Exposition of Job 4-7, Commentary on Job · Chapter 4 · Verse 17
JOB. Chap. 4. Verſ. 17.
Shall mortall man be more juſt than God? ſhall a man be more pure than his Maker?
IN this verſe we have the argument it ſelfe, or the matter revealed in the former viſion; There was ſilence, and I heard a voyce ſaying: What that voice ſaid, we have in theſe words; Shall mortall man be more juſt than God? This is the theame or ſubject, upon which Eliphas argues; and it is the maine propoſition of the whole context. The proofe of this propoſition, was given from Divine authority, in the fore-going words; and we have a proofe Numquid homo Dei comparatione juſtificabitur. Vulg. foreign Sept. Clamabat & dicebat fierme poteſt ut homo quam Deus …urior ſit. Chald. foreign Miſer aerumnis & peccatis obnoxius. foreign quaſi foreign in quo ſenſus deſpe randi Euſebius à foreign deducit, quod …bliviſci ſignificat & foreign interpreta…ur, quaſi animal oblivioſum dicas. Druſ. foreign Min eſt comparandi particula: comparatio exprimitur per praepoſitienem ultimi caſus, juſtificatus ab illo ie prae illo. Luk. 18. 14. foreign Vir, quaſi validus, ut & latine à viribus dictus.from reaſon, in the following part of this Chapter.
Shall mortall man be more juſt than God? or, Shall man be juſtified in compariſon of God? or, Shall man be juſt before God? The Chaldee Paraphraſe is yet more quick: The Spirit cryed out and ſaid, Can it poſſibly be, that man ſhould be more pure than God?
The words are propounded by way of queſtion, we may reſolve them into this negative propoſition, Mortall man is not more juſt than God, man is not more pure than his Maker.
We tranſlate Mortall man, the Hebrew is but one word, yet in the propriety of that language, it contains both, noting man with an addition (ſuch as it is) of weakneſſe and frailty, the meaneſt and loweſt eſtate of man: Enoſh, a poor, ſick, weak, dying creature, a creature of ſo little hope, that ſome derive this name in the Hebrew, from deſperation; a creature ſo unworthy to be remembred by God, or ſo ready to forget God, that others derive it from a word, which ſignifies forgetfulneſſe, or to forget.
Shall man, this mortall man, this weake creature, be more juſt, or be juſtified rather than God? Such a ſenſe the words carry. When man and God are compared together, ſhall God be eſteemed leſſe juſt, or leſſe pure than man? (Luk. 18. 14.) it is ſaid of the Publican, that he went downe juſtified, rather than the other; put the Phariſee and the Publican in the ballance together, and the Publican was the weightier in righteouſneſſe, or the more juſt of the two: That in Luke, is an Hebraiſme, and it is the ſame with this. Put weak man and the mighty God (the word Eloha, which is here uſed for God, noteth the ſtrong God, or the mighty God) put him in the ballance of conſideration with weake man, will he not be infinitely more weighty in juſtice, more ſhining in purity, more glorious in holineſſe?
Yea, not only if you take man in his obſcureſt notion, or in this terme of extenuation, Enoſh, for a weake man, a poore creepled creeping creature; but take him in his beſt eſtate, as he is (Geber) a ſtrong man, a powerfull man, a holy man: yet as it followes in the text, ſhall man be more pure than his Maker? that is, ſhall ſuch a mighty man, a wiſe man, a learned man, a gracious man, a man accompliſhed in all naturall, in all acquired endowments, the chiefeſt and choiſeſt, the creame and flower of all the men upon the face of the earth; A Worthy of the firſt three, the Firſt of all the Worthies; A man of the firſt magnitude, of the higheſt elevation, both in parts, gifts and graces, ſhall he be more pure than his Maker? Chriſt (as incarnate or made man) is called, the Mighty God, (Iſa. 9. 6.) God made a Mighty man, or man becomming the Mighty God. The Chaldee calls all Giants, Gibbaraja; and Nimrod the firſt of the Giants, was called by this name, a Mighty hunter before the Lord, Gen. 10. 8. So then, Let man be never ſo excellent, his excellency is baſeneſſe; let him be never ſo ſtrong, ſo wiſe, ſo holy, he is but weake, fooliſh, filthy, compared with him who made him. Leave your Enoſh, your weakeling, your poore ſick creatures: bring forth your Gibers, your beſt, they are as nothing, yea leſſe than nothing before the Lord. Shall mortall man be more juſt than God? ſhall man (the beſt of men) be more pure than his Maker?
We are to marke the double oppoſition of the Text. Here is firſt, mortall, weake, ſick man, ſet in oppoſition to the ſtrong, the mighty, the all-powerfull God. And then in the ſecond place, the oppoſition is between the ſtrongeſt, the beſt, the holieſt, the wiſeſt of men, and the maker of all men. Shall mortall man, or ſhall the best of men be more juſt, more pure than God their Maker? There is a three-fold ſenſe, which we may give of the words joyntly.
Firſt, They are a deniall of all compariſon between God and man. No man may compare himſelfe with God. Shall mortall man? that is, mortall man ought not to be ſo bold, and daring as to venture upon ſuch a thing as this, to ſtand upon termes of equality with the mighty, the great, the glorious God, the Maker of all, as the Apoſtle reſolves in his own caſe, (1 Cor. 4. 4.) Though I know nothing by my ſelfe, yet am I not hereby juſtified at all, much leſſe though a man know nothing by himſelfe, will this juſtifie him in this compariſon, that he is juſt, as God is juſt.
