of the aire spreading themselves all the Heavens over v. 29. Thirdly He tells us of the sudden changes and successions of rain and faire weather of a cloudy and serene sky v. 30. Fourthly He sets forth the different purposes of God in dispensing the rain which are sometimes for judgement someâ—imes for mercy v. 31 32. Fifthly He intimates the Prognosticks of it or what are the signes and foreâ—unners or foretellers of it v. 33. The two verses under-hand hold out the first poynt the formation and generation of the rain Vers 27. He maketh small the drops of water That is God as it were coynes and mints out the water into drops of rain As a mighty masse of gold or silver is minted out into small pieces so a huge body of water is minted out into small drops that 's the sum of these words according to our rendring The Hebrew word rendred He maketh small hath a two-fold signification and that hath caused a three-fold translation of these words First It signifieth to take away oâ— to withdraw according to this signification of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ademit substraxit a two-fold power of God is held forth about the drops of water First Substraxit deâ—u stillas aquâ—rum scâ— ex mari fluminiâ—us â—â— loc is humidis quae fundunt pluviam ad nubeni ejus Haustus vapor ex aqua cogitur in nubem quae dainde sundit pluviam Merl Qui ausert stillas pluviae Vulg. The power of God in drawing the water up from the Earth to make rain for that in Nature as we shall see afterwards is the cause of â—ain God draws up the water from the Earth which he sends down upon the Earth he draws up the vapours and the vapours become a Cloud and the Cloud is dissolved into rain Secondly The word may very well expresse according to other texts of Sc ipture the putting forth of the power of God in stopping staying keeping back and with-holding rain from the eaâ—â—h when â—od hath drawn water from the earth he can hold it frâ—m the eaâ—â—h as long as he pleaseth The Chaldee Pa aphrase saith He forbids the drops to water the earth or he sends forth a proh bition to the clouds that they give no water The vulgar Latine speaks to the same sence who takes away drops of rain that is from the earth Mr. Broughton renders he withdraws dropping of water In this sence I find the word rendred expresly Numb 9.7 where certain persons are brought in by Moses thus complaining Wherefore are we kept back that we may not offer an offering to the Lord with the children of Israel It is a case there were some it seems suspended from bringing their offerings to the Lord and they demand a reason of it to give which Moses saith stand still and I will hear what the Lord will command concerning you But I quote that scripture only for the force of the word wherefore are we kept back or with held which was for some uncleanness Thus you have the first signification of the word and a double translation upon it both very pertinent to the nature of the rain and the Lords dealing with man in it which is the subject Elihu is insisting upon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mâ—nuit diminuis Secondly The original word signifies to diminish or lessen or make a thing small so 't is rendred Exod. 5.8 when the children of Israel complained that they were oppressed in making brick This commandement came from Pharaoh The tale of bricks which they did make heretofore you shall lay upon them you shall not diminish ought of it It is this word Again Deut. 4.2 Ye shall not add to the word which I command you neither shall you diminish ought from it Man must not make the word of God smaller or greater than it is 'T is high presumption to use either subtraction from or addition to the word of God Thus also the word is used in the case of second or double marriages Exod. 21.10 If he take him another wife her food that is the food of the first wife her raiment and her duty of marriage shall he not diminish Our translators take up this sense of the word as noting the diminishing of a thing in the quantity of it He maketh small the drops of water or he makes the water fall in small drops whereas if the water were left to it self it would poure down like a sea or like a flood to sweep all away This is the work of God and though it be a common yet it is a wonderful work He maketh small the drops of rain A drop is a small thing and therefore the Prophet when he would shew what a small thing or indeed what a nothing man is yea all the nations of the earth are to God saith Isa 40.15 The nations are as a drop of a bucket and are counted as the small dust of the ballance Behold he taketh up the Isles as a very little thing The Spirit of God piâ—cheth upon this comparison when he would set forth that great distance between God and man Man is but a drop to God But are not all drops small why then doth he say He maketh small the drops The reason is because though all drops are smâ—ll yet some drops are smaller than others and we read of great drops in the Gospel History of Christs agony in the Garden which was an immediate suffering in his soul from the hand of his Father pressing him with that weight of wrath which was due for our sins Luke 22.44 He sweat as it were great drops of blood As God made Christ sweat great drops of blood for our sins so he makes the Clouds to sweat small drops of water for our comfort He maketh small The drops of rain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Guttavit guttatim fluxit The Verb of this Substantive is used Joel 3.18 In those dayes it shall come to pass that the mountaines shall drop down new wine by which we are to understand the plentiful effusion of the Spiâ—it promised in the latter dayes David describing the Lords glorious march thorow the wilderness saith Psal 68.8 9. The earth shâ—ok the heavens also dropped at the presence of the Lord thou O God didst send a plentiful rain whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance when it was weary Which Scripture principally intends the spiriâ—ual rain which drops down upon believers and refresheth their wearied souls And therefore by a Metaphor this phrase to drop signifies to prophesie or preach the word of God because that like rain falls silently Sâ—binde Praeceptuci auriâ—ulis hoc instillare memento Horat. Lib. 1. lip 8. and as it were in drops upon the hearers it falls in at the ear and soaks down to the heart it soaks quite thorow as Moses spake Deut. 32.2 My dâ—ctrine shall drop as the rain and my speech shall destil as the dew And as the word is used
quem Deus Instituit Aquin. 1. 2 dae q. 21. Art 4. Ad primum nothing can be diminished nothing taken from God by any act of man Yet man as much as in him lyes takes away from and gives or brings to God when he either keeps or doth not keep that order which God hath appointed Sinners shall be judged and dealt with as they that have greatly annoyed and disadvantaged God as they that have rob'd and spoyl'd him as they that have smitten and wounded him as they that have abased him and laid him low And there is reason they should be judged as having done so forasmuch as they do their utmost to do so Thus they are described Psal 2.1 2. The Heathen rage and the People imagine a vain thing The Kings of the Earth set themselves and the Rulers c. And why all this what was it for It was against the Lord and against hû Anointed This was done by the Princes and Great Ones of the world yet they were so far from being able to prejudice the Lord either in his Person or in his Interest that he did but laugh at them for it And 't is considerable that God is described there according to the notion used by Elihu in the Text sitting in the Heavens vers 4. He that sitteth in the Heavens shall laugh the Lord shall have them in derision And why doth the Lord laugh surely because he sees they can no more hurt or hinder him in his purposes by any of or all their sinful advisings and attemptings than if they should hope to batter down the Heavens by discharging a Pot-gun against them And therefore he concludes with a triumphant Yet ver 6. Yet have I set my King after you have done your worst upon my holy Hill of Sion The sins of men do tuâ—n to the glory of God but to their own shame The sins of Gods own children turn to the gloâ—y of his mercy those huge heaps and numberless numbers of sins committed by his Children before Conversion what do they in the issue but lift up the glory of his Grace in the pardon of them And the rebellions committed by impenitent sinners going on in obstinacy to the end without Conversion what do they but lift up the glory of God in his Justice and wonderful judgements which he will bring upon them The sins of the old world which was a world of sin all flesh having corrupted their way before God and there being but one righteous Family found in it all those sins I say did not dammage God at all but indeed they glorified both his Patience and his Justice his Patience in sparing them so long even an hundred and twenty years after warning given his Justice in sending the Flood at last which brought swift destruction upon them and swept them all away The unnatural crying sins of Sodome did not hurt the God of Heaven but God took advantage thereby to gloâ—ifie his Justice in raining Fire and Brimstone upon them from Heaven Gen. 19.24 Pharaoh by all his opposition against the Israel of God did not disadvantage God but gave him an advantage to make his Power known by swallowing up him and his Egyptian Host in the waters of the Red Sea That which is done against the Will of God fulfills the Will of God The sins of men are so far from hurting the God of Heaven that they glorifie him among men on Eâ—rth while they behold him either turning the evil which is dore into good or punishing them â—or their evil doings That which men speak or do against God like an Arrow shot up into the Ayre falls down upon their own heads David Ps 111.2 breaks out wonderfully into the praise of God upon this consideration The works of the Lord are great sought out of all them that have pleasure in them These woâ—ks of God wherein we should take pleasure are not only wo ks of mercy to the Godly vers 3 4 5. but of vengeance upon the wicked vers 6. He hath shewed his people the power of his wâ—rks that he may give them the heritage of the Heathen The works of his hands are Verity and Judgement vers 7. That is judgement for Saints in saving them and upon sinners in consuming them De eo quod agitur contra Dei voluntatem voluntas ipsius vel mala in bonum convertentis vel mala punientis impletur August Enchirid c. 100. We should much contemplate the works of God in bringing glory to himself out of the sins of men The Angels sinned and sell man sinned as soon almost as he was set up These Creatures did that which God would not have done yet God brought about that which he would And thus it is to this day among all the childâ—en of men while they break holy Commandements God fulfills his holy Counsels no thanks to them yea woe to them So then the Lord hath no hurt by sin which way soever sinners turn themselves they cannot turn away his Counsels nor turn from his Counsels When they are disobeying his revealed will Miro et inaffabili modo non fit praeter ejus voluntatem quod etiam contra ejus voluntatem fit quia non fieret si non sineret nec utique nolens sinit sed volens Nec sineret bonus fieri male nisi omnipotens etiam de malo facere posset bene August in Psal 111. he is doing his secret will in which God is most righteous and in his season will lift up his Righteousnesse and Holinesse his righteous and holy Will in the face of all the sinners in the world and they shall know and confesse that he hath served his own wise and holy purposes even in those Providences wherein they have had no purpose but to serve their foolish and unholy lusts and pleasures We have an illustrious proof of this in that extreamly evil and unnatural practise of men good in the main the holy Patriarchs against their own Brother Gen. 50.20 who told them plainly when he meant them no evil but good But as for you ye thought evil against me but God meant it for good to bring to pass as it is this day to save much people alive Further To clear the Point in general we may distinguish of sin as having a threefold opposition First Against our selves Secondly Against our Neighbour Thirdly Against God This division or distinction of sins must be so understood that the two former namely sin against our selves and against our Neighbour brings a real detriment and disadvantage to our selves and to our Neighbour But as sin hath respect to God it doth not bring any real detriment to him Only it may be said First The will of many sinners is raised up to that height of wickednesse as purposely to set themselves to dishonour God to blaspheme his name and do despight to the Spirit of Grace Heb. 10.29 which is the utmost length that sin or lust can go Secondly The nature of
them We know little of that which is he and he only knoweth that which will be All futures unrevealed are secrets and among them our thoughts are the greatest secrets yet them the Lord knoweth Psal 139.2 Thou saith David understandest my thoughts afar off that is before I think them Is not this strength of knowing wisdome Fourthly God knoweth all things alwayes or everlastingly there is not one of them slips out of his knowledge they are at all times alike that is perfectly before him Is not this also strength of knowing wisdome Fifthly The Lord knoweth all these things as distinctly as if he had but one thing to know Sixthly He knoweth all things by one act of single and simple intuition he doth not know as we by report from others nor by comparing one thing with another nor by inferring one thing from another that is he doth not know by discourse argument or demonstration but all things are before the eye of his knowledge nakedly and immediately as they are These two last as well as any of or all the former are a clear proof not only that God is knowing and wise but that he is mighty in strength of knowing wisdome Secondly Consider wisdome as it is applyed in working Some have much of that wisdome which we call Theoreticall knowing discerning wisdome but as for practicall working wisdome how to put things together how to order them as to the businesses and affairs of this life they are very far to seek We say Great Scholars are not alwayes the wisest men many are knowing they know almost all things they will dispute de omni scibili of all things knowable yet are very weak when they come to lay things together for practice or government if it be but the government of a family or of their private estate they know not how to mannage it much less can they mannage the government of great Societies or Corporations least of all of Kingdomes and Nations But as for the Lord he hath not only a knowing wisdome but a disposing a governing a working practical wisdome in ordering all affairs which we properly call prudence or discretion Psal 112.5 We have seen knowing learned men do things very foolishly imprudently indiscreetly But all the works of the Lord are contrived and model'd as also effected and perfected with infinite wisdome Hence that Holy exclamation Psal 104.24 O Lord how manifold are thy works in wisdome hast thou made them all Which as it is true of all the works of Creation so likewise of the works of Providence the former of which are spoken of in the beginning of the Psalme and the latter in the following parts of it The Lord in wisdome made the world He made the heavens by his wisdome Psal 136.5 and by wisdome hath he founded the earth Pro. 3.19 If in both those places we understand Christ by wisdome it doth not hinder but advance this truth now as the Lord made the world both heaven and earth in wisdome so in and by the same wisdome he governs heaven and earth and all his works in both are full of wisdome Thus it appears that the Lord is mighty in strength of wisdome both as to the knowing and ordering of all things yea the Lord is so mighty in both these kinds of wisdome that there is indeed none wise but he And therefore the Scripture not only calls him The wise God but God only wise Rom. 16.27 Jude v. 25. And surely he is mighty strong in wisdome who hath all the wisdome or is only wise Some may say How are we to understand that is not wisdome one of those communicable Attributes of God so we distinguish the divine Attributes some are communicable oâ—hers are incommunicable The infiniteness the omniscience the unchangableness the simplicity of God are incommunicable but the holiness the justice the mercy and wisdome of God are communicable that is God doth communicate unto man his holiness his justice and wisdome Why then is it said That God is only wise seeing God hath endowed many with a spirit of wisdome or hath made many wise men in the world I answer First God is said to be only wise because there is none so wise as he his wisdome is so much beyond the wisdome of all men that no man may be called wise but God Thus also God is called the only Potentate 1 Tim. 6.15 because though there are many Potentates in the world yet Gods potency is beyond them all His life also is such that at the 16th verse of the same Chapter it is said He only hath immortality yet both the Angels and the souls of men are immortal but God hath immortality in a way of such eminency that the very Angels and souls of men are mortal in comparison of him David said of his life Psal 39.5 My age is nothing to thee I scarce live at all when I consider the life of God so the wisest man in the world may say of his wisdome my wisdome is nothing unto thee I have no wisdome when I consider how wise God is Secondly God is said to be only wise because there are none originally wise but he his wisdome is of himself yea his wisdome is himself the wisdome of God is not a separable quality from him as the wisdome of a man is Many are men but not wise men but it is impossible for God to be God and not to be wise his wisdome is essential to him The wisdome of man is like gilding upon an earthen vessel but the wisdome of God is like a golden vessel The wisest men are gilded over with wisdome they are adorned and beautified with it but no man how wise soever is wisdome only God is God is if I may so speak an Immense and immeasurable vessel of gold he is all gold you cannot distinguish the gold from the vessel 't is gold quite through he is massie gold massie wisdome The wisdome of man is another thing from himself The wisdome of God is himself and thus God alone is wise Thirdly God is only wise because all wisdome is from him as he hath his wisdome from himself so all others have wisdome from him all the wisdome of men and Angels is but a ray from his light but a stream yea but a drop from his Ocean Bezaliel's Artificial wisdome was from the Lord Solomons political wisdome was from the Lord Solomon asked wisdome from the Lord to governe And not only is the wisdome of Princes Statesmen and Politicians but the very Plowmans wisdome is from the Lord Isa 28.26 where the Prophet having shewed how the Plowman tills the ground how he harrows and casts in the seed how he thresheth and gets out the graine he addeth v. 29. This comes from the Lord who is wonderfull in counsel and excellent in working The Plowman knoweth not how to till his ground to sow his seed to harrow his land to thresh his corne if the Lord did not give him
in mind And therefore they who perswade or entice others to evil are said to turn them from the Lord and to thrust them out of the way which the Lord commandeth them to walk in Deut. 13.5 To perswade in any degree is to move Josh 15.18 and some perswade so strongly that they make in others great removes Further It signifies to deceive as will appear if you compare Text and Margin 2 Kings 18.32 and those Texts 2 Chron. 32.11 15. all concerning one matter He that is deceived is usually deceived by perswasion and is drawn away by some enticements Now because he that perswadeth or deceiveth another endeavoureth to turn or remove him from what he holdeth or intendeth to the contrary therefore as we render this word signifies also to remove to bring from one place to another or from one state to another He would have removed or translated thee Out of a streight into a broad place Here are two sorts of places a streight and a broad place What a streight place properly taken is all know The Heb ew is He would have removed thee out of the mouth of the streight 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Angustia et adversarius Hinc Septuaginta reddunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Septuagint render He would have removed thee out of the mouth of the enemy An enemy puts us to streights and thâ—refore the same word signifies a streight and an enemy he would have removed thee out of a streight place the hand of an enemy is so But moâ—e generally by the streight place we are to understand any kind of tribulation or trouble whatsoever Troubles of any sort are justly called streights for they inclose and imprison us they abridge us of our liberty they ty us short up where we can scarce stir or breath A man in trouble is a man in streights Some expound these words allegorically taking the mouth of the streight for Hells mouth they that descend thither are indeed in everlasting streighâ—s for though Tophet be deep and large as the Prophet speaks Isa 30.33 yet all that are there are in streights Hell is la ge to take in but streight to let out Gehenna est ampla ad recipiendum et angusta ad emittenâ—um so streight that it will not let one out for ever Others expound it tropologically or with respect to manners he would have delivered thee out of the mouth of the streight that is from the power of thy sins and corruptions for they indeed are streights and though we easily fall into them yet we hardly get ouâ— De putâ—o peccati et prâ—vae consuctudinis cuâ—â— ingressus facilis exiâ—us prâ—â—â— anguâ—tuâ— Gregor or free of them again But we need not take up either Allegories or Tropologies the words are plain That which Elihu here intenâ—s by streights is great trouble deep misery into which a man being cast knows neither how to subsist nor how to escape Yeâ— out of that streight place he promiseth deliverance He would have removed thee out of a streight Oâ—â—ng sliâ—â— eâ—t ingeas â—â—laâ—itas abyssuâ— mâ—â—â—rum in quam deâ—ersus homo nâ—que subsistere nâ—que emergere potest Into a broad place That is to liberty and prosperity which are in Scripture compared to a broad place where a man hath room enough Thou hast known my Soul in adversity sai h David Psal 31.7 8. and hast not shut me up in the hand of the enemy thou hast set my feet in a large Room that is in a prospeâ—ous condition Thus Elihu here promiseth on Gods behalf He would have removed thee out of a streight into a large place Where no streightness is Spâ—tium latum est â—mo laâ—issimum ubi nâ—lla angustia est That 's a broad place indeed No streightness implyeth greatest enlargement or enlargment to the uttermost not only of need but desire A broad place where there is no streightness is full libâ—rty or fill of liberty A man may be in a very good in a very free condition and yet have some streights To be in so good a condition as to have no streights at all is the top and perfection of freedom And surely The full attainment of such an enlargedness is the reward of the next life not the enjoyment of this life The way of the wicked Vâ—t impiâ—rum est lata angustissimâ—e via justo am est angusta latissime et definit in latitudinem jucund ssimam in this life is most streightly broad the way of the righteous in this life is broadly streight and endeth in a broadness of everlasting blessedness God at last will remove all his out of a streight into a broad place where there is no streightness Hence First See the Author of our deliverance is again here remembâ—ed He would have removed c. As before he delivereth the poor in afflâ—ctions so here again He would have removed thee out of a streight into a broad place As all our mercies are of the Lord so let us acknowledge him in all Secondly From the Allusion Note Troubles are streights He is in a streight that knows not what to do thus 't is often with us in our troubles It was so with good Jehoshaphat 2 Chro. 20 12. when a mighty Enemy came up against him Lord said he we know not what to do but our eyes are towards thee he was in a streight what to do here on earth but he had a b oad place to look to even to heaven to the Lord of heaven and earth our eyes are towards thee As if he had said Lord we are in a streight but thou art never in streights Lord counsel us what to do Lord help us to do it The afflicted many a time know not what to do and many times they cannot do what they know they know this thing would do them good but they cannot do it they know that might be helpfull to them but they cannot reach it He is in a streight that doubts what good to chuse much more is he in a streight who seeth that what-ever he chuseth he must chuse some evil Paul was in the former streight and David in the latter Paul was in a streight it was a trouble to him being doubtfull which good to chuse Phil. 1.23 I am in a streight betwixt two betwixt what two betwixt two very good things namely living here in doing good and going to heaven to receive his reward he was in a streight whether to live here to do more work or to go to heaven to receive the reward of his work 'T is some trouble but a blessed trouble when we are in a doubt which good to chuse But they are in very great trouble who are in such a streight that whatsoever they chuse they must chuse evil That was Davids streight 2 Sam. 24.14 the Lord gave him a choyce and a very sad one of three evils either of famine or of pestilence or of flying and
the work of God in general proceeds to draw him to the magnifying of the special works of God in naturals Yet before he leads him to the consideration of the greatness of those works he invites him to consider God himself who is the Author and Disposer of them and he invites him to consider God is three things all which we find laid down in this 26th verse First In his Greatness Behold God is great Secondly In his Incomprehensibleness He is great and we know him not Thirdly In his Eternity Neither can the number of his years be searched out Surely he is most worthy our consideration who is great and so great that he cannot be comprehended and who is eternally great whose years are numberless Vers 26. Behold God is great The word Behold is here a note both of Attention and admiration O mind O admire the greatness of God God is great The word rendred great properly signifies an encreasing growing greatness God is without all encrease or growth being for ever the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Et multus magnus multus robore Drus Septuaginta legunt multus i. e. omnibus numeris perfectus atque omnibus perfectionibus cumiloâ—is yet he may be said to encrease to be magnified and multiplied as I may say according to the apprehensions which we have of him This word bears the signification both of much and many God is but one and the one-most one yet in this sence many So the Septuagint renders it here he hath or is many that is he hath all perfections in him the lines of all excellency and virtue of all glory and perfection center in God alone Thus God is much and God is many the one God is many he hath many he hath all eminencies and excellencies bound up boundlesly in him Again God is great in himself or in his being Whatsoever is in God is God and therefore whatsoever is in God is great The power of God is the powerful God and therefore his power must needs be great the wisdom oâ— God is the wi e God and therefore his wisdom most needs be very great the mercy of God is the merciful God and therefore his mercy must needs be very great And thus we may pâ—oceed in our meditations quite through all the divine Attributes And as God is great in his being so he is great in his working he doth great things The Psalmist â—aith he is good and doth good he is also great and doth great things he is the tâ—â—st the chief and the best being and his doings are such as he is he doth like himself God is great and he hath an excellent an excelling greatness Praise him saith David Psal 150.2 according to his excellent greatness or as the words may well bear according to his muchness of greatness for when the Scripture saith God is great this positive is to be taken as a superlative God is great that is he is greatest he is greater than all so great that all persons and all things are little yea nothing before him Isa 40.15 Behold the nations are to him but as the drop of the bucket and are counted but at the smal dust of the ballance behold he taketh up the Isles as a very little thing they are as nothing and they are counted to him as less than nothing and vanity How great is God in comparison of whom the greatest things are little things yea the greatest things are nothing Behold God is great From this excellent Attribute the greatness of God I have made several Inferences already at the 12th verse of the 33d chapter yet I shall infer some things further here both for our direction and consolation First If God he great and greatest then fear him greatly Great is the Lord said David in his thanksgiving-song 1 Chron. 16.25 he also is to be feared above all gods that is above all the great powers on earth and above all the imaginary powers of heaven Idols who are the fancied powers of heaven are sometimes called gods in Scripture so likewise are Princes or Magistrates who are eal powers on earth Now saith David who was one of those gods and a great one fear him above all gods Why Because he is above all gods he is higher than the highest and he is greater than the greatest therefore fear him above all gods yea therefore fear or worship him all ye gods Psal 97.7 Many say with their mouthes God is great yea infinitely greater than man yet they fear men especially great men more than God Secondly If God be great then love him greatly Shall this great God have but little love from us The Law of love with respect to God is exprest two wayes in Scripture first as to the truth of it and secondly as to the measure or degree of it The love which is given to God must be a true love a sincere love yet not only so but the love which is given to God must be the greatest love Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy might and with all thy strength with all thy heart sincerely with all thy might and strength greatly Thirdly If God be great then serve him greatly or do him great service Take heed of offering the lean and the lame the halt and the blind to this great King A great King must not be put off with little services with small pittances of duty Fourthly If God be great then believe him greatly let us have great faith in the great God Jesus Christ rebukes his disciples Mat. 8.26 O ye of little faith have you God to pitch your faith upon who is great have you his power and his mercy and his truth and his faithfulness all which are great to rest upon and have you but a little faith That woman Mat. 15.28 gave glory to God in believing when she believed greatly and therefore Christ cryeth up and magnifyeth the greatness of her faith O woman great is thy faith Fifthly The great God is greatly to be praised he doth great things for us therefore we must return great thanks to him That also we have expresly 1 Chron. 16.25 Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised The great God must have great praises for he doth great things As every sin we commiâ— against God hath a greatness in it upon this consideration because he is a great God against whom we sin Take heed of the least sin for that is great being committed against the great God so whatsoever duty this of pâ—aise especially we perform to God we should strive to raise it up to the gâ—eatest to the highest because the great God the high God is concerned in it or it is consigned to the great to the high God Sixthly If God be great we ought to give him great submission or to submit greatly to him Great submission to God is the substance of all duty to
