without any thing that he hath made And treadeth upon the waves of the sea The sea is a fluid body to sail or swim in the waters is ordinary but to tread upon the waters that 's another act of wonder He treadeth upon the waves of the sea or he walks on them as upon a pavement To tread upon the waves imports that God hath a command over the sea and the waves of it Verbum Dorac aliquando est ducis praeltantis debellantis hostes Quasi jure belli subjicere To tread upon a thing is to have it under our power or in subjection to us Psal 91.13 the promise is Thou shalt tread upon the Lion and upon the Asp that is thou shalt prevail and triumph over the greatest evils over enemies as strong and fierce as Lions as poisonous and stinging as the Asp Psal 108.9 Over Edom will I cast out my shoe which notes either contempt of them as if he had said I look upon them as worthy only to scrape and make clean my shoes Or secondly Conquest over them I will walk thorow Edom and subdue it Deut. 11.24 Every place whereon the sole of your feet shall tread shall be yours that is yours shall be conquering feet you shall tread as lords upon all lands Yours shall be all the ground you go on that is it shall be subject to you Jud. 5.21 O my soul thou hast troden down strength and Mic. 1.3 The Lord shall tread upon the high places of the earth that is the Lord shall subject the highest things that are upon the earth to his power That place is very observable Numb 24.17 Where Balaam prophesying of Christ saith as we translate A starre shall come out of Jacob Calcabit stella è Jacob. the Hebrew is A starre shall tread out of Jacob noting Christ a victorious a triumphing starre who should come treading and trampling upon the world as conquerour though the world in regard of his out-side trod and trampled upon him So it is explained in the later words of the verse He shall smite the corners of Moab and destroy all the children of Sheth A starre shall tread out of Jacob. A treading starre is a triumphing starre 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Excelsa maris Ambulat super altiâ—udinem to boâ—is maris Tar. Robur maris dicit vehementiaÌ„ maris quando à ventis turbatur commovetur Dorsum immare summo mari attribuit Virg. Aeneiad l. 1. The Hebrew is He treadeth upon the high places of the sea the word Bamoth is used frequently for the places where idolatrous worship was set up their high places Mr Broughton translates the high waves of the sea because sea-waves rise high so high that the Psalmist describes them mounting up to the heaven Psal 107.26 When these high waves threaten to swallow all then the Lord treads upon them that is his power is above them and he makes them submit to his command As to ride upon the high places of the earth Deut. 32.13 Isa 58.14 is to have highest command and to be a chief upon the earth or to dwell safely and free from anoiance upon the earth So to tread upon the high places or high waves of the sea implies Gods Empire or Soveraignty over the Sea Hence observe first That the sea in its highest rage is at the beck and under the treadings of God When the waves are most stirring and raging he speaks them quiet Psal 89.9 Thou rulest the raging of the sea when the waves thereof arise thou stillest them As to walk upon the sea is an argument of a divine power so to command the sea When Christ Mat. 8.26 rebuked the sea and said as another Gospel hath it Mark 4.38 Peace and be still as if one should hush a childe The men marvelled saying What manner of man is this that even the windes and the sea obey him Windes and waves seem the most disobedient stubborn and unteachable creatures in the world yet a word from God calms the one and smooths the other Egyptij ut rem prorsus impossisibilem demonstrarent hominem pedibus super aquas ambulanâ—em in suis Hieroglyphicis depingebant Verâ—res cum suum Neptunum super aquas ambulantem pingere non auderent à nando ei nomen dederunt Herod l. 1. Delectat Canuti regis Anglorum exemplum qui assentationis procellam procella maris in se admâ—ssa compescuit Bold ex Camb. Brit. Ex alto incitatum flâ—ctum ita alloquutus est unda tibi jubeo ut ne pedes meas tangas When the old Egyptians would by their Hieroglyphicks expresse an impossibility they did it by the picture of a man treading upon the waves as if they should say this is as impossible as for a man to walk upon the waves The Heathen Poets describe Neptune their Sea-god swimming not walking upon or treading the waters To tread upon the waters is so much above man that meer Naturalists thought it too much for God Man shews his pride and arrogancy to the height when he pretends to lord it over the waves of the sea When the Hellespont a strait of the sea by a sudden storm rising upon it broke the bridge of Boats which Xerxes had made to passe into Greece and so opposed the project of that Persian Monarch he cast fetters into it as if he would teach it to know it's Lord and caused it to be beaten with 300. stripes to chasten its former disobedience It is recorded in the history of this Nation concerning Canute an ancient Danish King that when a mighty storm of flattery rose upon him he appeased it by shewing he could not appease the storms of the sea One of his Courtiers told him in his progresse as he rode near the sea side that he was Lord not only of the land but of the sea and that all those seas which he saw were at his command Well saith he we shall see that by and by and so walketh down to the shore and pulling off his upper garment wraps it together and sits upon it neer the flowing of the waves and with a loud voice speaks thus O ye seas and waves come no further Touch not my feet c. But the sea came up notwithstanding his charge and confuted that flattery God only hath this Prerogative He treadeth upon the high waves of the sea There are also mysticall waves which the Lord treadeth upon people and Nations are called waters and many waters in the book of the Revelation The waves of the sea cannot be in a greater rage then the Nations of the earth sometimes are And the same Hebrew word by which the rage of the sea is properly exprest expresses also the rage of men Psal 2.1 Why doe the Heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing Why are the Gentiles the great waters up as high waves threatning a deluge to the throne of Christ The power of Christ is as eminent in stilling the
