Godly men at least intimated in this and toucht before conclude that they are happy when they appeare most miserable and that at their worst estate they are altogether above uncertainty For as they have a foundation so such a foundation as will stand all stormes and weathers What can be added to their felicity who are in an estate so good in the nature of it that they need not desire a change and so sure in the foundation of it that they need not feare a change much lesse an overflowing flood Eliphaz proceeds to describe the particular wickednes of those men or how they did Expresse their wickednesse Whose foundation was thus overflowne They say unto God depart from us c. JOB CHAP. 22. Vers 17 18. Which said unto God Depart from us and what can the Almighty doe for them Yet he filled their houses with good things but the counsell of the wicked is farre from me IN the former context Eliphaz had charged Job with impiety against God and called him to consider the dispensations of God in former times towards impious men here he shewes us what their impiety was It was impiety hightned into blasphemy The seven abominations which were in their hearts brake out at their lips and were vomited out of their mouths in blacke choler in choler as blacke as hell Vers 17. Which said unto God depart from us c. These words are filled with the very spirit of malice against God himselfe And we have the same breathed out in the same language in the former Chapter at the 14th verse there the reader may finde them explicated and I shall add somewhat for a further explication here Which said to God depart from us To this hight of madnes doe some wicked men arise their spirits being bigge with sinne they bring forth or belch out this monster of words They say to God depart from us They as it were send God a writ of Ejectment they doe not pray or entreate God to depart from them but with as much rudenes and incivillity as unholynes and prophanenes Say unto God depart from us 'T is a word of command from man but such a one as breakes all the commandements of God Moses Numb 16.26 beseeches the people saying Depart I pray you from the tents of these wicked men and touch nothing of theirs but here we have wicked men not praying God to depart but bidding him they say depart from us David speakes to the wicked Psal 119.115 Depart from me ye evill doers for I will keepe the commandements of my God he bids them begone He would not give them the least wellcome or entertainment And so Jesus Christ is described speaking to the wicked in the day of Judgement Matth. 7.23 Depart from me away get you out of my presence I will not have to doe with you I will doe nothing for you Depart His is a word of command indeed which though they have no will to obey yet they shall obey it whether they will or no. Thus in the present text wicked men presume to say to God himselfe depart from us c. Hence note First That wicked or meere carnall men have some appearances and impresses of the presence of God upon their spirits They could not say to God depart from us had they not some impressions and notions of God of the will and Law of God of the truth and power of God upon them They who are alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them doe yet feele a presence of God with them Act. 17.27 That they should seeke the Lord if haply they might feele after him and finde him though he be not farre from every one of us Take mankind in generall good and bad beleevers and infidels there is a neerenesse of God unto them unto them all and that not onely a neerenesse of God in what the Apostle there speakes of common preservation vers 28. In him we live and move and have our being or of naturall communications of which the Apostle speakes there also From him we receave life and breath and all things vers 25. But further God is with them by a twofold light first by a light of Direction secondly by a light of Conviction All have a Light of direction 1. by the Law written in their hearts The Apostle is expresse for this Rom. 2.14 For when the Gentiles he meanes it of Gentiles unconverted which have not the Law doe by nature the things contained in the Law these having not the Law that is formally published and preached to them are a Law unto them selves Which shew the worke of the Law written in their hearts their conscience also bearing witnes c. And as all have a light of direction from the Law written in their hearts or in the booke of Conscience so also 2. they have a light of direction from the Law of the creation or from that which is written of God in the Booke of the creature The same Apostle makes this the ground of the righteousnes of God in that dreadfull Revelation of his wrath against all ungodlynes and unrighteousnes of men be they who they will who hold the truth in unrighteousnes because that which may be knowne of God is manifest in them or to them for God hath shewed it to them But how or where hath God shewed them this The Apostle answers in the next verse Rom. 1.20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearely seene being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and Godhead so that they are without excuse So that though all men have not a light of direction from God so powerfull as to change them and make them holy yet they have a light so cleare and full as is enough to make them guilty And when they refuse to follow this light of direction in doing what is right then followes that other light of convictiō their consciences troubling them or as the Apostles phrase is Rom. 2.15 their thoughts accusing them because they have done that which is not right This presence of God is common to all men to the worst of men and this is it which provokes them to say to God depart from us And this is argumēt enough to stop the mouth of the Atheist who saith in his heart there is no God when as yet he cannot stop the mouth of his owne conscience from saying there is a God while hee sayth and this he alwayes sayth eyther in plaine termes or in that which is equivalent to God depart from me And from hence wee may observe Secondly That the presence and manifestations of God to wicked men are a trouble to them None are troubled with the neerenes of God to them but they who are farre from him all naturall men are farre from God in state and in heart and God is neere all naturall men eyther in his word or in his works
