restore them not to boast or be proud of them Then secondly it will cure the rich of all contempt of others what the Apostle James observed and censured in the rich of those times is found by too much experience among the rich at this day Yee have despised the poore Chap. 2.6 Consider it is the Lord who gave and he gave as a Lord freely he might have given thine estate to that poore man and have left thee in that condition thou so much despisest in thy brother God gave him as much as his wisdome thought fit and it seemes he hath given thee more then thou art fit for 〈◊〉 despiâ—ing him thou doest asperse the dispensation of God and whilest thou woundest him in his poverty thou woundest God in his providence Consider it is the Lord that gives and then be unconvinc'd if you can that while you contemne man in his wants you question God in his wisdome busie thy selfe hereafter in praising him who gives All and leave despising him who hath received lesse Then likewise let the poore looke upon this Text and it will cure them of two diseases into which they often fall and by which they are much endanger'd even in the vitals of grace discontent and envy It is the Lord that giveth that shapes and cuts out your condition why then should you not be contented with his allowance and be thankfull in your lot If your estates be proportioned from above you ought to be content with your portion Ignorance or in advertency from whom we receive causeth murmuring at what we have Doe not thinke thou hast love from God because thou hast a lesse allowance from God The power of God is as much acted in making a Fly as in making an Elephant and his love may be as much and is often more acted in giving a penny then in giving a talent Know this thou who art a child of God if thy portion be but a penny it hath upon it the Image and Superscription a Fathers love which is better then life This also will cure the poore of envy many times the poore have an evill eye of envy at the rich they cannot beare it that others have so much and they so little Consider it is the Lord that giveth This argument Christ useth Mat. 15.20 to him that was angry that they who came at the latter end of the day had as much as he May not I doe with mine owne what I will Is thine eye evill because mine is good The envious eye is an evill eye envy is the disease of the eyes This Text is one of the best medicines that ever was prescribed Wilt thou be sicke because another is in health and make thy brothers happinesse the ground of thy miserie Doe not thinke that all is lost which is not cast into thy lapp or that thy estate is lesse or worse because thou seest one having a greater or a better Must God aske thee leave or aske thy councell how and in what measure to distribute his favours Were all but well catechised in this one principle that God gives all it would soone dispell this malignant vapour and all would rest satisfied not because they or others have received thus or thus but because God hath thus disposed to all Observe one thing more If the Lord gives us all then we should be willing to give back somewhat unto the Lord againe And this consideration that God gives us will make us willing to give unto God What is the reason that many are so unwilling to give somewhat unto God It is because they will not understand that they are beholding to God for all If they were perswaded of their receipts from him a little Oratory might perswade a gift from them in the cause of God especially when God intreates them who may of right command them when he is content even to take it as a courtesie who may send for it by authority and expect it as a duty God himselfe who fills and enjoyes all things hath sometimes in a sence need of your estates Christ who is Lord of Heaven and Earth is sometimes in want of a penny Christ tels you of his wants and poverty Math. 25. and shewes how and when he is releeved And as Christ wants in a member some particular beleever So he often wants in his whole body which is the Church or whole company of beleevers If you have any spirituall wisdome to discerne times and seasons you may know that now Christ wants mony as I have explain'd Now God in his cause hath need He goes about in those who solicit his cause and askes a reliefe at every one of your doores Now then doe but consider when any thing is asked for the Lords sake that the Lord gave all this will be a key to unlocke your chests this will at once untie your hearts and your purses Will you let Christ want shall the cause of God want while you have it whereas what you have God gave It is expresse concerning Nabal that this was the reason why he would not part with a loafe of bread to relieve David and his Army 1 Sam. 25.11 Shall I take my bread and my water and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers and send them to a fellow I know not who You see the man was all in his possessives my bread and my water and my flesh he never thought that God had any share or interest in his estate that God gave it therefore he would not give to a servant of God You shall see on the other hand how Davids munificence and that of the Nobles with him 2 Chr. 29. sprung from this root the acknowledgement that nothing was their owne it came in all from God when they had offered so willingly and bountifully towards the building of the Temple David shewes the mine which yeelded so much treasure even this we have digged in all this while All things come of thee and of thine owne we have given thee vers 15. They confessed that all came of God they were but Stewards he was the Owner and his owne they could not with-hold from him God giveth us the use of the creature but he keepeth the right to them in his owne hand when we have the possession of them he hath the property Wherefore let the consideration that God giveth all make us ready and open handed to give unto God when he calleth and requireth it at our hands And the Lord hath taken away When God gives it is an act of bounty and when he takes it is an act of justice for he is Lord soveraigne Lord in both But why doth Job here charge this upon God The Lord hath taken Was it not told him by the messengers that the Chaldeans and Sabeans came and tooke away his cattell plundered and pillaged his estate They told him that the fire consumed his Sheepe and the wind blew downe the house upon his children Why doth Iob say
