commune with thee There was a gracious manifestation of the presence of God above the Mercy-seat because that typified Jesus Christ the true Propitiatory or ransome covering and hiding out of the sight of God for ever all our defections iniquities and transgressions And hence the same word which signifies expiation or redemption signifieth also the procuring cause of our Redemption here called as also in the New Testament A Ransome I have found a Ransome A ransome is properly a price demanded for release out of bondage And when the Captive is released the price is paid To be redeemed and to be ransomed is the same thing Isa 35.9 10. The redeemed shall passe there and the ransomed of the Lord shall returne and come to Sion and everlasting joy upon their heads they shall obtaine joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall flee away Graeci dicunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod non est aliud quam sanguis Christi in quem et vetores crediderunt Merc Thus here Deliver him saith the Lord from going downe to the pit I am satisfied I have found a price a ransome Both Law and Gospel meet in this here is the Law by which the man being humbled confesseth his own sin and the wrath of God due to it Here is also the Gospel by which he hath been taught to beleeve that his sins are pardoned and the wrath of God turned away from him for the ransome which Christ hath paid So then 't is not as popish Expositers tell us I have found a ransome that is I have found the mans good workes I have found his repentance I have found his tears his prayers his almes I now see that in him for which I may be propicious to him and deliver him from the sickness under which he is detained Apparet in homine aliquid aequitatis ex quo ei misererâ— possum quam quaerebam Aquin thus they generally make somewhat in man or done by man his ransome at least to have a share in it The heart as was shewed before is prepared for deliverance by the workings of faith and repentance But the ransome upon which deliverance is given is nothing at all wrought in us or by us Woe to us notwithstanding our prayers and repentance our reformations and humiliations To put these in place of a ransome or to hope for deliverance from the pit upon their account is to pervert the whole Gospel Others give a better sence yet not clear enough thus He hath humbled himself and I am as well satisfied as if I had received a ransome but I lay that by also For when God saith I have found a ransome we are to understand it of a reall ransome of full pay or satisfaction not of a ransome by favour and acceptation This satisfaction to the justice of God is only and wholly made by Jesus Christ without any the least contribution from man The perfect ransome which the Lord finds is the blood of his own Son which is called the blood of the Covenant because thereby the Covenant is confirmed and all Covenant mercies assured to us Upon this price or ransome God restores the sick sinner and pardons him he heales both his body and his soul And that Job had knowledge of this ransome as the only meanes of deliverance appeares Chap. 17.3.19.25 Deliver him for I have found a ransome Hence Observe First The redemption or deliverance of man by a ransome is the invention of God and the invention of God only If all men on earth yea if all the Angells in Heaven had sat from the foundation of the world to this day in counsell beating their braines and debating this question How man sinfull man might be delivered out of the hand of the Law or from that condemnatory sentence under which the Law had cast and detained him with satisfaction or without dammage to the Justice and righteousness of God they could never have found it out nor any thing like it This is Gods own invention or if God had said to fallen man I see thou art in a lost pitifull condition but sit down and consider how I may doe thee good and not wrong my selfe how I may relieve thee and not dishonour my selfe I will freely doe it If God I say had given man a blank to write downe what he would have done to bring this about he could never have found it out but must have perished for ever in his sin The thought of a ransome in this way had never entred into the heart either of men or Angells if God himself had not revealed it Therefore the Apostle Peter having spoken of the great diligence of the old Prophets searching into and inquiring about that great mystery the way and means of mans salvation câ—ncludes 1 Epist 1.12 Which things the Angells desire to look into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word there used notes a curious prying into that which hath some veyled or secret rarity in it We may conceive the Apostle in that word alluding to the Cherubims which by Gods command to Moses were made with their eyes looking downe to the Mercy-seat or propitiatory in the Holy of holyes Exod. 25.20 figuring the ransome in the Text yea and expressed by the same Hebrew word The living Angells doe that which those representative Angells seemed to doe they look earnestly at the mystery of our redemption made or ransome given by Jesus Christ There is such an exquisiteness in this invention the deliverance of man by Christ that the Angells desire to look into it even as men desire to see rare inventions And this exceedingly commends the wisdome of God in our redemption that it was a secret to the very glorious Angells They did not know it but as it was made knowne to them nor did God as it seemes make it knowne to them firstly or immediately but it was revealed to them occasionally by the revelation of it first to the Church as the Apostle doth more then intimate Eph. 3.10 To the intent that now unto principalities and powers in heavenly places that is the holy Angells might be known by the Church the manifold wisdome of God As if had it not been for the light given to and spread abroad in the Church the Angells had been in the dark to this day about that matter And doubtless if the Angells did not gather up their knowledge of that mystery by the ministery of the Apostles preaching it to the world in a way of information yet by their contemplation of what was done in the Church of the goodness of God to the Church they saw as in a glasse that manifold wisdome of God which before they saw not or were ignorant of Now if the holy Angells knew not this mystery but as it was revealed much lesse could man We saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 2.6 7 8 9. speake wisdome among them that are perfect yet not the wisdome of this world nor of the
of the verse as 't is put into a chideing or reproving question Why dost thou strive against him From the latter branch He giveth not account of any of his matters Observe First The power and dominion of God is absolute God is not subject to any reckonings with man whatsoever he doth He that may doe what he will and can doe nothing but what is right neither may nor can be brought to any account for what he hath done He that is unaccountable is absolute in power Further God needs not give man any account upon these three grounds First He oweth no man any thing He hath received nothing of us and if a man hath not received he needeth not account They that have any trust from men are to give account But what hath God received from man Man receives his all from God Why then should God give any account Secondly Consider the Loâ—d hath wronged no man nor can he He is infinitely just and righteous in all his wayes He not only doth just things but things are just because he doth them Why should he give an account of any of his matters who neither doth nor can doe any matter which is unâ—ust If we knew and were fully assured of a man in whose hands we have trusted much that he were so just that he would not though he had opportunity deceive us of a farthing we would never call him to an account As it is sayd of those treasurers in the story of the Kings 2 Kings 12.15 They reckoned not with the men into whose hand they delivered the money to be bestowed on workmen for they dealt faithfully An example hardly to be parallel'd in an age by the sons of men Many are more desirous of trusts then carefull to discharge them They love to have much treasure passe through their hands that some of it may in passage slip into their owne pockets and purses Justice and faithfulness are rare Jewels among men and therefore it is but need they should have a check upon them and be called to an account But the holy God is altogether just and faithfull therefore to what purpose should he be called to an account Let us rest quiet in this acknowledgement That he whose will is the highest reason can doe nothing without reason Man was created under God and then he returnes to the order of his creation when he prefers the judgement of God even when he doth not understand it before his owne Thirdly There is no man no nor Angel that hath any authority to call God to an account They that are accountable to others Homo sub deo est conditus ad conditionis ordinem redit quando sibi aequitatem judicis etiam quam non intelligit anteponit Greg l. 13. Mor c. 18. are under their power either as being in degree above them or as having made a compact covenant with them though their equalls to give them an account But who shall call God to an account who is higher then the highest And though God hath condiscended to make a covenant with man and therein given him assurance that he will doe him good yet God hath engaged himselfe to give us an account how or in what way he makes good or performes his Covenant Man must give an account to God how he hath performed the Articles of the Covenant not God to man As man is a fraile dying creature so he is an accountable creature Luke 16.2 Give an account of thy Stewardship for thou mayst be no longer Steward Rom 14.12 So then every one of us shall give an account of himselfe to God God will call every man to a strict account of his receits and expences what talents of time and opportunities of parts and abilities of power and Authorities have been put into his hand as also how he hath husbanded and improved them We alas poore creatures by striving with God call him upon the matter to give us an account of his matters And in the meane time forget the account which we must give to him of all our matters It is our duty and will be our wisdome to account so with our selves every day that we may be ready for our account in that Great and last Audit-Day And as to remember prepare for our own account in that day will keepe us from doing or saying any thing which may be interpreted a calling of God to an account all our dayes so that remembrance will make us strive how to improve and be bettered by the afflictions and troubles wherewith we are exercised in the world in stead of striving with God because he puts us upon those severer exercises for how we have improved our afflictions will be one part and that a very considerable one of our account to God in that day Lastly The two parts of this verse connected and considered together Why dost thou strive against him for he giveth not account of any of his matters The latter being a reason of the former give us this Observation God being absolute in power we ought to sit down quietly under all his dealings Or thus The consideration of Gods absolute Soveraignty that he gives not account of any of his matters should stop all our strivings and pleadings with or against God Our strivings against God are of two sorts or in a double respect They respect either our eternall or our temporall estate First With respect to our eternall state for about that we are apt to call God to account O what strivings are there in the hearts of men about Gods absolute soveraignty in electing of some and rejecting of others The Apostle is much upon it Rom. 9. where having represented the Lord speaking thus by Moses vers 15. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion He presently prevents an Objection or the strife of man with God about that saying vers 19. Thou wilt say then why doth he yet find fault As if men might find fault with God if he in that case should find fault with them for who hath resisted his will This is mans plea against the soveraigne will of God But what saith the Lord by the Apostle to such a pleader we have his reproof of him for an answer in the next verse Nay but O man who art thou that replyest 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 The Apostle brings in this Argument as to mans eternall state he must not strive with God about that He must not say why doth God find fault with man O man who art thou that dost logick it thus with God His absolute power is his reason why he disposeth thus or thus of thee or any man else He will give thee no account why it is so but his own will to have it so For shame sit downe stop
