in man to desire God to strike through his pride and it is a great act of mercy to man when God doth so The more God smiteth our sins the more he declares his love to and his care of our soules The remainders of pride in the Saints shall be smitten through but sinners who remaine in their pride shall be smitten through themselves God whose power and understanding are made known by smiting through the proud waves of the Sea will at last make his Justice and his holynes knowne by smiting through the proud hearts of men or rather men of proud hearts Proud men strike at God yea kicke against him no wonder then if he strike and kicke them All the sufferings of Christ are wrapt up under that one word His humiliation implying that as he was smitten for all our sins so most of all for our pride That man whose pride is not smitten to death or mortifyed by the death of Christ shall surely be smitten to death even to eternall death for his pride As God understandeth thoroughly who are proud so by his understanding he will smite through the proud JOB CHAP. 26. Vers 13 14. By his Spirit he hath garnished the heavens his hand hath formed the crooked Serpent Lo these are parts of his wayes but how little a portion is heard of him but the thunder of his power who can understand JOB hath given us a particular of many illustrious works of God what he doth in the depths below Et ut in opere ipsius pulcherrimo desinam hic ille est qui coelos illa enarrabili pulchritudine exornavit spherae illae suis giris undique coelos serpeÌ„tium instar percurreÌ„tes sunt opus manibus ipsius tornatum Bez and what in the hights above in this verse he gives another instance and that a very choyce one upon the same subject As if he had sayd After all this large discourse which I have made of the workes of God I will conclude with that which is the most remarkeable peice of them all This is he who hath adorn'd the heavens with that unutterable beauty wherewith they shine and the spheares which wind and turne round about the heavens like Serpents are smoothed and polished by his hand Vers 13. By his Spirit he hath garnished the heavens The Spirit of God is taken two wayes in Scripture First q. d. visua voluntate ut nomen spiritus saepius in scriptura usurpatur sed malo ipsum dei spiritum almum accipere quo omnia deus fecit Merc for the power of God Secondly and so here for God the power as distinct from the Father and the Son By whom God wrought all things in the creation of the world Gen 1.2 The Earth was without forme and voyd and darkenes was upon the face of the deepe and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters It is a rule in Divinity That the external workes of the Trinity are undevided and so the Three Persons concurred in the making of the world God the Father created and is called Father in Scripture not onely in relation to the Eternall ineffable Generation of God the Son but also in reference to the production of the creature God the Son or the Eternal Word created Joh. 1.1 2 3. In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God All things were made by him and without him was nothing made that was made God the Spirit or Holy-Ghost he likewise created and He onely is mentioned by Moses distinctly or by name as the Agent in the original constitution of all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non simplicem motionem denotat sed qualem columba perficit cum evis ad excludendum pullos incubat Rab Selom Verbum â—ranslatum ab avibus pullitiei suae incubantibus Jun. And the Hebrew word rendred in our translatioÌ„ moved the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters by which the Agency of the Spirit in that Great worke is expressed caryeth in it a very accurate significancy of that formative vertue or power which the Spirit put forth about it For it is a metaphor taken from birds who sit upon their eggs to hatch and bring forth their young ones and so importeth the effectual working of the Spirit whereby that confused masse or heape was drawne out and formed up into those severall creatures specifyed by Moses in the Historie of the Creation Among which we find the Garnishing of the heavens spoken of here by Job is reported by Moses for the worke of the fourth day Further we may consider the heavens first in their matter and being secondly in their beauty and ornaments Job speakes of the latter By his Spirit he hath garnished the heavens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adornavit decoravit pulchrè fecit God hath not onely created but pollished and as it were painted or embroydered the heavens The originall word implyeth the making of them beautifull contentfull and pleasant unto the eye this is the Lords worke And therefore as the whole world because of the excellent order and beauty of it is exprest in the Greeke by a word that signifies beautifull 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so some parts of the world have a speciall beauty and lustre put upon them beyond the rest The heavens are not like a plaine garment as we say without welt or guard but they are laced and trimmed they are enamel'd and spangled they glister and sparkle in our eyes with rayes and beames of light By his Spirit he hath garnished the heavens If it be asked what is this garnishing of the heavens I answer the setting or placing in of those excellent lights Sunne Moone and Starres in the heavens are the garnishing of them Light is beautifull and the more light any thing hath the more beauty it hath Precious stones have much light in them those lights the Starres are as so many stones of beauty and glory set or moving in the heavens Light as diffused and shed abroad in the ayre is exceeding delightfull and beautifull but light as it is contracted and drawne together into the Sunne Moone and Starres is farre more beautifull light in the ayre pleaseth the eye but light in the Sunne conquers and dazzel's the eye by the excessive beauty and brightnesse of it In the first day of the Creation God sayd Let there be light and there was light but in the fourth day he sayd let there be lights that is let there be severall vessells to receave hold and containe light and then to issue it out among the inhabitants of the earth Gen. 1.14 And God sayd let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night and let them be for signes and for seasons and for dayes and for yeares and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth and it was so And
which will be as so many Observations from the Text. It may seem a very Paradox to assert that it is no pleasure to the Almighty that a man makes his way perfect therefore take the sense first in three Affirmative Propositions and then in three that are Negative First The Lord hath pleasure in us as we are righteous in Christ Yea he loves to hear us boast of this righteousnesse and glory in it and the more we doe so the more pleasure he taketh in it Isa 45.25 Surely shall one say in the Lord have I righteousnes even to him shall men come c. In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shall glory The seed of Israel are righteous in the Lord and glory in that righteousnesse yea the Lord is pleased to hear them glorying in that righteousnesse for that 's the righteousnesse of his Son in whom he is well pleased Mat. 3. â—7 And because the Church is cloathed with this righteousnesse therefore she is called The Lords delight Isai 62.4 Thou shalt no more be called forsaken neither shall thy Land any more be termed desolate but thou shalt be called Hephzibah thy land Beulah for the Lord delighteth in thee Thou shalt be called my delight or my pleasure is in her The word of the Text the Lords pleasure is in the Church and therefore the Lords pleasure is in the Church becaus the Church is adorned and beautified with the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ this is it which causeth the Lord to call his Church Hephzibah My pleasure is in her When Eliphaz enquireth Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous We may answer the Lord hath pleasure in this righteousnesse and as he tels the Church so every perticular Believer his delight and pleasure is in him Secondly God takes pleasure also in us as we are righteous in Conversation David Psal 147.10 11. gives a clear proof of it both in the negative and in the affirmative The Lord delighteth not in the strength of a Horse he taketh not pleasure in the leggs of a man The Lords delight is neither in Horses nor in men neither in their strength nor in their beauty wherein is the Lords pleasure then The next words shew us where He takes pleasure in them that feare him and hope in his mercy This Scripture seems to speak directly contrary to Eliphaz in Job he saith Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous But David saith The Lord takes pleasure in those that feare him therefore we must not understand Eliphaz in this sense as if the Lord had no delight or contentment at all in the holinesse of his people as if it were all one to him whether they are holy or unholy There is a Generation who say that all actions are alike and that it is all one before God whether men be righteous or unrighteous whether they doe good or evil wo to them that understand this Scripture in such a corrupt sense for the Lord doth not onely hate iniquity but he is Of purer eyes then to behold any iniquity He hath no pleasure either in unrighteousnesse or in the unrighteous but both righteousnesse and the righteous are his pleasure There are three things which I shall touch for the confirmation of it First the Lord cannot but take pleasure in his own Image Now that righteousnesse which is implanted in us and put forth by us the righteousnesse of our natures and of our actions as we are regenerate is nothing else but the Image of God renewed upon us Seeing then God cannot but take pleasure in his own Image therefore it is a wickednesse to think that God takes no pleasure in a righteous man or in his righteousnesse Secondly as this righteousnesse is the image of God in us so it is the very workmanship of God upon us Ephes 2.10 For we are his workmanship we are so not only first in our naturall capacity as we are men and secondly in our civil capacity as such or such men high or low rich or poor but also which is the thing intended by the Apostle in our spiritual capacity as Saints Thus we are the workmanship of God created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them The same Apostle saith againe He that hath wrought us for this selfe same thing is God 2 Cor. 5.5 Is it possible that God should have no pleasure in his own works We read in the first of Genesis that when he had made the world the Lord saw all that he had made and behold it was very good God hath an All-seeing eye he alwayes beholdeth all things but when 't is said he saw all that he had made this imports a special act of God after the manner of men who strictly view and behold what they have done delighting in it Thus the Lord saw all that he had made he as it were came to view his own work he saw and behold it was very good he took pleasure in it Now if God took pleasure in that structure and fabrick of the world the first Creation how much more doth he take pleasure in that holinesse which he hath wrought in the hearts of his people which is a second creation and that 's a more curious and noble structure then this visible world is The new Creation is more excellent then the old Therfore the Lord cannot but delight in a righteous person for he is his workmanship What Job Ch. 14.15 assures himselfe of is most true in this respect Thou wilt have a desire to the worke of thine hands Job speaks there of his outward man my body he means was made by thee 't is the work of thy hands and thou wilt fetch it back again thou wilt redeem it from the dust Whatsoever hath the workmanship of God upon it he hath pleasure in it as it is his work and a speciall pleasure in that which as any work of Grace is is his speciall work Thirdly this Consideration shews that the Lord must take pleasure in a righteous person because he bears the form of his will revealed in his word Holinesse is our conformity to the will of God Now the Lord cannot but take pleasure in those who conforme to his will Samuel tels Saul 1 Sam. 15.22 and there he useth this word in the Text Hath the Lord as great delight in Burnt-offrings and sacrifices as in obeying the voyce of the Lord God gave thee a word a Command to which he expected thy conformity but thou hast thought to please the Lord with Sacrifices which he commanded thee not this was thy mistake and thy folly We honour God when we do his will surely then he must needs take pleasure in those that doe it Man takes pleasure when he can have his will though it be a corrupt and sinfull will fulfilled It cannot but be a pleasure to God when his holy will is
latter part of the Verse may receive the same Exposition Will he enter with thee into judgment namely for thy feare Will God deale with thee upon the account of thy piety And when he comes to justifie thee will he impute that to thee Or when God enters into judgement with thee will he suffer thee to present thy fear thy piety or goodnesse to him and so thereby answer his plea or take away the action which he brings against thee When God enters with us into judgement we may boldly plead our interest or Faith in the Mediator but we must not plead our fear the Grace or Holinesse either of our persons or of our services Thus we see the Doctrine of the Text according to this Exposition and the Active signification of the word Feare carrieth in it the very life and spirit of the Gospel All the worth and merit of our works as to righteousnesse is nul'd and laid prostrate and we taught to glory in nothing but the free gift and grace of God by our Lord Jesus Christ Secondly As Fear is taken passively Will he reprove thee for feare of thee That is is God afraid of thee doth he pick quarrels with thee for fear of thee Or seek occasions against thee when there is none only lest thou shouldest stand in his way or be a detriment to him This appears plainly to be the sense of our Translators Whence Observe God is above the feare of the Creature As in the former Verse God is above any advantages or hopes that the Creature can give him so he is above the feare of any hurt that the creature can doe him As the goodnesse or righteousnesse of man cannot benefit the Lord so the wickednesse and sinfulnesse of man cannot at all impaire the eternall glory and happinesse of the Lord. Though the wickednesse of man be a darkening to the manifestations of his glory and for that wicked men shall be judged yet as to his essential glory all the wickednesse in the world cannot darken that nor be the least abatement to it Will he reprove thee for feare of thee No man cannot hurt the Lord by all his wickednesse and therefore The punishment which God layeth upon wicked men is not after the manner of men God doth not punish as man punisheth Eliphaz here speaks of that which is often indeed a true ground among men why they reprove or punish other men Some reprove others upon a vaine fear of them and some upon a just fear of them Why did the Jews accuse and reprove Christ Was it not for fear of him at least they pretended a fear why else were they so hasty to have Jesus Christ brought to judgement John 12.47 48. Then gathered the chief Priests and Pharisees a Councel and said what doe we for this man doth many Miracles if we let him thus alone all men will beleeve on him and the Romanes shall come and take away both our place and Nation They Crucified Christ for fear though it was but a vain fear that he would be the ruine of their state the Romanes must needs come and destroy them if they let him alone Feare makes men cruell and they are most ready to hurt others who continually suspect hurt from others It hath been an ancient Observation that Cowards are murtherous and revengefull while a man fears that such a man will be his ruine he ruines him if he can and removes that out of his way which he supposeth standing in the way of his owne safety Why did Pharaoh give Command to slay the Male-Children of the Jews and oppresse that people It was upon a vaine or cowardly fear Come let us deale wisely with them lest they multiply and it come to passe that when there falleth out any warre they joyne also with our enemyes and fight against us and so get them up out of the Land Ex. 1.10 It is sayd at the 7th verse of that Chap. that the children of Israel were fruitfull and God fullfilling herein his promise made to Abraham encreased aboundantly and multiplyed and waxed exceeding mighty and the Land was filled with them When God thus cast a gratious eye upon them Pharoah and his Councellers cast a jelous eye upon them and began to suspect their multiplying might at last diminish him that their rising might prove his ruine Therefore upon reason of state he must find out a way to suppress and keepe them under as slaves and bondmen whom his Ancestors received as welcom guests and had to that day enjoyed as faithful friends Pharoah being captivated with this feare saw no way to free himselfe but by taking away the freedome of that whole People As some through the prevalency of their owne feares dare not doe justice so others through the prevalency of feare doe that which is unjust Take one instance more why did Herod Matth. 