them We know little of that which is he and he only knoweth that which will be All futures unrevealed are secrets and among them our thoughts are the greatest secrets yet them the Lord knoweth Psal 139.2 Thou saith David understandest my thoughts afar off that is before I think them Is not this strength of knowing wisdome Fourthly God knoweth all things alwayes or everlastingly there is not one of them slips out of his knowledge they are at all times alike that is perfectly before him Is not this also strength of knowing wisdome Fifthly The Lord knoweth all these things as distinctly as if he had but one thing to know Sixthly He knoweth all things by one act of single and simple intuition he doth not know as we by report from others nor by comparing one thing with another nor by inferring one thing from another that is he doth not know by discourse argument or demonstration but all things are before the eye of his knowledge nakedly and immediately as they are These two last as well as any of or all the former are a clear proof not only that God is knowing and wise but that he is mighty in strength of knowing wisdome Secondly Consider wisdome as it is applyed in working Some have much of that wisdome which we call Theoreticall knowing discerning wisdome but as for practicall working wisdome how to put things together how to order them as to the businesses and affairs of this life they are very far to seek We say Great Scholars are not alwayes the wisest men many are knowing they know almost all things they will dispute de omni scibili of all things knowable yet are very weak when they come to lay things together for practice or government if it be but the government of a family or of their private estate they know not how to mannage it much less can they mannage the government of great Societies or Corporations least of all of Kingdomes and Nations But as for the Lord he hath not only a knowing wisdome but a disposing a governing a working practical wisdome in ordering all affairs which we properly call prudence or discretion Psal 112.5 We have seen knowing learned men do things very foolishly imprudently indiscreetly But all the works of the Lord are contrived and model'd as also effected and perfected with infinite wisdome Hence that Holy exclamation Psal 104.24 O Lord how manifold are thy works in wisdome hast thou made them all Which as it is true of all the works of Creation so likewise of the works of Providence the former of which are spoken of in the beginning of the Psalme and the latter in the following parts of it The Lord in wisdome made the world He made the heavens by his wisdome Psal 136.5 and by wisdome hath he founded the earth Pro. 3.19 If in both those places we understand Christ by wisdome it doth not hinder but advance this truth now as the Lord made the world both heaven and earth in wisdome so in and by the same wisdome he governs heaven and earth and all his works in both are full of wisdome Thus it appears that the Lord is mighty in strength of wisdome both as to the knowing and ordering of all things yea the Lord is so mighty in both these kinds of wisdome that there is indeed none wise but he And therefore the Scripture not only calls him The wise God but God only wise Rom. 16.27 Jude v. 25. And surely he is mighty strong in wisdome who hath all the wisdome or is only wise Some may say How are we to understand that is not wisdome one of those communicable Attributes of God so we distinguish the divine Attributes some are communicable oâ—hers are incommunicable The infiniteness the omniscience the unchangableness the simplicity of God are incommunicable but the holiness the justice the mercy and wisdome of God are communicable that is God doth communicate unto man his holiness his justice and wisdome Why then is it said That God is only wise seeing God hath endowed many with a spirit of wisdome or hath made many wise men in the world I answer First God is said to be only wise because there is none so wise as he his wisdome is so much beyond the wisdome of all men that no man may be called wise but God Thus also God is called the only Potentate 1 Tim. 6.15 because though there are many Potentates in the world yet Gods potency is beyond them all His life also is such that at the 16th verse of the same Chapter it is said He only hath immortality yet both the Angels and the souls of men are immortal but God hath immortality in a way of such eminency that the very Angels and souls of men are mortal in comparison of him David said of his life Psal 39.5 My age is nothing to thee I scarce live at all when I consider the life of God so the wisest man in the world may say of his wisdome my wisdome is nothing unto thee I have no wisdome when I consider how wise God is Secondly God is said to be only wise because there are none originally wise but he his wisdome is of himself yea his wisdome is himself the wisdome of God is not a separable quality from him as the wisdome of a man is Many are men but not wise men but it is impossible for God to be God and not to be wise his wisdome is essential to him The wisdome of man is like gilding upon an earthen vessel but the wisdome of God is like a golden vessel The wisest men are gilded over with wisdome they are adorned and beautified with it but no man how wise soever is wisdome only God is God is if I may so speak an Immense and immeasurable vessel of gold he is all gold you cannot distinguish the gold from the vessel 't is gold quite through he is massie gold massie wisdome The wisdome of man is another thing from himself The wisdome of God is himself and thus God alone is wise Thirdly God is only wise because all wisdome is from him as he hath his wisdome from himself so all others have wisdome from him all the wisdome of men and Angels is but a ray from his light but a stream yea but a drop from his Ocean Bezaliel's Artificial wisdome was from the Lord Solomons political wisdome was from the Lord Solomon asked wisdome from the Lord to governe And not only is the wisdome of Princes Statesmen and Politicians but the very Plowmans wisdome is from the Lord Isa 28.26 where the Prophet having shewed how the Plowman tills the ground how he harrows and casts in the seed how he thresheth and gets out the graine he addeth v. 29. This comes from the Lord who is wonderfull in counsel and excellent in working The Plowman knoweth not how to till his ground to sow his seed to harrow his land to thresh his corne if the Lord did not give him
have to trust on him for help and may have the more assurance of his help while we trust him I shall now proceed to our own translation which fairly accommodates the scope of Elihu's dealing with Job in this place Although thou sayest thou shalt not see him Elihu had reprehended two of Jobs sayings before in this Chapter here he reprehends a third Although thou sayest this thou shalt not see him although thou sayest it either secretly in thy heart the fool saith in his heart there is no God or although thou sayest it with thy mouth and hast openly declared thy despayre of seeing him Some passages in the discourse of Job do more than intimate and imply that he had said he should not see God And we may conceive that Elihu aimeth at that passage specially Chap. 23.8 9. where Job seems to say this thing Behold I go forward but he is not there and backward but I cannot perceive him on the left hard where he doth work but I cannot behold him he hideth himself on the right hand that I cannot see him Now Elihu gives answer in this 14th verse shewing that alâ—hough God would not give him a present heaâ—ing upon his importunate call for it yet he might rest assured that God would do him justice and therefore adviseth him quietly to rest upon him Although thou sayest thou shalt not see him or canst not see him yet Judgement is before him therefore trust thou in him In that 23d Chapter Job made a sad complaint that though he much solicited and desired to see God in what sense I shall open presently yet he could not be admitted he could not find him nor come near him I saith he cannot perceive him I cannot behold him I cannot see him we have all these words negatively expressed there as here Although thou sayest thou shalt not see or contemplate him There is a two-fold sight of God First immediate or in himself and thus God is seen only by himself and of himself to all others he is invisible No eye hath seen him nor can see him 1 Tim. 6.16 The Lord told Moses No man can see my face and live that is no man can see me immediately no man can have any ocular sight of me as we see those things that are before us God is a Spirit and therefore invisible Job doth not complain in this sense that he could not see God for he knew God was not to be seen nor did he wait for any such corporal view or sight or presence of God Secondly There is a mediate sight of God and that by a three-fold means First in or by his Word for that is one glass wherein we behold him Secondly there is a sight of God in his Works they are another glass wherein we see and behold him and those works are two fold First the works of Creation in them we may see or contemplate God all the world over in his power wisdome and goodness Rom. 1.19 20. Secondly his works of providence ordering and disposing all the motions of the creatures as himself pleaseth how much soever any of their motions are displeasing unto him Thus we may see God in his works that is it is seen by his works not only that he is but what he is or that he is Eternal and Infinite that he is Most Wise and Omnipotent that he can do all things or that nothing is too hard for him he having brought all things out of nothing There is a Third Medium or Means by which we may see God and that is His Son our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 The light of the knowledge of the Glory of God shineth to us in the face of Jesus Christ that is in the person of Christ God-Man we may behold the glorious Grace of God unto poor sinful lost man All the beams of Divine Love are collected in and issue forth from the face of Jesus Christ He that would see how good how gracious how merciful the Lord is to sinners let him by an eye of Faith or spiritual Contemplation look Christ in the face and there he shall find the expresse Characters of all that Glory By these Means or mediately in all these wayes God may be seen and is seen by his People This threefold sight of God is the sight of Faith it is by Faith that we see him in his Word it is by Faith that we see him in his Works it is by Faith that we see him in his Son Thus we are to understand that of the Apostle concerning Moses Heb. 11.27 He endured as seeing him that is invisible We may also distinguish of this sight of God two ways there is a sight of God first in grace which is though a true and real yet an imperfect sight of which the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 13.12 Now we see as in a glasse darkly Secondly There is a seeing of God in glory which is there called A seeing of him face to face Of that sight Christ speaks Math. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God As they now see him in the dispensations of his Grace here so they shall see him in the givings forth or manifestations of his Glory to them hereafter Now when Job complaineth or Elihu brings him in complaining That he should not see God we are not to understand it as if he despaired of ever seeing God in Glory or had concluded in his own breast that he should never see him in his ways of Grace or professed that at present he had no sight at all of God by faith for though I conceive Jobs sight of God by faith or in the actings of his Grace at that time was very low and dim yet some sight he had of him by faith enough I am sure to preserve and keep him from making any such negative Conclusion against himself that he should not see God in Glory But that which he chiefly intendeth is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Intendit oculos Verbum viden i forense est pro astare corum aliquo cum magna causa fiducia â—a ut non demissâ— in terram vultu sed elato capite ad interroganturi resptâ—teniemque judicem oculos intrepide dirigâ—re q is audeat Bold that he feared he should not come to see him in such a day and way of tryal as he before desired in the 23d Chapter vers 8 9. or that God would never manifest himself so cleerly in his Providences and dealings about his case in this world as might acquit him and bâ—ing the matter in question to a full state that all might take notice of his wronged integrity Job was under a great Cloud at that time and feared that God had coveâ—ed himself with a Cloud also as the Church bemoaned her self Lam. 3.44 and therefore said I shall not see him I shall not â—ee him as a Judge acquitting me and giving sentence for me Some conceive that the Hebrew word rendred Seeing
