Exposition of Job 1-3, Biblical commentary · Job 1.11, 12
JOB 1.11, 12.
But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curſe thee to thy face.
And the Lord ſaid unto Satan, behold all that he hath is in thy power, onelyonly upon himſelfe put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the preſence of the Lord.
THis 11th. verſe containes Satans motion which he ſubjoynes to his Anſwer, verſ. 10. But put forth thine hand now. By his Anſwer before he had wounded all the holy ſervices of Iob, and now he ſeekes to wound his eſtate and poſſeſſions. His anſwer was full of malice, and his motion is as full of cruelty. Whom before he had falſely accuſed, he (in theſe words) deſireth may be cauſleſly afflicted. Put forth thine hand now. As if he ſhould have ſaid. There is great queſtion concerning Jobs integrity, this one experiment will quickly decide and determine it, Touch all that he hath, &c. This motion is grounded (as was before noted) upon on feared deniall of his anſwer in the former words. For there Satan had argued after this manner, That is an unſound and an hypocriticall profeſſion which is grounded onelyonly upon outward benefits, but all the profeſſion of Job is grounded only upon the outward benefits, therefore it is unſound. Doth Job ſerve God for nought? This is the ſtrength of Satans argument. Now he perceiving the weakneſſe or rather indeed the falſeneſſe, the extreame lye, that was in the Minor, in the Aſſumption (namely, that the profeſſion and holineſſe of Job was grounded onelyonly upon outward things,) he (I ſay perceiving that) ſeekes to confirme what he had affirm'd by this motion. If you doubt (ſaith he) whether it be ſo, or no, with Job, let that come to the tryall, touch all that he hath, and he will curſe thee to thy face. The ſtrength of the reaſon that lyes in the motion may be thus conceived. That profeſſion is grounded upon outward things which a man layes downe, when outward things are removed and taken away; but if thoſe outward things be removed and taken away from Iob, he will quicly lay downe his profeſſion, yea he will take up blaſphemy, he will curſe thee to thy face; therefore the profeſſion of Iob is grounded upon outward things. This now is the logick or the reaſon, upon which Satan bottomes and inferres this motion, that ſo he may bring Iob upon a further tryall.
Put forth thine hand now.
foreignThe Hebrew is, ſend forth thy hand. To put foorth the hand, ſignifies, ſometimes to help, and ſometimes to hurt. So in Pſ. 144.7. ſend forth thine hand and deliver me. There is a ſending forth the hand in a way of mercy. And ſo Act. 4.30. there Peter prayeth that Chriſt would ſtretch forth his hand to heale. So that ſtretching forth, or ſending forth, or putting forth the hand (for the words are all uſed in common to the ſame ſenſe) ſignifie to doe a thing for our good and preſervation, But uſually this putting forth, or ſtretching forth of the hand, notes ſome affliction, ſome puniſhment. A man that ſtandeth with his hand ſtretched out, is in a poſture to ſtrike. And ſo God himſelfe is often deſcribed by having his hand ſtretched forth, when he is about to puniſh, as in the Prophecy of Iſaiah divers times, Chap. 5.25. Therefore is the anger of the Lord kindled against his people, and he hath ſtretched forth his hand against them, Ezek. 16.14.and hath ſmitten them: and Chap. 9. three times; verſ. 12. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is ſtretched out still: and ſo at the 17th. verſe, and at the 21. verſe, His anger is not turned away, but his hand is ſtretched out ſtill, that is, the Lord is ſtill ſmiting and afflicting them. In the 6th of Eſther, verſe 2. Two men were found in the Chronicle, who ſought to lay (or put forth) their hands on the King Ahaſuerus, ſcil. they would have ſlaine him. Then the meaning of Satan here is, ſtretch foorth thine hand, let him feele the weight of thine hand, in ſmitings and ſore afflictions.
Thy hand.
The hand of God in Scripture ſignifies, Firſt the purpoſe of God, as that, Act. 4.28. They have done whatſoever thy hand and thy counſell determined before to be done, that is, whatſoever according to thy purpoſe, thou didſt determine. 2. The hand of God ſignifies the Spirit of God, in the mighty actings and workings of it; ſo a Spirit of prophecy is called the hand of God, Ezek. 1.3. The hand of the Lord was there upon me; And Ezek. 37.1. The hand of the Lord was upon me, that is, the Spirit of the Lord, a mighty power of prophecy was upon me: So likewiſe a ſpirit of ſtrength that is upon a man, is called the hand of God, 1 King. 18. ult. The hand of the Lord was upon Elijah and he girt up his loynes and ran before Ahab. Here the hand of the Lord is put for the power of the Lord, put forth thy hand, that is, put forth thy power; and ſo the hand of the Lord is uſed often, Iſa. 59.1. The hand of the Lord is not ſhortened, that is, the power of the Lord is not abated. The Lord hath a long hand, and his hand is alwayes of the ſame length; ſo, ſtretch forth thine hand now, that is, doe thou put forth thy mighty power.
This hand of the Lords power (to cleare that a little further) is taken 3 wayes in Scripture.
Firſt, For his protecting power. There is a protecting hand, as Joh. 10.28. No man is able to plucke them out of my Fathers hand, ſaith Chriſt. God hath his ſheepe in his hand, and he will protect and ſafeguard them ſo, that none ſhall be able to plucke them away. This hand God put forth before, for Job.
Againe, It is put for his correcting-power: as Pſal. 32.4. His hand was heavy upon me, that is, the afflicting hand of God was heavy upon me. Let us fall into the hand of God (David choſe that, 2 Sam. 24.14.) that is, into the afflicting hand of God, rather than into the hands of men.
It is put thirdly for a revenging hand, for a wrathfull hand, by which he doth deſtroy and breake in peeces thoſe who are his enemies, Heb. 10.31. It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the living God. David deſireth to fall into the hands of God, ſell. into his correcting hand, becauſe he knew there was mercy, but it is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of God, when he commeth in wrath to take vengeance of thoſe who contemptuouſly deſpiſe his mercy, as there it is expreſſed.
Now here when Satan ſaith, Put forth thy hand, that is thine hand of power: Satan intendeth not that God ſhould put forth the hand of his power to protect, nor barely to correct: He deſireth more then barely a correcting or chaſtiſing hand upon Job, he would have his revenging hand, his breaking, his deſtroying hand, as we ſhall ſee afterward.