2. send out to slay all the Children It was for fear of the King of the Jewes he was afraid of Christ and therefore that he might murther him he gave that horrible sentence to slay all the Infants Again some reprove and judge upon a due fear for as Tirants and wicked men are full of fear because full of cruelty and have suspitious thoughts that others will wrong them because they have a mind to wrong every man so just and righteous Magistrates when they see evil working they must reprove and punish it lest it spread to the endangering of the publick Peace This is a just fear and such as becomes a man even a man of courage and integrity such may feare that if seditious spirits be let alone Verissimum est illud quod inter argumentādum assumit Eliphaz ex timore frequenter nasci aut vehementius accendi solere severitatem in irrogando supplicio Pined they will undermine a whole Nation and destroy thousands A Magistrate reproves and Judges Theeves and Murtherers out of fear that if they encrease no man shall live quietly Such as either openly or secretly contrive evil against a Nation the Magistrate from a just ground of fear deals with them reproves least they should disturb or infect the whole But the Lord doth not reprove any man for fear of him he is of such infinite strength and stability so far out of the reach of all the plots and contrivances of the wicked that he needs not call them to account lest they should hurt his state pull him out of his Throne spoile his Kingdome or get his Dominion from him the Lord is not afraid of any of these things but the true reason why the Lord reproves wicked men is because he hates their iniquities and is a God of truth and judgment Though Magistrates may punish not only out of the love of Righteousnesse and Judgment but because they fear a State may be ruin'd if they do it not yet the Lord hath none of this fear in regard of his State but he doth it meerly out of love to justice
not men of the Earth Carnall men are Earthly-minded they minde the Earth and that 's both their hope and buisines they are not onely Earth in their Constitution but Earth in their affections therefore they are called men of the Earth these men had much of the Earth in their possession as well as they had all of it in their affections desires The mighty man he had the Earth Observe hence That Evill Magistrates in Power are more ready to favour great men then to releive poore men Eliphaz knew that Job was a Magistrate a man in Power and he supposeth that under his government the poore got no bread but the mighty men had the Earth they had favour to have and doe what they lift It is very Common with the men of the world to be very free to those that are of the world they are like those Clouds which we may observe sometimes blowne over the dry Land and emptying themselves into the Sea The mighty that had store before have more and the poore who had nothing have nothing at all Men love to bestow kindnesses upon them onely to whom they are like or whom they love A good man helps those that are good and wicked men care for none but such as themselves Wicked men are called Oakes Zech. 11.2 Howle yee firr trees for the Cedar is fallen that is the great man is fallen because all the mighty are spoyled howle O yee Oakes of Bashan for the forrest of the vintage is come downe The Chaldee Paraphrase saith Howle yee Governors of Provinces And hee calls these Governers Oakes first because of their strength and secondly because of their fruit What fruit doe Oakes beare onely acornes and who are fed with acornes onely swine Acornes are but hogg◠meate hee gives the allusion thus wicked men in power beare fruit but it is onely for swine that is for wicked men they bestow the tokens of their bounty the overplus of their plenty upon hoggs and swine that is upon carnal and sensual men Parietes vestites auro homines veste nudatis panem postulat homo equus tuus aurum sub dentibus mandit Ambros they have nothing for the People of God for those that are the true objects of charity they make their horses fatt their doggs fatt none are leane but Gods poore Thus one of the Ancients reprehends those great ones of his time Ye cloath the walles of your houses with gold with Arras hangings and ye let the poore goe naked the poore aske bread and ye give it them not it may be your horse chewes a golden Bitt and the poore man hath not a Bitt of Bread The spirits of carnall men are carried out from that which is their duty they care not how profuse and lavish they are to those who suits with their own hearts the poore have nothing while the mighty man hath the Earth Thus Eliphaz reproved Job though indeed it was otherwise with him as appeares in the defence which he afterwards made for himselfe against these grosse insinuations And as to this particular he answers Chap. 29.17 I brake the Jawes of the wicked and pluckt the spoyle from between his teeth he indeed puld the earth from the mighty or the mighty from the earth though Eliphaz here sayd The mighty had the earth and The honourable man dwelt in it Acceptus vel elevatus facie habitabat in ea Hebr. The Hebrew is The man whose face is lifted up which phrase is Interpreted two wayes First Passively Secondly Actively Passively thus the man who is lifted up by others that is who is respected who is reverenced according to his place or worth Hebraei principem vocant Nasi quasi elevatū facie ab alijs acceptum All which agree with our rendering the honourable man And in the Hebrew Princes and great ones are exprest by that word which signifies to lift up the face because such are lifted up above others and are much respected by others So the word is used Gen. 19.21 See saith the Angel to Lot I have accepted thee The Hebrew is I have lifted up thy face that is I have respected and honoured thee by granting thy request Secondly It may be taken actively The man that lifts up the face dwells in the Earth What is it to lift up the face Acceptor personarum habitabat in ea Pagn it is to Accept Persons in Judgement to accept him that hath the worst cause and to reject him that hath the best cause for private ends As if Eliphaz had sayd Hee that respects persons that is who perverts justice hee hath the Earth and so here seemes to be a description of all sorts of wicked men flourishing in Jobs time and under his wing Some oppresse openly the mighty man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est habere respectum personarum sc quod pauper sit aut dives aut nobilis aut honoratus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Habitare sedere the man of armes comes by main force and obtaines the earth or the riches and fatnes of the earth Others oppresse secretly and cunningly they accept persons and are byassed in Judgement by their own interest and advantages The man of this straine dwelt in it The word notes two things First to continue he dwelt there thou let'st him abide whereas if he had come into the Land thou should'st quickly have rooted him out Secondly The word signifies not onely to dwell but to sit and to sit in Scripture Language notes authority or dominion he dwelt or sate in it that is hee was the man in authority hee had the power and the great places of government were entrusted in his hand From both these observe First That evill Magistrates are apt to pervert Justice in favour of those who are great in power Favour should be shewed according to the Justnes of mens causes and not according to the greatnesse of their persons But usually the mighty men have the Earth all goes on their side and the honourable man dwels there be sits safe quiet well and warme This is so commonly seene that 't is become a Proverb Potentis est turpa pauper ubique jacet The mighty man hath the whole earth for his house to dwell in the poore man lyes every where but seldome dwels any where The wicked are said to have their portion in this life they would have the Earth to themselves and they shall have nothing but Earth So the Prophet describes them Esay 5.8 Woe unto them that joyne house to house that lay field to field that there may be no place that they may be placed alone in the midst of the Earth Man is naturally a sociable Creature and it may seem strange that he should desire to be alone in the midst of the Earth Therefore by his desire to be alone we must not understand a strict lonenes or solitarines as if rich men had a minde to live alone so
all religion placed in second Table worke in giving every man his due in compassion to the poore in helping the helplesse in feeding the hungry in cloathing the naked in comforting the sorrowfull and by name the fatherlesse and the widow This is pure religion to visit the fatherlesse and the widow That is this is the practicall part or the true practice of religion without which all religion is vaine Therefore when the Apostle had sayd v 21. Receive with meeknes the engraffed word Lest any man should stay there and think he had done enough when he had been a bearer he adds Be doers of the word That is looke to the practicall part of religion be diligent in the duties of love to men as wel as in those of the worship of God Take these two inferences from the whole verse First Seeing God taketh so much care of the widow and the fatherlesse Let the widow let the fatherlesse trust in God They who receive peculiar promises from God should put forth suitable acts of faith towards God Faith cannot worke without a word and where it hath a word it ought to worke Wee have both put together in the present case Jer. 49.11 Leave thy fatherlesse children I will preserve them alive and let the widows trust in mee As if God had sayd if none will take care of them I will I will take care of them I will be a father of the fatherlesse a husband to the widow leave that care to me Therefore let the widow and fatherlesse trust in God A word from God is a better a bigger portion then all the wealth of this world Secondly Seeing the Lord is so jealous over them and so ready to take their part against all their adversaries this should provoke them to be full of zeale for God God stands up for their protection therfore they should stand up for God their protector and patron How carefull should they be to please him who is so watchfull to preserve them Speciall promises call for speciall obedience as well as for speciall faith The more God engageth himselfe to doe for us the more should we engage our selves in his strength to doe for him None have more reason to be rich in faith and love to God then the poore and fatherlesse Thus farre wee have examined the Inditement or Charge which Eliphaz brought against Job now see what he inferres upon it here is thy sinne and there 's thy punishment JOB CHAP. 22. Vers 10 11. Therefore snares are round about thee and sudden feare troubleth thee Or darknesse that thou canst not see and abundance of waters cover thee THese two verses have variety of expressions but the intendment of all is one and the same Snares and feares and darknesse and abundance of waters signifie all manner of evills All these are upon thee because thou hast sent widows away empty and hast suffered the Armes of the fatherlesse to be broken because thou hast done these things therefore Snares are round about thee Some render the Originall Text to another sence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non significat illationem aut convenientiam consoquentis ad antecedens sed convenientiam aptitudinemque antecedentis ad consequens Coc not as bearing an effect of the former words not as if hee had been punished with these evills for those sinnes but as if these evills had caused him to sinne and so the words are expounded as a kinde of scorne as if Eliphaz had sayd When thou didst those things no doubt snares or feares or darknes or waters came upon thee thou was forc't by suffering these evills to doe all this evill wast thou not was it not because thou wast prest with snares and feares and darknes and waters that thou didst oppresse the widow and the fatherlesse All which Questions are reducible to these plaine Negations Thou wast not pressed with any of these perplexities upon thy selfe to oppresse the poore there was no snare no nor any feare neere thee darknesse did not hinder thy sight nor did the waters of affliction cover thee Thou hast not been thrust upon sinne by these temptations nor constrained by the moral violence of any incumbent necessity but hast done it freely to sin even in this manner and at this hight hath not been thy refuge but thy choyce Thou hast not acted these iniquities by any instigation eyther from persons or providences but upon thine owne election This is a fayre sence and a mighty reproofe seeing as was lately noted every evill we doe is by so much the worse by how much wee have had the lesse provocation or solicitation to doe it But I rather take the words as wee render them to expresse the sad effects and fruits of his sinne As if Eliphaz had said Because thou hast taken a Pledge of thy brother for nought c. because thou hast sent widows away empty and the armes of the fatherlesse have been broken therefore snares are round about thee c. The words may have a threefold Allusion First To the besiedging of a City snares are round about thee Hostile aliquid obsidionale significat thou art now hemde in on every side with-troubles as Christ threatens Jerusalem Thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee c. A trench is but a great snare to catch men as men catch birds and vermine in snares Or Secondly The Allusion may be to Imprisonment thou art compassed with strong walles and shut in with gates thou art shackel'd with iron snares Thirdly The words may allude to hunting and fowling in such disports nets and snares are set to take the intended game Snares are often spoken of in Scripture to intimate or set forth the afflictions and sorrowes that entrap and hold the sons of men So that to say Snares are round about thee is no more but thus troubles are round about thee and these snares are sometimes set by the hand of man sometimes by the immediate hand of God Good things are often made a snare to the undoing of evill men and evill things are often made a snare to the troubling though not to the undoing of good men But I shall not prosecute this allusion having spoken of it at the 18th Chap v. 6 7 8. where Job complaines that God had taken him in his snare as also in the 19th Chapter at the 5th verse And sudden feare troubleth thee Wee may understand this feare first for the passion of feare or for feare within Secondly for the occasion of feare which is feare without Sudden feare troubleth thee that is the appearance or apprehension of some terrible thing causeth thee to feare Passio pro objecto materia suni in omni idiomate familiare Sanct. Feare is often put in Scripture for the thing feared for the object of feare or for that which causeth feare Thus also hope is put for the thing hoped for and vision for the thing seene or the object of the
