Exposition of Job 4-7, Commentary on Job · Chapter 7 · Verses 11-16
JOB Chap. 7. Verſ. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16.
Therefore I will not refraine my mouth, I will ſpeake in the anguiſh of my ſpirit, I will complaine in the bitterneſſe of my ſoule.
Am I a ſea or a whale, that thou ſetteſt a watch over me?
When I ſay my bed ſhall comfort me, my couch ſhall eaſe my complaint.
Then thou skareſt me with dreames, and terrifieſt me through viſions.
So that my ſoul chuſeth ſtrangling, and death rather then life.
I loath it, I would not live alwayes, let me alone, for my dayes are vanity.
IN the context of theſe ſix verſes, we may take notice of foure things.
1. Jobs violent reſolution to complaine, ver. 11.
2. His vehement complaint, ver. 12.
3. An amplification of his ſorrowes, ver. 13, 14.
4. A renovation of his often repeated deſires to die, and the tediouſneſſe of his life, ver. 15. 16.
Therefore.] Job having in an apoſtrophe to God, ſhewed his weake condition; takes up a freſh reſolution of complaining to God; Therefore I will not refraine my mouth, &c. as if he had ſaid, The conſideration of theſe things, is ſo farre from putting me to ſilence, that it doth rather enlarge my heart, and open my mouth to ſpeake and complaine, once more; ſeeing death is by Gods appointment, the certain end of all outward troubles, and perceiving my ſelf upon the very borders or brink of death, my body paſt cure, my eſtate irrecoverable and remedileſſe; therefore I will complaine yet againe, I will yet farther lay open my miſery before the Lord, and preſſe him to haſten me thorough the confines of this land of ſorrow, that I may accompliſh my dayes, and ſee an end of theſe troubles, for my ſoule is in great bitterneſſe.
I will not refraine my mouth.] The word ſignifies to ſtop, inhibit foreign Proprie eſt continere probibere, & cum ad liuguam & orationem refertur …ffert ſuppreſſionem quandam & cohibitionem eluctantis ſpiritus, & ſermonis, conantis ſe aperto ore effundere.or prohibit; Thoſe writs which ſtay the proceſſe of inferiour Courts, are called Prohibitions, and then no man may open his mouth more in that buſineſſe, untill the Prohibition be diſſolved or taken off: I (ſaith Job) will not give my ſelf a prohibition, I will not ſilence or ſuppreſſe my ſorrowes: I will give my heart full liberty to meditate, and my tongue to ſpeake out my ſufferings: Being emptied of all my comforts, I will ſurely take my fill of complainings. It will be ſome eaſe to me, to make known how I am pained. I will not refraine my mouth. That word is uſed (Iſa. 58. 1.) Cry aloud ſpare not; when the Prophet is commanded to tell the people of their ſins, the Lord ſets his tongue at liberty, ſpare not, thou art not ſilenced or limited, therefore, cry aloud; Theirs, were crying ſins, and crying ſins muſt have crying reproofs, loud ſinners muſt not be whiſpered to, therefore, Cry aloud, ſpare not. I will not ſpare my mouth (ſaith Job) or refraine as we tranſlate.
But I will ſpeake in the anguiſh of my ſpirit, or in the ſtraightneſſe foreign ie. in angustiis ſpiritus mei, coarctat me ſpiritus pectore incluſus, patefaciam liberum illi aditum foreign à radice foreign Proprie meditari, vel ex meditatione interius animo concepta aliquid exterius agere loqui, orari, conqueri. Vocem edam querulam, muſfitando & meditandi, Merc.of my ſpirit; I am in a ſtraight, I am pent in my ſpirit, and unleſſe I let my ſpirit out, my heart will breake; I muſt give it vent and ayre, I will ſpeake in the anguiſh of my ſpirit.
I will complaine in the bitterneſſe of my ſoule. The word render'd complaine, ſignifies to meditate, and ſo, to ſpeake upon meditation, or to ſpeake deliberately. It implies, firſt, a forming and faſhioning of what we would ſay in our thoughts; Thoughts are the moulds of our words. Job intends not raſh ſpeaking: what he intended to ſpeake, ſhould be moulded, ſhapt and wrought in his heart, before brought forth by his tongue. Prayer is expreſt by this word, becauſe prayer ought firſt to be formed in the heart: Prayer is the manifeſtation of our deſires to God; If the tongue ſpeakes before the heart, before the heart makes up our requeſts, we take Gods name in vaine. Hannah takes up this word (1 Sam. 1. 16.) Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial, for out of the aboundance of my complaint (or meditation, ſo the word is rendered) and greife, have I ſpoken. Hunnah was praying, her voice was not heard, only her lips moved which cauſed Eli to ſuſpect and cenſure her for drunk or diſtracted; but ſhe anſwers in words of turth and ſoberneſſe, O my Lord, count not thine handmaid a daughter of Belial, for though my voice hath not been heard, yet I have been ſpeaking out of the aboundance of my complaint, that is, out of the aboundance of my meditation; my complaints are not the work of my tongue, but of my heart, and my lips moved not, untill my heart moved, my complaint is my meditation. Hence likewiſe that phraſe of powring out prayer, Pſal. 142. 2. I powred out my complaint before him; He that powres out, muſt have ſomewhat, yea much within, where there is a conſtant ſtream, there alſo is a fountain, I powred out my complaint, or my complaining prayer; it is the ſame word here, I have gathered the bitter waters of ſorrow into my own heart, and now I powre them forth in complainings.
I will complain in the bitterneſſe of my ſoul. What the bitterneſſe Amarum non ſolum, dulci opponitur, ſed etiam jucundo. Amariorem me fecit ſenectus, i. e aſperiorem, Plau….of the ſoule is, hath been expounded already in the third Chapter, therefore I ſhall not ſtay upon it: It notes only the height or extremity of affliction. Bitter is oppoſed to unpleaſant, as well as to ſweet: In the bitterneſſe of my ſoule: The affliction appeared moſt upon his body, but it afflicted him moſt in his ſoule. He ſpeaks little of the pain of his body, in compariſon of the trouble upon his ſpirit, he inſiſts principally upon that, I will ſpeake in the anguiſh of my ſpirit, I will complaine in the bitterneſſe of my ſoule, not in the pains of my fleſh, or ſufferings of my body; and yet that forme of ſpeaking, excludes not his ſence and ſenſibleneſſe of bodily paines, for a man may well ſay, his ſoul is in bitterneſſe by reaſon of the paines of his body.
Being in this condition, we ſee what his remedy was, he falls a crying and a complaining before God, telling how it was with him.
Jobs complaints have been ſpoken of in former paſſages of the Book, and why he complaines, hath been ſhewed. An afflicted ſoule finds ſome eaſe, in complaining of affliction; To complaine out of impatience, diſtruſt and hard thoughts of God is very ſinfull; in that ſence we muſt be ſilent, as David, Pſal. 39. 9. when the hand of God was heavy upon him, I was dumbe, I opened not my mouth, becauſe thou didſt it; in reference to the dealing of God with him, David had not a word to ſay; Our Lord Chriſt (the great patterne of ſuffering) was as a ſheepe before the ſhearer, dumbe, and opened not his mouth, no impatient ſpeech came from him. Though the griefe of Job was very great, and ſo it might ſomewhat (as hath formerly been cleared) excuſe the greatneſſe of his complaint, yet, in this Job ſhewed himſelfe a Docemur quantae ſint hominis vir…s, ſibi à Deo derelisti. Merc.man ſubject to like paſſions, as we are. Man thinks to get cure by complaining, but uſually he gets a wound: What poore ſhifts are we poore creatures often put to? How often doe we entangle our ſelves becauſe we are ſtraightned? Though Jobs heart kept cloſe to God in the maine, though his ſpirit was preſerved untoucht of blaſpheming, yet we find him touching too often, and too loud upon this ſtring of complaining. He cannot be excuſed from ſome motions of impatience, while we hear him ſetling upon theſe reſolutions to take his fill of, or to let looſe the reins of his paſſion to complain, I will complaine in the bitterneſs of my ſoul. Anguiſh is a very ill guide of the tongue. It muſt needs be troubled matter, which paſſion dictates. Obſerve further,
That when ſorrow continues and hangs long upon us, it grows boyſterous and reſolute.
We have three wils in the text, as if Job had turned all his reaſon into Will, and his will into paſſion, I will not refraine; I will ſpeak in the anguiſh of my ſpirit, I will complaine in the bitterneſſe of my ſoule; He was grown to a kinde of reſolvedneſſe in his ſorrow. It is as unſafe for man (in this ſence) to will what Nec tamen is fuit Job. qui quod ſibi licere non putaret protervè ac procaciter vellet aggredi. Meri.he doth, as to do what he will; we ought to will the will of God, but we muſt ſubmit our own. We ſhould not mourne over our afflictions, nor rejoyce over our comforts, but as God wils. Yet in this, the wil of Job was rather ſtrong then pertinacious. He was not a man of that rough make, to oppoſe his wil againſt the wil and good pleaſure of God, though that were a paine to him.
