwithstanding all their care Wicked men are for ever miserable because they are so carefull not to misse their season of doing evill and doe so often hit it The eye of the Adulterer waiteth for the twilight and he seldome as to his own end waites in vaine But why is he so greedy for the twilight The next words say why where he brought in Saying no eye shall see me Where sayth he this he sayth it in his heart this is his discourse in his owne breast and to whom sayth he this he sayth it to himselfe there is a dialogue between the Adulterer and his owne heart and thus he concludes I will waite for the twilight and then no eye shall see me And when he sayth no eye shall see me his meaning is There is not any eye that shall see me Thus he playes the foole at All 's hid Yet further this no eye may have a threefold reference First No eye of common men shall see me I will doe this in secret I will have such a cover of darknesse over me that my neighbours and friends shall not be able to take any notice of mee Secondly No eye may referre to men in chiefe that is Verba quae sequuntur exigunt ut ista de Magistratus justitiaeque ministris intelligantur Bold Quisquis aut officio aut quovis alio modo super alios inspicit actusque eorum observat vocatur oculus no eye of the Magistrate nor of any Minister of Justice shall see me Magistrates are the eyes of a Nation they should overlooke all places eyther by themselves or their Officers to observe what is done As the adulterers eye watcheth so there should be an eye of Justice watching to catch Adulterers Some interpret this Text especially of the adulterers hope or selfe-perswasion that he shall escape the eye or knowledge of the Magistrate who is appointed to oversee the manners of that people over whom he is placed and to be a terror yea a Minister of vengeance to them that doe evill for he beareth not the sword in vaine Rom. 13.3 4. Magistrates should so much marke and eye the state of a people that they are called eyes in Scripture Isa 29.10 For the Lord
have any other tell him so too The Adulterer feares twilight is too light for him and therefore while the naturall darkenes is so imperfect he puts his face into perfect artificiall darkenes Job yet proceeds to shew this cowardly temper of sinners in their feare to be seene eyther by a further discovery of the same sort of sinners or of another sort in the same frame Vers 16. In the darke they dig through houses which they have marked for themselves in the day time they know not the light We have all along the words and the works of darknesse In the darke they dig through houses The question is who are here meant by these diggers some understand the verse of the adulterer And whereas he speaks here in the plurall number and before in the singular 't is frequent in Scripture say they to vary the number while the same subject is continued And that while he saith They the meaning is One and All of them are bent and apt enough to doe thus But is digging through houses the worke of an Adulterer In answer to this it hath been storyed and remembred that Adulterers have used such boysterous practices to come at their unlawfull pleasures Haec domorum perfossia non ad latrocinia nocturna sed ad turpes artes penetrandi in alienas domos manifestè pertinet Pined they have digged through houses to make private passages that they might not be discovered when they came to or when they departed from their lovers It hath been commonly sayd that hunger will break through stone walls and 't is a truth that wantonnes will doe so too Some have been so mad upon their lusts that if they could not finde a way they would make one to meete with their paramours Upon this consideration we may fayrely enterpret this verse as the former concerning the Adulterer But I rather conceive that this 16th verse containes a description of another sort of sinners Theeves or Robbers Because Ego libentius haec de latronibus quam de Adulteris caperem Quia hoc latrones saepe faciunt Adulteâ—i non nisi per quam raro Sanct though it be true that Adulterers doe sometimes digge through houses yet this is both more frequently and more properly the busienes of Theeves Another reason to perswade this understanding of the present Text may be because so we have a fuller and more particular enumeration of several sorts of sin and sinners In the darke they dig through houses To dig through houses is the worke of a theife And thus Christ speakes of the theife Luk. 12.39 And this know that if the good man of the house had knowne what houre the theife would have come he would have watched and not have suffered his house to have been broken through Jacob sayth of Simeon and Levi Gen. 49.6 In their anger they digged thorow a wall Some breake thorow walls for want or in covetousnesse to rob and steale others for anger and in wrath to kill and destroy They dig thorow houses Which they had marked for themselves in the day time See the method and cunning of these robbers here are three poynts of their sinfull skill First they marke houses the word signifies to marke with a seale as if they did put their seale upon other mens houses for their owne use Theeves goe abroad in the day time to espy where they may commit a robbery with best advantage and they set their marke upon such houses as they resolve to rob or which I rather take to be the meaning they diligently observe the strength of the house the wayes to the house what company is in the house where they may with most ease and advantage breake into the house All this they doe in the day