but to change their cloathes you have the expression in that place concerning Jacob be cleane saith he and change your garments It might be a changing by washing but I rather conceive that it was a change by putting on of other cloathes There was also another externall requisâ—te to the preparing and sanctifying of themselves and that was by abstaining for a time from the lawfull use of the marriage bed you have the command expresly in that 19th Exod. 15. Be ready against the third day come not at your wives and there are other the like places 1 Sam. 21.4 The Priest said There is no common bread under mine hand but there is hallowed bread if the young men have kept themselves at least from women if they have but that outward preparation the meaning is if they had kept themselves from their Wives David affirmes it was so in the words following The Apostle giveth the same rule in 1 Cor. 7.5 speaking of that point Defraud not one another saith he except it be with consent for a time that you may give your selves to fasting and prayer So that the Holy Ghost therein intimates such an abstaining as was preparatory to solemne duties that you may give your selves to fasting and prayer extraordinary duties call for extraordinary preparations These outward preparations were so necessary that when the people failed in them Hezekiah prayed for pardon 2 Chron. 30.18 19. The good Lord pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seeke God the Lord God of his Fathers though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the Sanctuary though their hearts were upright though they had hearts rightly prepared yet he prayeth that God would pardon the want of those outward preparations The principall preparation is of the heart and the washing of our wayes therefore we find how the Lord contendeth with them in Isa 1.10 11 c. where he speakes of those oblations and great services of the Jewes I hate your solemne feasts bring no more vaine oblations c. Why your hands sc your lives are full of blood wash yee make you cleane put away the evill of your doings from before mine eyes cease to doe evill learne to doe well c. As if he should say What doe you come to me in these holy duties except you prepare and fit your selves accordingly I cannot abide that unholy persons should come about holy things The very Heathen had this Notion they would not admit any to come to their religious services unlesse they were prepared That saying of Aeneas in the Poet to his Father when he came from the Warre is a cleare proofe Tu genitor c. Father doe you meddle with the sacrifices but as for me it is a sinnefull thing to touch them till I have washed my selfe in the fountaine This was an outward externall right amongst them for cleansing themselves The very Heathen saw they must not meddle with their holy things till they were cleansed therefore they had one that cryed out to the people when they came to sacrifice All you that are uncleane and prophane goe farre away from these sacrifices Not only the word of God but the very light of nature taught them not to meddle with holy things till they were sanctified Therefore specially looke to this when you have any sacrifice any duty to performe be prepared and sanctified within and without before you come to the duty It is true that the duty sanctifies but it is seldome that the duty sanctifies us unlesse we be sanctified for the duty They get most holinesse from the duty who are most holy before they come to the duty besides the great danger of comming unprepared Take heed how you heare not only heare but take heed to prepare your selves for hearing So looke to thy feete it hath the same sence when thou comest into the house of God prepare thy selfe be not hasty least thine be counted but the sacrifice of fooles So much of the first act of Jobs holy care He sent and sanctified them JOB 1. part of verse 5. and verse 6. And rose up early in the morning and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all For Job said It may be that my sonnes have sinned and cursed God in their hearts Thus did Job continually Now there was a day when the sonnes of God came to present themselves before the Lord and Satan came also among them NOw followes the second Act of Jobs holy care He rose up early in the morning and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all It is ill to performe a holy duty with neglect of preparation It is as bad to make preparation and then neglect the duty We see both joyned in Job he is carefull to prepare and he is as diligent to performe He rose up early This notes the extraordinary diligence and zeale of Job toward God in this duty He was so zealous that he riseth not only in the morning but early in the morning In Scripture to doe a thing in the morning and to doe a thing diligently are the same Psal 101.8 I will early destroy the wicked of the Land the word is I will destroy the wicked of the Land in the morning and the meaning is only this I will with all diligence and all care roote out of the Land all wicked persons So there is an expression Prov. 7.15 which illustrates this where the wicked woman the harlot tells the young man that shee came forth to meete him and diligently to seek his face the originall word there is to seek thy face in the morning and yet we know that in verse 9. it was in the twi-light in the evening that she met him But the Hebrew phrase is I came forth in the morning to seeke thy face that is as it is rendred I came forth diligently to seeke thy face So this comming forth of Job in the morning be-besides the time that it was at such an houre the beginning of the day notes the great diligence and exceeding care of Job about this worke Yet more exactly it is not only said he rose in the morning for there is a great latitude in the morning there are divers houres which all are called morning but it is said he rose early in the morning in the very beginning or first of the morning As it is commanded Exod 23 19· The first of the first fruits of the Land thou shalt bring into the house of the Lord. God would not only have the first fruits but the first of the first fruits if there were any ripe sooner then others God would have them some fruits that ripen'd after were first fruits but God would have the very first of them So here Job gave God not only the first fruits of the day but the earliest time in the morning which is the first of the first fruits of the day Early in the morning Then Observe 1. That
meaning of it The eyes of the Lord thy God are alwayes upon it from the beginning of the yeare even unto the end of the yeare So that to have regard to a thing to a day or to a person is to make account of these to take care for these for their good as a part of ones charge or duty or as an act of grace and bounty When Job saith Let not God regard it this may be the sense let not God take any care for it or make any account of it let not his eyes be upon it to doe it any good or to doe any extraordinary good upon it let it not be honoured by God with any speciall worke of providence which might make it recorded and remembred with honour among men The Apostle Rom. 14.6 speakes of mans regarding of a day He that regardeth a day regardeth it unto the Lord The Apostle treats in that Chapter about the observation of dayes finding that many beleevers could not be taken off from solemnizing those feasts which were of Gods owne founding and instituting among the Jewes he advises that they should not be judged or hardly censured for going according to their conscience for he that out of conscience and according to his light regards that is doth solemnize or observe a day he regards it to the Lord that is to the honour of God and with a sincere desire to please him But the thing I aime at in alledging this Text is to give light to the point in hand what it is to regard a day The Apostle is plaine that Mans regarding of a day is to have a day in speciall account as those dayes were which God instituted among the Iewes for speciall ends commanding them to observe them and promising a blessing in their observation Proportionably Gods regarding of a day is the speciall esteeme he hath or care he takes of it and the speciall blessing he powreth downe upon it Some practicall truths are hence observeable First Consider these two parts of the curse as they are placed in succession one after another or in conjuction one with another Let the day be darkenesse and let not God regard it from above This may teach us That there is no day so darke or condition so troublesome but if God regard and take notice of it man may take comfort and rejoyce in it Though the day be darkenesse Gods eye will make it light his regarding is a blessing we never loose all till God leaves us If in the houre and power of darkenesse as Christ calls the time of his passion God doe but lift up the light of his countenance upon us we shall be saved Jobs wish of darkenesse had done his day no great hurt unlesse he had taken the eye of God off from it also All the light that is in the world the light of Sunne Moone and Starres is but darkenesse to us if God hide his face but let Sunne Moone and Starres hide their faces let all creatures withdraw their comfort if God regard us we are well Therefore Iob puts the sting of the curse in Gods not regarding and withdrawing from his day Secondly When he wishes that God would not regard his day he desires God to lay aside or suspend his continuall worke Observe then That God doth observe and take particular notice of every day As all persons shall be accountable to him for their actions so also for their time God will inquire after every inch of time after every moment of our lives Many men regard not a day they value not their pretious time they know not how to spend or be rid