God alone is intimate And with these God is more intimate then man can be with that which is wholly outward And seing God knowes all the wayes which man takes let no man goe about to hide his wayes from God 'T is vaine to hide any thing from him who sees all that is hidden He that comes before a Judge that knowes what he hath done and is able to prove it why should he deny it The heart of a naturall man is not more busied about any thing then in making veiles for his sin the first thing that man did after he had sin'd was to make such a veile As all men have sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression so they cover their transgressions according to the similitude of his covering The Holy Ghost Psal 32.1 calleth them blessed whose sins are covered but it is with a covering of Gods provideing not of their owne woe to those whose sinnes are hid by a covering of their owne provideing God hath given us his Son our Lord Jesus Christ in his righteousnesse for our covering while our sins are so covered blessed are we but if we cover them with a covering of our owne God will lay them open for ever to our shame Wo to the rebellious children saith the Lord Isa 30.1 that take counsel but not of me and that cover with a covering but not of my Spirit that they may adde sin unto sin if we cover our sins with any thing but the righteousnes of Christ we cover them with a sin not onely because all our righteousnes which is the best thing of our owne that we have to cover them with is sinfull but because the very act of covering them so is a sin and therefore in so doing what doe we but adde sin unto sin And if to cover our sins with our owne righteousnesse be a sin how doe we heape sin upon sin while we cover it as many endeavour to doe with our denyalls dissemblings and excuses Secondly Consider with what Confidence Job speakes hee had discoursed of his fruitles labour and travell in the use of all meanes to finde God well saith he yet it is a Comfort that God knowes my wayes though I cannot finde out his Hence Note It is the Joy of the upright that God knowes them and their wayes yea the wayes that are in them Thus Jeremy Chap. 12.3 having complained of the prosperity of evill men before the Lord concludes But thou O Lord knowest mee thou hast seen mee and tryed my heart toward thee this was the Prophets joy and so it was the Apostles when he sayd But wee are made manifest unto God 2 Cor. 5.11 That 's the thing that pleaseth us David 1 Chron. 29.17 speakes in the same frame of spirituall contentment I know also ô my God that thou tryest my heart and hast pleasure in uprightnes This was a pleasure to David this was his Joy and crowne of Rejoycing that God knew him and a godly man hath much Cause of rejoycing in this that God knowes him perfectly considering how much he is mistaken and misunderstood by men When our wayes are mistaken by men 't is great content to remember that God knowes the way that we take without the least mistake For this assures a godly man of three things First That God will reckon his wayes such as they are and him such a one as he is He is much assured that God will never put a false glosse or an unjust construction which men are apt to doe upon the text of his life Secondly This assures him that his workes of righteousnesse shall not want a reward for God is not unrighteous to forget our worke and labour of love Heb. 6.10 that is he will not let us goe without a reward for such workes for as then we are said not to forget the word of God when we obey it so God is said not to forget our workes when he doth reward them Thirdly This assures him that God will give testimony to his integrity and beare his witnes when most seasonable to his righteous workes Though men will not give him Testimony yet God who knowes his wayes will God will not doe lesse for a good man then a good Conscience will For as an evill Conscience will accuse so a good Conscience will excuse Rom. 2.15 Their Consciences in the meane time accusing or excusing one another Conscience knowes our wayes and therefore Conscience gives Testimony against them that doe evill and Conscience will give Testimony with those that doe well let all the world clamour against them Conscience will not because Conscience knowes the way that a man takes Much more then will God Testifie for that man whose way is good and how sweet is this 'T is sweete and satisfying to a gracious soule to doe good but when God himselfe shall testifie for a gracious soule that he hath done good this is much more sweete and satisfying 1 Joh. 3.20 21. If our heart or Conscience condemne us he is greater then our heart or Conscience and knoweth all things Beloved if our heart condemne us not then have we confidence toward God even this confidence that God will not onely not condemne us but acquit us yea and testifie for us And as it is worse to be condemned by God then by Conscience so it is better and sweete◠to be acquitted by God then by our owne Conscience when once our Consciences are acquainted with his acquittall of us and testimony for us Yea there is this further Comfort in it that for as much as our wayes are knowne to God he will give testimony of them to others as well as to our owne Consciences The world shall know what our wayes are one time or other as well as God knowes them now they who are most prejudiced against them and