face and hardned thy heart against the feare of the Almighty These shewes of a ground Eliphaz might take but Job had given him no reall ground to pronounce this heavy censure Thou castest off feare But passing by the rigid hypothesis of Eliphaz we may from his words as they are a Thesis observe That to cast off the feare of God is highest wickednesse to cast off the feare of God is the beginning of wickednesse as to entertaine The feare of God is the beginning of wisedome the word here used signifieth not onely the beginning but the top the chiefe the head and highest perfection of a thing the feare of God is both first and last the beginning and end of holinesse To feare God and keep his Commandements is all man in goodnesse to cast off the feare of God is all man in sinfulnesse the beginning and end of wickednesse It is ill not to have the feare of God but it is farre worse to cast of the feare of God it is ill not to chuse the feare of God Prov. 1.29 but to reject the feare of the Lord that is desperate if once feare be cast off all wickednesse is let in at the same doore at which the feare of the Lord goes out any sin may enter As Abraham sayd The feare of God is not in this place and they will kill me for my Wives sake they have no impediment of lust to cast off who have once cast off the feare of God And as they who cast off this feare are ready to doe or say any thing that 's evill so they are unready to doe or say any thing that is good as they have no restraint upon them from iniquity so they can easily restrain themselves from duty The next words shew this Thou restrainest prayer before him Prayer is a principall part of the outward worship of God and is both here and elsewhere put for the whole outward worship of God The word signifies also meditation musing or thinking Detrahis confabulationem cum Deo Jun. So some render here Thou takest off conference with God thou wast wont to keep continuall correspondence with Heaven and maintaine a sweet humble familiarity with God by holy meditation but now thou art like a stranger and commest not at him But whether we translate the word by Prayer or Meditation the sense is the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Meditatio loquela etiam oratio for praying is speaking to God yea an arguing and pleading with God And so 't is used in the Titles of the 102. and 142. Psalmes The word which we render to restraine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Significat 1. prohibere 2. diminuere Non est intelligendum quasi arguatur Job quod remiserit vel prohibuerit orandi studium sed potius è contra quod multiloquio vel battologia usus erat Bold Hoc est vitium dictum a Theophrasto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 proprie a Graecit dicitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 minutiloquium Minuere stillas aquarum est minutissimas frequentissimasque pluviae guttas mittere signifies two things First to withdraw or stop Secondly to lessen and diminish Jer. 48.37 Every beard clipt or diminished we may take it in both senses here as reproving Job either for a totall forbearance and throwing up the duty of Prayer or for shortning and abating it Yet there is an opinion that Job is not here charged for lessening or abating but for lengthening and encreasing Prayer Thou castest off feare and multiplyest Prayer The Hebrew word notes the cutting or dividing of a thing into small peices or portions which is indeed to multiply it and to make it though not more in bulke yet more in number Job 36.27 Thou makest small the drops of raine that is thou multiplyest the drops of raine so here thou makest small thy Prayers as so many drops of raine thou hast never done dropping Prayers thou dost mince thy supplications or cut them out into many small shreads as if thou didst hope to be heard for thy much speaking Such were the silly devotions of the old superstitious Gentiles which the hypocriticall Pharisees imitated and were therefore reproved by Christ under the name of vaine repetitions Matth. 6.7 Of which fault a learned Interpreter judges Eliphaz reproving Job in this place But I rather keep to our owne Translation Thou restrainest Prayer Here againe it may be questioned What cause had Eliphaz to charge Job with restraining prayer The Jewish Writers say it was because he denyed Providence Hebraei ad id referunt quod putant Jobum Dei providentiam negasse quod nos non putamus Mer. q d. ista tua assertio doctrina quod mala supplicia eveniant bonis justis tollit religionem publicum divini numinis cultum and so by consequence Prayer for if God doe not order the affaires of the World the afflictions and deliverances of his people why should we pray to him about them Others referre it not to his denyall of Providence but to that which Eliphaz supposed a fundamentall errour against the Doctrine of Providence That God destroyeth the righteous and the wicked That he laughs at the tryall of the innocent Now will any innocent man pray to God in his affliction when he is told that God laughs at his affliction Will any righteous man call upon God for help when he is taught that God destroyeth the righteous Who would serve a Master who gives such wages and payes those that honour him with disgrace yea with destruction So that Job is charged with restraining Prayer according to this answer to the question not because he totally forbore prayer himselfe or perswaded others to forbeare it but because Jobs assertions were such as might yeeld those consequences and cause many to suspend Prayer or give over calling upon the Name of God in the day of trouble We may be charged to say or doe that which flowes from what we doe or say though we neither say nor doe the thing it selfe Many are