in Prophesies of mercy and instruction so of judgment and desolation Thus the Lord charged his Prophet Ezek. 20.46 Son of man set thy face towards the south and drop thy words towards the south and propheâ—â—e against the forest of the south field Again Ezek. 21.2 Son of man set thy face towards Jerusalem and dâ—op thy words towards the holâ— place and prophesie agaâ—nst the land of Israel Once more Amos 7.16 Drop noâ— thy word against the house of Isaac So thaâ— I say this dropping is usâ—d frequently as in a natural so in a spiritual sence He maketh small the drops Of water 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Forma duali significantur aquae duplices The word is of the Dual Number in the Hebrew and so it signifies both sorts of water the waters of heaven and the waters of the earth the upper and the nether waters the â—pper waters in the Clouds and the nether waters in the Springs We find them spoken of together in the first of Genesis at the 7th verse God divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament We find the upper waters spoken of singly Psal 104.3 Who layest the beams of the chambers in the waters Chambers are above And in the first of Genesis at the 9th verse we find the lower waters alone Let the waters be gathered together under the heavens Rabbi Selo exponit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 multiplicat quia dum ita guttatim aquae decidunt multiplicantur Merc. Under-heaven waters are the lower waters One of the Rabbies renders the words thus He multiplieth the drops of rain and the reason of it is which falls in with our translation because the less any one thing is made the more is the general mass out of which it is made multiplied From the words thus far opened we may note somewhat for our instruction Taking the former signification of the words He draweth up the drops of water Observe The ordinary rain which watereth the earth is first fetched from the earth Plavia est vapor calidus humidus ex aquis locis humidis virtute Solis Stellarum usque ad mâ—diam aeris regionem elevatus ibi propteâ— loci frigiditatem in nubem condensatus c. Garc. de Meteorol part 2. cap. 25. God raiseth vapours from the earth and then watereth the earth with them All the rain which falls upon the earth was raised from the earth If I were to answer that question in nature What is Rain I might resolve it thus Rain is the moisture of the earth drawn up by the heat of the Sun into the middle Region of the Air which being there condensed into clouds is afterwards at the will of God dissolved and dropt down again in showers The Clouds at the command of God hold fast and at his command they break and let out their waters upon the earth This is as was toucht before a very ordinary yet a very admirable work of God As in spirituals all those acts of grace in faith and love and joy c. by which our hearts and souls are carried up to heaven come first from heaven so that rain which comes down upon us from heaven was first fetched from among us by the mighty power of God Rain according to natural Philosophy is thus generated The water and moisture of the earth being attenuated by the heat of the Sun-beams become vapours which being so rarified and resolved into an airy substance are by the same heat of the Sun drawn up to the middle region of the air where being again condensed or thickened into water they melt down into rain at the appointment of God We may consider rain briefly in all the causes of it Thus First The efficient cause of rain is God Secondly The instrumental cause is the heat of the Sun Thirdly The material cause is the moisture of the Sea and watery Land Fourthly The final cause of it is 1. Supream the glory of God 2. Subordinate and that threefold First the benefit Secondly the punishment Thirdly the instruction of man Secondly From that other signification of the word as it notes withdrawing or keeping back upon which some insist much Observe God when he pleaseth can with-hold the water or the rain He can give a stop to the rain and then the clouds yeeld us no more water than a stone He with-holds the drops of water The Lord threateneth the Vineyard with this stop Isa 5.6 I will command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it which is true of a natural and proper Vineyard and of proper natural rain though it be meant there of the people of God whom he metaphorically or improperly calleth his Vineyard and the rain there intended is the rain of instruction usually falling upon them Now as God doth often forbid the showers of the word that they fall no more upon a people as he sends forth a prohibition to stop the spiritual rain so he also stops and prohibits the natural rain Amos 4.7 8. I have with-holden the rain from you when there was yet three moneths to the harvest and I caused it to rain upon one city and caused it not to rain upon another city one piece was rained upon and the piece whereupon it rained not withered so two or three cities wandered unto one city to drink water but were not satisfied Thus in case of disobedience to his divine Law the Lord threatened to stop the common Law of nature and to make the heavens brass and the earth iron Deut. 28.23 And when the heavens are brass that is when they yeeld no more moisture than brass then the earth is as iron that is it yeelds no more food for the sustentation of man or beast than a bar of iron doth Such stops the Lord hath often put upon the courses of nature and can do again when he pleaseth though I believe he never did nor ever will do so but when highly displeased and provoked by the sin of man Take two or three inferences from it First If the rain or drops of water come not in their season let us acknowledge the hand of God It is God that hath lockt up the clouds when-ever they are lockt up God hath forbidden the clouds to let down their rain when-ever they with-hold it Men and Devils can no more stop the rain than make it Secondly When we want rain let us go to God for it 'T is the prerogative of God alone to help us in that streight and therefore the holy prophet sends a chalenge to all other powers or declares them disabled for this help Jer. 14.22 Are there any among the vanities of the Gentiles that can cause rain or can the heavens give showers neither the one nor the other can The heavens cannot dispose of a drop though they possesse a sea of water God must hear the heaven before the heavens can
hear the earth that is answer the necessities of the earth And as the heavens cannot give man rain so neither can the gods of mans making and placing there such are all the vanities or vain Idols of the Gentiles The prophet having shewed us that these cannot sheweth us who can give rain in the next words Art not thou he O Lord our God surely thou art he therefore we will wait upon thee for thou hast made all these things Solomon at the dedication of the Temple puts this as one special case wherein they were to apply to God by prayer 1 Kings 8.35 When heaven is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against thee If they pray c. then hear thou in heaven The prophet sends the people in that exigent to God Zec. 10 1. Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the later rain As if he had said if ye would have rain you must ask for iâ— and be sure ye ask it of none but him ask of the Lord. As it is God that gives out or with-holds the rain so he gives it our or with-holds it at the voice of prayer The Apostle saith of Elias Jam. 5.17 he was a man subject to the like passions that we are and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months and he prayed again and the heavens gave rain At hiâ— word the Lord stopt rain and at his word he gave rain Let us therefore confess that God is the author or father of the rain He causeth vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth he maketh lightnings for the rain Ps 135.7 He covereth the heaven with clouds he prepareth rain for the earth Ps 147.8 God covereth the heaven with clouds by drawing up vapours from the earth which are the matter of these clouds and in those clouds he prepares the rain by the rain sent down makes the grass to grow upon the mountains The encrease of vegetables is the effect of rain God hath the rain in his power and to acknowledge him in it is our duty Deus sibi Soli clavem pluvtae refervat Targ. Hierosol in cap. 3. Gen. 'T is a great part of our spiritualness to acknowledge God in naturals as well as spirituals or â—hat the key of the clouds as well as the key of the heart is in the hand of God and in his only One of the Antients speaking to this point said Let us not ascribe rain to the Saints much less to Witches Papists have their Saints to whom they pray for rain and Atheists go to Witches for rain The modest and moderate Heathen will â—ise up against such in judgement they ascribed rain to their gods though false gods they had Epethites or Titles of Honour for their Idols Imbriferi serenatores testifying their faith in them and dependance upon them for the showers of heaven they called them shower-bringing gods and fair-weather-making gods If heathens would yet ascâ—ibe the rain to their gods not to men not to any inferiour powers how abominable are they who professing the knowledge of Jehovah the only true God do not acknowledg him alone in this In times of drought many will say We hope we shall have rain when the Moon changeth or when the Wind turns now though there be somewhat in natuâ—e both in the change of the Moon and turn of the Winds as to the change of weather yet to speak much of or expect any thing from either argues some withdrawing of the heart from God and God to shew the folly of such hath often with-held the rain though the Moon hath changed more than once and the Wind turned to all quarters and passed through all poynts of the Compass Thirdly Let us take heed of provoking the Lord he can quickly stâ—p our Comforts those common outward comforts the rain and showrs of heaven and then as to this Life in how sad a case are we As the Lord hath not left himself without witness namely of his goodness in sending rain and fruitful seasons so he can quickly leave a witness of his Justice and displeasure or of his just displeasure by with-holding rain and as a consequent of that fruitful seasons from us Were it only to have rain and fruitful seasons we should take heed of displeasing God If a man had such power as to with-hold rain from your land you would take heed of diâ—pleasing him How dangerous then is it to provoke God who cannot only with-hold the rain from your land but can as the Scripture saith make the rain of your land to be powder and dust Deut. 28.24 that is give you powder and dust instead of rain When the rain is long with-holden the earth grows hard and being much trodden or traveled on dusty this dust being raised up by the wind shall come down instead of rain or that 's all the rain which I will give you The Lord hath our natural comforts in his hand as well as our spiritual and eternal Further As this with-holding of the rain sometimes so the holding up of the rain at any time shews the great power of God to hold the water in the aire is the work of God as much as to with-hold it from the earth The water is a heavy body and all heavy things tend downward is it not a wonder that such a mighty weight of water should hang in the aire and be there held up if it were not held there it would not stay there but come down and drown all What holds it up the Cloud is a thin substance yet it holds the water as well as the strongest vessel bound with hoopes of iron But by what power doubtless by the power of God The water hath no consistence in it self it is a fluid slippery body now what can hold the water that none of it leakes out but the power of God There are many millions of drops in one little cloud and every drop is of it self ready to slip away yet the whole cloud yeelds no more water then a rock till God orders it Let us contemplate the Almightiness of God who can hold such a mighty body of water in the aire or who as Job spake Chap. 26.8 bâ—â—deth up the waters in his thick clouds and the cloud is not rent under them These notes arise from that translation which imports the Lords power in drawing the water fâ—om the earth as also in with-holding it from the earth when there is need and in holding it when there is no need We translate He maketh small the drops of â—ater Not only hath God made the body of the water which is one of the four general Elements of which all bodies are compounded and made but he makes the water into small drops or maketh small the drops of water Hence note That the water falls from heaven by dropâ— comes to pass by the
at hand and afar off It is said of the Empire of the Sun Psal 19 6. his going forth is from the end of the heaven and his circuit unto tke ends of it and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof much more may I say of the Empire of God his going forth is from one end of the earth to the other and there is nothing hid from his wisdom and government One of the Ancients gives his sentence clearly with this truth Qui summa regit extrema non deserit qui utique praesens equalis est etiam in dissimilibus sil i ipsi dissimilis non est Gregor He saith he that ruleth in the highest heavens doth not forsake the ends of the earth he is every where present and every where alike present though the places are unlike yet the presence of the Lord is a like when need requires it That 's further matter of comfort that under the whole heaven and unto the ends of the earth we may find the Lord ready for us and disposing all things not only for good but for the best He directeth it c. Vers 4. After it a voice roareth or after it he roareth with a voice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Elliâ— sis praepositionis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Post eum Vulg. Pro volunte ac jubente illo ut post deum sit post ille praeceperit Drus Anteambulones praenuncii supremi regis adventantis There is another reading of these words some give it thus after him a voice roareth That is after his command God willing and giving forth an order for it a voice roareth that is at his command or word the voice roareth or followeth As if the scope of Elihu in this Text were to shew that neither Thunder nor Lightning stir a foot or haires breadth till they have a word from God as indeed they do not For though Thunder and Lightning may be called Gods Vshers or Heralds that go before him proclame his approach Psal 18.12 13 14. yet they follow and come after him They go before him as to action yet they come after him as to commisâ—â—on they go not till he saith go or hath given them commission to go That 's a profitable reading of the words Our translation saith after it a voice roareth that is after the Lightning or as soon as it hath Lightned a voice roareth Our experience teacheth us that Thunder followeth the Lightning which we are not to understand according to the nature of the thing for so Thunder and Lightning are as it were born and brought forth together there is no difference between them at all in time but there is a difference as to order at least as to order in our apprehension and so the one may be said to come after the other the Thunder after the Lightning as when a gun lesser or greater is discharged if you are at a distance you may see the fire a considerable time before you hear the report Segnius irritant animos demissa per aurem quam quae sunt oculis subjecta fidelibus Horat. and possibly the bullet hits the mark before the sound hits to the ear though the discharge be made in a moment which some say is because the eye is a quicker sence than the ear but rather because light doth in a moment strike through the air but the sound comes by certain circuits fetcheth a longer compass before it comes at the ear as hath been toucht lately before as also at the 26 verse of the 28 chapter And besides this or any other reason of the thing in nature constant experience teacheth us that we see the light first and then hear the voice and therefore Elihu speakes here very congruously to both After it a voice roareth And as the reason of this in nature as was shewed is that more speedy passage of the light through the air than of the sound so a moral reason may be given of it which take in this observation God mindes or warnes us of his Judgments before he sends them Fulguratio ostendit ignem fulminatio â—mitit illa ut-ita dicam cominatio est conatio sine ictu ista jaculatio cum ictu Sen. lib. 2. Nat. Quest cap. 12. When you see Lightning you say there will be Thunder by and by as natural Lightning gives warning of Thunder so God gives warning from his word and providences when a Thunder-clap of judgment in any kind is coming God never sends a judgment but we hear of it before we feel it God speaks before he strikes Matth. 24. Behold I have told you before Lightning tells us Thunder is at hand God doth not use to strike his people with a Thunder-bolt before he hath given them notice by a flash of Lightning indeed judgments alwayes surprize the wicked how much Lightning soever hath been dashed in their eyes yet the Thunder comes unawares The day of the Lord will at least come as a snare upon all carnal men though they have had frequent calls to prepare for it God in the course of nature teacheth us the course of his providence Lightning gives warning that Thunder is coming and happy are they who take warning by his Lightning and so escape the stroke of his Thunder after it a voice Roareth It hath been already shewed that Thunder is the voice of God here Elihu tells us what kind of voice it is it roareth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rugivit propriâ—â—m leonis The word signifieth the roaring of a lion 't is also applyed to the roaring of the Sea that 's a dreadful roaring Naturalists tell us there are several sorts of Thunder every Thunder is not a roaring Thunder they give five or six gradual denominations of Thunder First There is a shreeking or crashing Thunder 1. Stridens Secondly There is a hissing Thunder 2. Sibilans as when red hot iron is put into water Thirdly There is a cracking Thunder 3. Crepans as when a bladder is broken or a chesnut in the fire 4 Tumultuans Fourthly There is a rumbling Thunder We sometimes hear only a rushing in the clouds no crack of Thunder breaking our 5. Rugiens c. Garcaeâ—s Meteorolog Fifthly There is a roaring Thunder as this text speakes a voice roareth Sixthly There is a whispering Thunder I may call it a kind of silent oâ— still-voyced Thunder possibly that was such spoken of 1 Kings 19.12 After the fire a still small voice As also that when Jesus Christ was baptized by John in Jordan Matth. 3.17 And lo a voice from heaven saying This is my beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased 'T is conceived that voice came in a still whispering Thunder Such doubtless was that Thunder John 12.28 29. when Christ prayed Father glorifie thy Name then came there a voice from heaven saying I have both glorified it and will glorifie it
to cherish and comfort the fruits of the Earth But besides these common and ordinary ends of sending rain somewhat extraordinary seems to be intended when the Text saith He causeth it to come for mercy or favour What 's the favour or special meâ—cy that comes by rain Surely it is the sending of such a rain and such a blessing with it as causeth the earth to bring forth abundantly The Lord can more than supply wants he can give plenty he can give as much in one year as may serve for two or three Sive ad Benignitatem scâ—ut benigne fiat terrae citra necessitatem ut cum pluvâ—â— descendit summo aestu ad aerem refrigerâ—ndum Drus Thus he pâ—omised Levit. 25.21 Then I will Command my blessing upon you in the sixth year and it shall bring forth fruit for three years the sixth year was the year before the Sabbath-year for then they were not to till the gâ—ound Now if you carefully observe my Sabbath-year saith God you shall have no want though you do not sow This is a mercy when God sends in a double or treble Crop when he not only sends enough to serve the tuâ—n or to keep us alive but abundance and plenty so that the floars shall be full of wheat and the fats shall overflow with wine and oyle as the promise is expressed Joel 2.24 Hence note God is not only a just but a bountifull Master He doth not only give us enough for necessity but for delight and contentment if we use his boun y well and turn not his blessings to his dishonour plenty will be our mercy The Clouds come somtimes for Correction God sweepes away even our necessaries by raines which are therefore in Scriptuâ—e called sweeping raines at other times the Clouds come for mercy and empty themselves to fill us with the blessings of the earth that we both by corrections and favours may be led to repentance and receive further mercy not only mercy fâ—om the Clouds but mercy above the Clouds Thus the words stand in a fair opposiâ—ion and one part of the verse illustrates the other Yet I conceive there is somwhat further in these woâ—ds for mercy or in mercy and free benignity which may intimate thus much to us That even the Rain from the Clouds and fruits of the earth are not given us of desert but of free favour and mercy They come for mercy or as a mercy God doth not seed the World because he owes them any thing but because he is mercifull we do not oblige him to give us a drop of rain or a morsell of bread sweet showres from Heaven and plentifull harvests on Earth are acts of grace mercy favour and good-will unto man God payeth men wages in nothing but in punishment whâ—n God punisheth he payes wages that which is deserv'd if God send the Clouds for Correction we have what our sins have procured and brought upon us but if he send plenty we have mercy a gracious bounty or largess from the hand of God our daily bread is not pay nor wages but reward and mercy much lesse is that which is more or beyond our daily bread We by sin deserve that the Heavens should be as the Lord thâ—eaten'd his ancient people in case of disobedience as bâ—ass and the Eaâ—th as iron but we have not deserv'd that the Heavens should drop fatness and the Earth yeild her increase this is mercy Not only are we to look upon the Pardon of sin as a meâ—cy and Redemption by the blood of Christ as a mercy and Justification through his Righteousness as mercy and eternall life as a mercy or coming from mercy and free grace but we are to receive every bit of bread as coming to us through mercy freely and not upon any account of our own workings or deservings And if we cannot deserve a showre no nor a drop of rain from the Clouds if we cannot deserve a Crop of Corn from the Earth then surely we cannot deserve grace or peace from God or eternal life and happiness with God Therefore how should we magnifie and admiâ—e the mercy and free grace of God for spiritual thingâ— when we see such cause of magnifying him even for temporal good things if the Clouds are favourable to us it is of mercy Further That notion may be well improv'd which some give of this word reading the Abstract by the Concrete we say For mercy they say for the mercifull that is for the liberall benigne and mercifull man the man of a large heart to dâ— good God causeth the Cloud to come somtimes for Correction usually for his land to conveigh common comforts and he hath his times wherein he causeth it to come for the merciful that is in special favour to those that are mercifull and good and gâ—acious both as they have received grace from God and as they have done good things for and among men He that watereth shall be watered also himself Pro. 11.24 Thus you see the three-fold Message that God sends the Clouds upon either to Correct men for their sin or for his Land that the Creature in general may have subsistence or for special favour and mercy to his peculiaâ— people and for those above the rest of good men who are mercifull and ready to do good JOB Chap. 37. Vers 14 15 16. 14. Hearken unto this O Job stand still and consider the wondrous works of God 15. Dost thou know when God disposed them and caused the light of his cloud to shine 16. Dost thou know the ballancings of the clouds the wonderous works of him which is perfect in knowledge THis context begins the second part of the Chapter wherein Elihu First exciteth Job to a serious contemplation of the wonderful works of God this is expressed in the 4th verse Secondly He urgeth the weakness and inability of Job and indeed of any man to understand the full compass of those works And this he doth First In general as to them all in the beginning of the 15th verse Dost thou know when God disposed them Secondly he sheweth his inability as to particulars or the several kinds of the works of God First As to his causing of the Light to shine in the close of the 15th verse Secondly As to his weighing or ballancing of the Clouds verse 16th The summe of these three verses together with the two next which follow make up an earnest exhortation that Job considering and comparing that great power and wisdom of God which appear shine in those forementioned works with his own weakness and insufficiency would therefore humble himself and not venture any further to contest or plead with God And because many of the Lords providential works are unsearchable as wel as these which are natural therefore Elihu would not have Jâ—b busie himself in any curious prying into those which concerned his present condition For if there be infinite and unerring wiâ—dom tempered with mercy and justice with
