ever perished nor were the righteous ever cut off And Eliphaz conceiveth this to be so clear a truth that he challengeth Job to give one instance to the contrary out of his own experience he appeals to experience which is a strong way of arguing Remember I pray thee who ever perished being innocent shew me the man and withall he professeth that he could give many instances or examples out of his own experience that wicked men have perished and were cut off this he doth in the eighth Verse Even as I have seen they that plough iniquity and sow wickednesse reap the same which he inlarges in the three following Verses by the blast of God they perish and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed c. This in generall for the summe and substance of the Argument We will now consider the words and examine the strength of it in particulars Remember I pray thee He handleth Job tenderly in words he speaks gently and winningly to him Remember I pray thee To remember noteth often in Scripture a serious consideration of things present and before us Eccles 12. 1. Remember now thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth that is seriously bethink thy selfe at the present of God and his wayes and how thou oughtest to walk holily before him But properly to remember is the calling to minde of things which are past and so Eliphaz in this place directs Job to search the Records Goe and inquire into all the Monuments of Antiquity look the Registers and Histories of the Ages past and see if thou canst finde any such thing as this A righteous man perishing Memory is the soules store-house there we lay up Observations and from thence fetch them out as occasions invite Hence Christ Matth. 12. 57. compareth every Scribe which is instructed for the kingdome of Heaven to a house-holder which bringeth forth out of his treasury things both new and old This treasury is the memory there holy truths and profitable examples are stored and reserved Remember I pray thee In that Eliphaz sendeth Job back to former experiences we may note That it is our duty to lay up and record the dealings of God whether publick or personall whether with the godly or with the wicked It is our duty to observe what God doth Psal 111. 4. He hath made his wonderfull works to be remembred as if the Psalmist had said God hath not wrought such great things in the world whether respecting persons or Nations that we should write them upon the water or in the sand which the next puffe of winde defaces and blowes out but he hath made his wonderfull workes to be remembred hee will have them written in brasse with a pen of Iron and with the point of a Diamond that all ages may heare the judgements and loving kindnesses of the Lord he hath made his wonderfull workes to be remembred or he hath made them so as that they are most worthy to be remembred David was a great observer of experiences Psal 31. 35. he telleth us that he had as it were collected notes concerning Gods dealings all his dayes and it is to the very point in hand I have been young and now am old yet never saw I the righteous forsaken himselfe carefully observed the dealing of God in this Psalme and in the next Psal 37 35 36. he gives the like direction to others thus I have done doe you take the same course too I have seen the wicked in great power and spreading himselfe like a green Bay-tree then he goes on Mark the perfect man and behold the upright I have considered the estate of wicked men let all observe the estate of the godly Mark the perfect man and behold the upright The works of God expound his Word in his works his Word is often made visible That 's an excellent expression Psal 111. 7. The works of his hands are verity and judgement The acts of God are verity that is God acts his own truths As the works of our hands ought to be the verity and judgements of God every action of a Christian should be one of Christs truths so it is exactly with God himselfe the works of his hands are his owne verity and judgements When we cannot finde the meaning of God in his Word we may finde it out in his works his works are a Comment an infallible Comment upon his Word Yet we must take this Caution the dealings of God in the surface and outward part of them appear sometimes contrary to his Word contrary unto his promise but they only appear so they are never so When a man reads a promise and finds much good stor'd up in it for the righteous and then looks upon the state of the righteous and seeth it full of evill here is a seeming contrariety between the Word and the Works of God but it is onely a seeming contrariety as we shall see somewhat further anon Therefore in that Psalme 111. 2. where he saith The works of God are verity and judgement he addes The works of God are sought out if you will have the verity or judgement that is in the works of God you must not only look upon the outside of them but you must seek them out studie them studie them as you studie the Scriptures and then you will finde out the meaning of them and see how exactly they square with every part of the Word Why doth Eliphaz send Job to experience the ground is this the works of God are like the Word of God therefore if thou canst not make it out by experience from his works thou canst hardly make it out as a Position from his Word that righteous persons are cut off Remember now I pray thee who ever perished being innocent or where were the righteous cut off Here are foure termes to be opened perished cut off innocent righteous We will consider first what we are to understand by perishing and by cutting off Secondly whom we are to understand by innocent and righteus persons And then apply the whole sentence by shewing wherein the truth of this proposition stands that a righteous man or an innocent person cannot perish or be cut off The word which we translate perished hath divers significations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 First a returning to nothing an utter consumption which is to perish as a beast Psal 49. 20. the Holy Ghost describing a man who is not acquainted with God in his great estate compares him thus Man being in honour and not understanding sc the things of God becommeth like the beasts that perish not that he perisheth as a beast doth but he is like a perishing beast the similitude is not in perishing but in his qualities who perisheth he hath but such qualities he is upon the matter even of as grosse a temper as a perishing beast Secondly to perish signifies to dye The dissolution of man or the dis-union of soule and body Isay 57. 1. is thus
of time to make Heaven and earth and will it not be a great work to shake Heaven and earth That God hath said he will doe before the end of time Yet once it is a little while and I will shake the Heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land Hag. 2. 6. The words following seem to interpret this earthquake and Heaven-quake I will shake all Nations Againe It was a great work to make the old Heaven and earth and will it not be a great work to make a new Heaven and a new earth That is the businesse which God is about in these letter days as he promised Isa 65. 17. Behold I create a new heaven and a new earth what is that Jerusalem a praise and her people a joy When God reformeth the face of his Church and settles the affaires of Kingdomes and Common-wealths he makes new Heavens and a new Earth And if it be the property of God to doe great things then it is a duty in us to expect great things We ought to look for such things as come up to and answer the power and greatness of God we dishonour and as it were humble God when we look onely for low and meane things Great expectations from God honour the greatnesse of God As the Lord expects to receive the greatest services from us because he is a great King Mal. 1. 14. So we ought to expect that we shall receive the greatest mercies from the Lord because he is a great King It dishonours God as much and more when we believe little as when we doe little A great King thinks himselfe dishonoured if you aske him a petty suite he looks more what becomes him to give or doe in bounty then the petitioner to aske in necessity The Great Alexander could tell his suiter whom he had more astonisht then relieved with his favour That though the thing might be too great for him to receive yet it was not too great for Alexander to give If dust and ashes can speake and think at this rate O how large is the heart of God! Then it is not onely our priviledge but our duty to aske and believe great things we ought to have a great faith because God doth great things Is it becomming to have a great God and a little faith To have a God that doth great things and we to be a people his people that cannot believe great things nay To have a God who can easily doe great things and we a people that can hardly believe small things How unbecoming if some small thing be to be done then usually faith is upon the wing but if it be a great thing then faith is clogg'd her wings are clipt and we at a stand why should it be said unto us as Christ said unto his Disciples O ye of little faith It may be as dangerous to us if not as sinfull not to believe the day of great things as to despise the â—ay of small things Why should not our faith in a holy scorne baffle the greatest difficulties in that language of the Prophet Zech. 4. 7. Who art thou O great Mountaine before Zerubbabell thou shalt become a plaine There is another usefull consequence from this truth He that doth great works ought to have great praises As we ought to have great faith that he will doe great things so he ought to have great acknowledgments when he hath done great things Shall God doe great things for us and shall we give him some poor leane starven sacrifices of praise It is very observable that as soon as the Prophet had described the Lord in his greatnesse Isa 40. 15. he adds in the very next verse And Lebanon is not sufficient to burne nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt Offering That is no services are great enough for this great God Lebanon abounded in spices for Incense and perfume it abounded with cattell for Sacrifice and burnt offerings To say that Lebanon had not spice enough to burne for incense nor beasts enough to burne for Sacrifice shews the Lord far exalted in greatnesse above all the praises and holy services of his people Lastly seeing God doth great works for us let us shew great zeale for great love unto the Lord. We should aime at the doing of great things for God seeing God indeed doth great things for us So much of the first Attribute of the works of God Who doth great things And unsearchable The Hebrew is and no search The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports the search of those things which are most abstruce and secret As the heart which the Lord onely can search Jer. 17. 15. The heart lies too low not onely for the eye but for the understanding of man Hence it is used Psal 95. 4. to note the Foundations or deep places of the earth because they cannot be known but by deep searchings or rather because they are beyond the deepest Penetralia terrae ut Aben Ezra explicat quae sciâ—i nequeunt nisi exquisita per scrutatione vel potiùs quòd homini minimè sunt perscutabilia Deo autuÌ„ in prepatulo Buxtorf search of man And the same phrase we find Psal 145. 3. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised and his greatnesse is unsearchable or according to the letter of his greatnesse no search as when the Psalmist speaks of the greatnesse of God in his nature and essence presently he adds and of his greatnesse there is no search so here when Eliphaz speaks of the greatnesse of God in his works the next word is they are unsearchable As God in himselfe is great and of his greatnesse there is no search so many of the works of God are so great that of their greatnes there is no search that is you cannot find out their greatnesse by any search God is in working and so are men the hand cannot act beyond the head as he is in understanding There is no searching of his understanding Isa 40. 28. Therefore there is none of his working This unsearchablenesse of the works of God may be considered two wayes 1. As that which cannot be found by enquirie 2. As that which ought not to be found or enquired There are some works of God which are not to be searched into Arcana imperij they are to be adored by believing not to be pryed into by searching and in that sence they are called unsearchable Rom. 11. 33. O the depth of the riches both of the wisdome of and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgements Many of his judgements that is his works of judgement are so unsearchable that it is not industry or duty but presumption to search into them As those unspeakable words which Paul heard in the third heavens were such as 2 Cor. 12. 4. is not lawfull for a man to utter so unsearchable judgements may be interpreted such as is not lawfull for a man to search Great Princes will
inusitatissimis raâ—â—ssimisque majora sunt August l. 5. de Civ Dei cap 12. One of the Ancients discoursing upon that miracle in the Gospell The multiplying the loaves observeth that in naturall things there are very great wonders though we lightly passe them by They were astonished to see the loaves multiplying while they were eating To see bread grow upon the Table or between their Teeth made all wonder but there is as great a miracle wrought every yeare and no man takes notice of it That is when Corne cast into the ground multiplies thirty sixty a hundred-fold It is saith he a greater miracle for corne to multiply in the earth then for loaves to multiply on the Table And he makes a like Conclusion in his Booke of the City of God Whatsoever is wonderfull in the world is not so great a wonder as the world Yet men rarely wonder at the making of the world the Earth the Heavens the Sea the Aire every creature in them exceed in wonders the things we wonder at Ordinary works of Nature are marvellous First because they proceed from a divine power 2. Because man is posed to give a reason of most of them Canst thou tell how the bones grow in her that is with child saith the Preacher The bringing of an Infant alive from the Wombe is a wonder as well as the raising of a man from the dead And the budding of a Tree as well as the budding of Aarons Rod †Per multa sunt quae admirari nonsolemus propterea quod vulgo quotidieque fiunt Renova in solita commovetur animus The usualnesse of the one and the rarenesse of the other is though not the only yet the greatest difference And as the ordinary workes of Creation in making so of Providence in governing the world are full of wonders though they passe unobserved Such Eliphaz takes notice of in the words following The disappointing of craftie oppressors and the deliverance of the poore When God shall destroy Babylon the Song prepared is Great and wonderfull are thy works and Exod. 15. 11. from whence that is taken Who is like unto thee O God! Who is like unto thee glorious in holinesse fearefull in praises doing wonders The wonder was a deliverance the wonderfull deliverance of his people from Egypt and through the red Sea Works of judgement are often called works of wonder Deut 28. 59. I will make thy plagues wonderfull and Isa 28. 21. The Lord shall rise up as in Meunt Perazim he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon that he may doe his worke his strange worke and bring to passe his act bis strange act What act was this An act of judgement upon his and his peoples enemies as is clear 2 Sa. 5. 20. and Josh 10. 12. where we may reade what God did in Mount Perazim and in the valley of Gibeon strange works indeed And these works of God are called marvellous not onely when God is in them alone and acts without the intervention of the creature but when he act with the creature above the strength of a creature so that little of the creature appeares in the act this also is a marvell What God doth more by a man then man can doe whether in strength or wisdome ordinarily assisted so much of a wonder shewes it selfe in what man doth And therefore no man is ordinarily to attempt any thing beyond his strength for that is to tempt God and call him to worke a miracle at least a wonder for us Lord saith David Psal 131. 1. Mine heart is not Non mae exâ—uli ad ea quae maeas vires aut ingenium suâ—eraret Eleganter Thâ—odoretus Meipsum meâ—â—ebaâ— quae me excedunt non aggrossus sum haughty nor mine eyes loftie neither doe I exercise my selfe in great matters or in things too high for me The word is in things too wonderfull for me that is I doe not ordinarily put my selfe upon things which are extraordinary or beyond my strength and parts I measure-my undertakings and my abilities together and would keepe them even I doe not put God upon doing wonders every day therefore I set my selfe to those things which are according to the line of man If God call us to it we may expect a miracle but we must not call God to worke miracles for us or with us I doe not exercise my selfe in matters too high for me Miracles or marvels are not every dayes exercise We ought rather to be above our worke or any of our designes then below them but we must be sure they are not above us It is the safest and holiest way for man in all his actions to be upon a levell We cannot but displease God and hurt our selves by clambering It is but sometimes that rhe Lord will work wonders to releeve our necessities and help our faith but he will never unlesse in wrath work wonders to please our humors or comply with our ambition Hence observe First When we see marvels done we must acknowledgc the hand of God Marvels are proper unto God Psal 75. 1. In that thy Name is neere thy wonderous works declare Wonderous works are an argument that God is neere When wonders are among us we may know who is among us and if so then this is a time wherein God is seene among us We may well apply that of the Psalmist to our selves Marvellous things hath the Lord done in our sight in Ireland and in the Fields of England Psal 78. 12. Mervails are rare things things seldome done or seene We have things amongst us which were never done or seene before in our Nation A Parliament which cannot be legally dissolved but by its own Vote An Assembly where neither Diocesan Bishops nor Deane as such can Vote The three Kingdomes of England Scotland and Ireland entred into a solemn Covenant approved by the Assemblies and authorized by the Parliaments of two Kingdomes May we not conclude of these in the language of the Prophet Who hath heard such a thing who hath seen such things Isay 66. 8 Surely we may say as Moses to Israel Deut. 4. 34. Hath God assayed to goe and take him a Nation from the middest of another Nation by temptation by signes and by wonders and by war and by a mighty hand and by a stretched out arme and by great terrors according to all that the Lord our God doth for us in England before our eyes To take a Nation out of the midst of a Nation is our case If England finding as now it doth her children strugling in her wombe should goe enquire of the Lord as Rebecca did Gen. 25. 22. why is it thus The Lord may answere as he did to her Two Nations are in thy wombe and two manner of people shall be separated frem thee A Nation fearing God and a Nation blaspheming God a Nation seeking Reformation and a Nation opposing Reformation Secondly If God work mervailes and we believe him not
hath he not reason to marvell at our unbeliefe Christ having wrought miracles to gaine the beliefe of his country men marvailed at their unbeliefe Mark 6. 2 6. Unbeliefe is a great sin at all times but in a time when mervailes are wrought for the cure and healing of it unbeleefe is a marvellous sin Will not Christ think you marvell at our unbeleefe if we beleeve not after all these marvels Ye will not beleeve saith Christ and he rebukes the Jewes for it Joh. 4. except you see signes and wonders Surely if they were so charged because they would not beleeve except they saw signes and wonders how shall they be charged who will not beleeve when they see signes and wonders especially when God seemes to work a wonder a purpose that they might beleeve God loves and prizes the faith of man so highly that sometimes he bids a miracle for it rather then goe without it And surely now as God hath wrought marvels to abate the marvellous pride of the Adversary so to overcome the marvellous unbeleef of his own people As hath been observed concerning the Lords swearing As I live I desire not the death of a sinner c. O happy man for whose sake the Lord sweares but O most unhappy who doest not beleeve the Lord when he sweares So we may say of the Lords-wonder-workings O happy people for whom the Lord works wonders but O most unhappy people who beleeve not the Lord when he works wonders Thirdly Seeing God works extraordinary things for us let not us stay in ordinary duties Let our works have somewhat of a marvell in them too Let our repentance and the change of our lives be marvelous let our zeal courage for Christ be marvelous like that of the Apostles who carried themseves with such heroical magnanimity in the work of the Gospel that when the High-priest and Councel who had convented and threatned them saw their boldnesse They marvelled saith the text Acts 4. 13. Let our love and thankfullnesse be marvellous let us pray marvellously and believe marvellously marvels don by God should ever work faith in man And faith in man doth sometime work marvelling in God Christ speakes with a kind of admiration to the woman of Canaan O woman great is thy faith Mat. 15. 28. O that his people in this Nation would set Him thus a wondring once more O England great is the faith in me O England great is thy love to me O England great is thy zeale for me O England great is thy repentance exceeding glorious thy Reformation I will close this point with this one word God hath begun to doe so many marvels amongst us that I verily believe the work he is about will end in a marvel too and we in the close shall be made either a wonder of mercy or a wonder of judgement to all the Nation 's round about The fourth Attribute of the works of God raises the glory of them all They are innumerable He doth marvellous things without number The Hebrew word for word is Vntill there be no number Without number may be taken three wayes First Strictly and absolutely for that which is without number and thus there is no number innumerable Things absolutely without number would be infinite but there cannot be two Infinits As God is so One and without number that he is Infinite so whatsoever could be so many that it were without number would be infinite too Secondly Without number is that which man cannot reckon or cast up the summe of it Rev. 7. 9. John speakes of a great multitude which no man could number As a small number is said to be such as a child may write Isa 10. 19. So such a multitude as a man cannot write notes the greatest number And Heb. 12. 22. there is mention made of an innumerable company of Angels So God calleth Abraham out and saith Look now towards Heaven and tell the Starres if thou be able to number them Gen. 12. The Starrs are innumerable that is beyond mans Arithmetique Thirdly Things are said to be without number or innumerable in a more common sense when they are a very great number and so we find it frequent in Scripture As that which is very high is said to be as high as heaven Thus the discouraging Spies describe the Cities of the Canaanites to be Cities walled up to Heaven Deut. 1. 28. And when Sea-men or Marriners are tossed upon the waves and billowes of the Sea they are said to mount up to the Heaven and to goe downe againe to the depths Psal 107. 26. So here a very great number is said to be innumerable or without number In this third and in that second sense the great works of God are innumerable God hath done so many marvellous things as are inpossible for man to reckon His mighty works are not only beyond the writing of a child but of the wisest men The man who numbers most dayes cannot number the wonders of God I shall note but one or two Instructions from this That the works of God are innumerable First Then what God hath done he can doe it againe a second time yea a third a fourth time ten times yea ten thousand times over if our necessity and his good pleasure meet together for his works are innumerable Eliphaz speakes not only of what God had done but of what he can doe yea of what he is a doing he doth innumerable marvels Some men can doe great things many have done great things but they cannot doe them without number even a child may write all that any man can doe and at most it needs but a man to reckon all the great things which all men have done The hand of God shortens not in an eternity but the hand of man shortens every day sometimes in a day and therefore he cannot doe things innumerable Man cannot doe that to day which he could yesterday whether we respect his civill abilities or his naturall As old Barzillai said unto David 2 Sam. 19. when the King invited him home with him and offered him all the pleasures of the Court Can I any more heare the voice of singing men and singing women or can I any more tast what I eate and what I drinke As if he should say It is true Sir I have known the time when I could have made use of this royall favor and have taken in the pleasures of your Court I once delighted in musick and my eare could tast a sweet voice I once delighted in rich fare and my pall at could tast meate and drinke but can I any more doe thus my naturall strength is gone my senses cannot renew innumerable acts of pleasure if grace doth not weane us from the abuse yet nature will tire in the use of worldly comforts But the civill abilities of man wither sooner then his naturall you may see a man that hath done great things in a State or Common-wealth come to him a while