draw the blackest lines over them shall one day be made to know that they did not know the beauty of them And this God will doe eyther First In this world by some extraordinary providence as David speakes Psal 37.6 Hee shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light and thy judgement as the noon day A mans righteousnesse may lye in obscurity or in the darke no man knowing it and most men judging him unrighteous and wicked but Providence some time or other will bring forth this mans righteousnes as the light and his just dealing as the noon day Or Secondly If a good mans wayes lye hid from the world all the dayes of his life in this world yet the Apostle assures him that in the great day God will proclaime them in the eares of all the world 1 Cor. 4.5 Judge nothing before the time till the Lord come who will both bring to light the hidden things of darknes and will make manifest the Councels of the heart So then a day is coming which will make thorough lights in the world and bring to light the most hidden things of the darkest darknes And by
boast read that v. 21 22 23 24. Thou therefore which teachest another teachest thou not thy selfe Thou that preachest a man should not steale doest thou steale Thou who makest thy boast of the law through breaking the law dishonourest thou God for the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you So that wicked men doe not onely rebell against the light to hinder the coming of it or to keepe it off as long as they can that so they may not know what to doe but they rebell against it when it is come and will doe against what they know Fifthly When 't is sayd They rebell against the light Observe Wicked men are not onely no friends but professed resolved enemies of the light they hate and oppose holy truths or the discoveries of the minde and will of Christ They are in open actuall hostility they take up armes and maintaine a warre against it not that all wicked men doe expressely send forth their defiance against God and his word but all wicked men carry this defiance in their hearts and it is to God as an openly profest defiance though it be not so to man God heares the language of their hearts and he knowes that the wisdome or best of the flesh is Enmity against himselfe that it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be Rom. 8.7 That is while a man continues as to his spirituall state under the power teachings of the wisdome of the flesh and is unregenerate as he is not so it is impossible he should continuing in that state be subject to the law of God The law of God will ever continue as holy as it is and if the heart of man continue as unholy as it is how shall they agree A wicked man stands not upon termes of neutrality with the law and light of God but he is a direct opposite or enemy he rebells against the light Sixthly Seeing Job when he had described all those wickednesses which he saw done adds this description of the wicked who did them they are of those that rebell against the light This may be Considered two wayes as I intimated before first as the discovery of a new and a greater sin then any of those particular sins already instanced in or as a reason why they did breake out into those enormous sins the former consideration yeelds this Note To resist or rebell against the light of truth the word of God is wickednes in perfection or wickednes wrought and boyld up to the very height As God sometimes brings Judgements upon men in perfection so men sin against God sometimes in perfection And if any doe so surely they doe so who rebell against the light That speciall sin against the Holy Ghost of which Christ sayth It shall never be forgiven what is it but rebellion against the light the highest and clearest light and the more cleare and high the light is the more danger there is of falling into that sin And hence some conceive that before Christ came in the flesh though there were very high and presumptuous sins committed that yet none of them did amount to that which the Gospel calls The sin against the Holy Ghost There was Gospel-light in those times but it was under types and shaddowes there was not that cleare light that clearest light which was shed abroad at the coming of Christ and therefore there was not light enough to sin against for the production of that sin against the holy Ghost which is not onely the greatest rebellion against light but is also a rebellion against the greatest light And here consider by what degrees sinning against light riseth unto its full height of rebellion First It is very sinfull and extreamely dangerous not to love the light See how Christ thunders against such as doe not Joh. 3.19 This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loved darknes rather then light He doth not say men rebelled against the light he onely charges them with this crime that they did not love it but loved darknes rather This saith he is the Condemnation that is this will certainly be matter of condemnation against sinners that when light came to them their hearts did not close with it and embrace it Now if it be so sinfull not to love the light what is it to rebell against it It is very possible for a man not to love that thing or person against which yet he doth not rebel Secondly Not to obey not to submit to the light is exceedding sinfull Jesus Christ shall at last be revealed from