〈◊〉 plius Piâ—c The word which we render and is here used as a Vâ—â—b to spread bâ—aâ—eth an allusiâ—n to Metals which aâ—e beaten on by an hammer inâ—o plates The Nowne signifies the Fiâ—mamâ—nâ— Gen. 1. becauâ—e it is an expansiâ—n or thing spread out I 〈◊〉 the Veâ—b is applyed to the work of God upon the Earth Psal 136.6 where the Psalmist puts this among the praises of â—od oâ— the things for which God is to be prâ—ieâ— To him who stâ—eâ—cheâ— out the eaâ—th The stâ—eâ—ching or spreading out of th◠〈◊〉 is the work of God as well as the spreading out oâ— the Hâ—â—â—â—n The earth iâ— a solid opâ—â—ous and globous body yet it is said 〈◊〉 strâ—tched out bâ—cause as there is a â—â—undness in the Earth so a mighty extenâ— and vastness To him that stretched out the earth ab ve the waters to him give thanks But though the Earth be alâ—o stretched out yet more properly of which Elihu here spâ—aks the Sky Hast thou with him spread out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Coelum vel nubes vel aerem signifiâ—â—â— unde aliqui conjunctim de omnibus accipiant Scult Coeli siâ— dicti a tenuitate substantiae et ל valet articulum accusati vicasus Pisc Apud Hebraeos idem significant Shamaiim Schehbkim ita apud Latinos coelum Aether interdum aer mediae regionis ubi sunt nubes hoc nomine significatur Merc The Sky The word renâ—red Sky is put somtimes for the Air somtimes for the Clouds as also for the Heavens above boâ—h the Clouds and Air. Several of the leaâ—ned expound it here of the Aiâ— that is of all below the Moon others of the Heavens which aâ—e above Hast thou with him spread out the Sky or the Heaveâ— This spreading forth of the Sky may have a thâ—ee-fold reference Fiâ—st To the eternal Councel of God bâ—â—â—e â—ime As if he had said Wast thou with God when he decreed or purposed to spread out the Heavens Secondly To the wo k 〈◊〉 God in the bâ—ginning of time Wast thou with God when he did â—ctuâ—lly spâ—ead out the Sky or Firmament in the second dayes work of Câ—â—â—tion Gen. 1.6 Thirdly â—hich some insist much uâ—â—n to the daily or frequently renewed woâ—k of God in oâ—de ing and alteâ—ing the face and moâ—ion of the Heavens Aâ— if he hâ—d â—aiâ— Hâ—st thou with him when the Sky seeming to be wrapped up in dâ—rkâ—ess and rent with thunder and storms hast thou then with him scattered the darkness and cleared up the air making all strong or whole again Thus he is supposed speaking of a thing often done even after every storme not of spreading the Sky at first The Vulgar Latine renders it ironically in the second sense Tu forfitan cum illo fabricatus es coelos Vulg Thou perhaps didst joyn with him in making the Heavens As if Elihu had said 'T is like or belike thou wast with him when he made the Heavens Thou surely wast the Giant or Mighty man who assisted at the spreading out of that vast Canopie Didst thou poor worm contribute thy help or lend thy hand to God in the creation of the World are we beholding to thee that the Heavens which we behold compasse in all things with their embraces you speak of your self at such a rate as if you had been a partner or coadjutor with God in the Creation and had with him spread out the Heavens Thus the words are a strong Negation Thou hadst nothing to do with God when he spread out the Heavens in the work of Creation why then art thou so busie with God about the works of his Providence and particularly about his dealing with thy self The sum of Elihu's argument in this matter may be thus conceived If God call not man in other things as a Counsellor or Judge of his actions nor can be required of any man to do so nor may any man presume to speak against his ordering the Heavens and Meteors which yet concern the great good or hurt of thousands then it must needs be a very unequall thing that any one man should expect of God a reason of his particular dealing with him but patiently submit unto it not at all questioning either his justice or his goodness how greatly and grievously soever he is afflicted First Taking the Heavens either stâ—ictly or as many do synecdochecally a part being put for the whole work of Creation Note God made the world He spâ—ead the Heavens and stretched out the Earth Heaven and Earth aâ—e the woâ—k of his hands Secondly God had no partner in his work Hast thou with him spread out the Sky The Scripture is much in exalting the honour of God as the sole Agent and Efficient in setting up the frame of the Woâ—ld Isa 44.24 Thus saith the Lord I am the Lord that maketh all things that stretcheth forth the Heavens alone that spreadeth abroad the Earth by my self The Pâ—oâ—het brinâ—s in God speaking thus to comâ—â—â—t his ancient people when they saw none to help them What cannot God do alone who stretcheth out the Heavens alone Cannot he bring back the Church of the Jews out of Babylon alone who stretcheth out the Heavens alone cannot he raise up Cyrus for his Shepherd and move him to make Proclamation for their return when there was none to move him about it He frustrateth the tokens of the liars and maketh Diviners mad Those lying Diviners said the Jews were fast enough for coming out but God frustrated their tokens and made thâ—m mad at their disappoyntments Now as this may exceedingly comfort and encourage the people of God all the world over in their greatest straits that God made the world and spread ouâ— the Sky alone so it doth exceedingly advance the power and gloâ—y of God If a man have but a great Carpet or Coverlet to unâ—old he must call in the help of two or three to spread iâ— and hold it up one man cannot do it alone But God spread out the Hâ—aven that mighty Canopie of the Heavens alone And his spreading of it was the making of it The mighty God by one act gave the Sky both its being and its forme And all this he did without either Counsellor or Coadjutor No man ever did any very great thing in the world but it was either by the help of other mens heads in contriving or by the help of their hands in effecting To be a sole-Agent of Great things is the sole-priviledge of the Great God And surely if the Lord God had no assistant in the great work of Creation he needs no assistance in his greatest works of Providence He who made the world without help can do what he pleaseth in the world without help Our help saith the Psalmist 124.8 is in the name of the Lord who made Heaven and Earth but the Maker of Heaven and of Earth fetcheth all his help from his own Name Elihu having magnified the power of Gâ—d in spreading out
been shewed upon some other passages of Elihu's discourse with Job This is the righteousnesse of our persons as justified we are righteous as sanctified we are also righteous Now when Elihu chargeth Job to say that his righteousnesse was more than Gods we are not to understand it as if he had said his personal righteousness in either notion was more than Gods for that righteousness which is imputed to our persons is indeed the righteousness of God Rom. 10.3 but 't is not a righteousnesse more than Gods And as for that righteousnesse planted in our persons how imperfect and mixt with corruption is that at best in this life And therefore had Job spoken any such words or had harboured such a thought it had been blasphemy at the highest rate and as one expresseth it well If Job had spoken these horrible blasphemies Si haec horrenda blasphemia fuisset ab eo extorta Satan certè non autem Jobus in hoc certamine victoriam obtinuisset Bez. though extorted from him by utmost extremity and in the greatest anguish of his spirit surely Satan had got the day and triumphed as Victor in this great conflict not Job Should the most righteous man on Earth or Angel in Heaven say in strict sence My righteâ—usnesse is more than Gods this saying were a charging of God with unrighteousnesse yea which Satan promised himself and told God Job would do if tryed to the utmost a cursing of God to his face But as Job abhorred to speak irreverently though he sometimes spake passionately of God so that he utterly disclaimed such thoughts of his own righteousnesse hath appeared fully by his frequent protestations against all dependance upon and trust in any self-righteousnesse or perfection in divers passages of this Book Secondly There is a righteousnesse of our Cause or of the special matter in controversie In which sence I conceive Judah said of Tamar Gen. 38.26 She hath been more righteous than I. That is She hath carried this businesse better and more according to right And thus we may understand Elihu charging Job for saying My righteousnesse is more than Gods that is my Cause is more righteous than his and to say that which is the most moderate sence was too great a boldnesse for any creature yea a blasphemy against the Creator Shall man presume to say that God doth not carry things righteously with him or that there is no reason why God should deal so or so with him But did Job ever affirm his Cause more righteous than Gods I answer not categorically or directly But Elihu hearing Job make so many complaints might suppose he thought there was no reason why God should deal with him as he had done and then he had been more righteous in his Cause than God The Septuagint read it without any comparison at all which makes the meaning much more easie they say not My righteousness is more than Gods but I shall be found righteous before God or in the sight of God This Job had said and therefore made so many appeals to God Justus sum ante conspectum Domini Sept. I am just before God that is My cause will be found right and just in the sight of God And as Job had said this often equivalently so once in terms Chap. 23.10 When he hath tryed mâ— I shall come forth as gold or appear innocent before God which he spake especially with an eye to those heavy accusations which his Friends brought against him and laid upon him And even for this Job might well be condemned of rashnesse by Elihu who aimed at the throwing down of all self-righteousness at the stopping of every mouth at the eclipsing of all humane glory in the presence and before the brightnesse of the Most Glorious High and Holy God So then even this other more favourable reading which speaketh not comparatively but positively I am just before God that is Praepositio illa Mom verti potesta vel ab ni hunc sensum justus suma Deo vel justificabo causam mcam apud Deum Cajet I shall be justified by God or I doubt not but I shall be acquitted and found right before God this cannot every way be justified It was Jobs fault and failing that he was so confident God would not he was farre from saying God could not find fault with him We may see if we have spiritual eyes or eyes enlightned by the Spirit so many faults in our best services as may make us ashamed to own them rather than to boast of them before men much more to bear up our selves before God upon them For as Eliphaz told Job in the 4th Chapter God chargeth his Angels with folly and the best of his Saints are unclean before him therefore that was too much fo Job to say of himself though that 's the easiest and most charitable Interpretation of what he said when he said as the Septuagint render I shall be found righteous before God or in the sight of God Our Translation is very hard hardest of all Thou hast said my righteousnesse is more than Gods yet this Elihu might gather up consequentially from what he spake in the 19th Chapter vers 6 7. Behold I cry out of wrong but I am not heard I cry aloud but there is no judgement As also from the passage Chap. 23d vers 2d. Even to day is my complaint bitter my stroke is heavier than my groaning In both places Job speaks as if God had not dealt rightly with him as if God had been over-severe in afflicting him or as if his complainings were short of his sufferings In both or either of which Job exceeds the bounds both of truth and duty such extravagant expressions have no apology but his pain nor can any thing be an Advocate for him but this That Satan who was his Tempter was also his Tormenter and held him so long upon the Rack that he uttered as himself confessed Chap. 42.3 that which he understood not yea words by which Elihu understood that he said in effect My righteousness is more than Gods Note hence first There is no thought of man further from right than to think there is any unrighteousness in the dealings of God with man Man can hardly do any thing that is just and it is impossible God should do any thing that is unjust Let God do what he will it is right and he is righteous in doing it Yea whatsoever evil God doth to a Job to any of his good people he is good to them in doing it Psal 73.1 Truly God is good to Israel even to such as are of a clean heart or clean of heart Not only is God Righteous and Just but Good and Gracious in what he doth though his dispensations are often very sad yet they are never unequal and as the worst of men shall at last acknowledge that he is just so the best of men a Job a David shall find and see at last with
as I have heard from thee I will answer them all how many soever they be I will undertake thee and all thy Party Thee and thy Companions with thee Hence Note He who hath truth on his sidâ— needs not fear the opposition of many no nor the opposition of all men To oppose two is a very great disadvantage but if a man have the truth on his side he may oppose all though he be alone He may be an Antipas Revel 2.13 a man against all men as that name of Christs faithful Martyr there mentioned doth import If there be a thousand of them he may undertake them all for in answering one he answers all Elijah said of himself 1 Kings 18.22 I even I only remain a Prophet of the Lord yet he stood up against all the Idolatrous Prophets of Baal who were no fewer than four hundred and fifty men That we have many with us is liâ—tle advantage and lesse honour many a time A long train of Followers will do us no good if our Cause be bad Truth is strong and will prevail 't is vain to fight against it though our partakers are many The ancient Fathers observed how some were wont to cry up those that had the multitude on their side and to boast that most were of their Opinion It was the saying of a Worthy in those times By my being alone Non mea solitudine minuitur verbum veritatis Dictum Liberti ad Constantium Arrianum Theod. lib. 2. Histor Eccl. c. 16. the word of truth and the truth of the word is not at all diminished One man and the truth are strong enough to oppose a multitude in error and a multitude of errors The more any men and the more men appear in opposing truth the more is God engaged in faithfulness to appear for it When one boasted to St Hierome that he had a multitude of Followers in his Opinion he answered That the number of his Companions did not prove him a Catholick Multitudo sâ—cioâ—um te nequaquam Catholicum sed Haereticum monstrabit Hieron l. 3. advers Pelag. but a Heretick But how did Elihu answer Job and his Companions The next verse tells us how Vers 5. Look unto the Heavens and see behold the Clouds which are higher than thou 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aspexit aliq tando ab oâ—ulis ad intellectum transfertur As if he had said Look to the Heavens and they 'l answer thee behold the Clouds and they will confute thee Thy very senses may convince thee that thou hast spoken these things against Reason And the Heaveâ—s will tell thee that thy mistake in this matter is Heaveâ—ly wide If thou turn thy eyes upward and considerest that distance which is between God Toto coelo erras who hath Heaven for the Habitation of his Holâ—nesse and of his Glory and thee who dwellest in thy house of Clay here on Earth thou mayest see that thy sins cannot hurt him nor thy goodnesse extend to him The distance between Heaven and man is very great but the distance between God and man is far greater the one is immensurable but the other is unimaginable unconceiveable Therefore if the Heavens be so high that thou canst not annoy them with thine Arrows much lesse art thou able to annoy God who is higher and infinitely more out of Bow-shot and Gun-shot than the Heavens That 's the scope of his Aâ—gumentation here to prove that Job could not or that no man can hurt God by his sin Look to the Heavens and see Both words are applyed to the sense or sight of the eye yet they have a reference also to an intellectual sight to the eye of the mind Look and see that is Take special notice of and contemplate the Heavens We may look and not see that is look and not consider look and not observe To look and see is to give earnest attention to the thing looked upon look curiously câ—itically how high the Heavens are Look and see 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Significat curiose inspicere intueri visa contemplare mente Aquin. We may apply the first word Look as some do to the truth of the thing look how high the Heavens are it may be seen by the eye that they are very high though we cannot see how high they are The latter word See may referre to the admirable contrivance and contexture of the thing seen as the formeâ— to the truth and reallity of it Look and see how wonderful how full of wonders the Heavens are see with admiration what a vastness what an exâ—ctnesse there is in the Heavens above thee Thus the word is used by the Prophet Isa 42.18 Look ye blind that ye may see It is a Prophesie of Gospel times that is Consider the Messages and Mysteries of the Gospel exactly view them well that ye who are blind may behold the glorious light that shines forth in them There were many blind ones in Châ—ists time that looked upon the things of the Gospel and did not see the Pharisees lookt upon them and they were among the blind ones they indeed had better thoughts of themselves and therefore put that question to Christ in scorn John 9.40 Are we blind also They did not look so as to see they were blind when they looked and blind after they looked The holy Prophet exhorts poor blind souls to whom the Gospel should come to look better to look again and again till they saw Look ye blind that ye may see That is be diligent and humble that ye may see the light shining in the Gospel The proud Pharisees who would not see the light which Christ offered to them were the worst of blind ones This is the Look which the word in the Text calls for Look unto the Heavens and see it cannot be understood of the outward sight only for he that looks upon the Heavens cannot but see them but a man may look a great while upon the Heavens and not see them considerately nor understand what he seeth The words import attention and consideration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Intentis oculis intuitin est And so they are used and placed 2 Kings 3.14 Were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the King of Judah I would not look unto thee nor see thee said Elisha to Jehoram King of Israel that is I would give thee no respect nor take notice of thee Nomen hoc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non potest significare Nubes quae sunt substantiae densae nempe Aer condensatus At Shehhakim dicti sunt a substantiae tenuitate qualis est substantia coeli ergo verâ—o tenues coelos Pisc In this sense the Prophet represents the Church bespeaking the incompassionate Spectators of her calamity Lam. 1.12 Is it nothing to you all ye that passe by Behold and see that is weigh it well and consider if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow Look unto the Heavens
we may see much of God they are a Natural Alphabet the Letters whereof being well placed and rightly put together we may spell the name of God his Wisdome Power and Goodnesse Thus the Apostle argues Rom. 1.19 20. That which may be known of God is manifest in them or to them that is to the very Heathens His proof for this is taken from the poynt now proposed For the invisible things of him from the Creation of the world are cleerly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal Power and God-head The Apostle layes it down in general Whatsoever is made whatsoever is part of the Creation holds out somewhat of God The very Clods of the Earth declare his Power how much more the Clouds and Starrs of Heaven Therefore Look to the Heavens Behold the Clouds consider them Psal 19.2 They declare the Glory of God and the Firmament sheweth his handy-work If you ask more particularly what do they declare I answer First That God is every Creature doth so if there be a Creature there must needs be a Creator If there be Effects there must be an Efficient the made Heavens declare their Maker Secondly The Heavens declare not only that God is but that he is above Christ hath taught us to pray Our Father which art in Heaven God is every where yet there especially Heaven is the Habitation of his Holinesse and of his Glory Thirdly In the purity of the Heavens we may see the holinesse and purity of God and they being so incorruptible and unchangeable declare Fourthly The incorruptibility and unchangeablenesse of God He that made them such is much more such himself The very unchangeablenesse of the Heavens is changeable compared with the unchangeablenesse of God The Heavens saith David Psal 102.25 26. are the work of thy hands they shall perish but thou shalt endure or stand yea all of them shall wax old like a Garment as a Vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed but thou art the same and thy years shall have no end Fifthly The Heavens which God hath built as a House for himself being so high above the touch of the Creature shew us that God is infinitely exalted above the reach and molestation of sinful man that 's the thing which Elihu aims at as appears by what followeth in the next words Look to the Heavens and see behold the Clouds which are higher than thou Vers 6. If thou sinnest what dost thou against him or if thy transgressions be multiplyed what dost thou unto him As if he had said When thou lookest to the Heavens thou plainly seest thou canst do nothing against them it would be a vain thing for thee to attempt the Heavens to clamber up to the Clouds surely then thy sinnings thy frettings thy discontents and complaints cannot hurt God therefore be quiet If thou sinnest The word here used notes sin in the least degree 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Erraviâ— any error or deviation from the Rule but it comprehends sins of the highest degree even such as the Prophet calls Amos 5.12 Mighty sins If thou sinnest at the greatest rate at the height of blasphemy What dost thou against him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non tam nocere quam opâ—rare et laborare significat q. d. Laborando et adnitendo quid tandem efficies quo illum laedas Pined The Hebrew is What workest thou against him Properly the word signifieth only to work we render it by working against that is to the hurt and disadvanâ—age of another to his mischief and undoing As if he had said If thou shouldest set thy shoulder to the work if thou shouldest do evil with both hands greedily yet thou canst make no work of it in this matter what dost thou against him what hurt hath he by it And to assure Job that he hath none nor can have any Elihu serves him up the same Messe in another Dish of words in the close of the verse Or if thy transgressions be multiplyed Here Elihu speaks as high as he meant before Transgressing is more thâ—n ordinary sinning though as was toucht upon the word under sinning he comprehended any the most extraordinary transgressings If thy sins be transgressions rebellions or prevarications and they be multiplyed if thou sinnest out of malice and wrathful purpose against God himself and dost not only commit some one of these but many and heapest them up together yet c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Et ad molem et numerum communis est If thy transgressions be multiplyed The word signifies both magnitude and multitude hence some render If thy transgressions be great we say If they be many Sin as much as thou wilt and sin as often as thou wilt sin as much as thou canst what hurt hath God by it Some by sin in the former part of the verse understand that evil which is committed immediately against God and by transgressions in this latter clause such evils as are done against our neighbour But I see no need at all to be so distinct we may take it respecting God or man or both for those sins which we commit against man are also against God he is the person offended his Law is broken against whomsoever the sin is committed If thou multiply thy transgressions What dost thou unto him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That word What dost thou signifies not only or not so much strong labour and endeavour as the former did but cunning in labour and skill in labour As if he had said Though a man set all his wits awork to do evil what can he do to him Neither pains nor skill neither industry nor policy neither open force nor secret stratagems can do him any the least annoyance Some Creatures are weak and inconsiderable as to any thing they can do by outward power yet they can do much by their subtilty and cunning but neither the one nor the other can do any thing unto God Scrue up thy wits to the highest pin or peg yet thou canst do nothing really prejudicial unto him The words are plain from them Observe First God receives no dammage by the sin of man how great or how many soever his sins are A man may quickly vex and undo himself by sin Wisdome saith Prov. 8.36 He that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul All they that hate me love death But the sinner cannot hurt God he is far above us man can no more hurt God by sin than he can hurt the Clouds or the highest Heavens Had we an enemy above the Clouds were it not a madnesse to shoot arrows or bend our forces against him What is man to God! The School-man concludes Nothing can be added to Per actum hominis Deo nihil potest accrescere vel deperire Sed tamen homo in quantum in se est aliquid subtrahit Deo vel ei exhibet cum sâ—rvat vel non servat ordinem
necessary unto God We all depend on him he is altogether necessary to us but we are not necessary to him we are and ought to be his Servants but he doth not need our service we need such a Master such a Lord we need to have such a one over us but he needs not such as we are under him Earthly Masters and Servants have need of one another Masters keep and maintain their Servants and Servants are very helpful and profitable to their Masters As a Servant needs a Master to give him meat and drink aparrel and the conveniences of this life so the Master needs the Servant he needs his work his labour his hand he cannot tell how to do his businesse without him Masters cannot live comfortably without their Servants much lesse honourably they cannot keep their State and Degree amongst men without Servants and Servants need their Masters they cannot subsist they cannot live but by wages or the reward of their labour God hath made such a tye knit such a knot among the Creatures that one though a Superiour should not despise the other though much his Inferiour for both concurre as parts to the constitution of the whole or general constitution of the world But God is not a part but the Principle or Constituter of the Universe not at all depending upon any part of it If a Servant should have need of his Master and not the Master of the Servant the Master would despise his Servant but God hath so ordered it that as the Servant needs the Master so the Master needs the Servant while himself hath no need of either God hath no need of our service but we need his service or him as our Lord and Master It is an honour to God that he hath so many to serve him but it is his greatest honour that he needs none to serve him Before there were either men or Angels God had the same honour and happinesse that now he hath he is self-sufficienâ— It were a shame and a dishonour to us should we own him for God who needed our good he cannot be our God who needs our good All Creatures need the help and good of one another and the help or good of all Creatures comes fâ—om God but God himself is strong enough to help himself and good enough to make himself everlastingly happy There is nothing without him but he can be happy without it there 's no Creature whether thing or person in Heaven or Earth necessary to God either as to his Being or well-Being And therefore we may say not only to the best man on Earth but to the most glorious Angel in Heaven as Elihu to Job What receiveth he of thine hand Secondly If what we do adds nothing to God if he receive nothing by our most righteous services then surely God shews wonderful goodnesse towards us in that he is pleased to make so great an account of and set such store by our services and righteousnesse even of any the least good we do in uprightnesse Is it not a singular comfort that the Lord puts so much worth upon what we do though what we do be of no worth to him and that God should bind himself to us when he is not at all beholding to us The Lord doth not say What do you give me or What do I receive at your hands thereby to put a slight upon our performances and services 't is far from the Lord that because he hath no need of us therefore to contemn us no he declares a gâ—eat acceptance of any the least faithfull service to himself or to our brethren which we do at his command Though should we stretch our endeavours and strain our wits to the utmost to do him good we cannot yet he doth not undervalue what we do but takes what is well done well at our hands and puts all our good deeds into his Book of Remembrance and we shall one way or oâ—her hear of them again to our comfort Hence Thirdly We may inferre How good is God who highly rewards us for the good we do though it do him no good Man will scarce thank a man for any good that he doth unlesse it redound somewhat to himself much lesse will he pay or reward another for that service which stands him in little or no stead If man make a bargain with a man he comes hardly off with him if he gets no benefit by it seeing then the Lord rewards us for those services by which he gets no good at all how wonderfully doth this declare his goodnesse Fourthly How doth the goodnesse of God appear seeing though we can adde nothing to his glory yet if we do good and righteous things he tells us that we glorifie him which is the highest commendation imaginable of what we do 'T is the Command of Christ Mat. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they seeing your good works may glorifie your Father which is in Heaven The Apostles Caution is Whatsoever ye do do all to the glory of God 1 Coâ— 10.31 Now though according to this and the oâ—her charge we in all we do sincerely aime at the holding forth and manifesting of that glory and gâ—odness that is in God yet he receives no encrease of glory is it not therefore wonderful goodnesse that he is pleased to say we glorifie him which is the highest attainment of the Creature and the noblest improvement of our pains and labours These and many other inferences may be made for our instruction from this humbling question If thou be righteous what givest thou to him or what receiveth he at thy hands Elihu having told Job that neither his sin did hurt God nor his righteousnesse advantage him lest any should thence inferre surely then it is no great matter whether we be righteous or wicked whether we do good or evil to prevent this mischief he shews that though your sin cannot hurt God yet it will do hurt enough and though our righteousness adde no good to God yet it may do much good This he doth in the next verse Vers 8. Thy wickednesse may hurt a man as thou art and thy righteousnesse may profit the son of man As if he had said I will tell thee what will become of the good and evil thou d est as to advantage or disadvantage forasmuch as thou canst not advantage God by thy righteousnesse Si bona agerimus nostro bono si mala nostro malo nor hurt him by thy wickednesse it must needs follow that the one may be helpfull and the other hurtfull to thy self and to such as thou thy self art If it were otherwise or not so there would be no difference between the doing of good or evil as to the Event how greatly soever they differ in their Nature Thy wickednesse may hurt a man as thou art only it cannot hurt God God is as great and as happy as ever he was and he will ever be as great and
