reason For Job said it may be my sons have sinned Let us examine the reason a little It may be my sons have sinned What is it come to an it may be with Job that his sons have sinned What sons had Job Surely they were more than men that the Father is but at a Question whether his sonnes have sinned or no Solomon after an If concerning sin resolves it into a conclusion 1 King 8.46 If saith he they sinne against thee here he makes a supposition but you see he goes not one step from it before he makes a direct assertion for saith he there is no man that sinneth not and yet Job puts it with anuncorrected If or it may be my sons have sinned For the opening of this Without all question Job was fully and thoroughly studied in that point of the universall corruption of man his disputings as we shall see afterwards in this booke sufficiently evince it What is man saith he that he should be perfect 〈◊〉 he that is borne of a woman that he should be cleane Here by sinning then we are to understand something more than ordinary sinning To sin sometime is put for common and daily infirmities such as doe inseparably and inevitably cleave unto us such as considering the state and condition wherin we are having corrupt flesh and bloud about us we cannot be freed from As a man who in the morning washeth his hands and goes abroad about his businesse and affaires in the world though he doth not puddle in the mire or take among dung-hils yet when he returnes home againe to dinner or at night if he wash he finds that he hath contracted some uncleannesse and that his hands are foule we cannot converse in an uncleane and dirty world with our bodies but some uncleannesse will fasten upon them So it is with the soule the soules of the best of the purest of the holiest though they do not rake in the dung-hill and wallow in the mire of sin basely and filthily yet they doe from day to day yea from moment to moment contract some filth and uncleannesse And in this sense it is that there is no man that liveth and sinneth not Every man hath a Fountaine of Vncleannesse in him and there will be ever some sinne some filthinesse bubbling and boyling up if not flowing forth Secondly To sin is put for some speciall act of sin that which in Scripture is called a Fall If any man be overtaken with a fault you that are spirituall restore him And in this sense the Apostle John saith which is a cleare answer to this doubt and doth open the terme I write unto you little children that you sinne not He did not write to them an impossible thing he writ to them about that which in a Gospell sense they might attain unto There are 3 degrees of sinning 1. There is one kind of sinning which is called a daily infirmitie which the Saints of God the best in this life are not freed from 2. There is another kind of sinning which is to sinne wilfully and with pure delight and thus he that is borne of God cannot sinne 3. There is another kind of sinning which is called falling into sinne or the falls of the Saints and sometimes we know they have fallen into great and scandalous sins In this sense it is that the Apostle saith Little children I write to you that you sinne not That is though you have daily infirmities yet take heed of scandalous sinnings So here in the Text where it is said It may be my sonnes have sinned It is not meant either in the first or second sense it is not meant as if he thought his sons were without infirmities nor is it meant that he did suspect them of those sins which are indeed incompatible with the state of grace sins of perfect wilfulnesse and of malice or the like but it is of those sins in the middle sort It may be my sons have sinned that is have sinned so as to provoke God and scandalize men in this their feasting in their meeting together We may note from that first He that liveth without grosse sinnes in a Gospell sense liveth without sin To be without great and grosse sinne is our holinesse upon earth to be without any sinne is the holinesse of Heaven He that liveth without fault sine querela as it is said of Zachary and Elizabeth that they lived blamelesly in Gospell account is said to live without any sin at all Another point we may collect from this It may be my sonnes have sinned Certainly then Jobs sonnes were godly If Job be at a question whether they have sinned they were godly without question When a man lives so that he leaves onely a suspition that he hath sinned we may be at a conclusion that he is sanctified For other persons can do nothing else but sin even in holy actions much more in civill or naturall Again It may be my sonnes have sinned it was a suspition in Job concerning his children Hence observe It is no breach of charity to suspect ill of others while we intend their good Indeed upon an It may be upon a peradventure to accuse and charge another is very uncharitable but upon a peradventure or an It may be such a one my child or my friend or my brother hath sinned to be put to pray for him this is very charitable A good heart turnes it's suspitions of others sinnings and failings into prayers and intercessions that they may be pardon'd not into accusations and slanders that they may be defam'd The use which Job made here of his suspition of his sonnes sinning was to turne it into prayer and supplication for the pardon of their sinne One thing further from this It may be my sonnes have sinned Job knew of no evill that his sons had committed he had no report that we reade of that his sons had behaved themselves unseemely in their meetings and feastings he onely doubteth he only is jealous and afraid that they had yet at this time he prayeth and sacrificeth and laboureth a reconcilement for them Note from hence A suspitiâ—n that we our selves or others have sinned against God is ground enough for us to seeke a reconcilement for our selves or others with God If you that are tender Parents have but a suspition if there be but all it may be that your child hath the Plague or taken the infection will it not be ground enough for you to goe presently and give your child a good medicine If any one of you have but a suspition that either your selves or your friends have taken poyson though you be not certaine of it will it not be ground enough for you to take or to give an Antidote presently Sinne is as a plague it is as a poyson therefore while you have but a suspition either of your selves or of others that you have sinned or failed thus or thus here is ground enough for
superiour as sometimes in courtesie he vvill bowes downe or vvorships his inferiour As it is noted concerning Abraham that vvhen he came before the men of the Country of Heth he bowed himselfe Now Abraham vvas the Superiour he vvas a Prince and a Great-man yet comming before the men of the Country he bowed himselfe and it is the same vvord So then this civill vvorship may lawfully be given unto men But as for divine vvorship that is proper and peculiar unto God that glory he vvill not give to graven Images man or Angell and therfore we must not Hence vve find that vvhen Cornelius and John did act their civill vvorship a little too farre they vvere presently taken oft for they should intrench upon the divine vvorship Civill vvorship vvhen it is excessive and goeth too farre is sinfull As in Act. 10.25 Luke relates that as soone as Peter came in Cornelius met him and fell at his feet and worshipped him the vvorship vvas to Peter for vve are not to thinke that Cornelius vvas so grossely ignorant as to take Peter for a god and to give him divine vvorship but the meaning of it is that he fell downe at his feet and gave him an honour and respect beyond vvhat he ought to have done he vvas excessive in it therefore Peter takes him off Stand up saith he I my selfe also am a man I am a man as thou art though an Apostle give me such respect as becommeth a Minister of Christ take heed that you give me no more than belongeth to a man So the Angell Revel 22.8 When John falleth downe at his feet and worshippeth he takes him up See thou doe it not saith he for I am thy fellow servant This is too much for man worship God as it is in the end of the verse such worship belongeth properly and peculiarly unto God So much for the opening of these two latter actions of Job in reference unto God We shall now give you some Observations He fell downe upon the ground and worshipped You see how Job divides himselfe and his affections in this time of his affliction part he bestowed upon his children and servants and losses they shall have his sorrow and teares He rent his mantle and shaved his head but they shall not have all God shall have the better part his love his feare his trust his body to bow to him and his soule to worship him Learne from hence That a godly man will not let nature worke alone he mixes and tempers acts of grace with acts of nature We must not sorrow as those that are without hope saith the Apostle qualifie sorrow with hope these mixt do well A man must not sorrow for outward things as though we had nothing els to do but to sorrow he must remember he hath a God to worship and honour Job bestowes somewhat upon his children but more upon his God while his body fell to the earth his heart was raised up to Heaven He fell downe and worshipped Secondly observe That afflictions send the people of God home unto God afflictions draw a godly man nearer unto God Then Job fell downe and worshipped Afflictions are a great advantage to the servants of God for when the world frownes most then they beg most for the smiles of God when the world is strange to them and will not looke on them then they get more familiarity and closer communion with God they seeke his face Wicked men in their afflictions in their sorrowes are either quite drowned in and overwhelmed with them so that there is nothing but sorrow as we say all a mort or else they goe out to helpe and relieve themselves with worldly refreshments trouble drives them to sinne it may be as low as Hell to seeke reliefe The more poore they are the more wicked they are such are not poore as Job though they are as poore as Job Jobs poverty sent him to God rich in mercy He fell down and worshipped Thirdly learne That the people of God turne all their afflictions into prayers or into praises When God is striking then Iob is praying when God is afflicting then Iob fals to worshipping Grace makes every condition worke glory to God as God makes every condition worke good to them who have grace Fourthly Job falleth downe and worshippeth observe here That it becommeth us to worship God in an humble manner Though God as we shewed before may be worshipped in another posture yet we should rather choose that posture which is most humble and may lay our bodies as low as our soules if it may be There were some lately amongst us who cry'd aloud as great Patrons for humble postures in worship and all were censured for a stiffe necke and an Elephants knee who refused to bow with them or to bow their way I may well adde their way for Gods way of bowing was neither question'd nor refused all their humility in bowing went but one way they must bow towards the East and towards the Altar at least if not to it Some of their stomackes I beleeve would have digested that before this time especially being a little help'd with a distinction Lastly We may here observe That divine worship it is Gods peculiar Papists have worship for creatures and they have a distinction for it but no Scripture for it They tell us of Latria which is they say worship proper only to God and their Dulia which is for Saints and then their Huper-dulia which is for the Virgin Mary and for the signe of the Crosse Thus they make vain distinctions which God and the Scripture make not Vain distinctions are good enough to maintaine vaine superstitions They that invent a worship must invent a doctrine to maintaine it by Some perhaps may stumble at that Text Rev. 3.9 where this promise is made to the Church of Philadelphia Behold I will make them of the Synagogue of Satan which say they are Iewes and are not but doe lie behold I will make them to come and worship before thy feet and to know that I have loved thee May not worship then be given to a creature Ans This worship may be taken for civill worship namely for that submission which the enemies of the Church shall be forced by the power of Christ to make unto her as was promised by the Prophet Isa 60.14 The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the sâ—tes of thy feet Ans 2. If this be divine worship then worshipping at the feet of the Church notes worshipping in the Church not worshipping of the Church The worship is not terminated in the Church but in Christ who dwels and rules in the Church who is both Head and husband of the Church These enemies being convinc'd of the presence of Christ in his Church shall worship him This David prophecies of Christ speaking in his owne person Psalm 18.43 44.
