makes a bold adventure who dares passe but an unpleasing thought against the waies or works of God Fourthly Not to be satisfied with what God doth is a degree of hardening our selves against God discontents and unquietnesses upon our spirits are oppositions Fiftly Not to give God glory in what he doth hath somewhat in it of hardening of our selves against God And lastly He that will not give God glory in what he commands is in a degree hardened against God We may see what it is to harden our selves against God by the opposite of it Prov. 28.14 Blessed is the man that feareth alwaies but he that hardeneth himself shall fall into mischief Hardnesse is contrary to holy fear holy fear is a disposition of heart ready to yeeld to God in every thing A man thus fearing quickly takes impressions of the word will and works of God and therefore whosoever doth not comply with God in holy submission to his will hardens himself in part against God That which is here chiefly meant is the grosser act of hardnesse when men either speak or go on in their way acting against God let him say what he will his word stops them not or do what he will his works stop them not They are like the adamant the hammer of the Word makes no impression upon hard hearts but recoyls back again upon him that strikes with it More distinctly this is either a sensible hardnesse of heart of which the Church complains Isa 63.15 Wherefore hast thou hardened our hearts c. or an insensible hardnesse which in some arises from ignorance in others from malice and obstinacy Further We read of Gods hardening mans heart and sometimes of mans hardening his own heart There is a three-fold hardnesse of heart First Naturall which is the common stock of all men we receive the stone of a hard heart by descent every man comes into the world hardened against God Secondly There is an acquired hardnesse of heart Men harden themselves and adde to their former hardnesse He stretcheth out his hand against God and strengtheneth himself against the Almighty Job 15.25 There is a growth in sin as well as a growth in grace many acts make hardnesse more habituall 2 Chron. 36.13 He stiffened his neck and hardened his heart from turning unto the Lord. I know thy rebellion and thy stiffe necke Deut. 31.27 Thirdly There is a judiciary hardnesse of heart an hard heart inflicted by God as a Judge When men will harden their hearts against God he agrees it their hearts shall be hard he will take away all the means which should soften and moisten them he will not give them any help to make them pliable to his will or he will not blesse it to them He will speak to his Prophets and they shall make their hearts fat that is senslesse and their ears heavy that is heedlesse under all they speak Isa 6.10 Thus also God hardned the heart of Pharaoh and of the Aegyptians by the ministery of Moses and Aaron So then we having hardnesse of heart by nature doe by custome acquire a further hardnesse and the Lord in wrath inflicteth hardnesse then the sinner is pertinacious in sinning All these put together make him irrecoverably sinfull His neck is an iron sinew and his brow brasse Isa 48.4 Observe first There is an active hardnesse of heart or man hardens his own heart Exod. 5. We read of Pharaoh hardening his heart before the Lord hardened it Who is the Lord saith he that I should let Israel goe Here was Pharaoh hardening his heart and steeling his spirit against the command of God God sent him a command to let Israel goe he replies Who is the Lord I know not the Lord who is this that takes upon him to command me Am not I King of Aegypt I know no Peer much lesse Superiour Lord. It was true indeed poor creature he did not know the Lord Pharaoh spake right in that I know not the Lord if he had he would never have said I will not let Israel go he would have let all goe at his command had he known who the Lord was that commanded Thus Sennacherib 2 Chron. 32.14 blasphemes by his messengers Who was there among all the gods of those Nations that my fathers utterly destroyed that could deliver his people out of mine hand that your God should be able to deliver you out of mine hand These are hard words against God and hardening words to man Every act of sinne hardens the heart of man but the heat of blasphemy at once shews and puts it into the extremity of hardnesse Man hardens himself against God four waies especially First Upon presumption of mercy many doe evil because they hear God is good they turn his grace into wantonnesse and are without all fear of the Lord because there is mercy so much with the Lord. Secondly The patience of God or his delaies of judgement harden others because God is slow to strike they are swift to sin If the sound of judgment be not at the heels of sin they conclude there is no such danger in sin Solomon observed this Eccles 8.11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to doe evil or it is full in them to doe evil They have not some velleities and propensions some motions and inclinations some queries and debates about it but the matter upon this ground is fully stated and determined they are so full of it that they have no room in their hearts for better thoughts or counsels the summe of all is they are hardened and resolved to doe evil Thirdly Grosse ignorance hardens many 1. Ignorance of themselves And 2. Ignorance of God he that knows not what he ought to doe cares not much what he doth None are so venturous as they who know not their danger Pharaoh said I know not the Lord he knew not the Lord nor himself therefore he ran on blinde-fold and desperately hardened himself against the Lord. Fourthly Hardnesse of heart in sinning is contracted from the multitude of those who sinne They thinke none shall suffer for that which so many doe The Law of Moses said Thou shalt not follow a multitude to doe evil Exod. 23.2 There is a speciall restraint upon it because man is so easily led by many The heart is ready to flatter it self into an opinion that God will not be very angry when a practice is grown common this is the course of the world this is the way of most men therefore surely no great danger in it And examples harden chiefly upon three considerations Ego bomuncto non facerem Tâ—r. First If great ones go that way the Heathen brings in a young man who hearing of the adulteries and wickednesses of the gods said what Doe they so and shall I stick at it Secondly If some wise and learned men go that way ignorant and unlearned men conclude
Daies-men sequestres and Critiques tell us that as the Daies-man is expressed by a word in the Hebrew whose root signifies to rebuke because a Daies-man had power to rebuke and reprove him that had done the wrong So he is called sequester in the Latine from a word which signifies to follow because of a power committed to him that which way soever he should state and determine the businesse between the parties they were bound to follow and submit to his award or because he was supposed a man of such wisdom faithfulnesse and integrity that both parties might safely follow him Hence he was called sequester that is one whom they must or might follow and abide by his sentence To assure which the parties usually ingaged themselves under penalties of valuable damage to the busines in question to stand to his arbitration There are five things by which we may more distinctly understand Jobs meaning belonging to a Daies-man or an Vmpire 1. He must be agreed upon and chosen by both parties for unlesse he be accepted by both of them he can have no power to determine for or against either of them 2. He must hear both sides speak and alleadge what they can for themselves before he determines 3. He must beat out the matter by interrogatories and questions he must not stay upon the bare narrative of the persons 4. He must have power to conclude and determine of the differences betwixt them 5. Both parties must be bound at least by promise Talis judex vocatur compromissarius quasi ex compromisso à litigatoribus sumpto to stand to the determination which he shall make Such a one is a Daies-man among men who is also called a Compromiser and his work the Compromising of a matter because as he is elected by a the mutuall consent so confirmed by the mutuall promise of those who are at variance to reconcile them and take up their differences Now saith Job as there is no Judge so there is no Daies-man betwixt me and God That might lay his hand upon us both Some understand the words upon us both of Job and his friends There is not a Daies-man betwixt me and my friends not one that can judge and consider of my innocency and their charge as if he had said Though I will not plead it out with God yet I dare referre the controversie betwixt you and me to an equall umpire I dare go to the triall of my innocency with you but I see no Daies-man you are all parties in the businesse and I know of none that will stand between us indifferently and unprejudiced But the text refers clearly to God There is no Daies-man none to arbitrate the matter between God and me None to lay his hands upon us both To lay on hands is diversly used in Scripture The hand signifies all power Hence to lay the hands is to put forth power and to do so is taken some times in an ill sense and sometimes in a good sense First In an ill sense and so to lay the hands is to strike or smite even to death Gen. 22.12 Lay not thine hand upon the childe upon Isaac that is do not slay him We have the same expression Gen. 37.22 when Reuben pleaded for Joseph that he should not be murthered Shed no bloud but cast him into this pit and lay no hand upon him that is do not destroy him This laying on of the hands notes any violent act either proceeding from holy zeal or justice as in Nehemiah who threatens the prophaners of the Sabbath If ye doe so again I will lay hands on you or from malice as in the chief Priests who sought to lay hands on Christ the Lord of the Sabbath Luk. 20.19 And Christ prophesying what the condition of his Disciples and of believers should be what usage they should finde in the world tels them Mat. 21.12 They shall lay their hands upon you and persecute you Thus Haman thought scorn to lay his hands on Mordecai alone Esth 3.6 He had a design to take revenge upon the whole Nation of the Jews Secondly To lay on the hands is taken in a good sense and so I finde it used three waies 1. In benedictions Mark 10.16 Christ took up the young children in his arms and laid his hands upon them and blessed them As under the Law Levit. 1.4 and Chap. 4.15 The people or the Elders laying their hands upon the beast which was to be offered in Sacrifice intimated the laying of all their sins by faith upon Christ of whom that Sacrifice was a type So Christs laying his hands upon those children implied the bestowing and pouring out of mercy upon them in the pardoning of their sins and the furnishing of them with the graces of his Spirit The same action used by the Apostles in the name of Christ had the same signification and effect When Peter and John came to Samaria and saw what work the Word had made among that people They laid their hands on them and they received the holy Ghost Act. 8.17 Paul likewise laid his hands on the Disciples at Ephesus and they received the holy Ghost Act. 19.6 It was used also as a sign of healing Mark 16.18 They shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover And Mat. 9.18 the Ruler saith unto Christ My daughter is sick but come and lay thine hands on her and she shall be healed Some interpret the Rulers desire of this sign to be as a sign he had faith so also that his faith was weak The Centurion concerning whom Christ testified I have not found so great faith no not in Israel desired Christ but to speak the word only and his servant should be healed Mat. 8.8 As a word is the proper object of faith so faith acts most properly when it rests and lives upon a word only Signs are mercies to the weak and they are witnesses of our weaknesse Signs are but crouches and spectacles to help the lamenesse and dimsightednesse of faith But to our text 2. Laying on of hands was used in the ordination or solemn setting of a man apart unto an office The children of Israel that is some of the chief of them under the Ceremoniall Law laid their hands upon the Levites Numb 8.10 which was either a testification that they gave up all carnall and worldly interests in them and bequeathed them wholly unto God or an approbation of their office and of the Levites ministration in it on their behalf The same Ceremony for the matter was continued in the sending forth of Gospel-officers Neglect not the gift that is in thee which was given thee by prophecie with the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery was Pauls counsell to Timothy in reference to himself 1 Tim. 4.14 And in reference to others 1 Tim. 5.22 Lay hands suddenly on no man And Paul and Barnabas being immediately designed by God for a speciall work of the Ministery to which they were called
's the reason of those former Questions As if he had said Lord surely thou needest not search and examine me in this manner seeing it is neither thus nor thus with thee It is not good to thee to oppresse or to despise the work of thy hands thou hast not eyes of flesh or daies of man That thou enquirest after mine iniquity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Significat non tam verbis interrogatione quam actionibus summa studio aliquid inqu rere non raro de poena nece procuranda accipitur The originall signifies an enquiry two waies 1. By word 2. By actions By somewhat done or by somewhat spoken And it signifies both to do and speak with great intention and heat of spirit The word is also applied to those enquiries which are made by torture when the party is suspected for concealment of the matter under enquiry Which way of examination is called by the Latines the bringing of a man to question That last engine which was invented to support the tottering state of Rome wherein poor souls are put to extream tortures to force confessions or self accusations that I say is called the Inquisition and the Judges Inquisitours because inquisition or enquiry according to the word of the text is there made after the iniquities of men after their supposed heresies and hereticall practices against the Romish Church Job seems to allude to such waies of examination why doth the Lord enquire after my iniquity by fore judgements and terrible afflictions by strong pains and mighty terrours At lowest the word signifieth a diligent search or a scrutiny with utmost industry even such as they use who maliciously hunt for the precious life The Lord saith to Moses return into Aegypt for all the men which sought thy life are dead Exod. 4.19 it is this word So 1 Sam. 22.23 abide thou with me saith David to Abiathar fear not for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life When revenge makes a search it is a diligent search malice hath a piercing eye and enquires narrowly That gracious promise is thus expressed Jer. 50.20 In those daies the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none and the sins of Judah and they shall not be found Job complains here Thou enquirest after mine iniquity there the promise is In those daies the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for or enquired after and it shall not be found that is suppose the iniquity of Israel should be sought after suppose there should be an hue and cry sent out after the sin of my people yet saith the Lord it shall not be found why what hinders the finding of it or where shall it be hid The next words resolve the doubt It shall be hid in the pardoning mercies of God I the Lord will pardon those whom I reserve The Lord would give such a full and free pardon of sin that what search and enquiry soever should be made after it there should not be so much as any scar or mark not so much as any print or stain left to be a witnesse of their sin or a plea for their condemnation Answerable to that Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Job speaks as if God were so farre from hiding his iniquity in a pardon when it came to be searched for that himself searched for it as if he were resolved not to pardon it Wherefore is it that thou enquirest after mine iniquity and searchest after my sin Both parts of the verse meet in the same sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Est inquirere in peccatorem per testes judiciartam questionem Pined Quaerere not at scientiam Dei denotat animadversionem vindictam Darash à Bakâ—sh distingui potest si illud in revocatione ad animum hoc inscrutatione occultorum ponamus Coc. The word Darash in the later being often applied as the former to a judiciary search Yet some distinguish them strictly thus the former to signifie an enquiry by recalling to memory or the examining of our selves Thou enquirest after mine iniquitie that is thou askest thy self whether thou hast not observed some iniquity in me Thou doest as it were rub up thy memory and take an account of what is laid up there concerning me Memory is the store-house or treasury the record or register of the soul Books are a memory without us and memory is a book within us Then the other word signifies searching by examination of the suspected party in either of those waies before explained The Lord tels the Jews whose wickednesse was grown immodest and rose a step beyond hypocrisie that he needed not search after their sins In thy skirts is found the bloud of the souls of poor innocents I have not not found it by secret search Ier. 2.34 as noting that the Lord doth sometimes make a secret search and that there are some who hide their sins some who sit close upon and cover them as Rachel did the stolne Idols when Laâ—an came to search Jacobs stuff that there are some who make excuses and apologies for them to these the Lord comes with a secret search for their iniquity The word in Jeremy signifies digging I have not found it by digging some put their sins under ground only deep digging can finde these out Job enquires of the Lord why he made such a searching after his iniquities why he was so curious in looking into every corner Sententia plana est non est necesse ut in peccata mea curiofiùs inquiras cum Deus sit cui not a sunt perspecta omnia etiam interiora cordis Bold and behinde every door to finde out the rubbish of his life seeing the closest sin is as open to his eye as the Sun at noon-day and besides God knew that Job had no close sins no darling beloved sin in his bosom no sweet morsels of any forbidden fruit under his tongue He tels the Lord as much in plain terms in the next words Thou knowest that I am not wicked As we use to say to a man that makes a busie search after any thing either in a place or about a person where there is no probability that it should be found or when we suppose the party searching cannot have the least ground of perswasion that the thing is there or with him In such a case I say a man will answer why do ye make such a search ye know what ye look for is not here ye know well enough I have it not ye have some other end in this Thus Job speaks here Lord why doest thou search for mine iniquity Thou knowest well enough that I am not wicked there is certainly somewhat else in the winde Shew me wherefore thou contendâ—st with me Take a note or two from these words That thou enquirest after mine iniquity c. First God knoweth us before he searcheth us Job professes of himself as