them downe without time or before their time we may observe Wicked men are often ripe for Judgement before they are ripe in yeares It is said in the 15th of Genesis Cum potuissent diutive persistere Tygur Capti sunt immaturi Sep. The Iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full their sin is not come to a full stature for as there is a fullnes of stature in holynes unto which Saints at last arrive in Christ so there is a fullnes of stature in wickednes to which the Lord suffers sinners to arrive and as when Saints have attained their full stature in holynes they are received into glory so when wicked men have attained a full stature in wickednes they are cut off and turned downe to destruction Though the Lord suffer long yet he will not alwayes suffer And as some are but young men yet old Saints and have had much Experience of God and of the wayes of grace though but little of the world that distinction which the Apostle gives of Saints into little children young men and fathers 1 Joh. 2.13 14. is not to be understood in reference to naturall yeares but to standing in grace or to a growth and progress in holynes so some wicked men are but of few yeares or but young in reference to their naturall age who yet are old in sinne aged in wickednes they are fathers in abomination while but children in time and so are cut downe before time Wicked men are never cut downe till they are ripe in sinne but they are often cut downe before they are ripe in nature Thirdly Which were cut downe out of time namely in little time or without delay Hence Note That God can quickly make an End of wicked men Hee needs not take any long time to doe it hee tooke but very little time to make the world it was made in six dayes which in reference to the greatness of the worke is no time when a great thing is done in a little time wee may say it was done without any time at all Now if the Lord could frame a world without time surely he can cut downe the world or the inhabitants of it in a little time Ruining worke is easier then building worke He that built in this sence without time can pull downe without time wee need not trouble our selves with such thoughts as these when wee see wicked men Enemies of God and his people in their height and strength O what a length of time will it require O how many yeares must be spent in cutting downe these strong Oakes those tall Cedars the Lord can cut them downe in a moment Our late experinces have shewed us wicked men cut downe without time before they thought they could be shaken yea toucht they have beâ—n cut downe when they concluded they could not be reached they have been ruined The Jesuites and other Matchavillian politicians have a received Maxime of State among them Take time and you may doe any thing If you are disappointed in a project this yeare waite a few yeares longer say they and you shall eyther finde or make a way to accomplish it But the Lord can doe any thing he hath a minde to at any time or without taking time The Apostle prophecying of the Antichrist saith 2 Thes 2.6 7. Now ye know what withholdeth that he may he revealed in his time for the mystery of iniquity doth already worke onely he who now letteth will let till he be taken out of the way The power and splendour of the Romane Empire stood in Antichrists way and he could not cut it downe without time He was hacking and hewing heaving and thrusting many yeares yea some ages before he could remove that blocke out of his way and so make way for his owne Greatnes The wisest of men must have time to bring about their ends Onely God the onely wise God can cut downe and remove whatsoever stands in his way though it stand like a great mountaine without time or without taking time if once his time be come in which he would have it removed The wicked of those elder times were cut downe suddenly without time Eliphaz confirmes it further in the next words Whose foundation was overflowne with a flood In this latter clause Eliphaz seemes more clearly to hint at some particular wicked men or to shew who those wicked men were that hee Intends as the object of his observation namely those whose foundation was overflowne with a flood It is usuall in Scripture by some one word to alude to great actions and changes past Take two or three Instances for Illustration of this Psal 55.15 David Imprecates vengeance upon his enemies in this Language Let them goe downe quick into hell Which expression carrieth a plaine allusion unto that dreadfull judgement Numb 16.31 32. It came to passe as hee that is Moses had made an End of speaking all these words the ground clave asunder that was under them and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up and their houses and all the men which appertained unto Corah and all their goods They and all that appertained to them went downe alive into the pit c. This historicall Narration the Psalmist hints at in his imprecation as is plaine by that word quick or alive Let them goe downe quick or alive into hell that is let such wrath seaze upon them as seazed upon Corah Dathan and Abiram on whom the earth closed and they perished from among the Congregation Againe when the Apostle makes promise to Saints in the behalfe of Christ what assistance they might expect from him in time of temptation and what issue from it he thus assures them The God of peace shall tread Satan under your feete shortly Rom. 16.20 Which plainly beares upon that first grand Promise that Christ the seede of the Woman should breake the Serpents head Gen. 3.15 for it is by vertue of that act of Jesus Christ bruising the head of Satan that Satan is troden under our feet As Christ bruised him under his owne feete so hee will bruise or tread him under out feete the seede of the woman in person as well as in their representative shall breake the Serpents head Lastly those words Rom. 9.16 hold a cleare correspondence with that Story Gen. 27. concerning Jacob and Esau So then it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy Hee had sayd before that God loved Jacob and hated Esau and concludes upon it So then it is not of him that willeth c. Wee may take notice in that famous peice of the divine History that much meanes was used that Jacob might obtaine the Blessing Rebecca her heart was set upon it shee did what shee could to procure the Blessing for her younger Sonne her will was wholy in it and Jacob hee run for it too for as soone as Ever his mother had given him counsell he ran presently to the
of God when he puts the mighty from their seates when the Oaks and the Cedars when the high walls and mountaines are shaken and removed by his blowes and batteries When Pharoah and his Egyptian hoast were drowned in the red Sea Then Moses magnified God in his power Exod. 15.2 The Lord is my strength and song that is I will sing of the strength of the Lord not of the strength of man he is my God and I will prepare him an habitation my fathers God and I will exalt him In these three attributes Justice truth and power God is honoured when the wicked are destroyed and therfore it cannot be uncomly for the Saints to rejoyce when they are destroyed The Lord by his Prophet assures the Church his Jacob that all the enemies thereof shall be scattered Is 41.15 Behold I will make thee a new sharpe threshing instrument having teeth thou shalt thresh the Nations beat them smal shalt make the hills as chaffe c. The mountains thâ—â—â—lls to be threshed were the mighty ones of the earth setting themselves against the wayes and designes of heaven The Instrument or flayle wherewith they were to be threshed was the worme Jacob ver 14. God did not so much make an Instrument for the worme Jacob as he made the worme Jacob his Instrument Behold I will make thee not for thee a new threshing Instrument But when the worme hath done this great worke when he hath threshed the mountaines and made the hills as chaffe What must he doe then The 16th verse tells Thou shalt rejoyce in the Lord Gaudebunt de eorum exitio non vindictae cupiditate sed zelo dei accensi qui hoc modo declarabit sibi curae esse res humanas Drus and shalt glory in the holy One of Israel Glorying is more then rejoycing Glorying is a kinde of rapture or extasie of the soule As there is an extasie of Infatuation so there is an extasie of Gratious admiration Fooles and madmen are besides themselves for want of reason the wisest and best of men are besides themselves through the aboundance of the Grace of God in them and the aboundance of the goodness of God towards them When the goodness of God acted mightily towards us meetes with the Grace of God acting mightily in us we are lifted up so farre out of our selves that we can see nothing in our selves and then in whom or in what can our rejoycing be but in the Lord the holy one of Israel This joy is not First the joy of the Epicure A sensuall joy in wine and belly-cheare in eating the fat and drinking the sweete in carnal merriments musicke nor is this secondly a cruel joy in the ruine and destruction of men which the Prophet rebukes Obad. v. 12. Thou shouldest not have rejoyced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction Nor is this thirdly a proud joy or a joy of ostentation when men spread their plumes and publish their owne wisdome greatnes and power nor is it fourthly a covetous joy such as theirs is who are glad because they have fill'd their purses enriched their familyes and their hand hath gotten much Nor is it lastly a secure joy because when evill men are cast downe we hope to fit warme and well safe and quiet upon their ruines But this joy consists first in high thoughts and valuations of God Whom have I in heaven but thee c. Psal 73.25 Who is like unto thee O Lord among the Gods Exod. 15.11 It consists secondly in a sweete rest or complacency in God Returne unto thy rest O my soule that is turâ—â—â—n to God live neerer him saith a Godly man to his soule a such a case Psal 116.7 This joy is the rest of the soule in God He who is rest to himselfe as God is may be so infinitely more to us Thus The righteous see it and are Glad And the innocent laugh them to scorne This heightens the sence of the former part of the verse not onely are the righteous glad when the wicked are destroyed but they laugh them to scorne The righteous in the former part of the verse are the same with the innocent here yet we may distinguish them The innocent are taken two wayes in Scripture first the innocent are they who are pure from sinne secondly the innocent are they who are pure or free from punishment or from trouble freedome from sin and freedome from trouble are so dependent upon one another that one word may well expresse both Thus the word is used 2 Sam. 14.9 The woman of Tekoah said to the king My Lord O king the iniquity be on me Innocens in Scriptura sumitur non solùm activè pro eo qui nemini nocet sed etiam passivè pro eo cuâ— nemo nocet and my fathers house and the king and his throne be guiltlesse or innocent that is free from all evill and trouble While she saith The iniquity be upon me her meaning is let the punishment of the iniquity be upon me let the king and his throne be guiltlesse let no punishment of iniquity fall eyther upon the king in person or upon his government In the same sense the word is read Exod. 19.21 If he that hath been smitten rise againe and walke abroad upon a staffe then he that smote him shall be quitt the Hebrew is then shall he be innocent that is free from punishment he shall not have any censure or judgement for it We have the like use of the word Numb 5.19 in the case of the woman suspected by her husband for disloyalty in breaking her marriage vow she being for her purgation to drinke the bitter water Innocens eris ab aquis istis amarissimis Heb. the Priest was to bespeake her in this manner If no man hath lien with thee and if thou hast not gone aside to uncleanenes with another in stead of thy husband be thou free or innocent from this bitter water that causeth the curse that is let the water doe thee no harme as if he had sayd thou shalt feele no evill of paine by it if thou art not guilty of the evill of sinne Thus some expound the word here The innocent shall laugh them to scorne that is they who are free from those troubles with which the wicked are over-taken and undone those particular righteous men who escape the storme untouched laugh the wicked to scorne Many of the Hebrew writers fix upon a speciall person and by the Innocent understand Noah as if it were a report of what was done upon the old world Then the righteous that is as the Chaldee Paraphrase explaines it the sonnes of righteous Noah saw the flood and were glad Videbant filij Noë justi et laetabuntur Noe innocens subsaâ—nabit ees Targ and innocent Noah laught the prophane old world to scorne When Noah and his sonnes were building the Arke the old world in stead of
Cum nondum abscinditur substantia nostra residuum illorum absumit ignis assuesce quaeso cum illo Jun But here he is supposed entring upon a very serious exhortation to repentance after this manner or to this effect O Job now while our substance is not quite out downe and the fire consumeth the residue or the remnant of the wicked acquaint thy selfe with God or apply thy selfe to God as if he should say before thou art cleane cut downe before thou art utterly ruined as many wicked men have been heretofore and now are humble thy selfe and seeke to God that thy sin may be forgiven and thy wound healed Some paralel this in sense with that of the Preacher Eccle. 12.1 Remember now thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth while the evill dayes come not nor the yeares draw nigh wherein thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them Thus Eliphaz is conceived exhorting Job While our substance is not cut downe while we are not totally undone Quum subsisteÌ„tia nostra non sit excisa reliquias autem istorum ignis assumpserit Tygur Ita bene ut nihil melius Bold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 extantâ—a vel potius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quo subsistimus duramus vel subsistantia nostra i. e. vita qua subsistimus nam stare valet interdum superstitem esse Drus while the fire of Gods wrath is consuming the remainder of wicked men doe thou acquaint thy selfe with God and repent And though our translation makes not this connection yet it joynes fully in the sense of the Originall Whereas our substance is not cut downe So this verse is an elegant conclusion of the whole matter hitherto insisted upon by Eliphaz and he shuts it up in two parts first shewing the state of the innocent who are brought in speaking thus Our substance is not cut downe strictly That by which we stand or subsist our substance or subsistence which some expound not by goods but by life we may take it both wayes our life and that by which our life is maintained or by which we and our families subsist is not cut downe There is yet a difficulty in regard of the grammaticall sense of these words For Eliphaz having spoken before in the third person plural The righteous are glad and the innocent laugh them to scorne should as it may be thought rather have continued his speech in the same forme and have sayd Whereas Their substance is not downe but he puts it in the first person plural Whereas our substance is not cut downe c. We may answer two wayes First that it is usuall in Scripture to vary the number while the same person or persons is or are spoken of take onely one Instance Hos 12.4 He that is the Angel of the Covenant found him in Bethel that is Jacob. And there he spake with us It should according to Grammar be read thus And there he spake with him Having found Jacob in Bethel he spake with him in Bethel But we see both the person and number are varied the former words running in the third person singular being meant particularly of Jacob the latter in the first person plural There he spake with us The Spirit of God thereby signifying that what God spake at that time to Jacob personally he spake to all the spirituall seed of Jacob whether of the Circumcision or Uncircumcision virtually He so spake to Jacob as that the substance and effect of his speech reacheth downe to and hath an influence upon us beleevers who are his posterity according to the Spirit Besides this other Scriptures hold out the like variation of the number as in the Text which is the first answer Secondly Eliphaz might purposely vary the number that himselfe might put in for a share and be numbred among those who had obtained that sparing mercy not to be cut downe while others were consumed And so this reason of the change is purely spirituall much like that last opened out of Hosea Whence note That the righteous are often preserved in common calamities Psal 20.8 They are brought downe and are fallen but we are risen and stand upright our substance is not cut downe God takes speciall care of his owne people they are under a promise there can be no greater safety no better security then to be under a promise the promise is the best shelter in a storme and the best shield against the dart The Apostle Peter gives us two famous examples of this 2 Pet. 2.5 6. God spared not the old world but saved Noah c. bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly And having turned the Cities of Sodome and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow c. and delivered just Lot c. From both which examples he concludeth v. 9. