Exposition of Job 1-3, Biblical commentary · Job 3.1, 2, 3
JOB 3.1, 2, 3, &c.
Verſe 1. After this Job opened his mouth, and curſed his day.
And Job ſpake, and ſaid,
Let the day periſh wherein I was borne, and the night, wherein it was ſaid, There is a man-child conceived, &c.
THE former Chapter concluded with the aſtoniſhment and ſilence of Jobs three friends: This Chapter beginneth with an aſtoniſhing ſpeech of Job. We may be as much amazed at what Job ſpake, as we were at their ſilence; And there appeares the ſame reaſon of both: namely, the greatneſſe of his griefe. They ſaw his griefe ſo great, that they forbare to ſpeake; Job feeleth his griefe ſo great, that he cannot longer forbeare to ſpeake; it muſt have a vent, After this (ſaith the Text) Job opened his mouth. Why, Job had opened his mouth before, he had ſpoken twice ſince he was encompaſſed with thoſe ſorrowes. True; But Job never opened his mouth as now; he opened his mouth before, to juſtifie and to bleſſe his God, now he openeth his mouth to accuſe, and curſe his day, and therefore the Chapter may well begin with, After this Job opened his mouth, he never ſpake in this manner before: For he no ſooner opened his mouth, but he curſed his day.
The argument and ſubject of the whole Chapter, is contained in this firſt verſe, the curſing of his day; and concerning this, the Chapter holdeth forth three things moſt conſiderable. There are three particulars belonging unto this Chapter.
Firſt, The Matter and the Manner of this Curſe; what it is, and how expre'ſt: Job pronounceth a curſe upon his day, and unfolds the curſe; he unfolds it with much Rhetorick and ſtraines of eloquence: Troubles will make a man Rhetoricall. Job (as it were) calls up all his ſpirits, whets his wit, and heightens his invention, to prepare a proper curſe for his day. This he doth from this firſt verſe to the end of the nineteenth.
Secondly, In this Chapter Job holds forth to us, the ground or reaſon of this curſe: He is full of paſſion, but his paſſion is rationall. He curſeth, but he ſhewes you why. This reaſon (with ſome occaſionall intermixtures) is demonſtrated from the ninth to the end of the nineteenth verſe. If I am asked a reaſon of my anger, why I am ſo bitter againſt my day, This is the account I give, Becauſe it ſhut not up my mothers wombe, &c.
Thirdly, We have an inforcement of this curſe upon his day, by a vehement expoſtulation, againſt the lengthning and continuance of his dayes. He complained in the beginning of the Chapter, that ever he had a day, and now he complaines as much that he hath any more dayes. He wonders why his life began, and he is troubled becauſe it doth not end. Wherefore is light given to him that is in miſery? &c. This expoſtulation concludes the Chapter.
The nine former verſes containe the firſt diviſion of the Chapter, Jobs curſe upon his day, both the matter and the manner of the Curſe.
We have this Curſe, firſt pronounced upon his day in generall, Then Job opened his mouth, and curſed his day.
Secondly, He fixes a curſe upon his day, in the ſeverall parts of it. Take a naturall day, for the ſpace of 24 houres, and then it conſiſteth of two parts, of day and night, light and darkeneſſe. According to which diviſion the curſe runs, verſe 3. Let the day periſh wherein I was borne, and the night wherein it was ſaid, a man child is conceived.
Thirdly, He pronounceth a ſpeciall proper curſe upon each part of his day. Take the day for the light, for that ſpace betweene Sun-riſing and Sun-ſet. He curſes that, verſ. 4th. and 5th. Let that day be darkneſſe, let not God regard it from above, neither let the light ſhine upon it, &c.
Then followes a curſe upon the night, in the 6, 7, and 8. verſes, As for that night, let darkeneſſe ceiſe upon it, let it not be joyned unto the dayes of the yeare, &c.
So then, Job pronounceth this curſe, firſt in generall againſt his day.
Secondly, He divides the curſe upon the ſeverall parts of the day.
Thirdly, He faſtens a ſpeciall curſe upon each part.
You ſee how accurate, how exact Jobs ſorrowes have made him.
We will begin with that which is firſt here, the curſing of his day in generall, contained in the firſt verſe. Then Job opened his mouth, or after this, Job opened his mouth and curſed his day.
Then, or After this, hath a double reference.
Firſt, After the ſeven dayes ſilence, After his friends had ſate by him ſo long upon the ground, neither moving queſtion, nor adminiſtring a word of conſolation, then Job opened his mouth. Or ſecondly,
After this, That is, After his ſorrowes were (as it were) boyled up to the height, and began a little to remit, ſo as he could breath, recollect himſelfe and conſider, in what condition he was. After this, After there was ſome allay, ſome ebbe and fall of his overflowing ſorrowes, then he breakes forth in theſe words. Sorrow doth ſometimes not only oppreſſe the ſpirit, but ſtop the mouth, I am ſo troubled that I cannot ſpeake, ſaith David, Pſ. 77.4. That, he could not ſpeak for trouble,Curae leves loquuntur, ingentes ſtupent. Vehementiam doloris exprimit, quod dicit ſe non eſſe locutum, Muſc. in Pſal. 77.4. ſpeaks the greatnes of his trouble. Plenty of ſorrow makes a ſcarcity of words: Hence ſometmies the Saints in great afflictions and griefe of mind, pray, and cry much to God, when they ſpeke little. Hannah continued praying before the Lord, (2 Sam. 1.12.) Eli the High-priest marked her mouth (ſaith the Text) Now Hannah, ſhe ſpake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Would you know why in ſo much praying, there was no ſpeaking, why her heart ſpake, and not her tongue. Her ſelfe gives the reaſon at the 15th, verſe, I am a woman of a ſorrowfull ſpirit. And verſe 16. Out of the abundance of my complaint and griefe, have I ſpoken hitherto. ſc. not with my lips, but with my heart. All which is given us at the 10th. verſe, She was in bitterneſſe of ſoule, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept ſore. Thus it was with Job, ſorrow ſilenced him, ſorrow in the height cauſed that high ſilence,Altum ſilentium. but as ſoone as that aſſwaged, Then he opened his mouth and spake.
A man cannot ſpeake till he open his mouth, yet to open the mouth and ſpeake, is more then to ſpeake.
Firſt, To open the mouth and ſpeake, is to ſpeake with a loud or cleare voice; as he that ſpeakes ſoftly, is ſaid to ſpeake in his throat. Or as they who have familiar ſpirits, or wizards, are ſaid to peepe and to mutter, Iſa. 8.19. A witch or wizard, is called there and in other places of Scripture (Levit. 20.27. Deut. 18.11.) Ob, which ſignifieth a bottle or bladder, becauſe ſuch being poſſeſs'd or acted by an evill ſpirit, ſpake with a hollow voice as out of a bottle, and (as ſome affirme) with ſwollen bellies; From which manner of utterance, the Greekes call them, Belly ſpeakers. foreign.And Junius, upon that 8 of Iſa. 19th. apprehends this as a deſcription of thoſe Hell-prophets, in oppoſition to the true Prophets, who uſed to ſpeake with a cleere, loud, diſtinct voice: Or as Job here; To open their mouthes and ſpeake.