guilty of those errors consequentially which yet they never affirmed thetically or directly We may be so farre from asserting that we may professedly abhorre an opinion which yet lyeth secretly under some of our assertions We say justly That the Pope is Antichrist and that pure Popery is Antichristianisme yet the Pope doth not deny Christ for the Pope thinks himself Christs Vicar upon earth and therefore must needs acknowledge him to be come in the flesh yet by consequence the Pope is an opposer both of the Person and Offices of Christ and popish Doctrine fights against the truth of Christ As prophane men Professe they know God yet in their workes they deny him Tit. 1.16 So many erroneous persons professe they love and honour those holy truths and spirituall duties which by consequences they indeed deny as Eliphaz though unduely supposed Job had done the duty of Prayer Thou restrainest prayer before God Taking
extinguisht and the fountaines dry Thus Eliphaz asserts that his abâ—ttors and instructers in the opinion he maintained were both old and learned old men From this contest about Antiquity and ancient men so often renewed and so much urged betweene Job and his Friends We may observe First That they who have most yeares upon their backs are or may be supposed to have most knowledge and wisedome in their heads and hearts Secondly They who have Antiquity on their side are apt to conclude that they have Truth on their side That which is indeed most ancient is most true yet there are very many very ancient untruths It is no new thing to see a gray-headed errour and a false Doctrine much older then our Fathers But I shall not prosecute either of these points having met with matter of this straine before Chap. 8. v. 8 9 10. Chap. 12. v. 12. to which places I refer the Reader Eliphaz having finished his third reproofe of Job for his arrogancy and the high conceit he had of himselfe proceeds to a fourth and that is as hath been sayd for the low conceit which he had of the comforts tendered him in the Name of God Num parum a te consolationes Dei Heb. Supplendum est verbum reputantur Numquid grande est ut consoletur te Deus Vulg. q. d. facile est Deo ut te ad statum prosperitatis reducat Aquin. Existimasnè tuis aerumnis non posse Deum parem consolationem afferre Vers 11. Are the consolations of God small with thee or is there any secret thing with thee These words undergoe much variety of interpretation the Vulgar Latine neer which some others translate gives a faire sense but at too great a distance from the letter of the Originall thus Is it a great thing that God should comfort thee As if he had sayd Art thou so low that all the consolations of God are not able to raise thee up Is it a worke too big for God himselfe to comfort thee Cannot he change thy outward and inward sorrowes into joyes Will not the consolations of one that is infinite serve thy turne Hath not hee balme enough in store to heale thy wounds nor treasure enough in stock to repaire thy losses T is no hard thing with God to comfort the most disconsolate soule that ever was he that made light to shine out of darknesse can give us light in our thickest darkenesse An minores sunt consolationes dei quà m ut te consolari possint Vatab. This is a truth but for the reason above I stay not upon it The Septuagint translation is farre wider then the former Thou hast received but few wounds in comparison of the sinnes that thou hast committed which is a Paraphrase not a translation and such a Paraphrase as seemes to lye quite without the compasse of the text The meaning and intendment of it may be given thus as if he had sayd Thou complainest that thou art greatly afflicted that thy sorrowes are innumerable Pauca prae iis quae peccasti accepisti vulnera Sep. but if thou considerest thy great and many sinnes thy sufferings are few yea thy sufferings may rather be called consolations and thy losses gaines Are the consolations of God small to thee seeing thou hast sinned so much When God layes but a little affliction upon sinfull man he may be sayd to give a great deale of mercy A third gives this sense An consolationes Dei tam contemptibiles judicas ut projiciat eas ante blasphematores Are the consolations of God small to thee That is Doest thou esteeme the consolations of God so cheape that he will give them to such a one as thou or that hee will lavish them out upon the wicked and cast these Pearles to Swine to such as are blasphemers and contemners of God But why doth Eliphaz call these the consolations of God Did God administer them to Job with his owne hand or did he speake to Job from Heaven Some conceive that though he and his Freinds spake them yet Eliphaz calls them the consolations of God by an Hebraisme because he judged them great consolations Thus in Scripture The Mountaine of God Suas et sociorum consolationes vocat Dei consolationes non sine arrogantia fastu Drus and the River of God are put for a great Mountaine and a great River so here As if he had fayd Thou hast received many great consolations from us thy Freinds and doest thou account them small But I rather take the sense plainely that he calls them so because God is the author and giver the fountaine and originall from whom all consolations spring and flow The Consolations of God are two-fold First Arising from good things already exhibited to us Secondly From good things promised to us The Consolations of God in this place are good things promised or offered Promises are Divine conveyances of Consolation The Freinds of Job had made him many promises that he repenting God would make his latter end better then his beginning c. Hence Eliphaz tells him that he had slighted the consolations of God Any man who reads his story may