praised and honoured him that liveth for ever whose dominion is an everlasting dominion and his kingdome is from generation to generation and all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing and he doth according to his will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth and none can stay his hand or say unto him what dost thou that is none may so much as question much lesse reprove him for any thing that he doth Though there are many who in the pride of their hearts and through the forgetfullnes of their duty will presume to question God about what he hath done and even controule his doings yet of right or according to rule none can Hence the Apostle having asserted the soveraignty of God he hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth brings in some questioning his proceedings but he checks them soundly for their boldnes in questioning and instructs them by many upbrayding questions that they ought not to put that or any such question Thou wilt say then ver 18 19 20. why doth he yet finde fault for who hath resisted his will nay but who art thou ô man that repliest against God shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus hath not the potter power over the clay of the same lumpe to make one vessell of honour and another of dishonour what if God were willing to shew his wrath in some as well as his grace mercy in others what have you or I to doe with it who gave you or I leave to examine God upon intergatoryes about it Thus he pleads the power or prerogative of God this must silence all our queries and satisfie all our doubts none may aske him a reason of what he doth the reason is in himselfe The will of God is his reason and there is all the reason in the world it should for his is not onely a soveraigne will but a just and a holy will Solomon saith Eccl. 8.4 Where the word of a king is there is power and who may say unto him what dost thou In all lawfull administrations it is true of kings and supream earthly powers in what forme soever none may say unto them what doe yee their word must stand much more is this true of him who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords who is the supream power of heaven and earth all whose wayes are equall and his dispensations righteous though we see not the equity and righteousnesse of them That is not onely great but the greatest power which none may question Fourthly This also demonstrates the greatnesse of Gods power that none can stop or hinder him in what it hath a minde to doe what he appoints he executes and none can stop it or as Nebuchadnezzar speakes in the place before mentioned Dan. 4.35 stay his hand The hand of the strongest power upon the earth may be and hath been staid kings have had a check their hands have been stayd but none can stay the hand of God I will worke saith he and none shall let it Isa 43.17 God should doe but little worke in the world if men could let it Wicked men would let or hinder God in all his workes and the godly through their mistakes would hinder him in some of his workes but none can He speaks to the Sunne and it shineth not yea he speakes to the Sunne and it moveth not This is the greatnesse and the muchnes of the power of God But saith Job Will he plead against me with this great power All this power God hath and this power he can put forth but he will not put it forth against me saith Job 1. And what was Job that he should be thus confident and rise up to such a strong assurance that God would not use his strength against him Job was a godly man a man fearing God a man perfect and upright a man full of faith even full of faith though he lived in dark times and under dark dispensations yet I say he was a man full of faith in the Redeemer Now it is no wonder if a man of this character a man thus qualified and priviledged had this confidence and was much assured that he should prosper and speed in it That God would not plead against him with his great power Hence Observe A godly man may be confident that God will deale gently and graciously with him or That God will deale with him according to the greatnes of his mercy not according to the greatnes of his power The greatnes of the power of God is an exceeding great comfort to the sincere because they know it is acted towards them in the greatnes of his mercy It is comfortable to heare that the Lord who as the Prophet describes him Nah 1.3 is great in power is also slow to anger the greatnes of mans power doth usually quicken not clogg his passions but it is more comfortable to know that God who is great in power is quick and speedy to shew mercy And hence it is that a true beleever rejoyceth in the power o◠God as well as in his mercy because he knoweth that God hath declared himselfe powerfull for him as well as mercifull He knoweth God will not put forth power alone or nothing but power towards him God doth exercise all his refreshing attributes and divine perfections in dealing with Saints Whereas upon the wicked he exerciseth his power chiefely though not onely What if God to make his power knowne endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted for destruction saith the Apostle Rom. 9.22 God pleads with the wicked according to the tenour of the Covenant of workes but with Beleevers according to the Covenant of grace in which he doth as it were uncloath himselfe of his power and cloath himselfe with love mercy goodnesse and tendernes to his people The Lord as the Psalmist speakes Psal 93.1 is cloathed with strength wherewith he hath girded himselfe he is cloathed also with mercy and with that he hath girded himselfe he pleads with his people I grant in righteousnesse as well as in mercy as the Apostle speakes Rom. 3.25 26. God hath set forth Jesus Christ to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his rightenesse for the remission or passing over of sins that are past through the forbearance of God to declare I say at this time his righteousnesse and the justifyer of him that beleeveth in Jesus The justice or righteousnesse of God was never so fully declared as in Christ for God did not spare him at all but he having taken our debt upon him discharged it to the utmost farthing God pleaded against Christ with his great power and with his perfect righteousnesse To which plea Christ made answer with as Great a power his being the power of God and with as perfect a righteousnes his being also the righteousnesse of God And hence it
weary of them and that they were a burthen to him in all their services Now when we are a burthen to God God is never pleasant to us if the Lord say he is weary of us we cannot say we delight our selves in him Our delight and pleasure in God is the fruit of his delight in and wel-pleasednes with us Thirdly Eliphaz proposeth this delight in the Lord as the most winning promise Hence note Delight in the Lord is the highest and choicest mercy There is nothing better nothing sweeter then to delight in the Lord delight in the Lord hath all true delights in it David speakes this out fully in that place lately quoted to another occasion Psal 37.4 Delight thy selfe in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thy heart that is thou shalt have all thy desires fullfilled in this thing delight in the Lord will be the fullfilling of all thy desires not only shall they who delight themselves in the Lord have all their desires filled up but their very delight in the Lord is the fullfilling of all their desires What is the glory of heaven but delighting in the Lord And he who delights in the Lord feeles not the want or absence of any earthly Good In thy presence is fullnesse of joy and at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore Psal 16 11. Heavenly glory is nothing but delight in God and all earthly good is nothing without delight in God We may affirme foure things of this delight in opposition to all worldly delights First This is a reall delight worldly delights are but shaddows or pageant-like shewes of delight The joyes of a hypocrite are like his holines meere appearances of joy he hath no reall no true joy as he hath no true no reall holinesse That man doth but faine a taste of joy whosoever he is that doth but faine the practice of holinesse Thus who wickedly hold out a holines which they feele not shall talke of joyes which they finde not Secondly Delight in the Lord is a strong delight yea it is a strengthening delight That must needs be strong joy which is strengthening joy such is the joy of the Lord as Nehemiah told that people Neh 8.10 The joy of the Lord is the strength of the soule the strength of the inward man it makes us mighty it makes us giants to run our race the race of holinesse The giant rejoyceth to run his race because he is strong and knowes he can doe it The joy of the Lord is our strength and is both an evidence thaâ— wee are strong and a meanes to make us so Worldly delights are weake and they weaken us Delight in the Lord is strong and it strengthens Thirdly It is a lasting delight not like the crackling of thornes under a pott to which Solomon elegantly compares the laughter of the foole Eccl. 7.6 that make a noise and a blaze for a while but are presently extinct Now Solomons foole may be eyther first the prophane man in the world or secondly the hypocrite in the Church All the joyes of this payre of fooles the prophane worldling and the formal hypocrite are soone in and soone out like crackling thornes But joy or delight in the Almighty is a lasting delight it is not for a fitt or a pang but for continuance yea it continueth in the middest of all worldly sorrows for it overcomes and conquers them There is a laughter in which saith Solomon Pro. 14.13 the heart is sorrowfull and there is a sorâ—ow in which the heart laughs As sorrowfull yet alwayes rejoycing saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 6.10 Spiritual joy or joy in the Lord is not extinguished though surrounded with worldly sorrowes Many waters cannot quench this vehement flame this flame of God as Solomon speakes of love Cant. 8. neyther can the floods drowne it Fourthly Delight in the Allmighty is a holy delight a delight which makes us more holy the delights of the world are impure and they defile us we seldome take in worldly pleasures but they leave some spot and taint upon our spirits or conversations but the delights we have in the Lord are all pure yea purifying delights they make the soule more cleare more holy more heavenly they make us like unto the Almighty in whom our delight is For look what the object is in which we delight such is the spirit of him that takes that delight now the Lord in whom this delight is being altogether holy they that take delight in him must needs be made or kept holy by it As delight in worldly things makes the heart worldly base and dreggish so this refines and purifies it The more we drinke of the rivers of this pleasure the more sober we are to be an epicure as it were in these delights is the highest temperance Our feeding cannot be too full nor our drafts too large upon these delights Solomon Eccle. 2.2 who had run a course through all worldly delights and tryed them to the utmost said of laughter it is mad and of mirth what doth it there is a madnesse in the mirth of the world what doth it that is what good doth it to any man many things it doth it makes men vaine foolish dissolute dispirited for any goodnesse but what good doth it doth it make any man better more holy more wise or fit for duty no it can doe none of these things But delight in the Lord is all this and can doe all this it is true strong strengthening Quum unus quisq licenter respicit id in quo delectatur subdâ—t verâ—seq Aqâ—in lasting holy a delight that makes us more holy This is the portion of Saints at all times though payd them in more or specially at some times and that eyther first respecting the state and disposition of their owne soules as in the rest or secondly the state of and promised dispensations of God to the Church Isa 65.14.18 Isa 66.11 Then also in a speciall manner shalt thou have thy delight in the Lord. And because every man doth freely or willingly looke to that in which he is delighted Therefore Eliphaz addeth And shalt lift up thy face to God But some may say is that such a great matter is it any speciall favour to lift up the face to God seing to doe so is common to mankinde The Naturalist saith Oâ— homini sublime dedit Ovid. That whereas other creatures looke groveling downeward God gave man an erect countenance and bid him looke heavenwards How then doth Eliphaz promise Thou shalt lift up thy face to God We had the like expression Ch. 10.15 If I be righteous yet I will not lift up my head And Ch. 11.15 Then shalt thou lift up thy face without spott The lifting up of the head and the lifting up of the face are the same implying confidence or a wel-grounded boldnes in him that doth so For all these phrases of speech imply a lifting up of the minde or Spirit
