Exposition of Job 4-7, Commentary on Job · Chapter 7 · Verses 20-21

Exposition of Job 4-7 · Commentary on Job · Chapter 7 · Verses 20-21

p. 678JOB Chap. 7. Verſ. 20, 21.

I have ſinned, what ſhall I do unto thee, O thou preſerver of men? why haſt thou ſet me as a mark againſt thee, ſo that I am a burden to my ſelf?

And why doeſt thou not pardon my tranſgreſſion, and take away mine iniquity? for now ſhall I ſleep in the duſt, and thou ſhalt ſeek me in the morning, but I ſhall not be.

JOB having in the former part of this Chapter conteſted with his friends, and expoſtulated the matter with God: now turns himſelf into another poſture, even to humble his ſoul, and make confeſſion of his ſin. He had juſtified himſelf againſt the accuſations of men, but now he accuſes, and judges himſelf in the preſence of his God. He will a while forget his ſorrows, and bethink himſelf of his ſins, I have ſinned, what ſhall I do unto thee, O thou preſerver of men?

The words may be taken two waies.

1. As a confeſſion or a prayer.

2. As a confeſſion or a grant.

I ſhall firſt open them under the notion of a repenting prayer and confeſſion of ſin.

I have ſinned.] As if he had ſaid, Lord, if thou holdeſt me thus long upon the rack of this affliction, to gain a confeſſion of me, to make me confeſs, here I am ready to do it, I do it, I have ſinned.

The word ſignifies to miſs the mark we aim at, or the way, wherein we would walk. And ſo it is put ſtrictly, for ſins of infirmity, foreign ſignificat errare, aberrare, declinare, deflectere a via vel ſcope.when the purpoſe of a mans heart is (like the Archers, when he draws his bow) to hit the white, or (like the honeſt travellers in his journey) to keep the right way, and yet he miſcarries, and is drawn aſide.

I have ſinned.

But is this a ſufficient confeſſion? What! to ſay only in general, I have ſinned. Did not hard-hearted Pharaoh (Ezod. 9. 25) p. 679Falſe-hearted Saul (1 Sam 15. 24.) and Traitor-Judas) Matth. 27. 4.) make as good a confeſſion as this. Every one of theſe ſaid, I have ſinned, and what doth Job ſay more? It is ſurely no great coſt nor pain to ſinful nature, to bring up ſuch a confeſſion as this.

I anſwer; Firſt, a general confeſſion may be a ſound confeſſion; It is one thing not to expreſs particular ſins, with the circumſtances of thoſe ſins, and another thing purpoſely to conceale them. I grant, implicit confeſſion may be as dangerous as implicit faith. And to digg in the earth, and hide our ſins in the Napkin of our excuſes, is worſe than to hide our Talents in the Napkin of our idleneſs. And as it is moſt dangerous, knowingly to conceale ſin from God, ſo it is very dangerous to do it through ignorance or inadvertency; Some confeſs ſin in general termes only, becauſe they know not what their ſins are, or have quite forgot them; As Nebuchadnezzar called the Aſtrologers, and Sorcerers, and Chaldeans, and told them he had dreamed a dreame, but he could not tell what it was, For the thing was gone from him, Dan. 2. 5. Some ſuch there are, who can, or, will only ſay, They have ſinned, they have ſinned; but what, they cannot tell, or they doe not remember, Thoſe things are gone from them. That which is written of the learned Bellarmine, a great Cardinal, and a Champion for Auricular, particular Confeſſion of ſinne to man, ſeemes very ſtrange, That when he lay upon his death-bed, and the Prieſt after the Popiſh manner, came to abſolve him, he had nothing to confeſs: at laſt he thought of ſome ſleight extravagancies of his youth, which was all he had to ſay of his owne miſcarriages: We ſee a man may de a Schollar in all the knowledg of the world, of nature, and of Scripture, and yet not know his own heart, nor be ſtudied or read in himſelf. He that is ſo, in a ſpiritual notion, can never want particular matter in his moſt innocent daies to confeſſe before the Lord, and to ſhame himſelfe for. What though he hath eſcaped the pollutions of the world, and is cleanſed from the filthineſs of the fleſh? yet he knowes that ſtill in his fleſh there dwels no good thing, and that in his ſpirit, there are, at leaſt touches of, many ſpiritual filthineſſes, as pride, unbelief, &c. beſides his great deficiencies in every duty, and in his love to Jeſus Chriſt, which is the ground of all. So then, in any of theſe ſences, to confeſſe ſin only in general, is a ſinful confeſſion. And yet Job made a holy confeſſion here, and ſo did the Publican p. 680(Luk. 18.) when he ſmote his breaſt and ſaid onelyonly thus, God be merciful to me a ſinner.