of a wicked man he desires to have God depart he is afraid of the presence of God what are the desires of a godly man he desires nothing more then the presence of God he sayes as Moses Exod. 33.15 If thy presence goe not with mee carry me no further I desire to be no where but where God manifests himselfe to be let me see the day of my departure out of the world rather then the day of Gods departure from me in the world Let riches goe let liberty goe let friends and relations goe so God stay with me All company is solitarines to me all fullnesse is emptinesse to me and the most populous City worse then a desolate wildernes to me where I finde not the presence of God with me I feare nothing like this The departure of God from me I read indeed Luke 5.8 that Peter once sayd to Christ Depart from mee for I am a sinfull man O Lord. But the reason was not because he was weary of the presence of Christ but because he thought himselfe altogether unworthy of the presence of Christ And therefore at another time when many of Christs Disciples went back walked no more with him and hereupon Christ sayd to the twelve Will ye also goe away Then Simon Peter answered him Lord to whom shall we goe thou hast the words of Eternall Life Joh. 6.68 He who would not go from Christ could not indeed desire that Christ should goe or depart from him They who have tasted how gratious the Lord is can never totally depart from God nor can they at all beare it that God should depart from them Thus the Church complaines Jer. 14.9 Why shouldest thou be as a stranger in the Land and as a way fayring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night Why shouldest thou be as a man astonished as a mighty man that cannot save yet thou O Lord art in the midst of us and we are called by thy name leave us not Whatsoever thou doest to us doe not leave us let any evill come but doe not thou goe let sword come let famine come let plague come but doe not thou depart leave us not Thus the Saints cling about a departing God while wicked men are willing he should depart And cōsidering the opinion which these wicked men had of God 't is no wonder though they presse him to depart for what should God do with them if he can doe nothing for them or doe them no good Such was their apprehension of God as appeares in the next clause And what can the Almighty doe for them They should rather have said What cannot the Almighty doe for them If the question be put what the Allmighty can doe The answer is at hand he that is Allmighty can do any thing yet these wretches say What can the Allmighty doe for them Et quid operabitur omnipotens eis Heb. Allmightinesse it selfe is questioned as weaknesse and omnipotency as impotency by unbeleevers From the generall sense of this infidel question Observe First That worldly wicked men have low and slight thoughts of God It is sayd of a wicked man Psal 10.4 God is not in all his thoughts that is he is in none of his thoughts or God is not at all in his thoughts But is any man so voyd of God that God is not in all his Thoughts can any man utterly extinguish or blot the thoughts of God out of his heart is not the notion of a God written with indelible characters upon the heart of man by nature if not how is the Law written there by nature I answer wicked men have thoughts and cannot but have thoughts of God But first They like not to retaine God in their thoughts or which is the same in their knowledge Rom. 1.28 Secondly The thoughts which they have of God are unworthy of God while they thinke of God they thinke below God and so indeed their thoughts are not at all the thoughts of God While we thinke of God otherwise then he is and hath revealed himselfe to be we doe not thinke of the God that made us but we make an Idol-God in our own thoughts Now wicked men thinke either that God hath no strength power goodnesse and wisdome or can do little with what he hath What can the Allmighty doe for them They who are afarre off from God by unbeliefe are not able to discerne his power his goodnes his wisdome his faithfullnesse his Allsufficiency They neyther understand what God affirmes of himselfe nor give credit to what he hath promised unto us We say of those things which appeare more then they are that they affect more afarre off then neere at hand but those things which are more then they appeare affect more when they are nigh then when they are afarre off God is infinitely more then he appeares And he being neere to those who beleeve affects them wonderfully But God is farre from unbeleevers and they are farre off or in a state of farthest distance from God therefore they are not affected with him But say who is God what is Gods power what is his allmightinesse Wee have heard much of him but wee see little in him They looke upon God as if he were like the Idolls described Psal 115.4 5 6 7. Who have eyes and see not eares and beare not hands and handle not c. All the attributes of God that he is allmighty unchangeable c. are but a sound of words or empty titles in their eares A beleever can make a living out of any attribute of God for when the Scripture saith he lives by faith the meaning is he lives upon the goodnes mercy and power of God revealed in the promise and layd hold on by faith Thus the just live by faith upon God but the wicked and unbeleevers cannot live upon those termes They see little or nothing in God to make a Living of and therefore they say What can the Allmighty doe for them Secondly Note That carnall men count the service of God unprofitable What can God do for them if they serve him what profit is it His is a leane service they shall but starve themselves by attending upon him and undoe themselves by doing his worke Thus they sayd in the former Chapter and so they say againe in this The carnal man accounts nothing good but that which is outwardly good Who will shew us any good Psal 4.6 they know not that all good cometh through the hand of God that it cometh in at the doore of the promise They can looke no further then they see and therfore becuse they see no profit they looke for none They doe not see that God doth any thing for them and therefore they conclude he cannot What can the Allmighty doe for them Thirdly Note That The spirits of worldly men are meerely mercenary If they doe any thing for God or at the command of God they doe it only upon hopes of reward they
bidding him receive that lavv which the mouth of God had spoken to Moses but though whether the law vvere then formally spoken or no is a dispute yet it is vvithout all dispute that the mouth of God had then given a lavv or rule of life to his people and so Eliphaz might safely and truely say Receive I pray thee the law from his mouth there having been a Revelation of the minde of God among the faithfull in all ages and times God never left his people to their own will nor them to be their own Guide and Counseller For when the Apostle sayth Rom. 2.14 that the Gentiles having not the law are a law unto themselves his meaning is not that they had no law but one of their own devising They indeed had not the law of God formally spoken to their eares and preserved in tables of stone but they had the substance of the law of God naturally vvritten in their hearts So then there hath alwayes been a lavv from his mouth formally in the Church naturally in the world Therefore saith Eliphaz Receive the law from his mouth and when he saith Receive the law from his mouth it may have a double Opposition First To the vvill and vvisdome of Job As if Eliphaz had said Thou hast been hitherto a law to thy selfe that is thou hast followed thy own advice Ex ore ejus notanter dicit i. e. non ex ore aut arbitrio tuo Merc. run on upon thy own head now Receive the lavv from his mouth Man naturally hath high thoughts of himselfe and vvould be a law to himselfe Not as Rom. 2.14 which place vvas touched before The Gentiles not having a