Eliphaz Bildad and Zophar followed their Brother Job long but they gave it over at last and returned from following him Though I confesse there is a necessity of contending and that as the Apostle Jude exhorts earnestly both by speech and pen for the faith once delivered to the Saints Yet there are many contentions which it had been well if they had never been begun or at least quickly ended And when men revile and blaspheme rather then argue It is best to take up that Counsel which good Hezekiah gave in commandement concerning Rayling Rabsakeh Answer them not Solomon hath given us the full state of this duty in a seeming contradiction while in one verse he forbids us to answer a Foole and in the next bids us answer him The foole must be answered according to his folly but the answer must be framed and drawne up by the strength of reason and wisedome that is the foole must be made to see his folly lest he grow up and be confirmed in his opinion that what he saith is true because he is not shewed the error of it yet The foole must not be answered according to his folly that is if he speake or write vainely and revilingly shewing rather the frothynes of his wit or the over-flowing of his gall then the sobriety and soundnesse of his Judgement he that answers him must not conforme eyther speech or stile to his lest he be like unto him The answer which we give to another beareth the image and is the measure of our selver And our ill-mannaging of a matter renders us as bad as others though our opinion be better Our Master Christ being reviled reviled not againe we his Disciples and followers ought to imitate him and not to render evill for evill or rayling for rayling but contrariwise to blesse While we are called to contending let us doe it fayrely and candidly Christ would have us shew love and tendernes to our brethren as wel as zeale for Him and his Truth They cannot but doe so who stand up for truth purely as 't is the truth of Christ rather then as it is their owne opinion And though I am loath to be suspitious yet I greatly suspect that the reason why many cast so much dirt and dishonour upon the persons of their Brethren while they appeare as Champions for the Truth proceeds from a secret desire to procure honour to their owne persons rather then the advancement of Truth Peace and truth are a blessed payre and were we more for peace we should sooner find out the truth But so long as men contend rather for a party or an opinion then for truth rather for victory and the Mastery then for truth rather for honour I had almost sayd humour and interest then for truth as we are sure not to meete with peace so we are extreamely hindred and puzzl'd in seeking out the truth The most probable way to keepe downe some ill-sented opinions is to lay downe all disputes about them especially now when most if not all Controversies on foote have been sifted to the branne What therefore remaines but that we waite for light and conviction from heaven looking how the holy Spirit of truth and peace will state and determine those poynts upon the consciences of men And I am fully satisfyed that if all would suffer their consciences to answer and reply rather then their conceits and parts most of our disputers in this age would like Jobs friends dispute no more O That we could a while leave arguing with and answering one another especially rayling upon and scoffing at one another and fall to praying for loving one another according to the utmost tedder of Gospel-love For as love is the complement or fullfilling of the whole Law of God the scope or intentional end of the Commandement so it would be the conclusion or finishing and determining end of all the Controversies which arise or are started among men And I conceave that in most poynts of difference a severe and Magisteriall imposing of an opinion upon others in way of dispute is as bad and as un Gospel-like as to impose it upon any by way of power Beloved and Honored Friends ye may perceave how farre my joy for being arrived at the end of this dispute between Job and his friends hath transported me to presse for at least an amicable carrying onne if not an end of all our disputes and that as the Apostle adviseth speaking the truth and for the truth or Truthing it in love we may grow up into him in all things which is the head even Christ From whom the whole body fitly joyned together and compacted by that which every joynt supplyeth according to the effectuall working of every part maketh encrease of the body to the edifying of it selfe in love Love is a knitting and therefore an increasing grace That which uniteth many in one must needs edifie That One which is the result of such a union As faith is that Grace by which we receave all from God so love is that Grace by which we conveigh and divide good among our selves There is not the least joynt in the mysticall body of Christ but giveth some supply to the whole because love is the ligament of it As we can want nothing while as the Apostle Jude exhorts we keepe our selves in the love of God whether we understand him of the love of God to us or of our love to God makes no difference as to this matter so we can hardly want any thing while we keepe our selves in the love of one another That all who love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity may by the presence and influence of the Spirit of love not only keepe themselves but increase in the love of God and in the love of one another till we are fully growne up in him in all things which is the head even Christ is the wish and prayer as it ought to be the endeavour of all and of him who would SIRS The 18th of the Third Moneth commonly called May. 1655. Serve you Faithfully in love JOSEPH CARYL ERRATA PAge 51. l. 5. for 34. r. 24. p. 72. l. 30. for Armes r. Arme. p. 75. for turpa r. teâ—ra p. 245. for honestes r. hostes p. 422. l. 11. supple but. p. 447. l. 36. supple life p. 480. l. 5. supple or p. 498. l. 7. for man r. mans p. 672. l 36. for 6. r. 8. p. 784. l. 29. for Zeph r. Zech. AN EXPOSITION WITH Practicall Observations UPON The Twenty-two Twenty-three Twenty-foure Twenty-five and Twenty-sixe Chapters of the Booke of JOB JOB Chap. 22. Vers 1 2 3 4. 1. Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said 2. Can a man be profitable unto God as hee that is wise may be profitable unto himselfe 3. Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righous or is it gain to him that thou makest thy ways perfect 4. Will he reprove thee for feare of thee or will he
treasure I need not stay to tell you The Judgements of God saith David Psal 19.10 are more to be desired then Gold yea then much fine gold And againe Psal 119.72.127 The law of thy mouth is better to me then thousands of Gold and silver And ver 127. when he saw how some made voyd the Law of God he sayth Therefore I love thy commandements above Gold yea above fine Gold As if he had sayd because I see some men esteeme and reckon thy law as if it were drosse and throw it up as voyd and antiquated or taking the boldnes as it were to repeale and make it voyd that they may set up their own lusts and vaine imaginations because I see both prophane and superstitious men thus out of love with thy Law therefore my love is more enflamed to it I love it above gold which leads the most of men away captives in the love of it and I esteeme it more then that which is most esteemed by men and gaines men most esteeme in this world Fine Gold yea as he sayd Psal 19. more then much fine Gold Secondly Observe A high and reverentiall esteeme of the word of God workes the heart and keepes it close to the obedience of the word Job having said before I have kept the commandements of his mouth I have kept his wayes and not declined I have not gone back now comes to the spring of all this constancy in obedience I have esteemed the words of his mouth c. Love is the spring of action and esteeme is the top of love we love nothing which we doe not esteeme and what we love much we thinke we can never esteeme enough And what we thus love and esteeme we strive to keepe close unto They that receive the truth and doe not receive the love of it quickly turne from it to beleive a lye yea God therefore sends them strong delusion to beleive a lye because they received not the love of the truth As not to love the truth is a sin so it is punished with another sin the love of error Though we have taken much truth into our understandings yet unlesse we take it into our affections also we cannot hold it long 'T is love which holds the heart and the word together No man willingly obeyes that Law which he doth not love Before David could say The Law is my meditation all the day he sayth O how I love thy law Ps 119.97 The hypocrite who hates instruction and casts the word of God behinde his backe that is slights and vilifies it to the utmost for so much to cast behinde the backe imports the hypocrite I say who thus casts the word of God behinde his backe will be talking of the word and have it much in his mouth yea he will mouth it so or be so talkative about it that God reproves or checks him for it Psal 50.16 Vnto the wicked saith God What hast thou to doe to declare my statutes or that thou shouldest take my Covenant in thy mouth So then the hypocrite was very busie with his tongue and he could speake much of that which he loved never a whit But was the hypocrite a man of his hands also was he busie in obeying the word which he had cast behinde his back The next words of the Psalme ver 18 19 20 21. tell us what he was busie about even this he was breaking the Law as fast as he could When thou sawest a theife then thou consentest with him and hast been partaker with Adulterers c. The inditement is large and upon many heads yet all true and is therefore closed with These things hast thou done ver 21. I the Lord am witnes and so is thy owne Conscience That Scripture is a cleare glasse wherein we may see how all they will use the Law of God who doe not highly esteeme the words of his mouth We may read Jobs text backward for their character Their feete have not held his steps his way have they not kept but declined they have gone back from the commandement of his lips And why so for they have esteemed the words of his mouth no more then their un-necessary food no more then the scraps that fall from their Table no more then as the Proverb saith their old shoes I have esteemed the word of his mouth more then my necessary food When Job saith I have esteemed the word of his mouth c. It is as if he had sayd this is enough for me that God hath sayd it to make me esteeme it Hence observe Thirdly Whatsoever God saith is to be esteemed for his owne sake or because he hath sayd it As God needs not borrow light from any what to speake so he needs not borrow testimony or Authority from any to ratifie what he hath spoken He is to be beleeved for himselfe His words need no sanction but ipse dixit I the Lord have sayd it or thus saith the Lord that is enough to silence all queryes and disputes both about the truth of what is delivered and the necessity of our obedience to it As the word of Gods mouth is to be obeyed so it is therefore to be obeyed because it is the word of his mouth That he hath sayd it must command our faith As he is the true God so he is the God of truth Every word of his mouth is pretious As what God hath spoken must be the rule of our faith so that he hath spoken it must be the reason of our faith I have esteemed the words of his mouth c. Lastly From both these verses we may take notice of the severall steps by which Jobs piety did arise to so eminent a hight First He strongly tooke hold of the steps of God Secondly He diligently kept his way Thirdly He declined not eyther to the right hand or to the left Fourthly He went not backe from the Holy commandement both which negatives may be resolved into this affirmative He walked very closely and exactly with God in utmost perseverance Fifthly He tooke a delightfull care about all those things which the word of God called him unto even beyond all the care which he tooke for those things which are most conducible to and necessary for the comforts of his body or natural life JOB CHAP. 23. Vers 13. But he is in one minde and who can turne hinc and what his soule desireth even that he doth IN this verse Job is conceived by some at once making discovery of his owne infirmitie and of the soveraignty of God But though all agree that they carry a full discovery of the soveraignty of God yet many are so farre from judging them a discovery of Jobs infirmitie that they rather discover the strength and hight of his Grace and holines To cleare the whole matter we may take notice That there are three apprehensions about the scope and sence of these words First As if in them Job renderd a reason