Further, Thy hand, that is, Gods owne hand, as if he did deſire that God himſelfe would take Job into his own hand to chaſten and puniſh him.
The hand of God, his correcting or chaſtiſing hand ſometimes is an immediate, and ſometimes a mediate hand. Sometimes it is immediate, when God by himſelf doth chaſten or puniſh or afflict, when no ſecond cauſe doth appeare or interveene. So it may ſeem Satan here meanes, when he ſaith, put forth thine hand, that is, doe it thine owne ſelfe, let no other have the handling of Job, but thy ſelfe. God doth ſend ſuch immediate afflictions; a man is afflicted in his body, in his eſtate and many other wayes, and he cannot find any thing in the creature, whence it ſhould come; it is an immediate ſtroke of God, he cannot ſee how or which way, or at what doore this evill came in upon him: therefore it is called a creating of evill, Iſa. 45.7. I make peace and create evill. Now creation is out of nothing, there is nothing out of which it is wrought. So many times God bringeth evill upon a people or perſon, when there is no appearance of ſecond cauſes, no matter out of which it is made, but it comes as a creature, formed by the only hand of God. Sometimes likewiſe it is called Gods hands, when it is the hand of a creature, it is Gods hand in a creatures hand; Gods hand when it is the hand of wicked men, Gods hand when it is Satans hand. So that place is tranſlated, Pſal. 17.14. Deliver my ſoule from the wicked which is thy Sword (you ſee a wicked man is Gods Sword) and from men which are thy hand. So that thy hand may be underſtood of an inſtrument; Satan himſelfe is Gods hand to puniſh in that ſenſe, as wicked men here are ſaid to be Gods hand; from the men that are thy hand: though there be other readings of that place, ſome reade it, deliver me from men by thy hand; and others, Deliver mee from men of thy hand: but our tranſlation may very well carry the ſenſe of the Originall in it, from men which are thy hand, as Nebuchadnezzar that wicked King is called Gods ſervant, Jer. 43.10. I will ſend and take Nebuchadnezzar my ſervant; God ſpeakes of him as his ſervant, or as his hand in the thing. So then, Put forth thine hand, it may be underſtood (I ſay) either immediately or mediately, doe it by thy ſelfe or doe it by Inſtruments, ſtrike him thy ſelfe, or give me Commiſſion, or give others Commiſſion to ſtrike.
There is one thing further in this expreſſion,foreign Put forth thine hand now. Now. Some reade it, put forth thine hand a little;Particula obſecrantis. and ſome reade it, I pray thee put forth thy hand. The Originall word is tranſlated to all theſe ſenſes; we tranſlate it, referring to the preſent importunity and inſtancy of Satan, put forth thine hand now, let not this buſineſſe ſleepe, let it not be deferred a minute, a moment, let commiſſion goe out ſpeedily to afflict Job.
And touch all that he hath.
To touch, notes ſometimes a heavy and a ſore affliction, and ſometime a light and a ſmall affliction. In the Scripture we find it both wayes uſed. Sometimes (I ſay) to touch, doth ſignifie, the greateſt and the ſoreſt affliction or puniſhment that can be; and ſo Job doth expreſſe all the afflictions that fell upon him at the laſt only by touching, Job 19.21. Have pitty upon me, have pitty upon me, O yee my friends, for the hand of God hath touched me. Whereas Job at that time lay under the ſoreſt and heavieſt affliction that could be, all his eſtate was gone, and his body was full of diſeaſes, and his ſoule was full of horrour, and all this he doth expreſſe by this, the hand of the Lord hath touched me. So Pſalm. 73.14. To be touched ſignifies the greateſt affliction, All the day long (ſaith David) have I been plagued. That which we tranſlate plagued, is the ſame Originall word which we tranſlate touch, in the Text; All the day long have I beene touched, that is, I have beene touched with the ſoreſt plagues, heavy afflictions have beene laid continually upon me. So that to touch ſignifieth ſometimes the greateſt or the ſoreſt ſtroakes of trouble.
Sometimes againe we ſhall find it ſignifies only a light affliction, as Gen. 26. in two places of that Chapter, at the 11th verſe. Abimelech charged all his people, ſaying, he that toucheth this man or his wife, ſhall ſurely be put to death, that is, he that doth them the leaſt hurt or wrong. So at the 19th verſe, in that agreement betweene Abimelech and Iſaac, they conclude thus, That thou wilt do us no hurt, as we have not touched thee, and as we have done unto thee nothing but good: So that to touch notes the leaſt ill or hurt that can be, wee have not touched thee, that is, we have done nothing to thee but good: Any thing on this ſide doing of good to them, had bin touching of them. We find the like expreſſion in Pſ. 105.15. where the Pſalmiſt ſpeaking of Gods extraordinary care of his people. He ſuffered no man to do them wrong, he rebuked Kings for their ſakes, ſaying, touch not mine annointed, and doe my Prophets no harme. Touch not mine annointed people, that is the meaning of that place, though in many other places we know Princes are called the annointed of God: yet here it is meant of the people of God in generall, they are Gods annoynted (as the context clearely carries it) for they have all received Unction from God, an Unction of grace, an Unction of the ſpirit, and an Unction of Priviledge. Touch not mine annoynted, that is, doe them not the leaſt hurt. And the ſenſe that theſe words may beare, Put forth thy hand now and touch all that he hath, might be carried, as if Satan here intended, only a touch in the latter ſenſe; Give him but the leaſt ſtroake, lay but the lighteſt affliction upon him, doe but touch him; you are ſo confident of your ſervant Job, that he is ſuch a man, do but give him the leaſt touch, and you ſhall ſee how he will diſcover himſelf. So ſome expound it.
He doth not ſay, wound him, ſmite him, breake him to peeces, but touch him only.Si vel extremo digitulo leviſſi mè tangas bona ſua, ejus fictum animum & ſimulatam probitatem manifeſtè comperies. Neither ſaith he, touch him, but his: And if thou give him but a touch with the top of thy little finger, thou ſhalt preſently find the rottennes of his heart. In that ſenſe the word imports an extenuation of Jobs ſincerity or heightning of Jobs hypocriſie: as if he had been ſo rotten in his profeſſion that the leaſt touch would overthrow him, and make him diſcover himſelfe to be ſtarke nought. Like the Apples growing about Sodome, which have faire out-ſides, but if you touch them, they moulder away into duſt and aſhes.