profit us that therefore Righteousness can justifie us or that because it is profitable to us therefore it can save us All our righteousnesses are but as a filthy garment saith the Prophet and therefore unprofitable for this thing The Apostle counted all things loss not gain dung not profit that he might win Christ and be found in him not having his own Righteousness Phil. 3.8 9. Righteousness is profitable if you keep it in its proper place and apply it to its proper use it is profitable to what God hath appointed it he helps us to work Righteousness and then rewards us for our righteous working God is not unrighteous to forget our work and labour of love Heb. 6.10 Let us be found in our duty and then in due time and place we shall find our profit Our experience will teach us at last that while we have been doing good to others we have done good to our selves Righteousness is profitable unto all things and to all men as well to those who do it as to those for whom it is done JOB Chap. 35. Vers 9 10 11 12 13. 9. By reason of the multitude of oppressions they make the oppressed to cry they cry out by reason of the arme of the mighty 10. But none saith Where is God my maker who giveth Songs in the night 11. Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth and maketh us wiser than the fowles of heaven 12. There they cry but none giveth answer because of the pride of evill men 13. Surely God will not hear vanity neither will the Almighty regard it I Have dispatched the first of those great Objections which Elihu made afresh against Job in this Chapter his speaking unduly of God This context contains a second with the answer to it The Connection is given by some thus Whereas Elihu told Job at the 8th verse That his wickedness might hurt a man like himself He here proves that the wickedness of man is very hurtfull to men so hurtfull that by reason of the multitude of oppressions they make the oppressed to cry They cry out by reason of the arme of the mighty Yet I shall not prosecute the words in that dependance but as they are matter of a second complaint or charge brought by Elihu against Job The charge is laid down in the 9th verse and his answer is prosecuted in the 10th 11th 12 th and 13th verses Vers 9. By reason of the multitude of oppressions they make the oppressed to cry This offended Job the poor cryed and they had no helper no deliverer We may conceive that Elihu gathered up this complaint from the words of Job Chap. 24.12 Men groan from out of the City and the soul of the wounded cryeth out yet God layeth not folly to them As if he had said The Lord lightly passeth by and takes little notice of the greatest afflictions the oppressions of the poor though righteous men Elihu grants these general truths First that many are oppressed Secondly that many cry out in their oppressions Thirdly that many remain undeliveeed from and unreliered in their oppressions God sometimes seemeth not to regard the groans and cryes of the afflicted nor doth he alwayes presently take vengeance of oppressors according to their folly Elihu grants all this he grants that many poor men are so mightily oppressed by the mighty that they are forced to cry mightily yet he strongly acquits God from any such imputation as those words of Job seem to admit or insinuate And in the prosecution of his answer as will appear in opening the 10th and 11th verses he sheweth that the reason why the oppressed are not delivered or answered when they cry is in themselves and not in God and he would have Job consider whether he were not of that number they cry saith Elihu but they do not cry with such a frame of heart with such a disposition of spirit as they ought they cry as men pressed rather with the weight of their own sufferings than toucht with any sense of their sins or reverence of the soveraignty of God giving them up to the power of oppressors or as having any faith in him for their deliverance or quiet submission to him who is ready to help all those who religiously fly to him for refuge and is able to bring them out of their daâ—kest and most deplorable condition These may be said either not to pray at all or they pray not with such holy aims and designs with such integrity and uprightness of heart as becometh the people of God They pray under the power of impatience or moved with envy at the power of their adversaries or with a desire of utmost revenge which nothing stops them from but their own want of power or because they cannot and therefore God takes no notice of their prayers v. 12 13. There they cry but none giveth answer Surely God will not hear vanity neither will the Almighty regard it That 's the summe and scope of the Context I shall now open the words in order Vers 9. By reason of the multitude of oppressions they make the oppressed to cry Here are oppressions and a multitude of oppressions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word signifieth magnitude as well as multitude the muchness as well as the manyness if I may so speak of the oppressions which were upon them Any one great oppression will make men cry how much more many great ones We render it as a word of number By reason of the multitude Of oppressions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oppressit vim fecit quavis injuria affecit The Original notes oppression of all sorts First oppression upon the credit and good name of another by slander and false accusation So the Septuâ—gint render it By reason of calumnies or unrighteous charges or Sycophantismes that 's the word in the Greek Translation they cry False accusers undermine others and bring them into danger by burdening them with lyes Secondly it notes usually oppression upon a mans estate 1 Sam. 12.4 Isa 33.15 Ezek. 18.7 Mal. 3.5 Thirdly upon his person Isa 52.4 Now when a man is oppressed all over when his credit or good name is oppressed by calumniation his estate by wrongfull seisure and his person by violent restraint here 's a troop a multitude of oppressions By reason of the multitude of oppressions They make the oppressed to cry That is the oppressed do not only complain a little but are forced to open lamentations the load upon them is so heavy that they cannot contain they cry yea as the next clause hath it they cry out as a woman in travel when her paines come upon her They make the oppressed to cry They make them cry upon a double Consideration First because of the misery which they feel and are burdened with Secondly for the mercy which they desire expect and think long a-coming men cry for ease for help for assistance for deliverance we may suppose the oppressed
season That is I have as it were discourses and soliloquies secret debates about and strong desires after the things of God even in the night That soul is indeed awake to God which is acquainted with and used to these divine songs in the night the time of sleep Further Take the word night in a metaphorical notion as night signifieth a troublesome state God may be said to give songs in the night when he comforts us in or at any time of affliction I need not stay to prove that in Scripture the night is put for affliction nor need I prove that to give inward joy in a day of outward sorrow is to give songs in the night The observation rising from this metaphorical understanding of night is this which the Scripture and experience are full of God sends comfort to his people or causeth them to rejoyce in the midst of their afflictions It is the Apostles description of God 2 Cor. 1.3 4. The God of all comfort who comforteth us in all our tribulation What sweet songs have suffering Saints sound in the darkest midnight of their affliction What inward peace in outward troubles What soul freedome in bodily restraint Carmen in nocte est laetitia in tribulatione Greg One of the Ancients hath put the question and answered it What 's a song in the night 'T is joy in time of trouble Whenever God gives a soul joy in time of trouble he gives a song in the night Paul and Sylas sang in the night in both notions of night If we take night in a proper sense they sang in the night and in an improper sense they were in prison that was a night of affliction to them yea it was midnight with them the power of darkness or the darkest outward affliction to them yet saith the Text At midnight Paul and Sylas sang They had songs in their mouths and in their hearts too they sang so loud that all heard them And hence we may collect the strength of the argument or reason upon which Elihu here saith God doth not regard the cry of many under oppression they make a noyse but none saith Where is God my maker who giveth songs in the night who is able to comfort us in all our afflictions who is able to make darkness light to us and turn our sorrows into songs of joy they had not these high thoughts of God not these holy confidences in God while they lay under the oppressions of men and therefore God did not regard their cry nor save them from the arme of the mighty This is the first part of the answer which Elihu made to Jobs complaint that the oppressed were not delivered though being pressed so sorely they could not forbeare to cry yea to cry out in their misery The next words give us a fuller and more expresse answer to that complaint Vers 11. Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth and maketh us wiser than the fowles of heaven Vers 12. There they cry but none giveth answer because of the pride of evil men Vers 13. Surely God will not hear vanity neither will the Almighty regard it Elihu proceeds in assigning a second reason to highten their sin who being in distresse say not Where is God my maker or he giveth a further account why the Lord doth not presently attend to the prayers and crys of some men under great oppression He had shewed in the former verse one reason of the Lords forbearance to help them in such distresses they did not say heartily Where is God our maker nor did they remember him according to the special benefits which they sometimes had received from God even songs in the night In this 11th verse Elihu aggravates the sin of such oppressed persons by the consideration of that light understanding wherewith God hath indued and inriched man above the irrational creatures and which he hath therefore furnished man with that he might know what to do in a time of distress in the day of affliction they say not Where is God my maker Who not only gives us songs in the night matter of praise but teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth Some of the Jewish Interpreters read these words positively not as we comparatively or â—hey render them to shew that God hath appoynted the very beasts to be our Tutors not as we that himself tutors us beyond the beasts Thus Who teacheth us by the beasts of the earth and maketh us wise by the fowls of heaven This answers what Job spake in the 12th Chapter of this book v. 7. Ask now the beasts and they shall teach thee and the fowls of the air and they shall tell thee 'T is a truth that God doth teach us by the beasts of the earth and makes us wise by the very fowls of the air We may learn much in the School of those creatures who have not only no learning but no understanding and may be stirred up to the exercise of excellent vertues by those which have not the exercise of reason The Scripture sendeth man the highest of visible creatures to the lowest of visible creatures to creatures so little that they are scarce visible for instruction Go to the Ant thou sluggard consider her wayes and be wise Pro. 6.6 There are several observable qualities and as I may call them vertues not only in the beasts of the earth and fowls of the air but in the meanest creeping things which are very imitable by man and thus God doth teach us by the beasts of the earth and by the fowls of the air vertually though not formally by their practise and example though not by their precepts or rules for such teachings neither the beasts of the earth nor the fowls of the air have any competency at all Man alone cannot teach man â—â—fectually to conversion and salvation all that are so taught are and must be taught of God 1 Cor. 3.5 6 7. yet the beasts of the earth and the fowls of the air may and do teach us instrumentally to conviction and if we learn not by them their teachings as rude as they are will be to our shame confusion and condemnation But I rather take the words as we translate them comparatively Who teacheth us more than the beast of the earth As if he had said God teacheth the beast somewhat but he teacheth man much more Quidem Hebraeorum specialiter eo reserunt ne bestiarum aut avium more invicem rapiamur Merc They who expound this context of the wicked man who oppresseth the poor give the sense thus God teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven that is he teacheth us that we should not like beasts vex tear and rend one the other that we should not like the Bear of of the Wood and the Lyon of the Forrest nor like the Vultures and ravenous Birds of the air â—â—ey one upon another They who
are fierce against and unmerciful to their brethren degenerate into beasts whom God hath taught no better but left them to live by rapine and spoyle Whereas he hath laid more noble principles into the heart of man and taught him to be kind charitable loving and compassionate not to devoure and vex those of his kind how much soever inferior and below him in degree And therefore what a shame is it for men to be more oppressive and cruel to men like themselves than beasts are to beasts or fowls to fowls This is a truth yet I conceive the context is rather to be understood of the oppressed as hath been touched before than of the oppressor and therefore our reading runs most clearly Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in â—il discere in piel docere significat Deus nos majori familiaritate consuetudine dignatur quam â—ostias That is though the very beasts of the earth are taught somewhat by God and have a kind of knowledge yet men are taught of God in a more eminent transcendent and noble way than they whether wild or tame one or other God doth not set up such a School for beasts as he doth for man nor provide such instructions for them as he doth for man He gives men more means of instruction he gives them more time for instruction he takes as I may say more paines to instruct them rising early and sending his Ministers now as the Prophets of old to teach his people He every way teacheth us more than he teacheth the beasts of the earth And maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven But what Are the fowls of the air indued with wisdome I answer First wisdome is put sometime for that inbred subtlety which is no more than an inclination to avoyd that which is hurtful to nature and to follow that which is suitable to it That which is wisdome indeed is the proper and peculiar gift of God to men and Angels only God hath given somewhat like wisdome to the fowls of heaven they have a natural forecast But what is the wisdome with which the fowls of heaven are indued to that wisdome with which man is indued those men especially who through grace are heires of heaven What is the wisdome which beasts have by a common instinct to the wisdome which man hath by divine instruction yea sometimes by divine inspiration Beasts and birds are wise they are taught by God what is convenient for their state yet the best of their knowledge is ignorance and the top of their understanding folly compared with man And hence it is that when men act foolishly or uncomely they are said in Scripture to be like beasts to corrupt themselves like brute beasts to be brutish in their knowledge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 De formicis cuniculis locustis araneis dicitur non quod sciant quid cur agant sed quod ipsum opus habeat ordinem utilitatem rationem Coc We may easily conclude the wisdome of birds and beasts extreamly below mans seeing whensoever man acts below himself or doth any thing unwisely he is said to be and do like a beast The Hebrew word which we translate wiser being applyed in Scripture to Emmets or Ants to Conies to Locusts to Spiders Pro. 30.24 doth not imply that they truly know either what or why they do such or such a work it only sheweth that the work which they do hath an order usefulness and reason in it according to knowledge Solomon saith indeed those foure little creatures are exceeding wise not that they exceed the wisdome of man but among brutes they exceed or are among them of the first forme for wisdome He maketh us wiser than the fowls of the air Hence observe First The beasts of the earth and fowls of the air have a kind of knowledge and wisdome They have somewhat which is Analogous to or like knowledge and wisdome yet neither knowledge nor wisdome strictly taken Some of the Ancients have reported to us Augustinus lib. 6. câ—ntra Faustum Manichaeum Epiph lib. 1. Haer 42. the opinion of the Manichees and Marcionites who maintained that the beasts of the earth and fowls of the air were indued with reason properly so called which opinion was by them justly numbred among heresies and indeed a little reason may serve for the refutation of that opinion which asserts beasts and fowls indued with reason Though some other learned men in their time and Great Philosophers have asserted as much as the Manichees or Marcionites in this poynt Quintilian said that beasts did rather want an ability of speaking than of understanding And Plutarch endeavoureth to prove the same in his Dialogue about that Question Whether brute Beasts have or are endued with Reason But we affirm the wisdome of Brutes is only brutish and at most but similitudinary to the rational actings of man a similitude of or somwhat like wisdom and reason cannot with reason be denyed them It 's said of the Serpent Gen. 3.1 that he was more subtil than any Beast of the field which the Lord God had made And when Christ saith Math. 10.16 Be ye as wise as Serpents he implyeth according to that in Genesis that Serpents have some shadow of wisdome somwhat like wisdome And when the Prophet Jeremiah Chap. 8.7 saith The Stork the Turtle the Crane and the Swallow know the time of their coming he affirms that those Fowls have a kind of knowledge Another Prophet upbraids men with the Knowledg of Beasts Isa 1.3 The Ox knoweth his Owner and the Ass his Masters Crib but c. Here in the Text to learn or be taught is ascribed to Beasts because they are tamed broken brought to hand and made useful for the service of man And wisdome is ascribed to the Fowls of the Air because they keep their seasons duly make their Nests safely and fitly and bring up their young ones tenderly with pains and diligence There are very strange instances scarce credible given by Pliny and others concerning the sagacity and docibility of some Beasts of the earth and Fowls of the Air we are told how they have acted more like rational creatures than brutes And daily experience gives proof enough that they have a kind of knowledge reason and wisdome only we cannot allow them reason wisdome or knowledge in kind They do works of Reason and Understanding only which is mans excellency they understand not the reason of their works Secondly Note The knowledge or wâ—sdome such as it is that the Beasts of the Earth and Fowls of the Air have is of God If he teacheth men more than the Beasts of the earth and maketh them wiser than the Fowls of the Air then in some way and measure he teacheth them and maketh them wise That wisdome and knowledge whatsoever it is which Beasts and Fowls have is planted in them by God they have that which
may be said not to understand when he doth not behave himself understandingly or according to the Lawes and Rules of reason Men of the best understanding and greatest honour are like the beasts that perish as to â—heir frailty that is they dye which may be the meaning of the Psalmist at the 12t h verse where he saith Man being in honour abideth not he is like the beasts that perish But all men that are in honour and understand not their duâ—y or do not what they understand are like the beasts that perish as to their inability that is they live as if they had nothing but what beasts have sense and appetite to govern their lives by He that doth not practise according to knowledge what he knows is like and worse than a beast that hath no knowledge For when a beast doth any thing absurdly he doth like a beast but when man doth any thing absurdly he degenerates or falleth from his own forme he doth not like a man and therefore is worse than a beast And that 's it I conceive which the Apostle Jude aimes at in the 10th verse of his Epistle where rebuking a very vile generation of men Revilers who speak evil of those things which they know not he presently adds But what they know naturally as brute-beasts in thâ—se things they corrupt themselves When he saith What they know naturally as brute-beasts his meaning is what they know in common with beasts that is by sense and appetite which are common to man and beast as reason and understanding are common to Man and Angelâ— Now saith the Apostle what they know naturally as brute beasts in those things they corrupt themselves which brute beasts do not For these words as brute beasts are to be taken in construction and interpretation with the former part of the sentence What they know naturally not with the latter they corrupt themselves Their knowledge indeed is no better than the knowledge of brute beasts natural but in corrupting themselves they are unlike to and do worse than brute beasts who run not to such excesses yet there is nothing more common in Scripture than to say that men act the beast when they sin and put off those manners which become and are worthy of an ingenuous and rational man For as man is partaker both of a spiritual and sensitive nature so he takes his denomination from that part to which in his disposition and conversation he most inclines Hence he is sometimes called God or an Angel of God and sometimes he is compared to the most hurtful of beasts a Lyon sometimes to the worst of beasts to a Fox to a Wolfe to a Dog to a Swine to a generation of Vipers to what not which may put a mark of dishonour and reproach upon him Fifthly Note It 's a great shame reproof and reproach to man when he acts unanswerably to the teachings of God It is better to be a beast in or by nature than to be a beast and continue so in qualities and conditions O what a reproach is it that they who have a far better nature than beasts should lead no better lives than a beast yea possibly much worse The Psalmist crys shame upon such Psal 32.9 Be ye not as the Horse or as the Mule which have no understanding whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle lest they come near unto thee The Horse and Mule are unruly creatures if left to their own rule they have no understanding how to mannage and order themselves they must be mannaged and order'd by bit and bridle in the hand of a skilful rider else they do more hurt than good service to those that come near them Now saith the Lord to man Be not you like the untaught or unmannag'd Horse and Mule as ye are better taught so ye should have better manners We say of some men they are better fed than taught and we may say of many men they are better taught than manner'd they mend not their manners though daily taught yea urged to mend them For this neglect the Lord reproves the sluggard Pro. 6.6 Go to the Ant thou sluggard consider her wayes and be wise thou doest not answer natural much less Scriptural light thou doest not learn by any teachings one of the least of my creatures may teach thee more than thou hast yet learned of all the teachers which I have sent thee The little Ant that dwels upon a Mole-hil that creeps upon the ground may teach thee better manners and make thee wiser Art thou not ashamed to need such a teacher having had so many teachers That 's also the sense of those rebukes which the Prophet powres out with a strong contestation upon the people of Israel calling Heaven and Earth to witness against them Isa 1.2 Hear O Heavens and give ear O Earth I have nourished and brought up children and they have rebelled against me But how doth the Lord convict them of rebellion and by whom even by the teachableness and tracâ—ableness of the dullest brutes The Ox knoweth his owner and the Ass his Masters crib but Israel doth not know my people doth not consider As if he had said The Ox and the Ass out-do you the Ox knoweth his owner that feeds him and the very Ass knows the crib where he is fed These beasts take notice of regard and submit to their Master and Benefactor but Israel doth neither observe nor submit to me who have tenderly nursed and plentifully nourished them who have as the Lord spake by his Prophet Hos 11.4 been to them as one that taketh the yoke off their jawes and layeth them meat the fat and the sweet the finest of the wheat and honey out of the Rock to feed upon and which is more than this who have not only fed them better but taught them better than the Ox or Ass O ye Heavens be astonished at this Further as in this Scripture the Loâ—d contested with and reproved his people by the beasts of the earth so he doth it in another by the fowls of the air Jer. 8.6 7. I saith the Lord hearkned and heard but they spake not aright c. every one turned to his course his sinful course or his course in sin as the Horse rusheth into the battle that is fiercely fearlesly presumptuously at once slighting at least forgetting both their own danger and my command As the Lord thus rebukes the head-strong obstinacy and wilfulness of that people by their likeness to the Horse so in the next verse he reproves their blindness and blockishness by their unlikeness to the Sto k c. Yea the Stork in the Heaven knoweth her appoynted time and the Turtle and the Crane and the Swallow observe the time of their coming but my people know not the Judgements of the Lord. Then followeth v. 8. How do ye say we are wise and the Law of the Lord is with us Lo certainly in vaine made he it the