notwithstanding all the confusions and disorders which seeme to be in the affaires of this world the providence of God over mankinde in Generall and his great mercy towards the righteous in speciall is seene most eminently in these two things First In that he inspires them with the knowledge of heavenly things or acquaints them some way or other with his mind both as to the meaning of what he doth to them and of what he would have them doe Secondly In that he provideth and sends them a messenger or mediatour both to instruct them in their duty to pray for mercy and so consequently to deliver them when their soule draweth neere to the Grave and their life to the destroyers Both these gracious dispensations of God are proper to righteous men or at least appropriate to them in a peculiar manner the righteous are the men for whom God provides a messenger or mediatour and the righteous are the men whom God savingly and effectually inspires with the knowledge of his will in the things which concerne both their present worke and future reward Neither hath Satan any power so to darken their understandings about those great things as to make them miscarry and as for all his other mischievous plots and practices against them they serve to a cleane contrary purpose then he intendeth according to that most comfortable assertion of the Apostle Rom 8.28 We know that all things work together for good to them that love God to them who are the called according to his purpose Satan provoked God for a licence to heape outward calamities upon Job in stripping him naked of his worldly substance and in tormenting his body with grievous paines and sickness which latter Elihu prosecutes at large chap 33.19 20 21 22. He is chastned also with paine upon his bed and the multitude of his bones with strong paine so that his life abhorreth bread c. And what he speakes of sickness is applicable to any or all sorts of affliction in all which as it is sayd v. 27 28 29 30. God looketh upon men and if any say I have sinned and perverted that which is right and it profiteth me not he will deliver his soule from going into the pit and his life shall see the light Lo all these things worketh God oftentimes with man to bring back his soule from the pit to be enlightned with the light of the living From these premises we may collect both what is proper to the righteous and that in whatsoever is common to them with the wicked there is neither disorder nor confusion For though the best of the righteous are lyable to the same outward evills which the worst of the wicked are yet their condition is not the same seeing to the wicked those evills are purely punishments but the beginning of those sorrows which shall never end whereas to the righteous they are either but chastisements for some sin already committed or medicaments to prevent the committing either of the same or of some other sin And as for those who by such chastnings are brought to a sight of their sins and forsake them their soules are by this meanes v. 30. brought back from the pit to be enlightned with the light of the living This poynt is yet more fully and plainly prosecuted by Elihu in the 36th chapter where he informeth us how sufferings are differently to be conceived of according to a threefold difference of the persons suffering The first and chiefe is of those who are truely righteous and keep close to God in righteous wayes The second is of those who being righteous in their state have fallen foulely in their way with whom we may also reckon such as are yet in an unrighteous state yet shall be and at last are converted and brought home to God The third is of those who persevere and obstinately continue in their wicked state and wayes stopping their eares and hardning their hearts both against instruction and correction Elihu seemeth to put all these together v. 5 6. Behold God is mighty and despiseth not any he is mighty in strength and wisdome he preserveth not the life of the wicked but giveth right to the poore More distinctly He speaks of the first v. 7. He that is God with-draweth not his eyes from the righteous but with kings are they on the throne yea he doth establish them for ever and they are exalted He speakes of the second sort v. 8 9 10 11. And if they be bound in fetters and holden in the cords of affliction then he sheweth them their worke and their iniquity that they have exceeded He openeth also their eare to discipline and commandeth that they return from iniquity c. He speakes of the third sort v. 13 14. But the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath they cry not when he bindeth them they dye in youth and their life is among the uncleane These three sorts of men are dealt with by God according to their kind The last of them being altogether wicked and incorrigible abide under wrath for ever The second being in an evill state or having done that which is evill yet humbling themselves through grace and being bettered by their afflictions are usually restored to a prosperous estate in this life in case they dy under affliction are alwayes crowned with the blessedness of eternal life The First sort walking constantly humane frailties excepted in their uprightnesse are not only preserved in peace but receive high favours and speciall markes of honour from the bountifull hand of God which is true especially according to the condition of those times wherein God did more engage himselfe to his faithfull servants in promises of temporall happiness then now he doth in Gospel times And yet even these as now they are not so then they were not alwayes exempted from sufferings For as the second sort of righteous men are often afflicted in a way of chastisement for their sins so the Lord reserves to himselfe a liberty his Soveraignty allowing it to afflict the best and holiest of his servants for the tryall of their graces or the magnifying of his owne grace to them and in them as a Master of Heroick Arts and Games imposeth a very laborious task upon his Schollar-Champion not as a punishment of any default but to confirme his strength and exercise his valour The due consideration of all these things layd together by Elihu might well satisfie Job and sustaine his faith in a patient bearing the burden of all those calamities which the Great and most wise God was pleased to impose upon him and likewise convince him that he had fayled much in giving out so many impatient complaints about them And no doubt they prevailed much with him both towards his conviction and the quieting of his heart under those dispensations For we heare no more of him in that language Yet Elihu thought he had not done enough but continueth his discourse and draweth a further
then Ish The wisest and most accomplisht the most perfect and mightiest of men as well as he is greater then Enosh sorrowfull or miserable man I answer the word Enosh is not to be taken exclusively as if when he saith the puissant is greater then the sorrowfull man he were not also greater then the greatest or strongest man but it notes that all men or man considered in his best estate is but weaknesse and wretchedness when put in the ballance with the great God or the puissant Lord what is man saith David one of the best and greatest of men a King Psal 144.3 that thou takest knowledge of him or the son of man that thou makest account of him Now if it be even too much that God should make any account of man then what is any man in account to God O what man or Angel is able to cast up the account how much the great God is greater or more then man The words are plaine only there is somewhat yet to be added or touched upon to cleare up further the scope of Elihu in speaking thus to Job which I shall endeavour to cleare and make out when I have given a note or two from the words as they are a plaine proposition God is greater then man Hence Observe First God is Great He that is greater then the Greatest is certainly great he that is higher then the highest is high This greatness of God is every where celebrated in Scripture The Prophet Isa 12.6 calls the inhabitant of Zion to cry out and shout why For great is the holy One of Israel in the midst of thee that is the holy one of Israel who is in the midst of thee is both Great in himselfe and declares his greatness in thee Mal 1.14 I am a great King saith the Lord of hosts and my name is dreadfull among the heathens I need not stay to give particular Scriptures to hold forth the attribute of Gods greatness his greatness runs through all his attributes Whatsoever God is he is great in it He is great in power Psal 56.3 Psal 147.5 he is great in all sorts of power great in authoritative power and great in executative power As God commandeth what he pleaseth to be done so he can doe what he commandeth The power of man in doing is not alwayes commensurate with his power in commanding but Gods is He needs no helpe much lesse any leave to execute what he willeth Againe God is great in wisdome he hath the compasse of all things in his understanding God is so wise that he is called the only wise God 1 Tim 1.17 The wisdome of men and Angels is folly to his God is great also in his goodnes so great that Christ himselfe as man would not be called good but told him that called him so by way of rebuke There is none good but one that is God Math 19.17 Holy David brake out into the admiration of that goodness which God hath layd up yea of that which he dayly worketh for man How much more did he and ought we to admire that goodness which is not so much in himselfe as himselfe Psal 31.19 O how great is thy goodnesse which thou hast layd up for them that feare thee which thou workest for them that trust upon thee before the sons of men The goodnesse which God acts and puts forth for the creature is a great goodnesse Isa 63.7 Neh 9 25â— but that goodnesse which is the goodnesse of his nature is a goodnesse as great as God is a goodnesse infinite in greatnesse Againe how often is God called great yea admired for his greatnesse in mercy When David 2 Sam 24.14 made choyce to fall into the hands of God he gave this reason of it For his mercies are great He is also great in wrath we read 2 Kings 23.26 of the fiercenesse of his great wrath And how great is his Love First in redeeming us by Christ Joh 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son c. God loved us so much in that gift that no man could ever tell how much love he hath given us in it Secondly His love is great in quickning us with Christ Eph 2.4 God who is rich in mercy for the great Love wherewith he hath loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickned us together with Christ His love both in redeeming and quickning us is so great that while we are called to the greatest study after the knowledge of we are told we cannot know the greatnesse of it Eph 3.18 That you may know the Love of God which passeth knowledge I will not stay upon this Attribute the Greatnesse of God onely take these five briefe inferences from it God is Great Then First God can doe great things the greatest things for us every thing is in working as it is in being they that are but little can doe but little God being great in his being that is in his power in his wisdome in his goodnesse in his mercy how easily can he doe great things The Scripture is abundant in shewing forth the great things which God hath done and will doe 2 Sam 7.22 23. Job 5.9 Psal 71.19 Psal 86.10 Psal 92.5 Psal 111.2 Psal 126.2 3. Psal 136.7 17. Joel 2.21 The workes of God in all ages and in all places have borne the stamp of and given testimony to his excellent Greatnesse We say There is nothing great to a great mind or to a man of a great spirit A Great spirited man will overcome not only great difficulties but seeming impossibilities yea he is glad to meete with greatest difficulties because they match the greatnesse of his mind Then certainly the Great God doth nothing but great and can doe the greatest things 'T is no matter how great the things are which we have need to be done for us if we can but interest the Great God in the doing of them God can doe great things in wayes of mercy for his people and he can doe great things in wayes of Judgement against his enemies Though his enemies be Great Oakes and Cedars he can hew them downe Amos 2.9 Though his enemies be as great as the greatest mountaines he can remove and level them Who art thou O great mountaine before Zorobabell thou shalt become a plaine Zech 4.7 that is the great power of God with Zorobabell can overthrow or overturne those powers which oppose or stand in the way of his Church and people though they appeare as inseparable and immoveable as a Great Mountaine Secondly If God be Great then he can pardon great transgressions you that are great sinners feare not Were not God a great God the least of our sins could not be pardoned were not he great in mercy and great in goodnesse our hearâ—s would fayle us yea our faith could have no bottome to come to him for the pardon of our great sins But why should great sins discourage us to aske