by way of preparation and in the darke they put their purposes into execution In the darke they digge through houses which they had marked in the day Hence note Sinners would make sure worke they would not misse And therefore they eyther set their marke upon a house or exactly marke it O how witty and how cunning men are to doe mischiefe Secondly Whereas they went from Towne to Towne and any house they saw and liked they marked it for themselves Learne An unjust person makes every thing his owne if he can come by it if he can but get it He sayth of another mans house this is mine I will fill my own house with the spoyle and plunder of this Thirdly The theife marked houses In the day time He digged through them in the night but he made use of the day he would not breake open a house in the day but had somewhat to doe towards the breaking open of a house in the day he marked it in the day Hence note That time which suites not one wicked purpose may suite another The theife makes use of all times he makes use of the day to marke houses and of the night to digge them through He is carefull to take his time to doe the worke of the day upon the day and the worke of the night in the night They know not the light But why doth Job adde this sayd he not before that they marked houses for themselves in the day How then doth he say They know not the light Knowing is not meant of a bare act of knowledge as if they knew not when it was light and when it was darke or as if they knew not the nature of light what kinde of creature it is But not to know is not to affect They know not the light that is they care not they love not the light In which sence words of knowledge are often used in Scripture Nah. 1.7 The Lord knoweth the soule that trusteth in him The Lord knows those that doe not trust in him he knows those that are unbeleiveing as well as those that beleive in a way of discerning who they are but he knows the soule that trusteth in him in a way of loving and approveing him Non nosse lucem est non amaâ—e so here They know not the light that is they have no love to the light no delight in the light they care not for the light But it may be objected It should seeme these men cared for the light and liked it well for they made much use of it In the day they marked houses I answer When Job sayth They know not the light we may restraine it to one part of their busienes and that the maine Their digging through houses for this purpose which was their principall purpose they knew not the light that is they neyther loved nor liked the light darkenes was more welcome to them I shall not give any notes from these words here having before especially at the 12th verse where it is sayd They are such as rebel against the light they know not the wayes of it c. been somewhat large upon the same subject As also because the next verse is but
from this Hebrew word it is conceaved the Heathens also called the Sun Jupiter Hammon and they had Sun-Images called Chammamin Levit. 26.30 which they worshipped Drought and heate consume the snow water The word as many other in the Hebrew hath a neernesse of sound as well as in sence with our English word gussell and wee say of Great drinkers They are Guzzlers The dry earth and heate gussell or drinke in the snow water as the intemperate person gussels and drinks downe his liquor Thus drought and heate consume the snow water that is the snow when melted into water So doth the grave those that have sinned There is a wonderfull concisenes in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intra breviâ—as quae obscuritatem parit non dubium est similitudinem esse Merc we finde there no particle of likenes nor is there any expression of those that as appeares by the different letter in our translation yet there is no doubt but the words carry in them the force of a similitude therefore we may safely supply them according to our reading So doth the grave those that have sinned The same word is used indifferently in the Original both for the grave and hell both significations are made use of by Interpreters in this place First the grave or death secondly Hell which is the second death and everlasting death consumeth those that have sinned But why doth he say the grave consumeth those that have sinned Can he meane any speciall sort of men by this forasmuch as all men have sinned and sin dayly I answer It is a truth the grave consumeth and death reigneth over all for that all have sinned Wheresoever sin hath to doe death hath to doe the terretories of death are as large as the terretories of sin And had it not been for sin death had never had any dominion in the world nor can the grave consume any but those who have sinned The Body of man had never come into the graves mouth and it had been too hard a morsel for the stomacke of the grave to digest had it not been for sin For though the body of man in its materialls and constitution was mortall that is was under a possibility of dying before he sinned yet if sin had not brought him under the threat of death God had never subjected him under that decree of dying in pursuance of both which the grave now consumeth all those that have sinned The grave consumes Godly men because they have sinned and the grave consumes wicked men because they have sinned yet there is a great difference among these sinners who dye and a greater difference among these sinners when they are dead And therefore Job speakes here destinctively for though it be a truth that all whether Godly or wicked have sinned and that the grave consumeth