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
but I have not set them for Prophets If any presume to declare or resolve what shall be done I resolve to punish their presumption I take delight to frustrate men who delight in this and to befool them who would be thus wise This is my name The God that stretcheth out the heavens alone and that maketh diviners mad Great disappointments enrage and some men lose their reason when they lose the credit of doing things above reason Because they cannot be as Gods to fore-tell good or evil they will not be so much as men He makes the diviners mad The Law was peremptory and severe against them Deut. 18.9 There shall not be found amongst you any one that useth divination or is an observer of times why not an observer of times may we not observe times and seasons May we not look up to the heavens and consider their motions Yes we may observe times holily but not superstitiously as if some times were good others bad some lucky others unlucky as if the power of God were shut up in or over-ruled by his own instruments and inferiour causes this is dishonourable unto God and thus the Jews were forbidden to use any divination or to observe times The heavens and stars are for signs but they are not infallible signs They are ordinary signs of the change of weather Mat. 16.2 3. They are ordinary signs of the seasons of the year Spring and Summer and harvest and winter they are ordinary signs of a fit time to till and manure the ground to plow sowe and reap The earth is fitted and prepared for culture by the motion of the heavens The heavens are at once the Alphabet of the power and wisdom of God and of our works we may read there when to do many businesses Gen. 8.22 While the earth remaineth seed-time and harvest and cold and heat and summer and winter and day and night shall not cease Those seasons shall continually return according to the time of the year measured by the Sun Moon and Stars Thus they are signs of ordinary events And God sometimes puts the sign of an extraordinary event in them Mat. 24.29 Immediately after the tribulation of those daies shall the Sunne be darkned and the Moon shall not give her light and the stars shall fall from heaven and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken which some understand allegorically others literally of strange apparitions and impressions in heaven either before the destruction of Jerusalem or the day of judgement So Act. 2.19 20 c. Thus God puts a sign in them of extraordinary events But shall man from them prognosticate and fore-tell extraordinary events as when there shall be famine and pestilence war and trouble in Nations This the Lord abhorreth The counsels of God about these things are written in his own heart what is man that he should transcribe them from the heavens But if men will say they are written there God will blot out what they say and prove theirs to be but humane divinations yea that they were received from hell not written in heaven Isa 47.13 I will destroy the signs of them that divine let now the Astrologers the star-gazers the monethly Prognosticatours stand up and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee Behold they shall be as stubble they shall not be able to deliver themselves It is good to be a starre-beholder but a wicked thing to be a starre-gazer that is to look upon the stars so as if we could spell out the secret providences of God and read future events in the book of those creatures It is our duty to look upon the heavens as they declare the glory of God but it is a sin to look upon the heavens as if they could declare the destinies fates and fortunes of men All which vanities are largely and learnedly confuted by M Perkins in his book called The resolution of the Countrey-man about Prognostications Now that the successe of every creature is in God not in the stars we may see first in the order of the creation God created the earth and commanded it to bring forth fruit upon the third day but the lights in the firmament were made the fourth day The earth can bring forth without the midwifery or help of the heavens God himself made the earth fruitfull without yea before the stars were made Philo Judaers de opificio munâ—i Upon which one of the Ancients gives this observation Surely saith he the Lord in his providence made the earth fruitfull in all its glory before he put the stars in the heavens to the intent to make men see that the fruitfulnesse of the earth doth not depend upon the heavens or stars God needs neither the rain of the clouds nor the warmth of the Sun to produce these effects He that made all second causes to work in their ranks can work without the intervention of any second cause And because the Lord fore-saw men would dote much upon second causes and venture to prognosticate by the heavens the fates of men and the fruitfulnesse of the earth therefore he made the earth fruitfull before he made Arcturus or placed those constellations in the heavens Secondly The providence of God works under the decree of God His providence is the execution of his decree Therefore we must not bring the decrees down to providence but we must raise providence up to the decrees Thirdly The heavens and those heavenly bodies Arcturus c. are but generall causes there are speciall causes besides of the earths barrennesse or fruitfulnesse of tempests at sea and troubles at land and the Lord is able to invert all causes to work beyond causes without causes and against causes So that nothing can be infallibly fore-told from the positions conjunctions or revolutions of those heavenly bodies Lastly Observe That it is our duty to study the heavens and be acquainted with the stars In them the wonderfull works of God are seen and a sober knowledge in nature may be an advantage unto grace Holy David was such a student Psal 8.3 When I consider thy heavens the work of thy fingers the Moon and the Stars which thou hast ordained Consideration is not a transient or accidental but a resolved and a deliberate act Shall we think that God hath made those mighty bodies the stars to be past by without consideration Shall men only pore upon a lump of earth and not have their hearts lifted up to consider those lamps of light Shall man make no more use of the stars then the beasts of the earth do namely to see by them When I consider thy heavens saith David Heaven is the most considerable of all inanimate creatures and more considerable then most of the animate and Davids when when I consider the heavens notes not only a certainty that he did it but frequency in doing it Some of the Rabbins tell us that when Isaac went out into the field to meditate Gen.
Further There are Church-pillars as well as State-pillars men of eminency in knowledge and learning in parts and piety These are pillars of the Church of God So the Apostle cals James and Peter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 2.9 As the Church it self is the pillar of truth so some particular members are pillars of truth bearing it up and holding it forth as pillars doe the Laws or edicts of Princes and Common-wealths As these pillars are of Gods setting up so of Gods bearing up In great shakings of the earth Common-wealth-pillars tremble and Church-pillars tremble yea they would fall did not the Lord sustain them with his hand From all learn the instability of the creature If that which is the basis or foundation of all outward comforts be so easily shaken and tost up and down what are the comforts themselves If Kingdoms and Common-wealths totter who can stand fast When the Saints feel the world shake and tremble under them their comfort is They have received a Kingdom that cannot be shaken Neither man nor devils have any power to shake it and God will not shake it nay with reverence we may speak it the Lord cannot shake that Kingdom for it is his own he cannot doe any thing to his own wrong or dishonour Earth may but heaven shakes not neither shall any of the pillars thereof tremble for ever We have seen two acts of the mighty power of God first in removing those mountains those great massie parts of the earth Secondly In shaking the whole masse of the earth Now the thoughts of Job grow higher and he ascends from earth to heaven and brings an instance of the power of God there in the 7th verse Verse 7. Which commandeth the Sunne and it riseth not and sealeth up the stars And the instance which he makes in the heaven stands as heaven doth to earth in a direct line of opposition to that which he gave about the earth The earth in all the parts of it is a setled fixed body â—â—cut de natura terrae est immobolitas qâ—â—es ita de naturâ coeli ut semper moveatur Aquin. and therefore the power of God is clearly seen in causing it to move but the Sunne is a moveable body a creature in continuall motion and therefore the power of God is clearly seen in checking and stopping the motion of it It cals for as strong a hand to make the Sunne stand still as to shake and remove the earth The staying of that which naturally cannot but move and the moving of that which naturally cannot but stand still require a like power and that which stands as the earth doth or moves as the Sunne doth requires an Almighty power to move or stay it Which commandeth the Sun and it riseth not Which commandeth the Sunne He describes God in the posture and language of a King giving out commands He commandeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dixiâ— illud dicere est cum potestate imperandi God is the Soveraign of the Sunne Yet the word in the Hebrew is no more but he saith or he speaks to the Sunne so Mr Broughton translates He speaks to the Sunne that it riseth not We clearly to the sense He commandeth the Sun because the Word of God to the creature is a Law or a Command upon the creature He commandeth the Sunne and it riseth not The phrase implies an ordinary or a common event But when was there such a thing as this How rare are such events I may ask Did the Lord ever command the Sunne that it should not rise Or did ever any day appear when the Sun did not appear we may answer four or five waies First Non ad factum sed ad Dei potentiam refertur qui si velit possit vicissitudinem ortus occasus solis tollere Olymp. Some conceive Job speaks only of what God can doe as in the former instance not of what he ever did He never actually gave out his command to the Sunne that it should not rise but he hath power to doe it if he pleaseth Many things are spoken of the power of God as presently done which onely are things possible for him to doe That 's a good interpretation of the place Secondly We may carry it further for when he saith It riseth not we need not take it strictly as if the Sunne were staid from making day at all but it may note any stop or sudden disappearing of the Sunne The Sunnes rising is the Suns appearing Non oritur sol tantum est non apparet nam vâ—tas solis apparitio quedam est Bold and when the Sunne disappeareth or is hidden it is to us as if the Sun were not risen Thus God hath actually more then once given out a command to the Sun not to rise Lavater in his comment upon this place reports that in the year 1585. March 12th such a darknesse fell upon the earth that the fowls went to roost at noon as if it had been Sunne setting and all the common people thought the day of judgement was come That of the Prophet is true in the letter as well as in the figure Amos 4.13 He maketh the morning darknesse And Chap. 5.8 He turneth the shadow of death into the morning and maketh the day dark with night The holy story records one famous act of God commanding the Sunne to stand still Josh 10.12 When Joshua was in pursute of his enemies he praied that the day might not hasten down Sunne stand thou still upon Gibeon and thou moon in the valley of Ajalon And the Sunne stood still c. Joshua speaks as if himself could command the Sunne Sunne stand thou still he talks to the Sunne as to his servant or childe stand still It was indeed at the voice of Joshua but by the word and power of God that the Sunne stood still So the Text resolves There was no day like that before it or after it no day so long as that that the Lord hearkned to the voice of a man So then the Lord hearkned to the voice of a man and then the Sâ—â—â—â— hearkened to the voice of a man First the Lord hearkned and then the Sunne hearkned that is by a command from God at the request of a man the Sunne stood still Thirdly It may be understood of ordinary eclipses which are disappearings of the Sunne and though they come in a course of nature and are by naturall light fore-seen many years before they come yet there is somewhat in them which should fill us with high thoughts of the power of God And though an eclipse of the Sun be no miracle yet God once made and can again make a miraculous eclipse When Christ the Sun of righteousnes was shamefully crucified the Sun in the heavens as ashamed to look upon that act as from man of prodigious cruelty and injustice hid his face and from the sixth hour that is Dionysius Areopagita from