nulla mihi illaâ—o injuria Bol. Take the words as a direct assertion Thou wilt bring me into the dust again So they may have reference to the decree of God concerning man as those before had to the creation of man As if he had said By creation and naturall constitution I am frail and weak made of the clay by thy purpose and decree I am appointed unto death Thou wilt bring me into the dust again therefore spare me for the short time I have to live Some change the conjunction And into the adverb of likenesse so to note a right power or priviledge and the text runs in this form Remember that as thou hast made me of or as the clay so thou maist it is thy priviledge none can contradict thee in it and thou doest me no wrong in it thou maiest as thou hast purposed bring me to the dust again Though it be common and naturall to all creatures mixt of elements to be resolved and turned back into that out of which they were made that is to die yet to man it is more then naturall there is a decree upon it besides the naturality of it Man dieth by a statute-law of heaven To die is a penalty inflicted upon man for sinne for he had not been under a necessity of dying if he had not sinned And therefore though God formed man as the holy story informs us Gen. 2.7 out of the dust of the earth yet so long as man stood he never said to him To dust thou shalt return God only put a supposition that in case man did fall he should surely die But when man had fallen by sin then he hears what he was and what he must be For dust thou art and unto dust thou shalt return Gen. 3.19 As if God had thus bespoken sinfull man Thy body was framed out of dust and now I charge this burden upon thee thou shalt return to the dust again It is a Question and I shall touch upon it Whether death were naturall to man or no Whether man were made mortall or whether he made himself mortall Some affirm That death was naturall not accidentall or occasionall to man-kinde They argue for this opinion First thus Adam died not the death of the body or a naturall death when he had sinned therefore the death of the body was not inflicted for sin upon his person and his posterity but was seated in or a consequent of his nature I answer Though Adam died not presently a naturall death yet he was presently made subject or liable unto death the sentence was past upon him though the sentence was not executed upon him A malefactour who is cast at the barre is a dead man in law though he be reprieved from the present stroke of death Again Though death it self did not instantly seize upon him yet the symptoms of death and tokens of mortality did Fear and shame pains and distempers sweat and wearinesse quickly shewed themselves as so many harbingers or forerunners of his approaching dissolution we see and feel death in these before we see or feel death it self These bid us prepare our bodies for the grave and our souls for heaven Secondly Others reason thus Christ hath delivered his people the elect from all that punishment which the sin of Adam did contract and deserve but Christ hath not delivered his elect his own people from turning to the dust Godly men die as well as the ungodly believers as well as infidels therefore say they the death of the body was not procured by sin I answer Whatsoever is an evil in death Christ hath delivered his people from he hath taken away all that from death which is punishment or annoiance though death be not taken away Christ hath freed us from the effects of sin as he hath freed us from sin it self that is from their prevalence and dominion over us not from their presence or being in and upon us Hence the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. triumpheth over death O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory As if he had said Death once had a power over man to sting him to death death once had a victorious power and would have bin the great conquerour riding in triumph over all the posterity of Adam but now death hath neither sting nor sword to use against believers it hath nothing of victory over the Saints It is now but a sleep a sleep in Christ a rest from labour a putting off the rags the worn rags of mortality that we may be dress'd in the robes of glory The evil of death is removed and that which remains of death the separation of soul and body proves the greatest good to both it being but a preparatory to their everlasting union Thirdly It is argued That death and corruption were naturall to man because the matter out of which man was made was dying and corruptible Omne principiatum sequitur naturam principiorum for that which is made must follow the nature of that principle out of which it is made The effect cannot be say they more noble then the cause nor the subject constituted more durable then that which goes into its constitution To clear up an answer to this we must distinguish of a three-fold immortality 1. A primitive simple independent essentiall immortality this is proper and peculiar to God in which sense the Apostle affirmeth He only hath immortality 1 Tim. 6.16 2. There is a derivative dependant essentiall immortality Some substances have no seed of corruptibility nor of death in them Being either separate from all matter which is the seat and root of corruption as the Angels or united to matter yet so as not being produced from it or having any affinity with it such are the souls of men Whole man in his creation was not immortall either of these waies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Graec. Int. a part of man was but man was not created immortall Man was of a middle state and condition neither altogether so mortall nor altogether immortall but capable of either 3. There is an immortality by the power or gift by the mercy or justice of God The power and justice of God shall give an immortality to the bodies of the damned in hell they shall ever live a dying life who were dead all while they lived They who have slighted the mercy of God shall be upheld by his power to endure his justice to all eternity wicked men would have sinned with delight for ever upon the earth if they could have lived for ever upon the earth and they shall live for ever with pain in hell to suffer for their sinne The power goodnesse and mercy of God shall much more give immortality to the bodies of the Saints in glory they who have had a will to delight in obeying God that short time they lived on earth shall have a power to live for ever in delight praising God in heaven The body of man
dead It is usuall in Scripture by a dogge to set forth the vilest estate of man and the most excellent by a lion When Mephibosheth would shew how low he was in his own eyes though the son of a noble Prince he joyns these two Dead and a dog together 2 Sam. 9.8 What is thy servant that thou shouldst look upon such a dead dog as I am He cals himself not only a dog as Christ did the woman of Canaan and as she acknowledged her self to be but to lay himself as low as lownesse it self he cals himself a dead dog implying That life giveth some honour and casteth a lustre upon every subject which it inhabits though it be the meanest When Esau was near perishing with hunger Gen. 25.32 he resolves thus I am at the point to die and what profit shall this birth-right do to me As if he had said Shall I keep my birth-right and lose my life My life is more precious Thus he spake and he spake profanely in it yet there is some truth in what he spake for if we take birth-right precisely in the notion of a civil priviledge so life is better then a birth-right but he is called profane Esau because there was a spirituall priviledge in his birth-right which he ought to have valued above his life Any spirituall good thing is better then naturall life but life is the best of naturall and better then all civil good things When the Prophet would expresse how great a blessing a King was to his people he called him The breath of their nostrils Lam. 4.29 and live for ever was the highest apprecation given the Babylonian Kings The most noble imitations of art are about this piece of nature It is the ambition of a painter to draw to the life or to shadow the motions and actings of life When we would commend a picture we say It is done to the life How precious a favour is reall life the very shadow of which is of so great a price He that laieth down his life paieth the greatest debt whether to justice or to nature Christ went to the highest price for and shewed the greatest favour to sinners when he parted with and pawned this jewell for them his precious life This should minde parents as to pray for quickning after conceptions so to give thanks when the embryon is quickned Now if this naturall life be such a favour What is spirituall and eternall life Thou hast given me life and favour Chesed omnia beneficia Dei promiscuè complectitur Coc. Non solum vitam dedisti sed cumulasti banis omnibus quae ad victum honorem rem vitae necessariam pertinent Hoc nomine coÌ„plectitur etiam omnia beneficia quae ultra vitaÌ„ Deus homini concedit dum educandum euÌ„ instituendum informanduÌ„ in lege sua timore curat Merc. or life as a favour Thirdly By favour in conjunction with life we may understand the accidents of life that is those good things which accompany and accommodate our lives Thou hast given me life not a bare life not a meer subsistence or being in the world but with life thou hast also given me favour many mercies and comforts to make my life sweet and pleasant to me Besides favour takes in not only those outward comforts of health strength liberty plenty but those inward ornaments of life also good education and instruction in knowledge both humane and divine It appears Iob had a fair portion of these favours His was not a naked but a clothed soul a soul gilded and engraven all over with heavenly truths So that Job in this word reports the bounty and munificence of God towards him in all the former additions and accomplishments of his life Many have lives which they scarce look upon as a favour Some accidents of life are more worth then the substance of it Our well-being is better then our being It may prove a desirable favour to be rid of life In which sense Iob spake of himself at the first verse of this Chapter My soul is weary of my life His life was then a burden but once a favour Thou hast granted me life with favour Fourthly Iob may here intend spirituall and eternall favour Quoniam Chesed significat aliquid perfectum in amore idcirca slatuimus Iohum hic intelligere istaÌ„ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sive studium quod Deus exercet erga suos quâ—s facit filios suos in Christo Coc. Chesed signifies the grace or favour of God in Christ Psal 89.33 My loving kindenesse will I not take from him nor suffer my faithfulnesse to fail If he fail in duty I will chasten him in mercy I will not remove mercy from him The Vulgar translates Thou hast given me life and mercy which some expound of that speciall mercy the pardon of his sinne and his washing from originall corruption As if Iob had said I partake not only of life but also of that which is better then life it self Thy favour or loving-kindenesse Psal 63.4 The favour of God in spirituall things in pardoning sin in regenerating the soul in sending the holy Spirit is the perfection of his favour What is man without that favour which makes him a sonne of God but even a beautifull or at most a rationall beast as David cals him Psal 49.21 And should a man give thanks for outward favours only without any reflection upon spirituall a beast could he speak might give such thanks The life of sense and growth is a mercy but beasts and plants live thus The life of reason is a greater mercy but wicked men live thus many are in hell unto whom God granted this life and they would be glad God would call in his grant and take it from them But unto these three lives God adds a fourth to his elect even a life of grace through Jesus Christ This is the favour of favours and the blessing of all our blessings except this favour be granted with our lives it were better for us never to have had a grant of our lives It is more eligible not to have been born then not to be born again Chesed sumitur pro venustate corporis Coc. There is a fifth Interpretation taking the word Chesed for corporall favour or the beauty of the body we say such an one is well favoured he hath an excellent feature the favour of a man is seen in the feature of his face Favour is the perfection of beauty Some have a clear mixture of white and red yet no favour In this sense the word is used Isa 40.6 where the Lord makes a proclamation The voice said Cry and he said What shall I cry All flesh is grasse and the goodlinâ—sse thereof as the flower of the field The word which we translate goodlinesse is Chesed All flesh is grasse man withers quickly and Chesed the goodlinesse thereof all of man his favour beauty strength all these are as the
flower of the field Some read goodnesse for goodlinesse the sense holds if we take it so the naturall the morall goodnes of man is but a flower As no goodlines so no goodnes of man except spiritual lasteth long and that lasteth long and long even for ever Grace is not as the flower of the field that is durable substance that as the Prophet speaks there of the Word of God in v. 8. shall stand for ever The grace of God is as lasting as the Word of God for his Word is the externall seed or principle of grace But all other goodnesse and goodlinesse of man how good how goodly soever his other beauty how beautifull soever his strength how strong his favour how well favoured so ever is but as the flower of the field which is either cut down while it is green or soon fades while it stands Take favour in this sense and the sense of the whole verse is harmonious and sound Thou hast granted me life my body is formed and quickned and more then so Thou hast given me favour my body is full of beauty and comelinesse The comelinesse of the body is a favour received and many receive favour because they are comely From either of which considerations we may call the comelinesse of the body favour and it is no common favour God denies this to many he grants them the life of nature but not favour yea he grants many the life of grace but not favour Beautifull souls are often ill-housed and filthy souls clearly housed 't is admirable when both beauties meet in the same man Moses was a goodly childe Exod. 2.2 and a good man As grace in the inward man is the best favour so favour is gracefull to the outward man Thou hast granted me life and favour And thy visitation hath preserved my spirit Here is the third benefit of this Royall grant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Inspectio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. The visitation of God One reads Thy presence A second Thy assistance A third Thy inspection thy over-looking or super intendency hath preserved my spirit The Hebrew word signifies The visitation of a superiour over an inferiour as when masters enquire into their families or governours into their Colledges and Hospitals Visitatio est Dominorum superiorum cum ad Deum refertur denotat providentiam Pined to see whether the statutes and orders appointed by the founders and benefactours be observed There is a three-fold visitation of God held forth in Scripture 1. A visitation of condemnation God visits to take vengeance by destructive punishments when warning is not taken nor repentance shewed after corrective punishments Shall not I visit for these things saith the Lord Shall not my soul be avenged on such a Nation as this Jer. 5.9 2. A visitation of correction Psal 89.32 If thy children forsake my law c. then will I visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes Neverthelesse my loving kindenesse will I not utterly take from him c Though they break my laws yet I will not break my Covenant they shall smart for it but they shall not perish for it This is a fatherly visitation 3. A visitation of consolation And this two-fold 1. For deliverance out of an evil estate and that either temporall the Lord is said to