is unprofitable therefore these cannot profit themselves Then what is that wisedome which Eliphaz means when he saith He that is wise may be profitable to himselfe I answer The wise man here intended is not the man that is politickly wise worldly wise carnally or craftily wise but the man spiritually wise his wisedome will bring him in profit He that is guided by holy and godly wisedome shall reap the benefit and eat the fruit of it We have such wisdome described Psal 111.10 The feare of the Lord is the beginning of wisedome a good understanding have all they that keep his Commandements he doth not say a good understanding have all they that know his Commandements for many may know the Commandements and yet not have a good understanding but they have a good understanding indeed that do his Commandements And when the Psalmist saith The feare of the Lord is the beginning of wisedome the word Beginning signifies not onâ—ly the first step or entrance into a thing but the head or hight of it so that Beginning is as much as chief or principall the best wisedome the chief the top wisdome the head wisdome or the head of wisdome is the fear of the Lord. Job gives the same description of wisdome in the last words of the twenty-eighth Chapter Behold the fear of the Lord that is wisedome and to depart from evill that is understanding Would you know what is true wisedome 't is the fear of the Lord would ye know who is wise The godly man is the truly wise man yea he is the onely wise man But then it may be questioned May a wise man be profitable to himselfe Doth not the Apostle say Rom. 14.7 None of us liveth to himselfe c. Then how can a man be wise to himselfe And doth not the Apostle give the rule 2 Cor. 5.15 Christ dyed for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves If we may not live to our selves how then doth he say here that the wise man is profitable to himself He that is profitable to himself lives to himself doth he not I answer First the wise man must not make his own profit the end or the designe of his wisedome but he may look upon his own profit as that which will be the issue fruiâ— and consâ—quent of his wisedome A carnall man looks to and loves his work for the rewards sake A godly man may look to and love his reward for the works sake Prov. 9.12 If thou be wise thou shalt be wise for thy self that is the fruit or the good of thy wisedome will drop into thy owne bosome A wise man may look for his advantage in the end of his worke though he is not to make his own advantage the end of his work We are not to make either temporal or eternal advantages the end of our wisedome but we may look upon them as fruits and effects that God leads us to by the exercise of wisedome Secondly I answer a wise man cannot be profitable to himselfe as the founder of his own happinesse or as having a sufficiency in himselfe to make himself happy but a wise man may be a means or an instrument of his owne happinesse and walking in the way of wisedome he walks in the way to his own happinesse Thus he that is godly wise or that feareth God may be profitable to himselfe Hence Observe He that is truly wise godly and holy shall find fruit and benefit by it The Apostle 1 Tim. 4.8 assureth us that Godlinesse is profitable for all things The greatest gain in the world is Godlinesse It hath the promises of this life and of that which is to come Whatsoever drops out of any promise of the Gospel fals into the lap of a goly man the promises are his and therefore the good of the promise is his When the promises open at any time and give forth their vertue they must needs give it forth to him that is wise to him that is godly for godlinesse hath the promises When the Apostle had rebuk'd a sort of men that made godlinesse onely a stalking-hors to get gain he presently adds But Godlinesse is great gaine if a man be content with what he hath Godlinesse it selfe is great gaine if we have no more but godlinesse brings in gaine abundance of gaine besides it selfe Matth. 6.35 Seeke first the Kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof and all these things shall be added or cast in as an advantage to you The Apostle Rom. 6.21 puts a kind of holy scorne upon sinners come tell me What fruit had you of those things whereof you are now ashamed What fruit have you by your folly pride worldlinesse envy what fruit have you found in these things Bring me in an account of your gaine by trading in any sin The end of these things is death there is no great profit in that But now being made free from sin and become servants to God ye have your fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life Here are fruits good store and all good fruits both for here and hereafter We can never want fruit our selves while we are bringing forth fruit unto God All obedience is attended with a blessing and though as was toucht before we cannot be the founders of our own blessednesse nor must we meerly designe our own happinesse or aime at our owne proâ—â—◠〈◊〉 that is mercenary service yet we may look at our owne happinesse and profit yea and Lay up for our selves a good foundation as Paul adviseth rich men 1 Tim. 6 1â— We then make the best of our riches when we lay up for our selves a good foundation But can a man lay a foundation of his happinesse in his riches what a rotten foundation will that be what hay and stubble in this sense will gold and silver be What 's the meaning of it then when the Apostle saith Laying up for your selves a good foundation I answer we do it by the right improvement of riches for he speaks there to rich men not that we can lay any foundation to build upon beside Jesus Christ for other foundation can no man lay then that which is laid even Jesus Christ but when our hearts are not glued to the creature but we use them in a holy manner here 's our laying up a good foundation A godly wise man may look upon his right improvement of worldly riches as an effect of the grace and love of Christ dwelling in his heart and thus he may be said to lay up for himselfe a good foundation And further a beleever may looke upon his worldly profits as a fruit of the same grace the Lord having promised that he will blesse and provide for him so that every way a wise man may be profitable to himselfe Thus Eliphaz hath at once asserted a possibility for a man to be profitable to himselfe and denyed any possibility that a man can be profitable unto God which
latter part of the Verse may receive the same Exposition Will he enter with thee into judgment namely for thy feare Will God deale with thee upon the account of thy piety And when he comes to justifie thee will he impute that to thee Or when God enters into judgement with thee will he suffer thee to present thy fear thy piety or goodnesse to him and so thereby answer his plea or take away the action which he brings against thee When God enters with us into judgement we may boldly plead our interest or Faith in the Mediator but we must not plead our fear the Grace or Holinesse either of our persons or of our services Thus we see the Doctrine of the Text according to this Exposition and the Active signification of the word Feare carrieth in it the very life and spirit of the Gospel All the worth and merit of our works as to righteousnesse is nul'd and laid prostrate and we taught to glory in nothing but the free gift and grace of God by our Lord Jesus Christ Secondly As Fear is taken passively Will he reprove thee for feare of thee That is is God afraid of thee doth he pick quarrels with thee for fear of thee Or seek occasions against thee when there is none only lest thou shouldest stand in his way or be a detriment to him This appears plainly to be the sense of our Translators Whence Observe God is above the feare of the Creature As in the former Verse God is above any advantages or hopes that the Creature can give him so he is above the feare of any hurt that the creature can doe him As the goodnesse or righteousnesse of man cannot benefit the Lord so the wickednesse and sinfulnesse of man cannot at all impaire the eternall glory and happinesse of the Lord. Though the wickednesse of man be a darkening to the manifestations of his glory and for that wicked men shall be judged yet as to his essential glory all the wickednesse in the world cannot darken that nor be the least abatement to it Will he reprove thee for feare of thee No man cannot hurt the Lord by all his wickednesse and therefore The punishment which God layeth upon wicked men is not after the manner of men God doth not punish as man punisheth Eliphaz here speaks of that which is often indeed a true ground among men why they reprove or punish other men Some reprove others upon a vaine fear of them and some upon a just fear of them Why did the Jews accuse and reprove Christ Was it not for fear of him at least they pretended a fear why else were they so hasty to have Jesus Christ brought to judgement John 12.47 48. Then gathered the chief Priests and Pharisees a Councel and said what doe we for this man doth many Miracles if we let him thus alone all men will beleeve on him and the Romanes shall come and take away both our place and Nation They Crucified Christ for fear though it was but a vain fear that he would be the ruine of their state the Romanes must needs come and destroy them if they let him alone Feare makes men cruell and they are most ready to hurt others who continually suspect hurt from others It hath been an ancient Observation that Cowards are murtherous and revengefull while a man fears that such a man will be his ruine he ruines him if he can and removes that out of his way which he supposeth standing in the way of his owne safety Why did Pharaoh give Command to slay the Male-Children of the Jews and oppresse that people It was upon a vaine or cowardly fear Come let us deale wisely with them lest they multiply and it come to passe that when there falleth out any warre they joyne also with our enemyes and fight against us and so get them up out of the Land Ex. 1.10 It is sayd at the 7th verse of that Chap. that the children of Israel were fruitfull and God fullfilling herein his promise made to Abraham encreased aboundantly and multiplyed and waxed exceeding mighty and the Land was filled with them When God thus cast a gratious eye upon them Pharoah and his Councellers cast a jelous eye upon them and began to suspect their multiplying might at last diminish him that their rising might prove his ruine Therefore upon reason of state he must find out a way to suppress and keepe them under as slaves and bondmen whom his Ancestors received as welcom guests and had to that day enjoyed as faithful friends Pharoah being captivated with this feare saw no way to free himselfe but by taking away the freedome of that whole People As some through the prevalency of their owne feares dare not doe justice so others through the prevalency of feare doe that which is unjust Take one instance more why did Herod Matth. 2. send out to slay all the Children It was for fear of the King of the Jewes he was afraid of Christ and therefore that he might murther him he gave that horrible sentence to slay all the Infants Again some reprove and judge upon a due fear for as Tirants and wicked men are full of fear because full of cruelty and have suspitious thoughts that others will wrong them because they have a mind to wrong every man so just and righteous Magistrates when they see evil working they must reprove and punish it lest it spread to the endangering of the publick Peace This is a just fear and such as becomes a man even a man of courage and integrity such may feare that if seditious spirits be let alone Verissimum est illud quod inter argumentādum assumit Eliphaz ex timore frequenter nasci aut vehementius accendi solere severitatem in irrogando supplicio Pined they will undermine a whole Nation and destroy thousands A Magistrate reproves and Judges Theeves and Murtherers out of fear that if they encrease no man shall live quietly Such as either openly or secretly contrive evil against a Nation the Magistrate from a just ground of fear deals with them reproves least they should disturb or infect the whole But the Lord doth not reprove any man for fear of him he is of such infinite strength and stability so far out of the reach of all the plots and contrivances of the wicked that he needs not call them to account lest they should hurt his state pull him out of his Throne spoile his Kingdome or get his Dominion from him the Lord is not afraid of any of these things but the true reason why the Lord reproves wicked men is because he hates their iniquities and is a God of truth and judgment Though Magistrates may punish not only out of the love of Righteousnesse and Judgment but because they fear a State may be ruin'd if they do it not yet the Lord hath none of this fear in regard of his State but he doth it meerly out of love to justice
when the ungodly fall and not fall into sin themselves I answer First The righteous rejoyce at the fall of the wicked as blessing God who hath kept their feete from those wayes in which the wicked have fallen As 't is a great mercy to be kept out of those ill wayes to be kept from fiding with those corrupt interests in the pursuit of which we see many broken so 't is a duty to rejoyce that we have not walked in their way whose end we see to be nothing els but destruction Secondly The righteous have cause to rejoyce blesse God when they see the wicked fall because themselves are saved keepe their standing because themselves have escaped the danger and the Lord hath been a banner of protection over them in the day when the wicked fell Moses after the destruction of Amaleck built an Altar and called the name of it Jehova-Nissi Exod. 17.15 that is to say The Lord is my banner And in like cases the joy of the Saints is not properly in the destruction of the wicked but in their owne deliverance through the mighty power good hand of God with them It is the presence of God with them the appearance of God for them which is the gladnes of their hearts Thirdly The righteous then rejoyce because the Church and people of God are in a fayre way to peace when the Lyons are destroyed the sheepe are in safety when the Wolves and the Beares are cut off the flock rests quietly so in this case when men of devouring cruell spirits wicked and ungodly ones are removed the flocke of God the sheepe of his pasture feed quietly none making them afrayd The fall of the enemies of Sion is the establishment of Sion yea in a great measure of mankinde As the Prophet most elegantly sets it forth Isa 14.6 7 8. He who smote the people in wrath with a continuall stroke he that ruled the Nations in anger is persecuted and none hindereth The whole earth is at rest and is quiet they breake forth into singing yea the firre-trees rejoyce at thee and the Cedars of Lebanon saying since thou art layd downe no feller is come up against us How often have wicked men in power felled not onely the Firre-trees and Cedars of the world but the goodly trees of righteousnesse in the Lords plantations have they not therefore reason to sing when such fall seing the Fellers themselves are then felled and fallen Fourthly Joy ariseth to the righteous because God is honoured in the fall of wicked men And that 's their chiefest joy That God is honoured is more joy to the righteous then that themselves are saved how much more then then that the wicked are destroyed There is a threefold honour arising to God when the wicked fall First God is honoured in his justice such a day is the day of the declaration of the righteous judgement of God as the Apostle speakes of the great day of Judgement Rom. 2.5 Thou after thy hardnesse and impenitent heart treasurest up to thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God Some doe even question the justice of God when wicked men prosper but he is vindicated in his justice when