THIS Book is Intituled the Book of Job, for the principal Matter contain­ed therein doth concern him▪ Who was the Pen-Man of it is [...]certain, neither is it much material for us to [...]w. The first Verse gives us his Picture draw [...] [...] the Fin­ger of God, which he twice Attested unto the Teeth of Satan, Ver. 8. Chap. 2, 3. which did draw the Malice and Envy of Satan against him. We have also an Inventory of his Wealth, Ver. 2, 3. The loving and friendly practice of his Children, 4. This good Man's Fear, and godly Course, 5. Satan's desire to try him; a Com­mission given him, with a Limitation, 12. He goes to the utmost length of his Chain. Upon the sad Messages brought to him, we find he had a Sense of his Afflictions, and by outward Gestures did demonstrate it, 20. yet did mani­fest a gracious Frame of Heart under all, 21. Satan's Commission, with a Limitation, renewed, 'tis executed to the full, Chap. 2. 6, 7. Job's Wife, in discontent, gives him very ill Counsel, Ver. 9. Job Replies, Ver. 10. wherein he gently Reproves her, 2. gives a valid Reason for this [Page 6] Reproof, in the Words of my Text, in a double Interrogation: What? As if he should say, what bad Advice do you give me? What would you have me to sin against God? Then shall we receive good at the hand of God, and not evil? Interrogations are a kind of quick and smart Speaking; and in this place it imports the anger of Job at this evil Counsel; Shall we receive, &c. The Good here spoken of, I presume, doth only intend the good things of this Life, such as A­braham speaks of, Luke 16▪ 25. unto the rich Man; though some extend it to the good things of the othe [...] [...] also, at the hand, or from the hand, or [...]ence of God; and shall we not receive [...] Not the evil of Sin; for God gives [...] nor doth Man, though full of this Ev [...] [...]ceive it from Him; but the Evil of Troubl [...] [...] Affliction, those in Scripture are frequently called Evil, Isa. 45. 7. I create evil. Amos 3. 6. Is there evil in a city (i. e.) any trou­ble or affliction, that the Lord hath not done. Called Evil, not that there is any Evil, either Natural or Moral in it; but because it is so in our Sense and Esteem, or because the common effect of the Evil of Sin.

From these Words do arise Three Observations.

1. That the Life of Man, in this World, is made up of Good and Evil; not all Good, nor all Evil: Not all good, lest we be full, and deny God, as Agur said, Prov. 30. 8, 9. Not all E­vil, lest we faint under it, and our Lives be too bitter: Our Life is as Checquer-work, that hath white and black Lines; or as the Cloud in the Wilderness, that had a bright side, as well as a dark one. Herein it differs from the future Life, or Life in the other World, that is either [Page 7] all Good, and that in the superlative Degree, without any allay of Evil, as with the Spirits of just Men made perfect: Or, all Evil, without the least mixture of Good; that is, of Comfort and Refreshment, no not so much as a drop of wa­ter; which is the miserable case of the damned in Hell.

2. Obs. That the good and evil Things we receive, are from the Hand of God, either im­mediately, or mediately.

3dly. Which I shall principally insist upon in the Doctrinal Part, That as we receive Good, so must we receive Evil, though from his Hand; and make use of the Second Doctrine in the Appli­cation.

Reasons why, and the manner how, we are to re­ceive these evil things from the Hand of God.

1. Because they come from the same Hand that all our good Things come: This is the force of the Reason given by Job.

2. Is from the Sovereignty of God, Psal. 46. 10. Job 9. 12. who hath an Absolute, Unlimit­ed, and Indubitable Right, to dispose of Us, and Ours, according to his Pleasure, and none may dare to question it.

3. From the Wisdom of God, who best knows what to do with us. In Wisdom he doth all things, whose Understanding is Infinite, Ps. 147. 5. and therefore is beyond our search, Isa. 40. 28.

4. His Justice, that doth not, nor can do us any wrong.

5. His Goodness is such, that He will do us no harm, nor intends it.

1. All the Good we receive from Him is more than we deserve, for we are not worthy of the least of his Mercies, Gen. 32. 10. nay, contrary [Page 8] to our deserts; for whenever He doth us Good, or whatsoever Good He bestows on us, He comes over the heads of innumerable sins and offences.

2. The Good we receive from Him, if weigh­ed in the Ballance, will out-weigh all the Evils we receive, had we only a naked Life. This Truth came out of the Mouth of the Father of Lies, That skin for skin, and all that a man hath, will he give for his life, Job 2. 4. Importing, that Life is of so great a value, that it will weigh down all the Good we enjoy, and therefore will out-weigh all the Evils that we suffer. Hence, Lam. 3. 39. Wherefore doth a living man complain? Have Life, and yet complain: which plainly speaks, That where there is Life, it is so great a Good, that no troubles should so distress us, as to procure sinful Complaints: but there are none that live, but have some other Good with it; if nothing else, yet they have Time, which is a great Good.