wonder why he should Surely Job was not in case to refuse comfort considering how he was stript of all comfort The full soule indeed loatheth the honey Combe but to the hungry soule every bitter thing is sweet that is those things which dainty palates distast he eates very savourly Job was kept short and low enough he had nothing of consolation left either without or within he was poore and sore without he was full of horrour and terrour within the arrowes of the Almighty had even drunk up his spirit and layd all his comforts wast and doth he yet neglect or undervalue comforts 'T is true he had reall consolations as appeares by that profession of his assurance of Gods favour towards him I know that I shall be justified yet he had no sensible consolations his frequent complaints shew he had not So then the consolations of God for esteeming which little he is reproved were the promises of consolation made to him in the name of God by the Ministry of his Friends Are the consolations of God small unto thee Hence observe First That consolation is the gift and proper worke of God Thou saith David Psal 71.21 shalt encrease my greatnesse and comfort me on every side The Lord shall comfort Sion he will comfort all he wast places Is 51.3 And againe As one whom his Mother comforteth so will I comfort you and you shall be comforted in Jerusalem God comforts as a Mother tenderly and he comforts as a Father yea as a Master effectually I will comfort you and yee shall be comforted As the corrections of God are effectuall and prosper in the worke for which they are sent so also are his consolations Ephraim sayd Jer. 31.18 Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised So every soule
of the unrighteousnesse of man And then he shall though too late abhor himselfe for ever There hath been a dispute whether the sins of Beleevers shall be opened at that day but there is no question but the sins of Unbeleevers shall and that not onely to shame them but to punish and torment them yea possibly the sight of sin will be a greater torment to them then all their other torments and to be led about as the Prophet was in reference to others from one uncleane roome of their hearts to another there to behold all the abominations of their hearts will be the very pit of Hell O how abominable and as it followes in the Text. Filthy is Man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Putridus foetidus graveolentus translatio a carnibus rancidis non despumatis Drus Pagninus existimat deduci a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rubigo ollae Spuma excrementum The word is derived from a root that signifies corrupt rotten putrified the scum of a Pot the rust of Mettalls the dunge or excrement of man and beasts there are no words filthy enough to expresse the filthinesse of man The word is found but three times as some observe in the Scripture in this construction and in all of them it is applyed to shew the abominable wickednesse of Man the first place is this of Job it is found also Psal 14.3 Psal 53.3 Which Psalmes are most pregnant descriptions of the corrupt state of man as if this were a word pickt out on purpose as a glasse to shew man his face and naturall complexion in There is a second translation of the word which gives more light to this How much more abominable and unprofitable is man One word signifies filthy and unprofitable because that which is corrupt and filthy â—â—â—â—lis Vulg. â—â—x putrida sunt inutilia suâ— is also unprofitable and unfit for use It is an extreame debasement unto man that he is unprofitable so filthy that he is good for nothing The Apostle puts thse together Tit. 1.16 Abominable disobedient and unto every good worke reprobate that is unfit for every good worke We may say of man in this sense as the Prophet Ezek. 15.3 doth of the Vine Sonne of man what is the Vine tree more then another tree excellent to yeeld Wine but in the third Verse we have another answer Shall wood be taken thereof to doe any worke or will men make a pin of it to hange any Vessell thereon will you build a house of Vine Timber or will you so much as make a Pin of it The Vine is not fit to make a Pin of thus we may say of a carnall man he is unprofitable Qui sibi nequam est cui usui bonus est will the Lord use him in any worke no he is reprobate to every good worke will he serve the Lords turne so much as to make a Pin of That is is he profitable for the least service No he is not He is also like the Corne growing upon the house top whereof The Reaper filleth not his hand nor he that binds up the Sheaves his bosome The reason why man appeares thus filthy is because he deales so much with filth and he is thus unfit to doe any good because he is continually doing evill as it followes in the last clause of this Verse Which drinketh iniquity like water Will you know what declares man abominable and filthy in the sight of God It is not his poverty his sicknesse his raggs or any externall defilement nothing but sinne makes him so He drinkes in iniquity like water this makes him as filthy as the dirt and mire he treads upon or as the vomit and dunge which he casteth out Hence Note in generall Sin and sin onely makes man abominable and filthy in the sight of God nothing can defile the soule but sin though a man be cloathed with filthy garments though his skin be over-run with filthy sores though he lye in a stinking Channel yet the Lord will not say he is abominable or filthy in these respects for even in such a state or at such a time Christ may have taken him in his armes and kissed him with the kisses of his lips But though he goe cloathed in Scarlet though he lye in a bed of Ivory and is perfumed with all the spices of Arabia yet sin makes him filthy and