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
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
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
way of his providence is called his sleep The complaint runnes high Psal 44.9 c. Lord thou goest not forth with our Armies we are become a reproach unto our enemies Thou sellest thy people for nought we are killed like sheep all the day long There 's a description of the confusion of things then followeth vers 23. Awake why sleepest thou O Lord Arise cast us not off for ever wherefore hidest thou thy face and forgettest our affliction and our oppression Such a time was accounted the sleeping time of God Hence when God in the workings of his providence searcheth out the wicked and brings them to destruction when he breaks their designs and turns their counsels backwards when he turns their wickednesse upon their own heads and catches them in the snare which they have laid for others then he is said to awake Ps 78.65 He gave his people over to the sword and the fire consumed the young men then the Lord awakened as one out of sleep and like a giant refreshed with wine He smote his enemies in the hinder parts and put them to a perpetuall shame Such a time was accounted Gods waking time So then Sleeping and awaking note only the changes of providence Hence also the providence of God is described by an eye 2 Chron. 16.9 which is the proper organ of sleeping or waking and the exactnesse of providence is set out by seven eyes Zech. 3.9 The Scripture speaks this language in reference to our soul-sleep and awakening When we sin and let things goe which way they will in our hearts without taking any care or keeping our watch against temptation then we are asleep in sinne And when we begin to consider our estates and return to our selves when we take notice how it is with us and ask our hearts the question What have we done This in a spirituall sense is our awakening Awake thou that sleepest Ephes 5.14 Our spirituall sleeping and waking are the decaies or quicknings of soul-endeavours And Gods providentiall sleeping and waking are the seeming stops and visible motions of his power mercy and justice in the world This is the awaking which Bildad promises If thou wouldest seek God c. Surely he would awake for thee The words opened teach us First That holy prayer shall certainly be heard If thou make thy supplication to him surely he will awake God cannot sleep when a poor believing soul cries in his ears If I regard iniquity in my heart God will not hear my prayer Psal 66.18 But verily God hath heard me he hath not turned away my prayer nor his mercy from me What God turn prayer away No he cannot lie still as I may so speak when prayer knocks at the door he must arise and open presently That 's a second note Prayer shall be heard presently What presently Yes presently heard though not presently answered Surely now he will awaken for thee even now Holy prayers are never deferred the hearing no not a minute Isa 65.24 Before they call I will hear and while they are yet speaking I will answer In the very act of praying the answer came forth yea the answer sometimes antedates our asking and the grant commeth before the petition The giving out of the answer may be deferr'd but the answer is not deferr'd We may be heard and heard graciously and yet not presently receive the thing we ask but every prayer is heard and laid up assoon as put up he hangs it upon the file he hath it safe by him Prayer receives an answer in heaven assoon as spoken upon earth though the answer be not returned to us on earth God sleeps not at the prayer of those who are awake in prayer Thirdly Observe Prayer is the best means to awaken God God hath many waies to awaken man and he hath directed man a way to awaken himself When we are asleep he awakeneth us chiefly two waies First by the voice of his word Secondly by the voice of his rod. He now awakens us by the loud sounding trumpet and the alarms of warre when God awakeneth us by judgements it is time for us to awaken him by prayer We finde two things in Scripture which awaken God First the prayers of his own people And secondly the rage and blasphemy of his enemies Psal 78.65 The Prophet having described the cruelty and rage of the enemy adds Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep and like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine David makes this an argument in prayer Psal 7. Because of the rage of mine enemies awake for me to the judgement which thou hast commanded As if he had said Lord shall mine enemies rage and wilt thou sleep Wilt not thou awake for me Arise I pray thee The noise of blasphemy and the cry of violence from wicked men stir up God when he seems to lie asleep The noise of prayer the cries and cals of faith in his own people will not let him sleep A man whose heart is drenched in the world and drowned in rivers of earthly pleasures praies himself asleep and his prayers bring God asleep to he sleeps when he praies and God sleeps at his prayers that is God regards not his prayer he is as one that sleepeth as if he heard not what was said A wordly man doth not hear what he speaks he knows not what his own requests are God sleepeth when men are thus asleep But when we as the Apostle directs watch and pray then God awakes at our prayers As in the former verse Job was counselled to awake to pray to God so now he is promised That the Lord will awake when he praieth Fourthly Seeing the Lord is awakened by prayer Wâ— learn That Prayer ought to be very strong and fervent As men are graduall in their sleep so is the Lord in his A man is sometimes so slumberingly asleep that the least noise will awake him you cannot stirre but he will hear it At another time a man is so dead asleep that though you hollow in his ear you cannot awake him thunder cannot stirre him Sometimes God departs so little that the least voice calleth him again he comes at the first word at another time he is gone so farre that as to a man in a deep sleep you must crie and cry again call and call again cry aloud before he hears And we may in a safe sense apply that to the true God which Elijah did to that false god Baal when his Priests were calling to him from morning to night Elijah mocking bids them cry aloud it may be saith he he sleepeth We may say with reverence thus when any pray to God and he doth not hear pray aloud not in regard of the voice and outward sound but pray with louder desires of heart with more fervency and zeal of spirit Peradventure God sleepeth peradventure he is in a deep sleep at this time and he will not suddenly be awakened therefore cry aloud When God
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We may then say with reverence God help us indeed what a miserable condition were we then in if God would not put forth his hand to help any that do evil The evil doer is a man notoriously professedly studiously wicked one that acts and devises evil against God and his waies Every one who doth evil is not to be reckon'd an evil doer A man doth evil in any one act but one act doth not make him an evil doer A Magistrate must count him an evil doer who doth evil and therefore he must take vengeance in many cases of him that doth evil though but once Rom. 13.4 and though he repent The Angels were cast as evil doers for one act and so was man in innocency but now the evil doer is one who multiplies and continues in evil deeds to such as these the Lord will not put forth his hand or give them his help Observe then First That God is no friend no assistant unto men in sinfull waies He will not strengthen the hands or help forward the work of wicked men God is the punisher and judge of evil doers therefore not their helper Evil doers oppose not only Gods law but his nature therefore he will not help them He cannot exercise one Attribute against another his power will not work against his holinesse or against his will There is a two-fold help which God giveth First A common help Secondly A speciall help We grant that God strengthens the hands even of evil doers in regard of a common help For no man could put forth his hand to any evil as a sinner if God did not give him a generall assistance as a creature In this sense the strength by which men rebell and sinne against God comes from God But he doth not strengthen their hands or give them help by any speciall assistance In the doing of good we have a common assistance to the act as there is a naturall motion in it which God gives his people with the rest of the world but this will not carry them out to doe good compleatly To bring forth any gracious act they must have a speciall assistance Hence Christ saith Without me ye can do nothing he means it not of that generall support which Christ gives to man by which all live and move and have their being in him in that sense no man is able to doe any thing without Christ for in him all