his servant he answereth here Sir here I am and that is as much as to say I am ready to your command I am ready to doe what you will have me here I am so saith that promise in the Prophet Thou shalt cry and the Lord shall say here I am that is Adesse est aâ—dire I am ready to doe what you aske I am even ready O unspeakeable Goodnes at your command as our translation of the 11 â—h verse of the 45th Chapter of Isayah speakes out in plaine termes or I am willing to doe what you will have me to doe All which is in effect and vertually contained in the word of the Text. He shall heare thee This teacheth us First That God is the hearer of prayer It is the Lords title O thou that hearest prayer unto thee shall all flesh come saith David Psal 65.2 God is not onely A hearer of prayer but he is The Hearer of prayer to heare prayer is his peculiar prerogative and priviledge as wel as his goodnes and mercy none in heaven or earth have a will to heare prayer as God doth nor have any a power to doe it No creatures eare is long enough to reach the complaints nor his stocke large enough to supply the wants of all his fellow creatures The crowne of this honour fits none but God himselfe He shall heare thee Secondly Note It is a great mercy a mercy comprehending all mercy to be heard in prayer He shall heare thee Man cannot desire a richer favour then to be heard of God To have audience in the Court of Princes and among the great men of the earth is a great favour What greater worldly priviledge can a man have then this that he hath the eare of those who are greatest in the world When a man saith I have the Princes eare I can be heard when I speake we thinke he hath spoken enough to make him a man How great a mercy is it then to have the eare of God to have ready audience in the Court of heaven that as soone as we call the Lord is ready to answer here I am what 's the matter what would you have it shall be done your request is granted And to shew that to be heard by God is the summe of all mercies or all our mercies wrapt up in one the Scripture testifies that not to be heard of God is the summe of all judgements or all judgements wrapt up in one When the Lord refuseth to heare or sayth he will not heare those that pray then wrath is comming upon them to the uttermost Thus the Lord threatned the Jewes Isa 1.15 When ye spread forth your hands I will hide my eyes from you yea when ye make many prayers I will not heare your hands are full of bloud As it is an argument of the greatest sinfullnesse of man against God not to pray Powre out thy fury upon the Heathen that know thee not and upon the families that call not on thy name Jere. 10.25 So it it an argument of the greatest wrath of God upon man not to be heard in prayer He that is not heard receives nothing and he that is heard receives all And this is the Saints priviledge by Jesus Christ their prayers are heard they have welcome audience at the throane of Grace continually And hence by way of Corallary from the former observation we learne that Holy prayers are fruitfull and gainefull prayers God hath not said to the seed of Jacob seeke ye me in vaine Hee that goeth forth and weepeth bearing pretious fruit this pretious fruit faith and prayer or the prayer of faith shall doubtlesse there 's no hazard nor peradventure in the case come againe rejoycing bringing his sheaves with him His showry seed-time shall be blessed with a fruitfull and plentifull harvest The wicked make many adventures many voyages by prayer such as it is heaven-wards yet come home without ladeing without any fraight at all Their prayers are all lost and turne to no profit and indeed theirs are not prayers but words or babling rather But holy prayer the prayer of the holy is prevailing At quibus cum que tandeÌ„ modis peccator oret verum etiam est nunquam exaudiri peccatorem ex dignitate suae personae aut meriti sed ex dei gratia misericordia Bold Those showers of prayers and teares which beleevers send up to heaven are like the raine as the Prophet speakes Isa 55.10 which commeth downe and the snow from heaven and returneth not thither but watereth the earth and maketh it bring forth and bud that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater Even thus the word of prayer which goeth out of the mouthes or hearts rather of beleevers returnes not to them voyd but prospers in the thing whereto they send it As appeares yet more fully in the next words of this verse spoken by Eliphaz He shall heare thee What then And thou shalt pay thy Vowes That is God will give thee the mercies which thou didst pray for and thereby give thee occasion to pay the vowes which thou didst make to him in case he performed thy desire in prayer Eliphaz is not exhorting Job directly to pay vowes but he is assuring him that his prayer shall be heard and so fully answered that he shall see reason and have aboundant cause to pay them and to pay them both fully and chearefully Thou shalt pay thy Vowes The word signifies free votive promises made to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat votivas promissiones deo factas quae obligant nec retractari nec solvi propria authoritate possunt Bold yet obligatory upon man for howsoever as the word implyeth there ought to be the greatest freedome and voluntarines in making a vow yet a vow being made there is an obligation a bond or tye upon him that made it to performe or pay it He that voweth binds himselfe but he cannot unbind or absolve himselfe from his vow nor can he retract or call in his lawfull vow Eliphaz I suppose here mentions the payment of Vowes because the godly in those times did often make Vowes When Jacob Gen. 28.20 fled from his brother Esau he in case of his safe returne vowed a vow saying If God will be with me and will keepe me in this way that I goe and will give me bread to eate and rayment to putt on so that I come to my fathers house againe in peace then shall the Lord be my God that is I will owne and honour him love and depend upon him more then ever And this stone which I have set up shall be Gods house and of all that thou shalt give me I shall surely give the tenth to thee Here 's the tenour and forme of the most ancient and famous vow that ever was made Likewise Hauna 1 Sam. 1.11 vowed a vow and said O Lord of hoasts if thou wilt indeed looke on the affliction of
he being but dust and ashes should thus presse upon God and that he was afterwards reproved for it in the 38th Chapter of this Booke verse the first and second Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlewinde and said there he found him who is this that darkeneth Councell by words without knowledge gird up now thy loynes like a man for I will demand of thee and answer thou me And againe in the 40th Chap. ver 2d 3d 4th 5th Shall he that Contendeth with the Almighty instruct him he that reproveth God let him answer it Then Job answered the Lord and said Behold I am vile I will lay my hand upon my mouth Once have I spoken but I will not answer yea twice but I will proceed no further As if he had acknowledged his error and overboldnes in pressing upon God as in other places so also in this O that I might come even to his seate Yet I conceive that Job in this passage doth but put forth the nobler and higher actings of his faith and that he speaks this not as forgetting the distance of dust and ashes from the glory of God or from the glorious God but as remembring the promise and as insisting upon his priviledge as a beleever who is invited to come and to come with boldnes to the throane of Grace For though that promise was not given out as to the formality of it in those times yet the vertue of it was though in a lower degree then now To come with boldnes to the throne of grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denetat loâ—um praeparatum a â—adice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In voce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 puâ—o esse metotonymiam q d. vsque ad locuÌ„ in quo ipse proâ—ptus paratusque est ad audiendum ubi sui copâ—am facit Coc. Representat deum tanquam supremum Judicem in solio excelso sedenteÌ„ jusque suum unicuique reddentem Bold sounds much like this to come even to his seate and this Job did not onely as emboldened by the clearnes of his conscience towards men but as by the freenes of the Grace of God in Christ towards him In pursuance whereof it is well conceived by a learned enterpreter that there is a metonymie in the word which signifies a prepared seate that is such a seate as whereon God presents himselfe to poore sinners prepared and ready to give them both admittance to himselfe and a gratious audience of their requests and suites The word which wee translate seate signifieth a prepared place a place fitted implying somewhat speciall and peculiar unto God Heaven is called the habitation of his holines and of his glory Esay 63.15 yet wheresoever the Lord is hee makes it a heaven Thus also he can make any place where he is a hell The wicked shall be punished with everlasting fire from the presence of the Lord 2 Thes 1.9 that is the very presence of the Lord shall be a hell and torment to them The Lord can be both terrible and gratious in his presence any where yet he is somewhere more gratiously some where more terribly present Some cannot beare those expressions The Throne of God the seat of God heaven and hell As if these were but the Imaginations fancies and fictions of mans braine But the Lord hath his seates and dwelling places whence and where he declares himselfe both in mercy and in judgement both in his holines and in his glory Isa 6.1 I saw also the Lord sitting upon his Throne high and lifted up Thus the Lord manifested himselfe in vision to the Prophet and David confesseth Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever Psal 45.6 that is thy Power and Soveraigntie David speakes not of a material Throne such as Kings have the Power and Soveraignty of God are his throne wheresoever he is and is pleased to declare himselfe in his soveraignty and power So that when Job saith O that I might come even to his seate or throane the meaning is O that I might come as neer him as possibly I may I would not stand at a distance or keepe aloofe off as a guilty malefactor but draw neere to him in a holy and well-grounded confidence Thus Job speakes in answer to that Charge of Eliphaz in the former Chapter Is not thy wickednes great and thine iniquities infinite Now saith Job you shall see what my sinnes are and what my guilt seing I dare venture even to the very throne of God where no hypocrite dares appeare While Job professeth That if God after the manner of men should sit in open Judgement there will be such a Judgement at the last day he would come neer to him and not be afraid he seemes fully assured of his owne integrity or of the goodnes of his cause as also that God would be good unto him Hence observe That true holines and uprightnes hath abundance of Confidence before God Adam having sinned and the guilt of his sin being upon him durst not come to the Seat to the Throne of God God came to him in the coole of the day to examine and question him about his sin but he hid himselfe among the trees of the garden he withdrew not daring to abide him and that 's the state of all sinners who have the guilt of sin upon them they hide they run from God when once their Consciences are awakened As sin in the act of it is a turning or departure from the holines of God so sin acted or sin in the guilt of it causeth not onely a departure but a running and a hiding from the justice of God Guilty sinners are so farre from coming up to his Seat that they cannot endure to come in his sight a malefactor hath little minde to come before the Judge or to the Bench where the Judge sitteth Solomon saith Prov. 20.8 A king that sitteth in the Throne of Judgement scattereth away all evill with his eyes Wee may understand it thus he scattereth evill actions and evill persons evill workes and evill workers with his eyes there 's not an evill man willing to appeare or that dares to appeare before him They who are selfe-condemned must needs be afraid that others will condemne them also Magistrates sitting in Judgement are terrible to guilty malefactors Or thus Hee scattereth the evill with his eyes that is he makes evill men reveale and scatter their most secret evills by his prying into them and industrious Examination of them that evill or wicked practice which they had bound up in their hearts and said none shall know it he scatters and discovers Solomons proverb carryes an experienced truth in it both wayes And we may argue from it That if an earthly King or Magistrate sitting on the Throne scattereth all evill with his eyes how much more doth God neither any evill matter nor any evill man can stand before him And seing the Lord discovers all the evill that is in the hearts and wayes of men what
Kings of the earth and the great men and the rich men and the chiefe Captaines and the mighty men and every bondman and every free man shall hide themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountaines and say to the rocks and to the mountaines fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lambe They who having been threatned with the wrath of God were no more afrayd then the rocks shall for feare wooe the rocks to hide them from the wrath of God Though Adam had not the feare of God to keepe him from sinne yet the feare of God fell upon him as soone as he had sinned Gen. 3.10 I heard thy voice in the garden and I was affraid because I was naked and I hid my selfe Hence Observe First God is in himselfe very dreadfull hee is to be feared God is so much to be feared that not onely feare is with him but hee is feare As because God is so full of love therefore the Scripture predicates love directly of God God is love 1 Joh. 4.8 so because God is greatly to be feared therefore he is called feare Gen. 31.42.53 Except the God of my father the God of Abraham and the feare of Isaac that is the God whom my father Isaac feared had been with me surely thou hadst sent me away empty sayd Jacob in his contest with Laban And at the 53d verse of the same Chapter he sayth againe to Laban the God of Abraham and the Gâ—d of Nahor the God of their father judge betwixt us and Jacob â—ware by the feare of his father Isaac that is hee sware by God for by him onely can we sweare in a holy manner An oath being a part or an act of divine worship The dominion and feare of God are put together Mal. 1.14 I am a great King there is dominion and my name is dreadfull among the Heathen there is feare Even Heathens who know God oâ—ely by the ligâ—t of Nature which is so imperfect a way of knowing God that the Heathen are sayd not to know him Jer. 10.25 yet I say the Heathen who know God onely thus doe feare him they feare him in proportion to or according to the way of their knowledge of him How much more then is the Lord to be feared and how dreadfull is be to and among his owâ—e people who know him savingly who know him by Gospel light God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the Saints and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him Psal 89.7 Hee is terribly dreadfull amongst the Heathen hee is awfully or reverentially dreadfull among the Saints Feare is with him First In reference to the greatnesse of his power consider what God can doe and that renders him dreadfull Wee feare those that can doe great things those especially that can doe great things against us For this reason Christ exhorts his Disciples to feare God when hee saw them in danger of a surprisal by the feare of what men could doe against them Luk. 12.4 5. I say unto you my friends be not afraid of them that kill the body and after that have no more that they can doe But I will forewarne you whom yee shall feare feare him which after hee hath killed hath power to cast into hell yea I say unto you feare him How is he to be feared who at one stroake can peirce body and soule quite through and throw both into hell The Lord is to be feared upon the consideration of the ordinary providentiall puttings forth of his power how much more when he puts forth his power extraordinarily and Judicially Jer 5.22 Feare ye not me sayth the Lord will yee not tremble at my presence which have placed the sand for the bound of the Sea by a perpetuall decree that it cannot passe it and though the waves thereof tosse themselves yet can they not prevaile though they roare yet can they not passe over it I have done this thing put a stop to the Sea I have put a bridle into the mouth of the Sea I can check the