heaven personally in flaming fire to take vengeance on them that obey him not as revealed doctrinally that is who obey not the Gospel 2 Thes 1.7 8. yet it is possible not to obey the Gospel that is to forbeare an active obedience to that which is Commanded in it and not to rebell against it actively these are distinct in themselves though seldome if at all distinct in those that doe them Now then if there be aboundance of wickednes in not obeying the light in not doing every thing that the light directs us to then it must needs be a more abounding wickednes when the heart rises up and rebells against it For though as was even now intimated we can hardly divide these in their existences yet we may distinguish them in their natures or at least in their degrees for barely not to obey the light in doing the will of God is a sin of a lower stature then a profest rebelling against it though in every not doing according to light there is somewhat of rebelling yet in that which is properly rebelling there is more then not doing Thirdly It is a great sin not to set a great price upon the light or not to value it according to its worth that is not to value it highly not to have a high esteem of it not to have a higher esteem of it then of all the Enjoyments and Comforts of this world is a high provocation What is it then to rebell against it it is sinfull not to let all goe not to suffer the loss of all for the light not to suffer even the loss of life it selfe for the light this is extreamly sinfull Therefore saith Christ Luk. 14.26 He that will be my Disciple must forsake father and mother c. yea and his life too that is hee must be ready to let all these goe if called to it rather then let goe the light or truth of the Gospel Now if it be so great a sin not to be willing to suffer any losse or to endure any torment in standing up for the light what is it for any soule to rise up against the light or knowingly to withstand it Fourthly The Apostle saith that our neglect of the light of the Gospel subjects us to outer darknes Heb. 2.3 How shall we Escape if we neglect so great salvation which at the first began to
There is no King saved by the multitude of an host a mighty man is not delivered by much strength a horse is a vaine thing for safety neither shall he deliver any by his great strength So we must acknowledge That if God will any King may be destroyed by the smallest host that a mighty man may be overcome by that which hath no strength that a fly is a sufficient thing for ruine and that if God say the word even that shall not onely trouble but subdue any man with its little or no strength Secondly Note The power which God can draw forth is a limitlesse power His Armyes are without number When Princes have greatest Armyes they may number them and tell you how many hundreds and how many thousands and how many hundred thousands they have We have read of many very numerous Armyes but wee never yet read of an innumerable army onely Gods army is without number and therefore onely his knowes no bounds Is there any number of his Armyes And upon whom doth not his light arise Here Bildad sets forth the glory of the goodnes De homine propriè dicit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 superquem etsi omnia similitèr lumen virtutem ab eo accipiunt Merc omniscience and omnipresence of God by his sending forth his beams of light as he in the former part of the verse sets forth the glory of the greatnesse and power of God by his sending forth the Armyes of his strength Vpon whom doth not his light arise The text may be read thus Vpon whom doth not his light stand or upon whom shall not his light stand Wee say upon whom doth not his light arise Both translations are good But what is this light of God First Wee may understand it of that common light the light of the Sunne for that is Gods light and the universall arising of it upon the world is a wonderfull worke of God For as God made the light and gathered it into that great vessel the Sunne so hee carrieth it about the world every day The light of the Sunne is the messenger of Gods care and love to man every morning Math. 5.45 Hee maketh his Sunne to rise on the Evill and on the Good that is upon all Good and Evill divide the whole world between them and while the text in Mathew saith that God maketh his Sunne to rise c. it intimates that the Sunne riseth dayly by speciall direction from God The Sunne is his and the light is his There is no creature that enjoyes the light of the Sunne but is beholding to God for it Hee that made the Sunne maketh the Sunne to rise as if the Sunne like a weary or tired traveller were unwilling to rise in a morning and renew his Journey or long stage about the world till called up by God and commanded out for the service of mankinde of Sun-light we may say Vpon whom doth not his light arise Secondly This light may be taken more strictly for the light of divine goodnesse All the good the peace the comfort which wee injoy in the world is comprehended under the name of light When the Psalmist sayth Light is sowen for the righteous his meaning is good or comfort is sowen for the righteous Psal 97.11 and Vpon whom doth not this light arise The goodnesse of God extends it selfe over all God doth good to all though he doth more good for some for as God would have us to doe good to all but specially to the houshold of