regarded the low estate of thine handmaid it is but a looke of gracious regard from God and all is well with man On the other side if God take off his eye winke and disregard all is blasted yea accursed our high estate falls our comforts are sowred and turned into a lumpe of sorrow We may say of all outward excellencies as Haman did Esth 5.13 of all his honour and greatnesse and favour at Court All this I have but all this availeth me nothing so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the Kings gate All his comforts were clouded all the light of his high estate was ecclipsed because there was a new Starre Mordecai shining still at the Kings gate Much more may we sit downe and casting up all that we have and are make the foote of our account nothing without the favour of God what doe riches what doth credit what doth beauty or parts availe us if God regard not all is nothing at all without God What are times what are dayes what is your condition if God withdraw himselfe this aggravates the curse this is mournefull when God regardeth not Job goes on to a third branch of the curse Let not God regard it neither let the light shine upon it That which before he spake against his day by wishing it darkenesse he speakes over againe and more in other words by wishing light might be denied and with-held from it To have no light is not a bare repetition or an explication of what it is to be in darkenesse but it is an addition to or an aggravation of it So the Prophet Isa 50.10 by him that walkes in darkenesse and hath no light sets out the saddest condition of an afflicted soule No light is not only darkenesse but pure darkenesse As when the Apostle John would advance the glory of God he saith God is light and in him there is no darkenesse at all 1 Ep. c. 1. God is pure light so darkenesse without light is pure darkenesse Let not the light As darkenesse so light may be taken either properly for naturall light that which God first created light was the first perfect visible creature light was the first dayes worke and by the worke of the fourth was gathered into those heavenly vessels the Sunne Moone and Starres and there put that it might be dispensed and carried about the world especially by that chariot of the Sunne Let this light this naturall light be with-held let it not shine saith Job upon that day The withdrawing of naturall light is a great affliction to the world Light is the most incorporeall of all corporall things the spiritualnesse of it shewes the goodnesse of it light is the beauty and discovers all the beauty of the world As a goodly adorn'd furnish't roome without a window or a candle such is the world without light Light is not only the light but the life of the world it quickens and comforts the motions of nature it is the instrument by which all the influences of Heaven are communicated to the earth which being stopt the course of nature stops this caused a great Philosopher to cry out when at the passion of Christ the light of the Sunne was totally ecclipsed Either the God of nature suffers or the whole frame of nature dissolves Was it not then a dreadfull curse when Job wishes the light taking it for naturall light might not shine upon his day But further take it improperly then let not the light shine upon it hath this voice in it Let there be no comfort no joy no good thing in the compasse of that day Light in Scripture expresses all good as darkenesse all evill That great blessing which was promised unto the Church in the great restauration of it is shadowed by light and by an increasing light in Isa 30.26 Moreover the light of the Moone shall be as the light of the Sunne and the light of the Sunne shall be seven-fold as the light of seven dayes in the day that the Lord bindeth up the breach of his people and healeth the stroke of their wound We are not to conceive that there shall be such an increase of the naturall light of the Moone or of the Sun but there shall be an increase of the comfort of the people of God which shall be as if the Moone and the Sun had in one day the light of seven dayes as if the Moone had got the light of the Sun and the Sun had got a seven-fold light more then it had before And he who is the chiefe the choisest and most transcendent blessing of all the joy of all our hearts Jesus Christ is called light he came as light into the world he is the light of the world the Sonne of righteousnesse The creator of all good things found nothing so good to shew his own goodnesse by as light Christ is light God is light and in him there is no darkenesse at all If then we take Jobs speech metaphorically or improperly Let not the light shine upon that day it amounts to a higher losse then the former Truly saith Solomon light is sweet and it is a pleasant thing to behold the Sunne and we may say truly all sweetnesse is light and every pleasant thing is as the Sun Though the Sun shine upon us yet if comfort be removed from us we are in darknesse Such a condition the Prophet speakes of Isa 50.10 Who is among you that feareth the Lord and obeyeth the voice of his servant that walketh in darkenesse and hath no light No light is no comfort none for the outward man none for the inner man both being benighted both deserted Hence observe That it is a greater judgement to have good things removed from us then to have evill inflicted on us He speakes more against the day when he saith let not the light shine upon it then when he saith let it be darkenesse The punishment of losse is greater then the punishment of sense He that is deprived of all good is by that act invested with all evills The most wofull condition of ungodly men in this life is exprest by the punishment of losse There is no peace saith my God to the wicked Isa 57.21 That they have trouble is not so bad as that they have no peace And the worst part of that everlasting woe which ungodly men shall suffer is a punishment of losse The heate of the fire shall not trouble them so much as the want of light God hath fully resolv'd that their day shall be darknesse that himselfe will never regard it from above nor let the least beame of the light of his countenance shine upon it Hence the condition of the damned is called outer darknesse Mat. 22.13 By outer darknesse Christ meanes darknesse without any ray of light Outer darknesse is their portion who are without Rev. 22.15 As the greatest blessing we receive by Christ is positive Joh. 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his