But ſecondly, Shall mortall man be more juſt than God? It is as if he had ſaid, God who is infinite in juſtice, would never doe that which a juſt man will not doe; God who is infinite in power, would never doe that, which a weake man would not doe, ſhall weake man be more juſt than God? And ſo we may forme the argument thus;
No man, no Judge, is more juſt or incorrupt than God, who is the ſupreame and Lord chiefe Juſtice of all men. But there is no juſt Judge amongst men, who will puniſh an innocent man: therefore God doth not puniſh any one that is innocent. The conſequence or inference is plaine and cleare, for God himſelfe ſhould either be unjuſt, or he ſhould be leſſe juſt, than man is, if he ſhould doe that, which a juſt man upon true grounds would refuſe to doe. Therefore in Gen. 18. Abraham pleades with God, under that title of a juſt Judge, ſhall not the Judge of all the world doe right? As if he ſhould ſay, faithfull Judges upon the earth, will doe right, therefore ſurely he that is the Judge of all the earth will doe right; ſo Eliphaz here to Job, Never complaine as if God had done thee wrong, for certainly, the juſt God will not doe that which a juſt man would not doe: The word, whereby God is expreſt (Eloha) Eloha denotot judicem, & … quiſſimum rerum arbit…um.doth well comply with, and anſwer this ſenſe, it being properly attributed to God as a Judge, the great arbitrator and determiner, of all the cauſes and caſes of all men in the world. Shall mortall man be more juſt than God?
Thirdly, The ſenſe may be taken thus, If any man ſhould come to impleade God, or to pleade with God, if any ſhould dare to tax the Juſtice of God, or be ſo hardy to put in a bill of complaint againſt him; ſhall this man, this weake man be found more juſt in his complaining, than God hath been in ſentencing? ſhall his bill of complaint be better grounded, than the Lords award of Judgement? It is an alluſion to thoſe, who ſuppoſing they have wrong, complaine againſt the Judge, and ſay, that he hath erred in or perverted Judgement; That word (Juſtified) here uſed, ſhall man be juſtified before God? is a Judiciarie word, a Court or Law terme; foreign Ve…bum forenſe ſpectans ad innocentis abſolutionem.The ſame word, which the Holy Ghoſt uſes, in that great work of Free Grace, the juſtification of a ſinner before God; And that imports the declaring and ſetting forth of a man, to be righteous, and his cauſe good in Jeſus Chriſt, whereupon he is cleered and acquitted. When Satan accuſes or pleads againſt us, laying ſuch and ſuch ſinnes to our charge; thus and thus this man hath offended, then God is ſaid to juſtifie a man, that is, to declare him to be juſt, his ſinnes being covered, and himſelfe accepted in Jeſus Chriſt. Hence that divine challenge to all accuſers. Who ſhall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect, it is God that juſtifieth, Rom. 8. 33.
So now, if man ſhould accuſe and complaine againſt God, he hath done thus and thus in the world, afflicted a Job, troubled a righteous perſon; ſhall mortall man be more juſt than God? Shall this man in his complaint be juſtified? ſhall not God rather be juſtified againſt whom he complains? Certainly he ſhall. God ſhall be declared juſt, yea, he ſhall be declared juſt by man. A man un-ingaged and rightly principled, Such a man ſhall ſay, verily there is a God that judgeth the earth. In the judgement of man, that judgment ſhall ſpeak a God; and all ſhall be forced to Daniels mourning acknowledgement, O Lord righteouſneſſe belongeth unto thee, but unto us confuſion of face. Dan. 97. 9 We may enlighten it further by that of David (Pſ. 51. 4.) where he profeſſes thus, I will confeſſe my ſins, &c. that thou maieſt be juſtified when thou ſpeakeſt, and be cleare when thou judgeſt: as if he ſhould ſay, if hereafter thou ſhalt afflict me, and lay thy rod upon me, I know many will be ready to complaine and ſay, why doth God thus, why doth he afflict David, David a holy man, a man after his own heart: a man of whom he hath given ſuch large teſtimony, of whom he hath ſaid, I have found a man after my own heart. Now to the intent all theſe may be caſt in their ſuits, and anſwered in their complainings, I here acknowledge before all the world, that I have ſinned greatly; & therefore, though thou haſt pardoned my ſinne, and ſo wilt never charge it upon me to condemnation, nor puniſh me for it in a way of ſatisfaction; yet hereafter thou maieſt in thy fatherly wiſdome, ſee it needfull to chaſtiſe me, to prevent and purge out ſin, or to help me againſt the weakneſſe of my nature, and the ſtrength of temptation for the time to come. So here in the Text, Shall man be juſtified before God? If Job or any of his friends for him, ſhould complaine againſt God, why he being one commended and approved from the mouth of God, for a man perfect and upright, ſhould be thus afflicted; what? Shall weake Job be juſtified before God? Yea, though Job be conſidered in his greeneſt flouriſhings of grace, and higheſt pitch of his proſperity, as he was Geber indeed, the greateſt, the mightieſt man in the Eaſterne world; yet ſhall he be more pure than his Maker? No, ceaſe your complainings, God is juſt, and his honour muſt be vindicated, in what he doth, or in what he ſhall doe againſt the weakeſt, or againſt the mightieſt, againſt the meaneſt or againſt the beſt of men. God will be found juſt, and man a lyar.
Either of theſe three ſenſes are faire from the conſtruction of the Text, and may be profitable for us; I ſhall therefore draw them down into five or ſix concluſions, which will be at leaſt a portion of that marrow and fatneſſe which this Scripture yeilds us to feed upon.
