upon as evill doers when we have done nothing for the matter but our duty and that in the manner according to rule Thus when Paul had justified himselfe by denying the evill which Tertullus accused him of Acts 24.12 13. he presently justified himselfe also in what he had done well though his enemies judged it evill ver 14. But this I confesse that after the way which they call heresie so worship I the God of my fathers beleeving all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets This selfe-justification is often very needfull For as there are some who call evill good so there are others who call good evill and make that a mans fault which is his commendation It was accounted a crime by some of old to be lesse vitious then others and it is accounted a crime by some at this day to be more vertuous then others to be more holy more exact more wisely precise and circumspect in our wayes then others many interpret folly and stamp with madnesse 2 Corinth 5.13 Paul was thought beside himselfe a meere Fanatick in his high actings for Jesus Christ when our actions are thus mis-represented and put under such disguises every good man is obliged to doe himselfe right For as we may honestly accuse others and declare the evill that we know they have done when called to it so we may speak out and declare the good we have done maintaine that to be good if it be good which we have done though many call it evill when called to it Thus a man may stand upon his termes with all men and yet be humble and deeply sensible of his owne sinfullnesse and vilenesse before God Paul saw nothing upon the matter but sin in himselfe Rom. 7.14 24. When I would doe good evill is present with me O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death That is of sin as 't is called Rom. 6.6 Thus he spake when he had to doe with God But when he had to doe with men when he saw himselfe called to answer the accusations and wipe off the aspersions which the enemies of the Gospel cast upon him 1 Corinth 4.4 then he saith I know nothing that is no evill by my selfe Paul was very conscious of his naturall infirmity yet very confident of his spirituall integrity And therefore when he saw the Glory of God was like to be obscured through his abasement and to be ecclipsed by the shadowes and darknesse which men cast upon his Ministery then he tooke due honour to himselfe and made the most of himselfe according to truth in the eyes of all the world Thus I have shewed what justifying of our selves is lawfull and I have done it that we may more clearely discerne what I am to shew next or Secondly Namely what that justifying of our selves is which indeed is unlawfull reprovable and blame-worthy I shall instance it in a few particulars First They justifie themselves sinfully who doe good with a desire to be seene and applauded of men for it thus Christ charged the Pharisees Math 6.5 They pray standing in the Synagogues and in the corners of the streets that they may be seene of men and ver 16. They disfigure their faces that they may appeare unto men to fast It is not a sin to be seene of men in doing good but to doe good to be seene of men is sinfull and the patching up of a selfe-justification Secondly They justifie themselves sinfully who would pretend or seeme to have done that good which indeed they have not There is as much of this hypocrisie lodging and working now in the hearts of the children of men as was of old in the heart of Saul 1 Sam 15.13 14. to the 22d verse who professed highly to have fulfilled the will of God to a haires breadth Blessed be thou of the Lord said he to Samuel I have performed the commandment of the Lord Thus he insisted upon his integrity and justified himselfe to the face of Samuel who quickly convinced him that he had done the Lords worke to halves Thirdly They justifie themselves sinfully who either totally deny or extenuate and lessen the evill that they have done this kinde of sinfull selfe-justification was opened largely at the 33d verse of the former Chapter upon that imprecation made by Job If I covered my transgression as Adam by hiding mine iniquity in my bosome I referre the Reader thither for a fuller discovery of it Fourthly They justifie themselves sinfully who mingle their owne workes with the workes or righteousnesse of Jesus Christ for justification for though such pretend to Christ and say they take up Christ and his righteousnesse for justification yet it will be found a selfe-justification only seeing unlesse Christ justifie us wholly he justifieth us not at all As the Apostle concludes Galat 5.4 Christ is become of no effect unto you whosoever of you are justified by the Law ye are fallen from grace That is yee who mingle your workes with Grace are not justified by Grace but which will be unlesse repented of your condemnation by your workes Lastly They justifie themselves sinfully who say they are justified by Christ from their sins while they continue in their sins and hold fast their iniquities For as they that mingle their owne good workes with the righteousnesse of Christ are selfe-justifiers so also are they that take hold of the righteousnesse of Christ while they will not let goe nor part with their evill workes To looke for justification while we continue in the love and practise of any knowne sin and unrighteousnesse is as sinfull as to expect justification by our owne righteousnesse Object But doth not the Scripture say that God justifieth the ungodly Rom. 4.5 I answer Though God justifieth the ungodly yet the justified are not ungodly God justifieth the ungodly and makes them holy by the grace of sanctification as well as righteous by the grace of justification righteousnesse of life is alwayes the fruit of righteousnesse by faith Therefore if any man continuing in any knowne sin saith he is justified he hath justified himselfe for none doe so who are justified of God O how deeply are they condemned by God who thus justifie themselves Nothing is more desirable then to be justified by God and nothing is more dangerous then to justifie our selves either by our owne righteousnesse or in our unrighteousnesse Now as to justifie our selves any of these wayes is exceeding sinfull before God so to justifie our selves any way layeth us open or obnoxious to the censures of men And that 's the reason why this holy man Job was so deeply censured For though he justified not himselfe in any of those sences which are are sinfull yet he did some way justifie himselfe and while he justified himselfe only as he might he was condemned as having justified himselfe in a way which he might not We had need be very cautious how we any way or