Whale and so to that successelesse fishing which provokes to cursing But take it in the generall The Whale we know is a very formidable monster to Sea-men and Marriners the whole Ship with the lading of it and all their lives being endangered if a Whale strike it So we may understand that of Iob speaking of Leviathan Chap. 41.25 When he raiseth up himselfe the mighty are afraid Now the Whale being so formidable and dangerous to Sea-men they perceiving the Whale neere them or themselves at unawares ready to stir up or raise the Whale are exceedingly afraid And as great feare in some sets them a praying and causeth strong prayers so feare in others sets them a cursing and causeth strong curses Prophane marriners seeing themselves in such imminent danger by the approach of the Whale presently curse the day that ever they loosed Anchor or set saile from the Harbour the day that ever they fell within the reach of this sea-monster now ready to sinke their vessell and overwhelme them all Such a curse Job wishes upon that night the night of his conception as men of this ranke conceive and bring forth in the day of their most pressing feares when anguish and sorrow take hold of them as travaile upon a woman with child and they cannot escape Thus I have given you the summe of those apprehensions which are offered for the making up of this Exposition namely That the word is here to be taken for that mighty fish Leviathan And that either in respect of those who make it their businesse and goe out purposely to catch Leviathan or of those who unawares are ready to be catcht by Leviathan The former disappointed of their hopes and the latter surprized with feares making a curse their refuge and easing themselves by execrations There is a fourth opinion which giveth the sense of these words quite another way though it retaines the same translation For passing by the allusion to fishing or customes of fishermen they make these words as a character or description of the extreamest and vilest of wicked men as if Job saying Let them curse thee that curse the day who are ready to stirre up Leviathan had said let the worst or most wicked among the children of men curse this night And we know that the worst of men are most for cursing they curse deepest as the best of men are most for prayer and they pray highest and holiest So then Jobs mind being to lay the sorest curse upon this night thinks or finds his own spirit too straight his owne heart not large enough to doe it therefore he doth as it were call in aide from those Masters of cursing Let the most expert the most skill'd in cursing such as are verst in oathes and blasphemies the very dregs and scum of men let them powre out the dreggs the worst the bitterest of their curses upon that night But how shall we make out this notion that the vilest of men are here described That we must consider and open further to shew the substance and dependance of this opinion The worst and wickeddest of men are conceived to be here meant in two expressions First By them who are said to curse the day Let them curse it who curse the day Secondly In those words Who are ready to raise up Leviathan Both these are supposed as descriptive circumlocutions of the most wicked and vilest men How so First They that curse the day That which a man hates he is forward enough to curse Wicked men love darknesse and they hate the light therefore they curse the light Light is of two sorts either naturall that of the Sunne or metaphoricall that of knowledge Take light either way take light properly for the naturall light or take light improperly for the light or the day of knowledge wicked men and especially the worst of wicked men will be found cursers of the day First They are so exprest in this booke of Job respecting the naturall day chap. 24. where having described many acts of violence committed by cruell oppressors who know not God ver 1. he concludes ver 13. They are of those that rebell against the light they know not the wayes thereof nor abide in the pathes thereof And ver 16. In the darke they dig thorough houses which they had marked for themselves in the day time they know not the light for the morning is to them even as the shadow of death If one know them they are in the terrours of the shadow of death Men to whom the morning is a terrour and light as the shadow of death cannot but curse the day whose approach hinders them in their night-workes in their black designes and purposes Secondly Other Scriptures discover more deadly hatred in wicked men against the light of knowledge they rebell more against the day of grace then against the day of nature or the naturall day The former hinders only the outward practise of sinne but this opposes the inward principles of sinne We see what cold entertainement yea what war this light found in the world and why Joh. 3.19 20. Light is come into the world that is Christ and the knowledge of his wayes and men not men in generall but ungodly men loved darknesse rather then light Why Because their deeds were evill evill deeds and evill doers seeke covert in this darknesse for every one that doth evill hateth the light neither cometh to the light least his deeds should be reproved They are ignorant willingly that they may sinne more freely For though they are resolved to sin in and against the light of knowledge yet they had rather sin in and with the darknesse of ignorance no man can sin with so much ease and delight in this light as he can in darknesse A man that hath light in his understanding can hardly sinne without smart upon his conscience Hence they who love sin hate knowledge On this ground it is as cleare as the day that wicked men are Lucifugae such as avoide shun and hate the day no marvell then if they curse the day And to be angry with or curse the day is an evidence as cleere as the day of a wicked man He that desires not to know the truth hath no desire to practise it And he who hates the knowledge of the truth hates the practise of it yea he therefore hates knowledge because he hates practice This is wickednesse at the height To commit a sin against light is not so great an argument of an evill heart as to be troubled at the light which rebukes or would prevent the committing of that sin Thus we see in what sense by those who curse the day we may understand the worst of wicked men But for the second part Who are ready to raise up Leviathan How is this a description of wicked men To make out this we must expound Leviathan not properly for the Whale but improperly and mystically for the Devill that great Leviathan