and mysteriousnesse of the matter While a man speakes in a strange language wee heare a sound but know not the words and while a man speakes in our owne language though we know the words yet we may not understand the meaning and then hee that speakes is to us in that reference so the Apostle calls him a Barbarian While the leaves of the booke are opened and read to such or by such the sense is shut up and sealed When the Apostle Philip heard the Ethiopian Eunuch reade the Prophet Isaiah as he traveld in his Chariot hee said to him understandest thou what thou readest The Eunuch answered How should I unlesse some man would guide mee He understood the language but the meaning was under a vaile The very same may we say to many who reade the Scriptures understand you what you reade And they may answer as the Eunuch did How can we except we had some man to guide us Yea and alas for all the guiding of man they may answer How can we except we have the Spirit of God to guide us He hath his Pulpit in heaven who teacheth hearts the heart of Scripture Paul we know was a learned Pharisee and much verst in the Law and yet he saith of himselfe before his conversion that hee was without the Law but when Christ came to him then the Commandment came to him I was once alive without the Law but when the Commandment came that is when Christ came and his Spirit came in or after my conversion and expounded the Commandment to my heart then the Commandment came sc to my heart in the power of it and I understood to purpose what the Law was So that the teachings of the Spirit the teachings of God himselfe are chiefly to be looked after and prayed for that we may know the mind of the Spirit the will of God in Scripture But he hath set up this ordinance the ordinance of interpretation to doe it by both that the Scripture might be translated out of the Originall into the common language of every Nation which the Apostle calls interpreting in that place before cited and also that the originall sense of the Scripture might be translated into the minde and understanding of every man which is the worke we aime at and now have in hand Before I begin that give me leave to beseech you in the Name of Christ to take care for the carrying on of this worke a degree further I mean to translate the sense of Scripture into your lives and to expound the word of God by your workes Interpret it by your feet and teach it by your fingers as Solomon speakes to another sense that is let your working and your walkings be Scripture explications It is indeed a very great honour unto this Citie that you take care for a Commentarie on the Scripture in writing but if you will be carefull and diligent to make a Commentarie upon the Scripture by living or to make your lives the Commentarie of Scripture this will make your Citie glorious indeed It is the Apostles testimonie of his Corinthians Yee saith he are our Epistle for as much as yee are manifestly declared to be the Epistle of Christ ministred by us written not with inke but with the Spirit of the living God not in tables of stone but in fleshie tables of the heart Give us we beseech you the same occasion of glorying on your behalfe that we may say You are our Expositions for as much as you are manifestly declared in your practise to be the exposition of the mind of Christ ministred unto you by us A walking a breathing Commentarie goeth infinitely beyond the written or spoken Commentarie And as the Apostle makes his conclusion before noted I had rather speake five words with my understanding than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue So I say I had rather know five words of Scripture by my own practise and experience than ten thousand words of Scripture yea than the whole Scripture by the bare Exposition of another And therefore let the word of Christ by these verball Explications dwell richly in your understandings in all wisedome And by a practicall application let it be held forth plentifully in your lives in all holinesse Adde Commentarie to Commentarie and Exposition to Exposition adde the Comment of works to this Comment of words and an Exposition by your lives to this Exposition by our labours Surely if you do not these Exercises will be costly indeed and will come to a deep account against you before the Lord. If you are lifted up to heaven by the opening of the Scripture which is either a carrying of you up to heaven or a bringing of heaven downe to you and then walke groveling upon the earth how sore will the judgement be But it is to me an argument and an evidence from heaven that God hath put it into your hearts to be more glorious in the practise of holinesse because he hath put it into your hearts to desire more the knowledge of holinesse To draw in my speech nearer to the businesse Having a booke full of very various matter before me give mee leave to premise some things in the generall and some thing more particulars by way of Preface concerning the booke before wee come to the handling of the text First for the generall That which God speakes concerning the whole worke of Creation We may speake concerning the whole booke of Scripture It is very good Solomon observes that wheresoever the wisdom of God spake it spake of excellent things And David to quicken our endeavours and excite our diligence to the study of the word preferreth it in worth above thousands of gold and silver and in sweetnesse above the honey and the honey combe And when he ceaseth to compare hee beginneth to admire Wonderfull are thy Testimonies And well may that bee called Wonderfull which proceedeth from the God of Wonders All Scripture is given by divine inspiration or by inspiration from God and I need not stay to shew you the excellencie of any part when I have but pointed at such an originall of the whole As therefore the whole Scripture whether wee respect the majestie of the Author the height or puritie of the matter the depth or perspicuitie of the stile the dignitie or variety of occurrences whether we consider the Art of compiling or the strength of arguing disdaines the very mention of comparison with any other humane Author whatsoever so are comparisons in it selfe as Booke with Booke Chapter with Chapter dangerous There is not in this great volume of holy counsell any one Book or Chapter Verse or Section of greater power or authoritie than other Moses and Samuel the writings of Amos the Shepherd and of Isaiah a Descendant of the blood Royall the writings of the Prophets and Evangelists the Epistles of Paul and this historie of Iob must be received to use the words
of the Trent Councell in the fifth Session but to far better purpose Pari pietatis affectu with the same holy reverence and affection They use it about Traditions matching Traditions with the Scriptures but we may fully match all Scripture together and say all must be received with the same devotion and affection Yet notwithstanding as the parts of Scripture were penned by divers Secretaries published in divers places in divers ages on divers occasions for divers ends so the argument and subject matter the method and manner of composing the texture and the stile of writing are likewise different Some parts of Scripture were delivered in Prose others in Verse or numbers some parts of the Scripture are Historicall shewing what hath beene done some are Propheticall shewing what shall be done others are Dogmaticall or Doctrinall shewing what we must doe what we must beleeve Againe some parts of Scripture are cleare and easie some are obscure and very knotty Some parts of Scripture shew what God made us others how sinne spoiled us A third how Christ restored us Some parts of Scripture shew forth acts of mercy to keepe us from sinking others record acts of judgement to keepe us from presuming And because the way to heaven is not strewed with Roses but like the Crowne of Christ here upon earth set with thornes because not smiles and loving imbracements from the world but wounds and stroaks and temptations doe await all those that have received the presse-money of the Spirit and are enrolled for the Christian warfare because everie true Israelite must expect that which Iacob upon his death-bed spake of Ioseph that the Archers will shoot at him hate him and grieve him In a word because many are the troubles of the righteous therefore the Scripture doth present us with sundry plat-formes of the righteous conflicting with many troubles Now these considerations that are scattered severally thorow the whole Scripture seeme all concenter'd and vnited together in this booke of Iob which if we consider in the stile and forme of writing is in some part of it Prose as the two first Chapters and part of the last and the rest is Verse If wee consider it in the manner of deliverie it is both darke and cleare If we consider the subject matter of it it is both Historicall Propheticall and Doctrinall In it is a mixture of mercie tendred unto of judgements threatned against and inflicted upon the wicked In it is a mixture of the greatest outward blessings and the greatest outward afflictions upon the godly conâ—luding in the greatest deliverances of the godly from affliction In this last the booke is chief there was never any man under a warmer sinne of outward prosperitie than Iob was neither was there ever any man in a hotter fire of outward affliction then Iob was God seeming to give charge concerning this triall of Iob as king Nebuchadnezzar did concerning the three children to have the furnace heated seven times hotter than ordinary This in the generall concerning the book Now more particularly I will not detaine you in that Proemiall disquisition about the Author and Penman of this Booke there is great varietie of Iudgement about it some say it was one of the Prophets but they know not who some ascribe it to Solomon some to Elihu not a few to Iob himselfe but most give it to Moses That resolution of Beza in the point shall serve me and may satisfie you It is very uncertaine who was the Writer of this Book saith he and whatsoever can be said concerning it is grounded but upon very light conjecture And therefore where the Scripture is silent it can be of no great use for us to speake especially seeing there is so much spoken as will finde us worke and bee of use for us neither need wee trouble our selves being assured that the Spirit of God indited the Booke who it was that held the pen. Onely take this that it is conceived to be the first piece of Scripture that was written take it to be written by Moses and then it is most probable that hee writ it before the deliverance of the people of Israel out of Egypt while he was in Midian Neither will I stay you in the second place about the inquirie into or rather about the refutation of that fancie that this whole Booke is a Parable rather than a Historie like that of Lazarus in the Gospel not a thing really acted but only a representation of it Now this which was the dreame of many of the Iewes and Talmudists and is fastned with no small clamour upon Luther by the Iesuits may clearly be convinced both by the names of places and persons which we shall have occasion to open when wee come to the booke it selfe and also by those allegations of the Prophets and of the Apostles concerning Iob the Prophet Ezekiel quoting him with Noah and Daniel two men that unquestionably were extant and acted glorious parts in the world and therefore Iob also All that I will say in particular shall be in these three things 1. To shew you more distinctly the subject of this Book 2. The parts and division of it 3. The use or scope and intendment of it 1. For the subject of this Booke we may consider it either as principall or as collaterall The maine and principall subject of this Book is contained and I may give it you in one verse of the 34. Psalme Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivereth him out of all Concerning this subject there are two great Questions handled and disputed fully and clearly in this Booke The first is this Whether it doth consist with the Iustice and goodnesse of God to afflict a righteous and sincere person to strip him naked to take away all his outward comforts Or whether it doth consist with the Iustice and goodnesse of God that it should go ill with those that are good and that it should go well with those that are evill This is one great debate the maine Question thoroughout the Book And then secondly here is another great dispute in reference to the former Namely whether we may iudge of the righteousnesse or unrighteousnesse of the sincerity or hypocrisie of any person by the outward dealings and present dispensations of God towards him That is a second Question here debated The friends of Job maintained the first Question negatively the latter affirmatively They denied that God in Justice could aflict a righteous and a holy man They affirmed that any man so afflicted is unrighteous and may so be judged because afflicted And so the whole argument and dispute which the friends of Job brought may be reduced to this one Syllogisme He that is afflicted and greatly afflicted is certainly a great open sinner or a notorious hypocrite But Job thou art afflicted and thou art greatly afflicted Therefore certainly thou art if not a great open sinner yet a notorious hypocrite
by the example and incouragement but against the example of others he was a leading man himselfe though he lived among those that were scoffers and wicked yet Iob was holy As they say concerning the affection of love it is most unnaturall â—or a man to hate those that love him It is civill for men to love â—â—ose that love them but this is truly Christian for a man to love â—â—ose that hate him and doe him wrong So in regard of living and â—â—nversing as of loving and affecting we may say it is a most â—icked thing to be naught among those that are good that aggraâ—ateth a mans sinnefulnesse to be unholy while he converseth with those that are holy It is a good thing to be good with the good to take example by them but it is a most excellent thing a glorious thing to be good among those that are starke naught to worship God aright among Idolaters to feare God among those that have no feare of God before their eyes to be perfect among hypocrites to be upright among those that are unjust to eschew evill among those that are altogether wrapt about with evill This was the honour and commendation of Iob. For a man to be as Lot in Sodome never touched with Sodomes wickednesse to keepe himselfe pure and sincere and without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation to shine as a light in the midst of darknesse this brings honour both to God and man Thirdly From the place where Iob lived we may observe That Grace will preserve it selfe in the midst of the greatest opposition It s such a fire as no water can wholy quench or put out True Grace will keepe it selfe sound and cleane among those who are leaprous and uncleane it is such a thing as overcomes and masters all the evill that is about it God hath put such a mighty power into grace that if it once possesse the heart in truth though there be but a little of it though there be but as much as a graine of mustard-seed not all the wickednesse in the world no nor all the devils in Hell can dispossesse it As all the water in the salt Sea cannot make the fish salt but still the fish retaines its freshnesse so all the wickednesse and filthinesse that is in the world cannot destroy cannot defile true grace that will beare up its head and hold up it selfe for ever And this man was perfect and upright one that feared God and eschewed evill Perfect Not that he had a legall perfection such a perfection as the Papists now contend for and assert possibly attaineable yea actually attained by many in this life For what is man that he should be cleane And Iob himselfe professeth Chap. 9.20 If I say I am perfect it shall also prove me perverse hâ— acknowledgeth Chap. 7.20 I have sinned The perfection thereâ—fore here spoken of is not an absolute a legall perfection For the clearing of the word we may consider there is a twofold perfection ascrib'd to the Saints in this life A perfection oâ— Justification A perfection of Sanctification The first of these in a strict sense is a compleate perfection The Saints are compleate in Christ they are perfectly justified there is not any sinne left uncovered not any guilt left unwashed in the blood of Christ not the least spot but is taken away His gargarment is large enough to cover all our nakednesse and deformities In this respect they may be called perfect they are perfectly justified By one offering Christ hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Heb. 10.14 Then there is a perfection of holinesse or of sanctification and that is called so either in regard of the beginnings of or in regard of desires after and aimes at perfection The Saints even in this life have a perfect beginning of holinesse because they are begun to be sanctified in every part they are sanctified throughout in soule and body and spirit as the Apostle distinguisheth 1 Thes 5.23 though every part be not throughout sanctified yet they are sanctified in every part throughout and this is a perfection When the worke of sanctification is begun in all parts it is a perfect worke beginning They are likewise perfect in regard of their desires and intendments Perfect holinesse is the aime of the Saints on earth it is the reward of the Saints in Heaven The thing which they drive at here is perfection therefore they themselves are called perfect As God accepts of the will for the deed so he expresseth the deed by the will he interpreteth him to be a perfect man who would be perfect and calls that person perfect who desires to have all his imperfections cured That is a second understanding how Iob was perfect A third way is this He was perfect comparatively comparing him with those who were either openly wicked or but openly holy he was a perfect man he was a man without spot compared with those that were either all over spotted with filthinesse or only painted with godlinesse Or thus We may say the perfection here spoken of is the perfection of sincerity Iob was sincere he was sound at the heart He did not act a part or personate Religion but was a religious person He was not guilded but gold So the word is interpreted Some render it Iob was a simple man not as simple is put for weake and foolish but as simple is put for plaine hearted one that is not as the Apostle Iames phraseth it a double minded man Iob was a simple minded man or a single minded man one that had not a heart and a heart he was not a compound speaking one thing and meaning another he meant what he spake and he would speake his mind It is the same word that is used in Iacobs character Gen. 25.27 Esau was a cunning hunter a man of the field and Jacob was Ish Tam a plaine man So that to be a perfect man is to be a plaine man one whose heart you may know by his tongue and reade the mans spirit in his actions Some are such juglers that you can see little of their spirits in their lives you can learne but little of their minds by their words Iacob was a plaine man and so was Iob some translate it a sound man It is the same expression that is given of Noah He was Tamim in his generation or he was sound upright hearted or perfect with God Gen. 6.9 And it is that which God speakes to Abraham Gen. 17.2 Walke before me and be thou Tamim be thou perfect or sound or upright or plaine in thy walking before me In the 28. of Exodus v. 30. We reade of the Vrim and the Thummim on the Breast-plate of the High-priest Thummim comes from this roote and signified the integrity of heart and life required in the High-priest as Vrim did the light and clearenesse of his knowledge And upright The former word which was
