be able to get off in haste There are many who have struck yea wounded their owne hearts incurably by striking hands for their Freinds Goe to the Courts of Justice and there is nothing more frequently heard of then the sighes of Sureties He disassures his owne Estate who assures for others Secondly As Contracts and Suretiship for Money were confirmed by striking hands so it is very probable that those suretiships which were given about Tryals and for appearing to the Action of the Plaintiffe in Judgement were also confirmed by that outward ceremony in which sense we are to understand it here Further The word which we translate to Strike signifies also to Fasten which shewes another part of the ceremony for as striking so joyning and clasping of hands was used Once more the word signifies Clangere tuba Complosis manibus sonus editur and oft is applyed to the sounding of a Trumpet or the giving of any sound This also carries on the same allusion because when two men strike hands they make a sound the interpretation of which is that the bargaine is made or it speâ—kes the parties agreed and hence that knowne expression among us Of striking up a bargaine or a businesse Thus the whole Text is carryed on in termes alluding to the ordinary proceeding eyther in becomming bound with another for Money or in giving assurance to performe and stand to the arbitrement or award of those who shall judge and determine any matter in difference But how are wee to apply this to the present case Lay downe now put me in a surety with thee who is hee that will strike hands with me There are three or foure expositions given about it First That Job in these words desires God to give surety that he would stand to the judgement which should be given or he would have God assure him Da fidejussorem apud te qui in hac contentione quae mihi tecum intercidit spondeat te staturum iis quae judicata fuerint ut te non tanquam judicem geras sed tanquam litigato rem Merc. Familiarius quam par erat cum Deo agit Merc. that hee would not deale with him according to the severity of his Justice or the excellency of his Soveraignty as a Judge but descend to such a course as is usuall among men while they are engaged in any controversie between themselves Job hath spoken the same sense cleerely before in some other passages of this Book especially Chap. 9 33 34. But this sense is not cleere to the scope of the present place And therefore as they who maintaine it confesse that Job was somewhat too bold with God so wee may say that they are somewhat too bold with the Text. For the reason or ground upon which Job desires that God would give him a surety hath no correspondence with this interpretation Vers 4. For thou hast hid their heart from understanding Now what coherence is there betweene these two that Job should say Thou hast hid their heart that is the heart of these men from understanding therefore give mee a surety that thou wilt proceed with me after the manner of men Besides the words of the fifth Verse oppose it yet more He that speaks flattery to his Freind the eyes of his Children shall faile Now for Job to desire God to put him in a surety that hee would deale thus or thus with him because the man who speakes flattery to his Freind his Childrens eyes shall faile hath no argument at all in it yet the abetters of this Interpretation mollifie all by saying that Job spake from a disturbed spirit being much moved with the ill dealing of his Freinds and though there may be some inconsistence with the context yet the Text considered in its owne compasse beares it well enough but I passe from it Secondly That Job desires God to appoint a Surety betweene him and his Freinds who should undertake both Gods cause and his against them three As if hee had sayd Lord my Freinds have wronged me and they have wronged thee too O that thou wouldest provide a man furnished with wisedome and a spirit of discerning both to right thy honour and to cleare up my integrity Such a one was Elihu who appeared shortly after upon the Stage and there acted such a part as this Thirdly say others Job desires that God himselfe would be his Surety and take up the whole matter betweene him and his Freinds which hee also did in the latter end of this Book giving judgement for Job and blaming the miscarriage of his Freinds So the word is used Isa 38.14 when Hezekiah lay sick even unto death he prayed Lord I am oppressed undertake for me It is this word Be Surety for me A learned Translator renders it Weave me through or weave me to the end for the word signifies the Thred in weaving Pertexe me Jun. called the Woofe which being put upon the Shuttle is cast through the Warpe in making Cloath whether Linnen or Woollen thus it is used Lev. 13.52 and so these words of Hezekiah carry on the Allegory of the tenth Verse I sayd in the cutting off of my dayes c. and of the twelfth Verse I have cut off like a Weaver my life he will cut me off with pining sicknesse In both which Verses Hezekiah compares mans life to a peece of Cloath in the Loome which is made sometimes shorter and sometimes longer and wheresoever it ends the Woofe or running Thred is cut off Hence Hezekiah prayeth Lord these