The Christian Exercise of Fasting, Chapter 1 · Verse 20
Verſ. 20.
Then Iob aroſe and rent his garmentes, and ſhaued his head, and fell downe vponupon the ground and*Or bowed himſelfe, or humbled himſelfe meaning to worſhip God. worſhipped.
Here begins the fourth and laſt part of this chapter.
Here wee hauehave to conſider of two things:
1. Iobs humiliation, wherein appeares.
1. His repentance.
2. His faith which is cō firmed with patience.
1. By Prayer worſhipping God, ver. 20.
2. By two ſpeciall arguments, ver. 21.
3. By thankſgiuing ve. 21
2. His commendation, verſe 22.
Then Iob aroſe. To ariſe is a phraſe in Hebrue which ſignifieth to beginne any worke: q. d. Iob whether hee ſate or ſtoode in his houſe, he receiued the firſt, the ſecond and third meſſage, howſoeuer with ſome griefe of mind, yet with great quietnes of ſpirite and patience, till the laſt meſſage came concerning the moſt terrible deſtruction of his ſweete children. Then began he to ſtirre vp himſelfe to prayer and humiliation.
And rent his garments & ſhaued his head. The Lord cares not for the renting of the clothes, he will hauehave the hearte rent. Ioel. 2.16. Mica 1. ver. 16. Deut. 14.1.Theſe were vſuall ſignes of great ſorrow & mourning in thoſe times and countries, but the Lord forbade them afterwards in his lawe: wee ſee the like in Iobs friends. cap. 2.12. In Iacob for Ioſeph, Gen. 37.34. The prophet Micahtels Iudah and Iſrael of their deſtruction, and bids them lament. Make thee bald and ſhaue thee, for thy delicate children enlarge thy baldnes as the eagle, for they are gone into captiuitie from thee: That is, doe as the Gentiles doe in the like caſe, for thou delighteſt to follow them in their manners contrarie to the lawe of God. He fell downe & worſhipped. That is, he worſhipped God: the ſame worde is vſed, Gen. 22.5. Veniſhtacaueh, Exod. 20.5. loe Tiſhtachaueh of Shachak, to bow or to be humbled. Hee humbled himſelfe in great ſorrow and lamentation, preparing himſelfe to worſhip God, &c.
Firſt, here we hauehave ſet before vsus the wonderfull grace, Doctrine. faith, and patience of this man of God,Iobs plagues driue him not from God, but cauſe him to drawe more nere and to caſt himſelfe downe at Gods feete. that he might bee a noble preſident for all Gods people throughout all generations. He hard with great quietnes of minde the firſt, ſecond and third meſſage, the fourth greatly humbled him indeed, yet ſo as it cauſed him not to goe from the Lorde, but to draw more neere vntounto him according to the Lords charge often, Pſalm. 50.14.15.
We ſee the wicked if they loſe but a crum of their great ſubſtance, what a rage they are in, yea ſome ſoone broken witted, and broken hearted, for that this beaſtly carnall ſorrow breeds death of bodie and ſoule. Examples cleere this point, Nabal, that fooliſh worldling according to his name,2. Cor. 7.9.10. ſo was his heart: for a handfull of his wealth which he knew, not to be loſt, but in his bad iudgement miſpent, it is ſayd,1. Sam. 25.37. his hart died within him, and he was like a ſtone. And Achab could be ſicke, becauſe he could not vniuſtly and wrongfully get another mans poſſeſſion,1. King 21.5. The wicked in extremities ether break heart, wit &c. or ſeeke vnlawfull means. He lay vponupon his bed, and turned his face, and would eate no bread. And in this caſe the wicked are ſo diſquieted alwaies, that they will to witches roundly as did Saul, and worſhip the deuill himſelfe for the vaine traſh of this life. Nabuchadnezzar, when his heart was diſquieted, hee thought beſt eaſe was by ſorcerers,The afflictions of the faithful. Dan. 2.2. euen ſo did Pharaoh alſo, hee ſought his inchaunters, and the more afflictions the worſe was he, and the more hardned in his heart, Exod. 6.7.8.9.10. chap. *The ſunne ſoftens the waxe and hardens the claye. Gen. 37.35. 2. Sam. 18.33. We muſt mourne for our deare freinds departed, but we muſt not followe the pagans in mourning for the dead.The godly they beare much in their miſeries, and are bettered by their chaſtiſementes, but none comparable vntounto Iob for patience. The afflictions of the faithfull, and how by faith they beare the croſſe, read Heb. 11. 2. Cor. 11.23.30.