and disposing the affliction of Job 2. The subordinate efficient cause and that was Satan he was an efficient but under God Satan found out other instruments and tooles to doe it by but he was an efficient subordinate unto God And the Text discovers him three wayes 1. By his diligence in tempting ver 7. 2. By his malice in slandering ver 9 10 11. 3. By his cruelty in solliciting the overthrow and affliction of Job ver 11. Secondly We have the materiall cause of Jobs affliction or in what matter he was afflicted and that is laid downe first positively in those words All that he hath is in thy power that is his outward estate that was the matter wherein he was afflicted Then it is laid downe negatively in those words Only upon himselfe put not forth thy hand God doth set him out how farre the affliction shall go in the things that he hath thou shalt afflict him but thou shalt not meddle with his person with his body or with his soule Thirdly The finall cause of Jobs affliction and that is the practicall and experimentall determination decision or stating of a great question that was betweene God and Satan concerning Jobs sincerity God tells Satan that Job was a good and a just man Satan he denies it and saith that Job was an hypocrite Now the determination of this question was the generall finall cause of Jobs affliction When on the one side God affirmes it and on the other side Satan denies how shall it be tryed Who shall be the Moderatour and Vmpire between them Satan will not believe God and God had no reason to believe Satan How then should this be made out It is as if Satan had said Here is your yea and my nay this question will never be ended or decided betweene us unlesse you will admit some course to have Job soundly afflicted This will quickly discover what metall the man is made of therefore let him come to the tryall saith Satan Let him saith God behold all that he hath is in thy power doe thy worst to him onely upon his person put not forth thy hand So that I say the generall finall cause of Jobs affliction is the determination of the question the decision of the dispute betweene God and Satan whether Job was a sincere and holy man or no. And all this to give you the summe of those 6. verses a little further is here set forth and described unto us after the manner of men by an Anthropopathie which is when God expresses himselfe in his actions and dispensations with and toward the world as if he were a man So God doth here he presents himselfe in this businesse after the manner of some great King sitting upon his Throne having his servants attending him and taking an account of them what they had done or giving Instructions and Commissions to them what they shall doe This I say God doth here after the manner of men for otherwise we are not to conceive that God doth make certaine dayes of Session with his creatures wherin he doth call the good and bad Angels together about the affaires of the world we must not have such grosse conceits of God for he needs receive no information from them neither doth he give them or Satan any formall Commission neither is Satan admitted into the presence of God to come so neare God at any time neither is God moved at all by the slanders of Satan or by his accusations to deliver up his servants and children into his hands for a moment But onely the Scripture speakes thus to teach us how God carries himselfe in the affaires of the world even as if he sate upon his throne and call'd every creature before him and gave each a direction what and when and where to worke how farre and which way to move in every action So that these 6. verses following which containe the causes of Jobs affliction are as we may so speake the Scheme or draught of providence that may be the title of them If a man would delineat providence he might doe it thus suppose God upon his throne with Angels good and bad yea all creatures about him and he directing sending ordering every one as a Prince doth his Subjects or as a Master his servants doe you this and doe you that c. so all is ordered according to his Dictate Thus all things in Heaven and Earth are disposed of by the unerring wisdome and limited by the Almighty power of God Such a representation as this we reade in 1 King 22.19 Where Micaiah said to Ahab Heare thou the word of the Lord I saw the Lord sitting upon his throne and all the Hoast of Heaven standing by him And so he goeth on to shew how a spirit came and offered himselfe to be a lying spirit in the mouth of Ahabs Prophets This is only a shadow of providence there was no such thing really acted God did not conveene or call together a Synod of spirits to advise with de Arduis Regni about hard or doubtfull cases nor are wicked spirits admitted into his presence onely by this we are instructed and assured that God doth as exactly order all things in Heaven and earth as if he stood questioning or interrogating good Angels men and devills concerning those matters Having thus given some light about these six verses in generall I shall open the particulars Now there was a day The Jewish Rabbins trouble themselves much to find out what day this was They say it was the first day of the yeare Others that it was the Sabbath day But I account it a disadvantage to a cleare truth when it is proved by an obscure text The Sabbath hath proofe enough before the law though this be spared The holy Ghost hath told us only that there was a day or certain time When the sonnes of God In Gen. 6.2 The posterity of Seth who were the visible Church at that time are called the sons of God The unanimous consent of all Expositors I have met with is that here the sonnes of God are the good Angels so also they are called Cap. 38.7 of this booke Some it may be will object against this Exposition that of the Apostle in Heb. 1.5 To which of the Angels said he at any time thou art my sonne How then doe you interpret here that the sons of God are the Angels when as the Apostle hath exprest to which of the Angels c. I answer that the Angells are not the sonnes of God as the Apostle there expresseth they are not the sonnes of God by eternall Generation but they are the sonnes of God by temporall Creation for so he speakes there To which of the Angels said he thou art my sonne this day have I begotten thee They are not the begotten sonnes of God but they are the created sonnes of God And the Angels are called the sons of God in 3 respects First Because of their
adopted sons Came and presented themselves before God This should teach us to imitate Angels this we pray for That the will of God should be done on Earth as it is done in Heaven The Angels alwayes present themselves they alwayes stand before God ready to doe his will we should be ever in the presence of God in this sense that is presenting our selves standing as in the presence of God ready to take and receive instruction to doe his will what ever it is Lord what wilt thou have me to do Is as it were the voyce of an Angell standing before the throne of God It should be the voyce of every soul Lord what wilt thou have me to doe This is the presenting of the soule before God Then consider here who Satan was Satan was as good in his Creation as any of those who are called the sonnes of God They are called the sonnes of God and he is now called nothing but Satan an adversary His condition was once as good as theirs Note hence There is no created excellency but if it be left to it selfe will quickly undoe it selfe These Angels were as good at the first as any of those that were here called the sonnes of God They were not confirmed they stood upon their owne bottome they fell and had no tempter at all they turned about upon the freedome of their owne will and left their habitation saith the Scripture There is no trusting to any estate out of Christ Further note this what was the difference between those sons of God and this Satan only sin one was as good as the other in the creation nothing else made an Angell a Devill but only sin Sin despoyles the creature of all it's comfort and honour at once Againe note this the Angell falling and becomming sinfull hath his name presently changed he is called Satan an Adversary An adversary to God an adversary to man He that is wicked himselfe will quickly be an adversary an opposer of all goodnesse no sooner a sinner but a Satan Lastly Note this To be an opposer of good is to be conformable to the devill The devill is the Adversary the Satan and so proportionably as any one is an opposer of good so much of Satan so much of the devill he hath in him Therefore Christ said to a chiefe Apostle when he did oppose him in that greatest good of all the working out of our redemption in dying for us get thee behind me Satan Mat. 16. All opposition of goodnesse is a spice of the devill So the Apostle Paul Act. 13.10 when he speakes to Elymas the sorcerer saith O thou child of the devill thou enemy of all goodnesse To be an enemy of goodnesse is to be the child of the devill it is the very character of the devill He is a Satan in respect of all goodnesse and good persons And surely my brethren if this be a character of the devill and to be conformable unto Satan how conspicuous is that conformity in this age How many thousands beare this marke of the devill not only in their hands closely but in their fore-heads openly How many visible walking Satans are there among us enemies of all goodnesse oppressours of all righteousnesse opposers of our peace opposers of our liberty opposers of the Gospell opposers of Christ These are all as so many Satans in the world so many enemies Now is a time that Satans are let loose in the world the devill now if ever workes mightily in the hearts and spirits in the hands and tongues of these children of disobedience It becommeth us then that as there are many adversaries and opposers of goodnesse to shew our selves friends and patrons of goodnesse Christ hath many challenges let him find some Champions Now it is time to raise your spirits not only to love the truth but to maintaine the truth as it is the height of wickednesse not onely to doe evill but to oppose good so it is the height of holinesse not only to doe good but to oppose evill This is just to be on the contrary point to Satan he doth wickednesse and opposeth good let us doe good and oppose all evill To be a Satan against Satan is the glory of a Christian Now set your selves against the Sathans be adversaries to that Adversary and all his adherents so shall you approve your selves the friends of Christ JOB 1.7 8. And the Lord said unto Sathan whence commest thou Then Sathan answered the Lord and said From going to and fro in the earth and from walking up and downe in it And the Lord said unto Sathan hast thou not considered my servant Job that there is none like him in the earth a perfect and an upright man one that feareth God and escheweth evill IN the former verse we shewed you that great and glorious Session the Lord with his holy Angels about him and Sathan too comming among them In the verses following to the end of the 12th We have the businesse or acts of the Session recorded God Interrogates Satan answers Satan moves God grants This is the summe of all the businesse that pass'd in this Session God puts two Interrogatories to Satan one concerning his travells or where he had bin vers 7. The other concerning his observations or what he had done vers 8. In the 7th verse we have the first qustion the Lord beginneth with Sathan And the Lord said unto Satan whence commest thou How the Lord speakes is a point almost unspeakeable There are many disputes about it I will not stay upon them only to open this that you may take in all Scripture of the like kind wherein the Lord is said to speake We must know that as in Scripture God is said to have a mouth and a voice alluding unto man by that common figure so likewise when the Lord speakes we must understand it by the same figure it is but an allusion to the manner of men God is said to speake as men are said to speake but God doth not speake as men speake forming a voice by such organs or instruments of speech But when the Lord speakes it is either by forming and creating a voice in the ayre so God is said to speake sometimes As when Christ was babtized there came a voice from Heaven saying This is my beloved Sonne c. So Joh. 12.28 There came a voice from Heaven saying I have glorified thee which all the people heard sounding in the ayre Secondly God is said to speake when he manifests and declares himselfe either to the spirits of men or unto Angels who are spirits God doth speake unto the spirits of men sometimes without any forming of a voice so the phrase is usuall in the Prophets The word of the Lord came unto me which is to be understood that the Lord did secretly reveale himselfe to the spirits of his Prophets and not by any externall audible voice it was an inward not an outward word So when the