of it how to weare it out and passe it away But God observes and regards every moment The Apostle calls to redeeming of time Ephes 5.16 And he subjoynes a motive Because the dayes are evill We may give in this of Iob for a motive God regards time therefore let us redeeme time If a day be within Gods regarding surely it may command ours Thirdly Let not God regard it We may observe That the blessing and comfort of every day depends upon the care and respect of God to it The eyes of all things looke up unto God Why doe all things looke up unto God It is that God may looke downe upon them If God looke downe upon the creature then the creature revives and is refreshed there are influences from the eye and sight of God which are able to quicken the deadest times and make glad the saddest hearts As we pray for and humbly expect every day our daily bread from God so every day doth as it were expect a daily blessing from God which is his regarding of our dayes It is the greatest evill that can befall the creature when God regards it not all the blessings of the creature are bound up like Jacobs life in the life of Benjamin in that respect which God beareth to them and in the care which he hath of them The Apostle Paul disputing with the Philosophers of Athens shewes the state of that time which they accounted such a golden-age Acts 17.30 The time of that ignorance God winked at so we translate it the word properly signifieth God did over-looke that time And there are some translations which expresse it in the very terme of the Text The time of that ignorance God regarded not For we are not to thinke there ever were any times which God winked at in the matter of his Justice so as not to call them to an account I grant that times of ignorance are comparatively winked at in respect of Justice God will not proceed so severely with them as with knowing times but God never winketh at any person or at any times how ignorant soever so as to let them goe unpunished and never call them to an account Such connivence God hates as being inconsistent both with his providence and his justice The Apostle is direct They who sinne without law that is without the knowledge of the law written shall perish without law namely the written law only according to the sentence of that law which the finger of nature hath written in their hearts Rom. 2.12 Ignorance shall not be so winked at as to be altogether excused How then did God winke There is a two-fold winking 1. Of disrespect 2. Of dispensation Gods winking is his direspecting He winked at those times that is he lightly passed them by his eye was not upon them for good he regarded them not in such a manner as to provide for them and send amongst them that great blessing which now saith Paul he sends you by my hands the knowledge of Jesus Christ When the blessed Virgin heard by that message of the Angell that she should be mother to the Saviour of the world she blesseth God in this phrase Thou hast regarded the low estate of thine handmaid When God in a way of favour doth but looke towards us our lowest estate is raised up Thou hast
Job as constantly and as vehemently maintaineth both those questions in the contrary sense He acknowledged himself to be a sinner yet he stiffely denied that he was a hypocrite he disclaimed his own righteousnes in point of Justification yet he justified himselfe in point of uprightnesse And as for the sinfulnesse of his nature and of his life he was willing except knowne or wilfull insincerity to own both and charge himselfe faster then his friends could appealing to and triumphing in free-Grace for full pardon This one Syllogisme I say is the summe of all the dispute between Job and his three friends This is as it were the hinge upon which the whole matter turned But besides these there are many discourses falling in collaterally which concurre to make up the subject of this book For as it is with those that studie the Philosophers-stone the great thing they aime at is to make gold c. that 's the principall the chiefe end yet collaterally they find out many excellent things many profitable experiments have beene made many rare secrets have beene discovered in prosecuting of that great designe So although this be the principall subject of the booke yet collaterally for the carrying on of these disputes many other rare and excellent heavenly spirituall and usefull truths are handled and discovered As to give you some particular instances First We have the Character of a discreet and faithfull Master and Father in a family and the speciall duties which concern those relations The doctrine of the Oeconomicks is often touched in this Booke Secondly We have here the Character of a faithfull zealous and just Magistrate in the Common-wealth how he ought to behave himselfe and what his duty is set downe also plainly and clearly by occasion of this dispute Thirdly We have a great discovery made in the secrets of nature The bowels of nature are as it were ript open and the great works of Creation are here displayed In this you have discourses of the Heavens of the Earth of the Sunne Moone and Starres of those Meteors the Haile the Snow the Frost the Yce the Lightning and the thunder In this you have discourses of Jewels of Minerals and of Metalls In this of Beasts and Birds and creeping things So that by occasion of this dispute a discourse is carried about all the world in the whole circuit of naturall knowledge or Philosophy Fourthly Here are discourses of Christian Moralls of the duties of equity from man to man Of the duties of piety which man oweth to God of the duties of sobriety and temperance towards a mans own selfe Yea here we find the great duty of Faith the matter of beleeving in the Redeemer of the world our Lord Jesus Christ Lastly Here are many discoveries made of God in Himselfe and in his Attributes in his Power Wisdome Justice Goodnesse and Faithfulnesse yea whatsoever may be known of God in any of these is some way or other here discovered So then all being summed up together it may well be said concerning this Booke that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Book containing all excellencies of wisedom and holinesse and what as some of the Jews and Rabbins say of it in other Books is here a little and there a little is all plentifully gathered together in this In a word it is a Summary a Compendium of all knowledg both humane and divine both concerning our selves and concerning God So much of the subject of this Book both principall and Collaterall The second generall to be considered is the division of this Booke We may consider it in reference to the division First as it is a Dialogue for so some call the whole Booke which is an interchangeable discourse concerning any subject or matter whatsoever And taking it in that notion wee may divide it by the Collocutors or Speakers and by the severall speeches which they made The Collocutors or Speakers in this Booke are Eight 1. God 2. Sathan 3. Job 4. Jobs wife Jobs three friends 5. Eliphaz 6. Bildad 7. Zophar 8. Elihu Who commeth in as a Moderatour of that dispute Their Speeches which they make are in the whole compasse of of the Booke 32. distinctions There are two Dialogues betweene God and Sathan One betweene Iob and his wife Three between Iob and Eliphaz Three betweene Iob and Bildad Two betweene Iob and Zophar Two betweene God and Iob. And then we have Elihu making foure distinct Speeches or Orations which have no Answer And lastly two severall Speeches or Parables as they are called of Iob one in Chapt. 27.1 and the other in Chapt. 29.1 So that summe up all these together and you may divide the whole Booke into 32. distinct or severall Speeches either by way of position or answer or reply or determination God speakes foure times Satan twice Iobs wife once Iob thirteene times Eliphaz thrice Bildad thrice Zophar twice Elihu foure times Or if we should consider the Booke as a Disputation which is higher then a Dialogue so you may distinguish it by the Opponents by the Respondent and by the Moderators The Opponents are three Iobs three friends Iob himselfe is Respondent The Moderators are First Elihu he commeth in first as an Vmpire betweene them Secondly God himselfe at last out of the whirle-winde giveth the decisive determinative voice and sentence He states the question fully for Iob and reproveth Iobs friends as not having disputed and argued aright concerning him Yet further Wee may divide the Booke into five Sections whereof The first doth set forth the happinesse and fullnesse of Iobs outward estate and the integrity and perfection of his spirituall estate And that is conteined in the first 5 verses The second presents Iobs affliction Iobs fall the great and sore calamity which in a moment did overtake him with the occasion of it And this you have set forth from that 5th verse exclusively to the 9th verse of the second Chapter Thirdly We have the questions the debates and disputes which did arise upon and about the fall of Iob into that sad condition which are contained from that 9th verse of the second Chapter to the end of the 31. Chapter Fourthly We have the Moderation or determination of this dispute and of this argument first by Elihu and then by God himselfe from the beginning of the 32. Chapter to the 7th verse of the 42. All which is but as a determination or stating of the Question Fifthly and lastly Wee have the restitution of Iob his restoring and setting up againe and the repairing of his estate and making of it double to what formerly it had bin And that is begun and continued from the 7th verse of the 42. Chapter to the end of the Book So here you have a five-fold division of the Book Once more We may divide the Book into theee parts And so it sets forth 1. Iobs happy condition both in regard of externalls and internalls in the first 5. verses 2. Iobs fall