visit his people Israel when he delivered them out of Aegypt Exod. 4.31 or spirituall and eternall God hath visited and redeemed his people saith the blessed Virgin Luk. 1.68 that is he hath visited his people to redeem them from sin and Satan death and hell by Jesus Christ Secondly Which is most proper to this Text there is a visitation for protection in a good estate When God having caused our line to fall in a fair place draws his line of providentiall communication round about us So M. Broughton translates Life and loving kindenesse hast thou dealt to me and thy providence preserveth my spirit As if Iob had said Thou didst not only give me life and favour but thou didst protect me for many years in the enjoyment of those favours Providence was the hedge not only of his outward but of his inward estate Thy visitation hath preserved my spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The verb which we translate hath preserved signifieth to preserve Summa solertia atque diligentia prospexit cavit oberravit ut solent custodiae excubiae nocturnae vel gregum custodes both by strength and watchfulnesse The Noun expresseth a Watch-tower in Hebrew because a watch-man standeth upon his Tower and looks round about him to espy and give notice of approaching dangers The Lord preserveth both waies by his watchfulnes and by his strength his eie is wakefull enough and his arm is powerfull enough to preserve us He that keepeth Israel doth neither slumber nor sleep Psal 121.1 the creatour of the ends of the earth fainteth not neither is weary Isa 40.28 He that is thus wakefull can easily visit and he that is thus powerfull can easily preserve those whom he visiteth Thy visitation hath preserved my spirit But how did the visitation of God preserve the spirit of Iob Or what are we to understand by his spirit which was thus preserved The spirit of a man is taken three waies First For life Thus God keepeth us from death while he preserves our spirits Secondly For the soul Thus God preserveth our spirits while he keeps us from falling into or from falling in temptation while he keeps our corruptions from prevailing and our graces from decaying Thirdly The spirit of man is taken for his courage Thus God preserveth our spirits while he keeps us from needlesse fears and cowardly despondencies Doubtlesse Iob had experience of the visitation of God preserving his spirit in all these senses yet here he seems chiefly to intend the preservation of his life which God had granted him with favour or of those comforts which were granted him with his life Hence observe First in generall That what God granteth he preserveth It is a part of his grant that he will preserve Should the Lord bestow the greatest stock of mercy upon us and leave us to the wide world we should quickly loose all God is not like the Carpenter or the Mason who buildeth up a house and then leaveth it to it self or to the care of others The Lord surveys what he builds and keeps up what he sets up all would come down else Providence succeedeth Creation or Providence is a continued Creation Assoon as ever the Lord had made man and a garden He took the man and put him into the Garden which he had made to dresse it and to keep it Gen. 2.15 God putteth the creatures under mans charge yet he keepeth all creatures in his own charge and especially man A Garden without a man to visit it would soon be a wildernesse And man without God to visit him would soon be or be in a wildernesse either
gracious is to doe that which is desired by a supplication the same word in the Hebrew signifies both an act of lowest humility in us namely the making a supplication and an act of the highest grace in God namely the granting of a supplication Hence observe First In seeking God we must look to receive all from his free-grace and undeserved favour Seek unto God and make thy supplication to him Mercy in God is the spring of all the mercies received by man What can a beggar who comes to a King ask upon desert That 's the condition of every one that comes to God we are a company of beggars the riches both of temporall and spiritual blessings are treasur'd up in God Blessed are the poor in spirit they who look upon themselves as mean and low as not having a rag of goodnesse about them as emptied of themselves are the vessels which God will fill He that is full loatheth a honey-comb and he that thinks he is full is loathed so much by God that his reall emptines shall never be filled When Jacob held God so fast that he would not let him go without a blessing he had quite let go all hold yea or opinion of his worthines to receive a blessing I am lesse then the least of all thy mercies Gen. 32.10 Then we are fit to receive great things from God when we are little then fittest when we are least in our own eyes Yea we must supplicate God not only as a beggar but as a traitour or a rebell doth a King who hath not only nothing in him to commend him to his acceptance or procure his favour but much to provoke his wrath and incurre the weight of his displeasure Every sinne in it self renders us rebels against God And though his own people comming unto him in Christ are under another notion they are his sonnes yet even they ought to have such apprehensions of themselves for sinne Abraham believed in him that justifieth the ungodly Rom. 4.5 Even Abraham after he was justified in the sight of God through faith looked upon himself as ungodly in reference to his own works In all our approaches to God we should reflect upon our selves not only as having many wants and no worthinesse but as having many sinnes and of our own no goodnesse God in justice visits iniquity upon them that hate him Exod. 20.6 And he sheweth mercy unto thousands of them that love him and keep his Commandments They who love God and keep his Commandments receive all from mercy Justice punisheth those who break the Commandment but mercy doth them good who keep the Commandments We have at any time sin enough to merit the wrath of God but we never have goodnesse enough to merit his favour And as no objection from our sinfulnesse can obstruct the way of free-grace from moving towards us so no argument from our holinesse can open the way for free-grace to move towards us In all our duties we are to lie in the dust yea we are to lay our duties in the dust and to seek all of God in humble supplications Consider this verse in connexion with the former and then two points are observable from it Bildad assuring Job that though his sons had fallen by their sinne yet if himself would seek unto God and make his supplication it might be well with him teacheth us First That the fals of others whether into sinne or under judgement for sin should be warnings to us Thou seest what is become of thy sons let them be as a looking-glasse for thee Children may teach their parents parents are often whipt upon their childrens backs The hand of God upon others points towards us and while they are smitten we are instructed The Apostle summes up the most remarkable judgements which fell upon the Jews in their passage from Aegypt to Canaan and closeth all with this application to Christians These things happened unto them as ensamples and they are written for our admonition c. to the intent that we should not lust 1 Cor. 10.11 As if he had said God let them fall into the hand of their sinnes and their fals may help us to keep our feet Their fals were types so the word is these things happened unto them typically in them we may see what God will doe with us if we take their course and goe their way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 proprè significat notā insculptā pulsatione seu percussione effectam Beza in Joh. 20 25. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 percutere Vnde Ars Typographica The Greek is very elegant and expressive of this sense For a type is such a form or representation of a thing as is made by hard pressing or striking of it such as we see in stamps and seals It is the leaving of a mark with a blow implying that the Lord by those strokes upon his ancient people left marks upon their bodies or printed letters there the Greek word for a Printer is a Typewriter which were legible to their posterity and are to this day Hence the scarre which the nails made in the hands of our blessed Saviour upon the crosse is called The print of the nails or The type of the nails Joh. 20.25 Such a type or print sufferings leave behinde them How many such types have we this day Where can we goe but we may see the print of the Sword and thrust our hands into wounded sides Let us not be faithlesse but believing The Apostle Peter 2 Epist 2.6 brings the apostate Angels the old world filthy Sodome as admonitory examples unto those that should live ungodly They made themselves evil examples by committing sinne and God made them good ensamples by punishing them for their sin Secondly From the connexion observe That they who are equall in sinne may be unequall in punishment Job was in the judgement of his friends as deep in sinne as his children but though he had sinned like them or more then they yet he might be unlike them in suffering or suffer lesse then they God saith Bildad hath taken them quite away he hath but wounded you and if you seek unto God he is ready to heal you The same sinners for matter are in heaven and in hell that is take two who have committed the same sins for matter and for degree also as sinne is a transgression of the Law and the one of these may be found in heaven and the other in hell at the last day Yea I believe there are many in heaven that have committed greater sins then some that are in hell It is not the matter of sinne committed but the obstinacy impenitency or unbelief of the sinner which bindes on the guilt and seals up the sinner to judgements temporall and to condemnation eternall Verse 6. If thou were pure and upright he would awaken for thee c. Bildad counsels Job to seek God yet he puts in a caution If thou wert pure and upright As
Then habitation is the seat of a mans outward estate and his estate the shell and the kernell the outside and inside of all he hath Quasi nihil aliud quam aequitatem justitiam â—edoleant bona justè acquisita Merc. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Ethic. l. 5. c. 1. The habitation of thy righteousnesse That is the habitation where righteousnesse doth flourish or wherein thou livest righteously But what is righteousnesse Righteousnesse is a very comprehensive word The Philosopher tels us it takes in all other vertues whatsoever It is not a part of vertue but all vertue When righteousnesse is set as distinct from holinesse and piety then it is restrained to our dealings with men Righteousnesse relates to men and holinesse to God Luk. 1.75 Tit. 2.12 Gospel-grace teaches us to live soberly in opposition to the intemperance of our bodies righteously in opposition to wrong in our actions godly in opposition to all impiety and prophanenesse of our mindes But righteousnesse here takes in our whole duty whether to God or man The habitation of thy righteousnesse that is the place where thou exercisest all manner of holy and righteous duties toward God and toward man Righteousnesse toward man first in distributive justice giving every one his due in judgement as thou art a Magistrate Secondly Righteousnesse towards man in commutative justice giving every one his due in commerce as thou art a neighbour The habitation of thy righteousnesse It is an elegant expression The Church is sometimes called so Jer. 31.23 Thus saith the Lord God of hosts the God of Israel as yet they shall use this speech in the land of Judah and in the Cities thereof when I shall bring again their captivity The Lord blesse thee O habitation of righteousnesse and mountain of holinesse This speech they shall use It seems it had been an ordinary salutation thus to bespeak Judah O thou habitation of justice or righteousnesse and mountain of holinesse Every particular member of the Church is named A tree of righteousnesse Isa 61.3 They shall be called trees of righteousnesse the plantation of the Lord. Each Saint is a tree of righteousnesse and all of them together are an habitation a plantation of righteousnesse God himself is stiled The habitation of righteousnesse because he in a way of highest excellency or in the most superlative degree is the seat of righteousnesse all righteousnesse is as it were housed and dwelling in him The Prophet Jer. 50.7 describing the unkinde usage which the true worshippers should finde in the daies of which he prophesieth speaks thus All that found them have devoured them and their adversaries said we offend not because they have sinned against the Lord They thought their brethren had sinned against the Lord and that therefore they might trouble them without sinne They have sinned against the Lord the habitation of justice even the Lord the hope of their fathers It is but justice say they for us to punish those who sin against the habitation of justice Men take it in passage do evil sometimes out of conscience and think they do God good service while they really wrong their brethren He shall make the habitation of thy righteousnesse prosperous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pacificabit pâ—catum reddet i. e. integrum perfectum omnibus bonis redundans qualia affert pax 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. That is he shall make it peaceable and quiet setled and established The word signifies peace plenty and prosperity He shall pacifie or quiet the habitation of thy righteousnesse The Septuagint thus He shall restore it to or repair it for thee There are three things in that word It may note 1. The quietnesse of all within his family There shall be peace and a good agreement in thy habitation 2. The abundance the fruitfulnesse the great encrease of all within his family he will make thee thrive 3. The peaceable holding or enjoyment of all those good things free from forraign invasion or oppressions Do thus and then neither Sabeans nor Chaldeans shall any more come upon thee and plunder thee Thus he will make the habitation of thy righteousnesse prosperous The summe of all is as if Bildad had said unto Job Thy habitation hath heretofore been an habitation of unrighteousnesse of impiety of tyranny thy house hath been filled with spoyl and oppression thy Tabernacle hath been a Sanctuary for wickednesse a lodging or rendezvous for all manner of riot and intemperance of rapine and injustice but now Job if thou wilt make thy self pure and upright thou shalt see the case will alter whereas before troops and armies of miseries have invaded thee and spoil'd all thou hadst within and without now if in thy house where wickednesse formerly dwelt righteousnesse shall enter and dwell Vbi facta fuerit morum studiorum fieâ— etiaÌ„ magna fortunae conversio thou shalt see that with righteousnesse peace will enter too Troubles will depart when wickednesse departs and evils of punishment will dislodge with the evil of sinne when those better guests righteousnesse and holinesse come into and are welcom'd at thy house then thy house shall be better when thy heart and thy life change thy estate shall change and those comforts which have so long been strangers from thee shall return thy banished mercies shall come home again adorn thy wals and strengthen thy familie This is the summe of what he promiseth in these words He will make the habitation of thy righteousnesse prosperous Hence observe First Prosperity is in the power of God If he awakes he can make us prosperous and peacefull If he doe but speak the word our captivity shall teturn He saith to a dry stick flourish and to a green tree wither his word is cloathed with power to do good or evil Secondly Observe A righteous habitation shall be a prosperous habitation Whether we respect persons families or nations thus it is in the ordinary dispensations of God As in regard of our spirituall and eternall estate The work of righteousnesse is peace Isa 32.17 so in regard of our temporall and outward Christ who is the Prince of righteousnesse is also the Prince of peace He brought righteousnesse into the world and then peace came into the world If he had not made an habitation of righteousnesse in the world there had never been an habitation of peace in the world in that work of his the foundation of our prosperity was laid Jesus Christ who as a Priest purchased our peace is also The King of righteousnesse Blessings crown the head of a righteous people Jer. 31.23 They shall say the Lord blesse thee O habitation of righteousnesse If thou art a habitation of righteousnesse a blessing shall rest upon thee The Kingdom of God is not meat and drinke but righteousnesse and peace and joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 as the spirituall Kingdome of God is righteousnesse peace and joy in the holy Ghost So the joy and peace