Job with when he questions doth Job feare God for nought Satan accuseth with a question doth Job feare God for nought The question may be resolved into this Accusation Job doth not feare God for nought The word which we translate for nought hath a threefold sense from the Hebrew First Some render it in vain Doth Job feare God frustra in vaine We are then said to doe a thing in vaine when we cannot attaine the end which we propose in doing of it The Egyptians helpe in vaine that is they cannot procure that salvation and deliverance which was desired or intended and so the sense here may be doth Job feare God in vaine No he doth not he hath his end he looked for riches that he intended in taking up the service of God and that he hath attained Secondly It is interpreted by without cause Doth Job feare God without cause so the word is translated Psal 35.7 where David complaining of his enemies saith without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit which without cause they have digged for my soule As if he should say I never gave them any cause why they should lay snares for me I never wronged or hurt any of them According to this sense when Satan saith doth Job feare God for nought namely without cause it is as if he had said The Lord hath given Job reason enough he hath given him cause enough to doe what he doth Job seeth reason in his Flocks and in his Heards in his many Children and in his great Houshold in his Substance and in his Honour he seeth reason in all these why he should feare God and be a very obedient servant having so bountifull a Master Doth Job feare God without cause Or thirdly The word is translated by Gratis as we expresse it to doe a thing gratis that is to doe a thing without any reward without any price or without pay I shall instance Scriptures wherein the word is rendred in that sense Gen. 29.15 Laban saith to Jacob when he was come to him to serve him Thou art my kinsman shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought that is shouldest thou serve me gratis or without wages as he explaines his meaning in the next words tell me what shall thy wages be So that to doe a thing for nought is to doe a thing without wages without price And so there is the same interpretation of the word Exod. 21.11 where Moses speaking of the Maid that was taken into the family and was not married saith If he doe not these three unto her then she shall goe out free without money she shall pay nothing she shall goe out gratis or for nought So here we may take in this sense to fill up the forme doth Job serve God gratis doth he serve God without price or without pay Surely no thou hast given him sufficient hyre wages sufficient for all his service Job doth not serve thee gratis out of good will and affection to thee but he serveth thee for hire because thou payest him so plentifully So the generall sense of the words Doth Job feare God for nought is as if Satan had bespoken the Lord in such words as these Lord thou doest enquire of me whether I had considered thy servant Job I confesse I have and I must needs acknowledge that he is a man very diligent and zealous in thy worship and service neither doe I wonder that he is so seeing thou hast out-bid all his labours and indeavours by heapes of benefits There is no question but thou mayest have servants enough upon such termes at such rates as these no marvaile if Job be willing to doe whatsoever thou commandest whenas thou bestowest upon Job whatsoever he desireth Thou seemest as it were to neglect all other men and only to intend the safety and prosperity of thy darling Job Is it any great matter that he who hath received a flocke of seven thousand Sheepe from thee should offer a few 7. or 10. to thee in sacrifice Is it any great matter that he should give some of his fleeces to cloath the poore who hath received from thee so many thousands to cloath and enrich himselfe Is it a strange thing that he should feede a few that hath 500 yoake of Oxen Is not Job well hired to worke for thee doth he feare God for nought who hath recived all these Yet a little more distinctly for the opening of this expression I shall give you Satans sense in three notable falsities or lyes which he twists up together in this one speech Doth Job feare God for nought First That riches will make any man serve God that it is no great matter to be holy when we have abundance a man that prospers in the world cannot choose but be good This Satan implyes in these words and this is an extreame lye for as there is no affliction so there is no outward blessing can change the heart or bring it about unto God They did not serve the Lord in the abundance of all things Deut. 28.47 Abundance doth not draw the heart unto God Yet Satan would inferre that it doth This might well be retorted upon Satan himselfe Satan why diddestnot thou serve God then thou diddest once receive more outward blessings from God then ever Iob did the blessednesse of an Angell yet that glorious Angelicall estate wherein thou wast created could not keepe thee in the compasse of obedience thou diddest rebell in the abundance of all blessings and diddest leave thy habitation Satan thou shouldest not have served God for nought Why then didst not thou serve him thine owne Apostacy refutes thy errour in making so little of Jobs obedience because he had received so much Secondly There is this in it Doeth Job feare God for nought Satan intimates that God could have no servants for love none unlesse he did pay them extreamely That God is such a Master and his worke such as none would meddle with vnlesse allured by benefits As if Satan should say you have indeed one eminent servant but you should not have had him unlesse you had beene at double cost with him Here is another lye Satan windeth up closely in this speech For the truth is Gods servants follow him for himselfe the very excellencies of God and sweetnesse of his wayes are the argument and the wages by which his people are chiefely moved and hired to his service God indeed makes many promises to those that serve him but he never makes any bargaines with them His obey him freely Satan makes bargaines to hire men to his service as he did with Christ Mat. 4.9 All these things will I give thee if thou wilt fall downe and worship mee God makes many large and gracious promises but he never makes any such bargaine and agreement with men for their obedience Then there is a third sense full of falsehood which Satan casteth upon Iob Doeth Job feare God for nought that is Iob hath
object See yonder is a brave prize for you yonder is a rich man his estate will be good plunder yonder are Oxen and Asses store there 's good booty to be had Thus finding out their disposition he presents or holds up an object to them which hits it fully Thirdly Satan deales with man to draw him to his purpose a degree further sc by injecting and casting into the mind the motion to doe this He not only presents such and such a thing such and such an oportunity but he casts in and injects the motion As it is said of Judas that the Devill put it into his heart to betray Christ The Devill being a spirit hath accesse to our spirits and can convey himselfe into them and instill his suggestions as the Lord Christ did breath upon his Disciples and so they received the Holy Ghost and were filled with the Spirit So Satan breaths filthy suggestions into the spirits of men and fills them with all manner of wickednesse malice unrighteousnesse he fills them with the spirit of Hell Why hath Satan filled thine heart saith Peter to Ananians Satan had fill'd his heart to lye to the Holy Ghost Thus he instilled these thoughts of gaine by robbery and murder into the Sabeans and Caldeans and filled their hearts brim full Then they resolve to act it with the hand and so they become his instruments Lastly Satan can doe somewhat more then inject and suggest such thoughts he can mightily irritate and provoke and stirre up the heart to be willing to give entertainement to such a motion He not onely barely presents his temptation but vehemently backs it and will give no rest to a