to hear even those things that have no ears are call'd upon to hear him speaking or what is spoken from him Hear O Heavens and hearken O Earth saith the Lord Isa 1.2 Now as when the Lord speaks all should hear so all should hear when any thing is spoken on the Lords behalf they that speak for the Lord in truth speak also frâ—â— the Lord. As truth bears the stamp and Image of God so it tends to the glory of God To resist the truth of God spoken by a true Messenger is to refuse the God of truth Luke 10.16 He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me Not to hear those that speak for the Lord and from the Lord is indeed not to hear the Lord and so they will be judged in the great day Thirdly In that Elihu gathers up his Spirits girds up the Loins of his mind upon this consideration that he was to speak on Gods behalf Note They who speak for God may speak with courage and be bold If any thing can encourage us to and in a work 't is this that we engage for God That which puts spirit and life into us is our end and design in doing or speaking now this is the highest end or design to argue for God and therefore it may put the highest life and liveliest spirits into man it may make him that is weak strong as a Gyant and him that is fearful bold as a Lyon when he can speak in truth that he is speaking truth on Gods behalf I will shew thee that I have yet to speak That word yet hath a great Emphasis in it he had been speaking in Gods behalf before and sayes he I have yet to speak Observe They that truly begin to speak for God will persevere in speaking for God As when we have spoken our all of God and for God there is yet more to be spoken of him and for him God is an everlasting Argument a Subject that can never be finished so they who have begun with an honest heart and right aims to speak for God will hold on and never give over to speak for him while they have a call to it A soul toucht with true zeal finds it hard to make an end when once he hath begun so good and so honourable a service as to speak for God So much of the second Argument used by Elihu to gain attention Suffer me a little and I will shew thee what I have yet to speak on Gods behalf He spake for God The third followeth Vers 3. I will fetch my knowledge from afar and will ascribe Righteousnesse to my Maker This I say is Elihu's third Argument brought to the same purpose as before I will fetch my knowledge from afar Or a great way off From how far 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 e longinquo ' ex abundâ—mâ—i ex linguae idiomate adjicitur Merc. Vtar scientia quadaâ—â— longâ—peâ—ita Vâ—â— There are four notions under which knowledge may be said to be fetcht from afar First That 's knowledge from afar which is of things out of sight or invisible of things which not only are not but cannot be seen As if Elihu had said I will not discourse about such things as fall under common sensitive observation I will not speak of eye-objects but of that and such things as no eye hath seen nor can see of God and of Divine things the things of God Secondly From afar may imply this I will not treat about matters of a late Date or Edition but of things done long since Thus David prefac'd his Speech Psal 68.2 3. I will open my mouth in a Parable I will utter dark sayings of old which we have heard and known and our Fathers have told us Such things are far off from us which were transacted and done a great while ago or in former Ages or in the first Age. As if Elihu had said I 'le fetch my knowledge not from yesterday but from ancient times from the very beginning of the Creation or from the Foundation of the world such things are truly afar off or I will fetch my knowledge from those things which were before the beginning that 's more truly afar off Thus a Learned Translater glosseth upon the Text Prout res fuit non tantum in de a seculis sed etiam ante omnia secula Jun. I will speak even of those things which were before any thing visible was even from Eternity The things of Eternity are most proper to set forth and illustrate the honour of God and most lively expresse his Power and Divine Perfections Thirdly When he saith I will fetch my knowledge from afar the meaning may be this It shall be of admirable and sublime things Ex operibus Dei admirandis et sublimibus Merc. the reason of which could not easily be given nor presently found out Those things are far from us which we cannot dive into nor reach nor fathome the bottome of by the Line of our understanding Such are the secret Counsels of God before the world was and some wayes of his Providence in dealing with men ever since the world was which are therefore said to be unsearchable and past finding out and of these Elihu speaks at large in this Chapter to the 26th verse Fourthly I will fetch my knowledge from afar may be thus understood I will speak to thee of things which I have much studied for I will not speak what comes next nor what lyes uppermost Ex ramotis sed necessariis principiuÌ„ agam non noviter excogitata seda principio cognita et accuratè paremeditata proseram Scult but will beat my brains for what I say in most serious meditation I will not offer thee any raw or undigested sentiments but shall well and maturely consider before I speak nor will I speak what my weak reason only tells me is true but what by light from above and I hope by me special teachings of God I know to be true I will fetch my knowledge or that which I make know from the depths of my heart not from sudden flashes and conceits of my head In all these senses possibly Elihu was resolved to fetch his knowledge from afar he would not take up nor trouble Job with things that were obvious common or easie to be had but bring what he had to say out of the closest Cabinets and utter conceptions which were most remote from the common road There is yet anoâ—her apprehension concerning Elihu's purpose when he saith I will fetch my knowledge from afar with which I rather close than any of the former that his meaning was to speak to Job of those things which as they are not easily comprehended because the sublimest works of God in nature so because they might seem far from the present matter As iâ— he had said We have been arguing all this while about Gods dispensations here below but now I 'le speake of things that
forgets God as his Maker will never remember much less answer and accomplish the ends for which he was made Thirdly I will ascribe righteousness to My Maker Note A godly man takes God as his own and appropriates him by Faith in all his Relations Faith takes not only a share in God but all of God My God my Father my Maker my Redeemer are strains of Faith A Believer doth as it were ingross God to himself yet desires and endeavours that all as well as himself may have their part and portion in God yea God for their Portion Job said Chap. 19.25 I know that my Redeemer liveth He spake as if he had got a Redeemer not only to but by himself Thus also holy Paul of Christ Gal. 2.22 Who loved me gave himself for me as if he had been given for him alone and loved none but him This is the highest work of Faith and 't is the signification of our hottest love to God it shews endearedness of affection to him as well as neerness and clearness of interest in him when we thus take him as our own Saviour Father Maker I will ascribe righteousness to my Maker Observe Fourthly He who is the Maker of all men can be unrighteous to nâ— man nor is lyable to the censure of any man whatever he doth 'T is impossible that he who made us should wrong or injure us and that upon a twofold Principle First Of the respect he hath for Justice towards all those whom he hath made God is so tender that he doth not willingly or with his heart afflâ—ct nor grieve the children of men to crush under his feet all the Prisoners of the earth Lam. 3.33 34. much less will he as it followeth vers 35 â—6 turn away the right of a man before the face of the most High that is before his own face who is the Most High As if it had been said The Lord will not pervert Judgment in any mans Case that comes before him Or if we take those words before the face of the Most High as denoting the highest Judicatory on Earth as our Margin intimates putting there for Most High A Superiour then the meaning is The Lord doth not approve that any earthly Judge though Supream or most Superiour should turn aside the right of a man how inferiour soever for as the 36th verse hath it To subvert a man in his Cause the Lord approveth not or as the Hebrew is rendred seeth not that is he seeth it not with approbation but indeed with detestation and will severely punish such subverters of Justice Secondly It is impossible that he who hath made us should wrong or injure us upon the principle of his Soveraignty over all those whom he hath made He that gives all men their being he that gives all to all men that are in being can be unrighteous to no man whatsoever he taketh from him or doth with him We have Job in the beginning of this Book Chap. 1.21 ascribing righteousness to God his Maker upon this reason or principle The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the Name of the Lord. It is he that made me a man 't is he who once made me a rich man a great man the greatest man of all the men of the East Chap. 1.3 What if now he hath lessened me and left me little or nothing what if he hath now made me a mean man a poor man in account a no man what if God hath now stript me naked and taken all from me He hath taken nothing but what he gave why then should I take it ill at his hands or have so much as an ill thought of him the Lord gives and the Lord takes there 's no unrighteousness in all this If God should utterly undoe us he doth us no wrong if he should as it were unmake us let us consider he is our Maker then we must say there is no unrighteousness in him yea we shall be ready with Elihu in the Text to ascribe righteousness unto him And therefore as a Corollary from the whole Note Fifthly Whatsoever God doth with us or others we ought to maintain the honour of God and retain good thoughts of him both as righteous and good Though Heaven and Earth be moved though the World be full of confusion and unâ—ighteousness yet we must ascribe righteouâ—nesse to God Whatsoever or whosoever falls to the dust the Honour and Justice of God must not Thus far of Elihu's third Argument for attention the Fourth is at hand in the next verse Vers 4. For truly my words shall not be false he that is perfect in knowledge is with thee As if he had said I am purposed to speak the truth and nothing but the truth therefore hear me Truly my words shall not be false He gives assurance for or warrants the truth of his words while he saith they shall not be false Negatives in Scripture often carry a strong affirmation The Father of a Fool hath no joy Non est â—â—num pro passimum est sic non remittâ—tur ei i. e. famietur Drus saith Solomon Prov. 17.21 that is he shall have a great deal of sorrow When the Scripture denyeth forgiveness to any sort of impenitent sinners or saith their sin shall not be forgiven the sense is they shall be punished When we say proverbially Goods ill gotten shall not prosper the meaning is they shall perish and do him mischief that hath gotten them not only shall he not thrive with them but they shall ruine and undoe him his goods ill gotten shall do him no good when the evill day is come much less shall they be able or he by them to prevent the coming of an evil day Once more When we say Such a thing is not ill done our intendment is 't is very well done excellently done So here when Elihu saith Truly my words shall not be false his meaning is I will speak truth and truth to the highest I will speak nothing but what shall endure the Touchstone and the Test I will not offer thee a Syllable of falshood what I alledge and urge either for God or against thee shall not be fetcht oâ— hammer'd out of my own brain and so subject to errour and mistake but such as God who cannot erre by whose Spirit and in whose stead I speak unto thee hath inspired me with or taught me for thy conviction and instruction Fourthly When he saith Truly my words shall not be false we may take it two wayes First As to the matter spoken Secondly As to the mind of the Speaker when truth is thus spoken t is truly spoken thus much Elihu engag'd for As if he had said The matter that I speak shall be true and I will speak it in truth or with a true mind and heart I will not speak any thing to flatter thee nor for my own ends to trouble thee my words shall be candid and sincere