Psalmes The 32d Psalme as also the 42d Psalme is called Maschil as much as to say a teaching or an instructing Psalme a Psalme giving understanding and requiring deep and serious consideration Thus in the text they would not consider nor understand nor know nor contemplate any of his wayes The Hebrew is all his wayes that is none at all of them The wayes of God in Scripture are taken in a two-fold notion First for those wherein he would have us walk such are the wayes of his commandements they are called the wayes of God because he directs us to walke in them A holy life consists in our walking with God and we cannot walke with God any further or any longer then we keep in the wayes of his commandements It is sayd of the children of Israel after the death of Joshua Judg 2.17 they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in obeying the commandements of the Lord but they did not so To obey the commandements is to walke in the way of them Taking the wayes of God in this sence when Elihu saith They would not consider any of his wayes his meaning is they did not intend nor had any heart to set themselves to learne the mind of God revealed in his word concerning their duty or what they ought to doe they know not the wayes of God practically The word properly denotes the wisdome and prudence which stayeth not in notion but proceeds to action These men lived as if they had never heard of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad prudentiam sapientiam practicam rerum agendarum pertinet at least never understood the Law of God which is the rule of life They considered not the wayes of God to walke in them as Moses exhorted the people of Israel Deut 29.9 Keep therefore the words of this covenant to doe them Secondly The wayes of God are those wherein himself walketh the works of God are the wayes of God the works of his providence either in mercy or in judgement either in doing good or in doing evil that is poenal evil these are the wayes of God in these God shewes himself as in a way in these he goeth forth in his power and goodness in his mercy and justice All these divine glories and perfections are discovered in the works of God Thus David is to be understood when he saith Psal 25.10 All the wayes of God are mercy and truth to them that fear him and keep his Covenant that is all the providential works of God are mercy and truth though all of them are not mercy in the matter or precisely taken as works done though none of them are mercy respecting some persons to whom they are done for many of them are materially chastisements afflictions and crosses to good men and all of them are wrath and judgement to evil and impenitently wicked men yet they are all mercy in the issue or result of them to good men or to those who fear God and keep his covenants For whether he do good or whether he do evil whether he wounds or whether he heals all these providential wayes of God are as truth in themselves so mercy to his people or as the Apostle concludes Rom. 8.28 They work together for good to them that love God and are the called according to his purpose In both these sences we may expound this Text They would not consider any of his wayes that is they would neither consider the Lawes of God which were the way wherein they should walk towards him nor would they consider the works of God which are the wayes wherein himself walketh towards them This was the spirit of that evil generation intended in this Scripture they had not much understanding in and less consideration of the wayes of God Hence first we may take notice Elihu doth not say they did not consider his wayes but they would not It was not so much an act of carelesness and negligence as of contempt and rebellious resolution Hence Observe Evil men have no will to consider or understand the good wayes of God yea their will is against such an understanding A natural man liketh not to retain God in his knowledge Rom. 1.28 Now he that doth not like to retain God in his knowledge or had rather think of any thing then of God he can never while such like to retain the wayes of God in his knowledge he that layeth God out of his thoughts will much more lay the law of God out of his thoughts The natural man hath not only a blindness in his minde which hinders him from discerning the things of God they being discernable only by a spiritual eye but he hath an obstinacy in his Will or he hath not only an inability to know but an enmity against the knowledge of that which is spiritual He shuts his eyes and draws a curtain between himself and the light which is ready to dart in upon him away with this light saith he Thus he rebelleth against the light and as his understanding is dark so his affections are corrupt Solomon gives us all this in the expostulations of wisdome with wicked men Prov. 1.20 21 22. Wisdome cryeth c. How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity and the scorners delight in their scorning and fools hate knowledge That which a man hateth he hath no will no minde to know An impotency or inability unto God argues a very sad condition but a rebellion a frowardness a wilfulness against it demonstrates a condition much more sad not to know because we have no means of knowledge will make us miserable enough but not to know because unwilling to receive or because wilfully set against the means of knowledge renders any mans condition most miserable Such were these in the Text They would not consider any of his wayes Secondly Elihu saith not they did not know any of his wayes or they knew not which way to go but they would not consider them There is no man but knowes some yea many of the ways of God that is of those wayes wherein God would have him to walk these wayes of God are written in the heart by nature there is an impression of the Will of God upon every soul though not such an impression or writing as grace maketh there that 's another kinde or manner of work for when once through grace the Law of God is written in and impressed upon the heart then the heart is suited to the Law yea the heart is not only conformed unto but transformed into the Law of God whereas by nature the Law is written only so far as to give us the knowledge of the Law and a conviction of that duty or conformity which we owe to it The men here intended by Elihu knew the Law or wayes of God by the light of a natural conscience but not by the light of a renewed conscience and therefore they would not consider any of his wayes
hath convinced Job That is ye have not proved what ye have sayd Ye have called him an hypocrite and told him that he hath oppressed the poore and detained the right of the fatherless But ye have proved none of these evills against him Ye have not proved the matter of fact that he might sit downe penitentially confessing himselfe such an offender as ye have accused him to be Hence note We can never convince another by what we say untill we prove what we say If we reprove any man for an errour in his judgement and doe not prove it to be an errour or if we reprove a man for sin in practice and doe not prove his practice sinfull or that he hath practised that sin no conviction follows What is sayd and not proved comes to the eare only not to the conscience Therefore saith Christ John 8.46 Which of you convinceth me of sin Find a spot in my life if you can I know you are ready to slander me with but you cannot convince me of evill It is sayd of Apollos Acts 18.28 He mightily convinced the Jewes How did he convince them not by reproving them only for not receiving the Messias he did not barely tell them ye are a company of unbelievers but he reproved them by proving the necessity of their receiving Christ the Messias and the evill of rejecting him shewing by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ Here was proofe and so conviction followed He convinced them by authority by the testimony of the word comparing Scripture with Scripture the prophesie with the history of