Having thus reſolved to complain, he complains in this very high Language.
Verſe 12. Am I a ſea, or a whale, that thou ſetteſt a watch over me?
Theſe are his firſt words, words full of deep complaint, like the ſea, which, whether he was or no, he would be anſwered. Am I a ſea? Tell me. His queſtion is of like importance with that, at the 12. verſe of the 6. Chapter, Is my ſtrength the ſtrength of ſtones, or is my fleſh braſſe? He expoſtulates with God, why haſt thou laid ſuch trouble upon me? Am I ſtone or braſs that I ſhould be able to bear it? And here like a ſea ſwolne with bitter waters) in the bitterneſs of his ſoul he begins to break the bounds again, Am I a ſea or a whale, that thou ſetteſt a watch over me?
A ſea or a whale.
The ſea and the whale are often joyned in Scripture, Pſal. 104. 25, 26. O Lord how manifold are thy works, &c. the earth is full of thy riches, ſo is the great and the wide ſea, there goe the ſhips, there is that Leviathan, whom thou haſt made to play therein. Againe, Pſal. 74. 13. 14. Thou diddeſt divide the ſea by thy ſtrength, thou brakeſt the heads of the dragons in the waters, thou brakeſt the head of Leviathan in pieces.
But why doth Job ſpeake this language? In briefe, the meaning is this. The ſea, you know, is a mighty boiſterous and unruly creature, and the whale is the ſtrongeſt, mighteſt and moſt dreadfull creature in the ſea; the greateſt of the creatures, whether upon ſea or land. The ſea is the moſt boiſterous of all the inanimate creatures, and the whale is the moſt boiſterous of all living creatures: So that here Job gives inſtance in two creatures, which are the moſt head-ſtrong, violent and out-ragious in the whole creation, The whale and the ſea. And he ſets forth his own weakneſſe, by the Antitheſis of theſe two creatures, ſurpaſſing all in ſtrength with which God only is able to graple and encounter. And in aſking, Am I a ſea or a whale, he may be conceived to ſpeake thus, Lord thou ſeemeſt to deale with me in a way beyond all thy dealings with the children of men; Thou carrieſt thy ſelfe towards me, as if I were more proud, heady, hard to be reclaimed, then any man in the world; thou ſeemeſt to take ſuch a courſe with me, as with the unruly ſea, and with the boiſterous whale, to keepe me in compaſſe. He ſpeaks as if God laid too heavy an affliction upon him, and tooke too ſtrong a courſe to tame him, or, as if he might be more gently dealt with, and that God needed not prepare ſuch bonds and fetters for him, or lay ſuch law upon him, as upon the mighty ſea, and the monſtrous whale.
But for the words in particular.
Am I a ſea?
There are three things in the ſea, ſpecially conſiderable, at which Mare barbarum & indomitum elementum eſt.Job might have an aime here.
Firſt, the turbulency of the ſea; the ſea is ſtormy and turbulent, ſo ſtormy and turbulent, that it threatneth to over-whelme all; to over-whelme the ſhips ſailing upon it, to over-whelme the Viſat eſt Deus conjeciſſe mare in carcerem, at que illi pedes, ac manus conſtrinxiſie propte… quam exquiſitadry land encompaſſing it, and it would doe both, if God did not bound it, if he had not ſaid, Hitherto ſhalt thou come, but no further, and here ſhall thy proud waves be ſtaied; did not God put an everlaſting law upon it, it would be lawleſſe, Gen. 1. 10. the text ſaith, That the gathering together of waters, God called ſeas; God gathered them together, thruſt them together into one place, and there ſet a watch upon them, put them in priſon, bound them Deiprovidentiam dioitur. Pſal. 95. 4.in chaines, for he ſaw what an unruly element it was, and how ſoone it would diſturbe all, if left to it's own guidance. So Job 38. 10. He hath ſet bounds to it, barrs and doors to keepe it in. He locks and bolts it in by his mighty power. And then Jobs meaning may be this. Am I an over-whelming tyrant or oppreſſour, a ſwallower up of the poore, &c. that thou doſt thus impriſon and reſtrain me?
Secondly, there is a wonderfull capaciouſneſſe in the ſea: the ſea is ſo bigge and broad, ſo extenſive and vaſt, that it takes in all the waters that come off the land into it's boſome, and yet feeles no acceſſe. And then his meaning may be thus conceived, Am I able to drinke in all theſe flouds of ſorrow, and rivers of affliction, which are let out and unburthen themſelves upon me?
Thirdly, the ſea is of mighty ſtrength, though we ſay, weak as water; water is a weake element in one ſence, yet in another, water is a ſtrong element, ſo ſtrong, that it beares all downe before it, and beares all the ſtormes that rage upon it. And ſo his meaning is, am I able to bear continuall tempeſt, perpetuall toſſings and agitations. Wilt thou ever let looſe the winds and guſts of trouble to blow thus furiouſly upon me?
Or (am I) a whale?
The word ſignifies any great and terrible creature, any monſter foreign Vaſta five ſtupenda quae vis animantia ſignificat, ſive terreſtria, ſive aquatilia ſive aeria, Quidam Thinnorum nomen binc deducunt.whether of ſea or land, but frequently, the whale; ſo Gen. 1. 21. God created great whales; and Lamen. 4. 3. The ſea monsters, draw out their breaſts; which ſome interpret the ſea calfe. It is taken alſo for the dragon, which lives partly upon the earth, and partly in the water (Deut. 32. 3.) their wine is the poiſon of dragons; and ſo Jer. 51. 37. But place it either at land or ſea, it notes the moſt fierce, devouring and cruell of all living creatures. Our Tranſlations underſtand it of that huge ſtupendious ſea-monſter, the whale or Leviathan, Am I a ſea, or a whale.
That thou ſetteth a watch (or a guard) over me?
The word ſignifies to watch a thing ſo narrowly, that it can neither eſcape, nor doe hurt: for upon theſe two reaſons, watches and guards are ſet, we are afraid ſome will run from us, that others will hurt us, therefore we ſet a guard upon them. In this laſt ſence, Job ſpecially meaneth it, Thou ſetteſt a watch over me, as thou doſt over the ſea and the whale. Why doth God ſet a watch over theſe? It is that the ſea ſhould not hurt thc earth, that whales and ſea monſters ſhould not hurt man, ſailing upon the ſea, or deſtory the leſſer fiſhes ſwimming there.
In the 39th Pſalme ver. 2. the word is uſed for ſetting a watch foreign à radice foreign Cuſtodire, ſervare, ſignificat cuſtodism, undi que circumcluſam unde nullum patet effugium.upon the tongue, I have ſet a watch (ſaith David) upon my lips, &c. A man ſets a watch upon his lips, leaſt he ſhould ſpeake a miſſe, or leaſt he ſhould doe hurt or wrong in ſpeaking, ſo (Pſ. 141. 3.) the Pſalmiſt deſireth God to ſet a watch before his mouth, and keepe the doore of his lips, The tongue is a hurtfull inſtrument, as the Apoſtle James deſcribes it, a little member, which hath a world of iniquity in it: Therefore the tongue being ſo hurtfull, it is a great part of grace, to keepe a watch over it, and a great part of our duty to begg of God to ſet a watch upon it, that it may doe no hurt, that it may not as a ſea or a whale, ſwollow up our neighbours good name. Nehemiah (Chap. 4. 23.) made his prayer (a ſweet conjunction) and ſet a guard or a watch; why was it? to keep off his wicked enemies from hurting him, and hindring the good work he had in hand.
Some tranſlate it thus, Am I a ſea or a whale, that thou ſhouldeſt incloſe me in priſon? It comes to the ſame ſence, and the Circum dediſti me careere. Vul. Sicut carcer latinis a coercendo, ſic Hebraeis a cuſtodiendo.word ſignifies a priſon in divers texts of Scripture: priſons are places of watch and guard, from whence there is no eſcape or getting looſe. Job thought himſelfe a man kept in priſon, as offenders are, The ſea is a priſoner ſhut within banks and walls: as a man in priſon cannot goe where he will, ſo neither can the ſea. And the whale, of whom it is ſaid, He takes his paſtime in the ſea, is, yet Gods priſoner there. And the truth is, all creatures, are in the priſon of providence, the limits whereof they can no more goe beyond, then a man that is bound (as Peter) with two chaines, and all the doors lockt upon him. Eſpecially afflictions are impriſonments, ſicknes is an impriſonment. A diſeaſe is ſent like a Sergeant to attach a man: that ſhuts a man within his houſe, confines him to his chamber, and then binds him upon his bed, not to ſtirr, till God give a releaſe: ſorrow is often called a Cord, Pſal. 18. 4. The ſorrows of death foreign(the cords of death, as the Hebrew is) compaſſed me about; And Pſal. 116. 3. The ſorrows of hell (or the cords of hell) were about me. And in that ſence Job ſpeaks of himſelfe, why doſt thou arreſt and caſt me into priſon, binding me with the cords of theſe ſorrows and ſickneſſes. So he complaines, Chap. 13. 27. Thou putteſt my feet alſo in the ſtocks, and lookeſt narrowly to all my paths, thou ſetteſt a print upon the heeles of my feet. It is ſaid of the woman (Luk. 13. 16.) that Satan had bound her eighteen years; ſhe was bound with the cords of that infirmity, and kept as a poore priſoner thoſe many yeares. From all we may collect the ſence formerly hinted, that Job expoſtulates with God for uſing him, after the manner of a whale or a ſea, as if he were a man ſo unruly, that nothing could tame and quiet him but ſuch a ſevere courſe, as is uſed with beaſts, or, as if he were a vexer and a devourer of his brethren, a very enemy to man-kind. Obſerve from hence.