man till he yeelds it As it is said of his tempting David that Satan stood up and provoked David to number the people He did not only inject such a thought into David but he provoked him he never let him alone but followed him and solicited him to it This Satan can doe And yet he cannot presse men to take up Armes for his designes all those that fight under Satans colours are Voluntiers he never constraines any neither can he the will is never forced by him neither can it be Satan uses no compulsion beyond a morall perswasion well set on he can but vexe us as the Midianites did Israel with his wiles He is an Achitophel not an Alexander a Matchiavil not a Caesar This is the manner of Satans working in the children of disobedience All these things he can doe yet I beleeve he is not alwayes put to doe all these upon every one over whom he prevailes Some come to this worke on easier tearmes then others He needs not provoke and solicit them a suggestion winnes them The very sight of an object overcomes them Yea some stand ready offering their service unto Satan and selling themselves to work any wickednesse he will employ them in I have shewed you the most that Satan can doe I conceive he had not much to doe with these Sabeans to invite them to this warre That which is in motion is easily moved And as we say He must needs runne whom the Devill drives so the Devill needs not drive them who are running of themselves It being opened what these Sabeans were and how they came into the service of Satan what made them take up Armes as it were in his cause we may observe from hence First That wicked and ungodly men while they satisfie their owne lusts are but doing the worke of Satan and executing his designes These Sabeans though they did not thinke it yet they came upon Satans errand So God when he doth justly use wicked men to punish or correct his people they doe their owne will and they have their owne way but God hath his way too he over-rules them to effect his businesse at that time As it is said of the King of Assyria O Assyrian the rod of mine anger I will send him against an hypocriticall Nation and against the people of my wrath will I give him charge How be it he meaneth not so neither doth his heart thinke so Isa 10. he hath purposes of his own So they that are agitated by Satan and provoked by him they think not so they thinke not they are doing the will and worke the dirty drugery of Satan but the truth is they doe nothing else all the while You are of your father the Devill and his lusts you will doe saith Christ to the Jewes while they doe their owne they fulfill the lusts and designes of Satan As it is said in the Revelation The Devill shall cast some of you into prison it was not the Devill in person it was the Devill in his seconds or servants and these men little thought that they did the Devills service at that time if one should have come and told them you are now doing the Devills worke and undertaking a peece of service for him you are as so many instruments and agents for Hell they would not have beleeved it but the truth is it was the Devills worke and they did it so devellishly that from both it is said the Devill did it he cast some of them into prison It is a fearfull thing to persecute or oppresse the people of God such in serving their owne lusts are indeed the right hand of Satan the Devills hirelings Secondly Forasmuch as Satan will have Sabeans and Caldeans to afflict Jobs estate he could have destroyed all himselfe if he pleased Good Angels have mighty power and so have wicked Angels too if God will let them alone to put out their power therefore they are called Principalities and powers Satan had leave he might have taken what course he would with the estate of Iob he doth not call in the Sabeans and the Caldeans to this worke because he could not doe it himselfe No it is because he would worke by others he would have instruments Note from hence That Satan loveth to draw others to be partakers with him in his designes Though he can doe his worke alone yet he will have man joyne with him in it if he can And in this he imitates God himselfe who hath an almighty power is able to doe all things alone if he please yet he usually calleth in instruments He is able to convert alone by the motion of his Spirit but he will have Preachers to convert by the ministery of the Word He is able to protect his people from their enemies by his own strength yet he will have Armies mustered to doe it by And why doth God chuse to worke thus There is a double good in it He doth it that he may doe good two wayes at once First His creature is saved and relieved that 's one good Secondly Men who are employed as instruments are honoured and respected They having given helpe to God in such a cause so he interprets it a comming forth to helpe the Lord against the mighty God gives
God that it should be done or spoken And it takes away all complaining that the Lord hath taken away Blessed be the Name of the Lord. The Septuagint and so the Vulgar from them insert here another sentence betweene these two the Lord hath taken away blessed be the Name of the Lord reading it thus The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away as it pleaseth the Lord so commeth things to passe blessed be the name of the Lord but we have no more in the Hebrew then our owne translation gives us Blessed be the Name of the Lord. This is the triumphant conclusion which floweth from the former Propositions this is the issue and result of them both A conclusion as opposite to Satans designe as the two Poles of the Heavens are one against the other Satan waited to heare Iob conclude with blaspheming the Name of the Lord and now he heareth Job conclude with blessing the Name of the Lord. How did this vex and sting Satan This one word of Iob did wound Satan more then all the afflictions which Satan procured wounded Iob. Though I return naked though all be taken from me yet blessed be the name of the Lord. Blessed be the Name of the Lord. The Name of God in Scripture is taken first for God himselfe The name of a thing it is put for the thing named Psal 44.5 Through thee will wee push downe our enemies thorough thy Name we will tread them downe that rise up against us Thorough thy Name that is thorough thee Thorough thee and thorough thy Name are the same So Psal 48 10. According to thy Name so is thy praise that is thou art praised like thy selfe as thou art in thy selfe so thou art or oughtest to be praised by thy people the name is put for the person You have it clearly Act. 1.15 The number of names together were about an hundred and twenty that is the number of persons so many persons because numbred by their names Secondly the Name of God is often in Scripture put for the attributes of â—od Thirdly the Name of God is put for his Ordinances or worship Goe yee now to my place which was in Shiloh where I set my name at the first Jerem. 