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A35535 An exposition with practicall observations continued upon the thirty second, the thirty third, and the thirty fourth chapters of the booke of Job being the substance of forty-nine lectures / delivered at Magnus neare the Bridge, London, by Joseph Caryl ... Caryl, Joseph, 1602-1673. 1661 (1661) Wing C774; ESTC R36275 783,217 917

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among the learned It would be too great a diversion and possibly an unprofitable one to stay upon them We have him here described First by his name The Hebrew Etymologists say This proper name Elihu signifieth He is my God or my God is he And as he is described by his name so by his nativity or parentage Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite of the kindred of Ram. His Fathers name Barachel signifies in the Hebrew one whom God hath blessed or the blessing of God The sons name was my God is the Lord. And the fathers name was the blessing of God or one whom God hath blessed We may note a piece o● holy devotion in the old fathers in giving significant names to their children And surely it may be of much use to give our children good and significant names such names as carry a remembrance of duty or of mercy When Alexander the Great met with a common Souldier whose name was Alexander He said to him Be sure thou doe nothing unworthy the name of Alexander His name had a great encouragement in it to gallantry in warre And it is noted of Diadumenus Ego curabo ne desim nomini Amoninorum that having obtained both the Empire and the name of Antoninus he said I will labour all I can that I may not be injurious to the name of the Anthonines This should be much more our care and study where holinesse makes the name honourable John signifieth the grace of God And as I remember it is the saying of one of the ancients concerning a bad man so called Thy name is John but thou art not John thy name signifieth grace but thou art not gracious Ambrose said to the virgin Agnes or Anne There is chastity in thy name doe not contradict thy name So Jerome writing to Pammachius which name signifieth a fighter against all Do thou saith he fight against all sin against the Devill the world and thy owne corruption The same Author writing to Melecius which signifies Honey sweetness Have thou saith he the sweetnesse of honey in thy manners And to Probus he writes Thy name signifieth honesty Then be thou an honest man The Apostle exhorts 2 Tim. 2.19 Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity It is a great argument seeing all who professe the Gospel are called Christians from Christ that therefore they should adorne that most worthy name by worthy walking And let me say to all those whose names signifie any thing of God of Grace or goodnesse ye have a good and gracious name let not your actions be a reproach to God nor a shame to the profession of his grace A good heart will make a good use of every thing and is provoked to have more then a name for that grace or goodnesse which is in his name even to be really that which his name is How should an Elihu whose name signifies He is my God labour after this holy assurance that God is his How should a Barachel whose name signifieth the Blessing of God be alwayes praying and waiting for the blessing of God or returning praise to God both in heart and life for all his blessings Elihu the son of Barachel The Buzite Here Elihu is described by his family as before by his father The Buzite that is coming from Buz. Yet there is a difference about that some say he had that name from the place where he dwelt we read Jer. 25.23 of a place called Buz. Others say he was called the Buzite from the name of his family As he descended from Buz the son of Nabor Abrahams brother Gen. 22.21 Mi●cah hath borne children unto thy brother Nahor Huz his first born and Buz his brother Master Broughton is cleare in it who gives this glosse upon the text Elihu the Buzite of Buz Abrahams brothers son of the family of Ram famous then for knowledge Rebecca and Jacob seeme to have left religion in Nahors house Thus farre he Jerome saith Hieron in tract Heb super Genesm Elihu was descended from the second son of Milcah whom the Septuagint call Bauz from him was Balaam the sorcerer who according to the Tradition of the Jewes was this Elihu spoken of in the book of Job at first an holy man and a Prophet but afterwards an apostate But I leave that as a Rabbinicall Tradition Apparet quod sicut Eliu dicitur Buzitis quia originem traxit ex Buz ita dicitur de Ram rationae maternae originis Melcha enim mater Buz fuit filia Aram unde et 70 loco Ram legunt Aram Proindé sicut tres reges visitaverunt Job causa amicitiae ita Eliu causa cognationis de qua vendicavit sibi in Job plusculum audacioris licentiae Ianson Quis iste fuer● quaerunt interpretes Gramatici certant adhuc sub judice lis est Drust We have yet a further description of Elihu in the Text. Of the kindred of Ram of the family or posterity of Ram. Who this Ram was is much controverted by Interpreters nor is the controversie yet ended who this Ram was Some say he was that Ram spoken of Ruth 4.19 But it is not likely that he was so ancient as Job or if he were he would not leave the Israelites