Firſt, in that Job ſaith, Am I a ſea or a whale, that thou ſetteſt a watch over m…?
The providence of God watches over all his creatures; All their motions are by his permiſſion or commiſſion, they ſtirre, not but by his leave. The providence of God is his watch, and therfore it is called the eye of providence; and providence hath ſuch an eye, as never ſleeps nor ſlumbers; and therein lieth our ſecurity, that we have a providentiall eye open for us, when ours are ſhut and we aſleep. Secondly, obſerve,
God expreſſes moſt care to keepe thoſe creatures from hurting man, which are most apt to hurt man. We ſee Job inſtances in theſe two by name, the ſea and the whale, and tels us, that God puts a guard upon them, he watches the leaſt cretures, but it ſpeaks moſt ſecurity to man, to hear that theſe are under a watch. The Lord watches over all wicked men, that they ſhould not hurt his people, but ſuch of them as are moſt harmefull, who are very ſeas and whales, men who would ſwollow and drowne his people with a deluge of rage and malice, over theſe the Lord watches in a ſpecial manner. His eye of jealouſie (which is alwaies awake) is ſurely wakefull upon theſe. As the Lord hath a ſpeciall eye upon the Saints to doe them good, ſo he hath a ſpeciall eye upon the wicked, that they doe no hurt, or no more, then ſhall turne to good. Hence the Pſalmiſt admoniſhes all, and it may have a particular application to wicked men, Pſal. 32. 9. Be yee not as the horſe, or as the mule which have no underſtanding: whoſe mouth muſt be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come neare unto thee. If the Lord ſees men ſo brutiſh, that they will not be ruled by reaſon, he will rule them by rigour, He hath a whip for the Horſe, a bridle for the Aſſe, and a rod for the fools back, (Prov. 26. 3.) A rocky ſhore for the ſea, and a priſon for the whale, rather then they ſhall come neare to hurt his beloved people.
Secondly, note, That
Man in the paſſion, and diſtempered ſinfullneſſe of his nature, is like the ſea or the whale. A cruell man is as hurtfull, as the moſt hurtfull creature. In the place before noted, while man is warned, Not to be as the horſe, or as the mule, which have no underſtanding. It is intimated that many men are; and it is a truth, that all men left to themſelves would be like unto a horſe or a mule, yea like unto a ſea or a whale in doing miſchiefe. The Prophet (Iſai. 57. 20) compares wicked men unto the troubled ſea that cannot reſt. There is not in the whole compaſſe of nature, a clearer ſhadow of mans nature, than the ſea.
Firſt, The ſea is very vaſt, and would (if let alone) be boundleſſe, Man is naturally vaſt and boundleſſe in his deſires, he is never ſatisfied.
Secondly, The ſea is unſtable, alwayes fleeting and moving, Gen. 49. 3. Dying Jacob characters Reuben thus, unſtable at water: The heart of man is a moveable thing, ebbing and flowing forward and backward, tumbling up and downe, as the vaſt Ocean.
Thirdly, The ſea is often provoked with ſtormes and tempeſts, it is the great ſtage, where the winds act their parts, and ſtrive, as it is expreſt in the Revelation. There are many winds ſtriving upon the ſea of mans heart continually, and therefore he is ſo boiſterous, and ſo ſtormy; he hath winds within him, and winds from without him; The winds in his own bowels make the greateſt commotions. The Apoſtle James queſtions (Chap. 4. 1.) Whence comes contentions and warrs, and fightings among you? Come they not hence, even of your luſts, that warre in your members? Luſts are as boiſterous winds in the ſoule, which make it unquiet and unruly; ſtrong luſts and deſires like ſtrong winds; and contrary luſts and deſires like contrary winds, contend upon this ſea. Moſt men are (Tit. 3. 3.) ſerving divers luſts and pleaſures, not only many, but divers, or divers not only in number, but in nature, one luſt as a contrary wind, ſtriving with another, and ſo making a ſtorme in the heart. And this ſtormineſſe is cauſed alſo by an outward blaſt; Satan blowes upon the heart, and the world blowes: ſo that, till the holy Ghoſt breaths heavenly gales to overcome and blow downe thoſe ſtormes raiſed by the blaſt of ſtrongluſts and temptations, the ſoul will be ever like a ſea tumbled up and down, or, as the Apoſtle Jude ſpeaks (verſ. 13.) like a raging wave of the ſea, foming out it's own ſhame.
And this is further conſiderable, that as the ſea is moſt turbulent and tempeſtious, moſt loud and roaring about the bankes, where it is reſtrained; ſo man is moſt boyſterous, where he is kept in and ſtopt; if God doe but ſet bounds to him by afflictions, he begins to rage at thoſe bounds. It is that which Iob (in a degree) complain'd of, he thought God would bind and bound him in by affliction, and he began to be ſomewhat unquiet in his ſhackles. But when God ſets bounds to wicked men by afflictions, and hedges up their way with thornes, they are angry indeed, & their corruptions breake forth the more, by how much the ſtronger banks are made againſt them. The great banke and bound, which God hath ſet up to keepe the luſts of men from over-flowing all, his word and will, his laws and ordinances, by which he ſpeaks to man, as to the ſea, Hitherto ſhalt thou come, but no further; Againſt theſe bankes, the hearts of men naturally rage moſt. How doe their luſts roare and riſe up againſt the holy and righteous will of God, there the fome of their corruptions is moſt wrought and caſt up. As Paul himſelfe acknowledged of his naturall condition, Rom. 7. 8. Sinne (ſaith he) taking occaſion by the law, wrought in me, all manner of concupiſcence, my luſts and corruptions were more mad, becauſe they were more reſtrained, I was like the ſea, which makes moſt noiſe at, and moſt aſſaults the bankes which ſtay it. So ver. 13. Sinne that it might appeare ſinne, wrought death in me by that which is good; there was a good, a holy, and a righteous law ſet before me, but the baſeneſſe of my heart was ſuch, that I was the worſe, for that, which taught me what was good, and ſhould have made me better.
Further, man is as a ſea in this, he ever caſts up mire and dirt when he is moved, corruption moves, every ſtirring ſtirrs up the pudle of his heart. As he is a ſea for largeneſſe, ſo he is a very ſinke for filthineſſe, Iſa. 57. 20. The wicked are like the troubled ſea, whoſe waters caſt up mire and dirt.
Laſtly, Covetous oppreſſours have a nearer reſemblance to the ſea in three things. They (as the ſea) ſuck in all the rivers and ſtreames of profit, which flow into them, from any part of the world, and yet are not filled.
Secondly, They (as the ſea) wrack and over-whelme thouſands, and are not at all moved with their out-cries.
Thirdly, They (as the ſea) have huge treaſures in their houſes, yet all ſatisfies not their deſires, they are as greedy, as if they were not worth a groat.
Looke upon man, in the other compariſon, He is a whale, a devourer. In the worſt of bruits, you may ſee the picture of mans nature. They who have power to doe what they will, and will doe (when their advantage is in it) to the utmoſt of their power; Theſe are your Leviathans upon dry land. Senacherib was a mighty whale, gaping to ſwallow up the people of God, and therefore the Lord expreſſes his dealing with him in a word very ſutable to this ſence (2 King. 19. 28.) Becauſe thy rage againſt me, and thy tumult is come up into mine eares, therefore I will put my hooke in thy noſe, and my bridle in thy lips, &c. See how God uſes him, Senacherib came raging and threatning to ſwallow all up; God uſes him like an unruly beaſt of the earth, or like a devouring fiſh of the ſea, He puts a hooke in his noſe, It is ſaid of Leviathan, that he ſcorns the hooke and the angle, Job 41. Canſt thou draw out Leviathan with an hooke? implying that no hook, no tackle is ſtrong enough to hold this ſea-monſter, but God hath a hooke can hold him. Some men are like this ſea-monſter, no tackling of mans making will hold them, no power under heaven can ſtop them; then the Lord prepares his engines and inctruments, he can make a hooke will catch Senacherib the great whale, as if he were but a ſprat, I will put my hook into his noſe, and turne him about or pull him up.
