his Cause in hand or that he would have the hearing of it Thus he spake at the third verse of the three and twentieth Chapter O that I knew where I might find him that I might come even to his Seat I would order my Cause before him and fill my mouth with arguments Zophar also one of Jobs friends made the same request concerning Job Chap. 11.2 O that God would speak and open his lips against thee As if he had said Eliphaz hath been speaking and Bildad hath been speaking and I am now about to speak but O that God would speak It was the wish of Job that God would speak and it was the wish of this his friend and now behold God appears possibly beyond their expectation though not beside their wish for 't is like they had not faith enough to beleeve that God would answer those wishes So then God may be said here to answer because as it was prayed he now took the matter into his own hand and in person as I may say argued the Case with Job and finally determined his Cause Hence Note The wishes requests and prayers of good men have sometimes been heard though they were over-bold in making them or had no clear ground to make them Job had no rule for such a Petition that he might presently have a trial at the Tribunal of God yet God was so gracious as to answer him in it not onely to his reproof but to his comfort The Name of God is O thou that hearest prayer Psal 65.2 If carnal men have their extravagant prayers and wishes granted 't is in wrath but if the Lord grant the passionate prayers and wishes of a godly man it proves though sometimes a present affliction yet alwayes upon one account or other a mercy in the issue When the lusting Israelites wisht for flesh the Lord heard their wishes take Quails your bellies full till they come out at your nostrils but while the meat was in their mouths the wrath of God fell upon them If the Lord grants what lust asketh such pay dear for what they have for the asking It hath been anciently said Multi irato deo exaudiuntur many have their prayers heard in meer anger so are all theirs who pray for what they have not in meer discontent with what they have The Lord heard Job and not in anger but in favour and condescention to him Now if some not well grounded nor warranted requests of good men may be granted and answered the Lord pitying their weakness and eyeing their uprightness in favour how much more may they be confident that their gracious and humble requests such requests as are every way sutable to the Word and Will of God shall be graciously answered Secondly The Lord answered as the Prayer and Wish so the Complaints of Job He had complained sometimes though he were a mirror of patience impatiently These complaints the Lord answered but it was with severe and sharp reproofs as we find in the next verse To conclude this query we may say God had two great ends or designs in answering both the wishes and complaints of Job First That he might humble and convince him that he might stop his mouth and silence his complainings for ever as he did most effectually Secondly That after his humiliation and repentance he might justifie and acquit him and also restore him to his former comforts and enjoyments as he did most mercifully This being the design of the Lord in speaking to Job what he said may well be called an Answer But how or in what manner did the Lord answer him Surely in such a manner as never man was answered The Lord answered Job Out of the Whirlwind He answered him as we say to some Tune A Whirlwind makes strange kind of Musick A Whirlwind is a sudden mighty loud-blustring Wind taking away or bearing down all before it A Whirlwind is a Wind which moves whirling and gyring about all the points of the Compass no man knows where to have it nor how to shelter himself from it I have had occasion to speak of the Wind and of the natural ordinary Whirlwind in the former Chapter But here 's a Whirlwind extraordinary if not supernatural There 's much questioning among some Interpreters how we are to conceive of this Whirlwind I would answer that point a little and then give some account why the Lord spake to Job out of such a Whirlwind First Some affirm that it was onely a Visional Whirlwind As if the Lord appeared as it were in a Tempest or Whirlwind to Job in a deep sleep such as was upon Adam Gen. 2.21 when the Lord took one of his ribs and made the Woman In such a deep sleep say they Job saw a Whirlwind and heard the Lord speaking to him out of it As Ezekiel who in a Vision looked and behold a Whirlwind came out of the North as we read in the first Chapter of that Prophesie verse 4. Secondly Others conceive that it was not a Visional but a Metaphorical Whirlwind or a Whirlwind in a figure and we may give you a threefold Metaphor or three things to which this passage of Providence may allude to a speaking out of a Whirlwind First God answered Job out of the Whirlwind that is when there was a great bussle or storm among the Disputants conflicting about Jobs case one moving this way another thar all being tossed about as it were with the wind of their several opinions in ventitalating his condition Out of this Whirlwind it was say some or while all were thus discomposed in their spirits and could not compose the matter in difference between them and Job during this hurry or troublesome state of things and minds the Lord arose and answered Job Secondly The Lord may be said to answer Job out of the Whirlwind because he spake to him angrily displeasedly and reprovingly Anger especially the Lords Anger or Displeasure is often in Scripture compared to a Storm or Tempest As if this Whirlwind were nothing else but a sharp angry chiding When a man chides we say The man 's in a storm and we may say with reverence when the Lord speaks chidingly as he did to Job he is in a storm or according to the Text speakes out of a Sto my Whirlwind Thus also when the Lord speaks pleasingly and gently then he may be said to speak in a calm There 's a truth in that Thirdly The Lord answered in a Whirlwind that is while Job both as to his outward condition and inward disposition or the frame of his spirit was evidently in a great storm or toss For doubtless his spirit was very stormy and tossed up and down at that time that is much troubled and disquieted upon the with-drawings of God and the unkindness of his friends Now when Job had this Stoâ—m this Whirlwind in his spirit the Lord appeared and answered him Thus some conceive it though not a Visional Whirlwind yet a
