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
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
for Job may strengthen our faith in believing that he will and lengthen out our patience in waiting till he doth make both these desirable ends for all those who like Job have lay'n long under the pressing burdens of hard afflictions and harsh constructions Now that the Lord would finish this work of mercy and cut it short in righteousness wiping tears from off all faces and taking away the rebuke of his people from off the earth by a timely restitution of them to their lost enjoyments and blasted credits which yet will not be fully done until the times of the restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the world began that the Lord I say would finish this work should be our uncessant cry to God in prayer for all his sorrowing Jobs even for all those who are any where companions in tribulation and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ To his blessing and the effectual working of his holy Spirit I commend you in the perusal of this ensuing commentary that reading ye may understand believe and profit to sanctification consolation and salvation according to the will of God and the hearts desire of May 10th 1666. Your affectionate friend and servant JOSEPH CARYL Reader BY reason of the Authors absence while the greatest Part of the Book was doing the following faults have past which thou art desired to correct Errata Page Line Error Correction 3 23 each to to each 259 22 those these 267 22 Lightning Hightning 289 13 he blot it out 350 3 Indea Judea 351 35 Bengata Bengala 352 12 2d 22d 354 10 have hath 354 13 not so so not 369 14 15 As was shewed before blot it out 394 26 448 38 she he 455 9 our their 468 1 forbids forbad 477 12 not blot it out 615 14 probably probable 620 14 his horns blot out his 620 15 his claws blot out his 645 2 they blot it out 650 20 understand understood 659 26 and to be blot it out 696 7 a no 714 32 have hath 728 20 with blot it out 746 12 them him 746 17 with any ay with 750 4 refuge refuse 770 34 Observation Information 797 13 will willed 806 36 fervency blot it out 822 27 taken taking 831 36 followeth followed 842 37 this the 843 23 means meant 846 4 extraordinary extraordinarily 846 33 repenteth repented 876 13 sheweth shewed 876 13 directeth directed 880 16 his blot it out 881 1 as was 932 24 and so 942 10 take one instance for all blot it out 944 13 are is 944 25 he hath they have 969 19 or and 980 4 do doth 1009 26 first blot it out Omissions Page Line  202 28 after water adde First of the waters in the clouds from those upon the earth Secondly of those upon the earth into the several parts of it 455 24 after come adde she had not been reproved 714 7 after to adde do 769 16 after exercise adde us 777 13 after fear adde not 786 6 after omnipotency adde I know 809 19 after hence adde some 817 8 after ear adde hath often 372 9 after him adde when he asked him whether he would do it 876 1 after it adde even Heathenish 885 6 after and adde as 923 20 after accepted adde them 939 20 after and adde that I. 964 9 after ye adde then 972 14 after is adde said 997 10 after sex adde yet AN EXPOSITION WITH Practical Observations UPON The Thirty-eighth Thirty-ninth Fortyeth Forty-first and Forty-second being the Last Chapters of the Book of JOB JOB Chap. 38. Vers 1 2 3. 1. Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said 2. Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge 3. Gird up now thy loines like a man for I will demand of thee and answer thou me THis Chapter begins the last Act or Conclusion of that great Disputation between Job and his three Friends held forth in this Book We have heard Jobs three Friends strongly charging him We have heard Job stiffely defending himself We have heard Elihu though moderating the matter between them yet sharply reproving him Elihu was indeed a quick but a necessary reprover provided and sent by God First To calm and coole Jobs spirit diâ—quieted by enduring sharp afflictions from the hand of God and heated by heaâ—ing those sharper accusations from the tongues of men Secondly To reclaim him from those over-eager defences of his own integrity and likewise from those over-passionate complaints abâ—ut the dealings of God to a better and more submissive temper of spirit towards him as also to lower thoughts of himself Elihu fell upon the usefull point and hit as I may say the Nail on the head he struck the right Vein and met with the peccant Humour yet being young and wanting gravity to set all home and make it work or to make the impression deep enough upon Job it was but need that God himself should second him and he did it to purpose or with full effect pressing the same Arguments for the main which Elihu had begun yet so that we may manifestly discern a wide difference whether we respect words or things matter or manner between men how much soever assisted by the spirit of God and God himself in speaking Here the Eternal God Jehovah having seen his faithful servant and stout Champion Job contending and wrastling long with Satan his professed enemy and with his harsh and censorious though both professed and real Friends foreseeing also that if Job and his Friends who had also been provoked by Elihu should have proceeded to answer him a new broil must needs begin God I say who never fails nor forsakes his in their extreamity or in time of their greatest need seeing and fore-seeing all this stept in most seasonably and most graciously to undertake the decision of this great Controversie between Job and his Friends in person raising a stormy Wind as a witness of his mighty presence or to testifie who was there as also though with a Fatherly love and affection yet impartially and plainly to convince Job of his errour shewing him wherein he had offended and bringing him at last upon his knees in a self-abhorrence and repentance in dust and ashes Thus God the chief Judge the great Arbitrator and Determiner of all doubts and questions and of all matters and things the great God I say declared himself to whom Job had made so many appeals whom he so earnestly desired to take further and fuller cognisance of his Cause He even He comes forth as a just and righteous Judge and lets him and his Friends know his mind and judgement in the case So then The Question ventilated in this Book is not stated according to the judgement of a man who is subject to errour but according to the infinite wisdom and understanding of the great God who searcheth the heart and knoweth all secrets who is light and in whom
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
we may conceive the Lord at once speaking to and severely reprehending Job in the words which follow Verse 2. Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him Shall he or can he surely he shall not surely he cannot There are several readings of this former part of the verse I shall only name four and then come to the explication of the words as they lie in our Translation Raâ—bi David First The words are rendered thus Is it wisdom or learning to contend with the Almighty This reading puts the latter words first Is it wisdom or instruction or is that man well instructed or well in his wits who contends with the Almighty The sense of that reading is plain and the improvement of it might be very useful for indeed these two are utterly repugnant and contrariant Non est ille eruditus neque bene obsequens divinae disciplinae qui deo castiganti obstreâ—it litem intendit Vatabl. To contend with God and to be wise to contend with God and to shew our selves well taught That man hath not received instruction either by or about divine correction who mutters or quarrels at God correcting him For how wise soever he is in his own eyes he shews himself a very fool at least as to that point or attempt very foolish So then 't is a great truth which this reading holds forth Is it wisdom is it learning to contend with the Almighty Whosoever doth so erres in doing so and will at last both see and feel his errour by sad experiences Secondly thus Should he be instructed who contends with the Almighty This Translation may have a double interpretation First Surely that man deserves not to be instructed but corrected who contends with the Almighty he deserves not to be taught but to be punished Should he be taught that contends with the Almighty Doubtless onely as Gideon taught the men of Succoth Judg. 8.16 with briars and thorns of the wilderness that is with severest chastisements Secondly Should he be instructed that contends with the Almighty That is is a learner a competent match for God is one that needs instruction and teaching fit to take up the bucklers and enter the field of dispute with God He had need to be a Master not a Scholar a Teacher not a Learner that undertakes to deal wiâ—h God That man had need be skilled and well furnished he had nâ—ed be as â—e