the learned Authors of it make fairly out from the Original to whom I refer the Reader and shall only offer two notes from it for instruction First The sorest afflictions that fall upon sinners in this life are little or nothing to what God might lay upon them There is no condition here actually so bad but possibly it might be worse though the darkness of night be upon us yet it may be darker with us God can make a night so dark that the former darkness may be called light God can add so much bitterness to that which is veâ—y bitter so much weight to that burden of affliction which is already very heavy that the former bitter may be called sweet and that former weight of affliction light Are any pooâ— sick or pained God can make them poorer sicker and so encrease their paine that former poverty sickness paine may go for riches health and ease And as present sufferings of one kind or other are but little to what they may be so they are but little to what we have deserved they should be The least mercy is more than we deserve and the greatest affliction is less than we deserve Et nunc quia nihil est quod visitavit ira ejus Drus He hath visited thee little or nothing so the word is saith Elihu according to this reading of the Text. The Lord hath not only not visited thee too much O Job but he may be said not to have visited thee at all or the All of thy visitaâ—ion is nothing to that which the Lord could have brought upon thee David gives a general assertion near this concerning the dealings of the Lord in his angry dispensations Psal 103.10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins nor rewarded us according to our iniquities that is our sins and our iniquities might have born out the Justice of God in laying heavier evils and troubles upon us than yet he hath done Sinners never have their full punishment till they come to hell As the sweetest joyes and strongest consolations which the godly find and feel on earth are only tasts and first-fruits of that they shall have in heaven so all the sorrows and sufferings of the wicked in this world are but tasts light touches and beginnings of sorrow compared with the pains and sorrows of the next world where sinners shall be payd their wages in full Vtrumque visitandi recensendi vel cognoscendi verbum in hoc loco judicis vel magistratis in peccatores animedversionem inquisitionem punitioni conjunctum importat Bold Secondly From the latter part of the verse thus translated Neither hath he made any great inquisition that is he hath not taken strict knowledge of thy sins though a multitude though even past number though there be abundance of them and they abounding in sinfulness yet he hath not made any great inquisition after them Hence Note The Lord doth not severely mark the sins of his people no not the multitude nor magnitude of their sins to punish them Psal 130.3 If thou Lord shouldest mark iniquity implying that the Lord doth not mark in the sense here intended if thou shouldest mark iniquity O Lord who shall stand The word in that Psalm rendred to mark notes first to watch or to observe with exactest diligence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is therefore in the Noun rendred a watch Tower upon which a man is placed to take observation of all things that are done and of all persons that passe by or approach and come neer A Watch-man placed upon a high-Tower is bound industriously and critically to observe all Passengers and passages all that his eye can reach So saith the Text If thou shouldest mark as a Watch-man and eye with rigour every thing that passeth from us Who could stand That is make good his Cause in the day of his judgement and tryal before thee Secondly The word signifieth to keep in mind to lay up to have as it were a store and stock a memorial or record of such and such things by us In that notion it is said Gen. 37.11 Josephs Brethren envied him but his Father observed the saying he marked what Joseph spake about his Dreams he laid it up and did not let it passe away as a Dâ—eam or as a vision of the night Thus in the Psalm If the Lord should mark iniquity if he should treasure up our sins in his memory and keep them by him who were able to stand when accounted with The Lord in a way of grace seeth as if he saw not and winks at us oftentimes when we do amiss as he is said to have done at those times the times of ignorance when not only many things but even every thing was done amiss and out of order in the dark Gentile world before the approach of Gospel light Acts 17.30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at but new commandeth all men every where to repent That is the Lord took little notice of those untaught times in comparison of that strict notice which he will take of these times concerning which he gave command to his Apostles Go and teach all Nations and yet the strictest notice which he takes of our sins in these times is but little to what he might So much from that Translation of the Text our own runs thus Vers 15. But now because it is not so he hath visited in his anger yet he knoweth it not in great extremity We must expound this Verse in Connexion with the latter part of the former But now because it is not so What is not so what is missing what is wanting What had Job done amiss or what had he mist to do Elihu seems to answer he hath mist the doing of that duty to which he was moved in the close of the fore-going Verse expressed in those words Trust thou in him or wait upon him But now because it is not so that is Because thou dost not put forth such acts of holy confidence and patient waiting upon God as thou oughtest and as I admonished thee to do therefore God is engaged and even compelled to treat thee thus roughly and severely He hath visited in his anger As if he had said Though thou hast professed a trust in God yet thou dost not trust in him fully as becomes thee yea thou seemest sometimes as a man forlorn to cast up thy hopes therefore because thou dost not trust in him because it is not so as I have exhorted and directed thee the Lord hath visited in anger Mr. Braughton renders But now for missing his anger doth visit For missing that is for missing of duty or for not acting up to duty for not trusting fully in the Lord the Lord hath visited thee in his anger This sense is obvious and commodious according to our reading But now because it is not so Homo tentatur et in examen vocatur ut probetur ejus spes et patientia
keep a constant eye upon the Lord was the profession of David as the type of Christ Psal 16.8 And as to keep an eye on God is best and safest for us so 't is extreamly pleasing and contentfull to Christ as he tells the Church Cant. 9.9 Thou hast ravished my heart my Sister my Spouse thou hash ravished my heart with one of thine eyes that is with a believing a hoping a depending look on me for all that good which thou wantest and wouldst have or with a delighting look on me as thy chiefest good Let not the righteous withdraw their eyes from God for he withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous But which is yet more with Kings are they on the Throne These words fully clear up the sense which I have given of that negative promise he withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous namely that the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous for good His is not a bare beholding of them favours flow from his eyes When the eyes of God are upon the righteous they find the sweet and benefit of it In the former verse Elihu said God will give the poor right here he saith more he will give the poor the righteous poor a reward and that no small one With Kings are they on the Throne The Latine translation reads this part of the verse Et reges in solio collocat in perpetuum Vulg not of the righteous poor but of righteous Kings He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous and he placeth Kings upon the Throne for ever That 's a truth the Lord placeth Kings upon their Thrones and establisheth them there but that is not the meaning or truth of this place nor will the Hebrew with any tolerable convenience bear such a translation Secondly There are others who Quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scriberetur pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Merc a little mistaking the word which we translate Kings render it Angels They are with Angels on the Throne There is but very little difference in the Hebrew between those two words that signifie Kings and Angels the former is Melachim the latter Maleachim which hath given occasion for this reading He placeth them with Angels on the Throne and so the words are interpreted of the glorious exaltation of the righteous in Heaven when indeed they shall be like Angels Angels Fellows Mat. 22.30 and walk hand in hand with Angels Mr Broughton though he translate with Kings yet seems to carry it in that sense giving his glosse in the Margen thus They shall be made fit for light with the living with the Angels of God his servants in their degree and be placed for ever in honour and be high in honour and dignity so ye shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel But this Text will not serve that purpose neither and therefore I shall take it plainly as we render it They shall be with Kings upon the Throne Cum regibuâ— tantum valet ansicut reges Bold Vt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cum ut mâ—meruâ— mutetur ut pâ—lsim fit in hoc libro Merc There is a two-fold interpretation of the words according to this translation First The Lord will exalt the righteous to great dignity they shall be like Kings and Princes in this world or they shall be in great favour with Kings even Kings Favourites Sâ—condly They shall be with Kings upon the Throne that is they themselves shall be Kings The Hebrew strictly read is and Kings on the Throne they shall not only be like Kings but they themselves shall be Kings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 articulus accusativi casus quam verba transitiva sive activa regunt accipitur tamen non rarò pro à ex de cum praepositionibus Drus Obser sacra l. 9. c. 7. and sit upon Throneâ— either of these interpretations reach the scope of Elihu fully As if he had said The righteous shall be greatly advanced or exalted by Kings whose priviledge it is to sit on Thrones or they shall be Kings upon the Throne Some experiences and examples have confirmed this The Lord hath not only given righteous peâ—sons great advancement and great favour with Kings who sit on Thrones but hath even advanced them to Kingly dignity and given them Thrones to sit upon A Throne is a Seat Royal the Seat of Majesty A Throne is a seat exalted above other seats as the person sitting upon it is exalted above other persons Solomon made him a great Throne of Ivory and the Throne had six steps 1 Kings 10 18. God is represented sitting upon a Throne and there receiving honour from all that were before him Rev. 4.2 9. The whole Heaven is called the Throne of God and the earth his footstoole Isa 66.1 because as Heaven is high above all so there are the fullest manifestations of the greatness and glory of God And because Thrones note power and dignity therefore the Angels who among all meer creatures excell in power and dignity aâ—e called Thrones Col. 1.16 So then to be with Kings on the Throne that is to be near them and much accepted by them is a very great honour and that is the least here intended But to be Kings on the Throne is the greatest worldly honour and possibly so much is here intended the righteous while Elihu saith But with Kings are they upon the Throne In that the righteous are said here to be with Kings upon the Throne we learn Righteous persons are in high esteem with God He would not thus in love set them high if he did not highly esteem them he would not thus prefer them if he did not know their worth The world usually judges righteous persons as if they were fit only for the dunghill as if they were the filth of the world and the off-scouring of all things 1 Cor. 4.13 but God hath another opinion of them he thinks them fit to serve Princes and to be near the Throne Take heed of judging them unworthy to be at the fooâ—stool whom God thinks worthy to be with Kings on the Throne Secondly Note God hath exalted and will exalt righteous persons Whom he highly esteems he sometimes advanceth highly in this world they shall be with Kings on the Throne Psal 107.40 41. He powreth contempt upon Printes that is upon unrighteous Princes yet as it followeth He setteth the poor on high from affliction so we translate and put in the Margen He setteth the poor on high after affliction He afflicts the righteous to purge them and so to prepare and fit them for greatest enjoyments We have a like affiâ—mation Psal 113.7 8. He raiseth up the poor out of the dust and lifteth up the needy out of the dunghill that he may set them with Princes even the Princes of his people Thus spake Hannah in her Song 1 Sam. 2.8 and thus in effect spake the blessed Virgin in hers Luke 1.52
He hath brought down the mighty from their seats and hath exalted the lowly and meek We have some Scripture-instances of such exaltations Joseph a righteous person was cast into bonds yet God sets him not only at liberty but on high he was with the King on the Throne Only in the Throne said Pharaoh Gen. 42.40 will I be greater than thou and all were commanded to bow the knee to him David a righteous person followed the Ewes great with young and the Lord set him upon the Throne upon the Throne of Israel Valentinian was committed to prison by the command of Julian the Apostate because he struck an Idolatrous Priest that would have sprinkled him aqua lustrali with their unholy holy water as he stood in the gate of the Temple where Julian was sacrificing to his Idol-gods yet he escaped that danger and afterwards ascended the Throne of that Great Empire The Lord knows both how to deliver the righteous out of trouble and to bring them to honour Lastly We may hence infer If the righteous are with Kings on the Throne then righteousness hath a reward Them that honour me saith the Lord 1 Sam. 2.30 I will honour It is no vaine thing to serve the Lord to be righteous and to do righteously cannot but issue well The Lord hath all promotions at his dispose Psal 75.6 7. And therefore he saith Say ye to the righteous that it shall be well with him for they shall eate the fruit of their doings Isa 3.10 With Kings are they on the Throne Yet let me add by way of Caution that neither this Text nor the notes given from it are so to be understood as if all righteous persons might hence expect great advancements in this world or to be the special Favourites of Kings and Princes The word of God doth not feed such humours but mortifies them nor doth it cherish any such aspiring expectations in righteous men but teaches them quiet submission in their own private stations and callings to those who are upon the Throne So that while Elihu saith of the righteous With Kings are they on the Throne his meaning must be taken soberly and may be taken distinctly thus First That God hath great respect to and high favours for righteous men Secondly That he brings some of them as it is said of Daniel with the Prince of the Eunuches Chap. 1.9 into favour and tender love with Kings and Princes Thirdly That the Lord hath often advanced righteous persons to Thrones and Kingly Dignities And when-ever the Lord advanceth any of the righteous Etiamsi id externè non fiat semper tamen omnium fides pietas quorundam piorum exaltatione honoratur Coc. he makes good this promise because in the exaltation of one the faith and piety of all righteous persons or the whole kind of them is honoured and exalted Fourthly To be sure all the righteous shall be with Kings on the Throne hereafter Christ hath purchased and is gone to prepare a Kingdome for the righteous and will give them a better Crown than any this world affords an incorruptible one As now the righteous are spiritual Kings or Kings in a spiritual sense Rev. 1.6 that is they rule over and keep in subjection their own lusts and corruptions pride ambition love of the world wrath envy and whatever else in them doth rebell and exalt it self against the knowledge of God yea they as Kings in this world conquer the world by faith 1 Joh. 5.4 and the Prince of this world the devil through the power of Jesus Christ as I say all the righteous are now spiritual Kings in the sense given through grace here on earth so they shall be glorious Kings and reigne with Christ for ever in Heaven and then shall this word of God by Elihu be fulfilled to the utmost With Kings are they upon the Throne Yea he doth establish them for ever and they are exalted Elihu proceeds to shew the happiness of the righteous yet further The Lord doth not only advance them but establish them nor doth he only establish them for a while but even perpetuateth their establishment He establisheth them for ever 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sedere in hac conjugatione sedere fecit The word is He makes them sit We render fully to the sense He establisheth them The Lord sets them up on high and then settles them on high Some get on high but they cannot keep on high they find no establishment there but God can establish For ever The for ever of this world is a long time The Lord saith of Sion Psal 132.14 Here will I dwell for ever that is long Thus in the text He will establish them for ever that is they shall have long establishment And if we take it as to their exaltation in the other world there God will establish them to the utmost latitude of for ever that is to eternity The Septuagint translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in victoriam Sept Sic 2 Sam. 2.26 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He will establish them to victory The same word in the Hebrew signifies eternity and also victory because eternity overcomes and triumphs over all The Lord shall settle them to victory and that may have a good interpretation with respect to the power of God in setling them He shall settle them to victory that is they shall in his power overcome all difficulties that stand in the way of their establishment Hence Note As preferment so establishment is from God First He establisheth all things whether they be First natural things the heavens and the earth times and seasons Gen. 8.22 or Secondly Civil things States and Nations or Thirdly Spiritual things First the Gospel and the Church of the Gospel that he establisheth as a Rock against which the gates of hell shall not prevaile Mat. 16.18 so Isa 44.28 Psal 87.5 Secondly Grace in the hearts of his people 1 Pet. 5.10 and them in the wayes of grace 2 Thes 2.17 Chap. 3.3 Thus God establisheth all things Secondly He establisheth counsels and actions Isa 44.26 He confirmeth the word of his servants and performeth the counsel of his Messengers that is he makes good and brings to effect that word which they have given in counsel And as for actions Moses prayeth Psal 90.17 Establish thou the work of our hands upon us yea the work of our hands establish thou it Whatever is in our hands quickly molders away and as the enemies said when the Jewes built the walls of Jerusalem Neh. 4.3 If a Fox go up upon it it will fall unless the Lord establish it but neither the Foxes with their subtilty nor the Lyons with their power and cruelty shall be able to overthrow that wall or those actions which the Lord is pleased to establish for he doth establish them For ever Hence Note The Lord can establish not only for a time but for alwayes he can give a
commons not ordinary fare but Full of fatness Fatness is put in Scripture to express the best of things if often signifieth the best of spiritual things Psal 36.8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house The house of God is the Church of God and God keeps a good house there are fat things and they who worship and wait upon him they shall have abundance of them their full satisfaction the fatness of Gods house is the riches of Grace the best of Gospel-Ordinances and promises the best of Gospel-comforts and mercies these are the fatness of the house of God these are the things which the Apostle intended while he told the Gentiles Rom. 11.17 That they were partakers of the rest and fatness of the Olive tree Thus also spake the Prophet Isa 25.6 In this mountain shall the Lord of Hosts make a feast of fat things what of such fat things as the Epicures of the world surfet upon Sheep and Oxen c no the feast of fat things which the Lord will make to his people is of spiritual things they shall have much of Christ much of grace here and an assurance of glory for hereafter This is the feast of fat things And though the Lord give to any of his servants the bread of adversity and the water of affliction though the fig-tree should not blossome to them though they should have neither Sheep in the fold nor Calves in the shall yet they may daily sit at this feast of fat things and be filled with joy in the Lord Hab. 3.17 c. And as fatness is used in Scripture to express the best of spiritual things so fatness expresseth the best of natural and outward good things Psal 65.11 Thou crownest the year with thy goodness and thy paths drop fatness that is plenty and plenty of the best things which grow out of the earth by the blessing and benigne influences of Heaven I conceive spiritual good things the best of them are also shadowed under those expressions of Temporal Further Elihu doth not only say That which shall be set upon thy Table shall be fat Lautissimè suavissiméque vives but full of fatness which implyeth thus much Thou shalt have whatsoever may make thy life comfortable and happy for as by bread our dayly bread we are to understand all the necessaries of this life though bread be the meanest â—aâ—t of our sustenance yet it it is called the staff of life because the mâ—st necessary part of it so by fatness we are to understand all things delicate and delicious and those things which are most delicate and delicious are said to be full of fatness Hence Note First God who delivereth his people from trouble or out of streights can also fill and furnish them with comforts The mercy of God doth not only take away evil and so leave us it doth not only bring us out of our streights and there set us down but mercy proceeds to the bestowing of good upon us As we in obedience should not put off the Lord with abstaining from evil but ought to do good even abundance of good and not only bring forth good but much good fruit that 's our duty so the Lords mercy stayeth not in delivering us from evil but bestoweth good things the best things upon us and them in abundance Secondly In that those good things are exprest by fatness oâ— by being full of fatness Note The Lord thinks nothing too good for his good people When once a people or a person are accepted of God he â— no cost nor thinks any thing too costly for them the most â—ous things in the world are not too good for them Psal â— He would have fed them also with the finest of the wheat a honey out of the rocks should I have satisfied thee I would noâ—â—fed them with wheat only that 's good but with the finest wheâ—â— that 's the best we put in the Margin with the fat of wheat they should not have had the bran but the flowre and the finest of the flowre they should have had not only honey but honey out of the Rock which as Naturalists observe is the best and purest honey Surely God cannot think any thing of this world too good for his people who haâ—h not thought the next world too good for them Certainly God cannot think any of these outward enjoyments too good for his people who hath not thought his Son too good for his people that 's the Apostles argument Rom 8.32 He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things even the best of outward good things when he seeth it good for us In this see the difference of the spirit of the world and of God to his people The world thinks nothing bad enough for those that are the choycest servants of God they are sorry to see that they have any thing that is good that they have a morsel of bread or a penny in their purses is thought too much for them by the world And if any trouble befall them itâ— good enough for them will the World say The World thinks any thing too good for the choycest servants of God how much more the choycest things But God hath other thoughts towards them he thinks nothing too good for them they shall be filled with fatness Thirdly In that Elihu makes promise of these outward things to the choyce servants of God whose ears are open to attend unto him Note Even outward mercies and a full Portion of outward mercies fall somtimes to the share of the faithful servants of God in this World Though such are not of this World much less are servants to the World yet God can make the woâ—ld serve them with its best and give them a full portion of the World though the World be not their portion The servants of God would not take all the World if it were offered them for their portion no not a thousand Worlds considering what a perishing thing this World is and that at best it is but a finite thing I say a servant of God would not take all the World at the hand of God for his portion though he is thankful for any thing for a little of it and unworthy of any the least part of it Howbeit many times God gives a large portion of this World to his people and that which he sets upon their Table that is outward good is full of fatness Indeed some of the choyce servants of God have been afraid when they have seen much of the World come in least God should put them off with such woâ—ldly things when their Table hath been full of fatness and dainties when they have had Houses and Lands Gold and Silver plenty they have been troubled least God should say to them There is your All. It is said of Luther when he had a considerable present sent him
from the wrath of God What then is the Ransome that is invalid and useless which will not be accepted which cannot deliver I answer First in general it is any thing on this side Christ be it what it will The greatest Ranâ—ome that men can devise or heap up together or that men can make whatsoever it is besides the Ransome of Gods own appointment will not deliver a sinner when once wrath hath siezed upon him I answer Secondly as to particulars It is not First Riches no not Gold Secondly It is not our own prayers no not tears Thirdly It is not our own good works no not our own righteousness Fourthly It is not any of the good works or righteousness of any other the holyest men on earth no not the righteousness of the Saints and holy Angels in Heaven that can deliver us from the wrath of God The first of these particulars Elihu gives for instance in the 19th verse of which I shall there speak further and we may understand this verse of all the rest Then a great Ransome cannot deliver thee Hence note There is nothing but the Blood of Christ can ransome sinners from the wrath of God nor will that deliver some sinners I suppose Elihu might have respect to that in urging Job to humble himself and repent There are Cases wherein even the Blood of Christ will not deliver though that hath an intrinsecal vertue power and value to deliver any sinner yet I say there are Cases wherein even that great Ransome the Blood of Christ will not deliver sinners or thus there are many sinners in such a Case that Christ will not ransome them by his Blood But who are they First All that are impenitent and persist obstinately in their sins If any man resolve to go on in sin the Blood of Christ is no Ransome for him Jesus Christ came to save us from our sins not to save us in our sins Secondly All that are unbelievers though they have a great measure of sorrow such as it is for sin yea suppose they have left off the outward practise of those sins for which they have sorrowed yet if they do not lay hold on Christ by faith his Blood is no Ransome for them As Christ will not save presumptuous sinners who believe without repenting so neither will he save incredulous sinners who repent without believing Thirdly That great price of the Blood of Christ is not a Ransome for apostatizing sinners who having pretended to Repentance and made profe sion of faith yet go back from Châ—ist and his wayes at once buâ—lding what they seemed to have destroyed by repentance and dâ—stroying what they seem'd to be built up in by faith The Apostle declares the doom of all such Heb. 10.26 For if we siâ— wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth there remains no more Sacrifice for sin Wilful sinners against received Light cast off the Sacrifice of Christ which is our Ransome and with which they seemed to close and having cast thaâ— off God will never be at the cost to provide them another Sacrifice There remains saith the Text no more Sacrifice for sin They would have no more to do with that Sacrifice for sin that 's the case of those who sin against the Holy Ghost and there is no other Sacrifice for them Such Apostates crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh and by their being ashamed of him and turning from him as much as in them lyes put him to open shame as the Apostle speaks Heb. 6.6 but God will never crucifie his Son afresh nor put him again to open shame for the ransoming of wilful Apostates It is the ground of our hope that God once gave up his Son to be crucified for us but they are of all men most hopeless who crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh The Son of God Jesus Christ will not save those that tread him under foot not shall the Blood of the Covenant be a Ransom for those who count it an unholy thing as 't is said at the 29th verse They who refuse the Gospel that is Gospel-Grace shall never have any benefit by the Gospel these Apostates do not only refuse to chuse the Grace of the Gospel but refuse it after a seeming choyce of it and are therefore said in the close of that verse to have done despite to the Spirit of Grace and shall they who despise and which is more do despite to the Spirit of Grace be ransom'd through Grace Thus we see that as nothing but the Blood of Christ can be a Ransome so some shall have no share in nor benefit by that great Ransome They who repent not they who believe not they who sin wilfully after a profession made both of Fai h and Repenâ—ance can have no deliverance by that great Ransome the Blood of Jesus Christ Elâ—hu having â—old Job in General that if he provoked God to wrath then a great ransome could not deliver him proceeds to give him one particular instance of what cannot and he gives it in that which is the most usual ransome and which hath ransomed thousands from the wrath of man that is riches gold Vers 19. Will he esteem thy riches no not gold nor all the forces of strength As if he had said Possibly O Job thou having been a great man a rich man the richest the greatest man in all the East mayst think thou couldst buy off thy offence with gold and get out from under his wrath by thy wealth and riches but suppose thou wert as great and rich as ever or greater and richer than any are or ever were Will he esteem thy riches 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ordinavit quiares aestimandae ordinantur aliae juxta alias ideo pro aestimare sumitur Merc The word rendred esteem signifies to put in order because things which are of esteem and value are laid up handsomely and orderly As no man esteems trash so he will not lay it up among his treasures Will he esteem or lay up thy riches as some precious thing as his treasure surely no. The question as frequently in Scripture is a strong denial will he he will not value thy riches no more than a rush what dost tell him of thy riches he makes no account of all that thou hast to give yea though thou hadst all the world to give Men will esteem thy riches money answers all things among men but alass it will answer nothing with God will he esteem Thy riches Some translate the word which we render riches by nobleness or greatness so Mr Broughton Will he esteem thy nobleness The word signifies both and Job was both he was a great man and a Nobleman the chief Magistrate a Prince among the people where he dwelt as appears fully in the 29th Chapter Will he esteem either thy riches or thy nobleness shalt thou be accepted because thou art a great Lord a mighty man dost thou think the Lord
