to cherish and comfort the fruits of the Earth But besides these common and ordinary ends of sending rain somewhat extraordinary seems to be intended when the Text saith He causeth it to come for mercy or favour What 's the favour or special meâ—cy that comes by rain Surely it is the sending of such a rain and such a blessing with it as causeth the earth to bring forth abundantly The Lord can more than supply wants he can give plenty he can give as much in one year as may serve for two or three Sive ad Benignitatem scâ—ut benigne fiat terrae citra necessitatem ut cum pluvâ—â— descendit summo aestu ad aerem refrigerâ—ndum Drus Thus he pâ—omised Levit. 25.21 Then I will Command my blessing upon you in the sixth year and it shall bring forth fruit for three years the sixth year was the year before the Sabbath-year for then they were not to till the gâ—ound Now if you carefully observe my Sabbath-year saith God you shall have no want though you do not sow This is a mercy when God sends in a double or treble Crop when he not only sends enough to serve the tuâ—n or to keep us alive but abundance and plenty so that the floars shall be full of wheat and the fats shall overflow with wine and oyle as the promise is expressed Joel 2.24 Hence note God is not only a just but a bountifull Master He doth not only give us enough for necessity but for delight and contentment if we use his boun y well and turn not his blessings to his dishonour plenty will be our mercy The Clouds come somtimes for Correction God sweepes away even our necessaries by raines which are therefore in Scriptuâ—e called sweeping raines at other times the Clouds come for mercy and empty themselves to fill us with the blessings of the earth that we both by corrections and favours may be led to repentance and receive further mercy not only mercy fâ—om the Clouds but mercy above the Clouds Thus the words stand in a fair opposiâ—ion and one part of the verse illustrates the other Yet I conceive there is somwhat further in these woâ—ds for mercy or in mercy and free benignity which may intimate thus much to us That even the Rain from the Clouds and fruits of the earth are not given us of desert but of free favour and mercy They come for mercy or as a mercy God doth not seed the World because he owes them any thing but because he is mercifull we do not oblige him to give us a drop of rain or a morsell of bread sweet showres from Heaven and plentifull harvests on Earth are acts of grace mercy favour and good-will unto man God payeth men wages in nothing but in punishment whâ—n God punisheth he payes wages that which is deserv'd if God send the Clouds for Correction we have what our sins have procured and brought upon us but if he send plenty we have mercy a gracious bounty or largess from the hand of God our daily bread is not pay nor wages but reward and mercy much lesse is that which is more or beyond our daily bread We by sin deserve that the Heavens should be as the Lord thâ—eaten'd his ancient people in case of disobedience as bâ—ass and the Eaâ—th as iron but we have not deserv'd that the Heavens should drop fatness and the Earth yeild her increase this is mercy Not only are we to look upon the Pardon of sin as a meâ—cy and Redemption by the blood of Christ as a mercy and Justification through his Righteousness as mercy and eternall life as a mercy or coming from mercy and free grace but we are to receive every bit of bread as coming to us through mercy freely and not upon any account of our own workings or deservings And if we cannot deserve a showre no nor a drop of rain from the Clouds if we cannot deserve a Crop of Corn from the Earth then surely we cannot deserve grace or peace from God or eternal life and happiness with God Therefore how should we magnifie and admiâ—e the mercy and free grace of God for spiritual thingâ— when we see such cause of magnifying him even for temporal good things if the Clouds are favourable to us it is of mercy Further That notion may be well improv'd which some give of this word reading the Abstract by the Concrete we say For mercy they say for the mercifull that is for the liberall benigne and mercifull man the man of a large heart to dâ— good God causeth the Cloud to come somtimes for Correction usually for his land to conveigh common comforts and he hath his times wherein he causeth it to come for the merciful that is in special favour to those that are mercifull and good and gâ—acious both as they have received grace from God and as they have done good things for and among men He that watereth shall be watered also himself Pro. 11.24 Thus you see the three-fold Message that God sends the Clouds upon either to Correct men for their sin or for his Land that the Creature in general may have subsistence or for special favour and mercy to his peculiaâ— people and for those above the rest of good men who are mercifull and ready to do good JOB Chap. 37. Vers 14 15 16. 14. Hearken unto this O Job stand still and consider the wondrous works of God 15. Dost thou know when God disposed them and caused the light of his cloud to shine 16. Dost thou know the ballancings of the clouds the wonderous works of him which is perfect in knowledge THis context begins the second part of the Chapter wherein Elihu First exciteth Job to a serious contemplation of the wonderful works of God this is expressed in the 4th verse Secondly He urgeth the weakness and inability of Job and indeed of any man to understand the full compass of those works And this he doth First In general as to them all in the beginning of the 15th verse Dost thou know when God disposed them Secondly he sheweth his inability as to particulars or the several kinds of the works of God First As to his causing of the Light to shine in the close of the 15th verse Secondly As to his weighing or ballancing of the Clouds verse 16th The summe of these three verses together with the two next which follow make up an earnest exhortation that Job considering and comparing that great power and wisdom of God which appear shine in those forementioned works with his own weakness and insufficiency would therefore humble himself and not venture any further to contest or plead with God And because many of the Lords providential works are unsearchable as wel as these which are natural therefore Elihu would not have Jâ—b busie himself in any curious prying into those which concerned his present condition For if there be infinite and unerring wiâ—dom tempered with mercy and justice with
idle away the day and sport and play and sing away the night As good men have holy songs in the night Isa 30.29 Ye shall have a song as in the night when a holy Solemnity is kept c. So the wicked have their wanton vaine revelling songs in the night when their sensual Solemnities are kept Belshazer was drinking in the night and doubtless he had his musick songs that night And as he had his songs mirth and musick in the night so he said not Where is God my maker who giveth me songs in the night he instead of minding God his maker in his mirth minded only the gods which himself had made as the text speaks Dan. 5.4 They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and of silver c. And thus 't is in proportion with all the wicked to whom God gives songs in the night they say not Where is God my maker This interpretation which carrieth the songs to the oppressors before spoken of contains a truth yet I shall not stay upon it but take the words as referring to the oppressed Here it may be queried how doth God give them songs in the night I shall not insist upon those conjectures which some have made about this giving songs in the night As First implying God so gracious that he giveth us not only in the day but in the night occasion of joy in sorrow namely the view and contemplation of the Heavens and Starrs which are very pleasant and refreshing Psal 19.1 Others Secondly conjecture that God may be said to give the sorrowful and oppressed ones songs in the night by the singing of birds in the night of that bird especially which hath its name from singing in the night the Nightingal Some insist much upon these interpretations It is I grant a great mercy of God that when the Sun is down we have Moon-light and Star-light and that in the night we have the innocent harmless birds to sing and make us pleasant melody But leaving these we may take the words in a double notion First Properly Secondly Metaphorically Properly and so to give songs in the night as the night is taken for night time imports the goodness of God to man not only in the day time but in the night Hence Note God in the night season as well as in the day gives his people matter of joy Night-mercies deserve and call for day-praises especially two sorts of night-mercies First Night preservations Psal 3.6 I laid me down and slept for thou Lord makest me to dwell in safety The night is subjâ—ct to many dangers Qui distribuit nocturnas custodias Sept The Septuagint render fully to this sense Who giveth watch or preservation in the night that 's matter of praise and thanksgiving to God Secondly he gives us cause of praise and singing not only for preserving our lives while we sleep in the night but for refreshing us with sleep in the night Psal 127.2 So he giveth his beloved sleep The Lord gives us not only safety but sleep Sweet sleep is a great mercy Eccl. 5.12 The sleep of a labouring man is sweet whether he eat little or mucâ— and they who sleep sweetly get refreshing and renewings of strength after all their foâ—mer labours for new labours So thaâ— if we take night properly for the night time there is much occasion of rejoycing given by God to mankind in general and more peculiarly to his faithfull servants in reference to those common mercies of bodily safety and the return of natural strength and spirits Secondly Take night properly and then this assertion He giveth songs in the night may have this meaning The Lord gives his people a praising frame of heart in the night season Etâ—am cum nulla ad eum laudandum documenta circumfulgent intus Spiritu excitat ad laudes Jun When they are wrapped up and compassed about with outward darkness when they are solitary and alone when no worldly object holds out any occasion of comfort to them yet then the Lord lets in a light or shines into their sâ—uls by his good Spirit The Lord may well be said to give songs even in the night when by the immediate work of his Spirit he filleth our spirits with joyes unspeakable and glorious These aâ—e the most ravishing songs of the night Hence Note God by his good Spirit doth often suggest sweet meditations and comfortable thoughts to his people in the night In the night the Lord minds his servants either of such mercies as they have already received or of such as according to his promise he is ready to or will surely bestow that so they may be busied in that heavenly work of praising him and rejoycing in him when they awake or cannot sleep This was Davids experience Psal 17.3 Thou hast visited me in the night Men use to visit us in the day when we are up or awake But saith David God gives me visits in the night when I am in bed he gives me many a song or makes me to rejoyce When we are in our retirements or freest from the hurry of worldly businesses and enjoyments then we are in the fittest posture for the entertainment and enjoyment of God The Lord visits his servants in the night not only as David there to try them or as elsewhere to instruct them but to comâ—oâ—t them as David was assured Psal 42.8 The Lord will command his loving kindness in the day time and in the night his song shall be with me That is a song concerning him I will sing and rejoyce even in the night time because of the goodness and kindnâ—ss of God to me in the day The experience of Asaph or of David communicated in that Psalm to Asaph gives further proof of this Psal 77.6 where having said v. 1. I cryed unto God with my voyce and he gave eare unto me he adds v. 6. I call to remembrance my song in the night that is those occasions of joy and singing which God hath heretofore given me These songs were sweeter to me than sleep As it sheweth an excellent frame of spirit to remember the Commandments of God in the night which David also professed as his practise Psal 119.55 I have remembred thy Name O Lord in the night and have kept thy Law The name of God is any manifestation of God either in his word or works And again Psal 119.62 At midnight I will rise to give thanks to thee because of thy righteous judgements Some watch in the night to give thanks Psal 134.1 others give thanks when they wake at any time in the night both are acts of purest love to God and proceed from purest consolation in God Cant. 3.1 By night on my bed I sought him The Spouse doth not say only by night I sought him but by night on my bed I spend not the night in sleeping but in seeking him whom my soul loveth Psal 16.7 My reines instruct me in the night
