Exposition of Job 4-7, Commentary on Job · Chapter 5 · Verses 19-21

Exposition of Job 4-7 · Commentary on Job · Chapter 5 · Verses 19-21

p. 336JOB, Chap. 5. Verſ. 19, 20, 21.

He ſhall deliver thee in ſix troubles, yea in ſeven there ſhall no evill touch thee.

In famine he ſhall redeem thee from death, and in war from the power of the the ſword.

Thou ſhalt be hid from the ſcourge of the tongue, neither ſhalt thou be afraid of deſtruction when it cometh.

ELiphaz ſtill proſecuteth his former Argument, to take Job off from deſpiſing the chaſtnings of the Almighty ſpoken of at the 17^th verſe. And having ſhewed, firſt in generall, that they are happy whom the Lord corrects: and ſecondly, That the Lord heals as well as wounds, is as ready to bind up as to make the ſore; he illuſtrates this by giving,

Firſt, An aſſurance of deliverance from evill, and that

1. In the generall, at the 19^th verſe.

2. By an enumeration of particular caſes of greateſt dangers and outward evills.

And ſecondly, to ſhew the happineſſe of thoſe whom God corrects, he gives an aſſurance of poſitive bleſſings, which ſhall in due time be heaped upon their heads, whom God had before wounded with ſorrows, and loaded with afflictions.

The nineteenth verſe is a promiſe of deliverance from evill; p. 337He ſhall deliver thee from ſix troubles, yea in ſeven there ſhall no evill touch thee.

To deliver, notes here, the ſnatching or pulling of a man out of foreign Spoltavit, rapuit, eripuit tanquam ab hoſte …ut malo. Eripere praedam. foreign Auguſtia, interdum ſignificat hoſtem, quaſi anguſtiatorem dicasthe hand of an enemy, out of the mouth of danger.

The Hebrew word for [Trouble] comes from a roote, which ſignifies to ſtraiten or to narrow a thing up in a little compaſſe; and ſo by a metaphor, to vex and trouble, becauſe they who are ſtraitned in any kind, are pained and troubled. And when we heare of any in trouble, we uſually ſay, ſuch are in ſtraits. And this word is often tranſlated, a ſtrait, (2 Sam. 24. 14.) I am in a great ſtrait, ſaith David, when he was put upon that hard election, between ſword, peſtilence and famine. So Judg. 11. 7. and 1 Sam. 13. 6.

The holy language, expreſſes an enemy or adverſary by this word, becauſe an enemy puts us upon ſtraits, and ſo, to much trouble.

And to raiſe the force of this word to the higheſt, it is uſed to ſignifie the pangs and throwes of women in child-bearing, in which the mother labours in grievous ſtraits, while the infant labours for enlargement. Troubles ever meet us in, or bring us into ſtraits, they may well change names, which are ſo neere in nature; I find the word ſo tranſlated here in ſome books, He ſhall deliver thee in ſix ſtraits, and in ſeven, when thou art ſo encompaſt about, ſhut in and incircled by evils on every ſide, that thou knoweſt not which way to move or turne, much leſſe to get out, then the Lord will give enlargement, and either find a way out for thee, or make one, as he did for Iſrael at the red ſea, through thoſe mighty waters.

In ſix, yea in ſeven.] This phraſe of ſpeech, is very conſiderable. Some numbers in Scripture, have a kind of eminency or excellency in them: I intend not any large diſcourſe about numbers; only in briefe. Thoſe three numbers, Three, Six and Seven, are applied to a ſpeciall ſignification by the Holy Ghoſt. A great number, a perfect number, is expreſſed by any one of theſe three numbers; A three-fold cord, (that is, a cord of many or ſufficient folds) is not eaſily broken, Eccleſ. 4. 12. Three times thou ſhalt keepe a feaſt to me in the yeare, Exod. 23. 14. Three times in a yeare all thy males ſhall appeare before the Lord, ver. 17. The candleſtick had three branches, Exod. 25. 32. and three cubits was the height of the Altar, Exod. 27. 1. Three Cities of refuge were appontinted for p. 338the manſlayer, Deut. 19. 7. and the addition made, is of another three. ver. 9. Three witneſſes gave the compleateſt evidence requireable, as Two, the leaſt admittable in the law, Deut. 17. 6. That (beſides a rule) there was a myſtery in moſt of theſe, I think no man doubts, though what the myſtery was, may be preſumption in any man to determine. Of this we are ſure, that the higheſt myſtery, and perfection of all numbers and things, is found in One Three. That Three in One, The ſacred Trinity; And in the common ſpeech of moſt, if not of all languages, Thrice happy, Thrice great, Thrice honourable, note a man advanced to the very pinnacle of Happineſſe, Greatneſſe and Honour, The number Three, or the Numeral Thrice, imply a compleatneſſe in all numbers.

That the number ſix notes perfection, may be ſeene in the work of Creation; The Lord could as eaſily have made the world in ſix or in one moment, as in ſix dayes: but the Lord ſaw it good, to take a compleate number of dayes, for ſo compleate a worke. God threatens Gog, his perfect and compleate enemy, with a compleate puniſhment, or with judgement in perfection. (The juſtice of God can be as compleate in puniſhing, as the malice of man can be in ſinning.) Ezek. 39. 2. I am againſt thee O God, the chiefe Prince of Meſhech and Tubal, I will turne thee backe, and leave but the ſixth part of thee, ſo we tranſlate; yet in the margin of our books, we find the Hebrew thus; I will ſtrike thee with ſix plagues, or, I will draw thee back with a hooke of ſix teeth.

Seven is a famous number, implying, Firſt multitude, Secondly perfection: The barren hath borne ſeven (ſaith Hannah in her ſong, 1 Sam. 2. 5.) that is, many ſhe is a compleate mother, ſhe hath a flouriſhing family, many children. And in oppoſition to this (Jer. 15. 9.) She that hath born ſeven languiſheth, that is, ſhe that had many children, now hath none. Seven devils were caſt out of the woman (Luk. 8. 2.) that is, a multitude of devils: So the ſeven Spirits, the ſeven Churches, the ſeven Trumpets, the ſeven Seales, the ſeven Vials, &c. in the Revelation, ſpeake the compleatneſſe and perfection of each in their kind; whether good or evill: and that is appliable to the particular ſenſe of the text, (Prov. 24. 16.) The juſt falleth ſeven times a day; that is, he falleth often, almoſt continually into trouble, and yet he riſes againe, God delivers him. The Hebrew word Shebange, is neere in ſound to our Engliſh ſeven; and to note that ſeven p. 339is a compleate full number, the ſame Hebrew word ſignifies ſeven, and full, ſeven and ſatisfied or compleate. And the word to ſwear, foreign Septem foreign Saturatus, impletus, abundavit foreign Juravit, inde juramentem, a Septenario numero ut quidam patant, quod juramenta fieri debeant multis adhibitis & idoneis multum que confirmatis teſtibus et cauſis.is of the ſame extraction in that language, with the word ſeven; the reaſon is added, becauſe in or about an oath, many and important cauſes and grounds are required.

But to paſſe from ſingle numbers, I ſhall conſider them in conſtruction or conjunction, as here ſix and ſeven. He ſhall deliver thee in ſix troubles, yea in ſeven there ſhall no evill touch thee: Some underſtand this ſtrictly and preciſely of thoſe two numbers ſix and ſeven; And expound the text by the enumeration of thoſe ſix or ſeven particular evils made by Eliphaz in the following verſes; For having ſaid in generall, that God will deliver his in ſix troubles and in ſeven, he reckoneth up ſeverall troubles, and gives us (as it were) a catologue, or a particular of thoſe evils by name, amounting to ſix or ſeven; As 1. Famine, 2. Warre, 3. Scourge of the tongue, 4. Deſtruction. 5. Evill beaſts, 6. Hurtfull ſtones; here are ſix, and if a ſeventh evill come upon thee, in ſeven no evill ſhall touch thee.

But I rather take this expreſſion, ſix, yea ſeven, to be a fixed number put for an unfixed, a certaine number for an uncertaine, and that uncertaine number to be a great number, the greateſt number, any number imaginable. We find this kind of ſpeaking frequently in Scripture; In the thirty third of this booke of Job, v. 29. Loe theſe things God workes twice and thrice; which we tranſlate, theſe things God workes often-times, when numbers are doubled with an increaſe in the latter, it notes a mighty growth of the whole number. Twice and twice (we know) is but foure times; but, twice and thrice, may be more then five times, twice and thrice, is oftentimes, no man knowes how often.

We find the number next above this in the ſame ſignification; Three, and foure, are put for many, very many; (Amos 1. 3.) For three tranſgreſſions of Damaſcus, and for foure: Some underſtand it of three or foure ſpeciall ſins, of which Damaſcus was chiefely guilty: namely, 1. Idolatry, 2. Inceſt, 3. Luxurie, 4. Oppreſſion: Or, Three may be taken for a Cardinal number, and Foure for an Ordinal; for the Fourth, as if ſome fourth ſin were ſo ſinfull, and had ſuch a malignity in it as the Lord would not pardon. Thus Foure is put for the fourth, Prov. 30. 15, 18, 21, 29. Three things are never ſatisfied, yea foure things ſay p. 340not it is enough. That is, a fourth thing (ſc. fire being the moſt inſatiable of all the reſt) ſaith not it is enough The copulative particle (and) is often in Scripture taken comparatively; for much more. Pſal. 125. The mountaines are round about Jeruſalem, and the Lord is about his people: So the Hebrew; we tranſlate by a comparative of ſimilitude. As, So. But more emphatically to the ſcope of the place by a comparative of exceſſe. Thus, As the mountaines are about Jeruſalem, ſc, to fortifie and defend it; ſo much more is the Lord about his people fortifie and defend them. In this ſenſe we may take the copulative And in Amos. For three tranſgreſſions, the Lord would not turne, &c. but much more for a fourth, would he not turne away the puniſhment thereof. The former, three were enough to provoke the Lord to deſtroy you; but for this fourth, he is reſolved to be irreconcileable, and will deſtroy you. Others adde Three to Foure, which make ſeven, as if the Holy Ghoſt had ſaid, for ſeven (that is manifold) tranſgreſſions of Damaſcus, I will not turne away, &c. But rather take the numbers diſtinct for Three and Foure. that is, for the many, for the multitude of tranſgreſſions committed in Damaſcus, I will not turne away the puniſhment thereof. Not that the mercies of God are exceeded by any number, or that becauſe they had gone on to ſin three and foure times, that is, very often times, therefore the mercy of God was at a ſtand, and could goe on no further; but theſe numbers three and foure, note the boundleſſe impenitency of thoſe Syrians, or their malicious perſecutions of the people of God, dayes and times without number. They turne not from their tranſgreſſions, theirs are three and foure, they will never have done; therefore I will begin to puniſh. or I will never have done puniſhing, I will not turne away the puniſhment thereof. Such formes of ſpeech are frequent in Heathen aaO ter que quater que beati. Virg. lib. 1. Aenead Ter que quater que manu pectus percuſſa Deo rum. Id. l 4.Authors, when they would enlarge, or multiply the ſenſe.

Againe, bbƲbiſeptenario numero …ctonarius adai ur ingentem exprimit & pro pè infinitam multitudinem.The numbers ſeven and eight, have a greater emphaſis in Scripture (Eccleſ. 11. 8.) Give a portion to ſeven, and alſo unto eight. That is, give much, and give to many, give (yet diſcreetly) to all commers: We muſt not ſtint nor bound our charity; Give a portion to ſeven, give to many; and if there come more, give to more, give alſo unto eight; Charity preferres ſome, but ſhe refuſes none, who are meet objects of charity. And when the Lord would ſhew what choice and ſtore of able men, both p. 341for counſell and action, his people ſhould have in times of dangers and invaſions, He prophecies by Micah, that the people ſhall ſpeake thus (Chap. 5. 5.) When he, (ſc. the Aſſyrian) ſhall tread in our palaces, then ſhall we raiſe againſt him ſeven Shepheards, and eight principall men, that is, we ſhall muſter multitudes of wiſe, valiant, faithfull men, every one of which may be fit to command or direct in chiefe; Seven Shepheards and eight principall men.

So then, He ſhall deliver thee in ſix troubles, yea in ſeven, &c. is as if the Holy Ghoſt had ſaid by Eliphaz, O Job, The Almighty Shaddai, of whom I have spoken to thee, is of ſuch power and hath ſuch an unwearied arme, that he is able to deliver thee, not only in one, or two, or three, or many troubles, but he can deliver thee in ſix, yea in ſeven, in all thy troubles, let the number of thy afflictions be as great as thou canſt imagine. The power and malice of men cannot multiply thy troubles faſter, than the power and goodneſſe of God can multiply thy deliverances, yea, if he pleaſes, he could perfect ſeven deliverances for thee, before they can lay the plot of one trouble againſt thee. Obſerve hence in brief, firſt,

Deliverance it is of the Lord.

He ſhall deliver thee.] Whatſoever the inſtruments are, by which deliverance is brought to you, or in whoſe hand ſoever deliverance is put: Know, that the worke and procurement of it, is from above: It is the priviledge of God, and of God alone to be a Deliverer. And he hath deliverance at his command, Pſal. 44. 4. Command deliverances for Jacob. Man muſt humbly petition for, and beg deliverance. But God ſtands not intreating the creature, or debating the matter with Kings and Princes, with the ſtrongeſt and moſt hard-hearted Pharoahs to deliver his people, but he ſends forth a writ of deliverance, and Authoritatively commands deliverance, when it is his pleaſure a perſon or a people ſhall be delivered. Secondly, obſeve;

The Lord can deliver as often as we need deliverance. In ſix troubles, yea in ſeven.

