wise may he profitable to himself The Lord hath designed all our wisdom and obedience to our own benefit So Moses spake to the people of Israel Deu. 6.24 The Lord commanded us to doe all these statutes to feare the Lord our God for our good alwayes that he might preserve us alive as it is at this day It is not for the Lords good but it is for our good that he commands and we obey And as the Lord commanded all things in the Law for our good not for his own so he commands us to believe the Gospel not for his good but for our own he is not to be saved by it it is we that are to be saved by it He doth not call us to work as men do their servants that he might play the good husband and get some profit by keeping us hard at labour Indeed the Lord keepeth his servants hard at labour night and day they must be continually upon duty But he doth it not as I may say to play the good husband to encrease his stock by it but it is for our profit That which Christ speaks Mar. 2.27 about the Sabboth is true of all other the commands of God we are apt to think that God requires a seaventh day because it is for his profit and advantage no saith Christ the Lord hath not an eye to himselfe but to man The Sabboth was made for man that is for mans advantage that he might look heaven ward that he might worke in the things which concern his owne blessednesse therefore hath the Lord appointed him a resting day The Sabboth was made for man and not man for the Sabboth Sixtly Then our disobedience cannot hurt God our sinnâ— cannot disadvantage him impaire his blessednesse oâ— diminish his glory As mans obedience is no profit so his disobedience is no disprofit to God Sinners shall be punished as they who have wronged and dishonoured God they shall be dealt with as such But really all the sinnes of the world doe not bring any damage or disadvantage to God Elihu is expresse to this point in the 35. Chap. of this Book vers 6 7. If thou sinnest what dost thou against him Every sin is against the mind of God but no sinn is against the happinesse of God or if thy transgressions be multiplyed what dost thou unto him is God impair'd by it Surely no God doth not loose a pinn from his sleeve as I may say by all the sinnes committed in the world He hath no dependance at all upon our obedience for his blessedness our sins cannot hurt him as our obedience cannot help him which Elihu shews in the next verse If thou be righteous what givest thou him or what receiveth he of thine hand Seventhly hence see the honour of God that hath made so many creatures and man especially of whom himselfe hath no need that hath so many to serve him and yet needs none of their services Give God this glory Wee think those men are very glorious and honouurable who have but as much of the creature as will serve thier turn all creatures are the Lords yet he is not necessitated to serve his turn by any of them Eightly then see what an obligation lyeth upon us continually to blesse God to be thankfull to him to walk humbly with him who gives us so many profits when as we doe not profit him at all God prizeth that highly by which himself hath no benefit hee prizes the actings of faith and holinesse highly but he hath no advantage by them God gives us profit by these though himselfe be not profited though he is not the better by any thing we do yet we are the better The Lord binds himself by promise that the least good we do in sincerity shall have a good reward He that gives but a cup of cold water to a Disciple in the name of a Disciple shall not lose his reward But if we give thousands of Gold and Silver to poore Disciples what profit hath God by it And yet though none of the profit comes to his hand yet he reckons it as if all were put into his hand All the charity and compassion shewed to his people Christ taketh to himself Matth. 25. In that yee have done it unto these ye have done it unto me Christ had no need of alms of visiting or cloathing yet he counts it as done to himselfe when we do it to any of his Can a man be profitable to God as he that is wise may be profitable to himselfe Some give the meaning of the words thus Doth it follow that a man can be profitable unto God because a wise man may be profitable to himselfe our reading reaches the same sense Can a man be profitable unto God as he that is wise may be profitable to himself It doth not follow because A man may profit another man or profit himselfe that therefore he may profit God That 's the summe of the argument 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Intellexit prudens fuit per Metonymiam faelix prosper fuit quod prudentibus omnia feliciter cedant prudentiam faelicitas fere sequitur As he that is wiâ—e The word in the root of it signifies to Understand to be Prudent and by a Metonymie to be happy or to prosper because usually affaires succeed well and prosper in the hands of wise men and happinesse usually followes wisedome therefore to be wise and to be profitable are signified by one and the same word in the Hebrew So in this Text He that is wise is profitable to himselfe that is his affaires shall prosper We finde this Title prefixt to divers Psalms Maschil Maschil intelligens prudens carmen erudiens ode didascalica In titulis Psalmorum ter decies legitur which is as much as A teaching Psalme a Psalm making wise a Psalm for Instruction This Title is given those Psalms which as they have some extraordinary matter so usually they are Psalmes of complaint under affliction and the reason of that is because there is much instruction in correction much light of holy knowledge is to be had in the School of the Crosse therefore usually those Psalms that describe the afflictions of the Church are called Maschil Psalms of Instruction Schola crucis Schola lucis Luth. He that is wise and instructs or he that is wise as having received instruction may be profitable to himselfe All wisedome is not profitable to man for there is a wisedome of which the Scripture saith that God will destroy it a man cannot profit himselfe by that and there is a wisedome which is earthly sensuall and devillish Jam. 3.15 A man be he never so wise according to this wisedome shall not profit himselfe by it There are a sort of wise men whom the Lord will take in their craftinesse 1 Cor. 3.19 and how can such profit themselves by their wisedome There are wise men whose thoughts the Lord knoweth to be but vaine that
abscondere negare fraudare Subtrahebas ei si habebat prohibebas si non habebat i. e. nolebas ei panem dare Dâ—us Esurientium substraxisti fructum panis Ambr. and sometimes to deceive a man of that which is due to him Our translation Thou hast withholden carries that sence in it Properly we are sayd to withhold onely that from a man which he hath a right to Thou hast withholden Bread from the hungry As hunger and thirst are put for all manner of Extreamity so bread and water are put for all manner of supplyes generally The Greekes and some Latines Interpret this strictly of a morsell of bread Thou hast withholden a morsell of bread as the rich man in the Gospel did Lazarus desired but the crummes that fell from his Table but could not get them So here thou hast withholdden not onely a full Table but a morsell of Bread This latter clause and the former are of the same sence yet from that word withholden which Implyeth a wrong done to the poore note first That the poore have a right in what rich men have And if they withhold all from them they shall be condemned not onely as uncharitable and illiberall but as oppressors and unjust not onely as not having given them reliefe but as not having done them right Prov. 3.27 Withhold not good from them to whom it is due when it is in the Power of thy hand to doe it A thing is due upon a double account first by the Law of Justice secondly by the Law of Love I conceive here that the Proverb is to be understood of a dueness not by the Lawes of Common Justice as if a man have his brothers Estate in his hand he cannot withhold it from him without transgressing the Law of Justice but of a dueness by the Law of Love or more strictly by the Law of Charity thus 't is a duty to doe good to those that are in want it is not onely a favour that wee shew to them when wee releive them but there is a duty in it which wee owe to God who hath commanded that their poverty should be supplyed by the plenty abundance which he hath given to others If therefore it be demanded who are they to whom this doing of good is due I answer not onely they to whom thou art endebted in Justice witnes thy hand and seale but even they to whom thou art endebted in charity witnes their want and need The poore have a right to what we are able to give and can conveniently spare yea sometimes their right may lye somewhat beyond the line of our conveniency So then there is a poynt of Justice in it as well as of charity in releiving the poore and if as the next words in Solomon imply it be sinfull to delay them till to morrow it must needes be a wickednes to deny them for ever Therefore the same Solomon Prov. 22.2 speaking of the poore and the rich puts them together The rich and poore meet together the Lord is the maker of them all Now the Lord is the maker of the poore and of the rich not only in their naturall constitution as they are men consisting of body and soule so indeed he hath made the poor as well as the rich and they are both alike the worke of his hands but the Lord is the maker of them in that capacity or state wherein they are he makes the rich man and the poore man that is hee makes the one rich and the other poore he 〈◊〉 the maker of them both and Solomon I conceive puts that in to shew first that poore men should not envy the rich man why for the Lord hath made him rich why should thine Eye be Evill because the Lords Eye is good And againe that the rich man should not despise the poore or withdraw the bowells of his Compassion from them the Lord could have made thee poore too if hee had pleased therefore be Compassionate towards them for the Lord is the maker of you both And this answers that objection commonly given by some why are not my goods my owne may I not do with them as I please I have not stolne them I have wronged no man in the obtaining them it is well when men can say thus that they have done no wrong in getting riches but this is no argument how justly soever any man hath got his Estate that he should keepe it all to himselfe and not give a portion to those that are in want The rich man withholds what is due to the poor when he withholds releife from them It is true your Estate is your owne it is yours no man can challenge or claime it from you I but God can claime it from you you are possessors and masters of your Estate in reference unto men but you are but Stewards and Servants of your Estate in reference unto God Now a Stewards buisinesse you know is not only to receive and lay up the Estate of his Lord or Master but 't is his buisines also to pay or lay out according as he receives command or order from his Lord thus it is in this Case Rich men are but Stewards to the Lord in reference to all that they have Therefore as they receive from him and partake of the fullnes of the Earth which is his for the Earth is the Lords and the fullnes thereof so they must issue it according to his order and command Now he hath left a standing order for all times that the rich should distribute to the necessities of the poore and hungry Rich men must not thinke themselves Stewards onely to receive in but also to pay out what their Lord calls for and therefore as they would give a good account of their Stewardship at the great Audit day let them take heed how they withhold bread from the hungry I might shew further that the rich are not onely obliged to give or that it is their duty to give but that they ought to give chearfully and readily not upon constraint 2 Cor. 9.7 that they ought to give liberally and bountifully noâ— with restraint and that they ought to give sincerely not thinking thereby eyther to merit at the hand of God or to get the praise of men Secondly From the matter of this charge Thou hast withholden bread from the hungry we may observe That Not to doe good or the omission of doing good to the poore renders us culpable as well as the doing or Commission of that which is evill or injurious to them Not to releive the poore is a sin as well at to injure or oppresse the poore yea not to releive hath injurie and oppression in it The reason of it is cleare from the former poynt because the poore have a right to so much of a rich mans estate as is a releife of their pressing necessities to preserve them from perishing And every man must acknowledge that to deny any man his right
owne hearts may vow more care and diligence in and about all these things And thus wee are to understand that of Jacob Gen. 28.21 vowing that the Lord should be his God as also that of David Psal 119.106 I have sworne and will performe it that I will keepe thy righteous judgements David kept them before but now he would be more strict then before in keeping them So then when we vow things already commanded or forbidden we must pitch and place our vow not upon the matter of the commandement but upon the manner and intensenes of our spirits in keeping it Fourthly Let not vowes about indifferent things be perpetuall All vowes about things expressed in the Law of God must be perpetuall because the things themselves are allwayes a duty For the affirmative precepts of the Law are at all times binding and the negative binde at all times But as for things which are not precisely under a Law As for example in the affirmative to pray so many times in a day to reade so many Chapters of the holy Scriptures in a day to heare so many Sermons in a weeke and in the negative not to drinke any wine or strong drinke not to weare silke or lace for or upon our Apparrel not to take such or such a recreation in it selfe lawfull I say in these cases let not vowes be perpetuall but limited to a season lest thereby wee entangle our owne soules and cast our selves into temptation while through a zeale not according to knowledge we use such meanes to avoyd it Make no vowes to binde your selves at all times in things which are not necessary at all times eyther to be done or not to be done From the whole verse Observe That the answer of prayer received from the Lord doth call us to pay and performe all the duties that we have promised or vowed to the Lord in prayer Though we doe not alwayes make strict and formal vowes when we pray yet every prayer hath somewhat of a vow in it so that having prayed at any time we may say The vowes of God are upon us for when we pray we promise and then especially we doe so when we pray under any pressure of trouble or when we have any extraordinary request to make then I say we engage our selves in a more solemne manner to serve and walke with God And so the returne or answer of such prayers ingageth us more strongly to duty For wheresoever the Lord soweth there he lookes to reape and where he hath sowed much he looks to reape much but then and there chiefly when we promise him fruits of duty for our receipts of favour and mercy Did we take notice of this we should not be found as