Metaphorical Whirlwind in those three senses opened But Thirdly with others I take the Whirlwind here in proper sense that is for such a Whiâ—lwind as is often heard and felt sounding blustering and making great disturbance in the ayre blowing up Trees by the roots and overthrowing Houses to the very foundation Ex nube obscura Rab. Levi. Ex Nimbo Bez. Ex procella venti turbine horrifico Eturbine i. e. e nube e qua erupit turbo seu ventus turbineus Pisc Di nube aliqua praeter naturae ordinem facta Grot. De ipsa caligine in qua sc videtur nobis Deus delitescere Vatabl. One of the Rabbins calls it a dark cloud several of the Moderns express it by a rainy or watry cloud out of which issued that dreadful Storm called a Whirlwind Doubtless some sudden extraordinary Wind exceeding the constant order and common course of Nature gathered the clouds at that time Thus God at once hid the glory of his Majesty and testified it much after the same manner as he did at the promulgation of the Law upon Mount Sinai when he answered Job out of the Whirlwind But it may be questioned why did God answer Job out of a Whirlwind First Such a way of answering was most proper to the dispensation of those Old Testament Times when the Covenant of Grace lay covered with Legal Shadows and was usually administred in a clothing or shew of terror especially as was said before at the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai Exod. 19. Deut. 4.12 when so terrible was the sight that Moses said I exceedingly fear and quake Heb. 12.21 And surely the Lord appeared and spake very dreadfully to some of the Prophets in those Elder Times especially to the Prophet Habakkuk who thus reports the consternation of his mind chap. 3.16 When I heard my belly trembled my lips quivered at the voice rottenness entred into my bones and I trembled in my self that I might rest in the day of trouble Now Gospel Times being more clear and calm Christ speaks more clearly and calmly as it was phophesied Isa 42.2 3. He shall not cry nor lift up his voice in the street Christ did not speak out of a Whirlwind A bruised reed he shall not break and the smoaking flax shall he not quench he shall bring forth Judgement unto Victory That is he shall with all tenderness condescend to the weakest souls and deal with them most sweetly gently and compassionately Secondly The Lord spake in a Whirlwind that he might shew the greater State and Majesty to awaken Job yet more or to make him more attentive as also to affect him yet more deeply with the apprehension of his Power and Glory and to leave a greater impression upon his spirit of his own vileness weakness and nothingness Job was yet too big in his own eyes the Lord would annihilate or make him nothing the Lord would beat him out of all conceit with himself out of an opinion of his own integrity and righteousness that he might see and confess there was no way but to lie at his foot abhorring himself and repenting in dust and ashes Such to this day is the pride and stupidness of mans flesh that he hardly attends the Word or Works of God unless awed by some extraordinary Ministration Thirdly We may conceive the Lord appeared and spake in this Whirlwind Aerumnoso homini conformem exhibens aspoctum Munst that he might therein suit his appearance to the state and condition of Job at that time or that he might as it were symbolize with Jobs troubled estate Job as I toucht before was in a Storm and now God declares himself in a storm and that is the reason which some give why the Lord appeared to Moses Exod. 3.2 in a burning bush it was say they that his apparition might answer their present condition The Children of Israel were then in the fire of affliction and entangled in the bush of cruel bondage they were scratcht and torn with briars and thorns and the Lord spake out of a burning bush to Moses as here to Job out of the Whirlwind Fourthly and lastly I conceive the reason why the Lord spake o him in a Storm or Whirlwind was to let him know that he was not well pleased with him but purposed to reprove and chide him De turbine indignationis indice Though Job was a precious servant of God yet God was not well pleased with many passages under his affliction and therefore he would not flatter but humble him For though Job spake from an honest heart and what he said was truth yet God did not like his manner of defence and pleading for himself He was not pleased to see him hold up the Bucklers so long when he should have laid them down rather and submitted David to shew how greatly the Lord was displeased with his enemies tells us what dreadful effects followed the hearing and granting of his prayer against them Psal 18.7 8 9 c. Then the Earth shook and trembled the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken because he was wroth there went a smoke out of his nostrils and fire out of his mouth devoured coals also were kindled by it he bowed the Heavens also and came down and darkness was under his feet c. Thus the Lord appeared in an Earthquake in smoke in fire and darknesse to make the proud opposers of his faithful Servant David know how much his anger was kindled against them Thus also when the Lord revealed himself to Elijah 1 Kings 19.11 it s said a great and strong wind rent the mountains and brake the rocks and after the wind an Earthquake and after the Earthquake a fire before the still voice was heard And why all this but to shew that the Lord was highly displeased with the doings of the Kings of Israel at that time and with that idolatrous generation therefore he appeared in such a dreadful manner while he purposed to conclude all in a still voice Though the Lord was not in the Wind in the Earthquake nor in the Fire yet these were fore-runners of his appearance and signified that the Lord would shake that people with a mighty Wind and Earthquake of Judgement yea even consume them with the fire of his wrathful jealousie for their superstitious following after Baal and deserting his appointed Worship When the lusts of wicked men grow fiery and stormy God will convince them with fire and stormes and if his own servants grow too bold with him he will make them sensible of it as here he did Job by speaking to them out of a Whirlwind though he be intended to speak to them at last as he did to Elijah in a still voice and to Job with favour and approbation Thus much for the opening of these words Then the Lord answered Job out of the Whirlwind and said Hence Observe First The great goodness of God who condescends or lets
