idle away the day and sport and play and sing away the night As good men have holy songs in the night Isa 30.29 Ye shall have a song as in the night when a holy Solemnity is kept c. So the wicked have their wanton vaine revelling songs in the night when their sensual Solemnities are kept Belshazer was drinking in the night and doubtless he had his musick songs that night And as he had his songs mirth and musick in the night so he said not Where is God my maker who giveth me songs in the night he instead of minding God his maker in his mirth minded only the gods which himself had made as the text speaks Dan. 5.4 They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and of silver c. And thus 't is in proportion with all the wicked to whom God gives songs in the night they say not Where is God my maker This interpretation which carrieth the songs to the oppressors before spoken of contains a truth yet I shall not stay upon it but take the words as referring to the oppressed Here it may be queried how doth God give them songs in the night I shall not insist upon those conjectures which some have made about this giving songs in the night As First implying God so gracious that he giveth us not only in the day but in the night occasion of joy in sorrow namely the view and contemplation of the Heavens and Starrs which are very pleasant and refreshing Psal 19.1 Others Secondly conjecture that God may be said to give the sorrowful and oppressed ones songs in the night by the singing of birds in the night of that bird especially which hath its name from singing in the night the Nightingal Some insist much upon these interpretations It is I grant a great mercy of God that when the Sun is down we have Moon-light and Star-light and that in the night we have the innocent harmless birds to sing and make us pleasant melody But leaving these we may take the words in a double notion First Properly Secondly Metaphorically Properly and so to give songs in the night as the night is taken for night time imports the goodness of God to man not only in the day time but in the night Hence Note God in the night season as well as in the day gives his people matter of joy night-Night-mercies deserve and call for day-praises especially two sorts of night-night-mercies First Night preservations Psal 3.6 I laid me down and slept for thou Lord makest me to dwell in safety The night is subjâ—ct to many dangers Qui distribuit nocturnas custodias Sept The Septuagint render fully to this sense Who giveth watch or preservation in the night that 's matter of praise and thanksgiving to God Secondly he gives us cause of praise and singing not only for preserving our lives while we sleep in the night but for refreshing us with sleep in the night Psal 127.2 So he giveth his beloved sleep The Lord gives us not only safety but sleep Sweet sleep is a great mercy Eccl. 5.12 The sleep of a labouring man is sweet whether he eat little or mucâ— and they who sleep sweetly get refreshing and renewings of strength after all their foâ—mer labours for new labours So thaâ— if we take night properly for the night time there is much occasion of rejoycing given by God to mankind in general and more peculiarly to his faithfull servants in reference to those common mercies of bodily safety and the return of natural strength and spirits Secondly Take night properly and then this assertion He giveth songs in the night may have this meaning The Lord gives his people a praising frame of heart in the night season Etâ—am cum nulla ad eum laudandum documenta circumfulgent intus Spiritu excitat ad laudes Jun When they are wrapped up and compassed about with outward darkness when they are solitary and alone when no worldly object holds out any occasion of comfort to them yet then the Lord lets in a light or shines into their sâ—uls by his good Spirit The Lord may well be said to give songs even in the night when by the immediate work of his Spirit he filleth our spirits with joyes unspeakable and glorious These aâ—e the most ravishing songs of the night Hence Note God by his good Spirit doth often suggest sweet meditations and comfortable thoughts to his people in the night In the night the Lord minds his servants either of such mercies as they have already received or of such as according to his promise he is ready to or will surely bestow that so they may be busied in that heavenly work of praising him and rejoycing in him when they awake or cannot sleep This was Davids experience Psal 17.3 Thou hast visited me in the night Men use to visit us in the day when we are up or awake But saith David God gives me visits in the night when I am in bed he gives me many a song or makes me to rejoyce When we are in our retirements or freest from the hurry of worldly businesses and enjoyments then we are in the fittest posture for the entertainment and enjoyment of God The Lord visits his servants in the night not only as David there to try them or as elsewhere to instruct them but to comâ—oâ—t them as David was assured Psal 42.8 The Lord will command his loving kindness in the day time and in the night his song shall be with me That is a song concerning him I will sing and rejoyce even in the night time because of the goodness and kindnâ—ss of God to me in the day The experience of Asaph or of David communicated in that Psalm to Asaph gives further proof of this Psal 77.6 where having said v. 1. I cryed unto God with my voyce and he gave eare unto me he adds v. 6. I call to remembrance my song in the night that is those occasions of joy and singing which God hath heretofore given me These songs were sweeter to me than sleep As it sheweth an excellent frame of spirit to remember the Commandments of God in the night which David also professed as his practise Psal 119.55 I have remembred thy Name O Lord in the night and have kept thy Law The name of God is any manifestation of God either in his word or works And again Psal 119.62 At midnight I will rise to give thanks to thee because of thy righteous judgements Some watch in the night to give thanks Psal 134.1 others give thanks when they wake at any time in the night both are acts of purest love to God and proceed from purest consolation in God Cant. 3.1 By night on my bed I sought him The Spouse doth not say only by night I sought him but by night on my bed I spend not the night in sleeping but in seeking him whom my soul loveth Psal 16.7 My reines instruct me in the night
be feared because he is so gracious and full of compassion even while he doth afflict There is mercy with God not to afflict that 's sparing mercy and therefore he is to be feared there is mercy also with God in moderating our afflictions that 's sparing mercy too and therefore he is to be feared The graciousness of God manifested somtimes in sparing to afflict us and often in afflicting us sparingly should move us to fear him both greatly and alwayes and if sparing mercy should move us to fear him then much more should forgiving and pardoning mercy When the Lord Exod. 34.6 7. Passed by before Moses and proclaimed The Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin c. At this proclamation of grace Moses vers 8. made haste and bowed his head towards the earth and worshipped How graceless then are they who when they hear that God is gracious merciful and abundant in goodness fear him not but grow wanton and abuse his kindness Now they who fear God upon the due consideration either of his power or goodness find their hearts First Much enlarged in the service of God or in doing the work and walking in the wayes of God Isa 60.5 Secondly This fear keeps their hearts to a close communion with God Jer. 32.32 I will put my fear in their heart and they shall not depart from me We usually not only depart but run from those whom we fear but the true fear of God Covenant-fear makes us cling about and keep close to him Thirdly This fear keeps up good thoughts and high estimations of God in the worst times or when he is pleased to bring the greatest troubles upon us An Israelite indeed who feareth the Lord and his goodness Hos 3.5 will say let God do what he will with him Truly God is good to Israel Psal 73.1 Let us consider whether we have these effects of a gracious fear working in our hearts upon the remembâ—ance both of the power and mercy of God Men do therefore fear him He respecteth not any that are wise in heart These words as was touched before press the former duty of fearing God inferred from the greatness and excellency of his power judgment jâ—stice and mercy yet further upon us As if he â—ad said Men do therefore fear him Why Because He respecteth not any that are wise in heart that is in general he respects none who are so wise or wise in such a way as not to fear him upon those fore-mentioned grounds He respecteth not The word is seeth not There is an elegant paranomisie in this verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Videre 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—imerâ— the words which signifie to fear and to respect or see being very near in sound God doth not see them with respect who do not see him with fear He seeth not any that are wise in heart It cannot be meant of the ordinary sight of the eye that he seeth not the wise in heart God seeth clearly who they are Nor can it be meant of the common apprehension of the mind that he knoweth not the wise in heart God understands fully what they are It must be meant then of a seeing with liking or special approbation God seeth not the wise in heaâ—t so as to like or app ove them Our translation is full and clear to that fence He respecteth â—ot oâ— he regardeth not any that are wise in heart that is he takes no notice of them they are not pleasing to him Or thus He respecteth not any that are wise in heart that is as they fear not him so he is not afraid of them He respecteth not any that are Wise in heart Oâ— wâ—se of heart But some may say Doth not God respect nor regard doth noâ— he take notice of those that are wise of heart Whom then doth he respect or regard of whom will he take notice if not of the wise in heart Hath the Lord any respect for fooles for ignorant men for ideots for sotts Surely men that are wise in heart are not only very amiable but honourable in the eyes of God Why then is it said He respecteth not any that are wise in heart I answer The wise in heart are of two sorts First there are some wise in heart who are so only in their own opinion in their own conceits or eyes they have great thoughts of their own wisdom and therefore as they are apt to despise men so they are far from the fear of God There is a wisdom in some men opposed to the fear of God whereas true wisdome in any man is the beginning of that fear as that fear is called the beginning of wisdom Psal 111.10 Qui sibi videntur esse sapientes Vulg. The vulgar Latine varie h the formeâ— part of the verse yet renders this latter part by way of glosâ— rather than translation They that seem to themselves to be wise and indeed the wise in heart whom God respecteth not are the proudly wise the selfishly wise such as are wise only in themselves and to themselves such as have only that wisdom which the Apostle calleth the wisdom of the flesh or the carnal mind Rom. 8.7 which is not subject to the Law of God nor indeed till mortified can be He that is carnally wise disputes the commands of God and takes the boldness to censure his works such wise men God respecteth not yea they are under his greatest disrespect Secondly Others are truly wise graciously wise wise for their souls wise for heaven wise for happiness submitting their wisdom to the will of God and doing his will They that are thus wise in heart the Lord respects and highly respects how can he do otherwise seeing this is the character of God himself Job 9.4 He is wise in heart and mighty in strength And as God is wise in heart so according to their line and measure they that are godly are wise in heart too Therefore taking our translation the wise in heart intended by Elihu must needs be those that are only carnally wise politickly wise naâ—urally wise that is wickedly wise or at best vainly or vain-gloriously wise Further should we take the wise in heart for those that are truly wise graciâ—usly wise yet it must be acknoâ—ledged that even â—hey may so mis-behave themselves as to miss present respect from God And doubtless Elihu observing that Job had spoken somewhat highly of himself and did not carry it humbly enough under the hand of God though his spirit was broken and brought down at last checks him here by telling him God respecteth not any that are wise in heart no not him in that case and frame of spirit as lifted up in his own wisdom Yea Taking wise in heart in this best sence for the graciously wise it is not for their wisdom and holiness that God respecteth or favoureth them As he will
quandoquidem igitur illa non extat invasit ira ejus qua odit et amolitur peccat m etiam in iis ques diligit et salvâ—s vult maxime Coc. He hath visited in his anger or strictly his anger hath visited That is God hath heavily afflicted thee God is far from all passion and perturbation of mind only he is said to be angry or to visit in his anger when he doth that which anger produceth among men when he casts down and punisheth when he lays his hand sorely upon the Creature then he is said to be angry then His anger hath visited The word notes quick breathing in the Nostrils anger appears or vents it self there as it is said of Paul when Saul Acts 9.1 And Saul yet breathing out threatnings and slaughter against the Disciples of the Lord went unto the High Priest You might see anger as it were foam yea flame out of his mouth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ira ejus visitavit and evaporate at his nostrils Thus saith Elihu Because it is not so his anger Hath visited To visit is properly to go to and see any person whom we respect and love thus we visit friends in civility and courtesie Secondly To visit is an act of pity and mercy and thus we visit the sick the widdow and the fatherlesse James 1.27 Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is to visit the fatherlesse and widows in their affliction that is to go to them in pity either for the supply of their wants by our purse or for the comforting of their hearts by our counsel Thirdly We visit in care as well as in kindnesse that is when we go to our Families or Flocks or places of charge wheresoever they are and see that or whether all things are well and right with them or well and rightly done towards them according to the rules that such persons under our charge ought to act and live by Thus in Colledges and Hospitals there is a visitation of care to make enquiry of persons in trust about persons and things under their trust To the Point in hand there is a twofold visitation of God First He visits in love and mercy Ruth 1.6 Then she that is Naomi arose with her Daughter in Law that she might return from the Countrey of Moab for she had heard in the Countrey of Moab how that the Lord had visited his people in giving them bread That is God had shewed them kindnesse and mercy in relieving them from that devouring famine Again Gen. 21.6 And the Lord visited Sarah as he had said that is he gave her the promised mercy of a Son Once more Luke 1.68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his People and that 's a blessed visitation indeed which brings redemption Thus the Scripture often speaks of Gods visitation in mercy Secondly There is a visitation of God in anger wrath and judgement The Law saith Exod. 20.4 5. Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven Image c. Thou shalt not bow down thy self to them nor serve them for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God visiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children unto the third and fourth Generation of them that hate me That is punishing the iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children these Children continuing in their Fathers ways to do sinfully such Children as take up the evil examples or tread in the bad steps of their fore-Fathers shall suffer for it The Prophet at once upbraided the impudent Jews and threatned them in this Language Jer. 6.15 Were they ashamed when they had committed abominations nay they were not ashamed neither could they blush therefore they shall fall among them that fall at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down saith the Lord. Again Isa 26.14 Therefore hast thou visiâ—ed and destroyed them There is a visitation for destruction that 's a sad visitation In this sense we read of a time of visitation Jer. 8.12 Jer. 10.15 We read of days of visitation Hosea 9.7 The dayes of visitation are come the dayes of recompence are come We read also of a year of visitation Jer. 23.12 For I will bring evil upon them even the year of their visitation saith the Lord. As also Chap. 11.23 I will bring evil upon the men of Anathoth even the year of their visitation This is the visitation here spoken of it is a time a day a year of sore visitation with thee O Job Because it is not so he hath visited in his anger Hence Note First God expects the work of Faith and Patience when his afflicting hand is upon us Faith hath much work to do at all times but most in times of affliction There is also a use of two sorts of patience in our best dayes the patience of labouring in Gods work and the patience of waiting for the reward of our work after all our labours But in sad dayes the Lord expects we should exercise both patience in suffering and in waiting for deliverance out of all our sufferings then 't is that both Faith and Patience trusting and waiting must have their perfect work Secondly Note When the Lord doth not find or see as he expects the work of Faith and Patience in a time of affliction he will afflict more and more until he finds or works it This is it which Elihu saith in the Text Because it is not so he hath visited in his anger Job was sorely afflicted before but now he is visited in anger because he did not manifest such trust in God as he expected in that condition As when the wicked repent not of their sins under the punishing hand of God he will punish them more and more even seven times more for their sins Levit. 26.41 So when good men act not their Graces believe not trust not under the afflicting hand of God he usually afflicts them more and more gives them soarer stripes and layeth yet heavier burdens on them When God misseth what he lock'd for we may quickly feel what we looked not for Mr. Braughtons Translation speaks the Point fully But now for missing his anger doth visit Man seldome misseth tâ—ouble from God when God misseth duty from man and 't is a me cy that he doth not 't is mans mercy when God minds him of his deficiencies in duty though by a smart visiting rod. Thus the Lord spake of Davids Seed and 't is to be understood of all the Seed of Christ whom David typed Psal 89. If his children forsake my Law v. 30 31. Then vers 32. will I visit their transgressions with the Rod c. How true this charge of Elihu was as to Jobs omission of duty I shall not stay to enquire only this we know Job had professed trust in God yet because it was mingled with so much complaint with so many unbelieving expostulations Elihu might say the Lord missed the patience trust and confidence