things cons st but when he saith Without me ye can doe nothing he means without my speciall assistance and strength ye cannot perform holy and spirituall duties acceptable unto God So the Apostle We have no sufficiency of our selves so much as to thinke a good thought We have no sufficiency to thinke any thought without some assistance but to thinke a good thought we have not any sufficiency without a speciall assistance Wicked men are not able to doe evil without a common assistance but they have no speciall assistance from God to do evil He doth neither stir up and excite then lusts to the act nor supply their lusts while they are acting Wicked men have assistance enough in both from their own hearts and from Satan Though man hath no sufficiency in himself to thinke one good thought yet he hath a sufficiency in himself to thinke all evil thoughts As he is a creature he acts and as he is a corrupt creature he sins Man hath full power and free-will to do evil therefore the Lord doth not put forth his hand to help the evil doer But it will be necessary for the understanding of this and other like Scripture to consider somewhat more distinctly what God doth in reference to evil acts or the acts of evil doers He concurs but not with such a concurrence as amounts to the helping of evil doers or the strengthening of their hands The first help which God gives evil doers is privative or negative the calling in or not giving out of that power by which they might do good or avoid evil Thus he departed from Saul and then Saul went on worse and worse against David God hath somewhat to doe with evil doers when he with-draws that help from them by which they might be kept from doing evil Or when he doth not assist them against the evil of their own hearts and the pollutions of the world This deserting and leaving them unto themselves laies them open to sin Yet the sin which a man thus deserted commits can no more be charged upon God then the darknesse of the night can be charged upon the Sunne for going down sinne follows divine desertion not as an effect doth the cause but as a consequent doth it's antecedent Secondly He delivers or gives them up first to Satan And secondly to their own counsels to a reprobate minde and vile affections Psal 81.12 Rom. 1.24 26. This tradition is an act beyond desertion there is a greater spirituall judgement in it when God makes a mans own wickednesse active against him then when he doth not make his Spirit or grace active in him It were better to be put into the hands of all the tyrants in the world yea better be put into the hands of the devil then into the hands of our own lusts and passions God doth not give a reprobate minde or vile affections but he gives up to them Thirdly Evil doers in their doing evil are ordered by God Wicked men in every sinfull act runne beyond the line of obedience but they cannot runne beyond the line of providence God limits and circumscribes the acts of wicked men for otherwise every wicked man would be a monster a none-such in wickednesse if he could every one would be a Cain an Ahab a Nero a Calâ—gula c. The sinfulnesse of men would be not only out of measure sinfull intensive in regard of the quality of it but out of measure sinfull extensive in regard of the quantity of it it would break all bounds carry all down before it did not the Lord order and direct the disorders and confusions of it There is a sea of wickednesse in the heart of a wicked man which is as boysterous and unruly as the naturall sea and if the Lord did not set bounds to that sea of wickednesse and say Hitherto shalt thou come and no further it would overwhelm all Thus farre also God hath to doe in the sinfulnesse of men to limit and stay them to restrain and keep them in compasse while they sinne Every sinne goes without the compasse of that law which God hath given but no sinne can get beyond the compasse of that leave which God gives Fourthly We may say God assists the motions of sinne but not the motions to sinne or the sinfulnesse of the motion The strength of a wicked mans hand while he sins is from the Lord but the Lord doth not strengthen his hand to sinne A sinner hath naturall help from God but he hath no morall
against his life and his wishes for death by many arguments in the tenth Chapter In most of these points he answers exactly according to the strict laws and rules of disputation First Repeating his Opponents argument and then yeelding what was true denying what was false and distinguishing about what was doubtfull Which he doth with so much acutenesse and vigour with so much strength and clearnesse both of reason and judgement that one of the Ancients cries out upon the whole matter of his answer in these Chapters O how much Philosophy I may say Quantum verba haec praese feruâ—t philosophiam Chrys how much logick hath Job shewed in this reply to the argument of Bildad Bildads argument speaks to this effect God who hath punished thee is just therefore thou art unjust Job in answer grants the antecedent but denies the consequent His grant of the antecedent appears in the two first verses of the Chapter I know it is so of a truth I yeeld this but how should man be just with God He proves and confirms that God is just in the fourth verse by a double medium First From his wisdome He is wise in heart And Secondly From his power He is mighty in strength What force there is in these two Attributes to hold up the justice of God we shall see afterwards The fourth verse is likewise a concession unto the second part of Bildads advice namely that Job should humble himself As if Job had said You advise me to humble my self and to seek unto God it is most becomming I should doe so for he is wise in heart and mighty in strength Who hath hardened himself against him and hath prospered There is no standing out against God and therefore I yeeld I fall down and abase my self before him That God is thus powerfull and wise he goes on to prove in the following parts of the Chapter to the 22. verse by the enumeration of many particular acts and effects both of his power and wisdome The other part of his argument namely the consequent that therefore Job was unjust and wicked he denies and more refutes it strongly His negation and refutation begin at the 22th verse This is one thing therefore I said it He destroyeth the righteous and the wicked As if he had said This is no argument that I am a wickedman because God hath destroyed my estate and my children for God in this sense destroyeth both the righteous and the wicked It cannot be proved that I am wicked because God hath afflicted me or that God hath afflicted me for my wickednesse I know another way how to acquit the justice of God and to declare him righteous though I doe not joyn with you in condemning and judging myself in your notion unrighteous This is the summe of his answer contained in the ninth Chapter In the tenth he renews his complaint as before in the sixth and sheweth after he had given God glory under all his sufferings what great reason he had to be sensible under the pain and smart of his sufferings Verse 1 2. Then Job answered and said I know it is so of a truth Thus he grants the antecedent I know it to be so of a truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Asseverario quaedam est rei sibi benè exploratae Radix Aman fidelem stabilem veracem esse unde Amon. or truly I know it to be so The word hath a double force in it Sometime of a bare yet a strong asseveration and sometimes of an Oath I know it to be so of a truth I affirm or aver the thing or truly and indeed or verily I know the thing to be so As if Job had said This is so much a truth that I dare swear it is a truth that God is just I durst take my oath of it if I were called to it I would swear for the justice of God above all things in the world As we ought to swear in truth Psal 89.49 so to affirme a thing to be so in truth is swearing Further the word is taken either in way of affirmation Amen dupliceÌ„ habet sensum 1. Vt fit affirmatio eorum quae dicturi sumuâ— 2. Vt sit confirmatio eorum quae jam dicta sunt Hebraicè innotare solet confirmationem Syriacè in N. T. affirmationem Bol. or in way of confirmation In way of affirmation it refers to that which is to be spoken so frequently in the new Testament Amen Amen verily verily is a vehement affirmation of what was afterwards to be spoken Verily verily I say unto you But here rather it is a note of confirmation of the truth already spoken The Syriack of the new Testament uses it commonly for an affirmation the Hebrew in the old for a confirmation So then it is here a sealing to the former truth delivered both by Bildad and Eliphaz about the justice of God Eliphaz in the 4th Chapter vers 17. and Bildad in the 8th ver 3. Doth the Almighty pervert judgement No saith Job I know it of a truth that he doth not And so the sense runs thus Bildad doest thou surmise