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
truth in the universall experience of it we are not to understand it thus as if all persons all Lion-like persons at all times perish and are destroyed and scattered abroad But Eliphaz speaks of what is usually done or he speaks of what God can easily doe at any time and of what God may justly doe at all times Lions fierce Lions tyrants oppressors he both may and can scatter when he pleaseth Yet we find that God hath permitted some Lions to live fully and to die quietly they spend all their dayes in roaring and rending in tearing and devouring and yet themselves are not devoured God often suspends this Justice but it is for weighty reasons for in a word First If God should destroy all Lion-like men the joynts of the world would be unloosed and the bands of humane society broken asunder God forbad the children of Israel to destroy all the Canaanites least the beasts of the field should multiply c. Secondly If God should hunt all these Lions out of the world his own people would live by sense rather then by faith and seeme to be terrified by the visible actings of wrath rather then allured by the promises of mercy or tenders of free-grace Thirdly He deferres them untill they have sucked blood enough rent enough and done evill enough even fill'd up the measure of their sin and fulfill'd the righteous purpose of God by their unrighteousnesse As these Lions fill their own bellies so they fulfill Gods counsels therefore he lets them alone that they may doe his worke though they little thinke of it and lesse intend it Lastly Eliphaz speaks of what God did frequently in those times of the world wherein they lived for then God dealt more by outward judgements then in these Gospel times As his mercies are now more spirituall so usually are his judgements JOB Chap. 4. Vers 9 10 11. Now a thing was secretly brought unto me and mine eare received a little thereof In thoughts from the visions of the night when deepe sieepe falleth on men c. THis part of the Chapter from the twelfth Verse unto the end containeth the third Argument by which Eliphaz labours to convince and reprove Job of his impatient complainings In the whole context we may observe two generall parts 1. The Argument it selfe by which he reproves him 2. The confirmation or the proofe of that Argument The matter of the Argument is contained in the seventeenth Verse Shall mortall man be more just the God shall a man be more pure than his Maker The Argument may be formed thus That man carrieth himselfe rashly and sinfully who would seeme more just and pure then God his Maker But thou Job carriest thy selfe as if thou wert more just then God thy Maker Therefore thou carriest thy selfe very sinfully and rashly He confirmes this Argument two wayes 1. By an Argument taken from Divine authority 2. By an Argument taken from reason His Argument taken from Divine authority lies in the former five Verses of this context sc 12 13 14 15 16. I may give it thus That is to be received as a truth which God from heaven immediately declareth to his servant in a vision But God hath declared and revealed this to me in a vision that he who contends with God carrieth himselfe very sinfully Therefore it is to be received as a truth The first part of the Argument is unquestionable that it is a truth which God revealeth from Heaven in a Vision And that God had revealed this unto Eliphaz from Heaven in a Vision he himselfe at large declareth in those five Verses describing both the manner how and the time when this truth was revealed to him His second Argument from reason is grounded upon the common logicall rule of arguing from the greater to the lesse Vers 18 19 20 21. The summe of it may be thus conceived That which would be folly and sinfull boldnesse in Angels if they should aspire and take upon them to doe is much more sinfull in a mortall man But if Angels should goe about to justifie themselves or stand upon termes with God it would be sinne and folly in them Therefore it is much more sinne and folly in mortall man to justifie himselfe before God c. The Major or the first proposition is undeniable The second proposition is proved and illustrated to the end of the Chapter Wherein is shewed in what condition man now standeth how weak and how poore a thing a man is compared unto an Angel therefore if it would be sinne and folly in Angels to compare with God it must much more be sinne and folly in man So we see how Eliphaz confirmes the major proposition of the first Syllogisme The second proposition or assumption which he inferres upon Job But thou Job carriest thy selfe so as if thou wert more just than God he proves by that sad expostulation Chap. 3. And takes that for granted We may forme it thus He that complaineth of God as if he had done him wrong makes himselfe more just then God But thou Job hast made such a complaint Chap. 3. as if God had done thee wrong in afflicting thee or in giving and in continuing thy life under such afflictions Therefore thou seemest to make thy selfe more just then God or to say that God hath dealt unjustly or injuriously with thee This I take to be the Logick of the remaining part of this Chapter And having cleared his manner of reasoning in generall I shall descend to open particulars Now a thing was secretly brought unto me and mine eare received a little thereof I must yet resolve a question before I explaine the tearms the question is this Whether this were a true vision sent from God or whether it were only feined by Eliphaz thereby to gain authority to what he spake There are many Expositors of great name who are very confident that this vision was a fiction or holy fraud a vision of Eliphaz his own braine not a vision from Heaven Some have gone further maintaining that it was a vision sent from Hell an illusion of the Devill thereby to strengthen the hands of Eliphaz in vexing and troubling Job It cannot be denied but that many have pretended visions from God when they have received none they have belyed the Almighty with their Dreams and Revelations when they have seen nothing Thus 1 Kings 22. 11. Zedekiah the false Prophet takes upon him to have had a vision from God by which he would confirme Ahab in his counsell to goe up to Ramoth Gilead And Zedekiah the sonne of Chenaanah made him hornes of iron and he said thus saith the Lord with these shalt thou push the Syrians till thou have consumed them And in the prophesie of Jeremiah you have Hananiah the false Prophet not onely speaking the language but dressing himselfe in all the formalities of a vision he comes forth with a yoke upon his neck and breakes it before the people and telleth them