law wâ—re a law to themselves that is they had the law of God written in their hearts by nature but besides that there is a lavv which man vvould be to himselfe against that law of nature vvritten in his heart and against the light of nature shining in his conscience he would set up a law even his own Lust in opposition to the law of God Thus he vvould be a law to himselfe and not Receive a law from the mouth of God Therefore saith Eliphaz Now receive the law from his mouth Secondly from his mouth may be opposed to the mouthes of others as if he should say if thou wilt not trust us nor take our vvord then trust God vve vvould not have thee depend upon us nor upon any man living not on the Judgement or Authority of any Creature but receive the lavv from his mouth there is a law and a truth come from God let thy faith be guided and thy life ordered by that Hence Note It is our duty to receive the rule from God The Lord hath povver to give us the law and vve must receive the lavv from him None have povver to Impose a lavv upon us but God himselfe nor may we devise a lavv for our selves God is the onely Master of the Conscience he alone can say Receive the law at my mouth If you aske vvhat is it to receive the law I ansvver it is more then to give it the hearing To receive is first to beleeve the lavv secondly to receive is to honour and reverence the law thirdly to receive the lavv is to yeeld up our selves to the obedience of it to be cast into the mould of it to subject our selves vvholly to the minde of God in it Then vve receive the lavv vvhen vve take the Impressions of it have as it vvere the Image and stampe of it upon our spirits and in our lives fourthly then we receive it vvhen as it followes in the Text we lay up his word in our hearts barely to receive it is not enough you must lay it up treasure it up And lay up his word in thy heart This is opposed First To forgetfullnes of the vvord Praecedentis partis ex positio amplificatio Ita legem suscipe ut ponas proprie disponas arte cura sollicitudine observandi Receive the lavv and let it not slip out of thy memory Secondly It is oppos'd to negligence in the practice of the law lay it up that it may be forth comming to direct thee in every duty In Conversion the law is vvritten in the heart every godly man hath a Copie of the lavv in his heart That 's the description of a godly man Psal 37.31 The law of God is in his heart none of his steps shall slide vvhich is not an universall exclusion of all fayling slipping as if every godly man were as much past sinning as he is past perishing but vvhen 't is sayd none of his steps the meaning is few of his steps shall slide or he shall never slide so in any of his steps as not to recover his feete and get up againe He shall vvalke very holily so holily as if all his vvalkings vvere but one continued act of holines But to the text None of his steps shall slide quite and for ever out of the vvay because the law of God is in his heart What David speakes in that propheticall Psalme of Christ Psal 40.8 Thy law is within my heart is true in its degree of every Christian all the lawes of God are in his heart That Character is againe given of them Psal 84.5 In whose heart are thy wayes there is a suiting of the minde of God and the heart of man together in regeneration But novv the duty spoken of in the Text is another thing for a man that hath the lavv vvritten in his heart may yet possibly forget to lay up the vvord and law of God in his heart he may under temptation and the pressures of corruption be negligent in that it is the worke of a godly man who hath the lavv of God in his heart already continually to lay up the law in his heart and so vve are to understand such Scriptures as these Pro. 7.3 Keepe my Commandements and live and my law as the apple of thine eye binde them on thy fingers write them on the table of thine heart c. The first writing of the law in the heart is by the finger of the Spirit by Gods own finger As it was God that first wrote the lavv in tables of stone vvith his own finger so it is he that writes the law in these fleshy Tables of the heart by the finger of the Spirit yet Solomon perswades his son to vvrite the law upon the Table of his heart vvhen grace is received and the law once written in our hearts vve doe as it vvere put in severall fresh Copies of the law vve are continually writing divine notions and Instructions upon our hearts this renewed act is ascribed to us because we through grace joyne in it We have an Expression of like import Pro. 4.21 My Son attend to my words encline thine eare to my sayings let them not depart from thine eyes keep them in the midst of thine heart The heart is
said to be the midst or Center of the body now saith he keep the law in the very midst of thine heart in the safest place as the heart is the safest place the middle of the body so the middle of the heart is the safest place of the heart So vve may understand that of David I have hid thy Commandements in my heart Psal 119.11 And Deut. 6.6 These words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart that is thou shalt lay them up there Of this laying up the law in the heart vve are to understand Eliphaz here as if he had sayd O Job thou hast often heard of the law but thou hast been a forgetfull hearer now heare it and hold it now as the Apostle exhorts the Hebrewes Heb. 2.1 give the more earnest heed to the things which thou hast heard or shalt hereafter heare lest at any time thou shouldest let them slip or thou shouldest run out as we there put in the margin as a leaking vessel Further This laying up the vvord in the heart is opposd unto a bare barren knowledge it is not enough to have the vvord of God in our heads that is to know it it is not enough to have the word of God upon our tongues that is to speake of it but we must lay it up in the heart For though the heart in Scripture takes in the understanding and the whole soule yet chiefly it respects the affections lay up the word in thine heart that is let thy affections be vvarm'd with it vvhile thy memory retaines and keepes it and thy understanding is enlightened vvith a true notion of it Hence Observe First The word of God is a precious thing We doe not lay up trifles and trash but precious things and treasure vve lay up our Plate and Jewells our Gold and Silver the vvord of God should be more to us than thousands of gold and silver it is the most precious Jewell 't is treasure and therefore it must be laid up Secondly The heart is the Arke or Cabinet in which the word must be laid up There was an Arke or Chest provided for the law Exod. 25.21 and that Arke was Christ he was typified by it and indeed the law would be too hot for our hearts too hot to lye there if it had not first layne in the heart of Christ wee since fallen could never have been an Arke for it if he had not been The tables of the law were laid in the Arke and the Arke in which the lavv vvas put had a mercy-seat vvhich did cover it all over The dimensions of the Arke and of the mercy-seate were exactly the same two cubits and a halfe in length and a cubit and a halfe in breadth Exod. 25.10.17 