sicknesses like a sharpe Knife threaten to cut the thred of my life yet I beseech thee doe thou weave on weave me to the end of that Warpe which is given to man in the common course of nature and let not this sicknesse cut my thred in the mid-way This is a good sense of the Text. But when our Translators render the word Vndertake for me the meaning is I am sore oppressed with the violence of this sicknesse which like one of the Sergeants of cruell death hath arrested me nor is there any way for me to escape unlesse thou O Lord rescue me out of its hands or as it were give Bayle and become surety for me I am opprest O Lord undertake for me David having done a great peece of Justice which contracted him much envy and had drawne many Enemies upon him thus bespeakes God Psal 119.121 122. I have done judgement and justice leave me not to mine oppressors be surety for thy Servant that is mainetaine mee against those who vvould wrong me because I have done right put thy selfe or interpose betweene mee and mine Enemies as if thou wert my pledge Impartiall justice upon oppressors layes the Judges open to oppression but they who run greatest hazzards in zeale for God shall finde God ready to be their Surety when they pray Be surety for thy servants And thus we may conceive Job entreating the Lord to be his Surety and
words of truth and tended to peace Some truths may be burthensome at some times to a good heart Hard words are alwayes burthensome Job had store of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Consolatores laboris aut molestiae Heb. The letter of the Hebrew gives the sense thus Yee are comforters of trouble that is troublesome comforters As if he had sayd Yee doe not comfort me in my troubles but yee trouble me with your comforts Yee are comforters made up of trouble that 's the predominant Element which denominates your complexion and constitution yee are so troublesome that you seeme to be nothing but trouble Our rendering in the concrete is cleare to Jobs scope Miserable comforters are yee all Hence Observe Some while they goe about to act the part of comforters doe but add to their sorrow whom they pretend to comfort and in stead of comforters prove tormenters But when doth a man deserve this title A miserable comforter That which caused Job to charge his Freinds with this miscarriage of their paines with him will resolve the question and tell us when First They gave him little hope of good or they did not open to him a doone of hope wide enough 't is true they made some overtures that way which yet comparatively to what they ought were scarce considerable And Eliphaz who had been somewhat large upon the point in his first congresse with Job speakes nothing of it in his last For as if he thought his case desperate and had given him for a lost man he shuts up in the darke as we see in the close of the former Chapter where he thunders out the judgements of God upon Hypocrites and Bribe-takers without so much as one word of comfort to the penitent This is to be a Miserable comforter The song of comforters should at least be mixt like that of David to the Lord of mercy and of judgement Psal 101.1 A song of judgement alone or most of judgement to a heavy heart may be called like that of Jeremie A Lamentation but it is not a Consolation Secondly They as was toucht before tyred out his afflicted soule with tedious discourses and unpleasing repetitions they alwayes harped upon the same string and that makes no musicke to a disconsolate soule As God complaines of those prayers as unpleasing which are full of unnecessary repetitions so also those counsels are unpleasing to man which are made up of needlesse repetitions To presse the same point though true oft and oft is a wearinesse to the spirit and because it suggests this suspition that the hearer doth oppose or resist that truth it proves an upbraiding rather then a teaching or a comforting Comfort must be stolne in unawares by a holy sleight of hand it must not be beaten in with beetles as it were by force of hand Solomon tels us Prov. 25.12 As an earering of Gold Subrepere debet consolatio fucum facere affectibus Sen. and an ornament of fine Gold so is a wise reprover upon an obedient eare What he speakes of a reprover is as true of a comforter and he onely is fit to be a reprover who is skil'd or knowes how to be a comforter Hee that will open or launce a soare had need be acquainted with the meanes of healing it The spirit of God who is the Reprover John 16.8 is also the Comforter John 14.26 We may therefore take up Solomons Proverbe here As an earering of Gold and an ornament of fine Gold so is a wise comforter upon an obedient eare They who hang Jewels in their eares as it was the custome of those times and is to this day take that which is of great price and value yet of little weight No man hangs a Talent or a great lump of Gold in his eare Gold is precious but much Gold is ponderous and burdens rather then adornes the eare the bulke of it is more combersome then the beauty of it is conspicuous Esto correptio non levis pretii sed levis pâ—ndeâ—is So comfort which is the most pleasant Jewell of the eare should be pure and precious as the Gold of Ophir