persecution at least before some scorching beams of that Sun though he is not able to bear it when it comes to the utmost triall to the extreme heat of the day Thus we see the hypocrites greennesse in his branches yet that is not all for in the next verse we finde his roots also he is seemingly setled below as well as beautifull above And when a tree hath flourishing branches and firm roots what can be desired more For as when a tree is cut down root and branch it is then utterly taken away so when a tree flourisheth root and branch it is in best estate and highest perfection Both these meet here not only doth he shoot forth his branches in his garden But he wrappeth his roots about the heap and seeth the place of stones His roots are wrapped about the heap The root of this hypocriticall tree is that by which he fastens himself Radices sunt divitiae liberi a micitiae dignitates honores any accommodation or strength which he hath in the world credit riches friends whatsoever strengthens a man that 's his root it is as necessary to fasten a tree as to moisten and feed a tree Now saith Bildad he spreads his roots he hath not only excellent branches outwardly but he laies his matter so that he hath rooting also in the world yea he seems to have rooting in the Church too His roots are wrapped about the heap 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Volvit â summo ad imum The word in the Hebrew signifies to roll or to bring things together to put them up in a heap Hence the Verb is used for that act of the soul in believing whereby a Christian gathers himself together and all that he hath and laies it upon the Lord Psal 22.8 He trusted in the Lord the Hebrew is He rolled himself upon the Lord. Hence it is translated to signifie First a tempest wherein the windes roll and are enfolded together Secondly a wave of the sea which is a rolling water Thirdly as here a heap because in a heap a great many stones are gathered or rolled together As Gen. 31.47 after that contest and debate of Laban with Jacob about his departure Jacob said Let us gather stones together or roll stones together and make an heap and Laban gave it a name he called it Jâ—ger-shahadutha which is to say A heap of witnesse because these stones were rolled together for a witnesse Lastly which sense is applied by some interpreters to this text The word signifies a spring or a fountain Josh 15.19 because springs and fountains are as the gathering together of waters The sea is called the gathering together of waters Gen. 1. there waters are rolled and laid as upon a heap and so proportionably every spring fountain and river is a place wherein the waters are rolled or wrapped together Some translate the word thus His roots are wrapped about the water or about the fountain And that further sets forth the seemingly sure and stedfast estate of the hypocrite as he hath goodly green branches above so his roots are wrapped about the fountain he looks as if he were planted by the waters side as the flourishing tree described Psal 1. A godly man is as a tree planted by the rivers side so the hypocrite seems to have his roots wrapped about the waters as if he had an everlasting supply from an everliving fountain as if his leaves should not wither or his fruit fall off from him That 's one sense But most goe with our translation His roots are wrapped about the heap they are intricated and folded about the heap of stones and so the meaning of it may be giâ—en three waies 1. In that it is said Impius aliquaÌ„do floret inter varia impedimenta His roots are wrapped about the heap the heap of stones it notes his thriving against all opposition here shadowed by heaps of stones Heaps of stones are hinderances to the growing of a tree to the rooting of it therefore we set or plant trees in places free from stones but to shew that he may even overcome conquer and subdue those difficulties which hinder his growth he saith His roots are wrapped about the stones The seed that was cast in stony ground could not take root the stones hindered it from a due depth of earth Mat. 13.15 So that Bildad according to this sense magnifies the hypocrite and speaks high of him He wrappeth his root about the stones he grows in places of greatest disadvantage A wicked man may conquer oppositions and prevail against the pull-backs which hinder his worldly yea and his seeming spirituall estate he may encrease when he wants encouragements and means of encrease yea he sometimes encreases against stops and discouragements he thrives among stones 2. His roots are wrapped about the heap notes that he thrives Ita latè radices diffundat ut fuâ—damenti struem offendat in aedibus Domini sui Iun. In aliorum daÌ„num propagatio denotatur Idem or will thrive if he can though it be to the hinderance and damage of others for by the heap some understand the foundation of an house where stones are artificially heaped or laid together not a naturall or accidentall heap Trees that grow neer a house shoot their roots under or about the foundation of the house and so may be dangerous to the whole structure Thus the hypocrite will grow if he can though he inwraps himself about the foundation of another mans house raising or securing his estate upon his neighbours wrong or ruine Hypocrites care not whom they injure so themselves may thrive though they undermine the foundation of another mans house and loosen his estate to fasten their own 3. His roots are wrapped about the heaps may note the firmnesse and the seeming strength of his standing He is rooted not in some loose and sandy earth or in tougher clay but his roots are wrapped about a heap of stones As Mat. 7. the house founded upon the sand could not continue when the storms came but the house founded upon the rock did so a tree that is rooted only in loose sleight ground cannot stand against a great tempest we see such trees blown down but that which is rooted among the stones and wrapped about their heaps that which interweaves and incorporates it sâ—lf as it were with a rock this hath strength against all storms Thus hypocrites pretend to Christ and say they have wrapped themselves about that rock they will speak great words and bid defiance to all the world can do professing they have laid up a good foundation and that the munition of rocks is their defence And seeth the place of stones Domum lapiduÌ„ cernet id est inter lapides â—â—â—â—iciter provenit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. Inter lapides commorabitur Vulg. Domum lapiduÌ„ oculis vidit Drus The words may be translated He dwelleth and he staieth in the