For ſecondly, though to ſpeak a general confeſſion be an eaſie matter, and every mans work; yet to make a general confeſſion, is a hard matter, a work beyond man. As no man (in a ſpiritual ſence) can ſay, Ieſus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghoſt; (1 Cor. 12. 3.) ſo no man can ſay (in a Holy manner) I have ſinned, but by the Holy Ghoſt; Good and bad, beleevers and unbeleevers, ſpeak often the ſame good words, but they cannot ſpeak the ſame things, nor from the ſame principles; nature ſpeaks in the one, in the other, grace. The one may ſay, very paſſionately, he hath ſinned, and ſometimes almoſt drown his words in tears, but the other ſaith, repentingly, I have ſinned, and floods his heart with Godly ſorrowes.

Thirdly, to clear it yet more, the general confeſſion of the Saints, have theſe four things in them.

Firſt, Beſides the fact, they acknowledge the blot, that there is much defilement and blackneſs in every ſin; that it is the onelyonly pollution and abaſement of the creature.

Secondly, They confeſs the fault, that, they have done very ill in what they have done, and very fooliſhly, even like a beaſt that hath no underſtanding.

Thirdly, They confeſs a guilt contracted by what they have done, that their perſons might be laid lyable to the ſentence of the law for every ſuch act, if Chriſt had not taken away the curſe and condemning power of it. Confeſſion of ſin (in the ſtrict nature of it) puts us into the hand of juſtice; though through the grace of the new Covenant, it puts us into the hand of mercy.

Fourthly, Hence the Saints confeſs all the puniſhments threatned in the Book of God to be due to ſin; and are ready to acquit God, whatſoever he hath awarded againſt ſinners: O Lord righteouſneſs belongeth unto thee, but unto us confuſion of face, as at this day, to the men of Iudah, and to the inhabitants of Ieruſalem, Dan. 9. 7.

And, as in this confeſſion, for the matter, they acknowledge, the blot, the fault, the guilt, the puniſhment of ſin: ſo for the manner (which ſets the difference yet wider between the general confeſſions of wicked and Godly men) they confeſs;

Firſt freely; Acknowledgements of ſin are not extorted by the pain and trouble which ſeazeth on them, as in Pharaoh, Saul and p. 681Judas. But when God gives them beſt dayes, they are ready to ſpeak worſt of themſelves: And when they receive moſt mercies from God, then God receives moſt and deepeſt acknowledgements of ſin from them. They are never ſo humbled in the ſight of ſin, as when they are moſt exalted in ſeeing the ſalvations of the Lord. The goodneſs of God leads them to this repentance, they are not driven to it, by wrath and thunder.

Secondly, they confeſs, feelingly; when they ſay they have ſinned, they know what they ſay. They taſte the bitterneſs of ſin, and groan under the burdenſomeneſs of it, as it paſſes out in confeſſion. A natural mans confeſſions run through him, as water through a pipe, which leaves no impreſſion or ſent there, nor do they (upon the matter) any more taſte what ſin is, then the pipe doth of what reliſh water is. Or if a natural man feels any thing in confeſſion, it is the evil of puniſhment feared, not the evil of his ſin committed.

Thirdly, they confeſs ſincerely; they mean what they ſay, & are in earneſt both with God and their own Souls. Bleſſed is the man in whoſe ſpirit there is no guile, Pſal. 32. 2. The natural man caſts out his ſins by confeſſion, as Sea-men caſt their goods over-board in a ſtorm, which in the calm they wiſh for again. They ſo caſt out the evil ſpirit, that they are content to receive him again when he returns, though it be with ſeven worſe then himſelf. Even while they confeſs ſin with their lips, they keep it, like a ſweet bit, under their tongues: And wiſh it well enough, while they ſpeak it very ill.

