The Christian Exercise of Fasting, Chapter 1 · Verse 6
Verſ. 6.
Now on a certaine *Or when ſuch a daye was come.day, the ſonnes of God came that they might ſtand before the Lord, and Sathan came alſo among them.
THus farre concerning Iobs deſcription, &c. a preface to the whole ſtorie. Now entreth in Sathan as one ſpeciall actor of this tragicall ſtorie, which notwithſtanding had a comicall and a happie ende. Here beginneth the ſecond part of this chapter, which is continued to the 12. verſe. This part hath two branches: the firſt is in the 6. and 7. verſe, where is ſhewed how the Angels good and euill are appoynted to ſtand and to ſerue the Lord, for the execution of his will, and when and where, and how it pleaſeth him. The ſecond branch is in the verſe following to the 12. verſe: wherein firſt the Lord giueth his ſeruant Iob his iuſt commendation in a gracious manner, verſ. 8. And ſecondly, Sathan doth oppoſe himſelfe againſt Iob, vehemently accuſing him of hypocriſie before the Lord, with all his might, verſ. 9. 10. 11.
Now on a certaine day. That is ſay ſome,Sen… when ſuch a feaſt came, or in one of theſe banketting dayes, Sathan came among the good Angels, &c.Rabbins how they gloſe vponupon this text. Others ſay this was the firſt day of the yeare, wherein the Lord did as it were vſually keepe court, and take accounts of all things done the yeare paſt: theſe bee the gloſſes of ridiculous and fooliſh Rabbins. To be ſhort, by a certaine day: here is ment that very time wherein it pleaſed the Lord to reueale his will and euerlaſting decree vntounto Sathan: for Sathan himſelfe knew it not, before hee was ſent of God to execute the ſame.
The ſonnes of God. In theſe words are vnderſtood the holy Angels: for wee hauehave the like 1. King. 22.19. in the ſpeech of Michah to Achab: J ſaw the Lorde ſit on his throne, and all the hoſt of heauen ſtood about him, on his right hand and on his left hand: and the Lord ſayd, who ſhall entiſe, or perſwade and deceiue Achab, that he may goe and fall at Ramoth Gilead? And one ſaid on this manner, and another on that manner: Then there came foorth a ſpirit and ſtoode before the Lord, and ſayd, I will entiſe him: and the Lord ſayd vntounto him, wherewith? I will goe out and bee a falſe ſpirit in the mouth of all his prophets: then he ſayd, thou ſhalt entiſe him, and ſhalt alſo preuaile: goe foorth and doe ſo. The Angels hauehave many names in Scripture. This name is common to them all with all the faithfull. Firſt,Pſal. 82.6. Ephe. 1.21. for that their adoption and confirmation is by grace, and through Ieſus Chriſt, for he alone is the naturall ſonne of God: ſecondly, they hauehave this name becauſe of the excellencie of their nature: for they doe moſt reſemble God our heauenly father. So the faithful are called in many places, Gen. 6.2. Rom. 8.14.
Came. Naturall bodies all moue and change place. So the ſpirits alſo are truly ſayd to goe and come from place to place, as they be ſent and called for by the Lord to execute any thing. But in this place this verbe of mouing (as that of ſtanding which followeth) are vſed familiarly, the Lord ſpeaking to our capacitie, becauſe we be weake and vnable to conceiue otherwiſe of ſpirituall things. For the trueth is this, there is no comming vntounto God by motion: but when the Angels are ſaid to come vntounto him and ſtand before him, thereby is meant they ſerue him and attend vponupon him. He hath no ſuch need to call them to any conuent or aſſemblie: they are alwaies in his preſence where euer they bee, and hee can informe them concerning his will, and the execution thereof at all times. And yet it is not to be doubted he doth aſſemble them when & where it pleaſeth him.
That they might ſtand. By this ſtanding before the Lord, is meant the readines of the holy Angels, to execute the Lords will, and to performe all duties impoſed by the Lord vponupon them. Their redines to obey the Lord, & their true obedience, is notably commended, Pſal. 103. v. 20. Praiſe the Lord his Angels that excell in ſtrength, that doe his commandement in obeying the voyce of his word. The Lord hath no neede of their ſeruice, as princes and great men hauehave on earth: but by their ſeruice hee would teach vsus, what is the inuiſible power, glorie, wiſedome, and maieſtie of our God, on whom ſuch glorious and mightie creatures as the Angels are, doe continually attend.
