which he expected from Job Doubtlesse more of all these should have appeared in him and they should have appeared more in that time of affliction There are two things which God looketh for and aims at in the time of our affliction first the mortifying of corruptions that they woâ—k no more at least no more so strongly as they have done secondly The stirring up and acting of our Graces that they may be more woâ—king and work more strongly than ever they have done Where the Lord sees not these effects of affliction that our sins grow lesse and our graces more that we complain lesse and trust or believe more we are like to be afflicted more and he will discover his anger more Because it is not so he hath visited in his anger And thence Note Thirdly Distrust or impatience under the afflâ—cting hand of God or our not trusting God in our worst condition patiently is a very provoking sin We provoke the Lord to visit us in his anger when we do not trust in his mercy Our not trusting God must needs provoke him to anger for when we do not trust him we question him distrust or unbelief questions all that God is and all that God hath promised it questions his Truth and his Faithfulnesse his Power his Mercy and his Goodnesse all these which are the glory of God and in all which the sons of men ought to glorifie him these are all questioned and darkned when we put not forth acts of trust and reliance upon God in times of greatest affliction and extremity Is it not then a provoking sin I say not to with-draw trust from God and give it to an arm of flesh but not to put out fresh and full acts of trust upon God let our affliction or extremity be what it will The Children of Israel were in great extremity at the Red Sea a mighty Army pursuing them at the heels to destroy them and mighty waters being before them ready to swallow them up in these straits whilest they should have done their utmost to get and assure God to be their Friend the Psalmist tells us They provoked him Psal 106 7. But wherein lay their provocation that Scripture saith They remembred not the multitude of his mercies The former mercies of the Lord did not strengthen their trust in present troubles that was one provocation And as former mercies did not strengthen their trust so the present trouble drew out their distrust as another Scripture assures reporting their behaviour in it Exod. 14.11 And they said to Moses Because there were no Graves in Egypt hast thou taken us away to dye in the Wildernesse Wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us to carry us forth out of Egypt What were these fearful fore-casts these amazing bodements of an unavoidable as they apprehended ruine but the overflowings of unbelief or distrust in God and this was another provocation Former mercies are forgotten yea eaten up by unbelief as the seaven lean Kine in Pharaohs dream eat up the fat ones and present difficulties are aggravated by unbelief as if all the power of God could not remove and overcome them And will not the Lord think you visit in anger for such a sin as this Again As Elihu doth not say barely he hath visited but he hath visited in his anger or his anger hath visited so consider who was it that was thus visited in anger It was Job a Godly man a man perfect and upright Hence note Fourthly God visits or afflicts even his own people his elect and choicest servants with fatherly anger when they displease and provoke him We find the Scripture speaking expresly of the anger of God towards the best of his servants even towards a Moses as himself made confession Deuter. 1.37 when they displease him Also the Lord was angry with me for your sakes saying thou also shalt not go in thither Moses was a most meek man the meekest man upon the face of the earth nor was he an inferior in any other grace yet the Lord was angry wi h him and angry with him upon that special occasion his unbeliefe Numb 20.12 And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron because ye believe me not to sanctifie me in the eyes of the children of Israel therefore c. We read of the Lords anger breaking out against Aaron for another sin Numb 12.9 The anger of the Lord was kindled against them that is against Aaron and Miriam because they had spoken against Moses vers 1.8 Aaron was the High Priest and as he was high in office so eminent in grace and doubtless Miriam was a very gracious woman yet the Lord was not only angry with them but exceeding angry his anger waxed hot against them and kindled when they forgot their duty to Moses and remembred not their distance with reverence Solomon in his prayer at the Dedication of the Temple speaks of the people of God collectively If they sin against thee and thou be angry with them The Lord is not only angry with the world but angry with his Church not only angry with Babylon but with Jerusalem And as Solomon spake that of the whole Nation of the Jewes supposing they might fall under the Lords anger all together as a body so he did experience it sadly in his own person 1 Kings 9.11 And the Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel which had appeared unto him twâ—ce Wise Solomon departed from God through an evil heart of unbelief and vanity after the Lord had come and appeared to him more than once in grace and savour and the bitter effects or fruits of that departure appeared to him shortly after the Lord saith that Scripture was angry with Solomon and the sequel of his History tells us there went out very hot displeasure against him As these Scriptures are a proof of the Lords anger kindling against his people when they sin so we find the Church represented praising the Lord for quenching the fire of his angeâ— Isa 12.1 And in that day thou shalt say O Lord I will praise thee though thou wast angry with me thine anger is turned away and thou comfortest me When we turn from God his anger is turned against us and when we turn to God his anger is turned away from us When the Lord is angry what can comfort us but the turning away of his anger And by the very act of turning away his anger he comforts us though all the world be angry with us But some may say How doth the Lord who is said to love his people with an everlasting love visit them in anger To clear that we may distinguish of anger First There is correcting anger Secondly there is consuming or destroying anger Destroying anger is inconsistent with eveâ—lasting love but not correcting anger correcting anger may be very grievous therefore the Prophet deprecates it Jer. 10.24 Correct me O Lord in Judgement not in thy anger The
Lord doth often exercise that is as often as there is cause and we give him cause too often to exercise a smart and severe anger towards his own people but his consuming and destroying anger is the lot and portion of the wicked If his anger be kindled but a little namely against his enemies blessed are they that trust in him blessed are they that believe when that anger of the Lord breaks forth against unbelievers Or we may state it thus First God is angry with sinful persons thus he is angry with the world or with wicked men Secondly God is angry with persons for sinning there is a great difference between these two anger with sinful persons and anger with persons for their sin or for sinning and thus he is angry with his own people even with the godly when they sin though not for every sin Further We may distinguish of anger thus There is anger mixed with a desire of taking revenge upon those that we are angâ—y with a revengeful anger thus the Lord is angry only with the wicked Of this anger Moses speaks having described a presumptuous sinner who believes not only without a word but against the word who when he heareth the word of the curse blesseth himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of mine heart to add drunkenness unto thirst then the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoak against that man c. Deut. 29.19 20. Read more of this revengeful anger of the Lord Deut. 32.22 41 42. Secondly there is anger with a desire to reforme and reclaime those that we are angry with Thus a loving and indulgent father is angry with his child when he hath committed a fault he is angry not with an anger of desire to revenge but with an anger of desire to reforme And thus the Lord is angry with his own people with his choicest servants and dearest children when they forget their duty and play the wantons Lastly We may distinguish of anger thus There is First a temporary anger As there is a temporary faith in hypocrites so we may say there is a temporary anger in God against the faithful when offending that is he is angry with them for a while for a season Sing unto the Lord O ye Saints of his and give thanks at the remembrance of his Holiness saith David Psal 30.4 But why doth he call them to singing we have the reason of it given at the 5th verse For his anger endureth but a moment he speaks there of the Lords anger against his Saints and peculiar people while they indeed have cause to mourn for provoking the Lord to anger they may also sing both because his anger endureth but for a moment that is because if that be all it endureth not at all a moment is of no endurance as also because in his favour is life weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning Once more hear the Prophets report of the Lords anger Micah 7.18 Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage he retaineth not his anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy God doâ—h not retain his anger for ever that is not long yea that not for ever is but a little while a moment and that but a small moment as the Prophet Isaiah spake Chap. 54.7 As if he had said The Lords anger is not retained so long as if it should be alwayes retained his anger towards you is soon blown over and gone upon the matter like a moment as soon as come Such is the anger which God discovers towards his own people Secondly There is an anger for ever an abiding wrath a fire of anger which never goeth out nor can be put out which is kindled in the breast of God against ungodly men and against them only as living and dying without repentance in their ungodliness Job a godly man was visited in the former not in this latter anger Yet for the fuller answer to this query as it concerns Jobs case I conceive Elihu speaks with the highest and hardest towards him For though it be a truth thâ—t the Lord discovers as was shewed before a fatherly