In the 1 Sam. 3. 1. we have the ground of the distinction In those dayes there was no open vision Open is opposed to private or secret the word imports a vision appearing in publique and the meaning of the text is this there were no Prophets sent openly and as it were In State invested with commission and furnished with messages Fuerantquidem singulares privatae visiones cum pijs communicatae ut cum Manoah Judic 13 Sed publiâ—è Prophetarum oâ—ne munus jacebat Jun. in loc from Heaven unto the people there was no open vision yet at that time there were private visions as to Manoah Judg. 13. God revealed himselfe in those darke times to some of his speciall servants And so he hath and will at all times While he hath a Church upon the earth he never shuts himselfe quite in Heaven Open vision may faile but all visions shall not faile So open profession may faile in the raigne of Antichrist in his houre and in the power of darknesse as it did in the time of Eliah yet all profession of the truth shall never faile The Lord hath alwayes his thousands in secret who never bowed their knee to Baal In many places since Christ came in the flesh there hath been no open vision no holding forth of the truth of Christ and yet even in those places there have been private visions and a remnant reserved to whom God hath made known the mysteries of the Kingdome of Christ When darknesse covers all in appearance there may be light which appeares not and candles under a bushell when there are none in the Candlesticks A Goshen hath light while Egypt is plagued with darknesse and when the Prophets are benighted it may be day with many of the people Thirdly Some visions were without any trance or ravishment Gen. 15. 1. The word of God came in a vision to Abraham speaking to his eare and bidding him look up to Heaven with his eyes ver 5. But often we finde that visions were accompanied with trances 'T was so with Balaam the false Prophet Num. 24. 16. He hath said which saw the visions rf the Almighty falling into a trance but having his eyes open And it was so with some of the true Prophets Daniel saw a vision and when he heard the voice Then saith he was I in a deepe sleepe upon my face Dan. 10. 9. Peter was in a trance when he had the vision of a sheete let downe from Heaven Act. 10. And the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 12. 1. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord whether in the body I cannot tell or whether out of the body I cannot tell God knoweth His soule had so much acquaintance with God that he became a stranger to his own body his soule was so busied in receiving knowledge from God that he was faine to put off the knowledge and care of his body wholly to God What the state of my body was I know not God knoweth Fourthly Some visions were presented only in bare naked words others were cloathed in types and figures in the shapes of beasts of the earth and soules of the ayre of trees and stones c. As to Ezekiel and Daniel in their Prophesies and to John in the book of Revelations These figures were as an Alphabet of sacred Letters which put together and spel'd made the minde of God legible to his servants Lastly The Scripture in hand hints us a fifth difference about visions In thoughts from the visions of the night that 's considerable There were visions of the day and visions of the night thus it is said Dan. 2. 19. when Daniel expounded Nebuchadnezzars dreame that God made it known to him in visions of the night opposing it to visions of the day Usually the night was the time for visions hence Numb 22. 18 19. Balaam the false Prophet when the messengers of Balack came to him saith Tarry this night and I will shew you in the morning he thought to have a vision in the night So it is observable that when Saul and his servant came to Samuel 1 Sam. 9. 19. to enquire about the straid Asses he tells him ye shall eate bread with me to day and to morow I will let thee goe and will tell thee all that is in thine heart he desired a night intimating that God used to reveale secrets unto him in the night So much concerning visions with the kindes and differences of them From this doctrine of visions we may take notice of our priviledge under the Gospel The Apostle saith at sundry times and in divers manners God spake unto our fathers by the Prophets but he hath spoken unto us one way which exceeds them all Even by his Sonne who is the brightnesse of his glory and the expresse image of his person Heb. 1. 2 3. We have a vision which outshines all the visions that ever the Prophets or Patriarchs had from the beginning of the world Their light was darknesse at most but a shadow their visions were obscurities and their revelations concealments compared with ours Our vision is Christ God manifested in the flesh Mine eyes have seen thy salvation saith old Simeon he had a vision of Christ in person The land of Judah was call'd the valley of vision because God revealed himselfe to that people more frequently and clearly than to all the world beside Where ever the Gospel is preached that Land is a valley of vision a valley of vision farre more lightsome and glorious than the land of Judah was the very darknesse of the Gospel is clearer than the light of the Law That which was made glorious had no glory by reason of that glory which excelleth 1 Cor. 3. 10. Only remember that as our priviledge is greater than theirs so is our duty A cleare light should be answered with a holier life And we who have more evidence of what God would have done should make more conscience to do it Now we are not taught by dreams and visions of the night We ought to walk as children of the day Not onely is darknesse gone but the shadows are fled away The true light now shines even he who enlightens every one that comes into the warld We need not dreams or visions now Why should we call for Candles when the Sunne is up We need not Starre-light when we have day-light or when the promised Day-starre is risen in our hearts 2 Pet. 1. 19. Here is one circumstance more in the Text about this vision very Sopor est somnus profundior somnus est plus quam do miâ—aâ—io sopor plus quam somnus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Significat gravem somnum imo plus quâ—m somnuÌ„ profundum somnuÌ„ quasi letharguÌ„â— remarkeable it was not only in the night but in the night when deepe sleepe falleth on men or on sorrowfull man man wearied with labour and travell This is a more distinct description of the time than the former
gale of love breathing through the covenant of Grace And as the life of man is compared by Job to a cloud so to that which is the matter of the cloud by the Apostle James Chap. 4. verse 14. where he puts the question what 's the life of man Is it not saith he even a vapour that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away A vapour is exhaled from the earth by the heat of the Sunne and is the matter out of which the cloud is made Mans life is not only like a cloud which is more condense and strong but like those thin vapours sometimes observed arising from moorish grounds which are the original of clouds and more vanishing then clouds Even these are but vanishing enough to shadow the vanishing decaying quickly dis-appearing life of man As the cloud consumes and vanishes the next words speak out the mind of the comparison So he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more The grave is a descent And the word which is here used for the grave is Sheol about which many disputes are raised among the learned The root of it signifies to desire or to crave with earnestness and the reason given is because the grave is always craving and asking Though the grave hath devoured the bodies of millions of men yet it is as hungry as it was the first morsel still it is asking and craving The grave is numbred among those things which are not satisfied Prov. 30. 16. In the Greeke of the new Testament it is translated Hades which by change of letters some form out of the Hebrew Adam and Adamah the earth unto which God condemned fallen man to returne Gen. 3. 19. We find this word Sheol taken five wayes in Scripture 1. Strictly and properly for the place of the damned Prov. 15. II. Hell and destruction are before the Lord how much more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then all the hearts of the children of men God looks through the darkness of hell which is utter darkness Tam infernus quam sepulchrum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. Status mortuorum vel sepalchrum nam ut anima de corpore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 de sepulchro usurpatur Ps 16. Drus 2. It is put Metaphorically for great and extream dangers or miseries which seem irrecoverable and remediless these are figuratively called hell because hell properly taken is a place from whence there is no recovery There 's no release from the chaines of darknesse all changes are on earth Heaven and hell know none When David praises the Lord Psalm 86. 13. for delivering his soul from the lowest hell he meaneth an estate on earth of the lowest and deepest danger imaginable Mercy helpt him at the worst To be as low as hell is to be at the lowest 3. The word signifies the lower parts of the earth without relation to punishment Psal 139. 8. If I go down into hell thou art there He had said before if I ascend up into Heaven thou art there by Heaven he meanes the upper Region of the world without any respect to the estate of blessednesse and hell is the most opposite and remote in distance without respect to misery As is he had said let me go whither I will thy presence finds me out 4. It is taken for the state of the dead whether those dead are in the grave or no Psal 30. 3. Isa 38. 18 19. Gen. 37. 35. In all which places to go out of the world is to go to Sheol Jacob in the text alledged Gen. 37. 35. said he would go down into the grave to his son mourning yet Jacob thought his Son was devoured by a wild beast he could not goe down into the grave to his son for the bowels of a wild beast was his supposed grave but he meaneth only this I wil even die as he is dead So Numb 16. 33. where that dreadful judgement of God upon Korah Dathan and Abiram is storied it is said that they their sheep and their oxen and their tents and all went down into Sheol that is they were all devoured and swallowed up But 5. Sheol signifies the place where the body is layed after death namely the grave Prov. 30. 16. Man hath a demension of earth fitted to the dimensions of his body this portion or allotment is his Sheol Yet it signifies the grave only in generall as it is natural to man-kind not that grave which is artificial and proper to any particular man this the Hebrew expresses by another * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word He that goeth down to the grave goes to his long home to a house out of which he is never able to see or make his way and Ainsw in Gen. 37. therefore it followes He shall come up no more No that 's sad news indeed to go down to the grave and come up no more Are all the hopes of man shut up in the grave and is there an utter end of him when his life ends Shall he come up no more Many of the Greek writers tax Job as not acquainted with the doctrine of the Resurrection as if he either knew not that mystery or doubted at this time of it And some of the Rabbins say plainly Hic abnegat Iob resuscitationem mortuorum Rab. Sol. Non negatur resurrectio ad vitam sed ad similem vitam Pined he denied it But he is so cleare in the 19th Chapter that we need not think him so much as cloudy here And if we look a little farther himself will give us the comment of this text When he saith he shall come up no more it is not a denyal of a dying mans resurrection to life but of his restitution to the same life or to such a life as he parted with at the graves mouth They who die a natural death shall not live a natural life again therefore he addeth in the next verse Verse 10. He shall return no more to his house He doth not say absolutely he shall return no more but he shall return no more to his house he shall have no more to do with this world with worldly businesses or contentments with the labour or comforts of the creature or of his Family He shall return no more to his house But some may say how doth this answer the comparison That as the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more for we find another description of clouds Eccles 12. 2. where the text saith that the clouds return after raine So that it seems though clouds vanish and are consumed yet they returne and come againe The clouds are like bottles full of raine or spunges full of water God crushes these spunges or unstops these bottles and they are emptied and in emptying vanish away but yet Solomon affirms the clouds return after raine how then doth Job say that as the cloud vanisheth so man goeth to the grave
exprest the righteous perish that is they dye as it is explained afterward they are taken away from the evill to come they rest in their beds sc in their graves so Matth. 8. 25. Master save us we perish say the Disciples when they thought they should all be drowned Lord helpe us or else we all dye presently and so we translate Job 34. 15. where Elihu speaking of the power of God thus describes it If he should but shew himselfe all flesh saith he shall perish together that is all flesh shall dye they are not able to stand before Gods power and greatnesse the word which he useth there strictly taken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to expire or give up the ghost yet we translate it all flesh shall perish together that is they shall all give up the ghost and dye if God should appear in his power and greatnesse Thirdly by perishing we may understand outward afflictions and troubles falling upon either godly or wicked these are called a perishing Josh 23. 13. Joshua tels the people If you will not obey and walk according to the Commandements of God ye shall quickly perish from off this good Land that is ye shall be removed by outward afflictions from your Land you shall goe into captivity And so if I perish I perish saith Esther Chap. 4. 17. that is if I bring trouble and affliction upon my selfe let it be so I will venture it A Syrian ready to perish was my father Deut. 26. It is meant of Jacob a man much verst in trouble as he himselfe acknowledgeth Few and evill have been the dayes of my pilgrimage Fourthly to perish notes eternall misery as it is put for the miseries of this life so for the life of misery for that life which is an everlasting death John 3. 16. God so loved the world that he gave Omnimodam rei perditionem significat oâ—pâ—â—niâ—uâ— enim generationi his onely begotten Sonne that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life perishing is opposed to everlasting life and therefore implyes everlasting death Fifthly to perish notes utter desolation and totall ruine A cutting off or a destroying the very name and remembrance of a person or of a people He that speaks lyes shall perish Pro. 19. 9. that is he shall be utterly destroyed In this sense the word is used for the Devill because he is a destroyer to the utmost as Christ is a Saviour to the utmost He is called Abaddon from Abad the word here used Rev. 9. 12. and Apollyon his businesse is to destroy totally and eternally Thus also Antichrist The first-borne of the Devill 2 Thess 2. 3. is called the sonne of perdition take it actively he is a destroying sonne one that destroyeth bodies and soules as in Scripture a bloody man is called Ish dammim a man of blood and passively he is a sonne of perdition that is a man to be destroyed both body and soule These two latter senses namely eternall destruction in Hell and utter destruction in this life are joyned together Prov. 15. 11. Hell and destruction or Hell and perishing are before the Lord and Chap. 27. 20. we have the same words againe Hell and perdition or Hell and destruction are never full So that to perish in a strict sense notes even in this life an utter extirpation so some render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Abscondit ne amplius auditur vel videatur per metonymiam sublatuâ— doletus succisus Sublata enim è medio non apparent amplius sed absconduntu◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it here Who ever saw the righteous plucked up by the roots so as there should be no remembrance no remainder of them The other word which is joyned in the Text cut off carries the same sense though it signifies properly to hide a thing yet it is so to hide it as it appeareth no more or so to hide it that it can neither be heard of nor seen any more Hence by a Metonymie it signifies to take away or to cut off because things that are taken away and cut off are as things hidden and seen no more Here then is the height of the sense either to take it for perishing in Hell or for such a perishing in this life as is joyned with totall desolation and desertion Then for the termes innocent and righteous The word we translate innocent signifieth empty And it is therefore applyed to an innocent person because innocent persons are emptied of malice and wickednesse their hearts are swept and cleansed purged and washed there is in some sense a vacuum a holy vacuum in the hearts of holy persons they are freed from that fulnesse of evill which lyes in their hearts by nature that filth is cast out Every mans heart by nature is brim full top full of wickednesse as the Apostle describes the Gentiles Rom. 1. 29. being filled with all unrighteousnesse and it is a truth of every mans heart it is a Cage full of uncleane Birds a stable full of filthy dung he hath in him a throng of sinfull thoughts a multitude of prophane ghests lodging in him Now a person converted is emptied of these these ghests are turned out of their lodgings the roomes are swept and emptied therefore an holy person is called an empty person Emptied not absolutely emptied of all sinne but comparatively there is abundance cast out so that considering how full of sin he was he may be said to be emptied of sinne and that his malice is cast out In the fourth of Amos the Prophet threatens cleannesse of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 teeth it is a suitable judgement that uncleane hearts and lives should be punished with cleane teeth or innocency of teeth for it is the word of the Text. Famine is elegantly so called Want of bread makes empty or cleane teeth And where were the righteous that 's the other terme cut off One may put the question where were the righteous surely Job had very good eyes if he could finde any righteous man upon the earth he might seem to have clearer eyes then the Lord himselfe if he could finde any righteous God looked downe from heaven and he saw none righteous no not one Psal 53. 3 4. Yet here Eliphaz bids Job enquire about the righteous where they were cut off To clear that By righteous here we are to understand not righteous persons in a strict and legall sense but in a Gospel mollified sense righteous with an allay righteous by way of interpretation and not in the strictnesse of the letter And so men are called righteous first in reference to the work of regeneration There are none righteous in the root or originall in their first setting and plantation in the soyle of the world but there are righteous persons as regenerate and transplanted into the body of Christ as wrought and fashioned by the Spirit of Christ Secondly there are none righteous that is none exactly perfectly compleatly
Mem Genitivum indâ—cet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thoughts which I had after the visions of the night So Hos 6. 2. From two dayes Heb. After two dayes or in thoughts which I had in the visions of the night or in thoughts of the visions of the night The Originall beares any of these readings In thoughts The Hebrew word signifies properly the boughes of a tree and so some translate In the bougbes sprigs or branches of the visions of the night but we render it well in the thoughts And thoughts are called boughes or branches First because thoughts grow from the mind sprout and shoote up from the minde as branches from the stock of a tree From the root or stock of a mans understanding a branch of thoughts growes up sometimes like a tall Cedar of Libanus as high as Heaven Secondly the boughes and branches of a tree are many thick interwoven and crossing one another such are the thoughts of a man he hath many even multitudes of them In the multitude of my thoughts saith David The mind puts forth many branches and twiggs they sprout and shoote forth every way thousands of various thoughts are moving upon various objects and to various ends some are earthly some heavenly The branches of some minds are but bryars and thornes others bear the Lilly and the Rose their roote is in Heaven and they grow heavenward Thirdly thoughts are called branches because the branch or the bough brings forth and beares the fruit the stock or the body of a tree brings forth fruit at the branches So all the fruit of our soules is borne upon or from our thoughts our actions are the fruits of our thinkings Thoughts are possible actions looke what a man thinketh that he doth or would doe And such as our thoughts are such our actions are or would be Thoughts are the first-borne the blossomes bloomes of the soule the beginnings of our strength whether for good or evill therefore the Hebrew word is elegantly translated from a bough or a beanch to a thought The Hebrew word for speech prayer and meditation springs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Stirps fâ—uâ—ex quia Sermo è corde ut arbor è terra nascitur Shind Elegans metaphâ—â—a sumpta à super eminentibus arboâ—um ramusculis est pâ—imogenta hujus voâ—is significatio ad phantasmatum extremitates ac velut teneras cogitationum summitates notionem suam extendit Bold Quousque claudicatis inter duas prominentias Merc. Quasi Elias audueret populum quod duas eminentias sibi constituerent Deum Baalem quasi aequales inter quas nulla est comparatio 2 Cor. 6. 15. Bold from a roote of the same signification because speech prayer and meditation spring up from the Spirit as a stalke or branches from the stock of a tree There is one thing further to be observed from this word for it is a very elegant word and therefore I spend a little the more time upon it In thoughts from the visions of the night The word signifies not onely a bough but the highest bough the top-bough of a tree A tree hath some under-boughs and some top-boughes as the Prophet speakes Isa 17. 6. Two or three berries in the top of the uppermost bough it is the same word which here in the text we translate thoughts as if Eliphaz should say in my very uppermost or highest thoughts in those very top-branches of my budding phancie which I had from the visions of the night The highest the top-branches which grow from the soule of a godly man are for or about the highest mercies top-mercies for Heaven and heavenly things A wicked mans highest and uppermost thoughts are for the earth his thoughts for the earth out-grow all his other thoughts But a godly mans thoughts for Heaven and spirituals outgrow all his other thoughts his thoughts for Heaven are the highest and uppermost branches of his soule We have this word used in the 1 Kings 18. 21. How long saith Elijah will you halt between two opinions That word which we there translate opinions is here translated thoughts hence some render that in the Kings thus How long doe ye halt between two top-thoughts or high thoughts As if this were the thing which Elijah reproved in that people that they had high thoughts both of God and of Baal top-thoughts of both and they as it were set Baal a dumb Idol as high in their thoughts estimations and opinions as they did the living God Why do ye halt between two uppermost opinions highest thoughts or thoughts of equall height concerning God and Baal Your thoughts of your Idol are as high as of God himselfe What! will you make an Idoll equall with God An Idoll is a base thing a low thing a thing below upon the dung-hill therefore called a dunghill god The true God is on high he is in the highest Heavens he is higher than the Heaven of Heavens and doe you debase him thus by halting between two thoughts of equall height concerning Him and Baal They who set up an Idol make it equall unto God All false worship is a setting of our posts by Gods posts and of our threshold by his threshold a making both of equall height and worth And to cleere it yet further Psal 119. 13. the same word is used by David when he professes I hate vaine thoughts or as some reade it I hate vaine things He calls Idolatrous thoughts vaine thoughts because they are wavering inconstant or unsetled thoughts in further allusion to the boughes of a tree as the top-most and highest boughes of a tree are shaken with every puffe of wind and waver too and fro with every blast so are the thoughts Quasi dicat Idolatriam odio habui quae plura eminentia supremo cultu reveretur cum sit unum of Idolaters or because as before Idolatry sets up Too high Thoughts adoring an Idoll as much or in competition and rivality with the everliving God The higher our thoughts are of God the more excellent they are but the higher our thoughts are of false worship the vainer they are and to have as high thoughts of an Idoll as of the living and true God are the vainest thoughts of all those high thoughts are low thoughts the lowest thoughts thoughts most hatefull I hate vaine thoughts From the visions of the night As I have opened that word about the thoughts somewhat largely so this of the visions requires more enlargement yet I shall doe it as briefely as I may Visions were a speciall way of divine revelation Heb. 1. 1. God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake to our Fathers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Prophets saith the Apostle God spake at sundry times and he spake in divers manners Now amongst those divers manners of speaking speaking by or in visions was one The Jewish Doctors observe foure degrees of divine revelation The first they Paulus Fagius in Exod. 28.