Most buildings have their foundations in the earth but some upon it being raised upon pillars So Hannah 1 Sam. 2.8 in her Song The pillars of the earth are the Lords and he hath set the world upon them What are these pillars that the Lord hath set the world upon or where shall we finde them David shews us Psal 24.1 2. The earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof the world and they that dwell therein for he hath founded it upon the seas and established it upon the flouds It is strange that pillars of liquid water should bear up the massie earth the earth seems rather to be the pillar and foundation of the waters Some interpret super which signifies upon by prope or juxta neer he hath founded it upon the seas that is He hath founded it by or neer the seas But take it in the letter and it is a truth for the sea is as much the pillar of the earth as the earth is the pillar of the sea earth and sea being a globe and round the sea is as much under the earth as the earth is under the sea Thus the pillars of the earth are waters And the earth is established upon the flouds Further If you would know what these pillars are hear what Job saith Chap. 26.7 where he assures us that God hangeth the earth upon nothing We are not to think that the Lord in framing and building the earth did first set up pillars and then set the earth upon them for the earth hangeth as a ball in the midst of the air without any pillars under it Hence Jobs Philosophy teaches us That he hangeth the earth upon nothing there are no materiall or visible pillars to sustain it What is then the pillar of the earth What is it that supports and bears it up The reall pillar of the earth it is the power of God But the power of God cannot tremble How then doth he say When he shaketh the earth the pillars thereof tremble Terrae columnae infimas terrae partes significant quae reliquam terrae molem impositam sustineat haec sunt veluti fundamenta fulcra terrae In this place therefore we may expound the pillars of the earth for the lower parts of the earth and so though the whole globe of the earth taken together be neither higher nor lower yet in the parts of it from any point some are higher and some are lower some above and some beneath upon what superficies soever we are the under parts thereof are to us the pillars of the earth So the meaning is He shaketh the earth out of her place and the pillars thereof tremble that is he shaketh it so terribly that if it had any outward visible pillars those pillars must needs tremble Quo pacto terra firma immota consistit quidnā pro vehiculo habet cujus rei adminiculo fulcitur rationi nihil occurrit cui innitatur si divinam voluntatem exceperis Greg Nazianz Orat. 34. Suis l brata ponderibus fixa manet In this we may observe the great power of God in upholding the earth We see what the pillars of the earth are the supposed pillars are no other then the lower parts of the earth and the true pillar of the earth is no other but the power of God there are no other buttresses or pillars upon which the earth is set or by which it is sustained This huge weight of the whole earth and seas is borne up by the thin air Is not this an argument of the mighty power of God that the air which is a body so weak that if you throw a feather up into it it will not stay there but descend yet the whole masse or globe of earth and waters hangs there God poiseth it meerly by its own weight For he weighed the mountains in scales and the hils in balances Isa 40.12 He upholds all things by the word of his power And hath built this great Castle in the air Could we enter into the secrets of nature and set our faith a work by our senses about these things we should be raised above all fear in the greatest difficulties If we saw but a bullet or a piece of lead of a pound yea of a peny weight lifted up and hang in the air without any thing to support it we would conclude it a miracle What thinke you when all the lead and iron and brasse and stone that is in the world hang in the air without any visible stay I finde some interpreting this clause as the former in a figurative sense He shaketh the earth that is States Kingdoms and Common-wealths And the pillars thereof tremble that is they who seemed to be their strongest supporters tremble and shake This is a truth and a profitable one for our meditation To clear this First We finde the earth in Scripture often put for States and Kingdoms Isa 24.20 The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard and shall be removed like a cottage and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it and it shall fall and not rise again The earth shall doe this what earth He doth not mean the naturall earth ☜ upon which men tread but the people who tread upon the earth or that Common-wealth wherein people are united and governed these shall reel to and fro and be removed like a cottage As if he had said you thought your State and Kingdome was setled like a strong Castle but I will take it down as a man takes down a little cottage raddl'd only with a few sticks and reeds Or the meaning of it is your Common-wealth that hath been founded by the wisdome of so many Law-givers Fundavit legibus urbes and is established in so much riches and power shall be removed as a poor cottage thorow which every puff of winde findes a passage The strongest Kingdoms and Bulwarks of the earth are but as thatcht cottages when God takes them in hand Secondly Pillars are as often taken in a politicall sense Psal 75.3 The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved How comes it then to passe that they are not utterly destroied It follows I bear up the pillars of it that is I maintain Governours and Magistrates some in places of power and authority by whom shaking tottering Kingdoms are upheld Our experience teaches us this We live in a Nation of which we may say Our earth with the inhabitants thereof are dissolved we are a broken and a shattered people yet the Lord bears up our Pillar * the Parliament the politique pillar of our Nation we had long ago lain in the dust if God had not borne up this pillar The chief counsels of the adversary have been to weaken and undermine to ruine and pull down this pillar They like Samson have taken hold of our two pillars and bowed themselves with all their might Judg. 16.28 but neither have they proved Samsons nor proved us Philistines