Firſt, we may obſerve, That man naturally preferreth himſelfe not onelyonly above other men, but even before God himſelfe. A principle of pride dwels in our hearts by nature, which at ſome times, and in ſome caſes breeds better thoughts in us of our ſelves, than of God himſelfe. And it is this height of ſpirit, which the heavenly viſion here would levell to the ground. We know it was the firſt ſin of man, that man deſired to be like God Gen. 3. The firſt temptation was baited with a parity to the Divine powers, Ye ſhall be as Gods knowing good and evill. This alſo was the language of Lucifers heart; Thou haſt ſaid in thy heart, I will aſcend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the ſtarres of God, I will aſcend above the heights of the Clouds, I will be like the moſt high, I ſay …4. 13, 14. And the practiſe of the man of ſinne, is thus propheſied That he ſhall exalt himſelfe, above all that is called God, 2 Theſſ. 2. 4. But the heart of man is yet more mad, and hath out-growne thoſe ſinfull principles. For in troubles and temptations, when things go not according to his minde, he ſometimes hath thoughts not only that he is like God: but that he is more juſt than God, and if he had the ordering of things, he would order them better than God: he ſometime thinks himſelfe juſter than God, and if he had the puniſhing of offenders, juſtice ſhould proceed more freely and impartially than it doth: which is upon the matter, not onelyonly to exalt himſelf (as the Man of Sin doth) above Nuncupative Gods, or all that is called God, but to exalt himſelf above him who is God by nature, above the onelyonly one-moſt God. Even to ſpeak in this Dialect of higheſt blaſphemy, that he is more juſt than God, more pure than his Maker.
Secondly, Take this concluſion, That it is a moſt high preſumption, not onelyonly for low weak man, but for the beſt, the higheſt of men, to compare themſelves with God, or to have any thoughts concerning his wayes, as if they could mend them. When God cals us to amend our wayes, for us to preſume we could amend Gods wayes, is the very top branch, the higheſt tower, yea, the moſt towring Pinnacle of preſumption. We ſay amongſt men, that compariſons are odious; but this is the moſt odious compariſon of all, for a man to compare himſelfe with God, his thoughts with Gods thoughts, what he hath done or would doe, with what God doth.
If you conſider the termes of oppoſition that are in the Text, this concluſion will be more clear unto you. Conſider how Enoſh, weak mortall man is oppoſite to Elohah, the mighty, the ſtrong God; it is preſumption for a weak man to compare with a ſtrong man; what preſumption is it then, for a weake man to compare with the mighty God? for a reed to compare in ſtrength with a rock? for darkneſſe to compare with light? for a cloud to compare with the Sunne? for death to compare with life? for folly to compare with wiſdome? for uncleaneneſſe to compare with holineſſe? for nothing to compare with All, how preſuptuous? Will ye provoke the Lord: (ſaith the Apoſtle, 1 Cor. 10.) are ye ſtronger than he? It implies, that ſome ſuch thoughts lodge in man, as if he could make his partie good, with God, or might be ſtronger than he. And it is equall folly in us, and provocation againſt the Lord, to thinke our ſelves juſter, as to thinke our ſelves ſtronger than he.
And then marke the other termes of oppoſition; Man and his Maker: Shall the great man, compare with, or be more pure than his Maker? as if he ſhould ſay, How great and excellent ſoever this man is, he was made, and made by God, with whom he thus compares, than whom he thinks himſelfe more pure. And ſhall the thing formed, ſtand upon termes with him that formed it? ſhall the potſheard or the pot, contend with the Potter? what though it be an excellent veſſell; a veſſell determined for the moſt excellent ends and uſes? yet whatſoever it is, it was made to be, and made to be by God, both in its conſtitution and uſes. Shall it then boaſt it ſelfe againſt its maker? The Lord made Geber as well as Enoſh, the ſtrong man, as well as the weake, the wiſe and learned man, as well as the fooliſh and ignorant, the Noble as well as the baſe, the holy and righteous, as well as the wicked and prophane; In a word, the veſſels of honour are as much, yea more of his making than the veſſels of diſhonour, ſhall they then be more pure than their Maker? hath the Lord given more to others, than he hath in himſelfe? hath he made a creature his ſuperior, or his Peere? hath his bounty impaired his own ſtock, or hath he made man, more than God? That God hath made the beſt out of the duſt, is enough to lay all our pride and boaſting as low as the duſt. That, what we are, we are from another, ſhould ever keep us humble in our ſelves.
Thirdly, Take this Concluſion, That God in himſelfe is moſt juſt and pure. Shall mortall man be more juſt than God? The queſtion hath this poſition in it, that God is infinitely juſt, infinitely pure, therefore he is perfectly pure, perfectly juſt. God is eſſentiall Juſtice, eſſentiall purity; Juſtice and purity are not qualities in God, but they are his very nature; A man, may be a man and yet be unjuſt, but God cannot be God and be unjuſt; A man, may be a man and yet impure, but God cannot be God and be impure, ſo that Juſtice and purity are not qualities or accidents in God, but his very eſſence and being; deſtroy or deny the purity and Juſtice of God, and you put God out of the world, as much as in you lies: for he cannot be God, unleſſe he be both juſt to others, and pure in himſelfe.