anger towards his children when he chasteneth them for their sin yet he chasteneth them more or rather in love than in anger As whom he loves he rebukes and chastens Rev. 3.19 so he chastens and rebukes them in love And as for Job whom God dearly loved it is cleare from the first and second Chapters of this Book that God afflicted him not for any special sin or way of sinning but for his tryal and to set him up as a great pattern of patience to all succeeding generations Or we may say that God afflicted Job not because of any provocation which he had given him but at Satans instance and provocation Chap. 2.3 All that can be said for Elihu's help in saying that God visited him in anger is only this That though Job had not provoked the Lord to visit him in anger when he began to visit him yet some impatient and over-bold speeches of his or that liberty of speech which he took in expostulating and almost contesting with God about his afflictions might cause him to visit him in such anger as hath been set forth in answer to the query And now because it is not so because the Lord misseth those acts of grace trust and patience which thy case calleth thee to the exercise of He hath visited in his anger and what followeth Yet he knoweth it not in great extremity Et non advertit ad auctum valde i. e Nihil discrevit sc deus qued non visitaret etiamsi ea re visitatus magis dolerer Nam necesse erat visitatum ita tangi ut sentiret quod fieri non poterat si non pleraque charissima quóque bona adimerentur Coc Elihu seems to have spoken this turning himself to the company and complaining to them of Jobs insensibleness Yet he knoweth not c. Some refer this clause of the verse to God also He hath visited in his anger and taketh no notice of the great increase or of that which is greatly increased that is God hath spared nothing from his visitation although the party visited were never so much grieved or damnified in the loss and spoyle of his all There was a necessity saith this Author that he who was visited should be so toucht as to be sensible of the stroake which could not be unless the greatest of his encrease and those things which were most dear to him were taken away from him or he were stript naked and bereaved of them Our translation refers these words to the person visited as if he though reduced to the greatest extremities yet was not sensible of it or took no notice of what he suffered or was done to him Yet he knoweth it not in
impenitents among his own people by the Prophet Isa 1.15 Though you make many prayers I will not hear for your hands are full of blood Ye are full of bloody sins and ye have not humbled your selves nor cleansed your hearts and hands by the blood of the Covenant to this day and being in that case you may cry and pray till your hearts ake and your tongues ake too yet no prevailing with God no grant no hearing Another Prophet tells them as sad newes from the Lord Jer. 11.11 Behold I will bring evil upon them which they shall not be able to escape or go forth of and though they shall cry unto me I will not hearken to them Though the Lord threatned I will bring such evil upon them that they shall not escape they might say well but when the evil hath taken hold of us we hope God will hear us and deliver us No saith God when the evil hath overtaken and arrested you yet your prayers shall not overtake me Though you cry yet I will not hearken unto you That 's a dreadful Scripture of the same import Psal 18.41 They cryed but there was none to save them even unto the Lord but he answered them not They cryed being in great distresse and they cryed to the Lord he brings in that lest any should say they cryed indeed but possibly 't was to false gods to idols possibly they knockt at a wrong doore and so were not heard No they cryed to the Lord to the Lord by name they were right as to the object of prayer but their hearts were not right they were not right subjects of prayer That once blind man saw this truth when answering the Pharisees about the person by whose power he received his sight he told them plainly Joh. 9.31 We know that God heareth not sinners that is Such as love and live in sin such as go on impenitently in their sins By this answer he closely but strongly confuted that blasphemous opinion and censure of the Pharisees who reputed and reported the Lord Jesus Christ who came into the world to save sinners as one of the vilest sinners in the world and upon that account got him crucified at last As if the man had said Were he that cured me of my blindness such a sinner as you reckon him to be he could never have obtained power from God to cure me of my blindness for we know God heareth not sinners When men sin and pray as it were by turns their prayers are turned into sin and therefore will not be returned in mercy God sometimes hears sinners in wrath and judgement and he sometimes will rot hear Saints as to the grant of the thing in hand prayed for in love and mercy but he never denies praying Saints in wrath nor doth he ever hear a sinner such a one as is here intended in mercy when he prayeth Now as when the Disciples heard Christs answer to the Pharisees question about Divorce they presently said Math. 19.10 If the case of the man be so with his wife it is not good to marry so some hearing this doctrine that God heareth not proud sinners when they cry or pray may possibly say if the case of the proud be thus with God it is not good for them to pray at all To such I answer this doctrine is not urged to make proud or impenitent sinners to leave praying but to leave their pride 't is urged to make them humble under their oppressions and afflictions not to make them prophane They who as they are cannot get by prayer certainly they cannot get by casting off prayer What answer can they have who cry not at all to God when some may cry and get no answer as Elihu here speaks There they cry but none giveth answer because of the pride of wicked men This sense or interpretation most insisted upon in this 12th verse will appear more full and faire in opening the 13th Ad dicti superioris confirmationem Epiphonemaris vice subjicit in which Elihu brings down what he said here into a strong and peremptory conclusion or the next verse renders another reason why God would not relieve those oppressed ones It was not only for the pride of their spirits v. 12. but also for the emptiness and heartlesness of their prayers or because the prayers of proud and evil men are heartless or empty Vers 13. Surely God will not hear vanity neither will the Almighty regard it They cry but God will not hear why will he not hear what hinders He tells us both why and what Surely God will not hear vanity What is vanity What saith vanity hath vanity a tongue can vanity speak the Text saith God will not hear vanity 'T is frequent in Scripture to ascribe a tongue and a voyce to sin of any kind though some sins are more vocall and speak louder than others yet all speak But when he saith Surely or without all Question the Lord will not hear vanity by vanity we are to understand vaine men praying or vanity is put for the prayers and crys of those persons who are as vaine as vanity it self The word rendred vanity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 temeritas falsitas mendacium dicitur de re salsa vana levi mutili signifieth a lie as also rashness temerity God will neither hear rash-headed nor false-hearted prayers he will not hear vaine prayers or the prayers of vaine men The Abstract is often put for the Concrete in Scripture Psal 107.42 All iniquity shall stop her mouth When the Lord brings about that mighty work the bringing down of the mighty sets the poor on high those that are at once poor and humble the Lord will set on high then Iniquity that is wicked men men of iniquity shall stop their mouths or have their mouths stopt they shall not have a word to say as gaine-saying that righteous and glorious work of God So here God will not hear vanity that is vaine men or men that pray vainly all that which men speak or act is vaine or vanity if it be not good if it be not answerable to the will and ends of God yea whatsoever prayer doth not proceed from faith and flow from a pure heart is vanity 't is but straw and stubble dross and dung God will not hear vanity Neither will the Almighty regard it He that will not hear will much less regard vanity The sense is gradual regarding is more than hearing we may put both together he will not hear with regard nor regard what he hears from such The strong God who hath all power in his hand the power of Authority or the power of a Judge will not hear vanity The All-mighty The All-sufficient who hath all power of efficiency in his hand the nourisher and preserver the punisher and correcter of all men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intendit oculos visum intentis fiaeis oculis intuitus est solicitè