will stop this sword from going on If he speak to the sword the sword shall wound no more We may entreat the sword to wound no more as they Jer. 47.6 cried out O thou sword of the Lord how long will it be ere thou be quiet put thy self into thy scabbard rest and be still The answer was How can it be quiet seeing the Lord hath given it a charge against Askelon c. Our answer might be changing place the same How can it be quiet seeing the Lord hath given it a charge against England A word from God draws and a word from God sheaths the sword He that commands the Sunne and it riseth not can command the sword and it smiteth not the fire and it burns not the water and it drowns not the Lions and they devour not How happy are they who serve the Lord over all Observe fourthly seeing He commandeth the Sunne and it riseth not That The daily rising of the Sunne is an act of grace and favour to the world The Sunne doth not rise alone of it self it is the Lord as we may say that helps it up every morning Therefore it is said Mat. 5.45 He makes his Sunne to rise His Sunne mark how Christ speaks of the Sunne as Gods own that Sunne which he can either cause to rise or not to rise cause to rise upon one people and not upon another He makes his Sunne to rise there is an act of common grace in making it to rise upon any especially in making it to rise upon all upon the evil and upon the good Mat. 5.41 That God makes the Sunne rise to give them light who use their eyes onely to rebell against the light how admirable is it Lastly As to the speciall aim of Job we see what a proof we have of the omnipotency of God He is great in power and mighty in strength Why because he can stop the Sunne He that can stay the Sunne what can he not doe We say to men that attempt impossibilities Climb up to the Moon it is more to stay the Sun than to climb the moon And if the Lord be able to overcome this difficulty what difficulty can he not overcome Here 's a clear proof of the infinite power and wisdome of God Qui efficit noctem diem nam donec oritur sol est nox adveniente die quasi obsignatae occultantur stellae Juâ— He speaks to the Sunne and it riseth not And He sealeth up the stars The Sunne is the light of the day the stars the light of the night He sealeth up the stars Some take it to be a Periphrasis or a description of night and day because till the Sunne riseth it is night and when day appears the stars are sealed up or disappear The Sun riseth and the stars are obscured we see them not So the former clause He commandeth the Sun and it riseth not is a description of the night and this later he sealeth up the stars is a description of the day The plain sense of both being this He maketh both night and day Secondly say others This seal is set upon the Sunne in behalf of the stars He sealeth up the Sunne for the stars that is Pro stellis signavit â—â—solem signaculo quasi in favorem stellarum Deus continet solis splendorem in altero Haemispherto Cajet in favour of the starres that the starres might sometime appear in their lustre and glory to the world he keepeth the Sunne from appearing But as we translate we may better keep the seal upon the stars He sealeth up the stars And so sealing may import either of those two things First The safe custody of the stars He sealeth up the stars that is he preserveth the stars in their orbs in the places where he hath set them they shall never drop out Sealing is often used for assurance and safe-keeping Darius Dan. 6. Anrulos non tam oâ—natus quam custodiae gratia olim inventos diâ—it Macrobius l. 7. Saturn c. 3. sealed the stone upon the den of Lions that so Daniel might not be rescued or fetcht out from the danger The Jews that they might keep Christ fast enough seal'd the stone of the sepulchre wherein his body was laid Mat. 27. And in a spirituall sense the sealing of the Spirit is to make the soul safe in the love and favour of God A soul that is sealed by the Spirit of God is secured of the love of God and shall never drop out of his heart So He sealeth up the stars is He makes the stars firm and fast in their Sphears But rather Secondly Sealing is for secrecie or for the hiding of a thing from the sight of others So in the sealing of letters that they be not seen and of treasures that they be not stoln or taken away Deut. 32.34 Job 14.17 Thus the Lord seals up the stars Clausae videntur cum non videntur Stellae omnia coeli lumina vetur characteres quidam efficiunt librum Pined when he clouds or obscures the stars and will not let them be seen Some make it an allusion to a book The heavens are a great volume wherein many truths of God are written his name is there and the stars are as so many characters or letters of his Name He often seals up this great volume and so blots these letters that no man can read or distinguish them Thirdly The meaning of He sealeth up the stars may be taken thus He keeps in and closes up the vertue and influences of the stars he stops those treasures which usually come down from the stars upon the earth Naturall Philosophy teaches us that all the fatnesse and fruitfulnesse of the earth is convaied from the heavens Heaven nurses and suckles the earth and if the Lord please he can dry up those brests seal up those influences stop those secret workings which the heavenly bodies have upon the earth Observe hence That the influences of the heavens are in the hand of God to let them out or stay them as he pleaseth As he can seal up the spirituall treasures of heaven that the soul shall receive no light comfort or refreshing from them in ordinances so he seals up the naturall influences of the heavens that the earth and the fruits of it here below shall receive no quickning no refreshing from them And the earth languishes when the Lord suspendeth and sealeth up the naturall influences of heaven as the soul languisheth when the Lord stops up the spirituall influences of heaven when he seals up that star of Jacob that day-star from on high Jesus Christ What we hear of God in naturall things should keep us in continuall dependance upon him for spirituals he seals with the comforts of his own Spirit and he seales up all comforts from our spirits Verse 8. Which alone spreadeth out the heavens and treadeth upon the waves of the sea This verse gives us a further argument
of the mighty power of God See how Jobs discourse moves from earth to heaven and from the heavens down to the sea He searches for the wonders of Gods power and wisdome in heaven and earth and in the waters Before he shews God stopping the course of the Sunne and sealing up the stars now spreading out of the heavens and treading upon the sea He spreadeth out the heavens The heavens in reference to the earth are the upper part of the world The heavens are as it were the roof of the great house which God made or as a spangled Canopy over our heads He spreadeth out the heavens The word is of the Duall number in the Hebrew and hath divers derivations which are considerable to enlighten us in the point 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à He spreadeth out the heavens Some derive it from Shem which signifies a name a name of honour and dignity Men of Name are men of renown Gen. 6.4 Nomen gloria decus quia coelum est nominatissima pars mundi Mâ—rtin in Lex â—bilos Anshi Hashem the heavens are the most glorious beautifull and renowned part of the Creation Their name is above every name of inanimate creatures Others because there are waters above in these heavens derive the word from Sham which is an adverb of place and Majim which signifies waters as much as to say there are waters or there is the place where God hath fountains and stores of water All his waters are not upon the earth he hath waters and springs in heaven A third takes it for a simple not a compound word Paulus Fagius in Gen. 1. being neer the Ishmaelitish word Shama noting only superiority in place high or above A fourth opinion derives it from Schamem which signifies to be amazed or to make one at a stand with wonder And the reason is given because the heavens are such a vast stupendious body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obstupuit propter insignem vastitatem istius corporis quae ipsa nos aspicientes in stuporem rapit Pisc in Gen. 1. that if a man look upon them exactly they will amaze him Who can observe the Sunne Moon and Stars and not wonder and be transported at their vastnesse and beauty at the swiftnesse and regularity of their motions it is above the reach and apprehension of naturall reason how the Lord should fashion and spread out such heavens But what are these heavens which he spreadeth forth Heaven is sometimes expressed with an addition the highest heavens the third heavens in 2 Cor. 12.12 The heaven of heavens 1 King 8.27 Paul was rapt up to the third heavens that is in visions and revelations he was brought as neer to God himself as a creature possibly can Of this heaven we are to understand that Gen. 1.1 where Moses saith In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth and the earth was without form and void He doth not say the heaven which God created at first was without form and void but the earth was without form and void for that heaven was a perfect creature We read further of the creating of those heavens which we see of the visible heavens which are the continent of the Sunne Moon and Starres But In the beginning God created the heaven that heaven which by way of eminency is called The habitation of his holinesse and of his glory Isa 63.15 This was created in the beginning and then it is conceived the Angels were likewise created but the earth which was then made was an imperfect creature and all other corporeall creatures with their severall forms and fulnesse were extracted out of that earth which was without form and void The very heavens which we see were made out of that first earth the Sunne Moon and the Stars yea the very light it self was made out of that earth that generall heap of matter which the Lord created at first and is said to have been without form and void But the heaven which we call the heaven of heavens the third heaven or the highest heaven was a perfect creature the first day made without any pre-existent matter whatsoever by the power of God This heaven is the largest of all the heavens which God spread out Secondly Take heavens for the visible heavens I intend not to stay upon philosophicall considerations only what the Scripture holds forth we finde heavens put first for the starry heavens or the firmament where the stars have their motion that 's the heaven meant Gen. 1.17 Psal 8.7 Psal 19.1 This aâ—cording to the doctrine of Astronomers is distinguished into severall orbs and sphears in seven of which seven speciall starres are said to move and all the rest to be fixed in the eighth The Apostle Jude seems to give a hint of those planeticall orbs Jude v. 13. where he justly reproacheth unsetled spirits by the name of wandering stars or planets to whom is reserved the blacknesse of darknesse for ever Thirdly Heaven is taken in Scripture for a nearer heaven for all that which is below the Moon for the air and the clouds Hence the birds are said to flie in the heavens and Gen. 8.2 the rain from heaven was restrained that is the rain from the clouds for there is no rain in that heaven above the clouds Triplex est coelum aerium sidereum ac aliud his superius invisible divinum Dam. l. â— de orthodoxa fide Heaven is a building of three stories The first story is the air and the clouds up to the moon The second story reaches all the planets and stars The third story is also called the third heaven or the heaven of heavens the place of his most glorious residence who filleth heaven and earth All these heavens the Lord spreadeth out There is a threefold spreading forth of a thing First By contusion or beating with hammers as a masse of gold or silver c. is spread into thin plates and leaves Secondly By way of rarefaction or attenuation water is rarefied by fire and so are metals when they are melted or caused to runne with extreme heat In allusion to which Elihu speaks in his challenge to Job Chap. 37.18 Hast thou with him spread out the skie which is strong and as a molten looking-glasse The skie is of a weak sleight matter not hard massie or elementall yet it is strong the nature of it being incorruptible the figure of it round and indissoluble And it is compared to a looking-glasse for the clearnesse of it those instruments were made some of glasse some of steel or brasse molten and polisht for that purpose Thirdly A thing is spread forth by unfolding the parts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Extendit disteâ—dit sicut tentoriâ—m as a tent or a curtain is spread and thus the spreading of the heavens is described Psal 104.1 2. O Lord thou art cloathed with honour and majesty thou stretchest out the heavens
with it because it staies so little with us Hence Job concludes this similitude They see no good My good daies run so fast that I cannot see the good of them Not to see good is not to have the least experience of good For the eye takes in it's objects and judges of them so much Philosophers teach sooner then any other sense The eye is not long about it's businesse It is the sense of quickest dispatch So that it is as if Job had said The good things of this life are so transient that I am so farre from feeling or tasting them c. that which is done with the least delay Omnia mihi praerepta sunt priusquam ea senserim Bez. and expence of time I have not time enough to see them When men ride upon speed or when any thing passes swiftly before us we have but a glimpse scarce a sight of those objects Besides To see good is to enjoy good as was shewed Chap. 7. vers 7. And when he saith they scil his daies saw no good his meaning is that he saw no good in his daies Till there is a consistency or a fixednesse of good there cannot be a full enjoyment of good The reason why in heaven we shall have so much happinesse is because all the good in heaven is a fixed good Time passes but eternity stands Eternity is a fixed Now. The things of heaven shall not perish in the using nor shall the fashion of them passe away In heaven vision will be everlasting we shall ever see good and that ever-seeing shall be an ever-enjoying of good Here on earth we see God thorow a glasse darkly and we see all good in such post-haste passingly that we rather see it not then see it Especially while we remember that good passes by us in the company yea in a croud of evils our sight of it as when we are called to behold one man riding speedily among many must needs be hindered Yea oftentimes evils stand so thick about us while good posts by us that we cannot look thorow them to the good which is before us In heaven as good stands to our eye so it stands alone there 's no interposition of evil to eclipse the beauty or darken the sight of it There we shall see and see nothing but good Here we see much besides yea see either none at all or very little good and that but a little They flee away they see no good From the Post who runneth upon the Land Jobs next comparison carries us to the motion of a ship at sea and anon to that swifter motion of an Eagle in the air Verse 26. They are passed away as the swift ships as the Eagle that hasteneth to the prey They are passed That is my daies are passed and with them all the contents and comforts which I had in those daies we are to take daies as cloathed with all their contentfull occurrences and circumstances They are passed away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Or they are glided away insensibly As the swift ships 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Navis ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not only as the ships but as the swift ships A ship is a fabrique for the sea In Pibil obvenire occurrere fecit quae sic dicta est quod remigum aut ventorum impetu impedatur seratur a house upon the sea a moveable house and as it moveth variably so it moveth swiftly The inconstancy of the windes makes the motion of the ship unconstant and the strength of the windes makes the motion of the ship swift So that to say His daies passed as a ship is an aggravation of their sudden passage A ship passeth without any stop from it self The ship needs not stay to bait to