affliction and trouble that thou carest not what thou chusest Mr. Broughton thus Beware thou look not to sorrow to choose that for thy affliction The summe of all is as if Elihu had thus bespoken Job in this part of the verse O Job whereas God requires of thee to give him glory in the humble submission of thy soul unto him and sitting patiently under his mighty hand thou hast behaved thy self quite otherwise thou hast carried it stoutly and uttered very bitter complainings of thy condition thou hast not given God the glory of his soveraignty of his holiness justice purity and goodness in thy afflâ—ction thou hast not set thy self to do this as thou shouldest but thou hast run out exceedingly and overshot thy self So that I may even say of thee thou hast chose this iniquity rather than submitted to thy affliction Elihu speakes reprovingly this thou hast chosen Is this a good choice Hence note First Sin or that which is sinful ought not to be chosen whatsoever we choose As Solomon counseleth in the book of Proverbs with all thy gettings get understanding he meanes spiritual understanding as if he had said What ever thou are getting be sure thou get wisdom for thy soul wisdom to salvation wisdom for eternity in all thy gettings get understanding So I may lay in this place among all your choosings be sure you never choose sin that 's not to be chosen leave that out or pass that by in all your elections This is a point of very large compass it suits not my work here to insist much upon it yet I shall take leave a little What ever you châ—ose choose not sin Why First Sin is evil in it self and that which is malum in se evil in it self or evil it self is not the object of choice no man is to choose evil nor properly can choose it Secondly Choose not sin for sin is an evil forbidden the Law is against it and the Gospel too Thirdly Choose not sin for sin is a dishonour to God and we should rather choose to die than dishonour â—od Fourthly Choose not sin for it brings destruction upon man Sin strictly and abstractly considered cannot properly be chosen A rational creature cannot choose sin properly because sin is evil and election being the office of the Will whose adaequate objâ—ct is good sin strictly taken cannot be chosen But sin is often chosen and 't is the choice of most men they choose iniquity rather than affliction iniquity is the choice and the beloved of many a mans soul But how It is under the pretence of something that is good no man can choose it as 't is evil For though some love sin and choose sin for sins sake such come up highest and nearest to the frame of the devil as they that do good for goods sake come nearest to the holy Angels yet I say sin is alwayes chosen under some consideration or shadow of good and if any man choose to sin without respect to profit or gaine yet he hath some good in his eye namely to please himself he would have his will and will not let God have his will and this is good to him who is starke naught But usually sin is chosen upon one of these three accounts First sin is very often chosen by a mistake for that which is good They who as the Apostle speaks Heb. 5.12 are uâ—skilful in the word of righteousness they who have not sences exercised to discern between good and evil are very apt to choose evil in stead of good that is thinking it to be good Thus error in opinion is chosen upon a mistake for truth and iniquity in practise is chosen upon a mistake for duty Of such the Prophet speakes Isa 5.20 They call evil good and good evil they put darkness for light and light for darkness which as some do knowingly out of perverseness of spirit so others ignorantly out of unsoundness of judgement imagining that to be good which is evil and that to be light which is nothing else but darkness that to be sound doctrine which is erâ—our and that holy worship which is superstition So did Paul before he was converted he chose iniquity and thought he had done very well I thought saith he I ought to do many things against the name of Jesus Christ Acts 26. I thought it my duty I verily thought I ought to persecute and vex those who beleeved in Jesus where-ever I found them And Jesus Christ himself forewarns his Disciples John 16.2 that the time was coming that whosoever killed them would think they did God service Thus many do not understand what is right and so choose what is wrong Secondly Others choose that which is evil hoping that some good will come of it that God may have some glory by it and men themselves and others may have some advantage by it This reproach was cast upon the Apostles and their doctrine which St. Paul rejected with highest disdain Rom. 3.8 Not as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say let us do evil that good may come thereof whose damnation is just The glory of the free grace of God will be manifested in the pardoning of our sin come therefore say some let us sin our fill that so the immeasurableness of the Lords goodness and mercy may appear Woe to those who make such inferences their damnation is just To do evil upon any hopes of good by it though it be the glory of God subjects to the worst evil of suffering damnation Others choose sin Why They look some good will come by it that is some profit If we strain our consciences to do this we may get or keep favour with men if we do this evil it may gain us acceptance in the world Many choose evil because in doing so they swim with the stream and comply with the many or as the Apostle speakes with the course of this world these choose evil because they would be in the fashion of the most they consider which way the world is like to go and set themselves to go that way Thirdly Others do evil hoping to avoid and escape danger by it they choose the evil of sin that they may escape the evil of punishment As many sin for a little advantage so others to avoid loss and that they may sleep in a whole skin Some will deny what they have done to save themselves No body can prove it against us we will deny it and so avoid trouble and keep out of the reach of danger Yea for this cause many deny the truth and renounce the wayes of God in which they have walked Demas forsook Paul he left the Church of God that he might keep in with and close to the world Upon these pretences and hopes many choose evil not meerly and barely in it self but as it comes thus clothed As some choose it through ignorance so others upon hopes of getting good and not a few upon
God We owe the full submission of our wills to the Will of God in a twofold respect First to whatsoever he willeth us to do or to his commanding will Secondly to whatsoever he will do with us or to his disp sing Will. In these and in all things let us strive to gâ—eaâ—en all the acting of our souls towards God because he is great Secondly If God be great then we may infer for consolation First Be not discouraged in prayer when you have great things to ask when your wants are great and your necessities urgent when you must have great supplies when small matters will not serve your turn In many caâ—es it is not a little help it is not a small matter which will do the thing which we sue unto God for now here is a mighty ground of comfort for us if we want great things we have a great God to go unto and how great soever our wants are they are all but small to the greatness of that God unto whom we go Ephes 3.20 He is able to do exceeding abundantly above what we ask or think and not only above what we actually ask and think but indeed beyond what possibly we can ask or think above what we are able to ask or think Therefore let us never be discouraged in prayer because of the greatness of the things that we have to ask of God Secondly Be not discouraged though as your wants so your dangers and your troubles are great How great soever the danger is you would be delivered from God is greater to whom you come for deliverance And therefore when a great Mountain stood in the way of the deliverance of the people of God Zech. 4.7 the Prophet speaks in his language Who art thou O great Mountain thou shalt become a Plain before Zerubbabel that is before the power of that God in whom Zerubbabel trusts and whose work Zerubbabel carries on Hence that holy confidence Psal 66.3 Through the greatness of thy power thine enemies shall submit themselves to thee or they shall yeild feigned obedience as we put in the margin which some render thus through the greatness of thy power thine enemies shall be found liars All the readiâ—gs magnifie the g eatness of God Through the g eâ—tness of thy power thine enemies the enemies of thy people shall â—ubmit they shall be found liars tâ—ey shall yeild feigned obedience they shall not be able with all their greatness to stand iâ— out against the great God Therefore be not discouraged at any time at the greatness of danger Though you walk through the very valley of the shadow of death that 's to be in the greatest danger yet as David did not so do not you fear no not that great danger while the great God is with you Thirdly Be not d scouraged though your sins are great when you come to aâ—k the pardon of them As the greatness of sin puts a very great damp upon the spirit of man in asking pardon so the greatness of God should take off that damp My thoughts are not your thoughts saith the Lord Isa 55.7 8 9. in this matter There is nothing wherein God doth more exceed man than in pardoning sin Mic. 7.18 If sin be great the mercy of God is great too infinitely greater than the sin of man if sin be great remember we have a great high Priest Heb. 4.14 not only a Priest but a high Priest and a great high Priest therefore fear not to ask the pardon even of the greatest sin in his name and for his sake And this is true it we respect either national or personall sins it may encourage us in asking pardon for nations how great soever their sins are Moses when the People had greatly sinned against God had recourse to this Numb 14.18 19. The Lord is of great mercy pardon I beseech thee the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of thy mercy as thou hast forgiven this people from Egypt even until now Do thus also with respect to personal sins David made the greatness of his personal sin an argument to go to God for mercy Psal 25.11 Pardon my sin O Lord for it is great He was so far from being disheartened by the greatness of his sin to aâ—k the pardon of it that according to our reading he had great hope of pardon as well as sâ—w he had great need of pardon and all because he knew God was great in mercy Or if we read that text thus Pardon my sin O Lord though it be great the sense is much the same for as the former makes the greatness of his sin a reason provoking him to hasten unto God for pardon as great diseases hasten us in seeking remedies so the latter shews that the greatness of sin is no stop to the mercy and free grace of God in Christ for the pardon of it Christ in that Parable Mat. 18.24 gives instance of the greatest debt he tells us of one that owed his Lord ten thousand talents a vast sum a very vast sum a talent being according to the lowest computation three hundred pounds of money ten thousand times three hundred pounds is a huge sum so that here was a great debt now saith the text When the debtor had nothing to pay he came to his Lord or Creditor and he forgave him all He did not say wouldest thou have me or can I forgive such a debt as this What ten thousand talents He forgave it as if it had been a debt of two mites Thus and many other wayes we may improve this first Attribute of God mentioned in the text his greatness both as to our direction in duty and consolatition in every extreamity Behold God is great And we know him not That 's the second thing The words are plain but the tense is difficult for it may be objected Do not we know God Elihu said but just now in the very verse before the text Magnifie his works which men behold every man may see it man may behold it afar off Surely if the works of God may be known and seen by every one God himself may be known for he is known in his works as the Apostle argues Rom. 1.20 The things which he hath made make him known how is this then said That God is great and we know him not Doth not the Prophet in denouncing that dreadful curse Jer. 10.25 Poure out thy wrath upon the heaâ—hen that know thee not thereby intimate that all the people of God know him Doth not Christ tell us John 17.3 This is eternal life to know thee the onely true God They who have eternal life must have the knowledge of the true God But all true believers have eternal life already in hope and shall have it shortly in hand therefore they know God The Promise of the New Covenant is Heb. 11. They shall all know me from the least to the greatest that is all my Covenant-people shall know me How
Lord hath not called thy name Pashur but Magor Missabib that is fear round about I will make thee a terror to thy self thy own Conscience shall be terrible to thee A man had better fall into the hands of the most cruel Tyrants in the World than into the hands of his own Conscience But when a man is a terrour to himself then to have the Lord a terrour to him likewise to have God appearing in terrible Majesty how dreadful is it The awakened Conscience of a sinner carrieth in it as a thousand witnesses so a thousand terrours and God in his anger is more terrible than a thousand consciences Secondly God is terrible to sinners in the day of outward trouble when as David speaks Psal 65.5 By terrible things in righteousness he answereth the prayers of his People When God is doing terrible things in the World how miserable is their case to whom God also is a terrour in that day A godly man when God is doing the most terrible things shaking Heaven and earth and as it were pulling the world about our ears yet because he finds God at peace with him he is well enough But as for impenitent sinners when God is doing terrible things what will become of them I may bespeak them in the words of the Prophet Isa 10.3 What will ye do in the day of your visitation and in the desolation which shal come from far to whom will ye flee for help and where wil ye leave your glory As if he had said whâ— or what can be a comfort to you when God is a â—errour to you And therefore another Prophet fore-seing such a terrible day coming makes this earnest deprecating prayer Jer. 17.13 O Lord be not thou a terrâ—ur to me in the evil day I know an evil a terrible day is at hand but Lord I beg this of thee that thou wilt not be a terrour to me in that day if men should be a terrour to me and God a terrour too it would be inâ—upportable Yet thus it will be with the unrighteous when God doth terrible things in righteousness and such things he will do in the latter dayes Take heed lest God appear with terrible Majesty to you in such a day Thirdly How terrible is God to impenitent sinners when awakened in the day of death What is Death In this Book Death is called The King of Terrours Now if when Deaâ—h is making its approaches to a person who lives in a contempt of the wayes and word of God if when his breath sits upon his lips ready to depart and the King of Terrours is ready to tear his caul and to rend his heart-strings asunder if then I say God appears in terrible Majesty what condition will such a one be in To have Death the King of Terrours and the Living the ever-living God in terrible Majesty falling upon a poor creature at once is a thousand deaths at once Fouâ—thly What will sinners do in the day of judgment that will be a terrible day indeed The Apostle 2 Cor. 5.10 having said We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ to receive according to what we have done in the body whether good or bad presently adds knowiâ—g therefore the terrour of the Lord we perswade men that is knowing how terrible the Lord will be to impenitent sinners to all whom he finds in their sins knowing this terrour of the Lord and how terrible the Majesty of the Lord will be to such in that day we perswade men we do all we can to pluck them out of their sins