What devouring enemies have come out againſt us, threatning to ſwollow, or, as the Moabites ſaid of the children of Iſrael (Num. 22. 4.) to licke up all that were round about, as the oxe licketh up the graſſe of the field. Yea, they thought (as it is ſaid of Leviathan) that they could draw up Iordan into their mouths, that is, remove the greateſt difficulties, and overcome all oppoſition. But how often hath God put a bridle into the lips of the horſe, and a hooke into the noſe of theſe whales?
Further, if we conſider the words, as Iobs queſtion, in application unto himſelfe, Am I a whale? Am I a ſea? Obſerve,
Man is apt to have good thoughts of himſelf. Iob would not be the whale, or the ſea. Secondly note,
Man is apt to judge that God layes more upon him than there is need. Am I a whale or a ſea? as if Iob had ſaid, Lord thou needeſt not deale thus ſtrictly and ſeverely with me, or beſtow ſo much care to watch me. I would have come in at a call, thou needeſt not have bounded me with theſe afflictions, and put ſuch a hooke in my noſe, a nod, or a beck would have fetched me in: Wiſe men ſuite their preparations to their occaſion; we carry not out a peece of Ordinance to ſhoot at a flye, which we can kill with a phillip; ſo ſaith Job, Lord I need not all this, a little admonition, a little chaſtning, or a check ſhould have reduced me, ſuch are mans thoughts. But the moſt wiſe God, never layes more upon man, than he hath need of: when God ſtreightens us with ſuch afflictions, he ſeeth there is ſomewhat of the ſea in us, he muſt bound us, ſomewhat of the whale in us, he muſt watch and bring us under. If we ſee God beſtow more rods and blowes upon us, we muſt conclude, we could not be without them; ſome apprehend, that ſuch is Jobs meaning in the ſixteenth verſe, What is man that thou ſhouldeſt magnifie him? as if he had ſaid, it is too great an honour for man to be afflicted by thy hand. If we ſee a King make great proviſions of warre, to goe out againſt an enemy, we ſay he magnifies the enemy. It is an argument they have great ſtrength, againſt whom we prepare great ſtrength. So Job, Lord thou magnifieſt me, thou makeſt me to be lookt at, as ſome powerful creature, a ſea, a whale, againſt whom thou acteſt ſo much of thy power.
Job having, as he reſolved, begun to complaine of his ſorrows, now amplifies them.
Verſe 13. When I ſay my bed ſhall cemfort me, my couch ſhall eaſe my complaint.
14. Then thou skareſt me, &c.
He ampliſies his ſorrows upon this generall ground, becauſe they were ſuch, as he could not find any eaſe or abatement of, no not at any time, no not by any meanes; As if he had ſaid, my griefe and my paine is ſo remedileſſe, that, neither artificiall nor naturall meanes give me any eaſe; thoſe things, which have the greateſt probability of refreſhing, yeeld me none. He inſtances in thoſe ordinary wayes, which give ſick and diſtempered bodies ſome abatement or intermiſſion of their paines lying down upon their bed or couch; When I ſay, my bed ſhall comfort me, my chouch ſhall eaſe my complaint, As if he had ſaid, while I was wraſtling all day, and conflicting with my ſorrowes, I yet had ſome hope to find comfort at night, and that I ſhould meete with reſt in my bed, but my hope failes me ever: or while in the day time my thoughts are overburthened, and my ſpirit overwhelmed within me, I think ſometimes to deceive my paines a little, by taking a nap or a ſlumber upon my couch; but alas, my paines will not be deceived, when I ſay, my bed ſhall comfort me, my couch ſhall eaſe my complaint (I find in ſtead of eaſe, farther trouble, and in ſtead of comfort, terrours. For then) thou skareſt me with dreames.
When I ſay my bed ſhall comfort me.
The word ſignifies to mourne and repent, as well as to comfort; foreign Doluit, paenituit, per antiphraſin, dolere deſijt, conſolationem invonit.becauſe comfort uſually followes holy mourning and repenting. Godly ſorrow is the mother of ſpirituall joy.
In the words we have either that ordinary figure Proſopopeia, the fiction of a perſon, when acts of life and reaſon are aſcribed to things without life; and ſo Job brings in his bed, as his friend ſpeaking to him, when I ſay my bed ſhall comfort me, my bed and I will conferre together, I am perſwaded that will afford me a word of comfort: Or we may rather underſtand it by a Metonymy of the effect, when I ſay my bed ſhall comfort me; Comfort is the common and uſuall effect or benefit of lying down upon the bed: The bed is ſaid to comfort, becauſe ordinarily we find comfort in reſting upon the bed; that being a meanes or inſtrumentall cauſe of comfort, is called a Comforter.
My couch ſhall eaſe my complaint.
The words are indifferently tranſlated in Scripture, either for a bed, or for a couch; but if we take them diſtinctly, then the bed is the place, where we reſt in the night, and the couch by day: When Job ſaith;
My couch ſhall eaſe my complaint; It notes his complaint or ſorrow lay as a heavy burthen, or weight upon him; for the word foreign Levavit, evexit, ſuſtu. li….ſignifies to eaſe, or to lift up, or to eaſe by lifting up; if a man have a burthen upon him, the way to eaſe him, is to lift it off from him; ſo Job here, I lye down upon my couch, with a burthen of heavy ſorrows upon me, God knows, hoping my couch will be a means to take off that burthen a while, that I may have a little breathing, but (to my grief) I find, it doth not. The uſe of ſleep, is to unburthen the ſpirit, and take off the load of cares; The word is uſed in that ſenſe Magnum eſt peccatum meum, prae tollendo vel majus. quam ut tolli poſſit: Sept. foreign, quam ut remittatur mihi quam ut ſuſtinere poſſim, Jun.Gen. 4. 13. about the ſin of Cain, which lay upon him as a heavy burthen, My ſin (ſaith he) is greater than can be forgiven (ſo ſome tranſlations) or greater than I can beare, word for word thus; my ſin is greater than can be taken off; Forgiveneſſe is the taking ſin off from us; it is the word here uſed for eaſing; my ſin is greater than I can be eaſed of; as if Cain thought his ſin a burthen which the arme of mercy could not lift from his ſhoulders: Pardon is the eaſing of the conſcience, ſin the burthening of it; ſin is a burthen, and ſo is ſorrow. My couch (ſaith he) ſhall eaſe my complaint, by taking off, or at leaſt intermitting the troubles, which foreign In retractatione five meditatione miſeriae apud animum. Loquen mecum.cauſe me to complaine: or my couch ſhall eaſe me in my conplaint, when I am meditating, revolving and rowling my troubles up and down in my thoughts, then my couch and I am diſcourſing together, and reaſoning out the matter, but no eaſe comes. We may obſerve from hence, firſt,
That a man in paine, expects eaſe from every change. My bed (ſaith Job) ſhall comfort me, my couch ſhall eaſe my complaint, every thing he ſees raiſes his hope, every man that comes to him, he lookes upon as a meſſenger of good newes, I ſaid, this ſhall help me, and that ſhall help me; ſurely if I had ſuch a thing (ſaith a ſick man) it would do me good, if I had ſuch meat I could eate, if I had ſuch drink, my pallat would reliſh it, if I were in ſuch an ayre, it would reſtore my health, and I ſhould get up againe. As a Bee goes from flower to flower, to ſuck out ſomewhat, ſo man from inſtrument to inſtrument, from meanes to meanes, from bed to couch, ſtill hoping to find reliefe or mitigation at leaſt for his troubled mind, or pained body. Secondly obſerve hence,
That the moſt probable or proper meanes, are unable of themſelves to give us any eaſe or comfort. What is fitter to give a man reſt than a bed? what is more proper to give one refreſhing than a couch? but Job goes to his bed in vaine, and goes to his couch in vaine, nor this, nor that, nor tother adminiſtred him any help. Creatures are not able of themſeves to give out the comforts committed to them: Their common nature muſt be aſſiſted with a ſpeciall word of bleſſing, or elſe they doe us no good. If God will command a bed to comfort us, it ſhall comfort us, if he will ſay to a couch, eaſe ſuch a mans complaint, it ſhall eaſe his complaint; Job ſaith it, and his ſaying could not effect it: Nay, if God will ſay to a hard ſtone, give ſuch a man reſt, he ſhall reſt and ſleepe ſweetly upon it; when another ſhall not get a wink of ſleep upon a downe pillow: If God ſay to a priſon, give ſuch a man reſt, he ſhall find reſt there: if God ſpeake to bonds and fetters, give ſuch a man content and pleaſure, he ſhall find not only contentment, but pleaſure in bonds and fetters: if God ſay to flames of fire, refreſh ſuch as are caſt into your armes, the fire will obey him, and refreſh them: The moſt probable meanes cannot help us of themſelves, and a word from God will make the moſt improbable meanes helpfull to us, yea that which is deſtructive ſhall ſave us. For as God can create that good for us which is abſent, ſo he can (as it were) uncreate the evill that is preſent; Providence can take away or ſuſpend that hurting and deſtroying power which creation gave; no creature is able to help or to hurt, if God forbid and lay his reſtraint upon it. Bread cannot nouriſh, or cloathes warme us, if he ſay they ſhall not; poiſon ſhall not kill, or fire burne us, if he ſay they ſhall not. Mans ſaying is but ſaying; Gods ſaying is doing, Man may ſay to his bed, comfort me; to his riches and honours, content me; to his wife and children, pleaſe me; to wine and muſick, make me merry; he may lay his command, or ſend his deſires to all creatures, and yet remaine comfortleſſe, contentleſſe, mirthleſſe. Pleaſure it ſelfe will not pleaſe him, nor the having of his will, ſatisfie his mind at his own ſaying or biding. Obſerve in the fourth place;