Fourthly, Take this concluſion, The beſt men compared with God are evill, and the holieſt are impure. Not onelyonly is it preſumption but a lye, for men to compare with God; ſhall mortall man be more juſt than God? It is as if he ſhould ſay, man hath no Juſtice at all compared with God, ſhall man be more pure than his Maker? Man compared with his Maker, hath no purity at all, not ſo much as a name or a ſhadow of Juſtice, and purity, compared with God: though it be ſomewhat in it ſelfe, yet it is nothing before him: In thy ſight, or before thee, ſhall no fleſh living be justified, or be juſt. All that righteouſneſſe and purity, which God hath put into the creature, is but as the light of a candle, to the light Humana juſtitic divinae comparata injuhitia eſt; qu…a et lu…e…a in tenebr… … cerni…u…, … in ſolis radio poſita tenebratur. Greg.of the Sunne, the candle hath no light in it, compared to the Sunne; the candle enlightens the night, but a thouſand candles cannot a day, or make the day lighter then it is; Sun-light overcomes and ſwallowes up candle-light: The Starres helpe us to ſee in the dark, but in the bright day time, the Starres themſelves cannot be ſeene: ſo all creature purity diſappeares and vaniſheth, vvhen once vve looke upon the purity of God, who is light, and in vvhom there is no darkneſſe at all. The Apoſtle Paul hath a parallel expreſſion (2 Cor. 3. 10.) ſpeaking of the adminiſtration of the Jewiſh ceremoniall, earthly ſhadowes, and the adminiſtration of light in Goſpell heavenly ordinances; Even that which was made glorious, had no glory in this reſpect, by reaſon of the glory that excelleth: I doe not deny (ſaith he) but there was great glory in the Jewiſh Church; Gods inſtitution ſtampt excellency upon the worſhip of the Jewes; Their Ceremonies were made glorious; but if you vvill compare Jewiſh vvorſhip to Chriſtian vvorſhip, it hath no glory in it at all; that which was made glorious, had no glory by reaſon of the glory that excelleth, that is, Goſpell glory. So vve may ſay, man who vvas made glorious, man vvho was made gracious and juſt, hath no grace, no juſtice, no glory in him, in compariſon of that glory which doth excell; namely that juſtice and purity, which is in God. God is ſo true, that all men are lyars, Rom. 3. 4. So righteous, that all mans righteouſneſſes are a filthy Cajus participatione juſti ſunt, ejus comparatione nec juſti ſunt. Aug. lib. ad Oroſium. c. 20.ragge. Iſa. 64. 6. Man, who is juſt by participation from God is not juſt in compariſon of God.
The fifth Concluſion is this, and it is the principall point which we are to receive and attend from this Text. God is ſo juſt, ſo pure in himſelfe, that he nether doth, nor can doe wrong to any creature: In this truth, Eliphaz aimes to inſtruct Job chiefely; for he ſuppoſed, that Job had complained of God, as if he had done him wrong, wherefore he ſpeakes reprovingly and chidingly, ſhall mortall man be more juſt than God? as if he ſhould ſay, art thou ſo groſſe as to charge God with doing thee an injury? It is impoſſible that God ſhould doe any man wrong? (de Facto) he doth no man wrong, and, (de Poſſe) he cannot wrong any man. The power of God is ſeene moſt in this, that he cannot doe any evill; This impotencie (if we may ſo call it) is the ſtrength of God; yea the omnipotency of God conſiſts in this, that he can doe no wrong. We have a Maxime of ſtate amongſt us, (and it is the glory of the Kings of this Nation) we ſay, The King can doe no wrong; but it is not to be underſtood as this, God can doe no wrong; we know Kings are men, and that's enough to prove they may doe wrong: As to ſay, the Lord is God, is enough to prove, that he cannot. Princes have a naturall power to doe evill, but (which is his glory) God hath not. The meaning then is, the King hath not any civill power to doe wrong; the Law hath ſo bounded, ordered and directed him; The conſtitution of the Kingdome hath given him the advice of Parliaments and Counſellours, the aſſiſtance of Judges and Officers, he acts by others: ſo that The failings of his Miniſters doe the ſubject wrong, the regall power doth it not. But when we ſpeake thus of God, we meane it of his naturall power, which being eſſentially and infinitely juſt and good, as well as ſoveraigne and ſupreme, there is not the leaſt imaginable ſeed in him, which ſhould be procreative of the leaſt injuſtice: Therefore the Scripture deſcribes the Lord, juſt and holy, not only in his nature, but in all his works and wayes, Pſal. 145. 17. The Lord is righteous in all his wayes, and holy in all his works. And this implyes, not onelyonly that all the wayes, wherein the Lord walks, are righteous, and the works he doth, holy: but that he can goe in no way but a righteous way, nor doe any worke in the creature, but a worke of holineſſe. Not onelyonly is that juſt and holy, which the Lord doth, but let the Lord doe what he will, that will be juſt and holy.
And here give me leave, ſomewhat to enlarge this, and plead for God againſt ſome objections, which are made by the men of the world, and ſome temptations which Satan will urge ſtrongly upon the hearts of thoſe, who feare God; by which (poſſibly) they may be ſo entangled and gravel'd, that they know not how to extricate themſelves, or make out the juſtice of God, in his adminiſtrations towards men.
For firſt it will be objected, Is God ſo juſt, that he neither doth nor can doe injuſtice to the creature? How comes it to paſſe, that both the righteous and the wicked, fall under the ſame judgement: if the judgement be right upon a wicked man, ſurely it cannot be right upon the righteous man; Is God righteous and juſt, when they who differ as much as Heaven and Hell, as light and darkneſſe, doe yet meete (as it were) under the ſame act of God, and are wrapt together in the ſame ſentence? If it be Juſtice upon the wicked, if it be their portion, how can it be the portion of the righteous, or an award of Juſtice upon them? As Abraham pleaded with God, (Gen. 18. 25.) Shall the righteous be ſlaine or periſh with the wicked? that be farre from thee to doe in this manner, ſhall not the Judge of all the earth doe right? as if he ſhould ſay, if thou doeſt involve a juſt man, and a wicked man in one and the ſame judgement, this is not to doe as a righteous Judge, farre be it from thee to doe ſuch a thing. Yet we ſee in frequent experiences, that the ſame judgement falleth upon the righteous and the wicked; By ſword, famine, peſtilence, by ſtormes at Sea and enemies at Land, both are overtaken and fall together. Is this unerring Juſtice?