and turn them to God in Châ—ist Jesus who saves his people from their sins for to be sure that will be a most dreadful day to sinners Thus the Mâ—jâ—sty of God will be terrible to the wicked and ungodly especially in these four dayes Only they who fear the Loâ—d and take hold of his name by faith shall be able to stand befoâ—e his terrible majesty God will not be a terrour but a comfoâ—t to them â—hat fear him in every evill day Fu â—her the word as wâ—s shewed before signifies not only Majesty but Praâ—se With God is â—errible praise dreadful praise Hence note First The Lord is most praise worthy With the Lord is praise The Psalmist every where sâ—ts fo th the praise-worthiness of God and presseth this duty upon us I shall not stay upon it only remember with the Lord is praise that is he is to be praised And from the attribute of his praiâ—e or that with the Lord is terrible praise Note Secondly Even in those things which the Lord doth most graciously for us and is to be highly praised by us even in thâ—se he is to be feared dreaded and reverenced God is to be praised not only with joy and thankfullness but with fear and reverence for with him is terrible praise It is the express word of Moses in his song after the destruction of the Egyptians in the Red Sea Exod. 15.11 Who is a God like unto thee glorious in holines fearful in praises We should not be affraid to praise God no we should be most forward to praise him but we should have a holy fear upon our hearts when we praise him Praise is the work of heaven from whence fear shall for ever be banished there will be perfect love and perfect love Casts out fear 1 Joh. 4.18 What-ever fear hath torment in it as all fear out of Châ—ist hath we shall have nothing to do with in that blessed life And even in this life praise which is the work of heaven on earth should be performed with such a spirit of love joy as is without all base tormenting fear we should have so much love to God in and for all the good things he doth for our soules especially ye and for our bodyes too in dealing out daily mercies that it should cast out all that fear which hath torment in it Yet there is a fear which should pâ—ssess our spirits while we are praising God a fear of reverence I mean which fear I doubt not will remaine in heaven for ever Glorified Saints shall praise God with that fear that is having an everlasting awe of the Majesty of God upon their hearts He is fearful in praises and therefore let us so praise him as remembering our distance so praise him as to be affraid of miscarrying in the duty and so instead of praising displease him in stead of honouring grieve him This duty of praise is very dreadful The Psalmist saith there is mercy or forgiveness with thee O Lord that thou mayst be feared Psal 130.4 Not only is the Lord to be feared in his wrath and in the executions of his justice but he is to be feared in his mercy in that greatest expression of his favour towards us the forgivness of our sins When we are in the highest exaltations of the mercy of God and of the God of our mercies yet then should our hearts be
joy and thanksgivings that God hath been good yea best to them considering their state in his sorest and severest dealings For all the paths of the Lord as wel hard as sofr as well those that are set with Bryars and Thorns as those that are set with Roses are mercy and truth mercy as much as truth unto such as keep his Covenant and his Testimonies Psal 25.10 He that shews mercy cannot but shew righteousnesse to his in all his wayes As he that doth righteousness is righteous 1 John 3.7 so he that is righteousnesse cannot but do righteous things God is not only righteous but righteousnesse he is essentially righteous his righteousnesse is himself A mans being and his righteousnesse are two things The man may subsist without righteousnesse all men by nature and while nothing but nature though much sublimated and refined if not converted are unrighteous but it is as impossible for God not to be righteous as not to be How can he who is righteous yea righteousnesse it self but do righteous things in all he doth in every cause in every proceeding whether with Persons Families or Nations Is it not then a most unrighteous thing to think or say God hath or can do any unrighteous thing Secondly Note He that complains that God deals over-severely with him or otherwise than is fit or otherwise than he hath deserved makes himself as to his Cause more righteous than God If we say a man deals otherwise with us then we have deserved at his hands we judge him as to that action uneven and unjust in his dealings Surely then if we think or speak hardly of the hardest wayes of God we speak and think hardly of God himself We cannot think well of God unlesse we say all that he doth is well done A thought that there is but one twig in our rod more than is meet or fit or more than is good for us or to think it abides one minute longer upon our backs than is meet or fit or good for us is to say Our righteousnesse is more than Gods yea 't is to say Our wisdom is more than Gods and our mercies are more than the mercies of God Therefore take heed of such thoughts Though we cannot see the righteousnesse of God in his works yet we must say his woâ—ks are righteous It can never be right not only to say Our righteousness is more than Gods but so much as to say Our righteousness is any thing to Gods Thirdly Note What we speak rashly may at any time be prest upon us hardly and is sometimes very uncharitably It is very usual with those who accuse or oppose others to take things doubtful for certainties their own conjectures for the assertions of their adversarie and every thing which hath a likenesse to an errour to be errour Elihu might have spoken more favourably to Job In disputando cavendum ne ex dictis adversarii per falsam consequentiam absurda deducamus quibus illum gravamus qua in re hic peccavit Elihu Pisc he might have construed his sayings more candidly than he did Had he taken Jobs words with a grain of Salt as we speak he needed not to have put so much Gall and Wormwood into his own Had he not interpreted Jobs complaints strictly according to the sound or letter but considered them with his scope his aime and purpose in speaking so together with the extream pain of his body and anguish of his soul when he spake so he had never given him such cutting answers But God justly and in much wisdome sharpned the spirit of Elihu to speak cutting words to Job that Job feeling the smart might be made sensible of his errour and at last be brought low and broken under his hand Milde words may skin a sore before 't is searcht to the bottom and so not only retard the Cure but endanger the Patient The holy Apostle fore-seeing the murmurings quarrels and disputes which flesh and blood would make about Election or Predestination doth not go about so much to answer them by Reason as to represse them by a strong Reproof and vehement Objurgation Rom. 9.20 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 c. Now as about that unsearchable depth of eternal Election so about present dreadful dispensations and providences our undue reasonings and tumultuating thoughts of heart concerning God breaking our bounds and forgetting with whom we have to do or who hath to do with us call for and deserve sharpest reproofs Who are you that reply against God! Who are you that think this to be right â—â—â—â—h you do or any thing wrong which God doth Who are you that you should presume to say so much as by inference that your righteousness is more than Gods or that it is any thing compared with the righteousness of God! Thou hast said my righteousness is more than Gods What Job had said which might give colour for this accusation hath been touched before in the mention of those Speeches or Passages forced from him by the greatnesse of his suffering But Elihu gives it us yet more expressely in the next verse Vers 3. For thou saidst What advantage will it be unto thee and what profit shall I have if I be cleansed from my sin As if he had said O Job If thou shouldest ask me when or where thou hast said My righteousness is more than Gods or how can I prove that thou hast said so I may soon answer thee and easily prove it thus thou hast said What advantage will it be unto thee c. Thou hast spoken as if no good were to be gotten by turning from evill or that thou sufferest evil being thy self free at least turned from doing evil and that therefore it availeth thee no more that thou art righteous than if thou wert the greatest sinner in the world So thou hast said and in saying so thou hast said what I have charged thee with But here the Question may arise again as much about the Proof as about the Charge When did Job say What advantage will it be unto me and what profit shall I have if I be cleansed from my sin I answer as he said not the former words contained in the Charge directly they were only a collection raised consequentially by Elihu so he said not these words which are the proof of the Charge expressely but by consequences For the clearing of this we must distinguish of what is meant by profit and advantage when Elihu saith Thou saidst What advantage shall it be unto thee and what profit shall I have if I be cleansed from my sin This advantage and profit may be considered First As to his eternal well-being and salvation Secondly as to his present ease and consolation We are not to understand it as if Elihu accused Job for saying That
not regard vaine prayer so when thou sayest to him thou wilt not mark it that is attend to providences as thou oughtest he wil not regard thee There is a truth in this and the Original word may fairly bear this translation yet I shall not stay upon it but rather take this Context as the beginning of a new argument than as the inforcement of the former understanding it so the words have yet a reading different from ours Another modern translater disliking the former reading only in the first part of the verse gives his own thus In this also thou hast sinned Those words are supplyed to make up the sense Etiam in hoc pexasti quòd dixisti te non contemplaturum eum Judica te coram eo expecta eum Pisc as being the bringing in of a further charge against Job In this also thou hast sinned that thou hast said thou shalt not see him judge therefore thy self before him and look for him This is the matter of his new charge Thou hast said thou shalt not see him this is thy sin And having given him this charge Elihu gives him counsel according to this translation in the close of the verse Judge therefore thy self before him and look for him We say in our translation Judgement is before him that is before God this translation saith Judge thy self before him and the reason of it is because some take the word here as a Noune Aliqui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nomine exponunt Judicium alii pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verbo imperativi modi Judica Merc others as a Verb of the Imparative mood Judge thy self before him and then look to him or trust in him that is thou hast failed greatly and sinned in taking up such a Conclusion as this that thou shalt not see God the sense of which I shall open when I come to our own translation therefore I advise thee to judge thy self thoroughly and humbly to acknowledge thy fault This translation is much insisted upon and because it hath a profitable sense I shall note two or three poynts from the latter part of the verse where it differs from ours and then proceed to our own Translation Job being charged with sin for saying that he should not see God is here advised to judge himself Judge thy self and look to or trust in him Hence Note It is our duty to judge our selves And 't is a great Gospel duty The Apostle gives it in plain words 1 Cor. 11.31 If we would judge our selves we should not be judged of the Lord. We are very apt to judge one another but very backward to judge our selves It is a great work to erect a Tribunal as I may say in our own Souls and Consciences to sit in Judgement upon our selves which that we may do we must do these three things First we must send Summons to our selves we must cite our selves to our own Tribunal for alwayes before Judgement Summons must go out and be sent to the party offending Here we are to send Summons to our selves that is to call together all the powers of our souls to appear in this Judgement and answer what is or may be alledged against us And when we have Summoned our selves then secondly we are to examine search and try our selveâ— Lam. 3.41 Let us search and try our wayes and turn again unto the Lord. Thirdly having tryed and examined our selves before we can come to Judgement that Judgement which is here intended we must humble our selves under a Conviction of our own vileness and sinfulness whether of our nature or of our actions whether of our state or of our way for whereas there are two parts of Judgement Absolution and Condemnation we can never come to that part of Judgement the judging of our selves as persons worthy to be condemned by the Lord for our sins unless we are first convinced of our sins Now when we have summoned examined and convicted our selves then we are ready to judge our selves to judge our selves even with the judgement of condemnation respecting what we have done yet we should do it with hopes of absolution acting our faith upon the free grace and mercy of God through the satisfaction which Jesus Christ hath made for us Again The scope of this counsel or the reason why Elihu adviseth Job to judge himself was to shew that he had rashly judged of the wayes of God because he had not duly judged himself Hence Note Self-judging or judging our own doings will preserve us from rash judging the doings and dealings of God with us We shall never think God deals harshly or rigorously with us if we do but enter into and pass a right judgement upon our own souls As they that judge themselves shall not be judged of the Lord 1 Cor. 11.31 so they that judge themselves will never judge the Lord no they will acquit and justifie the Lord under all his proceedings even in his sorest and severest ones Thus did Ezra in reference to those great and unparalel'd sufferings of the Jewes in the Babylonian warr and captivity Chap. 9.13 Thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve And so did Daniel Chap. 9.7 O Lord righteousness belongeth unto thee but unto us confusion of faces as at this day Further Elihu concluded Job very much affected with or highly conceited of himself because he pleaded his own innocency or integrity so much and was so desirous to come to a hearing and have his matter tryed before God and therefore saith he Judge thy self Hence Note Self-judging will keep us from proud or high thoughts of our selves of our own wayes or works how good soever they are Suppose our wayes and our works pure and good as Jobs indeed were for the maine he was a man of the highest elevation in holiness and of greatest integrity yet if we would thoroughly examine and judge our selves consider our short comings in duty our sinnings against duty and the sins that cleave to our best duties we should find our very innocency to be guilty and our righteousness to be unrighteous and surely such a discovery would lay us very low in our own thoughts and go very far towards the subduing of that pride of our hearts which often ariseth from the contemplation of our own wel-doing Lastly Consider this counsel was given Job according to this translation with respect to that which follows Judge thy self and trust in or wait for him Hence Note We are never fit to trust nor to wait upon God in any of his providences till we judge our selves or Judging of our selves will dispose and prepare our hearts for trusting and resting upon the power goodness and mercy of God The more we judge and humble our selves the readier haâ—h God declared himself to help us in our extremities 1 Pet. 5 6. we also are then the readier to trust and wait on him both because we then see more clearly what need we