2. Mourning for the dead is lawfull, but we muſt not mourne as the Gentiles, nor follow their manners, in ſhauings and cuttings of the hayre, launcing of the bodie, &c. for the firſt wee hauehave both Chriſtes precept, mourne with them that mourne, bee of like affection one toward another, and the practiſe of the faithfull in all ages.
1. The fathers all mourned for the dead a certaine time, and buried them honorablie, and carefully in all ages. And Iob here in his mourning did as a louing Lorde and maſter, and as a tender hearted father, hee ſhewed his louelove to God and man, his louelove to God in his humiliation & worſhip, his louelove to his ſeruaunts and deere children in mourning for the loſſe of them. The ſtonie harted Stoickes which ſpeake againſt theſe affections, ſpeake againſt nature, and the God of nature. Our Lord Chriſt in his owne moſt ſacred perſon, giues vsus herein a moſt noble preſident mourning for Ieruſalem, Luke. 19. and weeping for his good friend Lazarus, Ioh. 11. To be ſhort, if we be ſmitten with any of the Lords chaſtiſements, if wee mourne not, Ieremy ſayth flatly wee bee obſtinate ſinners: Thou haſt ſtriken them, but they hauehave not ſorrowed: thou haſt conſumed them, but they hauehave refuſed to receiue correction: they hauehave made their faces harder then a ſtone, and hauehave refuſed to returne. For the ſecond poynt.
2. The people of God muſt not follow the ceremonies and practiſes of the Pagans and Gentiles, neither in their mirth, nor in their mourning, neither muſt wee exceede in mirth or mourning as they doe. For the wicked know no meaſure in mirth, nor hauehave any hope in mourning, 1. Theſſ. 4.13 Iob the holy ſeruant of God did follow the people of thoſe Eaſt parts in their mourning, hee did as they did, and according to his knowledge in thoſe times. We be all very prompt and readie to follow in outwarde life, the manners of other men bee they neuer ſo wicked. Neuer was this apiſh imitatiō of examples more ſeene in the world then at this day. But let vsus firſt heare God ſpeaking of this argument: Deut. 14.1.The Gentiles did exceede in mourning: Ioſeph and his brethren mourne for their father Iacob 40 dayes but the egyptians 70. Gen. 50.2 3. Ye ſhall not cut your ſelues, nor make you any baldnes, betweene your eyes, for the dead. Leuit. 19.27.28. Ye ſhall not cut round the ſides of your heads, neither ſhalt thou marre the tuffes of thy bearde ye ſhall not out your fleſh for the dead, nor make any print of marke vponupon you, I am the Lord. The Gentiles when they mourned for their dead, that they might be ſeene to mourne: firſt they rent their garments: ſecondly, ſhaued their heads, and misfigured their beards and faces: thirdly, in ſigne of great ſorrow, and that they might bee more plentifull in teares,How the Gentiles mourned for the dead. they cut and launced themſelues. Theſe ceremonies and rites of the Pagans, the holy Ghoſt in the law forbiddeth, leſt his people ſhould faſhion and misfigure themſelues like the Gentiles, and ſo learne alſo their ſuperſtition. Examples of theſe practiſes we may finde many ſome in Gods booke. The hypocriticall Iewes when they faſted, they lookt ſowre, and did diſfigure their faces, that they might bee ſeene and noted of men. The prieſts of Baal crying for helpe againſt Elias of their falſe God:1. Kin. 18.27.28. firſt, they are ſayd to leape vponupon the altar, 2. they cry loude, 3. they cut themſelues, as their manner was, with kniues and launces till the bloud guſhed out vponupon them. So did Cybels prieſts, wound and launce themſelues, to ſhew their zeale, and if all that ſerued not to moue Sathan in this idolatrie, they added the fourth ceremonie, and they offred in ſacrifice their ſonnes & daughters, as ſayth the Pſalmiſt, vntounto diuels. Theſe things the Lord forbiddeth his people carefully in his holy lawes, Deuter. Iob hauing in his time no ſuch light of God to guide him in theſe ceremonies, followed the Gentiles in parte, in that cuſtome of, ſhauing the head: but hee thought the launcing and cutting of his fleſh no doubt to be againſt nature and againſt God, and therefore albeit he deeply ſorrowed, and had as great cauſe of ſorrow as euer had Iew or Gentile in this world, yet he abſtaineth from this wicked and diuelliſh practiſe of the Pagans.