by what I have spoken that I have ill or hard thoughts of the justice of God Did I ever thinke that justice was perverted because I was afflicted I acknowledge thou hast truly said that God doth not pervert judgement and I acknowledge thou hast faithfully counselled me to seek unto God and make my supplication to the Almighty for alas who am I that I should contend with God What am I that I should dispute it out with him concerning my troubles and his dealings with me Or if I should be so rash so fool-hardy and adventurous to attempt such a thing alas I could make nothing of it I could not answer him one argument of a thousand whereby he might maintain his own justice or to one charge and article of a thousand whereby he might impeach mine I am no match for God Therefore I yeeld thee the whole matter so farre as concerns the honouring of God in that great Attribute of his justice and the duty of weak man in humbling himself before the great God I know it to be so of a truth Note hence First That in all disputes and controversies it is a note both of an ingenuous and of an holy heart to yeeld as much as without wrong to truth may be yeelded unto It is good to agree as farre as we can if we cannot agree in all We should walk with an adversary one mile when it lies in our way though we cannot walk twain Jobus veritatis fidissimus assertor qui omnia ratione non afflictionis sensu metiretur tam ingenuè satetur commendat vera quae ab impugnatoribus promuntur quaÌ„ generoâ—è falsa depellit quod hoc praesertim capite liquidò demonstrat dum verum duorum disputatorum assertum non admittit modo verum elegantissimè disertissimè inte groâ—erè capite amplificat
of what he knows so he wishes there were no such thing to be known and that the revealed will of God were lesse by so much as it specially opposeth his will Thirdly The contest about providence grows as high in the hearts of men as that about predestination to life or the rule of life The Saints sometimes modestly enter this controversie Let me plead with thee saith Jeremy Chap. 12.1 He doth it we see with a great deal of trembling and submission he seems to ask leave before he doth it Hypocrites contend with God proudly about their own good works Isa 58.3 Wherefore have we fasted and thou seest not As if they had done so well that God himself could not mend it Carnall men plead with God profanely about his works as if he had done so ill that they could mend it Ye say the way of the Lord is not equall hear now O house of Israel is not my way equall Are not your waies unequall Ezek. 18.25 They charged God with ill dealing because he punished them who did evil Wherefore will ye plead with me ye all have transgressed against me saith the Lord Jer. 2.29 they began to plead with God about his dispensations as if he had been unrighteous or rigorous Wherefore will ye plead with me I will plead with you saith God vers 9. God may plead and contend with man but shall man plead and contend with God Ye have all sinned and transgressed against me that 's enough to stop your mouths I can answer you with one word Ye are a company of sinners then plead not with me Plead with your mother plead Hos 2.2 let man plead with man man with his neighbour The wit of one man may compare with the wit of another and their justice may hold plea with one another But neither the justice nor the wit of man will serve him to plead with God That is a second observation Man is not able to maintain his cause and hold plea either against the works of God or for his own If he dispute with God in the schools or fee an advocate to implead him at the barre he is not able to answer him one of a thousand Isa 45.9 Woe be to him that striveth with his maker it is this word Wee be to him that contendeth with his maker for he shall not be able to make out one argument or prove any thing against him such a man is in a very sad condition woe unto him David praies Ps 143.2 Enter not into judgement with thy servant for in thy sight shall no flesh living be just â—â—ed As if he had said Lord if the holiest and purest if the best of men should come and stand before thee in judgement or plead with thee they could not be justified therefore David was so farre from contending with God that he deprecates Gods contending with him enter not into judgement with thy servant such a charge is laid upon Job Chap. 33.13 Why dost thou strive with him for he giveth not an account of any of his matters And if he should condescend to give an account can any man gain by it The Lord argues so convincingly That every mouth must be stopped and all the world become guilty before God Rom. 3.19 Every mouth shall be stopped when God opens his When God speaks man hath nothing to say against him Every mouth is stopped with this one word Man is a sinner The Apostle points at some Tit. 1.11 Whose mouths must be stopped he means with reason to convince them that they are in an errour By this one argument That all men are sinners God stops their mouths forever Thirdly By way of corallary we may give you that generall ttuth That no man can be justified by his works If we contend with him we cannot answer him one of a thousand He that mixeth but one sin with a thousand good actions cannot be justified by his works how then shall he be justified by works who hath not one perfectly good action amongst a thousand sins Man is not able to answer for one thing he doth of a thousand no not for one thing he doth of all that he hath done He that would be justified by his works must not have one ill action amongst all his actions One flie in the box of ointment corrupts all one defect makes a sinner but many good actions cannot make one righteous If our heart condemn us God is greater then our heart 1 Joh. 3.20 Should man contend with his own heart that will condemn him his own heart would bring a thousand witnesses against him sooner then one for him Conscience is a thousand witnesses man cannot answer before that tribunall how much lesse can he answer God Who is greater then our hearts and knoweth all things That 's the argument Job goes on with to prove that man cannot be justified before God Verse 4. He is wise in heart and mighty in strength who hath hardened himself against him and hath prospered Which words are a further illustration both of the justice of God and of mans duty to be humbled and abased before him He is wise in heart and mighty in strength Here is a double proof in these words A proof first of Gods justice why He is wise in heart Integerrimus judex cui nec sapientia ad judicandum nec potentia ad ex equendum deest therefore he knows how to do right He is mighty in strength or power therefore he needs not pervert judgement or doe wrong for fear of man Fear of a higher power usually biasseth those who are in power Here are two Attributes which keep the balances of divine judgement in a due poise He is wise in heart and mighty in power therefore there is no turning of him out of the path of justice Secondly It is a proof or a confirmation of the other point about which Bildad adviseth Iob namely that he ought to seek unto God and humble himself before him it would be dangerous to contend or contest with God Why He is wise in heart and mighty in power As if he had said Shall ignorant foolish man contend with the wise God Shall weak man contend with the mighty God Alas man is no match for God He is wise in heart and mighty in strength who can enter such a controversie and prosper in it There are two waies to carry on a controversie First By wit and policy Secondly By strength and power If man will take up the former weapon against God if he work by wit and dispute against God God will be too hard for him For he is wise in heart If man will set his shoulders or take up weapons against God poor creature what can he doe The Lord is mighty in strength from both we see there is no dealing with him These two attributes render God at once the most dreadfull adversary Dolus an virtus quis in hoste requiret and the most desirable
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