they who rejoyce in soule would even willingly be rid of their bodies they are above the body So they who are bitter in soule are desirous to be ridde of their bodies the body is a burden when the soule is bitter This bitternesse of soule caused those bitter complaints before and now this vehement expostulation Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery Wherefore We are apt to thinke there is no reason for that for which we can see no reason Job was in a darke condition and could not see the reason and therefore almost concludes there was none When we are posed we thinke all the world is posed too If we cannot interpret and expound the dealings of God we thinke none can nay in such cases some are ready to thinke at least to speake as if they thought that God himselfe can scarce give a good account of them This wherefore goes through the earth and reaches Heaven Tell me O my friends shew me O my God Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery Why Job there may be many reasons many answers given to this wherefore a man should be in light though he be in misery and why his life should be continued though his soule be in bitternesse What if God should appeare and tell thee It shall be thus and the reason of it is because I will have it so Is not that therefore answer enough to any mans wherefore The will of God is reason enough for man and ought to be the most satisfying reason If God say I will have life remaine in a man that is bitter in soule that man should say Lord it is reason I should because it is thy pleasure though it be to my own trouble Yet it is but seldome that God makes his will his reason and answers by his bare preâ—â—gative He hath often given weighty reasons to this quaerie First The life of nature is continued that the life of grace may be encreased Again Such live in sufferings That they may learne obedience by the things which they suffer God teaches us by his workes as well as by his word his dealings speake to us And It is as great an act of holinesse to submit our selves to the will of God in his workes as it is to the will of God in his word Another reason of this wherefore may be this God sets up some as patternes to posterity he therefore gives the light of life to some that are in misery to shew that it is no new nor strange thing for his Saints to be darkenesse And what if God doth it to magnifie the strength of his own power in supporting and the sweetnesse of his mercy when he delivers such bitter soules Further observe first That The best things in this world may come to be burthens to us See here a man weary of light and life light one of the most excellent creatures that God made the most excellent next to life yea life the best the most excellent thing in nature both these become burthensome How gladly would Job have bin rid of light how gladly rid of his life Consider then how burthensome other things which at the best are burdens may be unto you If you heare a soule complaining of light and life and why are these given me when I am in misery Then what comfort thinke you will honour give you or what comfort will riches give you or what comfort will beauty give you in such a condition as makes you weary of light and life What comfort will sin give you what ease will your lusts give you in such a condition as makes you weary of light and life I never heard of any of the Saints that were troubled at any time with their grace or weary of the favour of God I never heard any of them say why is grace given to one that is in misery or the light of Gods countenance to the bitter in soule I never heard any say wherefore is faith given to a man that is in misery or hope and patience to the bitter in soule grace was never a burden to any man under greatest burdens or unsavoury to the bitterest soule when you are weary of all other things in the world these will be your supports Therefore labour after those things which you shall never be weary of even after those things which will be more pleasant to us then ever light was when light shall be to others more troublesome then ever darknesse was to any let us labour after those things which will be more sweet to us then ever life was when life shall be to others â—ore bitter then ever death was to any Secondly observe It is a trouble to possesse good things when we cannot injoy them Would you know how Job spake here as one weary of light and life It was not under the notion of light and life as if he had been weary of these in themselves but it was because he could not enjoy these Solomon assures us Prov. 25.20 that As hee that taketh away a garment in cold weather and as vineger upon Nitre so is he that singeth songs to an heavy heart Musick to one that is in sorrow doubles his sorrow why because he cannot enjoy the musick a heavy heart can worse intend musick then a heavy eare only those things which we can injoy in the use of them please in the possessing of them Of all temporalls the possession and enjoyment may be separated but for spiritualls the very possession of them is joy therefore enjoyment their presence is a pleasure and therefore their presence shall ever please We may distinguish between their use and their comfort but we can never seperate them One thing further When Job saith Wherefore is light given and life given The meaning of it is wherefore is light continued and wherefore is life continued for he speakes of himselfe and others that had light and were alive and yet he saith wherefore is light given c. From this we may learne That Every act of continuance of good things to us is a new act or deed of gift to us Mercy is given every moment it is enjoyed not only is a new mercy and a renewed mercy a new gift but continued mercy is a gift and a new gift life is a new gift every houre of time we live on the earth and glory will be a new gift every minute of eternity we shall live in Heaven Which long for death and it cometh not and dig for it more then for hid treasures This 21. verse doth further explicate who are the bitter in soule even such as long for death when a soule from naturall principles finds a sweetnesse in death that soule is in bitternesse Our affliction and our misery is indeed worme-wood and gall as the Church complaines Lam. 2.19 when death is as honey and long'd for as the honey-combe There is bitternesse in the death of the body and yet some are so