waves when they roare and tosse and will ye not feare me Secondly God is to be feared for his goodnesse as we read at the 24th verse of the same Chapter where the Lord upbraides their want of feare while they remembred his most ordinary good providences at land Neither say they in their heart let us now feare the Lord our God that giveth raine both the former and the latter in his season hee reserveth unto us the appointed weekes of the harvest If God be to be feared for that witnes of his goodnesse which is held out by raine and fruitfull seasons or by filling the hearts of men in common with food and gladnes then how much more is God to be feared for the distinguishing acts of his goodnes and mercy the pardon of sin and the giving out of his Spirit There is forgivenes with thee that thou mayest be feared sayd the Psalmist 130.4 and Hos 3.5 They shall feare the Lord and his goodnesse in the latter dayes that is they shall feare the Lord because of his goodnes his speciall goodnes to his Church and people in advancing them to all their spirituall liberties priviledges in the latter dayes And thus the Lord is sayd to be not onely glorious in holinesse but fearefull in praises because we should feare him when wee are praising him both because hee hath wrought so much goodnes and mercy for those who are unworthy as also lest while we receave so much from the hand of his goodnes and mercy we should walke unworthyly Secondly When the text sayth Feare is with him wee learne That God can strike man with feare when he pleaseth Power is with him and he can put forth his power if God send out his power it goeth and prevaileth So feare is with him and hee can send out his feare to strike whom he will with feare when and as oft as hee will The Scriprure sheweth the Lord sending forth his feare at pleasure and attaching the strongest and hardyest of the children of men It is sayd Gen. 35.5 And they journeyed that is Jacob and his small company and the terrour of God was upon the Cities that were round about them and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob. The terrour of God was sent out to keepe them in so that none of them stirred Else no doubt but all the Cities would have pursued them because of that high provocation which the sons of Jacob had given them by the late slaughter of the Sichemites When God promised to send Hornets before the people of Israel to drive out the uncircumcised Nations this feare was the Hornet Exod. 23.28 God stung their hearts with feare or as it were by Hornets buzz'd a feare into their eares as he did into the eares of the Syrians who encamped before Samaria 2
numberless of our sins There is an Arithmeticall as well as a Geometricall infinity in sin Thus the Septuagint as was sayd before render the Text Are not thine iniquities innumerable That hath a kinde of infinity which cannot be numbred but cannot our sinnes be numbred are they infinite in number I answer sinnes may be considered two wayes first in their species and kinds secondly in their acts if we consider sinnes in their species and kinds so they are not innumerable for it is possible to number up all the severall heads divisions and kinds of sinne but if we consider sin in reference to acts so every mans sins are innumerable yet this innumerablenes of sins in reference to acts may be considered either absolutely or as to us The acts of sin are not absolutely or in themselves innumerable but as to us they are innumerable they are more then any man can number John sayth Rev. 7.9 After this I beheld and lo a great multitude which no man could number besides those that were sealed of every Tribe of all Nations and kindreds c. This great multitude was not in it selfe without number but as to mans arithmeticke it was no man could number it The haires of our head and the sands of the Sea are numerable to God but to us innumerable David Psal 40.12 speakes first of innumerable evills and then of innumerable sinnes innumerable evills compasse me about mine iniquities have taken hold upon me so that I am not able to looke up they are more then the haires of my head therefore my heart faileth me when he sayth they are more then the haires of my head his meaning is they are innumerable I can no more tell the summe of my sinnes then the summe of my hayres Christ to assure his Disciples in time of their afflictions and sufferings that he will take care of them tells them The very hayres of your head are all numbred Mat. 10.30 As if he had sayd seing God taketh care of those inconsiderable not parts but excrements of the body surely then he will take care of those more noble parts of your bodies and most of all of that most noble part of you which is your all your soules The hayres of our heads are innumerable to us but God numbers them The sins of our hearts and lives are all numbred by God Thou tellest my wandrings sayth holy David Psal 56.8 he meanes it of his wandrings by persecution and 't is as true of his wandrings by transgression But what man knowes the errors or wandrings eyther of his heart or life Psal 19.12 He that hath fewest sins hath more then he can number and therefore every mans sins are to him in number infinite Fourthly Iniquities may he called infinite in reference to the will or the spirit of him that committeth those iniquities those sinnes are without bounds to which man would never set a bound The natural man would never end sinning therefore his sins are without end or infinite The Prophet Jer. 13.27 speakes reproveingly to that people in the name of the Lord I have seene thine adulteries and thy neighings the lewdnesse of thy whoredome and thine abominations on the hills in the feilds wo unto thee O Jerusalem wilt thou not be made cleane when shall it once be As if be had said O Jerusalem thou hast no will to be made cleane or thou wouldest never be cleane if thou mightest have thy will When shall it once be The time is yet to come when thou wouldest have it to be so thou hast a mind to pollute thy selfe still but no minde to wash thy selfe from thy pollution The sins of a person or people are then infinite or without end when they discover that they have no minde to leave sinning A godly mans desires to doe good are infinite and so are the desires of a wicked man to doe evill This Prophet had spoken to Jerusalem in the same language Chap. 4.14 How long shall vaine thoughts lodge in thee when wilt thou be weary of these lodgers when wilt thou bid these guests be gone whom thou hast thus long bid welcome The Church of God doth sometimes suffer evill to lodge very long in her even in the middest of her as it were at her very heart but the world lodgeth or lieth continually in evill 1 Joh. 5.19 and there as it is the world it will lie for ever soakt and steept in evill Some give this as one reason to justifie the infinitnesse or everlastingnesse of the punishment that is laid upon impenitent sinners in hell The damned are under endlesse sufferings because they would have sinned without end Vellet sine fine vivere ut posset sine fine peccare Greg. A wicked man would live long yea he would have no end of his life here he would live ever that he might sinne ever therefore the Lord giveth him a life not such a one as he would have but such a one as he deserves to have which is indeed a death for ever They dye eternally for sin who would have lived eternally in sin Take a Scripture or two more to illustrate this way of the infinity of mans sinne Jer. 8.5 Why is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetuall back-sliding they hold fast deceite they refuse to returne Here are three phrases noting this one thing First They hold fast deceit secondly They refused to returne thirdly Their's was a perpetuall back-sliding or as some reade it an eternall rebellion an obstinate rebellion a strong and mighty rebellion the Seventy call it an impudent shamelesse rebellion all these are proper Epithites of that obstinacy and setlednesse of resolution which is in the heart of man by nature to continue in sinne yet there is a further rendering of the words which as the Originall will beare so it hath an elegancy in it Why is this people of Jerusalem slidden backe by a conquering or a prevailing back-sliding A perpetuall back-sliding hath conquest or triumph attributed to it upon a twofold consideration first in reference to other sinnes finall obstinacy or impenitency lifts up its head above all other sinnes and sits as King among them impenitency under any sin committed is greater then the sin committed not to repent of the evill we have done is worse then the evill which we doe Impenitency seales the soule under condemnation Repentance conquers sin but impenitency is the conquering sin Secondly 't is called a triumphing or conquering sinne because it seemes as it were to carry the day against the mercy and goodnesse of God that 's a sad conquest indeed not that any sinne no nor impenitency for sinne exceeds the mercy and goodnesse of God for his thoughts of mercy are as high above our acts of sin as they are above our thoughts of his mercy that is as high as the heaven is in comparison of the earth Isa 55.9 But the mercy of the Lord is said to be overcome by perpetuall backslidings
of a wicked man he desires to have God depart he is afraid of the presence of God what are the desires of a godly man he desires nothing more then the presence of God he sayes as Moses Exod. 33.15 If thy presence goe not with mee carry me no further I desire to be no where but where God manifests himselfe to be let me see the day of my departure out of the world rather then the day of Gods departure from me in the world Let riches goe let liberty goe let friends and relations goe so God stay with me All company is solitarines to me all fullnesse is emptinesse to me and the most populous City worse then a desolate wildernes to me where I finde not the presence of God with me I feare nothing like this The departure of God from me I read indeed Luke 5.8 that Peter once sayd to Christ Depart from mee for I am a sinfull man O Lord. But the reason was not because he was weary of the presence of Christ but because he thought himselfe altogether unworthy of the presence of Christ And therefore at another time when many of Christs Disciples went back walked no more with him and hereupon Christ sayd to the twelve Will ye also goe away Then Simon Peter answered him Lord to whom shall we goe thou hast the words of Eternall Life Joh. 6.68 He who would not go from Christ could not indeed desire that Christ should goe or depart from him They who have tasted how gratious the Lord is can never totally depart from God nor can they at all beare it that God should depart from them Thus the Church complaines Jer. 14.9 Why shouldest thou be as a stranger in the Land and as a way fayring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night Why shouldest thou be as a man astonished as a mighty man that cannot save yet thou O Lord art in the midst of us and we are called by thy name leave us not Whatsoever thou doest to us doe not leave us let any evill come but doe not thou goe let sword come let famine come let plague come but doe not thou depart leave us not Thus the Saints cling about a departing God while wicked men are willing he should depart And cōsidering the opinion which these wicked men had of God 't is no wonder though they presse him to depart for what should God do with them if he can doe nothing for them or doe them no good Such was their apprehension of God as appeares in the next clause And what can the Almighty doe for them They should rather have said What cannot the Almighty doe for them If the question be put what the Allmighty can doe The answer is at hand he that is Allmighty can do any thing yet these wretches say What can the Allmighty doe for them Et quid operabitur omnipotens eis Heb. Allmightinesse it selfe is questioned as weaknesse and omnipotency as impotency by unbeleevers From the generall sense of this infidel question Observe First That worldly wicked men have low and slight thoughts of God It is sayd of a wicked man Psal 10.4 God is not in all his thoughts that is he is in none of his thoughts or God is not at all in his thoughts But is any man so voyd of God that God is not in all his Thoughts can any man utterly extinguish or blot the thoughts of God out of his heart is not the notion of a God written with indelible characters upon the heart of man by nature if not how is the Law written there by nature I answer wicked men have thoughts and cannot but have thoughts of God But first They like not to retaine God in their thoughts or which is the same in their knowledge Rom. 1.28 Secondly The thoughts which they have of God are unworthy of God while they thinke of God they thinke below God and so indeed their thoughts are not at all the thoughts of God While we thinke of God otherwise then he is and hath revealed himselfe to be we doe not thinke of the God that made us but we make an Idol-God in our own thoughts Now wicked men thinke either that God hath no strength power goodnesse and wisdome or can do little with what he hath What can the Allmighty doe for them They who are afarre off from God by unbeliefe are not able to discerne his power his goodnes his wisdome his faithfullnesse his Allsufficiency They neyther understand what God affirmes of himselfe nor give credit to what he hath promised unto us We say of those things which appeare more then they are that they affect more afarre off then neere at hand but those things which are more then they appeare affect more when they are nigh then when they are afarre off God is infinitely more then he appeares And he being neere to those who beleeve affects them wonderfully But God is farre from unbeleevers and they are farre off or in a state of farthest distance from God therefore they are not affected with him But say who is God what is Gods power what is his allmightinesse Wee have heard much of him but wee see little in him They looke upon God as if he were like the Idolls described Psal 115.4 5 6 7. Who have eyes and see not eares and beare not hands and handle not c. All the attributes of God that he is allmighty unchangeable c. are but a sound of words or empty titles in their eares A beleever can make a living out of any attribute of God for when the Scripture saith he lives by faith the meaning is he lives upon the goodnes mercy and power of God revealed in the promise and layd hold on by faith Thus the just live by faith upon God but the wicked and unbeleevers cannot live upon those termes They see little or nothing in God to make a Living of and therefore they say What can the Allmighty doe for them Secondly Note That carnall men count the service of God unprofitable What can God do for them if they serve him what profit is it His is a leane service they shall but starve themselves by attending upon him and undoe themselves by doing his worke Thus they sayd in the former Chapter and so they say againe in this The carnal man accounts nothing good but that which is outwardly good Who will shew us any good Psal 4.6 they know not that all good cometh through the hand of God that it cometh in at the doore of the promise They can looke no further then they see and therfore becuse they see no profit they looke for none They doe not see that God doth any thing for them and therefore they conclude he cannot What can the Allmighty doe for them Thirdly Note That The spirits of worldly men are meerely mercenary If they doe any thing for God or at the command of God they doe it only upon hopes of reward they