and prospered That is did ever any man so weary out God by lengthening this warre that God was as it were forced at last to offer him terms of peace So it happens sometimes with men Ab aequipollente pacem aliquis pugnando obtinere potest licet enim eum superaâ—e non possit tamen assiâ—uitate pugnae eum fatigat ut ad pacem reducatur Aquin. Quis permansit aut perstetâ—t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sep. with Nations and Kingdoms They not getting peace by victory but being spent and tired out with warre begin to thinke of treating Did ever any one put the Lord to offer a treaty with articles of peace to save himself from further trouble They who have not strength enough to overcome may yet have power enough to vex and weary their adversary But God can neither be vanquish'd by force nor vext with our policies into a peace with man Thirdly Others give this sense Who ever held out or was able to persist in a war against the Lord The wicked shall not stand before God in the day of judgement much lesse in the day of battell Who would set the bryars and thorns against me in battell I would go thorow them I would burn them together Isa 27.4 The most steely and and flinty spirits in the world can no more stand before God then briars and thorns can before a flaming fire The Lord soon breaks and destroies all opposing power And so there is a figure in the words for man doth not only not prosper but he is undone and crusht for ever by contending with God Shall man prosper in a warre with God No it shall end in his own ruine and utter destruction Whence observe That nothing can be got but blows by contending with God The greatest Monarchs in the world have at one time or other found their matches but the great God never found his match Hoc est signum evidens quod fortitu lo Dei omnem humanaÌ„ fortitudinem exoedit quia nullus cum eo paceâ— habere potest resist endo sed solum humiliter obediendo Aquin. Vicisti Galilae Pharaoh contended with him but did he prosper in it You see what became of him at last he was drown'd in the red sea Julian contended with Christ he scoffed at him he came up to the highest degrees he sate in the chair of the scorner and in the tribunall of the persecutour but what got he at last When he was wounded and threw up his bloud toward heaven said he not O Galilean thou hast overcome I acknowledge thy power whose name and truth I have opposed Christ whom he had derided and against whom he hardened himself into scorns and scoffs was too hard for him All that harden themselves against God shall be worsted Gather your selves together O ye people and ye shall be broken in peeces Isa 8.9 Gather your selves together against whom Gather your selves together against the people of God and ye shall be broken in pieces Why Emanuel the Lord is with us If no man can prosper by hardening himself against the people of God because the Lord is with them how shall any man prosper by hardening himself immediately against God If Emanuel will not let any prosper against his people certainly he will not let any prosper against himself Therefore Prov. 28.24 Solomon laies it down directly He that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief and Prov. 29.1 He shall be destroyed and that without remedy there is no help for it all the world cannot save him A hard heart is it self the forest of all judgements and it brings all judgements upon us A hard heart treasureth up wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2.5 As a hard heart is Satans treasury for sinne so it is Gods treasury for wrath The wals of that fiery Tophet are built up with these stones with their hard hearts who turn themselves into stones against the Lord. Then take heed of hardening your selves against God You know the counsell which Gamaliel gave Act. 5.39 Refrain from these men and let them alone c. See how tremblingly he speaks lest you be found even to fight against God as if he had said take heed what you doe it is the most dreadfull thing in the world to contend with God he speaks as of a thing he would not have them come near or be in the remotest tendency to Man will not meddle with a mortall man if he be too hard for him how should we tremble to meddle or contend with the immortall God! Christ Luk. 14. warning his Disciples to consider afore-hand what it is to be his disciples gives them an instance of a King What King saith he going to make warre against another King sitteth not down first and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that commeth against him with twenty thousand Now I say to you if any such be here that have hearts steel'd or harden'd against God who challenge God the field and send defiance to heaven O sit down sit down consider whether you with your ten thousand are able to meet God with his twenty thousand that 's great odds half in half but consider whether one single simple man can stand against his twenty thousand whether a man of no strength can stand against infinite strength whether you who have no wisdom are able to stand against him that is of infinite wisdome Can ignorance contend with knowledge folly with wisdome weaknesse with strength an earthen vessel with an iron rod O the boldnesse and madnesse of men who will hazard themselves upon such disadvantages He is wise in heart and mighty in power who hath hardened himself against him and hath prospered And as God is so powerfull that no wicked man in the world can mend himself by contending with him so neither can any of his own people If they harden themselves against God they shall not prosper To harden the heart against God is not only the sin of a Pharaoh of a Senacherib and of a Julian but possibly it may be the sin of a believer the sin of a Saint And therfore the Apostle Heb. 3. gives them caution Take heed lest any of your hearts be hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sin and whose heart soever is hardned against God that man good or bad shall not prosper or have peace in it It is mercy that God will not give his own peace or let them thrive in sin Grace prospers not when the heart is hardened joy prospers not nor comfort nor strength when the heart is hardned the whole state and stock of a beleever is impaired when his heart is hardened And if the Saints harden their heart against God God in a sense will harden his heart against them that is he will not appear tender hearted and compassionate towards them in reference to present comforts he will harden himself to afflict and chasten when they harden themselves to
and the pillars thereof tremble This is a second instance but in higher expressions of the same power of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e terram universam Sept. Which shakes the earth out of her place He had said before God removeth mountains Mountains are great bulky bodies but no mountain is so great as the Globe of the whole earth Now saith he the Lord doth not only shake mountains some great parts of the earth but if he pleaseth he can take up the whole earth and throw it out of its place as a man would take up a little ball and throw it into the air He shakes the earth out of her place The word which we translate to shake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non significat motum naturalem sed commotionem quandaÌ„ ex metu trepidationem tremorem Didacus Astunica putat hunc locum illustrari posse ex sententia Pythagoricorum existi mantium terraÌ„ moveri natura sua Copernieus signifies a violent motion of the minde caused either by fear Deut. 2.25 or grief 2 Sam. 18.33 we read of a trembling heart from both Deut. 28.25 It is also applied to civill shakings and commotions by the troublesome spirits of men Prov. 30.21 For three things the earth is disquieted And to unnaturall shakings of the earth by the power of God 2 Sam. 22.8 c. So in the text Some expound this of a naturall motion Those men have surely a motion and turning in their brains who tell us that there is a continued motion of the earth that it turns and never stands still they would ground the motion of the earth upon this Scripture translating thus Which moveth the earth in her place But the text tels us that the earth hath pillars and not wheels Pillars are made for rest not for motion Further This text speaks of it as of an act of Gods anger therefore no ordinary act appointed in nature and the word notes a violent motion not a naturall But we need not stand to refute this motion As when some denied all motion a Philosopher to prove it rose up and walked So when any affirm or give reason for this motion we may shew their senses that the earth stands This shaking then is extraordinary the Lord who made the earth firm upon pillars can make the earth move as if it went on wheels This he doth first by earthquakes these shake the earth as it were out of her place and make it tremble Histories are full and many mens experience can give instances of such terrible shakings of the earth This earthquake is not meant here for there is a reason in nature for that Philosophers dispute much about it and tell us when there is a strong vapour included or imprisoned in the bowels of the earth that vapour seeking vent maketh a combustion there and so the earth shakes This indeed shews the mighty power of God but it is in a naturall way whereas the text seems to imply somewhat more somewhat beyond the learning of Philosophers and Naturalists Besides the text saith He shaketh the earth out of her place Whereas an earthquake shakes the earth in her place and causes it to tremble upon the pillars thereof But did God ever shake the earth out of her place We must understand the text conditionally We have not any instance that the Lord hath actually done so but this supposition may be put The