of the mighty power of God See how Jobs discourse moves from earth to heaven and from the heavens down to the sea He searches for the wonders of Gods power and wisdome in heaven and earth and in the waters Before he shews God stopping the course of the Sunne and sealing up the stars now spreading out of the heavens and treading upon the sea He spreadeth out the heavens The heavens in reference to the earth are the upper part of the world The heavens are as it were the roof of the great house which God made or as a spangled Canopy over our heads He spreadeth out the heavens The word is of the Duall number in the Hebrew and hath divers derivations which are considerable to enlighten us in the point 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à He spreadeth out the heavens Some derive it from Shem which signifies a name a name of honour and dignity Men of Name are men of renown Gen. 6.4 Nomen gloria decus quia coelum est nominatissima pars mundi Mâ—rtin in Lex â—bilos Anshi Hashem the heavens are the most glorious beautifull and renowned part of the Creation Their name is above every name of inanimate creatures Others because there are waters above in these heavens derive the word from Sham which is an adverb of place and Majim which signifies waters as much as to say there are waters or there is the place where God hath fountains and stores of water All his waters are not upon the earth he hath waters and springs in heaven A third takes it for a simple not a compound word Paulus Fagius in Gen. 1. being neer the Ishmaelitish word Shama noting only superiority in place high or above A fourth opinion derives it from Schamem which signifies to be amazed or to make one at a stand with wonder And the reason is given because the heavens are such a vast stupendious body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obstupuit propter insignem vastitatem istius corporis quae ipsa nos aspicientes in stuporem rapit Pisc in Gen. 1. that if a man look upon them exactly they will amaze him Who can observe the Sunne Moon and Stars and not wonder and be transported at their vastnesse and beauty at the swiftnesse and regularity of their motions it is above the reach and apprehension of naturall reason how the Lord should fashion and spread out such heavens But what are these heavens which he spreadeth forth Heaven is sometimes expressed with an addition the highest heavens the third heavens in 2 Cor. 12.12 The heaven of heavens 1 King 8.27 Paul was rapt up to the third heavens that is in visions and revelations he was brought as neer to God himself as a creature possibly can Of this heaven we are to understand that Gen. 1.1 where Moses saith In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth and the earth was without form and void He doth not say the heaven which God created at first was without form and void but the earth was without form and void for that heaven was a perfect creature We read further of the creating of those heavens which we see of the visible heavens which are the continent of the Sunne Moon and Starres But In the beginning God created the heaven that heaven which by way of eminency is called The habitation of his holinesse and of his glory Isa 63.15 This was created in the beginning and then it is conceived the Angels were likewise created but the earth which was then made was an imperfect creature and all other corporeall creatures with their severall forms and fulnesse were extracted out of that earth which was without form and void The very heavens which we see were made out of that first earth the Sunne Moon and the Stars yea the very light it self was made out of that earth that generall heap of matter which the Lord created at first and is said to have been without form and void But the heaven which we call the heaven of heavens the third heaven or the highest heaven was a perfect creature the first day made without any pre-existent matter whatsoever by the power of God This heaven is the largest of all the heavens which God spread out Secondly Take heavens for the visible heavens I intend not to stay upon philosophicall considerations only what the Scripture holds forth we finde heavens put first for the starry heavens or the firmament where the stars have their motion that 's the heaven meant Gen. 1.17 Psal 8.7 Psal 19.1 This aâ—cording to the doctrine of Astronomers is distinguished into severall orbs and sphears in seven of which seven speciall starres are said to move and all the rest to be fixed in the eighth The Apostle Jude seems to give a hint of those planeticall orbs Jude v. 13. where he justly reproacheth unsetled spirits by the name of wandering stars or planets to whom is reserved the blacknesse of darknesse for ever Thirdly Heaven is taken in Scripture for a nearer heaven for all that which is below the Moon for the air and the clouds Hence the birds are said to flie in the heavens and Gen. 8.2 the rain from heaven was restrained that is the rain from the clouds for there is no rain in that heaven above the clouds Triplex est coelum aerium sidereum ac aliud his superius invisible divinum Dam. l. â— de orthodoxa fide Heaven is a building of three stories The first story is the air and the clouds up to the moon The second story reaches all the planets and stars The third story is also called the third heaven or the heaven of heavens the place of his most glorious residence who filleth heaven and earth All these heavens the Lord spreadeth out There is a threefold spreading forth of a thing First By contusion or beating with hammers as a masse of gold or silver c. is spread into thin plates and leaves Secondly By way of rarefaction or attenuation water is rarefied by fire and so are metals when they are melted or caused to runne with extreme heat In allusion to which Elihu speaks in his challenge to Job Chap. 37.18 Hast thou with him spread out the skie which is strong and as a molten looking-glasse The skie is of a weak sleight matter not hard massie or elementall yet it is strong the nature of it being incorruptible the figure of it round and indissoluble And it is compared to a looking-glasse for the clearnesse of it those instruments were made some of glasse some of steel or brasse molten and polisht for that purpose Thirdly A thing is spread forth by unfolding the parts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Extendit disteâ—dit sicut tentoriâ—m as a tent or a curtain is spread and thus the spreading of the heavens is described Psal 104.1 2. O Lord thou art cloathed with honour and majesty thou stretchest out the heavens