personal Judge of this so his Word must ever be the Normal Judge of all controversies Fourthly Note The Day of Judgment is like to be a terrible day Here was a little day of Judgement here God came to determine a matter between Job and his three friends and that was a terrible day in it we have an image or representation of the last Judgement Day God appeared in a Storm in a Whirlwind what think you will be the Lords appearance when he comes to judge the whole World The Psalmist speaking of some particular day of Judgement which should fore-run the general judgement sets it forth in dreadful Metaphors Psal 50.3 4. Our God These are the words of Gods faithful servants assuring themselves of a gracious deliverance from the cruelty of wicked men by the goodness and mighty arme of God Our God say they shall come that is he shall certainly come though he seem for a while to defer and put off his coming and shall not keep silence as he hath been thought to do either in not answering the prayers of his people or in not punishing the presumption of his and their enemies as he also said he did at the 21th verse of this Psalme and then woe to the wicked for A fire shall devour before him God will then appear as a consuming fire and a mighty tempest of wrath and indignation round about him so that there can be no escape either before or behind on one side or the other And then v. 4. He shall call to the Heavens from above and to the Earth that is to the heavenly and earthly Powers as witnesses against the ungodly and as aids and assistants that they may judge his people that is assert their integrity and maintain them in it Now I say if there have been or shall be such dreadful appearances of God in this world for the vindication of his people and the avenging of them upon their enemies what will his appearance be when in the end of the world he shall come as the Apostle Jade speaks v. 14 15. of his Epistle with ten thousand of his saints to execute judgement upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodlily committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him That is either directly or reflexively in letting their tongues loose to speak against them The Apostle Paul having said 2 Cor. 5.10 We must all appear before the Judgement Seat of Christ that every one may receive the things that is the fruit of the things done in his body that is while he was in the body whether it be good or bad he adds at the eleventh verse Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord we perswade men As if he had said We know that will be a terrible day Christ will come and answer sinners out of a Whirlwind when he comes to Judgement and therefore We being fully perswaded of this our selves perswade men by all means to beleeve and repent and get the peace of their souls well and surely setled upon good Gospel terms in this world that so they may find peace in the great Day of Judgement which will be the commencement or beginning of another world They who know the terror of the Lord will both perswade others and be perswaded themselves to look after reconciliation with God that when Christ cometh terribly they may appear before him comfortably or that he may not be a terror unto them in that day Fifthly Forasmuch as the Lord answered Job out of the Whirlwind as was said to affect him with the awe and reverence of his great Name while he was speaking Observe The Word of God is to be heard with reverence with fear and trembling or with an holy awe of God upon our hearts Why did the Lord speak out of a Whirlwind Surely that Job might see his distance or that he was but as a feather even like a rolling thing or thistle-down before the Whirl-wind which the Lord could scatter and blow away with the least breath of his mouth as that allusion in the Prophet intimates Isa 17.13 And questionless all the wicked in the world who contemn the Word of God preached by his Ministers Locutione domini blanda dulcedo ejus ostenditur per tempestatem vero potestas ejus metuenda monstratur Greg. l. 28. c. 2. will be blown away by it as thistle-down or a rolling thing before the Whirl-wind of the Lords fierce anger and displeasure All such shall be carried away with a strong irresistable wind and cast into the bottomless pit of perdition for ever The Lord who sometimes speaks out of a Whirl-wind hath a whirl-wind alwayes at his command to scatter those like chaffe who obey not what is spoken as he threatned the enemies of Jacob Isa 41.16 Sixthly From Gods speaking out of the Whirlwind Note God is present with his in troublous dispensations 'T is no argument that God is not with us when storms and whirl-winds are up whether with respect to Nations and Churches or particular Persons Do not think God is gone because there is a storm Read Psal 18. v. 6 7 8. Psal 23.4 Psal 91.15 Isa 43.2 3. and you shall find that in the worst appearances the Lord is present The Prophet speaks it expresly Nahum 1.3 The Lord hath his way in the Whirl-wind and in the storm and the Clouds are the dust of his feet When and where it 's dark and troublesom the Lord is there and there he is most that 's the Prophets meaning also when he saith The Clouds are the dust of his feet By Clouds we may understand not so much the Clouds of the Air as cloudy Providences these are round about him while Judgment and Justice yea while Mercy and Goodness are the habitation of his Throne And these Clouds may be called the dust of his feet in a Figure we know where Travellers pass often their feet make a dust now it shews that the Lord doth act much in the Clouds that is in dark Providences because 't is said They are the dust of his feet as if he moved so much and so long in them that he raised a dust with his motion Do not think the Lord is gone when whirl-winds and storms that is outward troubles come The Lord answers out of the whirl-wind as often as he answers us by terrible things in Righteousness and thus he often answers us Psal 65.5 Seaventhly and Lastly comparing the manner of Gods coming and speaking to Job with his intent in coming and speaking to him The manner in which God came and spake was in a Whirl-wind but what was his purpose was it to blow the poor man away no it was but to himble him and then to comfort and restore him Observe The outward appearances of God are often very terrible when he intends nothing buâ— mercy and love to his people What more dreadful