great extremity Who knoweth not the Antecedent to he is Job according to this translation because he knoweth not But what did not Job know First He knew not the dealings of God with him to submit to them as he should Secondly He knew not that there was such a miss or deficiency in the acting of his graces he perceived not how weak a soul he had in that weak body his trust his faith did not act and yet he knew it not or took no notice of his fayling in those duties Thirdly He hath visited in his anger yet he knoweth it not that is he knoweth not the anger of God who visiteth him To know may be taken three wayes First For the bare notion or apprehension of a thing thus certainly Job did know that he was visited for he spake often and enough of it Secondly To know is to consider to lay a thing to heart Isa 1.3 My people doth not know Israel doth not consider the latter part is exegetical and expounds the former My people doth not know that is doth not consider So Hos 2.8 She did not know that I gave her corn c. Psal 90.11 Who knoweth the power of thy anger that is who considers it who weighes what the anger of the Lord is we have sweet thoughts about the mercy and love and goodness of God yet 't is little very little of any of these that we know The love of God which we delight to know passeth knowledge Eph. 3.19 But for the anger of God which is so dreadful we seldome set our selves to the study of it none can know it comprehensively and few seek or labour to know it industriously considerately Thirdly To know is to be under a due sense of what we know We may know a thing and consider it yet not have a feeling of it I conceive we are to understand the word know here in these two latter senses He knoweth it not that is he doth not consider nor hath he a due sense either of the defect of his own graces that his faith acts not as it ought that his trust performes not its part as it should nor doth he know the anger of God in this visitation that is he knoweth not nor considereth the scope and meaning of God in this angry dispensation Yet he knoweth it not In great extremity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Multitudo multum passim oâ—currit in Targ Interdum in Hebraismo Merc. The word signifieth any kind of encrease Mal. 4.2 They shall go forth and grow up as the Calves of the Stall So 't is used Jer. 50.11 Because ye are grown fat we put in the Margin big or corpulent Lev. 13.5 If the Plague of Leprosie he means encrease grow great and spread it self then c. Jobs affliction was a great one at first and it grew greater afterwards He was in great extremity or in extremities of what in great extremity First of loss and poverty in his Estate Secondly of pain and torment in his Body Thirdly of grief and anguish in his Soul In all these he suffered and suffered extreamly or in great extremity Mr. Broughton renders Because Job knoweth not this great plenty namely of sorrows which compass him about This was the censure of Elihu upon Job and Job had given Elihu too much ground for this censure Though Jobs Faith and trust were strongly at work somtimes yet they did not alwayes continue their work in the same degree or strength and while he often complained in his extremity that God dealt with him as with an enemy he did not well consider what that anger of God was in which he visited him during the time of that great extremity Yâ—â— he knoweth it not in great extremity As this not knowing is referred to his weakness in acting his Graces now it is not so yet he knoweth it not Note A godly man is not alwayes sensible of his defects and failings in grace As some have little or no Grace who yet conceit they have much Rev. 3.17 Thou sayest I am rich and encreased in goods and have need of nothing and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and naked So others who have grace yea much grace in the habit as Job had may be very insensible how little it acts yea they may suppose it acts much when the actings of it are intermitted or extreamly suppressed by passion and corruption They may think their Faith strong or that they trust fully in God they may think themselves patient and humble under the hand of God and yet be greatly defective in the working of all these Graces I mean not such a deficiency only as is common to all believers the best come short in the exercise of grace but some great deficiency may be and yet the soul not sensible of it As some are over-sensible of their failings complaining that they have no Faith no Patience when they not only have Faith and Patience as to their Being but as to their working also and possibly working well It is a different work of the Spirit to act and stir up Grace in us and to discover to us the actings and stirrings of Grace Now as some godly men act Grace and know it not so in others that are godly Grace acts not and they know it not Faith is down and they know it not they can bear little or nothing patiently yet they take no notice of it Thus the words of Elihu concerning Job he knoweth it not referr to the former part of the verse It is not so that is his Graces act not yet he takes no notice of it but thinks Faith and Patience with other Graces work well enough Secondly As not knowing refers to the visitation of God He hath visited him in his anger and he knoweth it not yea though in great extremity though he have a very hard time of it Hence Note First A good man may not only be visited but extreamly visited by the hand of God He may be under many extremities at once extreamly visited in Body extreamly in Mind extreamly in his Relations extreamly in his Name extâ—â—amly in all his worldly concernments As there is no outward evil for the matter so none for the degree but a good man may be in it Let us be moderate in judging those who are in the extreamest extreamities of suffering Secondly Note Some good men or good men somtimes under very great afflictions are not sensible of the hand of the Lord upon them As a good man may receive many mercies and yet not observe at present how or from whom he receives them so he may be under angry visitations or dispensations in great extremity and not mind the dealing of God with him in it nor what he intendeth by it yea he may complain of the burthen and cry out under the pressure yet not know it at that time for his own good for his humbling or purging
can stop and bridle our boisterous and angry passions towards those that have offended us The Lord saith unto or concerning Pharoah Exod. 9.16 And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up for to shew in thee my power c. What power The Lord shewed forth a twofold power in the raising up of Pharoah First the power of his Arm that he was able to cast down such a mighty Prince Secondly The power of his Patience that he spared him from ruin till he had sent ten messages to him and poured ten Plagues upon him The Lord was so provoked by Pharoah that he might have crushed him upon the first denyal but he forbare him long the Lord might well say I have set thee up that I might shew forth my power my power in forbearing thee long as well as in destroying thee at last The Apostle speaks of this power Rom. 9.22 What if God willing to shew his wrath and make his power known the Lord will not only shew his wrath hereafter in breaking those vessels of destruction but he shews his power now in suffering them long and therefore he to make his power known endured with much long-suffering the Vessels of wrath fitted to destruction Here 's the strength of the Lords heart he bears long with wicked men Secondly There is a mighty power or strength of heart in God as in long-suffering towards impenitent sinners so in pardoning sinners who repent Who Magni animi est ignoscere but the Lord hath such a strength of Spirit to pardon and passe by offences After the People of Israel had mutined and murmured Sola sublimis et excelsa virtus est nec quicquam magnum nisi quod simul placidum Sen. and so provoked the Lord to the height Moses begs and bespeaks the power of the Lords pardoning-mercy Numb 14.17 And now I beseech thee let the power of my Lord be great according as thou hast spoken saying The Lord is long-suffering and of great mercy forgiving iniquity c. As if Moses had said Lord thou must put forth as much power in pardoning the sins of this People as ever thou didst in delivering them from their bondage-sufferings in Egypt Or thus O Lord thou mightest magnifie the power of thine anger in punishing this rebellious People but rather magnifie the power of thy patience and long-sufferance in sparing and pardoning them O what strength of heart is in God who passeth by the great transgressions of his People Thirdly The Lord hath a mightinesse of heart in executing his wrath upon his incorrigible enemies Psal 90.11 Who knoweth the power of thine anger The anger of God is such a thing as no man can go to the bottome of it in his thoughts The Lords wrath is powerful beyond all imagination and apprehension his anger as well as his love passeth knowledge In all these respects the Lord hath strength of heart or he is mighty in strength of heart as well as in hand or arm The greatest discoveries of Gods power are in the wayes of his mercy His Judgements are called his strange work but his mercy is his strength as the Prophet calls it Isa 27.5 where warning the Bryars and Thorns to take heed of warring with God he gives a sinner this counsel Let him take hold of my strength that he may make peace with me and he shall make peace with me But what is meant by the strength of God Some render Apprehendet arcem meam i. e. Christum Coc. Let him take hold of my Tower A Tower is a place of strength but here put for that which God glories in most as his chiefest strength even his goodnesse meâ—cy patience and long-sufferance yea Christ himself as if he had said Let not the sinner struggle with my strength let him not think by strâ—ng hand to overcome my strength but let him take hold of my Christ through whom all those glorious perfections of mine my Goodnesse Mercy Patience c. are given out to the children of men and he shall make peace with me This is the true strength of God nor doth any thing more set forth the strength of man than this that he is ready to pardon to forgive and passe by only impotent spirits are much for revenge 'T is our weaknesse not to passe by wrongs and injuries done to us To bear wrongs is to be like the high and mighty God to bear them in mind is to be like the lowest and weakest spirited men He is strong indeed who is strong in patience against Offenders and as strong in mercy to pardon humble ones as in power to punish stubborn and rebellious ones Secondly By way of Illation Note 'T is the greatness of Gods Spirit or the strength of his heart and mind which moderates him towards sinful man That which keeps men in a moderate frame towards men is true greatnesse of spirit They that are of such a spirit will neither despise those that are below them nor envy those that are above them not willingly oppose those that are equal to them The envy and opposition of others greatnesse ariseth from the meannesse and weaknesse of our own spirits The reason why one man is affraid that another should be high is because himself hath not a real highnesse of spirit or the reason why most oppose the greatnesse of others is the littlenesse of their own spirits Whence spring contentions and strifes envyings at and underminings of one another come they not from the narrownesse of our hearts that we cannot rejoyce in the good of others or from the impotent jealousies of our hearts that we fear others will do us hurt If such a one get up he will pull me down if such a one be high 't is dangerous to me therefore I must pull him down if I can whence comes this but from lownesse and poornesse of spirit from that pitiful thing in man called Pusillanimity The Lord hath so great a Spirit that as he envieth no mans greatnesse so he feareth no mans greatness and therefore doth that which is just and equal to all sorts of men bad and good as is further shewed in the next verse Vers 6. He preserveth not the life of the wicked but giveth right to the poor As if Elihu had said Though the Lord doth not despise any that are great yet he doth not respect any that aro bad he preserveth not the life of the wicked And as the Lord will not do any wrong to the rich so to be sure he will give right to the poor What Elihu had affiâ—med of God he now proveth by instances or particulars and that both in respect of the wicked and the godly That the Lord is most just and righteous he proveth thus He preserveth not the life of the wicked That 's the first instance and he expresseth it negatively 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non viâ—ificat He preserveth not the life of the wicked he