on both sides with moderation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and be cautious inclining neither one way nor other but as the merit of the cause fully heard shall sway her judgement à radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Job desires that his calamity might be layed thus in the ballances Levavit sustulit nam qui appendit ali quid tollit lances in altum Drus before his sentence Laid The word is O that my calamity might ascend in the ballances And that manner of speaking is used either because in weighing the lighter scale of the ballances doth ascend or because when things are weighed the ballances ascend or are lifted up A man takes up the ballances in his hand to weigh So it is as if he had said O that these might be poised together and lifted up to see which way the scales will turne Together There is some difference in opinion about that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pariter vel potius similiter Nulla ejus parte praeter missa Together whether he meaneth thus O that all my griefe and calamity were weighed you consider things to halves and leave out those points which are most weighty and material you should take in all together Or whether his desire be that his griefe and calamity both together might be put into one ballance and the sand of the sea into another and so an experiment be made whether his griefe and calamity or the sand of the sea were heavier Or thirdly Whether thus that his griefe should be put into one ballance and his calamity into another and then triall be made which of those two were heavier his griefe and sorrow or his calamity and trouble A learned interpreter conceives that Iob Mercerus wishes his griefe and calamity might both together be put into one ballance and all the sand of the sea if it were possible in the other supposing that his griefe and calamity would out-weigh that vast ponderous aggregated body His opinion is chiefely strengthned by some difficulties in the Gramatical construction unlesse this be admitted and yet if it be a greater difficulty is shewed by a second and therefore I rather take it thus O that Bolduc my griefe and calamity were laid in the ballances together that is O that my griefe were put one into one ballance and my calamity into another or O that my griefe might be weighed with my calamity and it would appeare notwithstanding your judgement of me that yet there is nothing so much weight in my greife as there is in my calamity that is I have not yet grieved or complained up to the height or weight of those calamities which are upon me So that if my sorrow were laid in one ballance and my affliction in another my affliction would outweigh my sorrow and it would appeare that I have complained not only not without a cause but not so much as I had cause And to prove that his calamity was heavier then his griefe he adds in the next words It namely his calamity thus weighed would be heavier then the sand of the sea As if he had said it is possible that in trying all heavy things somewhat might be found heavier then my griefe or my complaint hath been but I am sure nothing can be found of equal weight with my calamity for my calamity which is the immediate antecedent would be heavier than the sand of the sea then which nothing can be found more heavy That of David Psal 62. 9. is paralell to this expression in Job Surely men of low degree are vanity and men of high degree are a lye To be laid in the ballances they are altogether lighter then vanity The meaning is That if men of all degrees high and low were put in one scale and vanity in the other vanity it selfe would be weightier then the gravest and most weighty men Hence some reade They together are lighter then vanity Others to this sence Men and vanity being weighed together vanity will not be so light as vaine man As David to shew mans lightnesse makes him lighter then the lightest thing vanity So Iob to shew the heavinesse of his calamity makes it heavier then the heaviest thing the fand of the sea Observe hence first That it is a duty to weigh the sad estate and afflicted condition of our brethren thoroughly But you will say what is it to weigh them throughly I answer It is not only to weigh the matter of an affliction to see what it is which aman suffers but to weigh an affliction in every circumstance and aggravation of it The circumstance of an affliction is often more considerable then the matter of the affliction If a man would confesse his sins and confesse them throughly he is to confesse not only the matter of them as sins are the transgressions of the Law and errors against the rule but he must eye the manner in which sin hath been committed the circumstances with which it is cloathed these render his sin out of measure and out of weight sinful Likewise would a man consider the mercies and favours received from God would he know them throughly and see how much they weigh let him look not only what but how and when and where and by whom he hath received them There may be and often is a great wickedness in a little evil committed and a great mercy in a little good received As relations so circumstances have the least entitie but they have the greatest efficacie Now as there is often more in the circumstances than in the matter of a sin or of a mercy so there is often more in the circumstance than there is in the matter of an affliction therefore he that would thoroughly weigh the afflictions of another must consider all these accidents as wel as the substance of it As namely the time when sent the time how long endured whether a single affliction or in conjucture with other afflictions the strength of the patient and the dependencies that are upon him Secondly He that would weigh an affliction throughly must put himselfe in the case of the afflicted and as it were make anothers griefe his owne He must act the passions of his brother and a while personate the poore the sick the afflicted man He must get atast of the wormwood and of the gall upon which his brother feedeth In a word He must lay such a condition to heart The Prophet Malachy threatens a curse upon those who laid not the word and works of God to heart Chap. 2. 2 I will curse your blessings saith the Lord because ye doe not lay it to heart that is ye doe not consider what I say or doe throughly God cursed them throughly because they would not throughly consider His Laws and judgements So then to weigh the affliction of another throughly is to put our soules as it were in their soules stead Hence that we may be assured Christ hath throughly weighed all our
Organ of discipline Hearing is the sence of learning and the seasonable stopping of our own mouths a ready means to open our understandings To be swift to hear and flow to speak James 1. 19. is the speediest way to attain wisdom Fourthly observe He that is shewed his errour should speak no more but sit down convinced Teach me saith Job and I will hold my tongue That is I will reply no more upon you I will never stand up in maintaining an errour I wil be no pattern of evil though my self am in the fault Errour shall not be excused or a mistake apologized for by me Some wits are able to make a fair cover for and put a glosse upon the most deformed and grossest errours There was never any opinion in the world but some have seconded it and undertaken it's protection When conscience hath never a word to say wit will be very talkative and when they have ended reasoning some can wrangle everlastingly When wit and learning undertake a cause and leave conscience out of the Commission there must either be a very ill end of it or no end A subtil Sophister will despute any thing and bring probable arguments where reason alone sits judge against the most undoubted truths It is an ill office to be an Oratour for our own or others errous for our own or others sinful practises Prov. 30. 32. If thou hast done evil in lifting up thy selfe or if thou hast thought evil or maintained evil lay thine hand upon thy mouth speake no more never be an advocate in a bad cause though it be thine own when our faults are shewed us we should not open our mouths unlesse it be to renounce and disclaim them A sad account will be given of that time and of those parts which have been laid out in the patronage of our failings and mistakes It is as sinful to few figg-leaves or make fair pretexts to cover the nakednesse of our opinions as of our practises And cause me to understand wherein I have erred As if Job had said when once you bring me to see clearly that I am in an errour and cast light into my conscience you shall find me readily submitting to you A question arises here in the general whether Job doubted his Concessio est quam Quintilianus dicit esse cum aliquid iniquum videmur causae fiducia pati Apud eum dicitur confessio nihil nocitura Quin. lib. 3 cap. 2. Non submittit se errasse sed humiliter se submittit amicorum censure Bold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Hiphil intelligentem secit erudii◠cause or whether or no there were an hesitancy in his spirit about what he had done or spoken I answer this speech implies not that he had any doubt of himself or an admission that he had erred Job speaks like Oratours or Disputants who when they are sure of a point will yet grant a little doubtfulness or raise doubts about what they are able to maintain and confident to carry It is ordinary to put things by way of supposition of which we make no question When Job saith Cause me to understand wherein I have erred it is not an acknowledgement that he had a erred but a submission in case he had or a concession that he might Job was not lifted up with an opinion of his own infallibility he knew to erre was common to man and therefore he speaks of himself under the common notion of all men Not from any consciousnesse of his own errour Cause me to understand It is but one word in the Original and it signifies to convince by reason or argument Cause me to understand that is doe not think to force my opinion or to offer violence to my judgement doe not think to club me down with great words and clomorous threats but doe it by solid Arguments by evident demonstration of reason Doe it by savourie advices and counsel not by bitter reproaches and invectives Deal with my understanding not barely with my affections Cause me to understand My errour It signifies local corporal wandrings and errours and bodily erring or wandring and sometimes it signifies the wandrings of the mind judgement and affections Prov. 5. 19 20. Solomon bids the husband Rejoyce in the wife of his youth let her be as a loving Hind and pleasant Roe let her breasts satisfie thee at all times and be thou ravished alwayes with her love The Hebrew as our Translatours put in the margin is erre thou alwaies in her love that is let all thy wandring erring thoughts and affections be reduced and brought home to the wife whom God hath given thee the next words seeme to interpret so for why my sonne wilt thou be ravished with a strange woman and imbrace the bosome of a stranger That 's dangerous erring in love Therefore saith he let all thine errings and wandrings all thy delights and ravishments be chast and conjugal towards the wife of thy youth Further it signifies erring or wandring out of meer ignorance This word is often used in Leviticus for the sin of ignorance Chap. 4. 2. and Chap. 5. 18. and Chap. 22. 14. If any man hath sinned through ignorance or committed an errour then he shall offer these and these sacrifices and oblations So Psal 19. 12. who can understand his errours That is those sinnes which he commits out of ignorance and inadvertency Hence he concludes with this prayer Cleanse thou me from secret faults He doth not mean faults which he committed privately and so were secrets to others but faults which he had committed ignorantly and so were Secrets to himselfe That is they were sinnes of ignorance And I conceive he means not only such sins as he had committed ignorantly but then knew they were sins but even such sins as he was ignorant whether ever he had committed them or no That is he prayes for the pardon of all those sins which possible he might have committed though to him as yet altogether unknown and undiscovered The title of the 7th Psalm is Shiggaion of David it is the same Original word we have in the text and some translate it awandring song And the reason for it is either because of the Cantio erratica variable and wandring poetry or because of the variable or wandring tune in which that Psalm was sung and to which it was set for greater delight others makes the title sutable to the translation of the word here the Psalm of Davids errours because sets forth his fears and dangers which made him wonder in body and sometime also to go a little astray in mind this Psalm was sung to the Lord concerning the words or the business of Cush the Benjamite that is of Saul who was of Kish and of Jemini 1 Sam. 9. 1. called here Cush that is Ethiopian or Blackmore figuratively from his black and ill conditions his heart not being changed as the Blackmore changeth not his skin Saul was a bitter enemy
Foundation is the strength of the building p. 149 164. Friend An unfaithful friend fails us most when we have most need of him 516. A faithful fricnd who p. 518. Froward men who they are pa. 290. G GArments testifie mans perfidiousness against God p. 498 Glory of God promoted promotes the good of man p. 576. God can easily destroy his enemies shewed in particulars p. 57 58. He can do it suddenly 58 59. Secretly ib. Vnavoidably ib. Man is not able to bear the presence of God 95. Reasons why men tremble fear at any greater manifestations of Gods power or presence 92. Man naturally prefers himself before God 110. It is high presumption for the best of men to compare with God 111. God in himself is most just and pure 112. Holiest men compared with God are unholy 113. God is so just and pure in himself that he can do no wrong to any creature 114. Objections against this answered 115 c. It cannot be ill with him with whom God is 119. To consider God in his greatness is an excellent means to humble man 236. The consideration of Gods greatness should provoke us to seek him ib. God can do great things as easily as the smallest things 243. God can do the same things as often as he pleases 256. God appears sometimes as an enemy to his best frinds 433 700. When God appears an enemy man cannot bear it ib. 4. 34. 704. Best to turn to God for comfort in distress p. 607 Godly can be in no condition wherein God doth not love them p. 193. A godly man hath help within him when all worldly help fails 486. A godly man hath a light within him in the greatest outward darkness p. 488. Good done is a reproach to us when we do the contrary evil pag. 18. Grace False grace fails when we have most need of it p. 24. Our graces should be made visible in our actions 29. Grace acts not alwayes alike 30 31. how failings in grace consist with sincerity 31. Grace must not be trusted to we may make Idols out of our own graces p. 487. Grass of the field how man is compared to it p. 389. Greatness of Gods works p. 240. The least works of God have a greatness in them because they are his 240. A two-fold greatness in the works of God p. 242. Groping at noon-day what it imports p. 294. H HAllelujah what it signifies where first used in the Scripture of the old and new Testament p. 132. Hand of God how said to be loosened p. 455. If God stretch out his hand of power all creatures are helpt or destroyed by it p. 456. Hands hanging down what meant by them p. 9. Weakness of the hands arises four wayes p. 10. Happiness what it is p. 310. Many opinions about happiness and whence they arose ib. Why the Hebrew word for happiness is in the plural number p. 311. Hearing is more than a work of sence p 400. Heart a judiciary hard heart is the greatest judgment on this side hell p. 121. Setting the heart upon any thing magnifies it 657. Setting the heart notes four things 661. Our duty to set our hearts upon God 663 Heart of man full of changes 670. Heresie Three things concur to make a heresie p. 533. High God can set us high and safe p. 269. Hirelings who p. 573. His eye upon his wages more than upon his work p. 582 583. Holiness better than peace in our dwellings p. 385 388. What the holiness of the creature is 469. We must go to God for holiness 471. To despise holiness is to despise God p. 472. Holy One God is called the holy One in five respects p. 467. The excellency of the holiness of God above that in men or Angels shewed divers wayes 468. None are fit for communion with God but holy persons p. 472. Hope What it is to hope p. 22. Hope taken two wayes 304. The people of God have hope in the worst times ib. It is no vain thing to hope in God 305. Experience breeds hope 305. Hope is better to the people of God then all their possessions 306. Hope that troubles will end supports the heart in bearing present troubles p. 461. Hopes deceived trouble us more than wants p. 511. Deceived hopes fill with shame ib. Hope the last refuge 601. A godly mans hope may lye prostrate p. 602. Humble The apprehension of Gods great goodness humbles man p. 655 Hypocrites profession grounded upon hope to gain by it p. 25 26. They cannot hold out in profession because they want an inward principle p. 505. Hypocrisie paints the face as well as pride p. 266. I INnocency or an innocent person whence called p. 37. A man is bound to defend his own innocency p. 409 410. Innumerable a three-fold sence of it p. 255. Instruction To instruct others is a mans duty and his praise p. 13. Such as know God aright are ready to instruct others in his knowledg ib. An honor to great men to instruct others 14. It is easier in some cases to instruct than to learn 18 528. It is a shame when our actions cross our teaching ib. Invocation of Saints confuted p. 171. K KNowing Three sorts of knowing men p. 401. Knowledge or to know taken five wayes in Scripture p. 381. A man may know much and yet get no good by it p. 403. L LAbour It is a sore affliction when we cannot enjoy our labours p. 202. Except we labor we have no right to eat p. 574. we must not be displeased at our labor ib. Laughter what it is p. 360. To laugh how taken in Scripture with the kinds of it 361 362. A godly man laughs at or triumphs over all outward evils 364. Yea though brought at once to charge against him p. 366. Lie To lie taken Two wayes p. 552. A lie cannot be long hid p. 553. Life No strength in man can give him assurance of long life p. 479. The life of man a warfare 568. c. The life of man is measured out by the will of God 571. The decree of God concerning our lives no ground for any to abate their care of preserving their lives 572. Life short 576. It is good for man that it is so ib. Light A double light necessary to seeing p. 294 It is a sore judgement not to see when light shines p. 295. Lions their several names p. 60. How they shadow several sorts of men 61. How Tyrants resemble Lions p. 62 63. Lowness two-fold p. 266 268. Low They that are lowest are neerest exaltation 268. It is a wonderful work of God to set on high those that be low p. 270. Lusts Several lusts ast in several ages of man p. 177. M MAgnifie signifies 3 things p. 650. God magnifies man four ways 651. Especially by setting his heart upon man p. 657. Mans natural constitution makes him sensible of affliction 482. Mans worth is out of himself 652. God bestows many thoughts upon man p.