are wrought above of those both useful and dreadful or terrible Meteors the snow and raine the windes the lightening and the thunder these things may be thought very forreigne and heterogeneal very far off from the business in hand but I will speak to thee of these things even of the woâ—ks of God in the Heavens in the Air in the Chambers of the Clouds and I will convince thee by what God doth there above of his righteousness in what he doth here below The wisdome and power of God in ordering those natural works in the Clouds and in the Air prove that man hath no cause to complain about his providential works on earth For as those wonderful visible works of God are real demonstrations of those invisible things of God his eternal power and God-head so they declare both his righteousness and goodness his wrath and mercy towards the children of men in the various dispensations of them And so although those things might be thought far from the poynt which Elihu supposed Job questioned at least by consequences the righteousness of God in his severe dealings with him yet indeed they contained principles or general grounds by which that which Elihu had engaged to maintain might be fully confirmed and unanswerably concluded This I conceive is the special afar off that Elihu intended to fetch his knowledge from as may appear in the close of this Chapter and in the next quite thorow I will fetch my knowledge from afar Hence note First The natural works of God or the works of God in nature are to be studied and searched out As the works of grace are afar off from all men in a state of nature so the works of God in nature are very far off from the most of men they know little of Gods works in the Heavens or in the Earth in the Sea or in the Aire yet all these are to be searched out with diligence by the sons of men Secondly Note The works of Creation and Providence shew that God is and what he is We may see who God is in what he hath done we say things are in their working as they are in their being God hath done like himself in all that he hath done his own works as well as his own Word speak him best Psal 19.1 The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy-work c. The raine and snow declare the power of God Thunder and Lightening shew what he can do Thirdly Note Knowledge is worth our longest travel it will quit cost to go far for it We say Some things are far fetcht and dear bought true knowledge especially the knowledge of Jesus Christ deserves to be far fetcht and it cannot be too dear bought we must drive a strange kind of trade with the truths of God we must be alwayes buying and never selling yet that 's a commodity will never lye upon our hands never brayde If we were to fetch our knowledge from afar as to the distance of place we should not think much of it The Queen of the South fetcht her knowledge from afar she came a very great way undertook a long jouâ—ney to hear the wisdome of Solomon in that sense we should be willing to fetch our knowledge from afar yet some will scarce step over the threshold to fetch in knowledge It is prophesied Dan. 12.4 Many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall be increased Knowledge ought to be travell'd for as much as any thing in the world We fetch our gold and silver and rich Commodiâ—ies afar off we go to the ends of the Earth for them through a thousand deaths and dangers we sayle within three inches of death for many moneths together to fetch woâ—ldly riches f om afar off and shall we not fetch knowledge afar off how far soever it is from us in distance of place and what labour or cost soever we bestow to fetch it in I will fetch my knowledge from afar I will ascribe righteousness to my Maker These words contain the ground purpose or designe of Elihu in this whole discourse which was to maintain the righteousness of God I saith he will ascribe the Hebrew strictly is give righteousness to my Maker here 's a very great undertaking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to give righteousness to God God gives and imputes righteousness to us 'T is the summe of the Gospel that God imputes or ascribes righteousness to sinners Now as God in a Gospel sense gives righteousness to us both the righteousness of justification which is lodged in the person of Christ and the righteousness of sanctification which is lodged in our own persons though the spring and principle of that also be in Christ still so we must give righteousness to God that is both believe and declare or publish to all the world that God is just and give him the praise of his justice which is the best and noblest work we can do on Gods behalf in this world There are two most excellent works which indeed contain all our work in this world First To do righteously or act righteousness our selves Secondly To ascribe righteousness unto God But you will say what is it to give or ascribe righteousness to God I answer It is to acknowledge that God is righteous in all his wayes and holy in all his works 'T is mans duty to justifie God to ascribe that righteousness to him which is properly his own 'T is Gods grace his free-grace to justifie man to ascribe that righteousness to him which is properly anothers David made profession of the former as his duty Psal 50.3 4. I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is ever before me that thou mightest be justified in thy sayings and clear when thou judgest That is I 'le confess my sin Is qui peccat et confitâ—tur deo peccatum justifi at deum cedens ei vincenti et ab eo gratiam sperans Ambros l. 6. in Luc that all the world may see the righteousness of thy dealings with me though thou shouldest deale never so severely with me though thou shouldest speak the bitterest things against me pronounce a sentence of heaviest judgement upon me The Apostle referring to this place in the Psalmes quotes the words in a passive forme and sense not of God judging man but of God judged by man Rom. 3.4 Let God be true but every man a lyar as it is written that thou mightest be justified in thy sayings and mightest overcome when thou art judged As if David had said according to the Apostles reading out of the Septuagint which yet as learned Beza in his Annotations affiâ—meth Istud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 active meo quidem judicio necessario explicandum est ut Graeco Hebraeu respondeant Bez in Rom 3.4 ought to be expounded actively as if I say David had thus expressed himself Lord I know some men will take the boldness to question thee yea and to condemn thee
can stop and bridle our boisterous and angry passions towards those that have offended us The Lord saith unto or concerning Pharoah Exod. 9.16 And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up for to shew in thee my power c. What power The Lord shewed forth a twofold power in the raising up of Pharoah First the power of his Arm that he was able to cast down such a mighty Prince Secondly The power of his Patience that he spared him from ruin till he had sent ten messages to him and poured ten Plagues upon him The Lord was so provoked by Pharoah that he might have crushed him upon the first denyal but he forbare him long the Lord might well say I have set thee up that I might shew forth my power my power in forbearing thee long as well as in destroying thee at last The Apostle speaks of this power Rom. 9.22 What if God willing to shew his wrath and make his power known the Lord will not only shew his wrath hereafter in breaking those vessels of destruction but he shews his power now in suffering them long and therefore he to make his power known endured with much long-suffering the Vessels of wrath fitted to destruction Here 's the strength of the Lords heart he bears long with wicked men Secondly There is a mighty power or strength of heart in God as in long-suffering towards impenitent sinners so in pardoning sinners who repent Who Magni animi est ignoscere but the Lord hath such a strength of Spirit to pardon and passe by offences After the People of Israel had mutined and murmured Sola sublimis et excelsa virtus est nec quicquam magnum nisi quod simul placidum Sen. and so provoked the Lord to the height Moses begs and bespeaks the power of the Lords pardoning-mercy Numb 14.17 And now I beseech thee let the power of my Lord be great according as thou hast spoken saying The Lord is long-suffering and of great mercy forgiving iniquity c. As if Moses had said Lord thou must put forth as much power in pardoning the sins of this People as ever thou didst in delivering them from their bondage-sufferings in Egypt Or thus O Lord thou mightest magnifie the power of thine anger in punishing this rebellious People but rather magnifie the power of thy patience and long-sufferance in sparing and pardoning them O what strength of heart is in God who passeth by the great transgressions of his People Thirdly The Lord hath a mightinesse of heart in executing his wrath upon his incorrigible enemies Psal 90.11 Who knoweth the power of thine anger The anger of God is such a thing as no man can go to the bottome of it in his thoughts The Lords wrath is powerful beyond all imagination and apprehension his anger as well as his love passeth knowledge In all these respects the Lord hath strength of heart or he is mighty in strength of heart as well as in hand or arm The greatest discoveries of Gods power are in the wayes of his mercy His Judgements are called his strange work but his mercy is his strength as the Prophet calls it Isa 27.5 where warning the Bryars and Thorns to take heed of warring with God he gives a sinner this counsel Let him take hold of my strength that he may make peace with me and he shall make peace with me But what is meant by the strength of God Some render Apprehendet arcem meam i. e. Christum Coc. Let him take hold of my Tower A Tower is a place of strength but here put for that which God glories in most as his chiefest strength even his goodnesse meâ—cy patience and long-sufferance yea Christ himself as if he had said Let not the sinner struggle with my strength let him not think by strâ—ng hand to overcome my strength but let him take hold of my Christ through whom all those glorious perfections of mine my Goodnesse Mercy Patience c. are given out to the children of men and he shall make peace with me This is the true strength of God nor doth any thing more set forth the strength of man than this that he is ready to pardon to forgive and passe by only impotent spirits are much for revenge 'T is our weaknesse not to passe by wrongs and injuries done to us To bear wrongs is to be like the high and mighty God to bear them in mind is to be like the lowest and weakest spirited men He is strong indeed who is strong in patience against Offenders and as strong in mercy to pardon humble ones as in power to punish stubborn and rebellious ones Secondly By way of Illation Note 'T is the greatness of Gods Spirit or the strength of his heart and mind which moderates him towards sinful man That which keeps men in a moderate frame towards men is true greatnesse of spirit They that are of such a spirit will neither despise those that are below them nor envy those that are above them not willingly oppose those that are equal to them The envy and opposition of others greatnesse ariseth from the meannesse and weaknesse of our own spirits The reason why one man is affraid that another should be high is because himself hath not a real highnesse of spirit or the reason why most oppose the greatnesse of others is the littlenesse of their own spirits Whence spring contentions and strifes envyings at and underminings of one another come they not from the narrownesse of our hearts that we cannot rejoyce in the good of others or from the impotent jealousies of our hearts that we fear others will do us hurt If such a one get up he will pull me down if such a one be high 't is dangerous to me therefore I must pull him down if I can whence comes this but from lownesse and poornesse of spirit from that pitiful thing in man called Pusillanimity The Lord hath so great a Spirit that as he envieth no mans greatnesse so he feareth no mans greatness and therefore doth that which is just and equal to all sorts of men bad and good as is further shewed in the next verse Vers 6. He preserveth not the life of the wicked but giveth right to the poor As if Elihu had said Though the Lord doth not despise any that are great yet he doth not respect any that aro bad he preserveth not the life of the wicked And as the Lord will not do any wrong to the rich so to be sure he will give right to the poor What Elihu had affiâ—med of God he now proveth by instances or particulars and that both in respect of the wicked and the godly That the Lord is most just and righteous he proveth thus He preserveth not the life of the wicked That 's the first instance and he expresseth it negatively 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non viâ—ificat He preserveth not the life of the wicked he
the most unrighteous persons nor from any of their acts or wayes of unrighteousness And when it is said here The Lord withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous it is meant of a peculiar eye which the Lord hath upon the righteous he beholds both the righteous and the unrighteous yet he doth not behold the unrighteous as he beholds the righteous which I shall clear further by giving in a five-fold discovery what that eye of the Lord is which is upon the righteous foure of which are distinct and totally differing from that eye with which he beholdeth unrighteous men and from every one of them I shall give you an observation for our further profiting by this general assertion that the Lord withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous There is a five-fold eye of God spoken of in Scripture First There is a discerning eye that eye by which be unerringly knoweth what every man is and what every man doth Hence note The Lord taketh exact and full notice of he clearly discerns the righteous in every condition This is true also of the unrighteous therefore David puts it universally Psal 11.4 His eyes behold his eye-lids try the children of men that is his sight discovers and discerns what they are of what sort soever they are We may see many men yet not discover what they are they may have a faire outside to our view whilest within they are foule and full of rottenness they may appear in Sheeps cloathing yet inwardly be ravening Wolves But the Lords eye is a trying eye he doth not only know who men are but he knows what they are Such is the importance of that Scripture Heb. 4.13 All things are naked and manifest to his eyes with whom we have to do that is the Lord doth so behold things and persons that he hath a clear understanding of them And though the Lords eye be thus upon all men yet this is specially affirmed of righteous men Psal 33.18 Behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him and hope in his mercy Again Psal 34.15 His eye is over the righteous Both texts teach us that God considers not only what they do but as I may say how they do whether it be peace with them or whether it be trouble with them whether it be joy with them or whether it be sorrow with them the Lords eye is over them to discern not only whether and how they go but how things go with them Secondly The Lord hath a directing or a counselling eye Hence Note The Lord with his eye favourably guides directs and counsels righteous men This eye of the Lord as it denotes favour is peculiar to the righteous We have that expresly Psal 32.8 I will instruct thee and teach thee how I will guide thee with mine eye We put in the Margen I will counsel thee that is thee a Godly man a David spoken of v. 6 7. mine eye shall give thee counsel Men can give direction by the eye and they that are acquainted with them understand what they mean when they look this way or that way thus or so Solomon saith A naughty person winketh with his eyes he speaketh with his feet he teacheth with his fingers Pro. 6.12 13. that is all the postures and gestures of his body shew what he is stark naught and silently teach others to be naught The holy God also teacheth by his feet and fingers his goings and doings his workes and wayes teach us the work which we should do and the way wherein we should go he hath a providential eye the looks of providence give counsel to those who know how to look upon them and interpret them The Lord hath a providential eye upon the righteous not only to foresee their dangers but to direct their course he sheweth them their way and their work by this eye he tells them what pleaseth him and what displeaseth him by this eye this eye the Lord doth not withdraw from the righteous He will guide the feet of his Saints 1 Sam. 2.9 'T is possible for a righteous man sometime to be without counsel he may neither know what counsel to give himself nor what to take from others as Jehoshaphat said in his streight 2 Chron. 20.12 He knoweth not what to do yet as Jehoshaphat said then his eyes are towards the Lord and the Lords eyes are towards him When he is thus counselless there is a counselling a directing eye of God upon him though he at that present know not his way yea be out of his way yet he is not out of Gods eye and that will in due time shew him his way or bring him into his way again though God suffer him to go out of the way yet the eye of God is upon him even when he is out of his way and that eye will reduce and bring him back to his right way There is a directing a counselling eye of God Thirdly The Scripture speaks of a pitying and a compassionating eye of God It is ordinary with us to hear those that are in distress cry out to those who pass by cast an eye upon us look upon us and that is as much as to say pity us have compassion upon us this eye of pity the Lord doth not withdraw from the righteous Hence note The righteous are under the compassionating the pitying eye of God When the people of Israel were in Egypt the Lord said to Moses Exod. 3.7 I have surely seen the affliction of my people and what kind of sight was that what eye of God was it which was upon them the words following and the whole series of Gods dealings also clear it that it was an eye of compassion I have surely seen or seeing I have seen the affliction of my people that are in Egypt c. and I am come down to deliver them We read in that notable place Gen. 16.14 when Hagar was in a very sad and distressed condition being cast out of Abrahams family God had compassion on her and shewed her a Well where she might have water for her self and child and the text saith She called the name of the Well Beer-la-hai-roi that is the Well of him that liveth and seeth me As if she had said God hath seen me in my afflicted condition and he hath also had compassion on me That 's another great priviledge the righteous are under this pitying and compassionating eye of God and from thence follows The fourth eye of God his providing eye his caring eye Hence note The Lord doth so eye the righteous in their straits and afflictions with compassion that he also provides to deliver them out of their affliction out of their straits There is a providing eye of God continually beholding his people Of this providing eye Abraham spake Gen. 22.14 when he was put upon that hard task the sacrificing of his own son his Isaac the Lord had compassion on him and provided another sacrifice and therefore he called
