chesed a reproach to any people Secondly Impiety and cruelty harshness and severity Thirdly It signifies any abhominable wickedness Levit. 20. 17. where Moses speaking of incest incest between brother and sister calls that abomination by this word Chesod A wicked thing That may have a good name the nature whereof is so ill that it is not to be named Further The word as we translate imports more than a bare act of pitty or commiseration as suppose a man see his brother in misery compassionates him but relieves him not this is not pity Such the Apostle James describes in his first Chapter vers 15. If a brother or a sister be naked and destitute of daily food and you say unto them be filled be warmed be cloathed poor creatures ye are hungry yea are naked I pitty you I am sorry to see you thus be filled be cloathed I wish it were otherwise with you and yet in the mean time he gives them nothing wherewith either to cloath or feed them Is this fulfilling the law of love Is this charity Nothing lesse The pity here spoken of is not a verbal piety Our saying to a brother in trouble be comforted or I would course were taken for you I wish you well with all my heart and so we bestow a mouth-ful of good words but not so much as a morsell of bread or a cup of cold water Good words alone are cheap charity to mans expence and they are so cheap in Gods esteem that they will not be found of any value at all in the day of reckening good words not realized if they be found any where will be found in the treasures of wrath This is not the pitty which Job teacheth us should be shewed to him that is afflicted The Apostles quesion shakes such out of all claime to this grace 1 John 3. 17. whosoever saith he hath this worlds goods and seeth his brother in need and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him how doth the love of God dwell in him Though a mans mouth be open with good words yet if he shut his bowels from good deeds there is no love to God or man hous'd in that mans heart It is no Pitty to speak of onely to speak pitty and therefore the Apostle addes verse 18 My little children let us not love in word and in tongue but in deed and in truth that 's the true meaning of this word to him that is afflicted pitty should be shewed But you my friends have not given me so much as the sound of pitty you have not bemoaned me much less have you relieved me which is the substance of pitty reall pitty You have not loved me in tongue giving me good words much less in deed and in truth Deed-pitty is both the duty and the disposition of a godly man therefore this word Chasid in the concrete is often used in Scripture to signify a godly man He is one that hath obtained much grace and pitty from the Lord and he is kind gracious and pittiful unto men The holy Proverb assures us That a good man is merciful pittiful to his beast much more to a man and most of all to a godly man who is his brother in the nearest bond And it is considerable how this word was used by way of distinction among the Jewes who cast their whole people or nation into three ranks and it is grounded upon Rom. 5 6 7. where the Apostle alludes to those three sorts First There were Reshagnim ungodlymen the prophane rabble Secondly there were the Tsadikmi righteous men And thirdly there were Chasidim good men or pittiful mâ—n scarcely saith the Apostle will one die for a righteous man for a man fair and just in his dealings peradventure for one of the Chasidim for a good man some one may chance to dy He that had been pittiful might haply find pitty and having done so much good in his life all would desire he should live still But herein God commended his love to us that while we were â—et sinners Reshagnim in the worst raâ—ke of men Christ died for us No man had either love or pitty enough to die for them who had so much impiety The farthest that the natural line oâ— mans pitty can reach is to do good to those who do him good or are good Pitty notes out such a sort of men and such a sort of actions as Antiqui vocant Ciconâ—am pietatis cultricem Ciconiis pietas eximia est Soâ— are fullest of love of bowels of brotherly kindeness and compassion Hence the Stork which by divers of the ancients was put for the Emblem of love and benignity is exprest in the Hebrew by this word Levit. 11. 19. The Storke is very tender towards her young ones and her young ones are as tender of her when she is old as naturalists have observed So then this word imports the height of all offices and affections of love from man to man especially from Christian to Christian in times of trouble and cases of extremity This Pitty you should have shewed me saith Job But he forsaketh the fear of the Almighty That is he forsakes all godlinesse goodness and religion Fear takes in all that 's good and so it is conceived that Job retorts the words of Eliphaz in the fourth chap. Is this thy fear or where is thy fear thy Religion Now Job saith Is this your fear You have forsaken the fear of the Almighty Is this your Religion to deal so harshly with a distressed friend or to give him such cold comfort Surely you have forsaken that fear of the Almighty which you charged me with Have not I reason to ask Is this thy fear or to conclude You have forsaken the fear of the Almighty These words are diversly rendred Some thus He that takes away pitty from his friend hath forsaken the fear of the Almighty And Qui tollit ab â—mico suo misericordiam timorem Domini derelinquit Vulg. that 's a truth and a good sense though not so clear to the letter of the Text. Mr. Broughton joins this with the former verse By him whose mercy is molten toward his friend and who leaveth the fear of the Almighty So referring this melting to mercy and not to the man joining it with the former thus Have not I my defence and is judgment driven away from me by him whose mercy is molten away toward his neighbour and who leaveth the fear of the Almighty As if Job had said Eliphaz doest thou thinke thou haste driven away all wisdome from me by thy dispute Doest thou think that I have lost my reason as thou hast lost thy pitty Thou thinkest wisdome and understanding have forsaken me but it appears by thy dealings that thou hast forsaken the fear of God which is the beginning of wisdome Thirdly it is rendred in the contrary sense The word Chesid An dissoluto à sodali suo convitium et quod timorem omnipotentis