thou shalt find but few in the troubles which thou hast borne even those thou wilt find altogether unlike thee in bearing those troubles Scarce any of the godly ever suffered such things as thou hast done but none of the godly ever did such things in their sufferings As he argues him in the first verse of hypocrisie by his unlikenesse to the Saints so in the next words he argues him of hypocrisie by his likenesse to the wicked His first argument for this lyes in the second verse and in the three following verses there lyes a second argument to confirme the same point He attempts to prove Job like a foole or a wicked man two wayes 1. In his manner of suffering 2. In the matter of his suffering First saith he thou art like a foole or like a foolish man like the worst of men in the manner of thy carriage under sufferings The argument may be framed thus He that behaveth himselfe like a foole or like a wicked man while he is in trouble is a man either openly wicked or grossely hypocriticall But Job thou behavest thy selfe like a foolish or a wicked man in thy troubles Therefore thou art wicked c. The Assumption or Minor Proposition is in the second verse Wrath killeth the foolish and envy slayeth the silly one As if he should say Thou pinest ragest and vexest thy selfe under they sufferings after the rate of foolish and silly ones that is sinfull and wicked ones Secondly He would prove Job to be a hypocrite because his sufferings for the matter of them were like the judgements which God uses to powre forth upon wicked und ungodly men and that argument may be thus framed Wicked men flourish a while and then sudden destruction commeth upon them they and their children and their whole estates are swallowed up in a moment But Job thou having flourished a little while wast suddenly surprised and swallowed up by judgements thou thy estate thy children all devoured and consumed Therefore thou art a wicked man a very hypocrite God hath dealt with thee as he uses to deale with his enemies and therefore thou art not his friend This is the Logicke of the context or the reasons couched in them whereby Eliphaz would convince Job of sinne By this a generall light is let into the whole Context Now we will consider the words and open their sense distinctly Call now if there be any that will answer thee and to which of the Saints wilt thou turne Interpreters vary much about the meaning of these words First Some of the Jewish Writers looke upon these words as proceeding from hight and pride of spirit in Eliphaz as if he disdained to talke with Job any longer about the businesse as if he looking upon Job as no match for him in point of argument bids him looke out an Angel or a Saint to grapple with him in these disputes and see if he could find any one of those who would undertake for him as an Advocate or be his Second forasmuch as himselfe was so unable to defend his cause or justifie what he had done Call now if there be any that will answer thee that is answer for thee or to which of the Saints wilt thou turne for help to patronize or plead thy cause But I shall passe that Secondly Others of the Jewish writers make the sense out thus as if Eliphaz had said with Paul in the point of the Lords Supper 1 Cor. 11. 24. That which I have delivered unto you I have received of the Lord so that which I delivered unto thee in my former argument I received from the Lord in a vision it was revealed unto me from Heaven now doe thou try whether thou canst learne any thing from Heaven or from the Saints upon the earth who are instructed to and for the Kingdome of Heaven which may answer my arguments or confute the reasons which I have broughc against thee I had a vision from Heaven now call thou to Heaven and see if thou canst have any answer from thence Turne also to the Saints to any Saint upon the earth and see what they will answer thee I believe thou wilt not find one amongst them all differing in judgement from me or from that Oracle with Nemo tibi pravè corrupteq de his rebus iudicanti patronus aderit nemo qui tibi respondeat tibi acâ—inat tuam sententiam â—ueatur which I have now acquainted thee They will all agree with me in these great principles about the providence power and justice of God about the sufferings sinfullnesse and weaknesse of man That 's a second sense Thirdly Others take the words as an Ironie as a derision or scorne put upon Job by Eliphaz As if Eliphaz had mocked him thus Thou hast handled the matter well thou hast carried thy selfe so in the dayes of thy peace and prosperity that now when thou art in trouble thou mayest call long enough and cry till thy throat akes and thy spirits be spent and yet have none to answer thee none to speake a word to thee or to doe thee any good though thou cry to all the Saints and send to all thy friends round about thee yet in this day none will heare or regard thee Thou wilt find thy selfe forsaken of all no man will give thee any assistance or take any care of thy condition Just as Elijah brake forth in holy scorne against the Prophets of Baal 1 King 18. 27. when they were crying out to their Idol for helpe and a signe by fire Cry aloud saith he cry aloud he bad them cry aloud yet he knew the Idol was deafe and dumbe and could neither heare their cry nor give them answer So Eliphaz seemes to speake to Job Cry aloud now to this to that Saint with whom thou art acquainted here on earth or cry to Heaven cry to God himselfe call this way call that if any will answer thee either God above or Saint below thou shalt not find here or there any to assist any to releeve thee And so he seems to allude to that just retaliation of God who usually turnes his eare from their cry in a day of trouble who have turned their eares from his counsels in the dayes of comfort As Prov 1. Wisedome threatens They shall call but I will Vox in tribulatione eum non invenit quem mens in â—ranquilitate contempsit Greg. in loc not answer they shall cry but I will not heare Why because they have refused instruction and have not chosen the feare of the Lord. In the fourth place Most of the Popish writers busie themselves much to ground invocation of Saints the intercession of Saints for us upon this text As if Eliphaz had directed Job to cry to the Saints departed Call now if there be any that will answer and to which of the Saints wilt thou turne what Saint wilt thou choose for thy patron or helper in this sad condition So they
As the Lord liveth there shall not be dew nor raine these yeares but according to my word But the Apostle James shews us what word this was namely a word of prayer not of command Chap. 5. 17. Elias prayed and it rained not againe he prayed and it rained All the power of man cannot prevaile with the heavens to raine but the prayer of faith can prevaile with the God of heaven To send raine was the worke of God though it were at the word of a man They who denie God in one worke will quickly denie him in another And if we deny him in lesser yea the least of his works in a drop of raine we are in danger to deny him in the greater And they who denie God in his working have but an easie step to the deniall of his being This should teach us to walke in dependance upon God for all naturall comforts He giveth raine All creatures drinke from Heaven that they may have their eyes and their hearts in Heaven And if we must walk in dependance upon God for naturall comforts how much more for spirituall if for the rain of the clouds how much more for the dews of his Spirit and the rain of grace upon our hearts Further observe It is a great wonderfull and unsearchable worke of God to send raine For we must put the stampe of those foure characters upon all these workes And so raine is a great a wonderfull and an unsearchable worke of God so great and wonderfull that as hath bin proved no creature can communicate with God or share in the honour of this worke The Rabbins have a saying that upon every apex or Tittle of the Law their hangs a mountaine of sence and holy Doctrine We may say that in every drop of raine there is an ocean of wisedome of power of goodnes and of bounty If we study the ordinary In ea mira Dei in suas creaturas spectaâ—ur benignitas clemenâ—iae simul potentia undè passim Propheâ—e praesertim in hoc libâ—o quandò socij Job aut Job ipse admiranda Dei opera prâ—ponunt pluviam inter ea primo loâ—o ponunt Merc. workes of God we shall learne somewhat extraordinary in them common things are ful of wonder and among all common things none fuller of wonders then the raine To illustrate this a little in some particular considerations First There is marvellous power seen in causing and giving raine Is it not marvellous power which raises the vapours and holds as we may so speake A sea of water above the earth That such mighty seas and floods of water hang in the ayre and thence are distill'd and sprinkled downe as Job speakes in small drops are acts and arguments of the wonderfull power of God Secondly Behold in the raine the wonderfull goodnes of God who by this meanes cooles and refreshes nourishes and suckles all earthly living creatures When the ground is enapt and gapes as it were with open mouth the Lord opens these bottles and gives it drinke And a miracle of goodnes is seene in this forasmuch as when his very enemyes hunger he thus feeds them when they are naked he thus cloaths them when they thirst he thus gives them drinke Mat. 5. 45. He sendeth raine upon the just and upon the unjust They are maintained in life by the goodnesse of God whose lives maintaine a continuall warr against his justice And as there is a wonder of goodnesse in giving rain for the use of evill men So there is a wonder of bounty in sending raine upon those places which are not of use to any man he sendeth waters upon the fields that is all over the world Hence when Elihu would set forth the marvellous power and bounty of God he exemplifies it in this Job 38. 25. Who hath devided a water course for the overstowing of waters to cause it to raine on the earth whereno man is and on the wildernes where there is no man Such an open and bountifull house doth the Lord of Heaven and earth keep that rather then any shall want he will in a sence let the water runne wast God will not have so much as an herbe or a plant to want though there be no man to come there yet the grasse and shrubs shall have drinke and tast of his bounty And so legible is that goodnes of God which is written with drops of rain so wonderfull his power and bounty in giving rain that the Prophet wonders at the stupidity of those men who are not convinced of and taught obedience by it They have not said let us fear the Lord that giveth the first and the latter raine in his season Jer. 5. 24. As if he should say what a strange thing is it that sweet showers of raine have not softened the hearts of men into the feare of God and made them blossome with and bring forth abundantly the fruits of holines Hereupon it is very remarkeable how Moses makes this a motive to perswade the children of Israel to obedience in Canaan because that country stood in much need of raine which Egypt from whence they came did not Deut. 11. Therefore shall ye keepe all the Commandements which I command you this day ver 8. For the land whither thou goest in to possesse it is not like the land of Egypt from whence ye came out where thou sowest thy seed and wateredst it with thy foot like a garden of herbes That is Egypt being a flat plaine country all upon a levell when the Land wanted moysture thou didst not stay for or depend upon the raine to moisten it but with thy foot thou diggedst draines and madest sluces or water-courses from the river side meaning Nilus that famous river which ran quite through Egypt and that refreshed thy lands and made them fruitfull But Canaan is another kind of Country vers 11 12. the Land whether thou goest in to possesse it is a Land of hils and valleyes and drinketh water of the raine of Heaven A land which the Lord thy God careth for his eyes are upon it c. As if he had said Canaan is not a country capable of being water'd by the foot it is so mountanous and uneven All the labour of hand or foot cannot bring the streams upwards to give thy thirstie land drinke it must drinke from heaven or be burnt up and parcht with thirst and if so then that must be the Lords care his eye must observe when tbou wantest raine his hand must make water-courses in the heavens and open the sluces and cataracts of the clouds for thee And wilt thou not serve this God in duty who in bounty thus serveth thee and gives thee such a sensible evidence of his care over thee The Apostle Paul preaches this to the Gentiles as Naturall Theologie to leave them inexcusable Though he suffered all Nations to walke in their owne wayes in that he gave them not either the light or restraint of
my people and thy people That is those Armies of flies which invade thy people shall not meddle with my people To see one perish with and our selves saved from the sword is redemption in war To see others hunger-starved and our selves still fed is redemption from famine though our selves were never in the hands or between the teeth of famine A people devided from the troubles of others are redeemed from those troubles Such redemption our Saviour speaks of Mat. 24. 40 41. Two shall be in the field the one shall be taken the other left two women shall be grinding in the Mill the one taken the other left In Famine Famine is the want of bread and bread is the stay and staffe of life Lev. 26. 26. Isa 3. 1. Psal 105. 16. when this stay is gone our lives fall quickly or slip away When this staffe is broken the thread of life breaks too Man goes by the bread in his belly more than by the staffe in his hand Except bread hold us by the arme and stay us up down we fall Famine is so like or so near or so certaine a harbinger of death that the text puts them together In famine he shall redeem thee from death Famine is numbred among the sore judgements of God if it be not the sorest judgement Ezek. 6. 11. Jer. 24. 10. And therefore redemption from it is one of his choicest outward mercies We may collect how sore a judgement famine is by the effects of it First It causeth faintnesse and madnesse Gen. 47. 13. Secondly Hunger burneth Deut. 32. 24. That word is not used in the Hebrew except here Famine kindles a fire in the bowels When the naturall heat hath no fewell put to it to feed upon it feeds upon nature Sutable to this is the description of lamenting Jeremiah in the famine of Jerusalem Their faces are blacker then a cole Lam. 4. 8. and Chap. 5. 10. Our skin was black like an Oven because of the terrible famine Both the coal and the oven contract their blacknesse from burning heat Thirdly It causeth pining and languishment Lam. 4. 9. Fourthly Shame and howling Joel 1. 11. Fifthly Rage and cursing Isa 8. 21. Lastly It breaks all the bonds of nature and eats up all relations Read that dreâ—dfull threatning Deut. 25. 53 54. and that dreadfull example Lam. 4. 10. Tender mothers eating their children Famine eats up our bowells of compassion and then it eats our bowells by relation And which comes yet nearer Famine is such a devourer that it causeth man to devoure himself The Prophet describes a man in a fit of Famine snatching on the right hand and yet hungry eating on the left and yet unsatisfied when he cannot fill his belly abroad he comes home to himself and makes bold with his own flesh for food Every man eating the flesh of his own arme Isa 9. 20. We read of many great Famines in Scripture and withall of Gods care to redeem his people from them Abraham Gen. 12. who at the call of God denied himself and came out of his own into a strange Land was presently entertained with Famine One would have thought God should have made him good chear and have spread a plentifull table for him causing his cup to over-flow while he was in a strange Land and a meer stranger there yet he met with a famine but the Lord redeemed him from that famine by directing him to Aegypt that famous store house for his people Jacob and his sons were redeemed from famine in the same Egypt afterward their house of Bondage It is a precious comfort to have bread in such a promise as this when there is none upon the Board God takes care for the bodies of his people as well as for their souls he is the father of both and the provider for both And while we remember what sore afflictions have bin upon many Nations and people by famine While we remember Samaria's Famin 2 Kings 6. Jerusalems Famin Lam. 4. and that storied by Josephus in the Roman siege of that City While we remember the late famins in Germany and the present one in many parts of Ireland While we consider that the Sword threatens this Nation with famine Surely we should labour to get under such a promise as this is that we may plead with God in the midst of all scarcity and wants Lord thou hast promised to redeem Thine in famin from death There is no dearth in Heaven And whatsoever dearth is on Earth the plenty that is in Heaven can supply it How sad would it be if your poor children should come about you crying for bread and you have none to give them How much sadder would it be if your poor children should be made your bread and ground to pieces between your teeth as in the famin of Jerusalem In such a time to look up to God in the strength of this promise will be a feast to us though we should perish in the famin But how doth God redeem from famin First The Lord can make the barrell of meal and the oyle that is in the cruze though but little yet to hold out and last while the time of famine lasts Such a miracle redeemed the poor widdow from death in that great famin 1 Kings 17. Secondly He can redeem by lengthning one meal to many days Elijah went forty dayes in the strength of one dinner Man liveth not by bread without God but man may live by God without bread Thirdly Not onely are the stores of the creatures his and the fruitfulnesse of the earth at his command but if he please he can open the windows of Heaven he can bring bread out of the clouds he can make the winds his Caterers to bring in Quails and abundance of provision for his people Thus also he can redeem his from death in the time of famine Or fourthly He can doe it in a way of ordinary providence by making the land yeeld it's naturall increase and by giving strength to the Earth to bring forth plentifully for the use of man Fifthly While the common judgement lasts he can make some speciall provision for his And make a redemption of division as he did in another case for his people Exod. 8. 22. And lastly We may improve this promise not only for redemption from death in famine but for plenty of consolation though we should die in famine When the bread is quite taken away from your Table your hearts may feed upon such a word as this as upon marrow and fatnesse Christ can feast your soules when your bodies are ready to starve he can fill your spirits with joy and sweetnesse when there is nothing but leannesse in your cheeks Thus the Prophet Habakkuk triumphs in God Habak 3. 17. Though the Fig-tree shall not blessom neither shall fruit be in the Vines the labour of the Olive shall faile and the fields shall yeeld no meat The flock shall be cut off from the fold
my petition might come He had sent up a request a prayer a prayer for death and he thought his prayer too long gone upon that message Prayer was not quick enough in its returne from Heaven every houre was a yeare till he heard of it therefore saith he O that some body would give me that my request might come back againe unto me The word whereby 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he expresses his request notes a very strong desire a strong cry a strong prayer implying that Job had sent up mighty requests or strong cries about it As it is said of our Lord Christ Heb. 5. That in the dayes of his flesh he sent up strong cryes unto God who was able to deliver him Christ sent up strong cryes to be delivered from death and Job sent up strong cryes for death A word of the same root signifies the grave the grave is a craving a begging thing the grave is never satisfied as it is in the Proverbs The grave saith not it is enough And the grave is therefore exprest by a word that signifies to desire or request or to ask a thing importunately because the grave hath a mouth as it were continually open to ask and beg and cry out for more morsells it consumeth all and is never full such a desire Job put forth for death And that God would grant me the thing that I long for It is a repetition of the same desire in other words What it is to long hath been opened in the third Chapter ver 21. Who long for death Here Job reneweth the same suit againe O that I might have the thing that I long for or the thing which I expect with great expectation and vehemency of affection I shall not stay upon it But only give you the generall sence a little varied In this passage Job shewes himselfe assured that his comforts should not end though his life ended before he was restored to earthly comforts And he thus seemes to answer Eliphaz who had made large promises of outward felicity I am not stayed at all in Job expectaâ—ionem proximam facit mortem tanquam eam quae patiendi ultimam quietis ac faeli â—itatis primam representet liâ—â—â—â— my desires to die because I may possibly live in greater worldly honour and fullnesse then ever I enjoyed All that is in the creature is below wy longing I have not a sweet tooth after worldly dainties I shall not envy any who cut-live me to enjoy them let them divide my portion whatsoever it may be among them also The thing which I long for is death not for it selfe but as that which will bring me to the last of my ill dayes and the first of my best Jobs thoughts were in a higher forme then his friends They thought a golden offer of riches would have made him a gogge to live But Jobs heart lived above these even upon the riches of eternall life To enjoy which he even longs for temporall destruction and cutting off I have spoken at large in the third Chapter concerning the lawfulnesse of such a request and how farre Job might be approved in it therefore I need not discusse it here Only observe in generall That A praying soule is an expecting soule Job had prayed and prayed earnestly and though it was but a prayer to die yet he lived in the expectation of an answer When prayer is sent up unto God then the soul looks for it's return Prayer is as seed sowne After this spirituall husbandry the soul waits for the precious fruits of Heaven Psal 62. 1. My soule waiteth upon God and Psal 85. 8. I will hearken what the Lord God will say Job had sent up his request and now he was hearkening for an answer O that I might have the thing that I looke for Habbakkuk in the second of that prophecie verse 1. having prayed about the great concernments of those times resolves I will stand upon my watch and set me upon the Tower and will watch to see what he will say unto me They who send Embassadours to forreigne Princes waite for a returne Thus it is with the soul having put up it's request and sent an Embassie to God Observe Secondly Answer of our prayer is the grant of God Nothing stands between us and our desires but his will If he signe our petition no creature can hinder us of our expectation Observe Thirdly God often keepes the petitions of his servants by him unanswered Observe Fourthly The returne of prayer is the souls solace and satisfaction As cold water to a thirsty soule so is good news from that farre Country Prov. 25. 25. O that my request might come and O that I might have the thing that I long for Would you know what his request was He explains that in the 9 â—h verse and a man would wonder that one should be so very earnest to have such a request Many have prayed to God to save and deliver them but how unnaturall doth this prayer seeme to be cut off and destroyed Yet the thing which Job doth more then pray for long for is this That it would please God to destroy him and that he would let loose his hand and cut him off That it would please God to destroy me Some reade That he who hath begun would make an end in destroying of me For the word signifies both to be willing to doe a thing and likewise to begin to doe a thing therefore they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Significat liâ—ere velle inchoare acquiescere in re quapiam eamque tota voluntate amplecti make out the sense thus That he who hath begun thus to destroy me to teare and consume me would finish his worke and make an end of me As if Job had said I am already neare unto destruction a borderer upon the grave God hath begun to destroy me I would have him to goe on and perfect that worke As in workes of mercy Deut. 32. 4. He is the Rocke and his worke is perfect When he beginnes to deliver he will make an end So likewise when he beginnes to destroy he can make an end too Job desires that his afflictions might be perfected to the destruction of his dying body and that mercy might begin in the triumphs of his soule But rather take it in the other sense as we render it To be willing to doe a thing Even that it would please God or even that God would be willing to destroy me As if he had said I find as it were a kind of unwillingnesse in God to make an end of me his bowels seeme to yerne over me he seemes yet to be upon the dispute whether to cut me quite off or no now I even desire that God would lay aside that his tendernesse and compassion that he would determine and resolve to destroy me that he would acquiesce and fully rest satisfied in that resolution The word here used to destroy notes to
Eliphaz and Job I leave in your hands praying for a blessing from on high to convay truth home to every heart desiring earnest prayers for the Spirit of grace and illumination to be powred out according to the measure of the gift of Christ upon April 28 1645. Your very affectionate Friend and Servant in this worke of the Lord Joseph Caryl AN EXPOSITION Upon the Fourth Fifth Sixth and Seventh Chapters of the Book of JOB JOB Chap. 4. Verse 1. Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said 2. If we assay to commune with thee wilt thou be grieved But who can withhold himselfe from speaking 3. Behold thou hast instructed many thou hast strengthned the weak hands 4. Thy words have upholden him that was falling and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees 5. But now it is come upon thee and thou faintest it toucheth thee and thou art troubled 6. Is not this thy feare thy confidence the uprightnesse of thy wayes and thy hope IOBS complaint ended in the former Chapter in this a hot dispute begins Job having curs'd his day is now chid himselfe And he had such a chiding as was indeed a wounding such as almost at every word drew blood and was not onely a Red upon his back but a Sword at his heart Job was wounded first by Satan he was wounded a second time by his Wife a third time he was wounded not as it is spoken in the Prophet in the house of his friends but in his own house by his friends Zach. 13. 6. these last wounds are judg'd by good Physitians in soule-afflictions his deepest and soarest wounds Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said Eliphaz being as is supposed the elder and chiefe of the three first enters the list of this debate with Job concerning whose name person and pedigree we have spoken before at the eleventh Verse of the second Chapter and therefore referring the Reader thither for those circumstantials of the speaker I shall immediately descend unto the matter here spoken If we assay to commune with thee wilt thou be grieved c. The whole discourse of Eliphaz may be divided into three generall parts 1. The Preface of his Speech 2. The Body 3. The Conclusion The Preface of his speech is contained in the second Verse If we assay to commune with thee wilt thou be grieved c. The Body of his speech is extended through this fourth and to the last Verse of the fifth Chapter It consisteth especially of two members or two sorts of matter in which Eliphaz deals with Job The first is reprehensory by way of conviction and reproof The second is exhortatory by way of counsell and advice First Eliphaz reprehends Job This work of reprehension begins at the third Verse of this Chapter and is continued to the end of the fourth Verse of the fift Chapter And to shew that he did not reprehend him upon passion he grounds this reprehension upon reason and strengthens his reproofe with Arguments And there are four reasons or speciall Arguments which Eliphaz takes up to make this reprehension convincing the naming of them will give light to the whole before we come to particulars The first Argument is contained in the words I have read to the end of the sixth Verse And it is taken from the unsuitablenesse of his present practice to his former precepts Or from the inequality of the course he now took under affliction to the counsell he had given others under affliction His second Argument beginning at the seventh Verse and carried on to the twelfth is grounded upon a supposed inequality of Gods present dealing with him in reference to his former dealings with godly men Eliphaz thought thus surely Job is an Hypocrite otherwise God would have dealt with him as with an innocent Remember saith he I pray thee who ever perished being innocent I will convince thee by all examples by whatsoever is upon Record in the History of all Ages that thou art an Hypocrite a wicked person for see if thou canst finde an instance in any Story of an innocent person perishing That is his second Argument His third Argument is continued from the twelfth Verse to the end of this fourth Chapter and that he might make the deeper impression upon Jobs spirit he brings it in with a dreadfull Preamble a Vision from God at once terrifying and instructing him thus to reason downe the pride of man The Argument it selfe is coucht in the seventeenth verse It is drawn from an evidence of presumption in all such as shall dare to implead Gods justice or plead their own as if Eliphaz had said surely thou art a proud and a wicked person for there was never any godly man upon the face of the Earth no nor any Angel in Heaven that durst be so bold with God as thou hast been Shall mortall man saith he be more just than God shall a man be more pure than his maker Behold he put no trust in his servants and his Angels he charged with folly His fourth Argument begins at the fifth Chapter and ends with the fourth Verse and it is taken from the unlikenesse of Jobs carriage under his afflictions to that which any of the Saints in any age of the World did ever shew forth under their afflictions He that caries himselfe so as none of the Saints ever caried themselves gives an evidence against his Saintship Call now to the Saints either those now living upon the Earth or search the Records concerning all the Saints that ever lived consider and see whether thou canst observe or reade any paralell of thy complaints and unreasonable expostulotions So much for the summe of his convictions Then Eliphaz turnes himselfe to admonition and exhortation in the following part of that fifth Chapter and there are two Heads of his admonitory exhortation First he admonishes him to seek unto God and to call upon him Vers 8. I would seek unto God and unto God would I commit my cause I give thee no other counsell then I would take my selfe If I were in thy case I would not stand thus complaining and cursing my day but this I would doe I would seek unto God and unto God would I commit my cause This admonition is enforced by divers Arguments to the seventeenth Verse The second head of his exhortation beginneth at the seventeenth Verse and it is to prevaile with him patiently to bear and quietly to accept his affliction or the punishment of his iniquity in pursuance of this he shews him many benefits and blessings attending those who graciously comply with the correcting hand of God upon them Behold saith he Verse 17. happie is the man whom God correcteth therefore despise not thou the chastning of the Almighty he concludeth all from his certain knowledge and infallible experience of what he had said Verse 27. Loe this we have searched it so it is Back'd with a warranty that if he obey his own experience shall quickly teach him
esse verbum alicut nihil aliud significat quam factam esse revelationem in aâ—iquo Deum cognitione futurorum instar luminiâ— mentem illustrasse Cyril in 1 cap. Hos v 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 brought unto me but it is usuall both in Hebrew and Greek to call A thing A word Luk. 2. 15. The Shepherds said Let us goe to Bethlem to see this thing the Greek is to see this word which is done Though here it is proper enough to say A word was brought unto me Now a thing or a word was brought unto me it was brought unto me secretly The language of the Prophets was The word of the Lord came unto me There are two words in our translation secretly brought but the Hebrew is one and that word signifies to steale or to do a thing by stealth so it may be translated A thing was brought unto me by stealth or was stole into me M Broughton near this A speech came by stealth upon me we translate fully to the sense A thing was secretly brought to me as if it were whispered into the eare and sent in closely to the spirit And it is thus expressed by way of opposition to another way in which God reveales his minde unto his people He sometimes comes openly and speaks aloud that all may take notice or because all ought Isa 58. 1. Cry aloud lift up thy voice like a Trumpet Things are brought openly to the people secretly to the Prophets what the Lord speaks in the eare or to the heart of a Prophet that he by the Prophet speaks on the house top to all his people A thing was secretly brought or a thing was whispered unto Eliphaz But he speaks it aloud to Job This word or this thing is said to be stolne into him or to be brought unto him by stealth for three reasons which I shall but name and proceed First a thing done by stealth is done suddenly The Thiefe hastens to doe mischiefe he makes no delayes Then secondly a thing done by stealth is done secretly a Thiefe comes closely in the dark stealth is committed with greatest privacy and to say a thing is brought by stealth is as much as to say it is brought privately Thirdly a thing done by stealth is done unexpectedly A man seldome looks for the Thiefe he is upon him in the way upon him in his house before he is aware A Thiefe is usually as unexpected as he is aâ— unwelcome guest So this word came or was brought in by stealth because it came suddely it came silently and it came unexpectedly to Eliphaz And in these three respects Christ himselfe is said to come as a Thiefe Behold I come as a thiefe in Rev. 16. 15. the night As the word of Christ comes to many of his people now so the person of Christ will come at the last unto all He will come by stealth or as a thiefe suddenly secretly unexpectedly when the world shall little dreame of him and his Church scarce be awake for him Note from this first That divine truths are infused into us not borne in us or borne with us every thing which is of Heaven commeth unto us from Heaven it is either stolne in secretly or thundred in loudly sometimes the Prophets and Ministers of Christ speaking aloud carry truth into the soule sometimes God whispers it into the soule one way or other truth must be brought in for it growes not in us our hearts by nature are not onely like white paper having no inscription not a letter of Gods will written in them but they are like paper blotted or blurred written all over with the corrupt principles and positions of our own wils God by his Spirit first crosses or wipes out those and then writes down his own golden rules of holy truth and heavenly wisdome This he doth first in conversion from sinne to grace and holinesse and afterward in all the increases of grace and growths of holinesse There is not a syllable of the law of God in any mans heart till the finger of God writes it there I will put my law in their minde and write it in their hearts which is an allusion unto the two Tables of the Law They were first written by the finger of God and then put into the Ark So God first writes the Law in our hearts and then puts it into our mindes he layes it up in the Ark of our understanding and memory Secondly observe That God steales truths into the hearts of his people unawares As they often expect and wait long for knowledge so they sometimes know before they expect A truth either in whole or part in the matter or clearer light of it comes like a Thief into the heart suddenly secretly unlooked for in which case it is ever true that truth unexpected is doubly welcom'd The way of the Spirit of God is alwayes undiscernable to flesh and blood The soule receives a thing and the man knowes not how he can scarce possibly not at all tell where by whom or which way it came to him it was brought secretly brought and with a most blessed gracious slight of hand conveyed into his heart Yet sometime truth enters in State may be said to make its passage visibly into the heart of a man The word comes not as a company of Thieves but as a band of Souldiers with weapons drawn and terrible shouts tearing open the soule and breaking open the iron gate of the heart lock'd and barr'd with unbeliefe to secure that cursed crue of lusts garrison'd within it The weapons of our warfare saith the Apostle are mighty through God 2 Cor. 10. 4. The word is mighty wonderfull in strength it comes upon the soule as an armed man to spoyle it of all sinfull treasures yea of the very life of sinne Sometimes the Lord proclaimes warre as by a Herald of Armes against a man and openly prepares for his siege and battery He surprises another and steals him into a happy captivity to himselfe A thing was secretly brought unto me and mine eare received a little thereof Mine eare caught somewhat of it so Mr. Broughton The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paâ—â—câ—la pars medicum signifies a part or a portion Mine eare received a little yet we are not to understand this as if Eliphaz had taken in onely some fragments or imperfect notes of what God delivered or had heard to halves For doubtlesse Eliphaz received all that was brought he turned nothing back he said not a little is enough I need not the rest that he received but a little was not from neglect of the rest but from inability to receive more or to receive it more perfectly And though he had not all of every part yet he had a part of all it was not a little of this and none of that little respects somewhat of every truth not some one truth He received though not all yet a perfect modell of all