intelligencers to bring him in a report of the state of things abroad for so there in the vision it is exprest after the manner of men Though Christ needs none to informe him about the estate of his Church and people yet he alludes to the custome of Princes who maintaine Intelligencers in all Courts and Kingdomes to advise them how the affaires of other nations are transacted The very same Originall word is used of God himselfe Zach. 4.10 The eyes of the Lord runne to and fro through the whole earth he is his own Intelligencer exactly discovering and taking notice of every thing that is done in the world So then this is the meaning I have beene going to and fro in the earth saith Satan that is I have fully and throughly taken notice of all passages of all persons in all places of all conditions and sorts of men that is the thing I have beene doing Thus Mr. Broughton translates From searching to and fro in the earth noting his exactnesse of enquiry in his travels Then secondly it noteth the unquietnes of Satan He is an unquiet a restlesse spirit being cast out of Heaven he can rest no where A soule that is once displaced and out of the favour of God hath no place to repose in afterward Now saith he all my businesse is walking to and fro going up and downe Satan hath no rest As the sentence of Cain was Gen. 4. when God had cast him out of his presence thou shalt be a fugitive and a vagabond thou shalt doe nothing but runne up and downe the world as long as thou livest Satan is such a fugitive a vagabond one that runnes up and downe in the world he is an unsetled an unquiet spirit They who are once departed from God can never find rest in any creature but running to and fro is their condition and their curse Thirdly Some understand it thus that Satan makes as it were a recreation of his tempting and drawing men to Hell Satan cannot possibly in a proper sense take any comfort or be refreshed but as one doth well expresse it he himselfe being lost undone and damned seekes to comfort himselfe by undoing and damning others It is a joy to some to have companions in sorrow All Satans delight if we may conceive he hath any delight is in this in making others as bad and miserable as himselfe Therefore it may be he calls his trade of seduction and destruction walking up and downe in the earth as men are said to walke up and downe for refreshing and recreation he speakes of it not as of some toilesome hard journy but as of walking for delight But I conceive the former to be more proper Take two or three Notes from this First Here we may observe That there is no place in the world that can secure a man from temptation or be a sanctuary from Satans assault For Satan goeth to and fro thorough the earth hee is an ubiquitary hee stayes no where but runs every where It is the folly of Popish Votaries that think to shut themselves up in walls from the temptations of Satan Cloysters are as open to Satan as the open field Satan walketh to and fro through the earth Secondly We may note here the wonderfull diligence of Satan Satan is very active to doe mischiefe He walketh to and fro As Peter expresseth it 2 Pet. 5.8 He goeth about as a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devoure There is his diligence and there is his intent Satan speaks nothing of his intent here he conceales that he speakes only as if he went about like a pilgrim walking thorough the earth his maine businesse that he went about to devoure soules is kept in silence but the holy Ghost unmaskes him and discovers the designe of his walking to and fro He seeks whom he may devoure If Satan be thus diligent going about to tempt we ought to be as diligent standing alwayes upon our watch to prevent his temptations Mr. Latimer in one of his Sermons where he taxes the Clergy especially the Bishops of those times for their idlenesse proposeth to them the example of the Prophets and Apostles and of Christ himselfe their diligence in going about to preach should quicken those idlers but saith he if you will not follow their example follow the example of Satan he goeth about in his Diocesse to and fro continually Take example from him in doing evill how to doe good we may take example thus farre from Satan to be as forward to do good as he is to do hurt to be as watchfull against him as he is watchfull against us If this be his busines to go to and fro thorough the earth and his intent be to devour souls then where ever we goe in the world up and downe we ought to be carefull to keep our own souls and gain the souls of others Thirdly We may observe from it that Satan is confined in his businesse to the earth he can get no farther than the earth or to the ayereall part he is called the Prince of the ayre Satan being once cast out of heaven can never get into Heaven more There is no tempter in heaven there is no Serpent shall ever come into the caelestiall Paradise there was one in the earthly Paradise but there shall never be any in the caelestiall Therefore when we are once beyond the earth we are beyond the reach of all temptations we are then at rest from Satans snares and practices as well as from our owne labours Let us now consider what the Lord replyeth or his second Question to Satan Well thou hast been walking to and fro in the earth saith God Hast thou considered my servant Job Tell me hast thou taken notice of such an one Hast thou considered The word is Hast thou put thy heart upon Job So it is word for word in the Originall hast thou laid Job to thy heart Hast thou seriously fully and exactly considered my servant Job And so it is rendred out of the Septuagint Hast thou attended with thy mind upon my servant Job To put a thing upon the heart is to have serious and speciall regard to it as when the Scripture speaks of not putting a thing upon the heart it noteth a sleighting and neglecting of it When the wife of Phineas was delivered and they told her that she had brought forth a son the Text saith she answered not neither did she regard the Hebrew is neither did she put her heart upon it the same word is here in the Text. Thus Abigail speakes unto David As for this sonne of Belial let not my Lord put his heart upon him or as it is translated let not my Lord regard this man of Belial take no notice of such an one as he is he is a foole name and thing doe not regard him doe not put him upon thy heart There are divers such expressions where putting upon the heart is expressed by
in that sense to please men with sinning against and provoking God Secondly My Servant by way of speciall right and property So Job and all godly persons are called Gods servants First by the right of election they are Gods chosen servants as Paul is called a chosen vessell that is a chosen servant to carry the name of God 2. They are Gods servants by the right of purchase my servant whom I have bought and purchased so in the 1 Cor. 6. You are bought with a price be not the servants of men that is you are bought with a price to be my servants therefore be not the servants of men in opposition to me or to my disservice in any thing So Job was Gods servant by way of purchase God buyeth every one of his servants with the bloud of his sonne Thirdly My servant by way of Covenant Job was Gods Covenant servant God and he had as it were sealed Indentures Job entered into Covenant with God that he would performe the duty of a servant and God entered into Covenant with him that he should enjoy the priviledge of a servant Now that which is Gods by right of Covenant is his by speciall right Then again We may further understand this and all such like expressions When God saith my servant he doth as it were glory in his servant God speaks of him as of his treasure my servant as a man doth of that which he glorieth in As the Saints glory in God when they use this expression my God and my Lord my Master and my Christ this is a kind of glorying and triumphing in God So this expression carieth such a sense in it Hast thou not considered my servant Job there is one that I have honour by one that I rejoyce and glory in one that I can speake of with much more then content even with tryumph my servant Job Ther 's a man It is mans honour to be Gods servant and God thinkes himselfe honoured by the service of man It was once a curse and it is a great curse still to be the servant of servants as it is said of Cham but it is an honour the great honour of the creature to be a servant to God He that is a servant of Christ is not only free but noble And Christ reckoneth that he hath not only worke done him but honour done him by his willing people and therefore he glories in any such my servant My servant Job There is somewhat also to be considered in that When God speakes of his people by name it noteth two things in Scripture First A speciall care that God hath over them Secondly A speciall love that God hath to them Joh. 10.3 He calleth his owne Sheepe by name this noteth a speciall care Christ hath of his sheepe and a speciall love that he beareth to them So Isa 49.1 The Lord hath called me from the wombe from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name it noteth the speciall care and the speciall love that God had of and bare to Christ See it eminently in that place Exod. 33.12 where Moses speakes thus unto God Yet thou hast said I know thee by name now what it is to know by name is by way of Exposition added in the end of the verse And thou hast also found grace in my sight So that to be knowne by name is in a speciall manner to find grace in the sight of God when it is said here My servant Job it shewes that God did take an extraordinary care of and did in an extraordinary manner love Job above all that were upon the Earth There is a great deale of difference betweene these two expressions to know the name of a man and to know a man by name It is a truth that God knoweth all your names and the names of all the men in the world but he doth not know all by name Therefore the Scripture assures us that God hath the names of none written but the names of his owne as Moses saith in the former Chapter If thou wilt not forgive the sinne of this people blot me I pray thee out of thy Booke which thou hast written Thou knowest me by name my name is written in thy booke So Luk. 10. Christ bad his Disciples that they should not rejoyce so much that they had the spirits subject unto them but in this they should rejoyce that their names were written in heaven Note from hence That God doth take care of his elect children and servants in a speciall manner above all other men in the world The names of Princes or Emperours or Potentates if they belong not to God are not vouchsafed a place in his booke but the names of the meanest of his Saints are recorded for ever and shall be had in everlasting remembrance Hast thou not considered my servant Job that there is none like him in the Earth c. We reade before at the end of the 3d. verse that Job in reference to his riches was the greatest of all the men of the East Now he goeth beyond that in reference to his holines he is the greatest upon the earth there is none like him in the earth This we may understand first as a cause or reason why Job fell under the speciall consideration or observation of Satan Hast thou not considered my servant Job because so some render that particle or in a much or for that there is not the like to him in the Earth As if God should say there is reason why he must needs be taken into thy consideration because there is not such another man as he in the earth You know that a man is quickly taken notice of when there are none like unto him in the place or company where he is If a man walke in the streets or come into a house who is of an extraordinary tallnesse some will aske the question did you not observe such a man for there was never a man in the company never a man in the street so tall as he So one that is extraordinary in beauty or extraordinary in rich apparrell every one hath an eye upon such The reason why many are observed is because they are not like to others they are beyond others in quality or in habit So here Hast thou not considered my servant Job that there is none like unto him in the Earth thou must needs take notice of him Or againe it may be understood thus as the matter which Satan should consider and observe in Job Hast thou not considered my servant Job sc in this thing that there is not a man upon the earth like to him Hast thou not taken notice of this in him Thou who hast looked over all men and hast as it were sifted all mens manners hast thou not observed thus much that there is not such a man upon the earth as Job Hath not that fallen under thy observation So now in the words There is
none like him there is a secret advancing of the praise of Job For there is nothing that can be spoken more to the praise of a man then this to say that there is none like him Though you say no more you have said all As the Scripture we know sets forth the wonderfull praises of God Exod. 15.11 Who is like unto thee O Lord amongst the gods Who is like thee Which is resolved into the negative there is none amongst the gods like unto thee there is none like unto thee This is the high praise of God Mic. 7.18 Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity It is the highest commendation of God to say there is none like him to set him above all creatures In like manner here in the Text when it is affirmed that there was none like Job this setteth him up in all praises and excellencies to the highest though particulars be concealed yet whatsoever may make for the honour of a man is included in this that there is none like him But how should we understand this of Job that there was none like to him upon the earth We must understand it not only in reference to wicked men that there was no meer naturall man no wicked man like unto him as if God had said to Satan there is none in the earth which is thy inheritance no earthly man like my servant Job look over all thy servants thou hast not such an one in the earth That 's too low We wil take it therfore in reference to all the Saints that were then upon the earth there was not such a godly man upon the earth none like unto him and then we must expound likenes by a distinction There is a double likenes there is a likenes of Quality and there is a likenesse of Equality When it is said here that in the Earth there was none like to Job you must not understand it of a likenesse of quality as if there were no man that had such qualities as Job had for all the Saints that are in the earth have the same kind of qualities they are all alike in the maine and in the generall namely in the Conformity of their nature to the will of God which is holinesse that is the generall quality and thus all the Saints upon the earth are alike there is not any man can have any other likenesse upon him than this it is impossible I say in this regard the meanest and lowest Saint upon the earth is like to the highest and greatest Saint upon earth yea not only so but the meanest Saint upon earth is like to Jesus Christ in heaven in regard of quality he hath the same quality the same nature he is made partaker of the divine nature And the Apostle Paul exhorts the Philippians Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ The meanest Saint hath the same mind and the same quality in reference to his new nature that is in God himselfe or in Christ he is like to God God begetteth all his owne children in his owne likenesse But in regard of the likenesse of equality thus Iob was such a man as there was none like him in the earth no man like him in the degrees of those qualities they were not equall to him in this or that or the other grace Iob was a man above them all As we know it is with wicked and naturall men all wicked men upon the earth are as like one to another as can be As face answereth to face in water so doth the heart of man to man the heart of one naturall man to the other but yet there are some wicked men so wicked that there is none like them in the earth We have the very same words applyed to Ahab in wickednesse 1 King 21.25 But there was none like to Ahab which did sell himselfe to worke wickednesse in the sight of the Lord. None like unto him not I say as in the former that there were no wicked men that had the same sinfull qualities for all have the same sinfull qualities but there was none like him in equality of wickednesse Ahab was a None-such he was a Giant in wickednesse none were growne to such a stature of wickednesse as Ahab In the same manner we must understand this concerning Job none did reach to him in the equality of his graces in the stature of the inward man Job had out-growne all the world in grace at that time Yet a little further for the understanding of this We find sometimes when the Scripture saith of a man that there is none like to him the speech is to be restrained to some one particular And it may be a Question whether we are to understand this of Jobs preheminence in the ganerall or in regard of some one particular grace We reade of Solomon that there was none like him Neh. 13.26 Among many Nations was there no King like him who was beloved of his God There was no King like to Solomon but he restraineth it to this who was beloved of his God none to whom God did so much communicate himselfe as to Solomon none like to Solomon in wisedome and knowledge in those revelations and intimate communions that God had with him he was as it were Gods darling as his other Name Jedediah importeth Then it is said of Hezekiah see another instance 2 King 18.5 That he trusted in the Lord God of Israel so that after him was none like him among all the Kings of Judah Now this we must understand of some one particular especially that is of his trusting in the Lord in regard of his trusting so firmely in God he went beyond all the Kings that came after him there was none did so perfectly trust in God for it is said he brake in peeces the brasen serpent that Moses had made and stamped it to pouder trusting in the Lord. Though some of his Counsellours might tell him If you doe those things you may bring a world of trouble upon your selfe and the Kingdome if you change these ancient customes you will make your people mutinie this serpent was of God it was made in the wildernesse c. Yet saith he I see it is abused to Idolatry I care not for all that you say I will trust in the Lord how ever it goe Here was an high an unparalel'd act of confidence Yet afterward it was said concerning Josiah 2 King 23. 25. That like unto him was there no King before him that turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soule and with all his might Here it is said after Hezekiah that Josiah was such a King as there was none before him and it was said of Hezekiah that was before him that he was such a one that after him there should be none like him How shall we reconcile these two Onely by applying those expressions to such and such particulars Hezekiah was