keepe a feast to me in the yeare Exod. 23. 14. Three times in a yeare all thy males shall appeare before the Lord ver 17. The candlestick had three branches Exod. 25. 32. and three cubits was the height of the Altar Exod. 27. 1. Three Cities of refuge were appontinted for the manslayer Deut. 19. 7. and the addition made is of another three ver 9. Three witnesses gave the compleatest evidence requireable as Two the least admittable in the law Deut. 17. 6. That besides a rule there was a mystery in most of these I think no man doubts though what the mystery was may be presumption in any man to determine Of this we are sure that the highest mystery and perfection of all numbers and things is found in One Three That Three in One The sacred Trinity And in the common speech of most if not of all languages Thrice happy Thrice great Thrice honourable note a man advanced to the very pinnacle of Happinesse Greatnesse and Honour The number Three or the Numeral Thrice imply a compleatnesse in all numbers That the number six notes perfection may be seene in the work of Creation The Lord could as easily have made the world in six or in one moment as in six dayes but the Lord saw it good to take a compleate number of dayes for so compleate a worke God threatens Gog his perfect and compleate enemy with a compleate punishment or with judgement in perfection The justice of God can be as compleate in punishing as the malice of man can be in sinning Ezek. 39. 2. I am against thee O God the chiefe Prince of Meshech and Tubal I will turne thee backe and leave but the sixth part of thee so we translate yet in the margin of our books we find the Hebrew thus I will strike thee with six plagues or I will draw thee back with a hooke of six teeth Seven is a famous number implying First multitude Secondly perfection The barren hath borne seven saith Hannah in her song 1 Sam. 2. 5. that is many she is a compleate mother she hath a flourishing family many children And in opposition to this Jer. 15. 9. She that hath born seven languisheth that is she that had many children now hath none Seven devils were cast out of the woman Luk. 8. 2. that is a multitude of devils So the seven Spirits the seven Churches the seven Trumpets the seven Seales the seven Vials c. in the Revelation speake the compleatnesse and perfection of each in their kind whether good or evill and that is appliable to the particular sense of the text Prov. 24. 16. The just falleth seven times a day that is he falleth often almost continually into trouble and yet he rises againe God delivers him The Hebrew word Shebange is neere in sound to our English seven and to note that seven is a compleate full number the same Hebrew word signifies seven and full seven and satisfied or compleate And the word to swear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saturatus impletus abundavit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Juravit inde juramentem a Septenario numero ut quidam patant quod juramenta fieri debeant multis adhibitis idoneis multumque confirmatis testibus et causis is of the same extraction in that language with the word seven the reason is added because in or about an oath many and important causes and grounds are required But to passe from single numbers I shall consider them in construction or conjunction as here six and seven He shall deliver thee in six troubles yea in seven there shall no evill touch thee Some understand this strictly and precisely of those two numbers six and seven And expound the text by the enumeration of those six or seven particular evils made by Eliphaz in the following verses For having said in generall that God will deliver his in six troubles and in seven he reckoneth up severall troubles and gives us as it were a catologue or a particular of those evils by name amounting to six or seven As 1. Famine 2. Warre 3. Scourge of the tongue 4. Destruction 5. Evill beasts 6. Hurtfull stones here are six and if a seventh evill come upon thee in seven no evill shall touch thee But I rather take this expression six yea seven to be a fixed number put for an unfixed a certaine number for an uncertaine and that uncertaine number to be a great number the greatest number any number imaginable We find this kind of speaking frequently in Scripture In the thirty third of this booke of Job v. 29. Loe these things God workes twice and thrice which we translate these things God workes often-times when numbers are doubled with an increase in the latter it notes a mighty growth of the whole number Twice and twice we know is but foure times but twice and thrice may be more then five times twice and thrice is oftentimes no man knowes how often We find the number next above this in the same signification Three and foure are put for many very many Amos 1. 3. For three transgressions of Damascus and for foure Some understand it of three or foure speciall sins of which Damascus was chiefely guilty namely 1. Idolatry 2. Incest 3. Luxurie 4. Oppression Or Three may be taken for a Cardinal number and Foure for an Ordinal for the Fourth as if some fourth sin were so sinfull and had such a malignity in it as the Lord would not pardon Thus Foure is put for the fourth Prov. 30. 15 18 21 29. Three things are never satisfied yea foure things say not it is enough That is a fourth thing sc fire being the most insatiable of all the rest saith not it is enough The copulative particle and is often in Scripture taken comparatively for much more Psal 125. The mountaines are round about Jerusalem and the Lord is about his people So the Hebrew we translate by a comparative of similitude As So. But more emphatically to the scope of the place by a comparative of excesse Thus As the mountaines are about Jerusalem sc to fortifie and defend it so much more is the Lord about his people fortifie and defend them In this sense we may take the copulative And in Amos. For three transgressions the Lord would not turne c. but much more for a fourth would he not turne away the punishment thereof The former three were enough to provoke the Lord to destroy you but for this fourth he is resolved to be irreconcileable and will destroy you Others adde Three to Foure which make seven as if the Holy Ghost had said for seven that is manifold transgressions of Damascus I will not turne away c. But rather take the numbers distinct for Three and Foure that is for the many for the multitude of transgressions committed in Damascus I will not turne away the punishment thereof Not that the mercies of God are exceeded by any number