love unto the world keeps awake but how few are there whom love to Christ keeps awake It was an harsh and in one sense an ignorant speech of a wise man amongst the Heathens who said There is no man who may not more holily be in any company than with himselfe alone And Nemo est cui non sanctius sit â—â—m quolibet esse quam secum Sen. yet there is a truth in it For if a man be by himself alone and deale only with his own heart probably he might be as profitably with any company as with himself One mans heart in it self is as bad as anothers and usually it is worst when it is by it selfe Some like Nebuchadnezzar being secluded from men converse only with beasts those most beastly beasts lusts in their own bosomes Dan. 4. 3. But to be alone from men to converse with God to be alone from men to converse with Christ is infinitely better then all the society of men The reason why many receive but little of Christ little of Heaven is because they are so much in the croud of the Pietas periclitatur in negoâ—iis world so long upon the Rack of earthly care they seldome let their hearts settle The Ballances must stand at an even poize before you can weigh aright If you desire to know which beares most weight in your hearts Earth or Heaven Christ or the Creature let your hearts stand still That in Psalm 4. 4. reaches this sense fully Commune with your owne hearts upon your beds and be still Our hearts will not be spoken with unlesse we be quiet And as the Picture-drawer cannot take the features of the face to the life so neither can we of our hearts or lives unlesse we have the patience to sit for it JOB Chap. 4. Vers 14 15 16. Feare came upon me and trembling which made all my bones to shake Then a Spirit passed before my face the haire of my flesh stood up It stood still but I could not discern the form thereof an Image was before mine eyes there was silence and I heard a voyce saying WE have already given the Logicall dependance of this whole Context from the 12 Verse unto the end of the Chapter and therein shewed how Eliphaz confirmes the principall Proposition lying in the 17 Verse by Divine Authority a Vision received from Heaven A thing saith he was secretly brought to me and mine eare received a little thereof in thoughts from visions of the night when deep sleep falleth on men Thus the manner of the vision is described in generall The effects of the vision upon Eliphaz and the particular manner how the vision appeared are now further described and set forth This 14 Verse contains one eminent effect of the vision with the consequents of it assoon saith he as I was in that heavenly rapture and extasie Fear came upon me and trembling which made all my bones to shake It was very usuall for Prophets and Holy men to be surprized with fear at the appearance of Jehovah in his messages by Angels or other visions It is naturall unto man to fear at the sight of an Angel and it is a received opinion among the Jews that whether God or an Angel did appear it was present death which they collect from divers Scriptures Ex. 33. 20. when Moses desired to see the face of God the Lord answered there is no man can see my face and live Those words of Gideon import as much Judg 6. 22. When Gideon perceived that he was an Angel of the Lord he said Alas O Lord God for because I have seen an Angell of the Lord face to face as if he had said alas woe is me I shall certainly dye And Judg. 13. 21. Manoah concludes it We shall surely dye because we have seene God when an Angel appeared to them Hence also Jacob Gen. 32. 30. after his wrastling with the Angel which was Christ called the name of the place Penuel which is The face of God for saith he I have seen God face to face and my life is preserv'd as noting that it was a wonderfull priviledge not to dye at such a sight the very appearance of God is death to the Creature And that which Hagar spake Gen. 16 13. may well be interpreted to this sense when flying from her Mistris God came to her in the Wildernesse she called the name of the Lord that spake unto her Thou God seest me the reason is added by way of admiration for she said Have I also here looked after him that seeth me Which words may well be translated Do I live after him sc God that seeth me for here one act of life is put for the whole looking or seeing for living Have I seen or Ex Habraeâ— ita reddi potest Etiamnè jam â—â—deo sâ—u lucem hanâ— espicio vivo post videntem me Parens have I beheld the light after God hath seen me that is Am I alive after God hath seen me How wonderfull The effect of this vision upon Eliphaz was not death but fear yet no ordinary fear but fear which looked almost as pale as death it was fear joyned with trembling and no ordinary trembling but such a fit of trembling as shook his very bones We have often spoken of fear both in this and in the former Chapters but such a fear as met Eliphaz we have not met with before That before was the grace of fear spirituall fear but this is the passion of fear naturall fear And it is naturall to man as some of Est homini naturale conspecto angelo etiam bono timere Bold ex Beda Origen Chrysostome the Ancients have observed to fear thus at the appearance of God by Angels Fear is caused by the apprehension of some evil imminent or at hand that 's the definition of naturall fear Now when God manifests himself though the greatest good be at hand yet the soul hath some misgivings and apprehensions of evil hence comes fear the foundation of this fear is laid in guilt sin is in the soul and guilt may be upon the soul thence naturall fear works when God who is all holy manifests himself And in special there is much unbelief remaining in the heart this fear is strengthned by unbelief Wherefore do ye fear saith Christ O ye of little faith Where there is little faith there is much fear and as unbelief prevails so fear prevails too Thirdly this fear arises from the suddennesse and unexpectednesse of the thing God as you may observe in all those Revelations of himself comes suddenly that which comes before we see it causeth fear when we see it sudden motions without us work strange commotions within And fourthly the over-powring Majesty and super-excelling excellency of God in any such revelation causeth astonishments of spirit a little appearance of God makes the creature disappear One drop of the Divine Ocean swallowes up all man and one
it is well with the righteous vvhen they are in the deeps of affliction for it is but to bring them off their Mountaines of pride that they may be exalted in the strength and love of God even upon the Mountain of his Holinesse and their glory for ever Thirdly Afflictions bring the Saints nearer to God Troubles abroad cause the soule to looke inwards and homewards Is there any hurt in being brought neerer to God It is good for me to draw neer unto God says David and it is good for us to be drawn neer unto God if vve vvill not come of our selves It is a desireable violence vvhich compels us heaven-ward Heaven is but our nearest being unto God and by how much vve are nearer God on earth so much the more vve have of Heaven upon earth Afflictions as in the Prodigals example put us upon thoughts of returing to God and the more vve returne the nearer vve are unto him returning thoughts vvill not rest but under our fathers roofe yea returning thoughts vvill not rest till vve are got into our fathers armes or under the shadow of his wing and this a happy condition indeed As it vvas vvith Noahs Dove Gen. 8. 9. vvhen she vvas sent forth of the Ark she could finde no place for the soal of her foot to rest on she knew not vvhether to go for the vvaters vvere on the face of the whole earth therefore she returneth back and comes hovering about the Ark as desiring to be taken in but after the vvaters vvere asswaged he sent out a Dove vvhich returned to him no more So when it is faire weather in the world calme and serene even Doves keepe off from God and though they goe not quite away from him yet they are not so desirous of comming to him but when we finde a deluge in the world such stormes and tempests of trouble that we know not where to fix our souls for a day then we come as the Dove fluttering about the Ark and cry to our Eternall Noah that we may be near him yea within with him Wicked men like the Raven which Noah sent out first Verse 7. and returned not againe care not for the Ark of Gods presence in the greatest troubles to be neare God is more troublesome to them then all their troubles But Believers like the Dove will look home at least in foul weather God is their chiefe friend at all times and their onely friend in sad times Is there any harme in this Christ sends a storme but to draw his back to the Ark That at the last where he is there they may be also Lastly we may say it is well with the righteous in their worst condition of outward trouble because God is with them It can never be ill with that man with whom God is It is infinitely more to say I will be with thee then to say peace is with thee health is with thee credit is with thee honour is with thee To say God is with thee is all these and infinitely more For in these you have but a particular good in God you have all good when God sayes I will be with you you may make what you will out of it sit down and imagine with your selves whatsoever good you can desire and it is all comprehended in this one word I will be with thee Now God who is with the righteous at all times is most with them in worst times then he saith in a speciall sense I will be with thee When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee When thou walkest thhough the fire thou shalt not be burnt c. Isa 43. 2. When a mighty winde passed before Eliah it is said That God was 1 Kings 19. not in the winde and when the Earthquake shook the Hils and a consuming fire appeared it is said God was not in the Earthquake not in the fire God joynes not with outward troubles for the terror of his people but he joynes with outward troubles for the comfort of his people So he is in the fire and in the winde and in the Earthquake and his presence makes the fire but as a warme Sunne the stormy winde a refreshing gale and the Earthquake hut a pleasant dance So much for the removing of this objection and clearing up the justice of God respecting the afflictions of the righteous If any shall look on the other hand upon wicked men as if God came not home in his justice vvhile he suffers them to prosper First I answer their prosperity serves the providence of God and therefore it doth not crosse his justice That vvas Nebuchadnezars case Isa 10. 6. I will send him saith God against an hypocriticall nation so then he must prosper vvhile he goes upon Gods errand but mark vvhat followes Verse 12. It shall come to passe that when the Lord hath performed his whole worke upon Mount Zion sc by Nebuchadnezars power vvho vvas but doing the just vvork of God vvhile he thought ambitiously of doing his own novv it is no injustice for God to give an instrument power to do his work and vvhen his bloody lust hath performed the holy vvork of God you shall see the Lord will take an order vvith him speedily For then saith the Lord I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the King of Assyria and the glory of his high looks God let him alone to doe the work he had set him about and it was a righteous work of God upon his people though Nebuchadnezzar went about it wlth a proud and malicious spirit against his people Secondly the prosperity of wicked men serveth them but as an opportunity to shew how wicked and vile they are to act and publish the seven abominations of their own hearts Now as it is one of the greatest mercies under Heaven for a man to have his lusts quite mortified so it is a very great mercy for a man to have his lusts but restrained It is a mercy for a man to have that fuell taken away from his corruptions upon which they feed therefore it must needs be wrath and judgement upon wicked men when God in stead of restraining their lusts giveth them opportunity to inlarge their lusts and layes the reines on their neck to run whether and which way they please without stop or controule This is wrath and high wrath a sore judgement the sorest judgement that can fall upon them wherefore when vve thinke they are in a most prosperous condition they are in the most dreadfull condition they are but filling themselves with sin and fitting themselves for destruction Many a mans lusts are altogether unmortified which yet are chill'd and overawed by judgements And there is more judgement in having liberty to commit one sinne then in being shut up under the iron barres and adamantine necessities of a thousand judgements He that is Satans treasury for sin shall be Gods treasury for wrath Thirdly Their prosperity is the
not commit all to them he would not believe upon them We finde the word belief thus used Exod. 14. 31. when the children of Israel saw the great work that the Lord had wrought in destroying the Egyptians it is said The people feared the Lord and believed the Lord and his servant Moses he puts God and Moses as the joynt object of their faith as they had formerly been of their unbelief Except the servants of the Lord be believed the Lord himselfe is not And when they are believed the Lord is Believe in the Lord your God believe his Prophets saith good Jehosaphat to his people 2 Chron. 20 20. Moses had told them enough of the power of God before he had undertaken they should be delivered but they would not trust Moses upon his word nor would they trust the Word of God yet now when they saw this great deliverance present sight wrought faith for the time to come they perceived by this miracle that the Lord and Moses were to be credited they doubted not to credit them another time Though that faith which comes in at the eyes only seldome goes downe so low as the heart or sees further and longer then the eye Thus we may understand the first part of the Verse He put no trust no belief in his servants he gave no credit to them as knowing perfectly what their nature and power was what both could do that if left by God they would quickly leave God and prove unfaithfull I shall observe one point before I come to the latter part of the Verse for there the suspition of disloyaltie upon the Angels comes more fully to be considered from the title here given to the Angels His servants he put no trust in his servants Angels are the servants of God They are his servants as being altogether at his command and they are his servants as being fully conformable to his commands These great and glorious Spirits come under the same title and denomination with men who dwell in houses of clay servants of God To serve God is not only the duty but it is the honour of the highest creatures It is more honour to serve God then to rule the world The stile of the good Angels is Ministring Spirits Heb. 1. but the stile and title of the evill Angel is Prince of the power of the aire God of this word you would think these were weighty titles Prince of the aire God of the world but the additions diminish their weight yea make them lighter then vanity or rather heavie only with misery There is more glory in being a servant of God than in being a god of the world or a Prince of the power of the aire I might here enlarge my enquiry into the services of Angels in what they are servants and what their offices and duties are but I shall only touch Their service may be considered either in respect of the Church or the enemies of the Church Respecting the Church and people of God they have such services as these First they are as messengers to carry and reveale the minde of God They are as Tutors and instructors of the Churches Dan. 8. 9. God sent his Angel to teach Daniel the mysterie of those visions And Rev. 1. 11. an Angel was sent to instruct John Chap. 22. 16. I Jesus have sent mine Angell to testifie these things in the Churches Secondly they are sent as guardians and protectors of the people of God to take their part and to be on their side Psal 34. 7. The Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that feare him Psal 91. 11. He giveth his Angels a charge over them lest at any time they should dash their feet against a stone Gen. 32. 2. When Jacob journied it is said the Angels of God met him an army of Angels was his Convoy Gods Hoast coming out for his protection and safeguard and therefore he called the name of that place Nahanaim that is two Hosts or Camps either because the Angels appeared in two bands and so made as it were a guard for Jacob to passe between them Or because the great Angelicall Royall Army quartered and marched with Jacobs little Army and so two confederate Armies appeared in the field together Angels are called Chariots Psal 68. 17. The Chariots of God are twenty thousand even thousands of Angels That is God useth Angels for defence of his people as Chariots in Warr. The ancient Prophets were called the Chariots of Israel 2 King 3. 13. and the Angels are the Chariots of God Our strongest Militia is of Spirits or of men spiritualiz'd Thirdly Angels suggest good things holy thoughts to us If the Devill who is an evill Angel a wicked spirit can suggest evill sinfull filthy thoughts and help on the heart in wickednesse then doubtlesse a good Angel can help on the heart in holinesse in heavenly thoughts and meditations Christ speaks of Judas that Satan had put it into his heart to betray him John 13. and Peter to Ananias Acts 5. Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lye to the Holy Ghost The nature of a good Angel is as fit his power given as great to deale with our spirits as either the nature or the power of an evill Angel That of the Apostle 2 Cor. 11. 14. gives a hint if not a proofe of it where he tels the Corinthians That deceitfull workers transforme themselves into the Apostles of Christ and no marvell for Sathan himselfe is transformed into an Angell of light and when is Satan in this change from an Angel of darknesse to an Angel of light even when He suggests good for evill ends or evill for good ends And if he is called an Angel of light for this reason then Angels of light good Angels suggest good for good ends otherwise Satan could not be said to imitate them in suggesting good for ill ends and under specious pretences of bringing glory to God tempting to transgresse the will of God Fourthly good Angels comfort strengthen and support in times of distresse anguish and trouble an Angel comforted Hagar Gen. 21 and Matth. 4. 10. after Christ had finished his terrible combat with that wicked Angel the good Angels came and ministred unto him Againe when he was in that most bitter Agony in the garden Luke 22. 43. an Angel appeared to him from Heaven strengthning him That which they do to Christ the Head they do to his members in their proportion Their fifth service is to conveigh and carry the soules of departed Saints to Heaven they are Heavenly Porters Luke 16. 22. Lazarus dyed and was carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosome Lastly they shall convocate and gather all the Elect together at the last day Matth. 24. 31. Their services against the wicked and all enemies of the Church have been many and great Angels assist Saints and oppose the opposers of Sion Two Angels were sent upon a message of destruction to Sodome an Angel defeated the
he judgeth no cleare light to be putting a negative particle in both branches of the Verse whereas in the Hebrew there is no expresse negation in the latter These I say are led by this reason or rule It is frequent in Scripture when there is a negative in the former clause of a Verse then to understand a negative also in the latter clause though none be exprest For instance Psal 9. 18. The needy shall not alway be forgotten the expectation of the poore shall not perish for ever so we read but in the Hebrew the latter clause is the expectation of the poore shall perish for ever there is no Negative in the Originall but our Transtators and not only they but all that I have seen upon the place render it so supplying the Negative particle of the former in the latter clause of that sentence And without that negative the sentence is not only imperfect but untrue Thus The needy shall not alwayes be forgotten the expectation of the poore shall perish for ever this were a contradiction but reading it the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever makes the whole a truth and congruous in it self Againe Pro. 17. 26. To punish the just is not good to strike Princes for equity so the letter of the Hebrew but we reade it thus To punish the just is not good nor to stricke Princes for equity I might give ynu other examples but a tast may suffice Thus in the Text before us when it is said in the first clause he put no trust in his servants we take up the negative and say in the second neither hath he put light into his Angels or he did not put light in his Angels or he put no perfect light in his Angels or he judged not cleare light to be in his Angels Secondly they who according to our Translation render it madnesse or solly vain boasting or vanity these take the Originall in that figurative sence before given When a man from a reflection upon his own worth boasts out his own praises which because it is a point of extreame vanity and folly therefore the word is elegantly applyed to signifie folly c. He charged his Angels with folly He put or laid folly upon or to his Angels He put for so the Hebrew word bears Not that the vanity which is in Angels is of Gods putting but the folly that is in them he puts to them or charâ—eth it upon them or layeth it to their charge As we say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Such a one put it home upon him that is he charged him soundly or fully with such a crime or offence To charge is a judiciall or Law-term implying that the Lord sitting in judgement to examine the state of Angels charged them by way of accusation and upon triall found them in a sense guilty of that which though they had not formed into any one sin yet might be formed and shap'd into any sin Folly or vaine-glory Having given some account of those tearms Charging and Folly He charged his Angels with folly it growes to a great doubt what Angels we are here to understand what Angels did God thus charge with folly The quere or doubt lies whether we shall lay this charge at the doore of the good Angels or of the bad or of both Many of the Ancients restrain it to the evill Angels to the Apostate Angels God put no trust in them he saw folly in them taking it for confessed that the Angels which stood the good Angels are trusty servants discreet and wise farre from either unfaithfulnesse or folly such as God hath put trust in and they never deceiv'd his trust such whose obedience is made the pattern of ours by Christ himself in his patterne of prayer Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven And would the Lord regulare us by them who are themselves irregular or make them our copy in doing his will whose folly renders them unfit to be trusted with the doing of his will Therefore say these such a charge suits not the state and condition of the good Angels Others cast it upon the good Angels that God put no trust no not in them I conceive from either there may be a good sense though I incline to the latter For in the Apostate Angels take it in the broadest sense God saw no light no goodnesse no faithfulnesse at all they have plainly discovered themselves and shewed not only weaknesse and unfaithfulnesse but wickednesse and utmost folly But to confine it to the evill Angels or to understand it chiefly of them is too narrow for the Text especially seeing Angeli boni exse nihil habent nisi insantam negativè i. e. nullam exse sapâ—entiam nullam veritatem bonitatem nullam this is but a light a too easie charge for those Apostate Spirits to say onle thus that God found unfaithfulnesse in them and charged them with folly for in them rebellion was found and they stand charged to this day with High Treason against the Crowne and dignity of the King of Heaven and are therefore committed to prison and reserved in chaines of darknesse to the judgement of the great day As for the good Angels God may be said to charge them with folly without any wrong either to the holinesse of their nature or the stedfastnes of their obedience For upon examination or intuition rather he finds they have no wisdome or stability but by Divine bounty and establishment As the apostate Angels were positively full of folly and unfaithfulnes so the good Angels might be charged with folly negatively namely that they had no faithfullnesse but as assisted and propt up But we may take the Angels in a third or middle consideration neither for the fallen or apostate Angels nor for the good and confirmed Angels as distinct or since this distinction But by Angels we may understand the Angelicall nature the whole complex nature of Angels in their creation and constitution was such as God could not trust fully unto such as he saw folly in We may demonstrate this plainly because a great part of the Angels and it is questioned whether or no the geater part but it is clear that a great part of the Angels a whole Regiment at least proved disloyall and fell together therefore the Angelicall nature in that abstracted notion is subject to folly and unfaithfulnes as well as man although they are of a more excellent make and constitution then man God looking upon Angels in generall saw they were not to be trusted the event also shewing many of them who were as good by nature as they who stand falling from him discovering their folly and nakednesse to all the world But it may be questioned yet how there could be folly in the Angelicall nature for as much as God viewing and reviewing all the works which he had made saw every thing which he had made and behold it was very
as the Schooles determine with a naturall blessednesse not with a supernaturall which consists in the vision of God for if they had been created in a supernaturall blessednesse then they had never fallen they were created only in a naturall blessednesse and from that they might fall and did Now indeed the good Angels have obtained by Christ a supernaturall blessednesse from which they cannot fall and so by grace are become immutable which by creation they were not Though Christ be not a Redeemer as was toucht before yet he is a confirmer a supporter of the holy Angels In reference whereunto Christ is called the head of all things Eph. 1. 22. And of him the whole family in Heaven and in earth is named Ephes 3. 15. And by him Col. 1. 20. God hath reconciled all things unto himselfe by him I say whether they be things in earth or things in Heaven Some understand that place in the Colossians of men only because of the word reconciling yet we may well take in Angels also because that place takes in all things both in Heaven and earth And howsoever Angels needed not such a reconciliation as supposes a breach of peace or a falling out before yet they needed such a reconciliation as consists in the continuance and strengthning of that peace which was before Further We learne by way of Corollary from the former point That there is no stability in any estate out of Christ The Angels themselves could not be trusted out of Christ folly is in them not considered in Christ how much more in man When Adam fell if God should have repaired him againe and set him up in statu quo in the same condition wherein he was yea in a better if a better could be had without a Mediator and so have tried his obedience once more or should every particular man have stood for himselfe and not one for all certainly as we fell at first in a lump all together so we should have all fallen single as it were by retaile one after another There is no assurance in any estate on this side Christ Nor man nor Angel can hold out without a Surety Christ is called the Surety of the Covenant Heb. 7. 22. because he undertakes for us that we shall doe our parts that we shall be faithfull and beleeving that we shall be holy and humble that we shall doe what God expects from those whom free grace shall save Christ undertakes for all the grace and holinesse and faithfullnesse which is required in beleevers He gives no command but what himselfe helps us to fulfill nor calls he for any duty but what himselfe works in us and for us Fourthly observe That God sees imperfection in creatures whose natures are most perfect Man looking upon the Angelicall nature or upon mans nature in innocency could see no fault or folly in either but God saw both possibly faulty though not actually faulty And as it is with the nature of men and Angels so with their works when we can see nothing amisse in a work God can as the Apostle acknowledges 1 Cor. 4. 4. I know nothing by my selfe I professe when I looke into the course of my ministery for he speakes to that particular when I looke how I have discharged my Apostleship my conscience beares me witnesse I know of no unfaithfulnesse or neglect but yet though I know nothing by my selfe I am not hereby justified but he that judgeth me is the Lord as if he should say wheu God comes to looke over my worke he may find faults many faults in it there is no standing for creatures before God in any creature-purity Angelicall perfection is imperfect in his sight Angels have not the least spot or tincture of sin in their nature yet the nature of Angels is potentially sinfull The best creature in regard of pure naturalls may be wrought to evill one God cannot And the reason is because every one may erre who hath not the rule of righteousnesse within him and therefore it is impossible God should erre because his own will is the rule of his own actions He is every way a law unto himselfe The Apostle speaking of the Gentiles Rom. 2. 14. saith These having not the law are a law unto themselves Not that their nature is a law which is the transcendent priviledge of God but that they have the law of nature or the law printed in their nature though not published to their eare They have the law written in their hearts but the heart of God is his law both written and unwritten Creatures how perfect soever in their nature have the will of God for their rule and law which though it be within them yet it is not Them and so they may act beside it The hand of the Artificer often failes in cutting or fashioning the work he is about because his hand is not the rule by which he workes his hand workes by a rule or line his hand is not that rule or line therefore he sometimes strikes right and sometimes he strikes wrong but if the hand of a man were the rule by which he works then it were impossible that ever he should worke amisse Thus it is with God the very will of God which acts is the rule by which he acts hence Solum illum actum à rectitudine declina re non contingit cujus regula est ipsa virtus agentis Aquin par 1. q. â—3 art 1. it is impossible for God to faile Angels and men act by a rule prescribed their will is one thing and the rule is another the power by which they worke is one thing and the direction by which they worke is another and therefore to shut up this point the most perfect creature may possibly swerve and erre in acting Only he cannot erre in any thing he doth whose will is the perfect rule of all be doth Fifthly Forasmuch as God beholding Angels sees folly in them learne That God hath no need of any creature no not of Aagels The reason is clearely this because Angels themselves in themselves are unfaithfull Angels themselves in themselves are foolish therefore what need hath God of such as these As King Achish said 1 King 21. 15. when David changed his behaviour before him studiously acting the foole mad man scrabling on the doores of the gate and letting his spittle fall downe upon his beard What saith Achish unto his servants have I need of madmen that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence So God may say when he lookes upon the best of creatures Angels or men have I any need of mad-men any need of fooles or of their folly Forasmuch then as there is nothing in any creature barely as a crearure but what may be reduced to folly and unfaithfullnesse and would certainely end there therefore God hath no need at all of any creature Men will say we need not the helpe of disloyall or untrusty
nihil firmum aut diuturnum ompingi potest such a mighty foundation CHRIST the Rock a living and an unmoveable Rock That confession of Peter Thou art Christ the Sonne of the living God is the Churches foundation Rock therefore the gates of Hell shall not prevaile against it But when the building is weak and the foundation weak too in how tottering a condition is such a building Mans foundation is but sand or dust and the word signifies flying light unstable moveable dust such as lies on the surface of the earth and is plaid about with every puffe of winde though some I confesse take the word not strictly for this flying dust but for slimy dust or dust moistned which is slime This was the matter out of which God created man Gen. 2. 7. dust out of the earth or out of the dust of the earth That dust which can hardly be collected or kept together to make a subsistence that is laid together as the foundation of man His foundation is in the dust Hence we may observe first what the pedigree and originall of man is what treasure soever he carries about him yet he is an earthen vessell or as the Apostle speaks of the first man 1. Cor. 15. 47. he is of the earth earthy Earth is the Originall of man and man himself is no better Earthy yea the Earth is call'd his earth as if he had propriety in nothing but earth Psal 1â— 6. 4. speaking of the greatest Princes Trust ye not in Princes nor in the sonne of man his breath goeth forth and he returneth to his earth Our bodies can challenge no alliance with or propriety in any thing but earth it is our earth The wise man Eccles 12. 7. cals the body not only an Allie to the dust or a-kin to dust but plain dust Then speaking of Death shall the dust returne to the earth as it was it came from the earth and in death it returnes to the same point from whence it set out A second thing we may take notice of from mans originall which exceedingly advances the infinite wisdome and the Almighty power of God Dust and Earth are the matter out of which we are formed But doth the countenance of man represent dust and earth Could any one say who had nothing to judge by but the eye that man was made of such mean materials What characters of Beauty and Majesty sit in his visage how unlike is he to his own parent the Earth Man hath received from God not only an excellent fabrick or composure of body but if you consider it the very matter of which the body is composed is farre more excellent then earth or dust Take a piece of earth or a handfull of dust and compare them with the flesh of man that flesh is earth indeed but that flesh is farre better then meer earth This shewes the power of the Creator infinitely exceeding the power of a creature A Goldsmith can make you a goodly Jewel but then you must give him gold and precious stones of which to make it he can put the matter into a hetter form but he cannot make the matter better The Engraver can make a curious Statue exactly limb'd and proportion'd to the life out of a ruff piece but the matter must be the same you put into his hands if you give him Marble it will be a Marble Statue but he cannot mend the matter Mans work Materiam superabat opus often exceeds his matter but mans work cannot make the matter exceed it self Now God took up a rude lumpe of earth or subtile dust and he not only put that into an excellent form but he mended the matter also Man is earth but he is earth sublimated and refined Not only doth the forme exceed the matter but the matter formed exceeds the matter unformed Thirdly as this lifts up the wisdome and power of God so it should humble and lay man low Eliphaz improves this principle as an Argument to take down the spirit of Job from his supposed heights and self-conceits Surely thou art great in thy owne thoughts when thou presumest to enter a contest with God But look to thy Originall such towring lofty and ascending thoughts would quickly be abated if thou wouldest remember tha thou art but a clod of earth a little refined clay moving slime enlivened dust breathing ashes did we spiritually look upon the matter of our bodies it would take down the swelling of our spirits when our spirits are like Jordan in the time of harvest overflowing all the banks of humility and moderation this thought spiritualiz'd will bring us into our channels again and recall us to our owne bounds and banks Some Naturalists observe of the Bees that when they are up and angry do but throw a little dust upon them they are quiet and hive again Certainly when our imaginations are buzzing and humming in the aire when thy are flying and mounting up to Heaven not in holy aspirings to God which we ever ought but in bold aspirings against God which we should never dare in such a distemper of our spirits if we could but cast this dust upon them it would quiet and bring them in again Hath not man cause to lye as low in his thoughts as that from whence he was extracted should not he be humbled to the dust who is dust Especially this earth should be abased in all addresses to Heaven in all our approaches unto God as Abraham Genesis 18. 27. I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord who am but dust and ashes We should never be so low in our own thoughts as when we make use of our highest priviledges and the nearer we are admitted to come to Heaven the more should we for the magnifying of Free-grace which makes this admission remember that we are but Earth Fourthly if the body be but clay and hath but a foundation of dust then doe not bestow too much care and cost upon your clay upon your dust How many are there who bestow much paines to trim up a vile body and neglect a precious soule Most usually they who bestow most paines upon this mortall house of clay bestow least about that immortal inhabitant In an over cared for body there ever dwels a neglected soul You shall have a body cleanly washed and a soule all filth a body neatly clothed and drest with a soule all naked and unready a body fed and a soule starved a body full of the creature and a soule empty of Christ these are poor soules indeed That complaint of the Moralist against Heathens may be renewed against some Christians they are busied most between the combe and the glasse and troubled more at a disorder in their haire then at a disorder in the Common-wealth Inter ' pectinem speculum occupari Sen. he said I say then at a disorder in the Church or in their owne hearts It is a sad thing that any who bear the name of a