sleep or rest while it is upon it's journey whatsoever they doe who are within the ship the ship moves on if they prepare it for motion Job puts an emphasis upon this comparison His daies were not only as a ship but as a swift ship there is much in that addition The Hebrew is My daies are as the ships of Ebeh which is diversly rendred Ebeh flumen rapidissimum in Arabia Rab. Sâ—l Bold 1. Some take the word Ebeh to be the name of a river in the Eastern part of the world about Arabia neer the place where Job lived A late traveller hath observed a river of a very swift motion neer Damascus and not farre from the sepulchre of Job Now a ship that moveth in a swift river besides that it may have the winde hath also a great addition to the speed of it's motion from the force and strength of such a current Thus saith Job My daies move as the ships upon Ebeh as ships upon the streams of that fierce swift river which goe down with speed as we see boats with the tide and so proportionably greater vessels where there is a river and a current proportionably to bear and carry them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Desideravit Naves voluntarie vel desid rij sc summo desiderio ad portum properantes 2. Others conceive the word not as a proper name but as signifying desire from Abah to desire with earnestnesse and then the sense is rendered thus My daies are passed away as ships of desire that is as ships which being laden with rich commodities the Master and the Pilot desire earnestly to bring the ship speedily to her port that so they may put off the commodities and make sale of the rich lading that is in her The winde doth not so much fill the sails of such a ship as desire doth the mindes of her mariners Vir defiderioruÌ„ Thus Daniel was called a man of desires because he was a man so precious and desirable A ship richly laden is much desired such a ship is a great charge to the owners and merchants they therefore send to speed the ship home as fast as they can Thus saith Job My daies passe as a ship that hath the most desired commodities 3. The Chaldee and others give a further note upon it deriving the word from Abah whence Ebih which signifies a stalk growing up early from the earth Fructus primitivus and bringing forth the first ripe fruit of any kinde and so it is put for any early ripe Summer fruit for early plums apples cherries c. Naves poma portantes Vul. And then the sense is My daies are like to a ship which carrieth early fruit So the Vulgar Like a ship carrying apples Now a ship that carries such fruit makes great haste Pertranseunt cum navibus fructus delicatos portantibus Targ. because the fruit will spoil and rot if not speedily put off Ripe fruit is a commodity that will not keep unlesse they have a quick passage all is lost My daies saith Job passe even as a ship that carries ripe Summer fruit which are hasted away with all speed lest they perish before they
with me Why am I brought to such a triall I am sure it is not with thee as with mortall Judges who having eyes of flesh can see no further then the out-side of things and know no more then is told them and therefore must fetch out what lies in the heart of man by examination and if examination will not do it they must do it by torture Lord there is no need thou shouldest take this course Thou canst enform thy self fully how it is with me though I should not speak a word though I am silent yet thine ear hears the voice and understands the language of my spirit Though I hide or cover my self yet the eye of thy omniscience looks quite thorow me seeing then thou hast not eyes like the eyes of men wherefore is it that thou enquirest by these afflictions after mine iniquity and searchest as men use to do after my sin Hast thou eyes of flesh or seest thou as man seeth God hath no eyes much lesse eyes of flesh God is a Spirit and therefore he cannot have eyes of flesh He is all eye and therefore properly he hath no eyes The eye is that speciall organ or member of the body into which the power of seeing is contracted but God is all over a power of seeing The body of man hath severall parts and severall honours and offices are bestowed upon every part The eye hath the great office and honour of seeing committed to it The eye is the light of the whole body and knowledge is the eye of the soul The eye of God is the knowledge of God Ipsum nomen Dei Graecum hanc videndi efficacit atem prae sesert 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nimirum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spectare contemplari dicitur Nihil est in intellectu quod noÌ„ priâ— suit in sensu The Greeks expresse God by a word which signifies to see and he is therefore said to have eyes and to see because the eye is a principall instrument and seeing a principall means by which man receives knowledge Naturalists tell us there is nothing in the understanding but that which is first in the sence The sences are doors to the minde the furniture and riches of that are conveyed in by the eyes or ears These bring informations to the understanding Naturall knowledge cannot have an immediate accesse to man and 't is but seldom that spirituall hath Both are commonly let in by sence The superiour powers must traffick with the inferiour otherwise they make no gain Though God hath no need of any help to bring in or improve his knowledge yet that is ascribed to him by which knowledge is improved He hath eyes but not of flesh he seeth but not as man Hast thou eyes of flesh Flesh by a Synechdoche is put for the whole nature of man The Word was made flesh Joh. 1.14 not body or soul but Flesh that is man consisting of soul and body Thus here eyes of flâ—sh that is mans eyes And so the later clause of the verse is an exposition of the former Oculi carnei sunt secundum carnem judicantes When he saith Hast thou eyes of flesh It is no more then this Dost thou see as man seeth To have an eie of flesh is to judge according to the flesh and to see as man seeth is to see no more then man When Samuel was sent to anoint a King over Israel in the place of Saul 1 Sam. 16.7 the Lord said concerning the first-born of Jesse Look not on his countenance or on the height of his stature because I have refused him The reason added is this For the Lord seeth not as man seeth for man looks on the outward appearance but the Lord looks on the heart There we have Jobs doctrine of Gods seeing delivered by God himself Samuel thought he who made the fairest shew to the eie of man must needs be the man who was fairest in the eye of God but the Lord seeth what is not seen and often findes most reality in the least appearance he who hath not eyes of flesh sees beyond the flesh There are seven differences between the eye of flesh or mans eye and the eye of God 1. Mans eye is but a means or an instrument of knowledge Gods eye is his knowledge The act and the faculty are not distinct in God All in God is act Neither is God another thing from his act whatsoever is ascribed to him is himself The eye of God is God seeing The knowledge of God is God knowing The love of God is God loving 2 Man must have a two-fold light to see by an inward light the light of the eye and an outward light the light in the air without both he cannot see man doth not see as Naturalists speak by sending forth a beam or a ray from his eye to the object but by receaving or taking in a beam or a ray from the object into his eie The object issues it's species to the eye which being joyned with the visive power of the eye man seeth But God seeth in himself of himself and from himself he needs no outward light Christ is described having a fiery eye His eyes were as a flame of fire Revel 1.14 Revel 2.18 Even nature teacheth us that those creatures which have fiery eyes see in the dark and see best when it is darkest because they see by sending forth a beam or a flame from their eyes which at once apprehends the object and enlightens the passage to it God who commanded light to come out of darknesse for the use of man commands light in darknesse for his own The darknesse hideth not from thee saith David but the night shineth as the day The darknesse and the light are both alike to thee There is no darknesse nor shadow of death where any of the workers of iniquity can hide themselves Job 34.22 Thus God hath not eyes of flesh he seeth not as man seeth 3. Man seeth one thing after another his eye is not able to take in all objects at once he views now one and then another to make his judgement of them But God seeth all things together he beholdeth all at one view his eye takes and gathers in all objects and all that is in every object by one act The Lord looketh from heaven and beholdeth all the sonnes of men from the place of his habitation he looks upon all the inhabitants of the earth Psal 33.13 14. 4. An eye of flesh seeth at a distance and at such a distance Naturalists tell us there must be a due distance between the eye and the object If you put the object too neer the eye Sensibile positum super sensuÌ„ tollet sensationem the eye cannot see it That which is sensible put upon the sense takes away sensation Again if the object be very remote the eye cannot make any discovery of it The eye cannot see farre and it cannot discern so farre as it
nulla mihi illaâ—o injuria Bol. Take the words as a direct assertion Thou wilt bring me into the dust again So they may have reference to the decree of God concerning man as those before had to the creation of man As if he had said By creation and naturall constitution I am frail and weak made of the clay by thy purpose and decree I am appointed unto death Thou wilt bring me into the dust again therefore spare me for the short time I have to live Some change the conjunction And into the adverb of likenesse so to note a right power or priviledge and the text runs in this form Remember that as thou hast made me of or as the clay so thou maist it is thy priviledge none can contradict thee in it and thou doest me no wrong in it thou maiest as thou hast purposed bring me to the dust again Though it be common and naturall to all creatures mixt of elements to be resolved and turned back into that out of which they were made that is to die yet to man it is more then naturall there is a decree upon it besides the naturality of it Man dieth by a statute-law of heaven To die is a penalty inflicted upon man for sinne for he had not been under a necessity of dying if he had not sinned And therefore though God formed man as the holy story informs us Gen. 2.7 out of the dust of the earth yet so long as man stood he never said to him To dust thou shalt return God only put a supposition that in case man did fall he should surely die But when man had fallen by sin then he hears what he was and what he must be For dust thou art and unto dust thou shalt return Gen. 3.19 As if God had thus bespoken sinfull man Thy body was framed out of dust and now I charge this burden upon thee thou shalt return to the dust again It is a Question and I shall touch upon it Whether death were naturall to man or no Whether man were made mortall or whether he made himself mortall Some affirm That death was naturall not accidentall or occasionall to man-kinde They argue for this opinion First thus Adam died not the death of the body or a naturall death when he had sinned therefore the death of the body was not inflicted for sin upon his person and his posterity but was seated in or a consequent of his nature I answer Though Adam died not presently a naturall death yet he was presently made subject or liable unto death the sentence was past upon him though the sentence was not executed upon him A malefactour who is cast at the barre is a dead man in law though he be reprieved from the present stroke of death Again Though death it self did not instantly seize upon him yet the symptoms of death and tokens of mortality did Fear and shame pains and distempers sweat and wearinesse quickly shewed themselves as so many harbingers or forerunners of his approaching dissolution we see and feel death in these before we see or feel death it self These bid us prepare our bodies for the grave and our souls for heaven Secondly Others reason thus Christ hath delivered his people the elect from all that punishment which the sin of Adam did contract and deserve but Christ hath not delivered his elect his own people from turning to the dust Godly men die as well as the ungodly believers as well as infidels therefore say they the death of the body was not procured by sin I answer Whatsoever is an evil in death Christ hath delivered his people from he hath taken away all that from death which is punishment or annoiance though death be not taken away Christ hath freed us from the effects of sin as he hath freed us from sin it self that is from their prevalence and dominion over us not from their presence or being in and upon us Hence the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. triumpheth over death O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory As if he had said Death once had a power over man to sting him to death death once had a victorious power and would have bin the great conquerour riding in triumph over all the posterity of Adam but now death hath neither sting nor sword to use against believers it hath nothing of victory over the Saints It is now but a sleep a sleep in Christ a rest from labour a putting off the rags the worn rags of mortality that we may be dress'd in the robes of glory The evil of death is removed and that which remains of death the separation of soul and body proves the greatest good to both it being but a preparatory to their everlasting union Thirdly It is argued That death and corruption were naturall to man because the matter out of which man was made was dying and corruptible Omne principiatum sequitur naturam principiorum for that which is made must follow the nature of that principle out of which it is made The effect cannot be say they more noble then the cause nor the subject constituted more durable then that which goes into its constitution To clear up an answer to this we must distinguish of a three-fold immortality 1. A primitive simple independent essentiall immortality this is proper and peculiar to God in which sense the Apostle affirmeth He only hath immortality 1 Tim. 6.16 2. There is a derivative dependant essentiall immortality Some substances have no seed of corruptibility nor of death in them Being either separate from all matter which is the seat and root of corruption as the Angels or united to matter yet so as not being produced from it or having any affinity with it such are the souls of men Whole man in his creation was not immortall either of these waies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Graec. Int. a part of man was but man was not created immortall Man was of a middle state and condition neither altogether so mortall nor altogether immortall but capable of either 3. There is an immortality by the power or gift by the mercy or justice of God The power and justice of God shall give an immortality to the bodies of the damned in hell they shall ever live a dying life who were dead all while they lived They who have slighted the mercy of God shall be upheld by his power to endure his justice to all eternity wicked men would have sinned with delight for ever upon the earth if they could have lived for ever upon the earth and they shall live for ever with pain in hell to suffer for their sinne The power goodnesse and mercy of God shall much more give immortality to the bodies of the Saints in glory they who have had a will to delight in obeying God that short time they lived on earth shall have a power to live for ever in delight praising God in heaven The body of man