Lord can remove mountains and shake the earth not only in but out of her place We finde such conditionall expressions often put in Scripture not as if the things ever had been or ever should be done but if the Lord will he is able to doe them Amos 9.5 The Lord God of Hosts is he that toucheth the land Terrificam capitis concussit terque quaterque Caesariem cum qua terraÌ„ mare sidera moâ—it Ovid. Met. and it shall melt that is if the Lord doe but touch the land he can melt it As the three children cast into a fiery fornace had not so much as a garment or a threed about them touched with it because the Lord forbad the fire to burn So if the Lord bid a spark but touch us it shall melt and consume us as if we were cast into and continued in a fiery fornace As a word made so a touch shall mar the world when God will yet he hath not done thus unto this day So in the text He shakes the earth out of her place imports what God can not what he hath or will do Note from it That the Lord is able to doe greater things then ever he actually hath done He hath not put the earth out of her place the earth is where it was but he can displace it God hath never acted any of his attributes to the height for they are infinite he never acted power so high but he is able to act it higher He hath never acted mercy in pardoning so farre but he is able to act it further a greater sinner then ever yet was pardoned may be pardoned A greater enemy then ever was overcome may be overcome He hath runne with foot-men and they have not wearied him and he is able to contend with horses in a land of peace he was never wearied and he knows how to wade thorow the swellings of Jordan It is comfortable to consider that the Lord cannot only doe the same things again which he hath done but he hath never done to the utmost of what he is able to doe he can out-doe all that he hath done as much as the shaking of the whole earth out of her place is more then to remove a mountain yea or a mole-hill of earth And the pillars thereof tremble We have the pillars of heaven Chap. 26.11 here of the earth The pillars 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Columna erecta a stando dicta The word in the originall signifies to stand upright to be erect because pillars doe so There are two sorts of pillars upon which there is a different interpretation of the word There are first Supporting pillars And Secondly Supported pillars Or there are pillars for ornament and pillars for strength We set up pillars or pinacles upon the tops of great buildings for ornament and they are supported pillars We may call mountains such pillars for as when some stately palace is built great pillars or pinacles are set upon the towers and battlements so the Lord having framed the earth hath set up mountains as great pillars for the adorning of it He shaketh the earth and the pillars thereof tremble it is true of these upper pillars the mountains they tremble But I take it rather to be meant of supporting pillars under-pillars which bear the frame above and are as the bases or under-props of the earth Psal 105. Who laid the foundation of the earth the earth hath a foundation the Hebrew is He hath founded the earth upon her basis alluding to a building
rage of the mysticall as of the literall waters yea we finde these two matcht together Psal 65.7 He stilleth the noise of the seas the noise of their waters and the tumult of the people Hence the Apostle Jude vers 13. cals wicked men raging waves of the sea foaming out their own shame The Lord sitteth upon these flouds yea the Lord sitteth King for ever Psal 29.10 There are other mysticall waves even waves within us which will not be trodden upon by any foot but Gods There is a sea of wickednesse in every mans heart by nature Every wicked man is nothing but a sea he is a sea of wickednesse The wicked Isa 57.20 are like the troubled sea when it cannot rest And as the windes blow from all quarters of the heavens and strive upon the seas So there are divers lusts which as windes strive upon the face of mans heart the lust of pride the lust of covetousnes the lusts of ambition of envy of malice these enrage and swell the waters The Lord treads upon the high waves of this sea also he restrains and keeps lust down by his power it would drown all else These raging waves swell too high in his own people it is the work of his Spirit to tread these down and when the windes of severall temptations raise those waves he it is that commands them down Who amongst us is there that one time or other findes not corruption raging as the high waves of the sea How mighty and powerfull is the Lord in that great work of his effectuall grace treading upon the waves of this sea remaining corruption in his servants and children Verse 9. Which maketh Arcturus Orion and Pleiades and the chambers of the South In the verse immediately before we heard of the power of God in stretching out the heavens and in this we have his excellent skill and infinite wisdome displaied in adorning decking and beautifying those heavens which he had stretched forth He hath not only drawn out a vast piece of work In astroruÌ„ pulchritudine situ ordine vi stupendiso in haec infortora operationibus admirabilis prorsus creatoris magnificentia magnitudo plurimuÌ„ clucet Bold like a large Canopy such are the heavens but he hath embroidered this Canopy and set it with rich sparkling stones he hath made severall engravings images figures and representations upon it Or we may make the connexion with the later clause of the former verse Job having said that the Lord treadeth upon the high waves of the sea that when the seas are most stormy and tempestuous they are at his command and that their confusions are under his Empire and order he adds this verse by way of answer to a possible objection For some might say the motion of the seas is from the power and influences of the stars Cum multa sint astra hominibus fluctibus infensa eorum praecipuè memâ—nit quorum vis ad ciendas tempestates hominibus magis est explorata San. from the rising and setting of the moon with other planets and constellations True saith Job yet the Lord is he that treadeth upon the waves of the sea it is the Lord that orders them and not the stars Though the stars and constellations have a dominion over the seas in their ebbings and flowings motions and revolutions yet there is a Lord who hath power not only over the seas but over that which over-powers the seas even over the stars of heaven He maketh Arcturus Orion and Pleiades and the chambers of the South which stars according to the doctrine of Astronomy have a speciall power upon the seas Either of these waies we may make the connexion First That Job would expresse the adorning of the heavens after he had spoken of their making and stretching forth Or secondly He would teach us that though the heavens work upon the seas yet God works upon the heavens He maketh Arcturus Orion and Pleiades and the chambers of the South I shall endeavour to speak of these distinctly The holy Ghost giving us such a Text it is not lightly to be passed by And though here are strange words and uncouth expressions yet we may I hope bring them down to an easie meaning and fit them to the understanding of the simplest I shall touch a little in the generall before I come to every one in particular Iob under these names couches many of the stars of heaven Stella est densior pars orbis ideo lucent astra non coeli quia hi diaphani sunt rari asâ—ra autem densa eoque lucem retinentia reflectentia Migir Phys A Star according to Philosophy is the thicker part of its orb â—r sphear it is thicker then other parts of the heavens for otherwise as it could not hold the light so it could not reflect and send forth the light It could not be a vessel for light or a conveiance for light Light was created the first day Gen. 1.3 but the lights were created the fourth day Gen. 1.14 that is certain vessels were created to hold the light And God said Let there be lights in the firmament of heaven that is let the light which is now scattered thorow all be gathered in certain receptacles fit to keep and yet fitted to transmit and disperse it into all parts of the world Let them be for lights in the firmament of heaven to give light vers 15. Of these lights or stars some are called moving and others fixed That 's the doctrine of Astronomers and it is the doctrine of the Scripture The Apostle Iude ver 13. calling some wandering stars seems to admit of that distinction of the stars into wandering and fixed The unfixt or wandering stars are seven known by their names and motions These in the Text are none of them these are placed above them The seat of these Asterismes is in the eighth sphear to take that doctrin for granted though many dispute it or story of the heavens so the Prophet Amos speaks Chap. 9.2 He buildeth his stories in the heavens we put in the margent sphears He buildâ—th his sphears in the heavens which being one above another are elegantly called the stories of heaven And in the eight sphear innumerable stars are fixed Some of which fall under speciall observation and numeration Astronomers give us a Catalogue of a thousand three and twenty stars which they exactly distinguish which is the ancient account And since that we have had many more discoveries by those noble Navigatours who have made thorow-lights to the world that the East might look into the West and the South into the North The travell study and experiments of these Masters in navigation have brought us in an additionall number of three hundred stars more And so we reckon a thousand three hundred and twenty three fixed stars known by name of which these in the text are a part Thâ— other stars are both innumerable and unnameable beyond number and