feare of God that must be the spring of uprightnesse and perfection else they are onely Heathen vertues not Christian graces God delights in nothing we doe unlesse we doe it in his feare As Joseph said to his brethren when they feared some hard measure from him I feare God when this feare of God tyes our hands it shews the love of God fils our hearts Not to wrong man because we feare God is an argument of more then man Fearing God you may observe 2. Holy feare containes in it every grace we receive from God and all the worship we tender up to God Feare is a comprehensive word it is more then a particular grace When Abraham had offered up his sonne Isaac that was a worke of mighty faith and the faith of Abraham is wonderfully commended by it but God speakes thus Now I know thou fearest me Feare containeth faith and feare containeth love too Though perfect love cast out tormenting feare 1 Joh. 4.18 yet perfect love cals in obeying feare Heare the conclusion of all saith the Preacher Eccl. 12.13 Feare God and keep his Commandments for this is the whole duty of man or this is whole man Feare is all duty and every grace Fearing God and eschewing evill Hence this from the connexion 3. Holy feare keeps the heart and life cleane The feare of the Lord is cleane saith David Psal 19. Cleane not onely in it selfe formally cleane but effective it makes clean and keepes cleane the heart and life Feare is as an armed man at the gate which examines all and stoppes every one from entring that is unfit It stands as a Watch-man on the Tower and it lookes every way to see what 's comming to the soule If evill come feare will not admit it And therefore in Scripture you shall have these two often put together fearing God and eschewing evill Nay eschewing evill is not onely put as an effect of the feare of God but it is put into the very definition it selfe of the feare of God The feare of the Lord is to depart from evill He eschewed evill From hence observe also 1. Godly persons do not only forbeare sin but they abhorre sin They have not only their hands bound from it but they have their hearts set against it Holy enmity against sin is the temper of a godly mans heart he eschew's evill 2. A godly mans opposition of sin is universall it is against all sin Job eschewed evill all evill there was no picking of this or that particular evill to oppose but whatsoever came under the name and notion of sin Iobs spirit turned against it enmity is against the kind 3. Godly persons doe not onely avoid the acts of evill but all the occasions of evill Iob eschewed evill whatsoever led him to evill all the appearances of evill as the Apostle speakes we cannot avoid the sinne if we will not avoid the occasion When Solomon cautions to take heed of the path of the wicked he useth foure expressions and all to the same purpose Avoid it saith he passe not by it turne from it and passe away to shew unto us that if we would keepe from the acts ofâ—â—n we must keepe from the way of sin The second thing whereby his prosperous estate is set out unto us is what his possessions were You have a particular Inventory of his estate in the second and third verses and you have the totall summe cast up after all the particulars are set down and it amounts to thus much that Iob was the greatest of all the men in the East In the second verse you have the first part of his goods set down his jewels his children There were borne unto him seven sons and three daughters This verse contains the first part of Iobs outward happinesse the blessings of children Concerning whom we have 3. things offered 1. Their number 10. 2. The distinction of Sexes Sons and Daughters 3. Their mutuall love and concord v. 4. There is little in the words that needs explication therefore where the Scripture is plaine and cleare I will not spend time There were borne unto him His children were not borne against him but borne unto him given as comforts and blessings to him Seven sonnes and three daughters The number seven and the number three are numbers of perfection Some trouble themselves much about them But I will not stay upon numbers Verse 2. And there were borne unto him seven sonnes and three daughters Here observe 1. Children are the blessings of the Lord. They are put here as a part of his Inheritance Children are an heritage of the Lord and the fruit of the wombe is his reward They are speciall blessings Children as it is observed are a resemblance of our immortality because a man revives againe lives anew as it were in every child he is borne againe in a civill sence when others are borne to him There be some who account their children but bils of charges but God puts them upon the account of our mercies how holily and piously speakes Iacob concerning his children These saith he are the children which God hath graciously given thy servant 2. Observe this Children as they are blessings and great blessings so they are greater blessings than any outward thing else whatsoever When a description is made of Iobs goods the best is put first First his spirituall blessings are set downe then comes his outward now children are put in the very next degree to his graces What our Saviour Christ saith of a mans soule may be said of children What saith he shall a man give in exchange for his soule It is true that is spoken there of a mans owne soule that it is more to himselfe than the world but it is a truth here too if one have a soule given him and to have a child is to have a soule bestow'd on us for the present it is more than to have the whole world bestowed on him A whole world of riches is not so good not such goods as one child therefore children are put in the first place as his choisest and chiefest outward blessings Then from the number of his children he had many children he had 7. sons and 3. daughters Observe 3. To have many children is a great blessing and the more children the greater the blessing Some thinke themselves blessed if they may have one or two children one to inherit their estates one or two to delight themselves in to play with or to beare their name but if they come to a number to a great number then they thinke themselves exceedingly burthen'd then they are troubles When God casts up the estate of a blessed man in outward things he saith not onely that he hath a child that he is not barren but that he hath many children that he hath his quiver full of such arrowes as the expression is Psal 127.5 and that is made the blessednesse of a man there Happy is the
dayes of their feasting were gone about Secondly Iob sent to sanctifie his children though they were in their own houses though they were at their own disposing for it appeares they had families and housholds of their owne though they were men and women growen Yet Iob sent to sanctifie them Observe hence That Parents must not cast off the care of their children though they are growen up though they are men and women Some thinke that if they looke to their children at Schoole and breed them up a while and have given them some instructions in their youth they need not then trouble themselves any further Whereas the care of parents ought to live as long as they and their children live together Iobs care went after his children to their houses He sent to them to bid them prepare themselves Thirdly Though these were as we say men and women growne yet as soone as their Father sends the message to them they all submit and all obey then Observe That Children that are growen up or have houses and families of their owne ought yet to yeeld all reverence and submission to the lawfull commands counsells and directions of their Parents Doe not thinke you have outgrowen obedience and honour to Parents when you are growen in yeares still we see these thought themselves under their Fathers command and counsell there is not one of them replies what need my Father trouble himselfe about us No but all willingly prepared themselves and came for he offred burnt offerings aocording to the number of them all therfore certainely they all came Fourthly From the matter of this Act what it was that Iob did the text saith he sent and sanctified them after their feasting he did not send a messenger to them to aske them how they were in health whether they had not surfeted themselves or had got any distemper he did not send to know how the accounts went in their families whether they had not spent too much but the matter that he had his eye and his heart upon was that they might be sanctified and fitted for holy duties From hence observe That A Parents maine and speciall care should be for the soules of his children The care of many Parents is onely to inrich their children to make them great and Honourable to leave them full portions and estates to provide matches for them but for sanctifying their children there is no thought of that Nay many are afraid their children should be sanctified some Parents cannot abide their children because they suspect them sanctifyed Such Parents are the Devills children Iobs greatest care was that his children should be sanctified And every Parent ought to say of his naturall children as the Apostle Iohn doth of his spirituall children Ep. 3. v. 4. I have no greater joy then to heare that my children walke in the truth Fifthly Iob was a holy person and you see which way his care lies that his children may be holy then take this Note in the generall Hee that is a holy person himselfe desires to make others holy too Holy Iob would have all his children holy As it is with the wicked a wicked man would faine have all wicked with him he would faine scatter his wickednesse and diffuse his poison unto others The drunkard would faine have companions with him in his drunkennesse c. And so the man that