their life nor their death is precious in the Lords sight as both of the meanest Saints are Psal 116.15 The special Promises of preservation are made to the godly the common Providences of preservation extend to the wicked God preserves many wicked men but not one of them can plead a Promise for his preservation or say Lord thou hast undertaken to preserve me I have thy Word or Warrant for my preservation So then the Lord doth not preserve the life of any wicked man upon a word of Promise Secondly I answer When the lives of the wicked are preserved they are not preserved for any love which God bears to their persons as such but either First to bring them into a better state that is to turn them from their wickedness that being converted they may be saved at last according to his purpose Or Secondly they are preserved to serve some ends and purposes of his in this World For though God hath no pleasure in them yet he makes some use of them and doth his pleasure by them Or I may say they are preserved to be Executioners of his displeasure in chastening and correcting his own people The King of Assyria was preserved in great Power and to what end I will send him against an hypocritical Nation Isa 10.6 He must go on my Errand though he meaneth not so nor doth his heart think so as the Lord spake vers 7. He hath other matters and designs in his head but I have this use of him and of his power even to punish the people of my wrath The Lord made use also of Nebuchadnezar and his Army to serve him in the destroying of Tyrus and of him and his Army he saith They wrought for me Ezek. 29.20 Thus the Lord doth some of his work his strange work especially his work of Judgment by the hands of wicked men and therefore he preserves their lives Yea he preserves them many a time to be a help and a defence to his people A Thorn Hedge keeps the Pasture that strange Cattle break not in and eat it up Wicked men are as Bryars and Thorns and they are suffered to live because the Lord can make use of them as a Fence to his people When the Serpent cast out of his mouth water as a Flood after the woman the Church that he might cause her to be carryed away of the Flood then the Earth that is earthly carnal men helped the Woman Rev. 12.15 16 The Lord used bad men to do that good work the preservation of his distressed and persecuted Church Thirdly As the Lord suffers many wicked men to live that they may be brought out of their sins so he suffers others to live that they may fill up the measure of their sins Why did the Lord preserve the Amorites was it because he loved or liked them no but because they were not then ripe for Judgment Gen. 15.16 The Iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full Some wicked men are to fill up their dayes that they may fill up the measure of their Fathers sins by their own as Christ threatned the Scribes and Pharisees Math. 23.32 Such a grant of life though for a thousand years is worse than a thousand Deaths Fourthly we may answer The wicked are not so much preserved from as reserved unto further wrath 2 Pet. 2.9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust unto the day of Judgment to be punished God doth not presently punish all the wicked nor take away their lives there is a day of Judgment coming and till that day come their lives are preserved as persons reserved unto Judgment Fifthly VVhen wicked men are said to be out of the Lords Protection consider There is a twofold Protection First ordinary Secondly extraordinary The Lord doth preserve and protect wicked men in an ordinary not in an extraordinary way he doth not work wonders much less miracles to preserve them as he often doth for the preservation of his own people God will not be at such cost in preserving of wicked men as he is at in the preserving the lives and liberties of his eminent Servants rather than they shall perish or not be preserved he will somtimes work a miracle and put Nature out of its course to save their lives VVhen those three VVorthies were cast into the midst of the burning fiery Furnace God stopt the rage of that furious Element that the Fire had no power upon their bodyes nor was an hair of their head singed neither were their Coats changed nor the smel of fire had passed on them Dan. 3.27 Did we ever hear that the Lord restrained the power of the fire to preserve wicked men When Daniel a man precious in the sight of God was cast into the Lions Den the Lord preserved his life also by stopping the Mouths of the Lyons Dan. 6.22 Did we ever hear that God preserved the lives of wicked men in such a way No sooner were Daniels accusers cast into the Lyons Den but the Lyons had the Mastery of them and brake all their bones in pieces e're ever they came to the bottome of the Den v. 24. The Lord doth not preserve the lives of the wicked by miraculous manifestations of his Power and Glory Sixthly I answer Though some wicked men are commonly preserved as other men yet many by their wickedness hasten their ruine and shorten the number of their dayes We may distinguish of wicked men First wicked men may be taken in a General notion for all that are unconverted and unregenerate Many persons pass for honest and good men in the world who yet are wicked being carnal and abiding in a state of nature wicked men of this sort are ordinarily preserved Secondly Take wicked men and such I conceive the Text especially intends for notorious wicked men such as are murderers blasphemers c. the Lord doth not preserve the lives of such but lets mans Justice seize upon them or divine vengeance overtake them Psal 55.23 The blood-thirsty and deceitful man shall not live out half his dayes that is he shall not live half so long as he might according to the course of Nature because of his nefarious sinful courses Histories are full of dreadful Tragedies sealing to this Truth with the blood and untimely death of gross offenders How often have we seen or heard of the Veâ—geance of God following and falling upon those that were signanter notoriously wicked and of â—â—ese we are especially to understand the Poynt and Text He preserveth not the life of the wicked Take this Inference from all that hath been said about this awakening Observation How sad is the life of a wicked man indeed of any man on this side the Line of grace but especially of any very wicked man He can scarce be said to live whose life is not preferved by God a wicked man is alwayes in death seeing God doth not preserve his life The Apostle
Lord hideth himself as to sense and present appearance but he never hideth himself as to the real continuance of his love and care towards his Church or People This Objection some made to one of the Ancients the Lord said they may seem to withdraw his eyes from the righteous because he suffers them to fall under the oppression of the unrighteous Famulos suos nunc m gis respicit nam jam praevidet quid eis miserecorditer recompenset Greg in loc No saith he The Lord beholds the righteous though they perish by the hand of the unrighteous yea when it is worst with them the Lords Eye is upon them for good both to see how they carry it or behave themselves in their Sufferings and likewise to provide a full reward and recompence for them after all their sufferings Before I pass from this part of the verse let me make these two Inferences First If the Lord never withdraweth his Eyes from the righteous then let the righteous know their own Priviledge and Mercy How happy are they upon whom the Eyes of the Lord abide alwayes for good The Lord cannot endure to have good men out of his Eye as Parents say of their darlings and Princes of their Favourites If we were assured that the Eye of a great 〈◊〉 who loveth us were alwayes upon us if he should promise to have an eye to us That 's an ordinary Promise among men I will have an Eye to you that is I will take care of you if we have I say but such a word from a man in Power we think we have got a great revenue such a great Lord will have an eye to us we have his word he will not take off his care from us How much then should we boast and rejoyce in spiriâ— that the Lord hath said I will alwayes have a care of you I will never withdraw mine eyes from you I will never leave you nor forsake you Heb. 13.5 As it will be the eternal happiness of Believers in Glory alwayes to behold or see God Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God they have some sight of him here in a Glass but they shall see him face to face that is they shall see him clearly as clearly as the creature is capable of seeing or enjoying him now I say as it is the happiness of the Saints in Heaven alwayes to behold God so it is the happiness of Saints here on earth that the Lord doth alwayes behold them that his eye is never withdrawn from them Consider therefore you that are in a righteous state whose acts and words and walkings are also righteous consider your Priviledge consider what it is to have the Lord Jesus alwayes setting his eye upon you to have the Lords directing and counselling eye alwayes upon you to have the Lords pitying and compassionating eye alwayes upon you to have the Lords providing and caring eye alwayes upon you to have the Lords delighting and well-pleased eye alwayes upon you to have the eyes of the Lord thus upon you and to have them alwayes upon you what can ye desire more Thus 't is promised 2 Chron. 