gives such a vehement admonition to beware of the way of wicked men Pro. 4.14 15. Enter not into the path of the wicked and goe not in the way of evill men avoyd it passe not by it turne from it and passe away As in the former context he as a carefull father had pressed his Sonne to the closest pursuit of wisdomes way so here he as earnestly presseth him to depart from the path of wickednes He would have his sonne not only not goe into it but not so much as passe by it that is not goe neere it as the next words intimate turne from it as if he had sayd keepe at a distance keepe aloose off doe not stay so long within sight of it as to looke upon it that 's his last counsel passe away not to returne or come neere it any more And while we consider whither that way leads we shall easily grant that when all is sayd little enough is sayd to lead us away from it Where the way is sinne the wages is death Therefore let him who desires to avoyd the conclusion of the wicked say The counsell of the wicked is farre from me Job CHAP. 22. Vers 19 20. The righteous see it and are glad and the innocent laugh them to scorne Whereas our substance is not cut downe but the remnant of them the fire consumeth ELiphas still pursues the ruine and extirpation of wicked men he shewd us before the sinfullnes of their practises towards man and the folly of their opinion in saying to God depart from us who had never hurt them nor given them any cause to be weary of his presence unlesse this displeased them that he filled their houses with good things And because they declared themselves thus vaine therefore Eliphaz rejected both them and their way The counsell of the wicked is farre from me Now in this verse he acquaints us wiâ—h the event or issue of their counsells and how the righteous carry themselves when God calls the wicked to an account and reckons with them for their prophanenes and irreligion Vers 19. The righteous see it and are glad Who the righteous man is and what denominates a man righteous hath been shewed bâ—fore The righteous see it what do they see That which they beleeved looked for the fall of wicked men This act of seeing may be referr'd eyther to the person seeing or to the object seene as 't is referr'd to the person of the righteous so seeing notes both their priviledge and their pleasure They are admitted to see this spectacle of divine Justice and it is their happines to see it This David intimates Psal 37.34 Wait on the Lord and keepe his way and he shall exalt thee to inherit the Land when the wicked are cut off thou shalt see it The righteous shall be honoured with this fight yea and pleased with it the cutting off of wicked men by the hand of God The righteous man hath a promise to see this and promises are the conveyances of mercies Psal 91.8 A thousand shall fall at thy side and ten thousand at thy right hand but it shall not come nigh thee onely with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked Thou shalt be a spectator not a partaker in that calamity Wicked men sometimes glutt their eyes with â—eholding the troubles of the Saints and they account it a happy day when they can have such a sight They signe that day with a white stone when the black stone of the most unjust and cruell condemnation proves the present lot of the righteous David discovered such a spirit in his enemies Psal 35.21 They opened their mouth wide against me and said aha aha our eyes have seene it What had they seene The former verse tells us They speake not peace but they devise deceitfull matters against them that are quiet in the Land When these devises tooke and had successe then they were pleased then they had what they would and saw what they desired And thus the enemies of the Church are described Miâ— 4.11 Now also many Nations are gathered against thee and say let her be defiled there is a twofold defiling a defiling with sinne and a defiling with bloud and misery the latter is meant by the Prophet let her be defiled and let our eyes looke upon Sion They counted it a blessed sight to see Sion bleed The wicked would have such sights often though usually their eyes fayle with waiting and their hope is as the giving up of the Ghost But righteous men shall see the righteous God hath sayd it vengeance powred upon the wicked Againe we may expound this act of seing with reference to the object seene and so it imports 2 things first the certainly of their fall wicked men shall undoubtedly be destroyed and there shall be eye-witnesses honest and faithfull witnesses testifying their destruction The righteous shall see it and report it to after generations Secondly As seeing notes the certainty of their fall or the evidence and clearenesse of it so the publiquenesse of it That which is done to the eye is done openly What the justice of God doth against the wicked shall not be done in a corner but as upon the house-top The reading of the Septuagint is full to this sence They shall be made publicke examples 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Denotat rem omnibus conspicuam in publicum exemplum propositam It is the care of just and wise Magistrates not onely to punish malefactors but to punish them openly That so all may see and feare and doe no more presumptuously There are three speciall reasons why offences are punished and the Greekes expresse each punishment by such a word as carryeth a distinct signification of those reasons First Some are punished that themselves may amend and better their manners This they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secondly Others are punished to repayre the honour or maintaine the dignity of those against whom they have offended lest if such should escape without condigne punishment authoritie should be contemned grow cheape or be lightly valued This they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A third sort were punished for example 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acerbitas ulciscendi maleficij bene atque cante vivendi disciplina est Caecilius apud Gel. l. 2. c. 1. that others might be deterred from doing the same things lest they also incurre the same sufferings This was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As much as to say the holding of a man forth in his sufferings to the open view that he may be seene of all men and that all may be warned to avoyd his error And thus the Lord who is the righteous Judge of all the world punisheth wicked men The same word is used by the Evangelist Matthew Chap. 1.19 Joseph being troubled that Mary was with childe for he knew not the mystery of hir over-shadowing
Cum nondum abscinditur substantia nostra residuum illorum absumit ignis assuesce quaeso cum illo Jun But here he is supposed entring upon a very serious exhortation to repentance after this manner or to this effect O Job now while our substance is not quite out downe and the fire consumeth the residue or the remnant of the wicked acquaint thy selfe with God or apply thy selfe to God as if he should say before thou art cleane cut downe before thou art utterly ruined as many wicked men have been heretofore and now are humble thy selfe and seeke to God that thy sin may be forgiven and thy wound healed Some paralel this in sense with that of the Preacher Eccle. 12.1 Remember now thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth while the evill dayes come not nor the yeares draw nigh wherein thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them Thus Eliphaz is conceived exhorting Job While our substance is not cut downe while we are not totally undone Quum subsisteÌ„tia nostra non sit excisa reliquias autem istorum ignis assumpserit Tygur Ita bene ut nihil melius Bold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 extantâ—a vel potius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quo subsistimus duramus vel subsistantia nostra i. e. vita qua subsistimus nam stare valet interdum superstitem esse Drus while the fire of Gods wrath is consuming the remainder of wicked men doe thou acquaint thy selfe with God and repent And though our translation makes not this connection yet it joynes fully in the sense of the Originall Whereas our substance is not cut downe So this verse is an elegant conclusion of the whole matter hitherto insisted upon by Eliphaz and he shuts it up in two parts first shewing the state of the innocent who are brought in speaking thus Our substance is not cut downe strictly That by which we stand or subsist our substance or subsistence which some expound not by goods but by life we may take it both wayes our life and that by which our life is maintained or by which we and our families subsist is not cut downe There is yet a difficulty in regard of the grammaticall sense of these words For Eliphaz having spoken before in the third person plural The righteous are glad and the innocent laugh them to scorne should as it may be thought rather have continued his speech in the same forme and have sayd Whereas Their substance is not downe but he puts it in the first person plural Whereas our substance is not cut downe c. We may answer two wayes First that it is usuall in Scripture to vary the number while the same person or persons is or are spoken of take onely one Instance Hos 12.4 He that is the Angel of the Covenant found him in Bethel that is Jacob. And there he spake with us It should according to Grammar be read thus And there he spake with him Having found Jacob in Bethel he spake with him in Bethel But we see both the person and number are varied the former words running in the third person singular being meant particularly of Jacob the latter in the first person plural There he spake with us The Spirit of God thereby signifying that what God spake at that time to Jacob personally he spake to all the spirituall seed of Jacob whether of the Circumcision or Uncircumcision virtually He so spake to Jacob as that the substance and effect of his speech reacheth downe to and hath an influence upon us beleevers who are his posterity according to the Spirit Besides this other Scriptures hold out the like variation of the number as in the Text which is the first answer Secondly Eliphaz might purposely vary the number that himselfe might put in for a share and be numbred among those who had obtained that sparing mercy not to be cut downe while others were consumed And so this reason of the change is purely spirituall much like that last opened out of Hosea Whence note That the righteous are often preserved in common calamities Psal 20.8 They are brought downe and are fallen but we are risen and stand upright our substance is not cut downe God takes speciall care of his owne people they are under a promise there can be no greater safety no better security then to be under a promise the promise is the best shelter in a storme and the best shield against the dart The Apostle Peter gives us two famous examples of this 2 Pet. 2.5 6. God spared not the old world but saved Noah c. bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly And having turned the Cities of Sodome and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow c. and delivered just Lot c. From both which examples he concludeth v. 9. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the Godly out of temptation and to reserve the unjust unto the day of Judgement to be punished When judgement begins at the house of God what shall the end of them be that obey not the Gospel of God as the same Apostle speaks 1 Pet. 4.17 It is a sure argument to the wicked that they shall be judged when they see God bringing judgements upon his owne house and people but the wicked are many times judged while the house and people of God are preserved and untoucht and when both good and bad both the innocent and the wicked are wrapt up in the same calamity when they are as it were thrust together into the same furnace the Lord makes a difference they are not cut downe as the wicked are cut downe nor consumed as they are consumed When the righteous are cast into the fire they are purged but not consumed but as it follows in the second part of this conclusion shewing the state of the wicked The remnant of them the fire consumeth Fire in this place is not taken strictly as opposed to water God indeed hath often made fire in kinde his scourge And the Apostle Jude saith of Sodome That it suffered the vengeance of eternall fire But all the judgements of God are in Scripture compared to fire Mala. 4.1 Behold the day cometh that shall burne like an Oven and all the proud yea all that doe wickedly shall be stubble and the day that cometh shall burne them up saith the Lord of hosts that it shall leave them neither fruit nor branch There is a burning and not by fire There is so great a judgement and terror in fire let loose and breaking its bounds that it may well signifie all judgements or any thing that is terrible Isa 52.4 As the fire devoureth the stubble and the flame consumeth the chaffe so their roote shall be rottennesse and their blossome shall goe up as dust Thus here the remnant of them the fire consumeth that is the wrath of God appearing in some visible judgement consumeth the remnant But what is this remnant which the fire consumeth I answer