That reſt and ſleepe, are from the eſpeciall bleſſing of God. When I ſaid to my bed, do it, the bed could not, ſleepe is not from a ſoft bed, or from an eaſie couch. Pſal. 127. 2. For ſo he giveth his beloved ſleepe; that is, ſleepe with quietneſſe, or extraordinary quiet refreſhing ſleepe; which ſome have noted in the Grammar of the text; The Hebrew word Shena, for ſleepe, being with (Aleph) a quiet or reſting letter, otherwiſe, than is uſuall in that language. He giveth ſleepe to his Jedidiaths, as the word is there, alluding to one of the names of Solomon, The Lord gives ſleepe ſometimes as a love token to his beloved: The connection is ſomewhat obſcure, the words before run thus, It is in vaine for you to riſe up early, to ſit up late, to eat the bread of ſorrow, for ſo he giveth his beloved ſleep; how is ſleepe a conſequent of fruitleſſe labour, and eating the bread of ſorrow, theſe rather hinder ſleepe. Some referre it to the words of the firſt verſe, Except the Lord build the houſe, they labour in vaine that build it; except the Lord keep the City, the watchman waketh but in vaine, for ſo he giveth his beloved ſleepe, the Lord watches and takes a care of a City and family, and thus gives his people reſt, and quiet ſleep, they are not awakened with alarms or ſurprizes of the enemy: Others reade it thus, for ſurely he will give his, &c. that is notwithſtanding the ungodly are eaten up with cares to provide bread for themſelves and families to eate, yet without faile, the Lord of his meere mercy will give food convenient to his people by their labours, and quiet ſleepe (which includes all inward contentments) with it. So Prov. 3. 24. Thou ſhall lie downe, and thy ſleep ſhall be ſweet; And Pſal. 41. 3. there is a ſpeciall promiſe made to the ſick man, or to him, who hath been a comforter of the ſick, The Lord will make all his bed in his ſickneſſe; that is, God will make his bed eaſie and comfortable in his ſickneſſe. When we cannot ſleepe, we uſe to complaine of our ſervants, and ſay, ſure this bed was not made to night, or it was ill made; no man complains his bed was ill made, when he hath ſlept well: That his people in ſuch a caſe may be ſure of reſt, the Lord condeſcends to that low office, the making of their beds, Therefore we are to receive ſleep as a matter of ſpeciall bleſſing, coming from the hand of God; he makes the bed in ſicknes, and in health too; then bleſſe God for reſt, and not your beds. Though we know ſleep is the portion of mankind and many times the worſt of men have quiet and refreſhing ſleepe; yet no wicked man ever ſlept upon the pillow of this promiſe, nor will God make the bed of the greateſt Prince in the world, as ſuch, which yet, he is ready to doe for his meaneſt ſervant; common comforts, are to ſome ſpeciall mercies. As ſome enjoy riches and honour by common providence, while others enjoy them by vertue of a ſpecial promiſe, ſo it is with ſleep, He giveth his beloved ſleep.
But what found Job upon his bed? Inſtead of ſleep and reſt, he found skaring dreames and terrifying viſions as it follows,
Verſe 14. Thou skareſt me with dreames, and terrifieſt me with foreign Stratus proſtratus, contritus, per metaphoram, territus conſternatus, mente jacuit, Et velut animi deliqrium importat.viſions.
As if he had ſaid, I find my ſelfe altogether diſappointed and deceived, inſtead of being comforted, I am skared, inſtead of being eaſed, I am terrified, my bed is to me as a very rack, and my couch my torment, or a little-eaſe.
Thou skaroſt me. The word ſignifies to be caſt down proſtrate to the ground with feare, or to be ground to powder with feare; And it is often rendred by that word, contrite, which notes, breaking of the heart by godly ſorrow! ſuch a breaking is upon me, thorough the dreames which fall upon me, in, and breake my ſleepe; If I have any ſleepe, it is terrifying, and not refreſhing ſleepe.
Thou skareſt me with dreames. That word ſprings from a foreign Spiſſus, craſſus, per Metalepſin ſomniavit quia ex voporibus craſſis provenit ſomnus quē ſomnia conjequuntur.roote ſignifying thick vapours; becauſe ſleepe is cauſed by thick vapours aſcending from the ſtomach to the braine, and cloſing up the ſences; dreames uſually come in that ſleepe, and the ſtronger and thicker the vapour is procuring ſleepe, the more we are ſubject to dreame.
And terrifyeſt me thorough viſions. In the fourth Chapter I had occaſion to ſpeake at large concerning viſions, therefore I ſhall not here inſiſt upon that point, but referre the reader thither; I ſhall only ſay thus much, that theſe were not † viſions as thoſe before treated of, for the revelation of any divine ſecrets, to enlighten the mind of man, but only viſions of helliſh horrour, to darken and vex the mind of man. The Hebrew word ſignifies to ſee, whence the ancient Prophets were called (Chozim) *Viſiones iſtae quibus percellebatur. Iob erant terriculamenta, lemures ſpecies, umbrae, ſpectra, manes, ſimulacra & alia hujuſmodi a daemone procurata, quamvis ipſe Iob ſibi á Deo inferri aſſerit, Caſſia. Col. 7. c. 32.Seers. Our engliſh word Gaze, hath neere affinity with it. And we call Starprophets (who pretend skill in predictions, from the viſions of the Heavens) Star-gazers.
Job had both dreames and viſions, for in every dreame there is ſomewhat of a viſion; There are many viſions without a dreame, but there cannot be a dreame without a viſion; An image or ſimilitude, is alwayes repreſented to, or formed in the fancy, or elſe * foreign à radice foreign Hinc prophet…e cbozim videntes dicti.there can be no dreame: Jacob dreamed (Gen. 28. 12.) and behold a ladder ſet upon the earth, and the top of it reached to Heaven. The viſion here ſpoken of, was (I conceive) the viſion of his dreame, though ſome underſtand it of day or waking viſion.
There is a two-fold cauſe of dreames: There is an inward cauſe, and an outward cauſe. And
The inward cauſe of dreames is two-fold:
1. The accidentall motions of the fancie, of which a man can give no reaſon from any precedent agitation of mind or body.
2. The ſetled naturall temperament and conſtitution of the body.
The externall or outward cauſes, are uſually according to the objects with which, or about which we are converſant in the day time, the impreſſions of theſe kept in the fancie, are formed into dreames at night; ſuch as the deſires or diſtempers of the mind are, ſuch often are our dreames.
Or take it thus. Dreames may have a five fold cauſe.
Firſt, The natural temper of the body, and ſo from the variety of conſtitutions, variety of dreames are ſhaped; Cholerick, or Melancholy, or Flegmatique, or Sanguin, produce their ſpeciall dreames.
Secondly, Dreames are cauſed by the diſtempers of the body, either from intemperate drinking, or eating any kind of meate, or from the very eating (though moderately) of ſome meates, or from the diſeaſes and ſickneſſes of the body; from this latter Jobs dreames were much encreaſed, and Satan took the advantage to raiſe fumes, and ſtirre the pudled humours of his body up into his braine, out of which his fancie formed terrible repreſentations to his mind. As Melancholy is ſaid to be the Devils bath, ſo are other diſeaſed ſickly humours; in them he ſports himſelf, and vexes man.
Thirdly, There is a morall cauſe of dreames; ſuch as the ſtudies and buſineſſes, labours and imployments, cares and diſquietments Quaecun que men. tis agitat infeſtus vigorea per q…ietem ſacer & arcanus refert veloxque ſenſus, Sen. in Octa.of a man are in the day, ſuch often are his dreamings. As he works in the day, his fancie works in the night.
Fourthly, Dreames have a divine cauſe, and are immediately from God. The Scripture is full of inſtances, I need not ſtay upon them: Jacob had ſuch a dreame, Gen. 28. 16. and Joſpeh had many dreames from God: Hence his brethren called him in ſcorne, The dreamer, or a Captaine Dreamer, Gen. 37. 19. And not only have godly men dreames from God, but heathens alſo, Pharaoh and Nebuchnazzar, men of the earth received dreames from Heaven, of high concernment, revealing the counſels of God, concerning their own Kingdoms, and the latter about the ſtate of all Kingdoms and Monarchies, till all the Kingdomes of the earth ſhall become the Kingdoms of that One, ſole, Supreame Monarch, the Lord Jeſus Chriſt.
