to the manner of his praier or invocation as not comming up to the height and measure of the duty as not fulfilling that Law of praier which the Lord requireth and so because his praiers were imperfect and weak therefore he would not believe that ever God had taken notice of him or hearkned to his voice As if he had said You bid me make my supplication if I doe yet I will not believe that God takes notice of my praiers Why because mine are but cold and unbelieving praiers weak and distracted praiers the praiers of a distemper'd heart the praiers of a confused spirit such I confesse mine are therefore I cannot believe God will hearken to my voice But rather in the last place take the sense thus Videtur hoc esse animi mirabiliter demissâ— atque sibi suâ—eq orationi diffidentis fidentis vero de sola divina bonitate Pined that Job in these words breaths out the humility of his spirit as if he had said I am so far from standing upon my terms with God as was shewed before as if I had hopes to carry it with him by contending that though I come in the humblest manner to invocate and call upon his Name and I finde him so gracious and mercifull to me as that he doth answer me in my requests and grant the thing I desire yet I will not believe that he hath hearkned to My voice that is that he hath done this for any worthinesse in me in my services or praiers I will not believe that the answer I receive from heaven is obtained by any value which my person hath with God Such is the coldnes and deadnes the languishment and unbelief of my heart in praier such are my praiers that the truth is Non ex diffidentia hoc dicit sed ex timore Dei reveritus judicium Drus I cannot believe I am heard when I am heard I cannot think my petition granted when I see it is granted Thus it sets forth the exceeding humility and lowlinesse of his spirit he would give all the glory unto God in granting his petitions and take nothing at all to himself in making those petitions I would not believe that he hath hearkned to my voice What voice was it then that he believ'd God hearken'd unto He hearken'd to the voice of the Mediatour to the voice of Christ He hearken'd to the voice of his own free grace He hearken'd to the sounding of his own bowels He hearken'd to the motions and intercessions of his Spirit in me to the motions and intercessions of his Sonne for me It is not my voice that hath got the answer he alone that hath granted it of his good pleasure in Christ I would not believe that he had hearkned to my voice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Credere stabile esse The word signifies both believing and establishing or to believe and establish and the reason of it is because faith settles the heart Faith is the establishment of the soul An unbeliever hath no bottom he is built without a foundation his spirit is unfixed And that act of believing I would not believe is the generall act of faith namely a firm assent to the truth of what another speaketh An assent to the truth of it two waies To the truth of it First Historically that such a thing was spoken or done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Graecè 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and then Logically that the thing is true which is spoken When he saith I would not believe that God hath done this his meaning is I would not assent to it as done for my sake or for my voice not that he would not believe the thing was done at all He assented to the word and answer of God when he did receive it but in that restriction he would not believe it namely in reference to himself that he hath hearkned to his voice To hearken is more then to hear * Auscultare inclinationem animi denot at ad alterius dicta Cujus oppositum est auret claudere obturare ad alicujâ—s sermonem Hinc proverbâ—um Surdo natras fabulam Haec verba exactam demissi animi significationem contineÌ„t Tunc cum arriserit gratia time cum abierit time Bernard Providentia Deisaepe nobis beâ—evoâ—a est cum nulla benevolentiae externa praebet argumenta imo aliquardo quem exaudit turbine conterit malorum it notes the inclination of the minde rather then the attention of the ear As to stop the ear notes the shutting of the heart against obedience rather than of the ear against audience To tell a tale to a deaf man is to speak to one that hears but will not grant From all it appears First That Job speaks very highly of the goodnesse of God namely that God answers praier though he hath not respect to the voice of him that praieth Though he had answered me yet would I not believe that he had hearkned to my voice Secondly That he speaks exceeding humbly and submissively of himself my voice what am I a poor creature that I should think I had carried the matter with God Thirdly That he speaks very wisely and understandingly concerning the nature and efficacy of praier and the means procuring answers of praier When man praies God answers but he doth not answer because man praies Fourthly That he speaks very highly and gloriously of the providence of God though providence act darkly towards man We pray God answers and doth us good yet things may goe quite contrary in appearance If I had called and he had answered me yet would I not believe that he had hearkned unto my voice why He breaketh me with a tempest God was breaking him and hearing him at the same time God may be doing us good when the signs he gives speak evil he hears and answers us praying to him when we think we hear him thundering terribly against us Hence First We learn That Praier is calling upon God Then the heart should be very attentive upon God in praier How can we expect God should hear us when we doe not hear our selves In praier we call upon God therefore we should call upon our selves to consider how and what we pray Secondly Note Praier granted is praier answered If I had called and he had answâ—red me The Lord from heaven speaks to us in every act of his providence his speaking to us is in doing for us The works of God are answers to man God doth not answer audibly or sensibly there is a voice in his dispensations As men Prov. 6.13 So the Lord speaks to us with his feet and answers our praiers with his fingers that is his works and waies are demonstrations of his will in answer to our praiers Thirdly In that Job tels us He would not believe c. we are taught That faith is a necessary ingredient in praier This negation of his faith in praier implies the need of faith in praier
When I pray I should believe but as my case stands I cannot believe clouds and darknesse are upon me Faith is the strength of praier Whatsoever ye ask in praier believing ye shall receive Mat. 21.22 Praier without faith it is like a Gun discharged without a bullet which makes a noise but doth no execution we may put out a voice in speaking but except we put out faith in speaking we doe but speak we doe not pray As the Word of God comming upon us doth us no good prevails not upon our hearts unlesse it be mixed with faith Heb. 4.2 The word preached did not profit them not being mixed with faith in them that heard it So the word that goes out from us the word of praier prevaileth not at all with God obtaineth nothing from him unlesse it be mixed with faith All the promises are made to believers All things are possible to them that believe Mar. 9.23 Ask in faith nothing wavering for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the winde and tossed Jam. 1.6 To ask in faith is to ask resting upon the power of God whereby he is able upon his truth whereby he is faithfull and upon his goodnes in Christ whereby he is ready to make good his promises He that asks thus doth not waver Few are without doubting but all sound believers are without wavering The Greek word signifies to question or dispute a thing a degree beyond doubting as when a man is at no certainty with himself being sometime of one minde sometime of another The judgement being so carried that the man is at variance with his own brest or is between two vvaies not knowing vvhich to take We translate the word in the 4th of the Romans vers 20. by staggering Abraham staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief The similitude vvhich the Apostle James uses illustrates this sense He that wavereth is like a wave of the sea vvhich by tempestuous vvindes is sometimes carried up to heaven and anon down to the deep A man vvho is tossed with such vvaves of unbelief staggers like a drunken man in his practice and profession he is now on this side to morrow on that he doth not only stagger or halt in his vvay but he staggers and halts between two vvaies and is therefore called vers 8th A double minded man The praiers of such a man are faithlesse praiers and therefore fruitlesse praiers Let not that man think he shall receive any thing unlesse a rebuke and a deniall of the Lord vers 7. There are no promises made to such and therefore no mercies convaied to such Believing praier is gaining praier yet they vvho believe least presume most Hence the Apostles check Let not that man thinke as if he had said I know such vvill flatter themselves into a perswasion of great matters They will have high thoughts but they shall receive nothing Observe Fourthly That how strongly soever a godly man acts faith for the answer of his praiers yet he hath no faith that his praier deserves an answer I would not believe that he had hearkned to my voice Christ calleth the Spouse to praier Can. 2.14 Let me see thy countenance let me hear thy voice for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance comely Christ loves praier The praiers of the Saints upon earth are musick in heaven That invitation to the Spouse Let me hear thy voice seems to be an allusion to those vvho loving musick call upon a friend vvho hath a good voice or exquisite skill to play upon an instrument Come sing us a song play us a lesson let us have a fit of mirth Thus I say Christ speaks to the Church Come let me hear thy voice 't is sweet I know thou hast a sweet one But the Saints judge their own voices harsh and unharmonicall they are apt to thinke their praiers jarrings and discords at the best but a rude noise not a composed air in the ear of God Faith makes our praiers melodious because it carries us out of our selves A believer lives not in the sound of his own praiers but of Christs intercession What are vve that vve should expect any acceptance upon our own account or say this We have gained this We have obtained thus God hath heard us or thus vve have vvrestled it out vvith God As when we have performed all our duties we must say We are unprofitable servants so when we have obtained all our sutes we must say We are unprofitable petitioners I will not believe that God had hearkned unto My voice What 's mans voice that God should hear it Observe Fifthly That a godly man sometimes cannot believe his praier is heard when it is heard Though he cals and God answers yet like Job he believes not that God hath hearkned to his voice He cannot think his praier is heard though one should come and tell him it is heard When the Jews returned from Babylon the mercy was so great Forsan hoc dicit quia saepe prae nimia laetitia non credimus verum esse quod maxime verum esse optamus Drus that they could not believe they had it when they had it When thou didst turn our captivity we were as them that dream Psal 126.2 The deliverance was incredible they could not thinke they vvere delivered Their return to Jerusalem was suspected for a dream of it in Babylon The Church praied vvithout ceasing for Peter vvhen he was in prison Act. 12.5 yet when the Lord brought him out of prison and he vvas knocking at the door of the house where they were assembled while they vvere knocking at the door of heaven for his deliverance yet they would not believe the report of the damosell who said he stood before the gate They tell her she is mad vvhen she affirmed it with sobriety as well as vehemency then they have another help for their unbelief It was not Peter but his Angel Thus it is to this day with the Saints in their great personall sutes and petitions both about spiritual things and temporal they are so overcome astonished and amazed at the goodnesse of God that though they see the thing done yet they can scarce believe it is done As if a Prince should send a message to a poor man by some great Lord and tell him he hath bestowed honour and favour upon him the poor man is ready to say I cannot believe it the blessing is too big for him to digest and let down into his narrow heart no saith he sure it is not so Though the people of God ever preserve a high respect and esteem of the works of God towards them yet their faith is often below his workings and they cannot receive or take in mercy so fast as it commeth faith widens the vessels of the soul to receive much but God can pour in faster then faith can widen the soul to receive Sixthly Observe Faith hath it's decaies Faith doth not keep
be at the highest most violent and impetuous then the Lord will be a refuge from the storm The same God who saves many from the storms of man did himself storm Job He breaketh me with a tempest Job was storm'd yet supposes his praier was answered Hence observe Praiers may be heard and answered when greatest afflictions are upon us Doe not thinke your praiers are lost because your afflictions are not removed or that God doth not hear you Quaedam non negantur sed ut congruo tempore dentur differuntur Aug. because he doth not presently relieve you God forbears when he doth not deny He answers to our profit when he answereth not to our feeling He answereth to our spirituall interest when not to our corporall The sick man calleth to the Physician to take away the bitter loathsome potion Exaudit saepe ad profectum licet non ad votum Aquin. in loc Saevitur in vulnus ut homo sanetur Aug. and the wounded man calleth to the Chyrurgion to take away those corroding plaisters and to forbear those torturing operations But the one gives him his potion and the other lances his sores and laies corrosives to his flesh both these while they vex the patient answer him for what 's the reason why the patient would have his bitter potion taken away is it not because he would be better And why would he have those painfull operations forborn is it not because he would have ease Now for those very reasons the Masters of those professions keep him to both neither could they give him his desire but by doing contrary to his will Thus also the Lord is healing us when we think he is only wounding us and fulfilling our desires while we cry out he is crossing them Secondly Observe Even while we are praying the Lord may be thundering he may be breaking us when we are beseeching him We must learn to keep to our duty whatsoever the dealings of God be whether it be fowl weather or fair pray still whether it be storm or calm go on in praier still Pray still though God break still It is our duty to pray and it is Gods priviledge to break Thirdly Observe from the loftinesse of the language That the Lord laies very sore afflictions upon those that are very dear to him Job expresseth his afflictions by breaking with a tempest Strokes from the clouds are most terrible The same afflictions and scourges which he laies upon his enemies he laies in the matter yea and often in degree upon