the stars which are under the Southern pole are hidden from us and are enclosed lodged as in a chamber God locks them up in his treasury and they are secrets to this part of the world the southern Pole being under or below our Horizon In the artificiall sphears of heaven we finde few Asterismes or descriptions of the starres about those parts there are many but we perceive them not And the vertue and operation of these chambered hidden stars is as strong as of those which appear in greatest lustre and beauty Again When he saith Which maketh Arcturus c. his meaning is Which makes them appear or do their office These stars were made when the heavens were made and Jobs discourse is not about creation but providence So that to make Arcturus c. in the sense of this Text is only this to order the times of their rising and setting to distinguish the seasons of the year and to produce their severall effects in every season which providentiall acts are here especially aimed at Thus he maketh Arcturus to rise about the middle of September which is the time of the Equinox when the civill day and night are even and share the hours of the naturall day equally between them Or as others account this star rises about eleven daies before the Equinox So by Arcturus we may understand that season of the year And he maketh Arcturus is he orders and disposeth of the season commonly called Autumn Orion shines forth in our Hemisphear about the moneth of December and by that winter is designed The Pleiades begin at the spring therefore called Vergiliae because they arise vere in the spring and disappear or go down toward winter The chambers of the South are fiery stars which have their chief influence upon us in heat of Summer And so we may put the Text into these plain expressions He maketh Arcturus Orion and Pleiades and the chambers of the South That is First He makes and orders Summer and winter spring and harvest because these stars divide the four seasons of the year Or secondly thus He makes hot and cold wet and dry storm and calm Or thirdly as these foâ—â— constellations are assigned to the four chief points of heaven Arcturus is known by all who know any thing in the heavens to be seated about the Northern Pole whose opposites are those stars in the chambers of the South Orion dwels in the East and the Pleiades in the West So the plain English of the words is this That the Lord by his mighty power and wisdome ordereth and appointeth the motions of heaven from East to West from North to South Lastly To clear up the sense of this Text we must understand these four constellations Synecdochically these being put for all the rest For as God orders these so every star in the firmament the least are under his eie and at his dispose as well as the greatest But because these are the most eminent usefull and efficacious in their appearances motions and influences therefore these are named He maketh Arcturus Orion and Pleiades and the chambers of the South We may observe from the words thus opened divers profitable instructions First All the stars are placed in the heavens by the speciall designment of God for the use and good of man Moses Deut. 4.19 gives a caution to Israel from the Lord that they should take heed of imitating the Heathens in their abominations and this is one particular Lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven and when thou seest the Sunne and the Moon and the stars even all the host of heaven shouldest be driven to worship them which the Lord thy God hath divided unto all Nations under the whole heaven Observe that The Lord thy God hath divided them unto all Nations under heaven Therefore take heed that thou do not worship them They are the work of God they are creatures and worship which is proper to the Creatour must not be given to them It is a remarkable Text Lest saith he thou shouldest be driven to worship them How driven Not by externall force and power but driven by the strong inclination of thine heart ravished with such beautifull objects The excellency that is in the works of God hath power to draw yea to drive the heart of man to commit idolatry Job shews this while he acquits himself so industriously from it Chap. 31.26 27. If I beheld the Sunne when it shined or the Moon walking in brightnesse and my heart hath been secretly enticed or my mouth had kissed my hand this also were an iniquity to be punished by the Iudge c. Some translate that Deut. 4. in this language of Iob Lest thou be deceived tâ— worship the Sunne Moon and stars and host of heaven this is very considerable but the thing I chiefly note in that Scripture to the point in hand is this That the Lord hath made and appointed the stars to the severall parts of the heavens he hath divided them to all Nations under the whole heaven Some stars are the portion of one people others of another As the earth is an inheritance divided among the children of men so also are the stars and heavens Per hanc divisionem intelligit ordinem morum planetaruÌ„ qui in suis orbibus ita disponuntur ut unaquaeque regio suo tempore eorum gaudeat influxibus Pined We seldom consider what riches we receive from that part of our inheritance most think they live by the earth only No saith Moses The Lord hath divided the heavens the Sunne Moon and Stars unto all Nations under heaven He hath setled it what starre such a Land shall have and in what seasons as also what proportions of the Sunne and Moon for light heat and influence He hath made them for the children of men Man is fed and cloathed warmed and cherished from heaven more then from the earth and the lot and divisions which we have of the earth are naturally and usually good or bad rich or barren pleasant or unpleasant healthy or unwholsome according as the aspects of the heaven and stars are more or lesse benigne or favourable unto them Moses Deut. 29.26 reproves the ingratitude of the Jews by this argument Because they went and served other gods and worshipped them gods whom they knew not and whom he had not given to them So we translate But the letter of the Hebrew gives it thus who had not given to them or divided among them any portion As if Moses had said The Lord divided and gave the heavens and the stars among you and these base dunghill-gods never gave you so much as a clod of earth and will ye depart from Jehovah to serve them Secondly Observe God knoweth the number the names and the nature of all the stars He gives them speciall names These in the translation are names of mans imposition Yet the holy Ghost uses Heathenish names in the new Testament Act. 28.11
we read of a Ship in which Paul sailed to Rome whose sign was Castor and Pollux two Pagan Sea-gods It is said that God brought all the beasts of the earth to Adam that he should give them names but he brought not the host of heaven to Adam that he should give them names he named them himself Psal 147.4 He telleth the number of the stars he calleth them all by their names Men are not able to tell the number of the stars they tell distinctly but to a thousand three hundered or a few more and they are not able to tell all these by distinct names but they are constrained to reckon them by constellations where a whole family of stars are called by one name The Lord hath made it his speciall priviledge to tell the number of the stars and to call them all by their names And these are named in the Text for all the rest Observe Thirdly Some stars are more excellent of greater vertue and name then others when these are named it is for speciall reason The Lord nameth these as stars of more then ordinary dignity These are in degree next to the Sunne and Moon when a few are named for many we usually name the chiefest as the whole people of the Jews are set forth by the heads of their Tribes by the Chiefs and when a Nation is spoken of it is by those greater names the Magistrates and the Ministers These are named because they have most to doe and the greatest businesse in a Nation So these stars are here named because they are of speciall use and