prey This action of gnashing the teeth is ascribed to men and it notes four things First Extreame envy Psal 12.10 The wicked shall see it and be grieved he shall gnash with his teeth and melt away the desire of the wicked shall perish But at what was this wicked man greived till he gnashed his teeth Was it a griefe of compassion at the misery of others No it was a griefe of envy at the prosperity of others as is cleare from the words immediately foregoing The horne of the righteous shall be exalted with honour Envy is the vexation and depreson of our owne spirits at the exaltation of another man in riches or in honour It is not a sicknesse catcht from another mans disease but a sicknesse catcht from another mans health Secondly Gnashing of the teeth notes extreame derision or highest contempt and insultation over a man in misery Psal 35.15 16. But in mine adversity they rejoyced and gathered themselves together that is then gathered themselves together for joy or to rejoyce yea the very abjects gathered themselves together such as all honest or civill men had cast out of their company and society associated and knotted themselves into companies against me they did teare me that is my good name and ceased not with hypocriticall mockers at feasts they gnashed upon me with their teeth Where it is also observable that we have the former act complained of by Job joyned with this Tearing with gnashing of the teeth Thirdly Gnashing of the teeth is the effect of extreame paine thus the damned in Hell shall gnash their teeth for ever Matth. 8.12 Matth. 13.42 That gnashing of teeth ariseth from a mixed passion partly from envy and partly from sorrow envy at the good which the Saints enjoy and sorrow at the evill which themselves feele hence comes gnashing of teeth in Hell Fourthly Gnashing of teeth is an argument of extreame wrath and anger Acts 7.54 where it is sayd of Steevens at once Auditors and Enemies When they heard those things they were cut to the heart Peters Auditors Acts 2. were prickt at the heart with godly sorrow Stevens Auditors were cut to the heart with ungodly anger and they gnashed upon him with their teeth The gnashing of teeth here spoken of is the concommitant of supposed wrath He teareth me in his wrath and gnasheth upon me with his teeth Yet further Mine enemy sharpeneth his eyes upon me This notes the fiercenesse of an enemy Wilde Beasts when they fight whet their eyes as well as their teeth and a man that is extreamely enraged looks upon his opposite as if he would looke through him Thus Job represents the Lord in all the postures of an enemy Hee sharpeneth his eyes against mee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acuit detersit gladium ut splendeat ad terrorem polivit instrumenta ferrea autanea Placidis oculis aliquem intuemur quando facta ejus bene interpretamur Aquin. The word signifies to sharpen as a Sword or a Speare or any instrument of Iron is sharpened 1 Sam. 13.20 There was no Smith in Israel but all the Israelites went downe to the Philistims to sharpen every man his share c. That word is used here Mine enemy sharpeneth his eye like a Sword as if he would strike me through with his eye we say a man hath a peircing eye when he looks very angerly When we are well pleased kindnesse is seen in our eyes we give our Freinds a pleasant and gentle looke Christ tels the Spouse Cant. 4.9 Thou hast ravished mine heart my Sister my Spouse thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes The Hebrew is Thou hast taken away my heart with one of thine eyes Per metaphoram ad scintillationem oculorum transfertur ubi oculi ad modum aeris candentis vel lampadis ardentis vel aurorae radios vibrare dicuntur Bold Ingenii vim in eo fulgor oculorum ostendebat quorum aâ—iem instar siderum vibrantem intentius eum intuentes ferre non poterant Pezel Mellis Hist par 2da Knolles Turk Hist A holy love-looke stole away Christs heart he could not but love the Church when through the comlinesse which he had put upon her shee looked so lovely on him As thus a look of love from the Churches eye stole away Christs heart so a look of mercy from Christs eye broke Peters heart yea and opened the Flood-gates of his eyes too Luke 22.61 62. And the Lord turned and looked upon Peter and Peter went out and wept bitterly There are soft looks as well as soft words and there are hard looks as well as hard words The eye is a Speare and an Arrow yea a sharp Sword as well as the tongue He sharpneth his eyes upon me as if he would stab me to the heart with a glanse of his eye The eye hath its scintillations its sparklings even as bright burnisht Brasse or as a burning Lampe or as the morning Sun sends forth his rayes and beames such scintillations doth the eye of some men send forth naturally The Romane Historians report of Augustus Caesar and our Turkish Historian reports of Tamerlane that such a majestick