his best friends What can the Lord doe to his greatest enemies but break them with a tempest He doth not only chasten with a rod but sometimes scatter with a storm He hath not only a sword but a thunder-bolt for his servants He hath terrible stroaks and blows for them who lie in his arms and live in his embraces Therefore we cannot distinguish men by the matter no nor by the measure of their afflictions That which is a judgement to one is but a chastening to another with the same weapon he wounds a friend and destroies an enemy Fourthly Observe That afflictions continued cause us to suspect that our praiers are not answered Why doth Job thinke that God hearkned not to him I would not believe saith he that God had hearkned unto my voice why because still he continues to break me Faith is put hard to it at such a time Licet Deus verè exaudiat tamen homo in miseriu constitutu◠se exaudiri non credit Aquin. and this is the thing which stumbled Job he could not tell how to make it out that God had heard his praier for him because he heard so great a noise of tempests and storms against him It is very difficult for faith to see mercy thorow clouds of trouble It is a hard thing for faith to look upon the pleased face of God thorow a lowring tempest or to believe the calmnes of Gods heart to us in troublesome dispensations Therefore he speaks here as if his faith were even master'd The providences of God are often too hard for man And with this temptation Satan helps on unbelief If he come to a soul in affliction which keepeth close to his interests in Christ Yea saith he you may doe so though afflictions were upon you but yours are more then afflictions yours are tempests and storms God dealeth with you as with an enemy yours are no ordinary matters yours are like the portion he gives to those he hates I would not weaken your faith because of a chastening rod but you are beaten with scorpions and will you still believe Can God love you and deal thus with you Thus the serpent whispers in those louder tempests of affliction Fifthly Observe That Afflictions continued cause us to suspect that our praiers shall not be answered And so I finde some rendering the former verse in connexion with this If I have called and he hath answered me yet will I not believe that he will hearken to my voice As if he had said I know God hath heard me heretofore but I fear he will hear me no more because I finde his hand so heavy upon me Surely then he hath forgotten to be gracious and hath shut up his tender mercies Former experiences can hardly keep faith whole while we are under present breakings Lastly If we take the words as importing a calling to God for answer in a way of provocation as was shewed before then the sense is If I had an ambition to contend with God and he had answered me by condescending to that course yet I could not believe he had hearkned to my voice that is I could not believe that he had yeelded the cause to me why because he goes on still to break me with tempests he follows me with trouble still he shews he hath done me no wrong in my former afflictions by his going on to afflict me still he is so farre from acknowledging the least injustice in what is past of my sufferings that I suffer more He breaks me with a tempest and Multiplies my wounds without cause But is not this injustice to multiply wounds without cause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gratis Is not this a charge of blasphemy upon God May we not think that now Satan had his wish and that Job cursed God indeed The Hebrew word which we translate Vulnera sine causa sunt mala flagella quae non ob aliquod mittuntur peccatum without cause hath been opened Chap. 1.9 and Chap. 2.3 and it hath occurred elsewhere Here He multiplies my wounds without cause is not a charge of injustice upon God Jobs heart was farre from the least thought of that as you may see in all the dispute But it is an acknowledgement of the soveraignty and power of God Though he hath wounded me already yet he may wound me still without giving me a reason or though I have given him no cause What Doe
if he had said I advise thee to seek unto God and to make thy supplication to him but take heed of doing this with a purpose to continue in thy sinne If thou wouldst seek unto God and make thy supplication to him in purity and uprightnesse of heart He would awaken for thee Holy Prayers awake God Be holy and thou shalt be sure of audience and acceptance when thou praiest In the former verse he gave advice for the duty to be performed here he gives advice in reference to the person who is to perform the duty Thy duty is to seek unto God and to make supplication to the Almighty but look thine own heart be pure and upright Take heed of comming to a holy God in thine unholinesse Pure and upright The word signifieth to shine or glister 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est lucere in modum vitrè atque crystalli as glasse or crystall noting that the purity of our lives in holinesse shines as light Mat. 5. Let your light so shine before men The works of the Saints should be clear as Crystall The word is used Lam. 4.7 to set forth the exactest beauty Her Nazarites were purer then snow they were whiter then milk they were more ruddy in body then rubies their polishing was of Saphyr The oil Levit. 24.2 and the frankinsense Exod. 30.4 Thus lucidissimum pelluciduÌ„ appointed for the use of the Sanctuary are both thus expressed pure oil pure frankincense shining oil or shining frankincense transparent oil c. such as you may look thorow not obscure or dark The oil and frankincense were a type of their purity who had communion with God in holy things The same word is used by David complaining under a temptation Psal 73.15 of lost labour or labour in vain in washing himself Some wash in vain because they are still unclean and get not out their spots others thinke they wash in vain because though clean they cannot obtain their comforts Thus David thought he had washed in vain I said Verily I have cleansed mine heart in vain and washed my hands in innocency for I am chastened Peccatum vocatur macula sanctitas mundities quòd quae maculata inâ—ecta eraÌ„t habebantur profana divino coâ—spectu indigna c. David by cleansing got the sin-spots out as well as most men but he could not get the affliction-spots out this was his temptation Sinne is a blot a spot an uncleannesse a filthinesse holinesse is purity beauty honour light Things which have the greatest excellency and lustre are but the shadows of holinesse There is a two-fold purity First The purity of our natures which is received at conversion Secondly The purity of our conversations which is renewed by repentance we may understand both or either in this place Purus ad cor pertinet rectus ad actiones ut dicat purus corde rectus opere Dâ—us And upright It is the word used in the first verse of the first Chapter Perfect and upright Here pure and upright we may thus distinguish them purity referres to outward acted holinesse or holinesse of life and uprightnesse to inward sincerity or holinesse of the heart and so his meaning is If thou wert pure in thy waies and sincere in thine ends If thy outward man and inward man were washed and reformed Then he would awake c. Observe hence First Holy persons fit for holy duties and only they Sin is our separation from God and holy duties are acts of communion with him how then shall sin and duty stand together Make thy supplication seek unto God but be thou pure and upright What have unholy persons to doe about holy things God cannot like the services of those who are unlike him Prayer purifies yet purifying must be a preparative to prayer Psal 66.18 If I regard iniquity in my heart if I lodge filthinesse there God will not bear me he will not regard my prayer The blinde man saw this truth Joh. 9.31 it seems this was a received maxime among them God heareth not sinners We are commanded to pray lefting up pure hands 1 Tim. 2.8 An Heathen being at sea in a great storm and perceiving many wicked wretches with him in the ship calling upon the gods Silete inquit ne vos hic navigare dij sentiant Bias. O saith he forbear prayer hold your tongues I would not have the gods take notice that you are here they will sure drown us all if they doe If an Heathen by the light of nature could say this much more may we by the light of Scripture That God heareth not sinners Isa 1. When you spread forth your hands I will hide mine eyes from you yea when ye make many prayers I will not hear your hands are full of bloud As he speaks out the fulnesse of the grace of God Come let us reason together though your sinnes be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow c. So also the necessity of gracious purity in man Wash ye make ye cleane c. Observe Secondly The prayers of the pure and upright are prevailing prayers In the next words God awakes Jam. 5.16 The effectuall fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much Fervency of prayer effects nothing unlesse the person praying be righteous God is not melted into compassion by the heat of our words but by the holinesse of our hearts In the prayer of a righteous man there is strength prevailing strength such as God himself yeelds to As a Prince thou hast power with God and hast prevailed saith he to Jacob when he wrestled with him Observe Thirdly It is no way contrary to the doctrine of free-grace to say we must be holy if we desire to be heard Bildads doctrine is an excellent piece of Divinity Though he said before Thou must seek unto God and make supplication to him that out of his free-grace he would bestow a blessing upon thee yet he adds If thou were pure and upright Though we are not heard because we are pure and upright yet none can come with a warrantable confidence to be heard in their impurity and hypocrisie if they do God will reject their confidences and they shall not prosper in them It is impudence not confidence to make supplication to God with a reserve or a resolve in secret to go on in sinne The greatest sinners in the world may come to God they that are most impure and filthy may finde favour yet every man that commeth unto God must come with this desire to have his impurities removed and his backslidings healed Vnto the wicked saith God What hast thou to doe to declare my statutes or to take my covenant in thy mouth seeing thou hatest instrustion and castest my words behinde thee Psal 50.16 It no way crosses the doctrine of grace when with the same breath we say God will doe us good freely for his own names sake and that we must be pure and upright who
they teach thee Certainly they shall thou shalt not come away empty undirected uncounsel'd Shall not they teach thee How could they teach They were dead and gone they were past many ages before Bildad may be conceived to answer Though the fathers are dead yet they will speak to thee and counsell thee as well as if they lived and stood before thee with our selves They shall teach thee and they shall instruct thee And more then that they will not onely teach thee in a complement and speak words to thee but they will speak their very hearts to thee thou shalt finde that they will give thee cordial counsell They will utter words to thee out of their heart Vtter words out of their heart The meaning of that is either First in generall they will give thee the reall conceptions of their mindes about these points they will speak sincerely they will not speak to thee from the teeth outward but from the heart inward Secondly they will speak wisely and judiciously to thee about these things they will utter not so much words as oracles to thee out of their heart The heart is the seat of knowledge and understanding and a wise man is homo cordatus a hearty man Eloquia ex corde proferre est sapienter loqui sapiens cordatus dicitur stultus excors a man with a heart and a fool in Scripture is said to be a heartles man a man without a heart he cannot utter words from his heart who wants a heart he utters them from his mouth or from his tongue A fools heart is in his mouth and a wise mans mouth is in his heart he speaks that which lies in the in-most recesses and closets of his spirit he speaks from meditation he brings what he speaks to his heart Cor loquitur quae animus praemeditatus est os loquitur sine meditatione and from his heart utters what he speaks Christ assures us That a good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil things Every heart is a treasury When a good man speaks evil he speaks not from his heart though he hath a stock of sinfulnesse in him but from his lips and when an evil man speaks good he speaks it not from his heart but from his lips for he hath no stock or treasury of good within An hypocrite speaks good with a heart and a heart with a double heart A fool speaks without a heart yet of the two it is better to have no heart then two Or we may take the meaning of the words as a secret reproof of Job If thou wilt look after these fathers and search them they will not speak as thou hast done rashly unadvisedly and indiscreetly but they will speak from their hearts they will utter things of weight and serious consideration From hence observe First That old men are presumed to have a great stock of knowledge Go to the fathers they will certainly teach thee Every man should labour to have a proportion of knowledge to his proportion of years we should not be children in understanding when we are men in time The Apostle reproves such as are so Heb. 5.2 When saith he for the time you ought to be teachers look upon the yeers that are gone over your heads and you ought to be teachers you should have much in your hearts for the instruction of others yet so it is you have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God and you are become such as have need of milk and not of strong meat Secondly observe They who are dead and gone yet speak to us as if they were living Bildad sends Job to the ancient fathers Go they will teach thee and utter words out of their heart Whilest we consider what they have spoken and done it is as if they now spake Heb. 11.4 Abel by faith offered a better sacrifice then Cain and being dead he yet speaketh They who are dead speak by their works and they speak by the words which they spake while they were alive The records which they have left give us counsell to this day When the rich man it is the scope of the Parable I say when the rich man Luk. 16 2â— desired that Lazarus might go from the dead to speak to his brethren Abraham answers him They have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them c. If they hear not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead They have Moses and the Prophets but Moses and the Prophets were dead and gone how have they Moses and the Prophets they have not the men before them but they had their writings and records they who read the Prophets writings hear their speakings Books are silent voices If Moses and the Prophets may be heard when dead and gone then much more may we hear Christ since he died and rose and his Apostles who are dead And whereas some have an opinion that they do not know the minde of Christ or that they cannot reform the Church or their Churches till Christ himself come from heaven to do it or till there be Apostles sent personally to do it they wanting an Apostle cannot order the vvorship and ordinances of God and therefore conclude against a present Church-state I say to such if that be your ground that you must have Christ and his Apostles to settle all for you you have your desires Look into the vvorks and vvord of Christ into the vvritings and practices of his Apostles both for your rule and patern If Abraham could say they have Moses and the Prophets they may hear them surely vve may say much more we have Christ and his Apostles vvhom vve may hear and consult about all the institutions and orders that concern the frame of his Church We need not stay till Christ come down in person from heaven or till new Apostles are sent and furnished vvith instruction for this vvork for we have Christ and his Apostles already vve hear what Christ spake vve read the rules vvhich he gave concerning the vvaies of his vvorship and government of his Church in all the essentiall and constitutive parts of either to the end of the world Thirdly observe They that teach others should teach their own hearts to speak It is best speaking to others with the heart The heart will teach better then the tongue yea better then the understanding â—he word which comes from the heart of the teacher goes soonest to the heart of the hearer Fourthly observe The heart is the true repository or treasury of holy truths You may see where the fathers the holy men in ancient time laid up truth they utter words out of their heart then truth was laied up there Truth is as it vvere the heart of God and therefore we must put it into our hearts