curse God If he that touches them touches God then he that curseth them curseth God too And God is cursed in any of these senses two wayes first by detracting from himselfe his worship his workes or his servants the good they have or by fastning on them and aspersing them with the evill which they have not Hee will curse thee to thy face Observe two or three Points from this First Note this Satan can only guesse at the hearts of men Hee would undertake and enter warranty with God that Job would blaspheme if God did but touch him but he was deceived Satan did but conjecture at most and speake at a venture If he did not lie knowingly I am sure he did but guesse ignorantly Satan knowes not what is in the heart that 's Gods peculiar that 's Gods cabinet God knew there lay sincerity in the heart of Job all the while although Satan would stand to it that nothing was there but hypocrisie Secondly Wee may note seeing Satan accusing him of hypocrisie would have him afflicted That affliction is the tryall and touchstone of sincerity When God doth afflict you then he doth bring you to the touchstone to see whether you are good mettall or no he doth bring you then to the furnace to try whether you be drosse or gold or what you are Affliction is the great discoverer That unmaskes us Satan was not out in the thing he hit upon the rightest way that could be if any thing would discover Job affliction would Indeed some are discovered by prosperity and outward abundance The warme Sunne makes some cast off that cloake which the winde and the cold caused them to wrap closer about them Some when they have gotten enough from God care not for God when the fish is caught they lay by the net for they doe but goe a fishing with Holynes and the profession of Religion and when they have their ends ther 's an end of their profession Affliction and the crosse try others Some will hold on with God as long as the Sunne shineth as long as it is faire weather but if the storme arise if troubles come whether personall or publike then they pull in their heads then they deny and forsake God then they draw backe from and betray his truth what they such and such men no not they Trouble makes the great tryall bring professors to the fire and then they shew their mettall This course Satan took with Job He knew Job had bin abundantly tryed by fullnesse and abundance and these did not draw his heart from God he must therefore now try another way It is an excellent passage in the Church history concerning Constantius the father of Constantine that to the end he might try the hearts of his Courtiers he proclaimed that all they who would not forsake the worship of the true God should be banished the Court and should have heavy penalties and fines layed upon them presently upon this saith the story all that were base and came to serve him only for ends went away forsooke the true God and worshipped Idols by this meanes he found out who were the true servants of God and whom he meant to make his owne such as he found faithfull to God he thought would prove faithfull to him What this exploratorie decree of Constantius effected in his Court the same did that which the Apostate Julian set forth in good earnest against the Christians He no sooner caused it to be proclaimed that whosoever would not renounce the Faith should be discarded his service and forfeit both life and estate to his high displeasure But presently upon the publication of that decree they who were indeed Christians and they who had only the title of Christians presented themselves as it were on a common stage to the view of all men Such as these are Willows not Oakes And as it was with Naomi and her two daughters in law Orpah and Ruth All the while that she was Naomi beautifull and had enough they both stayed with her but when once Naomi became Marah bitter and empty then Orpah tooke her leave of her but Ruth abides with her Here was the tryall whether Orpah or Ruth had the sincerer affection to Naomi Ruth loved her mothers person Orpah her estate and outward preferments While Religion and prosperity goe together it is hard to say which a man followes but when once they are forced to a separation where the heart was will soone be manifest The upright in heart are like Ruth whatsoever becommeth of the Gospell they will be sharers with it in the same condition be it affliction or be it prosperity be it comfort or be it sorrow be it faire weather or be it foule be it light or be it darknesse they will take their lot with it This is a cleare truth that whatsoever was the cause of our doing a thing that being removed we cease to doe it if outward comforts and accommodations in the world be the cause why we follow Christ in the profession of his Gospell then as soone as ever they faile our profession will faile too When zeale is kindled only with the beames of worldly hopes when worldly hopes faile our zeale is extinct and our indeavour is cut off with our expectation Wee are next to consider the Lords grant of Satans motion And the Lord said unto Satan behold all that he hath is in thy power only upon himselfe put not forth thine hand So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord. We have in this verse First Gods Commission or his permission unto Satan Behold all that he hath is in thine hand And Secondly His limitation of the Commission Onely upon himselfe put not forth thine hand Thirdly Satans speedy execution of his Commission So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord. The Lord said unto Satan all that he hath is in thy hand in thy power so we translate it the word in the Originall is all is in thy hand Satan mooved that God would put forth his hand against Job and God puts Job into Satans hand Least Satan should cavill that God had toucht him but lightly he puts him into Satans power and le ts him doe it himselfe who would doe it throughly The hand as we before noted is put for power and when any thing is put into the hand it is put into the power or disposition of another Exod. 4.21 Thou shalt doe all the wonders before Pharaoh which I have put into thy hand And Joh. 3.35 The Father loveth the Sonne and hath given all things into his hand This phrase of giving or putting into the hand is taken either for good or for evill Sometime the putting of a thing into ones hand is only for the managing and disposing of it for good As Gen. 39.7 8. Joseph said that his master had committed all that he had into his hand that is to take care of it and to order it for his masters