influence The Apostle gives us this clearly 1 Cor. 15.41 There is one glory of the Sunne another of the Moon and another glory of the Starres for one star differeth from another star in glory One star hath a more honourable name then another Some starres God doth not vouchsafe to name particularly to us when others which are of greater glory are As in a building some parts of it are chief The foundation the top stone the corner stone the strength and beauty of the whole building are comprehended under these God hath made differences and degrees in all creatures in the heavenly as well as earthly The names of most stars are concealed as being of a lower degree And we finde that whensoever in Scriptare stars are spoken of scarce any are named but these and these are often named which implies their superiority and dignity The Prophet urges this as an argument of humblest addresses unto and dependance upon God Amos 5.8 Seek him that maketh the seven stars that is Pleiades and Orion and turneth the shadow of death into the morning c. He doth not say Seek him that maketh all the stars the Lord made all But because he hath given so much vertue and excellency to these these only are reported as of his making Here Which maketh Arcturus there Seek him which maketh the seven stars As if he had said In those stars God hath laid out much of himself and made his power and wisdome most visible How much hath God in himself who hath communicated so much to one senslesse creature And though stars differ thus one from another yet they envy not one another Which lessons us to be content though God make our names lesse named in the world than the names of many of our brethren though he trust more talents to or put more light into others than into our selves One star differs from another star in glory but no star envies anothers glory Fourthly Job being about to declare the power and wisdome of God gives instance among other things in this He maketh Arcturus Orion c. Then observe The power and wisdome of God shine eminently in the stars The power and wisdome of God shine in every grasse that grows out of the ground yea in every clod of earth much more then in the stars of heaven Much of God is seen in those works of God yea so much that many have been drawn to make them gods There is so much of God seen in the heavens that not only Heathens who had not the true knowledge of God but his Covenant-people who knew him and whom he knew above all the Families of the earth have been drawn away to worship the host of heaven That place before cited Deut. 4. hinteth as much Take heed lest when thou liftest up thine eyes to heaven and seest the Sunne and the Moon and the stars even all the host of heaven thou shouldest be driven to worship them and serve them If thou lift up thine eies to the stars and not higher even to God who made the stars thou wilt quickly mistake the stars for God or make the stars thy god the heart of man is mad upon idolatry Read how often the Jews are taxed with this sinne 2 King 21.3 and in 2 King 17.16 and in Amos 5.26 which clears this truth that much of the power and wisdome of God is stamped upon the stars if God did not much appear in the stars so many had not taken the stars for God or given them which is proper and peculiar to God religious worship There are five or six things which shew the power of God and his wisdome in making of the stars First The greatnesse of the Stars such vast bodies shew an infinite power in their constitution It is incredible to ordinary reason unlesse men have skill and learning to make it out and to lay the course of nature together that the stars are so great The Sunne is reckoned by Astronomers to be one hundred sixty six times bigger than all the earth The Moon indeed which is called a great light is thirty nine times lesse then the earth yet that magnitude is farre beyond common apprehension Some other of the planets are almost an hundred times bigger then the earth And whereas the fixed stars are distinguished into six magnitudes or differences of greatnesse Those of the first magnitude which are many are conceived to be one hundred and seven times bigger then the whole earth We look upon a star as if it were no bigger then the blaze of a Candle and the Countrey-man wonders if the Moon be bigger then his bushell or broader then his Cart-wheel If the most judicious enter the consideration of these things they may soon come to amazement that so many stars in the heavens should be more then an hundred times bigger then all the earth And if there are such vast bodies in heaven what a vast body is heaven That continent must needs be exceedingly exceeding vast which contains so many exceeding vast bodies in it If we get but a nook or a corner of the earth for our portion we presently thinke our selves great men yet what is all the earth to the heavens And what are the heavens we see to that heaven which is unseen to which these are but a pavement The heavens which are to us a roof are but a floor to the
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
seek unto God Surely your opinion of me and your counsel to me can never agree for if I am wicked as you hold me to be I labour in vain while I obey your counsell There is a sense wherein it is in vain for a wicked man to seek unto God and a sense wherein it is not in vain for a wicked man to seek unto God we must distinguish of this interpretation If a man be wicked it is in vain for him to seek unto God while he loveth wickednesse and delighteth in it Psal 66.2 If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear my praier He that is so wicked as to love wickednesse praies in vain fasts and humbles his soul in vain The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord that is the Lord abominates his sacrifice but The prayer of the upright is his delight Solomon describes an hypocrite in the former words he is one that will pray and offer sacrifice and yet puts the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face Ezek. 14.4 So they Jer. 7.4 cried The temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord are these The Prophet discovers who these zealous Templers were vers 9. Will ye steal murder and commit adultery and swear falsly and then come and stand in this house which is called by my Name and say We are delivered to doe all these abominations Some mingle prayer and fasting with stealing and murdering such praying and fasting are as unacceptable to God as stealing and murdering are Such labouring to please the Lord is displeasing to the Lord. What hast thou to doe saith God to the wicked to take my Covenant into thy mouth Psal 50.16 Doth God say to the wicked What hast thou to doe with my Covenant For whom is the Covenant made but for the wicked If men were not wicked or sinfull what needed there a Covenant of grace The Covenant is for the wicked And the Covenant brings grace enough to pardon those who are most wicked why then doth the Lord say to the wicked What hast thou to doe to take my Covenant into thy mouth Observe what follows and his meaning is expounded Seeing thou hatest to be reformed As if God had said Thou wicked man who protectest thy sinne and holdest it close refusing to return and hating to reform what hast thou to doe to meddle with my Covenant Lay off thy defiled hands He that is resolved to hold his sinne takes hold of the Covenant in vain or rather he lets it goe while he seems to hold it Woe unto those who sue for mercy while they neglect duty Thus a wicked man labours in vain But there is a sense in which a wicked man doth not labour in vain how wicked soever he is What else means the Prophets invitation Isa 55.5 Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon Let him forsake his waies and then no matter what his waies have been let him return to the Lord and then his former departures shall not hinder acceptance Christ died for the ungodly Ro. 5.6 God justifieth the ungodly Ro. 4.5 It is not in vain for an ungodly man to come to God indeed and when he doth he ceases to be ungodly They draw nigh only with their lips whose hearts are not changed and they draw nigh in vain As God hath not said to the seed of Iacob reall Saints Seek ye me in vain So he hath not said in vain to wicked men Seek ye my face For with the word which bids them seek he gives them power to seek and the mercy they seek for The grace of God prevents us that we may seek him and blesses us when we doe seek him If all who are wicked labour in vain then all had laboured in vain forasmuch as all vvere wicked Thirdly You may take the meaning of it thus If I am wicked that is Si adhuc mecuÌ„ agit Deus tanquam cum impto quoâ—sum frustra laboreÌ„ Philip. Haec sunt verba hominis à Deo derelicti Vatabl. if I am reputed by men and still afflicted by God as a wicked man then why should I labour in vain or trouble my self any further to so little purpose If this sense