p. 49. We must not despise small beginnings p. 52. Sorrow is not easily shaken off p. 347. Soveraignty of God p. 284. Soul taken two waies in Scripture p. 412. Three things weary and load the soul p. 413. Soul and life in man are distinct 418. Spirit A three-fold work of the spirit p. 480. Spirit of man taken three waies p 528. Starre what it is p. 207. The differences of the stars ib. 208. The number of the known stars p. 208. The known stars represented in fourty one images ibid. All the stars are particularly placed in the heavens for the good of man p. 212. Man very apt to commit idolatry with the stars p. 212 215. God knows the number and names of all the stars p. 213. Some stars more excellent then others ib. The power and wisdom of God shine forth from the stars p. 214. Six things shew the power and wisdom of God in making and ordering the stars p. 215. Starres can do nothing of themselves but as God orders p 217. They are for signs but not for infallible signs p. 219. It is a duty to study the starres p. 220. Strength of two sorts p. 158. Strength of God opened ibid. Strength signified by five distinct words in the Hebrew pag. 289. Strength of God insuperable p. 289. The strength of God appears in three things pag. 290. Sunne at Gods command p. 189. Shadow of the Sunne going back in Hezekiahs time p. 193. The rising of the Sunne is an act of favour renewed to the world every day p. 196 Supplication The nature of it p. 29. Supplication properly what it is p. 266. T TEmptation makes the Saints sometimes weary of their lives p. 420. Great afflictions lay us open to great temptations p. 430. Thousand How taken in Scripture p. 151. One of a thousand what it means ib. Time is very swift p. 334. Swift as and swifter then a Post shewed in ten particulars p. 335. Tradition and immediate revelation the rule till the Word was written p. 56. Trust what it is p. 89. A two-fold effect of trust ibid. Trust of hypocrites like a Spiders web in five things p. 90 91. Truth is more ancient then errour p. 59. Truth cannot be had with ease pag. 61. Four things fit us for the search of truth ib. Truth is to be highly esteemed p. 71. We should yeeld to one another in controversies as farre as truth will let us p. 146. Truth is ever the same and we should be the same to truth p. 307. Great truths must be resolutely maintained p. 308. Type what it is properly p. 32. V Vision of God in heaven not in his Essence p. 231. We cannot see God fully on earth in his Word and works p. 228 232. That we see so little of God should humble us p. 233. Visitation of God three-fold p. 527. Untill notes a continued act p. 132. W WAshing What it imports ceremonial washings p. 365 366. Wicked men have their name from unquietnesse p. 309. They often abound with earthly things p. 324. They have a just title to the earthly things which they enjoy p. 325 326. How it is in vain for a wicked man to seek unto God and how not p. 362. 363. To be accounted wicked is a sore affliction p. 434. Wicked men in what sense they may be said to have prosperity p. 448. To be wicked or to do wickedly is inconsistent with grace p. 476. A wicked man who described in five particulars p. 476 c. All men are either godly or wicked p. 482. Wise What it is to be wise in heart p. 156. God is infinitely wise p. 157. Witnesse and party must not be the same man p 295. Woes of two sorts pag. 542. Woe is the portion of the wicked p. 543. Words It is our duty to watch over our words p. 5. It is a duty to give check to the idle or evil words of others ib. Words like a strong winde shewed in six particulars p. 8 9. God is not taken with fine words p. 259. Worldly things have no consistence They are alwaies in motion p. 336 337. They passe as if they had never been 341. Worldly estate of good men as transitory as that of evil men p 342. Works of God are to be recorded for after times p. 57. It is our duty to enquire into former times p. 58. It is but little of God that we are able to see in his works p. 228 â—32 Y YEsterday Taken three waies in Scripture p. 62. A TABLE OF THOSE SCRIPTVRES Which are occasionally cleared and briefly illustrated in the fore-going EXPOSITIONS The first number directs to the Chapter the second to the Verse the third to the Page of the Book Genesis Chap. Vers Pag. 1. 1. 199. 1. 8. 201. 1. 14. 207. 2. 2. 442. 3. 16. 277. 4. 6. 25. 4. 10. 371 6. 6. 498. 7. 23. 99. 11. 5. 15. 11. 15. 474. 18. 21. 474. 18. 25. 11. 19. 16. 126. 22. 12. 474. 25. 23. 49 289 25. 32. 524. 27. 33. 331. 28. 19. 133. 29. 31. 137. 31. 24. 194 385 31. 47. 106. 32. 9 10 11. 256 42. 11 19 31. 406 Exodus Chap. Vers Pag. 10. 28. 166. 13. 4. 73. 15. 11. 380. 20. 6. 31. 23. 1. 389. 23. 1. 125. 23. 2. 164. 33. 20. 229. 34. 7. 36â— Leviticus Chap. Vers Pag. 1. 4. 388 390 4. 15. 388 19. 15. 48 26. 44. 123. Numbers Chap. Vers Pag. 8. 10. 389. 23. 21. 135. 24. 17. 204. Deuteronomy Chap. Vers Pag. 2. 11. 401. 3. 23. 30 4. 19. 212 8. 2. 474 10. 12. 54. 11. 24. 204. 18. 9. 218. 21. 6 7. 368. 29. 26. 213. 32. 13. 204. 33. 9. 303 Joshua Chap. Vers Pag. 6. 5. 134. 7. 7 8. 240. 10. 12. 190. Judges Chap. Vers Pag. 5. 20. 217 6. 21. 150 7. 31. 134 14. 12. 140 1 Samuel Chap. Vers Pag. 1. 18. 346. 1. 19. 501 15. 29. 242 377 15. 32. 286. 17. 33. 375. 22. 18. 289. 24. 14. 26 28. 19. 63 2 Samuel Chap. Vers Pag. 5. 8. 495. 12. 12. 102. 19. 24. 217 21. 1. 437. 22. 19. 93. 1 Kings Chap. Vers Pag. 4. 32 33. 75 7. 21. 100 8. 29. 24. 2 Kings Chap. Vers Pag. 4. 29. 285 9. 26. 62 14. 9. 150 20. 9 10. 193 21. 13. 55â— 2 Chronicles Chap. Vers Pag. 30. 5. 60 Nehemiah Chap. Vers Pag. 6. 9. 126 Esther Chap. Vers Pag. 7. 8. 327 9. 29 31. 99 Job Chap. Vers Pag. 12. 12 13. 473 13. 3. 255 14. 18. 173 15. 19. 322 18. 4. â—74 19. 6. 14 20. 22. 111 21. 2. 171 23. 13. 243 26. 7. 186 26. 12. 245 30. 23. 293 33. 11. 77 33. 19. 416 33. 23. 151 34. 29. 327 37. 18. 200 201 38. 22. 202 38. 31. 217 40. 13. 327 42. 5 6. 252 Psalms Psal Vers Pag. 2. 1. 205 2. 9. 503 4. 2. 4 8. 3. 221 9. 18. 501 14. 5. 55 17. 14. 324 18. 7. 102 18. 25 26. 35 19. 1. 221 19. 4. 9 221 19. 5. 194 22. 29. 507 24. 1 2. 185 33. 6. 7 36. 6. 175 36. 9. 501 46. 2. 175 50. 16. 363 50. 18. 377 51. 4. 21 51. 9. 367 56. 5. 352 58. 8. 177 61. 7. 55 69. 6 7. 139 73. 4. 313 73. 9. 9 73. 15. 33 â—â—â— â—â—â— 187 76. 6. 195 77. 9. 501 77. 9. 78 81. 12. 129 82. 5. 329 89. 15. 134 89. 25. 389 90. 6. 151 90. 11. 403 91. 13. 203 94. 9. 487 95. 10. 88 100. 3. 444 102 27. 225 103 14. 505 104. 32. 174 105. 15. 195 106. 23. 137 108. 1. 57 108. 9. 203 110. 7. 545 119. 116. 139 119. 121. 12 121. 5. 529 130. 3. 539 139. 14 15. 443 143. 2. 154 144. 5. 172 148. 8. 192 Proverbs Chap. Vers Pag. 1. 22. 4 1. 32. 26 7. 27. 210 8. 27. 202 18. 23. 30 19. 11. 226 24. 4. 21â— 23. â— 28. 234 27. 19. 250 28. 14. 161 29. 15. â—23 31. 8. 225 Ecclesiastes Chap. Vers Pag. 1. 16. 13 2. 18. 117 5. 2 259 6. 10. 379 7. 13. 14 8. 4. 241 8. 11. 163 9. 2. 482 10. 7. 328 12. 1. 78 Canticless Chap. Vers Pag. 1. 6. 458 2. 4. 274 5. 10. 151 5. 12. 367 Isaiah Chap. Vers Pag. 1. 18. 255 367 3. 1. 93 3. 9. 138 347 6. 5. 230. 252 8. 9. 167 10. 26. 312 11. 4. 7 11. 3. 425 14. 23. 91 19. 25. 444 24. 20. 187 25. 4. 278 26. 19. 507 27. 8. 556 27. 11. 446 27. 4. 167 28. 15. 312 28. 7. 110 28. 21 560 30. 7. 246 30. 13. 314 32. 17. 46 32. 2. 454 33. 14. 91 38. 10 12. 414 38. 3. 265 40. 31. 340 40. 4. 173 40. 28. 158 41. 15. 172 42. 25. 179 43. 26. 258 43. 13. 194 44. 20. 390 44. 24 25. 218 45. 11. 240 446 47. 3. 556 49. 15 16. 80 81 49. 23. 246 51. 9. 41 245 53. 8. 55 53. 9 12. 359 55. 6 7 8. 378 57. 17. 77 57. 20. 206 57. 1â—â— 404 58. 3. 82 154 59. 6. 97 62. 6. 501 64. 1. 174 64. 6 7. 25 350 484 65. 24. 39 66. 5. 124 66. 12. 557 Jeremiah Chap. Vers Pag. 2. 22. 370 2. 29. 154 2. 31. 80 2. 32. 79 2. 34. 467 7. 1 2. 97 7. 4 9. 363 8. 6. 406 8. 14. 239 10. 24. 403 11. 13. 141 12. 1. 153 15. 2. 26 15. 1. 238 18. 4. 503 22. 24. 17 23. 10. 4â—6 23. 14. 126 27. 6. 323 30. 14. â—79 31. 35. 216 31. 28. 36 50. 20. 467 50. 7. 45 â—â—â— â—â— â—â—â— Lamentations Chap. Vers Pag. 3. 36. 18 3. 59. 14 3. 37. 195 4. 6. 313. Ezekiel Chap. Vers Pag. 3. 8 9. 160 6. 9. 88 16. 49. 126 18. 25. 154 20. 47. 311 21. 3. 310 32. 7. 191 36. 31. 413 Daniel Chap. Vers Pag. 2. 35. 112. 4. 35. 239 7. 9. 460 8. 5. 109 341 9. 14. 37â— Hosea Chap. Vers Pag. 2. 2. 154 2. 21 22. 217 4. 14. â—6
to stones and pillars have been the preservatives and memorials of his wonderfull works The works of God are his holinesse justice power mercy truth made visible The administrations of God in one age are for the instruction of all ages God spake with Jacob only in person at Bethel yet there the Scripture saith he spake with all his posterity Hos 12.4 He found him in Bethel and there he spake with us It is then a debt to posterity to shew them what God hath done for us Observe Secondly That it is our duty to enquire into the dealings of God in all ages It was their duty before the word was written and it is a duty still The works of God are to be studied and read over as well as his word Deut. 4.20 32. Ask now of the daies that are past which were before thee since the day that God created man upon earth and ask from one side of heaven to another enquire every way to see whether ever God dealt with a people as he hath dealt with thee whether God did ever assay to take to himself a Nation from the middest of another Nation by temptations and by signs and by wonders c. Enquire this of all the former times So Deut. 32.7 Remember the daies of old consider the years of many generations ask thy father and he will shew thee thy Elders and they will tell thee The Psalmist promises to rehearse what these were enjoyned to record Psal 78.3 4. I will open my mouth in a parable I will utter dark sayings of old which we have heard and known and our fathers have told us Our speaking of and enquiring into what God hath done shews the harmony between his word and works And the former providences of God are food for our faith as well as the promises of God Thirdly That which I shall rather insist upon is this True antiquity ever gives a testimony to the truth Hence the Prophets send the people back to antiquity Jer. 6.16 Enquire for the good old-way Every old way is not a good way but in every good old way we may walk safely and see the footsteps of truth Quod antiquissimum verissiâ—um It is a received rule That is truest which is ancientest It is certainly so for truth is not only ancient but eternall Truth is as old as God himself for truth is nothing else but the minde of God truth was with God from everlasting Truth is commonly called the daughter of time yet in a sense it is the mother of time for it was before time was and therefore no question that which is ancientest is truest Yet there is a great abuse of this principle Look back to antiquity and consult with your fathers say many and see what they did how they believed But what is the antiquity they call us to consult with It is not as Moses spake in that place of Deuteronomy antiquity since God created man upon earth or since Jesus Christ was upon the earth and gave out his Gospel-laws but it is the antiquity of some later ages and editions an antiquity far short of what is indeed the ancient time The Apostle 1 Joh. 2.7 gives us the definition of an old commandment This is the old commandment which was from the beginning Our sinfull nature is called the old man and yet it is a corrupt man It is called the old-man not that it is older then the new man the new man is not of a younger house or later date then the old man Holinesse was before corruption And the image of God upon man elder then sinne the image of the devil There are many corruptions in doctrine in opinion in worship in practice which go for very old And there are many doctrines which we call new truths Is it because those corruptions are older then these new truths No new truths are elder then the oldest corruptions That which we call the new world was created in the beginning though discovered but yesterday So new truths were given from the beginning only they were unknown till of late and we may well conceive that some goodly regions of truth are still terra incognita undiscovered God having reserved them for the honour and industry of some divine Columbus who may give us an exacter sea-card of divine mysteries then the world hath yet seen though enough hath been seen from the beginning for the safe steering of our course to heaven He that would enquire and make a diligent search for truth must goe to the first institutions That 's the old commandment which was from the beginning The Prophet Ezekiel Chap. 23.43 speaks of some who were grown old in adulteries that is old in adulterating and corrupting the truth and worship of God That which is old may be old in evil and fuller of errours then it is of daies We finde when the good Kings of Judah reformed they did not search only into what was done in the ages immediately before them or what their next fathers had done but they searcht what was done in the times of their godly fathers how many removes soever distant from them Hezekiah 2 Chron. 29.6 tels the Levites that their fathers were in an errour that they had trespassed and done that which was evil in the sight of the Lord and had forsaken him and Chap. 30.5 speaking of the observation of the Passeover he saith They had not done it of a long time in such sort as it was written therefore v. 7. he dehorteth them saying Be not ye like your fathers which trespassed against the Lord God of your fathers he doth not mean that they should not be like their first fathers who had the truth purely committed to them and so worshipped God purely but be not like your immediate fore-fathers or your corrupt fore-fathers how many descents and generations so ever ye can number from them And this was a thing so strange that when Hezekiah sent the Posts from City to City thorow the Countries of Ephraim and Manasseh with this message that he would have a reformation according to the first institution or patern and would not have them stay in what their fore-fathers had done It is said vers 10. That they laughed the messengers to scorn and they mocked them what must we now be wiser then our fathers Yes saith he you have done evil a long time you and your fathers therefore I must bring you back to your first fathers in comparison of whom the fathers you claim by were but children and those degenerate children It is said of Josiah's reformation 2 King 23.22 That there was not the like from the daies of the Judges nor in all the daies of the Kings of Israel and Judah he went to the very beginning of all there had not been such a thing done before So that if any should have objected why may not such a reformation serve us as served those Kings and Judges No saith Josiah I will search