Fifthly, There are diabolicall dreames, dreames which are from the Devill: Not that the Devill of himſelfe is able to cauſe a dreame, he cannot ſtirre the fancie in the night, or tempt in the day, but as he hath a power given him; but permitted, he cauſes ſometimes ſinfull and fifthly dreames; as Auguſtine bewailes in the tenth book of his Confeſſions: ſometimes terrible and troubleſome Aug. confeſſ. li. 10. Ca. 30.dreames, ſometimes treacherous and deluding dreames. It is by ſome conceived, that the dreame of Pilats wife, Mat. 27. 19. was from the Devill: ſhe comes to Pilat, and deſires him to have nothing to doe with that Juſt man: for (ſaith ſhe) I have ſuffered many things this night in a dreame, becauſe of him. The reaſon why ſome conceive that dreame was from the Devill, is this, becauſe thereby Satan would have hindred the work of mans redemption, if Chriſt had not died, and ſo by ſaving him, would have deſtroyed us all. I will not aſſert this; but it is cleare to the point in hand, that there are dreames from the temptations, motions and ſuggeſtions of the Devill, who hath a power over us, as God lengthens out his chain both day and night.
But, when it is ſaid, Thou skareſt me with dreames, what dreames were theſe, divine or Diabolicall? Job ſpeaks unto God, Thou skareſt me with dreames: doubtleſſe divine dreames had an influence upon his ſpirit, and left terrifying impreſſions there. But Satan having power to afflict Job which way he pleaſed, was inſtrumentall here: and yet Job ſaith to God, Thou skareſt me. As before, when Satan by his inſtruments took away all from him, he ſaid, The Lord hath taken; ſo here, when Satan vexed him with viſions, repreſenting horrid and fearfull ſpectacles, yet he ſaith; Thou skareſt me with dreames, and terrifieſt me with viſions, as pointing ſtill unto the power and providence of God, who hath all ſecond cauſes, Satan and all, at his own diſpoſe. Obſerve here, firſt,
That even our dreames are ordered by God. Though Satan be the inſtrument, yet we may ſay, Thou skareſt me with dreames, and terrifieſt me with viſions. Job was not ignorant, that ſecond cauſes had a great power upon the body, to produce dreames and nightly fancies; he was not ignorant, that the ſtrength of a diſeaſe might doe very much in this, and that Satan his former enemy was buſie to improve the diſtempers of his body for the trouble of his mind: yet he overlooks all theſe (as he did before) and ſaith, Lord thou skareſt me with dreames, and terrifieſt me with viſions. Dreames are in the hand of God: As our waking times are in the hand of God, ſo are our ſleeping times: when we are ſleeping we are in the armes of an ever waking Father: Satan hath not power to touch us, ſleeping or waking, without leave.
Secondly, Ged can make our ſleepe an affliction. Jobs were skaring and terrifying dreames: Some dreames are for warning and admonition; The Lord warned Joſeph in a dream: Some are for counſell and inſtruction, he revealed great things in dreames: Others are for comfort and conſolation. Many a ſoul hath taſted more of heaven in a night-dreame, than in many daies attendance upon holy Ordinances. As the luſts of wicked men have dreames attending them, ſo alſo have the graces of the Saints. Jobs dreames were for terrour and afflictions. Obſerve ſecondly,
Satans deſire of troubling poore ſouls, is reſtleſſe. It is reſtleſſe indeed, for he will not give them leave to reſt, they ſhall not ſleep in quiet, their very dreames ſhall be diſtractions, and their nightly repreſentations, a vexation to them. Note further,
That (if God permit) Satan can make dreames very terrible to us. He can ſhew himſelfe in a dreame, and offer ugly ſights, extreamly perplexing to the Spirit. He is able to caſt himſelf into a thouſand ill favour'd ſhapes, into horrid and dreadfull ſhapes, he can cloath himſelf with what habit he pleaſes, if God give him a generall Commiſſion. And hence the devill terrifies, not only by temptations to the mind, but by aparitions to the eye, and is ſeen, at leaſt conceived to be ſeen (eſpecially by ſuch as labour under ſtrong diſeaſes) like a Lion, a Beare, a Dogge, gaping, grinning, ſtaring: whence we ſay of any terrifying ſight, it looks like a devill. We depend upon God, as for ſleep, ſo for the comfort of ſleep. Many lie downe to ſleep and their ſleep is their terrour. As that evill ſpirit (in the Goſpel) went about ſeeking rest, but found none: So he hinders ſome, (and would more) from finding reſt, when they ſeeke it. Therefore bleſſe God for any refreſhing you have by ſleepe: Bleſſe God when your dreames are not your skares, nor your beds your racke. See the effect, what deepe impreſſions, dreadfull dreams made in Jobs ſpirit, he was ſo affrighted with them, that he profeſſes with his next breath.
Verſe 15. My ſoule chuſeth ſtrangling, and death rather then life, I loath it, I would not live alwayes.
So that my ſoul chooſeth ſtrangling.] He renews his former often repeated motion, but with a greater ardency; He not only prefers death before his troubled condition, but a violent death, and (in the opinion of ſome) the worſt of violent deaths, ſtrangling, which though it be not the moſt painfull of violent deaths, yet it is looked upon as the moſt ignominious of violent deaths.
Some referre theſe words to the terrour which Job had in his dreames and viſions, as if they were ſo violent upon him, that they almoſt diſtracted him, and made him mad, that they even put him upon deſperate thoughts of deſtroying himſelfe: My ſoule chooſeth strangling, that is, I am often tempted and almoſt prevailed Ab hujuſmodi ſpectris multos ſejam ſtrangulaſſe, & profiliiſſe in puteos aſſerit. Hippoc.with, to make my ſelfe away. The learned Phyſitians tell us, that their Patients have often attempted to deſtroy themſelves thorough the terrours of dreams and viſions.
Yet we may underſtand the word [ſtrangling] only of naturall and ordinary. Every death is a kind of ſtrangling; and ſome diſeaſes ſtop and choke a man even as ſtrangling doth; ſo that, My ſoule chooſeth ſtrangling, may be taken in generall, My ſoul chooſeth death rather then life.
My ſoul chooſeth.
He puts the ſoul (as it is often in Scripture) for the whole man; and the ſence of all is, as if he had ſaid, If I might be my own chooſer, if I might have my election, I would even take the worſt of deaths rather than the life which now I live. My ſoul chooſeth ſtrangling.
And death rather then life.
If we take ſtrangling for a ſpeciall death, then here death is put in generall; As thus, if ſtrangling be too eaſie a death, let me die any kind of death, Death rather then life.
The Hebrew in the letter is, And death rather than my bones, which ſome render thus, And death rather than to be with my foreign Os a robore dictum, nihil in ipſo taem ſorte & firmum quod vis doloris non debilitarat & confregerat. Aquin.bones; To be with our bones is to live. Others make this chooſing an act of his bones, My ſoul chooſeth ſtrangling and my bones death: that is, every part of me chooſeth death, all vote for the grave, I have not a diſſenting member, no nor a diſſenting bone; when David prayes, Pſal. 6. 2. Heale me O Lord, for my bones are vexed; His meaning is, I am vexed quite through. And when he promiſeth (Pſal. 35. 10.) All my bones ſhall ſay, who is like unto the Lord, &c. his meaning is, that he will praiſe God quite thorough, ſoul and body. Againe (Lam. 1. 13.) From above hath he ſent fire into my bones, and it prevaileth againſt me, that is, he hath utterly conſumed me. So here the whole man is expreſſed by parts, ſoul and bones, or body and ſoul, that is, whether I conſider the anguiſh of my ſoul, or the pains of my body, I deſire to die.
Thirdly [Death rather then my bones;] becauſe he had ſuch ſore putrified and afflicted bones, painfull bones: For when Satan deſired a Commiſſion to afflict him, he words it thus, Touch his fleſh, and his bone, and he will curſe thee to thy face: Doubtleſſe Magis optarim mori, quam talia eſſa & membra pu…ida & ulceribus difflaentia. Merc-Oſſiūm mentinit quod dolor ad intima uſ que oſſa penetravit.Satan had gone as deepe, as his commiſſion; he had liberty to touch his fleſh and his bone, and he did it: He vexed his very bones (as we ſay) my bones are ewen rotted and conſumed, the ſores and the putrifaction is ſunke downe into my marrow, I had rather have death than my bones; that is, than a body thus conſumed and putrified even to the very bones.
Yet further, ſome of the Hebrews give it thus; Death rather than my bones] becauſe Job had nothing left him, but bones, he could not ſay my fleſh, for his fleſh was conſumed: As we ſay, Jobo vix aliud quam oſſaſupereſſet.Such a man is nothing, but skin and bones, a very skelleton; I am nothing but bones, and I had rather die, than live ſuch an Anatomie.
Verſe 16. I loath it, I would not live alway; let me alone, for my dayes are vanity.
He cloſeth up his complaint, as he had often done before, with the tedium that was upon him, and the nauciouſneſſe of his life: I loath it, I am nothing but skin and bone, nothing but ſores and boyles, my life is a burthen to mee, I would not live alway.