speak his Crafts-master and all little enough yea all too little who contends with the Almighty Thirdly The word which we render to instruct Numquid contendet cum omnipotente quem ille castigat Lavat signifies also to correct taking it so the Text is thus rendred Shall he contend with the Almighty whom he corrects or Shall a man corrected by or under the correcting hand of the Almighty contend with him Shall any give God words for his blows or expostulate the matter with him No man may with such a spirit say unto God What dost thou whatsoever he suffers nor may any man be displeased with what God doth whatsoever he is pleased to do either with himself or others Lastly which was hinted in the second Doth not contending with the Almighty deserve chastening Certainly it doth or Is not chastening due to contending that is to contenders with God Nonne contentioni cum deo castigatio upple debetur Doubtless it is He that will contend with God though but in words is worthy of no answer nor satisfaction but in blows Every one of these Translations hath a fairness in it as also with the Hebrew Text but I shall insist upon our own reading only and give you some few notes from that Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him There is a twofold contending First By force and strength of arm or strength of arms We cannot suppose the Lord speaking here of such a Contention There were a sort of robustious men Giants of old 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 called fighters with God and many profane Atheists have blasphemously set themselves against heaven as if they would pull God from his Throne Such as these are not the Contenders with God here intended Job was far from being a man of that spirit Secondly Qui offert se disputaturum cum eo Aqu. There is a contending with God by force of Argument or by reasonings This I conceive is here meant Job was often found in these contendings with God But shall any think to logick it with God to enter a dispute with God to argue with or reply upon him as the Apostle speaks Rom. 9.20 O man who art thou that repliest against God Arguing and replying are a kind of contending and this is of two sorts First With the Word of God declaring what God would have us do or what God would have us believe Thus many contend with God even as many as submit not to his Word This is a common quarrel whether the Word of God or mans will shall stand whether the Law of God or the lusts of men shall carry it and bear the sway The Apostle is express in it Rom. 8.7 8. The carnal mind is enmity against God and if so then it contendeth with God for enmity will be contending and what kind of contending is there meant appears in the next words it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be Every natural man till subdued and conquered by grace is contending with the Word of God he submits not to what God would have him do nor to what God would have him believe he will not form either his faith or his life as God would have him Infinite are the Contentions of man with God in this notion but neither is this the contending here aimed at and I would speak to no more than is directly to the scope of the Text. Therefore Secondly There is a contending with the works of God or with what God himself hath done or is doing Thus also there are many Contenders with God in the world and this is the Contention here spoken of a Contention about the works of God what God either hath done or is doing All the debate which Job had with God was about his dealings with him God had laid him low and stript him naked God had broken his estate and filled his body full of sores and pains God had wounded his spirit and filled his soul with gall and wormwood God had with-drawn hiimself or his comforts from him and his friends were against him or at best but miserable comforters were they all Now though he was a patient man yet under these pressures he often broke out into impatient speeches Thus Job contended with the Almighty Moreover the Lord answered Job and said shall he that contendeth with the Almighty about what he is doing Instruct him Shall he have the better of him and be able to teach him or put him in a better way than he is in Shall he
bad men and that 's the first Case Secondly When good men are vexed oppressed and trodden under feet as mire in the streets what risings of heart and what unsatisfiedness of spirit is there in many good men In both these Cases there is much contending with God though in both our hearts upon many accounts should acquiesce and rest in the will of God who in the former doth not declare himself a friend to evil men nor doth he in the latter declare himself an enemy to those who are good But seeing there is a spirit in man even to contend with God let us watch our selves in this thing that such thoughts rise not or let us carefully suppress them as soon as they are risen It is good for us and our duty to keep down the Contendings of our hearts with men for we are very apt to be out with one another 'T is sad to see breaches the fruit of heart-burnings between man and man But much more should we keep down those contendings yea qâ—ench the first sparkes which may kindle heart-burnings about the works of God for they may soon come to be Contendings with him For the close of thiâ— point take these four Considerations which may move all sorts of men to watch their hearts against Contendings with God whether as to his dealings in the world or with themselves First Remember Whatsoever the Lord doth he may do for he is an absolutely sovereign Lord and therefore not to be contended with about any thing he doth because no way accountable for any thing he doth as hath been shewed upon several occasions offered in opening this Book He is Lord of our being and hath given to all life breath and all things as the Apostle told the superstitious Athenians Acts 17.25 and may not he do what he will to all beings in whom all have their being and who hath given all things to all which concern that being He is our Maker and hath not the potter power over the clay to do what he will with it Hath not the Creator power over the creature to dispose of it as he pleaseth Isa 45.9 Let the potsheard strive with the potsheards of the earth If any will be striving let them strive with their like potsheards with potsheards not potsheards with the potter to whom they are so unlike The Lord used no other aâ—gument but this to quiet all Psal 46.10 Be still and know that I am God remember that and you will either not begin or quickly have done contending with God Yet in that Psalm the Lord is represented making most dreadful work Come behold the works of the Lord what desolations he hath made on the earth Though God make that which was as a garden to become a desolate wilderness yet contend not with him be still and know that he is God Secondly Remember whatsoever work the Lord makes in the world it is all righteous workâ— there is nothing amiss in it He is a rock said Moses Deut. 32.4 His work is perfect for all his wayes are judgements not as judgements are opposed to mercies but to injustice as it followeth in that verse a God of truth and without iniquity just and right is he To this David gives witness Psal 145.17 The Lord is righteous in all his wayes and holy in all his works Not only is he righteous and holy in this and that way or work but in all his wayes and works in wayes of judgement as well as in wayes of mercy in wayes of destruction as well as in wayes of salvation He is righteous in pulling down as well as in building up in rooting up as well as in planting Now if there be a righteousness in all the wayes and works of God who shall contend with him about any of his wayes or works Thirdly All the works of God have an infinite wisdom in them they are done wisely even in exactest wisdom and shall we fools contend with him who is not onely a wise God but the God onely wise Rom. 16.27 and all whose works are done in and according to the Idea or platforme of his own infinite and eternal wisdom The foolishness of God saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 1.25 is wiser than men that is the wisest men are meer fools to God or that work of God which some men call foolishness is infinitely more wisely done than the wisest work that the wisest men in the world ever did or can do with all their wisdome Fourthly Let all that fear and love God especially take heed of contending with God about any of his works for God is good to all such in all his works and all his works are good to such Shall any contend with God about that which is for their own good Not onely are those works of God good to such which are good in themselves that is which we call good being favourable providences and for our comfort and support in this world but even those works of God which we call cross providences or providences which bring the Crosse with them are all good to such even