7.12 that is where I first set up my publike worship because as a man is knowne by his proper Name so is God by his proper worship And therefore false worship is the setting up of a strange god When we mistake the name we mistake the person Fourthly the Name of God is that reverence esteeme and honour which Angels and men give unto God As we know amongst us the report and reputation that a man hath among men is a mans name what men speake of him that is his name such an one hath a good name we say such an one hath an ill name that is men speake or thinke well or ill of such persons So Gen. 6.4 When Moses describes the Gyants he saith they were men of renowne the Hebrew is They were men of name because the name of a man is the opinion he hath amongst men as a man is esteemed so his name is carried and himselfe is accepted in the world So the name of God is that high esteeme those honourable apprehensions which Angels and men have of God such as the thoughts and speeches of men are for the celebration of Gods glory and praise such is his name in the world Blessed be the name of the Lord. By blessing God we are to understand either first what we expresse in word concerning God God is blessed by his creatures when his goodnesse and greatnesse and mercy and bounty and faithfulnesse and justice are published with thanks-giving and praise Or God is blessed likewise when we have high and great and glorious thoughts of God when we inwardly feare and reverence and love and honour God then we blesse God The one is to blesse with the tongue the other to blesse with the heart The tongue blessing without the heart is but a tinckling cimball The heart blessing without the tongue makes sweet but still musicke both in consort make that Harmony which fils and delights Heaven and Earth When Job saith here Blessed be the Name of the Lord we are to understand it both wayes that Job speakes out the blessing of God with his mouth and likewise he had high and reverent thoughts of God His heart and tongue met at this worke and word Blessed be the Name of the Lord. We may note from hence That God is worthy of all praise and honour not onely when hee doth enrich and strengthen us when he fills and protects us but also when he doth impoverish and weaken us when he empties and and smites us when he gives us up to the will of our enemies to the will of devils and wicked men even then God is to be blessed It is a good thing and it is our duty to blesse God when we are rich and when we are full as Deut. 8.10 When thou hast eaten and art full then thou shalt blesse the Lord But it is a farre better thing yet but our duty to blesse the Lord when we are poore and weake when we are empty and have nothing to eat then to blesse the Lord is the breathing of an excellent spirit indeed 1 Thes 5.18 In every thing give thankes Let God doe what he will with his children they have cause to thanke him As he is God in himselfe blessed for evermore When God thunders in judgements so loud that he breaketh the Cedars and shakes the Wildernesse then to give unto the Lord the glory due unto his Name and in his Temple to speake of his glory argues a spirit highly ennobl'd and glorious in grace Psal 29. Therefore his children should not rest in this that they beare afflictions but they should labour to bring their hearts to blesse and glorifie God in and for the afflictions that they beare And a soule that thus honoureth God shall assuredly receive honour from God That which the Apostle speakes of the Saints suffering persecution is true of them in any kind of holy suffering The Spirit of glory and of God doth rest upon them 1 Pet. 4.14 The Spirit of God is spoken of as if it were unsetled and unquiet and knew not where to fix it selfe till it had found such a soule like Noah's Dove that went hovering about and knew not where to rest the sole of her foot till it came to the Arke so the Spirit of God is exprest as hovering about from person to person from place to place as if it could not rest any where till it finde a soule triumphing and blessing God in affliction at least lying quietly under affliction till God takes it off and there the Spirit rests and settles it selfe Observe further that Job here blesseth God in his afflictions and that makes the difference his afflictions now are good unto him If we blesse God in our
to lay his siedge nearer and closer to Iob presuming that though he had not prevailed at the first yet he shall at the second charge let me charge him but once more and then see his fall He will curse thee to thy face JOB 2.1 2 3 4 5 6. Verse 1. Againe there was a day when the sonnes of God came to present themselves before the Lord and Satan came also among them to present himselfe before the Lord. 2. And the Lord said unto Satan from whence commest thou And Satan answered the Lord and said from going too and fro in the earth and from walking up and downe in it 3. And the Lord said unto Satan Hast thou considered my servant Job that there is none like him in the Earth a perfect and an upright man one that feareth God and escheweth evill and still he holdeth fast his integrity although thou movedst me against him to destroy him without cause 4. And Satan answered the Lord and said skin for skin yea all that a man hath will he give for his life 5. But put forth thine hand now and touch his bone and his flesh and he will curse thee to thy face 6. And the Lord said unto Satan Behold he is in thine hand but save his life AS the Prophet Ezekiel when in vision he had beene shewed one abomination was led forward to a second and a third and a fourth with Come see a greater abomination than this or these Or as the Angell proclaimeth in the Revelation One woe is past and another woe is at hand The same may we say concerning this History of Jobs sorrowes Having shewed you his first affliction in the former Chapter I must now leade on your attentions with Come behold a second a greater then that and having shewed you one woefull day I must now shew you a second Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves This whole Chapter presents us in the generall with Jobs second tryall About which wee may observe these particulars 1. The occasion of it 2. The causes of it 3. The manner of it 4. The consequents of it 1. The occasion of it was Satans appearing at that heavenly Session and being there questioned about that former affliction of Job he answers with slander and desireth that Job may be brought about to a second tryall 2. The causes of this affliction as of the first are two 1. God And 2. Satan 1. God permitting and limiting it 2. Satan provoking and then inflicting it Both are laid downe in the words of the context now read to the end of the sixth verse 3. The manner of this affliction was the striking and smiting of Jobs body with a sore and noysome disease which you have contained in ver 7 8. 4. The Consequents of this affliction or what followed upon it and those are three 1. His wives sinfull councell ver 9. As soone as she saw him thus smitten What saith shee doest thou still retaine thine integrity Curse God and die There 's her counsell 2. His wise and holy reply ver 10. 