12.2 3. I knew a man in Christ c. He doth not say I Paul was caught up to the third Heaven and heard unspeakable words c. but I knew such a man Thus Elihu here and doubâ—less he had been lyable to censure as arrogating too much to himself had he spoken in the first person I that am perfect in knowledge am with thee Therefore he covers and conceals himself by expressing it in the third person He that is perfect in knowledge is with thee that is He that is with thee to convince thee of thy former errour and to give thee better counsel is perfect in knowledge But is that true was Elihu or is any man perfect in knowledge or as the Hebrew haâ—h it plurally in knowledges that is in all kinds of knowledge or in all the degrees of knowledge of any kind Surely No man is perfect in the knowledge of any one thing much less of all things 1 Cor. 13.9 12. We know in part and prophesie in part we see but darkly c. How then can it be said of Elihu He is perfect in knowledge I answer There is a twofold perfection First Absolute Secondly Comparative There 's no man living here below hath absolute perfection of knowledge yet one man being compar'd with another may be said to be perfect in knowledge another not There are various degrees of knowledge in man the highest degree of knowledge compar'd with the lowest may be call'd perfect knowledg Thus we are to understand Elihu speaking at the rate of a creature not of God or as becomes and is commensurable with the state of man in this life whose best perfection in knowledge is to know his own imperfections Secondly Elihu speaks not of any perfection of knowledge but of being perfect that is sincere in knowledge As if he had said What I know I know with an honest upright heart and intention I do not know to abuse thee or others I make not use of my knowledge to deceive the simple but to inform them Some are crafty and cunning in knowledge not perfect in it they are knowing as the Devil is knowing who takes his name Daemon from his knowledge yet he is not perfect but corrupt in his knowledge he is subtil and full of devices to do mischief with his knowledge That 's perfect knowledge which is sincerely imployed for the Glory of God and the good of those with whom we have to do So then the meaning of Elihu may be summ'd up thus in short He that is with thee that is my self will deal with thee to the best of my understanding and in the Integrity of my heart This also suits well with the former part of the verse Truly my words shall not be false Hence Note First Though no man knoweth all things yet some know much more than others One is a Babe and needs milk another is a grown Christian and can not only receive but give the strong meat of instruction Heb. 5.13 14. Some cannot understand wisdome when spoken by the perfect they know not how to learn yea some as the Apostle speaks 2 Tim. 3.7 are ever learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth Others can speak wisdome among them that are perfect 2 Cor. 2.6 that is they are got to the highest Form of Gospel knowledge and are fit to be Teachers Secondly Note Whether we know little or much this is the perfection of our knowledge honestly to imploy and improve it for the information of the ignorant and the conviction of those who are in errour If we have but one Talent of knowledge yet if we use it well we are perfect in knowledge They who have digged as they think to the heart and dived to the bottom of all Sciences yea into the heart of the Scriptures too yet if they keep their knowledge to themselves or know only for themselves if they have base ends and by respects in vending their knowledge if they trade with their knowledge for self only or to do mischief to others their knowledge is not only utterly imperfect but as to any good account nothing or none at all As he that slothfully hides his Talent so he who either vain-gloriously shews it or deceitfully useth it shall be numbred among those who have none Math. 25.29 Luke 8.18 Lastly Elihu speaking of himself in a third person Note Modesty is a great vertue and the grace of all our Graces He that saith I am perfect in knowledge knoweth not what is neerest him himself We should use our knowledge as much as we can but shew it as little as we can unless in the using of it 'T is best for us to take little notice of our own goodness and not to know our own knowledge Usually they have but little who are much in shewing unless much called to it what they have Empty Vessels sound most and shallow Brooks make the loudest noyse in passage Moses put a Vail upon his face as unwilling to have that Divine beauty seen While we are provoked and even necessitated to discover our knowledge we should cover our selves It is our duty to impart our knowledge but our folly to pâ—oclaim it Thus far Elihu hath been preparing his Patient Job to receive his Medicinal instructions he is now ready to administer them for the cure and quieting of his distempered mind JOB Chap. 36. Vers 5 6. 5. Behold God is mighty and despiseth not any he is mighty in strength and wisdome 6. He preserveth not the life of the wicked but giveth right to the poor ELihu having done prefacing proceeds to the matter of his discourse wherein he giveth a large description of the power wisdome and Justice of God in his disposure and government of the world First In things Civil which he prosecutes to the 26th verse of this Chapter Secondly In things Natural which he handles to the 23d verse of the following Chapter He begins in these two verses with an excellent Elogium or with the high praise of God in his divine perfections into which he leads us with a command of attention or serious consideration yea of wonder and admiration Vers 5. Behold God is mighty I have several times opened the sense and intendment of this word Behold and therefore will not stay upon it here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Magnus grandis potens id est potentissimus But what are we to behold what is the sight which Elihu represents to our faith it is God in his might Behold God is mighty God is strong potent omnipotent God is mighty yea Almighty The words are a plain assertion of that royal Attribute the Mightiness or Almightiness the Potency or Omnipotency of God Elihu promised to ascribe righteousness unto God his Maker yet here he begins with his Mightiness and this we find often both ascribed to God and asserted by him When God made a Covenant with Abraham he thus offers himself to his faith though
maketh not or suffereth not the wicked to live The Hebrew strictly is He doth not enliven the wicked So the word is used concerning the Midwives that feared God Exod. 1.17 They did not obey the word of the King but saved the Male Children alive or they enlivened the Male children They who preserve do upon the matter give a new life The like Expression we have Exod. 18.22 Thou shalt not suffer a Witch to live The Hebrew is thou shalt not vivifie or enliven a Witch They who have commerce with the Devil the Prince of the Air they who Trade with Hell to satisfie the lusts and curiosities of evill men on earth are not worthy to breath in the Air or live upon the face of the Earth He preserveth not the life of the wicked There are two things in this negative speech of Elihu First God doth not shew any favour to nor indulge wicked men in their evil wayes He that will not so much as pâ—eserve their lives doth not give them favour while they live Life and savour are two distinct things Job 10.12 Thou hast granted me life and favour Favour with life is the pâ—iviledge of the living favour is better than life The Lord doth but seldome reprieve much less doth he at any time favour or pardon impenitently wicked men Secondly When Elihu saith he preserveth not the life of the wicked Non vivificat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro intersâ— it et omni vita spoliat Coc. we are to understand it by an ordinary Figure wherein less is expressed than is to be understood He preserveth not that is first he is not solicitous about their preservation he cares not much what becomes of them and not only so but Secondly he destroyeth the life of the wicked the Lord will certainly ruine and utterly undoe them one time or other one way or other he will do it either immediately by his own Arme by some notable stroke of vengeance from himself or he will do it by means he will find out and impower instruments that shall destroy the very life of the wicked And I conceive Elihu brings in this Proposition concerning God in answer to what Job had observed and complainingly alleadged about the Prosperity of the wicked Chap. 21.7 Wherefore doth the wicked live become old yea are mighty in power As if Job had intimated that the Lord surely did shew not only some but much respect unto wicked men they did not only live but they lived a long time and not only a long time a bare life but were mighty in power and over-powered yea oppressed many with their might Elihu replyeth here notwithstanding this Allegation which seemed to reflect upon the Justice of God that the Lord preserveth not the Life of the wicked Mark first he doth not say he preserveth not the Life of a man that sinneth for then whose life should be preserved but he preserveth not the life of the wicked 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is of a man who sinneth presumptuously and goeth on impenitently who is incorrigible Secondly he doth not say God suffereth not a wicked man to live for then most men being wicked in all Ages of the world the world would be very thin and almost naked of Inhabitants But he preserveth not saith he the life of the wicked that is he sets no stoâ—e by them as we do of those things which we carefully preserve We may compare this verse with that of Job Chap. 34.26 27 28. where 't is said of mighty oppressoâ—s the Lord striketh them at wicked men that is as he useth to strike wicked men in the open sight of others because they turned back from him and would not consider any of his wayes So that they cause the cry of the poor to come up to him and he heareth the cry of the afflicted Now as there Elihu speaks affirmatively he striketh wicked men so here he speaks negatively which is the same in effect God doth not preserve the life of the wicked and as there he said God heareth the cry of the afflicted or poor so here he giveth right to the poor These Texts are of the same sence and expound each other From the former part of this sixth verse already opened he preserveth not the life of the wicked Observe First Wicked men are out of Gods Protection they can expect no favour from him They are out-lawed Some persons are out-lawed by men and then if any man injure them or kill them they can have no remedy by the Law they have their amends as we say in their own hands the Law gives them none Wicked men are out of Gods love and therefore out of his care he turns them up as we say to the wide World to shift for themselves whether they sink or swim 't is all one to him He is neither Sun nor Shield to the wicked he is both to the godly Psal 84.11 The Lord is a Sun and a Shield the Lord will give Grace and Glory no good thing will he with-hold from them that walk uprightly As a Sun he giveth out the warm Beams of his savour to refresh and revive them when the World leaves them cold and comfortless And as a Shield he defends and saves them when the World strikes at them and vexes them he will keep them safe from evil as with a Shield The wicked have no share in this not in any such-like promise the Lord is rather Fire and Sword than Sun or Shield to them he neither comforts them while they live nor preserves their lives from death But some may say Doth not God preserve the lives of the wicked Is it not said Job 7.20 He is the preserver of men Which indefinite seems to carry it for all men And Psal 36.6 Thou preservest man and beast Yea wicked men not only live but prosper and flourish in the World as Job complained Chap. 21.7 Wherefore do the wicked live becâ—me old yea are mighty in power Surely then they are preserved and if God do not preserve them who doth Man hath no more power to preserve his own life than to give himself life how is it then that the Text saith God doth not preserve them or that they are out of Gods Protection I answer First It cannot be denyed but that the wicked hold their lives and all the good things they have possibly they have many good things of God But the wicked and their liveâ— or the lives of the wicked are preserved only by that common Pâ—ovidence of God which extends even to the Beasts of the field they are not preserved by any special Providence or Promise of preservation made to them their Souls are not bound in the bundle of life with the Lord their God as Abigail assured David his should be 1 Sam. 25.29 nor are they as one very well expresseth it in the Language of the Prophet Isaiah Chap. 4.3 written or reckoned among the living in Jerusalem Neither