to all them that love God and are the called according to his purpose Rom. 8.28 Shall they contend with God about any thing who hear and may be assured that he hath an intendment of good to them in all things Psal 73.1 Truly God is good to Israel that is though he afflicts them and the Cup be very bitter which he gives them to drink yet he is good to them Or thus Truly God not the world or though the world be not is good to Israel Once more we may take the Psalmist thus Truly God is good to Israel not so as to them to the world though as it followeth in the Psalme they enjoy never so much worldly good These Considerations may perswade all not to contend with God about his works to which I shall adde onely this counsel If the works of God are grievous to us at any time let us go the right way to work in our Contendings with him For I do not urge this point as if we should sit still and let the Lord alone as he seemingly said to Moses Exod. 32.10 when he dealeth out hard and grievous things to us There is a contending with God by supplication and prayer by mourning and humiliation this becomes us when the works of God are hard when they are breaking desolating scattering and afflictive towards us Take heed of discontent with providence yet wrestle and contend earnestly with God by prayer when providences go hard with you or with the whole Israel of God Moses in a holy manner assaulted God and contended with him in that case and therefore the Lord said to him in the place last mentioned Let me alone as we say to a man that contends and strives with us Let me alone Moses was contending with the Lord about that dispensation but it was in a gracious way and so may we yea so must we The Lord
Ezek. 6.9 They shall loath themselves for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations And when the Lord had promised to bring the children of Israel to their own land he tells them what work they shall be at there Ezek. 20.43 There shall you remember your ways and doings wherein you have been defiled and ye shall loath your selves in your own sight for all the evils that ye have committed Once more in that Prophet chap. 36.31 Then shall ye remember your own evil ways and your doings that were not good and shall loath your selves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations In all these Scriptures we have loathing of self for sin and evil done And as there is a loathing of sinful self in true repentance so Secondly Of righteous self or a loathing of our selves in the good in the best that we have done We may soon see that in the best of our duties which will stir up this self-abhorrence or which gives us cause enough to abhor our selves So Job did as to all the glitter of his moral vertues of which he spake so much before in several places especially in the 31. chapter He that truly repents doth not only abhor his sin so as never to commit it again but he abhorreth his righteousness so as never to trust in it at all Thus the Apostle spake Phil. 3.7 8. I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ What did he account loss not only the evil that he had done but all the good that he had done he accounted that but dung that he might be found in Christ not having his own righteousness which is of the law Self-righteousness is gold and to be embraced in conversation but 't is dung and to be abhorred in justification Job abhorred his own righteousness from the beginning of this dispute in that point though he spake so much of it chap. 9.31 If I wash my self with snow water and make my hands never so clean yet shalt thou plung me in the ditch and mine own cloaths shall abhor me or as in the Margin my own cloaths shall make me to be abhorred What means he by his cloaths Surely not the cloaths that were upon his body but his moral cloathing his own works of righteousness according to the law These cloaths saith he will make me to be abhorred I see I cannot be accepted in them nor justified by them Job was clear in that before but now he doth not only abhor his own righteousness as to trusting in it but as to talking so much of it or so much as to talk of it Christ saith Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth that is take not much notice of thy own good deeds As a repenting person will not touch at all with his former evil deeds so he will not talk nor take much notice of his own good deeds The best of himself is little to himself Before I pass this point it may be enquired First what this self-abhorrence which accompanies true repentance works in those that have it with respect to sin or sinful self I answer It works these five things First A dislike of sinful self he grows into a distast with sin it relisheth not his renewed palate and so will not like unsavoury meat go down with him Secondly A hatred of sinful self 'T is but an easie step from distast and dislike to hatred That soon falls under our displeasure which pleaseth us not No sooner did Amnon dislike his sister Tamar whom he inordinately liked a little before but the Text saith 2 Sam. 13.15 He hated her exceedingly so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater than the love wherewith he had loved her Thirdly An indignation against sinful self The spirit of a true penitent riseth against sin as against an open enemy or a false friend 2 Cor. 7.11 Fourthly An utter aversation or alienation from sinfull self As they who live in sin are averse and alienated from the life of God that is from holiness so they who repent of sin are alienated and turned away from the sins of their former life Fifthly and lastly An opposition against sin There is not barely a turning away from it but a war against it a desire to destroy and mortifie it to do it as I may say the greatest mischief we can Thus dislike is followed with hatred and hatred with indignation and indignation with aversation and aversation with opposition wrought and rising up in a penitent soul against sin But Secondly it may be asked why doth a repenting soul abhor sinful self I answer He doth it upon these four considerations First Because it appears to him as a filthy thing Ezek. 16.5 Psal 38.7 Prov. 12.22 All which Scriptures shew that as sin is a filthy thing in it self so it appeareth such to a repenting soul They that love their sins look upon them as fine things or as their beauty but to a repenting soul nothing appeareth more dirty and filthy and who abhors not that which is so to him Secondly A repenting soul looketh upon sin as a hurtful thing to him We naturally turn from and abhor that which is so We abhor the poyson of a Toad and the sting of a Serpent To taste the one or to be bitten by the other is no more deadly to the body than sin is to the soul Thirdly A repenting soul is sick very sick of his sins they have burdened his conscience as unwholsom food doth the stomack Now if a man abhors that which hath made him stomack-sick much more will he abhor that which hath indeed and not so much from the quantity as from the quality and nature of it made him conscience-sick Fourthly A repenting person hath vomited or cast up his sins by an humble confession of them alwayes to God and in some cases to men Repentance is the souls vomit Now as any man loaths his own vomit so a man truly repenting loaths the sin which he hath thus vomited Upon all these accounts a repenting soul loaths sinful self or sin in himself Thirdly But why doth a repenting soul abhor righteous self I answer First Because he is convinced that self-righteousness is a weak imperfect thing even in sanctification and therefore he is so far from boasting of it or trusting in it that he hath a kind of abhorrence of it Secondly He seeth that as to justification it is a filthy abominable thing Isa 64.6 All our righteousness are as filthy rags And as he abhors it because 't is unfit and incompetent in it self for that use so because 't is utterly inconsistent with the tenour of the Gospel wherein God hath removed all mans righteousness how pure soever it may be from that use and directed us to look only to the righteousness of Christ for that use which the Apostle calls the righteousness of God Rom. 10.3 and that in a twofold
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