3. His friends loving visit vers 11 12 13. They hearing of the affliction of Job came from a farre country to see him and to comfort him These are the distinct parts of the whole Chapter These six verses descipher the occasion and the causes of Jobs affliction Satan inciting and provoking the Lord and the Lord permitting and limitting Satan The three first containe the same matter which we have opened and explained in the former Chapter and they are almost word for word the same therefore I shall not need to stay long upon them Only I shall enquire a little further about two things First about the day of this great appearance And secondly about the persons appearing who are said to be the sons of God To the former of these the Jewish Doctors contend much That this was the first day in the recourse or returne of the yeare intimating if not contending that the first day of every yeare was as Gods day of generall Audit in which he conveen'd or called together his Angels to give him an account of all the passages and dispatches of the yeare past and to give them instructions what to doe the yeare comming which opinion I leave under the censure of a learned Interpreter as grosse and groundlesse Others fixe it upon the last day of the weeke affirming that this was the Sabbath day And that this was a convention or Assembly of the Church on Earth for the solemne worship of God upon that day which is here called A presenting themselves before the Lord in concurrence with which opinion the sonnes of God must needs be interpreted holy men I find some affirming that men are not called the sons of God in all the old Testament but the Angels only And so they take that Text Gen 6.2 The sons of God saw the daughters of men c. for the Angels either good or bad who being taken with the beauty of those daughters assuming bodies came into them of whom came the Giants A conceit as monstrous as those Giants and fitter for a fabulist then a Divine On the other extreame Chrysostome denyes that the Angels are at all called the sonnes of God We may walke safely in a middle way betweene these two For both Angels and men are called the sonnes of God Why Angels are called the sons of God hath been shewed Chap. 1. v. 6. Men are called the sons of God for two reasons either for their power or greatnesse so they Gen. 6.2 might be called the sonnes of God because great and powerfull on the earth Or rather secondly for their piety and holinesse by which they resemble God and in which they serve God as a sonne doth the Father Indeed the Apostle affirmes that the priviledge of sonship was brought-in by the Incarnation of Christ who is said In the fullnesse of time to be made of a woman c. That we might receive the adoption of sonnes Gal. 4.5 But in Scripture a thing is spoken of as newly done when it is more fully done Joh. 7.39 The Holy Ghost is said not to be given at that time because he had not been so plentifully given And the Apostle to the Hebrewes speakes as if the way into Heaven had been but then opened because it was then more clearly opened Heb. 9.8 So we are said to receive the adoption of sons when Christ came in the flesh because then our son-ship was more apparant though before it was as reall So then according to this Interpretation the sence of the words is That upon the Sabbath day when the servants of God the faithfull of that age and place were met together to celebrate the publick worship of God Satan the evill spirit who is ever ready to oppose and resist us to interrupt and hinder us when we appeare before the Lord in holy duties came also among them to
no rest till he establish and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the Earth Isa 62. ver 6 7. This duty is now doubled on us by the great afflictions and greater feares of Sion When Christ was in his agony he prayed more earnestly Luk. 22.44 And when his Church is in an agony we ought to pray more earnestly At such a time we must mingle more fire with our prayers we must pray more fervently At such a time we must mingle more water with our prayers wee must pray more repentingly We must with Jacob Hos 12. weepe and make supplication At such a time we must mingle more faith with our prayers we must pray more beleevingly In a word at such a time every prayer must be a pleading yea a wrestling with God a wrestling with resolution not to let him goe untill wee have got a blessing till wee prevaile with God to destroy his Churches enemies as Satan in the text moved God to destroy Job his servant and his friend So it followes Thou movedst me against him to destroy him To destroy him The word Destroy signifieth to swallow up or to devoure You have it Gen. 41.4 where it is said that the seven leane eares and seven leane kine did devoure or eat up the seven full eares and the seven fat kine And Exod. 7.12 the text saith That Moses his rod did swallow up the rods of the Magicians Psal 124.3 Vnles the Lord had been on our side they had swallowed us up quicke In all these places it is the same word we have here thou movedst me to destroy him In the former Chapter where Satan desired God to touch Job I shewed what kind of touches Satan desired to lay upon the people of God you see it now cleared by God himselfe Thou movedst me to destroy him to swallow him up Thy words were moderate and diminitive doe but touch him but thy intentions were bloody and destructive thou movedst me to destroy him to make an end of him that was thy meaning Without cause But will the Lord the wise God doe any thing without cause A wise a prudent man will not doe any thing without cause though Satan may be so brutish and unreasonable to move God to doe a thing for which there is no cause would the Lord be so perswaded by his motion to doe it without cause The text seemeth here to speake so thou movedst me to destroy him without cause and God hearkned to his motion before and gave him up all his estate to doe with it what he pleased Briefly to cleare this Without cause It is the same originall word used in the former Chapter Doth Job serve God for nought or without cause as was then opened so here Thou movedst me against him to destroy him without cause or thou movedst me against him for nothing or for nought We may consider this phrase of speech without cause three wayes First in reference unto Satan Secondly in reference unto God Thirdly in reference unto Job himselfe From each of these considerations light will shine into this point First in reference unto Satan God tells Satan thou movedst me against him without cause that is Job never gave thee any cause why thou shouldest make such a motion against him Job had never wronged thee or done thee any hurt as David saith of his enemies they are mine enemies without cause I was never injurious or unjust unto them So Satan was Jobs enemy without cause Job never gave him occasion Indeed the holinesse and goodnesse of Job was Satans griefe and Satans trouble but for any other trouble or wrong Job never did him therâ—fore without cause it was in reference unto Satan 2. In reference unto Satan without cause that is Thou didst not alleadge any sufficient cause or charge him with any particular crime thou didst onely bring in a generall suspition against him there was not so much as a common fame as you know it was a course to accuse men upon common fame So saith God here it was nothing but a suspition raised out of thine owne braine as indeed those common fames that we heard of not long since upon which many were accused yea condemn'd were only suspitions borne in the brains of those men So here Job was charged meerly upon the suspition of Satan there was no crime directly