Lord doth often exercise that is as often as there is cause and we give him cause too often to exercise a smart and severe anger towards his own people but his consuming and destroying anger is the lot and portion of the wicked If his anger be kindled but a little namely against his enemies blessed are they that trust in him blessed are they that believe when that anger of the Lord breaks forth against unbelievers Or we may state it thus First God is angry with sinful persons thus he is angry with the world or with wicked men Secondly God is angry with persons for sinning there is a great difference between these two anger with sinful persons and anger with persons for their sin or for sinning and thus he is angry with his own people even with the godly when they sin though not for every sin Further We may distinguish of anger thus There is anger mixed with a desire of taking revenge upon those that we are angâ—y with a revengeful anger thus the Lord is angry only with the wicked Of this anger Moses speaks having described a presumptuous sinner who believes not only without a word but against the word who when he heareth the word of the curse blesseth himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of mine heart to add drunkenness unto thirst then the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoak against that man c. Deut. 29.19 20. Read more of this revengeful anger of the Lord Deut. 32.22 41 42. Secondly there is anger with a desire to reforme and reclaime those that we are angry with Thus a loving and indulgent father is angry with his child when he hath committed a fault he is angry not with an anger of desire to revenge but with an anger of desire to reforme And thus the Lord is angry with his own people with his choicest servants and dearest children when they forget their duty and play the wantons Lastly We may distinguish of anger thus There is First a temporary anger As there is a temporary faith in hypocrites so we may say there is a temporary anger in God against the faithful when offending that is he is angry with them for a while for a season Sing unto the Lord O ye Saints of his and give thanks at the remembrance of his Holiness saith David Psal 30.4 But why doth he call them to singing we have the reason of it given at the 5th verse For his anger endureth but a moment he speaks there of the Lords anger against his Saints and peculiar people while they indeed have cause to mourn for provoking the Lord to anger they may also sing both because his anger endureth but for a moment that is because if that be all it endureth not at all a moment is of no endurance as also because in his favour is life weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning Once more hear the Prophets report of the Lords anger Micah 7.18 Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage he retaineth not his anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy God doâ—h not retain his anger for ever that is not long yea that not for ever is but a little while a moment and that but a small moment as the Prophet Isaiah spake Chap. 54.7 As if he had said The Lords anger is not retained so long as if it should be alwayes retained his anger towards you is soon blown over and gone upon the matter like a moment as soon as come Such is the anger which God discovers towards his own people Secondly There is an anger for ever an abiding wrath a fire of anger which never goeth out nor can be put out which is kindled in the breast of God against ungodly men and against them only as living and dying without repentance in their ungodliness Job a godly man was visited in the former not in this latter anger Yet for the fuller answer to this query as it concerns Jobs case I conceive Elihu speaks with the highest and hardest towards him For though it be a truth thâ—t the Lord discovers as was shewed before a fatherly anger towards his children when he chasteneth them for their sin yet he chasteneth them more or rather in love than in anger As whom he loves he rebukes and chastens Rev. 3.19 so he chastens and rebukes them in love And as for Job whom God dearly loved it is cleare from the first and second Chapters of this Book that God afflicted him not for any special sin or way of sinning but for his tryal and to set him up as a great pattern of patience to all succeeding generations Or we may say that God afflicted Job not because of any provocation which he had given him but at Satans instance and provocation Chap. 2.3 All that can be said for Elihu's help in saying that God visited him in anger is only this That though Job had not provoked the Lord to visit him in anger when he began to visit him yet some impatient and over-bold speeches of his or that liberty of speech which he took in expostulating and almost contesting with God about his afflictions might cause him to visit him in such anger as hath been set forth in answer to the query And now because it is not so because the Lord misseth those acts of grace trust and patience which thy case calleth thee to the exercise of He hath visited in his anger and what followeth Yet he knoweth it not in great extremity Et non advertit ad auctum valde i. e Nihil discrevit sc deus qued non visitaret etiamsi ea re visitatus magis dolerer Nam necesse erat visitatum ita tangi ut sentiret quod fieri non poterat si non pleraque charissima quóque bona adimerentur Coc Elihu seems to have spoken this turning himself to the company and complaining to them of Jobs insensibleness Yet he knoweth not c. Some refer this clause of the verse to God also He hath visited in his anger and taketh no notice of the great increase or of that which is greatly increased that is God hath spared nothing from his visitation although the party visited were never so much grieved or damnified in the loss and spoyle of his all There was a necessity saith this Author that he who was visited should be so toucht as to be sensible of the stroake which could not be unless the greatest of his encrease and those things which were most dear to him were taken away from him or he were stript naked and bereaved of them Our translation refers these words to the person visited as if he though reduced to the greatest extremities yet was not sensible of it or took no notice of what he suffered or was done to him Yet he knoweth it not in
can stop and bridle our boisterous and angry passions towards those that have offended us The Lord saith unto or concerning Pharoah Exod. 9.16 And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up for to shew in thee my power c. What power The Lord shewed forth a twofold power in the raising up of Pharoah First the power of his Arm that he was able to cast down such a mighty Prince Secondly The power of his Patience that he spared him from ruin till he had sent ten messages to him and poured ten Plagues upon him The Lord was so provoked by Pharoah that he might have crushed him upon the first denyal but he forbare him long the Lord might well say I have set thee up that I might shew forth my power my power in forbearing thee long as well as in destroying thee at last The Apostle speaks of this power Rom. 9.22 What if God willing to shew his wrath and make his power known the Lord will not only shew his wrath hereafter in breaking those vessels of destruction but he shews his power now in suffering them long and therefore he to make his power known endured with much long-suffering the Vessels of wrath fitted to destruction Here 's the strength of the Lords heart he bears long with wicked men Secondly There is a mighty power or strength of heart in God as in long-suffering towards impenitent sinners so in pardoning sinners who repent Who Magni animi est ignoscere but the Lord hath such a strength of Spirit to pardon and passe by offences After the People of Israel had mutined and murmured Sola sublimis et excelsa virtus est nec quicquam magnum nisi quod simul placidum Sen. and so provoked the Lord to the height Moses begs and bespeaks the power of the Lords pardoning-pardoning-mercy Numb 14.17 And now I beseech thee let the power of my Lord be great according as thou hast spoken saying The Lord is long-suffering and of great mercy forgiving iniquity c. As if Moses had said Lord thou must put forth as much power in pardoning the sins of this People as ever thou didst in delivering them from their bondage-sufferings in Egypt Or thus O Lord thou mightest magnifie the power of thine anger in punishing this rebellious People but rather magnifie the power of thy patience and long-sufferance in sparing and pardoning them O what strength of heart is in God who passeth by the great transgressions of his People Thirdly The Lord hath a mightinesse of heart in executing his wrath upon his incorrigible enemies Psal 90.11 Who knoweth the power of thine anger The anger of God is such a thing as no man can go to the bottome of it in his thoughts The Lords wrath is powerful beyond all imagination and apprehension his anger as well as his love passeth knowledge In all these respects the Lord hath strength of heart or he is mighty in strength of heart as well as in hand or arm The greatest discoveries of Gods power are in the wayes of his mercy His Judgements are called his strange work but his mercy is his strength as the Prophet calls it Isa 27.5 where warning the Bryars and Thorns to take heed of warring with God he gives a sinner this counsel Let him take hold of my strength that he may make peace with me and he shall make peace with me But what is meant by the strength of God Some render Apprehendet arcem meam i. e. Christum Coc. Let him take hold of my Tower A Tower is a place of strength but here put for that which God glories in most as his chiefest strength even his goodnesse meâ—cy patience and long-sufferance yea Christ himself as if he had said Let not the sinner struggle with my strength let him not think by strâ—ng hand to overcome my strength but let him take hold of my Christ through whom all those glorious perfections of mine my Goodnesse Mercy Patience c. are given out to the children of men and he shall make peace with me This is the true strength of God nor doth any thing more set forth the strength of man than this that he is ready to pardon to forgive and passe by only impotent spirits are much for revenge 'T is our weaknesse not to passe by wrongs and injuries done to us To bear wrongs is to be like the high and mighty God to bear them in mind is to be like the lowest and weakest spirited men He is strong indeed who is strong in patience against Offenders and as strong in mercy to pardon humble ones as in power to punish stubborn and rebellious ones Secondly By way of Illation Note 'T is the greatness of Gods Spirit or the strength of his heart and mind which moderates him towards sinful man That which keeps men in a moderate frame towards men is true greatnesse of spirit They that are of such a spirit will neither despise those that are below them nor envy those that are above them not willingly oppose those that are equal to them The envy and opposition of others greatnesse ariseth from the meannesse and weaknesse of our own spirits The reason why one man is affraid that another should be high is because himself hath not a real highnesse of spirit or the reason why most oppose the greatnesse of others is the littlenesse of their own spirits Whence spring contentions and strifes envyings at and underminings of one another come they not from the narrownesse of our hearts that we cannot rejoyce in the good of others or from the impotent jealousies of our hearts that we fear others will do us hurt If such a one get up he will pull me down if such a one be high 't is dangerous to me therefore I must pull him down if I can whence comes this but from lownesse and poornesse of spirit from that pitiful thing in man called Pusillanimity The Lord hath so great a Spirit that as he envieth no mans greatnesse so he feareth no mans greatness and therefore doth that which is just and equal to all sorts of men bad and good as is further shewed in the next verse Vers 6. He preserveth not the life of the wicked but giveth right to the poor As if Elihu had said Though the Lord doth not despise any that are great yet he doth not respect any that aro bad he preserveth not the life of the wicked And as the Lord will not do any wrong to the rich so to be sure he will give right to the poor What Elihu had affiâ—med of God he now proveth by instances or particulars and that both in respect of the wicked and the godly That the Lord is most just and righteous he proveth thus He preserveth not the life of the wicked That 's the first instance and he expresseth it negatively 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non viâ—ificat He preserveth not the life of the wicked he