I have not only given him a being and a shape but I have put upon him all the perfections of nature yea and the perfections of grace the impressions of my speciall love and favour I have lifted him up to the top of all and so some render the word I have magnified or made him great I have exalted and set him upon the highest pinnacles of perfections and mountaines of holinesse Hence observe When God begins a worke he compleats and carries it through He doth not only Create and give a being Forme and give proportion but He doth or he makes giving beauty and exactnesse to his works Whether we consider the works of God as naturall civill or spirituall in this sense God doth them Deut. 32. 4. Moses speakes in generall concerning all the works of God He is a rock and his worke is perfect The works of Creation are admirable to the eye the works of Providence how often doe they fill the heart with admiration That which he spake to Samuel concerning the house of Ely is appliable both to his works of Mercy and of judgement When I begin I will also make an end 1 Sam. 3. 12. that is I will doe it fully there is nothing shall take me off or stay me in the mid-way I will not worke to halves I will also make an end And so it is in spirituals when once God hath begun he carries on his work of grace when once he hath laid the foundation stone of mercy he never leaves untill he hath set up the the top stone the highest stone of glory Hence the Apostles Heb. 12. entitles Christ The author and finisher of our faith that is the beginner and ender Alpha and Omega first and last about our faith It shall never be said of any work of God as Luk. 14. That he began to build but could not finish it And as he finishes so he beautifies all his works are full of order and comelinesse He doth his work exquisitely or as we say artificially yea those works that we look upon as full of confusion are full of order and those works in which we see no form or nothing but deformity even these will one day appear now they are admirable in beauty and comelinesse That which the Apostle speaks in his exhortation to Timothy 2 Tim. 2. 15. bidding him doe the work of an Evangelist bidding him shew himselfe a workman that needeth not to be ashamed is most true concerning the great God of Heaven and earth He shewes himselfe a workman or a worker that needeth not to be ashamed When he works he doth the work of a God He works like himselfe Man cannot so much as be suspected to have done such things The Name that is the wisdome power and goodness of God is written upon them in so faire and clear a letter that it must be said by way of assertion This hath God wrought And by way of admiration what hath God wrought Numb 23. 23. A man sc a meer naturall man beholding these things shall say verily he is a God that judgeth the earth Psal 58. 11. Man cannot judge or doe like this The Lord needs not engrave or subscribe his Name to his works His words like so many Capitall letters spell and like so many Heraulds proclaime his Name Which doth great things To passe from the act or manner of doing we will consider the object He doth great things Some men with a great deal of paines doe nothing and others with a great deal of art doe a thing of nothing a trifle a toy a meere fancy at least some mean or inferiour work takes up their time skill and study But when God goes to work we may expect a noble work He doth great things The works of GOD answer the stile or Attributes of God He is a great God and His are great works The works of God speak a God And here are foure things spoken in this one verse of the works of God which speak aloud This is the finger of God I will first bundle them together and then both take and weigh them asunder He doth First Great things Secondly Vnsearchable Thirdly Wonderfull Fourthly Innumerable or without number No works of man or Angel are capable of such a foure-fold stampe as this no nor any one work of all the creatures put together could ever be stamped with any one of these characters in any comparison with the works of God Some in a sense have done great things but none have done things unsearchable Man may fathome the works of man his closest wayes are not past finding out As there was never any thing made so strong by the strength of man but there was some other strength in man that could match yea overthrow it so there was never any thing so wisely so artificially or mysteriously contrived by the skill knowledge and deepest understanding of a man but that the skill knowledge and understanding of another man hath or might have ridled and searcht it out The works of most men are wrought above ground and their intentions flote and swimme upon the face of their actions And although some as the Prophet speakes Isa 29. worke deepe to hide their counsels as they hope not only from men but from God yet God gives other men a light to discover the very lowest hell of those counsels even all the depths of Satan The master-Engineere of those mines and subterranean contrivances Further Though some men doe that which makes other men especialy fooles or men weake in knowledge wonder yet no Thaumaturgas or wonder-worker ever did that which makes all men wonder Or if it should be granted that any have done things great unsearchable wonderfull yet I am sure none have done these things without number one great unsearchable wonderfull work is taske enough for one mans life And a little skill in numbers will serve the turne to cast up and give us the totall summe and number of all the works of all men which deservedly beare as mans may the title and superscription of great unsearchable wonderfull More distinctly First He doth great things There is a greatnes upon every thing God doth The great God leaves as it were the print of his own greatnesse even upon those things which we accont little little works of nature have a greatnesse in them considered as done by God and little works of providence have a greatnesse in them considered as done by God If the thing which God doth be not great in it selfe yet it is great because he doth it As there is no sin of man little in it selfe though comparatively it be because committed against a great God So there is no work of God little though comparitively it be because acted by the great God Further if God doth a thing which in it selfe considered or considered according to the line and rule of the creature is unjust yet because God doth it or commands it to be done his very doing