knowledge of us beyond ours though he know us better then we know our selves yet no man can tell the Lord Thou knowest that I am not wicked but he who knows that he is not The excellency of our condition consists in being godly the comfort of it consists in knowing that we are godly When David offers himself to the triall Psal 139.24 Search me O Lord and see if there be any way of wickednesse in me He speaks not as doubting whether he were wicked or no but as being assured that he was not As if he had said There are many weaknesses in me I know but I know not of any wickednesse He that offers himself to Gods search for his wickednesse gives a strong argument of his own uprightnesse The best of the Saints may be at a losse sometimes for their assurances and not know they are good They may stand sometimes hovering between heaven and earth yea between heaven and hell as uncertain to which they shall be accounted Yet many of the Saints are fully perswaded they are Saints and sit with Christ in heavenly places while they are wâ—ndering here upon on the earth A godly man may know this two vvaies First By the vvorkings of grace in his heart Secondly By the testimony of the Spirit with his heart First By the vvorkings of grace in his heart 1 Joh. 2.3 Hereby we know that we know him if we keep his Commandments and chap. 3.14 We know that we are passed from death to life because we love the brethren There may be such workings of grace in the heart as may amount to an evidence of grace What our being is is discernable in our workings The word is as clear as light that our justification may have a light or evidence in our sanctification though no cause or foundation there Grace is the image of Christ stamped upon the soul and they who reflecting upon their souls see the image of Christ there may be sure that Christ is theirs Christ hath given all himself to those to whom he hath given this part of himself Secondly This may be known by the testimony of the Spirit with the heart 2 Cor. 5.5 He that hath wrought us for the self same thing is God God sets up a frame of holinesse in every believer He hath wrought us and how are we assured that he hath Who also hath given us the earnest of his Spirit The graces of the Spirit are a reall earnest of the Spirit yet they are not alwaies an evidentiall earnest therefore an earnest is often superadded to our graces There is a three-fold work of the Spirit First To conveigh and plant grace in the soul Secondly To act and help us to exercise the graces which are planted there Thirdly To shine upon and enlighten those graces or to give an earnest of those graces This last work the Spirit fullfils two waies First By arguments and inferences which is a mediate work Secondly By presence and influence which is an immediate work This the Apostle cals witnesse-bearing 1 Joh. 5.8 There are three that bear witnesse in earth The Spirit and the water and the bloud The Spirit brings in the witnesse of the water and of the bloud which is his mediate work but besides and above these he gives a distinct witnesse of his own which is his immediate work and is in a way of peculiarity and transcendency called the witnesse of the Spirit Hence that of the Apostle Paul We have not received the spirit of the world but we have received the Spirit which is of Christ that we may know the things that are freely given us of God 1 Cor. 2.12 The things freely given may be received by us and yet the receit of them not known to us therefore we receive the Spirit that we may know what is given us and what we have received The Spirit doth as it were put his hand to our receits and his seal also whence he is said To seal us up to the day of redemption Ephes 4.30 Sixthly Observe A godly man dares appeal to God himself that he is not wicked He dares stand before God to justifie his sincerity though he dares not stand to justifie himself before God Job had often laid all thoughts of his own righteousnesse in the dust but he alwaies stands up for his own uprightnesse God is my witnesse saith the Apostle Paul Rom 9.1 whom I serve in my spirit in the Gospel of his Sonne I serve God in my spirit and God knows that I do so I dare appeal unto him that it is so God is my witnesse When Christ put that question and drove it home upon Peter thrice Simon Lovest thou me Lord saith he Thou knowest all things Thou knowest that I love thee Joh. 21. As if he had said I will not give testimony of my self thou shalt not have it upon my word but upon thine own knowledge It were easie for me to say Master I love thee with all my heart with all my soul but I refer my self to thy own bosome Thou knowest I love thee So when Hezekiah lay as he thought upon his death-bed he turned himself to the wall desiring God to look upon the integrity of his life Lord remember how I have walked before thee in truth Isa 38.3 I do not go to the world for their good word of me I rest not in what my Subjects or neighbour Princes say of me Lord it is enough for me that what I have been and what I am is laid up safe in the treasury of thy thoughts This brings strong consolation when we take not up the testimony of men nor rest in the good opinion of our brethren but can have God himself to make affidavit or bear witnesse with us and for us That such a man will say I am an honest man that such a man will give his word for me is cold comfort but when the soul can say God will give his word for me The Lord knows that I am not wicked here 's enough to warm our hearts when the love of the world is waxen so cold and their tongues so frozen with uncharitablenesse that they will not speak a good word of us how much good soever they know by us Seventhly Consider the condition wherein Job was when he spake this he was upon the rack and as it were under an inquisition God laid his hand extream hard upon him yet at that time even then he saith Lord thou knowest that I am not wicked Hence observe A man of an upright heart and good conscience will not be brought to think that God hath ill thoughts of him how much evil so ever God brings upon him The actings of God toward us are often full of changes and turnings but the thoughts of God never change A soul may be afflicted till he is weary of himself yet he knows God is not weary of him Whomsoever he hath once made good he cannot but for ever esteem good