we are so much in arreare to the Lord eyther for our private or publique mercies What promises have we made in the day of our distresse that we would be holy that we would strive against and mortifie our sinnes or the deeds of the body through the Spirit power of our Lord Jesus Christ Now let conscience speake have wee performed our promises have we paid our vowes we can hardly say that we have put up a prayer which hath not had an answer by blessings and successes God hath been to us a prayer-hearing God have we been to him a vow-paying people Who amongst us is now more active for God or more carefull to please him then before Who amongst us is more watchfull over his heart or more circumspect in his walkings then he was before Who is more carefull over his family that it may be holy or more zealous for the publicke that it may be reformed then he was before What manner of men should we be in all holy conversation and Godlines did we but pay those vowes and make good those engagements which have gone out of our lips and we have layd upon our selves before the Lord in the day of our trouble how just how pure how righteous a Nation should we be were we what we promised our utmost endeavours to be the Lord hath done much for us let us up and be doing for him let us make good what we have spoken to the Lord in vowing and promising seing the Lord hath performed what we have spoken to him in praying and calling upon his name God hath answered us at the first call yea sometimes before we called let us not put God to call a second and a third time much lesse often and often for the payment of our vowes For though the Lord in patience waite many dayes for the payment of vowes yet according to righteousnes we should not let him waite one day for it All these spirituall debt-bills are payable at sight or upon demand God shewes us our owne bills and bonds wherein we stand engaged to his Majesty every day and every day by some or other of his Atturneyes that is by some meanes or other he makes his demand therefore pay to day pay every day for we can never come wholy out of these debts to God or say we owe him nothing how much soever we have payd him And know that if when God hath heard us we be sloathfull in paying our vowes eyther God will heare us no more or wee shall heare of him and that as we say with both eares till he make our eares tingle and our hearts ake for not paying them Swift Judgements have often followed these slow payments And though they have not been swift in comming presently upon the neglect yet when they have come they have come swiftly upon the neglecters And as wee may alwayes say of the evills and Judgements which come upon any of the people of God as the Prophet in a like case doth to the people of Israel Jer. 4.18 Thy way and thy doinâ—s have procured these things unto thee this is thy wickednes So in most cases when evills and judgements fall upon and afflict the people of God we may say Your not doing what you have promised hath procured these things unto you This is your vow-breaking or your neglect of paying your vowes And how just is it that their troubles should not onely be renewed but even doubled and trebled yea seventimes more encreased upon them who slight and throw off those very duties which they tooke upon them in the day of their trouble in expectation to have their troubles removed Every mans mouth will be stopt when he suffers for not doing that good which the mouth of the Lord hath spoken how much more will his mouth be stopt and he have nothing to say for himselfe who suffers for not doing that good or for not forbearing that evill which his owne mouth hath spoken and solemnly charged upon himselfe as a duty in the presence of the Lord. They will have least to say for themselves who goe against or come not up to what themselves have sayd Then pay your vowes JOB CHAP. 22. Vers 28 29 30. Thou shalt also decree
man chafed and enraged as a man full of wrath and fury but as a man most tenderly affected and full of pity for a bruised reade shall he not breake and smoaking flax shall he not quench a bruised read and smoaking flax are emblems of the weake of the arme without strength of those who are without wisdome Christ will not deale roughly with those he will not breake the bruised read nor quench the smoaking flax that is such as are broken with the sence of sin such as are weake in faith such as are so much over-powred by corruption that they doe rather smoake and make an ill-sented smother then burne or shine in a gracious profession such as are thus low and meane in spiritualls Christ will not breake with his power nor quench with his rebukes till he send forth judgement to victory that is till he hath perfected their conversion and hightned their graces to the full and caused the better part in them to prevaile over the worse as the house of David did over the house of Saul till it arive at a blessed victory And againe Isa 61.2 The spirit of the Lord God is upon me for whâ—t because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meeke he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted to proclaime liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound Here is helping those that have no power and saving the arme that hath no strength Thus Christ handles those who through temptation affliction or any trouble are brought low For the neglect of this duty the Lord reproves the Shepheards Ezek. 34.2 3 4. Son of man prophesie against the Shepheards of Israel prophecy and say unto them thus saith the Lord God unto the Shepheards Woe be to the Shepheards of Israel that doe feed themselves should not the Shepheards feed the flockes That is should they not be more intent upon the feeding of their flocke with spiritualls then upon the feeding of themselves with temporalls should they not labour more to feed the peoples soules then their owne bellyes surely they ought But what did the Shepheards of Israel The next words shew us both what they did and what they did not Ye eate the fat and ye cloath you with the wool ye kill them that are fed These things they were forward enough to doe But see what they did not ye feed not the flock That 's a general neglect of duty then followeth their neglect of particular duties The diseased have ye not strengthened neyther have ye healed that which is sicke neyther have ye bound up that which was broken neyther have ye brought againe that which was driven away by force of Satans temptation neyther have ye sought that which was lost through selfe-folly and corruption Here is a large enditement against the Shepheards All which may be summed up in Jobs language to Bildad They did not helpe those who had no power they did not save the arme without strength nor counsel those who had no wisdome See againe how the Prophet describes the compassionatenesse of God to his people in an afflicted condition Isa 27.8 In measure that is moderately when it shooteth forth thou wilt debate with it he stayeth his rough winde in the day of the East winde that is when affliction like an East winde blowes feircely upon his from the world then he stayeth his rough winde he will not bring his rough winde out of his treasures to joyn with the East-winde God will deale gently with his when they are hardly dealt with by men And thus it is our duty when it is a day of the East winde a day of trouble and temptation upon any soule to stay the rough winde to breath gently to give refreshment and ease to the weary soule How hast thou helped him that hath no power how savest thou the arme that hath no strength Secondly Observe The manner how we performe any duty is to be attended as well as the matter Bildads businesse was to comfort the sorrowfull to strengthen the infirme how did he performe this his strengthening was a weakning his helping was a grieving of Job already weake and grieved and the reason was because he failed in the manner or mannaging of this worke we must be carefull as to doe good for the matter so to doe it effectually which cannot be unlesse it be done rightly Some goe with an honest purpose to helpe who yet administer no helpe at all to every such helper it may be sayd with rebuke How hast thou helped him that is without power how unhandsomely hast thou done it what worke hast thou made of it Thou hast but entangled the poore soule worse then before This runs through all duties We may say to some How have you prayed and called upon God They onely speake a few words present a few petitions but without a heart without faith without a sense of the presence of God or of their owne wants how have such prayed call ye this prayer we may say to others how have you heard the word of God is this to heare what to reâ—eive the sound or the sense of the word and never to minde it more never to digest nor turne what is heard into practice is this hearing We may say to others how have you fâ—sted and humbled your soules before God Is this a fast that God hath chosen a day for a man to hang downe his head like a bullrush Is this fasting to God even to God No This is but a mock-fast a No-fast God hates such formality in praying hearing fasting with a perfect hatred A body exercised and a soule sitting still is not worship God is a spirit and will be worshipped in spirit and in truth In the truth or according to the rule of his owne word as also in the truth or according to the sincerity of our owne hearts unlesse we worship God in this twofold truth we worship him not at all as he will be worshipped how much soever we seeme to have a will to worship him As Job here puts a question mixt with admiration and indignation to his helper How hast thou helped him that hath no power How ilfavordly how bunglingly hast thou done it So the Lord will put such a question to many of his worshippers How have ye worshipped him that hath all power how slightly how formally how hypocritically have ye done it Therefore in all duties looke to the manner as well as to the matter and labour to doe them well as well as to doe them To neglect the doing of a duty or the doing of it negligently are alike offensive unto God and he will say to the latter with as much displeasure How hast thou done what I commanded as he will to the latter Why hast thou not done what I commanded yea Thirdly Observe That which is not done as it ought is to be judged as if not done That which we strive not
highest of the learnedst of the holiest of the best of men Can a man be profitable unto God The word is El The strong God Can the strongest man be profitable unto the strong the mighty the omnipotent the Almighty God Can he be profitable Can he bring any advantage gaine or profit to God Should he reason with unprofitable talke saith Eliphaz Chap. 15.3 or with words that bring in no Profit A word of the same root signifies a Treasurer who is a keeper of publique Profits Esay 22.15 Goe get thee unto this Treasurer even unto Shebna Can a man be profitable Thus Eliphaz reproves Job for insisting so often upon his own innocency as if that were an Advantage to God As if he had said how holy or righteous soever any man is the Lord receives no advantage by him So that Eliphaz it seems apprehended Job trusting or boasting of somewhat in himselfe as if he had thought God his debtor or that hee had done somewhat for which God was beholding to him And upon this ground that God is debtor or beholding to no man Eliphaz undertakes Job And though his supposition was false yet his position was true and gives us this profitable observation That the best of men cannot oblige God or merit any thing at his hand That which is our duty to doe cannot merit when we have done it We cannot oblige either God or man by performing our owne obligation Thus Christ argues Luk. 17.7 Which of you having a servant ploughing or feeding Cattell will say unto him by and by when he is come from the field goe and sit downe to meate And will not say unto him make ready wherewith I may sup and gird thy selfe and serve me till I have eaten and drunken and afterward thou shalt eate and drinke Doth he thanke that servant because he did the things that were commanded him I trow not So likewise yee when yee have done all these things which are commanded you say wee are unprofitable servants we have done that which was our duty to doe Where Christ proves that because the servant had done no more then was his duty to doe therefore he did not merit in doing it When you have done all that is commanded you say yee are unprofitable servants He that doth all those things that are commanded him is a man indeed a man of worth a man of men yet let that be granted that he reacheth to the utmost line of the Command he is an unprofitable servant he hath but done his duty There is another Parable in this Gospel of Luke that seems to be somewhat opposite to this Chap. 12. v. 36 37. And ye your selves be like unto men that waite for their Lord when he will return from the wedding that when he cometh and knocketh they may open to him immediately Blessed are those servants wâ—om when the Lord cometh he shall finde so watching that is at their worke Watching is not meant here of a bare waking or not being asleep for a man may watch in that sense and yet be as bad as a sleeper To be found awake and yet idle to be found awake yet doing nothing is as blameable as to be found asleep So that to be found watching is to be found intent upon and labouring in the work of the Lord. Blessed be those servants whom when their Lord cometh he shall find so watching what wil he do Verily I say unto you that he shall gird himselfe and make them to sit down to meate and will come forth to serve them In the 17th Chap. Christ saith If a servant have been hard at worke in the service of his Lord even as a man that is come from Plow or from feeding his Cattell yet his Master doth not say to him sit downe to meate but first bids him gird him self and serve him and afterward goe to meat But here 't is said the Lord presently girds himself and makes his servants sit down to meat and will come and serve them so that here he speaks as if the Lord were much beholding to these servants whereas before hee speaks of them as unprofitable servants to whom he was not at all beholding For the clearing of these two Parables we are to distinguish them by their scopes The scope of the Parable in the 12th Chapter is to shew that the diligent servant shall receive much from the hands of the Lord or that the labour of the diligent servant shall not be in vaine or unprofitable to him But the scope of the Parable in the 17th Cha. is to shew that the most diligent servant cannot doe any thing that is profitable unto his Lord. He may do that which may be profitable to himselfe but he can do nothing that can be profitable to his Lord that 's the scope of the 17th Chapter which falls in fully with the Text and Observation that I am now upon There is a wide difference between these two parables To shew what a diligent servant may expect is one thing and what the most diligent servant can challenge or require is another For indeed those servants in the 12th Chapter to whom the Lord administers the Supper or to whom he ministers at Supper must say that they are unprofitable servants to the Lord though they are to acknowledg to the praise of their Lord that his service hath not been unprofitable unto them and they must say so upon these Considerations First he is their Lord they his servants not their owne 1 Cor. 6.20 Yee are bought with a price yee are not your owne therefore glorifie God in your bodies in your spirits which are Gods God is the owner of our bodies and spirits our selves are the Lords Now if we our selves our bodies and our spirits are the Lords then much more are our services his If the person be anothers all the work done by him must be his too Secondly the house wherein these servants are feasted is the Lords The whole fabrick of heaven and earth is his house He hath set it up to entertain and feast his people in Thirdly All the cheere and good things with which the Lord feasteth his servants all the comforts which grace holds out in this life or glory in the next life are of his owne provision the whole furniture of the Table is of his cost and charge therefore they are obliged to their Lord not their Lord to them he is indeed profitable unto them but they are not profitable unto him They by their sloath and idlenesse might deserve to be sent supperlesse and hungry to bed but by all their pains and diligence they could not deserve their Supper Can a man be profitable unto God Secondly Observe That God is absolutely Independent and Perfect in him selfe If there be an impossibility that man should be profitable unto God then he is Self-sufficient and altogether Independent in reference to man He that cannot receive any addition is perfect in himselfe and he that
