Then; that is, [...] ex­cipiens, Sept. Quilibet pro suis socijs velut in solidum respondet, ut nunc patet. So­pharis enim de­fensionem con­tra. Jobum ma­nifeste assumit Eliphaz. Bold. when Job had made an end of answering Zo­phar, then Eliphaz answered or replyed upon Job. That's pro­perly a replication which takes off the answer given to a for­mer Argument; and in this Eliphaz also makes a defence for his Brethren Zophar, and Bildad. These three stood to one a­nother, as much as any one of them did for himselfe; as if they had all entred Bond, and given security for reciprocall assistance. Thus the dispute growes hot, but still 'tis orderly, according to that Apostolicall Canon, (1 Cor. 14.29.) Let the Prophets speake two or three, and let the other judge. Eliphaz is now up, let us consider what he saith.

The question denyes; he should not: No man should, least of all he.

The wise man is here opposed to the crafty man, at the 5. Verse. There is a wide difference betweene wisedome and craft, [Page 4] betweene prudence and cunning; A crafty man knoweth what is good, but he commonly doth what is evill; he is able to see the right, but if it be not for his turne, he turnes from it, and cares not to doe wrong: A wise man is he that knoweth how to distinguish be­tweene good and evill, and ever aimes to act what is good; his under­standing is well enlightned, and his conscience binds him to follow the light of his understanding; as he can see what is just and right, so he cannot but embrace and doe it. A wise, man in Scripture-language, is a holy man, and a foole, is a wicked man; holi­nesse is the best wisedome, and wickednesse is the worst of folly: Eliphaz seemes to admit Jobs challenge of being a wise, man, that he might check him with more advantage for spea­king so unlike one: As if he had said, Should a morall wise man, much more a spirituall wise man, should he that is, or pre­tends to be thus wise (as thou dost, should he) utter vaine knowledge?

Job at the 12. Chapter of this Booke, Vers. 2.3.4. object­ed ignorance, or but popular knowledge to his Freinds; I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferiour to you, who knoweth not such things as these? as if he had said; You thinke your selves among knowing men, the highest in knowledge; but who knoweth not such things as these? Eliphaz turnes it here upon Job, by the way of recrimination or counter-charge, he brings in a crosse Bill: Should a wise man utter vaine knowledge? Thou dost arrogate to thy selfe the reputation of a wise man, but art thou wise, who speakest at such a rate of folly? The Image of thy mind is stampt upon thy words, it may be seene as well as heard what thou art, by what thou speakest.

[...] Scientiam ven­ti vel ventosam i. e. vanam. Numquid sa­piens responde­bit scientiam venti, vel sci­entiam vento­sam. Merc. Numquid sa­piens responde­bit quasi in vē ­tum loquens. Vulg. Vaine knowledge. The letter of the Hebrew is knowledge of winde, or windy knowledge: The Metaphor is elegant; vaine knowledge is justly called windy knowledge; Vaine know­ledge makes a great bluster, and noise, like the wind, but it passeth away, and though we cannot tell whither it goes, yet we may easily tell whence it comes, even from the fancie, and out of the mouth of a foolish man. It was usuall of old, to call that which is vaine, windy; those despisers of holy coun­sells, and Divine Alarums, given by the Prophets, said, The Prophets shall become wind, and the word is not in them, Jer. 5.13. That is, both the Doctrine and the threats which these Prophets utter, are vaine and ineffectuall; they will doe us [Page 5] neither good nor evill; no mans finger shall ake, though their tongues ake with talking.

The Prophet Hosea at once reproves and terrisies the Jewes in this language, They have sowne the wind, and they shall reape the whirlewind (Hos. 8.7.) To sow the winde, is to doe a vaine thing; our actions are as seed: such as we sow, such shall we reape; they sowed sin, and they reaped trouble. Themselves sowed the wind by what they did, and they thought the Pro­phets sowed the winde in what they spake: And indeed the words of the Prophet were wind as the peoples works were, in reference to the issue; those produced a whirlewind to scatter their contemners, as these did to scatter their actors. The old Satyrist calls vaine words, bubly toyes, Bullatas nugas utpote similes bullis vento plenis, Pers. Sat. 5. because such words are like a bubble, full of wind (possibly full of wit) but empty of wisedome and good instruction.

Should a wise man utter vaine knowledge? The Scripture calls that vaine:

First, which is unprofitable, these mutually expound each other, Eccles. 1.2, 3. Vanity of vanity, saith the Preacher, &c. What profit hath a man of all the labour which he taketh under the Sunne. There's most vanity, where there is least profit, and where there is no profit at all, there is nothing at all but va­nity. Turne not aside from following the Lord (saith Samuel) for then should you goe after vaine things which cannot profit, 1 Sam. 12.20, 21.

Secondly, the Scripture calls that and those vaine, which hath or have no solidity in them; vanity hath so little weight in it, that when the Spirit would expresse men who have no weight in them, he saith, They are lighter then vanity, Psalm. 62.9.

Thirdly, the Scripture calls that vaine which is alwayes moving, varying, and unsetled, ( Psal. 144.4.) Man is like to vanity, his dayes are as a shadow that passeth away: He is therefore like to vanity, because he is so like a shadow, continually pas­sing, but never continuing.

Fourthly, the Scripture often calls that vaine which is sin­full in practice, or unsound and erroneous in opinion, I hate vaine inventions (saith David) but thy Law doe I love. Whatso­ever opposes either truth of Doctrine, or purity of Worship is a vaine invention of man, and opposite to the Law of God; [Page 6] he utters vaine knowledge, who utters false Principles which subvert the Faith, or superstitious formes which endanger the life and power of godlinesse. Eliphaz supposed, that some­what of vanity in all these notions, was rallyed together in­to the discourse of Job, that it was light and froathy, that it was erroneous and full of incongruity, especially (which carries all these in it) that it was worthlesse and unprofita­ble to the receiver, as he expresseth in the third Verse, Should he reason with unprofitable talke?

Hence observe:

There is a vanity in some kind of knowledge, and folly in that which not a few call wisedome: It hath been the businesse of some mens knowledge, to finde out a vanity in all sorts of knowledge. Eliphaz spake well for the matter, though ill to the man. Job did not utter vaine knowledge, but, we know, too many doe. The old Gentiles waxed vaine in their imagina­tions, [...], vani fa­cti sunt in ra­tiocinationibus suis, Baz. their very reasonings were vaine; so the Originall word tells us: It was not their phansie but their understanding which was vaine. The Apostle cautions the Colossians, Let no man spoyle you through Philosophy and vaine deceit (Col. 2.8.) Philosophy in it selfe is an excellent knowledge, yet it may be vainely taught, and so deceive us, as to spoyle us: I may say also, let no man spoyle you through Divinity and vaine deceit. Divinity, which is in it selfe the most excellent know­ledge, the knowledge of God, may be vainely taught, and so deceive us, as to spoyle us: That knowledge which is best in it selfe, is vainest to us, when it is unduely or falsely uttered.

Secondly, observe, It is most uncomely for those, who ei­ther have, or would have the reputation of wisedome, to speake vainly; Should a wise man utter vaine knowledge? 'Tis no wonder to heare a vaine man speake vainely, and for a foole to utter folly. Doe men gather Grapes of thornes, or Figgs of thistles? The vile person will speake villany, and his heart will worke iniquity, to practice hypocrisie, and to utter errour against the Lord (Isa. 32.6.) If a foole, a vaine man, or a vile person, speake thus, he speakes like himselfe, but if a wise, or a good man speake thus, he speakes so unlike himselfe, that the Chaldee Para­phrase puts not onely an undecensie, but an impossibility [Page 7] upon it, Can a wise man utter vaine knowledge? It is impossible. Estne possibile, &c. Chald. Paraph. Men act according to their principles; every thing is in work­ing, as it is in being; if there be wisedome in the heart, it will be heard at the tongue: A wholesome Fountaine will send out wholesome waters; He that is borne of God (saith the A­postle John, 1 Epist. 3.9.) cannot sinne; though he hath not a naturall impossibility to sin, Sapiens ad mensuram ser­mones profert libra examina­tos justitiae, ut sit gravitas in sensu, in sermo­ne pondus in verbis modus. Ambros. l. 1. Offic. c, 3. yet he hath a morall impossi­bility to sinne, because the seed of God remaineth in him, the frame and bent of his heart is set another way: Now, as there is a morall impossibility that a godly man should commit sin, so that a wise man should speake sin, or utter vaine know­ledge. A wise man speakes, as well as acts, by measure; he waighs what he saith, as much as what he doth; the tongue of the wise is as a Tree of life: Grace in the heart blossomes at the lips, in savory words, which minister grace unto the hearers. Should a wise man utter vaine knowledge?

A belly full of windy meat is bad enough, a belly full of wind is farre worse: But what is here meant by the belly, what by the East-wind?

The belly is put for the heart and affections, together with all the intellectuall powers of the minde, John 7.38. Out of his belly (that is, out of his whole soule) shall flow Rivers of living water. This water is the holy spirit; the holy spirit is sometimes compared also to the wind. Venter pro cor­de, cor pro in­tellectu & mente accipitur in Scriptura. A wise man should desire that his heart may be filled, with the sweet gales and holy breathings of the spirit of God, by heavenly inspirations: And shall hee fill his heart with the East-wind of earthly passions?

The word which we translate East wind, [...] Pro [...] Rab. Mar­doch. Observat hunc ventum a Graecis appella­ri Ape [...]oren quod a sole spi­ret atque ea­dem ratione ap­pellatur a La­tinis subsola­num. signifies onely the East; Should he fill his belly with the East, we rightly add the East wind; he compares Jobs passions unto the winde, and un­to the East wind; to the wind, because of the vanity of them, to the East wind, because of the hurtfulnesse of them. For, as by wind in the former clause he meanes worthlesse things, so by East wind in this he meanes dangerous things. There are two reasons why he expresses such inwa [...]d motions by the East wind.

First, The East wind is a vehement and strong wind; wee [Page 8] read Exod. 14.21. Portae Eurum Appellans tru­culemum, rapi­dum, animosum, tumidum & indomitum. that when God divided the Red Sea, to make a passage for his people, he caused an East wind to blow all night, and divided the Sea with the force of it. Poets describe the East winde to be feirce, heady, turbulent, and im­petuous, thats one ground of it.

Secondly, The East winde is observed by Naturalists to be a hot and fiery winde; Ardore. Hence the Vulgar translates, Thou fillest thy belly with heate: The East winde parcheth and blast­eth Corne and Fruits. Pharoah beheld in his Dreame seven eares withered, Sub calidi & aestuantis aeris similitudine sermones ejus exspaeratos & excandescentia plenos descri­bit. thin, and blasted with the East wind ( Gen. 41.23.) So then, under this notion of the East winde. Eli­phaz closely censures Job; First, that his thoughts were vio­lent, and impetuous: Secondly, that they were angry, fiery, fu­rious; as if coales were kindled in his bosome, and a flame ready to blaze at his lips: As if like Paul, while Saul (Acts 9.1.) he breathed out threatnings and slaughter, or was inward­ly heated with resolutions of revenge. The Prophet Jeremie saith, The Word of God was as a fire in his bosome, and he could not refraine: Jobo attribuit vanitatem in sententia, tem­pestatem in af­fectu, imbecilli­tatem in argu­mento. superflu­itatem in ver­bis. Coc. Many a mans breast is like a heated Oven, he is ready to consume all with the breath of it.

But why doth Eliphaz charge Job with such unruly per­turbations? Some assigne the reason from those words, Chap. 14. v. 14. where he desires that God would even hide him in the grave; he was so vext and troubled at the state wherein he li­ved, that he preferred death before it, and thought a not be­ing in the World, better then a being in his condition. But we may rather leave the reason more at large, to all that ve­hemency of spirit, with which Job had prosecuted and plea­ded his sorrowfull case.

From the scope of Eliphaz in this part of his reproofe, we may observe:

First, That violent passions are the disguise of a wise man. We cannot see who he is, while he acts unlike himselfe: anger lodgeth in the bosome of fooles; and when it doth but in­trude into the bosome of a wise man, he (for the time) looks like a foole.

Secondly, Passions in the minde are like a tempest in the ayre, they disturbe others much, but our selves more: Many a man (like a Ship at Sea) hath been overset and sunke with the violent gusts and whirle-whinds of his owne Spirit.

Observe thirdly, He that fills his owne minde with passionate thoughts, will soone fill the eares of others with unprofitable words; this is cleare from that which goeth before, He utters vaine knowledge; and it is clearer from that which followes after; when a mans thoughts are like a winde, his words (which are the first borne of his thoughts) must needs be windy. A passionate man speakes all in passion, and sometimes cannot speake at all for passion; his extreame desire to say much stops him from saying any thing: But whatsoever he saith, is the copy of his present selfe, fierce and boysterous. The i­mage and superscription of our hearts is stamped upon our words. Some can speake better then they are, but usually men speak according to what they are, and then especially when they are (which passionate men alwayes are) not themselves. Thus it followes in the next Verse.

Eliphaz speakes all Interrogatories; and these speak him in anger, if not in some distemper. Should he doe this? and should he doe that? doe shew that either another hath very much done, what he should not, or that he who reproves him hath not such a spirit of meeknesse, as a reprover should, Gal. 6.1.

The words shew the effect of what he taxed him with be­fore; as if he had sayd, Cum interroga­tione & stoma­cho legenda sunt haec. Merc. Would you know what to expect from a passionate man, from a man whose belly is filled with the East-wind? You shall have him shortly filling your eares with an East wind, even reasoning with unprofitable words: And (as the next clause gives it, which is onely an exposition of this) with speeches wherewith he can doe no good: Some words are great doers, they doe much hurt, or they doe much good, and those words usually doe some hurt, which can do no good; yea, that which is weake and unable to doe good, may be strong and power­full to doe evill. However, not to doe good is to doe evill, because it is every mans duty, whatsoever he doth, to be do­ing good: Here Eliphaz reproves Jobs words as evill, while he onely saith, they doe no good. And yet he saith some­what more then that, for he saith, They can doe no good: It is ill not to doe good actually, but not to have a possibility of doing good is farre worse. When the Apostle would say his [Page 10] worst of the best of mans sinfull flesh, he doth not onely say, It is not subject to the Law of God, but adds, Neither indeed can be (Rom. 8.7.) So here, Words wherewith a man can doe no good, how bad are they?

Hence observe:

First, That which can doe no good, should not be spoken: Before we speake a word, we should aske this question, to what pur­pose, Cui bono. to what profit is it? shall he that heares it be made more knowing, or more holy by it?

Observe secondly, Ʋnprofitable talke is sinfull, and speeches which doe no good, are evill: Every idle word that men shall speake, they shall give an account thereof in the day of judge­ment, Matth. 12.37. and though a man be very busie, and take much paines in speaking, yet if his words be unprofitable, and his speeches such as can doe no good, they will come un­der account as idle. Now, if unprofitable talke be sinfull, and speeches that can doe no good, then what is prophane talke, and speeches which doe hurt, (infection gets quickly in at the eare) defiling the minde and corrupting the manners of those that heare them. The Apostle gives us the rule of spea­king, both in the negative and in the affirmative ( Ephes. 4.29.) Let no corrupt communications proceed out of your mouths, but that which is good to the use of edifying, which may administer grace to the hearer. Againe, ( Colos. 4.6.) Let your speeches be alwaies with grace; that is, such as testifieth that there is grace in your heart, never speake a word but such as may stand with grace; yea, speake such words as may be a witnesse of grace, wrought in your selves, and a meanes of working grace in others. Let your words be seasoned with salt; the salt of our words, is ho­linesse, and truth; prudence also is the salt of words; good words, and true, spoken unseasonably, may doe hurt: Pru­dence teaches us the time when and the manner how to answer every man. Belial ex [...] non & [...] quod in hiphil significat pro­desse; ut deno­tet inutilem, qui nec sibi, nec alijs prodest.

Thirdly observe, It is matter of just reproofe against every man to be unprofitable, and to doe no good: Every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen downe and cast into the fire, ( Matth. 3.10.) Some conceive that the word Belial comes from Beli, which in Hebrew signifies Not, and the word Jag­nal, which here in the Text signifies to doe good: Because a Belialist, or a Son of Belial is such a one as neither doth [Page 11] good to himselfe nor to any other. The unprofitable Servant who hid, and did not improve his Talent, shall be condemned: And he who uses his talent unprofitably and vainely, shall not escape: Should he reason with unprofitable talke?

Thus farre we have seen Eliphaz reproving Job of folly in speaking unlike, and below a wise man; he proceeds to re­prove him for acting unlike, and below a godly man: This he sets home with a particle of aggravation.

As if he had said, besides, or above all this, that thou hast uttered vaine knowledge, words that cannot profit, thou hast also cast off the feare of God, &c. The word which we translate to cast off, signifies to make voyd, to scatter, to dissolve, [...] Labe­factasti, irri­tum fecisti, dis­solvisti, fre­gisti, to break in peices; to make as nothing, or to make nothing of. It is of­ten used in Scripture, for breaking the Commandements of God, imploying such a breach as makes the Commandements voyd, which is the proper character of an evill heart; A godly man may sin against the Commandements, but a wicked man would sinne away the Commandements; he would repeale the Law of God, and enact his owne lusts: Such is the force of the word here, Thou castest off feare.

There is a naturall feare, and a spirituall feare; we are not to understand this Text of a naturall feare (which is a trou­ble of spirit, arising upon the apprehension of some approach­ing evill) but of a spirituall: Feare is here put alone, but we are to take it with its best adjunct, the feare of God; for as the word sometimes is put alone, to signifie the word of God, as if there were no word but his; and as the word Comman­dements is put alone, to note the Commandements of God, as if no Commandements deserved the name, but onely the Commandements of God, so feare is put alone, by way of excellency, for the feare of God; as importing, that his feare is excellent, and no feare to be desired but his. This Divine feare comes under a double notion:

First, it is taken for the holy awe or reverence we beare to God in our spirits, which is the worship of the first Comman­dement, and the sanctifying of God in our hearts.

Secondly, For the outward acts of Religion, which is the [Page 12] worship of the second Commandement, Their feare is taught by the precepts of men (Isa. 29.13.) that is, their outward wor­ship and Religion, is such as men have invented, not such as God hath appointed: Some take it here in the first sense one­ly, thou castest off feare; that is, thou castest off that awe, re­verence, and regard thou owest to the Name of God; others understand it in the second, Thou castest off feare; that is, the outward worship and service of God: but I conceive we have that expressed in the next clause, Timor hoc loco pro reverentia & tremore, po­tius quam pro religione & cultu, licet u­trumque cohae­reat. Pined. And restrainest prayer be­fore God; there he taxeth him with neglect of outward wor­ship, and here with neglect of inward, Thou casteth off feare; feare is as the bridle of the soule; feare holds us in compasse, it is the bank to the Sea; feare keeps in the overflowing of sinne, Thou casteth off feare.

But what cause had Job given Eliphaz to charge him with casting off the feare of the Lord; we finde Eliphaz touching upon this point before, and upbraiding Job, (Chap. 4.6.) Is this thy feare? Nullo pudore loquutus es co­ram Deo. Sym­mach. Is this thy confidence? As if he had sayd, Is all thy profession come to this; here he chargeth him expresly, thou hast cast off feare; Job had not given him any just cause to speak or thinke thus hardly of him; but Eliphaz might possibly ground this accusation, upon those words ( Chap. 9. v. 23.) This is one thing, therefore I sayd it, he destroyeth the perfect and the wicked, &c. Which Eliphaz did interpret as a casting off the feare of God; hath he awfull and reverent thoughts of God, who affirmeth, that God laugheth at the afflictions and tryals of his people? Againe, Chap. 12.6. The Tabernacles of Robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure, into whose hands God bringeth abundantly: Hath not this man cast off all feare of God, who dares say, the wicked prosper, and are secure? Is God be­come a freind to those that professe themselves enemies to him? Others referre the ground of this to Chap. 13.21, 22. where he seemes to speake boldly, and as some have taxed him, impudently, Doe not two things to me, withdraw thy hand from me, &c. Then call thou, and I will answer, or let me speake, and answer thou me: Hence Eliphaz concludes, surely the man hath cast off the feare of God; he speaks to God as if he were Gods fellow, Speake thou and I will answer, or let me speake, and answer thou me; are these words becomming the great God of Heaven and Earth; art not thou growne over bold with God, doest [Page 13] thou speake as becomes the distance, that is betweene the Crea­tor, and the Creature? the Greek translates to this sense, Thou speakest to God without any modesty, thou hast put on a brasen 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 [Page 14] 'tis 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 [Page 15] 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.

Taking the words abstractly, they yeeld us this usefull ob­servation, That it is an argument of an evill heart, to shorten, Hic proponi­tur tanquam ingens piacu­lum quod homo afflictus remit­tat orandi stu­dium. or restraine, to lessen, or to give off Prayer in times of trouble. That King spake to the height of prophanenesse, when he said (2 Kings 6.) This evill is of the Lord, and why should I waite on the Lord any longer? When we have done waiting, we have done praying. No man will aske for that which he doth not ex­pect to receive. How long so ever affliction lasteth, so long prayer-season lasteth; if the Winter day of our trouble, be a Summer day in length, if it be continued many dayes, yea many moneths, and yeares, prayer should continue ( Psal. 50.15.) Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will heare, and thou shalt glorifie me; Let the day of trouble be short or long, God lookes to heare of us all that day. Is any afflicted let him pray, saith the Apostle James; it is a duty to pray, when we [Page 16] are not afflicted, when we prosper in the World: But is any man afflicted, then is a speciall season for prayer. A sincere heart prayes alwayes, or continues in prayer; an hypocrite never loves to pray, and at two seasons he will restraine, or lay aside prayer: First, when he is got out, or thinks he hath prayed himselfe out of affliction. Prosperity and worldly fulnesse stop the mouth of prayer, and he hath no more to say to God, when he hath received much from God. Secondly, a Hypocrite restraines prayer, when he perceives he hath got nothing by prayer; he sees he cannot, or feares he shall not get out of trouble, and therefore he will pray no more in trouble; his spirit failes, because his afflictions hold out. Upon which soever of these two grounds, the Hypocrite re­straines prayer, he shewes the wickednesse of his heart. If from the former, he shewes, that he beares no true love to God; if from the latter, he shewes that he hath no true faith in God, or dares not trust him. Further, to cast off prayer, is to cast off God; and he that lives without prayer in the World, lives without God in the World: Hence the Heathen who know not God, and the Families that call not upon his Name, are joyned to­gether, or rather are the same ( Jer. 10.25.) Further, to re­straine prayer, is worse then not to pray: The latter notes onely a neglect of the duty, the fromer a distast of the duty. To give over any holy exercise is more dangerous then not to begin or take it up. The one is the prophane mans sin, the o­ther is the Hypocrites. Thou restrainest prayer: and hee that doth not utter prayer with his mouth, will soone utter wick­ednesse with his mouth, as it follows.

Here Eliphaz explaines, and proves what he said before, that Job had cast off the feare of God, and restrained prayer; as if he had said, If thou hadst kept in holy feare, that would have kept in thine iniquity: Hadst thou not restrained prayer, that would have restrained, and bridled downe thy sin; but thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and that sheweth that prayer is restrained, and that feare is cast off; here is a demonstration of it; If you should come to a Princes Court, and see a great croud about the doore, you would say, the Porter is there, he stops and examines them; if [Page 17] at another time you see all going in as fast as they please, you will say the Porter is out of the way. Thus while the feare of the Lord stands like a Porter at the doore of the soule, we keep our thoughts and actions in compasse; we examine what goes in, and what comes out: but when once thats gone, Non opus est ut te doceam in quo pecces, cum ipse tuus sermo doceat te ini­quum esse. Va­tab. Reus verbis o­ris tui. Sept, or­der is gone. Any thing may be sayd, any thing may be done by him, who feares not, who prayes not. Thou hast cast off feare, and restrained prayer, for thy mouth uttereth thine ini­quity, out it comes, as fast as it can: I need not tell thee wherein thou hast offended, thy mouth powres it out.

Hence Note, That the evill which is in the heart will out at the mouth, unlesse prayer and the feare of God restraine it: As the good that is in the heart will come out of the mouth, especi­ally when prayer unlocks the mouth. David prayes, Lord open thou my lips, and then he undertakes for his mouth, that it shall shew forth the praise of God. (Psal. 51.1.) My heart is in­diting a good matter (the heart doth this in prayer or medita­tion) what follows, My tongue is as the Pen of a ready Writer: Heavenly thoughts in the heart, shoot out at the tongue in heavenly words. When the heart is devising of a good mat­ter, the tongue will be swift to speake, and set all to a good tune. Thus also while the heart is inditing an evill matter, the tongue runs to evill: Such a man needs not learne from others, he hath a root of bitternesse in himselfe: Hence our Saviour concludes ( Matth. 12.37.) By thy words thou shalt be condemned, and by thy words thou shalt be justified: Why shall we be condemned by our words? Qualis vir ta­lis oratio. Mens mala linguam movet & vos fingit ad im­probos sensus neque aliud os loquitur quam quod interior suggerit atque imperat sensus. The Prophet complaines of those who made a man an offender for a word; I answer, our words shew what we are, they declare our hearts, as a man may be discovered of what Country he is, when he speakes, so of what spirit he is. The tongue is the scholler of the heart, and speakes what that dictates: A man is justly condemned by evill words, because they testifie that he is evill.

Observe Secondly, There are some iniquities which are more properly ours then some others are. Thine iniquity: Job had (as Eliphaz seemes to suggest) a kind of peculiarity in it. As God ownes some people in a speciall manner; though all the peo­ple of the earth be his, yet they are his beloved people: So [Page 18] man ownes some sin in a speciall manner; though a corrupt heart hath a relation to all the sins in the World, yet some one is his beloved sin; and may be called by way of emmi­nency, his iniquity. 'Tis his, as his Houses and Lands, as the Money in his Purse, and the Garments on his backe are his.

Observe thirdly, Every man is most ready to act and utter his speciall iniquity: Thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity. There are some sins in a mans heart, which possibly, he may never utter all his dayes: but he must be talking of, or acting his be­loved one. Hence David speakes it, as a high worke of grace in him ( Psal. 18.23.) I have kept my selfe from mine iniquity: Even a godly man who disownes every sin, hath some one sin more his owne then others. This findes him work (not to doe it) but to keep himselfe from doing it.

As if he had sayd, Thou wast wont to speake prayer, now thou speakst pollicy, thou dealest cunningly and deceitfully with us, not plainely and clearely. Why, what had Job spo­ken or done, that should gaine him the disreputation of a craf­ty man; some conceive Eliphaz hinting at those words ( Chap. 6.24.) Teach me, and I will hold my tongue, &c. Thou speakest as if thou wert willing to be taught, shew me my errour, and I will turne from it; yet this is from craft not from consci­ence. For though thou seemest to be willing to receive instru­ction, yet thou keepest close to thy opinion, and wilt not part from it. We shall sometimes heare a man speaking very in­genuously, convince me that I am in an errour, and I will re­linquish it, Lingua pro do­ctrina Metony­micè, causa vel instrum [...]ntum pro effectu. and yet he resolves to hold his owne. To desire instruction is growne into a complement; but 'tis by the tongue of the crafty: The instrument is here put for the effect, the tongue for speech, as Isa. 50.4. Thou hast given me the tongue of the learned, what to doe, that I may know to speake a word in season. Lingua erudi­ta vel doctri­narum, i. e. e­ruditè, sapien­ter, ornate, sua­viter loquendi facultas.

Againe, the word Crafty, is taken in a good sense, by some Interpreters. So the tongue of the crafty is the tongue of the wise; as if he had said, thou seemest to speake very wisely, soberly and holily; others render it thus, Thou shouldest have chosen the tongue of the wise; that is, thou shouldst have spoken [Page 19] more reverently and discreetly, whereas thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity; but rather the crafty, is the subtill man. As if he had sayd, Thou lovest to play the Sophister, to put faire colours on a bad matter, [...] versutus, ma­lignus, calidus. Calidos hic vo­cat, qui cum male sentiant & agant, in­veniunt tamen causationes & colores. Coc. and wilt not let things appeare as indeed they are. Be wise as Serpents, is Christs advice, but he adds, Be innocent as Doves: Serpentine wisedome must be mixed with Dove-like innocence; the craftinesse of the Ser­pent alone, belongs onely to the seed of the Serpent.

Lastly, whereas he saith, Thou chusest the tongue of the crafty; he heightens his accusation, and would represent this good man to the eye of the world in a blacker hue. To chuse, notes a mixt act both of the understanding, will, and affections; and it seemes here to be opposed to that wicked act (but not in the wickednesse of it) where-with he bespatter'd Job in the former Verse, Thou castest off feare: To cast off, or reprobate, is contrary to electing or chusing, and so is the feare of God to craft. The feare of God is the beginning of wisedome, a good understanding have all they that doe thereafter; but craft is onely the corruption of wisedome, and they have no good understanding who doe thereafter. Now, when Divine feare and humane craft stand in competition, for a man to give his vote for craft, and to refuse, at least to let passe the feare of the Lord, this is one of the highest growths of sinfull corruption. He that doth thus, needs neither Judge nor witnesse against him, he is both himselfe; so Eliphaz resolves it in the next Verse.

This Verse hath nothing in it that needs a Comment. The intendment of it may be thus given, It is as cleare as the light that thou castest off feare, and restrainest prayer before God; for as much as thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, Testes olim ma­nus super caput rei imponentes dicere solebant, Malitia tua te adduxit ad mortem non nos, Lyran. and thou hast chosen the tongue of the crafty; these things are so plaine that I need not prove them, thine owne mouth shall condemne thee, and not I. As the Judge said at Christs tryall; What need we any witnesse, ye have heard his blasphemy, Matth. 26.65. Witnesses of old were wont to put their hand upon the head of the offender, and say, It is thy owne wickednesse which condemnes thee, and not wee; much more doth their wickednesse condemne them, who may justly be condemned without witnesse.

Hence observe:

That selfe condemnation, is the strongest condemnation, Luke 19.22. Christ tells the unprofitable Servant, Out of thine owne mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked Servant. The obstinate Heretick is condemned of himselfe, Tit. 3.14. Not that the Heretick doth condemne himselfe, formally, he doth not say I am in an error, you can hardly bring an Heretick to that, and when you doe, he ceaseth to be an Heretick. It is his stiffenesse in opinion, which fastens the reproach of heresie upon him; but he is said to condemne himselfe, because holding such an erroneous opinion, he doth virtually condemne himselfe, and plainely declares that he is fallen from the truth, or hath alwayes op­posed it.

The Prophet, ( Isa 44.9.) saith of Image-makers, They are all of them vanity, their delectable things shall not profit them, and they are their owne witnesses; they see not, nor know, that they may be ashamed: Images shew what both they and their worship­pers are; though no man should speake a word against them, they having tongues and cannot speake, speake enough against themselves: their silence, or dumbnesse rather, proclaimes a­loud to all the World, that they are vaine and dunghill Dei­ties; they can doe neither good nor evill, to shew them­selves Gods, and they who worship them doe not so much as shew themselves men, Isa. 46.8. In all this they are their owne witnesses. They cannot but see their owne blindnesse and folly who speake to that which cannot heare, and lift up their eyes to that which cannot see: Every sinner hath reason to con­demne himselfe with his owne mouth, and why an Idolater doth it not, no reason can be given, but that which was toucht even now from the Prophet, he wants his reason, and is therefore in a holy scorne advised, to shew himselfe a man. While we acquit our selves with our owne mouths, and beare witnesse to our selves, our witnesse is of no validity, nor are we at all acquitted; but while we condemne our selves with our owne mouths, and beare witnesse against our selves, our witnesse is stronge, and we are abundantly condemned.

Numquid ante primum homi­nem natus es. Pagn. No natu r mi­nus minimo. Est asitatum in omni, ut reor, lingua ut qui in gradu aliquo ad quandam me­diocritatem non pervenere, imo qui ininfimo constitere gradu, eum eo qui maxime ex­cellit compa­rentur, cum i­ronia tamen, ut si de homine timido dicas, non es cum A­chille conferen­dus &c. neque aliud voluisse Eliphazem arbitror quam ejus esse aetatis Jobum in qua non multum so­leat esse sapien­tiae. Sanct.Or, as some read it, Art thou borne before the first man? This is a high straine of Rhetorick, it is impossible to be before the first; for as there is nothing lesse then what is least, so nothing was before the first; but as we say, Such a man will see the last man borne, when we see him resolved to stay the longest upon a businesse, or desirous to live very long: So wee may say, Such a man was borne before the first, or surely he is the first man that was borne, whom we see highly conceited of his owne an­tiquity: And indeed when Eliphaz askes the question, Art thou the first man that was borne? His meaning is to taxe Job for a Punie, or a young man, yet arrogating to himselfe the glory of longest experience; as if he had sayd, Thou hast told us that we are but of yesterday, and objectest novelty against us, to derogate from our authority, yet surely thou art none of the oldest, thou art not older then Adam (I beleeve) thou wast not before the first man, that ever was, no nor the first man: It is usuall in many Languages, to compare those who are lowest in any degree to the highest, and the meanest to the greatest, Ironically, or in a way of scorne; thus 'tis said to a Coward, or a white-liverd fellow, Thou art no Achilles; to a Dwarfe or one of a low stature, Thou art no Goliah; to one of weake parts, surely, Thou art no Solo­mon, no Aristotle; so of one that is but young, Surely thou art not Nestor, thou art not Adam, the first man that ever was.

Job gave Eliphaz and his Freinds some colour to twit him thus, while he sayd ( Chap. 13.5.) O that you would altogether hold your peace, and it should be your wisedomes: This was as if he [Page 23] had sayd, You are but ignorant, and the more you speake the more you discover your ignorance; And againe, Ch. 12.12. With the an­cient is wisedome, and with length of dayes is understanding; where he secretly upbraided them as Juniors, and that therefore lit­tle or no heed was to be taken to what they spake; now saith Eliphaz, Art thou the first man borne? that is, Art thou the wi­sest man living? He who thinks himselfe the first man, takes himselfe for a very wise man, even as wise as Adam, who was not onely the Father, but the Teacher, and Instructer, of his posterity: In which sense the Jewes said to Christ, Thou art not yet fifty yeares old, and hast thou seen Abraham, John 8.57. Thou speakest as if thou wert an old man: we know thy age, thou art but a young man, yet thou speakest at the rate of thousands, as if thou wert as old as Abraham, or the ancient of dayes among men, Art thou the first man?

Or, ‘Wast thou made before the hills?’

Some conceive, that by the Hills he meanes the Angels, Philippus se­quutus Augu­stinum, conten­dit hoc loco angelos collium nomine intelli­gi. Ad facies col­lium. Heb. Num formatus es ante mun­dum conditum, nam colles una cum terra for­mati fuerunt a­liquot diebus ante hominem. Drus. but that Exposition smels too much of the Allegory: Take the Hills litterally, for the uppermost parts or bosses of the earth; the Originall is, Wast thou formed or made before the face of the hills? which is an Hebraisme. Some interpret the Hills by a Sy­necdoche, for the whole earth, then the sense is, Wast thou formed before the earth? The first man was formed out of the earth, and art thou older then the earth? So that here Eliphaz puts him by a challenge of greater antiquity then in the for­mer part of the Verse, Wast thou the first man that was borne, or wast thou made before the earth? the earth is elder then man, both had not the same birth-day.

Againe, as the Hills are a part of the earth, so they may be sayd to be borne the first of any part of the earth: For the earth was covered with water, it was a great deep, till a word of command came from God, that the waters should retire to certaine Channells, and receptacles which his wisedome had assigned them; now when the waters were thus gathered and put into those vast Vessells, then the Hills, and Mountaines, Quod prius conspicuum est antiquius esse vide [...]ur. which are the highest parts of the earth appeared first, and so the Mountaines are elder in regard of view, th [...]n the Plaines and Valleys of the earth. That is sayd to be first which ap­peareth [Page 24] first: So then, whether we take hills by a Synecdoche for the whole earth, or plainely for a part of the earth, both reach at highest antiquity. There is an opinion (I confesse) which if true, takes away the ground of this notion, That hills and mountaines grew up, or were as so many excrescen­cies of the earth, since it was created, and that they grow day­ly (as Naturalists expresse it) by Juxtaposition. But I fully adhere to their judgement (under which this notion stands safe) that the earth was distinguisht into hills, plaines, and valleys, by the same immediate power which created it, though I easily grant that many hills have been accidentally caused, and cast up since, especially in the deluge. And this doth more advance the wisedome of God in the frame of this mighty masse, which hath in it greater ornament, and yeelds greater delight by this variety, then if it had been smoothed all over into Plaines and Levels.

Quod longe an­ti suum, mon­tium & col­lium compara­tione indicari solet.Further, to cleare the Text, consider, that it is usuall in Scripture, when a thing of great antiquity is spoken of, to compare it to the Hills, Prov. 8.23, 24, 25. Wisedome (which is Christ) speakes thus, I was set up from everlasting, from the be­ginning, ere the earth was, when there were no depths I was brought forth; when there were no fountaines abounding with water, before the mountaines were setled; before the Hills was I brought forth; while as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the World. Where note also by the way, a full confirmation of the opinion even now asserted, that God made the Hills immediately, which are here also called, The highest part of the dust of the earth. Againe ( Psal. 90.2.) O Lord thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations; which he explaines in the next words, Before the mountaines were brought forth, from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. Old Jacob speakes this Divine Philosophy upon his death-bed, while he was blessing his sonne Joseph (Gen. 49.26.) The blessings of thy Father have prevailed above the blessings of my Progenitors, above the utmost bounds of the everlasting Hills: Once more, Hab. 3.6. He stood and measured the earth, he beheld, and drove asunder the Nations; and the everlasting Mountaines were scattered, the perpe­tuall Hills did bow: Now a thing is called everlasting, either strictly, because it shall last for ever, or because it lasteth very long; in this latter sense, the Hills are everlasting: The Hills [Page 25] were from the beginning, and shall continue to the end. As for Job, he began to live but lately, and he must shortly dye: Wast thou made before the Hills? Eliphaz proceeds to a second branch of his third reproofe.

As if he had sayd, Possibly thou wilt wave or not stand to this plea of thy great antiquity. What is it then that swells thee into such proud and daring thoughts of thy infallible know­ledge? Is it because, ‘Thou hast heard the secret of God.’

The Hebrew word signifies either counsell, [...] Secretum vel consilium. [...], ar­cana, indicendae Aquil. [...], Theod. or any thing that is secret and mysterious; some render it, Hast thou heard things unspeakable: when the Apostle was caught up to Heaven (2 Corinth. 12.) He heard words unspeakable which it is not lawfull for a man to utter: Hast thou heard unutterable secrets? A se­cond translates, Hast thou heard the mysteries of God? A third, Hast thou had discourse with God? or hast thou heard God dis­course about the great things of wisedome? The Septuagint, [...]. Constitutionem domini audivi­sti & consilia­rio te usus est Deus. Sept. Eadem vox quae est secre­tum, est etiam consilium aut concilum, quod in conciliis ar­cana tractantur; & consilia non nisi secretò ini­ri debent Pi­ned. Hast thou heard the constitutions of Heaven, or knowest thou in what manner God hath setled all the affaires of mankind, naturall, civill, and spirituall? Art thou of privy counsell to the King of Hea­ven? or art thou a member of the Celestiall conclave? Thus he reproves him for arrogating to himselfe such knowledge, as is not attaineable, but by speciall inspiration, or revelation from God himselfe. The Prophet puts the question ( Jer. 23.18.) Who hath stood in the counsell of the Lord, and hath percei­ved and heard his word? Who hath marked his word and heard it? So the Apostle ( Rom. 11.34.) Who hath knowne the minde of the Lord, or who hath been his Counsellor? God is able to make knowne the whole mystery of his will in a moment to the meanest soul, he can let in stoods upon the understanding with­out our study; he can make a foole wise, and drawing back the curtaine of ignorance, irradiate the darkest minde with the cleareest light of all things knowable: But hast thou heard such secrets?

There are two sorts of Divine secrets:

• First, Secrets of Providence:
• [Page 26]Secondly, Secrets of Doctrine.

The former are of such things as God will doe; the latter, such as Man is either to doe or beleeve: God reveales both to his people. The ordinary way for us is by the Word written, the extraordinary by a word spoken: Thus God opened his secrets to the ancient Prophets and Apostles. The Prophet A­mos (Chap. 3.7.) speakes of the secrets of providence, Sure­ly the Lord will doe nothing, but he revealeth his sacrets to his Ser­vants the Prophets: And the Lord himselfe saith of Abraham, Shall I hide from Abraham the things that I am about to doe: Now as there is a revealing of Providence, or of the workes of God, so there is a revealing of Doctrines and of the holy Truths of God. This he promiseth ( Joel 2.28.) I will powre out my spi­rit upon all flesh, and your Sons and your Daughters shall prophesie, your old men shall dreame dreames, your young men shall see visions: Young men, cannot claime to be the first men, they were not before the Hills, yet to them the visions of Heaven are pro­mised: Yet we must not neglect that command of our atten­dance upon the teachings of the Word, because wee have re­ceived a promise of the teachings of the Spirit. The spirit u­sually teacheth by the Word, never against it; and it is a temp­ting of God, while he gives us meanes, to linger after imme­diate Revelations: yea, when the Lord reveales himselfe im­mediately, he uses to doe it without mans fore-thought or ex­pectations. The Prophets did not set themselves to receive Re­velations from God, but his Spirit came upon them with mighty power and irresistible evidence. And though God doth reveale some of his secrets, yet he hath secrets which he will not reveale: The secret of the Lord is with them that feare him (Psal. 24.14.) And his secret is with the righteous (Prov. 3.32.) This secret is either the good will and favour of God, of which the World knowes nothing, or the good Word and Faith of God of which the World knowes as little: Both these sorts of Divine secrets are with the righteous, and men fearing God; but the secrets of his Counsel are reserved in his owne breast. He reveales to his people the secrets of his bounty, and of their duty, what he will doe for them, and what they must doe for him; but many things which himselfe will doe shall never be revealed but by the doing of them: Hast thou heard the secrets of God?

That is, [...] Detrahis ad te; quod sensu in idem recidit cum eo quod est tibi ascribis fraudando alios negatam aliis sapientiam tibi assumpsisti ex divino arcano. Sapientia ultra te suos terminos non porriget? Tygur. Doest thou thinke there is no wisedome besides thine? art thou at the very border and utmost limit of know­ledge and understanding? is all beyond thee ignorance and folly? Hast thou got and engrossed all the learning from o­thers, and reserved it to thy selfe alone as thy peculiar, with which none must intermedle without a license obtained from thee? hast thou the monopoly of wisdome? or is all but enough for thee? Shall none of thy neighbours share with thee? This is either a charge of greater arrogancy then the former, Doest thou restraine wisedome to thy selfe? or at least a charge of greatest un­charitablenesse; goodnesse is diffusive, and so is wisedome, and it is the duty of good men to diffuse wisedome. When they have heard the secrets of God, they must communicate them to others, not restraine all to themselves. But I conceive Eliphaz intends onely the former charge.

Hence observe:

It is the highest straine of pride for a man to restraine wisedome to himselfe: or to thinke himselfe so wise, that all must ad­dresse to him for wisedome: God hath not given all wise­dome to any one man, or sort of men, though he hath trust­ed some with more Talents of it then he hath done others. The Priests lips of old under the Law, and so the lips of Mi­nisters under the Gospel, should preserve knowledge; and the people should seek both Law and Gospel at their mouth ( Mal. 2.7.) Yet neither might the Priests then, nor may Ministers now, restraine wisedome to themselves. The rule of the Apo­stle is, Be not wise above what is written; that is, above holy Writ, or above what is written from the immediate dictates of the Spirit of God. They are (as we say) fooles in Print, who say they are wise above what is thus written; but we may be wise above what is spoken or written by any man, for no man ought to restraine all wisedome to himselfe; to doe so is the top-staire of Antichristian pride. The Pope restraines wisedome to himselfe; he boasts that he hath the secrets of God, and that all must come to him if they will have them unlockt and o­pened: His sentences from the Chayre are Oracles, and there he is infallible; all are obliged to receive what he saith, because he saith it: no man must scruple, much lesse oppose or contradict [Page 28] it. Thus to impose upon men is to set our selves in the place of the God of Heaven; yea, to arrogate to our selves that we are Gods on earth. So the Apostle hath characteriz'd that man of sin (2 Thes. 2.4.) He opposeth and exalteth himselfe above all that is called God, or that is worshipped (that is, above all civill powers or Magistracy) So that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God, shewing himselfe that he is God. And as he out of all measure wickedly, so many others in a very great measure have shewed themselves as God, while they have taken upon them (as we speake proverbially) To give the Law, yea, to give the Gospel to other mens consciences, or to bind up all mens tongues and judgements unto the rule of their appre­hensions. When the Apostle had called God to record, that he alwayes purposed to be bold and plaine with the Corinthians, he presently subjoynes this corrective (2 Cor. 1.24.) Not that we have Dominion over your Faith, but are helpers of your joy: As if he had sayd. Doe not thinke that I take upon me as a Lord over your consciences, to charge any command or observa­tions of my owne upon them: No, I am but as a servant of God to instruct you in his counsels, and to comfort you with his promises.

The Grecians, who were men of great knowledge and learn­ing, a very witty and Philosophicall people, called all other Nations Barbarians: Such pride appeares among some (in name) Christians, they speake and act as if all knowledge and truth were centred in them, or as if all were in the darke who see not by their light. Knowledge is apt to puffe up, how are they puffed up, who thinke they know all? though indeed they who thinke they know any thing, know nothing as they ought to know, 1 Cor. 8.2. God reveales that to Babes and Sucklings, which he hides from such wise and prudent ones, who restraine all wisedome to themselves. God in judgement re­straines wisedome from them, who in pride restraine it to themselves; and as God takes all wisedome from them, who in another sense restraine wisedome to themselves, that is, who will not use it because they have but one Talent of it, or but a little; so he will give them no wisedome at all, who thinke they are possessors, or Lord-Treasurers of all the Talents of it, as if all wisedome were layd up in them. The Bab [...]s and Suck­lings, such as are low, humble, and meek, are the objects of [Page 29] this bounty; as for the proud, God beholdeth them affar off: and they can never get neere wisedome who are farre from the God of wisedome. While such vainely restraine wisedome to themselves, the hand of God is justly restrained from bestow­ing it upon them.

Eliphaz having thus reproved Job for entitling himselfe to so rich a stock of knowledge, either brought in by his owne long experience, or from the speciall inspirations and teach­ings of God; proceeds to challenge to himselfe and his Freinds a knowledge equall at least to what he really had, in the ninth and tenth Verses.

He retorts what Job said, Chap. 12.3. I have understanding as well as you, I am not inferiour to you. Here Eliphaz tells him, we have understanding as well as you: Hath God revealed all knowledge to thee, surely we know as much as thou.

The words are plaine, and need no explication; Dic age quae sunt tuae partes. they sound as if hee had sayd, Come shew thy skill, and open thy hidden treasures; thou hast shewed nothing yet, but what is common to us and others; thou seemest to speake of mysteries, of things that are un­knowne, and secret to this day, but surely thou hast not traded much in these; For, What knowest thou that we know not? thou hast not yet produced any such peice of knowledge; if such precious matter be in thee, wrap it not up in the napkin of silence any longer, bring it forth, that we also may know it.

Hence observe:

First, Man is apt to stand upon termes of comparison with man; Qui velit in­genio cedere ra­rus erit. he cannot beare it that another should be thought or thinke himselfe wiser or more knowing then he: Some are not troubled because they know little, but because they are esteemed lesse knowing then others, What knowest thou that we know not?

Secondly observe, Though some men are of higher parts, and better naturall abilities then others, yet what one man knoweth, others may; No man can boast himselfe beyond the line and degree of man. For as the heart of man answers the heart of man in sin­fulnesse, so in a possibility of goodnesse. One man may be as holy as another, as wise and knowing as another; onely God [Page 30] is more holy, wise, and knowing then any man can be; hee knoweth many things which no man knoweth nor can know. But though it be a straine of pride, for one man to say to ano­ther, What knowest thou that I know not? Yet it is a truth that one man may know as much as another: and though some men know that which another man (in regard of some per­sonall impediments) neither doth nor can know, yet the humane nature in every person is capable of the same, both kind and degree of knowledge.

Thirdly, Eliphaz is about to reprove the pride of Job, as he conceives, and he doth it (as was but now toucht) in such a manner as speaks his owne pride, What knowest thou that we know not, is the language of a high minde: I am as good and as wise as thou: though it may be so, yet it is uncomely to say so.

Hence observe:

Some in reproving other mens faults, runne into the very same faults themselves; the reproofe of a fault may not onely be faulty, but the fault which is reproved. A man may reprove pride with much pride, and lesser vanityes, with a­bundance of vanity. All that good men speak for good, doth not begin at a principle of goodnesse; their owne corrup­tion may rise up against the corruptions of others, and sin is often heard chiding vice. How many are there who check passion, with passion, and are very angry in dislike of anger; you shall have some men speake against bitternesse of spirit with a bitter spirit, and while they are taxing their Brethren with making breaches or with an unwillingnesse to peace, discover much unpeaceablenesse, yea an unwillingnesse to have those breaches healed.

Diogenes was observed to trample upon the pride of Plato with greater pride; and he who to rebuke pride in Apparrell, wore himselfe an unhandsome and torne Coate, was rightly told that his pride was seene through the holes of his Coate. There may be as much ostentation in wearing sordid, as there is in wearing the gayest Cloathes. It was a shame for Heathens to declare their owne folly, while they declaimed against the folly of their neighbours; how scandalous then is this in Christians?

This Verse is the proofe of the former; some thinke the comparison lyes betweene Jobs Friends and himselfe. We are thy Seniors, yet thou speakest as if thou wert the oldest man amongst us: Here are two termes in the Text, which seeme to distinguish old age.

• First, Gray-headed.
• Secondly, Very aged, much elder then thy Father.

Among the Jewes, a man was counted old at threescore, which they called, The first old age: Prima senectus [...] dicitur unde [...] senex: media senectus [...] dicitur & inci­pit ab anno 70. & durat usque ad 80. annum; ad quam qui pervenit postea [...] decre­pitus dicitur, quod est ultimae senectutis voca­bulum, quae du­rat usque ad vitae finem vel usque ad annum 100. Nam fi­lius centum an­norum habetur pro mortuo. Drus. Etiam Eliphaz qui canus est, & Bildad qui de­crepitus est in­ter nos, & So­phar qui major est patre tuo di­ebut. Targ. At seventy he was ex­pressed by the word which we translate Gray-headed, and that was his title till he arrived at Fourescore; from that to the end of life, the whole state was called, Decrepid old Age; and they who reached those yeares, were expressed by the word which we render Very aged men, or as we say, men having one foot in the Grave; for he that was an hundred yeares old, was not numbred among the living, but among he dead. The Chalde Paraphrast applyes the distinction thus; With us is Eliphaz, who is gray-headed, and Bildad who is decrepid, and Zophar who is older then thy Father. Hierome gives Eliphaz the precedency in age, affirming that he was the eldest Sonne of Esau, and that at the time of this dispute, he was no lesse then a hundred and fifty yeares old, Jobs Father ninety, and Job himselfe seventy. But I stay not upon these conjectures.

The scope of Elipqaz in these words may be reduced to this account: As if he had sayd, We need not depend on thy Au­thority or antiquity; For with us, that is, on our side, or of our party and opinion, there are men gray-headed, yea, very aged, much elder, not onely then thy selfe, but, then thy Father. Therefore doe not thou charge us with novelty, know, that we have received our Doctrine from venerable Ancestors; if thou hast learned these things of thy Father, and drunke in thy opinion from the Aged, so have we: Nor doe we e­steeme the Tenets of our fore-fathers meerely by the number of dayes which they lived, but by the wisedome and piety with which they were enriched.

It is observable in Scripture, that Teman (from whence E­liphaz came) was a famous Schoole of Learning (Jer. 49.7.) Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, is wisedome no more in Teman? Hee [Page 32] speakes of it, as of a knowne place for knowledge and wise­dome; What? Is wisedome no more in Teman? As if we in Eng­land should say, Is there no more learning at Oxford or Cambridge? are the lights extinguisht, and the fountaines dry? Thus Eli­phaz asserts that his ab [...]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.

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? Tis no hard thing with God to comfort the most discon­solate soule that ever was; he that made light to shine out of [Page 33] darknesse, can give us light in our thickest darkenesse: An minores sunt consolatio­nes dei, quàm 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 [Page 34] 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? 'Tis 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, whom God comforts, shall say, Thou hast comforted me, and I was comforted. This the Apostle speaks out to the praise of God (2 Cor. 1.3, 4.) Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of mercies, and the God of all consolations; all consola­tion belongs to God; he hath all comfort in his owne pow­er, and dispose; there is not any creature in the World can give out the least dram of comfort to us without the commis­sion or leave of God; it is possible for one man to give ano­ther man riches, but he cannot give him comfort; man may [Page 35] give honour to man, but he cannot give him comfort. A man may have a pleasant dwelling, a loving Wife, sweet Children, and yet none of these a comfort to him.

The consolation of all our possessions and relations is from God: Whosoever would have comfort, must trade to Heaven for it, thats a commodity can be found upon no earthly coast, you may fetch in wealth from many coasts of the earth, but you cannot fetch in comfort, till you addresse your selves to the God of Heaven. We can procure our owne sorrow quick­ly, but God onely makes us to rejoyce; our releife from out­ward affliction or inward griefe is the gift of God. He onely can comfort us in outward afflictions who can command the creature, and he onely can comfort us against our inward griefes, who can con­vince the conscience. None can doe either of these but God; therefore consolations are from God. Luther spake true, It is easier to make a World then to comfort the conscience; the Hebrew phrase to comfort, used in diverse places of the old Testament, is, To speake to the heart: Now God onely can speake to the heart; man can speake to the eare, he can speake words, but he can goe no further. Therefore the act and art of comfor­ting belongs properly to God; Christ is the true Noah: Lamech saith of Noah, Gen. 5.29. This man shall comfort us, concerning our worke and the toyle of our hands; it was not in Noah to com­fort but as God made him a comfort, and he was said to com­fort as a type of Christ, Christ is true comfort, He is comfort cloathed in our flesh, he is (as it were) comfort incarnate: Noah sent a Dove out of his Arke, which returned with an Olive branch, Jesus Christ sends the holy Ghost who is called the Com­forter with the Olive branch of true peace to our wearied souls; and to shew that it is now the highest act of Christs love & care as mediator, to give comfort, he promised to send the holy Ghost, when himselfe was taking his leave of the Church, in regard of any visible abode or bodily presence: being ready to ascend and step into Heaven; he sayd, I will send the com­forter. When God rained fire and brimstone from Heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah, it is sayd by some of the Ancients, that he sent a Hell out of Heaven: But when he powres the ho­ly Spirit from Heaven upon his Sion, we may say he sends a heaven out of heaven. Heaven above is nothing else but holy com­fort, and the comforts of the holy Spirit, are the onely Heaven below.

How highly then ought we to esteeme, how carefully to maintaine communion with God, who hath all comfort; seeing comfort is more to us then all we have. If wee have comfort, let our estate be what it will we are well enough; comfort is as the spring of our yeare, as the light of our day, as the Sun in our Firmament, as the life of our lives. Have we not reason then to draw, yea, to presse neerer unto God, who hath all comfort in his hand, and without whom the best things cannot comfort us? Not our riches, nor our relations, not Wife, nor Children, not health, nor beauty, not credit nor honour, none of these can comfort us without God, and if God please he can make any thing comfort us; he can make a crust of dry bread a feast of fat things, a cup of cold water, a banquet of Wine to us. And as he can make our comforts crosses, so our crosse a comfort, as David speakes ( Psal. 23.4.) Thy rod and thy staffe comfort me, not onely the supporting staffe, but the correcting rod shall comfort, if God command it to be a comforter: Who would not maintaine communion with this God who can make a comfort of any thing, who can answer every crosse with a comfort; If we have a thousand crosses, God hath ten thousand comforts; hee can multiply com­forts faster then the World can multiply crosses.

Againe, if God be the God of all consolation, then goe to God for consolation; as the Angel said to the women when they came to the Sepulcher enquiring for Christ, Why seek yee the living among the dead, he is risen, he is not here: So I may say, Why seek yee living comforts among dead or dying creatures; Seeke them there no longer. Job complaines in this Booke, When I sayd my bed shall comfort me, then thou scarest me with dreames (Chap. 7.) Job went to a wrong place, when he went to his bed for comfort; most soules misse of comfort, because they goe to a wrong place for it: one goes to his bed, another to his freind for comfort, a third to his wife and Children, these, saith he, shall comfort me; alas, why seeke yee the living among the dead, none of these can comfort, though these may be meanes of comfort. Who or whatsoever is the instrument, God is the au­thor of all our comfort; whatsoever hand brings it, God sends it; God (saith Paul) who comforteth those who are cast downe, com­forted us by the comming of Titus (2 Cor. 7.6.) Titus was a good man and brought good tydings, yet Paul doth not say that [Page 37] the comming of Titus did not comfort them; but, saith Paul, God comforted us by the comming of Titus; Tis not your freind who comforts you, but God who comforts you by the comming of such a freind, when you are in sorrow; by sending in such reliefe, when you are poor; by sending such medicines, when you are sick, such salves when you are sore, such counsell when you are in doubt and know not what to doe.

Once more, It is happy for Saints that consolation is in the hand of God; if it were in the hand of the creature, sure they should have but little of it, but it is in the hand of God. There are these foure considerations which may comfort Saints, that comfort is in the hand of God.

First, Considering his nature, he is willing and ready to do good; he is full of compassion, and to shew mercy pleaseth him more then it releeveth us.

Secondly, Considering his relation to his people: he is a Father. Will a Father let a Child lye comfortlesse, when he can help him? he is our Husband, he is our Freind, all rela­tions provoke God to give out comfort to the Saints.

Thirdly, Considering his Omniscience and Omnipresence; he knowes where the shooe wrings, he knowes what comfort we want; a freind (possibly) hath the comfort in his hand, which we need, and he may be willing to give it out unto us, but he knowes not wherein we are pinched; God tells Moses, I have seen, I have seen the afflictions of my people in Aegypt. And as he knows how it is with us, so we are ever within his reach, he can lay his hand upon every joynt where wee are pained, and put a Plaster upon every wound: here is our happinesse. Christ would take off his people from extraordinary cares a­bout the things of the World, by this argument, Your Father knowes that ye have need of these things, Matth. 6.32. your Fa­ther who carryes the purse knowes your want.

Fourthly, Consider his Omnipotence, he is able to com­fort; he can command, yea create comforts, he can bring his comforts through an army of sorrowes to a poore soule, yea he can leade comfort through an Army of Devils and temp­tatio [...]s, to a poore soule; he is Almighty, there is nothing too hard for him to doe, nor is he hard to be entreated to doe that which gives ease unto his people.

Secondly, Observe:

Consolations rightly administred by men, are the consolations of God: While man speakes, God commands; Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, speake comfortably to Jerusalem, tell her that her war­fare is accomplished, and her sin pardoned (Isa. 40.1.) As all the counsells, reproofes, and Doctrines which the Ministers of Christ dispense according to the forme of wholesome words delivered either in the Law or Gospel, are the counsels, instru­ctions, reproofs and Doctrins of God; so also are their consola­tions. And thats the reason why God takes it so ill at the hands of men, when his Messengers, who bring either instruction, or consolation, are refused; because himselfe is refused when they are, and his consolations are disesteemed when theirs are.

Thirdly, Observe:

To account the consolations of God small, is a very great sinne: Mo­ses rebukes rebellious Korah and his confederates, for under­valuing the priviledge which they (as Levites) had to be neer God in holy Services ( Numb. 16.9.) Seemeth it a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel, hath separated you from the Congregation of Israel, to bring you neere to himselfe to doe the ser­vice of the Tabernacle? &c. If it were their sin to count it a small thing to be called neer to God in holy administrations, how great a sin is it in any man to count it a small thing, that God draws neer to him with heavenly consolations? Though the consolations of God to us be small comparatively to what some others have, yet we must not account any conso­lation of God small; and that upon two grounds:

First, because of our owne unworthinesse; the least consola­tions are great, considering how little we are, as Jacob speaks, ( Gen. 32.10.) I am not worthy the least of all thy mercies: Hee thought little mercies too big for him, because he was little in his owne eyes, They who have great, yea any thoughts of their owne merits, lessen the mercies of God; but hee who sees he deserves nothing but ill, sees abundance of mercy in the smallest good.

Secondly, Smallest consolations are very great, because they proceed from a great God. As no sin is small, though comparatively to another sin, it may be small, because it is committed against the great God; so no consolation is small because it comes from the great God. God puts an impresse of his owne greatnesse upon the least things that are done or [Page 39] given by him; though he give but a peny, yet it hath the i­mage and superscription of him, our infinite and eternall Caesar: therefore see you slight it not. As a good heart is carefull to performe the least duty, and to avoyd the least sin, or as a good heart calls no duty little, which God enjoynes nor sin little which God forbids, so a good heart is thankfull for the least mercy, and calls no consolation small, which God, the great God sends.

Fourthly, Observe:

That great afflictions take away the sense of tendered mercies; Consolations for the matter were offered unto Job, but his palate was so distempered with the gall and wormewood of his afflictions, that he could not taste them. Phineas his Wife regarded not the joyfull newes, that shee had brought forth a Man Child, while she was overwhelmed with sorrow, that the Arke of God was taken. While the Israelites were under hard Taske-Masters in Aegypt, they could not attend to the voice of Moses and Aaron, who told them of deliverance; their troubles and burdens wert so heavy, that they looked upon Moses as a trouble, or as a burden, when hee came to mediate their release. And as the Idolatrous Israelites who sacrificed their Children to Moloch, beat up Drumms, and used loud-sounding-Instruments, to drowne the cry of the poore Chil­dren, that they might not be heard; so some afflictions cry so loud, and many cry so loud in their afflictions, that they drowne the sweet melody and musick of those consolations that are sounded in their eares. Great complaints render great consolations small; Job was not without some blame in this, for though his patience was great, yet had it beene greater, he might have missed this reproofe from his Friends, Are the consolations of God small to thee?

The meaning appeares thus, Et verbum la­tens tecum. Heb. Are the consolations of God which we have offered small unto thee, because thou hast some secret hidden thing in thy breast: This secret thing is opened three wayes.

First, in reference to comfort, as if he had said, Hast thou some secret comfort besides what we have offered, hast thou consola­tions of thy owne, which cause thee to neglect the consolations of God? As in the Gospell, when the Disciples prayed Christ to eate, he [Page 40] told them, I have meat to eate that ye know not of (John 4.31, 32.) Christ had secret bread, Est ne apud te divinum ali­quid recendi­tum in mente tua, prae quo nostras consola­tiones Divinas contemnis? Merc. Istae quas ab ip­so Deo acceptas a ferrimus con­solationes levio­res sunt quam ut eas probare posses: nimi­rum quod apud te quidpiam magis recondi­tum delitescat. Bez. Aut aliquid ab­scondit eas a­pud te. Jun. i. e. Ita per­stringit oculos animi tui, ut illas non perci­pias, quai res involucris te­ctas, Jun. Verba tua pra­va hoc prohi­bent Vulg. Apud te potius est incantatio & mendacium etsi prae te verita­tem seras. Rab. Abr. [...] Occulium ma­lum incantatio­nem vel menda­cium denotat. his work was his food, My meat is to doe the will of him that sent me: So here, What? hast thou meate which we know not of? Some hidden Manna beyond what wee have told thee of, that thou carest not for our provisions?

Secondly, others give the meaning thus, Hast thou some se­cret conceit of thy owne wisedome, above ours? Or is there some unknowne worth in thee, that exempts thee from this gene­rall rule, or way of comfort; Doest thou so abound in thy owne sense, that thou hast no need of our Notions? Is all we speake below thee?

Thirdly, they are supposed to aime at some secret sinne or guilt, which hindered and unfitted Job to take in their Cor­dialls and consolations, till it were purged out, or vomited up by sound repentance.

So one renders the Text, Doth any thing hide them with thee? The word signifies to hide and cover (2 Sam. 19.4.) David covered his face: so here, doth somewhat hide, wrap up, and cover these consolations that thou canst not receive them? or what vayles the eye of thy minde, that thou canst not behold what we hold out to thee, or not finde out the meaning of it? If our Gospell be hid (saith the Apostle) it is hid to those that are lost, in whom the God of this World hath blin­ded the eyes of them, &c. (2 Cor. 4.3, 4.) Thus Eliphaz seemes to bespeake Job. If the consolations of God be small to thee, doth not somewhat blinde thy eyes? Doth not some cloud hide them from thee? Doth not prejudice against us, or some close sin in thy selfe interrupt thy sight?

This is hinted by the old Latine Translator, who saith, Thy evill words (or the evill matter that is in thee) hinder this.

One of the Rabbins glosseth it thus, and the Originall rea­ches it, Some lye, some inchantment, or witchery hath seized upon thee, though thou pretendest truth. The Apostle speakes to this sense ( Gal. 3.1.) O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that you should not receive the truth: Witchery or Inchantment gives a secret wound. Is there any secret thing with thee? Hast thou any secret comfort for thy selfe, any secret conceit of thy selfe, any secret sinne in thy bosome hindering the effectu­all working, or due prizing of those cordialls which we have given thee?

The first of these secret things never stands in the way of receiving consolation; he that hath hidden comfort in him, will not refuse spoken comforts; nor doe I thinke that Eli­phaz aymed at that, unlesse in scorne, as some resolve it: Malo in bonum sumi, licet hoc in eum Eliphaz dicat, eum ri­dens. Merc. but rather at one of or both the latter, though mistaken in both. Yet his suspition gives us a ground for these two Obser­vations.

First, That a man who is full of his owne wisedome, is not fit to re­ceive instruction, counsell, or consolation from others; Intus existens prohibet alie­num. that which is within hinders that which comes from without: When a man thinks himselfe wiser then his teachers, he will not be taught, nor learne wisedome by them. Some might have knowne much, if they had not presumed they knew enough. There is no greater impediment of knowledge, then an opinion of it.

Secondly, Observe, A sinne kept close, or secret within us, hinders the effect and working of the Word: Though comforts, and counsels are given, they will not operate, where secret corruption lyes at heart; the filthinesse and corruption of the stomach, hinders digestion, till it be purged out: Physitians remove ill humours before they prescribe Cordialls, else they doe but nourish the discase. 'Tis so in Spiritualls; the Apo­stle Peter gives the rule (1 Epist. 2.1.) Wherefore laying aside all guile, hypocrisie, and envy, and evill speaking, as new born Babes desire the sincere milke of the Word, that yee may grow thereby. As if he had said, Till you cast out these, you will never thrive under the Word; if a man be to sow Seed in his Garden, he will pull up the Weeds, and throw away the Stones, else the Seed will not spring up to perfection. The Prophet tells the Jewes ( Jer. 5, 25.) Your sins hinder good things from you: as sin hinders good from comming to us, so it hinders the Word from working good in us. Though the proper businesse of the Word be to cast out, or pull up this secret sin, yet there is a great stop given it while any secret sin is nourished, or not cast out. That's the reason why so many precious promises take not upon the heart, some sin, some corruption obstructs their operation; and (like the theefe in the Candle) wast­eth away their strength and light.

As the Lord sayd to Joshua when the people of Israel fled before the men of Ai, There is some accursed thing among you, therefore they cannot stand before their Enemies. So I may say, [Page 42] when any stand up against the Word of God, or resist the con­solations which are offered them; sure there is some accursed thing, some hidden Wedge of stolne Gold, or some Babylo­nish Garment treasured in, or wrapt about your hearts, and therefore yee can neither see nor submit to the counsells of God for your good.

This is a usefull truth for us, though an undue charge on Job; and yet his Freind proceeds (if a higher charge can be) to charge him higher, as will appeare in the two Verses fol­lowing.

He speakes by way of Question, or as some expound him, by way of admiration; as if he had sayd, It is strange, even a wonder to me, that thy heart should thus carry thee away: The word which we translate, to carry away, signifies to take up, or barely to take, and lay hold upon; Why doth thy heart? the heart is the whole inward man; here more specially, the af­fections; Why doe thy affections, master thy judgement, why are thy passions too hard for thy reason? Others give the sense thus, How can thy heart hold thee? As if Job had growne too big for him­selfe; as if he had been so proud and arrogant, so transported with selfe-conceit, that he could not containe himselfe, and keep his bounds, or as if he had not stowage enough for his owne thoughts. A third, thus (which comes neere the same sense) What doth thy heart attribute or ascribe to thee? Sure thy [Page 43] heart doth give thee some great titles, such as these, Job the wise, Job the holy, the just, the sincere; thy heart sets thee out sure, Possit per dati­vum ita verti, quid attribuit tibi cor tuum. Bold. Quid docet te cor tuum. Rab. Sol. [...] significat doct­rinam sed ita dicitur a dis­cendo potius quam a docen­do. Drus. Quid docuit te cogitatio tua, Targ. and gildes thee over with attributes beyond thy deserving.

Master Broughton following one of the Rabbins, presents us with a different translation from either of these, What Do­ctrine can thy heart give thee, or what can thy heart teach thee? The word which we render to take, to carry, or hold up a thing, signifies also to learne or teach Doctrine, but rather to learne then to teach, as Grammarians tell us, which somewhat a­bates the clearenesse of that version; yet the Chalde Para­phrase followes the same sense, What hath thy owne thought taught thee? What learnest thou there, as if Eliphaz had sayd, Thou hast an evill heart, and surely an ill Master will teach but ill Doctrine; when the heart is inditing of a good matter (Psal. 45.) then we may learne good lessons from the heart: and then we speake most effectually to the hearts of others, when we speak from our owne hearts, they having first been spoken to by the spirit of God. But a corrupt heart can teach no better then it hath, and that is corrupt Doctrines. These are truths, yet too much strained for upon this Text, and therefore I passe from them, and abide by the ordinary signification of the word as we read it, Why doth thy heart take thee up, or carry thee away; as if he had sayd, Thy heart hath seized upon thee, and arrested thee, thou art led away prisoner, or captive by the violence and impetuousnesse of thy owne spirit.

The word is applyed ( Ezek. 23.14.) to the motion of the spirit of God, sent unto Ezekiel to instruct him; The spi­rit lifted me up, or caught me away; that which the good spirit did unto Ezekiel (not onely upon his spirit, but upon his body, for hee was corporally carryed away from the place where he was) that the heart of Job (as Eliphaz conceived) did unto him, it lifted him up, and carryed him away. There is a kind of violence in the allurements and inticings of the heart. As a man is sayd to be carryed away by the ill coun­sells of others, so also by his owne.

In the former sense the word is used, Prov. 6.25, Where Solomon advising to take heed of the Harlot, saith he, Keep thee from the evill Woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange Wo­man; lust not after her in thy heart, neither let her take thee with her eye lids: There he makes use of this word, let her not take [Page 44] thee, or let her not carry thee away upon her eye lids, let not her wanton eye flatter thee to the sin of wantonnesse and uncleannesse. As the eye of a whorish Woman, so the who­rish heart of a man, often takes and carryeth him away.

Hence observe:

The heart hath power over, and is too hard for the whole Man; Passions hurry our hearts, and our hearts hurry us; and who can tell whither his heart will carry him, or where it will set him downe, when once it hath taken him up. This is certaine, it will carry every man beyond the bounds of his duty, both to God and man: Take it more distinctly in these three particulars.

The heart quickly carryeth us beyond the bounds of grace.

Secondly, the heart often carryeth us beyond the bounds of reason; When passion workes much, reason workes not at all.

Thirdly, it may carry us beyond the bounds of hone­sty, yea of modesty: 'Tis very dangerous to commit our selves to the conduct of passion; that (unlesse kept under good command) will soone run us beyond the line both of Modesty and of Honesty, of Reason, and of Grace. He that is carryed away thus farre must make a long journey of re­pentance, before he can return and come back, either to God or to himselfe. Some have been carryed visibly away by the Devil, by an evill spirit without them (if God give commission or permission, the Devill can easily doe it) very many are car­ryed away by the evill spirit within them. An evill heart is as bad as the Devill; the evill spirit without, and the e­vill spirit within, carry us both the same way, and that is quite out of the way.

Consider further how the heart carryeth us away, even from spirituall duties and holy services; and this is not on­ly the case of carnall men (who are given up to their hearts lusts) but of the Saints; their hearts are continually lifting at them, and sometimes they are carryed quite away from Prayer, and from hearing the Word: the heart lifts the man up, and steales him out of the Congregation, while his body remaines there, the body sits still, but the minde, which is the man, is gone, either about worldly businesse and designes, or about worldly pleasures and delights. He stirres not a foot, nor moves a finger, and yet he is carryed all the World over: [Page 45] He visits both the Indies, yet steps not over his own threshold. Thus the heart being carryed away, carryeth the man away. And thats the reason why God calls so earnestly, [...] Cum omni cu­stodia. My Son give me thy heart; for where our hearts goe, we goe, or wee are carryed with them; Keep thy heart with all diligence (Prov. 4.24.) or, With all keeping, or above all keeping; it must have double keeping, double guards, keep, keep, watch, watch, thy heart will be gone else, and thou wilt goe with it; if thou looke not to thy heart, thy heart will quickly withdraw it selfe, and draw thee along also: Why doth thy heart carry thee away? is a deserved check upon every man, when his heart doth so; and Let not thy heart carry thee away, is a necessary cau­tion for every man, lest his heart should doe so. Jobs heart was too busie with him, though not so busie as Eliphaz judged, when he thus checkt him, with, Why doth thy heart carry thee away?

But is it a fault to wink with the eye; [...], nutu u­tor, quia nutus ficri solet vel capite, vel ocu­lis. it is sayd ( Joh. 13.24.) that Peter beckned to, or winked at John (the Greeke word signifieth an inviting gesture by the whole head, or by the eye) he winkt at him I say, to aske Christ who it was of whom he spake: There was no fault in that, but Eliphaz findes fault with this: What was the supposed fault? There is a twofold faulty winking.

First, When wee wink at faults, our owne faults, or the faults of other men, to beare with, or approve them.

Secondly, When we wink at the vertues and good deeds of o­thers to slight or undervalue them; possibly Eliphaz taxeth Job for both these, as if he winked at his owne faults, [...] Est vox hoc tantum loco re­perta, cujus significationem, Rab, Mardo­chai dicit esse insinuationem vel indicatio­nem. Quid annuunt quid innuunt o­culi tui. or would not see them, and that he winked at their faithfull dealings, as slighting, or not regarding them: Yet further and more distinctly.