Christ The Apostle would have the Ministers of the Gospel mighty at this worke Tit 1.8 They must hold fast the faithfull word that they may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gain-sayers Not only must they be able to rebuke gain-sayers this will not doe it they must also convince them or stop their mouths James 2.9 If any of you have respect to persons ye commit sin and are convinced of the Law as transgressours How doth the Law convince Not only by reproving but by proving It shews us a rule and saith there you have departed from it here is the line and there ye have transgressed or gone over it Thus ye are convinced that ye are transgressors He is both wise and faithfull he doth his worke like a workman that needeth not be ashamed who not only gives reproofe but proofe either of error in judgement or of evill in practise For the close of this poynt I may shew you three great convincers First The holy Spirit of God This office of the Spirit Christ sets forth John 16.7 I will send the Comforter and when he is come what shall he doe He will convince the world of sin and of righteousness and of Judgement That is he will bring proofe home to the conscience to shew sinners their evill state and evill lives He will also bring home to their spirits the alsufficiency of the righteousness of Jesus Christ and so overcome their unbeliefe that they shall nor be able to refuse the offers of grace He will likewise shew them such reasons why they ought to be holy and walke in the wayes of righteousness that they shall neither have power nor will to gain-say The second great convincer is Conscience They who were so forward to accuse the woman taken in adultery John 8.9 were at last convicted by their owne Conscience and went out one by one Their conscience told them they were guilty if not for that sin yet of other sins as bad as that They were so far before from judging themselves for that they tooke no notice of their owne faults they were severe against the woman but they flattered themselves till Christ made their owne consciences their convincers And surely conscience will one time or other convince to purpose They who have refused or outstood conviction by the word yea and put by the motions of the Spirit shall at last find conscience convincing and speaking home to them The third great Convincer is Jesus Christ in person Of him in the performance of this office the Apostle speakes clearely Jude v 15. Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his Saints And what comes he to doe To execute judgement upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him Christ will make the greatest of ungodly ones in that great day to acknowledge that all their hard speeches which they have spoken against the Saints or godly men were spoken against him When prophane men are among their wicked companions they can jeare at the godly professors of the name of Christ even while they pretend to honour Christ But Christ will make them see that they scoâ—ned him while they scorned the least of those that feared him and believed on his name The great day will be a day not only of executing Judgement but of conviction every mouth shall be stopped and all the world of wicked men shall become guilty in their owne sight before God These are the three great Convincers The holy Spirit of God the Conscience of every man and Jesus Christ in the judgement of the great day And let those who now undertake that great worke of conviction often remember which was a little before mentioned and set downe the method to be used and observed in it First prove the matter and then reprove the man None were ever wrought to any good by bare reproofe much lesse by force Men are not to be driven into the faith by fire and sword by terrors and imprisonments conviction must doe it and that will doe it to purpose This is the first thing which Elâ—hu blamed and burdened Jobs friends with They reproved him but did not bring sufficient convincing proofe against him There was none of you that convinced Job Secondly He lays this to their charge that They had not answered his words As ye have not proved your owne allegations so ye have not refured nor infirmed his reasons But how could Elihu say They had not answered his words when to every word he spake we find their severall answers Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said The like is said of Zophar the Naamath te They had been answering all the while yet saith Elihu Behold there was none of you that answered his words I shall resolve this doubt by giving this note which was also given upon the 3d verse where see more Vnlesse we answer home to the matter and as we say hit the naile on the head we have given no answer We have not answered unlesse we give a satisfactory answer When the Respondent in Schooles acquits himselfe well The Moderator brings him off honorably saying Thy Answers suffice Jobs friends had been answering long and they made
compounded dust and we shall ere long crumble into dust We are every day going back and shall shortly be gone back to what at first we were These considerations should wither and nip the buddings of selfe-confidence and bring down the height of mans spirit I also am formed out of the clay We may take notice of one thing farther Elihu speaking here of his own naturall formation gives it in this stile I also am formed out of the clay This is a peculiar Scripture-expression or the proper phrase of the holy Ghost not of a heathen Author Poet or Orator They at best had only some rude notions about this mystery of mans originall His formation by the power of God out of the earth Which may enforme us that the Saints and people of God in those elder and darker times were familiarly acquainted with the doctrine of the creation Gentes enim hoc de primi hominis facta a deo plasmatione ex terraformatione mysterium penitùs ignorarunt Bold and knew well how to speake in a Scripture language though they had not then the written word or Scriptures For 't is a question whether these transactions were before the giving of the Law or after However they were versed in Scripture truths and in those formes of speech by which God gave out his minde to their forefathers Here 's Scripture phrase I also am formed out of the clay And therefore Elihu as sencible of anothers frailty by the experience which he had of his own subjoynes this Assurance of his respect to Job's weakness in what he should further say Vers 7. Behold my terror shall not make thee afraid neither shall my hand be heavie upon thee Elihu had given Job much security already that he would deale fairely with him and here he gives him a promise for it As if he had said I give thee my hand I plight thee my truth that my terror shall not make thee afraid nor shall my hand be heavie upon thee Veruntamen miraculum meum te non terreat Vulg The vulgar translation reads my miracles or what I will doe in any strange and unusuall way shall not terrifie thee Indeed miracles haue a kinde of terror in them But we need not put such a straine upon the Text. The word which we translate terror signifies that which is most terrible and dreadfull to man even the Magistrates throne Vox 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 terrorem denotat saepe illum qui in facie regis judicis principis elucet