The Christian Exercise of Fasting, Chapter 1 · Verse 11
Verſ. 11.
But ſtretch out now thine hand, and *Smite all.touch all that he hath, (to ſee) if hee will not *Heb. bleſſe thee.blaspheme thee to thy face.
THis is the laſt argument whereby Sathan laboureth to proue Iob an hypocrite, and to moue the Lord to ſmite him with ſome ſharpe and bitter afflictions.
Hee that blasphemeth againſt God vnderunder the croſſe is an hypocrite:Sathans laſt ſophiſtraction againſt Iob.
Iob will blaspheme vnderunder the croſſe: Ergo Iob is an hypocrite.
The firſt part of this reaſon is not generally true,Math. 26.71. Mar. 14.69 70. for Peter came to this when Sathan wounded him, but yet was he no hypocrite. The minor or ſecond part is but Sathans ſuppoſition: therefore the concluſion is falſe.
But ſtretch out now thine hand: That is, vſe now ſome ſpeciall meanes againſt him, or ſend mee as thine hand or inſtrument, to afflict Iob in his body or goodes: q. d. If I be ſent from thee againſt him,Sathan & his vaſſals are inſtruments of Gods prouidence. So Dauid calles theaff lictions which be vponupon him Gods hand and ſo Samuell: 1. Sam. 5.7. & 7.13. Iudge 2.15. 1. Sam. 18.10. I ſhall preuaile, and I ſhall worke with efficacie, 2. Theſſ. 2.11. but otherwiſe whatſoeuer I attempt againſt him is in vaine: wherefore ſende me now as thy ſergeant to arreſt him. In this reſpect alſo Nabuchadnezzar is called Gods ſeruaunt, Ierem. 43.10. and chap. 25. 9. And Cyrus his ſhephearde, Eſay 44.28. and other enemies of his Church and people, Gods rod, axes and hammers, &c. and the euill ſpirit is called the ſpirit of God, becauſe he was ſent from God.
And touch all that he hath: That is, giuegive mee leaue to ſmite all that he hath on eueryevery ſide: or ſeale me a commiſſion that I may proceede effectually againſt him, giuegive me leaue to amaze him, to take from him all his riches, all his ſheepe, all his camels, all his oxen, all his aſſes, and all his ſubſtance.
(To ſee) if he will not blaspheme: That is, I doubt not, I am well aſſured. The like phraſe is twiſe vſed in one chapter, 1. King. 20.23. & 25 verſe. Im lo, If not, let vsus fight with them in the plaine, (to ſee) if we ſhall not be ſtronger then they: q. d. doubtleſſe wee ſhalbe ſtronger. Againe, ſome curſe or imprecation is to bee ſupplied and vnderſtood in this and the like phraſes, as thus: God doe ſo and ſo to me if he will not blaspheme thee to thy face.Barack.
Bleſſe, that is, blaſpheme in a contrary ſenſe, as before verſe 5.Epheſ 4.31. foreign. Titus 3.2. foreign. This worde doth ſignifie all manner of reproch or euill ſpeaking, whereby we doe hurt or diſgrace the name of God or men: it is vſed, Math. 9 15.19. Epheſ. 4.31. Tit. 3.2. Paul ſayth he was a blaſphemer, albeit he ſpake euill of Chriſt Ieſus ignorantly, 1. Tim. 1.13. here Sathā meanes that Iob ſhall in heate and anger againſt God, blaſpheme and ſpeake euill of Gods power, wiſedome, goodnes.
To thy face. That is, publikely, openly, and boldly, without any feare of thy preſence: the like ſee, Exod 20. 3. Gen. 10 9.6.11.Sathā deſireth two things principally 1. to blaſpheme God. 2. to deſtroy man.
1. In this verſe Sathan ſheweth himſelfe vntounto vsus in his colours, and how hee burneth in malice againſt God and man. For here he pointeth at two ſpeciall things which he moſt deſireth: firſt, the affliction and miſerie of man as here of Iob: ſecondly, the blaſpheming and diſhonoring of the great and wonderfull name of God.