all who have sinned yet Job doth not here intend all men by Those who have sinned For by them Job meanes grosse presumptuous and impoenitent sinners he meanes it not of those who sin according to common fraylety but of those who sin with a high hand obstinately Such he meanes even oppressours adulterers murtherers of whom he spake by name before these and such as these are the sinners whom he intends while he saith so doth the grave those that have sinned And it be said so doth the grave those that in this sence have not sinned I answer The Grave is sayd in a speciall manner to consume those who have thus sinned First Because such sinners doe more subject and lay themselves open to death by their wicked courses and intemperate living Such sinners spoyle their bodyes and corrupt their blood they fill themselves with diseases which bring them early to the Grave Secondly Because God doth often cut the thread of such mens lives when they are strong and healthy and tumbles them into the graves mouth to be consumed before they have lived out halfe their dayes The words being thus opened fall under a twofold interpretation First As implying the felicity such as it is of wicked men in dying or the easinesse of their death as they live in pleasure so they dye without paine That 's a poynt insisted upon at the 13th verse of the 21th Chapter They spend their dayes in wealth and in a moment or with ease they goe downe to the grave Moriuntur facillimè suavissime ita ut nihil doloris aut cruciatus senti ant non lenta morte contabescunt ut magna ex parte probi Merc Ex Hebraeis aliqui putant indicari lenissimam mortem in piorum qua lenitur et insensibiltâ—è◠liqu fiant c. Pined And againe ver 32 33. Hee shall be brought to the grave the clods of the valley shall be sweet unto him Where Job shews that wicked men have as much ease in death as others and many times a great deale more They dye in a moment not tyred out with the torture of chronical diseases but having a quicke and speedy passage out of the world are dissolved even as the snow is by the heate and warmth of the Sunne This sence some of note insist chiefly upon as most suiteable to Jobs scope in describing the corporall and temporall felicity of wicked men even in death which carryes the greatest appearance of terror and trouble in it But I rather take these words as a description of the miserable end and sad conclusion of a wicked man For the word which we render to consume signifies a forceable swallowing downe a kinde of devouring which doth not consist with that other explication Drought and heate consume the snow-waters so doth the grave those that have sinned Hence observe First Some sin so as if they were the onely sinners or as if they onely had sinned All men sin but some goe away with the name as if they onely were worthy to be called sinners In which sence the Evangelist sayth Luke 7.37 And behold a woman in the City which was a sinner when she knew that Jesus sat in the Pharisees house brought an albaster box of ointment c. But were not all the women in the City sinners They were so but this woman had a common fame for a sinner that is for an uncleane wanton woman shee was a sinner of sinners the chiefe of sinners in that City So Luk. 19.7 when Christ went to the house of Zacheus the Pharisees were vexed and murmured saying that he was gone to be guest with a man which was a sinner As if they had sayd he is gon to the house of a notorious sinner a man so sinfull and guilty that all men seeme innocent and sinlesse in comparison of him So they accounted That Zacheus the Publican and doubtlesse he was as noted a man for sin before his conversion as he was for grace after it As they who are borne of God doe not commit sin yea cannot sin because they are borne of God 1 Joh. 3.9 that is their sinning
Acts 27.20 Tenere faciem throni est coelum occultare et obducere nubibus That neyther Sun nor Starrs in many dayes appeared here was a holding backe or covering of the face of the throne of God And thus our experiences have often found it held backe the face of heaven being masked or vayled over with naturall clouds and vapours Againe if we take the face of the throne of God for that eminent manifestation of himselfe as in heaven Thus also God holdeth backe the face of his throne by covering it with a Metaphoricall cloud as it is expressed Psal 97.1 2. The Lord reigneth c. clouds and darknesse are round about him that is we can see no more of his glory in reigning then we can see of a Kings throne which is covered with a Canopy and compassed about with curtaines Job gives this plainly for the interpretation of this former part of the verse in the latter part of it And spreadeth his cloud upon it That is upon the face of his throne Wee may take this cloud first properly thus God covers the heavens from the sight of our eyes Secondly improperly as clouds note onely secrecy and privacy Thus God spreadeth a cloud upon his throne to hide it from the eye of our understanding so that we can no more comprehend the glory of God in himselfe or in his wayes and workings towards man then we can see the Sunne Moone and Starres when muffled and wrapt up in thicke clouds Thus David speaketh of the Lord Psal 18.11 He made darkenes his secret place his pavilion round about him were darke waters and thicke clouds of the skyes But the Apostle saith 1 Tim. 6.16 That God dwelleth in light How then doth the Psalmist say there and elsewhere that he made clouds and darknes his secret place and his pavilion I answer As the Lord is light and hath