care for Oxen God doth care for Oxen The Apostle having shewed the goodnesse of God to beasts providing by a law that they should not be muzled presently he questions Doth God take care for Oxen As if he had said surely there is some what more in it or saith he it altogether for our sakes Not altogether doubtlesse God had regard to Oxen But for our sakes no doubt it was written that is chiefly for our sakes That he which ploweth should plow in hope and he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope So when Christ speaks of the Lillies Mat. 6. If God so cloath the Lillies of the field how much more will he cloath you You shall have the strength of his care to provide for you to feed and cloath you thus God sets his heart upon man he lookes to his people as to his houshold to his charge he will see they shall have all things needfull for them And so not laying to heart which is the contrary signifies carelesnesse Isa 47. 7. It is reported of Babylon Thou saidst I shall be a Ladie for ever so that thou didst not lay these things to thy heart that is thou didst not regard these things to take care about them And Ezek. 40. 4. the expression is very full where God cals the Prophet to attention and he calleth him all over Behold saith he with thine eyes and heare with thine eares and set thine heart on all that I shall shew thee He wakens the whole man See and see with thine eyes Heare and heare with thine eares and set thine heart upon it the sum of all is be thou very intentive and diligent about this businesse to the utmost Secondly To set the heart notes an act of the affections and desires A man sets his love upon what he sets his heart that 's the meaning of Psalm 62. 10. If riches increase set not your heart upon them That is let not your love your affections your desires close with these things when riches abound let not your desires abound too It is an admirable frame of heart to have narrow scant affections in a large plentifull estate He is the true rich man who loves his riches poorly Set your affections on things that are above Col. 3. 2. Thirdly To set the heart notes high esteeme and account this is more than bare love and affection 2 Sam. 18. 3. when a counsell of warre was held by Davids Commanders about going out to battell against Absolom they all vote against Davids person all undertaking upon this ground they will not care for us they will not set their hearts upon us or value us their hearts are set upon thee thou art the prize they looke for and therefore the heate of the battell will be against thee Againe 1 Sam. 4. 20. When the wife of Phineas was delivered of a son a son is the womans joy and glory yet the text saith when the women that stood by told her that a son was borne she answered not neither did she regard it she did not set her heart upon it because the glory was departed from Israel In either of these sences the Lord sets his heart upon man he greatly loves man The love of God to man is the spring of mercy to man yea love is the spring of love love acted springs from a decree of love Deut. 7. 7. The Lord thy God did not set his love upon you c. because ye were more in number then any other people but because the Lord loved you Love also led in that highest work of mercy the giving of Christ God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son Josh 3. 16. As love is the spring and root of all the reall duty which mans performes to God and is therefore called the fulfilling of the law Our love fulfilleth the will of God so the love of God is the root of all that good we receive his love fulfilleth our will that is whatsoever we will or ask according to the will of God the love of God fulfills it for us Our love fulfills the law of Gods command and Gods love fulfills the law of our wants and lawfull desires His heart is set upon us and then his hand is open to us Further God doth not only love man but his love is great and his esteeme of man very high and he reallizes the greatest love by bestowing the greatest mercy How did God set his heart upon us when he gave his Son who lay in his bosome for us He set his bosome upon us when he gave us his Sonne who came out of his bosome Hence let us see our duty Should not we set our heart upon God when God sets his heart upon us the soveraignty of God cals for our hearts He as Lord may use al that we have or are And there is more than a law of soveraignty why we should give God our hearts God hath given us his heart first he who calleth for our hearts hath first given us his What are our hearts to his heart The love of God infinitely exceeds the love and affection of the creature What were it to God if he had none of our hearts But woe to us if we had not the heart of God This phrase shews us the reason why God calls for our hearts he gves us his own it is but equall among men to love where we are loved to give a heart where we have received one how much more should we love God and give him our hearts when we heare he loves us and sets his heart upon us whose love heart alone is infinitely better then all the loves and hearts of all men and Angels There is yet a fourth consideration about this expression the setting of the heart Setting the heart is applied to the anger and displeasure of God so the phrase is used Job 34. 14. If he set his heart upon man all flesh shall perish together that is if God be resolved to chastise man to bring judgements upon him all flesh shall perish together none shall be able to oppose it As it is the hightest favour to have God set his heart upon us in mercy and love so it is the highest judgement to have God set his heart upon a man in anger and in wrath to set his heart to afflict and punish The Lord answers his own people Jer. 15. 1 2 3. that notwithstanding all the prayers and motions of his beloved favourites in their behalfe his heart could not be towards them Then his heart was strongly set against them or upon them in extreame anger therefore he concludes they that are for the sword to the sword and they that are for destruction to destruction c. If God set his heart to afflict he will afflict and he can doe it And there may be such a sense of the text here What is man that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him that thou shouldest come
part of his character or commendation Thou art reported to be a man fearing God is not this thy feare Feare is taken either for the whole compasse of Gods worship or for that awfulnesse of affection with which we worship God which we ought to mingle and mix in all our actions and duties Therefore saith the Apostle Heb. 12. Let us have grace to serve him with reverence and godly feare And Psalme the second Serve the Lord with feare God is to be served in love and yet God loves no service which hath not this ingredient Holy feare Feare is the most proper affection which we creatures dust and ashes who are at such an infinite distance from God can put forth in his worship God condescends so farre as to be loved by us yea he calleth for our love as a friend or as a father as a familiar as one in neer relation but considered in his Majesty glory and greatnesse feare is the most suitable affection in our approaches unto God The name of God in some languages is derived from feare and God is expresly called Fear by Jacob Gen. 31. in that dispute with Laban where he telleth him Except the fear of his father Isaac had been with him c. Verse 42 And Jacob sware by the fear of his father Isaac Verse 53. that is by that God whom his father Isaac feared Jacob was a man so holy that he would take nothing into his mouth to swear by but onely the holy Name of God Religious swearing is one of the highest acts of worshipping as vaine swearing is one of the highest acts of prophaning the name of God Thy confidence The word which we translate confidence signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Inconstantia levitas per Antiphrasin constantia considenâ—ia also and that most properly folly inconstancy levity when the Prophet Jeremy reproveth the idolatry of those times speaks to worshippers of Idols he expresses it by this word They are altogether bruitish and foolish Jer. 10. 