answer wee who of our selves are a 〈…〉 by the bloud of Jesus Christ and being thus made nigh in our state wee draw nigh or acquaint our selves with him by severall Acts. As first To thinke or meditate of God is to acquaint our selves with and draw nigh to God meditation is an inward discourse and converse with God it is a Soliloquie between God and the soule acquaintance is got by Conference when friends meet and confer that doth not onely begin but confirme strengthen and highten their acquaintance Saints have many thoughts of God and that 's their acquaintance with God How precious are thy thoughts to mee O God! saith David Psal 139.17 how great is the summe of them when I awake I am still with thee How was David still or ever with God He was so in his thoughts and meditations in the actings goings forth of his soule to him Now he that is still or ever with a person must needs be acquainted with him I am still with thee alwayes meditating upon thee We finde him againe in the same holy frame Psal 63.5 6. My soule shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatnes and my mouth shall praise thee with joyfull lips while I remember thee upon my bed and meditate on thee in the night watches As the Lord is ever thinking upon his people they are written upon his heart and graven upon the palmes of his hand and when his outward actings towards them are such as may seeme to intimate that his heart is withrawne from all intimacy with them yet even then he thinks most of them This he acknowledgeth concerning Ephraim Jer. 31.20 Since I spake against him I doe earnestly remember him still Since I spake against him that is since I spake against him by words of rebuke and correction since I spake against him by rods of chastisement and correction as Ephraim found and confessed he had Thou didst chastise mee and I was chastised since I spake thus against him I do earnestly remember him still I remember him and I remember him strongly my heart is much upon him And when the Lord saith thus wee are not to understand it as a man will remember an Enemy when he speaks against him hee 'le remember him indeed and that earnestly to plot mischiefe against him and to execute his revenge but the meaning is I remember him in mercy my affections goe out to him my bowels are moved towards him Such is the remembrance which God had of Ephraim even when he was speaking against him and smiting him Now as the Lord doth remember his people at all times and earnestly remember them at sometimes So his people in their proportion doe earnestly remember the Lord they minde him often they would minde him alwayes they like to retaine God which the natural man liketh not Rom. 1.28 in their knowledge or to acknowledge God They have not some flitting transient thoughts and acknowledgements of God as a carnall man may have but they fix and retaine God in their thoughts acknowledgements they thinke of God what he is in his nature they thinke what God is in all his perfections they meditate of all his glory of his justice of his mercy of his faithfulnes of his power of his truth of his unchangeablenes of his all-sufficiency they acquaint themselves with God in all these for indeed we are never acquainted with God till we come to a distinct knowledge of him in all these parts of his glory which yet are all but one and the same glorious God To know onely in generall that there is a God is not to acquaint our selves with God our acquaintance with him consists in a spirituall and fiduciall knowledge of all his revealed perfections so farre as it is possible or lawfull for man to search and know To be acquainted with any man notes more than a generall knowledge of him how much more to be acquainted with God Secondly Wee acquaint our selves with God not onely when wee study his nature or what he is but when we study his workes or what he hath done God is visible in his workes That his name is neare his wondrous workes declare Psal 75.1 Wee may acquaint our selves much with God in the workes of Creation but more in the workes of Providence in those wee may most legibly read his name that is his greatnes and power as also his goodnes and mercy Thirdly Wee acquaint our selves with God in the study of his word there he hath made a full discovery of himselfe and of his will O how I love thy Law saith David my meditation is in it might and day The word of God is the demonstration of the holines of God There he hath set forth himselfe how just how pure and how gracious he is The word is a glasse in which God is seene therefore acquaint thy selfe with the word of God and thou shalt be acquainted with God reading and hearing the word of God is our going to God for Counsell as wee acquaint our selves with a man when we goe to him and aske his advice and counsel in any matter or consult his bookes so every time we eyther read or heare the word of God in faith we are asking counsel of God and so acquainting our selves with him Fourthly Wee especially acquaint our selves with God in prayer That is nothing else but the opening of our hearts to God a declaring of our wants to him Prayer is the ascending the lifting up of the soule to God therefore in prayer wee acquaint our selves with God Fifthly Our daily holy walking is a daily acquainting our selves with God every step of a holy life is both towards and with God the life of Enoch who was too holy for a life here on earth and therefore he was translated that he should not see death his life I say is described thus Enoch walked with God Gen. 5.24 God and Enoch were like two familiars or intimate friends walking together And because he took so much delight in Gods acquaintance God took him from all acquaintance with men so saith that text Enoch walked with God and was not for God tooke him He was so taken with God that God took him or as the Authour to the Hebrews saith translated him ch 11.5 He was before translated from nature to Grace he proved so great a proficient in that schoole that he was translated from Grace to Glory as it were per saltum by a leape over the grave for he saw not death From which sad vision but one more that I read of in all the Scripture Elias by name was excused before he was admitted to the beatificall vision Holy walking is the summe of all our acquaintance with God and our fullest acquaintance with God is but the issue of our holy walkings To draw towards a close of this poynt wee may take notice That there is a twofold acquaintance with God First from necessity when wee come to him and desire to
be shortned in spiritualls the raine of holy doctrine shall not be removed from you or as vve translate thy teachers shall not be removed c. Some amongst us vvould have the teachers of holy doctrine removed lest by feeding them the bread vvater of the Land should fayle as if the charge of publick preaching the riches of the Grace of Christ would be an undoing or at least an impoverishing of the Nation Whereas I touch it onely by the way the Prophet comforts the people of God in the midst of all their wants outward afflictions that they should not want the presence of their teachers nor the showers of holy instruction by them Againe Joel 2.23 Be glad O Zion and rejoyce in the Lord your God for he hath given you the former raine moderately and he will cause to come downe the raine the former raine and the latter raine in the first month That vvhich vve render The former raine moderately others translate a Teacher of righteousnes Sanctè colludit propheta nominibus doctoris seu legislatoris pluvâ—ae seu imbris maturini serotini or according to righteousnes so you may finde in the Margin of your larger Bibles And that 's the great mercy vvhich Zion is to rejoyce in for can vve thinke that Zion the children of Zion should be called so earnestly to rejoyce meerly in natural raine or the effects of it because of the abundance of Corne and Wine and Oyle which the earth vvell vvatered usually produceth This is too poore a thing considered alone for Zion to rejoyce in Zion or the people of God doe and must confesse themselves unvvorthy of the least outward mercy even of a shovver of raine or of a sheafe of corne and they ought to praise God and be very thankfull for these But these are not properly the matter of Zions gladnesse and rejoycing In these the vvorld rejoyceth Who will shew us any good Psal 4.7 they are for Corne and Wine and Oyle but Lord saith David lift up the light of thy Countenance upon me Thou hast put gladnes in mine heart more then in the time that their corne and their wine encreased As if he had said Worldly men rejoyce in corne and vvine but I rejoyce more in the light of thy countenance The light of the favour of God and the light of the knowledge of God are the chiefe matters of a beleevers joy And this light of holy joy comes in usually vvith and by the raine of that doctrine which falls upon us from the mouth of God in the teachings of his divine Lavv. Receive the Law from his mouth But you vvill say What is this Lavv vvhich comes dovvne like raine from heaven and vvhich vve are to receive from the mouth of God I ansvver The Lavv may be taken tvvo vvayes First Strictly for the ten Commandements or the five Bookes of Moses vvhich are called the Lavv. Secondly More largely and so the vvhole vvord of God is the Lavv. Christ himselfe calls the Booke of Psalmes the Lavv tvvo or three times in the nevv Testament Joh. 10.34 Jesus answered them is it not written in your Law I have said yee are Gods vvhere vvas that vvritten in the 82d Psal v. 6. And so againe Joh. 15.25 But this cometh to passe that the word might be fullfilled that is written in their Law they hated me without a cause What Lavv doth he meane those vvords vve finde Psal 35.19 Take one text further 1 Cor. 14.21 In the Law it is written With men of other tongues and other lips will I speake unto this People Where is that vvritten Esay 28.11 So that the Law in a large sense is taken for the vvhole body of the vvord of God or for the general Revelation of the mysterie of his vvill in vvhich sense vvee may say the Gospel is the Lavv And the Gospel is expressely called the Law or rule of faith Rom. 3.27 So that by Law here vve may understand vvhatsoever the Lord hath given us eyther as a rule of life or as a rule of faith The Seaventy translate Eliphaz speaking in that latitude 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Receive whatsoever God delivers declares or puts forth Receive I pray thee the Law from his mouth From vvhose mouth from the mouth of God how can that be Indeed Moses vvent up into the Mount and vvas vvith God fourty dayes and there received the Lavv from his mouth but could Job Receive the Lavv from his mouth as Moses did I ansvver If God had called him to it as he did Moses he might But that 's not the purpose of Eliphaz Neither are wee I conceive to understand him of such a Receiving from the mouth of God as the old Prophets had vvho received the minde of God by Immediate Inspiration dictates from God himselfe for though they vvere not called up solemnly into a Mount as Moses to receive the Lavv yet the Spirit was sent to make knowne the minde of God to them And in that sence the Prophet Jeremiah is said to warne King Zedekiah from the mouth of the Lord 2 Chron. 36.12 And he did that which was evill in the sight of the Lord his God and humbled not himselfe before Jeremiah the Prophet speaking from the mouth of the Lord that is he received a vvord from God by an Extraordinary Revelation to carry unto the King vvho yet humbled not himselfe And so Esay 30.2 the Lord complaines of his people that walked to goe downe to Aegypt to strengthen themselves with the strength of Pharaoh c. and yet had not asked at his mouth that is had not asked direction in the thing according to the vvayes of Revelation then in use by enquiring of the Prophets or of the high Priest And the Lord tels the Prophet Jeremy Ch. 15.19 Prophetae sunt quasi os dei quia per ipsos loquutus est that he should be as his mouth if he would take forth the precious from the vile as if he had sayd if thou art faithfull in my vvork I will reveale my selfe to thee thou shalt speak even as if I my selfe spoke thou shalt be as my mouth Now I conceive Eliphaz doth not goe thus high when he bids Job Receive the Law from the mouth of God as if he vvere to expect Immediate direction and advice from him For then we may be sayd to receive a rule or a law from the mouth of God when vve receive that which God hath manifested at any time as a rule and lavv for us vvith the rest of his people to walke by they vvho receive that law once delivered from the mouth of God may be said to receive the lavv from his mouth though they are not the Immediate receivers of it yea though it were published some thousands of yeares before they vvere borne Some from these words collect that the books of Moses vvere written before this time and that Eliphaz did referre Job to those
desire is a death to the desirer A godly mans desires are active desires they put him upon enquiry lead him to the meanes of enjoying the good desâ—ered And though God be unexpectedly found of some that seeke him not yet no man can expect to finde God but he that seeketh him And indeed what should the Creature doe but be upon an enquiry after God there is a Naturality in it hee being the supream beeing that we who have our being from him should seeke after him And the Apostle tells us Act. 17.26 27. that this is the designe of God in making of one blood all Nations of men for to dwel on the face of the earth and in determining the times before appoynted and the bounds of their habitation namely That they should seeke the Lord if haply they might feel after him and finde him though he be not farre from every one of us for in him we live c. The Lord is neer all he hath a presence in all places with all persons but the Lord would have all seeke feele grope after him even such as have but a dim light of him as those have that doe not seeke so much with their eyes as with their hands they onely feele after the things which they would have There is a light in the spirits of all men that haply they may feele after God and finde him They who have not Scripture light Gospel light the highest light yet have some kinde or degree of light they have some glimmerings though no cleare discernings And that should put them on to seeke God much more should they seeke after him who have clearest light And where there is any heate of affection to God a little light will serve them to seeke after him they that are true desierers will be diligent seekers And they who seeking God have found him will seeke him yet againe yea they will seeke him more and more as long as there is any thing more of God to be found And there will alwayes be more of God to be found for here we know God but in part and therefore have found him but in part and hence it is that all the Saints in this life or on this side Glory even they of the highest forme and greatest proficiency in grace and knowledge are called Seekers this is the generation of them that seeke him Psal 24.6 not such seekers as we finde too many in these dayes who as if all were upon uncertainties in religion say they have as yet found nothing for as there is something wherein the most knowing and strongest Christians may be to seeke so there are many things yea all things necessary to salvation or without which we cannot be saved which the weakest may finde and know sufficiently though not sully And as they who desire to finde these things will be