are examples beyond all exceptions that respect may be had to benefits and blessings received or exspected Fourthly Then reference unto benefit is sinfull when wee make it either the sole and only cause or the supreame and chiefe cause of our obedience This makes any thing we doe smell so of our selves that God abides it not when we respect our selves either alone or above God God hath no respect at all to us As Christ taxes those Joh. 6. You did not seeke me but the loaves to have respect to the loaves more then to Christ or as much as to Christ is to have no respect at all to Christ Thus when the Sichemites Gen. 34.23 admitted of circumcision and so gave up themselves as a Covenant-people to God here was all the argument they proposed to themselves Shall not their cattell and their substance and every beast of theirs be ours What beasts were these Sichemites what shadowes of Religion who would take upon them this badge of Religion for the gaine of beasts and worldly substance Such pure respects to our selves defile all our services and render our persons odious unto God Therefore in all our duties and holy services we must set the glory of God in the Throne that must be above and then we may set our desires of Heaven and glory on the right hand we may set the feare of hell and the avoyding of misery on the left hand we may set our desires of enjoying outward comforts here in the world at the foot-stoole Thus we must marshall and ranke respects to God and our selves And thus we may look upon outward things as motives and incouragements we must not make them ends and causes we may make them as occasions but not as grounds of our obedience Lastly We may looke upon them as fruits and consequents of holinesse yea as incouragements unto holinesse but not as causes of our holinesse or we may eye these as media through which to see the bounty and goodnesse of God not as objecta on which to fixe and terminate our desires So much for the clearing of the first part of Satans answer Doth Job serve God for nought Wherein you see he casts dirt upon Jobs sincerest duties and how we may carry our respects in the service of God to outward blessings whether received or promised It followeth Verse 10. Hast thou not made an hedge about him and about his house and about all that he hath on every side Thou hast blessed the worke of his hands and his substance is increased in the land Here Satan more fully expounds himself and what he meaneth by Jobs not serving God for nought You shall see it is not for nought He casts up the particulars of Gods benefits conferred on Job and they amount to a great summe 1. Hee hath an hedge about him that is somewhat 2. He hath blessed him that 's more 3. He doth increase and multiply there 's the highest degree of outward happinesse Here are three degrees of Gods dealing with Job These Satan reckons up in this verse that he may make Jobs goodnesse of no account and leave his person in no degree of acceptance with God Here is first Protection in the hedge Hast thou not made an hedge about him Secondly Here is a Benediction upon that which was protected It was not a bare keeping of that from spoyling but it was a blessing of it Thirdly here is also an increase or multiplication he was not only blessed to keepe himselfe and all he had in the state and plight wherein he stood but there was a daily increase and an augmentation Thou protectest him thou blessest him and thou doest increase all that he hath he is increased in the land That is the summe and sense of the words I shall now open them a little more distinctly First He speaks here of his protection hast thou not made an hedge about him Some render it Hast thou not made a wall about him Or Hast thou not made a trench about him It is an elegant Metaphor frequent in Scripture shewing that as when a field is well hedg'd or a Towne well wall'd and entrench'd then it is safe So when God is said to make an hedge or a wall about a man or about a Nation the safety of that man or Nation is assured by it Isa 5.2 We have this word used where God speakes of his vineyard He planted a vineyard in a very fruitfull hill and he fenced it or he made a wall or a hedge about it So verse 5. when God is angry with his vineyard and will destroy iâ— it is thus exprest I will saith he take away the hedge thereof that is I will take away my protection from it In the same sense Zach. 2.5 I will be saith God a wall of fire round about that is I will be a defence unto it So when it is said here that God had made a hedge about Job it notes divine Protection he was under the wing and safeguard of the Almighty This hedge of protection is two-fold It is said God made this hedge Hast thou not made an hedge about him First There is an hedge which is made immediately by the hand of God Sometimes God makes the hedge immediatly yea somtimes God expresseth himself to be the hedge or wall as Zac. 2.5 so Psal 18. all those are words of protection vers 2. Thou art my rocke and my fortresse my deliverer my strength my buckler the horne of my salvation and my high Tower c. There God was the hedge here God makes the hedge God hath not put out this hedg to others to make but he makes it himselfe Satan observes as much Hast not thou made an hedge about him Secondly Sometime the hedge of protection is made by the hands of others God sends out his Angels to guard his people Psal 34.7 The Angell of the Lord encampeth round about them that feare him Encamping and hedging are to the same purpose Gods hedge is as strong for safety as any wall as any trench Sometime God doth make one man to be a hedge or a defence to another The servants of Naball said of David 1 Sam. 25.16 That he had been a wall unto them both by night and day that is he had been a protection and a guard to them he had defended them all the while his Army was quarter'd in those parts God makes a good man to be as a wall to a wicked man How much more will he make men and Angels to be wals and hedges for the security of his owne people The Text further goes on and shewes the compasse of this hedge what ground it takes in how farre it reacheth and here we shall find that it was a very large hedge of a great extent We know there are some Cities that have not only a single wall but a double wall yea some strong Cities and places have a treble wall about them So wee finde a
Hebrew is the face of the Lord hath divided them that is the Lord hath done such things as have the character of anger upon them that doe represent and hold forth nothing but the anger of the Lord unto a people and that anger of the Lord is called the face of the Lord unto a people Thirdly by the face of the Lord in Scripture we may understand the ordinances and the worship of God because in them and by them God is revealed manifested and knowne to his people as a man is knowne by his face So in the old Testament comming to God in those institutions was called appearing before God because in them God had promised to manifest himselfe unto his people Lastly the face of God is put for the common and generall presence of God in the world by which he filleth Heaven and Earth Psal 139.7 Whether shall I go from thy presence Now when it is said that Satan went forth from the face of God or from the presence of God it cannot be understood in the first or in the second sense for he cannot so come into the presence of God or before the face of God before his face of glory or before his face of favour Satan never came nor ever shall And as the presence of God is taken for his worship so Satan cares not to come into his presence Lastly as the face of God signifies his common and generall presence in the world so Satan cannot possibly goe out from his face Whether shall I goe from thy presence nor men nor devils are able to go out of the presence of the Lord in that sence for he filleth Heaven and Earth Then these words He went out from the presence of the Lord are spoken after the manner of men When a servant commeth to his Master to receive Commission to doe some businesse and hath his errand given him then he goeth out from the presence of his Master about his businesse So Satan comes here upon a businesse unto God he makes a motion and desireth to have such power put into his hand to doe such and such things the Lord grants it and so soone as ever he had his dispatch he goeth out of the presence of the Lord. So that the meaning is only this that Satan left off speaking with God left off moving God any further at that time and went out to execute that which he got commission to doe as servants goe out from the presence of their Masters when they have received warrant or direction what to doe While a servant is in expectation of his message or errand so long his eyes are upon his Master Our eyes wait upon thee O God as the eyes of servants looke unto the hands of their Masters Psal 123.3 The eyes of servants wait upon the face of the Master till they have received their message and then they goe out from their presence It notes the speed that Satan makes when he receives power from God to afflict or to chasten and try any of his children he makes no stay presently he goeth out from the presence of the Lord. Satan is speedy and active in executing any power that is committed unto him against the people of God against any particular member or against the Church in generall As soone as ever he hath but his Commission to afflict he is gone about it instantly As the good Angels in Heaven are described to have wings because as soone as ever they have received a command from God they are upon the wing they fly as it were to fulfill the will of God and in that sense goe out of his presence So Satan and the wicked Angels are upon the wing too in that sense as soon as ever they have received power they presently put it in execution And we may in this make Satan himselfe our patterne As we pray that the will of God may be done on earth as it is in heaven in heaven by the good Angels So in this sense I say we may desire that we may doe the will of God with as much speed as the evill Angels It is not unwarrantable to learne from Satan speedily to be doing about the will of God JOB 1.13 14 c. And there was a day when his sonnes and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brothers house And there came a messenger unto Job and said The Oxen were plowing and the asses feeding besides them And the Sabeans fell upon them c. IN the former context we shewed you the affliction of Job mooved by Satan and permitted by God Touch all that he hath is Satans motion All that he hath is in thine hand is Gods permission From this 13th verse to the end of the 19th the afflictions of Job are particularly described and we may observe 6 particulars in the Context concerning his afflictions 1. The time or season of his afflictions And there was a day when his sonnes and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brothers house ver 13. 2. The instruments or the meanes of his afflictions Satan who undertooke the afflicting of Job stands as it were behind the doore he doth not appeare in it but sets on others His instruments were first cruell and bloody minded men the Sabeans verse 15. The Chaldeans verse 17. Secondly those active creatures devouring fire and stormy windes the fire verse 16. the winde verse 19. 3. The matter of his affliction or in what he was afflicted it was in his outward estate 4. The variety of his afflictions he was not smitten in some one thing in some one part of his outward estate but he was afflicted in all his Oxen his Asses and his Camels violently taken away his Sheep burnt up by the fire his sons and his daughters over-whelmed and crushed by the fall of an house all his servants attending upon these slaine consumed destroyed excepting only one from every stroke to be the sad relator or messenger of these calamities 5. The suddennesse of his afflictions they came all upon him in one day 6. The uncessantnesse of the report of these afflictions the sound of them all was in his eares at once as they were all brought upon him in one day so they are all told him in one houre yea by the story it doth appeare there were but very few moments betweene the first and the last For the Text saith that no sooner had one messenger ended his dolefull news but another begins nay they did not stay so long as to let one another make an end but the Text saith While the former was yet speaking there came another and said and so while the next was yet speaking there came another and said while he was yet speaking another c. So that Satan did not give Job so much as the least minute of intermission to breath a while or recollect himselfe His troubles both in the acting and in the reporting were close
begot a sonne mortall and subject to death he did but look backe to the common condition of man and supported himselfe But now I say this second argument is higher it is not an argument bottomed upon the frailty of nature but upon the soveraignty of God This argument is grounded upon the equity of divine providence and dispensations The Lord saith he hath given and the Lord hath taken away The Lord hath given Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above Jam. 1.17 What gifts doth Job here meane He meanes good and perfect gifts in their kind but not the best and most perfect kind of gifts The Lord once gave me those Oxen those Sheepe all these outward things that now I am stripped of The Lord hath given A gift is any good freely bestowed when we receive a thing which another was not ingaged to bestow that is a gift Now God doth not onely give us those transcendents grace and glory faith in Christ here and full fruition of Christ hereafter not onely are these gifts I say sent in from God and undeserved by us but outward things riches and honour children and servants houses and lands these are the gifts of God likewise we have not the least creature-comfort of our owne we have nothing of our owne but sinne What hast thou that thou hast not received is a truth concerning every thing we have even to a hoofe or a shoe-latchet Wee are indebted unto God for our spiritualls for our temporals for all We must say of all little or much great or small The Lord hath given How did the Lord give Job all his riches and estate The Lord doth give either immediately or mediately When Job saith the Lord hath given we are not to understand it as if the Lord had brought such a present to him and said here take this estate take these cattell these servants but God gave them mediately by blessing the labours of Job So when the Lord prospereth us in our honest endeavours and labours and callings then the Lord giveth us outward things The Lord hath given Job doth not say by my strength and diligence by my policy and pradence I have got this estate as the Assyrian said Isa 10.13 by the strength of my hand have I done this and by my wisdome for I am prudent Iob takes no notice of himself he was not idle yet he speaks as if he had done nothing the Lord hath given This should teach us in the first place to acknowledge the Lord as the fountain and donor of all our outward comforts When you get wealth doe not say this I have gotten such language is barbarous in divinity but say this the Lord hath given Wee find an expresse caution to this purpose given by Moses from God not onely against the former language of the tongue but of the heart When the Jewes should come to Canaan and should grow rich and great there When thou hast eaten and art full then thou shalt blesse the Lord. Beware thou forget not the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath given thee and say in thy heart my power and the might of my hand hath gotten me this wealth but thou shalt remember the Lord thy God for it is hee that giveth thee power to get wealth It is he that giveth thee power Many who are perswaded that God gives them grace that God gives Heaven and Salvation are hardly perswaded or at least doe not so well consider it that God gives riches c. their their hearts are yet ready to say that they have gotten this wealth they have gotten this honour It is a sweet thing when a man lookes upward for these lower things and can say on good grounds that his earth hath dropt down to him from Heaven The Lord hath given Further when Job saith the Lord hath given it is an argument of his owne justice and equity in getting Job did not enrich himselfe by wrong by grinding the faces of the poore If he had done so he could not have said the Lord hath given So much as we get honestly we may looke upon as a fruit of Gods bounty Looke into your estates and whatsoever you have got by wrong dealing take heed of saying this is of Gods giving for so you make God himselfe a partner in your sinnes God sometime gives when we use no meanes but he never gives when we use unlawfull meanes What God said concerning the setting-up of those Kings Hos 8.4 They have set-up Kings but not by me he saith of all who enrich themselves by wrong they have gotten riches but not by me When men leave the rule of justice God leaves them And though unlawfull acts are under the influence of his blessing Wicked men thrive often but they are never blessed their prosperity is their curse Thirdly it is observable that when Job would support himselfe in the losse of his estate he cals to mind how he came by his estate and finding it all given in by the blessing of God upon his honest labours and endeavours he is satisfied Note That what we get honestly that we can part with contentedly He that hath got his estate by injustice can never leave it with patience Honesty in getting causeth quietnesse of spirit in loosing outward things Keepe a good conscience in getting the world and you shall have peace when you cannot keepe the world Wheras a wrong-doer and a wrong-dealer is in such a day under a double affliction he is afflicted with his present losse and he ought to be afflicted for his former gaine Fourthly These words the Lord hath given being rightly handled will be as a Sword to cut-off foure monsters or monstrous lusts which annoy all the world or as a medicine to cure foure diseases about worldly things Two of these lusts are strongest in the rich and the other paire assault the poore The poore pine either with discontent because they have so little or with envy because others have so much The rich swell with pride because they have aboundance or they are fil'd with contempt of those that are in want Let the rich seriously weigh this speech it will cure them of pride Charge them that are rich saith the Apostle 1 Tim. 6.17 that they be not high-minded You see how subject rich men are to this inflammation of pride But with what doth he pricke this bladder It is with this thought that God gives all riches Let them trust in the living God who giveth us all things richly to enjoy That argument of the Apostle 1 Cor. 4.7 If thou hast received it why dost thou boast is as strong and as true in regard of temporals as of spirituals Consider seriously that your estates are the gift of God and downe fals pride If you come honestly by them they are the gift of God If you come dishonestly by them they are the gifts of Satan and you ought to be ashamed of them and