Though the words have this ſenſe in them, and Satan carries it cunningly, expreſſing himſelfe in ſuch ambiguous termes, yet certainly Satan had a further intendment whatſoever his language may beare: he had an intention that Job ſhould be touched in the former ſenſe, namely that he ſhould have a touch to the quicke, as we ſay, that he ſhould have the ſoreſt and deepeſt wound that his eſtate was capable of: he would have him whippt, not with cords, but with Scorpions, he would have the little finger of God heavier upon him, than his loynes upon others.
Deſtroy him, undoe him by your touching. He ſpeakes by the figure foreign, which is when we go leſſe in our expreſſions then in our intentions, when our words are lower then our ſpirits: and that is proper for Satan, who is the great deceiver, the great jugler in word and deed; to deſire that Job ſhould only be touched, when he meant he ſhould be utterly undone and ruined. Touch all that he hath, that is, all his eſtate, all his poſſeſſions, his children, his family, his cattell, whatſoever belongeth unto Job, let all feele an undoing ſtroake from thy hand.
Before I come to that which he undertakes upon the affliction, I ſhall obſerve two or three things from the words, thus farre opened.
Put forth NOW thine hand. We may note from that, The extreame importunity of Satan to doe miſchiefe; He would not give God a minuts, not a moments reſpite to conſider this thing, but doe it now, preſently, let him preſently be afflicted, he makes haſte to deſtroy, he makes haſte to ſhed bloud, their feet are ſwift to ſhed bloud, as the Pſalmiſt ſpeakes. So Satan, his feet are ſwift to ſhed bloud. when Satan, would have God to afflict us, doe it preſently, ſaith he. when Satan, would have us ſinne againſt God, doe it preſently, ſaith he, now ſinne, now provoke God, doe not ſtay till the next day; but when we are called to give up our ſelves to God, then to morrow will ſerve the turne, and next yeare will ſerve to repent, yea when you are old, 'tis time enough to repent; when he tempteh to doe any miſchiefe, any ſinne, then now, now ſin, but 'tis time enough to doe good hereafter, to morrow will ſerve for that.
Put forth now thine hand, and touch all that he hath.
It is a truth which Satan here ſpeakes concerning the hand of God; That if God doe but touch the higheſt and greateſt eſtate in the world, it will fall to peeces quickly. There is a truth in it, take it in the eaſieſt ſenſe that can be, if God doe but lightly touch the eſtate of a man, it will ſoone fall in peeces. God is not put to any ſtreſſe to afflict and puniſh, as Pſal. 81.14. I ſhould ſoone have ſubdued their enemies and have turned my hand againſt their adverſaries: God expreſſeth the utter over-throw of the enemies of his people, but by the turning of a hand, if God doe but turne his hand, they are all gone preſently, ſoone ſubdued; If he doe but touch the might the pompe the greatneſſe, the riches and the power of all thoſe in the world that are oppoſers of his Church, preſently they fall to the ground: A touch from the hand of God will end our warres. If he touch the Mountaines they ſmoake (as it is in the Pſalme) and conſume to aſhes: they that are the mighty and great ones of the world, the Mountaines, by one touch of his hand fall as it were to nothing. So if God doe but touch our eſtates, they moulder away, no creature can uphold them.
Then againe obſerve here, the cunning impoſture of Satan that puts ſuch ſore, ſuch heavy afflictions into ſuch light and eaſie expreſſions; he cloatheth his malice, his utmoſt malice here in very faire words, doe but touch him, ſaith this enimie; but you ſee what Satans touches are, touch all that he hath. Why Satan, would nothing have made a tryall, but only a touching of all? For Job to have loſt ſomewhat had been a tryall, a touch: for Job to have loſt halfe his flockes of Sheepe, or his Oxen, had been a tryall and no very light one neither; for Job to have loſt a ſonne, to have found one of his children ſuddenly ſtrucke dead, had been an affliction and a heavy one too; ſuch a touch as that might well have touched the fathers heart: Would it not ſerve Satan that a ſonne ſhould die or that ſome of his cattell ſhould be deſtroyed, but he muſt have all touched, all that he hath? The malice of Satan is unſatiable, there is nothing will ſerve him, unleſſe he may devoure all.
This touch of Satan, which he deſireth might be laid upon Job, is like the touch that many have given to thoſe, who have come into their hands amongſt us; they would but touch them, but they would touch them in all; when they put forth their hands (as they pretended) in wayes of juſtice, in their Courts; they would touch men in all, touch them in their liberties by impriſonment, and touch them in their eſtates by extreame vaſt fines, and touch them in their names by diſgrace, touch them in their bodies by whipping and cutting, and touch them in their relations, by keeping all friends from ſight of them. No moderation, no bounds, but touch them in all that they had. And (O exactneſſe of Juſtice) when God came to touch that power, he gave them a touch, juſt after the rate and proportion of their owne touches; for when thoſe Courts and perſons came to have their power and actions ſcanned, it was not moderating, or regulating, or reſtraining, or abating, or limiting their power, that ſatisfied, they muſt quite downe and be taken away. God gave them a touch, juſt as they touched others before: So that a man may ſay certainly, there is a God that judgeth the earth. Theſe are the touches of Satan and, the touches of mercileſſe men are as like his as themſelves are, they thinke there is nothing done unleſſe men be undone: they never give over touching till they come to ruining.
Touch all that he hath, and he will curſe thee to thy face.
Some render it thus, Touch all that he hath, foreignif hee curſe thee not to thy face: So it is word for word out of the Originall, niſi, unleſſe, or Si non, touch all that he hath and ſee if he doe not curſe thee to thy face. We give the ſenſe of it in a direct affirmation, touch all that he hath and he will, &c. Others put the force of an imprecation to it, Touch all that he hath and ſee if he doe not curſe thee to thy face, that is, as if he had ſaid, let me never be beleeved,In particula ſi aliquid ſubaudiendum, ut ubi legimus, Si Davidi Mentiar, ſi introibunt in requiem meam, hic ſubint elligitur, Si… vanus aut aliquid tale. Dru. in…c. and never be truſted. Indeed Satan is ſo farre diſgraced and damned already, that he hath nothing to looſe, he cannot damne himſelfe further, he cannot wiſh any thing to himſelfe worſe than he already is, but yet here is a kind of execration or imprecation upon himſelfe in it; Doe this, and if he doe not curſe thee to thy face, let me never be accounted of, or (as many uſe to ſay) let me never be truſted; or as ſome wretched helliſh ones, Let me be damned, if ſuch or ſuch a thing be not. There is ſuch an emphaſis in that manner of ſpeaking uſed in the Text. But we tranſlate it by a direct affirmation, and that is a good ſenſe too, touch all that he hath and he will curſe thee to thy face, that's certaine, ſo ſaith Satan, he will doe it: it is as ſure as done already.