very great progress in his spirit Both these wayes we may understand it here though chieflly I conceive in the latter Sometimes God keepeth man either by his power or by perswasions and commands sent to him from setting so much as one foot forward in any sinfull way leading to the pit yet often he suffers him to goe on a great way and when he is advanced far towards yea is near very neer to the pits brink even ready to drop into it then then the Lord graciously keeps his soule from falling into it This word is used â—in the negative twice to set forth the high commendation of Abraham Gen. 22.12.16 When God had commanded Abraham to offer his Son and he was so ready to doe it that presently God tells him Now I know thou fearest God seeing thou hast not withheld or kept back thy son thine only son from me Abraham might have had many reasonings within himselfe to keep back and withhold his Son from being a Sacrifice but saith the Lord thou hast not withheld or kept him back There the word is used in the negative as also upon the same occasion at the 16 verse of the same Chapter And so by Job Chap. 7.11 Therefore I will not refraine or keep back my mouth It is as hard a matter to keep back or hold the mouth in as it is to keep back a head-strong horse with a bridle Therefore the Holy Ghost useth that Metaphor Psal 39.1 But saith Job I will not refraine my mouth I will not keep it back let it take its course I will speak in the bitternesse of my spirit The word imports powerfull acting take it either in the negative or affirmative When the tongue is kept back 't is done by a mighty power of grace and O how great as well as gracious is that power which the Lord putteth forth to keep back a poor soul that is going going apace too from falling into the pit He keepeth back His soul from the pit But doth the soul fall into the pit I answer first The soul is often in Scripture by a Synecdoche put for the whole man He keepeth back his soul that is he keepeth him from the pit secondly possibly 't is said he keepeth his soul from the pit to teach us that man by running on in sin ruines his best part it is not only his body and his skin that he destroyeth by sin but his very soul 'T is a mercy that God telleth us aforehand the worst of that danger and the greatnesse of the hazard or how great a matter we venture upon evill wayes and workes He keepeth back his soul from the pit What pit The word is rendred variously First thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 foveat corruptio mors he keeps back his soul from corruption Eruens animam ejus a corruptione Vulg. The word is used for corrupting by sin Gen. 6.12 And God locked-upon the earth and behold it was corrupt for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth that is all men were grown wicked and stark naught In the very next verse vers 13. The same word is used to denote corrupting by punishment due to sin Behold I will destroy or corrupt them with the earth that is I will destroy the face of the earth or deface the beauty of the earth and I will also destroy all men from off the face of the earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. Prohibebit animam ejus a fovea Targ. Secondly the Septuagint render He spares his soul from death Thirdly the Caldee Paraphrase as we He prohibits his soul from the pit these three corruption death and the pit are of neer aliance and the same word in the Hebrew tongue signifieth corruption the pit and death The pit or grave is the place of corruption and the seat or house of death We find the pit and destruction put together Psal 55.23 they shall goe to the pit of destruction So then the same word may well serve to signifie a pit corruption and death because in the pit dead bodies or carkasses putrifie and corrupt Yet David prophecying of Christ speaks his assurance of escaping corruption Videre foveam est amplius quaÌ„ sepeliri nimiruÌ„ ut is demum perfectè dicatur videre foveam non qui ad tempus est in fovea sed qui ejus vim corruptricem experitur sive videt corruptionem in ea videre enim est sentire sive pati aliquid Coc. though not the pit or grave Psal 16.10 Thou wilt not suffer thy holy one to see corruption or the pit It is this word that is thou wilt not suffer him to corrupt in the pit of the grave though being dead was buried and laid in the pit yet he did not see corruption in the pit That is corruption had no power no mastery over him for he loosed the bonds of death it being impossible that he should be held by them the third day yea with the first of that day or as soon as it might be truly said that it was the third day Christ was buryed in the latter part of the sixth day of the week and arose early the first day of the week even when it did but begin to dawn towards the first day of the week Math. 28.1 And therefore seeing as naturalists according to Scripture evidence Joh. 11.39 testifie corruption doth not naturally take hold of the body till the fourth day after death The dead body of Christ was altogether free from corruption or Christ as was fore-shewed by David in the Psalme saw no corruption Further this word pit is taken not only for death the grave and corruption but for those contrivances and plots which are made and laid for any mans death or distruction Thus David said of his malicious and subtle enemies Ps 7.5 Fovea denotat omnia vitae discrimina Pin. Into the pit which they have digged themselves are fallen that is they are taken in their own plots Those words of the Psalmist are an allusion to Hunters or Fowlers who make pits to ensnare birds or beasts we must not imagine that there were pits literally made for David but the pit was a plot or a contrivance to doe him mischief and he blessed God that as himself had escaped that mischief so that the mischief-plotters and contrivers were taken with it themselves We have David speaking againe under the same metaphor Ps 9.15 The Heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made And Psal 35.7 Without cause they have hid for me their net in a pit which without cause have they digged for my soul that is they have laid a plot to undoe and destroy me And if we take pit in this sence it may hold well enough with the scope of the Text for what is the pit into which pride and evill purposes thrust sinfull man but that mischief and misery which Satan is continually plotting against him And from this mischievous plot
it is that God delivereth man while 't is said by Elihu he keepeth back His soul from the pit Some expound the word soul in this former part of the verse in opposition to life in the latter part of it and his life from perishing by the sword Soul and life are sometimes taken promiscuously or indifferently for the same thing yet there is a very great difference between soul and life the life is nothing else but the union between soul and body but the soul is a spirituall substance distinct from the body while remaining in it and subsisting it self alone when separate from it That bond or knot which ties soul and body together is properly that which Elihu speaks of in the next words And his life As God keeps back his soul from everlasting destruction so his life from temporall destruction Though the soul be most precioua yet life is very precious skin for skin yea all that a man hath will he give for his life Chap. 2.5 'T is therefore no small mercy for God to keep back a mans life From perishing by the sword The sword is put sometime for warre that being the principal instrument of warre some insist much on that sence here as if the words contained a promise of being kept from perishing by the sword of an open enemy But the sword is here rather put for any kind or for all kinds of hurtfull evills what ever doth afflict vex or destroy may be called the sword Nomen gladii hoc in loco generalitèr denotare puto quicquid pungit percutit torquet cruciat vel affilgit Bold The text strictly in the letter is thus rendred and his life from passing by or through the sword we say from perishing by the sword which passing by the sword is not to escape the sword but to fall by the sword Thus 't is said of that idolatrous King Ahaz 2 Kings 16.3 He caused his sons to passe through the fire the meaning is not that he delivered them out of the fire but consumed them in the fire for he made them passe through the fire to Molech which was a sacrificing of them to that abominable idoll It is also said 2 Sam. â—2 31 when David took Rabba and destroyed the Ammonites he made them passe through the brick-kilne not to save them but to consume them Some conceive that this brick-kilne through which David made those captive Ammonites to passe was the fire or furnace of Molech that infamous Idoll of the Ammonites with whose bloody and most cruell devotions the apostatizing Jewes or people of God were in after times ensnared And if so then they might see God turning their sin into their punishment and declaring his fiery wrath against them in that by which they had declared their foolish and abominable zeale But that which I quote their punishment for is only the forme of its expression He made them pass through the brick-kilne Transire in gladium est idem quod incidere in manus et tela hostium et cadere in bello Gladius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vocatur quasi missite telum Drus that is perish in it Thus here and his soul from passing by the sword is rightly translated from perishing by the sword The word rendred sword signifies also any missive weapon or weapon cast with the hand especially a dart so Mr. Broughton translates and his life from going on the dart The generall sence of this verse is plainly this The Lord withdraweth man from his purpose and hides pride from man that so he may in mercy preserve him from perishing both in body and soul or that he may keep him not only from the first but from the second death which is the separation of the whole man from the blessed presence of God for ever 'T is a great favour to be kept from the pit where the body corrupts or from the sword that wounds the flesh but to be kept from that everlasting woe which shall overwhelme the wicked in that bottomlesse pit or lake of fire and brimstone this is the highest favour of God to lost man This is the pit this the perishing from which saith Elihu the Lord keepeth back the soul and life of man First from the emphasis of the word he keepeth back importing that God as it were by strong hand or absolute authority and command keepeth the soul of man from the pit Note Man is very forward to run upon his own ruine even to run upon eternall ruine if the Lord did not hold stay and stop him Man would tumble into the pit at the very next step if God did not keep him The way of man naturally is downe to the pit and all that he doth of his own self is for his own undoing And as he is kept back from the pit so as the Apostle Peter hath it 1 Epist 1.5 he is kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation Secondly considering the season signified in the former verse that when man is going upon an evill work or walking in the pride of his heart God is keeping him from the pit Note While man hath sinfull purposes and pride in his heart all that while he is going on to destruction both temporall and eternall Every step in sin is a step to misery and the further any man proceedeth on in sin the further he wanders from God and the further he wanders from God the neerer he comes to misery As the further we goe from the Sun the neerer we are to the cold and the further we go from the fountaine the nearer we are to drought so they that hast to sin hast to sorrow yea to hell Solomon saith of such they love death There is no man loves death under the notion of death there is no beauty no amiableness in death but all they may be said to love death who love sin and live in it Every motion towards sin is a hasting into the armes and embraces of death sinners wooe and invite death and the grave yea hell and destruction Thirdly note The warnings and admonitions which God gives to sinfull man whether waking or sleeping are to keep him from perishing to keep him from temporall to keep him from eternall perishing This is the great end of preaching the Gospel the end also of pressing the terrors of the Law both have this aime to keep man from perishing When man is prest to holinesse and when he is represt from the wayes of sin 't is that he may not perish for ever God hath set up many ordinances he hath imployed many instruments to administer them many thousands goe up and downe preaching to the world and crying out to the sons of men repent and beleeve beleeve and repent and why all this cry but to keep souls from the pit and their life from perishing by the sword The Apostle Jude exhorts to save some with fear and of others to have compassion that is terrifie some that