the presence of great Princes of which Solomon saith Pro 20.28 The King sitting upon the throne scattereth all evill with his eyes that is with the terrible looks of Majesty which God hath stampt upon him The Prophet Jer 50.38 useth this word to expresse idols or false Gods by and he câ—lls them so either in a holy scorne O these dumbe idolls which have eyes and see not eares and heare not feete and walke not are doubtlesse very shrewd and terrible things are they not have we not great reason to feare what these doughty Gods will say or doe who can neither say nor doe any thing Thus he might call them in a way of scorne or he calls those Idolls terrible things Jehim from the event because foolish vaine ignorant men did exceedingly feare them or were much terrified by them and God left them to their owne feares and terrors as he spake by the Prophet Isa 66.4 I also will chuse their delusions and bring their feares upon them As if he had said Because they being vainely deluded have chosen to feare that which was not to be feared therefore I also will make this my choyce to bring that upon them which they feared and hoped to avoyd by following and worshipping Idolls or by their Idolatrous worship Now whereas Job was afraid of the terror of the true God Elihu who presented himselfe in Gods stead tells him my terror shall not make thee afraid And we may well conceive that Elihu spake this ironically concerning himselfe for having sayd before I am but a piece of clay surely then my terror cannot make thee afraid What terribleness is there in a piece of clay Terror minimè potest esse in massa luti qualis est omnis homo in a clod of earth What are the most terrible of the sons of men that they should be a terror to us we ought not to trust in the mightiest among men why then should we feare them or what need we feare them Who art thou saith the Prophet Isa 51 1â— 13. that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall dye and of the son of man that shall be made as Grasse and forgettest the Lord thy maker We never feare men unduely till we doe one of or both these things either first forget God who made us or secondly forget of what other men are made I am but a piece of clay saith Elihu what matter of terror can I be to thee I wonder In that Elihu giveth Job such a promise Behold my terror shall not make thee afraid Note Man should shew himselfe faire and meeke to men especially to a man in affliction It is possible for a man though he be but clay as another man is yet to cloath himselfe as it were with terror yea as the neck of the horse is said to be clothed Job 39.19 with thunder He may put on a kinde of dreadfulnesse as a Garment and appeare very formidable to his brother Some men indeed appeare to men as a Wolfe to a poore sheepe or as a Beare and Lyon to a Lamb. Though but clay yet how scaringly doe some men look and Lord it over their brethren they will rore upon them like a Lion and rend them like a Beare clouds and darkness are in their faces and storme sits upon their browes There is a terriblenesse of man to man Thus the holy Prophet Isa 25.2 saith The blast of the terrible one is like a storme against the wall Yea some men are not only dreadfull like savage beasts but like devills they even act or play the devill with their brethren How farre have they departed from their duty and broken all the lawes of love which command us to be as God one to another in kindness in mercy and compassion I grant Magistrates by their place and office are said to be terrible yea a terror but it is to evill doers Rom 13.3 Rulers are not a terror to good workes but to the evill that is not to those whose workes are good but to evill workers And to them they ought to be a terror For they doe not beare the sword in vaine that is to hold it in their hands or let it rust in the scabbard and never strike with it As they are Ministers of God so avengers towards men to execute wrath upon him that doth evill Againe Gospel-Ministers in some cases are to be terrible they may be Boanergesses sons of
affliction which appeared to admiration at the beginning of it The state of grace abideth alwayes 't is not as some affirme loseable 't is not like the best things of this world perishing But though a state of Grace abideth alwayes yet every mans grace if any mans doth not alwayes abide in the same state A true frame of grace shall never be destroyed but the heart of a gracious man doth not alwayes continue in the same frame The heate of grace may be cooled the hight of it abated the strength of it weakned and the beauty of it faded He that a while agoe walked and acted very humbly may upon another temptation act very proudly and walke as if he were above all his brethren He that one while hath acted very self-denyingly may at another time act very self-seekingly He that hath acted very lovingly the very law of love being stamped upon his words and workes may at another time act very unlovely and lovelesly and doe things which are very much beside and below yea contrary to the fulfilling of that royall Law He may be so far from bearing his brothers burden which is the fulfilling of that law of Christ Gal 6.2 that he may be a burden to his brother And while at one time you might have done and spoken almost what you would to him and he could beare it at another time doe what you can or speake what you can he is offended Such changes and varieties are found upon the most gracious frames of spirit which the best of Saints have in this world We have only this to hold to the state of grace is unchangeable and we are waiting for such a frame of grace as shall never change That gracious frame in which the hand of God will set us up in the day of our resurrection to glory shall never change nor decline a haires breadth to all eternity We shall be as pure and as holy and as spirituall and as heavenly and as meeke and as full of the praise of God for ever as ever As full to eternity as in the very first moment in which that glorious frame shall be set up But in this life to how great a degree of grace soever we attaine we seldome retaine the same degree but are flowing and ebbing like the water waxing and waining like the Moone Job was sound striving with God who a little before had so humbly submitted and was so fully resigned unto him Secondly Observe There is a spirit in man very apt to strive with God Doe ye thinke saith the Apostle Jam 4.5 that the Scripture saith in vaine The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envie or as the margin hath it enviously surely no the Scripture doth not speake this in vaine and if any thinke it doth their thoughts are vaine Now as there are lustings in men to envie against their brethren because of the gifts and good things of God which they enjoy so there are lustings in men to discontent against God because of the evills which themselves suffer When God seemes to contend with us we really fall to contending with God The waters of Meribah will be an everlasting winess of this of which Moses sayd Numb 20.13 This is the water of Meribah because the children of Israel strove with the Lord and he was sanctified in them The Apostle doth more then intimate this readiness of man to strive with God while by a vehement expostulation he checks it and reproves all men for it 1 Cor 