meaning of it The eyes of the Lord thy God are alwayes upon it from the beginning of the yeare even unto the end of the yeare So that to have regard to a thing to a day or to a person is to make account of these to take care for these for their good as a part of ones charge or duty or as an act of grace and bounty When Job saith Let not God regard it this may be the sense let not God take any care for it or make any account of it let not his eyes be upon it to doe it any good or to doe any extraordinary good upon it let it not be honoured by God with any speciall worke of providence which might make it recorded and remembred with honour among men The Apostle Rom. 14.6 speakes of mans regarding of a day He that regardeth a day regardeth it unto the Lord The Apostle treats in that Chapter about the observation of dayes finding that many beleevers could not be taken off from solemnizing those feasts which were of Gods owne founding and instituting among the Jewes he advises that they should not be judged or hardly censured for going according to their conscience for he that out of conscience and according to his light regards that is doth solemnize or observe a day he regards it to the Lord that is to the honour of God and with a sincere desire to please him But the thing I aime at in alledging this Text is to give light to the point in hand what it is to regard a day The Apostle is plaine that Mans regarding of a day is to have a day in speciall account as those dayes were which God instituted among the Iewes for speciall ends commanding them to observe them and promising a blessing in their observation Proportionably Gods regarding of a day is the speciall esteeme he hath or care he takes of it and the speciall blessing he powreth downe upon it Some practicall truths are hence observeable First Consider these two parts of the curse as they are placed in succession one after another or in conjuction one with another Let the day be darkenesse and let not God regard it from above This may teach us That there is no day so darke or condition so troublesome but if God regard and take notice of it man may take comfort and rejoyce in it Though the day be darkenesse Gods eye will make it light his regarding is a blessing we never loose all till God leaves us If in the houre and power of darkenesse as Christ calls the time of his passion God doe but lift up the light of his countenance upon us we shall be saved Jobs wish of darkenesse had done his day no great hurt unlesse he had taken the eye of God off from it also All the light that is in the world the light of Sunne Moone and Starres is but darkenesse to us if God hide his face but let Sunne Moone and Starres hide their faces let all creatures withdraw their comfort if God regard us we are well Therefore Iob puts the sting of the curse in Gods not regarding and withdrawing from his day Secondly When he wishes that God would not regard his day he desires God to lay aside or suspend his continuall worke Observe then That God doth observe and take particular notice of every day As all persons shall be accountable to him for their actions so also for their time God will inquire after every inch of time after every moment of our lives Many men regard not a day they value not their pretious time they know not how to spend or be rid of it how to weare it out and passe it away But God observes and regards every moment The Apostle calls to redeeming of time Ephes 5.16 And he subjoynes a motive Because the dayes are evill We may give in this of Iob for a motive God regards time therefore let us redeeme time If a day be within Gods regarding surely it may command ours Thirdly Let not God regard it We may observe That the blessing and comfort of every day depends upon the care and respect of God to it The eyes of all things looke up unto God Why doe all things looke up unto God It is that God may looke downe upon them If God looke downe upon the creature then the creature revives and is refreshed there are influences from the eye and sight of God which are able to quicken the deadest times and make glad the saddest hearts As we pray for and humbly expect every day our daily bread from God so every day doth as it were expect a daily blessing from God which is his regarding of our dayes It is the greatest evill that can befall the creature when God regards it not all the blessings of the creature are bound up like Jacobs life in the life of Benjamin in that respect which God beareth to them and in the care which he hath of them The Apostle Paul disputing with the Philosophers of Athens shewes the state of that time which they accounted such a golden-age Acts 17.30 The time of that ignorance God winked at so we translate it the word properly signifieth God did over-looke that time And there are some translations which expresse it in the very terme of the Text The time of that ignorance God regarded not For we are not to thinke there ever were any times which God winked at in the matter of his Justice so as not to call them to an account I grant that times of ignorance are comparatively winked at in respect of Justice God will not proceed so severely with them as with knowing times but God never winketh at any person or at any times how ignorant soever so as to let them goe unpunished and never call them to an account Such connivence God hates as being inconsistent both with his providence and his justice The Apostle is direct They who sinne without law that is without the knowledge of the law written shall perish without law namely the written law only according to the sentence of that law which the finger of nature hath written in their hearts Rom. 2.12 Ignorance shall not be so winked at as to be altogether excused How then did God winke There is a two-fold winking 1. Of disrespect 2. Of dispensation Gods winking is his direspecting He winked at those times that is he lightly passed them by his eye was not upon them for good he regarded them not in such a manner as to provide for them and send amongst them that great blessing which now saith Paul he sends you by my hands the knowledge of Jesus Christ When the blessed Virgin heard by that message of the Angell that she should be mother to the Saviour of the world she blesseth God in this phrase Thou hast regarded the low estate of thine handmaid When God in a way of favour doth but looke towards us our lowest estate is raised up Thou hast