is truly godly would make others godly too As Paul said to K. Agrippa I would to God that not only thou but also all that heare me this day were both almost and altogether such as I am Grace is attractive It desires to draw others into fellowship A good man would not be happy alone Sixthly Sanctification you see here is ascribed unto Iob he sent and sanctified them and all that he did was but to give them counsell and warning to sanctifie themselves As if he should have said goe to my children and bid them prepare themselves warne them that they may be ready against the sacrifice that they fit themselves for it yet the text saith that Job sanctified them Then we may observe from this That The good which others doe by our advice and counsell is reckoned as done by our selves While we provoke others to goodnesse that good which they doe is set upon our account as if we had done it As the wickednesse the sin which another commiâ—s by the advice and counsell of any man is set upon the score of that man If another doe ill by thy advice the ill is reckoned to thee if one should come and say as Absolom said to his servants Marke ye now when Amnons heart is merry with wine and when I say unto you smite Amnon then kill him feare not have not I commanded you Not only did the servants kill Amnon but Absolom killed Amnon because he commanded them to kill him You know what is said of David he did but send a Letter concerning the death of Vriah and the charge cometh Thou hast slaine Uriah with the Sword of the children of Ammon All the evill others commit by thy counsell direction advice command or consent is as done by thy selfe So on the other side all the good others doe by our counsell advice promotion admonition instruction and the like that good shall all be reckoned to us If another be holy by thy advise it will be said thou hast made him holy thou hast sanctified him Lastly Observe That Holy duties call for holy preparation We must not touch holy things with unholy hands or with unholy hearts I will wash my hands in innocency and so will I compasse thine Altar O Lord was Davids resolution Psalm 26.6 therefore Job intending a solemne duty a sacrifice which did containe the summe of all Religion concerning the externall worship of God sends solemnely to his children to prepare themselves O come not to the sacrifice except you be sanctified It is a point so cleare that I shall need but only to name it to you How and wherein they should sanctifie themselves and what course they took for the sanctifying and preparing of themselves for that duty doth not appeare in this place but afterwards when God gave them the Law he prescribed them a rule what they must doe that they might be sanctified the Jewes had speciall directions for their preparations Some things were outward and some inward I will but touch For the outward they were commanded to wash their cloathes Exod. 19. that place before quoted Sanctifie them to day and to morrow and let them wash their cloathes Not that God regarded cloathes but he aymed at somewhat further if the cloathes must be washed certainely then the heart must be washed he pointed at that in the washing of their cloathes In Leviticus and Numbers other outward preparations are commanded as the abstaining from all things that were uncleane they must not touch any thing that was uncleane and then sometimes they were not only to wash their cloathes
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
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
gave up the Ghost Spirits have mighty power He smote Job why he did not demand to smite Job he did but desire to have him Toucht you heard before somewhat of that Satan moves that his flesh and his bone might be only touched now his motion being granted it is said he smote him There are two things in this smiting First It notes suddennesse He did not afflict him by a disease that grew upon him by degrees as you know boiles and sores ordinarily are long a gathering breeding in and breaking out of the flesh but he was all over full of these boiles in an instant Secondly smiting intimates the vehemencie of it a killing stroake a deaths wound the Hebrew word signifieth to strike to death So here was a sudden stroake and a vehement stroake It must needs at once wound both his mind and body on a sudden in a moment to be filled with sores and covered with a scab he saw no cause he had no prognosticks which might induce a suspition that his body was in such a distemper and so it looked the more like an immediate stroake from an offended God Every word hath its weight and emphasis to adde weight and anguish to this affliction It may here be questioned how Satan can be said to smite And the same doubt ariseth about this action of good Angels one of which as executioner of Gods wrath smote of the Assyrians in one night an hundred and fourscore and five thousand Isai 37.36 and another smote Herod Act. 12. I answer how angels smite is a secret that we cannot expresse nor fully apprehend For this and the like expressions of smiting are sured to the nature of the patient not of the Agent man being a materiall substance is susceptive or capable of smiting or of a stroake But an angel being an immateriall substance cannot smite properly and he is therefore only said to smite a man because we cannot signifie an effect or impression upon a body but by such a word We know that in the plague or other diseases when they are immediately inflicted by Angels man receives a stroake and therefore is said to be smitten But how the Angel gives that stroake or smites is not knowne Man may feel himself smitten by an Angel but how the Angel smites he cannot understand This word is fitted to the recipient not to the efficient cause of the disease or plague or death He smote him with boiles The Hebrew word signifieth an ulcer a burning or an inflaming ulcer an ulcer that cometh from extreme heat or is extreme hot Satan did as it were kindle a fire in the bowels of Job inflamed his bloud and heated the humours of his body from whence these boiles these ulcers these sores did arise The Grammarians expresse it sometime more generally A filthy scab sometime more particularly An ulcer a boile sometime a leprocie it is indeed any foule disease breaking out upon the body The same word is used Exod. 9.10 where it is said that God smote the Egyptians and the Magicians with boiles It was one of the plagues of Egypt that was inflicted upon Job We need say no more of it then that to shew that it was a grievous plague a most painfull sore for it is added in that place of Exodus that the Magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boiles Againe it is not onely a smiting and smiting with a boile but there is an Epethite added he smote him with sore boiles with an evil boile among evils some are worse these were the worst kinde of boiles There are many sorts of boiles some are not so bad as others though all are bad enough Now lest any should thinke Jobs boyles were not the most painefull and malignant a word is joyned to expresse it to the height In the kind they were boyles and intensivè or in the degree they were the worst and most tormenting boyles Further in the fourth place we know it is painfull for a man to have one boyle especially an angry burning one a boyle of the worst sort but it is subjoyned he was smitten with boyles from the sole of his feete unto his crowne To be all over boyles and to be all over-run with the most painfull kind of boyles what a vehement paine must this be From the sole of his feete unto his crown there is the extent of this stroake Intensivè it was the worst kind of boyle And Extensivè it was all over his body no part free From the sole of his feete unto his crowne It is usuall in Scripture thus to signifie the whole body As Deut. 28.35 The Lord shall smite thee in the knees and in the leggs with a sore botch that cannot be healed from the sole of the foote to the top of the head or to the crowne And Isa 1.6 when the Prophet would expresse what a generall blow the body politique had received from the hand of God by his judgements so it is there to be understood he saith there were wounds and bruises and putrifying sores from the sole of the foote even unto the head That is the whole body politick the whole State had at one time or other or all at one time received wounds and blowes and stroakes from the hand of God The extreames comprehend all the parts That which extends from one extreame or utmost part to another is extended through all from East to West is all the world over and from head to foote is all the body over So then Satan smote him from the sole of his foote to his crowne is He smote his whole body All paines and distempers were gathered into this one malady and all the parts of his body were smitten as if they had bin but one member only his tongue was untoucht as is commonly observed That it might be free to blaspheme God who had thus polluted the beauty and comelinesse of his body who had thus imbittered the comforts of his soule Job being thus smitten would surely looke out for helpe Though it be exceeding sinfull with Asa diseased in his feete to seeke to the Physitians and not to the Lord yet it is our duty to seeke to the Lord and the Physitian To trust in meanes is to neglect God to neglect meanes is to tempt God Doubtlesse holy and wise Job walkt in a path betweene these two He neither trusted nor neglected meanes but used them yet alasse it was with Job as it is said in the Prophet concerning Ephraim and Judah That when Ephraim saw his sicknesse and Judah saw his wound Then went Ephraim to the Assyrian and sent to King Jareb Yet could he not heale you nor cure you of your wound Though Job as they in their civill sicknesse seeing his sicknesse his wound had sent to this and that Physitian Their answer would have been we cannot heale you nor cure you of your wound His disease was of the nature of those which