against God by these grievous complainings of his present state in the fore-going Chapter There is a truth in the proposition though not in the application as hath often been hinted Jobs complaints were bitter from the sense of his paines not from any prejudice in his understanding Quisqâ—is de persecâ—tione murmurat quid aliud quam judicium feâ—ientis aâ—â—usat puriorâ—m ergo se vir factore suo existimat si contra flagellum qurelam parat camque sibi proculdubio post ponit câ—jus judicium de sua afflictione râ—dâ—â—guiâ— Gâ—eg He ever preserved high and holy thoughts of God The least suspition of whose righteous dealings is to make our selves by so much more righteous then he The reason is cleere for he that complaines thus thinks some wrong is done him Now he that complaines of wrong would be thought more just than he of whose wronging him he complaines Whosoever murmurs or repines at what God doth secretly saith this voice is in it that he could doe better or that God ought He that speaks against the rod speaks against him that smites with the rod He that sweares by Heaven sweares by the Throne of God and by him that sitteth thereon saith Christ And so he that accuses the rod of God accuses the work of God and God that wrought it He thinks himselfe more pure then his Maker who is displeased with God as a correcter To disapprove any thing which God doth is to approve our selves before God It is seasonable for us to look to our hearts in such a time as this it is a time of temptation let us not by our murmurings make it a time of provocation Possibly we may often see cause to complaine of men but we can never have cause to complaine of God There is but little good got by complaining of creatures but how much guilt and misery gets he who complaines of his Creator For a man to complaine to man is in some cases necessary but it is best in all cases to complaine to God and the worst of any case to complaine though silently of God So then complaine of man to God rather then of man to men complaine often to God but never of God Complaine before God and tell him that such have dealt negligently such falsely such unjustly such cruelly But alwayes say Lord thou hast done justly even by those who are unjust Lord thou hast done gratiously even by those who are wicked Lord thou hast done holily even by the hand of those who are unholy and thou hast dealt faithfully though these have been treacherous Thus let us complaine to God but not of God Every complaint of God will be interpreted a secret justification of our selves and a condemnation of the righteous God Man is then worse then a Devill when he would make himselfe better then God Nothing pollutes man so much as this thought that there is unrighteousnesse in God Nothing debases the creature so much as that thought desire or act wherein he prefers and exalts himselfe above the Creator Thus we have opened the generall proposition The probation of it from the vast difference between men and Angels is prosecuted at large in the latter part of the Chapter JOB Chap. 4. Vers 18. Behold he put no trust in his servants and his Angels he charged with folly ELiphaz having laid the dignity of man comparing with God in the dust by those humbling questions in the former verse what is man that he should be just and shall man be more pure than his Maker He now strengthens it further that there is no comparison between God and mortall man by a direct assertion that there is no comparison between God and immortall Angells Behold he put no trust in his servants and his Angels he charged with folly As if he had said If Angels are not able to stand before God and justifie themselves upon his enquirie then certainly man the best of men who dwell but in houses of clay cannot But Angels cannot justifie themselves before God therefore much lesse can the best of men That Angels are not able to justifie themselves before God he proves in these words Behold he put no trust in his servants and his Angels he charged with folly They that cannot be trusted by God cannot be justified by God And they that are chargeable with folly are not able to stand in judgement before the most wise the only wise and holy God Angels are excellent creatures yet because creatures they are in and of themselves fraile and weake they have no strength to stand longer then upheld no stedfastnesse to obey longer than confirmed no faithfullnesse to be loyall longer than overruled no wisedome to discerne further than they are enlightned what then will become of man if he stand alone or stand in competition with God his Maker This is the summe and generall sense of the words as they are an argument We will now consider them as they lye here in order Behold he put no trust in his servants The particle Behold in the Originall as it often notes wonder in other texts so it may much more in this Behold a wonder Angels are foolish Angels are not to be trusted yet in this place Behold is put by way of affirmation rather then of admiration Behold he put no trust in his servants is as much as verily and indeed certainly and without controversie he put no trust in his servants So Deut. 13 14. Thou shalt inquire and search and aske diligently and behold if it be true in the Hebrew thus and behold true or behold truth that is if upon enquirie it appeare that sucb and such things are certainly so then they must proceed according to the Law provided in that case Againe Deut. 19. 18. The Judges shall make diligent inquisition and behold if the witnesse be a false witnesse so we translate but the letter is Behold the witnesse a false witnesse that is if it be affirmed and doe appeare that it is a false witnesse or testimonie which is brought then the Judges shall proceed so and so c. Thus here Behold he put no trust in his servants is a vehement affirmation that God searching into those his servants finds them such as are not to be trusted But who are these untrusty servants First The Chaldee paraphrast understands by servants the holy Prophets Prophets I grant sometimes have and oftner would have proved unfaithfull some of them discovered much and others would have discovered more unfaithfulnesse if God had not mightily supported them Secondly One of the Rabbins understands it in generall of any or of all the faithfull Behold he put no trust in his servants that is not in any of the holiest and faithfullest of the children of men But the connexion of the text carries it clearely that by servants we are to understand the Angels who are called ministring spirits Heb. 1. 14. Are they not all ministring spirits or servants sent out
Hoast of Senacherib an Angel smote bloody persecuting Herod Angels by name if not by nature powre out the seven vials of Gods wrath in the Revelation And at the last day Angels shall hurry the wicked to Christs Tribunall they are heavenly Pursivants and they shall bundle the Tares up together as fuell to be throwne into everlasting burnings Matth. 13. 41 42. And it may be a great comfort to us that God hath such servants When visible dangers are round about us we should remember God hath invisible servants round about us There are more with us then against us as Elisha told his fearfull servant 2 Kings 6. And in that low estate of the Church Zech. 1. 8. the Prophet is shewed Christ in a vision standing among the Mirtle trees in the bottome the Mirtle trees in the bortome noted the Church in a low estate and behinde him there were red Horses speckled and white that is horsemen speckled and white These diverse coloured Horses were Angels appointed for severall offices as the learned Junius with others interprets it The red horses being appointed for judgement the white for mercy and the speckled as he conjectures for mixt actions being sent out at once to protect and help the people of God and to execute wrath and judgement upon the adversary Thus we see the services of the Angels they are servants yet such as the most wise God put no trust in therefore we have an Angel better then Angels even the Angel of the Covenant the Lord Jesus into whose hands our safety is committed to whose care the Church is left in whom God puts the whole trust knowing that this great Angel is and for ever will be faithfull in and over his house to his highest delight and the Churches compleatest welfare And his Angels he charged with folly Nec in Angelis suis ponet lumen Tagn Nec in Angelis suis posuit lucem exactissimam Vatab. Angelis suis posuit vesaniam Tygur In Angelis suis ponet glorationem Bibl. Reg. In Angelis suis reperit vanitatem Sym. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Splenduit luxit claruit Metaphoricè in piel spiendidum illustrem claâ—uÌ„ reddidit laudavit praedicavit Per Antiph rasin inglorius insanus furore actus fuit insanivit There are very different readings of this part of the Verse Some as M. Beza read it thus He trusted not in his servants though he had put light into those his messengers Others reade it with a negation in both parts He put no trust in his servants neither hath he put light in his Angels Another thus neither hath he put perfect light in his Angels Mr. Broughton differs from all these Behold he holdeth not perfection to be in his own servants and in his Angels he judged no clear light to be Another sort read it to these senses He charged or put madnesse in or upon his Angels he put or charged vaine boasting in or upon his Angels he found vanity in or amongst his Angels he observed some evill amongst his Angels Now that which hath given occasion to this variety of translatings is the different senses which the Originall yields us The Hebrew word is very fruitfull of significations and hath as the Oracle told Rebecca concerning two contrary Nations two contrary meanings in the wombe of it and that makes the strugling amongst Interpreters The word in its proper sense signifies to shine forth with a resplendent brightnesse so Chap. 29. 3. Job wisheth O that I were as in moneths past when the candle of God shined upon my head it is a Verbe of which the word folly in this text of Job is a derivative And Isay 14. 12. Hielel signifies the Morning star whose shining brightnesse hath obtained the name Lucifer Light-bringer or Light-bearer How art thou fallen from Heaven O Lucifer sonne of the Morning How art thou fallen from Heaven Hielel thou shining day-star Thus the word properly signifies shining or brightnesse or to shine and be bright and hence by a Metaphor to be Famous or renowned or to make one renowned or famous or to paint out a man with praises because a man is as it were decked with light and hath rayes of brightnesse cast upon him when he is honoured and adorned with praises Due commendations are to a man as a robe or vesture of light which makes him shine to all about him And hence the word Halelujah is derived praise ye Jah or the Lord used frequently both in the beginning and end of the Psalmes in the beginning of the Psalmes by way of exhortation and in the end by way of acclamation crying up the honour and glory of God And to note that in passage it is well observed that this word Hallelujah is first used in the old Testament Psal 104. 35. where the utter consumption of sinners is mentioned and in the New Testament it is first used Rev. 19. 3 6. where the utter consumption of Antichrist is prophesied Judgement on the wicked is matter of high praise to God Thirdly the word signifies by the figure Antiphrasis or contrary speaking to boast and brag vainly foolishly or vaine foolish boasting To commend or extoll our selves is pride running mad and arrogance distracted It is the highest dotage to be in love with our owne wisdome and folly to publish our own works There may be wisdom though oftentimes there is a great deale of folly in commending others but in commending our selves there can be nothing but folly therefore the very same word which signifies to boast and commend our selves signifies both the concrete to be mad vaine or foolish and the abstract madnesse and folly thus in Eccles 2. 2 12. the word is used I said of laughter thou art mad I turned my selfe to behold wisdome and folly and madnesse and Psal 75. 4. I said unto the fooles deale not foolishly or to the mad-men do not play the mad-men that is do not exalt your selves for so he clears his meaning in the fifth Verse Lift not up your hornes on high speak not with a stiffe neck that is a neck stifned with pride and a horne lifted up with vaine-glory or self-confidence From this variety of significations the variety of translations before toucht ariseth First they who read it He put light into those his messengers take the word in a proper strict sense making out the meaning thus that God having put the light of excellent knowledge into the Angels could not yet trust them all their speculative knowledge and high raised illuminations were not enough to make them steadily and steadfastly holy that is the intent of Mr. Beza's interpretation He trusted not to his servants though he had put light into those his messengers For those who retaining the word light translate negatively neither hath he put light in his Angels or neither hath he put perfect light into his Angels or as Mr. Broughton In his Angels
aliquo dicitur in Scriptura quod faciendum denunciatur be or fore-tell that it shall be As to give an instance or two Levit. 13. in the case of the Leper the text saith that when the Priest makes up his judgement concerning the Leper having found the tokens of Leprosie upon him he shall defile him ver 3. and ver 8. or make him uncleane so the Originall gives it which we translate The Priest shall pronounce him uncleane In that sence the Ministers of the Gospell whose businesse is to cleanse defile many yea one way to cleanse men is thus to defile and pronounce them Lepers So Isa 6. 8. the Lord sends the Prophet against that people and saith to him Make the heart of this people fat and make their eares heavy and shut their eyes Praedic excaeeanaos oâ—ulos aures aggravandas Now the Prophet did not act this himselfe he did not deafen their eares or blind their eyes but onely fore-told or denounced that this judgement should fall upon them because they had so long stopped their eares at last their eares should be stopt and made heavy enough and because they had so long winked and shut their eyes at last they should be blind and their eyes shut fast enough How fast are those eyes and eares lockt up which are thus double lockt Once more Jer. 1. 10. The Lord gives the Prophet a strange commission See saith he I have this day set thee over the Nations and over Kingdomes to roote out and to pull downe and to destroy and to throw downe and to build and to plant One would think this commission more fitting for a Caesar or an Alexander for great Commanders attended with numerous Armies than for an unarmed Prophet what could he doe could he roote out Kingdomes and destroy Nations Yes by denouncing the destroying judgements and consuming wrath of God due unto them for their rebellions and provocations Thus a poor weak Prophet can overturne a whole Kingdome and roote up the strongest Nations And the truth is that never was any Nation or Kingdome rooted up by the sword but it was first rooted up by the word first God hewed them to pieces and slew them by his Prophets and then let in Armies of cruell enemies to doe it So here in the text I have seen the foolish taking root but suddenly I cursed his habitation The clear meaning is I foretold a curse I knew what would shortly become of his habitation It Non per invidiam iram dira imprecacarer sed animus pâ—aesagiret male ipsi fore Coc. was not anger against his person or envy at his estate that moved me to curse him but it was an eye of faith which shewed me him markt with a curse in the just threatnings of God I saw a curse hanging over his family and dwelling over his riches and honours And though he then flourished that yet he should quickly wither and be destroyed root and branch The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked Prov. 3. 33. Man doth but see it there the Lord sent it there The word is considerable which we traslate Habitation It signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a quiet a setled a peaceable a beautifull habitation And so carries an aggravation of the judgement upon this foolish man his judgement is the worse upon him because he thought himselfe so well so well seated so well setled so secured and accommodated that he should never be removed They are most troubled with removings who thought themselves setled troubles afflict them deepest who supposed themselves beyond trouble When David thought God had made his mountaine so strong that it could not be moved how was he troubled as soon as God hid his face Ps 30. 6 7. And if they are so troubled with shakings who look upon their estates as setled by the favour of God how will they be troubled to meet with totterings and shakings much more with ruinings and destructions whose estates at best are bottom'd onely upon their policies often upon their sins We may observe from hence First The estate of some wicked men is out of the prayers of Gods people When they goe by their dwellings they cannot say The blessing of the Lord be upon you we blesse you in the name of the Lord Psal 129. 8. It is a great mercy to stand under the influences of prayer and for a man to have his estate land dwellings watered with showers of blessings and hearty good wishes from the mouths of Saints Their blessings or their cursings are next to the blessings and cursings of Christ nay they are his It is an argument that Christ hath blessed or cursed a man when the spirits of his people generally are carried to either It is one of the saddest presages in the world for a man to be cast out of the prayers of the Saints or to be cast by their prayers that is when their prayers are against him and he presented naked to the displeasure of Christ It shewes that the sin of a man is a sin unto death when the faithfull cease praying for him 1 Joh. 5. 16. What can it prognosticate then but approaching ruine and destruction when they bend the strength of prayer against him There was never any habitation of wickednes so firmly founded or strongly fortified but that Great and Holy Ordinance hath or may shake and batter it to the dust The fair Towers and walls of Babylon the seate and state of Antichrist have long been under this curse All the Saints whose eyes God hath unscaled and brought out from Egyptian darkness have seene That foolish man taking roote and have cursed his habitation Secondly observe A wicked man in prosperity is under the curse of God He is often under the curse of man but ever under the curse of God Esau have I hated saith God Rom. 9. 13. yet even at that time the fatnesse of the earth was his dwelling and of the dew of Heaven from above Gen. 27. 39. While the meate was in the mouthes of the murmuring Israelites the wrath of God was upon them They did at once eate their lust and their death wrath was mingled with their meate and while he gave them their request he sent leanenesse into their soules Psal 106. 15. This is the most dreadfull curse of all To have a fate estate a well fed body with a leane starven soule Thirdly Observe a vast difference between godly and wicked men between the foolish and the wise When a godly man withers in his outward estate and is pluckt up by the rootes yet God loves him when a godly man is poore God loves him when he is sick God loves him when he is in prison God loves him when he is in disgrace God loves him and when the world hates him most then God usually shewes that he loves him most The world cannot cast a godly man into any condition but he meets with the love