abominable in the eye of the Lord. Secondly Observe The multiplyed acts of sin are an evidence that man is habitually sinfull or that he is abominable and filthy He that doth righteousnesse is righteous and he that doth unrighteousnesse is unrighteous If man were not filthy he could not drinke iniquity that is feed upon and delight in sin which is but filthinesse This expression of mans sinfulnesse is further considerable he doth not onely commit iniquity but hee drinkes iniquity and he doth not sip at it but hee drinkes it like water Elihu speaks thus Job 34.7 What man is like Job who drinketh up scorning like water and so doth Solomon Prov. 26.6 Hee that sends a message by the hand of a foole cutteth off the feet and drinketh dammage that is he shall have dammage enough a full draught of it his belly-full of it by sending such an empty-headed messenger upon his errand So to drinke iniquity and to drinke it like water is to doe aboundance of iniquity I shall give seven observations which will discover the intendment of this manner of speaking and draw out the meaning of He drinks iniquity like water First thus Men naturally hath a strong appetite or desire to sin Mans naturall desire is to nothing else but sin Drinking implyes appetite a man doth not drink ordinarily till he is thirsty And though Drunkards have sometimes no thirst yet they have alwayes a strong desire to drink Sinfull man is a thirst for and desires the drafts of sin Ephes 4.19 He commits iniquity with greedinesse which is a Metaphor taken from eating and drinking And because man hath not a greater desire after any thing then to drinke therefore it is gone to a Proverbe among us when we would shew our willingnesse to doe a thing we say We will doe it as willingly as to drink when we are a thirst Such is the bent of man to sin that he hath no more reluctance to commit it then the thirsty man hath to drink He thirsteth after it as vehemently as David did after God Psal 42.2 My soule thirsteth for God for the living God as the Hartpanteth after the water brookes so panteth my soule after thee O God Or againe the heart of man thirsteth after the waters of iniquity as David thirsted after the waters of the well of Bethlem who will give me to drink of the waters of the Well of Bethlem At which word some of his mighty men brake through the whole Host of the Enemy to fetch that water When man thirsts for this water of iniquity his owne heart or hand
office or work of conscience is to observe and take notice of what we doe conscience should as it were keep a Day-Book and follow us up and downe with Pen and Inke to write all our motions A second worke of conscience is to testifie what we have done and which way we have moved A third is to accuse us when we doe evill and to acquit us when we doe well Now as a wicked mans conscience is alwayes morally evill because stained and polluted with sin So many times his conscience is naturally evill too that is it will neither take notice of nor check him for his sin When the wicked mans conscience is in this evill state he thinkes his state good enough and so he is at quiet Casuists tell us of foure sorts of evill consciences all which may live out of the hearing of these dreadfull sounds First A blind ignorant conscience that cannot discerne between morall good and evill Secondly A secure conscience which thinkes not of any penall evill Thirdly A dull lazy sleepy conscience which hath little or no sense either of what is done or suffered Fourthly A feared conscience which is altogether senselesse A conscience thus disabled to performe its worke being either blind secure sleepy or feared is tame and quiet with the worst of men But all this while though this wicked man hath some ease yet he hath no peace his conscience while seared is farr enough from being setled his conscience while asleep is farr enough from rest It is with such as with some sick men aske them how they doe they will say Very well when as indeed they are so sick that they know not how ill they are they take death it selfe for health and their not feeling of paine for the curing of their disease But when the conscience of a wicked man is once enlightned softned and awakned he cannot but have these dreadfull sounds which will neither give nor let him receive any rest Conscience will awake at last and speak terrible things conscience will be a Bounnerges a terrible Preacher thundring out not only a chiding reproofe but a sentence of condemnation and then the wicked will even gnash their teeth because conscience did no sooner use its teeth they will gnaw their tongues for sorrow because conscience had no tongue to speak or they no eares to heare what it spake till it was too late A dreadfull sound is in his eare In prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In paâ—e The Hebrew is In peace the destroyer shall come upon him Peace is so neer allyed and so great a freind to prosperity that one word may well serve both The wicked mans destroyer shall be to him like Joab to Abner and Amasa shedding the blood of Warr in Peace and putting that blood upon the Girdle about his loynes c. 1 Kings 2.5 But some may demand How doth this suite with the former Verse Where Eliphaz told us that A wicked man travells in paine all his dayes How is he in prosperity if he travells all his dayes in paine I answer The denomination is given from the greatest part of a wicked mans life and that is trouble and paine Or secondly if an instance can be given of any wicked man that hath had more good dayes then evill or that hath had no ill dayes at all in regard of any outward trouble and paine then we may reconcile the Text thus his prosperity is beside his state yea Est amplificatio malae cujusdam impiorum