Exposition of Job 4-7, Commentary on Job · Chapter 6 · Verses 26-30
JOB Chap. 6. verſ. 26, 27, 28, 29, 30.
Doe ye imagine to reprove words, and the ſpeeches of one that is deſperate, which are as wind?
Yea, ye overwhelm the fatherleſſe, and you digge a pit for your friend.
Now therefore be content, look upon me, for it is evident unto you, if I lie.
Return, I pray you, let it not be iniquity, yea return again: my righteouſneſs is in it.
Is there iniquity in my tongue? Cannot my taste diſcern perverſe things?
IN the two former verſes, Job made an humble ſubmiſſion of himſelf unto the better counſel and inſtruction of his friends, if they could yet ſhew him wherein he had erred. In theſe five verſes, he doth two things, further.
Firſt, he expoſtulates with his friends about their former ſpeech and carriage toward him.
Secondly, he admoniſhes them to be better adviſed, more moderate and conſiderate, in what they had yet to ſay unto him.
The former of theſe is contained in the 26. and 27. verſes. And there are two branches of it.
1. He taxes them for making ſo light of what he had ſaid, Doe ye imagine to reprove words, and the ſpeeches of one that is deſperate, which are as wind? ver. 26.
2. He taxeth them for laying ſuch heavy load upon him, in what they had ſaid, Yea, ye overwhelm the fatherleſſe, and you digge a pit for your friend, verſ. 27. As if he had ſpoken plainly thus, You have carried the matter hitherto with me, as if I had ſpoken nothing but bare, empty words, words without any weight; yea, as if I were rageing mad, diſtracted, deſperate, not knowing, nor caring what I did, or what I ſpeak; as if my whole diſcourſe were no better, then meere vapouring, a puffe of wind, a nothing; and ye your ſelves rage againſt me with ſuch violence, as a cruel hard-hearted tyrant is enraged with, againſt a poor, helpleſſe, innocent and forſaken friendleſſe Orphan; or at beſt, ye deal with me, as cunning ſophiſters and ſubtill diſputants, ſeeking to catch me in your intricate diſcourſes and doubtfull debates, you make a pit for your friend.
This for the general ſenſe of thoſe two verſes, containing an expoſtulation about his friends unfriendly dealing with him. Now to the particulars.
Doe ye imagine to reprove words?
The word we tranſlate [imagine] notes a very curious, exquiſite and elaborate invention of any thing. The Vulgar referrs imagining foreignto the words, with which they did reprove, not to the act of reproving. Ye make a neat frame of wards to reprove me; and Ad increpandum tantum verba concinnatis. Vulg.ſo the ſenſe riſes thus, you artificially imagine, mint and coyne elequent ſpeeches and ſubtill argumentes, to reprove and convince me with; As if you came hither to ſhew your ſelves Logicians and Oratours, rather than loving friends. This is your dealing, You imagine Num verba nuda putatis arguere, q d. putateſne verba ſatis eſſe ad arguendum & diſceptandum ſine ratione. Planior fuerit ſenſus, ſi foreign ante foreign ſubaudias, an cogitatis arguere foreign meris verbis. Merc.words, to reprove with. Others thus, Do you thinke that words reprove? That great words ſhall overcome me, without weight of reaſon? This ſence referres alſo to the ſpeech of Iobs friends; as if he had ſaid, Do you ſtand deviſing words againſt me, or wording it with me? Do you thinke that your ſine phraſes and elaborate poliſht language will carry the matter with me, will words repoove me? And ſo we may connect it with the ſentence immediately fore-going, How forcible are right words? But what doth your arguing reprove? Your arguings, that are ſlight arguings? Your words, are meere words, a ſound and a noiſe, *Verba nuda & ſola. Ʋt mulier mulier bona. Lana, lana alba, & ſi quae alia Gramaticis obſervata. Druſ.words ſet alone, are often taken for words only, for naked words, words without any due clothing of comelineſſe and moderation, and without any ballaſt or weight of reaſon and diſcretion. And doe you (my friends) imagine to gain me, by ſuch a parcel of words as theſe?
But according to the ſenſe toucht before, Iob rather referrs to the opinion, which his friends had of his words; Do ye imagine to reprove words? That is, doe you thinke that you have nothing to anſwer or reprove, but a company of empty ſillables, have I not ſpoke reaſon or ſence all this while? Doe you thinke you diſpute with ſome idle-headed fellow, who cares not what he ſaith, or ſaith he knows not what? Do you think, that your words are ſtrong and full of reaſon, that yours are irrefragable arguments, and mine, but idle talk or a frothie diſcourſe? That's a ſecond interpretation, and that which I conceive more clear to this place. It followeth,
And the ſpeeches of one that is deſperate, which are as winds.
We muſt underſtand or repeat the firſt branch, And do ye imagine to reprove, the ſpeeches of one that is deſperate which are as wind?
The ſpeeches of one that is deſperate. [The word ſignifies a perſon foreign a radice foreign Diffidit, deſperavit, ſpem omnem rei alicujus efficiendae aut conſequ…nde abjecit ſeu amiſit.that is quite without hope, who thinkes his eſtate paſt remedy or redreſſe, his wound incurable, his loſſes irreparable, and his breaches ſuch, as can never be made up or healed. So Jer. 2. 25. where the Prophet counſels the Church, to return and repent, but, Thou ſaiſt there is no hope; or as we read it in the margin, thy caſe is deſperate; what doe you talke of repentance and of returning now, all's loſt, all is gone, I am undon, my eſtate can never be recovered, Doe ye imagine to reprove the ſpeeches of one, that is deſperate?
Some referre this alſo, to the friends of Iob, thus: Doe yee thinke that bare words are anſwer enough for me, and that the ſpeeches of a deſperate mad man, which are nothing but wind and ſound, are ſufficient to refute me. And therefore you riſe up againſt me in this ſtorm and fury, ſpeaking any thing, without ſtudy or premeditation.
But we may rather underſtand it, of Job himſelf, and that, as before, he gave their ſence of his words, that they were but wind; So here he gives us their apprehenſion of his perſon, that ſure he was mad or deſperate.
Doe ye imagine that I am deſperate or diſtracted, becauſe I have little or no hope to be reſtored? Becauſe I have loſt my eſtate, my ſtrength, my children, doe ye alſo think I have loſt my wits, my reaſon and underſtanding. I confeſſe I am even worne to pieces and brought to nothing, I am ſpent and conſumed with ſorrows, that's my condition, but am I therefore deſperate, and regard not what I ſpeak? It is an eaſie and a compendious way of refuting all a man can ſay, to ſay he is mad. His words muſt needs be but wind, without weight, who is himſelf without reaſon. Doe ye think to reprove the words of one that is deſperate, that are as wind? Or, as Haud ſane ita convenit, ut pro futilibus, verba mea habeatis, eo quod afflictonibus attritus ſum & tabefactus. Merc.Mr Broughton reads, Doe ye hold the termes of the forlorne, a wind? That is, doe ye thinke, becauſe I am in ſuch a ſad condition, and in appearance in a deſperate condition, that therefore my words are light and vain, ſuch as are no more to be regarded or heeded, than a puffe of wind? And ſo it is, as if he had ſaid, ye ought not to ſlight what I ſpeak, becauſe I am in ſuch a low forlorne condition. That of Solomon comes to this ſence, Eccl. 9. 16. The poor mans wiſdome is deſpiſed, and his words are not heard.