but a day long Jonahs Gourd came up in a night and perished in a night and man commeth up in the morning and perisheth in the evening The Naturalists speake of a Fly they call Ephemeron a creature of one day which comes forth in the morning is very active about noone but when the Sunne declineth it declines too and sets with the setting of the Sunne Man is an Ephemeron a creature of one day for howsoever his life consisteth of many dayes is often lengthened out to many yeares yet betweene morning and evening or from morning to evening he is destroyed The first step he sets upon the stage of the world is a going out of the world his ascending to the height of his natural perfection hath in it a decent One part of his life compared with another is an increase but the whole in reference to his end is a decrease his life is but a breathing death life shortning as fast as it lengthns his life is death hastning upon him continually A hand breadth is quickly measured Behold saith David Psal 29. 5. thou hast made my dayes an hand breadth nothing needs no time to passe it in mans age in it self is but little and comparatively it is nothing it fals under no calculation before the face of Eternity Mine age is nothing before thee But though the life of man be thus short and himself be destroyed between a morning and an evening yet death lasts long they perish for ever without any regarding They perish for ever Death it seemes is everlasting They perish the word is often used in this book for the dissolution of soule and body not for the annihilation of either as perishing properly imports to perish is here but to dye for thus even the righteous perish and no man layes it to heart Isay 57. 1. But doth man perish thus dyes he for ever shall there not be a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 returne a resurrection shall not soule and body be reunited how is it said then they perish or dye for ever For ever is some time put for an infinite time and some time for an indefinite time 1 Chron. 23. 25 The Lord God of Israel hath given rest unto his people that they may dwell in Jerusalem for ever And yet the Jewes are now so farre from dwelling in Jerusalem that they have scarce rest or dwelling among any people The like sense of for ever reade 1 Kings 2. 33. Psal 132. 12 14. Yet further for ever is put for the finite time of one mans life 1 Sam. 27. 12. He shall be my servant for ever that is as long as he lives Psal 23. 6. I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever that is as long as I live In the text before us for ever is as long as this world lasts it notes the utmost terme of time not which is without terme eternity They perish for ever that is they shall not live in this world any more as Job 14. 14. If a man dye shall he live again As if he had said man can dye but once he cannot live againe that is in this world shall he any more return to his house to his wife and children to his riches or honours and shall he here againe enjoy such an estate as he had before That Psal 103. 16. explains it so As for man his days are as grass as a flower of the field so he flourisheth for the winde passeth over it and it is gone and the place thereof shall know it no more that is he shall never returne to that locall place or civill place in which he lived he shall not return to that place of magistracy or ministrey to that place of merchandizing or trading of husbandry or handicraft where he convers'd before Thus his place will know him no more Man dyes but once and therefore when he dies he is said to dye for ever There is a second death but it is only a second condition of life Some shall so live for ever that they shall be dying for ever The misery of all men here is that they are dying while they live the misery of the damned hereafter will be that they are living while they dye We see then that as life is a continuall going out of the world so from death there is no returning to the world they perish for ever when once you die you are dead for good and all as we say there 's an end in respect of any work proper to this world whether naturall civill or spirituall A dying man perishes for ever from eating and drinking from any outward content or pleasure When Barzillai was as it were but upon the borders of death and confines of the grave 2 Sam. 19. 25. he bespeaks David thus who had invited him to Court Can I taste what I eat and what I drink and it followes Can I any more heare the voice of singing-men and singing-women Can I any more as if he had said I am now nigh unto death these delights are gone they are perished for ever I can hardly taste any thing I eat or drink the pleasant Voice or musicall Instrument can I any more hear much more then in death it self are all these outward comforts perished and will perish for ever Againe in respect of civill works he that dyes perishes for ever no more buying or selling or trading or de aling all these things are past and past for ever Yea death puts an end to all spirituall workes such as were the Saints exercise and duty upon the earth at the grave there 's an end of them also a dying man perishes for ever in respect of repenting or believing in respect of praying or hearing the word These are heavenly works but the time for these is while you are upon the earth none of these labours are in Heaven or Hell no nor in the grave whether thou goest as the Preacher concludes Ecclesiastes 9. 10. Therefore Isay 38. 18. Hezekiah in his sickness makes it one part of his suit to God that he might be spared for saith he the grave cannot praise thee they that go downe into the pit cannot hope for thy truth the living the living he shall praise thee as I do this day To praise God shall be the work of Saints for ever and yet the Saints dying are truly said perish for ever from praising God All that praise shall cease in death which belong to the wayes of grace and then such praise begins as suits with glory which is our end That Hezekiah means it of such praise and not of all praise is cleare from his own words Verse 20. We will sing my song to the stringed instruments all the dayes of my life in the house of the Lord that is in the ordinances of thy publick worship They that are in the house of the grave cannot praise the Lord in his house And though the praises of the Lord in Heaven are transcendent
and more perfect then those in his house on Earth yet it is a higher act of grace to desire to live to praise God then to be willing to dye that we may praise him because in this we deny our selves most Praysing God on earth is a work as well as a reward but praising God in Heaven is a reward rather then a work And we put forth the most spirituall acts of grace when we cheerfully goe on with a work which we know stands betweene us and the best part of our reward But I returne to the Text. They perish for ever without any regarding or without any laying it to heart The word heart is not in the mouth but it is in the heart of this Scripture For the sense is paralell with that Esay 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Absque apponente Pereunt eoquòd nemo opponat eis medicinam 57. The righteous perish and no man layes it to heart The Chaldee gives a strange glosse They perish or dye because no man giveth them medicine as if he had said there is no Physitian can give an Antidote against death or by any medicines prolong mans life It is a truth that the decayes and ruines of Nature will at last exceed the repairs of Art but this glosse hath little regard to the text which we translate well They perish without any regarding it that is none or very few regarding it The negative is not absolutely universall excluding all as if there were none in the world who take notice of the shortnesse and frailty of mans life or of his for ever perishing condition So in that place of Isaiah the righteous perish and no man layes it to heart that is there are very few scarce any to be found who lay to heart in comparison of the number which neglect the death of righteous men Observe hence Few of the living regard how suddenly others do or themselves may dye Till we see a friend gasping and dying till we see him bedewed with cold sweats and rackt with Convulsions till our eye thus affects our hearts our hearts are seldome affected with the sense of our mortality It is one reason why Solomon advises to go to the house of mourning Eccles 7. It is better to goe to the house of mourning then to the house of mirth for saith he that is the way of all men all must dye and the living will lay it to heart or the living will regard it As if he had said the living seldom lay death to heart till they come to the house of death He seems to promise for the living that then they wil yet his undertaking is not so strict as if every man that goes to the house of mourning did certainly lay it to heart but he speaks probably that if living man will at any time lay death to heart then surely he will when he goes to the house of mourning When will a man think of death if not when he sees death and looks into that dark chamber of the grave There are many who lay it to heart only then for a fit at a Funerall they have a passion of the heart about mortality And very many have gone so often to the house of mourning that they are growne familiar with death and the frequency of those meetings take off all impressions of mortality from their hearts As we say of those Birds that build roost in steeples being used to the continuall ringing of the bels the sound disquiets them not or as those that dwel near the fall of the river Nylus the noise of the water deafens them so that they minde it not Many have been so often at the grave that now the grave is worn out of their hearts they look upon it as a matter of custome and formality for men to dye and be buried and when the solemnity of death is over the thoughts of death are over as soone as the grave is out of their sight preparations for the grave are out of mind It is storied 2 Sam. 20. 12. that when Amasa was slain by Joab and lay wallowing in his blood in the midst of the high way every one that came by him stood still but anon Amasa is removed out of the high way into the field a cloth cast upon him then the text saith all the people went on after Joab It is so still we make a stop at one that lyes gasping and groaning at one that lyes bleeding and dying but let a cloth be throwne over him and he draw aside put into the grave and covered with earth then we goe to our businesse to trading and dealing yea to coveting and sinning as if the last man that ever should be were buried Thus men perish for ever without any regarding If this kinde of perishing were more regarded or regarded by more fewer would perish Thoughts of death spiritualliz'd have life in them thoughts of death laid to the heart are a good medicine for an evil heart It followes Verse 21. Doth not their excellency which is in them go away they dye even without wisdome This Verse as I noted in the begining prevents an objection which might be made as if man had wrong done him and that it were too great a diminution to his honour whom God made the chief creature in the inferiour world and but little inferiour to Angels themselves that he should be looked upon only as a heape of dust or a lumpe of clay as a mortall momentany perishing creature therefore he grants that man hath an excellency but all the excellency that he hath whether naturall or artificiall bred in him or acquired by him as a man when he goes goes too Doth not their excellency which is in them go away or journieth not their excellency with them as Mr. Broughton translates alluding to our passing out of the world as in a journey when a man dies he takes a journey out of the world he goes out for ever and saith he doth not his excellency journey along with him yes the question affirmes it when man goes his excellency goes too The word Jether which we translate excellency signifies primarily a residue or a remaine and that two ways First a residue of persons Judges 7. 6. But all the rest of the people bowed downe on their knees to drink water So the vulgar understands it here They who are left after them shall be taken away from them namely their heirs or posterity Secondly it signifies a residue of things Ps 17. 14. where describing worldly men who have their portion in this life he saith their bellies are fill'd with hid treasure they are also full of children and leave the rest of their substance to their babes Thus others take it here Doth not the wealth and riches which men leave when they dye dye also and go away as their persons are mortall so are their estates there is a moth will eat both And Iather quod est
from safety c. He flourisheth but he withers quickly he takes root but he is soon puld up by the roots I have seene Experience is the mistresse of truth Truth is called the daughter of time because experience bringeth forth many truths and the word of God is made visible in the works of God I have seen saith he This truth hath run into my eye In experiences the promises of God stand forth and in experiences the threatnings of God stand forth and shew themselves all the experiences that we have in the world are onely so many exemplifications of the truths contained in the promises or threatnings of the word The foolish I shall not stay to open that terme for we met 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Levem homineÌ„ notat qui sine consilio agit vulâ— facit nullamque facti rationum habet nisi quia ita venâ—â— in mentem Goc with it in the former verse wrath slayeth the foolish one Onely in a word this foolish man is one who acts without counsell and whose will is too hard for his understanding He hath no reason for what he doth but because he hath a mind to doe it A foolish man is a wicked man and here the foolish man is a wicked man at ease a wicked man in his fulnesse and aboundance of outward comforts A foole is ever worst when he is at ease And as he more abounds in comforts so he abounds more in sin All mercies are to him but fuell for his folly and meat and drink for his madnesse That rich man who pleased himselfe so in his worldly successes is cal'd a foole Thou foole this night shall thy soule be taken from thee and then whose shall all these things be which thou possessest Luke 12. 20 All wicked men are foolish and wicked rich men have ever the greatest stock of folly And they are therefore more foolish then others because they think themselves wiser then all If a man can get riches if his root be well setled in the earth and his branches spread fairely out he accounteth himselfe very wise and so doe many others account him too A thriving sinner is a foolish and an unprosperous man but he that plots how to thrive by sin is the most foolish man in the world and therefore in all his prosperity most unprosperous As the foolish take roote so that by which they take root is often times their folly Taking root Wicked men under the outward curse are compared to trees not taking root Isa 40. 24. He bringeth the Princes to nothing yea they shall not be planted yea they shall not be sowne yea their stocke shall not take root in the earth And Psalme 129. 6. Let them be as the grasse upon the house having no earth to take root in which withereth afore it groweth up whereof the mower filleth not his hand nor he that bindeth up the sheaves his bosome Wicked men prospering are compared to a tree well rooted I have seen the foolish taking root that is confirmed and setled in their outward prosperity A root is to the tree as a foundation is to the house the establishment of it when a tree is well rooted it takes in the moisture of the earth freely then the body or trunk growes big the branches spread forth the leaves are green and it abounds with fruit So that with the welrooting we must take in all that concernes the flourishing of a tree Hence other Scriptures expresse the men of the world by trees not onely secretly taking root in the earth but putting themselves forth and appearing in their visible beauty and verdure Ps 37. 35. David produceth his experience I have seen the wicked in great power how taking root yea spreading himselfe like a greene bay-tree They are described by their boughs branches and leaves And in Isa 2. 11. The day of the Lord shall be upon the Cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up not onely upon the Cedars of Lebanon that are deeply rooted but upon the Cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up and upon all the Oakes of Bashan In the 14. of Hosea v. 5. The prosperous estate of the Church under the dew and influence of heavenly blessings is held forth to us under the notion of a tree taking root I will be as the dew to Israel he shall grow as the Lilly and cast his roots as Lebanon that is as the trees in Lebanon his branches shall spread and his beauty shall be as the Olive tree and his smell as Lebanon In the fourth of Daniel the state glory and magnificence of the kingdomes of this world are shadowed by a tree Nebuchadnezzar in a vision hath a tree presented before him he knew not what to make of it and therefore calls for the Wise-men to expound the vision which he thus relates ver 4. I saw and behold a tree in the middest of the earth the height thereof was great and the tree grew and was strong and the height thereof reached unto heaven and the sight thereof to the ends of the earth and the leaves thereof were faire When Daniel comes to interpret it ver 22. he sayes to the King Thou art this tree c. Nebuchadnezzar in all his worldly pomp is set forth by a goodly tree In the 53. of Isa v. 2. Where the birth of Christ is prophecied it is said That he shall grow up before him as a tender plant and as a root out of a dry ground As a very flourishing estate whether in spirituals or temporalls is exprest by a tree planted by the water side So a mean low estate is signified by a tree in a dry ground Our Lord Jesus in regard of any outward glory was like a tree in a dry ground as the words following expound it He hath no forme nor comelinesse and when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him His kingdome was not like the kingdome of those great Monarchs strong and high and beautifull with any created lustre Hence observe First That wicked men may flourish in great outward prosperity I have seen the foolish taking root The Prophet Jeremiah in the twelfth of his Prophecy a Scripture touched before Chap. 4. v. 7. to this purpose being somewhat scandalized at the prosperity of treacherous dealers describes them thus ver 2. Thou hast planted them yea they have taken root they grow yea they bring forth fruit Here are four degrees first they are planted there is many a tree planted that takes not root but saith he thou hast planted them yea they have taken root There are some trees which are both planted and have taken root yet they doe not grow especially not to any height or greatnesse though they live yet they doe not thrive These are planted and they take root and they grow but there are many trees planted rooted and growing which yet are fruitlesse these have all they are planted they take root
aliquo dicitur in Scriptura quod faciendum denunciatur be or fore-tell that it shall be As to give an instance or two Levit. 13. in the case of the Leper the text saith that when the Priest makes up his judgement concerning the Leper having found the tokens of Leprosie upon him he shall defile him ver 3. and ver 8. or make him uncleane so the Originall gives it which we translate The Priest shall pronounce him uncleane In that sence the Ministers of the Gospell whose businesse is to cleanse defile many yea one way to cleanse men is thus to defile and pronounce them Lepers So Isa 6. 8. the Lord sends the Prophet against that people and saith to him Make the heart of this people fat and make their eares heavy and shut their eyes Praedic excaeeanaos oâ—ulos aures aggravandas Now the Prophet did not act this himselfe he did not deafen their eares or blind their eyes but onely fore-told or denounced that this judgement should fall upon them because they had so long stopped their eares at last their eares should be stopt and made heavy enough and because they had so long winked and shut their eyes at last they should be blind and their eyes shut fast enough How fast are those eyes and eares lockt up which are thus double lockt Once more Jer. 1. 10. The Lord gives the Prophet a strange commission See saith he I have this day set thee over the Nations and over Kingdomes to roote out and to pull downe and to destroy and to throw downe and to build and to plant One would think this commission more fitting for a Caesar or an Alexander for great Commanders attended with numerous Armies than for an unarmed Prophet what could he doe could he roote out Kingdomes and destroy Nations Yes by denouncing the destroying judgements and consuming wrath of God due unto them for their rebellions and provocations Thus a poor weak Prophet can overturne a whole Kingdome and roote up the strongest Nations And the truth is that never was any Nation or Kingdome rooted up by the sword but it was first rooted up by the word first God hewed them to pieces and slew them by his Prophets and then let in Armies of cruell enemies to doe it So here in the text I have seen the foolish taking root but suddenly I cursed his habitation The clear meaning is I foretold a curse I knew what would shortly become of his habitation It Non per invidiam iram dira imprecacarer sed animus pâ—aesagiret male ipsi fore Coc. was not anger against his person or envy at his estate that moved me to curse him but it was an eye of faith which shewed me him markt with a curse in the just threatnings of God I saw a curse hanging over his family and dwelling over his riches and honours And though he then flourished that yet he should quickly wither and be destroyed root and branch The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked Prov. 3. 33. Man doth but see it there the Lord sent it there The word is considerable which we traslate Habitation It signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a quiet a setled a peaceable a beautifull habitation And so carries an aggravation of the judgement upon this foolish man his judgement is the worse upon him because he thought himselfe so well so well seated so well setled so secured and accommodated that he should never be removed They are most troubled with removings who thought themselves setled troubles afflict them deepest who supposed themselves beyond trouble When David thought God had made his mountaine so strong that it could not be moved how was he troubled as soon as God hid his face Ps 30. 6 7. And if they are so troubled with shakings who look upon their estates as setled by the favour of God how will they be troubled to meet with totterings and shakings much more with ruinings and destructions whose estates at best are bottom'd onely upon their policies often upon their sins We may observe from hence First The estate of some wicked men is out of the prayers of Gods people When they goe by their dwellings they cannot say The blessing of the Lord be upon you we blesse you in the name of the Lord Psal 129. 8. It is a great mercy to stand under the influences of prayer and for a man to have his estate land dwellings watered with showers of blessings and hearty good wishes from the mouths of Saints Their blessings or their cursings are next to the blessings and cursings of Christ nay they are his It is an argument that Christ hath blessed or cursed a man when the spirits of his people generally are carried to either It is one of the saddest presages in the world for a man to be cast out of the prayers of the Saints or to be cast by their prayers that is when their prayers are against him and he presented naked to the displeasure of Christ It shewes that the sin of a man is a sin unto death when the faithfull cease praying for him 1 Joh. 5. 16. What can it prognosticate then but approaching ruine and destruction when they bend the strength of prayer against him There was never any habitation of wickednes so firmly founded or strongly fortified but that Great and Holy Ordinance hath or may shake and batter it to the dust The fair Towers and walls of Babylon the seate and state of Antichrist have long been under this curse All the Saints whose eyes God hath unscaled and brought out from Egyptian darkness have seene That foolish man taking roote and have cursed his habitation Secondly observe A wicked man in prosperity is under the curse of God He is often under the curse of man but ever under the curse of God Esau have I hated saith God Rom. 9. 13. yet even at that time the fatnesse of the earth was his dwelling and of the dew of Heaven from above Gen. 27. 39. While the meate was in the mouthes of the murmuring Israelites the wrath of God was upon them They did at once eate their lust and their death wrath was mingled with their meate and while he gave them their request he sent leanenesse into their soules Psal 106. 15. This is the most dreadfull curse of all To have a fate estate a well fed body with a leane starven soule Thirdly Observe a vast difference between godly and wicked men between the foolish and the wise When a godly man withers in his outward estate and is pluckt up by the rootes yet God loves him when a godly man is poore God loves him when he is sick God loves him when he is in prison God loves him when he is in disgrace God loves him and when the world hates him most then God usually shewes that he loves him most The world cannot cast a godly man into any condition but he meets with the love
stile and falls to counsell and exhortation directing and advising Job what becomes him what he ought to doe in his condition His exhortation consists of two distinct branches The former whereof begins at this sixth and is continued to the seventeenth verse of the Chapter The summe of this exhortation is That for as much as he had found him so distempered in his speech and carriage he now earnestly beseeches and intreats him that he would seek unto God beg favour and believingly commit himselfe and his cause unto God The second branch of exhortation begins at the 17 verse and is continued to the end of the Chapter The Scope whereof is That Job would humbly and patiently submit himselfe unto and under the correcting hand of God quietly waiting the time of his deliverance The matter of the former exhortation lies in the words of the 8 verse I would seek unto God and unto God would I commit my cause He strengthneth this exhortation by two arguments whereof The first is taken from the cause of his afflictions and that either the efficient or the meritorious cause of his afflictions both which we find in the 6 and 7 verses The second argument by which he strengthneth his first exhortation is contained in the 9 10 11 and 12 verses following and it is grounded upon the power wisdome and goodness of God As if he should say Who would not seek unto God who is of infinite power able to deliver Who would not seek unto a God and commit his cause unto him who is gracious and pittifull mercifull and ready to deliver Who would not seeke unto a God and commit his cause unto him who is of infinite wisdome to find out wayes and means for the contriving of deliverance though mans condition to the eye of sence or humane reason seem altogether desperate and remedilesse These three verses containe the first exhortation together with the first argument And we may forme it thus both respecting the efficient and the meritorious cause of his afflictions First respecting the efficient cause the argument seemes to lie thus He is to be sought unto in our afflictions who is the principall efficient cause or sender of our afflictions But God is the principall efficient cause and sender of our afflictions Therefore he is to be sought unto and to him our cause is to be committed The Major or first Proposition is not expresly in this text but it is plainly supposed and logically to be understood The Minor or the Assumption lies in the 6 and 7 verses where he proves that God is the efficient cause or sender of afflictions And his proof is grounded upon a deniall or a removall of all other efficient causes As if he should say there must be some efficient cause of affliction but no efficient cause can be assigned or named except God therefore God is the efficient cause the sender and orderer of afflictions That no other efficient cause can be assigned he proveth plainly in the sixth verse thus Affliction cometh not forth of the dust neither doth trouble spring out of the ground yet man is borne to trouble c. As if he should say our eyes teach us we see plainly man is full of trouble man is no sooner borne but he is afflicted these afflictions must have some efficient cause some hand or other doth frame forme and fashion them they come not alone and if they come not alone then we must find out this cause either in earth or in heaven we must find it either in the Creatour or among the creatures but from the earth or from creatures they come not Affliction cometh not forth of the dust neither doth trouble spring out of the ground that is it rises not by or from the creatures in themselves and alone considered and if so it must needs come from heaven from the hand of God who dwelleth above and disposeth all things according to the pleasure of his own will It is such a kind of speech as often falls from us when a thing is lost we say some body must have it Sure it is not gone into the gound You or You must have it for there were none else in the place So Eliphaz seems here to argue about the afflictions which he saw upon Job here are heavy afflictions upon thee these afflictions must come some way upon thee They come not out forth of the dust neither doe they spring out of the ground they come not up alone Either then they must come from God or man and from man they come not they spring not out of the earth therefore he leaves it as a clear inference that God is the efficient cause or sender of affliction Againe if we consider this argument as it strengthneth the exhortation from the meritorious cause of his afflictions It may be formed thus If the sin of man be from himselfe and the sufferings of man be for his sin then in his sufferings for sin he ought to seek unto God and to commit his cause unto him But the sin of man is from himselfe and the sufferings of man are for his sin Therefore he ought in such a condition to seeke unto God and commit his cause unto him For remedy is no where else to be had This second argument is grounded rather upon the exposition then the letter of the text as shall be further cleared in pursuance of the words Thus you see how the Minor or second Proposition is confirmed both as it respects the efficient cause and the meritorious cause of mans affliction The conclusion lies in the 8 verse which Eliphaz Conclusi enunciata in persona Eliphazi quod modestum cohortationis genus magnam vim habet est usitatissimum Merl. pronounces in his own person I would seeke unto God therefore seek thou unto God he speakes it in his own person thereby more freely to insinuate his counsell and make way for his exhortation As if he had said Were I in thy case I would doe so therefore doe thou so likewise Seeke unto God and commit thy cause unto him So much of this context and the Logick of it as it contains an exhortation with an argument to strengthen and back that exhortation Now for the clearing of the words Although afflictions come not forth of the dust The Hebrew particle which we translate Although may be taken three wayes and so I find it rendred upon this place First which is its most proper sence it is taken causally and then the text is read For affliction commeth not forth of the dust So Mr. Broughton for sorrow issueth not from the dust Secondly It may be taken Adversatively as we reade it Although affliction or sorrow comes not forth of the dust Thirdly it may be taken Affirmatively according to which acception the text is thus carried Certainly Affliction cometh not out of the dust or Surely affliction commeth not out of the dust Either of these wayes the sense is
only a deficient cause but poenall darknesse hath an efficient cause Darknesse is created As in the first creation God said let there be light so in providence which is a continued creation he saith let there be darknesse If afflictions come not forth of the earth then they come from Heaven That wicked King preacht very good doctrine when he said of an extreame devouring famine This evill is from the Lord though he failed utterly in the use or application while he murmured out why should we waite on the Lord any longer 2 King 6. 33. For the reason holds strong to the contrary This evill is from the Lord we will waite upon the Lord for ever Verse 7. Yet man is borne unto trouble as the sparks flye upward Yet man or but man is borne to trouble Some reade Man is borne to sin that is he is borne with a nature ready and prone to sin because he is borne in sin Psal 51. 5. And so by consequent he is borne to trouble which is caused by and is the fruit of sin These two sin and trouble are so neere in blood and kindred that still one word includes them both The former word which signifies sin properly is translated affliction and this word which signifies affliction properly may be translated sin When it is said That Man is borne to trouble or sin It notes two things 1. A right to them a right to sinne and a right to sorrow That which a man is borne to is duely his it is his inheritance or his birth-right that is the common understanding of the phrase As some men are borne to a great estate to lands and honours c. so all men are borne to trouble and sin They are ours by a line all right derived from our next yea first parents so they descend to us as land descends 2. It implies a readinesse or a fitnesse to commit sin or to falls into trouble When a man is said to be borne to a thing it note him exceeding apt and forward to take it He needs little teaching and instructing little cultivating or manuring As when a man makes verses readily we say he was borne to Poetry or when a man gets wealth easily we say he was borne to be rich So in the present case A mans understanding will and affections need no manaring or dressing to bring forth sinne or the fruit of it sorrow He is borne to sin The latter clause of the verse cleares the sense fully Manis borne unto trouble or unto sinne as the sparks fly upward The meaning is as the sparks have a principle in themselves by which they ascend they need no directing when a sparke comes out from the fire no man bids it flye upward or shewes it the way it will flye upward alone it knowes no other way but upward so it is a naturall course for man as soone as he is borne to sin and work his own sorrow This he can doe the first thing he doth and before he can doe any thing well he can doe this but too well He needs no Tutor for these sinning and sorrowing are not his art but his nature though he should have neither rule nor example in the world he would find out the mysteries of iniquity and doe enough quickly to make himselfe miserable The particle As is a copulative in the Hebrew So divers render it in this Text Man is borne to trouble And the sparks flye upward Vau. that is mans trouble and sparks flying upward are alike naturall we as in divers other places translate it by way of similitude Man is borne unto trouble as the sparks flye upward So Job 34. 3. The eare tryeth words and the mouth tasteth meate we translate the copalative by a comparative The eare tryeth words as the mouth tasteth meate Againe Mark 9. 49. Every one shall be salted with fire and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt The sense lies in the similitude Every one shall be salted with fire as every sacrifice is salted with salt It is an allusion to the old sacrifices wherein salt was continually used so here Man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Filijpruâ—ae hoc est scintillae Metapherice ferruÌ„sagiâ—tae incalescens motu qâ—icquid volat in aere sive scintilâ—ae sive sagâ—â—â—ae sive aves is borne unto trouble and the sparks that is as the sparks flye upward As the sparks The Hebrew is The sonnes of the cole the sons or children of the cole are sparks blow a cole and presently a sparke is begotten and borne therefore the Hebrew elegancie calls sparks The sonnes or children of the cole And it is observeable that by a metaphor this word signifies in the Hebrew the Head of an Arrow heated with motion as also a bird flying in the ayre and the reason is because birds flye up in the ayre they ascend naturally they flye about and flutter like sparks of fire in the ayre Hence the vulger and some others translate the words Man is borne unto trouble as the birds flye upward The Septuagint as the young Vultures flye upward others as the young 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sepr 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Comput Non secus ad aerumnâ—s miserias hic perserendas naâ—us est homo quam innatum est naturale scintilis volatilibus om nibus ut in sublime artolantur Merc. ones of the Eagle flye upward Aben Ezra a learned Rabbin makes use of that sense also and gives the glosse thus as it is naturall and innate for birds to flye so it is naturall for man to suffer trouble Hence observe first Sorrow and sinne are the portion and all the portion that man hath by nature He is borne to these They who are ascended to the greatest heights and have got the greatest stock either of spirituall or outward comforts were borne to nothing but a cup of sorrow to the bread of affliction and to the waters of adversity And these we are instated in yea possessed of as soone as we are borne we need not waite the death of our parents for this inheritance they devide it all to every child and yet keep it all to themselves all our real comforts are from our second birth and have their pedigree from the blessing and love of God Therefore he Apostle puts that generall question what hast thou that thou hast not received that is what good hast thou Thou hast all thy evill from thy selfe but whatsoever good thou hast was received from above all our good is founded in free Grace Secondly observe That All sinnes and sorrowes are contained virtually in the nature of man Though a man doth not formally commit or bring forth every sin though a man doth not formally beare every affliction or tast every cup of sorrow yet virtually and radically a man hath every sin in him or it is possible for any sin to be formed and shaped out of the nature of man Radically also every man