Fourthly, they confeſs beleevingly; while they have an eye of ſorrow upon ſin, they have an eye of Faith upon Chriſt: Iudas ſaid he had ſinned in betraying innocent blood (Mat. 27. 4.) but inſtead of waſhing in that blood, he defiles himſelf with his own, he goes away and hangs himſelf. No wicked man in the world (continuing in that ſtate) did ever mix Faith with his ſorrowes, or beleeving, with confeſſing, he had ſinned. So much for the clearing of the words, and the ſence of this general confeſſion. Hence obſerve, firſt,

While a Godly man maintains his innocency, and juſtifies himſelf before men, he willingly acknowledges his infirmity, and judges himſelf before God. Iob had ſpent much time in wiping off the aſperſions caſt upon him by his friends, but he charges himſelf with his failings in the ſight of God. Secondly obſerve,

p. 682God ſpeakes better of his ſervants then they doe of themſelves. When God ſpeakes of Job, we find not one blot in all his character, all is commendation, nothing of reproof. He ſaith (c. 1. v. 21.) in all this Job ſinned not: but for all that, Job ſaith, I have ſinned: A hypocrite hath good thoughts of himſelf, and ſpeakes himſelf faire; He flatters himſelf in his own eyes, until his iniquitie be found to be hateful, Pſal. 36. 2. A godly man thinks and ſpeaks low of himſelf, he accuſes himſelf in his own eyes, though his integrity be found very acceptable with the Lord. Thirdly obſerve,

The holieſt man on earth, hath cauſe to confeſs that he hath ſinned. Confeſſion is the duty of the beſt Chriſtians. Firſt, The higheſt form of believers in this life, is not above the actings of ſin; though the loweſt of believers, is not under the power of it. And if the line of ſinning be as long as the line of living, then the line of confeſſing muſt be of the ſame length with both. While the Ship leaks, the pump muſt not ſtand ſtill. And ſo long as we gather ill humors, there will be need of vomits and purgings.

Secondly, Confeſſion is a ſoul-humbling duty, and the beſt have need of that, for they are in moſt danger of being lifted up above meaſure. To preſerve us from thoſe ſelf-exaltations, the Lord ſometimes ſends the Meſſenger of Satan to buffet us by temptations, and commands us to buffet our ſelves often by confeſſion.

Thirdly, Confeſſion affects the heart with ſin, and ingages the heart againſt it. Every confeſſion of the evill we do, is a new obligation not to do it any more. The beſt in their worſt part, have ſo much freedome to ſin, that they have need enough to be bound from it in variety of bonds.

Fourthly, Confeſſion of ſin, ſhews us more clearly our need of mercy, and indears it more to us. How good and ſweet is mercy to a ſoul, that hath taſted, how evil, and how bitter a thing it is to ſin againſt the Lord. How welcome, how beautiful is a pardon, when we have been viewing the uglineſs of our own guilt?

Fiftly, Confeſſion of ſin, advances Chriſt in our hearts. How doth it declare the riches of Chriſt, when we are not afraid to tell him, what infinite ſums of debt we are in, which he onelyonly, and he eaſily can diſcharge? how doth it commend the healing vertue of his blood, when we open to him ſuch mortal wounds and ſickneſſes, which he only, and he eaſily can cure? Wo be to thoſe who commit ſin abundantly, that grace may abound; but it is our duty p. 683to confeſſe ſinne aboundantly, that grace may abound.

Laſtly, Though we need not confeſſe ſin at all to informe God: he knowes our ſins, though we will not make them known; and hath an eye to ſee, though we ſhould not have a tongue to confes. Though (I ſay) we confeſſe not to informe God what we are, or what we have done, yet, we muſt confeſſe to glorifie God. While we ſhame our ſelves, we honour him. My ſonne (ſaith Joſhua to Achan. c. 7. v. 19) give I pray thee glory to the Lord God of Iſrael; and make confeſſion unto him: Every attribute of God, receives this gift of glory by mans confeſſion. Juſtice is glorified, and mercy is glorified, patience is glorified, and holineſſe is glorified. Holineſſe is glorified in oppoſing ſin, and patience in ſparing the ſinner; mercy is glorified in pardoning ſin, and juſtice in receiving ſatisfaction at the hand of Chriſt for the pardon of it. Fourthly obſerve.

Holy confeſſion of ſin, leades the way to gratious pardoning of ſin, Job begins the next verſe with a vehement prayer for pardon. And why doeſt thou not pardon my tranſgreſſion, and take away mine iniquity. Sin concealed and kept cloſe, growes upon us: And it growes three wayes; Firſt, in the ſtrength of it; Secondly, in the guilt of it; Thirdly, in the terrour and vexation of it, Pſal. 32. 3, 4. When I kept ſilence, my bones waxed old, through my roaring all the day long. Confeſſion is a meanes to obtaine the abatement of ſin, in all three. The ſtrength of it is weakened, the guilt removed, and the terrour overcome. Then heare the counſell of the Prophet (Iſa. 43. 26.) declare that thou mayeſt be juſtified.