David hid the Commandments of God in his heart Mary laid up the words of Christ there To have the word only swimming in our brains is to as little purpose as to have it only in our Note-books To have truth only in our brains or in our books will do us as little good as water in our shoes It is a sad thing to consider how many thousand Sermons are written almost word for word in books and scarce a letter of them written in the heart The promise of the new Covenant is that God will write his law in our hearts Let not any rest satisfied in having the word written in their books Observe further Holy men of old did highly esteem the word and truths of God You may know the esteem they had of these by the place where they laid these the heart is the best place the fairest room in man To put a thing into the heart notes highest esteem and approbation When we say a thing is in our hearts we cannot say more to expresse our esteem of it When the Apostle Phil. 1.7 professes to the Philippians I have you in my heart his meaning is you are most dear and precious to me When vve see a man preparing a speciall place a safe place a convenient place to lay a thing in we conclude that the thing he vvould lay up is of value and account vvith him vvhen vve are preparing and fitting our hearts to put the vvord and truths of God in hereby we give a real testimony that we honour the word of God For the most part the truths of God as we say of things we neglect are cast at mens heels rather then laid up in their hearts We may know the esteem a Queen of England had of the City of Calice when she said It was in her heart and there they should finde it if they opened her So much concerning these three verses containing an argument from antiquity and the testimony of the first ages by which Bildad confirms his former position That God is just JOB Chap. 8. Vers 11 12 13 14 15. Can the rush grow up without mire Can the flag grow up without water Whilest it is yet in his greennesse and not cut down it withereth before any other herb So are the paths of all that forget God and the hypocrites hope shall perish Whose hope shall be cut off and whose trust shall be a spiders web He shall lean upon his house but it shall not stand he shall hold it fast but it shall not endure THis context from the 11th to the 20th verse contains an illustration for so are similitudes of the former argument and it is taken from a three-fold similitude First of a rush which is explained vers 11 12. and applied in the 13th verse The second is of a Spiders web explained and applied vers 14 15. The third of a luxuriant flourishing tree explained verse 16 17 18. applied verse nineteenth Behold this is the joy of his way c. The summe of all may be given in this brief That it is as equall and ordinary in the course of divine justice to destroy wicked men as it is in the course of nature for a rush to wither when it wants water 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iuncus à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bibit ingurgi tavit quia juncus est aquae immersus eam semper imhibens Consâ—ritur hibula Memphytis cymba papyro Luc. l. 4. Perque papyriferi septemflua flumina Nili or for a spiders web to break when it is leaned upon or for a tree to be hewen down when it either undergrows or overgrows its owners house when casting it's roots under the foundation it loosens the stones and weakens the ground-work or when it spreads its boughs and grows so high that it drops upon the roof or darkens the windows of it Ver. 11. Can the rush grow without mire It cannot The originall word for a rush speaks its nature the root signifying to suck and drink in or alwaies to be guzling down The rush lives in liquour and is alwaies drinking These abounded neer the banks of Nilus in Aegypt There Moses was put into an Ark or skiff made of bulrushes Exod. 2.3 The Prophet Isa 18.1 2. tels us of a land sending Ambassadours by the sea even in vessels of bulrushes upon the waters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Elatus eminuit est mediae significationis sumitur pro vitiosa elatione quae est superbia etiam pro magnificentia decore Rivet in Hos 5.5 Limosuâ— juncus palustres juncâ— Amphibia Can the rush grow In strength lustre and beauty The word implies growing with a kinde of pride so plants doe in a rich or proper soyl they lift up their heads and carry it highly Can the rush grow without mire Which is as much as to say can a man live without food Mire is the rushes meat and drink It loves and delights in a moorish soyl and by the rivers side A rush upon the dry land is like a fish upon the dry land At most the rush among vegetables and plants is like those fowls and beasts among sensitives which live part upon the water and part upon the land Can the flag grow without water 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Locus graminis ubi pascuntur pecora forsan ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 frater quod ex una stirpe velute multifratres gignantur quasi herbarum quaedam fraternitas The word signifies any fertile place for grasse a medow Gen. 41.2 Pharaoh saw in his dream seven welfavoured kine and fat-fleshed and they fed in a medow Some render it so here Can the medow grow without water Both flags and medows are such drinkers that they quickly wither if they want water which Bildad gives us plainly in the next verse Verse 12. Whilest it is yet in his greennesse and not cut down it withereth before any other herb Whilest it is yet in his greennesse Or shooting up in his stemme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Abib est spica maturescens veâ—spica cum calamo inde Ibbo virgultuÌ„ aut lignum virens in eo sc tempore quo est parens novarum frugum froâ—dium Vel ob 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pater q. d. in paternitate sua Some derive the Hebrew word from Ab Father and so it may be rendered from the letter of the Hebrew though the expression be somewhat uncouth While it is yet in it's paternity or fatherhood that is while it is flourishing and procreative Others derive it from Abib which signifies an ear of corn or the ear with the stalk Hence the moneth Abib among the Jews had its name because in those climates corn was then eared and began to be ripe it was the first moneth to the Israelites because of their coming out of Aegypt and answered to part of our March and part of April Exod. 13.4 Chap. 23.15 This day came ye out in the moneth
help from God he hath all that from himself from his own wicked heart or from Satan To eat was a naturall act in our first parents this was from God but to eat against the command was a morall act and that was from man and the serpent As suppose that a Musician should touch or play upon a Lute that is out of tune his touching the Lute is an artificiall act but the sounding of it comes from the nature of the instrument the sounding of the instrument is from the hand of him that plaies upon it but that it sounds untuneably is because the instrument is out of tune So the Lord by naturall assistance puts the hearts and hands of wicked men into motion but that they move irregularly that they make such harsh musick that there is so much discord in their actions that 's from the disorder and untuneablenesse of their own spirits not from the hand of God They have not any morall assistance from God in sinne but a naturall only Or take it negatively God doth not help the evil doers First He doth not help the evil doers by instilling the least motion of evil into them He casts in or infuses holy thoughts and motions into the hearts of his own people to prepare them for holy performances but he never dropt the least motion of evil into the heart of man to fit him for wickednesse Secondly The Lord doth not excite or stir up that naturall inherent corruption that is in wicked men he doth not provoke or blow up their lusts He excites the graces of his own people when they are to doe any good they have a principle of grace in them and this God breaths upon moving and acting it by fresh assistances Neither of these waies doth the Lord assist evil doers Further Taking the words as they must in a figure when it is said God doth not help the evil doers the meaning is he doth oppose and resist them Hence observe Wicked men are resisted and opposed by God in their evil doings God is so farre from giving them any help that he sets himself against them Understand this with a distinction There is a two-fold resistance or opposition that God makes against the evil doings of men There is 1. A morall opposition 2. A naturall opposition Or there is 1. A declarative resistance 2. An operative resistance When it is said that God doth resist as this phrase imports or supposeth wicked men in doing evil we are to understand it that he ever opposes them morally that is he ever laies a morall impediment in their way and he ever opposes them declaratively he declares his opposition in his Word He never shews the least liking of wicked men in their waies For when he saith He that is filthy let him be filthy still and he that is unjust let him be unjust still Revel 22.11 he doth not at all approve but threatens these sinners This seeming admission is the highest rebuke of sinne But take it for a naturall opposition which is the bringing out of strength and power to stop men in the waies of sin Thus the Lord doth not alwaies resist evil doers For if he did it were impossible that any wicked man should move one hairs breadth in doing evil if God would put forth his power against man he could not stir to sin against God but God doth not so neither is he bound to lay a naturall impediment in the waies of wicked men It is enough to acquit him in his holinesse that he ever laies a morall impediment in their way He declareth his law against and his dislike of their sins and in this sense he alwaies resists them All the sinne of man is against the will of God yet no man sins whether God will or no. The declarative will of God is often resisted but his operative will cannot be resisted As which may illustrate this in the civill State the laws of this Kingdome lay a morall impediment in the way of thievery and robbery c. It is perpetually declared by the law that no man ought to take another mans estate from him violently but yet the Kingdome doth not ever set a naturall impediment against robbers c. That is we doe not place a power of men to guard all high waies or houses to see that no passenger shall be robbed or house broken open So the Lord laies a morall impediment in the way of wicked men alwaies but he doth not alwaies set his power against them whereby he is able if he please to disable wicked men from doing evil Thirdly Observe When wicked men are going down down they shall Why God will not put forth his hand to help them they whom God will not assist or help cannot stand long They in the Psalm thought they had got the godly man at an advantage Come say they let us persecute and take him for God hath forsaken him and there is none to deliver him Now we may have our wils of this man for God stands by and doth not own him If God be a neuter his friends cannot stand long how then shall his enemies stand when he is their opposer We may conclude against wicked men that they shall be destroyed for God hath forsaken them he will not own them and as Hamans wife told him sadly Est 6.13 If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews before whom thou hast begun to fall thou shalt surely fall before him When a man is going down nothing can stay him if God doe not his hand must support a sinking and tottering person or Nation or else either fals When wicked enemies begin to fall they shall fall and perish for God will not put forth his hand to help the evil doers Now follows the effect of all The effect first of Gods gracious helping of the righteous He will not cast away the righteous man and is that all Shall a righteous man be only not rejected As mans duty ought not so the mercy of God doth not stay in negatives The Lord hath positive blessings in store for his people the later part of the promise affirms this He will not cast away the righteous man Verse 21. Till he fill thy mouth with laughing and thy lips with rejoycing Till he fill thy mouth with laughing And is it but just till then Will the Lord when he hath set his people a laughing leave them and help them no more Will he when he hath given them cause of joy cast them off His people had better never laugh at all then laugh upon those terms Particula donec non significat postea projiciendum esse à Deo simplicem sed quod immutabiliter servabitur à Deo No man can laugh long nor at all upon any due ground if God leave him We are not to understand this Till to be a terminative or a determinative particle as if the Lords care and favour towards his people should be only till he