exalting and raising me up And if God will raise up who can keep down Fifthly We may take the words in this general sense Whosoever is exalted in this world God exalteth him The Sparrow cannot fall to the ground nor the least thing or person be lifted from the ground but by the hand of God As he exalteth some in a way of special favour so he exalteth the worst of men in a way of common providence As none can be exalted if he say no God is able to put a barr or a stop to any mans exaltation so he can exalt whom he will and none are able to put a barr or a stop to their exaltation Behold God exalteth by his power Hence Note God is able to exalt any person how low soever brought how much soever despised Elihu spake this purposely to Job who was in a low condition brought as it were to the very gates of death and he makes this large description of the power of God in exalting those that are cast down purposely to comfort Job to erect his spirit and cheare his heart with a blessed confidence that how much soever he was at present under-foot or under-hatches yet he might hope for better things even to be lifted up if he humbled himself under the mighty hand of God Psal 9.9 The Lord will be a refuge the word in the Text answers this or an high place for the oppressed Places of refuge are usually high places and therefore the same Hebrew word signifieth both an high place and a place of refuge Psal 107.41 He setteth the poor on high from affliction and maketh him families like a flock The Prophet Isa 33.16 Having spoken of the man that walketh in his integrity tels us how it shall be with him He shall dwell on high The word is He shall dwell in the high places that is he shall dwell in God who is most high for evermore God will exalt him even to as much safety as himself is in his place of defence shall be the munition of Rocks bread shall be given him Particeps erit divinae faelicitatis atque consors tecti aâ—ntonsâ—c his water shall be sure He shall be housed with God yea housed in God he shall be fed by God he shall lodge under his roof and sit as it were at his Table he shall have bread enough and water enough and both sure enough And if the Lord exalteth thus by his power let none be discouraged in their afflictions and castings down The Lord alone is sufficient yea all sufficient and he exalteth not only by his will that is he hath not only a will to exalt but he exalteth by his power that is he hath power enough to exalt whom he will What power soever is in the creature 't is the Lords power 't is a stream from his Ocean and when the Lord is pleased to remove all power from the creature he hath a sufficient reserve of power in himself or in his own hand by which he can command deliverance yea exaltation Therefore do not speak either despondingly or desparingly as if all hope were gone when at any time all humane power is gone for God exalteth by his own power and as it followeth in the Text Who teacheth like him As if Elihu had said God is not good only at acting but he is good at instructing and he is best at both He is best or beyond all in power He is best or beyond all in wisdome and understanding and therefore who teacheth like him At the 15th verse of this Chapter we have the substance of what is here asserted and so upon the matter 't is but the same thing repeated there it is He delivereth the poor here He exalteth by his power There 't is said He openeth their ear to instruction here Who teacheth like him The words are a divine chalenge Who teacheth like him B ing forth the man bring forth the Angel that can The word which here we tender to teach in its first sense signifieth to cast a Dart Javelin or Stone It signifieth also to raine Verbum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 commune ad pluviam et ad dâ—ctrinam vel legem qua perfunditur et excolitur animus ad frâ—ctus bonorum operum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so the raine which fals from heaven because that is as it were cast from the clouds to the earth Hence by a Metaphor it signifieth to teach or instruct because holy doctâ—ine or instruction cometh down like raine from heaven upon the minds and hearts of those that are taught My doctrine shall distill as the dew and my speech shall drop as the raine said Moses Deut. 32.1 And hence the whole Law of God is expressed by a word in the Hebrew coming from this roote that being powred down from heaven in showres of doctrine to make men fruitfull in every good word and work In answer to which some translate this latter part of the verse Nullus ei similu in Legislatoribus Vulg There is no Law-giver like unto him Who is a Law-giver like him or there is no Law-giver like him To give Law or to be a Law-giver is more than barely to be a teacher though he that teacheth doth also in a sense give Lawes Here I conceive we take the fittest and most suitable signification of the word when we render it by teaching Who teacheth like him As if he had said None can teach like God and therefore surely none can teach him how to governe the world or to dispose of any mans person or condition as thou O Job hast rashly or overboldly done for while thou hast complained so much and so often of his dealings with thee thou hast upon the matter attempted to teach him But Who teacheth like him Where shall we find any able to give instruction and apply doctrine like God God is exalted infinitely in power and yet he condescends to be a teacher or an instructer God doth not stand upon his power only he saith not I have power to do what I will I can force all men to my will or break them if they will not but he instâ—ucts and perswades he labours to allure the soul into a right understanding of his will and submission to it Who teacheth like him Hence note First The great goodness of God that he who hath all power to command should yet vouchsafe to instruct that he who is the Judge will also be the Teacher of his People This is the great Pâ—omise in the Covenant of grace They shall be all taught of God John 6.45 Some things may be known by the light of nature of which knowledge God is the Author in the same sense as he is of all natural Powers and faculties But here Eliâ—â— intends a spiritual knowledge both of God and of our selves or a teaching of divine things by divine chastenings both with respect to what we should do and desire as also with respect
In that eternity or eternal estate of glory which believers shall at last arive unto even they shall enjoy all at once because all their enjoyments shall be in God or God shall be their whole enjoyment Secondly God is infinitely happy and blessed He hath all that ever he had or that ever he can have all at once or already nothing of his blessedness is either to come to him or gone from him therefore he must needs be infinitely blessed Here in this world some men have had a kind of blessedness they have been rich and great they have been in power they have had their fill of pleasure but now they have it not all is perished and gone and past away There are others in expectation of great matters of great riches of great honours of great contentments in this world but as yet they have them not we say of many Their lands are not come into their hands their estate is but yet in reversion and expectation Thus it is with men some have had it and it is gone and others though they may have it yet it is not come But now with the Lord all is present and therefore how infinitely happy is he A man would think himself very happy if he could have all the contentments that ever he had scattered through the several dayes and years of his life gathered into one moment it is thus with God and thus in proportion it shall be with us when we come to that blessed state of eternity Thirdly If God be eternall if there be no searching out of his years then Time is in the dispose and ordering of God He that inhabiteth eternity is the Lord of time God is said to inhabite eternity Isa 57.15 that is he is eternall and therefore he is the disposer of all times he that made time will order time he ordereth time as to persons and he orders time as to Nations he orders times and all the changes of times he ordereth not only the duration of time but the condition of times all is from him whose yea s cannot be searched out David said Psal 31.15 My times are in thy hands that is my personal times in all the changes of them troublesome or comfortable joyfull or sorrowfull are ordered at thy will by thy power and wisdome And with respect to Nations Daniel said Chap 2.21 He changeth times and seasons The Lord puts a new face of things upon Sâ—tâ—es and Kingdomes what changes hath not cannot the Lord mâ—re among the sons of men The reason of all is he is eternall Fourthly If there be no searching out the number of the years of God if he be eternall then How ought we to reverence and adore God! We have a Command from God to reverence those who have attained many years in this world which alass are very few none at all to the years of God the aged the gray-headed must be reverenced Lev. 19.32 And one reason of that Law may be because the aged have some shadow of Gods eternity upon them they who have many years have some resemblance of him the number of whose years cannot be searched out therefore God will have them reverenced Now if the ancient are to be reverenced how much more God himself who is called Dan. 7.9 The ancient of dayes Fifthly If God be eternall then we may trust him yea therefore we ought to trust him Psal 74.12 Thou art my King of old commanding deliverances O how did Davids confidence arise upon this that God who was King of old is King now and will be King for ever Psal 10.16 The Lord is King for ever and ever the Heathen are perished out of his Land that is they shall surely perish God will not alwayes bear with evill men in his Land For if because God was King of all the Lands he therefore drave the old Heathen out of Canaan and planted his people there doubtless if they who bear the name of his people there live so like the old Heathen that they may be called Heathen he will also cause them to perish out of his Land and all because he is King for ever and ever and therefore can do it at one time as well as at another and now as easily as at any time heretofore Trust in the Lord for ever for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength Isa 26.4 David a Great Prince makes it an argument to draw off our trust from men from the greatest men from Princes because they are not for ever Psal 146.3 4. Trust not in Princes nor in any Children of men why not many reasons may be given why not but the only reason there given is their frailty and the consequents of it His breath goeth forth c. As if he had said Suppose Princes are never so good and just and gracious in the exercise of their Power yet trust not in them for they die their breath goeth forth and then all their thoughts perish all the reall purposes which they had as also the promises which they made for your good die with them and can do you no good The number of their years may be searched our and run out their years are not for ever Now the contrary of that which is an argument used by the Spirit of God to draw off our trust from the gods here on Earth is an argument to draw on and engage our trust strongly to the God of Heaven His breath goeth not forth none not one of his thoughts shall perish therefore trust in him Sixthly If there be no searching out the number of the years of God then Be not troubled if God seem to stay and not to do the work which you expect this or that year If God doth it not this year he hath another year to do it in there is no searching out the number of his years We may say of any man if he doth not his work this year he may be gone before the next but if God doth not his work this year he may do it next year or two or ten years hence he hath time enough even all time before him therefore the Prophet having said Hab. 2.3 The vision is for an appointed time but at the end it shall speak and not lie presenâ—ly adds Though it tarry wait for it As if he had said The Lord who hath all times and seasons in his power will do his work in the best time and season he will do what he hath promised when it is most sit to be done if he doth it not at the time when we expect yet let us wait he is the Master of time God who is eternal cannot be scantied of time The number of his years cannot be searched out 'T is a known maxime among the wise men of the world Take time and you may do any thing What cannot God do who knoweth all times and can take what time he will Seventhly Which followeth upon the former God will carry on his
especial power wisdom and goodness of God The water if left to it self would â—all whole like a sea upon us or like a mighty floud in such quantities as would instead of refreshing overwhelm the earth When God drowned the world it is said Gen. 7.11 The same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up and the windows or flood-gates of heaven were opened We are not to imagine that heaven hath windows oâ— flood-gates but God did not put forth his mighty power to make small the drops of rain but let it come all at once those waters which were before bound up in the clouds by the decree of God were now by his decree let loose in a wonderful manner and measure and came down not in drops but in streames and spouts the clouds did not as formerly destil their burden Pluvia in nubibus velut in linteo continetur atque in illis velut compressa guttatim distillâ—tur but ease themselves of it at once or altogether Rain ordinarily as sweat through the Pores of the skin passeth by degrees through the Pores of the Clouds yet God can let it out all at once Sea-men who take long Voyages tell us they meet with spouts of wateâ— endangering great ships So then this making small the drops of water is to be ascribed to a threefold Attribute of God Fiâ—st It is a woâ—k of his power nor is it done without a kind of Miracle that the water comes down as it were through a sive or watering-pot Secondly It is a work of divine wisdom The Lord knowing that the earth cannot digest huge portions of water at once divides it into little po tions that the earth may gradually receive and let it soak into iâ—s bosom for the feeding of Plants and the supply of all câ—eatuâ—es that live upon it Thirdly 'T is a work also of divine Goodness for if God did not make small the drops of water if it should come down whole it would drown the earth instead of comforting and fattening it Behold then the Power Wisdom and Goodness of God in making small the drops of water Though Philosophers have attempted to find out and assigne a reason in Nature about this falling of the rain in drops yet they have not fully attained the reason why nor the manner how God doth this we must ascribe it chiefly to the power wisdome and goodness of God in ordering it for the benefit of man yea of all living creatures Plane admirabilem et tremendum in illu et per illa fefe exhibet deus Merc And surely Elihu leads us to consider the wonders of those things which are common and naturall to convince us that forasmuch as we cannot clearly see the reason of those lesser things we should take heed of prying into greater and remoter secrets and he would have Job particularly know that seeing he could not find out the way of God in these natural things much less could he find out the way and whole designe of God in those his providential dealings with him He maketh small the drops of water and then as it followeth in this verse They pour down rain according to the vapour thereof Though the water be made into small drops yet he doth not say they drop down but they pour down rain that is the drops fall plentifully that frequent expression in Scripture of pouring down every where implyeth plenty or abundance The promise of pouring out the Spirit in the latter dayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fundit fundendo purgaovit active item percolatus exâ—olatus de faecatus suit Imber nimbus plu â—a notes the abundance of the Spirit that shall then be given The word signifies also to straine implying that the rain is contained in the Clouds as it were in a linnen cloath which being pressed distills the water in small streams or drops as it were through a strainer They pour down Rain There are three words in the Latine the first of which notes a showre or gentle rain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pluvia hiâ—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verbum transitivum in Hiphil significat feâ—it â—luere quo certe innuitur deum esse Authorem pluviae Fagius in Gen the second a stormy or fierce rain the third rain in generall Rain in this place may be taken in all or either of these notions for at one time or other the Clouds pour down drops into all sorts of rain Rain as I said is made of vapours drawn up and here he saith They pour down rain According to the vapour thereof There are two sorts of vapours there are dry vapours and moist vapours dry vapours say Naturalists are the matter of the wind and the moist are the matter of the rain Now saith Elihu they pour down rain according to the vapour thereof that is Pluviae quasi fluviae eo q òd fluant Isidor Quae fundunt pluviam post nebulam â—jus Pisc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat vâ—porem et nubem significâ—t etiam calamitatem hinc versus ita vertitur nam subtrahit stillas aquarum quae fundebant pluviam ad calamitatem ejus Jun look in what proportion the Sun draweth the vapours into the Aire in that proportion doth the rain fall upon the Earth or in the samâ— proportion that the vapour is drawn up in that proportion is the rain let down Some render the word which we translate vapour a cloud that is after the water is drawn up into a Cloud it pours down rain proportionably Another translation renders it Affliction or trouble and give the whole verse thus He draweth up the drops of water which poured down rain to their Calamity This the lea ned Author applyeth particularly to the Flood in Nâ—ahs time but I shall not stay upon that Our reading is clear They pour down rain according to the vapour thereof that is in the same proportion that vapours come up the rain falls down First In that as the rain is made of the vapour so according to the vapour or in proportion to the vapour such are the showres of rain Note According to what is naturally received returns are naturally made And if the Clouds of Heaven return to man naturally according to that they receive from the Earth how is man on earth bound morally or in duty to return according to what he receives from Heaven Let us mind our accordings and proportions to the dealings and dispensations of God The Clouds of the aire will condemn us at least witness against us if we receive much and return little I passe this Only here we may take notice of six things in Concatination one with another First vapours are drawn up from the Earth Secondly they are made into watery Clouds Thirdly from thence they are sent back to moisten the Earth Fourthly the rain sent down is proportionable to the vapour that went up Fifthly according to that proportion the Earth is made more or lesse fruitfull plentifull
Christ makes this an argument of faith in God for food and cloathing Mat. 6.26 Behold the fowls of the air for they sow not neither do they reap nor gather into barns yet your heavenly Father feedeth them are not ye much better than they How little faith have you who knowing that God feeds the fowls of the air yet cannot trust him for your food He giveth food in abundance Thirdly note Plenty and scarcity are at the dispose of God He can give meat in scarcity as well as meat in abundance he can give cleanness of teeth as well as fulness of bread And as he can strengthen the staff of bread so break it and cause us to eat bread by weight and with care and to drink water by measure and with astonishment Ezek. 4.16 To eat by weight and drink by measure is to eat and drink in the want of bread and water as is expressed vers 17. And as these changes of our natural so of our spiritual food are from the Lord Amos 8.11 I will send a famine What famine not of bread but of hearing the word of the Lord. 'T is the Lord who sends plenty and scarcity of bread whether for the soul or for the body Fourthly In that he saith by them he giveth meat in abundance Note God useth natural meanes as the cause either of plenty or scarcity The Lord could give us abundance if he pleased without rain but he rarely gives abundance but by rain he sends rain out of the Clouds to water the earth and make it fruitful The Lord could make our souls fruitful in every good work without the preaching of the word but he seldom doth it I believe never when the word may be had without the preaching of the word And therefore the Lord by his Prophet makes a comparison between or a paralel of these two Isa 55.10 11. As the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven and returneth not thither but watereth 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. The Lord useth rain and snow yea wind and thunder to fit the earth as he useth his Word and holy Ordinances to fit the soul to bring forth fruit to himself He could do both alone but he improveth that order of nature and grace which himself at first set up and instituted to bâ—ing about these excellent ends 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Praebebit escâ—m per multam Sept. By them he giveth meat in abundance The Greek translation renders all manner of muchness From the whole learn what cause we have to acknowledge the goodness of God in every shower of rain and fleet of snow for by them he giveth us our meat We should hence also be minded to fear the Lord and to take heed of his displeasure It is said Asts 12.20 when Herod was highly displeased with them of Tire and Sidon they came with one accord to him and having made Blastus the Kings Chamberlain their friend desired peace because their Country was nourished by the Kings Country O how much more should we labour to avoid the displeasure of God and hasten to make our peace with him seeing our Country is nourished by his Country The heavens nourish the earth else the earth could not afford any thing for our nourishment We are fed rather from the heavens than from the earth The clouds drop down and make the earth fat to give grass for cattel and co n for man Elihu speaks nothing of the Earth but of the Clouds fâ—om them we are fed Lately consider Elihu joynes both effects expresly By them he judgeth the people he giveth meat c. Hence note The Lord can make the same creature either beneficial or hurtful to us That which is an instrument in his hand for good to his servants is often a plague and a scourge to his enemies The rain which at one time moistens the earth at another time drowns it the rain which at one time cherisheth the creatures at another time choaks them The winds which at one time fan the air and cool it at another time enrage and vex it the winds which at one time sweeten and cleanse the air at another time corrupt and infect it The Lord can with the same creatures furnish himself for any dispensation By them he judgeth the people and by them he giveth meat in abundance JOB Chap. 36. Vers 32 33. 32. With clouds he covereth the light and commandeth it not to shine by the cloud that cometh between 33. The noise whereof sheweth concerning it the cattel also concerning the vapour THese two verses have a Character of difficulty and obscurity put upon them by several interpreters Hujus et sequentis versus difficultas et obscuritas tanta semper ab omnibus enarratoribus habita est ut vix alius in toto hoc libro ne dicum in toto sacro codice locus isto impenetrabilior esse videatur Bold and some have concluded them the most difficult and darkest portion of the whole Book of Job yea of the whole Book of God And should I reckon up all the various Grammatical constructions of these words together with the distinct interpretations given upon them I should weary my self and rather perplex than advantage the Reader And therefore I shall speak to these two verses First as they are laid down plainly in our translation according to which with submission to the judgement of those learned Authors I see neither any great difficulty nor obscurity in them and shall afterwards give a brief account at least of some of those different readings and translations which I find upon them The words as I conceive according to the mind of our translators and as the Text clearly beareth hold out two things concerning the raine of which Elihu had spoken before First What is naturally preparatory to raine or foule weather that we have in the 32d verse With clouds he covereth the light and commandeth it not to shine by the Cloud that cometh between Secondly We have that which is declaratory of raine or as some call them the Prognosticks and signs of raine these are laid down in the 33d verse The noise thereof sheweth concerning it the Cattel also concerning the vapour Vers 32. With clouds he covereth the light He that is God covereth the light with Clouds We heard of the Clouds at the 29th verse but the word there used is not that which is used in this 32d verse Vox 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 amâ—igua est ad manus nubes proprie volas denotat ad nubes refero quia de iis hactenus actum et quia propriè curvaturas significat quales in unaquaque mibo duae sunt convexa concava De Dieu in loc The word here made use of by Elâ—hu signifies generally any thing that is hollow or concave as