This ſhould beare up our hearts in the returnes, the multiplied returnes of troubles Though (as Rheumatick old age is deſcribed, Eccleſ. 12. 2.) The clouds returne after raine: That is, though one evill follows upon or treads on the heele, of another: though, as ſoone as one blacke cloud is diſſolved, and we begin to ſay (as in nature) this was a rainie day, but ſure the next will be faire, yet p. 342the next proves more over-caſt and lowring then that; even in ſuch a caſe, know, God hath a wind in his firſt, which he can let out to ſcatter thoſe clouds, before they diſſolve; or if they diſſolve, he hath a Sun, at command, to dry up the fallen raine. The Lord hath a ſucceſſion of mercies for our ſucceſſion of ſorrows. Say not then, we have got off this trouble, but what if another come? If another come, you have the ſame God, and he can give you another deliverance. Have not our later experiences taught us this truth? Have we not been delivered in ſix troubles, yea in ſeven: Our ſtraits have not been ſingle; we may ſay (as ſhe in Geneſis at the birth of her ſon) Behold a Troope. Enemies have not given over conſpiring, and acting againſt us, and (we ought to ſpeake it to his glory) our God hath not given our delivering and doing for us, Not once only, but many a time, may our Iſrael now ſay, If it had not bin the Lord, who was on our ſide, when men roſe up againſt us, they had ſwallowed us up quicke, when their wrath was kindled againſt us. The waves and bilowes of our Seas; The rocks and clifts of our Shores; the foundations and the pinacles of our Parliament houſes; the wals and gates of our Fenced Cities; the ſwords and bucklers of our Mighty men in the high-places of the Field, may all beare this inſcription, Shaddai delivers in ſix troubles, yea in ſeven.

The Lord ſpake once to his people, as if he were weary of delivering, or would not deliver (Judg. 10. 10.) There we reade the people of Iſrael in a great ſtrait, crying to the Lord for deliverance, but he anſwers, ver. 11. Did not I deliver you from the Aegyptians, and from the Amorites, and from the children of Ammon; and from the Philistines. The Zidonians alſo, and the Amalekites, and the Moabites did oppreſſe you, and ye cryed unto me, and I delivered you out of their hand. Here are ſeven troubles in which they found deliverance. But, as if ſix or ſeven deliverances (which we have expounded for boundleſſe deliverances) were now the utmoſt bound of deliverance, he reſolves, v. 13. I will deliver you no more, And at the 14. he turnes them off to their Idols for helpe; Goe (ſaith he) and cry unto the gods, which you have choſen, and let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation; But what was the reaſon of this refuſall? The reaſon was this, not becauſe God was weary of delivering that people, but becauſe that people were weary of their God. Ye have forſaken me and choſen other gods, ver. 13. If we chooſe our ſelves another god; then we chooſe our ſelves another deliverer; ſo long as we p. 343looke upon God, as our God, ſo long we may looke upon God, as our deliverer; God would never have turned them off for deliverance to any thing below (what was in their conceit) a God.

How ſad will it be, now that we are in great troubles, and crying daily, Lord deliver us out of theſe ſtraights, for thou art he, whoſe name is, The Deliverer in ſix troubles, yea in ſeven; How ſad (I ſay) will it be, if we have put God to reade the Chronicle, and repeate the hiſtorie of his deliverances given us, as he did to Iſrael, and ſay, I delivered you in 88 from the Spaniard; I delivered you in 1605. from the Gun-powder-Treaſon; I delivered your Parliament, I delivered your City, I have often delivered your Armies; and ſometimes crown them with glorious victories, now I will deliver you no more; Will not ſuch speakings from providence, be a plaine conviction, that we have forſaken the Lord, and choſen other gods? God hath ſometime (what a miracle of mercy!) choſen thoſe, who forſook him, but he never (ſo ſtedfaſt is he in faithfullnes) forſook any, who choſe him to be their God. If he keepe not ſuch, from, yet he will certainly preſerve all ſuch in trouble, as it follows.

Yea in ſeven there ſhall no evill touch thee.

He ſaith not, He ſhall deliver thee from ſix troubles, and from Non dicit â ſexſed in ſex; non quod ab illis non poſſit, ſed quod cum acciderint ab illis liberet, ut in illis non ſuccumbat.ſeven: As if troubles ſhould only threaten, but never come upon us; or as if all our deliverances ſhould be preventions, but he ſhall deliver thee in ſix troubles, yea in ſeven, there ſhall no evill touch thee

[Evill] ſignifies ſometimes the evill of ſin, and ſometimes the evill of puniſhment. We may here take it either way. The Lord will ſo keep up thy ſpirit, and direct thy way in trouble, that thou ſhalt not defile thy ſelfe with the evill of ſin; thy troubles ſhall purge, not pollute thee. And he wil ſo keep thee, that thou ſhalt not be annoyed by any evill of puniſhment; If fatherly diſpleaſure ſhould appeare againſt thee, wrath ſhall not. Love ſhall be mixed with thy correction; with thy wormwood and gall (as the Church ſpeaks in the Lamentations) thou ſhalt have a temperament of hony, and of ſweetneſſe Ita eripiet, ut nullum malum attingat, e…tiāſi tentari & conflictari ſ…na… ad tempus, nocumentum tamen non capies. Coc. in loc.though troubles preſſe thee, yet evill ſhall not Touch thee.

Not touch thee.] This notes exact deliverance; we think ourſelves well many times, if we can come off from dangers with a ſcratch face, with a wound, or with the loſſe of a limbe: but to come off without the loſſe of a haire, or which is leſſe, without a touch, ſpeakes a compleate deliverance. It aſtoniſht Nebuchadnezzar, p. 344Dan. 3. 27. to ſee the three children come out of the fiery fornace, without a haire of their heads ſinged, without any change of their coats, or the ſmell of fire. So much this imports, thou ſhalt paſſe the pikes, through ſix, yea ſeven, a whole army of troubles, and no evill ſhall touch thee; When the woman told the tempting Serpent, God hath ſaid, ye ſhall not eate of the fruit of the tree in the midſt of the garden, nor touch it, Gen. 3. 3. She implyed a charge of totall abſtinence. And when the Lord ſalth, No evill ſhall touch thee, it implies a promiſe of totall deliverance. In the firſt and ſecond chapters of this book (and it is the ſame originall word) Satan begs leave of God, that he might touch Job, and touch all that he had. Now here Eliphaz ſeemes to touch that ſtring, No evill ſhall touch thee; as if he had ſaid God will not let his ſervants be overwhelm'd (as thou art) with evils, no evill ſhall ſo much as touch them. And the truth is though Satan obtained leave of God, to afflict the body of Job with paines, and he made it all over as one wound, yet no evill touched him, in the ſence here intended: Though Job was all over evill ſores, yet there was not ſo much as the leaſt ſcarre of an evill upon him; Troubles touch't him, but evils did not, And troubles may touch the ſervants of God but evill ſhall not. Hence obſerve,

God ſaves and delivers his people from all evill, even while they are in the midſt of trouble.

He delivers as well in trouble, as from trouble, while trouble is continued, good may be enjoyed. While his are in the water and in the fire, God is with them, and his preſence is more then deliverance (Iſa. 43. 2.) If God be with us, though all evils are upon us, yet no evill touches us. The preſence of the chiefe good, is baniſhment to every evill. As a wicked man may be loaded with good things, and yet none of them touch him; that is, doe him any good. So a godly man may be loaded with evils, and yet none of them touch him, that is, doe him any hurt. And thus, we may underſtand that of the Apoſtle (1 Cor. 10. 14.) God is faithfull, who will not ſuffer you to be tempted above that you are able, but will with the temptation alſo make away to eſcape; that ye may be able to beare it. Temptation you ſhall have; but with temptation, even while temptation is upon you, or while you are in temptation, The Lord will make a way for you to eſcape the evill of that temptation. Thus with or in trouble, we have deliverance. To be kept from the evill of trouble p. 345is a deliverance from trouble, while we are in trouble.

Thus far of the generall promiſe.

Now Eliphaz goes on to particulars in the 20 verſe, &c. As if he had ſaid, Leaſt thou ſhouldſt think, I deale onelyonly in generall notions, that I may more eaſily elude and deceive thee. Therefore Doloſus verſatur in univerſalibus.I will now give inſtance in the point, and name what troubles I meane: I will aſcend with thee to particulars, and reckon up the greateſt outward evills, the moſt pinching ſtraits that befall the ſons of men, or the children of God, and out of all theſe, I affirme The Lord will deliver thee.

Verſ. 20. In famine he ſhall redeem thee from death, and in war from the power of the ſword.

Thou ſhalt be hid from the ſcourge of the tongue, &c. Famine Redimere eſt lucrari ex alterus poteſtate interpoſito precio velpotentia, con…ravim detinen…ium, ad faciendum liberū aut ſuum foreign Redemit, liberavit ex auguſtia, ſervitute, &c.leads the Vanne of this great Army of Evills, here muſtered up.

He ſhall redeem.] But what is it to redeem from Famine? To redeem properly is, to take a man out of the power of another, by price or by greater power; Redemption is an act of ſpeciall favour, and it notes a ſpeciall diſtinction by favour. When God threatned Pharaoh and his people with ſwarmes of flies and promiſed that his own people ſhould be free, I will ſever in that day, the Land of Goſhen, in which my people dwell, that no ſwarms of Flies ſhall be there, verſ. 22. This act of divine diſcrimination, is called Redemption in the next verſe. And I will put a diviſion (Heb. a Redemption) between my people and thy people; That is, thoſe Armies of flies, which invade thy people, ſhall not meddle with my people. To ſee one periſh with, and our ſelves ſaved from the ſword, is redemption in war. To ſee others hunger-ſtarved and our ſelves ſtill fed, is redemption from famine, though our ſelves were never in the hands, or between the teeth of famine. A people devided from the troubles of others, are redeemed from thoſe troubles. Such redemption our Saviour ſpeaks of, Mat. 24. 40, 41. Two ſhall be in the field, the one ſhall be taken, the other left; two women ſhall be grinding in the Mill, the one taken, the other left.

In Famine.] Famine is the want of bread, and bread is the ſtay and ſtaffe of life (Lev. 26. 26. Iſa. 3. 1. Pſal. 105. 16.) when this ſtay is gone, our lives fall quickly or ſlip away. When this ſtaffe is broken, the thread of life breaks too. Man goes by the p. 346bread in his belly, more than by the ſtaffe in his hand; Except bread hold us by the arme, and ſtay us up, down we fall. Famine is ſo like, or ſo near, or ſo certaine a harbinger of death, that the text puts them together. In famine he ſhall redeem thee from death. Famine is numbred among the ſore judgements of God, if it be not the ſoreſt judgement, Ezek. 6. 11. Jer. 24. 10. And therefore redemption from it, is one of his choiceſt outward mercies. We may collect how ſore a judgement famine is by the effects of it.

Firſt, It cauſeth faintneſſe and madneſſe, Gen. 47. 13.

Secondly, Hunger burneth, Deut. 32. 24. That word is not uſed in the Hebrew, except here. Famine kindles a fire in the bowels; When the naturall heat hath no fewell put to it to feed upon, it feeds upon nature. Sutable to this, is the deſcription of lamenting Jeremiah in the famine of Jeruſalem, Their faces are blacker then a cole, Lam. 4. 8. and Chap. 5. 10. Our skin was black like an Oven, becauſe of the terrible famine. Both the coal and the oven contract their blackneſſe from burning heat.

Thirdly, It cauſeth pining and languiſhment, Lam. 4. 9.

Fourthly, Shame and howling, Joel 1. 11.

Fifthly, Rage and curſing, Iſa. 8. 21.

Laſtly, It breaks all the bonds of nature, and eats up all relations: Read that dre…dfull threatning, Deut. 25. 53, 54. and that dreadfull example, Lam. 4. 10. Tender mothers eating their children. Famine eats up our bowells of compaſſion, and then it eats our bowells by relation: And which comes yet nearer, Famine is ſuch a devourer, that it cauſeth man to devoure himſelf. The Prophet deſcribes a man in a fit of Famine, ſnatching on the right hand, and yet hungry, eating on the left, and yet unſatisfied; when he cannot fill his belly abroad, he comes home to himſelf, and makes bold with his own fleſh for food, Every man eating the fleſh of his own arme, Iſa. 9. 20.

We read of many great Famines in Scripture, and withall of Gods care to redeem his people from them. Abraham, Gen. 12. who (at the call of God) denied himſelf, and came out of his own, into a ſtrange Land, was preſently entertained with Famine. One would have thought, God ſhould have made him good chear, and have ſpread a plentifull table for him, cauſing his cup to over-flow, while he was in a ſtrange Land, and a meer ſtranger there; yet he met with a famine, but the Lord redeemed him from that famine, by directing him to Aegypt, that famous ſtore houſe for his people▪ p. 347Jacob and his ſons were redeemed from famine, in the ſame Egypt, afterward their houſe of Bondage.

It is a precious comfort to have bread in ſuch a promiſe as this, when there is none upon the Board. God takes care for the bodies of his people as well as for their ſouls, he is the father of both, and the provider for both. And while we remember what ſore afflictions have bin upon many Nations and people by famine; While we remember Samaria's Famin, 2 Kings 6. Jeruſalems Famin, Lam. 4. and that ſtoried by Joſephus in the Roman ſiege of that City; While we remember the late famins in Germany, and the preſent one in many parts of Ireland; While we conſider, that the Sword threatens this Nation with famine: Surely we ſhould labour to get under ſuch a promiſe as this is, that we may plead with God in the midſt of all ſcarcity and wants; Lord thou haſt promiſed to redeem Thine in famin from death: There is no dearth in Heaven: And whatſoever dearth is on Earth, the plenty that is in Heaven can ſupply it. How ſad would it be, if your poor children ſhould come about you, crying for bread, and you have none to give them; How much ſadder would it be, if your poor children ſhould be made your bread, and ground to pieces between your teeth, as in the famin of Jeruſalem: In ſuch a time, to look up to God in the ſtrength of this promiſe, will be a feaſt to us, though we ſhould periſh in the famin.

But how doth God redeem from famin?

Firſt, The Lord can make the barrell of meal, and the oyle that is in the cruze, though but little yet to hold out and laſt, while the time of famine laſts; Such a miracle redeemed the poor widdow from death, in that great famin, 1 Kings 17.

Secondly, He can redeem by lengthning one meal, to many days. Elijah went forty dayes in the ſtrength of one dinner. Man liveth not by bread without God, but man may live by God without bread.

Thirdly, Not onelyonly are the ſtores of the creatures his, and the fruitfulneſſe of the earth at his command, but if he pleaſe he can open the windows of Heaven; he can bring bread out of the clouds; he can make the winds his Caterers to bring in Quails and abundance of proviſion for his people. Thus alſo he can redeem his from death, in the time of famine.