off from the heat of that long disputation as gold well refined So much of this verse which concludes the first part of the chapter Jobs humiliation the second followeth his friends reconciliation both to God and himself The Reader may here please to take notice that from the beginning of the third chapter to this place the writing is in verse the latter part of the chapter and book is prose JOB Chap. 42. Vers 7 8 9. 7. And it was so that after the Lord had spoken these words unto Job the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite my wrath is kindled against thee and against thy two friends for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right as my servant Job hath 8. Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer up for your selves a burnt-offering and my servant Job shall pray for you for him will I accept lest I deal with you after your folly in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right like my servant Job 9. So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did according as the Lord commanded them the Lord also accepted Job THese three verses contain the second part of the chapter in which the Lord First Reproves Jobs three friends ver 7. Secondly Directs them what to do for the making up of the breach or for their reconciliation ver 8. Thirdly Accepts them that is Job praying for them the breach was healed and they reconciled ver 9. So then here God appeareth as a Judge of the cause and as a moderator of the controversie between Job and his friends and he appeared as a gracious judge ready to be reconciled to those whom he had blamed and reproved for their folly and misapprehensions of him in his afflicting providences towards Job Vers 7. And it was so that after the Lord had spoken these words unto Job the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite my wrath is kindled against thee and against thy two friends for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right as my servant Job hath In this verse we have the divine Judgement given in Jobs case and in it there are four things considerable First The time or season of it thus exprest And it was so that after the Lord had spoken these words unto Job Secondly The manner of it The Lord said he declared his mind Thirdly The special person with whom the Lord dealt and whom he chose out to declare his mind respectively to the other two Eliphaz the Temanite Fourthly The decree or judgement it self in which we may consider two things First The matter of it My wrath saith the Lord is kindled against thee and thy two friends I am not pleased with any of you yea I am highly displeased My wrath is kindled Secondly The ground of it plainly exprest in these words For ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right as my servant Job hath As if the Lord had said if you would know the reason why I am so angry 't is this Ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right as my servant Job hath Thus we have the state of these three verses and the parts of this seventh wherein God appeareth as a determiner of this long disputed controversie between Job and his three friends And it was so that after the Lord had spoken these words unto Job Here is the time when the Lord gave this judgement that 's the first thing to be considered in this verse and it may be questioned whether the Lord gave this Judgement immediately after he had concluded his speech with Job and Job had made his confession to the Lord or whether there were some space of time between The word after may be either presently after or a good while after here is no express limitation of the time it being only said After the Lord had spoken these words unto Job Some conceive it was a good while after God had done with Job that he took his friends to task and they ground it upon those words in the 8th verse Take unto you seven Bullocks and seven Rams and go to my servant Job And it is said at the 9th verse That they went and did according to what the Lord had commanded Hence they collect that Jobs friends were either returned quite home or far upon their way when the Lord spake this But this reason hath no force in it to prove that Jobs friends were absent and therefore I rather conclude that God spake to and gave this judgement of Jobs friends as it were upon the place as soon as he had done with Job for 't is more than probable that Jobs friends stayed to hear both Elihu's speech and the discourse which the Lord made to Job out of the whirlwind and that as soon as he had done and Job submitted he presently passed this sentence for the comfort of Job and for the conviction of his friends So then as soon as the Lord had spoken these words and finished his business with Job when he had humbled Job when Job had repented and confessed his fault in uttering things that he understood not God proceeded presently to deal with Jobs three friends There are three things which give evidence to this First The Lord would not let them continue long in their hard opinion of Job Secondly If they had continued any long time unreproved they might possibly have gloried as if they had got the victory and had the better of Job Thirdly They might have raised some undue report of Job and have blamed him among others where they came as they had done to his face therefore the Lord to prevent their continuing in any hard opinion of Job or that they had got the better of Job or to stop their mouths from giving forth any hard words of Job presently called them to an account gave them to understand that they had spoken amiss and he as it were with the same breath comforted Job and convicted his three friends Hence note First God doth every thing in its proper season That which is seasonably done is doubly done Words in season are like apples of gold in pictures of silver and therefore the Lord who knows all seasons will do and speak in season and take the fittest season for every work and word for every thing he either doth or saith This should teach us to mind the due timing both of our actions and speeches especially of our reproofs we should not let those who have committed a fault go too long unreproved lest they think themselves faultless and that we approve them or at least that their fault is small and almost faultless We must not suffer sin upon our brother Lev. 19.17 But it may be said how shall we hinder it That Text tells us how Thou shalt in any wise rebuke him Though a man that is rebuked may