of God in it his estate may vary and vary change and change a thousand times but the love of God towards him is unchangeable On the other side we see in the text when a wicked man takes roote and the branches of his outward estate beare fruit abundantly God curseth him when he is at ease God is angry with him That place is very observeable Zech. 1. 15. I am very sore displeased with the Heathen that are at ease the Heathen were at ease yet God was extreamely displeased with them When a wicked man is in health God curseth him when he is rich God curseth him when all men honour admire and flatter him God abhorreth hates and detests him he can be in no condition but he is sure to meet with the curse of God As a foolish man a wicked mâ—n gives God many things but he never gives God his love or his affection A wicked man may give God prayers but he doth not give him his love he may give him praises but he never gives him any love he may give God his purse but he gives not his love or his heart whether such a foole praiseth God or prayeth to God or giveth unto God he hateth God So likewise whatsoever God gives to a wicked man he hates him whatsoever he bestowes on him he curseth him This should awake men rooted in the earth to consider whether they are under the influences of Gods eternall love as well as under the influence of temporall blessings This is the ground of Davids conclusion Psal 37. 16. A little that the righteous hath is better than the ricehes of many wicked the reason is this because many ungodly ones swimming in a full sea of riches have not so much as one drop of the love of God nor one beame or ray of the light of his countenance shining upon them but a godly man if he have but a small estate he hath much love mixed with it if he have but a little purse he hath a large portion of the favour of God in it and this makes it so out-worth and out-value a wicked mans estate this puts the price and stamps an excellency upon his little The love of God doth so farre exceed the fatness of the earth in the esteeme of Saints that they in rating their estates reckon not upon earthly things at all they see nothing to value themselves by but their interests in the love of God As when God gives his people their portion he lookes upon outward things as meere additionalls or as an overplus given in by way of vantage All other things shall be added Mat. 6. 33. when a man casts in a handfull of wheate after the bushell is full or gives a fingers bredth after the due measure of the cloath So it is in the case of all temporals bestowed upon the Saints Then fourthly note Outward good things are no argument of the favour of God As we shewed before that they are no evidences of the goodnesse of a person so neither are they any evidences of the grace and favour of God unto a person A man cannot find an evidence of Gods love in his purse in his land in his honour in his credit Yea a man may flourish in better things then these I speake of and yet have no evidences of Gods love to him A man may flourish in knowledge be deeply rooted in learning may have extraordinary branches of parts and wonderfull fruits of gifts yet notwithstanding all this while his habitation and his person too under a curse And therefore be sure that you looke for your evidences of the love of God in the right boxe doe not looke for evidences of the love of God in your chests or in your purses but looke into your hearts and see what Christ hath done there looke into your lives and see what light shines there from the Spirit of Christ Looke whether grace flowes from the Spirit of Christ and is rooted in your spirits If grace be rooted in thee there if it spring up and bring forth fruit in the life this is an evidence indeed They that are thus rooted God never curseth Grace and holiness were never under any curse Observe one thing further As these words hold forth the judgement or opinion of a godly man concerning the wicked in prosperity I have seen the foolish taking root and presently I cursed his habitation A godly man sees the wicked of the world to be miserable in their best and most flourishing condition When thousands stand about the great ones of the earth admiring applauding making little gods of them envying their happinesse and thinking none happy but they or such as they are then a godly man pitties them mournes over them sees them and all such as they are miserable He lookes through all their outward glory and beauty riches and honours and sees them curst through all hated of God through all He sees nakednesse through their cloathing emptiness and want through all their plenty and aboundance neither is this unhappinesse confined to their own persons but derived to all to whom they derive life or stand related So it followes His children are farre from safety and they are crushed in the gate neither is there any to deliver them c. Secundum genus calamitatis quod Deus impâ—obisimmitâ—it posteritatis exitiam deploâ—aâ—uÌ„ quidem acclamante pubâ—ico consensu These words containe a further effect of this curse I cursed his habitation and what then was it an ineffectuall curse was it but wind and words returning and doing nothing or did it spend all its strength upon this foolish man in his own person No His children are farre from safety they are crushed in the gate c. One of the Rabbins conceives that these words and the verse following are the forme wherein the curse was pronounced upon the habitation of the foolish man As if Eliphaz had said I cursed Râ—bbi Salomon forâ—am maledictionis esse vult his habitation thus Let his children be far from safety and let them be crushed in the gate neither let there be any to deliver as for his harvest let the hungry eate it up and let the robbers swallow up their substance And we find such a forme Psal 109. David pronounces the curse upon those wicked enemies in language very sutable to this ver 6 7 8 9 10 11. Set thou a wicked man over him and let Satan an adversary stand at his right hand When he shall be judged let him be condemned and let his prayer become sinne Let his children be fatherlesse and his wife a widdow let his children be continually vagabonds and beg let them seeke their bread also out of desolate places let the extortioner cath all that he hath and let the stranger spoile his labour But we may rather take it as the matter then as the forme of a curse I cursed his habitation and the curse brake forth upon his children and
upon his estate upon the branches and the fruit of that goodly tree much like that in the vision Dan. 4. 13 14. I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed and behold a watcher and a holy One came downe from Heaven He cryed aloud and said thus Hew downe the tree and cut off his branches shake off his leaves and scatter his fruit c. This Allegory may be rendred in the plaine words of Eliphaz I cursed his habitation his children are far from safety The Master of the Family is the tree His children are either fruit or branches His leaves are riches and honour the beauty and pleasantnesse of his habitation Some things in the letter of the text are to be opened but I shall first observe one thing in the generall from the connection of this fourth verse with the third I suddenly cursed his habitation verse 3. Then follows his children are far from safety Observe from it That Creatures cannot stand before the curse of God How strongly soever they are rooted the blast of the breath of Gods displeasure will either blow them downe or wither them standing The curse comes powerfully suddenly and secretly it is often an invisible stroake When we see neither axe nor spade at the roote nor strome at rhe top yet downe it comes or stands without leafe or fruit When Christ in the Gospell curst the fruitlesse figg-tree his Disciples passing by that way wondred saying how quickly is this figg-tree whithered it was but onely a word from Christ Never beare fruit more and the fig-tree which had no fruit lost its life Some are such tall Cedars such mighty Oakes that men conclude there is no stirring of them no Axe can fell them or blast loosen them yet a word from the Lord will turne them up side downe or if he doe but say to them never fruit grow upon your actions or out of your counsels presently they wither The curse causlesse shall not come but when there is a cause and God speaks the word the curse will come Neither power nor policies neither threatnings or entreaties can hinder or block it up It is said of the water of jealousie in the booke of Numbers that when the woman dranke that water if there were cause of her husbands suspition presently her belly swel'd and her thighes did rot the effect was inevitable So if God bid judgement take hold of a man family or Nation it will obey A word made the world and a word is able to destroy it There is no armour of proofe against the shot or stroake of a curse Suddenly I cursed his habitation and the next news is His children are far from safety If God speake the word it is done as soone as spoken as that mysterious Letter said of the Gun-pouder plot As soone as the paper is burnt the thing is done Surely God can cause his judgements to passe upon his implacable enemies such horrid conspiratours against Churches and Common-wealths truth and peace with as much speed as a paper burns with a blaze and a blast they are consumed That in the generall from the connexion of these two verses Assoone as he was cursed his children and his estate all that he had went to wrack and ruine I shall now open the words distinctly His children are far from safety Some reade Were far from safety and so the whole passage in the time past because he speaks of a particular example which he himself had observeâ— in those daies as is cleare v. 2. Having shewed the curse upon the eoot he now shews the withering of the brauches Some of the Rabbins understand by Children the Followers or Imitators of wicked men such as assisted them or such as were like them These are morall children but take it rather in the letter for naturall children such as were borne to them or adopted by them these come under their fathers unhappinesse They are far from safety The Hebrew word is commonly rendred salvation His children are farre from salvation But then we must understand it for temporall salvation which our translation expresses clearely by safety His children are farre from safety It is possible that the children of a wicked man may be neare unto eternall salvation Though godly parents have a promise for their seed yet grace doth not runne in a bloud neither is the love of God tied or entayl'd upon any linage of men Election sometimes crosses the line and steps into the family of a reprobate father Therefore it is not said His children are farre from salvation in a strict but in a large sence We find the word salvation frequently used for safetie 2 Kings 13. 17. when Elisha bad Joash the King of Israel shot the arrow he called it the arrow of the Lords salvation which we render the arrow of the Lords deliverance So Moses bespeakes the trembling Israelites aâ— the red Sea Stand still and behold the salvation of the Lord that is behold what safety the Lord will give you from all these dangers what deliverance from the hand of Pharaoh The Prophet represents the Jewes thus bemoaning their outward judgements We roare all like Beares and mourne sore like Doves we looke for judgement but there is none for salvation but it is farre off Isa 59. 11. They are far from safety To be far from safety is a phrase importing extreame danger As when a man is said to be far from light he is in extreame darknesse and when a man is said to be far from health he is in extreame sicknesse and when a man is said to be far from riches he is in extreame poverty So here His children are far from safety that is they are in extreame danger and perill they walk as it were in the regions of trouble in the valley of the shadow of death continually That phrase is used also respecting the spirituall estate of unbeleevers They are far off from God far off from the Covenant Isa 57. 19. Ephes 12. 13. that is they have no benefit by the Covenant no interest in no favour at all or mercy from the Lord. To be far off from mercy is to be neare wrath and to be far from safety is to dwell upon the borders of danger And they are crushed in the gate In the forth Chapter Eliphaz describes man as crushed before the moth to shew how suddenly how easily man is destroyed This mans children are crushed in the gate as a man would crush a flie or a moth between his fingers They are crushed in the gate That notes two things First the publikenesse of their destruction they shall be destroyed in the sight of all men for the gate was a publike place Pro 31. 31. her workes praise her in the gates that is she is publikely knowne by her good works To doe a thing in the gate is opposed to the doing of a thing secretly To suffer in the gate is to suffer publikely Secondly to be crushed in the gate
seeke exactly and enquire laboriously unto God It signifies to seek by asking questions or by interrogating And it imports seeking with much wisedome and skill a curious or a criticall enquirie So Eccles 1. 13. I gave my heart saith Solomon to seeke and search out by wisedome And this seeking implies foure things First A supposition and a sense of our wants no man seekes that which he hath already or but thinks he hath it He that is full loathes a hony-combe Secondly A strong desire to find that which we want it notes not a bare desire only or woulding but a kind of unquietnesse or restlessenesse till we find such a desire tooke hold of David Psal 132. 4. I will not give rest to mine eyes nor slumber to mine eye-lids untill I find out a place for the Lord or untill I find the Lord. Thirdly A care to be directed about the meanes which may facilitate the finding or recovery of what we want and thus earnestly desire A seeking spirit is a carefull spirit after light and counsell Fourthly A diligent and faithfull endeavour in or about the use those meanes to which counsell directs us Through desire a man having separated himselfe seeketh and intermedleth with all wisdome Prov. 18. 1. That is he is very industrious in pursuing those advices which wisdome shews him or which are shewed him as the wayes of wisdome A lazy spirit is unfit to seeke I would seek unto God and unto God would I commit my cause In the former clause the word for God is El and in the latrer Elohim both names note the power of God El notes power or strength to act and execute Elohim power or authority to judge and determine I would seek unto El The strong God I would commit my cause to Elohim the Mighty God As if he had said Thou art in a weake and low condition now therefore seeke unto God the strong God the mighty God who is able to deliver thee Thou wantest the help of such a friend as he The Hebrew word for word is thus rendred Vnto God would I put my words or turne my speech We reach the meaning fully rendring Vnto God I would commit my cause or put my case The terme which we translate cause signifies any businesse or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Significat verâ—um vel negotium res meas ei committeâ—eÌ„ cause but most properly a word Explicite prayer is the turning of our thoughts into words or the putting of our case to God It is a speaking to or a pleading with the Lord. The Septuagint is clear in this sense I would deprecate the Lord I would call upon the Lord the governor of all things Both these significations of the word are profitable for us and congruous with the scope of the text I would turne my speech and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. prayer or I would commit my cause unto God The committing of our cause to God notes a resignation of our selves and of our condition into the hands of God It is as much as to say Let God doe what he will or determine what he pleaseth concerning me I will not strive or contend about question or dispute his decision or judgement of my cause I will lay my selfe down at his feet and tell him how she case stands with me then let him doe with me what seems good in his eyes This is the committing of our cause and condition unto God And the Originall word here used for God doth very well suite and correspond with this sense I will commit my cause unto God unto Elohim the great and impartiall Judge of Heaven and earth the God who loves Judgement and the habitation of whose Throne is righteousnes The God who knowes how to discern exactly between cause and cause person and person and will undoubtedly give a righteous sentence concerning every cause and person that comes before him Unto this Elohim would I commit my cause and refer my self to his arbitration Observe first in the general Eliphaz having reproved Job turnes himself to counsell and exhortation From which we may learne That As it is our duty to reprove a fault in our brother so it is our duty to advise and counsell him how to amend or come out of that fault for which we reprove him It is not enough to espy an error but we must labour to rectifie it or to tell another that he is out of the way but we must endeavour to reduce him Many can espy faults and failings in others who either know not how or care not to reforme and helpe them out Secondly observe That It is a duty to exhort and excite our bretheren to those duties wherein we find them flack or negligent Eliphaz conceived that Job was much behind in the duty of prayer and self-resignation unto God and therefore he quickens him up to it The Apostle calls us to this Christian inspection Heb. 3. 13. Exhort one another daily lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne sin growing and getting strength hardens the heart it is best to oppose it betimes and therefore he bids them doe it at all times exhort one another daily Though the Apostle Peter 2 Pet. 1. 12. was perswaded of the Saints establishment in the present truth yet saith he I will not cease to put you alwayes in remembrance of these things It is a dangerous error which some hold that the Saints in this life may out grow counsell and exhortation as if there were no need to bid a godly man pray seek unto God no need to bid a godly man repent or humble himself or believe he cannot but do these things say they these are connaturall to him They are indeed to the new man within him But let them withall remember that the neglect of all these duties is as connaturall to the old man within him While there are two men within us we had need every man to look not only to one but to one another It may goe ill with the better part the new man if while he hath an enemy within to oppose him he hath not a friend without to help him On this ground besides the command of Christ the holiest man on earth may be exhorted to look to his holinesse none are in more danger then they who think they are past danger And as it is a certaine argument that a man was never good if he desires not to be better so it is a great argument that a man was never good who feares not that he may be worse They who are truly assured they cannot fall from grace are assured also that they may fall in grace and fall into sin The foundation of God stands sure but the footing of man doth not and therefore Let him that stands take heed least he fall And let them who see their brethren heedlesly falling lend them the right hand of exhortation to raise them up againe and when