no darkenes at all in him Joh 1.5 so as to himselfe he ever dwelleth in light and hath no clouds nor darkenes at all about him And therefore when it is sayd that he spreadeth a cloud upon his throne and maketh darkness his secret place or his secret place darke we are to understand it in reference to our selves for whensoever God hideth himselfe or the reason of his dealings and dispensations from us Then the cloud is spread upon his Throne When God is sayd to spread a cloud over us or any thing we have it noteth his care over us and his protection of us Isa 4.5 And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion and upon her assemblyes a cloud and smoake by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night what is meant both by this cloud and flaming fire is clearely expounded in the last words of the verse for upon all the glory shall be a defence or a covering Thus I say a cloud spread by God upon us implyeth that we are under his covert and defence But when God spreadeth a cloud upon or covereth himselfe with a cloud this implyeth all the Scripture over the hiding and concealing of himselfe and his workes from us And in this sence Job sayth He holdeth backe the face of his throne and spreadeth a cloud upon it Hence note First God hath a throne Kings have thrones much more hath God who is the King of kings King Solomon made himselfe a great throne of Ivory and overlayd it with the best Gold 1 Kings 10.18 Kings have formall Thrones God hath a real one Hee hath all power in his hand and this he administreth according to the pleasure of his owne will both in heaven and earth Note Secondly God manifesteth himselfe in heaven as Princes upon their thrones so heaven is the throne of God And where God acts most our affections should be most and our conversation most Where the Throne is thither the great resort is many flocke to the Court. As it will be our glory hereafter to be in heaven or about the throne of God for ever in person so it is our grace to be dayly there in Spirit while we are here The earth is Gods footestoole yet many make that their throne Heaven is Gods throne and many make that their footestoole They tread and trample upon the things of heaven while they set their hearts upon the things of the earth 'T is a sad mistake when men set their feete where they should set their hearts and prophane the throne of God not onely by levelling it with but by laying it lower then the ground Observe Thirdly God hideth his owne glory from the sight of man He holdeth backe the face of his throne he will not suffer the lustre of it to appeare but spreadeth a cloud upon it Indeed we are not able to beare the cleare discoveryes of divine Glory 1 Tim. 6.16 God dwelleth in light which no man can approach unto though he were permitted and offered the priviledge to approach unto it God dwelleth in and is possessed of that infinite perfection of light that no creature is capable of When Moses made that petition to God Exod 33.18 I beseech thee shew me thy glory The Lord answered v. 20. Thou canst not see my face for no man shall see me and live It seemes that while God spake with Moses his glory was overshadowed or that God to use Jobs language in the text held backe the face of his throne and spread a cloud upon it and therefore Moses begg'd the removall of it or that his glory might breake through it and shine unto him Wel sayth God thou canst not see my face as if he had sayd If I should grant thee that request thou art not able to enjoy it or make use of it for as my nature is altogether invisible so thou canst not beare the super-excelling brightnes which the cleare manifestations of my immediate presence would dart forth upon thee for that Glory of my presence is too great a weight for humane fraylety to stand under it would astonish rather then comfort thee and in stead of refreshing confound and make thee as a dead man No man shall see my face and live Man must dye before he can in that sence see the face of God and then he shall as the Apostle speakes 1 Cor 13.12 see face to face and know as he is knowne So that though we are much short of the happines of the next life while we see as through a glasse darkely and God holdeth backe the face of his throne yet it is a mercy to us while we are in this life that he doth so because we are not able to abide the sight of him face to face or to behold the face of his throne As Christ had many things to say to his Desciples which they were not able then to beare so Christ hath purchased such mercyes and priviledges for his people as they are not able to beare while they are on this side the grave Every state hath enjoyments suitable
and proper to it Further as God hideth his glory from man because he is not able to beare it all so he hideth much of that from him which he is able to beare both to make him hunger and thirst the more after it and to draw him into the greater reverence and estimation of it We usually esteeme that more which is veyled and under a cloud then that which is very cleare and openly revealed and according to our present state and frame that is most reverenced by us which is most concealed from us When a cloud hath dwelt a while upon the Sunne we desire the more to see the face of it and are the more affected with the sight of it God will not hold backe the face of his throne from us in glory nor will he ever spread a cloud upon it and yet we shall have fresh desires after it and high valuations of it everlastingly But while we dwel in this corrupt and corruptible flesh wee are apt to