like a curtain God took the vast matter folded together and spread it as a curtain tabernacle or tent And the * Hîc Dolapum manuâ— hîc saevus tendebat Achillis Virg 2. Aeneiad Iuxta hortos tendâ—bat Suct in Galb c 12. de Germanâ—rum Cohorte Et milites tendere omnes extra vallum jussit Tac l 13. Latine word which carries the interpretation of this in the Hebrew is frequently applied by ancient Authours to the pitching of tents in warre In this third sense we are specially to understand the Text Alone spreadeth out the Heavens And so this spreading is either an exposition of the nature of the heavens Gen. 1.8 The Lord said Let there be a firmament the Hebrew is * CoeluÌ„ sive firmamentum vocaâ—ur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eo quid est expansum extensum super terram Solus sine cujusquam auxilio Let there be an expansion or a stretching forth These heavens are so much spread forth that they are called a thing spread forth and so the text is a description of the heavens in their first Creation Or it may referre to the words going before and so these are a reason to shew that God can command the Sunne and seal up the stars why He spreadeth forth the heavens that is the heavens are all of his making and at his disposing he set the Sunne there and put the starres there he fashioned the orbs in which they are placed and therefore he can stay the Sun and seal the starres And as he thus spreadeth out the heavens so which is more observable He spreadeth them out alone When a piece of hangings or the like of a large extent is to be spread forth one man cannot doe it many hands are put to that work Instrumentum creationis creatura esse non potest It is an axiome in Divinity That no creature can be an instrument in Creation this stretching forth of the heavens is an act of Creation therefore he alone doth it there is none to help him Yet we finde that God had some other with him when he stretched out the heavens though it be here attributed to him alone and though Elihu expostulates with Job in this point Chap. 37.18 Hast thou with him spread out the skie which is strong and as a molten looking-glasse Elihu would bring down the thoughts of Job which he conceived were too much lifted up by shewing that God did this alone Solus quia nemo extra ipsum cuÌ„ ipso sed una cuÌ„ iâ—so illi qui in ipso per identitatem substantiae sunt verbo enim Domini firmati sunt coeli spiritu oris ejus omnis virtus eorum Solum enim divinitas sacit quae ut una ita sola Job saith he didst thou hold one part of this great Curtain or Canopy of heaven in thy hand and God another and was it so spread out between you No neither man nor angel was his helper who then was with God in this work Solomon tels us Prov. 8.27 When he prepared the heavens I was there when he set a compasse upon the face of the depth Who was that I wisdome was there Jesus Christ was there Christ was he by whom God prepared and stretched forth the heavens No creature was there only the uncreated creating Sonne of God God created alone that is without the help of any creature but he created all things by the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God All things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made Observe from hence First The heavens are as the royall tent and pavilion of the Lord. He spreadeth them out The Lord is often exprest comming out of the heavens with warlike preparations There his tent is pitcht and he sitteth there as a great Commander in his pavilion to give out Orders to his Armies He hath an host in heaven and therefore he hath a tent in heaven or rather heaven is his tent The Lord hath his way in the whirlwinde and in the storm and the clouds are the dust of his feet Nah. 1.3 God pitches his battell in heaven The stars in their courses fought against Sisera He fought from heaven from thence he discharged his great Artillery his Cannons thundered and lightened against the enemies of his people He hath also his store-houses for ammunition his Magazines there Job 38.22 Est allâ—so ad armamentaria publica ubi armorum ma hinarum tormentorum ingens apparatus reconditur B l. Quicquid habeÌ„t telorum armamentaria coeli Juven Sat. 13. Hast thou saith God to Job entred into the treasures of the snow Or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail which I have reserved against the time of trouble the day of battell and warre He speaks of heaven as of a great store-house where he hath his arms his powder and ball all his warlike provision laid up against the day of battell Heathens have spoken such language calling storms and tempest hail and thunder The weapons and engines of the Armory of heaven Secondly In that he saith He stretcheth out the heavens alone observe That the Lord needs not the help of any treature to doe his greatest works He hath power and he hath power in himself to doe what he hath a will should be done let all the creatures in the world stand still yet God can carry his work forward What work is like this the stretching forth the heavens There cannot be a work of so much difficulty under heaven as the spreading forth of the heavens He who did that alone what can he not doe alone Though men will not though men cannot help the Lord can and will alone Isa 59.16 He saw that there was no man and wondered that there was no intercessour no man to do no man to speak in that businesse not a man appeared what then Doth the Lord say well seeing there is no man to do I also will let it lie No Therefore his arm brought salvation unto him and his power sustained him he did it alone Paul speaks of himself that at his first appearing before Nero all men forsook him not a man would own him but saith he The Lord stood by me 2 Tim. 4.15 This is a great encouragement to us in great affairs and businesses in the greatest straits and difficulties of the times if men forsake and desert the Lord alone can doe all for us if men have not power to doe what they have will to doe nor will to doe what they have power then remember He that stretcheth out the heavens alone can order our works alone compose our differences alone conquer our enemies alone God alone is infinite greater stronger wiser then all creatures together God can be now as he will be hereafter all in all unto us God is enough for us without any creature yea God and all that he hath made cannot do more than God
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
highest heavens A second thing which shews the mighty power and wisdome of God in the stars is the multitude of them they are innumerable Man cannot tell them only God can they are like the sand of the sea for number A multitude of little sands make a huge body then how great a body doe a multitude of great bodies make Thirdly The swiftnesse of their motion that these mighty vast bodies should be carried about every day so long a journey and never tire or wear shews infinite power and wisdom Fourthly This is more admirable the exact order of their motion That innumerable stars should move continually in the heavens and yet not one of them move out of course this regularity of their motion is setled by an ordinance of heaven Jer. 31.35 where the Lord to assure his people that he would be steady and stedfast in the waies of his love to them and that he would not cast them off tels them that he would be as firm to them in his Covenant as he is in the ordinances of heaven Thus saith the Lord which giveth the Sunne for a light by day and the ordinances of the Moon and of the stars for a light by night c. As if he had said I have made a statute and a decree which is irrepealable and irrevocable concerning the motion of the stars There is an ordinance of heaven for it so that as the celestiall bodies cannot but continue the course I have assigned them for the enlightning of these inferiour parts while the world lasts So the Covenant which I have made with you shall not fail to give you light Thus he infers in the next verse If these ordinances depart from before me saith the Lord then shall the seed of Israel also cease from being a Nation before me for ever but that cannot be I have established these starres by a firm and perpetuall decree therefore you are much more established And such is the exactnesse of their order and motion that the stars of heaven are frequently in Scripture called an host or an army Now an army as it consists of many persons which is one reason why the stars are called an host so an army rightly marshalled is cast into an exact form and so regular for motion that it is one of the good liest sights in the world Now the stars are the host of heaven they stand as it were in battalia they keep rank and file there is not so much as one of that great multitude out of place therefore Judg. 5.20 where they are said to fight against Sisera they are described fighting in courses The stars in their courses fought against Sisera as if the stars had been drawn up now one regiment then another regiment of them to charge upon Sisera and his host the heavens fought and the stars fought that is the Lord by an heavenly power and influence of the stars confounded Sisera and all the enemies of Israel Fifthly There is a most efficacious vertue in the stars It is a secret vertue and it is a strong irresistable vertue no power in the creature can stop it Therefore God challenges Job in the 38. of this book of Job v. 31. Canst thou binde the sweet influences of Pleiades or loose the bands of Orion There are influences in the stars and canst thou binde them Is it in the power of any creature to stop the issues and out-flowings of the stars Their influences are so efficacious that none can binde them but he that looseth them none can binde them but the hand and power which made them there is so much efficacy in them that if God let them go on in their naturall vigour their effects are wonderfull I saith the Lord Hos 2.21 22. will hear the heavens and they shall hear the earth and the earth shall hear the corn and the wine and the oil and they shall hear Jezreel As if he had said The heavens are next in power to me they are second to my self in working Therefore I will hear the heavens the heavens cannot do it unles I give them a commission but I will hear the heavens I will leave a power in the heavens And the heavens shall hear the earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the earth shall hear the corn c. There is a gradation a descent from God to us and the heavens are the next receptacle the immediate vessel receiving and taking in power and vertue from God to defuse and send down upon the creatures here below I will hear the heavens and they shall hear the earth Sixtly Observe That the stars and constellations of heaven can do nothing of themselvs but as they receive order commission from the Lord. He maketh Arcturus and Orion c. They have great power but it is the Lord that maketh them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non tantum facere sed etiam aptare disponere dirigere praeparare significat That word He maketh doth not so much signifie the Creation as the providentiall disposition of the stars as was noted in the Exposition of it He maketh them that is he orders and disposeth them or he acts the stars he trims up those lamps of heaven the word is so used 2 Sam. 19.24 Mephibosheth while David was in trouble had not dressed his feet the Hebrew is He had not made his feet that is he had neglected his body now saith Job the Lord is he that makes dresses or trims up those lamps of heaven though they have a naturall vertue yet that vertue is quickned by providence Providence is a continued creation He maketh Arcturus Orion and Pleiades The stars are the servants of God they receive orders and directions from him for all they do And the reason why the Lord did so often call his people off from gazing upon the stars and reproved star-gazers was because they looked no further than the stars they thought the stars did all they did not eie God that made Arcturus Orion c. but they only eied Arcturus c. Therefore he threatens the star-gazers and monethly prognosticatours who took upon them to resolve future events by the conjunction of planets and planetary aspects placing an uncontrolable power in the hands of the heavens and stars whereas I saith the Lord make Arcturus I made him and I make him do what I command not what you fore-tell Therefore Isa 44.24 25. the Prophet speaking of Gods work in making the heavens and the stars presently adds how he befools men that will prophesie from the stars as if they could tell infallibly what shall come to passe I am the Lord that maketh all things that stretcheth forth the heavens alone that spreadeth abroad the earth by my self What follows That frustrateth the tokens of the liars and maketh diviners mad I stretch out the heavens some will needs prophesie out of the heavens I have set the stars in the heavens and they are for signs Gen. 1.14