perpetuity of establishment not only a lasting but an everlasting establishment he can give an eternity of establishment Here is compleat happiness What can we desire more than First to be in a great and good estate Secondly to be established there Thirdly to be established for ever They that are set high are set in slippery places unless the Lord be with them how much more if the Lord be against them Psal 73.18 But the Lord can set us as high as the highest Rock and yet make us as firme as the firmest Rock He doth establish them for ever And they are exalted Some read thus He establisheth them for ever when they are exalted which makes a very clear sense when they are got high the Lord doth establish them fully and finally We render it as a distinct act of God They are established for ever and they are exalted probably intending thus much that the Lord when he will do a thing can do it notwithstanding all opposition that either is or can be made against it he sets them with Kings on the Throne and doth establish them for ever yea they rise in power and dignity more and more They are exalted Hence Note What God will do shall be done If he saith to a person be exalted he shall be exalted if he saith to Jerusalem thou shalt be built and to the Temple thy foundation shall be laid Isa 44.28 it is done if he saith pull down Babylon down it must come even to the very foundation Ephraim said Jer. 30.18 Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised I found the effects of thy chastisement it came home to me What Goâ—â—ill work no man can lett or put a stop to Further From the other reading Note Whom God sets up no man can pull down till himself pleaseth He doth establish them for ever when they are exalted God is able to maintain his own acts whether in casting any down or exalting them When God laid the mountains and heritage of Esau wast for the Dragons of the Wilderness Mal. 1.3 Edom said at the next verse well I see we are impoverished but we will return and build the desolate places As if Edom had said Though the Lord hath brought us thus low yet we doubt not to recover our former glory But what saith the Lord hear what in the next line Thus saith the Lord of Hosts They shall build or let them build but I will throw down Now I say as when the Lord pulls down none can build without his leave so whom the Lord exalteth none can pull down He establisheth them for ever when they are exalted Thus Elihu sets forth the exceeding kindness of God to and his care over the righteous not only his provident care as to their present condition but as to the abiding of their exaltation and the establishment of it for ever JOB Chap. 36. Vers 8 9 10. 8. And if they be bound in fetters and be holden in cords of affliction 9. Then he sheweth them their work and their transgressions that they have exceeded 10. He openeth also their ear to discipline and commandeth that they return from iniquity THese three verses hold forth three things in particular all which concern the righteous of whom Elihu said in the former verse not only that God doth not withdraw his eyes from them but establisheth them on high or advanceth them highly in this world First That possibly they may be cast into sore afflâ—ctions even after their exaltation the newly promised lastingnes of it v. 8. Secondly That the procuring cause of these afflictions is their own sin for we find mention of their transgression in the 9th verse and of their iniquity in the tenth Thirdly That the purpose and designe of God towards them when they have brought themselves into streights are cast into an afflicted condition is very gracious and tends to their everlasting good And this designe is three-fold First To discover their sin to them that 's laid down at the 9th verse Then he sheweth them their work and their transgressions Secondly To prepare them for a better receiving of faithful counsel and instruction at the 10th verse He openeth also their ear to discipline Thirdly To bring them quite off from their sin that 's expressed in the close of the 10th verse and commandeth that they return from iniquity These are the parts this the purpose of the Context under hand Vers 8. And if they be bound in fetters There is some question who are to be understood as the Antecedent to this they if they who are they Some because the words following speak of transgression and iniquity conceive that surely it must be meant of wicked men or of the ungodly but El hu comes not upon that subject til the 13th verse there he turns his speech to such but the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath c. Therefore here he doth not speak of or to wicked but righteous men falling into trouble and affliction they that is the righteous c. Again Taking righteous men to be the Antecedent as the text plainly carries it yet there is a difference in opinion whether we are to understand Elihu speaking of righteous men in that special dignity described at the 7th verse such as are with Kings on the Throne or of righteous men in general I conceive we may understand the text of either And therefore First When Elihu saith If they be bound in fetters he may intend those righteous men who were so highly exalted in the former verse such a change may come upon them even they who were with Kings on the Throne may come to be bound in fetters and holden in the cords of affliction Secondly He may intend it of righteous men in any other condition for Elihu having shewed how graciously God dealeth in exalting some righteous men sheweth that God is gracious also unto those that are not exalted even unto those that are greatly afflicted and brought very low Briefly as in the former verse he spake of righteous men lifted up so here of righteous men cast down As if he had said If any of the righteous are at any time so far from being exalted with Kings on the Throne that they are cast upon the dunghill and are brought into great streights yet it is not because God takes no care of them or because he hath cast them out of his favour but it is thus with righteous men for many blessed ends and purposes which God hath upon them or towards them to shew them their sin to fit them for instruction and to bring them off from their iniquity Thus the words prevent an objection for Elihu having said he withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous but with Kings are they on the Throne some might say You can shew us very few such sights you can shew us few righteous men with Kings on the Throne or exalted highly in this world and we can shew you many righteous
several of the Kings of Judah they were brought from the throne to the prison Zedekiah and Jeckoniah and Manasseh had such sad changes when they highly provoked God they came from their Thrones to the prison from a Crown to the cords of affliction yea this hath been the lot of many other righteous men exalted they have been brought to the prison and laid very low in this world Solomon saith of one Eccles 4.14 Out of prison he cometh to reigne and of another he saith in the same verse He also that is borne in his Kingdome becometh poor such vicissitudes and revolutions come over the heads of the children of men yea good men are not exempted from such changes and revolutions Therefore be not offended if at any time you see good men in chaines and fetters in a condition of great affliction Thirdly From the manner of expression When they are bound in fetters and holden in cords Affliction is set forth and described by cords and fetters Hence note Afflictions are grievous to the flesh Are not fetters so are not cords so The word here translated cords is several times in Scripture applyed to signifie the pains of a woman in travel those are most dolorous paines such are some afflictions The Apostle speaking of affliction in generall Heb. 12.11 saith No chastning for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous 'T is no easie thing to be in fetters and cords to be bound in chaines Afflictions streighten and press pinch gall like fetters they burthen the flesh they are no light matters Though the Apostle comparatively to the weight of glory calleth the heaviest outward afflictions light 2 Cor. 4.17 yet first in themselves and secondly to our flesh they are very heavy Therfore we should pity those that are in affliction as those that are in fetters and cords and we should pray for those that are in affliction as for those that are bound Every affliction is a kind of captivity If they be bound in fetters and holden in cords of affliction thus it may be with the righteous But is not this an argument that God hates them surely no we read the mind of God towards them notwithstanding this in the next verse Vers 9. Then he sheweth them their work That is when they are in cords and fetters But did he never shew them their work before yes doubtless he did but then especially and effectually then he sheweth he declareth he makes manifest to them or he causeth them to see and know their work The word in that conjugation signifieth not barely to shew but to make them see understand and consider their work he brings them to a review of what they have done and to see that they have done amiss Then he sheweth it is a shewing with power an efficacious shewing he sheweth them their work What work this their work may be considered two wayes First As to the matter of it what they had done Till we see what we have done we repent not of what we have done how much soever it ought to be repented of as the Lord complained of Israel by the Prophet Jer. 8.6 No man repented of his wickedâ—esse saying What have I done Secondly As to the vitiousnesse or falsenesse of it He sheweth them their work that is either what they had done which was evil in the matter of it or what they had done in an evil manner though in it self good â—he sheweth them the evil of their work the irregularity the crookednesse and sinfulnesse of their work That this is the meaning appeareth plainly in the words that follow Then he sheweth them their work and their transgression that is that there is some transgâ—ession or fault possibly many faults and transgressions in their work Then he sheweth them their work Hence Note Fiâ—st Sin is properly the work of man That is of the flesh in man Gal. 5.19 The works of the flesh are manifest which are these Adultery c. Good is Gods work in us evil is our work against the mind of God Sin is often called the work of our hands Psal 28.4 Give them after the work of their hands render to them their desert that is what they have deserved by their sins Moses declared his fear and holy jealousie concerning the children of Israel in this Language Deut. 31.29 I know that after my departure ye will utterly corrupt your selves because ye will do evil in the sight of the Lord to provoke him to anger by the work of your hands Idolatry is specially called the work of mans hands because Idolaters either worship that as a god or God by that which their hands have wrought Rev. 9.20 They repented not of the works of their hands that they should not worship Devils and Idols of Gold and Silver and Brasse c. Yet Idolatry is much more the work of the heart than of the hand And as Idolatry so any other sin whether of heart or tongue may be called the work of our hand it being that which is most properly our work though originally the Devils work As to pardon sin is properly the work of God so to commit sin is properly the work of man There is no work so much ours as that no work properly ours but bad work all the good we do is the work of God in us or by us Secondly Note Man doth not see the falseness and faultiness of his own work till God sheweth it him There may be many cracks and flaws in our good works which we perceive not we are ready to think and say All 's well we have done very well until God lets us see our work in his light in the light of his Word and Spirit and then we shall see cause to be humbled for those works which we were proud of and sometimes boasted in The Prophet Haggai 1.5 called the Jews to consider their ways they saw their wayes but they considered not their wayes and therefore they saw not the evil and error of their wayes As we see many of the works of God yet see not the excellency or admirable contrivance of them till himself sheweth it so we see many of our own works yet we see not the sinfulnesse vanity and folly that is in them till God shew it unto us he maketh us see our work as it is Thirdly From the circumstance of time when it is that the Lord sheweth unto man his woâ—k the falseness of his woâ—k the Text saith Then he sheweth them their work that is when they are bound in fetters and holden in cords of affliction Hence Note The badness or sinfulness of our works is most usually and most cleerly discovered to us in times of affliction then sheweth he them their work Josephs Brethren did a very ill work in selling him into Egypt and in putting off their Father with a lye yet they took little notice of this work for many years but when they were bound in fetters and holden in