The word which we translate to winke, is found onely in this text all the Bible over. It properly signifies to insinuate by the eye, to speak or make significant tokens by the eye; there is a language of the eye, as well as of the tongue; here Jobs eye gave some ill language to the eye or apprehension of Eliphaz. There are various opinions about it.

[...]st, Some interpret it, as a note of opposition against, [Page 46] or of dissatisfaction with the counsells which his Friends gave him, as was lately hinted. Shutting of the eye, imports shut­ting of the minde, or a refusall of what is spoken. When God judicially closed the eyes of the Jewes, Aegre, qui si­bi sapientes vi­dentur, ferunt, sive concionen­tur, sive discep­tent, non auditi cum exteruis modestiae atten­tionis & aesti­mationis signis. In auditione vi­tia sunt super­cilia, torvitas & [...]istitia vulius obtuitus vagus, nulus, &c. Plut. lib. de Aud. [...], de fixis, immotis intentis oculis esse interpreta­tar. Nictu oculi pro­dis nos nostras­que orationes a te contemni. Pined. Cordis contu­m [...]cia ex oculis tuis emicat. Nictu te osten­dis elatum. Merc. In oculis vete­ribus religio fuit, siquidem in iis imago ho­minis est & ta­citus sermo mentis. Bold. In oculis, loculis & poculis, homo cognoscitur. Sent. Hebr. saying to the Prophet ( Isa. 6.10.) Make the heart of this people fat, and make their eares heavy, and shut their eyes; this shewed the shutting of their minds against the truth: so also doth a voluntary or an affected shutting of the eye in some men, though in others it is an act of stronger attention or intention of their spirits to what is spoken, which some take to be the English of Jobs winking, as we shall see a little after.

Secondly, This winking with the eye, is expounded by o­thers, though not as an opposition against what he heard, yet as the gesture of a negligent and carelesse hearer. They who speak, take it ill to have either ill lookes, or not to be looked upon by their hearers. The attentivenesse of the eare may be much discerned by the eye: One of the old morall Philoso­phers, in his discourse about hearing, numbers winking among the vices and offensive behaviours of a Hearer. When the Lord Christ Preached ( Luke 4.20.) It is sayd, That the eyes of all that were in the Synagogue were fastned on him. A fastned eye is the note of a fixed heart, as a wandring eye is of a wandring heart. They fastned their eyes upon him, as if they meant to hear with their eyes as well as with their eares. A winking eye is a moveable and an unsetled eye, and therefore may well be the discoverer of an unsetled Spirit.

Thirdly, This winking with the eye is also a signe of dis­daine and scorne. As if Eliphaz had sayd, The pride of thy heart sparkles at thine eye; while wee are counselling and comforting thee, thou art scorning us. The Ancients were very criticall about the eye, much of a man may be seen at his eye. As a man sees, so he is seen by his owne eyes. The frame of the heart appeares much in the eye; a joyfull or a sorrow­full frame of heart, an humble or a proud frame of heart, a contented, or discontented, an amicable, or a scornefull frame of heart appeares at the eye. As the eare and nostrills of the Horse, discover him most, according to the rules of Natura­lists, so the eye of man is the greatest discoverer of man, whe­ther we consider the constitution or the actions of it. And that this action of winking, is an argument of a scornefull [Page 47] spirit, or the action of a scorner, appeares from Davids Pe­tition, or deprecation ( Psal. 35.19.) Let not them that are mine Enemies wrongfully rejoyce over me, neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause; it may seem to be a strange piece of prayer, why would not David have his enemy wink? What was that to him? The meaning is this, let not mine Enemies have any occasion to scorne and deride me, to boast and insult over me.

There are two sins which are very visible in the eye: The first is wantonnesse ( Isa. 3.16.) Because the Daughters of Sion are haughty, and walke with stretched forth necks, and wanton eyes, the Hebrew is, Deceiving with their eye; and the Apostle Peter in his second Epistle, Chap. 2.14. gives this character of some, They have eyes full of adultery, you may perceive the filthines and uncleannesse of their hearts staring out of their eyes. The se­cond sin which is so visible in the eye, is Pride; Solomon speakes of a proud look ( Prov. 6.17.) Six things ths Lord hateth; yea, seven are an abomination to him; And the first of the seven, is, A proud looke; the Hebrew is, Haughty eyes: Pride and haugh­tinesse are seated, yea, conspicuously enthroned in the eye.

Fourthly, These words, Why winkest thou with thine eye? Ad simulatam quandam inno­centiae signifi­cationem & sanctitatis spe­cimen, quod hy­pocrism redolet referri potest. are expounded as a reproofe of hypocrisie and seeming holy­nesse; as if Eliphaz had sayd, Thou lookest very demurely, and innocently, as if (according to our old Proverbe) Butter would not melt in thy mouth, or as if thou wert speaking familiar­ly to God. For as lifting up the eyes or looking to Heaven is a gesture of holy worship. ( John 17.1.) Then Jesus lift up his eyes to Heaven: So also is winking with the eye. It is very usuall with many to shut or wink with their eyes in prayer, that so their spirits may be more composed, and freer from distraction. 'Tis not unlikely that Eliphaz observed Job wink­ing with his eyes, as if he had set himselfe to seeke God; this provoked him, What? such a one as thou, a hypocrite, a wicked man, what thou goe to God? Wilt thou wink with thy eyes, as if thou wert wrapt up in some Divine medita­tion; whereas we have ground rather to conclude that thou art devising mischiefe: There are two Texts in the Proverbs, which give some light to this Interpretation, Prov. 6.13. He winketh with his eye, he speaketh with his feet, teacheth with his [Page 48] fingers, frowardnesse is in his heart, he deviseth mischiefe continu­ally: Solomon puts a winking eye and a froward mischiefe-de­vising heart together: As if he had sayd, A wicked man (for of him he speakes in the former Verse) winkes with the eye, as if he had some high rapture, whereas his minde is set upon mischeife, and pursuing the worst of evills. Againe, Prov. 10.10. He that winketh with his eye causeth sorrow; but how doth a man that winketh with the eye cause sorrow? what depen­dence is there betweene these two, sorrow, and winking, that the one should cause the other? These words, he that winketh with his eye, are the description of a deceitfull man; such a one may cause sorrow enough, Qui annuit o­culo suo cum fraude. both to himselfe and others. Solomon intends, not a simple, but a subtill sly winking with the eye; and so the Syriake readeth it; He who winketh with his eye de­ceitfully, causeth sorrow: Deceit makes the deceived sorrowfull, and it will make the Deceiver sorrowfull; he must either be sorrowfull to repentance, or feele the sorrow of punish­ment.

Fifthly, This winking with the eye, is conceived to be a metaphor taken from those who shoot with Guns or Bowes, Quid colli­mant oculi tui, Jun. Metaphora a jaculatoribus sumpta. id. Gunners and Archers winke when they shoot, that they may take aime the better: The contracting of the sight, strengthens it. So here, What dost thou wink at? that is, what dost thou aime at? The eye of a mans minde aimes at some marke in meditation, and hence it is usuall for a man in vehement me­ditation, to wink with his eye. As if Eliphaz had sayd, sure­ly thou hast some great designe, some grand plot in thy braine, thou pretendest to some deep wisedome, or unheard of poli­cies; thou hast set up some faire marke before thy fancie, and thou wilt be sure to hit it; what is it that thou aymest at? We finde the phrase used in this sense, Prov. 16.30. He shutteth his eye to devise froward things, moving his lips he bringeth evill to passe; he shutteth his eyes, as if hee would make his thoughts more steddy and fixt, to hit or reach that froward device which he is casting about how he may effect. And as a wicked man shuts his eyes to devise froward, that is, sinfull things, so a good man shuts his eyes (lest variety of objects should divert or call off his minde) when he is devising and studying what is best both for himselfe and others. Et quasi mag­na cogitans at­tonitos habes o­culo [...]. Vulg. The rendring of the Vul­gar Latine, though it be farre from the letter of the Originall, [Page 49] and is rather a Paraphrase then a Tranasltion, yet it reacheth this sense fully, Wherefore doth thy heart carry thee away, Oculos in caelo defigere solent cogitabundi & quibus gravis inest solicitudo. Sanct. and why liftest thou up thine eyes, as if thou wert thinking of some great matter? Or as if the affaires of Kingdomes, and States depen­ded upon thy care, or were committed to thy trust.

All these interpretations are serviceable to the Text before us; and though we cannot positively and particularly re­solve which of them was here intended by Eliphaz, yet consi­dering that his scope was to reprove Job, we may take in the sense of them all, and conclude that he censured Job in this one word of all those miscarriages of the heart, which may be signified at the eye; as appeares by the inference which he makes in the next Verse: For having sayd, What doth thy eye wink at? he presently subjoynes:

So that this Verse is an explication of the former, Explicationem continet praece­dentis versi­culi. Bold. and gives us more clearely what Eliphaz meant by the Carrying away of the heart, and the winking of the eye: His heart is carryed out of all bounds, who turneth his spirit against God: His eye winks sinfully whose mouth presently upon it speakes unduely. Thou winkest with thy eye, thou art very thoughtfull, and what the fruit or birth of thy thoughts is, we may discerne by thy speech, while thou lettest such words goe out of thy mouth.

As if he had sayd, In stead of humbling thy selfe under the punishment of thy sin, thou with an incensed minde contestest against God himselfe: and though while he saith against God, he doth not meane God directly, but God in his judgements and counsells in his Word or in his Workes; yet this is a very high charge, one of the highest that is in the whole Booke, but very unjust. Indeed Job used some passionate speeches to his Freinds, and these Eliphaz judgeth to proceed from an op­position against God.

There is a twofold turning the spirit against God:

First, Naturall, Rom. 8.7. Enmity is the turning of the [Page 50] spirit. The wisedome or lust of the flesh is enmity against God.

Secondly, Improved when we heighten this opposition in our practice, and are enemies to God in our mindes, or Gods hearty enemies by wicked workes, Col. 1.21.

Quod rediri fe­ceris ad Deum spiritum tuum. Heb. Quia respondit ad Deum spiri­tus tuus. Mont. Pedire facit verbum qui re spondet. Drus.The Hebrew is, Thou makest thy spirit to returne to God, which is expounded two wayes; first, thou makest thy spirit to turn upon, or against God: Secondly, thy spirit answers or re­plyeth upon God; both meet in one meaning; for though there may be a turning away of the spirit without answering, yet (in one sense) all answers are the turning of our spirit: if any man aske a question, the answer is the returne of his minde who makes the answer, so some render, Why doth thy spirit returne answer to God; as if he rebuked him for his bold­nesse in replying. Thy spirit returnes upon God, if he speak one word, thou wilt have two; in that sense the word is used, Titus 2.9. where the Apostle giving rules (among other re­lations) to Servants, charges them, Servants be obedient to your owne Masters, and please them well in all things, not answering againe. But, is it a fault for a Servant, when asked a question, to make an answer? no, it were a fault not to answer. The meaning is, that a Servant being reproved for a fault must not answer; that is, his spirit must not rise, and returne against his Master; or if a Servant be directed to doe any warranta­ble worke, he must not answer againe; that is, hee must not contradict or murmure at the orders which he hath received, but addresse himselfe to the fulfilling of them; this is the an­swering againe, reproved as a fault in Servants, which is rather gain saying then answering, as we put in the Margent of our Bi­bles: in which sense, answering is taken here according to this interpretation. Thy spirit answers God, or turnes against him. We may cleare it also by that of the Apostle ( Rom. 9.20.) Where having shewed the absolute soveraignty of God in his Decrees and purposes, by the example of Jacob and Esau, as also by that of Pharoah: He concludes, Vers. 18. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hard­neth: Saint Paul soresaw that this Doctrine would rayse a great deale of dust, and cause many to turne their spirits a­gainst God, which he thus represents ( Vers. 19.) Thou wilt say unto me, Why doth he yet finde fault? for who hath resisted his will? [Page 51] Nay, but O man who art thou that replyest against God? What? wilt thou chop logick with God himself? Wilt thou (as the Margent saith) answer againe, or dispute with God? Hold thy peace, quiet thy selfe, What's the matter that thou turnest thy spirit a­gainst God?

Spirit is here put for the will, thoughts, and counsells, Spiritus pro arrogantia. La­tine diciur magnos gerere animos qui su­perbia tumet. Merc. Quid tumet ad­versus Deum spiritus tuus? Vulg. Quid torva convertis in cae­lum Lumina? quid in Deum refundis stoma­cum & evocas conceptam i­ram. Pined. Animum in­dignatione ac­censum. Jun. Omnem spiri­tum suum de­promit stultus. i. e. iram. A­ben Ezra. Rege animum. i. e. iram. Ho­rat. of Man, cloathed and elated with arrogancy, stoutnesse, and pride: In all languages, Spirit imports that which is high. And to say, Such a one is a man of spirit, notes not onely the activenesse of that man, but often his pride and haughtinesse.

Besides, Spirit is sometimes put for indignation, for fury, and wrath; in all which acceptions, the word may be ren­dred here, Thou turnest thy spirit, that is, thy anger and wrath, thy fury and indignation against God. So the word is used, Isa. 25.4. When the spirit, or blast of the terrible ones, is as a storme against the Wall; that is, while the fury of the terrible ones is in its highest march and motion, God promiseth to be a strength to the poore, a strength and a refuge to the needy in his distresse: So Prov. 29.11. A foole uttereth all his minde, or all his spirit; that is, all his anger, he lets it out, and disco­vers himselfe presently; but a wise man (if there be cause of anger) keepeth it in till afterwards; that is, till a fit season. He hath a retentive faculty which a Foole hath not. Now, in which sense soever of these explained, we understand Spirit in the present Text, the charge is as high as it can goe upon a­ny man, when 'tis sayd, Hee turneth his Spirit against God.

Hence Observe:

To turne the spirit against God is the very spirit of ungodlinesse; there is no greater wickednesse then this. A godly man may doe an act which is against God, but his spirit cannot act a­gainst God; thats the character of the wicked. A godly man delights in the Law of God according to the inward man, whilst the outward man sins against the Law of God; an ungodly man turnes his inward man against the Law of God, while his out­ward man pretends obedience to it; and as it is an act of highest disobedience, so of the proudest pride to turne the spirit a­gainst God. The Vulgar Latine translates it well, Why doth thy spirit swell against God, Thou hast an impostumation in thy spirit against God; yea it is not onely an act of the proudest [Page 52] pride, but of the maddest madnesse to turne the spirit against God; Furorem eru­pisti ante domi­num. Sept. so the Septuagint gives it, Thou hast caused thy fury or thy madnesse to breake forth before God; he that acts against God is a mad man indeed, Will yee provoke the Lord, are you stronger then he? is the Apostles chiding question to such mad men: are you so mad after your lusts, hath sin made you so foolish, Have you lost both grace and reason at once? that you dare thus pro­voke the Lord, and challenge the Almighty? God resists the proud, and the proud assault him; Grace turnes the spirit to God, repentance is the returne of our spirits to God; then what is the turning of our spirits against God, but a cleare demonstration of a totally impenitent and gracelesse Spi­rit?

Againe, when Eliphaz saith, Job turned his Spirit against God, he doth not meane it of a direct or professed opposition against God, as if Job had openly defied him, and blasphemed his Name; but his meaning is, that Job shewing so much impa­tience and unsatisfiednesse of spirit, under the dealings of God with him, did not submit to God, as he ought. Eliphaz (I conceive) did not so much as suspect that Job turned his spirit immediately, or as wee say, poynt blanke against God himselfe, but onely against his dispensations.

Hence observe:

That while we speake, or our hearts rise up against the dealings of God with our selves or others, we may be sayd to turne our spirits a­gainst God himselfe: Many who think they have not neglected Christ, will be found to have neglected him, because they have neglected those by whom, or that wherein Christ is offered. The Evangelist brings in Christ speaking thus ( Matth. 25.) I was hungry and yee fed me not, thirsty and yee gave me no drinke; they to whom hee speakes wonder at this, Lord (say they) when saw we thee hungry and gave thee no meat, or thirsty and gave thee no drinke, surely we have not been guilty of such a wick­ednesse: Yea, saith Christ, In as much as yee did it not to one of these, yee did it not to me; when yee refused to feed these, yee re­fused to feed me, I was in these, and these were in me. Now in the same manner many will say, when wee charge them with turning their spirits against God, with fighting against, and opposing God: Who? we oppose God? we never opposed God as we know of; yea, peradventure, they will say, we have honoured [Page 53] God, and doe you charge us that we have turned our spirit against God? to many such God will say, In as much as yee opposed my word, and murmured against my workes, in as much as yee were angry with my dispensations, and discon­tented with what I have done, ye have turned your spirit a­gainst me. We may become guilty of this sin before we thinke of it; for as there is a direct and litterall contending with God, so an equivalent, or constructive contending with him. As some men commit plaine open Treason against a State, but others commit only constructive Treason: 'Tis so here, the God of Heaven knowes when spirits turne against him directly, and when by consequence, and he will take vengeance not onely of direct and avowed, but also of consequentiall and constructive Treason against his Soveraignty, unlesse the of­fender repent and be humbled before him. He will judge thou­sands at the last day, for opposing him, who, it may be, in some things have pleaded for him; yea, who have in some things not onely acted, but suffered for him; though usually when the spirit of any man turneth against God, that mans workes and words turne against him too: So Eliphaz further taxeth Job in the latter clause of the Verse.

As if he had sayd, Such stuffe as thou hast in thy heart, even such flowes out of thy mouth; the word Such is added by most Tran­slators; the Hebrew is, And lettest words goe out of thy mouth; it is no fault to let words goe out of the mouth: 'tis no sin to speak, but to speak such or such words, may be very sin­full; and therefore we, and others, for explication sake, [...] Faeminine vel ut animum mu­liebri impoten­tia labo antem fodicet, aut forma Chaldai­ca. Pungit e­tiam voce [...] Logos, nugas verba? Coc. make this supplement, Such words; But what words were they? E­liphaz doth not quote any passages in his speech, but leaves them as we and others translate under a terme of generall di­stast, Such words; as if they were not worth the naming, or as if no epithite could be found worthlesse enough to name them by. For as when Ezra would describe a deliverance in the real­ilty of it beyond words, he doth not tell us what it was, but saith onely, Seeing our God hath given us such deliverance as this, (Ez. 9.13.) So when Eliphaz would describe words in the vanity or sinfulnesse of them below words, he doth not tell us what they were, but saith onely, Such words as these; yet [Page 54] possibly the words he meanes were these, Why hast thou set me as a marke, so that I am a burden to my selfe (Chap. 7.20.) or these ( Chap. 9.30.) If I wash me with Snow water, and make my hands never so cleare, yet thou wilt plunge me in the ditch, or these ( Chap. 13.26.) Thou writest bitter things against me, and thou makest me to possesse the iniquities of my youth: These, or such as these, were the words which Eliphaz leaves under this note of disdaine, Such words. Yet these Eliphaz should have mollified with a charitable construction, and not have sharpned his owne tongue against them, much lesse should he have inter­preted them, as the turning of Jobs spirit against God him­selfe. For as some draw neer to God with their lips, and give him smooth words, while their hearts are farre from him, and their spirits turned against him: So others may seeme to de­part from God with their lips, and give him harsh language, while their hearts are neere, and their spirits cleave unto him.

I shall further give you a fourfold character of these words, sutable to the misprision which Eliphaz and his Friends had of him all along. Such words, or words so apprehended, must needs sound harshly in their eares, and in the cares of any man fearing God.

First, Proud words of himselfe, insisting upon his owne righ­teousnesse as they conceived, for in the next words Eliphaz saith, What is man that he should be cleane? they thought Job spake much to paint and bedeck himselfe with his own good­nesse and innocency.

Secondly, Blasphemous words of God, though not directly, yet by consequence, against his works and dealings.

Thirdly, Reproachfull, scornefull words against them, as if they were neither able nor worthy to be his counsell; You are the men, and wisedome shall dye with you.

Fourthly, False words upon the whole matter in contro­versie, maintaining (as Eliphaz judged) contrary to the truth; that he was not punished for his sin. Words under this four­fold notion are reproveable and sinfull enough; such Eli­phaz esteemed the words of Job to be, proud, blasphemous, re­proachfull, false, Why lettest thou such words as these goe out of thy mouth?

Hence Observe:

First, Passion within will vent it selfe by words without, when the heart is carryed away, and the spirit turned against God, no marvaile if the tongue be carryed away, and the words of such a man be turned both against God, his truth or people.

Secondly, Note:

Our words are sutable to our spirits; some can dissemble much, and speak golden words, while themselves are drosse; but or­dinarily, our words are such as we are: The vile person will speake villany, (Isa. 32.6.) A man that is all for the World, speakes worldly (1 John 4.5.) They are of the World, there­fore speake they of the World. Every man is of the World so, as that he is a part of the World, but some are so of the World, that the World is all them; they who are thus of the World must needs speake of the World if they speak any thing, for they have nothing else to speake of. Thus a covetous man speakes covetously, and a proud man proudly ( Jerem. 43.2.) Some told the Prophet to his face, Thou speakest falsly, the Lord our God hath not sent thee to say, Goe not into Aegypt to sojourne there; These were proud words indeed, but who spake them? The text tells us, Then spake Azariah the Son of Hoshaniah, and all the proud men: The proud men spake proudly; so on the contrary, a sober man will speake soberly, an humble man humbly; The poore speake supplications, saith Solomon; rich men speake their commands, poore men speake their wishes and desires.

Thirdly, Observe:

He that dares to speake evill, is arrived at a great height of evill: Eliphaz puts this as an effect of a heart turned against God; such words as these, shew that thou art not onely a sinfull man, but impudent in sinning. For though an evill heart is worse then an evill tongue, and an ill thought then an evill word; yet when ill words spring from ill thoughts, and are as branches growing from the root of an evill heart, this shewes a man hightened in sin; Sin hath got the mastery of the heart wh [...]n it freely vents it selfe at the tongue. Some keep their sins downe by hypocrisie, and some by common modesty; they are either so cunning that they will not, or so bashfull that they dare not speak out the filth that lyes within. But they are beyond, not onely modesty, but hypocrisie, whose tongues can speak all the evill that is in their heart; though the sin of the heart [Page 56] be worse then the sinne of the tongue, yet when tongue sinnes are steept in the puddle of a corrupt heart, they are most un­savory: David sinned when he sayd, in his hast, all men are ly­ars: How greatly then doe they sinne who tell lyes at their leisure, and speak evill with deliberation. That which is said in hast, is sayd by the tongue alone, without the privity of the heart, but the heart is alwayes privy to that which is sayd at leisure. The Prophet taxeth those, the shew of whose countenance did testifie against them (Is. 3.9.) They fall justly un­der as severe a censure, the sound of whose tongues doth te­stifie against them, for they also (as it followes in the Pro­phet) declare their sin as Sodom, they hid it not. Further, this also argues the evill of evill speaking, because it wrongs o­thers, and infects the Auditors: The vanity or errour of the minde spoken out, is contagious; better keep it in, then speak it out, but both are naught: 'tis onely good, when we purge it out. Though it be some allay and lessening, yet it is no excuse for sinne, that we keep it in; God hates it, let it lye as close as it will; and though a sin kept close, doth not hurt others; yet it is not onely hurtfull, but deadly to its keeper. They onely are out of danger, who as they doe not let evill goe out of the door of their mouths, so not lodge in the cham­bers of their heart.

Thus I have opened the charge contained in this part of the Chapter; in all which, Eliphaz hath reproved the speech of Job, as vaine, empty, proud, passionate, and erroneous. He now proceeds to shew him (as he supposed) the errour of his opinion, and to confute it.

As if he had sayd, Though I should grant that thou art not con­scious to thy selfe of any crime or wickednesse acted, for which thou art thus afflicted, yet this is enough to prove thee a sinner, that thou art a man, and that thou art unrighteous, because thou art borne of a woman; What is man that he should be cleane, and he that is borne of a woman that he should be righteous?

He speakes contemptuously, What is man? As Hiram sayd of the Cities which Solomon assigned him, What Cities are these which thou hast given me my brother? And he called them the Land of Cabul, that is, displeasing, or dirty (1 Kings 9.13.) Thus Eliphaz speakes of man, as if he were displeased with the sight of him, or remembred onely the dust and clay out of which he was made, What is man (my freind Job) that he should be cleane?

Job had spoken the same language before ( Chap. 7.17.) What is man that thou art thus mindfull of him, &c. He also emp­ties man of all worth, which should attract the least respect from God upon him: What is man? puts a fivefold slight up­on man.

• [Page 58]First, In his nature:
• Secondly, In his birth.
• Thirdly, In the matter out of which he was made.
• Fourthly, In reference to his present condition.
• Fifthly, and chiefly, In reference to his corruption, or sinfull depravation, What is man that hee should be cleane?

But had Job any where asserted himselfe cleane? Did he not assert his owne uncleannesse, while he proclaimed that Nega­tive Question ( Chap. 14. v. 4.) Who can bring a cleane thing out of an uncleane, not one? Why then doth Eliphaz charge Job with this boast of cleannesse, who never thought himselfe cleane, as his discourse every where demonstrates, but under two notions: First, as righteous by another, or through Faith in the Messias: Secondly, as not scandalous to others by any notorious crime, or conscious to himselfe of any close hypocrisie; in any other sense then this, Job never asserted him­selfe cleane, and in this he was, yea every beleever is cleane. Yet Eliphaz fastens it upon him, as if he had trim'd up him­selfe with his owne ornaments, or had advanced the Doctrine of Selfe-perfection.

Hence observe in generall.

That, When persons are ingaged in a dispute, specially in a dif­ficult controversie, they seldome understand, but seldomer report the truth of each others position.

Calvino-turcis­mus. Hun. Calvinus Ju­daizans. O­siand.Some of Calvins adversaries called his Doctrine by the o­dious names of Turcisme, and Judaisme: And the Papists call us Solifidians, as if we denyed all good workes, because we af­firme that a man is justified (though not by that faith which is alone) yet by Faith alone without workes. Job indeed had spoken much to vindicate himselfe, but he spake much more to abase, and lay himselfe low in the sight of God; and therefore Eliphaz might have made a fairer collection for him, then this, that he affirmed himselfe cleane.

What is man, &c. The Hebrew is, Miserable man. Miserable is his name, and misery is with him, fraile is his name, and frailty is with him. Hence Mr. Broughton translates, What is wofull man to be cleared?

The words containe a great and necessary truth, [...] Nomen humanae fragi­titati signifi­candae apposi­tum. but be­cause we met with it, Chap. 14.4. where the point was open­ed, and the impossibility of selfe-cleannesse cleared from those words: Who can bring a cleane thing out of an uncleane? (which question answers for Job, that he was positive for the univer­sall pollution of the nature of man) I shall not therefore stay upon it; take onely this briefe hint. Here is a strong proofe of originall sin, we are cleane but not of our selves; we are cleane under a fourfold notion.

First, Cleane meritoriously by Christ.

Secondly, Cleane efficaciously by the spirit uniting us to Christ, and sanctifying our hearts.

Thirdly, Cleane instrumentally by the Word, which disco­vers Christ the fountaine to us, and so purifies us ( John 15.4.) You are cleane through the word which I have spoken unto you.

Fourthly, We are cleane impulsively and attractively by faith ( Acts 15.8.) He made no difference purifying their hearts by Faith; thus many are cleane, and but thus there is no man cleane; What is man that he should be cleane?

Both parts of the Verse import the same thing. [...] & [...] Quando con­junguntur di­stinguenda sunt, illud latius pa­tet; hoc dici­tur cum reus a judice absolu­tus dimittitur. Illo autem non tantum inno­centia sed & dignitas nota­tur. Coc. Cleane and righteous are neer of one signification, yet in this place we may distinguish them; To be cleane, refers to the purity of mans na­ture; to be righteous, or to be justified (for so the word may be translated) refers to the integrity of his life; from both it followes, Man cannot merit, for he is not cleane: he cannot answer God, for he is not righteous. As if Eliphaz had sayd, What is man that hee should either have any cleannesse in him­selfe, or that he should be reputed and looked upon as righteous by others. (Both which he intends as applycable to Job.) If God should search thy nature, what art thou that thou shouldest be cleane? If God should search thy life, what art thou that thou shouldest be righ­teous? The point of mans utter inability, to stand before God in himselfe for justification, hath been met with, more then once before, and therefore I will not stay upon that neither, onely consider the forme of expression, or the periphrasis of Man.

In the first clause he saith, VVhat is man, in this latter, What is he that is borne of a woman: Emphaticè mulieris memi­nit, Vt. cap. 14 1. Merc. He speakes of man in both, yet with an additionall emphasis, to minde us of our birth and originall, as was shewed upon those words ( Chap. 14.1.) Man that is borne of a woman is of few dayes, and full of trouble: where the Reader may finde what that teacheth, even an ag­gravation of mans sinfulnesse, in that he is borne of a woman who sinned first, or was, as the Apostle speakes (1 Tim. 2.14.) First in the Transgression. How prone is man to sin, being born of a woman, who was so prone to sin that shee was the first sinner? VVhat is he that is borne of a woman that he should be righ­teous? The whole race of mankinde hath yeelded but one ex­ception to this generall Rule, and that was in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ: He indeed was borne of a woman, and yet righteous, because his Mothers conception was of the holy Ghost (Matth. 1.20.) and by the power of the most high overshadow­ing her, Luke 1.35. But wee may say of all men except him (who was also infinitely more then man, even God-man) VVhat is he that is borne of a woman that he should be righteous?

Secondly, Eliphaz proceeds (though the point be clear in it selfe) to give a proofe of it which he ugeth from the greater to the lesse.

The Argument rises thus:

If they who are the purest, the holyest creatures, are not able to stand before God in their owne purity; how shall he who hath no pu­rity, no holinesse at all in him?

But the Heavens, yea the Angels in Heaven, who are the purest, the holyest creatures, are yet uncleane in the sight of God:

Therefore man who is abominable and filthy, drinking iniquity like water, cannot be cleane in his sight.

Behold he puts no trust in his Saints, Eliphaz urged this argu­ment for the substance of it ( Chap. 4.18.) here hee repeats and re-inforceth it.

Behold, is usually a note of attention, here it is more, a note [Page 61] of admiration; as if he had sayd, VVould you thinke it, that God puts no trust in his Saints? yet he doth not: or is not this a wonder, that God puts no trust in his Saints? whom will hee trust, if not his Saints? [...] Vid. cap. 4.18. [...] Est credere tan­quam rei fideli & constanti aut fidele & constans cui credi debeat.

The word which we translate, to put trust, signifies proper­ly to beleeve, he doth not beleeve in his Saints, or not give credit to them; he doth not (as our word hath been) confide in them; a person is confided or trusted in, either because of his faithfulnesse, or because of his strength and stability; the word which we render here to trust, signifies sometimes strength or firmenesse, as also a Pillar, which is not onely firme, but up­holds and confirmes the Building, or that which leanes upon it. The same word doth elegantly signifie, both to trust, [...] Genus colum­narum, 2 Reg. 18.16. In Sanctis suis non est fides, i. e firmitas vel immutabilitas naturae. Aug. Ecce inter San­ctos ejus nemo immutabilis. Vulg. Aliqui legunt, Non credit san­ctis suis. 2. in sanctos suos. 3. in sanctis suis. Sic credere in Deum, in Deo, & Deo, Syno­nymai sunt. Drus. and to be firme, because every thing (that is trusted) is trusted upon supposall, either of a naturall, or morall firmenesse. Hence the Vulgar translates, immutable; Behold among the Saints there is not one immutable, or unchangable: And another of the Ancients, There is no faithfulnesse in his Saints; that is, firme­nesse, or unchangeablenesse of nature is not to be found in them.

There are three different uses of the word.

• First, To trust.
• Secondly, To trust in.
• Thirdly, To trust upon. So the translation varies here.

For first some read, He doth not trust his Saints.

Secondly others, He doth not trust in his Saints.

A third, He doth not trust upon his Saints.

Thus, some put a difference betweene beleeving God, and be­leeving in God, and beleeving upon God; though we finde them used promiscuously in Scripture. It is sayd by Moses (Gen. 15.6.) Abraham beleeved in the Lord, and it was accounted to him for righteousnesse; but the Apostle ( Rom. 4.3.) saith plainely, Abraham beleeved God, and it was counted to him for righteousnesse: So that there is not any materiall difference betweene those two expressions; yet ordinarily to trust in or upon, is taken in a higher construction then barely to trust: Behold he putteth no trust in his Saints.

Here it is questioned, who are meant by Saints; [...] Est ab usu communi ad divinum sepa­rare. there are three opinions about it. The word Saint in generall signifies a person separated, or one set apart from others; Holinesse is [Page 62] our separation from the world unto God: holy persons are separated per­sons; that's their state. But more distinctly, who are these holy persons, these Saints? The Greek Interpreters restraine the Text to the old Patriarks, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as also Moses and Aaron, with whom God at some times was angry, or found fault with some of their actings: Secondly, others by the Saints understand the confirmed Angels, who are called Saints, by way of excellency; Angeli vocan­tur Sancti Dei quasi ei fami­liarissimi atque illius obsequio addictissimi. Dan. 4.8. because among all creatures they are (in one sense) the most holy, as having ever been without the least spot or taint of sin, whether in their natures, or in their lives; and having ever continued as the Houshold ser­vants of God, observant of, and obedient to all his com­mands.

But we may rather take it in generall, both for the holyest of men, and for the holy Angels: Behold he puts no trust in his Saints; no, not in those who are most holy.

Hence Observe:

There is no created holinesse sure, stable, and perfect in it selfe: The glorious Angels which are, and ever shall be Saints in Heaven, and the Saints in Heaven who are like Angels, stand not in that holy and happy estate, by their owne sufficiency, but by the decree and grace of God. Those Angells which fell at first were holy, and they who now stand, might have fallen notwithstanding their created holinesse, if God had not superadded confirming grace, which establisheth them for ever. Yet this is not all, that the Angels are imperfect, be­cause they might fall if not supported, there is somewhat more in it; for though the Angels are perfectly righteous in reference to the Law, (for the whole bent of their hearts is to God, and they love God with all their hearts, which is the fulfilling of the Law:) So that the obedience of the An­gels in Heaven, is made the copy and patterne of our obedi­ence here on earth, as Christ hath taught us to pray, though (I say) the Angels are thus perfectly righteous in reference to the Law) yet there is a higher righteousnesse and holinesse in God. There's but the holinesse of obeying a Law, God hath the holinesse of being a Law: They have a holinesse without spot, yet it is but a finite, a created holinesse; now what compa­rison is there betweene finite, and infinite, created, and un­created; therefore though there be no blemish in the obedience [Page 63] of Angels, none in their nature, none in their lives, yet God puts no trust in them, he cannot lay the weight of his confi­dence upon them, because they are creatures.

The next clause doubles this point.

There is a difference among Interpreters what these Hea­vens are; The Chaldee Paraphrast, and some of the Ancients, understand the Angels, as in the former part of the Verse, and they say the Angels are called the Heavens under a twofold consideration:

First, Because Angels are like the Heavens, in their spiri­tuality and incorruptibility, in their order and subordina­tion among themselves, as also in their power over subluna­ry or earthly bodies.

Secondly, By a Synechdoche, because the Angels have their habitation in Heaven, thats their dwelling place; so Master Broughton translates, Nor they of Heaven be cleane in his eyes; that is, the Inhabitants of Heaven are not cleane in his eyes. Caeruleus Tibris caelo gratissi­mus amnis. i. e. diis vel caelico­lis. Virg. l. 8. The Heathen Poet calls those whom he supposed dwellers in Heaven by the Name of Heaven; describing a pleasant River, he calls it, A River pleasant to Heaven; that is, to those who are in Hea­ven.

Others by Heaven understand the Saints in Heaven, not the Angels; and that also upon a twofold reason.

First, Because God is said to dwell in the Saints, Sancti in qui­bus tanquam in caelis habitare dicitur Deus, caeli dicuntur, quae allegoria frequentissima est inter anti­quos patres, Pined. they are his habitation, and wheresoever God dwels he makes a Hea­ven.

Secondly, Because the Saints, not onely those in Heaven, but they on earth, have their conversation in Heaven; (Phil. 3.20.) As carnall and earthly minded men are called Earth, be­cause their hearts and conversations are fixed to the earth; so spirituall and heavenly minded men may be called Heaven, because their hearts and conversations are fixed in Heaven.

Thirdly, We may rather understand it in a proper sense; the heavens, that is, The heavenly bodies are not cleare in thy sight; the heavens are the most excellent and purest part of the Crea­tion: And therefore this interpretation, or rather plaine con­struction of the words, suites the scope of Eliphaz fully, who as he spake before of the Angels, who are the purest of all ra­tionall [Page 64] creatures; so here of the heavens, which are the purest of all inanimate creatures, Caeli qui maxí­mè sunt lucidi suas habent maculas, par­tesque crassiores magisque opa­cas & materi­ales, in re igi­tur er fectissi­ma vidit Deus ma ulas, Pi­ne [...]. yet these are not pure in the sight of God, therefore no man is. The heavens have a kinde of un­cleannesse in them: the Moone hath her spots, yea the Moone is but a spot, if Philosophers may be credited, who tell us that all the Stars (in their sense the Moone is a Star) are but as the spots of Heaven. A Starre (as they define) being the thicker and grosser part of its Orbe: The heavens themselves are so fine and liquid, so thin, and fluid, that they cannot hold the light; therefore the Lord made those Celestiall bodies the Sunne, Moone, and Stars, more compact and grosse, that so they might both receive, and retaine the light, as also transmit and give it out to the World here below. These are spots in the Heavens; and though they appeare as the glory or Beauty-spots of Heaven to our sight, and are so indeed; yet these are not cleane in the sight of God.

Againe, the heavens are furthest removed from all earthly dregs and drosse, In conspectu ejus. Aliud est purum esse sim­pliciter, & a­liud purum esse coram Deo; ut justus, & justus coram Deo dif­ferunt. Luc. 1. 6. Drus. so that they are cleane, not onely in regard of their nature and constitution, but also in regard of their site and position; being placed so far from the sinck of the World, the earth, they never received any staine or defilement from it; yet these heavens are not cleane in his sight. God doth not make that which is cleane, not cleane by his seeing it; but his sight is infinitely above all the cleannesse which he sees. That may be cleane, considered simply or in it selfe, which before God, or to the eye of God, is as an uncleane thing.

Hence Note:

God is so clear-sighted, that the cleanest creatures are uncleane in his sight; the very cleannesse of the creature, is uncleannesse before him, much more, compared to him. For if one crea­ture may be so cleane that another creature which is cleane may be sayd to have no cleannesse in comparison of it: Then surely God is so cleane, that the cleanest creatures have in­deed no cleannesse in comparison of his. The Stars are very beautifull bodies, and full of light, yet the Sunne hath so much light, that it darkens all the Stars, and causeth them to disappeare, when it appeareth: Now, if the Stars have no light in the sight of the Sunne, what light hath the Sunne in the sight of God? he that puts all the perfections that the [Page 65] creature hath into the creature, hath infinitely more perfe­ction in himselfe: Those excellencies which are divided and scattered all the Creation over, are not onely contracted and united in God, but unconceiveably exceeded by him.

Job having thus layd downe the former part of his argu­ment he applyes it:

Concerning the Saints, he sayd onely, God puts no trust in them, and concerning the Heavens, They are not cleane in his sight: But now that he speakes of man, he doth not say, God puts no trust in him, or he is not cleane in his sight; but he layes load upon him, He is abominable and filthy: and as if that were not enough, he aggravates it, with, How much more abo­minable, &c. If he put no trust in glorified Saints in whom yet there is no iniquity, then no marvell, if man be called a­bominable, who drinketh iniquity like water.

The whole Verse is a description of mans sinfulnesse: First, of the sinfulnesse of his nature, in those words, He is abomina­ble and filthy: Secondly, of the sinfulnesse of his life, He drink­eth iniquity like water.

Some read, Much lesse: So Mr. Broughton, Much lesse the un­cleane and loathsome. The Originall may beare either (as also a third reading, Surely then) without any impeachment to the scope of the place. The heavens are not cleane in his sight: Much lesse is abominable and filthy man cleane in his sight. Againe, [...] Abominabilis propriè quem nemo dignari debeat auditu, visu, familia­ritate, contactu. [...]. Abomi­nari nos dici­mus, quae in cogitatione no­stra non pati­mur. Bold. The heavens are not cleane in his sight; how much more abominable and filthy is man in his sight. We may take it also as a direct in­ference without any comparison, either from the greater or the lesse. The heavens are not cleane in his sight; surely then, man is abominable and filthy.

The word which we translate abominable, notes that which is most abhorring to the nature of man; that which is not onely so nauseous that the stomack cannot digest it, but so base that the mind is burdened to thinke of it; yea the word imports that which is rejected by all the senses, abominably rejected; that which the eye cannot endure to looke upon, [Page 66] that which the eare cannot indure to heare of, that which is a stink in the nostrils, and which the hand will not touch: Such an abominable thing the word beares, and such is man; God loathes him, and is of purer eyes then to be­hold iniquity, much more a lumpe of iniquity; he is as a stink in the nostrills of God, nor will he touch him (for any thing in him) unlesse with a hand of justice to destroy him.

Hoc videtur dictum per an­tithesm, prop­ter Sanctorum & caelorum pulchritudinem, quorum species, mundicies, lux, ordo, conc e­tus mirabilis, conspectus mul­to jucundissi­mus.Further, some explaine abominable by that of the Apostle (1 Cor. 16.26.) If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha: that is, let all abominate, and cast him out of their society: When the Lord would shew the worst thought that he had of the best services of the Jewes, he tels them, Incense is an abomination to me; and when the Psalmist would convince us how the people of Israel had defiled them­selves with their owne workes, and polluted the Land with blood, he gives it in the word of this Text, Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against his people, in so much that he ab­horred his owne inheritance (Psal. 106. v. 40.) His Inheritance was so abominable to him that he would not touch it, nor take it into his owne hands, but as it followes in the Psalme, He gave them into the hand of the Heathen.

Hence Observe;

Sinfull man is loathsome, and abominable unto God. How much more abominable is man; This is not to be understood of some particular man, or of some sort of men who are more vile then others, but take the best of men, the most accomplisht and compleate in the whole course of nature, these are abo­minable; they are deprived of the Image of God, they are stampt with the Image of Satan, they are not onely unable to doe that which is good, but they are totally averse from it, yea, enemies to it; is not all this enough to render man abo­minable in the sight of God? And so abominable is man, that he doth not onely displease the eye of God, but the very eyes of those who have received the grace of God. A godly man turnes away from the wicked, as the wicked man doth from the godly. ( Prov. 29.27.) An unjust man is an abomination to the just; and he that is upright in his way is an abomination to the wicked. The distast is mutuall; 'tis called enmity ( Gen. 3.15.) here abomination. The wicked man saith (as the Devill to Christ) What have I to doe with thee thou Son of David. The godly [Page 67] man saith, What have I to doe with thee thou son of Belial. 'Tis the sin of the wicked man to abhor the righteous, for he ab­hors him for his righteousnesse: 'Tis the duty of a godly man to abhor the wicked, and he abhors him onely for his wick­ednesse. To doe so is a peice of his character, Who shall dwell in the Mountaine of God: He is a man, in whose eye a vile (that is, a wicked) person is abhorred, Psal. 15.4. Much lesse can he looke pleasedly, or pleasantly upon a wicked man; his heart riseth against him, not out of pride, or high thoughts of himselfe, or from the lownesse of his condition, if he be poor; but from the odiousnesse of his disposition, and his opposi­tion of goodnesse: Such a man is vile in his esteeme, how ho­nourable so ever he is in the eye of the World.

Againe (which shewes yet further, that a man in nature is abominable) when any man repents and turnes to the Lord, he is an abomination to himselfe; he is abominable to God, and good men, before he repents; and upon the same account, he is abominable to himselfe when he repents. For as God and good men before, so he then sees his owne vilenesse, and de­formity, then he smells the filthinesse of his owne corrupt heart: This the Prophet assures us ( Ezek. 36.31.) where the Lord promiseth to powre out the spirit of repentance up­on his people, To take away the heart of stone, and give them a heart of flesh: and then They shall loath themselves for all their a­bominations, as not being able to endure the stench of their owne corruptions: When Job at the sight of God, saw him­selfe more clearly, then he cryes out, Wherefore I abhorre my selfe, and repent in dust and ashes: If a good man seeing him­selfe, is an abomination to himselfe, how much more is sinfull man abominable in the sight of God?

And (which aggravates the point to the highest) Not onely is a man repenting abominable to himselfe, but even a wicked man upon a cleare discovery of himselfe to himselfe becomes an abomination to himselfe, though he be farre from repentance. Thats the reason why a wicked man cannot a­bide to search his owne heart, or returne into his owne bo­some. ( Isa. 46.8.) Remember this, shew your selves men, bring it againe to minde; The Hebrew is, Bring it to your hearts: They who love their sin, love not to looke to their sinfull hearts: they dare not turne their eye inward or upward, not upward, be­cause [Page 68] there is so much holinesse in God; not inward because there is so much filthinesse in themselves. Hence the Lord threatens ( Na. 3.5, 6.) because they would not looke on their owne filthinesse, that he would shew their filthinesse to all the World, He would shew the Nations their nakednesse, and the Kingdomes their shame: And howsoever a naturall man hides his abomination from his eye now, or will not see it, yet all shall be layd open to him in the day of judgement, which will be as a day of the revelation of the righteous judge­ment of God: So a day of the revelation 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.

[...] 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, [...]lis. Vulg. [...]x putrida sunt. inutilia su [...]. 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 [Page 69] 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.

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 [Page 70] 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 [Page 71] owne heart or hand will breake through all oppositions, through Lawe, through conscience, through counsell, through an host of threatnings armed against him, through judgements inflicted on him, he will breake through all these, that he may have a draught of his beloved iniquity-water.

Secondly, To drinke, notes a strong desire, so pleasure and content; and where there is a great deale of desire, there is also much content, and pleasure in drinking.

Hence observe:

That it is a very pleasant thing to a carnall man to sin, he drinkes iniquity, not onely like water, but in this sense, like the sweetest Wine; a draught of sin is the onely Merry-goe-downe to a carnall man. A drunkard likes his drinke well, but he likes his drun­kennesse better: His liquor is sweet to him, but O how sweet is the satisfying of his lust! When he hath his desire he is plea­sed, when he is frustrated of his desire he is sullen, and like Ahab, when he could not obtaine Naboaths Vineyard, he is dis­pleased, and refuses (as he did) to eate bread, because he cannot have this water of iniquity to drink.

Thirdly, Consider the easinesse of it, to drink is no hard labour; hence we speake proverbially, I can do [...] such a thing as easily as I can drinke; there are no bones in drink: Good li­quor (we say also) needs no chewing: Besides, it is easie to drink, because it is naturall to drink; Children have no Tutors to teach them to drink: Againe, to drink water is easie, because we may get it easily; water is not kept under Lock and Key, but in the common Storehouses or Cellars of nature.

Hence Note:

A naturall man sins with ease; it is no paine to him to sin: Sin is not easie in the effects, so it leaves us in Little-ease, q.d. Facillimè laxatis consci­entiae habenis in omnia omnis generis scelera se dat praecipi­tem. Bold. paine and sorrow enough are the fruits of it; but it is easie in the act of it; it is to a wicked heart, as easie as to drinke water which is every way easie.

For first, Sin is a common thing, every where to be had; sin may be found (like water) in every Ditch; sin also is like those waters which flow naturally, you need not pumpe for it, or fetch it up with Buckets.

Secondly, No man needs be taught to sin, children learne that lesson (and till the spirit of God teach them, they can­not unlearne it) without a Schoole-master.

Thirdly, Most sins in the act of them, have little labour or difficulty in them ( Psal. 50.20. Quasi per in curiam & o­tium, quasi ni­hil agens.) Thou sattest and spakest a­gainst thy Mothers Son. A man may both speake and doe evill, while he sits still, and doth nothing; an idle posture may serve the turne for such work as that.

Fourthly, Water is but small drinke, water hath little pleasure in it and lesse strength in it. And therefore when Christ would shew that the lowest courtesie or charity done to one of his, shall be highly esteemed by him, he saith, Whosoe­ver shall give to drinke unto one of these little ones, a cup of cold wa­ter onely, in the name of a Disciple, he shall not loose his reward, Matth. 10.42.

Hence Observe:

Man will sin upon very easie tearmes, and smallest considerations. Though there be little got by it, though he get but a draught of water by it; though his sin bring him in scare any thing of advantage, yet sin he will; the act of sinning pleaseth some, more then the consequence or gaine of sin. They care not much whether it be water or Wine which they drinke, Eo improbita­tis evadit im­pius, ut vel so­lo peccati & impietatis no­mine, nulla prae­terea mercede proposita, pecca­to inserviat. so it be iniquity which they drinke. As the Saints, in a height of holinesse, will doe good, though they doe themselves little good, or get no out­ward advantage by it: They resolve to do good for good sake; the duty abstractly considered, or the act it selfe, is the thing that pleaseth them; so to a naturall man, the very commit­ting of sin satisfieth him more then the outward Income or Revenue of his sin: He doth evill for evill sake, and serves his lust for love, not for wages.

Fifthly, Drinking is a frequent act; a temperate man drinkes every day, and often every day; healthy men eate often, and most men drink oftner then they eate: So that to drinke iniquity hints also the frequency of committing iniquity.

Hence Observe:

A carnall heart sins often: He sins, and sins, hee cannot but sin, Inveteratum ac inseparabi­lem peccandi habitum & consuetudinem denotat. it is a continuall, yea a continued act; he hath never done, he is like the Drunkard that must alwayes be tipling. Or like the covetous man, who is alwaies having, and the more he hath the more he desires to have: Covetousnesse is a dry drunken­nesse, and drunkennesse is a wet covetousnesse: both returne often upon the same acts; and so doth every sinner naturally. He cannot cease from sin, as the Apostle Peter speakes, Every ima­gination [Page 73] of the thoughts of his heart is onely evill, and that continually. The cup of iniquity is never from his mouth.

Sixtly, To drink iniquity like water notes not onely the frequen­cy of sinning, but the abundance of sinning; they take great draughts of sin, who drinke iniquity like water: Such as are accustomed to drink water (in many places it is the common drink) such, I say, drink more then men usually doe of Wine, or strong drinke; first, because Wine and artificiall liquors are costly; but you may drinke water good cheape, and none will grutch you. Secondly, Water is not strong nor vapo­rous, it doth not burden the braine like your heady liquors. Now though iniquity be somewhat unlike water in both these respects (for to some their sins are costly enough at present, and they will cost all very deare (except they re­pent of them before) at the day of reckoning; sin also flyes up into the braine, and doth as much besot, as defile the soule. Now, I say, though sin be thus unlike water) yet the naturall man drinkes it like water, he takes in and sends out abun­dance of it; what cares he what it costs him, or how it besots him, neither the present distemperings of it, nor the after reckonings for it, trouble him.

Seventhly, Eating and drinking are the support of nature, by these the body is maintained in life; now as the body of nature is maintained by eating and drinking, Perbibisti ini­quitatem & ita visceribus immiscuisti, ut nisi cum ipsis exire non pos­sit. Sen. lib. P. de ira. so the body and life of sin, the corrupt state and strength of man are maintained by the continuall actings of sin: The old Adam is nourished by these waters of iniquity. We say in nature, wee are nourished by that out of which we are made, that which is the matter of our constitution is the matter of our nutrition; so in this case, a man in nature is composed or constituted of sin, and a naturall man is nourished, and preserved by sinning. Ʋt deficienti humido resar­ciendo, nihil aptius est aqua, & utilius; ia hominis beati­tudini, quae ipsi de est, consum­mandae, natu­ra nihil sugge­rit nisi pecca­tum. Coc. Conti­nuall acts increase the habit; and as a godly man is nou­rished by holy acts, and strengthened in spirit by spirituall o­bedence; doing the will of God is the food of the soule. As Christ speakes ( John 4.21.) so doth every true Christian in his degree, It is my meat and drinke to doe the will of my Father which is in Heaven; or as Job professeth of himselfe ( Chap. 23.12.) I esteeme the words of thy mouth more then my necessary food: Thus also the old man saith, It is my meat and drink to doe the will of the flesh, and that is indeed the will of his [Page 74] Father which is in Hell. The words of his mouth, his Coun­sels and Lawes I esteem more then my necessary food.

So much for the opening and illustration of this Scripture-phrase, Drinking iniquity like water: I shall propound one Quere in generall, concerning the whole Verse, and so con­clude it. Here is a full description of sinfull man: But whe­ther Eliphaz speakes this strictly of a person unregenerate, and so applyeth it to Job, or whether this description be not also applicable to a man who is regenerate and godly for the maine, and was so intended by Eliphaz, is here a question.

Some conceive that the words will suite none but an unre­generate man, and tis granted upon all hands, that they are most sutable to him. An unregenerate man, is abominable and filthy, he drinks iniquity like water; And yet in a qualified sense, we may say all this of a man regenerate: Even He, in reference to the remaines of corruption, is abominable and filthy, and He, under some distempers and temptations, drinks iniquity like water: Agit Eliphaz cum Jobo non ut improbo, sed ut errante. Coc. which words of Eliphaz, a moderne Interpreter para­lels with those of Paul concerning himselfe ( Rom. 7.25.) With the flesh I serve the Law of sin. And delivers his opinion in this case, That though Eliphaz aimed at Job in all this, yet he deales with him not as with a wicked man, but as with an erring brother. For whereas he had sayd ( Chap. 13.23.) How many are mine iniquities? Eliphaz might judge by his words, that surely he thought his iniquities were not very many: and whereas he had sayd at the 26. Verse of the same Chapter, Thou makest me to possesse the iniquityes of my youth; Eliphaz might collect, surely this man thinks his elder yeares have been so free from sin, that God can finde nothing in them, which might justifie him in these severe punishments. Now Eliphaz opposeth these apprehensions, and would both teach and con­vince him, that as originall sin pollutes every man wholly, till he is washed and borne againe by the spirit; so no man is so farre washed by the spirit, but that many spots and pol­lutions of the flesh, doe still cleave to him, and often appeare upon him. And Eliphaz may be conceived to handle Job in this manner.

First, To shew him, that though a man be in a state of re­generation, yet he can deserve nothing at the hand of God, because his holinesse is still imperfect, and his corruptions are abominable.

Secondly, That the greatest sufferings and afflictions of good men in this life, are very consistent with the Justice of God.

Thirdly, That he might humble Job, who (as he feared) was still too high in his owne opinion, and thought better of himselfe then did become him.

Fourthly, To provoke him to resist his owne corruptions stedfastly.

And lastly, To beare the crosse (which the Lord had layd upon him for his good, especially for the taming and sub­duing of his corruptions) patiently.

So that Eliphaz doeh not dispute with him upon this hy­pothesis, or supposition, or not upon this onely, That man by nature, and without the grace of God, is filthy and abominable, drinking iniquity like water; but upon this, or this in consort with the former, That man in a state of grace, or a godly man is filthy and abominable, in reference to the flesh that dwelleth in him; and that in reference to his frequent sinnings, he may be sayd to drink iniquity like water: And therefore Job had no reason to be proud, how good so ever he was, or how much good soever he had done; and that there was all the reason in the World he should be patient, and take it well at the hand of God, how much evill so ever he should suffer.

This resolution of the Quere, as it is profitable, so proba­ble. For howsoever Jobs Freinds had branded him in diverse passages of this dispute, as a wicked man and an hypocrite, and were so understood by Job, as appeares in his answers and replyes; yet 'tis most likely his Freinds spake so in refe­rence to his actions, not in reference to his state. That he had done like an Hypocrite, or a wicked man, was clearely their opinion; but there is no necessity to conclude from what they sayd, that they judged him absolutely to be one.

So the Preface begins: He layes downe a double proofe in this Preface; a proofe first from his owne experience, second­ly from the consent of others. From his owne experience, in this Verse, I will shew thee, heare thou me, that which I have seene I will declare; the consent of others, is expressed in the 18.19. Verses, Which wise men have told me from their Fathers.

I will shew thee, heare thou me; as if he had sayd, Thou art out of the way, thou art in the darke, and therefore in charity, Caecutienti tibi & in maximis tonebris ver­santi, verissimae doctrinae lu­men praeferam. Accipe a me. Targ. I will lend thee a thread of true Doctrine, to lead thee, out of that laborinth of errour, wherein I see thou art intangled; I will shew thee, and all that I desire of thee as a reward of my paines, is but this, Heare thou me, be attentive, or (as the Chalde Paraphrast renders) re­ceive it, take it of me; he that speakes truths, deserves to be heard, and that is all I desire.

But what will Eliphaz shew him? Not that which he had phansied, but that which he was assured of.

Seeing is a sure and particular sense; yet as the act of one sense, is often put for the act of another; so Seeing, which is the most noble of the senses, is often put for all. That which I have seene; is, that which I have learned, that which I have fetched in, or collected by the helpe of all my senses; yea, by my reason and understanding, That doe I here declare unto thee. More strictly, Seeing may be taken two wayes: First, as no­ting experience; I have not onely heard some reports about these things, but I have seen, and observed them my selfe; there is a stronger conviction in this, because the sense of see­ing is lesse fallible then that of hearing; and we say, One eye witnesse, is better then ten eare witnesses: Secondly, as I have seene, Certius est, vi­di, quam audi­vi, oculatus te­stis potior est aurito. Drus. may be taken for common experiences among men: so for spe­ciall revelation from God. Some Divine revelations were made in visions; and all Divine Revelations were so cleare and evident, that they were or might be called Visions, as if the matter of them had been represented to the eye; and hence such as God honoured and trusted with those Revelations were called Seers (1 Sam. 9.9.) He that is now called a Prophet was before time called a Seer: And hee was called a Seer, be­cause the clearenesse of those messages and manifestations was so great, that they might be judged as objects of the eye, rather then of the eare, or of the understanding. Thus the whole Book of the Prophesie of Isaiah is called, A Vision, or a thing seene; The Vision of Isaiah the Prophet, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem, (Chap. 1.1.) Yet the Prophet did not [Page 78] receive all the Doctrines which he Preached, and Prophesies which he published in that Book, by vision: but the manife­station from God, was so full of light to his understanding, that it was as if he had seene it with his eye. Some expound so here, That which I have seene; that is, that which I have had a speciall revelation about. As if hee referr'd to the fourth Chapter, where Eliphaz reports to Job what a dreadfull Vi­sion he had, and what the matter of it was, even much like that which is represented in the following part of this Chap­ter. A learned Interpreter agrees, that it was a Vision; but, saith he, Mihi non vide­tur improbabile aut delusum fuisse a diabo­lo, vel ipsum somnium ali­quod aut inspi­rationem com­mentum esse, ut sibi conciliaret authoritatem. Sanct. it was either a fained, artificiall Vision (such are fre­quent in Popery) or it was a delusion of the Devill. I doe not at all admit, this latter branch of his opinion; but I must reject the former, as altogether unworthy of Eliphaz, who was surely a man of integrity, and fearing God, and was therefore above such affected falshoods, and studied deceits, to gaine respect and credit among men.

I shall therefore insist upon the former sense, That which I have seene; that is, by common experience, that will I declare unto thee.

Hence Observe.

First, What we declare, or communicate to others, wee should be well assured of our selves; That which I have seene, declare I unto thee: while we declare, either by way of instruction, to teach true Doctrine, or by way of information, to report the truth of action, 'tis our duty to declare upon knowledge. So the Apostle John, in his first Epistle, Chap. 1.1. That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seene with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled of the word of life, that which we have seene and heard, declare wee unto you: He brings in the operations of three senses, Seeing, Hearing, and Feeling, as witnesses to avouch for, and ascer­taine that which he had declared; we must take heed of de­claring upon surmises, and probabilities, upon a bare Heare-say, or I thought so: That which we have clearely learned, we may teach confidently, and nothing besides that.

Observe,

Secondly, As we must have a ground for what we declare to o­thers, so when we have a good ground we must declare; That which we know, we should make knowne; That which I have seene I [Page 79] declare unto you; holy knowledge must be communicated, such light must not be put under a bushell, nor must such a Talent be wrapt up in a Napkin: He that is taught should teach. When thou art converted (saith Christ to Peter) strengthen thy Brethren: Let others partake of thy experiences. Come (saith David) and I will tell you what God hath done for my soule: Philip (John 1.43.) being found by Christ, finds Nathaneel, and saith unto him, We have found him of whom Moses, and the Prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of Joseph: He quickly declared what he had seen, and so should we. This is the first proofe, That which I have seene, I declare, experience is my ground.

The second proofe, is from the consent of others, from the authority of the Ancient.

Eliphaz treads the same steps, as in his first discourse with Job. For after he had there delivered the contents or sum of his Vision, he appeales to the judgement of the Saints, Chap. 5. So here, having told Job that he would declare what he had seene, he referrs him also to the judgement of others, That which wise men have told their Fathers, and have not hid it. I referr you to men, and those not men of a meane ranke, but to godly wise men; in which, Eliphaz seemes againe to answer what Job had objected, that the points he had offered were of com­mon and vulgar observation ( Chap. 12.3.) Who knowes not such things as these? Eliphaz replyes, these things are no com­mon discourse, they are such as wise men have told from their Fathers; as if he had sayd, Doe not despise what I say, as or­dinary, or as a novelty, no, nor as received from corrupt an­tiquity, for besides what I have seen, Rambam sub­titius a patri­bus suis expo­nit, a patribus eorum. Ʋt hic tres aetates con­siderentur una sapientum haec indicantium, altera patrum tertia majorum & atavorum. Merc. I have good authority for what I speake: the ancient and the wise vote with me; Wise men have told it from their Fathers, here is the conveyance.

He doth not meane worldly wise men, Philosophers and Polititians; but godly wise men, these haue told it from their Fathers; their Fathers told it them, and they told it me; so that this position claimes by two descents at least. One of the Rabbins gives it three, if not more: for by the Fathers [Page 80] of the wise men he understands, not their immediate Fathers onely, but those who were more remote and further off; yea, possibly those who were furthest off, even as far as Adam.

Hence Observe:

First, It is an ingenuity to acknowledge by whom we profit, wise men have told me this, I received it from others, as well as collected it by my owne experience.

Secondly Note:

Truth should be conveyed downe to our Posterity: Truth is a more precious inheritance then Land or Money; if Parents are carefull to secure (as much as they can) earthly things to their Children, how much more should they be carefull to secure heavenly? In the first Ages of the World, till the Law was given on Mount Sinai, faithfull men were in stead of Books, and Tradition supplyed the want of Scripture: But now, our recourse must be to what God hath commanded to be written, not to what men have said. No Tradition is of any force, but as consentient with Scripture, and none of so much force as Scripture. The Councill of Trent, in the fifth Session, thunders out Anathemaes against those who receive not Tradition with the same godly affection, and devotion, with which they receive the Scripture it selfe; Bellarmin in his con­troversie about Tradition, entitles his Book thus, Of the Word of God not written; as if the Word of God were to be divided into these two orders, The Word written, and the Word not writ­ten: Tradition with him is the Ʋnwritten word, and must be held of as much authority as the Word written; This is (as Christ taxeth the Pharisees) to make the word of God of none effect, through mans Tradition: It is still a wise mans duty to to tell Posterity what the Word and Truth of God is, but we must not receive any thing, as a truth of God, upon the bare Word of the wisest men, Wise men have told their Fathers.

And have not hid it.

There is a twofold hiding; first, a hiding to keep a thing safe, that we loose it not; secondly, a hiding, that we keep it close, and not communicate it: In the former sense, we must hide the truth of God, but we may not in the latter. When David saith, I have hid thy Commandements in my heart: when Mary hid the sayings of Christ in her hart; and when the man that found the treasure ( Ma. 13.44.) Went away and hid [Page 81] it, and for joy thereof sould all he had, and bought the field: All these hid it, that it might be forth-comming for their owne use, they did not hide it, as unwilling to bring it forth, for the use of others; so the idle Servant hid his Talent, and was justly condemned for hiding it, Matth. 25.

Hence Observe:

Truth must not be hid from others: Truth is a common good, no man hath the sole property of it; every one may chal­lenge his part of this poffession; and the more we part with it to others, the more we increase our owne possession. Truth multiplies in its degree to us, while we make division of it to thousands. A Candle gives not the less light to the owner, because many standers by, see by it, and this Candle gives a clearer light to us when we let many see by it: Our knowledge is perfected while it is communicated. This Candle therfore is not to be put under a bushell, but must be set upon a Candlestick, that all may see by the light of it. Shall I (saith the Lord, ( Gen. 18.) hide from Abraham the thing that I am about to doe? No, I will not, For I know Abraham will not hide it: Hee will command his Children and his Houshold after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord. The Israelites were charged to communi­cate the wonders which God wrought for them, and the Or­dinances which he appointed them, when they were delivered out of Aegypt, Exod. 12.

I will open my mouth in a Parable (saith the Psalmist) I will utter darke sayings of old, which wee have heard and knowne: And our Fathers have told us, we will not hide them from their Chil­dren, shewing to the Generations to come, the praises of the Lord, and his strength, and the wonderfull works which hee hath done (Psal. 78.2, 3, 4.) 'Tis our duty to preserve memorialls of the workes of God, and to declare his word to all that are about us. What wise men know from their Fathers, they will not hide.

Eliphaz yet goes on to describe the men whose consent, in opinion he had received about the controversie in hand.

If any man aske who were these wise men? He answers, They were wise men, ‘ [Page 82]To whom alone the earth was given.’

In these words Eliphaz seemes to remove a prejudice that might lye in Jobs Spirit against the testimony of those An­cients: For suppose they were Wise men, yet he might say, 'tis like they were but meane men, men of no ranke or quali­ty, men of small credit or authority, and (we know what Solomon saith, Affertur hoc ad amplificandum authoritatem horum sapien­tum, q. d. hi tales & tanti fuerunt ut &c. Merc. Eccles. 9.16.) A poore mans wisedome is despised, and his words not heard: Therefore saith Eliphaz, you shall not put me off thus, nor disable my witnesses upon a supposition, that these wise men were meane men, for these were Cheifes and Princes in their Generation; And he advanceth their ho­nour two wayes; First, in regard of their riches and power, To whom alone the earth was given: Secondly, in regard of their righteous and just administrations, No stranger, or strange thing passed among them; as if he had sayd, Job, I speake of men that were fit to sit at the helme of a Kingdome, and governe Nations; yea, to have the raines of the World put into their hands; I speake of wise men who by their wisedome, and the blessing of God, have kept the earth quiet, and so have possessed it alone.

But it may yet be said, who were these Monarchs of the world, and sole possessors of the Earth? To whom alone the earth was given: Some conceive that Eliphaz meanes it of Noah and his Sonnes, who indeed had the World to themselves; for the Flood having swept away all mankinde, except that Family, to him and his Sons the earth was given alone; these were the wise men (saith this opinion) from whom Eliphaz re­ceived the Doctrine which he communicated to, Ista ph [...]asi cir­cumlo [...]uitur mihi patriar­cham Noe cum tribus e­jus filiis. Bold. Methodius, a­liique patres antiqui vocant Noe tres filios, Mundi chili­archos. and pressed upon Job; there was never such a Monarch (except Adam the first man) as Noah was, he had the whole World given him: Hence the Ancients stile Noahs three Sonnes, The Commanders and Colonels of the whole World: But I conceive, we need not determine it upon those, though possibly Eliphaz might have an aime at them. Most Interpreters take it in generall, of the old good Princes, of whom it may be said, The earth was gi­ven to them, and to them alone; Abraham was a great Prince, and to him, The earth (in one sense) was given alone. But who made this great deed of gift, even the most high God, whom A­braham calls ( Gen. 14.) The possessor of Heaven, and Earth: He it is that then gave, and still gives the earth, and he gives it [Page 83] two wayes; first, by an act of common providence, thus (as Job expresseth it ( Chap. 9.24.) The earth is given into the hand of the wicked: Secondly, he gives the earth by an act of spe­ciall providence, or by vertue of a promise, so Canaan was given to Abraham and his seed, the people of Israel; and thus the Kingdome of Israel and Judah, was given to David and his seed.

When it is said here, that the earth was given to such alone, Sapientibus so­lis terra data esse dicitur, quia bonorum terrenorum, ipse sunt domini, utentes iis ad suum bonum. Aquin. in loc. the meaning is not that none had any of the earth given them but they, but none had the earth given them as they, by pe­culiar promise, and speciall providence. Further, the giving of the earth may be considered, either as the giving that which is good, or as the giving it for good; as a gift of bounty, or as a gift of mercy; in the latter considerations, the earth is given to good men alone: None have it for good but they who are good, and they onely make a good use of it.

Hence Observe:

That the earth, or earthly things, are disposed to the Sons of men, by a deed of gift from God:

Secondly, Wise, holy men, receive the earth and the things of the earth, by speciall gift.

These alone receive the earth from a Fathers hand and good will; it comes to them in the Covenant of grace, to which the promise of the earth belongs, as well as of Heaven, God­linesse hath the promise of this life, and of that which is to come; Optimorum principum cir­cumloqutio est, quorum admi­nistratio respub­licas suas tue­batur, omnem­que hostium in­juriam propul­sabat. Pined. Authoritate sua usi sunt ad jus bonum & aequum tuendū, & ad injustum quodvis & ali­enum propul­sandum. Jun. in loc. Saints have the earth and all earthly things given to them, in reference to their being in Covenant with God; and thus the earth is given to them alone.

Againe, we may expound that terme Alone, by the next clause, To whom alone the earth was given; that is, as they had great possessions in the earth, so they had those possessions to themselves without any to trouble, vex, or molest them, which Eliphaz thus expresseth:

Some read, No strange thing passed among them; Both readings are a description of wise and godly Princes, who having the earth given them, No stranger, or no strange thing passeth among them.

Strangers are here taken under a double notion: First, no [Page 84] stranger, that is no enemy: To cleare which notion of the word Stranger, we must remember that as the Grecians (con­ceiting themselves the best bred people in the World) called all other Nations Barbarians; so the people of Israel, the stock of Abraham (being Gods peculiar Covenant-people) called all other Nations aliens, or strangers, and because they were hated and maligned by all other Nations, therefore they cal­led all professed strangers enemies; so the word is used ( Isa. 1.7.) Your land strangers shall devoure; that is, enemies shall invade and prevaile over you ( Psalm. 144.7.) Deliver me out of the hand of strange Children, or out of the hand of stran­gers; that is, Alienus hoc lo­co idem est qui hostis. Sanct. Hostis apud majores nostros, quem nunc pere­grinum dici­mus. Cic. lib. 1. Offic. out of the hand of mine enemies: The Latine word Alienus, is often put for Hostis, and the Roman Oratour telleth us, That he who is now called a stranger, was called an ene­my by our Ancestors. The reason was, because strangers proved unkinde to, yea turned enemies against those that entertain­ed them: As formerly Kings were called Tyrants, but be­cause many Kings oppressed their people, therefore now op­pressing Princes onely are called Tyrants. So then, to say no stranger passed among them, is as much as to say, no enemy, none to molest or afflict, passed among them.

Satis apparet non de hoste temporali; sed de eo qui alteri quam verae re­ligioni addictus est, vel qui nu­mina extranea [...]olit. Bold.Againe, the word Stranger is taken for one that is erroneous, or idolatrous; for a man unsound in Doctrine, or supersti­tious in Worship: Wise men to whom alone the earth was given, had no such stranger passing among them; they were not mixed with idolatrous and uncircumcised Nations, they did not communicate with them in worship, as in after times the people of Israel did.

This notion of the stranger, is an advantage to Eliphaz; as if he had sayd, The wise men whose authority I produce in this cause, were sound in judgement, and pure in worship they did not mingle themselves with Idolaters and Hereticks, they neither learned their workes, not received their Do­ctrines, and are therefore witnesses worthy of credit, and a­gainst whom there lyes no just exception. No stranger passed a­mong them.

If we take stranger in the first sense for an enemy, then the word Passed signifies as much as invaded, and may well be translated to a military motion: No stranger or enemy pas­sed; that is, none matched among them, or through their [Page 85] Land, to disturbe, or plunder them; when God is sayd to give Laws to the Sea, or set it bounds which it should not passe; this imports that the Sea like an enemy would march through the earth, and overwhelme all, unlesse bridled by a Divine decree.

But if we take Stranger in the second sense, for an Idolater, or a man of unsound Principles, then, No stranger passed among them, is, such were not received, and embraced by them, nor admitted among them.

From the first Observe.

That it is (as the honour of a people to releive oppressed strangers, so) the happinesse of a people to be freed from the op­pression of strangers.

From the second Observe.

That it is the happinesse of a people to be free from the mixture of evill men, whether such whose worship is impure or Doctrine un­true: The Lord made frequent promises of this happinesse to his people ( Isa. 52.1.) From henceforth there shall no more come into them, the uncircumcised, and the uncleane; which is as much as to say, The stranger (for all uncircumcised persons were strangers) shall not come into thee. We have the like promise ( Joel 3.17.) So shall yee know that I am the Lord your God, dwel­ling in Sion, my holy Mountaine, then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no stranger passe through her; Why not any stranger? Forget not to entertaine strangers, saith the Apostle (Heb. 13. [...].) Jerusalem in her best dayes shall have strangers, to be vi­sited and releived by her, but Jerusalem should have no stran­gers in those dayes to defile and pollute her ( Na. 1.15.) Be­hold upon the Mountaine the feet of him that bringeth good tydings; for the wicked shall no more passe through thee, for he is cutt off: The Hebrew is, Belial shall no more passe through thee. Belial is he that cannot endure to serve; he will not yeeld obedience to the holy commands of God, he casts off the yoak of Christ, and pulls the shoulder from his burden. This Belial shall no more passe through thee. The purest times of the Gospel are pre­sented under a like promise ( Zach. 14.21.) In that day there shall be no more the Cananite in the house of the Lord of Hoasts; That is, the stranger and uncircumcised, the wicked and un­godly, shall no more be mixed with his people.

Thirdly, in that he puts such under the notion of strangers, [Page 86] we learne, That wicked and Idolatrous persons should be as strangers to us; we must not lay such in our bosome, to maintaine any spiritual society with them, though in some cases, we may have civill society with them. (2 Cor. 6.13, 14.) Be not unequally yoaked together with unbeleevers, for what fellowship hath righte­ousnesse with unrighteousnesse, and what communion hath light with darknesse, and what concord hath Christ with Belial: &c. These can never agree together: Let no such stranger passe, or be ap­proved among us in the fellowship of the Gospel; there is not onely sin in letting such passe with our approbation, but danger; and that a double danger. Both which are assigned as reasons why wee should come out of Babylon ( Revel. 18.4.)