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the Godly out of temptation and to reserve the unjust unto the day of Judgement to be punished When judgement begins at the house of God what shall the end of them be that obey not the Gospel of God as the same Apostle speaks 1 Pet. 4.17 It is a sure argument to the wicked that they shall be judged when they see God bringing judgements upon his owne house and people but the wicked are many times judged while the house and people of God are preserved and untoucht and when both good and bad both the innocent and the wicked are wrapt up in the same calamity when they are as it were thrust together into the same furnace the Lord makes a difference they are not cut downe as the wicked are cut downe nor consumed as they are consumed When the righteous are cast into the fire they are purged but not consumed but as it follows in the second part of this conclusion shewing the state of the wicked The remnant of them the fire consumeth Fire in this place is not taken strictly as opposed to water God indeed hath often made fire in kinde his scourge And the Apostle Jude saith of Sodome That it suffered the vengeance of eternall fire But all the judgements of God are in Scripture compared to fire Mala. 4.1 Behold the day cometh that shall burne like an Oven and all the proud yea all that doe wickedly shall be stubble and the day that cometh shall burne them up saith the Lord of hosts that it shall leave them neither fruit nor branch There is a burning and not by fire There is so great a judgement and terror in fire let loose and breaking its bounds that it may well signifie all judgements or any thing that is terrible Isa 52.4 As the fire devoureth the stubble and the flame consumeth the chaffe so their roote shall be rottennesse and their blossome shall goe up as dust Thus here the remnant of them the fire consumeth that is the wrath of God appearing in some visible judgement consumeth the remnant But what is this remnant which the fire consumeth I answer
Dimissus oculis est qui suo ju dicio existi matione sibi ipsi vilescit He shall save the humble person that is the person who is low in his owne eyes while in the greatest worldly heights the person that humbles himselfe and walkes humbly with God and men when most exalted Thus the Apostle James exhorts the brother of high degree or the rich brother to rejoyce in that he is made low Jam. 1.10 But if he be rich how is he made low he meanes it not of a lownes in state but of a lownes or rather lowlines of spirit The brother of high degree hath no cause to rejoyce in his highnes but when he is low in his owne eyes Lownes of eyes is more then a vertue or common modesty 't is a Grace That 's in a spirituall sence the most Grace-full looke which is the most humble looke He shall save the humble person But with what salvation I answer Salvation is eyther temporal and bodyly or eternal usually called the salvation of the soule We may expound this Text of both The Lord saveth the humble person both body and soule both temporally and eternally Where note That the Lord takes speciall Care of humble ones The Lord seemes to take so much care to save the humble as if there were none else that he tooke care to save or regarded what became or them whether saved or no. And the Lord speakes of proud persons as if he contemn'd none but under that name and notion Jam. 4.6 He resisteth the proud he that is proud of his person or parts or estate or witt or power the Lord resisteth him And he speakes of the humble as if none were saved but under that name and notion He saves the humble person◠or as that Text in James hath it He giveth grace to the humble What grace There is a twofold grace and both are given to the humble First he gives them the grace of favour or good will he is kinde to and respecteth the humble or as this text in Job hath it Hee saves the humble person Secondly He gives much grace to the humble as grace is taken for that gracious worke of the Spirit in us forming up faith love c. in our soules The Lord gives more of this grace also to the humble that is he addeth unto the graces which they have and makes them more humble more gratious a man cannot be in that sence an humble person without grace humility it selfe is a great grace and the greater our humility is the greater accession we have of other graces Thus I say we may understand the text in James both wayes He giveth grace to the humble that is he favours and respects them because they are gracious and he addeth to or encreaseth their graces We have a promise very paralel to these of Eliphaz and James Psal 18.27 Thou wilt save the afflicted people but wilt bring downe high looks The word which we translate afflicted signifies also one humbled and humble and so we might render the Psalme Thou shalt save the humbled or the humble people and that the humble are to be taken in to partake of the priviledge of that promise is plaine from the opposite Terme in the latter clause of the verse High lookes that is high lookers God will bring downe but he will save the humble person Men of low and meane estates are usually wrapt up with great ones in the same judgement as the Prophet speakes Esay 5.15 The meane man shall be brought downe and the mighty man shall be humbled the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled there we have the meane man and the mighty man under the same wrathfull dispensations of God The wicked whether high or low are farre from salvation but God knowes how to make a distinction between the humble and the proud when his wrath makes the greatest confusions in the world Humility it is not onely a sweet but a safe grace yea a saving Grace wee never goe under the Covert of God so much as when wee walke humbly with God He will save the humble person Vers 30. Hee shall deliver the Island of the Innocent and it is deliver'd by the purenes of thine hands The promise is continued to the man that returnes to God Hee shall deliver the Island of the Innocent or as some translate the Innocent shall deliver the Island The sence is the same He shall deliver the Island that is the Inhabitants of the Island All shall be safe the Island and they that dwell in it There is another reading of the Text which yet falls in fully and clearly with this whereas we reade He shall deliver the Island of the Innocent Liberabit noxium Pisc it may be read He shall deliver him that is not Innocent Now because this may seeme a very wide difference in the translation wee are to Consider the ground of it how this can be made out that the same text should be rendred the Innocent and him that is not Innocent The reason is because the word which we translate Island is taken by many of the Hebrew Doctors Vocula 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quae hic redditur insula idem valet quod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non Pisc Ego cum veteribus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro negatione exponerē Eritque facilis sensus sc deus puritate manuum tuarum etiam nocentē vel non innocentem liberabit Merc. as also by other translators onely for a negative particle signifying not or that which is not So the word is rendred 1 Sam. 4.21 when Phineas his wife dying in travell gave the name to her Childe shee sayd Hee shall be called Ichabod There is no glory or not glory And againe Pro. 31.4 the word is used in the same sence It is not for Kings O Lemuel to drinke wine strong drinke is not for Princes So here Thou shalt deliver the nocent or the not Innocent And so the whole verse is thus translated God because of or for the purenes of thy hands will doliver the nocent or those who are not innocent Whereas we say Thou shalt deliver the Island of the Innocent or the Innocent shall deliver the Island And it is delivered by the purenes of thine hands Eliphaz spake before in the third person here in the second 't is probable he did so purposely to make Job understand that he meant him It is delivered c. That is the Island is deliver'd according to our translation how is it delivered by the purenes of thine hands The word notes the most exact purity and cleannes like that of gold when it is refined in the fire or of garments that are washed with Soape or Nitre Manus purae sunt opera inculpata quae crimine vacant Drus by this purenes it or the Island shall be deliver'd and by the purenes of his hands he meanes the purenes of his actions or administrations The
desire is a death to the desirer A godly mans desires are active desires they put him upon enquiry lead him to the meanes of enjoying the good desâ—ered And though God be unexpectedly found of some that seeke him not yet no man can expect to finde God but he that seeketh him And indeed what should the Creature doe but be upon an enquiry after God there is a Naturality in it hee being the supream beeing that we who have our being from him should seeke after him And the Apostle tells us Act. 17.26 27. that this is the designe of God in making of one blood all Nations of men for to dwel on the face of the earth and in determining the times before appoynted and the bounds of their habitation namely That they should seeke the Lord if haply they might feel after him and finde him though he be not farre from every one of us for in him we live c. The Lord is neer all he hath a presence in all places with all persons but the Lord would have all seeke feele grope after him even such as have but a dim light of him as those have that doe not seeke so much with their eyes as with their hands they onely feele after the things which they would have There is a light in the spirits of all men that haply they may feele after God and finde him They who have not Scripture light Gospel light the highest light yet have some kinde or degree of light they have some glimmerings though no cleare discernings And that should put them on to seeke God much more should they seeke after him who have clearest light And where there is any heate of affection to God a little light will serve them to seeke after him they that are true desierers will be diligent seekers And they who seeking God have found him will seeke him yet againe yea they will seeke him more and more as long as there is any thing more of God to be found And there will alwayes be more of God to be found for here we know God but in part and therefore have found him but in part and hence it is that all the Saints in this life or on this side Glory even they of the highest forme and greatest proficiency in grace and knowledge are called Seekers this is the generation of them that seeke him Psal 24.6 not such seekers as we finde too many in these dayes who as if all were upon uncertainties in religion say they have as yet found nothing for as there is something wherein the most knowing and strongest Christians may be to seeke so there are many things yea all things necessary to salvation or without which we cannot be saved which the weakest may finde and know sufficiently though not sully And as they who desire to finde these things will be diligent in seeking them so they may know in themselves or be fully assured that they have found them and so even while they still continue to be seekers know that they are already Finders Lastly Observe God is every where yet especially some where to be found As there is a finding time so there is a finding place and finding meanes There is a finding time saith holy David Psal 32.6 For this shall every one that is godly pray to thee in a time when thou mayest be found The Hebrew is in a finding time though I would not give any one a stop from seeking God at any time yet I must say there is a speciall finding time And this the Apostle calls the Accepted time 2 Cor. 6.2 that is the time which we ought to lay hold upon or accept as also the time wherein we shall be acceptable or finde acceptation There is also a finding place there is a where as well as a when God specially is to be found I mean it not of a meere locality as if God were now to be found more in one place then in another for Paul saith 1 Tim. 6.8 I will that men every where lift up pure hands without wrath and doubting And Christ told the woman Joh. 4.21 The houre cometh when ye shall neyther in this Mountaine nor yet at Jerusalem worship the father not as if Christ had forbid the worship of the father in those places for the time coming but he enlargeth publick worship to all places or abrogates all differences of place under the Gospel as to the worship of the Father Yet if any man shall enquire where may I find God or say as Job here O that I knew where I might finde him I would answer First Seeke him in his promises search the Scriptures there you will finde God Secondly Look for him in his Ordinaces of prayer and preaching c. for there he hath promised to be present Where two or three are met together in my name there am I in the midst of them Math. 18.20 When the Church or Spouse in the Canticles Chap. 1.7 8. Askes the Question Tell me O thou whom my soule loveth where thou feedest where thou makest thy flocks to rest at Noone Christ her Beloved answers If thou know not O thou fayrest among Women goe thy way forth by the footesteps of the flocke and feed thy kids besides the Sheepherds tents That is follow the holy practices and examples of the Saints in all former ages which the Apostle calls walking in the steps of the faith of Abraham Rom. 4.12 And againe hearken to the voyce of faithfull Teachers who as Shepherds feed the flocke of God with knowledge and understanding Waite at these Shepherds tents saith Christ and there thou shalt finde a presence of God with thee and his blessing upon thee Thirdly And above all Seeke God in Christ The father is onely to be found in the Sonne Looke to Jesus Christ and in him you cannot but behold God for he is the brightnes of his glory and the expresse image of his person Heb. 1.3 and therefore as he that hath the Son hath the Father also so he that by an eye of faith and in the light of the Word and Spirit Beholdeth the Son beholdeth the Father also For the light of the knowledge of the glory of God is given us in the face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 The light of the knowledge of the goodnesse of God of his mercy Justice holines which are his glory shineth forth from Jesus Christ that is in and by Christ it appeares gloriously that God is exceeding good mercifull just holy Therefore to every wearied soule complaining of the losse of God and crying out O that I knew where I might finde him The summe of all the Counsell that I can give or indeed that can be given is this Seek God in Christ and he will be found O that I knew where I might finde him That I might come even to his seat Some conceive these words as the issue of a distemperd spirit others tax Job with too much boldnes that