few are there in power who do not much iniquity who do not either for want of better information or of a better conscience oppress grieve and afflict those that have to do with them or are subject to them God may do what he will yet will do nothing but what is right How infinitely then is God to be exalted in his truth and righteousness And thus the word of truth exalts him Deut. 32.4 2 Chr. 19.7 Rom 9.14 There is no unevenness much less aberration in any of the ways of God he never trod awry nor took a false step Who can say unto him without great iniquity thou hast wrought iniquity Hence we may infer If God works no iniquity in any of his wayes whether in his general or special providences Then All ought to sit down quietly under the workes of God Though he bring never so great judgments upon nations he doth them no wrong though he break his people in the place of dragons and cover them with the shadow of death he doth them no wrong Though he sell his own people for nought yet he doth them no wrong All which and several other grievances the Church sadly bemoans Psal 44. yet without raising the least dust concerning the justice of God or giving the least intimation of iniquity in those several sad and severe wayes Secondly We should not only sit down quietly under all the dispensations of God as having no iniquity in them but exalt the righteousness of God in all his dispensations as mingled also sprinkled with mercy Though we cannot see the righteousness of God in some of them yet we must believe he is not only so but merciful in all of them though the day be dark we cannot discern how this or that su es with the righteousnes much less with the goodness and mercy of â—od yet sit down we ought in this faith that both this and that is righteous yea that God is good to Israel in the one and in the other When the prophet was about to touch upon that string he first laid down this principle as unquestionable Jer. 12.1 Righteous art thou O Lord yet give me leave to plead with thee about thy Judgments Why doth the way of the wicked prosper Why is it thus in the world I take the boldness to put these questions O Lord yet I make no question but thou art righteous O Lord. It becomes all the sons of men to rest patiently under the darkest providences of God And let us all not only not charg God foolishly but exalt him highly and cry up both his righteousness and kindness towards all his people For who can say to God thou hast wrought iniquity Having in several other passages of this book met with this matter also I here briefly pass it over JOB Chap. 36. Vers 24 25. 24. Remember that thou magnifie his work which men behold 25. Every man may see it man may behold it afar off THese two verses contain the third advice counsel or exhortation given by Elihu to Job stirring him up to give glory to God in his providential proceedings with him There are three things considerable in these two verses First The general duty commanded which is to magnifie the work of God Secondly We have here a special reason or ground of that duty the visibility and plainness yea more than so the illustriousness of his work The work of God is not only such as some men may see but such as every 〈◊〉 â—ay see yea behold afar off Thirdly We have here an incentive to provoke to this duty in the first words of the Text Remember Vers 24. Remember that thou magnifie his work which men behold To Remember imports chiefly these two things First to call to mind what is past Mat. 26.75 Then Peter remembred the words of Christ. Secondly To remember is to keep somewhat in mind against the time to come in which sence the Law runs Exod. 20.8 Remember the rest-day that is keep it in mind that when-ever it cometh or upon every return of that day 〈◊〉 may be in a fit posture and preparation for it Remember the rest or sabbath day to keep it holy To remember in this place is set I conceive in a double opposition First To forgetfulness of the duty here called for remember and do not forget it Secondly To the slight performance of the duty here called for the magnifying of the work of God Remember that thou magnifie As if he had said Be thou daily and duely affected with it do not put it off with a little or a bare remembrance the matter is weighty consider it fully As if Elihu had said to Job Thou hast much forgotten thy self and gone off from that which is thy proper work I have heard thee much complaining of the workes of God but thy work should have been to magnifie the work of God Though God hath cast thee down and laid thee low yet thy business should have been to exalt the work of God Remember it would much better become thee to act another part than this thou shouldest have acted the part of a magnifier of the work of God not the part of a complainer gainst it Remember that thou 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Augeas extollas ejus opus non accuses ut nunc facis Merc. Magnifie The root signifieth to encrease and extol We may consider a twofold magnifying of the work of God There is an inward magnifying of the work of God and there is an outward magnifying of the work of Goâ— First There is 〈◊〉 â—â—d magnifying of the work of God when we think highly 〈◊〉 it thus did the Virgin in her song Luke 1.46 My soul doth magnifie the Lord. Her heart was raised up and stretched out in high thoughts of God Secondly There is an outward magnifying of the work of God To speak highly of his work is to magnify his work to live holily and fruitfully is to magnifie his work We cannot make any addition to the work of God there is no such magnifying of it but we must strive to give the works of God their full dimension and not lessen them at all As we must not diminish the number of his works so we must not diminish the just weight and worth of them There is such a charge of God to the Prophet about his word Jer. 26.2 Go tell the people all the words that I command thee to speak unto them diminish not a word Deliver thy message in words at length or in the full length of those words in which it was delivered unto thee We then magnifie the woâ—k of God when we diminish not a tittle As we cannot add any thing to it so we must neither abate nor conceal any thing of it To magnifie is not to make the works of God great but to declare and set forth the greatness of them that 's the magnifying here especially intended Remember
the God of glory speaking to us Some will excuse themselves they are ignorant they have never been taught to know God But did such never hear it thunder that â—eacheth much of God so much as will make them inexcusable who obey him noâ— who tremble not at his Power and Majesty Thunder calls for and more it commands our fear of our reverence and submission unto Goâ— eâ—â—â—cially when God together with this voice sends his arrowâ— bolâ—s o bullets to do great things against his enemies as he did against Pharaoh Ezod 9.23 and against the Philistines 1 Sam. 7.10 Yea the Lord threatened to distress Jerusalem with Thunder and with Earth-quake and with great noise Isa 29.6 Now if Thunder be the Voice of God or the noise of his Voice then take these brief Inferences from it First Let us see what a powerful and mighty God we have When it thunders every believing soul may â—ay This is the Voâ—ce of my Father what cannot he do for me that can speak thus Secondly If God hath such a dreadful Voice if he thunder with his Voice we should learn to secure aim and fence â—ur selves against the dread and danger of Thundeâ— by the actings of Faith in him and of Repentance and godly Sorrow for our sinnings against him Some of the Heathens have given pittiful counsel what to do in time of thunder Seneca was a wiâ—e man Adversus tonitrua coelorum minas subterraneae damus dei defussi in altum specus remedia sunt Sen. lib. 6. Natur. quest cap. 4. yet he directs to poor shifts in such extreamities The remedies saith he against Thunder and the Batteries of the heavens are under-ground houses caves or holes of the earth to hide our selves in These were the best helps he could advise his Roman Gallants to when God uttered his mighty voice in Thunder But Christians know better how to hide themselves even in the goodness of God against those terrible appearances of his Power Thirdly If God speak with such a Voice as this in the Air take heed of slighting his Voice whensoever he speaks in the Church as Athiests and Epicures do He who speaks so loud in Thunder can thunder upon us at any time The Word preached if not obeyed will at last come upon all those who obey it not with as great a terror as Thunder Fourthly Let us not be amazed and frighted at Thunder as Heathens or Unbelievers Fifthly Let us not think lightly of it as if it either came by chance or meerly from natural causes Sixthly Let us fear the God of Thunder not fear Thunder as a God Some have superstitiously thought Thunder was a God and adored it so 't is reported of the Lithuanians anciently Lithuani fulmon deum esse puâ—abant propterea illud adorabant Cromeruâ— l. 15. Hist Pol. and possibly some of them do so to this day Secondly In that Elihu calls so earnestly for attention to this voice Hear attentively the noise of his Voice Learn Those things which are most easie to be heard possibly may not at all be understood Who doth not hear when it thunders but how few are there who attend or understand the Thunder or hear Thunder attentively God speaks to us not only with a stiâ—â— voice few hearing or attending him but though he thunders few attend him yea those wo ks of providence which speak lowder than Thunder and shine cleâ—rer â—â—an the Lightning yet are neither heard noâ— seen As When his hand is lifted up some will not see Isa 26.11 So when his Voice is liâ—ted up when 't is lifted up not only like a trumpet but like thunder when he speaks most audibly yea most terribly some will not hear and he is not heard by many much less diligenâ—ly attended to how loudly how terribly soever he speaketh The Lord often thunders by the voice of this Word what are his teâ—rible threats but loud thunder-claps yet few hear or though they hear yet they attend not Not to hear the voice of God in his Word is as if you did not attend to the voice of Thunder Every word of God though spoken with a still voice hath a greater force in it than Thunder from the Clouds As the terrible works of God are signified by Thunder Rev. 10.3 4. So the terrible words of God his threatning words against impenitent sinners are resembled to Thunder And therefore such as the Lord fitted among his own Apostles for that dispensation are called in Scripture Sons of Thunder Mark 3.17 And they who dispence the Word with a strong voice and fiery zeal are truly so called to this day and may be said both to Thunder in their Exhortation and to Lighten in their Conversation And indeed the Word of God truly and faithfully dispensed by any is like Thunder For First As Thunder so the Word spoken is the Voice of God and a more excellent and distinct Voice than Thunder that only shewing in general that God is or that he is great and powerful this shewing us distinctly who and what God is and what he requireth of us Secondly Thunder throwes down and dissipates high things So doth the Word of God 2 Cor. 10.5 Thirdly Thunder is irresistable by any power of man it will make its way through all opposition so is and doth the Word of God Fourthly Thunder pierceth very subtilly it reacheth the bones quite through the flesh the Word of God doth more it divideth soul and spirit and the joynts and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heaâ—t Heb. 4.12 Fifthly Thunder breaketh the hardest things which resist it but not soft things so the Word of God breaks the stout but binds up the contrite spirit it resists the proud but giveth grace to the humble Jam. 4.6 Now if the Word of God be in all these respects like Thunder Let us not only hear but attend or as the text saith hear attentively the sound of his voice If any ask when do we both hear and attend with the inward and outward ear the Thunder of God or his voice both in his works and in his word I answer First When we are stirred up to high and holy thoughts of God We are never rightly affected with the Word of God till our hearts are wrought up to and deeply at least truly affected with the God of the Word Secondly When our hearts are raised up in thankfulness for any discoveries of God in his goodness and mercy to us who can so easily destroy us by his power He that trembles at this voice of God and hath no sense nor tast of his goodness nor is moved to praise and serve him trembles only like a bruit beast Thirdly When we learn to depend and hang upon him for all as he that can do all things graciously for us as well as speak so terribly to us then we hear diligently the noise of his voice axd the sound that goeth out of his
not others shall if Jewes will not Gentiles shall if the Jewes will not carry it like the children of Abraham God can and will raise up children unto Abraham of the Stones of the street he will nor want instruments to answer his Counsels nor to execute his commands God will shake Heaven and Earth but he will have his Will done and his decrees perfected yea he will dissolve and ruine them rather than not have his Word fulfilled That of David Psal 136.2 Thou hast magnified thy Word above all thy Name is true of the word of command as well as of the word of pâ—omise God will magnifie the word of his promise above all his Name and he will also magnifie the word of his command above all his Name that is his Word is as a glass wherein his Name that is his Holiness his Power his Goodness his Faithfulness his Mercy his Justice and his Wrath are to be seen and shall be seen in the accomplishments of it towards the children of men Therefore fear and admire this mighty God who will find means for the executing of his Word for the doing of all that he hath spoken The Clouds shall do whatsoever he commandeth them upon the face of the World in the earth Fourthly If the Clouds are turned about by his Counsel if he doth as it were hale the Ropes to turn the Clouds which way soever he pleaseth then Whensoever you see the Clouds gathered by the wind remember God hath somwhat to do there 's somwhat to be done these Clouds are the Servants of God there 's some command or word of God or other to be fulfilled We do not as we ought consider the Counsel of God in the motion of the Clouds yea some when the Clouds gather and the storms of Wind or Rain of Thunder and Lightning break forth are more ready to think of the Counsel of the Devil than of God they are apt to say surely There 's Conjuring abroad What 's that but the executing of the Devils Counsel whereas we should say God doth it by his Counsel Take heed of neglecting God when you see the Clouds do not attribute their motion or the most dreadful Storms that proceed from them to any thing beside the Counsel of God for there is not the least vapour can rise out of the earth for the making of a Cloud but he causeth it to ascend there are not any materials gathered toward the constituting of a Cloud but they are under Gods hand he causeth the vapours to ascend and there is not the least breath of wind can stir to move the Clouds Clouds are moved with the wind but as God hath appointed neither bad Angel nor good can stir a Cloud but as God willeth And therefore look to the hand and counsel of God in all these things take heed of staying in any work of Nature do not ascribe these impressions and perturbations in the Air to the power of the Devil and wicked Arts all is of the Lord whatsoever is done One of the Ancients said concerning the Devils when they desired leave to enter the Swine Why should any of the sheep of God be afraid of the Devil when the Devils cannot have power over the Swine without leave from God The Devil cannot move a breath of wind but according to the will of God though he be the Prince of the Air yet there is a Prince above him to whose commands all are subject both in Heaven and in Earth Fifthly If it be so that God commands the Clouds whensoever they come with their storms or showrs then ascribe the praise of all the good you receive from the clouds to God and be humbled under the hand of God whensoever you receive outward dammage from the clouds do not say it is a chance Sixthly Learn hence the greatness and the soveraignty of God say as they did admiringly Math. 8.27 Who is this that both the Winds and Seas and Clouds obey him None of the words of the Lord shall fall to the ground as an Arrow or Dart that misseth thâ— Mark or as water spilt that cannot be gathered up again which latter allusion is specially intimated 1 Sam. 3.12 19. Here in the Text Elihu sets forth the Power and Soveraignty of God having all creatures at his beck and command as hath been shewed already from other passages in this Book and more will occurr hereafter The Soveraignty of God over men can never be duly acknowledged till we acknowledge his Soveraignty over Winds and Rain Hail and Snow which lye in the Bowels and bosome of the clouds and from thence are dispenced to the earth at the will of God Seventhly and lastly If the clouds do whatsoever God commands them if they be such faithful servants to God then surely the clouds will one day rise up or come forth as witnesses against all that resist the commands of God Not to obey them is bad enough but to resist them is far worse Christ would awaken the Scribes and Pharisees by telling them Math 12.41 The men of Nineveh shall rise up in the Judgment against this Generation and shall condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah as also the Queen of the South because she came from far to hear the wisdome of Solomon If Jesus Christ uâ—ged those instances of the men of Niniveh and of the Qâ—een of the South to terrifie that Generation for not obeying his commands or foâ— not receiving the Promises of the Gospel doubtleâ—s then in the g eat Day the very clouds and winds shall come in as witnesses against all those that have resisted the will of God in any of his commands Have the Clouds will he say done whatsoever I commanded them and have you resisted have you cast my words behind your back when the very Clouds have taken up embrac'd and fulfilled them The Clouds will be a swift witness against all those that rebel against the commands of God The Snow and Rain the Winds and Storms fulfilling his word will bring in a casting Evidence against all those who have cast his word behind their backs All this we may read and see in the commanding power of God over the Clouds and in their readiness to obey Elihu proceeds Vers 13. He causeth it to come whether for Correction or for his Land or for Mercy He that is God causeth It that is the Cloud He causeth the Clâ—ud to find so the Hebrew to find every place and every person concerning whom it hath received command and commission from God Thus the word is used by Moses Numb 32.23 If ye will not do so behold ye have sinned against the Lord and be sure your sin will find you out that is the punishment of your sin and that Judgment which God will pour out upon you for your sin will find you out wheresoever ye are In this sence the Cloud will find us out we render well He causeth it to come that is