Juſtiee is to give every one his portion, his due. And God hath Juſtitia eſt ſuum cui que … buere.given this exact diſtribution in charge, to the Prophet, he muſt ſay ſo, and will not the Lord doe ſo? (Iſa. 3. 10, 11.) Say ye to the righteous, it ſhall be well with him, for they ſhall eate the fruit of their doings; woe unto the wicked, it ſhall be ill with him, for the reward of his hands ſhall be given him; But how doe the diſpenſations of God, anſwer this direction to man, when his providence ſeemes to huddle up all together, to make the ſame portion ſerve, both the righteous and the wicked?
I anſwer it firſt in the generall, and then in ſome particulars. In the generall, the troubles of the righteous are good for them, and therefore they have that which is promiſed; God ſaith, ſay to the righteous it ſhall be well with him: when a righteous man is troubled, it is vvell with him; therefore he hath that, which God promiſeth him; and when a wicked man proſpereth, it is ill with him, therefore he hath that, vvhichwhich God thratneth againſt him. Outward mercy is judgement to wicked men, and their proſperity is their undoing: therefore, do not think that God varies a tittle from the tenour of his word, when he ſaith, it ſhall be ill with wicked men, and yet you ſee them proſper; for it is never worſe with them, then when they proſper, then when they think it is beſt, and when the world thinks ſo too; the proſperity of fools ſhall deſtroy Prov. 1.them; and what proſperity is there in deſtruction? The meat in their mouthes, is as a ſword in their bowels. If you ſaw the Lord formally ſending a Sword to devoure wicked men, you would think it juſtice: the proſperity of wicked men is as ſharpe as a Sword, that can but deſtroy, and ſo doth this; It is their judgement, that they are without judgements, and not to be ſmitten is their ſcourge.
Now more particularly to anſwer this objection about the juſtice of God. And it will be but needfull, conſidering the times we live in, threaten us with a common deluge, or an overflowing ſcourge, vvhichwhich may ſweep away both good and bad together.
Firſt, in reference to the godly. Are they in a ſad eſtate outwardly? are they in great afflictions? I anſwer, though they are afflicted, yet they proſper. When they are impoveriſhed, they are enriched, when they are as having nothing, they poſſeſſe all things. What is there? vvhat can there be, even in their ſaddeſt eſtate, which doth not conduce to their good, vvhichwhich will not be a benefit unto them?
For firſt, their troubles are but trials; now is there any hurt in a triall, or perturbation in a probation? Troubles try their graces, and their corruptions too. Trouble tryes grace that it may be honour'd, and corruption that it may be mortified; there is no hurt in all this: rather it is a moſt happy condition, which makes grace conſpicuous: whereby a mans beſt ſide, his inſide (wherein his glory lies, The Kings Daughter is glorious within) is turned outward. That Scripture (Dan. 11. 33, 34, 35.) is very pregnant to the point in hand; where the Prophet foretelling troubleſome times, ſaith, They that underſtand amongst the people ſhall inſtruſt many, yet they ſhall fall by the ſword, and by flame, by captivity and by ſpoyle many dayes: They that underſtand, that is, godly men ſhall fall by theſe judgements, ſome of them by the ſword, they ſhall utterly be cut off; ſome by flame, they ſhall be burnt to aſhes: others by captivity and by ſpoile, their eſtates ſhall be plundered, their perſons impriſoned. How doth this anſwer the juſtice of God (will carnall reaſon object) that it ſhall be thus ill, with the righteous, to whom the Lord promiſeth it ſhall be well? Yes, well enough. For it followeth, Now when they ſhall fall, they ſhall be holpen with a little helpe, and ſome of them of underſtanding ſhall fall, (that is, by captivity, and by ſpoile) to try them, and to purge them, and to make them white. Here are two remarkable ends, why They of underſtanding, fall into theſe evils. Firſt, for probation, to try them. Secondly, for cleanſing and purgation, to purge them and make them white. Gold is never wrong'd, by being tryed. A ſpotted garment, a diſtempered body, are not damnified by waſhing, or by purging. To be freed from filth without, and bad humours within the body, is more then a common favour. How high an act of favour then is it, to have ill humours and filthy ſpots waſhed, purged out of the ſoule? Such baſe humours a good man may have, as call for theſe ſtrong working pils, Spoyling and Captivity, to caſt them out. Now thoſe men of underſtanding have no more hurt intended them by God, when they fall into ſpoilers hands, then when a diſeaſed body fals into a Phyſitians hand, or when a defiled garment fals into a Fullers hand; ſc. to purge and make them white. Affliction is a cleanſer. Chriſt is the onelyonly lavatory, and his blood the onelyonly Fountaine to waſh away the guilt of ſinne; yet God hath other Fountains and Lavatories, to waſh away the pollution of ſin: That blood cleanſes in this ſenſe alſo, principally; and all the waters or fires of affliction have no efficacy at all, to refine or cleanſe, but in vertue of that blood. A Croſſe without a Chriſt never made any man better: But with Chriſt, all are made better by the Croſſe. We may then ſay at leaſt, that it is well with the righteous in affliction, foraſmuch as (through the bleſſing of God) they are bettered by affliction. When you ſee a godly man caſt out in the open aire, and having the waters of ſorrow powred continually upon him, know that he is only laid out a whitening, and will appeare ſhortly more reſplendant then ever.