Secondly, To open the mouth and ſpeake, is as much as to ſay, he ſpake with his mouth; And there is an elegancy in that; as in thoſe like expreſſions, I heard it with mine eares, that is, I did certainely heare it, or I did fully heare it. I ſaw it with mine eyes, that is, I am ſure I ſaw it. So the Scripture ſaith, We are bought with a price, 1 Cor. 6.20. A thing cannot be bought, but with a price, there muſt be ſome price or other, either money or money-worth, ſomewhat anſwering the intrinſick value of every thing that is bought; but to ſhew that we are bought with a full price, that Chriſt did not compound our debt with his Father, but paid the uttermoſt farthing, it is ſaid, we are bought with a price. So the Prophet Malachie tells the ſacrilegious Jewes, Ye are curſed with a curſe, c. 3.9. A man cannot be curſed but with a curſe, but to ſhew the greatneſſe of the curſe, he ſaith, ye are curſed with a curſe. So here, Job opened his mouth and ſpake, or opened his mouth and curſed, that is, he curſed his day greatly,Cum enim aliquis loquitur ex impetu paſſionis, non ipſe aperuit os ſuu…n, ſed paſſione agitur ad loquendum, non enim per paſſionem noſtri actus domini ſum… ſed pe… ſo…m rationem; Conſuetum enim eſt apud ſapientes ut ex ratione loquantur paſſionum motus, quos ſentiu…, Aquin. in loc. even with a bitter and grievous curſe. He curſed it (as we ſay) to purpoſe. Thus to ſhew the excellency of Chriſts doctrine, that his was A Sermon of Sermons, And he the Meſſenger, the Interpreter, the One of a Thouſand, yea the One of All the Thouſands that ever ſhewed to man his uprightneſſe: the Goſpell ſaith, Mat. 5.1. When hee ſaw a great multitude, he opened his mouth and ſpake. Hence
In the third place, To open the mouth and ſpeake, is to ſpeake upon mature deliberation, to ſpeake conſiderately, prudently, punctually, to ſpeake elegantly, to ſpeake orderly, to ſpeake the words of truth and ſoberneſſe. A foole is ſaid to ſpeake with an open mouth: but a wiſe man openeth his mouth and ſpeakes. A wiſe godly man hath his tongue at his command, but a fooles tongue commands him: His tongue runs faſter then his wit, as we ſay. A fooles mouth (as Solomon tells us, Prov. 15.2.) powreth out fooliſhneſſe: Their mouthes are alwayes open; and therefore they cannot be ſaid to open their mouthes: A foole hath not a doore to his mouth (therefore alſo he cannot be ſaid to open his mouth) much leſſe hath he a lock and a key,Figuratè enim & ſcite dicta Parabole vocantur, quta authoritatem habent & in ſermone dominantur. a bolt or a barre to his mouth: but a wiſe man hath a doore to his mouth, yea his mouth is lockt with wiſdomes key, and that unlocks it. I will open my mouth (ſaith the Pſalmiſt, Pſal. 78.2.) in a Parable. Parables are the ſpeeches of wiſe men, yea they are the extracts and ſpirits of wiſedome. The Hebrew word ſignifies to rule or have authority: becauſe ſuch ſpeeches come upon us with authority, and ſubdue our reaſon by the weight of theirs. Now when he is about to ſpeake Parables, he ſaith, I will open my mouth. When wiſedome calls for audience and obedience, Prov: 8.6. ſhe ſaith, Heare, for I will ſpeake of excellent things, and the opening of my lips ſhall be right things. David invokes God to open his mouth, when he would ſhew forth that excellent thing, the praiſe of God, Pſal. 51.15. God opens not the mouth of a foole, neither doth a foole open his mouth and ſpeake, but his ſpeech opens his mouth.
But did Job open his mouth in this ſenſe wiſely and diſcreetly? did he well to be ſo angry with his day? ſpake he wiſely in curſing his day? I anſwer, Though there was much paſſion in this ſpeech, yet Job ſpake out of much deliberation, he conſidered what to ſpeake before he ſpake. A man may ſpeake with much paſſion, and yet ſpeake out of much deliberation, and ſo did Job here; in that long ſilence he was learning what to ſpeake. And as there was much heate of paſſion, ſo there was much light of wiſedome in what he ſpake.
Fourthly, To open the mouth and ſpeake, is to ſpeake boldly and confidently, to ſpeake with freedome and liberty of ſpeech; (as the Greeke word ſignifies) to ſpeake all a mans mind,foreign. Joh. 7.26. foreign omne & foreign dictio, quum qui… omne id dicit quod adiem pertinet, nihil veritus offenſionem eorum quibuſ…um loquitur. without feate or favour of any man. Prov. 31.8, 9. Open thy mouth for the dumbe, open thy mouth, judge righteouſly, &c. that is, be bold for thoſe that are poore and dare not appeare themſelves, ſpeake thou aloud for the dumbe, and freely for thoſe that cannot plead their own cauſe, or make-out their owne innocence. The Apoſtle begs of the Epheſians, Chap. 6.19. that they would pray, that utterance might be given him, that he might open his mouth boldly, to make knowne the miſtery of the Goſpell: and neither feare the faces of men, nor conceale the truth of God.
You ſee then by the opening of this expreſſion, there was more then bare ſpeaking meant, when Job opened his mouth and ſpake; When a wiſe and a holy man opens his mouth, you may looke for more then words, even the treaſures of wiſdome and of knowledge.
Let us now examine what treaſure we can make of thoſe words which Job ſpake, when he opened his mouth.
He opened his mouth, and curſed his day.
But is there any treaſure in a curſe? except that which the Apoſtle ſpeakes of, as the fruit of Gods abuſed patience, Rom. 2.5. A treaſure of wrath. Or did Job deliberate for a curſe? was he moulding and faſhioning ſo deform'd an iſſue as this in his thoughts ſo long? Yes, faith the Text, he opened his mouth and curſed his day.