alleadged nor any evill report in the world against him cause was not shew'd legally therefore without cause thou movedst me against him 3. In reference unto Satan without cause that is it now appeareth upon the tryall that thou didst move me against him without cause that which thou didst pretend to be the cause was not found in Job thou pretendest he was an hypocrite and served me for himselfe now thou seâ—st thy selfe confuted it appeareth he did serve me for nought sincerely and not for his owne endâ— He is no painted sepulcher no rotten self-seeker If we consider the words in the second place with reference unto God Thou didst move me against him without cause then we must take heed of thinking that God doth any thing without cause No the wise God doth every thing in number weight and measure he doth every thing upon great reason upon the highest reason God will not doe the lowest thing but upon the height of reason he doth the least thing upon greater reason than the greatest Polititians in the world doe the greatest Therefore God had reason important reason to give Job up to be afflicted He did it for the tryall of Job he did it for the magnifying of his free-grace and the graces of his free Spirit in his weake creature he did it that Job might be set up as an example of patience he did it to discover the slander of the devill therefore he did it for strong reasons it was not without cause in reference unto God himselfe Lastly If we consider it in reference unto Job it was not absolutely without cause neither for though there was not that cause in him which Satan pretended namely grosse hypocrisie yet if the Lord should search and sift him narrowly as if he should search and sift the holiest of his servants his pure eyes and holy nature would find sinne enough in them which might justifie him or shew to his justice sufficient cause take the sinne in it selfe not onely to afflict them temporally but to lay his hand upon them for ever Should God I say have tryed him thoroughly and looked upon sinne in it selfe he might finde cause to afflict him in regard of his sinne So then absolutely in reference unto Job it was not without cause God might have found cause in regard of his sinne But there were other causes in reference unto Job it was to try Iob to exercise Iob it was that Iob might have further honour after the tryall There might have been a reason in sinne if the Lord had marked iniquity And there were many reasons in referrence to his good why
the Lord did leave him thus in the hands of Satan to be afflicted To winde it up If we looke upon Satan then it was without that cause he pretended it was without any direct charge it was a meer suspition Iob had never wronged him But if we respect God it is not without cause God doth all things for weighty reasons And if we respect Iob God possibly yea easily might have found a sin in him any sin in it self considered would do it as the cause of his affliction And he had other actuall reasons in reference both to the being and improvement of his graces why he left him thus in the hands of Satan Hence we may learne First in that God saith Thou movedst me against him to destroy him without cause That pure or rather impure malice stirreth Satan against the people of God Though he alwayes pretends somewhat in them yet the cause is in himselfe God now discovers he doth nothing but out of very malice pure malice against his servants Satan hath two names in Scripture noting his two speciall workes Temptation and accusation He sollicits good men to doe evill against God Hence he hath his name the Tempter He sollicites God to conceive evill of good men and hence he hath his name the Slanderer or Accuser Secondly we may note That God doth afflict his people sometimes without respect unto their sinnes Thou diddest move me against him without cause It was not in regard of his hypocrisie or of any thing thou diddest charge him with why I did afflict him and lay my hand upon him Though all men have alwayes sinne enough to be the meritorious cause yet oftentimes sinne is not the moving cause of their afflictions When the Disciples put that question to Christ concerning the blind man Joh. 9.2 Master who did sinne this man or his parents that he was borne blind Iesus answered neither hath this man sinned nor his parents not as if either of them were without sinne but to shew that they had not sinned as to this purpose sc their sinne was not the cause of this blindnesse and therefore in the next words he assignes the cause But sc he was borne blind that the workes of God should be made manifest Afflictions are alwayes from sinne but not alwayes for sinne Neither are they at all for sinne upon beleevers by way of the least satisfaction to the justice of God that chastisement Christ hath so fully borne Isa 53. that no beleevers finger shall ever ake in that sense But they are often afflicted for sinne by way of purgation or prevention Thirdly we may note this likewise That God will at the last give testimony for the clearing of the innocency of his servants against all Satans malicious accusations God himselfe gives testimony here a second time concerning Iob Thou didst move me against him without cause thou diddest move me to it but it is cleare and I give my sentence there was no such cause as thou didst suggest against him why I should destroy him When the Lord had thus called Satan to account concerning Iob whether he had considered him both in his radicall graces and in this additionall grace the holding fast of his integrity Then Satan comes forth to answer this also Hast thou saith God considered my servant Job that there is none like him in the earth a perfect and an upright man one that feareth God and escheweth evill And still he holdeth fast his integrity although thou movedst me against him to destroy him without cause Yes saith Satan in the 4th verse And Satan answered the Lord and said Skin for skin yea all that a man hath will he give for his life But put forth thine hand now and touch his bone and his flesh and he will curse thee to thy face Here is Satans answer with his motion upon it By his answer he labours to blot and obscure the glory which Job had gained in the former battell and by his motion he labours to bring him about unto a second tryall As by his answer in the former Chapter a little to compare him with himselfe Satan slandered Jobs actions so by his answer here he slanders Jobs sufferings There it was for something that Job served God and here that which Job had suffered is nothing It is Satans trade and he hath many children of the same occupation to slander and to slight whatsoever the servants of God either doe or suffer Before he slandered Jobs active obedience now hee slanders his passive obedience What is this saith hee tush Skin for skin yea all that a man hath will he give for his life It is a slight tryall that he hath past yet what great matter is it if he hold fast his integrity who would not who could not hold-fast for any thing that hath been done to him yet Let us try him againe For the clearing of this we will examine the words Skin for skin yea all that a man hath will he give for his life We see here that malice is steeped in wit Satan answereth