faith so doth hee Hee sends forth so much light of goodnesse as will make all men eternally inexcusable who abuse it but he sends forth so much light of his goodnes to some as will make them eternally happy The light of his gooddesse riseth upon good men to cause them to rejoyce and live comfortably And unlesse some light of his goodnes did arise upon evill men even upon the worst of men they could not subsist nor live at all His light is the life of man and upon whom doth not this light of divine goodnesse arise Thirdly Wee may expound this light of the light of divine wisdome which disposeth and ordereth all things And doth not this light arise upon the whole creation doth not this light shine upon every creature doth not this light direct the wayes of man on earth yea doth not this light arise upon the Angels in heaven to direct them in all their wayes Fourthly Wee may understand this light of the light of that knowledge by which God himselfe knoweth all things As God is light essentially or as all that he is is light so we may say more especially of his knowledge it is light Knowledge is the light of man and therefore we say of an ignorant or unknowing man that he is in darkenes and thus also knowledge is the light of God and when the Apostle John saith 1 Epist 1. That in him is no darkenes at all his meaning is in him is no ignorance at all God sends forth this light of his knowledge all the world over he takes notice of all As nothing is hid in a common sence from the heate or light of the Sunne in its walke about the world so nothing is hid in any the strictest sence from the knowledge of God Vpon whom doth not this light arise wee are alwayes in the presence of God his eye is upon us and sees us hee sees where we are and what wee doe and as this light of his shines upon all things so it will at last bring all things to light Now among these foure interpretations given I conceive that the word light is to be taken here in the second sence upon whom doth not his light arise That is the light of the goodnes of God V detur potius lacis nomen ad vâ—in quam omnibus insundit pertinere per eam sunt omnia id quod sunt Merc which goodnesse is the infinite freenes and readines of his nature to doe good And this light of his goodnes arising upon the creature is five-fold First There is an upholding or preserving Goodnes by which all things are maintained in their state and being Secondly There is a quickning and refreshing goodnes whereby all things men and among them godly men especially are renewed and revived in their wel-being Thirdly There is a protecting goodnes of God whereby his are kept while they are in dangers Fourthly There is a delivering goodness whereby his are brought out of and set free from danger Fifthly There is a strengthning and supporting goodness whereby his are enabled to beare all the evills with which they are exercised in this world And upon whom yea upon what doth not the light of the goodnes of God arise every day in some one or more of these particulars Hence Observe All the light of man or the light of all men is from God If any light arise upon man it is of God and upon what
least able to strengthen them for the bearing of the punishment of sin And hence by way of Coralary or inference consider First If the pillars of heaven tremble before God if pillars whose nature is to stand still move at the presence of God what shall become of weake man of man who is a worme if the pillars of heaven tremble at the reproofe of God then certainly the pillars of the earth cannot stand fast at his reproofe The pillars of heaven are the stroâ—gest pillars When Jehu sent Letters to Samaria unto the rulers of Jezreel advising them to set up one of the Sons of Ahab King and fight for him the text saith 2 King 10.4 they were exceedingly affrayd and sayd Behold two Kings stood not before him how then can we stand And thus may the strongest pillars on earth cry out with feare at the displeasure and reproofes of God Behold the pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at his reproofes how then can we be established Some men are or are esteemed to be like James Cephas and John pillars in the Church Gal. 2.9 and others are pillars in States and Common-wealths So we may expound that of Hannah in her song 1 Sam. 2.8 The pillars of the earth that is earthly powers or Magistrates are the Lords and he hath set the world upon them for indeed the world would soone fall into confusion and shatter to peices as to its civil capacity if the Lord had hot founded it upon pillars of Government and Magistracy or set up Magistrates and Governours as the pillars of it And yet how often have these pillars of the earth trembled how many of them have fallen and been broken at the rebukes of God There is a sort of pillars that shall never be moved How great an honour is it to be made such a pillar and Christ hath taught us who shall be made such a one Rev 3.12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the Temple of my God Such pillars shall not tremble they shall not be astonished when all the pillars of the world are cast downe with trembling and astonishment David hath a strange expression Psal 75.3 The earth and all the inhabitants of it are dissolved if so whence was it that they were not utterly ruin'd and destroyed He answers I beare up the pillars of it But how could David