though I confesse if God should put forth his power I were not able to hold up my head before him and that he could easily overthrow me with a breath yet I am perswaded he will take a more favourable course and deale with me in mercy not with rigour or severity Vers 6. Will he plead against me with his great power I know he is cloathed with Majesty and that the greatnes of power is his but will he plead against me with it The Hebrew text is will he plead with me to plead with and to plead against are the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contenâ—et quasi de jure suo ut illud exigat To plead is a Law terme He that pleadeth against another discovers eyther the faultines of his person when accused or the weaknes of his Title when controverted This word is used by the Prophet Isa 57.16 I will not contend or plead for ever I will not argue my owne prerogative nor will I argue thy sinfullnesse alwayes or without end why not if I should the spirit would faile before me and the soules which I have made where though spirit and soule are put synechdochically for the whole man that is for flesh and spirit for soule and body together yet the Lord mentions onely spirit and soule because of their strength to beare divine contendings beyond the body or the flesh As if he had sayd even that which is strongest in man would fayle if God should alwayes contend 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Num copia sui roboris c. Will he plead against me with his great power or strictly to the Letter with the multitude of his power with the forces of his power The power of God is great yea the power of God is greatest all his power is allmighty power yet God doth not alwayes put forth the greatnes of his power He is a most free agent and so can restraine and hold in his owne power when he pleaseth and not use it to the terror of a poore creature or plead against him with it Againe The power of God may be taken two wayes First for his strength or his power of doing and executing secondly for his prerogative authority or his power of commanding and ruling we may interpret it here of the latter will God deale with me by his prerogative power thinke you will he oppresse me with his meere authority Per multaÌ„ dei fortìtudineÌ„ potentiam ejus absolutam summum jus dici solet intelliguÌ„t multi Bold I have another opinion of God surely he will not doe so For he is good and gratious and he will attemper his prerogative with pity his great power with much mercy Will he plead against me with this great power Jobs question is a confident negation such negative interrogations are frequent in Scripture will he is he will not plead against me with his great power but Job is not satisfied that his speech carrieth a negation in it and therefore lest any should not fully enough understand him so he expresseth his negative will he plead with me with his great power no His power is not nor ever will it be against me He will take some other course with me he will deale with me upon the account of goodnes and mercy not upon the account of power He will not breake me a bruised reed nor quench me who am but smoaking flax he will rather bind me up and cherish the least sparke which he perceiveth alive in me Will he plead against me with his great power Hence observe First God hath great power much power All power is his The power of men and Angels is his What power soever whether for kinde or degree is in the hand of any creature that power belongs to God Thus David a man of Great power states it God hath spoken once twice have I heard this That power belongeth unto God The power that is scattered and divided all the world over is centred and united in him God hath a greatnesse of power in commanding and disposing what and how things shall be done he also hath a greatnes of power in doing and executing what he hath commanded The commands of men are often unperformed eyther because they to whom their commands are sent have no power to performe them or because they want power to backe their owne commands Wee may consider the Greatnes of the power of God several wayes First As he can doe all things and is omnipotent there is nothing too hard for him his hand is not shortened in reference to the longest or the greatest workes and difficulties And as he can doe whatsoever he hath a will to doe so he will doe whatsoever he pleaseth to have done whatsoever he purposeth to doe whatsoever is upon his heart to doe none of his counsells ever fayled nor have any of the thoughts of his heart been frustrated Men often purpose to doe but they seldome have power to doe what they have purposed they are bigge with the conceptions of many great matters but when the children come to the birth they have no strength to bring forth God never failes in his power to doe whatsoever he hath a purpose or a mind to doe God hath power enough to backe his commands and he can supply power to those whom he calleth to execute them Secondly The greatnesse of Gods power is seene in this that He hath a right to doe all that he doth As he hath a fullnesse of strength so a fulnesse of Authority he doth not usurp or intrench upon any other power in what he doth nor upon any mans property in what he hath it is his due to doe what he doth and to have what he hath God is supream giving the Law to all receiving the Law from none his is not a tyrannicall but a just and a righteous power his is not a might without right but a might with right What the Prophet speakes of the Chaldeans Hab. 1.7 is true of God in every sence in the strictest sence His judgement and his dignity proceedeth of himselfe he is a law unto himselfe his rule is internall and his power intrinsecall All derive power from him therefore his power is altogether underived Power underived must needs be great power yea the Greatnes of power Thirdly The greatnesse of his power appeareth further in this that no man may presume to question him for what he doth He hath great power in what he doth whom none may so much as aske what doest thou Nebucadnezzar a heathen in highest earthly power confesseth as much of the power of God as soone as he regained the reason of a man Dan. 4.34 35. At the end of the dayes that is after the terme of seven yeares was accomplished when for the heart of a beast a mans heart was restored to him I Nebuchadnezzar lift up mine eyes to heaven and mine understanding returned unto me and I blessed the most high and I
cause at the throane of Grace when God puts strength into us Job who had received great strength from God in all the former cases was assured that he should receive strength also in the last were he admitted to the seate of God Would he there plead against me with his great power No but he would put strength in me to plead with him And as he was thus assured that God would put strength into him to plead his cause so also liberty and freedome to doe it as appeares more fully in the next verse Verse 7th There the righteous might dispute with him so should I be delivered for ever from my Judge There where he meanes at the seate of God as if he had said Could I but once come to the throne or seate of God I should have free leave and liberty enough to open and argue to state and debate my case my long controverted and yet unresolved case with him He would not plead against me with his great power of Authority but he would give me the power of liberty to dispute and reason out that matter with him Severall passages in the former part of this Booke clearely hold out this sense Chap. 9.34 35. Let him take his rod away from me and let not his feare terrifie me then would I speake and not feare him but it is not so with me as yet God pleadeth against me with his great power Againe Chap. 13.21 22. Withdraw thy hand farre from me and let not thy dread make me afraid as if he had sayd Plead not against me with thy great power then call thou and I will answer or let me speake and answer thou me Those Texts already opened are of the fame generall scope and tendency with this underhand There that is All things being put into such a posture the righteous might dispute with him Some read the text in the first person There I being righteous might dispute with him Others thus I should be found righteous if I did dispute with him As if he had sayd I make no doubt of proving my selfe righteous or innocent in this controversie with my friends There I should not be found a false-hearted hypocrite God who knowes both my thoughts and my wayes would judge otherwise of me then men have done We reade the text indefinitely not restraining it to his person but as taking in any that are righteous The righteous that is any righteous man might dispute with him there his Court his tribunal is free and open for all that are upright or righteous In what sense the word righteous is used in this Booke hath been opened more then once In a word the righteous man is not he that is legally righteous but righteous in a redeemer or righteous as opposed to an hypocrite In both these senses we may take the word here The righteous may dispute with him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est apud alium ita argumentari ut petas responsio nem qua vicissim si quid erraveris redarguaris Merc. The word is properly applyed to scholasticke exercises where questions being put arguments are brought by the opponent which the respondent takes away and the Moderator states between them both This is the nature and manner of a strict dispute But in a large or vulgar sence every discoursing and reasoning about a doubtfull poynt is called disputing There the righteous may dispute with him Hence note God is free and ready to heare the pleadings and reasonings of those who are upright and righteous As the prayer of the upright is the delight of God so their modest and humble disputings are not displeasing to him A righteous man may plead with God freely but he must not plead with God proudly eyther crying up and boasting in his owne righteousnesse or laying the least imputation of unrighteousnesse upon the wayes of God in dealing with him The righteous dispute with God yet they know and keep their distance and while they doe so God is willing they should and welcomes them when they doe draw nigh to him disputing as wel as praying In opposition to which 't is sayd Psal 5.5 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight thou hatest all workers of iniquity The foolish that is the wicked man the hypocrite with his false-hearted and flattering tongue are an abomination to God The foolish man that the Psalmist meanes is not the man low in parts but unsound in spirit This foolish man shall not stand in the sight of God nor will God heare him eyther disputing or praying but reject him with his disputes and prayers Thou hatest all the workers of iniquity and to the wicked God saith what hast thou to doe to declare my statutes or that thou shouldest take my Covenant in thy mouth Psal 50.16 God will not endure it that wicked men should speake of him much lesse will he endure that a wicked man should dispute with him God will have nothing to doe in way of arguing and reasoning eyther with a person or with a people while he or they continue in their sinnes Isa 1.15 16. When ye spread forth your hands I will hide my eyes from you yea when ye make many prayers I will not heare your hands are full of blood that is eyther of bloody sinnes in speciall as murder and oppression or of sinnes in generall for every sin is blood and bloody every sin may be called blood and while the hands are full of blood in eyther sence God will not heare that is he will not graciously heare or accept so much as one of many prayers But are the wicked and their prayers and their disputings excluded for ever while they continue such or to doe such things they are and therefore in the next words the Lord by his Prophet gives them this counsel Wash ye make ye cleane put away the evill of your doings from before my eyes cease to doe evill learne to doe well seeke judgement releive the oppressed judge the fatherlesse plead for the widdow here 's a description of a righteous person righteous in his way upright with God and men and with such God will speake such may dispute with him as it follows v. 18. Come now and let us reason together We know saith the blind man after he was healed Joh. 9.31 that God heareth not sinners that is such as plead for or please themselves in any sin but if any man be a worshipper of God and doth his will him he heareth him he heareth praying and him he heareth disputing Whereas of the prayings of the wicked he saith they are but meere bablings and of their disputings they are but vaine fanglings If saith David Ps 66. 18. I regard iniquity in my heart God will not heare me God will not regard his prayers therefore not his disputes who regards iniquity but to the righteous and to such as repent of and turne from their unrighteousnesse the Lord saith Come let us reason together let us
the presence of the Lord shall be terrible and dreadfull even everlasting destruction to wicked men they shall at last Consider it so much that they shall feare to purpose God will powre out such a presence upon them as they shall be equally unable to hide themselves from or stand before but must lie downe and sinke under it into the bottomlesse gulfe of despaire for evermore If the Godly are sometimes afraid where shall the wicked appeare when God appeares When I consider with Job I am afraid of him Vers 16. For God maketh my heart soft and the Almighty troubleth mee Nihil opinor addit novi sed tantum versiculum praecedentem exponit Sanct This verse is neere in sence with the former Job herein further shewing both a reason why he was afraid of God as also the effect which Gods dealing with him had upon his owne heart or how he was affected with it For God maketh my heart soft The word rendred to make soft signifies the abateing of the strength of the heart But it may be enquired what was this soft heart which God made him I answer First Negatively by a soft heart here wee are not to understand a penitent heart or a heart broken with Godly sorrow at the sight eyther of sin acted or wrath threatned 2 Kings 22.19 The Lord saith by the Prophet to Josiah Because thy heart was tender soft or melted and thou hast humbled thy selfe before the Lord when thou heardest what I spake against this place therefore c. The heart of flesh promised and given in the new Covenant is a relenting and repenting heart Ezek. 36.26 I will take away the heart of stone and give you an heart of flesh that is I will make your heart soft which before was hard Job had such a heart a soft heart in this notion when he spake thus but that 's not the heart here meant God had given him that softnes of heart before for he is described Chap. 1.1 A man that feared God and a man that feareth God is a man of a soft heart Prov. 28.14 Blessed is the man that feareth alwayes but hee that hardneth his heart shall fall into mischiefe Where the hard heart and the feare of God are opposed For wheresoever the true feare of God is in the heart that is a soft heart Secondly By a soft heart is not here meant the patient heart that 's a soft heart in Scripture a heart which is willing to submit to and beare the burden that God layes upon it in this sence God makes the heart soft when as he accustomes his to sufferings so he fits them to suffer Man naturally is like Ephraim Jer. 31.18 As a Bullock unaccustomed to the yoake both of active and passive obedience Onely God makes man submit his stiff neck and hard heart to a suffering condition and to answer the call of his sufferings Pharaoh is sayd to have a hard heart because he did not yeeld to what God called him to by Judgements he had not a patient but an unquiet spirit under the plagues sent upon him nor did he obey what he was summoned to by the Lords voyce in those terrible plagues Now though I grant that an heart made soft in patience is an excellent frame of heart yet wee cannot understand it so here for Job had a patient heart yea he had abundance of patience before as he fully discovered at the very beginning and breaking out of his troubles he did not flinch at the Crosse but did embrace