or abide in him or no. And Bellarmine in his 5th book and 5th Chapter concerning justification citeth it to prove That a believer cannot know that he is justified but must believe blinde-fold or take the work of justification by grace in the dark For saith he God goeth by us and we see him not he passeth on and we perceive him not Allenâ—ssi â—e huÌ„c locum citat Bellarâ—inus ut probet nuâ—uÌ„ fidâ—lem scire an justificatus sit Coc. That is as his glosse speaks God commeth in favour to justifie or he leaveth under wrath and yet man remains ignorant both of the one and of the other state Surely he was at a great pinch to finde a proof for his point when he was forced to repair to this Scripture to seek one Providence toward man-kinde not the justification of a sinner is the proper subject of this text And as there is nothing for a blinde-fold justification here so many other Scriptures are expresly against it To say that a man cannot know when God loveth him or shineth upon him is to contradict what our Saviour asserts Joh. 14.17 I will send the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you Ye know him saith Christ to his people the Saints see God in a spirituall sense or in his workings upon their spirits And though God works much upon our spirits which we know not yet we have a promise of the Spirit by whom we know God in his workings Few know when God is nigh or when he is a farre off what his goings away mean or what his commings But when he cometh to the Saints they know he commeth and when he hideth or departeth from them they know his hidings and departures Hence their joies and over-flowings of comfort when he manifests his presence and hence their bitter complainings and cryings after him where he seems to absent himself and hide his face yet this Text hath a truth in it in reference to the inward and spirituall as well as the outward and providentiall dealings of God that sometimes He goeth by us and we see him not he passeth on also and we perceive him not Hence learn First That God is invisible in his essence and incomprehensible in many of his actions Mans eie cannot see him Mans understanding cannot comprehend what he doth But why speaks Job this as a matter of wonder if it be the common condition of man-kinde Behold he passeth by and I see him not who can see him who can perceive or comprehend him When Moses Exod. 33.20 desired to see his face the Lord answers No man can see my face and live God spake to Moses face to face that is familiarly as a man speaketh to his friend yet Moses did not could not see the face of God No man can see God in his essence or nature A sight of God would astonish yea swallow up the creature It is death to see the living God and man must die before he can see God so fully as he may and know as he is known But though the face of God be invisible yet his back-parts may be seen Behold saith the Lord to Moses there is a place by me stand thou there upon a rock and thou shalt see my back-parts thou shalt see much of my glory shining forth as much as thou canst bear as much as will satisfie thy desire were it a thousand times larger then it is though not so much as thou hast not knowing what thou askest desired of me My Name shall be proclaimed Gracious and mercifull c. the back-parts of God may be seen the invisible God discovereth much of himself to man and shews us a shadow of that substance which cannot be seen Some may object that of the Prophet Isaias crying out Woe unto me for mine eies have seen the King the Lord of hosts Chap. 6.5 Seen him could Isaias see him whom Job and Moses could not Isaias did not see him in his essence and nature but in the manifestations and breakings forth of his glory His train filled the Temple saith the Text vers 1. or his skirts It is an allusion to great Kings who when they walk in State have their trains or the skirt of their royall robe held up T' was this train which Isaias saw He saw not God who was present but he saw the manifest signs of his presence That speech of Isaiah seemed to savour of and border upon highest blasphemy and was therefore charged as an article of accusation against him he was indited of blasphemy for speaking those words I have seen the Lord his enemies taking or wresting it as if he had made the Lord corporeall and visible with the eie of the body And it is conceived he was put to death upon that and one other passage in his prophecy Cha. 1.10 calling the Princes of Judah Princes of Sodom and the people thereof the people of Gomorrah But though God be thus invisible in his essence yet there is a way by which the essence of God may be seen And of that Moses to whom the Lord said Thou canst not see my face the Authour to the Hebrews saith Heb. 11.24 That he saw him who was invisible the letter of the text carries a contradiction in the adjunct it is as much as if one should say He saw that which could not be seen The meaning is He saw him by the eye of faith who could not be seen by the eye of sense faith sees not only the back-parts but the face of Jehovah the essence of God is as clear to that eye as any of his attributes yea his essence is as plain to faith as any of his works are to sense Thus he is seen Whom no man hath seen nor can see 1 Tim. 6.16 not the Saints in heaven they are not able to see the Lord in his essence He passeth by them there and they see him not in heaven we are promised a sight of him yet not that fight Blessed are the poor in spirit for they shall see God and without holinesse no man shall see the Lord then holy men shall see him the state of the Saints in glory is vision as here it is faith 2 Cor. 13.12 We shall see him face to face and as he is 1 Joh. 3.2 These Scriptures which speak of the estate of the Saints beholding God in glory are not to be understood as if the nature and essence of God could be seen for no man hath seen that nor ever shall but they are meant of a more full and glorious manifestation of God We shall see then face to face that is more plainly for it is opposed to seeing him in a glasse we see him now in a glasse that is darkly in ordinances in duties in his word and in his works but there shall be no need of these glasses in heaven We
shall have so direct and full manifestation of God that these glasses which reflect him shall be out of use The Saints on earth have sometimes a sight of God without a glasse that is out of all ordinances promises and works either wrought in them or for them God comes near to their spirits and lifts them above means and shews them his love and their interest in him by an immediate witnesse of the Spirit 1 Joh. 5.8 For although the water and the bloud justification and sanctification never witnesse without the Spirit and though the Spirit never witnesses against them or where they are not yet the Spirit doth often witnesse above them and without them that is they not being called forth to give their witnesse This is next door to heaven only the vision in heaven will be exceedingly heightned and raised not only above our vision by ordinances but above our vision by immediate revelation or witnesse Further consider The sight we have of God is in Christ God is seen in every creature Rom. 1. much more in ordinances but Christ is the expresse image of his person and the brightnesse of his glory Heb. 1.3 He is the medium by which we see God now and some have thought we shall see him only in Christ for ever But it is out of doubt that in this life God is seen only in Christ savingly We of our selves are so farre off from God that we cannot see him There must be a due distance between the organ and the object we are afarre off from God untill Christ bring us near we come to and see the Father through the Sonne And how neer soever we are to any object we cannot see it without an eye We are naturally blinde the eyes of our minde must be enlightned before we see him Christ cleareth our understandings and cures our blindenesse He is made to us of God wisdom to see our need of him to be made righteousnesse to us and sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 Again The medium must be light if the eye be clear yet while the air is dark we cannot see There must be an outward light as well as an inward light to see by that Jesus Christ makes also for He is the light of the world as well as the enlightner of every one that commeth into the world He sends the means of knowledge as well as gives an ability to know He sends light to the eyes of our minde and he is light in the eyes of our minde What we ought to know comes from him and how to know as we ought comes from him Without him God goeth by us in the Gospel and we see him not he may passe on for ever and we never perceive him Secondly Observe That as the Lord in his nature cannot be seen at all So such is the weaknesse of man that we cannot see him fully in his word or works How little is it that we see that we know of God in either What admirable operations are there in the course of naturall things in the Sunne Moon and Stars in the growth of herbs and plants and in our own bodies which we see not What admirable administrations are there in the course of civill things The beginnings growths and declinings of Common-wealths the transplantations of people from Countrey to Countrey their oppressions by injustice their confusions by warre their establishments by peace their consumptions by plague and famine their encrease by health and abundance are little minded by the most of men How doth God turn Nations up-side-down and hurl Kingdoms together and we perceive him not Some take no notice at all of God as doing such things none taking such notice as they ought We observe creatures what this man did and what the other such men were malicious and unfaithfull such were valiant and wise such were self-seekers such self-deniers such constant Patriots and such were Apostates Thus we see men but we seldom see God in the great transactions and motions of Kingdoms And we see him least of all in the course of spirituall things in his working upon our hearts God works wonders in us and we perceive him not We regard not his commings or goings his comfortings or with-drawings when our spirits are heated or when they are cold when we are strong or when we are weak There are continuall varieties and changes in our spirits had we a clearnesse to make observation The work of God in the heart of a believer moving it ordering it preserving it comforting it purging it is as wonderfull and more then any of his works in the whole world Thirdly Note Man is not fit to fit as a Judge upon the works and dealings of God Shall we judge God in what he doth when we cannot apprehend what he doth A Judge must have the full cognizance of the matter before him how else can he passe sentence about it Shall man be so bold as to get up into the throne and passe sentence upon what God doth when he cannot apprehend or take in evidence of what he doth He goeth by thee and thou seest him not he passeth on also and thou perceivest him not And wilt thou censure what thou canst not perceive Fourthly Which is Jobs scope It should be matter of great humiliation to us that we see so little of God God works round about us and in us and yet we know little of him Our blindenesse should abase us in our own eyes God is all eye and all hand and we so blinde that we cannot see what his hand doth It must lay man low in his own sight to consider how little he sees of God Verse 12. Behold he taketh away who can hinder him who shall say unto him What dost thou This and the next verse contain a proof of mans weaknesse as the former doth of mans ignorance and blindenesse He passeth by and I see him not There is mans blindenesse He taketh away and who can hinder him There is mans weaknesse Suppose a man should see God in his works and apprehend what he is about yet though he hath so much light as to see God he hath not so much strength as to hinder God Is not this an argument of mans weaknesse What! contend with God God doth many things and thou canst not see him or if thou seest him yet it is not in thy power to stop him Behold he taketh away and who can hinder him Yea man is so farre from being able to stop or hinder God in what he is about to doe that man hath not right to question God or to ask him what he is about to doe Man is neither strong enough to stop him from what he will doe nor righteous enough to question him for what he doth This is the totall denying of any possibility in man to deal with God How can he stop God in what he doth who cannot so much as ask him what he doth Who shall say unto him
2.1 and he gives them what they have as they are his creatures as he hath given them a subsistence and a breathing in the world so he allots them maintenance in the world So then to receive by donation from God may note any way of possession What wicked men inherit by succession and descent from their ancestours is a gift of God Yea what they get and hold by violence and oppression is a gift of God The earth which wicked men tear out of the hands of the godly the earth which they stain with the bloud of lawfull owners that they may enjoy it even this is said to be given unto them by God in that common way of providence Nebuchadnezzar was a cruell oppressour yet he had the earth given him by God Jer. 27.6 Now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the King of Babylon my servant and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him God gave him the land yet Nebuchadnezzar invaded it and got it by violence God sent him Isa 10.6 but he went of his own errand vers 7. He had no thought of serving the will and commands of God but of serving his own ambition and covetousnesse yet of this cruell oppressour the Lord saith I have given him all these lands c. Thus The earth is given Into the hand of the wicked There is a question whom we are to understand by these Donees or the receivers of this gift Some expound the text with a speciality of the devil The earth is given into the hand of that wicked one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who is us the Prince of the air so the Prince of this world and hath great power upon the earth But take it of wicked men who are the servants and heirs of Satan as the Saints are the heirs of Christ and receive all things from him so wicked men are the heirs of Satan his children and what they receive as a common gift from God they receive by a speciall gift from Satan The devil boasted to Christ Mat. 4. All these things will I give thee if thou will fall down and worship me Though the devil be a very beggar and hath not a shoe-latchet of his own to give yet for such services and homages he gives out large possessions of the world common providence so ordering it to wicked men his vassals Hence these words are interpreted as a reason of that confusion before spoken of Si flagellatur innocens quid mirum cum mundi judices corruptissimi sint Terrae potestas permissa est impiissimo daemoni qui dicitur mundi rector I de efficit ut reges principes judices quasi obvelatos haberent oculos caecè sine discrimine de rebus judicantes Eugub No wonder if innocent men are under the scourge for the earth is given into the hand of the wicked When they have most power who have least honesty things must needs be turned up-side-down and all put into disorder What can be expected from such a