so that nothing of the law could appeare or rise up in Judgement against poore sinners The propitiatory or mercy-seate covered all Now as Christ hath been the Arke of the law to protect and cover us from the condemning power of it so the hearts of beleevers must be the Arke of the law where it must be layd up with a readines of minde to yeeld our selves up to the commanding power of it David prophecying of Christ saith Psal 40.10 I have not hid thy righteousnesse within my heart yet he had said before I delight to doe thy will thy law is within my heart To cleare which Scripture take notice that there is a twofold hiding of the righteousnesse or vvord of God in the heart First so as to obscure or conceale it from others in that sence David saith I have not hid thy righteousnesse in mine heart I have declared thy faithfullnes and thy salvation and not concealed thy loving kindnesse and truth from the great Congregation And thus no man ought to lay up the truths the law the promises of God in his heart to conceale and stifle them there Secondly There is a hiding of the law in our hearts first that it may be safe lest Satan or the world should snatch it from us Secondly That we may further consider of it when a man hath got an excellent truth or Scripture he should lay it up in his heart to ponder and meditate more upon it to draw out the sweetnes and to experience the power of it Thirdly That vve may have it ready at hand for our use and so the Scribe instructed for the kingdome of heaven is described by bringing forth out of his treasury things both new and old How sad is the condition of many that have heard much but laid up little or nothing at all of all that vvord which they have heard Some having laid it up in their note books are satisfied with that 't is good and usefull to doe so but doe not let it lye there get a Copie of it in your hearts a few truths in your hearts are better to you then many truths in your bookes no man was ever saved by the vvord in his booke unlesse that vvord were also written in his heart God commanded the Jewes Deut. 6.8 9. to vvrite the law upon the post of their houses and on their gates to bind them as a signe upon their hand and as frontlets between their eyes They were commanded also to put fringes upon the borders of their garments Numb 15.38 vvhich our Saviour calls Phylacteries Math. 23.5 these were ribands of blue silke or as some say scroles of parchment upon which the law being first wrought or written and then bound upon their garments they were to looke upon it and remember all the commandements of the Lord Num. 15.39 Vanissimi profecto pharisaei illi qui cum ipsi non servarent in corde mandaâ—a at membranulas decalogi complicantes quasi coronaÌ„ capiri facientes phylacterium eoc sua proprictate Custoditâ—rium est Bold Now saith Christ they make broad their Phylacteries and enlarge the borders of their Garments as much of the lavv as you vvill upon theiâ— Clothes but none of it in their hearts Thus the proud Scribes and Pharisees went about as it were Clothed with the vvord of God but his vvord was farre from their hearts nor did it appeare in their lives it is a meere vanity to have much of the law in our bookes while vve neglect to keepe it in our hearts and act it in our wayes The former is good but it doth no good without the latter The want of this the laying up the vvord in the heart causeth the great want of Saints in the things of God and as many loose that Grace which they seemed to have so many are at a losse in the use of that Grace which they have because they have not laid up the vvord of God in their hearts so carefully as they ought We say proverbially Sure bind and sure find They who would surely finde the comfort of the word of God when they need it had need to bind it sure when they receive it JOB CHAP. 22. Vers 23 24.25
a cause to complaine Thanksgiving will be all our worke and the worke of all in heaven And by how much we are the more in thanksgiving and the lesse in complaining on earth unlesse it be of and against our selves for sinne the more heavenly we are When we are stricken we should complaine as little as we can and we should alwayes be able to say as Job here That our complaint is not greater then our stroake JOB CHAP. 23. Vers 3 4 5. Oh that I knew where I might find him that I might come even to his seate I would order my cause before him and fill my mouth with arguments I would know the words which he would answer me and understand what he would say unto me JOb having shewed in the former verse how bitter and how sad his Condition was even farre beyond his owne Complaint and that his stroake was heavier then his groaning he now turnes himselfe from earth to heaven from the creature to the Creator from man to God Job had been among his friends a great while they had debated the matter long but all in vaine and without fruit to his soule he had yet received no Comfort What will he doe next see here his address to God Vers 3. O that I knew where I might finde him that I might come even to his seat O that I knew The Hebrew is who will give me to know c. The words are a forme of wishing ordinary among the Jewes Who will give or who will grant mee this or that O that I knew c. And it Intimates or Implyes two things First A vehement and strong desire after somewhat much desierable who will give mee this or where shall I have it Secondly It Implyes selfe-Inability or selfe-Insufficiency to attaine and reach the thing desiered As if Job had said I am not able of my selfe to finde him O that I knew where I might finde him O that I eyther had the light of this knowledge in my selfe or that some body would enforme and teach mee O that I had a friend to Chalke mee out the way to lead mee by the hand and bring mee neer to God Quis mihi tribuat ut cognos cam inveni am illum Vulg. The vulgar latine Reading fixeth both those acts upon God as the Object O that some one or other would give mee to know and finde him As if his wish and longing desire were first to know God secondly to finde him or in finding to know him Our translation determines this knowing in Job and finding upon God O That I knew where I might finde him Who it is that Job would finde is not exprest in the text by name nor is there any Anticedent in the verse before with which we can Connect this relative him Yet 't is beyond question or dispute that he meanes God O that I might finde him that is God But why did he not say O that I knew where to finde God but O that I knew where to finde him I answer He doth it because his heart being full of God he supposed that those to whom he spake had their hearts full of him too and so would easily understand whom he meant or that he could mean none but God Wee finde such kinde of abrupt speeches as I may call them in other Texts of Scripture still arising from fullnes and strength of affection in the speaker See how Solomon begins his Love-song his Song of Songs The Song of Songs which is Solomons that 's the title of it How doth it begin Let him kiss mee c. Here is a strange Exordium to a Song none having been spoken of before Let him kiss mee with the kisses