8. And holy David Psalme 49. 13. speaking of wicked men who make riches their portion and who lay out all their endeavours in the raising of an outward estate gives this account of their practise in the 13 Verse This their way is their folly this is the course that worldly men take and they think it is a very wise course but indeed their way is their folly Some translators reade that text this their way is their confidence as here in Job and so they make the sense out thus this way of worldly men in gathering riches in heaping up abundance of these outward things is their confidence that is they have nothing else to trust unto they have nothing beyond the world to trust unto this their way is their confidence So againe Prov. 15. 26. A foolish man or a man of folly despiseth his mother And once 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more Psal 85. 8. where the Psalmist goeth up like Habakkuk to his Watch-tower to hearken for an answer of his prayer I will hearken what the Lord will say for he will speake peace unto his people but let them not returne againe to folly So some reade it in this Text of Job is not this thy fear thy folly that is was it not meere folly for thee to bragge and boast of thy feare sc That thou didst feare God c. But the word is often taken in a contrary sense as we translate for constancy or confidence and sometimes for hope and thus Job 31. 24. If I have said to gold thou art my hope or my confidence and Chap. 8. 14. speaking of the Hypocrite whose hope shall be cut off the same word is used and Prov. 3. 26. The Lord shall be thy confidence and he shall keep thy foot from being taken and not to heape many places Psal 78. 7. That they may set their hope in God In this sense it is generally understood here Is not this thy fear and thy confidence sc all the trust thou hast placed in thy God Feare and confidence are acts of naturall worship Confidence or Trust is the resting of the soule upon another here the resting of the soule upon the Word or promises of God upon the power faithfulnesse and truth of God an act thus put forth by the soule is confidence Now saith Eliphaz is not this thy confidence thou hast spoken much of resting and trusting upon God and his Word upon his power and faithfulnesse is not this that which thou hast all this while talked of See what a goodly confidence it is Doth it look like a proper piece of grace Confidence is an act beyond faith a soule confiding walkes in a higher Region of grace and comfort than a soule only believing there may be believing where there is not this confiding As patience is hope lengthned so confidence is hope strengthned Assurance is the highest degree of faith and confidence is the highest degree of assurance It carries with it first cheerfulnesse opposite to sorrow secondly courage opposite to fear and despondency of spirit thirdly boldnesse adventurousnesse opposite to cowardice Confidence having a good cause and a good call will take a Beare by the tooth or a Lion by the beard Fourthly it notes boasting or a kinde of spirituall wise bragging opposite to sinfull modesty or concealement of what God hath done for us Or take it thus Confidence is the noblest exercise of faith which looking steadily upon God in himselfe and in Christ through the promises raises the soule above all fears and discouragements above all doubts and disquietments either about the removing of evill or the obtaining of good Hence confidence is well called the rest of the soule therefore such as attaine to confidence are said to be in peace in perfect peace Isay 26. 3. Him wilt thou establish in perfect peace whose heart doth trust upon thee And this act of confidence or trust is proper and peculiar to God no creature must share in it This is worship commanded in the first precept Thou shalt have no other Gods before mee Whatsoever we confide in unlesse it be in subordination unto God we make it our God And it is one of the highest acts of the soule not onely as we respect the taking in our own comforts but also the giving out glory unto God This confidence is well coupled with holy feare the more we feare God so the more we trust him such feare is the mother and nurse of confidence But confidence is directly contrary yea contradictory to carnall feare he that trusts God indeed leaves both soule and body temporall and eternall estate with him without ever sending a fearefull thought or a jealous looke after either It followes And the uprightnesse of thy wayes It is the word used in the description of Job Cap. 1. 1. There it is in the concrete perfect here in the abstract uprightnesse We may reade it Is not this the perfection of thy wayes
friends To be afraid of provoking God to cast us down Deut. 17. 13. they shall hear and fear and do no more presumtuously What shall they hear They shall hear how God hath cast men down or cast down a Nation by his judgements they shall hear of this and fear How shall they fear they shall fear to doe presumtuously fear to provoke that God who can thus cast down men and Kingdoms It is good to be thus afraid but there is a sinful fear when fear disorders or unfits us to put our hands to the help of those who are cast down and to administer comfort to those who are in sorrow such was the casting down and the fear here meant They were so afraid that they could not lend Job a hand or give him advised counsel to support his spirit I shall adde one Observation from the general scope of the similitude That an unfaithfull friend failes us most when we have most need of him That is the summe of all In winter when there is water in every ditch those brooks abound with water but in the summer especially in a dry summer when the rain of the land is dust as Moses speaks these brooks are dust too they vanish and are consumed out of their place they afford no refreshing at all When the man that went down from Hierusalem to Jericho and fell among theeves Luke 10 30. lay in the way stript and wounded even half dead A certain Priest came that way saith the text and when he saw him he passed by on the other side and likewise a Levite when he was at the place came and looked on him and passed by on the other side but the Samaritan went to him not from him and had compassion on him Job speaks very neer this language but fully this sence of his friend They like the uncharitable Priest and Levite passed by him as the streams of brooks they pass away Whereas they should have been like the good Samaritan a fountain a river of settled springing comfort to him This is the great difference between the love of God and that of most men God is the best friend to us at all times he is best to us in the best times if we had not him to friend it would be very ill with us when we have most friends But God is best of all to us in the worst times a best friend to us when we have no friends he is our spring when the rain falls but he is our surest sweetest spring when there is neither rain nor dew upon the face of the earth Therefore he is compared as Jer. 2. so in other places unto a living fountain where you may be sure to find water in the hottest season This infinitely commends the love of God beyond that of men who at the best are but broken cisterns which leak out the comforts they are trusted with and for the most part are but like Jobs brookes they turn aside and passe away when we have most need of them It is observed of the Samaritans in Josephus that when ever the Jews affairs prosper'd they would be their friends and professe much kindnesse but if the Jews were in trouble and wanted their assistance then they got them far enough off they would not have to do with them or own them The rich man hath many friends saith Solomon Prov. 14. 