securitatis q. d. si contingat impium nihil timere sed secure agere tunc inopinato opprimetur Pined in his very prosperity he is in paine In the midst of laughter his heart is sorrowfull and the end of his mirth is heavinesse Prov. 14.13 His is but a seeming not a reall prosperity Further these words are an aggravation of his misery because if at any time he appeares prosperous and free from feare then sudden destruction overtakes him Or lastly The destroyer may be sayd to come upon him in prosperity because in his best dayes he feares the destroyer he suspects danger when he sees none and is therefore never out of danger Who this destroyer is is left here at large Et cum pax sit ille insidias suspicatur Vulg. Omnia etiam tuta tyranni impii timent Merc. no particular one is specified but any terrible one is intended Eliphaz doth not say A Destroyer but The Destroyer One both powerfull and skilfull to destroy shall come upon him He shall not onely come to him but come upon him to come upon is to invade or to assault A freind comes to a man with kindnesse and embraces to visit or salute him an Enemy comes upon a man with blowes and violence to wound and destroy him In prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him Hence Observe When wicked men thinke themselves most safe they are neerest to destruction 'T is seldome that they thinke themselves safe and when they doe they are furthest from safety When the wicked spring as the grasse and when all the workers of iniquity doe flourish it is that they shall be destroyed for ever Psal 92.7 Their temporall short spring is not onely an antecedent but an argument of their eternall Winter And their Winter is not the going downe of the sap to the root but the pulling of them up by the roots they shall be destroyed Job 20.22 In the fulnesse of his sufficiency hee shall be in straits When it is full Sea with him his Channell shall be dryed up It was sayd to that Foole Luke 12.20 This night thy soule shall be taken from thee The destroyer came upon him indeed in his prosperity when he sang himselfe asleepe with Soule thou hast goods layd up for many yeares he could not keep his soule one night 1 Thes 5.3 When they shall say peace and safety then sudden destruction commeth upon them as travaile upon a woman with Childe and they shall not escape The generall destruction of wicked men in the day of judgement shall come as a theefe in the night We have a representation of this in that wofull tragedy which the Lord acted upon the Egyptians Exod. 12.30 At midnight there was a grevious cry he came upon them as a theefe in the night for the Lord smote all the first borne of the Land of Aegypt they dyed in their warme beds in prosperity the destroyer came upon them This is bad enough yet not the worst of the condition of wicked men For Vers 22. He beleeves not that he shall returne out of darknesse he is waited for of the Sword This is a further account of the inward misery or paine which afflicts the spirit of a wicked man He beleeves not that he shall returne out of darknesse Hee looketh not that he shall escape from darknesse So Master Broughton There are five interpretations given about this darknesse out
and downe-right in all his dealings and sayings There are no mockings with me I am what I appeare and I appeare what I am An Hypocrite is full of tricks and shifts he disguiseth both his person and his actions No man can tell where to have him or what to make of him When hee speakes his words doe not signifie what he meanes if they signifie any thing and when he acts his workes doe not signifie what he is they signifie any thing rather then that All are mockings of others though he will finde in the end that he hath mocked himselfe most of all Secondly As he joynes this with the next clause There are no mockings with me and yet mine eye continueth in their provocation Note that How plaine-hearted soever a man is yet it is very hard to perswade those who are once prejudiced against him that he is so Let Job say and professe what he would yet hee could not recover his credit nor set himselfe right in the opinion of men till God did it for him Chap. 42. But I passe that Are there not mockers with me What the mocking and scorning of Jobs Freinds was hath been opened Chap. 12.4 Cha. 16.19 and therefore I referr the Reader thither Doth not mine eye continue in their provocation Should he not rather have sayd Doth not mine eare continue c. Mocking is the object of the eare and not of the eye There are some mockings indeed by mimicall foolish gestures and they are the object of the eye Assiduè in id oculos mentis aciem intentam habeo quod me assidue irritant in eo defixae sunt omnes meae cogitationes Merc. Isti dies noctesque non cessant exacerbare animum meum Iun. Intenta cogitatio somnum impedit but here Job speakes of what he had from them in conference which is properly the busines of the eare and yet he faith Doth not mine eye continue in their provocation By the eye wee are to understand the eye of the minde Doth not mine eye that is Have I not a representation in my spirit or upon my fancy of your mockings and bitter provocations even as if they were visible before mine eyes Have I not night visions and apparitions upon my Bedd of what you speak or act against me every day Againe We may expound the Text properly of his bodily eye b cause the trouble which they gave him in the day time hindred his sleep in the night The letter of the Hebrew favours this sense Doth not mine eye lodge in their provocation So we put in the Margin of our Bibles Hence Master Broughton reads In these mens vexing lodgeth mine eye that is When I goe to Bed and hope to sleep then in stead of lodging in my Bed I lodge in the thoughts