10.22 Doe we provoke the Lord to jealousie are we stronger then he They presume much upon their strength who are forward to strive they especially who provoke and challenge others to strive with them There is a spirit in man which stouts it with God even to a provocation of strife with him But you will say When may we be sayd to strive with God I answer we doe it these foure wayes First Man striveth with God by disobeying his commands that 's a strife with his holiness The lawes of God beare the image or stampe of his holiness All disobedience is an unanswerableness to the Law wilfull disobedience is a making voyd the Law He that is resolved to sin wisheth there were no Law to stop him from sinning or to punish him when he hath sinned What greater strife can be raised against the Law-giver then to wish he had given no such Law Secondly Men strive with God by not believing or distrusting his promises That 's a strife with his faithfulness or with his power Unbeliefe is one of the worst wayes if not the worst of all the wayes of striving with God The reason why that place at the rock in Horeb was called Meribah Exod 17.7 was because the people did not believe They thought they must dye with thirst in the wilderness when they saw no water They fell to this sin againe a second time upon the like occasion while they abode in Kadesh Numb 20.1 2 3. And as the people strove there with God by their rebellious unbeliefe so also did Moses and Aaron by their unbeliefe that God would give water to such rebells as it follows in the same Chapter v. 10 11 12. There is no sin so often or so properly called a provocation as unbeliefe is Yea by unbeliefe we strive so much with God that we are sayd to weary him Isa 7.13 O how doe they weary God who either thinke him so weake that he cannot or so unfaithfull that he will not make good his word or performe his promises The first of these is alwayes in unbeliefe the latter often Thirdly We strive with God by not bearing his hand or by our impatience under the cross which his hand layeth upon us while we quarrell with the rod we quarrell with God who chasteneth us with it This was the most speciall way in which Job strove with God and the sinfulness of it hath been severall times toucht upon in this booke Fourthly any murmuring word about yea any discōtented thought with our owne condition though not vented by words though it be kept in and lye close in the bosome is a striving with God And so likewise is any tumultuating thought about his providences towards others and his stating of affaires in the world Now as there is such a sinfull principle in man to strive with God so considering as hath been shewed how many wayes it workes and many more wayes of its working might be shewed this I say being considered we may be found striving with God before we thinke of it yea while we oppose the very thought of it Therefore as Gamaliel warned the Jewes saying Acts 5.39 Take heed what ye doe lest haply ye be found even to fight against God Those Jewes did not thinke their opposing the Messengers and Ministers of Christ was a fighting against God But Gamaliel told them plainely it was So in many other cases we may do say that which brings us under the same
this power or priviledge to become the sons of God they are borne not of blood nor of the will of the flesh Joh. 1.13 that is the best of the creature contributes nothing to the bringing forth of new creatures the sons of God Fifthly flesh by a figure is put for all that in religion or in the worship of God which is outward or open to the eye whatsoever comes under any humane observation is but the flesh of Religion or the flesh of worship In this sence the Apostle puts the question Rom. 4.1 What shall we say then that Abraham our father as pertaining to the flesh hath found What he means by the flesh he tells us in the next words he was not justified by works that is not by any thing that did appeare not by any thing done to him or done by him He was not justified by Circumcision or by the use of any externall rite he was not justified by his own righteousness or obedience to the Law The same Apostle also calls the very worship of the Gospell as to the outward part of it flesh Phil. 3.3 For we are the Circumcision which worship God in the Spirit and rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh That is in any outward work or priviledge which we have in our Gospell state All this flesh likewise ought to be consumed in our apprehensions that is we must make nothing of it nor reckon it any thing in our account for justification in the sight of God or acceptance with him Secondly Flesh properly taken is that integrall and similar part of the body which is opposed to blood and bones to veins and sinews When Elihu saith his flesh is consumed we are to understand it either in this proper sence or in the second figurative sence before named as flesh is put for the whole body his flesh is consumed that is his flesh in opposition to his bones spoken of before or his flesh that is his outward man Is consumed The Originall word signifies to wax old 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sonuit consenuit in piet consumsit for as when a man recovers from sicknesse his flesh is said to returne like the flesh of a child So when he is under the extreamity of any sicknesse his flesh as it were waxeth old or withereth like the flesh of an old man Thus 't is translated Lamâ—n 3.4 My flesh and my skin hath he made old that is though I am not old in yeares or how young soever I am yet God by many sufferings hath made me look like an old man I am decayed and weake David speaking of wicked worldly men tells us Psal 49.14 Their beauty shall consume in the grave As death and the grave make a totall and finall consumption of the beauty of bad men that is of all that splendour and bravery wherein they lived while they lived in the body so paines and sicknesses do exceedingly consume the body and eate out the flesh As a tyrannicall oppressor eates out the people under his government in which sence this word is applyed Dan. 7.25 Or as a garment is worn out by time and using The flesh is often in Scripture compared to a garment and dying to uncloathing because when we dye we put off the flesh The garment of the flesh that beautifull garment waxeth old and weares out apace on a sick bed Sicknesse not only staineth and abateth the beauty of it but wasteth it deeply so that as it followeth it cannot be seene Or as Mr Broughton renders his flesh wasteth away from sight or he hath no flesh left to be seene Againe When it is sayd his flesh is consumed away that it cannot be seene some expound it thus His flesh is so consumed away that the seer withdraweth from it or no man cares to see it that is the sick man is so discoloured and wasted that visiters and spectators start and are almost frighted to looke upon him The flesh of man in a healthfull and flourishing condition is a lovely spectacle and draws beholders but the flesh of a very sick man is a gastly spectacle and a regreet to the beholder We love not to see that which we doe not like Beauty attracts deformity withdrawes the eye It is sayd of Jesus Christ himselfe that he was so deformed by his sufferings Isa 52.14 that many were astonish'd at him his vissage was so marred more then