it The Apostle exhorts all Christians to Remember the patience of Job And wee must apply that Scripture to Job before he came to this poynt Therefore the softnes of heart intended in this text is somewhat besides this Thirdly Much less are wee to understand by a soft heart a fearefull or a Cowardly heart that 's a soft heart indeed but in a bad sence Wee have it so expressed Deut. 20.3 Heare ô Israel you approach this day unto Battell against your Enemies let not your hearts be faint c. The Hebrew is let not your hearts be soft or tender a soft heart is not for a sword nor for a battel How shall they stand in dangers who are fallen below them A penitent heart and a patient heart are proper in dangerous undertakings but a cowardly heart is the greatest disadvantage in the world therefore the Lord commanded this to be proclaimed to his people Let not your hearts be tender when yee goe forth against your Enemies or as it is exprest afterward Feare not neither tremble neither be yee terrified because of them Job had not such a soft heart he was no coward when he complained before that the terrors of the Almighty did encamp against him as a dreadfull Army nor while he sayd here God hath made my heart soft Fourthly A soft heart is an effeminate delicate wanton heart There are too many who have such soft hearts Men that are fit for nothing but what is worse then nothing to wallow in the sinfull delicacies and delights of this present world The Apostle useth a word 1 Cor. 6.9 which expresseth this fully Wee render it effaeminate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Molles but both the Greeke and the Latine is soft that is persons wantonly and vainely given And Moses applyes the very word of Jobs text to this kinde of softnes Deut. 28.56 The tender or soft and delicate woman that would not adventure to set the sole of her foote upon the ground for delicatenes and tendernes or softnes her eye shall be evill towards c. This is not onely a sinfull softnes of heart Liquefecit afflictionibus consumpsit Merc Haec mollitudo pertinet ad timorem vehementē quo quis corde mente cedit divinae majestati potestati cum quis facile recipit cogitationem et metum supernae magnitudinis but the worst of sinfull softnesses Jobs heart was farre from this softnes As he was at that time a man of sorrows so he had not been at any time a man of pleasure But if Jobs soft heart were none of these what was it then I conceive the soft heart proper to this place is a heart weakened and laid low through the burden of affliction A heart so worne out and spent that it can hardly beare any more God had softned and even consumed his heart with sorrow and affliction As he abhorred a hardnes of heart to resist the hand of God so now he feared that his heart was not hard enough to beare it with that chearefulnes and constancy of courage which he desiered Hard things are firme compact and knitt together those that are soft are weake and unable to beare any weight So that Jobs softnes of heart was his weaknes to beare Teneritatem imbecillitatem affert animo meo attendenti ad omnipotentiam ejus Jun And he gives this as an account why he was afraid of the power of God
this is thy sin to pretend the gift of all to God and performe but in part I answer secondly That community did not extend to the whole estate of all beleevers but to what they did consecrate to releive the publicke necessity For if they had put themselves quite out of all propriety by one gift they could not have exercised their charity any more Whereas the Apostle directs them to a constant use of their charity in making collections for the poore 1 Cor. 16.1 2. And surely Paul had made a vaine profession when he sayd I have coveted no mans silver or Gold or apparell Act. 20.33 if no man had any peculiar propriety in gold silver or apparel Thirdly It appeares from the 44th verse that even they who sold their goods retained some kinde of right in them for all did not come to the common banke and take what they pleased but they who sold their possessions parted the price to all men allotting to every one a proportion as he had need It was not share and share like every man was not his owne carver out of the publicke stocke but distribution was made as necessity required God doth to this day keepe the eighth commandement in full force and strength as a Fence or hedge about the worldly estates of men and he that goes about to breake this Hedge a Serpent shall bite him as Solomon speakes Eccl. 10.8 Hedges are Land-markes And both are not onely arguments but securers of propriety Againe Seeing land-markes were set up to distinguish mens estates We learne That we should use all due meanes to prevent contentions about worldly possessions As every man hath a title and a right to his owne so every man should have a rule whereby to know his owne peace is a sacred and precious thing even peace about civill things and therefore whatsoever makes for peace should be accounted sacred and pretious Blessed are the peace-makers but more blessed are the peace-preservers It is good to heale breaches among Brethren but it is better when there are none Preventing physicke is more desierable then restoring Thirdly Note To remove land-makes which are the meanes of preserving the possessions of men distinct and so of preserving their right and peace is very sinfull This is a sin condemned by the light of nature as well as by the light of Scripture Numa pompilius statuit ut liceret eum tanquam sacrilegū occidere qui violare jus termini ausus esset Etiam qui terminum exarasset ipsum bovem sacros esse i. e. Ferro devotos Festus Numa lapides sacravit Jovi Terminali Histories report how strict the ancient Romans were against such offenders as they were accurate in setting up bounds so they were severe to punish those who removed and disturbed the bounds it was lawfull by their law to take away the life of him who tooke away his neighbours land-mark And if any man in tilling the ground plowed up the land-marke himselfe and his oxe were both sacred that is both were to be slaine or devoted to death yea the Romans were so intent and devout about this thing that they had a speciall God of the bounds or limits stones And as the old heathens judging by the rule of common reason and light of nature did abhorre this practice so the holy Scripture in the Law of Moses provides directly and by name against it Deut. 19.14 Thou shalt not remove thy neighbours land-marke which they of old times sett in thine inheritance which thou shalt inherit in the land that the Lord thy God giveth thee to possesse it And againe Deut. 27.17 Cursed be he that removeth his neighbours land-marke and all the people shall say Amen A curse containes all penalties and Amen seales them all upon the person of the offender Solomon renewed these lawes Prov. 22.28 Romove not thy neighbours land-marke which thy fathers have set And againe Prov. 23.10 Remove not the old land-marks and enter not into the feild of the fatherlesse Thus Solomon caution'd those times against this sin And the Prophet Hosea 5.10 makes this sinne as the Standard of all other sinnes or as that by which we are to take the greatnesse and weight of any sinne if a sinne comes neere to this or be like this 't is a great sin The Princes of Judah were like them that remove the bound therefore I will powre out my wrath upon them like water As if he had sayd the Princes of Judah are extreamely wicked how wicked even as wicked as they which remove the bound Now if high-growne wickednes be but such a thing as removing the bound how high is their wickednes growne who remove the bound But it may be demanded what bound doth the Prophet meane I answer it may be understood of all sorts of bounds of the bounds of lawes of the bounds of liberty of the bounds of religion as also of the bounds of lands It is wickednes to meddle with or remove any of these bounds though to remove some of them be a greater wickednes To remove the bounds of the lawes and the liberties of a Nation especially to remove the bounds of religion are hainous abominations and though to remove the bound of lands be not so bad as these yet that also may be numbred among the abominations which both God and man hate and therefore when the Prophet would in one word speake all the abominable practices of the Princes of Judah he chose to say they are like those who remove the bound implying that nothing could be sayd of them worse then that The same Prophet useth an expression somewhat paralel to that Hosea 4.4 where describing the wickednesse of those times he tells them that the Lord had a controversie with the land because there was no truth no mercy no knowledge of God in the land by swearing and lying and killing and stealing c. then at the 4th verse he concludes Let no man strive and reprove another 'T is the soarest judgement of God upon a people or a person to let them alone and be quiet in their sinne to say Let no man strive and reprove another but why did God give up that people to such a judgement The greatnes of their sin was the cause of it And what was that the next words shew us For thy people are as they that strive with the Priest It was so great a wickednes to contend or strive with the Priest that the vilest of wickednesses was but an exemplification of it God forbids that they should be reproved or striven with for good who were once growne so evill as to strive with the Priest and the greatest reproofe that can possibly be gives any man is to say let no man reprove him Thus we see that to strive with the Priest and to remove the bound are sins of the first magnitude the one in Spiritualls the other in Civills Fourthly In as much as the word here used signifies not onely
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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
therefore shew the worke of the law written in their hearts Against this internal light the wicked rebel Secondly There is a light of divine Revelation which shines into the soule from the Scriptures or written word of God The word of God is so often called light in Scripture that I need not give particular Instances Divine truths inspired and directed by the Spirit of God are there written as with the beames of the Sun Yet the wicked man rebells as against the light of nature so against the light of Scripture against the clearest and fullest discoveryes of the minde of God Further Some by the light against which they rebelled understand God himselfe who is light as the Apostle John calls him 1 Ep 1.5 and in him is no darknes at all All that rebel against God must needs rebel against light seing God is light And the very reason why the light of nature and the light of Scripture are rebelled against is because the former hath somewhat of God in it and the latter much of God in it For as God is light so all light is of God And that light which is of God must needs be rebelled against by wicked men seing they most of all rebel against God who is light and the fountaine of it for as the Apostle John argues about love 1 Ep 5.1 Every one saith he that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him So we may argue about hatred and the effect of it rebellion He that hateth and rebelleth against him that begetteth light so God doth whence also he is called the Father of lights Jam 1.17 he I say that rebelleth against him that begetteth light hateth and rebelleth against that light which is begotten of him They are of those that rebell against the light Hence observe First Divine truth is as light As the Sunne gives light to the eye or outward man so the Spirit of truth gives light by the word to the inner man When God sends his word to a people he sends light to a people Christ is light and the word is light Christ in person is the light of the world the word in doctrine is the light of the world The truth of Divine Revelation is many wayes answerable to the light First Light is pure and beautifull and the light is so pure that you cannot impure or defile it so is truth Though many have attempted to corrupt the truth and word of God and shall at last be dealt with and judged as they who have corrupted it yet the truth remaines incorruptible and ever shall The beauty of it fades not nor is the purity of it stained by all the filth of false doctrine which hath been cast into the face of it from the beginning of the world unto this day Secondly Light is pleasant and delightfull Light is sweet saith Solomon Eccl. 11.7 and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the Sunne So truth is sweete and it is a pleasant thing to behold and receave the Sun-light of Divine Revelations where truth is taken in it doth even ravish the soule and fill it with unspeakeable delights Truth is as sutable and pleasant to the understanding as good is or can be to the will and affections David found not onely delight this or that single delight but all sorts and degrees of delight in the Law of God And therefore he speakes plurally Psal 119.92 Vnlesse my delights had been in thy law I had perished in my trouble And againe ver 143. Trouble and anguish have taken hold of me yet thy commandements are my delights All his troubles were over-ballanced and conquered by his delights in the law and all his delights and contentments were Center'd in the Law That light was so much his delight that it overcame all worldly darknes and did even extinguish all his worldly lights Thirdly Light hath heate in it and light is accompanied with influences or conveighes them with it All living creatures here below are cherished and refreshed yea and things without life as Gemms and mineralls are concocted and refined with the warmth and vertue of it And so hath truth The light of the word carrieth heat and Influences with it to warme the heart and comfort it to concoct the grossenes of mans minde and sublimate it into an heavenly purity Did not our heart burne within us while he talked with us by the way and while he opened to us the Scriptures sayd the Disciples of Christs discourse with them Luk. 24.31 Fourthly Light discovers and makes manifest so doth truth Joh 3.20 21. Every one that doth evill hateth the light neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved or as we put in the Margin discovered Light makes manifest the word of God as the Apostle speakes Heb. 4.12 is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart it discovers that to us not onely in others but in our selves which wee saw not before wee are much if not altogether unknowne to our selves till we see our selves in the Glasse of the Word Hence observe Secondly The light of truth is Clothed with Authority the truths of God have a Soveraignety over man Wee cannot be said to rebell against any thing but that which hath power and authority over us a man may oppose and contend with his equall but hee cannot be said to rebell against his equall wee rebell onely against those that are above us If a childe opposeth his father it is rebellion if a servant opposeth his Master it is rebellion because fathers and masters have authority over their children and servants All rebellion is the breaking of the bands of subjection And all the bands of subjection are broken when the light is rebelled against because the light of heavenly truth is invested with all power and authority over us it hath a power to lift up and a power to humble or cast downe It hath a power to convince and a power to comfort It hath a power to kill and it hath a power to make alive all these powers the light of the word hath But it hath two powers more especially and eminently First It hath the power of a rule or power to rule and governe both the hearts and lives of men the light of the word doth not onely offer advice and give Councell but it gives out a Command what the word speaketh we are not upon poynt of Indifferencies whether we Will receive it or no but upon poynt of duty Therefore not to receive it especially to resist it is rebellion the light of the word is as a King and where the light of that word comes there is power and no man may say What doth it Secondly It hath the power of a Judge It gives both Law and Judgement He that rejecteth me saith Christ Joh 12.48 and receaveth not my words The not receiving of the word of Christ is the rejecting of Christ himselfe and he that rejecteth