16.9 The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect with him And whose hearts are perfect with him but the hearts of the righteous this is their priviledge Jesus Christ Zech. 3.9 is called The stone and saith the Text upon one stone shall be seven eyes There are two interpretations given of that Prophesie First thus upon one stone shall be seven eyes that is the eyes of all men shall be upon that stone upon Christ Seven is a perfect definite Number put for all numbers the eyes of all shall be upon the stone upon Christ although he be to the wicked or to them that believe not a stumbling stone and a rock of offence 1 Pet. 2.8 yet to them that believe he is a most precious stone and as they are alwayes beholding the beauty of that precious stone so Jesus Christ doth indeed invite all eyes to behold him Isa 65.1 Behold me behold me he would have us take off our eyes from all others and look steddily on him Let all eyes be upon the stone that 's a good interpretation There is a second which suits the present poynt I am upon fully Seven eyes shall be upon one stone that is the eyes of God shall be upon Jesus Christ This is a promise made unto him as Mediator when he came in the flesh or in our nature to do that great work for us Then saith the Prophet upon one stone shall be seven eyes which seven eyes note the perfect knowledge of God and so the perfect care that God would have of Chriâ—â— to bear him up through that woâ—k of our Redempâ—ion Vpon one stone shall be seven eyes I will take caâ—e of him I will p ovide for him and I will delight in him As Jesus Christ is all eye and Jesus Christ doth enlighten all eyes that is all that see are enlightened by Jesus Christ so the eyes of God the eyes of the Father were alwayes upon him in favour in love in care when he was here in this world about that great work of our salvation and he had abundunt experience of the eyes of his Father upon him Now mark it this was the great promise made to Christ the Stone that upon him should be seven eyes the eyes of the Lord should be alway and fully upon him And this is the priviledge of every one that hath part and interest in this stone Jesus Christ every righteous person hath seven eyes upon him the Lord God beholds him exactly perfectly and alwayes He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous A second inference is this If the Lord never withdraweth his eyes from the righteous Then let the righteous know their duty What 's that Never to withdraw their eyes from the Lord. There is a threefold eye which a righteous man should never withdraw from God First An eye of faith Secondly An eye of hope Thirdly An eye of dependance and that First for direction in all his wayes Secondly for protection in all his dangers I will lift up mine eyes saith David Psal 121.1 unto the hills from whence cometh my help And again Psal 123.1 2. Vnto thee lift I up mine eyes O thou that dwellest in the heavens Behold as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their Masters and as the eyes of a mayden unto the hand of her Mistress so our eyes waite upon the Lord our God untill he have mercy on us that is we never withdraw our eyes from him while we have need of his mercy and that is alwayes Walk before me that is with an eye of faith hope and dependance was the Lords charge to the father of the faithfull Gen. 17.1 I have set the Lord alwayes before me that is I
Text If they obey and serve him Hence note The Lord expects our service and then especially when we suffer Religion and the Worship of God in the whole compass of it is nothing else but service a blessed service a free service a service infinitely more free than any thing the world calls freedom Exod. 4.23 Let my Son go that he may serve me that is worship me All the Sons of God are his Servants and they have most of the Son in them who have most of the Servant in them If any deny him service they deny their sonship or rather as the Apostle speaks of Non-sufferers in one kind or other Heb. 12.8 They are bastards not sons yea God expects whole and all service from us or that we should serve him with our all Deut. 10.12 Thou shalt serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart We must serve the Lord not only with the best we have but with all the best with the heart and all the heart We serve God no further than we obey him and we worship him no further than we serve him and that heartily To serve God as to love God is a very comprehensive word 't is the summe of all the duty of Man To serve God is to submit both to what he commands us and to what he layeth upon us To serve God is to submit to what he would have us do and to whatsoever he is pleased to do with us and so we serve him particularly under sufferings We should alwayes serve him actively and we are called sometimes to serve him passively All Believers are free and yet they must serve and they are made free on purpose to serve We are purchased by the blood of Christ that we might serve him Because we are bought with a price we must not be the servants of men saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 7.23 Whose servants then Surely the servants of God Servus tanquam in bello servatus We are conquered that we might serve The Latines say that a Servant is one that is saved in War taken and saved So it is with all the people of God they are taken in the holy war they are taken prisoners and so made servants to Jesus Christ Yet Believers are servants not only by conquest but compact and covenant every godly man hath as it were sealed Indentures with God he hath upon the matter put his ear to the Lords post to be boared thorow as you read Exod. 21.6 that he may be his servant for ever The Lord expects service But what is it to serve him First To serve him is to do his Will Secondly To serve him is to do his whole Will It is not the doing of this or that piece of the Will of God or this or that patch of the Will of God which renders us his servants but the doing his whole Will Thirdly To serve him is to do his Will only so saith the Scripture Him only shalt thou serve If it may be supposed that we could do the whole Will of God and yet do the will of any other or do our own will too in any thing contrary to his we were not his servants if we serve him not alone or if we serve him not only that is if in serving man we aim not chiefly at the serving of him or if all our services to men are not subservient or not in subordination to the service of God we serve him not at all Fourthly I may add this also To serve God is to do every thing under this contemplation that what we do is the Will of God 'T is very possible for a man to do that which is the Will of God and yet not to serve him in doing it which we never do till we do it because it is the Will of God His Will must be not only the Rule of what we do but the very Reason why we do it else our doings are not his servings They that do not attend this serve God but as a beast may serve him a beast may do that which is the Will of God the inanimate creatures serve him so We hear of stormy winds and tempests fulfilling his Will Psal 148. All living yea liveless creatures do that which is his Will but they do not attend this that it is his Will which they do So that I say to do his Will not considering that it is his Will is to serve him no otherwise than beasts or than the winds or stormes serve him And to do his Will ayming at our own wills or ends is to serve him but as a hypocrite serves him A hypocrite doth not serve God in what he doth though he doth many things which are materially the Will of God because in all he minds his own will more than the Will of God Lastly We must serve God as Sons Mal. 3.17 A Son serveth no less than a Servant yea much more though not as a servant for he knoweth more of his Fathers mind than a meer servant doth Joh. 15.15 and he knoweth that he shall have also though not Wages at the end of every day yet the inheritance in the end Obadiah was the proper name of one good man and it is a name common to all good men they are as that word imports Servants of the Lord. It is a common Theam to urge men to serve God but it is a rare thing to be indeed a servant of God To serve God is the Summe and Marrow of all knowledge in divinity and the great end why we came into this World and for which we are here detained Nor is it an easie matter to come up to or attain the holy skill of serving such a Lord and Master as he There must be a doing of his Will and of his whole Will and of his Will only and that under this precise contemplation that it is his Will to denominate us his servants or to make a proof that we serve him Now whether God teacheth us by his Word or by his Rod which is the teaching of this context O how readily should we obey and serve him To serve him is not only the design of our being made free that is we were not onely made free to serve him but to serve him is our freedom as was touch't before yea to serve him is not onely to be free but to serve him is to reign and rule They that serve God to purpose reign over the lusts of the evil World without and over their own lusts within nor can any reign over the lusts of the world without or their own within but only they who serve him and only so far as they serve him Every gracious act of service to God is the subjugation or bringing under of some lust or other in man Now if any should say surely this is a very sad Life to be alwayes serving or to lead only the life of a servant I answer To serve God or the service of God is