It is common in Scripture to put light, vain and unprofitable words under this expreſſion, they are but wind. In the 15th of this book, verſe. 3. Should he reaſon with unprofitable talk, or with ſpeeches wherewith he can doe no good? Should a wiſe man utter vain knowledge, and fill his belly with the East-wind? That is, ſhould a man talk nothing, but that which is vain and unprofitable? And ſo, Jer. 5. 13. The Prophet ſhall become wind; That is, their prophecies ſhall become wind; whatſoever they ſpeak (ſaid that unbelieving people) ſhall be put as a vain thing, it ſhall be as nothing, it ſhall paſs away, and the place of it ſhall be known no more; Thus they undervalued the Prophets in thoſe times, when they ſpake the truth of God, and brought them immediate meſſages from heaven. Hence obſerve; Firſt,
That words without reaſon, meer vain words, are no words, they are but wind.
Hence thoſe prophane ones in Jeremy, who ſaid the true Prophets had belied the Lord, and were but wind, adde preſently, And the word is not in them: That is, the words of theſe Prophets are no words. Indeed the Lord anſwers for his Prophets, at the 14th verſe, telling the people, becauſe they had thus diſhonoured his meſſengers, that they ſhould find thoſe words, which they accounted wind, to be a fire, Thus, ſaith the Lord, becauſe ye ſpeak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it ſhall devour them. Whoſoever eſteems the word of God to be wind, ſhall find it to be a fire: and they who will not be taught by it, ſhall be conſumed by it. But to the point in hand, we ſee in that Scripture vain words are windie words, and windie words as are no words: The Prophets (as they ſuppoſed) were wind, and thence they inferre, the word is not in them: That is, their words have no ſubſtance, ſtrength or power at all in them. So, Hoſ. 12. 1. Ephraim feedeth on wind, and followeth after the East-wind; What was the wind that Ephraim fed upon? Some vain words, ſome promiſes, he had from the creature to be delivered, ſome hopes raiſed by the word of man, who is a wind; therefore his feeding upon thoſe hopes, was but a feeding upon wind, there was no ground or ſtrength to make thoſe words good. So the next words interpret, He daily increaſeth lyes.
Such words are (by the learned) called bubbles; And why Bullatus nugas. Perſ Sat 5. utpo…e ſimilia bullis vento plenis.bubbles? Becauſe a bubble upon the water is only filled with wind, toucht it, and it is nothing. Theſe words have nothing in them, but the breath of the ſpeaker.
Unleſſe the ſpirit of reaſon fills our mouths, we ſpeak nothing but our breath, or as we phraſe it in our language, we doe but vapour. The Apoſtle Peter deſcribes ſuch (2 Epiſt. 2. 18.) They ſpeak great ſwelling words of vanity; And the Apoſtle Jude foreign,uſes the ſame expreſſion, in the 16th verſe of his Epiſtle. Their mouth ſpeaketh great ſwelling words; that is, words greatly ſwelled with vanity. Or ſwel'd, as the fleſh ſwels, by the gathering of corruption, and ill humours. The greatneſſe of theſe words was their diſeaſe, and not their nature: Wiſe men ſpeak great things, and fools ſpeak great words. Secondly, Obſerve,
That windie, empty words, will never either convince, or convert.
Such words doe no work: they are wind, and they paſſe away like wind without any impreſſion, upon the hearers. They trouble the eare, but touch not the heart. When the noiſe of them is paſt, all is paſt. They are a ſound, and beſides that, a nothing. Windy meats are not nouriſhing for the body, neither are windy words for the ſoul. Some knowledge doth not build up, but puffe up, 1 Cor. 8. 1. and that's all the knowledge, which ſuch words can breed, when they breed any. Thirdly, obſerve,
We are apt to judge the words of thoſe that are greatly afflicted, to be but vain windy words. And we are ready to conclude, they complaine more then they need. When the Iſraelites groaning under the preſſures of that bondage, ſent to Pharaoh for ſome abatement of their burdens: we will not diminiſh the tale of the bricks, only let ſtraw be given us, no ſaith Pharaoh, Exod. 5. 17. They are idle, let more work be laid upon the people, that they may labour therein, and let them not regard vain words. He reſolved to deal wiſely with them, and therefore muſt count them mad: their perſons were near Jobs condition, and their words were fully under the ſame cenſure. Fourthly, hence note,
That it is very ſinfull to eſteem the words of the afflicted to be but wind.
It was great uncharitableneſſe in Jobs friends, thus to expound and gloſſe the text of his complaints. We ſhould heare a man in affliction; as if every word were drenched and ſteeped in the ſorrowes of his heart; and take every ſentence, as coming bloudy from his wounded ſpirit.
Laſtly, obſerve, how Job deſcribes his own eſtate, he was, as a man deſperate (not utterly deſperate, for in another place he profeſſes in higheſt confidence, that though God kill him, yet he will truſt in him) yet deſperate he was in regard of outward help, or temporal ſuccour.
A godly man in affliction may ſometime think his caſe deſperate and remedileſſe. Wicked men reſolve in the Pſalme, There is no help for him in his God; and a good man under a cloud of temptation may ſay, Surely, there is no help for me in my God; that is, I ſee not which way I ſhall be helped, I have no aſſurance, no evidence that God will help me: Not that he doubts the power of God to help him: But the providence of God ſeemes to ſpeak that he will not, I ſhall one day periſh by the hand of Saul, ſaith holy David. Heman looked upon himſelf, as a man that had no ſtrength, free among the dead, Pſal. 88. 5. As if he had got a diſcharge from the ſervice of this world, and was enfranchiz'd a Citizen of the grave, where all are free. As (to note that only in paſſage) It is ſaid of Azariah, being ſmitten with leproſie, and ſo put from the exerciſe of the government, which was a civil death; that he dwelt in a ſeveral houſe, or in a houſe of freedome, 2 Kin. 15. 5.
Verſe 27. Yea, you overwhelm the fatherleſs, and you digg a pit for your friend.
After he had convinced them of their uncharitableneſs in accounting his words light and windie, he ſhewes them how they dealt with him, what kind of words theirs were towards him: their words were as ſwords, their words were blowes, every expreſſion of theirs to his ear, was an oppreſſion upon his ſpirit; Yea overwhelm the fatherleſs; He ſets forth their (as he conceived) cruelty againſt him, by two things, very odious both;
Firſt, the undoing of a fatherleſs child.
Secondly, the digging of a pit (not for an enemy, but) for a friend.
Firſt, Ye overwhelm the fatherleſs.
The Original is full of Emphaſis, word for word, it may be tranſlated thus, You throw your ſelves upon the fatherleſſe; and ſo it is an alluſion to hunters, either to men, when they hunt wilde beaſts; or to wilde beaſts, when they hunt their prey; as ſoon as the hunter can reach the game, hee overwhelmes it, he caſts himſelf down, or layes all his ſtrength upon it. A dogge having caught the hare, falls upon it, and keeps it under. Some conceive that expreſſion, Gen. 49 9. concerning Judah▪ compared to a lion, reaches this ſenſe, Judah is a Lions whelp, from the prey my ſonne, thou art gone up, he ſtooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old Lion, who ſhall rouſe him up? As if that that crouching and lying down, were when he hath taken his prey; who dares to ſtirre up a Lion, when he hath his prey under him, if any dare, the Lion will make them a prey too. We ſee in daily experience, how angry a dogge will be, if you ſtir him up, when he hath but a bone under him. Such a violence is noted in this expreſſion, you throw your ſelves down upon a poor fatherleſſe one, a man in a low condition, as if you would tear him to pieces, and eat him up at a morſell. Our tranſlation comes near this ſignification of the word, Ye overwhelm the fatherleſſe.