Or fourthly, He can doe it in a way of ordinary providence, by making the land yeeld it's naturall increaſe, and by giving p. 348ſtrength to the Earth, to bring forth plentifully, for the uſe of man.

Fifthly, While the common judgement laſts, he can make ſome ſpeciall proviſion for his; And make a redemption of diviſion, as he did in another caſe for his people, Exod. 8. 22.

And laſtly, We may improve this promiſe, not only for redemption from death in famine, but for plenty of conſolation, though we ſhould die in famine. When the bread is quite taken away from your Table; your hearts may feed upon ſuch a word as this, as upon marrow and fatneſſe. Chriſt can feaſt your ſoules, when your bodies are ready to ſtarve, he can fill your ſpirits with joy and ſweetneſſe, when there is nothing but leanneſſe in your cheeks; Thus the Prophet Habakkuk triumphs in God (Habak. 3. 17.) Though the Fig-tree ſhall not bleſſom, neither ſhall fruit be in the Vines, the labour of the Olive ſhall faile, and the fields ſhall yeeld no meat; The flock ſhall be cut off from the fold, and there ſhall be no herd in the ſtalls: Yet I will rejoyce in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my ſalvation. He was feaſting upon God, while he imagines the world ſtarving; he ſees all things in God, though the world ſhould afford him nothing. That ſoule is well fed and taught, which can be rejoycing, while it's own body is ſtarving.

And in war from the power of the Sword.

War is the ſecond evill. Famine and war goe often together, yea they two ſeldome goe without a third, the Peſtilence, 2 Sam. 24. Jer. 18. 22. And though in the order of the words, famine foreign bellum à radice foreign veſci, edere, per Metaphorà pugnare, quia g…adius in bello devora… hominum corpora. In bello ſe mutuò homines devorant & obſumunt.be ſet before war, yet uſually war is the fore-runner of famine. The ſword cuts off proviſion, and when it ſelfe hath devoured much fleſh, it leaves no bread for thoſe who ſurvive. It is obſervable that the originall word for war here uſed, comes from a root ſignifying to eat or to devoure, and ſo by a Metaphor it ſignifies to fight, or ſtrike with the ſword. And the reaſon, why the ſame word, which ſignifies war, ſignifies to eat, is becauſe the Sword is ſuch an Eater or rather a Devourer, and it eats two ways.

Firſt, the Sword eats up the bodies of men, drinks up their bloud, diſpeoples a Land; And then

Secondly, It eates up and conſumes the fruits of the earth, and hence War is the mother of Famine. Therefore we find, that when the great peace and ſo the plenty of the Church of Chriſt is p. 349prophecied of, and deſcribed, Iſa. 2. 4. and in Micah, it is thus expreſſed, They ſhall beat their ſwords into plow ſhares, and their ſpeares into pruning-hookes. As if he ſhould ſay, while the ſword is abroad in the field, the plow ſhares will do little there; For the moſt part Juſtice is ſilent in time of war (the ſound of the trumpet Inter arma ſilent leges.and drum, is too loud for the Law) and when the Law ſtands ſtill, the plongh ſtands ſtill; Therefore when the ſword is in motion, both are at a ſtand. Hence the promiſe, that Swords ſhall be beaten into plow-ſhares, and speares into pruning-hookes, that is, with peace, you ſhall have bread and wine, which note the abundance of all other things. The ancients embleam'd peace by Eares of corne, and Concord by (a Cornu-copia) a horne of plenty; riches are the fruit of peace: And ſafety is the priviledge of the Saints in time of war, In war they ſhall be delivered from the power of the ſword.

The Hebrew is, They ſhall be delivred from, or out, of the hand of the ſword: Sometime in Scripture we read of the face of the ſword, which notes the ſword coming and approaching to a people; And ſometimes we read of the mouth of the ſword, which notes the ſword come, devouring and eating up a people; And here we have the hand of the ſword, they ſhall be delivered out of the Gladius manu apprehenſus & elevatus, ſymbolum eſt extremi diſcriminis & praeſentis hoſtis: Quaſi diceret etiam in ipſa pugna vel inter tot manus gladios agitantes & contra te vibantes ſalvaberis.hand of the ſword, which notes (as we tranſlate) the power of the ſword: Or, that forme of ſpeaking may be underſtood by an Hypallage, From the hand of the ſword, that is, from the ſword in the hand, which phraſe imports preſent danger; when the ſword is unſheathed and drawn out, when it is in the hand ready to ſtrike, then the enemy is ready to charge, and then the Lord delivers; He ſhall deliver from the ſword in the hand, or out of the hand of the ſword. So Pſal. 127. 4. Children of the youth, are as arrowes in the hand of the mighty, that is, as arrowes ready to be ſhot. And Pſal. 149. 6. Let the high praiſes of God be in their mouthes, and a two edged ſword in their hands; noting actuall revenges taken on the enemies of God, and actuall praiſes given to the name of God, at the ſame time.

So then, the meaning of theſe words, He ſhall deliver thee from the power of the ſword, or out of the hand of the ſword, is this, ſuppoſe thou art in ſuch a condition that the ſwords are drawn about thy eares, and thou art in the midſt of a thouſand deaths and dangers, in the very heat of a battell, yet then the Lord God can and will deliver thee.

p. 350And this likewiſe is a comfortable promiſe, for us to lay hold on, in theſe times. It is a time of war to us all, and there are many of our friends and brethren (as it were) in the very hand of the ſword; Deſires are often ſent to the Congregation, by one for a husband, by another for a brother, by a third for a ſervant, by many for their friends, gone forth to meet a ſword in the hand of an enemy skilfull to deſtroy: Here is a promiſe, to comfort and ſupport ſuch; The Lord in time of war, can deliver out of the very hand of the ſword, or, when ſwords are in hand; when thouſands of ſwords are drawn together, preparing for, or ſmiting in the day of battell; know, then God is a deliverer. In the moſt preſent dangers, God ſhews the moſt preſent help. (Pſal. 23. 5.) Thou ſhalt spread my table and cauſe my cup to overflow, before the face of my enemy, even then, when my enemy is neareſt and looketh on. As when the ſword is in the hand of the Angel, ſo when it is in the hand of man, A thouſand ſhall fall at thy ſide, and ten thouſand at thy right hand, but it ſhall not come nigh thee, (Pſal. 91. 7.) Not nigh thee? what? when they die on this ſide and one that ſide, on every hand of a man, doth it it not come nigh him? Yes, nigh him, but not ſo nigh, as to hurt him; The power of God can bring us nigh to danger, and yet keep us far from harme: As good may be locally near us, and yet vertually far from us, ſo may evill; The multitude throng'd Chriſt in the Goſpel, and yet but one toucht him, ſo as to receive good; ſo Chriſt can keep us in a throng of dangers, that not one ſhall touch us, to our hurt.

Yet we are not to take this or the like holy writs of protection, as if God would deliver all his people, from famine and from the ſword; we know many precious ſervants of his have fallen by theſe common calamities; The Lord knows how to diſtinguiſh his, when ſword and famine doe not. Neither doth this word fall, though they doe: If the ſervants of Chriſt are not delivered from theſe troubles, they are delivered by them, and while they are overcome by one trouble, they conquer all.

Verſ. 21. Thou ſhalt be hid from the ſcourge of the tongue, neither ſhalt thou be afraid of deſtruction when it cometh▪

This verſe contains a ſecond paire of evills: Firſt, The ſcourge of the tongue. Secondly, Deſtruction.

Two things are here to be enquired into, about the former.

p. 3511. What is meant by the ſcourge of the tongue?

2. What it is to be hid from it.

The ſcourge of the tongue.] Mr Broughton reades it thus, Quo tempore lingua fl…gallabit homines. Druſ. foreign In piel eſt detrahare vel nocere lingua.Thou ſhalt be delivered (or thou ſhalt be hid) when the tongue whippeth. And another to the ſame ſerce; At what time the tongue ſhall be ſcourging of men, thou ſhalt be ſecured from it. And that word (Leſhon) the tongue, in Piel, ſignifies to detract, to traduce or ſlander; the ſame word is uſed both for the inſtrument of the tongue, and one of the worſt acts of the tongue, calumination; or we may render it according to the exact lettter of the Hebrew elegancy, to Betongue a man: We uſe ſuch a kind of ſpeaking in our language, as to ſtrike a man with a cudgell or a Cane-ſtaffe, is to cudgel or cane a man; and if a man be ſhot with a piſtol, we ſay he was piſtol'd; ſo a man ſmitten with anothers tongue, is ſaid in the Hebrew, to be Betongu'd, or ſuch an one hath betongu'd him.

We leave the Verbe, and tranſlate by the Nowne; From the ſcourge of the tongue. In conſtruction (Beth) In, is often rendred foreign Saepe redditur per Min foreign.by (Min) From, as Grammarians know. Thou ſhalt love the Lord thy God in all thy heart, or from thy whole heart, or from the heart-root: So here, Thou ſhalt be hid in the ſcourge; that is, thou ſhalt be hid from the ſcourge, when the tongue is laſhing and whipping, thou ſhalt be hid from the laſh and ſcourge of tongues.

But what may we underſtand by this ſcourge of the tongue?

Firſt, Some take it for publique accuſations before a Judge or Magiſtrate. Many ſcourge their brethren at the Tribunal of Princes, Rev. 12. That accuſer of the brethren, that traducer, the Devill, is conceived to make thoſe accuſations by his agents, in thoſe times, before the heathen Emperours, againſt the Chriſtians; The Chriſtians in that age, were extreamly ſcourged by malignant and malevolent tongues, tongues ſet on fire of hell, as the Apoſtle James ſpeaks, Chap. 3. 6. And ſo the ſcourge of the tongue, may be that puniſhment, which they by falſe accuſations obtained againſt the innocent; their tongues got judgement againſt them ſometimes to be ſcourged or whipt; therefore alſo, that very work of the tongue is well called ſcourging. Our Lord Jeſus was crucified upon the tongues of the Jewes, before he was crucified upon the croſſe by the Romans. The Jewes cryed out firſt, crucifie him, crucifie him, here was the croſſe of the tongue; The conſpirators p. 352againſt Jeremiah, adviſe thus (Chap. 18. 18.) Let us ſmite him with the tongue; that is, let us accuſe him to the King, that he may Accuſemus eum apud regem & omni induſtria & ratione efficiamus, ut publica ſententia vapule…. Flagellum linguae eſt poena in judcio conſtitu…a, & poſtulata fieri à calumniatoribus.be ſmitten by a publick ſentence. In this ſence a man is impriſoned by the tongue, baniſhed by the tongue, hang'd and burn'd by the tongue, that is, the tongue doth all theſe virtually (or vitiouſly rather) by falſe accuſations, cauſing theſe things to be done actually and formally.

Secondly, Others interpret the ſcourge of the tongue, to be thoſe terrible and dreadfull reports which amaze, laſh and afflict the ſpirit about the approach of dangers. As, when a report is rung in the eare, that an invading enemy, ſpoylers and plunderers, arm'd with power and malice are at hand to take away eſtates, liberties and lives. How many have bin beaten about the ears, and ſcourg'd with ſuch Alarums? (Jer. 50. 43.) it is ſaid, The King of Babylon hath heard the report of them: what report was it? and of whom? A ſpie rides in, and kills the King with his tongue, ſtrikes him thorough with his tongue, before he was toucht with the ſword of the Medes and Perſians: How? He brought him a ſad report, that the enemy was upon his march, then it follows, The King of Babylon hath heard the report of them, and his hands waxed feeble, anguiſh took hold of him, and pangs as of a woman in travell. We find the like expreſſion, Iſa. 28. 18, 19. They who had ſlighted the judgements of God, and ſaid, when the overflowing ſcourge ſhall paſſe thorough, it ſhould not come neare them, even theſe (ſaith God) ſhall be vext, when they doe but heare of a ſcourge coming neare: I will ſend a report, and it ſhall paſſe over morning by morning, and it ſhall travell by day and by night; and what ſhall be the effect of it? It ſhall be a vexation (ſaith the Lord) onelyonly to underſtand the report. You ſhall not onelyonly be vexed when the enemy is come, and thruſts a ſword into your bowells, and fire into your houſes, but you ſhall be vext at the noiſe of his coming, it ſhall be a vexation to you to heare the report. It is a great mercy to be delivered and hid from this ſcourge of the tongue, and this is promiſed him who feares God, (Pſal. 112. 7.) No evill tydings ſhall make him afraid. A heart which hath trembled at the voice of God instructing him, ſhall not tremble at the voice of men reporting evill to him. Many a man is more afraid than hurt, and more perplexed with the hearing of evill tydings, then others are with ſeeing or feeling the evill. The Lord threatens Ely, to doe ſuch a thing in Iſrael, and againſt his houſe, that both the p. 353eares of him that hears ſhall tingle, 1 Sam. 3. 11. But

Thirdly, Some tranſlate thus. He ſhall be hidde when the Quidam, cum v…g…bitur Imguae ut ſit foreign pro foreign Druſ. Merc.tongue wandreth or walketh about; for the ſame word which ſignifies a ſcourge, by the alteration of a point in the Hebrew, ſignifies to run to and fro. It is the word uſed in the firſt Chapter, where Satan reports himſelfe, A Goer to and fro about the earth; There is an expreſſion (Pſalm. 73. 9.) ſutable to this ſenſe, though the Originall word be not the ſame; They ſet their mouth aagainſt the Heavens, and their tongue walketh thorow the earth. The tongues of many take long journeyes, while themſelves ſit ſtill: Kings are ſaid to have long hands, but many of their ſubjects have long tongues, and ſtrike their brethren with them many hundreds of miles off; the tongue travels from towne to towne, from City to City, and ſcourgeth one here, and there another. And, while theſe men ſend their tongues about a wandring, to wound here and there, this and that mans credit, He is a happy man that can be hid from them.