the most exquisite and costly ornaments hung with the most curious and lively pictures if there be no light there the beauty of all is lost to us darknesse staines it you may have as good a sight in a dungeon as there Againe take it for Metaphoricall or improper darknesse that also staines the beauty of the creature if you have never so great a stock and estate of riches or honour c. let but sorrow and trouble warre and divisions arise the beauty of all is stained What is honour then but higher unhappinesse And what are riches then but golden thoâ—â—â—s What is liberty then but freer misery And what is strength then but stronger paine and an ability to beare a heavier burden of affliction The glory and beauty of the creature is gone in darke times when such a day comes as Joel speakes of a day of blacknesse and gloominesse wher 's your bravery what becomes of your finenesse But that which staines the creature most is mysticall darknesse the darknesse of ignorance and of sin the darknesse of guilt and of Gods displeasure O how is the beauty of the soule which is farre more glorious then all visible creatures how is the beauty of that stained when it lyes under any of these darknesses Hence therefore we see what a blessing light is and how we are bound to blesse God for light for naturall light for the outward light of a comfortable condition but especially for the light of his countenance which is better then life for the light of knowledge for the light of grace how should we for ever blesse the Father of lights Let a cloud dwell upon it This is the fifth branch of the curse A cloud as naturalists teach is a thick vapour raised up by the heate of the Sun to the middle region of the ayre and there-by the cold condensed becomes so thick that it stopps and intercepteth the light Cloudes and darknesse goe together as in the 97th Psalme ver 2. if there be clouds there is darknesse Clouds and darknesse are round about him So that to say let a cloud dwell upon it is but a further exemplifying of the same thing before it was let darkness be upon it now let a cloud dwell upon it Dwelling notes the continuance and consistency of darknesse he doth not say let a cloud passe over it for clouds properly are unfixed clouds move continually and are carried on the wings of the wind But Job would have his cloud a fixed cloud a cloud so black and so strong as might not be dissolved but cause a continued ecclipse upon the day A cloud and the dwelling of a cloud imports sometime the care and protection of God over his people Exod. 40.38 We reade of a cloud that was continually over the Tabernacle a cloud was over it by day and a pillar of fire by night In the fire there was direction in the cloud protection and mercy in both So Isa 4.5 God promiseth to create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion and upon her assemblies a cloud Which is expounded in the close of the verse For upon all his glory his Church and Saints there shall be a defence But here the cloud and the dwelling of it notes continued darknesse As if Job should have said If the light doe shine upon that day I wish that a curtaine might be drawn perpetually between the world and the Sun let a cloud dwell before the face of the Sun which may muffle it and intercept those beames which would enlighten and refresh the earth Clouds are refreshings yet clouds you see may prove afflictions As a cloud is a protection at one time so it may be an affliction at another As a cloud shadowes us from the heate it is a blessing but as a cloud ecclipses the light so it is a curse The same creature may be employed both for a curse and for a blessing Yet further Job would not only have it a dwelling cloud but a condensed cloud Some clouds are so thinne that the Sun appeares and light shines thorough them Job desires this may be thick enough not only to cause darknesse but to cause blacknesse Which is the last branch of his curse upon his day Let the blacknesse of the day terrifie it Jobs heart was so full of passion that his sorrowes could not come out at once he takes time and breath Now saith he let the blacknesse of the day terrifie it Blacknesse is more then darkenesse therefore we find blacknesse an addition to darknesse in the Epistle of Jude ver 13. where giving divers elegant characters of wicked men whom he calls spots in their feasts of charity clouds without water trees without fruit raging waves of the sea foaming out their own shame wandring Starres And what is the portion of men thus qualified but Hell wrath and vengeance So he tells us in the next words To whom is reserved the blacknesse of darknesse for ever Darknesse and the blacknesse of darknesse is the portion of those that shall for ever lie under the wrath of God blacknesse of darknesse is the beauty of Hell that fire will besoote the damned to all eternity Then the blacknesse of darknesse is the darkest darknesse that can be imagined blacknesse of darknesse was Egypts plague that was darknesse and thick darknesse darknesse to be felt Exo. 10.21 so darke that no man could see another neither arose any from his place for three dayes ver 23. this was blacknesse of darknesse the picture of Hell that chamber of darknesse The word in the Hebrew signifieth heate and blacknesse The reason is given because heate makes things black and sworthy from the same word those Idolatrous Priests spoken of 2 King 23.5 were called Chemarims or the black Priests and they were called so either from the black vests or garments which they commonly wore or from the heate and fire of their furious zeale either in the defence or exercise of their superstitious worship or from the smoaky incense which they offered fit enough to black themselves but no way pleasing unto God Let the blacknesse of the day terrifie it Terrifie what Terrifie the day The day is not capable of feares or of afrightments but the meaning is this let the blacknesse of the day make it a terrible day or let it be a terrible day by reason of the blacknesse of it As we use to say such a day was a terrible day it was a black day Changes in the course of nature are full of terrour That which is proper and naturall to the day is light therefore to see the day covered with blacknesse must needs affright us when we looke for light as they in the Prophet and behold darknesse that troubles but when we looke for light and behold blacknesse that terrifies The vulgar Latine translation reades it thus Let as it were the bitternesses of the day terrifie it The bitternesses of the day are those sad accidents and