20. but the poor is hated even of his own neighbour Vbi deficit pecunia labascit amicitia Worldly friendship ends with riches and he that wants mony seldom abounds with friends But consider how farre this is from the very nature of a brother and from the law of friendship Solomon Prov. 17. 17. describes a true friend to be one who loveth at all times and a brother is born for adversity As if he had said this is the reason God hath raised up relations and made men neer one to another because himself orders there shall be times of adversity when they shall have need of one another Some render the place A brother is born in adversity as if the meaning were That when a man is in trouble God raises up a brother to help him Or as the Septuagint hath it A brother is born for this end and purpose to help in adversity Therefore a brother loses the very end and purpose why he was born if he refuse to help those who are in adversity Ruth was a true pattern of a faithful friend and brother though a daughter I went out full saith her mother in law but the Lord hath brought me home empty But though she was emptied of the world yet Ruths heart was full of loue to her I will not leave thee God do so to me and more also if ought but death part thee and me So saith faithfulness in friends especially in Christian friends It is one of the greatest duties and commendations of Christian profession to stick to and stand by one another be it fowl weather or be it fair blow the winds high or low let it be stormy or calme ever to be the same The Heathens wondered in the primitive times at the great love of the Christians to one another Let us take heed we do not put Heathens naturall carnal men to wonder O how little do Christians love one another Let us not give them occasion to say O how the Christians hate one another how like are they at best to streames of brooks who fail when their friends and brethren need the benefit of their assistance Let me only give you this caution God suffereth men to be thus unfaithful unto men yea sometimes a Christian brother to Talia patitur Deus suis accidere ne hominibus nimis fidunt sed omne solatium spem fiduciam in ipso solo vivo vero Deo ponant Lavat fail a Christian brother which is their sin and ought to be their sorrow I say God leaves them to this evil of their own hearts that we may have a greater good out of it then the highest actings of their love and faithfulnesse could estate us in Namely that we may learn to trust upon God alone and may better know what creatures are Trust not in a brother Jer. 9 4. so as to let out your hearts upon him think not you are safe in the love of a brother no not of a godly brother The Apostle 1 Tim. 6 17. to draw off rich men from trusting in their riches useth this argument Charge them that are rich that they trust not in uncertain riches but in the living God Why should they not trust in riches He giveth the reason in the Epithite uncertain They are uncertain riches therefore trust them not So we may say of men trust not in men no not absolutely in godly men for the best of men are uncertain possibly they may be as these streames of brooks whose waters failed Psal 146. 3. Put not your trust in Princes nor in the son
Organ of discipline Hearing is the sence of learning and the seasonable stopping of our own mouths a ready means to open our understandings To be swift to hear and flow to speak James 1. 19. is the speediest way to attain wisdom Fourthly observe He that is shewed his errour should speak no more but sit down convinced Teach me saith Job and I will hold my tongue That is I will reply no more upon you I will never stand up in maintaining an errour I wil be no pattern of evil though my self am in the fault Errour shall not be excused or a mistake apologized for by me Some wits are able to make a fair cover for and put a glosse upon the most deformed and grossest errours There was never any opinion in the world but some have seconded it and undertaken it's protection When conscience hath never a word to say wit will be very talkative and when they have ended reasoning some can wrangle everlastingly When wit and learning undertake a cause and leave conscience out of the Commission there must either be a very ill end of it or no end A subtil Sophister will despute any thing and bring probable arguments where reason alone sits judge against the most undoubted truths It is an ill office to be an Oratour for our own or others errous for our own or others sinful practises Prov. 30. 32. If thou hast done evil in lifting up thy selfe or if thou hast thought evil or maintained evil lay thine hand upon thy mouth speake no more never be an advocate in a bad cause though it be thine own when our faults are shewed us we should not open our mouths unlesse it be to renounce and disclaim them A sad account will be given of that time and of those parts which have been laid out in the patronage of our failings and mistakes It is as sinful to few figg-leaves or make fair pretexts to cover the nakednesse of our opinions as of our practises And cause me to understand wherein I have erred As if Job had said when once you bring me to see clearly that I am in an errour and cast light into my conscience you shall find me readily submitting to you A question arises here in the general whether Job doubted his Concessio est quam Quintilianus dicit esse cum aliquid iniquum videmur causae fiducia pati Apud eum dicitur confessio nihil nocitura Quin. lib. 3 cap. 2. Non submittit se errasse sed humiliter se submittit amicorum censure Bold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Hiphil intelligentem secit erudii◠cause or whether or no there were an hesitancy in his spirit about what he had done or spoken I answer this speech implies not that he had any doubt of himself or an admission that he had erred Job speaks like Oratours or Disputants who when they are sure of a point will yet grant a little doubtfulness or raise doubts about what they are able to maintain and confident to carry It is ordinary to put things by way of supposition of which we make no question When Job saith Cause me to understand wherein I have erred it is not an acknowledgement that he had a erred but a submission in case he had or a concession that he might Job was not lifted up with an opinion of his own infallibility he knew to erre was common to man and therefore he speaks of himself under the common notion of all men Not from any consciousnesse of his own errour Cause me to understand It is but one word in the Original and it signifies to convince by reason or argument Cause me to understand that is doe not think to force my opinion or to offer violence to my judgement doe not think to club me down with great words and clomorous threats but doe it by solid Arguments by evident demonstration of reason Doe it by savourie advices and counsel not by bitter reproaches and invectives Deal with my understanding not barely with my affections Cause me to understand My errour It signifies local corporal wandrings and errours and bodily erring or wandring and sometimes it signifies the wandrings of the mind judgement and affections Prov. 5. 