Fourthly, Some of the Hebrew Doctors, retaining the fore-going ſenſe of the Verbe, ſay, that by tongue, is meant Nations and people: Sunt qui per linguam hic intelligunt nationes q d. quum graſſabuntur longè late que gentes & populi omnia que depopulabuntur, &c. Druſ.When the tongue, that is, when a Nation ſhall goe about, or march from place to place to deſtroy and over-runne a Land, then, at ſuch a time, thou ſhalt be hid: It is frequent in Scripture to put tongues for Nations, or tongues and nations for the ſame, Rev. 7. 9. Chap. 17. 15. And there is a comfortable truth in the matter of this interpretation; That when all tongues or nations ſhall be gathered to deſtroy us, yet we ſhall be hid: As if it ſhould be ſaid (like that, Pſal. 83. 6.) Though the Tabernacle of Edom and the Iſhmaelites, of Moab and the Hagarens, Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek, the Philiſtines with the inhabitantes of Tyre, be confederate againſt thee: or, to take moderne names and Nations, though Iriſh and Spaniſh, French and Danes, &c. ſhould at any time, wander from their own lands to invade thee; yet thou ſhall be hid when theſe tongues rove and wander, ſpoile and pilla…e. The matter, I ſay, of this interpretation is a truth, and a very comfortable one, but I would not charge it upon this Text.

Fiftly, and moſt generally, and I conceive moſt truly, by the ſcourge of the tongue, is meant all, and all manner of calumnies and ſlanders, curſings or evill ſpeakings, falſe witneſſes and accuſations; and from theſe (the promiſe is) thou ſhalt be hid. It is p. 354ſaid, Prov. 14. 3 That, In the mouth of the fooliſh is the rod of pride; not, that a fooliſh man will ſcourge pride, he loves it too well; but, becauſe the pride of a foole, ſets his tongue a ſcourging the wiſeſt and the beſt: aaMaledicentia eſt famae hominis, quod flagellum corpori, nam laedit eam & interdam accid…t, hinc Grae…è foreign Diuſ.Evill words are the ſame to the credit of a man, that a ſcourge is to his back; when ſlanderers ſpeake openly, then their tongue is compared to a ſword, or an arrow by day; when ſecretly, then to a trap, or an arrow by night, to a ſerpent which comes behind; Gen. 49. and, as here, to bbFlagellum dicitur quod in ſcapulas impingitur, & à tergo laedit, ut non videas,—Metuentes patruae verbera linguae, Hor. 3. Cor. Od 11. Nam Patrui multo quam patres inco…rup…iores eſſe ſo lent in judicandis & objurgandis fratris fili…ū peccatis;a ſcourge which is prepared for the back, and is called in our language back-biting: or we may call it back-beating. The ſcourge of the tongue, is all that ill, which the tongue can ſpeak: And the ccVerbera à verbis, aut verba á verberibus dicta ſun…: quod au…es vox verbe…t. Nonius.Latin word for a word, agrees well to this ſenſe; being derived (as Criticks obſerve) from a word which ſignifies a ſtripe; or the word which ſignifies a ſtripe, from that which ſignifies a word: And we find; that they who defame or over-ſeverely reprove others, are called (barely) ddQui dè…actoriis verbis, famam alterius verberant. percuſſore▪ appellantur, etiam ſuppreſſo nomine linguae, Pined. Nec ſermone inutili conſcientiam pe…utit, infi…morum, nec centumelio ſuo & garrulus, perdat eum, quem potuit medeſtia, & lenitate corrigere, Hier. in Titus 1. 7.Titus 1:7ſtrikers. And this (as ſome of the ancients note) according to Scripture language, in thoſe two Apoſtolicall directions (1 Tim. 3. 3. and Tit. 1. 7.) where the Apoſtle gives the rule concerning a Biſhop, that he muſt be no ſtriker; This may be underſtood of ſtriking, not with the hand, (the Apoſtle could hardly think that quarrelſome ſpirits and ſons of violence ſhould be ſo much as admitted to a probation about that office) but ſtriking with the tongue, by an undue, an overhaſty, or an angry reproofe and cenſure. The great inſtrument of a Biſhop or a Miniſter, is his tongue: but he muſt uſe his tongue, rather to heale than to wound; or if at any time, he uſeth it to wound, it ſhould be in tendency unto, or in preparation for healing: Therefore, Let not a Biſhop be a ſtriker, a striker with his tongue in paſſion, much leſſe in ſpleene or for ſelfe ends.

Thus we ſee what we are to underſtand by the ſtroke or ſcourge of the tongue. But what is it, to be hid from that ſcourge? A word of that. Thou ſhalt be hid-

Not, as aaLa…ebunt detractorem tua facta, de quibus poſſi…, detrahendi materiam ſumere, Aquin.One, Thy actions ſhall be hid, which might be as matter for ſlander to work upon; nor, as bbDeficient detractorē ▪ firmaeAnother, though ſuch actions appeare, yet ſlanderers ſhall want proofe, or ſufficient witneſſe ſhall not appeare againſt thee. But▪

p. 355Firſt, We may take it thus; Thou ſhalt be hid from the ſcourge of the tongue, that is, the tenour of thy actions ſhall be ſo faire, and probationes & ſufficientia indicia, Cajet.thy life ſo blameleſſe, that malice it ſelfe ſhall not find, where to faſten an accuſation.

Or ſecondly, When other men are ſlandered and reproached, thou ſhalt be free.

Or thirdly, Thou ſhalt be hid, that is, though occaſion ſhould be given to malice (and that our nobleſt and holieſt actions uſe moſt to give) yet malicious men, ſhall not be able to come at thee, thy perſon ſhall be ſecured in a chamber of ſecrecy, and covered with a mantle of providentiall darkneſſe, while the light of thy good works dazles and troubles the eye of the world.

But rather fourthly, Thou ſhalt be hid, that is, Thou ſhalt be patroniz'd and defended, thou ſhalt be ſet right, and vindicated from all calumnies and falſe aſperſions, The Lord will ſo take care of thy credit and reputation, that though many goe about to blemiſh it with lies and ſlanders, yet thy honour ſhall be ſaved, or the wounds of it healed, by cauſing thy righteouſneſſe to breake forth as the light, and thy just dealing as the noone day. Some charitable medicinable tongue ſhall lick thee whole, after all the ſtripes of thoſe ſcourges or envenom'd ſcorpion-tongues: Thus, thou ſhalt be healed if ſmitten, or elſe thou ſhalt not be ſmitten, (Pſal. 31. 20.) Thou ſhalt keepe them ſecretly in thy pavilion, from the ſtrife of tongues. The words of the Pſalmiſt, are an alluſion to Kings, who being reſolved to protect their Favourites, againſt all the clamours and accuſations of men; take them, as it were, into their own Pavillion, into their Bed-chamber and boſome, where none may touch Ad ſimilitudinē regiae defenſionis loquitur, qua ſ…. illi qui regibus chari ſunt coram, in ipſis aulae penetralibus & in ipſo regum conſpectu verſantes defenduntur & ſecuri vivunt, Muſcul. in Pſal.them. God alſo hath a pavillion, a ſecret hiding place for his Favourites, where he preſerves their credit and reputation untoucht, againſt all the blots and cauſeleſſe blemiſhes of malignant ſpirits, Thus they are hid from the ſtrife of tongues. Hence his Saints and people are called, His ſtored, or his hidden ones, Pſal. 83. 3. Obſerve; firſt.

The tongue is a ſcourge.

The tongue is a terrible engine: The Scripture gives us variety of compariſons to ſet forth the evill, of an ill tongue. It is here called a ſcourge, and it is a ſcourge of many laſhes or knotted cords, or rather ſtinging ſcorpions; ſcoffing is one, ſlander a ſecond, falſe accuſations a third. The former ſtrictly taken, is a lye told any neighbour, and the latter is a lye told the Magiſtrate. The tongue p. 356(Pſal. 52 2.) is called a ſharpe raſor; Pſal. 57. 4. it is compared to ſpeares, and arrowes, and a ſharpe Sword; and if at any time with much uſing, this Sword be blunted in the edge or point, the Scripture ſpeakes of whetting the tongue, Pſal. 64. 3. It is as the ſharpe arrowes of the mighty man, and coales of juniper, Pſal. 120. 4. They bend their tongues like a bow, Jer. 9. 3. Their tongue is as an arrow ſhot out; ver. 8. In a word, It is a fire and a world of miſchiefe, Jam. 3. 6. (Jer. 18. 18.) we reade of ſmiting with the tongue, and of devouring words, Pſal. 52. 4. As there are devouring opinions, opinions, which not only hurt the judgements of men, but devoure their conſciences, and eat up truth (as it were) at a bit, ſo there are devouring words, words that eat up a mans reputation, and devour his good name as bread. Slanderous mouthes l…ve the whiteſt bread, the finest of the wheate; A mans credit which hath not a branne in it, how ſweet a morſell is it to ſuch mouthes? Though, the truth is, every name, by how much the more pure and ſpotleſſe it is, by ſo much the more deadly will it be in the ſtomacks of theſe devourers. A good name ſwallowed by an ill man, will (as Jonas did the Whale) make him (one time or other) Stomach-ſick, if not conſcience-ſick, and he ſhall be forced to vomit it out ſafe againe.

It is a ſad thing when (thus) the people of God are wounded and ſcourged by the tongues of wicked men; but I will tell you of a ſadder ſcourging, that is, when the people and ſervants of God ſcourge one another with their tongues: I beſeech you leave this work to wicked men, take not the ſcourge of the tongue out of their hands, let us, not only not ſlander, but, not ſpeake hardly one of another. The ancient Chriſtians in the Primitive times, were deepely wounded by the ſcourge of the tongue, what ſtrange things did ungodly men feigne and then faſten on them? They reported them as black as hell, as if their holy meetings were not to worſhip God, but to defile themſelves with inceſt and uncleanneſſe; but among Chriſtians themſelves, we reade not of this ſcourge, at that time. No; Chriſtians loved one another to the amazement of Heathens: They were ſo farre from this ſcourging or wounding of one another, that they were ready to be ſcourged, to be wounded, to be burned, to die one for another. This cauſed their Pagan perſecuters to cry out, Behold how the Chriſtians love one another? We are ſcourged by wicked ones, as They, O that we could love one another, as They. Sons of Belial have revived the p. 357ancient reproaches and accuſations againſt the brethren, O, that we could revive the ancient imbraces and moſt endeared affections of the Brethren Obſerve, ſecondly,

It is a great mercy to be delivered from the Scourge of the tongue.

The Apoſtle ſpeaks of it, as a wonderfull mercy, that he was delivered out of the Mouth of the Lion (2 Tim. 4. 17.) Surely it is no ordinary mercy (though lying be very ordinary) to be delivered out of the Mouth of a lyar. This is joyned in one promiſe, with deliverance from the moſt deadly inſtrumenrs of warre, Iſa 54. 17. No weapon formed againſt thee ſhall proſper, that is no weapon of warre, neither Sword nor Speare ſhall hurt thee. Then followes, And every tongue that ſhall riſe up againſt thee in judgement thou ſhalt condemne. This is the heritage of the ſervants of the Lord. The tongue of a Ziba or of a Tertullus will devour and deſtroy, as bad as the Sword of a Caeſar or a Pompey. The holy ſtory tels us, what woefull work the tongue had made upon Joſeph and Mephiboſheth, if the good providenee of God had not ſpoken a good word for them.

Laſtly, Let me add one ſeaſonable word of admonition, to theſe tongue ſcourgers; As the word is, They that ſmite with the ſword, ſhall periſh with the ſword; ſo, they that ſmite with the tongue, ſhall periſh with the tongue. The tongues of the Saints are in ſome ſence, ſharper and ſorer ſcourges, then the tongues of wicked men. The word of God in their mouths, is a Two-edged Sword, yea ſharper then any Two-edged Sword. A Prophet or a Miniſter of Chriſt, can ſtrike as hard with his tongue, as (and infinitely harder, then) any Prophane wretch, or railing Rabſhakeb in the world. Truth well ſet home, will wound deeper, than ſlander can. I (ſaith the Lord, Hoſ. 6. 5.) have hewed them by my Prophets, and ſlaine them by the words of my mouth. In the 11^th of the Revelation, it is prophecied, That fire ſhall goe out of the mouths of the two Witneſſes, and devour their enemies, verſ. 5. That is, the word of their mouths, ſhall be as a fire to ſcorch and conſume the gain ſaying world; and with this inſtrument their tongue (for that only is ſutable for the work of Witneſſes) they are ſaid to have tormented thoſe that dwell upon the earth, ver. 10. Some indeed are Sermon-proofe, and Word-proofe; They at preſent doe even laugh at all our ſpirituall Artillery, Let whole volleyes of threats be diſcharg'd upon them, let them be hackt and hewed all day long p. 358with the Sword of the Word, they feele it not, it may be they jeer at it, at leaſt they regard it not. As they, Jer. 18. 18. conſpiring againſt the Prophet, Come let us deviſe devices, &c. let us ſmite him with the tongue. And leaſt any ſhould ſay, if we ſmite him with the tongue, he will ſmite us againe; For theſe Prophets are notable at that weapon. To ſecure themſelves, they reſolve thus; Let us not give heed to any of his words. As if they had ſaid, we know he will ſpeake bigge words, and threaten us terribly, with Sword, and peſtilence, and famine, and hell, &c. But let's arme our ſelves againſt him, and make no more of all, then of a Squibb or a pot-gun, then of a ſtabbe with a wooden dagger, or a charge with a Bull ruſh. Let us not give heed to any of his words. But let theſe know, though now they are hardned againſt the ſpirituall ſcourge and ſword, in the mouth of Chriſts Miniſters, yet at the laſt Chriſt himſelfe will ſmite them with the rod of his mouth; and with the breath of his lips ſhall he ſlay the wicked. Iſa. 11. 4. He once made a Scourge of cords, and whipt the buyers and ſellers out of the Temple, he will at laſt make a Scourge of words, which ſhall whip all impenitents and unbelievers out of his preſence into hell, where they ſhall gnaſh their teeth, and gnaw Thoſe tongues, which have ſcourg'd his faithfull ſervants, with many ſtripes, only for doing or ſpeaking his, their Maſters, will.

Neither ſhalt thou be afraid of deſtruction, when it commeth.

The word Destruction ſignifies a confluence or meeting together foreign à radice foreign more praedonum & impetu Hoſtili vaſtari & de populari.of all kinds of evill; when evils breake in together, as theeves and robbers into a houſe to ſpoyle and take away all, Iſa. 60. 18. Jer. 48. 3.