of his mouth by whom the Church would be kissed shee expresseth not but her heart was so full of Christ so full of love to Christ her Bridegroom her husband that shee thinks it needlesse to mention him by name when shee speakes of him whose kisses shee desiered Her love had passed through the whole Creation through men and Angels through all things here below and fixt it selfe onely upon Christ her Lord and Love Therefore shee never stood speaking personally of him but onely relatively and leaves all to understand whom she intended Thus saith Job O that I knew where I might finde him when as he had not spoken of any distinct person before in this Chapter And wee have a like passage flowing from a like abundant love to Christ in the 20 â—h of John ver 15. where Mary comes to the Sepulchre Christ being risen and the Angel seing her weepe asked her the reason of it To whom shee replyed Because they have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid him having thus said shee turned her selfe backe and saw Jesus standing and knew not that it was Jesus he saith unto her Woman why weepest thou whom seekest thou Shee supposing him to be the Gardiner said Sir if thou have borne him hence tell me where thou hast laid him Shee never names Christ but onely saith If thou have borne him hence c. because her heart was full of Christ shee thought his heart was full of him too and that hee understood her well enough whom she meant though shee sayd not whom shee meant Thus in the present text Job was to God at that time as Mary to Christ at a losse for him not knowing where to finde him God was as it were removed from him as Christ was risen from the Sepulchre Therefore he complainingly and affectionately enquires O that I knew where I might finde him My soule is a thirst for God my heart pants after him O that I knew where I might finde him The Hebrew word signifieth to finde Verbum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat saepius obviam habere quemquam vel alâ—cui obvium fieri by going out to meet a man or as we say to light upon him As Ahab said to Elijah 1 King 21.20 Hast thou found or met mee O mine enemy and he answered I have found or met thee So the word is used 2 King 10.13 Jehu mett with the Brethren of Ahaziah King of Judah In the Margin wee say Jehu found the Brethren of Ahaziah that is he mett them upon the way for he went out to meet them Read also 1 Sam. 10.3 As if the sence were thus given O that I knew where I might finde him that is whither I might goe to meet him though I should not finde him by accident or as wee say stumble upon him I would goe out I would travell and take paines upon hopes to meet him Secondly That word signifies so to finde as to take hold and apprehend to take fast hold of a thing and then O that I might finde him is O that I might lay hold on him if I knew where I might have him I would lay fast hold on him and cleave close to him So the word is used Esay 10.10 As
but I have hid or layd up the words of his mouth that 's a good reading and so Mâ— Broughton translates More then my daily bread have I layd up the words of his mouth The Vulgar gives another reading In my bosome have I hid the words of his mouth in this following the Septuagint who by the change of a letter in the Originall translate the word which we render More then my necessary or statute food in my bosome But I passe that as a mistake of the text in that word yet in the former part it consents with Mr Broughton I have hid or layd up the words of his mouth more then my daily bread And as this translation holds out a truth in it selfe so the sense meets with ours for as the Originall word doth as properly signifie to hide or lay up as to esteeme so those things are layd up or hidden by us which are of most esteeme And this action of hiding or laying up the word is often spoken of in Scripture both as the practise and as the duty of the Saints Psal 119.11 I have hid thy commandements in my heart And the rule is given by wisedome Prov. 2.1 My sonne if thou wilt receive my words and hide my commandements with thee Wisdome counselleth us not onely to receive but to hide the commandements And Pro. 4.20 21. Wisdome goeth yet further My sonne attend to my words incline thine eare to my sayings let them not depart from thine eyes keepe them in the midst of thy heart The heart as Naturalists say is in the midst or center of the body Holy truths must be kept in the midst of the heart in the midst of the middle that is in the safest place in that most retyred chamber the midst of the heart But why should these words be hidden in the heart which are and ought to be proclaimed in the eare and upon the house-top I answer wee hide things first that we may know where to have them what is throwne at our heeles wee know not where to have Secondly We hide things for safety or from danger as well as to have them ready at hand for use There are enemies who watch their opportunity to steale the word away from us and therefore it is our wisdome as well as our duty to hide it or lay it up safe So that in both notioÌ„s we ought to hide the word of God first that wee may have it at hand for use as it is sayd of the Good house-holder in the Gospel that he layeth up and hath in his treasure things both new and old Secondly that it may be kept out of the hand of the theife who would rob us of that precious treasure Satan and the world are Word-stealers and they steale away the Word not because they desire to make any use of it but lest we should therefore as Gideon Judg. 6.11 threshed wheat by the wine-presse to hide it from the Midianites so seing there are mysticall Midianites who dayly steale away the Word that most necessary and precious wheat from thousands who have heard and received it we should in a holy jelousie and suspition of them hide it out of their reach In conversion God puts the Law in our minde and writes it in our heart And through that grace received and dayly renewed we also are enabled to lay it up there Pectus meum feci Bibliothe cam dei Hieron de Nepotiano A Good man as one of the ancients speaketh makes his heart Gods library there he layeth up whole volumes of holy precepts and of precious promises And looke what precepts or promises he finds in the Bible or written booke of the Word of God the same he finds transcribed into his owne heart and so into his life But I will not insist upon that reading I have laid up the words of his mouth more then my necessary food We render I have esteemed the words of his mouth c. These two rendrings of the word give light to each other That which we esteeme we hide and the more we esteeme a thing the more carefully we hide it No man will lay up that which is worth nothing what we hide is of value at least we judge it to be so Childrens pockets are often full of Bables but to them they are no Bables they esteeme them as men doe gold and silver else they would not take them up much lesse lay them up I have esteemed the words of his mouth Before it was the commandement of his lips some make a distinction between these expounding the commandement of his lips for the preceptive part of the