They love cursing they cloath themselves with cursing as with a garment Psal 109.17 18. Cursing as one of the Ancients complained in his time is now made the common weapon of anger and wrath wishes that evill which because of weaknesse it cannot worke If cursing could have done it we had not been a people at this day How often hath Balack out of feare or envy at our prosperity sent to Balaam I meane the false prophet that dwels on the seven hils come curse Israel come defie England how often hath that Balaam curs'd our Israel We have heard of his Anniversary Anathemaes wherein this Church and state have been struck with the thunder and lightning of his Papal curse But the curse causelesse saith Solomon shall not come And we may say to England as Moses did to Israel concerning Balaams curse Deut. 23.5 Neverthelesse the Lord thy God would not hearken unto Balaam But the Lord thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee because the Lord thy God loved thee And what David prai'd about Shimei's curse we have seene come to passe The Lord hath requited us good for his cursing 2 Sam. 16.12 We have far greater cause to feare the blessing of Rome then the curse of Rome But to returne The result of all is this When God pronounceth a curse he makes it to be a curse man at the worst can but wish a curse and pronounce it Man is but the minister God is the Master of the curse God can inflict it man can but think or wish it Another thing here questionable is Whether it be lawfull to curse the creature Job curseth his day The rule of the Apostle is Rom. 12.4 Blesse and curse not In some cases to curse is Gods command and our duty and then we are Gods ministers for wrath against the wicked Many times man though forbidden curses then it is his sin and he is Satans minister for evill against his brother There are some cases wherein we may curse When the Patriark Jacob was upon his death bed and bed of blessing he yet pronounced a curse upon the rage and anger of his two sonnes Simeon and Levi Gen. 49.7 Cursed be their anger for it was fierce and their wrath for it was cruell I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel We may curse the plots and counsels of wicked men enemies of Christ and of his people we may curse the persons of wicked men as implacable enemies of Christ and of his people So David more then once in the Booke of Psalmes yet it is to be considered that some of those Psalmes are Prophecies of a curse not pronunciations of a curse And in all lawfull cursings we must observe these two rules First To aime the curse at the destruction of the sin not of the sinner Secondly Where the sinner appeares incorrigible yet to desire the clearing up of Gods Justice in punishing not the punishment it selfe To curse any thing or person passionately is infirmity To curse any thing or person maliciously is grosse impiety There is a third doubt the resolving of which will further cleare the Scripture to us that is Whether a day be an object capable of a curse or no It is a question moved by the Schoole-men whether a blessing and a curse doe belong to any but a reasonable creature or whether any thing else be a subject capable of a blessing or a curse And they resolve it that nothing is properly the subject of blessing and cursing but a reasonable creature Therefore a day which is a part of time is in it selfe incapable of a curse Those things only are capable of penall evils which are capable of morall evils A day is not cannot be morally evill though there be many morall evils acted in the day The Apostle adviseth us to redeeme the time because the dayes are evill Ephes 5.15 Times are called evill in regard both of troublesome evils and sinfull evils From evill men and evill manners dayes are denominated evill yet dayes in themselves are not evill morally and so not lyable to a curse which is a penall evill Further Those creatures which have life in them and have no reason in them are on the same ground incapable of a curse whereas it is said that God cursed the ground and cursed the serpent Gen. 3.14 17. neither the ground nor the serpent were cursed in themselves or for their own sakes The serpent an unreasonable creature had not the knowledge of God and the earth a senslesse creature could not feele the power of God therefore the curse upon those creatures was only in order to and as a punishment of the sin of man The Text is expresse Gen. 3.17 Cursed be the earth for thy sake The earth there comprehends all the creatures living on the face of the earth besides man These are cursed for mans sake As those creatures at the first received not a being or a blessing for themselves but for mans good so they receive not any evill or curse but for mans punishment So we are to understand those places in Deut. 28. Cursed be thy basket and thy store c. God threatens a curse on these creatures the fruits of the earth c. in order to mans disobedience But it shall come to passe if thou wilt not hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God to observe to doe all his Commandements c. that all these curses shall came upon thee and overtake thee ver 15. Observe That the curse is threatned to come on them to overtake them When the basket was curs'd when the increase of the kine and the flocks of the sheepe were cursed man was cursed For we may say in the letter as David did in a figure when the Angell of the Lord smote his people with the pestilence 2 Sam. 24. Alas what have these sheepe done that they should be smitten with a curse As in pulling downe the house of a Traitor the revenge is not taken against the materials of the house but against the Master of the house So then for the resolution of this point take it thus No creature below man is or can be accursed by God or man properly terminately or ultimately That is in it selfe or for it selfe or from it selfe but only improperly and relatively namely with respect to what man should doe hath done or suffered First in reference to what man should doe so Christ cursed the fig-tree to teach man either the duty of fruitfulnesse to the glory of God or of faith in the power of God Secondly in reference to what man hath done the sin of man thus God cursed the serpent and the ground The serpent was cursed both for admonition to man and for a punishment on man God to admonish man how much he hated sin punishes an irrationall instrument of sin and by that enmity planted in the serpent as a curse punishes mans too much familiarity with the serpent
Gender for another are frequently observed in Scripture by the learned in the Originalls Secondly The relative word is conjectured to be put in the Feminine gender because women were most usually called forth to that worke of mourning And it is further observeable that where the Scripture speakes of those actions of mourning or rejoycing or loving which are workes of affection it useth to ascribe them to women rather then to men because they are quicker in affection and faile of affection then men and so more ready to act or expresse such joyes or sorrowes then men are For the close of this point I shall adde the apprehension of a learned Expositor who taking the words in this last sense as referring to those solemne mournings yet conceive that the word Leviathan must stand here in the letter not as if Job had any intendment to speake of the fish Leviathan or to allude to fishing for Leviathan but either because Heathens in those execrations did invoke or provoke Leviathan that is the Devill Or because in those solemne songs of lamentation Leviathan was a word much used or Leviathan was the first word of some of those lamenting songs For in execrations strange uncouth dreadfull words were purposely used the more to affect and astonish the hearers Now there is no word more dreadfull then Leviathan whether we take it for that sea-monster the Whale or for that Hell-monster the Devill And so the meaning is this Let them curse it who curse the day who are ready to raise up Leviathan that is Let those mourners who sing that most passionate song of mourning which begins with or is entitled Leviathan It is ordinary among us to call for a song or to call a song by the generall subject matter of it or by the first word of it And so many bookes of Scripture have their names in the Hebrew from the first word as the booke of Genesis is called Beresith or In the beginning And Exodus Veele semoth that is And these are the names because both begin with those words in the Hebrew So the song which was the forme of those Lamentations might be called Leviathan because saith this Authour it began with that word and he alledgeth a proverbiall tradition for it out of Mariana which he had received from a Jew that it was forbidden upon the Feast-day to raise up Leviathan That is they might not take up that execratory song which beginneth with Leviathan I only present this opinion because it suites with and illustrates the former notion of solemne mourning Thus I have with as much speed and clearnesse as I could given you the meaning of these words That which favours their sense most who keepe to the word Leviathan is that this booke speakes afterward of Leviathan to shew the power of the creator in that powerfull creature And I find the very same phrase of raysing or stirring up Leviathan used in that place chap. 41. ver 10. None is so fierce that dare stirre or raise him up The Hebrew word which there we translate stirre in this third chapter is translated raise Leviathan Yet I rather encline to the latter exposition respecting mourning both because it hath the authority of our English Bible to countenance it our Translators putting