is self-sufficient needs not to receive any addition from another is an argument of imperfection And seing God neither receives nor can receive any thing from another he must needs be perfect in himself David Psal 16.2 speaking of himselfe as the type of Christ saith O my soule thou hast said unto the Lord thou art my Lord that is thou art my Portion and my All but my goodnesse extendeth not to thee I am not able to doe any good which reacheth to thy benefit or encreaseth thy happiness for thou art mine In the 50th Psalm the Lord asserts this his own independency If I were hungry I would not tel thee for the world is mine the fulnesse thereof If I had any hunger that is any defect upon me I need not go to the creature to aske a supply I could supply my selfe if there were any need but there 's none The Lord is infinitely above all hunger above all wants and defects whatsoever He indeed threatens Idolaters that he will famish all their gods Zeph. 2.11 Idols shall be hungry they shal be famisht and have none to administer any thing to them This the Lord doth when hee with-draws their respect and worship that name and reputation which once they had in the world from them worship is the food of Idols that keeps livelesse Idols as it were alive and therefore fals gods are famished when their false worship is cast downe but who can famish the Lord If I were hungry c. I would not tell you Can man be profitable unto God But it may be objected Cannot a man be profitable to God is man no advantage no help to him why then Judg. 5.23 Sings Deborah Curse ye Meroz said the Angel of the Lord curse yee bitterly the inhabitants thereof because they came not to the help of the Lord to the help of the Lord against the mighty It should seem then that the Lord had need of the help of these inhabitants of Meroz and if they had come forth it had been an advantage to him why else were they cursed for not coming forth to the help of the Lord I answer man is said to help the Lord when he helps in the Lords cause Personally the Lord needeth not my helpe but the Lord may be helped relatively in his Cause and in his people Thus we help the Lord when we help man when we help the Church and people of God It is our honour as well as our duty to help his People and give assistance in his Cause This the Lord takes so well at our hands that he reckons it as help given to himself Againe if wee consider the help as given to the Lords people we are not to conceive that the Lord needed the helpe of these men of Meroz as if hee could not helpe them himselfe without the assistance or ayd of man For when he seeth that there is no man then his owne arme brings salvation Isa 59.16 'T is the duty of man to come forth and draw his sword in the Lords quarrell against the mighty but the Lord needeth not the sword of man to subdue the mightiest Secondly It may be objected Cannot man be profitable unto God he speaks of the Church of the Jewes in such language as implies them a profit to him Exod. 19.5 Now if yee will obey my voyce indeed and keep my Covenant then shall ye be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people And is there no profit in a treasure Again Deut. 32.9 The Lords portion is his people Jacob is the lot of his inheritance Hath a man no profit by his portion no advantage by his Inheritance Now if the Lords People be his Portion his Inheritance his Treasure his peculiar special treasure how then can it be said they are no profit no advantage to him I answer the Lords people are his treasure not because they enrich him but because he hath a high esteem of them The Lords People are his treasure not because they profit him but because he protects them If I say to a man you shal be a treasure to me I may do it not because I expect any profit from him but because I have a high esteem of him and resolve to protect and defend him as I do my own portion and treasure In this sense doth the Lord say of his People Yee are my treasure We esteem treasure and treasures are under protection lest any take them from us Thus the Lord speaks of his People not that he hath any profit or gaine by them as men who ordinarily have Portions and Inheritances in Fields or Houses which are their stock and livelihood Indeed there is a Revenue which the Lord hath by his People as they are his portion that is a Revenue of glory and honour not a revenue of profit But if you say glory and honour is profit and an advantage to man is it not then an advantage to God to be glorified by man I answer It is no advantage to God when he is glorified by man Our glorifying of God doth not add any glory to him that he had not but it is only the setting forth of that glory which he had there is no encrease of his fullnesse by all the honour and glory that the creature gives him We are commanded to glorifie God Matth. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in heaven But God doth not receive any additionall glory by us how much or how clearly soever our light shineth before men A candle adds more light to the Sun then all the creatures in the world can adde to the glory of God when they have studied his glory and laboured to glorifie him to the utmost all their dayes Thirdly that of David may be yet objected Psal 4.3 The Lord hath set apart for himselfe the man that is godly And is so then it seems he intends to make some profit of him it is an allusion unto those that vend wares A Merchant looks upon this and that commodity and then saith this is for my turn this I like set it apart for me Seeing then the Loâ—d sets the godly apart for himselfe it sounds as if he meant to make some gaine or advantage by him I answer the meaning of that Scripture is not that God sets a godly man apart as one that he gets profit by but as one that he intends to bestow mercy upon or he sets him apart for service not for gaine The Lord serves his own ends by the service of man every day and sets apart the godly man for his speciall service Yet a little further I shall demonstrate that a man cannot be profitable to God First God had all perfection before man was therefore man cannot profit God Psal 90.2 From everlasting and to everlasting thou art God shat is thou art infinite in glory and excellency from everlasting God was God as much before
with men but we read not of any honour they did to or received from God It is the highest disgrace to be memorable for actings against grace or for ungracious actings Num observas perpetuum ordinem quem in puniendis talibus impijs teâ—uit deus post natos homines Merc Putat hunc esse perpetuum ordinem domini ut impios hic puniat sed fallitur Merc Againe The old way may be taken for the way of punishment or for that course of divine Justice which was Executed upon wicked men in those elder times There is away of Judgement which God takes as there is a way of Sinne which man takes Sinfull ways lead into troublesome ways end in death Hast thou considered the way of justice which the Lord went in towards those old Sinners powring out his wrath and emptying the vialls of his Indignation upon them till hee had consumed and swept them off as rubbish from the face of the earth Hast thou marked the old way which eyther the lusts of wicked men have led them into or which the justice of the Lord hath brought them into Hast thou observed the old way Which wicked men have troden The Hebrew is Men of Iniquity Which phrase plainly imports that he doth not speake of the ordinary race or ranke of sinners but of the Extreamest sinners men so full of iniquity that they deserved this blacke Title men of Iniquity Antichrist is called not onely a man of sin or the man of sin but which implyeth a sinner of a higher forme then both the former That man of sin 2 Thes 2.3 He being indeed not onely among the chiefest sinners but the chiefe of sinners The phrase in the Text is a degree lower then that yet it notes a very great degreee And therefore when the Prophet would assure the greatest sinners repenting and returning to God of the readines of God to pardon he expresseth them in this stile Isa 55.7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man or as the Original Text hath it the man of iniquity his thoughts and c. As a man of Bloods notes a very bloody man a man given up to that particular sin of cruelty So a man of iniquity is one given up to sin in Generall Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men men of iniquity have Trodden This word trodden referred both to a sinfull and a suffering way notes the frequency of their going or being in those wayes And as it is referred to their sinfull way alone it notes first their boldnesse in sinning secondly their resolvednesse to sin A trodden way is such a way as a man hath often gone and in which he is not afraid to goe Hast thou marked the old way Hence note First The way of Sin and Error is an old way The Devill sinned from the beginning and men have sinned from their beginning not onely have there been sinnings but great sinnings from the begining the old way is the way of sin though the oldest way be not There was holines before there was sinne and truth before there was Error So that the way of sinne is the old way but not the oldest way God all whose wayes are holy was from everlasting The Angels who have been holy as long as they have been were from the beginning And the first beginning of man in his conversation was no doubt like his constitution holy He quickly went out of the way but surely his first step was not out of the way he went right before he went wrong and stood before he fell Againe if you take the way for the way of punishment Note That God in all ages hath punished sinners in their sinfull wayes God hath every where and every when left the tract and print of his anger and displeasure upon sinners though some particular sinners have gone unpunished in some age yet there was never any age wherein sinne was not punished in some The Lord gives a morall stopp to sinne perpetually that is by his Lawes he declares against it his word is expresse against all ungodlynes both the word of his Command and the word of his threatning Now as the Lord doth alwayes put this morall stopp in the way of sinne so he often puts a Judiciary stopp or a stop by way of Judgement And as in the 3d of Genesis he set a flaming sword in the way of the tree of life so he continually sets a flaming word that is a threatning to keepe the way of the tree of death that is of sinne Thus he alwayes meetes sinfull men in the way of their lusts as the Angel met Balaam when he went to curse the Israel of God with a drawne sword to stopp them in their way the Lord hath set many drawne swords in the way of every sinne and he hath left the prints of his wrath upon the backs of many sinners that wee should take heed of sinning The Lord hath left many sad examples upon record against sinne nor hath he at any time favoured it or done any thing which might indeed encourage sinners for though sometimes wicked men have prosper'd yet should wee looke into all times wee cannot finde that wicked men were ever blessed Judgement hath overtaken them sooner or later And if it hath at any time come too late to overtake them in this world yet it will come soone enough to overtake theirs in this or themselves in the world which is to come No man is blessed at any time who comes at last to be miserable Thirdly In that he saith Hast thou marked the old way Note It is our duty to observe and marke as the way of sinfull men so the way in which God punisheth their sinne All the wayes of God are to be marked as wee are to observe what the Lord speakes so what he doth his works as well as his word are remarkeable Who so is wise saith the Psalmist Psal 107.43 and will observe these things even they shall understand the loving kindnes of the Lord. I may say also that they shall understand the judgements of the Lord. And againe the Prophet confirmes it Hos 14.9 Who is wise and he shall understand these things prudent and he shall know them for the wayes of the Lord are right and the Just shall walke in them but the transgressors shall fall therein The wicked fall in the way of his commandements and therefore surely they shall fall in the way of his judgements And as the Lord hath given us Examples of this so he hath given this as the use of those Examples that wee should marke and observe them The Apostle 1 Cor. 10. shewes that all the dealings of God with that his ancient People the Jewes are written and recorded as our Examples ver 5 6 7. With many of them God was not well pleased but they were overthrowne in the wilderness Now these things were our Examples to the Intent that wee should not lust