Thus farre of the words as they are a confeſſion of ſin. I ſhall now handle them, as they are a conceſſion or a grant that he had ſinned; and ſo the ſence may be given thus: I have ſinned. what ſhall I doe unto thee? As if he had ſaid; Let it be granted, or ſubpoſe that I have ſinned, and ſinned as deepely as my friends have charged me; ſup…e I have been as wicked as they imagin, what th…n if this were my caſe, what ſhall I doe unto thee O thou preſerver of men:

The later words plainly import a queſtion, What ſhall I doe unto thee? But the ſence of the queſtion is not ſo plaine: The queſtion may be taken two wayes: Either affirmatively, or negatively. Take it affirmatively; and ſo the ſence is, what ſhall I doe? that is, Lord direct, me, councell me, order me, teach me what becomes me to doe in ſuch a caſe, in ſuch a ſinfull condition as p. 684I, either, confeſſe my ſelfe to be in, or, am ſuppoſed to be in. That's the affirmative ſence.

What ſhall I doe?] The word which we tranſlate [do] ſignifies foreign a radice pagnal, reſpondet Graeco foreign, eſt agere cum energia & effectu, Piſcat.working or doing, under a two fold qualification.

1. Working with great willingneſſe and readineſſe of mind; and hence it is applied to the workings of ſin in naturall men, who work with the greateſt freedome that can be. Man ſins naturally, and therefore freely: he is carried on with a full ſwing, with tide and wind he ſins, nothing in himſelf contradicting or giving a contrary vote: He is a true worker of iniquity, Pſal. 5. 5.

2. Working with energie and ſucceſſe, and the doing of a thing not only effectually, but willingly, Numb. 23. 23. What hath God wrought? When God works, he works thoroughly; he doth not his buſines to halves. So Iſa. 26. 12. Thou haſt wrought all our works in us; that is, thou haſt brought them to paſſe, they have ſucceeded through thy help, and the influences of thy bleſſing.

The word being taken in this height of ſence, & the queſtion for an affirmation, What ſhall I doe? that is, ſhew me, direct me what to do; we may obſerve from it, Firſt, That,

What to do in caſe of ſin, is a point of the higheſt conſideration, I have ſinned, what ſhall I do? If ever we have need to go and aske counſell, to ſit down and debate the mater with our ſevles or others, it is, when we have ſinned. Such is the nature of ſin, and ſuch the conſequences, that it calls us to higheſt conſideration what to do about it. Matters of great conſequence, are matters of great conſultation: Sin hath an influence upon an eternity. If any thing be more worthy your thoughts then that, let it have them.

Secondly, Look upon the queſtion as following Jobs confeſſion: Obſerve thence,

That ſincere confeſſion of ſin, makes the ſoule very active and inquiſitive about the remedies of ſin. I have ſinned; the very next word is, What ſhall I doe? Many make confeſſion of ſin, who are never troubled about the cure and redreſſe of ſin; Lord what ſhall I doe? is not the next queſtion to, Lord, I have ſinned. Nay, it may be the next action is, to ſin over the ſame ſin, they have confeſt. As ſoon as thoſe Jewes heard of the fouleneſſe of their ſin in crucifying Chriſt, and of the ſadneſſe of their condition; their queſtion is like this of Job, what ſhall we doe? what ſhall we doe that we may be ſaved? As Chriſt ſpeakes to the woman of Samaria (Job. 4. 10.) when he offered her the water of life, If thou didſt p. 685know the gift of God, and who it is that ſpeakes unto thee, thou wouldeſt have asked, &c. That is, if thou wert ſenſible of the excellency and vertue of this water, and thy need of it, thou wouldeſt be very inquiſitive how to get it, how to have a taſt of it. As in regard of Chriſt, and the benefits we have by him; ſo of ſin, and the evils which come by it: When a man hath confeſt and acknowledged his ſin, we may ſay to him, if thou didſt but know what thou haſt confeſt, if thou didſt but know what thou haſt acknowleged, thou wouldeſt preſently be asking, how ſhall I get free? how ſhall I get clear of theſe ſins w^ch are ſo deadly, poiſonous, deſtroying & condemning? He that is but ſenſible what the wound of ſin is, wil never be at reſt, never give over enquiring, til he hath found a plaiſter or a medicine for it. He that knowes what he ſaith, when he ſaith I have ſinned, will reſolve, as David in another caſe, that his eyes ſhall not have a winke of ſleep, till he ſees where to have helpe againſt it.