rage of the mysticall as of the literall waters yea we finde these two matcht together Psal 65.7 He stilleth the noise of the seas the noise of their waters and the tumult of the people Hence the Apostle Jude vers 13. cals wicked men raging waves of the sea foaming out their own shame The Lord sitteth upon these flouds yea the Lord sitteth King for ever Psal 29.10 There are other mysticall waves even waves within us which will not be trodden upon by any foot but Gods There is a sea of wickednesse in every mans heart by nature Every wicked man is nothing but a sea he is a sea of wickednesse The wicked Isa 57.20 are like the troubled sea when it cannot rest And as the windes blow from all quarters of the heavens and strive upon the seas So there are divers lusts which as windes strive upon the face of mans heart the lust of pride the lust of covetousnes the lusts of ambition of envy of malice these enrage and swell the waters The Lord treads upon the high waves of this sea also he restrains and keeps lust down by his power it would drown all else These raging waves swell too high in his own people it is the work of his Spirit to tread these down and when the windes of severall temptations raise those waves he it is that commands them down Who amongst us is there that one time or other findes not corruption raging as the high waves of the sea How mighty and powerfull is the Lord in that great work of his effectuall grace treading upon the waves of this sea remaining corruption in his servants and children Verse 9. Which maketh Arcturus Orion and Pleiades and the chambers of the South In the verse immediately before we heard of the power of God in stretching out the heavens and in this we have his excellent skill and infinite wisdome displaied in adorning decking and beautifying those heavens which he had stretched forth He hath not only drawn out a vast piece of work In astroruÌ„ pulchritudine situ ordine vi stupendiso in haec infortora operationibus admirabilis prorsus creatoris magnificentia magnitudo plurimuÌ„ clucet Bold like a large Canopy such are the heavens but he hath embroidered this Canopy and set it with rich sparkling stones he hath made severall engravings images figures and representations upon it Or we may make the connexion with the later clause of the former verse Job having said that the Lord treadeth upon the high waves of the sea that when the seas are most stormy and tempestuous they are at his command and that their confusions are under his Empire and order he adds this verse by way of answer to a possible objection For some might say the motion of the seas is from the power and influences of the stars Cum multa sint astra hominibus fluctibus infensa eorum praecipuè memâ—nit quorum vis ad ciendas tempestates hominibus magis est explorata San. from the rising and setting of the moon with other planets and constellations True saith Job yet the Lord is he that treadeth upon the waves of the sea it is the Lord that orders them and not the stars Though the stars and constellations have a dominion over the seas in their ebbings and flowings motions and revolutions yet there is a Lord who hath power not only over the seas but over that which over-powers the seas even over the stars of heaven He maketh Arcturus Orion and Pleiades and the chambers of the South which stars according to the doctrine of Astronomy have a speciall power upon the seas Either of these waies we may make the connexion First That Job would expresse the adorning of the heavens after he had spoken of their making and stretching forth Or secondly He would teach us that though the heavens work upon the seas yet God works upon the heavens He maketh Arcturus Orion and Pleiades and the chambers of the South I shall endeavour to speak of these distinctly The holy Ghost giving us such a Text it is not lightly to be passed by And though here are strange words and uncouth expressions yet we may I hope bring them down to an easie meaning and fit them to the understanding of the simplest I shall touch a little in the generall before I come to every one in particular Iob under these names couches many of the stars of heaven Stella est densior pars orbis ideo lucent astra non coeli quia hi diaphani sunt rari asâ—ra autem densa eoque lucem retinentia reflectentia Migir Phys A Star according to Philosophy is the thicker part of its orb â—r sphear it is thicker then other parts of the heavens for otherwise as it could not hold the light so it could not reflect and send forth the light It could not be a vessel for light or a conveiance for light Light was created the first day Gen. 1.3 but the lights were created the fourth day Gen. 1.14 that is certain vessels were created to hold the light And God said Let there be lights in the firmament of heaven that is let the light which is now scattered thorow all be gathered in certain receptacles fit to keep and yet fitted to transmit and disperse it into all parts of the world Let them be for lights in the firmament of heaven to give light vers 15. Of these lights or stars some are called moving and others fixed That 's the doctrine of Astronomers and it is the doctrine of the Scripture The Apostle Iude ver 13. calling some wandering stars seems to admit of that distinction of the stars into wandering and fixed The unfixt or wandering stars are seven known by their names and motions These in the Text are none of them these are placed above them The seat of these Asterismes is in the eighth sphear to take that doctrin for granted though many dispute it or story of the heavens so the Prophet Amos speaks Chap. 9.2 He buildeth his stories in the heavens we put in the margent sphears He buildâ—th his sphears in the heavens which being one above another are elegantly called the stories of heaven And in the eight sphear innumerable stars are fixed Some of which fall under speciall observation and numeration Astronomers give us a Catalogue of a thousand three and twenty stars which they exactly distinguish which is the ancient account And since that we have had many more discoveries by those noble Navigatours who have made thorow-lights to the world that the East might look into the West and the South into the North The travell study and experiments of these Masters in navigation have brought us in an additionall number of three hundred stars more And so we reckon a thousand three hundred and twenty three fixed stars known by name of which these in the text are a part Thâ— other stars are both innumerable and unnameable beyond number and