When ſuch deſtruction comes, thou ſhalt have this priviledge, Not to be afraid of it. Not afraid, the word ſignifies any kinde of feare, holy fearing as well as naturall; here it is uſed for exceſſive, diſtracting feare. It is not meant, that a man ſhall be ſecure or ſenſleſſe, when deſtruction commeth, So to be fearleſſe, is worſe then to be reaſonleſſe. But this is the meaning, Thou ſhalt not be afraid; That is, thou ſhalt not bee diſmayed with fear, thou ſhalt not be amazed or aſtoniſhed with feare, thou ſhalt not be at thy wits end, much leſſe at thy Faiths end, when deſtruction commeth. Feare is good in it's kind, yea it is an excellent grace; Some feare in time of deſtruction is the daughter of faith (Heb. 11. 7.) By Faith, Noah, being warned of God, of things not ſeen as yet, moved p. 359with feare, prepared an Ark to the ſaving of his houſe; He fears deſtruction ſavingly, whoſe fear moves him to prepare due means of ſafty. Such preparatory fears are holy fears, and well become the Saints, when deſtruction cometh. (Exod. 9. 20.) He that heard of the deſtruction coming, and feared the word of the Lord, made his ſervants and cattle flee into the houſes; God would not have his people, when they hear deſtruction is comming, ſtand at the doore in a daring manner to meet it, and lay themſelves open to it, no he would have them flee into the houſe, and enter into the chamber, and ſhut the doors about them, hiding themſelves, as it were for a little moment, untill the indignation be overpaſt, Iſa. 26. 20.

The feare which God promiſeth his people protection from, is unbelieving frare, or feare which is the daughter of deſpaire: Such as that, Iſa. 7. 2. where, when a report came of deſtruction comming, it is ſaid; That the heart of the King, and the heart of his people was moved as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind. They were ſo afraid, ſo unſetled and diſorder'd within, that they knew not how to ſettle and order their affaires without. Such a feare the Prophet Jeremy threatens upon Paſhur, Jer. 20. 3. The Lord hath not called thy name Paſhur, but Magor-miſſabib; For thus ſaith the Lord, behold I will make thee a terrour to thy ſelfe, and to all thy friends; Feare round about, and fear within, this feare God promiſeth to deliver his people from, in times of danger.

Obſerve hence.

The power and preſence of God is able to uphold his people in the face of dangers, and in the preſence of deſtruction.

They ſhall not be afraid of deſtruction, when it commeth: Suppoſe God doth not keepe the deſtruction off from them, yet he will keepe finking feares off from them. How terribly ſoever men looke upon them, they ſhall not be a terrour to themſelves, neither will God be a terrour to them. Many a man is his own Bugg-bear. And there is nothing can be ſo terrible to us, (except an angry God) as we may be to our ſelves. But he, to whom God is not a terrour, and to whom himſelfe is not a terrour, will not be afraid of the King of Terrours. So long as we are at peace with God and our ſelves, deſtruction cannot come ſo faſt, as conſolation will. And deſtruction cannot carry that away, wherein conſolation lies. The beſt part of the Saints eſtate, is out of the reach of deſtroyers. They can deſtroy houſes and goods: They can p. 360carry away gold and ſilver, but they cannot deſtroy faith and hope; shey cannot carry away, grace or holineſſe; They may burne your writings, and the evidences of your Lands and Tenements, but they cannot burne your evidences for Heaven, or weaken your tenure and intereſts in Jeſus Chriſt. Upon the wings of this aſſurance the Saints are carried beyond the borders of feare when deſtruction comes into their borders, or death is breaking open their doores, and climbing up unto their windowes. Yea this aſſurance, (which carries them beyond the confines of feare) ſets them down in a very comfortable place, in the Land of joy, or upon the mountaines of delight. It is too little to ſay, They ſhall not be afraid, when deſtruction comes, for at deſtruction they ſhall laugh: As Eliphaz undertakes with his next breath.

Verſ. 22. At deſtruction and famine, thou ſhalt laugh; neither ſhalt thou be afraid of the Beaſts of the Earth.

23. For thou ſhalt be in league with the ſtones of the field; and the Beaſts of the field ſhall be at peace with thee.

In the former words, we had a promiſe of redemption from famine and from feare at the comming of deſtruction. Here both the mercy and the promiſe are heightned, or the promiſe is made yet more mercifull; At deſtruction and famine thou ſhalt laugh. It is a high priviledge to be redeem'd from famine, and not to be afraid of deſtruction; but to laugh at theſe is the higheſt priviledge. But is it not a ſin to laugh at theſe? And if ſo, how will it be any priviledge at all? I (ſaith the wiſe man, Eccl. 2. 2.) ſaid of laughter it is madd, and of mirth, what doth it? And is not this madd laughter, to laugh at deſtruction, and to be merry in famine? The Prophet vehemently reproves joy in ſad times, (Iſa. 22. 12, 13.) and brands it for an iniquity, that ſhall not be purged from them, till they die; And can it then be commendable to rejoyce in famine, &c. It is comely for man to be merry, when God is angry? And to be rejoycing, when the Lord is deſtroying? To cleare this I ſhall open the ſence of the Text, and ſhew, that this Laughter is neither foreign …aē quod foreign Sumitur in bonam vel in malam partem, pro loci ratione: riſus gaudij, riſus contemptus.ſinne nor madneſſe, but the holineſſe and ſobriety of the Saints.

At deſtruction and famine thou ſhalt laugh.

The word is ordinarily uſed for laughing; whence Iſaac hath his name, The ſonne of the promiſe was called Iſaac, becauſe Abraham p. 361laughed, or becauſe he rejoyced at the promiſe or birth of his ſonne, eſpecially at the promiſe of His birth, who was to be the joy and deſire of Nations, the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, who, referring to this act of Abraham, tels the Jewes, Joh. 8. 56. Your Father Abraham rejoyced to ſee my day, he ſaw it and was glad. To laugh in Scripture is taken two waies.

Sometimes in a good ſenſe; and

Sometimes in an ill ſenſe,

In a good ſenſe, and ſo, To laugh is an outward expreſſion of ſound inward joy and true comfort; To laugh is an act proper to man. There cannot be true and ſolid joy (and ſo, not this effect of it, laughing) where there is not true ſolid reaſon. Even paſſion (ſtrictly taken) is founded in reaſon. In the 29. of this book ver. 24. Job deſcribing the great proſperity of his former daies, ſaith, If I laughed on them, they believed it not. Job was a man of that eſteem and veneration, that though he expreſſed in his geſture or countenance, a kind of familiarity, and how well he was pleaſed, yet the people did ſo much reverence him, and his piety and unſpotted juſtice did ſo over-awe them, that they ſuſpected ſtill he might obſerve ſomewhat amiſſe in them.

Secondly, to laugh, is uſed for ſcorning and deriding. In the 39 of this book v 7. Laughter is aſcribed unto the wild Aſſe, improperly; He (ſc. the wild. Aſſe) ſcornes (or laughs at) the multitude of the City. And (Pſal. 2. 4.) when the Princes and the people gather themſelves together, to take counſell againſt the Lord and againſt his Chriſt; He that ſitteth in heaven ſhall laugh, and the Lord ſhall have them in deriſion. That is, the Lord (in a moſt holy manner) ſcornes or derides the counſels and practiſes of wicked men, Man is never in ſo ſad a condition, as when God laughs at him.

Again, Laughter proper to man, is either ſinfull and reprooveable, or holy and commendable. Sinfull laughter is that which ariſes.

Firſt, from unbeliefe or weakneſſe of faith: Such was the laughter of Sarah (Gen. 18. 12.) when the Angel brought his meſſage that Sarah ſhould have a ſonne, Sarah, heard it, as ſhe was in the Tent▪doore, and the Text ſaith, Sarah laughed: The ground of her laughter was unbeliefe, ſhe thought it an impoſſible thing, for her to have a ſon (as a man will laugh at a thing you tell him. when he thinks it impoſſible to be done. That her laughter was from unbeliefe, is plaine, from the Angels reproving queſtion in the p. 362next words; Wherefore did Sarah laugh, ſaying, ſhall I of a Jurety beare a child, which am old? Is any thing too hard for the Lord? As if he had ſaid, ſurely Sarah thinkes the Lord hath out promis'd his own power to performe.

Secondly, Sinfull laughter ariſeth from contempt, or ſlighting of counſell, and carnall ſecurity in times of danger (2 Chron. 30. 10.) when Hezekiah ſent meſſengers to Ephraim and Manaſſeh to warn them to come up to the houſe of the Lord, to keepe the Paſſeover, it is ſaid, That they laughed the meſſengers to ſcorn and mocked them; they laughed, ſlighting and contemning this admonition, thinking themſelves ſafe and well enough, though they came not up to that ſolemne Paſſeover.

Thirdly, Sinfull laughter ariſes from pride and ſelfe-confidence, (Hab. 1. 10.) The Prophet deſcribes the proud Chaldeans, invading Judah; thus, They ſhall ſc…ffe at the Kings, and Princes ſhall be a ſcorn unto them, and they ſhall deride every ſtrong-hold. They ſhall come up with ſuch an army, with ſuch an arm of fleſh, as all fleſh muſt fall downe and yeeld unto.

Laſtly, There is a ſinfull laughter, ſpringing from ſenſuality, and exceſſe of creature contentments. Such laughter Chriſt threatens, Luk. 6. 25. Woe to you that are full, woe to you that laugh now: That is, woe to you that laugh, becauſe of your creature-fulneſſe.

Laughter, which is good and commendable, hath ſuch roots, as theſe.

Firſt, it ſprings up from faith, ſuch was the laughter of Abraham (Gen. 17. 17.) when he heard the promiſe, that he ſhould have a ſonne, the text ſaith, Abraham fell upon his face and laughed: That the laughter of Abraham was from faith, is cleare from the Apoſtle, Rom. 4. 19. affirming, that, He not being weak in faith, conſidered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadnes of Sarahs wombe, he ſtaggered not at the promiſe of God through unbeliefe, &c. Abraham laughed out his faith, not (as Sarah) his unbelief. Therfore alſo Chriſt ſaith (as was toucht before) Abraham rejoyced to ſee my day, he ſaw it, and was glad: In the promiſe of his ſonne, he ſaw the Promiſed ſe…d, in whom all the Nations of the earth ſhould be bleſſed. This ſight of the day of Chriſt, in that prospective of the promiſe, drew it …eare to the old-mans heart (though it were farre off) and made him glad.

Secondly, Commendable laughter comes from holy courage, p. 363and well grounded confidence; well temper'd magnanimity, and Chriſtian heroicalneſſe of ſpirit, lifts us ſo farre above dangers and fears, that we laugh at them.

And then, there is a laughter in dangers grounded upon aſſurance of deliverance from, or ſupport in dangers. A man that ſees a great Ridehis ventos hoc munere tectus. & imbres. Mart.ſtorme coming, laughs at it, knowing where to goe to ſhelter preſently, where to get a warme houſe over his head, The Pilot knowing he hath a ſtrong Ship, and good Tackling, laughs at the windes. In that ſenſe [not to feare] is uſed (Prov. 31. 21.) where it is ſaid of the wiſe woman. She is not afraid of the ſnow for her houſhold; If the ſnow and cold weather come, ſhe doth not feare it, ſhe can laugh at the ſnow; Why? For all her houſhold are cloathed with ſcarlet, or double cloth, ſhe hath made ſuch proviſion againſt cold weather, that ſhe feares neither froſt nor ſnow.

Now, the text, (when it is ſaid, At famine thou ſhalt laugh,) is not meant of laughter, ſpringing either from unbeliefe, or pride or ſelf-confidence, or ſenſuality or ſenſleſneſſe; as if he ſhould not care what God did in the world, let God doe what he would, he would laugh. As that proud Emperour ſaid (not only as one before foreignhim, when I am dead, but) while I live, let heaven and earth be mingled together, I care not, ſcorning and contemning what could come. But this laughter comes from ſtrength of faith, from holy courage, and well grounded confidence; from an aſſurance of ſhelter, ſafeguard and protection from, or ſupport in, the greateſt dangers, even in famine and deſtruction: He fixes on ſuch a promiſe In vaſtitate ita eris munitus, ac de tua ſalute ſecurus, ut ridere poſſis, etiam ſ… fameſcas, non te enecabit fames, verum Deus ſue te conſolationi… papulo ita reficiet, ut ridere poſſis. Ipſa te fames red…et ſaturum; & cā …abis, non ſecus ac ſi tibi plenus eſſet venter. Pined.as this, Pſal. 37. 19. They ſhall not be aſhamed in the evill time, and in the dayes of famine, they ſhall be ſatisfied. The ſoule of a believer ſees ſalvation in deſtruction, food in famine, he hath wine well refined to drinke, marrow and fatneſſe to feed upon, when the world knowes not how to give him (or will not give him) a dry cruſt, or a cup of cold water. He ſees a hiding place, when all others lye open to the danger, he ſees a place of refuge, a covert from the raine and from the ſtorme, when others ſtand naked under them. The ſumme of all is; A godly man ſees himſelfe ſo protected in dangers, ſo provided for againſt all wants, he ſees in the promiſes ſuch a Magazin of armes, ſuch ſtores of bread, that he feares no weapon form'd againſt him, and feeds, when no table is ſpread for him; Danger ſecures, deſtruction ſaves, and famine fattens him, that is, in danger, deſtruction and famine, he knowes p. 364whither to goe for food, ſalvation and ſafety, even unto God, who is all this to him, and will be more, if he need it Upon theſe grounds it is, that the text ſaith, At famine and deſtruction he ſhall laugh. Obſerve hence,

A godly man, a true believer, is not onelyonly not afraid of outward evills when they come, but through faith he is above and triumphs over them.