19 20. Solomon bids the husband Rejoyce in the wife of his youth let her be as a loving Hind and pleasant Roe let her breasts satisfie thee at all times and be thou ravished alwayes with her love The Hebrew as our Translatours put in the margin is erre thou alwaies in her love that is let all thy wandring erring thoughts and affections be reduced and brought home to the wife whom God hath given thee the next words seeme to interpret so for why my sonne wilt thou be ravished with a strange woman and imbrace the bosome of a stranger That 's dangerous erring in love Therefore saith he let all thine errings and wandrings all thy delights and ravishments be chast and conjugal towards the wife of thy youth Further it signifies erring or wandring out of meer ignorance This word is often used in Leviticus for the sin of ignorance Chap. 4. 2. and Chap. 5. 18. and Chap. 22. 14. If any man hath sinned through ignorance or committed an errour then he shall offer these and these sacrifices and oblations So Psal 19. 12. who can understand his errours That is those sinnes which he commits out of ignorance and inadvertency Hence he concludes with this prayer Cleanse thou me from secret faults He doth not mean faults which he committed privately and so were secrets to others but faults which he had committed ignorantly and so were Secrets to himselfe That is they were sinnes of ignorance And I conceive he means not only such sins as he had committed ignorantly but then knew they were sins but even such sins as he was ignorant whether ever he had committed them or no That is he prayes for the pardon of all those sins which possible he might have committed though to him as yet altogether unknown and undiscovered The title of the 7th Psalm is Shiggaion of David it is the same Original word we have in the text and some translate it awandring song And the reason for it is either because of the Cantio erratica variable and wandring poetry or because of the variable or wandring tune in which that Psalm was sung and to which it was set for greater delight others makes the title sutable to the translation of the word here the Psalm of Davids errours because sets forth his fears and dangers which made him wonder in body and sometime also to go a little astray in mind this Psalm was sung to the Lord concerning the words or the business of Cush the Benjamite that is of Saul who was of Kish and of Jemini 1 Sam. 9. 1. called here Cush that is Ethiopian or Blackmore figuratively from his black and ill conditions his heart not being changed as the Blackmore changeth not his skin Saul was a bitter enemy
of God in it his estate may vary and vary change and change a thousand times but the love of God towards him is unchangeable On the other side we see in the text when a wicked man takes roote and the branches of his outward estate beare fruit abundantly God curseth him when he is at ease God is angry with him That place is very observeable Zech. 1. 15. I am very sore displeased with the Heathen that are at ease the Heathen were at ease yet God was extreamely displeased with them When a wicked man is in health God curseth him when he is rich God curseth him when all men honour admire and flatter him God abhorreth hates and detests him he can be in no condition but he is sure to meet with the curse of God As a foolish man a wicked mâ—n gives God many things but he never gives God his love or his affection A wicked man may give God prayers but he doth not give him his love he may give him praises but he never gives him any love he may give God his purse but he gives not his love or his heart whether such a foole praiseth God or prayeth to God or giveth unto God he hateth God So likewise whatsoever God gives to a wicked man he hates him whatsoever he bestowes on him he curseth him This should awake men rooted in the earth to consider whether they are under the influences of Gods eternall love as well as under the influence of temporall blessings This is the ground of Davids conclusion Psal 37. 16. A little that the righteous hath is better than the ricehes of many wicked the reason is this because many ungodly ones swimming in a full sea of riches have not so much as one drop of the love of God nor one beame or ray of the light of his countenance shining upon them but a godly man if he have but a small estate he hath much love mixed with it if he have but a little purse he hath a large portion of the favour of God in it and this makes it so out-worth and out-value a wicked mans estate this puts the price and stamps an excellency upon his little The love of God doth so farre exceed the fatness of the earth in the esteeme of Saints that they in rating their estates reckon not upon earthly things at all they see nothing to value themselves by but their interests in the love of God As when God gives his people their portion he lookes upon outward things as meere additionalls or as an overplus given in by way of vantage All other things shall be added Mat. 6. 33. when a man casts in a handfull of wheate after the bushell is full or gives a fingers bredth after the due measure of the cloath So it is in the case of all temporals bestowed upon the Saints Then fourthly note Outward good things are no argument of the favour of God As we shewed before that they are no evidences of the goodnesse of a person so neither are they any evidences of the grace and favour of God unto a person A man cannot find an evidence of Gods love in his purse in his land in his honour in his credit Yea a man may flourish in better things then these I speake of and yet have no evidences of Gods love to him A man may flourish in knowledge be deeply rooted in learning may have extraordinary branches of parts and wonderfull fruits of gifts yet notwithstanding all this while his habitation and his person too under a curse And therefore be sure that you looke for your evidences of the love of God in the right boxe doe not looke for evidences of the love of God in your chests or in your purses but looke into your hearts and see what Christ hath done there looke into your lives and see what light shines there from the Spirit of Christ Looke whether grace flowes from the Spirit of Christ and is rooted in your spirits If grace be rooted in thee there if it spring up and bring forth fruit in the life this is an evidence indeed They that are thus rooted God never curseth Grace and holiness were never under any curse Observe one thing further As these words hold forth the judgement or opinion of a godly man concerning the wicked in prosperity I have seen the foolish taking root and presently I cursed his habitation A godly man sees the wicked of the world to be miserable in their best and most flourishing condition