The word here uſed, to Curſe, is not the word which we have met with ſo often in the two former Chapters: where Satan undertooke that Job would curſe his God. That word, in its native ſenſe, ſignifies to bleſſe. But here when Iob curſeth his day,foreign Levis aut nullius ponderis ſuit per metaphoram levis vilis contemptus ſuit in Piel foreign maled…xit blaſphema …it. foreign In Ka… ſignificat grave eſſe ſive ingrav ſcere & in Piel honorare, quia quos honoramus non habemus leves aut viles, ſed eorum authoritatis pondu… ſuſcipimus, … ▪ Rivetus. a word is uſed which hath neither name nor ſhadow of a bleſſing: And it is derived from a roote which ſignifieth, a thing that is light, moveable or unſetled. And ſo by a Metaphor, it ſignifies any thing or perſon which we diſpiſe, contemne and ſlight, or the act of deſpiſing and curſing; and the reaſon of it is, becauſe thoſe things which we deſpiſe, contemne or curſe, we looke upon as light things, triviall, or vaine, or hurtfull: On the contrary, the word in the Hebrew for honour and glory, comes from a roote which ſignifieth heavy or ponderous; becauſe that which we honour and reſpect, we looke upon it as a thing that hath weight and ſubſtance in it: And the Apoſtle calls that moſt glorious eſtate of the Saints in Heaven, a weight of glory, 2 Cor. 4.17. The oppoſite word which we have in the Text, is frequently tranſlated, to deſpiſe or contemne, and likewiſe to curſe and blaſpheme: and doth properly ſignifie ſuch a curſing, as ariſes from the contempt, or light eſteeme, which we have of a thing or perſon. So we have the word clearely uſed, Levit. 20.9, Every one that curſeth his father or his mother; Now obſerve, curſing of the father or mother, it is directly oppoſed to the 5th. Commandement, which ſaith, Thou ſhalt honour thy Father and thy mother, thou ſhalt looke upon thy father and thy mother, as upon perſons of weight and honour, whom thou art bound to reverence and eſteeme; ſo that to curſe the father or mother, is to account them vile and contemptible. The ſame word expreſſes, that villanous act of Shimei, 2 Sam. 16.15. who came forth, and curſed David ſtill as he came. That act was alike oppoſite both to the rule and word of the 5th. Commandement, which ſaith, honour thy father, &c. taking-in the civill father as well as the naturall: Shimeis curſing David, lightly eſteemed David, he did not looke upon him, in or according to the weightineſſe and honour of his Kingly perſon, or of his Kingly office, a King is a weighty perſon, a Crowne is a weighty thing, Shimei deſpiſed and ſo curſed both. Sometime the word is tranſlated directly to deſpiſe: I will give you two texts for that, Gen. 16.4. When Hagar ſaw ſhe had conceived, her Miſtreſſe was deſpiſed in her eyes, (it is the ſame word with that uſed here for curſing,) the meaning is, ſhe did lightly eſteeme her Miſtreſſe; Thus ſhe thought, now ſhall I have the honour of raiſing Abrahams family; now I am at leaſt as good a woman as my miſtreſſe, thus ſhe deſpiſed Sarah. Againe, 1 Sam. 2.30. where the Lord ſaith concerning Elies ſonnes, Them that honour me I will honour, and they that deſpiſe me, ſhall be lightly eſteemed. I will make little account of them that make little account of me, and woe be to thoſe (though all the world honour them) whom God deſpiſeth: That man looſes more then honour, whom God doth not honour: And they who deny God his honour, deny him all good, and offer him all evill; ſuch a diſpiſing of God, is a curſing of God.
Further, To curſe (if we conſider it in the nature of the thing, and not ſtrictly in the literall ſenſe of the word) is to wiſh evill to a thing or perſon; This alſo is the meaning of the curſe in this place; for when Iob explaines this curſe in the parts of it, he doth (as it were) with wonderfull art and skill, gather together whatſoever may be thought the evill of a day, or the evill of a night, and calls it up, to ſeize upon them. A curſe, or to curſe, virtually containes in it all evill; As a bleſſing, or to bleſſe, containes in it virtually all good. Every mercy we enjoy, is a bleſſing ſpecificated; And ſo any evill that falls upon man, (as Sword, Famine, Peſtilence, &c.) is a curſe ſpecificated; Howſoever poſſibly thoſe things which are in their nature evill, and in their matter a curſe, may be qualified (in reference unto ſome perſons) into a bleſſing. But take a curſe properly, and it containeth all evill, and only evill in it. Therefore as when God had given the world an eſſe, a being, that he might give it, a bene eſſe, a well being, he adds to the work of Creation, the word of benediction, And God bleſſed them, and ſaid unto them, be fruitfull, &c. Gen. 1.22, 28. So afterward when man had ſinned, and the Lord intended to leave the world groaning under part of thoſe evills which ſin had brought upon it, he wraps up all in the word of a curſe, Curſed be the ground for thy ſake, &c. Gen. 3.17. So then when Job curſeth his day, he wiſheth all the evill to it, that a day is capable of. And Job opened his mouth and curſed his day.
But, what was this day that Job was ſo angry with it? and that his paſſion doth ſo burne againſt it?
The Text ſpeakes indefinitely, Job curſed his day.
Some underſtand it of the day of his preſent ſuffering, he curſed the day on which ſuch troubles befell him: And we find ſometimes in Scripture, that a day put thus alone, is an evill or a troubleſome day; As in the 12th. verſe of the Prophecie of Obadiah, the Lord rebukes the children of Edom thus, Thou ſhouldeſt not have looked on the day of thy brother, that is, the day of thy brother Jacobs ſufferings, the day wherein I had him under my rod and afflicted him. So the day of the Lord, is the day of the Lords anger, when he powres wrath and trouble upon the earth. Iſa. 2.12. The day of the Lord of hoſtes ſhall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up, and he ſhall be brought low. The day of the Lord, or the day of a man undetermin'd, often ſignifies an evill day.
But here we may rather underſtand it for that day which was as the occaſion, or for the occaſionall day of all Jobs troubles, and that was his birth-day; If his birth-day had beene prevented, all his troubleſome dayes had beene prevented, therefore he falls out with that, as himſelfe explaines it, verſe 3. Let the day periſh (ſaith he there) wherein I was borne, and the night in which it was ſaid, there is a man-child conceived. It is uſuall to call a mans birth-day his day, ſo the Scripture is conceived to ſpeake, Hoſ. 7.5. In the day of our King, the Princes have made him ſicke with bottles of wine; That is, on his birth-day, which among Princes is commonly ſolemniz'd with feaſting: As we reade of Pharaoh and of Herod. So then, the day is his birth-day, the day of his nativity: which ſome take preciſely, for the day upon which he was borne; and others more largely, for the annuall returne of that day; as if he had laid in a curſe for a day, whenſoever or how often ſoever it ſhould returne in the yeares of his life.
A little further to cleare the ſenſe of this curſe, let us conſider the whole matter as we have conſidered the words. There are two or three queſtions, which being debated and reſolved, will give light to this context.
Job you ſee takes upon him to curſe, Firſt, it may be queſtioned whether a curſe be in the power of man or no? Can a man curſe perſons or things?
Surely bleſſings and curſings are both in the hand of God; whether we reſpect perſons or things. There is a miniſteriall curſe, and a miniſteriall bleſſing in the power of man: but it is not in the power of any man, magiſterially to make any thing or perſon bleſſed, or to make any thing or perſon accurſed. It was a great brag which Balack made of Balaam, (Numb. 22.6) I wot (ſaith he) that he whom thou bleſſest is bleſſed, and he whom thou curſeſt is curſed. He thought he had the curſe in his command, he could curſe whom he pleaſed, and what he pleaſed, and when he pleaſed, but he was deceived; he reckon'd beyond his ſtrength, and beyond the ſtrength of a creature. What the Apoſtle ſpeakes in another caſe concerning the miniſtery of the word, Paul may plant, and Apollos may water, but it is God that giveth the increaſe, is as true in this; one man may plant a curſe, and another man may water it with a hearty wiſh that it may grow, but it is God only that giveth the increaſe of evill,Prima ſemper irarum tela ſunt maledicta, & que non poſſumus imbecilles, optamus irati. Votis malis pro armis utimur. Salvian l. 3 de gubern. and the decreaſe of good. Curſes are not in the power of any creature, if they were, we ſhould have a miſerable world quickly. How many ſhould we ſee daily blaſted with the breath of malicious execrations? Some mens mouthes are full of curſing, Pſal. 10.7. They love curſing, they cloath themſelves with curſing as with a garment, Pſal. 109.17, 18. Curſing (as one of the Ancients complained in his time) is now made the common weapon of anger, and wrath wiſhes that evill, which (becauſe of weakneſſe) it cannot worke. If curſing could have done it, we had not been a people at this day. How often hath Balack (out of feare or envy at our proſperity) ſent to Balaam (I meane the falſe prophet that dwels on the ſeven hils) come curſe Iſrael, come defie England; how often hath that Balaam curs'd our Iſrael? We have heard of his Anniverſary Anathemaes, wherein this Church and ſtate have been ſtruck with the thunder and lightning of his Papal curſe. But the curſe cauſeleſſe (ſaith Solomon) ſhall not come. And we may ſay to England as Moſes did to Iſrael concerning Balaams curſe, Deut. 23.5. Nevertheleſſe the Lord thy God would not hearken unto Balaam: But the Lord thy God turned the curſe into a bleſſing unto thee, becauſe the Lord thy God loved thee. And what David prai'd about Shimei's curſe, we have ſeene come to paſſe: The Lord hath requited us good for his curſing, 2 Sam. 16.12. We have far greater cauſe to feare the bleſſing of Rome, then the curſe of Rome: But to returne. The reſult of all is this; When God pronounceth a curſe, he makes it to be a curſe; man at the worſt, can but wiſh a curſe and pronounce it. Man is but the miniſter, God is the Maſter of the curſe, God can inflict it, man can but think or wiſh it.