wicked men fall It cannot but please righteous men to see the righteous God exalted or God exalted in his righteousnesse They know and beleeve that God is righteous when the wicked prosper Jer. 12.1 But when the wicked are punished they proclaime his righteousnes Then they sing the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lambe saying Great and marvailous are thy workes Lord God Almighty just and true are thy wayes thou King of Saints Who shall not feare thee O Lord and glorifie thy Name c. for thy Judgements are made manifest Rev. 15.3 4. The Lord is alwayes alike Just but it doth not alwayes alike appeare how just he it And as that God is just is the faith and stay of the Saints so the appearances of his justice are their joy and triumph Secondly God is honoured much in the attribute of his truth in the truth of his word in the truth of his threatenings when the wicked are punished God hath spoken bloudy words concerning wicked men not onely in reference to their future estate in the next life but to their present estate in this Say to the wicked it shall be ill with him the reward of his hands shall be given him But what is this reward There are two sorts of rewards First rewards of love and favour according to the good which we have done Secondly rewards of wrath and anger poenal rewards according to the evill which we have done Now when the Lord puts these poenal rewards into the hands of the wicked or powres them upon their heads he is honoured in his truth as well as his justice for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it As the promises are yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 so also are the threatnings unto the glory of God by us But as when David saw his life in danger every day he began to question the truth of God in the promise that he should live to reigne and fit upon the throne of Israel for saith he Psal 116.11 when things went thus with him I said in my hast all men are lyars even Samuel among the rest who assured me of the Kingdome by expresse message from God but surely he also is deceived and hath fed me with vaine hopes Now as these words of David according to our translation of them and the truth of the thing in frequent experiences shew that Godly men are apt to question the truth of the promise when themselves are by seemingly contradicting providences much afflicted so they are apt to question the truth of the threatnings when they see outward providences prospering the wicked Therefore when the threatnings have their actuall yea and Amen that is when they are executed upon the ungodly this also is to the glory of God by us that is God is glorified by all his people who heare of it in the truth of what he hath spoken Againe as God is magnified in the truth of his threatnings when any particular wicked man is punished so when common calamities come upon the wicked the truth of God or God in his truth is magnified two wayes First As such calamities are a fullfilling of many Prophecies secondly As they are the answer or returne of many prayers The vengeance which falls upon the Enemies of the Church of God is drawne out by prayer Luke 18.7 8. And there is nothing wherein God is more honoured then when prayer is answered For as therein he fullfills our wants so his owne word Who hath not said to the seed of Jacob seeke ye mee in vaine Thirdly When the wicked fall the Lord is honoured in the attribute of his power How great is his power who puls downe great power It argues the Almightines
is a Jewell of the greatest price that women can weare so it is a most rich and precious Jewell for a man to weare and as at all times so then especially meeknes and peaceablenes of spirit becomes man when God seemes to come in anger and to be at warre with him Bildad sayd of Job Chap. 18. v. 4. He teareth himselfe in his anger As if he had sayd the man's mad or distracted now Eliphaz adviseth him Be at peace be quiet This is a good interpretation and wee may note from it That it is our Duty to sit downe quiet and satisfied under the saddest dispensations of God A submitting spirit under an afflicting hand how comely is it To be at peace in our selves when all is unquiet about us how blessed a sight is it there are some who trouble themselves a great deale more than all the troubles that are upon them can Man is naturally a very unquiet creature an angry peece of flesh when God is angry he is apt to storme till his heart is subdued to God he cannot beare the hand of God Wicked men naturally as the Prophet Esay found them Chap. 51.20 are like a wilde Bull in a netâ— full of the fury of God and not onely so but full of fury against God throwing up the dust and moyling themselves when the nett of God hath caught them or when God hath caught them in his net God catcheth his owne people in his net many times as well as the wicked His owne people are like a dove in a net but the wicked are like a wild Bul in a net I grant the Doves will flutter a while when the net hath caught them Impatiency doth often breake out in the best of Saints it is a hard thing to keep the heart quiet within while our estate is unquiet without and to be at peace in our selves when God seemes to be at warre with us It is hard for us to hold our peace much more to be at peace in an afflicted condition yet this lesson though very hard Saints have learned David saith Psal 39.9 I was dumbe I opened not my mouth because thou didst it His was not a sullen silence but a patient silence He had not a word to say against God when God speake hard words against him yea when God was at blowes at sharpes with him Paul also had learned in every estate to be content Phil. 4.11 how ever the world went with him he was at peace Cum eâ— pacem habe in gratiam redi qui nunc alienatus es velut hostis Secondly Be at peace may refer unto God and so it is but the heightening of our acquaintance with him for first there must be an acquainting and then a making up of peace when friends fall out they must first speake with one another before the breach can be healed if they doe not treate there can be no reconciliation After treating comes peace As peace is the fruit of the lips Isa 57.19 when God treates with man by man so when man treats with man and when man treats with God Acquaint now thy selfe with him call for a treaty and therein make thy peace Be at peace with him do not any longer continue thy unholy warre with God Eliphaz supposing Job as a man setting himselfe against God had reason to bespeake him thus Hence note That till wee doe acquaint our selves with God wee can have no peace with him The wicked are like the troubled Sea whose waves cast up mire and dirt there is no peace to the wicked saith my God Isa 57.21 why no peace to the wicked the wicked have no acquaintance with God they are strangers they are afarre off from God and God beholds them afarre off therefore there is no peace to them if they have any peace it is a false peace a deceitfull peace or it is but a short peace which will quickly break out into a warre againe when once Conscience is awakened when that sleeping Lyon is rouzed what will become of all their peace they will then â—â—â—d indeed that their soule is among Lions and that they have been onely secure not safe or that theirs hath been at best a trâ—â—e onely not a peace no peace till acquinted with God and no acquaintance with God can produce peace but that which is by Jesus Christ He is the Peace-maker who is also the Mediatour sinners cannot have peace by any immediate acquainâ—â—â—â—e with God for he is a consuming fire and sinners standing alone are but as dry stubble before him When wee are made nigh to or acquainted with God by the blood of Jesus Christ then and not till then are we at peace with him Acquaint thy selfe with him and be at peace no peace without acquaintance with God no acquaintance with God but by Christ therefore no peace but by Christ Secondly Observe That God is ready to give peace to or to be at peace with those that acquaint themselves with him Acquaint thy selfe with him and be at peace as if he should say â—â—ou shalt certainly be at peace with him if thou doest but acquaint thy selfe with him for the Lord will not alwayes chide his love is everlasting but his anger towards his câ—â—â—â—â—es but foâ— a moment As the wisdome of God in man so much more the most wise God is Gentle and easie to be entreated The Lord is found of those who seeke him not Isa 65.1 Surely then he will be found of those that seeke him he is not implacable no nor inexorable The Lord hath declared himselfe full of Compassion to returning sinners so full of compassion that he seeks the acquaintance of sinners and beseeches them to be reconciled to him much more will he be acquainted with them who beseech him that they may be reconciled to him Fury is not in me saith the Lord Isa 27.4 5. who would set the bryars and thornes in battel against me that is who would be so foolish as to encourage sinfull men to be so foole-hardy as to stand out against me or contend with me for alas as it followes in the text I would goe through them I would burne them together There 's no dealing with me upon those termes but I will tell you upon what termes a 〈◊〉 may deale with me Let him lay hold of my strength that he â—â—y make peace with me and he shall make peace with me that is he shall nâ—â— loose his labour he shall find peace if he take hold of my strâ—â—gth One would thinke he should rather have sayd let him take hold of my mercy and goodnes but he saith Let him take hold of my strength To oppose the strength of God is most dangerous but by faith to take hold of it that 's both the duty and the priviledge of an humbled sinner Proud sinners oppose the strength of God humbled sinners take hold of it as their strength As a man seing another whom he hath offended but is
unable to resist or make his party good with him with much submission takes hold of his arme or weapon endeavouring by earnest suit to stay him from smiting And indeed to take hold of the strength of God is to take hold on his mercy The strength of God to save sinners lyes in his mercy and that mercy is in his Son who is his strength to save sinners if a sinner lay hold of this strength the mercy of God in his Son that he may make-peace with God if this be his designe he shall make peace there shall not be a treaty with God in Christ for peace in vaine if a sinner should take hold of the strength of his owne righteousnes performances if he should take hold of the strength of all the Angels in heaven he could not make peace with God nor would God agree with him upon those termes Such a soule must returne re infecta without his errand God is ready to be at peace with 〈◊〉 but we must have our peace in his way not in our owne Acquaint now thy selfe with him and be at peace And this peace whether in our selves or with God is no light or unprofitable thing as Eliphaz to provoke Job to pursue and seeke after it tells him in the last words of this verse Thereby good shall come unto thee Thereby whereby or by what what is it that shall procure or produce this good The answer is at hand Thy acquaintance with God thy being at peace will procure all good things for thee Acquaint thy selfe with him and be at peace be at peace in thy own spirit be quiet be at peace with God be reconciled every way good shall come unto thee Mr Broughton renders Prosperity shall come unto thee the sence is the same Others read in stead of good shall come unto thee thy comings in shall be good thou shalt have a good revenâ—â—â—ood income Proventus tuus erit bonus Drus whereas before evill came upon thee now thy coâ—â—â—gs in shall be good This also is of the same meaning with our translation I shall not need to stay upon the opening of the words there is no difficulty in them From their dependance in that he saith Acquaint thy selfe with him and be at peace so shall good come unto thee These words are brought in by way of inference upon the former whence Observe That when wee are estranged from God good is estranged from us God can stop the Influences of all our mercies from us he can lay an embargo upon all Creatures from bringing any good to us the there be store of treasure and rich Commodity in the place yet he can barre up all that no good can come unto us yea the Lord in such cases doth often lay a stop upon the spirit of prayer in his own people and when the heart is stopt that we cannot pray then usually good is stopt and kept back from coming to us Prayer is that which fetches in mercy and good things through the love of God in Jesus Christ Prayer may have a twofold stop First prayer may have a stop in the heart secondly Prayer which comes forth of the heart may have a stop in heaven the Lord doth even shut out-prayer sometimes and when prayer is shut out no good can get out to us Prayer is sent upon a message to heaven and if our messenger be shut out of doores and not admitted in what answer can we expect by his message And the Lord as he doth stop such from the receiving of further good so from the receiving of good by what they have already Wee may have that which in the nature of it is good and yet have no good by it God can stop the creature in our hands that it shall not at all give us any Comfort as well as he can stop any creature-comfort from comming into our hands Unlesse the Lord in one sence stop the creature it quickly leakes out all the Comfort which he hath put into it and proves to us indeed what sin hath made it a broken Cistern And unlesse the Lord open the creature the creature cannot give forth that good which it hath It will be to us as a Cisterne without a vent to passe out the water for our use There 's many a one who hath enough in his hand take it in any kinde but he enjoyes nothing of it because the Lord locks up the conduit or the cisterne and then how much good soever there is in it there 's none for him It is all one to us whether we have onely a broken Cisterne for our portion or a Cisterne alwayes lockt up for as the one lets all the water run out so the other holds all the water in we are as farre from good if our Cisterne hold all as if it held nothing at all It is then not onely our duty and our holines to acquaint our selves and be at peace with God but our wisdome and our interest For it is as he pleaseth alwayes and usually as we please him that eyther we have any thing that is good comming to us or that any good commeth to us by that which we have Secondly Note which is a Corallary from the former observation That the renewing of our Communion with God and making peace with him is followed with all manner of mercies and good things So shall good come unto thee There was never any man a looser by acquaintance with God Gods acquaintance is a gainfull acquaintance Our acquaintance with God should we consider it abstractly and separate from all benefit but his very acquaintance yet that is benefit enough God is the chiefest Good and therefore when we enjoy him we enjoy all Good The enjoyment of God himselfe is infinitely more then the enjoyment of all created good things that come from God Friends are sometimes in those heights of friendship and noblenes of spirit one to another that they count the enjoyment of one another to be more then all the benefits they can heape upon or reape by one another it is your good Company saith such a friend and your acquaintance that delights me more then all the good you can bestow upon mee And is not God much more so to us Thus I say acquaintance with God alone is all good but besides as the poynt leads us to consider God gives out good things from himselfe to all his holy acquaintants temporall or bodily good comes to us by his acquaintance and so also and that chiefly doth spirituall or soule good Acquaint thy selfe with God and the dewes of grace showers of the Spirit shall fall into thy bosome Acquaint thy selfe with God and spirituall Comfort shall flow in unto thee spirituall strength shall flow in unto thee thy soule shall be filled as with marrow and fatnes And as good shall come to thee in person so to thine to thy family and posterity good shall come And as God will cause good to