from the seat of life to save the skin of that member which is so neare the seat of life Secondly by skin in the former place some understand all the outward estate that Iob had It was usuall in those times to expresse all riches by the word Skin and the reason of it was this because as was observed before their substance was cattell and so from the skin of their cattell they did denominate their estates Or as others because their mony was made of skins and so they did expresse their wealth and riches under the word skin Answerable to which custome the Latin word for houshold-stuffe or household goods is derived from that word which properly signifies a skin because either they were wont to wrap up their goods in skins or because they did put a great value upon skins and so their whole outward personall estate was comprehended under that notion Hence that common Proverbe amongst the Ancients Thou spendest out of another mans skinne To be liberall out of another mans estate was called a being lavish upon another mans skinne And then skin in the second place doth signifie the man himselfe or the person of a man the thing containing or that which covereth being put for the whole by a Synecdoche the skin for the whole man And it is usuall in good Authours to put the skin for the whole man as to looke to the skin is to looke to the whole body Take it thus that skin in the first place is all outward things and skin in the second is taken for the skin that covereth the body and so the sense runs thus Skin for skin c. that is a man will give all his outward estate to save the flesh upon his backe that is to save his life As if Satan had said this act of Iob which is so cryed up and made a matter so considerable being examined will be found as ordinary as the High-way It being common to a Proverbe for a man to part with all that hee may preserve himself There is a third exposition much labour'd by a learned Interpreter who by skin in the first place understands not generally all his estate but more especially his apparrell his cloathing which at the first were made of skins and were used long after for cloathings by Princes and great men in divers Countries from which the sense of the Proverbe is thus given skin for skin c. A man will part with his cloathes cast them off willingly easily that he may save the skin of his body save his life And so he expounds it by that act of Iob in the former Chapter vers 20 where it is said that Job rent his mantle and cast it off as if Satan had alluded unto that and said no marvell if Iob humbled himselfe to the dust and renting his garment cast that away when he heard all was taken from him Iob parted with the skin his garment that he might move thee to compassion and so save his other skin the garment which cloathes his flesh which he feared thou wouldest rent by wounding and so let out his trembling soule his beloved life A fourth gives this interpretation of the words Skin for skin c. The Originall Preposition which we translate for is often in Scripture likewise translated upon as in 2 Kingâ— 5 The widdow went from Elisha and shut the doore upon her and upon her sonne So in other places then the sence is made out thus Skin upon skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life that is if a man had never so many skins if it could be supposed he had an hundred skins one upon another he would let all be taken oft to save his life That place is expounded as a paralell Iob. 1.16 where it is said That of Christs fullnesse we receive grace for grace that is grace upon grace or abundance of grace all the grace we have this grace and that grace faith and love and patience and humility every grace all grace you receive from Christ Thus some illustrate these two places one by another So Satan saith of Iob here Skin for skin that is skin upon skin a man will give all his skins suppose he had many he would part with all or take skin for never so much of his outward estate he will let all goe to save his life There is yet another interpretation given of this Skin for skin ye all that a man hath wil he give for his life take the words comparatively we translate it yea all he hath That copulative particle in the Hebrew is rendered sometime and sometime yea sometime so according to which last exception the sense standeth thus as a man will give skin for skin so a man will part with all he hath for his life We finde some Scriptures wherein this particle is taken in the very same sense To give you instance Prov. 25.3 there the Hebrew reades it thus The heavens for height the earth for depth and the heart of Kings is unsearchable Now this is cleare that the sense is comparative and it is thus to be given as the Heaven is unsearchable for height and the earth for depth so the heart of the King is unsearchable So verse 25. of the same Chapter it is thus read out of the Originall word for word Cold water to a thirsty soule and good newes from a farre country now we translate it according to the sense and make it a comparison thus As cold water to a thirsty soule so is good newes from a farre country Thus also we may interpret this place and it carries a good sense Skin for skin and all c. As a man would give skin for skin one outward thing for another for they take skin in both places for outward things for the goods of this life as a man would give or barter away one commodity for another So a man will give all outward things for his life life is more valuable to all outward things than any one particular thing is to another It is ordinary to a Proverbe among men in danger to say spare my life and take my goods How willingly doth the Mariner in a storme unlade his Ship and cast all his rich wares over-board that he may preserve that precious jewell his life As a godly man will give life upon life a thousand lives if he had them rather then loose his soule So a natural man will give skin upon skin gold upon gold treasure upon treasure that he may save his life Let life lie at the stake and a man will give all things he hath in the world for it and thinke he hath a good bargaine Here are 5. expositions you see offered The two latter to me seeme the most cleare howsoever every one of them hath a faire sense in it and so we are agreed upon the generall which is onely to set forth the excellency and preciousnesse
also of Jobs triall might have born the same name As the Lord will be seen in the mount of our afflictions to provide for us so he will see us in the mount of our afflictions to please himself The Psalmist describeth God looking down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any that did understand that did seek God Psal 53.2 Surely then if any do seek God much more if they suffer from him or for him in a holy manner he will look downe from Heaven to see them Thirdly I will note that as another ground why God would have his life spared because he had much use of him when he was in that condition full of sores and scabs A godly man is never in such an estate but God hath some use of his life Therefore saith God Save his life though he be full of sores or rather from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot one continued sore though he be a most lamentable creature and cannot wag hand or foot in any service of man yet spare his life for he may thus stand me in great stead and do me more service then many thousands who as we speake are sound winde and limbe and have not one blemish upon the whole body A godly person is ever usefull to God though he cannot stirre a limbe yet his life may be usefull to God whereas a wicked man though strong and healthy though furnisht with outward comforts and accommodations is altogether unserviceable he will not doe God a stroake of worke though he have received great pay and wages afore-hand A godly man will serve God in and by his poverty in and by his sicknesse when diseased when distressed when nothing is to be seen upon him but scabs and boiles Grace will work through all the defects and decayes of nature And when the life of nature can scarce move one member of the outward man upon the earth the life of grace moves all the members of the inward man toward Heaven Though the outward man perish yet the inward man is renewed day by day 2 Cor. 4.16 Lastly God saved his life as a punishment and vexation upon Satan The Talmudists are vouched to affirme that it was not so grievous to Job to be afflicted in his body as it was to Satan when God restrained him from destroying his life As if a man should be permitted to crack the glasse but he must not spill the wine That his life must be kept whole in him was Satans wound It is a torture to malice not to do the utmost mischiefe So much for the clearing of these words Behold he is in thine hand but save his life From the Lords grant observe first That God doth oftentimes give up the bodies of his faithfull servants to be abused and tormented by Satan and his instruments He is in thine hand thou maiest do with him what thou wilt on this side death Touch his flesh and his bone or touch his flesh to the bone strike as hard wound as deep as thou canst It is said Revel 2.10 that Satan should cast some of them that is of the servants of God into prison God gave up their bodies to irons and fetters to the stocks and shackles He permits those bodies which are Temples of the holy Ghost to be thrust into dungeons and the chambers of death Therefore doe not thinke it strange to see the bodies of the children of God put into cruell and bloudy hands though they are vessels of honour and Temples of the holy Ghost yet God may give up those bodies to be defiled and polluted with the outrages of the most abominable wretches consider what the Apostle speakes of the Jewish Martyrs Heb. 11. How were their bodies abused and mangled They were stoned they were sawn asunder they were slaine with the sword they wandered about in sheep skins and goat skins being destitute afflicted tormented of whom the world was not worthy Their bodies had not a house to dwell in nor garments to put on in whose soules God himselfe dwelt and had put upon them the garment of Salvation Who is able to expresse yea to conceive what strange inventions of crueltie have been brought into the world to vex and torment the bodies of the Saints The stories of the Primitive times are full but the fathers of the Romish inquisition have exceeded them all Satan here invents a strange disease as an engine to torture Jobs body in that he mixt the rack and the wheel the sword and the saw the fiery gridiron and the boyling oil The pain of a thousand deaths was heightn'd in that malignant distemper Secondly he is in thine hand but save his life saith God The matter wherein Satan is limited is life then note That life and death are in the hand of God It is truth that all we have is in the hand of God but God keeps our life in his hand last of all and he hath that in his hand in a speciall manner So David expresses it Thou holdest my soul in life though the soul continue life may not continue there is the soul when there is not life life is that which is the union of soul and body Thou holdest my soul in life that is thou holdest soul and body together So Daniel describes God to Belshazzar Dan. 5.23 The God in whose hand thy breath is and whose are all thy wayes hast thou not glorified The breath of Princes is in the hand of God and the same hand holds the breath of the meanest subject This may be matter of comfort to us in such times as these are times of danger and times of death when the hand of man is lifted up to take thy life remember thy life is held in the hand of God And as God said here to Satan Afflict the body of Job but save his life so God saith still to bloudy wretches who are as the limbs of Satan The bodies of such and such are in your hands the estates of such and such are in your hands but save their lives The life of a man is never at the mercy of a creature though it be a common speech of men when they have a man under them Now I have you at my mercy though some brag as Laban did to Jacob It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt yet God often checks them as he did Laban from so much as speaking hurt Gen. 31.29 but the God of your father spake unto me yester-night saying Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad Creatures though full of love cannot speak good and though full of malice they cannot speak bad if God forbid then much lesse can they do us hurt and least of all hurt our lives if God with-hold David triumphs in his interest in such a God Psal 68.20 Our God is the God of salvation that is of deliverance of outward deliverance for that is
their polishing was of Saphire But see the change Their visage is blacker then a coale they are not knowne in the streetes Famine had eaten up not only their flesh but their forme misery had altered their very complexion and visage they who shined before like Rubies and Saphires for colour and comelinesse were now darke as a coale or dusky like ashes they were not knowne to be the same men and women It is said of Christ in his affliction Isa 52.14 That his visage was so marred more then any man and his forme more then the sonnes of men Great afflictions change the very forme and utterly blast the beauty of the body Sinne doth so change the soule and disfigure the mind it so deformes the spirit and defaces the image at first stampt upon it that God saith I know you not you are not like the men that Imade But this is the comfort of a Job of a godly man that when his face is most deformed his soule is most beautified and though a disease may disfigure him so that his neerest friends know him not yet God knowes him still No sicknesse can weare out the markes by which Christ knowes thee When thy face is blacker then a coale he sees the face of thy soule shining like the face of an Angell A person or a people are then in a wofull condition indeed when God shall say to them as he did to those hipocriticall professors Mat. 7.23 Depart from me I know ye not We may be in such a wofull condition that our friends and acquaintance coming to visit us cannot know us yet for the maine well enough blessed enough at that time beautifull in the eye welcome into the presence of a glorious God They knew him not What then Then they lifted up their voice and wept This is the first act of their mourning And we may observe five acts of mourning here specified whereof one is a naturall act and the other foure are ceremoniall The naturall act was this of weeping They lifted up their voice and wept The ceremoniall acts were these First They rent every one his mantle Secondly They sprinckled dust upon their heads towards Heaven Thirdly They sate downe with him on the ground seven dayes and seven nights The fourth ceremoniall act was their silence And none spake a word unto him for they saw that his griefe was great First They lifted up their voice and wept The word is Baca and from that the place Judg. 2.5 is called Bochin where the people are said to lift up their voice and weepe when the Angell reproved them In Psal 84.6 We reade of the valley of Baca which some translate the valley of weeping or the valley of teares Others from Baca a Mulberry-tree the valley of Mulberry-trees which being a dry place the travellers to Jerusalem at the solemne feasts did so digge for water that they made all as one well Further It is said they did not only weepe but they lifted up their voice and wept We may note two things in that phrase First the vehemency of their sorrow as when a man doth lift up his voice and speake he speakes vehemently Isa 58.3 Lift up thy voice like a trumpet that is speake with a loud and strong voice So here They lifted up their voice and wept that is they wept vehemently they wept exceedingly Secondly To lift up the voice and weepe notes the easing of the mind in sorrow for it is an ease to the mind burden'd and oppress'd with sorrow to lift up the voice and weepe to cry out in sorrow le ts the strength of the sorrow out We say that sorrow which is included strangles and stifles the spirit sorrow kept in is like fire kept in more augmented As David speakes Psal 39. concerning himselfe While I kept silence even from good my sorrow was stirred my heart was hot within me while I was musing the fire burned His sorrow was