Another thing here queſtionable is, Whether it be lawfull to curſe the creature? Job curſeth his day; The rule of the Apoſtle is, Rom. 12.4. Bleſſe and curſe not.
In ſome caſes, to curſe is Gods command and our duty, and then we are Gods miniſters for wrath againſt the wicked. Many times man (though forbidden) curſes, then it is his ſin, and he is Satans miniſter for evill againſt his brother.
There are ſome caſes wherein we may curſe. When the Patriark Jacob was upon his death bed, and bed of bleſſing, he yet pronounced a curſe upon the rage and anger of his two ſonnes Simeon and Levi, Gen. 49.7. Curſed be their anger for it was fierce, and their wrath for it was cruell. I will divide them in Jacob, and ſcatter them in Iſrael. We may curſe the plots and counſels of wicked men, enemies of Chriſt and of his people: we may curſe the perſons of wicked men, as implacable enemies of Chriſt, and of his people; So David more then once in the Booke of Pſalmes, yet it is to be conſidered, that ſome of thoſe Pſalmes are Prophecies of a curſe, not pronunciations of a curſe. And in all lawfull curſings we muſt obſerve theſe two rules. Firſt, To aime the curſe at the deſtruction of the ſin, not of the ſinner. Secondly, Where the ſinner appeares incorrigible, yet to deſire the clearing up of Gods Juſtice in puniſhing, not the puniſhment it ſelfe. To curſe any thing or perſon paſſionately, is infirmity: To curſe any thing or perſon maliciouſly, is groſſe impiety.
There is a third doubt, the reſolving of which will further cleare the Scripture to us, that is, Whether a day, be an object capable of a curſe or no? It is a queſtion moved by the Schoole-men,Aquin. 2… 2…. q. 76. Art. …. whether a bleſſing and a curſe doe belong to any but a reaſonable creature? or whether any thing elſe be a ſubject capable of a bleſſing or a curſe? And they reſolve it, that nothing is properly the ſubject of bleſſing and curſing, but a reaſonable creature.Benedictio vel maledictio propriè ad illam rem pertinet cui poteſt aliquid benè vel malè contingere, ſc. rationali creaturae. Creaturis autem irrationalibus, bonum vel malum dicitur contingere, in ordine ad creaturam rationalem, propter quam ſunt, Aquinus, ubi ſupra. Therefore a day which is a part of time, is in it ſelfe incapable of a curſe; Thoſe things only are capable of penall evils which are capable of morall evils; A day is not, cannot be morally evill, though there be many morall evils acted in the day. The Apoſtle adviſeth us, to redeeme the time, becauſe the dayes are evill, Epheſ. 5.15. Times are called evill, in regard both of troubleſome evils and ſinfull evils; From evill men and evill manners, dayes are denominated evill, yet dayes in themſelves are not evill morally, and ſo not lyable to a curſe, which is a penall evill.
Further, Thoſe creatures which have life in them, and have no reaſon in them, are on the ſame ground incapable of a curſe, whereas it is ſaid, that God curſed the ground, and curſed the ſerpent, Gen. 3.14, 17. neither the ground nor the ſerpent were curſed in themſelves, or for their own ſakes. The ſerpent an unreaſonable creature, had not the knowledge of God, and the earth a ſenſleſſe creature could not feele the power of God; therefore the curſe upon thoſe creatures, was only in order to, and as a puniſhment of the ſin of man; The Text is expreſſe, Gen. 3.17. Curſed be the earth for thy ſake; The earth there comprehends all the creatures living on the face of the earth, beſides man: Theſe are curſed for mans ſake, As thoſe creatures at the firſt received not a being or a bleſſing for themſelves, but for mans good, ſo they receive not any evill or curſe but for mans puniſhment: So we are to underſtand thoſe places in Deut. 28. Curſed be thy basket and thy ſtore, &c. God threatens a curſe on theſe creatures, the fruits of the earth, &c. in order to mans diſobedience: But it ſhall come to paſſe, if thou wilt not hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, to obſerve to doe all his Commandements, &c. that all theſe curſes ſhall came upon thee, and overtake thee, ver. 15. Obſerve, That the curſe is threatned to come on them, to overtake them; When the basket was curs'd, when the increaſe of the kine and the flocks of the ſheepe were curſed, man was curſed: For we may ſay in the letter, as David did in a figure, when the Angell of the Lord ſmote his people with the peſtilence, (2 Sam. 24.) Alas what have theſe ſheepe done? that they ſhould be ſmitten with a curſe. As in pulling downe the houſe of a Traitor, the revenge is not taken againſt the materials of the houſe, but againſt the Maſter of the houſe. So then for the reſolution of this point, take it thus, No creature below man, is or can be accurſed by God or man properly, terminately, or ultimately: That is, in it ſelfe or for it ſelfe, or from it ſelfe, but only improperly and relatively, namely with reſpect to what man ſhould doe, hath done, or ſuffered. Firſt, in reference to what man ſhould doe; ſo Chriſt curſed the fig-tree, to teach man either the duty of fruitfulneſſe to the glory of God, or of faith in the power of God. Secondly, in reference to what man hath done, the ſin of man, thus God curſed the ſerpent and the ground: The ſerpent was curſed both for admonition to man, and for a puniſhment on man; God to admoniſh man, how much he hated ſin, puniſhes an irrationall inſtrument of ſin, and by that enmity planted in the ſerpent as a curſe, puniſhes mans too much familiarity with the ſerpent. And as the enmity of the ſerpent was mans ſcourge, ſo alſo was the barrenneſſe of the earth: That barrenneſſe in bringing forth good fruit, that fertility in bringing forth bryars and thornes, were both as rods for the back of man. Thirdly, the irrationall or ſenceleſſe creatures are curſed in reference to that, which man ſuffers. Thus David curſed the mountaines of Gilboa, 2 Sam. 1.21. becauſe there Saul and his beloved Jonathan were ſlaine by the ſword of the Philiſtines, becauſe there the ſhield of the mighty was vilely cast away, the ſword of Saul, as if he had not been anointed with oyle. In this ſenſe, (as David curſed a place,) ſo Job curſes a time, his day, the day which either gave occa…ion to his ſufferings, or the day in which he actually ſuffered ſuch a world of evills. Thus alſo Jeremie curſes his day with a vehement curſe, Jer. 20.14. Curſed be the day wherein I was borne, let not the day wherein my mother bare me be bleſſed: And not only ſo, but he curſes the man who firſt reported his birth, verſe 15, 16. Curſed be the man who brought tidings to my father, ſaying, a man-child is borne unto thee, making him very glad. And let that man be as the Cities which the Lord overthrew and repented not: Maledicere rebas irrationalibus in quantum ſunt creaturoe, eſt peccatum blaſphemiae, maledicere eis in ſe conſideratis eſt otio… ſum & vanum. Aquinas, ubio, ſupra.and let him heare the cry in the morning, and the ſhooting at noone-tide, &c. And why ſo bitter a curſe? was it againſt the day for it ſelfe, or againſt the man himſelfe, Jeremie ſhewes it was not, verſe 18. Wherefore came I out of the wombe to ſee labour and ſorrow, that my dayes ſhould be conſumed with ſhame? To curſe any thing under the notion of a creature, or as it is the worke of God, is to blaſpheme God; to curſe any unreaſonable or inſenſible creature in themſelves, or to take revenge on them, is to be if not ſenceleſſe, yet (I am ſure in that act) unreaſonable. So farre of this curſing his day in generall. It followes,
Verſe 2.