of my Freinds unkindnesse and indeed a man may sleep better upon the bare boards then upon hard words Such words keep the eyes waking and are as bad to sleep upon as a pillow of thornes especially when which was Jobs case the eye continueth in them Intentnesse of minde or vehement cogitation about any thing keep open the eyes and forbid the approach of rest Doth not mine eye continue In their provocation Provocations He called them Mockers and their mockings were provocations Vel a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 amarum esse Sive a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod est irritare sive exacerbare The word as some derive it signifies that which is bitter Provocation is a bitter thing Others derive it from a root signifying to irritate and stirr up the spirit of a man which is provocation properly Provocation is a high act of wrong A man may doe another wrong on this side a provocation as the provocation of God is a high act of sinne in man ordinary acts of sin doe not amount to a provocation Ps 106.7 They provoked him at the Sea it is this word even at the red Sea that is There they sinned extreamly So Ps 95.8 which the Apostle quotes Heb. 3.8 The holy Ghost cals the whole time of that peoples froward walking or sinning against God in the Wildernesse The provocation Harden not your hearts as in the provocation that is In the time when yee sinned not onely to the offending but to the provoking of God against you not to the breaking of his Lawes but to the vexing of his spirit When sin is compleat and iniquity growne to a full stature that day is justly marked in the Calendar of Scripture with a red letter implying wrath and is therefore called The provocation So when any man deales very unkindly frowardly or unfaithfully against his Brother then 't is a provocation Doth not mine eye continue in their provocation Now for as much as the same word signifieth both bitternesse and provocation and that most provocations are given by uncharitable and unconsiderate speeches Observe First Vnkinde words are bitter to the hearer The Apostle gives the rule to Husbands Col. 3.19 Husbands love your Wives and be not bitter to them that is Doe not give them bitter words in stead of faithfull counsels Some Husbands speak their Gall to their Wives to whom they have given their hearts Among the Heathens the Gall of the Sacrifice which they superstitiously offered at Marriages Quo instituto legis Author non obscure innuebat a conjugio semper debere bilem iramque abesse Drus Prov. Clas 2. l. â— was puld out and throwne away before it was presented at the Altar signifying that Man and Wife should be as Naturalists say the Dove is without Gall one towards another Wholesome counsels and admonitions for the matter are often administred with such an undue mixture of heat and passion as renders them not onely distastefull but hurtfull to the receiver Secondly Note Harsh words carry much provocation in them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 animum despondeo The same Apostle in the same Chapter enlarging his Institutes for the direction of Beleevers in all Relation bespeakes Parents Vers 21. Fathers provoke not your Children to anger The word signifies any kinde of provocation but that especially which is caused by contumelious and upbrayding speeches A Father provokes his Childe when he speakes hastily and threatningly terrifying his Childe rather then instructing him The reason why Fathers should not thus provoke their Children is added Lest they be discouraged or as the word imports be as if they were without soules â—noop't as we say and heartlesse For as there is a provocation in a good sense which heightens the spirit in well doing and enlivens it for action The Apostle exhorts to that Heb. 10.24 Let us consider one another to provoke one another to love and to good works that is let us set such copies of holinesse that others may be stirred up beyond their ordinary pitch and elevation of spirit to a zealous doing of good Or speake such winning words give such pressing exhortations that the hearts of your
out against God three wayes 128. That it is a foolish as well as a sinfull thing to oppose God shewed three wayes 138. God is in Heaven in a speciall manner 369. God should not onely be our refuge but our choice 380. Gods false Gods how they are famished 258. Grace is of an increasing nature 484. It increaseth in times of trouble 484 485. Grave in what sense no returning from it 396 397. We had need see all our worke done and well done before we goe thither 399. Discourses of the Grave very suitable for sicke men 407. Some as ready for the Grave as the Grave is for them 408. Why the Grave is called a House 515. The Grave called darknesse in a double respect 516. Greennesse what it signifies in Scripture 190. H. Hand how taâ—en in Scripture 125. Stretching out the hand imports foure things 126 127. The hand of a good man how it is sayd to be greene 189. Cleane hands what it imports 482. They who have cleane hearts will have cleane hands too 483. Hands striking of hands what it signifies 421. Heart an evill heart is a bad tutor 43. The heart is too hard for the whole man 43 44. How the heart carries the man away 44. The heart strengthens and hardens it selfe against God and how 135 136. The heart very deceitfull in a threefold reference 173. Heart as a Shop where sin is framed 205. The opening and shutting of the heart is the worke of God 431. The vanity of such as say they have good hearts when their wayes are evill 483. Heavens how they are uncleane 64. Heaven is not every where 369. Three heavens spoken of in Scripture 371. Heaven is highest in Scripture foure deductions from the highnesse of Heaven 372 373. Hiding