increast when he had not a vent for it Silent mournings are the sorest mournings lifting up the voice vents the sorrow The holy Ghost expresses great sorrow by that of a woman in travaile crying out To cry out notes I grant great paine and yet crying out is a lestening or mitigation of paine It is observed that the Midwife seeing a travelling woman hold in and conceale her paines will bid her cry out Some lift up their voice and weepe when they are not in paine when they mourne not at all There are Crocodiles teares teares and voices too of dissimulation Ismael had teares in his eyes and revenge in his heart Jer. 41. Others are in paine and mourne when they lift not up their voice nor weepe Like one that hath a deadly wound they bleed inwardly But when there is the highest flood of sorrow in the heart weeping will make an ebbe and you may let much of those waters which are ready to drowne the spirit out at those sluces of the eyes That is the first act the naturall act They lifted up their eyes and saw such a spectacle as made them lift up their voice and weepe There are 4 ceremoniall acts First They rent every man his mantle We have spoken of that when we opened the 20th verse of the former Chapter together with the grounds of rending cloathes sorrow indignation c. I shall referre you thither for further information in this point The second ceremoniall act of their sorrow was The sprinckling dust upon their heads toward Heaven In the 20th verse of the former Chapter Job shaved his head Here is another ceremony They sprinckled dust upon their heads And which is yet more considerable They sprinckled dust toward Heaven There were two wayes of sprinckling dust There was first a taking the dust and sprinckling it upon the head barely And then there was another way of taking the dust and throwing it up in the aire and so letting it fall upon the head This act was significative It typed that all things were full of sorrowfull confusion the earth and the aire were mingled the Heavens also were cloudy and darkened therefore they cast dust toward Heaven For as by a stormy wind and tempest the dust is raised which thickens the aire and obscures the Heavens so by that act of casting or sprinckling dust in the aire stormy tempestuous and troublesome times were signified In the Acts chap. 22.23 those wretched Jewes to whom Paul preached being vexed and enraged cryed out and casting off their cloathes threw dust into the aire Their action had this voice in it This man hath or will if let alone fill all the world with trouble and disturbe the peace of Nations This they expresse together with their own rage by throwing dust into the aire It was a judgement which God threatned his people with that he would make the raine of their land dust Deut. 28.24 And when men make it raine dust by sprinckling it towards Heaven it shewed great trouble or judgement
angry with my day and I shew you why because it shut not up the doores of my mothers wombe c. The reason or the argument stands thus There is cause I should curse that day and that night which not hindering my conception or my birth brought me forth upon the stage of the world to act a part in all these sorrowes But the day and the night did not hinder my conception or my birth therefore I have cause I have reason enough to breake out in such complaints and curse them I doe it because these shut not up the doores of my mothers wombe This is the argument or reason by which he defends his passion and this argument will be found to have more passion in it then reason if we examine it to the bottome For he complaines of that as the cause which was not the cause of his troubles what did the night or the day that he thus chargeth them They had no efficiency in bringing those evills upon him circumstances are not causes Effects are produced in time but time doth not produce effects Only this we may say to helpe it he doth not curse the day as if it could have shut the doores of his mothers wombe but because on that day those doores were not shut But leaving the reason of his speech we will consider the sense of it The Hebrew word for word is thus rendred Because it shut not up the doores of my belly And that the Chaldee Paraphrast renders thus by way of explanation Because it did not shut up the doores of my lips the mouth saith he being as it were the doore or the in-let to the belly or stomack every thing goeth in by that doore and so he carries the sense thus let that night be cursed because it did not stop my breath and so make an end of mee The Septuagint hath it thus because it shut not up the doores of my Mothers belly which answers our translation the doores of my mothers wombe Mr. Broughton to the same sense because it shut not up the doore of the belly that did beare me that is my mothers belly I shall in silence passe over that secret or mystery in nature which may be the ground of this expression There are two secrets in Divinity which are the grounds of it and of them I shall speake The first is this When God layes that affliction of barrennesse upon the woman he according to the phrase of Scripture is said to shut up the wombe And when he sendeth the blessing of fruitfulnesse he is said to open the wombe We have both Gen. 20.18 When Abimelech had taken Sarah Abrahams wife the Lord fast closed up all the wombes of the house of Abimelech The meaning of it is this he made all the women barren or withheld the blessing of conception The Jewish Expositors render the meaning in the very words of this Text that the Lord had shut up all the doores of the wombes of the house of Abimelech And so likewise for fruitfulnesse God is said to open the wombe as Gen. 29.31 And when the Lord saw that Leah was hated he opened her wombe but Rachel was barren Then to shut the doores of the wombe notes the power of God in denying and to open those doores the blessing of God in giving conception and making fruitfull Secondly It may referre to the birth for there must be an opening of those doores and that by an Almighty power for production as well as for conception And therefore David Psal 22.9 ascribes it to the Lord Lord thou art he who tookest me out of my mothers wombe It was not the Midwife did it It was not the womens helpe that stood about his mother but Lord thou didest it The hand of God only is able to open that doore and let man into the world Unlesse he as we may so speake turne the key the poore infant must for ever lye in prison and make his mothers wombe his grave In either or both these respects Job here speakes against the night because it shut not up the doores of his mothers wombe to stop his conception or stay him in the birth For then either he had not been or he had not been brought forth as the subject of all those calamities Hence observe first That fruitfulnesse or conception is the especiall worke and blessing of God God carries the key of the wombe in his own hand From him we receive life and breath Acts 17.25 yea in his booke are all our members written which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them Wee are fearefully and wonderfully made Our substance is not hid from God when we are made in secret and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth As the holy Ghost admirably and most elegantly describes the conception and formation of man in the wombe Psal 139.14 15 16. There are foure keyes of nature all kept in the hand of God First The key of the Raine The clouds cannot open themselves the flood-gates of Heaven cannot be unlocked nor those sluces opened to let downe a drop of raine untill God turne the key Deut. 28.12 The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure the Heaven to give the raine unto thy land in his season Secondly The key of Nutrition or of Foode Psal 145.16 Thou openest thine hand and satisfiest the desire of every living thing The strength of the creature is shut up in the hand of God and untill he unlock his hand the creatures cannot strengthen or nourish us though we have our houses and our hands full of them Thirdly The key of the Grave Eze. 37.13 I will open your graves and cause you to come out of your graves We are so fast lockt up in death that all the power in the world is not able to release us till God speake the word and turne the key of the graves-doore That place in Ezekiel is meant I know of a civill death But it is as true of naturall death And the argument is stronger for it If when a Nation as the nation of the Jewes then did lyes in the grave of bondage and captivity no man can unlock that doore without the key of Gods speciall providence much lesse can any hand or power but his open the doore and bring us out of the grave of our corporall dissolution There is this fourth key belonging to the doore spoken of in the Text the doore of the wombe Which was shadowed in that ceremoniall law among the Jewes of giving their first-borne unto God as a thankefull acknowledgement that the beginning of all propagation and increase was from him Further observe That our birth and production is the speciall worke of God Thou art he that tookest me out of my mothers wombe saith David And he apprehended the power of God so great in his naturall birth that he from thence takes an argument to strengthen his faith that God could doe any
Rhetorick can perswade death to depart all the gold and riches in the world cannot bribe death or stay its hand I saith Job should have found Kings and Counsellours and rich men even all these in the grave and we should have rested together Riches availe not in the day of wrath Prov. 11.4 but righteousnesse delivereth from death Righteousnesse delivereth from death why shall not righteous men die Surely Job might have said with righteous men with holy men should I have rested with Abraham with Isaac and with Jacob these are in the grave death seaz'd on them as well as other Princes and Kings and Counsellours How then doth Solomon say that righteousnesse delivereth from death Death is there either to be understood of some dangerous judgement for saith he riches availe not in a day of wrath that is in a day of publike calamity but righteousnesse delivereth from death that is from those troubles and dangers God hath respect to a righteous person and hideth him from that death Or righteousnesse doth deliver from death that is from the evill of death from the sting of death from the bitternesse of death the bitternesse and evill of death is past to a righteous man But riches they availe not at all they cannot at all as not deliver from death so not mitigate the paine or pull out the sting or sweeten the bitternesse of death yea rather riches encrease all these That is a truth O death how bitter is thy remembrance to a man that is at ease in his possession Men may put their riches with them into the grave but riches cannot keepe them a moment out of the grave This thought How bitter Secondly When Job speakes of Kings and Counsellours and Princes these great men of the world he sheweth us what their study and businesse for the most part is in the world it is about worldly things They build desolate places they have gold they fill their houses with treasure These are their employments the current of their cares and endeavours runs out this way Hence observe That the thoughts of the greatest and wisest of the world are usually but for and about the world The poore receive the gospell and the rich receive the world As a godly man is described by his faith Abraham beleeved God By feare by uprightnesse by justice as Job in the first chapter of this Booke by meeknesse as Moses c. by the heavenlinesse of their spirits and conversations Our conversation is in Heaven Phil. 3.20 So worldly men are described by their proper studies Kings Counsellours and Princes build Pallaces gather riches heape up gold They buy they sell they build they plant they eate they drinke as the worldly world is pictur'd Luk. 17.27 28. In the 17th Psalme great men are called the men of the world as if they were for nothing but the world or all for the world as if all their provisions were laid in for this world so it followes who have their portion in this life ver 14. It is a sad thing to have received our portion It is said of the rich man Sonne remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things thou hast had thy portion In Psal 49.11 It is said concerning such men that their inward thought is that their houses shall continue for ever and their dwelling places to all generations and they call their lands after their own names Their inward thoughts are upon these things It is somewhat a strange kind of speaking to say their inward thoughts for there are no thoughts but inward thoughts are all wrought in the secret shop of the heart But there is an elegancy in it the Hebrew is their inwards their internalls Their inwards are how they may get themselves a name and riches not only are their thoughts about these things but the very inmost of their thoughts the most retired thoughts and recesses of the soule are about these things these lie neerest to their hearts As the story saith of Queen Mary when she died she had them open her and they should finde Calice at her heart It was a pitifull case that a rotten Towne should lie where Christ ought at the heart of such a Princesse The heart is the place where Christ and the thoughts of Heaven should lodge All below Heaven should be below our hearts But as a godly mans inward thoughts are for Heaven and the things of Heaven for grace and for holinesse he hath thoughts upon the world but if I may so speake they are his outward thoughts not his inward thoughts That which lies neerest his heart his inward thoughts are for Heaven So the inward thoughts of worldly men are for the world the Apostle might well say Not many wise nor many rich nor many noble are called the thoughts of wise Counsellours of potent Kings and rich Princes are legible in their actions Thirdly Having expounded these desolate places to be Tombes and these houses graves Observe That some take in their life time more care for their Sepulchers then they doe for their soules Here are great men what doe they They build desolate places they will be sure to have stately monuments And they had gold they will be sure to fill their graves with treasure they will be buried richly or they will have their riches buried with them But what care did these take for their poore soules in the meane time where they should lie Had they taken order what should become of their soules When all things are disposed of this choice peece for the most part is left undisposed of unprovided for Some will carefully provide for their children they will provide for their families they will provide for their dead bodies for their carcasses but for their immortall soules there is no provision made While their bodies are assured of a resting place they may say of and to their departing soules as that trembling Emperour bespake his O our poore fleeting wandring soules whether are you going where is the place of your rest As it is said of Absolom in the place before cited He in his life time had reared up a pillar a monument or a Tombe for himselfe in the Kings dale What a carefull Prince was this for his body But how carelesse was this Prince for his soule He will have a pillar to preserve his name and yet runs out in rebellion against his owne father to the destruction of his soule The great businesse of the Saints on earth is to get assurance of a place for their soules to lodge in when they die It troubles them not much what lodging their bodies have if they can put their spirits into the hand of Christ What though their bodies be cast upon a dung-hill or trodden upon like mire in the streetes by cruell men A Heathen said The losse of a Funerall or of a Sepulcher may easily be borne I am sure a Christian may That losse will never undoe any man