is it that sin doth exceed or wherein consists the exceedingness of it I answer First There is an exceedingness of sin in the strengâ—h that it hath over us when it doth easily command and prevaile then we sin exceedingly oâ— then sin is exceeding sinfull it hath got a mighty hand over us O how sadly do the sins of many exceed thus they are held down by their corruptions as slaves and captives they cannot get themselves out from under the power of a base lust As the devil leads some so lusts and corruptions lead others captive at their will they are at the beck and command of sin Thus sin exceeds in the wicked who either know not God or who walk daily contrary to their knowledge Secondly That man doth exceed in his transgression or his transgression doth exceed who sins with or hath a very ill frame of heart in sinning Many a good man falls into sin and yet he hath not as I may say a base or wicked frame of heart in sinning but his very sinning is upon the matter against his own heart and the bent of his spirit his heart goeth not with it The more of the heart or will is mingled with any sin the more exceeding sinfull it is I may say of some men I would not be mistaken That they do evill with a better frame of heart than others do good there are some that do good with very bad yea with base hearts The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination how much more when he brings it with a wicked mind or as we put in the Margin with wickedness Pro. 21.27 that is either for applause to be seen of men or for profit to gain by men or in malice the better to compass revenge upon any man or sort of men under all which covers wicked men have brought their sacrifices that is have appeared in the outward worship of God or have taken up the form of godliness And whosoever doth thus hath a far worse frame of heart in doing good than a good man hath in doing evil who though he doth evil yet he delights not in it and closes not with it By how much any mans heart is more taken with sin by so much the more sinfull it is Thirdly The exceedingness of a sin may be measured by the circumstances of sinning then a man may be said to transgress and exceed in transgression when he sinneth First against light against the checks of his own conscience within as also Secondly when he sins against reproofs warnings and admonitions from without that man exceeds in sin who hath been told of it and yet goeth on Thirdly that man exceeds in sin who sins in the midst of much mercy and daily received or renewed favours as also he Fourthly who sins in the midst of many afflictions and judgements whether upon his person and family or upon the Nation where he liveth such as these not only sin or transgress but exceed in transgression Now the Lord in times of affliction sheweth men these and the like exceedings of their transgression and causeth them to confess not only that they are sinners and have transgressed but they are brought upon their knees to confess that they have exceeded in transgression And when this is done the Lord goeth on yet further to perfect the work of humiliation and repentance while they are bound in fetters and holden in the cords of affliction for then as it followeth Vers 10. He openeth also their ear to discipline and commandeth that they return from iniquity Still 't is Gods work he sheweth before and here he openeth as in the former verse he openeth their eyes to see so in this he openeth their ear to hear He openeth their ear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Revelavit occulta abscondita revelatio auris notat intimam insinuationem This latter is more than the former this opening the ear to discipline is more than a shewing of sin and the exceeding sinfulness of it Opening the ear imports a close and home-discovery of a mans condition to him Psal 51.6 David after his great sin perceived the Lord shewing him or making him to understand wisdome secretly He openeth also their ear The word which we translate to open properly signifieth to reveale and in Scripture phrase the ear is said to be revealed or uncovered when a secret is brought to us 1 Sam. 20.2 Jonathan said to David God forbid thou shalt not die behold my father will do nothing either great or small but that he will shew it me or uncover my ear and why should my father hide this thing from me Saul also used the same Hebraisme or forme of speech when he upbrayded his servants with their unfaithfulness to him What saith he hath the son of Jesse such preferments for you and are you all so corrupted in your loyalty to me that all of you have conspired against me and there is none that sheweth me or uncovereth my ear that my son hath made a League with the son of Jesse Loquitâ—r de auro cordâ— mentis Scitum illud Mens audit mens vidit caetera surda et caeca sunt Drus Sam. 22.8 Will none of you uncover my ear that is discover the plot that is contrived for my ruine Then the ear is said to be opened or uncovered when any secret is made known to the mind as was further shewed at the 16th verse of the 33d Chapter where Elihu used this expression and therefore I shall not return to that matter but referre the Reader thither Only consider to what or for what the Lord is said to open the ear In the 33d Chapter Elihu told us that when the eyes of men are shut deep sleep being fallen upon them he openeth the ears of men and sealeth their instruction Here Elihu saith God having men undâ—r the rod he openeth also their ear To discipline The Hebrew word is of the same extraction in both places 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ad castigationem i. e. Ne castigatio sit eis absque fructu vel ut ista disciplino seu correctione emendentur Pisc Instruction is for discipline and discipline tends unto instruction It is often rendred chastisement and generally signifies any severer course of instruction or education whereby we are drawn off from evil and unto good When Elihu saith He openeth their ear to discipline we may understand it two wayes First To fit them for instruction and counsel they heard possibly before but not with an open that is a ready and obedient ear The ear is shut though we hear much unless we submit and conforme to what we hear The ear seldome opens fully till the Lord smites as well as speaks and gives us both a word and a blow Secondly He openeth their ear to discipline that is to hearken what Gods chastening or correction speakes or what he speaks by his chastning The Lord would not have his chastnings unprofitable nor his rods
were bound in Fetters and holden in Cords of affliction Now saith Elihu here they shall spend their dayes in prosperity and their years in pleasures Hence Note There is no condition so low and forlorn but the Lord is able to bring us out of it and into the enjoyments of fullest comforts He can change our Iron Fetters and Cords into Rings of Gold and Bracelets he can translate our dayes of trouble and our years of pain into dayes of prospeâ—ity and years of pleasure it was so with Job in the issue and he was the man that Elihu here intended Job was long bound in fetters and holden in the cords of affliction yet as Elihu told him he should so he did afterwa ds spend his dayes in prosperity and his years in pleasure the Lord doubled his Cattel to him his friends fil'd his Coffers and his Cabinets Every man gave him a peace of money and every one an Ear-ring of Gold his children also were the same foâ— number his daughters the fairest in the Land himself also lived in the fulness of this outward Prosperity till he was full of dayes and he fed upon the delicious fruits of this Promise all his after-dayes Manasseh having run a course of unparallel'd wickedness was at last taken by the Captains of the host of the King of Assyria among the Thorns and they bound him with fetters and carryed him to Babylon 2 Chron. 33.11 yet when in his affliction he besought the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his Fathers he was entreated of him and brought again to Jerusalem where he spent his dayes in prosperity and his years in pleasure If we turn to the Lord in affliction the Lord is ready to turn away our affliction or as the Church prayed in the half turn of her affliction Psal 126.4 to turn our captivity as the streams in the South that is to make both a most admirable and a most comfortable turn of our condition Streams in the hot Southern Countries are rare the Rain of those Lands usually is dust Streams in the South are also very welcome How glad are they of a cooling Showre from a Cloud who daily feel and are fainted with the scorching Beams of the Sun Such a turn shall they have saith Elihu who being holden in the cords of affliction turn from iniquity obey and serve the Lord. Thirdly From the matter of the Promise Note A comfortable passage through this life is a very great mercy as well as the hope of happiness for ever in the other life 'T is prosperity and pleasure in this world though nor meer worldly prosperity and pleasure which is here pâ—oâ—ised and we are not to slight any thing that comes by promise yea we should highly esteem those things which considered in themselves are little worth as they come to us through the Promise We may quickly over-rate and over-reckon outward things in themselves and we ever do so if we rate or reckon them any better than vanity but as they are promised and bestowed in a way of savour from God and as they are a part of the purchase of Christ and handed to us by him so are even outward things to believers thus they are very valuable Upon these terms to live and spend our dayes in good and our years in honest lawful pleasures is a great mercy From the whole take two Corolaries First How blasphemous then is their Opinion who say it is a vain thing to serve the Lord or that there is no profit in calling upon him which blasphemy was resuted Chap. 21.14 Secondly Would we have a good end of or out-gate from our afflictions then let us hear and obey Thus much of the first case what the issue of their afflictions shall be who obey The Second issue upon the contrary case followeth in the 12th verse Vers 12. But if they obey not they shall perish by the Sword and dye without knowledge Here contraries are set one over against another for their fuller illustration If they obey not that is if those righteous men spoken of before vers 7. obey not What it is not to obey is clear by what I said was to obey in opening the former verse I shall only take notice that in this latter part it is not said If they obey not and serve him not but only if they obey not and I conceive Elihu saith no more or proceeds no further because they who deny obedience will certainly deny service therefore he stops at that If they obey not They who are good in their state may often fail in doing that which is good for of those this Text yet speaks and is generally interpreted The Hypocrite in heart is spoken of in the next verse but here Elihu is speaking of the righteous and because he is so therefore by this disobedience cannot be meant an obstinate rebellion but a sloth or carelesness in attending to the Call of God for the amendment of some evil in their lives If they obey not Hence Note The calls and commands of God are not alwayes obeyed no not by good men not by the righteous The call and command of God is not at all obeyed by the wicked and it is not alwayes obeyed by the righteous The righteous sometimes hear the word but do not answer it and sometimes they feel the rod and do not attend it they cry out of the smart of the rod and of the sores which the lashes of the rod have made upon them they weep over or because of their sores yet they do not presently give glory to God by obeying him and leaving their sinnes I mean as to that special point of duty in which God would have them obey him and as to those special sins which God by that affliction calls upon them to leave Many good men do not presently understand the purpose of God in this or that affliction and while it is so with them they must needs fail in answerableness to it I know every godly man hath a general bent to obey God and serve him It is not with the godly in their afflictions as with the wicked under theirs of whom the Prophet speaks Isa 9.13 They did not turn to him that smote them yet even such Scriptures are in a degree applicable to many of the people of God they do not alwayes turn to him that smiteth them when they are exercised with variety of calamities they mind not the Lord as they ought And hence it is I say that though the righteous have a general bent to obedience yet they sometimes come short of that obedience which a special affliction or correction calleth them to yea they may be so short in answering it that the Lord may proceed to lay heavier and greater afflictions upon them even to the taking of them out of the world as it followeth in this verse If they obey not They shall perish by the sword Before they were bound in
God We owe the full submission of our wills to the Will of God in a twofold respect First to whatsoever he willeth us to do or to his commanding will Secondly to whatsoever he will do with us or to his disp sing Will. In these and in all things let us strive to gâ—eaâ—en all the acting of our souls towards God because he is great Secondly If God be great then we may infer for consolation First Be not discouraged in prayer when you have great things to ask when your wants are great and your necessities urgent when you must have great supplies when small matters will not serve your turn In many caâ—es it is not a little help it is not a small matter which will do the thing which we sue unto God for now here is a mighty ground of comfort for us if we want great things we have a great God to go unto and how great soever our wants are they are all but small to the greatness of that God unto whom we go Ephes 3.20 He is able to do exceeding abundantly above what we ask or think and not only above what we actually ask and think but indeed beyond what possibly we can ask or think above what we are able to ask or think Therefore let us never be discouraged in prayer because of the greatness of the things that we have to ask of God Secondly Be not discouraged though as your wants so your dangers and your troubles are great How great soever the danger is you would be delivered from God is greater to whom you come for deliverance And therefore when a great Mountain stood in the way of the deliverance of the people of God Zech. 4.7 the Prophet speaks in his language Who art thou O great Mountain thou shalt become a Plain before Zerubbabel that is before the power of that God in whom Zerubbabel trusts and whose work Zerubbabel carries on Hence that holy confidence Psal 66.3 Through the greatness of thy power thine enemies shall submit themselves to thee or they shall yeild feigned obedience as we put in the margin which some render thus through the greatness of thy power thine enemies shall be found liars All the readiâ—gs magnifie the g eatness of God Through the g eâ—tness of thy power thine enemies the enemies of thy people shall â—ubmit they shall be found liars tâ—ey shall yeild feigned obedience they shall not be able with all their greatness to stand iâ— out against the great God Therefore be not discouraged at any time at the greatness of danger Though you walk through the very valley of the shadow of death that 's to be in the greatest danger yet as David did not so do not you fear no not that great danger