exoâ—nat Pined Assoon as Job hears a truth he falleth down before it He hath not a word to speak against the truth of God though it come from erroneous men He will be a friend to truth though brought by them who seemed his enemies If this law of disputation were well observed many disputes would be sooner ended As some out of love to men are apt to entertain their very errours so some out of hatred to men reject their truths Errours cannot be really adorned nor truths soiled by those who hold them Our judgement about both must be carried by reason not swaied by affection Willingly to embrace and receive a truth from those whose errours we most zealously oppose is the due temper of a champion for the truth Secondly I know it to be so of a truth saith Job Observe A godly man is a knowing man He is established in truths especially in great and necessary truths in the vitals and fundamentals of religion Job had been long acquainted with this principle that God is just and that every man must abase himself before him how just soever any man is Light is the first thing which God makes in the new Creation of Grace as it was in the old creation of nature He casts in a beam a ray into the soul whereby we may discern of things that differ There may be darknesse in a godly man but he dwels not in darknesse bring a truth to him and as there is somewhat in his heart that answers and is a kin to it so that apprehends and makes out his acquaintance with it often at first light alwaies after consideration unlesse he be under clouds and temptations In those cases we may bring truths to holy men which they doe not know to be so of a truth yea which they may refuse for errours But usually a good man knows truth having learnt it before or as having a likenesse to other truths he knew before Thirdly I know this to be so of a truth saith Job in the midst of his pains in the greatest troubles of his flesh he forgets not to honour God Hence observe A gracious heart gives testimony to the righteousnesse of God though severely chastened under the hand of God When God deals most hardly with the soul or with the body or with soul and body a holy heart hath not a hard thought of God I know it to be so of a truth He doth not only acknowledge that God was just when he punished others but when he afflicted him The common argument which the friends of Job took up to prove God to be just was this God is righteous for he deals with men according to their deserts but Job argues thus God is righteous however he deals with men and whatsoever those men are let men be wicked or upright holy or prophane When we see God breaking the wicked and making gall and worm-wood fire and brimstone the portion of their cup this argues his justice because he hath threatned such with wrath and vengeance But the Saints go further they proceed upon purer and sublimer principles maintaining that God is just though he afflict the justest and holiest man upon the earth The righteousnesse of God shines forth to them thorow the darkest sufferings of righteous men The righteousnes of God is not grounded upon the object about which he dealeth whether righteous or unrighteous but upon the act of his own will yea upon the pleasure of his own will His righteousnesse proceedeth from himself and his is a righteous act whatever the object be upon which he acts We need not say God is just because he punishes the guilty for God is just though he afflict the innocent We may at once maintain our own innocency and the justice of God while we bleed under his hand or smart under his severest scourges I know it to be so of a truth But how shall man be just with God Mr Broughton reads And how can man be just before the Omnipotent and so the sense runs more clear Illud cum Deo vel ante Deuma erit aliquid sorense judiciale taking the first particle for a pure copulative whereas we read it as a discretive but how shall man be just before God Namely in your sense as if he had said you discourse of justice under such a notion as renders it impossible for any man to be just before God in one sense a man may be righteous before God but in yours no man can Would you not have a man know himself to be just unlesse he know himself to be without sinne If you take just to be the same as without in-dwelling sinne then it is impossible for any man to appear just before God but man may be just and righteous before God though he have sinne dwelling in him and that 's my notion of justice in this dispute Justice is either inherent or imputed By inherent justice no man is just before God according to imputed justice man may be just and is before God So these two propositions are reconciled No man is just before God every believer is just before God Our translation using the discretive But seems to carry this intendment that no man can be just before God by inherent justice which the next verse implies For if he contend with him he cannot answer him one of a thousand The words taken in this sense are the same with the seventeenth verse of the fourth Chapter Shall mortall man be more just then God There Eliphaz speaks comparatively in a way of excesse more just or just rather then God He cannot exceed God in any thing Here Job speaks comparatively in a way of equality How should man be just with God Quisquis se authori bonorum coÌ„parat bono se quod acâ—eperat privat ea ipsa ratione qua quis se componit Deo justus esse de sinit quamvis justus suerit Greg. He cannot compare with God at all Yet the sense is the same and the deniall of mans perfect inherent righteousnesse is the subject of both A just man comparing with God deprives himself of all his justice He is not so much as man may be by aspiring to be what God is But I need not stay in any further clearing how man is not just before God or in any observations from it but shall referre the Reader back to the fourth Chapter Onely take this from it How shall man be just with God With God that is looking upon or comparing himself unto God as if he had said It will take down all the proud and high thoughts of man in regard of his own justice and righteousnesse if he will but cast his eye upon God and duly consider how just and righteous God is Hence observe The way for us to humble our selves for our own sinfulnesse is to look up and to consider the purity and holinesse of God If we set our selves before him we shall see
how vile and corrupt we are His fulnesse will convince us abundantly of our emptinesse his purity will shew us our spots and his all-sufficiency our nothingnesse If we bring a course peece of cloth before a fine we shall see what course stuff it is if we lay a better in any kinde by a worse the worse will appear worser then before For the most part we who are course stuff our selves compare our selves with those who are as course as our selves While some men compare themselves with men they begin to thinke they are like God himself A man looking upon his neighbour is just before him or sees him no better then himself of no purer threed of no better die in his life then he I have faults and so have others I have failings and so have my neighbours if you charge me with my sinnings who is it that is without sinne As our usuall phrase is If the best mans faults were written in his fore-head it would make him pull his haâ— over his eyes Thus usually men compare themselves with men but if they would look up to God O how would the thoughts of their hearts fall and be abased before him The Pharisee could pride himself in his comparisons with men Luk. 18. God be thanked I am not as other men are nor as this Publican But Pharisee art thou as God pure and holy and just as he Look upward and pride will down The holy Apostle 2 Cor. 10.12 speaking of those false Apostles saith They measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves amongst themselves are not wise So we may say to men in generall while ye take a scantling of your own waies by your own rules and measure your selves by your selves or while ye measure man by man and compare creature with creature ye are not wise while we go this way to work pride will not down Man hath some reason to say I am as good as man I have sinned and so hath he such a man hath as many sins as I. But if we look up to God we shall quickly finde that he hath no sinne at all in him and that we have no goodnesse at all in us The best of Saints must not only confesse with Paul I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing Rom. 7.18 but he must confesse also I know that in me even in my spirit dwels no good thing in comparison of the goodnesse of God Though man in regeneration is made a partaker of the divine nature 2 Pet. 1.4 yet his nature cannot bear the perfections of the divine nature How shall man be just with God Verse 3. If he will contend with him he cannot answer him one of a thousand This is a confirmation of the former grant I faith he acknowledge no man can be just by inherent righteousnesse before God For If he would comend with him he cannot answer him one of a thousand If he would contend 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Voluit optavit The word If he would is If he have a minde or delight to contend if any man takes pleasure in contending with God he shall quickly as we speak have his hands full and his belly full of it From this word the Church is called Hephzibah that is my pleasure is in her Isa 64.2 And Psal 16.3 David professes of the Saints Hephsiham my pleasure or my delight is in them So here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if any one hath a pleasure or a delight or would take upon him to contend with God or as the word signifies to chide In foro extra litigavit disceptavit causam egit seu dixit etiam jurgavit de verbali tantum contentione seu actione dicitur Merc. Contentio haec est rationibus objectionibus responsionibus argumentationibus cum Deo agere Pined to argue and plead with God The word may be taken either for an angry chiding or a rationall chiding which is disputing The place where the Israelites did contend or chide with Moses is called Meribah from this word Exod. 17.7 And after Gideon had pul'd down Baals altar a great controversie or contention a pleading or arguing ensued therefore he was called Jerubbaal a contender or pleader with Baal Judg. 6.21 Now saith Job if a man take delight to contend plead or argue with the Lord What will be the issue of it He is like to have a cold pull of it He cannot answer him one of a thousand poor creature Before I open that take this observation Man naturally loves to be contending Some cannot live but in this fire and in troubled waters 1 Cor. 11.16 If any man seems to be contentious or as the Greek carries it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est cui victoria potiorest veritate Est in 1 Cor. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non aliud est quam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Si quis fibi in eo placeat quod contentiosus sit Dan. Heins exerc a lover of victory Contentious spirits love victory more then truth and to overcome more then to teach or be taught Besides the verb which we in this text of the Apostle translate seems doth rather signifie is pleased to be desires or hath a will to be contentions yea boasts and prides himself in it So the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used Mat. 3.9 and Gal. 6.3 If a man thinke himself to be something c. That is if he boast and take upon him as if he were some great man Thus some glory to be medling and contending in all Questions Yea though it be upon as unequall terms as Jehoash the King of Israel by his parable supposed Amaziah King of Judah would warre with him 2 King 14.9 The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the Cedar that was in Lebanon c. Thistles will sometimes challenge Cedars whom we may counsell as he doth tarry at home why shouldest thou meddle to thy hurt It argues folly enough in any man to love contention with man and pride enough to love contention with men above him Then how mad are they both with folly and pride who attempt to contend with God Whom as it follows They cannot answer One of a thousand A thousand is a great number a full number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paedagogus dux quod alijs praeire solet sicut Alâ—ph prima litera reliquas omnes praecedit hinc Eleph mille numeroruÌ„ princeps and therefore it is put for all great numbers It is a leading number therefore the word in the Hebrew for a thousand commeth from a root which signifies to lead and the Noun Duke or a Captain who is a chief and a leader of men Gen. 36. The Dukes of Edom or the leaders of Edom As also a master or teacher because he goes afore and is a chief over those he instructs And hence the number thousand in the Hebrew hath it's name because a thousand is as it were a prince
friend It is a hard choice whether to have wit or power in an enemy And who would not have both wit and power in his friend God is here represented under these two notions both meet in him either of which in an enemy render him dreadfull Will any man enter the lists or meddle with an adversary who would not rather humble himself and make him his friend Who is wise in heart and mighty in power He is wise in heart Humanitùs dictum cor in Hebraeo sumitur pro judicio intellectuali potentia ita homo vel Deus sapiens corde dicitur qui praestat sapientia â—in It is spoken after the manner of men the heart naturall is a principall organ or part of the body it is the seat of life thither the spirits have their recourse there they have one speciall seat of residence the heart is chief in man To say God is wise in heart is to say He is most wise because the heart is the seat of wisdome As when we say of a man he is holy in heart or he is humble in heart or upright in heart or he obeys God from his heart we report such a man for exceeding humble holy upright and obedient So when God is said to be wise in heart it imports that he hath infinite wisdome his is not only wisdome in the tongue or some flashes of wit but deep solid rooted wisdome He is wise yea he is wisdome at heart A foolish man is without an heart As an hypocrite hath two hearts a double heart an heart and an heart so a foolish man hath never an heart Hypocrites will be found at last to have no hearts they are the greatest fools of all Ephraim Hos 7.11 is called a silly Dove without heart Sillinesse is heartlesnesse Therefore in the 12th Chapter of this book ver 3. the heart is put alone for understanding I have an heart as well as you saith Job we translate it I have understanding as well as you Heart alone notes wisdome but a wise heart notes abundance of wisdome Hence observe God is infinitely wise He is wise in heart wisdom it self The Lord ingrosses all wisdom and is therefore stiled by the Apostle God only wise 1 Tim. 1.17 he is only wise because all wisdome is his the creature hath none but what he gives out he hath it all locked up in his own treasury and as he dispenseth it so man receives it There is a two-fold act of wisdome and both most eminent in God The first is knowledge in the nature of things The second is knowledge how to order and dispose of things The former is properly called Science and the later prudence Where there is much of the former and a want of the later man in that case is like a ship that hath a very large sail but wants a rudder to order it's course and ballast to poise it Both these meet in the Lord he hath as we may say a vast sail infinitely extending to the knowledge of all things and he hath a most exact rudder and ballast of prudence to order and to manage all things The knowledge of some men is too hard for their wisdome they are not master of their knowledge though they may be masters in their art The Lord knows all and he rules all his knowledge And mighty in strength It is much for man to be stiled strong or mighty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Differ◠à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod strenuit atem ad gesta praeclaâ—a significat idem quod Graecé 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quae se foras exerit in opere Merc. but mighty