Gospel and to prepare the way for Christ by whom grace and truth came The Baptist was as it were the loop and button between the legall and the Gospel dispensation therefore his name might well be called John And there is frequent use in Scripture of the Adverb which comes from this Verb to signifie injuries received without desert or undeservedly Ps 7.4 Yea I have delivered him that without cause was mine enemy or that was mine enemy gratis And again Psal 35.7 For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit which without cause have they digged for my soul Yet more as the word signifies the doing of good gratis or when there is no desert so any injury done gratis or when no provocation hath been given the party so to doe Now as all the mischief which the wicked plot against or doe to the people of God is undeserved and floweth meerly from their malice so all the good which God doth for his people is undeserved and floweth purely from the fountaine of his free grace or from his compassions which faile not And surely the Lord deserveth highest praises from man for any good he doth him seeing what he doth is gratis or undeserved Further This Hebrew word Chinnam answers the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendred freely Rom. 3.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gratis i. e. ejus gratia Bez We are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ How can unjust men deserve justification Therefore Mr Beza translates We are justified gratis that is by his grace Againe When it is said then he or the Lord is gracious it may be taken two wayes First as to be gracious implyeth the intrinsecall graciousness of his nature or that mercifullness and kindness which dwells in the heart of God and which indeed is God for the graciousnesse of God is the gracious God thus God is alwayes and altogether gracious he is infinitely and uncessantly gracious Secondly when it is said he is gracious it may note only the graciousness of his acts and dispensations thus as I may say the Lord is gracious ad hinc et nunc as he sees cause at this time he is gracious and not at that time that is he puts forth acts of grace now and not then The Lord puts forth acts of grace both according to the pleasure of his own will without respect to any thing in man as also without respecting what man is or doth according to his pleasure And thus we are chiefly to understand it here then he is gracious God is gracious in his nature alwayes and alwayes alike gracious but he is not alwayes alike gracious in his dispensations or in giving forth acts of grace he is gracious to man according to his secret will as he pleaseth but he is gracious according to his revealed will as man pleaseth him Hence Observe first The first cause and spring of all our mercies is the graciousnesse of God Or All our mercyes flow out from the grace of God That 's the fountaine yea that 's the Ocean which seeds and fills all the Channels of mercy which stream to us as our happiness in this world and for our everlasting happiness in the world which is to come All is of grace fundamentally or because the Lord is and will be for ever gracious Thus the Lord spake to Moses Exod. 33.19 I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious My mercy shall flow our when and to whom and where I please And the proclamation which he made of himselfe in all his royall Titles runs in the same straine Exod. 34.6 The Lord the Lord God mercifull and gracious long-suffering and aboundant in goodnesse and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity If we consider God first in doing us good Secondly in forgiving us the evill which we doe Thirdly in delivering us from the evills which we now suffer Fourthly in delivering us from the feare of future sufferings all is from grace and from free grace He doth us good though we are undeserving any good that 's grace yea he doth us good though we are ill deserving and that 's more grace He doth all for us through grace First in spiritualls and Secondly in temporalls not only doe the good things of eternall life but the good things of this present life flow from grace unto his own people Not only the health of their souls but the health of their bodyes not only deliverance from hell but deliverance from sickness also flow from his free grace in Jesus Christ Therefore of all their mercies and salvations both as to the foundation and top-stone of them the people of God must cry as the Prophet Zachery Chap. 4.7 foretells the people of God should say of that longed for deliverance when that great mountaine should become a plain before Zerubbabell grace grace unto them That is grace hath begun them and grace alone will maintaine continue and perfect what it hath begun As there is nothing in us except our misery which moves the Lord to begin so there is nothing in us but our inability which moves the Lord to perfect what he hath begun He seeth we cannot and therefore he will perfect what he hath begun and all this he doth that he may exalt his own name and perfect the praise of his free grace towards us More distinctly that all comes from grace or from the graciousness of God may note these five things to us First not only that God doth all for his people freely or without desert But Secondly that he doth all things willingly or without constraint for his people Thirdly that he doth all things forwardly for his people He doth very much unaskt and unsought and he is not much askt or hardly drawne to doe any thing for his people Though he hath said of some things I will be sought unto or inquired after that I may doe them for you Ezek. 36.37 yet his mercies are never forced nor wrested from him by intreaties but flow from a principle of love naturally as water out of a fountain Fourthly he doth all rejoycingly even with his whole heart and with his whole soul Mercy pleaseth him and he is pleased with occasions of shewing mercy 't is no burden to him to doe us good mercy proceeds from his nature and therefore he delighteth in mercy Mic 7.18 yea to be mercifull is his nature and therefore he cannot but delight in it Fifthly graciousness being the very nature of God implyeth that he will do us good liberally and constantly or that as the Apostle James speaks he giveth liberally and upbraideth not he doth not upbraid us with our poverty who receive nor doâ—h he upbraid us with the riches of the gifts which himself bestoweth And because they flow from his nature therefore he doth not in the least empty himself how much soever he fills the creature with his gifts or goodness Some men
to him spoken of in the former verse and the declaration of it in that word or warrant which went out from God to the messenger about his deliverance from going downe to the pit This mercy or recovery in the full extent of it hath a two-fold respect First to his body Secondly to his soule The mercy as it respects his body is layd downe in the 25th verse His flesh shall be fresher then a childes he shall returne as in the dayes of his youth The mercy which respects his soule or the state of his inward man is layd downe in the 26th verse He shall pray unto God and be will be favourable unto him and he shall see his face with joy for he will render unto him his righteousness In this recovery of his soule-state we may further consider First the causes of it First The Instrumentall cause prayer He shall pray unto God Secondly The principall or efficient cause of it together with the first moving cause The kindness of God He will be favourable unto him Secondly The consequence of this his renewed soule-state He shall see his face with joy Thirdly The matter wherein this joyfull state doth consist in the close of the 26th verse For he will render to man his righteousness So much for the scope and parts of these two verses which shew the blessed issue which God gives this distressed and sick man from his afflictions and sorrowes Vers 25. His flesh shall be fresher then a childes By flesh he meanes the naturall flesh of the body this flesh shall be fresh yea fresher and not only fresher then it was before he fell sick in his man-hood but then it was in his child-hood fresher then a childes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mollitur recreatus fuit alibi quam hic non legitur Ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod virentem significat ac vegetuÌ„ ut cap 8. 16. et 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod syriacè significat crescere q. d. revirescet plantarum more et germinum Merc The word which we render comparatively fresher signifies to wax soft or tender 'T is no where read in the whole Bible but here Grammarians say it is compounded of an Hebrew word which signifies to be greene or flourishing Chap 8.16 and of a Syriack word which signifies to increase and grow as a plant we render it as noting the man mending apace as some sick men upon recovery doe in his strength and health He shall be fresh-coloured who before was pale and wan he shall be full-fleshed who before was fallen and leane so that when he saith His flesh shall be fresher then a childes 'T is an Elegant hyperbolical expression to shew his perfect recovery from that mortal sickness to health As if he had sayd God will restore him so that there shall be no scarr nor print no dregs nor appearance of his former disease seene upon him We know how tender and soft how delicate and faire the flesh of a little child is how sweete his countenance is how full of good blood his veines are how healthy and strong as to his time his whole body is Thus it shall be with this sick man His flesh shall be freshâ—r then a childes he shall be as if he were new-borne or entred a second time upon the stage of this world Our spirituall estate of renovation by Christ is set forth as a youthfull or child-like state as to the purity and perfection of it Eph 5.27 Christ shall present us to himselfe a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing The Church hath her sin-spots and wrinckles now in her militancy but when Christ shall present the Church at last triumphantly to himselfe then as himselfe was ever without spot or wrinckle so shall the Church be Her flesh shall indeed be fresher then a childes being perfectly recovered out of her spirituall sickness Notat perfectissimum sanitatis modum qui nullum transacti morbi vestigium relinquit Mert And thus in proportion Elihu assures the penitent sick man that when his peace is renewed with God and his spirit set right for God his very flesh shall be without spot or wrinckle fresher then a childes The latter part of the verse beares the same sence He shall returne as in the dayes of his youth That is he shall not barely recover his health and get upon his leggs againe as we say he shall not meerely escape death and the grave but he shall have an addition of bodily ability he shall as it were be young againe As sickness makes a young man look old so recovery from sickness makes the old man look young That 's to returne to the dayes of his youth Hence Note First Bodily beauty health and strength are the Gift of God He gives them and takes them away at pleasure or having taken them away he can give them backe when he pleaseth He kills and he makes alive he bringeth downe to the Grave and bringeth up as Hannah sayd in her Song 1 Sam 2.6 How low soever a man is brought by sickness either proper or metaphoricall the Lord is able to rayse him up againe We read v. 21. in how pitifull a plight the sick man was how rather like a carkasse then a living man he lookt His flesh was consumed that it could not be seene and his bones which were not seene stood out as much as to say He was nothing but skin and bones yet when in that case all hopes were gone and all natural helps fayled it was no hard matter with God to cure him When the skill of the Physician and the vertue of medicines fayle the power of God fayleth not As it is in reference to those outward dangers and desperate exigents which we meete with in this world by enemies and persecutors when we look upon our selves as dead men when all hope of deliverance seems past gone then the Lord alwayes can and often doth deliver The Apostle gives us his experience of it 2 Cor 1.9 10. We had the sentence of death in our selves he spake not thus in regard of sickness but of trouble and persecution As if he had sayd The malice and wrath of our enemies was such that we thought we should never escape We had the sentence of death in our selves but providence suffered it to be so that we should not trust in our selves but in God who rayseth the dead As it is I say in such dangers so in dangerous deadly sicknesses when a poore creature hath the sentence of death in himselfe when he makes no other reckoning but to dye as good King Hezekiah sayd of himselfe in his sickness Isa 38.13 I reckoned till morning that as a Lyon so will he breake all my bones from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me yet then as in his case so in many cases the Lord stretcheth forth a healing hand and takes the sick man up againe to continue in