or commanding stamps justice upon it as is clear in the case of Abrahams call to sacrifice his son and the Israelites carrying away the jewels of the Aegyptians If then the act of God whose will is the supream law makes that lawfull which according to the common rule is unlawfull how much more doth the act of God make that great which in ordinary proportion is accounted small Againe When it is said God doth great things we must not understand it as if God dealt not about little things or as if he let the small matters of the world passe and did not meddle with them Great in this place is not exclusive of Little for he doth not onely great but small even the smallest things The Heathens said their Jupiter had no leisure to be present at the doing of small Non vacat exignis rebus adesse Jovi things or it did not become him to attend them God attendeth the doing of small things and it is his honour to doe so the falling of a Sparrow to the ground is one of the smallest things that is yet that is not without the providence of God the haires of our head are small things yet as not too many so not too small for the great God to take notice of Christ assures us this The very haires of your head are all numbred Mat. 10. 29 30. We ought highly to adore and reverence the power and inspection of God about the lowest the meanest things and actions Is it not with the great God as with great men or as it was with that great man Moses who had such a burthen of businesse in the government of that people upon his shoulders that he could not bear it therefore his Father in law adviseth him to call in the aide of others and divide the work But how The great matters the weighty and knotty controversies must be brought to Moses but the petty differences and lesser causes are transmitted and handed over to inferiour judges And it shall be that every great matter they shall bring unto thee but every small matter they shall judge Exod. 18. 22. But God the great Judge of Heaven and earth hath not onely the great and weighty but small matters brought unto him the least motions of the creature are heard and resolved disposed and guided by his wisdome and power You will say What is this greatnesse and what are these great things I shall hint an answer to both for the clearing of the words There is a two-fold greatnesse upon the works of God There is so we may distinguish First the greatnesse of quantity Secondly the greatnesse of quality or vertue That work of God which is greatest in the bulk or quantity of it is the work of Creation How spacious huge and mighty a fabrique is Heaven and earth with all things compacted and comprehended in their circumference And in this work so vast for quantity what admirable qualities are every where intermixt Matter and forme power and order quantity and quality are so equally ballanced that no eye can discerne or judgement of man determine which weighes most in this mighty work Yet among these works of God some are called great in regard of quality rather then of quantity As it is said Gen. 1. 16. That God made two great lights the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night Sunne and Moone these are great lights not that there are no lights great but these or that both these are greater then all other heavenly lights for many Stars are greater then the Moon as the doctrine and observation of Astronomers assures us but the lesser of these is great in regard of light and influence excellency and usefulnesse to the world And as to these works of creation so the works of providence are great works When God destroyes great enemies the greatnesse of his work is proclaimed When great Babylon or Babylon the great shall be destroyed the Saints song of triumph shall be Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty just and true are thy wayes thou King of Saints Rev. 15. 3. Great and marvellous works why Because thou hast destroyed great Babylon and hast executed great judgement and powred out great wrath So great works of mercy and deliverance to his people are cryed up with admiration And hath given us such a deliverance as this saith Ezra Chap. 9. 13. when the Jewes returned from their captivity out of Babylon That mercy was a kind of miracle that deliverance a wonder and therefore he mentions it in termes of admiration Such deliverance as this How great So great that he had neither words to express nor example to paralell it but lets it stand nakedly by it selfe in its native glory Such deliverance as this The Spirituall works of God are yet far greater the work of redemption is called a great salvation the conversion and justification of a sinner the pardon of our sinnes and the purifying of our nature are works as high above creation and providence as the Heavens are in comparison of the earth Take two or three Corolaries or Deductions from hence As first It is the property of God to doe great things And because it is his property he can as easily doe great things as small things Among men Great spirits count nothing great A great spirit swallowes and overcomes all difficulties Much more is it so with the great God who is a Spirit all Spirit and the father of spirits To the great God there is nothing great He can as easily doe the greatest as the least 1 Sam 14. 6. 2 Chron. 14. There Animo magâ—â— nihil magnum is no restraint to the Lord to save with few or by many or it is nothing with thee to help whether with many or with them that have no power It is not so much as the dust of the ballance with God to turne the scale of victory in battell whether there be more or lesse Seeing all Nations before him are but as the dust of the ballance as nothing yea lesse then nothing So that whether you put him upon any great work or small work you put the Lord to no more stresse to no more paines in the one then in the other for he doth great things and to doe them is his property not his study his nature not his labour He needs not make provisions or preparations for what he would have done the same act by which he wills the doing of a thing doth it if he wills What great things hath the Lord done in our dayes We may say as the Virgin Luke 1. 49. He that is Mighty hath done to us great things and Holy is his Name and as they Acts 2. 11. We have both heard and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Magnalia Dei seen the great things of God done amongst us and I believe greater things are yet to be done It was a great work at the beginning