in strength is the stile of God These in construction note the Almightinesse the All-powerfulnesse the All-sufficiency of the Lord he is not only strong or mighty but mighty in strength The word which we translate strength referred to man imports that naturall power and lively vigour which in man is the principle of strength which nurses and feeds man with continuall supplies of activity The Lord is mighty in this strength he hath an infinite an everlasting spring of strength in him he spends no strength at all how much soever he uses His lamp consumes not with burning His strength is ever vigorous he knows no decaies or faintings Hast thou not known hast thou not heard that the everlasting God the Lord the Creatour of the ends of the earth fainteth not neither is weary Isa 40.28 As if he had said where hast thou been bred that thou seemest to be a stranger to this truth Man cannot doe much and he faints in doing a little God who can doe all things never faints how much soever he doth Strength maybe considered two waies There is civill strength and there is naturall strength Civill strength is authority and power to command 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A man is armed and strengthened by laws and commissions These put authority into his hands The Lord is mighty in this strength he hath all authority all command in his hands not by commission from others but originally from himself Naturall strength executes and exercises the former a man may have much civill strength but if he want naturall strength to put it in act he can do little or nothing As God by his Soveraignty is above all creatures so by his power he is able to bring all creatures under him and subdue them to his command Thus God is mighty in strength He hath a right of authority by which he may and an arm of power by which he can make all stoop to him Hence observe The power of God is an infinite power There is nothing too hard for the Lord If he will work who shall let it Isa 43.13 No creature can supersedeat or stay the works of God God can supersedeat all creatures when creatures are in their full carreer he can let them The power of God is as large as his will yea he can doe more then he wils If the power of men were as large as their wils what work would they quickly make in the world If infinite strength were not mannaged by infinite wisdome what a wofull condition were we in Both these are joyned in God Therefore we can fear no hurt from his power he can doe what he will but he will doe nothing which is hurtfull to his people he will not wrong any creature much lesse his servants The Lord if I may so speak is only weak about those things which proceed from weaknesse There are some things which he hath no strength to doe because to doe them argues a want of strength he cannot deny himself he cannot lie he cannot doe any evil he cannot sinne These things import impotency therefore the Lord cannot doe them But whatsoever is for the good of his people for the glory of his name for the executing of his justice for the fulfilling of his counsels whatsoever is for the making good of his promises for
makes a bold adventure who dares passe but an unpleasing thought against the waies or works of God Fourthly Not to be satisfied with what God doth is a degree of hardening our selves against God discontents and unquietnesses upon our spirits are oppositions Fiftly Not to give God glory in what he doth hath somewhat in it of hardening of our selves against God And lastly He that will not give God glory in what he commands is in a degree hardened against God We may see what it is to harden our selves against God by the opposite of it Prov. 28.14 Blessed is the man that feareth alwaies but he that hardeneth himself shall fall into mischief Hardnesse is contrary to holy fear holy fear is a disposition of heart ready to yeeld to God in every thing A man thus fearing quickly takes impressions of the word will and works of God and therefore whosoever doth not comply with God in holy submission to his will hardens himself in part against God That which is here chiefly meant is the grosser act of hardnesse when men either speak or go on in their way acting against God let him say what he will his word stops them not or do what he will his works stop them not They are like the adamant the hammer of the Word makes no impression upon hard hearts but recoyls back again upon him that strikes with it More distinctly this is either a sensible hardnesse of heart of which the Church complains Isa 63.15 Wherefore hast thou hardened our hearts c. or an insensible hardnesse which in some arises from ignorance in others from malice and obstinacy Further We read of Gods hardening mans heart and sometimes of mans hardening his own heart There is a three-fold hardnesse of heart First Naturall which is the common stock of all men we receive the stone of a hard heart by descent every man comes into the world hardened against God Secondly There is an acquired hardnesse of heart Men harden themselves and adde to their former hardnesse He stretcheth out his hand against God and strengtheneth himself against the Almighty Job 15.25 There is a growth in sin as well as a growth in grace many acts make hardnesse more habituall 2 Chron. 36.13 He stiffened his neck and hardened his heart from turning unto the Lord. I know thy rebellion and thy stiffe necke Deut. 31.27 Thirdly There is a judiciary hardnesse of heart an hard heart inflicted by God as a Judge When men will harden their hearts against God he agrees it their hearts shall be hard he will take away all the means which should soften and moisten them he will not give them any help to make them pliable to his will or he will not blesse it to them He will speak to his Prophets and they shall make their hearts fat that is senslesse and their ears heavy that is heedlesse under all they speak Isa 6.10 Thus also God hardned the heart of Pharaoh and of the Aegyptians by the ministery of Moses and Aaron So then we having hardnesse of heart by nature doe by custome acquire a further hardnesse and the Lord in wrath inflicteth hardnesse then the sinner is pertinacious in sinning All these put together make him irrecoverably sinfull His neck is an iron sinew and his brow brasse Isa 48.4 Observe first There is an active hardnesse of heart or man hardens his own heart Exod. 5. We read of Pharaoh hardening his heart before the Lord hardened it Who is the Lord saith he that I should let Israel goe Here was Pharaoh hardening his heart and steeling his spirit against the command of God God sent him a command to let Israel goe he replies Who is the Lord I know not the Lord who is this that takes upon him to command me Am not I King of Aegypt I know no Peer much lesse Superiour Lord. It was true indeed poor creature he did not know the Lord Pharaoh spake right in that I know not the Lord if he had he would never have said I will not let Israel go he would have let all goe at his command had he known who the Lord was that commanded Thus Sennacherib 2 Chron. 32.14 blasphemes by his messengers Who was there among all the gods of those Nations that my fathers utterly destroyed that could deliver his people out of mine hand that your God should be able to deliver you out of mine hand These are hard words against God and hardening words to man Every act of sinne hardens the heart of man but the heat of blasphemy at once shews and puts it into the extremity of hardnesse Man hardens himself against God four waies especially First Upon presumption of mercy many doe evil because they hear God is good they turn his grace into wantonnesse and are without all fear of the Lord because there is mercy so much with the Lord. Secondly The patience of God or his delaies of judgement harden others because God is slow to strike they are swift to sin If the sound of judgment be not at the heels of sin they conclude there is no such danger in sin Solomon observed this Eccles 8.11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to doe evil or it is full in them to doe evil They have not some velleities and propensions some motions and inclinations some queries and debates about it but the matter upon this ground is fully stated and determined they are so full of it that they have no room in their hearts for better thoughts or counsels the summe of all is they are hardened and resolved to doe evil Thirdly Grosse ignorance hardens many 1. Ignorance of themselves And 2. Ignorance of God he that knows not what he ought to doe cares not much what he doth None are so venturous as they who know not their danger Pharaoh said I know not the Lord he knew not the Lord nor himself therefore he ran on blinde-fold and desperately hardened himself against the Lord. Fourthly Hardnesse of heart in sinning is contracted from the multitude of those who sinne They thinke none shall suffer for that which so many doe The Law of Moses said Thou shalt not follow a multitude to doe evil Exod. 23.2 There is a speciall restraint upon it because man is so easily led by many The heart is ready to flatter it self into an opinion that God will not be very angry when a practice is grown common this is the course of the world this is the way of most men therefore surely no great danger in it And examples harden chiefly upon three considerations Ego bomuncto non facerem Tâ—r. First If great ones go that way the Heathen brings in a young man who hearing of the adulteries and wickednesses of the gods said what Doe they so and shall I stick at it Secondly If some wise and learned men go that way ignorant and unlearned men conclude
they may Thirdly If any godly men such as make more then ordinary profession doe such things then who may not The failings of the Saints are a countenance to wicked men in their follies They are apt to follow the dark side of the cloud and to approve those in what they doe ill whom they scorn in what they doe well They imitate their fals and sins whose repentance they never thinke of imitating How many harden their hearts by their doing what is evil whose hearts have been broken because they did evil From the sinne which a holy man commits against his purpose and resolution many purpose and resolve to commit it Upon these and the like grounds the heart of man is hardened against God Take a brief of the degrees of this hardnesse see by what steps the heart rises so high in sinning Man doth not grow hard at once much lesse hardest But wâ—â—n once he begins to harden himself where he shall make an end he knows not The first step is the taking time and leave to meditate upon sinne and roll it up and down in the thoughts A hard heart lets vain thoughts dwell in it A holy heart would not let them lodge with it A second step is some tastes of pleasure and delight in sinne It proves a sweet morsell under his tongue As the heart grows more delighted in sinne so more hardened in sinne Nothing should be so bitter as sinne in the act for nothing will be so bitter as sinne in the issue but when the act is pleasant the issue is seldome suspected The third step is custome in sinning It argues great boldnesse to venture often One said of him that had escaped danger at sea Improbè Neptunum accusat qui iterum naufragium sacit If you go again you have no reason to complain though you be wrack'd Mariners are fearfull of storms at first but through custome they play with them When a man comes ofs once safe from sinne he will venture again and so often till at last he thinks there is scarce any venture at all in sinne He growes bold and hardy By the fourth step of hardnesse he comes to defend and maintain his sinne He hath spoken so long in his heart against the word which forbiddeth him to sin that now he can speak against it with his tongue He hath a plea or an argument to make the evil he doth good He appears a Patron an Advocate for sin who was before but a practiser of it Fifthly The hard heart grows angry and passionate with those who give advice against sin he is resolved and a man that is resolved in his way is angry if he be desired to remove out of his way He that is resolved to sleep loves not to be awakened A touch or a jog from him that sits by provokes him he praies to be let alone We should love the man while we hate and reprove his sin But he that loves his sin will hate his reprovers Sixthly Hard hearts grow too hard for the Word they are Sermon-proof they can sit under the Preacher and hear from day to day but nothing touches them A man in armour feels not the stroak of a sword much lesse the smart of a rod. This hardnesse of heart is a steel armour to the heart it makes the man past feeling till he be past healing Some being often reproved hurden their hearts Prov. 29.1 till their hearts are too hard for all reproofes And then seventhly The heart is so hard that the sword of affliction doth not pierce it the man is judgement-proof let God strike him in his person or estate let God set the world a fire about his ears yet on goes he He is like the man of whom Solomon speaks Prov. 23.34 who lies sleeping in a storm upon the top of a mast Eightly The hard heart sits down in the chair of the scorner he derides the Word and mocks at the judgements of God When Lot spake to his sons in law about fire and brimstone ready to fall upon Sodome and consume it the text saith He seemed as one that mocked unto his sonnes in Law what tell us of judgements of fire descending from Heaven When the skie falls we shall have Larkes Lastly The hard heart gets up to the tribunall of the persecutour and from scorner commences opposer of good men and of the good waies of God he will doe them the uttermost mischief he can who would doe him all the good they can Get thee from me saith Pharaoh to Moses Exod. 10.28 Take heed to thy self See my face no more for in the day that thou seest my face thou shalt die Pharaohs hard heart spake hard words and was preparing to give hard blows he had only so much of honour and ingenuity left as to warn the Prophet to avoid the blow Which yet is more then hardnesse of heart leaves to all Many an hard heart uses the hand before the tongue and in stead of saying to his reprover See my face no more lest thou die cals him before his face that he may die or seek his death behinde his back and lies in wait for revenge And here hardnesse of heart is at hardest It is now a fit cushion for Satan He sits softest upon this stone The devil is never so much pleased as when man is most hardened the seed of his temptations takes root and prospers best in this stony ground But shall man prosper too Shall any man thrive or make a gain by hardening himself against God Shall he come off with honour or with profit Job answereth Who hath hardened himself against him and hath prospered Which may be resolved into this negative proposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Et pacatus suit vel in pace abiit i. e. foeliciter bene cesserit Merc. No man ever hardened himself against God and prospered The Hebrew thus Hath any man hardened himself against God and had peace Mr Broughton renders near it Hath any man hardned himself against God and found quietnesse To have peace or quietnesse and to prosper are the same in the language of the Jews and in a hundred Texts of the old Testament Nemo pertinax gloriari potest quod post consecutam victoriaÌ„ pace potitus fuerit Pined Nemo cum Deo pugnans sic eum assidua pugna fatigavit ut pacem accipiat ultro à Deo oblatam Idem We may understand Job either of these three waies First No pertinacious hard hearted man could ever glory that he got the better or the day of God and so prospered into a peace by warre that 's a way of prosperity in which he shall never tread Gideon told the men of Penuel When I come again in peace that is when I have conquered and return prosperous then c. No man ever conquered God and so returned in peace Peace was never the trophie of a war with him Secondly Who ever hardened himself against God