The word ſignifies to run upon one with violence, and hence Giants foreign Ruit, irruit.are called Nephilim in the Hebrew, which is as much as to ſay, Oppreſſours, becauſe they overwhelm the weaker with force and violence.
Mr. Broughton tranſlates the word to another ſence, as noting, not an open violent way of oppreſſing, but a ſecret ſubtil way of circumventing, Ye lay a ſnare for the Orphan: the word may bear that ſence, namely, to ſet a trap, or to lay a ſnare: And he paralels foreign, Scandatum eſt impedimentum in via, ut quis vel collabatur & ruat, vel ab inſtituto curſu impediatur.it, with that word uſed often in the new Teſtament To ſcandalize or offend a brother, which properly ſignifies to lay a trap or a ſnare, to ſet ſomewhat whereby to entangle or catch a man, that he may be ſtopt and hindered in his way. Thus Job of his friends, you ſet a trap to enſnare, and make a pit for me to fall into, or you lay a block to cauſe me to ſtumble, in, or turn out of, the ways of holineſſe, while you would perſwade me, that he who walkes uprightly in that way, ſhall never meet with any rubbe of outward trouble. What is this but to diſcourage me in the way I walk, becauſe therein I have met ſo many troubles. Thus you lay a ſnare for,
The fatherleſſe.] The word ſtrictly taken, notes a child, whoſe parents are dead. Some of the Ancients ſay, the word Pupill, which is from the latine, ſignifies one without ſight, or wanting the apple or Pupil of his eyes, becauſe being deprived of his parents, he wants the light of counſel and direction, to carry him Pupillus juxta Auguſtinum & I…idorum ita dicitur, quaſi ſine oculis, quae pupillae dicuntur, i. e. parentibus orbus.on, in his courſe through the world. What Moſes ſpake to Hobab his father in law, is a truth of all good parents to their children, They are to them in ſtead of eyes, Numb. 10. 31. But here by fatherleſs, we may rather underſtand any one, that is deſtitute of help, though himſelf be a father. He that hath many children may (in this ſence) be an Orphan, that is, friendleſſe and comfortleſſe. So Pſal. 10. 14. Thou art the helper of the fatherleſſe; that is, Thou art the helper of all thoſe, who want help. That's the meaning of Chriſts promiſe to his Diſciples, I will not leave you comfortleſs; the Greek is, I will not leave you Orphans or fatherleſs; Orphans and fatherleſs are uſually full of ſorrows, therefore to be left fatherleſs, and to be left comfortleſs are the ſame. In this larger ſence take Jobs mind, You overwhelm the fatherleſs; that is, you overwhelm me, who am a poor, deſtitute, helpleſſe man, who have no friend, ſuccour or ſupport.
And you digge a pit for your friend.
Word for word, thus, You digge for your friend. And this is on all Velut laqueum & decipulam ſtruitis ad eum capiendum. i, e. captionibus & cavilis eum nitamini circumvenire. Merc.ſides agreed on, to intimate the ſecret circumvention or ſubtil practice (as Job apprehended) of his friends. For in Scripture, to dig a pit is a proverbial ſpeech, and imports the laying of ſome ſecret plot to circumvent another, either in word or deed. So Pſal. 7. 15. He made apit and digged it, and is fallen into it himſelfe; that is, he deviſed ſome miſchievous device to entrap his brother, and the miſchief is fallen upon his own head, Pſal. 64. 5. They commune of laying ſnares privily; And Iſa. 29. 21. the Prophet deſcribes evil workers, thus, They digge deep to hide their counſell from the Lord; wicked Polititians are diggers and underminers; ſometimes this is true literally (as in our powder-plotters) but myſtically and myſteriouſly every one that laies a plot (though he never breaks ground) is ſaid to dig a pit for his neighbour, In the old law (Exod, 21. 33.) A proviſion was made, that whoſoever digged a pit, ſhould cover it, becauſe pits were dangerous, both for men and cattel To dig a pit for a friend, is to endanger a friend.
In this ſence, the latter part of the verſes agrees with Mr Broughtons tranſlation of the firſt, Ye lay a ſnare for the Orphan, and ye digge a pit for your friend; Falſe and fallacious arguments are traps and pits, in which the innocent are entangled. And Job ſuppoſes, his friends intended to caſt him down into the pit of deſpair by charging him with hypocriſie and rottenneſſe of heart in his profeſſion.
There is a further apprehenſion concerning this word, You have foreign Sgnificat fodere & convivium inſtruere. Epulamini ſuper ſocium veſtrum.digged a pit. Some of the Hebrew Doctours tranſlate thus, You make a feaſt upon your friend. The word ſignifies not only to dig a pit, but to feaſt and banquet, and it notes a ſumptuous exquiſite banquet, 2 King. 6. 23. And he prepared great proviſion for them, in this book, Chap. 41. 6. The word is uſed in that ſence, where Leviathan is deſcribed too big for a banquet, Shall thy companions make a banquet of him? that is, are the fiſher-men able to catch and eat Leviathan? As if Leviathan ſcorned the fiſher-mens engines, their nets and hooks.
Taking the word ſo, the meaning of the clauſe may be thus conceived, You overwhelm the fatherleſse, yea you are not contented with that, but you feaſt upon your poor friend, that is, you rejoyce in his miſery, and make your ſelves merry with his ſorrows; as the Philiſtines dealt with Sampſon, when they had put out his eyes, Come let us bring him out and make ſport with him; So ſaith Job, you deal with me, you oppreſſe me, and then make your ſelves merry with my ſorrows. The teares of an oppreſſed poor man, are as wine to the oppreſſour, he drinks them down; the groans of a poor man are as muſick to a wicked oppreſſour, and his fleſh is as meat to him. Hence obſerve; Firſt,
To be fatherleſſe is to be in a ſad condition. They who are fatherleſſe, are friendleſſe and ſo moſt ſubject to oppreſſion. They who have leaſt help in themſelves, have uſually leaſt help from others, and often receive moſt hurt from others. Hence we find (Pſ. 10. 18) the oppreſſed and the fatherleſs put together; as if the fatherleſs were to expect oppreſſion for their portion, and they who needed moſt protection, ſhould be ſure to find moſt vexation. We uſe to ſay, where the hedge is loweſt, there men goe over; it is ſo in every daies experience. The mighty Nimrods ride over the backs of the poor. And where the hedge is low, they make lower gaps, to paſs over more eaſily to their own deſignes. This ſpirit of oppreſſion is deſcribed raging againſt thoſe, who are under heavieſt preſſures, Pſal. 69. 26. They perſecute him whom thou hast ſmitten, and they talk to the grief of thoſe whom thou hast wounded: When wicked men ſee a man afflicted by the hand of God, they afflict him more; when they ſee God hath wounded him, they will kill him. The trouble he is in, makes their victory more eaſie; As when the Philiſtines fell before Jonathan (1 Sam. 14.) his Armour-bearer ſlew after him; ſo do theſe, they ſlay thoſe who are fallen before the afflicting hand of God. Obſerve ſecondly;