diligent in seeking them so they may know in themselves or be fully assured that they have found them and so even while they still continue to be seekers know that they are already Finders Lastly Observe God is every where yet especially some where to be found As there is a finding time so there is a finding place and finding meanes There is a finding time saith holy David Psal 32.6 For this shall every one that is godly pray to thee in a time when thou mayest be found The Hebrew is in a finding time though I would not give any one a stop from seeking God at any time yet I must say there is a speciall finding time And this the Apostle calls the Accepted time 2 Cor. 6.2 that is the time which we ought to lay hold upon or accept as also the time wherein we shall be acceptable or finde acceptation There is also a finding place there is a where as well as a when God specially is to be found I mean it not of a meere locality as if God were now to be found more in one place then in another for Paul saith 1 Tim. 6.8 I will that men every where lift up pure hands without wrath and doubting And Christ told the woman Joh. 4.21 The houre cometh when ye shall neyther in this Mountaine nor yet at Jerusalem worship the father not as if Christ had forbid the worship of the father in those places for the time coming but he enlargeth publick worship to all places or abrogates all differences of place under the Gospel as to the worship of the Father Yet if any man shall enquire where may I find God or say as Job here O that I knew where I might finde him I would answer First Seeke him in his promises search the Scriptures there you will finde God Secondly Look for him in his Ordinaces of prayer and preaching c. for there he hath promised to be present Where two or three are met together in my name there am I in the midst of them Math. 18.20 When the Church or Spouse in the Canticles Chap. 1.7 8. Askes the Question Tell me O thou whom my soule loveth where thou feedest where thou makest thy flocks to rest at Noone Christ her Beloved answers If thou know not O thou fayrest among Women goe thy way forth by the footesteps of the flocke and feed thy kids besides the Sheepherds tents That is follow the holy practices and examples of the Saints in all former ages which the Apostle calls walking in the steps of the faith of Abraham Rom. 4.12 And againe hearken to the voyce of faithfull Teachers who as Shepherds feed the flocke of God with knowledge and understanding Waite at these Shepherds tents saith Christ and there thou shalt finde a presence of God with thee and his blessing upon thee Thirdly And above all Seeke God in Christ The father is onely to be found in the Sonne Looke to Jesus Christ and in him you cannot but behold God for he is the brightnes of his glory and the expresse image of his person Heb. 1.3 and therefore as he that hath the Son hath the Father also so he that by an eye of faith and in the light of the Word and Spirit Beholdeth the Son beholdeth the Father also For the light of the knowledge of the glory of God is given us in the face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 The light of the knowledge of the goodnesse of God of his mercy Justice holines which are his glory shineth forth from Jesus Christ that is in and by Christ it appeares gloriously that God is exceeding good mercifull just holy Therefore to every wearied soule complaining of the losse of God and crying out O that I knew where I might finde him The summe of all the Counsell that I can give or indeed that can be given is this Seek God in Christ and he will be found O that I knew where I might finde him That I might come even to his seat Some conceive these words as the issue of a distemperd spirit others tax Job with too much boldnes that
though I confesse if God should put forth his power I were not able to hold up my head before him and that he could easily overthrow me with a breath yet I am perswaded he will take a more favourable course and deale with me in mercy not with rigour or severity Vers 6. Will he plead against me with his great power I know he is cloathed with Majesty and that the greatnes of power is his but will he plead against me with it The Hebrew text is will he plead with me to plead with and to plead against are the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contenâ—et quasi de jure suo ut illud exigat To plead is a Law terme He that pleadeth against another discovers eyther the faultines of his person when accused or the weaknes of his Title when controverted This word is used by the Prophet Isa 57.16 I will not contend or plead for ever I will not argue my owne prerogative nor will I argue thy sinfullnesse alwayes or without end why not if I should the spirit would faile before me and the soules which I have made where though spirit and soule are put synechdochically for the whole man that is for flesh and spirit for soule and body together yet the Lord mentions onely spirit and soule because of their strength to beare divine contendings beyond the body or the flesh As if he had sayd even that which is strongest in man would fayle if God should alwayes contend 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Num copia sui roboris c. Will he plead against me with his great power or strictly to the Letter with the multitude of his power with the forces of his power The power of God is great yea the power of God is greatest all his power is allmighty power yet God doth not alwayes put forth the greatnes of his power He is a most free agent and so can restraine and hold in his owne power when he pleaseth and not use it to the terror of a poore creature or plead against him with it Againe The power of God may be taken two wayes First for his strength or his power of doing and executing secondly for his prerogative authority or his power of commanding and ruling we may interpret it here of the latter will God deale with me by his prerogative power thinke you will he oppresse me with his meere authority Per multaÌ„ dei fortìtudineÌ„ potentiam ejus absolutam summum jus dici solet intelliguÌ„t multi Bold I have another opinion of God surely he will not doe so For he is good and gratious and he will attemper his prerogative with pity his great power with much mercy Will he plead against me with this great power Jobs question is a confident negation such negative interrogations are frequent in Scripture will he is he will not plead against me with his great power but Job is not satisfied that his speech carrieth a negation in it and therefore lest any should not fully enough understand him so he expresseth his negative will he plead with me with his great power no His power is not nor ever will it be against me He will take some other course with me he will deale with me upon the account of goodnes and mercy not upon the account of power He will not breake me a bruised reed nor quench me who am but smoaking flax he will rather bind me up and cherish the least sparke which he perceiveth alive in me Will he plead against me with his great power Hence observe First God hath great power much power All power is his The power of men and Angels is his What power soever whether for kinde or degree is in the hand of any creature that power belongs to God Thus David a man of Great power states it God hath spoken once twice have I heard this That power belongeth unto God The power that is scattered and divided all the world over is centred and united in him God hath a greatnesse of power in commanding and disposing what and how things shall be done he also hath a greatnes of power in doing and executing what he hath commanded The commands of men are often unperformed eyther because they to whom their commands are sent have no power to performe them or because they want power to backe their owne commands Wee may consider the Greatnes of the power of God several wayes First As he can doe all things and is omnipotent there is nothing too hard for him his hand is not shortened in reference to the longest or the greatest workes and difficulties And as he can doe whatsoever he hath a will to doe so he will doe whatsoever he pleaseth to have done whatsoever he purposeth to doe whatsoever is upon his heart to doe none of his counsells ever fayled nor have any of the thoughts of his heart been frustrated Men often purpose to doe but they seldome have power to doe what they have purposed they are bigge with the conceptions of many great matters but when the children come to the birth they have no strength to bring forth God never failes in his power to doe whatsoever he hath a purpose or a mind to doe God hath power enough to backe his commands and he can supply power to those whom he calleth to execute them Secondly The greatnesse of Gods power is seene in this that He hath a right to doe all that he doth As he hath a fullnesse of strength so a fulnesse of Authority he doth not usurp or intrench upon any other power in what he doth nor upon any mans property in what he hath it is his due to doe what he doth and to have what he hath God is supream giving the Law to all receiving the Law from none his is not a tyrannicall but a just and a righteous power his is not a might without right but a might with right What the Prophet speakes of the Chaldeans Hab. 1.7 is true of God in every sence in the strictest sence His judgement and his dignity proceedeth of himselfe he is a law unto himselfe his rule is internall and his power intrinsecall All derive power from him therefore his power is altogether underived Power underived must needs be great power yea the Greatnes of power Thirdly The greatnesse of his power appeareth further in this that no man may presume to question him for what he doth He hath great power in what he doth whom none may so much as aske what doest thou Nebucadnezzar a heathen in highest earthly power confesseth as much of the power of God as soone as he regained the reason of a man Dan. 4.34 35. At the end of the dayes that is after the terme of seven yeares was accomplished when for the heart of a beast a mans heart was restored to him I Nebuchadnezzar lift up mine eyes to heaven and mine understanding returned unto me and I blessed the most high and I
different elements qualities and humours which contending and fighting one with another necessitate his change Every day brings some though insensible changes upon us And in a few yeares our changes are very visible and sensible The Psalmist speaking of the heavens which of all visible creatures are in nature most unchangeable yet calls them changeable in comparison of God Psal 102.26 The heavens are the work of thy hands They shall perish but thou shalt endure yea all of them shall wax old like a garment as a vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed The heavens are the purest part of the creation and freest from elementary mixtures yet they shall wax old they shall be changed In opposition to which the Psalmist adds ver 27. But thou art the same and thy yeares shall have no end Nor are the yeares of God onely without end but himselfe is without change Indeed there is no change of time to God past present and to come are all the same to him and he is the same in all Thou art the same or more emphatically according to the strictnes of the Hebrew phrase Thou art thy selfe alwayes thy selfe As thou art thou wast and as thou art and wast thou wilt be for ever When Moses desiered to know the name of God Exod. 3.13 wee finde it at the 14th verse and God said unto Moses I am That I am And he said thus shalt thou say to the children of Israel I AM hath sent me unto you Secondly As God is unchangeable in his essence so in all his divine perfections and attributes all which are essentiall unto him God is as powerfull and strong as ever he was Isa 26.4 Isa 59.1 As high and soveraigne as ever he was Psal 92.8 as wise and omniscient as ever he was 1 Tim. 1.17 As gracious and mercifull as ever he was his mercy endureth for ever Psal 100.5 As faithfull and true as ever he was Rom. 3.3 4. And as just and righteous as ever he was he doth and will reward every man according to his workes Thirdly God is unchangeable in his purposes decrees and counsells The Medes and Persians boasted of their decrees that they alterd not Dan. 6.18 But the very unalterablenes of humane Decrees is alteration it selfe compared with the unalterablenes of divine decrees We have the Lord thus speaking in the Prophet Isai 46.16 I am God and there is none like me declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times the things that are not yet done saying my counsell shall stand and I will doe all my pleasure And as the Lord establisheth his owne counsel so he can unsetle the best layd counsels of the sons of men Psal 33.10 11. The Lord bringeth the counsel of the Heathen to nought he maketh the devices of the people of none effect The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever the thoughts of his heart to all generations And hence the Lord by his Prophet challengeth the deepest politicians the Oracles for counsel the Achitophels of this world 〈◊〉 straine their wits to the utmost for securing of their owne counsels from disappoyntment Isai 8.10 Gird your selves and ye shall be broken in pieces take counsel together and it shall come to nought speake the word and it shall not stand for God is with us he is with us as to protect us against your open opposition so to blast your most secret consultations against us And as the Lords counsels are immutable in themselves so he hath condescended to assure us of their immutabilitie Heb. 6.17 18. Wherein God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel confirmed it by an oath that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie we might have strong consolation c. Oaths are sacred and the strongest confirmations between man and man and therefore though the counsel of God be immutable without an oath yet that we might have the greatest assurance that it is so God hath confirmed it by an oath That so the heyres of salvation having two immutable things to rest their soules and build their faith upon might not onely have consolation strong consolation such consolation as might master and overcome all the feare and unbeliefe of their owne hearts and the gainesayings of Satan Fourthly God is also unchangeable in his promises what ever he hath sayd he will doe for his people He is in one minde it shall be done A promise from God is the best securitie halfe a promise an it may be as he speakes to the meeke of the earth Zeph. 2.3 Seeke righteousnes seeke meeknes it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lords anger this halfe promise I say is better security then the hand or seal yea then the oath of the faithfullest man on earth 2 Cor. 1.20 All the promises of God in him that is in Christ are yea and in him amen That is they shall certainly be performed and accomplished God doth not give promises as many men doe to rayse and then disappoynt and abuse our Hopes He doth not make promises rather for snares to catch others then for bonds to tie himselfe as some men doe which is not only a great unworthines and disingenuitie in them but a great iniquity and sin the Lords promises are our richest inheritances and that not onely because he hath promised greater and better things then are in the compasse of any mans power to make good or in the compass of any mans understanding to make but because h◠will certainly be as good to us in performance as he hath been in promise For He is in one minde concerning all that he hath promised He will be mercifull as he hath promised and pardon sin as he hath promised He will deliver us from trouble as he hath promised and sanctifie all our troubles to us as he hath promised He will give us his Spirit as he hath promised and save us eternally as he hath promised Fifthly He is also in one minde concerning his threatnings He will be as good as his word in the evill which he hath spoken against sinners as well as in the good which he hath spoken concerning his servants Zech. 1.5 Your fathers where are they and the Prophets doe they live for ever But my words and my statutes which I commanded my servants the Prophets did they not take hold of your fathers And they returned and sayd like as the Lord of hoasts thought to doe unto us according to our wayes and according to our doings so hath he dealt with us That is his threatnings have arrested us as Sergeants doe a malefactor or a debtor and carryed us away their prisoners As if the Lord had sayd Your fathers are dead and my Prophets are dead also but the words which my Prophets spake to your fathers concerning the sword famine and captivitie which should shortly come upon them these dreadfull prophesies dyed not