sin and provoke When God afflicts his people he hardens his heart against them and it is seldome that he hardeneth his heart against them till they harden their hearts against him And the truth is if they who are dearest to him do harden their hearts against him if they quarrell and contend with him if they rise up against his commands or neglect his will he will make their hearts submit or he will make their hearts ake and break their bones If they harden their hearts against his fear they shall feel his rod upon their backs and spirits too Which of the Saints ever hardened himself against God and hath prospered No man whether holy or prophane righteous or wicked could ever glory of a conquest over God or triumph after a war with him JOB Chap. 9. Vers 5 6 7 8 9 10. Which removeth the mountains and they know not which overturneth them in his anger Which shaketh the earth out of her place and the pillars thereof tremble Which commandeth the Sunne and it riseth not and sealeth up the starres Which alone spreadeth out the heavens and treadeth upon the waves of the Sea Which maketh Arcturus Orion and Pleiadis and the chambers of the South Which doth great things past finding out yea and wonders without number JOB having in generall asserted the power and wisdome of God he must have infinite power and wisdome against whom no man ever prospered by contending Having I say asserted this in generall he descends to make a particular proof of it as if he had said I will not only give you this argument that God is mighty in strength because no man could ever harden his heart against him and prosper he hath foyl'd all that ever medled with him but besides I will give you particular instances of it and you shall see that the Lord hath done such things as speak him mighty in strength and prove him as powerfull as I have reported him These particulars are reported in the 5 6 7 8 9. verses all closed with a triumphant Elogy in the tenth Subjicit Job confirmationem proximè praecedentis syâ—ogismi ab effectis potentiae sapientiae Dei quae amplissima oratione describit Merl. Which doth great things past finding out yea and wonders without number The Argument may be thus formed He is infinite in power and wisdome who removeth mountains and shakes the earth who commands the Sunne who spreads out the heavens and disposeth of the starres in the firmament But the Lord doth all these things he removeth mountains he shakes the earth he commandeth the Sun c. Therefore he is mighty in power and infinite in wisdome The first part of this argument is here implied The assumption or the minor is proved in the 5 6 7 8 and 9. verses by so many instances Here then is an evident demonstration of the power of God from visible things from acts apparent to the eye As if he had said If you have not faith to beleeve that God is infinite in power let your senses teach it you for he removeth mountains and they know it not He overturneth them in his anger c. He removeth mountains 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That 's the first instance The word which we translate to remove Senescere quia quae sic inveterascunt forticra robustiora cum tempore solent evadere ideo idem verbum significat roborari 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. signifies to wax old and strong because things as they grow in age grow in strength There is a declining age and an encreasing age Things very old impair and things growing older encrease in strength we have the word in that sense Job 21.2 Wherefore doe the wicked become old yea they are mighty in power he putteth these two together growing old and mighty in power The Septuagint render Who maketh the mountains wax old because that which waxeth old is ready to vanish away Heb. 8.13 or to be removed and taken away as the Ceremoniall Law was of which the Apostle speaks in that place And because growing old implies a kinde of motion therefore the word also signifies motion even locall motion a moving from or out of a place Gen. 12.4 Abraham departed he removed from the place where he was This locall motion is either naturall or violent of this later understand the Text Which removeth the mountains The mountains There are naturall mountains and metaphoricall or figurative mountains it is an act of the mighty power of God to remove either Some understand this of metaphoricall or figurative mountains and so mountains are great men men of eminency or of preeminency the Kings and Princes of the world Chaldeus per montes intelligit reges qui loco movet reges fortes ut montâ—s Targ. The Chaldee is expresse for this sense He removeth Kings who are as strong and high as mountains For as God hath ordered the superficies of the earth and made some parts of it plain others mountainous some valleys and some hils So he hath disposed of men some men stand as upon levell ground men of an ordinary condition others are as the low vallies men of a poor condition others are as the high mountains over-topping and over-looking the rest The word is used in this metaphoricall sense Isa 41.15 I will make thee saith the Lord to the Prophet a new threshing instrument having teeth And what shall this new threshing iestrument do Thou shalt thresh the mountains and beat them small and shalt make the hils as chaff Here is a Prophet sent with a flail or a threshing instrument and his businesse is to thresh the mountains and to beat the hils the meaning is thou shalt destroy the great ones of the world the hils the mountains those that thinke themselves impregnable or inaccessible But how could the Prophet thresh these mountains and what was his flail Gideon Judg. 8.7 threatens the men of Succoth that he will tear or thresh their flesh with the thorns of the wildernesse and with briars And Damascus is threatned because they threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron Am. 1.3 That is they put them to extreamest tortures Our Prophet could not thus torture men His threshing instrument having iron teeth was only his tongue the instrument of speech With this he beat those proud mountains to dust that is he declared they should be beaten and destroied Of such a mountain the Lord by his Prophet speaks Jer. 51.25 Behold I am against thee O destroying mountain saith the Lord which destroiest all the earth Behold I will stretch out mine hand upon thee and will roll thâ—e down from the rocks and make thee a burnt mountain This mountain was the proud State of Babylon which was opposite to the Church of God this devouring mountain shall at last be a devoured mountain devoured by fire therefore he cals it a burnt mountain Thus Zech. 4.7 Who art thou O great mountain before Zerubbabel thou
24.63 The subject of his meditation was the starres or the heavens It is good to take field-room sometimes to view contemplate the works of God round about Only take heed of the former folly of Astrologicall curiosities confining the providence of God to secondary causes avoid that and the heart may have admirable elevations unto God from the meditation of the works of God Psal 19.1 The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy work if the heavens declare the glory of God we should observe what that glory is which they declare The heavens preach to us every day Their line is gone out thorow all the earth and their words to the end of the world Psal 19.4 Sun Moon and Stars are Preachers they are universall preachers they are naturall Apostles the world is their charge their words saith the Psalm go to the ends of the earth We may have good doctrine from them especially this doctrine in the text of the wisdom and power of God And it is very observable that the Apostle alludes to this text in the Psalm for a proof of Gospel-preaching to the whole world Rom. 10.18 So then faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God But I say have they not heard Yes verily their sound went into all the earth and their words unto the end of the world The Gospel like the Sun casts his beams over and sheds his light into all the world David in the Psalm saith Their line is gone out c. By which word he shews that the heavens being so curious a fabrick made as it were by line and levell do clearly though silently preach the skill and perfections of God Or that we may read divine truths in them as in a line formed by a pen into words and sentences the originall signifies both a measuring line 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Significat lineam non modo extensam hoc est funiculum sed etiam scriptam hoc est scripturam Par. in Rom. 10 and a written line Letters and words in writing being nothing but lines drawn into severall forms or figures But the Septuagint whose translation the Apostle citeth for Kavam their line read Kolam their sound either mis-reading the word or studiously mollifying the sense into a nearer compliance with the later clause of the verse And their words into the ends of the world Pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus I have endeavoured to make those things plain which are here represented to vulgar ears under strange unusuall and hidden expressions Job is full of Philosophy and Astronomy he was a great student in the heavens doubtlesse and a holy student Job having given these severall instances gathers them all into a generall conclusion in the tenth verse Verse 10. Which doth great things past finding out yea and wonders without number These words are repeated from the discourse of Eliphaz in the 5th Chap. v. 9. I would seek unto God and unto God would I commit my cause which doth great things and unsearchable marvellous things without number I will not stay in a particular disoussion of them but refer the Reader to the place before cited where the text is opened at large and particular observations given from it Take only this observation in generall That A godly man labours to exalt God both in his thoughts and in his words with heart and tongue when God depresses and humbles him most Mark in what a condition Job was when he speaks thus honourably of the name and power of God One would think Job had little reason to extoll the power of God which he felt to his own smart Job was stript of all he had his outward comforts were taken from him and the arrows of the Almighty wounded his very spirit Now when he had wounded Job thorow and thorow thorow flesh and thorow spirit even at this time when God appeared making no use of his power but to undo Job Job is in his Encomium all in the praise and commendation of God He endites a Chapter on purpose to set forth the power and wisdom of God while he imploied both to make his afflictions both great and accurate This shews the admirable frame of his spirit in all his distempers his heart stood right and he would speak good of God what evil soever befell him from Gods hand Let God afflict with his power yet a gracious heart rejoices in it A gracious heart will lift up that power which weakens and throws it down Let the Lord imploy his wisdom to undo to impoverish such a man to bring him into such straits that he cannot get out yet he hath enlarged thoughts of that wisdom He sees God is as wise in troubling us as he is in delivering That language of Spira is the right language of hell I judge not his person but his speech who in a great temptation spake thus I would I had more power then God or O that I were above God He was angry that God had so much power because God used his power against him A carnall man would be above God especially if God at any time puts forth his power against him When he is hard bestead and hungry he frets himself and curses his King and his God looking upward Isa 8.21 to murmur at God not to pray unto him or speake good of him Tertullian Illud est impiorum ingenium ut Deum non ulterius celebrent quam cum benefacit Fer. It is observed by one of the Ancients concerning the Heathen That if God did not please them he should be no longer God Such are our hearts by nature if God do not use his power wisdom mercy for us we presently wish he had no power wisdom nor mercy for any in the world we would be above God unles God will serve us but an holy heart saith thus Let God improve his power and wisdom which way he pleaseth if to afflict and chasten me yea to destroy and cast me to hell his be the power for ever I extoll his power Nature can only praise God and speak good of him when he is doing of us good But grace prompts the heart to indite a good matter and bids the tongue be as the pen of a ready writer to advance God when sense feels nothing but smart and sees nothing but sorrow round about Then grace is in her heights when she can lift up God highest while he is casting us down and laying us lowest When we can honour God frowning as well as smiling upon us smiting and wounding as well as kissing and imbracing us then we have learned to honour God indeed JOB Chap. 9. Vers 11 12 13. Loe he goeth by me and I see him not he passeth on also but I perceive him not Behold he taketh away who can hinder him who shall say unto him What doest thou If God will not withdraw his anger the proud helpers doe stoop under him JOB having in