That it is a great aggravation of the ſinfulneſſe of oppreſſion and wrong doing, to oppreſſe or do wrong to the fatherleſſe. Commonly the poor are moſt oppreſſed, but alwayes there is more ſinne in oppreſſing the poor, though to oppreſſe or wrong the rich be a ſin, and a very great one. What a ſtock of wickedneſſe doe they gather, who take from theſe to whom they are bound to give, who make them naked and hungry, whom they ſhould cloath and feed: who are ſtraitened in juſtice towards them, to whom they ought to be enlarged in charity. It is a ſin to deny them juſtice, who need not your charity, but to be unjuſt where we ſhould be charitable, how ſinful is that! It is a great ſin to take away from him, who hath aboundance, but to take away from him, who is in want, is an abounding ſin. Therefore we find that given, not only as a rule, but as a charge, Prov. 22 22. Rob not the poor becauſe he is poor, make not poverty your advantage for robbery. There is much baſeneſs in it (beſides the ſinfulneſs) to trample upon thoſe who cannot reſiſt, and perhaps dare not complain. God is moſt reſiſted in wronging thoſe who cannot reſiſt others, or right themſelves. When we help a poor man (eſpecially a godly poor man) God himſelf gaines, and (in a ſence) is inriched by it; becauſe God receives glory, and is paid (which is his greateſt revenew from man) in honour and in praiſe, for all the help we give ſuch poor. In our alms, we performe Gods promiſes for him; and they who receive premiſes, cannot but return praiſe. On the other ſide, when we wrong the poor (eſpecially the godly poore) God himſelf looſes, and (in a ſence) is impoveriſhed; becauſe not onelyonly his praiſe (as much as we can doe) is with-held, but his truth and faithfulneſſe are queſtioned. Mans uncharitableneſs, would make void, the promiſes of God; and when promiſes lye unfulfilled, praiſe lyes unreturned. Hence that threatning prohibition, Prov. 23. 10, 11. Enter not into the fields of the fatherleſse; that is, make not a forcible or violent entry. Why, is it more dangerous to enter into his field, than into anothers? Or is there any licenſe here to enter into the field of a rich man, or to treſpaſſe upon him? No, there is no licenſe to treſpaſs upon a rich man, or to enter upon his field, but take heed you enter not into the fields of the fatherleſs; why? For their Redeemer is mighty, he ſhall plead their cauſe with thee; Though poor orphans and fatherleſs have no might, no help, they cannot plead themſelves, and they have no friend to help or plead for them, they cannot get an Advocate or Councellour ſpeak in their cauſe, Yet their redeemer is strong, he will plead with thee; He will plead with thee, for the wrong done the fatherleſſe, as for a wrong done himſelf, becauſe thou haſt oppreſt one, whom he undertook to protect, and ſo (as much as thou canſt) haſt brought up an ill report upon the Lord, as if he were either forgetful of his word, or unable to accompliſh it. We vex and tear the promiſes of God, every time we vex and teare the poor of God. How ſinful then is this ſin; by which at once we break the command, which God gives us, to relieve the poor, and weaken the promiſe, which God hath given the poor, that they ſhall be relieved.
Obſerve further from that expreſſion of their cunning dealing with him, You digge a pit for your friend; deceitfull words are as pits and ſnares to catch men in: The tongue is a great inſnarer. The tongue teacheth to lay a ſnare, Balaam taught Balak to lay a ſtumbling block before the children of Iſrael, Revel. 2. 14. He taught him how to dig a pit, and ſet ſuch a ſnare, as catcht the people into adultery and Idolatry: The tongue is a great Engineer, a trap-ſetter to catch and intangle both the eſtates and ſouls of men.
And we may note another point, from the relation of the perſon for whom this pit was digged, You dig a pit for your friend. It is a great aggravation of unkindneſs, to endeavour their hurt, to whom we are bound by many names and obligations to doe good, or to whom we have made profeſſion of our readineſs to doe them good. The more duty or reſpect we owe any man, the more is our ſin when we neglect him.
The three remaining verſes of this Chapter, contain Jobs admonition to his friends, wherein he adviſes them, to deal better, or more moderately with him, and ſo he makes a trnſiation to the latter part of his ſpeech, in the ſeventh Chapter, wherein he returns to the old matter, the juſtification of that complaint made againſt his life, and the equity of his deſire to die.
Verſe 28. Now therefore be content, look upon me, for it is evident unto you, if I lie.
Now therefore be content, &c.] Some read it, Now therefore begin to look upon me, or to look more favourably upon me; as if he had ſaid, all foreign Acquicſcere in re quapiam eamque tota voluntate amplecti. Significat etiam inchoare, Deut. 1. 5. Gen. 18. 17.this while ye had hardened your faces, and clouded your brows againſt me, therefore now begin to be more benigne in your aſpects towards me. The word ſignifies, to begin, or take a thing in hand willingly; as alſo to be well pleaſed, content or ſatisfied, the ſence of all comes to one point. We tranſlate in the latter, Now therefore be content, doe this thing freely, be ſatisfied and acquieſce in it: as we uſe to cool and calme an angry friend, who diſputing or ſpeaking to a buſineſs, growes hot and paſſionate, I pray, ſir, be ſatisfied, let us goe on meekly and moderately.
Look upon me. Which notes either his deſire of their friendly compliance with, and reſpect to him, as Mr. Broughton reades, Now therefore be content, regard me; or it notes the ſtrength and firmeneſſe of Jobes reſolution, in this conteſt with his friends, I am not afraid to look you in the face, or to ſpeake face to face, look upon me, you ſhall not read either fear or falſeneſſe written in my forehead; the lines and characters of my countenance, ſhall ſhew you nothing but the ſoundneſſe and integrity of my conſcience. For it is evident unto you, if I lie, you will anon read the lie in my face, if there be a lie in my heart; therefore break not off with me, turn not away in diſcontent, let us diſcourſe a little more about this buſineſſe, and the truth will appear.foreign ▪
It is evident unto you, if I lie. The Hebrew is, it is before your face if I lie, that is (as we tranſlate) it will quickly be evident, and appear unto you by a little ſober debate of this buſineſſe, whether I am right or no.Et in faciem veſtrum ſi mentior; ſc. deſpeream vel moriar, vel non ſit mihi propitius Deus, vel tale quippiam, Mer.
Some think, there is a kind of ſecret imprecation in this ſpeech, It will be evident unto you, if I lie: As if he had ſaid, Let not the Lord be mercifull or gracious unto me, let not the Lord pity or ſpare me, If I am falſe hearted and lie unto you. It is frequent and familiar in the Hebrew, to give ſuch expreſſions of an oath; As in that oath of God, Pſalm. 95. 11. quoted Heb. 3. 11. Ʋnto whom I ſware in my wrath, If they ſhall enter into my rest; which we tranſlate by a plain negative in both places: They ſhall not enter into my rest. And Pſal 89 39. Once have I ſworn by my holineſs, that I will not lie unto David, or, if I lie unto David; then, let not my word be taken any more; So, Job here, it will he evident to you, if I lie, and if I doe, let me not have help, or ſtrength, or ſupport from God any more.