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
shortly will not be at all Hence some render the words thus Their hands cannot performe their wisedome that is they cannot bring to passe that enterprise which they had determined and layd as themselves conceived with so much wisedome and strength of reason Mr Broughton to the same sense Their hands brings nothing soundly to passe And the Chaldee exemplifies it in the Egyptians before mentioned who as the holy story informes us could not effect that which they had consulted with those depths of policie and principles of sinfull wisdome The destruction of the children of Israel Here then we may observe First That The wisdome of naturall men is nothing but craft or wit to doe wickedly The Prophet Jeremie gives us this character of them They are wise to doe evill Jer. 4. 22. And to be wise to doe evill is very ill wisedome the worst wisedome indeed meere folly better be a foole than to be but so wise And these have it from their father it dwels and is derived in their blood They are the seed of the Serpent as was toucht before and his subtilty was made the instrument of the greatest evill the tainting of that first created innocencie and the overthrow of man Now they are called the serpents seed because they are like the Serpent the Serpent was the subtillest of all the beasts of the field and these as Christ speakes of the men of the world are wiser in their generation than the children of light yet is but in their generation and their wisdome lasteth but for their generation if it last so long Elymas Acts 13. 10. being charged to be full of all subtilty and mischiefe is called at the next word child of the Devill Subtill to doe mischiefe is the Genius or disposition of the Devils children and they shall have the serpents the Devils portion For as the serpent who was once the subtillest of all the beast of the field applying his subtilty to mischiefe became the most cursed of of all the beasts of the field so they who are thus the subtillest among the children of men shall be the most cursed of all the children of men Jer. 18. 18. we find crafty men in consultation and under a curse Come say they let us devise a device against Jeremiah and let us smite him with the tongue Let us devise devices it is the same word in the text but doubled for greater emphasis These were their craftimasters To devise devices notes more then ordinary skill in that black art as to work a work Joh. 6. 28. notes great industry and intention of the mind in working Some play their works rather then work their works I must worke the workes of him that sent me saith our Lord Christ Joh. 9. 4. None ever laboured as Christ laboured therefore his was working a worke As I say to worke a worke notes great industry in working so to devise a device implies much cunning and skill laid out in devising Now as these men would be witty above others in devising evill so they are cursed above others in bearing evill The Prophet gives them their load ver 21 22. Therefore deliver up their children to the famine and powre out their blood by the force of the sword and let their wives be bereaved c. And it is most just that they should be deepest in the curse who are deepest in such craft for the truth is that Every sinfull act the more skill there is in it the more sinne there is in it it is best to be a dullhead a very bungler in doing mischiefe Wit commends and sets off other things bue it makes sin the more sinfull and deformed Secondly observe That Satan makes use of subtle crafty men and abuseth their parts for his own purposes He disappointeth the devices of the crafty God never disappointeth those whom he sets aworke If God disappoints the devices of men these devices were not of God Satan sets those aworke whose work God spoiles The Lord loves to breake Satans engines tooles and instruments Christ came to destroy the works of the Devill both his works within us and his workes against us All Satans works and workmen shall rue it when Christ pleases And here we see whom Satan sets aworke even men of the finest wits of the most reaching braines of the decepest judgements and richest endowments these he draweth in to his pay and makes serviceable for his ends that 's Satans designe such as are amongst men as the serpent amongst the beasts the most subtill of all these Satan makes use of The deepe policie of an Achitophel the Great Oracle of his times for counsell he desires to improve against a David The high parts and learning of a Julian he desires to improve and boyle up against the Christians such a one will not only Fire and sword but set hard to jeere and wit them out of the profession of the Gospell And it is observable that the seeds of the greatest heresies and errours that ever poyson'd the spirit of man or vext the Church of God have been sowne in that ranke soyle the wits of Philosophers Which gave Tertullian occasion to call Philosophers The Philosophi haereticorum Patriarchae Tert. Patriarkes of Heretickes or The Patrons of Heresies They were men of high conceits and apprehensions and in those fertile and rich grounds Satan with great successe cast the tares of errour When Christ came into the world he had most opposition among the craftie Scribes and Pharisees And Herod the Fox as Christ himselfe calls him for his subtilty was a notorious instrument of Satan to hinder the receiving of Christ Our Lord Christ sometimes chuseth the simplest the meanest the plainest men fishermen to do his worke But Satan chuseth the subtilest he can find in learned Throngs to send of his errand The reason of this difference betweene Christs choise and Satans is Satan cannot make a Mercury out ef every block he is not able to give a man understanding wisedome or abilities for his worke neither can he increase or improve any mans parts and gifts he must have instruments ready to his hand he can but put them forward and tempt them on He will give such as are strong and craftie many motives to serve him but he cannot furnish them with strength or craft to serve him But Christ can give gifts to men which they have not and raise the parts which they have He can make himself a Mercury a messenger out of any blocke Christ can send a foole of his errand and cause him to doe it wisely He can cause the stammering tongue to speake plaine and the plainest man to speake the highest Rhetorick When a Moses complaines of a slow tongue he can say I will be with thy mouth and teach thee what thou shalt say Exod. 4. 12. If he finds us not fit to doe his businesse he can make us fit If Christ please he can make a man master of his trade before