And Job spake and ſaid.
This verſe is only a tranſition into the matter of the next, it is as if the holy Ghoſt had ſaid, Job curſed his day: and would you know how he curſed it?Reſpondere ſaepe dicitur qui orditur ſermonem, etiamſi nulla interrogatio praeceſſerit, Dru…. He did it after this manner, or in this forme of words, Job spake and ſaid, thus, &c. Only note, that the word which we tranſlate spake, is in the originrall anſwered; and ſo often in Scripture, he is ſaid to anſwer who begins to ſpeake. Job anſwered and ſaid.
We ſhewed you before, that his day in generall was the object of this curſe, now he curſes it in the parts of it, the day and the night. Let the day periſh, &c. At which words the ſtile alters, that which you reade forward to the ſixt verſe of the 42 Chapter, is ſacred Poetry, Job breathes out his paſſion in verſe, and in verſe receives his anſwer. It is queſtioned, whether Job at that time opened his mouth, and vented his ſorrowes in verſe, or whether it were after contrived ſo by the pen-man of this booke. As I ſee no profit in moving this queſtion, ſo I think there is no poſſibility of reſolving it: And therefore I leave it as I found it, a quere ſtill. Only this is obſerveable; that writing in verſe is moſt ſutable, where the matter written is deepely ſteep't in, and chiefely wrought out of our affections. Hence we find, That thoſe parts of Scripture which ſet forth ſtrongeſt affections, are compoſed in verſe: As thoſe holy flames of ſpirituall love betweene Chriſt and his Spouſe in the Canticles of Solomon: The triumphant joy of Deborah, after deliverance from Siſera's Army: Of Moſes and Miriam, after the deſtruction of Pharaoh: The afflicting ſorrowes of Hezekiah in his ſickneſſe: And the Lamentations of Jeremie, for the captivity of the Jewes: The booke of Pſalmes, is as it were a throng of all affections, Love, joy, ſorrow, feare, hope, anger, zeale, every paſſion acting a part, and wound up in higheſt ſtraines by the Spirit of God, breathing Poeticall eloquence into that heavenly Prophet. So this Booke of Job, whoſe ſubject is ſorrow, hath a compoſure anſwerable to the matter. Paſſion hath moſt ſcope in verſe, and is freeſt when tyed up in numbers. The words follow; Let the day periſh.
What this day was, we ſhewed you before; It was the day of his nativity, the day (ſaith he) wherein I was borne. How ſhould this day periſh?
To periſh, ſignifies firſt, not to be. A thing is ſaid to periſh, when it is annihilated, when it returnes to nothing: As the Pſalmiſt ſpeakes, Man being in honour and underſtandeth not, is compared to the beasts that periſh. The periſhing of a beaſt, is the non-entity of a beaſt, when a beaſt dieth, it periſheth, it is not; A beaſt is no more, but vaniſheth quite, and is gone for ever. Then, ſuch mens likeneſſe to a beaſt, is not in periſhing, but in the want of true underſtanding: He doth not ſay, man periſheth like a beaſt, but he is like a beaſt, that periſheth. A wicked man how honourable ſoever, is a bruitiſh man, ver. 10. For he knowes nothing ſpiritually, and what he knowes naturally, in that like a bruit beaſt he corrupts himſelfe, as the Apoſtle Jude ſpeakes, ver. 10. of his Epiſtle. But betweene the periſhing of a fooliſh man and a beaſt, there is a vaſt difference; A beaſts periſhing is a not-being, A fooliſh mans periſhing is a miſerable being.
For ſecondly, To periſh, ſignifies often a miſerable being, as in Joh. 3.16. God ſo loved the world, that he gave his only begotten ſ…n, that whoſoever beleeveth, ſhould not periſh, &c. Not periſh, the meaning of it is not, that all unbeleevers ſhall looſe their very beings, become a nothing, and with their exiſtence part from their eſſence. Some wicked beaſtly men would be glad of this, that they might live here wickedly, and afterward die like beaſts, in that ſenſe eternally: If this were the periſhing that is threatned unbeleevers, many of them would be ready to ſay out of love and liking to their luſts, as Esther did out of love and zeale to the cauſe of God, If we periſh we periſh, If this be to periſh, let us periſh. But that periſhing is of another nature; They that beleeve not ſhall periſh, that is, they ſhall live and periſh, they ſhall be, and be miſerable for ever, the wrath of a diſpleaſed God, and the ſting of a polluted conſcience, ſhall torment them to all eternity.
Thirdly, To periſh, is to be empaired or looſe former dignity and reſpect. So let the day periſh, may be taken in this ſenſe, let not that day be ſolemnized, let it not be remembred with wonted joy and gladneſſe. A day which hath uſually bin ſolemnized, may be ſaid to periſh, when that ſolemnity is layed downe, and utterly diſus'd. In ancient times (and the cuſtome in ſome places remaines to this day) Great men and Princes kept the memory of their birth-dayes with feaſting and triumph. Thus we reade, Gen. 40.20. And it came to paſſe the third day, which was Pharaohs birth-day, that he made a feaſt unto all his ſervants, And Mat. 14.6. we reade, that when Herods birth-day was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them. It is generally conceived, that Job did ſolemnize his birth-day; and ſo many interpreters take thoſe feaſts ſpoken of in the firſt Chapter, to have been, the birth-day feaſts of Jobs Children. Origen in his fragments upon Matthew, affirmes, that the Scripture gives no teſtimony of any one good man celebrating his birth-day: The truth is, while we reflect upon our birth-ſin, we have little cauſe to rejoyce in our birth-day: The new-borne infant ſeemes to forbid this ſolemnity, and by his teares weepes and ſpeakes downe this joy. The birth-day of nature ſhould be mourned over every day, much more upon the day of our birth. The birth-day of Grace is our joy and our glory, and is worthy to be rejoyced in, not only in this day of grace, but in that of glory, and ſo it ſhall. Eternity which is the day of glory, is one continued triumph for our birth-day in grace. Notwithſtanding this, I ſee no cogent reaſon, why a godly man may not celebrate and rejoyce in his naturall birth-day; ſo he rejoyce in God, who tooke him out of his mothers wombe, and hath preſerved him ever ſince he was borne. So then, we taking Jobs day for his birth-day, he ſaying, let that day periſh, meanes, let it be no more ſolemnized, let there be no more joy, no feaſts upon that day.