may be admitted 't is a passionate speech proceeding from impatience and distemper of spirit Much like that of David and very near it in words Psal 73.13 Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain and washed my hands in innocency for all the day long have I been plagued and chastened every morning Davids afflictions wrought as hard conclusions in him as Iobs did Grace acts and speaks ever like it self but a gracious man doth not David shewed there was vanity and remainders of defilement in his heart by saying I have cleansed my heart in vain Mr Broughton renders to this sense I shall be holden as wicked now why doe I labour in vain Hence observe That where hope faileth endeavour faileth too I have no hope saith Job to get out of these afflictions which fall upon wicked men or to get one step beyond a wicked man in your reputation my labour is in vain why then doe I labour When the heart sinks the hands hang down Where the one gives over believing and hoping the other give over acting and working Hence the afflicted are called upon by the Apostle to lift up the hands that hang down and the feeble knees Heb. 12.12 Hands and knees are the instruments of action and motion and the hanging down of these imports both retarded or stopt Those afflicted Hebrews saw little or no hope of deliverance therefore they gave over endeavouring and moving after deliverance Lastly Taking the words as in the originall absolutely without any supposition I am wicked Why then labour I in vain As if he had said I am wicked not only in the opinion of men but I acknowledge my self to be wicked indeed In vanum laborarem si coram Deo justificare me tentarem ut falso me hec velle praesupponis considered with the most holy God and then his sense is Lord if thou art pleased to goe this way to vvork vvith me to set the rigour of thy justice a work to finde out my sinne and to judge me according to vvhat thou findest then in vain doe I seek to comfort my self for in thy sight no flesh can be justified I as vvell as others am wicked In vvhich acknowledgement he seems to meet vvith and confute that supposition of Bildad Chap. 8.6 If thou wert pure Pure saith Job alas I can never be pure before God When the Lord examines my purity he vvill finde it impurity You tell me if I vvere pure the Lord vvould awaken for me I shall never be pure in your sense I am as pure as ever I shall be that is I
death nothing bearing any the least resemblance of it's image or letter of it's superscription nothing of mortality shall be found or felt there There mortality shall be swallowed up of life here Job complains that his life was almost swallowed up of mortality Yet thou dost destroy or swallow me up As thou hast already swallowed up my estate so thou seemest resolved to swallow up my very breath When Joab besieged Abel a wise woman out of the City cried unto him Thou seekest to destroy a City in Israel why wilt thou swallow up the inheritance of the Lord 2 Sam. 20.19 Job saw a great Army of afflictions encamping about him and he seems to cry out to the Lord of those hoasts why seekest thou to destroy thy servant why wilt thou swallow me who am the vvork of thy hands Distinctio Habraeorum magis postulat ut verba praecedentia simul circumquaque cum his jungantur absorbistime Merc. Gramarians observe from the exactest reading of the Hebrew that the former words Together round about should be joyn'd with these Thou dost destroy me Thine hands have made me and fashioned me and yet thou dost destroy me together round about that is Thou makest an utter end a totall consumption of me Again These vvords are read by some vvith an interrogation Thine hands have made me and fashioned me and dost thou yet destroy me The question doth not alter but quicken the sense and render it more pressing and patheticall Wilt thou destroy me thus exactly Licet sensus non multum diversus sit interrogatio tamen sensum reddit valde acrem incitatum Merc. whom thou hast made so exactly The yet in the text sounds out an admiration As when God Amos 4. had brought many judgements upon Jerusalem and found them still impenitent he conchides the narrative of every one with Yet have they not returned unto me As if he had said What a wonder is here So Job repeating the favours of God to him concludes with a yet thou dost or dost thou yet destroy me As if he had said What a wonder is here How unsearchable are thy judgements O God Quem diligentissimè fecisti diligentissimè destruis and thy waies past finding out Thus he sets what God then did in opposition to what he had done that so the consideration of former mercies might provoke him to remove or mitigate present judgements Dost thou destroy me who hast made me Hence observe First That to minde God of making us is an argument to stay his hand from breaking us See more of this point ver 3 p. 445. It repented the Lord saith Moses Gen. 6.6 that he had made man and it grieved him at the heart This repentance and grief did not arise from his making of man but from that necessity which his own justice and honour laid upon him to destroy man whom he had made as it follows in the next words And the Lord said I will destroy man whom I have created The words shew the resolution of God not his propension it went to his heart to do it If God repented and grieved understand both by a figure because he had made man whom he must destroy then it cannot but be a grief to him to destroy that which he hath made It is as easie to the power of God to undo as it is to do but it is not so easie to his will to undo as it is to do Secondly Observe Afflictions destructive to the outward man may be the lot of the best men God never destroies that spirituall creature which the hand of his grace hath made and fashioned but he doth sometimes destroy the naturall creature of those who are spirituall Thirdly Observe A good man will make honourable mention of the goodnesse of God to him while he is under greatest evils Job writes the naturall history of Gods power and wisdom in his constitution while destruction was knocking at his doors Though God will destroy what he hath made yet he ought to be glorified for what he hath made The praise of God for fashioning us is never so comely as when he is putting us out of fashion Fourthly Observe God doth that sometimes which is most improbable he should do He acts strangely in waies of mercy and strangely in waies of judgement He saves those whom we expect he should destroy and he destroies those whom we expect he should save The Kings of the earth and all the inhabitants of the world would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should have entred into the gates of Jerusalem Lam. 4.12 and who would have believed that the adversary and the enemy sorrow and destruction should have entred into the gates of Job God comes with such afflictions upon his people now as make him to be admired by all the world Christ vvill come vvith such mercies at the last as vvill make him to be glorified in his Saints and admired in all them that believe 2 Thess 1.10 Christ vvill exceed not only our unbelief but our faith In the former verse Job pleaded vvith God as his maker he proceeds still in the same argument and re-enforceth it from a speciall intimation of the matter out of which he vvas made clay Verse 9. Remember I beseech thee that thou hast made me as the clay ' and wilt thou bring me into dust again Remember I beseech thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Recordatus est memor fuit odoratus suit quaÌ„ do de sacrificijs usurpatur Odoretur omnia muneratua Jun. Zachar mas aut à memoria qua magis pollet quam mulier aut quia memoriam nomen familiae conservat Buxtorf Job speaks heartily his spirit was in a heat Remember I beseech thee The originall vvord is applied to a sensitive act as well as to a rationall Psal 20.3 The Lord remember or smell all thy offerings Memory is the savour or sent of things preserved in the minde The Hebrews expresse man or a male childe by a word of that root and they give two reasons of it Either first because man is of a stronger memory then the woman Or secondly because the man-childe preserveth the memory of the family and is a monument of his fathers honour his name being carried on from generation to generation in opposition to which women or females are called Nashim which vvord implieth forgetfulnesse because theâ—r names and titles are swallowed up in their husbands and forgotten when they are married Memory or the act of remembring is improperly applied to God For remembrance is of things past but to God all things are present Memory is the store-house wherein vve lay up severall notions and keep records of vvhat hath been done which by an act of the understanding vve review and fetch out again All things are ever open before God He needs not turn leaves or search registers he needs not so much as strain a thought to recall vvhat is