lustre sparkled from their eyes as dazled the eyes of their beholders which saith my Author caused the latter in a comely modesty to abstaine from looking earnestly upon such as spake with him What the eyes of these great Princes did naturally the eyes of many doe when they looke passionately Christ hath a sharpe eye so sharpe that his eyes as represented to John in a Vision were like a flame of fire Revel 1.14 The eyes of God are so sharpe naturally or according to the excellency of his nature that no eye can behold his face and himselfe beholdeth not onely every face but peirceth into every heart yet besides this naturall sharpnesse of his eye towards all he angerly sharpens his eye against his Enemies God was indeed Jobs Freind and Job was Gods Favorite yet here he speakes of God as he had also done before as of his Enemy and as of an Enemy declaring himselfe at his eye Mine enemy sharpeneth his eye upon me Job attributes this to God in the extremity of his paine Adversarium suum vocat Job non amicos solum sed omnem creaturam quae resistit Domino resistente accusat Domino accusante damnat Domino damnante aut ipsum Deum adversarium intelligas Brent this was the voice of his flesh it was not the voyce of Job himselfe this was the voice of his sense not the voyce of his Faith Would you know what was the voyce of Job himselfe or of Jobs Faith Heare that Chap. 13.15 16 18. Though he kill me yet will I trust in him He also shall be my salvation and I know that I shall be justified Heare againe his Faith speaking Chap. 19.25 I know that my Redemeer liveth and I shall see him againe with these eyes Though sense saw God as an Enemy sharpening his eyes upon
Eloquar an sileam Quid agam si locutus fuero c. Vulg. and therefore trembles out his Preface in such vvords as these Shall I speake or shall I be silent Shall I open my lips or shall I forbeare Jobs paine received no check vvhich way soever of these he tooke and therefore it seemed vaine to attempt either Though I speake That is If I stand up in my just defence to answer and take away your objections yet my greife is not answered Nunc eo res redierunt ut quo me vertam nesciam aut quid agam nam nec loquendo nec tacendo quicquam proficio Merc. that is as busie with me and as talkative as ever it was yea then you object my impatience under sufferings as an argument of my sin And though I forbeare That is If I byte in my paine and speake not if I stand mute as attentive to heare you speake yet my sorrow moves not yea then you judge my silence an argument of my secret guilt and that all is true which you have sayd against me because I say nothing for my selfe Thus What am I eased sayth the Text in our translation The Hebrew saith What goeth from me That is What of my paine what of my sorrow goeth away from me when I cease or forbeare to speake So that The generall sense of this Verse is to shew that his troubles were past hope of redresse they found no cure none by speech none by silence Griefe is sometimes eased by speaking sometimes by silence eyther our owne or others To say nothing is a medicine for some mens sorrow the sorrow of others cannot be medicin'd but by saying much A playster of words hath cured many a wound and the more words have been used the more some wounds have festered and the anguish of them hath increased Hence Observe There is no meanes of remedy left for that evill which is not remedyed by the use and tryall of contrary meanes If neyther speech nor silence ease a mans minde what can We finde such a kinde of arguing though in a different case used by Christ Matth. 11.16 17. Where when hee would shew how impossible or at least how extreamely difficult it was to please the Jewes they vvere a humourous people and let a man put himselfe in what posture he would they would finde some fault or have somwhat to object against him Wherunto saith Christ shall I liken this generation they vvere so untoward that Christ speakes as if he vvere straitned how to finde out a fit comparison for them or could scarse tell to vvhat they vvere like yet he tells us They are like unto Children sitting in the Markets and calling to their fellows saying Wee have piped and yee have not danced we have mourned to you and yee have not lamented When a man vvill neyther mourne vvith us nor rejoyce vvith us vvhat shall we doe vvith him How shall vve please him For vvhat company is he fit That such vvas the tendency of this similitude appeares plainely in the application vvhich Christ makes Vers 18. For John came neither eating nor drinking and they say he hath a Devill They did not like the mournefull austere course of John The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they sayd Behold a man gluttonous and a Wine-bibber a freind of Publicans and Sinners They did not like the free converse of Christ When a people are of this spirit or at this lock that neither