Secondly, afflictions are ſent to humble. Pride is ſuch a weed, as often growes in the beſt ſoyle: Now that which humbleth us cannot hurt us; we loſe nothing by the abatements of our pride: no, the more pride loſes, the more we gain. And we ſeldome or never loſe any thing, but by pride. Now ſaith God, Deut. 8. 1. If you would have an account, vvhy I brought my people about in the wilderneſſe, through ſo many difficulties; know, this vvas my deſigne, it was to humble them. God reſiſts pride whereſoever he findes it (they in vvhom pride totally prevailes, are Gods enemies and he reſiſts them) they in vvhom pride hath ſome, yea great prevalency, may be Gods friends, and God will reſiſt pride in them: the difference is obſervable betvveen reſiſting of pride, and reſiſting the proud; the reſiſting of the perſon, and the reſiſting of the ſin. The great reſiſtance, vvhichwhich God makes againſt the pride of mans heart, is by the rods of affliction; he vvhips them into humility, and by taking away carnall comforts, takes them off from carnall confidence. And O bleſſed affliction which makes us leſſe to our ſelves, and all creatures leſſe to us. We are never ſo much in Gods eye, as vvhen vve are leaſt in our own: nor have vve ever ſo much of God, as vvhen vve expect little, or leaſt from man; ſay therefore it is well with the righteous, vvhen they are in the deeps of affliction; for it is but to bring them off their Mountaines of pride, that they may be exalted in the ſtrength and love of God, even upon the Mountain of his Holineſſe and their glory for ever.
Thirdly, Afflictions bring the Saints nearer to God. Troubles abroad cauſe the ſoule to looke inwards and homewards. Is there any hurt in being brought neerer to God? It is good for me to draw neer unto God, ſays David; and it is good for us to be drawn neer unto God, if vve vvill not come of our ſelves: It is a deſireable violence, vvhichwhich compels us heaven-ward. Heaven is but our neareſt being unto God; and by how much vve are nearer God on earth, ſo much the more vve have of Heaven, upon earth. Afflictions (as in the Prodigals example) put us upon thoughts of returing to God, and the more vve returne, the nearer vve are unto him; returning thoughts vvill not reſt, but under our fathers roofe: yea, returning thoughts vvill not reſt, till vve are got into our fathers armes, or under the ſhadow of his wing, and this a happy condition indeed. As it vvas vvith Noahs Dove (Gen. 8. 9.) vvhen ſhe vvas ſent forth of the Ark, ſhe could finde no place for the ſoal of her foot to reſt on; ſhe knew not vvhether to go, for the vvaters vvere on the face of the whole earth; therefore ſhe returneth back, and comes hovering about the Ark, as deſiring to be taken in: but after the vvaters vvere aſſwaged, he ſent out a Dove, vvhichwhich returned to him no more. So when it is faire weather in the world, calme and ſerene; even Doves keepe off from God; and though they goe not quite away from him, yet they are not ſo deſirous of comming to him: but when we finde a deluge in the world, ſuch ſtormes and tempeſts of trouble, that we know not where to fix our ſouls for a day, then we come as the Dove fluttering about the Ark, and cry to our Eternall Noah, that we may be near him, yea, within, with him. Wicked men (like the Raven, which Noah ſent out firſt, Verſe 7. and returned not againe) care not for the Ark of Gods preſence in the greateſt troubles: to be neare God is more troubleſome to them, then all their troubles. But Believers, like the Dove, will look home (at leaſt) in foul weather. God is their chiefe friend at all times, and their onelyonly friend in ſad times. Is there any harme in this? Chriſt ſends a ſtorme, but to draw his back to the Ark; That, at the laſt, where he is, there they may be alſo.
Laſtly, we may ſay it is well with the righteous in their worſt condition of outward trouble, becauſe, God is with them; It can never be ill with that man, with whom God is. It is infinitely more to ſay, I will be with thee, then to ſay, peace is with thee, health is with thee, credit is with thee, honour is with thee. To ſay, God is with thee, is all theſe, and infinitely more. For in theſe you have but a particular good, in God you have all good: when God ſayes, I will be with you, you may make what you will out of it; ſit down and imagine with your ſelves whatſoever good you can deſire, and it is all comprehended in this one word, I will be with thee. Now God who is with the righteous at all times, is moſt with them in worſt times; then he ſaith in a ſpeciall ſenſe, I will be with thee. When thou paſſeſt through the waters, I will be with thee. When thou walkeſt thhough the fire, thou ſhalt not be burnt, &c. Iſa. 43. 2. When a mighty winde paſſed before Eliah, it is ſaid, That God was 1 Kings 19.not in the winde: and when the Earthquake ſhook the Hils, and a conſuming fire appeared, it is ſaid, God was not in the Earthquake, not in the fire. God joynes not with outward troubles, for the terror of his people, but he joynes with outward troubles, for the comfort of his people. So he is in the fire, and in the winde, and in the Earthquake, and his preſence makes the fire but as a warme Sunne; the ſtormy winde, a refreſhing gale; and the Earthquake, hut a pleaſant dance.
So much for the removing of this objection, and clearing up the juſtice of God, reſpecting the afflictions of the righteous.
If any ſhall look on the other hand upon wicked men, as if God came not home in his juſtice, vvhile he ſuffers them to proſper.