but yet it must be like an earering which though it be not light in regard of worth yet it is light in regard of weight We must not load but guide a man with counsell nor must we burden him with many but ease him with pertinent words of comfort Thirdly That which rendered them yet more miserable Comforters was their unkinde grating upon that string of his sinfulnesse and studyed hypocrisie Job acknowledged himselfe a sinner and that he could not be justified in the sight of God by any righteousnesse of his owne yet still his freinds were unsatisfied about his sincerity and still they presented him with suspicions of secret wickednesse as the cause of all his sufferings still they told him of the sad fate of Tyrants of Oppressours of unjust Judges of unsound and false-hearted Worshippers and though they did not apply these Parables personally to Job yet the generall discourse sounded as if they had sayd Thou art the man Now as the Apostle speaks concerning death 1 Cor. 15.56 so we may say concerning any affliction The sting of affliction is sin the sting of sicknesse the sting of poverty the sting of disgrace is sin when the least trouble is armed with sin the strongest tremble at the sight of it A godly man can easier beare the weight of all afflictions then the weight and burthen of one sin so long as he sees all cleare between God and his owne soule so long as he can looke up to God as having his sin pardoned and can approve his heart to God that he lives not in any knowne sin in this case though the Lord lay the heaviest burthen of affliction upon him he can goe lightly under it The spirit of a man will beare all these infirmities but if his spirit be wounded either with the guilt of sin or with the feare of the wrath of God how can hee beare it This afflicts more then all other afflictions This was it which caused Job to cry out Miserable comforters His Freinds ever upbraiding him with his sin his sin his sin as the root and therefore as the sting of all his troubles They applyed nothing but these corrasives to his wounded soule which called alowd for the balme of Gilead There are two sorts of miserable comforters First They who flatter the soule that lives in sin Secondly They who embitter and burden their soules who being under burdens of sorrow are also in bitternesse for their sin Some sow Pillowes under the elbowes of those who delight in sin and dawbe them up with untempered morter others thrust Swords and shoot arrowes into the bowels of those who mourne for sin and in stead of bringing well-tempered morter to binde and cement their soules lay hard stones under them which vex and gaul their soules Both are Miserable comforters They who
hands are cleane and his heart is cleane he is cleane all over and holy all over while we call him all this we doe not call him beyond what God hath made him JOB CHAP. 17. Vers 10 11 12. But as for you all doe you returne and come now for I cannot finde one wise man among you My dayes are past my purposes are broken off even the thoughts of my heart They change the night into day the light is short because of darknesse THough Jobs Freinds had severely reproved and threatned him reproved him for his supposed sin and threatned him with further sufferings in case hee continued in sin yet did they as often counsell and encourage him counsell him to repent and returne to God encourage him with promises that God would repent and returne to him yea turne his captivity and afflictions as the Rivers in the South and that though he then was in a night of sorrow yet a morning of joy or joy in the morning should surely breake out and shine upon him Now as Job had before often and also in the former part of this Chapter supported himselfe under the weight of all their reproofes and threatnings by the power of God and the conscience of his owne integrity so he had as often before and he doth it here againe in the latter part of this Chapter cast off their promises and incouragements together with all hopes of any restauration in this life to such a flourishing outward condition as he once enjoyed And because his Freinds discerning this in him by some of his precedent answers had judged it as a symptome of secret guilt and selfe condemnation which would not let him so much as expect any good So Eliphaz had perstringed and smitten him Chap. 15.22 He beleeves not that hee shall returne out of darknesse Therefore Job wonders to see them persist in that opinion and concludes them under a great dâ—fect of understanding who did not perceive that a man so miserably pined and worne with sicknesse and paine as hee was had nothing to look after or prepare for but onely a Grave And this he doth with much rhetoricall elegancy and passionatenesse of speech to the end of this Chapter His sense may be drawne together into this breife way of reasoning He who is as a dead man already should not feed himselfe or be fed by others with hopes of life or of worldly prosperity in this life But I for my part am as a dead man or but the shadow of a man Therefore I will neyther feed my selfe neyther ought you to feed me with hopes of life or of prosperity in this life Yet before he layes downe and illustrates