while the great God is with you Thirdly Be not d scouraged though your sins are great when you come to aâ—k the pardon of them As the greatness of sin puts a very great damp upon the spirit of man in asking pardon so the greatness of God should take off that damp My thoughts are not your thoughts saith the Lord Isa 55.7 8 9. in this matter There is nothing wherein God doth more exceed man than in pardoning sin Mic. 7.18 If sin be great the mercy of God is great too infinitely greater than the sin of man if sin be great remember we have a great high Priest Heb. 4.14 not only a Priest but a high Priest and a great high Priest therefore fear not to ask the pardon even of the greatest sin in his name and for his sake And this is true it we respect either national or personall sins it may encourage us in asking pardon for nations how great soever their sins are Moses when the People had greatly sinned against God had recourse to this Numb 14.18 19. The Lord is of great mercy pardon I beseech thee the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of thy mercy as thou hast forgiven this people from Egypt even until now Do thus also with respect to personal sins David made the greatness of his personal sin an argument to go to God for mercy Psal 25.11 Pardon my sin O Lord for it is great He was so far from being disheartened by the greatness of his sin to aâ—k the pardon of it that according to our reading he had great hope of pardon as well as sâ—w he had great need of pardon and all because he knew God was great in mercy Or if we read that text thus Pardon my sin O Lord though it be great the sense is much the same for as the former makes the greatness of his sin a reason provoking him to hasten unto God for pardon as great diseases hasten us in seeking remedies so the latter shews that the greatness of sin is no stop to the mercy and free grace of God in Christ for the pardon of it Christ in that Parable Mat. 18.24 gives instance of the greatest debt he tells us of one that owed his Lord ten thousand talents a vast sum a very vast sum a talent being according to the lowest computation three hundred pounds of money ten thousand times three hundred pounds is a huge sum so that here was a great debt now saith the text When the debtor had nothing to pay he came to his Lord or Creditor and he forgave him all He did not say wouldest thou have me or can I forgive such a debt as this What ten thousand talents He forgave it as if it had been a debt of two mites Thus and many other wayes we may improve this first Attribute of God mentioned in the text his greatness both as to our direction in duty and consolatition in every extreamity Behold God is great And we know him not That 's the second thing The words are plain but the tense is difficult for it may be objected Do not we know God Elihu said but just now in the very verse before the text Magnifie his works which men behold every man may see it man may behold it afar off Surely if the works of God may be known and seen by every one God himself may be known for he is known in his works as the Apostle argues Rom. 1.20 The things which he hath made make him known how is this then said That God is great and we know him not Doth not the Prophet in denouncing that dreadful curse Jer. 10.25 Poure out thy wrath upon the heaâ—hen that know thee not thereby intimate that all the people of God know him Doth not Christ tell us John 17.3 This is eternal life to know thee the onely true God They who have eternal life must have the knowledge of the true God But all true believers have eternal life already in hope and shall have it shortly in hand therefore they know God The Promise of the New Covenant is Heb. 11. They shall all know me from the least to the greatest that is all my Covenant-people shall know me How
to you that you shall not divine and the Sun shall go down over the Prophets and the day shall be dark over them What the Lord means by all this you have exprest in the close of the 7th verse There is no answer of God that is God doth not now any more manifest his mind and will by the Prophets that they might manifest his will unto the People I close this point with the renewal of my former admonition Let us therefore take heed â—e provoke not the Lord to command this light not to shine either to Prophets or People in our Hoâ—izon Thirdly He commandeth it not to shine by the Cloud that cometh between Though as I said the word Cloud be not exprest in the text yet we know 't is a Cloud that usually cometh between the light and us Hence note Though God can do all things by his bare word yet he ordinarily useth means to bring about his purposes whether for good or evil whether in mercy or in judgement to the children of men There is something comes between God hath a Cloud or somewhat like it to put between us and the light 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vers 6. The Apostle 2 Thes 2.6 7. treating of Antichrist the man of sin intimates that he would have filled the world with the darkness of errour and superstition very quickly by a full discovery of himself had not something with-held him had not something come between him and his design for a time What was that 'T is generally conceived 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 7 that which did with-hold or come between the man of sin and his purpose of filling the world with the darkness of his wicked errours and abominable worship was the power of the Roman Empire at that time Antichrist could not put forth his power while that power stood in its strength God could have with-held Antichrist immediately from putting forth of himself but he saw it best to put a block in his way the power of the Roman Empire and until that was thrust out of the way the man of sin could never shew himself fully in that unlimited exercise of his sinful power Now I say as there was then a with-holder of Antichristian darkness somewhat that came between and hindred its effectual working so usually I may say universally somewhat comes between to check and stop the course of the Gospel-light or of any other mercy Sin is a Cloud of our making and God in judgement makes that as a Cloud coming between us and our mercies He did so of old to Israel and he told them so by his Prophet Jer. 5.25 Your sins have with-holden good things from you Sin with-holds good things not formally but meretoriously that is sin is the meriting or deserving cause of their withholding This one Cloud of our sins brings all the Clouds of trouble between us and our mercies and the Lord hath alwayes some Cloud or other of trouble at hand in readiness to cover the light that it shine not to us when we trouble and grieve him by those foggy and filthy clouds of our sins Thus far of that which is preparatory to rain Clouds covering the light It followeth Vers 33. The noise thereof sheweth concerning it the cattel also concerning the vapour Hic versus difficillimus est si quu in toto Jobo in quo quot sunt expositores tot fere sensus afferuntur Merc. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Strepitus ejus quidam deducunt a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sonâ—vit clamavit voâ—iferatus est alii a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 amicus socius This Verse according to our translation as I touched before carrieth on the same thing There we had the preparation as it were for rain Clouds gathered and covering the Sun so making dark weather Now saith he that the rain is coming the noise thereof sheweth concerning it The word which we render noise taken from one root signiâ—ieth any troublesome clamour and as derived from anoâ—her root it signifieth a friend or companion as I shall touch afterward But at present leaving that I shall open it according to our own reading as it signifieth a noise Some read his noise that is Gods noise he maketh a noise in the air And this noise of God in the air is either first the noise of the wind winds often fore-run great raines or secondly the noise of thunderclaps that ratling noise heard from the clouds which come between us and the light this noise sheweth concerning it that is this sheweth fowl weatheâ— is coming or that rain as we speak is brewing in the Clouds Both the blustering winds and the ratling roaring thunder tell us afore-hand and give warning that the weather will suddenly change or that rain is at hand Hence Note God by natural signs gives warning of a change in natural things When God is about to send rain the noise that is in the Clouds tells the world that 't is coming Some are very skilful in observing these things such we call weatherwise From this I would only infer If God doth fore-shew or give signs of the change that he makes in natural things then surely he doth much more give his people warning of the changes he is about to make in civil things in the States and Kingdomes of this world There are some things which do as it were predict or fore-shew such and such changes neer if we were wise to observe them The Jewes were very inquisitive to know of Christ the signs of the times These signs they enquired of him not so much out of curiosity which had been bad enough as out of treachery to intâ—ap him in his words yet mark what Christ said to to them Math. 16.1 2 3.3 He answered and said unto them when it is eveâ—ing ye say it will be fair weather for the skie is red a red skie shewes concerning fair weather and in the morning it will be foul weather for the skie is red and lowring When the skie lowres or as here in Job when the Cloud cometh between us and the light that tells us it will be foul weather Now saith Christ do you think that God hath given us such warnings about changes in natural things and hath he not given signs which may fore-shew changes in other things which more concerns us Therefore Christ checks them in the 3d verse O ye hypocrites ye can discern the face of the skie and can ye not discern the Signs of the times that is what changes God will mâ—ke in the times As if he had said if you were wise ye might discern the signs of ruine approaching â—o you and your City A dreadful black Cloud of destruction hung over the City of Jerusalem at that time as Christ had fore-told them in several places of the Gospel the time is coming saith he when there shall not be left one stone upon another yet you cannot see the signs of these things you are very
affected with his fear It is both our duty and our commendation so to fear God as not to sin against him or to be kept from sinning against God by the fear of God that is lest God should punish us for our sins and give us to eat the bitter fruit of our own evil doings But to fear God because we hear and are assured that he is ready to pardon our sins especially to fear him when he hath given us a comfortable assurance that our sins are pardoned or even tâ—en to be filled with the fear of his great and reverend Name when we are actuâ—lly praising him and magnifying his free grace in Christ for the pardon of them this shewes a truly gratious spirit indeed With God is terrible Majesty and with God is terrible praisâ— he is at once to be praised and feared All this Elihu would fix upon the heart of Job from the consideration of the works of God his providencial works in the Air how much more should this fear affect us when we behold his terrible works of providence upon the Earth turning the world as it were upside down by the wonderful vicissitudes and revolutions which his hand brings to pass respecting either Persons and private Familyes or whole Kingdomes and Nations With God is terrible Majesty JOB Chap. 37. Vers 23 24. 23. Touching the Almighty we cannot find him out he is excellent in Power and in Judgement and in plenty of Justice He will not afflict 24. Men do therefore fear him He respecteth not any that are wise of heart THese two Verses conclude the whole discourse of Elihu with Job The 23d verse is Doctrinal the 24th is the Use or Application of the Doctrine In the 23d verse we have a four-fold Doctrine held out concerning God First The Doctrine of his Incomprehensibleness We cannot find him out Secondly Of his Power He is the Almighty he is excellent in Power Thirdly Of his Righteousness he excells in Judgement and plenty of Justice But though he is thus full of Justice yet he is also very Gracious and therefore Fourthly We have the Doctrine of his Mercy and Tenderness towards the Creature in the last words of the Verse He will not afflict God is infinitely above man in Power and in Wisdom yet he never useth either the one or the other to the oppression or wrong of any man He will not afflict This is a very suitable peroration of the whole Narrative or matter declared which Elihu had so long insisted upon And having laid down this four-fold Doctrine concerning God he shews us the use of it in the 24th veâ—se where we have a practical Inference from what was before asserted concerning God Men do therefore fear him or therefore men ought to fear him As iâ— he had said Seeing God is thus incomprehensible thus powerful seeing he is thus excellent in Judgement in plenty of Justice as also in Goodness and Mercy therefore good men do and all men should fear him This is a very natural and undeniable Inference yet Elihu doth not leave it bare but adds a strong inforcement in the close of the verse why all men the greatest of men the wisest of men should fear God For he respecteth not any that are wâ—se in heart The wisest the greatest of men cannot carry it with God by their wisdom or policy by theiâ— gâ—â—aâ—ness or power therefore let them fear him This is the sum and scope of these two verses Vers 23. Touching the Almighty we cannot find him out That is He is unâ—earchable and incomprehensible The