but it is the duty of every man to strive that he may be lifted up not onely above the wormes but above the heavens Wee may quickly sin in seeking our owne exaltation in a worldly But the more we seeke our exaltation in a heavenly state the more holy yea the more humble we are Wee never act as those who know they are but wormes here on earth till we have an ambition to be like the Angels who are in heaven Thus I have opened and done with this third and that a very short discourse of Bildad in this Chapter wherein he hath spoken Excellently as to the generall truth in exalting God and humbling man yet he is upon the old mistake Concluding Job a selfe-Justifier yea a contender with God Whereas indeed his thoughts were as low as his state or person in reference to any conceit of righteousnesse in himselfe or of any boldnes in charging God with the least unrighteousnesse though there was much severity in his dealings with him JOB CHAP. 26. Vers 1 2 3 4. But Job answered and said How hast thou helped him that is without power how savest thou the arm that hath no strength How hast thou counselled him that hath no wisdome and how hast thou plentifully declared the thing as it is To whom hast thou uttered words and whose spirit came from thee THis Chapter containeth Jobs answer to the third and last dispute or opposition of his second freind Bildad Non respondit ad Bildadi dicta sed eum ridet quasi ea attulerit quae parum ad rem faciant imo ab instituto aliena Merc wherein he doth two things First He complaineth of and in a manner derideth Bildads dealing with him as if what he had urged were not onely little to the purpose but very wide from it This he doth in the foure first verses of the Chapter Secondly Job gives out a large narrative of the power perfections and excellencies of God of his wonderfull works and providences which Bildad had but lightly touched this he doth in the remaining part of the Chapter Vers 1 2. But Job answered and said How hast thou helped him that is without power There is a question among Interpreters who is here meant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 admirantis est haec dicit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Drus by him that is without power and who by the arme that hath no strength who by him that hath no wisedome There are three opinions about the resolving of this question First Some expound it not of a person but of a thing for the original leaves it in such words as may be determined upon eyther In qua re adjuvisti sententiam tuam de providentia dei particulari in qua nullae sunt viris Quare ex Hebraeo legit non cujus sed quid adjuvisti Vatabl and may as wel be rendred that which hath no power as him that hath no power And the thing without power which this interpretation aymes at is the opinion or tenet which Bildad and his friends had held forth in their discourse which Job is conceived to looke upon as weake and without power as having neyther strength nor wisdome in it And because Bildad made the last reply Job according to this exposition bespeaks him thus Thine owne former arguments as also those of thy friends had no power no strength of reason nor true wisdome in them and hast thou mended the matter now hast thou by what thou spakest last put any strength into what hath been weakly and feebly argued already As for my selfe I am neyther better enformed nor comforted then I was and therefore have reason to conclude that there is no more strength nor power in what is now sayd then in what was sayd before It is usuall to apply strength to a speech we say such a man made a strong speech as for such a one his speech had no strength no sinewes in it And that speech which hath no strength in it can never administer strength to those to whom it is spoken so that to say how hast thou helped him that hath no power is to say the speech by which thou hast attempted or endeavoured to helpe him that hath no power Yet I conceave that Job doth here intend a person whom his freinds supposed without power strength or wisdome Hoc de deo accipio O quam egregâ—e eum adjuvisti qui imbecillis erat invalido es patrocinatus Quasi tua defensione deus indigerit Merc Cujus adjuâ—or es num in becillis sustentas brachium ejus qui non est fortis Vulg Cui Auxiliatus es cui non potentia Mont rather then his freinds speech which himselfe judged and as his owne releife found to be so Secondly By him that hath no power and the arme that hath no strength some understand God himselfe who is indeed all power all arme who is altogether strong and onely wise As if Job had sayd O Bildad thou hast stood up in the defence of God as if he had not been able to defend himselfe thou hast been an Advocate for him who hath no need thou shouldest Hath not he power hath his arme no strength in it or is he destitute of counsel surely God hath no need of thy patronage or assistance Therefore consider whose helper hast thou been what the helper of him that is weake and hast thou sustained the armes of him that hath no strength surely no God hath strength enough to defend his own cause and wisdome enough to maintaine his own acts against me and all men else Thou oughtest indeed to have helped him that hath no power but thou hast onely given helpe to him that hath all power Thus some cary on the whole context under that frame and forme of this exposition as if Job did but rebuke Bildad for undertaking the matter on Gods part whereas he should have used his utmost endeavours for the support and comfort of him a poore weake creature labouring under heavy burdens of most sad afflictions and wanting counsel how to beare and improve them as layed upon him by the hand of God For this Job had no power and might expect helpe from his friend but he bestowed all his helpe in vindicating the honour of God against Job not in helping or advising Job how to beare up under the hand of God and therefore he thus interrogates him How hast thou helped him that hath no power But Thirdly I rather expound the words of Job himselfe as being now burdened and distressed with great affliction and under sore temptations and therefore fitly represented in these words a man without power an arme without strength and him that had no wisdome at least that he was such in the opinion and judgement of his friends As if he had sayd O Bildad Thou lookest upon me as a man without power strength or wisdome very well be it so
He spake great things of the power and holynes of God but Jobs case called him to speake as much if not more and rather of the goodness and kindnes of God He spake enough to humble and cast Job downe at the sight of his natural uncleanenes but he should have spoken more to rayse him up and comfort him by shewing him that fountaine which is opened to wash in for sin and for uncleanenes Wee may quickly entangle a soule by speaking truth unlesse we shew him all that ruth which belongs to his condition The Scriptures have plenty of truth in them and are therefore able to make as wise unto salvation They are profitable for doctrine for reproofe for correction for instruction in righteousnes The Scripture is like that River spoken of Gen. 2.10 which went out of Eden to water the Garden and from thence it was parted and became into foure heads Paul in that place now mentioned 2 Tim. 3.16 shewes us the Scripture parting it selfe into foure heads first of Doctrine for establishing the truth secondly of reproofe for removing of error thirdly of correction for the beating downe of ill manners fourthly of instruction for building up in a holy conversation That so as it there follows the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good workes that is in Jobs language that he may be able plentifully to declare the solid truth the thing as it is and as knowingly to declare General truths so to apply them discerningly to the state of every person A fayling wherein Job is supposed to charge Bildad with in the next verse Vers 4. To whom hast thou uttered words Here Job taxeth Bildad with inconsideratenesse in reference to the person to whom he spake To whom hast thou uttered words hast thou considered to whom thou spakest Quem docere voluisti nonne eum qui fecit spiramentum Vulg The vulgar translation referrs it to God whom wouldst thou teach wouldst not thou teach him who made the breath surely thou takest upon thee to teach him who is the teacher of us all Thus many carry on the sense of this fourth verse according to the second interpretation of the second and third verses With which presumption Job taxed his friends once before and that in expresse termes Chap. 21 22. Shall any teach God knowledge seeing he judgeth those that are high But I conceive Jobs meaning is onely to shew Bildad that he had not well advised about his case and condition before he spake for Bildad might say is this a question to be asked to whom have I uttered words have not I been speaking to thee all this while art not thou the man for whose sake we are here met and about whom we have had all this dispute Why then doest thou aske to whom hast thou uttered words Job doubted not who it was to whom he spake but Job questions him as fearing he was not well acquainted with or had not enough layd to heart the state of the man to whom he spake dost thou know what my condition is and hast thou suited and cut out thy discourse to my condition to whom hast thou uttered words Hence note We should well consider the state of every person to whom we speak and apply our speech or doctrine accordingly Bildad in the former Chapter had been setting forth the power majesty and dread of God as also his infinite purity befoâ—e whom the Angels are not-cleane now sayth Job to whom hast thou uttered these words should I be thus dealt with thus handled who am a man cast downe already and under the terrours of God Is this discourse though an undoubted truth sutable to my condition Thou shouldst rather have represented God to my faith in his goodnesse and mercy in his long suffering and patience in his tendernesse and gentlenesse towards sinners thou shouldst have proclaimed that name of God to me which is his Glory Exod. 34.6 The Lord The Lord gracious and mercifull long suffering and aboundant in goodnes and truth this had been a description of God a proclamation of God fit for a man in my case Whereas thou hast onely told me of his mighty power and dominion of his Hosts and Armyes doest thou know to whom thou hast uttered these words Jesus Christ when here on earth considered to whom he was uttering words and therefore tells his Disciples Joh. 16.12 I have many things to say unto you but ye cannot beare them now Christ would not put new wine into old botles but attemper'd his speech to the strength and capacity of his hearers Some must heare that which they cannot beare when that springs from their passion and impatience especially when from their love to and resolvednesse to goe onne in sinne Amos must not forbeare to speake though Amaziah cry out The Land is not able to beare all his words But we must take heed of forcing words upon any which they cannot beare or are not fit to heare eyther by reason of their afflictions and temptations or by reason of their present infirmities and incapacities The Apostle 2 Tim. 2.15 bids Timothy study to shew thy selfe approved unto God he doth not meane it in his private course of life and dayly converse which is the duty of every beleever but in his publicke course of life or converse as a Minister of the Gospel in that sayth he study to shew thy selfe approved unto God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed what kind of workman was Timothy his worke lay in the Word shew thy selfe a workeman and a Master in thy worke rightly dividing the word of truth how is the word to be divided he doth not meane of a gramaticall nor of a logicall division though there may be a use of these divisions of the Word but the dividing of the word intended by Paul is the dividing of it spiritually to the severall states and conditions of men giving to such a word of instruction to others a word of reproofe to a third sort words of comfort This is dividing the word aright And in doing this Paul would have Timothy declare himfelfe a workman that he needed not be ashamed He would have him know to whom he uttered words to know when he spake to sinners and when to Saints when he spake to the afflicted and when to them that were in a comfortable estate He would have him know when he spake to those who were hardned in their sin and when to those whose hearts were broken under the weight and sence of sin And thus as every man who uttereth words so Ministers of the Gospel especially should be well advised to whom they utter them For as the same garment will not serve every body to weare nor the same bed to lye upon so the same word will not serve every soule We must not doe as the tyrant who made one bed serve all his guests and they that were too long for it were cut shorter and they who
were too short were stretched longer Yet thus doe they who have but one word for all commers or for all they come to We would judge him a very unskilfull Physitian who let the disease be what it will should prescribe one and the same medicine or apply the same salve though a very soveraigne one to every soare As wee say That which is one mans meate is another mans poyson so we may also say That which is one mans medicine may be another mans poyson That which cures one disease may encrease another Therefore the Physician must consider to whom he gives the potion as well as what he gives and the Chirurgion must not onely know what his salve is but to whom he applyes it so in this case To whom hast thou uttered words weigh it wel whether they be babes or strong men in Christ whether they be under peaceable or troublesome dispensations whether obstinate or tender-hearted For these must be differently dealt with as their states doe differ We may else doe more hurt then good We may quickly as the Prophet speakes Ezek. 13.19 Slay the soules that should not dye that is grieve trouble the godly and save the soules alive which should not live that is harden and fatten the wicked in their sinnes The Apostle hath left us an excellent rule by his owne practice 1 Cor. 9.19 Though I be free from all men yet have I made my selfe servant to all that I might gaine the more and unto the Jewes I became as a Jew that I might gaine the Jewes to them that are under the Law as under the Law that I might gaine them that are under the Law to them that are without the Law as without Law being not without law to God but under the law to Christ that I might gaine them that are without Law to the weak became I as weak that I might gaine the weak I am made all things to all men that I might by all meanes save some and this I do for the Gospel sake that I might be partaker thereof with you In this context we see what was chiefely in the Apostles eye even that which is the highest and fayrest marke in the world the saving of soules And that he might attaine this end he critically observed the temper and state of his hearers striving to frame and sute himselfe and his speech accordingly He was not the same to all but he would be as they were to whom he spake or with whom he did converse yet Paul did not symbolize with nor connive at any in their sins he did not take upon him all colours he was not a man for all men or a man for all houres and humours The holy Apostle did not turne as flatterers doe with the times nor fashion himselfe to the severall garbes of men in a sinfull way Paul was so farre from any such base complyances that he having put the question doe I yet please men answers and concludes in the next words Gal. 1.10 If I yet pleased men I should not be the servant of Christ But weighing the state of all men he formed his words and did accommodate his Ministery for their gaine or rather for the gaining of them Some are all things to all men that they may gaine by all that they may advantage themselves by all which is a spirit not