Curſe thee.
It is the ſame word which is uſed before, ver. 5. It may be my children have curſed God. The word ſignifies properly to bleſſe. It was ſhewed that probably in that place, it might be tranſlated Curſe; but in this Text there is a neceſſity of tranſlating it ſo, ſeeing a cleare ſence cannot be made out, taking the word properly. In curſing another theſe three things concurre. Firſt an ill opinion or conceit of that perſon. 2. Hatred or malice againſt him. 3. A deſire that ſome evill may befall him. This Satan meanes when he undertakes that Job being afflicted, will curſe God. So then to curſe God is to blaſpheme God in our thoughts and words, to think or ſpeake unworthily of God, and the wayes of God; ſee, if he curſe thee not to thy face, that is, ſee if his heart be not imbittered againſt thee, ſee if his tongue be not ſharpened to wound thy honour, to reproach thy goodneſſe, to accuſe thy providence: As it is ſaid of thoſe, Iſa. 8.21. They ſhall be hungry and hard beſtead; And what then? They ſhall fret themſelves and curſe their King and their God, and looke upward, that is, they ſhall ſpeake baſely of their King and of their God, in whom they have truſted, and whom they have followed; he ſpeakes of thoſe wretches that did ſeeke to falſe gods, or worſhip the true God falſely, they ſhall curſe their King and their God. It is the very ſame, that here Satan promiſeth himſelfe and undertakes with God that Job will doe; Doe but make him hungry (ſaith he) and hard beſtead, and he will fret himſelf, and curſe thee.
It was very ordinary among the Heathen to doe ſo: when their gods did not pleaſe them, then they would curſe their gods. The Poets bring them in often raging againſt their gods, as he ſpeakes of the mother that found her ſonne dead.Cum complexa ſui corpus miſerabile nati At que deos, at que aſtra vocat crudelia mater. Virg. Eclog. 5. Quem non incuſavit amens hominum que deum que . Idem. lib. 2. Aeneid. ſhe calls the gods and the ſtarres cruell, ſhe flies in the face of heaven preſently, who would ſerve ſuch gods as theſe are, that thus ſlay my ſon, &c. Satan interprets Job to be a man of the ſame temper.
Aquinas takes the word properly, Touch all that he hath and he will bleſſe thee to thy face: And endeavours to make out the ſenſe thus, touch all that he hath and thou ſhalt ſee he hath bleſſed thee to thy face, he reades it in the Preterperfect tenſe, that is, if thou afflict him thou ſhalt find that all his former Religion was nothing but meere out-ſide formality: that he ſerved thee only from the teeth outward, ſerved thee to thy face; he bleſſed thee, pray'd unto thee and honour'd thee only to thy face. He had no regard to thy worſhip in his heart; he did not worſhip thee ex animo, becauſe he loved thee or delighted in thee, but gave thee an outward complemental bleſſing, becauſe thou didſt bleſſe him outwardly. As the Apoſtle directs ſervants, Eph. 6.6. Not with eye ſervice as men pleaſers. Satan makes Job an eye-ſervant to God, or as if, like thoſe of whom Chriſt complaineth, Math. 15. in the words of the Prophet, He had drawne nigh to God with his lipps, while his heart was farre from him. The heart of Job hath beene farre enough from thee, he only bleſſed thee with his lips and to thy face: Indeed this interpretation hath a faire face, but touch it by a ſerious examination, and it will be found without a heart. The conſtruction of Gramar is quite againſt it, and for us to change the Text, and make it to ſpeake in the Preterperfect tenſe, of a thing paſt, whereas the words are in the future tenſe, of an act to be done for the time to come, is too much boldneſſe with Scripture. Therefore though that opinion hath a plauſible ſenſe in it, yet I ſhall lay it by and take the ordinary tranſlation, that he indeed intended this, that Job would breake forth into blaſphemous revilings of God, if God did but try him with an affliction.
And when he ſaith that Job would doe it to his face, the meaning of it is, that he would doe it openly: he will curſe thee openly, he will curſe thee boldly, he will not goe behind the doore to tell tales of thee, but he will ſpeake of it before all the world, that thou art a cruell God, an unjuſt God, and a hard maſter, he will tell ſuch tales of thee, even to thy very face. We have a like ſpeech, Gal. 2.11. When Peter was come to Antioch, I withſtood him to the face (ſaith Paul,) that is, openly, I did not goe behind his backe to tell Peter his owne, but I told him it to his face, plainly, openly before them all, (as it is explained, verſ. 14.) I ſaid to Peter before them all, that were then preſent. Jerome (becauſe he would not have Peter receive ſuch an open repoofe, judging it would be a diſparagement to Peter, to be rebuked by Paul) gives a quite contrary ſenſe of thoſe words of Paul; I withstood him to his face, that is ſaith he, I did ſpeake ſomewhat roughly to him before them, but there was no ſuch thing in my heart. I did it but to his face, very ſlightly, leaſt I ſhould offend the Jewes whoſe Apoſtle Peter was; and I did it to his face, a little, that I might ſatisfie the Gentiles, who were ſcandalized by Peters walking: otherwiſe in my heart I had no quarrell with Peter: he and I agreed well enough. As if Paul had made but a ſhadow fight (ad faciendum populum) to delude the people. But we muſt not be thus wiſe, I withſtood him to his face, is not oppoſed to withſtanding him cordially, but to a withſtanding of him ſecretly, or behind his backe. So here he will curſe thee to thy face, that is, he will curſe thee (as the Greeke Scholiaſt hath it) openly,foreign. and impudently; himſelfe indeed was afraid leaſt his ſonnes had curſed God in their hearts, but for all his niceneſſe and ſeeming feare of his childrens ſinning in ſecret, he will curſe thee with impudence, he will not only curſe thee in his heart, but the curſe will breake out at his lipps: Out of the abundance of his heart, his mouth will ſpeake blasphemie againſt God. He will curſe thee to thy face.