2. Againe, here wee ſee by Sathans owne wordes, that God hath not onelyonly a bare permiſſion in this and the like actions, for Sathan deſireth not onelyonly that God would permit, but that the Lord would ſend him with a ſpeciall commiſſion, to command and to vſe the creatures*2. Theſ. 2.11. So is it ſaide that an euill ſpirite ſent of God came vponupon Saul. 1. Sam 18.10. & 2.5 16.10. Vnus idemque ſpiritus & domini appellatures malus. Gregor, in 1. Iob. effectually againſt Iob. Thus the Lord both can and doth worke by euill inſtruments and by Sathan himſelfe, to the praiſe of his wiſedome, power, and iuſtice: hee can bring light out of darknes. We muſt not then vſe any adiurations or coniutations, or exorciſmes againſt wicked ſpirits, but intreate the great Lord which ſent them, to commaund and driue them away from vsus. Sathan makes great ſute for a commiſſion to be ſealed vntounto him before he can hurt anie of the faithfull, and yet all his labour could not preuaile, but yt God had decreed it hefore Sathan came in preſence.
3. Wee learne heere in ſpeciall manner what bloodie hearts and deadly hatred theſe wicked ſpirits hauehave againſt all the righteous and religious people of God:*Sathan is not ſo forward to afflict the wicked, as to Plague the good people of God. 1 King. 22.19. for wee ſee …ere that to afflict this holy man, he firſt offereth himſelfe, …triueth, and (as it were) perſwadeth, and moueth the Lord …fter his maner againſt Iob: But for the execution of gods …udgements in this life vponupon the wicked, hee is called and …ited before, he offereth himſelfe thereunto, as in the ſtorie …nd viſion of Micheas againſt Achab, the holy Ghoſt hath …eſt in record for our inſtruction.
4. Let vsus learne here of Sathan what witchcraft is, namely, the ſtretching forth of Gods hand vponupon vsus, or anie outward bleſſings giuen of God vntounto vsus: when wicked ſpirits are ſent with commiſſion from the Lord againſt vsus, either immediatly by themſelues, or by the ſecret and vnknowne practiſes of witches and ſorcerers. Wherefore againe here we be warned by Sathan himſelfe, not ſo to caſt our eyes vponupon theſe baſe and vile inſtruments of the diuell, nor vponupon Sathan and his arts, but in all ſuch extremities and miſeries to turne ſpeedily to the chiefe Lord, who hath ſent Sathan with this commiſſion againſt vsus. Such as rage againſt witches, and ſcratch them, & adiure wicked ſpirits, are much like our common hackſters and ſwearing ruffians, which when the Lord Maiors Sargeant ſhall arreſt, preſently they rage, ſweare, and driue at the Sargeant to kill him: whereas they ſhould labour rather to pacifie the chief Magiſtrate, and to ſatisfie lawes which they hauehave broken. Wherefore in theſe caſes let vsus wearie the Lord with ſupplications and teares, till hee withdraw his hand from vsus, or graunt vsus ſome ſpeciall comfort to beare his fatherly corrections vppon vsus. So doing wee ſhall auoyde many ſinnes, which the wicked ignorant people doe fall into by ſundry illuſions of Sathan, but ſpecially by witchcraft. That one example of Saul is ordained of God, to warne and to inſtruct for euer all Gods people. Firſt in Samuels time he is a great profeſſor of holie religion: then after his death he doth renounce the holie word. 3. He perſecutes the Prophets. 4. He ſeekes for witches.1. Sam. 28.7.20. 1. Chro. 10.13.14. 5. Sathan by meanes of the witch offers himſelfe to bee adored. 6. Saul receiues the diuels ſpeeches as the holy oracles of God. 7. Laſtly, Saul was ſlaine for conſulting with Sathan and witches.
5. Againe here obſerue the deadly malice of Sathan: he would not hauehave the Lord to ſmite ſome one thing, or ſome fewe things of Iobs ſubſtance and bleſſings: for he knew a little affliction could not ſo amaze Iob as he deſired. Let vnbeleeuers and wicked men leeſe but the leaſt part, any dramme of their ſubſtance, Sathan can driue them where him liſt a whoring after witches, &c. but hee knowes the faithfull are not ſo ſoone carried away to his practiſes: therefore he moues the Lord with all his might to ſmite both man and beaſt, al that he hath on eueryevery ſide. Wee ſee daily the mercies of the wicked are cruell, Pro. 12.10.as the wiſe man ſpeaketh. Such wee ſee is Sathan their father a murtherer from the beginning.…oh 8.44. He hath euer had a hand in all bloudſhed from the beginning.Math. 8.31. Hee greatly reioyceth in the deſtruction of man and beaſt,1. Theſ. 2.9. as wee ſee in the ſtorie of the Gadarenites, but principally he deſireth mans euerlaſting perdition and deſtruction both of bodie and ſoule.