world that the losse of a world is not discerned in their estate and worldly gaines are not often discerneable in their estates therefore though in Christ they are heires of all things and all is theirs yet their ranke and titles are among the poore Fifthly observe They are poore ones yet what devising and plotting is here against them Crafty counsels drawne swords envenom'd tongues strong hands lifted up Against whom are all these Against the poore Note thence That Wicked men plot against the people of God how poore and low soever they be As David said unto Saul 1 Sam. 24. 14. After whom is the Facis quod est tanto rege indignum dum me tenuissimum tanto comiâ—atu persequeris Jun. in loc King of Israel come out after a dead dog after a flea As if he had said whom dost thou pursue thou doest that which is unworthy and much below so great a King wilt thou set thy strength against my weaknesse Why dost thou arme against him by whose conquest thou canst get no honour Alas I am but a poore man a meane subject no match for thee I wonder you trouble your selfe so much in following or opposing me I am in comparison but as a dead-dog or as a flea A dead dog cannot bite or if I bite it is but a flea-bite A dead dog can doe no hurt and a living flea can doe but little The people of God as such never have any will to doe wrong and it is seldome that they have any power to doe wrong and yet the world is all up in pursuit against them What 's the reason of it what 's the matter The truth is how poore and low soever they are yet there is an eye of jealousie awake upon them The world looks upon them as a suspected party the world hath secret misgivings that one time or other they must rise upon their ruines and therefore they will keepe them downe yes that they will as long as they can What a distance was there between Haman and Mordecai the one sate in the gate and the other stood at the Kings elbow and had his eare yea and his signet upon the matter at his command yet this Haman must needs oppresse Mordecai because he would not bow Haman had a jealous eye upon him he was a suspected person Though he could not reach Haman yet Haman fear'd he might undermine him Againe there is a continuall Antipathy between the two seeds and Antipathy is incureable To oppose the godly is not so much the disease as the nature of wicked men And we know antipathies are against the whole kind revenge against this or that individuall is no ease to it Antipathy is not spent but in the consumption of the whole kind It is not this or that sheepe which the wolfe hates but every sheepe fat or leane shorn or unshorne that 's all one to the wolfe he will suck the blood of a sheepe that hath not a lâ—ck of wool upon his back as greedily as if that sheepe had a golden fleece Let a godly man be poore or rich low or high their sword shall be unsheath'd and their mouth open'd against him the old hatred and quarrell is against all Haman thought scorne to lay hands on Mordecay alone wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jewes Hest 3. 6. He hated those whom he never saw those who had never wrong'd him haply had bowed unto him yet because Jewes dye they must Sixthly observe But he saveth the poore God delights to help the poore He loves to take part with the best though the weakest side Contrary to the course of most who when a controversie arises use to stand in a kind of indifferency or neutrality till they see which part is strongest not which is justest Now if there be any consideration besides the cause that draws or engages God it is the weaknesse of the side He joynes with many because they are weake not with any because they are strong therefore Psa 10. 14. 18 Hos 14. 3. he is called the helper of the friendlesse and with him the fatherlesse the orphans finde mercy By fatherlesse we are not to understand such only whose parents are dead but any one that iâ— in distresse as Christ promiseth his Disciples Joh. 14. 18. I will not leave you orphans that is helplesse and as we translate comfortlesse though ye are as children without a father yet I will be a father to you Men are often like those clouds which dissolve into the sea they send presents to the rich and assist the strong but God sends his raine upon the dry land and lends his strength to those who are weake This poore man cryed and the Psal 34 6. Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles Forget not the Congregation of thy poore for ever The truth is he never Psal 7. 4. 19. firgets them They are graven upon the palmes of his hands such poore are his treasure his Jewels as the signet upon his right hand Therefore alwayes in his eye yea alwayes in his heart though they lye in the dirt or be trodden under foot like mire in the streets The Prophet makes this report to God of himselfe Isa 25. 4. Thou hast been a strength to the poore a strength to the needy in his distresse a refuge from the storme c. Thus farre Eliphaz hath given instance of the great marvellous and unsearchable works of God in a double reference First to wicked crafty oppressors Secondly to poore helplesse innocents He shuts up this narration with a double effect of these works upon those two sorts of men First shewing what effect they produce in the poore namely hope Secondly what in the wicked namely shame and confusion of face Vers 16. So the poore hath hope and iniquity stoppeth her mouth Here is the conclusion or result of all the Epiphonema or exulting close in which Eliphaz perfects the story of those admirable works of judgement and of mercy So the poore hath hope c. This Originall word for poore varies from the former though a radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exhaustus de humo repropriè per metaphoruÌ„ de viâ—ibus corporis opibus attenuatus tenuis fortunae homo the persons and their estate be the same That word noted them full of desire and this which is the cause of it empty of comforts Properly it signifies one that is exhausted or drawn dry Poore persons are exhausted persons exhausted of their strength exhausted of their estates exhausted of friends and credit in the world It is a metaphor taken from rivers ponds or pooles that are drawn dry when we would take the fish or take away the defence which they give to forts or Cities Isa 19. 6. And they shall turne the rivers farre away and the Brookes of defence shall be emptied and dried up which also enlightens that text Isa 33. 21. Where the righteous Lord will be