us We sucke and are satisfied with the breasts of consolation by beleeving Isa 66.11 that is we beleeving draw forth that sweetnesse of the promise which the word declares to be the portion of Beleevers Thus spirituall delight is made up and therefore Saints are sayd to rejoyce in beleeving with joy unspeakeable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1.8 that is having as much and as cleare a manifestation yea participation and tast of that Glory in beleeving which is prepared and reserved for them against the next life as they are capable to receive and more then they are able to express in this life Then shalt thou delight thy selfe in the Allmighty We may looke upon the words first as a command and then observe That it is our duty to delight our selves in God Delight in God is both a priviledge and a duty it is commanded in the Law and it is promised in the Gospel God is pleased to give us many things in the world not onely for necessity but for delight A heathen looking upon the various provisions which the Great Creator hath made not onely for the maintenance of man in his being but for his comfortable and pleasurable being Some of which affect the sences the eye the eare the tast c. others are sweetly contentfull to the understanding with all the faculties of the soule He I say concludes this from it Neque enim necessitatibus tantuâ— nostris provisum est usque in delicijs amâ—mur Sen l. 4. de Benif c. 5. The bountifull Creator hath provided for more then our necessity or he hath provided more then will barely serve our turne to live upon we are loved even up to our delights Now I say though the Lord hath provided delights for us in the creature yet it is our duty our greatest our highest duty to delight chiefly in the Lord to delight in him first and to delight in nothing but in reference unto him nothing should be pleasing to us but as there is an impresse or stampe of the love of God upon it or as it tasts of his goodnesse And indeed what can delight us long but this thought that God delighteth in us or that we are a delight to God that God is Good and that God is good to us having tasted his goodnes we should love and delight in him above all our delights The Psalmist Psal 137.6 preferred Jerusalem above his chiefest joy how much more should we preferre the God of Jerusalem above our chiefest joy God delighteth in man whom he hath made and who is his son by Grace next to Jesus Christ who is his son by nature and Jesus Christ delighteth in man whom he hath redeemed and should not man delight in his maker in his father in his redeemer We have a most divine description of the delight which the Father takes in Christ his Son and which Christ taketh in his redeemed ones Pro. 8.30 31. Then was I by him as one brought up with him and I was daily his delight Christ was the delight of his father and he delighted in his father rejoycing alwayes before him rejoycing in the habitable parts of his earth and my delight was with the sons of men Jesus Christ himselfe takes up many of his delights with the sonnes of men whom he calls the habitable parts of the earth even those of the sonnes of men that are a habitation of God through the Spirit Hae sunt piorum delicia suvâ—ssimae voluptaâ—es deo placaâ— to fâ—ui cujus eliam deliciae sunt habitare intereos qui ipsum animo reverentur colunt Now I say as the delight of the Father is in the Sonne and the delight of the Sonne in the Father and the delight both of Father and Sonne in the Saints in the habitable parts of the earth or with the sonnes of men so the delight of the sonnes of men should be in the Father and in the Sonne there should our delight be there should we take our highest contentment Secondly The words are rather to be taken for a promise Then shalt thou have thy delight in the Lord Then that is when thou turnest from sinfull delights or delight in sin I assure thee of spirituall delight Whence observe That they who mourne for and turne from sinne shall have delights in the Lord. When once sinne is bitter to us the Lord will be sweete to us and untill sin be bitter to us the Lord is not sweete to us sinne hinders our delightfull enjoyment of the creature it puts gall and wormwood into our dish and cup it is that which makes all relations grievous and burthensome to us yet this is but a small matter that it hinders us from the contentment and sweetnesses which are to be had in the creature sinne takes us off from delighting in God That soule cannot delight in the Almighty who loveth and continueth in the love of sinne If such professe delight in God it is but a false boast and a high presumption it is impossible for such to delight in the Lord indeed Job Chap. 27.10 saith of the hypocrite Will he delight himselfe in the Allmighty will he alwayes call upon God He may pretend to a delight in the Allmighty he may have some flashes some raptures but his joyes and delights are not in the Allmighty what joyes soever he hath they are in somewhat below God the hypocrite may delight himselfe in somewhat received from the Almighty in some present benefit or future expectation that he hath from the Almighty he cannot delight in the Allmighty himselfe or in God as God As it is impossible in the nature of the thing for a man to delight in sin and in God too so God hath sayd that he who hath a delight in sin shall not finde any delight in him God hath sayd Delight thy selfe in me and I will give thee the desires of thy heart Psal 37.4 But if any man will follow the desires of his owne heart he shall not delight himselfe in God Sinne separateth between God and us Isa 59.2 that is it separates between the comforts and mercies which are in God and us sin doth not cannot separate us from the power or presence from the eye or justice of God so sinne doth not separate for God is nigh to sinners both to see what they are doing and to punish them for what they â—â—ve done sinfully but sin separates from all those delights that flow from God from those joyes which his people take in him yea sin breeds a strangenesse between God and the soule so that the soule that loveth sinne cannot have any holy familiarity or converse with God The Lord saith to those who repent Isa 1.18 Come let us reason together c. As if he had sayd I am now ready to debate the matter with you that repent and how great soever your sinnes have been they shall be blotted out Whereas before the Lord tells them that he was
Dimissus oculis est qui suo ju dicio existi matione sibi ipsi vilescit He shall save the humble person that is the person who is low in his owne eyes while in the greatest worldly heights the person that humbles himselfe and walkes humbly with God and men when most exalted Thus the Apostle James exhorts the brother of high degree or the rich brother to rejoyce in that he is made low Jam. 1.10 But if he be rich how is he made low he meanes it not of a lownes in state but of a lownes or rather lowlines of spirit The brother of high degree hath no cause to rejoyce in his highnes but when he is low in his owne eyes Lownes of eyes is more then a vertue or common modesty 't is a Grace That 's in a spirituall sence the most Grace-full looke which is the most humble looke He shall save the humble person But with what salvation I answer Salvation is eyther temporal and bodyly or eternal usually called the salvation of the soule We may expound this Text of both The Lord saveth the humble person both body and soule both temporally and eternally Where note That the Lord takes speciall Care of humble ones The Lord seemes to take so much care to save the humble as if there were none else that he tooke care to save or regarded what became or them whether saved or no. And the Lord speakes of proud persons as if he contemn'd none but under that name and notion Jam. 4.6 He resisteth the proud he that is proud of his person or parts or estate or witt or power the Lord resisteth him And he speakes of the humble as if none were saved but under that name and notion He saves the humble person◠or as that Text in James hath it He giveth grace to the humble What grace There is a twofold grace and both are given to the humble First he gives them the grace of favour or good will he is kinde to and respecteth the humble or as this text in Job hath it Hee saves the humble person Secondly He gives much grace to the humble as grace is taken for that gracious worke of the Spirit in us forming up faith love c. in our soules The Lord gives more of this grace also to the humble that is he addeth unto the graces which they have and makes them more humble more gratious a man cannot be in that sence an humble person without grace humility it selfe is a great grace and the greater our humility is the greater accession we have of other graces Thus I say we may understand the text in James both wayes He giveth grace to the humble that is he favours and respects them because they are gracious and he addeth to or encreaseth their graces We have a promise very paralel to these of Eliphaz and James Psal 18.27 Thou wilt save the afflicted people but wilt bring downe high looks The word which we translate afflicted signifies also one humbled and humble and so we might render the Psalme Thou shalt save the humbled or the humble people and that the humble are to be taken in to partake of the priviledge of that promise is plaine from the opposite Terme in the latter clause of the verse High lookes that is high lookers God will bring downe but he will save the humble person Men of low and meane estates are usually wrapt up with great ones in the same judgement as the Prophet speakes Esay 5.15 The meane man shall be brought downe and the mighty man shall be humbled the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled there we have the meane man and the mighty man under the same wrathfull dispensations of God The wicked whether high or low are farre from salvation but God knowes how to make a distinction between the humble and the proud when his wrath makes the greatest confusions in the world Humility it is not onely a sweet but a safe grace yea a saving Grace wee never goe under the Covert of God so much as when wee walke humbly with God He will save the humble person Vers 30. Hee shall deliver the Island of the Innocent and it is deliver'd by the purenes of thine hands The promise is continued to the man that returnes to God Hee shall deliver the Island of the Innocent or as some translate the Innocent shall deliver the Island The sence is the same He shall deliver the Island that is the Inhabitants of the Island All shall be safe the Island and they that dwell in it There is another reading of the Text which yet falls in fully and clearly with this whereas we reade He shall deliver the Island of the Innocent Liberabit noxium Pisc it may be read He shall deliver him that is not Innocent Now because this may seeme a very wide difference in the translation wee are to Consider the ground of it how this can be made out that the same text should be rendred the Innocent and him that is not Innocent The reason is because the word which we translate Island is taken by many of the Hebrew Doctors Vocula 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quae hic redditur insula idem valet quod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non Pisc Ego cum veteribus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro negatione exponerē Eritque facilis sensus sc deus puritate manuum tuarum etiam nocentē vel non innocentem liberabit Merc. as also by other translators onely for a negative particle signifying not or that which is not So the word is rendred 1 Sam. 4.21 when Phineas his wife dying in travell gave the name to her Childe shee sayd Hee shall be called Ichabod There is no glory or not glory And againe Pro. 31.4 the word is used in the same sence It is not for Kings O Lemuel to drinke wine strong drinke is not for Princes So here Thou shalt deliver the nocent or the not Innocent And so the whole verse is thus translated God because of or for the purenes of thy hands will doliver the nocent or those who are not innocent Whereas we say Thou shalt deliver the Island of the Innocent or the Innocent shall deliver the Island And it is delivered by the purenes of thine hands Eliphaz spake before in the third person here in the second 't is probable he did so purposely to make Job understand that he meant him It is delivered c. That is the Island is deliver'd according to our translation how is it delivered by the purenes of thine hands The word notes the most exact purity and cleannes like that of gold when it is refined in the fire or of garments that are washed with Soape or Nitre Manus purae sunt opera inculpata quae crimine vacant Drus by this purenes it or the Island shall be deliver'd and by the purenes of his hands he meanes the purenes of his actions or administrations The