this Argument he invites over his Freinds to his opinion and professeth that they had not yet spoken any reason nor argued like wise men in all that they had argued to the contrary Vers 10. But as for you all doe you returne and come now for I cannot finde one wise man among you Though some wise men goe out of the way yet it is for want of wisedome that any man goes out of the way while Job calls upon his Freinds to returne hee implyes that they going out of the way were not wise and that it would be their wisedome to returne into it But as for you all Job puts all his Freinds into one predicament and indeed they were much alike to him having all troden in the same path and met in the same judgement of and resolutions against him But what would he have them doe As he supposed them all in one way and that out of the way So he sets them all to the same worke that they might come right againe Doe you returne and come now Yet there are three opinions about his meaning while hee saith Returne and come First Some conceive that Jobs Freinds being netled as we say and provoked with what he had spoken before began to renew the dispute and to rally themselves with conjoyned Forces Quasi facta testudine una omnes concurrite Nicet Ad disputationem provocat Sanct. Veruntamen omnes incumbite venite quaeso Sept. for a fresh encounter which Job perceiving he according to this Interpretation dares them in these words and sends them a Challenge As if he had sayd I see you are providing your selves and consulting for a rejoynder with me I doe doe if you thinke good returne and come put pour selves into what posture you please joyne your forces together I am ready to receive your charge and make my defence I am not afrayd of you all you are three and I have not so much as a Second yet I will not turne my back from you all therefore as for you all doe yee returne and come now come when or as soone as you will Thus He challengeth them to a further dispute Returne and come Convertendi verbum cum quocunque alio verbo junctum idem significat quod rursus aut altera vice aliquid facere is as the propriety of the phrase in the Originall imporrts come againe if you will come a second time come a third The word that we translate Returne when it is joyned with another Verbe say Grammarians signifies as much as Againe or to doe a thing the second time Take two places of Scripture for it Jos 5.2 At that time the Lord sayd unto Joshua Make thee sharpe Knives and circumcise againe the Children of Israel the second time So wee translate The Hebrew is Returne which is the word of the Text and circumcise them a second time Not that they who had been once circumcised must have a second circumcision But for as much as circumcision which was first commanded to Abraham had beene long disused while the people of Israel were moving and unsetled in the Wildernesse therefore the Lord gives circumcision a kinde of second Institution by requiring Joshua to restore it solemnely a second time as it was set up at first Returne and circumcise them that is renew that ancient Ordinance of Circumcision The like way of speaking read Psal 85.6 where David in behalfe of the Church pleads with God thus Wilt thou not revive us againe The Hebrew is Wilt thou not returne and revive us We translate the Verbe Returne by the Adverbe Againe Will thou not revive us againe Thou hast given us many revives when we were as dead men and like carkasses rotting in the Grave thou didst revive us wilt thou not revive us once more and act over those powerfully mercifull workes and strong salvations once more or againe So here Returne and come that is Come againe The words thus expounded are an argument of Jobs magnanimity and holy courage in maintaining his right and standing up in the defence of his owne integrity against all commers As it is our duty to contend earnestly for the Faith once delivered to the Saints so for our owne faithfulnesse Secondly Others expound the words as an advise not
as a challenge not as a profession of his fixed purpose to oppose what his Freinds should say in maintenance of their opinion but onely as a desire of their attention to what hee had yet to say for his Come returne now as if hee had thus expressed himselfe Yee are not right let mee set you right and instruct you better learne of me you have need enough to be taught for I have not found a wise man among you Thus David calls his Schollers about him Psal 34.11 Come yee Children hearken unto me and I will teach you the feare of the Lord. The former glosse shewed the strength and courage of Jobs spirit this the piety and holinesse of his spirit 'T is our duty in meeknesse to instruct those who oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth 2. Tim. 2.25 Thirdly Invitat amicos ad mutandam sententiam Pined Rescipiscete Jun. The words are more generally taken for an invitation to repentance Come now returne Some translate the word Returne in this Text by Repent which is the sense of it in a hundred Texts of the Old Testament Repentance is a turning and returning all returning supposeth eyther our being out of the way or that we have gone as farr as our businesse lyes in that way The returning of