Not to be afraid of faime and deſtruction when they come, is too low for his ſpirit, He ſhall laugh when they come. Hence the Apoſtles exulting language, We glory in tribulation, we are exceeding joyous in all our tribulations. And to this ſence we may interpret that of Peter ſpeaking of the ſufferings of the Saints, 1 Epi. 4. 14. The Spirit of glory reſteth upon them; that is, a ſpirit of glorying and holy rejoycing, whereby the ſoul is carried up (as it were) upon Eagles-wings, above and beyond reproaches. All evills lie below a believer, when he is lifted up with this spirit of glory. This ſpirit of glory reſting upon us through him that loved us, makes us more then conquerours over tribulation, diſtreſſe, perſecution, famine, nakedneſſe, perill or ſword, Rom. 8. 35. More than conquerours? Who can expreſſe, how much that is? No tongue can tell what it is to be more then a conquerour; when Chriſt would advance the exceeding greatneſſe of that reward, which Givers ſhall receive, Luke 6. 38. He ſaith not barely, Give, and it ſhall be given you good meaſure; but you ſhall have it preſſed down, and yet more, ſhaken together; that is not all neither, but you ſhall have it running over. Now a meaſure will runne over, as long as you will poure, there is no ſtint, no bounds to that gift, which ſhall be given running over; A veſſell will run over continually, poure as long as you will: So here, you ſhall not onelyonly have a conqueſt, but more then a conqueſt, and what that is, is as much and more than all our thoughts are able to comprehend. Hence alſo the Apoſtle ſpeaking of that great enemy, the laſt enemy Death (1 Corinth. 15. 55.) brings in the believing ſoule in a kinde of holy triumph, laughing at, and even jearing death, in the ſence of the Text, O death where is thy ſting? As if a man having diſarmed his enemy, ſhould ſay, now Sir, where's your ſword? where's your piſtoll? Chriſt hath diſarmed death, taken away its ſting; now the believer may laugh in the face of death, Oh death, thou thoughteſt to make us all ſmart, where is thy ſting? thou thoughteſt thy ſelfe a conquerour, able to devoure p. 365and ſubdue us all, but where is thy victory? Such is the laughter here meant. And in the ſame ſenſe, Leviathan the mightieſt of living creatures, that ſea monſter (to whom upon the earth there is not the like, he is made without fear, Chap. 41. 33.) is ſaid to laugh at the ſhaking of the speare (Job 41. 29.) He is ſo armed with impenitrable ſcales, that, ſhake a ſpeare at him, he laughs at you; it is an alluſion to thoſe, that are armed with proofe, they feare neither ſword nor ſhot: The truth is, a beleever is ſhot-free, ſhake the ſpeare at him, ſhake famine, ſhake deſtruction at him, threaten him with this or with that, he laughs at all, becauſe he hath armour of proofe, wherein he may ſafely truſt; He hath a ſhield, a ſhield of faith, which will quench even the fiery darts of Satan, much more then the fiery dangers of the world.

The Hiſtories of the Primitive Church, are full of this holy laughter, and heroicall magnanimity of the Saints, grapling with the greateſt evils. How did thoſe renowned Martyrs, even baffle death, and deride their torments (from this principle of faith in Chriſt) conquering them, not ſlighting them (from a principle of ſelfe-neglect) When Polycarpe was threatned to be torne in peeces with the teeth of wild beaſts, let them come, ſaith he, and grind me, I ſhall make very good bread, ſo that the very tormentors were more tormented with the holy ſcorne and laughter of ſuffering Chriſtians, than the Chriſtians were with the torments which they ſuffered. In 2 Sam. 2. 14. When Abner and Joab, the two great Generals met, Abner ſaith unto Joab, Let the young men ariſe and play before us; the ſport was to fight, and fighting unto death, and yet theſe ſtout Souldiers being above feare, call it playing one with another; It is the word here in the text (let them come and laugh together before us) As if theſe young men were of ſuch courage, that they could laugh at death, and goe to killing one another as if they were to goe to play with one another. Surely there is little reaſon for ſuch courage; killing of men is no laughing matter, no matter of sport; for, as Abner ſaid unto Joab, not long after (verſ. 26.) ſhall the ſword devoure for ever, knowest thou not, that it will be bitternſſe in the end? There is little cauſe to account the beginning of that a ſport, which will be bitterneſſe in the end: But when the Saints are to joyne in the deadlieſt battell, or to meet with the deadlieſt death for Chriſt, or from the chaſtning hand of Chriſt, they have reaſon enough to account it a ſport, and to laugh at deſtruction (in this ſenſe cleared) becauſe they p. 366know it will be ſweetneſſe and comfort in the end: Valour ſometimes laughs at danger, much more may faith, (Pſal. 68. 12, 13.) Though ye have lyen among the pots, yet ſhall we be as the wings of a dove covered with ſilver, and her feathers with yellow gold: This is the confidence of the Saints, when they lye among the pots, or among the pot-ranges (as ſome interpret it) where the ſcullions lye, and are beſooted and black'd over, at the fire of afflictions till they looke like very ſcullions, that yet, they ſhall be gilded over ſoone after. Or it may be underſtood of the bounds and limits of the enemies Country: and ſo it is a deſcription of great danger, for they who lye upon the borders of an enemies Country, are in continuall feare of an aſſault; This the Greeke ſeemes to favour, rendring it thus; Though we have laine between the inheritances, or the lots, ſc. our own and the enemies; either foreign. Sept. Ainſworth.way the ſenſe reaches this point fully; Though Beleevers lye among the pots, or ncareſt dangers, yet they are aſſured that they ſhall have wings, as the wings of a Dove, which are covered with ſilver, and her feathers with yellow gold. There is gold and ſilver in the eye of faith, while there is nothing but blackneſſe and death in the eye of ſenſe; yea, faith aſſures them, that, they ſhall be white as ſnow in Salmon (as it follows in that Pſalme) that is, they ſhall have whiteneſſe after blackneſſe, or light in the midſt of darkneſſe; Salmon ſignifies darke, duskiſh or obſcure: for, it was a hill full of pits, holes, and glins, very darke and dangerous for paſſengers; but when the ſnow was upon it, it was white and gliſtering; now ſaith he, they ſhal be like Salmon in the ſnow, though black in themſelves, yet white, lightſome and glorions, either through pardon of ſin, or victory over their enemies, to both which, whiteneſſe hath reference in Scripture.

Againe, In that it is ſaid, At deſtruction and famine thou ſhalt Non ſolum ſingulas arumnas ſuperabit, ſed omnium illarum in unum coeuntiam agmen. Integrum ex omnibus ex…rcitum f…gabi….laugh; as from that word, laughing, we ſee what ſpirits the Saints have in troubleſome times, So, inaſmuch as he gathers together and rally's all the ſcattered troopes of afflictions, to charge at once upon a beleever; and yet concludes, At deſtruction and famine thou ſhalt laugh; Obſerve, That

A godly man laughs at, or is above all evils, though brought againſt him at once.

It hath been ſaid, That Hercules could not match two: here are two, Deſtruction and famine, overmatcht by one; bring whole legions and armies of troubles to encounter a Saint, he overcomes p. 367them all: He famiſhes famine, and deſtroyes deſtruction it ſelfe. The Apoſtle, Rom. 8. 35. muſters up (as it were) all evils together into a body, and dares any or all to battell, with a beleever, Who ſhall ſeparate us from the love of God? ſhall tribulation, or diſtreſſe, or perſecution, or famine, or nakedneſſe, or perrill, or ſword? which of theſe ſhall undertake the challenge, or will you bring any more? then, come life, or death, Angels, or principalities, or powers, things preſent, or things to come, height, or depth, or any other creature: none of theſe ſingle, nor all of theſe joyned, ſhall be able to ſeparate us from the love of God, which is in Chriſt Jeſus our Lord. Every heightned Saint is a ſpirituall Goliah, who in the name of the living God, bids defiance to this huge hoſt, and they all run and tremble before him. Rejoyce (ſaith the Apoſtle, James 1. 2.) when you fall into divers tempatations; A beleever hath joy, not only when he grapleth with a ſingle temptation, but let there come many, divers temptations, variety of temptations, variety for kind, and multitude for number, yet he rejoyceth in the middeſt of all.

Neither ſhalt thou be affraid of the beaſts of the earth.

Having thus lifted a godly man above the afflicting reach of thoſe two great evils, famine and deſtruction, want of good things, and ſpoiling of their goods; he proceeds to inſtance another great evill, wherein a godly man is exempt from, and ſet above fear; Neither ſhalt thou be afraid of the beaſts of the earth.

Beaſts of the earoh.] foreign a radice foreign vita, vivents, beſtia fera.The root of that word ſignifies life, and ſo any living creature, eſpecially a wild beaſt; becauſe they are ſo active and full of life, therefore they are named from life.

And theſe are called, the beaſts of the earth.

Firſt, Becauſe beaſts are produced from the earth, and the earth received a charge to produce them, Gen. 1. 24, 25. And God ſaid, let the earth bring forth the living creature, after his kind, and God made the Beaſt of the earth after his kind.

Or ſecondly, Becauſe Beaſts have nothing but earth to live upon; as men whoſe portion is only in creatures, are called men of the world, or men of the earth.

The word for (**foreign Complectitur totum terrarum orbē tum habitabilem, tum qui non eſt habitabliis, deductum volunt a verbo foreign curra…e, vel quia coelum perpetuo rotatu circa terram currit, vel qu…d omnia animalia currant ſuper faciem terrae. earth) ſignifies the whole earth, habitable or inhabitable; And though the earth ſtand ſtill, yet this word is derived (ſay ſome) from running: either, becauſe the heavens runne round aboui the earth, with a continuall rotation or motion; or becauſe p. 368all creatures, men and beaſts, move or run upon the face of the earth. Though others deduce it from a word which ſignifies to deſire, Alii à verbo foreign i. e. volui…, con…upivi… deductum voluat eo quod terra jugiter appetat afferrewiſh, or will a thing, becauſe the earth is perpetually deſirous of bringing forth fruit, for the uſe and helpe of man. But it is not agreed on, what we are to underſtand, by the beaſts of the earth.

Firſt, Some take the words improperly, and ſo the beaſts of the earth, are interpreted men; A company or ſociety of men, and theſe in a double ſenſe. For the word notes ſometimes a company of men in a good ſenſe, and ſometimes a company of men in an ill ſenſe. I ſhall give you an inſtance of both, for the clearing of this text-

It ſignifies men, or a company of men in a good ſenſe, Pſal. 68. 10. where ſpeaking of that raine of liberalities, (that is, bleſſings of all ſorts) which God ſent upon his inheritance, to confirme and refreſh it, he ſaith, Thy Congregation hath dwelt therein, Thy camp or leagure, thy hoſt or troop dwelt there; (ſo 2 Sam. 23. 13.) which the vulgar tranſlates, Thy beaſts, and the Greeke, Thy living Animalia tua habitabunt in ijs, Vulg. Sept. foreign.creatures dwelt therein: The ſame word is uſed (and ſome apprehend in alluſion to this Pſalme) Rev. 4. 6. Chap. 5. 8, 9 in thoſe myſticall deſcriptions of Chriſt and his Church: In this ſenſe it ſuites not at all with the promiſe of the text, Theſe beaſts are not to be feared, but honoured and loved; mans greateſt spirituall comforts on earth, are found in the ſociety of theſe beaſts.

But commonly this word, referred unto men, ſignifies an aſſociation of wicked men; men of the earth, worſe (many of them) then the beaſts of the earth: Theſe are ſpoken of in the ſame Pſalme, ver. 30. Rebuke the company of speare men, (or Archers) foreignThe rout or crue of the Cane, that is, men that beare reeds, or canes, whereof ſpeares and arrowes were wont to be made; therefore the company of ſpeare-men or archers, are called a company with reeds: The word by us rendred company, is, the beaſts of the reeds, thoſe men that are like beaſts, ſavage, cruell and bloody, theſe are as bruits and beaſts of the earth; ſo they are deſcipher'd in the next verſe, The multitude of the buls, with the calves of the people. And we find the word ſignifying, a company of wicked ones, and a company of Saints in the ſame verſe Pſ. 74. 19. O deliver not the ſoule of thy turtle dove unto the multitude of the wicked; The Hebrew is unto the company of the beaſts; Forget not the Congregation (or the beaſts) of thy poore for ever; there the ſame p. 369word is taken (as in Pſal. 68. 10) for a company of Saints, or the poor people of God. In the Scripture of the new Teſtament, it is frequent to ſhadow wicked men under the names of beaſts, beaſts of the earth: ſo that of Paul hath been taken (1 Cor. 15. 32.) If I have fought with beaſts at Epheſus after the manner of men, with beaſtly men, cruell men, men like unto beaſts in their qualities and diſpoſitions: though others underſtand it of his being caſt unto the beaſts, to fight with them, which was a cruelty thoſe perſecuting times exerciſed againſt the Chriſtians. So (1 Tim. 4. 16.) Paul ſaith, he was delivered out of the mouth of the Lion: Nero that cruell tyrant, is ſuppoſed to be the Lion, the beaſt of the earth he aimeth at. And the Apoſtle, Tit. 1. 1. gives this character of the Cretians, they are evill beaſts. If we take it here in this ſence, it is a truth, and a very comfortable truth, that godly men ſhall be delivered from the fear of beaſtly and cruell men, or as the Apoſtle calls them, unreaſonable or abſurd men; who have not faith.

But rather underſtand here beaſts of the earth properly, for thoſe fierce and cruell creatures hurtfull to man. Once man had power and dominion over all the creatures; the wildeſt beaſts were tame to him in his ſtate of innocency; till he roſe up and rebelled againſt God, the creatures were ſubject unto him; but man rebelling againſt God, the creatures rebelled againſt man: hence it is, that man naturally is ſurpriſed with fear at the approach and ſight of ſtrong and cruell beaſts; and therefore it is here ſpoken as a ſpeciall mercy and priviledge of the godly, that they ſhall not be afraid of the beaſts of the earth.

The beaſt of the earth are hurtfull to us three ways;

Firſt naturally, many beaſts by nature are very dreadfull to man, as the Lion, the Bear, the Wolfe, and ſuch other fierce, ſtrong and bloody beaſts.

Scondly, Tame beaſts, ſuch as we daily uſe and ſubdue to our ſervice, are often by accident hurtful to us; The Horſe and the Ox, have many times been deſtructive to their owners.