of two sorts 80. Hills from the beginning 23. It is usuall in Scripture to set that forth by the Hills which is of greatest antiquity 24. Holinesse no created holinesse stable and perfect in it selfe 62. In what holinesse consists 333. Hope puts men on to action though they have been often disappointed 208. A good Man may give up all his worldly hopes 525. Hope considered two wayes 531. A twofold object of hope 532. Horne it imports two things in Scripture 317. Why strength is signified by the Horne 318. Humiliation outward humiliation is a duty when the hand of God is upon us 322. Husbands bitternesse to their Wives how unbecomming 415. Hypocrite he is under a curse 193. The fashion of an Hypocrite 413. I. Idols how called new or neere Gods 510. Jewes how God brought the curse which they wished upon their owne heads 355 356. Imprecations of two sorts 352. We may in some cases use imprecations ibid. Two grounds of them ibid. Foure rules limiting the use of Imprecations 354. Diverse dreadfull examples of such as have used Imprecations rashly and falsly 355 356. Infidelity a wicked man full of infidelity that his state is bad 184. Infirmities of two sorts 330. Injustice two sorts of it 328. Innocency feares no discovery 358. Integrity makes a man strong in bearing troubles 330. Judge it is a great honour to judge another mans cause 435. Judgement considered under a threefold opposition 520. Julian the Apostate his blasphemy 126 the opinion of Athanasius concerning him 159. K. Know to know how taken in Scripture 116. Knowledge there is a vanity in some kinde of knowledge 6. Sinnes against the light of knowledge most dangerous 132. L. Law how he that breakes one Commandement of the Law may be sayd to breake all 333. Leannesse of two sorts 259. Lye every sin is a lye 89. Life the number of the yeares of our life is a secret to all 93. That is a secret is an affliction to a wicked man 93 94. It is best for us that this is a secret and why 94. Life of man like a peice of Cloath in the Loome 423. Light a twofold light denyed to some 429. Three reasons why God denyes light 430. Limitting God what the sinfulnesse of it 521. Love the spring of all action whether good or evill 207. What we over-love we are in danger to lose 299. M. Manutenentia Dei 480. Mediatour the Doctrine of a Mediatour betweene God and Man known and beleeved before Christ came into the World 391. The twofold nature of the Mediatour knowne in all Ages of the Church 392. Mercy of God how not to be pleaded 136. There is a fivefold mercy of God 301. Foure degrees of sparing mercy 301 302. Moloch the Idol why so called how formed and worshipped 455. N. Neck stiffe neck what it imports in Scripture 141. Running upon the neck the meaning of it 142. Nero his miserable end 153. The clemency of Nero how shewed 304. his speech when he made his Grave 315. Noahs three Sons how stiled 82. O. Oaths of two sorts 352 364. Rules about Oaths 364 365. Omnipotency of God what 134. Oppression wise men most affected with it why 248. Oppression called blood 350. Oppressors are speedily out off 92. Ordeal used superstitiously by the old Saxons foure sorts of it 354. P. Passions when violent are the disguise of a wise man 8. Passions breake out into unprofitable words 9. Patience a threefold patience 517. The perfect worke of patience consists in two things 519. Patience ascends by three steps to her perfection ibid. Patience gives us possession of our selves 519. Peace of wicked men what it is and whence it ariseth 99. People of God dangerous to touch them 129. Perfection of a thing what 158. All the perfection of earthly things is vanishing 159. Perseverance both the duty and priviledge of Saints 478. Pleasure two sorts of it which every man should abhorr 276. Poverty some poverty is a note of Gods displeasure 112. Oppressors often brought to poverty 112. What it is which makes poverty so great an evill to any man 113 Imaginary poverty or feare of want makes us more miserable then want 114. Power they who have much power are tempted to oppresse 91. A godly man hath a naturall and civill power to doe evill but he hath not a morall power to doe it 231 232. Practice of duty the best answer to slander in any kinde 314. Proverbs what they are 446. Providence of God how exercised towards his people when he puts them into the hand of wicked men shewed diverse wayes 281. Some providences of God put the wisest to a stand 469. Five miscarriages of carnall men at the unusuall dealings and providences of God 471. Wise men often out in expounding the providences of God 498. Prayer the sinfulnesse of forbearing or abating prayer in times of trouble 15. Hypocrites never love prayer and in two seasons they lay it by 16. To restraine prayer is worse then not to pray 16. Prayer taken two wayes 328. Onely pure prayer is acceptable prayer 335. The requisites to pure prayer shewed 336 337. The general end of prayer what 344. Prayer why expressed by a cry 351. Not to have