3. Whatever Evil we receive from the Hand of God, if we are his People, it is because there is need of it, 1 Pet. 1. 6, 7. The All-Wise GOD, that understands our Conditions, sees that we have need of such evil Things. It is no pleasu­rous thing with Him to Afflict his People, Lam. 3. 33. If a wise and faithful Physician, that knows our Distemper, sees that it is needful to breath a Vein, and take away some of our Blood, or finds it necessary to Prescribe an unpleasing Potion to us, we abiding by his Judgment, and relying on his Fidelity, are willing to receive it; therefore,

5. We should receive those evil Things, be­cause they are designed for our good, Heb. 12. 10. and if we receive them as we ought, they will, no doubt, produce that effect, Isa. 27. 9. Rom. 8. 28.

[Page 9] 6. To suffer, or receive those evil things, doth become those that profess themselves to be Chri­stians, and to be a Christian indeed, and not in Name only, is one that takes Christ for his All, and Resigns up himself, and his All, unto His Dispose; with a consciencious endeavour to be Conform­able to Him who hath left us an Example, How to bear the evils that we suffer, 1 Pet. 2.

The manner how we should receive evil things from the hand of God.

1. With a holy submission unto his Will and Providence; it is a Cup put into our hand by a Merciful and Compassionate Father, which, tho' it hath some Gall in it, as no affliction for the present is joyous, Heb. 12. yet there is no Poison. John 18. 11. The Cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it? Christ had a bitter Cup in the Garden, yet if his Father saw it not good it should pass from Him, He was willing to take it, Mat. 26, 39.

2. Receive evil things from God's hand hum­bly, either to make us humble, or to keep us humble, to prevent Pride, and hide it from our eyes, Job 33. 16. or to pull down Pride, is one principal end of God in the evil thing He brings upon us; as it was to Israel, in all the hardships they met with in their Passage through the how­ling Wilderness, that Land of Pits, Drought, and the shadow of Death, Deut. 8. 2. Pride is so con­trary to God, that he cannot bear it in his Chil­dren, and therefore his Day of Affliction comes upon them to prevent it, or rebuke for it, as with Paul, 2 Cor. 12. 7. Hence that Counsel, 1 Pet. 5. 6. Humble your selves under the mighty hand of God. He loves to see his Children cloathed, or rather adorned with the Garment of Humility, 1 Pet. 5. 5.

[Page 10] 3. Receive them silently, or patiently, Rom. 5. 2. Tribulation is said to work Patience, or work it out, that Patience might be kept in exercise; he that is without it, had need to pack up, and be gone out of the World, there being so much need of this Grace; Patience is exercised either in bea­ring evils, Rom. 12. 12. or in waiting for good things. Hence the Apostle concludes, we have need of it, Heb. 10. 36. as the Husbandman, Ja. 5. 7, 8. As we are to do all things without mur­muring at the difficulties, or disputing the Equi­ty of the Command; so are we to bear and suf­fer all things from the hand of God, without fretting or discontent, but more of this in the Application.

4. Receive evil things from God's hand, with reflection upon our own evils, or the evil of our ways, Lam. 3. 40. Consideration of our ways is necessary, when under the Rod, Hag. 1. 3. 5. Ecl. 7. 14

5. Diligently attending, or hearkening to the Voice of the Rod, Mic. 6. 9. that we may know something of the holy ends of God therein: for, there is a Reason for every Stroak that comes up­on us, which we are concerned to inquire into.

6. With Prayer and Supplication. Times of Affliction, are proper Seasons for Prayer, Jam. 5. 13. This hath been the constant course of the Peo­ple of God under the Rod, and herein they have often found relief; Pray for Strength to bear it; Pray for a Blessing upon the Rod, that you may be taught as well as chastened, Psal. 94. 12. And that the Rod may produce the peaceable Fruits of Righteousness.

7. Thankfully, with our Holy Man, bless God for your Afflictions, Chap. 1. 21. Grace, in a live­ly exercise, doth not only bring Quietness unto [Page 11] the Mind in Affliction, but raiseth up the Heart to admire at God's condescention, Chap. 7. 17, 18. that He will bestow a Rod upon us: and thank Him for his Paternal Care of us, and his gentle and favourable Dealing with us, who might have Scourged us with Scorpions.

8. Believingly: that according to God's word, our Afflictions shall work for our Good, as they are designed and appointed.