When thousands stand about the great ones of the earth admiring applauding making little gods of them envying their happinesse and thinking none happy but they or such as they are then a godly man pitties them mournes over them sees them and all such as they are miserable He lookes through all their outward glory and beauty riches and honours and sees them curst through all hated of God through all He sees nakednesse through their cloathing emptiness and want through all their plenty and aboundance neither is this unhappinesse confined to their own persons but derived to all to whom they derive life or stand related So it followes His children are farre from safety and they are crushed in the gate neither is there any to deliver them c. Secundum genus calamitatis quod Deus impâ—obisimmitâ—it posteritatis exitiam deploâ—aâ—uÌ„ quidem acclamante pubâ—ico consensu These words containe a further effect of this curse I cursed his habitation and what then was it an ineffectuall curse was it but wind and words returning and doing nothing or did it spend all its strength upon this foolish man in his own person No His children are farre from safety they are crushed in the gate c. One of the Rabbins conceives that these words and the verse following are the forme wherein the curse was pronounced upon the habitation of the foolish man As if Eliphaz had said I cursed Râ—bbi Salomon forâ—am maledictionis esse vult his habitation thus Let his children be far from safety and let them be crushed in the gate neither let there be any to deliver as for his harvest let the hungry eate it up and let the robbers swallow up their substance And we find such a forme Psal 109. David pronounces the curse upon those wicked enemies in language very sutable to this ver 6 7 8 9 10 11. Set thou a wicked man over him and let Satan an adversary stand at his right hand When he shall be judged let him be condemned and let his prayer become sinne Let his children be fatherlesse and his wife a widdow let his children be continually vagabonds and beg let them seeke their bread also out of desolate places let the extortioner cath all that he hath and let the stranger spoile his labour But we may rather take it as the matter then as the forme of a curse I cursed his habitation and the curse brake forth upon his children and
same dungeon and be bound with the same chaine he may be slaine with the same sword burnt at the same stake eaten up with the same famine So that both in the materiality and likewise in the graduality of it it may be the same on both yet upon one it is a correction upon the other a judgement What then is this correction And where will the correction and the judgement part I conceive that the infirmities of the Saints and the sins of the wicked differ as judgements and corrections differ Now look upon those sins which we call the infirmities of the Saints they may be the same in the matter the same in kind yea possibly the same in the degree I meane respecting the outward rule given by God and the outward act committed by man with the sins of those who know not God or who in sinning go against their knowledge Then where doe they part Surely where corrections and judgements part And where is that Especially in two things First in the manner how 2. In the end why they are inflicted First the Lord never corrects his children with such a heart as he carries in laying trouble upon the loynes of wicked men The heart of God is turned toward his children when he corrects them but his heart is turned from a wicked man when he punishes him The Lord is even pained that I may speake as the Scripture often doth in this point after the manner of men I say the Lord expresses himselfe as pained as grieved as if every stroake went to his owne heart when he strikes his children When he is about to strike he is as it were unresolved whether he shall strike or no and as soon as he hath stricken he as it were repents that he did strike them All which motions of his heart the Lord shews us in the highest strains of passionate Rhetorick Hos 11. 8 9. But when he takes the wicked in hand to punish them we reade of no passion ascribed to him but these delight or joy and the effect of them laughter hatred or indignation and the effect of these mocking at them Pro. 1. 26. I will laugh at your calamity and mock when your fear cometh And when he resolves upon the destruction of his enemies he speaks as if then he had unburden'd himselfe and his heart were lighter then before Isa 1. 24. Ah I will ease me of my Adversaries and avenge me of my enemies Secondly the difference is as broad about the end When God layes the rod of correction upon his child he aimes at the purging out of his sin at the preventing of his sin at the revealing of a fatherly displeasure against him for his sin The Lord would only have him take notice that he doth not approve of him in such courses When these ends are proposed every affliction is a correction But the afflictions of the ungodly are sent for other ends First to take vengeance on them Secondly to satisfie offended justice justice cries aloud against them and they have nothing to interpose but their bare backs or naked soules The Lord comes as a severe Creditor and bids them pay that which they owe or suffer and to prison because they cannot pay Secondly observe A child of God is in a happy condition under all corrections As man in a naturall or civill capacity at his best estate is altogether vanity Psal 39. 5. So in a spirituall capacity he is altogether happinesse in his worst outward estate Happy is the man whom God corrects he is a gainer by correction If he looseth any thing it is but the drosse of his corruptions By this therefore Isa 27. 9. shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his sinne Corrections are not sent to take away his comforts but to take away his corruptions That fire which God kindles upon his children shall burne only as it did the materiall bonds of the three children in Daniel the spirituall bonds of their iniquity that they may be more free to righteousnesse Againe Crrections are not manifestations of wrath but an evidence of his love and of their son-ship Whom I love I chastise Rev. 3. 21. And if ye endure chastning God dealeth with you as with sons Heb. 12. 7. The love of God is better then life and to be a son of God is the highest priviledge of his love Where shall we be happy if not in that which assures us of such love and of love in such a relation Hence the Apostle concludes 2 Cor. 4. 