word and the word of his mouth for the promissive part of the word or for the promises which are gracious declarations and manifestations of the love and good will of God to sinfull man Dicta oris distinguo a praeceptis dictum oris est verbum gratiosae nunciationis et promissionis q. d. gratiam annunciatam libentè◠accepi animi fide Coc As if Job in the former words had a respect chiefely to the Law or rule of doing and in this latter to the Gospel or ground of beleeving But though I see not well how these seemes can beare that distinction yet the matter doth yea and seemes to require it for though a godly man esteemes the precepts of God as well as the promises and the commandements are the words of Gods mouth as well as the promises yet the promises are the most feeding fatning and refreshing part of the word and if so surely they were not left out yea possibly were principally inteÌ„ded by Job in this place that he might shew how his Spirit was carried out to the full latitude and compasse of the minde of God both in the Law and in the Gospel And because the promises have so much soule-food in them he doth therefore elegantly preferre them before his necessary food I have esteemed the word of his mouth But how much or at what rate did he esteeme them it follows in the next words More then my necessary food There is yet some variety observable in the reading of these latter words Some give it thus A statuto meo abscondi eloquia oris ejus Mont Ex statuto meo vel more meo ut ab â—nevute aetate assuevi praetermittere quae deus odio habet i. e. plena electione deliberatione fixa apud se non externè tantum et levitèr divinam legem custodire apud se decreverit Cajet Aliqui ad actiones hominis consuetas quas de more facit referunt ut antiquius habuerit legem domini animo recondere ei operam dare quam solita constitua sibi ac usitata facere Merc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 proprie statutum et decretum sonat hinc certam decretam cibi rationem Quicquid advictum vitam fovendam ac tuendam est necessarium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appellatur Merc I
the presence of the Lord shall be terrible and dreadfull even everlasting destruction to wicked men they shall at last Consider it so much that they shall feare to purpose God will powre out such a presence upon them as they shall be equally unable to hide themselves from or stand before but must lie downe and sinke under it into the bottomlesse gulfe of despaire for evermore If the Godly are sometimes afraid where shall the wicked appeare when God appeares When I consider with Job I am afraid of him Vers 16. For God maketh my heart soft and the Almighty troubleth mee Nihil opinor addit novi sed tantum versiculum praecedentem exponit Sanct This verse is neere in sence with the former Job herein further shewing both a reason why he was afraid of God as also the effect which Gods dealing with him had upon his owne heart or how he was affected with it For God maketh my heart soft The word rendred to make soft signifies the abateing of the strength of the heart But it may be enquired what was this soft heart which God made him I answer First Negatively by a soft heart here wee are not to understand a penitent heart or a heart broken with Godly sorrow at the sight eyther of sin acted or wrath threatned 2 Kings 22.19 The Lord saith by the Prophet to Josiah Because thy heart was tender soft or melted and thou hast humbled thy selfe before the Lord when thou heardest what I spake against this place therefore c. The heart of flesh promised and given in the new Covenant is a relenting and repenting heart Ezek. 36.26 I will take away the heart of stone and give you an heart of flesh that is I will make your heart soft which before was hard Job had such a heart a soft heart in this notion when he spake thus but that 's not the heart here meant God had given him that softnes of heart before for he is described Chap. 1.1 A man that feared God and a man that feareth God is a man of a soft heart Prov. 28.14 Blessed is the man that feareth alwayes but hee that hardneth his heart shall fall into mischiefe Where the hard heart and the feare of God are opposed For wheresoever the true feare of God is in the heart that is a soft heart Secondly By a soft heart is not here meant the patient heart that 's a soft heart in Scripture a heart which is willing to submit to and beare the burden that God layes upon it in this sence God makes the heart soft when as he accustomes his to sufferings so he fits them to suffer Man naturally is like Ephraim Jer. 31.18 As a Bullock unaccustomed to the yoake both of active and passive obedience Onely God makes man submit his stiff neck and hard heart to a suffering condition and to answer the call of his sufferings Pharaoh is sayd to have a hard heart because he did not yeeld to what God called him to by Judgements he had not a patient but an unquiet spirit under the plagues sent upon him nor did he obey what he was summoned to by the Lords voyce in those terrible plagues Now though I grant that an heart made soft in patience is an excellent frame of heart yet wee cannot understand it so here for Job had a patient heart yea he had abundance of patience before as he fully discovered at the very beginning and breaking out of his troubles he did not flinch at the Crosse but did embrace it The Apostle exhorts all Christians to Remember the patience of Job And wee must apply that Scripture to Job before he came to this poynt Therefore the softnes of heart intended in this text is somewhat besides this Thirdly Much less are wee to understand by a soft heart a fearefull or a Cowardly heart that 's a soft heart indeed but in a bad sence Wee have it so expressed Deut. 20.3 Heare ô Israel you approach this day unto Battell against your Enemies let not your hearts be faint c. The Hebrew is let not your hearts be soft or tender a soft heart is not for a sword nor for a battel How shall they stand in dangers who are fallen below them A penitent heart and a patient heart are proper in dangerous undertakings but a cowardly heart is the greatest disadvantage in the world therefore the Lord commanded this to be proclaimed to his people Let not your hearts be tender when yee goe forth against your Enemies or as it is exprest afterward Feare not neither tremble neither be yee terrified because of them Job had not such a soft heart he was no coward when he complained before that the terrors of the Almighty did encamp against him as a dreadfull Army nor while he sayd here God hath made my heart soft Fourthly A soft heart is an effeminate delicate wanton heart There are too many who have such soft hearts Men that are fit for nothing but what is worse then nothing to wallow in the sinfull delicacies and delights of this present world The Apostle useth a word 1 Cor. 6.9 which expresseth this fully Wee render it effaeminate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Molles but both the Greeke and the Latine is soft that is persons wantonly and vainely given And Moses applyes the very word of Jobs text to this kinde of softnes Deut. 28.56 The tender or