am impure and shall be at my best vvhich sense falleth in directly with the two verses following Though I wash my self with snow-water and make my hands never so clean yet thou wilt plunge me in the ditch and mine own clothes shall abhorre me Taking up that interpretation I shall connect it with these two verses and open them in order Verse 30. If I wash my self with snow-water and make my hands never so clean Washing is an act proper to the cleansing of the body In lege multae erant purificationes quas Deus sortè instituit ut populum aliarum gentiuÌ„ talibus ceremoniis assuetum facilius adduceret ad cultum veram Pined or of bodily things and in Scripture-story we finde travellers had water provided for them at their journeys end to refresh and cool their bodies These were civil washings But besides these we finde many ceremoniall washings of the body or bodily things which implied the removing and taking away of sinne and so were a token of internall purification Therefore the Apostle Heb. 9.10 describing the Jewish worship and shewing the severall parts of it saith It stood we supply that word but it sutes the text well for the substantials the pillars upon which their worship stood were shadows consisting in meats and drinks and divers washings In allusion to which the Lord promises Ezek. 36.25 I will sprinkle you with clean water And the Apostle Peter speaks of the sprinkling of the bloud of Christ 1 Pet. 1.2 And Paul of the laver of regeneration Tit. 3.5 The Saints who came out of great tribulation are said to have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb Revel 7.14 Sanctification which is cleansing from the filth of sinne and justification which is cleansing from the guilt of sinne are set forth by washing 1 Cor. 6.9 But ye are washed Thus the Prophet counsels the polluted Jews Isa 1.16 Wash you make you clean which he expounds by a morall duty in the next words Put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes cease to doe evil Antiquèssimum suit uti balneo aut corporis ablutione ad detergendas animi sordes Ab nimium faciles qui tristia crimina caedis Fluminea â—olli posse putatis aqua learn to doe well It was usuall among the Heathen to wash as a sign of purification especially before they went to worship their gods or after they had defiled themselves with some greivous crime One of the Poets gives them a reproof O ye who are so credulous or easie of belief to thinke that the bloody sinne of murthering the bodies of other men can be taken away by washing your own bodies a Romani noâ—uerunt parricidas nudos sed in culeum insutos influmen abjicere ne cum delati esseâ—t in mare ipsum polluerâ—nt quo caetera quae violata sunt expiari putantur Cic. in Oraâ— pro R sc They had a great opinion of a cleansing vertue in the sea to which some thinke the Prophet Micah alludes Chap. 7.19 He will cast all their sinnes into the depths of the sea b â—hristianus lotus oret Tert. de orat c. 10. Clem. l. 8. Const c 88. Aliqui ex latinis legunt aquis vivis non aquis nivis Pined The ancient Christians using to wash before they praied shewed a little touch at least of Judaisme or of their old Gentilisme Some have given this for one reason why the Lord appointed so many washings among his people that the Heathens might be the easier gained to the religion of the Jews when they found somewhat symbolizing with their customes among them which if it were so yet it cannot bear out those who have mixed Christian worship with Heathenish observations thereby to facilitate their conversion But doubtlesse Job had reference to those rites either of the Jews or Gentiles when he said Though I wash my self with snow-water Why with snow-water That is say some with the most pure water with the clearest springing fountain water or in the most crystall streams not in the water of melted snow but in water like snow for purity and orient clearnesse Others Conceive it an allusion to that peculiar rite in those times when they took snow-water to wash with rather then spring or river water because that came from the heavens not from the earth here below and was therefore in their opinion more excellent in it's nature because it had a more excellent originall Thirdly Job is thought to specifie snow-water because in those Countreys the fountain or river-water was not pure and therefore they preserved snow and took that water to wash and cleanse with As the custom still is in those places where good water is a rare commodity Or lastly He may say If I wash in snow-water because he would expresse the cleanest washing such as makes the body look like snow white and pure White as snow is a proverbiall Isa 1.18 for the most resplendent whitenesse In Scriptura talibus aliquis dicitur lotus qualtum reserre videtur similitudinem Sanct. And we finde in Scripture a thing is said to be washed vvith that the likenesse of vvhich after washing it represents Thus the Church glories in Christ That his eyes were as the eyes of a Dove by the rivers of water washed with milk Cant. 5.12 that is his eyes were white as milk after washing So here Though I wash my self with snow-water that is though I wash my self till I become as white and as pure as snow c. We read a like phrase Psal 51.9 Purge me with hysop and I shall be clean in allusion to the Leviticall law which appointed the Priest to sprinkle both things and persons with a bunch of hysop Levit. 14. Numb 19. So the Chaldee paraphrase expounds the Psalm Cleanse me as the Priest sprinkling with hysop cleansed the people Though I wash my self with snow-water And make my hands never so clean The Hebrew text is very emphaticall Though I wash mine hands in purity which some expresse by that which is the instrument of purifying the hands Though I wash my hands with sope So M. Broughton Though I wash my hands with wash-bals to make my hands clean and sweet We translate though not to the letter of the Hebrew yet to the sense Though I wash my hands never so clean yet c. As the former expression referreth to internall holinesse so this later to externall The hands in Scripture note our outward works Hands are the executive part the instruments of action Your hands are full of bloud Isa 1. that is your actions are cruell and bloudy there is not only bloud in your hearts but in your hands too Psal 26.6 I will wash mine hands in innocency so will I compasse thine altar that is I will make all my outward conversation pure and holy The Lord hath rewarded me according to the purity of my hands Psal 18.20 Again Psal 73.13
iniquity who thinke they can put all their iniquity out of his sight And such shall be made so vile that not only God but their own clothes shall abhorre them as Job expresses himself in the next words Mine own clothes will abhorre me We have the word at the eighth Chapter verse 14. Whose hope shall loath him which we render Whose hope shall be cut off Clothes may be taken either properly or figuratively Taken properly the words may import first his degradation from all former dignities I shall be deprived of all honour and estimation and so the clothes which I wore in the daies of my prosperity will so much unbecome me that they will abhorre me Or secondly Taken properly they are conceived to be a circumlocution of death Thou wilt plunge me in the pit that is I shall die and mine own clothes will abhor me The dead are stript garments doe not become a dead carcase M. Broughtons paraphrase upon his own translation intimates this Mine own clothes shall loath me namely saith he When I go naked to the grave as though my clothes did loath me Others understand it figuratively Mine own clothes shall abhor me that is First Those that are my dearest friends shall abhor me Thou wilt make them flee from me who are as near to me as the clothes on my back Or secondly In a figure Mine own clothes that is mine own works shall abhorre me Hypocrites are said to come in sheeps-clothing Mat. 7. that is doing the works of those who are sincere appearing like them in practice And when we are warned to keep our garments Revel 16.15 the meaning is that we must keep faith and a good conscience in every act of our lives Thirdly It may have respect to lepers whose clothes did abhor them because they wore some mark of difference upon their garments shewing that they were to be shunned and their company avoided But rather in generall Mine own clothes shall abhor me notes extreme pollution If I justifie my self before God Tam squalidus ero ut ea quibus nullus est seâ—suâ— tantum squalorem sentiri abominari videantur I shall be so unclean that my clothes will be loth to touch me We say of one that is very filthy A man would not touch him with a pair of tongs And it is usuall in Scripture to give you that rule for the understanding of this and other the like forms of speaking when a matter is spoken of in a way of excesse that things insensible have sense yea reason and understanding ascribed to them abhorring Vbi aliquarum rerum exâ—essus est dicuntur aliquando in Scripturis sentire insensibilia Sanct. is an act beyond sense it hath a mixture of reason and understanding now to note his exceeding lothsomenesse to God and man who attempts to justifie himself before God the text saith His clothes which have neither life nor sense shall abhor him When the Pharisees envying the acclamations which the multitude of Christs Disciples gave him at his entrance into Jerusalem desired that he would rebuke and silence them Christ answered I tell you if these should hold their peace the stones would immediately cry out importing how just an occasion there was why his Name and glory should be lifted up Do ye think much that reasonable men speak If these should hold their peace the stones that have neither life nor sense would speak Thus Gen. 4.10 to note the foulnesse of Cains sinne and his cruelty toward his brother God saith The earth hath opened her mouth to receive thy brothers bloud from thy hand as if the earth had been sensibly affected with the cruelty of Cain towards his brother thou wouldst not let his bloud stay in his body therefore the earth in kindnesse opened her mouth and took in his bloud from thy hand and that cries up unto me So here I shall be so foul that if my clothes had sense life and reason and could dispose of their own actings and set themselves upon what body and limbs they pleased Iob summam foeditatem animae per summaÌ„ foeditatem corporis indigitat Tam foedus à judicio tuo discederem ut is corpore est sordidus quem vestes suae horrent Coc. Quamvis ego mundus sum à culpa tamen paenis atque dolorum aegritudinum sordibus squalore obsolescam surely they would put themselves off from my body and never come on again they would abhor me I should be as filthy before God in soul as he is in body who must be washed before he is fit to have his clothes put on him As to be clothed with shame so to have our clothes ashamed of us notes the greatest dishonour Lastly This casting into the ditch and the abhorring of his clothes may referre to the continuance of his afflictions though I should make my self never so pure yet the Lord would cast me again into the ditch of affliction he will put me into the pit of trouble till like a man drawn out of the mire Mine own clothes abhorre me or make me an abhorring to all that see me I know the Lord will make further triall of me Hence note God casts his servants again and again into the miery ditch as refiners cast gold again and again into the fiery furnace to make them more pure That which defiles the outward man may be cleansing to the inward And the abominable clothing of the body may be a means to put the soul into the most handsome dresse Secondly Observe That After purgings and cleansings the Lord often goes on with further chastenings Though I wash my self c. yet thou wilt cast me in the ditch and mine own clothes will abhor me Yea our purgings and cleansings are sometimes so far from causing God to take off our afflictions that they doe but fit us for more affliction For the Lord will not trust an impure spirit or an heart defiled under many corruptions under great afflictions He therefore cleanses many and makes them more holy that they may be more fit to bear afflictions No certain argument can be grounded upon this that a man shall come out of affliction because he is cleansed for God chuses in some cases to afflict such most ☞ who are most cleansed The Lord hath as much service from us while we suffer as while we doe his will passive obedience is higher and harder service then active and an unclean heart is of the two though it be fit for neither more unfit for suffering then for doing Therefore Jobs friends could not groundedly affirm that he should be delivered if he were cleansed Indeed if Gods thoughts were like mans thoughts or if he were tied by such rules as we we might make such conclusions but Job concludes He is not a man as we are JOB Chap. 9. Vers 32 33 c. For he is not a man as I am that I should answer him and we should come
way might be cleared to him Secondly observe A godly man may be long in the dark about the reason of Gods dealing with him He labours alwaies to give an account of his own heart and waies to God but he is seldom able to give an account of the waies of God toward him The way of God both in mercy and in judgement is in the sea and his foot-steps are not seen As there is much of the Word of God which a sincere heart after many praiers and much study is not able to give a reason of so also are there many of his works The text of both is dark to us till God make the Comment and he sees it best sometimes to make us call and call wait and wait before he makes it There was famine in the Land of Israel three years year after year and yet David knew not the cause doubtles he did often examine his own heart look into the Kingdom to see what might be a provocation there but saw nothing till after three years he enquired of the Lord who answered It is for Saul and for his bloudy house because he slew the Gibeonites 2 Sam. 21.1 It is more then probable that David had enquired of the Lord before that time A holy heart especially one so holy as Davids was can hardly let personall affliction be a day or an hour old without enquiring of the Lord about it And shall we think that David let this Nationall affliction grow three years old before he enquired of the Lord about it surely then this enquiry after the end of three years was that grand and most solemn enquiry by Vrim and Thummim appointed as the last resort to God in cases of greatest difficulty and concernment till David used this means he found no resolution of that case why the Lord contended with his Kingdom by famine year after year Neither had Iob got resolution when he thus complained why the Lord contended with him by sore diseases and mighty terrours day after day But because it might yet be wondered at by some how he durst adventure to put up such a request to God he argues further in the next verse that the state wherein he was seemed to necessitate him to it and to prompt or put that request into his mouth Ne cui mirum videatur istud a me postulari res ipsa huc me adegit absit enim a me ut tibi placere posse existimem vioâ—eÌ„tam cujuspiam oppressionem Bez. As if he had said My condition cries aloud to me that I should cry aloud to God Shew me wherefore thou contendest with me For farre be it from me to think that the Lord delighteth in oppression in breaking the work of his own hands or in maintaining the works of wicked men wicked Iudges use to doe so whom God will never encourage as with a light shining from heaven by his example Farre be it from me to thinke so dishonourably of God and therefore I am thus importunate to know the reason of his dealings with me and what his thoughts are concerning me Verse 3. Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppresse that thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands and shine upon the counsel of the wicked Is it good c I am sure it is not it is not pleasing unto thee to oppresse to despise the work of thy hands thou delightest not to shine upon the counsel of the wicked Nequaquam probat alioâ—um iniquam vim multò minus ipse alios opprimit Sanct. Thou canst not endure any of these evils acted by man much lesse wilt thou act them thy self Thou who art just even justice it self canst not love oppression thou who art mercifull even mercy it self wilt not despise the work of thine hands thou who art holy even holinesse it self how shouldest thou delight in wicked men Thou art of purer eies then to behold iniquity and approve of it What blasphemy then is it to imagine that thou dost practise it Thy justice thy mercy thy holinesse are such as cannot admit the taint of these aspersions Omnes vias injustitiae quibus terreni julices corrumpi jus pervertere solent a Domino conator amoliri Merc. Interrogatio sensum reddit omninâ— contrarium me â—uaquaÌ„ probas c. Sanct. So then in this third and fourth verse Iob reckons up those waies by which earthly men corrupt ot pervert justice and he removes them all from the Lord. Some men do but God doth not oppresse Some men do but God doth not destroy the work of his hands Some men do but God never doth shine upon the counsel of the wicked Is it good to thee that thou doest oppresse c These interrogations we see are vehement negations they flatly and peremptorily deny what they seem doubtingly to enquire The sense is It is not good unto thee yea it is evil in thy sight to oppresse c. Thou hatest oppression Ab absurdis argumentatur quae in Deo minimè sunt tameÌ„ cogitari possunt ab infirmitate humana Jun. wrong dealing shall not dwell with thee Iob puts these questions not as if he questioned whether it were good to the Lord to oppresse or good to destroy the work of his hands and to shine upon the counsel of the wicked These were no points of controversie with him nor did he seek resolution about them Yea he therefore begs a reason of the Lord wherefore he was so oppressed becaase he knew it was not good unto Him that he should oppresse Is it good unto thee The Hebrew signifies three things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bonum triplex denotat 1. Vtile 2. Iucundum 3. Honestum First That which is profitable Secondly That which is pleasant Thirdly That which is just right or honourable any thing tendâ—ng to reputation And there may be this three-fold sense of it in this place 1. Is it good unto thee that is Numquid tibi proderit Vatab. comes there any advantage unto the Lord by oppressing Surely none What profit is there in our bloud 2. Is it good unto thee that is Is it pleasing or delightfull Is the Lord taken with the afflicting of his people I know he doth not willingly afflict the children of men 3. Is it good unto thee that is Doest thou reckon it thine honour to lay thy hand severely upon thy poor creatures No it is thy glory to passe by a transgression Now seeing it it not good unto thee any of these waies seeing thou hast no gain or profit by it no joy or delight in it no glory or honour from it Shew me wherefore thou contendest with me That 's still the burden of this mournfull Song Is it good unto thee That thou shouldest oppresse The word which we translate to oppresse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Significat opprimere aliqueÌ„ verbu aut factis Numquid loâ—uÌ„ tibi videtur si calumnieris me Vulg. signifies a
our visiting God as providence is Gods visiting of us we should visit God by praier not only as they Isa 26. in trouble but in our peace we should desire him to visit our estates our families but especially our souls and spirits in their most flourishing condition The Apostle useth it as an argument to keep us from distracting thoughts Phil. 4.2 Let your moderation be known unto all men The Lord is at hand be carefull in nothing but in every thing by praier and supplication let your requests be made known unto God The Lord is at hand let not your hearts be troubled Visit God in duty who is at hand to visit you in mercy Though there be an infinite distance between God and man yet God is not farre from any man and he is ever near some men Let not us be strangers to God when we hear he maketh continuall visits to us Thy visitation doth preserve my spirit Verse 13. And these things hast thou hid in thine heart I know that this is with thee Some read the first clause which adds sharpnesse to it with an interrogation And hast thou hid these things in thine heart Is it so with thee or hast thou dealt so with me indeed The heart of God is the will purpose or decree of God These are a vast repository wherein all things are laid up And these things hast thou hid c. What things what is the antecedent to these things 1. Some say His afflictions These things that is these afflictions which thou hast now laid upon me were hid in thine heart thou hast shewed me many favours while in secret thou didst prepare rods for me 2. The antecedent to these things is mercy life favour and visitation spoken of before say others As if Job had spoken thus This bill of blâ—ssings now read these priviledges now reekoned up were hidden in thiâ—e heart thou hast had gratious intentions towards me while thou hast been smiting me I know all this is with thee Scio quia universorum me mâ—eris Vulg. That is Thou remembrest all this and keepest a record of it by thee The Vulgar makes this the text I know thou remembrest all things or all men Some supposing the antecedent to be his afflictions make out this harsh and unbecoming sense Quasi haec mala velut in animo recondita in tempus opportunum asservasset ut nec opinanteÌ„ opprimeret Atrox querimonia Merl As if Job had thus uttered his minde to God I now perceive thou hast had coles of anger raked up in the ashes while those warm beams of love did shine upon me Thou hast held out mercy in thine hand but somewhat else lay in thine heart This interpretation in the common understanding of it is most unworthy of God It is the wickednesse of men to speak fair and to doe some courtesies while cruelty and revenges are hid in their hearts When Esau Gen. 27.41 saw himself defeated of the blessing by his brother He said in his heart The daies of mourning for my father are at hand then will I slay my brother Iacob Here 's the character of malice he gave neither brother nor mother ill language but he said in his heart The holy God never speaks good to them to whom he intends evil The Creatour needs not daub or pervaricate with his creatures I grant indeed that the Lord giveth wicked men many outward favours and speaks them fair in his works but he never speaks them fair in his Word Say Woe to the wicked it shall be ill with him for the reward of his hands shall be given him Isa 3.11 Men are apt to flatter but flattery is much an abomination to the Lord as it is below him I grant also That the Lord giveth his own people many favours and speaketh reall kindenesses to them while he hides affliction in his heart What evil soever he brings upon them he hath thoughts to do them good and hath nothing but good for them in his thoughts We understand by those hidden things the mercies which Iob with his last breath had enumerated then the words import two things First An argument to move the Lord not to destroy him or or to assure his own heart that he would not As if he had said Lord I know thou remembrest well what thou hast done for me what cost thou hast been at in making me at first and in preserving me hitherto surely then thou wilt not pull all down in a moment Secondly The words may import that the Lord in afflicting Job had used only a kinde of sacred dissimulation A dissembler carrieth himself as if he had no intent to do what he is resolved to do It is usuall with men thus to dissemble hatred and so have some their love He that purposeth much good to another hideth it sometimes under sowre language and unkindest usage Ioseph had most endeared affection toward his brethren yet he put a disguise of anger upon it acting the part of a severe man who lieth at catch to finde out advantages and pick quarrels Ioseph used many stratagems of love to entangle his brethren and wrapt up his good will in hard speeches and rough carriages Nothing appearing lesse then what indeed he most was A loving brother forgetfull of nothing but injuries Job seems to have had such a conception of God while he saith These things hast thou hid in thine heart And then his sense riseth thus Lord I know thou bearest favour and good will towards me still The fire of thy love is not extinct but covered Thou dost but personate an enemy thou art my friend thou drawest a cloud betwixt me and the light of thy countenance but thy countenance is still as full of light towards me as ever and though I see nothing but sorrows on every side yet I know mercies are hid in thine heart Thus the words are an assertion of Jobs faith and assurance that God loved him while his chastnings lay most heavy upon him Hence observe First That the Saints while they are strong in faith are able to discern the favour of God through the clouds and coverings of his most angry dispensations This they can do and when they can they are arrived at a great height in grace To maintain our interest in Christ through disadvantages is strong faith The woman of Canaan Mat. 15.26 knew her pardon and acceptance were hid in the heart of Christ while he called her dog and would scarce vouchsafe to cast an eye upon her Faith did this and faith can do the like at this day But every true faith will not do it There is a kinde of miracle wrought in such believing So Christ concludes with that woman ver 28. O woman great is thy faith Truth of grace is not enough for every work of grace some works will not be done without strength as well as truth Weak faith is ready to say Mercy is lost when it is but hidden
hand p. 389. No creature can be a daies-man between God and man only Christ is p. 392. Daies of God not like the days of man p. 459. Death Sudden death or to be slain suddenly in what sense a mercy p. 313. Death Man dies by statute p. 508. Whether death was naturall to man or no p. 509. Death without order two waies p. 584. No naturall return from it p. 580. Delight in sinne worse then the committing of sin p. 478. Despair is the cutting off of hope p. 88. Duties dangerous to lean upon them p. 97. How hypocrites duties fail p. 98. How we must hold duties fast and how not p. 99. E EAgles flight time compared to it p. 339. Earth taken five waies in Scripture p. 321. How the earth is given to wicked men p. 322. Earth-quake the force of it p. 183. The cause of it ib. Eclipse of the Sun when Christ suffered was miraculous in two respects p. 190. Egypt called Rahab in Scripture and why p. 245. Eternity is Gods day p. 462. Difference between eternity eviternity and time ib. God hath time enough to do his work in p. 463. Evil-doers who p. 127. God will not help such ib. How God concurs with evil-doers and how not p. 128 129. God resists them a two-fold resistance p. 131. Example The examples of others falling into sin or under punishment should be our warnings p. 31. Eyes of God what p. 451. Seven differences between the eyes of God and man p. 452. F FAces of Judges covered what it imports p. 326. Face put for anger c. why p. 346. Faith must have somewhat to lean upon p. 93. Faith necessary in prayer p. 273. Faith in prayer doth not deserve an answer though it get one p. 274. Faith hath its decaies pag. 276. Fear taken two waies p. 404. Sutream fear binders speech p. 405. Forgetfulnesse of God consists in four things p. 78. Hypocrites are forgetters of God p. 79. To forget God is a very great sinne p. 80. Forgetfulnesse of God is a mother sinne p. 81. Forgetfulnesse of three sorts p. 345. Some things can hardly be forgotten others as hardly remembred p. 346. G GIfts not to be trusted to p. 95 God gives to men two waies p. 322. God The best way for man to get his heart humbled is to look up to the holinesse of God p. 148. God is invisible and incomprehensible p. 229. As God is so he works above man p. 375. The consideration that God is above man should humble man p. 376. The unevennesse of mans acting towards God arises from thoughts of his evennesse with God p. 377. 378. Man was made in the image of God but God is not in the image of man p. 380. Man should take heed of measuring God especially in three things p. 381. Man cannot contend with God shewed in seven things 384. Why it is so fearfull to fall into the hands of God p 394. Presence of God both joyfull and terrible p. 402 403. Man cannot bear the anger of God p. 403. God knows the state of every man p. 471. God knoweth all things in and of himself p 473. Godly man shall never be cast away p. 122. How God may be said to east his people away p. 123 God highly honours them p. 124. A godly man exalts God while God is casting him down p. 222. Godly men are a safety and a support to the places where they live p. 244. Yet sometimes God will not be entreated by the godly ib. A godly man may put the worst cases to himself p. 543. Good and bad alike dealt with by God in outward things p. 310. Grace acts alwaies like it self but a gracious man doth not p. 364. Guilt Till guilt be removed fear will not p. 357. Guilt of sin wearieth the soul p. 413. H HAnd Putting forth the hand notes three things in Scripture p. 125 126. Hand put for outward conversation or action p. 367. Washing hands an emblem of freedom from guilt p. 368. Laying on of the hand what it signifies p. 387. Hands How ascribed to God his hand implies two things p. 442. Hands of God what p. 489. Hardning the heart what 160 A hardning the heart to do either good or evil ib. The heart hardned appears in six things p. 161. A three-fold hardnesse of heart p. 162. Man hardens himself against God upon four grounds p. 163. Nine degrees or steps of hardnesse of heart p. 164 165. None ever prospered by hardning themselves against God p. 166. A hard heart is Satans cushion p. 166. Hatred taken two waies 137. Wicked men haters of the righteous p. 141. Hearkning is more then hearing p. 272. Head Lifting up of the head what it imports in Scripture 545. Heart the best repository for truth p. 70. Heaven The various acceptations of it in the Scriptures 199. Heaven is a building of three stories p. 200. Help given by God two-fold p. 128. Holy persons fit for holy duties p. 34. It is not contrary to free grace to say we must be holy if we would be heard p. 35. Hopelesse To be so is the worst condition p. 84 88. Where hope faileth indeavour faileth also 364 Humility a godly mans thoughts are lowest of himself p 251. The more holinesse any man hath the more humility he hath p. 547. Hypocrite compared to a rush in six particulars p. 75 76 77. What an hypocrite is p. 82. Two sorts of hypocrites p. 83. They are filthy they may be full of hopes their hopes will deceive them p. 84 He shall loath himself p. 85 86. his whole course is nothing but foolishnes p. 87. He shall be hopelesse 88. His hope like a spiders-web shewed in five things p. 90 91. He hath two houses p. 94. His hopes may be very strong p. 96. He hath three witnesses ib. All he trusts to shall fail p 97. He may abound in outward blessings p. 104. They do all to be seen p. 105. They may endure persecution a while p 105. They care not whom they wrong so they may thrive 108. They are often destroied in the height of their prosperity 110. They shall be forgotten or remembred with disgrace p. 113 114 He may have much joy p. 115. His joy is most from outward things 116. His joy is short ib. I IDol The same word in Hebrew signifies sorrow and an idol two reasons of it 353. Idols why called Emims p. 401. Immortality three-fold 510. Instruments and second causes What God doth by them is to be reckoned as his own act p. 235. Joy is the portion of the Saints and they shall receive it in good time p 135. They rejoyce in the works of Gods mercies to themselves judgements on enemies 136 Justice and judgement how they differ p. 12. Judgement opposed to three things ib. Judgement subverted two waies p. 14. To pervert judgement what p. 13 15. Judgements of God finde most men secure p. 178. Judgement taken three waies p. 291. Judgement of God