tyrannous Prince as Satan from such wicked instruments as rule under him but continuall disturbance amongst the children of men especially that good men should goe by the worst Godly men are like to have but little peace while these have the preeminence The devil clouds the understandings and vails the eies of those Princes and Judges whom he in this sense advances And justice is equally wounded and distorted when Judges cannot see Things as when they see Persons in judgement The bounty of God to the wicked is an occasion of their injury to the righteous But rather take the words which was hinted before as an argument whereby Job further proves that there can be no ground of judgement upon any mans spirituall estate by the appearances of his temporall for as righteous and innocent persons are under the scourge and laid low in the world so wicked men have the earth given them and are exalted I finde some reading the text as an expostulation Wherefore is the earth given into the hand of the wicked Wherefore doth he cover the faces of the Judges As if Joh did chide with God about this unequall carriage of things in the world and called him to give a reason of it But we have found Job in other places acquitting himself from the suspitions of such a charge and therefore I cannot joyn with these in laying it upon him here Job doth not complain but affirm That the earth is given into the hand of the wicked Whence observe First Wicked men may abound in earthly things They may have the earth and the fulnesse of it The earth and all that is earthly their bellies are filled by God himself with hidden treasure Psal 17.14 Precious things are usually hidden and all that 's named treasure though it be but earthly hath a preciousnesse in it Hidden treasures of the earth fill their bellies who sleight the treasures of heaven and whose souls shall never have so much as a taste of heavenly treasures riches and honour are the lot of their inheritance who have no inheritance among those whose lot is glory They have the earth in their hands who have nothing of heaven in their hearts they bear sway in the world who are slaves to the world they govern and order others at their will who are led captive by Satan at his will Be not offended and troubled to see the rains of government in their hands who know not how to govern themselves or to see them rule the world who are unworthy to live in the world Remember the earth is given into the hand of the wicked We must submit to the judgement of God though it leave us under the injustice 〈◊〉 men And we have little reason to envy them a great portion 〈◊〉 his life who have all their portion in this life The most wise God who hath all things to dispose disposes them with infinite wisdom He gives good things to those that are evil but he gives better things to those who are good He hath a Benjamins messe a rich portion for his own children after all these disbursments to the children of disobedience Their portion lies not in earth and dust or in the rubbish of the world Heaven is given into the hand of the Saints Spirituall blessings in heavenly things are given into the hand of the Saints The pardon of sin the love and favour of God the bloud of Jesus Christ peace of conscience joy in the holy Ghost are gifts worth the having These are given into the hand of the Saints As for the earth He giveth that into the hand of the wicked and yet all that is not given into their hands Wicked men have not all the earth and some wicked men have none of the earth The Lord often makes the portion of his own people fat and plenteous and the portion of his enemies lean and poor Heaven hath not all the
should depart or abide in the flesh but the straight was not in reference to himself he was assured dying would be to him but a travelling to Christ and therefore death was to him an easie election His straight was only this whether he should not abide still in the flesh to to supply the needs of the Church and forbear glory a while that he might prepare others for glory The same Apostle 2 Cor. 5.4 saith in the first verse We know that if the earthly house of this tabernacle be dissolved we have a building of God an house made without hands eternall in the heavens When their faith was thus upon the wing soaring up to the assurance of an house made without hands they grew weary of their smoaky cottages presently they could not endure to live in those poor lodges corruptible bodies having a view of such glorious pallaces therefore he adds In this we groan earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is from heaven The word signifies groaning as a man that hath a weighty burden lying upon him which makes him fetch his winde even from his bowels The body is the burden rather then the house or the clothing of the soul when once the soul knows it shall be clothed with an house which is from heaven As I said before much of hell in this life makes wicked men vveary of this life so also doth much of heaven Cic. in Tuscul Quest de Cleombroto The Roman Oratour tels us that a young man who lived in great prosperity having read Plato about the immortality of the soul was so affected that he threw himself violently from a high wall into the sea that he might have a proof of that immortality by his experience of it The Gospel forbids such haste and knows no such vvaies to happinesse As Christ not vve hath purchased that estate so Christ must lead us we must not thrust our selves into the possession of it but yet the earnests the fore-tastes and first-fruits of heaven which the Saints finde in this life though they be such as eat the marrow and fatnesse such as may have the very cream and spirits of the creature to live upon make them groan often and earnestly for the next life This is good but heaven is better Lastly Which is the case of this text the Saints may grow vveary of their lives from the outward afflictions and troubles of this life Sicknesse and pains upon the body poverty and vvant in the estate reproaches and unkindenesses put upon our persons vvith a thousand evils to vvhich this life is subject every day cause many to vvish and long for an end of their daies And though they are ready to submit to the vvill of God if he have appointed them to a longer conflict vvith these evils yet they cannot but shew their vvillignesse yea their gladnesse to part vvith their lives that they may part vvith such troubles accompaning their lives And as the afflictions of the body naturall so of the body politike may make them vveary of their lives How many in Germany and Ireland have been so vvearied vvith hearing the voice of the oppressour that they have vvished themselves in their graves only to get out of their hearing And vvith us since these troubles began have not many been tired with living Have they not cried after death and wooed the grave as being weary of the world The Prophet Isa 32.2 speaks of a weary land A man meaning Christ shall be as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land The land it self being insensible could not be weary but he cals it a weary land because the inhabitants living in the land were wearied with the troubles and continuall vexations which they found there In these cases the soul of a believer stands like Abraham when the Angels passed by at the tent door of his body ready to come forth looking when God will but call yea he cries out that he may be called in the language of Job My soul is weary of my life I will leave my complaint upon my self I will speak in the bitternesse of my soul I will leave c. That is I will carry my complaint no further it shall trouble none but my self The originall signifies also to strengthen or fortifie Nehem. 3.8 They fortified Jerusalem unto the broad wall we put in the Margin They left Jerusalem to the broad wall So the sense of Job may be this My pains do not abate but increase why then should I remit or abate my complaint I will strengthen my complaint as long as my sorrows are strengthened My complaint That word hath been explained before it signifies an inward as well as an outward complaint and that most properly Some translate it so here I will groan in silence with my self Per mittam mihi mussitationē Tygur Silentio egomet ingemiscam Philosophabor Polychron Deponam à me querimoniam meam Jun. But the text requires rather that we interpret it of an externall complaint formed up into words The Septuagint are expresse and so is Austin I will leave my words upon my self both interpreting it of a vocall declaration of his minde and meaning The greatest difficulty lies in those words upon my self One renders I will leave my complaint off or lay it aside from my self As if Iob meant to give over this work of complaining and to compose his heart to quietnesse how unquiet soever his estate continued But his following practice seems to confute this interpretation and to deny any such intention Others give this sense I will speak at my own peril and if any danger or inconvenience come of it I will bear it my self I will run that venture Job uses such language chap. 13.13 Hold your peace let me alone that I may speak and let come on me what will We may glosse it with that heroicall resolution of Queen Esther Esth 4.16 So will I go in unto the King which is not according to the Law and if I perish I perish The Hebrew preposition hath various acceptions Praepositio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 frequenter per super nonnunquam per cum aliquando per adversus redditur Nihil contra Deum in me tantum desaeviam Pined First As we It is translated Vpon Secondly With. Thirdly Against Fourthly Concerning or about We may take in any of or all these translations And from all the meaning of Job seems to rise thus I intend not to speak a word against God I will not charge the Almighty with injustice or with rigour to doe which were highest wickednesse I purpose indeed to complain but I will complain only upon or with my self concerning or against my self I will not utter a word against the wisdome of God or accuse his providence I will not shoot an arrow against heaven or send out a murmur against the most high There are two waies of leaving our complaints
instrument of work Philosophers call it The Organ of Organs man is called The work of Gods hands because the hand is mans instrument in working Now whereas man is called The work of Gods hands it imports three things First An immediety in the work or an immediate work God made man himself without any help Secondly An exactnesse in the work the work proclaims an accurate authour The work of thy hands a speciall piece of work No hand but thine could make such a piece Thirdly It notes the fulnesse and compleatnesse of the work a work consummate and perfect having the last hand put to it Man is the work of Gods hands in all and each of these senses Heaven is called a building of God an house not made with hand 2 Cor. 5.1 Man is a building of God and he is the work of Gods hands yet God made man without hands as much as he made heaven without hands The hand of God implies two things 1. The power of God 2. The wisdom of God Man is the work of both For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternall power and God head Now if the beams and beauty of the divine nature be visible in all that was created then much more in man who is the epitome or sum of all that was created When Job puts the question Is it good unto thee to despise the work of thy hands he alludes to artificers Alio argumento injustitiam a Deo ansert quòd artifices sua opera amare soleant Merc. who having made an excellent piece will not destroy or break it in pieces no they are very tender of their work yea they are apt to boast and grow proud of it The instinct of nature teaches us to love not only that which is our own by naturall production but that also which is our own by artificiall conception or operation Indeed if a man make a mean or an unworthy piece he despises it such work discommends the workman and he will break or burn it rather then let it be made publike to the publishing of his own weaknesse or unskilfulnesse Man was the master-piece of the whole visible Creation Man was made not as other creatures to have a being only but that he might be in the likenesse of God Hoc corpus meū quod in utero matris meae tam concianè aptè formasti destrues and bear his image The Lord needs not be ashamed of neither doth he despise any part of his work much lesse this which is the best and noblest part of his work Hence observe in generall Man is the work of God All of man man throughout is the work of God The fabrique of his body is Gods work I am fearfully and wonderfully made saith David marvellous are thy works and that my soul knoweth right well my substance was not hid from thee when I was made in secret c. In thy book all my members were written which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them Psal 139.14 15. A skilfull architect before he builds draws a model or gives a draught of the building in his book or upon a Table there he will shew you every room and contrivance in his book are all the parts of the building written while as yet there are none of them or before any of them are framed and set up In allusion to Architects and other Artisans David speaks of God In thy book were all my members written that is Thou hast made me as exactly as if thou hadst drawn my severall members and my whole proportion with a pen or pensil in a booke before thou wouldest adventure to form me up The Lord uses no book no pen to decipher his work He had the perfect Idaea of all things in himself from everlasting But He may well be said to work as by patern whose work is the most perfect patern As the body so the soul of man is the work of Gods hand too His power and wisdom wrought it and work mightily in it In regard of bodily substance the most inferiour creatures claim kindred of man and he may be compared to the beast that perisheth But in regard of the soul man transcends them all and may challenge a neernesse if not an equality with the Angels The body is to the soul but as a mud wall which imprisons some pretious treasure at best but like a gold ring to a sparkling diamond If the more unworthy part of man be a work worthy of God how much more is his more worthy part There is yet somewhat in man of Gods making which is better then either of these parts and is indeed all man There is somewhat in man more excellent then man The qualities of a man are superiour to his nature man by his nature differs only from a beast but some men by their qualities differ from other men one man hath better qualities then another but no man hath a better nature then another As the soul is more excellent then the body and reason then sense so inward gifts are more excellent then the soul and grace then reason These are the beauty the gildings and engravings of the inner man The Assyrians are called the work of Gods hands not only in reference to creation but regeneration in Christ Isa 19.25 Blessed be Aegypt my people and Assyria the work of my hands and Israel mine inheritance 'T is a promise of the calling of the Gentiles when they who were not a people should receive Christ and be made the spirituall Israel by the mighty work of God This also is the work which David intends when he invites all lands to serve the Lord with gladnesse because it is he that hath made us and not we our selves Psal 100.3 Hence the Apostle cals all believers emphatically The work of God Ephes 2.10 We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works Man is the workmanship of God as he is fitted for naturall and civil works but he is most of all the workmanship of God as he is fitted for spirituall and holy works All is the work of God but this is curious work workmanship indeed From the whole take three cautions First Be not proud of what ye are all 's the work of God How beautifull or comely how wise or holy soever ye are 't is not of your selves What hath any man either in naturals or supernaturals which he hath not received Secondly Despise not what others are or have though they are not such exact pieces though they have not such excellent endowments as your selves yet they are what the hand of God hath wrought them and they have what the hand of God hath wrought in them Be more thankfull if ye are better framed and have more workmanship bestowed upon you sleight not those upon whom God hath bestowed lesse Thirdly Despise