sister and I have prevailed and she called his name Napthali The Hebrew is with wrastlings of God that is divine and vehement wrastlings As if she had said I have used great and earnest endeavours both with God in prayer and all other meanes as a wrastler by might and flight to obtaine these blessings given before to my sister and now I have prevailed And it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 No â—â—ne liteâ—â—sâ— gâ—minatis uâ— insignis vafricies quâ—si duplicaâ—a caâ—â—ditâ—s signifâ—â—etur Conâ—oâ—tuplâ—catus is observeable that the Hebrews call an extraordinary cunning wrastler Pethalthol which is this word doubled in the latter syllable because he is a man of a double or extraordinary skill in wrastling the word is doubled and so it expresses one that is double witted or that hath craft enough for two or three though not honesty enough for one And this word is applied to the Lord himself Psal 18. 26. * Vâ—iur hoc veâ—bo ut indicetur maxima quaedam invicta Dei quasi distorâ—io implâ—â—atio sacra caliditas adversus pravos calidos distortos q. d. adversus Cretensès cretiz at Deus cum vafro luctatorevare luctatur Deus supplantatores supplantaâ— with the froward thou wilt shew thy selfe froward that is If men will be winding and turning and thinking to catch others or over-reach the Lord himselfe with tricks and turnings of wit the Lord will meet and answer them in their own kind he can turne as fast as they he can put himselfe into such intricate labyrinths of infinite wisdome and sacred craft as shall entangle and ensuare the most cunning wrastâ—er or tumbler of them all He will Cretize the Cretians supplant the supplaâ—tâ—rs of his people Some of the Greekes * Olymprodorus vertit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hominâ—s varios nodosoâ— imâ—licitos intricatos interpret this elegantly by a word in that language noting a thing that hath many knots folds or twists wreathes or plaits in it as plaited haire or a folded garment thereby shadowing out men like a serpent of knotted twisted enfolded spirits men who wreath and plaite their actions so closely and artificially that few can understand or tell what to make of them or where to find them The counsels of these cunning intricate froward men Are carried headlong It is very observeable Isa 44. 25. how the Prophet threatneth that the counsels of the wise shall be turned backward And here their counsels shall be carried headlong that is froward God hath wayes of all sorts to crosse ungodly policies he turns them sometime backward and sometime forward by both or either they are disappointed Counsels are turned backward when the event is quite crosse to the designe or the motion of things to the resolutions of the mind As if a man purposing to goe Eastward should be turned about he knowes not how with his face into the West Counsels are carried headlong when Omne consilium aâ—ta um in seâ—â—â—naâ—â—one est stultitia Rab. Sol. they goâ— too fast forward and make so much haste on in their way that they tire and are out of breath or stumble and breake themselves before they can attaine their journies end The Originall word signifâ—â—s to hasten and thence to be precipitate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a radiâ—e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Accelâ—rare festinare aâ—q inde praecipitem esse impruden tem stultum tam prudentia tranquilâ—â—aâ—e deliberatione gaudet Eruto impeturuunt in suâ—m pestem Coc. rash or foolish in counsell Prudence uses to goe softly wisdome keeps a kind of state in her pace and loves to goe step by step not headlong A prudent man sets his head before his feet his head goes before his feet in consultation but he loves to goe upon his feet not upon his head in action It is the curse of the froward their councels are carried headlong when they should go steddily upon their feet they run upon their heads or run their heads against the next wall The meaning in a word is They shall make more hast then good speed or they shall go so fast to their ends that their end shall be their undoing As the Lord in mercy makes the rash understand so in judgement he makes the understanding rash As this is here threatned so the former is graciously promised Isa 32. 4. The heart of the rash shall understand knowledge and the tongue of the stammerer shall speake plainly When the Prophet would shew how great a blessing God powres out upon his people by Christ he thus expresses it Christ who is the wisdome of the Father causeth the heart of the rash to understand knowledge it is the word of the text the heart of those who naturally run headlong upon businesses who have no steadiness nor stableness in their understandings shall be stayed and ballanced with wisdome and gravity from above Christ will take them off their hurrying pace and teach them to goe and doe to advise and act with sobriety and deliberation The letter clause of the promise joints fitly with this And the tongue of the Vt bâ—â—sit do lâ—â—gâ—ae accelerationem habet cum fitan haesiâ—ia ut nihil experite pronunciare possit quo magis propeâ—at eo minus proficit citata illa lingâ—a votubilitate Ita qui intelligentia festinus est nullum profert utilâ— integrum consilium sed manca omnia 〈…〉 Bold Bold stammerer shall speake plainly such as stammering is to speech the same is rashnesse to counsell A man that stammers huddles his words he that hath an impediment in speech speakes fastest and because he cannot speake one word well he speakes many words at once This hast is his hinderance in making so much hast to speak he cannot speak at all therefore we usually advise stammerers to take heed of speaking hastily that they may speak plainly The Prophet joynes these sweetly to note the complete abilities of a Cstristian The rash shall understand the stammerer shall speake plainly that is he shall advise judiciously and speake elegantly depth of wisedome and sweetnesse of elocution shall meet in him though before rude and rustick But the counsels of the froward though men of great parts and filed speech shall be crried headlong Observe hence Hasty counsels are successelesse counsels Hast in counselling alwaies makes waste and so doth hastinesse in acting Hast in either may hurt as much as sloth though usually we may divide the miscarriages that are in the world between hastiness in counsell and slownesse in action I know not which is the greater prejudice to an honest designe to be quick in concluding or to be dull in executing They who will not take time to consult about what they aâ— may have time enough to repent of what they have done And they who will not take the time for doing what they consult loose all the time they took for consultation Note Secondly That God disappoints evill counsels
necessary practise in Chyrurgery and to that the holy Ghost may allude in this place When they perceive a wound or a sore to which medicines Illa est vox Domini percutiam ego sanabo hoc faciunt medici Ferrum gestant câ—rare veniunt Clamat secandus secaâ—ur saevitur in vulnus ut homo sanetur Aug in Ps 50. Chyrurgus saepe vulnus infligit ferro sibi spatium ad commodam curationem aperit cannot well be appied and so unfit for healing either to make a new wound in the whole flesh or to make the first bigger The murderer wounds to kill and the Physitian wounds to cure He comes as it were arm'd with instruments of cruelty The patient whose flesh is to be launced cryes out but yet he launces him The patient whose flesh is to be seared cryes out but yet he sears him He is cruell to the wound while he is most kind to the wounded An ignorant man would wonder to see a Chyrurgion when he comes for healing make the wound wider yet so he must do and he doth it upon urgent reasons As when the orifice is not wide enough to let in the medicine or to let out the corruption or cannot admit his searching instruments to the bottome In such cases he saith Vnlesse I increase your wound I cannot cure it Thus often times the Lord is compelled to wound that he may heale or fit our wounds for healing Our wound is not wide enough to let out the sinfull corruptions of our hearts to let in the searching instruments and corrasives of the Law or the blame and comfortable applications of the Gospel We may observe from the sence of the words That The woundings and smitings of God are preparatories for our cure and healing It is said Isa 53. 5. of Christ that with his stripes we are healed and it is in this sence a truth that we are healed with our own stripes We are healed with the stripes of Christ meritoriously and we are healed by our own stripes preparatorily the stripes of Christ heale us naturally our own stripes heale us occasionally or his in the act ours in the event Prov. 27. 6. Faithfull are the wounds of a friend his wounds are faithfull because he wounds in faithfulnesse The healings of many are unfaithfull They heale the hurt of the daughter of my people deceitfully is the Lords complaint by the Prophet they skin over the wound but they doe not cure it Let the righteous smite me it shall be a kindnesse and let him reprove me it shall be an excellent oyle which shall not break my head Psal 141. 5. Much more may we say Let the righteous Lord smite me and it shall be a kindnes to me let the righteous Lord reprove and correct me it shall be as an excellent oyle which shall not breake mine head it shall heale my heart How healing then are his salves whose very sores are a salve Secondly Take the words in the plaine rendring of them noting onely thus much that God makes sore and bindeth up So we have two distinct acts often ascribed to God in a figure to set forth judgement and mercy the afflictions and deliverances of his people Hos 6. 2. Let us return unto the Lord for he hath torne and he will heale us he hath smitten and he will bind us up 1 Sam. 2. 6. The Lord killeth and maketh alive Deut. 32. 39. See now that I even I am he and there is no God with me I kill and I make alive I wound and I heale Hence observe It is the property of God to take care of all the sicknesses sores or evils of his peopls As God is the great correcter and instructer of his people so he is the great Physitian of his people If he make a wound he will take care for the healing of it He doth not make sores and leave others to bind up Mighty men wound but they take no care for healing they can impoverish and spoyle but they care not to repaire they can pull down and root up let who so will build and plant Shaddai the Almighty God doth both If he break thy head come to him humble thy selfe before him and he will surely give thee a plaister which shall cost thee nothing but the asking And whereas he doth not willingly afflict or grieve he doth most willingly comfort and heale the children of men Lam. 3. 33. He speaks of it as a paine to himselfe to make us sore but to make us sound is his delight and pleasure Satan is the Abaddon the destroyer and he only destroys he makes wounds but he heals none he kills but he makes none alive The second branch of the verse He woundeth and his hands make whole is but a repetition of the same thing yet with some addition to or heightning of the sence To make sore and bind up are not so deep either in judgement or in mercy as to wound and make whole The word used for wounding imports a dangerous and a deadly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Transfodit transfixit vel cruentavit wound or to make a man all gore blood It signifies to strike quite thorough and it is divers times applied to note that stroke which God gives his worst enemies Psal 68. 21. But God shall wound the head of his enemies or he shall strike them quite through the head Verse 23. He shall dip his foot or make it red in the blood of the ungodly And Psal 110. 5. The Lord shall strike through Kings in the day of his wrath Hence observe That God sometimes makes very deep and great wounds in his own servants Such wounds as by the sight of the eye you cannot distinguish them from the wounds of his mortall enemies He strikes thorough both heads and hearts of his own people Or as Simeon said to the blessed Virgin Mary Luke 2. 35. A sword pierceth through their soule also But then lastly note God never makes a wound too great for his own cure The power of God to save is as great as his power to destroy his healing power and his wounding power are of the same extent His justice cannot out-act his mercy both are infinite And not onely doth he heale the wounds which himselfe makes but he can heale the wounds which men make even all the wounds which the utmost power and malice of man can make He is able to doe more good to shew more mercy than all creatures are able to doe hurt or mischiefe We finde the state and condition of a people sometimes so wounded and sick that men have despaired of recovery Being consulted they may answer your sore cannot be bound up and your wound cannot be healed your estate is gangren'd and past cure So he said as was toucht before Isa 3 8. In that day shall a man sweare saying I will not be an healer for in my house is neither bread nor cloathing Alas I heale you
pavillion a secret hiding place for his Favourites where he preserves their credit and reputation untoucht against all the blots and causelesse blemishes of malignant spirits Thus they are hid from the strife of tongues Hence his Saints and people are called His stored or his hidden ones Psal 83. 3. Observe first The tongue is a scourge The tongue is a terrible engine The Scripture gives us variety of comparisons to set forth the evill of an ill tongue It is here called a scourge and it is a scourge of many lashes or knotted cords or rather stinging scorpions scoffing is one slander a second false accusations a third The former strictly taken is a lye told any neighbour and the latter is a lye told the Magistrate The tongue Psal 52 2. is called a sharpe rasor Psal 57. 4. it is compared to speares and arrowes and a sharpe Sword and if at any time with much using this Sword be blunted in the edge or point the Scripture speakes of whetting the tongue Psal 64. 3. It is as the sharpe arrowes of the mighty man and coales of juniper Psal 120. 4. They bend their tongues like a bow Jer. 9. 3. Their tongue is as an arrow shot out ver 8. In a word It is a fire and a world of mischiefe Jam. 3. 6. Jer. 18. 18. we reade of smiting with the tongue and of devouring words Psal 52. 4. As there are devouring opinions opinions which not only hurt the judgements of men but devoure their consciences and eat up truth as it were at a bit so there are devouring words words that eat up a mans reputation and devour his good name as bread Slanderous mouthes lâ—ve the whitest bread the finest of the wheate A mans credit which hath not a branne in it how sweet a morsell is it to such mouthes Though the truth is every name by how much the more pure and spotlesse it is by so much the more deadly will it be in the stomacks of these devourers A good name swallowed by an ill man will as Jonas did the Whale make him one time or other Stomach-sick if not conscience-sick and he shall be forced to vomit it out safe againe It is a sad thing when thus the people of God are wounded and scourged by the tongues of wicked men but I will tell you of a sadder scourging that is when the people and servants of God scourge one another with their tongues I beseech you leave this work to wicked men take not the scourge of the tongue out of their hands let us not only not slander but not speake hardly one of another The ancient Christians in the Primitive times were deepely wounded by the scourge of the tongue what strange things did ungodly men feigne and then fasten on them They reported them as black as hell as if their holy meetings were not to worship God but to defile themselves with incest and uncleannesse but among Christians themselves we reade not of this scourge at that time No Christians loved one another to the amazement of Heathens They were so farre from this scourging or wounding of one another that they were ready to be scourged to be wounded to be burned to die one for another This caused their Pagan persecuters to cry out Behold how the Christians love one another We are scourged by wicked ones as They O that we could love one another as They. Sons of Belial have revived the ancient reproaches and accusations against the brethren O that we could revive the ancient imbraces and most endeared affections of the Brethren Observe secondly It is a great mercy to be delivered from the Scourge of the tongue The Apostle speaks of it as a wonderfull mercy that he was delivered out of the Mouth of the Lion 2 Tim. 4. 17. Surely it is no ordinary mercy though lying be very ordinary to be delivered out of the Mouth of a lyar This is joyned in one promise with deliverance from the most deadly instrumenrs of warre Isa 54. 17. No weapon formed against thee shall prosper that is no weapon of warre neither Sword nor Speare shall hurt thee Then followes And every tongue that shall rise up against thee in judgement thou shalt condemne This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord. The tongue of a Ziba or of a Tertullus will devour and destroy as bad as the Sword of a Caesar or a Pompey The holy story tels us what woefull work the tongue had made upon Joseph and Mephibosheth if the good providenee of God had not spoken a good word for them Lastly Let me add one seasonable word of admonition to these tongue scourgers As the word is They that smite with the sword shall perish with the sword so they that smite with the tongue shall perish with the tongue The tongues of the Saints are in some sence sharper and sorer scourges then the tongues of wicked men The word of God in their mouths is a Two-edged Sword yea sharper then any Two-edged Sword A Prophet or a Minister of Christ can strike as hard with his tongue as and infinitely harder then any Prophane wretch or railing Rabshakeb in the world Truth well set home will wound deeper than slander can I saith the Lord Hos 6. 5. have hewed them by my Prophets and slaine them by the words of my mouth In the 11th of the Revelation it is prophecied That fire shall goe out of the mouths of the two Witnesses and devour their enemies vers 5. That is the word of their mouths shall be as a fire to scorch and consume the gain saying world and with this instrument their tongue for that only is sutable for the work of Witnesses they are said to have tormented those that dwell upon the earth ver 10. Some indeed are Sermon-proofe and Word-proofe They at present doe even laugh at all our spirituall Artillery Let whole volleyes of threats be discharg'd upon them let them be hackt and hewed all day long with the Sword of the Word they feele it not it may be they jeer at it at least they regard it not As they Jer. 18. 18. conspiring against the Prophet Come let us devise devices c. let us smite him with the tongue And least any should say if we smite him with the tongue he will smite us againe For these Prophets are notable at that weapon To secure themselves they resolve thus Let us not give heed to any of his words As if they had said we know he will speake bigge words and threaten us terribly with Sword and pestilence and famine and hell c. But let 's arme our selves against him and make no more of all then of a Squibb or a pot-gun then of a stabbe with a wooden dagger or a charge with a Bull rush Let us not give heed to any of his words But let these know though now they are hardned against the spirituall scourge and sword in the mouth of Christs Ministers yet at the last