and prospered That is did ever any man so weary out God by lengthening this warre that God was as it were forced at last to offer him terms of peace So it happens sometimes with men Ab aequipollente pacem aliquis pugnando obtinere potest licet enim eum superaâ—e non possit tamen assiâ—uitate pugnae eum fatigat ut ad pacem reducatur Aquin. Quis permansit aut perstetâ—t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sep. with Nations and Kingdoms They not getting peace by victory but being spent and tired out with warre begin to thinke of treating Did ever any one put the Lord to offer a treaty with articles of peace to save himself from further trouble They who have not strength enough to overcome may yet have power enough to vex and weary their adversary But God can neither be vanquish'd by force nor vext with our policies into a peace with man Thirdly Others give this sense Who ever held out or was able to persist in a war against the Lord The wicked shall not stand before God in the day of judgement much lesse in the day of battell Who would set the bryars and thorns against me in battell I would go thorow them I would burn them together Isa 27.4 The most steely and and flinty spirits in the world can no more stand before God then briars and thorns can before a flaming fire The Lord soon breaks and destroies all opposing power And so there is a figure in the words for man doth not only not prosper but he is undone and crusht for ever by contending with God Shall man prosper in a warre with God No it shall end in his own ruine and utter destruction Whence observe That nothing can be got but blows by contending with God The greatest Monarchs in the world have at one time or other found their matches but the great God never found his match Hoc est signum evidens quod fortitu lo Dei omnem humanaÌ„ fortitudinem exoedit quia nullus cum eo paceâ— habere potest resist endo sed solum humiliter obediendo Aquin. Vicisti Galilae Pharaoh contended with him but did he prosper in it You see what became of him at last he was drown'd in the red sea Julian contended with Christ he scoffed at him he came up to the highest degrees he sate in the chair of the scorner and in the tribunall of the persecutour but what got he at last When he was wounded and threw up his bloud toward heaven said he not O Galilean thou hast overcome I acknowledge thy power whose name and truth I have opposed Christ whom he had derided and against whom he hardened himself into scorns and scoffs was too hard for him All that harden themselves against God shall be worsted Gather your selves together O ye people and ye shall be broken in peeces Isa 8.9 Gather your selves together against whom Gather your selves together against the people of God and ye shall be broken in pieces Why Emanuel the Lord is with us If no man can prosper by hardening himself against the people of God because the Lord is with them how shall any man prosper by hardening himself immediately against God If Emanuel will not let any prosper against his people certainly he will not let any prosper against himself Therefore Prov. 28.24 Solomon laies it down directly He that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief and Prov. 29.1 He shall be destroyed and that without remedy there is no help for it all the world cannot save him A hard heart is it self the forest of all judgements and it brings all judgements upon us A hard heart treasureth up wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2.5 As a hard heart is Satans treasury for sinne so it is Gods treasury for wrath The wals of that fiery Tophet are built up with these stones with their hard hearts who turn themselves into stones against the Lord. Then take heed of hardening your selves against God You know the counsell which Gamaliel gave Act. 5.39 Refrain from these men and let them alone c. See how tremblingly he speaks lest you be found even to fight against God as if he had said take heed what you doe it is the most dreadfull thing in the world to contend with God he speaks as of a thing he would not have them come near or be in the remotest tendency to Man will not meddle with a mortall man if he be too hard for him how should we tremble to meddle or contend with the immortall God! Christ Luk. 14. warning his Disciples to consider afore-hand what it is to be his disciples gives them an instance of a King What King saith he going to make warre against another King sitteth not down first and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that commeth against him with twenty thousand Now I say to you if any such be here that have hearts steel'd or harden'd against God who challenge God the field and send defiance to heaven O sit down sit down consider whether you with your ten thousand are able to meet God with his twenty thousand that 's great odds half in half but consider whether one single simple man can stand against his twenty thousand whether a man of no strength can stand against infinite strength whether you who have no wisdom are able to stand against him that is of infinite wisdome Can ignorance contend with knowledge folly with wisdome weaknesse with strength an earthen vessel with an iron rod O the boldnesse and madnesse of men who will hazard themselves upon such disadvantages He is wise in heart and mighty in power who hath hardened himself against him and hath prospered And as God is so powerfull that no wicked man in the world can mend himself by contending with him so neither can any of his own people If they harden themselves against God they shall not prosper To harden the heart against God is not only the sin of a Pharaoh of a Senacherib and of a Julian but possibly it may be the sin of a believer the sin of a Saint And therfore the Apostle Heb. 3. gives them caution Take heed lest any of your hearts be hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sin and whose heart soever is hardned against God that man good or bad shall not prosper or have peace in it It is mercy that God will not give his own peace or let them thrive in sin Grace prospers not when the heart is hardened joy prospers not nor comfort nor strength when the heart is hardned the whole state and stock of a beleever is impaired when his heart is hardened And if the Saints harden their heart against God God in a sense will harden his heart against them that is he will not appear tender hearted and compassionate towards them in reference to present comforts he will harden himself to afflict and chasten when they harden themselves to
minde the good they had done that they remembred not they ever did it The Lord keeps a faithfull record of vvhat his people doe but themselves doe not It is our duty to remember to doe good but let God alone to remember the good we have done The Lord is not unrighteous to forget our labour of love Heb. 6.10 but we lose our righteousnesse unlesse vve forget it If we much remember what we doe God will remember it but little The servants of God know well enough when they doe good to do good ignorantly is a degree of doing evil They know vvhen they doe good and they know vvhat good they doe but vvhen 't is done 't is to them as unknown Hezekiah Isa 38.3 put God in minde of his good deeds Lord saith he remember how I walked before thee with an upright heart c. Hezekiah desired the Lord to remember his uprightnes So Nehemiah in divers passages of that book Chap. 13.14.22.29.31 puts the Lord in remembrance of his righteousnesse But it is one thing to put the Lord in remembrance of vvhat vve have done historically and another thing to plead vvhat vve have done legally It s one thing to shew to the Lord the vvork of his own grace in us and another thing minde the Lord of our vvorks to obtain his grace Hezekiah vvould have God to take notice of vvhat he vvas to pity him in his sicknesse Lord I am thus remember the work of thy hands as I am thy creature remember the vvork of thy Spirit as I am a new creature as I am thy servant And Nehemiah puts all upon the score of mercy He did not say Lord remember me for vvhat I have done answer me according to vvhat I have done but Remember me O my God concerning this and spare me according to the greatnesse of thy mercy Chap. 13.22 If Saints at any time remember God of their works it is not to ground an argument of merit upon their vvorks but to shew God the vvorkings of his grace and spirit Though I were righteous I would not answer him What then What vvill Job doe What course vvill he take for himself if he vvill not answer the Lord What This course he takes and it is the best I would make supplication to my Judge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. The Septuagint render it thus I would deprecate his judgement that is I vvould sue for mercy As if he had said I am not vvithout hope because I have none in my self I am not lost because I am lost to my self I have a sure way yet left I will make supplication to my Judge or as M. Broughton reads it I would crave pity of my Judge as if he had said Though justice cast me yet mercy will relieve me Mercy will help me as well and honour God more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ad facientem judicareme Mont. The word notes humblest submission as when a man begs for his life Jacob Hos 12.4 wept and made supplication The brethren of Joseph Gen. 42.21 were exceedingly afflicted at the remembrance of their hard usage toward him their brother when they sold him to the Aegyptians Fum qui me judecare facit Pagn We would not hearken when he besought us it is this vvord Think with how much submission Joseph being ready to be sold unto strangers supplicated his brethren for pity Or how a man vvill lie begging at an enemies feet vvho is ready to kill him With such submissive language Job resolved to crave pardon and pity at the hands of God Thus he obeys the counsell of Bildad in the 8th Chapter If thou seek unto God and make thy supplication unto him betimes Job seems to answer Your counsell is good friend Bildad Though I were righteous I would not answer him but according to your advice I would make supplication to my Judge The praiers of the Church in greatest straits and distresses are usually expressed by this word supplications All petitionary Prayer is supplication but because we are much abased and laid very low at such times therefore praier then put up is specially called supplication Hence Solomon at the dedication of the Temple putting cases and suppositions of many afflictions incident to that people still concludes At what time they shall confesse their sinnes and pray and make supplication then c. 1 King 8. And Esth 4.8 Mordecai sends to Esther charging her to goe in to the King What to doe To make supplication unto him The lives of the Jews being given away to satisfie the malice of Haman it was time for her to supplicate in the lowliest posture Thus Job had it in the thoughts of his heart to make supplications to his Judge as if he had said If I were to stand at the tribunall of an earthly Judge I would not supplicate but plead I would not petition his favour but stand upon my right I would not crave his pity but expect his justice I would bring forth my reasons and arguments my proofs and witnesses this course would I run with an earthly Judge but my cause being with God I will only put a petition into the Court and submit unto him let him doe with me what he pleaseth Hence we may observe First That there is no weapon can prevail with God but only praier and supplication Jobs thoughts had travel'd thorow all the creatures and found not one of them could stand before God Etsi opus virtutis exercuero ad vitam non ex meritis sed ad veniam convalesco Preci itaque innitendū est cum recta agimus ut omne quod justè vivimus humilitare condiamus Greg. therefore he resolves to fall down before him I will make supplication Praier overcometh when nothing else can Christ conquered by dying and we conquer by submitting And yet it is not supplication as an act of ours but supplication as it is an ordinance of Gods that prevails with him he looks upon praier as having the stamp of his own institution otherwise our greatest humblings could prevail no more then our proudest contendings The Word preached prevails upon the heart not as it is the act of a man who dispenceth it there is no strength in that but as it is an ordinance of God who hath appointed it So humble supplication obtains much with God because he hath said it shall Secondly To make supplication is to crave pity As praier prevails so no plea in praier can prevail unlesse vve plead pity pity mercy mercy a suppliant looks for all good at the hand of free grace We at any time have sinne enough to procure us evil Jer. 4.18 Thy sinnes have procured these things unto thee But we never have goodnesse enough to procure us any mercy Mercy comes for mercies sake Thirdly In that he saith I would make supplication to my Judge Observe God is the Judge of all our actions and intentions Job was in a great contest with men but
rottennesse of his spirit blisters upon his tongue in unsavoury speeches so those passions and affections of the heart joy and sorrow anger and heavinesse appear in the face and we may read the distempers of the heart in the disguisednesse of a look Cordis index vultus totusque homo est in facie Nomen faciei in Scriptura sâ—gnificat exteriorem hâ—bitum sicut facies terrae coeli reip Bold Latina vox facies significat non solum os ocutos genas sed formam omnem modum facturam totius corporis à faciendo dictaâ— Aul. Gel. The face is the Index of the heart that tels you how things goe within Therefore Job saith If I leave off my face meaning as we translate If I leave off heavinesse which is so evident in my face or which is as easie to be seen as my face If I resolve to appear chearfull and merry and will not let clouds darken my countenance any longer yet c. The face is put generally for the appearance or out-side of any thing as we say the face of the earth the face of the heavens the face of the Church or Common-wealth So that To leave off heavinesse or the face is to leave off all shew of heavinesse As Joseph left off his tears of joy Gen. 43.30 31. who having eased his heart of his joyfull sorrows by weeping secretly in his chamber Washed his face went out and refrained himself Thus Iob would have washed his mournfull tears from his face he attempted to refrain himself but he could not his sorrows were too strong for him and as he could not remove so he could not dissemble them For this leaving off is to be taken as the precedent act of forgetting for an affected resolved laying aside If I make it my businesse to be chearfull and leave off my heavinesse yet c. Observe hence Sorrow is not easily shaken off Sorrow sticks close It is very hard for a man to play the hypocrite with his sorrow or dissemble the sadnesse of his heart but it is farre harder to be really delivered of it Sorrow is a companion that will not be cast off with a word A man may more easily cover his sinne then his sorrow Many can put a visour of holinesse upon their faces when nothing but wickednesse is in their hearts but it is not easie to make a shew of comfort when nothing but sorrow is in the heart Grief will out Heavinesse in the heart is like the ointment in the right hand of vvhich Solomon speaks Prov. 27.16 that it bewraieth it self One said of a merry Atheist He laugheth to thee and to me that is he seems to laugh but he mourns to himself the mans heart is heavy If it be not so yet it may be so with all wicked men when they are merriest in the face they have reason to have sorrow even unto death in their hearts it is a hard thing I say to put sorrow out of the face much more to get it out of the heart when it is lodged there once it will not soon be dispossess'd The Apostle Heb. 12.1 exhorts To lay aside every weight and to cast off the sinne that doth so easily beset us he means it of the sinne of nature which we bear about us this sinne saith he doth easily beset us but let us cast it off that is let us study and strive to lay aside this heavinesse of sinne which is the truest cause of the heavinesse of sorrow One would thinke that a man needs not much perswasion when he hath an heavy burthen upon his shoulders to lay it aside yet so it is man can hardly be perswaded to lay aside this burthen and it is the businesse we have with your souls every day to perswade you to lay it aside It is a weight that easily besets us Now as we need much exhortation to cast off the weight of this sinne which is so pleasing so also of sorrow though it be unpleasant When sorrow besets us it leaves us without ease but sorrow easily besets us Iob found it a hard task to lay aside his burden Because his friends thought he fed too much upon his afflictions therefore he tried what he could doe but it would not doe If I say I will leave off my heavinesse I well comfort my self c. See the issue by and by I will comfort my self Comfort is the very life of our lives the spring of our year the light of our day the Sunne in our firmament the complement of mercy and therefore Christ gives his Church the summe of all mercy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that one promise of sending the Comforter The Hebrew word signifies to strengthen Roboravit confortavit vires collegit Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because when a man is cast down with sorrows his spirit is weakned Comfort is the repair of strength If I say I will comfort that is corroborate and strengthen my self Psal 39.13 O spare me saith David that I may recover my strength or that I may a little comfort my self The Septuagint renders it That I may get my life again that I may be enlivened and re-insouled or fetch back my soul again Here if I say I will comfort my self Take heart at grasse as we say and play the man then my sorrows renew upon me But some may object How is it that Job takes upon him to comfort himself Is it any wonder if Job came short of comfort when he went to himself for comfort Comfort is not a commodity to be found in the hand or power of any creature the great God hath all that in his own hand if any man will have comfort he must trade to heaven for it It is the honour of God to be called The God of all comfort 2 Cor. 1.3 that is the God who hath all comfort at his dispose As some Kings have a denomination from the great staple commodities of their Kingdoms Our King is called The King of the wooll because wooll is the chief commodity and more plentifull here then in any Countrey of the world Another is called King of the wines and another of the flax Comfort is the staple commodity of heaven and God is called The God of all comfort not only because the chiefest and best comforts are in his hand but because there is not the least imaginable comfort to be had out of his hand He hath the monopoly of comfort or rather the solegift of comfort We can trouble and perplex our selves but God only can comfort us And he is the God of all comfort of all sorts and of all degrees of comfort the God not only of spirituall but of worldly comfort of temporall comfort as well as of eternall As the joyes of the holy Ghost are in his hand so are the joyes of civil relations the joy of meat and drinke the joy of riches and honour are in his hand also How then saith Job I