a cause to complaine Thanksgiving will be all our worke and the worke of all in heaven And by how much we are the more in thanksgiving and the lesse in complaining on earth unlesse it be of and against our selves for sinne the more heavenly we are When we are stricken we should complaine as little as we can and we should alwayes be able to say as Job here That our complaint is not greater then our stroake JOB CHAP. 23. Vers 3 4 5. Oh that I knew where I might find him that I might come even to his seate I would order my cause before him and fill my mouth with arguments I would know the words which he would answer me and understand what he would say unto me JOb having shewed in the former verse how bitter and how sad his Condition was even farre beyond his owne Complaint and that his stroake was heavier then his groaning he now turnes himselfe from earth to heaven from the creature to the Creator from man to God Job had been among his friends a great while they had debated the matter long but all in vaine and without fruit to his soule he had yet received no Comfort What will he doe next see here his address to God Vers 3. O that I knew where I might finde him that I might come even to his seat O that I knew The Hebrew is who will give me to know c. The words are a forme of wishing ordinary among the Jewes Who will give or who will grant mee this or that O that I knew c. And it Intimates or Implyes two things First A vehement and strong desire after somewhat much desierable who will give mee this or where shall I have it Secondly It Implyes selfe-Inability or selfe-Insufficiency to attaine and reach the thing desiered As if Job had said I am not able of my selfe to finde him O that I knew where I might finde him O that I eyther had the light of this knowledge in my selfe or that some body would enforme and teach mee O that I had a friend to Chalke mee out the way to lead mee by the hand and bring mee neer to God Quis mihi tribuat ut cognos cam inveni am illum Vulg. The vulgar latine Reading fixeth both those acts upon God as the Object O that some one or other would give mee to know and finde him As if his wish and longing desire were first to know God secondly to finde him or in finding to know him Our translation determines this knowing in Job and finding upon God O That I knew where I might finde him Who it is that Job would finde is not exprest in the text by name nor is there any Anticedent in the verse before with which we can Connect this relative him Yet 't is beyond question or dispute that he meanes God O that I might finde him that is God But why did he not say O that I knew where to finde God but O that I knew where to finde him I answer He doth it because his heart being full of God he supposed that those to whom he spake had their hearts full of him too and so would easily understand whom he meant or that he could mean none but God Wee finde such kinde of abrupt speeches as I may call them in other Texts of Scripture still arising from fullnes and strength of affection in the speaker See how Solomon begins his Love-song his Song of Songs The Song of Songs which is Solomons that 's the title of it How doth it begin Let him kiss mee c. Here is a strange Exordium to a Song none having been spoken of before Let him kiss mee with the kisses of his mouth by whom the Church would be kissed shee expresseth not but her heart was so full of Christ so full of love to Christ her Bridegroom her husband that shee thinks it needlesse to mention him by name when shee speakes of him whose kisses shee desiered Her love had passed through the whole Creation through men and Angels through all things here below and fixt it selfe onely upon Christ her Lord and Love Therefore shee never stood speaking personally of him but onely relatively and leaves all to understand whom she intended Thus saith Job O that I knew where I might finde him when as he had not spoken of any distinct person before in this Chapter And wee have a like passage flowing from a like abundant love to Christ in the 20 â—h of John ver 15. where Mary comes to the Sepulchre Christ being risen and the Angel seing her weepe asked her the reason of it To whom shee replyed Because they have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid him having thus said shee turned her selfe backe and saw Jesus standing and knew not that it was Jesus he saith unto her Woman why weepest thou whom seekest thou Shee supposing him to be the Gardiner said Sir if thou have borne him hence tell me where thou hast laid him Shee never names Christ but onely saith If thou have borne him hence c. because her heart was full of Christ shee thought his heart was full of him too and that hee understood her well enough whom she meant though shee sayd not whom shee meant Thus in the present text Job was to God at that time as Mary to Christ at a losse for him not knowing where to finde him God was as it were removed from him as Christ was risen from the Sepulchre Therefore he complainingly and affectionately enquires O that I knew where I might finde him My soule is a thirst for God my heart pants after him O that I knew where I might finde him The Hebrew word signifieth to finde Verbum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat saepius obviam habere quemquam vel alâ—cui obvium fieri by going out to meet a man or as we say to light upon him As Ahab said to Elijah 1 King 21.20 Hast thou found or met mee O mine enemy and he answered I have found or met thee So the word is used 2 King 10.13 Jehu mett with the Brethren of Ahaziah King of Judah In the Margin wee say Jehu found the Brethren of Ahaziah that is he mett them upon the way for he went out to meet them Read also 1 Sam. 10.3 As if the sence were thus given O that I knew where I might finde him that is whither I might goe to meet him though I should not finde him by accident or as wee say stumble upon him I would goe out I would travell and take paines upon hopes to meet him Secondly That word signifies so to finde as to take hold and apprehend to take fast hold of a thing and then O that I might finde him is O that I might lay hold on him if I knew where I might have him I would lay fast hold on him and cleave close to him So the word is used Esay 10.10 As
he hath tasted in the goodness of God this is spiritualness in the very height of it but usually God is then sweetest to us when the world is bitterest to us Afflicted soules make most hast after God and it is well to doe so it is a very sad signe the worst Symptome that can appeare upon the soules of any when afflictions draw them off from God or when they grow cold in their affections towards God while the love of the world growes cold towards them The Prophet Amos 6.7 foresheweth a very great calamity that should fall upon the people of God Thou shalt goe Captive with the first that goe Captive c. And in the 8 verse The Lord God hath sworne by himselfe saith the Lord the God of hosts I abhorre the Excellency of Jacob and hate his Palaces As if he had sayd though I have invested him with excellent priviledges though he make a great profession of my name yet because of his provocations and unworthy walkings I will deliver up the City and all that is therein there 's Captivity then comes Pestilence in the 9 â—h verse And it shall come to pass if ten men remaine in one house that they shall dye and they shall not bury them after the ordinary way but burne them and the neerest relations shall doe it Ver. 10 â—h And a mans Vncle shall take him up and he that burneth him to bring the bones out of the house and shall say unto him that is by the sides of the house is there yet any with thee and he shall say no then shall he say hold thy tongue for wee may not make mention of the Name of the Lrrd. As if when all these evills and plagues were come upon them they had been stopt or restrained from prayer and totally withdrawn from God by some prohibition from men who were so farre from calling the people to solicite God by prayer to take off his hand Diligentius dâ—â— irati coluntur Sen. l. 1. Declam 1. that they forbid them so much as make mention of his name As if they were eyther afraid or abhorred to mention the name of God because he had been so terrible among them in his Judgements And whereas we translate We may not make mention of the names of the Lord. Ne illâ—â— inter pelles neque illuÌ„ tuis precibus solicites illius ve nomen aut memoriam usurpes qui tibi haec mala fecit mandavit voluit Pined Our late Annotators take notice of two other readings We have not or we will not make mention of the name of the Lord Implying that the stop lay onely in their owne spirits they being eyther so generally wicked that they had no minde to call upon God or so unbeleeving that they thought their case desperate and had no hope of help if they should A Heathen hath sayd That their gods were most worshipped when most displeased but we have some Christians in name who will not worship God at all when they are under the tokens of his displeasure Thoughts of God are never more pleasing to a gratious heart nor more troublesome to a wicked then when they are in trouble Fifthly which will further cleare what was last observed Observe That The unkindnesse and trouble which a godly man findeth among his friends or others in the world drives him neerer to God Job besides the hardship he found from strangers had been hardly used by his friends The use which he made of all this was to make more use of or to get neer unto God O that I knew where I might finde him This was Davids wisdome also Psal 142.4 5. I looked on my right hand and beheld but there was no man would know mee refuge failed mee no man cared for my soule When all slighted him when none tooke care of him what doth he in this case The next words tell us what I cryed unto thee O Lord I said thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living As if he had sayd Upon these unkindnesses disrespects and slightings which I found in the world I tooke occasion yea I was stirred in my spirit to cry unto thee O Lord and to say thou art my refuge that is then I made thee my refuge more then ever Having made thee my choyce in my best times when men honoured and embraced me I am much encouraged in these evill times when men regard me not and the more because they regard mee not to make thee my refuge to shelter my weather-beaten selfe in thy name and power As the naturall spirits in the body when the aire is very sharpe cold and unkinde to the outward parts retire inwards resort to the heart keep close to the heart whereas in warmer weather the spirits are drawne forth and therefore we are more subject to faintings and swoonings in hot weather then in cold so when it is cold weather in the world when it is as it were frost and snow storme and tempest then our spirituall spirits resort and come in to God and keep close to him When we have most friends in the world or when the world is most friendly unto us then God is our best friend his favour is the most beneficiall and desireable favour when we have as much as we can desire of favour among men But when the world hates us and frownes upon us especially when as the Prophet speakes of some Isa 66.5 Our Brethren hate us and cast us out for the name sake of God himselfe saying Let the Lord be glorified When 't is thus with us I say our soules are even forced into the presence of God to renew our interests in his love and to assure our soules that we are accepted with him If under such measure from men we finde not helpe in God we must remaine for ever miserable God alone is enough All without God is nothing to a Godly man The fullnes of the creature without God cannot satisfie him and the utmost want of the creature cannot discontent him while he enjoyeth God the more he wants in the creature the more he seeketh his content in God and when he findes nothing below he cryeth out with greatest earnestnes O that I knew where I might finde him whose throane is above and who is the onely happines of man while he is below Sixthly We see how Inquisitive Job was after God as he had a desire and a minde to finde God so he layes about him for information where and how to finde him Hence observe They who truely desire to finde God are diligent in searching after him O that I knew saith Job where I might finde him This was not an Idle wish many are much in the Optative mood full of wishings and wouldings but their wishes are altogether wishes and their desires nothing but desires and such desires are killing desires as Solomon hath taught us The desire of the sloathfull killeth him Prov. 21.25 an Idle