bidding him receive that lavv which the mouth of God had spoken to Moses but though whether the law vvere then formally spoken or no is a dispute yet it is vvithout all dispute that the mouth of God had then given a lavv or rule of life to his people and so Eliphaz might safely and truely say Receive I pray thee the law from his mouth there having been a Revelation of the minde of God among the faithfull in all ages and times God never left his people to their own will nor them to be their own Guide and Counseller For when the Apostle sayth Rom. 2.14 that the Gentiles having not the law are a law unto themselves his meaning is not that they had no law but one of their own devising They indeed had not the law of God formally spoken to their eares and preserved in tables of stone but they had the substance of the law of God naturally vvritten in their hearts So then there hath alwayes been a lavv from his mouth formally in the Church naturally in the world Therefore saith Eliphaz Receive the law from his mouth and when he saith Receive the law from his mouth it may have a double Opposition First To the vvill and vvisdome of Job As if Eliphaz had said Thou hast been hitherto a law to thy selfe that is thou hast followed thy own advice Ex ore ejus notanter dicit i. e. non ex ore aut arbitrio tuo Merc. run on upon thy own head now Receive the lavv from his mouth Man naturally hath high thoughts of himselfe and vvould be a law to himselfe Not as Rom. 2.14 which place vvas touched before The Gentiles not having a law wâ—re a law to themselves that is they had the law of God written in their hearts by nature but besides that there is a lavv which man vvould be to himselfe against that law of nature vvritten in his heart and against the light of nature shining in his conscience he would set up a law even his own Lust in opposition to the law of God Thus he vvould be a law to himselfe and not Receive a law from the mouth of God Therefore saith Eliphaz Now receive the law from his mouth Secondly from his mouth may be opposed to the mouthes of others as if he should say if thou wilt not trust us nor take our vvord then trust God vve vvould not have thee depend upon us nor upon any man living not on the Judgement or Authority of any Creature but receive the lavv from his mouth there is a law and a truth come from God let thy faith be guided and thy life ordered by that Hence Note It is our duty to receive the rule from God The Lord hath povver to give us the law and vve must receive the lavv from him None have povver to Impose a lavv upon us but God himselfe nor may we devise a lavv for our selves God is the onely Master of the Conscience he alone can say Receive the law at my mouth If you aske vvhat is it to receive the law I ansvver it is more then to give it the hearing To receive is first to beleeve the lavv secondly to receive is to honour and reverence the law thirdly to receive the lavv is to yeeld up our selves to the obedience of it to be cast into the mould of it to subject our selves vvholly to the minde of God in it Then vve receive the lavv vvhen vve take the Impressions of it have as it vvere the Image and stampe of it upon our spirits and in our lives fourthly then we receive it vvhen as it followes in the Text we lay up his word in our hearts barely to receive it is not enough you must lay it up treasure it up And lay up his word in thy heart This is opposed First To forgetfullnes of the vvord Praecedentis partis ex positio amplificatio Ita legem suscipe ut ponas proprie disponas arte cura sollicitudine observandi Receive the lavv and let it not slip out of thy memory Secondly It is oppos'd to negligence in the practice of the law lay it up that it may be forth comming to direct thee in every duty In Conversion the law is vvritten in the heart every godly man hath a Copie of the lavv in his heart That 's the description of a godly man Psal 37.31 The law of God is in his heart none of his steps shall slide vvhich is not an universall exclusion of all fayling slipping as if every godly man were as much past sinning as he is past perishing but vvhen 't is sayd none of his steps the meaning is few of his steps shall slide or he shall never slide so in any of his steps as not to recover his feete and get up againe He shall vvalke very holily so holily as if all his vvalkings vvere but one continued act of holines But to the text None of his steps shall slide quite and for ever out of the vvay because the law of God is in his heart What David speakes in that propheticall Psalme of Christ Psal 40.8 Thy law is within my heart is true in its degree of every Christian all the lawes of God are in his heart That Character is againe given of them Psal 84.5 In whose heart are thy wayes there is a suiting of the minde of God and the heart of man together in regeneration But novv the duty spoken of in the Text is another thing for a man that hath the lavv vvritten in his heart may yet possibly forget to lay up the vvord and law of God in his heart he may under temptation and the pressures of corruption be negligent in that it is the worke of a godly man who hath the lavv of God in his heart already continually to lay up the law in his heart and so vve are to understand such Scriptures as these Pro. 7.3 Keepe my Commandements and live and my law as the apple of thine eye binde them on thy fingers write them on the table of thine heart c. The first writing of the law in the heart is by the finger of the Spirit by Gods own finger As it was God that first wrote the lavv in tables of stone vvith his own finger so it is he that writes the law in these fleshy Tables of the heart by the finger of the Spirit yet Solomon perswades his son to vvrite the law upon the Table of his heart vvhen grace is received and the law once written in our hearts vve doe as it vvere put in severall fresh Copies of the law vve are continually writing divine notions and Instructions upon our hearts this renewed act is ascribed to us because we through grace joyne in it We have an Expression of like import Pro. 4.21 My Son attend to my words encline thine eare to my sayings let them not depart from thine eyes keep them in the midst of thine heart The heart is
If thou returne to the Almighty thou shalt be built up thou shalt put away iniquity farre from thy Tabernacles Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brookes Yea the Allmighty shall be thy defence and thou shalt have plenty of silver ELiphaz having invited Job at the 21 verse to renew his acquaintance with God and now againe pressing him to returne to God he reckons up those advantages which might move and incourage him 〈◊〉 it he tells Job what will follow his returne to and acquaintance with God and these advantages are of two sorts First Temporall and outward secondly spirituall and inward the temporall good things which he assures him of in case he repent and turne to God are set downe first more generally in the 23 verse Thou shalt be built up secondly They are set downe particularly first He should then have riches gold and silver in the 24 â—h verse secondly protection The Allmighty shall be thy defence v. 25. as he will fill thy house so he will guard thy house and keepe all safe In the following parts of the Chapter Eliphaz assures him of eight blessings spirituall First Joy in God ver 26th Thou shalt have thy delight in the Allmighty Secondly Confidence or holy boldnesse before God Thou shalt lift up thy face unto God thou shalt not hide thy head and run into â—orners but lift up thy face Thirdly which is an effect or part of the former freedome in prayer Thou shalt make thy prayer to him v. 27th Fourthly He assures him of audience or of an answer to his prayer in the same verse He shall heare thee and thou shalt pay thy vowes that is thou in thy prayer having made vowes to God God shall heare thy prayer and so give thee occasion to pay thy vowes Fifthly He promiseth him not onely that his prayer shall be heard but that his very purposes and designes shall be fullfilled Thou shalt decree a thing and it shall be established to thee v. 28. When thou resolvest upon such a way or course in thy affaires thou shalt have this priviledge thy decree shall stand Sixthly He promiseth him direction and counsell what way he should take what course to run in the close of the same verse And the light shall shine upon thy wayes that is thou shalt see what to doe the Lord will give thee counsell Seaventhly He gives him hope of rising out of any trouble or that vvhen others are overtaken with calamities he should be preserved at the 29th verse When men are cast downe then thou shalt say there is a lifting up for God will save the humble person Eighthly He promiseth that he shall not onely have blessings personall and family blessings but he shall be a â—â—blique blessing v. 30. He shall deliver the Island of the innocent and it is delivered by the purenesse of thy hand Thus you have both the generall scope of this latter part of the Chapter which is to stirre up Job to returne to God and likewise the particular blessings and mercies which are held forth as arguments moving him to returne Vers 23. If thou returne unto the Allmighty To Returne is used frequently in Scripture in a metaphoricall sense and signifies as much as to repent sin is a going away from God great sinning is a going farre from God a going as it were into a farre Country such sinners would goe out of Gods sight and fall out of his memory Eliphas had charged Job deeply with such departures and now he speakes to him of returning And here wee may consider the condition or state of Job and the season in vvhich Eliphaz presseth him to this duty he was in an afflicted condition the hand of God was upon him Novv Eliphaz adviseth him to returne Intimating at least that the present dispensation of God towards him vvas a speciall opportunity for the duty he moved him unto Hence Note When God afflicts us when his hand is upon us he speaks to us repent or bespeaks our repentance How often in Scripture doth the Lord complaine as if he were vvholy frustrated of his designe vvhen either nations or persons being smitten by his judgements did not returne unto him or repented not Isa 9.13 They turne not to him that smiteth them that is they turne not to me the Lord I have smitten them and I alone can heale them yet they turne not to me as if the Lord had said I therefore smote them that they might bethinke themselves of returning but they turned not to me As they turned not at my vvord or to me speaking so they turned not at my sword or to me smiting I see they are not onely Sermon-proofe my Prophets spake to them in vaine but they are judgement-proofe also my hand is upon them in vaine they returne not And as it was then so at this day for may vve not observe some mouldering in their estates crushed in their hopes crossed in their children blotted and blasted in their credit weake and sicke in their bodies even tired and vvorne out under severall afflictions yet no thought of returning to the Lord or of making their vvay perfect before him So that the Lord may say to them as he once did to his ancient people the Jewes Isa 1.6 Why should ye be smitten any more ye will revolt more and more The returning of many is like that vvhich Solomon speaks of Pro. 26.11 As a dog returneth to his vomit so a foole returneth to his folly As Jesurun waxed fat and kicked so some vvill be kicking while they waxe leane Further Eliphaz doth not speake barely to Job of returning but he directs him to the object If thou returne To the Allmighty And that is expressed in some translations very emphatically 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 revertere usque ad dominum videtur idem esse cum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Returne home to the Allmighty returne till thou comest to or reachest God be thou sure to repent home so the word is used Hos 14.2 Joel 2.12 Amos 4.6 returne home to God stay not short of him in your repentance that is repent fully seriously And the intendment of Eliphaz in speaking thus might be to reprove Job for his former by him supposed hypocrisie Si plane serio toto corde noÌ„ ut ante hypocrita fuisti c. Merc thou hast returned before but not to the Allmighty surely thou didst repent onely as an hypocrite in former times when thou madest the greatest shews of repentance Therefore now repent as a sincere convert Thy former repentunce was to thee a fruitlesse repentance and therefore doubtlesse but a fained and false repentance Thou couldst never after it recover out of thine afflicted thy ruinous condition and therefore surely thou didst never by it recover out of thy sinfull condition or from thy sins But now I promise thee if thou returne to the Allmighty thou shalt be built Hence
object cannot be immoderate but in temperals they quickly may and therefore as to them our moderation should be known to all men Yet if God give in abundance of temporals in the lawfull exercise of our callings we may warraÌ„tably enjoy it as a blessing from him The providence of God doth often bound us to a little and we ought to be contented with the least portion of outward things with bare food rayment but the word of God doth not bound us to a little nor doth it say it is unlawfull to have much And as it is not unlawfull to have much of the world so it is a great exercise and tryall of our Graces to have much As there are some Graces of a Christian which come not to tryall till we are in want so there are other Graces which come not to tryall unlesse we have aboundance Want tryeth our patience and our dependance upon God for a supply of what we have not and aboundance tryeth our temperance our humility our liberality yea and our dependance upon and faith in God for the sanctifying blessing and making of that comfortable to us which we have When a rich man seeth an emptines in his aboundance without the enjoyments of God in it he exerciseth as high a grace and sheweth as heavenly a frame of mind as that poore man doth who seeth and enjoyeth a fullnes in God in the midst of all his emptines And therefore Paul puts both these alike upon a divine teaching Phil. 4.12 In all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and to suffer need And had it been unlawfull to enjoy plenty Eliphaz had never pressed Job to repentance by this motive The Almighty shall be thy defence and thou shalt have plenty of silver JOB CHAP. 22. Vers 26 27. For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty and shalt lift up thy face unto God Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him and â—e shall heare thee and thou shall pay thy Vowes IT hath been shewed from the former context how Eliphaz encouraged yea provoked Job to repentance and returning to God by the proposall of many promises by promises of outward and temporall mercies gold silver and protection He might have what he pleased of God for the comforts of this life if his life were once pleasing unto God In this latter part of the Chapter he riseth higher and proposeth spirituall promises And he begins with the best of spirituall promises the free injoyment of God himselfe Vers 26. For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty c. As if Eliphas had said If thou dost indeed repent and turne from sin thy conscience which now troubles yea torments thee shall have sweete peace in God and thou who now grovellest with thy eyes downe to the ground by reason of thy pressing guilt and misery shalt then with confidence lift up thy face unto God in prayer and thou shalt finde God so ready at hand with an answer that thou shalt see cause chearefully to performe thy Vowes which thou madest to him in the day of trouble That 's the generall scope of this latter part of the Chapter I shall now proceed to explicate the particulars For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Allmighty The first word implyeth a reason of what he had said before Having spoken of temporall promises he confirmes his interest in them by assuring him of spirituall for then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty As if he had said God will not deny thee outward comforts in