soft and delicate woman that would not adventure to set the sole of her foote upon the ground for delicatenes and tendernes or softnes her eye shall be evill towards c. This is not onely a sinfull softnes of heart Liquefecit afflictionibus consumpsit Merc Haec mollitudo pertinet ad timorem vehementē quo quis corde mente cedit divinae majestati potestati cum quis facile recipit cogitationem et metum supernae magnitudinis but the worst of sinfull softnesses Jobs heart was farre from this softnes As he was at that time a man of sorrows so he had not been at any time a man of pleasure But if Jobs soft heart were none of these what was it then I conceive the soft heart proper to this place is a heart weakened and laid low through the burden of affliction A heart so worne out and spent that it can hardly beare any more God had softned and even consumed his heart with sorrow and affliction As he abhorred a hardnes of heart to resist the hand of God so now he feared that his heart was not hard enough to beare it with that chearefulnes and constancy of courage which he desiered Hard things are firme compact and knitt together those that are soft are weake and unable to beare any weight So that Jobs softnes of heart was his weaknes to beare Teneritatem imbecillitatem affert animo meo attendenti ad omnipotentiam ejus Jun And he gives this as an account why he was afraid of the power of God
in any new sufferings O saith he God hath made my heart soft that is I begin to faint I finde my selfe drooping I have not that strength of spirit and though I am not a coward yet I have not that courage that hardnes or hardines of spirit which I have had heretofore He queried indeed Ch. 6.12 Is my strength the strength of stones or is my flesh brass He had much strength but not the strength of stones nor was he hard as brass Now he saith plainly my heart is made soft it melteth like wax at the fire I am so litle like brass or stones in strength or hardnes that I am altogether like wax or water I am so far from having a minde to strive with or rise up against God that I know not how to stand before him if he which he seems to intend should still goe on to afflict me I am growne weake and unable to beare yet my burden remaines and will probably be made yet more heavie This interpretation carrieth a distinct sence in it and that which is most genuine to the scope of the place Mr Broughtons translation of the latter clause of the verse suites this exposition of the former with much clearenes For the Omnipotent hath softned my heart and the Almighty hath made me shrinke Whereas wee say the Almighty troubleth me he saith The Almighty hath made me shrinke For so a man commonly doth who eyther feares or feeles that which he is not well able to beare Hence Note The heart of a Godly man even of the most Godly may be so weakened under long continued sufferings that he may finde himselfe utterly unable to beare them any longer Wicked men labour to strengthen and harden themselves all they can to beare in opposition to God and Saints would strengthen and harden themselves all they can to beare in submission to God Pharaoh hardened his heart to oppose God striking him hee had stroake after stroake and Judgement after Judgement yet he would not yeeld but at last God made his heart soft in one sense though hee hardened it in another God appeared at last too hard for Pharaoh hee could hold out no longer And we finde the Lord speaking thus by Ezekiel to his people who it seemes by the language which God useth concerning them had as it were set themselves with unholy resolutions to stand or rather stout it out with God and beare the worst that hee could doe unto them But saith the Lord Ezek. 22.14 can thine heart endure or can thine hands be strong in the day that I shall deale with thee When I deale with thee in wayes of Judgement when I take thee in hand to punish and repay thee according to thy workes can thine heart endure no! it cannot endure it shall not be able to endure The Lord doth not meane it of an endureing with submission and patience So it is the honour of Saints to endure what ever God layes upon them but to endure with stoutnes and resistance art thou able to stand it out or can thine hand be strong no thy heart and hand will be soft and weake thou wilt not be able to beare it when I come to deale with thee It is sayd of Christ by David his type Psal 22.13 when hee was under those terrible sufferings for our sins that his heart was made soft and if it were so with the greene tree what must it be with the dry I am powred out like water and all my bones are out of joynt my heart is like wax it is melted in the midst of my bowells Thus the sufferings of Christ our head who was also the Captain of our salvation and the mighty God made his heart soft and melted him His heart was not melted with sorrow for his owne sin for he was without sin but the sorrow that was upon him for our sins melted his heart Whose heart will not melt grow soft that is unable to beare it when God layeth his hand heavy and long upon him Therefore we râ—ad in the Prophet how the Lord takes notice of this and condescends to the weaknes of man Isa 57.16 I will not contend for ever neither will I be alwayes wroth I will not goe onne to doe as I have done Why What 's the reason of it not but that God is able to continue his Contending and to carry on his warre whether with persons or with Nations for ever but he hath respect to the poore Creature for saith he I will not doe it lest the spirit should faile before mee and the soules which I have made How can soules faile the soule is an immortall substance and shall not faile for ever The soules of the damned shall be under everlasting Contendings and never faile they shall beare wrath for ever and not faile yea their bodyes shall not faile but through the power of God sustaining them under his Justice shall endure everlasting torments The meaning of that expression in the Prophet is the same with this in the Text Their heart will be made soft as yet they have strength faith and courage to beare these afflictions but if I continue them longer their spirit and strength their faith and patience will faile and be so worne out that they will not be able to abide it God would not Contend for ever lest as Job here complaines he should make their hearts soft And the Almighty troubleth mee That is his presence or his dispensations trouble me Deus in cujus potentia sufficientiaque divitiarum solatium meum esse debebat is me privavit omni solatio animam meam plane dejecit deserit me terret me Sanct wee see how much the spirit of Job was carryed out in the thing And he useth a word here that signifieth the power of God to comfort and refresh or God in his allsufficiency to comfort yet saith he this Almighty troubleth mee that is the thoughts or remembrance of him troubleth me He hath cast downe and grieved my soule already and I am much troubled with fearefull apprehensions of like severities from him againe These words the reader will easily perceive to be of the same minde and meaning with the 15th verse of this Chapter lately opened and therefore I shall not stay upon them but proceed to the last verse Vers 17. Because I was not cut off before the darknes neither hath he Covered the darknes from my face Here Job gives another reason of his being thus troubled at the presence of the Almighty It is saith he because I was not cut off before the darknes or because I dyed not by thick darknes so Mr Broughton we say because I was not cut off hee because I dyed not both meete in the same meaning For death is a cutting off and death will cut off or mow downe the strong yea the strongest as the sith doth eyther corne or grasse Thus spake Hezekiah in his sicknes Isa 38.10 I sayd in the
