The Christian Exercise of Fasting, Chapter 1 · Verse 9
Verſ. 9.
Then Sathan aunſwered the Lorde, doth Job feare God for nothing, or for nought?
Verſ. 10.
Haſt thou not ſet a hedge round about him,*Or a walle. and about his houſe, and about all that hee hath on euerie ſide? thou haſt bleſſed the worke of his handes, and his *Or ſubſtāce.cattel is greatly increaſed in the land.
Verſ. 11.
But ſtretch out now thine hand, and *Or ſmite.touch all that he hath, if he will not blaſpheme thee to thy face.
Theſe three verſes contain Sathans anſwer vntounto the Lords laſt queſtion concerning Iob: wherin we may conſider
1. Sathans propoſition and ſcope: it is to proue Iob an hypocrite.
2. His confirmation by bold aſſertions, which are theſe:
1. Iob feareth God to the end, to preſerue his ſtate and proſperitie in this life, verſ. 9.
2. Hee cannot bee tried by temptations, becauſe of the hedge of Gods prouidence rounde aboute him,Gregor in Iob cap. 1.5.5. Verſuta aſſertione mentiens, quod non ad vſum domini ſubſtantiam poſsideret, ſed ad vſum ſubſtantia, dominā coleret. This argument might ſerue againſt Sathan. verſ. 10.
3. Sathans ſtrong aſſeueration: if the croſſe be layde vponupon him, he will aſſuredly blaſpheme, verſ. 11.
Verſe 9. Doth Iob feare God for nothing? That is, is not Iob well rewarded for his ſeruice, for his feare, for his faith, for his louelove and obedience? q. d. hee loues not thee, but his hire, hee is a right mercenary, hee loues not thee, but for his bellie ſake, for his eaſe, for his gaine and profite he reapes dayly, and receiues from thee: thou haſt giuen him riches at will, eaſe, children, honour, and great proſperitie, therefore what cauſe hath hee to offende thee, or what occaſion to fall from thee?
Doctrine. 1. Here may we learne many thinges concerning our moſt bloodie enemie Sathan: firſt, howe hee rageth and ſtormeth againſt vsus, and enuieth our *Sathā watcheth vsus in all places, open & ſecreet. Iames. 2.19.eaſe, and welfare in this preſent worlde: no maruell then if he ſo fight againſt our euerlaſting ſaluation. Hee and hs inſtruments hauehave euer grudged and ſpurned, when Gods people had any poore portion or bleſſing in this life.*Malicious & enuious Sathan grudgeth that Gods people hauehave any bleſſings here on earth. And as for the wicked, the Lorde filleth them with the treaſures of this life, Pſalm. 17.18. and yet can neuer be ſatisfied.
2. Note what a bitter and a bloodie accuſer hee is againſt the holy ſaintes of God. Our great Lord and captaine hath *Col 2.15. Ephe. 4.14. Gen. 3.2.ſpoyled him of all his might and power, and broken all his ſtrength, yet ſtill he accuſeth Gods children, fighting againſt them, albeit euer foyled by them. Like as in the beginning hee did accuſe God of enuie vntounto man: ſo did he euer ſince accuſe man vntounto God, Reue. 12. verſe 10.11.Zac. 3.1.2.3. The accuſer of our brethren is caſt downe, which accuſed them before our God day and night: but they ouercame him by the blood of the Lambe, and by the word of their teſtimonie, and they loued not their liues vntounto the death. This is alſo taught vsus by Zacharie, that Sathan ſtands impudently before the Lord ſtriuing againſt Chriſt and his Church, and Chriſt prayeth for his people againſt him. The Lord (ſayth Chriſt) reproue thee O Sathan: euen the Lorde that hath choſen Ieruſalem reproue thee. This was euer his practiſe againſt the faithfull to accuſe them falſely,Act. 18.13. All falſe accuſers learne here what ſpirit raigneth in you. Reuel. 2.10. and Chriſt himſelfe, Luk. 23.10. No coherence in their teſtimonies: and againſt Stephen, Act. 6.13.14. This man ceaſeth not to ſpeak blaſphemous words againſt this holy place and the law. This ſpirit raged in the Iewes againſt Paul, before Gal. 10. This followe perſwadeth men to worſhip God contrary to the law. And in Tertullus, and the high prieſt before Felix: Certainly we hauehave found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mouer of ſedition, among all the Iewes, throughout the world, and chiefe maintainer of the ſect of the Nazarites. So they did call the Chriſtians ſcornefully, as if Chriſt came from Nazareth, and were a Galilean, as Iulian and many wretches called him: for the Galileans were thought to be a brutiſh and prophane people: reade Io. 1.46. and chap. 7. 52.