like me declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times the things that are not yet done He that knoweth what the end of all things will be must needs dispose of all second causes and intermediate acts leading thereunto The reason why men often mis-reckon and faile of their expectation about the ends and issues of things is because they have not all the means in their power yea I may say they have not any of the means fully no nor at all in their own power The way of man is not in himself how then can his ends be only God knoweth what shall be the conclusion because he hath the full disposure of all the premises means and wayes by which the conclusion is brought about Let us adore and consider the power of God as well in disposing of the creature as in making of it Again Doest thou know c. Surely thou doest not The question here as often elsewhere carrieth in it a strong denial Hence Note Men know little of the works and wayes of God Some men are called knowing and oâ—hers ignorant but all men are deficient in their knowledge both of the nature and works of God Doest thou know But was Job some ignorant simple person Surely no Job was one of the wisest as well as greatest men of that age he was as well versed as any in the study and knowledge both of natural and spiritual things Nor is he chaâ—ged by Elihu here with ignorance simply but with ignorance as to this this was too high and too hard for him We may with reverence enough question their knowledge in some things who are very knowing men in mâ—st things There are some things which 't is a shame for a man not to know The Apostle speaks often in that language Rom. 2.4 Despâ—sest thou the riches of his goodness and fâ—rbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance What a shame is it that any who know any thing should not know and understand the scope of the mercy of God to sinners What! knowest thou not that foâ—bearance leads to repentance Again the same Apostle in the same Epistle puts the like upbrayding question Rom. 7.1 Know ye not for I speak to them that know the Law how that the Law hath dâ—minâ—on over a man as long as he liveth He is n t worthy to be reckâ—ned as a piece of mankind who is altogether unknowing noâ— is he worthy to be reckoned among the men of his profession who knows not the common principles of it While the Apostlâ— spâ—ke to those who knew the Law he presumed they were not ignorant of that Rule in Law that the Law which hath or should have dominion over all men living hath no dominion over any man beyond this life Now I say as it is a shame for any man not to know thâ—se things which are requiâ—ed of him and specially concern him so 't is a presumption foâ— any man to seek the knowledge of those things which are purposely reserved and hidden from him Deut. 29.29 Secret things belong to God revealed things to us and to our children Christ saith of the latter day of the day of Judgment Math. 24.36 Of that day and houre knoweth no man no not the Angels of Heaven but my Father only and he removed the cuâ—iosity of his Apostles immediately before his ascâ—nsion for eâ—qui ing after that kind of knowledge Acts 1.7 It is not fâ—r you to know the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in his own power As it is not profitable so not lawfull for us to look after the knowledge of those things which God hath lockt up and kept secret Let us take heed we be neither sound unknowing in those things which it is a shame for us not to know not curiously prying into the knowledge of those things which are restrained from our knowledge But to the present poynt iâ— may be much matter of humiliation to us that of those things which we have a liberty and 't is our duty to know we know so little Job had free liberty to know and search after the knowledge of those things about which Elihu put his questions the Meteors of the air and the motions of those superiour bodyes yet Elihu knew he could say little in answer to these questions when he asked him Doest thou know c. And therefore his purpose was to humble Job while he made him see and know his own ignorance And did the most knowing man in the world know his own ignorance that would I am sure it might make him very humble We are apt to be very proud of a very small portion of knowledge a little puffs us up whereas the sence of our defects in knowledge may both make and keep us little in our own eyes We should be thankfull for that little which we know and humble because we know so little Elihu having by the Question now opened convinced Job in in general that he knew but little of the works of God proceeds in the close of this verse and further forwards to convince him further of his defectiveness in knowledge by putting the same question about many other particulars And the first particular about which he puts the same question is the Light of the Cloud Doest thou know when God disposed them And caused the light of his Cloud to shine He questions Job again about another poynt the weighing the Clouds v. 16. Doest thou know the ballancing of the Clouds the wonderfull works of him that is perfect in knowledge As if he had said Gods causing the light of his Cloud to shine and his ballancing the Clâ—uds are wonderfull works even the wonderfull works of him who is perfect in knowledge and tell me Job Doest thou know these things Doest thou know when God disposed them And caused the light of his Cloud to shine We must here repeat the former question and Doest thou know when God caused the light of his Cloud to shine yea some read this latter part of the veâ—se in dependance upon the former Doest thou know when God disposed them thaâ— he might cause the light of his Cloud to shine But I rather take it as a distinct Question In which conâ—â—der he doth not say That he may cause the light of his Sun but of his Cloud to shine 'T is the Sun properly that shineth Clouds do not The Sun is the Candle of the World the receptacle and vessel of light Clouds are but vessels or receptacles of water they are not properly diaphanous but opacous or grosse â—hick bodyes How then is it here said He causeth the light of his Cloud to shine I answer The Cloud doth not shine by any connatural or intrinsick light but by that which is adventitious and accidental to it And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Splenduit inclaruit There is more in that word shine than the ordinary
from the Clouds put his Bow in the Cloud A second significancy of mercy in the Rainbow is because the Bow is bended upwards or Heaven-ward the Bow doth not stand bent to the Earth or downward the string of the Bow is towards us not the back of it He that would shoot hath the bottom or back of the Bow in his hand and the string is towards himself but God that he might shew he doth not intend to shoot that Arrow any more holds the string of the Bow downwards which no man doth that hath a mind to shoot The Lord by this Bow in the Cloud shoots no man unlesse it be as one well expresseth it with admiration and love or I may say the Lord having shot his Arrowes of immoderate Rain from the Region of the air for mans chastning seems to return to Heaven with his Bow reversed as a token of peace and serenity to the woâ—ld or that in Judgment he remembers his covenant-Covenant-mercy The wicked are said to bend their Bow they make ready their arrow upon the string that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart Psal 11.2 But he that tuâ—ns the string of his Bow downwards is not ready nor seems minded to shoot at all Thiâ—dly This bow shews mercy because there is no Arrow seen at it or with it Concisit iris aquas alimentaque nubibus assert Ovid 1. Metam Fourthly It sheweth or signifieth mercy because the Rainbow usually appears when Rain is ready to come implying that the Rain shall not hurt us and so we have a support of our faith as soon as we have any appearance of feare Fifthly When-ever the Rainbow appears there is clearness in some part of the air for it cannot be but when the Sun shines In the time of the Flood the light of the Sun was wholly obscured All the dayes which the world had during that dreadfull Rain weâ—e like the day described Joel 2.2 Zeph. 1.15 dayes of darkness and of gloominess dayes of Clouds and of thick darkness Therefore 't is said Gen. 8.22 Day and night shall continue for ever Intimating that in the time of the Flood the day was so obâ—cured so black that it could scarcely be known to be day or distinguished from night But now when the Rainbow is seen the Sun shines to give assuâ—ance that though there be an appearance of Rain Lux in rube rorida mille effiâ—it colores et varias et pulcherrimas lucis temperationes Plin Natur Hist l. 12. c. 24. yet the light of the day shall not cease Sixthly The various colours of the Rainbow are very significant for our comfort making as some Naturalists have told us a thousand sweet delights for the eye by the admirable mixtures and shadowings of colours therein discernable Seventhly The Natu al Historian assureth us that where the Rainbow at any time toucheth the Earth as we may often observe it doth it leaveth a fragrant smell upon the grass shrubs and bushes Thus you see how properly and fitly the Rainbow is called The shining of the light of his Cloud as also what significations of favour are discernable in it From this explication of the words we may note Fiâ—st After troubles and stormes God will give his people comforts and calmes He causeth the light of his Cloud to shine Clouds are dark things but while the Cloud shews Rain Gods light in the Cloud shews faire weather That 's matter of rejoycing to all that fear God as with respect unto that particular Judgment of the Deluge so of all evils and troubles which fall upon them in this woâ—ld This light shining in the Cloud may comfort and refresh us in the darkest night of sorrow It is said Psal 97.11 Light is sowne for the righteous and joy for the upright in heart And in the 4th of the Revelations which is as it were a Prologue or Preface to all the Prophesies of the dark times that should come upon the world and over the Church of God in this world we find Jesus Christ is represented with a Rainbâ—â—â—bout him vers 3. I was in the spirit and behold a Throne seâ—â—â—eaven and one sat on the Throne and he that sat was to look upon like a Jasper and Sardix stone and there was a Rainbow round about the Throne in sight like to an Emrald From this Throne it is that Jesus Christ doth as I may say dispence all the affaires of his Churches and people Now though Jesus Christ in the providential or mediatorial government of his Churches doth often send Clouds upon them and though Clouds and darkness are round about him yet the Throne hath a Rainbow about it And why a Rainbow to shew that Jesus Christ is mindfull of his Churches and people to save them when the Serpent casts out Floods to drown them 'T is said Rev 12.15 The Serpent cast out of his mouth water as a Flood after the Woman that he might cause her to be carried away of the Flood but Jesus Christ that sitteth upon the Throne hath a Rainbow about hâ—â— which gives assurance that the Floods shall not quite overwhelme the Church she shall be delivered though it be in a Wilderness from those mighty water-floods of persecution raised and caused by the Serpent and his seed against the seed of the Woman or against the Woman and her seed Though Christ may suffer great Floods of sorrow and tribulation to be powred upon them yet there is a Rainbow about the Throne to which we may look and get our faith confirmed that the Woman and her Seed shall not be swallowed up Take one place more Rev. 10.1 I saw another mighty Angel coming down from heaven that was Jesus Christ cloathed with a cloud that is with dark dispensations such as his people should not well know what to make of but what follows and a Rainbow was on his head That Prophesie leads into a description of the greatest pressures and troubles that ever the Church of God was to suffer in this world Jesus Christ was cloathed with a Cloud but for the comfort of his Church there was a Rain-bow on his head there was light shining in this Cloud to bear up the spirits of his people that the mischief should not be to their destruction though it might be very much not only to their tryal but correction And we find the Church supported though not directly under this notion of a Rain-bow yet by a promise plainly hinting if not referring to it Isa 54.9 In the 8th verse the Prophet tells us that the poor Church was in very great trouble Why Surely because of some cleâ—â—ly providences which interrupted the light of Gods counteâ— from shining upon them at least to their apprehension for thus he bâ—spake the Church In a little wrath have I hid my face from thee for a moment there was the Cloud but with everlasting loving-kindness will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer there 's
affected with his fear It is both our duty and our commendation so to fear God as not to sin against him or to be kept from sinning against God by the fear of God that is lest God should punish us for our sins and give us to eat the bitter fruit of our own evil doings But to fear God because we hear and are assured that he is ready to pardon our sins especially to fear him when he hath given us a comfortable assurance that our sins are pardoned or even tâ—en to be filled with the fear of his great and reverend Name when we are actuâ—lly praising him and magnifying his free grace in Christ for the pardon of them this shewes a truly gratious spirit indeed With God is terrible Majesty and with God is terrible praisâ— he is at once to be praised and feared All this Elihu would fix upon the heart of Job from the consideration of the works of God his providencial works in the Air how much more should this fear affect us when we behold his terrible works of providence upon the Earth turning the world as it were upside down by the wonderful vicissitudes and revolutions which his hand brings to pass respecting either Persons and private Familyes or whole Kingdomes and Nations With God is terrible Majesty JOB Chap. 37. Vers 23 24. 