from whom Pharez was descended to dwell among the Edomites Others say he was that Aram mentioned Gen 22.21 But neither doth this appeare true for then Elihu could not be a Buzite but must draw his line from Kemuel the brother of Buz. The Chaldee Paraphrase tells us he was Abraham And to cleare this 't is said as our owne learned Annotators have given it that he had a threefold gradation in his name First he was called only Ram which signifieth high Secondly Abram which signifieth A high father Thirdly Abraham which signifieth the high father of a multitude But upon which to determine I conceive it impossible nor is there any great matter in it Only this seemes cleare that the family of Ram was some great and illustrious family in those times and we may take notice how distinct and punctuall the penman of this book was in describing the pedegree of Elihu And there may be two reasons why the Spirit of God directed him to be so First because he was but a young man Neutrae sententiae accederom sed Ram alium quempiam fuisse putarim virum celebrem et clarum ex familia Nahor Merc And therefore as Saul 1 Sam. 17.56 when he saw David a young man he asked after his parentage Enquire whose Son this stripling is I would faine know his kindred So the kindred of Elihu is thus distinctly set downe that he who by reason of his youth was little knowne as to his person might be the better knowne by his Ancestors or parentage Secondly His parentage is thus distinctly set downe to assure us that this is a true history For some have made the whole booke of Job to be but a
Numb 12.1 though they were thus neerely related yet speaking irreverently of Moses the Chiefe Magistrate the Lord sayd to them v. 8. Wherefore were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses Yet how common is this sin the tongues of men walke exceeding loosly in their discourses about the persons and powers of Princes And we every where find most pleased to heare well of themselves and ill of others or to speake well of themselves and ill of others and the higher they are who are spoken of or of whom they speake evill the more they are pleased both in hearing and speaking evill of them How unruly are their tongues who cannot forbeare their rulers Thus much of Elihu's question as it is resolved into a Negative proposition It is not fit to say to a King thou art ungodly We may further consider it as an argument from the greater to the lesse to prove That it is a most wicked thing to speake a word unduely of God Is it fit to say to a King Thou are wicked and to Princes ye are ungodly Vers 19. How much less to him that accepteth not the persons of Princes Who is that The words are a cleare Periphrasis of God he accepts not the persons of Princes As if Elihu had said the Kings and Princes of the earth expect such great respect from their subjects that no man should dare to censure them or speake evill of them though they doe evill or deale unjustly how much more unfit is it to speake evill of God or to charge his government with injustice who never doth any evill all whose wayes are not only just but justice He that accepteth not the persons of Princes who are the greatest of men can have neither will nor motive to deale unjustly with any man I shall not stay to shew what it is to accept persons because that hath been shewed at the 7th verse of the 13th Chapter as also Chapter 32.21 only I 'le give it in one word To accept persons is to have more respect to the man then to the matter and that 's a very common fault among men and as commonly condemned by God 'T is a received axiom He that would or doth put on the person of a Judge must put off the person of a friend that is he must not be sway'd by any respect whatsoever of friendship or allyance but must judge purely as the cause deserveth Nor shall I stay to urge the greatness of the sin of speaking any thing uncomely of God that also hath been spoken to in many former passages of this Chapter Only from these words How much lesse to him that accepth not the person of Princes Note First That which ought not to be done or spoken to the greatest of men ought much lesse to be either done or spoken to God The reason is because first God is infinitely more to be reverenced then any man Secondly because God is infinitely more able to take vengeance and certainly will of any that shall doe or speake evill to him then the greatest among the children of men Yet how many are there who dare not offend a man not a great man especially either by word or deed who are not afraid by both to offend and provoke the great God O remember the force of this text If it be not fit to speake unduely of Princes How much lesse of him that accepteth not the persons of Princes Hence note Secondly God is no accepter of persons He hath no respect to Princes in prejudice to truth and righteousnesse but in every nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse be he never so poore is accepted with him Acts 10.35 and in every nation he that feareth him not but worketh unrighteousnesse be he never so great is unacceptable yea abominable to him The Scripture often attributes this glory to God Deut 10.17 2 Chron 19.7 Gal 2.6 Col 3.25 And as it is the glory of God that he is no accepter of persons so