keep his sin upon him and continue in it notwithstanding our severest and discreetest rebukes yet he that rebukes a sinning brother doth not suffer sin upon him but hath done his duty and used the means appointed by God for the removing of it And as we should not let the Sun go down upon our wrath against other men nor give place to the devil in our selves Eph. 4.26.27 so we should not suffer the Sun to go down upon the sin of other men nor give place to the devil in them by our forbearance to rebuke them for their sin Thus the Lord dealt with Jobs three friends he speedily reproved them for their error in not speaking of him the thing that was right Further consider The Lord begins with Job and then proceeds to deal with his friends Job had the first reproof his friends the second Hence note The Lord reproves them first whom he respects most who are dearest to him We cannot shew our selves more friendly to any man than by an early reproof of his error or as the word is Lev. 19.17 by not suffering sin upon him 'T is a mercy when we reprove not our selves to meet with a reproof though late from others but to be soon reproved is much mercy Every good the sooner it comes to us the better it is To be helpt out of sin-evil is a great good and therefore when we are in a fault with others 't is a priviledge to be reproved before others and with all possible speed to be brought unto repentance The Apostle Peter saith 1 Pet. 4.17 Judgement begins at the house of God The Lord judgeth his own house before he judgeth the world and it is in mercy to his own house that he doth so for when God judgeth those of his house he chastneth them that they should not be condemned with the world 1 Cor. 10.32 And as God usually begins to judge his own house before he judgeth the world so the neerer and dearer any of his house are to him the sooner he begins with them as here Jobs three friends Eliphaz Bildad and Zophar were of Gods house but Job was more eminent than any of them and therefore God reproved him before he reproved them It was so that after the Lord had spoken these words unto Job The Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite my wrath is kindled against thee c. The Lord said These words contain the second thing to be considered in this verse to wit the manner of proceeding He said that is he openly declared it he did not whisper it in the ear of Eliphaz he did not speak it to him inwardly by his Spirit there are inward reproofs conscience-checks he did not speak to him in his sleep or in a dream that opinion of one upon this place that God reproved Eliphaz in a dream is but a dream but openly that all might hear and so the innocency of Job and the fault of his friends might be manifest to all Some are of opinion that the Lord said this to Eliphaz out of the whirlwind as he spake to Job And though I do not assert that yet it cannot be denied but that as such a manner of speaking did best suit the Majesty of God so the matter spoken which was a sore reproof in which the Lord manifested much displeasure The Lord said openly and and angerly To Eliphaz the Temanite He spake not to Bildad nor to Zophar but to Eliphaz the Temanite But why did the Lord direct his speech to him personally and by name while the business concerned them all I might answer as some do because what any one of them said to Job was as if said by them all And though their opinions differed yet their persons did not all three agreeing in this though upon several grounds to oppose Job And therefore the Lord in speaking to one spake to them all But I shall give three other Reasons for it and from each a Note First Eliphaz was the elder man the graver person as all agree and therefore God reproved him personally Note this from it The elder and greater any are the greater is their offence when they offend though others offend with them When many are in a fault the chiefs or heads of them are most faulty and deserve chiefly to hear of it When Israel had committed that great sin in Baal-peor Numb 25.4 The Lord said Hang up the heads of the people before me that is the chiefs of the people So in proportion when the Lord came to deal with these three he fell upon Eliphaz first as the more eminent or first of the three Secondly as Eliphaz was the elder or first of the three so he began first with Job he was not only the first and chief in person but he was the first and chief speaker Hence note They who are first in a fault shall be first in reproof It is dangerous to follow or be a second in a bad matter but more to begin and be leader Thirdly Eliphaz was more sharp with and violent against Job than the other two and therefore the Lord began with him Hence note The deeper any are in a fault of any kind and the more of the heart appeareth in it the worse it is the more blame-worthy are they and they shall be more blamed for it All the three friends of Job did much mistake him but the spirit of Eliphaz was hottest therefore the Lord culled him out first The Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite What said the Lord My wrath is kindled against thee and against thy two friends My wrath is kindled These words are used by Elihu Chap. 32.2 3. Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite against Job was his wrath kindled and against his three friends was his wrath kindled Here the Lord taketh up the same words concerning Eliphaz My wrath is kindled against thee thy two friends Elihu's wrath was kindled not only against Jobs friends but against Job himself but the Lords wrath was kindled only against Jobs three friends not against Job He indeed displeased God and was sharply reproved by him but the wrath of God was not kindled against him 'T is useful to consider the difference between Gods judgement and mans both as to things and persons Elihu thought Job was faulty as his friends and therefore his wrath was kindled as against his three friends so against him too but the Lord thought otherwise and therefore said to Eliphaz My wrath is kindled against thee and thy two friends he said not so to Job Again consider the Lord spake much with Job but he spake little with his friends he did not vouchsafe them any long discourse and the words he spake to them were very hot words he in few words as angry men use to do told them their own Once more consider the difference of the Lords dealing with him and them The Lord fetcht a great compass to reprove Job as