of time to make Heaven and earth and will it not be a great work to shake Heaven and earth That God hath said he will doe before the end of time Yet once it is a little while and I will shake the Heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land Hag. 2. 6. The words following seem to interpret this earthquake and Heaven-quake I will shake all Nations Againe It was a great work to make the old Heaven and earth and will it not be a great work to make a new Heaven and a new earth That is the businesse which God is about in these letter days as he promised Isa 65. 17. Behold I create a new heaven and a new earth what is that Jerusalem a praise and her people a joy When God reformeth the face of his Church and settles the affaires of Kingdomes and Common-wealths he makes new Heavens and a new Earth And if it be the property of God to doe great things then it is a duty in us to expect great things We ought to look for such things as come up to and answer the power and greatness of God we dishonour and as it were humble God when we look onely for low and meane things Great expectations from God honour the greatnesse of God As the Lord expects to receive the greatest services from us because he is a great King Mal. 1. 14. So we ought to expect that we shall receive the greatest mercies from the Lord because he is a great King It dishonours God as much and more when we believe little as when we doe little A great King thinks himselfe dishonoured if you aske him a petty suite he looks more what becomes him to give or doe in bounty then the petitioner to aske in necessity The Great Alexander could tell his suiter whom he had more astonisht then relieved with his favour That though the thing might be too great for him to receive yet it was not too great for Alexander to give If dust and ashes can speake and think at this rate O how large is the heart of God! Then it is not onely our priviledge but our duty to aske and believe great things we ought to have a great faith because God doth great things Is it becomming to have a great God and a little faith To have a God that doth great things and we to be a people his people that cannot believe great things nay To have a God who can easily doe great things and we a people that can hardly believe small things How unbecoming if some small thing be to be done then usually faith is upon the wing but if it be a great thing then faith is clogg'd her wings are clipt and we at a stand why should it be said unto us as Christ said unto his Disciples O ye of little faith It may be as dangerous to us if not as sinfull not to believe the day of great things as to despise the â—ay of small things Why should not our faith in a holy scorne baffle the greatest difficulties in that language of the Prophet Zech. 4. 7. Who art thou O great Mountaine before Zerubbabell thou shalt become a plaine There is another usefull consequence from this truth He that doth great works ought to have great praises As we ought to have great faith that he will doe great things so he ought to have great acknowledgments when he hath done great things Shall God doe great things for us and shall we give him some poor leane starven sacrifices of praise It is very observable that as soon as the Prophet had described the Lord in his greatnesse Isa 40. 15. he adds in the very next verse And Lebanon is not sufficient to burne nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt Offering That is no services are great enough for this great God Lebanon abounded in spices for Incense and perfume it abounded with cattell for Sacrifice and burnt offerings To say that Lebanon had not spice enough to burne for incense nor beasts enough to burne for Sacrifice shews the Lord far exalted in greatnesse above all the praises and holy services of his people Lastly seeing God doth great works for us let us shew great zeale for great love unto the Lord. We should aime at the doing of great things for God seeing God indeed doth great things for us So much of the first Attribute of the works of God Who doth great things And unsearchable The Hebrew is and no search The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports the search of those things which are most abstruce and secret As the heart which the Lord onely can search Jer. 17. 15. The heart lies too low not onely for the eye but for the understanding of man Hence it is used Psal 95. 4. to note the Foundations or deep places of the earth because they cannot be known but by deep searchings or rather because they are beyond the deepest Penetralia terrae ut Aben Ezra explicat quae sciâ—i nequeunt nisi exquisita per scrutatione vel potiùs quòd homini minimè sunt perscutabilia Deo autuÌ„ in prepatulo Buxtorf search of man And the same phrase we find Psal 145. 3. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised and his greatnesse is unsearchable or according to the letter of his greatnesse no search as when the Psalmist speaks of the greatnesse of God in his nature and essence presently he adds and of his greatnesse there is no search so here when Eliphaz speaks of the greatnesse of God in his works the next word is they are unsearchable As God in himselfe is great and of his greatnesse there is no search so many of the works of God are so great that of their greatnes there is no search that is you cannot find out their greatnesse by any search God is in working and so are men the hand cannot act beyond the head as he is in understanding There is no searching of his understanding Isa 40. 28. Therefore there is none of his working This unsearchablenesse of the works of God may be considered two wayes 1. As that which cannot be found by enquirie 2. As that which ought not to be found or enquired There are some works of God which are not to be searched into Arcana imperij they are to be adored by believing not to be pryed into by searching and in that sence they are called unsearchable Rom. 11. 33. O the depth of the riches both of the wisdome of and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgements Many of his judgements that is his works of judgement are so unsearchable that it is not industry or duty but presumption to search into them As those unspeakable words which Paul heard in the third heavens were such as 2 Cor. 12. 4. is not lawfull for a man to utter so unsearchable judgements may be interpreted such as is not lawfull for a man to search Great Princes will
inusitatissimis raâ—â—ssimisque majora sunt August l. 5. de Civ Dei cap 12. One of the Ancients discoursing upon that miracle in the Gospell The multiplying the loaves observeth that in naturall things there are very great wonders though we lightly passe them by They were astonished to see the loaves multiplying while they were eating To see bread grow upon the Table or between their Teeth made all wonder but there is as great a miracle wrought every yeare and no man takes notice of it That is when Corne cast into the ground multiplies thirty sixty a hundred-fold It is saith he a greater miracle for corne to multiply in the earth then for loaves to multiply on the Table And he makes a like Conclusion in his Booke of the City of God Whatsoever is wonderfull in the world is not so great a wonder as the world Yet men rarely wonder at the making of the world the Earth the Heavens the Sea the Aire every creature in them exceed in wonders the things we wonder at Ordinary works of Nature are marvellous First because they proceed from a divine power 2. Because man is posed to give a reason of most of them Canst thou tell how the bones grow in her that is with child saith the Preacher The bringing of an Infant alive from the Wombe is a wonder as well as the raising of a man from the dead And the budding of a Tree as well as the budding of Aarons Rod †Per multa sunt quae admirari nonsolemus propterea quod vulgo quotidieque fiunt Renova in solita commovetur animus The usualnesse of the one and the rarenesse of the other is though not the only yet the greatest difference And as the ordinary workes of Creation in making so of Providence in governing the world are full of wonders though they passe unobserved Such Eliphaz takes notice of in the words following The disappointing of craftie oppressors and the deliverance of the poore When God shall destroy Babylon the Song prepared is Great and wonderfull are thy works and Exod. 15. 11. from whence that is taken Who is like unto thee O God! Who is like unto thee glorious in holinesse fearefull in praises doing wonders The wonder was a deliverance the wonderfull deliverance of his people from Egypt and through the red Sea Works of judgement are often called works of wonder Deut 28. 59. I will make thy plagues wonderfull and Isa 28. 21. The Lord shall rise up as in Meunt Perazim he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon that he may doe his worke his strange worke and bring to passe his act bis strange act What act was this An act of judgement upon his and his peoples enemies as is clear 2 Sa. 5. 20. and Josh 10. 12. where we may reade what God did in Mount Perazim and in the valley of Gibeon strange works indeed And these works of God are called marvellous not onely when God is in them alone and acts without the intervention of the creature but when he act with the creature above the strength of a creature so that little of the creature appeares in the act this also is a marvell What God doth more by a man then man can doe whether in strength or wisdome ordinarily assisted so much of a wonder shewes it selfe in what man doth And therefore no man is ordinarily to attempt any thing beyond his strength for that is to tempt God and call him to worke a miracle at least a wonder for us Lord saith David Psal 131. 1. Mine heart is not Non mae exâ—uli ad ea quae maeas vires aut ingenium suâ—eraret Eleganter Thâ—odoretus Meipsum meâ—â—ebaâ— quae me excedunt non aggrossus sum haughty nor mine eyes loftie neither doe I exercise my selfe in great matters or in things too high for me The word is in things too wonderfull for me that is I doe not ordinarily put my selfe upon things which are extraordinary or beyond my strength and parts I measure-my undertakings and my abilities together and would keepe them even I doe not put God upon doing wonders every day therefore I set my selfe to those things which are according to the line of man If God call us to it we may expect a miracle but we must not call God to worke miracles for us or with us I doe not exercise my selfe in matters too high for me Miracles or marvels are not every dayes exercise We ought rather to be above our worke or any of our designes then below them but we must be sure they are not above us It is the safest and holiest way for man in all his actions to be upon a levell We cannot but displease God and hurt our selves by clambering It is but sometimes that rhe Lord will work wonders to releeve our necessities and help our faith but he will never unlesse in wrath work wonders to please our humors or comply with our ambition Hence observe First When we see marvels done we must acknowledgc the hand of God Marvels are proper unto God Psal 75. 1. In that thy Name is neere thy wonderous works declare Wonderous works are an argument that God is neere When wonders are among us we may know who is among us and if so then this is a time wherein God is seene among us We may well apply that of the Psalmist to our selves Marvellous things hath the Lord done in our sight in Ireland and in the Fields of England Psal 78. 12. Mervails are rare things things seldome done or seene We have things amongst us which were never done or seene before in our Nation A Parliament which cannot be legally dissolved but by its own Vote An Assembly where neither Diocesan Bishops nor Deane as such can Vote The three Kingdomes of England Scotland and Ireland entred into a solemn Covenant approved by the Assemblies and authorized by the Parliaments of two Kingdomes May we not conclude of these in the language of the Prophet Who hath heard such a thing who hath seen such things Isay 66. 8 Surely we may say as Moses to Israel Deut. 4. 34. Hath God assayed to goe and take him a Nation from the middest of another Nation by temptation by signes and by wonders and by war and by a mighty hand and by a stretched out arme and by great terrors according to all that the Lord our God doth for us in England before our eyes To take a Nation out of the midst of a Nation is our case If England finding as now it doth her children strugling in her wombe should goe enquire of the Lord as Rebecca did Gen. 25. 22. why is it thus The Lord may answere as he did to her Two Nations are in thy wombe and two manner of people shall be separated frem thee A Nation fearing God and a Nation blaspheming God a Nation seeking Reformation and a Nation opposing Reformation Secondly If God work mervailes and we believe him not
sound to our english water that some think it a derivative from it By the Rain we are to understand not the showres only which fall from Heaven but all those blessings and benefits for the support of our naurall life which are the fruits of raine He sendeth raine as it were on his errand to bring or carry the blessings of plenty and to drop fatnes on the earth He giveth rain to the earth and then the earth giveth her encrease The Rabbins have a saying that raine is the husband of the earth because those showers foecundate the earth and make that great mother of plenty Imber maritus terrae fruitfull in bringing forth all things usefull and comfortable for the life of man He giveth raine upon the face of the earth so the letter of the Originall that is upon the earth as the face of Heaven and the face of the sea so the face of the earth is an Hebraisme for the earth it selfe It is sayed in the latter clause of the verse that he sendeth waters upon the fields We must distinguish these waters from the raine taking them for rivers and streams of water as the Psalmist speaks He causeth the rivers to runne among the hils and the Prophet Habaccuk Thou cleavest the earth with the rivers The word is of the Dual number it the Hebrew and therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Forma duali significantur aquae duplices superiores in coelo ut nubes inferiores in terra ut mare fonâ—es flumina by some applied to those two sorts of waters or to the waters above and to the waters that are beneath So the waters are distinguished Psal 104. v. 3. we reade of the upper waters Who layeth the beames of his chambers in the waters who maketh the clouds his chariot and of the inferior or lower waters Gen. 1. 9. The Lord said let the waters under the earth be gathered into one place and both are put together ver 7. God made the firmament and divided the waters that were under the firmament from the waters that were above the firmament So that the waters above and the waters below may both here be understood It is added further He sendeth waters upon the fields The word we traslate fiolds signifies any place that is without 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nomen proprâ—è est sed juniâ—tur saepe adverbialiter pro fortis in universuÌ„ pro loco exteriori Merc. Deserta horrida loca mortali bu inaccessa doores as streets and high-wayes and because fields are without sub dio covered only with the canopie of the heavens therefore we translare he sendeth waters upon the fields And it takes in all sorts of fields whether till'd or untill'd though som conceive that here Eliphaz meanes those fields especially which are untilled unsowne or unmanured fields where men come not namely desarts and wildernesses as if he should say there is no place but God sends waters to it Hence the vulgar reade in stead of fields all places He moistens all places with waters Here first Forasmuch as an instance of Gods greatnesse power Irrigat aquis universa Vulg. and insearchable wisedom is given in the raine a naturall thing we may note That The common blessings of God are not dispensed without a speciall providence Nature workes not without the God of nature He doth great things and what He sendeth raine The whole course of nature moves as it is turned by the hand of God and directed by his connsell It is not in the frame of nature as in many artificiall frames which being once set up will stand or goe alone When the Artificer hath made a clock and put it in frame and hung on the weights let him goe whether he will the clock will goe and if there were roome for the weights to descend the clock continuing in frame would goe perpetually though no hand helped or toucht it But it is not so in the frame and workings of naturall things God hath set all creatures in a frame and curiously ordered them one within another but there is no motion of the least wheele much lesse of the whole fabrique without the speciall hand of God when raine comes God saith goe raine is his gift not the clouds the cloud receives a commission from God to distill and dissolve upon man The most full spongy clouds Cum plenae sunt nubes effundunt pluviam non tamen absque Dei jussis Drus distill no more then the rock did in the wildernesse till the Lord speaks to them As When he uttereth his voice there is a multitude of waters in the Heavens and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth Jer. 10. 13. So till he uttereth his voice not one single drop of all that multitude of waters fals from heaven nor will those vapours descend and returne againe to the earth except he bid them He giveth raine upon the earth Raine is the speciall gift of God Speciall not in that sense as grace is a speciall gift for raine is a common gift but speciall because it is that of which and about which God takes speciall notice as we reade Amos 4. 8. I caused it to raine saith God upon one place or upon one City and not upon another There is a speciall discriminating worke about the raine it raines by appointment not accident upon one place rather then another And Isa 5. 6. when God expresses displeasure against his vineyard he saith I will command the clouds that they shall raine upon it The clouds are as vast bottles full of raine but they cannot unstop themselves or let out one drop untill God himselfe commands them He melteth the clouds as it is in Job and then the raine falleth downe Thou O God didst send a plentifull raine whereby thou didst confirme thine inheritance when it was weary Psal 68. 9. How wearie or drie soever the Earth is unlesse God by a word broach those vessels of raine the very inheritance of God cannot have a draught no nor a drop to quench its thirst Therefore though raine be a common blessing in respect of all places and persons yet we ought to acknowledge a speciall hand in giving it And this checks that naturall Atheisme which reigns in their hearts who thinke that they are beholding only to the motion of the winds or change of the Moon for rain and hence in times of drought they looke most when the wind will turne or when the Moone will change To confute this the Prophet tels us by the way of question That as Idols cannot so neither can the Heavens give raine Jer. 14. 22. Are there any among the vanities of the Gentiles that can cause raine Or can the Heavens give showres They cannot Indeed the holy Prophet Elias speakes such language as if he had carried the keyes of the clouds at his girdle or had been master of the raine 1 King 17. 1.
grace yet he did give them light and restraint too in nature Neverthelesse he left not himselfe without witnesse in that he did good and gave us raine from heaven Acts 14. 17. As if he had said though yee have not had the raine of the word yet the raine of the cloud if such a Preacher of Gods power and goodnesse as will leave you for ever without excuse The Lord himselfe seemes to glory in this as one of the chiefest of his works Job 38. 37. Who can number the clouds in wisdome Or who can stay the bottles of heaven I challenge all creatures to a competition with me in this And again in this book Ch. 36. 26. Elihu lifts up the greatnesse of God in this act of his providence Behold God is great and we know him not wherein doth he instance his greatnesse it follows ver 27. For he maketh small the drops of water they powre downe raine according to the vapour thereof Reade paralell texts Jer. 10. 13. Psal 65. 10 11. Psal 147. 8. So much of this first worke of God the raine and of his power wisdome goodnes bounty visible and apparent in it The second instance of Gods power and wisdome c. is in civill things both in setting up and pulling downe First in raising and setting up To set up on high those that be low that those which mourne may be exalted to safetie As if he should say will you see another way wherein God shews himself in his power wisdome and goodnesse It is in looking thorough the world for such as are low that he may lift them up in espying out mourners and weeping eyes that he may wipe them and more exalt them to safety Some of the Jewish Writers connect this verse with the former making this as an effect of Gods bounty wonderfull worke in sending raine He sendeth raine and showers upon the earth with such plenty of blessings that by this means many who were poore low meane and sad-hearted may be set in high estate and exalted unto safety And there is a truth in it Gods blessing upon the earth hath exalted many that were low to an high estate to riches and prosperity But rather we shall take it in a more generall sence And so Eliphaz in these words seemes to comfort Job by giving him a hint that though his estate was now very low yet if he would apply himselfe unto God as he had advised ver 8. By seeking unto and committing his cause to him as low as he was he might be set high againe and though he was now a mourner sitting in dust and ashes He might be exalted to joy and safetie for in this the power wisdome and goodnesse of God are usually put forth and exalted The words carry an allusion to that custome of Princes and Magistrates who sit in high places upon erected thrones As 1K 16. 19. it is said of Solomon that he built him a magnificent throne or chaire of state which had an assent of six steps to it he sate on high And the Prophet Isaiah Chap. 6. ver 1. describes the Lord in the same manner sitting in state I saw the Lord saith he sitting upon a throne high and lifted up The pride and arrogancy of the Assyrian is thus exprest Isa 14. 13. He hath said in his heart I will exalt my throne above the stars I will sit also upon the Mount of the Congregation So that to sit on high is as much as to be preferred or advanced whether we respect honour or riches dignity or authority To set on high those that be low The word may note either those that are low in their own eyes or those that are made low by others active or passive lownesse Grace in our own hearts causes the former lownesse and sinfull oppression from the hand of others causes the latter The former are humble the latter are humbled The Lord sets both these on high And Those which mourne The Hebrew word signifies to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obscurus obscuritus luce privatus fuit nigruit per Metaphoram câ—nâ—ristatus fuit in tristitia enim fugit spleÌ„dor faciei Sic latinè Atriti dicuntùr lugentes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 maesti vultus blacke darke or obscured And the reason why that word is borrowed to note mourning or sorrow is because sorrow causeth blacknesse or darknesse of habit or countenance Mourning and blacknesse usually goe together Jer. 4. 28. For this cause shall the earth mourne and the heavens above shall be blacke And usually Mourners goe in blacke it is the die and dresse of Mourners As white is the colour of joy Let thy garments be alwayes white saith the Preacher to him that is to eat his bread with joy Eccles 8. 8. Yea the very beauty of the face is obscured the light of the countenance shadowed or clouded with teares and sorrow Hence the Seventy render it They whose faces are sad or sowre It is the word used Mat. 6. 16. When yee fast be not as the hypocrites of a sad countenance It implies an affected studied sadnesse severity austerity grimnesse gastlinesse unpleasantnesse of countenance proceeding from art rather then from nature much lesse from grace as the words following imply for they disfigure vitiate or discolour their faces corrupt or abolish their native complexion so as it appeares not what it is that they may appeare what they are not Hypocrisie can paint the face with blacke as well or rather worse then pride with red and white and so doth reall sorrow sometimes whether for sin or outward affliction True passion in the heart will dim the brightnesse and staine the beauty of the face These Mourners shall be exalted to safety The word which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in loâ—â—â—ubâ—â—mi sterit exalâ—aâ—us adeò ut ab hostibus pertingi nequeat Per Metaphorem taâ—us in expugnabilis Hinc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—uâ—â—is Olim munitiones extruebâ—ntur in locis editioribus in montibus prae uptis inaccessis ut latinê arx ab hoste arcendo dicto est we translate Exalted signifies to set in a high place and in a place so high that a man so placed is beyond the reach of danger or the power of an adversary it is to be set upon a place impregnable Hence the word is used for a Fort Tower or Castle because forts and Towers being places of defence were for the most part built upon some high place upon some rocke or praecipice Prov. 18. 10. The name of the Lord is a strong Tower That is we are as safe under his protection as in a strong Tower founded on the steepest rocke And the Prophet describing the safety of him who walks uprightly gives it in this word The place of defence shall be the munition of Rocks Isa 33. 16. So Jer. 48. 1. Misgab is confounded and dismayed That is the high place or Castle of
enterprise 'T is so all along therefore Psal 2. 1. it is said Why doe the Heathen imagine a vaine thing a vaine thing because a thing successelesse their hands could not performe it It was vaine not only because there was not true ground of reason why they should imagine or doe such a thing but vaine also because they laboured in vaine they could not doe it And therefore it followes v. 4. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh the Lord hath them in derision The Lord sees what fooles they are and men yea themselves shall see it The Prophet gives us an elegant description to this purpose Isa 59. 9. They weave the spiders web but their webs shall not become garments neither shall they cover themselves with their workes As if he had said they have beene devising and setting things in a goodly frame to catch flies they have been spinning a fine thread out of their braines as the Spider doth out of her bowels such is their web but when they have this web They cannot cut it out or make it up into a garment They shall go naked and cold notwithstanding all their spinning and weaving all their plotting and devising The next broome that comes will sweepe away all their webs and the Spiders too except they creepe apace God loves and delights to crosse worldly proverbs and worldly crase How many visible demonstrations have we of this in our times How many cunning but ruining devices lie by the wals at this day unacted They went through the Head-worke but they could not get through their Hand-worke We may say as in the Psalme 76. 5. None of the men of might have found their hands The men of craft sound their heads but the men of might blessed be God have not yet found their hands to execute up to the height of the divisers either wit or malice In this we see the glorious prerogative of God How many thousand thousand thousand thoughts do men loose The thoughts of many yeares are lost in a moment God never lost nor never shall loose one thought And therefore David puts these two together in a breath Having said Psal 33. 10 The Lord bringeth the counsell of the Heathen to nought he maketh the devices of the people of none effect In the next verse he subjoynes The counsell of the Lord standeth for ever the thoughts of his heart to all Generations And as the counsel of the Lord stands so he causeth the counsell of those to stand who consult for him He confirmeth the word of his servants and performeth the counsell of his Messengers Isa 44. 26. So that their hands shall performe their enterprise as the Lord encourageth the ancient people Zac. 4. 9 The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house his hands shall also finish it And againe Chap. 8. 13. Fear not let your hands be strong As if he had said Feare not goe on with your worke For your hands shall performe their enterprise you shall not beaten from your worke neither shall ye work in vain The Lord himselfe hath no barren counsels and he makes all the counsels which are for him bring forth in their due time desired fruit the longed for and beloved issue Lastly observe That It is a great and wonderfull worke of God to disappoint the devices and stop the enterprises of crafty men Eliphaz puts this among the wonders of God This is reported in a way of admiration concerning God Isa 44. 25. He frustrateth the tokens of the liars and maketh diviners mad he turneth wise men backwards and maketh their knowledge foolish The wisdome of God is most seen in defeating the wise as the power of God is most seene in overthrowing the strong While we consider that Theirs are secret devices and that they are subtill devices that they have many devices and that they have many wayes to bring these devices to passe it cannot fall below a wonder in our thoughts that their thoughts or devices are not accomplished Therefore the Psalmist concludes Psal 124. Vnlesse it had bin the Lord who was on our side c. we had bin swallowed up quick and taken in their snare As if he had said if we should have had any lesse then God to helpe us we had been gone all the world could not save us To passe through a place full of gins and snares and pits set and made on purpose to take a man and that man not taken is marvellous in our eyes Thus it is with the people of God they walk among snares and traps The trade of most wicked men is to be Trap-makers Snare makers if not Sword makers against the Saints of the most high They meet with devices upon devices and plots upon plots now that God shall disappoint all these and exalt his people to safety in the very face of death and dangers how admirable But some may object Yet we see that at least some of these plots are not disappointed at least some of these devices take and we have seen bloudy hands performing their enterprise I answer in a word First this text and the observation bottom'd upon it are to be understoood of what is often done not strictly of what is alwaies done The Lord very frequently disappoints the devices of the crafty But secondly their very successe is a disappointment and their prosperity is their curse For their cause is under a curse and so are their persons when both seeme most succesfull If outward judgements slay not wicked men Their prosperitie shall Pro. 1. 32. Thirdly all the successe which the devices of wicked craftie ones have tends to the fulfilling of Gods counsels more then their own So that though it be to the eye or in the letter success to them yet in truth and upon the matter it is success to the cause of God Craft prevailes no further no longer on earth then serves to accomplish the counsels of heaven and fulfill what infinite wisdom hath devised Therefore when you see any devices of the craftie thrive know that God is serving himselfe upon them and that they are but acting What his hand and counsell hath determined before to be done Act. 4 28. As Christ himselfe overcame by dying so doe they who are Christs they have successe in all their disappointments and these are disappointed in all their successes and die while they overcome No sinfull device of man ever did or ever shall prevaile beyond a contribution to the just and holy purpose of God All their prevailings are disappointments who intentionally oppose though they really accomplish the good pleasure and purpose of God JOB Chap. 5. Vers 13 14 15. 16. He taketh the wise in their own craftines and the counsell of the froward is carried headlong They meet with darknes in the day time and grope in the noon day as in the night But he saveth the poor from the Sword from their mouth and from the hand of the mighty So