Firſt I anſwer, their proſperity ſerves the providence of God, and therefore it doth not croſſe his juſtice. That, vvas Nebuchadnezars caſe, (Iſa. 10. 6.) I will ſend him (ſaith God) againſt an hypocriticall nation: ſo then, he muſt proſper vvhile he goes upon Gods errand: but mark vvhat followes (Verſe 12.) It ſhall come to paſſe, that when the Lord hath performed his whole worke upon Mount Zion, ſc. by Nebuchadnezars power, vvho vvas but doing the juſt vvork of God, vvhile he thought ambitiouſly of doing his own, (novv it is no injuſtice for God, to give an inſtrument power to do his work) and vvhen his bloody luſt hath performed the holy vvork of God, you ſhall ſee the Lord will take an order vvith him ſpeedily, For) then ſaith the Lord, I will puniſh the fruit of the ſtout heart of the King of Aſſyria, and the glory of his high looks; God let him alone to doe the work, he had ſet him about; and it was a righteous work of God upon his people, though Nebuchadnezzar went about it, wlth a proud and malicious ſpirit againſt his people.
Secondly, the proſperity of wicked men ſerveth them, but as an opportunity, to ſhew how wicked and vile they are; to act and publiſh the ſeven abominations of their own hearts. Now as it is one of the greateſt mercies under Heaven, for a man to have his luſts quite mortified; ſo it is a very great mercy, for a man to have his luſts, but, reſtrained: It is a mercy for a man, to have that fuell taken away from his corruptions, upon which they feed: therefore it muſt needs be wrath and judgement upon wicked men, when God in ſtead of reſtraining their luſts, giveth them opportunity to inlarge their luſts, and layes the reines on their neck, to run whether and which way they pleaſe, without ſtop or controule. This is wrath, and high wrath, a ſore judgement, the ſoreſt judgement that can fall upon them: wherefore when vve thinke they are in a moſt proſperous condition they are in the moſt dreadfull condition, they are but filling themſelves with ſin, and fitting themſelves for deſtruction. Many a mans luſts are altogether unmortified, which yet are chill'd and overawed by judgements. And there is more judgement in having liberty to commit one ſinne, then in being ſhut up under the iron barres and adamantine neceſſities of a thouſand judgements: He that is Satans treaſury for ſin, ſhall be Gods treaſury for wrath.
Thirdly, Their proſperity is the judiciary hardning of their hearts, and a hard heart, is the greateſt judgment on this ſide Hell; As there is a naturally inbred and ſinfully acquired hard heart, ſo there is a judicially hardned, or a divinely inflicted hard heart: When to a naturall hard heart, and an acquired hard heart, which men get by many repeated acts of ſin, the Lord adds a judicially hardned, or inflicted hard heart, then wrath is heated to the hotteſt, and judgment is within one ſtep of Hell. Eſpecially if we conſider, that every houre of ſuch proſperous impenitence, and hardneſſe of heart encreaſes puniſhment, and adds to the treaſury of that wrath, which is ſtored up againſt the day of wrath, and the revelation of the righteous judgment of God. Who thinks that man happy, who is let alone only to gather a mighty pile of wood, and other fuell of flames to burne himſelfe? while ungodly men ſaem to the world to be gathering riches, honour and pleaſure, hey are but gathering a heap of wrath, and a pile of fire; which at the laſt will flame ſo bright, that it will make a revelation, of the (formerly ſecret, but) ever righteous judgement of God.
Laſtly, To ſhew that God is juſt in all his dealings, both the righteous and the wicked, learne, from the end of both. That we may fully diſcover the Juſtice of God, we muſt looke upon all his works together; while we looke only upon ſome particular peece of Gods dealings with a godly man, he may ſeeme to deale very hardly with him: or if we looke but upon ſome particular peece of his dealings with a wicked man, God may ſeeme very gentle and kind towards him: but take all together, and the reſult is exact juſtice. It was a good ſpeech of a moderne writer, We muſt Non eſt judicandum de operibus Dei ante quintum actum. Per. Mart.not judge of the works of God, before the fifth act, that is, the laſt act or concluſion of all. This, and that part may ſeeme diſſonant and confuſed, but lay them all together, and they are moſt harmonious and methodicall: Hence David (Pſal. 37.) after he had a great diſpute with himſelfe, about the troubles of the righteous and the proſperity of the wicked, and was put hard to it, how to make out the Juſtice of God, reſolves all in the cloſe with this advice (ver. 37.) Marke the perfect man, and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace. Though a righteous man die in warre, yet, his end is peace, whereas though a wicked man die in peace, yet his end is warre. It is ſaid (Deut. 8. 16.) that all which God did to his people in the wilderneſſe, was, that he might doe them good at the latter end. Come to the end therefore, and there you ſhall find juſtice viſible: We often looſe the ſight of juſtice, in our travailes and paſſage through the world, mountaines and hils interpoſe, which we cannot ſee over or through; but when we come home, and arrive at the end of our travailes, Juſtice will appeare in all her ſtate and glory, rendring to every man according to his deedes; To them who hy patient continuance in well doing, ſeeke for glory, and honour, and immortality, eternall life; but unto them that are contentious and doe not obey the truth, but obey unrighteouſneſſe, indignation and wrath.