I have in vain washed my hands in innocency that is I have lived innocently in vain The Apostle Iames cals for the holinesse of the outward man in the same language Cleanse your hands ye sinners and purifie your hearts ye double-minded Chap. 4.8 Besides It was usuall to wash the hands as an emblem or token of innocency and freedom from guilt The law of Moses appointed in case a man were slain no man knowing how that the Elders of the neerest City should wash their hands over the Heifer that was offered in Sacrifice saying Our hands have not shed this bloud neither have our eyes seen it Deut. 21.6 7. So Pilate when he would make it visible unto all the world as he thought that he was free from the bloud of Christ called for a basin of water to wash his hands all the water in the Ocean could not wash Pilates conscience from the guilt of Christs bloud yet he called for a basin of water and washed his hands saying I am free from the bloud of this just person Scio quod quantumvis diligentissime vitae candorem morum integritatem comparare studeam tamen non ideo dolorum paenarum expers sim Pined see ye to it So then the meaning of Job is Though I be clean within and clean without though my heart be as clean as washing can make my hands though as the Apostle taught long after I lift up pure hands in prayer without wrath and doubting yet Verse 31. Thou shalt plunge me in the ditch and mine own clothes shall abhor me The word which we translate plunge signifies a dipping or immersion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tinxit intinxit ita lavit ut res non mundetur sed tantum attingant humorem rather to die or stain then to cleanse Ezek. 23.15 There are two interpretations of these words Thou shalt plunge me in the ditch They may be understood either first thus that God would adjudge him sinfull notwithstanding all his purifyings and so it answereth the expression of the later clause of the former verse As if he had said Though I make my self as clean as clean can be and thereupon judge my self never so clean yet thou maiest account me unclean yea the more I labour to justifie my self in my cleannesse the more unclean maiest thou judge me to be Yet Thou wilt plunge me in the ditch Futura apud Hebreos saepe debitum indicant For we are to understand the words Thou wilt plunge me not as of that which the Lord would doe but as of that which the Lord might justly doe As if he had said Thou mightest have greater cause to plunge me in the ditch when I am so fine and clean in mine own eyes then before When I think I have washed my self as white as snow thou maiest look upon me as drawn thorow a dirty chanell or as wallowed in the mire After all my cleansing and rinsing and purifying thy pure eyes can easily see a sinner in me and discover that I am polluted though I am washed This phrase of plunging in a ditch Phrasis hebraea est qua samae nominÃsque nitor pollui dicitur Bold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 notes the greatest defilement it imports a man all over defiled The Jews say of a man that hath lost his credit and is exceedingly blemished in his reputation That he is cast in the dirt or thrown i' th mire Again The word which we translate ditch sometimes signifies corruption only Psal 16.10 Corruptio interitus illas igitur sordes intelligit quas affert squalida mors me demerges in locum putredinis Varro l. 4 de Liâ—g Lat. Thou wilt not suffer thine holy One to see corruption And secondly it signifieth a pit digged and prepared vvherein dead and corrupting carcases are laid Psal 94.13 Till the pit be digged for the wicked that is till they be destroied and put into the pit Besides We learn from antiquity that they had speciall pits or graves for offenders vvho vvere slain by the law as some speak or cut off by the hand of justice who being enemies to humane society while they lived were not admitted societie with the bodies of honest men when they died The Prophet Isaiah Chap. 14.18 19 20. describing the ruine and ignominious down fall of the King of Babylon saith That all the Kings of the Nations even all of them lie in glory every one in his own house that is in their Fathers sepulchres But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch and as the raiment of those that are slâ—in thrust thorow with a sword that goe down to the stones of the pit Thou shalt not be joined to them in buriall And hence to be cast into a ditch notes any great humbling or affliction reproach or contumely We may take it here in either sense Thou wilt plunge me into filth and corruption or shew me to be filthy and corrupt though I cleanse my self or Thou wilt cast me into the greatest afflictions notwithstanding all my purifications I shall give a note suting this last sense at the close of the whole verse From the first here observe They who would make themselves most holy appear most unholy before God Thoughts of our own purity render us impure We are never so black before God as when we are whitest in our own eyes We finde the Pharisee Luk. 18. washing himself in snow-water and making his hands very clean he tels us that he had fasted and praied and given alms and paid tithes this is to wash our selves in snow-water and to make our hands very clean but the Lord plunged this Pharisee in the ditch he cast him for a wicked man The poor Publican plunged himself in the ditch and judged himself fit to be thrown into the mire But he went home to his house justified rather then the other The Lord tels his people Jer. 2.22 Though thou wash thee with nitre and take thee much sope yet thine iniquity is marked before me The speech is of the same importance in the letter with this of Job yet there the holy Ghost rather intends an hypocriticall washing Est se excusare culpam aâ—â—eâ—are simulamenta pâ—etatis osten tare by excusing or denying our sins or as some glosse that text by shewing images or imaginations fancies or forgeries of holinesse If thou shalt put thy self in these dresses of holinesse as if thou wert washed with nitre and cleansed with much sope yet thou canst not avoid mine eye For thine iniquity is marked before me I can see thy sinne thorow all the dawbings and paintings thorow thy deckings and coverings put upon it Now as God sees iniquity thorow all the masks and coverings of hypocrites so he can see spots thorow all the washings and cleansings of the most sincere And if we wash our selves to justifie our selves our very washing is our defiling God will not only see but mark their