were bound in Fetters and holden in Cords of affliction Now saith Elihu here they shall spend their dayes in prosperity and their years in pleasures Hence Note There is no condition so low and forlorn but the Lord is able to bring us out of it and into the enjoyments of fullest comforts He can change our Iron Fetters and Cords into Rings of Gold and Bracelets he can translate our dayes of trouble and our years of pain into dayes of prospeâ—ity and years of pleasure it was so with Job in the issue and he was the man that Elihu here intended Job was long bound in fetters and holden in the cords of affliction yet as Elihu told him he should so he did afterwa ds spend his dayes in prosperity and his years in pleasure the Lord doubled his Cattel to him his friends fil'd his Coffers and his Cabinets Every man gave him a peace of money and every one an Ear-ring of Gold his children also were the same foâ— number his daughters the fairest in the Land himself also lived in the fulness of this outward Prosperity till he was full of dayes and he fed upon the delicious fruits of this Promise all his after-dayes Manasseh having run a course of unparallel'd wickedness was at last taken by the Captains of the host of the King of Assyria among the Thorns and they bound him with fetters and carryed him to Babylon 2 Chron. 33.11 yet when in his affliction he besought the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his Fathers he was entreated of him and brought again to Jerusalem where he spent his dayes in prosperity and his years in pleasure If we turn to the Lord in affliction the Lord is ready to turn away our affliction or as the Church prayed in the half turn of her affliction Psal 126.4 to turn our captivity as the streams in the South that is to make both a most admirable and a most comfortable turn of our condition Streams in the hot Southern Countries are rare the Rain of those Lands usually is dust Streams in the South are also very welcome How glad are they of a cooling Showre from a Cloud who daily feel and are fainted with the scorching Beams of the Sun Such a turn shall they have saith Elihu who being holden in the cords of affliction turn from iniquity obey and serve the Lord. Thirdly From the matter of the Promise Note A comfortable passage through this life is a very great mercy as well as the hope of happiness for ever in the other life 'T is prosperity and pleasure in this world though nor meer worldly prosperity and pleasure which is here pâ—oâ—ised and we are not to slight any thing that comes by promise yea we should highly esteem those things which considered in themselves are little worth as they come to us through the Promise We may quickly over-rate and over-reckon outward things in themselves and we ever do so if we rate or reckon them any better than vanity but as they are promised and bestowed in a way of savour from God and as they are a part of the purchase of Christ and handed to us by him so are even outward things to believers thus they are very valuable Upon these terms to live and spend our dayes in good and our years in honest lawful pleasures is a great mercy From the whole take two Corolaries First How blasphemous then is their Opinion who say it is a vain thing to serve the Lord or that there is no profit in calling upon him which blasphemy was resuted Chap. 21.14 Secondly Would we have a good end of or out-gate from our afflictions then let us hear and obey Thus much of the first case what the issue of their afflictions shall be who obey The Second issue upon the contrary case followeth in the 12th verse Vers 12. But if they obey not they shall perish by the Sword and dye without knowledge Here contraries are set one over against another for their fuller illustration If they obey not that is if those righteous men spoken of before vers 7. obey not What it is not to obey is clear by what I said was to obey in opening the former verse I shall only take notice that in this latter part it is not said If they obey not and serve him not but only if they obey not and I conceive Elihu saith no more or proceeds no further because they who deny obedience will certainly deny service therefore he stops at that If they obey not They who are good in their state may often fail in doing that which is good for of those this Text yet speaks and is generally interpreted The Hypocrite in heart is spoken of in the next verse but here Elihu is speaking of the righteous and because he is so therefore by this disobedience cannot be meant an obstinate rebellion but a sloth or carelesness in attending to the Call of God for the amendment of some evil in their lives If they obey not Hence Note The calls and commands of God are not alwayes obeyed no not by good men not by the righteous The call and command of God is not at all obeyed by the wicked and it is not alwayes obeyed by the righteous The righteous sometimes hear the word but do not answer it and sometimes they feel the rod and do not attend it they cry out of the smart of the rod and of the sores which the lashes of the rod have made upon them they weep over or because of their sores yet they do not presently give glory to God by obeying him and leaving their sinnes I mean as to that special point of duty in which God would have them obey him and as to those special sins which God by that affliction calls upon them to leave Many good men do not presently understand the purpose of God in this or that affliction and while it is so with them they must needs fail in answerableness to it I know every godly man hath a general bent to obey God and serve him It is not with the godly in their afflictions as with the wicked under theirs of whom the Prophet speaks Isa 9.13 They did not turn to him that smote them yet even such Scriptures are in a degree applicable to many of the people of God they do not alwayes turn to him that smiteth them when they are exercised with variety of calamities they mind not the Lord as they ought And hence it is I say that though the righteous have a general bent to obedience yet they sometimes come short of that obedience which a special affliction or correction calleth them to yea they may be so short in answering it that the Lord may proceed to lay heavier and greater afflictions upon them even to the taking of them out of the world as it followeth in this verse If they obey not They shall perish by the sword Before they were bound in
Trench Let me strike him at once and I will not strike him a second time The Lord threatned Nah. 1.9 to bâ—ing destruction upon those at once when he told them Affliction should not rise a second time as if he had said I will not strike another blow at them I 'le hit them home and do my woâ—k with one blow We need not fear how many or how mighty his enemies are he can rid himself of them with one stroke The Lord strikes some to take away their sin thus he strikes his own people others he strikes to take away their persons thus he strikes the wicked especially those who enemy-like designedly strike at Him his Name his Truth his Glory Elihu doth not say Beware least he strike thee but least he take thee away with a stroke The Lord often strikes his own faithful servants they receive many a stroke many a lash many a blow many a chastisement at his hands but he doth not take them away with a stroke as he doth the wicked The Lord strikes his servants to take away their sins and he strikes wicked men to take away their lives to destroy them utterly Secondly As the word signifieth taking away with clapping â—f the hands or with derision Note God will even laugh at the ruine of wicked men He will clap his hands at their fall We read Prov. 1.26 27. how Wisdome called and cried and none would answer all set her calls and counsels at naught what followed I said Wisdome that is Christ will laugh at their calamity and mock when their fear cometh as much as is said in the Text I will take them away with a stroke or with clapping my hands with a kind of deriding plaudite at their going off or rather at their being thrust off the Stage of this world They are in the most sad condition whom God not only destroys but derides they have most cause to mourn in their affliction at whose affliction God laughs It is said Job 9.23 God will laugh at the tryal of the innocent and why was shewed in opening that place I only touch it now upon this occasion The Lord knows the innocent will come off with honour will stand it out in their tryal bravely he sees what Courage Faith Patience they will manifest in and under their sufferings Now as the Lord even claps his hands and laughs when his chosen noble ones go forth to the tryal knowing they will honour him in their tryal so the Lord laughs at the destruction of the wicked knowing that his Justice and Righteousness shall have a full stroke at them and lay both their shame and sin open to all the world That the Lord in his wrath takes away with a stroke should make us all beware fear and tremble but that which followeth may make us wary fear and tremble much more for saith Elihu in the close of the verse Then a great Ransome cannot deliver thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Redemptionis Pretium quod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Graeci appellant The word rendred a Ransome signifies that which is paid as a price for the deliverance of a Captive out of bondage Thus Christ gave himself a Ransome for sinners But here is a Case wherein no Ransome will be taken no though it be not a small petty Ransome but a great Ransome of that saith Elihu it cannot deliver thee As if he had said When once God is so far provoked that the Decree is gone forth to destroy thee then it will be in vain to think of getting off by Ransome Here it may be queried What is this great Ransom that will not deliver There is a twofold Ransome by one of which the people of God are somtimes delivered and alwayes by the other First The people of God are somtimes ransomed or delivered by the destruction and ruine of the wicked that 's their Ransom and that not seldom proves a great Ransome It is said expresly Prov. 21.18 The wicked shall be a Ransome for the righteous how a Ransome for the righteous will a wicked man pâ—y a Ransome for the righteous or will the wicked man offer himself a Ransome for him and say I 'le dye instead of the righteous man surely there 's no such thing to be expected from him Peradventure for a good man saith the Apostle Rom. 5.7 8. one would even dare to dye that is one good man may possibly be willing to lay down his life for another good man Scarcely for a righteous man would one dye that is for a man who only gives every man his due oâ— doth every man right but for a good man that is for a man that hath been very kind and bountiful to others some would even dare to dye yet he that doth so must be supposed to be a righteous and a good man himself For it cannot be thought that a wicked man would give himself a Ransome for the righteous that he would dye for him whom he doth not love yea whom he usually hates to the death How then is it affirmed by Solomon that the wicked shall be a Ransome for the righteous The meaning is God will destroy the wicked to save the righteous or he will save the righteous even through the blood and destruction of the wicked In that sence the wicked are many times a Ransome for the righteous rather than the righteous shall perish the Lord will destroy the wicked Thus the Lord spake by his Prophet of old Isa 43.3 I gave Egypt for thy Ransome Ethispia and Sheba for thee How was Egypt a Ransome for Israel had they any mind to deliver the people of God no but rather than God would not have Israel saved he destroyed Pharaoh and the Egyptians in the Red Sea Thus the Lord makes the wicked a Ransome for the righteous Though Egypt were a very goodly Country yet God destroyed it by ten Plagues that he might deliver Israel Though Pharaoh was a great Prince he drowned him in the Sea rather than his people should go back into Captivity Solomon gives us this sense of the Prophets words fully in his own Prov. 11.8 The righteous is delivered out of trouble and the wâ—cked cometh in his stead Secondly There is another a more excellent Ransome for the people of God and that is the Blood of Jesus Christ We are bought with a price dearly bought and that 's the Price with which we are bought 1 Cor. 6.20 that 's a Ransome which sets sinners fâ—ee and makes them free indeed Joh. 8.36 free fâ—om sin anâ— free unto righteousness Math. 20.28 He gave himself a Ransome for many for a great many for all who believe and take hold of his Name When Elihu saith A great Ransome cannot deliver ' â—is not to be understood of the Ransome which Christ hath paid that 's a Ransome so great so precious that it hath and doth and will for ever deliver the greatest the worst of sinners who run to it