Lord for me that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me Acts 8.24 But we read not that he prayed for himself The prayers of others are rarely beneficiall to any unlesse they either pray or have a desire to pray for themselves Elihu represents the sick man praying for himself he shall pray Vnto God There 's the object of prayer Hence Note Prayer in sicknesse and in all other cases must be directed unto God and to him only Divine addresses are fit for none but God For First none are worthy of this honour but God Prayer is so great a part of that honour and worship which is due to God that it is often put for his whole worship Mine house saith the Lord Isa 56.7 shall be called an house of prayer for all Nations Secondly none can heare that is answer prayer but God there is no help to be had but in him As it is his glory to be prayed to and such a glory as he will not part with to any other so it is in vaine to pray to any other In vaine is salvation hoped for from the hills and from the multitude of Mountains that is from the greatest worldly Powers truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel Jerem. 3.23 God only was David's Hills Psal 121.1 2. I Lift my eyes to the hills from whence cometh my helpe what these hills were himselfe explaines in the next verse My help cometh from the Lord who made heaven and earth Baals Priests called upon Baal they cryed Baal hear us but saith the Text thâ—re was neither voyce nor any that answered 1 Kings 18.26 It is not only sinfull but senceless to pray to any other then God alone That popish Doctrine of invocation to Saints and Angells is not only a will-worship but folly and dotage Fourthly He shall pray c. Hence Observe If we would have any mercy from God we must ask it God is ready to give but he looks to be intreated and he will be intreated What God hath promised to doe for us his doing of it must be obtained by prayer Working prayer worketh the promises to their issue yea prayer worketh the prophecies whether of salvation upon Sion or ruine upon Babylon to their issue Promises and prophesies are the express will of God and shall certainly be fullfilled in their season yet if we desire their fullfilling we must pray that he would fullfill them and 't is a token for good that God is about to fullfill them when the hearts of his people are drawne out much in prayer for their fullfilling There are some mercies in the promises rightly called preventing mercies they come upon us before we ask such is the mercy of out vocation conversion or turning to God we are naturally so far from praying while we are in the state of nature that we are continually blaspheming or dishonouring the name of God but as for persons converted who are eminently called heires of the promise that is of the good in the promise if they will have any good out of a promise they must aske it When the Prophet had declared many prophesies of good and great and glorious things which God would doe for his people he concludes with this direction from the Lord. Ezek. 36.37 I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel to doe it for them As if the Lord had said I will not doe these things unasked as you looke I should doe these things for you so I look you should pray unto me that they may be done A promise was made to Abraham Gen. 22.17 that his seed should be multiplyed as the Stars of Heaven now might not Isaac his Son have said God hath promised me children what need I pray for them but Isaac knew better he knew that the promise was to be brought to the birth by prayer therefore he entreated the Lord that he might have children Fifthly from these words He shall pray compared with the next and he that is God will be favourable to him Observe The Lord is ready to hear when we pray ready to give when we ask As prayer is honourable and delightfull to God so fruitfull to man Ask and it shall be given you seek and you shall find Math. 7.7 He shall pray unto God and he will be favourable unto him Prayer shall not be lost nor vanish into aire There was never any faithfull prayer lost though the prayers of many have not been answered in kind that is they have not had the very thing they asked for yet they have had an answer to their prayers and though prayer be not alwayes answered in our time yet there is a time wherein all faithfull prayers shall be answered one age reaps the fruit of those prayers which another age hath sowne The seed time is one age the harvest in another Latter Generations get good by the prayers of the former Though we who pray see not the fruit of it yet many shall find the fruit of it and how often doth the fruit of prayer appear presently how often doth the answer come in upon the very putting up of the request Isa 65.24 Before they call I will answer and while as they are yet speaking I will hear While the word is in their mouth the mercy shall be put into their hand While the Church Acts 12.5.16 was praying Peter came in among them As if God had said there 's your prayer What the Propâ—et Elisha said 2 Kings 6.33 of the messenger sent to apprehend him Is not the sound of his Masters feet behind him The same may we say somtimes of this messenger holy and fervent prayer is not the sound of the mercy prayed for at the very heels of it Thus close doth Elihu put the sick mans prayer and the answer of God he shall pray unto God And he will be favourable unto him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Graecis est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat vehementer velle ac delectari Merc That is he shall have a gracious and a speedy answer he will be favourable unto him or he will accept him as Mr. Broughton renders 'T is a very comfortable word it notes not only to wish well to or to be at peace but to be well pleased with another yea to be delighted and take pleasure in him 'T is not barely to be appeased and reconciled to lay down wrath and displeasure conceived against a man but it notes much sweetness of spirit towards him and full content or complacency in him Psal 149.4 The Lord taketh pleasure in his people they are as the joy of his heart he will beautifie the meek with salvation he will not only save them but adorne them with salvation they shall not only be delivered after they have layen among the pots Psal 68.13 from the blackness and filth of their adversity but they shall have a beauty put upon them or as it followeth in that Psalme last
going into the pit and his life shall see the light Lo all these things worketh God oftentimes with man To bring back his soule from the pit and to be enlightned with the light of the living WE had the blessed issue of the Lords dealing with the sick sinner in the former verse Now in the two first verses of this context we have the same case and issue put in generall with reference to any man And in the two latter Elihu recapitulates or summes up the whole matter and then applyeth it to Job personally and particularly in the three last verses of the Chapter He looketh upon men c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inspexit intentis et fixis oculis intuitus est The word notes a strict beholding and fixing both of the outward and inward eye that of the mind with that of the body T is here after the manner of men attributed to God He marks and animadverts upon men how it is with them or how they stand disposed and affected Yet there is a difference among interpreters who is the antecedent to the word He. He looketh upon men The doubt or question is to whom this relative pronowne He hath respect whether to God or to the sick man lately spoken of Some understand it chiefly of the sick man recovered He looketh upon men That is the sick man looketh upon those about him Qui hoc modo afflictus fuit resipiscens intuetur homines et diciter Drus and saith I have sinned and perverted that which is right As if being raised from his sick bed he should raise himselfe up to give glory to God by confessing and acknowledging before men that he had sinned in perverting the rule of righteousness given him to walke by and had found by dear-bought experience that it profited him not The Italian translater saith He afterwards shall turne himselfe toward man and say c. That is Fructum alium miserecordiae domini in afflictum subjungit quod ille liberatus et culpam suam coram caeteris hominibus agnoscet et dei miserecordiam in se confitebitur ut alios aedificet c. Merc he shall preach Gods grace to sinfull man and propose himselfe an example of it magnifying the grace of God to him and acknowledging his owne vileness They who insist upon this exposition render the 28th verse as the continued speech of the sick man making it out to this effect I have sinned and perverted that which â—as right yet he hath delivered or will deliver my soule from going into the pit and my life shall see the light It must be granted that to look upon or behold man is in Scripture a descriptive periphrasis or circumlocution expressing a man recovered from some dangerous deadly sickness And therefore when Hezekiah thought his sickness was to death and his case desperate He thus bemoaned himselfe Isa 38.11 I shall not see the Lord even the Lord in the land of the living I shall behold man no more with the inhabitants of the world But saith Elihu the sick man being perfectly recovered talkes with and looks upon men And the first discourse he issueth is a confession of repentance for his iniquity I have sinned I have perverted that which was right and it profiteth not And his next is a confession of praise for his recovery He hath delivered or I am assured he will deliver my soule from going downe to the pit and my life shall see the light This is a profitable exposition and much insisted upon by some very learned interpreters and therefore I shall make a little improvement of it by this briefe observation It is our duty being recovered from sickness to confess and make knowne the goodness of God and our sinfulness to those that are about us There is a three-fold confession First of faith that we believe what God hath revealed and promised to doe for us Secondly of prayse that we thankfully acknowledge what God hath done for us according to his promise Thirdly of repentance that we are heartily sorrowfull for and bewayle what we have done against the command of God We should be ashamed to sin before men but let us not be ashamed to confesse our sinfullness and in some cases our speciall sins before men Though we neither impose nor extort particular confessions from men as the Papists doe yet it is good for men who have been under the afflicting hand of God and have had great experience of his mercy in raising them up to declare what God hath done both for soule and body that others may be bettered by their experiences But I shall not stay upon this because our translation which is cleare and safe runs another way making the antecedent to this he to be God He that is God looketh upon men and saith If any say I have sinned and have perverted that which is right and it profited me not Then as it followeth He will deliver him from going downe to the pit and his life shall see the light The sence of the context in Generall is plaine God looketh upon men and if he seeth them penitent he will have mercy upon them and deliver them or give them that which is better then bodily deliverance More distinctly He looketh upon men It is the work of God at all times to look upon men and he looketh so upon all men as if he had but one man to look upon His look upon men is not a bare look but a considering and an observing look He so looks upon men that he looks through them He looks upon them and takes notice what they are how it is with them what they are doing and at what they are driving He looks upon them to consider both the frame of their hearts and the course of their lives yea his looking is an expecting he so looketh upon man as looking for somewhat from man or as desiring to see somewhat in him Though God hath no need of us nor of any thing we can doe yet he looketh waiteth or hath an expectation of somewhat to be done by us He looketh upon sick men to see how they take it with what patience they beare affliction what the workings of their hearts are what their repentings what the actings of their faith such things as these the Lord looketh for from most men mostly from men under the rod under sad sorrowfull dispensations And the words following shew what it is expressely which the Lord looketh for Yet before I open them note in generall God loves to see occasion of doing good to man What we love to doe we love the opportunities of doing it The Lord is good and he loveth to doe good and therefore he is expressed as one troubled when he wants as one pleased when he hath the occasions of doing it We may take up that sence eminently from that most patheticall wish Psal 81.13 14 15 16.