and the abundance of that mercy which was brought in afterwards and revealed by Jesus Christ when he actually made our atonement by the bloud of his crosse For howsoever it is undeniable that the faithfull under the old Testament had knowledge of that satisfaction which was to be made by the Mediatour for the removing of sinne and the taking away of guilt every sacrifice spake this shewing that there was an atonement to be made by some other bloud which the bloud of the sacrifice typified yet notwithstanding there was not a clearing and a quieting of their hearts because Christ though in the promise slain from the beginning of the world was not actually slain nor offered up for sinners The Apostle Heb. 10.1 2. argues upon the same point That the Law with those Sacrifices could not make the commers thereunto perfect that is it could not assure the heart that sinne was taken away for if it could then saith he the sacrifices should not have needed to be offered up so often What needed any repetition seeing they who were once so purged should have had no more conscience of sinne that is sinne should never have troubled and vexed their consciences any more But now Christ by one offering hath for ever perfected them that are sanctified vers 14. that is he hath made a perfect satisfaction for them and compleated the peace of their consciences So then while there remaineth any scruple about sinne fears of evil will hang upon the spirit And we finde that the old Saints were very fearfull of outward afflictions because they had as it were a relish or taste of the disfavour and displeasure of God in them And in proportion as any of them had more or lesse of free grace appearing to them so they were more or lesse enthralled with these fears We may observe thorow out the old Testament that there was not such a spirit of rejoycing in sufferings and afflictions as we finde breakings forth in the new Paul never saith I am afraid of all my sorrows No he saith As sorrowfull yet alwaies rejoycing You never hear him complain of his afflictions He indeed complains of his corruptions O miserable man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death But he never said O miserable man how am I afflicted I am in deaths often who shall deliver me from this death of the body We finde the Saints under the Gospel clothed with a spirit of exultation and rejoycing of which we hear little if any thing at all under the Law The want of which we are to ascribe to their want of a clear light about the removing of guilt and the pardon of sin I know thou wilt not hold me innocent Thirdly Observe That God often deals with his best servants in regard of outward troubles as if they were guilty I know thou wilt not hold me innocent that is thou wilt not deal with me as with an innocent person As the Lord dealt with his Son so he deals with his servants God the Father dealt with Jesus Christ as with a guilty person Isa 53.9 12. He was numbred among transgressours and made his grave with the wicked The Lord reckoned him as a sinner while he was satisfying his justice for sinne and making an atonement for sinners Job is no where called a type of Christ but he was like him and their parallel might be drawn in many things especially in this that both were numbred with the wicked and in that both were used as if they had been guilty The dispensations of God to his own beloved Sonne once did and to his faithfull servants often doe look like those to the greatest transgressours His Son was handled so that he might redeem sinners his servants are so handled sometimes to prevent often to purge them from sin sometimes to try their graces alwaies to make them fitter vessels for glory Though we cannot make any earnings toward glory by the weightiest afflictions yet these light afflictions which are but for a moment work for us a farre more exceeding and eternall weight of glory I shall passe from this reference of the word Thou when I have briefly vindicated the text from the corruptions of some Papists Bellarm. l. 5. de justif cap. 5. who urge it to prove the uncertainty of our justification Job say they doubted whether God would declare him just or no. I answer Justified persons may have doubts yet that doth not argue the uncertainty of justification Justification is a sure act in it self and we may be sure of it though some are unsetled about it This Scripture gives no shelter much lesse support to that doctrine of doubting The Vulgar reading grossely varying from the originall is all the shadow it hath in this place For as that Translatour mistakes the former clause which he renders I am afraid of all my works So this later which he renders Sciens quod non parceres delinquenti Vulg. Knowing that thou wilt not pardon or spare him that offendeth He that seeks to be justified by his works shall not want fears about his justification And if this be a truth which their translation seems to hold forth that God will not pardon him that offendeth the best and holiest men in the world have reason not only to fear whether they are justified but to resolve they can never be justified in his sight If every man that sinneth must doubt of the pardon of sinne all men must doubt In that common acception of the word offend it is false that God will not pardon him that offends whom should he pardon but such as offend They who are above sin are above pardon Job never thought God would not pardon him because he had sinned it being one of the royall titles of God The God pardoning iniquity transgression and sinne But if we take sinning or offending in a stricter sense as it imports a man obstinate and still engaged with delight to sin in which sense the next title of the Lords great name after Forgiving iniquity transgression and sinne is to be understood And that will by no means clear the guilty Exod. 34.7 The Hebrew is And that clearing will not clear We supply the word guilty which the Chaldee well explains by this periphrasis Him that will not convert or turn to the Lord such offenders the Lord will not pardon But to say that the Lord will not spare and pardon such guilty persons such delinquents as will not return unto him but go on to adde one wickednesse to another is no deniall of the Saints assurance of pardon they being already turned and converted to the Lord. So much for that clause as the antecedent referres unto God I know thou wilt not hold me innocent But rather take the antecedent to be Bildad I know Thou Bildad wilt not hold me innocent as if Job had said When I think of comforting my self my wounds bleed afresh and my sorrows present themselves to
vvhen great dangers encompasse us we cannot believe deliverance Doe vve not make God like to our selves Doe we not shorten his hand to our own measure and thinke it cannot be done because men cannot doe it And for mercy about the pardon of sin man being awakened sees how he hath provoked God sin stares upon his face and he findes out many aggravations upon his sin then he begins to collect thus certainly if a man had so provoked his neighbour he could never pardon or forgive him Can then such sins as these be forgiven by God Mans mercy cannot reach so high as this therefore surely the mercies of God will not We have a very gracious promise backt with a caution to prevent these jealousies Isa 55.6 7. Let the wicked for sake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon Now as when God cals upon man to obey his will and doe his Commandments he is apt to say at least in his heart the duties are too many and the burdens too great to be born So when the Lord calleth upon wicked men the worst of wicked men to repent or turn unto him and he vvill abundantly pardon or he will multiply to pardon as it is in the originall they are ready to object What Pardon such as vve are We are too filthy and vile for washing Surely he vvill not pardon us These mercies are too many for us and these favours too great for us to receive Well saith God I preconceive your conceits of me ye are measuring me by your selves ye think it cannot be done because ye cannot doe it your hearts are too narrow to passe by so many so great provocations therefore ye say mine is too narrow also Doe ye thus measure me the Lord O foolish people and unwise I would have you know My thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your waies my waies for as the heavens are higher then the earth so are my waies higher then your waies and my thoughts then your thoughts vers 8 9. As if he had said Your thoughts are as much below my mercy as your waies were below my holinesse Cease then from doubting vvhat I have promised as I vvould have you cease from doing vvhat I have forbidden Your unbelief that I vvill not pardon your sin dishonours me as much as your disobedience did in committing sinne Till vve believe God is holy above us vve fear not to sinne and till vve believe God is mercifull above us we cannot believe he will pardon our sin Thus we see how the lifting up of our selves in our thoughts to an equality or to some similitude vvith God or the drawing down of God to an equality or some similitude vvith our selves is the ground and cause of all our unequall carriage towards God of our boldnesse in sinning of our boldnesse in pleading with and complaining against him of our extreme unbelief in the point of deliverance from troubles or of the pardon of our sins Secondly Observe There is no comparison between God and man He is not a man as I am Man is like to man face answers face and heart answers heart strength answers strength and vvit answers vvit Solomon concludes this Eccles 6.10 That which hath been is named already and it is known that it is man A man it but a man be he never so great in vvorldly vvealth or honour as he bears the name so he hath the nature of man still Nor can he contend with him that is mightier then he i. e. vvith God If he venture beyond his line or move out of the sphear of his activity if he vvould act more then a man he shall quickly finde that he is but man He cannot contend with him that is mightier then he Man vvas indeed made in the likenesse of God Gen. 1.27 In the image of God created he him yet vve must not say God is like man he is not in our image God put some impressions of himself upon man but he took no impressions of man upon himself He is not a man as I am He hath given us some of his own excellencies but he hath not taken upon him any of our vveaknesses God hath honoured man to give him somewhat of himself but God should dishonour himself to take anything of man Thus man is in the likenesse of God but God is not in the likenesse of man Take heed of such thoughts It is as dangerous to frame a likenesse or a similitude of God to our hearts as to frame a likenesse or a similitude of God upon a wall Exod. 15.10 Who is like unto thee O Lord amongst the gods That is there is none like unto thee None amongst the gods neither among those who are falsly called gods the Idols of the Heathen nor among those who are truly called gods for God cals them so the Angels in heaven and Magistrates here upon the earth among these truly called gods there is none like the true God much lesse is there any among the meer pure mortals like unto the immortall God Who is like unto thee glorious in holinesse fearfull in praises doing wonders So Mic. 7.18 Who is a god like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage Who is a god like unto thee Not only is there no man that can pardon as God but there is no God that can pardon like God he puts it upon that Who is a god like unto thee Not as if he granted that there were any other gods besides the Lord but to meet with the thoughts of men with those sinfull principles and conceits which lodge in man and make other gods To say of God only this He is God is to say all we cannot say more good of God then to call him God as we cannot say more evil of sin then to call it sin when we have called it sin vve have called it all The Apostle Rom. 7.13 puts that upon it as the worst he could say of it Sinne that it might appear sinne We cannot represent it in a worse likenesse then its own All men say they sin but sin appears sin to very few And when the Apostle would put a disgracefull title or epethite upon sin he invests it with its own name sinfull sin Thus to the point in hand we cannot call God more then when we call him God Nothing can be predicated of him better then himself When God appears to be God all excellency appears All men almost acknowledge God but God appears to very few 'T is but little of God that can be known and there are not many who know that little very many know but little of that little and most know nothing of it at all Thus also to say that man is man is proof and aggravation enough of his depraved condition Hos 6.7 They
heart-burnings among friends and brethren We have a proverbiall speech among us A lean arbitration is better then a fat judgement It is better to the parties they shall get more by it the charge of obtaining right by law many times eating out all and sometimes more then all alwaies a considerable part of that which the law gives us as our right We use to say to dissenters Be friends the Law is costly 'T is very costly to most mens purses and to some mens consciences 'T is rare if a man wrongs not his soul by seeking the rights of his credit or estate Secondly Observe That no creature can umpire the businesse betwixt God and man There is a two-fold reason of it Oportet ut in judice sit altior sapienâ—ia quae sit quaâ— regula ad quam examinantur dicta utriusque partis First He that is our umpire is supposed wiser then our selves They who cannot agree need more wisdom then their own to work their agreement But there is no creature wise as God yea there is no creature wise but God who is therefore called The God only wise God is best able to judge of his own actions No man hath been his Counsellour Rom. 11.34 much lesse shall any man be his Judge Men sometimes abound too much in their own sense but God must abound in his His will is the rule of all much more his wisdom or rather his wisdom is the rule of all because his will is his will and wisdom being the same and of the same extent both infinite Oportet ut in judice sit major potest as quae possit utramque partem comprimere Secondly He that is a Daies-man or Vmpire must according to the rules before spoken of have power to compell the parties to submit or stand to what he shall determine But as we cannot lay any restraint upon God from doing what he will so we cannot lay any constraint upon him to do what we will Who shall force the Lord To whom hath he given an assumpsit or ingaged himself under a penalty to perform what he shall award The Lord doth whatsoever he pleaseth both in heaven and earth and he will do no more then he pleaseth Perswasion cannot move him much lesse can power compell him He that is above all in power cannot be dealt with any way but by perswasion And he who is above all in wisdom cannot be perswaded by any against his own will There is indeed a Daies-man betwixt God and man but God himself hath appointed him God hath referred the differences betwixt himself and man unto Jesus Christ and his own good will and free grace moving him thereunto he stands engaged in the bonds of his everlasting truth and faithfulnes to perform what Jesus Christ as Mediatour should ask for us unto him we may safely commit our cause and our souls with that assurance of the Apostle 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have believed and am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day Christ God-man is umpire between God and man what we trust him with shall not miscarry he will make our cause good and our persons acceptable before God at that great day It is infinite mercy when we were neither able to mannage our own cause nor to finde out any in heaven or earth who could that then God himself should finde out one in wisdom and power like himself one who thought it no robbery to be equall with God to be our Daies-man Many of the Ancients interpret this Text either as Jobs desire and praier that Christ would come in the flesh O that there were a days-man betwixt us or as a prophecy of Jesus Christ to come as our Daies-man in the flesh There is no Daies-man yet but a Daies-man shall come The sense is pious but the context will not bear it In the 16th Chapter v. 21. and Chap. 17. v. 3. We shall finde Job speaking clearly of the Mediatour Jesus Christ and of his great work of atonement between God and man But here he seems to keep to the present controversie about the businesse of affliction not of salvation Take two or three consectaries flowing from the whole matter First Job at the lowest speaks highly of God and humbly of himself The greater his afflictions were the purer was his language He was not able to grapple with God and there was none to be found who could umpire the matter betwixt them The will of God is the supreme law What he will do with us we must be content he should The secrets of his providence are beyond our search and his judgements above our reach Secondly The greatnesse and transcendency of God should keep us low in our own thoughts Our knowledge of God is the present cure of our own pride The knowledge of God causeth us to know our selves and that which makes us know our selves cannot but make us low in our selves Though a proud man is commonly said To know himself too much yet the truth is he doth not know himself enough no nor at all as he should know himself Many are proud of and with their knowledge yet pride is the daughter of ignorance Some pride lodges in every mans heart because more then some ignorance doth Job had some of both in his why doth he lay the thought of the infinite glory and soveraignty of God so often to his heart but to keep down or to cure the swellings of his heart Thirdly It is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of God He is not a man as we are we are not able to match him and there is among men no Daies-man betwixt us David made it his election 2 Sam. 24. To fall into the hands of God and not into the hands of man And it is best for us to fall into the hands of God as David put himself into his hands with respect to his great mercies But woe unto uâ— if we fall into his hands as contenders with his great power Shall we thus provoke the Lord Are we stronger then he It is our duty when we do and our priviledge that we may cast our selves into the hands of God when the hand of man oppresses us Satis idoneus est patientiae sequester Deus si injuriam deposueris juxta eum ultor est si damnum restitutor si dolorem medicus si mortem rescuscitator est Tertul. l. de Patient for as one of the Ancients speaks sweetly and feelingly If thou doest deposit thy injuries with him he is able to revenge thee if thy losses he is able to repair thee if thy sicknesse he is able to heal thee and if thy death he can raise thee up and estate thee in life again Thus I say it is best to fall into the hands of God in expectation of mercy through the Mediatour but it is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the