on earth praying for those that live on earth Job was alive in the body and so were those three men to whom the Lord said My servant Job shall pray for you The Lord having assured Eliphaz and his two friends that Job would pray for them giveth them encouâ—agement to go and desiâ—e his prayers by a gracious promise For saith he him will I accept and threatneth them in case they should forbear in the next words Lest I deal with you according to your folly in that ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right like my servant Job First Of the gracious promise him will I accept The Hebrew saith his face will I lift up Acceptation with God is the lifting up of the face of man then man lifteth up his face with boldness when he is accepted with God When God refused to accept Cain and his offering his countenaâ—ce fell or was cast down Gen. 4.5 Unless the Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon us as David prayed Psal 4.6 we cannot with any comfort much less with true confidence lift up our face or countenance unto God That 's the significancy of the word Him will I accept God is no accepter of persons as the word is often used in Scripture Deut. 10.17 The Lord is a great God mighty and terrible which regardeth not persons It is the same phrase in the Hebrew with this in the Text he lifteth not up faces that is the Lord doth not accept persons upon any outward respect First The Lord doth not accept persons for their personableness as I may say the Lord doth not delight in any mans legs his delight is in them that fear him Psal 147.10 11. he doth not accept men for their goodly stature as he told Samuel when he would needs have poured the oile upon the first-born of the Sons of Jesse 1 Sam. 16.7 Look not on his countenance or on the height of his stature because I have refused him for the Lord seeth not as man seeth for man looketh on the outward appearance but the Lord looketh on the heart 'T is the beauty of holiness and integrity in the heart not the beauty of fairness upon the face with which God is taken 't is a lowly mind not a high stature which God accepts Secondly The Lord is no accepter of persons as to the nation or country where they were born or live Thus the Apostle Peter spake Acts 10.35 I perceive that God is no respecter of persons but in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him God doth not prefer Jews before Gentiles Barbarians or Scythians that a man had his birth in this or that Nation neither helps nor hinders acceptation with God Thirdly The Lord accepteth no mans person for his riches Prov. 11.4 Riches profit not in the day of wrath No mans person is acceptable to God for his purse or his penny no not at all Fouâ—thly The Lord â—ccepteth no mans person for his worldly greatness honour and dignity He poureth contempt upon Princes Psal 107.40 The day of the Lord is against the hills and mountains Isa 2.14 The great God regardeth not any man meerly for greatness the Lord accepts no mans person upon these or any such like accounts He only accepts the persons of those that fear him and do his will Suscipit faciem Deus quando precantem câ—audit The Lords acceptance of any person in the sense of this promise concerning Job is First To shew favour and manifest affection to him Secondly To honour aâ—d highly esteem him Thirdly Which is here specially intended to answer his prayers and grant his requests not only for himself but for others When a person is once accepted his prayers shall not be denied nor suffer a repulse The Lord accepteth persons as a King the persons of those loyal Subjects who come to intreat his favour and pardon for those that have offended him and rebelled against him he grants their suit and treats them fairly In this sense the Lord maketh promise to Eliphaz and his two friends that he will accept Job Hence Observe First It is a very high favour and priviledge to be accepted of God Him will I accept saith the Lord of Job This was a favour beyond all the favours that follow after in the close of the book about the doubling of his estate If Jacob Gen 32.20 was so taken with a hope of acceptance by his brother Esau Peradventure he will accept me If when he was accepted by Esau he said chap. 33.10 I have seen thy face as though I had seen the face of God and thou wast pleased with me Then how much more should we rejoyce in this assurance that God hath accepted of us and that he is pleased with us If the Apostle Rom. 15.3 prayed so earnestly and desired others to strive with him in prayer to God that his service which he had for Jerusalem might be accepted of the Saints then how much more should we pray that our services may be accepted of God and rejoyce when they are accepted The Apostle made it his chief work to get acceptation with God 2 Cor. 5.9 Wherefore we labour that whether present or absent that is whether living or dying we may be accepted with him we are ambitious of divine acceptation The word which we translate labour noteth a labouring after honour which ambitious men labour much after implying that to be accepted with the Lord is a very high honour indeed the highest honour There is a two-fold acceptation First Of our persons Secondly Of our services The former is the ground of the latter and Jesus Christ is the foundation of both Ephes 1.6 He through glorious grace hath made us accepted in the beloved Jesus Christ is so dearly beloved of the father that he is called The Beloved as if only beloved The acceptation of our services is often promised in Scripture as a high favouâ— Exod. 28.38 Ezek. 20.40 41. Isa 56.7 This Moses prayed for in the behalf of the Tribe of Levy which Tribe was appointed to offer sacrifice and to pray for the people Deut. 33.11 Bless Lord his substance and accept the work of his hands What was the work of Levies hands it was to offer sacrifice to which prayer and intercession was joyned That Levi who had the priest-hoâ—d fixed in the family of Aaron should be accepted in the work of his hands was a blessing not only to himself but to many more This David prayed earnestly for Psal 19.14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my redeemer He put up a like prayer Psal 119.108 Accept I beseech thee the free-will-offerings of my mouth O Lord. This was the prayer of Araunah for David 2 Sam. 24.23 The Lord thy God accept thee So great a priviledge it is for our persons and services to be accepted with the Lord