therefore make you friends of it while you have it that when ye fail that is when you die or goe out of the world they may receive you that is ye may be received into everlasting habitations leave not this habitation till ye have got interest in a better The Saints arm themselves against death by this argument We know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hand eternall in the heavens 2 Cor. 5.1 We know there is no return to buildings made with hands we must leave our houses for ever our lands for ever and our relations for ever but we are assured of a building of God an house not made with hand eternall in the heavens This supported their hearts when their earthly houses were falling Job having thus described death it self proceeds to describe the grave which is the place of death or the Black-â—all of the King of terrours Would you know what this place is from whence there is no returning It is saith he in the close of this verse even the land of darknesse and the shadow of death And in the last verse Verse 22. A land of darknesse as darknesse it self and of the shadow of death without any order and where the light is as darknesse This is the place where death dwels or the seat of death and here 's a description of it which exceeds the phansie of Poets and the rhetorick of all Heathen Oratours The Spirit of God riseth to the height of eloquence in discovering that unpleasant region This subterranean Geography gives a double character of it 1. A land of darknesse 2. A land of the shadow of death both which are aggravated by their additions It is a land of darknes but not of any ordinary darknes It is a land of darknesse as darknesse it self It is a land of the shadow of death not of an ordinary shadow of death but of the shadow of death 1. Without any order 2. Where the light is as darknesse A land of darknesse That is abounding with darknesse a land where darknesse is the staple and the only commodity to be had Darknesse is the hangings and ornament of the house of death The grave is elswhere called A land of forgetfulnesse Psal 88.12 because there all things are forgotten We read Jer. 12.5 of a land of peace that is a land where peace abounds a land in every corner whereof peace springs and groweth up Canaan Deut. 8.8 was called A good land a land of brooks of water of fountains and depths that spring oâ—t of the valleys and hils A land of wheat and barley and vines and fig-trees and pomegranates A land of oyl olive and of honey That is a land where these good things were naturall and plentifull A land where neighbour Nations might furnish themselves and fraight their ships with those commodities Cum sepulchruÌ„ dicitur terra tenebrarum ibi tanquam in nativo solo obsâ—uritas intelligitur provenire In such a sense Iob cals the grave A land of darknes As if he had said Would you know what the merchandize of the grave is I will tell you it is darknesse there you may have darknes as much as you desire and besides that nothing how much so ever you desire it This shews the terrour of death to a meer naturall understanding Many are afraid to be at all in the dark how much more to be alwaies in darknesse As light is put for joy so darknesse for sorrow Darknesse whether spirituall or naturall is afflictive Dark houses are unpleasant what then is a land of darknes The face of a man is darkned with sorrow and joy is the light of it It hath bin observed that some great Princes have had light beaming out from their eyes Augustus had so sparkling an eye Suetonius in Augusto c 7 9. that few could look upon him his eye cast forth raies like the Sun dazling the beholders Good gracious Princes cast out beams of favour upon their people which refresh them as the light Death the grave have no light in their faces Death looks black and grim hell is extreamest darknesse and the pains of hell are chains of darknes And of the shadow of death There is more then the shadow of death in the grave death it self dwels there The words sound an abatement of the sense Terra cujus palpebrae sunt sicut caligo umbrarum mortis Tâ—rg but indeed they heighten it The shadow of death is thick darknes thickest darknes the very strength of darknes This shadow is the substance of death or death with addition of greatest deadlines Job having given the land this dreadfull name A land of darknesse and of the shadow of death makes it yet more dreadfull by this further explication A land of darknesse as darknesse it self Or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A land of darknesse which looks like darknesse The word signifies wearinesse restlessenesse and vexation of spirit To be in a dark condition is to be in a wearisome condition The Vulgar reads it A land of misery Some darknes hath a degree of light mingled with it but this is pure or unmixed darknesse darknesse in it's proper hue darknesse it self When a man of skill acts skilfully we say he acts like himself and when a wicked man doth very wickedly we say he doth like himself The darknes of the grave looks like nothing but it self Every evil the more like it is to it self the worse it is When the Apostle would shew sin in its colours he calleth it sinfull sin Rom. 7.13 Sin by the commandment became exceeding sinfull the commandment caused it to look like it self Sorrowfull sorrow and painfull pain are the worst of pains and sorrows There is sorrow which may consist with some joy and pain which may cohabit with some ease but he that hath sorrow like sorrow it self and pain like pain it self hath the extremity of both Thus also every good the more like it is to it self the better it is holines like it self is the purest holinesse grace like it self is the sweetest grace When a holy man works like himself his work is best God is ever like himself in all he doth and every thing we do is then best when it is done most like to what God doth And of the shadow of death without any order or The shadow of death and not orders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Et non ordines The word which we translate order is frequent in the Rabbins the holy Text hath it only in this place and here in the plurall number A land of darknesse and the shadow of death and without any orders a land unordered Ther 's no government no method in the grave And if it hath no order then it hath nothing in it but confusion nothing but disorder That the grave or the state of death is without any order may be understood two waies