12. So then death worketh in us death that is our daily sufferings and endurings He speakes indeed especially of sufferings for the truth from the cruell hand of man but it is true likewise of all sufferings under the correcting hand of God Those stroakes which are deadly to our bodies may yet worke for us And what worke they The seventeentth verse answers the question Our light afflictions which are but for a moment worke for us a farre more exceeding and eternall weight of glory The sufferings of the Saints are active and their passions opperative But how doe they worke Not by way of merit or earning Our blood cannot oblige God but by way of preparation The Lord sends afflictions to fashion and cleanse our hearts as fit vessels to hold an exceeding weight of glory Our bearing the heaviest afflictions doth not weigh so much as the least graine of glory yet they fit our hearts for an exceedingly excellent weight of glory We cannot say properly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they worke any glory but by an Hyperbole in speech we say they work towards an Hyperbole in glory And if any doubt can a man be happy when his outward comfort is gone Doubtlesse he may For a man is never unhappy but when he hath lost that wherein happinesse doth consist The happinesse of a godly man doth not consist in his outward comforts in riches in health in honour in civill liberty or humane relations therefore in the losse of these he cannot be unhappy His happinesse consists in his relation to and acceptance with God in his title to and union with Jesus Christ While he keeps these priviledges and these he shall keepe for ever what hath he lost if he loose all besides these He hath not lost any thing discerneable out of his estate Suppose a man were worth a million of money and he should loose a penny would you think this man an undone man No His estate feeles not this losse and therefore he hath not lost his estate If a man should buy a thousand measures of corne or cloath and should loose the given handfuls of the one or inches of the other would ye say that this man had lost either his corne or his cloath All the things of the world and they only are looseable which a godly man hath are not so much to his estate as a penny to a million They
as one that travelleth and thy want as an armed man Want strips us but is it selfe not only cloathed but armed Evils have so much life and strength in them that they are compared to the strongest who live armed men Hence observe first It is an aggravation of unkindnesse to those who are in want not to be kind to them when they are modest in asking a supply of their wants Love ought to prevent asking and should be moved to give most to them who being in need complain least Again He speakes this to wipe off that aspersion as if the losse of his estate were the thing which grieved and pinched him so sore Did I say unto you bring me a reward c. It is an argument that a man overloves that which he hath lost when he is over-importunate to have his losses repaired If you had seen me call out unto you for an estate then you had reason to think that the losse of my estate was the losse of my patience Thirdly Observe the temper of a gracious heart under losses and afflictions A gracious heart under losses is not forward to complain to creatures or to ask help of men Did I say bring unto me or give me a reward of your substance He complaines to God and sheweth him his trouble he openes his want to God and asketh supplies of him but he is very modest and slow in complaining to or in suing for help at the hand of creatures It is not unlawful for those that are in want to make their losses and wants known to men It is a duty rather so to doe onely it must be done with caution least when we ask of creatures too importunately we give an argument against our selves that we are too much in love with creatures As it is reproved in those Rulers before spoken of Hos 4. 18. that they did love give ye It is a crime in the rich to love give ye And certainly it is a sin at least an infirmity in those that are poor and in want to love give ye or to say as Iob here had not bring to me Solomon speakes of the daughters of the horsleach that they are alwayes crying give give noting their insatiable thirst after blood Some poor are alwayes crying give give which notes a very inordinate desire after riches Iob is very careful to take off the suspition of such a blemish from himself I did not say bring ye or give ye me of your substance It is the duty of those that are full to give to their empty brethren it is their sin if they give not and it is their shame if they are not most free in giving to those who are most modest in asking But when God hath emptied us we should not be eager in filling our selves When God takes creatures from us we should take heed of pursuing them we should not doe any thing which may argue our hearts glued to them when the Lord hath loosen'd them out of our hands It is an honour to a poor Christian when in his greatest straights he can approve himself to God and men and can say as the Apostle Acts 20. 33. I have coveted no mans silver or gold or apparel It is as sinful to covet in our wants as it is in our abundance And it is as bad if not worse to be greedy of the creature when we are empty as when we are full A poor man oppressing the poor Prov 28. 3. and covering from the rich are sights of equal abomination Vers 24. Teach me and I will hold my tongue and cause me to understand wherein I have erred c. This and the next verse contain the fourth branch of Jobs reply and the general sence of them is a submission of himself to his friends if yet they should speak reason or discover his error Teach me and I will hold my peace as if he had said Though I have to the best of my understanding thus far acquitted my self and cleared mine own innocency though I have as I think with truth and justice laid this charge of uncharitablenesse and unfriendly dealing with me upon you yet you shall see I am ready to hear you I am teachable if you can yet teach me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iecit projecit per metaphoram 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rigavit quando transfertur ad pluviam quae lapidum sagitarum instar ex coelo decidit in terram eamque ferit rigat foecundat Hinc per Metathoram significat etiam docere Quod doctrina veluti instiletur animis dicentium ininutatim indatur eosque impuat I will keep silence and if you cause me to understand wherein I have erred I shall doe so no more Teach me The Original word notes in strict sence to cast a thing forth to throw a thing as a dart or a stone is thrown either downward or upward or in a direct motion forward Hence by a Metaphor it signifies raine because raine is as it were darted forth from the clouds and cast down upon the earth And from hence yet one remove further the Metaphor is carried to signifie teaching Hence the holy Prophet is commanded to drop his word Ezek. 20. 46. 21. 2. Sonne of man set thy face toward the south and drop thy word towards the south Sonne of man set thy face toward Jerusalem and droop thy word toward the holy places And the reason is this because Doctrines Truths and wholesome Instructions are instilled and cast down among the people or dropt into their spirits as rain is cast or dropp'd from heaven upon the earth And so we may read the word◠out of the metaphor thus rain down upon me doe ye O my friends like clouds full of water dissolve and showre down instructions upon me and see if I doe not receive and drink them in And from this word all doctrine and instruction in the Hebrew is called Torah Prov. 13. 1. and Psal 1. 1. And the Jewes by way of eminency call the five books of Moses as also all the books of the old Testament the Torah that is the Law or rule of holy doctrine which God rained down from Heaven and distilled graciously upon his people for their growth in knowledge and in holiness And so a Teacher from the same root is called Moreh Job 36. 22 Who teacheth like Him who raineth like him there is no man can distill truths as God doth Moses Deut. 32. 2. elegantly sets forth his preaching by an allegory of rain and dew My doctrine shall drop as the rain my speech shall distil as the dew as the small rain upon the tender herb and as the showres upon the grasse And the Apostle Paul Heb. 6 7 8. compares a taught people to ground that is well watered with rain For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it and bringeth forth fruit is blessed but that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected and is nigh unto