beare up the pillars of the earth when all was dissolved he meanes it not of a natural but civill dissolution things were out of order the bands and ligaments of government were sorely broken men were divided into partyes and factions Thus the earth and inhabitants thereof were dissolved which is the saddest condition a people can be in when it was thus when there was such a rupture among the people Then David the chiefe Governour under God laboured to heale the breaches and to be a pillar to those shaking pillars He by his great wisedome Justice moderation and faithfullnesse bore up the bearers of the people and supported their supporters whether persons or things As if he had sayd though there be much confusion in the earth yet the Lord enables me to keepe things together so that they fall not to the ground and are not utterly ruined It is a Great honour to be a pillar bearing up the building but it is a greater honour to be a pillar bearing up the pillars All good Magistrates have the former honour and all supreame Magistrates if good have the latter yet both these honours doe originally primarily belong unto God who as he maketh the pillars of heaven tremble so he can firmely setle and will while they willingly serve his ends and interests the pillars of the Earth though but earthly pillars Secondly Take this also by way of Corrolary from the text If the pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at the reproofe of God what shall we say of those men or of the hardnesse of their hearts First Who heare the reproofes of God dayly yet tremble not What doe the pillars of heaven tremble at the reproofe of God and shall not men yet thus more then bruitish are many men They heare reproofes severe reproofes against sin yet they tremble no more then the stones they stand upon nor are moved any more then the seates they sit upon let God thunder and lighten and chide and threaten they are not stirred with it The pillars of heaven shall rise up in judgement against this dedolent and obdurate generation The Prophet Jere 36.24 reports a sad story of this a threatening rolle was sent to Jehoiakim king of Judah written from the mouth of Jeremiah by Barucke the King caused it to be read as he sate at the fire and then whereas it might have been expected that he should be cut at the heart with Godly sorrow and contrition for his sin he cut it with the Pen-knife and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth untill all the roll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth yet they were not afraid nor rent their garments neither the king or any of his servants that heard all these words as if it had bin sayd what a wonderfull hardnesse was there upon the hearts of these men that they could heare such words read words so full of terrour words cloathed with such reproofes words which spake nothing but death wrath destruction ruine and desolation yet notwithstanding all this they were not afraid neither the King nor any of his servants regarded it The heart of man is more hard then hardnesse it selfe till God soften it or breaketh it man moves not he relents not let God reprove and thunder let God doe what he will and say what he will let God make as it were a hell upon the earth and in the greatest earnest cast abroad his firebrands arrows and death in the dreadfullest representations of wrath and judgement yet man trembles not nor is he any more astonished then if all this were spoken in jest Secondly What shall we say of those who as they tremble not when they heare the reproofes of God so they tremble not when they see his reproofes When God makes his reproofes visible and writes them in blood when he brings forth his reproofes in wofull effects For as all our mercyes and comforts are nothing else but the promises made visible so all the judgements which God brings upon the world are nothing but his reproofes and threatnings made visible when I say he brings forth his reproofes in wofull effects how desperately and indeed though it may seeme a contradiction how presumptuously are they hardned in sin whose ey never affects their heart who can see such reproofs of God yet never tremble It is said in the Law of Moses that punishment should be openly executed upon the presumptuous sinner Deut. 17.13 that all the people should heare and feare and doe no more presumptuously if all upon the hearing should feare and feare so as to
these hidden things of darknes and Counsels of the heart wee are to understand not onely evill things and wicked counsels sure enough God will bring them to light but even those righteous things and good Councels of the heart which have layne in the darke or unrevealed God will bring to light all the hidden things of darknes the good as well as the bad and then shall every man that is every good man every godly man have praise of God The praise of man is very pleasing unto man but O how unspeakeably pleasing is the praise of God! And this opens a vast difference between the hypocrite and the sincere Can a hypocrite rejoyce in secret saying thus God knoweth the way that I take Hee cannot say thus and I may say three things of the hypocrite in opposition to this First The hypocrite endeavours to hide and put his wayes out of the sight of God as much as he can As he hath not the light of Gods countenance or of his favour shining upon him so he desires not