shall carry a justification of God and of his people in their own hearts Their conviction shall be so strong and their light so cleare that iniquity it selfe shall not be able to gain-say but must stop it's mouth for ever JOB Chap. 5. Vers 17 18. Behold happy is the man whom God correcteth therefore despise not thou the chastning of the Almighty For he maketh sore and bindeth up he woundeth and his hands make whole c. VVE have finished the first branch of exhortation begun ver 8. wherein Eliphaz moves Job To seek to God and unto God to commit his cause with the severall arguments and reasons strengthning that Exhortation At this 17. vers Eliphaz begins a second branch of exhortation and it is continued to the end of the Chapter We have the exhortation or dehortation rather for it is exprest in the negative in the latter clause of the 17. vers Despise not thou the chastning of the Almighty The first argument by which he quickens Job to receive this counsel lyes in the former part of the same verse Behold happy is the man whom God câ—rrecteth The argument may be framed thus That condition is not to be despised wherein a man is truly happy But under the correcting hand of God a man is truly happy Therefore that condition is not to be despised Behold saith he happy is the man whom God correcteth therefore despise not thou the chastning of the Almighty Behold happy is the man To behold cals here both for attention and admiration For here is a strange sight An afflicted man a blessed man Nâ—â—â—â—ll sence and reason cannot agree about this conjunction They know not how happinesse and correction should meet and kisse the same person Therefore raise up thy attention saith Eliphaz to consider this wonder When the Angell of the Lord appeared unto Moses in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush he looked and behold the bush burned with fire and the bush was not consumed And Moses said I will now turne aside and see this great sight why the bush is not burnt Exod. 3. 2 3. Such a great sight this text shewes us A bush burning and not consuming yea a bush burning and yet flourishing a bush on fire and yet a fruit-bearing bush a bush blooming and blossoming with the pleasantest and sweetest fruit on earth or rather with the fruit of heaven fruit upon which we shall feed for ever in heaven Fruit the tasts of which make a heaven here on earth Happines Well then is this strange sight presented to us with A Behold Happy is the man whom God correcteth c. Happinesse is the enjoyment of good commeasurate to all our desires That 's perfect happinesse Happinesse is the summe of all our desires and the aime of all our endeavours And when we have attained perfect happinesse we shall be at a full point both of our desires and endeavours But though all men have happinesse in their eye to be happy is their end and this happinesse is but one Yet the wayes which men have chalked out as leading to happinesse have been not only various but almost infinite Some of the learned have reckoned up two or three Centuries or hundreds of opinions concerning this one point And it is well observed that men varied thus in opinion about happinesse because they thought the enjoyment of that wherein any of them was defective would make them happy He that was poore said I should be happy if I had riches and thence grew his opinion that happinesse consisted in riches The sick man said I should be happy if I had my health and thence grew his opinion that happinesse consisted in health Another was obscure meane and low O said he how happy were I if I were honourable and thence grew a third opinion that happinesse consisted in honour Thus they varied according to their particular necessities and interests But amongst all those Opinionists we meet not with any one who pitcht upon this in the Text. This is a Paradox to them all A naturall man cannot place happinesse in correction No Philosopher or pure Moralist ever said happy is the man that is sore happy is the man that is sicke happy is the man that is disgraced or happy is the man that is in prison These are riddles such as nature is not able to expound or make out the Philosopher would as soon place light in darknesse the Sunne in a cloud heat in coldnesse the element of fire in the water as blessednesse in sufferings Therefore no marvell if Eliphaz usher it in with a Behold Behold happy is the man whom God correcteth The word Happy is of the Plurall number or rather of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beatudines constat indeclinabile esse formam habere nâ—n tam pluralis quam dualis Duall in the Hebrew Some translate it in the Abstract Behold the blessednesses of that man whom God corrects But it is fully rendred by the Adjective as we Behold happy is the man c. There is much contention among the Grammarians about the word whether it be abstract or concrete a Nown or an Adverb But I will not stay on those only consider a little what account is given why the word is used plurally or dually First it is to increase the signification and heighten the sense as noting the confluence of many good things in happinesse Happines Beati beatitu do in multis bonitatibus consistitâ— Rab. D. is not a single good happinesse consists in the concurrence or meeting together of many good things God who is infinitely happy infinitely blessed in himselfe and an infinite blessing all blessing to his people is not a single good or a particular good but he is all good both to himselfe and to his people A godly man is happy in the largest sence in all sences because his is not this or that particular good but all good And he is not happy only at this or that particular time but at all times He is as happy when he is suffering under the hand of God as when he is serving God as happy in his passive as in his active obedience And therefore the same word expresses his condition both in the one and in the other Secondly because there is a two-fold happinesse First the happinesse of this life And secondly the happinesse of the next Temporall happines and eternall happines Corporall happines and spirituall happines To note a complication of all these the word may be given in the Duall or Plurall number He that is thus corrected looses not temporall happines and he gains in spirituall and toward eternall happines The present and future happines of the Saints the happinesse of grace and of glory differ but in degrees It is the same state in a higher stature The same book in a more correct edition and fairer letter These differ as a child from a man or as the morning light from the
instruments of Gods displeasure This is grosse dispising But besides every undervaluing or inadvertency of the correcting hand of God hath a degree of this despising it That exhortation ought never to be forgotten which speaketh to us as unto children Hebr. 12. 5. My son despise not thou the chastening of the Lord nor faint when thou art rebuked of him The Greek word imports the Litling or thinking of them little Do not think the chastnings of God little doe not little or slight them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in thy thoughts Neither faint when thou art rebuked that is doe not thinke thy afflictions so great that thou must needs sinke and faint under them These are the two extreames into which our hearts usually run when chastnings are upon us Some erre by neglecting the hand of God as light and others by fainting under it as too heavy As a good heart takes notice of or will not despise a little the least comfort So it will take notice of and not despise a little the least crosse When a man hath a small losse in his estate if he say this will not undoe me I can beare this I will fare as well and goe as fine as ever for all this such speeches or thoughts are a despising of the chastening of the Lord. We are to observe the hand of God taking away as well as giving a penny So when a man hath a little fit of sicknesse If he say I shall rubb out this well enough this is to despise the chastning of the Lord We are to blesse God for every hours health and to be sensible of his hand in every hours sicknesse or aking joynt Every affliction is a messenger from God it hath somewhat to say to us from Heaven and God will not beare it if his messengers be despised how meane so ever If you send a child with a message to a friend and he slight and despise him you will take it ill I remember what the story relates of Galienus the Emperour who when the report came to him that Egypt was lost what then said he cannot I live without the flax of Egypt And when the report was brought that a great part of his dominions in Asia was wasted Cannot I live said he without the delicacies of Asia To speake thus from a principle of mortification toward the creature is the character of an excellent spirit but to speake thus from a contempt of the Providence of God is the character of a proud or of a stupid spirit When we heare of the losse of a child of a friend or of a losse in our estate To say what then I can beare that well enough I have more children other friends estate enough besides that This I say is a high despising of affliction There is one thing further in the fifth place observable in this word Despise not thou the chastnings of the Lord. The word is Extenuatio est nam plus signficatur quam dicitur sc maximi facito disciplinam Domini nihil tibi antiquius aut potius sit quam ut illius correctionem aequo animo accipies an extenuation or a lessening of the sense The holy Ghost intends more than is expressed for the truth is when he saith Despise not c. his meaning is this shew reverence highly prize and esteeme the chastning of the Lord. As for instance when the Apostle saith in 1 Thess 5. 20. Despise not prophecying Doe you thinke this is all that is due unto an Ordinance of God that a man should not despise it Surely no he meanes then prize prophecying highly have it in great esteeme So in 1 Tim 4. 12. and Tit. 2. 15 when he saith Let no man despise thy youth is that all the holy Ghost meanes That Timothy a godly Pastour should only not be despised by his people No his meaning is that they should honour respect and reverence him as one that watched over them in the Lord. I might give you divers other Scriptures where when the holy Ghost only forbiddeth the sin he intendeth the duty or grace in strictest opposition to that sin So here Despise not thou the chastning of the Almighty layes this charge and duty upon us highly to esteeme the chastning of the Lord we must put afflictions amongst our comforts and rank them with our blessings Not to despise is but the first step beyond sin but that includes the last and furthest step of duty which becomes us under chastenings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aradiâ—e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vincevit ligavit per Metaphoram castâ—gavit erudâ—vit verbis aut verberibus ad disciplinam vel poenam transfertuâ— Sicut vox Lamad quae doctrinam significa◠〈◊〉 all 〈…〉 So much of the act forbidden despising Now for the object chastning The originall verb fignifies to instruct or to teach so it is translated Chap. 4. v. 3. Thou hast instructed many Instruction is both by words and blowes The wisdome of God mixes a rod with his word and chastening with teaching Therefore it is promiscuously used in Scripture sometime for teaching and sometime for chastning Chastning belongs properly to children who are wanton and ungovern'd who have a bundle of folly in their hearts which the rod of correction driveth out To be chastned hath a double aspect upon us first upon our priviledge Secondly upon our weaknesse To be chastned notes our priviledge and relation as children unto God our father He hath revenges for his enemies but chastnings are a part of his childrens portion yet in that we are chastned it taxes us of weaknesse we are but children foolish unruly wanton and therefore we goe almost all our dayes with a rod at our backs Though the Saints on earth comâ—â—â—d among themselves are some Children and others men yet 〈…〉 earth compared with those in Heaven or with what themselves shall be in Heaven are children and therefore they have what fits their state chastening and correction This chastening is sometime put for revenge or the exactest and severest retribution of justice Thus it is said Prov. 7. 22. That the foolish young man caught by the subtill harlot went after her as a foole to the correction of the stocks That is as a wicked man goes to punishment And when the Prophet describes the sufferings of Christ which were vindictive in the highest degree he expresses it in this word The chastizement of our peace was upon him Isa 53. 5. though Christ were the infinitely and most entirely beloved Son of his Father yet he did not chastize him as a Son but as an enemy or malefactour for he chastened him in our stead and under the same notion that we must have been chastened who were enemies and malefactors So then the word signifies sometime judiciary chastening but here fatherly chastening which will yet appeare more clearely in opening the last terme of this verse which shewes us the efficient cause of this chastening The Almighty Despise
thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh This verse contains a second paire of evills First The scourge of the tongue Secondly Destruction Two things are here to be enquired into about the former 1. What is meant by the scourge of the tongue 2. What it is to be hid from it The scourge of the tongue Mr Broughton reades it thus Quo tempore lingua flâ—gallabit homines Drus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In piel est detrahare vel nocere lingua Thou shalt be delivered or thou shalt be hid when the tongue whippeth And another to the same serce At what time the tongue shall be scourging of men thou shalt be secured from it And that word Leshon the tongue in Piel signifies to detract to traduce or slander the same word is used both for the instrument of the tongue and one of the worst acts of the tongue calumination or we may render it according to the exact lettter of the Hebrew elegancy to Betongue a man We use such a kind of speaking in our language as to strike a man with a cudgell or a Cane-staffe is to cudgel or cane a man and if a man be shot with a pistol we say he was pistol'd so a man smitten with anothers tongue is said in the Hebrew to be Betongu'd or such an one hath betongu'd him We leave the Verbe and translate by the Nowne From the scourge of the tongue In construction Beth In is often rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saepe redditur per Min 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Min From as Grammarians know Thou shalt love the Lord thy God in all thy heart or from thy whole heart or from the heart-root So here Thou shalt be hid in the scourge that is thou shalt be hid from the scourge when the tongue is lashing and whipping thou shalt be hid from the lash and scourge of tongues But what may we understand by this scourge of the tongue First Some take it for publique accusations before a Judge or Magistrate Many scourge their brethren at the Tribunal of Princes Rev. 12. That accuser of the brethren that traducer the Devill is conceived to make those accusations by his agents in those times before the heathen Emperours against the Christians The Christians in that age were extreamly scourged by malignant and malevolent tongues tongues set on fire of hell as the Apostle James speaks Chap. 3. 6. And so the scourge of the tongue may be that punishment which they by false accusations obtained against the innocent their tongues got judgement against them sometimes to be scourged or whipt therefore also that very work of the tongue is well called scourging Our Lord Jesus was crucified upon the tongues of the Jewes before he was crucified upon the crosse by the Romans The Jewes cryed out first crucifie him crucifie him here was the crosse of the tongue The conspirators against Jeremiah advise thus Chap. 18. 18. Let us smite him with the tongue that is let us accuse him to the King that he may Accusemus eum apud regem omni industria ratione efficiamus ut publica sententia vapuleâ— Flagellum linguae est poena in judcio constituâ—a postulata fieri à calumniatoribus be smitten by a publick sentence In this sence a man is imprisoned by the tongue banished by the tongue hang'd and burn'd by the tongue that is the tongue doth all these virtually or vitiously rather by false accusations causing these things to be done actually and formally Secondly Others interpret the scourge of the tongue to be those terrible and dreadfull reports which amaze lash and afflict the spirit about the approach of dangers As when a report is rung in the eare that an invading enemy spoylers and plunderers arm'd with power and malice are at hand to take away estates liberties and lives How many have bin beaten about the ears and scourg'd with such Alarums Jer. 50. 43. it is said The King of Babylon hath heard the report of them what report was it and of whom A spie rides in and kills the King with his tongue strikes him thorough with his tongue before he was toucht with the sword of the Medes and Persians How He brought him a sad report that the enemy was upon his march then it follows The King of Babylon hath heard the report of them and his hands waxed feeble anguish took hold of him and pangs as of a woman in travell We find the like expression Isa 28. 18 19. They who had slighted the judgements of God and said when the overflowing scourge shall passe thorough it should not come neare them even these saith God shall be vext when they doe but heare of a scourge coming neare I will send a report and it shall passe over morning by morning and it shall travell by day and by night and what shall be the effect of it It shall be a vexation saith the Lord onely to understand the report You shall not onely be vexed when the enemy is come and thrusts a sword into your bowells and fire into your houses but you shall be vext at the noise of his coming it shall be a vexation to you to heare the report It is a great mercy to be delivered and hid from this scourge of the tongue and this is promised him who feares God Psal 112. 7. No evill tydings shall make him afraid A heart which hath trembled at the voice of God instructing him shall not tremble at the voice of men reporting evill to him Many a man is more afraid than hurt and more perplexed with the hearing of evill tydings then others are with seeing or feeling the evill The Lord threatens Ely to doe such a thing in Israel and against his house that both the eares of him that hears shall tingle 1 Sam. 3. 11. But Thirdly Some translate thus He shall be hidde when the Quidam cum vâ—gâ—bitur Imguae ut sit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Drus Merc. tongue wandreth or walketh about for the same word which signifies a scourge by the alteration of a point in the Hebrew signifies to run to and fro It is the word used in the first Chapter where Satan reports himselfe A Goer to and fro about the earth There is an expression Psalm 73. 9. sutable to this sense though the Originall word be not the same They set their mouth a-against the Heavens and their tongue walketh thorow the earth The tongues of many take long journeyes while themselves sit still Kings are said to have long hands but many of their subjects have long tongues and strike their brethren with them many hundreds of miles off the tongue travels from towne to towne from City to City and scourgeth one here and there another And while these men send their tongues about a wandring to wound here and there this and that mans credit He is a happy man that can be hid from them
assault This the Greeke seemes to favour rendring it thus Though we have laine between the inheritances or the lots sc our own and the enemies either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. Ainsworth way the sense reaches this point fully Though Beleevers lye among the pots or ncarest dangers yet they are assured that they shall have wings as the wings of a Dove which are covered with silver and her feathers with yellow gold There is gold and silver in the eye of faith while there is nothing but blacknesse and death in the eye of sense yea faith assures them that they shall be white as snow in Salmon as it follows in that Psalme that is they shall have whitenesse after blacknesse or light in the midst of darknesse Salmon signifies darke duskish or obscure for it was a hill full of pits holes and glins very darke and dangerous for passengers but when the snow was upon it it was white and glistering now saith he they shal be like Salmon in the snow though black in themselves yet white lightsome and glorions either through pardon of sin or victory over their enemies to both which whitenesse hath reference in Scripture Againe In that it is said At destruction and famine thou shalt Non solum singulas arumnas superabit sed omnium illarum in unum coeuntiam agmen Integrum ex omnibus exâ—rcitum fâ—gabiâ— laugh as from that word laughing we see what spirits the Saints have in troublesome times So inasmuch as he gathers together and rally's all the scattered troopes of afflictions to charge at once upon a beleever and yet concludes At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh Observe That A godly man laughs at or is above all evils though brought against him at once It hath been said That Hercules could not match two here are two Destruction and famine overmatcht by one bring whole legions and armies of troubles to encounter a Saint he overcomes them all He famishes famine and destroyes destruction it selfe The Apostle Rom. 8. 35. musters up as it were all evils together into a body and dares any or all to battell with a beleever Who shall separate us from the love of God shall tribulation or distresse or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perrill or sword which of these shall undertake the challenge or will you bring any more then come life or death Angels or principalities or powers things present or things to come height or depth or any other creature none of these single nor all of these joyned shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Every heightned Saint is a spirituall Goliah who in the name of the living God bids defiance to this huge host and they all run and tremble before him Rejoyce saith the Apostle James 1. 2. when you fall into divers tempatations A beleever hath joy not only when he grapleth with a single temptation but let there come many divers temptations variety of temptations variety for kind and multitude for number yet he rejoyceth in the middest of all Neither shalt thou be affraid of the beasts of the earth Having thus lifted a godly man above the afflicting reach of those two great evils famine and destruction want of good things and spoiling of their goods he proceeds to instance another great evill wherein a godly man is exempt from and set above fear Neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth Beasts of the earoh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vita vivents bestia fera The root of that word signifies life and so any living creature especially a wild beast because they are so active and full of life therefore they are named from life And these are called the beasts of the earth First Because beasts are produced from the earth and the earth received a charge to produce them Gen. 1. 24 25. And God said let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind and God made the Beast of the earth after his kind Or secondly Because Beasts have nothing but earth to live upon as men whose portion is only in creatures are called men of the world or men of the earth The word for * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Complectitur totum terrarum orbeÌ„ tum habitabilem tum qui non est habitabliis deductum volunt a verbo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 curraâ—e vel quia coelum perpetuo rotatu circa terram currit vel quâ—d omnia animalia currant super faciem terrae earth signifies the whole earth habitable or inhabitable And though the earth stand still yet this word is derived say some from running either because the heavens runne round aboui the earth with a continuall rotation or motion or because all creatures men and beasts move or run upon the face of the earth Though others deduce it from a word which signifies to desire Alii à verbo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. voluiâ— conâ—upiviâ— deductum voluat eo quod terra jugiter appetat afferre wish or will a thing because the earth is perpetually desirous of bringing forth fruit for the use and helpe of man But it is not agreed on what we are to understand by the beasts of the earth First Some take the words improperly and so the beasts of the earth are interpreted men A company or society of men and these in a double sense For the word notes sometimes a company of men in a good sense and sometimes a company of men in an ill sense I shall give you an instance of both for the clearing of this text It signifies men or a company of men in a good sense Psal 68. 10. where speaking of that raine of liberalities that is blessings of all sorts which God sent upon his inheritance to confirme and refresh it he saith Thy Congregation hath dwelt therein Thy camp or leagure thy host or troop dwelt there so 2 Sam. 23. 13. which the vulgar translates Thy beasts and the Greeke Thy living Animalia tua habitabunt in ijs Vulg. Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 creatures dwelt therein The same word is used and some apprehend in allusion to this Psalme Rev. 4. 6. Chap. 5. 8 9 in those mysticall descriptions of Christ and his Church In this sense it suites not at all with the promise of the text These beasts are not to be feared but honoured and loved mans greatest spirituall comforts on earth are found in the society of these beasts But commonly this word referred unto men signifies an association of wicked men men of the earth worse many of them then the beasts of the earth These are spoken of in the same Psalme ver 30. Rebuke the company of speare men or Archers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The rout or crue of the Cane that is men that beare reeds or canes whereof speares and arrowes were wont to be made therefore the
fearles amongst wild beasts we may wonder where the spring of this courage lies This promise sheweth you the spring-head He is at peace with them It is not conceit and fancy or desperatenesse of spirit that causeth him to deride and slight danger but he hath a solid ground there is a peace and league ratified in heaven for him even with the Stones and Beasts of the earth As a godly man can give a reason of the hope that is in him so he can give a reason of the courage that is in him he knowes why he is so stout and venturous Secondly Observe from both in that man is here said to be in league with the stones and at peace with the Beasts That Every creature by sin is made dangerous and hurtfull unto man For in that there is a league and peace made with these it notes that they were in a state of hostility ready to rise up against us and annoy us As the creature by reason of mans sin is subject unto vanity so man is subject unto feare by reason of the creature Sin hath made the creature vanitie in it selfe and sinne hath made the creature vexation unto us When the Beasts rebell against us we should remember how we have rebelled against God And that untill God renewes a league and makes peace for us with the creatures there is not a creature upon the earth but may quickly be destructive to us If God speakes the word and gives a call or a commission to a fly against the strongest the swiftest man flight shall perish from the swift and power from the strong neither of them shall escape Thirdly Thou shalt be in league with the Stones and with the Beasts he reckons up all those wayes by which evills may come in upon us And assures a man to whom God is reconciled that these evills shall not come Hence observe That When God is once a friend to us he can quickly make all other things friendly to us also Every godly man of such Eliphaz here speaks is at peace and Qui Dominum habet adjutoreÌ„ habebit omnes creaturas adjutrices ille si favet favent omnes ait aiunt negat negant Qui Dominum babet custodeÌ„ habebit lapides campi custodes Brent in loc Tranquillus Deus Tranquillat omnia in league with God therefore God makes all creatures at peace and league with him Though usually they who are in nearest league and covenant with God are most warred with and opposed by the world yet this stands sure that when God is our friend he can make our enemies our friends or their enmity shall be-friend us Stones and savage beasts shall be helpfull to us When God is at peace with us he makes all things at peace with us Daniel was at peace with God and he was at peace among the Lions The Apostle Rom. 8. gives it in generall If God be with us who can be against us No creature hath power in it selfe to maintaine warre and emnity against those on whose side God appeares If God loves us All things worke together for good to us He that hath helpe from God shall not want helpe from any creature for all creatures are at the call and command of God If he saith go they must goe if he saith come they must come if he saith to a stone doe such a man good the Stone must doe it if he saith to a Raven goe carry Elijah his dinner the Raven will hasten if he saith to a wild Beast save such a man deliver such a man spare such a man he must goe of Gods errand In our friendship and league with God we have a vertuall league of friendship with the most unfriendly creatures And if God please he can make men who have as little sense as Stones and lesse reason than Beasts to be helpfull and usefull and peaceable to his people There is a generation amongst us a stony generation a hard-hearted generation of men you may as well move a stone as move them with what you say a beastly generation of men when you deale with them you deale with Beasts yet the great God if he please can make a league for us with these stones he can make these Beasts of the earth brutish and unreasonable men To be at peace with us Further observe It is from speciall providence that the Stones and the Beasts of the earth doe not hurt nor destroy us but specially that they helpe and doe us good There is providence towards all but a speciall providence to the people of God that the creatures hurt them not If God did not bridle the rage and restraine the power of Beasts man could not comfortably subsist with them The reason is given Deut. 7. 22. why God destroyed the Canaanites by little and little before his people namely Least the Beasts of the earth should increase upon them Here was a speciall providence as all leagues and peacemakings are All the leagues and peace which beleevers have are branches of that great league of that grand Covenant which God hath made with Christ on our behalfe And therefore Hos 2. 18. this promise is made in speciall to the Church And in that day I will make a Covenant for them with the Beasts of the field Fifthly note A godly man enjoyes common comforts from speciall favour Wicked men are seldome hurt by the beasts of the field but they are never at peace with them Lastly observe Peace is a great mercy By how much God makes more peace upon earth by so much man hath more of Heaven upon Earth Man should desire peace with Beasts much more with men most of all with God JOB Chap. 5. Vers 24 25 26 27. And thou shalt know that thy Tabernacle shall be in peace and thou shalt visit thy habitation and shalt not sin Thou shalt know also that thy seed shall be great and thine off spring as the grasse of the earth Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age like as a shock of corne commeth in in his season Loe this we have searched it so it is heare it and know thou it for thy good AT the 19th verse of this Chapter we had a promise of deliverance from evill in six troubles and in seaven In the verses following we had a specification of six or seaven troubles from which deliverance is promised In these words we have the result of all A well grounded security in assurance of a fourfold blessing First of a quiet and happy life Secondly of many prosperous children v. 25. Thirdly of a long life Fourthly of a sweet and comfortable death v. 26. every one confirmed and ratified as a truth in it selfe aâ—â— by way of application brought home to Job in the 27th or last verse of the Chapter Vers 24. And thou shalt know that thy Tabernacle shall be in peace Thou shalt know it Knowledge is sometime put for present sense He that keepes the
with so much justice equity holinesse that thou shalt not sin Not that Eliphaz undertakes his absolute freedome from sin but he should not sin as he supposed he had before thou shalt not run into such errors or split thy selfe upon such rocks as have wrackt thy former greatnesse And thus he secretly reproves Jobs former carriage in his family as irregular and sinfull There is a further exposition joyning both these together Thou shalt visit thy house and shalt not sin namely by conniving or winking at the sins and disorders of thy family and yet thou shalt have peace thy strict and faithfull carriage in over-seeing thy family shall not provoke either servants or children to contention and complainings to anger and passion Thy holy severity shall not fill thy house with quarrels and troubles but God shall so Domestici correpti non succensebuntâ— Vâ—tabl over awe the spirits of those under thee that they shall willingly and cheerefully submit to thy purer discipline Observe hence First It is a great and a speciall point of godly wisdome well to order and visit a family Families are the principles or seeds of a Common-wealth As every man is a little world so every house is a little Kingdome A family is a Common-wealth in a little volume And the rules of it are an epitomie of all Lawes by which whole Nations are govern'd The Apostle makes it a speciall character of his Bishop That he must be one who rules his own house well and subjoynes the reason For if a man know not how to rule his own house how shall he take care of the Church of God 1 Tim. 3. 4 5. And therein wraps up this truth that he who knowes how to rule his own house well is in a good posture of spirit for publike rule The same wisdome and justice and holinesse for kind only more enlarg'd and extensiue acts in either spheare and will regularly move both Secondly A family well visited and ordered is usually a prosperous family Sinne spoiles the comforts and cankers the blessings of a family Sin brought into a house rots the timber and pulls down the house or it undermines the foundation and blowes up the house The sin of families is the ruine and consumption of families Hence thirdly observe To be kept from sin is a better and a greater blessing than all outward blessings When Eliphaz had reckoned up all the comforts which repenting Job is promised Thou shalt be delivered in six troubles and in seven Sword and famine shall not hurt thee peace and plenty shall dwell within thy walls and lodge in every chamber Yet saith he I will tell thee of a blessing beyond all these thou shalt not sin It is more mercy to be delivered from one sin then from sword and famine grace is better then peace and holinesse then aboundance riches and honour and health are all obscured in this one blessing A holy a gracious an humble heart There is more evill in one sin than in any or all troubles therefore there must needs be a greater blessing in being kept from sin than in protection from any or all troubles Sin is the greatest evill therefore to be kept from sin is one of the greatest goods Christ took upon him all sorts of outward evils he became poor for our sakes he had not so much as an house to lye in he came in the forme of a servant for our sakes and he was a man of sorrowes He was acquainted with grief all his life at last with death and a grave Yet he would not admit of the least sin he was content to bears all our sins but he abhord the thought of acting one Not to sin is the next priviledge to God and the utmost priviledge of man When in a full sense man shall not sin man will be arrived at fulnes of joy and as we daily empty of sin so we proportionably fill with joy Vers 25. Thou shalt know also that thy seed shall be great and thy off spring as the grasse of the earth From the present bessings upon the family he descends to those which concerne posterity as if he had said thy comforts shall not be confined to thy selfe neither shall they be shut up within the limits of one generation Mercies shall be transmitted to thy children thy heires shall inherit blessings Thy seed shall be great The word Great signifies both multitude and magnitude Thou shalt have a great seed that is a numerous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seed a multitude of children and thou shalt have a great seed that is honourable and wealthy children Job himselfe was called Chap. 1. 3. though by another word yet in the same sense the greatest man in the East This greatnesse is promised his children and thy shall receive additionall further blessings For the word Rab signifies greatnesse in a continuall motion to more eminent greatnesse And therefore it is sometime translated by encreasing So Isa 9. 6. where the Prophet sets out the flourishing glory of the kingdome of Christ Of the increase of his Kingdome and peace there shall be no end or of the greatnesse and greatning of his kingdome there shall be no end So that to say thy seed shall be great notes not only some standing greatnesse but growing greatnesse they shall ever be upon an encrease till they come to their full in glory And thy off-spring as the grasse of the earth Both clauses of the verse meane the same thing The word which we translate off-spring signifies properly that which goeth forth or issues because children spring or goe forth from their parents 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Germina sicut ex vite palmites and are therefore called their issue And the word is used for the bud of the Olive or of the Vine hence the Psalmist puts them both into a similitude Thy children shall be like olive plants round about thy table They are as the olive bud in their birth and as the olive branch in their growth Thy off-spring shall be as the grasse of the earth To be as the grasse of the earth is a proverbiall speech and it Proverbiale multitudinis talia sunt sicut arena maris ut stellae coeli Drus arises to the sense of those proverbials spoken to Abraham concerning his seed thy seed shall be as the Starres of Heaven And thy seed shall be as the sand upon the sea-shore The grasse of the field is as innumerable as the Starres or the sands Thy off spring shall be as the grasse of the sield Thou shalt not only have a numerous but thou shalt have as it were an innumerable off spring Man kind in generall is compared unto grasse Isa 40. 6. All flesh is grasse Grasse in regard of its sudden withering he is suddenly cut downe the goodlinesse of man is as the flower of the field Wicked men are compared to grasse not only because they wither but because they wither suddenly