it is the duty of man Deut 1.17 Judgement must proceed and conclude with respect to the rule and command of God not with respect to the persons of men or our relations to them Levi was highly commended for this Deut 33.9 who sayd unto his father and to his mother I have not seene him neither did he acknowledge his brethren nor knew his owne children c. When man accepteth not the persons of men he acteth most like God of whom Elihu saith He accepteth not the persons of Princes Nor regardeth the rich more then the poore That 's a further description of God He doth not regard 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aguoscere familiaritèr tractare that is acknowledge or know the one more then the other He is in the best things as communicative to and converseth as familiarly with the poore as the rich yea he doth not value or prize the rich man more then the poore the poor man is worth as much as the rich man in Gods account suppose the rich man worth thousands yea ten thousands of gold and silver and the poore man so poore that he is not worth a shilling yet in the account of God the poor man is worth as much as the rich man The Scripture speakes of two sorts both of rich and poor men There are men rich in spiritualls such Christ intimates who are Luke 12.20 rich towards God or as he speakes of the Church of Smyrna Rev 2.9 rich in grace I know thy poverty but thou art rich That is I know thou art poor in earthly pelfe but rich in spiritualls The Apostle James puts the question Chap 2.5 Hath not God chosen the poore of this world rich in faith and heires of the kingdome Now it is most certaine that God regardeth the rich in spiritualls more then the poore in spiritualls he highly regardeth those that are poore in spirit and pronounceth them blessed Math 5.3 for theirs is the kingdome of heaven But he regardeth not those who are poore in spiritualls not them especially who boast of their spirituall riches when they have none they that have them are thankfull for them they do not boast of them as the Church of Laodicea did of whom Christ sayd Rev 3.16 17. I will spew thee out of my mouth because thou sayest I am rich encreased in goods and knowest not that thou art poore Thus you see there are a sort of rich men whom Christ regardeth more then the poore of that sort But as poore and rich are distinguished meerely by aboundance and want by the smallness and greatness of their portion in the things of this world as Dives and Lazarus in the parable were so he regardeth not the rich more then the poore When a poor man is gracious as wel as poore God regardeth him more then any rich man who hath no grace And when either both have grace alike or both are alike without grace he regardeth them both alike When rich and poore
respects Thus you have the answer to that question by which it appears that 't is no easie matter to say what Elihu saith It is meet to be said unto God I have born chastisement There is yet another question for some may demand why should chastisements be thus born I answer First We must bear them according to all the rules before given because they come from God Our afflictions are Gods allotment we must bear what he appoints therefore old Eli though he had failed and sinned greatly and so brought a cloud of calamity upon himself and his family the very report whereof as Samuel told him would make both ears of every one that heard it to tingle yet he composed his spirit to a submissive hearing of it upon this single consideration It is the Lord and there is enough in that consideration to make all men submit For first The Lord is supream and therefore what he doth must be born Secondly He is a Father a childe must bear what a Father layeth upon him and as the Lord is a father so he is not a hasty imprudent or passionate father but a most wise and judicious father therefore 't is our interest as well as our duty to bear his chastisements Yea he is a gracious tender and compassionate father and when we know he that layeth a hand of affliction upon us hath also a heart full of compassion towards us we should willingly bear his hand Secondly Chastisements are to be born in the manner directed because they are for our good and shall we not bear what is good for us It is good for me said David Psal 119.71 that I have been afflicted and so the Apostle Heb. 12.10 For they verily for a few dayes chastened us after their own pleasure but he for our profit that we might be partakers of his holiness Chastisements are for our profit and shall not we bear that which is for our profit If God should lay chastisements on us for our hurt meerly to vex us to put us to pain or meerly because he delights in our sufferings who could bear them But it is meet to bear what God layes upon us because he doth it for our good and profit Thirdly We must bear chastisements in the manner shewed because unless we bear them so they will do us no good or we shall have no profit by them and that 's a misery indeed To bear smart and finde no advantage coming in by it to drink gall and to have no sweetness come out of it to endure loss and to have no kinde of profit by it is very grievous Now what ever chastisement is laid upon any it doth them no good and they can have no profit by it unless they bear