so resolved to contest and contend with man who is but dust and ashes The words following though I adhere rather to the former interpretation carry somewhat toward it Verse 18. That thou shouldest visit him every morning and try him every moment Here are two acts more about which the question is put What is man that thou shouldest visit him every morning And what is man that thou shouldest try him every moment That thou shouldest visit him every morning To visit is taken three wayes and they may all be applied to this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Visitavit in bonum in malum text To visit is first to afflict to chasten yea to punish the highest judgements in Scripture come under the notion of visitations Exod. 34. 7. Visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children that is punishing them And in the Prophet Jer. 5. 9. Shall not I visit for this shall not my soule be avenged on such a Nation as this Jer. 48. 44. when God came against Moab with those terrible judgements it is called the yeere of their visitation I will bring upon it even upon Moab the yeere of their visitation And it is a common speech with us when a house hath the plague which is one of the highest stroakes of temporall affliction we use to say such a house is visited Then observe Afflictions are visitations They are called so because then God comes to search our hearts and lives afflictions are Gods searchers and examiners Jerusalem is threatned to be scearcht with candles and that was the time of Jerusalems visitation To search with a candle notes the most accurate searching as the woman when she had lost her groate lighted a candle and sought diligently till she found it she visited every hole to find it out When you see the Lord afflicting then he is visiting he lights a candle to search every corner of your lives And if afflictions be Gods visitations it is time for man to visit himselfe when he is afflicted We should visit our soules when God visits our bodies our estates our families or the Kingdome where we live Woe to those who doe not visit themselves when God visits them The Prophet calls to this duty in a time of saddest visitation Let us search and try our wayes Lam. 3. Yet further If God in affliction visit us let us visit God let us answer his visitation of us with our visitation of him Lord in trouble have they visited thee they powred out a prayer when thy chastning was upon them Isa 26. 16. Would you know what the visiting of God is It is praying unto him They visited thee they powred out a prayer when thy chastning was on them We visit Heaven in our afflictions when we pray much in our afflictions When God visiteth us let us visit him never give over visiting him til he remove his visitation from or sanctifie it to us That 's the first sense Secondly To visit in a good sence signifies to shew mercy and to refresh to deliver and to blesse Ruth 1. 6. Naomi heard how the Lord had visited his people and given them bread Gen. 21. 2. The Lord visited Sarah and she conceived c. Exod. 3. 16. The Lord hath surely visited his people when they were upon dawnings of deliverance out of Egypt That greatest mercy and deliverance that ever the children of men had is thus expressed Luke 1. 68. The Lord hath visited and redeemed his people Mercies are visitations when God comes in kindness and love to do us good he visiteth us And these mercies are called visitations in two respects 1. Because God comes neer to us when he doth us good Mercy is a drawing neere to a soule a drawing neere to a place As when God sends a judgement or afflicts he is said to depart and go away from that place so when he doth us good he comes neere and as it were applies himself in favour to our persons and habitations 2. They are called a visitation because of the freenesse of them A visit is one of the freest things in the world There is no obligation but that of love to make a visit because such a man is my friend and I love him therefore I visit him Hence I say that greatest act of free-grace in redeeming the world is called a visitation because it was as freely done as ever any friend made a visit to see his friend and with infinite more freedome there was no obligation on mans side at all many unkindnesses and neglects there were God in love came to redeeme man Thirdly To visit imports an act of care inspection of tutorage Idiotismus est elegans apud Hebeaeos pro eo quod est diligentissime exactissime rem investigare Bold and direction The Pastors office over the flock is expressed by this act Zech. 10. 3. Acts 15. 36. And the care we ought to have of the fatherlesse and widdows is exprest by visiting of them Pure Religion saith the Apostle James is this to visit the fatherlesse and widdowes in their affliction Jam. 1. 27. and Mat. 26. 34. Christ pronounceth the blessing on them who when he was in prison visited him which was not a bare seeing or asking how do you but it was care of Christ in his imprisonment and helpfullnesse and provision for him in his afflicted members That sence also agrees well with this place What is man that thou shouldest visit him that is that thou shouldest take care have such an inspection over him look so narrowly to and provide for him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Singulis mane quotidie mane mane autem fieri dicitur quod quotidie fit ac diligenter seduloque Drus That thou shouldest visit him every morning Fvery morning The Hebrew is in the mornings And the word here used for morning is considerable There is a two-fold morning which the Jewes distinguished exactly by their watch One morning was that which they accounted from an hour before Sun rising from the very first breaking of the day till the Sun appeared above the Horizon which is about the space of an hour And the word which they use for it is Shachar which signifies to be darkish or blackish because that first morning is somewhat darke And so the a Latini vocant dilucuium quasi diei lucula i. e. parva lux latine word diluculum which is for the first morning is by Crittiques called a little of the day But their other morning was the space of an houre after Sun-rising and the root of that word signifies to seeke or to enquire to enquire diligently And the reason why they expresse the second morning so is because when the Sun is up we may seeke and search about our businesse or go on in our callings and affairs The height of the day they call the b Reliquum diei tempus quasi ob majorem lucis intensionem vocant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ghetsem