a man vvho is affable and courteous ready both to receive and give civilities is welcome to them nor yet he who is austere and reserved close and strict in his way can give them any content who or what can content them When neyther piping nor mouring when neither dauncing nor sorrowing takes with us what can When we would describe a person whose troublesomenesse of spirit seemes unanswerable we say of him He is quiet neither full nor fasting that is he is never quiet or nothing can make him quiet Abraham saith to his Nephew Lot Gen. 13.8 9. Let there be no strife I pray thee betweene me and thee and betweene thy Herd-men and my Herd-men for we are brethren c. If thou wilt take the left hand then I will goe to the right or if thou depart to the right hand then I will goe to the left Now as it is an argument of the sweetest spirit and fayrest disposition when a man is ready to take eyther hand rather then breake the peace so it argues the sowrest spirit and most untractable disposition when a man will neyther goe to the right hand nor to the left when he will neither move forward nor backward when he will neither give nor take neyther buy nor sell there is no dealing with such a man for he wavâ—s all the wayes of dealing Thus also we conclude a people incorrigible who continue in their sins whether God smite or heale whether he deliver them from or deliver them up into the hand of judgements because these are the utmost bounds or the extreames of all those providentiall dispensations which God useth at any time to turne a people from their sin Againe Wee say they are unperswadeable whâ—m neyther faire meanes nor foule can reduce speake them faire they are naught speake them foule they are naught still promise them good they remaine evill threaten them with evill they will not be good You may carry it out in all experiments wheresoever you finde an evill frame of minde or body or of affaires which mends not or doth not alter for the better by the application of the other contrary when the former hath been applyed without successe you may write under it as to humane helpes This is a desperate case a distemper incurable Yet further Job in these words reflects upon his Freinds as if he had sayd Some men by complaining and opening their soares to those who visit them in their affliction finde their Freinds releeving them presently with sound counsell and powring the oyle of consolation into their wounded spirits but alasse it is not so with me for whether I speake or hold my peace it is all one yee are all against me and are neither perswaded by my speech nor by my silence to apply proper remedies for the asswaging of my griefe or the easing of my paines Hence Note It is the duty and should be the care of those who visit Freinds in affliction to pick somewhat out of what they say or at least to take occasion from their silence to administer consolation to their grieved mindes When the Servants of Benhadad came to Ahab to sue for their Masters life the Text saith 1 Kings 20.33 The men did diligently observe whether any thing would come from him that is whether any word of hope would come from Ahab and they did hastily catch it And Ahab had no sooner sayd He is my Brother but they catcht at this as a word of comfort they had what
lives in any knowne sinne unrepented of Secondly That which is unquiet and unsetled about the pardon of those sins which we have repented of We should get both these evil consciences but especially the first cured and removed by the sprinkling of the blood of Christ before we draw nigh to God in prayer as also our bodies washed in pure water which is either an allusion to the old Ceremonies among the Jewes who before they came to worship at the Tabernacle purged themselves with diverse outward washings leading them to the consideration of that morall puritie both of heart and life in which God is to be worshipped or it is an allusion to Baptisme in speciall in which there is an externall washing of the body signifying the washing of the soule by the blood of Christ and by the effectuall working of the spirit The sum of all is unlesse the person be pure his prayer is not pure These are the ingredients which constitute pure prayer all these met in Job and therefore he concluded not onely confidently but truely My prayer is pure And as these are the ingredients of prayer so they are all necessary ingredients so necessary that if any one of them be wanting the whole prayer is impure They are necessary by a double necessity First As commanded by God in prayer Secondly As meanes without which man cannot attaine his end in prayer The generall end of prayer is that prayer may be heard accepted and answered God heares accepts answers no one prayer without some concurrence of all these The Incense of the Ceremoniall Law was a shadow of prayer which is so great a duty of the morall Law But if this Incense had not been made exactly according to the will of God both for the matter and the manner of the composition prescribed Exod. 30.34 35 36. If after it had been thus made it had not also been offered according to those rules given Levit. 