First, we are in danger of partaking of their sins, and that both by contracting the spot of their sins, as also the guilt of their sins.

Secondly, we are in danger of partaking of their punish­ments, as it there follows, That yee receive not her plagues. There is no safety in being neer those, who are under the curse of God: The companion of fooles shall be destroyed (Prov. 13 20.) though possibly he be not a foole in any other respect, but be­cause he is in such company.

Fourthly, Taking it for a strange or wicked thing.

Note:

That, It is the honour of Magistrates, when no evill passeth qui­etly in their Territories: When neither Idolatry in the things of God, nor injustice, nor oppression in the things of men, finde any favour with them, this is at once their duty, and their glory.

Eliphaz having by way of preface, given proofe of what he was about to presse upon Job, both from his owne ex­perience and the consent of Antiquity: He now proposes the point it selfe.

In this generall Position, Eliphaz intends Jobs personall conviction, that he was wicked, whom he had heard appea­ling to God ( Chap. 2.10.) Thou knowest that I am not wicked.

As if he had sayd, Thou wouldest make us beleeve that God will be thy compurgator, and give witnesse for thee upon his owne know­ledge that thou art not wicked: But we who are but men may know the contrary, for we see all the markes and brands of a wicked man upon thee: The wicked man travelleth with paine all his dayes, and so dost thou: These soares and sorrows speake who thou art, though we say nothing.

Master Broughton reads, The wicked killeth himselfe all his days; he is a selfe murtherer; that was the report which Eliphaz made of him at the fifth Chapter, Vers. 2. Envy slayeth the silly one. Both Job and his Freinds repeate the same thing often, yet with such variety of illustrations, that though for the matter it be the same, yet it is new for the manner: Such re­petitions doe not onely delight, but profit.

Who is a wicked man, hath been opened at large, Chap. 10.7. where Job affirmes, Thou knowest that I am not wicked; There see the temper of a wicked man, I will not stay upon it here. Onely consider how his appellation and condition suit one with the other, The wicked man travells: the Originall word for a wicked man signifies an unquiet motion, and so one whose life is a continuall, not onely motion, but unquiet­nesse. Ʋnquiet is the name, and unquietnesse is the state of a wicked man; he is alwayes raising stirs, and acting Trage­dies, His life is alwayes in a hurry, he travells with paine all his dayes. [...] a [...] Proprie signifi­cat cruciatum, languorem, pa­vorem vel dolo­rem parturien­tium, vel eni­tentis & mo­lientis facinus aliquod. Omnis vita impii in solici­tudine. 70. in dolore. Aquila. Dolet ut partu­riens. Pag.

This sentence is but one word in the Hebrew; the word signifies any griefe, or sorrow, any torture or torment: The translations are various, but all meet in this one sense, that a wicked mans life is a miserable life; All the life of a wicked man is spent in carking care: So the Septuagint. Another ren­ders, It is spent in sorrow. But all may be reduced to that which is most proper to the word: He is in paine as a woman in travaile; and whereas we have heard of some Women in travaile many dayes; here is a man in travell all his dayes.

The wicked man travelleth in paine all his dayes; his whole life is nothing else but continuall paine, or painefull throes [Page 88] towards the birth of some filthy Monster-sin, which sin when it is finished, brings forth death: Somewhat he hath conceived, the Psalmist tells us what; He hath conceived mischiefe, and hee would bring forth iniquity.

Cunctis diebus suts impius su­perbit. Vulg.The Vulgar Latine translates, The wicked man is lifted up with pride all his dayes; which is as much as to say, He travelleth in paine all his dayes; for though as some say, Pride feels no cold, yet there is nothing feels so much paine as pride doth: And because a wicked man is proud all his dayes, therefore he travelleth with paine all his dayes.

Hence Observe:

The life of a wicked man is a very painefull life; or thus, The paine of a wicked mans life is the greatest paine: It is like the paine of a Woman in travell; when the holy Ghost would set forth great paine, he expresseth it by the paine of a woman in travell. But what kinde of paine is it, with which a wicked man tra­vells? He hath two sorts of paine.

• First, externall:
• Secondly, internall.

His externall paine is of two sorts:

First, Such as God layes upon him, or casts him into; for though many are the afflictions of the righteous, from the hand of God, yet the righteous have not all the afflictions, wicked men have some: They are not onely beaten with scourges, but smitten with scorpions; God raines downe upon them snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest; this is the portion of many of their cups, even in this life.

Secondly, Such as a wicked man brings upon himselfe; Master Broughtons reading aymes at these paines. The wicked kills himselfe all his dayes. A wicked man is often very active, sometimes extreamly malitious against others, so malitious that he murders them; and yet it may truely be sayd he one­ly kils himselfe all his dayes. The selfe-love of a wicked man destroyes him, and his very earnestnesse to avoyd trouble, tumbles him into it: And this is cleare, if we consider ey­ther the way which a wicked man takes, or the end which usually he comes unto; his way is a very sad way: A godly man is described ( Psal. 118.2.) Eating the labour of his hands; that is, the very work which he doth, feeds him; and before he hath any reward for his worke, he finds a reward in his [Page 89] work, in which sense, he may well be sayd, to Eate the labour of his hand: On the other side, the labour of a wicked man eates him, the labour of his hand, and the labour of his head, eate him out. The way of sin is a wearisome way ( Jer. 9.5.) They weary themselves to commit iniquity (Ezek. 24.12.) Shee hath wearied her selfe with lyes: A Lye is not taken strict­ly there for an untruth told to deceive others: A Lye is any sin, for every sin is a Lye. Sin tells us a faire tale, but it will deceive us at last.

Againe, ( Isa 47.13.) Thou hast wearyed thy selfe, in the multitude of thy counsells. (Isa. 57.10.) Thou art wearyed in the greatnesse of thy way. Those counsels were sinfull counsels, and these waies were sinfull waies, both were a wearinesse, and tyred their undertakers. The Lord challenges the Jews ( Mic. 6.3.) To shew wherein he had wearyed them; O my people what have I done unto thee, and wherein have I wearyed thee, te­stifie against me. God is very tender in laying burdens upon us, but we are very cruell in overburdening our selves.

And whereas the paine of a wicked man is compared to the paine of a Woman in travaile; it is not onely like it, but exceeds it: For though when her paine comes upon her, shee hath sorrow because her houre is come, yet when shee is delivered, shee re­membreth her anguish no more, for joy that a Man is borne into the World (John 16.21.) The Womans paines end in joy, but the paine of a wicked man is so farr from ending in joy, that it hath no end at all, and therefore he is sayd to travell in paine all his dayes. A wicked man hath the paine, but not the deliverance of a travailing Woman; a Son shall not be borne to him. And though he sometimes seemes to prosper, and attaine his end, yet there is somewhat or other, that sticks still in the birth, and paineth him in the middest of all his prosperity. The Author of that usefull History, The Tra­vels of the old Patriarks, Kings, and Prophets, when he comes to write the motions of Antiochus Epiphanes, who was a great King, but of a most malitious spirit, against the people of God, hee observes that this Antiochus in pursuance of his bloody designes, had run more hazzards, and taken more te­dious journeys to satisfie his malice, and reach his ambitious ends, then any of the Saints had done, upon any command or service of God; upon which consideration, he makes this [Page 90] excellent conclusion, That wicked men take more paines to goe to Hell and eternall destruction, then godly men doe in the way to eternall life, and salvation. A wicked man cannot goe to Hell with ease; he goes with paine to eternall paines. Those wayes of sin which have most pleasure in them, have much vexation in them. ( Prov. 23.29.) Who hath woe, who hath sorrow, who hath wounds with­out cause? The answer is at hand in the next words, They that tarry long at the Wine, they that goe to seek the mixt Wine: The Wine is sweet, but it bites like a Serpent, and stings like an Ad­der, Vers. 32. The voluptuous man drinkes larger draughts of sorrow then he doth of Wine; and while the Adulterer goes to the Harlots house, he goes as a foole to the stocks, or as an Ox to the slaughter (Pro. 7.) As pleasure is the Epicures God, so gaine is the covetous mans God, yet to get it, he pierceth himselfe through with many sorrowes, and falls into a snare (1 Tim. 6.) Further, as a sinfull conversation among men, so a superstitious service of the true God, and the serving of false Gods is full of trouble.

The false worshipper travelleth in paine all his dayes: All false worship hath a tang of basenesse and slavery in it; they that wor­ship the Devill, in what a wretched servitude doe they live? In Popery, what vexatious penances doe they put upon their blinded Votaries? The Gospel is noble, and the service of it ingenuous, as well as pure or spirituall: Christ hath not called us to drudgerie, but to liberty. They are most free, who serve him most.

What paine the Jewes travelled in when they Apostatiz'd from God to Idols, Tophet, and the Valley of Hinnon, where they offered their Children in the fire to Moloch, are abun­dant witnesses. Did God put them to such paine in his service? God called them to offer their Beasts in Sacrifice to him: But they offer their Children in Sacrifice to that abo­minable Idol. Wicked men live under a hard task-master.

Now besides all these outward paines which either are con­comitants, or consequents of wickednesse: There is an in­ward paine farre worse then these. Inward paine ariseth sometimes upon the disappointment of his hopes. A wicked man is exceedingly pained with labour in the attaining of his end, but he is much more pained with griefe, when he cannot attaine his end; he hangs betweene hope and feare, [Page 91] while he is at worke (for he that cannot walke by faith to his end, shall meet with feares enough before he comes at it) but when his sense tells him that he cannot come at it, he fals into the gulfe of despaire. Besides this paine of feare that he shall not, and that of despaire, when he cannot compasse his designes or ends: He is often afflicted with a feircer paine then either of these, even with the gripes and gnawings of his owne evill conscience for the evill he hath done. This paine followes some wicked men all the dayes of this life; and it shall be the portion of all wicked men after death. Eliphaz aymes at this in the next Verse, while he saith, A dreadfull sound is in his eares; there I shall further insist upon it. We have yet another very considerable part of the wicked mans misery held forth in the close of this Verse.

The word which we render, Oppressor, [...] Violentus, cru­delis, robustus tyrannus, qui suis nititur o­pibus, & aliis terribilis est. signifies a man ex­ceeding powerfull and terrible, or by his power terrifying o­thers; He that oppresseth must have power, and some desire power for no other end, but to enable them to oppresse. Solo­mon speaks of a poore man that oppresseth (Prov. 28.3.) but he oppresseth onely those who are lesse powerfull then himselfe. A poore man that oppresseth the poore, is, &c. One poore man may be as much above another poore man in power, as some rich men are above the poore. Equalls in power cannot op­presse.

But who is this Oppressor to whom the number of yeares are hid? The Oppressor in this part of the Verse, is the wick­ed man in the former part; Eliphaz speakes still of the same person, though under another name, whom he there called wicked, he calls here an Oppressor.

Hence Note:

That to oppresse is a very great wickednesse; For an oppressor and a wicked man are the same man.

Againe, in that the word which signifies an oppressor, signifies also a mighty man, or a man of great strength; we may further Note:

That men who have much power are apt to abuse it for the oppres­sion of others; it is in the power of my hand sayd Laban to Jacob, to doe thee hurt; And Laban had hurt Jacob, if God had not [Page 92] stopt him; They that have much power in their hands, need much holinesse in their hearts, Pauci anni re­conditi sunt vi­olento. Jun. that they may use it well; much power is a temptation to doe much hurt.

The number of yeares, say some, is an Hebraisme, for few yeares, or yeares that are easily numberable; a Childe may tell the yeares of an Oppressor, they are so few: Hence the words are also rendered thus, Few yeares are layd up for the Op­pressor. Master Broughton translates plainely to the sense, Soone numbred yeares are stored to the Tyrant.

Hence Observe:

First, That wicked Oppressors are often speedily cut off by the hand of God (Psal. 55.23.) Blood-thirsty and deceitfull men, shall not live out halfe their dayes; If God should lengthen out the lives of men set upon mischiefe, who could live? 'Tis a comfort for us, as well as a curse on them, that Soone numbred yeares are stored to the Tyrant, his treasure is not great in dayes, who dayly treasures up wrath against himselfe.

Another resuming these words, Hee travelleth with paine; out of the former part of the Verse, reads it thus, And in the whole number of yeares which are layd up for him, he travelleth in paine: That is, his whole life is miserable: As if that which is a truth of all wicked men, were more specially applicable to oppressors; That they travell in paine.

Hence we may note.

Qui vult a multis metui. multos tirre a oportet. They who love to trouble others, shall be sure to meet with trouble themselves. He that desires to be feared, shall be often affrayd. Oppressors and Tyrants in all ages have experimented this truth; which flowes both from the nature of their unjust acti­ons towards men, as also from the just retaliation of God.

Our reading leads us to a further consideration; The num­ber of yeares is bidden to the Oppressor: That is (as some ex­pound) they are determined, or defined in the secret counsell of God. It is under a hidden decree how long his oppres­sing power shall continue, and when he shall receive the re­ward of his oppressions: Or rather thus, The number of yeares of his owne life is hidden to the oppressor; that is, he knows not how long he shall liue.

But is that any speciall judgement upon the Oppressour, [Page 93] that the number of his yeares, or how long he shall live is hidden to him? Is not the number of a good mans yeares hidden to him? Are not the number of every mans yeares hidden to him? Doth any man know how long he shall live? David indeed prayes, Teach me to number my dayes (Psal. 90.) and Make me to know mine end, and the measure of my dayes, what it is, Psal. 39.4. Yet he doth not desire to know precisely the number of his dayes, or time of his end, he onely desires to know their generall number, or utmost extent spiritually; namely, that at the most they were not many, that so he might make a wise improvement of his life, and a holy, preparation for his death.

Seeing then the number of every mans yeares is hidden to him, how is this reckoned as the peculiar punishment of a wicked man, that the number of his yeares are hidden to him? I answer, It is true, the number of yeares is hidden from all men, both from good and bad, the Lord hath made that a secret. Two numbers are secret.

First, The number of the yeares of the World, when that shall end; Of that day and houre knowes no man, no not the Sonne of man, but the Father onely.

Secondly, The number of the yeares of a mans owne life, or the day of his death is a secret which no man knowes, though many have been busie to pry and inquire into it. But though godly men know not the number of the yeares of their owne lives, yet this is no affliction to them, under which notion it is here sayd of the Oppressor; The number of yeares is hidden to him.

A wicked man is thoughtfull about this, how he may live long, not how he may live or doe well; he would fulfill many dayes and yeares in the World, that so he might have his fill of worldly profits and pleasures. He is therefore trou­bled to thinke his life hangs upon uncertaine tearmes, be­cause he is uncertaine of any good beyond this life. A godly man knowes not the number of his yeares, but he knowes by whom they are numbred; that satisfies him, be they longer or shorter, more or lesse. But a wicked man would have the account in his owne hand, he would be Lord of all, even of time too, but he cannot, The number of yeares are hidden to the Oppressor.

Observe hence.

That the number of the yeares of mans life is a secret which none knowes but God himselfe: And as it is so, so it is best for man, that it should be so, The certaine knowledge when our lives should end, would hinder us in many duties and services of our lives. Men would be at a stand in their worldly callings, if they were acquainted with the precise date of their standing in the World. Our not knowing this, is not ignorance, but nescience; and were it not for this nescience, we should be ta­ken off from the study of much profitable knowledge. Be­sides, our not knowing the number of our dayes, stirrs up in us a care of improving every day, and to pray with David, Lord teach us to number our dayes. Our not knowing which day shall be our last, should provoke us to spend every day so, that we may have comfort if it prove our last. It is best for us not to know that, the not knowing whereof is a motive to be alwayes doing good.

Secondly, Observe.

That it is a great vexation to the oppressor, or wicked man to thinke of the uncertainty of his owne life: The Vulgar makes this Observation from the Text, his translation of the Text, The yeeres of his Tyrannicall power are uncertaine. Numerus anno­rum incertus est tyrannidis ejus. Vulg. Ex ista incerti­tudine, sequi­tur suspicio & timor. Aquin. in loc. Cum ait nume­rum annorum absconditum esse, intelligit annos quibus victurus, aut regnaturus sit improbus ty­rannus. Drus. If such could but live long enough, what worke would they make? Yea what a world would they make? The Jesuits say, Take time and you may doe any thing. So also saith the oppressor, If I had but time enough, I could doe any thing; though I am disappointed now, yet I shall have a day to act what I project, and to pour out my revenges, But this cuts the oppressors heart, he doubts his life may end before he can accomplish his ends. A wicked heart is not more pleased in doing evill, then troubled when he is but under a suspition that he shall want either opportu­nity, or time to doe it. This is added to the painefull travell of a wicked man, that he knowes not how long he shall tra­vell in this paine; for though all his be painefull dayes, yet he had rather continue in paine, then not continue his dayes. But the number of yeares is hidden, or a hidden thing to him.

The Hebrew is, A voice of dreads; the word is Plurall, [...] Sonnitus terro­rum, numerus multitudinis significationem auget, i. e. so­nitus maximè terrificus, vel non unius sed multiplicis ter­roris. Merc. be­cause, not one single terrour, but a multitude of terrours, an Army of terrours incamp about the spirit of a wicked man: and these charge him without intermission; as soone as one hath done, another draws up against him.

And he saith, A sound of terrour, because a sound carryes feare with it; Feare is a perturbation of the minde, arising from an apprehension of some approaching evill: Now, by how much the nearer evill draweth to us, by so much doth feare increase up­on us; and then an evill may be sayd to be very neare us, when we hear the sound of it. We quickly see and feele an Enemy, when once he is come within our hearing. When the King of Israel sent a messenger to take off the head of Elisha, Shut the door (saith Elisha) and hold him fast at the doore, is not the sound of his Masters feet behind him? (2 K. 6.33.) That is, is not his Master neer. And when Eliah saw the raine at hand, he thus bespeaks King Ahab, Get thee up, eate, and drinke, for there is a sound of abundance of raine (1 Kings 18.41.) So here, The sound of terrour, notes the speedy approach of it; the Prophet ( Jer. 4.19.) complaines lamentably, My belly, my belly, I am pained at my very heart, my heart makes a noi e within me (and why all this?) because thou hast heard O my soule, the sound of the Trum­pet, [Page 96] and the alarum of Warre; that is, because now it appeares that the enemy is at hand. When once we heare the sound of the Trumpet, Warr is not farr off, yea it is even at the door, and death is ready to climbe up at our windows. Usually the care receives the first blow; we first heare, and then feele the Sword.

When Diphaz saith, A dreadfull sound is in his eare, we may understand it two wayes; either first, that a wicked man hear­ing the sad reports of approaching evill, is greatly troubled; or secondly, that a wicked man frames to himselfe an imagi­nary sound of evill. His fansie makes a noise, he thinkes he heares the sound of Drums and Trumpets, the clattering of Armour, and the clashing of drawne Swords, he heares (as the Prophet Nahum elegantly describes it) The noyse of the whip, and the noyse of the ratling of the Wheels, and of the pransing Horses, and of the jumping Clarrets. Now, whether we understand it of the approach of reall dangers, the sound of which, are a terror to him, or whether we take it for those fantastick, pannick feares and Satanicall delusions, both or either of them render his life uncomfortable, and are the effects of an unquiet, or of a guilty conscience.

Hence Observe.

A wicked man is alwayes subject to feare; he that is a servant to sin cannot but be a slave to feare: And he that hath done much evill, suspects much.

While we have Peace within, Warr without doth not much trouble, though it much afflict us. And while our hearts, toucht by the spirit of God, make us musick, a sound of ter­rour to the eare is not terrible.

Impius tantum metuit, quan­tum nocuit.It is sayd of a godly man ( Psal. 112.7.) No evill tydings shall make him feare (though there be a dreadfull sound in his eare, a sound of danger, yet) his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord. A wicked man is terrified with conceited danger; a godly man is not afraid when there is reall danger. A godly man hath a witnesse for him in himselfe; a wicked man car­ryes a witnesse against him in himselfe; Nemo se judice nocens absolvi­tur. and this witnesse is also his judge to condemne him, yea his executioner to tor­ment, and vex him; as soone as our first Parents had sinned ( Gen. 3.8.) They heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the Garden, in the coole of the day, and Adam and his Wife hid them­selves [Page 97] 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 [Page 98] the worst sense, and most disadvantageous construction to his reputation; so he that hath a pre [...]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 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 [Page 100] 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 pa [...]e.The Hebrew is, In peace the destroyer shall come upon him. Peace [Page 101] 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. 'Tis 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. [Page 102] 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,

This is a further account of the inward misery or paine which afflicts the spirit of a wicked man.

Hee looketh not that he shall escape from darknesse. So Master Broughton. There are five interpretations given about this darknesse, out of which the wicked man beleeves he shall not returne.

First, Some understand it of the darknesse of sin; but a wicked man cannot be sayd to despaire of that about which he never had any hope, Pii spe se ar­mant & in spem contra spem sperant. Merc. or desire.

Secondly, Some understand darknesse litterally, and plain­ly of the darknesse of the night, and interpret thus, He beleeves [Page 103] not that he shall returne out of darknesse; that is, he is so haun­ted with feares every night, when he lyes downe, that he thinks he shall never live till the morning: This is a good sense.

Thirdly, Others understand this darknesse, to be death, he hath a perfect sound of dread when death comes, because he beleeves not that he shall returne out of that darknesse. The resurrection is the consolation of the Saints, in the midst of greatest dangers and thickest darknesse; because, though they dye, yet they beleeve they shall returne out of darknesse. But a wicked man, who beleeves, or hopes for nothing be­yond the time of this life, if he be once cast into the Grave, either thinkes he shall lye there for ever, or if he beleeves he shall rise, yet he doth not beleeve that he shall rise out of darknesse, for he shall rise in darknesse, and goe downe to e­verlasting darknesse.

Fourthly, A fourth expounds it of internall darknesse, the darknesse of his spirit, or of those mists and clouds which hang about his minde. A godly man falling into this dark­nesse, doth not actually beleeve he shall returne out of it (for such a faith were his returne out of it) but a wicked man as he hath no ground, so no possibility (continuing in the state he is) to beleeve it. Saul had a wofull dark spirit, and beleeved not that he should returne out of it, by the helpe of God; therefore he went to a Witch (a Counsellour of the Prince of darknesse) for helpe.

But fifthly, I rather conceive, as often elsewhere, so here, by darknesse is meant, outward affliction. When the destroy­er comes upon him, and he is cast into a sad darke condition, he hath no faith for himselfe, that he shall returne out of it, or be delivered from it. This is an extreame agravation of the miserable state of a wicked man, who either hath no out­ward prosperity, or his prosperity is nothing to him, he en­joyes it not; but if ever he fall into outward misery, how great is his misery, so great that he gives himselfe for gone, a lost man for ever: He beleeves not that he shall returne out of darknesse.

Observe hence.

That a wicked man neither doth, not can beleeve deliverance from evill.

First, He hath no ground to beleeve, promises are the foundation of faith. A wicked man may be under promises of conversion from his sin, but he is not under any promise of mercy while he continues in his sin; the whole Book of God yeelds him not (in hat state) any speciall promise, for so much as a bit of bread; when he hath bread, he hath it from pro­vidence, not from a promise, or but from a generall promise. He is fed as a Beast is fed, the Lord being the preserver of Man and Beast: He cannot have a speciall promise himselfe, not being an heyre of promise: Therefore when he falls into dark­nesse, he hath no ground to beleeve. Whereas a godly man never hath so much ground to beleeve, as when he falls into darknesse, because then he hath more promises then before; his outward losses gaine him the advantage of many sweet promises, which till then he could not plead, for the succour and nourishment of his faith. As a wicked man hath no pro­mise of God (in the sense explained) at any time; so a godly man hath most promises of God in evill, yea in the worst of times.

And as a wicked man hath no ground to beleeve, so he u­sually hath no heart to beleeve: as he hath no reason to hope for better things, so he hath no courage, his spirit sinks and fails, when his state doth. Abigall had no sooner told Nabal that the destroyer was comming upon him in his prosperity, but his heart sunke within him, like a stone, and he dyed a­way presently.

Secondly, The best of a wicked mans faith (that he shall returne out of darknesse) is but a presumptuous fansie, or meer Foole-hardinesse. A good man is like a Childe in his Fathers house, who takes no care, but casts all upon his Pa­rents; in the greatest storme, he commits the helme to Christ as Pilot; he can say as David (Psalm. 42.) when he is in trouble, Why art thou disquieted O my soule? He cals his soule to question, and would have his soule give him a reason, Why art thou troubled, my soule? hope in God, for I shall yet praise him: But a wicked man hath no God to hope in, therefore he can­not say, I shall yet praise him: That man cannot cast his bur­den of cares upon the Lord ( Psal. 55.22.) who cares not how he burdens God with his sins; therefore he must beare and sinke under both burdens himselfe: He cannot beleeve [Page 105] that he shall returne out of the darknesse of trouble, who de­lights and sports in the darknesse of iniquity.

Againe, Consider, this is brought as a proofe of the wofull condition of a wicked man. It is misery enough, that the de­stroyer shall come upon him; but this is more miserable, he can­not beleeve deliverance from destruction.

Hence Observe.

That want of faith in time of affliction is more greivous then af­fliction: It is worse not to beleeve deliverance, then to fall in­to trouble; as the life of faith is the best life, so the life of unbeleife is the worst life. Despaire of good is the greatest evill: Faith is not onely the support and reliefe of the soule in trouble, but it is the victory and tryumph of the soule over trouble. Faith doth not onely keep the soule alive, but live­ly; Faith keeps the soule fat and in good plight: Faith is a sheild, both against temptation, and affliction. But every blow falls upon the bare skin of an unbeleever; Faith is a sheild both against the fiery darts of the Devill, and (with a diffe­rence) against the fiery darts of God also. Let God him­selfe cast his darts at a Beleiver, Faith secures him from hurt, though not from wounds, yea his very wounds, through a worke of faith, shall worke his good.

It is the comfort of a man that feareth God, and obeyeth the voyce of his Servants, that while he walketh in darknesse and hath no light, he is bid to trust in the name of the Lord, and to stay upon his God (Isa. 50.10.) But while a man that doth not feare God, walkes in darknesse and hath no light, his misery is, that he can neither trust in God till light comes, nor that light will ever come. How happy are the righteous, to whom light ariseth in darknesse? How unhappy are the wicked, who being in darknesse, conclude that the light will never a­rise.

Faith makes all evill good to us, and all good better; un­beleife makes all good evill to us, and all evill worse. Faith (like the Horse, Job 39.19.) laughs at the shaking of the Speare; unbeleife trembles at the shaking of a leafe. Faith findes food in Famine, and a Table in the Wildernesse. In greatest dangers, faith answers, I have a great God; when outward strength is broken, and all lyes a bleeding, faith answers, The promises are strong still, they have not lost a [Page 106] drop of blood, nor have they a skarre upon them. When God himselfe apreares angry, faith answers, I know how to please him, and I can goe to one in whom he is, and will be wel-pleased for ever. Thus faith pulls out the sting of trouble, draws out the gall and wormwood of every afflicti­on. But where faith is wanting, every affliction is full of gall and wormwood, and every trouble vexeth with a double sting. It stings such, as it is a trouble, and it stings them more, as they see no comfort in, nor way out of trouble. The dark­nesse of darknesse is this, Not to beleeve, that we shall returne out of darknesse.

This clause is neer in sense to the latter part of the former Verse, and yet in this variety of expression, there is some va­riety of intention. For the clearing of it, two things are to be enquired:

• First, What is meant by the Sword.
• Secondly, What is meant, by, waited for of the Sword.

The Sword is taken two wayes in Scripture.

First, litterally for That weapon of Warr, and by a Synech­doche the Sword is put for all weapons of Warr; as also by a Metonymie, for Warr it selfe: When the Sword is threat­ned in Scripture, Warr is threatned.

Secondly, The Sword is taken for the power of the Magi­strate, who beares not the Sword in vaine: Christ is descri­bed as a King armed with his Sword. ( Isa. 11.4.) By the Sword (that is with the Word) of his mouth he will slay the wicked: Nempe sua sen­tentia tradens eum justitiae ministro. Christ will pronounce a sentence of condemnation, and deliver them up to execution: Thus the Judge slayes the Malefactor by the sword of his mouth.

Further, by a Synechdoche, the Sword is taken for all manner of evill and trouble; Quicquid pun­git & percutit, & torquet, & cruciat, in scrip­turis sanctis gladius appella­turs Hieron. in cap. ult. Isa. whatsoever hurts or afflicts is comprehended under the notion of a Sword ( Luke 1.35,) Old Simeon tells the holy Virgin in his song, Also a Sword shall passe through thy soule; his meaning is not, that she should be cut off in Warr, by the hand of the Souldier, or in peace, by the sentence of the Judge, but that sore troubles and afflicti­ons like a sharpe Sword should pierce her soule.

Here the Sword may be taken either for the Sword of War, [Page 107] or of Peace, or for any evill, that befalls the Wicked Man.

But how is he waited for of the Sword; the Originall word is rendered two wayes.

• First, Actively,
• Secondly, Passively.

Some render actively, Hee is waiting for of the Sword: He stands expecting the Sword, and that in a double sense; Circumspectans undique gladi­um. Vulg. Sc. vel quo pe­reat vel quo se defendat. Tanquam ex­specula expe­ctat. Tigur. Hebraizantes tenent esse par­ticipium passi­num: hinc Rab. Levi. exponit. Conspicitur a gladio. Aspectus gladio Vatabl. Est Hebrais­mus, ut vi­deeri a gladio sit ab hostibus observari per insidias. Decretus in manu ferri. Sept. Conspectus ipse ad gladium. Mont. Nempe a Deo conspectus & destinatus ad gladium. Praevisus enim est ad gladium. Sym. he waits for the Sword which he feares will destroy him, or he waits for a Sword, which he desires to defend him. Mr. Brough­ton gives this sense, Having watch, hee thinketh upon the Sword.

Againe, others render it passively, He is waited for of the Sword, when he thinkes not of it: The Sword lies in am­bush to surprize him. A man is sayd to be waited for by an Enemy, when he intends to assault him unawares, To be thus waited for by the sword, is to be waited for by sword-men. And it is as great a disadvantage to be seen of the Sword, before we see the Sword; as it is (according to the old Proverb) to be seen of the Wolf, or of the Crocodile, before we see either.

The wicked is waited for of the Sword, not for any ser­vice, but for the revenge it owes him, the Sword lyes be­hind the doore, or under a bush to snap him as he passeth.

The Septuagint in stead of, he is waited, or watched, or looked for by the Sword, render thus, He is decreed into the hand of the Sword; leading us to the appointment and desti­nation of God, who hath set him out, and marked him for judgement. Hee is appointed to the Sword: Such a decree the Prophet seems to poynt at ( Jer. 15.2.) where he brings in the Lord, as resolved to proceed in judgement against all pray­ers and intreaties, though made by his greatest Favorites; Though Moses and Samu [...]l stood before me, yet my minde could not be into this people, but such as are for death, to death, and such as are for the Sword, to the Sword: That is, such as are decreed into the hand of the Sword, let the Sword take them; the decree shall stand, the sentence is irrevocable.

Taking the Text actively, Observe:

That a wicked man thinks every one his enemy: He dreames of danger when he sleeps, and where ever he comes, he waites for the Sword, He that hath a minde to hurt others, feares it is [Page 108] in the minde of every one to hurt him: He that is harmelesse is fearelesse; Nunquam non divin [...]m ultio­nem expectat vel metuit. Merc. Ex omni parte inimicos sibi imminere vi­dens. Aquin. Qui de nullo confidit de om­nibus timet. id. and while we goe about doing good, we are free from the suspicion of evill. Cain having murthered his Bro­ther, complaines of the Lords sentence against him, Thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth, and from thy face shall I be hid, and I shall be a fugitive and a Vagabond on the earth, and it shall come to passe, that every man that finds me shall slay me, (Gen. 4.14.) Cains complaint is the Comment of this Text, Every one that findes me shall slay me, is, I wait for, or I expect the Sword: Cain speaks as if an Army were continually pursu­ing him, or as if the avenger of blood, were alwayes ready at his heels. And that which aggravates the wonder of this jealousie, is, that we can give account but of one man alive in the World besides himselfe at that time, and that was his owne Father Adam; we read not of any Son that Abel left behind him, nor had Cain any Son (upon record) at that time; and yet he cries out as if the World had been full of Inhabitants, and every one of them his Enemy; Every one that meets me will slay me. What is said of Ishmael, is true of Oppressors, Their hand is against every man, and therefore they have cause enough to suspect that every mans hand is against them, they are ever waiting for the Sword.

Secondly, from the passive sense, He is waited for of the Sword.

Observe.

That a wicked man is in danger wheresoever he is: He cannot set his foot over the threshold but mischiefe may arrest him; the Lord sayd to Cain, If thou doest ill, sin lyes at the door; that is, (according to the ordinary interpretation) punishment lyes at the door, it lyes at the door, yea it will draw the latch, or turne the Key and come in at the doore; There is no evill but a wicked man is subject to it; as there is no good, but is the in­heritance of a godly man, who is therefore called an heire of the promise. He that is an heire of the promise, hath all the good things of this life, and of the next for his inheritance. When he goeth forth, mercy hath him by the hand, yea mercy lyes under his feet, and holds a canopy of protection over his head. A wicked man is an heyre of the curse, and therefore he alwayes stands under the droppings of Divine anger; his breast is the Butt or Mark at which God levells the deadly Arrows of his indignation, and he is waited for of the Sword.

Thirdly, Observe.

That the expectation of evill is more afflictive then the feeling of evill; He doth not say, he is slaine with the Sword, or cut off with the Sword; but he is waited for, or he waites for the Sword: All evill attends him who is thus attended, or who gives such attendance. He that is alwayes looking for evill cannot enjoy the good which he sees. For as the assured hope of approaching comfort swallows up our present sorrows, so the continuall expectation of approaching sorrow swallows up our present comforts.

Fourthly, It is not sayd either by what Sword or by whose Sword he is waited for, but he is waited for of the Sword; here is the Sword, but here is no hand named, neither the hand of God, nor the hand of man, drawing and weilding this Sword.

Hence note.

That the destruction of a wicked man is inevitable. When we neither know, whose the Sword is, nor whence the Sword is, how shall we prevent it or provide against it. Cum Suppli­cium dicitur & non dicitur a quo inferen­dum sit, inevi­tabile suppli­cium significa­tur. Sanct. When the Lord would assure us that an unavoydable overthrow shall come upon the Kingdomes of the earth, which oppose the Kingdome of Christ; he saith, A Stone cut out without hand, shall doe this; it shall be done no man knows how or which way; and therefore no man can know how or which way to hinder the doing of it. As there is a Stone cut out without hands, so here is a Sword to cut without hands. The judge­ment of Babylon is thus expressed by the Prophet ( Isa. 47.11.) Therefore shall evill come upon thee, thou shalt not know from whence it ariseth; and mischiefe shall fall upon thee, thou shalt not be able to put it off. The former words expound the latter: Why should not Babylon be able to put off the mischiefe? Because it comes upon her, shee knowes not from whence. We say in our Proverb, when we threaten a mischiefe, from which there is no escaping, You shall never know who hurt you: He that knows not who hurts him, shall never know how to help himselfe; and while the hand that strikes us is not seen, how shall we see to defend our selves against the stroke. He that waites for the Sword is alwayes in feare, and he that is waited for by the Sword, is alwayes in danger. Either of these is bad enough; and he that is under both, cannot be worse.

In Hebraeo tan­tum est move­tur propane.We put in those words, Saying, and Is it; the Hebrew be­ing onely this, He wandreth abroad for bread, where; as if he had sayd, No man knowes where, and he knowes not whither him­selfe.

There is a twofold interpretation of this Wandering; some understand it of a powerfull roaving abroad for bread; he takes what he can from those who are next, Tyrannorunt farta & ra­pinas hic de scnibi putat Cajetanus. or he takes what comes next to hand: He must have it, it matters not much with him, how or from whom. Such are called Rovers, they rove abroad for bread, they spoyle and plunder others for the supply of their wants, shall I say, or of their lusts. But I conceive this Exposition unsuitable; and the reason is, be­cause Eliphaz is not here describing the sin of a wicked man, but his punishment; to spoyle and plunder for bread is his sin; to wander for bread is his punishment, and implyes the evill and misery that comes upon the wicked, not the evill and mischiefe that is done by the wicked.

Secondly, To wander, is the condition of a man who hath no setled dwelling. Paul was once in such a state, Even to this present houre we both hunger &c. and have no certaine dwelling place (1 Cor. 4.11.) This also was the lot of the Jewish Martyrs, They wandered about in Sheeps-skins, &c. (Heb. 11.37.) These were holy wanderers: They wandered in the World, that they might not wander from God. Here we have an unholy wanderer, who having gone astray from God, found no rest among men, a downe-right Vagabond; for so the word is applyed to [Page 111] Cain (Gen. 4.) A fugitive and vagabond shalt thou be; and we in our Law, call a sort of idle Beggars, Vagabonds, such as goe from Countrey to Countrey, from house to house, to seek their bread. Such also were among the Jewes, who are there­fore called Vagabond Jewes, (Acts 19.13.) To be a wanderer was one of the sharpest threats that God ever denounced a­gainst his people, My God will cast them away, because they did not hearken to him, and they shall be wanderers among the Na­tions.

In Scripture sense, bread takes in all good things, Panis hoc loco non significat, ut aliâs saepe, quodcunque es­culentum; sed vilissimum quemque cibum quo possit su­stentari. Pined. His verbis no­tatur aliud Dei flagellum nem­pe extrema in­opia. Bold. even the best which concern this life: So Christ teacheth us to pray, Give us this day our daily bread. But here by bread, we are to un­derstand the meanest provision, distinct from flesh, and other Food; a man that lives meerly upon bread, hath but poore fare; though bread be the staffe of life, yet he that hath no­thing but bread to eate, lives meanely, and hath onely e­nough to keep life and soule together.

Yet further, they that wander for bread, must be content with the coursest bread, and with a little of that; they are often glad if they get but a dry or mouldy crust of bread to satisfie the cry of hunger. So then, To wander about for bread, is to live a beggars life, or to be driven to the utmost shifts to su­staine life, and keep from starving.

To be brought to a peece of bread (of our owne) is to be brought to the lowest ebb in worldly things, Exul, inops er­res alienaque limina lustres Ovid. in Ibin. ( Prov. 6.26.) By meanes of a whorish woman, a man is brought to a peece of bread; That is, he is made very poore. And if he be at a low ebb, who hath but a peece of bread of his owne: what are they who are forced to aske so low as a piece of bread of others? To want bread is ill, but wonder about for bread is far worse. He that wants bread is pincht, but he that wanders for it is disgraced.

Observe hence, first.

To want and wander about for bread, is a sore affliction; Such an affliction, as David professeth he never observed the rightous mans seed fallen into ( Psal. 37.25.) I have been young, and now am old, yet never saw I the righteous forsaken, nor their seed begging their bread: The righteous are often troubled, yet never [Page 112] forsaken, or if forsaken of men, yet not of God; when all men, even godly men, forsook Paul, yet God did not: The Lord (saith he) stood by me, (2 Tim. 4.16, 17.) And though a righteous man may be brought to begg, yet his seed (that is, his whole posterity) is not; or if we take seed for a sin­gle person, to see him begg for bread is very rare; so rare it was in those times, that David had not observed it; for he speakes not of that which cannot be, but of that which is sel­dome or never seen to be. 'Tis a mercy to be denyed super­fluities, but it is an extreame misery to be denyed necessaries. The Jewes had poore amongst them, Casus transito­rii non reddunt mendicum. Musc. in Psa. 37. but the Law made such provision, that they had no Beggars or wanderers for bread. ( Deut. 15.) He is not a Beggar that askes bread upon a pinch (for so did David himselfe, more then once) but he that makes a trade of it.

Poverty or want is not a marke of Gods disfavour, no more then riches are a marke of his love: Yet some want and poverty, that especially, which is accompanied with a con­tinuall wandering for bread, is a mark of Gods disfavour. it was a Propheticall curse upon the Traytor Judas and his Posterity ( Psal. 109.10.) Let his Children be continually Va­gabonds and begg, let them seek their bread out of desolate places. And experience tells us, that though sometimes a Lazarus, a good man begg, yet the race and generality of professed Beg­gars are the worst of mankinde.

Secondly, whereas Eliphaz speakes specially of the Oppres­sor, and tells us, that he wanders about for bread.

We may observe.

Oppression is the neerest way to poverty: They who make Beggars to satisfie their lusts, shall be forced to begg for the satisfying of their hunger. It is very dangerous to make provision for the flesh by lawfull meanes, to fulfill the lusts of it; but it is most dangerous to make provision for the flesh by unlawfull means (by wrong and oppression) to fulfill the lusts of it. They who so fulfill their lusts, shall soon be brought to want. Han­nah sung out this suddaine change (1 Sam. 2.5.) They that were full have hired themselves out for bread, and they that were hungry ceased. Not that they ceased to be, but they ceased to be hungry, or their hunger ceased. Godly empty ones were filled, and wicked full ones were emptied; and that which [Page 113] makes the want and emptinesse of a wicked man so great a misery, is his want of faith and patience when he is empty; he hath done so much evill, that he hath no faith to beleeve, that any man will doe him good, therefore his poverty fills him with impatience, and his minde is more unsetled then his estate.

Thus such as he are described ( Psal. 59.14, 15.) At even­ing let them returne, and let them make a noyse, like a Dog, and goe round about the City: Let them wander up and downe for meat, and grudge if they be not satisfied: A good man may want meat, but he doth not grudge. He that waites upon God, and be­leeves, shall be satisfied, though not filled.

Againe, 'tis prophesied of wicked men ( Isa. 8.21.) They shall passe through it hardly bestead and hungry, and it shall come to passe, when they shall be hungry, that they shall fret themselves, and curse their King and their God, and looke upward: When an unbeleever hath nothing to eate, he eates himselfe. His owne fretting wasts him more then his hunger. He then looks upward, not as submitting himselfe to God in his hunger, not as de­pending upon God, for the satisfying of his hunger: In which sense it is sayd ( Psal. 145.15, 16.) The eyes of all waite up­on thee, or (as we put in the Margin) looke unto thee, and thou givest them their meate in due season, thou openest thine hand and satisfiest the desire of every living thing. A wicked man cannot look upward, thus, when he is hungry, he cannot look up and pray, he cannot look up and trust in God; but he looks upward to curse the God of Heaven in his heart, if not with his tongue; he looks upward, because he is vext with all that is done below; he looks upward, not because he hath any pleasant sights in Heaven, Terroribus con­scientiae ita di­vexatur ut in maxima abun­damia summè egeat, laboret de victu supra mo­dum. Jun. Vagatur, vel in mediis opibus, egestatis metu, nec partis secu­re fruitur. Merl. but because he is displeased with all he sees on Earth.

Where? or whither doth he wander? That which Eliphaz is conceived to aime chiefely at in this passage, is not so much the reall, as the imaginary and conceited want of a wicked man. He wanders while he stayes at home, and seekes for bread, while his Barns and Tables are filled with it. He is ter­rified with fore-thoughts of poverty, in the midst of his rich­es, and when he hath bread, saith, Where is it? He is so [Page 114] troubled with suspected evills, that he cannot take comfort in his possessed goods.

Hence observe.

First, That abundance cannot satisfie: God onely is fulnesse to us. A man may wander about in his thoughts for bread, when he hath bread enough about him, and say he shall be undone, and dye a beggar, when he hath abundance. A cove­teous man is an unsatiable gulfe; He only is well who hath enough, and he is best who hath (in temporalls) the least enough: But a coveteous man hath not enough, though he hath more then enough, and much more then needs; he always dreams of dearths, and sus­pects the Earth will be barren: with these feares he pines, yea martyrs himself, and is not at all enriched with all his riches; he hath sufficient to maintaine twenty, yet is told by his un­beleife, that he hath not sufficient for one. This is vanity and vexation of spirit; The life of man doth not consist in what he hath, but in what he is, and hopes to be: his life doth not consist in abundance, either for the continuance of it, or for the comfort of it. A man doth not live more dayes, nor more cheerfully any day, because he lives plentifully. The creature were a God to us, if it could do this to us; but this, God hath reserved in his owne hands (how much soever of the creature he gives out) that we may know our depen­dance on him.

Secondly Observe.

That imaginary wants, or to have an unquiet spirit in the midst of our injoyments, is more afflictive then to be in reall want: The worst worldly poverty is to be poore when we are rich; as it is the excellency of our spirituall estate to be poor in spi­rit, in our greatest spirituall plenty, to be little or nothing in our own eyes, when we have a great stock of grace: So it is the misery of our temporall estate to be thus poor in spirit, when we have plenty in the Purse, to say we have little or nothing, when we have a great stock of worldly goods.

Zophar concludes of the Hypocrite ( Chap. 20.21.) In the fulnesse of his sufficiency he shall be in streights; which may be un­derstood, either first, That when he is full, troubles shall empty him; or secondly, That while his fulnesse continues, even in his fullest fulnesse, he shall live, as if he were indeed as empty of wealth, as he is of goodnesse, alwayes spending himselfe with [Page 115] feares that all will be suddenly spent, and saying in his heart, This will not hold out, I shall never be able to bring the yeare about, or bring (as we say) both ends together. Hence his cares are endlesse, and he grudges himselfe ordinary comforts, his worldly sorrow consumes him, and he is willing to dye, one­ly to save charges: That man is in an ill case, who is grudg­ed what he eates or spends, by others, but it is farr worse for a man to grudge himselfe his necessary expences.

Some worldly men, whose Barns are full, are ready to say every one to his soule, as he ( Luke 12.19.) Soule take thine ease, thou hast goods layd up for many yeares: Another hath his Barnefull, and yet saith, This will not hold one yeare, and so gives his soule no ease at all. What the Apostle saith of himselfe, is true of all those who have an interest in Christ, (2 Cor. 6.10.) As poore, yet making many rich; as having no­thing, yet possessing all things: But there are some rich, who make many poore, and themselves poorest of all; for though they have all those things, yet they are as if they possessed nothing. It is an affliction to be poore for want of riches, but it is a curse to be poore in the possession of riches. Hee that loves Silver shall not be satisfied with Silver ( Eccles. 5.10.) To be satisfied, is more then to be rich, and he is alwayes poor who is unsatisfied; he that expects satisfaction from the creature, shall never finde contentation in the creature; and he that expects no satisfaction from the creature, hath con­tentation in any portion of the creature. A godly man learnes in every estate to be content; a carnall man is con­tent in no estate; when he is poor, he sees he hath nothing, and when he is rich, he saith he hath not enough. Thus he wanders as well when he is rich, as when he is poor, and is therefore never satisfied.

Againe,

He wanders about for bread, Where? Or saying, Where is it?

Hence Observe:

A man that is not good, is uncertaine where to receive any good; Where is it? Though a Beleever want bread, yet he knowes whither to goe for it, and where it is to be had. The earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof, he goes to Heaven for bread as well as for grace; he knowes there is bread in the promise, and [Page 116] to the promise he goes. The promise hath all things both con­cerning life, and godlinesse. Christ who is the bread of life, gives us bread for this life; and having Christ, with him, we have all things else; Bread and cloathing, Gold and Silver, are layd up in Christ.

An Unbeleever (as hath been shewed) hath nothing to doe with promises, nor with Christ the fulfiller of promises, and therefore he is ever in doubt, when he is in want; and saith, Where is it? He knowes not whither to goe, nor to whom for the supply of his wants. A wicked man is never in his way, and, in one sense, he is never out of his way. They may goe any where, who know not whither to goe. They are never out of their way, who have no home. East, West, North, or South, it is all one to them; which way the Staffe falls, they goe, they have no rule nor line to goe by; but though a wicked man know not his particular way, yet he often knowes his generall end, and that is misery, as the next words tell us.

At the 22. Verse, Hee beleeves not that he shall returne out of darknesse; that is (as was opened) in case he falls into evill, he thinks he shall never get out of it; he hath no faith that he shall recover out of trouble, but he hath a strong faith, that he shall fall into trouble: He knowes that the day of dark­nesse is ready at hand:

Here are three things to be cleared.

• First, What is meant by knowing.
• Secondly, What by the day of darknesse.
• Thirdly, What, by being ready at hand.

To know, it is here opposed to an uncertaine guesse, or to conjecture; to know is as much as to be fully perswaded, to know, is to be assured; the highest act of faith is often expres­sed by knowledge. Novit in seipso quod maneat in ruinam. Certo sibi per­suadet atque hujus rei prae­sagium ex sui cordis sensu sa­cit. Hereby we know that we know him (1 John 2.4.) that is, hereby we are assured that we know him; so here, He knowes, that is, he is assured; it is setled upon his spirit, that the day of darknesse is ready at hand. This knowledge ri­seth not from reports abroad, but from his owne breast; so the Septuagint translates, Hee knowes in himselfe that evill shall be upon him; As a godly man hath a witnesse for him [Page 117] in himselfe, so a wicked man hath a witnesse against him in himselfe.

What the day of darknesse is, learne upon the former Verse, He beleeveth not that he shall returne out of darknesse; there I shewed a fivefold darknesse, here I shall reduce it to one of these two.

The day of darknesse is either the day of death, or the day of affliction; so 'tis taken ( Eccles. 5.17.) All his dayes hee eateth in darknesse; that is, hee is in sorrow all his dayes: Though he hath Sun light, or Candle light enough at his Ta­ble, yet he hath no light in his heart. So the Prophet Amos (5.20.) Shall not the day of the Lord be darknesse, and not light? Even very darke, and no brightnesse in it? There is a day of the Lord which is nothing but light, and there is a day of the Lord which is nothing but darknesse, that is of tribulation and anguish upon the soule that sins. The Prophet Joel calls it, A day of darknesse, and of gloominesse, a day of clouds and of thick darknesse. He knowes that the day of darknesse is,

The word which we translate ready, signifies two things. [...] Paratum, fir­mum, stabilem, certum esse de­notat. Drus.

• First, that which is prepared.
• Secondly, that which is established, or confirmed.

We translate to the former, the day is ready or prepared; others render to the latter sense, the day is established, and setled; his day of darknesse shall certainely come upon him. And whereas wee translate Ready at hand, noting the neernesse of the danger. Others, Tygurina per manum intelli­gere videtur ipsa impiorunt scelera, & per paraphrasim sic sententiam elu­cidat. Scit quod suis factis periculosa tem­pora accersie­rit. to note the cause of the danger, render, He knowes that his owne hand hath made a day of darknesse; that is, The villanies and wickednesses which he hath committed, cause the clouds of judgement to gather, and look black upon him; his unrighteousnesse hath hastned on his ruine, and wrapt him up in darknesse, He hath brought an evill day upon himselfe, by his evill deeds; or as the Prophet speaks, His destruction is from himselfe: He hath pulled downe his House with his owne hands, and is the sole author or contriver of his owne sorrows.

This is an experienced truth; but I rather take the words as we render, The day of darknesse is ready at hand; that is, it is neer, and will shortly seize upon him.

Hence Observe.

First, Many a wicked man growes into an assurance of his ap­proaching misery: It is as hard to perswade some wicked men that their state is naught, as it is to perswade some good men that their state is good; yet as many of the Saints conquer unbeleife, and come not onely to have some hopes, but high assurances, that there is a day of mercy at hand for them, that they are in a present happy state, and eternall happinesse waite for them; so a wicked man (after long debate) may have his unbeleife conquered, and though he hath been sowing pillowes under his owne elboes, though he hath slighted all the Counsells, Admonitions, and threatnings of faithfull Freinds, though notwithstanding all this, he continue long, speaking peace to his owne soule, and saying, all is well, yet (I say) this man may have his unbeleife conquered, and know at last that there is a day of darknesse ready at hand; when his eyes are opened to see what he hath done, and what he hath been; he sees that God hath rejected all his con­fidences, and that he shall never prosper in them.

Secondly, Observe,

That for a man to be assured of his owne misery is the height of misery: Eliphaz puts it here among the punishments of wick­ed men. This assurance makes his heart shake, this knowledge is full of feare, and therefore full of torment. As to know that a day of light and deliverance is ready at hand, is light while we are in darknesse, and deliverance while we are in trouble: So to know that a day of darknesse and misery is ready at hand, is darknesse to wicked men while they are in externall light, and misery in the midst of all their mirth. And as it is the highest comfort of the Saints to know that they have eternall life, to know that they are in the favour, and live in the love of God; (a man may be in it, and not know it, and then though he shall doe well at last, yet his state is but uncomfortable, and he that is an heyre of Heaven, may walke as an heyre of Hell, with a troubled spirit) but to know that it is so, this is Heaven before we come at Hea­ven; so it is the deepest sorrow of any man in this life, to know that he hath eternall death; an assurance of this, set­led upon the spirit (though I conceive a man cannot have an absolute assurance of it, yet to have strong impressions [Page 119] upon the spirit, that he shall never be saved, or that Hell is prepared for him) this is Hell before he is cast into Hell.

A soule that doubts of mercy and of the favour of God, is in a very sad condition, but the condition of that soule is un­expressibly sad, which is assured of judgement, and of the wrath of God.

Thirdly, Observe.

That as a wicked man may know that he shall be miserable in the end, so hee may know that his misery is neere at hand: An evill conscience awakened is the worst Prophet, it is full of sad presages; like Micah to Ahab, Haec est paenae impii pars nou modica quod cogatur ipse si­bi ominari ma­lum. Pined. it never Prophesied good but e­vill; and it doth not onely Prophesie of evill afarr off, but neer, or ready at hand: 'Tis true, an evill conscience usually puts the evill day farr off (2 Pet. 3.4.) There shall be scof­fers, saying, Where is the day of his comming, &c. The day of darknesse is farr enough off, it hath been long talked of, but we doe not see it, say these despisers: But when an evill con­science is awakened, then he sees evill neer, and himselfe dogg'd at the heeles, or (as the former Verse speakes) Wai­ted for of the Sword.

As a Beleever, when the eye of faith is cleare, sees mercy neer at hand (Faith makes God neer, and then all good is neer.) So an Unbeleever when the eye of his conscience is cleared, sees misery neer.

Observe Fourthly.

The misery of a wicked man is unmoveable: His day of dark­nesse is established by an irrevocable decree, there is no get­ting it off; he is under a Divine Fate. A day of darknesse may come over the Saints, but that day blows over: David sayd once of his day of light, It shall never be dark; and of his Mountaine, it shall never be removed; yet he was de­ceived: But a wicked mans day of darknesse shall never be light, nor can he use any proper meanes to turne his day of darknesse into light. He cannot pray, and it is p [...]er that turnes darknesse into light; he cannot beleive, and it is Faith that turnes a day of darknesse into light; he hath not a Christ to goe unto, and it is Christ onely who can turne dark­nesse into light, death to life, and the Waters of sorrow into the Wine of joy; his darknesse shall never be removed, who hath not Christ (who is light) to remove it.

In this Verse, we have a double effect of those troubles, which are the portion of a wicked man; the first effect is, They shall make him afraid; the second effect is, They shall prevaile upon him; both which are illustrated by an elegant similitude, they shall make him afraid, and they shall prevaile upon him, as a King ready to Battell.

Trouble without, and anguish within (so some expound) He shall have straits in his state, and a strait upon his spirit; both meeting, shall not onely afflict him, but make him afraid. The word may be translated to fright, rather then to make afraid: [...] Idem quod [...] angustia. They shall scare him, not onely out of his comforts, but out of his wits and senses. There is a threefold feare:

First, Naturall.

Secondly, Spirituall.

[...] Perter [...]uit, per­tuibavit.To be spiritually afrayd, is good, and to be naturally afrayd, is not evill: So Christ was not onely afrayd, but a­mazed ( Mark 14.33.)

Thirdly, There is a distracting, vexing feare, which is both a passion and a perturbation: This is at once the sin and punishment of wicked men.

Consider, with what weapons and instruments God fights against a wicked man: he doth not say, Sword and fire shall make him afraid, Armies of enemies shall make him afraid, but trouble and anguish shall doe it; God can create and forme weapons in our owne hearts, to fight against us: In­ward anguish is farr more greivous then any outward stroak. ( Rom. 2.9.) Tribulation and anguish shall be upon every soule that sins, whether of Jew or Gentile: Anguish is the edge of tri­bulatio [...] both joyned, wound soule and body; yea strike thoroug [...] both at every blow.

Hence Note.

It is worse to be afraid of evill, then to feele it: Every thing is to us as we apprehend it, good is not pleasing to us, nor e­vill afflictive to us, unlesse we think it so: They who are not afraid of death, welcome it when it comes; others through [Page 121] feare of death, are held in bondage all the dayes of their life.

Secondly, Observe.

Distracting feare is the portion of a wicked man: The troubles of the righteous are many, but their feares are few ( Psal. 112.) His heart is fixed, he shall not be afraid: 'Tis not sayd he shall not heare evill tydings (I know no man whose eares are priviledg'd from such reports) but he shall not be afraid. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set them­selves against me round about, (Psal. 3.6.) Though I walke in the valley of the shadow of death, I will feare no evill, Ps. 23.4. are the resolves of faith: Whosoever hath much feare, hath but little Faith, Wherefore are ye afraid, O ye of little Faith? Mat. 8.26. and how can they but be afraid (when stormes arise) who are of no faith; when Faith increaseth, feare decreaseth, and when Faith is come to the height, feare is gone; where there is no Faith, there can be nothing but feare, trouble and anguish shall make him afraid, that's the first effect.

But thats not all, anguish doth not onely feare the wicked man, but prevailes against him: [...] a radice [...] circumivit. Angustia val­labit. Vulg. Some render Trouble and anguish intrench about him; The sense is the same, it is such an in­trenchment as concludes in a conqeust; the beseiger prevailes. A second reads it thus, Trouble shall make him afrayd, and an­guish shall intrench about him. The Originall joynes the two Substantives together, and the Verbe is plurall, Terrebit eum tribulatio & angustia valla­bit eum. Trouble and an­guish shall make him afrayd, they shall prevaile against him.

From this second effect, Observe.

Evill shall get the upper hand of evill men: A good man, pos­sibly, may be afraid, and afraid sinfully, excesse of feare may take hold of him, but he shall not be prevailed against ( Pro. 24.16.) The just man falls seven times a day (into affliction and trouble) and riseth up againe; trouble may throw him down but it cannot keep him downe ( Mic. 7.8.) Rejoyce not a­gainst me, O mine enemy, when I fall, I shall rise; the Church ri­ses in her falls, and shee sometimes foresees her rising, when shee is fallen: The wicked fall, and rise no more. And where­as the Saints are more then conquerours through him that loveth them, wicked men are more then conquered, they are utterly ruined, lost, and vanquished, because not beloved. There are two battells wherein we cannot stand without the strength of Christ.

First, The battell of inward temptation.

Secondly, The battell of outward affliction.

We are no match for either, unlesse Christ be our Second. Satan hath desired thee (saith Christ to P [...]ter) to winnow thee as Wheate (hoping to finde, or make thee Chaffe) But I have prayed that thy Faith faile not: Peter fell into temptation, yea he fell in the temptation, yet because Christ undertook for him, the temptation could not prevaile against him. And as there is no conquest over Satans temptation, but by the strength of Christ; so none over affliction (which is Gods temptation) but by the strength of Christ (1 Cor. 10.13.) There hath no temptation (that is, no affliction) taken you, but what is common to man (yet no man can stand under that a­lone, which may befall any man, therefore it followes) But God is faithfull, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able, &c. Man alone is not sufficient, so much as to thinke one good thought, how then shall he thinke good thoughts enow alone, either to scatter a temptation, or to beare an affliction? To carry the soule out in such a conflict requires more then one good thought, yea more then many good thoughts, it requires good actings; yea and sufferings too; how shall he doe this without the strength of Christ? No wonder then if the lesser of these, yea the least of the les­ser, the least affliction prevaile against a wicked man; and if while he runs with Foot-men, they weary him, how shall he contend with Horses, with trouble and anguish, shall not these prevaile against him, as a King ready to battell? Which is the illustration of the wicked mans downefall: Trouble and anguish prevaile against him: But how? Not a little, not with strength onely enough to turne the scale of the conflict, but mightily, even with much strength to spare.

There are foure interpretations for the making out of this similitude; some place it between a wicked mans trouble and anguish, and the trouble and anguish of a King ready to joyne Battell with a potent Adversary: For, then his spirit is much troubled, knowing how great an adventure he makes, in reference to his state, and how great a hazzard he runs, in reference to his life, and person. The charge being sometimes [Page 123] given to fight neither against small not great, but onely a­gainst the King. So a wicked man when trouble comes, is like a King going to Battell, full of feares and anxious thoughts what the issue and event may be: He lookes upon himselfe as the marke, both of the wrath of God and Man, and that every blow shall be directed against his breast.

Trouble and anguish single out wicked men; when God sends out his Armies of judgements, he charges them not to fight against the small or great of his owne people, but a­gainst the wicked of the World: Wrath aymes at them, and therefore they are terryfied at the approaches of wrath. Praeliaturum regem circun­dare solebat globus militum ut lectio Tygu­rina indicat. Angustia & circumvallatio eum circum­stant ut regem consertis globis praeliaturum.

Secondly, Others give out the similitude, thus, Trouble and anguish shall come upon him, as a King ready to battell: As when a King goes to Battell he is compassed with a strong guard. (Every Generall hath his Life-guard, much more Kings) So, trouble and anguish shall compasse a wicked man, as yet with widest difference; for the Guard compasseth the King for the safety and preservation of his person; whereas trouble and anguish gather about wicked men for their de­struction: But the Text will hardly admit this explication, and therefore I passe it.

Thirdly, The Hebrew word which signifies a day of Bat­tell, signifies also a Spheare, or round Globe, we translate it, [...] Significat glo­bum pilam aut Sphaeram. Apud Latinos Globus est ho­stium aut Ar­matorum mili­tum cuneus. Liv. lib. 1. Annal. Romu­lus cum globo Juvenum. [...] Erit. [...] Ad praelium a forma orbicula­ri, Castra in orbicularem formam dispo­nuntur ut for­tiora sint. Merc. a Ball (Isa. 22.18.) where it is prophesied against Shebna, that the Lord would make him an example, and that (as the Hebrew is) Tossing, he would tosse him with a tossing; that is, he would surely tosse, and turne him like a Ball, into a farr Countrey; as a Ball is tossed or throwne, so the Lord would throw him into Captivity. Now because it is a usu­all way of embattailing, to draw an Army into the forme of a Globe, or Ball; therefore the same word which signifies a Spheare, or Globe, signifies also a Battell, from the forme of it. Taking it in this sense, for any thing that is round, or cir­cular as a Ball, or Spheare. This third interpretation of the similitude riseth thus, Trouble and anguish shall make him afrayd, they shall prevaile upon him, as a King put in Chaines, or into a hoop of Iron; some labour much for the main­taining of this interpretation, That Eliphaz intends to shew how wicked oppressors shall be surrounded and held fast with trouble, like some great Kings, who falling into the hands [Page 124] of their Enemies, have been shut up in round Iron Cages, as Tamerlane carryed Bajazet the Turkish Emperour; or bound in Chaines, as it is Prophesied in the 149. Psalme. It was the use of those times, Declarare vo­lens extremas impii angustias ut illum eo pa­cto undique stringi tribula­tionibus, quo Rex ab hoste superatus & captus; pro spe­ctaculo publicè ponebatur in Ferricernio. Bold. Ita etiam tex­tum explicat, Vatablus. to make hoops of Iron, for the securing of Kings and Princes taken in Battell; the formes of which, and how those captivated Kings were lockt up in them, with the posture of their bodies in that base imprisonment, may be seen in Boldue upon this Verse; and he annexeth diverse texts of Scripture, in which he conceives there is an allusion to this coorse way of handling Kings.

Fourthly, Our reading compares trouble and anguish to a King, ready to Battell; as if he had sayd, Trouble and an­guish shall prevaile upon him irresistibly: This is but a high ex­pression of greatest preparation for a Battell; for when a King goeth forth to Battell in person, he will have all the strength of his Kingdome with him, which Job himselfe cleares in the 29. Chapter, Verse 25 where describing his own former felicity, he concludes, I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a King in the Army: That is, in great strength and power. So the Apostle speaks (1 Cor. 4.8.) You have reigned as Kings without us, and I would to God yee did reigne; that is, you conceive you have had the confluence of all comforts, and strengths, You have reigned as Kings, I would you had, that we also might reigne with you, or share in your felicity. So that when Eliphaz saith, Trouble and anguish shall pre­vaile, as a King armed, and ready to set forth to Battell; his meaning it; They shall prevaile strongly, yea irresistibly. The wicked man shall not be able to stand their charge, much lesse repulse is. These severall explications of the similitude meet in one common truth: That as the wicked shall not stand in judgement, when God comes to judge all the World; so when the Lord sends forth his judgements upon any part of the World, they are the men that shall surely fall; trouble and anguish shall terrifie them, as a King going to joyne Bat­tell, or as a King taken and captivated in Battell, or as a King conquering and prevailing over his Foes in Battell. Sin pre­vailes alwayes upon wicked men, as a King commanding and ruling over them; at last, trouble (which is the fruit of sin) shall prevaile upon them as a King oppressing and destroying them. They who will not submit to the rule of the Law [Page 125] as a King to guide them: shall be forced to submit to the curse of the Law, as a King to punish them.

And is it any wonder then that God should stretch out his hand against him? Every sin deserves punishment, and shall be punished either upon the sinner, or upon his Surety; but extraordinary sins call for extraordinary punishments: they who have done much evill, shall endure much. Justice hath an eye to the quantity, as well as to the quality of our works; and that's a worke of wickednesse in Folio, or of the largest size, which is done with a hand stertbhed out: What revenge is bigg enough for a sin thus bigg?

Here are three things to be opened: Tanto supplicio nunc scelus dig­nissimum ex­plicat. Pined.

• First, What is meant by the hand.
• Secondly, What is meant by stretching out the hand.
• Thirdly, How the hand may be stretched out against God.

The hand may be taken properly, or improperly; proper­ly for that member of the body, which is so usefull and in­strumentall in all the services of this life; and then to stretch out the hand, must be taken in a proper sense; for so wicked men sometimes doe; they stretch out the hand of the body a­gainst [Page 126] God, by acting sins of violence, and by acting vio­lently in many sins.

The outward members, especially the hand and tongue, are made the weapons of unrighteousnesse, both against God and Man.

Theod. l. 3. cap. 20. Ni­ceph. l. 10. cap. 35.The Church-Historian reports of Julian the Apostate, that when he was wounded in the Battell against the Parthians, he tooke of his blood, and threw it up to Heaven, he stretched out his hand against God, saying, in derision of Christ, O Ga­lilaean thou hast overcome: This outward gesture of his body, expressed the secret indignation of his minde. And it is ob­served by Jerom, Amalachitae Israelitas in Exitu de Egyp­to vel ob lassi­tudinem vel ob legalem im­munditiem ex­tra castra de­gentes occide­runt & eorum circumcisionem amputatam in subsannatio­nem Dei proje­cerunt in cae­lum. Hieron. who saith, he received it from the Tradition of the Jewes, that the Amalakites, who were professed Enemies to the Jewes, did lye upon the watch, to take all advantages against them, in their march from Aegypt to Canaan, and when at any time they turned aside out of the way, either because of legall uncleannesse, or upon any naturall necessi­ty, they would fall upon them and slay them; which being done, they cut off that member which had the Seale of the Covenant (Circumcision) upon it, and with their hands stretched out, threw it up towards Heaven, as if they would challenge God himselfe to revenge their blasphemy of him, and the contempt of that sacred Institution.

Secondly, The hand is taken improperly, or metaphori­cally; so, the power of a man is his hand, the strength of his whole body, state, and minde, may be called his hand; his riches are his hand, his credit is his hand, his wit, and parts, Learning, and Eloquence, are his hand, as there is a power in all these. And when it is sayd here, He stretcheth forth his hand against God; we may understand it in that latitude; for a wicked man improves the strength of his body, the power of his Estate, his Credit, his Wit, all his accommodations in the way of Rebellion against God. A man is sayd to stretch out himselfe, Extendere ma­num est omnem adhibere cona­tum ad percu­tiendum hostem aut aliquid a­liud aggredi­endum. when he doth his utmost to attaine his end, and makes the most of himselfe to any purpose: In such cases he stretcheth all that he is (as we say) upon the Tenters; and this all of his put together, is his hand stretched out against God.

Further, To stretch out the hand, imports foure things.

First, To doe a thing with the utmost intention of minde [Page 127] and body, to doe it with all our might and fullest resolu­tion. Joshua being resolved to bring totall destruction upon the men of Ai, Drew not his hand back wherewith he stretched out his Speare, till he utterly destroyed all the Inhabitants of Ai (Josh. 8.26.) The stretching forth of his hand was emblematicall, speaking, or implying that his spirit kept up to the height of resolution, for the ruine of that City and people.

When the Scripture speaks of God, acting towards Man, either in a way of judgement or mercy, this phrase is often used, ( Exod. 6.6.) Wherefore say to the Children of Israel, I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Aegyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeeme you with an out-stretched arme. (Exod. 14.8.) The Children of Israel went out with an high hand; and at the sixt Verse of the same Chapter, the Lord bid Moses, Stretch his hand over the Sea; to shew that he was purposed to worke a Miracle, for the de­liverance of his people. The Prophets are frequent in this language ( Isa. 5.25.) Therefore is the anger of the Lord kind­led, against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them: Read Chap. 9. Verse 12, 17.21. Chap. 10.4. Jer. 51.25. Ezek. 14.13. Chap. 15.7. In all these places when the Lord went with full purpose to punish, he is said, To stretch out his hand. Now as when God stretcheth out his hand against Man, it shews his resolvednesse to smite, so when man stretch­eth out his hand against God, it shews his resolvednesse to sin, or his actuall sinning with full intention and strength of spirit.

Secondly, Mans stretching out his hand, Extendere ma­num est habi­tus considentis & potentiam viresque osten­dentis. speaks the confidence of a man, that he shall carry all before him, and win the day; it is usuall with contenders, especially with Souldiers, be­fore they joyne Battell, to stretch their hands out, to draw and brandish their Swords, in token both of their courage to fight, and of their confidence to prevaile. Obstinate sinners are full of false hopes that they shall obtaine what they de­signe, and prosper in their projects of wickednesse, and there­fore they are sayd to stretch out the hand against God.

Thirdly, Stretching out the hand, is a posture of pride and impudence; pride is written upon a stretched-out-hand. To sin presumptuously, Anima quae in manu superbiae. Sept. is in the Originall to sin with a high hand (Numb. 15.30.) The Septuagint render that place, The soule [Page 128] that in the hand of pride thinkes so, shall be cut off: The Caldee Pa­raphrase gives it thus; He that sins with an uncovered head; An uncovered head is an argument of boldnesse, and that he who acts, cares not who sees him. Modesty causeth us to hang downe, or cover the head, when we have done ill, and shame makes us cover the head when we receive evill, or are punish­ed ( Jer. 14.4.) The Plowmen were ashamed, they covered their heads because the ground was chapt: for there was no raine in the Earth: So that to do, or suffer with an uncovered head, is like doing or suffering with a high, or stretched-out-hand, boldly, presumptuously, and as it were, hanging out a Falg of defiance against the God of Heaven.

Fourthly, Stretching out the hand, is the posture of a furi­ous maddman; he that wants the use of his reason, makes this use of his hand, laying about him, as if he would doe wonders; such madnesse lodgeth in the hearts of debauched sinners, they doe they know not what; they rage and are fu­rious, as if they would pull God out of Heaven, and throw the House, yea the World, out at the Windows: These stretch their hands against God, and they doe it three wayes.

First, Against the very being of God; such a wicked man opposeth God as God, he wisheth there were no God, or that himselfe were God; he would have all power in his owne hand: Francis Spira in his despayring distraction sayd, I would I were above God: In him nature spake her mind plain­ly, and not in Parables: Nature heightned in wickednesse would be above God; therefore a carnall man is called, A hater of God: Now that which we hate we would destroy, and take out of the way.

Secondly, There is a stretching out the hand against God, not onely in this open bold challenge, or professed opposi­tion; this very few will owne. Few Atheists will speak out their blasphemy, or send their Trumpet to defie God; and most wicked men take a suspicion of this, as the highest disho­nour and affront that can be put upon them. What? They oppose God? They stretch out their hand against God? They will tell you, they love God, and it may be they will tell you that God is their God, and yet will be found s [...]retching out their hand against God: therefore not onely doe his professed Enemies stretch out their hand against God, but even those [Page 129] his professed Friends, who live in the open violation of his righteous Laws; they who oppose the will and Word of God, the Statutes and Ordinances of God, these will be found to stretch forth their hand against God himselfe.

The Lord complaines ( Mal. 3.13.) Your words have beene stout against me: Who? we stout against God? when did we speak against God? we never had such a thought in our hearts, much lesse, such words in our mouthes: So it followes, Yet yee say, What have we spoken so much against thee? The Lord tells them (because it seems they could not) Vers. 14 Yee have sayd it is a vaine thing to serve the Lord, and what profit have we, that wee have kept his Ordinances, and yee call the proud happy, &c. To speak, or thinke thus (though such a word be not spoken formally, as it is probable they did not) is to be stout against God. To say, It is a vaine thing to serve the Lord, is not one­ly a disservice, but a Rebellion against the Lord: To say, There is no profit in keeping his Ordinances, is the highest pro­phanation of his Ordinances; to call, The proud happy, is to stretch out the hand against God, for he stretcheth out his hand against, and resisteth the proud.

Thirdly, The hand is stretched out against God, when it is stretched out against his people, his Servants, or any that are under his tuition, and speciall protection; to oppose, or stretch out the hand against these, is to stretch out the hand against God. The Prophet Zacharie sets forth both the care of God to keep his people from trouble, and his Sympathy with them in trouble, by an elegant Similitude: Hee that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of mine eye (Zach. 2.8.) What part is more sensible of the least hurt, then the eye, or being hurt, causeth a greater smart? God is as tender of his people as any man is of his owne eyes. He that toucheth them, sc. to wrong or vexe them, toucheth the apple of Gods eye, he lifts up his hand against Gods face, and against the most excellent part of his face, his eye, and against the most excellent part of his eye, the apple of it or ball of the eye which is the proper instrument of seeing. We use to say, There is no spor­ting with the eyes; men doe not like it, to have their eyes played with: Surely then God will not beare it, Dicimus vulgo cum oculis non ludendum est. that any should smite or wound his eyes. And he interprets any hurt done to his people, as done to his owne eye, yea to the apple [Page 130] of his eye. When it was under debate in the Councell what should be done with the Apostles, Gamaliel advises, Refraine from these men, and let them alone, &c. Lest haply yee be found to fight against God (Acts 5.38, 39.) Some possibly would re­ply, We fighters against God? We love God; here is a com­pany of turbulent Fellows called Apostles, who disquiet the City, may we not punish them, but we must presently be judged fighters against God? No, saith Gamaliel, you fight against God, if they and their Apostleship be of God.