For Application, I shall look back to the Second Doctrine, viz. That our Good and Evil Things, in this Life, come from the hand of God.

1. Then, our good Things come not to us, by that which ignorant People commonly call Luck, or Fortune, which ought to be cut off from the Mouths of Christians: That which they call For­tune, is the Providence of God, without which not a Penny comes into your Purses, nor a Customer into your Shops.

2. Then our worldly good Things comes not to us simply, by our own diligence, care, and in­dustry, I say not only, or simply, but 'tis God that gives power to get Wealth, Deut. 8. 18. None have reason to Sacrifice to their own Net, or Ascribe the good Things they have got unto the labour of their hand: For Men may, and ma­ny do, rise up early, and set up late, and eat the bread of sorrow, Psal. 127. 2. and yet add not one cubit to their stature, Mat. 6 27. 'Tis true, the dili­gent hand, it's said, maketh rich, Prov. 10. 4. yet not without the blessing of the Lord, ver. 22. These make rich both in Spirituals and Temporals, not the one without the other; not the diligent hand without the blessing of the Lord, nor will the blessing of the Lord make rich without a diligent hand; for God is no Patron for Slothfulness, in the Affairs of Soul or Body.

[Page 12] 3. Then should we trust in the Lord, Ps. 37. 3. and rely upon his Care and Providence, touching the good things of this World, who will give Grace, and Glory, and with-hold no good thing from them that trust in Him, and walk uprightly before Him, Psal. 84. 11. He that feeds the Ravens, will not suffer the young Cranes to starve, as that good Man said on his Death-bed. He that cloaths the grass of the field, will provide garments to cover the nakedness of them that rely upon Him. He doth not indeed ingage to pro­vide for them, as He did for the rich Man, Luk 16. But mean Fair may preserve Life, as well as cost­ly Dishes; and course Cloth will keep warm, as well as fine.

4. If all the good things thou hast come from the hand of God, then be thankful to God for all. Render all back to Him in Praises, that thou re­ceivest from his bountiful Hand; that as of Him, and from Him are all things; so all may with thank­fulness be returned to Him. Phil. 4. 6.

5. Use and lay out all for Him; the Mercies we receive should be improved for his Glory: Whe­ther we eat, or whether we drink, do all to the glory of God, 1 Cor. 10. 31. To honour Him with our sub­stance, Prov. 3. 9. By doing good, and communica­ting, especially unto God's poor, Gal. 6. 10. And for Holy and Pious Uses, in promoting the Gos­pel and Interest of Christ.

6. Tho' all good things of this Life are recei­ved from his Hand, yet let us not be contented to have our Portion in them, that it may not be with us, as with the rich Man, Luk. 16. who had all his good things in this Life; the Lord hath better things than those to give, Ps. 84. 11. and we want them: for as our Bodies need the one, so do our Souls need the other; and he that chief­ly [Page 13] seeks the best, shall not want the worst, so far as God sees them good for us.

Obj. Suppose these good things are wickedly and un­justly gotten, by lying, stealing, defrauding, over-reach­ing, oppression, and grinding the face of the poor; do such good things so gotten come from the hand of God?

Res. It is too evident, that many by such wicked and ungodly ways do gain these things; and that there are too few that in their Commerce and Dealings with Men, do with Conscience observe that excellent Rule given by Christ, Mat. 7. 12. Whatsoever ye would that Men should do unto you, do ye even so unto them.

2. Yet the things themselves being good, as they are good, do proceed from God; but the unjust and unlawful means by which they are gained, are from the wickedness of the heart of Man, as Judas his thirty Pieces.

3. These things thus gained come from God, but not in a way of Mercy, but in his Wrath and Displeasure, to fatten them against the day of slaugh­ter. The Lord smiteth his hand at their dishonest gain, Ezek. 22. 13. Alluding to a Man, when angry, that smiteth his hands at the Party that offends him, and the Lord will avenge such, 1 Thes. 4. 6. I have read of a great Lady, that being in a City that was Besieged, Contracted with the Be­siegers to deliver up the City, on condition they would give her all the Gold, Jewels, and precious Stones, that were found therein. Agreement was made, the City delivered up, and the Gold, &c. were cast upon her, and crushed her to death. Thus Riches gotten, and not by right, will perish; and those that so get them shall die like fools, Jer. 17. 11.

4. Those that by unjust and unlawful ways do gain the good things of this World, together [Page 14] with them do gain a Curse, Prov. 3. 33. So that those things, tho' in themselves are Blessings, are accursed unto them, Mal. 2. 2. There is a worm at the root, and a third Heir seldom enjoys it.