Original strictly read iâ— The Almighty we cannot fiâ—d him out The Almighty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oâ—nipotens nominativus absolute positus Pisc is a Nominative absolute as Grammarians speak we supply that word Touching As if he had said should we enter upon a discourse of the Almighty we cannot find him out Touching the Almighty That God is Almighty and what the word Shaddai here rendred Almighty doth import hath been shewed and opened already in other places of this Book especially in the fifth Chapter at the 17th verse and in the eighth Chapter at the 3d and 5th verses thither I refer the Reader for further satisfaction in that matter and pass from it here Touching the Almighty We cannot find him out This also I shall pass over in a word having spoken to it more fully Chap. 11.7 where Zophar puts this Question Canst thou by searching find out God Canst thou find him out unto perfection In which Questions Zophar challenged Job or any man else to set their understandings upon the tenters to put all their abilities to the utmost stretch to find out God if they could being assured they could not find him out unto perfection So then this assertion in the Text We cannot find him out beaâ—ing the same sence with those Questions I shall not stay upon it Only Note God cannot be compast by the enquiries of man Touching the Almighty we have but this to say of him We cannot say much of him or how much soever we say of him we say but a little of what he is or of what may be said of him for we cannot find him out We may find God but we cannot find him out God is to be found by every humble faithful seeker of him The Prophet Isa 55.6 calls us to that duty of seeking with an assurance of finding Seek ye the Lord whilst he may be found and so doth David Psal 32.5 For this that is for pardon of sin for grace and mercy or for this that is upon the experience which I â—ave had of thy readiness O Lord to pardon my sins even as soon as I confessed and acknowledged them for this I say shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found God may be found to do us good and shew us mercy when we seek him rightly there is a finding time or a time while God may be found Some give no other limit to this while or finding time than the limit of this life Dum adhuc in haâ— vita estis Rab. Jonath Deus invenire potest iâ—biquo quovis tempore ante obsignata decreta Abenâ— ezra And to be sure if he be not found while we are in this Life he can neither be sought noâ— found after this Life Yâ—t more strictly to seek him while he may be found as one of the Rabbins glosseth that place is to seek him before the Decree comes forth as the Prophet Zephany speaks Chap. 2.2 It is possible we may seek God and seek him too late and then there 's no finding of him Only they shall seek and find him who seek him in the finding time and they who do so shall certainly find as was said before God ready to do them good and shew them mercy But how much soever or how early soever we seek him we cannot find him out that is we cannot find
be feared because he is so gracious and full of compassion even while he doth afflict There is mercy with God not to afflict that 's sparing mercy and therefore he is to be feared there is mercy also with God in moderating our afflictions that 's sparing mercy too and therefore he is to be feared The graciousness of God manifested somtimes in sparing to afflict us and often in afflicting us sparingly should move us to fear him both greatly and alwayes and if sparing mercy should move us to fear him then much more should forgiving and pardoning mercy When the Lord Exod. 34.6 7. Passed by before Moses and proclaimed The Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin c. At this proclamation of grace Moses vers 8. made haste and bowed his head towards the earth and worshipped How graceless then are they who when they hear that God is gracious merciful and abundant in goodness fear him not but grow wanton and abuse his kindness Now they who fear God upon the due consideration either of his power or goodness find their hearts First Much enlarged in the service of God or in doing the work and walking in the wayes of God Isa 60.5 Secondly This fear keeps their hearts to a close communion with God Jer. 32.32 I will put my fear in their heart and they shall not depart from me We usually not only depart but run from those whom we fear but the true fear of God Covenant-fear makes us cling about and keep close to him Thirdly This fear keeps up good thoughts and high estimations of God in the worst times or when he is pleased to bring the greatest troubles upon us An Israelite indeed who feareth the Lord and his goodness Hos 3.5 will say let God do what he will with him Truly God is good to Israel Psal 73.1 Let us consider whether we have these effects of a gracious fear working in our hearts upon the remembâ—ance both of the power and mercy of God Men do therefore fear him He respecteth not any that are wise in heart These words as was touched before press the former duty of fearing God inferred from the greatness and excellency of his power judgment jâ—stice and mercy yet further upon us As if he â—ad said Men do therefore fear him Why Because He respecteth not any that are wise in heart that is in general he respects none who are so wise or wise in such a way as not to fear him upon those fore-mentioned grounds He respecteth not The word is seeth not There is an elegant paranomisie in this verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Videre 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—imerâ— the words which signifie to fear and to respect or see being very near in sound God doth not see them with respect who do not see him with fear He seeth not any that are wise in heart It cannot be meant of the ordinary sight of the eye that he seeth not the wise in heart God seeth clearly who they are Nor can it be meant of the common apprehension of the mind that he knoweth not the wise in heart God understands fully what they are It must be meant then of a seeing with liking or special approbation God seeth not the wise in heaâ—t so as to like or app ove them Our translation is full and clear to that fence He respecteth â—ot oâ— he regardeth not any that are wise in heart that is he takes no notice of them they are not pleasing to him Or thus He respecteth not any that are wise in heart that is as they fear not him so he is not afraid of them He respecteth not any that are Wise in heart Oâ— wâ—se of heart But some may say Doth not God respect nor regard doth noâ— he take notice of those that are wise of heart Whom then doth he respect or regard of whom will he take notice if not of the wise in heart Hath the Lord any respect for fooles for ignorant men for ideots for sotts Surely men that are wise in heart are not only very amiable but honourable in the eyes of God Why then is it said He respecteth not any that are wise in heart I answer The wise in heart are of two sorts First there are some wise in heart who are so only in their own opinion in their own conceits or eyes they have great thoughts of their own wisdom and therefore as they are apt to despise men so they are far from the fear of God There is a wisdom in some men opposed to the fear of God whereas true wisdome in any man is the beginning of that fear as that fear is called the beginning of wisdom Psal 111.10 Qui sibi videntur esse sapientes Vulg. The vulgar Latine varie h the formeâ— part of the verse yet renders this latter part by way of glosâ— rather than translation They that seem to themselves to be wise and indeed the wise in heart whom God respecteth not are the proudly wise the selfishly wise such as are wise only in themselves and to themselves such as have only that wisdom which the Apostle calleth the wisdom of the flesh or the carnal mind Rom. 8.7 which is not subject to the Law of God nor indeed till mortified can be He that is carnally wise disputes the commands of God and takes the boldness to censure his works such wise men God respecteth not yea they are under his greatest disrespect Secondly Others are truly wise graciously wise wise for their souls wise for heaven wise for happiness submitting their wisdom to the will of God and doing his will They that are thus wise in heart the Lord respects and highly respects how can he do otherwise seeing this is the character of God himself Job 9.4 He is wise in heart and mighty in strength And as God is wise in heart so according to their line and measure they that are godly are wise in heart too Therefore taking our translation the wise in heart intended by Elihu must needs be those that are only carnally wise politickly wise naâ—urally wise that is wickedly wise or at best vainly or vain-gloriously wise Further should we take the wise in heart for those that are truly wise graciâ—usly wise yet it must be acknoâ—ledged that even â—hey may so mis-behave themselves as to miss present respect from God And doubtless Elihu observing that Job had spoken somewhat highly of himself and did not carry it humbly enough under the hand of God though his spirit was broken and brought down at last checks him here by telling him God respecteth not any that are wise in heart no not him in that case and frame of spirit as lifted up in his own wisdom Yea Taking wise in heart in this best sence for the graciously wise it is not for their wisdom and holiness that God respecteth or favoureth them As he will
quem Deus Instituit Aquin. 1. 2 dae q. 21. Art 4. Ad primum nothing can be diminished nothing taken from God by any act of man Yet man as much as in him lyes takes away from and gives or brings to God when he either keeps or doth not keep that order which God hath appointed Sinners shall be judged and dealt with as they that have greatly annoyed and disadvantaged God as they that have rob'd and spoyl'd him as they that have smitten and wounded him as they that have abased him and laid him low And there is reason they should be judged as having done so forasmuch as they do their utmost to do so Thus they are described Psal 2.1 2. The Heathen rage and the People imagine a vain thing The Kings of the Earth set themselves and the Rulers c. And why all this what was it for It was against the Lord and against hû Anointed This was done by the Princes and Great Ones of the world yet they were so far from being able to prejudice the Lord either in his Person or in his Interest that he did but laugh at them for it And 't is considerable that God is described there according to the notion used by Elihu in the Text sitting in the Heavens vers 4. He that sitteth in the Heavens shall laugh the Lord shall have them in derision And why doth the Lord laugh surely because he sees they can no more hurt or hinder him in his purposes by any of or all their sinful advisings and attemptings than if they should hope to batter down the Heavens by discharging a Pot-gun against them And therefore he concludes with a triumphant Yet ver 6. Yet have I set my King after you have done your worst upon my holy Hill of Sion The sins of men do tuâ—n to the glory of God but to their own shame The sins of Gods own children turn to the gloâ—y of his mercy those huge heaps and numberless numbers of sins committed by his Children before Conversion what do they in the issue but lift up the glory of his Grace in the pardon of them And the rebellions committed by impenitent sinners going on in obstinacy to the end without Conversion what do they but lift up the glory of God in his Justice and wonderful judgements which he will bring upon them The sins of the old world which was a world of sin all flesh having corrupted their way before God and there being but one righteous Family found in it all those sins I say did not dammage God at all but indeed they glorified both his Patience and his Justice his Patience in sparing them so long even an hundred and twenty years after warning given his Justice in sending the Flood at last which brought swift destruction upon them and swept them all away The unnatural crying sins of Sodome did not hurt the God of Heaven but God took advantage thereby to gloâ—ifie his Justice in raining Fire and Brimstone upon them from Heaven Gen. 19.24 Pharaoh by all his opposition against the Israel of God did not disadvantage God but gave him an advantage to make his Power known by swallowing up him and his Egyptian Host in the waters of the Red Sea That which is done against the Will of God fulfills the Will of God The sins of men are so far from hurting the God of Heaven that they glorifie him among men on Eâ—rth while they behold him either turning the evil which is dore into good or punishing them â—or their evil doings That which men speak or do against God like an Arrow shot up into the Ayre falls down upon their own heads David Ps 111.2 breaks out wonderfully into the praise of God upon this consideration The works of the Lord are great sought out of all them that have pleasure in them These woâ—ks of God wherein we should take pleasure are not only wo ks of mercy to the Godly vers 3 4 5. but of vengeance upon the wicked vers 6. He hath shewed his people the power of his wâ—rks that he may give them the heritage of the Heathen The works of his hands are Verity and Judgement vers 7. That is judgement for Saints in saving them and upon sinners in consuming them De eo quod agitur contra Dei voluntatem voluntas ipsius vel mala in bonum convertentis vel mala punientis impletur August Enchirid c. 100. We should much contemplate the works of God in bringing glory to himself out of the sins of men The Angels sinned and sell man sinned as soon almost as he was set up These Creatures did that which God would not have done