Or fourthly, Let that day periſh, may be thus underſtood, let not that be reckoned upon, let it be loſt, let it not be counted in the Calender of the yeare. A day whereof no uſe is made, is called in Scripture, a loſt day, a fallen or periſhed day. In the ſixt of Numbers, the number of dayes is preſcribed for the ſeparation of the Nazarites, thus and thus it ſhall be, and ſo many dayes: Now, if the Nazarite had cantinued many dayes, according to the Law of his ſeparation, yet if he were polluted with a dead body before the full number was accompliſht, then he muſt begin againe, for (ſaith Moſes,) the dayes that were before ſhall be loſt, becauſe his ſeparation was defiled, ver. 12. In the Hebrew it is, all the other dayes ſhall fall, he muſt not reckon upon thoſe: So here Job ſaith, let the day periſh, that is, let it not be numbred or reckon'd, let it be as a day loſt or fallen: So then the ſumme of all is this; let the joy and ſolemnity of my birth-day be laid aſide, let it never be celebrated more in the returne of the yeare. I could wiſh that day had never beene, but ſeeing that is impoſſible▪ it having been already, yet let it be as if it had never been, let it be put out of all accounts, let it be taken off from all records; and not only not remembred with mirth and feaſting, but not be remembred at all.
And the night wherein it was ſaid, a man child is conceived.
So we tranſlate: The elegancy of the Hebrew ſpeakes thus, The night which ſaid, a man-child is conceived; as if the night had been the meſſenger, and had brought word of his conception.foreign Some render the Hebrew word [Hara,] (which we tranſlate conceived) Borne, applying both parts of the verſe to his birth, Let the day periſh wherein I was borne, and the night in which it was ſaid a man-child is brought forth; And the Originall word will beare it, being uſed (as learned Mercer obſerves) for production as well as conception, So 1 Chron. 4.17. And ſhe bare Miriam and Shammai, &c. She bare, is the word in this text of Job: We may take it either way; the ſenſe is cleare according to our tranſlation, that Job ſends this curſe beyond his birth-day, even to the night wherein he was conceived; Or if we referre it no further back then to his birth: It is as if he had ſaid, whether I were borne by night or by day, let the time of my birth be accurſed; if it were upon the day time, let that day periſh wherein I was borne; Was I borne in the night? let that night periſh wherein it was ſaid a man-child is brought forth; This diſtribution notes a reſolvedneſſe to curſe it; and leaſt he ſhould miſſe the time of the day, he curſes both the diviſions of time, in every day. As Benhadad in his charge for the taking of of thoſe young-men, that came out of Samaria, to ſhew how fully he was reſolved to have them taken, ſaith, Whether they be come out for peace, take them alive, or whether they be come out for warre, take them alive, 1 King. 20.18. as if he had ſaid, I'le have them taken whatſoever comes on't, or for whatſoever they come, they ſhall not eſcape. Or as Herod, who, that he might be ſure to ſlay Chriſt in his infancy, commands all infants to be ſlaine: So Job, that the curſe might not miſſe the time of his birth-day, curſes all the time of that day, the day, and the night. For though a man be borne in the night, yet that is not called his birth-night, but his birth-day: And to be borne, is to come into the light, though the birth-time be the darkeſt of the night. Hence the Heathen called their Juno, whoſe helpe they invoked in time of womens travell (Deam lucinam) the goddeſſe bringing into light.
So much for the opening of this curſe, both in the generall and in the parts of it, reſpecting the object day and night. In the next words hee cuts out or proportions a ſpeciall curſe, as the portion of each part; The day hath a ſhare, and the night hath a ſhare, each by it ſelfe. Before I open this box of curſes any further, I ſhall obſerve ſomewhat from the diſcovery thus farre made.
And firſt I muſt anſwer a doubt ariſing upon the whole matter; for it may be queſtioned upon this you have already heard, though we carry on his complaint no further, How Job can be ſet up with ſo much admiration for a mirrour of patience, who makes ſuch bitter complainings, and breakes out into ſuch diſtemper'd paſſion, curſing his day? May he not rather be an example of impatience? an unimitable patterne of an unquiet and uncompoſed ſpirit? Are theſe the words of patience and ſobriety? Is this the language of ſubmiſſion and humility. Curſed be my day? He ſeemeth to be ſo farre from patience, that he wants prudence, ſo farre from grace, that he wants reaſon it ſelfe and good nature; his ſpeeches report him mad or diſtracted, breaking the bounds of modeſty and moderation, ſtriking that which had not hurt him, and ſtriking that which he could not hurt, his birth-day. In this Job appeares much like that proud Emperour Zerxes, of whom the Hiſtorian reports,Hero…lotus. that when the raging Helleſpont broke downe the bridge that he had made over it, he in a rage cauſed ſome hundreds of ſtripes to be inflicted as a puniſhment on thoſe waters, and cauſed a paire of ſhackles to be caſt upon thoſe waves, to teach them ſubjection: was not this madneſſe? what cared the waters for ſtripes? or why ſhould Zerxes take revenge upon the waters? And was not Iob as mad? what cared his day for the curſe? or why ſhould Iob take revenge upon his day? But as the Prophet ſaith, Hab. 3.8. Was the Lord diſpleaſed againſt the rivers? was his wrath againſt the ſea? Should the Lord ſet his anger againſt irrationall creatures? Doubtleſſe he doth not. Therefore enquire further into the matter, So did Iob fall out with his day? was he angry with his day? This is yet further to be enquired into and anſwered.
There are ſome who on the one hand proſecute the impatience of Iob with much impatience, and are over paſſionate againſt Iobs paſſion. Moſt of the Iewiſh writers tax him at the leaſt as bordering upon blaſphemy, if not blaſpheming. Nay they cenſure him as one taking heed to, and much depending upon Aſtrologicall obſervations, as if mans fate or fortune were guided by the conſtellations of Heaven, by the ſight and aſpect of the Planets in the day of his nativity, as if Iob had obſerved ſome malignant conjunction of the Starres upon that day: As if like the ſuperſtitious Heathen, he divided dayes into lucky and unlucky, good dayes and bad dayes: as if he had denied the providence of God, at leaſt the particular providence of God in guiding individuall perſons or paſſages of our lives here below.
There are others who carry the matter as farre on the other hand, altogether excuſing, and which is more, commending, yea applauding Iob in this act of curſing his day: they make this curſe an argument of his holineſſe, and theſe expoſtulations as a part of his patience; contending firſt, that theſe did only expreſſe (which he ought) the ſuffering of his ſenſitive part, as a man, and ſo were oppoſite to ſtoicall Apathy, not to chriſtian patience, to a ſtone, not to a man.
Secondly, That he ſpake all this, not only according to the law of ſenſe, but with exact judgement, and according to the law of ſoundeſt reaſon; And which is farre more, that he ſpake all this, not out of impotent anger againſt his day, but out of perfect love unto his God: That he ſpake this curſe, not in his owne, but in the behalfe of God, pleading for the providence of God againct the ſurmiſes of men: For (ſay ſome) he feared leaſt his friends ſeeing him (whom they ever tooke for a godly man) thus afflicted ſhould accuſe the providence of God. As if he had ſaid, I would I had never been borne, or it had been better for me not to have been borne, rather then I ſhould be an occaſion for any to take up hard thoughts againſt God, or that his Name through my ſufferings ſhould ſuffer. So that the love of God, not wearineſſe under, or unwillingneſſe to be under the croſſe, conſtrained him thus to ſpeake: And if he was beſides himſelfe, (as the Apoſtles word is) It was to God, 2 Cor. 5.13.