repentance supposeth only the former for every step in sin is quite out of our way what have wee to doe in the way of sin but onely to come out of it our businesse lyes not there all that we doe there must be undone againe or else wee are undone for ever In this returning of repentance we may consider first the terme from which and secondly the terme to which wee are called to returne The terme from which is twofold First Sinfull practices Secondly False and erroneous opinions Job doth not deale with his Freinds about the former hee did about the latter they were under a grand mistake concerning the Doctrine of providence and from that he invites them to a speedy returne The terme to which we are to returne in the actings of repentance is threefold First To our selves Secondly To God Thirdly To him whom wee have wronged or from whom we sinfully dissent Job may be interpreted as calling his Freinds to a returne in this threefold reference Ad se redire etiam Eatinis dicitur qui ad bonam mentem redit Grot. First As repentance is a returning to our selves a man that is carried away either to false opinions or into wicked courses is gone from his neerest home 'T is a duty to deny our selves but 't is a sin to depart from our selves And as it is a sin to depart from our selves so every sin is a departure from our selves therefore repentance which is a turning from sin must needs be a returning to our selves The Gospel represents the repentance of the Prodigall Son under this notion Luke 15.17 And when he came to himselfe he sayd c. He had not been with himselfe a long time before yet at last he came to himselfe this was his first step to repentance An impenitent person is not onely out of his way but out of his wits he is gone not onely from Divine truth and holinesse but from his owne naturall reason and prudence if so whensoever he repents he returnes to himselfe Secondly Repentance is a returning to God If thou wilt returne O Israel saith the Lord returne unto me Jer. 4.1 The grace of repentance is most frequently and most suitably expressed by this act of returning to God and they who doe not repent are every where sayd not to returne to God Amos 4. c. Yet have yee not returned unto me Thirdly Repentance is a returning to man We must not be ashamed to acknowledge our faylings one to another or to returne to them in duty from whom we have departed eyther by not giving them their due or by accusing them unduely We must not be ashamed of returning to them by submitting to the truth from whom wee have departed by following or holding any errour Thus Job may be conceived counselling and calling his Freinds to a returne in these three senses given First to themselves Secondly to God Thirdly to him whom they had so long opposed But though all three may be included yet the scope and designe of Job seemes to intend the third Returne and come now that is Returne to me let not truth fare the worse for my sake doe not you cast it off because I hold it It is not enough to turne from any evill whether of opinion or practice and returne to the obedience of God but we must also returne to the love of good men and unite with them in the truth But why must they returne Job gives the reason expresly in the latter part of the Verse For I cannot finde one wise man among you All the wayes of sin and errour are wayes of folly they stampe a man for a Foole and unwise whosoever walkes in them I cannot finde one wise man among you When he saith I cannot finde It shewes that he had endeavoured to finde he had been seeking for a wise man among them but he found none The Lord saith David Ps 14.2 looked down from heaven upon the Children of men to see if there were any that did understand and seek after God but he found none They are all gone aside Vers 3. Job seemes to have been upon such an inquiry He had looked over his Freinds and weighed them one by one but he found not one wise man among them The Preacher Eccles 7.27.28 counting one by one to finde out the account found but one man that is one wise or good man among a thousand No marvaile then if Job found not one among three yet considering what three these were men numbred among the Worthies possibly the first three of that age and place it may justly be mervailed why Job should speak at so low a rate or so sleightly of them Was he not too censorious and rigid too bold and adventerous to speake thus concerning men of such gravity authority and reputation for wisedome and learning yea and for holinesse too as these three were Shall we say that this censure proceeded from Jobs wisedome or from his passion Was he wise in saying so or so much as charitable I answer Job did not speake this from any ill will to his Freinds or from contempt of them it had been not onely unfreindly but very sinfull to have done it That word of Christ had its truth in those times Hee that is angry with his brother unadvisedly shall be in danger of judgement and he that saith to his Brother Racha which signifies an empty fellow or a man that hath nothing in him shall be in danger of a Councell but he that saith thou Foâ—le shall be in danger of Hell stre Matth. 5.23 Job did not call his Freinds Fooles when he sayd