therefore shew the worke of the law written in their hearts Against this internal light the wicked rebel Secondly There is a light of divine Revelation which shines into the soule from the Scriptures or written word of God The word of God is so often called light in Scripture that I need not give particular Instances Divine truths inspired and directed by the Spirit of God are there written as with the beames of the Sun Yet the wicked man rebells as against the light of nature so against the light of Scripture against the clearest and fullest discoveryes of the minde of God Further Some by the light against which they rebelled understand God himselfe who is light as the Apostle John calls him 1 Ep 1.5 and in him is no darknes at all All that rebel against God must needs rebel against light seing God is light And the very reason why the light of nature and the light of Scripture are rebelled against is because the former hath somewhat of God in it and the latter much of God in it For as God is light so all light is of God And that light which is of God must needs be rebelled against by wicked men seing they most of all rebel against God who is light and the fountaine of it for as the Apostle John argues about love 1 Ep 5.1 Every one saith he that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him So we may argue about hatred and the effect of it rebellion He that hateth and rebelleth against him that begetteth light so God doth whence also he is called the Father of lights Jam 1.17 he I say that rebelleth against him that begetteth light hateth and rebelleth against that light which is begotten of him They are of those that rebell against the light Hence observe First Divine truth is as light As the Sunne gives light to the eye or outward man so the Spirit of truth gives light by the word to the inner man When God sends his word to a people he sends light to a people Christ is light and the word is light Christ in person is the light of the world the word in doctrine is the light of the world The truth of Divine Revelation is many wayes answerable to the light First Light is pure and beautifull and the light is so pure that you cannot impure or defile it so is truth Though many have attempted to corrupt the truth and word of God and shall at last be dealt with and judged as they who have corrupted it yet the truth remaines incorruptible and ever shall The beauty of it fades not nor is the purity of it stained by all the filth of false doctrine which hath been cast into the face of it from the beginning of the world unto this day Secondly Light is pleasant and delightfull Light is sweet saith Solomon Eccl. 11.7 and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the Sunne So truth is sweete and it is a pleasant thing to behold and receave the Sun-light of Divine Revelations where truth is taken in it doth even ravish the soule and fill it with unspeakeable delights Truth is as sutable and pleasant to the understanding as good is or can be to the will and affections David found not onely delight this or that single delight but all sorts and degrees of delight in the Law of God And therefore he speakes plurally Psal 119.92 Vnlesse my delights had been in thy law I had perished in my trouble And againe ver 143. Trouble and anguish have taken hold of me yet thy commandements are my delights All his troubles were over-ballanced and conquered by his delights in the law and all his delights and contentments were Center'd in the Law That light was so much his delight that it overcame all worldly darknes and did even extinguish all his worldly lights Thirdly Light hath heate in it and light is accompanied with influences or conveighes them with it All living creatures here below are cherished and refreshed yea and things without life as Gemms and mineralls are concocted and refined with the warmth and vertue of it And so hath truth The light of the word carrieth heat and Influences with it to warme the heart and comfort it to concoct the grossenes of mans minde and sublimate it into an heavenly purity Did not our heart burne within us while he talked with us by the way and while he opened to us the Scriptures sayd the Disciples of Christs discourse with them Luk. 24.31 Fourthly Light discovers and makes manifest so doth truth Joh 3.20 21. Every one that doth evill hateth the light neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved or as we put in the Margin discovered Light makes manifest the word of God as the Apostle speakes Heb. 4.12 is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart it discovers that to us not onely in others but in our selves which wee saw not before wee are much if not altogether unknowne to our selves till we see our selves in the Glasse of the Word Hence observe Secondly The light of truth is Clothed with Authority the truths of God have a Soveraignety over man Wee cannot be said to rebell against any thing but that which hath power and authority over us a man may oppose and contend with his equall but hee cannot be said to rebell against his equall wee rebell onely against those that are above us If a childe opposeth his father it is rebellion if a servant opposeth his Master it is rebellion because fathers and masters have authority over their children and servants All rebellion is the breaking of the bands of subjection And all the bands of subjection are broken when the light is rebelled against because the light of heavenly truth is invested with all power and authority over us it hath a power to lift up and a power to humble or cast downe It hath a power to convince and a power to comfort It hath a power to kill and it hath a power to make alive all these powers the light of the word hath But it hath two powers more especially and eminently First It hath the power of a rule or power to rule and governe both the hearts and lives of men the light of the word doth not onely offer advice and give Councell but it gives out a Command what the word speaketh we are not upon poynt of Indifferencies whether we Will receive it or no but upon poynt of duty Therefore not to receive it especially to resist it is rebellion the light of the word is as a King and where the light of that word comes there is power and no man may say What doth it Secondly It hath the power of a Judge It gives both Law and Judgement He that rejecteth me saith Christ Joh 12.48 and receaveth not my words The not receiving of the word of Christ is the rejecting of Christ himselfe and he that rejecteth