living God upon contempt of mercy obtained by the Mediatour So the Apostle argues Heb. 10.26 If men sinne wilfully after they have received the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinne but a certain fearfull looking for of judgement and fiery indignation c. Thence concluding vers 31. It is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God They who sleight the bloud of Christ and neglect the great salvation tendered to sinners bâ—â—im can have no more sacrifice for sinne Wicked men crucifie to â—hemselves the Sonne of God afresh and put him to open shame Heb. 6.6 But God will not crucifie his Sonne or put him to open shame again for them God will not make another Gospel for them as he must if they be saved who contemn this No there remains no more sacrifice for sinne these men who once with all man-kinde fell into the hands of God by transgressing his Law are now under another notion fallen into his hands even by the contempt of his Gospel and now God saith I will deal with them alone for they have refused the Daies-man whom I sent and who was ready to lay his hand upon us both It had been unconceivably sad with us all if as in the case of Jobs temporall lost estate there was no Daies-man between God and him on earth so in the case of our spirituall lost estate there had been no Daies-man between God and man in heaven But it will be unconceivably more sad with those who having bad the tender of such a Daies-man shall be found contemners of him Greatest love neglected breaks forth and ends in greatest wrath JOB Chap. 9. Vers 34 35. Let him take his rod away from me and let not his fear terrifie me Then would I speak and not fear him but it is not so with me WE have shewed in the two former verses Job renouncing and protesting against all thought of contending at all with God He is not a man as I am that I should answer him Exploratum est me non posse Deum coram superiore aliquo judice sistere quo â—irca superest ut ipse s t supremus juâ—ex apud quem ego pro me dicere paratus um si coÌ„trabat flagellum calam tatis quo me cedit extenuet formidinem majestatis qua concutior â—â—ned c. In these two he desireth God not to contend with him as if he had said Lord I will not plead or dispute with thee and I know such is thy soveraignty thou maiest doe whâ—t thou pleasest with me Yet oh that thou wouldest be pleased to abate of the severity of thy proceeding and to remit the fiercenesse of that wrath wherein thou appearest against me that I might have liberty to spread my câ—ndition in thy presence I have no friend to take up the matter for me but I would open my case in a few words my self if I might obtain a cessation but for the time of treaty if thou wouldst forbear fighting while I am speaâ—ing Let him take h s rod away from mâ— and let not his fear terrifie me Then would I speak c. Let him take his rod away from me The rod hath divers acceptions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Virga baculus quâ— nascitur ex arhore ant radice arboris The word Sh bet in the Hebrew is taken sometimes strictly for a branch bough or sprig growing forth from the stock of a tree and because a rod or a staff is made of the branch of a tree therefore the same word signifies both Secondly It signifies a Scepter the Scepter of a King which emblems the power of a King Ahasucrus held forth his golden Scepter to Queen Esther in token of acceptance Esth 5.2 And because in ancient times as the learned observe they were wont to make Scepters of such rods Sceptrum quod priscireges majestatis se veritatis gratia manu tenebant baculus erat and all Scepters have the form or shape of a rod therefore the originall expresses the rod and the Scepter by the same word Gen. 49.10 The Scepter Shebet the rod shall not depart from Judah nor a Law-giver from between his feet Thy Scepter O God is a Scepter of righteousnesse Psal 45.6 that is thou usest thy Scepter righteously The Scepter notes two things 1. Authority to judge or command 2. Power to correct or punish both are included in that prophecy of the Kingdom of Christ Psal 110.2 The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Sion that is he shall invest thee with power to govern as the next words expound it Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies Commanders in warre direct with a rod or leading staffe and Magistrates punish with a rod in times of peace Sceptrum significat regium Dominium cujus signum erat sceptrum Tribus quâ—e ex uno paâ—re tanquam baculâ—s ex una arbore nata est Percussio punitio plaga quae fit baculo Hence thirdly By a Metonymy the Scepter imports dominion rule and government it self Amos 1.8 I will cut off him that holdeth the Scepter that is who hath the government in his hand Fourthly The word is often used in Scripture to signifie a Tribe or a family of persons because a tribe is as a branch sprung from one stock so the twelve Tribes of Israel like twelve branches sprung from that great and ancient stock the Patriarch Iacob Lastly The word signifies punishment or correction correction is often given with a rod therefore to be under the rod is to be under punishment Thus the Lord threatens to visit the transgression of the house of David with a rod and their iniquity with stripes Psal 89.32 The rod and reproof give wisdom Prov. 29.15 The rod hath a voice Hear the rod saith the Prophet Mic. 6.9 but t is best when a voice is joyned with the rod and instruction mixed with correction Quinque apud Hebraeos sunt nomina pro baculo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bold Bold in loc There are in the Hebrew to note that by the way five words which signifie a rod or a staff Some resolve that seeming contradiction which is in the two Evangelists Matthew and Mark by the different signification of these words When Christ Matth. 10.10 as also Luk. 9.3 sent forth his Apostles to preach the Gospel among other instructions and directions given them for their journey this is one Take no staves But Mar. 6.8 Christ commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey save a staff only One Evangelist saith they must not take staves and in the other they are bidden to take staves Now say these in Matthew and Luke where he forbids his Disciples to take staves he expresseth himself by the word in the text Shebet which signifies a correcting or smiting staff 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Take no staves to smite and strike with Baculus vel virga
and all that live are fill'd with life from him This is one of his royall titles The living God He is The living God not only subjectivè because he liveth but effectivè because he enliveneth and quickneth all living creatures From him we receive life and breath Act. 17.25 In him we live and move and have our being vers 28. In him we live c. that is by him or thorow him as the same Apostle teacheth Rom. 11.36 The same power giveth us being and maintains it This is true Iovis omnia plena Virg. Iupiter est aether est terra Iupiter coelumque omnia Iupiter fiquid supra Aeschyl yet the context carrieth the preposition In further For the Apostle having asserted vers 27. He is not farre from every one of us subjoyns this as a proof For in him we live c. implying That man is in a sense contained in or invested with God The divine nature cannot be circumscribed with any thing yet circumscribeth all things For which Paul refers the Athenians to Heathen Poets who spake this truth in a carnall language yet such as might be spiritualiz'd by a sanctified understanding The result of which is That God is the authour and conservatour of our lives This glory is given also unto Christ who is called The Prince of life because he hath life at command The Sonne quickneth whom he will Christ hath the power not only of naturall but of spirituall and eternall life He is the Prince of lives Iob speaks in the language of Princes Thou hast granted c. As they make out grants of lands and offices so God makes a grant of life The civil godship of Kings and Magistrates appears much in this that they can grant a forfeited life either by reprieve for a time or by pardon for ever It is ordinary with men to grant others leases for their lives but they cannot grant them life Princes can grant an offender a lease of that life which he hath but no Prince can grant life to those who have it not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Denotat impâ—n sum studiuÌ„ vel exuberantiam boni Coc. Angusta inâ—ecentia est secuÌ„dum leges justuÌ„ esse latius officiorum pater quam juris regula Quam multa pietas humanitas liberalitas exigunt quae omnia extra publicas tabulas sunt Sen l. 2. dâ—ira Virtutum quaedam seminaria tribuisti mihi praesertim misericordiae quam sibi innatam ipse fatetur Job 31.18 Aquin That 's Gods peculiar Thou hast granted me life And favour The word signifieth the purest sincerest and most tender kindenesse the fullest favour the most courteous courtesie Gen. 21.23 chap. 24.49 Exod. 15.13 Ruth 1.8 Hebricians tell us That it noteth an exuberancy of kindenesse such as breaks the bounds and exceeds the ordinary laws of love It is but a poor way of loving to love only by rule and measure There is no true love can act beyond the rule which God gives but love quickly exceeds the rules of men Hence the Jews call those Chasidim who are not only just by statute giving every man his right paying every man his due but noble heroicall free-hearted and open-handed in their distribution of favours One Expositour by favour understands the seeds of grace and vertue especially of charity and mercifulnesse which saith he seem to have been connaturall to Iob. Another interprets favour by * Liberum arbitrium tribuisti mihi Cajet free-will But I passe these as perversions not expositions of Scripture And shall represent what is both safe and sutable First Some restrain this favour to that which he received in the womb before he was born or the favour which he had to be born which is to be reckoned among very valuable favours Thou art he that took me out of the womb was Davids thankfull acknowledgement Psal 22.9 The womb is to all infants a temporary prison and to some a grave It is favour to have those gates unlockt and the little prisoner set safe at liberty Secondly We may interpret it as an adjunct or an adverb Haebraismus est quaâ—do ex duobâ— simul positis substantivis unum adverbia liter sumitur alâ—erumque determinat Bold shewing how the Lord granted him life It is an usuall Hebraisme to put the later of two Substantives adverbially Josh 2.14 We will deal kindely and truly with thee say the Spies to Rahab The Original is We will deal kindenesse and truth to thee which is also rendered kindenesse in truth or kindenesse truly that is thou maiest trust us we do not flatter thee and we will not deceive thee So here Thou hast granted me life and favour That is life by favour or life favourably importing That the receit of life is the receit of a great mercy as if Iob had said I could not deserve that thou shouldest bestow life upon me When I was firmed and fashioned in the womb it was thy favour to quicken me Mercy put breath into those tender principles and first rudiments of my body And seeing not only sense and motion are brought in by life but reason also and all the noble operations of it Iob had reason enough to say Thou hast granted me life as a great or with abundant favour Hence observe Life is a speciall favour of God There are divers sorts of creatures which have not the favour of life bestowed on them no not the lowest degree of life The Lord hath given man not only lâ—fe but the highest degree of life this is a high favour It was Satans argument chap. 2. Skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life As if he had said What is a mans boâ—y to his life What are his estate his lands his gold and silver What are all these dead commodities to his life Life is the most pâ—ecious of naturall blâ—ssings A worm under this consideration is a more noble creature then the Sun because a worm hath life which the Sun hath not The lowest of a superiour order is better then the highest of an inferiour Though the Sun be the excellentest of all inanimate creatures yet it moves though in heaven in a lower orb then any thing that lives groveling on the earth A leaf is more excellent then a pearl or a diamond because a leaf hath a life in it which these have not That opinion of voluptuous Atheists or Epicures delivered us by the Preacher hath a truth in it A living dog is better then a dead lion Eccl. 9.4 For though as that voice spake from heaven Revel 14.13 Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord and though cursed are the living that live without the Lord In which sense the poorest dead dog is better then the proudest lion alive Yet consider man only within the line and compasse of naturall life Then he that lives in the worst condition is better then he that once was in highest dignity but now is
and that God means us no good when we doe not enjoy good But the strong faith speaketh on this wise Lord I know there is mercy in thine heart towards me though I see nothing in thy face but frowns and feel nothing from thy hand but blows Let God do what he pleaseth with me I will not have a jealous thought of him or suspect his intentions towards me whatsoever his actions be Secondly observe We may gather arguments of support in our greatest sufferings from the apprehension of concealed mercies The skill and holy subtilty of faith can winde it self in Gods bosome and from what it findes lying secretly there for us encourages us to bear what is openly laid upon us Lastly Observe A believer looks upon all his receits as coming out of the heart of God As he can look into his own heart and see all the Commandments and revealed counsels of God hidden there so he can look into the heart of God and see all the comforts he wanteth hidden there Men of the world take their comforts only from the hand of God Saints take theirs from the heart of God It putteth the price upon every blessing when we can look upon speciall love as the spring of it Look how much of the heart of our friend we can see in a courtesie so much true value there is in it Hence it is usuall with man when he would expresse his freenesse to those who desire a favour at his hands to say Yes Take it with heart and good will you have it with all my heart We reade of one who complained he had received but a golden cup when he saw another receive a kisse from a noble Prince A kisse is a better gift then a cup of gold Love is the richest present How happy then are they who have the golden cup and a kisse too much from the hand and all from the heart from the love of God Job having thus revised and read over the particular of his former mercies received from the bounty and free love of God revives his complaint about and renews his desire of deliverance from present sorrows in his next addresse to God JOB Chap. 10. Vers 14 15 16 17. If I sinne then thou markest me and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity If I be wicked woe unto me if I be righteous yet will I not lift up my head I am full of confusion therefore see thou mine affliction For it encreaseth Thou huntest me as a fierce lion and again thou shewest thy self marvellous upon me Thou renewest thy witnesses against me and encreasest thine indignation upon me changes and war are against me THe connection of these words lieth somewhat in the dark and this inevidence hath caused divers conjectures about it 1. Some make the connection with the 13. verse I know said Job that this is with thee and here he declareth what was with him namely that If I sinne then thou markest me and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity 2. The connection is made by others with the 12. verse Thou hast granted me