yet God brought about that which he would And thus it is to this day among all the childâ—en of men while they break holy Commandements God fulfills his holy Counsels no thanks to them yea woe to them So then the Lord hath no hurt by sin which way soever sinners turn themselves they cannot turn away his Counsels nor turn from his Counsels When they are disobeying his revealed will Miro et inaffabili modo non fit praeter ejus voluntatem quod etiam contra ejus voluntatem fit quia non fieret si non sineret nec utique nolens sinit sed volens Nec sineret bonus fieri male nisi omnipotens etiam de malo facere posset bene August in Psal 111. he is doing his secret will in which God is most righteous and in his season will lift up his Righteousnesse and Holinesse his righteous and holy Will in the face of all the sinners in the world and they shall know and confesse that he hath served his own wise and holy purposes even in those Providences wherein they have had no purpose but to serve their foolish and unholy lusts and pleasures We have an illustrious proof of this in that extreamly evil and unnatural practise of men good in the main the holy Patriarchs against their own Brother Gen. 50.20 who told them plainly when he meant them no evil but good But as for you ye thought evil against me but God meant it for good to bring to pass as it is this day to save much people alive Further To clear the Point in general we may distinguish of sin as having a threefold opposition First Against our selves Secondly Against our Neighbour Thirdly Against God This division or distinction of sins must be so understood that the two former namely sin against our selves and against our Neighbour brings a real detriment and disadvantage to our selves and to our Neighbour But as sin hath respect to God it doth not bring any real detriment to him Only it may be said First The will of many sinners is raised up to that height of wickednesse as purposely to set themselves to dishonour God to blaspheme his name and do despight to the Spirit of Grace Heb. 10.29 which is the utmost length that sin or lust can go Secondly The nature of
Peccatum 1 ocatur Deicidium appetens sc Deum destruere Sin is an enemy to God and would dethrone and thrust him out of the world therefore sâ—nners shall be dealt with as such as have highly hurt and wronged God Sinners have sometimes risen up to such expressions of wickednesse that they would even pull God out of Heaven it is in the nature of every sin and in the spirit of many sinners to do so they carry a dayly enmity in their hearts Therefore woe to those who say of God God is not hurt by our sins why then should we trouble our selves about them yes the Lord will at last let all sinners know he hath been concerned in their sins though they have not at all toucht his Essential Glory yet they have darkned and slurr'd the manifestations of his Glory And therefore I answer Secondly All those Scriptures before alledged importing that sin grieves God vexes him and is very burthensome to him all those are spoken either of God-man Jesus Christ who was made like unto us in all things except sin and is spoken of in the Historyes and Prophesies of the Old Testament Haec de Deo dicuntur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 et intelligenda sunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before he took flesh as having those in him sinlesse passions of anger and sorrow and grief which were found in him after he appeared in the flesh Or if expounded of God strictly considered then what is in those Scriptures spoken of God must be understoâ—d after the manner of men yet as becomes God who is without all passions and repentings Or they are to be understood not as importing Affections in God but Effects upon men When men sin God doth such things as angry men use to do such things as men do that are gâ—ieved with what others have done and repent of what themselves have done If grief anger repentance were properly wrought in God when we sin our sins must needs be some yea much annoyance to him But while man sees and feels such Effects as these passions produce the Lord is infinitely exalted above the least feeling of these passions he remains ever the same That 's it which Elihu signifieth and holds out to Job we may trouble one another and trouble our selves by sin but we cannot at all trouble God If thou sinnest what dost thou against him what unto him I shall conclude and gather up the sence of this Context in these four brief Deductions Take two of them Negatively and two Affirmatively First God doth not punish sinners in anger only though he be angry only with sin Secondly God doth not punish sinners at all for fear He fears none whom none can hurt The two Affirmatives take thus Fi st When God punisheth sin he doth it out of pure love to Justice or purely out of love to Justice Secondly God afflicts the godly in mercy 't is not because they have done him hurt but for their good Elihu proceeds further to prove that as Job could not hurt God by his sins so his righteousness and innocency were no advantage to him and therefore it must needs follow that his sins could only hurt and his righteousness only profit himself and such as were like himself Vers 7. If thou be righteous what givest thou hâ—m and what receiveth he at thy hands Vers 8. Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art and tâ—y righteousness may profit the son of man Elihu having shewed in the former verse that the sin of mâ—n cannot detract any thing from nor in the least hinder the happiness of God proceeds in the 7th verse to shew that the sinlesness yea that the righteousness of man cannot advantage nor advance the happiness of God And therefore lest he should seem to make both the sin and the righteousness of man to be of no use he states the matter in the 8th verse and tells us both to whom the wickedness of man is hurtfull and to whom the righteousness of man is profitable Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art and thy righteousness may profit the son of man but neither can thy wickedness hurt nor thy righteousness help or advantage God That 's the summe of these two verses Vers 7. If thou be righteous what givest thou him As if he had said There is no reason O Job that thou shouldest at any time as thou oftentimes hast proclaim thy own righteousness as if that added any thing to God Job was not ignorant of that But the speech of Elihu had this scope in it to reprove him for complaining that his goodness profited himself nothing because though he was far from wickedness yet he was afflicted whereas many wicked men prospered and lived in full content to which poynt his other friends had not answered And further Elihu urgeth Job with this because he had so industriously defended his own righteousness as if he would intimate that God was a gainer by it whereas if God at any time rewardeth our good deeds that proceedeth from his own goodness and Free Grace not from any obligation which we have put upon him by what we have done how well soever we have done it If thou be righteous what givest thou him This supposition if thou be righteous hath in it a grant if not an affirmation that a man may be righteous For though all men naturally or in nature are unrighteous yet thorough grace all men that is all men who receive grace are righteous And they who receive grace are righteous under a three-fold notion First they are righteous by an imputed righteousness or by the righteousness of another accounted to them and thus every godly man is righteous because freely justified Secondly they that have grace are righteous by an Inherent Righteousness by a stock or a principle of Righteousness planted in them at their Conversion In conversion not only the acts but the state and nature of a man is changed He who before was nothing but a bundle of unrighteousness becomes a righteous man that is he hath a â—ighteous principle planted in him and abiding with him Thus a godly man is righteous because he is sanctified Thirdly every man that hath grace is a Righteous man by a righteousness flowing out from him or by a practical righteousness he is righteous by the doing of Righteousness The former is Righteousness by Conversion this is Righteousness by Conversation and this slows from the former as the Apostle John speaks in his first Epistle Chap. 3.5 He that doth righteousness is righteous that is he is in a righteous state through Justification and hath righteousness planted in him through Sanctification And he that is thus righteous in his state is also a practiser of Righteousness in his way As it is said of that worthy paire Zachary and Elizabeth Luke 1.6 They were both Righteous walking in all the Ordinances and Commandements of God blameless Here was practical Righteousness they were righteous
in pleasure is dead while she lives If it be a dead life to live in pleasure how then is it here promised as a favour as a mercy to them that obey and serve God that they shall spend their years in pleasures I answer by distinguishing of pleasure pleasures are of two sorts First lawful and honest delights of such we read Gen. 49.20 where dying Jacob blessing of Asher saith Dabit deliâ—ias regis Hebr Mont He shall yield royal dainties or pleasures for a King meaning he shall give not only honest but honourable pleasures and contentments such as befit Kings Secondly There are unlawful and dishonest pleasures which the Apostle calleth Heb. 11.25 the pleasures of sin for a season A wo will be their portion who live in such pleasures Go to now ye rich men weep and howl saith the Apostle James Chap. 5.1 why so among other Reasons this is given for one vers 5. Ye have lived in pleasure wantonizing and gluttonizing and Epicurizing in such base pleasures you have lived therefore wo to you To live in sinful or unlawful pleasures is death and misery or a life worse than death but to live a life of lawful and honest pleasure is a mercy the mercy here promised and the very life of our lives Secondly We may distinguish of pleasures thus they are either first Corporal pleasures pleasures of the body of which we read Job 21.25 One dyeth in his full strength and another dyeth in the bitterness of his Soul and never eateth in pleasure that is he hath had no contentment in the body or no bodily contentment but was alwayes sickly crazy pining languishing and ill at ease his life was tedious even a burden to him for he could never eat in pleasure scarce last what he did eat Secondly There are Spiritual pleasures Psal 36.8 They shall drink of the Rivers of thy pleasures David speaks there of Saints what enjoyments and Joyes they have in the Church or House of God attending upon him in holy Ordinances Thirdly There are eternal pleasures Psal 16.11 In thy presence is fulness of jâ—y and at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore Such are all the joyes of Heaven or of a glorified state Now when Elihu saith they shall spend their years in pleasures we are not to take it meerly for honest corporal pleasures for such a life at best is but the life of a Beast but we are to take these corporal pleasures either as heightned by better that is as spiritualiz'd by the sense of the love of God and mixed with spiritual pleasures or for those purely spiritual pleaâ—ures which the soul finds in communion with God alone having nothing to do or no intercourse with creatures drinking at the River of his pleasures in Prayer in Hearing in Meditation in breaking Bread in Singing Now to spend our dayes either in these purely spiritual pleasures taking in also those corporal pleasures so qualified as before and duly circumstantiated is a high a very high blessing and mercy indeed So then here is nothing to feed the fancy of Epicures here is no promise of sensual though of sensitive pleasures these only are pleasures sit for the Servants of God these pleasures only become Saints as for those other pleasures Christ saith of them in the Parable of the Sower Luke 8.14 They choak the Word of God and God will not feed his people with such pleasures as a reward of serving him as shall choak the Word and unfit them for his service No we are to watch against and deny our selves such pleasures as our Lord Jesus caution'd his Disciples Luke 21.34 Take heed least at any time your hearts be over-charged with surfetting drunkenness and the cares of this life and so that day come upon you unawares As if he had said Take heed of carnal pleasures as much as of worldly cares for as they are alike destructive to the present purity of the Soul so they alike endanger our future peace and lay us open to the surprize of Judgment And as such pleasures ruine the state of the soul so of the body too with which they have nearest cognaâ—ion Hence that of Solomon Prov. 21.17 He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man There pleasure is opposed to work or labour He that is all for taking his pleasure and will not follow his Calling this man comes quickly to poverty and will dye a Beggar Suppose the pleasure be lawful yet if he loves pleasure and is at his pleasure when he should be at his labour he will soon be reduced to a morsel of bread and become a poor man But he that loveth unlawful pleasures shall not only be a poor man but will prove a wicked man Thou that art given to pleasures Isa 47.8 is the Character of Babylon God gives good men pleasure but 't is the mark of an evil man to be given to pleasure They that love pleasure are lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God 2 Tim. 3.4 and such must needs be the worst of men And therefore we are not to understand this Text of any sinful pleasure nor of a life meerly lead in lawful pleasure that a man should be all upon his pleasure and lay aside his Calling Elihu doth not oppose pleasure to work labour or business but to trouble sorrow and affliction They that obey and serve the Lord shall spend their years in pleasures in honest pleasures that is they shall live not only contentedly but joyfully The Lord alloweth us to take any honest pleasure while we live but not to live in pleasure he alloweth us to take our delights but our delights must not take us There is yet another Query for it may be said Is this a truth that they who obey and serve the Lord shall spend their dayes in prosperity and their years in pleasures I answer to that First If we take it absolutely and universally we cannot affirme that every one who serveth and obeyeth God shall alwayes have pleasure that is outward comforts and contentments in this world many of the Lords faithfull servants have lived in paine and sorrow so that if as David spake in this case Psal 73.5 we should speak thus we should offend against the generation of his servants Some flourish in grace who wither in worldly comforts There is no certain connexion between these two Grace and outward peace or pleasure the providences of God vary in this poynt as himself pleaseth Neither is it true that the true servants of God do uninterruptedly or alwayes enjoy inward pleasures comforts and contentments for he that feareth the Lord and obeyeth the voyce of his servants may walk in darkness and trouble of spirit and see no light Isa 50.10 We are therefore to understand this Scripture as others of like nature of that which is commonly done or of that which we may upon good ground expect from God and in faith wait for that if we serve and obey him he will