have cause to boast of the penny-worth he hath had by sin which hath occasion'd the sorrows of that repentance One houres communion with God in wayes of holiness is better then all the profits and pleasures which any man hath got while he was committing that sin or running any course of sin whereof he now repenteth At the best sin dishonours God troubles our consciences and breakes our peace at the best nothing is got by sin which is worth the having at worst the soule is lost by it which of all things we have is most worth the having Thirdly Note Sin is exceeding dangerous and destructive to man Some would sin for the pleasures and carnal contentments which are found in sin though they knew they should make no earnings or get no profit by it yea though they knew they should be and dye beggers by it Once more if this were all that they should loose heaven by it or if the meaning of loosing their soules were only this that their soules should be no more they would easily venture it But there is an affirmative in the negative and when 't is sayd sin profiteth not the meaning is it brings trouble and renders us miserable for ever Fooles that is all sinfull men saith the Spirit of God Psal 107.17 because of their transgression and because of their iniquities are afflicted and all such among these fooles as dye in their sin are damned and who is able to summe up the dammage of damnation Fourthly Learne Sinners shall be forced at last to confesse that there is no profit in sin True penitents confesse it willingly now and impenitents shall confesse it at last whether they will or no they shall have such a conviction of the evill of sin by their sufferings as will make them say what hath pride profited me and what hath envy profited me what hath malice and wrath profited me And what hath the fraudulent deceiving of my neighbour profited me this will be the cry of sinners to all eternity Oh what hath sin profited us That which is the willing confession of a gracious repentant here will be the forced confession of damned impenitents for ever hereafter This will be a bitter repentance Hell is and will be full of the words of repentance but no fruit of repentance shall be found there The damned shall not find either amendment in themselves or mercy from God This will be the confession of all sinners at last as of those that repent and are saved so of those who repent when damned we have sinned and perverted that which was right and it hath not profited us And when once man hath made this hearty confession to God of his sin and folly then God maketh him a gracious promise of deliverance and mercy as appeares in the tenour of the next verse Vers 28. He will deliver his soule from going into the pit and his life shall see the light There is a two-fold reading of this 28th verse as was shewed in opening the former For whereas that 27th verse is understood by some as the humble confession of the sick man recovered and so read in this forme He looketh upon men and saith I have sinned and perverted that which was right and it profited me not then this 28th verse is rendred to make up that sence as a thankfull acknowledgement of his recovery He hath delivered my soule from going into the pit and my life seeth the light Thus as we had his confession of repentance in the verse fore-going I have sinned Juâ—ta hanc loctionem erit etiamnuÌ„ hic versus ex coÌ„fessione restituti aegri dei in se summam beneficentiam agnoscâ—ntis Merc c. so here we have his confession of praise and thankfulness He hath delivered my soule from going into the pit Mr Broughton translates to this sence He saved my soule from going into the pit that my life doth see the light Thus the sick man being restored breakes out into thanksgiving The Lord in mercy hath freed me from death hell and the grave I need not feare Satans accusations my body enjoyes the light of the world and my soule the light of Gods countenance shining upon me which is better then life But because our owne reading is cleare in the originall text and holds out the scope of the context fully enough therefore I shall prosecute that only He will deliver his soule from going into the pit The words are an assertion of the favour and goodnesse of God to the penitent sick man He that is God looketh upon men and if he heare any saying I have sinned and perverted that which is right and it profiteth me not if he make such an humble and gracious confession this will be the issue the Lord will deliver his soule from going into the pit At the 18th verse we had words of the same import He keepeth back his soule from the pit and his life from perishing by the sword And againe at the 24th verse Deliver him from going downe to the pit To be delivered from the pit as was there shewed is to be delivered from death And the word soule as was then likewise expounded is put for the person As if it were sayd He will deliver him the penitent man from death and that both from temporall death the death of the body and from eternall death the destruction of body and soule or he will deliver him first from the pit of the grave and secondly from the pit of hell He will deliver his soule from the pit And his life shall see the light Videre lucem periphrasis est vitae sicut è contrario tenebrae sunt symbolum mortis Pined That is he shall live to see the light To see the light is a circumlocution of life As if it had been sayd He shall recover out of his deadly sickness and behold the light of the Sun as living men doe Thus David prayed Psal 56.13 That he might walke before God in the light of the living And thus the wicked man is threatned with eternall death Psal 49.19 He shall goe to the generation of his fathers they shall never see light That is they shall never enjoy life but be shut up in a perpetuall night of death or in the night of perpetuall death Secondly When 't is sayd his life shall see the light we may understand it not only for a bare returne to life or that he shall live but that he shall live comfortably and prosperously he shall lead a happy life To see the light is to live and rejoyce light is pleasant it is comfortable to behold the Sun as Solomon speakes To see light comprehends all the comforts of this life and of that to come which is called the inheritance of the Saints in light Col 1.12 For as darkness is put not only for death but for all the troubles of this life and the torments of the next so light is put both for life and
soule or body he gives him a new life he brings him in one respect back from the grave and in another from hell As a sick man he is brought from the grave and as a sinner he is brought from hell Great deliverances are a kind of new creation And fresh blessings are to us as fresh beings Take these two inferences from it First How should they who have been under great outward afflictions praise the Lord when they are delivered They who having had the sentence of death in themselves should look upon themselves when restored as men raised from the dead And how should sinners praise the Lord when he hath reconciled them to himselfe and pardoned their sins In doing this for them he delivereth them from wrath from hell and from eternall death Let such praise the name of the Lord and say as in the text He hath delivered our soules from the pit Secondly Let such live unto God having received a new life from God They that have received a new temporall life from God ought to dedicate it unto God how much more they that have received new spirituall life They that have received it indeed cannot but dedicate it unto God This negative mercy calls aloud for all that we are or have to be given up to God but that positive mercy which followeth calleth yet lowder for it And to be enlightned with the light of the living Nomen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non sumitur pro quibuslibet hominibus hac vita fruentibus sed pro diviâ—ibus potentibuâ— vivere est vigere valere Sunt qui ad futuram vitaÌ„ referunt sed id sâ—nam quidem Allegoricè intelligi postquam ad literam de hac vita intellecteru Merc Take it for temporall spirituall or eternall life all these ends are accomplished in those mercifull workes of God to poore sinners some restraine the text to the light of this temporall life others enlarge it to the light of spirituall and eternall life We are enlightned with the light of the living When the comforts of this life are restored much more are they who are restored to the comforts of their spirituall life and so to the hope of eternall life By the living we are not to understand those who are barely on this side the grave and yet breath in the ayre or who have only a weake shadowed spirituall life which they scarce know of or perceive The living here are they that live comfortably and prosperously both as to soule and body Thus 't is sayd in that Prophecy of Christ Psal 72.13 He shall live and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba prayer also shall be made for him continually and dayly shall he be praised Christ lives to purpose he lives as a Prince in power and dignity yea he is the Prince of life It was more then a sensitive or rationall life which Davids faith was assured of when he sayd Psal 118.17 I shall not dye but live his meaning was I shall live honourably and triumphantly declaring with joy the workes of the Lord. Thus here To be enlightned with the light of the living is to enjoy a comfortable life or to live happily Hence note A troubled state is a dark state sickness and sorrow whether inward or outward are darkness They are darkned with the darkness of the dead whose life is wrapped up in anguish and sorrow Secondly Note The designe and purpose of God in all his ordinances and providences towards his people is for their good All that hath been sayd before emptieth it selfe into these sayings To keep back his soule from the pit and to be enlightned with the light of the living The Lord hath no eye in these workes to his owne gaine but mans good The Lord doth not willingly grieve nor afflict the children of men Lam 3.35 He taketh no pleasure in it abstractly considered nor doth he look for any profit by it Much lesse doth he it as it follows v. 36. meerely to crush under his feete all the prisoners of the earth All that he expects by it as to himselfe is to be glorified by all for himselfe is above all and therefore designeth himselfe in all yet the glory which God hath by man is only the manifestation of his glory not any addition to it The benefit which God aymes at in afflicting man returnes to man He would have man bettered by affliction and as soone as man is bettered by affliction every thing shall goe better with him and he shall be delivered from affliction Rom 8.28 All things worke together for the good of them that love God to them who are the called according to his purpose And as all things worke together for the good of them who are the called according to his purpose so it is the purpose of God that all things should worke together for their good and that is not a successless purpose Indeed every rod upon the backs of the wicked hath a voyce in it to call them from the pit of death and destruction and to be enlightned with the light of the living but God makes this call effectuall to all his elect none of whom shall perish with the world So that a godly man should be so farre from judging himselfe dealt with as an enemy as Job in his extremity did when he is most sorely afflicted that indeed he may see the love and fatherly care of God in it All the providentiall dispensations of God worke to glorious ends Sometimes for the outward good of his people in this life alwayes for good as to their spirituall and eternall life Therefore lay aside hard thoughts of God whatsoever hard things he is a doing or you are suffering The wayes in which God leads us may possibly be very darke yet they run to this poynt to keep us from the pit of darkness and that we may be enlightned with the light of the living Thirdly Note Man would undoe himselfe both for here and for ever if God did not worke wonderfully for him and powerfully keep him from destruction All these things God worketh twice and thrice to keep our soules from the pit man left to himselfe would run head-long upon mischiefe in this world upon eternall misery in the world to come Nothing but the hand of God can hold man from ruining himselfe The heart of man is so set upon sin that he will rather loose his soule then leave his lust and will rather dye then that shall 'T is as easie to stay the motion of the Sun or to turne back the course of nature as to stay or turne back the naturall motion or course of the heart in sinning An almighty power must doe the latter as well as the former So that if the Lord did not put forth more then mercy even mercy clothed with power no man could be saved should God wish us never so well and tell us what good he hath layd up for us if we