To lie, may be taken two wayes; either ſtrictly, as to lye, is to Mentire eſt contramentem ite.ſpeak that which is falſe, with an intent to deceive. To ſpeak againſt clear knowledge, is the proper, ſtrict ſence of a lie: Or to lie, ſignifies to fail, or to come ſhort in that which is expected from us by others; To fruſtrate any of their hopes, is to lie to them; and ſo it is applied often times to the fruites of the earth, (Hab. 3. 17.) Though the labour of the Olive ſhall fail, the word is, though the labour of the Olive ſhould lie, that is, though you coming to find fruit of the Olive, ſhould find none there. The Olive whoſe fair leaves promiſe and ſpeak you fair, as if you ſhould have fruit, if when you come, it yeelds none, this Olive lies to you; So (Hoſ. 9. 2.) The new wine ſhall lie, we tranſlate it The new wine ſhall fail, that is, the vines which ſpeake thus much, that you ſhall have new wine ſhortly if when you come, there is none, the vines lie. In either of theſe ſences we may underſtand it; Spem mentita ſeges. Hor.If I lie; that is, if I ſpeak any thing againſt my mind, wittingly or willingly; or if I fail in this buſineſs, if I am like the vine or like the olive, when they give no fruit according to expectation; it will be evident unto you, you ſhall ſee if we diſcuſſe this controverſie a little further the truth will out, whether I ſhall fail or belie your expectation, or no. That place (Chap. 24. 25) will expound it ſo, who will make me a lyar, (ſaith Job) and make my ſpeech nothing worth? as if he had ſaid, my words ſhall be made good, and I will not fail in that which I have undertaken, or taken upon me.
There is a further apprehenſion about theſe words, Look upon Totus hic verſus eleganter inſinuat rem ſorenſem, nempe judic is ſtrict iſſimum examen coſentes & teſtes interrogat, non ſolum verbis, ſed etiam nutibus oculorum & intuitu. Bold.me, it is evident unto you, if I lie, as i… they were an alluſion to the carriage of Judges and Magiſtrates towards offenders, in publick judiciary tryals: when an offender or one accuſed for any offence, is brought before a judge, and ſtands at the bar to be arraigned; the judge looks upon him, eyes him, ſets his eye upon him, and he bids the offender look up in his face, look upon me (ſaith the judge) and ſpeak up; guiltineſs uſually clouds the forehead, and cloaths the br…w; The weight of guilt holds down the head, The evil doer hath an ill look; or dares not look up; how glad is he, if the judge look off him. We have ſuch an expreſſion, Pſal. 11. 4. ſpeaking of the Lord, the great Judge of Heaven and earth, His eye-lids try the children of men, as a Judge tries a guilty perſon with his eye, and reades the characters of his wickedneſſe printed in his face; Hence, we have a common ſpeech in our language, ſuch an one looks ſuſpiciouſly, or he hath a guilty looke. At that great Goale-delivery, deſcribed (Rev. 6. 16.) all the priſoners cry out to be hid from the face of him that ſate upon the throne, They could not looke upon Chriſt, and they could not endure Chriſt ſhould looke on them; The eye-lids of Chriſt try the children of men. That of Solomon may help this ſence, Pro. 20. 8. A King that ſitteth in the throne of judgement, ſcattereth away all evill with his eyes. Wickedneſſe cannot endure to be under the obſervation of any eye, much leſſe of the eye of Juſtice. Hence the actors of it, ſay, Who ſeeth us. It is very hard, not to ſhew Heu quam difficile eſt, crimen non prodere vultu, Ovid. ſecund. Metam.the guilt of the heart in the face, and it is as hard, to have it ſeen there. Job ſeemes to offer himſelf to the view of the ſevereſt Judge, Be content look upon me, if I am guilty, it will quickly appeare unto you, my hypocriſie will breake out in my face, and you may reade my conſcience, in my countenance. It is noted of Paul, Acts 13. 59. that when he had to deal witb Elymas the Sorcerer, he ſet his eyes upon him, and ſaid, O full of all ſubtilty. The Apoſtle beate him downe, as it were, with a caſt of his eye; Job bids his friends looke upon him as long, and as critically as they pleaſed, he was not afraid of there lookes.
Laſtly, thus, looke to me, that is, attend well what I ſay, for I will explaine my minde ſo fully and clearely to you, that it will quickly be evident to you, whether I am right or wrong.
We may obſerve from this paſſage, firſt,
That uprightneſſe hath much boldneſſe. He that hath a good cauſe and a good conſcience, is not afraid to be ſearched to the bottome; he cares not who lookes upon him, or who lookes into him. David in regard of the uprightneſſe of his heart, calls unto God himſelf, Search me, and try me, it there be any way of wickedneſſe in me, Pſal. 139. 23. David was ſo aſſured at his own integrity, that he was not afraide to put him ſelf upon the higheſt triall, in that point: A holy heart is willing, that God and men ſhould ſearch it; even ſearch it with candles, as God threatens he would, the corrupt and falſe-hearted Jews.
Secondly note this from it;
Where a lie is, it will not long he hid. A lie will breake forth one time or other; you may cover and hide a lie, you may keep it, cloſe, and ſit upon it, as Rachel upon her fathers Images, but at laſt it will be evident, a lie will out. We ſay, Truth is the daughter of time, and ſo is a lie too: a little time will bring that work of darkneſſe to light.
Take the word in the other ſence, for failing, and it yeelds us this Inſtruction. That.
He who hath uprightneſſe of heart, is ſtedfaſt for ever. Truth is uniforme: Which way ſoever the wind and the world turne, his poſture is the ſame, Chriſt will not faile him, and therefore he cannot. Such a man is as Mount Zion, that ſhall never be removed; when the heart is ſound, the actions are ſteady; and he that moves upon a right principle, moves regularly; and in all changes of events, changes not his way: try him, and try him again, it will be evident unto you, he will not lie. Grace is ever the ſame, and renders them who have it, like him (in their degree) from whom they have it, without variableneſſe or ſhadow of turning. He that is not (for the ſubſtance) what he was, was never what he ought to be, ſincere. He that is upon a good ground, and knowes his ground, will ſtand to it; truſt him (as a creature may be truſted) and he will not faile.
Verſ 29. Returne; I pray you, let it not be iniquity, yea, returne againe; my righteouſneſſe is in it.
He goes on to beſpeake his friends to heare him better. Returne] The word ſignifies.
Firſt, A Locall returne, or returning from a place.
Secondly, It is uſed Metaphorically, to returne from anger, or foreign Redire ſignificat, ſed ſaepe transfertur ad animum, eſt que a propoſito ab ſiſtere, inſtitutum vita mutare, & paenitentiam agere.to turn anger away; Iſa. 5. 25. His anger is not turned away, the Lord did not turn from his feirce wrath. Some underſtand it ſo here, Return I pray you, that is, I beſeech you be not ſo angry, be not ſo haſty and cholerick with me.
Thirdly, To turn or return, notes deſiſting from our purpoſe, or the change of our reſolutions. And thus it is the ſame with repentance, the Scripture aboundes with the word in the ſence, I ſhall not need to quote texts: Thus, moſt underſtand it here, Returne, that is, repent of your former hard dealing with me, perſiſt not in it, perſevere not in your uncharitableneſſe.Ʋbi redierit is, & turſum redieritis id eſt. ubi iterum, at que iterum omnia d…iigenter diſcuſſeritis, codem ſubinde redeuntes, & cadem accuratius reputantes, meani cognoſcetis juſtitiam.
Or laſtly, Returne, that is, weigh the matter better, Return, looke it over againe, let it have your ſecond and more ſetled thoughts; conſider, whether I ſpeake not, as one conſtrained to this ſeeming impatience, from reall ſorrow, rather then from a profeſſed hypocriſie. So, he beſpeakes his friends againe, Chap. 17. 10. But as for you all, doe you return and come now (that is, be better adviſed, as the next words expound his meaning) for I cannot find one wiſe man among you. As if he had ſaid, you have not ſhewed any great treaſures of wiſdom, in all your diſputations againſt me hitherto; And therefore he tells them (Chap. 19. 28.) what counſels became them to take. Yee ſhould ſay, why perſecute we him? let us give over ſuch hard cenſures and wounding language. Say to your ſelves, let us return, as here he ſaith to them, return I pray you.