to live when he dies or he is at the end of his naturall race before he hath set one step in his spiritual Gray haires are the shame and should be the sorrow of old-age when they are not found in the way of righteousnesse From the former branch of this verse observe First To have a comely buriall to come to the grave with honour is a great blessing It was threatned upon Jehojakim the sonne of Josiah as a curse That he should have the buriall of an Asse and be drag'd and cast out beyond the gates of the City Jer. 22. 19. That man surely had lived like a beast whom God threatn'd by name that when he died he should be used as a beast though we know the bodies of many of the servants of God have been scattered and may be scattered upon the face of the earth like dung The dead bodies as the complaint is Psal 79. 2. of thy servants have they given to be meat to the fowles of the heaven the flesh of thy Saints to the beasts of the earth Yet to them even then there is this blessing reserved beyond the blessing of a buriall they are ever laid up in the heart of God he takes care of them he embalmes them for immortality when the remains of their mortality are troden under foot or rot upon a dunghill Secondly observe A godly man is a volunteer in his death He commeth to the grave A wicked man never dies willingly Though he sometime die by his own hand yet he never dies with his own will Miserable man is sometimes so over-prest with terrours and horrours of conscience so worne out with the trouble of living that he hastens his own death Yet he Comes not to his grave willingly but is drag'd by necessity He thrusts his life out of doores with a violent hand but it never goes out with a cheerfull mind He is often unwilling to live but he is never willing to die Death is welcome to him because life is a burden to him Only they come to the grave who by faith have seene Christ lying in the grave and perfuming that house of corruption with his owne most precious body which saw no corruption Observe thirdly To live long and to die in a full age is a great blessing Old Eli had this curse pronounced upon his family 1 Sam. 2. 31. There shall not be an old man in thy house Gray haires are a crown of honour when they are found in the way of righteousnesse It is indeed infinitely better to be full of grace than to be full of daies but to be full of daies and full of grace too what a venerable spectacle is that To be full of years and full of faith full of good workes full of the fruits of righteousnesse which are by Christ How comely and beautifull beyond all the beauty and comelinesse of youth is that Such are truly said to have filled their daies Those daies are fill'd indeed which are full of goodnesse When a wicked man dies he ever dies emptie and hungrie he dies empty of goodnesse and he dies hungry after daies That place before mentioned of Abraham Gen. 25. 8. is most worthy our second thoughts He dies in a good old-age an old man and full so the Hebrew we reade full of years As a man that hath eaten and drunke plentifully is full and desires no more So he dyed an old-man and full that is he had lived as much as he desired to live he had his fill of living when he died And therefore also it may be called a full age because a godly man hath his fill of living but a wicked man let him live never so long is never full of daies never full of living he is as hungry and as thirsty as a man may speake after more time and daies when he is old as he was when he was a child faine he would live hill He must needs thinke it is good being here who knowes of no better being or hath Impij quamvis diu vivant tamen non implent dies suos quia spem in rehus temporarijs collocantes perpetua vita in hoc mundo peâ—frui vellent no hopes of a better It is a certaine truth He that hath not a tast of eternity can never be satisfied with time He that hath not some hold of everlasting life is never pleased to let goe this life therefore he is never full of this life It is a most sad thing to see an old man who hath no strength of body to live yet have a strong mind to live Abraham was old and full he desired not a day or an houre longer His soul had never an empty corner for time when he died He had enough of all but of which he could never have enough and yet had enough and all as soon as he had any of it eternity In that great restitution promised Isa 65. 20. this is one priviledge There shall be no more there an infant of daies nor an old man that hath not fil'd his daies There is much controversie about the meaning of those words The digression would be too long to insist upon them Only to the present point thus much that there is such a thing as an Infant of daies and an old man that hath not fill'd his daies An infant of daies may be taken for an old child that is an old man childish or a man of many years but few abilities A man whose hoary head ann wrinkled face speak fourscoure yet his foolish actions and simple carriage speake under fourteene An old man that hath not fill'd his daies is conceived to be the same man in a different character An old man fils not his dayes First When he fulfils not the duty nor reaches the end for which he lived to old-age That man who hath lived long and done little hath left empty daies upon the record of his life And when you have writ downe the daies the months and yeares of his life his storie 's done the rest of the book is but a continued Blanke nothing to be remembred that he hath done or nothing worth the remembrance Now as an old man fils not his daies when he satisfies not the expectation of others so in the second place his daies are not fill'd when his own expectations are not satisfied that is when he having lived to be old hath yet young fresh desires to live when he finds his mind empty though his body be so full of daies that it can hold no longer nor no more He that is in this sense an infant of dayes and an old man not having filled his dayes though he be an hundred yeares old when he dies yet he dies as the Prophet concludes in that place accursed he comes not to his grave under the blessing of this promise in the text in a full age Lastly observe Every thing is beautifull in its season He shall come to his grave like a
of them together Sometimes we see a duell or single combate one man matcht with one trouble Bellum atque virum Here a man and an affliction there a man and an affliction but another time we may see a man and an army as he spake in the story when one made good a passe against a whole host of the enemy in the spirituall war one soul grapples with a multitude of troubls and conflicts with a thousand temptations As there are legions of evill spirits so legions of spirituall evils assaulting at once Secondly Observe God sometimes appeares as an enemy to his own servants The terrours of God and the arrowes of God saith Job God shootes the arrowes and sets the terrours in array Job expected favour and succor from God but he finds terrours and arrowes Those wounds make our hearts bleed most which we apprehend given us from his anger whom we have chosen as our only friend The Church had that apprehension of God Lam. 3. 3. Surely against me is he turned he turneth his hand against me all the day The Church speakes as if God were quite changed as if he having been her friend were now turn'd enemy So Job I that was wont to have showers of sweet mercies shot and darted into my soule now feele deadly arrowes there shot from the same hand my spirit was wont to drinke in the pleasant influences of Heaven but now poison drinks up my spirits I was wont to walk safe under the guard of divine favours but now divine terrours assault me on every side Thirdly observe When God appeareth an enemy man is not able to hold out any longer See how Job poor soul cries out as soon as he found that these were Gods arrowes and Gods terrours Job was a man at armes a man of valour and of an undaunted courage A man that had been in many skiâ— mishes with Satan and had often through the power of God foiled him and come off with victory Chaldeans and Sabeans were indeed too hard for his servants and conquer'd his cattell yet the spirit of Job beate those bands of robbers and triumphed over them but he was never in battell with God before and perceiving now God himselfe to appeare as an enemy in the field he cries out O the terrours of God O the arrowes of the Almighty When God is angry no man can abide it 2 Cor. 5. 11. Knowing the terrour of the Lord we perswade men We saith the Apostle who have felt by experience or by faith have understood the terrour of the Lord we knowing it experimentally or knowing it beleevingly we being fully perswaded that the terrour of the Lord is most terrible perswade men O take heed you put not your selves under the terrour of the Lord or provoke the terrour of the Lord against your selves Those terrours of the Lord which come from pure wrath are altogether intollerable And those which come from love and are set in array by the infinite wisdome and gratious providence of God ordering all things for good to his in the issue even those are very dreadfull no man not the holiest of men and they are the strongest in this warre are able to stand before them Psal 38. 2. Thine arrowes stick fast in me and thy hand presseth me sore there is no soundnesse in my flesh by reason of thine anger that is I am as a man who hath not a whole peece of skin all his body over all is a wound or I am as one whose flesh is all rotten by reason of his wounds As Ely speakes to his sonnes 1 Sam. 2. 25. If one man sin against another the Judge shall judge him but if a man sin against the Lord who shall intreate for him So we may say on the other side if man contend with man some one may helpe him he may have a Second to releeve him but if once a man be contending with God who will be his Second who will undertake for him who can come in to the rescue when God is fighting and contending with us We wrastle not against flesh and blood saith the Apostle Ephes 6. 12. when he would shew what a terrible thing it is to wrastle with the Devill but against principalities and powers against spirituall wickednesses in high places Flesh and blood is no match for a spirit though a created spirit though an uncleane spirit a Devill how then shall flesh and blood be able to wrastle with the creating Spirit with him who is a most holy Spirit with God who is The Principality The Power The High the Srong The Almighty Shaddai In other battels it is man with man or at worst man with Devils but here it is man with God weaknesse and frailty contending with omnipotency and therefore when once God appeares against the soul the soul can hold out no longer His anger who is The Spirit quickly drinks up our spiirts Fourthly observe Inward wounds and terrrours are most terrible Doe not think that the soares upon Jobs body fetcht all these complaint from him He shewes you now what it was that made him complaine indeed The arrows of the Almighty are within Tanto poena intolerabilior quanâ—o spiritus corpore subtilior me the terrours of God set themselves in array against me As the joyes and exultations of the spirit doe infinitely exceed all the pleasures which come in from the senses all bodily pleasures so the troubles and afflictions which are upon the spirit infinitly exceed all the troubles and afflictions which fall upon the body As God hath such comforts such joyes to bestow upon his people as the world can neither give nor take away so likewise he hath terrours and troubles which all the world is not able to remove or mitigate There are no medicines in the whole circuite of nature that can heale a wounded spirit All your friends all your relations all your riches yea all your naturall wisdome will be but as the white of an egge to your tast in the day when God smites the heart with these terrours These arrowes and terrours are often preparatorie to conversion when some men are overcome to receive Christ an Army of terrours is sent out to take them captive and bring them in There are many I grant whom God wounds with love he shootes an arrow of favour into their hearts and overcomes them with Troopes of mercies Againe An army of terrours is sent out to try the holy courage of those who are converted as well as to conquer the unholy enmity of person unconverted That was Jobs case here and these second armies may be as terrible to the soule as the first and often are more terrible And we have such cases a man that was converted without an army of terrours may have an army of terrour sent against him after conversion The dispensations and methods of God are various though both his rule and end be ever the same But whether this army of terrour comes
and immortality to light by the Gospel A believer buries all his feares of death in the grave of Christ He looks upon death as the funeral of his so rows and the resurrection of his joyes When the Psalmist had described the troubles and stormy conflicts of a godly man together with the flourishing outward pompe of the wicked he concludes with this advice Mark the righteous man observe him well take special notice of him the latter and of that man is peace if his end be peace there is nothing in his end which can make him afraid of it or put it off All desire peace they especially Pacem te poscimus omnes who are wearied out with war The life of the holiest man is a warfare and his end is peace Then what is his end that he should prolong his life When a worldly man looks upon his end he saith O what is my end that I should desire to die His end is such as makes him justly afraid to die There is nothing in the end of a wicked man but matter to feed the fear of death and the desire of prolonging life as long as he can This is the reason why when God cals him to die he is deaf at the call yea that call is death to him before he dies Lot had a mind to prolong his time in Sodom it was a goodly City and he was not well assured whether to goe or how he should be lodged next night This caused him to linger so long till the Angels came and thrust him out Natural men have all their portion and estates in the Sodom of this world And if they hear a message of departing or going out they linger and make excuses they run behind the door or hang about the posts till God thrusts them out of the world and puls from them their pleasures by head and shoulders as we say They would never leave the world if they might enioy it because they have nothing to enjoy beyond it A worlding groans because he must be uncloathed of his house of earth and the Saints groan earnestly that they may be cloathed upon with their house from heaven Who would not be willing to exchange a suit of flesh a suit of sackcloth and sorrow for a suit of glory for a cloathing of immortality and garments of everlasting praise Ver. 12. Is my strength the strength of stones Or is my flesh of brass These words may refer to the former part of the eleventh verse What is my strength that I should hope What is it Let us seriously Deficio Saxeus aut Calibe us non sum Lapides corpora sunt non solum gravia sed robusta dura quae non facilè cedunt aliis corporibus undè robur lapidum pro duritie examine and consider what my strength is Is my strength the strength of stones or is my flesh of brass Am I made of such hard mettle think you that I am able to endure any thing Only a body of brass and sinewes of Iron are strong enough to endure this tryal Stones and brass are hard bodies and heavy bodies they can bear blows and knocks without breaking They yield not easily to the hammer It is hard to make an impression upon them with many and those violent strokes To say a man is as strong as stones or that he hath a body of brasse is to give him strength which is not mans and to set him two degrees below himself Beasts are stronger and can endure more hardship then man Trees are stronger and can endure more than Beasts Stones are yet stronger and can endure more then Trees Therefore while he asks whether his strength be not only like that of beasts who have no reason or like that of trees which have no sense but like that of stones and brass which have no vegetation or growth he puts it to the utmost as if he had said If a man had as much strength as a Beast or a Tree he must needs fall at these stroaks and troubles but it seems ye put me lower then senseless beasts or trees and that I can stand it out against all storms and batteries like a stony rock or a brazen wall I confesse though the oxe loweth when he wants fodder and the wilde Asse brayeth when he hath no grasse yet the stone complains not when you give it no food nor doth brass cry out when you melt it in a Furnace unless you can find that I am in nature like stones or brass you have no reason to find fault with me Allow me to be either man or beast and you must allow me to be sensible of my sorrows and destroyable by them Only stones can be thus trampled on and brass thus hammer'd without pain and dying As when man in his spiritual capacity is said in Scripture to have a heart of stone an iron sinew a brow of Brass It notes him resolved against all threats and strong against all oppositions of the word to commit the evil of sin So in his natural capacity to say his strength is the strength of stones notes him a man able to bear all the evils of trouble and to stand against all the stormes of tribulation Such kind of speaking is frequent among the ancient Writers Homines Adamantini ferrei saxei nati è scopulis â—li robur aes trip ex circa pectus Hor. Graeci vocant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who when they would express a man of undanted courage a man whose strength would not easily be broken or his spirit be taken down A man insuperable whom no difficulties could overcome Of such an one they say he hath An heart of brass and a back of steel he is a man made up of stones born of a rock He is a man of Adamant he hath Treble brass about his breast as he was described who first ventured in his ship to sea The comman use of the word hath made it proverbial in all languages for a man of more strength then is commonly found in man or for a Master of dangers and extremities Jobs question denies Is my strength the strength of stones Or is my flesh of brass No it is not As if he had said I am made of flesh and bloud as well as others I must shortly yeeld to these stroaks I am not able to hold out and to contend everlastingly with afflictions I cannot stand against these assaults and batteries for ever I am made of the same mould whereof your selves are I am sensible how it is with me I feel what I endure and I cannot long endure what I feel My strength is not the strength of stones Note hence First Mans natural constitution makes him sensible of affliction and subauable by it Mans body is no impregnable Castle We are not made of stones and brasse but of flesh and bloud I will not contend for ever saith God Isa 57. 16.
cursing whose end is to be burned A people well instructed are like that ground which is under continual showers and dews And doctrine is fitly compared to rain and teaching to raining First because all true holy doctrine comes from God as the rain doth The rain is Gods proper gift Jer. 14. 22. Can any of the vanities of the Gentiles give rain All the men in the world are not able to make one drop of rain So we may say of this figurative rain of truth and holy doctrine Can any of the vanities of the Gentiles yea can any of the most learned among the sons of men give this rain Can any man make any one truth which hath not first been made above Truth like rain comes from Heaven it drops from beyond the clouds Art not thou He O Lord our God therefore we will wait upon Thee say they of the natural rain Jer. 14. 22. and so we must in regard of the spiritual Hence the word which Moses uses Deut. 32. 2 for Accipere est discipuli ficut dare praeceptoris 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doctrine dropping as the rain signifies a received learning Holy Truths are so called in that language because the doctrine of Religion is received from God not devised by men So the Apostle phrases it 1 Cor. 11. 23. I received of the Lord that which I delivered unto you And Christ himself As my Father hath taught me so I speak these things John 8. 28. That which Nicodemus said of Christ is true of every one that teacheth truth Joh. 3. 2. Thou art a Teacher come from God As truth it self so the teachers of it are from God as a lye and the tellers of it are from the Devil John 1. 44. Secondly Like rain as in regard of the original whence it comes so in regard of the effect rain refresheth the earth when the earth is weary and faint when the earth gaspes and is parched how doth a showre of rain revive it When the Psalmist had spoken of the rain coming down upon the earth he presently adds this effect The little hills rejoyce on every side they shout for joy they also sing Thus also a people wearied and languishing and fainting in ignorance when they receive truths and holy instructions how do their hearts rejoyce how do they laugh and sing In the Parable Mat 13. Some are said to receive the word with joy Even they who are but formalists and hypocrites for it is spoken of them rejoyce and are refreshed for a season with the word Truth is such a gracious showre that they sometimes receive it with joy who have no grace And if truth refresh men who are but nature or move in spiritual workes but upon natural principles how will it refresh those who have grace and spiritual principles sutable to it Thou O God saith David Psal 68. 9 10. didst send a plentiful rain whereby thou didst refresh thine inheritance when it was weary That is a truth in the letter and some understand it of natural rain but others interpret that plentiful rain in a figure for the rain of doctrine which God sent down upon his people when he gave the Law and dropt those heavenly Oracles from Mount Sinai upon his people Israel that showre of the Law came indeed in a storm Thunder and lightning and a terrible tempest accompanied it But though the thunder terrified yet the showre refreshed and the Saints have ever delighted in the matter of those instructions and holy counsels given there though Moses a chief amongst the Saints seared and quaked exceedingly at the manner of giving them Thirdly as rain so teaching makes fruitful The Prophet Isaiah makes out this part of the similitude expressly Chap. 55. 10 11. As the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven and returns not thither but waters the earth and maketh it bring forth and bud that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater So shall my word be that goeth out of my mouth c. Hence also the people of God are compared Deut. 32. 2. to grasse and tender herbs which grow and flourish which are fed and bring forth fruit when watered with the rain It cannot be denied though it be much to be lamented that many souls upon whom much of this rain falls are altogether barren and unfruitful But Oh! How barren are those souls upon whom not a droop of this rain ever fell They that are deprived of these showres are under a grievous curse even such a curse as David imprecates upon the mountains of Gilboa 2 Sam. 1. 21. Ye mountains of Gilboa let there be no dew neither let there be rain upon you c. When God saith unto a people let there be no dew no raine upon you no Moses to drop doctrine upon you no Paul to plant no Appollo's to water you with the word this is the saddest showre of curses that can fall upon a people as without rain so without the word ordinarily there can be no fruitfulnesse You see at this time how upon a little with-holding of the natural raine we presently fear barrennesse and famine the want of spiritual rain brings in a This was preacht in a time of drought worse barrennesse though there are not many who fear it or are sensible of it Fourthly the word taught is like rain in regard of the dispensing of it The rain comes not down alike at all times showres are very various sometimes it raines softly then we call it a still soaking rain sometimes we have a strong mighty rain at another time rain is accompanied with thunder and lightning while the showres descend the great Ordnance of heaven discharge from the clouds and fill the air with terrour Thus also it is or should be in teaching Many soules require a still soft quiet rain Others must have stronger showres mighty raine you must powre down upon them A third sort must have thunder joyned with rain they need a Boanerges a sonne of thunder a mixture of terrour with instruction to bore their eares and break their hearts Those teachers mistake their work who in stead of raining are alwayes thundering and lightning As if their pulpit were set upon Mount Sinai And I believe it is as great a mistake to think Teachers need never thunder The word of God in all parts of it and in all manner of dispensations of it is exceeding useful A Minister without teaching is as Iude speakes a cloud without water And he shall doe but little good upon some if he have nothing but water in his cloud Fire sometime must mingle with the rain and a Tempest come after or before the dewing distilling still voice The word of God is compared to fire as well as unto water Only it must be the wisdome and it is the duty of every Teacher to know how to give every one his portion or as the Apostle Jude counsels ver 22 23. Of some to have
In Heaven our time knows no bounds there are no termes or distinctions in eternity Seasons and variety of times vanish and shall not be heard of in Heaven Eterenity is time fixt But there is an appointed time To man upon earth The word is Enosh miserable weake fraile man is there not an appointed time to this man upon earth that is while he walks in this lower region of the world and lives on mould The summe of all may be thus conceived as if Job had said Singulis dichâ—â— sua certaminae praesto sunt adeo non nisi cum ipso vitae terminautor labores vitae ac proinde se cuâ—dum naturam finem vitae expeto Jun. Every day hath evill annexed some affliction or other waites upon every houre so that there is no period of mans sorrow but the period of his life and therefore I walk by the rule of sound reason when that I might see an end of my trouble I call for the end of my daies Observe hence first The life of man is measured out by the will of God Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth There is As God hath set out bounds and limits to the sea Hitherto thou shalt come and no further by a perpetuall decree so he hath also set out bounds and limits to the life of man his life it is an appointed time Thus far the line of thy life shall reach and no further We live not at adventures neither can our care lengthen out our own dayes As all our care cannot adde one cubit to our stature so not one minute to our glasse or houre And as we cannot lengthen so we cannot shorten our own dayes in respect of this appointed time They who die in a time when God forbids yet die when God appoints And they live â—ut all Gods time who wickedly shorten their owne They cut their thread of life but they cannot cut the thread of Gods decree we live not at our own will but at the will of God we are tenants at his will in these houses of clay He is the maker of time and the measurer of our dayes he gives us the lease of our lives for what yeares he pleases and it is most fit that he who created time should dispose of time God is the Lord of time and farmes it out as and to whom he thinks good Christ might doe what he pleased upon the Sabbath for saith he the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath God is the Lord of time and therefore hath power to appoint to one more to another lesse My times saith David are in thy hand Psal 31. 15. Thou mayest lengthen or shorten continue or break them off as thy pleasure is Some live as if they were masters of time and could appoint out their own term as if they lived at their own discretion and could make a covenant with the grave and agree with death when to come for them They article with it for this yeare and the next rhey say to the grave thou shalt not take me yet thou shalt spare me yet I have such ends to drive such pleasures to take before I would die They Isa 56. 12. speak as if their tongues and their time were their own and they knew no Lord of either To morrow shall be as this day and much more aboundant they speak of the next day as if they could command it and bid it come to serve their lusts That wretched rich man Lu. 12. could say soul take thine ease thou hast goods laid up for many yeares see how liberall he is to his soule out of anothers right and because he had got a great stock of riches he gives himself a rich stock of time many yeares He resolved to make his life larger as he had done his barns and because they were full of corne he also will be full of dayes whereas the word came Thou foole this night shall thy soule be taken from thee And he could not live till next morning who resolved upon many yeares to live Secondly observe That the decrees of God concerning our lives must not lessen our care to preserve our lives Is their not an appointed time to Non in absurdum trabenda est haec Iobi sententia ut temere se quispiam periculis objiciat quia spatium vitae definitum est man upon earth Yes that there is man lives at Gods appointment but he must not live upon that appointment that is withdraw himself from meanes of his preservation and say God hath appointed how long I shall live therefore what need I take care how to live or what need I take care for the preserving of my life As it is in spirituals so also in temporals God hath determined and appointed the portion of every man all comes under a decree under an everlasting and unmoveable decree yet the decree which is past concerning us must not take us from our care about our selves Though only the elect are saved yet none are saved by their election Infants who attaine not the use of reason much lesse the actings of grace yet are not saved barely by election what they cannot doe is done for them they are saved as elect in Christ not precisely as elect how they are united to Christ we know not but we know they must be united or else they could not be saved But they who grow in yeares must also grow in the graces of sanctification otherwise they are not saved by the grace of election The decree of God appoints us to salvation but the decree of God doth not save us we must runne through all the second causes and wayes which the word of God hath chalked out to eternal life and glory Thus also our temporall life passeth under a decree it is by appointment but woe unto those that shall say God hath appointed how long I shall live therefore what need I take care about my life This is to walk contrary to one part of the decree while we seeme to submit unto the other For God who appoints life appoints all the means which concerne the preservation of life It hath no shadow of a warrant for any man to cast himself upon needlesse dangers or to forbear necessary helps for the sustaining of his life because he heares his time is appointed and that his dayes one earth are all reckoned and numbred to him from Heaven Thirdly for as much as there is an appointed time we should learne patience and wait quietly upon God It is not in creatures be they never so angry to prolong the time of our sorrows The same word which shews us that our life is a warfare shews us also that it is an appointed time Men cannot appoint you one moments trouble or lengthen this warre when God will shorten it Our haires are numbred much more our daies Honour God and have good thoughts of him for whether your times be faire or foule calme or
stormy they are appointed times The whole life of man on earth is ordered in heaven Fourthly if our lives are for an appointed time we should be willing to die when God cals All the time we would live beyond that is of our own appointment and we should be willing to live till God cals for all that 's appointed time As it is sinfull not to be willing to do though it be burdensom what God appoints so is it likewise not to be willing to live what time God appoints though it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mercendarius a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 coÌ„duxit Mercenarius est qui in certum tempus conduâ—itur saepe in die quem ideo Graeci vocant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sicut in unico die operario quamdiu lucet sol noâ— est ulla requies mercenario constituâ—aÌ„ ita dum luce hujus vitae fruimur nulla nobis requies expectauda est be painfull and troublesome And are not his daies like the daies of an hireling An hireling is he who works a set time for a set reward And so this latter clause of the verse is the same in sence with the former Is there not an appointed time to man and are not his daies like the daies of an hireling That is are not his daies set as an hireling with whome we agree for so many daies or for such a day An hireling We may take him either for a hired souldier a mercenary in warre or for an hired servant a mercenary in work An hireling in either notion is called to labour sorrow and sweat Such is the common condition of man His daies are as the daies of an bireling God threatneth Moab by the Prophet in this language Isa 16. 14. Within three yeares as the years of an hireling and the glory of Moab shall be contemned that is within three years which shall be like the years of an hireling troublesome years laborious years vexatious yeares wearisome yeares and then the glory of Moab shall be contemned and utterly despised As if he had said Moab is now in great glory but near great desolation You shall see three years trouble will staine all the glory of Moab and wither all her beauty we feele this truth England was a Nation of great glory you see how two or three years like the years of an hireling troublesome years years of affliction years of hard labour and travell have almost spoil'd the glory of it And yet here Job makes a generall description of the life of man It is not the lot only of some poore afflicted hard-wrought servants that their daies are as the daies of an hireling he speakes of man-kind of the master as well as of the servant His daies are like the daies of an hireling We may note from it First That Except we labour we ought not to eat For the dayes of man are as the daies of an hireling the hireling shall not have his meat except he worke for it neither ought he that hires or sets him a worke The master is in this sence an hireling The Saints are in this sence Hirelings The Apostle speakes to believers and reproves them 2 Thess 3. 12. There are some which walke among you inordinately working not at all now them that are such we command that they work and eat their own bread and ver 10. If any man work not let him not eat even they whom Christ hath made free are to account themselves as hired servants that is they must not eat the bread of idlenesse we steale all the bread which one way or other we labour not for and therefore the Apostle bids the Thessalonians work that they might eat their own bread It is not our own bread which we buy with our mony unlesse we pay in what we can and are called to labour for it also As we eat that bread pleasantly so we come by it honestly which is dipt in our owne sweat Secondly we are hence taught That We ought to take our travels well we must not murmur at our labours or complain over our work and say what a wearinesse is it As the Lord cannot bear it that any should murmur at spirituall worke or say with them in the Prophet What a wearinesse is it so it is very displeasing to him to say of our callings and the burdens of them What a wearinesse are they Why It is the common condition of man Why then should we quarrel with that law of labour which is become the portion of our mortality The corruption of our nature hath led us into this condition and made us all as hirelings Mans innocency had businesse but sin hath brought him to sweat and changed his labour into toile Man was put into the garden as Lord of it to dresse and till it but now he is put there as an hireling to sweat and toyle at it There is a stampe of servility and drudgery upon all the labours which the children of men take under the Sun That argument which the Apostle uses to support us in the bitternesse of affliction hath alike strength in it to comfort us in the toile somenesse of our labours As there is no temptation hath taken hold of us but that which is common to man 1 Cor. 10. 13. So there is no labour laid upon any of us in our lawfull callings but that which is common to man Even the Saints whom Christ hath made free and separated from the world are not freed from service while they are in the world And while Christ would not have them carefull in any thing he would have them industrious in every thing That Canon of the Apostle is clear for it 1 Cor. 7. 20. Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called that is your spirituall calling doth not void your civill When you have learned to drive a trade for heaven you must still drive your trade on earth While there is any thing of sin in us there must be somewhat of the hireling in us There is not the most ingenious no nor the most spirituall labour we goe about but there is somewhat of the hireling in it in the duty of prayer in the duty of preaching there is somewhat of the hireling that is there is bodily paine and wearinesse a waste upon our strength and expence of our spirits Though in these things the Saints worke not for wages but their very works is their wages and their labour their reward though there be nothing mercenary in their spirits yet they feel the effects of a mercenary worke upon their bodies even wearinesse and waste of naturall strength and spirits Thirdly Seeing the daies of a man are as the daies of an hireling Observe There is a reward or wages somewhat followes the labour and travell of this life The hireling labours all day but at night he hath his reward Mat. 20. Christ compares beleevers even in their spirituall capacity unto labourers in