originall beare such a translation when our sins are put into the ballance with our sufferings all our sufferings the heaviest we can feele or goe under in this life are but as a feather to a talent of lead As all the afflictions of this life are light in comparison of that exceeding weight of glory prepared for us in the next life So all the suffering of this life are light in comparison of the exceeding weight of one sin commited by us Therefore Job makes no such comparison here as if he had bin afflicted more than he deserved That of Ezra concerning the Church of the Jewes Chap. 9. 13. Thou our God hast punished us lesse then our iniquities deserve is true of every punishment put any punishment of this world spiritual or temporall in one scale and the least sin in another that lightest sin out-weighs our heaviest punishment Only in hell sins and sufferings shall be of equall poyse God will then powre and measure our punishments which shall come up to the proportion and demension of our sins and what the creature cannot bear at once in weight shall be weighed to him in eternity But to passe that rendring as unsafe O that my griefe were throughly weighed Our English word scale which is the instrument by which we 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Libravit ponderavit olim moneta libraebatur ex pondere habebatur summa pecuniae ut mini ex numero nummoruÌ„ Ulpian weigh is well conceived to come from the Hebrew word here used Shakal signifying to weigh any thing but especially to weigh coyne or mony to weigh gold and silver As Gen. 23. 16. Abraham upon the purchace of that field which he bought of the children of Heth for a burying place weighed to Ephron the silver which he had named It was the custom of those times in stead of telling to weigh their mony and that was the most exact and ready way of paiment And from that word Shakal signifying to weigh money comes the Hebrew word for one speciall sort of mony the Shekel because they weighed by the shekel that being as their standard or a special coyne of such a known weight and value that all their coyne was weighed and valued by it So in Siclus moneta certi ponderis omnium ponderum reguâ—a the Latin and likewise in our English we call one speciall summe of mony A pound which is a weight and by which mony is commonly accounted and paid And hence by a Metaphor this word signifies to judge or to consider of a thing exactly and fully because of all matters that men weigh they will weigh gold and silver most exactly if a man weigh gold he weigheth it to a graine if gold want but the turning of the scale more then due weight or allowance it will not passe Isa 33. 18. Where is the Scribe where Vil begis verba ponderant Sanc. Quaestor praefectus aeratio militari Jun. is the Receiver The Hebrew is Where is the weigher that is either the spirituall weigher He that uses to be so exact in weighing every tittle of the law Or the Civill weigher because they used to weigh all the mony they received So then O that my griefe were throughly weighed is as if he had said O that my grief were weighed as gold and silver is weighed weighed exactly to the least to the utmost that you might fully know what it is The word single by it selfe notes an exact examination by weighing but when as here the word is doubled or by an Hebraisme repeated O that my griefe in weighing were weighed it heightens and increases the sense exceedingly Hence we translate O that my griefe were throughly weighed weighed so as that there might be a cleare discovery how much my sorrows weigh The doubling of a word to this sence is very frequent in Scripture I shall not need to instance Take only that Gen. 2. 17. Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evill thou shalt not eat of it for in the day that thou eatest thereof in dying thou shalt die that is thou shalt surely die So here O that in weighing it were weighed that is O that it were throughly and exactly weighed Lay all together and it imports thus much as if Job had said I would not have my sorrows weighed at a vulgar beame or in ordinary ballances I would not have the sound or letter only of what I have spoken considered but I desire that you would take my complaints together the words and the matter and that you would weigh all impartially that you may come to a full understanding what my condition is and then surely you would give up a better judgement and make a fairer interpretation of my words then as yet you have put forth Thus he speaks also Chapter 31 6. Let me be weighed in an even ballance that God may know my integrity Uneven ballances will not make a perfect discovery That which is false cannot give a true report Things and persons act as they are therefore Job desireth to be weighed in an even ballance such a beame will speake the truth of my estate both to God and man God needs no meanes to make him know he knowes all immediately and he weighes by his eye not one thing by another but all things in themselves Job speakes of God after the manner of men And my calamity laid in the ballances together My griefe and my calamity Griefe caused by my calamity and calamity the cause of that griefe My calamity The word signifies any troublesome evil sad event 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or accident vulgularly called a mis-fortune O that this sad à radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 estate and condition wherein I am were put into the ballance The Originall for ballances is very observeable As there is fuit eventus malus infortunium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Trutina statera quod duas sc habeat lances velvt aures Pagn much elegancy in the word by which the action so in this by which the instrument of weighing is express'd It is found only in the plurall or duall number as many of that nature are The same word in Hebrew signifies also the eares which are the organ of hearing and the reason of it is thus given because as the tongue of the ballance stands like a judge between the two scales inclining to neither till the weight be laid in so should the eare of a Judge by office or of any man by deputation called to heare and determine of things in difference stand indifferent to both parties till he heare the matter debated and the reasons brought forth on either side The Moralists embleme this by the place of that Signe in the Zodiacke which they call the Virgin standing according to the doctrine of Astronomers between the Lion and the Bellances The Lion bids Virgin Justice be stout and fearelesse The Ballances advise her to weigh the matter
nice delicate dames of Jerusalem with such things as their proud spirits and naughty soules refused to touch Isa 3. 24. It shall come to passe that instead of sweet smell there shall be a stinke and instead of a girdle a rent and in stead of well set haire baldnesse and instead of a stomacher a girding with sackcloath and burning instead of beauty Take heed of coynesse and curiosity many a dainty tooth hath been taught by hunger to knaw bones and water for a crust of bread Observe secondly That which makes afflictions most grievous to us is the unsuitablenesse of our spirits to afflictions Delight and content consist in suitablenesse of the object to our affections and desires God offers spirituall food to the naturall man but his soule refuses to touch it he loathes Angels food and is weary of the manna of the word The precious Gospel the bread of life is an affliction to him because his heart is unsutable to it how will such be afflicted at the last when they find That as their sorrowfull meate for ever which their souls will for ever refuse to touch They who loath Christ and his wayes shall find nothing in the end to feed upon but what is most contrary to their appetite even fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest these shall be the portion of their cups and the meate in their dish for ever How sorrowfull will that meale be But we may rather apply all to the words of Eliphaz in the two former Chapters And Jobs ready submission in the first and second Chapters to the afflicting hand of God argues for him that afflictions how grievous soever were not the things which his soule refused to touch And the apprehension of a learned interpreter atisfies me in it This sense saith he is too low for a man Sensus humilior est quam hominem deceat gravioribm malis exagtiatum Pined 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 afflicted with troubles farre above these which concern'd his outward man The Septuagint are expressely for this opinion who translate those words Is there any tast in the white of an egge thus Is there any tast in vain words they are so farre off the judgement that these unsavoury things the things which Jobs soule refused to touch and the white of the egge in the Text are all meant of vain words that they put it into the very text It is a usuall boldnes with them and a very unwarrantable one to vary so from the words of the Originall and make their glosse the text but it shews us how strongly they were engaged to that sence Most of the Greek writers concurre with them in it viz. that Joh aimes at the counsels and speeches of Eliphaz which wanted the seasoning of wisedome and prudence yea of truth and soundnesse as applied to the spirit of so sick a man as Job was And besides many moderne writers are cleare in the same apprehension giving the summe of all plainly to this effect as the mind of Job in those fore going passages I would not have complained of the things which ye have spoken if they had been meate for me but I assure you your counsels are not nourishing I can find no food much lesse any sweetnesse or fatnesse in them Your counsels want the due seasoning of wisdome and the right temperament of holy zeale They are either unsavory or tastlesse Taneum abest ut sermonibus vestris recreet aut corum condimento reficiatur vita mea uté contrà â—â—bum ipsum mihi amarioreÌ„ vitamque injucundiorem reddâ—t Jun. Absit ut vir sâ—nctu aliquando amicorum suorum dicta despexerit qui humilio servut fueris Greg. saplesse stuffe Such as I am so farre from being refreshed with that indeed they are a burden to me and the remedy you prescribe me is worse then my disease How can you expect that I should submit or subscribe to what you have spoken or that I should rest and acquiesse in your reproofes or advices seeing I assure you they are not for me they hit my state or spirit no more then unsavoury meate doth my palate or that which I abhorre to touch can please my tast And therefore with my soule I refuse and reject what you have spoken And you have not only not satisfied me all this while but you have vext or tired me and instead of mitigating my sorrowes have added to them But an objection arises against this and one of the Ancients is very angry with those who make this application to the counsels of Eliphaz as if Job had rejected them as unfit food and unsavoury meate Let no man saith he think that this holy man despised the counsell of his friend who himselfe was humble as a fervant To which I answer That the counsels of Eliphaz are to be considered either in the doctrine or in the use His counsels in the doctrine of them were good and savoury he spake wholesome food but as to Jobs case he was quite mistaken in their use and so instead of easing troubled him A Physitian may give his sick patient that which is good in it selfe very cordiall and soveraigne and yet it may kill him instead of curing him if it be not proper for his body and his disease Thus it is also in giving counsell what we speake must be fitted to the person and to the season There are many good counsels of which we may say as Hushai did of Achitophels ill ones 2 Sa. 17. 7. They are not good at this time That which is good counsell to a man at one time may be or might have been ill to the same man at another I have many things to say saith Christ but ye cannot beare them now Joh. 16. 12. And that which one man can beare another cannot at the same time And therefore the Apostle was made all things to all men 1 Cor. 9. 2. And accounted himselfe debtor both to the wise and to the foolish to the learned and unlearned to the weake and to the strong that is he looked upon it as his duty to speake truths suiting the state of every degree and sort of men which is the meaning of his rule to all the dispencers of holy mysteries that they divide the word aright The rightnesse respects not only or not so much the subject or word divided as the object or persons â— Tim. 2. 15. to whom the division is to be made in giving every one his portion or foode convenient for him One man may surfet with that which another digests kindly what fattens a second may sicken or starve a third This plainly is the meaneing of Job what Eliphaz had said was not savoury foode for him nor drest for one in his condition His soule did even refuse to touch what he spake because his soule was not of that temper for which Eliphaz had fitted his speech He was a Physitian of no value to him because he brought a wrong
passe out against him A if he had said Let not God spare me let him write â—s bitter a sentence against me as he pleaseth for my part I would not conceale the word of the most High but I would publish his judgement and sentence against me yea I would praise him and extoll him for it The vulgar Latine to this sence I would not contradict the word of the holy One Let him not spare me for as for my part whatsoever God shall determine and resolve whatsoever word God shall speake concerning me I will never withstand or open my mouth against it This is a truth and carries in it a high frame of holinesse when we can bring our hearts to this that let God write as bitter things against us as he pleaseth we will never contradict his word or decree but our minds and spirits shall submit wholly and fully to his dispositions of us and dispensations towards us It is as clear an evidence of grace to be passive under as to be active in the word of God Not to contradict his writ for our sufferings as not to conceale what he speaks for our practise But I rather stick to the former interpretation Job giving this as a reason of his great confidence in pursuing his petition for death because he had been so sincere holding forth the word of God both in doctrine and in life And so we may observe from it First That the testimony of a good conscience is the best ground of our willingnesse to die That man speakes enough for his willingnesse to die who hath lived speaking and doing the will of God and he is in a very miserable case who hath no other reason why he desireth death but onely because he is in misery This was one but not the only reason why Job desired death he had a reason transcending this I have not concealed the words of the holy One and I know if I have not concealed the word of God God will not conceal his mercy and loving kindness from me David bottoms his hopes of comfort in sad times upon this Psal 40. 9 10. I have preached righteousness in the great Congregation I have not refrained my lips O Lord thou knowest he was not actively or politickly silent I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart if lay there but it was imprisoned or stifl'd there I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvations I have not concealed thy loving kindness and thy truth from the great Congregation Upon this he fals a praying with a mighty spirit of beleeving vers 11. Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me O Lord let thy loving-kindness and thy truth continually preserve me for innumerable evils have compassed me about The remembrance of our active faithfulness to the truth of God will bear up our hearts in hoping for the mercy of God He that in Davids and in Jobs sence can say I have not concealed the words of the most high may triumph over innumerable evils and shall be more then a conquerer over the last and worst of temporal evils death God cannot long conceal his love from them who have not concealed his truth Secondly observe positively That the counsels of God his truths must be revealed God hath secrets which belong not to us but then he puts them not forth in a word nor writes them in his book he keeps his secrets close in the cabinet of his decrees and counsels but what he reveals either in his word or by his works man ought to reveal too It is as dangerous if not more to conceal what God hath made known as to be inquisitive to know what God hath concealed Yea it is as dangerous to hide the word of God as it is to hide our own sins And we equally give glory to God by the profession of the one as by the confession of the other Paul with much earnestnesse professes his integrity about this as was even now toucht Act. 20. Fourthly observe That the study of a godly man is to make the word of God visible I have not concealed that is I have made plain I have revealed or I have published the words of the holy One Much of Jobs mind is concealed under that word I have not concealed For in this negative there is an affirmative as if he had said this hath been my labour and my businesse my work in the world to make known so much of the will of God as I know This was the work of Christ here below Father I have glorified thee upon earth I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do Joh. 17. 4. What this work was he shewes vers 6th I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world Lasty observe That it is a dangerous thing for any man to conceale the word of God either in his opinion or in his practice For it is as if Job had said if I had ever concealed the words of God I had bin but in an ill case at this time God might now justly reveale his wrath against me if I had concealed his word from others or God might justly hide his mercies from me if I had hid his word from men Smothered truths will one time or other set the conscience in a flame and that which Jeremiah spake once concerning his resolution to conceale the word of God and the effect of it will be a truth upon every one who shall set himselfe under a resolution to doe what he under a temptation did Jer. 20. 9. Then I said I will not make mention of him nor speake any more in his name what followes Then his word was in my breast as a burning fire shut up in my bones and I was weary with forbearing If a gracious heart hath taken up such a sodaine resolution to conceale the word of God he quickly repents of it or smarts under it He findes that word as a burning fire in his bones he is not able to bear it I was weary with forbearing saith the prophet Nothing in the world will burthen the conscience so much as concealed truth and they who have taken a meditated resolution that they will not reveale the word of God may be sure that word will one time or other reveale it selfe to them in the Light and heat of a burning fire seeding upon their consciences I have not concealed the words whose words The words of the Holy One Who is that The Holy One is a periphrasis for God When you hear that Title The holy One you may know who is meant This is a Title too bigge for any but a God All holinesse is in God and God is so holy that properly he onely is Holy Hence the Scripture sets God forth under this as a peculiar attribute The Holy One The Prophets often use this addition or stile The Holy One of Israel The Holy One Is One separate or set apart from all filthinesse
of man in whom there is no help why not For his breath goeth forth that 's one reason he must die he must return to the earth therefore trust him not But besides that we may say trust not in Princes c. while their breath tarrieth in them for it is possible their help and faithfulness may goe forth though their breath doth not Therefore trust â—eâ—ly in the living God he will never leave us though men doe God only is unchangeable he only hath preserved this honour without touch or stain never to forsake those who trusted him how forlorn and forsaken soever their condition was JOB Chap. 6. Vers 22 23 24 25. Did I say bring unto me or give a reward for me of your substance Or deliver me from the Enemies hand or redeem me from the hand of the mighty Teach me and I will hold my tongue and cause me to understand wherein I have erred How forcible are right words but what doth your arguing reprove JOB Having shadowed out his friends unfaithfulnesse by an elegant similitude in the context fore-going now aggravates their unfaithfulness to him in his wants by his own modesty in seeking to them for supplies Did I say bring unto me or give a revvard for me of your substance As if he had said I have not been burthensome or troublesome to you I have not called for your contributions and benevolences or sought to have my estate made up out of your purses Why do ye charge me with impatience at my loss as if that were it which pinches and presses me did I ever charge you for my reparation or redemption That in deed might have been either burdensome or dangerous to you All that I expected from you was your comfort and your counsell these would not have put you to much expence or if you could not have reacht so far as to comfort me yet you might have forborn to contribute so largely to my sorrows by overtaxing me with impatience and charging me with hypocrisie Did I say I was not clamorous or importunate no I did not so much as open my mouth to move you in that point I have been so far from begging that ye have not heard me saying bring to me Bring unto me The word is Give unto me Hos 4. 18. Their Princes love Give ye or bring ye so saith Job I did not say bring ye or give ye my spirit was not set upon money or the repair of my losses out of your estates I did not either write or send for your charity you were not invited to visit me that you might contribute to my necessity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Proprie munus quod datur ad corrumpendum Iudicem a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 uuus quod unum facit dantem scilicet occipientem The word here used for a reward properly taken signifies that which is given to a Judge to corrupt or turn him aside in judgement One of the Rabbins gives this reason why it notes a bribing reward because it is compounded of a word signifying One and a bribe makes the giver and the receiver the Judge and party One or of one mind A Judge should ever stand indifferent between both parties till the cause be heard but a bribe makes him One of them Yet ordinarily this word is put for any gift or help subsidy or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Humor nativus in quo vigor corporis consistit opes nam in opibus Consistit potentia hominum supply of anothers wants Of your substance The word implies the native naturall strength which supplies the wants or supports the weaknesses of the body As also the strength of the earth by which it puts forth fruit Lev. 26. 20. And because riches are a mans civil strength therefore the same word expresses both Verse 23. Or did I say deliver me from the enemies hand The enemies Or the hand of those that have brought me into straights For the original imports the shutting a man up in a narrow compass so that he knows not how to get out he that is in the hand of an enemy is in a straight hand Ahab commands 1 Kings 22. 29. Goe carry Micaiah back and feed him with the bread of affliction or with the bread of straights such bread as an enemy provides The Greek word used by the Apostle 1 Cor. 4. 8. reaches this fully We are troubled but not distressed or straightned Now saith Job did I say deliver me out of the hand or power of mine enemies who have brought me into these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 straights alluding as is conceived to those Chaldeans and Sabeans who had spoiled his estate and slain his servants Or redeem me out of the hand of the mighty Redeem me That is my goods which they have carried away captive To redeem signifies the fetching back of a thing by price or force Christ is a Redeemer in both sences he redeemed or fetch'd back captivated man by compact and by price in respect of God his father We are bought with a price 1 Cor. 6. 20. that is bought with a full prize Christ did not compound with the justice of his father but satisfied it to redeem us and he redeemed us by force out of the hands of Satan Spoiling principalities and powers and making a shew of them openly Col. 2. 15. As in Triumphs the Romans used to doe with their spoiled captivated enemies Job had not begged redemption of his friends from the power of his enemies either way did I desire you by compact and by price to ransome me Or did I desire you to levy an Army with power and force to recover my estate out of the hands of those mighty oppressours The word Mighty signifies also terrible the hand of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Terribilis sua potentia formidabilis terrible one It is often applied to God when he shewes himself in terrour to wicked men Psal 89. 7. God is greatly to be feared Isa 2 19. He shakes terribly the earth But most commonly to cruel powerful men who make no other use of their strength but to be a terrour to innocents The Apostle Phil. 1. 28. explaines this word while he saith and in nothing be ye terrified by your adversities that word in the Greek answers this in the Hebrew your adversities are terrible men men who think to beat down all with their great looks but be not ye terrified by these terrible ones So here Did I call unto you to redeem me out of the hand of the mighty the terrible out of the hand of those cruel plunderers the Sabeans and Chaldeans De manu Tribulationis Vatab Puto cum Allegoricè tam graves vehementes calamitates intelligere Merc. Further Some understand by the hand of the mighty not the persons afflicting him but the affliction it self which was upon him Trouble is sometimes compared to a mighty enemy Prov. 6. 11. So shall thy poverty come