Thirdly, In that he ſaith, what ſhall I doe? Obſerve,

That a ſoule truly ſenſible of ſin, is ready to ſubmit to any termes which God ſhall put upon him. What ſhall I doe unto thee, O thou preſerver of men? Put what termes thou wilt upon me, I am ready to accept them. That was the ſence of their queſtion (Acts 2. 32.) what ſhall we do? ſhew us the way, let it be what it will, we will not ſtand making of conditions, we will not pick and chooſe, this we will doe, and that we will not doe, this we will ſubmit unto, and that we will refuſe; no, let the Lord write what articles he pleaſes, we intend not to debate, but yeeld and ſubſcribe unto them. When the Jaylor found himſelf in the bonds of his iniquity, he was ready to enter into any bonds of duty, Acts 16. 30. Sirs, what muſt I doe to be ſaved?

Laſtly, From the queſtion in the affirmative, Obſerve,

That God is to be conſulted and enquired after in all doubtfull caſes, eſpecially in our ſin-caſes. I have ſinned, what ſhall I doe unto thee, O thou preſerver of men? He calls upon God, to know what he ſhould doe, and to learne what courſe he ſhould take. Though, when we have opportunity to ſpeake to men, that's good, and a duty; yet we muſt not reſt in the counſels of men, what to doe in ſin-caſes: God muſt be conſulted. After the people had committed idolatry in making the Calfe, you have ſinned (ſaith Moſes) and now I will goe up unto the Lord, that I may make an attonement for you; I will goe up to the Lord, that I may underſtand from him, what courſe to take for the removing of this ſin, p. 686though we have not ſuch a mount to goe up unto, as Moſes then had to ſpeake to God; yet there are wayes for the ſoule in all ſincaſes, to make addreſſes unto God; A ſinner may ſay, I will goe to the Lord, and make my attonement: whatſoever advice and direction we receive from men, we muſt enquire whether it be an advice and counſel eſtabliſhed in Heaven. And the reaſon is cleare, God is the perſon offended in every ſin, and therefore he muſt be conſulted about the remedy of ſin. Again, God only can reſolve us what will pleaſe him; we may pitch upon a wrong courſe, and take a wrong way; we in ſtead of pacifying God, may provoke him? in ſtead of ſatisfying, further diſpleaſe him: Therefore we muſt ſay, when we have ſinned, Lord what wilt thou have us to doe? his advice will lead us to Chriſt for eaſe and peace.

So farre for the queſtion taken in the affirmative ſence, What ſhall I doe unto thee? ſhew me what I ſhall doe, and I will readily ſubmit unto it.

Secondly, Take the queſtion negatively, what ſhall I doe unto thee? And ſo I find two ſences of it.

Firſt, Some render it thus, what have I done againſt thee? and Quid tibi neeui ant quid te laſi, Olymp.then the meaning is this, I have done nothing againſt thee, or I have not hurt thee by ſinning: What have I done againſt thee? wherein have I injured thee, that thou layſt thy hand thus ſeverely upon me in theſe grievous afflictions, both upon my ſoule and body? I am hurt, what have I hurt thee? There is a truth in this: though I take it not for the truth of this place. A man may ſay Paeecana noſtra beautm illam naturam tabefactare non poſſunt.when he hath ſinned what hurt have I done unto God? and yet all the hurt and wrong which God receives, he receives by ſin. Our ſins are no hurt unto God, by abating any thing of his happineſſe, or fullneſſe, or intrinſicall eſſentiall honour; take it thus, and our ſins cannot hurt God: All the darts of our ſins, fall infinitely ſhort of God, they cannot reach him, ſo, as to annoy him: And we have that language expreſſely in the 35 Chapter of this book of Job, ver 6. If thou doeſt ſin what doeſt thou againſt him? (that is, thou doeſt nothing againſt God, as a real dammage to him) or if thy tranſgreſſions be multiplied, what doeſt thou unto him? Sin as many ſins as you can, you cannot impare the happineſſe of God, or diminiſh his greatneſſe: he is out of the reach of the creature in that ſence. As on the other ſide, if a man be never ſo holy and good, or do never ſo many acts of righteouſneſſe, yet God hath no good or gain by it, we cannot advantage God by our holineſs; p. 687and that is the language of this Scripture too, Job 35. 7. If thou be righteous, what giveſt thou him; or what receiveth he of thine hand? We make no addition to the happineſſe of God by all our holineſſe, Job. 22. 3. Is it any pleaſure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? Or any gaine unto him that thou makeſt thy waies perfect? That which is infinite cannot increaſe, neither can it be increaſed. God is a above all gaine and loſſe, above all acceſſes of pleaſure or paine. When the Scripture ſaith, he is delighted in the ſervices of the Saints, and takes pleaſure in his people, we muſt underſtand them in the ſame ſence, as thoſe Scriptures, which deſcribe him diſpleaſed with the ſins of men, angry and grieved, becauſe of their provocations. All the motions of Gods delight or griefe, pleaſedneſſe or diſpleaſure, are only expreſſions towards the creature, not any impreſſions upon himſelf. But I ſhall let that ſence paſſe.