Saul was zealous of the Law, and (as he thought) for God; yet Christ rebukes him from Heaven, with Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? Thou stretchest forth thy hand a­gainst me, when thou dost it against the Saints; then, there is a stretching out the hand against God, not onely by a boy­sterous opposition of God, As Pharoah, Senacharib, and Julian did, but by opposing the wayes or word, the Messengers or Servants of God.

Hence Observe.

First, Though every sinne be against God, yet some sinnes are more against God: Wee cannot say that every one who sins, stretcheth out his hand against God; there is a difference of sins in degree, though they are all in their nature deadly; there is a presumptuous sin, a sin committed with a high hand, which hath these two things chiefely in it.

• First, A sinning against cleare light.
• Secondly, A sinning with full consent and swindge of will.

In that place of Numbers, where this sin is described ( Chap. 15.30.) There are two other Characters put upon it: First, it is called, A reproaching the Lord: And secondly, a despising of the Word of the Lord; Every sin is a transgression of the Word of the Lord, but every sin is not a despising of the Word of the Lord; every sin is displeasing to God, but every sin is not a reproaching of God: Every sin, even the least, is a departure from God, but some sins are full of activity a­gainst God.

It is conceived, that the presumptuous sin in the old Testa­ment, is the same with, or answers to, the sin against the holy Ghost in the New; and that which leads to this apprehension is, because no sacrifice was appointed for that under the Law, [Page 131] as this is sayd to be unpardonable under the Gospell. And the Author to the Hebrewes is expresse ( Chap. 10.26.) If we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins. The Gospell knowes but of one Sacrifice for sin, and that but once offered; they who despise that, have despised all, for there remaines no more Sacrifice for sin. God will not send his Son to dye a second time for those who have trodden the Son of God in his death under foot, and have counted the blood of the Co­venant an unholy thing. God indeed stretcheth out his hand all the day long, to a gainesaying and rebellious people, that is, to those who stretch out their hands against him in his Law: But he will not stretch out his hand (unlesse to smite) to a gain-saying and rebellious people, who (in this sense) stretch out their hands against him in the Gospell.

Secondly, From the connexion of this Verse with the former:

Observe.

That God proportions the punishment of man unto his sin: There is a twofold proportionating of punishment to sin.

• First, In the quality, or manner of it.
• Secondly, In the quantity, or degree of it.

The Justice of God is visible in both, according to the exact rules of retaliation: As I have done, so the Lord hath requited me, sayd Adonibezek (Judg. 1.) He was punished in the same manner that he had sinned, and so have many others. But all shall be punished in the same degree that they have sinned. If sin be great, so shall the punishment of it be. When the iniquity of the Amorite was full, he had his fill of wrath. When God himselfe was pressed with the sin of Israel, as a Cart with Sheaves: then he layd on load in judgement. If any won­der why the wicked man should be hurryed, troubled, vexed, why he travelleth in paine all his dayes; he may cease to wonder, when he reads, that the wicked man stretcheth out his hand against God. Is it any wonder God should shew himselfe an Enemy to them, who practice the Enemy against him? Or that they should be highest in suffering, who have been highest in sin? The Prophet Amos reproves and com­plaines of those, who made the Ephah small, and the Shekel great (Chap. 8.5.) That is, who abated the measure, and enhan­ced, [Page 132] or raised the price of their commodities: But if man make the Ephah, or measure of his sin small, God will not make the Shekel of his punishment great. The wages which the Justice of God payes the sinner, shall not be a penny more then his sinning worke hath deserved.

Thirdly, In that the stretching out the hand against God, is a sin against light.

Observe.

That sins committed against light, leave the soule in the greatest darknesse: A sin committed in the darknesse of ignorance, de­serves yet to be punished with darknesse, even with ever­lasting darknesse; much more those sins which are commit­ted, not onely in, but against the light of knowledge. Some shall perish for want of light; they cannot but perish who live and dye in the abuse of light. Many shall perish because they have not stretched forth their hands according to the light received, to worke for God; how deeply then shall they perish, who in the midst of received light, stretch out their hands to work wickednesse against God?

Fourthly, Eliphaz describes the wicked man stretching out his hand; that is, all the power which God hath trusted him with, to provoke God with.

Hence Observe.

That wicked men abuse the good gifts of God, and turne them a­gainst God himselfe: They use their hand, properly taken, a­gainst God; as also their metaphoricall hand, their whole strength against God; they stretch their authority, their high places, their parts, and wits against God; they forme wea­pons out of all the good gifts of God, to fight against God; such sinning is out of measure sinfull. The idle Servant was condemned, who did not employ and improve the one Ta­lent which he had received, to his Masters advantage; of how much sorer condemnation shall they be thought worthy who employ their many Talents to their Masters losse, and disadvantage?

Lastly Observe.

Sin is the greatest evill. That must needs be the greatest evill which opposeth the greatest good: God is the greatest good, eve­ry sin is against God, and some sins directly oppose God. The Apostle argues the evill of sin, from the opposition it makes [Page 133] against us (1 Pet. 2.11.) Dearely beloved, I beseech you as strangers, and pilgrims, abstaine from fleshly lusts (he doth not say, which fight against, or dishonour God, but) which warr against the soule: We have no reason to be dallying with lusts, or to be freinds with them, when we heare that our lusts warr against us; but when we remember that our lusts warr a­gainst God, we should not onely abstaine from them, but ab­horr them. Every thing is by so much the worse, by how much that is better which it is contrary unto: There are foure considerations which heighten the evill of sinne upon this account, that it is a stretching out of the hand against God.

First, Stretch out a hand against God! No man should dare so much as to lift up a word against God.

Secondly, Stretch out a hand against God! No man should dare so much as to lift up a thought against God.

Thirdly, Stretch out a hand against God! Every man ought to fall downe before God, and be well pleased with whatsoever God saith or doth.

Fourthly, Every man is bound to stretch out heart and tongue, and hand, to thinke and speake and doe for God, and when all this is done, we have done but our duty, and the utmost that any man doth or can doe in these, is not halfe his duty. How wide then is he from, how opposite to his duty, who stretcheth out his hand against God? And (as it follows in the next words.)

That is, As the Originall imports, who makes himselfe a strong Warrier, and will shew his valour against the Almigh­ty: So Master Broughton, He would be valiant against the Almigh­ty. Or as another translates to the letter of the Text, He shews himselfe a man against the Almighty; as if he had sayd, This wicked man straines all the strength he hath, to shew himselfe a man of his hands, or to play the man against God. The Apostle useth that word, in reference to temptation, Play the men, or quit your selves like men: Saints play the man against Satan; wicked ones play the man against God: he strengthens himselfe against God. But how? What doth the wicked man to strengthen himselfe? Doth he gather Armies, lay in Ammunition, fortifie Cities, [Page 134] and Castles? Doth he thus strengthen himselfe against the Almighty? All these are no strength against God, and this is not the way the wicked man takes to strengthen himselfe against God; how then? Hee strengthens himselfe against God, by hardening his heart, by stopping his eares, by setting his face, by debauching his conscience against the call and command of God. Thus, ‘He strengthens himselfe against the Almighty.’

Before we had the word God, the strong God, here the Al­mighty, [...] which word in the Hebrew, signifies not onely one that hath great power: But,

First, All power; Shaddai is he that hath power to doe all things: Omnipotency is one of the incommunicable Attri­butes of God: Qui omnia po­test. All the power of man is of his giving, but he hath not given all power to any man, no nor to all men. Onely Christ as Mediator, or God-man hath all power given to him. It is not the will of God to doe all that is in his power, but it is in his power to doe whatsoever he will. If the wicked mans power were such, what worke would he make? If he could doe as much as himselfe pleaseth, he would doe nothing, which should please either God or good men.

Qui sibi suffi­cit & nullius ope indiget, nul­lis externis ar­mis aut muni­mentis.Secondly, The word signifieth, such a one as hath a suffi­ciency in himselfe to doe what he will; God needeth not to goe out for any ayde, or call in the assistance of any creature: Shaddai is the Originall of power, he hath all his power layd up in his owne compasse, and his compasse is infinitenesse; he is selfe sufficient. Some Princes thinke they have power enough to doe what they will, but they must doe it with o­ther mens hands. Though they have a civill power or autho­rity to command all, yet they have not a naturall power, strength, or ability to execute all. God hath both these powers, he hath absolute authority to command all to serve and help him; and he hath such an absolute ability, that he needs none to serve or helpe him: He that made the World alone, what cannot he doe alone? God calls for our helpe that we may have the honour of it, not that hee hath any want of it.

Qui sufficit omnibus aliis.Thirdly, Shaddai is he who hath not onely enough for him­selfe, [Page 135] but for all others; the five wise Virgins had Oyle in their Lamps, and they had enough for themselves, but they had none to spare, they could not furnish the five foolish Vir­gins. But the Lord God Almighty hath strength and wise­dome for all that come to him, and call upon him: As he is selfe-sufficient, so he is all-sufficient; his Ocean can quickly fill all our empty Vessells, and his treasury supply and beare all our charges. This Almighty God, who hath power to doe what he pleaseth, who hath all this power in himselfe, and who hath power enough to give out to all that need, and aske it of him; this is the Almighty, against whom the wicked man strengthens himselfe.

Hence Observe.

First, That the heart of man is very busie to arme against God: As when a people are threatned with an invasion, they then strengthen themselves, they lay in their Provisions of Warr, and get Forces in a readinesse: even thus doth the heart of man: Man hath three usuall wayes of strengthening himselfe against the Almigty. First, By carnall pleas and reasonings. He pretends reason for what he doth; and hee strengthens himselfe against all that God saith, by reason: he sets up reason against that Law which is the quintessence of reason, and will not be madd but by reason, such as it is, and that is, such as he is, a madd one. These reasonings are the strong holds spoken of by the Apostle (2 Cor. 4.5.) The weapons of our warfare are not carnall, but mighty through God to the pulling downe of strong holds, casting downe imaginations, and every high thing, that exalteth it selfe against the knowledge of God: As the wea­pons of this warfare are not carnall but spirituall, so the strong holds which these cast downe, are not corporeall, but carnall; they are not made of Stones, and Timber, of Earth, or Iron, but of the subtiltyes, slights, excuses, subterfuges, and arguings of fleshly minded men. All which the Apostle wraps up in the latter words calling them imaginations, or ra­tiocinations, and high things; that is, such things as are formed in the high and proud conceits of the creature exalting it selfe against the sound and saving knowledge of God: Such as these:

First, Others doe so.

Secondly, Great ones doe so.

Thirdly, This is the custome of the World.

Fourthly, If I should not doe so, I should dishonour, yea and undo my selfe: And why should I refraine what others doe, or what would be my owne undoing? No reason for any of these. Thus he strengthens himselfe against the Almighty: his reason (such as it is) will beare him out.

Secondly, He strengthens himselfe against God upon pre­sumption of mercy from God; why may not I doe thus? God hath mercy for sinners, why not for me though I sin? The Apostle cautions the Ephesians (Chap. 5.6.) against such pre­sumptions. Let no man deceive you with vaine words, for because of these things, the wrath of God comes upon the Children of diso­bedience: It is good to plead mercy to strengthen Faith, that sin committed shall be pardoned; but woe be to those, who plead mercy to strengthen themselves in the committing of sin.

Thirdly, Others strengthen themselves against the Almigh­ty with hopes of worldly gaine, and they incourage them­selves in an evill matter, with promises of good; Wee shall finde all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoyle, cast in thy Lot among us, let us all have one Purse: Thus Solomon per­sonates the inticements of sinners ( Prov. 1.13, 14.)

As a gracious heart strengthens it selfe for God:

First, By the promises of God.

Secondly, By the experiences which himselfe, or others have had of Gods dispensations.

Thirdly, By considering the nature of God, how gracious, how good, how powerfull, how faithfull he is.

Fourthly, By remembring his relations to God; he is my Father, my King, &c. Shall I not venture to doe or suffer for him?

Now (I say) as a gracious heart strengthens it selfe for the Lord, or (as the Apostle adviseth, Ephes. 6.10.) Grows strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might, putting on the whole Armour of God: So a wicked heart strengthens it selfe against the Lord, or grows strong against the Lord, and the power of his might, yea of his Almightinesse, putting on the whole Armour of the Devill, that he may be able to stand against all the encounters of the Word, and of his owne conscience. For as the Word of God, and the graces of the spirit are the Ar­mour [Page 137] and weapons by which the Saints strengthen themselves against Satan; so carnall reasonings and the lusts of the flesh, are the Armour and weapons by which wicked men streng­then themselves against God.

A wicked mans chiefe care is to fortifie and incourage his lusts; to put warme cloaths to his sinfull heart, and make it stout against God: Sin begins with turning the heart from God, and sin ends in turning the heart against God: The first step in sin is a neglect of God, the second step is contempt of God, the third and last is a Warr with God: He strengthens himselfe (for the Battell) against the Almighty.

Secondly Observe.

Sin runs us against reason, and causeth us to act not onely wick­edly, but foolishly: Is it not folly and madnesse for weaknesse to contend with Omnipotency? When a sinner hath strength­ned himselfe the best he can, the very weaknesse of God (as the Apostle speaks) is stronger then he. What King (saith Christ, Luke 14.31.) going to make Warr against another King, doth not first sit downe, &c. As if he had sayd, The Kings of the Earth are not so foolish, so brainlesse, and counsellesse to con­tend with those, whom they cannot match; they will hard­ly venture a Battell with ten thousand against twenty thou­sond, they will rather make a disadvantageous Peace, then proceed in a Warr upon such disadvantages. The King of Israel reproved the challenge which the King of Judah sent him, by the Parable of the Thistle in Lebanon, aspiring to match with the Cedar in Lebanon (2 Kings 14.9.) Whats a Thistle to a Cedar? Then what is man to God? See then what a reasonlesse, yea senselesse creature man is, who will needs goe out against God to Battell, though all the number he can muster, is not onely as disproportionable as ten thousand to twenty thousand, as a Thistle to a Cedar, but more then one single man is to a Million of men, or then a bruised Reed to the strongest Oake. God with ease made all the power of man alone, and he, though alone, can more easily destroy it: it cost him but the speaking of a word to set it up, and he can pull it downe with, yea without a word speaking. Many men have been styled, The great, The strong, The mighty: But no man ever durst owne this style, The Almighty: This title of God in the Text, The Almighty, should make the mightiest of [Page 138] men, the Nimrods of the World afraid to meddle, yea to think a thought of medling with God. The absurdity of men in strengthening themselves against the Almighty, may appeare yet more distinctly in three particulars.

First, He that is Almighty is stronger then All; there can­not be two Almighties. Hence the Apostle argues (1 Cor. 10.) Will you provoke the Lord to anger, are you stronger then he? It is base and cowardly to provoke those that are weaker then our selves; it may give us trouble enough to provoke those who are as strong as our selves, but it is either madness or des­peratnesse to provoke those who are stronger then our selves. And when the Apostle demands, or rather expostulates, Are yee stronger then he? His question cals for this positive assertory answer, we are infinitely weaker then he; and therefore there is no prevailing against him, not onely not in all things, but not in any thing. It is possible for a weake Enemy to prevaile sometimes upon a mighty Enemy. The Romans who commanded the world for many ages, and were too strong for any Nation, did yet receive some foyles; though they were never conquered, yet they were somtimes worsted, not only by surprisals and Ambuscadoes, but in the open field; and even petty Princes gave checks for a while, to some of their de­signes. But El-Shaddai, the Almighty God, never received any defeat, nor is he within the possibility of a surprize.

Secondly, Not onely cannot the Lord be defeated, but he cannot be endammaged; he never lost (as we say) so much as a haire of his head, nor did he ever suffer so much as the scratch of a Pin. The Romans obtained some Victories with such extreame losse and hazzard, that it hath been sayd, Two or three more such Victories, would utterly undoe them; they who were never defeated or foyled, have yet been great­ly endammaged in Battel; and their clearest gains have not bin without some losse: but the Almighty never lost the worth of a thread, or drop of blood, in all those innumerable Victories which he hath gained.

Thirdly, Man cannot so much as hinder or retard the de­signes of God. He transcends all the impediments, and throws open all the Barracadoes that are set in his way. He will worke and who shall let him? (Isa. 43.13.) There is no putting of a barr in his way; and therefore if any should answer the que­stion, [Page 139] Who shall let it? Yes, there are some will let it, the great men, the Nobles of the Earth, say no; they will let it. But they shall not, saith God, in the next Verse ( Vers. 14.) For your sake (speaking to his people in Captivity) I have sent to Babylon, and have brought downe all their Nobles. The O­riginall word for Nobles, signifies also Barrs, the Barrs of a door, or Castle gate, as we put in the Margin of our Bibles; to note, that Nobles and great men should be the strength of a People, and a stop to the entrance of any evill among them: but if in stead of that, they prove like Barrs, onely to hinder the good of a People, and to lye crosse in all publike procee­dings; then the Lord, the Lord of Lords, and King of Kings, brings them down, and breaks them all to peeces. I will worke, and who shall let it? The Nobles, the Bars shall not, though Bars of Iron, to Gates of Brasse.

It was sayd in opening the words, that stretching out the hand is the posture of a madd man: Consider this, and then say, Is it not the maddest madnesse to stretch out the hand a­gainst God, or to strengthen our selves against the Almighty, to oppose him, against whom it is impo [...]sible not onely to prevaile, but to doe him the least hurt, or give him the least check or stop in his way? If wee should see a man set his shoulder against a Wall of Brasse, or blow a Feather against it, hoping to overturne and batter it downe, would not we say, this man is either a Fool, who never had the use of rea­son, or a Mad-man, who hath lost his reason? He that oppo­seth the counsells and wayes of God, can no more overthrow them, then a Feather can a Wall of Brasse, or the touch of a little finger, the strongest Tower. The Psalmist repre­sents us with these simple attempts ( Psal. 2.1, 2, &c.) Why doe the Gentiles rage, and the people imagine a vaine thing? The Kings of the earth take counsell, &c. Come let us breake their bands and cast their cords away from us: What followes? He that sits in Heaven shall laugh, the Lord shall have them in derision: He sees how poore, how inconsiderable, these motions and com­motions, both of the Many and of the Mighty are, to give check to that Decree of his Almightinesse, to set his Son upon the holy Hill of Sion

Eliphaz hath not yet done with his description of the im­potent rage of man against the Almighty God. O sinfull [Page 140] vaine man, whither wilt thou goe? What wilt thou doe next? The next Verse tells us.

This 26. Verse is an amplification, or aggravation of the madnesse of a wicked man, who, when he hath strengthened himselfe against God (as he thinks and hopes) sufficiently, then he runs upon him, &c.

Eliphaz carrieth on the metaphor of a Battell, which be­fore it is fought, Armies are mustered, and drawne up in view of each other; and then to shew their courage, they stretch out their hands, draw their Swords, and as soone as the Sig­nall of the Battell is given, by sound of Trumpet, beat of Drum, or discharge of Cannon, they run on upon one ano­ther; and when the Battell comes to the heat and hight, they charge home, even upon the necks of one another, and upon the Bosses of their Bucklers: Here's the description of a fierce charge. This wicked one is a Champion for Hell, he chal­lenges the God of Heaven, and runs upon him, &c. with ut­most violence: Quia impius manum in De­um extendit i­deo currit in e­um Deus ad collum & in densitate dor­sorum clypeo­rum ejus q.d. in ea quibus il­le maxime ro­boratur. Rab. Lev. Vatabl. Beza. Multo aptior est ut describa­tur adhuc ille impiorum cona­tus adversus Deum. Pined. Inauditam im­pii temeritatem describere pro­sequitur. Bold. That's the sum of the words, I shall now o­pen them a little further.

There is a difference among Interpreters about that Ante­cedent, some understand God: As it the meaning were, God runneth upon a wicked man, like a strong Warrier, with in­credible swiftnesse and irresistible force, to cast him downe. The wicked man having stretched out his hand, and strength­ned himselfe against the Almighty, now the Almighty runs upon his necke, even upon the thick bosses of his Buckler; Come saith God, I will have about with thee, if thou darest, I will try it out with thee, I am not afrayd of thy stiffe necke, though it hath Iron sinews, nor of the thick bosses of thy Buckler, though they be of Steele.

Thus some, both later Writers, and ancient Rabbins, give the sense, but I rather conceive (with others) that Eliphaz still prosecutes the strange progresse, and hightned wicked­nesse of man, who having strengthned himselfe, by hardning his heart against God, runs upon him, even upon his necke. &c. [Page 141] Taking this sense, there is a different reading; thus, He runs upon him with his necke; we say, the wicked man runs upon the neck of God; they say, A wicked man runs upon God with his neck; their meaning is, He runs upon him audaci­ously and proudly. The neck lifted up, is a token of pride, and presumptuous boldnesse: And to run with the neck, is to run with the neck lifted up, or stretched out; Currere collo est collo duro & erecto; suni­lia sunt cum lana ponitur pro lana alba, &c. Drus. which is indeed the periphrasis of pride. ( Psalm. 75.5.) Speake not with a stiffe necke; that is, with a spirit unwilling to submit to my dispensations. The Prophet Isaiah complaines, and threatens ( Isa. 3.16.) Because the Daughters of Sion are haugh­ty, and walke with stretched out necks: That is, because they testifie the pride of their hearts, by the gate and postures of the body, as much as by the vaine attire, and apparrell of the body: Therefore the Lord will smite, &c. The Lord tells Moses (Exod. 32.9.) I have seen this people, and behold it is a stiffe-necked people: He complaines by the Prophet ( Isa. 48.4.) I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an Iron sinew: Stephen the Proto-Martyr gives a breviate of all their rebelli­ons, Acts 7. and concludes ( Vers. 51.) Yee stiffe necked, &c. The stiffe neck and the proud hard heart are the same, all the Bible over.

Thus the wicked man runneth upon God with his stiffe; In erectione colli fastus ag­noscitur. Merc. that is, his proud daring spirit. As before, Hee stretched out his hand, so now (which is more) his necke against God. The metaphor is taken either from Souldiers in battell, Metaphora a milite Fortissi­mo in hostem impetum faci­ente. Metaphora a lascivienti & procaci vitulo. Pined. who to shew their valour, hold up their heads, and stretch out their necks, running head to head, and shoulder to shoulder, when they come to close fight.

Or, It is a metaphor taken from a Bullock unaccustomed to the yoake; who therefore will not submit his neck to bear it. Wicked men are called Children of Belial, because they endure not the yoak of obedience; when God would put his yoak upon their necks, they lift up their necks, or run upon him with their stiffe necks.

Hence Note.

It is pride of spirit which causeth man to oppose God: The A­postle James saith, God resisteth the proud (Jam. 4.) which intimates, yea and speakes out, that the proud assault God. As the wicked in his pride persecutes the poore ( Psal. 10.2.) [Page 142] So in his pride he opposeth God. And as he that loveth God, follows, yea runs after God to obey him; so he that hates God runs upon him by disobedience. An act of ignorant disobedience is a going fro [...] God; Per superbiam homo maximè deo resistit & superbus prop­ter praesumptio­nem spiritus contra Deum currere dicitur. Aquin. an act of knowne diso­bedience, is a running upon God: Running upon God, is not onely sinning, but impudent sinning. The Angels in Heaven cover their faces before God, d [...]ing not to behold him: Humble sinners on earth, such as the poor Publican (Luke 18.) venture not to lift up their eyes to Heaven, but proud sinners, lift up their necks against God. They who care not what God saith to them, care as little what they doe to God: And they who have no faith in God, seldome have any feare of him; these run upon him with their necks.

But I returne to our Translation, He runs upon him, even on his necke: That is, on the neck of God: that is, he sins fiercely, and fearelessely; he doth not dare God at a distance, or like a Coward, speak great words, and vaunt of what he will doe when his Adversary is out of sight and hearing; but he char­ges on boldly in his very face. It is sayd of the Ramm (by whom the Prophet meanes Alexander the Great, King of Greece) That when he saw the Hee-Goat (that is, Darius King of Persia) he ran upon him: That is, he assaulted him speedily and bold­ly, overthrowing his whole estate, and so making himselfe sole Lord of Asia. The whole course of his Victories are descri­bed by this word, He ran upon him (Dan. 8.6.) And when Job would shew how fiercely the Lord handled him, he gives it in this language, I was at ease, but he hath broken me asunder, he hath also taken me by the necke and shaken me to peeces (Job 16.12. Cum eo concur­rens collum in­vadet. Tigur.) As God in a way of highest punishment, or chastise­ment, is sayd to take a man by the neck; so man in a way of highest sinning and rebelling▪ is sayd to take God by the neck, or to run upon his neck: He that ventures upon the necke, cares not where he ventures, and he that runs upon the neck of God, cares not on whom he ventures. And as in height of love, a freind runs and falls upon the neck of his freind; thus Joseph did on his Brethrens necks ( Gen. 45.14.) and the Father of the Prodigall ( Luke 15.20.) Ran and fell upon his Sons necke, and kissed him: So in heat of wrath, an Enemy runs upon the neck of his Enemy; and wicked men (who are en­mity against God) run upon the neck of God.

Some conceive that this running upon the neck of God, im­ports two things.

First, That the wicked man imagines himselfe, as having an equality of strength with God. Erat paenae ge­nus ut Magi­stratus si quem suo imperio pa­rum obedien­tem viderit, in collum inva­derent & in­torquerent. Liv. l. 4.

And secondly, That he hath authority above God, or that he is Gods better, and superiour.

This latter they ground upon an old custome among Ma­gistrates, who finding an offender contumacious, were wont to command the Officer to take him by the neck, and dragg him out of the Court, to receive his punishment. But I shall not insist upon that Criticisme; especially considering the incongruity of it with the next words.

Malefactors are never permitted to come armed before the Judge to their Arraignments.

The word which we translate Thicke, signifies also Fat, be­cause fat is thick: Hence the Vulgar Latine translates, [...] In densitate al­titudinum scu­torum ejus: in crassitiem cor­porum scutorum ejus. Me c. Alludit ad per­vetustum prae­liandi modum cum clipeo, in cujus medio e­rat prominen­tia, quae dicitur umbo, in quo erat cuspis quo cominus con­certabatar. Bo [...]d. He is armed with his fat neck: But I passe that. According to our reading (which keeps closer to the Original) Eliphaz des­cribes the ancient and present forme of Bucklers, which as they are defensive weapons, so also offensive, and therfore have not only Bosses for ornament, but (one especially in the center or middle with a sharpe pike in it) for use: For as the whole Buckler secured the body against the Arrow or Sword of the Adversary, so if he pressed neer, this high Bosse, or Pike of the Buckler served to pierce and wound the Adversary. So that while the wicked man is sayd to run upon God, even upon the thick bosses of his Buckler; it shewes the highest valiancy of a wicked man in opposing God; he fights not onely afarr off, but neer at hand, and presses upon him, though within the reach and danger of his Weapon.

Hence Observe.

There is no danger can keep a wicked man off from sin: Like the Horse in this Book ( Chap. 39.22.) He mocketh at feare, and is not afrighted, neither turneth away from the Sword; hee swalloweth the ground with fiercenesse and rage, he saith among the Trumpets, Aha, aha: though God have a Buckler, man will come upon him; yea though God have a Bosse upon his Buckler to strike and wound him, yet on he comes. The Buckler of God [Page 144] is the Law or Word of God, and the Bosses of this Buckler, are the threatnings and curses of the Law. Now, when man sins, notwithstanding the Law, which is the Buckler by which God saves and protects his honour and his holinesse, his name and glory from the wounds which sinfull man is ready to give him, then man may be sayd to run upon his Buckler. And when notwithstanding the sharpe threats, and terrible curses of the Law, which are the thick Bosses with which he wounds those who transgresse his Law, when, I say, notwithstanding these, man adventures to sin and transgresse the Law, he may rightly be sayd, To run upon the thic [...] bosses of his Bucklers. God gave Adam a Law; Of the Tree of knowledge of good and evill, thou mayst not eate: Here was the Buckler, and when he added this threat, In the daye thou eatest ther [...]of, thou shall sure­ly dye: Here was the Bosse. God sent a word to Pharaoh, Let my people goe; this was a Buckler; If thou refuse to let them goe, I will slay thy first borne, this was the Bosse. Adam run upon the Bosse of the Buckler, so did Pharoah, and so doe all wil­full sinners.

A wicked heart will goe on sinning, whatsoever God is speaking, or doing ( Isa. 57.17.) I was wrath, and smote him, yet he went on frowardly in the way of his heart: Neither the wrath of God, nor their owne smart stopt their progresse, though smitten, yet they went on. Saints sometimes goe on sinning, though God be smiting, they have run upon the Bosses of the Buckler, to the wounding both of their soules and of their outward comforts; wicked men will run upon them to the damning of their soules and bodies. Though they see, yea feele the bosses, judgement not onely threatned, but executed, yet on they will, and (like wicked Ahaz) in the time of their affliction sin more against the Lord. This is the height of sinfulnesse. As it shewes the truth and height of holinesse in the Saints, when they will not onely run to God in faire times, when men approve, but in the worst times, when men oppose; when they venture to doe their duty up­on the Bucklers of men, yea upon the Bosses of the Buckler, extreamest danger: So it shewes a like strength and height of wickednes, when men venture upon the Bosses of the Buckler, upon the point of the naked Sword of Gods displeasure; they will venture, let it cost what it will, though the Lord set a [Page 145] flaming Sword in the way of lust, as he did in the way of the Tree of life ( Gen. 3.) though the Lord set an Angell with a drawn Sword in the way of lust, as he did in Balams way, when he was going to curse Israel, yet on they will: Till the heart be changed, neither Swords, nor Bucklers, nor Bosses, neither wrath threatned, nor executed, can cause a sinner to change his course.

This the Prophet complaines of ( Isa. 9.13.) The people turneth not to him that smiteth them, neither doe they seek the Lord of Hoasts: Their incorrigiblenesse under severest corrections is elegantly described by another Prophet, enumerating five speciall stroakes or smitings, to every one of which he sub­joynes, Yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord, Amos 4.6, 7, 8. &c. When the bellows were burnt, and the lead consumed of the fire (that is, when all instruments and meanes of refi­ning them were spent and worne out, yet their drosse remain­ed in them) The Founder melted in vaine, for the wicked (that is, their wickednesses, or evill things) were not plucked away (Jer. 6.29, 30.) They went into the Furnace full of drosse, and they came out as full of drosse as they went in. The Founder blowed his fire, till he burnt his bellows, but their lusts had no sent of fire upon them; his lead (by which he seperates the drosse from the metall) was all consumed and evaporated, but the drosse of their corruptions wasted no more then the purest gold doth in the fire. Hence the Lord resolved to wast no more of his judgements upon them: Why should you be smitten any more, ye will revolt more and more (Isa. 1.5.) To revolt from God, and to run upon him, are sins of the same straine; and they who revolt from him, will not feare to runne upon his necke, even upon the thicke Bosses of his Buckler.

Thus Eliphaz hath given us an account, why the Lord af­flicts a wicked man all his dayes; he fights against God all his dayes. We have a reason of this reason in the next words; why it is that this wicked man is such a valiant Champion against God, why he commits wickednesse with so much greedinesse; it is, Because he covers his face with his fatnesse, &c. The fatter and fuller he grows in fulfilling the lusts of the flesh, the more hungry and sharpe set he is to fulfill them. Full-feeding in sin, doth not satisfie, but increase a sinfull appetite.

Both parts of the Verse meane the same thing, shewing the wicked mans worldly prosperity by the usuall visible effects of it; a fat face, and fleshy flanks.

[...] prae a [...] ­pe oculus eo­rum. i. e. ex­isse videntur prae genarum tumore & pin­guedine. Bold.That is, he is exceeding fat; a phrase like that ( Psal. 73.7.) Their eyes stand out with fatnesse: The Hebrew is, Their eyes are gone out of their heads through fatnesse: that is, They seem as gone or going out of their heads. 'Tis usuall in the lan­guage of the Holy Ghost to describe wicked men by fatnesse, ( Psal. 78.31.) He slew the fattest of them; that is, the worst of them, those who were most rebellious, longing af­ter dainties, Singula [...]i quo­dam infamiae titulo impii & iniqui in scrip­tura vocantur pingues. when God had given them bread from Heaven. David sets forth his Enemies (and so the Enemies of Christ, of whom that Psalme is a Prophesie) under this notion ( Psal. 22.12.) Strong bulls, or fat bulls, came about me: By the fat Bulls he meanes the Scribes and Pharisees, the high Priest, and Rulers, who (as it were) beset Christ with continuall con­spiracies. More plainely ( Psal. 17.9, 10.) Keepe me from [Page 147] mine Enemies that oppresse me: They are inclosed in their owne fat, with their mouth they speake proudly. Againe ( Psal. 119.70.) Their heart is as fat as grease, but I delight in thy Law.

The Scripture speakes thus, not as if fatnesse had any morall evill in it, or as if leanenesse had any morall good in it. Fatnesse doth not discommend us, nor doth leannesse commend us to God; yea a man leane in body, may have the worst fatnesse, he may be proud, swolne and puft up in spirit; and [...] man fat in body, may have the best leannesse, much selfe-emptinesse, and poverty of spirit. But because they who have abundance, and grow fat with the Creature, are tempted to forgetfulnesse of, and rebellion a­gainst God; and because a body overburdened with flesh and fat, renders the minde more indisposed to holy and spiritu­all activity; and usually they who bestow most care and cost in pampering their bodies, goe with pined, starved, and leane soules; therefore fatnesse heares ill in Scripture. Hoc Aegyptii inuere vide­bantur, dum s [...] ­cerdotes Isiaci solerent dare Api Bovi quem colebant potum ex quodam pu­teo non autem ex Nilo, quia ejus aqua pota creditur pin­guedinem car­nisque magnum facere incre­mentum. Plu­tarch. Tract. de Iside, &c. Iberi etiam & Galli antiqui zonae mensuram habebant, quam si mulier, quae gravida non es­set capere non posset probro magno afficie­batur. Alex. ab Alex. l. 2. c. 25.

It is observed by Plutarch, that the Aegyptian Priests gave their Apis (a Deity which they worshipped in the forme of an Oxe) the water of a Pit, or Well, not the water of Nilus to drinke; the reason was (not as some assigne it, because they thought those waters were prophaned by the Crocodile, for the Aegyptians had that River in high veneration, but) be­cause the waters of Nilus, were fatning, nourishing, waters; therefore their Apis, whom they adored as a God, and from whom they expected continuall helpe, must not drinke of it, least the grosnesse of his flesh should disable him for their as­sistance. Fat corpulent men are, in common experience, un­weildy, sleepy, and (comparatively) unfit for action. It was a custome, as my Author reports, among the ancient Spa­niards and Gaules, to keep a constant measure, which if a Wo­man (shee not being with Childe) did exceed in the com­passe of her waste, she fell under disgrace, and lost much of her reputation, by having got so much of fat and flesh about her: And doubtlesse it had somewhat of disrepute in it, in Jobs time, else Eliphaz (a man of experience) had not given this as a peice of a wicked mans description. He covereth his face with fatnesse.

Which Master Broughton renders thus, And maketh plaites [Page 148] upon the panch. Master Calvin Translates it thus, He hath larded his guts. Est descriptio summae abund­damiae. Jun.

This latter clause of the Verse is of the same intendment with the former: And that which both reprove as sinfull, is the intentnesse of mans Spirit about the pampering of his Flesh.

He doth not say, Because he is fat, but because he covers his face with fatnesse, &c. That is, he sets his heart upon his belly, and makes it his businesse to pamper his body. He is active, yea full of activity in getting this cover, or mask of fatnesse upon his face; and this mask discovers the naugh­tinesse of his heart.

Hence Observe.

That it is a signe of an evill heart, or a leane soule, to intend the flesh, or to study the satisfying of the bodily appetite. A carnall man gives himselfe to deliciousnesse; his greatest labour is about that, for which Christ forbids our labour, The meat that pe­risheth (John 6.27.) This covering of our selves with fat­nesse, and makings collops of fat, the Apostle reproves in those, Whose God was their belly (Phil. 3.19.) and in those who served not the Lord Jesus Christ, but their owne belly (Rom. 16.18.) They who serve their belly, as they should serve God, make a god of it; and they who serve their belly at all doe not serve Christ at all. We may provide for the belly, but we must not serve it; and they who doe so, deserve rather to be called Epicures then Christians. That's sinfull fatnesse which is got upon termes of slavery, or service to the belly: yea, a man that is intentive upon that question, What shall I eate? and carefull how to feed his flesh, though he doe not grow fat by it, yet he shewes himselfe full of sin by it. The de­signe of such is for the flesh, though their flesh doe not thrive under that designe. As a man may be very covetous though he continue poor and leane in purse; so a man may be very luxurious, and a great servant to Bacchus, and Belly-cheare, though he continue leane and poore in body.

The blessing of God fattens some, and such fat ones blesse God. David Prophesies, that when The Kingdome shall be the Lords, and he the Governour among the Nations (which is very [Page 149] paralell with what those great voyces sayd after the seventh Angel had sounded ( Revel. 11.15.) The Kingdomes of this World are become the Kingdomes of the Lord, and of his Christ, and hee shall reigne for ever and ever; and when this shall be, saith David (Psal. 22.30.) Then all they that be fat upon the Earth, shall eate, and worship; that is, the great ones shall sub­mit to Christ; his Kingdome shall be inlarged, and not one­ly the poore, who are described in the latter part of that Verse in the Psalme, under the name and notion of such, as goe downe to the dust, but the rich shall receive the Gospell. Kings and Queens, persons of Authority and wealth, shall come to the participation of the grace of Christ ( Isa. 60.3.10) They who have their bellyes full of the meat that perisheth, shall have their soules full of that meat which endures to e­verlasting life. ( Psal. 45.12.) The rich among the people; What people? The first words of the Verse tell us, he meanes the Tyrians who were a wonderfull rich people ( Isa. 23.8. Ezek. 27.) and the Tyrians are here put by a Synechdoche for all o­ther Heathens; for though Tyre, were a City in the Tribe of Aser (Josh. 19.29.) yet it was at that time possessed by Hea­thens. Now, saith the Psalmist, The rich among these people shall intreat thy favour: That is, the Churches favour. God will work their hearts to an earnest desire of admission into the society of the Saints, and to live under a professed sub­jection to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, who have abounded in worldly possessions, and hold the World in subjection to their power: These rich and fat ones among the people shall intreat thy favour. This Prophesie was in part fulfilled ( Mark 3.8.) where we read of great multitudes from Tyre and Sidon flock­ing after Christ: So that it is not riches and fatnesse precisely considered, but the intending of our skin, or our studiousnesse to fill our selves with earthly delicates, which shewes we have weak appetites to, or rather a loathing of the things of Heaven.

Secondly, This covering the face with fat, is here presen­ted by Eliphaz as a cause or occasion at least of the wicked mans arming himselfe against God. Bonorum abun­dantia vitiorum omnium mate­riam submini­strat.

Hence Observe.

That an evill heart turnes the blessings of God, into rebellion a­gainst him: The Jewes were thus charged ( Deut. 32.15.) [Page 150] Jesurun waxed fat, and kicked. The Lord complaines of this, as of a sin, which he scarse knew how to pardon ( Jer. 5.7.) How shall I pardon thee for this? Thy Children have forsaken me, &c. When I had fed them to the full, they then committed Adul­tery, and assembled themselves by troops in the Harlots houses. Those are great sins indeed, which put the Lord (whose title is, The God pardoning sin, and ready to forgive) into a querie about their pardon and forgivenesse. Such kind of sinning made Je­rusalem a Sister to Sodom; that is, as like Sodom, yea and Sa­maria too, as if they had been one Mothers Daughters, or as if they had been of one and the selfe-same blood, and stock ( Ezek. 16.49.) Behold this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulnesse of bread, and abundance of idlenesse was in her, and in her Daughters: Plenty of the Creature, and plenty of sin, went together, and whereas Jerusalem should have served God, shee served her lusts in the abundance of all things. We have a saying, when men are lifted up upon the enjoyment of outward good things (in allusion to Beasts) Provender pricks them. They act more like Beasts then Men, who kick against God, who feeds them, and turne his bread of blessings into the stones of disobedience. What outward good thing will not an evill heart abuse, and wax wanton with, when it is so apt to abuse spirituall things, and to turn the grace of God into laciviousnesse, that is, to grow wanton and lacivious, because God is gracious?

Thirdly Observe.

They take little care for their soules, who take over-much for their bodies: They who desire to please appetite, cannot en­deavour to please God. When the Apostle exhorts to put on the Lord Jesus, he dehorts from providing for the flesh ( Rom. 13.14.) Put yee on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof: As if he had sayd, Unlesse you forbeare providing for lusts, you will have little leasure, and lesse desire to put on Christ. ( Ephes. 5.18.) Be not drunke with Wine wherein is excesse (that is, be not inordi­nate in the use of the creature) but be filled with the spirit; as if he had sayd, You will never be filled with the spirit, if over­filled with Wine, if you give up your selves to satsifie carnall appe­tite, you wil not have any appetite at all to spirituals. There is an inward gluttony and drunkennesse, when the thoughts run [Page 151] upon dainty Dishes, and full Cups, or when men chew their meat and Wine in their thoughts, before they eate or drinke. Now as well they (or rather they more) who are inwardly drunken with excessive desires of Wine, as they who are visi­bly drunken with the excessive taking downe of Wine, are farr enough either from the desire or attainement of a filling with the Spirit. The spirit of the Buttery, and the spirit of God have no more agreement then the flesh and the spirit, yea that spirit is the grossest part of sinfull flesh, and therefore can neither take care for, nor beare with, the things of the spirit. So farr of the first cause of the wicked mans excessive sinning; his excesse in the use of the Creature, set forth by the ordina­ry effect of it, Fatnesse, He covereth his face with fatnesse: The second follows.

This Verse shews a second cause of the wicked mans fierce­nesse against God, His power over men; which is described (as the former) by the effect of it, He hath made Cities deso­late. It requires much power to overthrow whole Cities; that which is strong cannot be destroyed without strength; such was the power of the man whom Eliphaz describes, such his strength: He subdued strong Cities, he conquered men, and he thought he could conquer God too. But though to destroy and pull downe intimate strength, yet to build and set up Cities requires grater strength.

This strength also is here ascribed to the wicked man, who,

First, either comes to Cities already overthrowne, or over­throwes Cities.

And then secondly, builds the Cities which are overthrown, that himselfe may dwell in them. He will not dwell in Ci­ties built to his hand, or in Palaces ready made, but he will make goodly Palaces out of desolate places; a City wasted by Warr, by Fire, and Sword, shall revive out of the rubbish, and recover to its ancient splendor, if he undertake it.

Master Broughton renders clearely to this sense, Though hee makes dwellings of Cities ruinated, of houses undwelt, which were comming to heaps of stone: Heres the compleatnesse of his world­ly [Page 152] power. He makes flourishing Cities desolate, and desolate Cities flourish; he dwells in desolate Cities, in Houses where no man inhabiteth; that is, in Cities which he himselfe once made desolate (having cast out their proper Inhabitants) but hath now re-edified and enlarged for his owne use and honour.

Hence Observe.

First, That a wicked man cares not wohm he ruines, so he may raise himselfe: Downe with Kingdomes, downe with Cities, downe with all, so he may stand, or have his owne ends.

Secondly Observe.

(Which is the scope of Eliphaz) A man that hath great power among men, begins to thinke himselfe strong enough for God also: He made earthly Cities desolate, and none was able to resist him, therefore he hopes to make Heaven desolate, and disturbe the throne of God; He runs upon his neck, &c.

Againe, Some expound this Verse not of the cause of this mans sin, but of the punishment of his sin; He dwells in deso­late Cities, Terrores de quibus nuper dictum est, non patiuntur im­pium in famili­ari hominum consortio vivere ideo desolato­rum urbium ruinas & lati­bula quaerit. Pined. in places where no man dwelt: that is, He shall dwell alone, he shall either refuse, or be refused by all good compa­ny. For this miserable solitude may arise two wayes.

First, From trouble of minde; he having oppressed others, shall finde himselfe at last so oppressed with the witnesse of his owne conscience, that to avoyd it, he retires into desolate places, into waste Wildernesses, into old ruinous buildings, where none dwell but the Owle, and the Screech-owle (Isa. 34.) He that findes not his owne conscience good company, never finds any.

Secondly, This wicked man is cast out from the company of men, he hath been a scourge to many, and now all are a scourge to him. Tyranny growes intolerable to mankinde (Dan. 4.33. Hujusmodi ty­ranni eiiciuntur in exil [...]um.) Nebuchadnezzar was the greatest Monarch in the World and a proud Tyrant; at last he was turned out to grasse: his Nobles, Lords, and Subjects forsook him, and he who ruled men, lived among Beasts; or as the same Prophesie of Daniel reports it ( Chap. 5.20.) When his heart was lifted up, and his minde hardned in pride, he was deposed, or (as the Chaldee) made to come downe from his Kingly throne, and they tooke his glory from him, and he was driven from the sons of men, &c. Which we may answer with Jobs text, He was forced to dwell indesolate places.

The Roman Story tells us of Nero, that perceiving him­selfe a lost man, by the revolt of some Provinces, and the gene­rall complaint of the people against his insolent Government, he wandered up and downe, and crept first into a thicket, by and by into a Cave with Sporus his filthy Favorite, and at last when he heard of the sentence of death given against him by the Senate, and that their Officers were hasting to attach him, he with a little helpe of one of his Servants, cut his owne Throat.

Thirdly, Others interpret these words, as noting the wic­ked mans worldly decay; he shall not have a House to put his head in: His strong Cities and goodly Palaces, shall goe to ruine; or he shall be forced to dwell in a ruinous House, a House ready to fall about his eares, who before lived in ceiled Houses; He hath pulled downe other mens houses, and now he dwels in houses ready to fall downe; he impoverisht others, and now himselfe is turned out among the poor.

Hence Observe.

That God often makes the punishment of man suitable to his sin: The Lord is known by the judgement which he executeth, the wicked is snared in the work of his owne hands (Psal. 9.16.) The judge­ments of God are alwayes just, and sometimes their justice is visible. As the wicked feel them, so all may see them, and say, Righteous art thou O Lord. The Prophet describes this retalia­tion of Divine judgement ( Isa. 5.8, 9.) Woe to them that add House to House, and lay Feild to Feild, till there be no place (that is, no place for others to dwell in) that they may be placed in the midst of the earth: What is the danger of this? In mine eare saith the Lord of Hoasts, of a truth, many Houses shall be desolate, many and faire without Inhabitant: Here is desolation, the re­ward of desolation; and as they took bread from others, and puld the cup from their mouthes, so their bread shall be ta­ken away, and their cup left empty. Thus it followes in the Prophet ( Vers. 10.) Yea ten Akers of Vineyard shall yeeld one Bath: A Bath was a measure among the Jews, of Liquids, con­taining, as is conceived, about eight Gallons; So that when he saith, Ten Akers of Vineyard shall yeild one Bath; the meaning is, there shall be a great scarcity of Wine: An Aker of Vine­yard should not yeild a Gallon of Wine, that's a miserable Vintage. And the seed of an Homer, shall yeild an Ephah; An Ho­mer [Page 154] was a measure for dry things, containing ten Ephahs: So that when it is sayd, The seed of a Homer shall yeeld an Ephah, the meaning is, they shall reape but the tenth part of the seed sowne, which is a miserable Harvest, and the highest threat of ensuing Famine. Thus the Lord punished them as they had sinned; they starved the poore, and God threatens to starve them. Hunger never pinches so terribly as when it is a punish­ment sent at the cry of the hungry.

Againe ( Isa. 33.1.) When thou shalt cease to deal treacherously then they shall deale treacherously with thee: When the deceiver is deceived, and the trecherous dealer ruined by treacherous dea­ling men, then the truth and faithfulnesse of God are emi­nently exalted. And as it is in punishments, so often in re­wards, God doth us good in the same way wherein we have done good. The Midwives saved the Males of the Israelites in Aegypt, and by this act of pitty built the house of Israel, which the Lord took so well at their hands, That he built their houses, or made their houses flourish (Ez. 1.21.) As the destroyer shall be destroyed, so the builder shall be built; mercy loves to be exact as well as judgement.

Againe Eliphaz tells us of Cities and Houses, ready to be­come heapes.

Hence Note.

The most flourishing Cities, the strongest structures in the World, are subject to ruine: Art cannot prevent the decayes of nature, much lesse the decrees of divine Justice. Materiall Jerusalem was threatned, that one stone should not be left upon another, which should not be cast downe; the event answered that pre­diction. Mysticall Babylon is under a more dreadfull doom, and the event will in due time answer that prediction, Ba­bylon is ready to become heaps, and one stone shall not be left upon another: There is no cement can hold that toge­ther, to which God saith, Fall.

Eliphaz having shewed the causes of the wicked mans im­pudent opposition against God, and (according to the two latter Expositions of this Verse) some part of his punishment, proceeds further to shew his punishment.

Here is compleat misery in externalls. The judgement is layd downe two wayes.

• First, Negatively.
• And secondly, Affirmatively.

Negatively, what the wicked man shall not be, what he shall not attaine to; and then affirmatively, what the wicked man shall be, or what shall come upon him; the Negative part hath a gradation of four steps.

• The first is this, He shall not be rich.
• The second is, His substance shall not continue.
• The third is, He shall not prolong the perfection thereof upon the earth.
• The fourth is this, He shall not depart out of darknesse.

Those are the Negative parts of his punishments, the Affir­mative are two.

• First, The flame shall dry up his branch.
• Secondly, By the breath of his mouth he shall goe away.

1. He shall not he rich.

The words seeme to carry an opposition all along to the wicked mans purposes and projects. The wicked man saith in his heart, if not with his mouth, He will be rich; to which God answers, He shall not be rich. The Apostle (1 Tim. 6.9.) speakes of such a sort of Rich Will-bees, They that will be rich fall into temptation, &c. When a man comes to this hight of resolvednesse, He will be rich what ever comes of it, or who-ever stands in his way, he will be rich and aske no mans leave, no nor Gods leave, then God rises to his high resolves, Hee shall not be rich: Let it come to tryall whose word shall stand, his, or mine: And when once this word is gone out of Gods mouth, then he, and all his trees which should beare him that golden fruit, are blasted and mildew'd. Then, though he lay the strongest projects for riches, yet he [Page 156] shall not be rich, though he sweat and toyle to be rich, though he digg deep into the ground, and turne every stone above ground, to finde riches, yet he shall not be rich; though he cares not whom he makes poore, yea though himselfe live poorly all his dayes, that he may dye rich, yet he shall not be rich.

Hence Observe.

It is not in the power of man to get riches: A man may make it his designe to be rich, but he cannot make himselfe rich. Moses (Deut. 8.18.) gives it in charge to the people of Is­rael, Thou shalt remember the Lord thy God; for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, &c. Man is very apt to forget the au­thor, not onely of his spirituall, but of his temporall good things, and is readier to ascribe his riches to his owne get­ting, then to Gods giving. Temporall good things lye more levell to the power of nature and humane industry, then spi­ritualls, yet we can no more attaine temporalls then spiri­tualls without the power of God. Christ teacheth us, that our care can no more add a penny to our estate, then a cubit to our stature (Matth. 6.27.) How often have we seen experi­ence sealing to this truth? Many have endeavoured after, and reacht at riches, in good and hopefull, in faire and probable wayes, yet they have not reacht to riches. Others have stri­ven for riches in base and unwarrantable, in unjust and sin­full wayes, yet they could never get a step beyond beggery.

The Lord gives them a stop, and saith, Yee shall not be rich; evill men doe not alwayes thrive, Ex quocunque piscatu non e­vadet ditior. Peter fished all night, but got nothing, till Christ bid him put downe the Net. Some have cast their Net in all sorts of waters, yet could never catch the great fish of worldly wealth. It is the blessing of God that makes good men rich; and it is a permission from God that makes evill men rich. Godlinesse is profitable for all things, having the promise of this life, and of that which is to come, yet every godly man meets not with the profit of this life; ungodlinesse is profitable for nothing, having neither the promise of this life nor of that which is to come, yet some ungodly men meet with the profit of this life. Though sin­ners are never on the thriving hand, yet they often thrive in their way; and though Saints are ever on the thriving side, yet they doe not alwayes thrive in their way: Neither the one [Page 157] sort nor the other thrives, if the Lord saith, They shall not be rich: When he saith so to the Saints, it is to humble them; but when he saith so to a wicked man, it is to punish him; He shall not be rich, that's the first step of his misery.

But suppose he get riches, yet he cannot keep them; The wages which he earnes is put into a bagg with holes, or pierced through, all's gone (Hag. 1.6.) Carnall men are like leaking Vessells to the Word of God, they (as the Apostle cautions Beleevers lest at any time they should ( Heb. 2.1.) alwayes let it run out. Now as they let out what they have heard of the Word of God, so God lets out what they have got of the World: He makes all the Vessells which hold their earthly substance leaky: So it follows.

2. Neither shall his substance continue.

This is his second woe: [...] robur, pro opibus saepe sumitur. Latine copias possis vertere. Merc. The word which we render Sub­stance, signifies also Power, and strength; because riches im­power and strengthen men to doe great things; but how strong and substantiall soever they are in the opinion of men, their time is but short, They shall not continue; and this ariseth two wayes.

First, From the nature of the things of the World, which are all frayle and momentany, Summis nega­tum est stare diu. and though we call them Sub­stance, yet indeed they are but a Shadow, there is no continu­ance in them.

Secondly, This ariseth from the judgement and curse of God, both upon such rich men, and upon their riches; if the Lord doth not stop them from getting riches, yet he can speak a word, and blast all that they have gotten.

Hence Note.

That the most substantiall of earthly things are of small or no con­tinuance: More particularly,

That ill gotten goods are not lasting, or long-lived: Sometimes they melt away, and dye in the same hands that got them; they alwayes dye and melt away in some of their hands, for whom they were gotten. There is no tack in their estate, in whom there is no Justice. That which is gathered by the un­righteousnesse of man, shall be scattered by the wrath of God. As the little which a righteous man hath is better, so it is su­rer then the great riches of many wicked. Sin makes no pro­vision [Page 158] at all for the soule, and it makes very ill-provision for the body. The title by which we hold worldly things, is more considerable then worldly things themselves. To hold in Capite from Christ is as the purest so the strongest Tenure: Onely he who continues the same for ever, and changes not, can give continuance to that which is changeable.

But suppose the wicked mans substance doth continue long for bulke and matter, yet the beauty and comfort of it shall not continue for a moment, which is the third step of this Gradation.

3. Neither shall he prolong the perfection thereof upon the earth.

Riches are one thing, the perfection of riches is another; as in spirituall things there is the substance of them, and the perfection of them; so in temporalls: The word signifies, the consummation of any thing, [...] perfectio eorum a [...] perfe­cit, alii Min­lam vincam, dictionem per­inde ac si duae essent exponunt, qu [...]si [...] ex eo quod est illorum, i. e. res illorum non ex­tendentur per terram. Merc. or the bringing it to its perfective end ( Isa. 33.1.) When thou shalt make an end to deale treacherously, they shall deale treacherously with thee: The Prophet doth nor meane it of making an end by way of cessation, as if hand, heart, or tongue, did cease dealing treacherously (for so wicked men will never make an end of wickednesse, if they might have an eternity to act evill in, they would act it eter­nally) but he meanes it of making an end by way of consum­mation, as if he had sayd; When they are come to a full sta­ture in treachery, and have compleated their conspiracies a­gainst goodnesse, and good men, then they shall be dealt with in their kind, and as they best deserve. Now as a wicked man would compleat his sin, and often reaches the very perfection of it, so he would compleat his estate, and doth sometimes reach to the perfection of it. The wicked man would be per­fectly rich, he is not satisfied to have a compleat estate, or e­nough for meat, drink, and cloathing, he must have a great estate, enough for pride, pompe, and glory; Manna pleases him not, he must have Quailes, superfluities as well as neces­saries: He thinkes a little, too much in spiritualls, but a great deale is not enough for him in temporals: His internall imperfections trouble him not, his aime is at perfection in externalls. That is perfect onely in a strict sense, to which nothing can be added, and from which nothing can be taken [Page 159] away; The wicked man would attaine to such perfection, but he cannot; his owne heart forbids the first, for how much soever he hath, he would have more added to it; he saith not it is enough, though it be too much; God forbids the latter, his portion shall be abated, or (in the words of the Text) He shall not prolong the perfection thereof.

The utmost perfection he can attaine unto, is but the sha­dow of perfection, and though shadows towards the setting of the Sun, grow longer and longer, yet no shadow can be prolonged, they quickly passe and flye away. Solomon tells us ( Prov. 12.3.) A man shall not be established in wickednesse, Nec mittet in terra radicem ejus. Vulg. but the root of the righteous shall continue: A wicked man may be set in the ground, but he hath no root in the ground; Their stock shall not take root in the earth, and he (that is, God) shall blow upon them, and they shall wither (Isa. 40.24.) A tree not rooted, falls by a puffe of winde, or withers while it stands. The tree of a wicked man may have a great body, but he hath no good root, he is not rooted in Christ, he hath no hold of the Covenant, therefore his perfection cannot continue.

Hence Observe.

That as there is no worldly perfection of any long continuance, so the perfection of wicked men is of shortest continuance: Athenasius sayd of Julian the Apostate, when he was in the height, in the very zenith and perfection of earthly felicity, having as­cended the Impereall Throne, and giving the Law to a great part of the then knowne World, He is but a little cloud, Nubecula est, cito transibit. he will soon vanish. And indeed his glory and the perfection of it did not continue, for when he was but thirty yeares old, in that prime of his naturall course and constitution, he was out off; his power could not protect his Person, nor prolong his per­fection on the earth.

David professeth; as from his owne experience ( Psal. 119.96.) I have seen an end of all perfection: The terme of univer­sality, All, doth not compasse in every kinde of perfection, but all the perfections of one kinde. The end of Divine per­fections cannot be seen: when we have seen the most of them, there is more of them unseen; but the end of all humane perfections may be seen. There is a twofold sight.

• First, Of the eye.
• Secondly, Of the understanding.

Davids eye had seen the end of many humane perfections, and his understanding saw the end of them all; he had seen some ending, and he saw all must end. Never dream of pro­longing your perfection here. No worldly thing can conti­nue long, for the World it selfe shall not continue long: If the Scaffold or Stage upon which these perfections are shewed or acted, must fall, the perfections themselves cannot stand. There have been but few that ever advanced so farr as to an earthly perfection, but there was never any one that prolong­ed his perfection on the Earth. Adam did not continue in that created perfection, which had no imperfection in it, how then shall any of his Children continue in an imperfect (such is their best) perfection.

As Eliphaz hath shewed us the wicked mans misery in the not prolonging of his perfection; so now he shewes us a further degree of it, by the prolonging of his affliction.

Here is the fourth step of this gradation. The wicked mans misery in misery: He cannot stay in a good, nor get out of an ill estate. Eliphaz seems to take off an objection, for some might say, What if the wicked man doe not grow rich for the pre­sent? What if his substance doth not continue? What if he pro­long not his perfections, or fall from the top-stayre of his high con­dition? Yet we hope at last he may outgrow all this, and get riches which he had not, or regaine those which he had? No saith Eliphaz, Either the wicked man shall not rise to riches, or if he rise he shall fall, and when once he is fallen, he shall rise no more; eith [...] he shall not get into the light, or if he doe, he shall be soon overtaken with darknesse, and when once he is in the dark, he shall come out no more, Hee shall not depart out of darknesse.

When the wicked man is in the light, he sings, Loth to depart, but he must, and when he is cast into darknesse, he crys, Hast to depart, but he cannot: The wicked man, like the evill Angels, is held in chaines of darknesse, which he is neither able to break off, nor to file off: He hath sayd to God, who is light, (yea because he is light) Depart from me, and God saith to him, Thou shalt not depart out of darknesse.

There is a twofold darknesse.

• [Page 161]First, Inward.
• Secondly, Outward.

Both metaphoricall. By darknesse, some understand inward trouble, or griefe of spirit, others expound it of outward troubles and calamities upon his estate: 'Tis true of both, for he shall depart neither out of the one nor the other; but rather take it here for outward trouble; and then, Not to de­part out of darknesse, imports abiding misery, irrecoverable sicknesse, decayes and losses, which shall never bee re­payred.

Hence Note.

Wicked men falling into trouble, shall not know the mercy of a resurrection out of trouble. The just man falleth seven times, and riseth againe (Prov. 24.16.) The just man is subject to take falls of two sorts, and both of them Seven times; that is, often.

First, He falls into sin.

Secondly, He falls into trouble.

He riseth from both these falls: He riseth from the first by repentance; he riseth from the second by deliverance. Solo­mons Text is to be understood of this second sort of falls, and may therefore be expounded by the direct words of David, (Psal. 34.19.) Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth them out of them all: The righteous have as ma­ny resurrections as falls, But (as Solomon makes the Antithe­sis in the place fore-cited) the wicked shall fall into mischiefe. Solomon doth not tell us expressely, what the just mans fals in­to, but he tells us he shall rise againe: He tells us expressely what the wicked man shall fall into, but he doth not tell us, that he shall rise againe; nay, he tells us implicitely, that he shall never rise againe. He that riseth againe, did not fall in­to mischiefe, how great soever the evill was which he fell in­to; and he that doth not rise againe, fell into mischiefe, how little soever the evill was which he fell into. Nothing makes our falling either into sin, or trouble, a mischiefe to us, but our continuing in it. He goes farr (we say in our Proverbe) who never returnes; surely, he fals low, who never riseth, and he stayes long in darknesse, who never departs out of it. Dark­nesse is the portion of a wicked man, and he shall never de­part out of darknesse; neither out of that darknesse of sin, [Page 162] nor misery; he hath no desire to depart out of the former, and he hath no promise to depart out of the latter. Thus we have seen the negative punishment of a wicked man, what he shall not be, what he shall not receive; this is enough to make him miserable, but positive evill will make him out­right miserable. This Eliphaz prosecutes in the next words.

The flame is taken two wayes: either,

First, For the wrath of God which goeth forth, causing judgement to take hold of sinners: or,

Secondly, For the judgement it selfe, which is an effect of his wrath.

The wrath of God burneth against the wicked as a flame, and then judgements burne up the wicked; there is no heat to the heat of Divine wrath, neither is any thing, punitively hot, till Divine wrath heats it.

Sunt qui eius liber [...]s intelli­gunt sed no [...] allegori [...]è in­telligimus om­nem ejus splen­dorem opes, &c. Me [...]c. The flame shall dry up his branches; Some, by his branches un­derstand his Children, they shall dye, Children are branches, they stand, saith the Psalmist, like Olive plants, or branches round about the Table of a man fearing God: Such branches Job had, but they were dryed up, and probably Eliphaz might give him a rub upon that soare, in this expression.

Secondly, Others by branches understand His followers and flatterers, who live upon him as branches upon a Tree; but to passe these restrained Interpretations: Flamma ex­urens, in Heb. est vehemen­tissimi supplicii atque adeo ae­terni symbo­lum. Duci videtur translatio a mo­re hostium va­stantium regio­nem aliquam qui sege [...] & arberes succen­dunt. I conceive we may take the Branch in generall, for all that belongs to a wicked man, his Children, his Freinds, his followers, his flatterers, his Honour, his Riches, his Power; all these look green, and are his beautifull branches; and all these the flame dryeth up. The Prophet complaines ( Joel 1.19.) O Lord to thee will I cry, for the fire hath devoured the pastures of the Wildernesse, and the flame hath burnt all the Trees of the Field: The flame, of which he cryes out, and which did not onely dry the branches, but devour the Trees of the Feild, was the extreame heat of the Sun; which as it usually sends out refreshing beams, so when God is angry, it can send out scorching flames, and those beames, which tempered with showers of raine, nourish the Earth, in the long withholding of raine scorch the Earth. And what then befell the Trees properly taken, and their [Page 163] branches, doth often befall both Trees and branches taken in the metaphoricall sense, as herein the Text, a flame dryes them up. A godly man is compared to a Tree flourishing and growing by the water side; wicked men are compared somtimes to flourishing Trees, but they grow by the fire side: The flame dryes up their branches.

Hence Note.

First, The wrath of God is a drying, yea a devouring flame, the flame of Gods displeasure, puts all into a flame. That flame will burn up branches, how goodly, how strong, how high soe­ver they are growne; though as strong as the Oakes of Ba­shan, though as high as the Cedars in Lebanon, yet this flame will dry them up. The Prophet Zechariah speaks this point, while he thus bespeaks Lebanon ( Zech. 11.1.) Open thy doores O Lebanon, that the fire may devoure thy Cedars: 'Tis interpre­ted as a Prophesie of the destruction of Jerusalem, and Judea, by the Roman power; as Christ after threatned them for re­jecting him and his Counsell: The words of the Prophet may be understood two wayes, either litterally, for the destructi­on of that Forrest of Lebanon, which the Romans cut down for the service of their Seige against Jerusalem; or figuratively, for the flourishing estate of Jerusalem, whose branches, though like the branches of the Cedars in Lebanon were dryed up by the flame of that dreadfull War. In which stile and figure the Pro­phet Isaiah denounceth the judgements of God ( Ch. 2.12, 13.) The day of the Lord shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, &c. And upon all the Cedars of Lebanon. And the Prophet Ezekiel puts forth this Riddle and Parable ( Chap. 17.3.) Thus saith the Lord, A great Eagle (that is, Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon) with great wings, long winged, full of feathers, which had diverse colours, came unto Lebanon (that is, unto Judea and Jerusalem) and tooke che highest branch of the Cedar; Namely, Jehojakim the King of Judah, and carryed him Captive to Babylon.

The Lord can make any affliction a consumption to the most beau­tifull branches of a sinfull people, or person: Whatsoever he useth as an instrument of his indignation, is his flame: In this sense, the very waters which drowned the old World, were the fire and flame of God: He can by poverty, as by a flame, consume and dry up riches; by disgrace, as by a flame, con­sume and dry up honour; by sicknesse, as by a flame, consume [Page 164] and dry up health; God hath speciall flames for every spe­ciall branch, nothing can continue to doe us good, when God gives Warrant or Commission to any of his flames to scorch and consume it, The flame shall burne up his branch.

We have the flame of God in the former clause, and the breath of his mouth in this: Some Interpreters conceive that Eliphaz mentions these two, The flame, and the breath, pur­posesy to put Job in minde, what God had done to him; for we read in the first Chapter of this Book, of the flame of God, a fire from Heaven consuming that branch, his flocks of Sheep, and a breath from God, namely, a mighty strong winde, de­stroying a more precious branch, his flock of Children: Eli­phaz cloathes this discourse in such termes as might easily re­minde and represent to Job, what God had done to him, in the day of his calamity.

There is yet a difference among Expositors about the Ante­cedent to his: His mouth, whose mouth? Most understand it, of the breath of Gods mouth, as hath been hinted already: Some expound it of the breath of the wicked mans owne mouth; I shall touch upon both.

First, By the breath of Gods mouth he shall goe away; the breath of God may be taken two wayes.

Either first (as the flame before) for his anger, which is often expressed by puffing the breath.

Secondly, It may be taken for the decree, or determination of God.

Both these wayes a wicked man goes away by the breath of God; first, by the anger of God, if God doe but breath an­gerly upon him, he is blasted and gone, His glory and greatnesse lang [...]ish before the least puff of Divine displeasure: God needs not make great preparations of Armies, or Forces, to contend with wicked men, he needs not raise Mounts and Batteries, to overthrow their best Fortifications of Riches and Honour. The Channels of waters were seen (saith David, Psal. 18.15.) and the foundations of the World were discovered, at thy rebuke O Lord, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils. The Prophet tels [Page 165] those, who neglected to build the House of the Lord ( Hag. 1.9.) Yee looked for much, but loe it came to little, and when yee brought it home, I did blow upon it: God did but blow upon it, and by the breath of his mouth all their expected encrease went away. When Pharaoh pursued the Israelites in the height of pride and presumption, the Text saith, It came to passe in the morning watch, the Lord looked upon the Hoast of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire, and of the cloud, and troubled the Egyptians, and tooke off their Chariot wheeles, that they drave them heavily (Exod. 14.24, 25.) God confounded them by a looke; how easily can the Lord rise up and destroy all the power that riseth up against his people? Hee can doe it with a breath from his mouth, With a cast of his eye. When Christ was apprehended by the Officers armed with Staves and Swords; he sayd, Whom seek you? They answered, Jesus of Nazereth: He saith, I am he. (Christ was not afraid to con­fesse himselfe) As soon then as he had sayd unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground (Joh 18.6.) What a strange power was here, that Christ could cast them down with a word, and that not an angry word, not a word of conviction but confession; he did not chide them, and say, Yee wretches, how dare you lay your hands upon me, who am an innocent per­son; how dare you carry me to judgement, who shall one day be your Judge; Christ spake no such terrible language, but onely sayd, I am he, and downe they fell. If these words of submission had such a force in them, as overthrew those Officers to the ground, how shall his Enemies stand before the thunder of his severest increpations, and finall sentence? As the Lord needs not make great provisions for comforting of his people, if he speaks a word, it is done; if he give but a good look, their hearts revive; Lord lift up the light of thy countenance upon me, thou hast put gladnesse in my heart (Psal. 4.6, 7.) So if God doe but darken his countenance against wicked men, and frowne upon them, if he doe but breath at them, he puts sorrow enough into their hearts, even consu­ming killing sorrow; By the breath of his mouth they goe away.

Againe, take the breath of God, For the decree of God: Verbo vel mandato ex ore Dei proceden­te. Jun. for the word or command which goethout of his mouth, by this breath of God, they goe away. The destruction of the wick­ed is under a Decree; God hath spoken in his holinesse (Psal. 108. [Page 166] 7, 8, 9.) That is, he hath given out his word from Heaven, the habitation of his holinesse, and of his glory; or, He hath spoken it certainely, there is nothing but holinesse in his word (and that's the strength of words) David having received this word, stands assured, That as Shechem, and Suc­coth, Gilead, and Manasseh, Ephraim, and Iudah, would willing­ly submit to him, and yeild obedience: So also, that Moab, Edom, and Philistia, who were his professed Enemies, should be subdued to him. He expected to conquer and tryumph o­ver them, to put them to the basest offices, as his Vassals, be­cause God had decreed and spoken it in his holinesse. God hath spoken the word (saith he) therefore it shall be done, yea 'tis done; and therefore David cryed, All's mine, Gilead is mine, Manasseh is mine, Moab and Edom are mine, as soone as God had spoken the word. All that ever was done in the World, hath been done by the breath of Gods mouth; that is, by the word or decree of God: So some understand that of the Apostle (2 Thes. 2.8.) And then shall that wicked one be re­vealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit, or breath of his mouth, and destroy with the brightnesse of his comming: Antichrist hath stood long, and he hath been for some time declining; his downfall hastens; the breath of God will leave him breath­lesse: As he hath stood by the flattering breath of men; so he shall fall by the consuming breath of God.

This consuming with breath, notes either (as before) the easinesse of that consumption, 'tis done with a breath, or the way and manner of doing it; 'tis done by the command and decree of God, or by the Preaching of the Gospell, which indeed gives Antichrist his fatall blow, and shakes all the Towres of mysticall Babylon, and is called by the Prophet, The rod of his mouth, Spiritu oris, sc: ipsius impii, credo potius re­ferrendum▪ esse ad impium quasi ille sibi ipsi fuerit mor­tis causa dum contra Deum loquitur confi­denter & libe­re. Sanct. and the breath of his lips ( Isa. 11.4.) He shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. Life and death sit upon the lips of Christ, he hath a reviving breath, and a killing breath; he quickens the deadest heart, and deads the quickest, the proudest heart with a word speaking. By the breath of his mouth the wicked goe away.

Further, The breath of his mouth, say some, is the breath of the wicked mans owne mouth; By the breath of his mouth shall he goe away: That is, by the words which breath out of his [Page 167] mouth. His passionate distempered speeches shall undoe him, while he speaks, either outragiously, and blasphemously a­gainst God, or falsely and seditiously towards man, his ruine enters at the opening of his lips.

The motion of the breath is the preserver of life, Spiritu oris sui. i. e. suis verbis quae spiritu & halitu in ore ormantur. and while breath lasts, life lasts; yet many a mans life had lasted longer had it not been for his breath. The wicked mans breath proves his death, and his tongue which hath been a scourge to o­thers, becomes a Sword to himselfe. His words possibly have wounded, and his breath hath been the death of many: But now he is wounded by his owne words, and crusht to death by the weight of his owne breath, or by the fall of his owne tongue upon him: So the Psalmist gives it ( Psal. 64.8.) They shall make their owne tongues to fall upon themselves; that is, Their owne words shall be brought as a Testimony against them, and condemne them. The tongue is a little member (saith the Apostle James, Chap. 3.5.) and therefore a light member; yet it falls heavy, as heavy as lead. A man were better have his House fall upon him, then that (in this sense) his tongue should fall upon him. Some have been pressed to death, be­cause they would not speak, but stood mute before the Judge; but more have been pressed to death by their sinfull freedome, or rather licentiousnesse in speaking; this hath brought them to judgement, and cast them in judgement: Their tongue hath fallen upon them, and by the breath of their mouth, they have gone away.

Lastly (but I will not stay upon it, because the Originall doth not well beare it) these words are cast into the forme of a similitude, describing the manner how the wicked man, and all his glory shall goe away; even as a breath, or as his breath; As the breath of his mouth he shall goe away; that is, he shall go speedily, he shall goe suddenly: A breath is soon fetcht, it is both come and gone in a moment; A breathing time, is a Proverbiall, for a little time (much like that, In the twinck­ling of an eye.) Thus man comes and goes, is come and gone (especially a wicked man who is driven by the wrath of God) as soon as seen by others, as soon as he hath brea­thed himselfe: It will not be long ere he goes, and he will not be long a going. For as the breath of his mouth he shall goe away.

The breath of man goes continually, and so doth the life of man; while man sleeps, his breath goes, and so doth his life; while man stands still, his breath goes, and so doth his life: The breath, indeed, is sometimes in a hurry, and goes faster then it doth at other times; but though the life of man doth not goe faster at one time then at another, yet it al­wayes goes.

Or if at any time our life may be sayd to goe faster then at another, it is when our breath is (by some stop in its passage) at a stand; and when ever our breath comes to a full stop, our life is not onely going, but quite gone.