Let it not be iniquity.] Some underſtand it thus, let not the thing which is objected againſt me be iniquity, object not unrighteouſly againſt me: Or thus,
Secondly, in this diſputation, as it ſhall be carried on againe, deale not ſo unequally, ſo unjuſtly and hardly with me as before, deale fairely, uprightly, candidly and friendly with me, Return, I pray you, let it not be iniquity; let there not be ſuch wrangling and hard ſpeeches between us, as hitherto there have been. Mr Broughton agrees to either ſence. Change your mind now: let not unrighteouſneſſe be objected.
Yet the Hebrew particle (Al) doth not alwayes forbid, but often Particula foreign non ſemper prohibet, ſed aliqu…ndo ſimpliciter negat. Non erit iniquitas in verbis meis ſcili es, Merc.notes, ſimply to deny; and ſome tranſlate it here, for a plaine deniall, rather than a forbidding, Not as we, Let it not be iniquity; but there ſhall not be iniquity, that is, in my words, or in that which I ſhall ſpeake; and we may connect it with the latter part of the verſ. my righteouſneſſe is in it.
Yea, return againe. He adviſed them to return before, now he doubles his advice, yea return againe. Such repeated doubled ſpeeches in Scripture, note;
Firſt, A vehemency of ſpirit in the ſpeaker?
Secondly, A neceſſity of obedience to the thing which is ſpoken, by the hearer. It is ſurely a weighty and a neceſſary point, which is ſpoken and ſpoken again. That's a double duty, and calls for double alligence, which we are doubly call'd to, Return I pray you, doe not think that this is a ſmall matter, a buſineſſe of indifferency, return againe. As (Cant. 6. 13.) Return, return, O Shulamite, return, return: There was great neceſſity for the Shulamite, to return, when he was ſo often cried after to return. So, Rejoyce, and againe I ſay, reioyce, ſaid the Apoſtle, to note the vehemency of his ſpirit, and the neceſſity of that Goſpel-duty, or how exceeding becomming it is, for Chriſtans to walk cheerfully and rejoyce. Here then, Return, yea return againe, is, as if he had ſaid, there is great cauſe you ſhould return, and be better adviſed, that, you ſhould conſider otherwiſe of my caſe, than hitherto you have done;
My righteouſneſſe is in it. That is, I am righteous in this matter, in this buſineſſe: or upon ſuch a further conſideration and returning to the quiſtion, my righteouſneſſe, (by a true ſtating of theſe differences) will appeare unto you. Job was no Juſticiary, no boaſter in or of his own righteouſneſſe; but he ſpeakes of the righteouſneſſe of his cauſe, and of the uprightneſſe of his conſcience. According to that of (Pſal. 73. ver. 6.) Thy righteouſneſſe ſhall appeare as the light, that is, the righteouſneſſe of thy cauſe: ſo ſaith Job, my righteouſneſſe is in it, when you return and return again, to conſider diligently and ſeriouſly of this buſineſſe, you will finde the reſult of all will be, that my righteouſneſſe is in it, that is, that I am in the right, or free from blame in this buſineſſe, that I have not broken the rules of juſtice, or departed from a good conſcience.
Further, Others conceive Job beſpeakes his friends in this quicke language; Return, yea return again, to recall his Forte in dignaebundi diſceſſum papabane-aut jā ſurrexer…nt diſceſſuri, quaere illos invitat ad promoven…ā diſputationem, Pined.friends, who were ready to goe away in a pett or in a fume, as we uſe to ſay; They were riſing to be gone and Job haſtily calls them back, Return, I pray return; As a man in diſcourſe growing ſo hot, that the houſe cannot hold him, but he will breake away, is uſually re-invited, pray ſtay, ſir, return again; ſo Job, return againe, my righteouſneſſe is in it, you ſhall ſee I mill make the matter good.
Hence obſerve, firſt, (taking the rerurn in a Metaphoricall ſence.)
That a paſſionate or inconſiderate man, goes from hemſelf, and from the matter. Paſſion carries from the buſineſſe before us. An angry mans diſcourſe runs wild, he had need be reduced. Conſideration is the returning of a man unto himſelf, or his comming home. As the paſſions of the concupiſcible appetite, and intemperancies of youth, carrie a man beyond his boundes (and therefore the Prodigall repenting, is ſaid to come to himſelf, Luk. 15. 17.) ſo likewiſe do the paſſions of the iraſcible appetite. Anger diſorders and diſcompoſes the ſpirit, as much as luxury.
Secondly, obſerve,
To perſiſt in evill is worſe than the committing if evill. The one is common to man, the other peculiar to the Devill, and his peculiars, who know no repentance. It is bad enough to doe ill, but not to returne from evill, is inexcuſable; therefore the Lord, often by his Prophets laies this, as the heavieſt charge of all, upon his people. He taxes them with their departures from him: But eſpecially with their refuſals to returne unto him, Yet have ye not returned unto me; this is more ſinfull than all the ſins you have committed, you have not returned, you goe on and perſevere in evill. The ſword of God proclaimes alike voice in our eares at this day, Return, return again. We have departed and gone away from God, let us not draw that ancient change upon our ſelves, I have ſmitten you, yet have ye not returned unto me. It is not ſinning, but not returning, which brings finall condemnation, impenitency ſeales the ſtone of deſtruction upon Perſons, and Nations.
Thirdly, whereas theſe words, Returne, let it not be iniquity, are referred to Jobs friends, as if he had ſaid, Let not this your paſſion make your ſinne fouler and greater; you have ſinned already, but if you returne not, your ſin will be iniquity ſhortly, Note,
He ſtops his ſin from b…ing an iniquity, who haſtens his returning from ſin.
Every ſin, the leaſt ſin, is ſin, as the leaſt drop of water, is water: but every ſin (in a ſtrict ſence) is not iniquity. The nature is the ſame, but the degree varies. As many a child never comes to be a man; ſo many a ſin comes not to be an iniquity. Happy …s he that taketh thoſe little ones, and daſheth them againſt the ſtones. That returnes before his ſin be iniquity.
Fourthly, obſerve further, how Job cals upon his friends, when he ſees them tranſported (as he thought) with paſſion; he leaves complaining of his owne ſorrowes, and gives them good counſell; he, for that preſent forgets his owne ruines, that he might amend them.
It is our duty to reclaime, and to appeaſe thoſe by gentle intreaties, who, we ſuppoſe, have wronged us, or gone aſtray from truth.
Job doth not raile upon or revile his friends, but beſeeches them, to be better adviſed, and conſider what they did.
Fifthly, in that he ſaith, Return, yea return again, taking this for a call to a more ſerious conſideration of the buſineſſe, we may note,
That a mans cauſe and condition must be conſidered, and conſidered again, twice, that is, fully conſidered, before he be condemned. We muſt give account of every idle word, much more then of every unjuſt ſentence or cenſure: It is but wiſdome to conſider that ſtrictly, about which we muſt give ſo ſtrict an account.
Sixthly, in that he ſaith, My righteouſneſſe is in it. Obſerve,
That a good cauſe, the more it is ſearched into, the better it will appeare; the deeper you digge into it, the more truth and holineſſe you will finde in it. Search a godly man, and the lower you goe, the better he proves; the nearer you come to his heart, the richer treaſures of grace and uprightneſſe will be diſcovered. at his tongue, or, his lips may be gilded over with good words, but Whereas take an hypocrite, and you may have a little good mettal, ſearch him to the bottome, and there is all rottenneſſe, even ſeven abominations at his heart. A godly man is not gilded, but gold. Search a Job quite through, try him to the center, righteouſneſſe is in all his wayes, the further you ſearch, the better he is, and he will be beſt of all, at laſt.