to David and made him flie and wander and sometime go astray in his speeches and actions upon a sudden gust of temptation And so a Psalm of that subject may well bear this stile either from his corporal or spiritual errours There is a third apprehension upon Siggaion taking it for delight and ravishments of mind and so the Psalm is superscribed Davids delight or solace That is the Psalm which he composed and sung to the Lord to comfort himself in all his troubles with Saul his soul wandred heaven-ward in holy ravishments and delights in God while his body wandred about the earth in astonishment and sorrows caused by a bloody-minded man The very same title is given to the prayer of Habakkuk chap. 3. 1. A prayer of Habakkuk upon Sigionoth which some interpret to be so called because of the strange variety or variableness of the song and tune the Prophet being in a holy rapture ravished in spirit and swallowed up in the contemplation of Gods power and majesty soars up and wanders like Paul in another case he knowes not whither or how But the vulgar renders it a prayer for ignorance or a prayer for Oratio pro ignorantijs errour which translation is surely an errour if not an ignorance as to the scope of that prayer Though the letter of the Original word as in the former instances and in the text before us bears that sence When Job saith Cause me to understand my errour his meaning is that his errours whatsoever they were in that business were secret to him he had not gone against the light of his own conscience nor as yet had they brought any light to convince his conscience he had been charged with errours extravagancies and wandrings But he understood not what they were and therefore desires them to cause him to understand his errour Observe hence first Man is subject to errour To errour in speech to errour in practise to errour in judgement Man by nature can do nothing else but erre all his goings are goings astray and all his knowledge is bottomed upon a heap of false principles All his works by nature are errata's and the whole edition of his life a continued mistake Secondly observe That man is in a fair way to truth who acknowledgeth he may erre Cause me to understand wherein I have erred saith Job He thought he had not erred but he grants it was possible for him to erre That which hath fastened so many errous to the Popes chaire and from thence scattered them over all the world is an opinion that he in his chair cannot erre his supposed spirit of infallibility hath made him the great Deceiver and deceived him He that thinks he cannot erre errs in thinking so and seldome thinks or speaks or doth any thing but it is an errour He is most secured from errour who suspects he hath erred and humbly acknowledges that he may Thirdly We may here observe what an errour is An errour strictly and properly taken is that which we hold or doe out of bare ignorance of the Truth It is an errour in practice when we are ignorant of what is better to be done An errour in opinion is when we are ignorant of what is better for us to believe or hold Heresie is an errour and more for heresie hath these three things in it 1. In regard of the matter it must be in some great and fundamental truths The word Heresie is by some derived from choosing by others from taking away because it takes us off from Christ or from the foundations of saving knowledge 2. Heresie is accompanied with pertinacy and obstinacy after clear light offered It is possible one may have an errour about things which are fundamental and yet be no heretick An heretick is condemned of himself Tit. 3. 10. But he will not be convinced by another Not that he doth formally and in terms give sentence against or condemn himself but equivalently he doth as the Apostle Acts. 13. 46. speakes to the unbeleeving Jews seeing ye put the word from you and judge your selves unworthy of everlasting life c. These men did not judge themselves such formally they came not to the Apostle and said we willingly submit our selves to hell and wrath No they thought very well of themselves and judged themselves worthy of eternal life But their practice judged them and gave a real sentance against them while they acquitted themselves Thus also a heretick who ever hath a very high opinion of himself and his opinions is condemned of himself 3. In heresie there is taken of pleasure and delight therefore heresie is numbred among the lusts of the flesh adultery and fornication c. Gal. 5 20. Hereticks desire to disperse and vend their opinions A man onely in an errour will weep over his opinions and it grieves him that he dissents and goes contrary unto others But he that stiffely maintains an errour insults over others and delights to maintain his opposition he triumphs and boasts of his war though he can never obtain victory Truth onely is victorious And some learned Criticks observe as much from the form of the Haereticus est cui voluptas est falsas tueri opiniones ea enim est nominum Graecorum in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 definentium proprietas ut ad qualitatem designandam non adhibeantur modo sed etiam ad innuendam delectationem quam in ea capit cui illa qualitas in est Camer Myroth Evang. in cap. 3. Epist ad Titum Greek word Tit. 3. 11. So then heresie is not only an errour in judgment but a pertinacy in the will and it takes in delight at the affections Fourthly observe from these words Cause me understand wherein I have erred That An erring brother or friend must not be importuned barely to leave his errour but he must be made to understand his errour Errour should not be left nor truth received blind-fold a man may sin in leaving an errour they do without question who lay it down thinking it to be a truth and there is little question but they do who leave it before they understand it to be an errour It is much alike to reject an opinion as an errour which we doe not understand and to practice an opinion for a truth which we doe not understand If a man practice or beleeve a truth not convinced that it is or not conceiving it to be a truth that truth is but as an errour to him because he doth not beleeve or practice it under the notion of a truth and so if he leave an errour which he is not convinced to be an errour his leaving it is not much better and in some cases it may be worse then his holding it because he leaves it not under the notion of an errour We must not dance after other mens pipes or see with other mens eyes Except we know it is good we do and evil which we leave und on our not
doing evil is not good to us and our doing good is to us no better then evil Verse 25. How forcible are right words but what doth your arguing reprove Job speakes by way of admiration How forcible I cannot In Haebreo Admirativum est elegans patheticum Bold tell how forcible It is an elegant way of expressing the highness of our thoughts As Psal 84. 1. How aimable are thy dwelling places O Lord of hosts He admires in stead of speaking they are so aimable as I cannot tell how aimable they are Put your thoughts to their utmost conceptions of beauty and that beauty is in the dwellings of the Lord So saith Job here How forcible are right words they are so forcible as I cannot tell how forcible they are I must admire and be silent How forcible are right words The Chaldee Paraphrase reads it how sweet are right words interpreting it by that Psal 119. 103. Oh how sweet are thy Commandements unto me they are sweeter than the honey and the honey comb But the Originals differ though that be a good sense We read How forcible The word signifies any thing that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acrimoniae notionem habet strong potent or mighty It notes also acrimony sharpnesse or smartnesse and so it is often applyed to words either good or bad 1 King 2. 8. when David lay upon his death bead giving his last advices to Solomon Thou saith he hast Shimei with thee who cursed me with a grievous curse In the Hebrew it is this word who cursed me with a sharp strong forcible curse he cursed me with all his heart with all his might he laid load upon me Evil words are strong right words are strongest Job had before at the 6th verse of this Chapter called the discourses of Eliphaz unsavoury in this he taxes them for flat or weak right words have a pleasing acrimony upon the palate of the soul and a power upon the judgement to sway and carry it but yours are dull and feeble Some render it after the letter of the Hebrew words of right or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eloquia rectitudinis Mont. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aquil. truth Others in the Concret how forcible are the words of a right or upright man But take it as we translate How forcible are right words Words are right three wayes 1. In the matter when they are true 2. In the manner when they are plain direct and perspicuous 3. In their use when they are duely and properly applied when the arrow is carried home to the white then they are right words or words of righteousnesse When this three-fold rightnesse meets in words how forcible how strong are such words But what doth your arguing reprove I confess there is great strength in right words and in the words of the upright but you have been long disputing the matter with me and what have you got where are your gains The word signifies to rebuke with conviction and argument to shew what is right and to refute that which is contrary Job 13. 3. the word is so used Surely I would speak to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arguit redarguit praeparavit verba contra aliquem disputando ostendendo jus the Almighty and I desire to reason with God to reason it out as it were by force of Argument with God The word is answerable in sence to that in the Greek used by the Apostle Heb. 11. 1. Faith is a conviction or the evidence of things not seen that is an evident conviction faith gives a stronger evidence then any reason yea then sence therefore though faith be of things that fall not under sence and are above reason yet faith is an evidence or a conviction fuller then any Logical conviction or demonstration The Argument from such authority as faith grounds upon is stronger and more convincing then any or then all the reason in the world What doth your arguing reprove Word for ward what doth Quid disceptando conficiet disceptatio vestra q. d. quod vos reâ—â—â—guitis redarguendi verbo non est donandum your disputation dispute Or what doe your arguments argue as if he had said your arguing is no arguing your reasons are no reasons that which you have been arguing all this while with me doth not so much as deserve the name of an argument in my case it hath no power or strength in it Job laies a charge upon his friends by this opposition Right words are forcible but your arguments are not right or you are not right who argue therefore what force what power is there in what you have spoken I can blow it all off as easily as a man can blow off a feather Mr. Broughtton varies somewhat from this sence And what can your blame soundly blame that is you shall finde nothing blame worthy or reprovable in me Observe hence first Words rightly spoken are very forcible Take it in the general What mighty things have words words duly spoken done Abigail a weak woman by a few right words overcame the strength and wrath of mighty David and turned his whole army back David with all his men were in the heat of resolution and upon a hot march to destroy Nabal yet she stops them And that woman speaking to Johab when Sheba fled to the City with a few right words prevailed to save the City and stay the fury of war Take the point more strictly The words of truth are full of power full of strength Naked truth is too hard for armed errour Truth hath the strength of God in it therefore that must needs prevail The Apostle professes 2 Cor. 1. 3. We can doe nothing against the truth He means it in regard of the bent of his spirit his heart could not move against truth but we may use it in another sence We can doe nothing against the truth that is let us put out the uttermost of our power we can never prevail against the truth Look upon truth in the promises that will conquer all Look upon truth in the threatnings that 's forcible to overcome all Jer. 1. 10. God gives the Prophet a commission I have set thee over the Nations and over the Kingdoms to root out and to pull down and to destroy and to throw down to build and to plant Here is a strange commission for a Prophet How could Jeremiah plant or root up build or pull down Nations He never drew sword yet he performed this commission fully by his word he pulled them down and rooted them up by the word of threatning and he planted them and built them with the word of promise Zech. 1. 10. Your fathers are dead they are gone but my words saith the Lord which I spake by my servants the Prophets did not they take hold of your fathers Your fathers are dead and the Prophets are dead but my words live still and did not they hold
the soule whereby we discerne or distinguish just from unjust truth from false-hood as sweet is distinguished from bitter by the pallate is elegantly called the pallate of the soul Cannot my taste discern The Hebrew is Cannot my taste * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Scriptura saepe linguae faucibus manibus tribuit quod men t is intellectus proprium est sc med tari intelligere Magna est rationis orationis cognatio understand perverse things It is usuall in Scripture to ascribe understanding not onely to the senses but also to the tongue and sometimes to the hand Understanding is ascribed to the tongue in the place before named Psal 52. where the tongue is said to de vise mischiefe The tongue properly cannot devise the tongue doth but utter mischiefe it is the mind or heart that deviseth The shop is within where mischiefe is forged and framed yet the contrivance of it is in that text given to the tongue There is a two-fold reason of it why the holy Ghost attributes the worke of the understanding to the tongue hand or senses First there is a great affinity beween reason and speech and therefore the tongue which is the instrument of speech is honoured with the worke of the understanding And so grat is the affinity beween reason and speech that no creature void of reason can speak Speech is a peculiar property of the rationall creature Speech is or ought to be the immediate issue or birth of reason Words are conceived in the mind and born at the tongue And words are the image of the mind We may see what work is wrought in the mind by that which is spoken by the tongue The shape of a mans heart when he speakes himself comes out at his mouth And therefore before a man speakes he meditates Meditation is the conception of words As speaking is the production of them Thus the Lord charges Joshua Chap. 1. 8. The book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night One would think it should rather have been said The book of the Law shall not depart out of thine heart but thou shalt meditate therein or if not cut of thy mouth then Ita meditaberis ut exipsa cogitatione mentis effervescente redundent ebulliant in ore verba thou shalt speak of it Meditation is too high a worke for the mouth Yet because there ought to be much meditation about the Law of God before a word of it comes out of the mouth therefore the Lord saith The book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that is as oft as thou shalt speak thou shalt meditate thou shalt not speake rashly it shall not be the work of thy tongue alone but of thy mind and tongue together There is a second reason why acts of the understanding are ascribed to the tongue or to the senses because when a thing is well spoken or duly acted by any sense Reason is the guide and the bodily Organ is under the dictates of the minde or understanding So Gen. 41. 14. when old Jacob in giving the blessing unto Josephs children Manasseh and Ephraim laid his right hand upon the younger and his left hand upon the elder the text saith he made his hands to understand we translate he guided his hands wittingly there was so much reason such divine reason in that act of Jacobs hands in laying his right-hand upon the younger that the Prudenter egit manibus sun ac siiplae manus mysteriorum consciae erant Onkel Hebrew gives it with this elegancie he made his hands to understand which one of the Jewish Writers learnedly expounds thus He order'd his hands wisely as if they had been made acquainted with that great mystery of Gods counsels that the greater blessing was the portion of the younger sonne And so the Psalmist Psal 78 72. speaking of Davids raigne and government saith He governed them by the skilfulnesse of his hands The Hebrew is by the understanding of his hands and more the understandings of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In intelligentiis manuum vel volâ—rum his hands Or as one renders it The discretions of his hands or the prudency of his Palmes ascribing all kind of politicall knowledge and understanding unto David David in the outward administrations of the kingdome acted with so much reason and justice that his very hands are said to understand His hands understood more than the heads of other Princes As Davids hands so Jobs pallate or taite had an understanding Cannot my pallate understand Yet further it is frequent in Scripture metaphorically to translate things which are only acted or apprehended by the inward senses to the outward Taste properly is of meat and drink the humour or moisture which is in meats sutable to the salivall humour in the mouth causeth pleasantness of taste Here Job speaks of Doctrines or of actions Cannot my taste discerne perverse things If a thing be perversly or properly truely or falsely spoken cannot I taste it quickly And hence the word of God is compared to those things which are the object of taste as to milk and to strong meat 1 Cor. 3. 2. I saith the Apostle have fed you with milk and not with meat That is with easie and common truths not with the more mysterious parts of Gospel-knowledge because ye were not able to bear it The taste of such mysteries was too strong for your pallates The same Metaphor is enlarged by the Apostle Heb. 5. 12 13 14. And in this Book we find it more than once Doth not the eare trie words and the mouth taste his meat Job 12. 11. Chap. 34. 3. That is doth not the eare try words as the mouth tastes meat Cannot my taste discern Perverse things That is words ill spoken or wrong placed The word signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 also any calamity or sad accident And so Mr. Broughton renders it Cannot my pallate declare all kind of heavy sorrowes Do ye think I have lost my judgment of things and that I cannot tell when I am pinch't or pain'd First in that he saith here Is there iniquity in my tongue Observe The tongue oft-times discovers the iniquity of the heart If there be iniquity in the heart it will one time or other break forth at and blister upon the tongue He that is rotten at his heart is commonly rotten in his talk Matth. 12. 34. Out of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speakes And when there is aboundance of iniquity in the heart there is seldome a dearth or scarcity of it in the mouth especially in times of trouble that iniquity and corruption that disease and plague of the heart will break forth at the lips As Evill words corrupt good manners So evil words discover that our manners are corrupt There are few men but as the Damosel spake to