The life of man hath so much dependence upon his breath, that it is called Breath, and the breath of life: When God for­med man out of the dust of the ground, he breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soule (Gen. 2.7.) And as soon as God calls back this breath of life, man be­comes a dead body, or a carkasse: The life of man must needs goe as his breath, for it goes with his breath; and when the life of a wicked man is gone, all (that he called his) his worldly glory, goes with him: In that day all his thoughts perish: For, As the breath of his mouth he shall goe away.

Eliphaz having layd downe the wicked mans sad condition, and the causes of it, concludes with a use or application of the whole Doctrine, at the 31. Verse, Let not him, that is de­ceived trust in vanity, &c.

He inforceth this dehortation by a summary repetition of the Doctrine before delivered; which he doth:

First, Plainly in the close of the 31. and in the beginning of the 32. Verses, For vanity shall he his recompence; it shall be ac­complished before its time.

Secondly, He doth it allegorically, in the close of the 32. Verse, and in the 33. His branch shall not be greene: He shall shake off his unripe Grapes as the Vine, and shall cast off his flower as the Olive.

Having thus pressed his Doctrine by this powerfull motive, he concludes his whole Sermon, with a fresh assertion of his Doctrine, against two sorts of wicked men in particular, which yet may comprehend all wicked men.

First, Hypocrites, who corrupt the worship of God, or are corrupt while they pretend to worship God. Vers. 34. For the congregation of Hypocrites shall be desolate.

Secondly, Of oppressors, who pervert Justice, or deale falsly among men; The fire shall consume the Tabernacles of bri­bery.

Under these two heads, we may reduce all sorts of sinners; sinners against God, under the notion of Hypocrites: And sinners against men, under the notion of Oppressours, who pervert Judgement by giving or taking Bribes: All which Eliphaz concludes, by a description of their evill actings (the cause of all their sufferings) under that elegant metaphor of Child-bearing; They conceive mischiefe, and bring forth vanity, and their belly prepareth deceit: Thus you have the resolution and scope of the latter part of this Chapter.

These words containe the dehortation; here are three termes to be explained.

• First, What is meant by being deceived.
• Secondly, What by trusting.
• Thirdly, What we are to understand by Vanity.

The Originall word signifies, either the turning of the foot, or the turning of the heart, or both out of the way ( Psal. 119.176. [...] Deceptus usur­patar, de erro­re cordis & pedis.) I have gone astray, like a lost Sheep: That is, I have been deceived, and so have gone out of the way of thy holy Commandements. Satan is an ill guide, and our hearts are no better: He that follows either, quickly looseth himselfe: And untill God seeketh us up (as David prayes in the next words) wee cannot finde our way when wee are once out of it ( Ezek. 44.15.) The Priests, the Levites, the Sonnes of Zadock that kept the charge of my Sanctuary, when the people of Israel went astray from me, they shall come neere to me: When the people walked in by places, and were intan­gled in the bryars of their owne corruptions; then the Priests kept the charge of the Lord: It was a great mercy, that when the people were deceived, the Priests were not; that when the Sheep went astray, the Shepheards did not? If Priests and people goe astray together, who shall reduce them? But to the poynt, Israel went astray. They who led them did not [Page 171] cause them to erre (once they did as the Prophet complaines) Who then did? Many goe astray, when none lead them astray: Man can deceive himselfe fast enough, if none else doe; yet the word implyes also the cunning activity, of an externall agent, to lead poor soules out of the way. We may take in both here; Let not him that is deceived, whether by the falla­cious arguings of his owne heart, or by the subtlety of any o­ther, whether Men or Devills.

Or, Let him not beleeve in vanity: Trusting is an act of faith, [...] Credet, ne cre­dat in vanita­tem. and though a man may beleeve, and not trust; yet no man can trust, who doth not beleeve. We translate the word not as signifying onely bare beleiving, but as it reaches that high­er act of trusting: He that is most deceived, is most apt to trust that which will deceive him more; and gives not onely his consent, but confidence to that which either is not at all, or is that least which it pretends to be, fit to be trusted, Va­nity.

The word which we render Vanity, [...] Temeritas fal­sitas menda cium eadem est vis vocis quae apud Latinos vocabuli Vani quod tam pro mendacio qua pro re [...]dicu [...] accipi solet. is not Habel used by Solomon (Eccles. 1.2.) Vanity of vanities, which signifies one­ly a light thing, such as is a vapour rising from the earth, a bubble swelling out of, and floating a little upon the water, or more strictly, a puffe or breath of the mouth; but it sig­nifies rashnesse, falsenesse, a lye, a deceite; vaine things are false, lying, and deceiveable; therefore, one word serves for both.

Againe, Vanity may be here taken two wayes, either for the s [...]n, or deceit, with which a man is mislead; and then the meaning is, Let not him that is deceived by sin, trust in sin: Or secondly, Vanity may be taken for any creature comfort, and contentment, especially those which are the revenue, or income of sinfull practices. Sin leads to profit, to pleasure, to honour, to these fraile and transitory things sin leads us, in hope of satisfaction by them, and then the meaning is, Let not him that is deceived, trust in that which sin promiseth, and pro­fesseth it will doe for him, or advance him to: Sin in its nature [Page 172] is vanity, and all the fruits or issues of it are vaine too. There­fore, as nothing, and nothing, added together, make nothing, so vanity and vanity put together, make but vanity: The to­tall summ cannot exceed the Items or particulars; Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity, for vanity shall be his recom­pence.

Hence Observe.

First, Man is very apt to be deceived; so apt to be deceived, that he is scarse ever undeceived: Eliphaz speakes here, not onely of a possibility to be deceived, but of being actually deceived; and this ariseth two waies, first from the impotence and weak­nesse, from the blindnesse and ignorance that is in man; he that is blinde and weake, is easily mislead; every man natu­rally, how strong, how wise, how knowing soever he seems to be, is yet weak, blind, and ignorant in a very great mea­sure; and therefore very deceivable: Man is full of craft, this makes him deceitfull; he is empty of true wisedome, this renders him deceiveable.

Secondly, As man may quickly be deceived, by reason of the ignorance which is in him, so also by reason of those subtle enemies, who are alwayes about him, yea and within him. We live (as I may so speake) among Cheaters, and Cozenners, and there is a great Cheater lives in us; how hard is it then not to be deceived? If a man be in a Croud among many Cut-purses, and Cheaters, he is in danger to lose his Money every moment; it is so with us: though carnall men are not at all aware of it, nor they who are most spirituall, so much aware of it as they should It is dangerous to live among deceivers, though we know them, and are aware of them; it is most dangerous to live among deceivers, and not to know them, for then we cannot be aware of them; but it is madnesse to know we live among deceivers, and yet not to be aware of them.

There are three notorious Deceivers, who labour to ensnare us; we need not wonder though some who are watchful a­gainst them, are deceived by them: but it would be a wonder, and such a wonder as yet was never seen, if they should not be deceived, who never watch against them.

First, Our owne hearts which have not onely an impotence [Page 173] or weaknesse (as I noted before) whereby they are apt to be deceived, but there is in our hearts an activenesse, yea an ef­ficacy to deceive; we are not onely passive, but active; we are seldome, if at all, deceived, till wee deceive our selves: And as some men are very active in deceiving others, so all men are active in a degree to deceive themselves. ( Jer. 17.9.) The heart of man is deceitfull and desperately wicked: The heart is deceitfull in reference to a threefold object.

First, The heart would deceive God himselfe, and impose upon the All-wise: Thats the designe of a Hypocrite, his businesse is to deceive God, though the issue be the deceiving of himselfe.

Secondly, The heart of man is deceitfull in contriving wayes to deceive, and supplant other men. The complaint of the Prophet goes very high upon this ( Mich. 7.2.) The good man is perished out of the Earth, and there is none upright among men; they all lye in waite for blood; they hunt every man his bro­ther with a net. To lye in waite, is the act, and a Net is the instrument of a Deceiver, The Prophesie of Christ goes yet higher ( Matth. 24.24.) For there shall arise false Christs, and false Prophets, and shall shew great signes and wonders; insomuch that (if it were possible) they shall deceive the very Elect. De­ceit workes to its utmost possibility, when it puts hard to de­ceive those, whom to deceive is impossible. If Elect men could be deceived, God should be deceived in his Election; But this is impossible, and therefore that is; the man who is elect is deceiveable, but because he is an elect man, he cannot be deceived: And though an elect man may be deceived in some things (for even he is subject to errour, because he is still (while in this World) the subject of sin) yet he can­not be so farr deceived in any thing, as to null or frustrate his election. How restlesse is man to deceive man, seeing he ceaseth not his endeavour to deceive, where he cannot pre­vailingly deceive.

Thirdly, (Which I conceive the Text in Jeremiah specially aymes at) the heart of man is very busie to deceive himselfe. 'Tis bad enough to deceive others, but to deceive our selves is worse, and that not onely because it makes us more mise­rable, but more sinfull: Selfe-deceit is the most sinfull deceit. The heart of man is desperately wicked, there is no hope that, [Page 174] it will leave off to doe wickedly, seeing it is of counsell a­gainst its owne peace. And surely, man is not onely under a possibility to be deceived, in regard of the impotence and blindnesse of his heart, but also under an impossibility, not to be deceived, in regard of the skill and unwearyed activity of his heart to deceive himselfe.

Secondly, Man hath another deceiver continually about him, The World, and all that is in the World, The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life; all these are but as so many snares and juggels to cozen, and deceive poore man.

Thirdly, The Devill, who is The Deceiver; of whose de­vices we are not ignorant (saith the Apostle) he is full of tricks and plots; he hath his methods, his arts to deceive. Ever since the Devill deceived himselfe, he hath been studying how to deceive man; he doth not onely goe about like a roaring Lyon, but like a subtle Serpent, and a cunning Fox, seeking whom he may devour; or he is a Lyon to devour those whom he hath first deceived as a Fox, or as a Serpent: Man is a perswadable creature (Gen. 9.27.) God shall perswade Japhet to dwell in the Tents of Shem: The Originall word there used to perswade, signifies also to deceive, because perswasions are of­ten made as Engines, or baytes to deceive.

There is also a kind of holy fraud in the Gospell, and man is as it were deceived into the obedience of it, Being craf­ty I caught you with guile (I fetcht you over, did I not?) saith Paul (2 Cor. 12.16.) Now as man is somtimes deceived for his good, so he is often and easily deceived for his hurt, by these three deceivers. Satan, the World, and his owne Heart, perswade him by an unholy deceit to dwell in the Tents of sin.

[...] Bis potest sumi & cum [...] credet, ne cre­dat in vanita­tem, & cum [...] deceptus, de­ceptus inquam per vanitatem, ne in eam fida▪Againe, Some who by vanity understand sin, read the word Vanity twice, Let not him that is deceived by vanity, trust in vani­ty; that is, Let not him that is deceived by sin, trust in sin; which interpretation yeelds us this truth, Sin is deceitfull, or thus, Sin doth nothing but deceive.

The Apostle, ( Heb. 3.13.) chargeth sin with deceit to its very face, Exhort one the other, while it is called to day, least any of your hearts be hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sin; there are three eminent evils in sin,

First, There is a pollution in sin, it defiles.

Secondly, There is basenesse in sin, it dishonours.

Thirdly, There is a deceitfulnesse in sin, it would make us beleeve we shall be, and receive, that which it is not able to performe.

Hence the Apostle ( Rom. 6.21.) puts the question to those who were once the servants of sin, What fruit had yee then in those things whereof you are now ashamed? He asketh them, and bids them aske their owne hearts, what fruit had you? as if he had sayd, I know when you were servants of sin, your sins promised you great matters, great rewards: the Tree of sin seemes to be loaded with fruits, the bowes of it looke as if ready to break with goodly fruits; fruit pleasant to the eye, sweet to the taste, and de­sireable to make one wise; but I beseech yon tell me what fruit had you in those things wh reof you are now ashamed? If you be ashamed to tell me; I will tell you, The end of those things is death; that's all the fruit which the Tree of sin beares. Sin deales with us, as Jaell with Sisera (Judges 4.18.) Shee stood at the Tent doore, when he came panting from the Battell, and said to him, Turne in my Lord, turne in; shee took him into her Tent, and layd him downe, covered him warme, and when he ask­ed her for Milke, shee gave him Butter, Butter in a Lordly dish; here were fine words, and seeming promises: yet shee honestly deceived him, Shee put her hand to the Naile, and her hand to the workmans Hammer, and nayled his temples to the ground. Thus sin bids us turn in, promises to cover us warme, gives us Butter in a Lordly dish, but never tells us of that wofull end, and wretched catastrophe which it intends unto us: Sinne deales with us as Dallilah with Sampson, takes us into its bo­some and embraces; but then it hath a plot to cut the lock of our strength, to deliver us over to the Philistims, to call in Legions of Devills to seize upon us, and make us grinde at the Mill of their basest drudgery.

More distinctly, sin deceives by a threefold promise.

First, By a promise of profit ( Prov. 1.13.) Come cast in thy lot with us, let us lye in waite for blood, &c. We shall find all pre­cious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoyle: but this pre­cious substance, proves onely a pernicious shadow, and these spoiles taken, spoyle those who take them.

Secondly, Sin deceives by promising content, and sweet [Page 176] delight; what thoughts had Ahab concerning Naboths Vine­yard? If he could but get it, he were a made man; what plea­sure should he have in those shady walkes? what Grapes and Wine from those fruitfull Vines? Sin promiseth as largely as God doth, to give us not onely delight but satisfaction; that we shall not have so much as an empty corner in our soules; all shall be filled: whereas in truth there is nothing but emptinesse, and dissatisfaction in any creature, especially when sin leads or helps us to the enjoyment of it.

Thirdly, At least, sin promiseth and gives its word for it, that we shall be free from trouble, and feele no evill; That we shall have peace, though we walke in the imagination of our heart (Deut. 29.19.) That as they flattered themselves in the Pro­phet, wee shall not see Sword, nor Famine: These vanishing dreames of plenty, of good things, and immunity from evill, carry thousands of soules captive to the basest bondage of sin.

Further, This vanity, from trusting which the deceived soule is called off by Eliphaz, is conceived to be worldly ri­ches, and the fullest possession of the creature; these are vani­ty: That they are, is a common theame, and yet though it be much spoken of, it is very little beleived; we are apt to o­ver-rate the things of the World, and under-rate the things of Heaven. The creature is vanity, not onely in regard of the nothingnesse of it, but vanity in regard of that which we call the somthingnesse of it, or the best of it.

The Prophet Jonah makes the word which we here translate vanity, [...] Vanitates mendacii sive mendaces. the Epethite of that which is commonly translated va­nity ( Jon. 3.8.) They that observe lying vanities: Idolls are vanity, and a lye, because though they can doe no good at all, yet they promise much: Riches are vanity, and a lye, because they cannot doe so much good as they promise. Solomon saith in his Ecclesiastes, That Money answereth all things (Chap. 8.10.) And so it doth as the value of all earthly things is made by Money, and as Money is the price of all earthly things. But though Money answereth all things, by satisfying our en­gagements, yet it answereth nothing to the satisfying of its owne engagements. Money and riches have payd many a mans debts, and enough of them will pay any mans debts; but they have never payd their owne debts, no more then [Page 177] Idols have, and therefore they justly beare the brand of this reproach, Lying vanities: That they are so, appeares clearely in two particulars.

First, In the report which they make of themselves.

Secondly, In the promises which they make to us.

First, In the report which they make of their owne worth; if you look upon the bil of the creature, it puts down, not on­ly a hundred for fifty, but a million for a mite: For, how much soever it is worth, yet it beares no proportion to that which it would be esteemed worth: As some rich men are not halfe so rich as they desire to be reckoned; so riches themselves are not so rich by thousands of thousands as they would be rec­koned.

There is indeed a created worth in the creature, for it is the work of God; but since the sin of man hath (as to us) both imbased, and imbittered the creature, it is worth no­thing comparatively to that at which it is rated, both in its owne, and our Books.

Secondly, The creature (in this notion) is a lying va­nity, while it perswades us; that in the enjoyment thereof we shall be happy; whereas our happinesse doth not consist in any creature-enjoyment; unlesse God himselfe be our por­tion, we are both poor and miserable in the fullest possession of the creature. God is the living streame, the creature at the best was but a Cisterne, and now it is but a broken Cisterne which leaks out all the waters that passe into it, unlesse God stop the chinks, and mend the cracks of it, by Jesus Christ.

Againe, The creature promiseth to ease us of our cares, yet it doth but multiply them: The creature promiseth to satisfie our desires, yet it doth only encrease and enrage them. Riches are not food, but fewell to our desires; they doe not allay our appetite, as bread doth, when received into the sto­mack, but enflame our appetite, as wood doth, when it is cast into the fire.

Further, The creature promiseth to protect us; hence that of Solomon (Prov. 10.15.) The rich mans wealth is his strong Citie: That is, it promiseth to be so, and tells him, it will doe that for him, which a strong City doth for its Inhabitants, defend him against all Commers and Invaders; yet the same Solomon assures us in the next Chapter ( Vers. 4.) That riches [Page 178] profit not in the day of wrath. And Ezekiel threatens the Jews, That their Silver and their Gold shall not deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord.

Lastly, The Creature promiseth to continue with us. Ri­ches tell us, that though Father and Mother forsake us, yet they will not, though Wife and Children forsake us, yet they will not; they make us beleeve that they will stick closer to us, then Christ himselfe, and yet they are upon the wing pre­sently, they flye away as the Eagle, and are gone out of sight, they doe not onely perish in the using, but perish from our use.

Is not all this and a thousand times more, which might be sayd of their lying, and vanity, enough, and more then enough to justifie those titles which the Spirit of God hath bestowed upon them, that they are vanity and a lye, or as Jonah calls them, Lying vanities.

And yet (to close the point) we must remember that crea­ture-riches are not a lye, nor deceitfull in themselves. There's no more deceit in the greatest abundance of Gold and Silver, then there is in a wholsome savory peece of bread. Riches are not vaine and deceitfull, as our hearts are sayd to be de­ceitfull ( Jer. 17.9.) nor as lust is sayd to be deceitfull ( Eph. 4.22.) for these things are deceitfull onely through the deceit­fulnesse of our hearts, and lusts: Or they are deceitfull Obje­ctively, not Actively; we are deceived about them, not by them. They doe not deceive us till we are deceived; nor doe they deceive us either as possessed or used, but as adored and trusted. Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity.

Thirdly Observe,

Man must and will have somewhat to trust to, or leane upon. And therefore rather then fayle, he will trust that which cannot but fayle, Vanity. Like one that's ready to drowne, he catch­eth at any thing, a rotten stick, or a straw, and would support his whole body, by that which is not able to beare the weight of his little finger. Man is a weak creature, sense and na­ture are enough to make him sensible of his naturall weak­nesse; and these also are enough to prompt and provoke him to seek helpe without himselfe, though they are utterly in­sufficient to direct him whither to goe for the surest helpe; It is the priviledge of God alone to have nothing to trust to, or to be a­bove [Page 179] trust: He who is all strength needs not trust. As he doth not put trust in his Saints (Vers. 15.) because he knows they are frayle and mutable: so he hath no need to trust them, be­cause he knows himselfe not onely strong, but immutable. God is all that he is from himselfe, and therefore he ever con­tinues to be what he is, by himselfe. But man who is not a spring to himselfe of Being, cannot be a support to himselfe for the continu­ance of his Being; much lesse for the continuance of his well-being. And as mans necessity calls him to trust, so his duty calls him to trust God: Man fell at first by his desire to stand alone, he would be independent; and men fall every day, because they desire to stand by that which cannot stand alone. It is a spe­ciall part of that worship which we owe to God, to trust him; and whatsoever we trust besides God, we make a God of it. He that trusts not in the God that made him, makes many Gods (such as they are) by trusting them. While Job puts that negative supposition (as to his owne case) Chap. 31.24.) If I have made Gold my hop [...], or have sayd to the fine Gold, thou art my confidence: He more then implyeth that many had. Man ought to trust God, but few will; many will trust in Creatures, but none ought: Man will be trusting in some­what, and he is so forward to trust in vanity (which indeed is nothing) that it is the hardest thing in the World to take him off. We cannot presse either our selves or others too much, to trust God, and we cannot represse them enough from trusting vanity: Man is very ready to exercise and put forth an act of trust, and he is as ready to mistake the object of trust.

Lastly Observe.

Man is apt to trust that which hath deceived him; or man being once deceived, trusts that which will deceive him againe. Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity: We say, Such a man hath de­ceived me once, but he shall not deceive me the second time: But carnall hearts being deceived once by sin and vanity, are wil­ling to be deceived a thousand times; being once deceived, they care not how often they are deceived: That of the Pro­phet is an eminent Testimony to this too much experimented truth ( Isa. 44.20.) He feedeth on ashes; that is, he is as much deluded as a man is, who eates ashes, thinking it to be bread or other good cheare; or his Idoll which promised him great [Page 180] matters and much joy, hath given nothing but ashes, sorrow, and misery; of which, ashes, and especially feeding upon ashes, was an embleme: Now though it were thus with him, yet (saith the Prophet) A deceived heart hath turned him aside that he cannot deliver his soule, nor say, is there not a lye in my right hand? that is, Though he sees himselfe deceived, yet he hath no power to withdraw from the deceiver, nor to question the deceit; he is so bewitched with the sorcery of sin, that he cannot deliver his soule from the snares of it; but being de­ceived, he is willingly deceived, and looks upon his deceiver as his trusty Friend.

God never deceived, no nor fayled any man that trusted in him ( Ps. 9.10.) yet the hearts of the most will not be perswa­ded to trust God; sin and the creature deceive all that trust in them, yet we can hardly call or beat the heart off from trusting them. Sin seldome looses its credit; sin hath broken and undone thousands, yea all who have trusted it; yet still it hath credit among thousands, and can be trusted with more then this World is worth, the precious soule of man, for the asking. But let not him that is deceived, trust (any longer) in vanity, if he doe, he shall never be a gainer, no nor a sa­ver by it.

Vanity fills both parts of the Verse, and meets us at every turne, yet with a difference: In the former part by vanity was signified either sin, or the creature; in this latter part, vanity notes misery, Vanitatis no­men variè hic sumitur, quam ob rem sorsan & varie scri­bitur priore loco sig. vanas res quibus fidebant, scopes: gloriam, posteriori loco vanitatem in quam haec om­nia redigenda sint dum ex his decidens miser siet. Merc. or the effect and fruit of sin.

Hence Observe.

The vanity of misery overtakes all those who are deceived by the vanity of sin.

There are two sorts of recompence.

• First, Of wrath.
• Secondly, Of favour.

Evill deeds have their recompence, as well as good. To me (saith the Lord, Deut. 32.35.) belongeth vengeance and recom­pence; that is, the recompence of vengeance; as the Apostle expounds it ( Heb. 10.30.) For we know him that sayd, Ven­geance [Page 181] belongeth unto me, I will recompence saith the Lord: God will not live long in any mans debt: As holy Gospell-confidence hath a great recompence of reward (Heb. 10.35.) So every diso­bedience of the Law received a just recompence of reward (Heb. 2.2.) And God is so exact in giving the recompences of pun­ishment, that he will not spare his owne, when they are so foolish as to trust in vanity ( Prov. 11.31.) Behold the righ­teous shall be recompenced in the earth, much more the wicked and the sinner: that is, A righteous man shall be corrected, though he sin of infirmity; how then shall the wicked be punished who sin with presumption and delight. As a wicked man hath all his recompences of good on the earth ( Matth. 6.2.) They have their reward; so a righteous man hath all his re­compences of evill or affliction in the earth; he hath none be­yond. But, we may strongly argue, that the wicked, who trust in vanity shall be recompenced with sorrow for ever; seeing the righteous, if they doe but a little turne aside to vanity, shall be recompenced with sorrow here: That's the Apostle Peters way of reasoning (1 Epist. 4.18.) If the righ­teous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and sinner appeare? Surely, as the Prophet concludes ( Isa. 59.18.) According to their deeds accordingly he will repay fury to his adversaries, recom­pence to his enemies, to the Islands he will repay recompence.

Secondly, as vanity in the former clause is taken for the Creature. Observe.

The Creature is most vaine to those who trust it.

The Creature is a vaine thing in his hand, who beleeves and trusts in God, but it is exceeding vaine in his hand, who trusts on it; and the more it is trusted, the more vaine it is. If we make it our staffe, it will be our scourge: if we leane up­on it as our rock, it will run into our hands like a broken Reed: The best way to keep up our comforts in the Creature, is to keep our distance from the Creature. And they shall finde most content in the World, who live furthest off it, and expect least from it. God is good, and the more we trust him, the better he is to us, yea he is not good at all to us, unlesse we trust him: But the best of creatures trusted to become evill, yea an Idoll to us. Trust not in vanity (such are all creatures in their best estate) for vanity shall be your recompence.

Againe, The word which we translate recompence, signifies a change, or the exchange which is made of one thing for a­nother: While Job exalts the value and excellency of wise­dome above all created excellencies, he saith ( Chap. 28.17.) The Gold and the Chrystall cannot equall it, and the exchange of it shall not be for jewells of fine Gold.

So some render it here, Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity, A radice [...] mutavit [...] commutatio va­nitas erit; com­mutatio ejus, i. e. in nihilum redigetur. for vanity shall be his change: Whensoever he changeth, he shall change into vanity, or when he hath driven a trade in sinfull vanity, to the highest; the best exchange which the Merchandize thereof yeelds him, is miserable vanity: Vanity can produce nothing to us but vanity: The effect is not better then the cause, nor the fruit then the Tree; and that which we re­ceive in exchange, though it may be of another kinde, yet it is of no better value then that we give in exchange.

Hence Observe.

That a wicked mans state never changeth for better, but from good to bad, or from bad to worse. Till the man himselfe be changed from bad to good, his state can never change from bad to good: And suppose his outward state be good, then the worst thing that can befall him, is this, that his state should not change. His setlednesse in that which is civilly good, doth but more settle him in that which is morally e­vill. They have no changes, therefore they feare not God (Psal. 55.19.) What can be worse for man then this, n [...]t to feare God, who is the chiefest good? Who would not feare to be without changes, when he heares that being without them, keeps out this feare?

Suppose further. That the wicked mans outward estate be evill, then it is worse to him, when he changes to outward good: if he change from sorrow to joy, from povery to ri­ches, from sicknesse to health, from a prison to liberty, in all these, or in any other of like nature with these, he chan­ges to his losse: That man can never change for good, who continues evill. Such a mans outward estate often changes from bad to worse; if it change from bad to good, that is bad for him; and if being good, it change not at all, that is worst of all.

It is a part of the misery of man, that his state is change­able, but that is incident to the best of men: We shall not [Page 183] be unchangeable in our state, till we come into the presence of God, who is unchangeable in his nature. We may say al­so (considering the many troubles which we are subject to in this life) that it is a part of our happinesse, that our state is changeable. Those changes which are from evill to good, or from good to better, are to be numbred among our bles­sings; such are the changes of the Saints, all their changes are for the better: yea those changes of the Saints which are from joy to sorrow, from riches to poverty, from health to sicknesse, from liberty to a prison, from life to death, in a word, their changes from any kinde of outward temporary good, to outward temporary evill, are yet for their good. He cannot change but for his good, who is good, and who a­bides alwayes under this promise, that all shall work toge­ther for his good.

An evill and a good man differ in nothing more then in their changes; nor should any selfe-consideration provoke an evill man more to desire that he may be changed to good, then this, that his changes may be for good. Who would con­tinue or trust in vanity, were he perswaded that vanity shall be his change?

Secondly, Observe.

That such as our way is, such will our end be: If we walk and trust in vanity, we shall have vanity for our recompence, or our change. Every mans end is virtually in his way: So the Apostle argues ellegantly ( Gal. 6.7.) Be not deceived, God is not mocked; whatsoever a man sowes that shall he reape, he that sowes to the flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption; he that sowes to the spirit, shall of the spirit reap life everlasting: If the Hus­band-man sow tares he must look to reap tares: A seed time of tares, and a Harvest of Wheat, were never heard of in the same ground: As the seed is, such is the crop ( Isa. 3.11.) Woe to the wicked, it shall be ill with him, for the reward of his hand shall be given him. There is nothing worse for some, then to have their reward brought in, and all that is owing to them payd: The very receiving of their debts and rewards, is their undoing for ever.

All the misery of a wicked man is summed up in this, He shall have the reward of his hands. Wrath, and death, and Hell, are his rewards, and all the wages which the work both [Page 184] of his hands and heart can earne, and these he shall have ful­ly payd to him: Vaine he hath been, and vanity shall be his recompence.

Some read this Verse, not as a dehortation, Let not him that is deceived trust, or beleeve in vanity; but as a negative proposi­tion (for that particle in the Hebrew, which sometimes car­ryeth a prohibition, [...] Malo simpliciter negare quam prohibere Merc. Non credet qui vanitate errat quod vanitas e­rit permutatio ejus. Merc. Non credet fore ut ejus faelici­tas permutetur & ad me [...]am vanitatem de­veniet. Vat [...]bl. notes also a bare negation; so here) He that is deceived with vanity will not beleeve (the same word signifies both to beleeve and trust) that vanity shall be his recom­pence: He will not beleeve a change, much lesse such a change; This is a cleare sense, and it hints us this Observation.

That a wicked man is full of infidelity or unbeleife, that his estate is evill, or shall ever be worse then it is.

The unbeleife of man is as strong against the threatnings, as against the promises: The Saints are hardly brought to be­leeve, that glory shall be their recompence, that the purchase which Christ hath made of Heaven, and eternall happinesse belongs to them. A wicked man will not beleeve that tri­bulation and anguish shall be upon him, or that the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against his unrighteousnesse, he will not beleeve that he shall goe to Hell and be damned, or that everlasting fire shall burne him, or the worme that dyes not, feed upon him; he that is deceived will not beleeve these things, and the Devill hath as great an advantage upon men, by making them strong in unbeleife: As God hath, by ma­king his people strong in Faith.

The first assault that ever the Devill made against man, was to weaken Faith, or strengthen unbeleife about the threat­nings: While he laboured to deceive the Woman, he laboured as much to perswade her, That vanity should not be her recom­pence: God had sayd peremptorily, In the day that ye eate there­of, yee shall surely dye: The Devill denyed as peremptorily, Yee shall not surely dye (Gen. 3.4.) The people were commanded to say Amen to every branch of the Curse ( Deut. 27.16, 17, &c.) Though it be the lowest way of obedience to obey, be­cause we beleeve the truth, and certainty of the Curse; yet it is a high act of obedience to beleeve it: And Satan is as busie against our faith, in the threatnings, as he is against our faith in promises. This unbeleife opens the way to the committing of sin, and sweetens sin while we are committing it: Were it not [Page 185] for this unbeliefe sin could not be bread, much lesse (as it is to many) pleasant bread. Sin would be Gall and Worme­wood in the acting of it, did we beleeve, that it will be bitter­nesse in the end. Who would doe the worke of sin, did he be­leeve that vanity should be his recompence? Because this threat is not beleeved, therefore the Law which forbids sin, is not obey­ed. As Faith is a sheild to the new Man, so unbeleife is a sheild to the old Man; as Faith quenches the fiery darts of the Devill, or his allurements to sin; so unbeliefe quenches all the fiery darts of God, or his threatnings of punishment. Tush say they, We shall never see Sword nor Famine, we need not feare (which is so much talked of) death or Hell: Vanity shall not be our recompence.

There is a third reading of the Text: Rab. Kimchi exponit Sheve, pro aequali seu aequalitate. q.d. Ne credat qui deceptus est ae­qualem semper & sui similem fore sibi statum, vel eodem sem­per modo res si­bi cessuras. Merc. The former word which we render Vanity, is translated by some of the Rabbins, Equality, or a thing that is equall, the latter, as we, a lye, or Va­nity. This varies the whole straine of the Verse, and yet the Exposition given upon it is cleare, both to the generall scope, and to the sense given immediately before. Let not him that is deceived, beleeve that he shall be alwayes equall, or of the same estate, for vanity shall be his recompence. He thinkes to carry it smoothly, and with an even thred, but he is deceived. Things will not al­wayes stand at the same point and poyze with him, and there­fore let him not feed himselfe with groundlesse ayery hopes, that they will: His affaires will not alwayes have the same face, nor beare the same aspect toward him; now they smile and looke pleasantly, but annon they will frowne and look sowre.

Lastly, Keeping neer the same sense still; Non credet verbo aequo qui errat sed men­dacium erit lo­co ejus. Pagn. q. d. qui errat non credet ver­bo recto; sed po­net mendacium loco illius & hoc pacto credet. the words are thus translated: He that is deceived, will not beleeve the right word, or the word of truth, but he will beleeve a lye in stead of it: As if Eliphaz had thus school'd and caution'd Job, I have told you this as from God; but I know he that is (as you are) misled, and deceived, will not beleeve the word of God, who cannot lye; he will beleeve a lye rather. As the carnall heart changes the glory of God into a lye, so the truth of God into a lye, or em­braceth a lye for truth; he that beleeved not the right word, will soon beleeve that which is wrong. As they who receive not the love of the truth, are (by the just judgement of God) given up to strong delusions, to beleeve a lye: So also are they, [Page 186] who receive not the truth. As the not doing of good, is not onely it selfe an evill, but leads us also, or layes us open to the doing of many evills, yea of any evill: So the not re­ceiving of truth is not onely an error, but it leads us also, or layes us open to the receiving of many, yea of any error.

Eliphaz having thus pressed his dehortation upon Job, not to trust in vanity, lest he finde vanity the reward and recompence of that unholy faith and trust; proceeds yet further to presse his dehortation by the same argument for the matter, though varyed in the manner of expression, in the beginning of the next Verse.

These words are a strong enforcement of the motive layd downe in the former Verse, Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity: Why, what if he doe? Vanity shall be his recompence: That's the first part of the motive. The second is,

In non die suo complebitur. Mont.Vers. 32. It shall be accomplished before his time: What shall be accomplished? There is no expresse Antecedent in the Hebrew; we may understand, either first, the life of the wicked man himselfe, of whom Eliphaz had before discoursed. Or se­condly, Compleri ante diem, &c. est potius perire quam ullum complementum & perfectio­nem accipere. Pined. Antequam dies ejus impl [...]an­tur, peribit▪ ut sit [...] a [...] succido. Morte imma­tura praev [...]nie­tur vel gladio, vel morbo, vel aliqua alia vio­lenta causa In die non suo implebitur se­pulchrum ejus. Ta [...]g. the estate of the wicked man. Or thirdly, the de­signes and plots of the wicked man. Taking in all three, the meaning is, That himselfe, and all that he hath gotten, and all that he hath projected, Shall be accomplished before his time; and what's this but vanity for his recompence?

To be accomplished before the time, is not to be accomplished at all, it notes rather perdition then perfection. The word which we translate to accomplish, signifies also to cut off, as we put in the Margin of our Bibles, It shall be accomplished, or cut off be­fore his time: The Vulgar translation fills up the sense thus, Before his dayes can be filled, he shall perish.

As the Relative lookes to the wicked man himselfe, Ob­serve.

An untimely death is the portion of a wicked man. He shall be accomplished in a day that is not his, or before his proper day. In opposition to which, Eliphaz had promised, Chap. 5. That a godly man shall come like [...]sheafe of Corne into the Barne, fully rype: Now saith he, This wicked man shall be like un­timely fruit, accomplished, cut off, and perishing before his [Page 187] time. We have such an Expression ( Eccl. 7.17.) Be not righteous over much, neither make thy selfe over-wise; why shouldest thou de­stroy thy selfe? Be not over much wicked (not that there is any mediocrity in wickednesse, or that a man can be wicked in due proportion, but saith he, take heed of high actings in wickednesse) why shouldest thou dye before thy time? Some wic­kednesses lye close, men live and continue in them long un­seen; others are so open and abominable, that their actors are abnoxious to the hand of Justice: He that is wicked over­much, that is, extreamely wicked, shall be cut off some way or other before his time.

Quarrellers dye by the Sword, Drunkards dye by surfet, Adulterers decay into filthy diseases, Sorcerers are killed by the Devill, Malefactors of all sorts are cut off by the sentence of the Magistrate. Most desire to live long, and yet they take a course to make their lives short; they forget that short way to long life ( Psal. 34.12.)

That promise ( Isa. 65.20.) stands opposite to this threat­ning, There shall be no more there an infant of dayes, Implere dies ad longam faeli­cemque sene­ctam pertinet vel denotat il­lam aetatis ma­turitatem, quae non annorum numero; sed pie­tatis perfectio­ne definitur. nor an old man that hath not filled his dayes: A good man fills his dayes, a wic­ked man shall be accomplished, or there shall be an end of him before his day; both, before that day which he would live to, according to the course of his desire, and before that day which he might live unto, according to the course of nature.

Besides, a wicked man never fills his dayes, though he be full of dayes; he that is not prepared for death (how old soever he is) dyes before he is rype: he is rype for destruction, but he is neither rype nor fit for death: The youngest Saint that dyes, dyes rype, though he dye before he come to that estate, Pii licet aetate juvenes, senes sunt moribus. wherein nature useth to crop men off; yet, he (as the Apo­stle speaks, Ephes. 4.13.) is come to the fulnesse of the stature of Christ.

Secondly, Referring these words unto the estate of a wic­ked man, it shall be accomplished, or cut off before the time; that is, his pomp, and greatnesse, all that he hath gotten toge­ther (of which he spake in the precedent part of the Chap­ter) shall be scattered suddenly.

Hence Note.

Wicked men often outlive all their worldly enjoyments: Some [Page 188] live to be their owne Executors; they dispose, or rather dissi­pate all; they leave nothing when they dye, for others. The pride of wicked men shall have a fall, their present possessions and future hopes shall come to nought ( Prov. 3.16.) Solomon tells us, that Wisedome hath length of dayes in her right hand, and in her left hand riches and honour: We may say of sin, Shortnesse of dayes is in its right hand, and in its left hand, poverty and dis­grace. The former point saith, that a wicked mans dayes are short, he shall be cut off before his time, death cuts him off. The latter saith, his pomp, his riches and honour, all these shall be cut off before the time. We have seen some who have raised great estates by sin, and they have seen an end of all in misery.

Thirdly, Taking the Antecedent to be the designes and con­trivements of the wicked man.

Hence Note.

The counsells, designes, and contrivements of wickedmen, doe of­ten prove abortive: They are accomplished before their time. Their plots break out before they are ripe, and then all's spoyled. So it was with the Powder Plot, it was accomplished before the time; it was discovered before it could be acted; we have often seen grand designes layd in the dust, crusht in the shell, and nipt in the very bud. As the Prophet reproves some for staying too long, in the place of breaking forth of Children ( Hos. 13.13.) That is, they have let their purposes dye under tedious consultations, or irresolutions for acting: So we may deride others for staying too little in the place of breaking forth of Children. God in judgement hastens them to action before their designes are fully matured by consulta­tion, It is accomplished before his time.

In the close of this Verse, and in the next, Eliphaz in seve­rall metaphors, prosecutes the declining condition of wicked men, His branch shall not be green.

Or his hand shall not be green; so the word signifies pro­perly: And, that some understand in a figure, his hand shall not be green; that is, himselfe shall be unapt, and unfit for [Page 189] work. When an arme is dryed up, or a hand palsied, it is unser­viceable: The hand of a godly man is green, he is laborious, and fit for labour; the hand of the wicked man, as it is alwayes sinfully dried up, in reference to the doing of any good, so it is often judicially dryed up lest it should do hurt: his hand shall not be green, that is, he shall not have power to do that evill which he would: When Jeroboam put forth his hand from the Altar, &c. his arme dryed up, so that he could not pull it in againe to him (1 Kings 13.4.) His hand, his arme, was not green, he could not use it to hurt the Prophet ( Zech. 11.17.) The wicked Idoll Shepheard is threatned, His arme shall cleane be dryed up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkned: that is, He shall neither have counsell, nor strength, he shall neither be able to advise, nor to act; his eye shall be darkned, so that he shall not be able to see his way; his arme shall be dryed up, he shall not be able to attaine his end ( Psal. 75.5.) None of the men of might have found their hands; as we say of a man that goes lamely or lazily, He cannot finde his feet; so of a man that acts lamely and lazily, or of a Souldier that fights faint­ly and cowardly, He cannot finde his hands; or in the language of the Text, His arme or hand is not green.

We translate metaphorically, so the word signifies not a hand, but a branch; because a branch or bough of a Tree puts forth from the body of it, as the hand or arme is stretcht from the body of a man; by this branch we may understand, either of those two things noted before;

First, The estate of the wicked man; for that is as a branch shooting and growing out from him;

Or secondly, The designes and counsels of the wicked man; they also are branches sprouting from the corrupt stock of his heart: and so this clause is of the same sense with the former, It shall be accomplished before his time, his branch shall not be green: That is, he shall not prosper in any thing he possesseth, or un­dertaketh.

But thirdly, There is a distinct sense, Priusquam im­pius senescat, in­teribit; & li­beri ejus sub aetatis flore mo­rientur. Parae­phr. and so the branch is the Posterity, the Children of this wicked man. As he, and his plots, shall faile, so his Children likewise. Children are compared to branches ( Psal. 128.) His Children shall stand like Olive plants (or branches) round about his Table.

Greennesse, notes flourishing ( Cant. 1.16.) where the Spouse and Christ speak one to another of their severall excellencies, she saith, Vers. 16. Behold thou art faire my beloved, yea pleasant, also our bed is greene. By bed some understand holy Ordinan­ces, wherein the Lord communicates himselfe to his people, Our bed is greene; that is, Ordinances are pure, flourishing, and fruit-bearing. In the same sense the word is used ( Luke 23.31.) If they doe these things in a green Tree, what shall be done in the dry, that is, If they doe these things in a vigorous, strong, and flourishing tree, meaning Christ himselfe, who was like a tree full of sap and life; what shall be done in those that are dry? The best of men compared to Christ, are but dry trees, how feare and rotten then are the worst? And if Christ suffered these things for sinners, himselfe being without sin, what shall those sinners suffer, who are without Christ? They like dry Trees will soon be consumed by the fire of Gods wrath. So that, when he saith, They shall not be green, it is as much as to say, They shall have no strength, vigour, life, nor beauty.

Taking the branch in this last sense for Children: Observe.

A wicked Father brings a curse, and withering upon his whole Family: His branch shall not be green. Though they walke not in the wayes of their Fathers, nor inherit their sins, yet they may receive temporall fadings, and outward decayes up­on their Fathers account. It is a misery to be the branch of a wicked stock (for though an evil stock may have good branhecs, they who are evill, not onely (as all are) descending from a common evill stock, but also from a particular evill stock (as most are) even some of these are made good by transplantation into Jesus Christ, yet (I say) it is a misery to be a branch of an evil stock) many Children have fared the worse for the wicked­nesse of their Parents, even good Children may fare somewhat the worse for their Parents wickednesse. Though God will not lay eternall judgement upon them for the wickednesse of their immediate or remoter Parents, yet they may feele declinings, and lose much of their greennesse, and beauty. It is a disad­vantage to be in any relation to a wicked man, Servant, Wife, [Page 191] Children, his whole Family, may groane and smart for his sake, His branch shall not be green. That's not all yet,

That is, His unripe Grapes and Flowers shall be shaken and cast off. By whom? Some say by God. He (that is, God) will snap off his soure Grape as the Vines, saith Master Broughton; and indeed whatsoever is the winde that shakes them, it is God who blowes and sends the winde.

These words are a gradation to what went before, here are two similitudes to set forth one thing, the certaine and sud­den destruction of all the hopes of a wicked man, His branch shall not be green; his Children and Posterity, especially they that follow his steps shall wither; and, which is yet a greater judgement, He shall shake off his unripe Grapes as the Vine, &c. Though his branch be green a while, though he hath leaves and buds, yet before 'tis perfect fruit, and gives a pleasant tast, it shall be destroyed: This he shadows under these metaphors, of the Vine, and the Olive, shaking off his unripe Grapes, and casting off his Flowers.

The Naturalist Observes, Eodem sere tempore vitis & oleoe florescunt, Plin. l. 17. c. 25. Aliquando vites maritan­tur oleis. id. ib. c. 4. Pessimus est inter omnia, quum defloren­tem vitem & oleam imber percussit; quo­niam simul de­sluit f [...]uctus. Plin l. 17. c. 25. that these Trees flourish neer a­bout the same time, and that the Vine and the Olive joyne, and are (as it were) spoused together; and if stormes, or blasts of winde smite the Olive and the Vine, while they put forth their flowers, the hope of the Husbandman is utterly disappointed, We may sum up the meaning of these two si­militudes into this breife conclusion.

That God will utterly destroy the very appearing hopes of wicked men. Their boughs and branches may be green, some flowers, some unripe Grapes may appeare; here is hope; but, He shall shake off; that is, God shall shake off (by some terrible storm which he will raise, by some sudden judgement which he will send) their unripe Grapes, and their fairest Flowers.

Hence Observe.

Violent judgements storme wicked men out of all their comforts. Thus the Aegyptians are threatned ( Isa. 18.5, 6.) Before the Harvest, when the bud is perfect, and the soure Grap [...] is [...] in the Flower, he shall both cut off the sprigs with pruning [...] o [...]s, and take away, and cut downe the branches. They shall b [...] [...]f [...] [...]her, [Page 192] unto the Fowles of the Mountaines, and to the Beasts of the Earth, and the Fowls shall Summer upon them, &c. The Bud is perfect, while the fruit is imperfect, while God takes away their Buds he destroyes their hopes. And as God hath his winds at hand, to shake the fruit off from the branches; so he hath his Pru­ning-hooks to cut off the branches also.

De immatura morte filiorum duas similitu­dinesaffert.Some interpret these unripe Grapes of the Vine, and Flow­ers of the Olive, as the branch before, for Children, as if E­liphaz would here re-minde Job, how his Posterity, the Grapes of his Vine were shaken off, before they were ripe, and the Flowers of his Olive blasted in the Bud; Odiose Eliphaz ut acerbos filio­rum Jooi mo­res notaret, ip­sos oniphaci contulit. or as if he would upbraid him with the sowre manners, and ill tasted conver­sation of his Children, under this Allusion of unripe Grapes, which in stead of pleasing the palate by a savory relish, doe on­ly by their sharpnesse, set the teeth on edge.

Hence Note.

It is an affliction upon the best, and a judgement upon many, to have their Children, their Grapes and Flowers, rent from them, and ta­ken away unripe: And then especially it is so, when God leaves no Grapes on the Vine, no Flowers on the Olive. To lose a hopefull Childe is an affliction, what is it then to lose them all?

Eliphaz having dehorted the wicked man from trusting in vanity, upon these considerations; gives in the strength of his whole discourse in the two last Verses of the Chapter.

Epilogus est totius loci. Merc. Apodosis supe­rioris allegoriae Jobum perst­ringens cui ista obvenerant. Jun.As if he had sayd, Here is the summ of all, of all the sins, and of all the punishments of a wicked man. Here are two sorts of wicked men described, and these two (as was toucht before) by a Senechdoche, include all.

The first are such as worship God falsely, or with false hearts: they draw neer to God with their lips, but their hearts are farr from him, these are Hypocrites, The congregation of Hy­pocrites shall be desolate.

As these are false with God in his worship, so others are false with men in their commerce and dealings: These are comprised in the second branch, Fire shall consume the Taber­nacles [Page 193] of bribery: Bribery is put for all sins against our Neigh­bours, and hypocrisie for all sins against God. So that here we have sinners against the first Table, and sinners against the second; sinners against God, and sinners against men; in the compasse of this division all sins and sinners are contained.

That is, Hypocrites how many soever there be of them, though they be a full Congregation: Hypocrites, how strong­ly soever they are conjoyned and cemented, yet they shall be desolate.

The Hebrew word signifies, not onely to Congregate, [...] Signifi­cat non solum congregari; sed in faedus & pactum aut a­micitiam con­venire. and gather together severall persons into one place, but to asso­ciate them into a Covenant, League, or confederacy one with another: as if he had sayd, Though hypocrites combine, and Covenant together, yet this covenanting Congregation, or these unholy Leaguers, shall be made desolate.

A second interpretation gives it thus, Illa quae con­gregantur ab hypocrita, Aquin. The Congregation of hypocrites; that is, all that Hypocrites doe congregate; what­soever they gather together, whether things or persons, their Riches, their Honours, their Relations, all shall be desolate.

Or barren; the word signifies both; that which is deso­late brings forth no fruit, and that which brings forth no fruit will quickly be desolate.

What an Hypocrite is, hath been shewed before, Chapter 8. therefore I will not stay upon it, but refer you thither, where Bildad told Job, The hope of the Hypocrite shall perish: Onely note two things from the whole, The Congregation of Hypocrites shall be desolate.

First, An Hypocrite is under a curse. Of all men in the World Hypocrites are deepest under a curse: They are most cursed, who are most wicked, Hypocrites are therefore more wicked then others, because they would seem not onely somewhat, but much more holy then others. It is bad enough to be bad; but it is worse to appeare good when we are bad. They who delight in the shews of morall goodnesse, when they hate, or care not for the reality of it, shall surely meet with, not [Page 194] shewes, but realities of penall evill. Their painted feigned fire of zeale shall be punished with the true fire of Divine wrath.

Secondly, Observe.

Hypocrites, how many soever they are, how strongly soever they are confederate, how much soever they have gotten together, shall be made desolate. It is not possible to make any power to with­stand the power of God. Though like those uncircumcised Nations, Gebal, and Ammon, and Amaleck, the Philistims, and those of Tyre, they all consult, and lay their heads together, to make a Congregation, yet God will break them all. How long soever their traine be, how many soever their atten­dants be, and how strong soever their correspondency be, yet the Congregation of Hypocrites shall be desolate.

Fire may be taken two wayes.

Either litterally, and strictly, for the element of fire, or for ordinary fire.

Or it may be taken figuratively, and metaphorically, and so it signifies:

Either first, The wrath of God.

Or secondly, Any effect of the wrath of God, any revenge, or judgement which God powres forth on wicked men. And so, what judgement soever God sends, we may call it a Fire, even that deluge of Water (as hath been noted) which drow­ned the old World, was (in this sense) a fire.

Divine judgements are represented by fire, upon these three grounds.

First, Because as fire, they break forth suddenly, and un­expectedly; they are not like the fire that is for use, which we are long preparing and blowing, before it will burne; but the judgements of God are like an accidentall fire, which breaks out, when no man looks for it, in a moment.

Os & lingua tribui solet igni nam dicitur lambere & de­pascere.Secondly, They are fire, because of their destroying nature, so the Text speaks, it eates up, or devoures. Fire is a great eater, fire hath a strong stomack; what will not fire digest? Fire will digest the whole sublunary World at last; The Ele­ment shall melt with fervent heat: Fire will digest Stones, Ada­mant, and iron. Such is the wrath of God, nothing can stand [Page 195] before it, it will subdue the hardest materials, and toughest peices. The hot stomack of the Ostrich (as some affirme) con­cocts Iron; what will not the heat of Gods anger concoct, and consume to ashes?

Thirdly, There is a mercilesnesse in the judgements of God, as in fire: We say, Fire, and Water have no mercy; there is no intreating them, they are not onely hard, but impossible to be intreated. Such (in reference to wicked men) is the wrath of God; as good speak to fire not to burne, or to water not to drowne, as to the wrath of God not to consume wicked men; it must and will doe it ( Jer. 15.1.) Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, &c. to intreat, yet the sentence shall not be taken off, wrath must burn. Though prayer hath in many cases quenched wrath, yet sometimes the wrath of God cannot be quenched by prayer, nor intreated downe, there is no speaking to it; and sometimes that it might burn quiet­ly, the Lord hath sayd, Pray not for this people.

Tabernacles of bribery, may be taken two wayes: Either for the Tabernacles of those who have taken bribes: Or the Ta­bernacles of those who have given bribes; for there goes (as we say) but a paire of Shears between him that gives, and him that takes bribes; both are of a peice, [...] Proprie munus quod datur ad corrumpendum judicem. Drus. and both are alike mischeivous and wicked. Some take bribes to pervert Justice, and others give bribes to pervert Justice: Fire is prepared for both their Tabernacles; that is, for their whole estates, or for all that belongs unto them. Yet Eliphaz may seem ra­ther to ayme at bribe-takers, or unjust Judges (among whom he secretly numbers Job) who suffer themselves to be corrup­ted with gifts, and to have their eyes put out by rewards: The Septuagint is expresse in that sense, [...], munera acci­pientum. 70. Fire shall consume (say they) the Tabernacles of bribe-takers. And indeed, if there were no bribe-takers, there would be no bribe-givers: as we say, There would be no Theeves, if there were no Receivers. The Receiver makes the Theife; and corrupt Judges, who take bribes, make so many bribe-givers.

Further, The word which we translate Bribery, signifies properly a gift; and the Text may be rendred thus, Fire shall consume the Tabernacles of gifts. There are many gifts which [Page 196] are farr from bribes. There are five sorts of gifts.

First, Gifts of charity to the poore.

Secondly, Gifts of freindship between equals.

Thirdly, Gifts of duty from inferiours to those above them, to testifie either thankfulnesse or obedience.

Fourthly, Gifts of bounty and grace, from Superiours to those who are below them, to testifie their favour to them, and that they are wel-pleased in them, or in their services; There is no hurt either in giving or receiving these gifts. These are onely testimonies of respect from man to man, and tend onely to maintaine humane society.

But there is a fifth sort of Gifts, which we may call gifts of injury, or in the language of the Text, Gifts of Bribery: These are given, either to pervert, or delay Justice, and to o­verthrow a man and his cause.

The Hebrew expresseth a gift in generall, and a bribe, by the same word, Quid est [...]? qu [...]d facit, [...] unum, dantem scilicet & ac­cipientem quam primum accipit munus ab ipso, tunc accedit a­nima ejus ad ipsum, & fit si cut ille ipse. Rab. Becei. &c. Buxtorf. Lex. because, as all bribes are gifts; so very many gifts are bribes. Gifts of charity, of freindship, of duty, of fa­vour, are but few in comparison of bribing gifts. And 'tis exceeding hard for any man that is interessed in affaires of Judgement between man and man, to receive a gift from ei­ther of them, and not be brib'd by it, to transgresse the rules of equity and righteousnesse. A gift transformes the Judge into a party, or makes (as the Hebrew criticks tell us upon that word) the Judge and party to be but one person.

Lastly, The tabernacles of bribery, may be taken, not onely in generall for the estates of those who have given or taken Bribes; but particularly for the very Houses which have been built by giving, or taking Bribes. Some have built houses, with what they have gotten by giving Bribes, and many by taking Bribes, have got enough to build houses: While such look on their houses, and dwellings, they may say, if they will say the truth, Injustice hath built us these houses; these are the Tabernacles of bribery.

A Traveller comming to Rome, and viewing many famous structures, Haec sunt pec­cara Germano­rum. and goodly houses there, asked who built them? It was answered, These are the sins of Germany; the meaning was, that the Money brought for Pardons out of Germany, built those Houses. So we may say of many faire places, and goodly dwellings, These are Bribes and Oppressions, such [Page 197] a man built these by iniquity. Bribes may build houses, but bribe-takers cannot protect them: The Tabernacles of bribery shall be consumed.

Hence Observe.

First, Bribery is an odious sin: That sin which is put to ex­presse all sins against our neighbours, must needs be a very odious, as well as a very comprehensive sin. God loves judgement, bribery opposeth what God loves. God com­mands charity, as well as judgement; and delights to see men bountifull as well as righteous: Yet charity without judge­ment, and bounty without righteousnesse, are an abomination to God. God is a God of judgement, they that are against judgement, act not onely against the rule which God makes, but against the example which God gives. It is as much the honour of God, that he is a God of judgement, giving all their due; as, that he is a God of mercy, giving to all his, what they have not at all deserved.

Secondly, Observe.

That which is sinfully gotten, shall be miserably lost. Fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery. There is nothing gained, though much be gotten by injustice. Many give bribes to undoe others, and all who receive bribes, undoe themselves. what is the advantage of any sinfull gaine, when the fire of Gods wrath consumes the gainer? What shall a man give in ex­change for his soule? And as the losse is infinite, that comes by sin, in reference to the next life; so at best, the gaine is little, in reference to this present life: Either the actor of inju­stice, or his Heire, shall finde a fire in the foundation, a fire in the Stones and Timber of his House, and downe 'twill come; Bribery never bought any lasting materialls to build with. Woe be to him (saith the Prophet, Hab. 2.9, 10, 11, 12.) that coveteth an evill covetousnesse; or (according to the Hebrew) that gaineth an evill gaine to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of evill: Thou hast consulted shame to thy house, &c. For the Stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beame out of the Timber shall answer it. What shall the stones cry? Or what shall the beame answer? The stones shall cry, that the morter in which they were layd, was tempered with the blood of innocents, and the beame shall answer, that it was set up by pulling downe the poor.

Those are crying sins indeed, which cause stones (that can­not speak) to cry: And what answer can be given for those iniquities which provoke Timber beames to answer? Such is the iniquity of oppression and injustice, which are the fruits of bribery. See a paralell place ( Jer. 22.13, 14, 15, 16, 17.) the summ of which may be drawne up into this conclusion, given by Eliphaz, Fire shall consume the Tabernacles of Bri­bery.

Eliphaz having thus described the perishing estate of wic­ked men, as an argument to deterr and stave them off from wickednesse, concludes his whole discourse with an Allego­ricall recapitulation both of their sin and misery, in the last words of this Chapter.

The Scripture is frequent in this metaphor; we have it ( Psal. 7.14.) almost word for word, Behold he travelleth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischeife, and hath brought forth fals­hood. (Isa. 59.4.) They conceive mischeife, and bring forth ini­quity. The Apostle James (Chap. 1.15.) speaks the same lan­guage, When lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin, and sin when it is finished, bringeth forth death. All alluding to the naturall conception, formation, and production of Children. We have these three in the Text before us, the order of the words being a little altered.

Here is first, Conception, They conceive mischeife.

Secondly, Formation, Their belly prepareth deceit.

Thirdly, The birth, Bring forth vanity.

More strictly to the method of Eliphaz; we have first, The conception; secondly, the birth of sin: And as if one birth were not enough, they returne to their work, providing for a new birth of the old man, Their belly prepareth deceit.

The word which we translate Mischiefe, signifies properly, labour, [...] Labor, molestia, per­versitas. hard labour, or labour accompanied with a great deal of paines and sorrow; it signifies also wickednesse, pervers­nesse. We translate mischeife, They conceive mischeife, or some [Page 199] mischeivous devise to the dishonour of God: and the wrong of man.

Conception is here the worke of the minde, we ordinarily say, We conceive such a thing; that is, We take it in, or appre­hend it by an act of the understanding.

Here's the truest character of a wicked man, he is one that conceives mischeife. The allusion teacheth us:

First, That a wicked man sins with much freedome of spirit, or he sins freely. He conceives mischeife. The conceptions of the minde cannot be forced, nor can the conceptions of the bo­dy; and therefore the Law resolves it, That there is no rape, where conception follows. These conceptions are the joynt actings of the will and understanding, both concur in them. an unregenerate person is free to doe evill, he needs not be forced to it, he cannot be forced from it; and every evill is the more evill, by how much the more freely it is done. The more voluntarily we sin, the more wickedly we sin.

Againe, The conceptions of the minde, are deliberate, there is a collecting of one thing from another, a debating in con­ceiving.

Hence Note.

Secondly, Wicked men sin with deliberation. They sit downe and meditate, they lay the frame of wickednesse in their hearts, and then set it up, or act it with their hands.

Note thirdly.

All the conceptions of wicked men are wickednesse. They are very fruitfull in wickednesse, and they beare no other fruit. Mischeife is not onely that which he conceives, but all that he conceives; he conceives nothing else. A wicked man can­not think or conceive one good thought; he may think of that which is materially good, but he conceives no good ( Gen. 6.5.) All the thoughts of the imaginations of his heart are onely e­vill, and that continually. All the Creatures which he formes in his minde, all the children of his understanding are deform­ed and monstrous; He conceives mischeife, which as it notes a continued act, so an act continued about, or upon the same object.

Fourthly, Observe.

To be a contriver, a plotter, a conceiver of mischeife, is worse then then to be an actor, or a doer of mischeife. It is ill to have a hand in any sinfull evill, it is worse to have a head in it, but worst of all to have a heart in it. Conceivers of mischeife alwayes have their hearts and heads in mischeife; and if they are not stopt, will have their hands to it too: they who are plotters, and designers, would be actors. Hence they are called, Wor­kers of iniquity. They have an inward Shop, and an outward Shop: first they work it in their thoughts, and mould it there, and then it comes out. To conceive mischeife is properly, the Devils trade, he rather deviseth then acts wickednesse. There are many wickednesses in the World which he cannot act; but he is or would be the plotter, setter, and contriver of them all: This is the wickednesse of the Devill: and every conceiver and deviser of mischeife is of the Devils trade. A good man may (possibly) doe evill, but a wicked man deviseth evill. As it notes the spiritualnesse of a man in holinesse, when he doth not onely act that which is good, but his heart is upon it, he conceives and frames it in his minde. So it notes a man spiritually wicked, when his minde frames wickednesse. The Apostle concludes of himselfe ( Rom. 7.25.) So then with my minde I serve the Law of God, but with the flesh, the Law of sin. Not that he willingly gave up his flesh to sin, but that he was carryed through the infirmity of the flesh to some sin­full actings, while his minde, his devisings and contrivings, were according to the Law of God, and he delighted in the Law of God concerning the inward man. This is the spiritualnesse of holinesse, and without this, there is no outward act of any account with God. It is what the minde moves to, not what the mouth speaks, or the hand doth, which commends us to God. What is it to God that we serve his Law with our flesh, if with our minds, we either serve the Law of sin, or doe not serve the Law of God? Man is not what he acts, but what he conceives, unlesse he act what he hath conceived. They conceive mischeife.

Now they come to the birth; they are in travell after con­ception; they bring forth, and the Childs name is Vanity.

The Originall word is rendred three wayes.

• First, We say Vanity.
• Secondly, Another saith Lyes.
• A third saith Iniquity.

The word will beare any of, or all the three translations. [...] Vanitat mendacium perversitas. They bring forth vanity, a lye, iniquity. They who con­ceive mischeife, may bring forth any thing but what is good. Those three words may serve the same thing; every vanity is a lye, and any lye is vanity, and iniquity is both lye and va­nity. The persons of whom Eliphaz discourseth are sayd to bring forth vanity, on these three grounds.

First, Because they somtimes bring forth no fruit at all; they are conceiving mischeif, but they can make nothing of it, their conceptions end in abortions; they devise and plot, but all is hatching of winde: The Church is so expressed, though in a different case ( Isa. 26.17, 18.) Like as a Woman with Childe neer the time of her delivery is in paine, and cryes out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight O Lord; Wee have beene with childe, we have been in paine: The Church had concep­tions for good, shee hoped that the Lord would have done some great thing for her; yet after her conception, and tra­vell, see what shee brings forth, We have beene in paine, and brought forth winde; that is, nothing at all, it proved a meer timpany; for so he explaines it, We have not wrought any de­liverance in the earth, neither have the Inhabitants of the World fallen; that is, we have not obtained that deliverance that we hoped for in the earth, neither have our Enemies (who are called by the Prophet, The Inhabitants of the World) been sub­dued under our power; they have not fallen. Now as the Church and people of God sometimes are disappointed in their expectations; they conceive, yet bring forth winde, not that Man-childe of mercy which was expected: So, much more doe wicked men, after all their pleasing conceptions, and pangs of travell, they bring forth vanity; and their vessell is mar'd upon the wheele.

Secondly, They are sayd to bring forth vanity, Parturium montes. &c. or a vaine thing; because what they bring forth, is not proportiona­ble to their expectation. Their Mountaine proves a Mole-hill or (as it was sayd of old) a Mouse.

Thirdly, Because the birth is not onely alwayes be­low, [Page 202] but often quite crosse to their expectation; they con­ceive mischeife against others, and bring forth mischeife up­on on themselves: this is vanity, yea and vexation of spirit, They bring forth vanity.

Observe from this allusion.

Wicked men cannot but act evill: They who conceive, must doe their utmost to bring forth conceptions. As a Woman with Childe, cannot but bring forth when her time is come, and her paines are on her; if you would give her all the World it is impossible to divert or delay the birth. So it is with a wicked man, when he hath mischeivous conceptions in his heart; He sleepeth not unlesse he doe mischeife (Prov. 4.16.) What ever comes of it, fall back or fall edge, he must doe it. He cannot forbeare an attempt to doe it, though it cost him his life; many have been at that cost, in attempting to doe it but could not.

Observe secondly.

Wicked men are oft put to much paine in fulfilling their lusts, or in acting their conceived mischeifes. It is with such men as with the Woman in child-bearing, on whom the Lord hath layd that heavy burthen, In sorrow shalt thou bring forth Children (Gen. 3.16.) wicked men feele this to the full, In sorrow they bring forth: The wicked man travelleth in paine all his dayes, vers. 20. It is their delight to sin, but for the most part they smart in sinning, and run through many sorrows to accomplish their sin. They are so mad upon sinning, that the sweetnesse of doing mischeife pleaseth them more, then all the troubles they goe through in doing it discourageth them. Many evils cannot be done with ease, it costs sinners deare to effect what they designe; they often have, as we say of Women, after long and sore travell in child-bearing, A very hard bargaine of it, and pay very deare for that which is worth, or worthy of nothing but repentance or greater paine.

Thirdly, Taking vanity for iniquity, which sense was gi­ven in opening the termes.

Observe.

Such as our thoughts and conceptions are, such are our productions. They conceive mischeife, and bring forth iniquity; such as we plow and sow in the minde, such is the Harvest of our a­ctions: The very forme, the lineaments and portraiture of a [Page 203] mans spirit is drawne upon the things he doth; his works are the image of his heart. As it is sayd of Adam in nature, He begat a Son in his owne likenesse; so doth every man in mo­rals. Our actions are as our selves are, they are begotten and brought forth in our owne likenesse, whether good or evill, onely with this difference, Good actions are borne in our supernaturall likenesse, evill actions in our naturall like­nesse.

Fourthly, As to bring forth vanity, imports, as was in­terpreted, either no fruit, or that which is not sutable to the designes and desires of wicked men;

Observe.

Sinfull conceptions often prove abortive, and miscarry; they bring forth nothing, or nothing as they would have it, who have conceived them. The birth is sometimes short in degree, and not sel­dome contrary in kinde; they have not what they expect, yea they have what they least expect ( Psal. 2.1.) Why doe the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vaine thing? Why a vaine thing? Because they cannot obtaine their desire: it is vaine to imagine the pulling downe of Christs Kingdome, which must stand for ever. Pharaoh designed mischeife, Let us worke wise­ly; (here is the language of conceivers) but hee brought forth vanity, in all the notions spoken of: vanity, as it was a sinfull and wicked act, vanity, as he fayled in the thing he did expect; he thought to bring destruction upon Israel, but he could not; he thought to subdue the people of Israel, and make them slaves for ever, but he could not: He brought forth vanity also in the worst sense, the issue was contrary to his expectation, himselfe and his Army were swallowed in the Red Sea, and Israel was saved. Haman devised mischeife against the Jewes, but he brought forth vanity; he did not effect what he intended against them, this was vanity; nay it wrought the contrary way, himselfe was hanged on the Gi­bet he had prepared for Mordecay, this was vanity and vexa­tion too; Perseverante allegoria venter sumitur ex con­sueto loquendi modo sacri ser­monis pro intel­ligendi facul­tate. [...] every wicked man brings forth vanity in some one if not in all these notions of it, after all his conceptions of mischeife.

The belly is taken here metaphorically, for the understan­ding, [Page 204] or minde; because naturall conception, is in the belly wrought; therefore Eliphaz prosecutes the Allegory in suitable express [...]ons, Their belly prepareth deceit.

The word signifies, To prepare

• Accurately,
• Strongly.

Their belly prepareth deceit: They expresse a kinde of curio­sity in working, they are very exact in every point; they pre­pare with art, they will not have their work like a Copweb, curious, yet weak; but they must have it strong too; they pre­pare for establishment, and plot as if it were for everlasting. So the word is used ( Psal. 37.3. Psal. 89.14.) Righteous­nesse and judgement are the habitation of Gods Throne. It is this word, The establishment or strength of Gods Throne is righteousnesse and judgement: Righteousnesse and judgement, are the bassis and establishment of all Thrones; That which hath made Thrones to totter in all Ages, hath been the want of righte­ousnesse and judgement.

The wicked man in the Text prepares not onely curiously, but strongly; as he likes no bungling, so he is not pleased with toyes and and bables; he would lay his designes so cun­ningly and so firmely, that as they sayd of the Pouder-Plot, All the Devills in Hell shall not disappoint it: He hopes to catch and hold, not the weak Flyes onely, but the strongest Eagles, in his deceits and snares.

That is, they prepare to deceive and ensnare: The Prophet denounceth judgement against the Priests, against the house of Israel, and against the house of the King, because they had been a snare upon Mizpeh, and a net spread upon Tabor (Hos. 5.1.) that is, because they had prepared nets and snares to en­tangle and deceive the people. Their bellies prepared deceit; and so did theirs, who sayd ( Jer. 18.18.) Come let us devise devises; let us contrive somewhat to ensnare the Prophet ( Jer. 18.18.) Their belly prepareth deceit: He speaks in the present tense, as if they were alwayes doing it; they know neither vacation nor cessation from this wicked worke. It is a conti­nued act, Their belly preparetb.

Hence Observe.

A wicked man is constant in conceiving and contriving wickednesse. He doth it not by starts and fits, his belly is ever preparing; when one deceit is wrought off, he goes to work upon a se­cond, and then he projects for a third. Some speak of a per­petuall motion, we finde it here; what a man doth naturally, he doth constantly. Though there be much art in preparing de­ceit, yet it is the work of sinfull nature; the frame, the en­gine of a wicked mans heart moves perpetually, He prepareth deceit, he is alwayes at it. As David professeth ( Psal. 45.1.) My heart is inditing a good matter, I will speak of the things which I have made touching the King. David had some holy work rea­dy made, but he had more a making; he saith not, I have en­dited, but my heart is enditing, I am upon it, it is my conti­nuall study. So also the wicked mans heart is alwayes pre­paring and devising unholy work, or that which is evill.

Againe, Their belly; that is, their minde prepareth.

Hence Note.

The minde of man is the Shop wherein deceit is framed: Yea, the minde is not onely the Shop, but the Artificer; and it is not onely the Shop and the Artificer, but the very Tool that frames it: The understanding and wit of a wicked man, ham­mer out and shape all his deceitfull wares.

The hand and tongue begin where the minde ends; The tongue publisheth, and the hand executes what the minde pre­pares, and the heart suggests. That which one of the old Po­ets sayd of the belly, under the notion of Appetite and Hun­ger, the same we may say of the belly, in the notion of this preparing; This belly is the Master of all sinfull Arts, and that which gives out and furnisheth man with all the cunning de­ceits of wickednesse. Out of the heart proceed evill thoughts, Artis magister ingeniique lar­gitor venter. Pers. murders, adulteries, fornications, theft, false witnesse, blasphemies (Matth. 15.19.) these are the wares which are not onely layd up in the heart, as in a Store-house, but made in the heart as in a Worke-house, and from thence they proceed ready made. The belly prepareth deceit.

Lastly, Mark how Eliphaz describes the wicked man in his actions, He conceiveth mischeife, and brings forth vanity: And yet againe, he is preparing deceit.

Note from it.

An evill heart is never discouraged by any disappointments from going on in evill.

One would have thought, after he had conceived mischeife, and brought forth nothing but vanity, that we should have heard no more of him; that he would now sit downe and be quiet, but his belly prepareth deceit presently, he will to it a­gaine, he will try once more; if he faile in one plot, he hopes to thrive in another; he will sow his seed of sin in the morn­ing, and in the evening he will not withhold his hand, and though he see neither of them prosper, yea though he see both of them blasted, yet he will to his sowing againe. As a gracious heart receives many disappointments and discou­ragements, but saith he, I will not give over, My belly shall pre­pare still, holy, and just, and righteous things; and the more he is disappointed the more holily he acts. So doth a wicked man more sinfully; for he acts as strongly and naturally in his state, as a godly man doth in his; and therefore he will not be put off by disappointments. He saith in the words of Solomon (Prov. 23.35.) They have stricken me and I was not sicke; they have beaten me and I felt it not, when I awake, I will seek it yet againe. Wicked men in generall, as well as Drunkards in particular, of whom Solomon there speaks, meet with many blows, and are often sick in following their sin; yet (be­cause they are never sick of sin) as soone as ever they awake, and recover a little, they forget all their wounds and sick­nesses, and resolve to seek it yet againe. They please them­selves so much with what is to come, that they sleight all that hath been done, and resolve with those ( Isa. 56.12.) To morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant: They are preparing for sin, even while they are sinning: It is said ( Revel. 6.) that he on the Red Horse, went forth conquering, and to conquer: he had not onely a present Conquest, but a project to conquer; he was actually a Conquerer, and having conquered, hee had fresh designes in his eye. As Christ goes out thus conquering, and to conquer; so wicked men goe out doing evill, and to doe it; deceiving, and to deceive. Their belly prepareth deceit: Though they have brought forth vanity once and againe, yet they prepare, as assured of vi­ctory.

This ariseth three wayes.

First, From the extreame love and good affection which a carnall heart beares to sin: as the love which beleevers beare to Christ, is not onely a motive provoking them to doe for Christ, but also to persevere in doing for Christ, though they suffer much in doing for him; he that loves Christ will not onely sweat at his worke, but bleed at his worke, if his work cannot be carryed on without bleeding. Thus also the love of wickedmen to their lusts, is not onely a motive provoking them to fulfill their lusts, but to endure any thing for the ful­filling of them; Love is the the spring of labour, actions are affe­ctions put forth, and made visible: Love is also the spring of va­lour, as well in a bad cause, as in a good cause: What is it that love dares not attempt, towards the attainement of what we love? Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drowne it: Love is such a vehement flame, that though you cast the waters of sorrow, yea floods of trouble upon it, yet these cannot extinguish it; much more then will it keep alive after many deferrs and disappointments. It is the Observation of one of the Ancients, that Love built the two Cities; Holy Love built the City of God, and unholy Love built, or is daily building the City of Satan: And though it be much hindered and opposed in building this City; yea though the materials with which it would rayse and fortifie this City be often scattered and broken, yet these Builders will provide more materials, Their belly prepareth deceit.