the creature seing he intends to give thee the highest comforts even delight in himselfe 'T is an argument like that of the Apostle Rom. 8.32 He that spared not his owne Sonne but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him freely give us all things Thus Eliphaz seemes to argue seeing God will give thee himselfe to rejoyce in or to rejoyce in himselfe how can he deny thee gold and silver with those other conveniencies which concerne this life these being indeed as nothing in comparison of himselfe Then shalt thou delight c. Then that is when thou returnest to God and not till then then thou mayest expect to receive much sweetnesse from him such sweetnesse as thy soule never tasted or experienced to this day Then shalt thou have thy delight The word signifies to delight or take contentment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 delectatus fuit coâ—pore vel animo Sonai etiam aliquâ—d delicatum â—oâ—â—e whether it be outward contentment or inward contentment the delight of the body or the delight of the minde And so an universall delight thy whole delight shall be in the Lord. Moses Deut. 28.56 describes those women by this word who were made up of delight Thy tender and delicate woman that is such as are so delicate that they are the delight of all who behold them or who are themselves altogether devoted to their delights who as the Apostle Paul speaks of the wanton widdow 1 Tim. 5. live in pleasure These are threatned with such calamities as should render their very lives a paine to them The word is used againe Isa 58.13 14. where the Prophet speaks of keeping the Sabboth If thou turne away thy foote from the Sabbath from doing thy pleasure on my holy day and call the Sabbath a delight what then then shalt thou delight thy selfe in the Lord thou shalt have curious delight all manner of delight in the Lord if thou call the Sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord honourable and shalt honour him if thou hast a delight in duty thou shalt have the delight of reward Thus Eliphaz then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty And 't is considerable that he doth not say thou shalt have thy delight in the mercifull or gracious God but in the Allmighty in him thou shalt have thy delight whose power is over all and who is able to doe whatsoever pleaseth him Even the power and allmightinesse of the Lord shall be as pleasant to thee as his mercy and loving kindnesse Further delight in the generall nature of it consists in these two things First In the suitablenesse and conveniency of the object and the faculty whether sensitive or intellective Secondly It consists in the reflection and application of the faculty upon the object So that to delight our selves in the Allmighty hath these two things in it First A suitablenesse in our soules to the Lord. Secondly The soules reflecting upon the Lord as good and gratious unto us This reflect act breeds and brings in delight and works the heart to an unspeakeable joy in God By this last and highest act of faith we take in the sweetnesse of the Almighty and delight our selves in him mightily This faith doth not onely suck the promises wherein the love of God is evidenced to us but is it selfe an evidence of the love of God to
us We sucke and are satisfied with the breasts of consolation by beleeving Isa 66.11 that is we beleeving draw forth that sweetnesse of the promise which the word declares to be the portion of Beleevers Thus spirituall delight is made up and therefore Saints are sayd to rejoyce in beleeving with joy unspeakeable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1.8 that is having as much and as cleare a manifestation yea participation and tast of that Glory in beleeving which is prepared and reserved for them against the next life as they are capable to receive and more then they are able to express in this life Then shalt thou delight thy selfe in the Allmighty We may looke upon the words first as a command and then observe That it is our duty to delight our selves in God Delight in God is both a priviledge and a duty it is commanded in the Law and it is promised in the Gospel God is pleased to give us many things in the world not onely for necessity but for delight A heathen looking upon the various provisions which the Great Creator hath made not onely for the maintenance of man in his being but for his comfortable and pleasurable being Some of which affect the sences the eye the eare the tast c. others are sweetly contentfull to the understanding with all the faculties of the soule He I say concludes this from it Neque enim necessitatibus tantuâ— nostris provisum est usque in delicijs amâ—mur Sen l. 4. de Benif c. 5. The bountifull Creator hath provided for more then our necessity or he hath provided more then will barely serve our turne to live upon we are loved even up to our delights Now I say though the Lord hath provided delights for us in the creature yet it is our duty our greatest our highest duty to delight chiefly in the Lord to delight in him first and to delight in nothing but in reference unto him nothing should be pleasing to us but as there is an impresse or stampe of the love of God upon it or as it tasts of his goodnesse And indeed what can delight us long but this thought that God delighteth in us or that we are a delight to God that God is Good and that God is good to us having tasted his goodnes we should love and delight in him above all our delights The Psalmist Psal 137.6 preferred Jerusalem above his chiefest joy how much more should we preferre the God of Jerusalem above our chiefest joy God delighteth in man whom he hath made and who is his son by Grace next to Jesus Christ who is his son by nature and Jesus Christ delighteth in man whom he hath redeemed and should not man delight in his maker in his father in his redeemer We have a most divine description of the delight which the Father takes in Christ his Son and which Christ taketh in his redeemed ones Pro. 8.30 31. Then was I by him as one brought up with him and I was daily his delight Christ was the delight of his father and he delighted in his father rejoycing alwayes before him rejoycing in the habitable parts of his earth and my delight was with the sons of men Jesus Christ himselfe takes up many of his delights with the sonnes of men whom he calls the habitable parts of the earth even those of the sonnes of men that are a habitation of God through the Spirit Hae sunt piorum delicia suvâ—ssimae voluptaâ—es deo placaâ— to fâ—ui cujus eliam deliciae sunt habitare intereos qui ipsum animo reverentur colunt Now I say as the delight of the Father is in the Sonne and the delight of the Sonne in the Father and the delight both of Father and Sonne in the Saints in the habitable parts of the earth or with the sonnes of men so the delight of the sonnes of men should be in the Father and in the Sonne there should our delight be there should we take our highest contentment Secondly The words are rather to be taken for a promise Then shalt thou have thy delight in the Lord Then that is when thou turnest from sinfull delights or delight in sin I assure thee of spirituall delight Whence observe That they who mourne for and turne from sinne shall have delights in the Lord. When once sinne is bitter to us the Lord will be sweete to us and untill sin be bitter to us the Lord is not sweete to us sinne hinders our delightfull enjoyment of the creature it puts gall and wormwood into our dish and cup it is that which makes all relations grievous and burthensome to us yet this is but a small matter that it hinders us from the contentment and sweetnesses which are to be had in the creature sinne takes us off from delighting in God That soule cannot delight in the Almighty who loveth and continueth in the love of sinne If such professe delight in God it is but a false boast and a high presumption it is impossible for such to delight in the Lord indeed Job Chap. 27.10 saith of the hypocrite Will he delight himselfe in the Allmighty will he alwayes call upon God He may pretend to a delight in the Allmighty he may have some flashes some raptures but his joyes and delights are not in the Allmighty what joyes soever he hath they are in somewhat below God the hypocrite may delight himselfe in somewhat received from the Almighty in some present benefit or future expectation that he hath from the Almighty he cannot delight in the Allmighty himselfe or in God as God As it is impossible in the nature of the thing for a man to delight in sin and in God too so God hath sayd that he who hath a delight in sin shall not finde any delight in him God hath sayd Delight thy selfe in me and I will give thee the desires of thy heart Psal 37.4 But if any man will follow the desires of his owne heart he shall not delight himselfe in God Sinne separateth between God and us Isa 59.2 that is it separates between the comforts and mercies which are in God and us sin doth not cannot separate us from the power or presence from the eye or justice of God so sinne doth not separate for God is nigh to sinners both to see what they are doing and to punish them for what they â—â—ve done sinfully but sin separates from all those delights that flow from God from those joyes which his people take in him yea sin breeds a strangenesse between God and the soule so that the soule that loveth sinne cannot have any holy familiarity or converse with God The Lord saith to those who repent Isa 1.18 Come let us reason together c. As if he had sayd I am now ready to debate the matter with you that repent and how great soever your sinnes have been they shall be blotted out Whereas before the Lord tells them that he was
weary of them and that they were a burthen to him in all their services Now when we are a burthen to God God is never pleasant to us if the Lord say he is weary of us we cannot say we delight our selves in him Our delight and pleasure in God is the fruit of his delight in and wel-pleasednes with us Thirdly Eliphaz proposeth this delight in the Lord as the most winning promise Hence note Delight in the Lord is the highest and choicest mercy There is nothing better nothing sweeter then to delight in the Lord delight in the Lord hath all true delights in it David speakes this out fully in that place lately quoted to another occasion Psal 37.4 Delight thy selfe in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thy heart that is thou shalt have all thy desires fullfilled in this thing delight in the Lord will be the fullfilling of all thy desires not only shall they who delight themselves in the Lord have all their desires filled up but their very delight in the Lord is the fullfilling of all their desires What is the glory of heaven but delighting in the Lord And he who delights in the Lord feeles not the want or absence of any earthly Good In thy presence is fullnesse of joy and at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore Psal 16 11. Heavenly glory is nothing but delight in God and all earthly good is nothing without delight in God We may affirme foure things of this delight in opposition to all worldly delights First This is a reall delight worldly delights are but shaddows or pageant-like shewes of delight The joyes of a hypocrite are like his holines meere appearances of joy he hath no reall no true joy as he hath no true no reall holinesse That man doth but faine a taste of joy whosoever he is that doth but faine the practice of holinesse Thus who wickedly hold out a holines which they feele not shall talke of joyes which they finde not Secondly Delight in the Lord is a strong delight yea it is a strengthening delight That must needs be strong joy which is strengthening joy such is the joy of the Lord as Nehemiah told that people Neh 8.10 The joy of the Lord is the strength of the soule the strength of the inward man it makes us mighty it makes us giants to run our race the race of holinesse The giant rejoyceth to run his race because he is strong and knowes he can doe it The joy of the Lord is our strength and is both an evidence thaâ— wee are strong and a meanes to make us so Worldly delights are weake and they weaken us Delight in the Lord is strong and it strengthens Thirdly It is a lasting delight not like the crackling of thornes under a pott to which Solomon elegantly compares the laughter of the foole Eccl. 7.6 that make a noise and a blaze for a while but are presently extinct Now Solomons foole may be eyther first the prophane man in the world or secondly the hypocrite in the Church All the joyes of this payre of fooles the prophane worldling and the formal hypocrite are soone in and soone out like crackling thornes But joy or delight in the Almighty is a lasting delight it is not for a fitt or a pang but for continuance yea it continueth in the middest of all worldly sorrows for it overcomes and conquers them There is a laughter in which saith Solomon Pro. 14.13 the heart is sorrowfull and there is a sorâ—ow in which the heart laughs As sorrowfull yet alwayes rejoycing saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 6.10 Spiritual joy or joy in the Lord is not extinguished though surrounded with worldly sorrowes Many waters cannot quench this vehement flame this flame of God as Solomon speakes of love Cant. 8. neyther can the floods drowne it Fourthly Delight in the Allmighty is a holy delight a delight which makes us more holy the delights of the world are impure and they defile us we seldome take in worldly pleasures but they leave some spot and taint upon our spirits or conversations but the delights we have in the Lord are all pure yea purifying delights they make the soule more cleare more holy more heavenly they make us like unto the Almighty in whom our delight is For look what the object is in which we delight such is the spirit of him that takes that delight now the Lord in whom this delight is being altogether holy they that take delight in him must needs be made or kept holy by it As delight in worldly things makes the heart worldly base and dreggish so this refines and purifies it The more we drinke of the rivers of this pleasure the more sober we are to be an epicure as it were in these delights is the highest temperance Our feeding cannot be too full nor our drafts too large upon these delights Solomon Eccle. 2.2 who had run a course through all worldly delights and tryed them to the utmost said of laughter it is mad and of mirth what doth it there is a madnesse in the mirth of the world what doth it that is what good doth it to any man many things it doth it makes men vaine foolish dissolute dispirited for any goodnesse but what good doth it doth it make any man better more holy more wise or fit for duty no it can doe none of these things But delight in the Lord is all this and can doe all this it is true strong strengthening Quum unus quisq licenter respicit id in quo delectatur subdâ—t verâ—seq Aqâ—in lasting holy a delight that makes us more holy This is the portion of Saints at all times though payd them in more or specially at some times and that eyther first respecting the state and disposition of their owne soules as in the rest or secondly the state of and promised dispensations of God to the Church Isa 65.14.18 Isa 66.11 Then also in a speciall manner shalt thou have thy delight in the Lord. And because every man doth freely or willingly looke to that in which he is delighted Therefore Eliphaz addeth And shalt lift up thy face to God But some may say is that such a great matter is it any speciall favour to lift up the face to God seing to doe so is common to mankinde The Naturalist saith Oâ— homini sublime dedit Ovid. That whereas other creatures looke groveling downeward God gave man an erect countenance and bid him looke heavenwards How then doth Eliphaz promise Thou shalt lift up thy face to God We had the like expression Ch. 10.15 If I be righteous yet I will not lift up my head And Ch. 11.15 Then shalt thou lift up thy face without spott The lifting up of the head and the lifting up of the face are the same implying confidence or a wel-grounded boldnes in him that doth so For all these phrases of speech imply a lifting up of the minde or Spirit