praised and honoured him that liveth for ever whose dominion is an everlasting dominion and his kingdome is from generation to generation and all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing and he doth according to his will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth and none can stay his hand or say unto him what dost thou that is none may so much as question much lesse reprove him for any thing that he doth Though there are many who in the pride of their hearts and through the forgetfullnes of their duty will presume to question God about what he hath done and even controule his doings yet of right or according to rule none can Hence the Apostle having asserted the soveraignty of God he hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth brings in some questioning his proceedings but he checks them soundly for their boldnes in questioning and instructs them by many upbrayding questions that they ought not to put that or any such question Thou wilt say then ver 18 19 20. why doth he yet finde fault for who hath resisted his will nay but who art thou ô man that repliest against God shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus hath not the potter power over the clay of the same lumpe to make one vessell of honour and another of dishonour what if God were willing to shew his wrath in some as well as his grace mercy in others what have you or I to doe with it who gave you or I leave to examine God upon intergatoryes about it Thus he pleads the power or prerogative of God this must silence all our queries and satisfie all our doubts none may aske him a reason of what he doth the reason is in himselfe The will of God is his reason and there is all the reason in the world it should for his is not onely a soveraigne will but a just and a holy will Solomon saith Eccl. 8.4 Where the word of a king is there is power and who may say unto him what dost thou In all lawfull administrations it is true of kings and supream earthly powers in what forme soever none may say unto them what doe yee their word must stand much more is this true of him who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords who is the supream power of heaven and earth all whose wayes are equall and his dispensations righteous though we see not the equity and righteousnesse of them That is not onely great but the greatest power which none may question Fourthly This also demonstrates the greatnesse of Gods power that none can stop or hinder him in what it hath a minde to doe what he appoints he executes and none can stop it or as Nebuchadnezzar speakes in the place before mentioned Dan. 4.35 stay his hand The hand of the strongest power upon the earth may be and hath been staid kings have had a check their hands have been stayd but none can stay the hand of God I will worke saith he and none shall let it Isa 43.17 God should doe but little worke in the world if men could let it Wicked men would let or hinder God in all his workes and the godly through their mistakes would hinder him in some of his workes but none can He speaks to the Sunne and it shineth not yea he speakes to the Sunne and it moveth not This is the greatnesse and the muchnes of the power of God But saith Job Will he plead against me with this great power All this power God hath and this power he can put forth but he will not put it forth against me saith Job 1. And what was Job that he should be thus confident and rise up to such a strong assurance that God would not use his strength against him Job was a godly man a man fearing God a man perfect and upright a man full of faith even full of faith though he lived in dark times and under dark dispensations yet I say he was a man full of faith in the Redeemer Now it is no wonder if a man of this character a man thus qualified and priviledged had this confidence and was much assured that he should prosper and speed in it That God would not plead against him with his great power Hence Observe A godly man may be confident that God will deale gently and graciously with him or That God will deale with him according to the greatnes of his mercy not according to the greatnes of his power The greatnes of the power of God is an exceeding great comfort to the sincere because they know it is acted towards them in the greatnes of his mercy It is comfortable to heare that the Lord who as the Prophet describes him Nah 1.3 is great in power is also slow to anger the greatnes of mans power doth usually quicken not clogg his passions but it is more comfortable to know that God who is great in power is quick and speedy to shew mercy And hence it is that a true beleever rejoyceth in the power o◠God as well as in his mercy because he knoweth that God hath declared himselfe powerfull for him as well as mercifull He knoweth God will not put forth power alone or nothing but power towards him God doth exercise all his refreshing attributes and divine perfections in dealing with Saints Whereas upon the wicked he exerciseth his power chiefely though not onely What if God to make his power knowne endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted for destruction saith the Apostle Rom. 9.22 God pleads with the wicked according to the tenour of the Covenant of workes but with Beleevers according to the Covenant of grace in which he doth as it were uncloath himselfe of his power and cloath himselfe with love mercy goodnesse and tendernes to his people The Lord as the Psalmist speakes Psal 93.1 is cloathed with strength wherewith he hath girded himselfe he is cloathed also with mercy and with that he hath girded himselfe he pleads with his people I grant in righteousnesse as well as in mercy as the Apostle speakes Rom. 3.25 26. God hath set forth Jesus Christ to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his rightenesse for the remission or passing over of sins that are past through the forbearance of God to declare I say at this time his righteousnesse and the justifyer of him that beleeveth in Jesus The justice or righteousnesse of God was never so fully declared as in Christ for God did not spare him at all but he having taken our debt upon him discharged it to the utmost farthing God pleaded against Christ with his great power and with his perfect righteousnesse To which plea Christ made answer with as Great a power his being the power of God and with as perfect a righteousnes his being also the righteousnesse of God And hence it
their workes and graces will abide when they come to the Test or tryall God who puts away all the wicked of the earth as drosse will gather up all the godly of the earth as Gold when he hath tryed them and try them he will We read Dan. 7.9 10. how dreadfully God comes to Judgement I beheld till the thrones were cast downe and the ancient of dayes did sit his Throne was like the fiery flame and his wheeles as burning fire a fiery streame issued and came forth from before him the judgement was set and the bookes were opened Which whether it be meant of the last Judgement or of some speciall Judgement upon a particular state or oppressing power comes all to one as to the poynt in hand while it shewes that God in the tryal of men will examine their persons and their actions as by fire Of every such tryall it may be sayd as Mala. 3.2 3. Who may abide the day of his coming and who shall stand when he appeareth The Prophet speakes of the coming of Christ in the flesh at which time he was also mighty in Spirit for he is like a refiners fire and like fullers soape and he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver When Christ came in the flesh to redeeme us he came with fire also to purge and sanctifie us and he comes with fire whensoever he comes in the Spirit to comfort and enlighten us and at last when he comes in glory he will come with fire to try examine and judge us When he comes to try us thus All the faithfull shall come forth as Gold but the wicked and their works will burne and be consumed When Saints come to tryal at last they will stand and when they are tryed here they will mend first their Corruptions will be the more outed and secondly their graces will be the more acted We may read this issue of their tryal Zech. 13.9 And it shall come to passe that in all the Land saith the Lord two parts therein shall be cut off and dye but the third shall be left therein Whether we take the Land in particular for Israel and the people of the Jewes or typically for all professors thorowout the world two parts shall be cut off and dye but the third shall be left therein And what will God doe with them or how will he deale with them We may see what at the 9th verse And I will bring the third part thorow the fire of affliction and examination and I will refine them as silver is refined and try them as gold is tryed and what will be the issue of this And they shall call on my name and I will heare them Here faith and prayer in which all graces are exercised are put for all graces When they are in this fire they shall call on my name In igne deum amantèr invocant candido germano sunt erga illum studio Theod. and I will heare them and I will say when they are in the fire it is my people and they shall say the Lord is my God They who pray in the fire of tryall or in the fiery tryall declare evidently that they are Gold in the fire but they to whom God saith in the fire of their tryalls yee are my people and they who being still in the same fire can say the Lord is our God are declared both by God and themselves eminently that they are gold in the fire They are as the choycest gold as the Gold of Ophir of whom the Lord saith by an act of distinguishing love yee are my people and who can say to God by an act of appropriating faith the Lord is our God Surely then Saints lose nothing in the fire but what is not worth the holding while God finds and owns them and they finde and owne God in the fire Further Some read this latter part of the verse as an offer Let him try mee Probat me and I shall come forth as gold as if Job had said I doe not refuse but desire a tryall God knowes my way the way that is in me let him come and try mee yea I am ready to come to him for my tryall Hence note A sincere heart is willing to be tryed 'T is a great part of the worke of a godly man to try himselfe and his workes and it is one of his greatest wishes that God would try him and his workes They who are sincere are much in trying themselves Let us search and try our wayes say they and turne againe unto the Lord. And they who are much in selfe tryal and Examination are willing to be tryed and examined both by God and man sure enough They that try themselves much are not afraid of the tryal of man no nor of the tryal of God If we compare the first verse of the 139th Psalme with the 23◠we shall see what an answer there is in them as to this poynt At the first verse David saith O Lord thou hast searched mee and knowne mee at the 23 verse hee prayes Search mee O God and know my heart why did David pray thus to God Search mee and know my heart having said before Thou hast searched mee and knowne mee Seing David knew that God had searched him what needed he to pray that God would search him why did he begge God to doe that which hee had done already The answer is at hand David was a diligent selfe-searcher and therefore he was so willing to be searched yea he delighted to be searched by God and that not as was said because himselfe had done it already but also because he knew God could doe it better Hee knew by his owne search that he did not live in any way of wickednes against his knowledge and yet he knew there might be some way of wickednes in him that he knew not of And therefore he doth not onely say Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts but he adds ver 24. see if there be any wicked way or any way of paine and griefe in me The same word signifies both because wicked wayes lead in the end to paine and griefe and lead me in the way everlasting As if he had said Lord I have searched my selfe and can see no wicked way in me but Lord thy sight is infinitely clearer then mine and if thou wilt but search me thou mayest see some wicked way in me which I could not see and I would faine see and know the worst of my selfe that I might amend it and grow better therefore Lord if there be any such way in me cause me to know it also O take that way out of me and take me out of that way lead me in the way everlasting David had tryed himselfe and he would againe be tryed by God that he being better tryed might become yet better He found himselfe Gold upon his owne tryall and yet he feared there
but I have hid or layd up the words of his mouth that 's a good reading and so Mâ— Broughton translates More then my daily bread have I layd up the words of his mouth The Vulgar gives another reading In my bosome have I hid the words of his mouth in this following the Septuagint who by the change of a letter in the Originall translate the word which we render More then my necessary or statute food in my bosome But I passe that as a mistake of the text in that word yet in the former part it consents with Mr Broughton I have hid or layd up the words of his mouth more then my daily bread And as this translation holds out a truth in it selfe so the sense meets with ours for as the Originall word doth as properly signifie to hide or lay up as to esteeme so those things are layd up or hidden by us which are of most esteeme And this action of hiding or laying up the word is often spoken of in Scripture both as the practise and as the duty of the Saints Psal 119.11 I have hid thy commandements in my heart And the rule is given by wisedome Prov. 2.1 My sonne if thou wilt receive my words and hide my commandements with thee Wisdome counselleth us not onely to receive but to hide the commandements And Pro. 4.20 21. Wisdome goeth yet further My sonne attend to my words incline thine eare to my sayings let them not depart from thine eyes keepe them in the midst of thy heart The heart as Naturalists say is in the midst or center of the body Holy truths must be kept in the midst of the heart in the midst of the middle that is in the safest place in that most retyred chamber the midst of the heart But why should these words be hidden in the heart which are and ought to be proclaimed in the eare and upon the house-top I answer wee hide things first that we may know where to have them what is throwne at our heeles wee know not where to have Secondly We hide things for safety or from danger as well as to have them ready at hand for use There are enemies who watch their opportunity to steale the word away from us and therefore it is our wisdome as well as our duty to hide it or lay it up safe So that in both notioÌ„s we ought to hide the word of God first that wee may have it at hand for use as it is sayd of the Good house-holder in the Gospel that he layeth up and hath in his treasure things both new and old Secondly that it may be kept out of the hand of the theife who would rob us of that precious treasure Satan and the world are Word-stealers and they steale away the Word not because they desire to make any use of it but lest we should therefore as Gideon Judg. 6.11 threshed wheat by the wine-presse to hide it from the Midianites so seing there are mysticall Midianites who dayly steale away the Word that most necessary and precious wheat from thousands who have heard and received it we should in a holy jelousie and suspition of them hide it out of their reach In conversion God puts the Law in our minde and writes it in our heart And through that grace received and dayly renewed we also are enabled to lay it up there Pectus meum feci Bibliothe cam dei Hieron de Nepotiano A Good man as one of the ancients speaketh makes his heart Gods library