23. Touching the Almighty we cannot find him out he is excellent in Power and in Judgement and in plenty of Justice He will not afflict 24. Men do therefore fear him He respecteth not any that are wise of heart THese two Verses conclude the whole discourse of Elihu with Job The 23d verse is Doctrinal the 24th is the Use or Application of the Doctrine In the 23d verse we have a four-fold Doctrine held out concerning God First The Doctrine of his Incomprehensibleness We cannot find him out Secondly Of his Power He is the Almighty he is excellent in Power Thirdly Of his Righteousness he excells in Judgement and plenty of Justice But though he is thus full of Justice yet he is also very Gracious and therefore Fourthly We have the Doctrine of his Mercy and Tenderness towards the Creature in the last words of the Verse He will not afflict God is infinitely above man in Power and in Wisdom yet he never useth either the one or the other to the oppression or wrong of any man He will not afflict This is a very suitable peroration of the whole Narrative or matter declared which Elihu had so long insisted upon And having laid down this four-fold Doctrine concerning God he shews us the use of it in the 24th veâ—se where we have a practical Inference from what was before asserted concerning God Men do therefore fear him or therefore men ought to fear him As iâ— he had said Seeing God is thus incomprehensible thus powerful seeing he is thus excellent in Judgement in plenty of Justice as also in Goodness and Mercy therefore good men do and all men should fear him This is a very natural and undeniable Inference yet Elihu doth not leave it bare but adds a strong inforcement in the close of the verse why all men the greatest of men the wisest of men should fear God For he respecteth not any that are wâ—se in heart The wisest the greatest of men cannot carry it with God by their wisdom or policy by theiâ— gâ—â—aâ—ness or power therefore let them fear him This is the sum and scope of these two verses Vers 23. Touching the Almighty we cannot find him out That is He is unâ—earchable and incomprehensible The Original strictly read iâ— The Almighty we cannot fiâ—d him out The Almighty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oâ—nipotens nominativus absolute positus Pisc is a Nominative absolute as Grammarians speak we supply that word Touching As if he had said should we enter upon a discourse of the Almighty we cannot find him out Touching the Almighty That God is Almighty and what the word Shaddai here rendred Almighty doth import hath been shewed and opened already in other places of this Book especially in the fifth Chapter at the 17th verse and in the eighth Chapter at the 3d and 5th verses thither I refer the Reader for further satisfaction in that matter and pass from it here Touching the Almighty We cannot find him out This also I shall pass over in a word having spoken to it more fully Chap. 11.7 where Zophar puts this Question Canst thou by searching find out God Canst thou find him out unto perfection In which Questions Zophar challenged Job or any man else to set their understandings upon the tenters to put all their abilities to the utmost stretch to find out God if they could being assured they could not find him out unto perfection So then this assertion in the Text We cannot find him out beaâ—ing the same sence with those Questions I shall not stay upon it Only Note God cannot be compast by the enquiries of man Touching the Almighty we have but this to say of him We cannot say much of him or how much soever we say of him we say but a little of what he is or of what may be said of him for we cannot find him out We may find God but we cannot find him out God is to be found by every humble faithful seeker of him The Prophet Isa 55.6 calls us to that duty of seeking with an assurance of finding Seek ye the Lord whilst he may be found and so doth David Psal 32.5 For this that is for pardon of sin for grace and mercy or for this that is upon the experience which I â—ave had of thy readiness O Lord to pardon my sins even as soon as I confessed and acknowledged them for this I say shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found God may be found to do us good and shew us mercy when we seek him rightly there is a finding time or a time while God may be found Some give no other limit to this while or finding time than the limit of this life Dum adhuc in haâ— vita estis Rab. Jonath Deus invenire potest iâ—biquo quovis tempore ante obsignata decreta Abenâ— ezra And to be sure if he be not found while we are in this Life he can neither be sought noâ— found after this Life Yâ—t more strictly to seek him while he may be found as one of the Rabbins glosseth that place is to seek him before the Decree comes forth as the Prophet Zephany speaks Chap. 2.2 It is possible we may seek God and seek him too late and then there 's no finding of him Only they shall seek and find him who seek him in the finding time and they who do so shall certainly find as was said before God ready to do them good and shew them mercy But how much soever or how early soever we seek him we cannot find him out that is we cannot find
out how good how merciful God is or the utmost extent of his goodness and mercy which Zophar in the place before cited calleth a finding of him out to perfection I may give you a five-fold Negative to shew wherein God cannot be found out First We cannot find him out as to the infiniteness of his Eâ—sence and Being that 's beyond the line of a created Understanding Secondly We cannot find him out as to the excellency of his Attributes or the manner of his being who can tell how wise God is how holy how just how powerful how good We may easily find his divine perfections all the world over we may find them in every leaf of the book of the Scripture yea in every leaf of the book of the Creature but we cannot find them out any where to perfection Thirdly We cannot find out the depth of his Counsels God hath some Arcana secrets which he hath reserved in his own power as Christ told his disciples in the first of the Acts vers 6. when they would needs be prying into that secret of his councel the time of restoring the kingdom to Israel There are many councels of God lockt up in his own boâ—om which we cannot find out nor must we be bold and curious in searching into them Fourthly The Lord cannot be found out no not in his works of Pâ—ovidence which are acted outwardly or by which he brings forth his councels to act Psal 77.19 His foot-steps are not known not only are not any of his secret councels known but some oâ— his very foot-steps his treadings his goings are not fully known God goeth so that we cannot find where he gâ—eth he leaves no track as we say behind him Rom. 11.33 How unsearchable aâ—e his Judgments not only his councels but how unsearchable are his Judgments and his ways past finding out That 's the very expression of the text There are many providences of God which we find and feel which we see and cannot but see yet we cannot find them out that is we are not able to give a direct answer why God doth this or that nor how this or that was done Consider that Scripture 2 Chron. 31.20 21. where we have a most singular character of Hezekiah and of his government Thus did Hezâ—kiah throughout all Judah and wrought that which was gâ—od and right and truth before the Lord his God and in every wâ—rk that he began in the service of the house of God he did it with all his heart and prospered So the 31th chapter concludes yet the 32d begins thus After these things and the establishment thereof Sennacherib King of Assiria came and entred into Judah and encamped against the fenced Cities One would have thought Hezekiah being thus zealous for the Reformation of the Church of God in Judah and Jerusalem and having done all that concerned it with a perfect heart that surely such a Prince should have lived in peace and prospered all his dayes yet presently his Kingdome was invaded by a potent enemy Sennacherib comes against him and fills him and all his people with fear of utter subversion This was a secret of providence very hard to find out a depth which who can fathome That when a good King with his Counsel had been indeavouring a true Reformation and that with a perfect heart he should presently see war at his gates Solomon saith Pro. 16.7 When a mans ways please the Lord he makes his enemies to be at peace with him Yet it was no sooner said of King Hezekiah that his wayes pleased the Lord but the very next paragraph of his Chronicle reports an enemy making war upon him Fifthly Take this also We cannot find out God in the dispensations of his Free Grace in the Gospel â—here are such mazes such mysteries of love and goodness and kindneâ—s in Jesus Ch ist as though it be our duty to be searching after them and in them all our dayes though we ought to be continually digging in those golden Mines to find out the treasures hidden there yet we can never find them out Therefore the Apostle Ephes 3.8 calls them The unsearchable riches of Christ not unsearchable because it is unlawful to search after them but unsearchable because when we have searched to the utmost we cannot find them out as he speaks in the close of that chapter that we may be able to comprehend with all Saints the height and depth and length and breadth and to know the love of Christ that passeth knowledge Under all these considerations and many many more God is past finding out Whence take three brief Inferences First Do not search too far that is beyond what is written into the counsels of God no nor into the works of God For though as it is said Psal 111.2 the works of God are great sought out by all them that have pleasure therein yet they that have the greatest pleasure in them cannot in all points find them out It is our duty to search the works of God but to think we can find out the bottom of his works would be our sin Secondly If the Almighty cannot be found out no not in his works of providence then Take heed of censuring or finding fault with his works Shall we censure what we cannot know and find fault with that which we cannot find He that censures what another doth should first have the full compass of what he doth and be able to look quite thorow it which the most eagle-eyed soul in the world cannot as to what God doth in this world And therefore though you see no reason for what is don do not complain for there may be a reason for the doing of it which you do not see and the reason is often such and lyes so deep that you cannot see it And know this is reason enough why you should forbear censuring what is done because God doth iâ— though you can give no oâ—her reason why it is done Thirdly If God be past finding out in his works and much more in himself then be not so much as discontented with his works You are not yet come to the bottom you have not seen the last man born as we say you know not what God will make of it till he hath done all therefore take heed of murmuring and discontent Zech. 2.13 Be silent O all flesh before the Lord for he is risen out of his holy habitation Though his rising be visible yet we cannot see all the concernments and intendments of his rising therefore be silâ—nt altogether from fear and discontents and though not from all enqâ—i ies about it yet from a presumption of finding out all by enquiâ—ies For As touching the Almighty we cannot find him out That 's the first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He is excellent in power Tâ—at's the second Mr. Broughton reads He is huge of strength The word rendâ—ed excellent properly signifies to encrease There is no encrease of the strength of
The excellency of God in Judgment as well as in Power But what are we to understand by judgment in which Elihu saith God excells In answer to this Querie I shall first shew that Judgment is taken four ways in Scripture and then prove that God is excellent in Judgment with respect to every one of them First Judgment is an ability of judging A man of judgment and a wise man are the same When we say such a man is a man of Judgment or a judicious man we mean he is a prudent man he is able to discern things that differ he knows how to order state and determine doubtful things aright In this sence we are to understand it here the Lord is excellent in judgment that is in wisdome and prudence to set things right and to give every one his right he sees clearly how to mannage all his affayres and purposes by righteous meanes to right ends The prophet gives God the glory of this title expressely Isa 30.18 The Lord is a God of judgment Blessed are they that wait for him That is the Loâ—d is infinitely furnished with wisdom he knows exactly not only what ought to be done but how and when to do it therefore waite for him And 't is encouragement to waite when we have a person of judgment and understanding a discreet and prudent person to waite upon God is a God of judgment in this sence theref re blessed are they that waite for him Secondly Judgement in Scripture is taken for that moderation or due measure which is observed in any thing that is done This follows the former for unless a man have a Judgment or true understanding in the thing it self he can never hit a right measure of it Thus I conceive that Scripture is to be understood Math 23.23 where Christ denouncing or thundering out woes thick and threefold against the proud hypocritical Pharisees he tells them Ye pay tythe of Anise and Cummin and have omitted the weightier matters of the Law Judgment Mercy that iâ— either they did not give a right judgment according to Law or their legal Judgments were given with rigour not at all attemper'd mixt and moderated with mercy Of such the Apostle James speaketh Chap. 2.13 He shall have judgment without mercy that hath shewed no mercy and mercy rejoyceth against Judgment In this sence the Lord is excellent in Judgment For as he hath wisdome and understanding to see what is just â—ight so in Judgment he remembers Mercy His patience is greaâ— before he gives Judgment and his moderation is great when he gives it He dealeth not with us according to our sins nor rewardeth us according to our iniquities Psal 103.10 that is his Judgments are not proportion'd to the greatness of our sins and iniquities For as it followeth at the 11th verse of that Psalme as high as the Heaveâ— is above the Earth so great is his mercy towards them that feare him Therefore the Prophet brings in the Chuâ—ch praying thus Jer. 10.24 O Lord Correct me I conceive it is not a direct prayer for Correction but a submission to it As if he had said I will not murmur nor rebell against thy Correction O Lord Correct me but with Judgment that is with due moderation It cannot be meant of Judgment as it notes the effect of divine displeasure but Correct me moderately or as another text hath iâ— in measure as thou usest to correct thy people This meaning is plain fâ—om the opposition in the next words Not in thine anger least thou bring me to nothing Anger transports men to do things undecently wiâ—hout modeâ—ation we quickly exceed our limits if carried out in passion and though that anger which the Scripture attributes often to God never transports him beyond the due bounds of his wisdome and justice yet when God is said to do a thing in anger it notes his going as it were to the utmost bounds of justice this caused the Church to pray O Lord if the cup may not pass from me if it cannot be but I must be corrected then I humbly and earnestly beg thou wouldst be pleased to correct me in Judgment not in anger least thou bring me to nothing What the Church prayed for here the Lord promised elsewhere Jer. 30.11 I will not make a full end of thee but I will correct thee in measure and will not leave thee altogether unpunished Thus God is excellent in Judgment He abates the severity of his proceedings and allayes the bitterness of the cup by some ingredients of mercy Thirdly Judgment in Scripture is put for the reformation of things when they are out of order In this sence it is used John 12.31 Now is the Judgment of this world Our late Annotators tell us that by Judgment is meant reformation As if Christ had said I am come to set all things in order that have been out of order and disjoynted in the Jewish Church and every where else Now is the Judgment of this world In this sence God is excellent in Judgment or he excells in this Judgment that is he is for reformation he will set all things right he will make crooked things strait he will make the rough places plain John the Baptist came before Christ in this work yet in this work Christ is before or exceeds John the Baptist The Lord Isa 4.4 will purge away the iniquity of the daughter of Zion with a spirit of Judgment and with a spirit of burning that is with a reforming and a refining Spirit And the Lord will send forth this Judgment unto victory Matth. 12.20 that is he will do it thorowly he will oveâ—come all the difficulties and put by all the obstacles which hinder the perfect reforma ion of things as well as â—f persons That 's the importance also of that great promise Isa 1.25 26. I saith the Lord will turn my hand upon thee or take thee in hand aâ—d purely purge away thy dross and take away all thy tinn thâ—t is all those corruptions which have crept in upon thee I will restâ—re thy Judges as at the first and thy Councellors as at the beginning Things and persons are usually best at first The new broom â—ay we sweept clean As time consumes all things here beloâ— so it coâ—rupts most things and therefore when the Loâ—d promiseth to restore them to a primitive purity he promiseth the purest restauration all which is summ'd up in the 27th verse Sion shall be redeemed with Judgment which is not only if at all intended of a redemption by Judgment on her enemies but by that reformation which â—od would work upon themselves in taking away their dross and tinn Restoring their Judges as at the first and their Councellers as at the beginning Such a Judgment is spoken of Isa 30 22. Ye shall defile also that is utterly disgrace and deface the Covering of thy graven Images of Silver and the Ornament of thy molten Images of Gold
thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth thou shalt say unto it get thee hence This is the Judgment of reformation which God hath and will further work among his people till Sion be built up in perfect beauty and Jerusalem become the praise of the whole earth Thus also God is excellent both in power and in Judgment Fourthly Judgment signifies those evills which God brings upon impenitent sinners that 's a very frequent notion of Judgment in Scripture and the Lord is excellent in this Judgment and that First Upon his own people when they provoke him and sin against him 1 Pet. 4.17 If Judgment begin at the house of God what shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospel There 's Judgment beginning at the house of God that is God will bring evill upon his own house the Church even sore troubles and persecutions The Lord will not spare them who have been slight with him forgetfull of him formal in profession or wanton and vaine in conversation This is a great part of the Lords excellency in Judgment he brings Judgment upon his own house The Lord saith the Prophet Isa 5.16 shall be exalted in Judgment and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness that is in bringing his righteous Judgments upon Israel his peculiar people We find that Gospel Prophet Isaiah often interweaving the wyre and whipcord of corporal bondage with the silk and scarlet thread of Sions dâ—liverances Secondly In Judgment towards his enemies Psal 149.9 He will execute on them the Judgment that is written and that is no inconsiderable nor easie Judgment The servants of God may smart sorely under these Judgments but the wicked and rebellious shall perish and sink under them How dreadfull is that profession or protestation which the Lord made by Moses Deut. 32.41 If I whet my glittering sword and my hand take hold of Judgment I will render vengeance to mine enemies and will reward them that hate me Some possibly may object Surely there is no such appearance of Gods excellency in Judgment upon the wicked of the woâ—ld the enemies of his name and wayes It grew to a Proverb Mal. 2.17 Ye say every one that doth evill is good in the sight of the Lord and he delighteth in them or where is the God of Judgment Evill men seem to be good in the eyes of the Loâ—d when they enjoy good and if it be so said some Where is the God of Judgment I answer First the Lord hath left testimony enough upon Record and written it in the blood of many thouâ—ands to justifie himself that he is excellent in Judgment by taking vengeance on the wicked Did he not excell in Judgment upon the sinning Angels 2 Pet. 2.8 Jude 6. was he not excellent in Judgment when he destroyed the whole world for sin when he burnt Sodom and Gomorrah with fire for sin How many instances might I give of this from Scripture God hath sufficiently declared himself excellent in this punitive Judgment I answer Secondly God indeed doâ—h not presently execute Jâ—dgment upon all the wicked we shoâ—ld rather be lead by sence than by faith if he should do so if he should smite sinners as soon as they provoke him yea if God should take that course he must even break the world to peices and destroy whole generations at once Thirdly God suffers sinners a while that his councels may be fulfilled for though the wicked obey not the command of God yet they fulfill the councel of God Acts 4.28 and they do it chiefly when he with-holdeth Judgment from them Fourthly Unless the Lord did a little give stop to the execution of Judgment in this kind it would neither appear how good nor how bad some men are Let some have but a little power in their hands and the world at will then you shall see whither they will go and what they will do And wâ—en bad men are suffered to go on unpunished and to be a punishment to others then it appears more fully how good some are and that in a twofold respect First because they refraine from evill though they see that they also possibly might do it impune and not suffer in this world Secondly because â—hey hold fast both theiâ— profession and practise of Godliness how much soever they suffer for it in this world from evill men Fifthly God is executing Judgments upon wicked men while he seems to spare them from judgment Pro. 1.32 The prosperity of fools slayeth them Sâ—me think a wicked mâ—n is mighâ—ily favoured when he is in prosperity no that prosperity is his destruction and destruction is Judgment in perfection The table of a wicked man is made his snare his full table faâ—tens his heart which is the sorest of all judgments To be unâ—ensible is worse than any punishment of sense to be hardned or heartned in doing evill is more penall than the suffering of any evill Now while wicked men escape the suffering of evill they grow resolved that is hardned and heartned in doing iâ— or to do it Take Solomons observation or experience in the caâ—e Eccles 8.11 Because sentence against an evil work is not speedily executed upon themselves or others therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully sâ—t in them to do mischief So then there are many invisible judgmen s upon wicked men when we see no hand touch them nor judgment neer them God giveâ— them up to vile affections and to a reprâ—baâ—e mind Rom. 1.26 28. to their own counsels Psal 81.12 and to strong dâ—lusâ—oâ—â— by â—â—hers 2 Thes 2.11 Theâ—e heavy loads oâ— judgment may be on their hearts upon whose backs we see not sâ— much as a gaine weight of judgment Thus the Lord is excellâ—nt in judgment in all the notions of it I have inâ—â—anced fouâ—e Now lâ—st any should think that God at any time breaks the rule of justice in his zeale for this latter sort of judgment or while he is powring out vengeance upon the wicked therefore it follâ—ws in the next place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And in plenty of Justice God executes great wrath upon sinners but there is gâ—eat Justice Justitiâ— est constâ—ns perpetua voluntas suum cuique tribuendi Justin plenty of Justice in it There is store â—nd abundance of justice and righteousness in his most rigorous juâ—gments A little justice is a most precious thing how precious then is plenty of jâ—stice Justice in it self is the giving of every one his due and where justice is in any man it constanâ—ly bends and enclines his heart to do so his especially with whom there is as in God plenty of justice And indeed what-ever God hath he haâ—h plenty of it He hath mercy and plenty of it he iâ— plenteous in mercy Psal 103.8 Aâ—d with him iâ— pleâ—teous redemption Pâ—al 130.7 There is also plenty of justice in him Some men have no Justice at all in them though their
had Fathers of our flesh who for a few dayes chastened us after theâ—r own pleasure they to ease themselveâ— have put us to pain but the Lord doth it for our profit that we might be partakers of his holiness There is just cause we should be afflicted when we provoke God by sin or when he would purge us from our sin or make us more holy And as it may be said God will not afflict because he doth not afflict us but when there is cause for it so Thirdly Because he doth not afflict us but when there is need 1 Pet. 1.6 nor more than there is need we shall not be afflicted an hour longer nor have a grain more of weight in the burden of our cross nor a drop more of gall and wormwood in the cup of our sorrows than we have need of Isa 27.7 8 9. Hath he smitten him as he smote those that smote him in measure when it shooteth forth thou wilt debate with him As if it had been said he shall have no greater a measure than is both useful and needful First to humble him for his sin secondly to subdue and mortifie his sin thirdly he shall have no more than is needful to exercise his graces his faith and patience no more fourthly than is needful to make him thankful for deliverance and sensible of mercy when it comes Thus as God who hath plenty of Justice will not afflict us but when there is need so not more than is need Fourthly It may be said He will not afflict because he doth not afflict us more than we can bear he tenderly considers our strength what we are able to stand under how long we are able to stand under it he will not break our backs nor our hearts unless by godly sorrow for or from sin by affliction God saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 10.13 is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it Hence whâ—n it is said Lam. 3.33 He doth not afflict willingly c. it follâ—weth vers 34. to crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth The Lord makes many his prisoners yet then his bowels are opened towards them he will not crush nor tread them down as mire in the streets I saith the Lord Isa 57.16 will not contend for ever c. For if I should the Spirit should fail before me and the souls which I have made I know what your spirits can bear and I will contend no longer than I know you are able to bear it Hence that Promise Psal 125.3 The rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous least he put forth his hands to evil The Lord knows the rod may prevail over us so as to put us upon the doing of evil and therefore he will take order that it shall not Thus we may safely understand this assertion He will not afflict that is he afflicts not willingly he afflicts not till there is need nor will he afflict more than needs nor more than we are able or himself will enable us to bear he will either support us under or give us deliverance out of all our afflictions in due time I might hence or from the whole infer a double duty First Be Patient under affliction Secondly Be Comforted in affliction For God doth so afflict that he may be truly said not to afflict But having met with occasions for the ministring of such like counsels to the afflicted from other passages in this book it may suffice only to mind the Reader of them here This spake Elihu in the close or peroration of his discourse to stir up Job to consider all the dealings of God with him he would have him sit down with these four Doctrinal Conclusions upon his heart that God is Excellent in Power and in Judgement and in plenty of Justice he will not afflict Surely he will not afflict more in measure nor longer in time than is need as Job seemed in his passion to intimate and charge God for which he had several reproofs before Thus far I have opened these words as they stand in our translation There are two or three different readings especially of the latter part of the verse which would not be altogether omitted and therefore I shall touch at them and then proceed to the next and last verse of this Chapter which is also Elihu's parting word or the conclusion of his large and close discourse with Job The first different reading is much insisted upon by some Interpreters Take it thus Omnipotens quem non assequimur amplus est virtute sed judicio mâ—gnitudine justitiae non affliget Merc. The Almighty whom we cannot find out is great in power but he will not afflict in judgment and plenty of justice This translation transposeth those words which we place in the end of the verse he will not afflict to the middle of it and it renders the copulative particle And by the adversative But This makes the sence of the whole verse more plain and easie than the former as also to rise up more fully to the purpose of Elihu As if he had thus summed up all that he spoke before or had contracted it into this sum Which things seeing they are so as I have declared we may certainly conclude Quamvis sit potentissimus tamen homines ante creatos tanti facit ut non utator omnipotentia sua ad eos summo jure pro meritis eorum affligendos Jun. that the Almighty is so full of majesty and power that we are no way able to reach compass and find him out Yet notwithstanding he is so full of goodnesse and mercy that he is very sparing towards men and will not afflict them according to their demerits nor up to the extremity of justice This exposition holds out clearly that temperament of the power and justice with the goodness and mercy of God which Elihu undertook to demonstrate at the fifth verse of the thirty sixth Chapter and so forwards He is great in power but he will not afflict in judgement Take this note from it How great soever the power of God is yet he doth not afflict sinful man according to the greatness of his power nor the utmost line of his justice The Lord is full of mercy full of sparing mercy he spareth his people as a man spareth his own son that serveth him Mal. 3.17 And indeed if God should afflict in plenty that is in extremity of justice what would become of the best of the holiest of men Who can withstand the power of the great God who can stand in judgment before him if he should mark iniquities Psal 130.3 Woe to the most innocent man alive if God should mark iniquities and not forgive iniquities And therefore it follows in the next or 4th verse of that Psalm
flight and bold thoughts of God to take up high and reverential thoughts of God this this is to fear God Yet a little further and more distinctly I conceive here in this place to fear God stands in a four-fold opposition Fiâ—st Men should fear him and not murmure at what he doth Secondly They should fear him and not lightly pass by what he doth Thirdly They should fear him and not question him about what he doth Fourthly They should fear him and not curiously search or prie into what he doth The Lord having such power to do such wisdom in doing such a mixture of mercy with justice in all that he doth men should only admire and improve his doings not murmure at nor lightly pass by nor question nor curiously pry into what he doth Thus to fear God as faithful in all his works and to fear offending him in any of our own workâ— is the summe of Godliness Hear the conclusion of all saith Solomon Eccl. 12.13 Fear God and keep his Commandements this is the whole of man that is as we translate the whole duty of man Secondly Taking the word men more strictly as signifying not strong or mighty men but weak afflicted men Note When God is afflicting us we ought to be much in the fear of God What when the hand of God is upon us shall our hearts be lifted up against him or in our selves what shall not our hearts stoop when our backs are burdened with sorrows and bowed down with a cross Not to fear God when we are at furthest remove from fear or trouble in the world is an argument of a very bad heart but not to fear him when fear is round about us or when himself is chastening and correcting of us argueth a much worse frame of heart Holy David gave this character of his enemies Psal 55.19 Because they have no changes therefore they fear not God What shall we say of them who fear not God though they have many changes such changes I mean as Job felt and cryed out of in the bitterness of his soul Chap. 10.17 Changes and war are against me And 't is conceived that Elihu aimed particularly at Job in this passage as if he were the man who though under great changes and in great troubles yeâ— behaved himself unlike those who truly fear the Lord. Thirdly Note It is so much the duty of man to fear God that it may well be supposed of all men that they fear him He can scarce be looked upon as a man who doth not fear God Doth he know himself to be a weak man who doth not tremble at the remembrance of the Almighty God Doth he know himself to be a sinful man who doth not tremble at the remembrance of the holy of the most holy God This duty of fear is due to God upon so many accounts even common accounts from man that we may conclude surely every man feareth God Shall we not fear him who is incomprehensibly great in power and in judgment and in plenty of justice What! not fear him who made us and preserveth us who feeds and cloaths us What! nor fear him in whose hand our breath is and all our wayes These and many more are common accounts upon which all men may see both reason and their own engagement to fear God So then as because it is so much the duty of a Son to honour his Father and of a Servant to fear his Master therefore the Scripture supposeth all Sons and Servants doing it Mal. 1.6 A Son honoureth his Father and a Servant his Master He doth noâ— say a Son ought to honour his Father and a Servant his Master but he honoureth or doth honour That person deserveth not the name of a Son that doth not honour his Father nor is he worthy the name of a Servant that doth not honour his Master Now I say as the Scripture takes it for granted upon this ground the naturalness of the duty thâ—t every Son honours his Father and every Servant his Master so it doth and so may we that every man feareth God And doubtless if a Son or Servant deserves not to bear the name of these relations unless they honour and fear Father and Master how much less do they deserve to be called Men who do not fear God the Almighty God! Again from those two particular heads upon which this fear is grâ—unded First Therefore with respect to the power and justice of God Secondly Therefore with respect to the mercy and tenderness of God Note Fiâ—st God is to be feared because he is so full of power and justice then especially when by some eminent and special act of providence he declares his power and is doing justice By how much the more God puts himself forth in his power and justice by so much the more he is to be feared 'T is prophesied Rev. 15.3 that when God shal shew forth his great power and execute the severity of his justice upon Antichrist then they who shall get the victory over the beast and over his image c. shall sing the Song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb saying Great and marvelous are thy works Lord God Almighty just and true are thy wayes thou King of Saints What followeth Who shall not fear thee O Lord and glorifie thy Name The vengeance to be poured upon Babylon will be so great a demonstration of Gods power and justice that it will give occasion to all men the faithful especially yea it will call upon them aloud to fear God Who shall not fear thee As if he had said surely there is no man so stupid so stout-hearted or so hard-hearted but if he see God in or at this wo k he will have dreadful apprehensions of him and fear befoâ—e him Yet this is not spoken of such a fear as Christ hath fore-told shall seize upon and possess the hearts of men before his gloâ—ious appeaâ—ing Luke 21.25 26. There shall be signes in the Sun and in the Moon and in the Stars and upon the Earth distress of Nations with perplexity the Sea and the Waters roaring mens hearts failing them for fear c. It shall not be I say such a fear a heaâ—t-failing but a heart-enlarging fear not such aâ— fear as they have or rather as hath them who have their hope only in this life these shall fear with an amazing desponding despairing fear but such a fear as they have who through grace have risen up to a full assurance of hope or are begotten again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for them The second ground of this fear is the mercy and goodness of God who though he be thus powerful and just yet he will not afflict that is he will not afflict without mercy and tenderness to his people Hence observe God is to