thy handmaid and remember me and not forget thy handmaid but wilt give to thy handmaid a man-childe then will I give him unto the Lord. We reade often in the Psalmes of paying of Vowes Psal 66.13 14. Psal 50.14 Psal 76.11 Psal 116.14 And we have the command for it Eccl. 5.4 Pay that which thou hast Vowed Further To explicate this Text It may be inquired what a Vow is I answer A Vow is a solemne free and voluntary promise made to God of things lawful weighty possible to further help us to glorifie God in our obedience In which description we have first the nature of a Vow It is a solemne promise not a bare promise Secondly the object It must be made to God Thirdly the manner of it It is a free and a voluntary promise for though a lawfull vow layeth a necessity upon us to keepe it when once wee have made it yet there is not an antecedent necessity of compulsion upon us to make it so that a vow ought to be a most free and voluntary act Fourthly in this description of a vow we have the generall matter of it As first it must be of things lawfull wee may not vow that which we may not doe eyther expressely as they did Act. 23.12 13. who vowed to kill Paul or implicitly as Herod did who promised to give the daughter of Herodias whatsoever she should aske limiting her onely as to the quantitie of her demand she must not aske above halfe the kingdome but leaving her without limits as to the quality of her demand whether good or evill lawfull or unlawfull made no matter And thus many conceive Jephtah fayled implicitly vowing to doe that which was unlawfull for him to doe Judg. 11.30 31. Secondly a vow must be of things weighty and serious wee must not vow about trifles Thirdly it must be of things possible through grace though we must vow weighty things yet we must not vow things impossible eyther in their own nature or without extraordinary assistance and strength from God Fifthly we have here the ends of a vow first to Glorifie God secondly to oblidge us more strictly to obedience Hence Note First It is lawfull to make a Vow All the Scripture testimonies before alledged confirme that proposition Secondly Vowes lawfully made ought to be kept Thou shalt pay thy vowes hath in it the nature both of a promise and of a command Vowes are bonds we must take heed of breaking them if wee breake our vowes God will breake our peace The word which we translate to pay a vow signifies also to give peace and quietnesse implying that till the vow be payd wee cannot have peace A man that is in bonds to men hath no peace till he dischargeth or hath prepared to discharge his debt and therefore an acquittance or a discharge for a debt is commonly called A quietus est implying that till a man hath got a discharge he is not at quiet We are at our liberty whether we will vow or no but we are not at our liberty whether we will pay our vowes or no. And therefore Solomon doth not onely exhort to the payment of vowes but to the speedy payment of them Eccl. 5.4 When thou vowest a vow unto God deferre not to pay it for he hath no pleasure in fooles That is he is greatly displeased with fooles he means it not of such as are called fooles for the want of a natural understanding but for the want of a good conscience such are all they who flatter God with their hastines in making vowes and then mock him by their slownes in or neglect of paying them And therefore take foure Cautions about Vowes First Be not frequent in making vowes vowing must not be like praying an every days work we may not vow as we must pray alwayes and without ceasing Many have brought themselves into great snares by multiplying vowes and we have need to be caution'd in this thing because the nature of man is carried much to it The Heathens made many vowes especially when they were in any distresse and so meere carnal men will doe to this day vow great things what they will be and what they will doe if trouble be upon them It is sayd that those Heathen Marriners made vowes when the storme was over and the danger past Jon. 1.16 Many make vowes in a storme whether at Sea or Land which they little minde when the storme is done But those Heathens which may be a rebuke to some Christians made vowes of praise and thankfullnes when they had escaped the storme And this is a further proofe of that naturalnes which is in man to make vowes And the reason of it is because this satisfieth a natural man and fills him with confidence that he shall receive good from God because he hath vowed duty to him Man loves to be upon his owne bottome and thinkes he shall surely engage God to be mercifull while himselfe promiseth to be dutifull and thankfull Now I say though there be still a lawfullnes of vowes in these Gospel times yet take heed of making many vowes especially of conceiting to oblidge God by any of them As the former may prove a snare and an entanglement to us so the latter is a dishonour to God who never shewes us mercy more freely then when wee binde our selves most to duty Secondly When ever you vow be sure you doe it in the strength of Christ None discover more weakeness in keeping vowes then they who make vowes in their owne strength or not wholy in the strength of Christ Some have vowed never to commit such a sinne more and they never committed it so much as after they had vowed Some have thought to get cure and remedy against such a corruption or lust by a vow and yet that lust or corruption hath prevailed more upon them after their vow The reason of all is because they have eyther put their vow in the roome of Christ as if that could helpe them alone or else they have made their vowes alone without relyance upon the power of Christ That rule of the Apostle which obtaines in all cases of duty doth most in this Whatsoever ye doe in word or deed doe all in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thankes to God and the Father by him Col. 3.17 Thirdly In things which are directly commanded or directly forbidden in the Law of God we are not to vow the doing or not doing of the thing in it selfe but only a greater care stricter watch over our selves eyther for the doing of the one or not to doe the other As for example we should not vow absolutely that wee will not worship Idols that we will not sweare that we will keepe the Saboath that we will honour our parents that we will doe no murder for all these duties are expressely commanded by God and are therefore past being vowed by us Onely thus wee observing the treachery of our
the Lord and the light shall shine upon thy wayes or there shall be light in stead of darknes in thy pathes This light may be taken three wayes First A light of direction thou shalt see what to doe So it answers the former promise Thou shalt decree a thing and it shall be established unto thee Thou shalt not make blind decrees or decrees in the darke thou shalt not decree at a venture or at random the light shall shine upon thy wayes thou shalt have the light of the Word and the light of the Spirit to direct thee in making thy decrees and for the ordering of thy whole conversation Secondly Light shining upon his wayes is the prosperity of his wayes as if he had sayd successe shall attend thy undertakings the favour of God and his blessing shall be upon what thou takest in hand as the Sun shining upon the earth ripens the fruits thereof so the light heate and influence of divine favour shall ripen thy undertakings and bring them to a desiered perfection Light in Scripture is often put for prosperity as hath been shewed from other passages of this booke Thirdly The light shall shine upon thy wayes that is thou shalt have personall Comfort and Contentment in thy wayes that 's a different blessing from the former 't is possible for a man to be in a prosperous way and yet himselfe to take no Comfort nor Contentment in it When these three lights shine upon any man in his way or upon the wayes of any man when the Lord shewes him what he should do when he prospereth succeeds what he doth and when he hath comfort joy in what he is doing or hath don then the blessing is full As the Lord meets him that rejoyceth in his way and worketh righteousnesse so the Lord doth often meet those that worke righteousnesse in their way causing them to rejoyce And then the light shines upon their way indeed This is a further adddition unto the promise of successe before given From the first notion of light first Observe The righteous are under a promise of direction and guidance by God they shall see their way and know what to doe by a divine light The steps of a Good man are ordered by the Lord Psal 37.23 That is the Lord gives him light to see how to order his steps He hath not onely an outward naturall light shining in the ayre and an outward spirituall light shining in the rule but he hath an inward spirituall light shining in his heart or that outward rule planted within as it followes at the 31 verse of the same Psalme The law of his God is in his heart and none of his steps shall slide The law in the heart is a rule within which directs the good man what to doe and gives him such good direction that none of his steps shall slide He shall not walke like a man upon glasse or ice all whose steps are slips or in danger of sliding but he shall walke like a man upon plaine firme ground whose very steps are as sure as standings As Saints who were darknes are made light in the Lord in reference to their state so they have light from the Lord in reference to their walkings and as they receive a light from God whereby they know all things that is those great things which concerne Eternal life 1 Joh. 2.20 Yee have an Vnction from the holy one and ye know all things Now as they have a light promised them that they may know all things that is all necessary saving truths or doctrines of salvation for attaining the next life so a light is promised them whereby they may doe all things that is all their necessary workes businesses and affaires which concerne their duty in this life From the second notion of light Observe Righteous men such as turne unto the Lord shall have a Blessing in their way their way shall prosper As they shall have a light shining to shew them their way so to prosper them in their way God is a Sunne and he is a Shield Psal 84.11 And as he is a Sunne to give light and a Shield to protect so no good thing will he withold from them that walke uprightly That is he will not hinder or stopp those good things from them which their soules desire or move after they shall prosper in their way yea when 't is sayd He will not withhold c. there is more intended then expressed for the meaning is he will plentifully give forth or powre out all good things to and upon them who walke uprightly From the third notion of light learne That the Lord gives Godly men Joy and Comfort in their way Though their way be a way of much labour yea and a way of much danger too though it prove a way full of sweat trouble yet the Lord will cause a light to shine upon them and refresh them in their way To the righteous there rises up light in darknes The light of joy in the darknes of sorrow the light of comfort in the darknes of trouble They who walke in the light of truth and holines usually finde the light of joy and comfort in their way and are sure to finde it in their end The wayes of wisdome saith Solomon Pro. 3.17 are wayes of pleasantnes and all her pathes are peace and if at any time her wayes and pathes are not peace and pleasantnes as to the outward man they often are not while we are travelling in them yet they are alwayes so in the close of our travells Psal 37.37 Marke the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace Yea when others finde most trouble in their way then God is neerest to him for support as it followes in the next words Vers 29. When men are cast downe then thou shalt say there is a lifting up and he shall save the humble person In this and the following verse Eliphaz gives a firme assurance to Job by way of promise that he should not onely be delivered but should have two further priviledges First That himselfe should be exalted when others were cast downe or that he should be saved in times of common calamity ver 29. Secondly That he should be a meanes of safety to others and should prevaile with God for their deliverance he shall deliver the Island of the Innocent c. vers 30. That 's the generall scope of these two verses according to our translation as will further appeare in the explication of them Vers 29. When men are cast downe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 depressus prostratus When they are prest or opprest with mountaines of affliction and trouble So the word is used Esay 2.17 The loftines of man shall be bowed downe that is the lofty man shall be bowed downe as a man with a heavy burden upon his backe Wee say when men are cast downe the word men is not exprest in the