life and favour and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit yet if I sin thou markest me c. As if Job had said Though thou hast been pleased to make so many grants of favour and hast done all those things for me which were hidden in thine heart yet I know thou wilt not bear with or connive at me If I sinne against thee Thou hast not given me these mercies that I should be imboldened to transgresse the rule of thy justice no though thou hast done much for me Yet if I sin thou markest me and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity 3. A third goeth higher and makes these words depend upon the third verse where Job puts three Queries to God the last of which is Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest shine upon the counsel of the wicked I know it is not for 't is like I might escape as well as another yet If I sinne thou markest me and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity If I be wicked woe unto me Mine own experience proves thee farre enough from shining upon the counsell of the wicked Behold clouds and darknesse are upon me There is a fair sense in any of these connections which to determine is not easie I shall leave all three before the Reader Verse 14. If I sin then thou markest me If I sinne Sin standeth here in opposition to wickednesse Thou wilt not shine upon the counsel of the wicked And vers 15. If I be wicked then woe unto me for if I sinne then thou markest me Sin is any transgression against or deviation though but an hairs bredth from the rule if I fail be it never so little Then thou markest me The Originall hath four significations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which occasion as many different interpretations of the text First To preserve and that two wales first by protecting from those evils which others would bring upon us Psal 141.9 Keep me from the snare which they have laid That is Protect me from the danger which their snares threaten me with So at the 12th verse of this Chapter Thy visitation doth preserve my spirit Secondly It is rendered to preserve by sparing or not bringing those evils upon us which our own sins have deserved So the Vulgar here who to make out his sense Si peccavi ad horam pepercisti mihi c. Vulg. puts the later part into the form of an interrogation If I have sinned and thou hast spared me for a time Wherefore then dost thou not acquit me from mine iniquity As if the meaning of Job were this When in former times I sinned against thee thou wast pleased to remit of thy severity and deal gently with me Thou didst spare me as a father spareth a sonne that serveth him Why is the tenour of thy dispensations so much changed from what it was seeing thou art a God that changest not and I am but what I was a weak and changeable man Why am I now charged with sinne and not set free as sometimes I have been from sorrow the fruit of it Wilt thou deal with me who sinne out of infirmity or against my will as with those who are wicked and have a will to sin Secondly To prevent others from doing what they desire or our selves from what we fear Psal 18.23 I was upright before him and I kept my self from mine iniquity As if he had said I have maintained such a strict watch over my own heart that I have prevented my self from falling into that sin which I was most subject to and in danger of both in regard of my constitution and temptation Taking this meaning of the word the whole verse is rendered thus If or when I am ready to sinne thou stoppest or preventest me Why then dost thou not acquit me from mine iniquity As if he had said Lord wilt
then much more God who is the Judge of conscience marketh us if we sin God needs not judge upon information but upon his own observation He will reprove every man whom he doth not pardon And is able to set before us in order whatsoever any of us have done How then do some say That God sees not sinne in his children Job saith That God marked his sinne but according to this doctrine he should rather have said If I sin thou dost not mark me Some through ignorance sin and see it not sin and perceive it not but no man among all the multitudes of men can sin unseen or unperceived by God If I sin then thou markest me And thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non purges me ut sim immuni◠ab omni peccata Will not the Lord acquit Why have we a Gospel then What 's the businesse of mercy And where 's the efficacy of Christs bloud Doth not this purchase and do not they offer acquittances from iniquity The words are interpreted three waies First That Iob speaks from his unbelief as if he could not see pardon through the thick cloud of his troubles or have any evidence that God had mercy in store for him while he endured such plenty of miseries Secondly That he speaks thus upon a supposition of impenitency As if he had said If I sinne and humble not my self thou wilt not acquit me Thirdly That by iniquity he means his affliction putting the cause for the effect So Thou wilt not acquit me for mine iniquity is Thou wilt not take away these afflictions which are counted as the proceed or issue of mine iniquity Hence observe First Sinne is a debt Every acquittance supposeth an obligation All men as creatures are in a debt of duty to God and when they fail in that they are in a debt of penalty as sinners Observe secondly When sinne is pardoned the sinner is acquitted his debt is taken off and his bonds are cancelled Pardon is our discharge our quietus est sealed in the bloud of Christ All processe at law or from the law is then prohibited there 's no more to be said or done against us Again The word signifies to cleanse and purge as well as to acquit Note from it That as sinne defileth the soul so pardon cleanseth it Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean wash me and I shall be whiter then snow was Davids prayer for pardon after his great defilement Psal 5.1 7. If we confesse our sins he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sinnes and to cleanse us from all unrighteousnesse 1 Joh. 1.9 Fourthly Forasmuch as Iob groaning under burdens of sorrow speaks so often about the pardon of sin we learn That while sinne remaineth to our sense unpardoned the soul seeth no way to get out of sorrows The removing of affliction is a sign that sinne is forgiven and the sense of our forgivenes is an argument that affliction shall be removed Fifthly Taking the former words in conjunction with these If I sinne knowingly and wickedly as they charge me Thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity Observe That a persisting sinner is an unpardoned sinner There is abundant mercy for returning sinners but I know of none for those that resolve to go on in sin There is a promise of repentance and a promise to repentance but there is no promise which doth not either offer or require repentance Repent and thou shalt be saved is the tenour of the Gospel as well as beleeve and thou shalt be saved Though many who are going on in their sins are overtaken by grace yet there is no grace promised to those who go on in their sins The holiest are threatned with wrath if they doe surely then none are put into an expectation of mercy if they do The promises either finde us repenting or they cause us to repent No sinner is pardoned for repentance nor without it Iob speaks that language more clearly in the words following which some make an exposition of these Verse 15. If I be wicked Woe unto me If I be wicked What it is to be wicked hath been shewed and the difference between a wicked man and a sinner discovered at the 7th verse upon those words Thou knowest that I am not wicked Woe unto me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ejulatu deducit Rab Mos Kimchi The word is derived saith one of the Rabbins from a root signifying to houl Great mourning is a kinde of houling and they who are in woe are bid to houl Isa 13.6 chap. 23.1 c. Wicked men houl rather then pray in their distresse because of their extream worldly woe They have not cried unto me with their hearts when they houled upon their beds Hos 7.14 There are legall woes and there are evangelicall woes The Law cries woe and so doth the Gospel Gospel woes are the worser of the two For if the Law say woe to us the Gospel may say mercy to us but if the Gospel say woe to us as it doth to hypocrites who abuse and to unbelievers who refuse mercy where shall we have mercy All woes may be understood in this place Law woes and Gospel woes temporall woes and eternall woes If I be wicked then woe unto me Hence observe Woe is the portion of wicked men Though they laugh yet woe is their portion yea they are therefore threatned with woe because they laugh Luk. 6.25 Woe unto you that laugh now for ye shall mourn and weep Some wicked men are as merry as if mercy were their peculiar But we may say to their mirth What doth it Or if we should ask them What they do to make themselves so merry David will resolve us what their course is Psal 36.2 The wicked flattereth himself in his own eyes untill his iniquity be found to be hatefull He that would be flattered shall never want a flatterer for if none will do it he will doe it himself He speaks well of himself and therefore he thinks all 's well But usually he hath some others ready enough to speak well of him too The true Prophets complained of the false for crying peace peace when there was no peace for saying all is well when they should say all is woe But though wicked men flatter themselves and though they get their neighbours to flatter them yea though Ministers flatter them yet God will not flatter them and at last their own consciences will not flatter them neither Conscience will preach them a Sermon of woes at last though possibly it hath been silent through ignorance or silenc'd through malice for a long time As all the promises of grace and mercy hang over the heads of the godly and sincere which way soever they go a cloud of blessings drops and distils upon them So clouds of wrath and bloud hang over the heads of wicked men dropping upon them yea
be sure to smart for every proud thought and high imagination Both these translations render the meaning of Iob thus If I should plead my own righteousnesse and innocency before thee as thinking therein to lift up my head and so should wax confident in my self I shall presently pay for it for I perceive that thou art preparing thine instruments against me as men doe against fierce lions and wilde savage beasts to hunt catch and destroy me Here is a truth in thesi God doth resist the proud if any head lifteth it self up against God God can quickly lay such an head as low as the ground But in Hypothesi or in Iobs case I cannot assent to it as a truth suting this Text. A third translation puts it by an Interrogation I am full of confusion see thou mine affliction Can it be lifted up That is Can my head be lifted up when I am so full of sorrow and confusion whatsoever my righteousnesse is I am not in case now to stand upon it 't is no time for me to talk great words Can I lift up mine head when thou pressest me with such a weight of affliction Great afflictions will keep down the greatest spirits or break them down Affliction will make the stoutest heart stoop and the highest head to bow But take the word according to our reading as it referreth to his afflictions it encreaseth that is my affliction encreaseth and so a double exposition is given First As if Iob had spoken his wish or his desire I am said he before full of confusion see thou mine affliction O that mine affliction might encrease and that I might be fuller of confusion O that my troubles might be strengthened upon me and that I might be weak enough to see an end of my troubles I am yet too strong for death O that thou wouldest quickly dispatch me more weight deeper wounds harder blows would be welcome As if here again Iob had assumed and renewed that complaining desire mentioned Chap. 6.7 8. O that I might have my request and that God would grant me the thing that I long for What was that Even that it would please God to destroy me that he would let loose his hand and cut me off But I shall let this passe Iob hath spoken these wishes plainly and in the letter too often I will not charge him with another from a questionable interpretation Rather take the words declaratively not for a wish of greater future afflictions but for a manifestation of the greatnesse of his present afflictions so we expresse them I am full of confusion See thou mine affliction for it encreaseth This is a clear and a fair sense Job intending to describe his estate more fully sheweth it still upon the encrease waxing worse and worse greater and greater As if he had said mine are a pile or heap of afflictions and still more are piled up and heaped on There is an elegancy in it as taken in the other sense Effert sese afflictio mea ElegaÌ„ti autem figura dicit quod sese efferat Elationem superbiam morbo dolori tribuit cum totum bominem possidet Merc. for pride or lifting up See my affliction it waxeth proud For as the waves of the sea are called proud waves when they swell and encrease So an affliction encreasing and swelling may be called a proud affliction Some afflictions like a great sea rise above us and stand over us or like a cruell master domineer and insult upon us Jobs afflictions were proud ones they came upon him with a kinde of authority as if they would lay him at their very feet Hence observe They who have endured very great afflictions may yet finde their afflictions greatning and encreasing He had said before I am full of confusion and yet here he saith My affliction encreaseth When we have as much as we think our backs can bear yet possibly more weight may be laid on When we hope our affliction is upon the declining hand that those waters are upon an ebbe and the fire slacking then they may flow higher and the fornace may be heated seven times hotter then before The Lord threatneth obstinate and rebellious sinners Levit. 26. I will punish you yet seven times more for your sinnes Though I have brought such calamities upon you that ye have been ready to say surely now God hath done his worst we are in as bad a case as we can be no saith the Lord who hath infinite wisdom to finde out waies of afflicting as well as of shewing mercy I will punish you yet seven times more for your sinnes no man knows how much more God can punish him His judgements in the executing of them as well as in the laying of them are past finding out We know not the beginning of them neither do we know when they will end Now as the Lord afflicteth some seven times more for the punishment of their sins so others seven times more for the triall of their graces Sufferings are sent in perfection to make us more perfect thorow sufferings Afflictions swell vvith pride to abate the swellings of our pride or to shew how those swellings are abated into humility God hath unsearchable riches and treasures of chastenings as vvell as of vvrath or of love And as vvhen vve think vve have received as much mercy as God can give us he can yet give us more and make our mercies seven-fold greater to our apprehensions then before so also he can dispense himself in the matter of affliction For it encreaseth This encrease is set forth by an elegant similitude Though similitudes prove nothing yet they much illustrate what is already proved Thou huntest me as a fierce lion Thou huntest me as the ramping Shakall So Mr Broughton The word Shakall sigâ—ifies a fierce assaulting lion or as we speak a lion rampant Some translate a Lionesse others a Leopard spoken of in the fourth Chapter We may take it in generall for any fierce cruell and savage beast of the one kinde or of the other Thou huntest me as a fierce lion For Thou some render it referring to his affliction For it encreaseth and it hunteth me my affliction hunteth me as a fierce lion Sorrows are compared to a fierce lion Afflictions hunt and follow they tear and destroy like a wilde beast Effert se dolor meus ut leo nequaquam cedens Merc. Like as a lion or like the young lion roaring on his prey as the Prophet speaks Isa 45. when a multitude of shepherds is called out against him Christ is compared to such a lion there will not be afraid of their voice nor abase himself for the noise of them Such were the afflictions of distressed despised Job they braved him to his very face and would not with-draw or turn away from him Capior ficut leo ad occisionem Sept. Tendis mihi expandis rete non secus ac ad feram capiendam Rab. Sal. Quidam