mourning in the Text and Leviathan in the margin As also because it carries a clearer correspondence and agreement both with Antecedents and consequents both with the matter and with the frame of Jobs complaint and curse in this chapter Taking the words in this sense that Job calls to have his night cursed in such a solemne manner as those hired mourners used to lament and bewaile the dayes of humane calamities we may observe First That hope of profit will turne some spirits into any posture Lamenting and mourning is an unpleasant worke but profit and reward sweetens and makes it pleasant Some men will be in any action so they may get by it they will mourne for hire and curse for hire So did Balaam Balaam was sent for to curse the people of God Numb 22. He made many delayes and seemingly conscientious scruples yet at last he goâ—s about the worke as black and bad as it was But what overcame him and answered all his doubts about the undertaking of such a worke The Text in Peter resolves us he loved the wages of unrighteousnesse He that loves wages will quickly love any work which brings in wages Upon the stage you might have any passion for your money Joy and sorrow love and hatred all acted and personated beyond the personall temper or occasions of the men meerely for reward And which is the highest argument of a mercenary spirit some act holinesse for hire and are godly for outward gaine Secondly In that Job calls others to mourne over and condole that night Observe That some troubles exceed our own sorrowes And we may want the eyes and tongues of others to expresse them by My heart saith Job is not large enough and I have not art enough to act much lesse to aggravate my own afflictions let them doe it whose profession and practise it is to curse the day Sometimes the mercies which we receive and the joy that the soule conceives is more then we can expresse or be thankfull enough for and then we send to others both private Christians and whole Congregations desiring them to help us to lend us their hearts and their tongues their affections and their voices in that Angelicall worke the praises of our God Let them blesse God who blesse the day who are vers'd in dayes and duties of thanks-giving who are ready to raise up their rejoycings David saith Come and heare all ye that feare God and I will declare what he hath done for my soule Psal 66.16 He had not told them what God had done for his soule but to gaine the help of their soules in praising God for what he had done Sometime also a Christian is so engaged in prayer for the obtaining of a mercy and finds his heart so much below his suite that he calls out to all those who have any holy skill in praying pray for me pray with me the businesse is too bigge for me alone How earnestly doth Paul begge prayers Now I beseech you bretheren for the Lord Jesus Christs sake and for the love of the Spirit that ye strive together with me in prayers to God for me that I may be delivered c. Rom. 15.30 As it is thus in praying and rejoycing so it may be in mourning and in sorrowing And troubles are very deepe when they exceed our own sorrowes as mercies are very great when they are beyond our own praises Wee in this Nation have cause to feare such troubles even such as may cause us to invite the hearts and spirits the bowels and compassions of all the Christians in the world to come and lament over us we may be forced to send not only for the Husbandman
of spirituall priviledges and benefits so death takes away all distinctions in regard of civill priviledges In death there is neither small nor great neither male nor female neither bond nor free the greatest shall lie as low as the smallest and the highest as low as the meanest every one there shall be but as his neighbour and as his brother in the flesh There is but one distinction that will out-live death and death cannot take it away the distinction of holy and unholy cleane and uncleane beleever and an infidell these distinctions remaine after death and shall remaine for ever but rich and poore honourable and base high and low King and subject these distinctions shall be done away and forgotten as if they had never been no difference no distinction but that which God makes and that which grace makes can stand out against the power and stroake of death There the small and great are the same And the servant is free from his Master The servant There are two sorts of servants There are some who are voluntary servants and others who are servants by constraint There are some who might be free but they will not and there are others who would be free but they cannot Of the former sort we reade a Law Exod. 21.5 where the servant that loved his master and refused his freedome saying I will not goe out free must be brought before the Judges and have his eare bored thorow with an awle in token of his willingnesse to serve that Master for ever Others are servants by constraint as the people of Israel in Egypt who were made to serve with rigour Exod. 1.14 to serve whether they would or no which is servitude rather then service We may understand the Text of both The servant that is either he that doth voluntarily serve and willingly puts himselfe under the command of another or he which is under the command of another whether he will or no to both these death giveth freedome whether their Masters will or no The servant is free from his Master The word which we translate is free noteth that formall manumission or setting at liberty which is used in places or Corporations where freedomes are either purchased by money or deserved by appointed service And the word here translated Master is plurall Masters it is one of the Names of God Adonai which Name the Lord hath from government That very name is given to Masters of Families because they ought to governe and order the affaires and businesse of the family with wisedome and justice Every master of a family is a governour of the family he is as it were a King in his own family The servant is free from his Master Hence note first this Sinne brought in servility and the subjection of man to man I ground it thus because Iob speakes of service as of an estate of affliction as of an estate of trouble under which many groane and from which they can get no release till death breake the bands and sets them free In the state of innocency there was a dominion granted to man over the beasts but there was no dominion granted to man over man In the state of integrity relations should have continued but subjection should not have been found only that naturall subjection of children to Parents but as for civill subjection there had been no such thing in the world Before man forsooke the service of God he needed none to serve him service comes in by sinne and the increase of it by the increase of sinne As we see when Canaan was so vile as to forget the duty of a sonne he is set below or in the worst condition of a servant Gen. 9.5 Cursed be Canaan a servant of servants shall he be unto his bretheren that is the lowest and most abject servant As God of Gods is the greatest God and Lord of Lords is the Highest Lord so servant of servants is the lowest the basest servant So then as civill subjection came at first from sin so the increase of subjection which is to be a servant of servants came from the increase and progresse of sin Observe secondly A servant is not in his own dispose Though he be a voluntary servant yet he must serve the lawfull will of his master He may yea he ought in every ingenuous service to serve willingly but he is not at his own will to serve when or where or how he will Some have thought they have a freedome from service by the liberty of the Gospell or Gospel-priviledge and that is the reason why the Apostle 1 Tim. 6.1 gives that rule Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own Masters worthy of all honour c. He speakes of beleeving servants Some presumed they had such freedome by Christ that they might cast off subjection to men No saith the Apostle as many as are under the yoke that is while they continue servants they must submit to their condition yea though their Masters be unbeleevers as the next verse shewes And they that have beleeving Masters let them not despise them c. nothing takes away subjection but death for as he that is called in the Lord being a servant is the Lords free-man 1 Cor. 7.22 So he that is the Lords free-man being called to it is and ought to be mans servant The Centurion in the Gospell shewes the servants duty I say unto one goe and he goeth and to another come and he cometh and to my servant doe this and he doth it The servant is at his Masters beck not at his own dispose and nothing can free him but death so long as he continues under the yoke in that relation Hence observe thirdly That death concludes the subjection of man to man In the grave or there the servant is free from his Master there is no more service due to man when once death that king of terrours hath carried us into his dominions JOB 3. Ver. 20 21 22. Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery and life unto the bitter in soule Which long for death but it cometh not and dig for it more then for hid treasures Which rejoyce exceedingly and are glad when they can find the grave c. AT this 20th verse the third and last Section of the Chapter begins Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery and life to the bitter in soule In the former part of the Chapter Job wished that death had surprised him assoone as ever he set his foot into the world yea before he came into the world that he might have died in the very wombe Here Job begins to expostulate why he having made so long a journey and in his latter time so troublesome a journey in the world why I say he is not at his request cut off and taken away by the stroake of death Why is light given to him that is in misery and life to the