falling before his Enemies hereupon David said I am in a great streight somewhat he must chuse and what-ever he chose it was evil that is penal evil but seeing it was so and could not be otherwise e malis minimum he would chuse the least he chose to fall into the hand of God rather than into the hands of men Into such kind of streights are the people of God sometimes cast they have somewhat before them to chuse but what-ever they chuse it is very hard and troublesome troublesome to stay and troublesome to go troublesome to abide by it and troublesome to flie from it every way it is a trouble and how many of the precious people of God have been brought into these troubles Only this is their comfort as well as their duty that though they may be in such streights as necessitate them to chuse a less good or a penal evil yet as God will not so man cannot bring them into any such streights as necessitate them to chuse a moral or sinful evil Troubles are streights He would have removed thee out of a streight into a broad place Hence Note Thirdly What-ever streights we are in God is able to inlarge us The hand of the Lord is not shortned that it cannot save Isa 59.1 There is no streight so strict but the Lord can open it and remove us out of it or it from us When the Children of Israel were in that great streight having the Sea before them and Pharaoh with his Host behind them the Loâ—d removed them out of that streight and brought them into a large place There are a thousand instances and experiences of this David saith Psal 130.1 Out of the depths have I cryed unto thee O Lord The depth there and streight here are the same under several Allusions David cryed out of the depth of misery when he was at the bottome of the piâ— he cryed unto God and was delivered We can be in no depth but the power and mercy of God can reach a hand to us and draw us out we can be in no streight but the power of God can and his love will make roome for us that we may escape Dum deus velit misereriquia bonus eâ—t possit quia oâ—nipotens est â—pse contra sâ— diâ—inae pietatâ—s januam claudit qui deum sibi aut non velle aut non posse misereri credit August Sâ—r 88. de Temp Seeing then as one of the Ancients speaks fully to this poynt God will help because he is so merciful and can because he is sâ— powerful that man shuts the doore of hope against himself who thinks or through unbelief fears that either God will not or cannot help him And therefore when at any time we are in a streight let the greatness of our streights be the exercise of our faith not a discouragement to it Some make their streights a stop to their faith they cannot believe they shall be delivered out of great streights but the greatness of our streights should quicken not deaden our faith it should encrease our faith not weaken it and so it will if we consider who it is that undertakes to remove his people out of their streights it is the great God and the more their streights are the greater their difficulties are the greater is his glory in removing any of them into a large place 'T is said in the Psalm The Lord makes a way for his anger he doth do so sometimes he makes a broad way for his anger yet remember he makes a way for his love and mercy too that his great power may be seen in opening our greatest streights Fourthly Whereas 't is not only said He would remove thee into a large place but into a large place where there is no streightness Observe God can bring his afflicted people perfectly out of streights and set them out of the reach of danger Oâ—r comforts in this world are usually mixed with sorrows our enlargements with streights yet â—he Lord is able to give us sorrowless comforts and such enlaâ—gements as shall not have the least shadow of a st eight in them As Jesus Châ—ist saveth us to the uttermost of soul streights oâ— we are saved through Christ to the uttermost of our sins that is of our guilt and danger of condemnation by sin so he can save us also to the uttermost of outward troubles he can give a perfect temporal salvation such a salvation as shall have nothing of feare or danger in this life Elihu speaks of such a salvation The Lord can save us to the uttermost of present perils and set us beyond the reach of peril even in such a place where there shall be no feare no suspicion of annoyance 'T is said Pro. 10.22 The blessing of the Lord maketh rich and he giveth no sorrow with it The Lord makes some men rich or gives them a great estate yet they find sorrow enough with it but the Lord through his blessing can give riches and add no sorrow with it put no gravell in our bread nor gall in our cup but all shall be sweet to us that 's bringing us into a large place where there is no present streightness no nor appearing cause to feare any Thus the Nations are brought in rejoycing at the fall of Babylon Isa 14.7 8. The whole earth is at rest and is quiet they break forth into singing yea the fir-trees rejoyce at thee and the Cedars of Lebanon saying since thou art laid down no feller is come up against us Positio vel requies Heb a radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod est requiescere Metonymia adjuncti Pisc Est abstractâ—m pro concreto â—ositio requies pro iâ—s quae s per mensam deponuntur a serculariis Quemadmodum jumenta vocantur servitus hominum quia hominibus serviunt Bold Vicinae sunt radices 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quievit â—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 posuit quod enim ponitur in aliquo loco ponitur ut requiescat Merc The Lord will work full deliverance for his people by Babylons fall when that falls Sion shall not feare the coming of any more fellers Christ will then give his faithfull people such enlargement as shall know no streights This is the first allusion He would have removed thee out of the streight into o broad place where there is no streightness it followeth And that which should be set on thy Table should be full of fatness Here 's the second mercy As if he had said The Lord would not have given thee a bare deliverance out of evil but thou should'st bave received abundance of good thou shouldst not only have roome enough but comfort enough That which should be set on thy Table should be full of fatness Some render That which resteth or abideth on thy Table that is thy meat and thy drink thy wine and thy oyle that which thou feedest upon should be of the best and most nourishing not bare
the knowledge of God or we hope this will excuse us if we do not know him seeing we cannot Take heed of such reasonings for though God cannot be known to the utmost of what himself is yet God may be known so far as is needfull for us and that is very far We may know God so far as concerns our duty to him and our happiness by him we may know God so far as to honour him and to enjoy him and we must labour to know him perfectly though we cannot The Apostle speaking of the love of God Eph. 3.17 would have us labour to comprehend with all Saints the heighth the bredth the depth the length and to know the love of Christ that passeth knowledge That the love of Christ passeth knowledge that it exceeds our understanding should not discourage us from labouring to know it nor will it excuse any that sit down idly and do not study the knowledge of God though he passeth knowledge we must labour to know the greatness of Gods love and the greatness of Gods wisdome and the greatness of Gods power though the greatness of God in all these is greater thaâ— our nâ—rrow hearts can comprehend Behold God is great and we know him not Neither can the number of his years be searched out The Text is Number of his years no search that is Numerus annorum ejus et non est investigatio as we well translate it the number of his years is such as cannot be searched we say searched out it is but one word in the Hebrew properly signifying to search a thing to the bottome that we may find out the utmost of it The number of Gods years cannot thus be searched out we cannot find them to the bottome Elihu speaks of God after the manner of men years properly belong to man and the things here below of this world the life of man and the continuance of the creature are measured by houres and dayes and weeks and months and years as these are measured by the motion of the Heavens But God is far above any such rule or measure of life or of his being all these measures are improper unto God there 's no measuring him by houres dayes weeks months or years or ages The word which we translate years signifieth changes Years are changed or returned there is a returne of the same time every year Spring and Summer Annus apud Hebraeos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex sua proprietate et Etyriologia nomen haâ—et a mutatione quasi dicatur mutatoâ—us Ab hae radice vestes dâ—untur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nam muâ—mtur vaterasâ—unt innovantur â—t vutari idâ—m quod vestâ—i 1 Reg. 14.2 and Autumn and Winter thus the year changeth and turnes about continually God is infinitely above all these charges and turnings of time Psal 102.25 26 27. The heavens wax old and as a vesture thou shalt change them and they shall be changed but thou art the same and thy years fayle not The years of God are not like the years of the world which wear it ouâ— and change it as a vesture is changed by time the Lord is for ever the same Thus one of the Ancients glosseth those words of the Psalme Thy years â—ayâ—e not Thy years saith he neither go nor come thy years stand all together for because they stand they that go are not excluded by them that come thy years are one day and thy day is not day by day but to day thy to day doth not give place to to-morrow nor doth it succeed to yesterday thy to day is eternity therefore thou hast begot thy co-eternal to whom thou saidest to day have I begotten thee So then this expression Neither can the number of his years be searched out is according to our apprehension and understanding a description not only of very old age but of eternity We would think that man very old the houres Augustin is in Psal 102. v. 28. yea the minutes of whose life could not be searched out by a good Aâ—ethmeâ—iciâ—n much more easily may we tell how many years the oldest man hath lived What then shall we think of him the number of whose years cannot be searched out this can speak nothing less than everlastingness And this eternity or everlastingness of God though it be impartible yet it hath I may say a double respect First to what went before Secondly to what is to come The eternity of God is such as cannot be searched out either as to what is past or to what is to come Aeternitas tempora omnia sine tilla succâ—ssione complectit r. Aeternitas est vitae beatae tota simul et perfecta possessio Boetius Aetornum est unum esse et totum simul esse et nihil deesse Greg. l. 16. Moral c. 21. Aeternum est immu abile et totum impartibiliter Dionys cap. 10. de divinis Nomin indeed unto God there is nothing past or to come for eternity properly taken is an everlasting Now it is not that which passeth or moveth away and therefore some of the Ancients elegantly describe eternity to be the perfect enjoyment of blessed life all at once which because it is all at once together and perfect cannot be altered nor lessned In eternity that which is past is present yea that which is to come is present in an eternal blessed life 'T is so with God and so in proportion with all those who are entred into eternity whatsoever they have had is alwayes present with them nor are they in the expectation of any thing to come they enjoy all in every moment without the want of any thing 'T is much more so with God though years have succession yet the years of God have no succession of times or things Further The eternity of God which lies under this description The Number of his years cannot be searched out is not a particular attribute of God but that which difuseth it self through all his attributes he is eternall in all there is no searching out the Number of the years of any of the perfections of God his Wisdome is eternal and his Power is eternal and his Goodness is eternal and his Justice is eternal there is no searching out the Number of the years of God in any of these perfections Hence Note God is an eternal being His years come not under account or number God is eternal not only without end as created Spirits are but without beginning which no creature is not can be He is eternal not only without end or beginning but without succession or mutation Some of the Ancients tell us Stabilisque manens dat cuncta moveri Boet de Confol Metro 9. Eternity stands fast but moves all other things The eternal God is the first Mover himself being immoveable If so then First All things are alwayes present with or before God Things past things to come are present with God he were not eternal else