We may give ſome exemplifications, what it is to curſe God, to blaſpheme God thus to his face. You may reade what it is, Mal. 3.14. Your words have beene stout againſt me, ſaith the Lord, you have ſpoken to my very face: why, what had they ſpoken to the Lord? What have we ſpoken ſay they ſo much againſt thee? Ye have ſaid, It is vaine to ſerve God, and what profit is it that we have kept his Ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hoſts? &c. This is to curſe God to his face: when the wayes of God are blaſphemed and the worſhip of God reported as unprofitable, when men ſay it is in vaine to ſerve God, when they caſt aſperſions and bring up an evill name upon any holy duty, this is to blaſpheme God. They did only ſpeake againſt the ſervice of God, and they thought they had not blaſphemed God in it, Wherein have we ſpoken againſt thee? yes ſaith God, you have ſpoken againſt me, in that you have ſpoken againſt and diſcredited my wayes. So, if Job had ſaid the wayes of God are unprofitable, and I ſee now it is in vaine to ſerve God and to feare him, this had beene blaſphemy and curſing of God to his face. David was neare upon the very brinke of this blaſphemie, Pſal. 73.13. when he ſaid, I have cleanſed my heart in vaine, and waſhed my hands in innocency, becauſe (ſaith he) I am plagued every morning; the judgements and afflictions that were upon him, began to make him breake out thus. But he preſently be fooles himſelfe for ſuch ſpeeches, and by that repaires God in his honour.
Secondly, To quarrell and be angry with the Providence of God, as if he were not wiſe or juſt or good in his diſpenſations either to particular perſons or to the Church, This I ſay likewiſe is a curſing, a reproaching of God.
Thirdly, To curſe the ſervants and people of God is to curſe God; If he that touches them touches God, then he that curſeth them curſeth God too. And God is curſed in any of theſe ſenſes two wayes, firſt, by detracting from himſelfe, his worſhip, his workes or his ſervants the good they have, or by faſtning on them and aſperſing them with the evill which they have not.
Hee will curſe thee to thy face.
Obſerve two or three Points from this,
Firſt, Note this, Satan can only gueſſe at the hearts of men. Hee would undertake and enter warranty with God that Job would blaſpheme, if God did but touch him, but he was deceived: Satan did but conjecture at moſt, and ſpeake at a venture, If he did not lie knowingly, I am ſure he did but gueſſe ignorantly. Satan knowes not what is in the heart, that's Gods peculiar, that's Gods cabinet. God knew there lay ſincerity in the heart of Job all the while, although Satan would ſtand to it, that nothing was there but hypocriſie.
Secondly, Wee may note, ſeeing Satan accuſing him of hypocriſie, would have him afflicted, That affliction is the tryall and touchſtone of ſincerity. When God doth afflict you, then he doth bring you to the touchſtone to ſee whether you are good mettall or no, he doth bring you then to the furnace, to try whether you be droſſe or gold, or what you are. Affliction is the great diſcoverer, That unmaskes us. Satan was not out in the thing, he hit upon the righteſt way that could be, if any thing would diſcover Job, affliction would. Indeed ſome are diſcovered by proſperity and outward abundance. The warme Sunne makes ſome caſt off that cloake, which the winde and the cold cauſed them to wrap cloſer about them. Some, when they have gotten enough from God, care not for God; when the fiſh is caught, they lay by the net, for they doe but goe a fiſhing with Holynes, and the profeſſion of Religion, and when they have their ends, ther's an end of their profeſſion. Affliction and the croſſe try others: Some will hold on with God as long as the Sunne ſhineth, as long as it is faire weather; but if the ſtorme ariſe, if troubles come, whether perſonall or publike, then they pull in their heads, then they deny and forſake God, then they draw backe from and betray his truth; what they, ſuch and ſuch men? no not they. Trouble makes the great tryall; bring profeſſors to the fire, and then they ſhew their mettall. This courſe Satan took with Job. He knew Job had bin abundantly tryed by fullneſſe and abundance, and theſe did not draw his heart from God, he muſt therefore now try another way. It is an excellent paſſage in the Church hiſtory, concerning Conſtantius the father of Conſtantine, that to the end he might try the hearts of his Courtiers, he proclaimed, that all they who would not forſake the worſhip of the true God, ſhould be baniſhed the Court, and ſhould have heavy penalties and fines layed upon them▪ preſently upon this (ſaith the ſtory) all that were baſe and came to ſerve him only for ends, went away, forſooke the true God, and worſhipped Idols. by this meanes he found out who were the true ſervants of God, and whom he meant to make his owne; ſuch as he found faithfull to God he thought would prove faithfull to him. What this exploratorie decree of Conſtantius effected in his Court, the ſame did that which the Apoſtate Julian ſet forth in good earneſt againſt the Chriſtians.foreign. Socrat lib. 3. cap. 13. He no ſooner cauſed it to be proclaimed, that whoſoever would not renounce the Faith ſhould be diſcarded his ſervice, and forfeit both life and eſtate to his high diſpleaſure; But preſently upon the publication of that decree, they who were indeed Chriſtians, and they who had only the title of Chriſtians, preſented themſelves, as it were on a common ſtage to the view of all men. Such as theſe are Willows not Oakes. And as it was with Naomi and her two daughters in law, Orpah and Ruth, All the while that ſhe was Naomi, beautifull, and had enough, they both ſtayed with her: but when once Naomi became Marah, bitter, and empty, then Orpah tooke her leave of her, but Ruth abides with her. Here was the tryall whether Orpah or Ruth had the ſincerer affection to Naomi; Ruth loved her mothers perſon, Orpah her eſtate and outward preferments. While Religion and proſperity goe together it is hard to ſay which a man followes; but when once they are forced to a ſeparation, where the heart was will ſoone be manifeſt. The upright in heart are like Ruth, whatſoever becommeth of the Goſpell, they will be ſharers with it in the ſame condition; be it affliction, or be it proſperity, be it comfort or be it ſorrow, be it faire weather or be it foule, be it light or be it darkneſſe they will take their lot with it. This is a cleare truth, that, whatſoever was the cauſe of our doing a thing, that being removed we ceaſe to doe it: if outward comforts and accommodations in the world, be the cauſe why we follow Chriſt in the profeſſion of his Goſpell, then as ſoone as ever they faile our profeſſion will faile too. When zeale is kindled only with the beames of worldly hopes, when worldly hopes faile, our zeale is extinct, and our indeavour is cut off with our expectation.