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
a vineyard to hirelings who wrought for a penny a day and at night they had every one their pay It is so in reference to the whole course of this life we are hirelings in the evening we shall have our penny verily There is a reward for the righteous their labour is not in vain in the Lord 1 Cor. 15. And as the righteous have a reward so the wicked shall have wages Satans hirelings shall have full pay though no content for all their works The wages of sin is death there 's pay such as it is woefull pay a black penny The daies of man are as the daies of an hireling there is an issue a reward for every work Fourthly note from the Metaphor while an hireling is doing his masters work he doth his owne too that is his owne profit comes in by those acts in which he labours for another It is thus also in the generall state of man above all Christs servants and hirelings gaine by the duties of obedience they performe to Christ their own profit comes in with his honour A godly man cannot doe a stroake of worke for God but he works for himself too the servants of God must not be self-seekers and self-workers they may not make themselves their end but as it is with an hireling let him be never so upright hearted toward the master he serves let him lay self by in all he doth yet he hath a share of profit in all his labors God hath so espoused and married his owne glory and the good of man together that whosoever really promotes the one promotes both It is so likewise with those who work the works of darknesse and doe the lusts of the devill While his slaves are doing his worke they are gaining towards destruction and their owne wages encreases daily they are treasuring up wrath and judgement against the day of wrath As the measure of their sinne fils so doth the measure of their punishment Thus also the daies of man are as the daies of an hireling There are two generall observations which I shall but name because they will occurre again 1. The life of man it is short As the daies of an hireling The servant doth not abide in the hous for ever a hireling is but for a time And it is good for a man that it is so some complaine exceeding much because their lives are so exceeding little But let them weigh it well and they shall see cause to rejoyce much because they live so little In some respect it is good for wicked men that their lives are so short if their lives were longer they would be wickeder and so heaping up more sin they would heap up more wrath against themselves And it is very well for the Saints that their lives are so short Their corruptions temptations their weaknesses and infirmities their troubles and afflictions are so many that it is well their dayes are so few If they should have length of life added to heaps of sorrows and perpetuity with outward misery how miserable were they Christ promises it as a point of favour to his that the days of trouble should be shortned Except those dayes should be shortned no flesh should be saved that is kept or preserved alive in those tribulations but for the Elects sakes those dayes shall be shortned Mat. 24. 22. It is a favour also to the Saints that their particular dayes are shortned that their's are but as the dayes of an hireling for as much as their present dayes are dayes of trouble and travel The dayes of the best are so full of evil that it is good they are no fuller of dayes And further it is good they are so evil or full of trouble It is well for wicked men that their dayes are full of trouble the sweeter their lives are to them the sinfuller they are against God Their outward comforts are but fewel and incouragement to their lusts and while their lives are calm and quiet they do but saile more quietly down into that dead sea of everlasting misery And the Saints have this advantage by the troublesomenesse of their lives to be kept in continual exercise and more dependance upon God they would love the world too well and delight in the creature too much if God did not put bitternesse into their cup. Job having thus shadowed the state of man seems to make out his intendment or scope thus There is no reason why I should be charged so deeply for desiring death For what is the life of man Is it not a life full of travel and of trouble full of dangers and temptations is not the time of his life short and set Is it not a speedy passing time and yet a firmly appointed time Why then should not I think the period of my life to be at hand Why should not I think my appointed time is come Forasmuch as I have so many evidences and symptoms of death before me and have heard so many messages and summons to the grave Death sits upon Plurima mortis imago my lips ready to come in while I am speaking Death hath taken possession of me already and seiz'd my port death is in my face I am the very picture of death and images of death stand round about me Therefore Eliphaz why should I not call to have my daies summed up that I may see the end and summe of these troubles Or wherefore wouldest thou stay my complaint against my life or stop my desire of death by giving me hopes of many daies and of a flourishing estate in this world That 's his first argument from the general condition of mankind Now he proceeds to consider somewhat more special in that condition Verse 2. As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow and as an hireling looketh for the reward of his work Verse 3. So am I made to possesse months of vanity and wearisom nights are appointed to me As a servant earnestly desireth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Traxit aerem ad os per Metaphoram inbiavit ardentur cupiit qui enim vehementer aeliquid cupiunt prae desiderii expectationis magnitudine ad os rem trabunt seu frequentiùs respirant To desire earnestly is but one word in the original it is so full of sence that we cannot empty it into any one word in our language The letter is As a servant breaths after the shadow And because a man that hath an earnest longing desire for a thing pants breaths and gasps after it therefore that word which signifies to gape and draw in the air pantingly signifies also to desire or to desire earnestly As a servant earnstly desireth The shadow Some understand it of the night when the servant comes to rest himself after his labour all the day Night is but a great shadow Secondly We may take it for the shadow of the day A servant that is heated in labour abroad in the open field earnestly desires a
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.