mouth For the close of this matter I shall only adde That though we ought to be affected with the voice of God in his Word as with his voice in Thunder yet let us not stay in that which notes chiefly if not only that dread of God which the word leaves upon our spirits but let us look after and labour for that effect of the Word which like the beames and light of the Sun may warme our hearts with joy and leave strongest impressions of the kindness and favour of God upon them Mr. Forbes opening that Scripture Rev. 14.2 where St. John saith He heard a voice from heaven and that of three sorts First He heard a voice as the voice of many Waters Secondly As the voice of a great Thunder Thirdly He heard the voice of harpers harping wâ—th their harpss Upon consideration of this threefold voice which St. John heard the fore-named worthy Author takes up a meditation to this puâ—pose The word of God saith he hath three degrees of operation in the hearts of men First It comes into mens eares as the sound of many waters which is a kind of confused noise and commonly bringeth neither terror nor joy but a wondering acknowledgment of a strange force and more than humane power as we read of those Mark. 1. who having heard the word of Christ were astonished at his doctrine v. 22. and were all amazed v. 27. insomuch that they questioned among themselves what thing is this what new doctrine is this But knew not what to make of it The second degree is that the Word of God cometh to the ear of man like Thunder which causeth not only wonder but greater astonishment and amazement Both these may be in a wicked prophane person and are often found upon common professors But â—here is a third degree or effect of the Words operation which strictly taken is proper and peculiar to the Elect and that is when the Word heard is as the voice of harpers harping with their harpes that is when the Word doth not only affect us with admiration or strike the heart with astonishment and terrour like the sound of many waters and the voice of Thunder but also filleth it with sweet peace and joy in the Holy Ghost when the Word is like melodious musick to the soul ravishing us with divine delights and raising us up to a heavenly life while we are here sojourning on this earth JOB Chap. 37. Vers 3 4 5. 3. He directeth it under the whole heaven and his Lightning unto the ends of the earth 4. After it a voice roareth he thundereth with the voice of his excellency and he will not stay them when his voice is heard 5. God thundereth marvelously with his voice great things doth he which we cannot comprehend ELihu having shewed in the two former verses how much himself was affected with what God then did or with what himself was about to say concerning the doings of God having also called upon others for due attention and laboured to make the same impression upon their spirits that he found upon his own he proceeds to speak to the special matter First To the workes of God in those terrible fiery Meteors Thunder and Lightning which he doth in the three verses now under discussion and then goeth on to speak of other wonderful works of the wonder-working God in the following part of this Chapter as was before shewed in laying open the whole Vers 3. He directeth it under the whole heaven This verse holds forth the divine guidance of those things which seem most remote from any guidance He directeth it under the whole heaven Here we may consider First In whose hand this guiding power is He that is God directeth it Secondly how far he guideth or the extent of his guiding power 't is not limited but universal far and near even under the heaven and to the ends of the earth There is some variety as of reading so of interpretation about this verse arising from the various significations of that word which we render directeth there is a threefold sence given of it Aliqui a Rabinic◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod est resolvere humectare exprimere Hinc September ab illis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tishâ—i dictus qâ—â—si expressoâ—â—â— quod eo â—â—â—se fiat Vindeâ—â—a Merc. First As taken from a root which signifieth to press or sqeeze and so 't is applyed to the pressing of grapes which causeth the juice or liqour of them to flow out And upon that consideration the seventh month of the year our September hath its name among the Jews from this word because then the Vintage being ready the ripe Grapes are gathered and prest into Wine From this notion of the word some render the text thus he presseth or dissolveth it under the whole heaven that is God presseth the Cloud as a bunch of Grapes is pressed these Intepreters make that the antecedâ—nt to it he presseth it that is the Cloud and so causeth it to rain 'T is God who presseth and as I may say squeezeth the Clouds by his power and then showers fall down and distil upon the ea th uâ—der the whole Heaven That 's a tâ—uâ—h and some-where else spoken of in this book wheâ—e we read of Gods melting or pressing the Clouds as we do a bunch of Grapes or a spung so causing them to give forth rain Alii a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intueri respicere considerare quasi Deus omnia sub coelo consideret Sed nec Grammatica convenit tum euim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicendum fuerat nec sensus admodum propter afflâ—â—um Merc. Subier omnes coelos ipse confiderat Vulg. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod est dirigi re rectificare Secondly Others derive the word from a root that signifieth to behold attentively to behold and consider Thus the latine translator renders it he considereth under the whole heaven that is according to this interpretation there is a Providence of God a wise and an unerring Providence of God at work in all places he considers and takes notice of all things under heaven the least motion of the Creature falls under his inspection He beholdeth or considereth under the whole heavens that 's a truth also yet I conceive with others the Grammar of the Text will not well comply with this reading Therefore Thirdly I conclude our own translation most suitable both to the Original text and to the scope of this whole Chapter Now according to our rendring the word comes from a root which signifieth to set a thing right or strait and from that a person who is right a man of a right spirit who squares and orders his actions by a right rule and to a right end is expressed Chap. 1.1 where Jobs character is given by this word A man perfect and right we say upright that is a man that hath right aimes and walkes by
motions of the beasts of the earth and the motions of the birds of the air are all directed by God yea the motions of the very inanimate creatures of those that have no motion in or of themselves but whose motion is by some outward violence and pressure put upon them even their motion also is directed by the hand of God Thunder and Lightning are inanimate liveless creatures they have no motion of their own but by impression and violence yet God directs their motion as truly as he doth the motions of those câ—eatures which move by the most deliberate actings of their own will reason and understanding What is there so violent in its motion as Thunder What is there so swift in its motion as the Lightning of which Christ being about to give his people warning Christus non venit clam aut invisibiliter ut illi volunt qui jactant se habere christum in deserto in urbe in claustro in conditorio sed palam ut fulmen editum per omnia lucet Coc. not to believe those deceivers who say Lo here is Christ c. saith Mat. 24.27 For as the Lightning cometh out of the East and shineth even unto the West so shall also the coming of the Son of man be that is as the Lightning instantly passeth from one part of the heaven to the other visibly so shall the coming of the Son of man be a sudden swift and visible comingâ— Ye shall not need to go into corners to shew or see him for he shal come as the Lightning discovering himself to all by the brightness of his coming There was such an apprehension of the swiftness of the Lightning among the Ancients that though the Latine word signifying to Lighten is accented long Ad significâ—ndam hanc è nubibus subitae lucis eruptio nem â— s erat antiquâ—â— media syllâ—ba â—â—rrepta ut â—â—â—erent fulgâ—â—â— Sen. lib. 2. Nâ—t quest cap. 56. yet because Lightning is so swift in motion they were wont to pronounce it short Lightning being so quick and active they thought it was not suitable to draw it out in speaking by a long pronunciation But though Lightning have such a violent and swift motion yet 't is under Gods command and direction and it shall make no more haste than God will An arrow flies with a very violent and swift motion yet it is God that directeth the arrow he diâ—ects it more than the man that shoots it and when a shot is made as we say at random God then diâ—ects it as in that notable history of Ahab when he against the counsel of God given him by Micaiah would needs go up to the battel at Ramoth Gilead 1 Kings 22.34 the text saith There was a man who drew a bow at a venture we put in the Ma gin He drew a bow in his simplicity he had no special intenâ—ion against Ahab he did not aim at Ahab when he shot his arrow but God carâ—ied it to the right mark to fulfil that which he had determined and spoken concerning Ahab yea he directed it not only to the right man but to the right place the joynt of his armour When in battel arrows and darts and bullets are sent forth as so many thunder-bolts the Lord directs them and hands them whither they shall go whom they shall hit and where God also directeth the thunder-bolts of his Word where and whom they shall hit And to the point in general that the Lord hath a guidance over those things that are most contingent we may see in that of Moses when he gave a Law from the Lord about the man that goeth with his Neighbour to cut Wood Providentia non est incerta cut vaga If saith he the head slippeth from the helve and lighteth upon his neighbour that he die he shall flee into one of those cities and live Deut. 19.5 The reason of this Law is expressed Exod. 21.13 because in such conâ—ingent cases God delivers him into his hand the man had no intent to hit his Neighbour but fetching a blow the head slieth from the helve and both hits and kills him and to shew that this contingency was ordered by God the text saith God delivered him into his hand And forasmuch as God hath such a power over the motions of the creature it may be matter of comfort and incouragement to us not only with respect to Thunder and Lightning that we should not fear them as the heathen who neitheâ— know nor fear God but we may take comfort from hence also with respect to the most violent and hurried motions that we see here below When we find men acting like Thunder and Lightning without deliberation when they are all in passions and perturbations yet let us know these violent moâ—ions shall not fall any where by chance or hap hazarâ— nor by their own â—way but as God appoynts and over-rules them they shall either fall quite besides the marke which men aimed at and so do no hurt to any or if they do God orders what hurt they shall do He directeth it under the whole heaven Let us carry this consideâ—ation alwayes with us and it will be a gâ—eat stay to our minds in all the violent motions of the creature Again â—rom the extent of this divine direction or providence of God as to these things He directeth it under the whole heaven and unto the ends of the earth that is every where Note The providence of God reacheth to all places His ordeâ—s go forth into all lands his dominion is under the whole heavens and unto the ends of the earth Psalm 65.5 He is the confidence of all the ends of the earth and of them that are afar off upon the Sea God is not helpful to his people in one place of the eâ—rth and not in another or helpful to them upon the earth and not upon the Sea but to the ends of the earth and upon the broad sea he is their confidence that is they may conâ—â—de and trust in him wheresoever they are Hence that expostulation in the prophet Jeremiah 23.23 Am I saith the Lord a God at hand and not a God afar off Some would circumscribe and limit the Power of God as if being a God neer at hand he could not be a God afar off too or to those who are scattered to the ends of the earth But while he puts the question am I a God at hand and not afar off he puts it out of question that he is a God afar off as well as at hand The Syrians said pleased themselves in their conceit 1 Kings 20.28 The Lord is God of the hills but he is not God of the vallies therefore they would change the battel as if he could order things here and not there but all shall find feel him as they did a God both of the hills of the vallies a God both of the Land and of the Sea a God both
his word This goodly Fabrick of the World was made by his word and all the creatures in the world will presently act upon a word from God Psal 33.9 He spake and it was done he commanded and it stood fast Gods saying is doing This is a point of high consolation to all the people of God what-ever their affliction is God can command them out of it what-ever their wants are God can command a supply for them He that saith to the natural Snow and to the Rain to Stormes and Tempests be ye upon the earth can also say to the Snow and Rain to the Stormes and Tempests of trouble be ye not upon the earth He can do or undo by his word as himself pleaseth 'T is also matter of great terror to all that rise up against and disobey the word of the great God for though they 〈…〉 they see nothing at hand to interrupt them nothing to check them in the way of their lusts though they look upon themselves beyond the â—each of dâ—nger yet 't is but a word speaking from God and they are wrapt up in Snow and hurrican'd with a Storm and Tempâ—st He saith to the Snow c. This irresisible force of a word fâ—om God was nâ—â—ed also upon those words in the 9th Chapter vers 7. He câ—â—mandeth the Sun and it riseth not The Sun will not appear or 〈◊〉 will hide it self in an Eclipse or Cloud and daâ—ken the whole ea â—â— if Gâ—d do but give a command Thi dly tâ—ke the point yet more strictly and restrainedly as here in the text He saith to the Snow and to the Rain Snow and Rain are at the command of God Non tiâ—i videantur casibus moveriqui verbo Dei in omni motu suo deserviunt Quo vult Deus illuc fertur nubes sâ—ve pluviam sive nivem sive grandinem portat August in Psal 148. Psal 147.15 16. He sende h forth his commandment upon earth his word runneth very swiftly that word referrs to the particular matter in hand as appeareth in the very next Verse and the two which follow He giveth Snow like wool he scattereth the hâ—ar Frost like ashes he casteth forth his Ice like moâ—sels c. David applies the swift running of Gods word to these things and how swiftly these run on his errands we may see 1 Kings 18.44 For whereas there had been no rain for three years a half according to the word oâ— Elâ—jah the Pâ—ophet God did but say to the Rain come and it came and though Eâ—ijahs Servant at first saw a very small appearance of it only a Cloud like a mans hand yet presently the whole heavens were masked over with Clouds and there was a mighty rain The great rain of his strength Rain and Snow and Vapours quickâ—y fulfil his word Psal 148.8 God is the Lord of hosts and these creatures are his host these as well as men and ang ls are his hosts Psal â—4 10 Who is this king of glory the Lord of hosts is the king 〈◊〉 glory and 't is the great glory oâ— God â—hat he hath such hoâ—â—s at his command None of the Pâ—inces oâ— Powers of this wo lâ— have any such How long may they send their commands to the Snow before it will come or to the Rain before they can get a drop of it neither the one nor the other will stir at the command of man but at the command of God they haste away And if when the Lord saith to the Snow and to the Rain come and they come abide upon the earth and they abide there how will this reprove and condemn thousands of the children of men to whom the Lord speaks and speaks again and again he sends out his commandment and his word runs very swiftly to them yet they stir not they move not Surely Snow and Rain will rise up in judgement against those to whom the Lord hath said do this and they did it not to whom the Lord hath said do not this yet they did it The word represents all sorts of Creatures below man as well as the Angels above man readily obeying the command of God to teach man how readily he should obey his commands and how greatly he shall be condemned if he do not and that not only by the Angels in heaven but by the Snow and Rain that fall upon the earth Fourthly From the destinction which is here made of the rain the small rain and the great rain of his strength Note In what degree or quantity soever the rain falls it is by the special appointment of God If it be a small gentle soaking rain it is because God hath spoken to the small rain to go if it be a great a violent a smoaking rain a rain of his strength it is because God hath said to the great rain go We are not to stick in second causes but to have our hearts raised higher both as to the rain it self and to the proportions of it He maketh small the drops of rain as 't is said at the 27th Verse of the former Chapter and he can make great the drops of rain of the drops of rain g eat he can cast the rain into what mold he pleaseth great or small it shall be a sweetly-distilling rain or it shall be as Solomon speakes a fiercely sweeping rain Prov. 28.3 where he compares the poor man that oppresseth to a sweeping rain God hath sweeping rains and as 't is said Ezek. 13.13 overflowing showres in his hand and he sometimes sends not a watering showre not a refreshing or comforting showre in mercy not a showre to enrich and fatten the earth but an overflowing showre to drown the earth and destroy the fruits of it in his anger and this is true whether you take the showre properly or metaphorically If you take the showre properly for that which falls from heaven he sends the refreshing he sends the overflowing showre or if you take it metaphorically a showre may signifie any kind or degree of judgement he can send one judgement which shall be as small rain and he can send another which shall be as great rain as the rain of his strength an overflowing showre He can send forth as that allusion is used Jer. 12.5 his footmen and he can send forth his horsemen greater or lesser Judgments as himself pleaseth he proportiâ—ns and cuts them out according to his own infinite wisdome and righteous will Lastly From these words He saith to the snow abide on the earth or be thou on the earth stay there and so to the rain Observe Snow or Rain continue or stay upon the face of the earth till God calls them off When he saith be ye upon the earth upon the earth they will be until the same power that sent them fetch them back again These hosts are like a well ordered and well disciplined army wherein Souldiers sent out by the order of their General or superiour Officers must
allusion to those showres of rain powred from the clouds And as the Lord powres out his Spirit which can never be wearied or drawn dry so the Lord makes use of many thick clouds which hold much spiritual rain even to weariness for the refreshing of wearied souls I mean such Ministers as he hath furnished with great gifts and graces such as are not as the Apostle Jude compareth some Teachers Clouds without water but as true and faithful Teachers should be full of water The waterings of any Apollo are at the Lords disposeâ— He saith drop thy word here drop thy word there and thou shalt not drop thy word any more here or there The Lord hath often been so bountiful to Nations and Churches that he hath even wearied many thick clouds to water them with the rain of his word That of the Psalmist though it be true of the rain properly taken falling upon the earth is most true of spiritual rain falling upon the Churches Psal 65.10 Thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly thou setlest the furrows thereof And so is thaâ— also to be understood Psal 68.9 Thou O God didst send a plentiful rain or rain of liberalities whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance when it was weary Thou didst even weary the thick cloud to confirm that is to refresh thy weary people And seeing they who carry and dispence the Word are in Scripture emblematically expressed by Clouds Isa 60.8 Who are these that flee as a cloud and as the doves to their windows The Preachers of the Gospel come as so many clouds and the Prophet tells us the Word cometh down as rain and snow from heaven Isa 55.10 which supposeth a cloud from whence it cometh foâ— saith the Lord So shall my word be that goeth out of my mouth it shall not return unto me void but it shall accomplish that which I please Seeing I say the dispensers of the Word are compared to clouds let them that sit under the droppings of these clouds take heed they be not unfruitful or like that ground which drinketh in the rain yet beareth nothing but briars and thorns whose end is to be burned God hath wearied and quite spent many of these thick clouds by continual dropping upon and watering the souls of men yet how barren how fruitless are they If but one of the clouds of heaven be wearied in watering the earth we soon after discern the face of the earth refreshed and renewed by it And shall God weary those heâ—venly clouds by watering men on earth and men remain unrefreshed unrenewed Clouds of sorrow and darkness will at last weary all those with their waterings and droppings upon them who when God hath wearied his Clouds by watering them with the word of life from Heaven yet remaine altogether barren and unfruitfull By watering he wearieth the thick Cloud He scattereth his bright Cloud The former part of the verse spake of a thick Cloud Nubes ex cujus discussione lucem restituit Hâ—nc appellat nubem lucis dei qua dispulsa lux et serenitas inducitur Merc this latter speaks of a bright Cloud The Hebrew is The Cloud of his light which I conceive is here added First to shew that Clouds of all sorts serve the purposes of God the thick Cloud and the bright Cloud the dark Cloud and the light Cloud are made use of by him And as he doth weary the Cloud that is full of water so he scattereth the Cloud that is full of light or he scattereth his bright Cloud Yet some considering it is not said in the letter of the Text Nubem lucis non dicit lucidam sed quae lucem abscondit Coc A light Cloud but a Cloud of light understand by a Cloud of light such a Cloud as hides and hinders the light and which being scattered light and faire weather succeed Yet rather as before But why is it here said that he scattereth his bright Cloud possibly because he hath no use of his bright Cloud but of his thick Cloud only when he would water the earth And indeed Clouds which are only bright or which have much light but no water are of little use Some have much light of knowledge but no water of instruction to drop upon others such Clouds God disperseth and scatters It is not an outward faire appearance which can bring us into acceptance with God The bright Cloud shall be scattered if it have no rain in it to water the earth Againe Some translate His light scattereth the Cloud So the text may be read according to the letter of the Hebrew as if the meaning were this God by the Sun-beams dispels or disperseth the Cloud for Clouds are scattered sometimes by the wind sometimes by the Sun That which gathered the Cloud may also scatter it The Sun draweth up the vapours of which Clouds are formed or compacted and soone after the Sun dissolveth the Clouds which it had gathered The same power makes and unmakes the Cloud gives it a body and takes it away His light scattereth the Cloud That 's a truth also For as brightness or light is scattered among the Clouds and makes the Clouds appeare bright so brightness or light scatters Clouds or causeth them to disappeare Elihu having thus discoursed of wind and cold of freezing and thawing of working some Clouds to weariness and of scattering others proceeds in the two following verses to shew the special uses which the Lord makes of all those motions in the air and impressions upon the Earth with the Inhabitants of it whether in a way of Judgment or of Mercy JOB Chap. 37. Vers 12 13. 12. And it is turned about by his counsel that they may do whatsoever he commandeth them upon the face of the world in the earth 13. He causeth it to come whether for correction or for his land or for mercy IN the former verse Elihu spake of the Clouds of the thick Cloud wearied with watering and of the bright Cloud scattered by the Wind or Sun In these two verses he further sets down two things more generally concerning the Clouds First He shews whence the motion of the Cloud is and by what or whom directed It is turned about by his counsel in the beginning of the 12th verse and he causeth it to come at the beginning of the 13th verse There we have the Spâ—ing of the Clouds motion Secondly Elihu shews the purpose or the design of the Lord in turning about the Clouds by his counsel which design is laid down two wayes First In general That they may do whatsoever he commandeth them upon the face of the world in the earth that 's the first purpose of God in moving the Clouds they are to execute his Commands and that 's his general purpose Secondly We have his special purposes or designs laid down in the close of the 13th verse and they are three-fold He turneth about the Cloud and causeth it to come First For Correction Secondly
Junonis Virg. Aeneid 4. the Harbingresse of Juno yet on the contrary God appoynts it as a sign of faire weather And indeed God often works by contrary means lest we should stick in means and ascribe the effect more than is due to them So then the Rainbow hath two different significations the first natural of Rain nor doth God promise to hinder or alter this course of nature Secondly preternatural or instituted of faire weather which Philosophy and the world is altogether ignorant of only the Chuâ—ch and people of God understand it by faith upon the testimony or revealed will of God that as often as the Bow appeareth in the Cloud they have a renewed assurance that God will remember the Earth and moderate the Rain nor doth this depend upon the nature of or various colours appearing in the Rainbow but purely upon the will and institution of God And theâ—efore we ought by a firme faith to embrace the word of promise to which this sign is annexed without that the Rainbow is nothing else to us but the image or representation of the rayes of the Sun or Moon impressed upon the Clouds I shall not insist upon any large discourse of the Rainbow only take two or three things This Meteor hath three Attâ—ibutes above the rest First it is the most illustrious and beautifull Secondly the most desirable and comfortable Thirdly the mâ—st strange and wonderfull of all the impressions visible in the air This is properly expressed by a Bow because the forme of it usually is semicircular Luther saith he saw a Rainbow in the forme of a perfect Circle and others report they have seen it in the forme of a strait line But in what-ever form it appeaâ—s the natural cause of it is the reflection of the Sun or of the Moon for there are Rainbows in the night as well as in the day it is caused I say by the reflection of the light of the Sun or Moon upon or from a watery or dewey Cloud opposite to either Iris ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod est dicere sive loqui Iris est arcus qui ex reflexione luminis â—um solaris tum luâ—â—ris in nubem roâ—idâ—â— oppositam gignitur Garcae The Latine word Iris is derived from a greek word which signifieth to speak or to relate somthing The Rainbow is eleganâ—ly so called because it foreshews somtimes rain somtimes faire weather A Rainbow in the morning is a sign of showres in the afternoon it betokens serenity and alwayes it proclaims to us the pâ—omise of God for the moderation of rain or it speaks thus much to all the world that God will so measure out the Rain fâ—om the Clouds that it shall never swell to an universal Deluge or to a drowning of the whole woâ—ld again Thus the Rainbow hath a speech a language of mercy in it towards the present world It speaks also the Justice of God upon the old world minding us of that Deluge of water that drowned them for their sin they had so defiled the Earth by their evil manners and prophaness by their will-worship Superstition and Idolatry that God in wrath sent a Flood of water not to wash or refresh but to destroy them The Rainbow minds us of that dreadfull Judgment of God upon a corrupt World And although the Rainbow gives us assurance that the World shall not be drowned again how sinfull soever it is yet some from the various colours of the Rainbow whereof one is red and fiery tell us it proclaims that the World shall at last be consumed by Fire The Apostle Peter is plain that it shall be so 2 Ep 3.10 The Elements shall melt with fervent heat nor is it meerly a phancy to say that the fiery colours in the Rainbow are set there by God to mind us of it Some have questioned whether the Rainbow were before the Flood or no The reason or ground of the question is given from that saying of God Gen. 9.13 I will set my Bow in the Cloud it seems then there was no Rainbow before the Flood I answer The Rainbow may be considered two wayes First as to its natural being Secondly as to its mystical use If we consider the Rainbow as to its natural being it was before the Flood for the causes of it were before the Flood which are watery Clouds and the shining of the Sun Now when sufficient causes appear in act the effect doth certainly follow But as to its mystical use it was not before the Flood Water had its natural elementary being and use before Baptisme was instituted but it had not a spiritual use till then we may say the same of the Rainbow Some I know of the Moderns Luther and Melancthon assert it was not in being till then but we have reason to vary from that opinion with reverence to those worthy men For God did not say in the 9th of Genesis I will make or create my Bow in the Cloud but I do set my Bow in the Cloud and it shall be there for a token of a Covenant between me and the Earth The Rainbow had no such signification nor was it set in the Cloud for any such purpose before that time So then Take the Rainbow as to its mystical use so I grant it was not before the Flood till then God had never caused the light of his Cloud to shine as a Covenant-token The Rainbow had alwayes a natural signification in it but that is not all it hath now also a Theological divine and mystical signification and is become as the Seal of that Covenant with mankind for God instituted the Rainbow as a Sacramental sign so we may expresse it for our better understanding both between himself and the whole World in general and in special between himself his Covenant people Gen. 9. v. 12 13 14 15. It was given I say on purpose to Seal the truth of the Promise that the whole Earth should no more be overwhelm'd with a Deluge or Flood of water Which though it be such a promise as the whole Creation hath the benefit of yet the faithfull only understand the mysterie of it and have their faith exercised upon it and strengthened by it So that while the Rainbow is the sign of a temporal Covenant to all creatures the godly may look upon it with reference to all spiritual and eternal mercies by Christ in whom all the promises of mercy are Yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 And there is a gâ—eat fitness in it to hold forth mercy both temporal and spiritual in several particulars First This Rainbow is in the Cloud and God placed it in the Cloud because out of the Cloud came the Rain which drowned the old world God could have drowned the world only by letting out or breaking up the Springs of water from the earth but he opened the Cataracts of Heaven also to do it And therefore God to secure the world against such another vengeance