Wee are next to conſider the Lords grant of Satans motion, And the Lord ſaid unto Satan, behold all that he hath is in thy power, only upon himſelfe put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the preſence of the Lord.
We have in this verſe. Firſt, Gods Commiſſion or his permiſſion unto Satan, Behold all that he hath is in thine hand. And Secondly, His limitation of the Commiſſion, OnelyOnly upon himſelfe put not forth thine hand. Thirdly, Satans ſpeedy execution of his Commiſſion, So Satan went forth from the preſence of the Lord.
The Lord ſaid unto Satan, all that he hath is in thy hand, in thy power, ſo we tranſlate it: the word in the Originall is, all is in thy hand. Satan mooved that God would put forth his hand againſt Job; and God puts Job into Satans hand. Leaſt Satan ſhould cavill that God had toucht him but lightly, he puts him into Satans power and lets him doe it himſelfe, who would doe it throughly. The hand (as we before noted) is put for power, and when any thing is put into the hand, it is put into the power or diſpoſition of another, Exod. 4.21. Thou ſhalt doe all the wonders before Pharaoh which I have put into thy hand. And Joh. 3.35. The Father loveth the Sonne and hath given all things into his hand. This phraſe of giving or putting into the hand, is taken either for good or for evill. Sometime the putting of a thing into ones hand, is only for the managing and diſpoſing of it for good, As Gen. 39.7, 8. Joſeph ſaid that his master had committed all that he had into his hand, that is, to take care of it, and to order it for his maſters benefit, profit, and honour: But often to put or to give into the hand, is for evill, to doe what you will, with perſons or things, to puniſh or to afflict them, Judg. 6.1. God delivered the Iſraelites into the hand of Midian, that is, he left them to the power of the Midianites, to tyrannize over and vexe them: And verſe 7.Dan. 1.2. God delivered Midian into the hand of Iſrael, that is, hee gave Iſrael power over them to deſtroy or afflict them. So here, he gave all into the hand of Satan, that is, he gave Satan leave to diſpoſe of Jobs eſtate as he pleaſed. As if God had ſaid to Satan; Thou haſt leave to doe what thou wilt with Jobs outward eſtate, ſpoile it, plunder it, deſtroy it, conſume it, fire it; thou haſt free leave, all that he hath is in thy hand.
We ſhall note a point or two from that. You ſee, as ſoone as ever Satan had made his motion, God preſently anſwereth, all that he hath is in thy hand. It is not alwayes an argument of Gods goodwill and love to have our motions granted. Many are heard and anſwered out of anger, not out of love. The children of Iſrael required meat for their luſts, Multi irato Deo exaudiuntur, multis propitius Deus non tribuit quod volunt, ut quod utile eſt tribuat, Auguſt. 2 Cor. 12.8.and God gave it them, he did not withhold from them their deſire, they were not ſhortned of their luſts, they had it preſently: many times his owne ſervants call and call againe, move and move againe, and obtaine no grant: For this thing I beſought the Lord thrice, ſaith Paul, yet Paul could not have what he ſought. Satan did but move once, and preſently all that Job had was in his hand.
But further, that which is chiefely here to be obſerved is, That untill God gives commiſſion, Satan hath no power over the eſtates or perſons of Gods people, or over any thing that belongs unto them. Neither our perſons nor our eſtates are ſubject to the will either of men or Devills; Chriſt muſt ſay, All that he hath is in thy hand, before Satan can touch a ſhoe-latchet: As Chriſt ſaid Joh. 19.11. unto Pilat, when he ſpake ſo ſtoutly, knoweſt thou not that I have power to crucifie thee and power to releaſe thee? He thought that he had all power in his hand: but Chriſt tells him, Thou couldeſt have no power at all against me unleſſe it were given thee from above. If the Devills could not goe into the ſwine, much leſſe can they meddle with a man, made after Gods Image, till God gives them leave, Every ſoule that hath intereſt in Chriſt may ſuck comfort and conſolation in the ſaddeſt, in the ſorrowfulleſt day from the breaſt of this truth. If Satan and wicked men cannot move till Chriſt ſaith, goe, nor wound till Chriſt ſaith ſtrike, nor ſpoile nor kill, till Chriſt ſaith their eſtates, their lives are in your power, ſurely Chriſt will not ſpeake a word to their hurt, whom he lo…, nor will he ever ſuffer his enemies to doe a reall dammage to his friends. Beſides it may fill the ſoule with unſpeakeable joy, to remember, that while a man is ſuffering, the will of Chriſt is a doing.
Thirdly, Satan doth very wickedly (according to his nature,) in moving that Job may be afflicted. He moveth in malice and in ſpight, God knew what his heart and intent was, and yet grants it; We may note from hence.
That which Satan and evill men deſire ſinnefully, the Lord grants holily.
The will of God and the will of Satan joyned both in the ſame thing; yet they were as different as light and darkeneſſe, their ends were as different as their natures. Though it were the ſame thing they both willed, yet there was an infinite diſtance betweene them in willing it. The will of Satan was ſinfull, but the power given Satan was juſt Why? Becauſe his will was from (himſelfe, but his power was from the will of God; Satan had no power to doe miſchiefe but what God gave him, but his will to doe miſchiefe was from himſelfe. Therefore we find that the ſame ſpirit is ſaid to be an evill ſpirit, and to be a ſpirit from the Lord, and yet the Lord doth not partake at all in the evill of the ſpirit, as 1 Sam. 16.14. The Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and an evill ſpirit from the Lord troubled him. An evill ſpirit from the Lord,Ʋnus idem que spiritus & Domini appellatur & malus Domini per licentiam poteſtatis juſtae malus per deſiderium voluntatis injuſtae, Greg. how was it an evill ſpirit if it were from the Lord? can the Lord ſend forth any evill from himſelfe who is only good? In that he was evill that was from his own will, but that he had power to trouble Saul that was from the Lord: So here, Satans will and intent were moſt wicked, theſe were from himſelfe; his power to afflict Job was from God, and that was good. Satan willeth Job ſhould be afflicted for his deſtruction, God willeth it only for his tryall and probation. Satan deſireth it that God may be blaſphemed; but God willeth it that himſelfe might be glorified.Satanae voluntas ſemper iniqua eſt ſed nunquam poteſt as injuſta, Greg. Deus adeo bonus eſt ut nullo modo mala permitteret niſi inde majora bona eliciturus eſſet. Satan willeth it, that ſo others in his example might be ſcandalized and diſheartned from entring into the ſervice of God, ſeeing how ill he ſped; But God willeth it that others might be ſtrengthned and incouraged to enter into his ſervice, beholding a man under ſuch heavy preſſures, and yet not ſpeaking ill of God or of his wayes. Satan willeth it, hoping thereby Job would diſcover his hypocriſie; but God willeth it, knowing that he would therein diſcover his integrity. So then, though the ſame thing was willed, yet there was a vaſt diſproportion in their ends and intentions; and though the power by which Satan did afflict Job was from God, yet the evill intent with which he afflicted him was from himſelfe; Thus we ſee how God without any ſtaine or touch of evill grants this, which Satan did moſt wickedly deſire. It followeth OnelyOnly upon himſelfe thou ſhalt not put forth thy hand.