Nathan the Prophet did to reprove King David but he told his friends at first word My wrath is kindled against you Though they were good men yet not so dear to God as Job and therefore he dealt in a more fatherly and favourable way with Job than with them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exarsit incensus inflammatus est Inter septem voculas Hebraeorum quae iram significant haec omnium est gravissima Scult they had only hot words My wrath is kindled against you c. I am more than angry As the coals of spiritual love spoken of Cant. 8.6 so the coals of divine wrath are coals of fire which hath a most vehement flame There are seven words in the Hebrew language which signifie anger and this notes the most vehement of them all My wrath is kindled The Latine words Ira and Irasco seem to be derived from it The word is sometimes applied to grief there is a kind of fire in grief Thus 't is said 1 Sam. 15.11 It grieved Samuel and he cryed unto the Lord all night Samuel was vehemently grieved becauâ—e of the ill performance of Saul in his expedition against the Amalakites 'T is also translated to fret Psal 37.8 9. Fret not thy self in any wise to do evil fretting hath its burning My wrath saith the Lord is kindled There is a wrath of God which is not kindled as I may say it is not blown up 't is covered in the ashes of his patience and forbearance but here saith God My wrath is kindled This is spoken by God after the manner of men God feels no change by wrath or anger no impression is made on him by any passion Wrath in God notes only his change of dispensations towards man not any in himself When he acts like a man whose wrath is greatly kindled then 't is said his wrath is kindled as when he acteth like a man that sheweth much love it may be said his love is kindled Further when God saith My wrath is kindled it implieth there is some great provocation given him by man as in the present case Eliphaz and his two friends had done The Lord threatned a sinful Land with brimstone and salt and burning like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and this being executed all Nations shall say wherefore hath the Lord done thus unto this Land what meaneth the heat of this great anger Then men shall say because they have forsaken the Covenant of the Lord God of their Fathers c. Deut. 29.23 24 25. The wrath of God is never kindled till blown and that which bloweth it up is mans sin nor doth the ordinary sins of man kindle the wrath of God for then it must be alwayes kindled even against the best of men Doubtless when the Lord said in the Text to Eliphaz My wrath is kindled against thee and thy two friends there was somewhat extraordinary in their sin which kindled it and therefore the Lord directed them an extraordinary way as to circumstances for the querching of it and the making of their peace But here it may be questioned why did the Lord say his wrath was kindled only against Eliphaz and his two friends had he nothing to say against Elihu he had spoken as harshly to Job as any of them yet Elihu was not at all reproved much less was the wrath of God kindled against him I answer 'T is true Elihu spake very hard words of Job yet we may say four things of Elihu which might exempt him from this blame which fell upon those three First He did not speak with nor discover a bitter spirit as they did Secondly Elihu objected not against Job his former life nor charged him as having done wickedly towards man or hypocritically towards God he only condemned him for present miscarriages under his trouble for impatience and unquietness of spirit under the cross Thirdly That which Elihu chiefly objected against Job was the justifying of himself rather than God as he speaks at the beginning of the 32d Chapter not the maintaining of his own innocency nor the justifying of himself before men Indeed Job failed while he insisted so much upon that point that he seemed more careful to clear himself than to justifie God Fourthly When Elihu spake hardly it was more out of a true zeal to defend the justice of God in afflicting him than to tax him with injustice Now because Elihu did not carry it with a bitter spirit and hit the mark much better than his friends though in some things he also shot wide and misunderstood Job therefore the blame fell only upon Jobs three friends and not upon Elihu The Lord said to Eliphaz my wrath is kindled against thee and against thy two friends but his wrath went no further Hence note First The Lord knows how to declare wrath as well as love displeasure as well as favour He hath a store of wrath as well as of love and that is kindled when he is highly displeased Secondly Note Sin causeth kindlings or discoveries of divine wrath Had it not been for sin the Lord had never declared any wrath in the world nothing had gone out from him but kindness and love favours and mercies Wrath is revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness and against unrighteousness only Rom. 1.18 Unrighteousness kindleth wrath sin is the kindle-coal When we see wrath or displeasure going out we may conclude sin is gone out Moses said to Aaron Numb 16.46 Take a Censer and put fire therein from off the altar and put on incense and go quickly unto the congregation and make an atonement for them for there is wrath gone out from the Lord the plague is begun Now as in this latter part of the chapter Moses shews that wrath was gone out against that people from the Lord so in the former part of it he shews that sin and that a great sin was gone out from that people against the Lord. Thirdly Note The Lord sometimes declareth wrath even against those whom he loveth Wrath may fall upon good men such were these friends of Job All the Elect whilest they remain unconverted or uncalled are called Children of wrath Ephes 2.3 Though they are in the everlasting love of God yet they are children of wrath as to their present condition whilst in a state of nature and unreconciled to God Now as the children of God are children of wrath before their conversion so when any great sin is committed after conversion they are in some sense under wrath and the Lord declareth wrath against them till the breach be healed and their peace sued out It is dangerous continuing for a moment in any sin unrepented of or we not going unto God by Jesus Christ for pardon When once the wrath of God is kindled how far it may burn who knoweth There is no safety under guilt Therefore kiss the son lest he be angry and ye perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little blessed
the righteousness of God In these things and more which have been noted in opening this book Job spake not right of God yet righter than Eliphaz and his two friends and therefore the Lord told them Ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right as my servant Job hath Further To answer the question and to clear the whole matter we must take notice First In what Job and his three friends agreed Secondly In what they disagreed They all agreed first in This that all the afflictions which befal man in this life fall within the sight and certain knowledge of God Secondly they all agreed That God is the author and efficient cause the orderer and disposer of all the afflictions that befal man Thirdly they all agree That God neither doth nor can do wrong to any man whatsoever affliction he layeth upon him or how long soever he continueth it upon him Thus far they all spake right things and agreed in what they spake But Jobs friends held other opinions wherein he totally dissented from them First That whosoever is good and doth good shall receive a present good reward Secondly That whosoever is evil and doth evil shall receive present punishment So that if any wicked man prosper it is but for a while sudden mischief will overtake him And if any godly man be afflicted it is but for a while his affliction will soon end and he return to a flourishing condition in this life From these premises they concluded that whosoever is afflicted and continueth long under affliction certainly that man is wicked and thereupon they judged Job to be such a one But Job held this right position against them all That the providence of God dispenceth outward good and evil so indifferently to good and bad men that no unerring judgment can possibly be made of any mans spiritual state by his outside or temporal state This Job stuck close to as was shewed more fully in the Preface to the Second Part. I conclude then That neither did Eliphaz and his two friends fail so much in speaking as to speak nothing right of God yea there was somewhat right in every thing they spake of God neither did Job speak so right as to speak nothing amiss of God Now God who knew exactly who spake rightest determined the matter for Job Ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right as my servant Job hath Yet before I pass from these words it may be questioned and some make it a great question Whether we are to understand this sentence and determination of God preferring what Job had spoken of him before what Eliphaz and his two friends had spoken of him in reference to all that Job had spoken of him in way of assertion throughout the whole dispute when his soul was heated and grieved or of what he spake towards the latter end in a cooler temper when his soul was humbled The Jewish Doctors who for the most part are very severe against and censorious of Job expound this sentence of God as if it respected only what Job spake at the beginning of the 40th chapter ver 3 4 5. Then Job answered the Lord and said behold I am vile what shall I answer thee Once have I spoken but I