I doe not ſay, but that Iob loved God, and loved him exceedingly all this while, but whether we ſhould ſo farre acquit Iob, I much doubt, eſpecially ſeeing Iob himſelfe ſaith, Chap. 42. I have ſpoken, and I will ſpeake no more: If Iob had ſpoken ſo much, from the love of God, and to the honour of God in this curſe, having ſpoken once, he ought to have ſpoken againe and againe: And had it been ſo, ſurely Job might have ſpared his repentance, as to this point, and needed not have ſaid, Now I abhorre my ſelfe, and repent in duſt and aſhes; If Iob had ſpoken all this according to exact reaſon and the exactneſſe of holineſſe, he had no reaſon to repent, eſpecially to repent in duſt and aſhes, for what he had thus ſpoken: No man needs abhorre himſelfe for that, wherein he both intentionally and actually honours God.
We muſt therefore ſtate it in the middle way, that Job is neither rigidly to be taxed of blaſphemie or prophaneneſſe, nor totally to be excuſed, eſpecially not flatteringly commended for this high complaint. I conceive it muſt be granted, that Job diſcovered much frailty and infirmity, ſome paſſion and diſtemper in this complaint and curſe; yet notwithſtanding we muſt aſſert him for a patient man, yea for a mirrour of patience; and there are five things conſiderable for the clearing and proofe of this aſſertion.
As firſt, conſider the greatneſſe of his ſuffering, his wound was very deepe and deadly, his burden was very heavy, only not intollerable: The ſufferings of Chriſt, being exceeding great, cauſed him to complaine, that his ſoule was exceeding ſorrowfull even unto death, Mat. 27.38. Yet in this complaint, there was not the leaſt imaginable touch of impatience. When he hung upon the croſſe, he cried out, My God my God why hast thou forſaken me, verſe 46. yet in this cry, no impatience. To cry out for every light touch, argues indeed a vaine and an impatient ſpirit: But he that ſometimes fetches a groane under a weight of ſorrow, is yet untoucht either in his wiſedome or in his patience. In ſuch a caſe to cry out, is a diſcovery of humane frailty, but not of ſinfull frailty: grace doth not take away ſence, it heightens nature, but it doth not aboliſh it. Conſider how much Job endured, and then you will find little impatience, though he complained much.
Secondly, Conſider the multiplicity of his troubles: They were great and many; many little afflictions meeting together, make a great one, how great then is that which is compoſed of many great ones? Many pebble ſtones will make a heavy burden, how then is he burdened, who hath (if ſuch a thing may be ſuppoſed) many mil-ſtones upon his back? Jobs afflictions came upon him as an Army, and encompaſt him round about. He had many particular afflictions, any one of which might make a very patient man complaine, then Job who bare them all, was not impatient, though he complained.
Thirdly, Conſider the long continuance of theſe great and many troubles, they continued long upon him, ſome ſay they continued divers yeares upon him. We uſe to ſay, a light burden is heavy, if the journey be long; a man may beare any thing for a brunt, or for a ſpurt, but to have a ſad load continued upon the ſhoulders all the day, pinches ſoare. Jobs load lay upon him day and night, day after day, yea monethmonth after monethmonth, chap. 7.3. I am made (ſaith he) to poſſeſſe moneths of vanity: yea as ſome have calculated them, his troubles continued yeare after yeare for ſeven yeare. Though a man make ſome, yea great complainings, under many great, long laſting afflictions, an eaſie apologie may acquit him of impatience.
Fourthly, Conſider this, that his complainings and acts of impatience were but a few, but his ſubmiſſions and acts of meekneſſe under the hand of God, were very many. Now we know, that one or a few acts, though evill, doe not denominate a perſon, eſpecially when they are ballanced by many acts of good in the ſame perſon, and about the ſame thing. How often doth Job in this Booke, breath forth patience, humility, faith, love, and ſtedfaſt truſt in God, whatſoever he ſhould doe with him: theſe ballance his complainings, yea indeed they over-ballance them, ſo much, for the ſetling of our judgements, about Jobs patience, that they leave not ſo much as an opinion of the contrary.
Fifthly, Take this into conſideration, that though he did complaine, and complaine bitterly, yet he recovered out of theſe complainings; he was not overcome by impatience, though ſome impatient ſpeeches came from him: he recalls what he had ſpoken, and repents for what he had done. See how he ſubmitteth himſelf, (Cap. 42.) how low he lies before God, even in the duſt, and ſaith, I will ſpeake no more. If I have been impatient, I will uſe no more impatient ſpeeches; If I have been impatient, I repent of it, I repent of it in dust and aſhes: To repent of impatience, takes away the imputation of impatience; and to ſay I will doe evill no more, gaines (through the mercy of God in Chriſt) an acceptance of us, as if we had done no evill; A man is a conquerour, though in the battell he ſuffers many foiles, and receiveth many wounds, and looſeth much blood; though for a great while in the day a man be worſted, yea though a whole Army be worſted, yet if in the evening, in the cloſe of the day, he and they keep the field and foile the enemy, the day is wonne, and victory goes on this ſide. Job was in a great battell, in a ſore fight of afflictions, though it be granted that he received ſome wounds, and had ſome foyles, and ſometimes lookes as if he had been beaten, and ſpeakes as if he had been overcome, yet in the cloſe, in the evening, in the making up of all, he went away a conquerour: the concluſion was victory and glory, Iob had the victory, and God had the glory: Therefore as the Apoſtle Iames, Chap. 5.11. when he ſpeakes of enduring with joy, referres us to the end of Iobs day of trouble, to the end which the Lord made, yee have heard (ſaith he) of the patience of Job, and have ſeene the end of the Lord. So looke to the end of Iob, to the end (which through the ſtrength of the Lord) Job made, and there you ſhall ſee patience having a perfect worke, or the perfect worke of patience. Looke not alone upon all the actings of Iob, when he was in the height and heate of the battell; looke to the onſet, he was ſo very patient in the beginning, though vehemently ſtirred, that Satan had not a word to ſay; looke to the end, and you cannot ſay, but Iob was a patient man, full of patience, a mirrour of patience, if not a miracle of patience; a man whoſe face ſhined with the glory of that grace above all the children of men.
So much for that Queſtion, I ſhall now adde two or three points of Obſervation.