from their evill wayes and so his purpose for their preservation might be accomplished Thus the outward sentence is changed but the minde of God is not changed And these changeable sentences were decreed by God to bring about his unchangeable decree Fourthly I answer When God is said to repent the change is not in God but in us God is alwayes the same but wee are not God is so much the same that he never alters and man is so little the same that he is alwayes altering and when he hath done evill it is good for him that he is so God did not change but Noneveh changed by turning from sin and Hezekiah changed by improving more in prayer and therefore he dyed not at that time nor were they then destroyed The change is in the creature not in God when that is changed which God speakes concerning the creature He is still unmoveable in the same minde all the motion is in the minde of man It is in this case as with a ship putting out to Sea When a ship sets out from the harbour and sayles by the shoare the unexperienced passenger thinkes the shore moves from the ship whereas indeed the ship onely moves from or by the shore So when we thinke God changeth or is moved the change or motion is onely in our selves In one dispensation we take notice of the love of God and in another of his wrath in a third of his justice and in a fourth of his mercy These are changes upon us but not in God And these shew that God changeth his course towards us but they are no proofes of a change in God For the love of God and the wrath of God the justice of God and the mercy of God are still the same but we changing are cast sometime under the effects of his love and sometimes of his wrath we are sometimes under the saddest droppings of his justice and sometimes under the sweetest influences of his mercy As when a man changeth his aspect and turnes about his body to another poynt That part of the heaven which was before at his right hand is now at his left yet the heavens are as they were they doe not change eyther their position or their motion but the man hath changed his Thus the wrath and love the Justice and the mercy of God stand alwayes at the same poynt but man turneth sometimes Justice-ward and sometimes mercy-ward now he faces the wrath and anon the love of God And doing so he meetes with many changes in the dispensations of God toward him but there is no change in the minde of God toward him And seing God is unchangeable or in one minde take this by way of deduction from it 'T is the duty of man to submit himselfe unto and acquiesce in the minde of God Seing the mind of God rests we ought to rest in the mind of God that is we ought to resigne up our selves and to resolve our minds into the mind and our wills into the will of God What ever pleaseth God should please us He is in one minde and that one minde of his hath nothing in it but justice and righteousnes toward all nothing but goodnes and mercy nothing but loving kindnesse and faithfullnesse toward his peculiar people As the minde of God revealed in his word should be the rule of our actions so the minde of God revealed by his workes should be the rest or ease of all our passions The minde of God is that by which we are to guide our selves in all we doe and to that we must yeeld in all we suffer While we see some sorely discomposed in their spirits yea vext beyond all reason at the dispensations of God have we not reason to beleive that they have never heard or at least not well learnt and digested this great truth That God is in one minde When the minde of God is done himselfe is pleased and should not whatsoever pleaseth God please us also yea though it be in it selfe bitter and unpleasant to us A gratious heart tasts sweetnesse in Gall and Wormewood considered under this notion as it is the will and minde of God he should drinke it or feed upon it It was a strange power that David had over the people of Israel or it shewes that they had a very strong opinion of his justice and integrity when it is sayd 2 Sam. 3.36 Whatsoever the King did pleased all the people What was sayd of him we should say in the highest sence of God whatsoever he doth should be pleasing to all his people It was once the saying of a Court-flatterer That which pleaseth the King Placet mihi quod regi placet dixit Harpalus Apud Herod lib. 1. pleaseth mee We cannot flatter God in saying so It is but our duty to say so we sin if we say not and say not with our hearts Whatsoever pleaseth God pleaseth us He acts below both the duty and priviledge of a man who resolves himselfe into the will of any man how high soever or though he be King-High and he acts above both the state and proportion of a man though much below the duty of a Christian who doth not resolve himselfe into the will of the most high God who is higher then the highest of the Kings of the earth He vainely supposeth himselfe God-High who submits not to the will of the most High God Whatsoever God doth or will have done man should say Even so be it as God will have it But some may say if it be so then it seemes we may not endeavour to extricate our selves from or to get a removall of any of those evills troubles or afflictions which at any time presse and greive us For answer to this scruple I say First It is our duty in every trouble that God layeth upon us to seeke unto God and to use all good meanes for the taking of it off from us But Secondly We must not seeke unto God for the removing of any evill from us as being displeased with his laying it upon us we must be quiet under our troubles and yet we may both desire and endeavour to be quit of them Though God be in one minde yet that doth not necessitate man to one condition nor hinder him from seeking a better then that wherein he is I have insisted the longer upon this poynt because Job gives it as a general answer to all his friends queryes about him and as the best expedient for reconciling the difference between them and him He is in one minde And who can turne him Hence learne That as God is unchangeable in himselfe so none can alter or change him Some men are of a very steady spirit they are not in and out as we say forward and backward let them alone and they are true to their own principles and they will be true to others according to their promises Yet possibly these men may be turned aside and led out
troublesome unto others Sin and folly are more then like one another for they are the same They have no seasoning in them who have no Goodnesse in them Righteousnesse is the wisest and the most savory thing in the world in the account both of God and good men The wisedome which is from above sayth the Apostle James Chap. 3.17 is first pure then peaceable gentle and easie to be entreated full of mercy and good fruits without partiality towards men without hypocrisie towards God But the wisedome that is troublesome and vexatious rough and harsh to others is earthly sensuall devilish indeed down-right madnes absurdnes folly Solomon sayth Oppression makes a wise man mad but it will appeare at last that the wisest oppressors have been mad foolish saltlesse and brainlesse men Such use to flatter themselves and are often much flattered by others in their projects and policies for the onely wise men in the world but in the end they dye like fooles Observe Secondly God suffers oppressours to goe on long before he punisheth them and he suffers the oppressed to cry long before he releives them God is often pleased to winke while the wicked sin and he as often seemes to be asleepe while the righteous suffer Hence that sad complaint of the Church Psal 44.23 24. Awake why sleepest thou O Lord arise cast us not off for ever wherefore hidest thou thy face and forgettest our affliction and our oppression This also caused David to cry out Psal 13.1 How long wilt thou forget me O Lord for ever how long wilt thou hide thy face from mee how long shall mine enemies be exalted over mee What under the oppression of an enemy for ever while God assures his people in that parable of the importunate widdow and the unjust Judge Luk. 18. that he will deliver them yet he more then intimates that it may be very long before he doth it ver 6 7. And the Lord sayd heare what the unjust Judge saith and shall not God avenge his owne elect who cry to him night and day though he beare long with them that is though he exercise much patience towards those tyrants who oppresse his elect yea and much patience also towards his elect in regard of their doubts and despondencies of their feare and unbeleefe about his comming to avenge and helpe them against those Tyrants Further Folly imports not onely sin but the greatnes of sin so that when it is sayd God layeth not folly to them the sence according to this notion of the word folly is that though they sin greatly yet God makes no great matter of it or he doth not charge their sin upon them nor punish them for their sin answerably or in proportion to the greatnes of it Non ponit stultitiam i. e non imputat hoc iis tanquam graude peccatum hoc enim stultitia vocatur but passeth it by as if it were onely some infirmitie or small offence he doth not lay folly to them nor doth he let them feele what egregious fooles they have been The word folly is used often in Scripture in this sence to note a notorious sinne Gen. 34.7 when the sonnes of Jacob came out of the feild and heard how their sister had been dealt with they were exceedingly grieved and they were very wrath because he had wrought folly in Israel in lying with Jacobs daughter that is because he had committed a great wickednes in Israel We have the same sin so exprest againe by folly 2 Sam. 13.12 And she answered him nay my brother doe not force me for no such thing ought to be done in Israel doe not thou this folly As if she had sayd This is a grievous sin therefore doe it not And when the Lord would shew Jobs three friends the Greatnes of their error and mistake in their dispute with Job he calls it folly Job 42.9 My servant Job shall pray for you for him will I accept lest I deale with you according to your folly in that ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right like my servant Job Thus we see that great sins whether in practice or opinion come under this censure in Scripture onely we may note that the three texts mentioned expresse folly in another originall word then the present text doth There is folly enough great folly in every the least sin but Great sinnes deserve more to beare the name of folly in their foreheads Taking folly under this peculiar consideration We may observe That as The Lord in this life doth not punish any no not the worst of sinners according to the just demerit and dimension of their sinnes so he punisheth some whose sins are very great but very little Though he layeth their sinne to them yet he doth not lay it to them in the folly of it or as it is their folly He doth onely touch them with his little finger while it might be thought he would breake them with his iron rod. He doth but chastise them with whips while their sin calls for scorpions The Time will come when God will lay folly to every wicked man and make their sin appeare in the punishment of it what now it is in the nature of it out of measure sinfull Every impenitent sinner shall then finde that his sin is folly that is that his sin is very great Yet a late learned Expositer upon this Booke conceaves thar the sence is abated and diminished in the word folly as if it were Non ponit stultitam i. e. non dico scelera sed ne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quidem aut faecta illepida insulsa iliis impatat Coc a terme of extenuation God doth not lay folly that is the least sinne to them he doth not so much as charge them to have done irrationally vainely childishly or unhandsomely he doth not onely not deale with them as if they had sinned haynously but he doth not deale with them as if they had done foolishly But whether we take the word Folly as implying the Greatnes or the littlenes of their sinne whether we expound it as a terme of diminution or of aggravation the sence of the text is not altered in which Job intends onely to shew that though men have done very wickedly yet God doth not presently render to them according to what they have done This is true in the first sence of the word if God doe not lay folly to them as it signifies a great sin and this is much more true if God doe not lay folly to them in the second sence as it signifies a little sin And this sence of this latter clause of the verse corresponds fully with the generall scope of the Chapter and of the whole Booke For Job argues with his friends thus Ye charge me with folly and wickednesse because I suffer yet God suffers the wicked and doth not charge them with folly Lastly Et tamen insulsitatem non designat deus Jun i.