God gives a commiſſion, but it is with a limitation, there is a reſtriction in it; OnelyOnly upon himſelfe, &c. that is, not upon his perſon, not his body, thou ſhalt not afflict that with diſeaſes, not his ſoule, thou ſhalt not afflict that with temptations. Hence note.
That God himſelfe ſets bounds to the afflictions of his people; he limits out how farre every affliction ſhall goe, and how farre every inſtrument ſhall prevaile: as he doth with the Sea, Hitherto (ſaith he) thou ſhalt come and no further, here thou ſhalt ſtop thy proud waves; ſo he ſaith to all the afflictions of ſingle perſons, or whole Nations, hither you ſhall come and no further, OnelyOnly upon himſelfe thou ſhalt not put forth thine hand. This limitation reſpects; Firſt, The degree or meaſure, thus farre you ſhall afflict, that is, in ſuch a degree, to ſuch a height, and no higher. Secondly, It reſpects the time, thus farre, that is, thus long, ſo many yeares, or ſo many dayes you ſhall have power and no longer. God leaves not either the meaſure or the time, the degree or the continuance of any affliction in the hand of Satan or his adherents: Wee reade (Rev. 6.10.) That the ſouls under the Altar cry, How long Lord, how long? They cry to God how long? they knew that he only had the time in his hand, he only could tell how long, and it ſhould be as long as he pleaſed, How long Lord? They cryed not to cruell tyrants, how long will ye perſecute? but Lord how long will it be before thou come to revenge? And ſo David, Pſal. 31.15. My time it is in thy hand, ſpeaking of his afflictions. There is no affliction, but it is in the hand of God, for the continuance of it as well as for the manner of it; and as no enemie, man or devill can make thy croſſe greater or longer, or heavier, ſo no friend man or Angell can make thy croſſe lighter, or leſſer, or ſhorter then God himſelfe hath appointed; OnelyOnly upon himſelfe ſhalt thou not put forth thine hand, thou ſhalt not move an inch further, not a haires bredth further. As our afflictions for the matter of them are by the will of God, (as the Apoſtle ſpeaks, 1 Pet. 4.19. While you ſuffer (ſaith he) according to the will of God: thoſe words according to the will of God, note not only the righteouſneſſe of ſuffering, that it muſt be in a good cauſe, but alſo the ſpring from whence thoſe ſufferings come, they are Ex voluntate Dei, ſo Mr. Beza tranſlates it, they are out of the will of God. Now I ſay as they are out of the will of God, or from the will of God, ſpringing from his will and flowing from his diſpenſation of things in the matter of them) ſo alſo in every circumſtance; God himſelf gives thy croſſe length, and bredth, and thickneſſe; he fills thy cup of ſorrow, he directeth how many drops to a drop, ſhall be put into it, thou ſhalt not have a drop more then God preſcribes, and (which is more comfortable) knowes will be for thy good.
Secondly, Obſerve, That Satan is boundleſſe in his malice toward the people of God. If God did not ſet him bounds, he would ſet himſelfe no bounds, therefore ſaith God unto him, OnelyOnly upon himſelfe, &c. He had a mind to have gone further, he would have been upon Job himſelfe, as well as upon his eſtate, if God had not ſtop'd and curb'd him. Therefore the Apoſtle gives that aſſurance for the comfort of the people of God, 1 Cor. 10.13. God (ſaith he) is faithfull who will not ſuffer you to be tempted above that you are able: As if he ſhould ſay, Satan would with all his heart lay more upon you, than you are able to beare; Satan would breake your backs if he were let alone, but God will not ſuffer it. Satan hath a boundleſſe malice againſt the people of God. Some obſerve this from his name Leviathan, Iſa. 27.1. In that day the Lord with his great and ſtrong Sword ſhall puniſh Leviathan the piercing Serpent. Leviathan is put there for Satan and for all the inſtruments of Satan; now Leviathan ſignifieth in the Hebrew an augmentation, an addition, or an increaſe: Dicitur Leviathan, i e. Additamentum ſive augmentum, nam nullo noſtro malo contentus eſt, nullam poteſtatem ſibi ſatis eſſe putat: plus ſibi poteſtatis addi, nobis malorū plus inſerri ſemper poſtulat. Pineda.And Satan is ſo called, becauſe (ſay they) he ever deſires to lay more burdens upon, to increaſe the afflictions, troubles and temptations of Gods people, he never thinkes he hath done enough againſt them. His thirſt to worke miſchiefe is never quenched, but ſtill he deſires to doe more, he would faine have his Commiſſion inlarged to doe more miſchiefe in the world. Therefore God is ſaid not to ſtrike after their ſtroake, in the 7th verſe of that 27. of Iſa. Hath hee ſmitten him as he ſmit thoſe that ſmote him? In the Hebrew it is, Hee hath not ſmitten him according to the ſtroake of thoſe that ſmote him: according to their ſtroake, noting that the ſtroake of Leviathan and the ſtroake of his inſtruments is an unmeaſurable ſtroake, a boundleſſe ſtroake, they would never give over ſtriking: They thinke the wound is never deepe enough, nor blood ſhed enough; but ſaith the Prophet, verſe 8. God doth it in meaſure, ſo that he oppoſeth their ſtriking to Gods afflicting by the meaſure of it, God keepeth his afflictions in ſuch a bound and compaſſe, he afflicts in meaſure, but Satans ſtroake and the ſtroakes of wicked men are without all meaſure, that is without all moderation: unleſſe God ſtop them, they would never make an end.