any man and his forme more then the sons of men and Isa 53.3 We hid as it were our faces from him he was despised and we esteemed him not that is he was so dis-figured by sorrow that no man cared to look upon him Thus 't is often with the sick And this is a profitable and a probable sense of the text in hand His flesh is consumed away and then he who before delighted to see it is troubled at the sight of it or is rather affrighted then pleased in seeing it Quid si carnem consumâ— Ã visu per elegantom hyperbelen esset tam manifestè indies marcâ—ssere ut quasi ab ipso respicientis oculo consumi videatur Bold There is yet a fourth reading which further aggravates the sick mans consumption His flesh is consumed in sight that is say some his flesh doth consume so fast that a man may almost see him consume as we say of some plants they grow so fast that we may almost see them grow so we may say of those that decline and fade much we may see them consume their flesh consumeth even to the eye or to view He that lookes stedfastly upon them may see them fade and wither like a flower yea they seeme to fade by his looking or fixing his eye on them Hence note First The flesh of man is a very fading and declining thing It quickly consumes and drips away in a disease A violent feaver or any other acute disease dries up the spirits and drinkes up the moysture and how soone doth such a man decay and as the extremity of a disease so extreame want of food or famine consumes the flesh Hunger having nothing to eate feeds upon the flesh of the hungry till all be eaten up We read Lam 4.8 how rudely famine dealt with the flesh of those delicate Nazarites who were purer then snow whiter then milke they were more ruddy in body then rubyes their polishing was of Saphire yet the next words tell us Their visage is blacker then a coale they are not knowne in the streets their skin cleaveth to their bones it is withered it is become like a sticke And though a man escape sicknesse and famine doth not eate up his flesh yet time that great eater will old age will wast what famine and sicknesse have not toucht As the Prophet threatned what the Caterpillar hath left the Canker-worme shall devoure so what sicknesse leaves time will certainly consume Thus bodily flesh is every way liable to a consumption and therefore the
for all the comforts of this and the next life All the blessings of this temporall life and the perfect blessedness of eternall life are comprehended in light So that when 't is sayd his life shall see the light the sence riseth thus high He shall be happy forever so extensive is the favour of God to repenting persons that time is too narrow for it everlasting light shall be their portion From the former branch of the words thus opened He will deliver him from the pit Observe All our deliverances are of God As there is none can deliver like God so none can deliver but God If he gives out the word that such a man shall goe to the pit it is not in the power and skill of all the Princes and Physitians in the world to save or stay him from it And how low and desperate soever any mans condition is if God say the word he is deliver'd and reprieved from going downe into the pit Secondly From the connexion with the former verse the sick man having made this confession I have sinned and perverted that which is right and it profiteth me not the Lord presently delivers him c. Observe God is ready to deliver humble praying and believing sinners That command hath a promise joyned to it Psal 50.15 Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver The 107th Psalme speakes this quite through where we find many sorts of perishing persons crying unto God and God delivering them from perishing when they cryed As when sin cryeth God will afflict so when sinners cry God will relieve them in or bring them out of their affliction From the latter branch His life shall see the light Note Naturall life and light are a great blessing God promiseth much when he promiseth life and light The light of this life is no small mercy how much greater is the light of spirituall life But who can conceive how great a mercy the light of eternall life is yet all this God speakes to the humble and believing sinner when he saith His life shall see the light Secondly Comparing the two parts of this text together He will deliver him from going downe to the pit and his life shall see the light Observe The mercy of God to humble sinners is a compleate mercy Here is not only deliverance from evill but the bestowing of good it is much to be kept from going downe into the pit but it is more to see light the light of comfort here and the light of glory hereafter The mercy of God to his people is great in temporalls greater in spiritualls greatest in eternalls The benefit of redemption to shew the fullness of it is set forth two wayes First by our freedome from evill Secondly by our enjoyment of good John 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life He shall not perish that is he shall be delivered from going downe to the pit he shall have everlasting life that is as the text speakes his life shall see the light Elihu having at large drawne a description or narration of the whole proceeding of God with sinfull man in all the parts and particulars of it gives a briefe of all that he sayd in the two next verses Vers 29. Lo all these things worketh God oftentimes with man Vers 30. To bring back his soule from the pit to be enlightned with the light of the living As the Apostle after he had discoursed at large about the dignity of Christs Priest-hood gathers up all together Heb 8.1 Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum we have such an high Priest who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens So Elihu having spoken much of the severall wayes by which God revealeth himselfe to man and works him to a sight of his sin and penitentiall sorrow for it recollects and summes up all in these words Lo all these things worketh God oftentimes with man c. In these two verses we may take notice chiefly of two things First The frequency of Gods dealing thus with man v. 29th Lo all these things worketh God oftentimes Secondly The designe and purpose of God in doing so That he may bring back his soule from the pit and be enlightned with the light of the living Lo all this worketh God oftentimes with man Here 's the application of the former Doctrine Elihu presseth his hearers with it and bids them lay it to heart As if he had sayd I have not been speaking of things in the clouds but of what is really and dayly acted among the children of men Lo or behold all these things There are foure speciall significations in Scripture of this word Lo or behold and they may all foure meete in this place First It imports some new unheard-of and wonderfull thing Isa 7.14 Lo or behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son That a virgin should bring forth a son is a wonder of wonders a wonder so much above the course and power of Nature so much beyond the compasse comprehension of reason that men and Angels have reason to be astonished at it Secondly 'T is prefixed to shew some extraordinary impulse or readinesse of spirit for action Thus Christ speaketh in that other noble prophecy of him Psal 40.7 Then said I Lo I come in the volume of