Man is apt to say there is no reason for that of which he seeth not the reason When we are at our wits end and at our reasons end we think there is an end of all wisdom and reason as if neither God nor man could give an account beyond ours or answer when we are non-plust Yet we may conceive Iob had a further sense which yeelds a more mollifying meaning of these words for though he as all the Saints in the old Testament was much in the dark about the benefit of sufferings which the Gospel hath now more clearly revealed to us and called us unto yet he might have some other intendment in these expostulations We may charitably suppose him troubled that he was in a condition of life which as he conceived hindered the main end of his life the glorifying of God Wherefore hast thou brought me forth out of the womb As if he had said Lord I am in a state wherein I know not how to honour thee and then what is my life worth unto me Thy justice is greatly obscured towards me many are ready to say for my sake that surely thou art a hard Master leaving them to reap evil who have sowed good and paying thy faithfull and most active servants their wages in sufferings And as for mercy I taste little of that Nunc in me justitia tua obscuratur ego non sentio fructum gratiae tuae quâ in re ergo gloriae tuae inservire potest vita mea Coc. comforts are dainties with me my cup is bitter my sorrows are multiplied Now when neither justice nor mercy move visibly towards me how shall I glorifie thee And wherein can my life be usefull or advantagious to thee Am I not like a broken vessel a vessel wherein there is no pleasure Wherefore then was I brought forth out of the womb This exposition teaches us That A godly man thinks he liveth to no purpose if he do not live to the praise and glory of God God hath made all things for himself and it is the design of the Saints to be for him While that end is attained they can easily part with all their own and where that is crossed they cannot be pleased in the attainment of any of their own The interest of Christ is not only their greatest but all their interest Any stop of much more a disservice to this causeth an honest heart to cry out with Iob and 't is easie to conceive it caused Iob to cry out Wherefore then hast thou brought me forth out of the wombe O that I had given up the ghost and no eye had seen me O that I had given up the ghost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Facilem sine dolore mortem innuit The originall signifies usually a gentle and an easie kinde of death Giving up the ghost is not a pulling or a violent rending of life away from us but our laying it down our surrender or willing resignation of it Some read this clause not as we optatively O that I had given up the ghost but declaratively Wherefore hast thou brought me out of the womb for then I had quickly given up the ghost But rather take it as a wish O that I had given up the ghost And no eye had seen me That is say some I would I had died before I had been born for then no eye had seen me Or more generally thus O that I had died speedily so speedily that I might have gone out of the world before I was observed to have been there Who delights to see the dead especially a childe dead-born or dying as soon as born Sarah was the delight of Abrahams eyes whiles she lived and yet assoon as she was dead he gives any money for a sepulchre to bury her out of his sight Or again Job that he might shew how little he regarded life disregards that which is most desirable in life Innatum est omnibus ut cognosci se velint studio teneantur res alias cognoscendi Man naturally desires To see and to be seen to know and to be known That which carries a great part of the world is an affectation to be pointed at and taken notice of as Some-bodies in the world He that liveth unseen in the world is as a man out of the world or as one buried alive To be in prison is a great punishment because a prisoner liveth out of view he cannot freely see or be seen Job wishes no eye had seen him rather then his eyes should have seen so much evil or that others should have seen him in the midst of so many evils Hence note First That undue and unreasonable questions are usually followed and fruited with undue and unreasonable wishes Having put the question Wherefore hast thou brought me forth out of the womb See what a wish comes upon it O that I had given up the ghost and no eye had seen me He that takes undue liberty to speak or do knows not where he shall restrain himself They who alwaies act as farre as they may shall often act beyond what they ought And they who act at all beyond what they are directed are often carried beyond what themselves intended Secondly Observe Man had rather not be seen at all then to be seen miserable To be seen is a great part of the comfort of this life but who would not gladly exchange it for ease in obscurity It is an honour to be seen but who would be seen cloathed with dishonour When Christ is prophecied of as the great patern of patience and self-deniall it is said He hid not his face from shame and spitting Isa 50.6 To be a spectacle of misery is to some worse then their being miserable They would count it a piece of their happinesse to be unhappy in a corner and their troubles half removed if they might steal their troubles As to be in a good estate and to know that we are so makes our estate better to us So to be in an ill estate and to be known that we are so makes it to some tempers a great deal worse As the hypocrite hopes when he sins that no eye sees him so many wish when they suffer O that no eye had seen me Verse 19. I should have been as though I had not been I should have been carried from the womb to the grave Some read this verse also as a wish O that I had been as though I had never been O that I had been carried from the womb to the grave He confirms what he had said by a further declaration of his condition in case he had not been brought forth out of the womb or had died before he had been seen in the throng of the world Why what then Job Then I should have been as though I had not been and my afflictions should never have had any being so speedy a death had quitted me of all the evils of my life I
hand p. 389. No creature can be a daies-man between God and man only Christ is p. 392. Daies of God not like the days of man p. 459. Death Sudden death or to be slain suddenly in what sense a mercy p. 313. Death Man dies by statute p. 508. Whether death was naturall to man or no p. 509. Death without order two waies p. 584. No naturall return from it p. 580. Delight in sinne worse then the committing of sin p. 478. Despair is the cutting off of hope p. 88. Duties dangerous to lean upon them p. 97. How hypocrites duties fail p. 98. How we must hold duties fast and how not p. 99. E EAgles flight time compared to it p. 339. Earth taken five waies in Scripture p. 321. How the earth is given to wicked men p. 322. Earth-quake the force of it p. 183. The cause of it ib. Eclipse of the Sun when Christ suffered was miraculous in two respects p. 190. Egypt called Rahab in Scripture and why p. 245. Eternity is Gods day p. 462. Difference between eternity eviternity and time ib. God hath time enough to do his work in p. 463. Evil-doers who p. 127. God will not help such ib. How God concurs with evil-doers and how not p. 128 129. God resists them a two-fold resistance p. 131. Example The examples of others falling into sin or under punishment should be our warnings p. 31. Eyes of God what p. 451. Seven differences between the eyes of God and man p. 452. F FAces of Judges covered what it imports p. 326. Face put for anger c. why p. 346. Faith must have somewhat to lean upon p. 93. Faith necessary in prayer p. 273. Faith in prayer doth not deserve an answer though it get one p. 274. Faith hath its decaies pag. 276. Fear taken two waies p. 404. Sutream fear binders speech p. 405. Forgetfulnesse of God consists in four things p. 78. Hypocrites are forgetters of God p. 79. To forget God is a very great sinne p. 80. Forgetfulnesse of God is a mother sinne p. 81. Forgetfulnesse of three sorts p. 345. Some things can hardly be forgotten others as hardly remembred p. 346. G GIfts not to be trusted to p. 95 God gives to men two waies p. 322. God The best way for man to get his heart humbled is to look up to the holinesse of God p. 148. God is invisible and incomprehensible p. 229. As God is so he works above man p. 375. The consideration that God is above man should humble man p. 376. The unevennesse of mans acting towards God arises from thoughts of his evennesse with God p. 377. 378. Man was made in the image of God but God is not in the image of man p. 380. Man should take heed of measuring God especially in three things p. 381. Man cannot contend with God shewed in seven things 384. Why it is so fearfull to fall into the hands of God p 394. Presence of God both joyfull and terrible p. 402 403. Man cannot bear the anger of God p. 403. God knows the state of every man p. 471. God knoweth all things in and of himself p 473. Godly man shall never be cast away p. 122. How God may be said to east his people away p. 123 God highly honours them p. 124. A godly man exalts God while God is casting him down p. 222. Godly men are a safety and a support to the places where they live p. 244. Yet sometimes God will not be entreated by the godly ib. A godly man may put the worst cases to himself p. 543. Good and bad alike dealt with by God in outward things p. 310. Grace acts alwaies like it self but a gracious man doth not p. 364. Guilt Till guilt be removed fear will not p. 357. Guilt of sin wearieth the soul p. 413. H HAnd Putting forth the hand notes three things in Scripture p. 125 126. Hand put for outward conversation or action p. 367. Washing hands an emblem of freedom from guilt p. 368. Laying on of the hand what it signifies p. 387. Hands How ascribed to God his hand implies two things p. 442. Hands of God what p. 489. Hardning the heart what 160 A hardning the heart to do either good or evil ib. The heart hardned appears in six things p. 161. A three-fold hardnesse of heart p. 162. Man hardens himself against God upon four grounds p. 163. Nine degrees or steps of hardnesse of heart p. 164 165. None ever prospered by hardning themselves against God p. 166. A hard heart is Satans cushion p. 166. Hatred taken two waies 137. Wicked men haters of the righteous p. 141. Hearkning is more then hearing p. 272. Head Lifting up of the head what it imports in Scripture 545. Heart the best repository for truth p. 70. Heaven The various acceptations of it in the Scriptures 199. Heaven is a building of three stories p. 200. Help given by God two-fold p. 128. Holy persons fit for holy duties p. 34. It is not contrary to free grace to say we must be holy if we would be heard p. 35. Hopelesse To be so is the worst condition p. 84 88. Where hope faileth indeavour faileth also 364 Humility a godly mans thoughts are lowest of himself p 251. The more holinesse any man hath the more humility he hath p. 547. Hypocrite compared to a rush in six particulars p. 75 76 77. What an hypocrite is p. 82. Two sorts of hypocrites p. 83. They are filthy they may be full of hopes their hopes will deceive them p. 84 He shall loath himself p. 85 86. his whole course is nothing but foolishnes p. 87. He shall be hopelesse 88. His hope like a spiders-web shewed in five things p. 90 91. He hath two houses p. 94. His hopes may be very strong p. 96. He hath three witnesses ib. All he trusts to shall fail p 97. He may abound in outward blessings p. 104. They do all to be seen p. 105. They may endure persecution a while p 105. They care not whom they wrong so they may thrive 108. They are often destroied in the height of their prosperity 110. They shall be forgotten or remembred with disgrace p. 113 114 He may have much joy p. 115. His joy is most from outward things 116. His joy is short ib. I IDol The same word in Hebrew signifies sorrow and an idol two reasons of it 353. Idols why called Emims p. 401. Immortality three-fold 510. Instruments and second causes What God doth by them is to be reckoned as his own act p. 235. Joy is the portion of the Saints and they shall receive it in good time p 135. They rejoyce in the works of Gods mercies to themselves judgements on enemies 136 Justice and judgement how they differ p. 12. Judgement opposed to three things ib. Judgement subverted two waies p. 14. To pervert judgement what p. 13 15. Judgements of God finde most men secure p. 178. Judgement taken three waies p. 291. Judgement of God
in our flesh was afraid of his sorrows which yet he knew he should overcome how much more may the fear of sorrows overcome us while we are in the flesh Lastly Observe That the fear of afflictions assaults and oppresses some most when they set themselves most to conquer and overcome them I saith Job would comfort myself but I am afraid of all my sorrows I fear they will be doubled and trebled upon me therefore I had rather sit still then by striving to unloose straiten the cords of my affliction faster upon me The next clause seems to hint this as a reason why his sorrows hung so close upon him I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent But how did Job know this As God said to Adam Gen. 3.11 Who told thee that thou wast naked So I may say to Job Who told thee that God would not hold thee innocent Or where hadst thou this assurance of thy condemnation The Saints may know or be assured that God will pardon them but a wicked man cannot know or be assured that God will not This knowledge of Job was but a suspition or at the most a conjecture And the giving out of this conjecture was but the language of his fear his faith could say no such thing for God had no where said it The best men speak sometime from their worser part Their graces may be silent a while and leave corruption to have all the talk When the flesh is under great pain the spirit is hindered from acting its part and then sense gets the mastery over faith Had it not been upon such a disadvantage Job had never offended with his tongue by saying he knew what he could not know I know that thou wilt not hold me înnocent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word which we translate innocent commeth from a root which signifieth pure and clean purus mundus per Metaphorae innocent insous and in the verb to cleanse and make pure And because innocency is the purity or cleannesse of a person therefore the same word signifies to cleanse and to hold or make innocent In which sense it is used frequently Exo. 20.2 Thou wilt not hold him guiltlesse or innocent that taketh thy Name in vain The counsell that David gave upon his death-bed unto Solomon concerning Joab was Therefore hold thou him not innocent or guiltlesse 1 King 2.9 that is let the bloud which he hath shed be upon him let his honour and his name continue stained and blemished in thy thoughts and judgement Hold him not innocent Here the Question is To what antecedent we are to referre the relative Thou I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent Thou who There are two opinions about it Some referre it to God and some to Bilaad to whom Job maketh answer in this place They that refer it unto God make out the sense thus Either first taking the word properly for cleansing and healing the sores and wounds which were upon his body Adversus illud quod amici statuunt probos videlicet etiam castigatos nunquam succidi hoc pro certo statuam ô Deus nunquam esse me ab istis quibus totus scateo foedissimis ulceribus ac vermibu◠repurgandum Bez Novi quod non sis me liberum dimissurus Coc. I know thou wilt not cleanse my body from this filthinesse from these diseases that now anoy me And so it is an answer to the words of Bildad telling Job that in case he sought unto God and humbled himself before him he would awaken for him and remove those judgements No saith Job when I think of ease and deliverance all my fears return upon me and I know God will not yet cleanse ease or deliver me from them Again Taking it tropically as we render it for a judiciall cleansing or purification so Thou wilt not hold me innocent is as much as this Lord such sorrows and troubles are upon me that I fear thou wilt not declare or pronounce or give testimony concerning me to the world that I am an innocent person Because the sores and troubles upon him were as an evidence against him in the judgement of his friends that he was a wicked person therefore saith he Lord I am afraid Thou wilt not hold me that is Thou wilt not declare me to be innocent by taking away these evils Non mundabis i. e. purum justum vel etiam innocentem non declarabis that so this opinion of my friends concerning me may be removed or confuted From this sense note First That even a godly man in deep afflictions may have misgiving thoughts of God The soul misgives sometimes about the pardon of sinne and is even swallowed up with despair concluding I know God will not hold me innocent he will not be reconciled unto me or blot out my transgression But especially which is rather the minde of Job the soul misgives about release from punishment Some being hamper'd in the bands of affliction conclude God will never let them loose or set them at liberty again Such a conclusion Davids unbelief made against himself I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul 1 Sam. 27.1 When Jonah was cast into the deep in the midst of the seas when the flouds compassed him and all the billows and waves passed over him then he said Chap. 2.4 I am cast out of the sight of thine eyes Indeed Jonah began to recover quickly his next words being a breath of faith Yet I will look again toward thy holy Temple Secondly Observe That untill fear of guilt be removed fear of trouble will not remove Job was not very clear about the pardon of his sinnes somewhat stuck upon his spirit while he was under the clouds and darknesse of this temptation therefore saith he I am afraid of all my sorrows Till the soul is setled in the matter of pardon or freedome from guilt it can never be setled about freedome from punishment Hence the Apostle Heb. 2.10 15. speaking of the Saints before the comming of Christ cals Christ the Captain of our salvation and assures us he took flesh that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the devil and deliver those who through fear of death were all their life time subject unto bondage The language is very near this of the Text I am afraid of all my sorrows As Job was in bondage under his afflictions through the fear of his returning sorrows So they were all their life time subject unto bondage through the fear of approaching death All the Saints before the comming of Christ were under such a bondage for the Apostle speaks as of a generall state That he might deliver those who through the fear of death were all their life time subject unto bondage The reason hereof was because they had not so manifest and convincing a light concerning the pardon of sinne the freenesse of grace