Secondly, This their unwearyed projecting and acting after discouragements and disappointments, ariseth from the extreame desire they have to attaine their end. It is a true Axiom, that, The appetite of the end is infinite. Whatsoever a man proposeth to himselfe as his end in any undertaking, will carry him on without end till he doe attaine it: As rest is the naturall end of motion, so till man hath reached his civill (though sinfull) ends, he cannot rest. A wicked man propo­seth an end to himselfe in evill actions, as well as an honest man doth in good: and therefore till that profit, or pleasure, or honour, or revenge, which he proposeth to himselfe be en­joyed, he is unsatisfied; let God or Man put as many stops as they will in his way, let his first and second and third concep­tions of mischeife, conclude in the bringing forth of vanity, yet he [Page 208] is not concluded by it, he will try a fourth and a fifth time too, His belly againe prepareth deceit.

Thirdly, His hope to speed at last, put him forward to new experiments, when former ones have fayled; he perswades himselfe he shall obtaine, if he continue. As the Saints having prayed, and wayted long without an answer from God, yet goe on praying, their belly prepareth new prayers, because they have a good ground to hope that God will heare at last: So ungodly men persevere in plotting mischeife, because they have strong hopes (though but the shadow of a ground to hope) that they shall one day accomplish their desires. As the heart would breake for sorrow; so both heart and hand would breake off from labour, were it not for hope. But where hope of attaineing lives, especially where it is lively, there, such will labour as long as they live: Though they have hitherto been deceived in their expectation, yet their belly pre­pareth deceit.

Thus Eliphaz prosecutes his dehortation; and though he saith not to Job, as Nathan did to David, Thou art the man; yet Job was the man he meant, the man, who (in his opinion) had conceived mischiefe, and brought forth vanity; yea the man whose belly was even then preparing deceit. How much Eliphaz was deceived, appeares upon the whole matter; what Jobs belly, his minde, his inward man was preparing, will ap­peare by his owne answer in the two Chapters following.

And what sayd he? His answer consists of three generall parts.

In the first, he confutes what Eliphaz had asserted; which he doth to the eighteenth Verse of this sixteenth Chapter.

Secondly, He proceeds to corroborate and confirme his owne Tenet, or Opinion; which he doth to the eleventh Verse of the seventeenth Chapter.

Thirdly, He renewes his former complaints, and desires; which he doth from that eleventh Verse to the end of the Chapter.

The first part of his answer, is confutation; and he begins his confutation with an accusation; with an accusation of those who had disputed with him: and that's the subject of these five Verses, in all which he taxeth, or checks his freinds for [Page 210] their unfreindly & uncomly dealing with him; and he checks them (as Eliphaz had done him at the beginning of the former Chapter) upon five points of errour and unfreindlinesse.

First, For speaking unprofitably, or for telling him no more then he knew before, at the entrance of the second Verse, I have heard many such things.

Secondly, He chargeth them for speaking such things, as did rather increase, and boyle up, then mittigate, and allay his sorrow, Miserable comforters are yee, in the close of the second Verse.

Thirdly, He accuseth them for speaking so much, or for endlesse speaking; their discourse was tedious, they would not give over, Thus he takes them up at the third Verse, Shall vaine words have an end? What, will you be endlesse? Will you never have done?

Fourthly, He accuseth them for their causelesse speaking, in the same third Verse, What emboldeneth thee? (or what provoketh thee) that thou answerest? As if he had sayd, Have I given thee any cause.

Fifthly, and lastly, He reproveth his and their whole car­riage towards him, by a serious profession of his contrary carriage, or that he was purposed to deale better with them, upon supposition that they were in his case; and this he doth two wayes,

First, Telling them what he could doe, if they were in his case; Vers. 4. I also could speake as you doe, if your soule were in my soules stead, I could heap up words against you, &c.

Secondly, Telling them what he would doe, But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should as­swage your griefe, Vers. 5. That's the course which I would take; I could deale as harshly with you as you doe with me, but I would not; you should finde me in another straine and temper. Then Job answered and sayd.

We finde this point tossed both wayes; Jobs Freinds tel­ling him, that he spake but ordinary matter, and he telling them that they spake so too. Bildad chargeth Job with it, Chap. 8.2. How long wilt thou speake these things? And how long [Page 211] shall the words of thy mouth be like a strong winde: as if he had sayd, Thou speakest impertinently, or what thou speakest doth not much con­cerne the point in hand, it comes not up to the matter; yea it is quite besides the marke. And so Zophar (Chap. 11.2.3.) Should not the multitude of words be answered? And should a man full of talke be justified? Thou doest but Verba dare, thou speakest to little purpose, or little to the purpose, though thou speakest much.

Eliphaz puts the same language upon him ( Chap. 15.2, 3.) Should a wise man utter vaine knowledge, and fill his belly with the East winde? Should he reason with unprofitable talke? Or with speeches wherewith he can doe no good? Thus his Freinds accu­sed him of that for which he now accuseth them; and he him­selfe had accused them once and againe of this before: So ( Chap. 12.2, 3.) Who knoweth not such things as these? They are but vulgar truths which you have told me; and ( Chap. 13.1, 2.) Loe mine eye hath seen all this, mine eare hath heard, and understood it, what yee know, the same doe I know also; I am not inferiour to you. You produce nothing all this while, but what I am well acquainted with; which is fully the sense of this Verse: I have heard many such things: that is, Rhetorico modo principium, su­mit ab extenu­atione, vice quippe defenso­ris agit. Pined. Defensor cau­sam fuisse ne­gabit si potest, aut eam vehe­mentur exte­nuabit. Cic. l. 2. ad Heren. Every man can speak as much as this. Here Job playes the Oratour, or Rhetorician, whose businesse and designe (as the great Ora­tor tells us) is as much as he can to extenuate, and lay low the arguments, or reasons, of him that he opposeth. Job stands as Defendant here, his Freinds as Plaintifs; therefore he en­deavours to render their Charge weak, and what they sayd sinnewlesse, I have heard many such things as these.

Job doth not accuse his Freinds, as giving out false and erroneous Doctrine; for himselfe had heard and learned those things before; but he accuseth them for bringing proofes, which were not to the purpose, or which were in sufficient to prove their purpose: As if he sayd, I expected when you would produce some stronger arguments to maintaine your opinion, or clearer answers unto mine: I waited for some new matter, and to have heard somewhat that I had not heard before, but you have deceived my expectation: For, I have heard many such things as these.

Hence Note.

First, Some truths are of very common observation: Who know­eth not such things as these? Every Childe that hath been Ca­techised, [Page 212] knowes them. 'Tis no disparagement to any truth, that it hath been often heard, and is commonly knowne. The more common a truth is, the more weighty it may be. Yet,

Which gives us a second Observation.

Ordinary truths will not serve in extraordinary cases, and that which every man knows and heares, will not resolve us in those points which few men know or heare: As Jobs Person was a Phaenix in the World, his age afforded not his second, There is none like him in the earth, saith God himselfe to Satan ( Chap. 1.8.) So Jobs condition was a Phaenix, it had no second; there was no man tryed like him in the whole earth; and therefore his case eould not be measured by the common Standard, or rule of Providence. He had need heare that which was never heard before, who beares and feeles that which was never borne nor felt before. There are some temptations on afflictions, as the Apostle speakes (1 Cor. 10.13.) Which are common to man: Common truths may comfort and satisfie the consciences of such. But there are temptations (such were Jobs) which are not com­mon to man, we can hardly finde their paralell, or a president of them in the Records of any Age: Common truths will not comfort, nor satisfie the consciences of such. Every dis­pensation hath a doctrine suitable to it; dispensations which are seldome seen call up doctrines which are seldome heard.

Secondly, Job complaines that he heares onely those things which he had often heard.

Hence Observe.

It troubles a man in trouble, to be often pressed with the same thing: A man at ease is pained with unnecessary repetitions; much more a man in paine: and though they who like and love the things which they have heard, doe both love and like to heare them often; yet (in some cases) they may heare them too often. Some indeed speak very prophanely, what Job spake justly, who when they would not put off submission to, and attendance upon holy Doctrine, say, we know be­fore we goe, what he will say: We know such things as the Preacher usually speaks; what can he tell us, that we have not heard before? That's the language of the prophane; We know as much as he can teach us.

Though it be granted, that a man knowes as much as the Preacher can tell him, yet he ought to heare it againe. Though [Page 213] the matter be knowne before, yet to heare it often may work a better knowledge, and leave a stronger impression upon the heart then ever. 'Tis profitable to write the same things, therefore it cannot be unprofitable to heare them ( Phil. 3.1.) Brethren, to write the same things, to me, it is not greivous, and to you it is profitable: If to write, then to speake the same things is profitable. In the Story of the Acts of the Apostles, when Paul had preached in the Synagogue; the Jewes being gone, the Gentiles besought him, That those words might be prea­ched the next Sabbath ( Acts 13.42.) The repeating and in­culcating the same thing, is not alwayes blameable, and it is sometimes desireable: but when a man is under sore afflicti­ons and temptations, when he is burthened with many sor­rows, it is very greivous to have those things that have been often answered or assented to, againe objected, or asserted. A weake stomack must have variety and change, to entice the appetite, and so must a troubled and distempered spirit: I have heard many such things: And hereupon he infers: ‘Miserable comforters are yee.’

As if he had sayd, This is a miserable way of comforting, alway to be beating upon, and inculcating the same thing; Job calls his Freinds, Physitians of no value, (Chap. 13.4.) Here he expounds himselfe, while he calls them, Miserable com­forters: He is a Physitian of no value, who in stead of curing, increaseth the disease; and he is a miserable comforter, who in stead of abating our sorrow adds to it, and heightens it, Miserable comforters are yee.

It seems the Freinds of Job (at least to his sense) had for­gotten the designe they proposed to themselves when they first undertook this visit, ( Chap. 2.11.) They made an appointment together, to come, and mourne with him, and to comfort him. That was the intendment of Jobs Freinds at their fi [...]st addresses. Yet af­ter so long a conference, he makes this report, Miserable com­forters are yee; yee rather vex then heale any soare; you my Freinds have troubled me more then my wounds, you have wounded my spirit more then Satan did my flesh, Consolatores malorum. i. e. malos potest [...]s consolari. Au­gust. Miserable comforters are yee.

One of the Ancients renders the words thus, Yee are comfor­ters of evill men; or, possibly, you may comfort evill men; but you [Page 214] cannot comfort me. As that which is one mans meat is ano­ther mans poyson; so that which is one mans comfort is a­nother mans sorrow. All good men cannot take in their comforts the same way; but the way of comforting good and evill men, differ as much as good and evill. The words of flattery and falsehood will serve to comfort the one, no words will comfort the other, but those of sincerity, and truth. I dare not conceive Jobs Freinds such as would sow Pillows under the elbowes of evill men, yet surely they put hard Stones under the sore and aking armes of this good man.

Consolatores O­nerosi. Vulg.The Vulgar translation speakes thus, Yee are burden some comforters: A comforter should take off burdens; sorrow is a burden: As the judgements that God threatned upon the Jewes, and other Nations, are represented in the Prophets, under the name of burthens, The burthen of Judah; the bur­then of Israel; the burthen of Moab; the burthen of Babylon; the burthen of Idumea: So any affliction upon a person, is his bur­then; and the businesse of those who come to comfort a soule in affliction, should be to take off his burthen, at least to ligh­ten it. Jobs Freinds did indeed binde the burthen faster upon his spirit, and therefore he might well call them Burthensome comforters. False hearts count all truth a burthen: The Land (saith Amaziah) is not able to beare his words (Amos 7.10.) yet his were words of truth, and tended to peace. Some truths may be burthensome at some times to a good heart. Hard words are alwayes burthensome; Job had store of them.

[...] Consolatores la­boris aut mo­lestiae. Heb.The letter of the Hebrew gives the sense thus, Yee are comforters of trouble; that is, troublesome comforters: As if he had sayd, Yee doe not comfort me in my troubles, but yee trouble me with your comforts: Yee are comforters made up of trouble; that's the predominant Element, which denominates your complexion and constitution; yee are so troublesome, that you seeme to be nothing but trouble. Our rendering in the concrete is cleare to Jobs scope, Miserable comforters are yee all.

Hence Observe.

Some while they goe about to act the part of comforters, doe but add to their sorrow, whom they pretend to comfort; and in stead of comforters prove tormenters. But when doth a man deserve this title, A miserable comforter? That which caused Job to charge [Page 215] his Freinds with this miscarriage of their paines with him, will resolve the question, and tell us, when.

First, They gave him little hope of good, or they did not open to him a doone of hope wide enough: 'tis true, they made some overtures that way, which yet (comparatively to what they ought) were scarce considerable. And Eliphaz who had been somewhat large upon the point in his first con­gresse with Job, speakes nothing of it in his last: For as if he thought his case desperate, and had given him for a lost man, he shuts up in the darke, as we see, in the close of the former Chapter; where he thunders out the judgements of God up­on Hypocrites, and Bribe-takers, without so much as one word of comfort to the penitent: This is to be a Miserable com­forter. The song of comforters should at least be mixt, like that of David to the Lord, of mercy and of judgement (Psal. 101.1) A song of judgement alone, or most of judgement to a heavy heart, may be called (like that of Jeremie) A Lamentation, but it is not a Consolation.

Secondly, They (as was toucht before) tyred out his afflicted soule with tedious discourses, and unpleasing repe­titions; they alwayes harped upon the same string, and that makes no musicke to a disconsolate soule. As God com­plaines of those prayers as unpleasing, which are full of un­necessary repetitions; so also those counsels are unpleasing to man, which are made up of needlesse repetitions. To presse the same point, though true, oft, and oft, is a wearinesse to the spirit; and because it suggests this suspition, that the hearer doth oppose, or resist that truth, it proves an upbraiding, ra­ther then a teaching, or a comforting: Comfort must be stolne in unawares, by a holy sleight of hand, it must not be beaten in with beetles, as it were, by force of hand.

Solomon tels us ( Prov. 25.12.) As an earering of Gold, Subrepere de­bet consolatio & fucum face­re affectibus. Sen. and an ornament of fine Gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient eare. What he speakes of a reprover is as true of a comforter; and he onely is fit to be a reprover, who is skil'd, or knowes how to be a comforter. Hee that will open or launce a soare, had need be acquainted with the meanes of healing it. The spirit of God, who is the Reprover (John 16.8.) is also the Com­forter (John 14.26.) We may therefore take up Solomons Pro­verbe here, As an earering of Gold, and an ornament of fine Gold, [Page 216] so is a wise comforter upon an obedient eare. They who hang Jewels in their eares (as it was the custome of those times, and is to this day) take that which is of great price and value, yet of little weight: No man hangs a Talent, or a great lump of Gold in his eare: Gold is precious, but much Gold is pon­derous, and burdens rather then adornes the eare; the bulke of it is more combersome then the beauty of it is conspicu­ous. Esto correptio non levis pretii sed levis p [...]nde­ [...]is. So comfort, which is the most pleasant Jewell of the eare, should be pure and precious as the Gold of Ophir; but yet it must be like an earering, which though it be not light, in regard of worth, yet it is light in regard of weight. We must not load, but guide a man with counsell, nor must we burden him with many, but ease him with pertinent words of comfort.

Thirdly, That which rendered them yet more miserable Comforters, was, their unkinde grating upon that string of his sinfulnesse and studyed hypocrisie. Job acknowledged himselfe a sinner, and that he could not be justified in the sight of God by any righteousnesse of his owne; yet still his freinds were unsatisfied about his sincerity; and still they presented him with suspicions of secret wickednesse, as the cause of all his sufferings; still they told him of the sad fate of Ty­rants, of Oppressours, of unjust Judges, of unsound, and false-hearted Worshippers; and though they did not apply these Parables personally to Job, yet the generall discourse sounded, as if they had sayd, Thou art the man.

Now as the Apostle speaks concerning death (1 Cor. 15.56.) so we may say concerning any affliction, The sting of affliction is sin; the sting of sicknesse, the sting of poverty, the sting of disgrace is sin: when the least trouble is armed with sin, the strongest tremble at the sight of it. A godly man can easier beare the weight of all afflictions, then the weight and burthen of one sin; so long as he sees all cleare between God and his owne soule; so long as he can looke up to God, as having his sin pardoned, and can approve his heart to God, that he lives not in any knowne sin; in this case, though the Lord lay the heaviest burthen of affliction upon him, he can goe lightly under it; The spirit of a man will beare all these in­firmities: but if his spirit be wounded, either with the guilt of sin, or with the feare of the wrath of God, how can hee [Page 217] beare it? This afflicts more then all other afflictions. This was it which caused Job to cry out, Miserable comforters: His Freinds ever upbraiding him with his sin, his sin, his sin, as the root, and therefore as the sting of all his troubles. They applyed nothing but these corrasives to his wounded soule, which called alowd for the balme of Gilead. There are two sorts of miserable comforters.

First, They who flatter the soule that lives in sin.

Secondly, They who embitter, and burden their soules, who being under burdens of sorrow, are also in bitternesse for their sin.

Some sow Pillowes under the elbowes of those who de­light in sin, and dawbe them up with untempered morter; others thrust Swords, and shoot arrowes into the bowels of those, who mourne for sin, and in stead of bringing well-tempered morter to binde and cement their soules, lay hard stones under them, which vex and gaul their soules. Both are Miserable comforters.

They who undertake the office of comforting others, should consider these three things especially.

First, The nature of the affliction, whether internall, or externall; that which will comfort a man in bodily afflicti­ons, will not doe it in soule afflictions.

Secondly, The degree, or measure of the affliction: If the Playster be too narrow for the Soare, how can it heale?

Thirdly, They should consider the temper of the Person afflicted, if he be pressed in conscience for sin, they should not presse his conscience with sin; much lesse should they thunder out judgement and terrour against him for sin; if he be ve­ry weak they should use few words; if he be passionate, they should use gentle words, lest, in stead of perswading, they provoke his spirit: Many a soule is cast downe, and swal­lowed up in despaire by the ignorance or unfaithfulnesse of those who would bee called Comforters, and Supporters: ( Ezek. 13.19.) They slay the soules that should not dye, and save them alive, that should not live. Unskilfull Physitians of the bo­dy, kill more then bodily diseases. And though the unskil­fulnesse of soule-physitians doth not indeed kill soules that should dye (for 'tis their owne sin that kils them) nor can kill the soules that should not dye (for the medicine of Christs [Page 218] most precious blood, will heale and save such from their sins) yet unskilfull soule-physitians shall be judged and dealt with, as having done all this, because they have done their utmost to doe it; which is also the meaning of that Text (1 Cor. 8.11.) And through thy knowledge shall the weake brother perish, for whom Christ dyed: that is, an indiscreet use of that liberty which thy knowledge teacheth thee, doth that which may be accounted a destroying of thy weake Brother. As that know­ledge, so the ignorance before spoken of, slayes the soules that should not dye. As it requires the power, so the wisedome and teachings of God to comfort and extricate poore s [...]ules, in and from the Labyrinth of their sorrows.

The Lord hath given me the tongue of the learned: What to doe? That I should know how to speake a word in season to him that is wea­ry (Isa. 50.4.) It is a great peice of learning to speak aright to a weary soule, to deale with them so, as neither to flatter them in their sins, nor oppresse them under their sins; to deale with them so in th ir affliction, as that we neither cause them to sleight the hand of God, nor yet to sink under it. He that can guid and steer the course of a soule that is afflicted and tossed with the tempest of sin and sorrow, between this rock and gulfe, the Scylla of presumption, and the Charybdis of despaire; he is a learned Pilot indeed.

This learning is the speciall gift of God; Christ himselfe acknowledgeth that the Lord his Father had given him the tongue of the learned for this end. This learning is not taught in the Schooles of men: Philosophers and Oratours never taught such an art of consolation; nor can it be attained by the bare teaching of the holyest Doctors and Preachers of Divine truths. Wee may have a rich furniture of materials for this worke, and yet make no worke of it, nor be able to put truths and consciences rightly together, unlesse the an­noynting teach us. As the Prophet brings in our great Master and Tutor in this heavenly science, againe confessing of him­selfe ( Isa. 61.1.) The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord hath annoynted me to preach good tydings to the meek, he hath sent me to binde up the broken hearted, to proclaime liberty to the Captives. Till we are annoynted by God, we cannot speake effectual­ly to man; without the spirit who is the comforter, wee prove but miserable comforters, we bungle at the work, and [Page 219] rather undoe soules, then doe them any good: Wee may Preach good tydings, good newes, from Heaven (the Gospel is nothing else but good newes) yet no good comes of it, till the good spirit comes with it, both instructing the hearts of those that heare, and the tongues of those that speake, duely to apply the word.

Master Calvin upon this place, saith, Some Comforters, have but one song to sing, and they have no regard to whom they sing it: All persons, all estates, and all conditions are alike to them. The wisedome of a comforter consists in discerning and ma­king these differences; As the Apostle Jude hints unto us ( Ver. 22, 23.) And of some have compassion, making a difference; and others save with feare: As faith saves all, so (in a sense) feare saves some; that is, they must be terrifyed and made afraid, that they may be saved. Jobs Freinds would needs save him with feare, whereas they should have had compas­sion of him, and have spoken kindly to him: Because they could not make this difference, therefore they tooke a wrong course with him, and were justly taxed without distinction, Miserable comforters are yee all.

As if he had sayd, I have got no comfort, I would faine get some rest; your words have not refreshed me, I desire you would not trouble me, you have done me no good, will you have done?

The Hebrew is, Shall words of winde have an end? That ex­pression hath ben opened twice before. [...] Verba vervi, i, e. ventosa, parum solidas rationes haben­tia. How long shall the words of thy mouth be like a strong East winde, saith Bildad (Chap. 8.2.) Should a wise man utter vaine knowledge, and fill his belly with the East winde? saith Eliphaz (Chap. 15.2.) Job retorts it upon them, Shall words of winde have an end? You tell mee that my words are windy, yours are so indeed: I must hide my selfe from these blasts and stormes of your tongues, un­lesse you grow calmer; Shall windy words have an end? Words are windy:

First, When they have no solid reason, no substance in them: reason is the substance of words, and so is truth; [Page 220] these two goe alwayes together, and where these are not, no­thing goes out of the mouth but winde; Projicit am­pullas, &c. we say of all words which are not followed with action, Words are but winde, we may say so also of all words which are not accompanyed with reason.

Verba plena spiritu super­biae.Secondly, Words are windy when they have much pride, and swelling conceitednesse in them; The Scripture cals such words, Swelling words of vanity: That which swels our hearts, will quickly swell our lips; pride doth both. Pride is a winde within us, vaine words are a winde without us: the proud man knowes not how to ease himselfe of this winde within, but by breaking it out in words.

Thirdly, Words are windy when they have much passion in them, when they are angry and furious; an angry man blu­sters rather then speakes, and makes a noise rather then a dis­course. While David (Psal. 39.2, 3.) was dumb with silence, while he held his peace from good, his sorrow was stirred, his heart was hot within him, and while hee was musing, the fire kindled: While some are even hoarse with speaking, while they cannot hold their peace from evill, their anger is stirred, their hearts are storming within them, and all their talke is onely a winde blowing without them.

We read of a strange distemper in two sorts of men, who ought of all others to be most composed and temperate ( Hos. 9.7. Ish ruach.) The Prophet is a foole, the spirituall man is madd: Our Translators put in the Margin, The man of the spirit: for Ruach in Hebrew, signifieth both the winde that blowes in the ayre, and the spirit of God which moveth in our hearts: We take that sense, The spirituall man, or the man of the spirit; that is, the man that pretends to have, or should have the spirit of God (his businesse lying wholly in spirituals) this man is madd; he is so farr from acting to the height of those graces which the spirit gives, that he acts below that reason which nature gives.

Yet the Originall may be rendred thus (and so diverse learned Hebricians render it) The man of winde, or the windy man, is madd: Anger is a short madnesse, and he that speakes angerly, is in danger to speak madly.

Jobs Freinds were not men of winde, nor were they madd, and the words which they spake had a generall sense and savor [Page 221] of truth and sobernesse in them; yet (as to Jobs particular case) they wanted some graines of truth and reason, they were too high and swelling, considering how low and hum­ble he was; they were too full of passion, being spoken to a man so full of sufferings. And therefore though that cen­sure of his Freinds words, as vaine (who indeed were wise and grave men) was too censorious and sharpe, yet it must be granted, that their words also were too sharpe, even such as vexed his spirit, and wore out his patience, upon which account he expects and begs an end of them. Shall vaine words have an end? That is, [...] Finis a [...] praecidit abscidit. Quia finis est tam temporis quam rei prae­cisio & termi­nus. Will you make an end of vaine speak­ing? I pray doe, I wish you would: Cut off the thred of this discourse, you have spun it out and continued it, but too long alr [...]ady.

The Hebrew word which we translate an end, springs from a root which signifies to cut off, because every end, whether of time, or things, is the cutting off of that time or thing, the end of which it is. While Job askes the Question, Shall vaine words have an end? He speakes the vehemency of his owne desire and expectation, to see an end of them. I shall not stay here to give any observations upon these words, but referr the Reader to the Texts before alleadged, in the eighth and fif­teenth Chapters, where this expression is more fully opened: Onely Note.

First, Vaine words are very burdensome to a serious eare, much more to a sad heart.

Secondly, It is good to end that quickly, wee should not have begun.

Profitable words may be too long continued, but unprofi­table words cannot be too soon ended: It is best not to speak vainely, and it is next best to cease, or give over such kinde of speaking quickly. There is a time to be silent from good words, as well as a time to speake them; but there is no time to speake evill words; all times, in reference to them, are times of silence. An Aposioposis, or sudden stop of speech, is the most sutable figure of Rhetorick which they can use, who speake unsutably. As the end of what wee say or doe well is best, so the ending of what wee say or doe amisse is best. Perseverance in every good word and worke is Angeli­call, and the highest perfection of duty, but perseverance in [Page 222] an evill, whether word or worke, is Diabolicall, and the ut­most departure from duty. Let not thy mouth open to utter vanity; but if it doth, shut it quickly: be not heard speaking that twice, which should not be spoken once.

If thou wilt not make an end, then tell me why? Give me a reason; what is it that stirrs thee to reply upon me, What emboldeneth thee to answer? The Hebrew word signifies, first, to strengthen, to fortifie, or confirme; he that is strengthened, is emboldened. [...] Est roborare fortificare acris esse. It signifies also to be sharpe or bitter (1 Kings 2.8.) David on his death-bed, tels Solomon his Son, and Suc­cessor in the Kingdome, that Shimei had cursed him with a greivous curse; that is, with a strong, bitter, and provoking curse, of which we read the Story (2 Sam. 16.5.)

This Quaere is rendered three wayes.

First, as we, What emboldeneth thee that thou answerest? As if he had sayd, I thought I should have silenced thee before this time, or that thou wouldest have put silence upon thy selfe; I wonder who, or what it is, that sets thee on to speake still; doest thou thinke by thy renewed on sets to weary me, and make me yeild at last? Hast thou a hope to prevaile upon me by thy importunity, when thou canst not by thy reason? Or hast thou further strength of reason, fresh ar­guments to produce in confirmation of thine opinion? Are these but Fore-runners, or thy Vauntguard? Is the maine battell yet behinde? Hast thou some Reserves of greater power then thou hast yet led up a­gainst me? Let me see them if thou hast? If not, give over, and hold thy peace; for what shall eyther I or thou get by a further progresse? What emboldeneth thee to answer.

Job speakes wonderingly, his reason was at a losse about the cause of his Freinds boldnesse, and therefore he admires it: There are two things which may embolden a man to an­swer.

First, The goodnesse and justice of that cause which he un­dertakes.

Secondly, The strength and assistance of God to carry him through it.

Upon these grounds, the youngest David may be bold to enter the Lists, and dare the Combate with the strongest Go­liah. But there are two other things which usually embolden men to answer.

First, Selfe-confidence.

Secondly, Unwillingnesse to yeeld.

They who are thus emboldened, will not give over answer­ing, though they have no further light of truth, or reason to hold out in their answers: Job surely had such apprehensions of his Freind Eliphaz, which moved him to aske, What embol­deneth thee that thou answerest?

Hence Note.

Such is the stifnesse and vanity of some, that they will hold on a contention, though they have no further grounds of truth or reason to continue it upon.

They will speake on though it be the same thing, onely in a new dresse of words. They have store of words, though scarsity of matter; we may justly say to such, What embolden­eth you to answer? It is more then boldnesse, a kinde of impu­dence in such to answer: pertinacy of spirit disdaines to lay downe the Bucklers. They who contend for victory, rather then for truth, will not be answered, how much soever they are answered: And they who are more loath be foyled, then wil­ling to bee rectified, will hardly submit to the plainest and clearest evidence.

The second reading is, What doth provoke thee to answer, Quid exacer bu [...]e ut respon­deas. Jun. or What imbitters thy spirit that thou answerest? As if Job had said, Surely Eliphaz my fayre discourse with thee, should have stopped the course of this severe proceeding with me before this time; thou hast loaded me with hard words, and uncharitable jealousies; but have I spoken provokingly, or bitterly to thee? My conscience tells me that I have not, and thou knowest I have not.

He that impartially reads over Jobs answers to Eliphaz, may finde here and there a sowre passage; but as we say Proverbi­ally, You must give loosers leave to speake. The wise Physitian heares his Patient giving him uncomely language, yet will not heare it, much lesse retort or answer so againe: They who are in paine must be borne with; though they provoke, it must not be called a provocation; and though they give of­fence, yet it must not be taken. When the Childe cryes, the Nurse sings: God himselfe beares with the manners of his people (so the word intimates, Acts 13.18.) as a Mother doth with a froward Childe; and so should we with the fro­wardnesse of our weake and afflicted Brethren. So that in [Page 224] this sense, the provocations which Job gave his Freinds, were not to be reckoned as provocations; and he might well say to Eliphaz, What provoketh thee to answer? If I (in the case I am in) have spoken passionately, Wilt thou be provoked by it? Thou shouldest not. Thou oughtest to passe it by and cover it with the garment of charity.

Yet further, we may take the words as a totall denyall of any provocation given on his part.

Whence Note.

Some will speake harshly to, and of those who never provoked, or gave them cause.

Water runs cleare till 'tis troubled and stirr'd by some out­ward violence: But the spirits of some men run muddy, though nothing from without stirrs them. The Prophet compares all wicked men to the troubled Sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt (Isa. 57.20.) The Sea is not alwayes troubled, when the Windes are quiet, that is quiet; wee often see a smooth Sea, as smooth as Glasse: A wicked man is like the Sea when 'tis enraged, he is such a Sea as knows no calme; he is like the Sea, not onely when it is troubled, but when it cannot rest. Though no breath of Winde from abroad offend him, yet he stormes: He hath lusts in his owne bowels, which provoke him when nothing else doth; yea those lusts within provoke him, when all without labour to pacifie him.

So David complaines ( Psal. 120.5, 7.) Woe is mee that I sojourne in Mesech, that I dwell in the Tents of Kedar; that is, With the Sons or descendants of Ishmael, who have learned of their Father to mock and persecute; I dwell in the Tents of Kedar: But what caused them to mock and persecute? Was it any provocation that David had given them? No, for he saith in the next words, I am for peace (I would live quietly with all my heart) but when I speake, they are for Warr. A mo­tion for Peace, becomes a provocation to Warr? It is sinfull to speake rashly, or harshly, though we are provoked; what is it then to speake so when we are not provoked? They an­gred Moses at the waters of strife, they provoked his spirit; yet it went ill with Moses for their sakes, when he spake unadvisedly with his lips (Psal. 106.32, 33.) But what was this unadvised speech. Moses reports his owne infirmity ( Numb. 20.10, 11.) [Page 225] And Moses and Aaron gathered the Congregation together before the rocke; and he sayd unto them, Heare now yee Rebels, must we fetch you water out of this Rock? And Moses lift up his hand, and with his Rod he smote the Rock twice, &c. The errour of Moses in this businesse was twofold.

First, That he did not onely smite the Rock, but smite it twice with the Rod in his hand, whereas he had order onely, to take the Rod in his hand, and speake to the Rock before their eyes, and it should give out water (Vers. 8.)

His second errour was, that he did not onely speake to the people (for which in that transaction he had no order from God) but spake bitterly and harshly to them, calling them Rebels, and slighting them Must we fetch water for you, &c? What, for you, who are a murmuring and gainsaying people? God knew the stubbornenesse of that people, and their rebellions a­gainst him, yet he did not call them Rebels, but sayd in the close of the eighth Verse, So shalt thou give the Congregation, and their Beasts drinke. God had more reason and power to call them Re­bels then Moses had, yet he did not. And because Moses did, that unadvised speech of his, and the actions which attended it, were called Rebellion, at the twenty fourth Verse of the same Chapter. Yee (saith the Lord of Moses and Aaron) rebelled a­gainst my word at the waters of Meribah.

Now, if Moses was thus reproved and censured by God himselfe, for speaking passionately, to a people who had pro­voked both God their Deliverer, and him their Leader; what reproofe doe they deserve, who, either upon none, or very lit­tle provocation, call their Brethren, Hypocrites, Hereticks, Scis­maticks, Rebels, perjured persons, men of prostituted consciences, or at least, of unsettled and uncertaine Principles; will not the Lord take notice of this bitternesse, even in those who are his pre­cious Servants, towards their fellow-servants, when he layd so heavy a penalty (as non-admission into the promised Land) upon a payre of the most eminent and faithfull Servants that ever he called forth to his work, since he layd the foundations, of the World?

This fals heavy upon the present age: Whence is that bit­ternesse, that Gall and Wormewood which fals from many, both tongues and Pens every day? What hath provoked them thus to speak and write? I confesse there have been provoca­tions, [Page 226] and some doe but give Gall for Gall, and Wormewood for Wormewood; yet it cannot be denyed, but that many speak and write bitterly, when they have had no provocation; yea most who speake bitterly, have been treated gently, and few who answer angerly will be able to give a good account what hath provoked them thus to answer; and how much soever any man hath been provoked, the Lord may justly make him smart for such smartnesse in answering. It will not beare us out in acting or speaking besides the rule, because others doe so. Paul shewes us our duty in his owne practice (1 Cor. 4.12, 13.) Being reviled we blesse, b [...]ing defamed we entreat: Wee must not defame them that defame us, we must not revile our revilers. Then, woe to those who revile such as blesse them; and de­fame such as entreat them: O what provoketh such to such wayes of answering?

There is yet a third reading of this clause, which I will but touch, Quid tibi mo­lestum est si lo­quaris. Vulg. When shall vaine words have an end? But what trouble is it to thee if thou speakest? Or, Is it any trouble to thee if thou speakest? As if he had sayd, I cannot much wonder though thou doest not end these vaine ruffling discourses, for I am perswaded they are no great trouble to thee, how much soever they are to others; such words cost thee little study; thou needest not beat thy braines, or byte thy nayles for such matter as this. That which comes next, and lyes uppermost, is all that some men have to say, when they have sayd all. They that speake most to the paine of others, take least paines themselves. We say, Good words are cheape, it costs little to speake fayre; but ill words are cheaper, Foule language costs little in the preparation, though it may prove costly enough in the e­vent. There is a profitable sense in this translation, though I will not give it for the meaning of the Text.

It is our duty to consider before we speake, as well as be­fore we act; and to put our selves to some trouble in prepa­ring what we have to say, before we give others the trouble of hearing it. When God cals us to speake, either in our owne defence, or for the edification of others, on a sudden, we may expect (according to the promise, Matth. 10.19.) That it shall be given us in that houre what we shall speake. If the providence of God straiten us, the spirit of God will enlarge us; that promise will helpe us, when wee have no time to prepare our selves, but it will not, if wee neglect the time in [Page 227] which vve should prepare our selves: For when Christ saith in that place, Take no thought how or what yee shall speake; we must expound it like that ( Matth. 6.25.) Take no thought for your life, what yee shall eate, or what yee shall drinke; Which is not a prohibition of all thought about those things, but onely of those thoughts which are distracting and distrust­full.

Job having reproved his Freinds these three wayes, for the manner of their dealing with him; Now reproves them by a serious profession of his better dealing with them; in case (as we commonly say) The Tables were turned, they comming in his place, and he in theirs: This he doth in the two Verses following.

Job in this context tels his Freinds two things.

• First, What he could doe.
• And secondly, What he would doe.

The former of these is layd downe expressely in the fourth Verse.

The Soule is here put (as often elsewhere in Scripture) for the vvhole man; then, his meaning is (and so Master Broughton translates) If you were in my place, or in my condition. If God should transcribe my vvounds and sorrows upon your backs, and consciences, or if my greife dwelt in your bowels, I could speake as you doe, &c.

The sufferings of the soule hold out the sufferings of the vvhole man, upon a twofold consideration.

First, Because the soule is the principall part of man. When that vvhich is cheife suffers, all may be sayd to suffer.

Secondly, Because afflictions vvhich lye upon the soule, are most afflictive: The sensitive power of the body, is called [Page 228] the soule, and vve are most sensible of those afflictions vvhich fall immediately upon the rationall soule. That man forgets the sorrowes of his body, whose soule is sorrowfull. The more inward any suffering is, the more greivous it is.

Some read the vvords Interrogatively, Could I speake as you doe? If your soule were in my soules stead, could I heap up words against you, and shake my head at you? Master Broughton gives that sense fully, Would I speake as you, if you were in my place, would I compose bare words against you, and nod upon you with my head? The meaning is Negative, If you were in my soules stead, I could doe none of these things. Could I doe them? No (as we say) I could as soone eate my owne flesh as doe them: If I were at ease, and you in paine, could I deale thus with you? I would dye rather then deale so with you. This reading is good, and hath a greater emphasis in it then our bare affirmative reading, though the sense and scope of both be the same.

Some read this Optatively, or as a wish, O that your soule were in my soules stead; and then the latter vvords are taken as a promise or profession of offices of love: First, I would heap up words for you.

[...] concinnare apte disponere.The Hebrew word vvhich vve translate to heap, signifies pro­perly to prepare and fit a thing, to fashion and put it into a good frame; it is not a rude, inartificiall heaping of things together, vvithout forme or fashion, as the first Chaos was; but a beautifull elegant digestion or composure of them, in the exactest forme and fashion, like that of the severall peices of the World, conjoyned in that vvorke of the six dayes cre­ation: As if he had sayd, O that your soule were a while in my soules stead, see how I would use you, how I would deale with you; truely, all the hurt I would doe to you, should be this, I would prepare the softest and the sweetest words I could with all my skill and rhe­torick, to ease your sorrows; I would speake musicke to your eares, and joy to your hearts; I would study and compose a speech on purpose, to revive and raise your drooping, desponding spirits.

So also the second branch may be interpreted, And shake [Page 229] mine head at you, or over you: For to shake the head, notes pitty and compassion; [...]. Et movissem super vos caput condolenter. Chrysost. to shake the head is the posture of those vvho mourne vvith, or for their Freinds. Hence the word is tran­slated to bemoane ( Nah. 3.7.) Who will bemoane him (Chap. 42.11.) Jobs Freinds came to bemoane him; 'tis this vvord, They came to shake their heads over him, because of all the evill which the Lord had brought upon him. One of the Ancients makes this ex­position, the Text, I would have shaken my head over you be­moaningly, or with compassion: The same vvord may vvell signi­fie to shake the head, and to pity, seeing they who pity others, use to shake their heads over them, and say, Ah my Freind, or Ah my Brother.

So then, if vve read the vvords as a wish, O that your soules were in my soules stead; yet Job did not wish it for their hurt, but that he might have an opportunity to shew how much hee would labour to bee their Servant in Love, to doe them good.

Hence Note.

A good man doth not wish ill to those who have rewarded him with evill upon any other termes, then a discovery of his owne goodnesse. 'Tis sin to wish that they who are in a comfortable condition, might fall into our misery, though they have been miserable comforters to us in our misery. We may not (in this case) wish paine or sorrow to any sort of men, except upon one of these two considerations.

First, That vve may give them an experiment of our ten­dernesse towards them, in doing them all the good vve can in their affliction.

Or secondly, That God may give an experiment of his graciousnesse towards them, in doing them good by their afflictions.

The Prophet Isaiah (Chap. 14.10.) foreshewes how they vvho had been vveakened by the power of Babylon, should in­sult over vveakned Babylon, All they shall speake and say unto thee, Art thou also become weake as we? Art thou become like unto us? The people of God shall at last rejoyce (in reference to the glory of God, and publick good) to see their destroyers de­stroyed, and those weake who have weakned them. But the people of God (in reference to any private, or personall in­terest) cannot rejoyce at the destruction, or in the weaknesse [Page 230] of any man, much lesse can they wish them weake that they might have an opportunity to rejoyce over them. Paul was a Prisoner, and in bonds, yet he did not wish the worst of his Enemies in Prison, or in Bonds with him; he onely wisht that they might enjoy the same liberty by Jesus Christ, which him­selfe enjoyed. For when he had almost perswaded King A­grippa to become a Christian, he sayd, I would to God, that not thou onely, but also all that heare me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds (Acts 26.28, 29.) I would keep my chaines, and troubles to my selfe, I would have none of you know my sorrows; but I would that all your soules were in as good a state as mine, and knew my comforts. A holy heart wisheth all well, as well as it selfe; and if at any time he wisheth that to the worst of his enemies, which is penally evill, he doth it with an eye both to their spirituall and eternall good.

Thus of the words as they are read in the forme of a wish.

We read them as a Supposition, If your soules were in my soules stead: And then the two latter branches must be inter­preted as acts of unfreindlinesse, shewing what Job could, but would not doe, as was toucht before.

That is, I could make long speeches, and enlarge my selfe in discourse, I could speake terrour, and thunder out whole volleys of threats against you; I could deafe your eares with loud voyces, and sad your hearts with heavy censures. There is a figure in Rhetorick called Congeries, or The Heape. Many words to the same sense, especially when there is little in them but words, are called justly, a heape of words: Now, saith Job, Quassare ca­put, apud au­thores Latinos gestus est homi­nis irati aut minantis aut lamentantis. Drus.. Ridentes ca­put motitant. Drus. I could be as nimble at this figure as you; and with my speech I could mix your action.

Shaking the head, notes scorne and threatning ( Psal. 22.7.) All they that seeme, laugh me to scorne; they shoot out the lip, and shake the head, saying, He trusted on the Lord, &c. So the af­flicted Church complaines ( Psal. 44.14.) Thou makest us a by-word among the Heathen, a shaking of the head among the people. [Page 231] We have this action joyned with two more, which signifie the greatest contempt, by lamenting Jeremiah (Lam. 2.15,) All that passe by clap their hands at thee, they hisse, and wag their head, at the Daughter of Jerusalem, saying, Is this the City that men call the perfection of beauty, the joy of the whole Earth?

Our blessed Saviour (upon whom contempt and scorne was to vent it selfe all manner of wayes hee being to beare all that scorne, as well as all that paine which was due to our sins, our blessed Saviour, I say) was scorned this way ( Matth 27.39.) And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads. So then to shake, or wagg the head at a man in affliction, speakes, as sometimes our pity, so most times, our contempt; and as it is usually accompanyed with audible mockings, so it selfe is a visible mock: Which being inter­preted, speakes thus to the person afflicted, Thou evill-doer, or thou hypocrite, thou doest even well become thy sufferings, all these miseries are well bestowed on thee, &c.

In this sense Job seemes to speake here, I could shake my head at you: I have indeed been as one mocked of his Freind ( Chap. 12.4.) and I could mock my Freinds, I could laugh at your calamity, and mocke when your feare commeth; but my conscience beares witnesse with me, that if it should come, I would not.

Hence Note.

First, A godly man hath a power to doe that evill which he hath no will to doe.

A carnall man hath a will to many evills, for which hee hath no power or opportunity: A godly man would not doe any evill, how much power and opportunity soever he hath. And indeed though he hath a naturall, or civill, yet hee hath not a morall power to doe any evill. In which sense the A­postle speakes of a regenerate person, (1 John 3.9.) He that is borne of God cannot sin: He hath a naturall power to sin any sin, to lye, to be drunk, to be uncleane, &c. He may have a civill power to oppresse, to deceive, to wrong his Brother; yet he cannot turne either his hand or his heart to such works as these are: he hath learned better, and is better. He is borne of God, his blood and pedigree is so high, that hee cannot meddle, nor trade in such low things. Wisedome is too high for a foole (saith Solomon, Prov. 24.7.) and folly is too low for a [Page 232] wisedome. When Joseph was solicited by his Mistresse to com­mit folly with her, he answers, How can I doe this great wick­ednesse, and sin against God (Gen. 39.9.) Joseph wanted ney­ther power, nor opportunity to doe that wickednesse; yet he saith, How can I doe it?

Paul and his fellow-Apostles had wit and parts sufficient to oppose the truth, yet he saith (2 Cor. 13.8.) We can doe no­thing against the truth, but for the truth. Paul was a great doer, and he saith ( Phil. 4.13.) I can doe all things through Christ strengthening of me; but Paul could doe nothing to the disho­nour of Christ. Doubtlesse Paul could have maintained an argument, and drive on an objection as farr as another man, against the truth, if he would have set himselfe to it, and have made that his businesse; but hee had not a minde to doe it: The bent of his spirit did not lye that way, hee was all for Christ, and the Gospell; he was a Giant for the truth, but an Infant, a weakling, as weake as water against it; hee had neither an understanding to conceive, nor a tongue to speake to the disservice of Jesus Christ.

It is a good observation of one of the Ancients, upon this place, Narrat justus quid facere po­tuit, sed ne ju­stitiam deserat, quod facere po­tuit declinat. Greg. A just man declares what he can doe, but that hee may not desert Justice, he forbeares to doe what he can. The providence of God sets bounds to the power of a carnall man, but the spirit of God sets bounds to the power of a holy man; if a carnall man keep within compasse at any time, it is because he is re­strained; but a godly man keeps within compasse, because he is renewed. Laban tels Jacob (Gen. 31.29.) It is in the power of my hand to doe thee hurt: And vvhy did not Laban hurt Ja­cob? Was it from any principle of love or righteousnesse in La­bans breast? The Text is silent in that, and Laban himselfe seems to tell us, whence it was, in the same Verse, The God of your Fa­thers spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take thou heede that thou speake not to Jacob, &c. And this his speaking to Laban, Jacob cals, Gods rebuking of Laban (Vers. 42.) implying, that if God had not stopt him, he would have done him hurt.

It was more then once in the power of Davids hand, to hurt, yea to slay Saul, and he was strongly moved by some of his great Officers to doe it, yet he strongly refused to doe it, or to suffer it to be done, because it would have been sin in him to doe it, himselfe being a private person, and the way [Page 233] in which he had any opportunity to doe it, being onely a private way, when Saul was in the Cave, covering his feet (1 Sam. 24.3.) or in a Trench fast asleepe (1 Sam. 26.7.) and therefore (though he had strengthened himselfe against Saul with an Army, and was ready (upon his provocation) to stretch forth his hand against him in Battell, yet) he saith, Who can stretch forth his hand against the Lords annoynted, and be guiltlesse? David was not stopt from hurting Saul, by a rebuke from God, but by the rule and dictate of his owne conscience. The thing might have been easily done, but because it could not be innocently done, therefore David could not doe it.

Secondly, Observe more specially to the matter of this Text.

A godly man (when himselfe) cannot be harsh and greivous to others, though he have never so much advantage to be so.

His cannings are not for such uses. What the Apostle saith of his Ministeriall power, a gracious heart saith of all his power, It is for edification, not for destruction (2 Cor. 13.10.) He designes his power for the helpe and comfort of all, not for the hurt or greife of any. A good man is mercifull to his Beast; how then can he be unmercifull to his Brethren? He pitieth a Beast fallen under a burthen, how then can he be cruell to his Brother when he is under burthens? Nature, or common humanity abhorrs such actings; much more doth Grace. Paul gives this charge to Beleevers, Beare yee one ano­thers burdens, and so fulfill the Law of Christ (Gal. 6.2.) This Law of Christ is written in the heart of every man, who is Christs, and therefore he is farr from adding to another mans burden: He that hath a fellow-feeling of his Brethrens sorrows, will not encrease their sorrows; no man will pur­posely encrease, or add to that burden which himselfe must beare. Could I speake as you doe?

Thus for the Negative, what Job would not have done, if their soule had been in his soules stead.

But, What would he have done? He tels us in the next Verse, this is the course that I would take.

This is my designe, and all the hurt I intend you. These [Page 234] words in the substance of them have been opened ( Chap. 4.4.) vvhere Eliphaz tels Job, that he had done, vvhat here he pro­mised he would doe, Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees: Thou hast instructed ma­ny, and thou hast strengthened the weake hands. Eliphaz had given testimony for Job that he had done, what Job now professeth he vvas resolved to doe, and vvould doe, in case he vvere put into their condition, and they into his, I would strengthen you with my mouth: that is, With the vvords of my mouth; and (vvhich is the same) the moving of my lips should asswage your griefe.

Here are the two parts of consolation, and the two great duties of a comforter.

The first, is to strengthen sorrowfull man.

The second, is to abate the strength of his sorrows.

Job vvas resolved upon both: Were they weake in faith, and hope, he vvould strengthen them; were their feares and doubtings strong, hee would endeavour to weaken them, I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should asswage your greife.

The word Greife is not expressed in the Hebrew: there it is onely thus, Motio labiorum meorum prohi­beret. Heb. sc. dolorem ve­strum. The moving of my lips should asswage; be it what it will that greives you, I would labour to asswage it: I vvould asswage your feares, your sorrowes, your impatience, your unbeleife; vvhatever spirituall evill vvere upon you, the moving of my lips should be for the removing of it. Or (as o­thers render) For the turning of it away. For the word signifies.

First, To abate in degree.

Secondly, To turne away, or to stop altogether.

My designe should be upon both, I vvould study to the ut­most of my power and parts, not onely to mitigate, but quite to remove whatsoever I should finde an affliction to you.

It hath been shewed ( Chap. 4.4.) what power vvords have, both to strengthen vveake faith, and to asswage the stron­gest greife, thither I referr the Reader; onely take two breife notes from it.

First, A good man doth not onely abstaine from the hurt that he might doe another, but he labours to helpe him, and to doe him good. Not to heap words in anger upon them that are in misery, [Page 235] not to shake the head at them in contempt, is onely a Nega­tive peice of charity and kindnesse: 'Tis our duty to use our utmost endeavour to refresh and comfort them. Negative acts of kindnesse are not the fulfilling of the law of love, it is not charity to the poor, to say I will not make them poorer, I will take nothing from them; it is our duty to give them of what we have. When a man is sorrowfull, it is not enough to say, I will not increase his griefe; it is our duty to lessen it, yea to turne it into joy.

And this is more considerable, in reference to the persons with whom Job had to doe; they had given him very hard measure, yet he would not requite them with hard measure; he would measure that to them which was good, and hee would give them good measure. It is the common rule of humanity, to doe good to those who doe us good; it is more then beastly, even devillish cruelty, to hurt those that doe us good; it is the height of Christianity, to doe good to those who have been a hinderance to us, and to comfort those who have caused our sorrow. The Apostolicall rule is, Recom­pence to no man evill for evill (Rom. 12.17.) And againe ( v. 19.) Dearely beloved, avenge not your selves, but rather give place unto wrath: The Apostle doth not meane, that we should give place to our owne wrath, if we doe so, wee give place to the Devill, as the same Apostle intimates ( Ephes. 4.26, 27.) Our owne wrath must be stopt and resisted, quenched and put out. Then, what, or whose wrath is it, that we are commanded to give place unto? This wrath may be taken two wayes.

First, For the wrath of that man, who is our enemy; we must give place to his wrath, not by approving him or his wrath, but by not answering him with wrath. If when another storms we are calme, if when he rages, we shew all gentlenesse, and meeknesse both of speech and spirit, then we give place to his wrath; that is, We make it roome to passe away and evapo­rate: Solomons Proverb is the summe of this Exposition ( Pro. 15.1.) A soft answer turneth away wrath, but greivous words stirr up anger.

Secondly, When Paul adviseth us not to avenge our selves, but rather to give place to wrath; we may understand it of the wrath of God; and the very next words, which the Apostle alleadgeth from ( Deut. 32.35.) carry the sense clearely [Page 236] this way, For it is written, vengeance is mine, I will repay, faith the Lord: As if the Apostle had sayd, if you take upon you to avenge your selves, you take Gods work out of his hand; it belongs to God as much to take revenge, as it doth to give reward. And therefore as a man who having done good, is over carefull and anxious how to get his reward, takes re­warding worke out of Gods hand, and shall have no more reward then he can get himselfe; as Christ tels the Pharisees in that case ( Matth. 6.2.) Verily I say unto you, yee have your reward: And all that a man can get himselfe, is not worth the having.

So the man, who having suffered wrong, goes about to re­venge himselfe, takes revenging worke out of Gods hand, and shall be righted no further then hee can right himselfe, which is but little, if any thing at all; whereas if he would give place to the wrath of God; that is, Let God alone, by such wayes as his Justice shall raise up, to right him, against his ad­versary, he would right him fully. So that our Interest doth not lye in returning evill for evill, but in returning good for evill to our enemies; as Saint Paul concludes ( Rom. 13.20.) Therefore if thine Enemy hunger, feed him, of he thirst, give him drinke; for in so doing, thou shalt heape cooles of fire on his head. That is, thou shalt eyther melt and mollifie his spirit towards thee, as hardest mettals are by coales of fire (some such mel­ting we may see in Saul towards David, when he forbore to take vengeance on him (1 Sam. 24.16. Chap. 26.21.) or thou shalt heape coales of divine vengeance upon him, by ma­king his malice and hatred against thee more inexcusable: Which latter though it may be looked upon as a consequent of our doing good to our Enemies, yet we must take heed of making it the end why we doe so, for that were to seeke re­venge while we forbeare it, and to doe good for that end, were to be overcome of evill; which the Apostle forbids in the close of that Chapter.

Job in this Text was farr from professing a [...] readinesse to as­swage the griefe of his unkinde, or enemy-like Freinds, upon hope that God would encrease their sorrow.

Secondly, Observe.

Words duly spoken and applyed, are of great power.

How forcible are right words? Is Jobs question ( Chap. 6.25.) [Page 237] He doth not there answer his question, nor tell us how forci­ble they are, but here he doth. They are of such force, that they strengthen weak soules, and asswage the most swelling floods of sorrow.

God at first gave being and motion to all creatures, with the moving of his lips: He by the moving of his lips hath ever since ordered all their motions: The word of man produceth great effects, the tongue sets all hands on worke; and what almost cannot the tongue of man doe? The tongue is a little member (saith the Apostle James, Chap. 3.5.) [...]ond boasteth great things: Now as the tongues of vaine men boast great things which they cannot doe; so the tongues of wise men can really doe great things. Vaine men (as we say) will take thirteene to the duzzen, but cannot performe one. Wise men though they speake not much, yet they can performe much with a word speaking. And though as the same Apostle declaimes most holily against the tongue of a wicked man ( Vers. 8.) that his tongue is such an unruly evill, that no man can tame it; yet there have scarse ever been found any men so unruly, but the tongues of wise and godly men have tamed them: yea the tongue of a vvise man is to an unruly man, and often to a multitude of unru­ly men, as a bit in a Horses mouth, or as a Rudder to a Ship, turning him or them about which way soever he listeth; as this Apostle teacheth us by these similitudes ( Vers. 3.4.) the tongue of every man is to, and doth to himselfe, vvhether it be good or evill. And as the tonge is thus powerfull in ci­villizing the [...]ude, and in appeasing the humours of those who are most 'outragious; so it is very powerfull in supporting those that are ready to sinke, and in asswaging the griefe of those who are most disconsolate and sorrowfull.

Lastly, Whereas Job speakes peremptorily, as if he saw the effect, or were assured of it aforehand, I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should asswage your greife: Job knew that the successe of all his counsells depen­ded upon the concurrence and blessing of God; yet thus he speakes.

Hence Note.

A man may say he hath done that, for the doing of which he hath used suitable and faithfull endeavours, whether the thing be done or no: The Lord saith to Jerusalem by the Prophet Ezekiel [Page 238] (Chap. 24.13.) Because I have purged thee, and thou wast not purged. Now as God takes it upon him, that he had purged them, though they vvere not purged, because he gave them so many meanes and helpes for their purging; so any man in his proportion, may take it upon him, that he hath strength­ned their faith, abated their griefe, yea and saved their soules, among, and towards vvhom hee hath diligently used those meanes appointed by God for the attaining of those great and noble ends, though possibly those ends be not attained. God himselfe reckons thus of all the labours of his faithfull ser­vants, they shall be rewarded as having done that vvhich they have been doing vvith their hearts, hands, and tongues, though they see little fruit of eyther. Then I sayd, I have la­boured in vaine (Isa. 49.4.) but though it vvas in vaine to those for whom he laboured, that is, they got no good by it, yet it was not in vain to him who laboured, he got much good by it; as it follows in the same Verse, Surely my judgement is with the Lord, and my worke (or my reward, one vvord signifies both reward and vvorke, to shew that these can never be se­perated, my worke, saith hee) is with my God; and Vers. 5. Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and my God shall be my strength.

As vve are not to judge of the goodnesse of any cause by the successe, but by the justice of it; so neither doth God adjudge the reward of any vvorke by the successe, but by the good­nesse of it, together with the sweat and sincerity of him that doth it. As the will of a godly man is accepted for the deed, so his deed is accepted for the successe.

In the former Verse Job speakes in a high straine of assu­rance, that if his Freinds were afflicted, The moving of his lips should asswage their griefe: But it seemes, his owne experience had taught him, that the moving of his lips could not asswage his owne greife; Though I speake (saith he here) my griefe is not asswaged.

Hence Observe.

A man may doe that for others which he cannot doe for himselfe. He may comfort others in their sorrows, when hee cannot comfort himselfe, he may resolve others in their doubts, when he cannot resolve himselfe, hee may answer to cases which their consciences put him, when he cannot answer his owne; yea 'tis possible for a man to speak such words to another, as may turne him from his sin, and save his soule, and yet him­selfe continue in sin, and lose his owne soule for ever. Natu­ralists have a rule concerning the senses, That, when a sensible object is brought too neere, or layd upon the sense, it not onely hinders, but takes away the present sensation. This holds a proportion in rationall actings: the neerer any one is to us in relation, the harder it is to fixe counsell upon him; and because wee are neerest to our selves, therefore it is hardest of all to coun­sell our selves.

Our Saviour Christ prevents what he foresaw some ready to object against him ( Luke 4.23.) Yee will surely say unto me this Proverbe, Physitian heale thy selfe. The Proverbe in its Originall is (I conceive) to be understood personally; but as Christ suggests it there, it is to be understood Nationally, or Provincially, Heale thy selfe, is, heale thy owne Countrey; ex­ercise thy power of working miracles there, as well as thou hast done it in other places; that this is the meaning of it, ap­peares plainely by the next words, Whatsoever we have heard done in Canaan, doe also in thine owne Countrey: For Christ as yet had wrought no mighty workes of healing there ( Mark 6.5.) But why was Christ so slow in manifesting himselfe to [Page 241] his owne Countreymen? Hee gives the reason ( Vers. 24.) And he sayd, Verily I say unto you, no Prophet is accepted in his owne Countrey: The Gospel of Mark (Chap. 6.4.) adds two closer relations, His owne Kin, and his owne House: They in a mans house are neerer to him then his kindred abroad, and his kin­dred are neerer to him then his Countrey-men; now among these, a Prophet hath no honour: They know him so much, that they doe not respect him, or his sayings. The Jewes sayd, Is not this the Carpenter, the Son of Mary, the Brother of James, &c. Christ being thus neere to them, had little honour among them. Now for as much, as a man is neerer to himselfe, not onely then his Countrey-men, but then any of his Kin; there­fore his owne counsels and comforts have ordinarily so little effect upon himselfe; he is not accepted in his owne breast. There are some indeed so gracious, or great in their owne eyes, that they vvill aske counsell of none but themselves, nor fol­low any advise but their owne; but usually man seeks out, as being neither able to satisfie his owne doubts, nor abate his owne sorrowes, though possibly, more able for both, then he to whom he seekes. Though I speake, my griefe is not asswaged; and though I forbeare, what am I eased?

Some conceive Job speaking here like an Orator, who seems to stand in doubt vvhat to doe, Eloquar an si­leam? Quid agam? si locutus fue­ro, &c. Vulg. and therefore trembles out his Preface in such vvords as these, Shall I speake, or shall I be silent? Shall I open my lips, or shall I forbeare? Jobs paine received no check vvhich way soever of these he tooke, and therefore it seemed vaine to attempt either.

That is, If I stand up in my just defence to answer, and take a­way your objections, yet my greife is not answered; Nunc eo res re­dierunt, ut quo me vertam nes­ciam aut quid agam, nam nec loquendo nec tacendo quic­quam proficio. Merc. that is as busie with me, and as talkative as ever it was; yea, then you object my im­patience under sufferings, as an argument of my sin.

That is, If I byte in my paine, and speake not, if I stand mute, as attentive to heare you speake, yet my sorrow moves not; yea, then you judge my silence an argument of my secret guilt, and that all is true which you have sayd against me, because I say nothing for my selfe. Thus,

What am I eased sayth the Text in our translation? The Hebrew [Page 242] saith, What goeth from me? That is, What of my paine, what of my sorrow goeth away from me, when I cease, or forbeare to speake? So that,

The generall sense of this Verse is to shew that his troubles were past hope of redresse; they found no cure; none by speech, none by silence: Griefe is sometimes eased by speaking, some­times by silence, eyther our owne or others.

To say nothing is a medicine for some mens sorrow: the sorrow of others cannot be medicin'd, but by saying much: A playster of words hath cured many a wound, and the more words have been used, the more some wounds have festered, and the anguish of them hath increased.

Hence Observe.

There is no meanes of remedy left for that evill which is not re­medyed by the use and tryall of contrary meanes.

If neyther speech nor silence ease a mans minde, what can? We finde such a kinde of arguing (though in a different case) used by Christ ( Matth. 11.16, 17.) Where when hee would shew how impossible, or at least how extreamely difficult it was to please the Jewes (they vvere a humourous people, and let a man put himselfe in what posture he would, they would finde some fault, or have somwhat to object against him) Wher­unto (saith Christ) shall I liken this generation? (they vvere so untoward, that Christ speakes as if he vvere straitned, how to finde out a fit comparison for them, or could scarse tell to vvhat they vvere like; yet he tells us) They are like unto Chil­dren sitting in the Markets, and calling to their fellows, saying, Wee have piped and yee have not danced; we have mourned to you, and yee have not lamented. When a man vvill neyther mourne vvith us, nor rejoyce vvith us, vvhat shall we doe vvith him? How shall vve please him? For vvhat company is he fit? That such vvas the tendency of this similitude, appeares plainely in the appli­cation vvhich Christ makes ( Vers. 18.) For John came neither eating, nor drinking, and they say he hath a Devill: They did not like the mournefull, austere course of John: The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they sayd, Behold a man gluttonous, and a Wine-bibber, a freind of Publicans and Sinners: They did not like the free converse of Christ. When a people are of this spirit, or at this lock, that neither a man vvho is affable and courteous, ready both to receive, and give civilities, is [Page 243] welcome to them, nor yet he who is austere, and reserved, close, and strict in his way, can give them any content, who, or what can content them? When neyther piping nor mouring, when neither dauncing nor sorrowing takes with us, what can? When we would describe a person whose troublesome­nesse of spirit seemes unanswerable, we say of him, He is quiet neither full nor fasting: that is, he is never quiet, or nothing can make him quiet. Abraham saith to his Nephew Lot (Gen. 13.8, 9.) Let there be no strife I pray thee, betweene me and thee, and betweene thy Herd-men and my Herd-men, for we are brethren, &c. If thou wilt take the left hand, then I will goe to the right, or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will goe to the left. Now as it is an argument of the sweetest spirit, and fayrest disposition when a man is ready to take eyther hand, rather then breake the peace, so it argues the sowrest spirit, and most untracta­ble disposition, when a man will neyther goe to the right hand nor to the left, when he will neither move forward nor backward; when he will neither give nor take, neyther buy nor sell, there is no dealing with such a man, for he wav [...]s all the wayes of dealing.

Thus also we conclude a people incorrigible, who conti­nue in their sins, whether God smite or heale, whether he de­liver them from, or deliver them up into the hand of judge­ments, because these are the utmost bounds, or the extreames of all those providentiall dispensations which God useth at any time to turne a people from their sin.

Againe, Wee say they are unperswadeable wh [...]m neyther faire meanes, nor foule, can reduce; speake them faire, they are naught; speake them foule, they are naught still; pro­mise them good, they remaine evill, threaten them with evill, they will not be good. You may carry it out in all experi­ments, wheresoever you finde an evill frame of minde or bo­dy, or of affaires, which mends not, or doth not alter for the better, by the application of the other contrary, when the former hath been applyed without successe, you may write under it (as to humane helpes) This is a desperate case, a di­stemper incurable,

Yet further, Job in these words reflects upon his Freinds; as if he had sayd, Some men, by complaining and opening their soares to those who visit them in their affliction, finde their Freinds releeving [Page 244] them presently with sound counsell, and powring the oyle of consola­tion into their wounded spirits; but alasse, it is not so with me, for whether I speake or hold my peace, it is all one; yee are all against me, and are neither perswaded by my speech nor by my silence, to apply proper remedies for the asswaging of my griefe, or the easing of my paines.

Hence Note.

It is the duty, and should be the care of those who visit Freinds in affliction, to pick somewhat out of what they say, or at least to take occasion from their silence, to administer consolation to their grieved mindes.

When the Servants of Benhadad came to Ahab to sue for their Masters life; the Text saith (1 Kings 20.33.) The men did di­ligently observe whether any thing would come from him (that is, whether any word of hope would come from Ahab) and they did hastily catch it: And Ahab had no sooner sayd, He is my Bro­ther; but they catcht at this as a word of comfort, they had what they lookt for, and sayd, Thy Brother Benhadad. If thou ownest him as a Brother, surely thou wilt not use him as an Enemy: There is (to the point in hand) a holy cunning in catching up words, which drop from the lips of men in affliction; and 'tis our wisedome to make improvement of them.

As for instance, There was an ancient Professor (as I have been informed) in much distresse of conscience, even to de­spaire; he complaining bitterly of his miserable condition to a Freind, let this word fall, That which troubles me most, is, that God will be dishonoured by my fall: This word was hastily catcht at, and turned upon him to the asswaging of his griefe, Art thou carefull of the honour of God, and doest thou thinke God hath no care of thee, and of thy salvation? A soule for saken of God re­gards not what becomes of the honour of God: Therefore be of good cheere; if Gods heart were not towards thee, thine could not be to­wards God, or towards the remembrance of his name. Thus words should be watcht, yea and silence should be watcht for advan­tages to ease a distressed soule.

Lastly, These words may referr to God; as if Job had said, Whether I speake, or whether I forbeare, God doth not come in to my helpe, I finde no comfort from him; he puts no stop to my paine, nor doth he asswage the floods of griefe which [Page 245] are ready to swallow me up. He gives me no ease at my com­plaining cryes, nor doth he give me any, at my patient silence. The next Verse seemes most sutable to this exposition, where Job applyes himselfe to God, shewing what hee did to him, both while he spake, and while he held his peace; he wearyed him still, and left him in a wearyed condition.

We may see (in this context) that the spirit of Job vvas much troubled, by the troublednesse of his speech. At this seventh Verse he speakes in the third Person, He hath made me weary: and before he gets to the end of it, he speakes in the second Person, Thou hast made desolate: In the eighth Verse, Thou hast filled me with wrinkles: In the ninth Verse, He teareth me in his wrath: The tenth Verse is Plurall, They have gaped upon me: Strange kinde of Grammar, sometimes in the third Person, sometimes in the second, sometimes in the Singular, sometimes in the Plurall number; His minde was uneven, or un­setled, and so was his discourse. We must not play the Criticks with the words of men in paine, nor submit their sentences to a Deske of Grammarians: Broken language, and incon­gruities of speech, doe well enough become broken hearts, and wounded spirits: God will not call his Schollers in the Schoole of affliction to the Ferula for such faults or false La­tine falling from their mouthes, either in prayer or confe­rences, while their hearts are true, and the language of their spirits pure.

[But Now] Now, is not here a Particle of time onely, [...] or a specification of the season, noting that then God eyther began, or still continued to make him weary; but it carryes also a strong asseveration, or the certainety of the thing; as in that promissory exhortation ( Hag. 2.4.) Yet now be strong O Zerubbabell, saith the Lord, and be strong, O Joshua. Though you see things yet below expectation, though this be a day of small things, yet take heart and encourage your selves to carry on this reforming worke. Yet now be strong, even now, when so many things might weaken both your hearts and hands, [Page 246] and be yee assured that I will not reject your confidence, but vvill cause you to prosper in it. Nunc in prin­cipio dictionis quandam cordis dulcedinem connotare solet. Bold. And in promises, besides the certainety of the thing promised, and the speedy fulfilling of them, it intimates much sweetnesse of affection in him that makes the promise. On the contrary, in threatnings, and comminations, besides the certainety and speed of them, it notes the sharpnesse and severity of his spirit, who gives those threats. So ( Isa. 5.5.) And now goe to, I will tell you what I will doe to my Vineyard. Now, goe too, is chiding cheare. As if the Lord had thus rated them; What? Have you served mee thus, as sure as I formerly planted and hedged this Vineyard, so sure­ly will I now pull downe the hedge, and root it up. In this fulnesse of sense take it here, But now he hath made me weary; certainly or of a truth he hath; I was once sweetly and strongly hedg­ed about with mercy, But now hee hath made mee weary and desolate.

He, is not expressed in the Hebrew, and therefore there is a doubt who is meant by this He.

Nunc autem oppressit me do­lor meus. Vulg.Some understand it of his griefe and sorrow, and read it thus, But now it hath made me weary; my paine hath tyred me.

Secondly, Others understand it of vvhat had been spoken by his Freinds; your tedious discourses, and severer censures have quite spent my spirits, and made me weary.

Our translation leads us to a person, and our Interpreta­tion leads us to God; He, that is, God, hath made mee weary. Job every where acknowledgeth that God vvas the Author, and Orderer of all his sorrows; Now he.

[...] Non solum fa­tigationem de­notat. sed & fastidium mo­lestissimum, tum animi tum corporis. Hath made me [weary] Or, He hath wearyed me; it is but one word, and it signifies not an ordinary wearinesse, not such a wearinesse as comes upon us after a turne or two in the Feilds: A man who walkes into the ayre, to refresh himselfe, may come home weary; but it notes such wearinesse as vvee feele after long and tedious travell, or after a hard journey; yea it notes not onely wearinesse of body, but the wearinesse of the minde. It is possible for a man to weary his body, and yet his minde remaine unmoved; bare outward action stirres not the minde. To ride, to run, to digg, or thresh, weary the [Page 247] body, not the minde; but those workes which with action have contention in them, as to argue, and dispute, doe at once exercise and weary both minde and body. The vvearinesse of the minde is the most painefull wearinesse, Jobs wearinesse takes in both; thou hast vvearied my body, and vvearied my minde too, I am full of soares vvithout, and of sorrow with­in. And such was that wearinesse spoken of by the Prophet ( Isa. 47.13.) Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels: that is, In going long journeys, to aske counsell of thy ado­red wise men, or Wizzards rather, of Southsayers, and Divi­ners; In this pursuit thou hast laboured thy body, and vexed thy soule, but profited neither. After all thy travels vvhat hast thou brought home but wearinesse? Tyred flesh, and a ty­red spirit is all the fruit of our addresses for comfort to any but God, or in the way of God.

The Septuagint translate yet higher, Sept. Exponunt de defectu ra­tionis. q. d. vix prae dolore sum mei com­pos. Thou hast made me mad or besides my selfe: The Hebrew word signifies to distract, or to put one out of his wits: As if Job had sayd, I am scarse my owne man, being over-burdened with those sorrowes God hath layd upon me.

Hence Observe.

First, A state of affliction is a wearisome estate. A man may be vvearyed who never stirrs foot from the place where he stands or sits. O the vvearinesse of a sick bed! Suffering, vvearies more then doing; and none are so vveary as they who are vvearied with doing nothing.

Observe Secondly.

Some afflictions are a wearinesse both to soule and body.

There are afflictions which strike quite through; and there are afflictions which are onely skin-deep: As there is a filthi­nesse of the flesh, and a filthinesse of the spirit properly so cal­led (for though every sin of the flesh, or outward man de­file the spirit, yet there are many filthinesses of the spirit, which are never acted by the flesh, or outward man.) Thus the Apostle distinguisheth (2 Cor. 7.1.) There are also some filthinesses which strike quite through flesh and spirit, body and soule. Thus there are some afflictions which are meerly upon the flesh; there are other afflictions vvhich are purely upon the spirit; the skin is whole, the body is in health, but the soule is vvounded, an Arrow sticks vvithin: And there [Page 248] are a sort of afflictions vvhich strike quite through body and soule; as old Simeon tells the Virgin Mary, a Sword shall peirce through thy soule (Luke 2.35.) or as the Psalmist speakes of Joseph (Psal. 105.18.) according to the letter of the Hebrew, Whose feet they hurt with fetters, his soule came into Iron, or the iron entred into his soule: Such afflictions are like the Roll spo­ken of by the Prophet Ezekiel (Chap. 2.) Written with lamen­tations, mourning, and woe, within and without; Some woes are vvritten onely vvithout, some vvoes are writen onely vvith­in, others are written without and within. Their Chara­cters are legible upon the flesh; and their effects descend and sinke into the spirit. Jobs afflictions were of this extension, he was smitten all over, and vvritten quite through with woes and lamentations.

Thirdly, As the word reacheth the distemper of the braine. Observe.

Some afflictions doe not onely afflict, but unsettle the minde.

They unsettle not onely the comforts, but the powers and faculties of it: a man under some afflictions can scarse speak sense vvhile he acts faith, or doe rationally while hee lives graciously.

A soule that hath grace, yea much grace, may appeare much scanted in the use of reason: As oppression (from men) makes a wise man madd (Eccles. 7.7.) And the more wise a man is, the more madd it makes him: Fooles can beare oppression, and not be troubled much, because they doe not understand vvhat justice and right meanes; and that's the reason why in those parts of the World vvhere Tyrants reigne, they love to keep the people ignorant, poore, and low, for such are not much sensible of their oppressions; but oppression is very grievous to an ingenious, vvise, and understanding man, and therefore 'tis sayd to make him madd: The purest intellectualls have the quickest sense of injuries. Thus also some afflictions from the hand of God may (in a degree) make a godly wise man madd, and put him for a present plunge beyond the command of his understanding. It is the confession of holy David (Psal. 73.22.) I was even as a beast beefore thee, so foolish was I and ignorant: If David a godly man acted below reason, when he saw the prosperity of the wicked; how much more may a godly man act below reason, under the [Page 249] feelings of his owne adversity. Heman is expresse in this ( Psal. 88.15.) While I suffer thy terrours I am distracted: Yet the word in the Psalme doth not signifie properly the distraction of a man that is madd, but the distraction of a man that is in doubt; or the distraction of a man who knowes not what to doe, not of a man who knows not what he doth, & yet that distraction doth often lead to a degree of this; for a man who is much troubled to know what to doe, and cannot know it, grows at last to doe he knows not what. We may also take in that about distraction arising from affliction, which was toucht about di­straction caused by oppression: Those Christians, who are highest in spirituals, and have the quickest sense of Gods dis­pensations towards them, doe soonest fall into it; whereas a soule upright in the maine, yet being of weake and low parts, and of small experience in the things of God, will goe, yea groane under a heavy burden of affliction all his dayes, and not be much moved with it.