and I look for somewhat but it is in vain I cannot enjoy it So the word is used Psal 78. 33. where the Psalmist describes the sinful distempers of the people of Israel and Gods anger towards them They beleeved not his word c. What then Therefore their dayes did he consume in vanity and their years in trouble The dayes of all men are consumed in vanity as we said before but here was somewhat more judicial and poenal It is a sore judgment to consume our dayes in vanity as that people did As soon as they came out of Egypt they were in a fair way to Canaan but God leads them about by the wildernesse and there lets them wander out forty years expecting and waiting for Canaan but no Canaan came or they came not to Canaan this was the spending of their yeares in vanity because they were travelling to their desired rest but enjoyed it not they went toyling up and down the wildernesse as in a maze finding no way out but at the door of the grave their carkasses fell in the wildernesse thus their dayes were consumed in vanity So saith Job I possess months of vanity that is months wherein I am tired out in continual troubles and they are fruitlesse issuelesse troubles I have no sensible benefit by them I see no end of them my hopes are frustrate and put far off from me And are not these months of vanity Observe hence first Troubles will prevail upon us whether we will or no. I am made to possess c. As if Job had said I would fain have got over these months of vanity or worn them out but whether I will or no I am made to possesse them The bands of affliction are too strong for the creature to break when the Lord sends trouble he will make a man possesse it how displeasing soever it is It is best for us to submit where we cannot remedy and to yeeld quietly to that which we cannot avoid Secondly Observe Troubles come to us as our natural inheritance I am made to possess months of vanity they are as mine inheritance and I would wave my right but I cannot There are two parts of our natural patrimony sin and sorrow both these descend to us and we are made to possess them till we come to our purchased inheritance reserved in Heaven for us Observe thirdly That though every mans life have vanity in it yet some men have more that is more troubles and trials more disquietments and disappointments The common condition of all men in their best estate is that they are altogether vanity but the vanity of some men is more vaine their afflictions more afflicting their troubles more troublesome and their sicknesse more sick than their brethren Job speakes as if he had spoil'd all the world of this inheritance and had engross'd all vanity to himself I am made to possesse moneths of vanity That vanity which is the portion of all men seemes sometimes to be the portion of one man alone I am the man that hath seen affliction saith the Prophet Jeremie Noctes plâ—nae vigilijs anxietatibus Noctes laboris i. e. laboriosas Menses babco omni solatio vacuos ut nec iâ— noctibus quidem liceat mihi quiesce e. Allusie ad servi merceuarij nocturnam quierem Pined Lam. 3. 1. why is that such a strange sight who hath not seen affliction True but Ieremy had seen more then most and therefore he speakes as if he only had seen affliction I am the man And we arisome nights are appointed to me Wearisome nights Or nights of labour and wearinesse As if Iob had said though the servant be wearied all day yet the night is not wearisome to him he rests at night but I am wearied in the day and wearied in the night wearisome nights are appointed to me the night which is given unto others for rest is measured out to me in watchings and in sorrowes And this is a great aggravation of his sad condition it is said before that he had moneths of vanity yet it might be supposed his nights were comfortable intervals of refreshing As a man may say I have had seven years of hard labour yet it is supposed he rested all the nights of those years so when Iob saith I had moneths of vanity it might be conceived he had at least sometimes a good night therefore he adds wearisome nights are appointed to me I speake not after the rate of ordinary men whose moneths labour is a moneth of dayes my labouring moneths include the night also A strong healthy man goeth sorth to his labour and to his work untill the evening Psal 104. 23. But a sick weake man goeth forth to his labour in the evening * Nox aegris maxime infesta est toti sunt in cogitandis malis suis The night is most laborious to sick men then they revolve their troubles and being free from visits of friends they visit their own afflictions and study their own distempers freely Are appointed to me The Hebrew is * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Numeravit supputavit unde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mensis quod juxta lunae cursum menses numeramus Non quancumque rationem numerandi de otat sed artificialem Arithmeâ—â—câ—m neque illam quam vocant AdditioneÌ„ sed substractionem Are numbred or reckned to me as if he should say God sets down my nights by tale or by scores It is an arithmaticall word is notes to number by art skil And some observe that it notes Arithmetique in that operation of it which we call substraction or subduction not that which we call addition or multiplication Wearisome nights are numbred or appointed to me in a kind of substraction that is God takes or substracts the night out of the moneths and makes them as wearisome and as troublesome to me as the dayes are And because those things which are thus numbred by way of separation or substraction are usually appointed or appropriated to some speciall Qui in hac ratione numer andi quaedam subducuntur quasi separantur ideo significat scorsim destinare ad aliquem specialem usum use therefore the word is well translated to appoint or constitute if you see a man separate or substract one thing from another it is an argument that he hath a reason for what he doth and intends it to some extraordinary purpose The word is so taken here to note a speciall end to which these nights being substracted from the rest of his time were appointed namely they were to be as Jobs pay and reward He was troubled all day and if he looked for his reward or comfort in the evening this was given him A night as wearisome as his day or he had an ill nights rest given for his hard dayes labour The Prophet gives us the word in such a sence Isa 56. 11 12. He tels the Jewes their sin in the former
Hajom i. e. corpus sive robur dici Bold body or strength we the heat of the day either morning may be here meant though the word bears the later properly Thou doest visit him every morning that is as soone as the Sun is up yea as soone as day breakes or there is any light thou art visiting Mans visits are usually in the afternoone it is an extraordinary thing to visit one in the forenoone more extraordinary to visit in a morning and most early in a morning Gods visits are extraordinary visits they are visitings in the morning and visitings every morning as often as the morning returnes so often doth God come to visit not a morning that we misse him To doe a thing every morning notes first the doing of it alwayes or secondly the certaine doing of it Thou doest visit every morning that is as surely and as certain as the Sun riseth and the morning cometh so certainly doth God visit man Or thirdly it notes the speed the hast that God makes to visit He visits in the morning that is betimes God delayes not untill noone much lesse stayes till it be night but he cometh in the morning Psal 46. 5. God shall heare her and that right early the Hebrew is God shall heare her in the morning betimes speedily The late coming in to work in the vineyard is exprest by coming at the eleventh houre they came speedily who came in the morning at the first houre And to shew that we ought not to continue in wrath and keepe up our anger it is said let not the Sunne goe downe upon your wrath that is do not continue all day angry let your anger goe down speedily even before the Sunne In this sence Job saith that God visits man every morning as a Hic ad conservationem generalem providentiam pertinet Metaphora a pastoribus singulis matutinis oves suas recensenntibus Coc shepheard his flock least any should be hurt or straied we may apply it as before in the several sences of visitation either to Gods visiting of us in afflictions or in mercies he afflicts if he pleases continually speedily certainly And as sure as the Sun riseth and the morning cometh so sure God visiteth his with mercies therefore his mercies are said to be renewed every morning Lam. 3. 23. or fresh every morning Unlesse God bring new mercies every day the old would not serve we cannot bring the mercies of one day over to another The mercies of a former day will not support us the next therefore they must come every morning sufficient for the day is the evill thereof Mat. 6. and but sufficient for the day is the good thereof As we are therefore commanded to pray every day for our daily bread the bread you had the last day will not serve this day you must pray for the bread of this day and for a blessing upon it that God would visit your bread and your store in mercy So if need require God afflicts every day And the hearts of some men want as much the rod every day as bread every day they could not be without affliction every day to keep them in order God will be as carefull to correct his children as to feed them If a man be watchfull over his own wayes and the dealings of God with him there is seldome a day but he may find some rod of affliction upon him But as through want of care and watchfullnesse we loose the sight of many mercies so we doe of many afflictions Though God doth not every day bring a man to his bed and breake his bones yet we seldome if at all passe a day without some rebuke and chastning Psal 73. 14. I have been chastned every morning saith he Psalmist Our lives are full of afflictions and it is as great a part of a Christians skil to know afflictions as to know mercies to know when God smites as to know when he girds us and it is our sin to overlook afflictions as well as to overlooke mercies Secondly Take the word as it imports care and inspection Then observe The care of God is renewed every morning The eye of God is alway upon us He visiteth so as he telleth all our steps he tels our very wandrings He visiteth us so that we can turne no way but he is with us his eye of inspection as a Tutour as a guide is ever upon us he lookes to his people as a shepheard to his flock who knowes their wandrings And try him every moment It is of the same sence with the former Try him The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Periculum fecit expertus est tentavit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. signifies an exact and through triall Some take it to be an allusion to the practise of those who set the watch in Armies or Garrison Townes who least their Centinels or Watchmen should sleepe use to come suddenly upon them possibly divers times in a night to try whether they are faithfull and wakefull The Prophet Isaiah hints at such a custome chap. 21. The watchman is set v. 6th Goe set a watchman let him declare what he seeth The watchman is tried v. 11. He calleth to me out of Seir watchman what of the night watchman what of the night And it is observed in forraigne parts that their watchmen in Frontier Towns are tried every houre of the night the token being their giving so many tolls with the Bell hanging in their Watch-tower as the great City-clock strikes This is a good sence of the place the Lord visits ns every morning and tries us every moment that is very very often as often as may be to see whether we keep our watches and stand duely upon our guard But secondly it may note a triall as a Schollar is tried by examination We call it Probation day when the proficiency of Schollars is examined God cometh to examine and make probation of mens proficiencie what have you gotten how have you improved such times such opportunities for the gaining of spirituall knowledge what have you learned what know you more of your selves what more of God and Jesus Christ whom to know is eternall life Thirdly It may note triall by affliction There are three words 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifie the troubles which God brings upon man They are First strictly Judgements which he sends in wrath upon enemies Secondly Chastisments and corrections Thirdly Temptations or trials these are proper to his children Hence observe Afflictions are trials The Lord proves what grace there is in the heart he tries what corruption there is in the heart by affliction There are many graces in the heart of man untried and there are some that cannot be tried till God bring him to an houre of trouble There are many corruptions in the heart of man which he taks no notice of nor can till
verba Domini Opin Nonnullorum Hebraeorum apud Merc. Yea I would account every blow an embrace and every wound a reward For not concealing the words of the holy One In these words Job gives the reason or an account of his renewed prayer and request to die As the desire of Job was strong and passionate so likewise it was well grounded He had a very high reason an excellent ground upon which he bottom'd this request to die His reason was spirituall and therefore strong He beggs to be delivered from the troubles of his life though by a painfull death because he was clear in himselfe that he had led a blamelesse life That which set him above the paines of bodily death was the tranquillity of his spirit in this testmony of his conscience I have not concealed the words of the holy One As if he had said You may wonder why I should be so forward and ready to die why I seeme so greedy after the grave why I am such an importunate suiter for my dissolution The account I give you is this I have the testimony of a good conscience within me notwithstanding all the troubles which are upon me notwithstanding all your harsh vnfriendly accusations jealousies and suspitions of me yet my own breast is my friend my heart speakes me faire and gives me good words even these It tells me that I have not concealed the words Mirum est ut mihi non parcat quum illius verba non celarim neque dissimulaverim Aben Azr. of the holy One That I have not smothered any light he hath sent me that I have not refused any councell he hath given me that I have not wilfully departed from any rule he hath prescribed me that I have been faithfull to God to his cause and to his truth that I have declared his will and spoken his minde to others that I have not hidden any thing he hath given me in charge to declare or committed to my trust the word of God hath appeared in my life and therefore I am not afraid yea I have boldnesse to die and to appear before God I have not concealed The word signifieth to hide a thing so as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Significat abscondere ne vidleatur vel audeatur ne amplius appareat it be neither heard of or seen But may not we conceal the words of the most high it is said of Mary that she hid the words of Christ in her heart and of David that he hid the commandements of God in his heart Psal 119. 11. Did not the wise merchant hide the treasure namely Gospel truth Math. 13. 44. as soon as he had found it It should seem all these concealed the word of God how then is it that Job improves this as a speciall point of comfort that he had not concealed the words of the holy One There is a double hiding or concealement of the truth There is first a hiding from danger Secondly a hiding from use There is a hiding to keep a thing safe that others shall not take it from us and there is a hiding to keep a thing close that others may not take the benefit of it with us When it is said that Mary and David and the wise Merchant hid the word of God it was lest they themselves should lose it lest any should deprive them of it they hid it from danger They layed it up as a treasure in their hearts but they did not hide it from the knowledge or use of others and that is it which Job affirmes of himselfe I have not concealed the words of the holy One And there are four wayes by which the word of God is sinfully hid or concealed from all which Job seemes to acquit himselfe The first is when we conceal the word of God by our own silence when we know the word and truth of God and yet we draw a vaile over them by not revealing them The Apostle Paul Acts 20. 27. acquits himself in this to the Church of Ephesus I have not shunned to declare unto you the whole counsell of God and verse 20. You know how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you Silence to what is spoken is consent and silence when we should speak is concealement There is a second way of concealing the word of God and that is by silencing others Some conceale the words of the holy One themselves and they cannot endure that others should publish them The chiefe Priests and the Rulers Acts 4 18. charged Peter and John that they should not speake at all nor teach any more in the name of Jesus They would stop the Apostles mouthes from speaking the words of the holy One These keep the truth lockt up as Christ charges the Lawyers Luk. 11. 52. by taking away the key of knowledge Thirdly There is a concealing of the word of God under false glosses and misinterpretations or a hiding of it under errours and misconstructions This is a very dangerous way of concealing the words of the holy One The Pharisees made the law of God of none effect by their expositions as well as by their traditions by the sence they made of it as well as by the additions they made unto it Fourthly The word of the holy One may be concealed in our practise and conversations The Apostle exhorts Phil. 2. 16. To hold forth the word of life in a pure conversation The lives of Christians should publish the word of life The best way of preaching the word is by the praictse of the word The wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men who hold the truth in unrighteousnesse that is who by their unrighteous practises and ungodly conversations imprison fetter restrain and keep in the word Mans holy life is the loudest Proclamation of the word of God And a sinfull life is the concealment of it Job here acquits himselfe from all these concealements I have not eâ—ncealed the words of the holy One either by my own silence or by imposing silence upon others I have not concealed the word of the holy One by my own corrupt glosses and interpretations nor by a corrupt practise and conversation I have desired and endeavoured that the whole word of God might be visible in my actions and audible in my speeches that I might walke cloathed as it were with the holy counsels and commandements of my God There is a reading of the words different from this Whereas we Malo potentialiter exponi omnia utinam inquit non parceret Nequenim occultarem dicta sancti sed ejus in me sententiam praedicarem laudarem Merc. say I have not concealed the words of the holy One that gives it thus I would not conceale the words of the holy One and so the word of the holy One is taken not for the truths of God in generall but for that special word of decree or sentence which God should