affliction and trouble that thou carest not what thou chusest Mr. Broughton thus Beware thou look not to sorrow to choose that for thy affliction The summe of all is as if Elihu had thus bespoken Job in this part of the verse O Job whereas God requires of thee to give him glory in the humble submission of thy soul unto him and sitting patiently under his mighty hand thou hast behaved thy self quite otherwise thou hast carried it stoutly and uttered very bitter complainings of thy condition thou hast not given God the glory of his soveraignty of his holiness justice purity and goodness in thy afflâ—ction thou hast not set thy self to do this as thou shouldest but thou hast run out exceedingly and overshot thy self So that I may even say of thee thou hast chose this iniquity rather than submitted to thy affliction Elihu speakes reprovingly this thou hast chosen Is this a good choice Hence note First Sin or that which is sinful ought not to be chosen whatsoever we choose As Solomon counseleth in the book of Proverbs with all thy gettings get understanding he meanes spiritual understanding as if he had said What ever thou are getting be sure thou get wisdom for thy soul wisdom to salvation wisdom for eternity in all thy gettings get understanding So I may lay in this place among all your choosings be sure you never choose sin that 's not to be chosen leave that out or pass that by in all your elections This is a point of very large compass it suits not my work here to insist much upon it yet I shall take leave a little What ever you châ—ose choose not sin Why First Sin is evil in it self and that which is malum in se evil in it self or evil it self is not the object of choice no man is to choose evil nor properly can choose it Secondly Choose not sin for sin is an evil forbidden the Law is against it and the Gospel too Thirdly Choose not sin for sin is a dishonour to God and we should rather choose to die than dishonour â—od Fourthly Choose not sin for it brings destruction upon man Sin strictly and abstractly considered cannot properly be chosen A rational creature cannot choose sin properly because sin is evil and election being the office of the Will whose adaequate objâ—ct is good sin strictly taken cannot be chosen But sin is often chosen and 't is the choice of most men they choose iniquity rather than affliction iniquity is the choice and the beloved of many a mans soul But how It is under the pretence of something that is good no man can choose it as 't is evil For though some love sin and choose sin for sins sake such come up highest and nearest to the frame of the devil as they that do good for goods sake come nearest to the holy Angels yet I say sin is alwayes chosen under some consideration or shadow of good and if any man choose to sin without respect to profit or gaine yet he hath some good in his eye namely to please himself he would have his will and will not let God have his will and this is good to him who is starke naught But usually sin is chosen upon one of these three accounts First sin is very often chosen by a mistake for that which is good They who as the Apostle speaks Heb. 5.12 are uâ—skilful in the word of righteousness they who have not sences exercised to discern between good and evil are very apt to choose evil in stead of good that is thinking it to be good Thus error in opinion is chosen upon a mistake for truth and iniquity in practise is chosen upon a mistake for duty Of such the Prophet speakes Isa 5.20 They call evil good and good evil they put darkness for light and light for darkness which as some do knowingly out of perverseness of spirit so others ignorantly out of unsoundness of judgement imagining that to be good which is evil and that to be light which is nothing else but darkness that to be sound doctrine which is erâ—our and that holy worship which is superstition So did Paul before he was converted he chose iniquity and thought he had done very well I thought saith he I ought to do many things against the name of Jesus Christ Acts 26. I thought it my duty I verily thought I ought to persecute and vex those who beleeved in Jesus where-ever I found them And Jesus Christ himself forewarns his Disciples John 16.2 that the time was coming that whosoever killed them would think they did God service Thus many do not understand what is right and so choose what is wrong Secondly Others choose that which is evil hoping that some good will come of it that God may have some glory by it and men themselves and others may have some advantage by it This reproach was cast upon the Apostles and their doctrine which St. Paul rejected with highest disdain Rom. 3.8 Not as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say let us do evil that good may come thereof whose damnation is just The glory of the free grace of God will be manifested in the pardoning of our sin come therefore say some let us sin our fill that so the immeasurableness of the Lords goodness and mercy may appear Woe to those who make such inferences their damnation is just To do evil upon any hopes of good by it though it be the glory of God subjects to the worst evil of suffering damnation Others choose sin Why They look some good will come by it that is some profit If we strain our consciences to do this we may get or keep favour with men if we do this evil it may gain us acceptance in the world Many choose evil because in doing so they swim with the stream and comply with the many or as the Apostle speakes with the course of this world these choose evil because they would be in the fashion of the most they consider which way the world is like to go and set themselves to go that way Thirdly Others do evil hoping to avoid and escape danger by it they choose the evil of sin that they may escape the evil of punishment As many sin for a little advantage so others to avoid loss and that they may sleep in a whole skin Some will deny what they have done to save themselves No body can prove it against us we will deny it and so avoid trouble and keep out of the reach of danger Yea for this cause many deny the truth and renounce the wayes of God in which they have walked Demas forsook Paul he left the Church of God that he might keep in with and close to the world Upon these pretences and hopes many choose evil not meerly and barely in it self but as it comes thus clothed As some choose it through ignorance so others upon hopes of getting good and not a few upon
Junonis Virg. Aeneid 4. the Harbingresse of Juno yet on the contrary God appoynts it as a sign of faire weather And indeed God often works by contrary means lest we should stick in means and ascribe the effect more than is due to them So then the Rainbow hath two different significations the first natural of Rain nor doth God promise to hinder or alter this course of nature Secondly preternatural or instituted of faire weather which Philosophy and the world is altogether ignorant of only the Chuâ—ch and people of God understand it by faith upon the testimony or revealed will of God that as often as the Bow appeareth in the Cloud they have a renewed assurance that God will remember the Earth and moderate the Rain nor doth this depend upon the nature of or various colours appearing in the Rainbow but purely upon the will and institution of God And theâ—efore we ought by a firme faith to embrace the word of promise to which this sign is annexed without that the Rainbow is nothing else to us but the image or representation of the rayes of the Sun or Moon impressed upon the Clouds I shall not insist upon any large discourse of the Rainbow only take two or three things This Meteor hath three Attâ—ibutes above the rest First it is the most illustrious and beautifull Secondly the most desirable and comfortable Thirdly the mâ—st strange and wonderfull of all the impressions visible in the air This is properly expressed by a Bow because the forme of it usually is semicircular Luther saith he saw a Rainbow in the forme of a perfect Circle and others report they have seen it in the forme of a strait line But in what-ever form it appeaâ—s the natural cause of it is the reflection of the Sun or of the Moon for there are Rainbows in the night as well as in the day it is caused I say by the reflection of the light of the Sun or Moon upon or from a watery or dewey Cloud opposite to either Iris ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod est dicere sive loqui Iris est arcus qui ex reflexione luminis â—um solaris tum luâ—â—ris in nubem roâ—idâ—â— oppositam gignitur Garcae The Latine word Iris is derived from a greek word which signifieth to speak or to relate somthing The Rainbow is eleganâ—ly so called because it foreshews somtimes rain somtimes faire weather A Rainbow in the morning is a sign of showres in the afternoon it betokens serenity and alwayes it proclaims to us the pâ—omise of God for the moderation of rain or it speaks thus much to all the world that God will so measure out the Rain fâ—om the Clouds that it shall never swell to an universal Deluge or to a drowning of the whole woâ—ld again Thus the Rainbow hath a speech a language of mercy in it towards the present world It speaks also the Justice of God upon the old world minding us of that Deluge of water that drowned them for their sin they had so defiled the Earth by their evil manners and prophaness by their will-worship Superstition and Idolatry that God in wrath sent a Flood of water not to wash or refresh but to destroy them The Rainbow minds us of that dreadfull Judgment of God upon a corrupt World And although the Rainbow gives us assurance that the World shall not be drowned again how sinfull soever it is yet some from the various colours of the Rainbow whereof one is red and fiery tell us it proclaims that the World shall at last be consumed by Fire The Apostle Peter is plain that it shall be so 2 Ep 3.10 The Elements shall melt with fervent heat nor is it meerly a phancy to say that the fiery colours in the Rainbow are set there by God to mind us of it Some have questioned whether the Rainbow were before the Flood or no The reason or ground of the question is given from that saying of God Gen. 9.13 I will set my Bow in the Cloud it seems then there was no Rainbow before the Flood I answer The Rainbow may be considered two wayes First as to its natural being Secondly as to its mystical use If we consider the Rainbow as to its natural being it was before the Flood for the causes of it were before the Flood which are watery Clouds and the shining of the Sun Now when sufficient causes appear in act the effect doth certainly follow But as to its mystical use it was not before the Flood Water had its natural elementary being and use before Baptisme was instituted but it had not a spiritual use till then we may say the same of the Rainbow Some I know of the Moderns Luther and Melancthon assert it was not in being till then but we have reason to vary from that opinion with reverence to those worthy men For God did not say in the 9th of Genesis I will make or create my Bow in the Cloud but I do set my Bow in the Cloud and it shall be there for a token of a Covenant between me and the Earth The Rainbow had no such signification nor was it set in the Cloud for any such purpose before that time So then Take the Rainbow as to its mystical use so I grant it was not before the Flood till then God had never caused the light of his Cloud to shine as a Covenant-token The Rainbow had alwayes a natural signification in it but that is not all it hath now also a Theological divine and mystical signification and is become as the Seal of that Covenant with mankind for God instituted the Rainbow as a Sacramental sign so we may expresse it for our better understanding both between himself and the whole World in general and in special between himself his Covenant people Gen. 9. v. 12 13 14 15. It was given I say on purpose to Seal the truth of the Promise that the whole Earth should no more be overwhelm'd with a Deluge or Flood of water Which though it be such a promise as the whole Creation hath the benefit of yet the faithfull only understand the mysterie of it and have their faith exercised upon it and strengthened by it So that while the Rainbow is the sign of a temporal Covenant to all creatures the godly may look upon it with reference to all spiritual and eternal mercies by Christ in whom all the promises of mercy are Yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 And there is a gâ—eat fitness in it to hold forth mercy both temporal and spiritual in several particulars First This Rainbow is in the Cloud and God placed it in the Cloud because out of the Cloud came the Rain which drowned the old world God could have drowned the world only by letting out or breaking up the Springs of water from the earth but he opened the Cataracts of Heaven also to do it And therefore God to secure the world against such another vengeance