they who rejoyce in soule would even willingly be rid of their bodies they are above the body So they who are bitter in soule are desirous to be ridde of their bodies the body is a burden when the soule is bitter This bitternesse of soule caused those bitter complaints before and now this vehement expostulation Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery Wherefore We are apt to thinke there is no reason for that for which we can see no reason Job was in a darke condition and could not see the reason and therefore almost concludes there was none When we are posed we thinke all the world is posed too If we cannot interpret and expound the dealings of God we thinke none can nay in such cases some are ready to thinke at least to speake as if they thought that God himselfe can scarce give a good account of them This wherefore goes through the earth and reaches Heaven Tell me O my friends shew me O my God Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery Why Job there may be many reasons many answers given to this wherefore a man should be in light though he be in misery and why his life should be continued though his soule be in bitternesse What if God should appeare and tell thee It shall be thus and the reason of it is because I will have it so Is not that therefore answer enough to any mans wherefore The will of God is reason enough for man and ought to be the most satisfying reason If God say I will have life remaine in a man that is bitter in soule that man should say Lord it is reason I should because it is thy pleasure though it be to my own trouble Yet it is but seldome that God makes his will his reason and answers by his bare preâ—â—gative He hath often given weighty reasons to this quaerie First The life of nature is continued that the life of grace may be encreased Again Such live in sufferings That they may learne obedience by the things which they suffer God teaches us by his workes as well as by his word his dealings speake to us And It is as great an act of holinesse to submit our selves to the will of God in his workes as it is to the will of God in his word Another reason of this wherefore may be this God sets up some as patternes to posterity he therefore gives the light of life to some that are in misery to shew that it is no new nor strange thing for his Saints to be darkenesse And what if God doth it to magnifie the strength of his own power in supporting and the sweetnesse of his mercy when he delivers such bitter soules Further observe first That The best things in this world may come to be burthens to us See here a man weary of light and life light one of the most excellent creatures that God made the most excellent next to life yea life the best the most excellent thing in nature both these become burthensome How gladly would Job have bin rid of light how gladly rid of his life Consider then how burthensome other things which at the best are burdens may be unto you If you heare a soule complaining of light and life and why are these given me when I am in misery Then what comfort thinke you will honour give you or what comfort will riches give you or what comfort will beauty give you in such a condition as makes you weary of light and life What comfort will sin give you what ease will your lusts give you in such a condition as makes you weary of light and life I never heard of any of the Saints that were troubled at any time with their grace or weary of the favour of God I never heard any of them say why is grace given to one that is in misery or the light of Gods countenance to the bitter in soule I never heard any say wherefore is faith given to a man that is in misery or hope and patience to the bitter in soule grace was never a burden to any man under greatest burdens or unsavoury to the bitterest soule when you are weary of all other things in the world these will be your supports Therefore labour after those things which you shall never be weary of even after those things which will be more pleasant to us then ever light was when light shall be to others more troublesome then ever darknesse was to any let us labour after those things which will be more sweet to us then ever life was when life shall be to others â—ore bitter then ever death was to any Secondly observe It is a trouble to possesse good things when we cannot injoy them Would you know how Job spake here as one weary of light and life It was not under the notion of light and life as if he had been weary of these in themselves but it was because he could not enjoy these Solomon assures us Prov. 25.20 that As hee that taketh away a garment in cold weather and as vineger upon Nitre so is he that singeth songs to an heavy heart Musick to one that is in sorrow doubles his sorrow why because he cannot enjoy the musick a heavy heart can worse intend musick then a heavy eare only those things which we can injoy in the use of them please in the possessing of them Of all temporalls the possession and enjoyment may be separated but for spiritualls the very possession of them is joy therefore enjoyment their presence is a pleasure and therefore their presence shall ever please We may distinguish between their use and their comfort but we can never seperate them One thing further When Job saith Wherefore is light given and life given The meaning of it is wherefore is light continued and wherefore is life continued for he speakes of himselfe and others that had light and were alive and yet he saith wherefore is light given c. From this we may learne That Every act of continuance of good things to us is a new act or deed of gift to us Mercy is given every moment it is enjoyed not only is a new mercy and a renewed mercy a new gift but continued mercy is a gift and a new gift life is a new gift every houre of time we live on the earth and glory will be a new gift every minute of eternity we shall live in Heaven Which long for death and it cometh not and dig for it more then for hid treasures This 21. verse doth further explicate who are the bitter in soule even such as long for death when a soule from naturall principles finds a sweetnesse in death that soule is in bitternesse Our affliction and our misery is indeed worme-wood and gall as the Church complaines Lam. 2.19 when death is as honey and long'd for as the honey-combe There is bitternesse in the death of the body and yet some are so
made Jeremie enquire Why doth the way of the wicked prosper As if he had said If I could see the reason of it it would satisfie me but while thou keepest me in the darke and I can give no account to my owne soule or those that aske me of this thy dispensation to wicked men this is the burthen of my soule It is usually said They are happy who know the causes of things And in regard of the diseases of the body we say that a disease is halfe cured when the cause of it is discovered But when a Physition is in the darke and cannot find out the cause of a disease he must needs be in the darke for the remedy of it So it is also with a man in regard of any affliction when he cannot find out the cause he knoweth not what to pitch upon as a remedy When Rebekah Gen. 25.22 had twins in her wombe and they strugled together within her she was much troubled and nothing would satisfie her untill she went to God to know the reason of the thing Lord saith she why am I thus And when God had told her that two Nations were in her wombe and that two manner of people should be separated from her bowels she made no more complaints So when there are such strivings such struglings and contrary motions of trouble in us or about us the soule goes to God and enquires why is it thus Lord I am more troubled with the ignorance of my troubles then with the weight or smart of them Thirdly Take the words as respecting the issue or deliverance from trouble and they affoord us this observation That It is a great addition to an affliction not to see or discerne a way to escape or get out of affliction To be in an affliction out of which there appeares no passage unlesse the soule be mightily supported by the hand and power of Christ brings within a step of despaire The Apostle speakes as much when he saith 1 Cor. 10.13 There is no temptation hath taken hold of you but that which is common to man and then it followes but God is faithfull who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to beare it As if he should say If God did not indeed discover or make out to you some way of escaping I must needs say you were never able to beare it but saith he God will make a way for you to escape that ye may be able to beare it Meaning that the opening of this way would revive their spirits and then they would be able through the strength of Christ to beare it If so then how shall the soule beare an affliction when God instead of making a way to escape doth as it were make a hedge to stop all escape Therefore when the Lord would support his people in their troubles he promised that they should have a doore of hope opened to them I will give her the valley of Achor for a doore of hope Hos 2.15 He would give her some appearance some glimpses and openings of deliverance in and from their present dangers It is threatned Deut. 28.25 thou shalt come out one way against thine enemies and flie seven wayes before them they should flie many wayes but they should escape no way Thou shalt come out one one way and flie seven wayes that is thou shalt try this and that and every way to escape but thou shalt find a hedge at every wayes end to stop and hinder thy escape We use to say of a man in a distressed condition He is in a wood or in a wildernesse And when God entangles men in their own devises it is said He powreth contempt upon Princes and causeth them to wander in the wildernesse where there is no way Psalm 107.40 So Pharaoh said of the children of Israel they are entangled in the land the wildernesse hath shut them in Exod. 14.3 And when a people are as the children of Israel were having a a Sea before them an army behind them and Mountaines on either hand Then they may say as Job did their way is hid and God hath hedged them in For my sighing cometh before I eate and my roarings are powred out like water Here Job takes up the former proposition and applies it particularly to his own person Before he said only in the generall why is light given to him that is in misery and why is light given to a man whose way is hid and whom God hath hedged in Now he saith in effect it is thus with me I am a man in misery and I am a man whose way God hath hid and hedged in wherefore then is my life continued And he proves that he was in such a condition by the effects of it sighes and roarings So that this verse holds forth two things about Jobs sorrow First The continuance of it in those words My sighing comes before I eate Secondly The extremity of it in those My roarings are powred out c. The argument may be thus framed That man is in extreame and continuall misery who doth not so much breath as sigh who when he would speake is forced to roare But thus it is with me my sighing cometh before I eate and my roarings are powred out like water therefore my misery is extreame and continuall My sighing cometh before I eate In the Hebrew it is word for word thus before the face of my bread my sighings come Which Hebraisme before the face of my bread hath a great emphasis in it It notes the continuance of his sorrowes without any intermission When a thing is said to be before the face of another it notes an equall continuance with that before the face of which it is said to be As in the negative Exod. 20.3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me so we translate it the Hebrew is Thou shalt have no other gods before my face that is so long as I continue to be thy God thou shalt have no other god but I shall be thy God to all eternity therefore thou shalt have no other gods but me for ever So in the affirmative Psalm 72.5 where under the type of Solomons Kingdome the continuance of the Kingdome of Christ is prophecied the Holy Ghost saith It shall continue so long as the Sunne and Moone endureth the Hebrew is it shall continue before the face of the Sunne and of the Moone that is there shall be an equall duration of the Kingdome of Christ and of those lights of Heaven the Sun and the Moone The Kingdome of Christ shall last as long as the world shall last So then according to this sense before the face of my bread my sighings come is as if he had said looke how long I have my bread before me looke how much time I spend in eating so much time I spend in sighing my
He lives by that caution Psal 62.10 If riches flow in or encrease yet set not thine heart upon them In the highest flood and spring-tide of worldly prosperity we should keepe our hearts within the channell When riches are encreased into a mountaine and to the eye of nature into a mountaine of rocks yet then doe not set thy heart upon them as upon a foundation so the Hebrew word imports to settle thy contentments All the creatures in Heaven and earth are not strong enough to beare the weight of a mans heart God only can doe that who is the rocke of ages or an everlasting strength Isa 26.3 all besides him is a foundation of sand and so a godly man takes them What nature lookes at as a foundation of rockes that grace sees to be a foundation of sand and therefore will not rest upon it neither indeed can it A godly man in his afflictions is as having nothing and yet possessing all things 2 Cor. 6.10 and in his aboundance he hath all things but possesseth nothing for he so possesses things as if he did not possesse them as the Apostles counsell is 1 Cor. 7.31 He marries as if he married not he weepes as if he wept not he rejoyces as if he rejoyced not he buyes as if he possessed not because the fashion of this world passeth away It was an excellent speech of Luther concerning worldly things I have protested that I will never be satisfied with the creature this is to be a Protestant indeed as well as in truth A godly man is an Epicure in Christ he would never play the Epicure but in Christ and in God In them and towards them he gives his affections their full swing and as a wicked man is said to enlarge his desires after the earth as Hell Hab. 2.5 so he enlarges his desires after Heaven as Heaven and complaines his desires are no larger In the thoughts of Christ he sits downe and would take his fill he saith I am safe in him I am quiet and at rest He saith to his soule soule doest thou see That Christ and doest thou take notice of those promises Thou hast goods layed up in him in them for many yeares yea for eternity soule take thine ease take it fully thou hast riches thou hast an estate that can never be spent soule eate drinke and be merry his blood is drinke indeed and his flesh is meate indeed joy in Christ is joy indeed unspeakeable joy here and fullnesse of joy hereafter In his presence there is fulnesse of joy and at his right hand there are pleasures for evermore Untill the soule pitches thus on Christ it is not in safety much lesse in rest or quiet As the needle in the compasse is in continuall motion till it points towards the North where as it is conceived there are rocks of Load-stone with which it sympathiseth So the soule is in continuall motion untill it points to Christ who we are sure is that living rock with whom all beleevers sympathise and the true Load-stone which attracts all beleevers to him A beleever like Noahs Dove finds no rest all the world over for the feete of his soule untill he returnes to this Arke of safety and salvation And therefore after all his flights and flutterings among the creatures he saith with the Psalmist returne unto thy rest thy Christ O my soule for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee Psal 116.7 Thou hast been abroad in the world and that like a narrow-hearted Master deales niggardly with thee If thou shouldest stay long either in the service of or dependance upon the world the world would starve thee Therefore returne unto thy rest in the Lord for the Lord hath dealt and will yet deale more bountifully with thee O my soule Lastly In that Job saith I was not in safety neither had I rest c. yet trouble came We may observe That the more our hearts are loosened from the creatures the more assurance we may have of enjoying the creatures It is as if Job had said I was not fastned to the world my heart was not engaged to any thing on this side Christ and this was the fairest the most probable way for the continuance of my outward comforts yet trouble came The redditive particle yet supposes somewhat in reason or probability at least that might have carried it another way As when the Prophet Amos reckoning up the judgements of God upon his people speakes to them thus in his Name chap. 4.6 8 9. I have sent you cleanenesse of teeth yet have you not returned unto me I have sent you the pestilence the sword yet have you not returned unto me The yet shewes there was great reason God should expect their returne or that he had done that which in all probability might have caused them to returne when he sent those judgements So here when Job saith I was not in safety c. yet trouble came The yet implies that there was somewhat even in that unquietnesse which gave him hopes of settlement in his outward comforts It seemes to carry such a sense in it as if he had in more words explained himselfe thus Had I dwelt securely and given my selfe up to the contentments of my flesh or trusted in an arme of flesh for safety I should not have wondred at my calamity or thought strange of my trouble But this is a riddle which I cannot yet expound that when my heart was no way set upon my estate my estate should fall That when I rested not in the creature I should meet with such troubles in the creature This is not the manner of God It is not usuall for God to doe thus in his dispensations toward his people and servants It is very rare that he takes their outward comforts from them when they are not taken with their comforts Hence it is as I apprehend that Job putteth it in with a yet trouble came This way of God with me is out of the ordinary course of providence I confesse Mercer a very learned commentator doth not favour this exposition of laying such a weight upon the particle yet and therefore renders the Originall Vau as a bare copulative I was not in safety c And trouble came Yet having the authority of our translation and the frequent use of the word to that sense in other places we may venture upon it yea I thinke it is no venture but a certaine advantage both to the Text and to our selves And I am certaine the position is true though the exposition should not prove so For the truth is troubles are never so neere as when we put them furthest off Nor is the world ever so unsure to us as when we make surest of it God often pulls their comforts from them whose hearts are glued to their comforts As it is said of those in the 1 Thes 5.3 when they shall say peace and safety then sudden destruction shall come upon