And Sathan alſo came among them. That is, like as the holy Angels they ſtand, goe and come to ſerue the Lord in their places, and all they ſerue him cheerefully in doing his wil: So Sathan alſo and wicked ſpirits, they are drawne albeit againſt their wil to the Lords preſence, to ſerue and obey him in the execution of ſuch things as the Lord ſhall pleaſe to giuegive them in charge to doe. And their ſeruice is here ſignified by Sathans comming into Gods*He is ſaide cap 2. ver. 1. to come to ſtād that is, to waite as it were before God. Epe. 6. Iud. ver. 6. preſence: not that wicked ſpirits hauehave any acceſſe to the higheſt heauens: for the Scripture ſayth, they be in this world and in hell onelyonly, and chayned whereſoeuer they goe, as Saint Iude ſpeaketh. And like as the Lord is comfortably preſent by his good ſpirit here on earth with his people, but in great terrors often with the wicked: ſo is it with good and euill Angels, his preſence and power is moſt comfortable vntounto the good Angels: but his face is terrible vntounto Sathan, for the Lord curbs him, chaynes him, and limits him whereſoeuer he goes.
And whereas one ſpirit is here onelyonly named in the ſingular number, by this name Sathan: This manner of ſpeaking is vſed not that wee ſhould deeme that there are but few, for no man is ſaid to be poſſeſſed of a legion: but that we might vnderſtand how that wicked ſpirits hauehave as it were their kingdome, and hauehave ſo conſpired together againſt God and man, and that they hauehave as it were one, their chiefe Prince and Lord, called therefore the God of the world, 2. Cor. 4.4. the prince of ye world, &c. Eph. 2.2. This word here and elſewhere ſignifieth a ſworne enemie and a ſpeciall aduerſarie: and ſo hee is to Chriſt and his members, as here in ſpeciall we ſee againſt Iob.Gen. 3.15 And this was euer taught the people of God from the beginning.
This verſe teacheth vsus: firſt, Doctrine. that nothing commeth to paſſe, here below vponupon earth, whether for the good of the godly, or puniſhment of the wicked, but it is decreed firſt in heauen aboue. And here wee ſee how the Lord in his good time doth manifeſt his decrees, concerning all and eueryevery one of his workes, vntounto men and Angels, as it pleaſeth him, when he vſeth their ſeruice for the execution of his will. Let vsus not bee diſmayed with the ſtrange euents of this life, howſoeuer they fall out, yet are they not gouerned by chance or fortune, or conſtellation, &c but by the moſt admirable decree and hand of our God. This did not Iob and his friends ſo well conſider, as they ſhould hauehave done,
2. Wee learne that the prouidence of our God is not tyed to any ſecondary cauſes: the heauens, the Angels good and euill, and all inferiour creatures, they doe all ſerue and obey him, and he committeth not the care of any particular thing, no not of the baſeſt and vileſt creature vntounto any one of them.
3. Wee hauehave here a good argument of the almightie power, and glorious empire of our God, who hath thus all Angels good and euill in ſubiection vntounto him. They hauehave no authoritie nor power to effect any thing good or euill in this preſent world,1. Kin. 21.27. but by him and from him.
4. We learne here, that the Lord whether he vſe good or euill Angels as his inſtruments (for they all ſerue him) yet all his workes are good, and wee ought euer with patience to expect the good end of them.
5. This verſe and all the verſes going before, hauehave a ſpeciall relation to the euents following, both ſpecially in theſe two mentioned chapters,Coherence. and generally to all things ſtoried in this whole booke.
1. The firſt verſe ſheweth the cauſe of Iobs courage and conſtancie mentioned, verſ. 20, 21, 22. and chap. 2. 10. he did ſtand faſt, becauſe he was a ſound man, a righteous man, fearing God and eſchewing euill.
2. The 2. and 4. verſe ſpeake of his religious children, and hauehave relation to the 19. verſ. where mention is made of their ſudden deſtruction by Sathan, to breake Iobs heart.
3. The 3. verſe mentioneth his ſubſtance, that we might alſo conſider well of his wonderfull loſſes mentioned, verſ. 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18.
4. The 4. and 5. hauehave relation to the 13. wherein is ſhewed what time Sathan came in the firſt conflict againſt Iob, the day of their feaſting.
5. This 6. and the reſt following to the 12. are layd before vsus purpoſely by the holie ſpirit, that wee might conſider how Sathan receiued his commiſſion and authoritie from God before he could doe any hurt vntounto him or his, as after ſhall appeare.
6. Where the good Angels are called the ſonnes of God, I learne 3. things:
1. They are vnderunder God, they hauehave no abſolute authoritie of their owne.
2. They are moſt faithful and obedient vntounto him.
3. They louelove vsus deerely as brethren.