it is Gods due and our duty to dedicate the morning the first and best of every day unto God Psal 5.3 My voice shalt thou heare in the morning in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee and will looke up We have a saying among us that the morning is a friend to the Muses that is the morning is a good studying time I am sure it is as true that the morning it is a great friend to the Graces the morning is the best praying time Againe In that Job did rise so early in the morning to offer sacrifice and did this because he was afraid that his sonnes had sinned as we shall see afterward Hence Observe 2. That it is not safe to let sinne lye a moment unrepented of or unpardon'd upon our own consciences or the consciences of others If a mans house be on fire he will not only rise in the morning or early in the morning but he will rise at mid-night to quench it certainly when you have guilt on your soules you have a fire in your soules your soules are on a flame therefore you had need rise and rise early and get up as soon in the morning as you can to get it quenched and put out And offered burnt-offerings There were divers sorts of Sacrifices among the Jewes when the law or rules of sacrificing were established There were first Whole burnt-offerings 2. Trespasse-offerings 3. Sinne-offerings 4. Peace-offerings That which Job is here said to offer was a burnt-offering an Holacost or whole burnt-offering so called because it was altogether consumed there was no part of it reserved for the Priest or for the people but all was offered up unto God Of other Sacrifices as the sinne-offering and trespasse-offering there were parts and portions reserved for the Priest and part of the Peace-offerings for the people as you may see by that expression of the Harlot Prov. 7.14 I have at my house Shelamim Peace-offerings now they did feast upon the Peace-offering for she invited him to a feast But the burnt-offering was wholly consumed the word in the Hebrew doth signifie an ascension or a thing lifted up He offered burnt-offerings word for word out of the Hebrew it is He lifted-up an elevation he caused an Ascension to ascend elevabat elevationem or ascendere fecit ascensionem And it was so called because the Sacrifice which was a whole burnt-offering was all consumed upon the altar And did as it were evaporate or ascend up unto God It was called a lifting-up or a thing lifted-up for three Reasons 1. Because when the Sacrifice was offered the smoake of it did ascend and besides there were sweet odours put upon the Altar which did fume up also with the Sacrifice towards heaven and so the Sacrifice took it's denomination from ascending and going upwards 2. Because the Priest when hee offered the Sacrifice did lift it up upon the Altar and hold it toward Heaven to God 3. Because at that time when the Sacrifice was a burning all the people that were present did lift-up their hands and their eyes but especially their soules and their spirits heaven-wards and powred themselves forth in prayer unto God That of David in Psal 141.2 will give some light to this Let saith he my prayer be set forth before thee as incense and the lifting up of my hands as the evening Sacrifice David at that time as Interpreters note upon the Psalme was barred the enjoyment of the publike ordinances he could not come to sacrificing as formerly he had done now he seekes unto the Lord that he would accept of the lifting up of his hands and heart in stead of Sacrifice as if he should say Lord I have not a Sacrifice now to offer unto thee I am hindered from that worke I cannot lift that up but I will lift up what I have and what will please thee better then a Bullocke that hath hornes and hoofes I will lift-up my hands and my heart unto thee and let these be accepted for sacrifice and all Prayer which is a Sacrifice of the Gospell it is nothing else but A lifting up of the soule an elevation of the spirit unto God So some of the Ancients call prayer an Ascending of the soule unto God And in allusion unto this Hezekiah when he sent to Isaiah the Prophet to pray for him in that time of distresse and day of trouble saith Goe and desire the Prophet to lift-up his prayer for the remnant that are left alluding to the sacrifices which were wont to be lifted up The like expression of prayer you have Psal 25.1 Lord saith David I lift-up my soule unto thee Hence Prayers not answered not accepted are said to be stopt from ascending Lam. 3.44 Thou hast covered thy selfe with a cloud that our prayer should not passe through When you meet with such expressions in the old Testament concerning prayer you must still understand them to be allusions to the Sacrifices because the Sacrifices were lifted up and did ascend That for the Act. For the person It is said that Job offered these Sacrifices Job rose early and offered c. Was not this to usurpe upon the Priests office Was it not this for which King Vzziah was reprehended and told by the Priests It appertaineth not to thee to burne Incense unto the Lord but to the Priests the sonnes of Aaron and was he not smitten with leprosie for doing of it I answer in a word by that rule of the Ancients Distinguish the times and Scriptures will agree It was Job that offered and Job had right to offer The time wherein Job offered Sacrifice doth reconcile this it was before the giving of the Law as we have shewed in the opening of the former points about the time when Job lived now in those times the Father or the elder of the Family was as a Priest to the whole Family and he had the power and the right to performe all holy family duties as the duty of sacrificing and the like this you may see carried along in all the times before the Law was given in the holy Stories of the Patriarks they still offered up the Sacrifice But it may here be further inquired If it were before the Law was given who taught Job to offer Sacrifice Where had he the rule for it I answer this was not will-worship though it was not written worship For howsoever Job did offer Sacrifice before the Law of sacrificing was written yet he did not offer a Sacrifice before the Law of sacrificing was given for the Law of sacrificing was given from the beginning as all the other parts of worship used from the beginning were God could never beare it that men should contrive him a service therefore Job did not offer up an offering unto God according to his owne will a thing that he had invented to pacifie and to please God with God had been so farre from accepting that he could not have
present himselfe before the Lord. I propose this as an opinion to which my owne inclination is not strong These words with the context as was noted in the former Chapter seeming to me rather a representation of Gods providence towards man then a description of mans worship tendered unto God Againe there was a day It may be yet further enquired how much time passed betweene the first and this second day of appearance Some affirme it was the immediate day after others the immediate Sabbath after A third opinion deferrs it to the yeare after Satan cunningly delaying the businesse all that while to the intent he might more fully see how the former affliction wrought what effects it had or would have upon Job before he attempts a second The text resolveth us in neither of these but leaveth it indifferent and undetermined saying onely Againe there was a day It is most probable that there was such a distance of time betweene these two afflictions as was competent to a full discovery of Jobs spirit under the first As when Christ was tempted and had foyled Satan in that temptation it is said the Devill departed from him for a season he left him probably to see what effects might follow upon the former temptation So Satan having tempted Job and tempted him by a temptation though one in the generall yet with a foure-fold assault foure severall messengers making as it were foure charges upon him he leaveth him for a season and againe when there was a day he returnes to renew the assault and battery I shall passe-over the two verses following in all that they containe opened in the former Chapter But in the latter end of the third verse there is somewhat added very materiall where the Lord bespeakes Satan concerning Job 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 This was the Character which God gave of him before in the former Chapter but now he goeth on And still he holdeth fast his integrity although thou movedst me against him to destroy him without cause This is superadded to his testimony his commendation is enlarged Job you see hath gained in this conflict he was described before as an holy man now he is described as a tryed man as an approved souldier Job hath obtained this honour in the former combate with Satan a glorious addition to his character As the patience and other graces of Job did increase so did the testimony of God increase concerning him Note from this addition only in the generall thus much That such as honour God God will honour If we doe any new or further service for God God will adde some further honour and respect unto us If we do or say or suffer any thing extraordinary for God God will say or doe somewhat more than ordinary concerning us The old character did not serve when Job had done this new service God will never conceale any of our graces no nor the improvement of any of our graces If we speake but a word for God we shall heare of it againe God takes it and pens it downe as it is said Malac. 