Joſhua concludes the ſtory of the people of Iſrael, in their paſſage to Canaan, with the higheſt teſtimonies of Gods juſtice and faithfulneſſe; though God dealt with them ſo variouſly in the wildernes that they often murmured in their tents, as if he had done them wrong, yet in the cloſe you ſhall find, how exact and punctuall the Lord was with them, (Joſh. 21. 45.) There failed not ought of any good thing which the Lord had ſpoken to the houſe of Iſrael, all came to paſſe: And in that other text, Joſh. 23. 14 Behold this day I am going the way of all the earth, and you know in all your hearts, and in all your ſoules, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things, which the Lord your God ſpake concerning you, all are come to paſſe unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof. How admirably juſt was God in his word? If a man promiſe many things, we take it well if he performe ſome of the chiefe, and them in the chiefe, though ſome what may faile. God promiſed many things, and performed all, and which is more, all of every one, of thoſe many things promiſed. The texts compared, make this out, the one ſaying, That not one thing failed of all the good things, which God ſpake concerning them. And the other, That not ought of any good thing failed. So then, they had every good thing in kind, with each particular part and degree of every good thing: And for the truth of all this, Joſhua makes his appeale to themſelves, and to that in themſelves, which was beſt able to determine it, All their hearts, and all their ſoules; which words doe not only referre to every perſon, as if the meaning were, The hearts and ſoules of you all; but rather to all that is in every perſon, All their hearts, and all their ſoules, that is, underſtandings, memories, conſciences. affections, yea ſences, their eyes and eares, their hands and mouthes, could bring in witneſſe from their ſeverall operations, to this great truth. And ſurely God in the end will deale as well with every Iſraelite, as he did with all Iſrael: A time will come, it will come ſhortly, when every Saint ſhall ſay, in all their hearts and in all their ſoules, that not one thing nor ought of any one good thing, which the Lord hath ſaid concerning them, hath failed. I ſhut up this, in the words of Chriſt to his Diſciples, when they were amuſed about that act of his, the waſhing of their feet, (John 13. 7.) What I doe, ye know not now, but ye ſhall know hereafter. Stay but a while, and all thoſe myſteries and riddles of providence ſhall be unfolded. Though clouds and darkneſſe are round about him, yet Judgement and Juſtice are the habitation of his Throne, Pſal. 97. Mortall man never had, and at laſt ſhall ſee he had no reaſon, to complaine of God; mortall man ſhall not be more juſt than God; nor ſhall man be more pure than his maker. And ſo much for the fifth Concluſion, That God neither doth nor can doe any injuſtice to the creature, he is juſt in his nature, juſt and holy in all his wayes.
The ſixth or laſt Concluſion is this, That to complaine of Gods Iuſtior ſit oportet qui immeri…ò affligitur quâ qui immerio affligit.dealing with us, is to make our ſelves more juſt and pure than Gods or, when any perſon or people complaine of Gods diſpenſations toward them, they (though not formally, yet by way of interpretation) make themſelves more juſt and pure than God. This was the point wherein Eliphaz labours much, to convince Job, ſuppoſing that he had thus exalted himſelfe againſt God, by theſe grievous complainings of his preſent ſtate, in the fore-going Chapter; There is a truth in the propoſition, though not in the application, as hath often been hinted. Jobs complaints were bitter, from the ſenſe of his paines, not from any prejudice in his underſtanding. Quiſq…is de perſec…tione murmurat▪ quid aliud quam judicium fe…ientis a…uſat, purior…m ergo ſe vir factore ſuo exiſtimat ſi contra flagellum qurelam parat, camque ſibi proculdubio poſt ponit, c… jus judicium de ſua afflictione r…d…gui…. G…eg.He ever preſerved high and holy thoughts of God, The leaſt ſuſpition of whoſe righteous dealings, is to make our ſelves, by ſo much more righteous, then he. The reaſon is cleere, for, he that complaines thus, thinks ſome wrong is done him; Now he that complaines of wrong, would be thought more juſt, than he of whoſe wronging him, he complaines: Whoſoever murmurs or repines at what God doth ſecretly ſaith (this voice is in it) that he could doe better, or that God ought: He that ſpeaks againſt the rod, ſpeaks againſt him that ſmites with the rod, He that ſweares by Heaven, ſweares by the Throne of God, and by him that ſitteth thereon, ſaith Chriſt; And ſo, he that accuſes the rod of God, accuſes the work of God, and God that wrought it: He thinks himſelfe more pure then his Maker, who is diſpleaſed with God, as a correcter: To diſapprove any thing which God doth, is to approve our ſelves before God. It is ſeaſonable for us to look to our hearts in ſuch a time as this; it is a time of temptation, let us not by our murmurings, make it a time of provocation: Poſſibly we may often ſee cauſe to complaine of men, but we can never have cauſe to complaine of God. There is but little good got by complaining of creatures but how much guilt and miſery gets he, who complaines of his Creator? For a man to complaine to man, is in ſome caſes neceſſary, but it is beſt in all caſes, to complaine to God, and the worſt of any caſe, to complaine (though ſilently) of God. So then, complaine of man to God, rather then of man, to men; complaine often to God, but never of God: Complaine before God, and tell him, that, ſuch have dealt negligently, ſuch falſely, ſuch unjuſtly, ſuch cruelly; But alwayes ſay, Lord thou haſt done juſtly, even by thoſe who are unjuſt; Lord thou haſt done gratiouſly, even by thoſe who are wicked; Lord thou haſt done holily, even by the hand of thoſe who are unholy; and thou haſt dealt faithfully, though theſe have been treacherous. Thus let us complaine to God, but not of God. Every complaint of God will be interpreted, a ſecret juſtification of our ſelves, and a condemnation of the righteous God. Man is then worſe then a Devill, when he would make himſelfe better then God: Nothing pollutes man, ſo much as this thought, that there is unrighteouſneſſe in God: Nothing debaſes the creature ſo much, as that thought, deſire or act, wherein he prefers and exalts himſelfe above the Creator.
Thus we have opened the generall propoſition: The probation of it, from the vaſt difference between men and Angels, is proſecuted at large, in the latter part of the Chapter.