evill and that which men doe naturally they doe alwayes they never give it over nothing but death can suspend and stop nature There are indeed two cases wherein wicked men cease troubling while they live One is when they are desperate in their designes and see they cannot by troubling themselves trouble others sufficiently when they cannot have their will nor compasse their ends fully they being in despaire of doing the mischiefe they would will doe no more So the Historian notes concerning Dioclesian the most bloody persecutour that ever the Church had at the last he gave over the Empire and declined the governement not because he was weary of persecuting but he was weary of being disappointed Because he saw he could not hatch that which he had long brooded or bring forth those designes he had contrived for the utter extirpation of the Christians Being thus out of hope to doe all the mischiefe he intended he puts himselfe out of power to doe that mischiefe resignes the Empire A second case wherein wicked men cease troubling is when they have fully attained their ends in this life sometimes they bring their worke to such perfection to such a period that they thinke they have attained all all their plots have taken all 's theirs and when they have fully done the Devils work then he gives them a play day they have some cessation But otherwise except in these two cases they never cease from troubling therefore the Apostle Paul Gal. 5.12 prayeth that they which trouble them might even be cut off As if he had said they are such a kind of men there is no curing of them they will never have done doing mischiefe untill they be cut off by death As God threatens death to deterre men from sin so sometimes he is as it were constrained to send death to keepe or take men off from sin A godly man saith If God kill mee yet will trust I in him and some wicked men say in effect if not in the letter Till God kills us we will sinne against him The Psalmist askes the question Psal 94.4 5. How long shall the wicked how long shall the wicked triumph How long shall they utter and speake hard things and all the workers of iniquity boast themselves They breake in pieces thy people O Lord. What answer shall we give what date shall we put to this How long The answer is given ver 23. The Lord shall bring upon them their own iniquity and cut them off in their own wickednesse yea the Lord our God shall cut them off As if he had said except the Lord cut them off in their wickednesse they will never leave off doing wickedly The wicked saith Hannah in her song 1 Sam. 2.9 shall be silent in darknesse The wicked will sinne while they have any light to sin by therefore God puts out their candle and sends them downe into darknesse and there they will be quiet The wicked shall be silent in darknesse They will sinne against the light of the word as long as they enjoy the light of the world and doe the workes of spirituall darkenesse till they are shut up in poenall darkenesse It followes There the prisoners rest together they heare not the voice of the oppressour Here is another sort The Prisoners The word is those that are bound And these prisoners may be of two sorts First Slaves and captives who are under hard taskmasters such as set them to hard labour Or men that are in debt and put into prison by cruell creditors Prisoners in either of these respects are at rest or they rest together in the grave when they have paid that debt to nature all their other debts are discharged death is their debt to nature and when they have paid that debt they saith Job receive an Acquittance a quietus est they rest together when they have done that worke the worke of dying poore captives and prisoners have done all and paid all It is added They heare not the voice of the oppressour The word which we translate an oppressour signifieth by violence to compell one to worke or to pay a debt So the Taskemasters Exod. 5. are said to compell the people with violence to goe on about the worke The same word signifieth both an Exactor and an Oppressour An Exactor of Debt an Exactor of Tribute an Exactor of Labour in all these wayes the word is used and because those three Tribute Debt and Labour are demanded many times against right and equity often with much violence and cruelty therefore the word signifies also an Oppressour Exaction is alwayes within a step of oppression and is often put for the same and because oppressours use bitter words and hard speeches wounding with their tongues as much as with their hands therefore poore prisoners dying are said to be free from the voice of the oppressour Poore prisoners heare not the voice of the oppressour in the grave there they are beyond the sound and out of the hearing of those vexing railing taskemasters or exacting creditors Hence observe first That an estate of bondage is a misereble restlesse estate There the prisoners rest together Captives and bondmen have little rest untill they rest in the grave The language of prisoners is a sorrowfull language their speech is sighs Psal 79.11 Let the sighing of the prisoners come before thee and Psal 12.5 because of the oppression of the poore and for the sighing of the needy It is a restlesse condition which yeelds nothing but sighs and groanes Indeed we reade in the Acts chap. 16.25 of prisoners that spake another language even the language of joy we reade there of the singing of the prisoners Paul and Silas did not sigh but sing in the night while they were bound in prison but this was extraordinary They receiving enlargement of heart and wonderfull consolation from the holy Ghost pray in prison and sing praise to God Christ sent the comforter that night to them who made them a feast in the prison and they sung to it they made musick heavenly musick they sung praise to God It was not from the good cheare or any comfortable message which they had from the Jaylour or from their oppressours but Christ came and visited them any place or any estate is comfortable when Christ is present to the soule But in it selfe imprisonment is a sad condition Therefore the Apostle biddeth us remember those that are in bonds even as bound with them Heb. 13.3 and Christ takes a prison visit as a speciall point of service and kindnesse done unto him I was in prison and ye visited me Mat. 25.36 I in my afflicted members was in prison and your visit was an ease to my affliction and as it were a loosening of my chaines Such visits are now seasonable now remember the bondage and captivity the hard usage and imprisonment of our bretheren in many parts of this nation Let the sighing of the prisoners come up before