there he layeth up whole volumes of holy precepts and of precious promises And looke what precepts or promises he finds in the Bible or written booke of the Word of God the same he finds transcribed into his owne heart and so into his life But I will not insist upon that reading I have laid up the words of his mouth more then my necessary food We render I have esteemed the words of his mouth c. These two rendrings of the word give light to each other That which we esteeme we hide and the more we esteeme a thing the more carefully we hide it No man will lay up that which is worth nothing what we hide is of value at least we judge it to be so Childrens pockets are often full of Bables but to them they are no Bables they esteeme them as men doe gold and silver else they would not take them up much lesse lay them up I have esteemed the words of his mouth Before it was the commandement of his lips some make a distinction between these expounding the commandement of his lips for the preceptive part of the word and the word of his mouth for the promissive part of the word or for the promises which are gracious declarations and manifestations of the love and good will of God to sinfull man Dicta oris distinguo a praeceptis dictum oris est verbum gratiosae nunciationis et promissionis q. d. gratiam annunciatam libentè◠accepi animi fide Coc As if Job in the former words had a respect chiefely to the Law or rule of doing and in this latter to the Gospel or ground of beleeving But though I see not well how these seemes can beare that distinction yet the matter doth yea and seemes to require it for though a godly man esteemes the precepts of God as well as the promises and the commandements are the words of Gods mouth as well as the promises yet the promises are the most feeding fatning and refreshing part of the word and if so surely they were not left out yea possibly were principally inteÌ„ded by Job in this place that he might shew how his Spirit was carried out to the full latitude and compasse of the minde of God both in the Law and in the Gospel And because the promises have so much soule-food in them he doth therefore elegantly preferre them before his necessary food I have esteemed the word of his mouth But how much or at what rate did he esteeme them it follows in the next words More then my necessary food There is yet some variety observable in the reading of these latter words Some give it thus A statuto meo abscondi eloquia oris ejus Mont Ex statuto meo vel more meo ut ab â—nevute aetate assuevi praetermittere quae deus odio habet i. e. plena electione deliberatione fixa apud se non externè tantum et levitèr divinam legem custodire apud se decreverit Cajet Aliqui ad actiones hominis consuetas quas de more facit referunt ut antiquius habuerit legem domini animo recondere ei operam dare quam solita constitua sibi ac usitata facere Merc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 proprie statutum et decretum sonat hinc certam decretam cibi rationem Quicquid advictum vitam fovendam ac tuendam est necessarium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appellatur Merc I
the dust then it were no great matter how you did defile and abuse them but as God hath raised up the Lord so he will raise you up Seeing then God hath promised and you are such as professe faith in that promise that your bodyes shall be raised up out of the dust to put on glory as a Garment in the last day therefote in the meane time while your bodyes are in your keeping doe ye keepe your bodyes pure Thirdly He argues thus with the beleeving Corinthians v. 15th Know ye not that your bodyos are the members of Christ not onely is the soule of a beleever a member of Christ but his body too yet it is not properly eyther the body or the soule that is a member of Christ but the person for the union is made between Christ and the person of a beleever consisting of soule and body But thus the Apostle argues Know ye not that your bodyes are the members of Christ shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of an harlot God forbid What! will ye dispose the members of Christ to so base a use will ye who prefesse your selves joyned to Christ condiscend to such a base conjunction And hence he expostulates at the 16th and 17th verses What know ye not that he which is joyned to an harlot is one body for two saith he shall be one flesh They who abuse marriage are as the marryed The Adulterer and the harlot are one flesh as well as the husband and the wife but he that is joyned to the Lord by faith and love is one spirit He hath a neerer and a more noble union then that of flesh and therefore he ought to maintame the hight of honour and purity both in minde and body and as he is one Spirit with the Lord so to make it good that he is guided and governed by one Spirit and that The holy One. We have a fourth argument at the 18 â—h verse Flee fornication why so The reason is added every sin that a man doth is without the body but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his owne body But are all other sins without the body I answer first other sinnes have the body as an instrument for the committing of them if a man steale the body is an instrument if a man commit murther the body is an instrument but in this sin the body is more instrumentall then in other sins the body is cheifely instrumentall in this sin so that comparatively to this every sin that a man doth is without the body And therefore this sin is more against the body then other sins are Againe secondly when the Apostle saith every sin is without the body he is to be understood of those sinnes which are externall otherwise every sin that a man commits is not without the body there are a thousand acts of sin that are done within the body or in the soule envy wrath malice are sinnes within the body being bred and acted in the Spirit But we may say of every sin which is externall about which the discourse there is that comparatively to this sin of adultery fornication it is without the body I answer thirdly The body is not onely the instrument of this sin but the object of it also for the uncleane person doth not onely sin with his body but he sins against his body Adultery leaves that blot and brand of ignominy and basenes upon the body which no other sin doth making it the member of a harlot as was toucht before and degrading it from that excellent honour whereunto God advanced it even in a Naturall consideration much more degrading it from that honour whereuntor God hath advanced it in a spirituall consideration And as that was the Apostles third Argument so upon another relation of the bodyes of beleevers he makes his 5th argument which is layd downe at the 19th verse What know you not that your body is the Temple of the Holy-Ghost which is in you which ye have of God and ye are not your owne As if he had sayd A Temple is a holy and sacred thing and will ye defile the Temple of the Holy-Ghost The Jewes how angry were they what an uproar did they make when they thought Paul had brought Greeks into the Temple who by the law were looked upon as prophane persons and so not to be admitted to come there they cry out This is the man that hath polluted this holy place Acts 21.28 Much more may it be urged upon Gospel-professors what commit such a sin as this what pollute the Temple of God Know ye not which every beleever is bound to know that your body is the Temple of the Holy-Ghost as well as the soule The last argument concludes the 19th verse and is prosecuted in the 20 h Ye are not your owne for ye are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirit which are Gods Redemption is a strong engagement ye are bought and dearely payd for ye are bought with a price ye are not your owne Some who take liberty in this sin would excuse themselves by the contrary argument Our bodyes say they are our owne and we may doe what we will with our owne No sayth the Apostle ye are bought with a price ye are not your owne ye have your bodies of God in their natural constitution It is he who hath made us in that capacity and not we our selves Psal 100.3 and ye are not your owne for ye are redeemed or bought with a price both body and soule Yee are bought out of your owne hands as well as out of the hand of divine justice and displeasure The Apostle speaks especially to beleevers For though it be a truth concerning all whether beleevers or unbeleevers that they are not their owne none of the sons of men are their owne God hath a right to them by creation as also by his continuall providence provision and preservation yet beleevers or the redeemed in a speciall manner are not their owne and therefore they ought above others to glorifie God in their body and in their spirit which are Gods Having thus opened several Scripture grounds and arguments to demonstrate the soulenes and filthines of this sin of Adultery which is the generall subject of this verse I shall now proceed in the exposition of particulars in it The eye also of the adulterer waiteth c. The word also referres to the murderer spoken of in the former verse implying that the Adulterer and he though their sins are very different yet agree much in taking their opportunities of sinning How contrary soever sinners are in their particular practice yet they have all one common principle and Spirit The Murderer and the Adulterer are alike desierous of privacy They both love darkenes rather then light or that which is neyther Twilight Jeb seemes to speake of a man that is no novice but of one long verst and practiced
sight nor sound of the curse for a long time As light is sowne for the righteous Psal 97.11 that is They shall have a crop of good things though it lye as seed doth a great while under the clods and as dead in the furrowes So darkenes is sowne for the wicked they perceive it not yet but they shall be wrapt up in it for ever yea while they perceive it not they are in it and they are by so much the more in it by how much the lesse they perceive it For this is ever true The portion of the wicked is Cursed in the Earth though they seeme compassed about with blessings I will Curse your blessings saith the Lord Mala. 2.2 yea I have cursed them already The wicked may be rich and yet cursed honourable and yet cursed successefull in busienes and yet cursed blessed and yet cursed God doth curse their blessings That which is a blessing in the kinde and matter of it is to some a curse in the use and issue of it So then as godlynes is profitable for all things and hath the promise of this life as well as of that which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 Godlynes is compassed about and cloathed with promises of all sorts and seasons So ungodlynes is unprofitable for all things makes him that is so miserable in all things For it hath the curse of this life and of that which is to come if the promise doe not meet a godly man in this life or in the things of this life yet it will in the life to come and in the things of the life to come yea in all things so farre as concernes the life to come the blessing alwayes meetes him And if the curse doe not meet a wicked man in this life yet it will in the life to come and in the things of the life to come yea in all things so farre as concernes the life to come The curse alwayes meetes him Then see the folly of those who feare the Curse and are not afraid of sin as if a man should feare drowning and yet cast himselfe into the water or feare burning and yet throw himselfe into the fire thus doe they who love sin and feare the curse If the beauty of holynes doth not take upon the heart yet the curse that attends sin may deterre from medling with it And did men know the terror of the Lord as the Apostle speakes 2 Cor. 5.11 they would easily be perswaded to take heed of sin even of every sin for though usually great sins bring the curse yet the least sins may They who know what the curse of the Lord is cannot but know what the terror of the Lord is that is that the Lord is to sinners very terrible For the curse of the Lord abiding upon a sinner makes him every way and alwayes miserable There needs no more to be said to prove a man miserable then this that his portion is cursed or that he is under the curse For as the blessing of God makes us happy with any portion that 's enough the blessing being it selfe the best and most aboundant portion Every good thing is vertually in the blessing so the Curse is vertually every evill thing therefore that must needs make a man miserable When the Lord blesseth it is not an empty word but a power goes with it to make a man blessed And when the Lord curseth it is not an empty word but a power goes with it to make a mans portion cursed in the earth Job having layd downe this position gives a proofe of it in the last words of the verse Hee beholdeth not the way of the vineyards Some reade these as the former words Cohaerebit cum superioribus si haec sit quasi praecedentis expositio imprecationis Nullam habeat impius partem in agris locisque frugiferis ex quibus ullum fructum percipere possit Pined by way of imprecation Let his portion be cursed in the earth and let him not behold the way of the vineyards We translate assertively He beholdeth not c. But what is meant here by not beholding is it onely this he commeth not within the view or sight of them I conceave there is more in it then so and that when Job sayth he beholdeth not his meaning is he enjoyeth vineyards no more or he dwelleth no more in a fruitfull and pleasant land such as that land is which aboundeth in vineyards and so consequently with wine but he shall live miserably in a barren soyle So that we may now interrogate wicked men whether murtherers Adulterers or theeves as Paul doth every sinner Rom. 6.21 What fruit have ye of those things whereof ye are or ought to be ashamed have ye any fruit of the vine surely no For such behold not the way of the vineyards To behold is to enjoy the pleasantnes to tast the sweetnes of the fruit of the vineyards Wine which is the fruit of the vineyard is pleasant and delightfull it makes glad the heart of man Psal 104.15 And vineyards are here named to signifie all sorts of outward good things they being the Chiefe of outward good things For as sometimes bread signifieth all outward good things because that strengthens mans heart so Wine because that cheareth and comforteth the heart of man So that when Job saith He shall not behold the way of the vineyards It is as if he had sayd He shall not tast of or enjoy any good thing For Againe Those words he heholdeth not c. are not to be understood as if he did voluntarily refuse to behold or cared not to behold the way of the vineyards but as implying a force or constraint upon him by which he was kept or hindred from looking that way Whence take this briefe note The losse of good is a great misery as well as the enduring of evill It hath been questioned which is greater the punishment of losse or the punishment of paine but without all question losse is a very great punishment not to behold the way of the vineyards not to returne to house and land to wife and children is a sore affliction What will it then be never to behold the face of God but to be under a sentence of eternal banishment from his presence His portion is cursed in the earth here in this world who beholdeth not the way of the vineyards how then is his portion cursed in the next world who shall never behold the path or way of life There are yet several other readings and expositions of these words Abstinebit a via regia et frequētia hominum ne cognoscatur Vatabl ita festinat fugere ut ne proprias quidem vineas olim tam gratas aspiciat Isidor First As if the meaning were to shew the wicked mans feare of being seene because of his guilt and that therefore he would not behold or come neere the way of the vineyards that is those places which many people