rains cause or produce plentifull fruits ordinarily from the Earth and little rains little fruits Sixthly and lastly man is nourished and hath his outward Comforts encreased or lessened in proportion to the fruits which the Earth bringeth forth or to the fruitfulness of the Earth All these things attend and depend upon one another They pour down according to the vapour thereof and God draws up in proportion to what himself purposeth they shall pour down Thus we see how God by the Sun draws out the moisture and sap of the Earth to return it back with advantage Drawing up the moisture makes the Earth languish and her fruits wither sending it down again makes the Earth green flourishing and fruitful They pour down rain c. And what more Elihu answers Vers 28. Which the Clouds do drop 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nunc Coelum nunc nubes denotâ—t a tenuissimâ— earum Substantia Drus Here he speaks more expresly and tells us more clearly than before what the vapours are made up into According to the vapour thereof which the Clouds do drop As Clouds are made of vapours so they are the receptacles or vessels of rain which they hold as was shewed before as long as God pleaseth and when he gives the word then they drop And distill upon man abundantly That 's another elegant word implying the manner in which the rain comes or falls it is as by a distillation Here also 't is expressed for whose use or sake principally the rain is sent The Clouds saith the Text drop and distill upon man yet we know men get themselves out of the rain as soon and as fast as they can The rain falls upon the earth and abides there yet 't is said to distil upon man because the rain distils at mans request and for mans sake That other creatures are cherished by the rain is not for themselves but for man as man is not cherished and maintained by those creatures for himself but for God As the rain distills chiefly for the glory of God so nextly for the relief and comfort of man and for man it distills Abundantly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Super hominem multum vel super homines affluentèr ut 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sit adverbium quod eù minùs se probaâ— mihi quia Rab. hic scrilitur eum Cametz Drus There is a double reading of this word Some take it as an Adjective to the Substanâ—ive man rendring thus it distills upon many men we take it adverbially Which distill upon man plentifully that is in great plenty upon man We may take in both readings without strain to the Text or departure from the matter in hand For as the rain all 's or distills upon man abundantly so upon abundance of men the rain we know falls sometimes very plentifully and at times or one time or other all the world over watering every mans ground and serving every mans turn or occasions Therefore Elihu expresseth the blessing fully when he saith The Clouds distill upon man abundantly or upon abundance of men Hence Note First The Lord haih rain enough in store He hath vessels plentifully filled for the watering of the Earth and The Lord is so free in his dispensation of the rain that as he gives it to many in number so to many in kind he maketh his rain to fall as well as his Sun to shine upon the just and on the unjust Math. 5.45 It shews the exceeding goodness as well as the bounty of God that the evill partake of his benefits as well as the good And for our further improvement of this bounty of God remember that if God be so abundant and liberall in blessings to us we ought in proportion to abound in duty towards him or as the Apostle exhorts 1 Cor. 15.58 we should be stedfast and immoveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord. Some do only a little I may say only here a stitch and there a stitch of work for God but we should abound in it and that not only now and then by fits but be alwayes fixed in it especially we should do so with respect to that which the rain is a Symbol of the word of God When God drops and distills the rain of Gospel tâ—uths and holy soul-saving instructions abundantly upon us how should we abound in every good word and work It was prophesied of Christ Psal 72.6 He shall come down as rain upon the mown grass as showers that water the earth Some of the Ancients expound that place of the coming down of Christ in his Incarnation then indeed he came down like rain upon the mown grass he came down sweetly and powerfully 'T is true also that Christ who is God the Word the substantial Word comes down as rain in and with the declarative word of God preached and faithfully dispenced to the souls of men and when Christ comes down thus to us we should rise up to him and return fruits of grace according to the showres of grace which we have received The Prophet gives us an elegant comparison of the natural and spiritual rain in their effects and issues Isa 55.10 11. For as the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven and returneth not thither but watereth the earth and maketh it bring forth and bud that it may give feed to the sower and bread to the eater so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth it shall not return unto me voyd but it shall accomplish that which I please and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I send it Now what is the pleasure of God in giving his Word what is the arrand upon which he sends it 'T is I grant sometimes to harden deafen and blind a people Isa 6.9 10. 't is sometimes to be a savour of death unto death 2 Cor. 2.16 These are dreadfull judiciary purposes of God in sending his Word nor doth it ever please the Lord to send his Word upon this arrand but when he is sorely displeased by a peoples slighting and contempt of his Word The thing which primaâ—ily pleaseth him the purpose which he chiefly puâ—sueth in sending his Word is that his people may have as the Apostle speaks Their fruit unto holiness in this life and in the end everlasting life For these ends the Lord is daily distilling upon us the rain of his Word both in commands and promises and in both abundantly Therefore let us labour to abound in returns of faith of love of hope of self-deniall of zeal for God and of fruit-bearing unto God If when God distills the natural rain that should provoke us to fruitfulness in spiritualls how much more when he pours down so much spiritual rain upon us For the close of this meditation consider That As the natural rain First softens the earth and mollifies it Secondly cleanseth the earth and washeth it Thirdly enricheth the earth and makes it fruitfull Fourthly comforts the earth and makes every
from the Clouds put his Bow in the Cloud A second significancy of mercy in the Rainbow is because the Bow is bended upwards or Heaven-ward the Bow doth not stand bent to the Earth or downward the string of the Bow is towards us not the back of it He that would shoot hath the bottom or back of the Bow in his hand and the string is towards himself but God that he might shew he doth not intend to shoot that Arrow any more holds the string of the Bow downwards which no man doth that hath a mind to shoot The Lord by this Bow in the Cloud shoots no man unlesse it be as one well expresseth it with admiration and love or I may say the Lord having shot his Arrowes of immoderate Rain from the Region of the air for mans chastning seems to return to Heaven with his Bow reversed as a token of peace and serenity to the woâ—ld or that in Judgment he remembers his Covenant-mercy The wicked are said to bend their Bow they make ready their arrow upon the string that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart Psal 11.2 But he that tuâ—ns the string of his Bow downwards is not ready nor seems minded to shoot at all Thiâ—dly This bow shews mercy because there is no Arrow seen at it or with it Concisit iris aquas alimentaque nubibus assert Ovid 1. Metam Fourthly It sheweth or signifieth mercy because the Rainbow usually appears when Rain is ready to come implying that the Rain shall not hurt us and so we have a support of our faith as soon as we have any appearance of feare Fifthly When-ever the Rainbow appears there is clearness in some part of the air for it cannot be but when the Sun shines In the time of the Flood the light of the Sun was wholly obscured All the dayes which the world had during that dreadfull Rain weâ—e like the day described Joel 2.2 Zeph. 1.15 dayes of darkness and of gloominess dayes of Clouds and of thick darkness Therefore 't is said Gen. 8.22 Day and night shall continue for ever Intimating that in the time of the Flood the day was so obâ—cured so black that it could scarcely be known to be day or distinguished from night But now when the Rainbow is seen the Sun shines to give assuâ—ance that though there be an appearance of Rain Lux in rube rorida mille effiâ—it colores et varias et pulcherrimas lucis temperationes Plin Natur Hist l. 12. c. 24. yet the light of the day shall not cease Sixthly The various colours of the Rainbow are very significant for our comfort making as some Naturalists have told us a thousand sweet delights for the eye by the admirable mixtures and shadowings of colours therein