6. Againe, wee are to note Sathans rage and furie againſt Iob: he is readie to vndergoe any plague, curſe,Some imprecetion is to be vnderſtood neceſſarily. or vengeance of God, if Iob blaſpheme not the Lord to his face. Hence wee learne whence come thoſe rayling and curſed ſpeeches of men, which in their mad furie feare not, no more then Sathan to call for all the plagues and curſes of God vponupon themſelues and others. VponUpon themſelues: as would I were hangd, or would I were damd in hell, but J will doe ſo and ſo, &c. Curſing of others: a plague of God light on thee, and the like horrible ſpeeches, which pagans would feare to vtter. We hauehave a notable example in the ſcripture,*Acts. 23.10. foreign. They did cauſe themſelues: or gaue themſelues to the deuill, except they brought their diuelliſh purpoſe to paſſe. how Sathans ſchollers imitate well their maſter for this point. For the wicked bloudy Iewes which would hauehave murdered Paul, they bound themſelues with a curſe, (or an oth) ſaying, that they would neither eate nor drinke before they had killed Paul. But Sathan and the Iewes were deceiued, for the Lord deliuered his ſeruant, and the diuell and his inſtruments againſt both were confounded in their practiſes.
7. Laſtly, here note diligently what the ende is of all Sathans practiſes, temptations, arts, faculties, and ſtratagems whatſoeuer: his onelyonly deſire is that God might bee blaſphemed by his elect people, that they renounce God, renounce the holy trueth, and pure religion. This Chriſt ſignifieth vntounto Peter when he ſayth: Simon, Simon, behold Sathan hath deſired to winow you as wheate. Luk. 22.31.And ſurely Sathan came neere him, & gaue him many great wounds, and had not Chriſt mightily kept him, he had fallen away vndoubtedly from the liuing God. For in his ſecond deniall of Chriſt heMath. 26.71. Mar. 14 69.70. began to blaſpheme, and to renounce Chriſt with an oath, and yet weake was the inſtrument which came againſt him, it was but the voyce of a damſell. But when he was the third time a little more preſt, he was ſoone neer oppreſt by Sathan and his inſtruments the wicked prieſts: for he began then to curſe himſelfe, and to ſweare, ſaying, I know not the man.
Sathan here conſiders what we are of our ſelues: wee be indeede fleeting and wauering as the water. But Sathan forgets or knowes not Gods power,Sathan and all wicked men meaſure other men & Iudge of other men by themſelues. and the power of Chriſt, Phil. 4.13. dwelling in vsus. Hee ſeeth it otherwhiles and hath experience of it in the faithful, and yet for all that he knoweth it not. No more do the wicked know the graces and working of Gods ſpirit in his children, and therefore they thinke often they bee diſtempered with ſtrange humours, as themſelues melancholie, &c.
Q. What ſpeciall cauſes, ſinnes, or euils cauſe the wicked to blaspheme God?
A. Firſt, pride of heart cauſeth a wicked man to deſpiſe and blaſpheme the glorious name of God: as in Pharaoh,Exod 7.14.23. a proude heart cauſed him ſo diſdainfully to ſpeake againſt God, ſaying: Who is the Lord? And in Rabſhaketh,2. Chro 32.16.17. 2. King. 18.32. who both ſpake many blaſphemies againſt the great God of Iſrael, and wrote letters alſo full of blaſphemies in contempt of the almightie.
2. Anger and ſorrow of heart by any torture, torments or afflictions, cauſeth the wicked to forget themſelues, and their aduerſaries, and then furiouſly to curſe, to raile, and to blaſpheme the liuing God.Reue. 16. ver. 9. Ver. 10.11. So ſayth the holy ſpirit: Men boyled in great heate, and blasphemed the name of God. Agayne in the ſame chapter: Men gnew their tongues for ſorrow, and blasphemed the God of heauen for their paines.
3. Sometimes deſperation cauſeth men to blaſpheme:Gen. 4.13. as in deſperate Cain: My puniſhment is greater then I can beare: he rageth againſt Gods iuſtice, as cruell in tormenting him. Wee ſee this ſinne too often in deſperate wretches in the world in theſe dayes.
4. But moſt commonly theſe horrible ſinnes of blaſphemie proceede of a curſed libertie, which wicked men hauehave giuen themſelues to ſweare and to blaſpheme the holie name of God: it is an argument of great prophanenes of heart. The holy Preacher aſſureth vsus that this vile cuſtome of ſwearing is a ſpeciall brand of a godles man, and the feare of an oath,Eccle. 9.2. the ſpeciall marke of Gods children. All things come alike to all, &c. as is the good, ſo is the ſinner, he that ſweareth, as he that feareth an oth.