they try and judge it But I conceive we need not insist strictly upon this For whether we compare these two senses in their severall operations to wise men or whether we compare them in their operations one with another yet according to the sense of our translation the meaning of Elihu is the same namely that those wise men to whom he spake should not only hear but try what they heard because they had received a power so to do for the ear tryeth words even at the mouth tasteth meat There is a twofold eare there is an outward eare Auris interna dicitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quae vox alibi legitur in Graeca editione pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cum sit ipsa mens quae verba et res dijudicat Drus and an inward eare And so a twofold tryall The outward eare tryeth words of what signification they are whether they are as we say good English or Latine c. It tryeth them also as to their grammaticall sense or the construction of what is spoken in the letter The inward eare or understanding tryeth them as to their logicall sense scope and tendency as to their use and force in the matter they are spoken to Both wayes the eare tryeth words as the mouth tasteth meate only with this difference that the tryall which the mouth makes is meerly sensitive and both begun and perfected in the mouth but the tryall which the ear makes is chiefly intellectuall it is begun at the ear but perfected by the understanding It is the mind which judgeth the eare only brings in the report of things to the mind Hence Note First The sense of hearing is a great mercy and of great use to mankind The eare is the chiefe Gate or inlet to the soul Aurem audientem dicit auditorem verbi obedientem Beda nor were our eares given only for an Ornament to the head but for the enriching and bettering of the heart The naturally rationall eare given to heare and try words is a mercy but when a spiritually rationall ear is given with it to heare and try words that 's a mercy indeed Solomon saith Prov. 20.12 The hearing eare and the seeing eye the Lord hath made even both of them These naturall senses are of Gods own creation and the use of them his blessing yet common to all mankind good and bad but the spirituall senses of seeing and hearing are a speciall priviledge promised to the elect and a fruit of Gospel grace Isa 35.5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened and the eares of the deafe shall be unstopped He meaneth it not either only or chiefly of the bodily eyes and eares though Christ wrought miracles upon them and healed both the blind and deafe in the dayes of his flesh but of the eyes and eares of the soul which are often darke and stopt while the other are free enough in the exercise of their severall faculties The seeing eye which both Solomon and Isaiah intend is the eye which so seeth as that it followeth the good which it seeth and that 's their hearing eare which beleeveth and obeyeth what it heareth A superficiall seeing eye is a blind eye and a formall hearing eare is a deafe eare in the sight and account of God We say it is the symptome of some distemper or growing disease upon the body when the pallate doth not rellish meate Surely it argueth a diseased and sick soul when we have no mind to heare nor find rellish in the word of God Secondly Note Words are not to be received nor submitted to nor beleeved as true till they are tryed Itching eares are bad 2 Tim. 4.3 Trying eares are good You will not swallow your meat till you have chewed and tasted it nor should you swallow words till you have tryed them why else have we eares to heare why are we trusted with reason to judge things with or with rules to judge them by There is no greater Tyranny in the World then to command a man to beleeve by an implicit faith as others beleeve or to impose our opinions and assertions upon those that hear them and not to give them liberty to try them This is to be at once as the Apostle James expresseth it Chap. 3.1 many Masters or many Masters where we should not be one But some will say when the Word of God is preached is that to be tryed by men have we a liberty to take that into consideration or to take and refuse it as we are perswaded in our own judgments I answer The word of God is not to be brought to the barre nor to be tryed by man The word of God is our Judge therefore ought not to be judged by us the word of God is perfect and how can we that are imperfect judge that which is perfect The word of God is truth and all men are lyars we are not therefore to judge the word of God nor try that Yet when any man speaks of or from the word of God we are to try what he speakes that is whether what he speaks be according to the word of God and his doctrine or interpretation grounded on the Text. Every one that speakes about spirituall things professeth he brings the word of God and it must be tryed whether he doth so or no. It is a truth to which all are to submit without dispute by beleeving that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners to wash away their sins with his blood This is the word of God yet when this truth is Preached we may consider whether it be mannaged according to the word of God or no. This great doctrine which containes the summe of the Gospel may have such things mingled with it as are not to be received for the word of God Some in the primitive time thought and taught that there was no salvation by Christ unlesse they still kept the ceremoniall Law and were circumcised though they held that fundamentall truth that Christ dyed to save sinners yet when they came to the explication of it they destroyed it by urging a necessity of continuing the ceremoniall Law whereas others judged rightly that faith only without the use of any Jewish ceremony purifieth the heart Therefore a counsell of spirituall and godly wise men was called to consider of this matter Acts 15.6 What to doe not to try the Word of God but to try which of those two different opinions was according to the Word of God Thus when we hear a Sermon though the Word of God and Christ crucified be the generall subject of it and that is not to be tryed but received by faith and obeyed yet what is spoken upon it and delivered about it as the mind of God in the Scripture that is to be tryed 1 Cor. 2.15 He that is spirituall tryeth or judgeth all things And againe 1 Cor. 14.29 the Apostle gives this counsell about prophesying Let one or two speak and let the
to God Gen 18.21 The fall of a poore man makes a report as farre as heaven Among men the fall of Princes and mighty men makes a huge noyse all the world is filled with the fall of a Prince 't is told every where A great Prince is fallen But I tell you the fall of a poore godly man of the meanest of the servants of God makes a greater cry then the fall of the greatest Prince in the world who is not so The fall of a poore man by the oppression of the wicked possibly is not heard a mile from the place where it was done on eatth yet it reacheth up to heaven oppression hath not only a voyce but a very loud voyce To wrong a rich man who can beare the wrong and be a rich man still is a sin which hath a voyce in it but the sin which the Scripture saith hath a cry in it is the oppressing of a poore man There is no liberty given to wrong a rich man and that would be considered Some take a kinde of liberty if he be a rich man that they are to put a reckoning upon they thinke they may doe it somewhat largely and say he is able to beare it But be the man never so rich and able to beare it yet to wrong him is a sin and a sin that God will take notice of to punish And though he can beare the wrong done yet the wrong-doer will hardly be able to beare it when he comes to reckon with God for it Thus I say to wrong the rich offends God but to wrong the poore cryeth to God and as it followeth in the text He heareth the cry of the afflicted Many cryes come up to God which he doth not heare he doth not regard them and 't is possible for a poore man to cry to God and God not heare him in the sence here spoken of Some poore men cry as we say before they are hurt they cry rather out of discontent then want they cry because they have not what they desire not because they have not what they need God will not heare the cry of such though poore but when a poore man is afflicted when a poore man that is humbled as the word here signifies and layd low in his state is low also in spirit and lowly in minde God heareth the cry of such a poore man If a poore man have a proud spirit or is humorous God will not heare him though he cry The word here rendred afflicted signifies not only a man destitute of helpe of strength of friends of assistance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inopes id est destituti ope nec valentes resistere sed malum potius tolerantes et subjicientes se dei Coc such is the reach and strength of that word but he is one of a submitting patient spirit or it noteth a man not only first unable to resist his oppressor but secondly unwilling at least not forward to make resistance but sitting downe by the losse quietly or possessing his soule in patience when he hath lost all that he possessed by oppression The Lord hears the cry of this afflicted man he will not reject his cry nor stop his ears against it And when Elihu saith He heareth the cry of the afflicted his meaning is he yeilds or grants him the thing he cryes for Hence note First God graciously heares the cry of humble oppressed ones Whosoever cry to him upon just cause being indeed opprest though they are not godly yet God will take notice of their cry for he will right the oppressed as oppressed and therefore the Jewes had those cautions Exod 22.23 Deut 24.15 not to wrong any servant or stranger let him be who or whence he would lest he cry to me saith God and it be sin to thee But when any are not only opprest and suffer wrong but are also godly of humble and lowly spirits they are heard much more when it is not only a cry of nature but a cry of grace not only a complaining cry but a praying cry God will certainly hear Luke 18.12 Shall not God avenge his own elect that cry to him day and night when it is not only a complaining cry that they are under oppression but a believing cry to be or that they shall be delivered from oppression when it is a holy cry the cry of the elect God cannot but hear their cry He heareth other cryes he heareth the cry of the Ravens when they call upon him and provides for them much more will he hear the cry of Saints the cry of believers the cry of the humbled and humble Secondly as hearing notes granting Observe The cry of the oppressed brings vengeance upon oppressors Read Psal 12.6 Eccles 10.26 Isa 33.1 Jer. 22.16 All these Scriptures teach this truth that the cry of the oppressed brings vengeance on oppressors Let the mighty remember 'T is dangerous medling with Gods poor 't is dangerous medling with any poor but most dangerous medling with Gods poor Some will say there is such a great man it is dangerous medling with him and they are afraid to wrong him they dare not do it if ever say they he should come to know it he may break our backs sit on our skirts and crush us with his power but if they can get an underling a man below them they presume there is no great danger in oppressing him what can he do if he bark he cannot bite if he hath a tongue he hath no teeth we can deal with him well enough Thus I say men think it dangerous to wrong great men but conclude they may do what they please with the poor and those that are underlings but we should more fear to wrong a poor man then to wrong a rich man though we ought not to do either yet I say we should more fear to wrong the poor then the rich because the poor are under the special protection of the great God they are under more promises of protection then the great men of the world are Therefore Solomon gives that serious caution Prov. 23.10 11. Enter not into the Vineyard of the fatherless do not oppress the poor fatherless for his avenger is mighty and God will plead his cause for him You think you may do any thing with the poor and fatherless O saith wise Solomon take heed do not invade the heritage of the fatherless we are not to take the fatherless there in a strict sence for those whose parents are dead but any that are poor and low are fatherless as the Prophet calls them Hos 14.3 In thee the fatherless findeth mercy beware saith he how you deal with the fatherless for his Redeemer is mighty though he hath no might yet he hath a mighty Redeemer and he will plead his cause for him Possibly the poor man cannot plead with thee he cannot try it out with thee in Law he cannot see an Advocate but God can and will be his