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
is to be crushed or cast in judgement for The gate was the place of old where justice was Inportis judicia exercebantur Merc. administred and judgement given and for a man to be crushed in the gate is as much as for a man to be overthrowne in his sure when he hath any controversie or tryall before a Judge whether for his estate or for his life So this phrase They are crushed in the gate implies that all businesses shall goe against them if they have any controversie in law or if they be charged with any crime they shall certainly be condemned I need not stay to prove that judgement was given in the gate onely take a few texts First in this booke Chap. 29. 7. Job describes his owne prosperity thus When I went out to the gate that is to sit in judgement And Chap. 31. v. 21. the word is used in the like sense So Gen. 23. 17. Chap. 34. 20. Ruth 4. 1. Isa 29. 11. Those words of the curse Psal 109. 7. when he is judged let him be condemned are the full Exposition of this They are crushed in the gate Ne agricola litis causa veniens civitatis frequentia novo terreretur conspectu nec uâ—bi habitator longè ab urbi properaret subvectionem quaereret jumen torum Jerom in Amos c. 5. v. 10. And the reason given by one of the Ancients why justice was usually administred in the gate is the accommodation and convenience both of strangers and Citizens For strangers who lived far off in the country that they might have justice before they entred into the city whose pompe and throngs of people might possibly occasion either some terrour or diversion in the minds of poore country-men And then likewise that the Inhabitants of the City might not be either charged or tired with long journies into the country To which we may adde that judgement was therefore administred in the gate because gates are places through which all passe in and out and therefore the declaring of judgement there was the making of it more publike that all might take notice of what passed in such and such cases as the sentence and resolution of the Judges Neither is there any to deliver them This is the third degree of evill falling upon the foolish mans children Though a man be brought to and cast in judgement yet An summis malis reminem habebunt asseâ—toâ—è Ve injusti conâ—unâ—ibuntur contundebuntur in judi iopubâ—iâ—e coâ—am tribunaâ—ibus he may have a friend to help and deliver him but these shall have no help none to speak a good word for them none to mediate either for reprieve or pardon Some give the sense thus His children shall neither finde a Judge to give a favourable sentence nor an Advocate to pleade for them and make the best of their cause This also answers another part of the curse Psa 109. 12. Let there be none to extend mercy to him neither let there be any to favour his fatherlesse children None shall be found either able or willing to rescue or pluck them out of the hand of danger Hence observe first That a wicked man and his children are often wrapt up in the same destruction I cursed his habitation and his children are far from safety they are crushed in the gate A godly man is a defence for his children Liberi parenâ—uÌ„ poenis saepe implicantur It is a great blessing to be born of holy parents and it is a curse to be borne of oppressing wicked parents As the blessing of God descends from the father upon the children so the curse of God many times descends from the father upon the children and they inherit their judgements as well as their lands Though the justice and goodnesse of God will make that Proverbe cease in all the families of the world for ever which was once taken up by the Jews Ezek. 18. 2. The Fathers have eaten sowre grapes and the childrens teeth are set on edge The Naturalists observe and experience teacheth that when a man eats very sowre grapes and so makes a sowre face another standing by is affected with a sympathy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicatur a philosophis Aristot Sect â— prob quest 5. and his teeth are set an edge or pained with the very sight or grating of anothers teeth though himselfe taste not the grape The present Jewes thought themselves but bare lookers on upon their fathers sin and yet they suffered But the Lord found the sowre grapes in their mouths also or them risen up in their fathers stead an increase of sinfull men to fill up the fierce wrath of the Lord against them Now I say though the Lord will make that proverbe cease in their sence For no child is punished meerely in contemplation of his fathers sin Yet when a sonne is wicked the wickednesse of a father whether immediate or further off may come in remembrance against him and at once aggravate his sin and encrease his sorrow Secondly note this from it Whom God will destroy no creature shall be found able to deliver out of his hands God can take away the help and stop up the pity of all creatures None shall deliver them And though themselves should endeavour to escape they shall not escape Amos 9. 1. They that flie shall not flie away and they that escape shall not be delivered that is by endeavouring to escape they shall not be delivered they shall attempt it in vaine If God will not deliver none can If a Lot be taken prisoner He bids Abraham arme and rescue him If a Paul be in the mouth of a Lyon the Lord will deliver him It needs not trouble us who is our enemy if God will be our deliverer nor can it availe what friends so ever we have if God saith ye shall not be delivered A wicked man when the Lord appeares against him either hath none to deliver him or none shall Salvation is farre from the wicked for they keep not thy statutes Ps 119. 155. From the children judgement proceeds to the estate of this wicked man Verse 5. Whose harvest the hungry eateth up and fetcheth it even out of the thornes and the robber spoyleth all his substance Whose harvest the hungry eateth up By his Harvest we are to understand not only the return of that which he hath sown as corn and other fruits of the earth but all the goods or provisions which he hath gathered or laid up for his Messis nomine parata bona omnia toâ—elligitur condenda reponenda in annos plurimot support and accommodation A mans harvest is the improvement of his whole estate And this mans harvest is all he hath gotten by right or wrong by industry or by injury by sweat or by deceit by secret practises or open violences To eat up a harvest is as much as to devoure a house with which Christ charges the hungry Scribes and Pharisees