and that not onely in doing but in suffering 1 Pet. 2.21 For even hereunto are we called because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps â—equere deum Epict. Christ is not onely a principle of holinesse in us or our spirituall life but he is also a patterne of holinesse according to which we ought to live And the same Apostle represents the holinesse of God both as a rule and as a motive of that holinesse which should be acted by us 1 Ep 1.15 16. As he that hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation because it is written Lev 11.14 Be ye holy for I am holy To be holy as God is in all manner of conversation is stedfastly to hold the steps of God And when as Christ exhorts Math. 5.55 Wee are mercifull as our father which is in heaven is mercifull When as the Apostle exhorts Eph. 4.32 Wee forgive as God for Christs sake hath forgiven us when we are patient and long-suffering one towards another as God is towards us all then we take hold of his steps this should be our businesse every day to follow God in his word and in his workes to follow him fully It is said of Caleb Num. 14.24 My servant Caleb hath another spirit he hath followed me fully Here some may object to follow the counsel of God fully is the dutie of all but to follow the example of God is surely beyond the attainment of any This seemes to be a hight of holinesse too high for man For if Solomon said Eccl 2.12 What can the man doe that cometh after the King even that which hath been already done or more close to the Original in those things which have been already done How much more may we say What can the man doe that comes after God the King of Kings can he doe that which hath been done already I answer no man can paralel the workes of God but all men are called to imitate him in his workes though we cannot follow him with equall steps yet we may follow the equity and holines of his steps This Job did and we through grace may doe My foote hath held his steps His way have I kept and not declined The way of God is his Law in that he will have us to walke and that is called his way because he hath prescribed it and is the author of it as that is mans way wherein he walks so that is Gods way wherein he will have man to walke Blessed is the undefiled in the way Psal 119.1 What the way is he tels us in the next words Blessed are they that keepe his testimonies and who walke in the Law of the Lord. His law and testimonies are his way now sayth Job As I have held his steps or followed his example so I have kept his way that is I have done that which he hath commanded The way of God is put sometimes in Scripture for that which himselfe hath done Ezek. 18.25 Via del hominis sumitur 1 Pro itinere gressibus 2 Pâ—o ipsa via strata Heare O house of Israel is not my way equall that is the way wherein I my selfe have gone the way of my dispensations to you both in rewarding and punishing And as the workes of providence so the worke of Creation is called the way of God Pro. 8.22 The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way that is before he came forth in the worke of Creation before his workes of old his way and his workes are the same or his workes are his way But in this Text as I touch't before we may rather take way for that which God would have us doe or for the way in which we ought to walke And so we have the compleatnes of Jobs obedience he imitated the example and he obeyed the command of God His way have I kept Yet further There is a twofold keeping of the way of God First by practice and obedience thus we keepe the way of God by submitting to it Secondly There is a keeping the way of God by protection and defence Thus we keepe the way of God when we stand up to maintaine it We may take it here in both senses and in both doubtlesse Jobs Spirit was led out to keepe the way of God Hence note A godly man keepes close to the word of God He keepes close to it by obeying it and he keepes it close by defending it and this he doth as Job did it universally for so this indefinite proposition His way have I kept is to be understood it was not this or that way but any or every way of God which he kept And thus a godly man keepes the way of God though it be a difficult and to the flesh an uneasie way though it be among men a reproachfull and ignominious way though it be as to his outward concernements a disadvantageous and dangerous way yet he keepes it he that is through with God doth not onely keepe those wayes which suit with his owne pleasure and credit with the safety of his owne interests and accommodations in the world but if the way of God lie through difficulties through dangers and disgraces he will yet keepe it And if we thus keepe the way of God we may be sure that the way of God or rather the God of this way will keepe us and keepe us in perfect peace in spirituall freedome safetie and honour though we have trouble in and from the world His way have I kept and which doth heighten his obedience care and zeale in keeping it He addes And not declined 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word signifies to be unsteady or to move every way As if he had said I have kept his wayes stedfastly and unmoveably Job speakes both in the affirmative I have kept and in the negative I have not declined Some keepe the wayes of God a while but they keepe not on much lesse doe they keepe up in keeping them There is a twofold declining First a declining from the way of God to evill and sinfull wayes and these are of two sorts first erroneous opinions secondly wicked practices secondly there is a declining in the way of God when though we keepe the good way yet we are not so good in the way as we were but slacke our pace coole in our zeale to the good wayes of God We may expound Jobs negative in reference to both these as if he had sayd I have neither gone out of the way of God nor have I been sloathfull in it 'T is the highest commendation of man thus to keepe the way of God and not decline Hence note A godly man is or ought to be and 't is his honour to be steady in a good way Perfeverance is our Crowne The Apostle 1 Cor. 15.58 Exhorts to be steady and unmoveable alwayes abounding in the worke of the Lord. We should
wee pray not to change the minde of God but to fullfill it wee pray for the fullfilling of his decrees not for the altering of them for the fullfilling of his counsels not the voyding of them And because God is in one minde and none can turne him we have the more incouragement to pray For all the good things that are in the minde counsel and purpose of God to doe for us and bestow upon us are borne and brought into the world usually by the hand of prayer Prayer is as it were the midwife to bring our blessings to the birth Therefore though prayer cannot turne God yet we have no reason to turne from prayer There is yet a fourth thing which may stop men but cannot stop God And that is nearnes of relation Men are often turned out of the way when a neare relation stands in their way They purposed to doe this or that but that such a friend or such a kinsman hath turned them from their purpose 'T is rare to finde such a spirit as the Lord by Moses observed and highly commended in the Tribe of Levi Deut. 33.9 Who said unto his father and to his mother I have not seene him neyther did he acknowledge his Brethren nor knew his owne children That is hee was not turned by the nearest relations from executing that terrible sentence of the Lord upon the children of Israel his Brethren after they had made the Golden Calfe of which you may read at large Exod. 32.26 27 28 29. It is truely sayd That relations have little entity in them but they have the greatest efficacy in them And their efficacy hath never appeared more in any thing then in this The turning of man from his purpose or his duty But relations have no efficacy in them to stop or turne the Lord from his purposes Isa 27.11 It is a people that have no understanding therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them he that formed them will shew them no favour As if the Prophet had sayd When the Lord threatens to bring evill upon you possibly ye will say we are the worke of thy hands he hath made us surely then he will not destroy us We finde that argument pleaded Isa 64.8 But now O Lord thou art our father we are the clay and thou our potter and we all are the worke of thy hand Be not wroth very sore O Lord c. To plead our relation to God by Christ is the strongest plea in prayer and to plead any relation to God hath a great strength in it Yet while some urge these they signifie nothing and have no force at all They who are like that people in the Prophet a people of no understanding spirituall idiots such as have no knowledge to doe good or no practicall understanding in the things of God such I say may urge their relation and get nothing by it He that made them will not have mercy on them and he that formed them will shew them no favour The Lord professeth strongly against any power which a relation shall have upon him to turne him or take off the processe of his Judgement under high provocations from the highest of men Jer. 22.24 As I live saith the Lord though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim King of Judah were the signet upon my right hand yet would I pluck thee thence and give thee into the hand of them that seeke thy life c. To be as the signet upon the right hand notes the most intimate neerenes of relation yet the Lord breakes thorough this and will not be turned away by it from the severest actings of his owne purposes Thus it hath appeared that as the Lord is unchangeable in himselfe so nothing can change him He is in one minde who can turne him And what his soule desireth eâ—â—â— that he doth Hence observe That God doth whatsoever he will or whatsoever he desires to doe There is no bound to the power of God but his owne will When the Heathen asked in scorne Where is your God The Psalmist tells them plainely both where he was and what he had been doing Psal 115.3 But our God is in the heavens he hath done whatsoever he pleased The doings of God know no bounds but his owne pleasure He hath done whatsoever he pleased He will not indure to have any articles put upon him nor any circles or limit-lines drawne about him The power of God is regulated and determined by nothing but his will A great Prince once sayd That he had indeed a circle about his head meaning his Crowne but he would not beare it to have a circle about his feete he must goe which way himselfe pleased and doe whatsoever his soule desired Yet there are circles drawne about all the powers of the world only God hath none His government is purely arbitrary Nor is it fit that the government of any but his should be so 'T is neither fit nor safe that any should governe arbitrarily or purely at will but he whose will is altogether pure but he whose will is so farre from needing a rule that it is one yea the onely unerring One. Ezek. 24.14 I the Lord have spoken it it shall come to passe and I will doe it I will not goe backe neither will I spare neither will I repent according to thy wayes and according to thy doings shall they judge thee saith the Lord God As if the Lord had said It is my will to have it thus and therefore it shall be thus That which is most sinfull in man is most holy in God to act according to his owne will Mans will is to crooked a rule for others to guide their actions by or for himselfe to guide his actions by He that saith I will doe this or that because I will doth nothing as he ought There should be much willingnes but none of our owne will in what we doe But as Gods will should be both the rule and reason of our actings so it alwayes is of his owne There is as I may say an holy wilfulnes in God He will have what he will and he will doe what he will God will not doe many things which he can but he can doe whatsoever he will and whatsoever he will doe he is just and righteous in doing it And this is the glory of God to have such a power and such a will And there being such a power in God with such a will we need not feare his power We leave men to their will as little as we can whom we trust with much power When men in power have nothing but their will to guide them wee presently feare oppression and tyranny and that we shall be farre from leading peaceable and quiet lives under them in all godlines and honesty which is the most desireable and blessed fruit of Magistracy Nor is this a pannicke or groundlesse feare seing the will of man is corrupt and sinfull selfeish and revengefull
in this way of wickednesse Oculus Adulteri i. e. ipse Adulter The eye also of the adulterer waiteth that is the adulterer himselfe waiteth Job doth not say the Adulterer waiteth but the eye of the Adulterer waiteth because the eye is much in adultery The eye hath so great a share in that sin In re amatoria oculi sunt lenones prima amoris via Lucian Amoris principium Plato Amoris sedes Philostr Nihil in oculis est quod non sit lascivum petulans nihil in oculorum pupilla in esse dicas quam amicam cum potiri non possunt saltem conspectu se sanunt that the whole sin is here charged upon the eye The Apostle Peter 2 Pet. 2.14 speakes of a generation of evill men having their eyes full of adultery or as the Greeke Original hath it with much Emphasis full of an Adultenesse As if he had sayd they are persons so given up to uncleanenes that they have no desire to see any body with their eyes but an Adulteresse nor is any thing else to be seene in their eyes but Adultery They are as impudent as they are uncleane letting out the Adultery which is in their hearts at their eyes not caring who sees it Adultery is seated in the heart there 's the fountaine of it Math. 15.19 Out of the heart proceed evill thoughts murthers adulteries fornications thefts false witnesse blasphemy Adultery comes out of the heart but 't is first seene in the eye yea the eye often gives the first occasion of it to the heart Math. 5.28 Whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart Wanton love usually ascends by these five steps First the eye sees secondly the heart desires thirdly the thoughts are plotting and contriving how to attaine what is desiered fourthly there is hope to attaine what is plotted and fifthly there is joy and delight in the attainement of what was hoped Thus usually the eye gives the occasion and leads the dance in all the meetings of vanity The Ancient Moralist in his booke of the long-comming revenges of God makes report that one Apollidorus being in a dreame saw his owne skin pull'd off by a barbarous Scythian Plutarchus de sera numinis vindicta who then presently threw him into a chaldron of boileing water where being tormented his heart whispered to him I am the cause of all this The heart is the cause of punishment and misery remotely because nextly it is the cause of sin especially of this sin of Adultery yet as the heart doth sometimes set the eye a worke to finde out objects so the eye meeting with objects sets the heart aworke yea it sets the heart a fire or all in a flame with vaine desires and adulterous lustings The eyes of some looke out continually for the fuel of those secret fires and the eyes of others meete with it unlooked for A good mans eye may meete with a vaine object but his eye doth not goe out to seeke or waite for it Against such active wickednes Job professed while he sayd Chap. 31.1 I have made a covenant with mine eyes c. A godly mans eye hath somewhat else to waite upon then such ensnaring objects And the Psalmist tells us upon what the Godly mans eye waites Psal 123.2 Behold as the eyes of servants looke unto the hand of their Masters c. so our eyes waite upon the Lord our God untill he have mercy upon us The eye of a Godly man waiteth to receive Good and the eye of a wicked man waiteth to doe evill The Adulterer hath a waiteing eye and this waiteing notes three things First That the Adulterer is very diligent and intentive to attaine his purpose he that waites is more then awake He is not onely awake but watchfull both these are put together Pro. 8.34 where the diligence of the Saints is spoken of in their waiteing upon Christ in his appointments Blessed is the man that heareth me watching daily at my gates waiteing at the posts of my doores they who waite at the posts of wisdome that is of Christ watch also at his gates they watch there and they waite there It is possible for a man to watch as watching is onely opposed to sleeping yet not to waite that is not to be diligent or attentive upon any busienes but he that watcheth as watching is opposed to Idling he