to flow in upon us Christ said to the sick man Matth. 9.2 Be of good cheer thy sins are forgiven thee Fourthly It is a precious mercy because it stops and keeps off all evils and judgements strictly so called I forgive I will not destroy Our comforts cannot stand before the guilt of sin and our troubles cannot stand long before the pardon of sin Isa 33.24 The highest wtath of God appears in this when he will not pardon and it argues the greatest displeasure of man against man when he prayeth that he may not be pardoned That was a most dreadful prayer of the Prophet Isa 2.9 The mean man is bowed down and the mighty man humbles himself therefore forgive them not here was a prayer that they might not be forgiven and the ground why he prayed so seems to be as strange as the matter of it was dreadful Is it a sin to be excepted from pardon to see a mean man bow down and a mighty man humble himself The meaning is they bowed themselves not to God but to idols all bowing and humbling our selves either to worship an idol or in idol worship is rebelling against God We have a like prayer Jer. 18.23 the Prophet having spoken of the plots and devisings of the people against him turns himself thus to God Thou knowest all their counsel to slay me forgive not their iniquity neither blot their sin from thy sight Nothing can be wisht worse to any man then this that his sin may never be pardoned And here it may be questioned how the Prophet could make such a prayer which seems to have the height of all uncharitableness in it I answer first The Prophet was led by an extraordinary Spirit to do this Secondly We are not to conceive that the Prophet prayed for their eternal condemnation but that God would call them to a reckoning and make them feel the evil of their own doings There is a sin unto death for the pardon of which we are not to pray 1 John 5.16 yet there is no sin about which we are to pray that it may never be pardoned The worst prayer that can be made against any man is that he may not be pardoned and there is nothing better to be prayed for then pardon It shewed the height of Christs love when hanging on the Cross he prayed thus for his enemies Luke 23.34 Father forgive them they know not what they do And the Protomartyr Stephen breathed out a like spirit of charity while he was breathing out his life in a shower of stones powred upon him from more stony hearts Acts 7.60 with this prayer Lord lay not this sin to their charge Thus I have finished this 31th verse both according to our own Translation and that other insisted upon by many of the learned only from the connexion of this verse with the next according to the latter reading To God who saith I pardon I will not destroy it should be said that which I see not teach thou me if I have done iniquity I will do no more Observe The very consideration that God is ready to pardon sin should make us resolved against the committing of sin The sin-pardoning mercy of God is one of the highest and most spiritual arguments by which the soul is kept from sin There is forgiveness with thee saith David Psal 130.4 that thou mayst be feared that is because thou art so merciful as to forgive sinners therefore they ought to fear thee in doing what thy will is and in avoiding whatsoever is contrary to thy will 'T is prophesied that frame of spirit shall dwell upon the people of God in the latter dayes Hos 3.5 They shall fear the Lord and his goodness that is Si scirem homines ignoraturos Deos ignoscituros tamen non facerem Sen◠they shall fear to offend the Lord because he is so good and ready to pardon It was said by a Heathen and it may shame many who profess themselves Christians that a heathen said so if I did know that men should never know the evil which I do and that the gods so he speaks in their language would pardon and forgive the evil which I do yet I would not do it Surely the spirit of a true believer must needs rise thus high and higher upon the clear grounds of Gospel grace and discoveries of the free love of God Cannot a true believer say though I know that God will pardon my sin though he hath declared that my sin is pardoned and though I could be assured that men should never know of this sin if I commit it yet I will not do it To God who saith I pardon it should be said I will sin no more I shall now proceed to the 32d verse which stands fair to either reading Vers 32. That which I see not teach thou me if I have done iniquity I will do no more Some carry the general sence of these words as if spoken by God himself to Job and spoken by an irony or in scorn as if he had thus bespoken him If I have afflicted thee beyond thy desert or have overthrown thy judgement that Job had more then once complained of Si quid me fugit in te affligendo vel si quid errarem tu me doceas Si te venando perperam egi vel injustè me habui non ultra id fecero 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Merc. if I have not kept to the true rules of reason and righteousness in chastening thee if in my dealings with thee I have done amiss or have not done thee right Shew me wherein O Job and I will afflict thee so no more I shall not stay upon this but take the words according to our Translation as the whole verse intends a further description of a person deeply humbled under and sensible of the hand the chastening the afflicting hand of God who having said with respect to all known sins in the former verse I will offend no more saith here in this verse concerning all unknown sins That which I see not teach thou me and if I have done iniquity I will do no more That which I see not There is a two-sold sight First Corporal the sight of the bodily eye Secondly Intellectual the sight of the eye of the minde or of the understanding when Elihu represents the penitent afflicted person speaking thus What I see not c. he intends not a corporal sight but an intellectual Seeing is here as often elsewhere in Scripture put for knowing the understanding is the eye of the soul How blinde and dark are those men who have no understanding in the things of God! Eph. 4.18 When Christ had sayd For judgement am I come into the world that they which see not might see and that they which see might be made blinde some of the Pharisees said unto him John 9.41 are we blinde also have we no eyes Jesus said unto them If ye were blinde ye should have
Sickness brings downe the strongest men 342. Severall ends for which God sends sickness 343 344. In sickness all creature-comforts are vaine and tastless to us 347. Sickness brings great decay upon the body 351 352. Sickness in what sense called a spending time 356. Sickness makes a wonderfull change in man 358. Sickneâ—s neere the grave three inferences from it 361 362. Other cautions from the nature of sickness 367 368. Sight twofold 816 Silence or holding our peace Vid peace Sincere persons doe not affect to be seene 770 Sin to say we have no sin how extreamly sinfull it is shewed in foure things 202 203. That shewed further 515. Sin three things in it 31. How man is sinned against God only sinned against properly 167. All sin reducible to three heads 198. Sin a defection from God 198. Sin is a defilement 199. Sin a hurtfull thing three wayes 201. Every step in sin is a step to misery 331. What sin is 448 450. Sin pretends to bring in profit to the sinner 454. No good can be gotten by sin 455. Sin is exceeding dangerous and destructive 455. Sinners shall confesse at last there is no profit in sin 456. The heart strongly set to sin 472 473. The more easily any man sinneth the greater is his sin 537. Sins of others how they may become ours 562 Sin unpardoned a great burden yet by some unfelt 809. We have many unknowne sins 818. A godly man desires God would shew him his sins 824. A godly man may live free from grosse sins 826. Sin considered three wayes 827. A godly man may commit sin after sin but he doth not adde sin to sin 828. The addition of sin to sin a great and most dangerous sio 830. To sin rebelliously what 856. When a sin may be called rebellion shewed in foure things 857 858. 'T is the burden of a godly man to sin and 't is his care not to sin 858 859 Sinners would but cannot hide themselves either from the eye or revenging hand of God 669 670. Sinners would hide themselves upon a twofold account 670. Foure things upon which sinners thinke themselves hid from God 672 673 Sirnames or titles of two sorts 126 Sleepe what it is 280. Three words in the Hebrew signifying sleepe 284 Soveraignty of God shewed 255 839 Man is never displeased with what God doth till he forgets what himselfe is 840. Soveraignty of God in afflicting the most innocent person 515. The Soveraignty of God shewed in five things 580. Three inferences from it 581. God hath an absolute power to pull downe and set up whom he pleaseth 683 Soule of man why called the breath of the Almighty 169. The soule floweth immediately from God 169 170 594. Three inferences from it 170. Soule put for the whole man 359 Speaker he that speaketh is at the mercy of his hearers 530 Speaking twofold 46. 'T is very painfull not to speake in some cases 114 He that speaketh his mind easeth his mind 116. The right end of speaking 116. To neglect speaking where duty calls very dangerous 117 A fourfold consideration is to be had of what we speake 149. We should first try and tast what we are about to speake 152. Three sorts who speake amisse doctrinally 156 157 How or when God is sayd to speake 264. Severall wayes of Gods speaking to man 265 Speech they who have most ability are usually most sparing of speech 45 Spirit often taken for the soule of man 51. Spirit of God free not tyed to age nor to any order of men 66 67 Spirit an imposing Spirit how bad 193. Spirit of God mightily over-powers some men both to doe and speake 114. Why our making is attributed to the Spirit 162. The Spirit of God is God 165. Eight reasons from Scripture proving that the holy Ghost is God 165 166 167 168. The Spirit supplyes the absence of Christ in the Church 685 Spirituall things are not understood by a naturall or unregenerate man 275 Two reasons of it 276. They that are spirituall doe not alwayes perceive spirituall things 277. Three grounds of it 277 278 Striving fourefold described 243. Man is apt to strive with God 248. Foure wayes shewed in which man striveth with God 249. Striving with God very uncomely and sinfull 250. Striving with God a presumptuous sin 251. Striving with God an irrationall thing 252. Striving with God of two sorts 255 256. Seven considerations why we should not strive with God 258. Seven preservatives against striving with God 259 260 Three things to be striven with 261 Submission with silence to the will of God alwayes a duty 479 Sufferings we may not will our sufferings though we must suffer willingly 793 Suspition a godly man suspects himselfe that he is worse and hath done worse then he knows by himselfe 825 Sword put for all violent calamities 330 T Talent not to be hid 72 108 Teachers should be leaders 489 Teaching of God twofold 821. God only can teach effectually 821. We should pray and wait for the teachings of God 823 Teachableness or a willingness to learn shewes an humble and gracious spirit 823 Threatnings it is good to thinke of them 139 Tongue he hath a great command over his spirit that can command his tongue 208. Tongue an unruly member 547 Troubles both nationall and personall at the command of God 644 Troubles overtake many when they least expect 645 Truth must be held and held to in all cases 121. Cleare truth should be spoken 158. We should speake truth clearely 159. Truth to be maintained with all our might 179. A good man seeks not victory but truth 487. We should grow up into highest confidences about the truth 569. Why some truths are and ought to be often repeated 571 572 Tryall word preached to be tryed before it be received 502. Tryall of two sorts 850. A person tryed may be trusted 851. Tryall by affliction 852 Turning back from God how sinners doe so 700. Three sorts of them who turne back from God 700 701 How some good men and how all unregenerate men turne back from God 701. The whole life of a person unregenerate is a turning from God 703 Twice considered three wayes 270 Twice thrice what it implyeth 464 V Vanity of all earthly greatness 685 Vision of God in this life what it is 432 Visitation or visiting a threefold sense or use of it 575 Unbeliefe a striving with God 249 Unbeliefe is the roote of Apostacy 704 Understanding of man taken two wayes 52. God can furnish the weakest man with much wisdome and understanding 61. In what sense every man hath not an understanding 602 604. Three attributes of the understanding 603. Only a spirituall understanding can receive spirituall things 604 605. What we heare we should labour to understand 605 Unity among the Saints the great argument moving to it 175 Vocation an act of absolute free grace 397 Uprightness of heart in speaking standing in a threefold opposition 153 Uprightness