Thirdly, (which I conceive is the thing chiefly aimed at here) beaſts hurt judicially, in a way of wrath from God; There are divers places in the book of God, wherein God threatens to arme the creatures, againſt thoſe who ſin againſt him, and that when his people ſhould forget their duties, the beaſts ſhould forget their ſubjection. Deut. 32. 24. I will ſend the teeth of beaſts upon them. p. 370And Jer. 15. 3. I will appoint over them foure kinds, ſaith the Lord, the ſword to ſlay, and the dogs to teare, and the fowles of the heaven, and the beaſts of the earth, to devoure and destroy. You ſee God can have an army any where if he pleaſeth, an army of dogs to deſtroy, an army of fowles of the aire, an army of the beaſts of the earth, to ſubdue a rebellious people. And Ezek. 14. 21. This is one of the four ſore judgements that God denounceth againſt Jeruſalem, The ſword, and the famine, and noyſome beaſts, and the peſtilence. Thus in a judiciall manner they were very terrible and dreadfull, and ſo were numbred among the ſoreſt evills or judgements which God ſent upon a Nation, for their wickedneſſe. To all or any of theſe wayes, this promiſe may be inlarged. Thou ſhalt not be afraid of the naturall cruelty, the caſuall hurtfulneſſe, or the judiciary rage of beaſts, when ſent by God with commiſſion to puniſh the beaſtlineſſe of men.

How this cometh to paſſe, that beaſts of the earth hurt not godly men, is ſaid down in the next verſe, which I ſhall a while open, and then give you ſome Notes and Obſervations from both together.

Verſ 23. For thou ſhalt be in league with the ſtones of the field, and the beaſts of the field ſhall be at peace with thee.

This verſe containes the reaſon, why he ſhould not be afraid of the beaſts of the field; and here is ſomewhat more got into the reaſon, than was before in the promiſe; the ground of the promiſe is higher, and carried farther than the promiſe it ſelfe. The promiſe was, to be delivered from the fear of beaſts; and that thou mayeſt be certaine of it, know God will not ſuffer ſo much as a ſtone to do thee hurt; thou ſhalt be at league not onelyonly with the beaſts of the earth, but with the ſtones of the field.

Thou ſhalt be in league] The word is frequently uſed in the foreign à radice foreign …legii quia elegamur perſonae inter quas & res & conditio…es propter q…as foed…s initur. Buxt.old Teſtament, to ſignifie, that ſolemne gracious covenant of reconciliation between God and man, eſtabliſhed in the blood of Chriſt.

A league or covenant is a very ſolemne act, an act of reaſon and of the higheſt reaſon, an act of judgement and deepeſt deliberation: therefore it may be doubted how a league can be entred with ſtones, which have no life, or with beaſts which have no reaſon. We read (Gen. 31. 41.) of a league or covenant made at or upon an heap of ſtones, between Jacob and Laban; but this is p. 371very ſtrange and unheard of, to make a league with a heape of ſtones.

For the claring of this, we muſt enquire into two things;

1. What theſe ſtones are.

2. What this league with ſtones doth import.

Firſt, For the Stones: There are divers opinions about them, and many Interpreters have exceedingly ſtumbled at theſe ſtones: Some change theſe ſtones into men, ſtrong men, or the ſtrongeſt of men. That of Job in the next Chapter, hath ſome alluſion to it, ver. 12. Is my ſtrength the ſtrength of ſtones? A ſtrong man is ſtrong, as a ſtone.

The Chaldee Paraphraſt, underſtands by ſtones, the Law, which was written in ſtones. Thou ſhalt be in league with the ſtones, that is, the Law written in tables of ſtone ſhall never hurt thee. But that (as to this text) is a meare conceit, though (in it ſelfe) a great truth, and our greateſt comfort, that believers are at league with thoſe Law-ſtones, which left in power and hoſtility, would have broken all man-kind to pieces, and ground them to power. Chriſt hath made peace for us with the Law; The Law had a quartell at us, and the Law would have been upon us with an everlaſting war, if Chriſt had not ſetled our peace by ſatisfying the Law; Stoning to death, had been the death of us all, if Chriſt had not made a league for us with theſe ſtones.

Thirdly, Others interpret theſe ſtones by a Metanomy of the continent for the thing contained, Thou ſhalt be at league with the ſtones of the field, with the rocks or rocky places, that is, thou ſhalt be at league with thoſe creatures, or with thoſe beaſts, which lie among the ſtones, and have their dens about hollow rocks: and ſo they make the latter branch [and the beaſts of the field ſhall be at peace with thee] to be exegeticall, giving us the expoſition of the former, or ſhewing what is meant by being at league with the ſtones of the field; Thou ſhalt be at league with the ſtones of the field, that is, with the beaſts who make their dens, and their holes, and their hiding places anomg the ſtones of the field. This is a good ſence of the words.

But leaving the former, with ſome other apprehenſions about theſe ſtones, I ſhall take theſe ſtones properly, and ſo they will fall under foure conſiderations, all which give light to the clearing of this text, and the manner of our league with ſtones.

Firſt, As naturally ſcattered upon the face of the earth, ſo hindring p. 372travellers, or endangering a man in haſt upon his way. One part of Arabia, was called Arabia Petraea, or the ſtony, becauſe it was full of ſtones, and ſo uneaſie either for tillage or travell.

Stones are ſo dangerous to the foot, that the Latine word is derived from hurting the foot; Hence thoſe Scripture-expreſſions, Lapis à laedendo pede nomen habet.A ſtumbling ſtone, and a rock of offence, becauſe men are ſo apt to ſtumble at ſtones. And both theſe are applyed to Chriſt in a figure, he is called A ſtumbling ſtone, and a rock of offence. Chriſt in himſelfe is the moſt precious and elect foundation-ſtone to build on, but he is the moſt ſore and dangerous ſtone to ſtumble on: To be in league and covenant with that living ſtone, is the higheſt mercy.

Secondly, Theſe ſtones as they lie naturally hidden in the bowells of the earth, or under the earth, are a trouble to the Husbandman in tilling the ground, in plowing and ſowing, and they often endanger the breaking of his plow, and hinder the rooting and growth of the ſeed ſowne.

Thirdly, conſider theſe ſtones as artificially laid together for the making of a wall or mound to fence and part field from field, or both from the common fields and high-ways.

Fourthly, Conſider theſe ſtones as artificially and induſtriouſly placed for marks and boundaries, to diſtinguiſh private mens lands, or the precincts of ſuch and ſuch countries, which are commonly called aaLapides terminales.Mark ſtones, or Boundary-ſtones; as alſo ſtones ſet in roads or high-ways, for the direction of Travellers, pointing which way to goe to eminent Towns or Cities. Of ſuch a ſtone we read (1 Sam. 20. 19.) when Jonathan bad David ſtay at the ſtone Eziel, that is, as we put in the Margin of our Bibles, the ſtone that ſheweth the way, or the bbLapides viatorii.way-ſtone. Theſe boundary-ſtones, or way-ſtones to direct travellers, were famous in antiquity; Inſomuch that among the ccRomoni Deum habeban… quem Terminu…n vocabant. Is Deus finum erat, Pig. l. 1 de Civ. Dei cap. 23. Lact. l. 1. c. 20.Heathen, They were worſhipped as a God, or Numen, as divers of the Chriſtan Fathers have obſerved in their learned reports of Heatheniſh idolatry. Which alſo their own ddTermini, ſive lapis ſive es defoſſus in agro, Stipes, ab antiquis, …u quo que numen habes. Ov. primo Faſt.—Omnis erit ſine …eli…igioſus ager—Poets have elegantly deſcribed, both in their conſtitution and uſes; giving thoſe ſtones a charge faithfully to teſtifie, eeEt ſeuve meribus, ſeu te pul ſabere raſtris, Clamato tuus eſt hic ager, ille tu vsus.This is your land, and this is yours. And they break out into the commendation of the integrity of theſe witneſſes, whom no threats could terrifie, or bribes corrupt to ſpeak a lie, or conceal the truth.

Now conſider the other terme, what it is to be in league with ſtones, in any of, or in all theſe acceptations.

In generall we know, that to be in league with ſtones, is an improper p. 373or alluſive ſpeech: Stones are not capable of the formalities of a league, when we are in league or covenant with God or man, ſo with ſtones; theſe two things are made out to us.

1. That God or man will do us no hurt; A covenant or league takes off the actings of hoſtility. Whatſoever a man is in covenant with, he fears no damage from. Preſumptuous ſinners having made a covenant with hell, and an agreement with death, build their confidence of indemnity upon the ſtrength of it. When the over-flowing ſcourge ſhall paſſe through, it ſhall not come neare us, Iſa. 28. 15. A man that is in league with the devill, believes the devill will doe him no wrong.

2. A league imports, that we may expect to receive good, protection, benefits and bleſſings either from God or man, according to the Articles of covenant agreed to, and ſealed reſpectively. Theſe two aſſurances we have by a league. And when it is ſaid here, that a godly man is in league with the ſtones of the field, both theſe are to be underſtood. It is as much as to ſay, The ſtones of the field ſhall not annoy him; yea, the ſtones of the field ſhall be a benefit or a friend to him. Man is ſaid to be in league with ſtones, when he receives the effect of a league from ſtones. Taking it in this generall ſence, we may apply it unto thoſe four particular ſences of ſenſeleſs ſtones before mentioned.

Firſt, As ſtones are naturally ſcattered upon the face of the earth, the promiſe imports thus much; that ſuch ſtones ſhall not hurt or annoy him in his walks or travells. This promiſe we have expreſſely (Pſal. 91. 11.) He ſhall give his Angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy wayes, they ſhall beare thee up in their hands, leſt thou daſh thy foot againſt a ſtone. This is the league with ſtones, Stones ſhall not annoy thee in thy way, thou ſhalt not ſtumble or fall to break thy bones, or bruiſe thy body upon theſe ſtones. The devill in his combat with Chriſt, miſapplyeth this promiſe of a league with the ſtones (Mat. 4. 6.) Tempting him to caſt himſelfe down from a pinacle of the Temple, for it is written, He ſhall give his Angels charge concerning thee, and in their hands they ſhall bear thee up, leaſt at any time thou daſh thy foot againſt a ſtone; As if he had ſaid, a godly man hath this aſſurance from his league with the ſtones, that he ſhal receive no harm from them, therefore truſt God, and in confidence of this promiſe, Caſt thy ſelf down. So here is the firſt ſence, Thou ſhalt be at league with the ſtones of the field; that is, thou ſhalt not be hurt by thoſe ſtones, as thou travelleſt or walkeſt.

p. 374Secondly, Take the ſtones as they lie hidden in the earth, then to be at league with them, hath this ſence. Firſt, that in tilling the earth, ſtones ſhould not trouble or hinder that work. God ſhall ſo order it, that though thou ploweſt among ſtones, yet thou ſhalt till thy ground ſucceſſefully. The ſtony ground ſhall be fruitfull ground. In that Parable of a vineyard (Iſa. 5. 1) God is pleaſed to manifeſt his care of making it fruitfull, by this act among others, I gathered out the ſtones thereof, ver. 2, noting that ſtones are naturally great impediments to fruitfulneſſe. We rea… (Mat. 13. 5.) how the ſeed, which fell upon the ſtony ground, ſprung up quickly and withered as quickly; Stony ground naturally cannot feed or bring forth fruit to maturity. It is then a great priviledge, thus to be in league with the ſtones of the field, that though we ſow among ſtones, yet we ſhall have a plentifull Harveſt. When Job deſcribed the days of his proſperity (Chap. 29. 6) he ſaith, The Rocke powred him out rivers of oyle: To have oyle out of rocks, is like having corne out of the ſtones, both noting things ſucceeding Juſto molleſcūt ſaxa, im…iis vero te…rae pulvis molliſſimus lapideſcet.beyond their naturall principles, and our common expectation. When the Baptiſt would ſhew how God can work beyond all the poſſibilities of nature or reaſon, he ſaith to the Jewes, Even of theſe ſtones God can raiſe up children unto Abraham, (Mat. 3.) There is ſomewhat of a miracle in it, to raiſe up bread to a man out of ſtones; that is, to make rocky land, a fertile ſoile. God threatned his people, that he would make the earth to be iron under them; that is, the earth which was ordinarily fruitfull, ſhall yield you no more fruit, then iron; And on the other ſide he promiſes, That they ſhall ſuck honey out of the rocke, and oyle out of the flinty rocke, Deut. 32. 13. Honey out of the rock; That is, honey of Bees, hiving themſelves in rocks; or (as others) honey fruits, as Dates, &c. which grow on Palme trees (as oyle on Olivetrees) in rocky places. Hereby, the Lord aſſured his people of aboundant Aiſnw. on Deu.plenty; For whereas rocks and ſtones are uſually barren, he would make thoſe places fruitfull to Iſrael. They ſhould have oyle out of the rock in Canaan, as well as water out of a rock in the wilderneſſe. We are ſurely in league with thoſe rocks and ſtones of the fields, which ſend us ſuch Preſents as theſe, bread and water, honey and oyle.

Thirdly, Take theſe Stones, as artificially laid together, and ſo, Nunquam diſſolvetur macria, non diſſiliet lapis ex ſepe, nemo furabitur, ne no Inſiliet in agros tuos.Thou ſhalt be in league with them, is thus to be underſtood, Thoſe walls and mounds of ſtone, ſhall be as the keepers and watchmen p. 375of the field; they ſhall preſerve thy corn and thy cattell from annoyance. To this ſenſe ſome joyne the former words with theſe, Thou ſhalt not be afraid of the beaſts of the earth, for the ſtones of the field, which lie in the wals and fences, ſhall be-friend thee, and keepe them out. When God would ſhew his intendment to deſtroy and lay waſte his vineyard; he expreſſes it by pulling down the wall, as before he had expreſs'd his care to protect it, by building of a wall, Iſa. 5. 2. I fenced it, and gathered out the ſtones thereof; which we may underſtand thus, I gatherd out the ſtones (and as it is uſuall) made a fence of them; and had the vineyard brought forth fruit, it had alſo been in league with theſe ſtones, that is, the ſtones of the wall had kept out the wild-beaſts, or any annoyance from them; but being fruitleſſe, the league with thoſe ſtones was broken: I (ſaith the Lord, ver. 5.) will breake downe the wall thereof, and it ſhall be troden downe. So that, in this ſenſe, to be at league with the ſtones of the field, is as much as to ſay, the ſtone-wall or the ſtone-fence which is made about thy field, ſhall ſtand to protect and maintain thy land, thy fruits and cattell, from the incurſions of wild beaſts, from ſpoyling and treading down Facere pactum cum lapidibus agri, eſt pacificè vivere cum proximo, item ſecurus eſſe, quod nullos terminos agri ſui tranſiliturus ſit, ac ſi cum lapidibus Terminalibus pepigiſſet: ipſi que lopides pactum ini…um ſervarent, nec aliter ac ſi ratione valentes incurſores, aut tranſgreſſores etiam verbo fugarent, Pined. Termini ag…orū tuo…um à nemine violentur, nemo tranſgredietur.by any.