thing that moves upon it and grows out of it to rejoyce Fifthly sometimes drowns the earth and destroys the Inhabitants of it As I say the natural rain doth all these things so also doth the spiritual rain the word of God That First mollifieth Secondly cleanseth Thirdly fructifieth Fourthly comforteth the hearts of all those that receive it and Fifthly The rain of the word drowns and destroys all those that rise up against it or will not receive it JOB Chap. 36. Vers 29 30 31. 29. Also can any understand the spreadings of the Clouds or the noise of his Tabernacle 30. Behold he spreadeth his light upon it and covereth the bottom of the sea 31. For by them he judgeth the people he giveth meat in abundance ELihu having spoken of the wonderfull work of God in forming and sending rain in the two former verses speaks next of the Clouds which are as vessels containing the rain and in which the rain is carried and conveighed up and down the world for the use of man or for those services to which God hath appoynted it He begins with a denying Question Vers 29. Also can any understand the spreading of the Clouds As if he had said To what I said before I adde this Here is another secret in nature Can any understand the spreading of the Clouds He doth not say can vulgar ignorant and unlearned persons understand but can any Can the wisest can the most learned Can the best studied Philosophers understand the spreading of the Clouds Can they understand That is they cannot understand But have not men especially learned men understanding enough to ascend the clouds and discover the nature of them Surely their understandings are very mean or very much clouded who understand not what the spreading of the clouds meaneth I answer though Elihu's question hath a negation in it yet not a total negation 〈◊〉 doth not exclude the understanding of men wholly out of 〈◊〉 clâ—uds he only denieth man a full understanding of all thin◠〈…〉 â—ch concern either the nature or motion of the clouds Wh◠〈◊〉 understand much about the spreading of the clouds but they cannot understand all The best of godly men undeâ—stand not much or see but a little way into spiritual things And the wisest of worldly men do not cannot see all in natural things Can any understand The spreading of the Clouds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Expansiones vel differentias nubium cum aliae steriles sint aliae pluviam aliae grandinem mitâ—ant Sed reclius expansiones vertitur Merc Here are First the Clouds Secondly the spreading of them The word which we translate spreading hath a two-fold signification First with the alteration only of a poynt upon one letter it signifieth The difference of things in any kinde And then the Text is read Can any understand the difference of the Clouds that is the variety that is among the clouds The clouds are not all of a likeness nor all of a bigness there are clouds of many sorts and sizes there are clouds which breed snow and clouds which breed haile clouds which breed raine and clouds which breed thunder and lightning Some clouds are empty called clouds without raine or water Pro. 25.14 Jude v. 12. and other clouds are full of water There is a difference also of clouds as to our sight and view some are black some white some red some are greenish others palish clouds from which various colours and appearances Prognosticks are made of the change of weather as Christ told the Pharisees Mat. 16.2 3. Naturalists observe very many differences in the clouds nor is it without wonder that the clouds which are made all of one matter vapours drawn from below should produce such and so many different effects that according to this reading we have reason to put the question Who can understand the differences of the Clouds We read it and that well and full to the Hebrew Text Who can â—nderstand the spreading of the Clouds or their expansion The most cunning and knowing men in the mysteries of nature caâ—not either tell how far the clouds will spread or to what poynt and part of the world they will convey their water and as I may say unburden themselves Thus the words refer back to the two former verses The Clouds are spread as a Curtain or as a piece of Tapestry or as a mighty Canopy Who can understand the spreading of them The spreading of them First as they carry raine or Secondly the spreading of them as some expound the place as they convey the Lightening which the Scripture saith Math. 24.27 Passeth from one end of heaven to the other from the East to the West who knoweth how far the Lightning will spread in the Clouds Thus some connect it with the following verse Who can understand the spreading Of the Clouds There is a special derivation of the word rendred Clouds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nubes a densitate est crassamentum aâ—â—is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vel a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stillare vel a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cadere from the Hebrew Greek and Latine all pretending to the nature of the Clouds The Hebrew word properly noteth the thickness or grossness of the Clouds the Greek word noteth the dropping nature of the Clouds being derived from a roote which signifieâ—h to drop or which is near the fame to descend the roote word signifying to fall the Latine word is taken from covering because the Clouds mask or cover the face of Heaven and often hide and screine the shining of the Sun from us Now because Elihu is upon a work of nature and insists upon it all along in the next Chapter I shall therefore to clear the matter propose and answer three Questions concerning the Clouds First What is a Cloud or what is the nature of the Clouds A cloud is a moist vapour drawn up from the earth or water by the heat of the Sun into the middle region of the Aire as Naturalists divide the Aire where being by the coldness of the place congealed and as it were knit together it hangeth and continueth there till it be broken up at the dispose of God and sent down for the comfort or correction of man in raine snow haile c. The clouds of heaven derive their pedigree from the moisture found on earth and to the earth they return their moisture Secondly Seeing the Clouds are such mighty bodies and contain as I may say whole seas of water in them and water being a heavy body naturally descends or tends downward as all heavy things do it may be questioned and indeed it is a wonder how those Clouds are kâ—pt aloft in the Aire how comes it to pass that such heavy bodies such floods of water do not presently fall violently and at once shed themselves down upon and overwhelme the earth To that I answer First Some say the Clouds are kept up by that natural inbred heat
heart trembled and it moved out of its place 2. Hear attentively the noise of his voice and the sound that goeth out of his mouth THis Chapter concludes the Conference of Elihu with Job and it consists of three parts First In it we have an enumeration together with a description of divers Meteors or wonderful works of God in the Air Thunder and Lightning Snow and Rain yet before Elihu speaks of them he doth two things by way of Preface to lead us with more reverence towards God into that discourse of Nature in which much of God appeareth First Elihu tells us how himself was affected either with the present sense oâ— with the fore-apâ—â—ehension of those things concerning which he was about to speak At this also my heart trembled and it moved out of its place Secondly He stirs up the whole Auditory then present and all others to a diligent attention and serious consideration of them Vers 2. Hear attentively the noise of his voice and the sound that goeth out of his mouth Having spoken thus in way of Preface Elihu proceeds first to a description of Thunder with its immediate fore-runner as to our sence the eye being quicker to receive its object than the ear thâ—ugh in truth and according to reason its companion the Lightning in the three Verses following 3 4 5 concerning both which he shewes First that they go not at random but have a guide he directeth it that is the Thunder and Lightning Secondly He shews the extent of their motion and Gods direction they are not confined to this or that part He directeth it under the whole heaven and his lightnings unto the ends of 〈◊〉 earth in the same Verse Thirdly He speakes of the irrevocableness of Gods decrees and orders about them at the 4th Verse After it a voice roareth c. and he will not stay them when his voice is heard Fourthly He concludes about these and many other works of God with an Elogie of all his works First In their greatness Secondly In their incomprehensibleness or he concludes them not only great but wonderful and incomprehensible Vers 5. God thundereth marvelously with his voice he doth great things which we cannot comprehend Having thus spoken of Thunder and Lightning he proceeds Secondly To shew the power of God which he describes in Snow and Rain First from their efficient cause at the 6th Verse Secondly By their effects First Towards men in the 7th Verse Secondly Upon or towards irrational Creatures the Beasts of the earth at the 8th Verse Thirdly He sets forth the Power of God in the Winds concerning which we have First Their original whence they come Vers 9. Secondly Their effects or what they produce cold and frost in the latter part of the 9th and 10th Verses Fourthly He treats of the Clouds and about them he declares four things First The melting or dissolving of them into Rain at the 11th Verse Secondly The scattering and dispersing of them by the wind in the latter part of that Verse Thirdly The disposing and ordering of them by the counsel and command of God at the 12th Verse Fourthly Their uses ends and operations at the thirteenth Verse Thus we have the first general part of the Chapter opened containing a description of the Meteors or manifold works of God in the Air all which hold forth and advance his mighty power and righteous administrations in this world towards the children of men which was the poynt that Elihu had laboured in all along and undertaken to demonstrate In the second part of this Chapter Elihu upon the whole matter gives Job serious counsel and admonition wherein First He stirs him up to consider these wonderful works of God at the 14th verse Secondly He asserts and urgeth the weakness and inability of Job or indeed of any man to understand them fully this he doth First In general at the beginning of the 15th verse Dost thou know when God disposed them c. Secondly More particularly in their several kinds First Of the Rainbow at the latter end of that 15th verse and caused the light of his Cloud to shine Secondly Of the Clouds and their various motions at the 16th verse Thirdly Of the heat according to the wind vers 17. Fourthly Of the Heaven or Skie vers 18. All which were such as he could not give a clear account of and therefore at the 19th verse Elihu bids Job do it if he could as for himself he durst not venture upon it verse 20. nor can any saith he vers 21.22 see far into these natural things or into the nature of these things These are the special poynts of his admonition to Job and from these he passeth to the Third Part or Conclusion of the Chapter and of his whole discourse with Job wherein First He makes a recapitulation of or sums up all that he had said of the unsearchableness of God in his works this he doth in the former part of the 23d verse Secondly He sets down positively what God is in a three-fold Excellency First Of Power Secondly Of Judgment Thirdly Of plentiful Justice at the middle of the 23d verse Thirdly He tells us what God will not do at the end of the 23d verse He will not afflict and from all makes two inferences at the the 24th verse Fiâ—st That therefore men ought to honour and to fear him Secondly That therefore God is not in the reverence nor fear of any man in the close of that 24th verse He respecteth not any that are wise of heart Thus I have given a prospect of the whole Chapter Now to particulars beginning with those two verses by which Elihu leads in his discourse of those wonderful workes of God First By shewing how himself was affected with them Secondly By calling upon others to be affected as himself was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Propter hoc Vers 1. At this also my heart trembled At this that is by reason of this or for this cause or because of this so the word is rendred Gen. 2.23 She said Adam of his wife or Second-self shall be called woman because she was taken out of man So here at this or for this cause my heart trembleth It may here be questioned what it was at which the heart of Elihu trembled I shall give a double answer to that querie First Some conceive that while Elihu was speaking about or about to speak further of that marvelous work of God the Thunder God to confirm what he had said or should say at that very instant caused it to thunder that so Job might be in a more humble reverential frame and so the better prepared to receive what Elihu had further to say unto him That there was a storm at or about that time may appear from the first verse of the 38th Chapter then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said and we find that God hath often given great discoveries of himself in or by Thunder