is alwayes waiting as long as watching and he cannot but be watching who is indeed waiting Thus the Adulterer takes much paines to obtaine his forbidden pleasures his eye waiteth and watcheth he is a diligent servant or slave rather to his lust every man that commits sin is a servant to sin and every servant must waite it is the duty of a servant to waite for his Lord the adulterer waites upon his lust as upon his Lord every lust would be waited upon as a Lord. Saints watch at wisedomes gates and waite like servants at her posts to know her pleasure Adulterers watch at whoredomes gates and at her posts they waite for sinfull pleasures Secondly To waite implyeth the exercise of much patience he that waiteth expects long he must expect and stay till the opportunity comes Even the wicked have patience upon hopes of injoyment And shall not the Godly It may shame the Godly out of their impatience and loathnes to waite for an answer of prayer from God when they heare that The husband-man waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth and hath long patience for it untill he receave the early and the latter raine Jam 5.7 But it may shame them much more out of all their impatience in waiting for good things from God when they heare that the Adulterer waiteth for the whorish woman and hath long patience till he receave his longing Thirdly Waiteing implyeth the Adulterers fixednesse in and resolvednesse to sinne his eye waiteth he doth not sin by a sudden glance of his eye or upon a vehement gust of temptation or upon an unthought of hurry of wanton passions but he sins deliberately and as it were in coole blood He waiteth for and watcheth his season he is serious and studious about his wickednes Hence note A wicked man sinnes with resolution He that waiteth to doe any thing hath a resolution to doe it A Godly man sins but he doth not waite to sin or if at any time he doe so he at that time acts the wicked mans part in the godly mans state and so upon a strong temptation Godly men have done But usually he is a wicked man as to his state that waites for a temptation Afflictions waite every where for a godly man as Paul spake of himselfe Acts 20.23 and so also doe Temptations But the ungodly are every where waiteing for temptations They are not surprised or taken unawares by a sin but they are resolved to take their first opportunity of sinning What a godly man
sayth when he is in a right frame in reference to the wayes of holynes Psal 108.1 O God my heart is prepared or fixed A godly man doth not good upon a sudden or by chance as we say but he sets himselfe to it his heart is fixed or prepared and his face is set heaven-ward or for heavenly duties So Daniel spake of himselfe Dan. 9.3 I set my face unto the Lord God to seeke by prayer and supplications and as a godly man is in the wayes of God so the wayes of God are in him Thus David describes him Psal 84.5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee in whose heart are the wayes of them that is the wayes which Godly men walke in and they are the wayes of God Now as this is the true state of godlinesse when the heart is in it and prepared for it so the true state of wickednesse is when a mans heart is in it and prepared for it This is the proper character of a wicked man The eye of the Adulterer waiteth for the twilight Every word hath weight in it the twilight is the Adulterers season It is not sayd he waites for the night or for the day but he waiteth for the twilight which is neither day nor night but between both We have such a description of time in reference to the mixt and uncertaine state of things Zach. 14.6 7. And it shall come to passe in that day that the light shall not be cleare nor darke But it shall be one day which shall be knowne to the Lord not day nor night Such a thing is Twilight it is neyther cleare nor darke neyther day nor night but between both There is a twofold twilight first the morning twilight and secondly Diluculum Crepusculū the evening twilight the morning twilight begins when the night ends the evening twilight begins when the day ends The Latines have two distinct words to expresse these distinct twilights by but our language is not so well stored and therefore we must distinguish them by the matter spoken of or the scope of the speaker Thus here when 't is sayd in the text he waiteth for the twilight we are to understand it of the evening twilight not for the morning twilight and the reason is because the morning twilight is not for the adulterers turne or purpose for then the light prevailes upon the darkness but it is the evening twilight for then darkness prevailes upon the light And that this is the Adulterers twilight is cleare Prov. 7. v. 6 7 8 9. Nox et tenebrae administrae sunt impijs suarum libidinum Ipsa nox alioquin caeca infandarum tamen libidinū oculatus testis est At the window of my house saith Solomon I looked through the casement and behold among the simple ones I discerned among the youths a man voyd of understanding passing by the way to her house and he went neere her corner in the twilight in the evening or in the evening of the day in the blacke and darke night And behold there met him a woman with the attire of a harlot c. His eye waited for the twilight and in the twilight he was taken Hence note The doing of evill hath its proper seasons as well as the doing of good Though sin be never in season yet it hath some times which are more seasonable for it to sin is never in season as to the lawfullnesse of committing it but sin hath its seasons as to the conveniency of committing it The Adulterer takes his season he waiteth for the twilight Whence note secondly Evill men are very carefull to hit their seasons for the doing of evill It were desireable that the godly were as carefull to hit their seasons and take their times as the ungodly are To every thing saith the Preacher Eccl 3.1 there is a season and a time for every purpose under the Sunne And because it is so saith the same Preacher Eccl 8.6 The misery of man is great upon him But why doth this make the misery of man great upon him I answer The reason of this misery upon man is not because there is a season but because eyther of his ignorance or negligence to find it There are a thousand wayes to misse a season and but one to hit it And were there as many wayes to hit as to misse it were a thousand to one but man would misse rather then hit and therefore the misery of man is great upon him Because if once he misse his season it cannot be recovered and then he must needs be miserable Good men are miserable as to some cases because they are often so carelesse to hit their season of doing good and doe so often misse it notwithstanding all their care Wicked men are for ever miserable because they are so carefull not to misse their season of doing evill and doe so often hit it The eye of the Adulterer waiteth for the twilight and he seldome as to his own end waites in vaine But why is he so greedy for the twilight The next words say why where he brought in Saying no eye shall see me Where sayth he this he sayth it in his heart this is his discourse in his owne breast and to whom sayth he this he sayth it to himselfe there is a dialogue between the Adulterer and his owne heart and thus he concludes I will waite for the twilight and then no eye shall see me And when he sayth no eye shall see me his meaning is There is not any eye that shall see me Thus he playes the foole at All 's hid Yet further this no eye may have a threefold reference First No eye of common men shall see me I will doe this in secret I will have such a cover of darknesse over me that my neighbours and friends shall not be able to take any notice of mee Secondly No eye may referre to men in chiefe that is Verba quae sequuntur exigunt ut ista de Magistratus justitiaeque ministris intelligantur Bold Quisquis aut officio aut quovis alio modo super alios inspicit actusque eorum observat vocatur oculus no eye of the Magistrate nor of any Minister of Justice shall see me Magistrates are the eyes of a Nation they should overlooke all places eyther by themselves or their Officers to observe what is done As the adulterers eye watcheth so there should be an eye of Justice watching to catch Adulterers Some interpret this Text especially of the adulterers hope or selfe-perswasion that he shall escape the eye or knowledge of the Magistrate who is appointed to oversee the manners of that people over whom he is placed and to be a terror yea a Minister of vengeance to them that doe evill for he beareth not the sword in vaine Rom. 13.3 4. Magistrates should so much marke and eye the state of a people that they are called eyes in Scripture Isa 29.10 For the Lord
of our decrees is from God 279. The decrees of Godly men are under a promise of successe 279. Decree and appoyntment of God whatsoever God doth was before appoynted and decreed 444 Degrees of excellency and dignity in the creatures God hath not levelled them 117 Delight consisteth in two things 254 Delight in God is our duty as wel as our reward and comfort 254. They who mourne for sin shall find delight in God 256. Delight in the Lord is the choycest mercy 257. Delight in the Lord exceeds all worldly delights in foure things 257 258 Deliberate sinning the way of the wicked 584 Desertion God is every where present yet often not present to the apprehension of his people 317. 319. Desires of Saints often quickest after God in a time of desertion 319 Desire they who truely desire to finde God are diligent in searching after him 323. Where God is cheifely to be found 325 326. Desire is diligent in enquiryes 370 Devill in what consideration made by God 812 Difficultyes an evill heart will breake through all difficultyes to find a way to his sin 615 Diligence good in a good way 519 Dishonour fallen upon man by sin 716 Disputers apt to make false inferences from the tenets of their opposers 122 Dividing the word of God aright what 732 Divisions among men sent as a punishment from God 796 Doctrine and divine teachings why compared to and expressed by raine and raining 220 False doctrine is worthlesse 673 Dominion of God what Three things it it 676. Dominion of God considered foure wayes 677. The Dominion of God calleth us to a twofold subjection 679 Drawing twofold 637 E Earth men of the earth why the wicked are so called 73. In what sence the earth is founded upon the Sea 756. What the foundation of the earth is 757. The earth is upheld by the infinite power of God 757 758. Inferences from it 758 759 How the earth may be called the pillar of heaven 782 Earth-quake whence it is 733 East-ward why it if called forward 360 361 Aegypt why called Rahab 793 Election the decree of Election is an unmoveable foundation 153 Empty a person may be sent away empty in a threefold sence 80. How a place may be sayd to be empty 754 Enemyes in what sence we may not or may rejoyce in their fall 187 188 Error very binding upon tâ—â— conscience as wel us truth 101. Hard to judge which is worse unsetlednes in truth or tenaciousnes in error 102. The way of error old 139 Ever The saddest or sweetest word in the whole Bible 356 Exaltation of wicked men shall not continue 656 Extasie twofold 191 Examples very drawing 398 Examples of punishment upon sinners ought to be marked 140. Examples of two sorts 141. God makes wicked men exampleâ— 182. A Godly man doth example himselfe by God 390 Eye of God upon a place or person notes his care of them 649 Eyes high or low note pride or humility 286. Eye much in adultery 582 Ezâ—kiel why so often called and spoken to by God under this name Son of man 712 F Face lifting vp the face what it imports in Scripture 259. Face cost downe three wayes 260. Face of a thing what it notes in Scripture 768 Faith the reflect act of it most sweete 254. How faith is our strength to resist temptation 349 Fatherlesse and widdow who in Scripture 81. How sinfull to wrong them 85 86 Feare taken two wayes 27. Feare makes men cruel and do unjust things as wel as hope 30 31. Feare may be a just ground of doing Justice 31 32. Feare of two sorts 90. Sudden feare surprizeth secure sinners 91. Feare threefold 453. Feare ariseth two wayes 454. God would be more feared if he were more knowne 454 Feare is with God upon a threefold consideration 680. God can strike man with feare when he pleaseth 682 Feared God is much to be feared 681. God is to he feared as great and as good 681 682 Fire put to signifie any Judgement 201. There is a different fire for the righteous and the wicked 202. How God is a consuming fire in reference to the Godly 202 Fishes of the Sea three things most considerable about them 744 Flattering and reproaching one another are two extreames to be carefully avoyded 715 Flood the Judgements of God compared to it and why 148 149 Folly the wayes of sin and unrighteousnesse are full of folly 544. Folly put in Scripture to note some notorious sin 546. Folly of sinners 597 Forgetfullnes what implyed by it 625 Foundation figuratively taken what 148. 150. Everlasting foundation what 152. The strongest foundations which the wicked lay are quickly overthrowne by God 152. A righteous man hath two foundations which shall never fayle 153 G Giants terrible why called Rephaim 741 Gifts of God which hee repenteth of what they are 424 Glory of God such as man cannot beare or behold it 771 Glorifie in what sence man may be sayd to glorifie God 9 God absolutely independent and perfect in himselfe 7. To thinke of God on high the best way to quiet our soules in any trouble here below 104 How God is every where 110. Carnal men frame coÌ„ceptions of God like themselves 127. A wrong notion of the true God is the setting up of a false God 128. The presence of God slighted by carnal men the onely Joy of Saints 159 160 161. God hath not given the worst of men any cause to be weary of him 167. Gâ—d doth good to them that are evilly two reasons of it 170 God is to be acknowledged as the fountaine of all good to us 171 172. God ready to be at peace with sinners 215. God infinitely better to the soule then all other things 218. God is the defence of his people 245. God is the riches the gold and silver of his people 246. God hath put it into the nature of all men to seeke after him 324. God is often doing great things when we see him not 366. God appeareth onely to such as himselfe pleaseth 367. God is one 419. God doth whatsoever he will 438 Godly and the wicked have quite contrary both desires and feares 161. 178. A Godly man is one of Gods acquaintants 207. He shall be guided the right way and blessed in his way 283. He shall have comfort in his way 284. A godly man is a common good 290. Godly save others three wayes 292 Godly men most likely to be acquainted with what God is doing in the world for two reasons 481 Godlines is truly profitable 17. Godlines the neerest way to worldly gaine 248. Godlines is Godlikenes or an imitation of God 390 Goodnes of God Sin hath by somuch the greater evill in it as it is committed against the greater goodnes 171 goodnes of God fivefold 693. God gives out goodnes freely 697 Good things many of them a trouble to evill men 593 Gold and silver how a defence and why put for all riches 241. How Gold is to be