hereafter what ever portion of worldly profit or pleasure they have had here hell shall consume them and they shall be consuming for ever The 20th verse may carry the sence of this interpretation but it complyeth more clearely with the former describing the calamitous condition of a wicked man at his departure out of this world Vers 20. The womb shall forget him the worme shall feed sweetly on him he shall be no more remembred and wickednesse shall be broken as a tree The number varyes here againe Job spake in the plural number immediately before yet here keeping to the same subject he speakes in the singular The womb shall forget him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a verbo quod intensissiâ—rè tenerrimè amare signisicat That is They who loved him most tenderly and dearely shall forget him The word which we render the womb is of a verbe which signifyes to love with greatest intensenesse and tendernes it is applyed to the love of man to God Psal 18.1 I love the Lord I love the Lord dearely with bowells of affection and it is often applyed to the love of God unto man Some translate it here by the Abstract Vim majorem haber per abstractum Obliviscetur ejus miseratio sive amor sive dilectio i. e. illi qui eum suaviter amabunt Bold Love mercie or pittie shall forget him Which may be taken two wayes First that those friends who before were pittifull to him should forget him his lovers and acquaintance who were deare to him even as his bowels they shall forget him or secondly mercy shall forget him that is the mercy of God or the God of mercy shall forget him God who is alltogether mercy shall forget him hell shall consume him and mercy or the mercifull God shall forget him for ever The vulgar reads it by way of imprecation let mercy forget him others as a direct denunciation mercy shall forget him But I rather apprehend that this phrase or manner of speaking The wombe shall forget him doth onely import thus much That when the wicked man dyeth he shall be as much forgotten among men as if such a man had never come out of his mothers wombe nor been born into the world But are not wicked men remembred to have been in the world when once they goe out of the world usually they doe such things in the world as cannot easily be forgotten And are not many wicked men who dyed some thousands of yeares agoe remembred unto this day as if they had dyed but yesterday I answer As to forget alwayes implyeth former knowledge and acquaintance so sometimes it implyeth onely present neglect When we passe by or slight a man then we are sayd to forget him though we not onely remember who he is but see him before our eyes Much more then may we be sayd to forget those men being dead whom we slighted while they lived and never speake of but with contempt and abhorrence both of their persons and actions since they dyed The wombe shall forget him Yet as the former verse is expounded by some as was there touched to shew how quiet and easie a passage wicked men usually have out of this world by death so this clause also of the verse in hand yea the whole verse is expounded to the same sence I will onely hint it and passe onne The wombe shall forget him That is his mother shall not be troubled or grieved at his death because he dyed without griefe or trouble The wormes shall feede sweetly on him That is The grave shall be no seveerer to him then to others Ita suavitèr obdormit ut in sepulchro ei vermis duscescere videatur Drus There the wormes feed upon all men and they shall feed sweetly on him or it shall be a kinde of sweetnes and pleasure to him to have the wormes feeding on him which is no more then what Job sayd upon the same argument Chap. 21.33 The clods of the valley shall be sweete to him He shall be no more remembred That is there shall no hard fate or evill accident befall him when he dyes to administer matter of discourse concerning him for when a man is cut off by some remarkeable stroake of Judgement eyther from the hand of God or man his death becomes the discourse and Table-talke of all sorts of men for that generation at least if not for many more What hath caused Korah Dathan and Abiram to be remembred to this day was it not the strangenes of their death Numb 14.29 30. And Moses sayd If these men dye the common death of all men or if they be visited after the visitation of all men then the Lord hath not sent me but if the Lord make a new thing and the earth open her mouth and swallow them up c. This dreadfull hand of God upon them in swallowing them up alive hath made them to be remembred more then many thousands of honest and good men in Israel who dyed in their beds Upon this account Ananias Saphira are remembred and so is That Herod Act. 12.23 Who was eaten of wormes gave up the Ghost because he gave not glory unto God But saith Job according to this exposition the wicked mans death is commonly so fayre and so much after the common death of all men that no man reremembers him any more And wickednesse shall be broken as a tree That is the wicked man shall dye like an old rotten tree he shall moulder away and decay by peice-meale or gradually as a tree doth which is never hewen downe but is suffered to wast and dye alone Thus the interpretation is carried through the whole verse as a proofe that bad men may in this kinde have a good death But though this be a truth and suites well with Jobs scope in some passages of this Chapter as also in other passages of this booke that wicked men dye as to outward appearance as fairely and sweetly as the godly so that as no man knoweth love or hatred by all that is before him but all things in this life come alike to all There is one event to the righteous and to the wicked Eccl 9.1 2. So all things come alike to all in death so farre as it meerely concernes the separation of soule and body yet I rather conceive that this verse declares wrath and judgement to wicked men dying or their misery and wretchednes in death And therefore first the wombe that is his neerest relations and friends even his mother and wife shall forget him They expected no good from him while he lived and so it was little sorrow to them when he dyed Some men live till their friends are weary of them Mater quia a vivo nihil expectabat solain neq pro mortuo amplius angitur every one thinks the world is well rid of them when they dye Secondly The worme shall feed sweetly on him that is as he fed sweetly
able to number them And hee sayd unto him so shall thy seed bee Gen. 15.5 that is thy seed shall be numberlesse as the Starres are numberlesse Thirdly By these Armyes wee may understand not onely the Angells and the Sunne Moone and Starres that heavenly host but any creature yea all the creatures from the Elephant even to the worme that creepeth upon the ground or to the fly that buzzeth in the ayre or to the lice that breede out of corruption All these are the Armyes of God and by these he can doe his worke as well as by the Angells in heaven What were the armyes of God with which he made warre upon Pharaoh were they not flyes and lice and such like contemptible creatures mustred together at his command therefore the Text may well say Is there any number of his armies God can leavy an army upon the earth not onely of men but of beasts and not onely of Lyons and Elephants the stoutest and greatest beasts but of the weakest and meanest and not onely of the weakest and meanest among living creatures but of the very Inanimate creatures the stones in the feilds the winds in the ayre the waters of the Sea yea the sand of the Sea and the very dust of the earth are the armyes of God if hee give them commission and send them forth God and the weakest creature are an overmatch for the strongest creatures 'T is no matter how meane the meanes is or how inconsiderable the instrument so it be in the hand of God so it be of Gods providing and goe forth at his bidding God can leavy an army where he will and out of what he will and it shall doe the deed Now if all things or any thing may be his army no marvayle if it be sayd Is there any number of his Armyes Hence observe All creatures are the host the Armyes of God They may be called his Armyes in a threefold consideration First Because of their multitude a few cannot make an army There are many creatures of every kinde how many then are all of every kinde put together Secondly They are his Armyes because of their order The greatest many out of order doe not make an Army but a throng or heape Armyes are martiall'd and disciplin'd trayned and taught An Army is an ordered company all the creatures are in order by nature and when God calls they are in order as it were by Art Thirdly They are his Armyes because as God hath a power to command them so they are ready to obey him They as the Centurion in the Gospel sayd of his Souldiers goe when God sayth goe they come when he sayth come and if he bid them doe this or that they doe it Souldiers must neyther refuse nor dispute the commands of their General The most violent and boysterous creatures are obedient to the call of God stormy winds and tempests fullfill his word Psal 148.8 Hee speakes to the lightnings and they say heere are wee Job 38.35 The very thunder which seemes to be all voyce is all eare at the voyce of God The Angels are so ready to goe that they are sayd to fly and their readines to doe the will of God in heaven is made the patterne of our doing it here on earth The Scripture speakes often of them as of an army employed in warres eyther to destroy the wicked or to be a guard to the people of God We have an illustrious example of the latter in Jacobs case Gen. 32.2 And when Jacob saw them hee sayd this is Gods host and hee called the name of that place Mahanaim that is two hosts or companies And it might be so called because Jacobs company or little host and that company of Angels who were Gods host sent out to convoy him in safety did both encampe upon the same ground or rather because the Angels divided themselves into two companyes The one encamping and marching before him as his Vantguard the other behind him or in his Reere That so he might see himselfe every way protected and might be filled with a full assurance of safety That God hath such numerous Armyes alwayes at hand and under command is First A very comfortable hearing to all that love and feare God The Apostle sayth Rom. 8.31 If God be for us who can be against us that is none can Though many be against us opposingly yet none can be against us prevaylingly We may say also if the Lord be for us who will not be for us If God be our helper we cannot want helpers not onely because the helpe of God is enough without any more but because if he be our helper we shall have many more When we see our selves utterly destitute of all helpes and helpers yet God hath an army of helpers he hath auxiliary forces ready for us Psal 34.7 The Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that feare him and delivereth them David speaketh as if one single Angel were a whole Army The Angel of the Lord sayth he encampeth he doth not say the Angels of the Lord encampe about them that feare him and indeed every Angel of the Lord is more in power then a whole Army of men yet here possibly is meant that Angel who is the Lord The Angel of the Covenant who as Captaine General with his Army of created Angels encampeth about them that feare God And if so then they need not be afrayd 2 Kings 6.16 17. When the servant of Elisha cryed out for feare Elisha answered feare not they that be with us are more then they that bee with them And Elisha prayed And sayd Lord I pray thee open his eyes that hee may see and the Lord opened the eyes of the young man and hee saw and behold the mountaine was full of horses and Charrets of fire round about Elisha And thus it is often with us though wee discerne it not Wee have many invisible succours in our visible dangers And as that the Angels are our helpers in eminent and extraordinary dangers is very comfortable so also that they are so against ordinary common or every-day-dangers Psal 91.11 12. Hee shall give his Angells charge over thee to keepe thee in all thy wayes They shall beare thee up in their hands lest thou dash thy foote against a stone that is lest thou take hurt in thy dayly workes and travels Secondly These Armyes are a terrour to all those who rebell and rise up against God or are enemies to his people Hee that resists God hath as many enemyes as there are Angells in heaven or starres in the firmament or stones in the earth or beasts in the feild so many enemies hath he and if God appeare as Captaine generall none shall be able to stand before his armyes though he levy them of Grasse-hoppers or flyes or wormes or lice How should the greatest feare to provoke God who can make them fall by that which is least For as David acknowledged Psal 33.16 17.