Laſtly, Obſerve how Satan is by this proved a deceiver, he intended more than he ſpake; you may ſee it plainly in this, becauſe God put a reſtraint upon him. Touch all that he hath, ſaith Satan; that referred to his poſſeſſions & outward eſtate, as if that had bin the mind of Satan in the motion, do but afflict him in his outward eſtate, I deſire no more to make this tryal: now when the Lord ſaith, All that he hath is in thy hand, there he grants him the motion in the letter of it: but the Lord God ſaw that Satan had a further reach, when he ſaid, Touch all that he hath, which words ſeeme to extend no further then his eſtate, but had not God limited and reſtrain'd him, he by an indefinite grant to his motion had likewiſe fallen upon his perſon, that was the great morſell he gaped after all this while, he would have been doing with Job himſelfe, elſe there was no need of this limitation, OnelyOnly upon himſelfe put not forth thy hand; Satans fingers itcht to be medling with Job, though his words called for what he had, not for himſelfe.
And Satan went forth from the preſence of the Lord.
As ſoone as he hath leave and his Commiſſion, he is gone preſently, He went out from the preſence of the Lord. The word is, he went out from the face of the Lord: Now the face of the Lord in Scripture it is taken ſometimes for the eſſentiall glory of God, that inacceſſible Majeſty of God, Exod. 33. ult. Thou canſt not behold my face. Sometimes the face of God is put for the favour and love of God, Cauſe thy face to ſhine upon thy Sanctuary which is deſolate, Dan. 9.17. and cauſe thy face to ſhine upon thy ſervant: So in many other places the face of God is put for the favour of God, becauſe as the favour and love of a man is ſeene and diſcovered in his face, ſo there is ſomewhat in thoſe dealings of God which diſcover God, he is ſaid to make his face to ſhine upon his people, when he doth diſcover by any act of his, that he loves and favours them; that is the ſhining of his face upon them: The face interprets the heart and ſhewes the meaning of the ſpirit: ſo in thoſe things which interpret ſomewhat of the love of God to us,Index animi vultus. God is ſaid to make his face ſhine upon us. On the other ſide the face of God is put ſometimes for the anger and wrath of God, becauſe anger is ſeene in the face too, ſo in thoſe things by which God diſcovereth his anger, he is ſaid to ſet his face againſt men; there is an expreſſe place for it in this ſenſe, Lam. 4.16. The anger of the Lord (the Hebrew is, the face of the Lord) hath divided them; that is, the Lord hath done ſuch things as have the character of anger upon them, that doe repreſent and hold forth nothing but the anger of the Lord unto a people, and that anger of the Lord is called the face of the Lord unto a people. Thirdly by the face of the Lord in Scripture, we may underſtand the ordinances and the worſhip of God, becauſe in them and by them God is revealed, manifeſted and knowne to his people, as a man is knowne by his face: So in the old Teſtament, comming to God in thoſe inſtitutions was called appearing before God, becauſe in them God had promiſed to manifeſt himſelfe unto his people. Laſtly, the face of God is put for the common and generall preſence of God in the world, by which he filleth Heaven and Earth, Pſal. 139.7. Whether ſhall I go from thy preſence?
Now when it is ſaid that Satan went forth from the face of God, or from the preſence of God, it cannot be underſtood in the firſt or in the ſecond ſenſe, for he cannot ſo come into the preſence of God or before the face of God: before his face of glory, or before his face of favour Satan never came nor ever ſhall. And as the preſence of God is taken for his worſhip; ſo Satan cares not to come into his preſence. Laſtly, as the face of God ſignifies his common and generall preſence in the world, ſo Satan cannot poſſibly goe out from his face, Whether ſhall I goe from thy preſence? Pſal. 139.nor men, nor devils are able to go out of the preſence of the Lord in that ſence, for he filleth Heaven and Earth.
Then theſe words, He went out from the preſence of the Lord are ſpoken after the manner of men.Hominum more loquitur, a quibus ſervi exeunt, ut mandata exequantur quae ab illis acceperunt. When a ſervant commeth to his Maſter to receive Commiſſion to doe ſome buſineſſe and hath his errand given him, then he goeth out from the preſence of his Maſter about his buſineſſe. So Satan comes here upon a buſineſſe unto God, he makes a motion, and deſireth to have ſuch power put into his hand, to doe ſuch and ſuch things: the Lord grants it, and ſo ſoone as ever he had his diſpatch, he goeth out of the preſence of the Lord. So that the meaning is only this, that Satan left off ſpeaking with God, left off moving God any further at that time, and went out to execute that which he got commiſſion to doe, as ſervants goe out from the preſence of their Maſters, when they have received warrant or direction what to doe. While a ſervant is in expectation of his meſſage or errand, ſo long his eyes are upon his Maſter, Our eyes wait upon thee O God, as the eyes of ſervants looke unto the hands of their Maſters, Pſal. 123.3. The eyes of ſervants wait upon the face of the Maſter till they have received their meſſage, and then they goe out from their preſence.
It notes the ſpeed that Satan makes when he receives power from God to afflict or to chaſten and try any of his children, he makes no ſtay, preſently he goeth out from the preſence of the Lord. Satan is ſpeedy and active in executing any power that is committed unto him againſt the people of God, againſt any particular member, or againſt the Church in generall: As ſoone as ever he hath but his Commiſſion to afflict he is gone about it inſtantly: As the good Angels in Heaven are deſcribed to have wings, becauſe as ſoone as ever they have received a command from God, they are upon the wing, they fly as it were to fulfill the will of God; and in that ſenſe goe out of his preſence: So Satan and the wicked Angels are upon the wing too in that ſenſe, as ſoon as ever they have received power, they preſently put it in execution.
And we may in this make Satan himſelfe our patterne. As we pray that the will of God may be done on earth as it is in heaven, in heaven by the good Angels: So in this ſenſe (I ſay) we may deſire that we may doe the will of God with as much ſpeed as the evill Angels. It is not unwarrantable to learne from Satan ſpeedily to be doing about the will of God.