discernable Seventhly The Natu al Historian assureth us that where the Rainbow at any time toucheth the Earth as we may often observe it doth it leaveth a fragrant smell upon the grass shrubs and bushes Thus you see how properly and fitly the Rainbow is called The shining of the light of his Cloud as also what significations of favour are discernable in it From this explication of the words we may note Fiâ—st After troubles and stormes God will give his people comforts and calmes He causeth the light of his Cloud to shine Clouds are dark things but while the Cloud shews Rain Gods light in the Cloud shews faire weather That 's matter of rejoycing to all that fear God as with respect unto that particular Judgment of the Deluge so of all evils and troubles which fall upon them in this woâ—ld This light shining in the Cloud may comfort and refresh us in the darkest night of sorrow It is said Psal 97.11 Light is sowne for the righteous and joy for the upright in heart And in the 4th of the Revelations which is as it were a Prologue or Preface to all the Prophesies of the dark times that should come upon the world and over the Church of God in this world we find Jesus Christ is represented with a Rainbâ—â—â—bout him vers 3. I was in the spirit and behold a Throne seâ—â—â—eaven and one sat on the Throne and he that sat was to look upon like a Jasper and Sardix stone and there was a Rainbow round about the Throne in sight like to an Emrald From this Throne it is that Jesus Christ doth as I may say dispence all the affaires of his Churches and people Now though Jesus Christ in the providential or mediatorial government of his Churches doth often send Clouds upon them and though Clouds and darkness are round about him yet the Throne hath a Rainbow about it And why a Rainbow to shew that Jesus Christ is mindfull of his Churches and people to save them when the Serpent casts out Floods to drown them 'T is said Rev 12.15 The Serpent cast out of his mouth water as a Flood after the Woman that he might cause her to be carried away of the Flood but Jesus Christ that sitteth upon the Throne hath a Rainbow about hâ—â— which gives assurance that the Floods shall not quite overwhelme the Church she shall be delivered though it be in a Wilderness from those mighty water-floods of persecution raised and caused by the Serpent and his seed against the seed of the Woman or against the Woman and her seed Though Christ may suffer great Floods of sorrow and tribulation to be powred upon them yet there is a Rainbow about the Throne to which we may look and get our faith confirmed that the Woman and her Seed shall not be swallowed up Take one place more Rev. 10.1 I saw another mighty Angel coming down from heaven that was Jesus Christ cloathed with a cloud that is with dark dispensations such as his people should not well know what to make of but what follows and a Rainbow was on his head That Prophesie leads into a description of the greatest pressures and troubles that ever the Church of God was to suffer in this world Jesus Christ was cloathed with a Cloud but for the comfort of his Church there was a Rain-bow on his head there was light shining in this Cloud to bear up the spirits of his people that the mischief should not be to their destruction though it might be very much not only to their tryal but correction And we find the Church supported though not directly under this notion of a Rain-bow yet by a promise plainly hinting if not referring to it Isa 54.9 In the 8th verse the Prophet tells us that the poor Church was in very great trouble Why Surely because of some cleâ—â—ly providences which interrupted the light of Gods counteâ— from shining upon them at least to their apprehension for thus he bâ—spake the Church In a little wrath have I hid my face from thee for a moment there was the Cloud but with everlasting loving-kindness will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer there 's
out how good how merciful God is or the utmost extent of his goodness and mercy which Zophar in the place before cited calleth a finding of him out to perfection I may give you a five-fold Negative to shew wherein God cannot be found out First We cannot find him out as to the infiniteness of his Eâ—sence and Being that 's beyond the line of a created Understanding Secondly We cannot find him out as to the excellency of his Attributes or the manner of his being who can tell how wise God is how holy how just how powerful how good We may easily find his divine perfections all the world over we may find them in every leaf of the book of the Scripture yea in every leaf of the book of the Creature but we cannot find them out any where to perfection Thirdly We cannot find out the depth of his Counsels God hath some Arcana secrets which he hath reserved in his own power as Christ told his disciples in the first of the Acts vers 6. when they would needs be prying into that secret of his councel the time of restoring the kingdom to Israel There are many councels of God lockt up in his own boâ—om which we cannot find out nor must we be bold and curious in searching into them Fourthly The Lord cannot be found out no not in his works of Pâ—ovidence which are acted outwardly or by which he brings forth his councels to act Psal 77.19 His foot-steps are not known not only are not any of his secret councels known but some oâ— his very foot-steps his treadings his goings are not fully known God goeth so that we cannot find where he gâ—eth he leaves no track as we say behind him Rom. 11.33 How unsearchable aâ—e his Judgments not only his councels but how unsearchable are his Judgments and his ways past finding out That 's the very expression of the text There are many providences of God which we find and feel which we see and cannot but see yet we cannot find them out that is we are not able to give a direct answer why God doth this or that nor how this or that was done Consider that Scripture 2 Chron. 31.20 21. where we have a most singular character of Hezekiah and of his government Thus did Hezâ—kiah throughout all Judah and wrought that which was gâ—od and right and truth before the Lord his God and in every wâ—rk that he began in the service of the house of God he did it with all his heart and prospered So the 31th chapter concludes yet the 32d begins thus After these things and the establishment thereof Sennacherib King of Assiria came and entred into Judah and encamped against the fenced Cities One would have thought Hezekiah being thus zealous for the Reformation of the Church of God in Judah and Jerusalem and having done all that concerned it with a perfect heart that surely such a Prince should have lived in peace and prospered all his dayes yet presently his Kingdome was invaded by a potent enemy Sennacherib comes against him and fills him and all his people with fear of utter subversion This was a secret of providence very hard to find out a depth which who can fathome That when a good King with his Counsel had been indeavouring a true Reformation and that with a perfect heart he should presently see war at his gates Solomon saith Pro. 16.7 When a mans ways please the Lord he makes his enemies to be at peace with him Yet it was no sooner said of King Hezekiah that his wayes pleased the Lord but the very next paragraph of his Chronicle reports an enemy making war upon him Fifthly Take this also We cannot find out God in the dispensations of his Free Grace in the Gospel â—here are such mazes such mysteries of love and goodness and kindneâ—s in Jesus Ch ist as though it be our duty to be searching after them and in them all our dayes though we ought to be continually digging in those golden Mines to find out the treasures hidden there yet we can never find them out Therefore the Apostle Ephes 3.8 calls them The unsearchable riches of Christ not unsearchable because it is unlawful to search after them but unsearchable because when we have searched to the utmost we cannot find them out as he speaks in the close of that chapter that we may be able to comprehend with all Saints the height and depth and length and breadth and to know the love of Christ that passeth knowledge Under all these considerations and many many more God is past finding out Whence take three brief Inferences First Do not search too far that is beyond what is written into the counsels of God no nor into the works of God For though as it is said Psal 111.2 the works of God are great sought out by all them that have pleasure therein yet they that have the greatest pleasure in them cannot in all points find them out It is our duty to search the works of God but to think we can find out the bottom of his works would be our sin Secondly If the Almighty cannot be found out no not in his works of providence then Take heed of censuring or finding fault with his works Shall we censure what we cannot know and find fault with that which we cannot find He that censures what another doth should first have the full compass of what he doth and be able to look quite thorow it which the most eagle-eyed soul in the world cannot as to what God doth in this world And therefore though you see no reason for what is don do not complain for there may be a reason for the doing of it which you do not see and the reason is often such and lyes so deep that you cannot see it And know this is reason enough why you should forbear censuring what is done because God doth iâ— though you can give no oâ—her reason why it is done Thirdly If God be past finding out in his works and much more in himself then be not so much as discontented with his works You are not yet come to the bottom you have not seen the last man born as we say you know not what God will make of it till he hath done all therefore take heed of murmuring and discontent Zech. 2.13 Be silent O all flesh before the Lord for he is risen out of his holy habitation Though his rising be visible yet we cannot see all the concernments and intendments of his rising therefore be silâ—nt altogether from fear and discontents and though not from all enqâ—i ies about it yet from a presumption of finding out all by enquiâ—ies For As touching the Almighty we cannot find him out That 's the first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He is excellent in power Tâ—at's the second Mr. Broughton reads He is huge of strength The word rendâ—ed excellent properly signifies to encrease There is no encrease of the strength of