Verſ 30. Is there iniquity in my tongue? Gannot my taſte diſcerne perverſe things.Formula eſt ſeipſum compellantis & animum ſuum ſcrutantis, facta examinantis, Coc Verbaper ſtultitiam & temeritatem prolata latentis pravitatis indices.
Thus he concludes his Directory to his friends, and his preparatory for what himſelf intended to purſue in the next Chapter, Is there iniquity in my tongue? doth my tongue ſpeak unequall, or evil things? Hath any thing bin ſpoken by me againſt common right, or againſt the divine rule? hath my tongue uttered any iniquity from my heart, Hath the ſinfulneſſe of my heart broken forth at my lips? Or hath it appeared, that I have done wickedly by what I have ſaid? When my words are duly weighed, I ſhall not appeare the man you make mee.
The word ſignifies calamity or miſery, as well as iniquity, and ſo we may take it here, Is there calamity in my tongue? That is, do my words beſpeake or invite my afflictions. We finde the word uſed in that ſence, Pſal. 52. 2. Thy tongue deviſeth miſchiefe, or calamity; Iniquity deviſed or framed by the tongue is often a ſcourge upon the back, Micha 7. 3. the great man uttereth his miſchievous deſire; The miſchievous evill words of his ſoule. Is there, (ſaith Job) any ſuch miſchievous device in my tongue? Dober Havoth Naphſhi.Have I ſpoken poiſon to infect you: or blaſphemie to diſhonour God.
Cannot my taſte diſcerne perverſe things?
Cannot my taſte?] The Hebrews is, Cannot my pallate? And foreign Palatum, eleganti Metaphora, a ſenſibus externis, ad interiores tranſlata, appellat illam animae facultatem, qua juſta ab injuſtis, vera â falſis, & aequa ac recta, ab iniquis & perverſis dignoſcuntur, nonſecus ac palato cibi dulces ab amaris, &c. Merc. Habet & anima ſuum palatum.becauſe the pallate is exquiſite in taſting, therefore by a trope the organ is expreſſed for the act, Cannot my taſte diſcern, cannot my pallate, Or as others, Cannot my mouth diſcern perverſe things? That faculty of the ſoule, whereby we diſcerne or diſtinguiſh juſt from unjuſt, truth from falſe-hood, as ſweet is diſtinguiſhed from bitter, by the pallate, is elegantly called the pallate of the ſoul.
Cannot my taſte diſcern? The Hebrew is, Cannot my taste *foreign Scriptura ſaepe linguae, faucibus manibus, tribuit, quod men. tis & intellectus proprium est, ſc. med tari & intelligere. Magna est rationis & orationis cognatio.understand perverſe things? It is uſuall in Scripture to aſcribe underſtanding, not onelyonly to the ſenſes, but alſo to the tongue, and ſometimes to the hand. Underſtanding is aſcribed to the tongue, in the place before named: Pſal. 52. where the tongue is ſaid, to de viſe miſchiefe; The tongue, properly, cannot deviſe, the tongue doth but utter miſchiefe, it is the mind or heart that deviſeth. The ſhop is within, where miſchiefe is forged and framed, yet the contrivance of it, is in that text given to the tongue. There is a two-fold reaſon of it, why the holy Ghoſt attributes the worke of the underſtanding to the tongue, hand or ſenſes,
Firſt, there is a great affinity, beween reaſon and ſpeech, and therefore the tongue, which is the inſtrument of ſpeech, is honoured with the worke of the underſtanding: And ſo grat is the affinity beween reaſon and ſpeech, that no creature void of reaſon can ſpeak; Speech is a peculiar property of the rationall creature, Speech is or ought to be the immediate iſſue or birth of reaſon. Words are conceived in the mind, and born at the tongue. And words are the image of the mind. We may ſee what work is wrought in the mind, by that which is ſpoken by the tongue. The ſhape of a mans heart (when he ſpeakes himſelf) comes out at his mouth. And therefore before a man ſpeakes, he meditates. Meditation is the conception of words. As ſpeaking is the production of them. Thus the Lord charges Joſhua (Chap. 1. 8.) The book of the law ſhall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou ſhalt meditate therein day and night: One would think, it ſhould rather have been ſaid, The book of the Law ſhall not depart out of thine heart, but thou ſhalt meditate therein, or if, not cut of thy mouth, then Ita meditaberis ut exipſa cogitatione mentis efferveſcente redundent, & ebulliant in ore verba.thou ſhalt ſpeak of it. Meditation is too high a worke for the mouth, Yet, becauſe there ought to be much meditation about the Law of God, before a word of it comes out of the mouth, therefore the Lord ſaith, The book of the Law ſhall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou ſhalt meditate therein day and night; that is, as oft as thou ſhalt ſpeak, thou ſhalt meditate, thou ſhalt not ſpeake raſhly, it ſhall not be the work of thy tongue alone, but of thy mind and tongue together.
There is a ſecond reaſon, why, acts of the underſtanding are aſcribed to the tongue, or to the ſenſes; becauſe when a thing is well ſpoken, or duly acted by any ſenſe, Reaſon is the guide and the bodily Organ is under the dictates of the minde or underſtanding. So Gen. 41. 14. when old Jacob in giving the bleſſing unto Joſephs children, Manaſſeh and Ephraim, laid his right hand upon the younger, and his left hand upon the elder, the text ſaith, he made his hands to underſtand, we tranſlate, he guided his hands wittingly; there was ſo much reaſon, ſuch divine reaſon in that act of Jacobs hands, in laying his right-hand upon the younger, that the Prudenter egit manibus ſun, ac ſiiplae manus myſteriorum conſciae erant. Onkel.Hebrew gives it with this elegancie, he made his hands to underſtand; which one of the Jewiſh Writers, learnedly expounds thus, He order'd his hands wiſely, as if they had been made acquainted with that great myſtery of Gods counſels, that the greater bleſſing was the portion of the younger ſonne. And ſo the Pſalmiſt (Pſal. 78 72. ſpeaking of Davids raigne and government ſaith, He governed them by the skilfulneſſe of his hands. The Hebrew is, by the underſtanding of his hands; and more, the underſtandings of foreign In intelligentiis manuum, vel vol…rum.his hands. Or, as one renders it, The diſcretions of his hands, or the prudency of his Palmes, aſcribing all kind of politicall knowledge and underſtanding unto David. David in the outward adminiſtrations of the kingdome, acted with ſo much reaſon and juſtice, that his very hands are ſaid to underſtand; His hands underſtood more than the heads of other Princes. As Davids hands, ſo Jobs pallate or taite, had an underſtanding, Cannot my pallate underſtand?
Yet further, it is frequent in Scripture metaphorically to tranſlate things, which are only acted or apprehended by the inward ſenſes, to the outward. Taſte, properly, is of meat and drink; the humour or moiſture, which is in meats, ſutable to the ſalivall humour in the mouth, cauſeth pleaſantneſs of taſte. Here Job ſpeaks of Doctrines, or of actions, Cannot my taste diſcerne perverſe things? If a thing be perverſly or properly, truely or falſely ſpoken, cannot I taſte it quickly? And hence the word of God is compared to thoſe things, which are the object of taſte, as to milk, and to ſtrong meat, 1 Cor. 3. 2. I (ſaith the Apoſtle) have fed you with milk, and not with meat; That is, with eaſie and common truths, not with the more myſterious parts of Goſpel-knowledge, becauſe ye were not able to bear it. The taſte of ſuch myſteries was too ſtrong for your pallates. The ſame Metaphor is enlarged by the Apoſtle, Heb. 5. 12, 13, 14. And in this Book we find it more than once, Doth not the eare trie words, and the mouth taste his meat? (Job 12. 11. Chap. 34. 3.) That is, doth not the eare try words, as the mouth taſtes meat? Cannot my taste diſcern
Perverſe things?