Christ in his person is of infinite worth and his sacrifice of so great a value that it became a price sufficient for the ransom and redemption of all sinners yet it was of free grace that Christ was made a ransom for sinners and we accepted through him Secondly Take this Inference If the Lord be ready to hear a Job for his friends then the Lord will much more hear a Job for himself That the prayers and supplications which Believers put up to the Lord obtain mercy and good things for others may strengthen faith that they shall obtain for themselves Thirdly We may infer Job was become a great favourite with God after his humiliation and self-abhorrence He no sooner fell out with himself for his former miscarriages but the Lord as it were fell in love with him afresh What a favourite was he grown who could thus readily get an answer and obtain favour for those against whom the Lord said My wrath is kindled Thus much concerning the judgment and determination of God in this matter which put a period to the long continued controversie between Job and his three friends and reconciled both parties both unto God and between themselves O how blessed is the issue of the Lords Judgment and undertaking towards his servants and children When once he was pleased to appear in the case he soon silenced both sides and made them in the conclusion both of one heart and of one mind And no sooner was this humbling and reconciling work done and over but restoring and restitution work followed as will appear in opening the third and last part of this Chapter which is also the last part of the whole Book JOB Chap. 42. Vers 10. 10. And the Lord turned the Captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends Also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before THis verse begins the third part of the Chapter We have seen Jâ—b humbled before God in the first part we have seen Jobs friends reconciled to God and his anger turned away from them in the second In this third we have Job himself restored or the restitution of Job to as good yea to a better estate than he had before and this was done when he prayed for his friends The Crown is set upon the head of prayer The restitution of Job is set down two wayes First more generally in this verse where it is described three wayes First by the Author of it The Lord it was he that turned the Captivity of Job Secondly by the season of it When he prayed for his friends Thirdly by the degree and measure of it Also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before His was not a bare return or restitution but with advantage and that to a duplication And the Lord turned the captivity of Job Before I open the words as translated by us I shall briefly mind the Reader of another translation Probarem si esset 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ubi nunc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conversio paenitentia Drus Dominus quoque conversus est ad paenitentiam Job Vulg. The word which we render Captivity is by some rendred Repentance and there is a twofold interpretation of that rendring First Some refer it to God and read the words thus The Lord was turned to repentance concerning Job And then the meaning is the Lord repented or changed his dispensation with respect to the affliction of Job when he prayed for his friends The Scripture speaks of the Lords repentance two wayes First that he repenteth of the good which he hath done for or bestowed upon man Gen. 6.6 It repented the Lord that he had made man he seemed as one troubled in his mind that ever he had set up man in such a condition And as there the Lord repented of his making mankind in general in that good natural state so elsewhere he is said to repent of his doing good to some men in particular as to their civil state 1 Sam. 15.11 The Lord repented that he had made Saul King that he had set him upon a Throne to rule men on earth who had no better obeyed the Rule given from his own Throne in heaven Secondly The Lord is said to repent of the evil which he hath either actually brought upon man or threatned to bring upon him In the former sense Moses saith Deut. 32.36 The Lord shall judge his people and repent himself for his servanss when he seeth that their power is gone and there is none shut up or left that is when they are in an afflicted low condition the Lord taketh the opportunity or season to restore them and then he is said to repent concerning any afflictive evil brought upon his people In the latter sense as he is said to repent of the evil threatned it is said of repenting Niniveh Jonah 3.10 The Lord repented of the evil that he had said that he would do unto them and he did it not Thus the Lord is turned to repentance with respect to evil either brought or threatned to be brought upon a people for which we have that remarkable promise Jer. 18.7 8. At what instant I shall speak concerning a Nation and concerning a Kingdome to pluck up and to pull down and to destroy it if that Nation against whom I have pronounced turn from their evil I will repent of the evil I thought to do unto them If they turn I will turn Another word is used in the Hebrew there but it imports the same thing Repentance in God is not any change of his Will Counsel or Purpose it only notes a change in his providences and dispensations The Lord is of one mind who can turn him Job 23.13 But he is not alwayes of one way he repenteth that is he changeth his way somtimes and so he did towards Job He once cast him down and left him as a captive bound hand and foot under the power of Satan as to his outward man and worldly enjoyments but the Lord turned and repented that is turned his Captivity This sense and reading is much insisted on by several Interpreters and it is a comfortable truth yet I am not satisfied that it is the truth intended in this place Secondly Others who follow that translation refer this repentance to Job and so the sense is this The Lord turned at the repentance or upon the repentance of Job when he prayed for his friends of which repentance we read in the foâ—mer part of the Chapter The Observation which naturally ariseth from this interpretation is clear from many other Texts of Scripture When persons or Nations pray and depart from iniquity when they joyn true repentance with prayer the Lord turneth to them in mercy and turneth evil away from them The Lord turned in mercy to repenting Job when he prayed for his friends And this was promised to Gods peculiar people the Jewish Nation 2 Chron. 7.14 If my