The greatest wonders of creation are unseen God hath packt many rarities mysteries yea miracles together in mans chest All the vitall instruments and wheels whereby the watch of our life is perpetually moved from the first hour to the last are locked up in a curious internall cabinet where God himself prepared the pulleys hung on the weights and wound up the chime by the hand of his infinite power without opening of any part As our own learned Anatomist elegantly teacheth us in the Preface to his sixth book Fourthly The dimensions proportions and poise of mans body are so exact and due that they are made the model of all structures and artificials Castles Houses Ships yea the Ark of Noah was framed after the measure and plot of mans body In him is found a circulate figure and a perfect quadrat yea the true quadrature of a circle whose imaginary lines have so much troubled the Mathematicians of many ages Fifthly In every part usefulnesse and commodiousnesse comelinesse and convenience meet together What beauty is stampt upon the face What majesty in the eye What strength is put into the arms What activity into the hands What musick and melody in the tongue Nothing in this whole fabrique could be well left out or better placed either for ornament or for use Some men make great houses which have many spare rooms or rooms seldom used but as in this house there is not any one room wanting so every room is of continuall use Was ever clay thus honoured thus fashioned Galen gave Epicurus an hundred years to imagine a more commodious scituation configuration or composition of any one part of the body And surely if all the Angels in heaven had studied to this day they could not have cast man into a more curious mould or have given a fairer and more correct edition of him This clay cannot say to him that fashioneth it What makest thou Or this work he hath no hands Isa 45.9 The Lord hath made man so well that man cannot tell which way to be made better This work cannot say He that wrought me had no hands that is I am ill wrought as to say you have no eyes you have no ears are reproofs of negligence and inadvertency both in hearing and seeing So when we say to a man Surely you have no hands our meaning is he hath done his work either slothfully or unskilfully But this work of mans body shall not need to say unto God he hath no hands he hath given proof enough that hands and head too were imploied about this work Let us make it appear that we have hands and tongues and hearts for him that we have skin and flesh bones and sinews for him that we have strength and health and life and all for him seeing all these are also derived from him as appears in the next words Thou hast granted me life and favour Job having thus described the naturall conception and formation of his body descendeth to his quickning and preservation When God had formed man out of the dust of the earth he then breathed into him the breath of life and man became a living soul and thus when God hath formed man in the womb given him skin and flesh bones and sinews then he gives life and breath and all things necessary to the continuation of what he hath wrought up to such excellent perfections Our divine Philosopher teacheth us this doctrine Verse 12. Thou hast granted me life and favour and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit This verse holds out to us the great Charter of God to man consisting of three royall grants First Life Secondly Favour Thirdly Visitation The bounty of God appears much in granting life more in granting favour most of all in his grant of gracious visitations Thou hast granted me life c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vitas fecisti Mont. Vitam disposuisti mihi Sep. Quasi debito loco ordine The letter of the Hebrew is Thou hast made or fitted for me life and favour The soul is the ornament of the body life the lustre of our clay Thou hast not thrown or hudled my life into my body Thou hast put it in exquisitely and orderly The frame of the body is an exquisite frame but the frame the faculties and powers the actings and motions of the soul are farre more exquisite The inhabitant is more noble then the house and the jewell then the cabinet As the life is better then meat and the body then artificiall raiment Mat. 6.25 So the life is better then the body which is to it a naturall raiment Thou hast granted me life c. Life is here put metonymically for the soul of which it is an effect as the soul is often put for the life whereof it is a cause We translate in the singular number life the Hebrew is plurall Thou hast granted me lives But hath a man more lives then one Some understand Job speaking not only of corporall but spirituall life as our naturall life is the salt of the body to keep that from corrupting so spirituall life or the life of grace is the salt of the soul to keep that from corrupting Secondly Thou hast granted me lives that is say others temporall life and eternall life Thirdly Lives may be taken for the three great powers of life Man hath one life consisting of three distinct lives For whereas there is a life of vegetation and growth such as is in trees and plants and a life of sense and motion such as is in beasts of the earth fowls of the air and fishes of the sea And a life of reason such as is in Angels whereby they understand and discourse these three lives which are divided and shared among all other living creatures are brought together and compacted into the life of man Whole man is the epitome or summe of the whole Creation being enriched and dignified with the powers of the invisible world and of the visible put together under which notion we may expound this Text Thou hast granted me lives a three-fold life or a three-fold acting and exercise of the same life Thou hast granted me lives Observe hence Life is the gift of God With thee is the fountain of lives the well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vena vitarum or the vein of lives Psal 36.9 The Psalmist alludes either first to waters which flow from a fountain and so doth life from God Or secondly To metals With thee is the vein of lives as all minerall veins the veins of gold and silver of lead and iron c. lie as it were in bank in the bosom and bowels of the earth so doth life in God There is not the lest vein of this quick-silver in all the world but comes from him Or thirdly The Psalmist alludeth to the veins of the body which as so many rivers and rivolets derive their bloud from tha◠red-sea the liver God hath a sea of life in himself
Sight which is the chief sense is put for any sense And so the meaning is Though I am righteous yet I cannot hold up my head or take any comfort because I am so full of confusion and see so much affliction As if he had said Can a man at the same time mourn and rejoyce Can a man lift up his head while he hath such a load upon his heart Hence observe They who see much affliction can hardly take in any consolation Come to a godly man under great outward or inward troubles tell him of the love of God of the pardon of sinne of an inheritance among the Saints in light as his portion you can hardly fasten any of these things upon him sorrow within keeps comfort out As till sin be cast out we cannot act holily so till worldly sorrow or the excesse of godly sorrow be cast out we cannot act joyfully The Saints in a right posture of spirit are joyous in all their tribulations and Christ is able to make consolations abound as tribulation doth abound yet where there is abundance of tribulation consolation is usually very scarce Drops will hardly be received where rivers are offered and poured forth Another reading of the words representeth Iob bespeaking God in praier mixed with complaining If I were righteous Satis habeas ignominiae vide impotentiaÌ„ meam Coc. yet cannot I lift up my head be thou satisfied with confusion and behold my affliction So M. Broughton As if Iob had said Let it be enough Lord let it now suffice give me some ease that I may lift up my head a little before I lay it down for altogether Thus David praied Ps 39.11 12. When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth surely every man is vanity O spare me that I may recover stâ—ength before I go hence be no more When Nehemiâ—h was humbling himself and confessing his sin and the sinne of that people he concludes according to this interpretation Chap. 9.32 Let not all the trouble seem little before thee that hath come upon us on our Kings on our Princes and on our Priests and on all thy people as if he had said Lord consider that now we have been greatly punished though we have been punished lesse then our sins deserve Thou maist justly inflict more but we are not able to endure more Rectius in imperativo q. d. vide Domine quo sim statu tum cognosces ita esse ut dico Mâ—rc Thirdly We read imperatively Therefore see thou mine affliction So his meaning is Lord take notice of my sad condition I am full of trouble Hence observe That when sorrows are come to a great height it is time for us to pray that God would cast a compassionate eye upon them When we are past the cure and help of man we are fittest objects for God When the pressures of the people of Israel were greatly encreased in Aegypt then the Lord himself saith I have seen I have seen Exod. 3.7 and when affliction is boyl'd up to the height then let us say See Lord see Lord. When the rage and blasphemy of Rabshakeh both by speaking and writing reached even unto heaven Then Hezekiah went and spread the letter before the Lord 2 King 19.14 As if he had said Lord do thou read this letter Lord bow down thine ear and hear Lord behold and see we are full of confusion See thou our affliction And when the enemies of the Jews in Nehemiah's time fell to scoffing and jearing the work they had in hand and them in the work then that zealous Governour puts it unto God Hear O our God for we are despised Secondly Note That when our afflictions are at the highest and greatest thou the Lord is able to master and subdue them I am full of confusion see thou mine affliction As if he had said It is in vain for me to shew my diseases and my wounds to creatures but I know I am not past thy cure though I come thus late or thus I have shewed my wounds and my diseases to the creature I have made my moan to men but they cannot help Now I bring them unto thee O see my affiction All our ruines may be under the hand of God he hath bread and cloathing for us he can be our healer when none can either in heaven or earth Lastly Observe When our afflictions are at the highest then usually God comes to deliver When the waters of affliction swell over the banks and threaten a deluge then God turns the stream when our sores fester and are ready to gangrene then God applies his balsome He seldome appears in a businesse which others can do or undertakes that which is mans work As in the sore travel of women in childe-bearing other helpers undertake it not till as they speak it be past womens work so God seldome meddles eminently he acts alwaies concommitantly till our deliverance is past mans work that so the whole praise of the work may be his When danger is upon the growing hand then desire God to take deliverance in hand then pray and pray earnestly that God would see your afflictions when you perceive them to be encreasing afflictions So it follows in the next verse See thou mine affliction Verse 16. For it encreaseth Thou huntest me as a fierce lion and again thou shewest thy self marvellous upon me This verse with the next are an elegant and patheticall description of Iobs yet growing and prevailing sorrows for having closed the 15th verse with an Assertion and a petition I am full of confusion therefore see thou mine affliction he presseth and pursueth both in these words For it encreaseth Thou huntest me as a fierce lion For it encreaseth M. Broughton renders How it fleeth up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In bonum elevâ—tâ—â— eminuit in malum intumuit superbiit de inanimatis â—revit auctus â—uit The Hebrew word is taken sometimes in a good and sometimes in an ill sense In a good sense it signifies to be lifted up or to be eminent in excellency In an ill sense it signifies to be lifted up or exalted with pride The word is applied also to things without life and then it signifies to augment by addition or encrease The Vulgar takes it in that ill sense as noting pride and high-mindednesse translating by the Noun thus For pride thou dost catch me as a lion or thou dost hunt me as a lion because I am proud A lion is a stout creature and may be an embleme of pride Another gives a sense near that When it lifteth up it self then thou huntest me as a fierce lion When what lifteth up it self when my head lifteth up it self he had said in the former verse If I be righteous yet will I not lift up my head for if I doe lift up my head in pride then thou wilt hunt me as a fierce lion I shall