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
regarding and not putting upon the heart by not regarding Then here hast thou put Job upon thy heart that is hast thou seriously weighed and considered Job As if God had said I am sure in thy travels and wandrings about the world thou couldest not choose but take notice of Job he is my jewell my darling a speciall man among all the sonnes of men He is such a spectacle as may justly draw all eyes and hearts after him when thou walkedst didst thou not make a stand at Jobs doore I cannot but looke upon him my selfe and consider him therefore surely thou hast considered him The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his heart is upon them too A wicked man hath not the eye of God a godly man hath his heart and shall have it to all eternity The summe is This Question teacheth us That amongst all the men that dwell on the face of the earth Job was the most considerable Hast thou not considered my servant Job It is as if one should say to a man come from this City into the Countrey were you at Court or have you seen the King Because he is the most eminent and considerable person So God here speakes to Satan upon his account of walking about the earth hast thou taken notice of Job A godly man is the most considerable man in the world But then you must put your heart upon him not your eye onely for then as it was said of Christ Isa 53.3 you may perhaps see no beauty in him his inside is the most considerable thing in the world As a wicked man is the most unconsiderable not worthy the looking unto though he be never so great as Elisha said to the King of Israel Surely as the Lord of hostes liveth before whom I stand were it not that I regard the presence of Jehosaphat the King of Judah I would not looke toward thee nor see thee thou art not a man saith he that deserveth so much as to be looked upon A godly man is therefore described to be one in whose eyes a vile person a wicked man is despised But secondly in reference to Satan Some reade these words not by way of question but by way of affirmation thus thou hast considered my servant Job Thou hast been abroad in the world surely then thou hast taken notice of my servant Job thou hast considered him that is of all men in the world thou hast set thy selfe about Job to tempt him and to try him when thou camest to Jobs house there thou madest an assault there thou tryest the uttermost of thy strength to overcome him thou consideredst him what to do against him how to overthrow him tel me hast thou not found him a tuffe peece Didest thou ever meet with such an one in the world before To consider a thing is to try all wayes how to gaine it or how to compasse such a thing as Samuell said to Saul when he was seeking his fathers Asses As for thine Asses that were lost set not thy mind on them that is doe not trouble thy selfe doe not beat thy braines to consider which way to goe to find them or where it is most probable to get them So here thou hast set thy mind or considered my servant Job that is thou hast beat thy braines and set all thy wits on worke what course to take with greatest advantage to destroy my servant Job Take the words in that sense and they yeeld us this Instruction That Satans main temptations his strongest batteries are planted against the most eminent godly persons When Satan sees a man that is eminent in grace against him he makes his hottest and subtilest assaults he sets his heart upon such a man yea and vexeth his heart too about him Satan is most busie at holy duties one said he saw in a vision ten devils at a Sermon and but one at the market and about holy persons As for others he doth not trouble himselfe about them for they as the Apostle shewes are led captive by the devill at his will if he doe but whistle as it were they easily follow him and come after him presently so that he needs not set his heart or vex himselfe about them But when he commeth to a Job he sets all his wits and all his strength a worke bends all his thoughts to consider what course to take to assault such a strong hold of grace If he can get such a man downe then there is triumph indeed he sings victoria Then if we may so speake there is joy in hell as there is joy indeed in heaven at the conversion of a sinner So there is a kind of joy in hell when one sinnes that is converted If any thing can make the devils merry it is this to give a godly man the foyle though they see he is past their reach to destroy him yet if they can but blemish or disgrace him if they can but trouble and disquiet him this is their delight Hence it is that Generall Satan with his legions of darknesse those infernall spirits encampe about such persons with deadly hatred As when an Army meets with a strong Castle or City they sit downe and there consider what course to take for the besiedging and gaining of it Hast thou considered my servant Job The title which God gives Job is very observable My servant Job A Servant you know is one that is not at his owne dispose but at the call and becke of another so the Centurion describes a servant For saith he I am a man under authority and I have servants and I say to this man goe and he goeth and to another come and he commeth Servants are at the word of another they are not sui juris in their own power therfore Aristotle calleth Servants living tools or living instruments breathing instruments because they are at the will of another to be used and imployed at the discretion of their Master Here God calleth Job his servant And he calleth him so First by way of distinction or difference my servant that is mine not his owne many are their owne servants they serve themselves as the Apostle saith They serve not the Lord Jesus but their owne bellies they serve their owne lusts divers lusts and pleasures Job is not such an one he is my servant Many are Satans servants as if God should have said to Satan here Satan thou hast gone about the world and thou hast found a great family of thine owne thou hast found many servants in all places but hast thou considered my servant There is one I am sure that oweth thee no service and by his good will will doe thee none hast thou not found my servant Some are the servants of men but Job is my servant not a servant of men to subject himselfe to their lusts either for hope or feare He is not as the Apostle speakes the servant of men
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