allusion to those showres of rain powred from the clouds And as the Lord powres out his Spirit which can never be wearied or drawn dry so the Lord makes use of many thick clouds which hold much spiritual rain even to weariness for the refreshing of wearied souls I mean such Ministers as he hath furnished with great gifts and graces such as are not as the Apostle Jude compareth some Teachers Clouds without water but as true and faithful Teachers should be full of water The waterings of any Apollo are at the Lords disposeâ— He saith drop thy word here drop thy word there and thou shalt not drop thy word any more here or there The Lord hath often been so bountiful to Nations and Churches that he hath even wearied many thick clouds to water them with the rain of his word That of the Psalmist though it be true of the rain properly taken falling upon the earth is most true of spiritual rain falling upon the Churches Psal 65.10 Thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly thou setlest the furrows thereof And so is thaâ— also to be understood Psal 68.9 Thou O God didst send a plentiful rain or rain of liberalities whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance when it was weary Thou didst even weary the thick cloud to confirm that is to refresh thy weary people And seeing they who carry and dispence the Word are in Scripture emblematically expressed by Clouds Isa 60.8 Who are these that flee as a cloud and as the doves to their windows The Preachers of the Gospel come as so many clouds and the Prophet tells us the Word cometh down as rain and snow from heaven Isa 55.10 which supposeth a cloud from whence it cometh foâ— saith the Lord So shall my word be that goeth out of my mouth it shall not return unto me void but it shall accomplish that which I please Seeing I say the dispensers of the Word are compared to clouds let them that sit under the droppings of these clouds take heed they be not unfruitful or like that ground which drinketh in the rain yet beareth nothing but briars and thorns whose end is to be burned God hath wearied and quite spent many of these thick clouds by continual dropping upon and watering the souls of men yet how barren how fruitless are they If but one of the clouds of heaven be wearied in watering the earth we soon after discern the face of the earth refreshed and renewed by it And shall God weary those heâ—venly clouds by watering men on earth and men remain unrefreshed unrenewed Clouds of sorrow and darkness will at last weary all those with their waterings and droppings upon them who when God hath wearied his Clouds by watering them with the word of life from Heaven yet remaine altogether barren and unfruitfull By watering he wearieth the thick Cloud He scattereth his bright Cloud The former part of the verse spake of a thick Cloud Nubes ex cujus discussione lucem restituit Hâ—nc appellat nubem lucis dei qua dispulsa lux et serenitas inducitur Merc this latter speaks of a bright Cloud The Hebrew is The Cloud of his light which I conceive is here added First to shew that Clouds of all sorts serve the purposes of God the thick Cloud and the bright Cloud the dark Cloud and the light Cloud are made use of by him And as he doth weary the Cloud that is full of water so he scattereth the Cloud that is full of light or he scattereth his bright Cloud Yet some considering it is not said in the letter of the Text Nubem lucis non dicit lucidam sed quae lucem abscondit Coc A light Cloud but a Cloud of light understand by a Cloud of light such a Cloud as hides and hinders the light and which being scattered light and faire weather succeed Yet rather as before But why is it here said that he scattereth his bright Cloud possibly because he hath no use of his bright Cloud but of his thick Cloud only when he would water the earth And indeed Clouds which are only bright or which have much light but no water are of little use Some have much light of knowledge but no water of instruction to drop upon others such Clouds God disperseth and scatters It is not an outward faire appearance which can bring us into acceptance with God The bright Cloud shall be scattered if it have no rain in it to water the earth Againe Some translate His light scattereth the Cloud So the text may be read according to the letter of the Hebrew as if the meaning were this God by the Sun-beams dispels or disperseth the Cloud for Clouds are scattered sometimes by the wind sometimes by the Sun That which gathered the Cloud may also scatter it The Sun draweth up the vapours of which Clouds are formed or compacted and soone after the Sun dissolveth the Clouds which it had gathered The same power makes and unmakes the Cloud gives it a body and takes it away His light scattereth the Cloud That 's a truth also For as brightness or light is scattered among the Clouds and makes the Clouds appeare bright so brightness or light scatters Clouds or causeth them to disappeare Elihu having thus discoursed of wind and cold of freezing and thawing of working some Clouds to weariness and of scattering others proceeds in the two following verses to shew the special uses which the Lord makes of all those motions in the air and impressions upon the Earth with the Inhabitants of it whether in a way of Judgment or of Mercy JOB Chap. 37. Vers 12 13. 12. And it is turned about by his counsel that they may do whatsoever he commandeth them upon the face of the world in the earth 13. He causeth it to come whether for correction or for his land or for mercy IN the former verse Elihu spake of the Clouds of the thick Cloud wearied with watering and of the bright Cloud scattered by the Wind or Sun In these two verses he further sets down two things more generally concerning the Clouds First He shews whence the motion of the Cloud is and by what or whom directed It is turned about by his counsel in the beginning of the 12th verse and he causeth it to come at the beginning of the 13th verse There we have the Spâ—ing of the Clouds motion Secondly Elihu shews the purpose or the design of the Lord in turning about the Clouds by his counsel which design is laid down two wayes First In general That they may do whatsoever he commandeth them upon the face of the world in the earth that 's the first purpose of God in moving the Clouds they are to execute his Commands and that 's his general purpose Secondly We have his special purposes or designs laid down in the close of the 13th verse and they are three-fold He turneth about the Cloud and causeth it to come First For Correction Secondly
that man be swallowed up who over-boldly speaks to God about the great mysteries of providence or about any matter too high for him And therefore O Job thou hast not done well to speak so often of pleading with God and surely if any man after thy example speak complainingly of what God hath done or himself hath suffered at the hand of God he is sure to be undone He shall be swallowed up Hence observe Man is not able to bear the Glory and Majesty of God God dwels in the light which no man can approach unto 1 Tim. 6.16 Mans darkness is not able to comprehend Gods light if he venture too near it he will soon be swallowed up The vulgar Latine renders that place Proverbs 25.27 He that is a searcher of Majesty shall be oppressed by the Glory Qui perscâ—utator est â—â—â—â—statis â—â—â—â—metura giâ—â—iâ— Vulg. that is whosoever searcheth boldly into the Majesty of God shall be swallowed up by the Glory of God We translate that text in the Proverbs thus For men to search their own glory is no glory There is a truth in the former translation though it be not a true translation for a man that searcheth into the Majesty of God shall be overpowered with his Glory And as man is soon overpowered or swallowed up by the Majesty of God so also by and in the Mysteries of God Ch â—â—â— told his disciples John 16.12 That he had many things to say unto them which they were not able to bear If they who had received so much grace could not bear the deeper mysteries of the Gospel spoken to them by Christ cloathed with frail flesh how much lesse can any man bear the Majesty oâ— God in speaking to him or God speaking to him in his Majesty And so some translate and read the words of Elihu in the text under hand For if he speak man shall be devoured or swallowed up that is if God speak man who before thought himself Some-body or that he was able to reason with him will be quite confounded in himself by the infinite wisdom of God his tongue will faulter or cleave to the roof of his mouth and he rendered unable to speak one word in his own defence Moses Exod. 19.12 was commanded to set bounds about Mount Horeb that the people might not come too neer the reason was that the people might by those bounds be warned not to be curious or over-bold in their approaches to the Majesty of God nor over-busie in prying into his Secrets As if it had been said if you come to near you will be even swallowed up Moses repeating to the Israelites the terrible Majesty of God in giving the Law at Mount Horeb minds them in what a trembling frame they then were Deut. 5.24 25 26. And ye said behold the Lord our God hath shewed us his glory and his greatness and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire we have seen this day that God doth talk with man and he liveth which implieth that man in this life cannot bear the fuller manifestation of God and live Now therefore why should we die for this great fire will consume us if we hear the voice of God any more then we shall die What was this great fire It was God himself that is an extraordinary appearance of God who is several times in Scripture exprest by fire As if they had said We acknowledge that we have had wonderful condescention and mercy from God that we have heard him speak and live but that we live is not only a mercy but a miracle therefore we poor wormes dare not run the hazzard a second time if we hear him speak any more we shall die Therefore they desired Moses who in that was a type of Christ Gal. 3.19 to go near and be as a Mediator between them and God that they might not have to do with God immediately but receive the Law by his hand Such is the infinite Majesty of God though it will be our blessednesse in the next life for ever to enjoy it that here in this Life we are not able to receive it The Glory of God is so pure that man cloathed with corruptible flesh blood cannot sta d before it the very glimpses of it astonish and leave us for dead Rev. 1.16 17. Man must dye before he can see God and live his body must be glorified before he can bear that weight of glory which consists in beholding the face of God or in knowing him in our proportion as we are known 1 Cor. 13.12 But though as the Israelites there said of themselves we cannot hear God speak and live yet cannot we speak to God and live or and not be swallowed up I answer it in these three things First If a man speak to God as questioning his dealings with him or as calling God to an accâ—â—nt â—hich in somâ—â—ence Job did and therein went beyond â—i liâ—e 〈◊〉 shâ—ll be â—allowed up Secondly 〈…〉 â—k to God as presuming that he can câ—â—◠〈…〉 â—nd Goâ— oâ— all â—he dealings of God with 〈…〉 suâ—â—ly be swallowed up The thoughts of 〈…〉 â—hâ—â—ghâ—s and his wayes aâ—â—ve our wayes as h gh â—s the 〈…〉 â—bâ—ve the earth Isa 55.9 Thi â—ly 〈…〉 speak to God in our own name or in a self-right 〈…〉 â—â—n also we shall surely be swallowed up Job aâ— we hâ—vâ—â—â—â—uiâ—â—eâ— him before never attempted to speak to God in his own rigâ—â—eousnesse though he often magnified his own righteousnesse both befo e and towards men Woe to all the righteousnesse of man before the most righteous God But Job was too bold according to the first answer in asking an account or a reason of God concerning his sufferings there was his failing and for that he received this check by Elihu If a man speak he shall be swallowed up The meanest the poorest believing soul may come and speak and speak boldly to God in the name of J sus Christ Heb. 4.16 Thus we may come and welcome coâ—ing thus we sâ—all noâ— be â— allowed up with the Mâ—jâ—sty much lâ—sse â—ith the wrath or displeasure of God If coming thus we aâ—e swallowed up it will be only wiâ—h the love and favouâ— of God â—ith the gâ—odnâ—sse and kindnesse of God And to be swallâ—wed â—p thus will be the sweetest morsel that ever we swallowed even perfect blessednesse and life for evermore Whâ—n once death is swallowed up in victoâ—y and mortality of liâ—e thâ—n shall we be swallowed up in gloâ—y And theâ—efore whatsoever the Lord doth with us or ours in this world let us be silent befoâ—e him humbly adoring his Soveraignty and Wisdom not in the least questioning either his Righteousnesse or his Goodnesse for if a man speak so Surâ—ely he shall be dreadfully swallowed up JOB Chap. 37. Vers 21 22. 21. And now men see not the bright light which is in the Clouds but the wind passeth and cleanseth them 22. Fair weather cometh out of the