will not answer yea twice but I will proceed no further And what he spake at the 42d chapter ver 1 2. Then Job answered the Lord and said I know that thou canst do every thing and that no thought can be with-holden from thee c. Concluding ver 6. Wherefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes In these places say they Job spake righter than his friends but not so in the whole body of his discourse Some others possibly have concurred though I have seen but one and him only in Manuscript with the Rabbins in this censure affirming that Jobs opinion was the worst of all the four yea that it was little less than blasphemy taking men off from at least discouraging them in ways of godliness while he affirmed peremptorily chap. 9.22 23. He that is God destroyeth the perfect and the wicked if the scourge stay suddenly he laugheth at the tryal of the innocent This assertion of his concerning God and of this his whole discourse with his three friends savoured was not say they so right as theirs and therefore they restrain those words of God Ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right as my servant Job to what Job spake in the chapters mentioned when he was upon his repentance but will not allow them to reach to or be meant of what he spake of God in the course of his former dispute with his friends But I shall close and joyn with those who refer the words of this final judgment which God gave upon this matter to what Job spake of God from first to last and that they are not to be limited to what Job spake after God had humbled him by speaking to him out of the whirlwind I grant as hath been said Job spake unduely more than once in the days of his anguish and sore affliction for which Elihu reproved him sharply chap. 34 ver 35 36 37. chap. 35.16 And so did God himself chap. 38.2 chap. 40.1 2 8. Nor did Job in the issue spare much less flatter himself as if he had spoken nothing amiss but humbly confessed his error and ignorance in speaking chap. 40.4 5. chap. 42.3 and 6. Wherefore I abhor my self and repent c. even because in the extremity of my pains I spake so unadvisedly with my lips I grant also that Job spake much more rightly or rightest of God after God had humbled him and brought down his spirit by that dreadful dispensation out of the whirlwind Yet I say Job spake more rightly of God during his affliction than Eliphaz and his two friends had done which as it may appear by that brief account or survey of their opinions a little before given so I shall adde somewhat more towards the making of it yet more apparent For First That assertion laid down chap. 9.22 23. He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked c. which hath raised so much dust and is judged by some as a quench-coal to all piety and religion and which occasion'd the Jewish Writers to say that Job sought to turn the charger the bottome upward that his mouth was full of gravel that he began his speech with cursing and continued it with blaspheming That assertion I say is no more than Solomon hath given us Eccles 9.1 2. All things come alike to all and there is one event to the righteous and the wicked Now Job spake this in his first answer to Bildad which was almost at the beginning of the dispute Secondly Job spake altogether right of God and of his providence towards himself and others all along while he constantly maintained First That he was not afflicted for any wickedness committed by him in the former passages
that when once we have it we may rejoyce all our days Eccles 9.7 Go thy way eat thy bread with joy and drink thy wine with a merry heart for God now accepteth thy works Solomon doth not mean it of a sensitive joy only much less of any sensual joy but of a gracious and spiritual joy In this joy we may eat and drink when our work is accepted and our work is never accepted till our persons are Now if it be so great a priviledge to be accepted with the Lord how great a misery is it not to be accepted this inference floweth naturally from that great truth And how great a misery it is not to be accepted of God several Scriptures hold out The Prophet Amos 5.22 declareth no other judgment upon that people but this The Lord accepteth them not And the same declaration is made by several other Prophets Jerem. 14.10 12. Hos 8.13 Mal. 1.8 10. Acceptance is our greatest mercy and non-acceptance our greatest misery and that 's the reason why the understanding and faithful servants of God are so strict or as the world accounts it precise and scrupleous that they will not turn aside no not in those things which are called small matters and of which many think God will take no notice They desire to be accepted of God in every thing and because they know in some measure what is acceptable to him therefore they would do nothing no not the least thing which is unacceptable to him Prov. 10.32 The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable The lips are organs or instruments of speech not of knowledge the understanding knoweth the lips only speak Yet here Solomon ascribes the work of the understing to the lips and this he doth because there is or should be a great cognation between the understanding and the lips we should speak nothing but what we understand we should speak only what we know and according to our knowledge The lips of the righteous have such an intercourse with their understanding that their very lips may be said to know what is acceptable and therefore they speak what is acceptable It is said of David that he guided the people with the skilfulness saith our with the discretion saith another translation with the understanding of his hands saith the original Psal 78.72 The hand hath no more understanding skill or discretion seated in it than the lips yet because David consulted with his understanding in what he did with his hand it is said He guided them by the skilfulness or discretion or understanding of his hand Thus the lips of the righteous understand and know what is acceptable and they know that unless they have an aime to honour God in small matters yea in all matters they greatly dishonour him and so cannot be accepted with him at all The excellency of a gracious heart appears greatly when he maketh conscience of doing the least thing which he knows ye only fears will be unacceptable to God or wherein he may run the hazard of this priviledge his acceptation with him There are three things which shew why it is so great a priviledg to be accepted with God and why his servants are so careful not to do any thing that is unacceptable unto him First Because Once accepted with God and always accepted For though possibly a person accepted may have some frowns from God upon his uneven walkings or sinful actings yet his state of acceptation continues firm in the main The Lord doth not utterly cast off his favourites no nor any whom he taketh into his favour or a nearness with himself Secondly If we are once accepted with God he can make us accepted with men and that not only with good men Rom. 14.18 but even with bad men God can give us favour in the eyes of those men who have not an eye to see that we are in his favour Daniel who was so careful to keep up his acceptation with God That he purposed in his heart not to defile himself with the portion of the Kings meat Dan. 1.8 9. Of him it is said ver 9. God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the Prince of the Eunuches He a conscientious Jew had great acceptation with him who was an idolatrous Heathen Thirdly If once accepted of the Lord we need not be much troubled though we are reprobate to the world though the world reject and cast us off yea cast us out The Lords acceptation of us will bear or may bear up our spirits in the midst of the worlds reproaches repulses and rejections Again When the Lord saith Him will I accept Observe The Lord accepts some godly men more than others Jobs three friends were godly men questionless they were yet they had not that acceptation with God which Job had All that are godly have acceptation with God but they have not all alike acceptation Acts 10.35 In every Nation they that fear him and work righteousness are accepted with him Which we must not take meerly for a moral or legal righteousness but as in conjunction with an Evangelical righteousness Now let them be who they will that fear God and work righteousness they are accepted but all are not equally accepted him will I accept saith the Lord concerning Job with an Emphasis why was it so because Job was one of the most eminent persons for godliness yea the most eminent at that time upon the face of the whole earth as was shewed at the 2d verse of the first chapter Noah was a man highly accepted of the Lord above others and he was righteous above others Gen. 7.1 Thee saith God have I seen righteous before me in this generation Possibly there might be others righteous but there was no man so righteous as Noah and none so accepted as he And if it be enquired who amongst good men are most accepted or accepted beyond other good men I answer First They among good men are most accepted who live most by faith As without faith it is impossible to please God in any degree Heb. 11.6 so they that live most by faith please God most or in the highest degree and are most accepted by him Abraham who lived so much by faith that he was called the father of the faithful was so much accepted of God that he is called The friend of God Jam. 2.23 Secondly Among godly men they who are most upright in their walkings who walk with a single eye and with a right foot are most acceptable such a man was Job The character given him Chap. 1.1 was A man perfect and upright Thirdly They that walk most humbly are most acceptable unto God For 〈◊〉 God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble Jam. 4.6 so he sheweth grace that is favour or graceth and adorneth them with his favours When one said Mich. 6.6 Wherewith shall I come before the Lord c. The Prophet answered vers 8. He hath shewed thee O man what is