it as was before described it is not the bare being afflicted that doth us good but it is the wise management or the skilful bearing of it that doth us good and therefore we finde that the Apostle Heb. 12.11 when he had said There is no affliction joyous for the present but grievous adds Nevertheless afterwards it yeildeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness but to whom What to every one that is afflicted have they these sweet fruits No but to them that are exercised thereby Afflictions bring no sweet fruits to them that have them unless they be exercised by them how exercised Afflictions exercise every one that hath them they are to all a passive exercise but to be exercised notes here an active exercise they who graciously exercise themselves in affliction shall without doubt finde benefit and fruit by affliction But some may say what is it to be thus exercised by affliction I answer for the opening of that Scripture to be exercised is First To be much in searching our own hearts and wayes or how 't is with us and what hath been done by us Eccles 7.14 In the day of adversity consider that is bethink your selves First What God is doing Secondly What you have been doing Thirdly What becomes you to do in such a day The prophet points us to the two latter Duties of such a day in one verse Lam. 3.40 Let us search and try our wayes and turn again to the Lord. To search our wayes is to consider what we have been doing to turn to the Lord is the great thing to be done in a day of adversity Secondly As this exercise of the soul consists in searching our own hearts so in searching the heart of God if I may so speak that is in an humble enquiry to the utmost what God meaneth by any affliction what hath moved him to afflict us and we have as much cause to search Gods heart as our own in this case Thus in that National affliction 2 Sam. 21.1 when the famine continued three years year after year it is said David enquired of the Lord why is it thus he search'd Gods heart by desiring an answer from the Lord what sin it was which provoked him to that sad dispensation And thus we should be enquiring of God by prayer what sin he striketh at or what grace he specially calleth us to act by any affliction which he sendeth either upon our families or persons Thirdly There is an exercising of our selves in searching the affliction it self first into the nature of it Secondly into the circumstances of it how timed and measured by what hand and in what way the Lord deals with us this is a great exercise and unless we are thus exercised under affliction we get smart and loss and bitterness but no good at all by it So much for the first counsel given Job by Elihu It is meet to be said unto God I have born chastisement His second counsel as it lies here in the order of the Text is about the reformation or the amendment of what is amiss I will not offend any more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat magna nocendi cupiditate ardere sicut mulieres ardent desiderio concipiendi foetum transfertur in secunda conjugations vel ad parturientium dolores vel ad concupiscendi libidinem Moller in Psal 7.14 It is fit the afflicted should say unto God I wil not offend The root of the word here used signifieth somtimes the pains of travel in childe-bearing Cant. 8.5 I raised thee up under the Apple-tree there thy mother brought thee forth there she brought thee forth that bare thee And again Psal 7.14 Behold he travelleth with iniquity and hath conceived mischief and brought forth falshood It signifieth also in Scripture to corrupt or to pollute Neh. 1.7 We have dealt very corruptly against thee and have not kept the commandments nor the statutes nor the judgements which thou commandest thy servant Moses To deal corruptly or to do corruptly what is it but to sin against or offend God Every offence or sin springs from the corruption of our own hearts and is a corruption of our wayes and manners Both these
chastisement also is not expresly in the original there it is only I have borne but because bearing must needs import that somewhat is borne as a burthen and seeing according unto the subject matter that Elihu is upon with Job it must referre to some affliction or chastisement laid upon him therefore we fitly supply this word chastisement It is to be sayd unto God I have borne what it cannot be meant of any outward corporall burthen or visible loade layd upon his back but I have borne chastisement affliction or correction It is meete to be sayd unto God I have borne chastisement that is I both have and will beare whatsoever thou hast or shalt be pleased to lay upon me I will not dispute thy burthens but take them up So then this first part of the verse is a direction ministred to Job shewing him how to behave himselfe in the bearing of affliction He must not strive or struggle with them nor with God about them but sustaine them And this direction is not peculiar to Job's person or to his case alone but it belongs to all that are in affliction let their case be what it will all such ought to beare quietly or patiently to abide under the burthen which God layeth upon them I shall not stay upon the opening of the speciall signification of that word chastisement because it is not in the