3.16 They that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord hearkened and heard and a booke of remembrance was written God sets it downe presently So he recorded what Job had spoken and gives it him in at the next meeting with Satan We can never loose either by doing or suffering for God All shall be recompenced to the utmost farthing As it is usuall with Kings and great-men of the world for great services done them especially in warres and battels to make additions to the titles of honour to give some new motto's or put some new devices in the Coate-armour of those who serve them Thus doth God here Job having play'd the man as we say or rather the Saint in that former combate he hath a new title of honour put into his stile Now it is not only Job a man that feareth God and escheweth evill but Job a man that holdeth fast his integritie Consider the words themselves And still he holdeth fast his integrity The words And still or to this present time may have a double reference First barely to the time past Job was not only a perfect and a sound man in former times but hee is so still so at present Or rather secondly it referres to the affliction and losses hee had suffered as hee was in former times so hee is at this time as he was in prosperous times so hee is in troublesome times When the day was light and cleare to him Job was a perfect man and now the day hath nothing but darknesse and gloominesse in it Job is a perfect man still though wounded in his estate and broken in his outward comforts yet he is as sound and whole in his spirit as ever he was Though cattell servants children be dead and gone be spoyl'd and lost yet grace is safe and faith tryumphs hee still holdeth fast his integrity Holdeth fast This which we translate by two words is but one word in the Hebrew Our language is not comprehensive enough to expresse the fullnesse of that word in a word Iob doth not only hold his integrity but he holdeth it fast the word implyes a strength in holding to hold a thing firmely And more the word hath a further Emphasis in it it signifieth not only to hold a thing by that degree of strength wherewith formerly we did hold it but it doth import thus much to waxe stronger in the holding of it to prevaile or increase in strength As when David sent Ioab to number the people Ioab was unwilling and said to the King Now the Lord thy God adde unto the people an hundred-fold but why doth my Lord the King delight in this thing Then it followes Notwithstanding the Kings word prevailed against Joab That which is there translated And his word prevailed is the same with this we translate here Holdeth fast the Kings word did take a prevailing hold upon Ioab or held him fast to the doing of the Kings command though he would have got oft from the businesse So we may understand it here still he prevaileth or waxeth stronger in his integrity The same word is used by the Prophet Malachi cap. 3.13 14. where God convinceth those proud spirits that puffed at his service Your words saith he have been stout against me That which we translate have been stout is the same with this in the text of Iob your words have beene stout that is they have growne stronger and stronger against me and my waies you are confirm'd in wickednesse whereas your hearts should have beene brought downe and humbled you are increast and hardned in your obstinacy and rebellion Such is the strength and meaning of the word in this place Iob by this opposition growes more strong and stout in his
it be in regard of personall troubles or nationall troubles to hold fast and keepe close to God in such distresses is admirable To continue good while we suffer evill is the height and crowne of goodnesse As it is that which putteth one of the greatest aggravations upon the sinfulnesse of men that they will hold fast their sinnes in the middest of judgements The Prophet Amos with much elegancy of speech and vehemency of spirit urgeth this against the Jewes Cap. 4. I have given you cleannesse of teeth yet have yee not returned unto me I have with-holden the raine yet have yee not returned unto me I have smitten you with blasting yet have ye not returned unto me I have sent among you the pestilence and the sword yet have yee not returned unto me saith the Lord. The Prophet Ieremy takes up the same argument having before spoken of judgements sent upon them Yet saith he they hold fast deceit and refuse to returne Cap. 8.5 they held fast deceit though they were afflicted that aggravated their sinfulnesse Now I say as it makes sinne out of measure sinfull to hold it fast when God afflicteth so it makes grace out of measure gracious putteth a wonderfull splendour and glory upon it if we hold fast our grace when troubles and afflictions meet us in the holding of it forth and God will put an Emphasis upon such a one for grace as he did upon Ahaz for his sinne 2 Chron. 28.22 In the time of his distresse did he trespasse yet more against the Lord This is that King Ahaz that brand is put upon him So there is an honour stamp'd on Job in this testimony that in the time of his distresse he did yet more good This is that Job to serve beleeve and love God more in distresse this is integrity to a wonder this drawes the heart of God toward such and makes them truly glorious in the eyes of godly men That which followes in the text doth yet more advance the honour of Job in this victory still he holdeth fast c. Though thou movedst me against him to destroy him without cause Though thou movedst me The word here used to move signifieth more than a bare motion it carries in it a perswasion and more then a bare perswasion it carries in it a vehement instigation As when a man doth perswade a thing by arguments and strong reasons that is the force of the word as in that place 1 King 21.25 There was none like Ahab which did sell himselfe to worke wickednesse in the sight of the Lord whom Jezabel his wife stirred up stirred up is the word in the text thou movedst me Jezabel moved Ahab incited him never gave him over by arguments and reasons by this consideration and that consideration to doe wickedly in Israel So here Satan did as it were plie God with arguments and reasons to instigate him against Job Thou didst move me against him Satan is a cunning Oratour and knowes how to handle a matter that it may take with greatest advantage Some may question how can this be Will God be mooved by Satan Is not the Lord unchangeable Have Satans words and arguments such power with God to moove him to doe a thing I answer it two wayes We may cleare it first thus As the Saints and people of God in prayer are said to move God and to prevaile with God they are said to carry a businesse with God Now you know what they doe in prayer they doe not only spread a petition barely before God but they strengthen it with all the arguments they can argument upon argument pleading upon pleading yet the Lord himselfe is not stirred he is not changed at all by the prayer of his people it is not to be thought that the Lord upon the prayers of his people takes up any new thoughts or puts on any new resolutions to doe this or that for a mercy that is but a day old in regard of our prayer obtaining it is an eternity old in regard of God purposing it therefore God is not changed at all but he is said to be moved to give or doe as or when we pray because he giveth and doth what he himselfe had purposed to give when we should pray for as God from all eternity did purpose to give to his people such and such mercies so he did purpose and decree to give them when they prayed Now then as it is in regard of his peoples prayer and seeking for mercy they move God but it is onely the bringing forth of that which he had in his heart from all eternity to doe for them So here in this case God had a purpose from all eternity to try Job and likewise he did purpose the way and the meanes of it that it should be done upon the motion and instigation of Satan For although God cannot be moved by any to doe a thing which before he intended not he is unchangeable yet as by his eternall will and counsell he doth produce things in time So likewise from eternity he did order and will the manner of their producing he purposed to do good for his Church upon the supplications of his servants and sometimes to afflict his Church or servants at the instigation of Satan Secondly This place thou movedst me against him is to be understood by a figure very frequent in the Scripture God speaking of himselfe after the manner of men because as men usually when they do a thing are moved by others to do it and by perswasions are sometime prevailed with to doe that which they intended not an houre before So God is said to doe a thing upon motion though he intended it from eternity often descending to expresse himselfe by that which is common to men though his manner of doing it be transcendent infinitely beyond men From the force of this word so explained Thou movedst me against him Observe That Satan is an earnest and importunatè solicitour against the people and Church of God he without ceasing provokes God against them he bends his wits and straines his language to the height in pleading against them to get them delivered up into his hands or into the hands of his instruments And if Satan be thus zealous so importunate a sollicitour against the Saints It may teach us to be as earnest and zealous for the Saints Satan doth not onely move but he moveth by arguments he incites It is not enough to pray by proposing our desires but we must pray enforcing and pressing our desires such a holy unquietnesse of spirit as is expressed by the Prophet Isa 62.1 For Zions sake will I not hold my peace and for Jerusalems sake will I not rest c. Such was that required of the Watch-men set upon the walls of Jerusalem which should never hold their peace day nor night Yee that make mention of the Lord or yee that are the Lords remembrancers keepe not silence and give him
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