to have the light of his knowledge shining into him Isa 29.15 the Prophet describes some seeking deep to hide their Councels from the Lord and their workes are in the darke both in natural and moral darknes and they say who seeth us and who knoweth us The endeavour of the hypocrite is that he may be hid And Secondly He cryes all 's hid as it is his endeavour that God should not so it is his hope that God doth not know his wayes much lesse his heart He is often sure that men doe neither see nor know he alwayes presumes that God doth not and therefore as one out of doubt he puts his doubts who seeth and who knoweth Though flashes of feare come in upon him sometimes yet he flatters himselfe with presumptious hopes and false perswasions that God knowes him not sees him not and that his dark way shall never be discovered and as in that place of the Prophet they speake indefinitely thereby inferring that God doth not see them so wee have them in the Psalme speaking directly that God shall not Psal 94.5 6 7. They breake in pieces thy people O Lord and slay the widdow and stranger and murther the fatherles yet they say the Lord shall not see neither shall the God of Jacob regard it As if they had sayd though God should set himselfe to search us out and would never so faine see what we are doing yet he shall not We will carry it so closely and cunningly that the eye of God shall not reach us Their workes were so foule and bloody that the Sunne might be ashamed to looke upon them and they were so close that they beleeved God could not look upon them or bring them to shame for them Thirdly 'T is a terror to an hypocrite to remember that God knoweth his wayes That which Job saith of the wicked in generall is most proper to hypocrites Chap. 24.17 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 The Hebrew is very concise if know we make up the sence thus if one know them that is if God or man know them and their wayes if they be apprehended and discovered any way in their abominable wayes they are in the terrours of the shadow of death that is they are ready to dye with the fright and terror of it Hypocrites are so farre from rejoycing in this that God knowes the way which they take that to be knowne eyther of God or man is their torment Thirdly Consider why doth Job appeale to God in this Cause depending between him and his friends The reason was because he knew his friends mis-judged him through their ignorance Therefore he desiered to be heard by a Judge that perfectly knew his wayes and so was able to make a righteous judgement of him Hence Observe God is every way fitted to be a righteous Judge There are two things especially that fit a man to be a Judge First That he hath a principle of righteousnes in him that he be not byassed and turned aside from doing right indifferently without respect of persons Secondly That he hath a principle of light in him that he be as Jethro adviseth Moses a man of knowledge Both these meete perfectly in God He is just and righteous in all his wayes and hee knowes all our wayes Some Earthly Judges erre for want of a Principle of righteousnes and so in things which they plainely know and see as cleare as the light are ready to be drawne and wrought off by respects and interests Againe there are other Earthly Judges who are right and honest enough in their Principles nothing can take them off or mislead them to the right hand or to the left but they want knowledge and understanding to discerne between good and evill right wrong they cannot see into the merit of the Cause or the integrity of the person before them and thereupon stumble in Judgement Indeed the best of Earthly Judges cannot alwayes when they have done their best finde out who hath the good Cause and who hath the bad and many times they that plead blinde them with their Rhetorick setting a faire glosse upon a foule Cause or making a faire Cause looke foule and so the Judge is deluded seing he judgeth of things as witnessed and represented as alledged and legally proved and so it may fall out that while he judgeth righteously his judgement may not be right But we as Job here have cause to rejoyce that we have to doe with a Judge who as he is both righteous and knowing so he knowes all things and persons in themselves and not from others He needs not that any should testifie of man for he knoweth what is in man Joh. 2.25 Hee knowes the way that is in me or the way that I take and as it followes When he hath tryed mee I shall come forth as gold Mr. Broughton reads thus Tryed he me I should come forth Gold that is if God as I desire would vouchsafe to try me I should appeare what I am indeed not what I now appeare When he hath tryed mee There are divers wayes of tryall three especially God tryes first by prosperity that 's a tryall a full estate discovers a man as well as a low and empty estate doth To know how to abound is as high a poynt of grace as how to want Phil. 4.12 to have power in our hands discovers us as well as to be opprest by power Magistracy shewes the man and it shewes many to be but men Magistratus indicat virum Great power over men is a great temptation to man and so likewise is the praise of men 2 Cor. 6.4 But in all things approving our selves as the Ministers of God in much patience in afflictions in necessities in distresses c. and by what else by the Armour of righteousness on the