the book it is written of me I delight to doe thy will O my God yea thy Law is within my heart Lo I come that is I am ready to come I am prest upon the work I am under the pressure and command of my own spirit as well as under thy appoyntment and decree to undertake and finish that worke of mans redemption Thirdly It frequently implyeth matter worthy of weight and deepest consideration That 's usefull and remarkeable which is thus prefaced Thus Solomon speaking of the field of the slothfull man saith Prov 24.31 Lo it was all growne over with thorns and nettles had covered the face thereof and the stone wall thereof was broken downe As if he had sayd Marke this is a thing to be attended the sluggards field is full of thorns that is in a spirituall sence slothfull hearts are full of lusts and vanities In this language the Church invites all to consider the Glorious excellencies of God Isa 29.9 Lo this is our God And thus Christ speakes of the woman whom he had healed on the Sabbath day Luke 13.16 And ought not this woman being a daughter of Abraham whom Satan hath bound lo these eighteene yeares be loosed from her infirmity on the Sabbath day As if he had sayd Pray consider the case and speake your mindes Fourthly 'T is often used in a way of strong assertion and affirmation intimating the certainty of what is spoken Gen 1.29 And God said Behold I have given you every herb bearing seed And
worldly wise men they were the mighty the great men of the world and they are commonly very considering men as well as very considerable men they are knowing men as well as men much known they are men of counsel and sit in councel to debate difficult matters and of greatest outward concernment these things they could consider exactly and weigh them to a grain but they would not consider any of God's wayes Hence Note There is nothing so little regarded by ungodly men as the wayes of God are Though they have wisdome and ability to understand and consider earthly things yet they will bestow none of it upon the things of heaven Christ rebuked Martha when he saw her so busie about worldly business Luke 10.41 Martha Martha thou art careful and troubled about many things one thing is needful Martha had some care about the one thing needful but because not so much as she should Christ gave her a gracious check and reproof for it How much more may Christ come and rebuke the men of the world ye are careful about many things ye are wife considering men about your profits and preferments those ye can think of all night long but there is one thing needful my wayes my word my commandments are to be considered what account can ye give of or concerning them Farther this non-consideration of the wayes of God is brought as a charge as a high charge against those mighty men not only were they bad men who did not consider the wayes of God but this was a part yea I may say the whole of their badness that they did not consider the wayes of God Hence Note Not to consider the wayes of God is in it self a very great sin The omission or non-performance of what is good is as sinful as the commission or doing of that which is evil Not to do good is to do evil especially when it is the not doing of such a good duty as opens a way to the doing of all evil Should we suppose a man not chargeable with the breaking of any commandment of God yet if we could charge him that he did not consider the commandments of God this were the breaking of all the commandments For as they are all to be considered that we may keep them so if we consider them not we cannot keep them 'T is the description of a godly man Psal 1.2 His delight is in the Law of the Lord and in his Law doth he meditate day and night Meditation is nothing else but consideration A godly man meditates or considers day and night what the Law or Word of God is not that he thinks of nothing else but the Law of God day and night for then he must throw off his Calling but the meaning is this he is very sedulous and watchful of all opportunities both night and day to get and keep his heart up in holy meditation and why is he so much in holy meditation 'T is surely that he may be much yea alwayes in holy action and when it may be said of a man that his meditation is not in the Law of God neither day nor night or that he never considers the wayes of God this is an undeniable evidence that he neither keeps in the way or observes any one line or letter of the Law at any time It is our sin and that no small one not to consider our own wayes how much more is it sinful not to consider the wayes of God! To consider our own wayes is a great part of our work If we consider not our own wayes they will soon be crooked wayes The Prophet adviseth the Jewes Hag. 1.5 Consider your wayes the Text is Set your heart upon your wayes that is ponder your wayes as if he had said the reason why your feet are so often in bad wayes is because your hearts are so seldome upon your wayes Now if not to consider our own wayes be so sinful and subjects us to every sin then much more is it sinful not to consider the wayes the word and truths of God and much more doth the neglect of this lead or lay us open and obnoxious to every sin This neglect is not only a special sin in it self and an effect of sin but the general cause of all other sins What sin is not or may not be found in the wayes of those men who consider not the wayes of God Lastly Observe Sin makes men stupid and transforms them into fools He that is not a considering man is a weak and a foolish man every wise man is a considering man and the more a man is versed in consideration the more wise he is and the wiser he grows The wicked man is often called a fool in Scripture and he deserves no better a title when he is called so he is both served and called in his kinde Psal 14.1 The fool hath said in his heart there is no God The thoughts of the heart are the sayings of the heart and sin hath made a wicked man so much a fool that as he knowes not how to say any thing of God which is honourable with his tongue so all that his heart can say that is think of God is that God is not which as it is the highest blasphemy so the deepest piece of folly and irrationallity that ever was hatcht in the heart of man Sin makes dull-heads it stupifies the soul sinners consider not that at any time which is their interest as much as their duty to consider of at all times the wayes of God as taken for the wayes wherein man ought to walk towards God Again If we take the wayes of God in the second notion for the wayes wherein himself walks towards man usually called his works or the wayes of his providence Note It is the mark of an ungodly man not to consider the works and providences of God how God walketh towards him or what he doth in the world Isa 1.3 I have nourished and brought up children that is I have done for my people as a father for his children but what follows My people doth not know Israel doth not consider They consider not what I have done for them as well as not what I have spoken to them they consider not how I have nourished and brought them up as well us not how I have instructed and given them counsel and from this neglect God infers vers 4. Ah sinful Nation a people laden with iniquity a seed of evil doers c. they quickly proceed to the doing of all evil against God who consider not of the good which God doth or hath done to them Read this sin the not considering of the works of God with the sinfulness of all the works of those unconsidering men Psal 28.4 5. Isa 5.11 12. The Scripture makes frequent mention how extreamly ill the Lord takes it at the hands of men when his works are not considered by them when they regard not the operation