affected with his fear It is both our duty and our commendation so to fear God as not to sin against him or to be kept from sinning against God by the fear of God that is lest God should punish us for our sins and give us to eat the bitter fruit of our own evil doings But to fear God because we hear and are assured that he is ready to pardon our sins especially to fear him when he hath given us a comfortable assurance that our sins are pardoned or even tâ—en to be filled with the fear of his great and reverend Name when we are actuâ—lly praising him and magnifying his free grace in Christ for the pardon of them this shewes a truly gratious spirit indeed With God is terrible Majesty and with God is terrible praisâ— he is at once to be praised and feared All this Elihu would fix upon the heart of Job from the consideration of the works of God his providencial works in the Air how much more should this fear affect us when we behold his terrible works of providence upon the Earth turning the world as it were upside down by the wonderful vicissitudes and revolutions which his hand brings to pass respecting either Persons and private Familyes or whole Kingdomes and Nations With God is terrible Majesty JOB Chap. 37. Vers 23 24. 23. Touching the Almighty we cannot find him out he is excellent in Power and in Judgement and in plenty of Justice He will not afflict 24. Men do therefore fear him He respecteth not any that are wise of heart THese two Verses conclude the whole discourse of Elihu with Job The 23d verse is Doctrinal the 24th is the Use or Application of the Doctrine In the 23d verse we have a four-fold Doctrine held out concerning God First The Doctrine of his Incomprehensibleness We cannot find him out Secondly Of his Power He is the Almighty he is excellent in Power Thirdly Of his Righteousness he excells in Judgement and plenty of Justice But though he is thus full of Justice yet he is also very Gracious and therefore Fourthly We have the Doctrine of his Mercy and Tenderness towards the Creature in the last words of the Verse He will not afflict God is infinitely above man in Power and in Wisdom yet he never useth either the one or the other to the oppression or wrong of any man He will not afflict This is a very suitable peroration of the whole Narrative or matter declared which Elihu had so long insisted upon And having laid down this four-fold Doctrine concerning God he shews us the use of it in the 24th veâ—se where we have a practical Inference from what was before asserted concerning God Men do therefore fear him or therefore men ought to fear him As iâ— he had said Seeing God is thus incomprehensible thus powerful seeing he is thus excellent in Judgement in plenty of Justice as also in Goodness and Mercy therefore good men do and all men should fear him This is a very natural and undeniable Inference yet Elihu doth not leave it bare but adds a strong inforcement in the close of the verse why all men the greatest of men the wisest of men should fear God For he respecteth not any that are wâ—se in heart The wisest the greatest of men cannot carry it with God by their wisdom or policy by theiâ— gâ—â—aâ—ness or power therefore let them fear him This is the sum and scope of these two verses Vers 23. Touching the Almighty we cannot find him out That is He is unâ—earchable and incomprehensible The Original strictly read iâ— The Almighty we cannot fiâ—d him out The Almighty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oâ—nipotens nominativus absolute positus Pisc is a Nominative absolute as Grammarians speak we supply that word Touching As if he had said should we enter upon a discourse of the Almighty we cannot find him out Touching the Almighty That God is Almighty and what the word Shaddai here rendred Almighty doth import hath been shewed and opened already in other places of this Book especially in the fifth Chapter at the 17th verse and in the eighth Chapter at the 3d and 5th verses thither I refer the Reader for further satisfaction in that matter and pass from it here Touching the Almighty We cannot find him out This also I shall pass over in a word having spoken to it more fully Chap. 11.7 where Zophar puts this Question Canst thou by searching find out God Canst thou find him out unto perfection In which Questions Zophar challenged Job or any man else to set their understandings upon the tenters to put all their abilities to the utmost stretch to find out God if they could being assured they could not find him out unto perfection So then this assertion in the Text We cannot find him out beaâ—ing the same sence with those Questions I shall not stay upon it Only Note God cannot be compast by the enquiries of man Touching the Almighty we have but this to say of him We cannot say much of him or how much soever we say of him we say but a little of what he is or of what may be said of him for we cannot find him out We may find God but we cannot find him out God is to be found by every humble faithful seeker of him The Prophet Isa 55.6 calls us to that duty of seeking with an assurance of finding Seek ye the Lord whilst he may be found and so doth David Psal 32.5 For this that is for pardon of sin for grace and mercy or for this that is upon the experience which I â—ave had of thy readiness O Lord to pardon my sins even as soon as I confessed and acknowledged them for this I say shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found God may be found to do us good and shew us mercy when we seek him rightly there is a finding time or a time while God may be found Some give no other limit to this while or finding time than the limit of this life Dum adhuc in haâ— vita estis Rab. Jonath Deus invenire potest iâ—biquo quovis tempore ante obsignata decreta Abenâ— ezra And to be sure if he be not found while we are in this Life he can neither be sought noâ— found after this Life Yâ—t more strictly to seek him while he may be found as one of the Rabbins glosseth that place is to seek him before the Decree comes forth as the Prophet Zephany speaks Chap. 2.2 It is possible we may seek God and seek him too late and then there 's no finding of him Only they shall seek and find him who seek him in the finding time and they who do so shall certainly find as was said before God ready to do them good and shew them mercy But how much soever or how early soever we seek him we cannot find him out that is we cannot find
not chastise them without cause nor correct them but for their good so when he doth them good or raiseth them up when he sheweth them any favour or giveth them any mercy he doth it not for their wisdom-sake or holiness-sake but for his Sons-sake or for his own Name-sake Acts of favour from God are purely from his free grace not from any desert in man so that every way his mercy is from himself and undeserved by us He respecteth not any that are wise in heart First As the wise in heart stand in opposition to those that fear God spoken of before being so stout that they do not humble themselves in his fear Note True wisdom is alwayes joyned with the fear of God Yea as Job concluded Chap. 28.28 The fear of the Lord that is wisdom and to depart from evil which none do but they who fear the Lord is understanding Secondly Note God regardeth no man for his wisdom who doth not fear him Let men be never so learned and wise never so prudent and politick if they have not the true fear of God before their eyes he values them not he will not cast an eye of favour upon them they shall have no countenance with him no honour from him The most wise the only wise God cares not for the wisest of men who stand so much upon their own understanding as to stout it out with him He is not at all moved unless to displeasure by their wisdom who are puffed up with a conceit of their wisdom Thirdly When 't is said He respecteth not any that are wise in heart Note Wisdom without the fear of God will do no man good at last nor can it keep him off from evil Let no man think by his wisdom policy or subtilty to keep himself out of the reach of God If men will not fear and honour him he knoweth well enough how to deal with them and to recover his honour upon them Note Fourthly Let men be as wise and crafty as they will God is not afraid of them as if they could do him any hurt or spoil his designes as if they could out-wit him and over-throw his counsels Some take upon them as if they by their wisedom could hinder Gods purposes and counter-work him as if they could over-reach or undermine him We are much afraid of wise men If such a wise man if such a head-piece be against us we think surely he will works us a great deal of mischeife When David found his son Absalom rebelling against him and Achitophel joyning with him he prayed that God would turn his counsell into foolishness 2 Sam. 15.31 David feared that Achitophels going over to Absalom might have carryed the whole business against him But God doth not regard a whole conclave of Achitophels he cares not a straw for their plottings and contrivings The Lord is so far from fearing the counsels of the wise in heart that he can destroy them by their own wisdome and not only undoe their counsels but undoe them by their counsels The pit which they have digged they shall fall into it themselves and be entangled in the lime-twiggs which they have set up for others All this the holy Prophet intended when he said of God Isa 44.25 He frustrateth the tokens of the lyers and maketh the diviners mad He turneth wise men backward and maketh their knowledge foolish Diviners grow mad when they see things issuing quite contrary to their predictions and expectations He that can destroy the wise with their own wisdom needs not fear the wisdom of the wisest 'T is the noblest way of vanquishing an enemy when we wound him with his own weapons and turn his own Artillery upon him Thus God dealeth with the wise in heart they are nothing in his hands they cannot put the least stop to what he hath a purpose to do but he can put a stop to all their purposes The foolishness of God saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 1.25 is wiser than men He saith also in the third Chapter of the same Epistle vers 19. The wisdome of this world is foolishness with God for it is w iâ—â—en and that writing is taken out of this Book of Job Châ—p 5.13 He taketh the wise in their own craftiness And again The Lâ—rd knoweth the thoughts of the wise that they are vaine and vain he knoweth them to be in a twofold respect First because sinfâ—ll or evill in themselves Secondly because he knows how to make them barren or abortive successless and ineffectual unto the wise So that they all become like most Adventurers at a Lottery going out with their hearts full of hopes but returning with their hands full of blanks Disappoyntment Disappoyntment being written upon all their counsels and undertakings Again Taking the wise in heart for those who are truly wise godly wise Learn Fifthly God will not forbear when he seeth cause to afflict those who are indeed the wisest and holiest of men Let no man think that because he is wise or holy he must not therefore be touched or medled with Some conceive the chief design of writing this Book was to let us see this truth That let men be never so holy never so upright or godly yet they must not claime priviledge from the cross nor complain when they are under it that God deals not well with them In this Job over-acted supposing there was no cause why such a man as he should have such severe chastenings and rebukes but let men be never so wise never so good God may see cause to lay his chastening rods upon them and had the Lord nothing else to say for it his soveraignty will bear him out in it against the best of men The clay must neither say to the Potter why hast thou made me so nor why hast thou marr'd me so Be silent O all flesh good as well as bad before the Lord. Lastly Observe What-ever favour what-ever mercy God bestoweth upon the holiest and wisest of men he doth it not with respect to any wisdome holiness or goodness in them but for his own Name sake or because he will He respecteth not the wise in heart No man can merit the least favour from God his is free grace All good cometh to us through the Son of his love and it was meerly of his love that ever his Son came to us and dyed for us Therefore let us not say such a one was a good man such a one was an holy man therefore it was so and so with him As what we are or can do cannot oblige him when he sees cause from giving us correction so he is un-obliged as to what we are or can do in giving us salvation whether temporal or eternal He respecteth not the wise in heart There are yet two other readings of the words which I shall set before the Reader and then conclude all The word which we translate respecteth Is certe non invenit sapientes quoscunque