We bee naturally inclined to follow their religion and ſuperſtition, whoſe liues and manners we follow. For this cauſe the Lord to withdraw the hearts of his people from the Pagans religion, would hauehave them not to faſhion themſelues outwardly in anything like them. The Iewes are threatned by Gods Prophet Zephaniah,Strange faſhiōs dangerous for Gods people. Zephaniah. 1.8. for following the prophane Gentiles in their Apparell: And it ſhall bee in the day of the Lords ſacrifice, that I will viſit the princes, and the Kings children, and all ſuch as are clothed with ſtrange apparell.
Neuer was there ſuch miſfiguring of head and face, neuer ſuch following of ſtrange attire in any age, in any part of the world as this day in this land. It is vncertaine what Gentiles and Pagans wee follow, but moſt certaine we follow neither the old nor late Chriſtians of this land, or any other countrey. There was in S. Auguſtines time certaine hypocriticall Monkes, agaynſt whom hee complaineth, which apiſhly did follow the old Nazarites, and denied themſelues to be like other men, becauſe ſaid they, they had chaſtened themſelues for the kingdome of heauen, and they profeſſed themſelues to bee virgin Monkes, and in ſigne thereof they did weare long haire as virgins doe. I can but wonder what Monkes or Nazarites, or harlots rather, this prophane age followeth: Lais her ſelfe could not more whoriſhly attire her ſelfe, then ſome men and women doe.
3. We learne of Iob,Zach. 11.11.12. A wonderfull ſigne of the ſpirite of grace to be able to call vponupon God and to praiſe him in extreme miſerie. Pſal. 50.14.15. that in our afflictions wee muſt not onelyonly bee humbled and caſt our ſelues downe: for if we doe no more, we may be ſwallowed vp in ſorrow: we muſt therefore caſt vp the eyes of a liuing faith vponupon Ieſus Chriſt, and ſo worſhip God in Chriſt, as Iob dooth; worſhipping the true God in ſpirit and trueth. And this is a miraculous worke of faith, euen then when a man is plunged in ſorrow to be able to turne God, and to deſire comfort in him, and by him onelyonly.
4. Here begins that patience to appeare which Saint Iames ſo commendeth in Iob for our imitation.Patientia dei alumna. Tertul. de pat. Iobs patience greater then of any the prophets &c. Heb. 6.18.19. This daughter of God is neuer ſeene nor known what ſtrength and growth ſhee hath, til that men come vnderunder the croſſe. Patience is not a want of feeling of our miſerie, as a block or a ſtone, or as mad men and brute beaſts at deaths dore want all feare and feeling. But hee is patient, which by faith in Ieſus Chriſt, can ſo moderate his affections and paſſions, that he will not ceaſe to glorifie and worſhip God as Iob dooth here, and can reſt vponupon God quietly by the anchor of hope, howſoeuer hee bee toſſed with the waues of this preſent world. Of this vertue the Apoſtle teacheth vsus, that being iuſtified by faith in Chriſt,Rom. 5.1.2.3.4.5. and ſo being in peace and grace with God, our tribulations and croſſes will breede in vsus patience, and patience will giuegive vsus an experienced knowledge both of Gods great power, care, louelove, and goodnes towards vsus, and our owne frailtie and weaknes, and that bleſſed experience will confirme the liuely hope wee hauehave of eternall life, and then hope will make vsus bold and conſtant with all good courage to beare all croſſes,Learne by thy little patience what little faith thou haſt we can beare little, and we are ſo ſtirred vp againſt our enimies that if we had thē in our hands we would caſt them downe to hell. Heb. 11.35. 2. Cor. 11. Iam. 5. and to waite patiently vponupon the Lord in all our afflictions. The Apoſtle S. Iames chargeth that we let patience hauehave her perfect worke: Let your patience bee well exerciſed, and pray to the God of patience, that this vertue may be perfected in you. The Apoſtles and Prophets did wade through many afflictions with the wonderfull ſtaffe of patience in their hands: yet S. Iames preferreth Iob before all. They had ſome good arguments to ſupport them, they ſaw their croſſe was for witneſſing and preaching Gods holy trueth: but Iob could neither ſee his calamities, nor ſee any reaſon of any ſuch chances & euils, which ſo ſtrangely fell vponupon him in ſo ſhort a time.