Hebrew text only thus chastisements are usually taken for those afflictions or afflicting providences which God layeth upon his owne children he layeth judgements upon the wicked and punishments upon the ungodly but properly and strictly that which falls upon his owne people is called chastisement For though in Scripture there are dispensations of God towards his owne people spoken of under the notion of judgement yet they have not a proper sense of judgement as proceeding from wrath and intended for revenge Wrath is the spring from whence judgements flow and as to their issue they tend to the satisfaction of Justice This God doth not expect at the hands of his owne children and therefore their afflictions are most properly called chastisements Surely it is meete to be sayd unto God I have borne chastisement Hence note It is our duty when the hand of God is upon us or when we are under chastisements to speake humbly meekly and submissively to God We ought alwayes to be humble and carry it humbly towards God but then especially when God by any afflicting providence is humbling us The Prophet Hos 14.2 calling that people to returne unto the Lord adviseth thus Take with you words and turne to the Lord say unto him take away all iniquity and receive us graciously so will we render the calves of our lips As Elihu here makes a kinde of directory what a person in affliction should say unto God It is meete to say unto God that is for a man in thy case to say thus unto God so that Prophet by the Spirit saith Take unto you words and turne to the Lord and say or speake thus unto him though not strictly syllabically in so many words yet to this sence and purpose or according to this tenour speak thus Take away iniquity and receive us graciously And when the Prophet saith Take unto you words his meaning is not that they should affectedly study a forme of words for God much lesse that they should artificially counterfeit words which their hearts had not conceived or were not correspondent to their hearts many speake words even to God which never come neare but are meere strangers to the intents of their hearts but sincere words humble words words of supplication not expostulating words not quarrelling words not murmuring words not meere complaining words but take to you words of confession and submission and so present your selves and your condition before the Lord. The Preacher Eccles 12.10 sought to finde out acceptable words and so should we when we speake unto men Preachers of the word should seeke to finde out acceptable words not fine words not swelling words of vanity not slattering soothing words but acceptable words that is such as may finde easie passage into the heart or such words as may make their passage into the heart through the power of the Spirit of God Now if the Preacher sought to finde out acceptable words when he spake to the people much more should we when we speak to God O how should we labour then to finde out acceptable words All words are not fit to be spoken unto God the words that are in such cases as the text speakes of may be reduced to these two heads First They must be God justifying words that is words by which we acquit the Justice of God how sore and how heavy soever his hand is upon us When Daniel Chap 9.7 14. was laying before the Lord the calamitous state of that people they were under as sore judgements as ever nation was For under the whole heavens saith he there hath not been done as God hath done unto Jerusalem yet all the words he spake unto God tended unto the justification of God O Lord said he righteousnesse belongeth unto thee but unto us confusion of faces as at this day to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem c. We have not had one stroake more then we have deserved there hath not been a grain of weight more in our burthen then we have brought upon our selves there hath not been a drop in our cup more then we have given just cause for Therefore hath the Lord watched upon the evil and brought it upon us for the Lord our God is righteous in all his works which he doth for we obeyed not his voice these are words fit to be spoken unto God Secondly We are to take to our selves self-condemning self-abasing self-emptying words Such we finde in that chapter v. 5 6 7. To us belong shame and confusion of face c. these are the words we should take to our selves and thus it is meet to be said unto God whensoever his chastisements are upon us Secondly Observe It is our duty to acknowledge it to God that he hath chastened us when he hath We must own his hand in afflicting us as much as in prospering us in casting us down as much as in lifting us up in wounding us as much as in healing us It is meet to be said unto God we have born chastisement thy hand hath been upon us The neglect of or rather obstinacy against this is charged as a great sin Isa 26.17 Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see that is they will not acknowledge thy most eminent appearances in anger against them 'T is so with many at this day though there be a hand of God as it were visibly afflicting their bodies and estates their children and families yet they will not see that it is a hand of God but say as the Philistines it is a chance or it is our ill fortune