5. Account at last must be given of what Men gain, and how they use it, and in what way they gain it.

1. Does the evil of Affliction and Trouble that we suffer, come from the hand of God, then ought we to look beyond, and through Second Causes, unto the Providence of God, that disposeth of us, and ours: For trouble springeth not out of the ground; nor doth affliction arise out of the dust, Job 5. 6.

2. Then under the sharpest and severest stroaks that fall upon us, we should be still as David, not to open our mouths, because God hath done it, Ps. 39. 9.

Obj. But my affliction is more than ordinary, and falls out but now and then; this makes it the heavier, and in this the Lord hath, as it were, pricked me in the Life-Vein, taking away the desire of my eye, and the delight of my heart; had it been in some other way, I hope I could have borne it better.

Res. 1. Shall any teach God knowledge? Job 21. 22. Or shall we direct our Soveraign Lord, nay, our Father, what Rod He shall scourge us with? He is at liberty to Correct how He pleaseth, and if He taketh away, as none can hinder Him, nei­ther may we question Him, or say, What doest Thou, or why doest Thou so? Job 9. 12.

2. Thy Child was the delight of thine Heart, therefore thou wouldest have had him been con­tinued with thee; he was also God's delight, who had most right to him, therefore he is not, because the Lord hath taken him to Himself: you did love him, therefore was so unwilling to part from him; but your love had too much Self-love in it, seeing you would have kept him from his Fa­ther, [Page 15] and the Glory prepared for him: So that your Child might say, If you lov'd me with a cordial sincere love, free from a mixture of self-love, you would rejoyce, and not over-much afflict your self with sorrow, because I am gone to the Father, Joh. 14. 28.

3. This you say is a very heavy burden that the Lord has laid upon you, but not so heavy as your Sins were, that was laid upon Christ, the which He bore, Isa. 53. 6. 12. 1 Pet. 2. 24. He bore them on his own Body on the Tree, to bear, or carry them away from us. Ferebat & auferebat. Did Christ silently and patiently bear, and bear away our sins? Was He as a Lamb before the Shearers, and this burthen laid upon Him by the Father, and shall not we be silent under the burthen of Affliction that the hand of the Lord lays upon us?

4. You complain that the Tryal and Affliction is great, but, alas! it might have been far greater. He might have been taken from you by the hand of Justice, inflicting death for horrid wickedness. He might have died, and you had no well-ground­ed hopes of his Eternal Salvation; but he gave early Proofs of his preparedness to meet with the Enemy though he came suddenly upon him.

5. It may be he had taken up too much room in your Heart, and was lodged in the bed which the Lord had chosen to lye in▪ and therefore takes him out of the way, that He might have your Hearts more fixed upon Him. It was, as I have read, the Saying of a good Woman, whose only Son was taken away by Water, That now the Lord had left her none to love but Himself. Your Son, though not your only Son, was thus removed from you, that your heart might be more at liberty to love the Lord.

6. If the Affliction be great, and the Burthen be heavy, do the best you can to lessen your Afflicti­on, [Page 16] and make your Burthen lighter, this is done by a quiet, silent submission unto the Will of God, in this awful Providence; whereas impatience, or dis­content under it, will add more weight unto it.

7. Such a carriage and deportment, will bespeak our Reverence of God, in resigning up our choicest Creature Comforts to Him patiently: to part with that which we have no great affection unto, or kindness for, is no proof of our Reverence and O­bedience, but if our Isaac be called for, and we qui­etly give him up. By this we manifest our Fear of God, Gen. 22. 12. 8. Patience under sharp Affli­ctions, gives us possessions of our Souls, as saith Luke, 21. 19. The Mind being Composed, will render us capable of making use of those means whereby we may gain Support and Relief under it. Hence the Apostle James, 1. 4. Let Patience have her perfect work, that ye may be intire, and want nothing that is needful for your support, under the pre­sent Circumstances. 9. The exercise of Patience in our Tryals, will bring in Experience, Rom. 5. 4. of the Power, Mercy, and Goodness of God: then shall we be capable of taking notice of his merci­ful dealings with us. Hence that of Moses unto the Children of Israel, Exod. 14. 13. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord. This included, Psal. 46. 10. Be still, and know that I am God. 10. The Lord takes it well when we are graciously silent, not sullenly silent under our troubles, and quarrel not with his Rod: He glories in his Servant Job, in the face of the Devil, on this account, Chap. 2. 3. 11. By such a carriage in afflictions, we imitate our Lord Jesus, who by his patient bearing all that He underwent, from the hand of God and man, did give us an example▪ and certainly it becomes a Christian, and is no small part of his glory to be conformable to his Lord and Master