Fourthly, Observe.

A godly man may grow extreame weary of his afflictions.

Affliction is the burthen which God layes upon us, and it is our duty, not onely to beare it, but to beare it with con­tentednesse; yea we should labour to beare it with joyfulnesse. My brethren (saith the Apostle James, Chap. 1.) Account it all joy when yee fall into diverse temptations; that is, Into diverse afflictions. But yet the best cannot alwayes rejoyce in temp­tations, nor tryumph under a crosse; when affliction accor­ding to that description of the word ( Heb 4.12.) comes quick and powerfull, as a two edged Sword, and peirceth to divide betweene the soule and the spirit, the joynts and the marrow, when affliction (I say) cuts to the quick, a Beleever is put hard to it; he may be so farr (for a time) from tryumphing and rejoy­cing, that he can scarsely finde himselfe contented or patient; his burden may cause him to cry out, O, the wearinesse!

Carnall men cry out at every burden of duty in the service of God, O what a wearinesse is it! They are tyred with an houres attendance in holy things; O the burthen! Much more doe they cry out under the lighter burdens of affliction. How tedious is a day, or an houre of affliction; two or three fits of an ague, an aking tooth, a soare finger, O what a wearinesse is this! They sinke presently. True Beleevers, as [Page 250] they have more patience in doing, so in suffering; yet even their patience doth not alwayes hold out; they, as Job, speak sometimes mournfully, and complainingly: But now, he hath made us weary.

Quod loquitur nunc in secunda nunc in tertia persona nihil in sententia m [...]tat id quod admo­dum frequens est in Scriptura Pined. [...] Vastari seu de­solari, ita ut videntes obstu­pescant & hor­reant.It was Hee in the first clause, Thou in the second; hee and thou are the same person in Jobs Grammar, as was toucht be­fore.

The word Shamam, signifies to waste, and destroy, and that not by an ordinary destruction, but so to destroy, as workes the beholders into amazement and wonder: This word sig­nifes both to wonder, and to destroy; because great destru­ctions cause wonder.

Thou hast made desolate all my company: Thou hast made such a desolation among them, that all who are about me lift up their hands (as we say) and blesse themselves, admiring to see this day. God brought such a desolation upon Jerusalem, as set the World a wondering ( Lam. 4.12.) The Kings of the Earth, and all the Inhabitants of the World would not have beleeved, that the Adversary and the Enemy should not have entered into the Gates of Jerusalem: Christ will come (at last with such mercies) to be glorified in his Saints, as will cause him to be admired in all them that beleeve (2 Thes. 1.10.) He now comes sometimes with such afflictions to his Saints, as easily cause them who beleeve much more those who beleeve not to admire. Thou hast wonderfully desolated, or wasted, ‘All my company.’

Et in nihilum redacti sunt omnes auctus mei. Vulg. All my [company] The word which we translate Company, is rendred, The joynts or members of the body by the Vulgar La­tine, Thou hast reduced all my members to nothing: As if hee had sayd, Thou hast loosened the whole compages, or structure of my bones and body, thou hast untyed, or cut asunder all the ligaments that held me together. This translation is but an allusion; because the members of the naturall body are like a company of men joyned together in a civill or spirituall bo­dy, which is therefore commonly called a Corporation. Some contend much for this sense, Thou hast made desolate all the mem­bers [Page 251] of my body: Especially, because the scattering of his Fa­mily doth not so well agree, or comply (say they) with the wearinesse before complained of, nor with the leanenesse, and wrinkles, which are spoken of afterward; both which be­long properly to the body.

Yet I passe that, and take the word as we read it, to expresse a distinct affliction, thou hast wearyed me in my person, and hast made desolate all my company; What company?

First, q. d. desolasti omnem Syna­gogam meam. Bold. Some understand it of the company which used to flock to his Synagogue, in holy duties, and excercises: As if he had answered the words of Eliphaz (Chap. 15.34.) The Congregation (or Company) of Hypocrites shall be desolate: Here, saith Job, I grant it, God hath made desolate all my company. The Synagogues, and places of publick meeting were wont to be filled, but now that resort is stayed, they are all scattered, or diverted, and those publick places are filled with howlings and lamentations. Thus he grants Eliphaz what he had object­ed, and yet denyes what hee thnnce inferred, that he was an Hypocrite.

Secondly, Rather interpret it of the company he had in his owne House, or for his particular Family. So it is a re­newed complaint of the losse of his Children and Servants, of his Freinds and Familiars, who used to resort to him, and stay about him.

Thou hast made desolate all my company: Some of Jobs compa­ny were made desolate; that is, they were destroyed; most of his Servants were slaine by the Chaldeans, and Sabeans, and all his Children were slaine by the fall of a House ( Chap. 1.) This company was made desolate indeed: Yet when he saith, Thou hast made desolate all my company, his meaning is, as Master Broughton translates, Thou hast made me desolate of all my compa­ny; that is, I am left alone.

Hence Observe.

The company of Children, and Freinds, is a very great mercy.

Heman complaines much when he wanted this mercy, Lo­ver and Freind hast thou put farr from me, and mine acquaintance into darknesse. Job makes, as a more particular, so a more pa­theticall enumeration of this losse ( Chap. 19.13, 14.) To be desolate in so great an affliction, that it is often put for all afflictions; and to be desolate of company, is the worst [Page 252] desolatenesse. When David had sayd, I am desolate and afflicted, he presently adds, The sorrowes of my heart are enlarged (Psal. 25.16, 17.) A man may be much afflicted, and yet not deso­late, but a man cannot beat all desolate, but he must be ex­treamely afflicted. When the Prophet would put all the mi­series of the Jewes into one word, he puts it into this ( Isa. 1.7.) Your Countrey is desolate, your Land strangers shall devoure it in your presence: And when a Land is devoured of strangers, either it is made desolate of its owne company, or its owne company is made desolate. Babylon boasts ( Revel. 18.7.) I sit a Queene, and am no widdow; that is, as I have power, so I have resort and company enough, I am not desolate: The A­postle puts these two together, Widdow-hood, and Desolate­nesse (1 Tim. 5.5.) Now, shee that is a widdow and desolate, &c. So that when Babylon saith, I am no widdow, her meaning is, I am not desolate; and hence the punishment of Babylon is threatned in this language ( Revel. 17.16.) The ten hornes which thou sawest upon the Beast, these shall hate the Whore, and make her desolate, &c.

Those ten hornes are ten Kings, who sometime doted up­on the painted beauty of that Whore, and then made frequent addresses to her, and did throng about her from all parts of the World; but when once their eyes shall be opened, their hearts will soone be alienated; They shall hate the Whore. And then as they withdraw affection, so visits and messages; Ba­bylons Courts shall be crouded with Suiters no longer: Thus they shall make her desolate of the company of her old freinds, before they make her desolate by bringing in new enemies, who shall strip her, not onely of her company, but of her cloathes, yea of her skin; they shall make her naked, and eate her flesh, and burne her with fire (Revel. 17.16.) Thus, as the misery which came upon Jerusalem, so the misery which shall come upon Babylon meet in this, The making of their company desolate: yet in this they differ, the desolations of Jerusalem shall be (at least mystically) repaired, but the desolations of mysticall Babylon (when they are fully come upon her) shall be irreparable.

Man is naturally (as the Philosopher calls him) a sociable creature, he loves company; they who are for a solitary life, Monkes and Anchorets, seeme to have put off the nature of man. [Page 253] There is an elective alonenesse, or retyrednesse, at some times very usefull for contemplation and prayer: And we are never lesse alone, then when we are so alone; for then God is more spe­cially with us, and we with him. It is sayd of Jacob (Gen. 32.24.) Then Jacob was left alone, not that Jacobs company had left and forsaken him, but that Jacob for a time had left his company: So, some render the Text actively, Hee stayed, or remained alone. Jacob stayed alone pueposely, that hee might have freer communion with God in that recesse and retire­ment from the creature: It is good for man to be alone from the company of man, that he may enjoy (more fully) the presence of God.

Yet God himselfe sayd at the first when man was created, It is not good for man to be alone: There was no morall evill in that alonenesse (for when God spake this word, there was no such evill in the visible World) but God called it evill, be­cause it was so inconvenient for the civill well-being and in­consistent with the naturall propagation of man. And there­fore as in reference to both these evils, God sayd with his own mouth, It is not good for man to be alone; so in reference to the former of the two, God sayd by Solomon, Two is better then one, and woe to him that is alone (Eccles. 4.9, 10.) Job puts his a­lonenesse among his woes, Thou hast made desolate all my com­pany.

But it may be said, Had Job no company? Were not his Freinds about him? Did not these three come to mourn with him, and to comfort him? And had they not been in discourse with him all this while?

Yes, he had company, but it was not suitable company; he had evill ones about him, as he complaines ( Chap. 19. and Chap. 30.) and though his three Freinds were good men, yet to him they were no good company, because so unpleasant in their converse with him.

Hence Note.

Some company is a burthen.

We say of many men, Wee had rather have their roome then their company. Man loves company, but 'tis the company of those he loves. The comfort of our lives depends much upon society, but more upon the suitablenesse of society: It is better to dwell in the corner of a house top, then with a brawling Woman in [Page 254] a wide house (Prov. 21.9.) And it is better to be in a Desert among wilde Beasts, then in a populous City among beastly men. This made the Prophet desire a lodging in the Wilder­nesse ( Jer. 9.2.) The Countrey about Sodome was pleasant, like the Garden of God, yet how was the righteous soule of Lot vexed with the filthy and unrighteous conversation of the Sodomites? How uneasie are our lives made to us by dwelling among either false Freinds or open Enemies?

In the Creation, when God said, It is not good for man to be alone; he subjoynes, Let us make him a helpe meet for him. A­dam had all the beasts of the earth about him, but they were no company for him, man knowes not how to converse with beasts, or employ his reason with those that have none. As, it is not good for man to be alone, so to be in company that is not meet for him is as bad, or worse then to be alone. There­fore saith God, Let us make him a helpe meet for him; the making of a Woman brought in meet company for mankinde; yet some men are as unmeet company for men as beasts are, and are therefore in Scripture called Beasts. Paul fought with such beasts at Ephesus; there are few places free of them, and many places are full of them. David cryes out, Woe is me that I am constrained to dwell in Mesech, &c.

There was company enough, but it was wofull company. The Primitive Saints associated themselves, they continued in fellowship one with another, as well as in the Apostles Doctrine, or in breaking of bread and prayer (Acts 2.42.) They were all of one minde, and were therefore f [...]t to make one body. The commu­nion and fellowship of the Saints, is the lower heaven of Saints. And the making of such a company desolate, is the saddest desola­tion that can be made on earth: Communion of Saints in Heaven, is one great accession to the joy of Heaven. And 'tis a great comfort to the Saints in the midst of all the ill neigh­bourhood which they meet with here, to remember that they shall meet with no ill neighboures there; none but Freinds there, none but loving Freinds. There shall not be a crosse thought, much lesse a crosse word or action among those ma­ny millions of glorified Saints for ever, nor shall there be a­ny among them there but Saints: no tares in that feild, nor chaffe in that floore, no Goates in that Fold, no nor any Wolves in Sheep-skins, no prophane ones there, no nor any [Page 255] Hypocrites there. Uunsutable company would render our lives miserable in Heaven it self. If God should say to the godly and the wicked (as David once did to Mephibosheth and Ziba, Thou and Ziba divide the Land) divide Heaven among you; might they not answer (with reverence) as Mephibosheth did to Da­vid, Nay let them take it all to themselves, O our soules come not into their secret, and unto their assembly let not our ho­nour be joyned: if Swearers, Adulterers, Lyers, should be our company in Heaven, Heaven it selfe, were unheaven'd, and everlasting life would bee an everlasting death. And that which further argues the burdensomness of unsutable compa­ny, is, that even wicked men themselves cannot but confess that they are burdned with the company of those who are good; if such come in presence where they associate in any sinfull con­verse, how weary are they of their company? How do they even sweat at the sight of them? And how glad are they when such turne their backs, and are gone: the onely reason why they like them not, is because they are not like them, and they are not good company, because they are good. All com­pany is made desolate to us, which is not made suitable to us. Job had many about him, yet he complaines, Thou hast made de­solate all my company.

Job goes on yet to describe his troubles; he wanted desireable company about him, but he had store of witnesses against him; he was emptyed of his comforts, but filled with sorrowes, as might be seen in the symptomes and effects of sorrow.

As if he had sayd, Though I hold my peace, and say nothing, Si vellem cae­lare aut verbis extenuare dolo­rem meum ru­gae meae testimo­nium daub &c. though I doe not aggravate my griefe, yea though I should extenuate and hide it, yet there are witnesses enow of it; my wrinkles speake my griefe, and my leannesse shewes that I am feasted with the sowre hearbes of sorrow: That's the generall sense of this Verse.

It is but one word in the Hebrew, we might render it, Thou hast wrinkled me; or as Master Broughton, Thou hast made me all wrinkled. The word is not found in this sense any where else [Page 256] in Scripture; [...] Rugas contrax­it active cor­rugavit. [...] & corrugastime Non alibi quam in hoc libro in scriptura repe­ritur. Quod succidisti me, testimonio est. Merc. but very frequently among the Rabbins. There are also two other significations of it which Interpreters have taken in here.

First, It signifies, To cut off, or to cut downe (Chap. 22.15, 16.) Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have troden? Which were cut downe out of time: That old way was the way of sin (the way of holinesse is the oldest way, but the way of sin is a very old way.) They who have trod the way of sin, were cut downe by judgement, and they were cut downe out of time; that is, the course of divine Justice prevented the course of nature, and struck them to death before death useth to strike. So some render it here, and then the sense riseth thus, Thou hast cut me downe by the stroke of these af­flictions, and this is a witnesse against me.

In significatione Chaldaica ex­ponitur pro li­gare & con­stringere.Secondly, The word according to the Chaldee, signifies to binde, and fasten one with Cords, or with fetters of Iron, as Malefactors are bound in Prison ( Prov. 5.22.) His owne ini­quity shall take the wicked, and he shall be holden with the Coards of his sin. The Hebrew word which we render to hold, or fasten, is expressed by this of Job in the Chaldee Paraphrase. Ta­king this sense of the word, the interpretation given of the whole is, Thou hast bound, or straitened mee with the cords of my affliction, Quod his dolo­rum vinculis constrictum me tenes, ne qua elabi queam, testimonium fe­cit in me. Merc. lest I should get out, or make an escape, and this is a witnesse against me: There is a truth in both these readings, as to this place; but because wrinkles are more proper to the leannesse which followes, therefore I shall not stay upon them, but keep to our owne reading.

Wrinckles are caused two wayes.

First, Through old age; for then the moysture of the bo­dy being consumed, and so the skin contracted, wrinckles appeare: These naturall wrinckles cannot be avoyded, if na­ture hold out to old age.

Secondly, There are accidentall wrinckles, such as are caused by strong diseases, which sucking up, or drawing out the moysture of the body, fade the beauty of it. Great sick­nesses hasten on gray hayres, and make a young man looke old. Job was not filled with the wrinckles of old age (hee was in the strength of nature at that time) but he was filled [Page 257] with the wrinckles of sicknesse and sorrow; griefe had made furrows in his face, and his teares had often filled them: we commonly say, Sorrow is dry; 'tis so, because it is a dryer. So­lomon tels us, that A merry heart doth good like a medicine, but a broken spirit (which is the effect of much sorrow) dryeth up the bones (Prov. 17.22.) The Church cryes out in the Book of Lamentations, My flesh and my skin he hath made old (Lam. 3.4.) How did God make them old? He made them old not by giving them many yeares, but by giving them many troubles. Many troubles in one yeare, will make a man older then ma­ny yeares.

We have heard of some, whose hearts being filled with vex­ing cares have filled their heads with gray hayres in a very short time. As some have an Art to ripen Fruits, before na­ture ripens them; so the Lord hath a power to hasten old age, before nature makes us old. Thou hast made my skin old; that is, full of wrinckles and leannesse; these are the liveries which old age gives. The Apostle assures us, that Christ shall one day present the Church to himselfe, in the perfection of spi­rituall beauty and glory; that beauty and glory is described by the removall of that from her spirituall estate, which Job complaines of in his temporall estate: Job was full of spots and wrinkles, but shee shall appeare, Not having spot or wrinckle (Ephes. 5.27.) that is, Without any note or marke of old age upon her. A spot defaceth the beauty of a Garment, and wrinckles spoyle the beauty of the face. An old Garment is full of spots, and an old face is full of wrinkles. Old things passe away when we are made new creatures by grace; yet in that state (because we are not perfectly freed from the old man) our garments have some spots, and our faces some wrinkles upon them: But in the state of glory, when all old things, even all the image of the old Adam shall be totally a­bolished, we shall not have so much as one spot or one wrin­kle. Beleevers have now a righteousnesse in Christ without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; they shall then have a ho­linesse in themselves, without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing▪ that is, They shall not onely not have any spot or wrinkle upon them, but they shall have nothing like it, nothing which hath any relation to it, nothing which either themselves or others shall mistake for it, they shall neither suspect nor be [Page 258] suspected to have a spot or a wrinkle about them. A perfect soule-state, and a perfect state of body, hath no wrinkle in it. Job to shew the decayes and blemishes of his body, saith hee was full of wrinkles.

Againe, These wrinkles by an elegant metaphor may referr to his whole outward condition: For as a mans face is wrin­kled when he growes old, so are his riches when he growes poore, and so is his honour when he growes out of repute. Poverty is the wrinkle of riches, and disgrace is the wrinkle of honour; we may take in all three here, for not onely was Jobs body, but his wealth and honour were extreamely wrin­kled, and therefore he had great cause to cry out according to all the the interpretations, Thou hast filled me with wrinkles.

I shall give the meaning of that, when I have opened the latter clause, where it is repeated, My leannesse rising up in me, beareth witnesse to my face: both parts of the Verse have the same meaning.

Some thinke, that Job answers vvhat Eliphaz had given, as part of the description of a vvicked man, in the fulnesse of his prosperity ( Chap. 15.27.) where he tells us, that, Hee covereth his face with fatnesse, and maketh collops of fat on his flanks; as if he had said, Freind Eliphaz, thou hast told me, that wicked men are fat and full, if so, what are they who are leane and meagre? canst thou according to thy owne rule, read wickednesse in my physiognomie? My leannesse riseth up in me, canst thou raise an argument from that against me?

Jobs body was leane, his Purse and Name were leane, his leannesse and his wrinkles were of the same extent, both reaching all his worldly concernments. The Lord threatens Idolaters ( Zeph. 2.11.) that he will famish, or make leane (so we put in the Margin) all their Gods. Jehovah, the true God, who saith to man ( Psal. 50.12.) If I were hungry, I would not tell thee, tels these false Gods, that hee will make them hungry: But what was the meat of these Gods? It was the [Page 259] honour and credit, the worship and service which they had a­mong men. Indeed they who deny the true God, his due ho­nour and worship, doe what they can to famish, or make him leane; and when the true God (as he hath done by the Prea­ching of the Gospel) turnes men from Idols to serve, and worship him the living God, then he famisheth those Gods: When Idols lose their esteeme, their leannesse riseth up, and they goe downe. Thus also it is with man, his leannesse may be said to rise when his credit fals.

Further, There is a twofold leannesse.

• First, Of the soule, or inward man.
• Secondly, Of the body, or outward man.

When the Jewes lusted in the Wildernesse, and called for flesh to satisfie the flesh: God (saith the Text, Psal. 106.15.) gave them their request, but sent leannesse into their soule. The soule in a proper sense, is neither fat nor leane, and therefore the soule in this place of the Psalme, must be taken improperly, or else the leannesse of it must. The soule is put improperly for the body, or for the whole man, and so, he sent leannesse into their soules, is, the curse of God caused them to pine secret­ly, or he slew the fattest of them (openly) and smote downe the chosen men in Israel: So this leannesse is expounded ( Psal. 78.31.) as if he had sayd, God made them a thin and a leane company before he had done with them. Yet besides this (I conceive) the Text doth intend some spirituall judgement; and then the soule is taken in a proper sense, but leannesse in an improper sense: and so, he sent leannesse into their soules, is, while they inordinately desired meat for their bodies, God withheld the ordinary food of their soules: He did not ad­minister his grace and holy spirit (which are the fatners of the soule) while they were thus hungry after dainties for the flesh.

Jobs Freinds thought him a leane soule, but he here con­fesses the leannesse of his body; and in that his continuall sorrow the cause of it. So the Prophet cryes out, My leannesse, my leannesse, woe unto me (Isa. 24.16.)

Fatnesse riseth up, and not leannesse, when a man growes leane, his flesh fals, and abates; skin and bone stick together, [Page 260] Why then doth hee say, My leannesse riseth up?

Though, when a man is leane, his flesh falls, yet his bones rise: A fat mans bones are (as it were) buried in flesh, you can scase feele his ribs, but when he growes leane, his bones stick out, and rise up: That is the meaning here, my leannesse rising up.

Maciei videtur dare personam ut paulo ante rugis. Job ascribes a rationall act, both to his wrinkles and to his leannesse, as if both did speak, and which is more, give evidence concerning him; he brings them forth as witnesses at the barr, this speakes, and that speakes, he doubles it, My wrinkles witnesse against me, and my leannesse rising up witnesseth to my face: When a witnesse is to give in his evidence in any cause before a Judge, he riseth up, or standeth forth, that all may see him; Job presents his leannesse in the proper posture of a witnesse rising up.

The Originall varies somewhat in the latter clause from the former; we render both by vvitnessing, but vve may read it thus, Thou hast filled me with wrinkles, that hath been, or is a wit­nesse, or (as Master Broughton reads) a proofe, my leannesse ri­sing up (or vvhich riseth up against me) answers (or speak­eth) to my face. The meaning is, These outward evils are evidence enough to my Freinds, that God is angry with me, and that I am wicked against God.

Job grants that those wrinkles, and this leannesse vvere wit­nesses of his afflictions, he never questioned their testimony, as to that point, neither indeed could he. Jonadab sayd to Amnon, Why art thou being the Kings Son, leane, or thin, from day to day, wilt thou not tell me? (2 Sam. 13.4.) His leannesse told his Freind plaine enough, that all was not vvell; he read that in his face, onely hee could not read the particular illnesse there. Magnum certè peccatum, quod tantum in flo­rente illa aetate deformitatem & senilem spe­ciem induxit. Putant tantas afflictiones te­stes esse magnae culpae & irae Dei. Coc. If vve see a young man, especially the Son of a Great man, or of a King (who is waited upon with all worldly delights) vvrinkled, and leane, is it not a witnesse that he hath been sick, or is overwhelmed vvith sorrow? these testifie to his face, he cannot conceale it.

But Jobs Freinds said, these were vvitnesses of his sin: they produced the wrinkles of his body as a vvitnesse of his vvrin­kled soule; and the leannesse of his outward man, as an ar­gument of his inward leannesse; they sayd, these testified plainely, that he was not onely a great sinner, but an Hypo­crite: [Page 261] And thus they argued all along, this vvas their con­stant plea; Job must needs be (according to this opinion) a man of an evill life, because his life was filled with evills: Thou hast filled mee with wrinkles, which is a witnesse against me, &c.

Hence Observe.

First, Great afflictions leave their marks behinde them.

Little afflictions leave no wrinkles, no leannesse behinde them, vve recover out of them, and nothing appeares of them; as it is in sinning, some sins leave no mark, such are our daily infirmities, and common failings; but there are other sins, which leave a mark behinde them, you cannot get them off suddenly, it may be you cannot claw off the marks of some sins as long as you live: though the sin be fully pardoned, yet the mark, the vvrinkle, the leannesse of it may remaine to your dying day. David being defiled with adultery and mur­der, prayes, Cause the bones which thou hast broken to rejoyce: Those two vvere such sins as broke his very bones; they vvere to his soule, as the breaking of a bone is to the body: If a man break a bone, though it be vvell Set, yet it leaves a mark. David carryed the skarr of those sins to his Grave: Though God had forgiven those sins, and did not remember them, to impute them to David, yet when God had occasion to speake of David to his highest commendation, he could not forbeare the mention of those sins (1 Kings 15.5.) David did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the dayes of his life, save onely in the mat­ter of Ʋriah. The vvrinkle or staine of that sin stuck upon Davids reputation, when the guilt of it vvas quite removed, and vvashed off from his person. 'Tis so with afflictions, some afflictions leave no mark, others goe deep: Though all afflictions are light comparatively to the weight of glory, as the Apostle speaks (2 Cor. 4.17.) For our light affliction which is but for a moment, workes for us a farr more exceeding, and eter­nall weight of glory: Yet afflictions being compared among themselves, some are light, and some are heavy: As a Cart that is heavy laden, cuts deep into the earth, and tells you where it hath gone; so doth the vvheele of a heavy affliction drawne over body, soule, or state.

Secondly, Observe (which is the naturall theologie of the Text.)

Wrinkles, and leannesse in youth, or strength of age are an argu­ment of extraordinary sorrow.

Thirdly, Take the words according to the sense of Jobs freinds, which Job also hints as meeting with their objection, They witnesse against me: that is, You use them, you bring them as witnesses against me:

Then Note.

Great afflictions are looked on as proofes, or witnesses of great sins.

We no sooner heare of, or see a man under great afflictions, but our first thought is surely he hath committed some great sin. This is almost every mans suspicion; but it is an ill grounded suspicion. This point was spoken to ( Chap. 10.17.) where Job tels the Lord, Thou hast renewed thy witnesses against me, &c. There 'twas shewed how afflictions are brought in by God and man as a vvitnesse; and this was the greatest evi­dence, and (upon the matter) all the evidence which the Freinds of Job brought against him, his wrinkles, and his lean­nesse: I shall here onely add this caution.

Take heed of passing judgement upon the evidence of such vvitnesses as these, wrinkles, and leannesse; for though eve­ry vvrinkle vvitnesse that a man is a sinner (were it not for sin we should have remained ever in our body and outward condition, as Beleevers shall be restored by Christ, without a wrinkle) yet they are not vvitnesses that a man is wicked: I may say two things of these vvitnesses.

• First, They are alwayes doubtfull witnesses.
• Secondly, For the most part they are false witnesses.

It is a very questionable and uncertaine evidence which af­flictions give against us: For no man knowes love, or hatred, by all that is before him: We can but guesse at the best, by vvhat they say. Rugae meae te­stimonium di­cunt contra me, & suscitatur falsiloquus ad­versus faciem meam contradi­cens mihi. Vulg. But usually they beare false witnesse against the in­nocent; so they did against Job; they witnessed that of him to his Freinds which was not right. Therefore the Vulgar translates the latter branch (though not well to the letter of the Originall, yet well as to the sense) A fal [...]e witnesse is ri­sen up against my face, contradicting me; that is, Opposing or weakning all that I have said concerning my owne innocence. [Page 263] Yea if we make affliction a witnesse, we may rather make it a witnesse of sincerity, and of grace, a marke of adoption and sonship, a mark of divine Favour and Fatherly love, then of mans wickednesse, or of Gods rejection and disfavour. The word is cleere and expresse for this ( Heb. 12.6, 7, 8.) For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every Son whom he receiveth, &c. But if yee be without chastisement whereof all are partakers, then are yee Bastards and not Sons. So then, our wrin­kles and our leannesse may upon Scripture warrant, be brought as witnesses for us, but we have no warrant to con­clude upon their witnesse, either against our selves, or o­thers.

But it seemes Job had a higher witnesse against him (if such witnesses might be allowed) then a wrinkled skin, or a leane face: Behold now his torne flesh, and his limbs rent in sunder, as if (not onely like Daniel) he had been cast into a Lyons Den, but as if (which Daniel did not) he had felt the worst of the Lyons teeth and pawes.

Strange language! He teareth me in his wrath who hateth me. Job gives us a description of the Lords dealing with him, in allusion to the fury of wilde Beasts, Lyons, Tygers, and Bears, who gnash their teeth, and sparkle with their eyes, when they either fight one with another, or fall upon their prey.

'Tis doubted whom Job meaneth by this Tearer: Some judge this Title applicable onely to the Devill, and interpret Job speaking of him; the Devill hateth me, He teareth me in his wrath: Job was delivered into the hand of the Devill ( Chap. 2.) And this is the courtship of Hell, He teareth.

Secondly, Others understand it of his extreame paine and torturing disease, that tore him like a savage Beast.

A third expounds it of his Freinds, as if he compared them to wilde Beasts, who in stead of comforting his spirit, did (upon the matter) teare his flesh between their teeth.

Fourthly, 'Tis conceived, he meanes those vaine ones of whom hee speakes ( Chap. 19.) that came about him, and troubled him.

But fifthly, and most generally, this Text is interpreted of God himselfe, He teareth me in his wrath who hateth me. For though Job speaks here distractedly, discovering rather his griefe then his enemy; or as a man wounded and smitten in the darke, Ejusmodi que­rimoniae in ne­minem certo jactatae afflicti hominis propriae sunt. he perceives he hath an enemy, he feeles the smart, and beares the blowes, but he is not able to see who hurts him, yet in this confusion of language, his heart was still upon God who ordered, and disposed all those armies of sorrow, which assaulted him on every side.

The Hebrew word Taraph is neer in sound to our English Teare, [...] Ferarum prae­dam rapientium & lacerantium proprium est. and it signifieth to teare as a Lyon his prey ( Gen. 49.9.) Judah is a Lyons whelpe, from the prey my Son thou art gone up. The same word in the Verbe, notes Tearing, and in the Nowne a prey, because the prey is torne by the teeth, or clawes of the Lyon.

[...] Est totis viri­bus adversari, idem cum Sa­tan, unde & Satanas dictus. Ira sua rapit quasi odio inte­stino prosequa­tur me. Jun. He teareth mee in his [wrath.] Wilde Beasts teare not so much from wrath, as for hunger; they teare out of a desire to fill themselves, rather then out of malice to destroy others. But Job saith, He teareth me in his wrath who [hateth] me.

The word signifies not an ordinary, but an inward hatred, and with the change of a letter it is the same by which the De­vill is expressed, Satan, an adversary, or the adversary; so called because of his extreame hatred against mankinde, yea against Christ himselfe. Job speakes of God as if he bare such a ha­tred against him as Satan doth, [...] Frenduit den­tibus; est invi­dentium, iras­centium, irri­dentium habi­tus. Loquitur ad si­militudinem bestiae quae ho­mini commi­nando dentes contra ipsum parat. Aquin. an inward perfect hatred.

Thus some translate, He prosecutes me with inward hatred: A hard expression of God; Doth he teare a harmelesse soule, and teare him in wrath? Yet this is not all; to make up the measure of this excessive language, take two aggravations more.

Job pursues the allusion still: Beasts (as it were) whet their teeth that they may devoure their prey: This action of gnashing the teeth is ascribed to men, and it notes four things.

First, Extreame envy ( Psal, 12.10.) The wicked shall see it and be grieved, he shall gnash with his teeth and melt away; the desire of the wicked shall perish: But at what was this wicked man greived, till he gnashed his teeth? Was it a griefe of com­passion at the misery of others? No, it was a griefe of envy at the prosperity of others, as is cleare from the words im­mediately foregoing. The horne of the righteous shall be ex­alted with honour: Envy is the vexation and depreson of our owne spirits, at the exaltation of another man in riches or in honour. It is not a sicknesse catcht from another mans disease, but a sicknesse catcht from another mans health.

Secondly, Gnashing of the teeth, notes extreame derision, or highest contempt and insultation over a man in misery ( Psal. 35.15, 16.) But in mine adversity they rejoyced, and ga­thered themselves together (that is, then gathered themselves to­gether for joy, or to rejoyce) yea the very abjects gathered them­selves together (such as all honest, or civill men had cast out of their company and society, associated and knotted them­selves into companies) against me, they did teare me (that is, my good name) and ceased not; with hypocriticall mockers at feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth: Where it is also observable, that we have the former act complained of by Job, joyned with this, Tearing, with gnashing of the teeth.

Thirdly, Gnashing of the teeth is the effect of extreame paine; thus the damned in Hell shall gnash their teeth for e­ver ( Matth. 8.12. Matth. 13.42.) That gnashing of teeth a­riseth from a mixed passion, partly from envy, and partly from sorrow; envy at the good which the Saints enjoy, and sorrow at the evill which themselves feele; hence comes gnash­ing of teeth in Hell.

Fourthly, Gnashing of teeth is an argument of extreame wrath and anger ( Acts 7.54.) where it is sayd of Steevens at once Auditors and Enemies, When they heard those things, they were cut to the heart (Peters Auditors, Acts 2. were prickt at the heart with godly sorrow, Stevens Auditors were cut to the heart with ungodly anger) and they gnashed upon him with their teeth. The gnashing of teeth here spoken of is the con­commitant of supposed wrath, He teareth me in his wrath, and gnasheth upon me with his teeth.

Yet further: ‘ [Page 266]Mine enemy sharpeneth his eyes upon me.’

This notes the fiercenesse of an enemy: Wilde Beasts when they fight, whet their eyes as well as their teeth; and a man that is extreamely enraged, looks upon his opposite as if he would looke through him: Thus Job represents the Lord in all the postures of an enemy, Hee sharpeneth his eyes against mee.

[...] Acuit, detersit gladium ut splendeat, ad terrorem poli­vit instrumenta ferrea autanea. Placidis oculis aliquem intue­mur quando fa­cta ejus bene interpretamur. Aquin.The word signifies to sharpen as a Sword, or a Speare, or any instrument of Iron is sharpened (1 Sam. 13.20.) There was no Smith in Israel; but all the Israelites went downe to the Phi­listims to sharpen every man his share, &c. That word is used here, Mine enemy sharpeneth his eye like a Sword, as if he would strike me through with his eye; we say a man hath a peircing eye, when he looks very angerly.

When we are well pleased, kindnesse is seen in our eyes; we give our Freinds a pleasant and gentle looke; Christ tels the Spouse ( Cant. 4.9.) Thou hast ravished mine heart, my Sister, my Spouse, thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes. The Hebrew is, Thou hast taken away my heart with one of thine eyes. Per metapho­ram ad scintil­lationem oculo­rum transfer­tur, ubi oculi ad modum aeris candentis, vel lampadis ar­dentis vel au­rorae radios vi­brare dicuntur. Bold. Ingenii vim in eo fulgor oculo­rum ostendebat, quorum a [...]iem instar siderum vibrantem in­tentius eum in­tuentes ferre non poterant. Pezel. Mellis. Hist. par. 2da. Knolles Turk. Hist. A holy love-looke stole away Christs heart; he could not but love the Church when (through the comlinesse which he had put upon her) shee looked so lovely on him. As thus a look of love from the Churches eye stole away Christs heart, so a look of mercy from Christs eye broke Peters heart, yea and opened the Flood-gates of his eyes too ( Luke 22.61, 62.) And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter, and Peter went out and wept bitterly.

There are soft looks as well as soft words, and there are hard looks as well as hard words: The eye is a Speare and an Arrow, yea a sharp Sword as well as the tongue; He sharpneth his eyes upon me, as if he would stab me to the heart with a glanse of his eye. The eye hath its scintillations, its sparklings, even as bright burnisht Brasse, or as a burning Lampe, or as the morning Sun sends forth his rayes and beames; such scintil­lations doth the eye of some men send forth naturally. The Romane Historians report of Augustus Caesar, and our Turkish Historian reports of Tamerlane, that such a majestick lustre sparkled from their eyes, as dazled the eyes of their beholders, which (saith my Author) caused the latter in a comely [Page 267] modesty to abstaine from looking earnestly upon such as spake with him. What the eyes of these great Princes did naturally, the eyes of many doe when they looke passionately. Christ hath a sharpe eye, so sharpe, that his eyes (as represented to John in a Vision) were like a flame of fire (Revel. 1.14.) The eyes of God are so sharpe naturally, or according to the ex­cellency of his nature, that no eye can behold his face; and himselfe beholdeth not onely every face, but peirceth into e­very heart; yet besides this naturall sharpnesse of his eye to­wards all, he angerly sharpens his eye against his Enemies; God was indeed Jobs Freind, and Job was Gods Favorite, yet here he speakes of God (as he had also done before) as of his Enemy; and as of an Enemy, declaring himselfe at his eye, Mine enemy sharpeneth his eye upon me.

Job attributes this to God, in the extremity of his paine; Adversarium suum vocat Job non amicos so­lum sed omnem creaturam, quae resistit Domino resistente, accu­sat Domino ac­cusante, damnat Domino dam­nante, aut ip­sum Deum ad­versarium in­telligas. Brent. this was the voice of his flesh, it was not the voyce of Job him­selfe: this was the voice of his sense, not the voyce of his Faith, Would you know what was the voyce of Job himselfe, or of Jobs Faith? Heare that ( Chap. 13.15, 16, 18.) Though he kill me, yet will I trust in him He also shall be my salvation, and I know that I shall be justified. Heare againe his Faith speaking ( Chap. 19.25.) I know that my Redemeer liveth, and I shall see him againe with these eyes: Though sense saw God as an Ene­my sharpening his eyes upon him, yet Faith saw God his Re­deemer, in this assurance, that he also should behold him with an eye of sense, I shall see him with these eyes.

Hence Observe.

First, That God dealeth with those whom he loveth dearely, as if he hated them.

Secondly, They whom God doth love, may be under a present ap­prehension that God hates them.

I only name these points as arising from this place; they have been handled ( Ch. 13.24. Ch. 14.13.) upon those words, Ʋntill thy wrath be past; and therefore I stay not upon them here.

Thirdly, Note.

God (to sense) doth seeme to excercise a kinde of cruelty (e­ven the cruelty of wilde Beasts) towards those whom hee dearely loves.

What are tearing and gnashing of teeth? What is the shar­pening of the eye? Is not any one of these, much more all [Page 268] these in one, the discovery of cruelty. Job saith all this: and doth not Hezekiah say as much ( Isa. 38.13.) I reckoned till morning, that as a Lyon, so will he breake all my bones, from day e­ven to night wilt thou make an end of me. We finde God taking upon himselfe those similitudes, not onely in reference to his Enemies, but also to his owne people; for as he deales with the wicked when they provoke him, so in proportion with his owne. Outward dispensations make no difference; I will take vengeance, I will not meet thee as a man (Isa. 43.3.) that is, I will not shew so much as any humane pitty or compassion, much lesse Divine, but I wil meet thee as a Beast. Thus God threatned to deale with Babylon; and thus he appeares to deale with Si­on, with the choisest Sons and Daughters of Sion.

And thus he professed ( Hos. 5.14.) For I will be unto E­phraim as a Lyon, and as a young Lyon to the House of Judah; I, e­ven I, will teare and goe away; I will take away and none shall re­seue him.

Job having shewed what hard usage he had from God him­selfe, who appeared as an enemy, proceeds now to shew what hard and course usage he had from men, who were indeed his enemies, into whose hands God had delivered him.

The person is now changed, as also the number; before it was He, now They: And who were they? We have no Names to give them; onely in generall. These were the instruments which God let loose upon him; his Freinds, say some; his Enemies say others. Whosoever they were, doubtlesse they were either downe right Enemies, or Enemy like Freinds; their owne behaviour speakes them so, They have gaped upon me, &c.

He varies, or heightens their enemy-like behaviour by three expressions.

• First, They have gaped upon me with their mouth.
• Secondly, They have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully.
• Thirdly, They have gathered themselves against me.

I shall open them distinctly.

First, They have gaped upon me with their mouth.

Gaping with, or opening the mouth, implyes two things.

First, Scorne and derision ( Lam. 2.16.) All thine enemies have opened the mouth against thee, they hisse and gnash the teeth; they say we have swallowed her up: certainely this is the day we looked for. The Church in affliction was afflicted with scornfull gestures.

Secondly, As gaping with the mouth notes scorne, so also cruelty; he that gapes at another, tels him (though he say nothing) that he could devoure him, and eate him up (as we say) Without Salt, Such a one shewes that hee needs no Sauce ( Psal. 22.13.) They gaped upon me with their mouthes, as a ravening and roaring Lyon: A Lyon gapes at his prey to de­vour it; Job often complaines both of the contempt and cru­elty of many against him; and their gaping upon him in­cludes both; which are also againe intimated in the next clause.

Some render it, Reproaching me, they have smitten me on the cheek: Smiting on the cheek is taken two wayes.

• Literally.
• Metaphorically.

What literall smiting is, all know, and most have felt, but had Job any about him who used him thus rudely? I conceive, not; and therefore we may understand him metaphorically. So, smiting on the cheek, is to reproach: And these words, They have smitten me on the cheek reproachfully, are no more nor lesse, then, They have reproached me. To smite on the cheek, is a thing so reproachfull, that, by an Hebraisme, Percutere maxillam He­braica locutio est, quae signi­ficat gravissima contumelia ali­quem afficere. it signifieth to reproach ( Lam. 3.30.) He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him, which is expounded in the latter clause by this, he is fil­led full with reproach. The sufferings of Christ, which were full of reproach, are thus Prophesied, I gave my back to the smi­ters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the haire: I hid not my face from shame and spitting (Isa. 50.6.) Christ was smitten on the face literally ( Matth. 26.67.) Then did they spit in his face and buffeted him, and others smote him with the palmes of their hands. Hee was smitten also tropically, being put to open shame, and disgracefully dealt with. That of the Apostle [Page 270] cleares this sense (2 Cor. 11.20.) Yee suffer a man to bring you into bondage, if a man devoure you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himselfe, if a man smite you on the face, that is, If he disgrace you: So the Apostle expounds it ( Vers. 21.) I speake con­cerning reproach. Paul (Chap. 12.) had a messenger of Satan sent to buffet him, to cuffe, or smite him with the fist, so the word signifies; what that was, at least in part, hee explaines ( Vers. 10.) I will therefore take pleasure in reproaches. Thus the Prophet describes the dishonour which should be put upon the Judge ( Micah. 5.1.) Now gather thy selfe in Troops, O daughter of Troops, he hath layd seige against us; they shall smite the Judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek, that is, The Enemy shall powre contempt upon thy Kings and Princes; Cum aliquis propter gravem aliquam igno­miniam pudefit, licet vis omnis absit, & plaga verberari dici­tur in maxilla. Sanct. in Mic. c. 5. v. 1. in which sense they may be sayd to be smitten upon the cheek, though no rod nor hand touch them. And some interpret that ( Mat. 5.39.) If any man smite thee on the right cheeke, turne to him the left also, not of hand, but tongue smiting, or of suffering reproach. As if Christ had sayd, If any one disgrace thee a little, beare it, yea though he should disgrace thee a great deale more, yet beare it: Smiting upon the right cheek, notes a lesser injury received. When a man smites another on the right cheek, he smites with his left hand; the left hand strikes the right cheek, and the left hand is the weaker in most, and gives a weaker blow. If thou receive a blow on thy right cheek with the left hand, turne the other, and let him smite thee with the right hand, let him give thee a smarter, a hander blow: that is, If a man disgrace thee a little, reward him not with disgrace, but pre­pare to beare a greater, turne the left cheek. And the reason of this was, because slaves and condemned persons were thus smitten, as also such as were supposed to speake irreverently to the Magistrate.

Hence it was that when Paul had spoken freely to the Coun­cell, saying, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God untill this day: presently Ananias the high Priest, com­manded those that stood by him to smite him on the mouth ( Acts 23.1, 2.) In which case Christ himselfe was smitten by an Officer that stood by ( John 18.22.) From all which Scripture testimonies it is more then manifest, that to smite a man on the cheek, is to disgrace, because they who fell un­der disgrace, were usually smitten on the cheek: and this I [Page 271] take to be the most suitable interpretation of Jobs complaint in this place, They smite me on the cheek reproachfully.

Hence Observe.

First, The best Saints on earth have been smitten and deepely wounded with reproach.

God himselfe gave an honourable testimony of Job, there was none like him, he had no peere on earth, for holinesse and uprightnesse; yet men gave testimony against him, as if he had been the scumm of the World, for unholinesse and hy­pocrisie. David, a man after Gods owne heart, was (not onely reproached, but) a reproach among all his Enemies, but especially among his neighbours (or neerest Freinds both in habitation and relation) and he heard the slander of many (Psal. 31.11, 13.) The word of God was made a reproach to the Prophet Jeremy (Chap. 20.8.) And the spirit was made a reproach to the A­postles ( Acts 2.13.) Others mocked, saying, These men are full of new Wine: When indeed they were filled with the holy Ghost (Vers. 4.) Drunkards made Songs upon David, but the Apo­stles were sung about for Drunkards.

We are fools, saith Paul (that is, We are so called and accoun­ted) for Christ, and being defamed (or as the word bears, blas­phemed, to speake against any thing of God in Man, is blas­phemy, as well as speaking directly against God) we entreat. And to shew, that this was no prick with a Pin, or small scratch upon their credit, which made him complaine; hee tels us what this fame did amount unto, We are made as the filth of the World, and as the off-scouring of all things unto this day (1 Cor. 4 13.)

The whole World lieth in wickednesse (which is a morall filthinesse) so that to be the filth of the World is to be the filth of filthinesse; the filth of a cleane thing is bad enough, what then is the filth of a filthy thing? The off-scouring of any thing is base, then what is the off-scouring of all things, which must needs include the basest things? These Apostles who were the ornament and glory, the purest and most re­fined peeces of the whole inferiour World, were yet made (not that these reproaches did at all change them from what they were in themselves, but they made them to be in the o­pinion of others, what they least of all were) the rubbish, and the refuse, the sweepings, and the drosse of the whole [Page 272] World. The Apologies of Tertullian and others, doe abun­dantly testifie what reproaches the Primitive Christians suffer­ed, both in reference to their practice and worship. Athanasius was called Sathanasius (as if he had been a Devil incarnate) by the Abbettors of the Arrian Heresie, which he stiffely op­posed: [...] est stercoreus, hinc Coprion scara­beus, a luto sci­licet. Bech de Orig. Ling. Lat. And some who were displeased with the Opinions and Writings of Cyprianus, called him in contempt, Coprianus, or one that gathers dung, as if his Bookes were nothing but dung heaps.

How Luther, Calvin, and other Reformers of the former age, were smitten reproachfully, both by the tongues and Pens of the Popish Party, is knowne of all these parts of the World: And how much this trade (which is indeed the De­vils trade) of slandering the footsteps of Gods annoynted ones, is continued unto this day, we have but too much evi­dence. A man can scarse appeare, indeed, for God, but he is thus smitten on the cheek by men. Religion and the power of godlinesse have ever been an occasion of contention, and for the most part, to smite with reproach, hath been the man­ner of contending.

There are not many enemies of good men, who have a Sword to draw against them, but all the Enemies of good men have ill words enow at command to throwe against them, and of them they are seldome sparing: And, though (which is bad enough, yet no better can be expected of them) this trade of reproaching be driven most by evill men against those who are good, yet (which is farre worse) wee may learne from this instance betweene Job and his Freinds (for even they did not spare to reproach him) that (which shall be,

A second Observation.)

A good man may so farr forget himselfe, as to speake reproach­fully against his Brother: Yea, the reproaches of Professors one against another, have been (as they are the saddest, so) the sharpest and bitterest reproaches. They who agree in most things, take it most unkindely when they differ in any thing; and are more ready to revile one another about the points wherein they differ, then to blesse God for those where­in they are agreed. The Papists did not more reproach Luther and Calvin, whose judgements concurred in opposing them, [Page 273] then Lutherans and Calvinists have reproached each other, where they are opposite in judgement: The corrupt remaines even in good men, tell them that whosoever differs from them stands in their light and obscures their excellency, and there­fore that themselves may shine the brighter in what they hold, they little care (when master'd by selfe and passion) how ob­scure, yea foule they render them, who hold the contrary.

While Infidels reproached Christians, it was the glory of Christianity, and while the wicked reproach the godly, it is the glory of godlinesse; but while one Christian reproaches another, the glory is departed from godlinesse. Is it not e­nough that the Servants of God are thus smitten by the world, must they needs smits their fellow-Servants, and revile those who are (upon the maine) in the same way of God wherein they are, onely because they are not fully in their way? Yea, when possibly, they may be in a higher and more perfect way then they? Is it not enough that the Bryars and Thornes, which are among the Lillyes, teare and scratch them? Shall the Lillyes degenerate into Bryars and Thornes one towards another? Or if at any time a Lilly of the one side teare, and be harsh, should not the Lilly on the other side be kinde and gentle? If Israel transgresse, let not Judah offend too▪ Lu­ther was often at Sharps with Calvin, but Calvin professed (and that was a Noble profession) Though Luther call me De­vill, yet I will honour Luther as a Servant of God.

Holy Job cannot be excused for his faylings in this, who as he complaines here, that he was reproached by his Enemies, yea and by his Freinds too, yet he gave his Freinds some ad­vantage to complaine also of harsh words, if not of reproa­ches cast upon them.

Thirdly, Observe.

Reproach is a very heavy burthen.

Remember (Lord) the reproach of thy Servant, how I doe beare in my bosome the reproach of all the mighty people, wherew [...]th thine Enemies have reproached thee, O Lord, wherewith they have re­proached the footsteps of thine annoynted (Psal. 89.50, 51.) And againe ( Psal. 69.9.) The reproaches of them that reproached thee, are fallen on me. Yet more ( Psal. 42.10.) As with a Sword in my bowels (or in my bones) they reproach me, while they say, &c. Reproach is not onely a burden upon the back, but a [Page 274] Sword in the bowels. A reviling, reproaching tongue is com­pared in Scripture to three things.

• First, To a Raisor.
• Secondly, To a Sword.
• Thirdly, To an Arrow.

A Raisor is so keene, that it takes off every little hayre, re­proach cuts a hayre, it will have to doe even with undiscerna­ble evils. A Sword wounds at hand, and smites those that are neere; an Arrow wounds afarr off: So that whether a man be farr off, or neer, whether his error be small or great, or but imaginary; it is all one to a reproachfull spirit, his tongue serves him for all turnes: David was tryed by all manner of reproaches; but those which pinched and pressed him most, were his reproaches about spirituall things. Any reproach is bad enough, but a reproach in Religion, is worst; to be reproached with our prayers, and with our God, Where is your God? Such reproaches, how deep doe they goe? They strike to the very heart. Credit is a precious commodity; a man is more tender of it, then of his flesh; now all reproach falls upon our credit, and the more excellent that peece of our credit is, upon which the reproach fals, the more greivous is that reproach to us. Credit in spirituall things is the most excellent credit: Thus David was reproached, and so was Job, Is this thy feare, and thy confidence? Is this the thing thou hast so long boasted of? Christ was to beare the greatest burden of affliction, and therefore he did not onely beare the Crosse, but reproach with it; he suffered death, and reproach with death; he suffered the shamefull death of the Crosse, in which there was more then a reproach, a curse, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree: Christ must dye an ignominious death, as well as a painefull, and the igno­miny was a heavier burden then the paine. Wee are ex­horted ( Heb. 13.13.) To goe out bearing his reproach; as in­timating that to beare the reproach of Christ, would be har­der to us, and a stronger temptation, then to beare the crosse of Christ. As the greatest part of Christs sufferings for us, was to beare our reproach, so the greatest part of our sufferings for Christ is to beare Christs reproach: Let us goe forth unto him without the Camp, bearing his reproach. And indeed reproach is so great a burden, that were not this consideration in it; [Page 275] that is, Christs, no man would bear it; and they will yeeld to doe any thing rather then suffer reproach, who are not able to say that their reproach is the reproach of Christ. Moses looked upon his reproach, as the reproach of Christ, he did not esteeme his owne reproach, but the reproach of Christ greater riches, then the treasures of Aegypt ( Heb. 11.26.) Our re­proach is nothing but dung or drosse which hath weight in it to presse us, but no worth in it to enrich us; but the re­proach of Christ is treasure, which though it have weight in it to presse us, yet it hath abundance of worth in it to enrich and crowne us. The Apostle cals it, The reproach of Christ, both because Christ did beare such reproach himselfe, and because Christ owned Moses in bearing that reproach; yea he owned that reproach which Moses bare, as if he had borne it himselfe; while we are reproached for Christs sake, Christ is reproached; and though it should grieve us that Christ is re­proached in us, yet it may comfort us, that Christ takes our reproach as his. They have smitten me on the cheek reproachfully, and yet they have not done with me.

It seemes they contemned and reproached him singly, or e­very man apart; but they joyned altogether in consulting and plotting against him.

The word that we translate to gather together, hath a second signification, namely, to fill, either as a roome is filled with Goods, or Persons, or as the stomack is filled with meat, [...] 1. Implere com­plere. 2. Colli­gere, congregare quod rebus col­lectis implean­tur loca. or food, or as an Army with Men. Hence Master Broughton translates, They come by full Troops upon mee: And another, They will be filled with me, or upon me. The Vulgar explaines it thus, They are filled or satiated with my punishment: or as a third, They have taken their fill of pleasure at my miseries. The reason of this sense ariseth from the former; because, where many things or persons are gathered together, they fill up that place.

First, It signifies to gather together, as men are gathered in a civill Society, and combination: Job supposed his Freinds conspired his hurt, and that they gathered themselves together against him, who pretended to gather themselves together for [Page 276] him; or wee may apply this to his professed Enemies, who were very unanimous to vex and trouble him.

Hence Note.

Super me im­plebuntur. Mont. Men are apt to agree in doing hurt.

Union is not alwayes a signe of a good cause: 'Tis but sel­dome we can agree to doe a common duty. Good men want the cement of love in a good cause; evill men seldome want it in a bad. Behold (saith God, Gen. 11.5, 6.) This people are one, and they all speake one language: their language was one, and so were their hearts, to build a Tower, whose top might reach to Heaven: The builders of Babel are more united, then the builders of Sion. The Psalmist complaines of the Enemies onenesse ( Psal. 83.5, 6, 7. They have consulted together with one consent (or heart) they are confederate against thee. Gebal, and Amon, and Amalek, the Philistims, and them that dwell at Tyre: Ashur is also joyned with them, &c. All Nations, even Hetroge­niall Nations, can joyne in mischiefe; men of severall King­domes, and spirits, Pilate and Herod joyne to crucifie Christ; but as it is most beautifull and pleasant ( Psal. 133.) So, O how hard a thing is it for Brethren to dwell in unity. They who have one God, one Lord, one Faith, one Spirit, one Baptisme, one Hope; yea they who (in one sense) are one Body, and one Spirit ( Ephes. 4.4, 5.) are seldome one.

Satiati sunt paenis meis. Vulg. In malis meis voluptatem su­am exploverunt Tygur.From that second sense of the word, They have filled, or sa­tiated themselves with me.

Note.

It is a kinde of pleasure to some to see others in paine.

We should be pained with the paine of others; fellow-fee­ling is a duty; how farr are they departed from this duty, who are so farr from feeling the sufferings of others, that they take pleasure in their sufferings?

There are two sorts of pleasure, which every good man should abhorr.

First, Pleasure in sin, our owne, or others: The worst that was sayd of the wicked Gentiles was this, They not onely doe such things, but take pleasure in them that doe them (Rom. 1.32.)

Secondly, Pleasure in the sufferings and sorrows of others; some doe not onely put others to the suffering of sorrow, but take pleasure in the sorrow which they suffer; they make their teares as Wine, their ashes as Bread; and untill they see [Page 277] them weeping and feeding on ashes, their owne Wine is as teares, and their Bread as ashes to them. Haman came full from the Queenes Banquet, and he was invited by her to a se­cond Banquet the next day, yet still he was hungry, and sayd ( Hest. 5.13.) All this avayleth me nothing, so long as I see Mor­decai the Jew sitting at the Kings gate: 'Tis like, Haman had ea­ten and drunke freely, yet the Banquet had not filled his bel­ly: All this availeth me nothing. More then forty of the Jewes bound themselves under a curse, that they would neyther eate nor drink till they had killed Paul (Acts 23.12, 13.) It would have been better to Haman then meate and drinke to have killed Morde­cai, and all the Jewes.

Some have been heard to say, O how sweet is revenge! What a pleasant draught is a draught of blood! Spightfull spirits hunger and thirst for the downefall and misery of those who stand in their way; nor will any thing satisfie hatred, but the ruine of those who are hated; and when once they see them ruined, they are satisfied; as envy is troubled at the good which another enjoyes more then at all the evils which it selfe feeles; so malice is more satisfied with the evils which befall others, then with all the good which it selfe enjoyes ( Ex. 15.9.) The enemy sayd, I wil pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoyle, my lust shall be satisfied upon them. Pharoah and his Cour­tiers, yea all the Aegyptians hungred and thirsted for the flesh and blood of Israel: They had a lust, or a longing rather (as women with Childe have sometimes inordinate appetites af­ter strange meates) to eate mans flesh, and drink the blood of the slain: Revenge is as craving a lust as covetousnesse, but it is a lust more easily satisfied then covetousnesse. This en­creases by receiving what it desires, but that (if it may have it) is satisfied: That which covetousnesse receives, is onely as fewell to a fire, but that which revenge receives, Appetitus finis est infinitus. is as food to the stomack; the desire of the end is infinite, but the end being once attained, desire is at an end: Yee are filled with mee.

Job having thus described the instruments and manner of his affliction, turnes his thoughts from them to the supreame efficient, and orderer of his afflictions.

The words seemeth to b [...]are an allusion to the proceeding of an earthly Judge, who having tryed a Malefactor, and found him guilty, pronounceth sentence of death upon him, and then delivers, or turnes him over to those who [...]e office it is to see execution done accordingly.

The word which we render to deliver, signifies also to shut up, which suites well with the former notion; for a condemned Person is more closely shut up, and more narrowly watcht, then before: But who were the ungodly to whom he was de­livered, and the wicked into whose hands, or power he was turned? These were not onely the Chaldeans, and Sabeans, but also all such as shewed any malice against him, or willing­ly afflicted him in his afflictions.

The words carry in them a correction of his former com­plaint, as if he had sayd, Why doe I trouble my selfe with men, why doe I complaine of their unkindnesse or cruelty against me? [...] A via divertit, deflexit, decli­navit. God hath done it; he hath delivered, and turned mee over (as a Magi­strate doth a Malefactor whom he hath condemned) into the hands of these tormenters, he hath sealed a writ for my execution. Thus Job ascribes all to God, hee sometimes wrangles with men, but as often before, so now againe, he lookes beyond them, at once seeing and adoring the hand of God, putting him, and his estate into the hands of men.

Hence Note.

First, Wicked men are ordered by Providence.

They cannot take till God puts into their hands: a Spar­row fals not to the ground without God, much lesse doth a godly man fall into the hands of the wicked without God. They doe but execute what God decrees, though they doe it without any respect to his decrees, and quite crosse to his commands. Many will be found at once executing the decrees and disobeying the commands of God.

Secondly, God delivers his dearest Children into the hands of wicked men, for tryall and correction.

Their graces and goodnesse appeare most, when they are under the handling of evill and gracelesse men. Many of their corruptions are purged out, while they are in their power [Page 279] who are not at all purged from their corruption. Foule hands may serve to wash that cleane which is foule, and they who are but drosse, may fetch off the rust which cleaves to the purest mettall.

Thirdly, Note.

It is an aggravation of affliction to be given up to wicked men.

It is an affliction to be in their company, what is it then to be under their power? Woe is me, saith David, Est hoc in ju­dicio Domini gravissimum quod adversa­riis videatur Favere, & a parte eorum stare, consilia conatusque ip­sorum contra nos prosperando. Brent. that I dwell in Meshec, how wofull then is it to be a Prisoner in Meshec? While God keeps the Rod in his owne hands, the smart is not so greivous: We learne this in Davids choise (2 Sam. 24.14.) when three evils were offered him, he resolves, Let me fall now into the hand of the Lord (for his mercies are great) and let me not fall into the hand of man. A good man can easier dye by the hand of God, then receive a slight wound by the hand of an Enemy: As those comforts are sweeter, so those sufferings are not so bitter which Beleevers receive immediately from God.

It is hard to suffer from equals, much more from inferi­ours, but most of all when we suffer the fatherly displeasure of God, from those who are the objects of his displeasure as a Judge. Let the righteous smite me (saith David, Psal. 141.) a reproofe from them is oyle, but a reproofe from the wic­ked is Gall and Viniger to a godly heart: The reason why a godly man chuses rather to be smitten by the righteous, then the wicked, is, because they have somewhat, possibly, much of God in them; therefore much more doth hee say, Let the righteous God smite me. It is a mercy, if we must needs be chastised, when God will chastise us himselfe, and not give us into the hands of men whose mercies are cruell.

There are two things which make it so greivous to the people of God, when they are delivered up into the hands of the ungodly.

First, Their cruelty: Their mercies are cruell, how un­mercifull then are they in their cruelties? As they know no measure in sinning against God, so they keep none in vexing man. The Lord promiseth ( Psal. 126.3.) The Rod of the wic­ked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; implying, that by the good will of evill men it should rest there; they would never take it off, if God did not.

Secondly (which troubles more then the former) Their blasph [...]my. And that first against God himselfe, as if he ei­ther could not deliver out of their hands (2 Chron. 32, 14.) What is your God that he should be able to deliver you out of my hand ( Psal. 42.) Where is now their God? Thus the wic­ked Jewes into whose hand God delivered his Son, did even dare God to come to his rescue ( Mat. 27.43.) or, as if he took their part, and favoured the cause which they have in hand. Secondly, They blaspheame, or speak evill both of the wayes and people of God. What's become of your prayers now? Where's your fasting now? Of which you boasted, that it would doe such wonders. It is a soare affliction to be under the rule of wicked men, much more to be under their rage: that prophetick curse which David denounceth against his E­nemy, is thus expressed ( Psal. 109.6.) Set thou a wicked man over him: A wicked man were better be under the power of good men, then of the wicked (for a good man cannot be so severe to a wicked man, as one wicked man is to another) but if a wicked man be so cruell to wicked men who are so like him, how cruell must he needs be to godly men who are altogether unlike him?

Fourthly, Note.

Godly men looke through all second causes to the first.

As they rest not in the creature for the good which they re­ceive, so they stay not in the creature when they receive evill; they see a hand of God in and over all.

Note Fifthly.

We glorifie God as much in acknowledging afflictions, as in acknow­ledging mercies and blessings to come from him.

He is the Author of both; he takes it as much upon him, that he creates darknesse, as that he formes light; that is, As the next words expound it, That hee creates evill as well as makes peace (Isa. 45.7.) Now if the Lord challenges this as a part of that glory which he will not give to Idols, then, we give him the glory of the onely true God, while wee acknowledge this.

Sixthly, Note.

There is no way to settle or quiet the heart till it looke up to God as the disposer of our troubles.

This was Jobs last resort: And this was Davids when Shimei [Page 281] cursed him, God hath bid Shimei curse: This kept downe those angry motions, which must else have boyled up as high in his spirit, as they did in Abishaes, himselfe being more deeply concerned in it then Abishai was. Job having discovered this frame of spirit more then once before, I here onely touch upon it.

Lastly, Take this comfortable Corolary from the whole.

Though God doth often deliver his choycest Servants into the power of wicked men, yet he never delivers them up to the will of wicked men: They cannot doe with his people what they please, they shall onely doe what God himselfe pleaseth, though they displease God highly in doing it. God never turnes the least of those who beleeve in his Name, out of his owne hand, though he turne them over into the hand of the ungodly: as God keeps his title to them still, so hee still keepes the possession of them. Saints in the hand of the vilest men, are in the hand, or possession of God two wayes.

First, They are in the hand of his power, he can fetch them out of the hands of men when he will.

Secondly, They are under the hand of his care; and this five wayes.

First, To provide, that though they endure much hardship in their hands, yet they shall receive no hurt; God doth not turn his into the hands of evill men for evill, but for good.

Secondly, He hath them in the hand of his care to furnish them with strength to suffer.

Thirdly, To teach them how to profit by sufferings.

Fourthly, To moderate the hands of the wicked towards them, their hands shall not be heavier then he hath appointed, they shall not give you a stroak more then hee hath numbred out.

Lastly, As to order how much, so likewise how long they shall suffer: Our times are in Gods hand, when we are in the hand of men. As they cannot add a drop to our cup, so not a Sand to our Glasse, beyond what the Lord hath appointed out.

But how doth this agree with what Job affirmed ( Chap. 3. [Page 283] 26.) I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet, yet trouble came. It seemes Job was never at ease, and yet he saith here, I was at ease: He that is not in safety, and hath neither rest nor quiet, surely, He is in little ease.

There is no contradiction between these two, we may easi­ly reconcile them, and make up the seeming difference, thus. When Job saith ( Chap. 3.) I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; his meaning is, that his spirit did not trust upon his outward prosperity: He had abundance in the World, but he had no carnall confidence in worldly things. Job ne­ver sayd to his soule (when his Barnes were full, and his substance multiplyed) Soule take thy ease, eate and be merry, thou hast enough layd up for many years. Job had much of the crea­ture in his hand, but he kept it all out of his heart, and when he was furthest from misery, he was farr enough from secu­rity; he did not thinke his life safe, because he had sufficient to live upon, nor was he at rest, because he was rich. A Be­leevers rest is not in any outward comfort which he receives from God, but in God, from whom he receives all his com­forts. So then, Job speakes there of the spirituall frame of his heart, but here he speakes of the temporall frame of his worldly estate, in which he had ease, and the affluence of all good things, no man molesting him: As if he had sayd, Time was when I was not at all pinched with poverty in my estate, nor bla­sted with reproach in my credit, nor tortured with paines in my body; I can remember the time when I was at full ease in all these: That's his sense in this Text, and between these two there is no op­position: A man may be at ease in the World, and yet not make the World his ease, nor rest upon the World.

Such was my former flourishing condition. [...] Pacificus, tran­quillus, quietus eram. Fui opulentus. Vulg. The word signifies to be peaceable, quiet, or well setled, the Vulgar translates, I was a rich man; the same word in the Hebrew sig­nifies a rich man, and a man at ease, for two reasons.

First, Because riches and ease usually goe together; and unlesse a man live at ease, that is, in outward peace, it is hard to gather riches. Times of Warre and trouble are scattering and impoverishing times: The rowling Stone gets no Mosse. As men have the best opportunity, so they are most active to gather wealth [Page 284] when all is still and quiet: There are but few who know how to fish in troubled waters, though some make their best trade there.

Secondly, The same word signifies, both to be rich, and to be at ease, from the effect; because, men that are rich, usually take their ease; as ease and peace give them opportunity to gather riches, so riches cause them to take their ease, both outward civill ease, and oft times inward sinfull ease; that is, to sit downe, and make their riches, and outward accom­modations, the very basis of their quiet and contentment. So the rich are expressed ( Ezek. 23.42.) Thou satest upon a stately Bed, and a Table prepared before it, &c. And a voyce of a multitude being at ease was with her, and with the men of the com­mon sort were brought, Sabeans from the Wildernesse, which put bracelets upon their hands, and beautifull Crownes upon their heads: Here's the description of a rich people; and what were they? A multitude being at ease, having gotten goodly furniture for their houses, full tables for their bellyes, pretious ornaments for their hands and heads; that is, having abundance of all things, they gave themselves up to security, and tooke their fill in the creature: And by how much the greater a carnall mans worldly felicity is, by so much doth it the more try­umph over all jealousies and suspitious of evill ( Revel. 18.7.) Babylon saith, I sit a Queene and am no widdow, and shall see no sorrow. Babylon is at ease, shee feeles no evill, and shee feares none. Jerusalem was once in such a condition through the favour of God, and so shee shall be in due time againe ( Zech. 7.7.) Should yee not heare the words which the Lord hath cryed by the former Prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited, and in prospe­rity (or at ease) and the Cities thereof round about her, when men inhabited the South of the plaine? The South of the plaine, was a Region or Countrey, extreamely infested with Enemies, where no man durst dwell or make his habitation, for feare of hostile incursions: yet Jerusalem was in such prosperity, or at such ease, that the South of the plaine, the open Countreys and unwalled Villages were as safe to the Inhabitants as wal­led and fortified Cities: At such ease, and in such safety shall Jerusalem be againe, when the Lord shall appoint salvation unto her, in stead of Walls and Bulwarkes.

Job makes this report of his former prosperity, Miserationem movet a priore statu. Merc. Primus locus miserecordiae est per quem qui­bus in bonis fu­erit, & nunc quibus in malis sit ostenditur. Cic. de In­vent. lib. 1. that hee might move his Freinds to pitty him in his present misery. It is a rhetoricall argument: The Orator gives this rule, when we would stirr up compassion towards a man in misery, wee must first describe in what heights he hath stood, and then shew how low he is fallen; we are not so much affected with any mans being in a low estate, as with his falling from a low estate. When Lucifer the Son of the morning, fals from Heaven, and fals into Hell, to the sides of the Pit; this sets all men a wondering ( Isa. 14.11, 12, 15.)

Hence Observe.

To have been in prosperity, adds to the burden and bitternesse of present adversity.

It is an affliction, never to have been in prosperity; but it is a greater affliction to be cast downe from a state of prosperi­ty: for him that hath been great, and rich, and powerfull in the World, to become meane, and poore, and powerlesse, Cor dolet, quam scio nunc, ut sum atque ut fut. Plaut. in Mostel. Cernite sim qualis, qui mo­do talis eram. Ovid. Fuimus Troes et. this pinches soare, and goes to the quick. Job aggravates his sorrows at large upon this account ( Chap. 29. Chap. 30.) The Candle of God shined upon my head, I washed my steps in butter, my glory was fresh in me, &c. But now they that are younger then I have me in derision, &c. So ( Lam. 4.2.) The precious Sons of Sion, comparable to fine Gold, how are they esteemed as earthen Pitchers, And ( Vers. 5.) They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets, they that were brought in up Scarlet embrace dunghils. From delicate feeding to desolation, from Scarlet to a dunghill is a great change: the dunghill would not be so loathsome, were it not for the Scarlet, nor desolation so greivous were it not for the remaining taste of the late delicate feeding. Every remembrance of the Wormewood and the Gall of their present affliction in Babylon, was made more bitter by the re­membrance of the Milke and Honney which flowed in the Land of Canaan. They who have alwayes been in a low con­dition scarse feele or know the want of great things, because they never knew the meaning of their enjoyment.

The Greek Poet tels us of Hecuba, not daring for shame, Euripides. so much as to lift up her eyes, or look Polymnestor in the face, be­cause shee had been a Queene, but was then a poore Captive. [Page 286] Common Captives can easily lift up their eyes and cryes to those that are in prosperity, for releife and help whereas o­thers who have lived at ease, can with more ease starve then begg.

As a downefall from a seeming height in spirituals into the mire of sin, hath more wickednesse in it then a bare continu­ance in sin; so a downefall from a reall hight in temporals into the mire of misery, hath more trouble in it, then a bare continuance in misery. They who have made a fayre shew, or an outward flourish in the Faith, and afterward fall back, are worse then those who never made any shew at all. It is sad for any one to live openly in sin; but for such as have made an open profession of godlinesse, to apostatize, and fall back to sin, this is matter of saddest lamentation: For as the A­postle Peter speakes, It had been better for them that they had not knowne the way of God, then after they have knowne it to turne from the holy Commandement: It is better (in spirituall re­spects) never to have been a Professor, then to be an Apostate. Thus also it is better (in civill respects) never to have been high, or great in the World, then after all this to suffer a mi­serable downfall, and to be numbred among the lowest of the People.

And in this we may see the wonderfull love of Jesus Christ to poore sinners, who suffered so great a change for our sakes; he might well say, I was at ease, but hee hath broken me asunder. Christ was broken all to peices for us, hee was broken and bruised for us, but he had been at ease: How great was his love vvho vvillingly suffered, not onely for sinners, but as a sinner, having reigned in righteousnesse from all eternity? The Apostle useth this argument, more then once, to advance the kindnesse of Christ to sinfull man (2 Cor. 8 9.) Beloved, You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, who though he were rich, yet he became poore for our sakes; that we through his pover­ty might be made rich: For Christ vvho vvas rich to become poore, argues the riches of his love; this shewes the great af­fection he bare to us, because it shewes that he bare such great affliction for us.

Againe ( Phil. 2.6, 7.) Who being in the forme of God, thought it no robbery to be equall wioh God; but made himselfe of no reputa­tion. and tooke upon him the forme of a Servant: He emptyed him­selfe, [Page 287] to fill us, and to raise our reputation vvith his Father, layd downe his owne.

Now seeing Jesus Christ suffered such a vvondrous change, from the forme of God to the forme of a Servant, from the fulnesse of God, to the emptinesse of the meanest man; this is the highest testimony of his love. The course vvhich Christ did run to save us, declares that there went as much of his love, as of his worthinesse to save us: For as no creature had worth enough to save us any way, so no creature had love enough to save us in such a vvay. If one had come out of poverty and misery to dye for us, it had shewed vvonderfull love, but to leave riches and become poore, to leave glory and be­come base, to leave fulnesse and become empty, to leave (in regard of visible manifestations) his God-head, and become Man: How unchangeable was his heart to us, who yeelded himselfe up to such changes for us? He being at ease was bro­ken asunder that we might not be broken, or rath r that vve might be made vvhole for ever.

Secondly, I was at ease: What follows? He hath broken me asunder.

Hence Observe.

All worldly prosperity may quickly be dasht and lost.

Doe not think any new thing happens under the Sun, when you see men that were at ease, broken, men that were full, empty, men that were rich, impoverished, men that vvere in health, sick. The holy Apostle (1 Cor. 7.30.) at once coun­sels and commands us, Ʋse the World, as not abusing it, that is, use it vvell: There is much evill in the World, y [...]t we may, yea we must make a good use of the World: Why? Because the fashion of this World passeth away. As fashions in the World alter and change every day, so doth the fashion of this World; there is a World to come, the fashion wherof shall never go or passe away; but the fashion (or scheme) of this World passeth continually. The word which we translate fashion, signifi [...]s a Ge­ometricall figure, or artificiall form, habit, vesture, as also any rhetoricall finenesse or bravery of words: Now all the beauty of this World is but like some of these schemes, which have more shew then substance in them; and the whole World be­low put together, is but like a Pageant, or Mask, on the scene [Page 288] whereof many persons are represented to act their parts, but they soon disappeare, and the stage or scene it selfe is pulled downe.