found matters mending with himself and the answers of prayer in the mercies of God coming tumbling in thick and three-fold His captivity fled far away when he had thus drawn near to God he had as a very full and satisfactory so a very speedy answer When he prayed Prayer is the making known our wants and desires to God It is a spiritual work not a meer bodily exercise it is the labour of the heart not lip-labour Jobs prayer was a fervent working or effectual prayer as the Apostle James speaks chap. 5.16 not a cold slothful sleepy prayer when he prayed he made work of prayer Many speak words of prayer that make no work of prayer nor are they at work in prayer Job prayed in the same sense that Saul afterwards Paul did Acts. 9.11 when the Lord Jesus bid Ananias go to him for Behold he prayeth implying that he was at it indeed He had been brought up after the strictest rule of the Pharisees who prayed much or made many prayers but he prayed to so little purpose before that we may well call that his first prayer and say he had never prayed before Job prayed for his friends as Paul for himself he was very earnest with God for them and prevailed Extraordinary cases call for extraordinary layings out in duty It was an extraordinary case When he prayed For his friends The Hebrew is When he prayed for his friend Singulare partitivum pro plurali Merc. It is usual in the Grammar of the holy Text to put the singular for the plural 'T is so here either First because he prayed for every one of them distinctly and by name or Secondly because he looked upon them all as one and bound them up in the same requests When he prayed For his friends They are called his friends to shew the esteem that he had of them notwithstanding all their unkindness and unfriendliness towards him He prayed for them in much love O raram singularem virtutem quae in paucissimis vel Christianis reperiatur Merc. though they had shewed little love to him and his heart was so much towards them that the Text speaks as if he had forgot himself or left himself at that time quite out of his prayers Doubtless Job prayed for himself but his great business at that time with God was for his friends Now in that Jobs prayer is said expresly to be for his friends not for himself though we cannot doubt but that he prayed and prayed much for himself Observe A godly man is free to pray for others as well as for himself and in some cases or at some times more for others than for himself He seldom drives this blessed trade with heaven for self only and he sometimes doth it upon the alone account of others 'T is a great piece of spiritualness to walk exactly and keep in with God to the utmost that so our own personal soul concerns may not take up our whole time in prayer but that we may have a freedom of spirit to inlarge for the benefit of others Many by their uneven walkings exceedingly hinder themselves in this duty of praying for friends and of praying for the whole Church Uneven walkings hinder that duty in a twofold respect First Because they indispose the heart to prayer in general which is one special reason why the Apostle Peter gives that counsel to Husband and Wife 1 Pet. 3.7 to walk according to knowledge and as being heirs together of the same grace of life that saith he your prayers be not hindred that is lest your hearts be indisposed to prayer Secondly Because uneven walkings will find us so much work for our selves in prayer that we shall scarce have time or leisure to intend or sue out the benefit of others in prayer He that watcheth over his own heart and wayes will be and do most in prayer for others And that First For the removing or preventing of the sorrows and sufferings of others Secondly For the removing of the sins of others yea though their sins have been against himself which was Jobs case He prayed for those who had dealt very hardly with him and sinned against God in doing so he prayed for the pardon of their sin God being very angry with them and having told them he would deal with them according to their folly unless they made Job their friend to him This was the occasion of Jobs travelling in prayer for his friends and in this he shewed a spirit becoming the Gospel though he lived not in the clear light of it And how uncomely is it that any should live less in the power of the Gospel while they live more in the light of it To pray much for others especially for those who have wronged and grieved us hath much of the power of the Gospel and of the Spirit of Christ in it For thus Jesus Christ while he was nailed to the Cross prayed for the pardon of their sins and out-rages who had crucified him Father forgive them for they know not what they do Luke 23.34 Even while his crucifiers were reviling him he was begging for them and beseeching his Father that he would shew them mercy who had shewed him no mercy no nor done him common justice And thus in his measure Jobs heart was carryed out in his prayer for his friends that those sins of theirs might be forgiven them by which they had much wronged him yea and derided him in a sort upon his Cross as the Jews did Christ upon his This also was the frame of Davids heart towards those that had injured him Psal 109.4 For my love they are my adversaries that 's an ill requital but how did he requite them we may take his own word for it he tells us how but I give my self unto prayer yea he seemed a man wholly given unto prayer The elegant conciseness of the Hebrew is But I prayer we supply it thus But I give my self unto prayer They are sinning against me requiting my love with hatred But I give my self unto prayer But for whom did he pray doubtless he prayed and prayed much for himself he prayed also for them We may understand those words I give my self unto prayer two wayes First I pray against their plots and evil dealings with me prayer was Davids best strength alwayes against his enemies yet that was not all But Secondly I give my self to prayer that the Lord would pardon their sin and turn their hearts when they are doing me mischief or though they have done me mischief I am wishing them the best good David in another place shewed what a spirit of charity he was cloathed with when no reproof could hinder him from praying for others in some good men reproofs stir up passion not prayer Psal 141.5 Let the righteous smite me it shall be a kindness smite me how with reproof so it followeth Let him reprove me it shall be an excellent oyl which shall not break my
head for yet my prayer shall be in their calamities that is if ever they who are my reprovers fall into calamity though they may think they have provoked me so by reproving me that they have lost my love and have cast them out of my prayers or that I will never speak well of them or for them again yet I will pray for them with all my heart as their matters shall require I will pray for them when they have most need of prayer even in their calamity Some heighten the sense thus The more they sharpen their reproof the more I think my self bound to pray for them It shews an excellent spirit not to be hindred from doing good to others by any thing they do or speak against us nor by their sharpest though perhaps mistaken reproofs of us Thus it was with this good man Job prayed for his friends who had spoken much against him and not only reproved him without cause but reproached him without charity and God turned his captivity when he prayed for them Hence observe Secondly Prayer for friends especially for unkind friends is very pleasing to God and profitable to us We never reap more fruit or benefit by prayer our selves than when we lay out our selves in prayer for others and then most when we pray for those who have deserved least at our hands Prayer for unkind friends is the greatest kindness we can do them and the noblest way of recompencing their unkindness Holy