The firſt thing then that we may obſerve from hence is this, If we compare Iob in the two former Chapters, with Iob in the third, we ſhall find that the caſe is altered with him, he ſcarce ſpeakes like the ſame man. Hence obſerve in the generall,
That the holieſt perſon in this life, doth not alwayes keepe in the ſame frame of holineſſe. There is a great deale of difference betweene what he ſpake in the former chapters, when he heard of and felt theſe things firſt, and what he ſpeakes now. The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, bleſſed be the name of the Lord. Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and ſhall we not receive evill? This was the language we lately heard, but now curſing: certainely his ſpirit had been in a more holy frame, more ſedate and quiet then now it was. At the beſt in this life we are but imperfect, yet at ſome time we are more imperfect then we are at an other: Faith is never very ſtrong, yet at ſome time faith is weaker then at an other: Our love to Chriſt is never very hot, but yet at ſome time it is colder then at another, we cannot keepe it in the ſame degrees of heate. A man at one time can both doe and ſuffer, and a while after he can neither doe nor ſuffer as he could at that time, he is out of frame, and bungles in both. Take the life of a Chriſtian all together, it is a progreſſe, it is a continuall growing, yet take his life apart, conſider him in every circumſtance and ſtage of his life, then there are many ſtops and ſtands in his life, yea many declinings: As it is with a child, Take a child, and his life from his birth to his full age is in a growing condition, yet conſider him at ſome particular time, and the child may abate, the child may not only not be ſtronger, but much weaker then he was a yeare or a monethmonth before. So it is with us from the firſt houre of our ſpirituall life, till we attaine full ſtature of it in Chriſt; OnelyOnly this is our comfort, that in Heaven our ſoules ſhall be ſet up in ſuch a frame of holineſſe, as ſhall never be moved nor abated in the leaſt degree; Looke in what frame the hand of God ſets us up in that day, we ſhall continue ſo to all eternity, and that will be the higheſt and moſt exquiſite frame both of holineſſe and of delight. But now wee are up and downe, one day patient, and another day impatient, now beleeving, and another day diſtruſting, now the heart melts and is very tender, anon it is very hard and relentleſſe. How meeke a man was Moſes, not ſuch a man for meekeneſſe upon the face of the whole earth, and yet at one time paſſionate, and at another ſo angry, that he ſpake unadviſedly with his lips. How full of faith was Peter at one time, how reſolv'd to ſtick cloſe to Chriſt, yet ſhortly after, how full of feare, and for feare denying Chriſt. We who receive good gifts and perfect guifts, are ſubject to turnes and variations,Jam. 1.17. onelyonly he from whom every good and perfect guift comes, is without variableneſſe or ſhadow of turning.
Secondly obſerve, That great ſufferings may fill the mouthes of holieſt perſons with great complainings. Job was not only afflicted, but afflicted greatly; Job did not only complaine, but he complained greatly: You ſee what complainings David made in his great troubles, Pſal. 77.2. In the day of my trouble I ſought the Lord, my ſore ran in the night and ceaſed not, my ſoule refuſed to be comforted. So Heman, Pſal. 88.3. My ſoule is full of troubles, and my life draweth nigh unto the grave, and verſe 15. I am afflicted and ready to dye from my youth up, while I ſuffer thy terrours I am diſtracted. Hezekiah under the greatneſſe of his affliction, (Iſa. 38.14.) ſaith, Like a Crane or Swallow ſo did I chatter, I did mourne as a Dove, &c. Jeremie, a holy Prophet, ſpeakes, if not out-ſpeakes Job in his complaint, Chap. 20.14. Curſed be the day wherein I was borne, let not the day wherein my mother bare me be bleſſed; Curſed be the man who brought tydings to my father, ſaying, a man-child is borne unto thee; He doth not only curſe his birth-day, but the meſſenger of his birth: And he curſes both with a word of deeper deteſtation then Job imployed to eaſe or empty his troubled ſpirit by, Jobs word ſignified duplicate page duplicate page but his diſeſteeme, and himſelfe regardleſſe of his day, but Jeremie imployes that very word, through which God powred out his wrath and everlaſting diſpleaſure upon the ſerpent and the Devill, Gen. foreign3.14, in each of theſe Jeremie went a ſtraine of impatience beyond Job, and yet holy Jeremie ſtill. The Lord (ſaith the ſame Prophet, Chap, 8.14.) hath put us to ſilence, and given us waters of gall to drinke, becauſe we have ſinned againſt the Lord. When we remember our own ſinnes, we have reaſon to be ſilent, though the Lord feed us with waters of gall, bitter waters. And if we be ſilent and open not our mouthes, becauſe we have ſinned, he beares with our cry, as we are pained: He knowes whereof we are made, and remembers that we are but duſt. A little thing troubles our fleſh, therefore it is no wonder, if fleſh and blood cry out in great troubles, though they be ſubdued by grace unto the ſpirit. And if God (in this caſe) beare with us, we ought alſo to beare with one another, and not be ſcandaliz'd or take offence, when we ſee good men mourning and lamenting under the evills which they endure. He that underſtands man, will compaſſionate the ſorrowes, not queſtion the ſincerity of a complaining, groaning brother.
Thirdly, Job complaineth bitterly, and he curſeth; but what doth he curſe? He curſeth his day. Obſerve from thence. That Satan with his utmoſt power and policie, with his ſtrongeſt temptations and aſſaults, can never fully attaine his ends upon the children of God. What was it that the Devill undertooke for? was it not to make Job curſe his God? and yet when he had done his worſt, and ſpent his malice upon him, he could but make Job curſe his day; This was farre ſhort of what Satan hoped: Doubtleſſe when the Devell heard the word, curſed, come out of Jobs mouth, he then began to prick up his eares and triumph, ſurely now the day is mine, now he will curſe his God; but at the fall of that word curſed be the day, Satans hope falls, and downe goes he. That word day, was darkeneſſe to the Devill, and as the ſhadow of death; he failes of his end, and is confounded, he goes away aſhamed and hath not a word more to ſay, but leaves his friends to ſay the reſt. The gates of Hell ſhall never prevaile againſt thoſe who are founded on free grace, and the rock Jeſus Chriſt.
Fourthly obſerve, That God doth graciouſly forget, and paſſe by the diſtempered ſpeeches and bitter complainings of his ſervants, under great afflictions. Job ſpake this curſe, but when God comes to queſtion with Job, we doe not heare a word or title of this curſe charg'd upon him: God takes notice that hee had ſpoken of him the thing that is right, Chap. 42.7. God commends him for what he had ſpoken well, but Job doth not heare a word of what he had ſpoken ill: When the iniquity of his ſpeeches was ſought for, there was none, and his failings, they could not be found, for God had pardoned them, as the Prophet ſpeakes of Iſrael and Judah, Chap. 42.20. Our Lord Chriſt ſaith, that of every idle word you ſhall give an account at the day of judgement, and by your words you ſhall be justified, and by your words you ſhall be condemned, Math. 12.36, 37. We had neede looke to our words, God writeth what we ſpeake, and keepeth a booke of all we ſay. You will ſay, How then were Jobs diſtempered complainings forgotten, and all taken for well ſpoken, that he had ſpoken? I anſwer, Firſt, None of Jobs were idle words, though there was errour in his words. Secondly, His right words were more then his erring words. Thirdly, His heart was upright when his tongue ſlipt. Fourthly, He repented of thoſe ſlips and errours. And laſtly, God forgiving, blotted them out of his booke for ever. Further (in a ſenſe) we may ſay, that God makes allowance to his people for ſuch failings: not an allowance of connivence and diſpenſation, God doth not diſpenſe with any to doe the leaſt evill, or expreſſe the leaſt impatience in their ſpeeches; but he makes an allowance of favour and compaſſion, conſidering their weakeneſſe and the ſtrength of temptation, he abates proportionably, when in ſuch a condition they ſpeake impatiently; though their actions and ſpeeches want ſome graines of that weight which they ought to have, yet weighing them in the ſcale of favour with his gracious allowance, they go for currant, and paſſe in account with God, as good and full pay of that duty he expects from us, and we owe unto his Majeſty.