neglect that which is alwayes with us especially if it be alwayes alike with us And therefore as the wise and gracious God will not let us see his throne here at all in the full glory of it because we cannot beare it so he will not let us see that glory of it continually which we are able to beare lest we should grow eyther carelesse of it or unthankfull for it It is even best for us that we have but a darke and imperfect sight of God in this world both in reference to what he is and to what he doth or first in reference to himselfe in his nature and Excellencyes Secondly in reference to his wayes or workes in their speciall reasons and ends As our darkenes cannot at all comprehend the light of God so God is pleased to cover much of his own light with darkenes that we should not comprehend it How many glorious truths are there the face of which he holdeth backe from many of his precious servants how often doth he spread a cloud as upon the truths which he sendeth in his Word so upon the graces which he hath wrought in us by his Spirit so that the soule is not onely hindred from beholding what is without but what is within and is so farre from beholding the glorious perfection of God and his workes abroad that it cannot so much as discerne any of the gracious workes of God at home He spreadeth his cloud upon it Vers 10. He compasseth the waters with bounds untill the day and night come to an end Job having described marvaylous acts of divine power in the heavens descends againe to shew his marvayles in or about the Seas and mighty waters He compasseth the waters with bounds The word which we render to compasse Proprietas pecaliaris verbi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est lineam vel circulum describere quasi circino Forte etiam in dicatur eodem circumdandi verbo unum effici globuÌ„ ex terra et aqua atque unum idem utriusque elementi esse centrum Pined signifyeth properly to draw a line or make a circle as Mathematicians doe with a payre of Compasses so that it notes the shutting up or circumscribing any thing to a certaine place or measure beyond which it cannot move And thus God compasseth the waters At the 8th verse Job shewed how God compasseth the upper waters the waters in the ayre He bindeth up the waters in his thicke clouds Here he sheweth how God by the same almighty power compasseth about the lower waters the waters of the Sea The Hebrew is The face of the waters as in the former verse The face of his throne The face of the earth is the upper part of the earth Gen. 1.29 I have given you every herbe bearing or seeding seed which is upon the face of all the earth And so the face of the waters is the upper part of the waters because the upper part of the water as also of the earth lyeth open to the eye as the face of a man doth And it may therefore be sayd that he compasseth the face of the waters because though the whole body and bulke of the waters swel and rage yet the face or upper part of the waters is that which at any times breaketh over and overfloweth And therefore the face of the waters onely as to us is compassed about with bounds The word noteth a legal bound a statute or decree and is frequently used in Scripture especially in the 119th Psalme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stanuum constitutie dec câ—etum sign ficat praecepti constantiam durationem nam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est insculpere seu incidere lapidi ligno vel Metallo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septu for the Law or rule which God hath given man both for his worship and continuall course of life And hence the Prophet Jeremiah speaking to the Jewes about this thing useth another word to signifie the bound of the Sea and the word which here we render Bound is there rendred Decree Jer 5.22 Feare ye not me saith the Lord will ye not tremble at my presence which have placed the sand for the bound of the Sea by a perpetuall decree that it cannot passe it And there is so much of a Law or of an appoyntment in it that the word is applicable to any thing which is put under a certaine law or appoyntment So it is put for an appoynted time in the 14th Chapter of this booke v. 13th and for appoynted foode in the 23d Chapter of this booke v. 12th as here for an appoynted space or circle within which as within a wall or with gates and barrs the waters of the Sea are kept He compasseth the waters with bounds Hence Note First The Sea is bounded by the power of God As God hath given man understanding to provide a bit and a bridle for the mouth of the horse and mule which have no understanding lest they come neere unto him Psal 32.9 that is neerer to him then they should or neere to him not to serve him or be used by him but to kicke him or tread upon him Thus God himselfe who is infinite in understanding hath put a bit or bridle into the mouth of the Sea which is further from understanding then eyther Horse or mule lest it come neere to drowne and overwhelme us Neyther shoares nor sands neyther cliffs nor rockes are the bound and bridle of the Sea but the Decree and command of God Observe Secondly It is an unanswerable argument of the glorious power and soveraignetie of God that he is able to compasse the waters with bounds Who shut up the Sea with dores was Gods humbling Question to Job in the 38th Chapter of this booke v. 8.10 11. and sayd hitherto shalt thou come and no further here shall thy proud waves be stayed The Psalmist Ps 104. having shewed how at first Gen. 1 1. the whole earth was covered with the deep as