by a Proverbe Skin for skin c. A proverbiall quick sharp speech the generall sense of which and Satans intendments are very cleare The generall sense of this proverbiall speech is this That life is the most precious treasure that a man will part with any thing upon these tearmes The saving of his life That all a man suffers comes not very neare him while that is out of danger Such is the generall sense and Satans intendment in speaking this is as cleare namely that as Iob before had served God for his wealth so now he doth serve him for his breath that as before Iob kept close to God that hee might enrich him so now Iob keepes close to God lest he should destroy him He seemeth to hold fast his integrity so you tell me but it is onely that he may hold fast his life He served you before for wealth and now he serves you for breath His feare of loosing that makes him humble himselfe and give many thankes Search him to the bottome and you will find him still a mercenary servant holding his integrity that hee may hold in with thee and live This is the generall drift of Satan But to give the speciall meaning of his words doth somewhat trouble Interpreters Skin for skin and all that a man hath will hee give for his life First Skin for skin Some interpret it thus A man will venture the skin of one member to save the skin of another which being cut-off or wounded his life is more in danger As for instance if a blow come at a mans head he will hold up his hand or his naked arme he will venture the skin of his hand to save his head And the reason is because his life is more in danger if he be wounded in his head then in his hand Here is skin for skin he gives the skin of a member which is further off
and solid reason The reprehension in these words Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh The reason of his reprehension in those which follow What shall we receive good at the hand of God and not evill To begin with the reprehension Thou speakest as one of the foolish women In the Hebrew Woman is not exprest it is only a Feminine as one of the foolish ones we translate it foolish woman That word commeth from Nabal which signifieth properly a thing fallen off like a dried leafe or blasted withered fruit without life without strength without sap and moysture exhausted and kill'd thorough excesse either of cold or heat and so by a Metaphor it noteth any one without the sap or juyce of wisedome goodnesse and honesty such a person we call a saplesse person Or it signifieth one that is vile and base and low one that hath a base withered low fallen spirit a spirit fallen below all noble or holy resolutions Nabal is such a foole as hath his judgement and understanding faded and corrupted in regard of any holy principles though he may be wise in regard of naturall principles Such the Prophet describes they are wise to doe evill but to do good they have no knowledge Jer. â— 22 Hence the Latin word Nebulo which signifies a Knave is by good Etymologists derived from the Hebrew Nabal because such are dull-heads in goodnesse and witty only in wickednesse Such was he 1 Sam. 25.25 Nabal is his name and folly is with him That proper name is the same with the Appellative here that 's the Masculine this the Feminine Thou speakest like a Nabalesse We find the word often used elsewhere to signifie wicked worthlesse and vile persons Psal 14.1 The foole hath said c. Deut. 32.6 21. at the 6th verse O foolish people and unwise doe ye thus requite the Lord And ver 21. They have provoked me to anger by those that are no gods and I will provoke them to jealousie by them which are not a people and move them to anger with a foolish nation by them which are not a people by a foolish nation A foolish people deserve not the name of a people Looke upon this word in the abstract folly is wickednesse and to worke folly is in the language of the Scripture as much as to worke wickednesse to worke the greatest wickednesse Hence it is sometimes translated villany Ier. 29.22 23. The Lord make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab whom the King of Babylon rosted in the fire because they have committed villany in Israel And throughout the Booke of Proverbs the foole and an ungodly man a wise-man and a godly man are Synonomaes words signifying the same thing Thus Job reproves his wife thou speakest as one of the foolish women like one of those who have no wisedome no goodnesse not any sense or sap of goodnesse in them But who were these foolish women at whom he aimes in this comparison that is not cleare some conceive he intends the women of Idumea Thou speakest as one of these heathen women these Idumeans I have heard indeed such language from them when things have gone amisse with them I have heard them cursing their Idols cursing their gods I have heard them raile at fate fall out and wrangle with fortune Thou speakest like one of them Thou takest thy patterne in this from the custome of the Heathen who use their gods coursely when they thinke they have but course usage from their gods If their gods be angry they will be angry with and revile their gods Thou speakest after the rate of these foolish women Thou diddest never heare such doctrine in my family or among those who feare and love the true and ever-living God Job you see is now somewhat warme in his speech Job had indured much and all his sufferings hitherto had not stirr'd any passion in him but that of sorrow as we saw in the latter end of the former Chapter Not an angry posture not an angry expression all along but now that God and the wayes of God are concerned Job can hold no longer this speech of his wife cast dishonour upon both and now passion begins to stir hee cannot forbeare her though his wife Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh Observe That Passion becometh us in the cause of God Our Lord Christ teaching his Disciples the true meaning of the Law tells them Mat. 5.22 He that is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgement but he that is not angry when there is cause especially when there is such a cause as this he likewise is in danger of the Judgement Secondly Job is not only angry with her but he reproves her Thou speakest as one of the foolish women It is lawfull sometimes to expresse holy anger and passion by sharpe reproofes Christ who was meeknesse and humility it selfe yet when he hath to deale with Pharisees he can call them a generation of vipers painted Sepulchers blind guides an adulterous generation children of the Devill Anger can hardly be silent and that anger is admirable which speakes and sinnes not He that knowes not how to be angry knowes not how to love And he that knowes not how to reprove with love knowes not how to be angry You may discerne love in Job mingling with and moderating his reproof Job rebukes his wife but it is with the spirit of meeknesse First He doth not speake positively or down-right Thou art a foole but comparatively Thou speakest as one of the foolish women use to speake That seemes one mitigation or allay of this reproofe yet I confesse such speaking by way of similitude hath often in it the force and intent of a direct assertion Another thing observeable for the meeknesse of Job is this He doth not fall out with the whole Sex and say ye women are foolish and ignorant and impatient But thou speakest as one of the foolish women He doth not charge the whole Sex he knew there were wise women as well as foolish such Solomon describes Pro. 31.26 She openeth her mouth with wisedome and we know Abigail the wife was wise and her husband was Naball a foole Iob doth not lay it upon women in generall he falleth not out with all because he knew there were some foolish ones and because he saw his wife in that act imitating those foolish ones There is a third thing mitigating the sharpnesse of the reproof Iob doth not fall out with or disgust the ordinance of God because his wife spake thus he saith not who would marry to be yoak't with such a one as you It is enough to make one forsweare marriage to have or heare of such a wife better be in any condition then in a married condition How often doe husbands discover this folly if their wives displease them presently the ordinance of God displeaseth them who would be married It is very sad when mans