kindred The kindred of Christ are called his brethren Mark 3.31 Then came his brethren and his mother standing without that is his kindred for whether Christ had any brother in a strict sence as born of the same Mother we have nothing from Scripture to affirm it is generally agreed that he had not his brethren were his kindred at large Abraham spake truly though not the whole truth Gen. 20.12 when he called Sarah his sister that is his kinswoman Moses called Israel brother to the Edomites who were distant from that people many degrees they descending from Esau these from Jacob Numb 20.14 Thus saith thy brother Israel that is Israel that is of thy blood though a great way off Isaac being their common Father Thus here all Jobs brethren and sisters are all his kindred and not only these but All that were of his acquaintance before The Hebrew is All that knew him before that is had familiarity and converse with him before Christ Mat. 7.22 said of those that did so hotly press acquaintance upon him I know you not ye are not of those that I know or have had fellowship with you are none of my acquaintance So that there was a collection of all Jobs relations and friends at that time they all flockt to him and thronged about him as to and about some strange sight the fame of his restoration was soon blown all the Country over Hence the Septuagint render the words paraphrastically Audierunt omnes fratres quae cunque acciderant ei venerunt Sept. All his brethren heard all that had befallen him and so they came But where was his wife There is no mention here of her return she had spoken as a foolish woman Chap. 2.10 and did not answer the duty of her relation after that as he complained Chap. 19.17 My breath is strange to my wife though I intreated for the childrens sake of mine own body yet doubtless she returned to her duty and honoured him as her head and husband now at last else the mercy had not been compleat but defective in a very considerable part of it Now in that Jobs restoring or the repair of his losses began with the return of his friends Observe The loss of friends is a great and grievous loss He that loseth the affection of friends loseth a great possession a great interest Friends indeed are great helps great helpers to be in a friendless condition is to be in a helpless condition to have friends is a very valuable mercy Let us bless God that we have men to friend us above all that God is our friend Secondly These words Then came all his brethren imply that when he was in an afflicted condition none of his friends came at him neither those that are here called his brethren and sisters nor those that are called his acquaintance Hence observe In times of affliction worldly friends will leave us and godly friends may prove strange to us Doubtless among those brethren sisters and acquaintance of Job some that I say not many were godly yet even they left him in the day of his distress Men are but men and they oftentimes shew themselves unconstant to man As Christ had those that followed him for the loaves Amicitia mundi sequitur marsupium so have we too Friendship followeth the purse the bag and when all is gone such friends are gone When Christ himself was in affliction those that were in neer relation to him his very Disciples left him they all left him and Peter denied him When the Apostle Paul was in a great affliction and stood as a prisoner to answer for his life before Nero his friends durst not appear At my first answer saith he 2 Tim. 4.16 no man stood with me all men forsook me He had not a friend that would own him nor appear for him in the time of his affliction and persecution and he prayed that God would not lay it to their charge that they had been thus unfriendly to him Then First Let us not trust in friends no not in a brother and not only not in a brother at large but not in a brother in the strictest sence not in a brother of the same blood and bowels with us no not in a brother of the same faith with us Mich. 7.5 Trust ye not in a friend put ye not confidence in a guide keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lyeth in thy bosom Trust not in neerest friends no not in godly friends they may fail Though we are to trust them so as not to suspect them yet we are not to trust them so as to rely upon them or to make them our strength for then they prove Egyptian reeds which will not only not support but wound us That 's good counsel Isa 2.21 Cease ye from man let him be who he will though a brother though of most intrinsick and neerest acquaintance though never so great and potent yet cease from him the reason there given is his breath is in his nostrils the man is frail his life is short and uncertain he may not last long And we may take another reason from the Point in hand his love is uncertain as well as his life and his affections seldom last long let us therefore have weaned affections from those that affect us and are friendly to us Then Secondly 'T is our wisdom to get Christ for a friend he is a friend for ever He that would have a friend to stick to him in adversity as well as prosperity let him get Christ to be his friend who is unchangeable whose love fails not that 's our greatest and surest interest Christ having loved his own which were in the world he loved them unto the end John 13.1 That 's the spirit of unfeigned friendship Prov. 17.17 A friend loveth at all times and a brother is born for adversity That 's true of a real friend who lives up to the rule of friendship He loveth at all times and therefore to the end When the Prophet Malachi saith Chap. 1.6 A son honoureth his father his meaning is a son should or ought to honour his father or a son who knoweth his duty will honour his father so a friend ought to love at all times and a true friend will yet that Scripture in the Proverbs is chiefly true of Christ and absolutely true of him only he alone is such a friend as loves at all times Hence that divine challenge Rom. 8.35 Who shall separate us from the Love of Christ And then the Apostle proceeds from who to what As no person so no thing can separate us from the love of Christ Shall tribulation or anguish or peril or sword shall these separate us from the love of God no these shall not these cannot these cannot make Christ strange to us nor love us the less he loves in tribulation as well as out of tribulation in streights as well as in our greatest inlargements