from the presence of the Lord Here was no appearance of terrour it was the voice of God walking as a freind not marching as an enemy and it was in in thr coole not heat of the day these circumstances argue the guiltinesse of Adam and his Wife who fled and hid themselves at this appearance of the Lord. The voice of God walking was a dreadfull sound in their eares because they had not hearkned to the voice of God commanding Wicked Pashur who opposed the good Prophet is branded with a new name Jer. 20.3.4 The Lord sayd his name shall no more be called Pashur but Magor-Misabib that is Feare round about and in the next Verse the reason is given why this name was given him For I will make thee a terrour to thy selfe He that is a terrour to himselfe can no more be without terrour then he can be without himselfe Nor can any thing be a comfort to him who is his owne terrour And therefore a guilty conscience heares a dreadfull sound what sound soever he heares he ever expects to heare bad newes and he puts fearefull glosses and comments upon that which is good A wicked man interprets all reports in one of these two mischievous senses either To the discredit of others Pessimus in dubiis Augur timor Stat or to the disquiet of himselfe Bring what text of providence you can to him he corrupts it with one of these glosses Yea the faithfull counsells of his owne Friends are dreadfull sounds unto him for he hath a suspicion that while they are counselling him for good it is but a contriving of evill against him or a setting of snares to catch him Againe sometimes God creates a sound or causeth the wicked to heare a dreadfull sound 2 Kings 7.6 The Lord made the Hoast of the Syrians to hear a noyse of Charriots and a noyse of Horses even the noyse of a great Hoast c. Upon this dreadfull sound they arose and fled Sometimes a wicked heart creates a sound and what the Prophet threatens he heares the stone out of the Wall the beame out of the Timber crying against him The Story tells us of one who thought that the Swallowes in the Chimney spake and told tales of him We say in our Proverbe As the Foole thinketh so the Bell clinketh much more may we say As an evill conscience thinketh so every thing clinketh As he that hath a prejudice against another takes all he heares spoken of him and all that he heares him speak in the worst sense and most disadvantageous construction to his reputation so he that hath a preâ—udice against himselfe construes all that he either heares or sees against his owne Peace Hence it is that he doth not onely flee when he is pursued but when none pursue Prov. 28.1 The wicked flies when none pursueth except his owne feares but the righteous is as bold as a Lyon This terrour was threatned in the old Law Levit. 26.36 They that are left alive of you in the time of your Captivity I will send fainting in their hearts in the Land of their Enemy and the sound of a shaking leafe shall chase them What poore spirits have they who are chased by the motion of a leafe The sound of a leafe is a pleasant sound it is a kind of naturall musick Feare doth not onely make the heart move Homines tui non expectato adventu hostis velut transsossi examinantur metu Jun. As the Trees of the Forrest are moved with the winde Isa 7. but it makes the heart move if the winde doe but move the Trees of the Forrest The Prophet Isaiah tells Jerusalem Thy slaine men are not slaine with the Sword not dead in Battell Isai 22.2 With what then were they slaine And how dyed they a learned Interpreter tells us how They were slaine with feare and dyed with a sound of Battell before ever they joyned Battell This answereth the judgement denounced by Moses in another place Deut. 28.65 The Lord shall give thee there a trembling heart and fayling of eyes and sorrow of minde and thy life shall hange in doubt before thee and thou shalt feare day and night and shalt have no assurance of thy life But here some may object Is this the portion of wicked men Doth a dreadful sound in their eares afflict their hearts Have not many such much peace and doe they not either smile or wonder to heart others complaining of an afflicted spirit and beg prayers for the appeasing of their troubled conscience which are matters they have no acquaintance with nor knowledge of I answer First We are not to understand the proposition as if all wicked men have or that any wicked man at all times hath this dreadfull sound in his eare but thus it is very often and thus it may be alwayes thus it is with many and thus it may be with all wicked men A wicked man hath as we say no fence for it no priviledge nor promise to secure him from it Againe though some wicked men have not this dreadfull sound in their eares yea though they have pleasant sounds in their eares like them who sang to the Viall c. Amos 6. yet first their peace is not a true peace secondly it is not a lasting peace thirdly that which they have ariseth from one of these two grounds either from neglect of their consciences or from some defect in their consciences The neglect of conscience from whence this ariseth is twofold either first when they neglect to speake to conscience conscience and they never have a word much lesse any serious conference or discourse either concerning the state of their hearts or the course of their lives and then all 's peace with them Secondly when the speakings of conscience are neglected conscience hath a double voice of direction and correction conscience tells a man what he ought and what he ought not to doe conscience checks a man for not doing what he ought or for doing what he ought not Yet many over power and restrain conscience from this office and never leave opposing till they have silenced yea conquered it Such as these have peace such a one as it is and heare nothing but a sound of delight in their eares while this silence lasteth Againe this may arise from some defect disabling conscience to doe its ordinary or naturall duty the conscience of an evill man may have some goodnesse in it Conscience may be considered two wayes either morally or naturally that onely is a morally good conscience which is pure and holy a conscience cleansed from the guilt of sin by the blood of Christ thus no wicked man can be sayd to have a good conscience That is a naturally good conscience which performes the office or duty to which conscience is appointed conscience is set up in man to performe certaine offices if the conscience of a bad man performe them his conscience in that sense is good The first