David was much in this way of duty and found the benefit of it Psal 35.12 13. They rewarded me evil for good to the spoyling of my soul but as for me when they were sick my cloathing was sackcloth I humbled my soul with fasting that is I was greatly affected with and afflicted for them in their affliction and see what followed My prayer returned into my own bosom There is some difference about the Exposition of those words but I conceive that is clear in it self as well as to my purpose that David received fruit and a good reward for those prayers As if he had said If my prayer did them no good it did me good if it did not profit them it profited me my prayer returned into my own bosom I found comfortable effects of it We never gain more by prayer than when we pray for those by whom we have been losers we never find more comfort by prayer than when we pray heartily for those by whom we have found much sorrow whatever good we pray for in the behalf of others falls upon our own heads and the more we pray for good upon the heads of those that have done evil to us the more good is like to fall upon our own heads and hearts Christ saith Mat. 10.13 When ye come into an house salute it Christ means not a Courtly complemental salute but a Christian spiritual salute wishing them mercy and peace as is plain by that which followeth and if the house be worthy let your peace come upon it but if it be not worthy let your peace return to you As if he had said When ye come into an house good or bad salute it if the house be good they shall receive the benefit of your prayer if not you shall have the benefit of it your selves though they get no good by your good wishes to them or prayers for them yet you shall This is more expresly assured us again by our blessed Saviour Luke 10.6 Into whatsoever house ye enter first say peace be to this house bestow a prayer upon them and if the Son of peace be there your peace shall rest upon it if not it shall turn to you again your prayers shall not be lost nor shall ye be losers by your prayers Hence take these two Inferences First If when we pray for friends for unkind friends God be ready to do us good then he will be much more ready to do us good when we as he hath commanded us pray for professed or real enemies The worse they are if not so bad as to be past prayer by the Apostles rule 1 John 5.16 for whom we pray the better are our prayers and an argument as of our greater faith in God so of our greater love to man Yet this is not to be understood as if we should pray for the prosperity of enemies or evil men in their evil purposes or practices this were to pray at once for the misery of Sion for the downfal of Jerusalem and the dishonour of God Our prayer for enemies should only be that God would change their hearts and pardon their sins as was touched before I grant we may in some cases pray Lord overturn overturn them or as David against Achitophel Lord turn their counsels into foolishness yet even then we should also pray with respect to their persons Lord turn them turn them The Gospel teacheth us to do so Luke 6.28 Bless them that curse you pray for them that despitefully use you Not that we should pray for a blessing on them as they are cursers and despisers but that they may repent and give over their cursed cursings and despiteful usages The Apostle is full for this Rom. 12.14 Bless them that persecute you bless and curse not vers 19. Avenge not your selves And as we should not avenge our selves so we should be sparing in prayer that God would take vengeance and if ever we put up such prayers beware they flow not from a spirit of revenge We indeed are sometimes afraid to be over-gentle and kind-hearted towards them that offend us and this bad Proverb is too much remembred If we play the Sheep the Wolf will eat us up as if to do our duty were to run further into danger and that it must needs turn to our wrong not to avenge our wrongs But know if we carry it meekly like sheep we have a great Shepheard who will take care of us and is able to preserve us from the Wolf Consider these two things in praying for enemies or for those that have any way wronged us First If by prayer we gain them 't is possible by prayer to turn a Wolf into a Sheep then it will be well with us they will be our friends Secondly If they continue Wolves and enemies still God will be more our friend and turn the evil which they either intend or do us to our good A second Inference is this If God be ready to deliver us from evil and do us good when we pray for others then he will be ready to do us good and deliver us from evil when we pray for our selves This Inference appears every where in Scripture And as the Lord himself hath often invited or encouraged us to the duty of prayer for our selves by this promise take one instance for all Psal 50.15 Call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me that is thou shalt have both occasion and a heart to glorifie
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
in sickness as well as in health in disgrace with men as well as when most honoured and cryed up by them when naked as well as when cloathed as well in rags as in the richest array Hence that confident conclusion vers 38. I am perswaded that neither death nor life c. shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. And if so then we see where our true interest lyeth Let us make sure of Christ he will never leave us all earthly friends may Friends are a great mercy but they are not a sure mercy Again Consider Jobs friends who came not at him when in that afflicted condition yet as soon as ever God turned his captivity and made him prosper in the world then they would own him then they came Hence note Thirdly Such as are no friends in adversity will readily shew themselves friendly in prosperity That they came then is an intimation if not a proof that they came not before but then they came What Christ spake in another case I may apply by way of allusion to this Where the carcase is thither will the Eagles be gathered together When Job was up his friends appear'd All are ready to worship the rising Sun When the face of things and times change with us then the faces of friends change towards us then they have other respects and countenances for us this spirit of the world hath been anciently observed Si fueris foelix multos numerabis amicos Tempora si fuerintnubila solus eris even by Heathens If you be happy or restored to happiness you shall number many friends though you had none before Such friends are like those birds that visit our coasts in Summer when 't is warm weather when every thing flourisheth and is green then some birds visit us who all the Winter when 't is cold frost and snow leave us Faâ—ther it may be conceived that several of Jobs friends left him not only upon the occasion of his poverty and want but upon the supposition of his hypocrisie and wickedness many of them might have the same opinion of him which those three had who particularly dealt with him that surely he was a bad man because the Lord brought so much evil upon him Now when the Lord restored Job they had another a better opinion of him the Lord also giving a visible testimony of his accepting Job Hence note Fourthly God will one time or other vindicate the integrity of his faithful servants and set them right in the opinion of others God suffered Jobs integrity to lie under a cloud of supposed hypocrisie but at last the Lord restored him to his credit as well as to his estate and made his unkind and not only suspicious but censorious friends acknowledge that he was upright and faithful The Lord promiseth Psalm 37.6 to bring forth the righteousness of his servants as the light and their judgement as the noon-day that is a right judgement in others concerning them as well as the rightness of their judgement in what they have done and been or his own most righteous judgement in favour of them They who had a wrong judgement and took a false measure of Job measuring him by the outward dispensations of God and judging of his heart by his state and of his spirit by the face of his affairs these were at last otherwise perswaded of him 'T is as the way so the sin and folly of many to judge upon appearance upon the appearance of Gods outward dealings they conclude men good or bad as their outward condition is good or bad and therefore the Lord to redeem the credit of his faithful servants that lye under such misapprehensions sends prosperity and manifests his gracious acceptance of them that men of that perverse opinion may be convinced and delivered out of their error Note Fifthly The Lords favouring us or turning the light of his countenance towards us can soon cause men to favour us and shine upon us See what a change the Lord made at that time both in the state of things and in the hearts of men when the Lord outwardly forsook Job friends forsook him children mockt him acquaintance