16.12 13. it had been an abomination to the Lord or as the Prophet Isaiah speaks Chap. 66.3 Such a burning of Incense had been but as the blessing of an Idol We may conclude also That if prayer be either composed or presented in any other way then God himselfe hath directed it is not onely turned away but turned into sin That man hath spoken a great word who can say in Jobs sense My prayer is pure Thus Job justifies the prayer he made to God and mainetaines his justice towards men There is no injustice in my hands also my prayer is pure A high profession yet in the next words he goes higher and makes both an imprecation against himselfe if it were not thus with him and an appeale to God for his testimony that it was thus with him JOB CHAP. 16. Vers 18 19. O Earth cover not thou my blood and let my cry have no place Also now behold my witnesse is in Heaven and my record is on high JOB having with much confidence asserted the integrity of his heart and the righteousnesse of his way both towards God and Man confirmes what he had thus confidently asserted by a double Argument First By a vehement imprecation Vers 18. O earth cover not thou my blood and let my cry have no place Secondly By a free appeale an appeale to God himselfe Vers 19. Also now behold my witnesse is in Heaven and my record is on high He shewes the necessity of this appeale Vers 20. My Freinds scorne me therefore I am constrained to goe to God When men have done us wrong and will not doe us right it is both time and duty to appeale to God Upon this ground Job appeales Est juramenti deprecatorii forma quo asseverat nullius sibi iniquitatis consâ—ium esse Aben. Ezra and he concludes according to our translation his appeale with a passionate yet holy wish Vers 21. O that one might plead for a man with God as a man pleadeth for his Neighbour The reason both of his appeale and wish is given us further Vers 22. he looked on himselfe as a man standing upon the very confines of death the Grave was ready for him therefore hee beggs that this businesse might be dispatched and his integrity cleared before hee dyed Hee was loath to goe out of the World like a Candle burnt downe to the Socket with an ill savour He that hath lived unstained in his reputation cannot well beare it to dye with a blot and therefore he will be diligent by all due meanes to maintaine the credit which he hath got and to recover what he hath lost This was the reason of Jobs importunity discovered in these two Verses now further to be opened Vers 18. O earth cover not thou my blood and let my cry have no place There are two branches of this imprecation or rather these make two distinct imprecations The first in these words O earth cover not thou my blood The second in these Let my cry have no place Job engages all upon the truth of what he had sayd being willing that his worst might be seen and his best not heard if he had not spoken truth O earth cover not thou my blood Poeticum sane patheticum in dolore aut re alia gravissima res mutas mortuasve omni sensu audituque carentes testes auditores compellare Job speaks pathetically or as some render him Poetically while he bespeakes the earth and makes the inanimate creature his hearer The sacred Pen-men doe often turne their speech to the Heavens and to the Earth Thus Moses Deut. 32.2 in the Preface of his Sermon his last Sermon to that people Give eare O yee Heavens and I will speak and hear O earth the words of my mouth So the Prophet Isaiah Chap. 1.2 Heare O Heavens and give eare O Earth I have nourished and brought up Children and they have rebelled against me God speaks to that which hath no eares to heare eyther to reprove those who have eares but heare not or to raise up and provoke their attention in hearing Thus Job O earth c. as if the earth were able to take his complaint and returne an answer as if the earth were able to make inquisition and bring in a verdict about his blood O earth cover not thou my blood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 texit operuit abscondit The word signifies not onely common but a twofold metaphoricall covering First Covering by way of dissimulation to dissemble a matter is to cover a matter In that sense Solomon speakes Prov. 12.16 A fooles wraâ—h is presently knowne but a prudent man covereth shame that is He dissembleth his wrath or his anger he will not let it alway break forth for that would be a shame to him Secondly The word signifies to cover by forgetfulnesse That which is not remembred is hid or covered Eccles 6.4 He commeth in with vanity speaking of man and departeth in darknesse and his name shall be covered with darknesse that