3. Note here the malice and poyſon of this Dragon, he could not deny, but that Iob was a good man, yet hee diſſembleth as if hee ſaw no ſuch vprightnes in him,Sathan diſſembleth what he ſeeth & knoweth to be in Iob. but ſuch as would prooue meere counterfeit, if hee were well tried: he hath ſome ſhew of holines, graunt it, but it is for his bellies ſake: he loues his eaſe, his glorie, his proſperitie, his 500. yoke of oxen, his 7000. ſheep, his 3000. camels, and his great ſubſtance more than thee.Be carefull to rule thine affections & take heede of the corruptions of thine hearte: neuer flatter thyſelfe by other mens ſins. Such are the practiſes and ſpeeches of all diſſembling and carnall hypocrites, Sathans inſtruments, when they cannot deny the open and manifeſt trueth, yet they will oppugne it and thwart it on the one ſide or the other. Such be al falſe profeſſors, which compare and conſider of all mens hearts, feare and faith, by themſelues, and ſay: let them be holy as they pleaſe, yet wee knowe what they bee, they hauehave no more integritie, nor puritie then ourſelues, &c.
4. Againe, here note the impudencie of Sathan: if he dare bee ſo bolde in Gods preſence, and as it were to his face, ſo to reſiſt his great maieſtie,The impudē cy of Sathan to diſgrace that man whom the almightie God commendeth to his face. what is his rage and his impudencie before the creatures? for hauing ſo heard the Lord himſelfe to commend Iob, as we heard: when hee doth on this manner ſo bitterly accuſe Iob, what doth he els but accuſe God of ignorance, and reprooue him as a lyer. The Lord ſayth, Iob is ſound: Sathan denyes it to his face, and ſayth he is a broken veſſell. This was his impudencie in paradiſe, that he would ſo blaſphemouſly ſpeak euill and diſgrace the Lord himſelfe.
5. Sathan here telleth vsus, that aduerſitie and pouertie is one ſpeciall meanes whereby he cauſeth Gods people to ſtumble and to offend againſt their God. An high and rich eſtate is as dangerous for ſinners, as a poore and baſe eſtate: for Sathan can as eaſily ſtrangle and infatuate them with riches, as he can amaze and pinch theſe with pouertie. And yet for this cauſe the Prophet prayeth wiſely: Two things hauehave I required of thee, Pro. 31.7.8.9.10.deny me them not before I dye: remoue farre from me vanitie and lyes: feede me with foode conuenient for me: leaſt I bee full and deny thee, and ſay, who is the Lord? or leaſt I bee poore and ſteale, and take the name of my God in vaine. If wee hauehave not faith and patience in afflictions, let vsus here learne of Sathan, all our ſeruice in proſperitie was but counterfeit. Prouer. 24.10. If thou be faint in the day of aduerſitie, thy ſtrength is ſmall.
Vſe. Search thine heart continually, and ſound thy louelove, faith and feare.
1. If our heart condemne vsus: that wee louelove religion, the Goſpell and the holy worſhip of God,1. Ioh. 3.20.21. but as temporizers, for our bellies ſake: God is greater then our heart, and knoweth all things.
2. If our heart condemne vsus, that wee louelove the things of this life more then the true God and his word: then behold here how Sathan is moſt readie to accuſe vsus, and to witnes againſt vsus. If he durſt thus in Gods preſence accuſe Iob vniuſtly, he ſhall not ſpare hypocrites, and his teſtimonie ſhall be receiued againſt them for their confuſion.