I loath it.
The word ſignifies the greateſt averſation poſſible. God expreſſeth foreignhis greateſt diſplicency of that, wherein the Jewes were commanded to take their greateſt pleaſure, under this notion, Amos 5. 21. I diſpiſe your feaſts; you thinke you keepe ſolemne feaſts, wherein I delight as much as your ſelves, but I loath them, my ſtomack turnes at every diſh. The ſtomack cloſes with wholſome meat, and turnes to it; that which is unwholeſome, the ſtomack turnes againſt, the ſight of it cauſes loathing. Their feaſts were of Gods own appointment, and he uſed (in a ſence) to feaſt with them, but their hypocriſie ſpoild the banquet. Job ſpeaks of his own life, what the Lord ſpake of their feaſts. I loath it, even as that meat which is moſt burthenſome to the ſtomack. So Pſal. 53. 5. Thou haſt put them to ſhame, becauſe God loathed them, or, becauſe God deſpiſed them: They who are loathſome to God cannot long be honourable or acceptable among men.
I would not live alway.
The word is, I would not live to eternity; or, I would not live foreignfor ever. Why, who can, if he would? Why ſhould Job deprecate that, which was not attainable? I would not live alway, he needed not trouble himſelfe about that; (for he ſpeakes of a naturall life) it being impoſſible that he ſhould. There is no feare of living alwaies in this world, nor is there any hope of avoiding it in the next. Why then doth Job ſay, I would not live alway. To live alway or for ever, is often uſed in Scripture, for a long time; The Ceremonies and inſtitutions of the Jewes were ſaid to be for ever, becauſe they were long-lived, yet we know they are vaniſhed and gone, That which continues as long as it ſhould, continues alwayes. So here, I would not live alway, that is, I would not live long or I would not live out my full time, I had rather be cut off in the midſt of my daies, or in the midſt of my yeares, than live to the end of them.
Let me alone, for my daies are vanity.
Let me alone.] Or ceaſe from me; which is taken two wayes, either, leave off to prolong and protract my daies, ceaſe from me ſo, doe not ſtand by me, with thine aſſiſting power to keepe my life whole within me; I am ready to die, give me no ſtrong-water or cordiall, rather pull away my pillow, let me goe: Or, Ceaſe from me; that is, ceaſe afflicting me, take off thine afflicting hand from me, doe not any longer hold me in this woefull and ſad condition, foreign huic foreign Mundus, tempus hoc nomen non tam humanae vitae …erminum quam totum vitae cur…icul…m & tempus humanae vitae praefinitum denotat quod cito deficit & ceſſ…t.Ceaſe from me. The world and time, while they continue are alwayes ceaſing, and therefore have their denomination from this word, which ſignifies co ceaſe.
For my dayes are vanity.
That's the ground of his prayer, why he requeſts God to ceaſe from him, My dayes are vanity; why ſhouldſt thou ſtay me longer in a vaine ſhadow. If we take, Ceaſe from me, or, let me alone, for the ending of his affliction, it is, as if he had ſaid, my life is vanity, there is trouble enough in it; if thou giveſt me the greateſt eaſe, that ordinarily a life can have, yet it is but a vaine life, I need not have this ſuper-addition or accumulation of ſorrows upon me: Or, let me alone my life is vanity; why ſhould I converſe further and longer with vanity.
My daies are vanity.
He ſaith not, my dayes are vain, but they are vanity. My dayes foreign A verbo Habal, quod eſt evaneſcere. R… denotat quae non eſt quidpi…m, aut quae cito deſinit, aut fl…us, qui exit ab ore, ſic enim halitū infantium appellant. Pag.are Hebel, which ſignifieth a vaine, light thing, a buble on the water, or a breath of the mouth, my dayes are but a breath, or a puffe. The root imports, vaniſhing or diſappearing, the ſtill almoſt unperceiveable breath of a little infant, which will ſcarce move a feather. Alas, my dayes are fleeting and vaniſhing, vaine, yea vanity, they have no conſiſtency in them, O then ceaſe from me, and let me doe what vanity muſt, vaniſh out of ſight. Hence obſerve,
Firſt, That which a man loatheth, he longs to be rid of. I loath it, I would no live alway. When a man loaths his ſin, then he ſaith, I would not ſin alway. I would be eaſed of this burthen of corruption, O wretched man that I am, who ſhall deliver me from this body of death. When a man delights in ſinne, he would ſinne alway, he thinkes he can never have enough of ſinning: it is ſo in any other inſtance; where once affection is alienated, we would be eſtranged, and taken off from converſation: We care not to be with that from which our hearts are departed. Aſſoone as ever Amnon, had defiled, he loathes his ſiſter, and aſſoone as he loathed her, he turned her out of doores, And Amnon ſaid unto her, ariſe and be gone, 2 Sam. 13. 15. He that loathes his life, is glad when a doore opens for it's departure.
I loath it, I would not live alway. Secondly, obſerve,
Trouble makes a little time ſeeme long. He had ſaid before, that his life was ſwifter then a Weavers ſhuttle; now, I would not live alway; O how long is my life, how tedious! He lookes upon it, as if it were a kind of eternity, as if his life would never have an end, never be done, I would not live alway. Paine makes every houre a day, and every day a monethmonth, and every monethmonth a yeare, yea an age. He thinks his life will never end, whoſe affliction doth not; he thinkes he ſhall never die, becauſe his troubles live. Every man is ready to ſay, he lives too long, when he lives not, as he would. The ſoules under the Altar cried out (Revel. 6. 10.) How long Lord, how long Lord, wilt thou ceaſe to avenge, &c. of our good dayes we complaine, How ſhort Lord, how ſhort? And of our evill daies we cry out, How long Lord, how long? This is a long day, and this a long night indeed, this is a long fit, this a laſting affliction. As the eternity which we ſhall have in heaven, is the longeſt, ſo it is the ſhorteſt; Eternity is longeſt in regard of duration, but it is ſhorteſt in regard of apprehenſion; The eternity of heaven ſhall be to us, no more tedious than a minut or a moment. Eternity is ſo full of pleaſure and ſatisfaction, that it breeds no fullneſſe of it ſelfe: living at the well head of comfort, in immediate communion with God by Jeſus Chriſt, our comforts renew as much as they continue; whence freſhneſſe of appetite, and fullneſſe of ſatisfaction, are perpetually interchangeable. The joyes of that eſtate are ſo many, that the yeares ſeeme but few. Eternall joy makes eternity, but as a moment, as eternall pain will make every moment an eternity.
Thirdly, Obſerve; foraſmuch as Job ſaith, I would not live alwaies; he intimates, that there is ſuch a deſire in ſome men; for he ſpeaks of a life in this world;
There is a principle in man, drawing out his heart in deſires, to live alway in the world. I (ſaith Job) would not live alway; let others make that their choice, if they will, I will not. Moſt are very greedy of that commodity, and would not part with it upon any termes: and no wonder, for (as the Pſalmiſt deſcribes them) They have their portion in this life; He that hath his portion in this life, would ever have this life; he that hath nothing beyond this world, would never goe heyond the world. Such muſt needs be all for life, all for the world, becauſe theſe are their all. You ſhall never come to a worldly man, and find him in a mind to die, Let orhers take heaven, he is contented with his earth; let others make their beſt of the next life, the preſent ſhall ſerve his turne.
From the reaſon of this requeſt, My dayes are vanity, Obſerve;
The life of man is a vain life. Vanity hath two things in it, whereof the one may ſeem quite contrary to the other; it hath emptineſſe in it, and it hath fulneſſe in it; it hath emptineſſe of comfort, and fulneſſe of vexation; that's the right vanity, Vanity with vexation of ſpirit; My daies are vanity, they are empty of good and full of evill.
Foure waies, the vanitie of mans dayes may be demonſtrated.
Firſt, they are vaine comparatively: So our daies are more then vaine, or leſſe then vanity, for they are nothing, Pſal. 39. 5. Mine age is nothing before thee. As in compariſon of God (Iſa. 40. 15. 17,) The Nations are as the drop of a bucket, &c. they are vanity, yea they are nothing, yea they are counted to him leſſe then nothing; So our daies are vaine, they are nothing but vanity, they are leſſe than vanity, or nothing; Nothingneſſe is the ſubſtance of vanity, and all troubleſomeneſſe is the accident of it. We cannot forme up an apprehenſion of our life, ſo little as it is, we cannot reach ſo low in our thoughts, as the bottome of mans vanity, in either notion. As we are not able to raiſe our hearts ſo high, as the excellency of that eſtate, which we have by Chriſt; no mans thoughts are bigg enough, or can be, to comprehend or to take in that: So we cannot little our thoughts enough to conſider the eſtate, ſinne hath brought us into; therefore it is ſaid, to be as nothing, and leſſe than nothing, and how little that is, which is leſſe then nothing, no man can proportion.