the Sky takes occasion to give us a description of the Sky Hast thou with him spread out the Sky Which is strong and as a molten Locking-Glasse We have here two things considerable in the Sky First the strength of it Secondly the clearness of it But is the Sky strong that may be thought an improper and incongâ—uous Epithete The Sky seemeth to be a weak thing and the Aiâ— will scarce bear a feather yet saith he Hast thou with him spread out the Sky which is strong How are the Heavens or Sky strong Philosophers and Interpreters upon this place have largely discoursed the matter of the Heavenâ— which to our sence are a very thinn substance and therefore seem to have little strength in them I answer Though to sense and view the Sky or Heavens seem to have little strength in them yet indeed their strength is beyond that of Rocks and Mountains The learned Languages both Greek and Latine expresse the Sky by words which properly signifie strength and firmâ—ess Firmitas tribuâ—tur coelo propter immutabilitatem unde Septuaginta dicunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Latini Firmamentum and we following the Latine word commonly call it in our English tongue The Firmament as much as to say a firme thing When the Apostle would set forth the steadiness or as we translate the stedfastness of the faith of the Colossians he makes use of this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chap. 2.5 As if he had said I rejoyce to behold the firmament of your faith or that your faith is as fiâ—me as the Firmament Surely then the Sky or Firmament is very strong else the strength of faith which being strong is the strongest thing both actively and passively in the world had never been expressed by it The Heavens are said to be strong as saith is because of their lastingness and duration The Angels are pure Spirits they are purer and of a more spiritual substance than the Sky or Heavens yet they are strong so strong and powerfull that they are called Powers their strength is not a corporal strength of flesh and bone as ours and that of beasts is nor is it a strength by compactness of earthy parts as that of Stones and Metals is but 't is a strength of lastingness and activity arising from their spiritualness Thus the Sky especially taking it for the Heavens above thâ— air is pure there is a spiritualness in its nature and so a strength of lastingness in it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fusile a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 suadere liqui sacere non a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 coarâ—are Merc beyond that of any earthly or elementary body The Heavens are not made up of contrary qualities as elementary bodies are In them heat and coldness moysture and driness are mingled together and these contending with each other at last subdue each other whence all elementary bodies become weak and corruptible The Heavens have some cognation with elementary bodyes yet without the contrariety of active qualities Heaven is like the Element of the Earth in regard of firmness and solidity it is like the water in regard of its moveableness it is like the air in regard of its pellucidness or clearness it is like the fire with respect to its activeness Heaven shines yet 't is without heat 't is solid yet without dryness 't is compact yet without moystness 't is diaphanous and pellucid yet without po es or those small and unsensible holes whereby sweaâ— and vapours pass out of the body So then the Scriptuâ—e calls Heaven stâ—ong or firme not as grosse bodyes are called fiâ—me and strong buâ— because of its perpetual consistency and as to nature indissolubility which doth the more highly advance and commend the power of God who hath given it a strength and firmness beyond that of Râ—cks and Adamants For how fluid and moveable soever the Heavens are to view yet they are the most strong and durable part of the whole Creation Hast thou with him spread out the Sky which is strong And as a molten Looking-Glasse Some â—ead these words as an enâ—â—â—â—â—nrence Which is strong as a mâ—lten Loâ—king-Glasse So Mr Broughton Couldst thou make a Firmament with him of the â—â—ir setled as Glasse molten We put it distiâ—câ—â— in two parts which is strong aâ—d as a molten Looking-Glasse Poeâ—â— vâ—teres 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appâ—llarunt Some of the old Poets uâ—ed a like Epithete concerning Heaven they called iâ— The Brazen Heaven What the Lord threatens as a judicial afflâ—ction Deut. 28.23 The Heaven that is over thine head shall be B asse that Heaven resembles in its natural constitution 't is like Bâ—asse oâ— like a molten Looking-Glasse by reason of its shining brighâ—ness That which we commonly call Glass or a Looking-Glass is molten of which we read Exâ—d 38.8 Mâ—ses made the Brazen Laver of the Looking-Glasses of the Women The godly women among the Jewes made a bette use of thei Looking-Glasses than to dress themselves by they offâ—red them to the service o God in the Tabeâ—nâ—cle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Est videre inde vijus sp culum Râ—b Kimhi in lib rad One of the Jâ—wish Doctâ—â—s waâ—ns us to consider that the word which we rendeâ— a Looking-Glasse may be taken for a look or for the appearance â—f a thing As if â—e had said The Heavens are not only strong but cleare L oking like or being o look on like a thing that is molâ—â—n Glasse is a diaphanous splendid body we may see through iâ— or see the representation of objects in it Thus thâ— Heavens are strong as steele and cleare as a molten Looking-Glasse Hence â—bserve Fiâ—st The Heaven are durable they are strong Secondly The Heavens are transparent they are as a Loâ—k ng Glasse From this latter we may infer There is much to be seen in the Heavens They are a Lâ—oking-Glasse which represent many things to us It hath been said The whole world is a Looking Glasse Seâ—ulum spoculum every Age we live in is a Looking-Glasse in which many both things and persons are discovered I may say much more the Heavens are a Looking Glasse wherein we may behold much of God and much of our selves And because the Heavens are called a Looking-Glasse it should mind us to look upon the Heavens they may mind us First What God is who hath made the Heavens Psal 19.1 The Heavens declare the glory of God and the Firmament sheweth his handy work We may see God by the Heavens First In his nature that he is pure and holy He that hath made such a pure thing as the Heaven is how pure is he There is no dirt in the Sky no filth in the Heavens no uncleanness there the dust or filth of this world can get but a little into the air it cannot reach the Heavens The purity of God is such as may shame the purity of the Heavens and make them blush though the Heavens are
the purest part of the world yet comparatively to God they are impure This Eliphaz asserts expresly Chap. 15.15 Behold he putteth no trust in his Saints yea the Heavens are not clean in his sight Biluad puts it yet further Chap. 26.5 Yea the Starrs which are the most pure and resplendent part of the Heavens are not pure in his sight Secondly The Heavens are a Glasse wherein we may behold the power of God How unconceiveable is his power who hath made such a Canopie and spread it over the heads of all Creatures And if the visible Heavens are so glorious what is the Heaven of Heavens The Heaven which we see is but the pavement of that which is unseen God hath made such a Ceeling for this House below as never needed mending or repaire he hath set such a Roof upon it as abides all weathers Thirdly We may see in this Glass the wisdome of God â—is wonderfull wisdome in contriving and fitting such a beauâ—ifuâ—l roof for this great House the Woâ—ld We admire the skill and wisdome of Architects in some peices of their woâ—k O the wisdome of God in this Fourthly We may see in the Heavens the unchangeableness of God If he hath made the Heavens of such a lasting nature that they have continued many thousand years without alteration surely then he himself hath continued and will continue for ever without change as he is at this day The unchangeableness of God infinitely exceeds that of the Heavens We find the Spirit of God by holy David infinitely preferring the God of Heavâ—n before the Heavens â—f God in his unchangeableness Psal 102.26 27. Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the Earth and the Heavens are the â—oâ—k of thy hands they shall perish but thou shalt enduâ—e yea all of them shall wax old lâ—ke a garment and as a vesture shalt thou chaâ—ge â—hem and they shall be changed but thou art the same The Heavenâ— have but a shadow of unchangeablâ—ness compared with God Wâ—th whom is no variableness nor shadâ—w of changing Fifthly In this Glass of the Heavens we may lâ—ok upon or contemplate the wonde full goodness of God to the soâ— of men Psal 8 3. When I consider the Heavens the work of thy singers the Moon and the Starrâ— wh ch thou hast ordained What is man that thou art mindful◠〈◊〉 and the son of man that thou visitest him When-eveâ— wâ— bâ— old the Heavens it should mind us of the mercy an◠〈◊〉 of God to man two wayes Fi st in making the Hâ—avens 〈◊〉 use while he dwels on the Earth Secondly 〈◊〉 he hâ—â—h p epared and provided him such a dwelling house when he shall leave this Earth 2 Cor. 5.1 We know that when the earthly house of this Tabernacle shaâ—l be dissâ—lved we haâ—e a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the Heavens Again The Heavens are a Looking-Glass wherein we may bâ—â—old our selves First We may behold our weakness and impurity and so our unlikeness to the Hâ—avens much more to the â—od of Heaven When â—pposi es are set one by oâ—â—ver against the otheâ— they illustrate each other In the spotlâ—ss Heavens we may â—ee our spoâ—s The pure Heavens may shew us our imâ—u iâ—y Secondly As in the Heavens we may see what we aâ—e so what we should be The purity of the Heavens tells us we should be pure they tell us we should be heavenly-minded that is set our minds chiefly upon heavenly things yea that our minds should be like the Heavens pure and spotless It is said of the Church Cant. 6.10 Who is this that looketh forth as the morning fair as the Moon clear as the Sun Such in a qualified sense are all the parts and true members of the Chuâ—ch Shall a man say he hopes for an inheritance in the Heavens when his mind is earthly or when he minds only earthly things Worldly men are not only earthly-minded but their minds are earth and themselves are called earth Jer. 22.29 and Rev. 12.16 Surely then they are earthly On the other hand godly men should not only mind heavenly things but be a Heaven before they come to Heaven The Chuâ—ch on Earth is called Heaven Heb. 12.26 Yet once more I shake not the Earth only but also Heaven that is the Church state St John saith Rev. 12.7 There was war in Heaven But is there war in Heaven is it not all peace and joy thâ—â—e How then saith that Scripture There was war in Heaven By Hâ—aven there he means the Church on eaâ—th which is called Heaven First because there is not a more lively represâ—ntation or resemblance of the highest Heavens which is the habitation of Gods holiness and of his glory than the Church here below which is a company of Saints and faithfull ones Secondly because the Church while on Earth hath more to do in Heaven and for Heaven then in or for the Earth and that in three respects First Her birth is from Heaven being boâ—n of God Secondly Her traffick is in and for Heaven The Apostle saith of himself and of all such as are truly the Chuâ—ch of God Phil. 3.20 Our conversation is in Heaven our trade is in Heaven Though we have business on Earth yet that which is our business indeed is in Heaven The Church hath more to do in Heaven than on Earth her paines and labours her cares and endeavours are more foâ— heavenly than for earthly things They that bestow most of their labouâ— upon earâ—hly things are earthly In all things we ought to be heavenly and in every thing we do we ought to be doing for Heaven Thirdly Because her Head and her Inheritance is in Heaven Here she is a stranger there is her home nor is she ever truly at home till she comes thither Thus as Hâ—aven is a Glass wherein we may se what we ought to be now we should labour to be pure â—â—â—an and of an unvariable temper as the Heavens are so what we shall be and shall have hereafter 'T is such a Glass as God hath made for us to behold our selves in and above all to behold himâ—elf his blessed self in Let us dresse our selves by this Glasse every day Let it not satisfie us to look upon the Heavens that we may see and be taken with their own beauty and excellency as Philosophers do in their discourses of Heaven but let us see God in them let us see Grace and Glory in them Theâ—e is so little of God in the discourses of Philosophers saith one that they are colder than the Frost and Snow of which they often discourse But let us see God in this Looking-Glass of the Heavens and therein also let us see our selves and learn to be fitting and preparing our selves for heavenly joyes and enjoyments We have never looked well upon or in this Glass till we have mended our dresse and are become better and more beautifull by looking in it JOB Chap. 37. Vers
Lord hath not called thy name Pashur but Magor Missabib that is fear round about I will make thee a terror to thy self thy own Conscience shall be terrible to thee A man had better fall into the hands of the most cruel Tyrants in the World than into the hands of his own Conscience But when a man is a terrour to himself then to have the Lord a terrour to him likewise to have God appearing in terrible Majesty how dreadful is it The awakened Conscience of a sinner carrieth in it as a thousand witnesses so a thousand terrours and God in his anger is more terrible than a thousand consciences Secondly God is terrible to sinners in the day of outward trouble when as David speaks Psal 65.5 By terrible things in righteousness he answereth the prayers of his People When God is doing terrible things in the World how miserable is their case to whom God also is a terrour in that day A godly man when God is doing the most terrible things shaking Heaven and earth and as it were pulling the world about our ears yet because he finds God at peace with him he is well enough But as for impenitent sinners when God is doing terrible things what will become of them I may bespeak them in the words of the Prophet Isa 10.3 What will ye do in the day of your visitation and in the desolation which shal come from far to whom will ye flee for help and where wil ye leave your glory As if he had said whâ— or what can be a comfort to you when God is a â—errour to you And therefore another Prophet fore-seing such a terrible day coming makes this earnest deprecating prayer Jer. 17.13 O Lord be not thou a terrâ—ur to me in the evil day I know an evil a terrible day is at hand but Lord I beg this of thee that thou wilt not be a terrour to me in that day if men should be a terrour to me and God a terrour too it would be inâ—upportable Yet thus it will be with the unrighteous when God doth terrible things in righteousness and such things he will do in the latter dayes Take heed lest God appear with terrible Majesty to you in such a day Thirdly How terrible is God to impenitent sinners when awakened in the day of death What is Death In this Book Death is called The King of Terrours Now if when Deaâ—h is making its approaches to a person who lives in a contempt of the wayes and word of God if when his breath sits upon his lips ready to depart and the King of Terrours is ready to tear his caul and to rend his heart-strings asunder if then I say God appears in terrible Majesty what condition will such a one be in To have Death the King of Terrours and the Living the ever-living God in terrible Majesty falling upon a poor creature at once is a thousand deaths at once Fouâ—thly What will sinners do in the day of judgment that will be a terrible day indeed The Apostle 2 Cor. 5.10 having said We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ to receive according to what we have done in the body whether good or bad presently adds knowiâ—g therefore the terrour of the Lord we perswade men that is knowing how terrible the Lord will be to impenitent sinners to all whom he finds in their sins knowing this terrour of the Lord and how terrible the Majesty of the Lord will be to such in that day we perswade men we do all we can to pluck them out of their sins and turn them to God in Châ—ist Jesus who saves his people from their sins for to be sure that will be a most dreadful day to sinners Thus the Mâ—jâ—sty of God will be terrible to the wicked and ungodly especially in these four dayes Only they who fear the Loâ—d and take hold of his name by faith shall be able to stand befoâ—e his terrible majesty God will not be a terrour but a comfoâ—t to them â—hat fear him in every evill day Fu â—her the word as wâ—s shewed before signifies not only Majesty but Praâ—se With God is â—errible praise dreadful praise Hence note First The Lord is most praise worthy With the Lord is praise The Psalmist every where sâ—ts fo th the praise-worthiness of God and presseth this duty upon us I shall not stay upon it only remember with the Lord is praise that is he is to be praised And from the attribute of his praiâ—e or that with the Lord is terrible praise Note Secondly Even in those things which the Lord doth most graciously for us and is to be highly praised by us even in thâ—se he is to be feared dreaded and reverenced God is to be praised not only with joy and thankfullness but with fear and reverence for with him is terrible praise It is the express word of Moses in his song after the destruction of the Egyptians in the Red Sea Exod. 15.11 Who is a God like unto thee glorious in holines fearful in praises We should not be affraid to praise God no we should be most forward to praise him but we should have a holy fear upon our hearts when we praise him Praise is the work of heaven from whence fear shall for ever be banished there will be perfect love and perfect love Casts out fear 1 Joh. 4.18 What-ever fear hath torment in it as all fear out of Châ—ist hath we shall have nothing to do with in that blessed life And even in this life praise which is the work of heaven on earth should be performed with such a spirit of love joy as is without all base tormenting fear we should have so much love to God in and for all the good things he doth for our soules especially ye and for our bodyes too in dealing out daily mercies that it should cast out all that fear which hath torment in it Yet there is a fear which should pâ—ssess our spirits while we are praising God a fear of reverence I mean which fear I doubt not will remaine in heaven for ever Glorified Saints shall praise God with that fear that is having an everlasting awe of the Majesty of God upon their hearts He is fearful in praises and therefore let us so praise him as remembering our distance so praise him as to be affraid of miscarrying in the duty and so instead of praising displease him in stead of honouring grieve him This duty of praise is very dreadful The Psalmist saith there is mercy or forgiveness with thee O Lord that thou mayst be feared Psal 130.4 Not only is the Lord to be feared in his wrath and in the executions of his justice but he is to be feared in his mercy in that greatest expression of his favour towards us the forgivness of our sins When we are in the highest exaltations of the mercy of God and of the God of our mercies yet then should our hearts be
them it had been better for us not to have received them 364 Merciful men have special favours from God 521 Merit no merit in the best of men 649 Mighty men apt to despise others 173 Mightiness of man four fold 57. Mightiness of God in two things or of two sorts 160. The migâ—tineâ—s of God set forth in seven assertions 161 162. Five Infereâ—ces frâ—m the mightiness of Gâ—d 164 165. Miâ—acles God doth â—ot Mi acles to preserve or deliver the wicked 191 192. Mi aclâ—s as easie to God as his ordinary works 535. Modeâ—ation of Spiâ—it proceeâ—s from true greatness of Spirit â—86 Modesty a great vertue and the grace â—f all our graces 158 Motions of the creature most violent and in appearance contingent under the dominion of God 450 N Name of God what 73 Nature workâ— of God in nature ought to be searched 145 Necessity no man necessitated to choose a sinful evil 283 Negatives in Scripture often carry a strong affirmation 153 187 188. Nero his seeming clemency 631 Night God gives his people occasions of rejoycing in the night as well as in the day 71. God gives his people a rejoycing frame of spirit in the night 72. Night taken two wayes 312 North-wind makes fair weather 603. why promotion is said not to come out of the North. 605 O Obeying and hearing expressed by the same word 237 Obedience due to the call of God either by his word or works 237. Obedience to God profitable to man 247. No obedience where no service 250. Good men fail in obedience 251 Oppression of three sorts 56. Oppression a common sin 58. Oppression is a crying sin 59. Power is commonly abused to oppression 59. Yet when poor oppress that worst 59 60. It is best to have recourse to God when oppressed by men 67. Oppression cannot bring down the pride of man 88 Oppressors mind not God 62 Oppâ—essed persons will be crying and complaining 86. Some under Oppression do nothing but cry and complain 87 P Pardon of great sins what may encourage us to ask it 372. The greatness of pardoning mercy in Gâ—d 634 635 Passion not to be quieted but by Reason 382 Perfection two-fold 157 Perswasion what it is 280 Pleasure distinguished of in what pleasures to spend our dayes is a mercy 243. How that Promise of spending their dayes in pleasure is made good to the godly 245 246 Plenty and Scarcity are at the dispose of God 414. God useth natural means as the cause either of Plenty or Scarcity 414 Poor in Spirit how pleasing to God 195 196. Poor taken two wayes in Scripture 195. Poor shall have right done them by God 197. Objections answered 198 199 Poverty it self an affliction and the poor afflicted by others 194 196. Power of greaâ— use to do good and a great temptation to do bad things 60 Power of three sorts 335. They who have Power are apt to do wrong 347 Power of God in câ—mmanding and working how excellent 619 Prayers of the proud and impenitent are not heard 89 92. The Prayers of vain persons are vain things 93. What prayers are vain shewed in seven particulars 93 94. How much God values holy prayers shewed three wayes 66 Holy pâ—ayer not alwayes presently answered but never disregarded 96. A dreadful judgment not to have prayer regarded 97. Not to pray in time of affliction very sinful shewed in three things 267. Prayers of the wicked not esteemed by God 307 Praise God fearfull in praises 611 Presumptuous sin what 35 Presumptions of evil men described 106 Presumption to do or speak amiss not fearing God should know it 589 Pâ—ide oppression cannot bring down the proud heart of man 88. Pride a bad Mother of three bad children 169. Pride and high-mindedness the same 458 Promises some make them not minding to perform them 629. Four things ascribed to God in Scr pture which assure us he will perform his promises 630 Pâ—omotion comes usually in a secret way 605 Pronounes mine thine have a great emphasis 149 Prophaning the Name of God what 34 Prosperity what 242. Promises of outward prosperity most in the Old Testament 246. Outward prosperity given many Godly 288 Protection of God towards man two-fold 191 Providences when they seem to cross Promises and Prophesies yet trust 113 Providential care of God towards his people is perpetual 206. Some works of Providence very plain 357. The Pâ—ovidence of God reacheth to all places 453. The Government of the world is as much of God as the creatiâ—n of it 536. Heathens dark about Pâ—ovidence ascribed all to Fortune and second Causes 536 537. Comfort to the godly that all things are under the Pâ—ovidence of God 537 Q Question one question put more than twenty times to Jâ—b and why 535 Qâ—ietness of the Air much more of mens Hearts is of God 562. Christ can make the heart quiet in the midst of all outward uâ—quietness 563 R Rain fiâ—e things spoken of it 384 385. Rain comes fiâ—st from the earth 388. The causes of Rain 389. God can with-hold the Rain when he pleaseth 389. Four Inferences from it 90 39â— That the water falls from Heaven in drops of Râ—in is of God 393. God hath store of Rain in his treasury 397. Râ—in a comparison between that â—nd the Word of God 397 398. Râ—iâ— sâ—all and great 471. Great Rain of Gods strength what 471. In what quantity soever the Rain falls it is by the special appointment of God 475. For what purposes Rain is sent 519. Rain undeserved 't is of free mercy that we have Rain 520 Rain-bow the signification of it 542 543. The forme and cause of it 543. Why expressed in the Greek by a word that signifieth to speak or shew forth 544. Whether the Rain-bow were before the flâ—â—d 544 545. The fitness of the Rain bow to assure mercy shewed in seven particulars 545 546 Ransom what it is several sorts of it Nothing but the blood of Christ can ransom sinners nor will that deliver some sinners 304 Remember taken two wayes 349 Reward and punishment without them Religion would vanish 14 Riches God regardeth not men for their riches or any outward greatness 306 309 Right how God gives it the poor 195 Righteous man righteous three wayes 39. A two-fold notion of the righteous 21. The Righteous alwayes under Gods eye 202 203. Righteous highly esteemed and exalted by God 213 Righteousness essential to God 11 Righteousness of two sorts 8 9. The righteousness or righteous actings of men contribute nothing to God 41. Three grounds of it 42 43. How and whom righteousness doth profit 51 52. Cautions about it 53. Righteousness when and how ascribed to God 147 Rods of two sorts 514. S Scholars great not alwayes the wisest men 177 Scourge God can make any creature a scourge to man 412 Sealing in Scripture hath a threefold signification 476. Sealing up of the hand what it signifieth 478 September how expressed in the Hebrew and why 448 Servant what it