the Lord hath blessed that is as the smel of a fruitfull feild So it may be sayd that the earth or land where a man lives Describit quomodo sese gereresoleant ut suae maleficia coÌ„modius tegant eligunt sibi sedâ—s in vastis locis unde dicit nec se convertit ad vias vinearum quia vineae in locis cultis sitae sunt non procul ab urbibus Merc and his portion in it is cursed while he lives in a barren desolate land which looks as if it were under the perpetuall curse of God And according to this interpretation the later part of the verse and he beholdeth not the way of the vineyards may be thus understood He comes not into any fruitfull fields Vineyards are planted in a fruitfull soyle and fruitfull vines are full of the blessing of God Thus as the portion of the wicked in the earth is alwayes cursed by a decree from God so it may be sayd that their portion is sometimes cursed by their owne Election because for the better secreting and hiding of themselves from the eye of Justice they spend their dayes in such places as by reason of their wastnes and barrennes seeme to confesse themselves under a curse Their portion is cursed in the earth Hence note First Sin brings a Curse with it When Jâ—b had described the wickednesse of these men their murthers their adulteries and their thefts he concludes Their portion is Cursed Sin calleth for a Curse from men and it calleth for a Curse from God Solomon saith Pro. 12.26 He that withholdeth Corne that is who hoards it up and will not sel it at a reasonable rate resolving to make a dearth when God hath made none he who thus withholdeth Corne the people will curse him Now if the people curse him that will not let them have corne for money then much more him that stealeth or taketh away their corne without money He that destroyeth other mens goods gets a Curse in stead of good Eliphaz saith Chap. 5.3 I have seene the foolish taking roote but suddenly I Cursed his habitation that is I saw his habitation was Cursed or under a curse I knew what would become of him shortly In some Cases it may be lawfull for man to wish a Curse upon man and the Curse of man may be the Curse of God too and usually it is so when any man is generally cursed by men Vox populi vox dei The voyce of the people is the voyce of God When a man is followed with a Curse from the most of men good and bad it is an argument that there is a Curse gone out from God against him and that his portion is Cursed in the earth Sin is the deserving or procuring Cause and the wrath of God is the inflicting or productive Cause of the Curse Balaak hired Balaam to Curse the people of God but the Curse could not take the traine was laid but he could not make the powder take fire the Curse came not why the reason is given yea Balaam himselfe gives it Numb 23.21 He that is God hath not beheld Iniquity in Jacob neither hath he seene perversnes in Israel If there had been iniquity that is any national iniquity or publicke iniquity persisted in and not repented of among them that had brought the Curse inevitably but though Balaam laboured to Curse them though he went from hill to hill and tryed all meanes to get an opportunity to Curse them yet he could not for saith he God hath blessed them and I cannot reverse it There is no Iniquity in Jacob nor perversnes in Israel therefore their portion was blessed in the Earth Sin in whomsoever it is hath a Curse in the belly or bowels of it Even Christ himselfe taking our sin upon him was necessitated to take the Curse upon him which was due to our sin Christ taking our sin upon him was as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 5.21 made sin for us that is an offering or a sacrifice for our sin yea as the same Apostle saith Gal. 3.13 He was therefore made a Curse for us And if Christ who having no sin in him did onely take our sin upon him could not avoyd the curse how shall they avoyd it who having no part in Christ have all manner of sin in them But it may be objected All men sin and yet many have no appearance of a Curse upon them nor is their portion Cursed in the earth I answer First This assertion is to be limited to unbeleevers or ungodly men Secondly unbeleevers and ungodly men are under a Curse though the Curse doe not breake out and appeare visibly upon them As the portion of a godly man may be blessed though there be no appearance of the blessing when nothing appeares upon him but affliction and the Cross yet the Godly man is blessed The Cross of a Godly man is like the prosperity of a wicked man The former hath an outward Cross but a Blessing at the bottome the latter hath outward prosperity but a curse at the bottome and bitternes in the end Againe the peace of the prophane is like the grace of hypocrites onely a shew hypocrites have a shew of grace an appearance of holynes yet they are but painted Sepulchres full of rottennes within So the wicked have a shew of peace and prosperity of benefits and blessings but a curse is within them and a curse hangs over them ready every moment to drop downe upon their heads For Secondly His portion is cursed that is 't is under a curse though the curse be not actually inflicted As the mercies of God are sure to his people yet many times very slow they come not presently but they will come So also the wrath and curse of God will surely come upon the wicked though as to outward effects impressions they are slow and long in comming Actings of mercy are for an appointed time Every vision is for an appointed time as the Lord told his Prophet Hab. 2.3 The vision of Judgement and wrath is for an appointed time as well as the vision of love and mercy That is all the love and all the wrath the blessing and the curse which are revealed in any way of vision are for an appointed time but at the end the vision will speake and not lye if it tarry waite for it for it will surely come and not tarry As it is I say in the visions of mercy and blessing so in those of wrath and of the curse They are for an appointed time in the end they will speake Sometimes the Curse is quick it apprehendeth the sinner in the very act it takes him in the manner as Phineas did Zimri and Cozbi And as Psal 78.30 While their meate was yet in their mouthes the wrath of God came upon them The sound of the Curse is sometimes at the heeles of sin at other times the sound of the Curse is a great way behind the sin no
safety 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad fiduciam nomen Batach insignē importat fiduciam confidentiam sine ullo pavore Dat ei securitatem i e. dat ei quod ipsum reddere potest securum that is though he rise up and put downe all that oppose him though God give him this safety yet c. The word which wee translate to be in safety signifies the most secure safety or safety accompanyed with the highest Confidence that is when there is not so much as the least mixture of any feare not so much as the least Jealousie or suspicion of a change Babylon is described presuming upon such a safety Esay 47.8 I sit a Queene and am no widdow and shall see no sorrow and the wicked are spoken of as possessing and enjoying such a safety Job 21.9 Their houses are free from feare neitheir is the rod of God upon them they are free not only from the rod of God but from the feare of the rod though the wicked man live thus Confidently and all things are with him according to his wish though God seemes to crowne him with loving kindnes and tender mercies which are the proper portion of the Saints Psal 103.4 Though hee give him his hearts desire which is a promise peculiar to the godly man Psal 37.4 though it be given him to be thus in safety wherein or whereon hee resteth that is though as hee seeth no danger so hee suspecteth none but rests in his state and sayth all 's sure all 's well though the Condition of a wicked man be thus safe and prosperous and all this by the gift of God yet c. Before I explicate Jobs exception upon this great gift Take two or three notes from the consideration of the Author and nature of this gift as also from his rest upon it First To be in safety is a great outward mercy We finde it promised among many other speciall mercyes to the Church in her best estate Ezek. 34.27 The tree of the feild shall yeild her fruit and the earth shall yeild her encrease and they shall be safe in their land And such was their old promise Lev 26.5 Ye shall eate your bread to the full and dwell in your land safely Deut. 33.28 Israel shall dwell in safety alone Though Israel be alone he shall dwel in safety or Israel alone shall dwell in safety He shall have safety when others are in danger Thou saith David Psal 4.8 makest me dwell in safety and saith the Lord concerning the poore man Psal 12.5 I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him Pro. 21 3◠Safety is of the Lord. Yea Secondly The safety even of a wicked man is of the Lord. It is given to him by way of common providence to be in safety as God takes care of his owne servants in mercy so 〈◊〉 takes care of a wicked man in wisedome hee is the preserver both of man and beast hee is the preserver not onely of good men but of evill men who are as beasts How bad soever any man is his good whatsoever he hath is from the Lord. They may have safety who shall never have salvation And they who are neere to eternal damnation may be farre from danger Thirdly Whereas it is sayd Though he be in safety wherein hee resteth Note Outward prosperity is the foundation of a wicked mans peace God giveth him safety and he makes his safety his God He resteth in the safety which God giveth him not in God who giveth him safety Carnal men loose God in the creature and whereas they should trust in God because he sendeth them good things they trust upon the good things which God sendeth In whatsoever besides God we place our trust that we put in the place of God David was much overshot in this poynt Psal 30.6 In my prosperity I said I shall never be moved God made David prosper and David rested in his prosperity When David was right he sayd in his adversity and every godly man may say in his deepest adversity I shall never be moved God is as strong to us in our greatest weakenes as when he makes our mountaine strongest and they who thinke themselves more immoveable when their mountaine is strong then when it is weak rest in their mountaine not in God Now if David a man after Gods owne heart set or rested his heart so much upon his mountaine that is his worldly prosperity because it was strong how much more may carnal men grow into an admiration of their earthly mountaines and rest under their shadow and shelter as if they could never be moved Worldly men doe this so much that this is made the description of worldly men Psal 49.6 They that trust in their wealth and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches Who these are is not expressed as if every one must needs know what sort of men they are who trust in their wealth that is who see all well with them and who say all shall be well with them because of the multitude of their riches For that is properly to trust in riches when a man sayth to himselfe as the rich 〈◊〉 sayd Luke 12.19 Soule take thine ease thou hast much goods laid up for many yeares Eate and drinke and be merry Job had another spirit in the midst of his prosperity Chap. 3.26 I was not in safety neither had I rest c. he spake there of his Condition before he was in trouble when hee had some thousands of sheepe some hundreds of oxen with a multitude of Camells and Asses when hee had many sons and daughters with servants in great number When it was thus with him when no Cloud had in the least darkened his day nor so much as a graine of gall or wormewood embittered his cup when he was thus safe yet hee sayd I was not in safety When the Devill said hee was so safe that hee could not touch him Thou hast made a hedge about him yet hee sayd I was not in safety neyther had I rest that is hee looked upon his hedge as upon that which might quickly be broken through upon his mountaine as that which might not onely be quickly moved but quite removed he saw all he had shakeing and tottering and so could not have any rest in any thing which he had he had rest in opposition to murmuring and discontent about the things of this world but he was restlesse in opposition to confiding in and satisfaction with the things of this world In this respect his very safety was unsafe and his rest restlesse to him Only the carnal man when God giveth him to be in safety resteth in it he sits downe and concludeth that he hath enough at present and that his Enough will last for Ever He resteth in his safety not onely as being out of danger but above it Job having thus set forth the outward state of the wicked man he is in safety as
He spake great things of the power and holynes of God but Jobs case called him to speake as much if not more and rather of the goodness and kindnes of God He spake enough to humble and cast Job downe at the sight of his natural uncleanenes but he should have spoken more to rayse him up and comfort him by shewing him that fountaine which is opened to wash in for sin and for uncleanenes Wee may quickly entangle a soule by speaking truth unlesse we shew him all that ruth which belongs to his condition The Scriptures have plenty of truth in them and are therefore able to make as wise unto salvation They are profitable for doctrine for reproofe for correction for instruction in righteousnes The Scripture is like that River spoken of Gen. 2.10 which went out of Eden to water the Garden and from thence it was parted and became into foure heads Paul in that place now mentioned 2 Tim. 3.16 shewes us the Scripture parting it selfe into foure heads first of Doctrine for establishing the truth secondly of reproofe for removing of error thirdly of correction for the beating downe of ill manners fourthly of instruction for building up in a holy conversation That so as it there follows the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good workes that is in Jobs language that he may be able plentifully to declare the solid truth the thing as it is and as knowingly to declare General truths so to apply them discerningly to the state of every person A fayling wherein Job is supposed to charge Bildad with in the next verse Vers 4. To whom hast thou uttered words Here Job taxeth Bildad with inconsideratenesse in reference to the person to whom he spake To whom hast thou uttered words hast thou considered to whom thou spakest Quem docere voluisti nonne eum qui fecit spiramentum Vulg The vulgar translation referrs it to God whom wouldst thou teach wouldst not thou teach him who made the breath surely thou takest upon thee to teach him who is the teacher of us all Thus many carry on the sense of this fourth verse according to the second interpretation of the second and third verses With which presumption Job taxed his friends once before and that in expresse termes Chap. 21 22. Shall any teach God knowledge seeing he judgeth those that are high But I conceive Jobs meaning is onely to shew Bildad that he had not well advised about his case and condition before he spake for Bildad might say is this a question to be asked to whom have I uttered words have not I been speaking to thee all this while art not thou the man for whose sake we are here met and about whom we have had all this dispute Why then doest thou aske to whom hast thou uttered words Job doubted not who it was to whom he spake but Job questions him as fearing he was not well acquainted with or had not enough layd to heart the state of the man to whom he spake dost thou know what my condition is and hast thou suited and cut out thy discourse to my condition to whom hast thou uttered words Hence note We should well consider the state of every person to whom we speak and apply our speech or doctrine accordingly Bildad in the former Chapter had been setting forth the power majesty and dread of God as also his infinite purity befoâ—e whom the Angels are not-cleane now sayth Job to whom hast thou uttered these words should I be thus dealt with thus handled who am a man cast downe already and under the terrours of God Is this discourse though an undoubted truth sutable to my condition Thou shouldst rather have represented God to my faith in his goodnesse and mercy in his long suffering and patience in his tendernesse and gentlenesse towards sinners thou shouldst have proclaimed that name of God to me which is his Glory Exod. 34.6 The Lord The Lord gracious and mercifull long suffering and aboundant in goodnes and truth this had been a description of God a proclamation of God fit for a man in my case Whereas thou hast onely told me of his mighty power and dominion of his Hosts and Armyes doest thou know to whom thou hast uttered these words Jesus Christ when here on earth considered to whom he was uttering words and therefore tells his Disciples Joh. 16.12 I have many things to say unto you but ye cannot beare them now Christ would not put new wine into old botles but attemper'd his speech to the strength and capacity of his hearers Some must heare that which they cannot beare when that springs from their passion and impatience especially when from their love to and resolvednesse to goe onne in sinne Amos must not forbeare to speake though Amaziah cry out The Land is not able to beare all his words But we must take heed of forcing words upon any which they cannot beare or are not fit to heare eyther by reason of their afflictions and temptations or by reason of their present infirmities and incapacities The Apostle 2 Tim. 2.15 bids Timothy study to shew thy selfe approved unto God he doth not meane it in his private course of life and dayly converse which is the duty of every beleever but in his publicke course of life or converse as a Minister of the Gospel in that sayth he study to shew thy selfe approved unto God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed what kind of workman was Timothy his worke lay in the Word shew thy selfe a workeman and a Master in thy worke rightly dividing the word of truth how is the word to be divided he doth not meane of a gramaticall nor of a logicall division though there may be a use of these divisions of the Word but the dividing of the word intended by Paul is the dividing of it spiritually to the severall states and conditions of men giving to such a word of instruction to others a word of reproofe to a third sort words of comfort This is dividing the word aright And in doing this Paul would have Timothy declare himfelfe a workman that he needed not be ashamed He would have him know to whom he uttered words to know when he spake to sinners and when to Saints when he spake to the afflicted and when to them that were in a comfortable estate He would have him know when he spake to those who were hardned in their sin and when to those whose hearts were broken under the weight and sence of sin And thus as every man who uttereth words so Ministers of the Gospel especially should be well advised to whom they utter them For as the same garment will not serve every body to weare nor the same bed to lye upon so the same word will not serve every soule We must not doe as the tyrant who made one bed serve all his guests and they that were too long for it were cut shorter and they who