made Jeremie enquire Why doth the way of the wicked prosper As if he had said If I could see the reason of it it would satisfie me but while thou keepest me in the darke and I can give no account to my owne soule or those that aske me of this thy dispensation to wicked men this is the burthen of my soule It is usually said They are happy who know the causes of things And in regard of the diseases of the body we say that a disease is halfe cured when the cause of it is discovered But when a Physition is in the darke and cannot find out the cause of a disease he must needs be in the darke for the remedy of it So it is also with a man in regard of any affliction when he cannot find out the cause he knoweth not what to pitch upon as a remedy When Rebekah Gen. 25.22 had twins in her wombe and they strugled together within her she was much troubled and nothing would satisfie her untill she went to God to know the reason of the thing Lord saith she why am I thus And when God had told her that two Nations were in her wombe and that two manner of people should be separated from her bowels she made no more complaints So when there are such strivings such struglings and contrary motions of trouble in us or about us the soule goes to God and enquires why is it thus Lord I am more troubled with the ignorance of my troubles then with the weight or smart of them Thirdly Take the words as respecting the issue or deliverance from trouble and they affoord us this observation That It is a great addition to an affliction not to see or discerne a way to escape or get out of affliction To be in an affliction out of which there appeares no passage unlesse the soule be mightily supported by the hand and power of Christ brings within a step of despaire The Apostle speakes as much when he saith 1 Cor. 10.13 There is no temptation hath taken hold of you but that which is common to man and then it followes but God is faithfull who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to beare it As if he should say If God did not indeed discover or make out to you some way of escaping I must needs say you were never able to beare it but saith he God will make a way for you to escape that ye may be able to beare it Meaning that the opening of this way would revive their spirits and then they would be able through the strength of Christ to beare it If so then how shall the soule beare an affliction when God instead of making a way to escape doth as it were make a hedge to stop all escape Therefore when the Lord would support his people in their troubles he promised that they should have a doore of hope opened to them I will give her the valley of Achor for a doore of hope Hos 2.15 He would give her some appearance some glimpses and openings of deliverance in and from their present dangers It is threatned Deut. 28.25 thou shalt come out one way against thine enemies and flie seven wayes before them they should flie many wayes but they should escape no way Thou shalt come out one one way and flie seven wayes that is thou shalt try this and that and every way to escape but thou shalt find a hedge at every wayes end to stop and hinder thy escape We use to say of a man in a distressed condition He is in a wood or in a wildernesse And when God entangles men in their own devises it is said He powreth contempt upon Princes and causeth them to wander in the wildernesse where there is no way Psalm 107.40 So Pharaoh said of the children of Israel they are entangled in the land the wildernesse hath shut them in Exod. 14.3 And when a people are as the children of Israel were having a a Sea before them an army behind them and Mountaines on either hand Then they may say as Job did their way is hid and God hath hedged them in For my sighing cometh before I eate and my roarings are powred out like water Here Job takes up the former proposition and applies it particularly to his own person Before he said only in the generall why is light given to him that is in misery and why is light given to a man whose way is hid and whom God hath hedged in Now he saith in effect it is thus with me I am a man in misery and I am a man whose way God hath hid and hedged in wherefore then is my life continued And he proves that he was in such a condition by the effects of it sighes and roarings So that this verse holds forth two things about Jobs sorrow First The continuance of it in those words My sighing comes before I eate Secondly The extremity of it in those My roarings are powred out c. The argument may be thus framed That man is in extreame and continuall misery who doth not so much breath as sigh who when he would speake is forced to roare But thus it is with me my sighing cometh before I eate and my roarings are powred out like water therefore my misery is extreame and continuall My sighing cometh before I eate In the Hebrew it is word for word thus before the face of my bread my sighings come Which Hebraisme before the face of my bread hath a great emphasis in it It notes the continuance of his sorrowes without any intermission When a thing is said to be before the face of another it notes an equall continuance with that before the face of which it is said to be As in the negative Exod. 20.3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me so we translate it the Hebrew is Thou shalt have no other gods before my face that is so long as I continue to be thy God thou shalt have no other god but I shall be thy God to all eternity therefore thou shalt have no other gods but me for ever So in the affirmative Psalm 72.5 where under the type of Solomons Kingdome the continuance of the Kingdome of Christ is prophecied the Holy Ghost saith It shall continue so long as the Sunne and Moone endureth the Hebrew is it shall continue before the face of the Sunne and of the Moone that is there shall be an equall duration of the Kingdome of Christ and of those lights of Heaven the Sun and the Moone The Kingdome of Christ shall last as long as the world shall last So then according to this sense before the face of my bread my sighings come is as if he had said looke how long I have my bread before me looke how much time I spend in eating so much time I spend in sighing my