Lord hath not called thy name Pashur but Magor Missabib that is fear round about I will make thee a terror to thy self thy own Conscience shall be terrible to thee A man had better fall into the hands of the most cruel Tyrants in the World than into the hands of his own Conscience But when a man is a terrour to himself then to have the Lord a terrour to him likewise to have God appearing in terrible Majesty how dreadful is it The awakened Conscience of a sinner carrieth in it as a thousand witnesses so a thousand terrours and God in his anger is more terrible than a thousand consciences Secondly God is terrible to sinners in the day of outward trouble when as David speaks Psal 65.5 By terrible things in righteousness he answereth the prayers of his People When God is doing terrible things in the World how miserable is their case to whom God also is a terrour in that day A godly man when God is doing the most terrible things shaking Heaven and earth and as it were pulling the world about our ears yet because he finds God at peace with him he is well enough But as for impenitent sinners when God is doing terrible things what will become of them I may bespeak them in the words of the Prophet Isa 10.3 What will ye do in the day of your visitation and in the desolation which shal come from far to whom will ye flee for help and where wil ye leave your glory As if he had said whâ— or what can be a comfort to you when God is a â—errour to you And therefore another Prophet fore-seing such a terrible day coming makes this earnest deprecating prayer Jer. 17.13 O Lord be not thou a terrâ—ur to me in the evil day I know an evil a terrible day is at hand but Lord I beg this of thee that thou wilt not be a terrour to me in that day if men should be a terrour to me and God a terrour too it would be inâ—upportable Yet thus it will be with the unrighteous when God doth terrible things in righteousness and such things he will do in the latter dayes Take heed lest God appear with terrible Majesty to you in such a day Thirdly How terrible is God to impenitent sinners when awakened in the day of death What is Death In this Book Death is called The King of Terrours Now if when Deaâ—h is making its approaches to a person who lives in a contempt of the wayes and word of God if when his breath sits upon his lips ready to depart and the King of Terrours is ready to tear his caul and to rend his heart-strings asunder if then I say God appears in terrible Majesty what condition will such a one be in To have Death the King of Terrours and the Living the ever-living God in terrible Majesty falling upon a poor creature at once is a thousand deaths at once Fouâ—thly What will sinners do in the day of judgment that will be a terrible day indeed The Apostle 2 Cor. 5.10 having said We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ to receive according to what we have done in the body whether good or bad presently adds knowiâ—g therefore the terrour of the Lord we perswade men that is knowing how terrible the Lord will be to impenitent sinners to all whom he finds in their sins knowing this terrour of the Lord and how terrible the Majesty of the Lord will be to such in that day we perswade men we do all we can to pluck them out of their sins and turn them to God in Châ—ist Jesus who saves his people from their sins for to be sure that will be a most dreadful day to sinners Thus the Mâ—jâ—sty of God will be terrible to the wicked and ungodly especially in these four dayes Only they who fear the Loâ—d and take hold of his name by faith shall be able to stand befoâ—e his terrible majesty God will not be a terrour but a comfoâ—t to them â—hat fear him in every evill day Fu â—her the word as wâ—s shewed before signifies not only Majesty but Praâ—se With God is â—errible praise dreadful praise Hence note First The Lord is most praise worthy With the Lord is praise The Psalmist every where sâ—ts fo th the praise-worthiness of God and presseth this duty upon us I shall not stay upon it only remember with the Lord is praise that is he is to be praised And from the attribute of his praiâ—e or that with the Lord is terrible praise Note Secondly Even in those things which the Lord doth most graciously for us and is to be highly praised by us even in thâ—se he is to be feared dreaded and reverenced God is to be praised not only with joy and thankfullness but with fear and reverence for with him is terrible praise It is the express word of Moses in his song after the destruction of the Egyptians in the Red Sea Exod. 15.11 Who is a God like unto thee glorious in holines fearful in praises We should not be affraid to praise God no we should be most forward to praise him but we should have a holy fear upon our hearts when we praise him Praise is the work of heaven from whence fear shall for ever be banished there will be perfect love and perfect love Casts out fear 1 Joh. 4.18 What-ever fear hath torment in it as all fear out of Châ—ist hath we shall have nothing to do with in that blessed life And even in this life praise which is the work of heaven on earth should be performed with such a spirit of love joy as is without all base tormenting fear we should have so much love to God in and for all the good things he doth for our soules especially ye and for our bodyes too in dealing out daily mercies that it should cast out all that fear which hath torment in it Yet there is a fear which should pâ—ssess our spirits while we are praising God a fear of reverence I mean which fear I doubt not will remaine in heaven for ever Glorified Saints shall praise God with that fear that is having an everlasting awe of the Majesty of God upon their hearts He is fearful in praises and therefore let us so praise him as remembering our distance so praise him as to be affraid of miscarrying in the duty and so instead of praising displease him in stead of honouring grieve him This duty of praise is very dreadful The Psalmist saith there is mercy or forgiveness with thee O Lord that thou mayst be feared Psal 130.4 Not only is the Lord to be feared in his wrath and in the executions of his justice but he is to be feared in his mercy in that greatest expression of his favour towards us the forgivness of our sins When we are in the highest exaltations of the mercy of God and of the God of our mercies yet then should our hearts be
The excellency of God in Judgment as well as in Power But what are we to understand by judgment in which Elihu saith God excells In answer to this Querie I shall first shew that Judgment is taken four ways in Scripture and then prove that God is excellent in Judgment with respect to every one of them First Judgment is an ability of judging A man of judgment and a wise man are the same When we say such a man is a man of Judgment or a judicious man we mean he is a prudent man he is able to discern things that differ he knows how to order state and determine doubtful things aright In this sence we are to understand it here the Lord is excellent in judgment that is in wisdome and prudence to set things right and to give every one his right he sees clearly how to mannage all his affayres and purposes by righteous meanes to right ends The prophet gives God the glory of this title expressely Isa 30.18 The Lord is a God of judgment Blessed are they that wait for him That is the Loâ—d is infinitely furnished with wisdom he knows exactly not only what ought to be done but how and when to do it therefore waite for him And 't is encouragement to waite when we have a person of judgment and understanding a discreet and prudent person to waite upon God is a God of judgment in this sence theref re blessed are they that waite for him Secondly Judgement in Scripture is taken for that moderation or due measure which is observed in any thing that is done This follows the former for unless a man have a Judgment or true understanding in the thing it self he can never hit a right measure of it Thus I conceive that Scripture is to be understood Math 23.23 where Christ denouncing or thundering out woes thick and threefold against the proud hypocritical Pharisees he tells them Ye pay tythe of Anise and Cummin and have omitted the weightier matters of the Law Judgment Mercy that iâ— either they did not give a right judgment according to Law or their legal Judgments were given with rigour not at all attemper'd mixt and moderated with mercy Of such the Apostle James speaketh Chap. 2.13 He shall have judgment without mercy that hath shewed no mercy and mercy rejoyceth against Judgment In this sence the Lord is excellent in Judgment For as he hath wisdome and understanding to see what is just â—ight so in Judgment he remembers Mercy His patience is greaâ— before he gives Judgment and his moderation is great when he gives it He dealeth not with us according to our sins nor rewardeth us according to our iniquities Psal 103.10 that is his Judgments are not proportion'd to the greatness of our sins and iniquities For as it followeth at the 11th verse of that Psalme as high as the Heaveâ— is above the Earth so great is his mercy towards them that feare him Therefore the Prophet brings in the Chuâ—ch praying thus Jer. 10.24 O Lord Correct me I conceive it is not a direct prayer for Correction but a submission to it As if he had said I will not murmur nor rebell against thy Correction O Lord Correct me but with Judgment that is with due moderation It cannot be meant of Judgment as it notes the effect of divine displeasure but Correct me moderately or as another text hath iâ— in measure as thou usest to correct thy people This meaning is plain fâ—om the opposition in the next words Not in thine anger least thou bring me to nothing Anger transports men to do things undecently wiâ—hout modeâ—ation we quickly exceed our limits if carried out in passion and though that anger which the Scripture attributes often to God never transports him beyond the due bounds of his wisdome and justice yet when God is said to do a thing in anger it notes his going as it were to the utmost bounds of justice this caused the Church to pray O Lord if the cup may not pass from me if it cannot be but I must be corrected then I humbly and earnestly beg thou wouldst be pleased to correct me in Judgment not in anger least thou bring me to nothing What the Church prayed for here the Lord promised elsewhere Jer. 30.11 I will not make a full end of thee but I will correct thee in measure and will not leave thee altogether unpunished Thus God is excellent in Judgment He abates the severity of his proceedings and allayes the bitterness of the cup by some ingredients of mercy Thirdly Judgment in Scripture is put for the reformation of things when they are out of order In this sence it is used John 12.31 Now is the Judgment of this world Our late Annotators tell us that by Judgment is meant reformation As if Christ had said I am come to set all things in order that have been out of order and disjoynted in the Jewish Church and every where else Now is the Judgment of this world In this sence God is excellent in Judgment or he excells in this Judgment that is he is for reformation he will set all things right he will make crooked things strait he will make the rough places plain John the Baptist came before Christ in this work yet in this work Christ is before or exceeds John the Baptist The Lord Isa 4.4 will purge away the iniquity of the daughter of Zion with a spirit of Judgment and with a spirit of burning that is with a reforming and a refining Spirit And the Lord will send forth this Judgment unto victory Matth. 12.20 that is he will do it thorowly he will oveâ—come all the difficulties and put by all the obstacles which hinder the perfect reforma ion of things as well as â—f persons That 's the importance also of that great promise Isa 1.25 26. I saith the Lord will turn my hand upon thee or take thee in hand aâ—d purely purge away thy dross and take away all thy tinn thâ—t is all those corruptions which have crept in upon thee I will restâ—re thy Judges as at the first and thy Councellors as at the beginning Things and persons are usually best at first The new broom â—ay we sweept clean As time consumes all things here beloâ— so it coâ—rupts most things and therefore when the Loâ—d promiseth to restore them to a primitive purity he promiseth the purest restauration all which is summ'd up in the 27th verse Sion shall be redeemed with Judgment which is not only if at all intended of a redemption by Judgment on her enemies but by that reformation which â—od would work upon themselves in taking away their dross and tinn Restoring their Judges as at the first and their Councellers as at the beginning Such a Judgment is spoken of Isa 30 22. Ye shall defile also that is utterly disgrace and deface the Covering of thy graven Images of Silver and the Ornament of thy molten Images of Gold