relief of himself and family take heed saith the Lord that thou detain not his wages for the poor man lifteth up his soul to it as a thing he reacheth upward for It is very dangerous to take that out of the hands of man which he is taking as it were out of the hand of God But a rich man who hath aboundance lets his heart down he croucheth and broodeth upon the creature A godly poor man looks up to his reward and fetches his bread from Heaven A covetous rich man looks down to his reward and takes his bread from the earth A godly man is above all earthly things and yet he lifts up his mind to receive them A meer natural man is below earthly things and yet he descends that he may receive them The things which both receive are the same but the conveyance and derivation differ alwayes as much as Heaven and earth sometimes as much as Heaven and hell But to the text Lastly observe That it is the property of an hireling take it strictly to eye his reward This is the description of an hireling he is one who looks to his reward whatsoever be doth to his work Christ John 10. 13. confirms this character The hireling fleeth because he is an hireling and careth not for the sheep he cares much for the fleece and for the flesh but he cares little if at all for the sheep that is how or whether the sheep be fed and prosper He that works for Christ finds his reward in his work and his eye is upon his work as a reward as well as upon the reward of his work he is pleased as much yea far more with his business then he is with his wages Did he not take content and pay himself in this that he is in a work acceptable to Christ he could take no content he could not be pleased at all that he is in a work profitable to himself Now Job applies this general about the nature of a servant and an hireling to his own condition So I am made to possess months of vanity and wearisome nights are appointed to me So am I made It looks like a strange and a very unlikely similitude As a servant desireth the shadow so am I made to possess months of vanity Therefore to clear it we must remember that this is a similitude with a dissimilitude The similitude is conceald the dissimilitude is exprest we may make it out thus As a servant desireth the shadow and an hireling looketh for the reward Similitudo dissimilis of his work so I who am labouring in the heat of these afflictions do earnestly desire a shadow and I who am at work as an hireling would have a reward that is I would see the end and issue of these troubles But here 's the dissimilitude I am made to possesse months of vanity and wearisome nights are appointed to me As if Job had said When the servant hath wrought all day and is weary he can lie down at night quietly rest himself but alas the night is as troublesome and as laborious to me as the day When the hireling hath laboured and taken pains he receives his reward at evening but my wages are months of vanity and my rewards are nights of trouble I am paid in ill coyne months of vanity wearisome nights are appointed for the reward of weary dayes Thus the sence is plain I am made to possess The word signifies possessing by inheritance and descent Two things are implied in that phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Est jure baereditario aliquid acquirâ—re possidere First that troubles and afflictions belong to us by right they are possest as an inheritance which we receive from our parents and progenitors I am made to possesse And Secondly it notes the continuance of troubles upon us We have not onely an ill lodging for a while or we stay not with trouble as travellers for a night but we possess and inherit them as our own Jobs troubles were not to him as an hired house or a lodging but as an inheritance wherein he was setled and estated I am made to possesse months of vanity as if he had said you see what the patrimony and inheritance is which descends to me I have waited for comfort and have been in expectation of good dayes but I possess months of vanity that 's all I have found and felt as the issue of my labours Months of vanity Some read Empty Moons the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beares that sence as if Jobs Moon were alwayes in the wane or ever in the ecclipse The word signifies any kind of vanity whether in word or in deed personal vanity or real vanity falshood or deceit any thing that is trivial or light Such months have I appointed to me But some may say Months of vanity Why doth Job complain of this Hath any man in the world any other than months of vanity Why then doth Job take it so ill that he possesseth months of vanity when no other fall to the lot or possession of any man David Psal 39. vers 5. affirms that man at his best estate is altogether vanity What reason then hath Job to complain of months of vanity in his worst estate It was with him as well as with any of his neighbours we know not who hath any other than months of vanity The Preacher makes this the preface of his Sermon Eccles 1. 2. Vanity of vanities saith the Preacher vanity of vanities all is vanity I answer it is true our whole life is a life of vanity but yet there is more vanity in some mans life or in some part of the same mans life than in another Vanity is gradual There is a vain and a rainer vanity and there is the vainest vanity Months of vanity may be understood two waies First Months of vanity that is months empty of comfort fruitlesse months months bringing me no refreshing or content Inanis vacua quia erat vacua hominibus jumentis plantis As Gen. 1. 2. it is said the earth was without form and void void that is it had neither man nor beast nor plant upon it there was nothing but emptinesse upon the face of the earth as it lay in that rude masse So Job saith here mine are months of vanity void months that is months not filled up with any comfort with any refreshing with any joy with any light or content all these which are as the filling up of our months and the beauty of time are taken away from me mine are empty months my dayes are all Dogg-dayes or at best the dayes in the kalender of my life are blanks Secondly Months of vanity because he had not what he expected or the issue which he waited for Job expresses himself in a Vacuum tempus est quon nullam nobis offert utilitatem posture of waiting by the former similitudes The hireling looks for his wages
the sick man or to him who hath been a comforter of the sick The Lord will make all his bed in his sicknesse that is God will make his bed easie and comfortable in his sicknesse When we cannot sleepe we use to complaine of our servants and say sure this bed was not made to night or it was ill made no man complains his bed was ill made when he hath slept well That his people in such a case may be sure of rest the Lord condescends to that low office the making of their beds Therefore we are to receive sleep as a matter of speciall blessing coming from the hand of God he makes the bed in sicknes and in health too then blesse God for rest and not your beds Though we know sleep is the portion of mankind and many times the worst of men have quiet and refreshing sleepe yet no wicked man ever slept upon the pillow of this promise nor will God make the bed of the greatest Prince in the world as such which yet he is ready to doe for his meanest servant common comforts are to some speciall mercies As some enjoy riches and honour by common providence while others enjoy them by vertue of a special promise so it is with sleep He giveth his beloved sleep But what found Job upon his bed Instead of sleep and rest he found skaring dreames and terrifying visions as it follows Verse 14. Thou skarest me with dreames and terrifiest me with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Stratus prostratus contritus per metaphoram territus consternatus mente jacuit Et velut animi deliqrium importat visions As if he had said I find my selfe altogether disappointed and deceived instead of being comforted I am skared instead of being eased I am terrified my bed is to me as a very rack and my couch my torment or a little-ease Thou skarost me The word signifies to be cast down prostrate to the ground with feare or to be ground to powder with feare And it is often rendred by that word contrite which notes breaking of the heart by godly sorrow such a breaking is upon me thorough the dreames which fall upon me in and breake my sleepe If I have any sleepe it is terrifying and not refreshing sleepe Thou skarest me with dreames That word springs from a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spissus crassus per Metalepsin somniavit quia ex voporibus crassis provenit somnus queÌ„ somnia conjequuntur roote signifying thick vapours because sleepe is caused by thick vapours ascending from the stomach to the braine and closing up the sences dreames usually come in that sleepe and the stronger and thicker the vapour is procuring sleepe the more we are subject to dreame And terrifyest me thorough visions In the fourth Chapter I had occasion to speake at large concerning visions therefore I shall not here insist upon that point but referre the reader thither I shall only say thus much that these were not †visions as those before treated of for the revelation of any divine secrets to enlighten the mind of man but only visions of hellish horrour to darken and vex the mind of man The Hebrew word signifies to see whence the ancient Prophets were called Chozim * Visiones istae quibus percellebatur Iob erant terriculamenta lemures species umbrae spectra manes simulacra alia hujusmodi a daemone procurata quamvis ipse Iob sibi á Deo inferri asserit Cassia Col. 7. c. 32. Seers Our english word Gaze hath neere affinity with it And we call Star-prophets who pretend skill in predictions from the visions of the Heavens Star-gazers Job had both dreames and visions for in every dreame there is somewhat of a vision There are many visions without a dreame but there cannot be a dreame without a vision An image or similitude is alwayes represented to or formed in the fancy or else * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hinc prophetâ—e cbozim videntes dicti there can be no dreame Jacob dreamed Gen. 28. 12. and behold a ladder set upon the earth and the top of it reached to Heaven The vision here spoken of was I conceive the vision of his dreame though some understand it of day or waking vision There is a two-fold cause of dreames There is an inward cause and an outward cause And The inward cause of dreames is two-fold 1. The accidentall motions of the fancie of which a man can give no reason from any precedent agitation of mind or body 2. The setled naturall temperament and constitution of the body The externall or outward causes are usually according to the objects with which or about which we are conversant in the day time the impressions of these kept in the fancie are formed into dreames at night such as the desires or distempers of the mind are such often are our dreames Or take it thus Dreames may have a five fold cause First The natural temper of the body and so from the variety of constitutions variety of dreames are shaped Cholerick or Melancholy or Flegmatique or Sanguin produce their speciall dreames Secondly Dreames are caused by the distempers of the body either from intemperate drinking or eating any kind of meate or from the very eating though moderately of some meates or from the diseases and sicknesses of the body from this latter Jobs dreames were much encreased and Satan took the advantage to raise fumes and stirre the pudled humours of his body up into his braine out of which his fancie formed terrible representations to his mind As Melancholy is said to be the Devils bath so are other diseased sickly humours in them he sports himself and vexes man Thirdly There is a morall cause of dreames such as the studies and businesses labours and imployments cares and disquietments Quaecunque men t is agitat infestus vigorea per qâ—ietem sacer arcanus refert veloxque sensus Sen. in Octa. of a man are in the day such often are his dreamings As he works in the day his fancie works in the night Fourthly Dreames have a divine cause and are immediately from God The Scripture is full of instances I need not stay upon them Jacob had such a dreame Gen. 28. 16. and Jospeh had many dreames from God Hence his brethren called him in scorne The dreamer or a Captaine Dreamer Gen. 37. 19. And not only have godly men dreames from God but heathens also Pharaoh and Nebuchnazzar men of the earth received dreames from Heaven of high concernment revealing the counsels of God concerning their own Kingdoms and the latter about the state of all Kingdoms and Monarchies till all the Kingdomes of the earth shall become the Kingdoms of that One sole Supreame Monarch the Lord Jesus Christ Fifthly There are diabolicall dreames dreames which are from the Devill Not that the Devill of himselfe is able to cause a dreame he cannot stirre the fancie in the night or
tempt in the day but as he hath a power given him but permitted he causes sometimes sinfull and fifthly dreames as Augustine bewailes in the tenth book of his Confessions sometimes terrible and troublesome Aug. confess li. 10. Ca. 30. dreames sometimes treacherous and deluding dreames It is by some conceived that the dreame of Pilats wife Mat. 27. 19. was from the Devill she comes to Pilat and desires him to have nothing to doe with that Just man for saith she I have suffered many things this night in a dreame because of him The reason why some conceive that dreame was from the Devill is this because thereby Satan would have hindred the work of mans redemption if Christ had not died and so by saving him would have destroyed us all I will not assert this but it is cleare to the point in hand that there are dreames from the temptations motions and suggestions of the Devill who hath a power over us as God lengthens out his chain both day and night But when it is said Thou skarest me with dreames what dreames were these divine or Diabolicall Job speaks unto God Thou skarest me with dreames doubtlesse divine dreames had an influence upon his spirit and left terrifying impressions there But Satan having power to afflict Job which way he pleased was instrumentall here and yet Job saith to God Thou skarest me As before when Satan by his instruments took away all from him he said The Lord hath taken so here when Satan vexed him with visions representing horrid and fearfull spectacles yet he saith Thou skarest me with dreames and terrifiest me with visions as pointing still unto the power and providence of God who hath all second causes Satan and all at his own dispose Observe here first That even our dreames are ordered by God Though Satan be the instrument yet we may say Thou skarest me with dreames and terrifiest me with visions Job was not ignorant that second causes had a great power upon the body to produce dreames and nightly fancies he was not ignorant that the strength of a disease might doe very much in this and that Satan his former enemy was busie to improve the distempers of his body for the trouble of his mind yet he overlooks all these as he did before and saith Lord thou skarest me with dreames and terrifiest me with visions Dreames are in the hand of God As our waking times are in the hand of God so are our sleeping times when we are sleeping we are in the armes of an ever waking Father Satan hath not power to touch us sleeping or waking without leave Secondly Ged can make our sleepe an affliction Jobs were skaring and terrifying dreames Some dreames are for warning and admonition The Lord warned Joseph in a dream Some are for counsell and instruction he revealed great things in dreames Others are for comfort and consolation Many a soul hath tasted more of heaven in a night-dreame than in many daies attendance upon holy Ordinances As the lusts of wicked men have dreames attending them so also have the graces of the Saints Jobs dreames were for terrour and afflictions Observe secondly Satans desire of troubling poore souls is restlesse It is restlesse indeed for he will not give them leave to rest they shall not sleep in quiet their very dreames shall be distractions and their nightly representations a vexation to them Note further That if God permit Satan can make dreames very terrible to us He can shew himselfe in a dreame and offer ugly sights extreamly perplexing to the Spirit He is able to cast himself into a thousand ill favour'd shapes into horrid and dreadfull shapes he can cloath himself with what habit he pleases if God give him a generall Commission And hence the devill terrifies not only by temptations to the mind but by aparitions to the eye and is seen at least conceived to be seen especially by such as labour under strong diseases like a Lion a Beare a Dogge gaping grinning staring whence we say of any terrifying sight it looks like a devill We depend upon God as for sleep so for the comfort of sleep Many lie downe to sleep and their sleep is their terrour As that evill spirit in the Gospel went about seeking rest but found none So he hinders some and would more from finding rest when they seeke it Therefore blesse God for any refreshing you have by sleepe Blesse God when your dreames are not your skares nor your beds your racke See the effect what deepe impressions dreadfull dreams made in Jobs spirit he was so affrighted with them that he professes with his next breath Verse 15. My soule chuseth strangling and death rather then life I loath it I would not live alwayes So that my soul chooseth strangling He renews his former often repeated motion but with a greater ardency He not only prefers death before his troubled condition but a violent death and in the opinion of some the worst of violent deaths strangling which though it be not the most painfull of violent deaths yet it is looked upon as the most ignominious of violent deaths Some referre these words to the terrour which Job had in his dreames and visions as if they were so violent upon him that they almost distracted him and made him mad that they even put him upon desperate thoughts of destroying himselfe My soule chooseth strangling that is I am often tempted and almost prevailed Ab hujusmodi spectris multos sejam strangulasse profiliisse in puteos asserit Hippoc. with to make my selfe away The learned Physitians tell us that their Patients have often attempted to destroy themselves thorough the terrours of dreams and visions Yet we may understand the word strangling only of naturall and ordinary Every death is a kind of strangling and some diseases stop and choke a man even as strangling doth so that My soule chooseth strangling may be taken in generall My soul chooseth death rather then life My soul chooseth He puts the soul as it is often in Scripture for the whole man and the sence of all is as if he had said If I might be my own chooser if I might have my election I would even take the worst of deaths rather than the life which now I live My soul chooseth strangling And death rather then life If we take strangling for a speciall death then here death is put in generall As thus if strangling be too easie a death let me die any kind of death Death rather then life The Hebrew in the letter is And death rather than my bones which some render thus And death rather than to be with my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Os a robore dictum nihil in ipso taem sorte firmum quod vis doloris non debilitarat confregerat Aquin. bones To be with our bones is to live Others make this choosing an act of his bones My soul chooseth strangling and my bones death that is every
of the goodnesse of God to man When I behold the heavens the work of thy fingers the Moone and the Starres which thou hast made Lord what is man God in the work of creation made all these things serviceable and instrumentall for the good of man What is man that he should have a Sun a Moon and Stars planted in the firmament for him what creature is this when great preparations are made in any place much provisions layed in and the house adorned with richest furnitures We say what is this man that comes to such a house when such a goodly fabrique was raised up the goodly house of the world adorned and furnished we have reason admiring to say what is this man that must be the tenant or inhabitant of this house There is yet a higher exaltation of man in the creation man was magnified with the stampe of Gods image one part whereof the Psalmist describes at the fift verse Thou hast given him to have dominion over the works of thy hands Thou hast put all things under his feet all sheepe and oxen yea and the beasts of the field the fowle of the aire and the fish of the sea c. Thus man was magnified in creation What was man that he should have the rule of the world given him that he should be the Lord over the fish of the sea over the beasts of the field and over the foules of the ayr Again man was magnified in creation in that God set him in the next degree to the Angels Thou hast made him a little lower than the Angels there is the first part of the answer to this question man was magnified in being made so excellent a creature and in having so many excellent creatures made for him All which may be understood of man as created in Gods image and Lord of the world but since the transgression it is peculiar to Christ As the Apostle applies it Heb. 2. 6. and to those who have their bloud and dignity restored by the work of redemption which is the next part of mans exaltation Secondly Man is magnified or made great by the work of redemption That exalts man indeed Man was laid low and his honour in the dust notwithstanding all that greatnesse which he received in creation Though Sun and Moone and Stars the fish of the Sea and the fowles of the ayre c. were made his servants and himselfe a companion of Angels yet by sin he fell below all these priviledges and was made a companion for Devils a citizen of hell Therefore the second magnifying of man was by the work of redemption And what was man that thou shouldest redeeme him when he was a captive raise him when he was downe build and repaire him when he was ruin'd when he was lost seeke him and when he was bankrupt and undone give him a better stock and set him up againe What was man that thou shouldest doe all this for him How did the mercy of God magnifie his servants when he gave his Son to pay their debt to his own justice If man was magnified when the Sun and Moone and heavens were made for him how was he magnifyed when God was made man for him how was he exalted when the Son of God was humbled for him Thirdly Man is magnified or made great in the work of regeneration wherein God re-stamps his Image upon him in those shining characters of holinesse and knowledge The first creation being spoiled occasion'd redemption and redemption purchased a second creation Every one that is in Christ is a new creature 2 Cor. 5. 17. Our dignity is far greater in being new creatures then in being creatures Lastly Man is magnified by those severall acts of favour and grace which God casts upon him every day smiling upon him embracing him in his armes admitting him to neere communion with himselfe watching over him tending him guarding him with Angels directing him counselling him comforting him upholding him by his spirit till he bring him unto glory which is the highest step of preferment that mans nature is capable of What is man that thou shouldest magnifie him in all these things Observe hence first That All the worth and dignity of man is out of himselfe What is man As if he had said man hath nothing of his own to commend him to or to ingratiate himself with God God hath put something upon him he hath magnified man and given him a reall worth because he would Free grace exalts man Hence Psal 90. 20. the Psalmist prayes Let the heathen know themselves to be but men As if he had said man who is high in his own esteeme conceits himselfe to be somewhat above man he judges of himselfe beyound his own sphere and border Therefore Lord bring their thoughts within the compasse of their own condition let them know that they are but men A man that is acquainted with himselfe will be humble enough A meere man is but meere earth The Prophet tells him so thrice over with one breath Jer. 22. 29. O earth earth earth heare the word of the Lord. Man is earth in the constitution of his body that was framed out of the earth he is earthly in the corruption of his mind that muds in the earth The Apostles stile is earthly minded men And he will be earth in his dissolution when he dies he returnes to his earth A naturall man is earth all over earth in his making earthly in his mind his spirit earthly earth gets into this heaven his upper regions and the body his lower region shall moulder to earth againe Then what is man Hence I say it is that when man at any time would exalt and lift himself up he thinks himselfe above man he hath some notion or apprehension of an excellency beyound the line of a creature He conceits he hath or is a peece of a deity The first ground of hope upon which man raised himselfe against God was that he might be a god he was not satisfied in being made like unto God he would be which was the highest robbery Gods equall and stand by himselfe this thought was his fall There is such a principle of pride in the hearts of all men by nature They are not contented in the spheare of a creature they would be somewhat beyound that The truth is all the true worth and dignity of man is in what he hath beyound himselfe his excellency is in Christ and his glory in being made partaker of the divine nature It abased man when he aspired to take a divine nature to himselfe but it exalts man when God inspires him with a participation of the divine nature What is man that thou doest thus magnifie him Christ makes us very great and glorious by the dignity which he puts upon us as he tells the Church Ezek. 16. 14. Thy beauty was perfect through my comelinesse which I had put upon thee thou hadst no comelinesse no beauty of thine own
though sin cannot be more pardoned in respect of God at one time than at another yet in regard of man it may He apprehends the pardon of his sin more now than before and may hereafter apprehend it more than now And it is worth the while to bestow pains in prayer for pardon to have the pardon a little more inlightned The degrees of any grace or favour as well as the matter and substance of them are worthy all our seekings and most serious enquiries at the throne of Grace Fourthly He that hath assurance of the pardon of sin is to pray for the pardon of sin because he continueth still to sin And though it be a truth that sin uncommitted is pardoned in the decree and purpose of God yet we must not walk by the decrees of God but by his commandements and rules His decree pardons sin from all eternity but his rule is that we should pray for pardon every day as we pray for the bread we eat every day Matth. 6. 11 12. We must not say God hath pardoned all sin at once therefore no matter to ask it again or I have once had the sight of pardon and therefore the sight of sin shall never trouble me seeing we are directed to search our hearts for sin and to seek to God for pardon continually So long as we sin it becomes us to be suitors for the pardon of sin He that hath ceased to sin may cease to ask the forgiveness of sin till then I know neither rule nor promise that gives a dispensation for this duty To close this point there are two Cases wherein believers are especially to renew their suits about the pardon of sin First which though it be lamentable yet it is possible in the case of falling into scandalous and gross sins These not only weaken assurance and be-night the soul but exceedingly dishonour God and grieve the holy Ghost This caused David to pray and cry for the pardon and purging of his sin as freshly and as strongly as if he had never received a pardon or any evidence of Gods love of which yet he had great store before that day Ps 51. Secondly In times of great troubles and trials whether personal or National the Saints re-inforce prayer about pardon This was Jobs case his personal afflictions occasion'd him to begg the remission of sins and not only remission for sins then committed but for all the sins he had committed either before or after Conversion Even our formerly pardon'd sins need pardon when we loose the sight of pardon and when the soul hath no visions but visions of terrour it must seek visions of peace in the free-grace of God renewing and sealing pardon in the bloud of Jesus Christ Job having thus breathed his spirit in arguings complaints and prayers moves the Lord for a speedy end and gracious answer otherwise he sees no way but he must breath back his spirit into the hands of the Lord who gave it and lay his body in the dust from whence it was taken For now shall I sleep in the dust and thou shalt seek me in the morning but I shall not be Now shall I sleep in the dust What he means by this sleep hath been handled Chap. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Propriè est cubare hinc mortui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vocantur ut etiam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 13. where it was shewed that death is called a sleep why and in what manner death is a sleep The word here translated to sleep signifies properly to lie down but the sence is the same because men lie down when they compose and fit themselves to sleep And the dead are called down-lyers as well as sleepers in the Hebrew The Septuagint reads it now shall I go to the earth David speaks near this language Psal 22. 15. Thou hast brought me to the dust of death Observe hence whether we are travelling and where we must take up a lodging for our bodies ere long They whose heads are highest they who lie in beds of Ivory must lie down in a bed of earth and rest their heads upon a pillow of dust Most sleep in the dust while they live but all must sleep in the dust when they die Earthly men have earthly minds and they cannot rest but in earth for it is their Center Onely he who hath laid up his heart in Heaven can comfortably think of laying down his head in the dust Further it is remarkable in how pleasing a notion Job speaks of death when his life was most unpleasant to him He complained of restless nights in the third fourth thirteenth and fourteenth verses of this Chapter yet he could think of a time when he should lie quietly in his bed and not have so much as a waking moment or a distracting dream And when he was once gone to this bed the curtains of darkness being close drawn about him he should open his eyes no more till the eye-lids of that eternity-morning opened therefore he concludes Thou shalt seek me in the morning sc of time but I shall not be In the Hebrew Thou shalt seek me in the morning is but one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Si dilucula veris me ficto verbo word And some cut out a latine word fit to serve it We may English it strictly to the letter If thou morning me that is if thou commest to seek me as the force of this word hath been formerly given with never so much diligence and care I shall not be found thou wilt not have Job alive upon the earth to bestow thy mercies upon For I shall not be The Hebrew is And not I that is I shall not be alive I shall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non ego subaudi sum vel ero Cum jam in isto not be to be had he means a non-existence not a non-essence a being he should have but he should not appear to be It is as if he had said Lord I shall not be a Subject capable of outward deliverances and bodily comforts unless they come speedily Lord if thou wilt give me any help give it for death hastens upon me as if it hoped to be too nimble for or to out-run thy succours Mr. Broughtons translation seems to intend another sence pulvere decumbam aut quid non tempesti ivè requisivisti me ut non essem Jun. which others of the learned Hebricians favour too He renders the latter part of the verse thus Whereas I lie now in the dust referring it to his present condition I am now lying in the dust to be pitied of the keeper of men so he himself expounds Lord I lie in the dust a pitiful object then Why doest thou not quickly seek me out that I should no more be which he interprets I would by a quick death be rid from these pains As if in these words Job had again renewed his former desire of death concerning which many
Prayer Meditation and the whole course of holy obedience The life of man is a continued temptation and that 's a spiritual warfare a continual bickering with a world of enemies And though they without stand still yet a soul can scarce passe one hour but he shall have many fights and bouts with his own heart In this sence Is there not an appointed time of warfare or temptation to man upon earth Our life is a warfare in divers respects First it is a warfare because Christians do or ought to live under the greatest command of any in the world they ought to stand armed at a call A Souldier is under absolute command he must not dispute the Orders of his General but obey them The Centurian in the Gospel saith I have Souldiers under me and I say to one go and he goeth to another come and he cometh and to a third do this and he doth it which he speaks not as commending the special vertue and good disposition of his own Souldiers but as describing the duty of all Souldiers therefore Souldiary is well defined To be the obedience of a stout and valiant mind Militia est obedientia quadam fortis invicti animi arbitrio carentis suo out of his own dispose A Souldier moves upon direction so must a Christian he is in a warfaring condition he must have a charge or a word from his Commander for every step he treads or action he undertakes Secondly it is a warfare in regard of perpetuall motions and travels A Souldiers life is an unsetled life while he is in actuall service he hath no rest he is either marching or charging and when he comes in his quarters his stay is but little he cannot build him a house he can but pitch him down a tent for a night or two he must away againe Mans life hath no stop we have here no abiding City we dwell in tents and tabernacles waifaring and warfaring out our dayes Thirdly a warfare because of continual watching It is the watch-word which Christ gave his followers I say unto you watch that 's the souldiers word and work too warring and watching goe together The Souldier stands Centinel fearing the enemies surprise A Christian should stand upon his guard and his watch at all hours is not that a warfare Fourthly a warfare because Christians ought to keep their rank and file that is the places and relations wherein God hath set them A Souldier commanded to stand such a ground must not stirre though he die for it and if he stirs by Martial law he shall die There is so much keeping of order in warre and Battels that whatsoever keeps order is said to fight or warre The Sarres are said to have fought against Sisera in their courses Judg. 5. 20. The Stars are embattaild or encampt in their sphears out of which they move not and are therefore often called the Militia or host of Heaven Fifthly a warfare because so full of hazzards troubles and labours or because so much hardship is to be endured A Souldier converses with dangers and dwels in the territories of death continually This caused Deborah to begin her Triumphant Song with praise to the Lord because the people offered themselves willingly Many are forc'd and press'd to the warrs and most who are not press'd by the Authority of others are press'd by their own hopes of gaine or desire of vain-glory and renown A true Voluntiere in warre is a rare man There is so much danger in it that there is seldome much of the will in it The whole life of man is full either of visible or invisible dangers he passes the pikes every day The Apostle reckons eight distinct perlis in one verse which met him which way soever he turned 2 Cor. 11. 26. He was in deaths often And though there are but few such Heroes as he yet 't is seldome but any of us are in deaths Especially while we remember the mighty spirituall enemies and oppositions which encompasse and beset us every day We wrastle not with flesh and blood but with principalities and powers c. And are therefore advised to take to us the whole armour of God never to stir without our sword Sixthly a warfare in regard of the issue victory and triumph or slavery and death is the issue of our lives Either we overcome and are more then conquerours that 's the Apostles language Rom. 8. or else we are conquered and more then captives that 's the Apostles sence too both in allusion They are taken captive by the Devill at his will To be led captive by the Devill is the lowest captivity lower then any captivity unto men In reference to 2. Tim. 2. 26. the spirituall part of our warfare there 's no comming off upon equall rermes We must be victors or slaves conquer or die Only this is the Saints assurance that as the Captaine of their salvation was made perfect by sufferings and conquer'd by dying so at the worst shall they spirituall death as sinners hath no power over them at all and when they die as men naturall or by men violently they shall receive fuller power Thus our life is a warfare upon earth But take the word as we translate for an appointed time Is there not an appointed time to man upon the earth And the reason why it beares that sence is grounded upon these two things 1. Because there is a speciall season of the yeare most fit and Non significat tempus simpliciter sed tempus certum ac constitutum ea analogia quod determinato anni tempore exerceri solet militia Militia ideo tempus determinatum dicitur quia non quae vis aetas bello apta est sed determinata certa sutable for warre 2 Sam. 11. 1. And it came to passe at the return of the yeare when Kings go forth to battell The time for war is such a known appointed season that the same word signifies warfare and any appointed season 2. Because men go out to war at a speciall time of their age There is an appointed setled time of mans life wherein he is fit to beare arms Every age is not fit for arms Old men and children are not fit for the field Hence we finde Numbers the first throughout that the muster of the children of Israel is thus made ver 3 20 22 c. From twenty yeares old and upward all that are able to goe forth to warre The Roman and Greek histories are distinct in this In some Common-wealths from Fifteen to Fifty in others from Twenty to Sixty and in ours the appointed time is between Sixteen Sixty so men are press'd and listed for war And because there is such an appointed or a set time of life in all States to goe out to war therefore that word is elegantly applied to signifie a set or an appointed time for any businesse Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth Vpon earth