of For if a man have such and such thoughts and only reserve them to himselfe he is said to speake to himselfe to speake within himselfe So Angels though they have such and such thoughts they do speake to themselves and not to God while they keepe those thoughts within themselves how ever God knowes them all before yet an Angell is said to speake no more to God then he doth intentionally and obedientially as some expresse it make knowne and declare to God his desire that God may take notice of it So here Sathan answereth and saith unto God or he speakes to God these things that is he doth actually intend that God should know thus much of him what he had beene about that he was come now from going to and fro in the earth from walking up and dawne in it From going to and fro c. It may be doubted how Sathan can be said to goe to and fro in the earth and to walke up and downe in it whereas it is expresse in the Epistle of Jude vers 6. that the Angels which kept not their first estate but left their owne habitation he hath reserved in everlasting chaines under darknesse unto the judgement of the great day Now if Sathan if the Angels that fell be in chaines and in chaines of everlasting darkenesse and reserved unto the judgement of the great day how doth Sathan here speake of himselfe as being at liberty going to and fro in the earth and walking up and downe in it I answer That though the devill goeth up and downe yet he is ever in chaines He is in a double chaine even when he goes and circuits the whole earth abroad he is in a chaine of Justice and in a chaine of Providence He is in a chaine of Justice that is under the wrath of God and he is in a chaine of Providence that is under the eye of God he can goe no further then God gives him leave then God lets out and lengthens his chaine So that still he is reserved under chaines even chaines of darknesse when he goes abroad he goes like a prisoner with his fetters upon his heeles But it may be here enquired further if Sathan be thus under the wrath of God and be a condemned spirit if he be in such darknesse how can he intend or attempt plot or execute those designes of temptation for the overthrow of soules and disturbance of the Churches of God throughout the world Will not such torment and horrour of darkenesse disable and unfit him for such curious methods of doing mischiefe can he have his thoughts upon any thing but upon his own wofull condition and miserable estate For this likewise to cleare it we may conceive that Sathan although he be at the present under the wrath of God yet he is not under the fullnesse of the wrath of God he is not yet in extremity he is not yet in that degree of judgement which hereafter he shall receive Sathan is now as full of discontent as he can be but he is not so full of torment as he can be This we see expresly in Mat. 8.29 where the devils say to Christ Art thou come to torment us before our time as noting that there will be a time wherein they shall have more torment their fill of torment such torment as what they now endure compared with it may passe for no torment if not for pleasure Then they shall drinke the very dreggs of the cup of Gods wrath now they doe as it were but sip or taste it The devils though they are already cast downe from their glorious estate yet they are not cast into such a wofull state as hereafter they shall be therefore they may walke up and downe in the world and uncessantly set themselves about the destruction of others For the words From going to and fâ—ro in the earth and from walking up and downe in it Satan here speakes like a Prince therefore some conceive that this is the Prince of devils that is here mentioned in this Text Beelzebub the chiefe of the devils for here he speakes of himselfe as some great Prince that had gone about his Countreyes to view his Provinces his Kingdomes and Cities I come saith he from visiting my severall places and Dominions I come from going to and fro in the earth and from walking up and downe in it These expressions are not to be understood properly for properly spirits such as Sathan is cannot be said to goe or to walke A spirit moveth that is proper to a spirit but properly a spirit doth not walke or goe that is proper only to bodies But the word which we translate from going to and fro is translated by some from compassing the earth or from compassing about in the world and then it is proper the Originall signifying to compasse or circuit about by any king of motion as well as by going Further For the understanding of Satans going to and fro in the earth We must not not conceive that this is all that Satan doth to walke up and down in the world to go to and fro he is no idle peripateticke but by going to and fro in the earth is noted First The exact discovery which Sathan makes of all things in the earth For the word Shut signifieth to enquire to search diligently into a thing It is not a bare going about but it is a going about as a spie to search to enquire to observe and consider diligently all things as one passeth along The same word is used Dan. 12.4 for discoursing we translate it thus Many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall be increased now we may wonder how knowledge should be increased by running to and fro up and downe they that would increase knowledge should rather sit still and consider and debate things but the word so some translate it signifies to discourse or dispute of things they shall discourse or goe about to enquire into things and knowledge shall be increased Thus Sathans going to and fro in the earth is a discoursing upon every thing a disputing upon every point and person he doth as it were debate every mans condition as he goeth and every mans estate every mans temper and every mans calling he considers what is fittest to be done against him and how he may assault him with greatest advantage That is the running or going to and fro which is here meant in the Text it is a going to and fro to increase his knowledge and informe himselfe of all things as he goeth The same word is used concerning the good Angels Zach. 1.10 It is said there that they were sent to walke to and fro through the earth it was not a bare passing through the earth but a curious observing and prying into all things as they went we translate it a walking to and fro but it is a walking so as to bring God in intelligence for these were sent out as Christs