despised him his very servants slighted him yet no sooner did the Lord return in the manifestations of his favour but they all returne desiring to ingratiate themselves with him and strive who shall engage him most God can quickly give us new friends or restore the old Expleâ—â— contumelias honoribus detrimenta muneribus execrationes precibus The hearts of all men are in the hand of the Lord who turns them from us or to us as he pleaseth When God manifests his favour he can command our favour with men Though that which is a real motive of the Lords favour to his people their holiness and holy walkings gets them many enemies and they are hated for it by many yet the Lord discovering or owning the graces of his servants by signal favours often gets them credit and sets them right in the opinion of men Thus it was with Job all his friends returned to him upon the Lords high respect to him in turning his captivity Again in that Jobs friends came to him Cui dominus favet ei omnia favent Observe Sixthly It is the duty of friends to be friendly to come to and visit one another It is a duty to do so in both the seasons or in all the changes of our life It is a duty to do so in times of prosperity when God shines upon our Tabernacle When any receive extraordinary mercies it is the duty of friends to shew them extraordinary courtesies and to bless God for them and with them When Elizabeths neighbours and cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her they rejoyced with her Luke 1.58 It is a duty to rejoyce with those that rejoyce and to come to them that we may rejoyce with them It is a duty also to visit those that mourn and to mourn with them Friendly visits are a duty in all the seasons of our lives Once more Then came all his brethren c. It was late e're they came but they came Hence Note It is better to perform a duty late than not at all They had a long time even all the time of his long affliction neglected or at least slackned this duty of visiting Job yet they did not reason thus with themselves It is in vain to visit him now or our visiting him now may be thought but a flattering with him or a fawning upon him No though they had neglected him before they would not add new to their old incivilities We say of repentance which is a coming to God Late repentance is seldom true yet true repentance is never too late None should think it too late to come to God though they have long neglected him nor should sinners who have long neglected God be discouraged Though
Thess 5.11 Comfort your selves together and edifie one another And at the 14th vers Now we exhort you brethren warn them that are unruly comfort the feeble minded support the weak The weak in the latter words are the same with the feeble in the former and the support spoken of in the one is nothing else but the comfort spoken of in the other Comfort to a feeble mind is like a prop or a pillar to a feeble building the supporter of it And because it is so important a work to comfort feeble minds I shall briefly name some special cases wherein the mind of man is feeble and then hint what word of comfort is most proper for its support in each case First If the mind be infeebled by outward wants apply that comfortable Scripture Mat. 6.32 33. Your father knoweth that ye have need of those things which if received by faith will give the mind great support in that case Secondly In case of the loss or death of friends the Apostle hath put words into our mouths for the comforting of such 1 Thess 4.13 chiefly these two ways First By remembring that their friends are only asleep in Jesus or gone to sleep in the bosome of Jesus Secondly That they shall be raised again at the coming of Jesus Thirdly In case of suffering and persecution read comfort and support Mat. 5.11 12 13. 1 Pet. 4.12 13 14. Fourthly In case of bodily sickness or any chastenings from the hand of God we have a store or treasure of comforting words Heb. 12. from the 5. to the 14th verse Fifthly In case of desertion or Gods hiding his face take comfort from Isa 50.10 Isa 54.7 8. Sixthly When any are under the sence of divine wrath for sin they may take comfort by meditating all those Scriptures which hold out the free grace of God to sinners and the full satisfaction which Christ hath made for sin to the justice of God and so for deliverance from the wrath which is to come 1 Thess 1.10 These are the principal cases wherein we need a comforter and most of these if not all met in Jobs case He was poor and had lost all that was the first case his children were dead that was the second he was persecuted vexed and reproached that was a third he was sick and weak in body that was a fourth he was under grievous desertions that was a fifth he was also under the sence of wrath the arrows of the Almighty drunk up his spirits All these evils God brought upon him and some of them in the highest degree and though he were then got out of them all yet as was said before being got but a little way out of them he needed comfort and therefore his new-come old friends and acquaintance bemoaned and comforted him as a man newly come out of great affliction And we should be much in this duty of comforting others upon these considerations First Comfort upholds the soul when burdened or weakned from sinking Secondly Comfort quiets the soul when tost up and down as with a tempest comforts wisely and seasonably ministred will make a great calm Comfort is the repose and rest of the soul Thirdly Comfort quickens and revives the soul when dying away with sorrow comforts are cordials For which cause we faint not 2 Cor. 4.16 And what the cause was which kept them from fainting we may find both in the verse going before in those words All things are for your sakes vers 15. or in the verse following Our light affliction c. ver 17. Comforts either prevent and keep us from qualms and swoonings or bring us out of them again Give wine to him that is of a heavy heart let him drink and forget his sorrow Prov. 30.6 7. Give him this wine of comfort and it will renew his spirit more than wine Fourthly Comfort confirms and establisheth the soul when we are ready to let go our hold The Apostle sent Timotheus to establish and comfort the Thessalonians concerning their faith 1 Epist 3.2 that is to establish them in the faith both in the doctrine and grace of faith by comforting them Jobs friends might see cause of comforting him upon many considerations possibly upon most of these The Text saith only They comforted him Over all the evil which the Lord had brought upon him The plaister was as broad as the soar or they administred as many plaisters as there was soars They comforted him over all the evil c. This directs us to a great point of holy prudence in comforting the sorrowful even to comfort them in or about every thing which hath been an occasion of their sorrow When we are to stop the holes of a leaking vessel if we stop three or four and leave but one we indanger all the liquor in the vessel you were as good stop none at all as not stop all so it is in this case therefore see how wisely Jobs friends carried it They comforted him over all the evil Which the Lord had brought upon him And all that was the evil of suffering The Lord is the bringer of such evils upon all that suffer them even upon his dearest and most faithful servants those evils come from him who is only good and altogether good The Lord takes these evils to himself I create evil Isa 45.7 and faith the Prophet Amos 3.6 Shall there be evil in a City and the Lord hath not done it As the Lord owns these kind of evils so we honour God in acknowledging him the Author of them Our crosses are of God as well as our comforts our poverty as well as our riches our sickness as well as our health This point hath occurred more than once from other passages in this Book and therefore I shall adde no more now This was the third labour of love which the brethren of Job bestowed upon him They comforted him over all the evil which the the Lord had brought upon him Yet this was not all they did not only bestow a mouthful of good words upon him I speak not lightly of good words they are a weighty piece of charity Good words are much better as was toucht before than gold and silver and may be much more beneficial and useful to the receiver than thousands of gold and silver Yet I say Jobs friends did not only bestow a mouthful of good words upon him for the removal of his inward grief but they brought their handsful of good things to bestow upon him for the making up of his outward losses and this was the fourth act or office of love which they did him as it followeth Every man also gave him a piece of money and every one an ear-ring of gold Here was real kindness as well as verbal Though good words as was said be a great charity yet 't is no charity to give nothing but good words where more is needed unless this be our case that indeed we have nothing more to give The