As thus the whole World passeth awy, so doth the state of each man in the World. And as there is in the World an affected varying of fashions, or a voluntary passing from one vaine fashion to another, from one proud fashion to another; so there is an inflicted variety of fashion in the World; God makes man passe from one fashion to another, whether he will or no, or much against his will; when his fashion was fulnesse, he makes it emptinesse, when his fashion was riches, he makes it poverty; when his fashion was Peace and quietnesse, hee makes it Warr and confusion; these are the changes which God makes among the fashions of the World. The pride of man changes from one vaine fashion to another; the provi­dence of God changes man from his most delightfull, to a mournfull fashion: And when the Garments of outward prosperity seem to us so strong, that they will never vveare out, how much or how long so ever we weare them, hee teares and breaks both them and us, as Job complaines with his next breath.

[...] A [...] [...] contrivit, irri­tum fecit. Verba grandia selegit ad [...] ­agg [...]randam mali sui vim. Merc. In conjugatione quadrata auxe­sin habet. Merc q. d. Frequen­tatis ictibus in minutissimas partes contri vit me. Bold.This sentence is but one word in the Hebrew, yet more then a single word; it is elegantly doubled in construction to im­ply double affliction. Grammarians tell us, that two words put together, or the same word twice put encrease the sense. Ordinary words will not serve to expresse an extraordinary condition; he speakes great and compounded words, because his sorrows were great and compounded sorrows. Jobs was not a single, but a double breaking; yea, his vvas a manifold breaking: He vvas often broken, and utterly broken; the re­peated stroaks which fell upon him (by divine dispensation) from all hands, had beaten him to dust and atomes: He hath broken me in sunder.

Further, The root of the vvord signifies, to make voyd, to dissipate, to scatter, to bring to nought, or to make nothing of ( Psal. 33.10.) The Lord brings to nought the counsell of the heathen. So againe ( Isa. 8.10.) It is used often for breaking the Law, by frequent and vvilfull sinning against it. Proud [Page 289] sinners vvould break the Law in sunder, or pull it all in pei­ces: They have made voyd thy Law (Psa. 119) As if they would not onely sin against the Law, but sin away the Law, not one­ly vvithdraw themselves from the obedience of it, but drive it out of the World; they would make voyd and repeale the holy acts of God, that their owne wicked acts might not be questioned; and lest the Law should have a power to punish them, they vvill deny it a power to rule them; that's the force of the simple vvord here used, as applyed to highest transgressing against the Law of God.

Now as vvicked men by sinning, vvould batter the Law to peices, so God by afflicting doth sometimes break good men to peices. Consider what course usage the holy Law of God hath in the hearts and lives of vvicked men; O how they tear it and vex it, and batter it every day: Thus doth the Lord deal vvith many of his holy servants vvho (had they their vvish) would not make the least breach in the Law, and vvhose hearts are often broken vvith godly sorrow, because they cannot but break it, yet to these he doth not onely give a bruise or a blow but breaks them asunder.

There is yet another elegancy in the signification of the vvord: For as Hebreicians observe, it notes a bruising, like that of Grapes, or Olives, vvhich are trodden in a presse, to make Wine or Oyle; Confractus sum velut uvae aut olivae in torcu­lari. hence also a Noune from this Verbe sig­nifies the Wine-presse ( Isa. 63.3.) Now Grapes and Olives being trodden, are broken and bruised in peices; not onely is their forme and beauty totally spoyled, but all their sweet­nesse, juyce, and liquor, is vvrought out of them, and they are left as a dry lumpe.

Now look vvhat Grapes and Olives are, vvhen taken out of the Presse; even such a lumpe vvas Job; he vvas broken a­sunder in the Wine-presse, though not of Gods vvrath, as his Freinds mis-judged, yet in the Wine-presse of his chastise­ments and severest tryalls; all his vvorldly moysture vvas squeezed out, and his earthly glory vvas quite defaced, he had nothing left of that, but (as it were) a dry huske; yet his spirituall estate was still juicy, and his soule by these pressings, treadings, and breakings, had distilled much sweet Oyle and Wine, and much more was still remaining in him. From these heightned significations of the word layd together;

Observe in generall.

God doth not onely afflict those whom he loves, but afflict them soarely and severely.

He afflicts some, not onely to the empayring and abating, but to the undoing and ruining of their outward comforts, and worldly enjoyments: Nothing can be sayd to descipher an afflicted state beyond what this word will beare. And that God doth afflict his chosen ones to the utmost rack of this phrase, will appeare also from all that follows to the end of the fourteenth Verse; the opening of which will be a con­tinuall proofe and illustration of this great and often expe­rimented truth, upon, and among the precious Sons of Sion: This I shall hint all along, besides those observations which arise out of them: He hath broken me asunder, and what fol­lows, in the same Verse; ‘He hath also taken me by my neck, and shaken me to peices.’

Is not this to deale severely? A loving Father takes his Son about the neck and kisses him; what a rough salute did the Lord give this Son of his, when he tooke him by the neck, and shook him to peices? Such a carriage seemes not to be af­ter the manner of men, much lesse after the manner of Fa­thers; yet this was the manner of God to Job, who was also his Freind and Father.

The neck is as the tower and strength of the body, and when a man is taken by the neck, he is assaulted in his chief­est strength, and taken at the greatest advantage.

There is a threefold metaphor, or allusion in these words, which being considered distinctly, will let out their meaning yet more fully.

First, They beare an allusion to Wrestlers, who take one another by the neck, or collar; he that is the strongest, not onely takes his Antagonist by the neck, but shakes him, as if he would shake him to pieces. God wrestled with the Pa­triarch Jacob literally and corporally (though the greatest la­bour and stresse of Jacobs wrestling was spirituall and inter­nall) And when he saw that he prevailed not (Jacob prevailed with God for so much strength, that now God could not (ac­cording [Page 291] to that dispensation) prevaile against Jacob, yet) he touched the hollow of Jacobs thigh, and made him halt. God wrestled with Job, not corporally, yet in corporall things, the stresse also of his wrestling was spirituall, and he prevai­led with God, and over Satan; yet God was pleased not on­ly, for the present, to touch a joynt, and make him halt, but even to shake every joynt and limbe to peices.

Secondly, It is an allusion to Sergeants or Bailiffs, that are sent to arest men for debt, or for their evill deeds: This sort of men are boysterous enough, they having power will not forbeare to lay hold on Persons obnoxious, and take them by the neck, when they attach them. We have that u­sage expressed ( Matth. 18.28.) The evill Servant, to whom the Lord had forgiven ten thousand Talents (a vast debt) found one of his fellow Servants, who owed him an hundred pence (an inconsiderable summ) and would needs exact the utmost from him: the Text saith, The same Servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants, which ought him an hun­dred pence, and he layd hands upon him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest: He took him by the throat, the word signifies properly to choake, [...] Pre­mebat sauces illius debitoris tanquam suffo­caturus: obtor­to collo preme­bat. Eras. or to take another so rudely by the throat, as to choake, or (as wee say) throttle him. It is translated to choake with water ( Mark 5.13.) and is applyable to any violent act by which the breath is stopt, especially to taking by the neck, or throat.

Thirdly, It is an allusion, as some conceive, to Conque­rers in Warr, who when they have worsted an Adversary, take him by the neck, and make him their prisoner: As it is the last act of tryumph and insultation over an Enemy, to tread upon his neck ( Josh. 10.24.) Joshua called all the men of Israel, and sayd unto the Captaines of the men of Warr, which went with them, Come neere and put your feet upon the necks of these Kings: and they came neer and put their feet upon the necks of them; Now as it is (I say) the last act of tryumph to tread upon the necke: so it is the first act of tryumph to take by the neck. Job thought himselfe used thus, Hee hath taken me by the necke, as a Wrastler, as a Sergeant, or as a Victor in Warr.

I will not let it passe unobserved, that the word which we translate to shake to peices, is but one in the Hebrew, but as that which we render to break asunder, so this is doubled to highten the sense, and intimate no ordinary, but a terrible shaking; such a shaking as is followed with scattering, or a shaking, [...] A radice [...] contrivit cum dispersione, si­cut testa: vel in minutissima fragmenta com­minuit. Drus. like the breaking of a potters Vessell with an Iron Rod. The word is used to signifie the irresistable efficacy of the Word of God, whether to convert, or to confound, to break the stony heart into contrition for sin, or to batter the obstinate heart, which continueth in sin. Is not my word a fire? (saith God) The word of God is a fire, to consume the drosse and corruption that is in the hearts and lives of men. And is not my word a Hammer? What kinde of Hammer? A Hammer that breaketh the rock in peices? Yes, the word of God is all this, 'tis a fire, and 'tis a Hammer, it burnes, it batters all that stands before it. Now as the Word of God is to the hearts of men, so the Rod of God is to the estates of men; it shakes, shatters, and breakes them to peices: To shake, or break a man to peices, is in common speech applyable to the estates of men, as well as to their persons, for of such a man we say, He is broken.

The Septuagint reads this clause with an expository ad­dition, [...]. Sept. He hath taken me by the hayre of the head, and shaken me. They who follow that reading, interpret it, by a metaphor, He hath taken me by the hayre; that is, by my outward estate, by my riches, honour, and greatnesse (these are to men, as the hayre is to the head, ornaments, yet excrements) he hath taken me by these haires, even all my outward splendor, and glory, and shaken them in peices.

All this diversity, whether of reading, or expounding the Text meets in the maine point, That God deales severely with ma­ny whom he loves dearely.

He hath shaken me in peices, and yet he hath not done with me; as the Lord broke and shooke me asunder when I was whole, so he wounds me, now I am broken: If he can but finde enough of me left together to make a mark of, I shall be sure to feele his Arrows.

Job was cast downe by affliction, and yet he was set up to receive more affliction: 'Tis a Proverbiall speech, Proverbialis locutio quo sig­nificamus ali­quem esse om­nibus telis & injuriis proposi­tum. signifying that a man is made the common receit, or subject of misery. A Mark is purposely set up to receive Arrows, Darts, or Bul­lets shot at it; so that for a man to be set up as a mark, is to stand as a common object, upon which all calamities center themselves; what Job here complaines of, he had expostula­ted with God about ( Chap. 7.20.) Wherefore hast thou set me up as a marke, so that I am a burden to my selfe? I shall speake the lesse to it here, having spoken to it there already.

The same Originall word is not used in both places, though the sense be the same: There Job speakes in a Paraphrase, Thou hast set me opposite, or over against thee: A [...] ser­vo, quod eum diligenter ob­servent jacula­tores ne ober­rent. [...], pro­priè sig. signum praefixum sagit­tantibus, unde quod animo de­stinamus aut praesigimus sco­pus est. Eras. Here he uses a sin­gle terme, which notes a mark, strictly taken; for it comes from a root which signifies to observe; because the mark, or white, is diligently observed by him that shoots; the Ar­cher keeps his eye upon the mark, that he may send his Arrow to the mark. A mark is that to the eye in shooting, which the end is to the minde of man in all his wayes of acting; and therefore our English word Scope from the Greek ( [...]) which properly signifies an Archers marke, is used figuratively to signifie the end which we design to our selves in every under­taking. And hence the eye with which we take ayme, is put for the end ( Matth. 6.22.) If thine eye be single, the whole bo­dy is light; that is, if the end, or the thing that thou aymest at be just and right, all thy actions will be right too: Every man is regulated by his end, all hee doth, lookes that way; therefore if thy end and ayme be honest and sincere, all thy wayes and workes will be such. So then, as the end is the mark of the minde, so a mark is the end of the eye; it directs all unto it. And while Job saith, He hath set me up as a mark, his meaning is, I am the Butt or White, at which the Lord aymes all his Arrowes, hee empties his Quiver at my breast. Ego ipse positus fui in scopum ut mille jacula, mille sagittas exciperem. So the Church cryes out ( Lam. 3.12, 13.) He hath bent his bow, he hath set me as a mark for the Arrow; he hath caused the Arrowes of his Quiver to enter into my reynes: The Hebrew is, He hath cau­sed the Sons of his Quiver to enter into my reynes. Arrows are the Sons of the Quiver: Sons are called Arrows ( Psal. 127.4, 5.) [Page 294] As Arrowes in the hand of the mighty, so are the Children of the youth, blessed is the man that hath his Quiver full of them. Now as Sonnes are compared to Arrowes in a Quiver, so Ar­rows are compared to Sons, because as Sons are together in their Fathers house, so are Arrows in the Quiver. Christ is described by old Simeon, as a mark set up to shoot at ( Luke 2.34, 35.) This Childe is set for the falling and rising of many in Israel; Significat Christum velu­ti scopum fore, quem omnes certatim figere contendant. Bez. and for a signe to be spoken against: What signe? A Butt signe, or a Butt mark. A signe to be spoken against; that is, All shall direct the Arrowes of their words against him. Bitter vvords are compared to Arrows; many showres of these were shot against Jesus Christ: He vvas aymed at on every side, by envious spirits and malevolent tongues: He might say as Job, Thou hast set me up as a mark.

Observe from this Allusion.

First, The Servants of God must expect many afflictions from the hand of God.

A mark is not set up (or it is very rarely set up) for one shot: As God hath more mercies then one in store for his peo­ple, so he hath more Arrows then one for them in his Quiver. When thou hast received one shot, prepare for a second, and a third.

Observe.

Secondly, God seemes to take pleasure in afflicting his people.

This also contributes to the proofe of the generall Obser­vation before given: For the more pleasure any one takes in afflicting, the more severity he shewes in afflicting. A Father chastiseth his Childe with teares in his eyes; every stroake vvhich a vvise Father gives his Childe, is as a wound to him­selfe, and this abates the smart of the blow; but for Fathers to doe it as the Apostle speakes ( Heb. 12.) For their pleasure, or vvhen it pleaseth a Father (in that sense) to doe it, this encreaseth the smart. The sufferer feeles most paine vvhen it is a pleasure to another to make him suffer. Now, vvhat is shooting at a mark? No man shoots at a marke for toyle, to make a labour, and a businesse of it, but men shoot at a mark for their recreation, and pleasure.

God delights not properly in the sorrows and sufferings of his people; he is not like those cruell Tyrants, vvho fasten their Captives to a Post, and then shoot them dead for sport: [Page 295] God doth not willingly, much lesse sportingly, afflict the Children of Men ( Lam. 3.33.) yet it pleaseth him to af­flict them; yea, as Job speakes ( Chap. 9.) He laughs at the tryall of the innocent; that is, He carryes himselfe (as to their sense) as if he did not regard vvhat they suffered, though in­deed he be infinitely tender of them in all their sufferings; yet because they doe not alwayes understand the language of this laughter, it makes them cry out as if God had forsaken them, and were either really turned an Enemy against them, or at least, did not use them as his Freinds; from which neer relation, nothing appeares more remote, then to be set up and shot at as a mark.

Observe.

Thirdly, Affliction doth not hit the Saints by chance, but by direction.

There is a great difference betweene shooting at randome, and shooting at a mark. God doth now draw his Bow at a venture (as he who slew Ahab did, 1 Kings 22.34.) or shoot at the vvhole host of mankinde, let the Arrow light where and on vvhom it vvill, but he singles out the particular person, whom he intends to hit. Every one of his Arrows goes upon a spe­ciall errand, and touches no breast but that against whom it vvas sent: And as this speakes the honour of God, who de­termines as much, upon whom, as vvhat to doe, and chuseth out those at vvhom he meanes to shoot, as vvell as the meanes by vvhich he shoots at them; so it should establish our hearts to receive his shot, and in this sense to be like a senselesse mark which stirrs not from the Arrow, nor vvithdrawes from the deadly Bullet. It is not onely the grace, but the glory of a Beleever, when he can stand as a But-mark, and take affliction quietly. The Apostle speakes neer this language, and fully this truth (1 Thes. 1.3.) I would that no man should be moved for these afflictions; for you your selves know that we are appointed thereunto; As if he had sayd, I would have you stand as Posts, notwithstanding all these afflictions: Not that he would have them carelesse, or secure; but couragious, and full of holy un­dauntednesse: I would have no man flinch, or stirr a foot, no more then a mark that is shot at, Why? Knowing that wee are appointed thereto: As a mark is appointed to be shot at, and set up on purpose that the Arrow may be directed against it; [Page 296] so the Lord sets up his Saints and Servants on purpose, that he may shoot the Arrows of affliction at them; therefore let us keep our ground and not be moved. We honour God, yea it is our honour also, when we are unmoveable in active o­bedience as the Apostle exhorts (2 Cor. 15.58.) Wherefore my Brethren be stedfast and unmoveable, alway abounding in the worke of the Lord, for as much as yee know that your labour is not in vaine in the Lord. But as it is our honour, and Gods honour too, when we are unmoveable in doing the will of God; so it is a greater honour, both to him and us, when we are so in suffer­ing his will, or in passive obedience; when wee stand to it, and move no more in way of cowardise and impatience then a Post when it is shot at. This is the glory of a Christian, and it is his duty; this is the glory of God, and it is his due; though it be put here as an aggravation of the greatnesse of Jobs affliction, that he was set as a standing mark, yet it is a hightning of our praise, contentedly to be so.

God will make wicked men his standing mark to all eterni­ty, against whom he will shoot the Arrowes, the poysoned Arrows of his indignation, which shall drinke up their spi­rits, and yet their spirits shall not be consumed. God makes his precious Servants and faithfull people, his standing mark for a time, they feele the Arrowes of affliction, and are deep­ly wounded; as Job further prosecutes his sad condition, con­tinuing the Allegory in the next Verse.

[...] Magni ejus. sed hic quadra­re non potest. Licet enim [...] Sig. magnitudinem sive in quanti­tate continua sive in discreta, hic tamen in discreta est accipienda, a mul­titudine enim sagittarii di­cuntur Ra­bim.God hath a Bow, he hath his Arrowes, and his Archers, all ready at a call. The decree of God is his Quiver, his Arrows are his purposes, and the Instruments which execute them are his Archers; whether rationall or irrationall, whe­ther men, or things, any thing which God useth to afflict man by, is his Archer: His Archers have compassed mee about: The word is (Rabbi) His Archers, from Rab, great; so some read it, His great Ones have compassed me about. The word Rab, doth not onely signifie greatnesse in bulke, or continued quantity, but in number or discreet quantity. Hence Ar­chers are called, Rabbi, great ones, not from their magnitude, but from their multitude, because Archers goe in company; [Page 297] two at the least, and usually many are a set; or they are cal­led many, because every one hath many Arrows, Men carry but one Sword, and one Speare, but they carry many Arrows, therefore the word signifies many. His Archers, or many, compasse me round about. Hence note in prosecution of the same point,

That, God hath variety of meanes to afflict.

He can make any creature his Archer; and he hath many Quivers full of Arrows. Old Jacob sayd of Joseph (Gen. 49.23.) The Archers shot sore at him, and grieved him. Joseph was a mark of envy, because God had put so many markes of honour upon him: His owne Brethren were the Archers. Job had many Archers shooting at him: I can name you se­ven eminent Archers that shot at Job.

First, Heaven was an Archer, the heavens shot fire, which burnt up his flocks of sheep.

Secondly, The Ayre was an Archer, that shot winde, and downe fell the House upon his Children.

Thirdly, The Chaldeans and Sabeans were Archers, and they shot spoyling and plundering, they tooke away all his Cattell, and slew his Servants with the edge of the Sword.

Fourthly, The Devill was an Archer, he shot diseases, and wounded his body all over with soares.

Fifthly, The earth was an Archer, and that shot Wormes, he was cloathed with Worms, and clods of Earth.

Sixthly, His Wife was an Archer, or an Archeresse, she shot terrible Arrows, evill and bitter words.

Seventhly, His Freinds were Archers, they shot reproofes, and uncomfortable comforts; they peirced him with their salyes, and the very meanes that they used to heal him, grieved him more.

All these shot at him, hee must needs have many hurts, who was compassed about with so many Archers; David felt the anguish of these Arrows ( Psal. 38, 1.) O Lord rebuke me not in thy wrath, neither chasten mee in thy hot displeasure: For thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore: David was full of Arrows, what those Arrows were, is not deter­mined in the Text. One of the Ancients saith, They were the threatnings of God, with which his conscience was wounded for sin, as for his body and outward estate, they were in a whole skin; 'tis true, judgements or wrath threat­ned, [Page 298] wound the spirit deeper then judgements or wrath ex­ecuted wound the outward man; and as the whole word of God, so that part of it especially which consists of threat­nings, is as the Apostle speakes ( Heb. 4.12.) Quick and pow­erfull, and sharper then any two-edged Sword, peircing, even to the dividing asunder of the soule and spirit, &c. Yet I rather con­ceive, that Davids Arrows were bodily troubles or diseases, already inflicted, the immediate cause of which was the an­ger of God, and the cause of that vvas his owne sinne, both vvhich are expressed at the third Verse, There is no soundnesse in my flesh, because of thine anger, neither is there any rest in my bones, because of my sin: When sin stirrs up the anger of God, the anger of God can quickly send his Arrowes abroad; nor is there any thing in this World so neere unto us, but hee can make an Arrow, or an Archer of it; His Archers compasse me round.

And see what kind of Archers his were, they were no bung­lers, they were good marks men; like the left handed Benjamites (Judg. 20.16.) They could shoot at a haires breadth and not misse: For it follows: ‘He cleaveth my reines asunder.’

They are expert Archers who can cleave the reines: The reines are in the middle of the back, he that shoots at a Butt, and hits the middle of it shoots exactly; the whole Butt is not the mark, but the White vvhich is set (according to a Geometricall proportion) in the middle of it. He that hits the mark, hits the middle of the Butt; but he that cleaves the Pin (that's the Archers Dialect) which fastens the mark to the Butt, That's the Archer, or That's He (as they also use to speake at their sport) he wins the prize: Renes sedes sunt affectus & libidinis vehe­mentissimi. Re­num nomen in Hebraeo a desi­derando dici­tur. [...] Vulnerare re­nes est tenuio­res affectus con­figere. An Archer may hit the man, and not his reynes, but to hit his reynes is skil­full archery: Jobs Archers were thus cunning in their art, They compasse mee about, and cleave my reynes asunder: That's the first.

Further, We may understand it by a metaphor, and so two wayes.

First, The reynes being the seat of desire, as Naturalists speake; some interpret he cleaveth my reines asunder, thus, He smites me in that which is to me most pleasant and desireable: and [Page 299] then, the seat of affection is put for the thing which we affect. This holds out a profitable truth.

He knowes how to cleave our very reines asunder, and he often doth it; that which vve inordinately love, is usually the mark at vvhich he aymes his Arrow: The readyest vvay to lose any comfort, is to over-love it (I add that by vvay of caution, not of direction.) And indeed, though it be a great deal of smart to us, yet it may prove a great deal of ease to us, to be vvounded in that which vve over-love. God in much mercy to those he loves, takes that from them vvhich they love too much, that so they may love him the more, to whom all their love, and more if they had it, is but due: He cleaves their reines, that their reines may cleave to him.

Secondly, The reines in a metaphor, Renes occultis­sima denotant cor intelligit renes consulunt. signifie that which is most secret, and hidden ( Psal. 16.7.) My reines also instruct me in the night season; that is, my most inward thoughts in­struct me, I have secret communion with my selfe, and my heart reads me a curtaine Lecture every night; My reines instruct mee in the night season. This metaphoricall interpretation, gives us this plaine Note.

God peirceth into our most retired thoughts, and can punish our most secret sins.

Those sins which lye as much out of sight, as the reines doe, he seeth, and he seeth them as plainely as an Archer doth the White, or marke, which stands open to the eye; for all things are naked and manifest (anatomiz'd, or cut open to the reines of the back, so much the word beares, and so manifest are we) before his eyes with whom we have to doe.

Take it literally, and then to cleave the reines is an expres­sion of putting a man to the greatest sorrow, or paine, ima­ginable; if the back vvere chyned (as we speake) and cut quite downe, through the reynes, this would be an exquisite torment; the reynes are a very tender part: A deep vvound in some other parts of the body, is but a scratch, and such vvounding were a kinde of embracing, in comparison of that.

Secondly, To cleave the reynes, is to weaken, because the reynes, or the loynes, are the strength of a man, or of any [Page 300] creature; Loe his strength is in his loynes, saith God of Be­hemoth, Elumbem reddere. which is as some thinke the Elephant ( Job. 40.16.) And a man of no loynes, is a man of no strength, in common language.

Thirdly, To cleave the reynes, is to give a mortall wound. Chyrurgions and Physitians observe, That if the reynes be struck through, Mala immedi­cabilia indicat. there is no helpe for it; cleaving the reynes is much like peircing the heart; this is present death, and that leaves no hope of life, the wound of it is incurable.

There is a fourth interpretation, He cleaveth my reynes, may note the torture of any acute disease, especially that of the Stone in the reynes, or kidneys; which is as it were the cutting of the back asunder; poore Patients under it are often heard so complaining: O 'tis like a sharpe Knife; the Stone is not onely a grinding, but a cutting paine.

I shall onely lay in the consideration of these foure glosses from the literall sense of the word, to a further making out of the first generall Observation, That God often deales very se­verely in outward, or present dispensations, with many of his dearest Servants: He doth that which they may call cleaving of the reines, and that, in the easiest of the foure senses, is a very se­vere dispensation; much more (which wee may suppose) when the paine of all foure meets in one man; as doubtlesse they did in Job; He cleaveth my reines asunder.

[...] Pepercit, igno­novit, propitius fuit. Nullam Domi­ni in me mise­recordiam, sed omnigenam sae­vitiam experi­ [...]r. Merc.He that doth not spare, useth the utmost extreamity, and shewes no pitty or Indulgence: to spare, is both an act, and one of the kinds of mercy: Sparing is opposed to severity, it is a doing lesse against another then we may, and that two wayes.

First, When wee doe lesse then wee can. Wee having power, though no right to doe more then we doe, no nor to doe so much as we doe: Thus a Theefe may be sayd to spare a man, when he doth not take all from him, life and all.

Secondly, When vve doe lesse against another then we may, both according to the right of our cause, and the power in our hands: Thus a Magistrate spares a Theefe; or a Creditor his Debtor; when the one exacts not the vvhole punishment, nor the other the whole Summ due. And in this sense God [Page 301] spareth the Sons of men; he hath both power and right to punish sinfull man to the utmost, but he spares him: To hold the hand, though but a little, is sparing merccy; but Job found not this mercy, He doth not spare; as if he had sayd, The Lord layes on, layes on, and doth not forbeare.

Hence Observe.

There is mercy in sparing.

There is a fivefold mercy of God:

First, Rewarding mercy, towards those who have done well.

Secondly, Pardoning mercy, which is exercised towards those who have done ill, or towards past sin.

Thirdly, Preventing mercy, when hee keeps us from evill, whether it be the evill of sin, or of punishment.

Fourthly, Delivering mercy, when though he let us fall in­to the evill of sin or punishment, yet he is pleased to help us up, and takes us out againe.

Fifthly, There is Sparing mercy; if while we are in afflicti­on God deales gently with us, this is sparing mercy: As God was not pleased to prevent Jobs sorrows, nor to deliver him from them, so he did not spare him in them, his hand con­tinued heavy upon him, he had no ease.

There is a fourefould degree of this sparing mercy of God.

First, Not to punish at all: thus God sometimes spares his owne people, as a Father spares his Son that serveth him (Mal. 3.17.) Though they faile, yet he passeth it by, and doth not reckon with them for it. The Lord represented himselfe to Amos, forming Grasse-hoppers, which eyther in kinde, or in a figure (shaddowing the Assyrians) threatned to devoure the Land; this Vision put the Prophet upon that earnest prayer, O Lord God forgive, by whom shall Jacob arise for he is small? The Lord repented for this, it shall not be saith the Lord (Amos 7.1, 2, 3.) Here was sparing mercy, and this is repeated a second time ( Vers. 6.) yet in the third Vision of a Plumbe line (by which God was noted, taking exact notice of all the uneven­nesse and crookednesse of that people in that Vision, I say) as the Prophet suspended prayer, so the Lord being resolved, no longer to suspend their punishment, saith, I will not passe by them againe any more: that is, I will spare them no more which is againe repeated ( Chap. 8.2.) where by a Basket of Sum­mer [Page 302] fruit, the Lord shewed their ripenesse in sin, and his readi­nesse to punish, and not to spare.

Secondly, It is sparing mercy, when punishment is defer­red, or adjourned to a further day; thus the Lord spared the old World, a hundred and twenty yeares, My spirit shall not alway strive: It did a long time, he spared them many yeares to draw them to repentance, and to leave them inexcusable, because they repented not.

Thirdly, It is sparing mercy, when judgement is mode­rated: When though God punish, yet he doth not punish to the full; when though the cloud break, yet he lets but a few drops fall on us, and doth not powre out showres, or make an inundation to overwhelme us; when though he strike, yet he gives but few strokes; yea, if he abate but one stroke, it is sparing mercy. The Jewes (2 Cor. 11.24.) gave Paul, for­ty stripes, save one; and in this they would be thought to be mercifull, because they might have given him forty by the Law ( Deut. 25.3.) therefore to abate one, was sparing mer­cy. As to punish beyond the Law, though it be but a little beyond, is cruelty; so to punish lesse, though it be but a little lesse, is mercy: And this is brought in as an argument of great mercy ( Psal. 78.38.) But he being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stirr up all his wrath: They felt his wrath, but God did not stirr up all his wrath; they were smitten, but not destroyed, Justice did not make an utter end of them, there was mercy in that. The like read ( Jer. 30.11. Jer. 46.28.) I will not let thee goe altogether unpunished (yet I will spare thee, though I punish thee) I will correct thee in measure, I will not make a full end of thee. But are not all the corrections of God, yea and his judgements too done in measure? All the judgements of God are done in measure, as measure notes a rule of equity, but not as measure notes a rule of equality. Againe, to doe a thing by measure doth not alwayes note the rule by which it is done, but the degree in which it is done. And so to doe a thing in measure is to doe it moderately; as when it is sayd ( John 3.24.) That God gives not the spirit by measure to Christ: the meaning is onely this, hee gives him the spirit abundantly, infinitely, without stint or limit: So when it is sayd, that he corrects man in measure, the mean­ing [Page 303] is onely this, that he corrects him moderately, merciful­ly, with many stints and limits. It is of the Lords mercy, (saith Jeremie Lam. 3.22.) What? That we are delivered? That we are crowned with comforts? These are of the Lords mercy indeed, but hee speakes not of these, the mercy hee speakes of is, That we are not utterly consumed. What kinde of mercy is this? Sparing mercy. Suppose God take away many Children, yet if he leave but one, here is sparing mer­cy to the Parents: Suppose hee take many hundreds, and thousands of a mans estate, yet if he leave him a little to buy Bread, and to stand betweene him and Beggery, this is spa­ring mercy: Suppose we are much consumed, yet if we are not utterly consumed, this also is sparing mercy. In the Prophesie of Daniel, we read of a goodly tree, And behold a watcher and an holy one came downe from Heaven, and cryed aloud Hew downe the Tree and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves and scatter his fruit, &c. Neverthelesse leave the stumpe of his root in the earth, &c. Though it was judgement to shake off the leaves and fruit, to hew downe the boughes and stock, yet it was sparing mercy to leave the roote, that gave hopes it might grow againe, and not be utterly consumed; 'tis sparing mercy when any thing is reserved: But God did not spare Job, he took all; he did not leave him (as we say) A Shirt to his back, nor a sound patch in his skin: Satans power had no limit put to it, but as to life onely ( Chap. 2.6.) Behold he is in thine hand, but (or onely) save his life: There was in­deed somewhat of sparing mercy in that, and that was more then Satan would have spared, yet it was but so much as with­out which he could not have groaned out this complaint, as to the losse of all other comforts, He doth not spare.

Fourthly, There is a sparing mercy of God in the very act of afflicting, when hee shewes that he is unwilling to af­flict, or discovers tendernesse to them that are afflicted ( Lam. 3.12.) He doth not willingly afflict nor greive the children of men. As there are many who will serve God in an outward forme of worship, whom yet they neither serve nor worship with their will: So God will afflict some, whom he doth not afflict with his will; he doth not give out his spirit, or take delight in smiting, while he smites them. Thus the Lord expressed himselfe towards his ancient people the Jewes; he threatens [Page 304] Israel, That the Assyrian shall be his King; that is, the Assyrian shall carry them Captives to Babylon and exercise a tyranni­call power over them ( Hos. 11.5.) Yea, the Sword shall abide on his Cities, and shall consume his branches (Vers. 6.) Now though God were resolved to doe this, and did also bring it to passe; yet he saith ( Vers. 8.) How shall I give thee up Ephra­im? How shall I deliver thee, Israel? (sc: into the Enemies hand) How shall I make thee as Admah? How shall I set thee as Zeboim? Mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together: I will not execute the fiercenesse of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim: that is, I will not destroy him wholly, by redoubling evill upon him: I will destroy once, but I will not returne to destroy, a remnant shall be saved. The Lord gave up Ephraim, but he did not make Ephraim as Ad­mah, and Zeboim, he did not utterly ruine him; and what hee did against Ephraim, he did it with a secret contest in his owne spirit, How shall I doe this? I doe it not with my heart, and whole minde, my heart is turned within me, while my hand is turned against thee; it grieveth me while thou art grieved, while I kindle this fire of affliction in thy borders, the fire of compassion kindles in my owne bowels; My repentings are kind­led together, while I punish thee for thine impenitency, and my heart is turned within me, while I must correct thee, for refu­sing to returne (Vers. 5.)

Nero being desired to signe a Writ for the execution of an Offender, was so pittifull at his first entrance upon the Empire (though he proved a Monster for cruelty after) that he could hardly be perswaded, or wrought to subscribe it, and when he did it, Quam vellem nescire literas. in doing it he sayd, How glad should I be if I could not write my name; which wish occasioned Seneca his Tu­tor, to write a Book of Clemencie, in which he extols Nero, as the patterne and mirrour of clemencie: When either God or man doe acts of severest Justice, with meltings of spirit, and tendernesse of affection towards those who fall under their hand, those acts of Justice have a great temperament of spa­ring mercy in them.

For as it is in sinning, when a Beleever falls into a great sin, yet because his heart cannot goe fully with it, he cannot delight or take pleasure in it, therefore his may be called Spa­ring sinfulnesse: whereas a carnall heart committing onely a [Page 305] little sin, for the matter yet, because he delighteth in it, and is pleased with sin, he doth not spare to sin. Now (I say) as it is in sinning, so in punishing; he doth not spare to pu­nish, who doth it with his whole heart, and takes delight in it, though the actuall punishment be but little, whereas he whose heart retreats while his hand is stretched out in greater pun­ishments, may be sayd to spare in punishing.

Hence, to shew that God exacted the utmost of his Justice upon his Son our Lord Jesus Christ, when hee stood in our place; the Apostle saith ( Rom. 8.32.) He spared not his Son. How did he not spare him? He did not spare him any of these foure wayes. He did not spare him, so, as not to punish him at all; for the Cup could not passe from him. He did not spare him by deferring the time, but when the houre was come that he must suffer, he suffered in that moment. Nor did he spare him in the degree, he suffered to the utmost for our sins, God did not abate one drop out of his Cup, not one dram of the weight of his sorrows: Yea fourthly, God did not spare him, in regard of the affection with which he punished him: The Lord may be sayd willingly to afflict him for the sins of the Children of men, though he doth not willingly afflict the Chil­dren of men; He was pleased to bruise him (Isa. 53.) and that signifies not onely (Voluntatem Dei) that it was the purpose and resolution of God, that his Son should be bruised for our sins; but it signifies also (Voluptatem Dei) the delight, and contentment that the Lord had in bruising his Son. He did not spare, but gave him up with his heart, to those punish­ments which were due to sinners. God shewed no more re­lenting towards his Son, when he stood suffering in the place of sinners, then he doth to those sinners who stand in their owne place to suffer without his Son: Yea, God the Father did not onely not relent, or shew any yearning of bowels to­wards his Son in that suffering condition, but (as to sense and present apprehension) he hardned his heart towards him, which caused that greivous out-cry of Christ upon the Crosse, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Not that God did really withdraw his love in the least, from his Son, but he did infinitely delight to see his Justice satisfied; and his Son as a Conquerour, bearing up under the weight of it. Thus the Lord tooke pleasure in afflicting his [Page 306] Son, or (as Job speaks, Chap. 9.) He laughed at the tryall of that innocent and Holy one: And indeed, without this, the worke of our redemption had not been accomplished by a full satis­faction to divine Justice, for it would have had somewhat of mercy in it towards the Redeemer, as well as it is all mercy towards the redeemed: But as it is all of mercy to us, so it was to be nothing at all of mercy to Jesus Christ, that sinners are redeemed: he was to have no more of his Father then he payd for, and his Father did not spare him, but made him pay the utmost Farthing, that upon the casting up of the account betweene himselfe and sinfull man appeared a due debt unto his Justice. Job complaines, that he was not spared, yet the truth is, that, every man how much soever he suffers on this side Hell, hath somewhat of sparing mercy in his suf­ferings.

Secondly, Forasmuch as Job being about to shew the ex­tremity of his affliction, tells us, That God did not spare.

Observe.

Sparing mercy is the lowest degree of mercy: If God deny sparing mercy, he denyes all mercy.

It is argument enough that God shewed Christ no mercy, when the Apostle saith, He did not spare him. That we sinners might have all mercy, he that saved us from our sins had none. The Angels who sinned found no mercy, no sacrifice was pro­vided for them, God cast them downe to Hell, and delivered them into chaines of darknesse, to be reserved unto judgement: All which punishments are affirmed by the Apostle Peter, as the result of this Negative, God spared not the Angels (2 Pet. 2.4.) The same Apostle tels us also in the next Verse, that, God spared not the old World, but saved Noah, the eight person, a Preacher of righteousnesse, bringing in the Flood upon the world of the ungodly. Neyther the Angels who apostatiz'd from God, nor the old ungodly World had any share in sparing mercy. Job looked upon himselfe (in reference to present peace) as one in their case, He doth not spare, which appeares further in the next clause.

[...] Fel ab amari­tudine. Viscera. Vulg.The Originall word vvhich vve render Gall, signifies pro­perly, bitternesse, because the Gall is so. Peter speaking to [Page 307] Simon Magus (Acts 8.23.) puts these two together, I perceive that thou art in the Gall of bitternesse: He that continues in sin, lives in the Gall of spirituall bitternesse, and he whose Gall is powred out, is in, or ready to goe into the gall or corporall death. For as cleaving of the reines, implyed the receiving of a deadly wound; so powring out the Gall upon the ground, is a proverbiall, speaking present death. When the gall is out, the bowels are out; the gall is affixed to the Liver: So that, it is as much as to say, He kils me dead, or I am now upon the borders of death it selfe: When the gall is indeed powred out, we cannot live; and he who is afflicted to such a height, that he cryes, my gall is powred out, may well he numbred among the dead. The reason or originall of this speech was this (as I conceive) because when a wilde Beast, or any other (which are fit for mans eating) are taken and slaine, it is usuall when the bowels are pulled out, to cut off, and throw away, or powre out the Gall upon the ground, lest the overflowing of it should disrelish the neighbouring parts: So that Job in this doth onely prosecute the former theame of his greevious sufferings, or that he was (as Paul speakes of himselfe (2 Cor. 1.18.) pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that he despaired even of life; which he gives us yet more fully in the next Verse.

Job varies into all manner of inventions and allusions, [...] Vi disru­pit, erupit. Poeticè variat orationis modos lugubres. to set forth both the constancy and extremity of his afflictions. As before he compared himselfe to a marke, against which Ar­rows are shot; so now to a Stone wall, or fortified Towre, a­gainst which, battering Rams of old, and Cannons in latter ages, are usually planted to make a breach, that the Souldie­ry may come up to the assault.

Some men are like fortified Cities, which cannot be easily entred, yet when the Lord of Hosts drawes up his Armies and beseigeth them, he hath Artillery and Ammunition enough to thunder downe their highest Towers, and to make breach upon breach in their thickest walls. Satan complaines ( Ch. 1.) [Page 308] Thou hast made a hedge about him: Jobs hedge was the prote­ction of God; that hedge was so strong that Satan could not pull up a stake of it, nor make a gap in it, till God gave him leave. But though Job (as this similitude implyes) were like a wall or fortified tower, yet God had made breaches in him; God can soone breake our estates, our strength, our health, our comforts, our peace, our all. And when Job saith, he breaks me with breach upon breach; he meanes a mul­titude of breaches made together, or continuall breaches, made one after another: Jeremy laments ( Chap. 4.16.) My bowels, my bowels, I am pained at the very heart, my heart makes a noyse in me: Why doth he thus double upon these words, My bowels, my bowels, my heart, my heart? The twentieth Verse gives us an account of that, Destruction upon destruction is cryed, for the whole Land is spoyled: Destruction upon destruction is totall destruction. Thus Sampson repeats his Victory over the Philistines ( Judg. 15.16.) With the Jaw-bone of an Asse heaps upon heaps; or (as the letter of the Hebrew) an heap, two heaps; that is, I have made a great slaughter; or as himselfe explaines it in the close of the Verse, I have slaine a thousand men. Wee have the Prophet Ezekiels threat in the same lan­guage ( Chap. 7.26.) Mischeife shall come upon mischeife, and rumour shall be upon rumour: When the Prophet Isaiah would convince the Jewes of their unteachablenesse, that whereas (as the Apostles speakes, Heb. 5.12.) They ought to be teachers; yet they had need to be taught the first principles of the Ora­cles of God, like little Children, who must have the same precepts and lines often and often inculcated upon them, he gives it us in the forme of this Text ( Isa. 28.10.) For pre­cept must be upon precept, line upon line; that is, they must be continually followed with precepts, they must have many, and yet they scarse learne one; or (as others expound that place) the Prophet describes the scornefulnesse of that peo­ple who jeered the Messengers of God for their frequency in Preaching, with a riming scoffe, Precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little, and there a little; which single tearms the Pro­phets had often used in their Sermons. Now which way so­ever we take the proper sense of that place; yet the common sense of the words reaches this in Job: for precept upon precept, speakes there a multitude of precepts, even as here, breach [Page 309] upon breach speakes a multitude of breaches, or breaches all over. And the Apostle Paul expresseth himselfe in this straine, while he gives the reason of the recovery of Epaphroditus from a dangerous sicknesse ( Phil. 2.27.) He was sick (saith Paul) nigh unto death, but God had mercy on him; and not onely on him, but on mee also, least I should have sorrow upon sorrow; that is, many sorrows heaped up together: So then, when Job com­plaines of his breaking with breach upon breach; the plaine meaning is, that he had many, very many breaches: His very wounds were wounded, there was nothing in him, Vulnera ipsa vulnerat. Non habet in nobis jam nova plag [...] locum. or about him to be smitten, but what had been smitten already. As if he had said, I am so full of breaches and afflictions, that there is no whole space or roome left for a new breach, for another affliction: As he that lyes upon the ground can fall no lower, so he that is all broken cannot be broken any more.

Job had breach upon breach in his estate, his Cattle, and goods were taken away: Job had breach upon breach in his Family, most of his Servants, and all his Children were de­stroyed: Job had breach upon breach in his body, that was sick and soare: Job had breach upon breach in his credit, hee was called Hypocrite againe and againe: Job had breach up­on breach in his soule, that was filled with feare and ter­rour from the Lord.

Hence Note.

The best Saints on earth are subject, not onely to great, but various troubles, to breach upon breach.

God is pleased to smite them sundry times, and he smites them sundry wayes: 'Tis no argument that a man shall be no more afflicted, because he is afflicted, or that God will not smite againe, because he hath smitten already. God doth not stay his hand by looking upon the number, but upon the effect and fruite of our afflictions: Every Childe of his, whom he corrects, must looke for more corrections, till re­pentance hath had its perfect worke, and every Champion of his whom he tryes, must looke for more tryalls, till faith and patience have had their perfect worke. God would not give his Children so much as one blow, or one breach, not so much as a little finger of theirs should ake, were it not for one of these ends, and untill these ends be attained, they shall have many blowes and breaches, even till the whole head be sick, [Page 310] and the whole heart faint, till from the sole of the foot, even unto the head, there is no soundnesse in them, but wounds and bruises and putrifying soares. As the Vine-dresser cuts, and cuts, Ʋt in vineis labor labori, cu­ra curae, semper additur, &c. Sanct. prunes, and prunes the Vine, this day and the next day, because once cutting or pruning will not serve to make it fruitfull: So the Lord prunes, and cuts, and pares, and breaks, and breaks, not to destroy his people, but to make them (as pleasant Vines) bring forth abundantly, eyther the fruits of godly sorrow for their sins committed against him, or the proofes and experiments of the graces which they have received from him. This latter was Jobs case, and the cheife cause why he was broken with breach upon breach. And no sooner had the Lord by his roaring Cannon, made brea­ches in him, fayre, and assaultable, but he presently takes his advantage, as Job shewes elegantly (pursuing the Alle­gory) in the last clause.

[...] Sicut fortis po­tens idem valet Gigas & [...].When a breach is made in the wall, the beseigers run up to assault and storme the place. Job keepes to the Souldiers language, the Lord hath made breach upon breach, and now He runs upon me as a Giant. There are three things in this ex­pression.

First, The speed which God made to assault him, He runs.

Secondly, The strength that God puts forth in assaulting him, he runs, not as a Childe, not as a weak man, no nor as the ordinary sort of strong men; but as a Giant, or mighty man, who exceeds other men as Goliah did David, both in strength and stature.

Quando aliquis dicitur aut cur­rere, aut ali­quid agere, si­cut Gigas, ni­hil aliud deno­tat, quam mag­no animo & strenuè rem ali­quam aggredi. Bold.Thirdly, Running as a Giant, notes courage as well as strength. A Giant runs fiercely and fearelesly.

David compares the Sun at his rising, to a Bridegroome comming out of his Chamber, and to a Giant, or strong man (it is the word of this Text) who rejoyceth to run a race (Psal. 19.5.) Giants are swift, and Giants are strong; Some men are strong but not swift of foot, but no man can be swift of foot unlesse he be competently strong, Giants are both in ex­cesse: And therefore Job puts both together, He runs upon me as a Giant. And yet (I conceive) this running doth rather imply the fiercenesse of the Giant, then his swiftnesse. Giants [Page 311] are dreadfull and terrible to behold; they are called Nephi­lim in the Hebrew, of diverse Texts, which comming from the root, Naphal, to fall, signifies fallers, and that in a twofold sense.

First, Because they Apostatiz'd or fell from God, his truth and worship, which Moses seemes to intimate, while he de­scribes the first great personall defection of the World ( Gen. 6.4.) There were Giants in the earth in those dayes: these he oppo­seth to the Sons of God, in the same Verse, who had also greatly corrupted themselves, so that ( Vers. 5.) God saw the wicked­nesse of man was great upon the earth: For the Sons of God, they who owned a profession of Religion (being the Posterity of Seth, they) mingled themselves with the wicked of the World; as for the Giants, they disowned God, and were to­tally departed, or fallen from his obedience, and were there­fore as some apprehend, called Nephilim, or Fallers.

Secondly, They were so called, because either through the vastnesse of their strength and stature, or through the feirce­nesse of their mindes and spirits, they were men of violence, great oppressors, causing others to fall before them: In so much that the very name of a Giant was dreadfull. And when those unbeleeving Scarchers of Canaan brought up an evill report of that Land, the worst which they could say of it to the discouragement of their Brethren, was this ( Numb. 13.33.) And there we saw the Giants, the Sons of Anak, which came of the Giants: and we were in our owne sight as Grasse-hoppers, and so we were in theirs. Men of strength and courage were as much afrayd at this story of Giants, as Children are of Bug­beares and Fayries.

So then, when Job sayd, That God did run upon him as a Giant, his intent was onely to shew, with how much terrour God was pleased to cloath himselfe, and how much strength he put forth, while he thus contended with him. The truth is, God needs not lay out his strength to afflict man, he can crush the strongest of men as a moth, with the touch of his fin­ger. The weaknesse of God is stronger then man; yet God in afflicting his people, will sometimes personate a mighty man, exercising his power to the utmost, and arming himselfe from head to foot, while he combates with an enemy: which still confirmes the generall Observation, That God doth not onely [Page 312] afflict such as he loves, but he afflicts them sorely. Doth he not so, when he shaks them in peices? Doth he not so, when he sets them as his mark? When a multitude of skilfull Archers compasse them about; when he cleaves their reines asunder; when he powres out their Gall upon the ground? Doth he not so, when he sets Engines of battery to make breach upon breach, and then runs up as a Giant to the assault? Thus God hath dealt with many precious soules, and thus he dealt (beyond his dealings with many) with his precious Servant Job.

And as no man, eyther in his estate or health, either in his credit or comforts, is so strong a wall, but God by his Artil­lery can quickly make a breach upon him; so who is able to stand in the breach, or make it good, when God comes up to the assault? Can thine heart endure, or can thine hands be strong in the dayes that I shall deale with thee? saith the Lord ( Ezek. 22.14.) When the Lord as a Giant runs upon man, the strong­est Giant among the sons of men, is but as a Pigmie, yea but as a Pismire, he is but as the Chaffe before the winde, or as the potters Vessell before the Iron Rod. But though flesh and blood cannot stand in the breach when God assaults; yet Faith and patience can. Moses by Faith stood in the breach, and turned away the wrath of God, when he came to destroy Israel (Psal. 106.23.) Job by patience stood in the breaches which God made upon him, when he seemed utterly to destroy him.

For what did Job to God, when God did all this to him? Did he oppose? Did he strive with his Maker? The two next Verses shew, that prayers and teares were all the Weapons he used in this holy Warr with God.

That is, I have humbly submitted my selfe to receive, and entertaine those saddest dispensations.

Hence Observe.

That the surest way to confute the censures, and wipe off the as­persions which are cast upon us, is to shew our selves doing contrary to what others are speaking of us.

A practicall answer is the strongest answer; we may speak more for our selves by our hands, then we can doe by our tongues in many cases. The Papists mouths are stopt (who call us Solifidians) when they see Protestants forward in, and zealous for good workes: He that is accused of uncharitable­nesse, may best free himselfe from that charge, by giving freely to the poore; and he that is accused of injustice, may soonest doe himselfe right, by shewing that he hath done right to e­very man. Bare denyals that we have done evill, are nothing; but when our doing of good appeares, who can deny it? The old Philosopher answered him that denyed motion, by ri­sing up and walking, not by arguing: Job answered Eliphaz, who affirmed that he turned his spirit, and stretched out his hand against God, by falling downe and submitting to it. I have sowed sack-cloth upon my skin, &c.

And this Job offers, as to remove, and take away that obje­ction of mis-behaviour towards God; Hoc assert ut ad miserecor­diam socios mo­veat, paeniten­tiam, sc: suam & humilita­tem, quod sese in his afflictio­nibus non extu­lerit. Merc. so to move his Freinds to better behaviour, even to compassion, and pitty towards him. He was in a sorrowfull case, and he had acted the part of a sorrowfull man; God had layd him low, and hee layd himselfe low; this might have taught them moderation; why should they speake so harshly against him, who had dealt but coursely with himselfe? Sowing sack-cloth upon his skin; and seeing he abased himselfe, even to the defiling of his horne in the dust, why should they abase him too? It stirrs up pitty to­wards a professed adversary to see him in misery, especially, when he submits unto it, and suffers with patience: Much more should the misery of a professed Freind, he also quietly submitting to it, stirr up the bowels of pitie. So then, the scope of this report which Job makes of himselfe, was not onely to answer what Eliphaz had charged him with, but [Page 315] also that he might obtaine from his Freinds, a milder an­swer.

The word which we render Sack-cloth, [...] Saccus, v [...]x quae hic ha­betur Sak ha­bet eundem so­num in omni sere lingua, quod unum ar­guit linguam Hebraeam om­nium esse ma­trem. is of the same sound in the Hebrew, and almost in all other languages; which is observed as an argument of its antiquity, and that it is the mother of all languages. But how did Job sow sack-cloth upon his Skin? This is a hard peece of Sempstery.

The Roman Historian reports of cruell Nero, that when he fled out of the City, (fearing the sentence of the displeased Senate which quickly pursued him) and had got into a grove or thicket like a wilde Beast, he commanded those a­bout him to make a trench in the earth, fitted to the dimen­sions of his body, which he ordered them to line with such peeces of Marble, as were to be had upon the place; thus as it were, preparing his owne Tombe, he wept and often cryed out, See what a workman is here now ready to perish▪ What that wretch sayd of himselfe, I may say of this holy man in the Text, whom I finde thus busied at his Needle, as if he were preparing his owne Grave-clothes, or winding-sheet, What a workman have we here ready to perish? Job looked upon him­selfe as a dying man, Qualis artifex pereo. and behold he is sowing sack-cloth upon his skin. When men of worth dye, they are wrapt in fine linnen, so Joseph of Arimathea wrapt the body of Jesus (Mark 15.46.) And a living man full of soares needs the finest and softest linnen to wrap him in: Sack-cloth is a course stub­borne cloth, greevous to a sound body, painefull to those who have never a breach upon their flesh; but for a man (as Job describes himselfe) full of breaches, having breach upon breach, his body being broken all over, as if it were but one continued breach, to lap up such a one in sack-cloth, is an extreame addition to his paines and sorrows. How is it then, that Job was thus severe to his owne soares? To cleare this, Sack-cloth may be taken two wayes.

• First, Properly.
• Secondly, Improperly.

Properly, so, sack-cloth is that hairy, rough Garment which was very usuall among mourners, whether in times of sorrow for sin or judgement. Sack-cloth was the Livery of [Page 316] both these sorrows. The King of Israel was a close-mourner in sack-cloth (2 Kings 6.30.) The King rent his clothes as he pas­sed by upon the wall, and the people looked, and behold he had sack-cloth within upon his flesh. There being a terrible Famine in Samaria, that Kings wore Sackcloth as an embleme of his sor­row, yet he wore it somewhat concealedly, it was within up­on his flesh. And so (2 Kings 20.31.) when the Servants of Benhadad came to Achab, they put sack-cloth upon them. And (2 Kings 21.27.) Achab himselfe when hee heard that sore judgement denounced against him, humbled himselfe, and put on sack-cloth, and went softly. In a time of common calamity, the Prophet tells us, Every head shall be bald, and every beard clipt: upon all the hands shall be cuttings, and upon the loynes sack-cloth (Jer. 48.37.) And that it was the usuall weare in time of repentance, is taught us in the Prophesie of Jonah (3.8.) where Proclamation was made, by the King of Niniveh, That all should fast and put on sack-cloth. Christ himselfe de­scribing what Sodome and Gomorah would have done if the Gospell had been Preached, or the mighty workes done in them which were done in Bethsaida and Corazin, saith, They would have repented long agoe in sack-cloth and ashes: that is, they would have put on sack-cloth, and sate in ashes, in token of deepest humiliation for sin. Thus sack-cloth properly ta­ken was often used in times of great affliction, whether per­sonall, or publique; as also in times of deepest and most pro­fessed repentance.

Secondly, Wee may take sack-cloth improperly, and so two wayes.

[...] Cutis vox Arabica non alibi in Scriptura repe­ritur. Et Gelad propriè signifi­care cutim & crustavi quae plagae siccae su­perinducitur. Rab. Levi,First, As to Jobs then present condition, hee was full of sores, and those sores were to him as a course covering of sack-cloth: for he was sore all over: In some extraordina­ry diseases, a scab puts forth all over the body, like the bark of a tree. Jobs scabs and sores were like the barke of a tree, or a garment of sack-cloth; hee speakes neere this language ( Chap. 30.18.) By the great force of my disease is my Garment changed: As if he had sayd, I have another kinde of Garment then I was wont to weare; I was wont to weare the best, and the costlyest Garments; but now, By the force of my disease is my Garment changed, it bindeth me about as the colour of my coat: that is, My sores binde me about as the colour of my Coat. [Page 317] Thus the Greek Expositors render this Text, affirming, Nigrorem na­cta est cutis mea propter cruciatuum a­cerbitatem qua­si saccus qui­dam ex vellis contextis effe­ctus. Sanct. that his Skin was discouloured and black, and began to look like sack-cloth, through the heat and distemper of his inward parts: As health and soundnesse of constitution put out a fresh and lively tincture, so sicknesse and diseases deface and darken the beauty of the body.

Secondly, Take it again improperly, as to Jobs then present action; and then, I sowed sack-cloth upon my skin, is, as if hee had spoken plainely, I have greatly abased, or humbled my selfe, I have beene as one who putteth on sack-cloth. Such was his posture ( Chap. 2.8.) He tooke a pot-sheard, and scraped his sores, and sate downe among the ashes. As he who wore sack-cloth did humble himselfe greatly, or at least would be accounted to have done so; so he that is really humbled, and that greatly, may be sayd to have put on sack-cloth. The signe is often put for the thing signified, in reference both to joy and sorrow. White garments and unctions were signes of joy; and therefore when Solomon exhorts to joyfulnesse, hee saith, Let thy garments be alwayes white, and let thine head lack no oyntment (Eccles. 9.8.) which we may expound either by that which goes before, Eate thy bread with joy, and drinke thy Wine with a merry heart (Vers. 7.) or by that which follows ( Vers. 9.) Live joyfully with the wife of thy youth: As to bid a man put on white garments is to bid him rejoyce, so to bid a man put on blacks, or sack-cloth, is to bid him mourn; and he who saith as Job here, that he hath done it, saith, That he hath mourned, though he hath not done it. Job did not sow sack-cloth upon his skin when he spake thus, but his sorrows did truely speak sack-cloth: Such also is his sense of the next clause; where he professeth, ‘And I defiled my horne in the dust.’

Hornes are proper to a beast, but they are often by a figure or improperly ascribed to man. The horne imports two things in figure.

• First, Strength, and power.
• Secondly, Dignity, and ornament.

It is often put for strength and power; for the strength and power of good men (1 Sam. 2.10.) Hannah sings, Thou shalt exalt the horne (that is, the strength and power) of thine an­noynted. [Page 318] ( Psal. 132.17.) There shall he make the horne of David to flourish. David was a type of Christ, and of him this Psalme is expounded ( Luke 1.69.) God hath raysed up a horne of sal­vation for us in the house of his servant David: A horne of sal­vation, is, strong salvation, or strength of salvation: God layd helpe for us upon one that is mighty, when he layd help for us upon his Son.

The horn [...], notes also the strength and power of wicked men ( Psal. 75.5.) Lift not your hornes on high, speake not with a stiffe neck: At the tenth Verse of that Psalme, we have both; All the hornes of the wicked also will I cut off, but the hornes of the righteous shall be exalted. Those ten Kings, who gave their power and strength to the Antichristian Beast, Metaphora ab animalibus ducta, quorum vires fere in cornibus ex­istant. are shadowed under the title of Ten hornes (Revel. 17.12.) Strength and power are expressed by a horne, in allusion to Beasts, whose strength to defend themselves, and to hurt others, is in their hornes; and hence it is that the word by which the Greeks expresse harmelesse, signifies properly hornelesse (Phil. 2.15.) That yee may be blamelesse and harmelesse, [...], Est careus cornu. the Sons of God without rebuke, &c.

Secondly, As the horne is put for strength, so for splen­dour, and dignity: The Texts before alleadged may be so ex­pounded. And again ( Hab. 3.4.) His brightnesse was as the light, and he had horns comming out of his h [...]d, and there was the hiding of his power: We in the Margin put, Bright beames out of his side: For the Hebrew word which signifies a horn, [...] Radia­vit splenduit. signifies to radiate, and shine forth ( Exod. 34.29, 30.) When Moses came downe from the Mount; the Text saith, He wist not that his face did shine. And when Aaron, and all the people of Israel saw Mo­ses, hehold his face shone: The Vulgar translates, The face of Moses was horned, Quod cornuta esset facies ejus. Vulg. Inde Moses cornutus pingi­tur. or had hornes upon it: that is, Beames and rayes of light like hornes appeared, or darted from his coun­tenance, so that the eyes of the beholders were dazled: And the reason why Moses is commonly pictured with hornes, is, because this word signifies, both beames, and hornes. So here, I have defiled my horne in the dust: that is, My dignity, and ex­cellency; thus the Chaldee expresseth it: as if he had sayd, I have taken off, Splendorem meum. Chald. or layd by all ornaments to put my selfe into the posture of an humble suppliant; I have defiled my horne in the dust.

[Dust] also is taken properly, or improperly; properly, dust is light, small, crumbled earth. Christ chargeth his Di­sciples ( Matth. 10.14.) Whosoever shall not receive you, nor heare your word, when yee depart out of that City, shake off the dust of your feet: That action was emblematicall, and noted one of, or all these three things.

First, That the earth was polluted, where such refusers of the precious Gospell did inhabite, and was therefore to be shaken off as a filthy thing.

Secondly, That they were base and vile as dust, such as God would shake off.

Thirdly, That the dust of the Apostles feet there left, might be as a witnesse (so the other Gospels expresse it) against them, that the Gospell had been Preached there.

Dust also in a proper sense, was used in times of humilia­tion and sorrow among the Jewes; for then, they eyther sprinkled dust on their heads, or lay downe in the dust: Jo­shua and the Elders of Israel put dust on their heads ( Josh. 7.6.) and Job professeth ( Chap. 42.6.) Therefore I abhorr my selfe, and repent in dust and ashes: Which wee may understand either strictly, that he sate downe in the dust, testifying his re­pentance, or largely, that his was a great and a deep repen­tance, even like theirs, who are humbled in dust and ashes. That carnall worldly sorrow of the Merchants and Freinds of Babylon is thus expressed ( Revel. 18.18, 19.) And they cast dust on their heads, and cryed, weeping and wayling, saying, Alas, alas, that great City.

Improperly, dust signifies any very low condition ( Psal. 113.7. 1 Sam. 2.8.) He raiseth the poore out of the dust. And againe (1 Kings 16.2.) For as much as I exalted thee out of the dust, and made thee a Prince over my people Israel, &c. To be exalted from the dust, is to be exalted from among the common people to a princely state, as that parallell place tels us (1 Kings 14.7.) All men are but levell with the dust in their naturall con­stitution, but all Magistrates are above the dust (that is, the common people) by their civill constitution. When Job saith, I have defiled my horne in the dust; it may be understood either properly, that he did sit downe in dust and ashes as he speakes ( Chap. 2.) or improperly, that as God had brought him into a low condition, so he was willing to submit him­selfe [Page 320] to a low condition, and to be, not onely as man who is dust in his nature, and must returne to dust, but as becomes that man whose power and honour, whose excellency and greatnesse is layd in the dust: David imprecates ( Psal. 7.5.) If I have done this, if (as some charge and suspect me) there be iniquity in my hands, &c. Let the enemy persecute my soule, and take it; yea, let him tread my life downe to the earth, and lay mine honour in the dust: that is, Let him totally ruine me, or lay me as low, as low can be. The Church is thus excited to rise from her Captivity ( Isa. 52.1, 3.) Awake, and shake thy selfe from the dust, arise, and sit downe, O Jerusalem: loose thy selfe from the bands of thy neck, O Captive daughter of Zion. To lye in Captivity, is to lye in the dust; and as to shake off the dust is to returne from Captivity, so to defile the horne in the dust is to lay aside our dignity.

Job gives yet a further description of his selfe-humilia­tion.

As Job put on his mourning Garments, so he was indeed a mourner, he wept, and he wept plentifully: much eye-water doth not cleanse, but foule the face, My face is foule with weep­ing; Facies mea in­turnuit a fletu. Vulg. or my face is swolne, and my cheekes blubbered with weeping, saith the Latine Translator.

Note here three sorts of teares spoken of in Scripture.

• First, There are teares of worldly sorrow.
• Secondly, Teares of godly sorrow.
• Thirdly, Teares of Hypocrisie.

The last sort is applyable to both the former; it respects sometimes worldly sorrow, and sometimes godly sorrow; for both may be feyned: Such were those teares ( Jer. 41.) when Ishmael had killed Gedaliah, the Text saith, Ishmael went to Mizpeh, and met the men, weeping all along as he went; as if he had been greatly troubled for the afflictions of the Land; but they were Crokadiles teares. Ishmael wept onely till hee had gotten those men (as a prey) in his power, and then he de­stroyed them. Ishmael was a State-hypocrite, and seemed full of compassion, that he might get an opportunity to vent his malice.

There are many Church-hypocrites, who can foule and disfigure their faces with weeping, as Christ reproves the Pha­risees ( Matth. 6.16.) while they have no thought of wash­ing or reforming either their hearts or lives. Jobs face was foule with weeping, but his heart and life were cleane; he need­ed not straine for teares, or weep by art; how could hee re­straine teares, whose troubles were enlarged? The word which we render foule, is doubled in the Originall, [...] Facies mea fae­data est a [...] lutum, hic duplicatur ut ante ad au­gendam fignisi­cationem. which speakes thus much, that his face double-dirtyed, or double-dyed in his owne teares: Neither yet was this all the argu­ment of his reall sorrowes; for he had not onely quite wept away his beauty, but he had almost wept away his life too, and was even dead with griefe, as it followes in the next words.

That is, Mine eyes are darkned, and I looke like one that's ready to give up the Ghost: As if he had sayd, My sorrow may be seen upon my eyes and eye lids, which with extremity of griefe, and multitude of teares are even wasted away and sunke in my head, as when a man is dead, or dying: Much weeping weakens the eye-sight, yea some are sayd to weepe out their eyes. David gives us that effect of weeping ( Psal. 6.7.) I water my couch with teares: that is, I weep abundantly, then it followes, Mine eyes are consumed because of my griefe: And ( Psal. 38.10.) My heart panteth, my strength faileth, as for the light of mine eyes, it is also gone from me: I am even growne blinde with sorrow, or (as the Church bemoanes her sad estate, Lament. 2.11.) Mine eyes doe faile with teares. Abundance of teares bring fay­ling of eyes: and hee that useth his eyes to much weeping, shall have little use of them for seeing: Hos gestus in humiliationibus Orientales e­tiam Graecos u­surpasse testatur & videt Plu­tarchus in li­bello de super­stitione. Densissima ca­ligo est oculis meis offusa. Merc. wee may assigne the reason of it from nature, because continuall powring forth of teares spends the spirits, and so weakneth the vi [...]ive power. Now as death is a totall privation of sight, so they whose sight is much impayred, looke somewhat like the dead: Hence Jobs complaint, On my eye-lids is the shadow of death.

Shaddow of death, notes the cleerest appearance, the strongest signes of death: Or this shadow of death upon his eye-lids, together with the fouling of his face, in the former clause may be an allusion to some fashions or customes of mourners in those times or places. This phrase (which also [Page 322] often occurrs in other Scriptures) was opened ( Chap. 3.5.) thither I referr the Reader.

Thus we have Jobs behaviour in his affliction by a twofold act, and a twofold effect of it.

The first act was, Sowing sack-cloth on his flesh.

The second was, Defiling his horne in the dust.

The first effect was, Foulenesse upon his face.

The second was, Death upon his eyes.

Hence Observe.

First, They are most sensible of the hand of God, who are most submissive to it.

As Jobs afflictions were great, so was his sorrowe, and so was his submission: Sorrow is not contrary to patience; Job was the most pati [...]nt, and the most sorrowfull man in the World. There is an immoderate sorrow inconsistent with patience, but great sorrow is not onely consistent with patience, but an argument of it; and unlesse we have some sorrow, we are not patient at all: how can he be called patient, who either feeles not, or slights his affliction. It is as ill a symptome of a diseased soule to be unsensible of judgements, as to be un­sensible of mercies. Unlesse wee feele the rod, wee cannot heare the voice of the rod, nor receive instruction by it. To be as a Trunk, or a Stone, under correction, is not to be pa­tient under it, but to despise it: Humble your selves under the mighty hand of God, is the advice of the spirit, by the Apostle (1 Pet. 5.6.) As God humbles us for sin, or for the tryall of grace, so they who have grace receive power to humble them­selves; and to humble our selves, is not onely an act, but an high act of grace; both the grace of God toward us, and the graces of God in us are exalted when wee are low in our owne eyes.

Secondly, From the manner of this sorrowful humiliation, He sowed sack-cloth upon his skin, and defiled his horne in the dust.

Observe.

That as God letteth out visible tokens of his afflicting hand upon us, so we should let out visible tokens of our humiliation under his hand.

As we are visibly afflicted, so we should be visibly affected. We may make our humblings seene, though we must not doe it to be seene. As the light of our active obedience, should so shine before men, that they may see our good workes, and glorifie our [Page 323] Father which is in Heaven (Matth. 5.16.) So also should the light of our passive obedience shine before men, that they may see our holy sufferings, and glorifie our Father which is in Heaven. It is as great a sin to boast of our poverty, as it is to boast of our riches, and as great a vanity to be proud of a crosse, as to be proud of a Crowne; yet it is an honour to God, when men see that we are not ashamed either of poverty or of a crosse. The crosse should be carryed upon our shoul­ders, not put up in our pockets: God loves to see us owne our troubles as well as our comforts; and as hee will con­demne those who wrap the Talent of their gifts and abilities in a Napkin, and hide it from the use of others; so he doth not approve those who wrap up their crosses and afflictions in a Napkin, and hide them from the sight of others: espe­cially considering, that even these also are Talents for which we stand accountable, how vve have used them, both for our owne good, and the good of others. I have surely heard E­phraim bemoaning himselfe thus (saith the Lord) Thou hast cha­stised me, and I was chastised (Jer. 31.18.) Ephraims outward moanes were as musick in the eares of God; Ephraim did not murmure against God, but he bemoaned himselfe; Ephraim was not angry at his chastisement, but Ephraim mourned be­ing chastised; God heard this fully, in hearing hee heard it, or, it pleased him to heare it. It is our duty to testifie our sor­row by the saddest notes of a troubled spirit, and it is a de­light to God when vve doe so; not that hee delights in our sorrows; but he delights in the witnesse vvhich vve beare to his wisedome, righteousnesse, and faithfulnesse, in sending those sorrowes. I heard Ephraim bemoane himselfe. Will an offendor that lookes for mercy come before the Judge in rich apparrell, or in some affected dresse? Comes he not rather in his Prison clothes, puts he not on the garments of heavinesse? The Messengers of Benhadad, put dust on their heads, and ropes about their necks, and sack-cloth on their loynes, when they came to mediate for the life of their Master. And thus the Lord speakes to the Israelites ( Exod. 33.5.) when they had sinned, and he was wroth, Put off your Ornaments that I may know what to doe with you: Ornaments are uncomly when God is threatning judgements: It is time for us to lay by our bra­very, when God is about to make us naked. Sack-cloth sowed [Page 324] upon the skin, and our horne in the dust, are the best ensignes of an afflicted state. The Prophets counsell indeed is ( Joel 2.13.) Rend your hearts and not your garments. (Rending the garments may be taken, not onely strictly for that act, but largely for all outward actings of sorrow) Yet when he saith, Rent not, this is not a prohibition of, but a caution about the outward acting of their sorrow. Not, in Scripture, is not alwayes totally negative, it is often directive and compara­tive: So in this place, Rend your hearts and not your garments, is, your hearts, rather then your garments; or be sure to rend your hearts, as well as your garments: The one must be done, the other ought not to be left undone. See more of this ( Chap. 1. Vers. 20.) upon those word, Then Job rent his Mantle.

Thirdly, Observe.

Great sorrow produceth great effects, and leaveth such impressions as testifie where it is.

The Apostle saith of the sorrow of the World, That it wor­keth death (2 Cor. 7.10.) The sorrow of the World may be taken two wayes.

First, For the sorrow of carnall worldly men, whose sorrow for sin is only a vexing of their hearts, not a breaking or hum­bling of their hearts; which being separate both from true faith for the pardon of sin, and from any reall purpose of leaving their sin, worketh death, both temporall death, often wearing out their naturall life lingringly, and sometime destroying their naturall life violently, as in Judas, as also hastning them on to eternall death, of which it selfe is a foretast, or beginning.

Secondly, This sorrow of the World, is a sorrow for the losse of, or disappoyntments about worldly things. This also worketh both those deaths in meere worldly men; and when it is excessive (as under a temptation it may be) in a godly man, it may be sayd to worke the death of the body in him; yea great and continued sorrow, though it be not excessive, worketh towards this death in a godly man, drying his bones, and drawing out his spirits, as is cleare in Job, on whose eye-lids the very shadow of death sate, while hee wept and sorrowed. 'Tis hard to dissemble a little griefe, but a great deale cannot be hid: As godly sorrow manifests it selfe in excellent effects upon the soule, of which the Apostle num­bers [Page 325] up seven at the eleventh Verse of that Chapter, For this selfe same thing that yee sorrowed after a godly sort, what careful­nesse it wrought in you; yea what clearing of your selves, &c. Now I say, as godly sorrow manifests it selfe in manifold effects upon the soule, so doth the sorrow of the World set its marks upon the body: As a good mans heart is made cleane by wee­ping the teares of godly sorrow, so every mans face is made foule by weeping the teares of worldly sorrow; and as god­ly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation and life eter­nall, so the sorrow of the World vvorketh an entrance to temporall death; yea, we may say that godly sorrow doth sometimes worke temporall death; Paul was afrayd lest the incestuous person while he was repenting, might be Swallow­ed up with over much sorrow (2 Cor. 2.7.) vvhich as vvee are to understand cheifely of a swallowing up in the gulfe of de­spaire, so we may take in that also as a consequent of the o­ther, a swallowing of him up in the Grave of death; as if hee had sayd, The poore man may both despayre and dye under this burden, if you let it lye too long upon him. As soone as Heman had sayd (in his desertion) My soule is full of troubles, he presently adds, And my life draweth nigh unto the Grave, I am counted with them that goe downe to the pit, free a­mong the dead (Psal. 88.3, 4, 5.) To which he subjoyns ( Ver. 9.) Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction, and then expostu­lates ( Vers. 10.) Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead? Shall the dead arise and praise thee? As if he had sayd, These sorrows will bring me to my grave, or in the language of Job, On my eye-lids is the shadow of death.

Till wee enjoy a life beyond the reach of all sorrows, wee shall not be beyond the reach of death. Hence that promise ( Revel. 21.4.) God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neyther sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more paine: And as that life which hath no death in it, shall have no sorrow in it, so that life which is a continuall death (the life of the damned) is nothing else but sorrow. There shall be weeping and wayling, and gnashing of teeth, for evermore (Mat. 13.42.) Their eyes shall ever weep, their faces shall ever be foule with weeping, and on their eye-lids the shadow of death shall dwell for ever.

Fourthly, The hand of God being heavy upon Job, he de­filed [Page 326] his horne in the dust, and fouled his face with weeping; he re­garded neyther the beauty of his face, nor the dignity of his condition, all was nothing to him.