onely unworthy of a Minister but of a man but Paul complyed with all that he might gaine them or bring them in the greatest gaine Or he complyed with all men that Christ might gaine and faith in him be propagated this I doe for the Gospel sake I doe not this for my owne sake I doe not put my selfe into all formes towards men for my own preferment in the world but that Christ may be preferred in the hearts and acceptations of all men with whom I have to doe before the world And that this was his purpose we have his sence fully from his owne pen 1 Cor. 10.32 33. Give none offence neyther to the Jewes nor to the Gentiles nor to the Church of God even as I please all men in all things not seeking mine own profit but the profit of many that they may be saved There are five things to be taken notice of that we may utter words to profit First The matter or what we speake Those words which have no worth in themselves can never profit others While the Prophet Hos 14.2 exhorteth the people to repentance He sayth Take with you words that is choise words select words consider what words you take with you when you turne to the Lord and plead with him for mercy saying take away all iniquity and receave us graciously And as we are to take words with us choyse words to expresse choyse matter in when we speake to the Lord so also in proportion when we speake to Men as from the Lord. Secondly We must consider to whom we are to utter words we must not shoot at random or without a marke Some doctrines are generall but there ought to be a speciall application of Generall doctrines Other Doctrines are peculiar to some We must not cast pearles before swine nor give childrens bread to doggs And we must be as carefull that we speake not to children that is to the truely Godly as we should doe to doggs and swine for so the Scripture calls them prophane and ungodly men Thirdly We must consider the season or time when we speake Those words will take at one time which will not at another There is as much care to be had and as much skill seene in a due timeing of our words as of our actions Fourthly We must consider the quantum or the measure of words uttered we may over-lay and over-charge those to whom we speake Every one cannot beare a strong shower of speech or words powred out like a flood upon such Our doctrine as Moses sayd his did Deut. 32.2 must drop as the raine our speech must distill as the dew as the smal raine upon the tender hearbe and as the showers upon the grasse Fifthly We must consider the manner in which we utter words whether to speake as a Barnabas or as a Boanarges whether as a son of thunder of wrath and judgement or as a son of peace of joy and consolation Of some have compassion that is deale tenderly with them Jude v. 22. making a difference and others save with feare pulling them out of the fire We doe but cast words into the ayre unlesse we thus make a difference in the manner of speech as they differ to whom we speake When we have duely weighed the matter which the persons to whom the season when the measure how much and the manner in which we ought to speake then we are like to speake to purpose and shall be above this reproofe which Job here gives Bildad To whom hast thou uttered words And whose spirit came from thee The word which we translate spirit signifyes also
covering then our actions heere have no covering Hypocrites put many coverings upon their actions they have many policies to vaile and screene them from the eye of man but the actions of men have no covering before God yea the hearts of men have no covering before God As Solomon in the Proverbs which place was lately toucht upon argues from this reason because hell and destruction are before him Prov. 15.11 Hell and destruction are before the Lord how much more then the hearts of the children of men As if he had sayd God who looketh into hell which is not onely darkenes but outer darkenes that is darkenes without any thing that hath the least ray or similitude of light in it God I say who looketh into this hel can looke into the hearts of men much more There are some men I grant whose hearts are a very hell a very deepe and they hope to hide themselves in the depth of their owne hearts from the sight of God as the Prophet telleth us Isai 29.15 Woe unto them that seeke deepe to hide their councell from the Lord and their workes are in the darke and they say who seeth us and who knoweth us And what doth he meane by the deeps which they seeke doe they seeke caves and dens of the earth to take counsel or consult together in no they may be in the open ayre and yet seeke deepe to hide their counsells from God so that the meaning is they seeke to keepe their counsels close lockt up in their hearts but woe unto them that digge thus deepe to hide their counsells from God for they cannot be hid for even hel is before him and destruction hath no covering how then shall these destroyers cover themselves or any of their counsels from him As the reason of all things is naked and manifest before God so are the motions and actions of all persons Thirdly When 't is sayd Hell and destruction are before him that word before doth not onely imply that God hath a view or sight of what is in hel but also that hee hath power in and over hel and can doe what he will there hell is naked before him that is hee hath hell at his dispose Hence note The power and providence of God reaches to those things that are most remote He orders all things in hell as well as upon the earth his power rules there where there seemes to be least order yea where there is no order at all They who are cast into hel kept no order while they were upon the earth nor are they in any willing order there when we see confusions in the world wee say what a hell is there or we say Hel is broken loose hell is a place of confusion yet hell is before God he keepes hell in order And when by reason of troubles and confusion among men wee are ready to say there is a hell in the world yet this hell is naked before God he disposeth and orders those places persons and things which are most confused hell and destruction are before him Before I passe from these words I shall onely take notice that there are many words in Scripture by which hell is exprest The Rabbins number seven or eight heere are two First Sheol or the grave because we lye as it were buried there in a second death Secondly Abaddon or destruction because all are there in a perishing state or as given up into the hand of destruction Thirdly Hel is called Tsalmaveth or the shadow of death and by the shadow of death is not meant a smal appearance of death as the word shadow is used Jam 1.17 where the Apostle exalts the glory of the Lord in his unchangeablenes that he is the Father of lights from whom every good gift and every perfect gift cometh downe with whom is no variablenesse neither shadow of turning that is he is not subject to any turning at all but hel is called the shadow of death as shadow is put for strength and power and so to be under the shadow of God or man is to be under their protection Thus hell is the shadow of death that is the strength and power of it Death never triumphs so much in its strength as it doth in hell Fourthly Hel is called Erets tachith which signifyes first the earth under or the lowest and most inferiour earth whence in Scripture hell is called the bottomlesse pit and the way to it is described by descending and going downe as heaven is described by ascending and hight heaven is high and the highest ascending is our ascending to heaven so hell is low and the lowest descending is descending into hel Secondly it imports feare vexation and trembling hell is a land of trembling it is a land of feare it is sayd of Caine that when he went out of the presence of God after he had murthered his brother he went into the land of Nod that is into a land of trembling which some expound not of any speciall place that he went to but that every place where he went was to him a land of trembling hee having much feare and dread upon his conscience after he had embrewed his hands in his brothers blood Hel is indeed the land of Nod a Trembling land They who have not rejoyced with trembling in this world shall sorrow with trembling for ever in the world to come Fifthly Hel is called Bershiachathith that is the piâ—â—â— corruption not that the bodyes of the damned shall corrupt in hell as they doe in the grave for though we cannot say that the bodyes of the wicked shall be raysed incorruptible as the bodyes of the Saints shall yet they shall be raysed immortall and in that sence incorruptible that is they shall never dye but they shall be corruptible that is filthines and corruption shall be upon them The bodyes of Saints onely shall be raysed so incorruptible that nothing of corruption shall be seene upon them or felt by them but the bodyes of the wicked shall ever feele corruption and beare the markes of it without total corrupting or perishing as corrupting and perishing are taken for not-being The wicked would be glad that they might perish so but they shall not hel will be a pit of corruption to them for whatsoever is painefull and grievous to the flesh shall dwell in their bodyes and therefore it is called the pit of corruption and it may also be called a pit of corruption in a morall sence because all their sins and lusts shall remaine upon them for ever hel-fire cannot purge the soule from sin nor free any man from the power of that old man who as the Apostle speakes Eph 4.22 Is corrupt according to the deceitfull lusts Nothing but the blood of Christ can purge the soule from corruption Hell is for the punishment of corruption but not at all for the purging of it and therefore it is well called the pit of corruption Sixthly It is called Erets
by a breath of winde and yet this huge vast globe of earth and water hangs as a ball in the ayre and we scarce wonder at it The Poets fained an Atlas to beare up the heavens with his shoulders God is the Atlas that beares up the heavens and the earth too the upper globe and the under globe too he made all things by himselfe out of nothing and he supports them by himselfe upon nothing We have an excellent expression of the power of God in this thing Isa 40.12 Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and meted out heaven with the span and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountaines in scales and the hills in a ballance God made all things in weight and measure and hee keepes the weight and measure of all things As the earth was not till his word and will gave it a being so his word and will alone is all-sufficient to uphold it in that being God hath not hanged the earth upon any thing but himselfe who is indeed infinitely more then all things Take two or three deductions from this Grand Conclusion First The same power which made the world supports and maintaines it Thus the Authour to the Hebrewes sets forth the dignity of Christ the Son of God Chap 1.2 3. Whom he hath appoynted heyre of all things by whom also he made the worlds both the naturall civill and spirituall worlds with all the changes and successions which have been in them who is also the brightnes of the glory of God and the expresse image of his person upholding all things the naturall frame of the world as wel as the civill and spirituall frame of it by the word of his power or by his powerfull word which as it once commanded all things into a being so now it commands all things into that continuance of their being in which they are Which power the Apostle attributes againe to Christ Col. 1.17 He is before all things and by him all things consist Sin made the world shake And had it not been for a second creation the first creation had been ruin'd and lost The earth and all our concernements who live upon the face of the earth hang upon nothing but the will of God If he let us goe we fall though all the powers on earth would underprop and uphold us and if he hold us up we stand fast though we have no more of any earthly power to prop us up with then the earth hath which is propt up with and hangeth upon nothing Secondly God can doe the greatest things without any visible meanes This worke of God in hanging the earth as it doth is to be numbred among the greatest workes that ever he did and thus it hangs without any the least appearing meanes to hold it up There are three arguments given in Scripture of the mighty power of God First That he workes by small even the smallest meanes wee have reason to wonder when effects exceed all visible causes as it shewes the great power of God when he stops great meanes from doing any thing when he causeth men to labour in the very fire that is to toyle and sweat themselves to the utmost for very vanity that is without any hoped for issue or advantage Some labour in the fire for very vanity because all they get by their labours is worth nothing but others may be sayd to labour in the fire for very vanity because with all their labours they can get nothing And this is of the Lord this is an effect of the Lords power to make the power of man in the use and improvement of the best and choycest meanes ineffectual So on the other side it is a great magnifying of the power of God when by a litle power put forth by the hand of a weake instrument he produceth great effects The Apostle James brings it in with a behold Chap. 3.5 Behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth When great matters are done by small meanes we have reason to extoll and cry up the power of God Secondly It argues the great power of God when he doth great things by meanes that are improbable or that seeme no way sutable to such an end as Christ cured blindnesse with clay spittle which meanes had no sutablenesse to such an end the curing of blindnesse The meanes used to cure Naaman had no sutablenesse for such a cure and Naaman was so sencible of it that he was very angry with the Prophet about it as if his leprosie could be cured by so slight a thing as that was he thought he would have done it with some ceremony or in an extraordinary way yet this shewed that the cure was wrought by a divine power because it was wrought by so improbable an application As the power of God appeares in doing great things by small meanes so by doing great things by unlikely meanes Thirdly It shews the power of God much more to doe great things without the use of any meanes at all Such actings are creatings as the Apostle speakes of the Creation Heb 11.3 Through faith wee understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God so that things that are seene were not made of things that doe appeare Nothing appeared out of which this world was created There was no pre-excistent matter out of which the world was made The world was made out of nothing That Goodly fabrick of heaven and earth which is now seene was made of that which was never seene no man can tell what were the materialls of which God made the world Now as God shewed his infinite power at first in making all things of that which did not appeare so the great power of God doth appeare now in doing great things without the appearance or external concurrence of any thing The Lord turnes whole Nations sometimes by nothing things are done and no man can tell how they were done or by what We love to have a fayre Appearance of meanes when we attempt great matters But God loves to act when and where nothing appeares We honour God most when we are sencible that the greatest meanes is nothing without him and that he himselfe is enough when no meanes at all appeares to sence It is Gods usuall way to doe things in a way which is not used and eyther to use no helpe or that which signifyeth nothing Thus the Apostle describes the dealing of God in bringing soules to himselfe by a holy calling and in removing whatsoever standeth in the way of that call 1 Cor 1.26 For yee see your calling brethren how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called c. some wise and mighty men are called lest any thing in man should seeme too hard for the Grace of God and not many wise and mighty men are called lest any thing in man should seeme to contribute to or helpe