That is, words ill ſpoken, or wrong placed. The word ſignifies foreignalſo, any calamity, or ſad accident. And ſo Mr. Broughton renders it. Cannot my pallate declare all kind of heavy ſorrowes? Do ye think I have loſt my judgment of things, and that I cannot tell, when I am pinch't or pain'd.
Firſt, in that he ſaith here, Is there iniquity in my tongue? Obſerve,
The tongue oft-times diſcovers the iniquity of the heart.
If there be iniquity in the heart, it will one time or other break forth at, and bliſter upon the tongue. He that is rotten at his heart, is commonly rotten in his talk, Matth. 12. 34. Out of the aboundance of the heart, the mouth ſpeakes. And when there is aboundance of iniquity in the heart, there is ſeldome a dearth or ſcarcity of it in the mouth: eſpecially in times of trouble, that iniquity and corruption, that diſeaſe and plague of the heart, will break forth at the lips. As, Evill words corrupt good manners; So evil words diſcover, that our manners are corrupt. There are few men, but as the Damoſel ſpake to Peter, Their ſpeech bewrayeth them, and you may ſmell the filth of their hearts by their breath. Secondly, obſerve from theſe words, Is there iniquity in my tongue?
He whoſe heart is upright, may know that he is upright.
When Job queſtions, Is there iniquity in my tongue? He reſolves; There is no iniquity in my tongue; None of that iniquity, which you charge me with. I grant a believer hath not alwaies a ſight of his own integrity and uprightneſs, many a ſoule bears falſe witneſs againſt himſelf, and oppreſſes his owne innocency: yet for the moſt part, ſincerity hath a witneſs in it ſelf, and holineſs carries a light by which it is ſeen to him that hath it. An upright heart may know his own uprightneſs.
Thirdly, in that Job is thus ſtiff, in maintaining his own uprightneſs, and in denying any iniquity to be in his tongue, Obſerve;
It is a duty to maintain our own integrity and uprightneſs.
Job was upon it before, and is now upon it again, and he will be upon it afterward, he never gives over juſtifying of himſelf againſt man, though he had not a word to plead for himſelf againſt God.
Fourthly, from the latter clauſe, Cannot my taſte diſcern perverſe things? Obſerve;
Reaſon diſtinguiſhes truth from falſhood, as the pallate diſtinguiſhes bitter from ſweet. Reaſon it is the ſouls-taster. Princes have their taſters before they eat, leaſt there ſhould be poiſon in the diſh. God hath given unto man a taſter for his ſpiritual meat. The Pope will not ſuffer the meat he provides and cooks to be taſted, but will have it ſwallowed whole, or elſe he will thruſt it whole down their throats. It is alike ſpiritual tyranny, to ſtarve ſouls, and to cram them. It is our duty, when meat is ſet before us, & we are at a full table of knowledg, where variety of doctrins and opinions are ſerved in, then to call for our taſter. We may be ſurfetted elſe, if not poiſon'd. There may be a wild guord among good hearbs in the pot, and ſo death in the pot too, therefore firſt taſte, then eat and digeſt. A Chriſtian hath a taſte to diſcern error from truth; why then ſhould he be denied the uſe of it? A woe is pronounced againſt thoſe, who offer unwholſome doctrin, Iſa. 5. 20 Wo to thoſe that call evil good, & good evil, that put light for darkneſs and darkneſs for light, that put bitter for ſweet, and ſweet for bitter. A like wo is due to them, who will not give others leave to diſcern for themſelves, what is good or evil, light or darkneſs, bitter or ſweet; as good let another live for us, as another taſte for us. And their miſery will be little leſs, then the woes of theſe men, who cannot or will not take pains to diſtinguiſh, when evill is called good and good evil, when light is put for darkneſs, and darkneſs for light, when bitter is put for ſweet, and ſweet for bitter, or (as Job ſpeaks here) whoſe taſte cannot diſcern perverſe things. There are ſome whoſe taſte is ſo far from diſcerning perverſe things, that it is eaſie to diſcern, their taſte is perverſe; for, bring them wholeſome, true and ſavoury doctrine, they ſay it is bitter, or falſe doctrine; Bring them falſe doctrin, a lie, a dream a fancie, a meer humane invention, diſh out ſuch proviſion before them, that's excellent chear. This was the heavieſt curſe, which God ſent upon the Gentiles, Rom. 1. 28. God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do thoſe things, which are not convenient, that is, to a mind void of judgement, a mind that could not taſte or diſtinguiſh things, therfore the iſſue or effect was, They did things which were not convenient; as if a man not being able to judge of meats, eats poyſon, or meats moſt contrary to his health and conſtitution. It is a fearful judgement to be given up to an unapproving mind, to a mind that cannot diſcern truth from falſe-hood, the Oracles of God, from the forgeries of men, ſuperſtition, from holy worſhip. It is a ſad thing to looſe our ſpiritual ſenſes. Such as play the wantons with the word of God, and walk below the truths they know, are at laſt given up to a reprobate mind, to a mind not able to know the word of truth, and then they ſwallow down error for truth, and ſuck in deadly poiſon, like ſweet pleaſant wine. The Apoſtle ſpeaking of the difference of doctrins, under the metaphor of meats, ſaith, Milk is for babes, but ſtrong meat is for them of full age, even for thoſe, that by reaſon of uſe, have their ſenſes exerciſed to diſcern good and evil; That is, their ſpiritual ſenſes exerciſed to taſte this, from that doctrin, and not to ſwallow every doctrin alike. It is a great bleſſing, when a people have ſenſes exerciſed; And it is a bleſſing we have much cauſe to pray for, in theſe times. That many pallats are out of taſte, is too apparent by the multitude of heterodox opinions, which go down without diſreliſh. Some, which would even make a man tremble to name them, are entertained with delight. Some, which diſſolve our comforts, and breaks us off from comfortable communion with Chriſt: Some, which ſhake, if not overthrow the very foundations of faith, are ſwallowed, as pleaſant morſels. Doth not this convince, that there's a want of Jobs taſte among us, to diſcern perverſe things. Therefore get your ſenſes exerciſed, be eſtabliſhed in the preſent truth, that, ye, as this holy man in the middeſt of all bodily diſtempers, and outward troubles (which uſually put the natural pallate out of taſte) may yet even then, as he, have your inward ſenſes exquiſite, and your ſpiritual pallate exact to diſcern right from perverſe things. Laſtly, note,
Falſe doctrine, or true doctrine falſely applied is a perverſe thing.
Falſe doctrin perverts, Firſt, Reaſon; Secondly, Scripture; Thirdly, the ſouls of men. The Apoſtle (Acts 20. 30.) prophecies to the Church of Epheſus, and with them to all Churches, That out of themſelves men ſhould ariſe, ſpeaking perverſe things to draw away diſciples after them. Holy doctrin draws men to God, and falſe doctrine draws men to man. As itching ears heap teachers to themſelves (2 Tim. 4. 3.) So falſe tongues heap diſciples to themſelves. That which is perverſe in it's nature, is perverting in its effect.