Secondly, our dayes are vanity, becauſe they are ſo unconſtant and changeable, ſo ſubject to motion and alteration. That's a vaine thing which is ever upon it's change. That which ſets the glory of God higheſt in oppoſition to the vanity of the creature, is, That with him there is no variableneſſe, nor ſhaddow of turning, Jam. 1. 17. or, ſhaddow by turning; ſome tranſlate it ſo, no ſhadow by turning, becauſe the Tropique or turning of the Sunne makes the ſhaddow: while the Sun is in the Zenith, that is, directly over our heads in the higheſt point of the heavens, we caſt no ſhadows. Now the Lord never turneth, he is ever fixed at a point, and ſo makes no ſhaddow; or thus, as we render it, no ſhaddow of turning; that is, not only is there no turning in God, but there is not ſo much as a ſhaddow of it, not ſo much as the leaſt imagination of a ſhaddow. This ſets up the glory of God higheſt: And in oppoſition to this point of higheſt perfection in God, lies the loweſt point of the creature vanity: that in them there is nothing but turning, in them there is nothing but variableneſs, and the ſubſtance of turning. The faſhion of the world paſſeth away, it is ever paſſing, never ſtanding at a ſtay. It is more then paſſing, it is poſting from ſtage to ſtage, night and day. As the nature of Sicut bomo omnes in ſcipſo res velut mundus quidam, ita omnium mutationum ſeminae continct.man containes the ſeeds and principles of all things in the world (and is therefore called a little world.) So his nature contains the ſeeds and principles of all the changes in the world. Therefore his daies are vain.
Thirdly, the vanity of theſe daies appeares in this, becauſe they are unſatisfying dayes. That's a vaine thing, which doth not ſatisfie; for vanity is emptineſſe, and emptineſſe can never fill: our dayes are but as a dream. And what is ſpoken in Iſaias (Chap. 29. 8.) concerning the dreamer, is verified of a meere naturall life, It is ſaith the Prophet, As when a hungry man dreameth, and behold he eateth; but he awaketh and his ſoule is empty; or, as when a thirſty man dreameth, and behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh and behold he is faint; neither hunger nor thirſt can be appeaſed by dreames, ſatisfaction comes not in at the doore of imagination. Our daies of themſelves can give us no more ſatisfaction, no better a break-faſt, then a dreame of meat and drinke doth to a hungry, or a thirſty man. All creatures are not able to fill one. There is a ſatisfaction which comes to us thorough the creature, but the creature doth not ſatisfie: God can make any thing ſatisfie, the leaſt of his creatures ſhall fill the greateſt. He can give us as much, as we expect from them, that is, looke what ſatisfaction a man would have from a creature, that God can give when he pleaſeth: But the daies of man are vanity in this, becauſe we cannot take this ſatisfaction our ſelves from the creature; neither is any creature able to give it us. When creatures have done their beſt, we are hungry and reſtleſſe ſtill, empty and unſatisfied ſtill. There is no reſt till we returne to God, or till God turne his face to us.
Fourthly, the vanity of our daies appears in this, that they are deceiveable daies; that's very vaine to us, which deceives us. And in this the great vanity of the creature conſiſts: it promiſeth much and performeth nothing. Great promiſes are made, and hopes are raiſed very high: Riches will tell us, what they will doe for us; and honours will tell us, what they will doe for us, and how happy they will make us; and the wine will tell us, O how that will refreſh us, and the ſweet and the fat will tell us, how they will fatten us. All theſe make golden promiſes, but leaden performances. They cannot make good what they promiſe, unleſſe they can, with evill. As Satan ſaid to Chriſt, when he had not ſo much as a ſhoela…chet to diſpoſe of, All this will I give thee: So the creature joyning with our hearts, makes wonderfull promiſes of high content, and then leaves us moſt diſcontented, This is vanity and vexation of mans ſpirit. If the creature were not ſo free to enter bond, and give us ſecurity, for the paiment of great good, it would not be ſo ill with us. If the creature would ſay directly to us, it is not in me, as Job brings in the creatures diſclaiming wiſedome (chap. 28.) The ſea ſaith, it is not in me; and the earth ſaith, it is not in me; So if creatures would ſpeak plainly, comfort is not in us, help is not in us, ſatisfaction is not in us, and ſo tell us how vaine they are, their vanity were leſſe to us, though the ſame in it ſelfe. It is worſe to be deceived of good, then to want it.
Surely (ſaith David of this life) every man walketh in a vaine ſhew, Pſal. 39. 6. there is a ſhew of this, and that, and the other Qnaſi nihil habeat humana vita verum & ſolid…m, ſed apparens umbratile, imag narium,thing a promiſe of it, but it is a vain ſhew, it is but like a Pageant, which feeds the eye, and delights the fancie, or pleaſes the eare, but paſſeth away, and leaveth you as empty as before. In the fifth verſe of that Pſalme, the inventory of mans temporall eſtate is ſummed up, and the totall amounts but to this, Every man at his beſt eſtate is altogether vanity; and leaſt any ſhould think he hath miſcounted, an affirmation is prefixt; Surely, every man at his beſt eſtate is altogether vanity; Every man is vanity, and every man is vanity at his beſt eſtate: not only in his afflictions and in his loſſes, in his troubles and in his ſorrows, ſuch as Job now was in; but take a man in the height, and perfection, and accompliſhment of all creature comforts and accrewments: take the cream, the pith, the marrow, the ſweetneſſe of all; extract a quinteſſence of all that can be had in creatures, all is vanity, Man at his beſt eſtate is vanity, yea altogether vanity.
When Cain was born, there was much adoe about his birth, I have got a man-child from God, ſaith his mother, ſhe looked upon him as a great poſſeſſion, and therefore called his name Cain, which ſignifies a poſſeſſion; But the ſecond man, that was born into the world, bare the title of the world vanity; his name was Abel, which is the word here uſed; They called his name Abel, that is, vanity: a premonition was given in the name of the ſecond Abel viventium …m…ium typus & repreſentatio, Pined.man, what would or ſhould be the condition of all men. Pſal. 144. 4. there is an alluſion unto thoſe two names; we tranſlate it, Man is like to vanity, the Hebrew is, Adam is as Abel; Adam (you know) was the name of the firſt man, the name of Abels father; but as Adam was the proper name of the firſt, ſo it is an appellative, or common to all men; now Adam, that is man, or all men, are Abel, vaine, and walking in a vaine ſhadow.
And this word is by ſome tranſlated, nothing, his dayes are nothing, Temtus foreign, Pined.Idols are nothing; time is but the Idol of eternity, and things temporall, but the Idol of things eternall. This word ſignifies in the Hebrew, an Idol and a vaine thing: Deut. 32. 31. Jer. 2. 5. the word Abel, is tranſlated Idol; and the Apoſtle (1 Cor. 8.) tells us, that an Idol is nothing in the world, that is, an Idol is the vaineſt thing in the world, or the greateſt vanity: So that upon the matter, our eſtate and our dayes here are but an Idol, that is, the repreſentation of a thing which is not; ſo much vanity and folly, ſo much trouble and ſorrow, ſo much affliction is mixed with the dayes and life we now leade, as A nothing is all it can juſtly be called, or an Idol, a ſhew, of what is not.
And therefore we may well make it an argument (as Job here) to take us off from the world, and to chide worldlings with, as David did (Pſal. 4.) O ye ſons of men, how long will yee love vanity! or as Solomon about that adored Idol of the world, riches, (Prov. 23. 5.) wilt thou ſet thine eyes (or as the Originall) wilt foreignthou cauſe thine eyes to fly upon that, which is not. An Eagle will not catch flies (that's no game for her) much leſſe will ſhe make a flight at nothing, when there is no game ſprung at all. And wilt thou make a flight with thy heart (for the eye which Solomon chiefely intends, is the eye of the ſoul) when nothing ſprings before thee, but, that which is not.
To cloſe this point, if the creature be ſo vaine, and the dayes of man be vanity, let us ſet our eyes and hearts upon that which is, ſomething, upon that which is all, upon that which is laſting, upon that which is everlaſting, upon that which is true, upon that which is truth, upon that which will not deceive, upon that which cannot deceive, upon that which will be more in fruition, then ever it was in expectation.
The excellency of that eſtate we have in ſpirituals, conſiſts in this, that as it promiſeth much, ſo it performeth much, and rather more than it promiſeth; a beleever finds himſelfe ſatisfied in Chriſt, beyound expectation; the ſoul did not expect ſo much as it finds: As the Queen of Sheba comming to Solomon, had ſatiſfaction beyound report and promiſe, ſo ſhall all who come to Chriſt; he makes us large promiſes, and if we beleeve, we ſhall find larger performances: We ſhall, at laſt, ſay, that the halfe of thoſe good things which we now enjoy, were not told us in the promiſes: God hath layed up all good in his word, but our thoughts are not able to take out the extent of thoſe good things; Hence it is ſaid, that when Chriſt appeares, He ſhall come to be admired in his Saints; things ſhall be ſo far beyound their apprehenſion, that they ſhall be all in admiration.