Fourthly, take theſe Stones for land-marks or for way-marks, for boundary-ſtones, or for directory-stones; and then the ſenſe may be thus conceived, Thou ſhalt be at league with the ſtones of the field; that is, no man ſhall come within thy bounds, none ſhall remove thy land-marks, or invade thy eſtate, thoſe Stones ſhall firmly diſtinguiſh thine inheritance, thou ſhalt have no controverſie ariſing, which is thine, or what is thy poſſeſſion. As if an agreement had formally bin made with theſe ſtones, to keepe off all intruders upon their Maſters inheritance, and accordingly the ſtones in purſuance of that agreement (like ſo many hired ſervants) ſhould faithfully witneſſe for their Maſter, and chide away all who would doe him wrong. (1 Sam. 7. 12.) Samuel ſet up a ſtone as a boundary of the conqueſt and victories, which the Lord had given the children of Iſrael againſt the Philiſtines, He ſet up a ſtone, and called it Eben-Ezer, or the ſtone of helpe. Adding the reaſon, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us; As if he had ſaid, here is a Stone of remembrance, how God hath helped us, and that ſtone ſeemed to ſpeake thus much to Iſrael, Keepe and hold what ye have gotten, let not the Philiſtines ſet a foot (unrevengd) over or beyond this ſtone. So then, in this ſenſe, to be in league p. 376with the ſtones of the field, is a promiſe of keeping our inheritances free from invaſion and confuſion, that we ſhall know what is ours, and that no enemy ſhall take it from us.

It was a great ſin to remove the land-marks and boundaries, and a great puniſhment was threatned againſt any, who ſhould alter or remove them, Prov. 23. 11. Deut. 19. 14. Deut. 27. 17. And when the Prophet Hoſea would ſhew, how extreamly wicked the Princes of Judah were, he ſaith (Chap. 5. 10.) The Princes of Judah were like them that remove the bounds; as if he had ſaid, we account thoſe the worſt of men, who remove land-marks; how vile then are theſe Princes, who are as bad as they. Juſt as the wickedneſſe of the people is aggravated, Chap. 4. 4. This people are as they that ſtrive with the Priefl. To ſtrive with the Prieſt, is to ſtrive with God, that's a ſad ſtrife. Strivers with the Priſt are the worſt of people, how vile then are this people, who are as bad as they. But to the preſent poynt, if it be ſo great a ſin to remove the land-ſtones, it muſt needs be a great mercy to have thoſe ſtones preſerved. So then, to be in league with the ſtones of the field, may have this good ſence alſo, the boundary-ſtones ſhall be preſerved, none ſhall remove them, and they ſhall preſerve thy eſtate, that none ſhall invade or waſt it.

Hence Obſerve,

God can doe us good by any thing, if he pleaſeth, and nothing can doe us good without God.

Though we have carefully ſet up bounds, though we have made ſtrong fences, yet theſe will not keep out evill or annoyance, unleſs there be a league, a league of Gods making for us; And God can produce our comforts out of improbables, yea impoſſibles to nature: He can fetch us bread and a bleſſing from ſtones. It was a temptation upon Chriſt, when he was hungry to make bread of ſtones. If thou be the ſon of God, command that theſe ſtones be made bread. Mat. 4. 2. But it is our comfort, that God can turn ſtones into bread, that he can make thoſe things which are moſt improbable to do us good, very good unto us. It is a ſin for us to turne ſtones into bread, or to expect ſtones to be turned into bread, that is, to put God upon miracles from us, when means or indeavours may help us; but God out of the ſuperaboundance of his power and goodneſſe, alwayes can, and ſometimes will work miracles, turning ſtones into bread for us. Then, we turne ſtones into bread, when we live upon ſin, whoſoever eateth a bit of bread, out p. 377of bread out of the hand of ſin, turneth ſtones into bread. Then, God turnes ſtones into bread for us, when out of his infinite power and goodneſſe, he gives us ſupplies by unuſall meanes, and comforts us by that, from which, we can expect no more comfort, then we doe bread and water out of ſtones.

Further, when ſtones ſeeme to be moſt angry with a godly man, then he is in league with them. Stones (in a proper ſenſe) flew about the eares of Steven, and kil'd him, yet Steven was in league with the ſtones, even while they took away his life: God turned theſe ſtones into bread for him: and every ſtone, was as a glorious Diamond in his Crown of Martyrdome.

There are two Interpretations of this league with ſtones (which ſome make great ſtore and treaſure of) different from all theſe; Pineda. Crimen hoc appellabant foreign cujus rei admiſſum, tale eſt: pleri que inimi…orum ſo…ent praedium inimici foreign, id eſt lapides ponere indicio futuros, q…od ſi quis eum agrum coluiſſet, malo letho periturus eſſet inſidiis eorum, qui ſcopulos poſuiſſent. Quoe res tantum timorem habet, ut nemo agrum accedere audeat crudelitatem timens eorum qui ſcopeliſmon fecerunt. Idem ex Vlpiano.The former is grounded upon a cuſtome in Arabia, where, or neare which it is ſuppoſed Jobs friends dwelt It was (ſaith the learned Authour) a very capitall offence in that country, if any man did caſt or carry heapes of ſtones into his neighbours ground; For that action had this ſignification or meaning in it, The man, who afterwards ventured to plow or till that ground, ſhould ſurely dye by the hands of thoſe, who caſt in thoſe ſtones. So that, the ſight of ſuch ſtones was terrible and ominous to the owner of the Land, as ſpeaking death and ruine to him, if he medled with it. Hence t'was often left unus'd and untill'd. Againſt this barbarous cuſtome (it being an occaſion of murders and blood ſhed) a very ſevere Law was made; That whoſoever ſhould be diſcovered to have caſt ſuch Stones into his neighbours ground, ſhould have judgment of death by the Magiſtrate. In alluſion to this Law or cuſtome, the interpretation of this promiſe (Thou ſhalt be in league with the ſtones of the field) is made out thus. The ordinary Stones of the field ſhall be ſo farre from hurting, that, even thoſe Stones, which ſpeake anger and malice ſhall not hurt thee. God will reconcile or ſubdue the rage of thine enemies, and though they have caſt theſe Stones of defiance into thy Land, yet they ſhall deſire a league of peace with thee, or fall before thee.

The ſecond is grounded upon a cuſtome, in warre; of which we reade (2 Kin. 3. 25.) that, when the Moabites fled before Iſrael, The purſuing Iſraelites beat down their Cityes, and on every good peece of Land, caſt every man his Stone, and filled it. &c. Eliphaz might have an eye to this, as if he had ſaid, Thy land ſhall not be buried under the heapes of ſtones, thrown there by a conquering p. 378hand; that is, thou ſhalt have a league of amity with, or victory over all that are round about thee.

And the Beaſts of the field ſhall be at peace with thee.

That is, they ſhall (through the power of God) be made peaceable to thee. To be at peace with the Beaſts, is the ſame in proportion, with being in league with Stones. It was mans priviledge by creation to have power over the Beaſts of the field, and it is the priviledge of Redemption, To be at peace with them. This is the ordinary priviledge of every Believer. But there is a more tranſcendent priviledge of the Church, in the moſt flouriſhing eſtate of it here on the earth, repreſented under this notion, Iſa. 11. 6, 7, 8, 9. The Wolfe ſhall dwell with the Lambe, and the Leopard ſhall lie down with the Kid, and the Calfe, and the young Lion, and the fatling together, and a little childe ſhall leade them, &c. And the ſucking child ſhall play on the hole of the Aspe, and the weaned childe ſhall put his hand on the Cockatrice den; They ſhall not hurt nor deſtroy in all my holy mountaine. This Peace with Beaſts, is within a degree of glory with God, whether we underſtand it in the letter, of beaſts in kind, or in the Allegory, of men ſymbolizing in rage and fierceneſſe, in power and poyſons, in ſtings and teeth with beaſts and Serpents.

The Text before us, goes lower then this promiſe; And to be at peace with the Beaſts of the field, is, only a gracious aſſurance that they ſhall not hurt us, or that they ſhall be uſefull to us. In the firmneſſe of this promiſe of peace with the Beaſts, the fearleſneſſe of a godly man is founded, He ſhall not be afraid of the Beaſts of the earth, for the Beaſts of the earth ſhall be at peace with him. Hence obſerve,

The courage and fearleſneſſe of a godly man, is grounded in divine reaſon, not on humane preſumption.

When we ſee a man ſtout in the midſt of danger, fearles amongſt wild beaſts, we may wonder where the ſpring of this courage lies: This promiſe ſheweth you the ſpring-head, He is at peace with them; It is not conceit and fancy, or deſperateneſſe of ſpirit, that cauſeth him to deride and ſlight danger; but he hath a ſolid ground there is a peace and league ratified in heaven, for him even with the Stones and Beaſts of the earth. As a godly man can give a reaſon of the hope that is in him; ſo he can give a reaſon of the courage that is in him; he knowes why he is ſo ſtout and venturous.

p. 379Secondly, Obſerve from both, in that man is here ſaid to be in league with the ſtones, and at peace with the Beaſts; That

Every creature by ſin is made dangerous and hurtfull unto man.

For, in that there is a league and peace made with theſe, it notes, that they were in a ſtate of hoſtility, ready to riſe up againſt us and annoy us. As the creature by reaſon of mans ſin is ſubject unto vanity; ſo man is ſubject unto feare, by reaſon of the creature. Sin hath made the creature vanitie in it ſelfe, and ſinne hath made the creature vexation unto us. When the Beaſts rebell againſt us, we ſhould remember how we have rebelled againſt God, And, that untill God renewes a league, and makes peace for us with the creatures, there is not a creature upon the earth, but may quickly be deſtructive to us. If God ſpeakes the word, and gives a call or a commiſſion to a fly, againſt the ſtrongeſt, the ſwifteſt man; flight ſhall periſh from the ſwift, and power from the ſtrong, neither of them ſhall eſcape.

Thirdly, Thou ſhalt be in league with the Stones, and with the Beaſts; he reckons up all thoſe wayes, by which evills may come in upon us. And aſſures a man, to whom God is reconciled, that theſe evills ſhall not come. Hence obſerve; That

When God is once a friend to us, he can quickly make all other things friendly to us alſo.

Every godly man (of ſuch Eliphaz here ſpeaks) is at peace and Qui Dominum habet adjutorē, habebit & omnes creaturas adjutrices, ille ſi favet, favent omnes: ait, aiunt: negat, negant: Qui Dominum babet cuſtodē habebit & lapides campi cuſtodes. Brent. in loc. Tranquillus Deus, Tranquillat omnia.in league with God, therefore God makes all creatures at peace and league with him. Though uſually, they who are in neareſt league and covenant with God, are moſt warred with, and oppoſed by the world, yet this ſtands ſure, that when God is our friend, he can make our enemies our friends, or their enmity ſhall be-friend us; Stones and ſavage beaſts ſhall be helpfull to us. When God is at peace with us, he makes all things at peace with us. Daniel was at peace with God, and he was at peace among the Lions. The Apoſtle (Rom. 8.) gives it in generall, If God be with us, who can be againſt us? No creature hath power in it ſelfe to maintaine warre and emnity againſt thoſe, on whoſe ſide God appeares. If God loves us, All things worke together for good to us. He that hath helpe from God, ſhall not want helpe from any creature; for all creatures are at the call and command of God; If he ſaith, go, they muſt goe; if he ſaith, come, they muſt come; if he ſaith to a ſtone doe ſuch a man good, the Stone muſt doe it; if he ſaith to a Raven, goe carry Elijah his dinner, the Raven will haſten; if he ſaith to p. 380a wild Beaſt, ſave ſuch a man, deliver ſuch a man, ſpare ſuch a man, he muſt goe of Gods errand. In our friendſhip and league with God, we have a vertuall league of friendſhip with the moſt unfriendly creatures.

And if God pleaſe, he can make men, who have as little ſenſe as Stones, and leſſe reaſon than Beaſts; to be helpfull and uſefull, and peaceable to his people. There is a generation amongſt us, a ſtony generation, a hard-hearted generation of men, you may as well move a ſtone, as move them with what you ſay; a beaſtly generation of men, when you deale with them, you deale with Beaſts; yet the great God, (if he pleaſe) can make a league for us with theſe ſtones, he can make theſe Beaſts of the earth, brutiſh and unreaſonable men, To be at peace with us, Further obſerve,

It is from ſpeciall providence, that the Stones, and the Beaſts of the earth doe not hurt nor deſtroy us, but ſpecially that they helpe and doe us good.

There is providence towards all, but a ſpeciall providence to the people of God, that the creatures hurt them not. If God did not bridle the rage and reſtraine the power of Beaſts, man could not comfortably ſubſiſt with them. The reaſon is given (Deut. 7. 22.) why God deſtroyed the Canaanites by little and little, before his people, namely, Leaſt the Beaſts of the earth ſhould increaſe upon them. Here was a ſpeciall providence, as all leagues, and peacemakings are. All the leagues and peace which beleevers have, are branches of that great league, of that grand Covenant, which God hath made with Chriſt on our behalfe. And therefore (Hoſ. 2. 18.) this promiſe is made in ſpeciall to the Church. And in that day I will make a Covenant for them, with the Beaſts of the field. Fifthly, note,

A godly man enjoyes common comforts from ſpeciall favour.

Wicked men are ſeldome hurt by the beaſts of the field but they are never at peace with them.

Laſtly, obſerve,

Peace is a great mercy. By how much God makes more peace upon earth, by ſo much, man hath more of Heaven upon Earth. Man ſhould deſire peace with Beasts, much more with men, moſt of all with God▪