9. 106. Hebrewes 1. 1. 265. 2. 14. 754 363. 3. 7 13. 268. 3. 12. 703. 5. 11. 498. 5. 1â— 12. 50. 5. 13. 376. 6. 10. 556. 6. 18 19. 266. 9. 27. 593 268 266. 10. 10 26. 268. 11. 1. 78. 11. 25 26. 507. 12. 4. 262. 12. 5. 79. 12. 9 10. 594 92. 12. 14. 434. James 1. 5. 57. 1. 17. 54. 1. 20 21. 100. 2. 1 2 3 4 5. 124. 2. 9. 80. 2. 10. 712. 2. 12. 147. 4. 12. 811. 5. 15. 398. I Peter 1. 12. 408. 1. 18. 598. 3. 6. 220. 3. 19 20. 740. 4. 11. 159. 4. 17. 94. II Peter 1. 9. 441. 1. 18 19. 266. 3. 16. 9. I John 1. 9. 556. 2. 19. 155. 2. 27. 821. 3. 7. 4. 5. 16. 815. Jude 0. 6. 317. 0. 15. 197 81. Revelation 2. 9. 155. 3. 0. 155. 10. 8. 3â—8 11. 3. 270. 14. 13. 560. 15. 4. 695. 21. 17. 183. ERRATA PAge 14 line 27. for History read Historian p. 145. l. 22. for words r. word p. 236. l. 11. for inseparable r. insuperable p. 238. l. 13. for hath r. had p. 328. l. 23. supple Christ p. 338. l. 8. for epethite r. epithete p. 339. l. 24. dele and. p. 239. l. 26. for to r. being p. 355. l. 38. for 61. r. 11. p. 390. l. 9. for in r. to p. 392. l. 30. for yet more r. Thus. p. 409. in the Margin for Cato r. Calvin p. 511 l. 14. dele yea p. 639. l. 9 for 2. r. 12. p. 652. l. 30. for 58. r. 52 p. 709. l. 23. for God r. good p. 787. l. 39. for yet a r. but. FINIS Books lately printed for Thomas Parkhurst at the Sign of the three Crowns over against the great Conduit at the lower end of Cheap-side A Commentary upon the three first Chapters of Genesis by Mr. John White in fol. A learned Commentary or Exposition upon the first Chapter of the second Epistle to the Corinthians by Dr. Richard Sibbs published for publick good by Thomas Manton Folio There is come forth Mr. William Fenner his Continuation of Christs Alarm to drowsie Saints with a Treatise of effectual Calling The Killing Power of the Law The Spirituall Watch New Birth A Christians ingrafting into Christ A Treatise on the Sabbath which were never before printed bound in one Volume Fol. and may be had alone of them that have his other Works as well as bound with all his former Works which are newly printed in the same Volume The History of the Evangelical Churches of the Valleys of Piemont Containing a most exact Geographical Description of the place and a faithfull account of the doctrine life and persecutions of the Ancient Inhabitants Together with a most naked and punctual relation of the late bloody Massacre 1655. and a Narrative of all the following transactions to 1658. Justified partly by divers ancient Manuscripts written many hundred years before Calvin or Luther By Samuel Morland Esq in fol. Divine Characters in two parts acutely distinguishing the more secret and undiscerned differences between the Hypocrite in his best dress of seeming vertues and formal duties and the true Christian in his real graces and sincere obedience by Mr. Samuel Crooke in fol. The humbled sinner resolved what he should do to be saved or faith in the Lord Jesus Christ the only way of salvation by Mr. Obadiah Sedgewick in 40. The Fountain oâ—ened and the water of life flowing so th for the refreshing of thirsty sinners by the same Author in 4. Anatomy of secret sins presumptuous sins sins in dominion and up ightnesse on Psal 19.12 13. together with a Treatise of the sin against the Holy Ghost by Obadiah Sedgewich The hypocritical Nation described with an Epistle prefixed by Mâ— Samuel Jacomb in 4. A Sermon of the baptizing of Infants by Mr. Stephen Marshal in 4. The unity of the Saints with Christ the Head by the same Author in 4. Truth brought to light and discovered by time or an Historical Narration of the first fourteen years of King James in 4. The Tryall of the Marquesse of Argyle wherein you have his Inditement and his Answer together with his last speech and words upon the Scaffold in 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Great Mysterie of Godliness opened by way of Antidote against the Great Mystery of Iniquity now awork in the Romish Church wherein 1. The Incarnation of the Son of God is fully displayed 2. Ceremonies in poynt of Worship proved to be by Christ abrogated 3. Christian liberty with its 8 Steps and 5 Boundiaries by Thomas Douglass M. A. in 4. Moses and Aaron or the Priviledges and Boundaries given by God both to Magistrates and Ministers Mr. Robinsons Christians Armour in large 8o. A Book of Emblems with Latine and English verses made upon Lights by Robert Farlie small 8o. The one thing necessary By Mr. Thomas Watson Minister of Stephens Walbrook 8o. The Riches of grace displayed in the offer and tender of salvation to poore sinners by Obadiah Sedgewick in 12. Hidden Manna by Mr. Fenner in 12. Picturae Louventes or Pictures drawn forth into Characters in 12. A most excellent Treatise containing the way to seek Heavens Glory to fly Earths Vanity to feare Hells Horror with godly Prayers and the Bell-mans Summons 12. The singular Actions of sanctified Christians in several Sermons on the 5. of Math. 47. An Exposition on the whole book of the Canticles by R. R. There is printed an Exhortation of the Churches of Bohemiah to the Churches of England wherein is set forth the good of unity order discipline and obedience in Churches rightly constituted With an Exhortation premised of the order and Discipline used in the Churches of the Brethren of Bohemia Dedicated to His Most Excellent Majesty Charls the IId in Holland at His departure for England if possibly it may be for an accommodation among the Church of Christ By J. Amos Comenius the only surviving Bishop of the remains of those Churches Grace to the humble as a preparation to the Sacrament in five Sermons by Dr. John Preston Johnsons Essaies expressed in sundry Exquisite Fancies Sion in the House of Mourning because of Sin and Suffering being an Exposition on the fifth Chapter of the Lamentations by D. S. Pastor of Vpingham in the County of Rutland Groans of the Spirit or the Trial of the Truth of Prayer A Handkercher for Parents Wet-eyes upon the death of their children or friends The Dead Saint speaking to Saints and Sinners living in several Treatises viz On 2 Sam 24.10 on Cant. 4.9 on John 8.15 on John 1.50 on Isa 58.2 on Exod. 15.11 Never Published before By Samuel Bolton D. D. late Mr. of Christs Colledge in Cambridge Peoples Need of a Living Pastor at the Funerall of Mr. John Frost M. A. by Mr. Zach. Crofton A Treatise against the Toleration of all Religions By Mr. Thomas Edwards Catechizing Gods Ordinance in sundry Sermons by Mr. Zachary Crofton Minister of Buttolphs Algate London the second Edition corrected and augmented A Theatre of Political Flying Insects Wherein especially the Nature the Worth the Work the Wonder and the manner of the Right-ordering of the Bee is discovered and described By Samuel Purchas M. A. and Pastor at Sutton in Essex The second part of Mans wilfull Impenitency upon Ezek. 18.32 By Mr. William Fenner late of Rochford in Essex With some other Pieces of his preserved by a special Providence