Secondly, in the negative, take the queſtion thus, What ſhall I doe unto thee? Or, as the Septuagint reades it, What can I doe unto thee? That is, I can doe nothing to thee? Lord I have ſinned, and if thou ſeekeſt for ſatisfaction at my hands, I am able to make none. And ſo he ſpeaks like a poore, undone, broken man, to his rich creditour arreſting him for a dept, which he is unable to pay. The poore man fals downe at his feet, and ſaith, Sir, I confeſſe I owe you a great ſumme, you have my bonds, I confeſſe my hand and ſeale, but what ſhall I doe unto you? I cannot pay you a penny, I have nothing, I have loſt all, I am not worth a groat, what will you have of me? This ſounds ſuch a kind of melting, pitifull language, I have ſinned, what ſhall I doe unto thee; O thou preſerver of men? Lord, when I looke into my ſtock, into my treaſure & revenues, I ſee I have nothing to ſatisfie this debt of ſinne, I have run in, and ſtand engag'd to thy Majeſtie for; what can I pay thee? And ſo the word [doe] ſignifies a retribution or recompence; ſo it is uſed in the ſecond verſe of this Chapter, where he ſpeaks of the hireling, waiting for his worke, that is, for the reward of recompence of his worke, the paiment of his wages. What ſhall I doe? is as much, as, what ſhall I pay, or what ſhall I render? This is a due debt, but I have nothing to pay, no way of making ſatisfaction, for all the dammage I have put thy holy Majeſty to, by my ſins.

Or thus, there may be a three-fold negation in the Queſtion, What ſhall I doe unto thee?

p. 688Firſt, I can doe nothing to eſcape thy power, I cannot get a way from thee, J cannot reſcue my ſelfe from under thy hand.

Secondly, I can doe nothing to ſatisfie thy juſtice.

Thirdly, I can doe nothing, to pacifie thine anger. J cannot only not pay the dept, but I cannot appeaſe thee, or turn away thy diſpleaſure in the leaſt degree.

From the Queſtion taken in this ſence, we may obſerve. Firſt, That,

The holieſt man on the earth by all his ſufferings and doings cannot ſatisfie the juſtice of God for one ſin. I have ſinned, what ſhall I doe unto thee? When the Angels had ſinned, what could they doe unto God, in this reſpect? Theſe three negations lay upon them, and doe lie to this day, and ſhall to all eternity. They ſinned but once, yet could they not eſcape out of the hand of God. Though ſpirits and powers, yet they could not maintaine their ſtate againſt the power of God, and are therefore caſt into priſon, and reſerved in chaines of darkneſſe to the judegement of the great day. They could not pacifie the wrath of God towards them, God is as highly diſpleaſed, and his wrath burns as hot againſt them, as ever. Now if ſinning Angels could doe nothing to God, what can ſinfull man doe? The Queſtion is put Micha 6. 6. Where with ſhall I come before the Lord? And bow my ſelfe before the high God? Shall I come before him with burnt-offerings? with calves of a yeare old? will the Lord be pleaſed with thouſands of rams? or with ten thouſand rivers of oyle? ſhall I give my firſt-borne for my tranſgreſſion? the fruit of my body for the ſin of my ſoule? Theſe Queſtions are denials; come not before God with any of theſe. Then what is it, that God doth require? He hath ſhewed thee, what is good, to doe judgement and righteouſneſſe, to walk humbly with thy God. But why theſe things? What, though I cannot make a price for my ſin with calves and rams, and rivers of oyle, though my children will not be accepted as a ranſome for my tranſgreſſions, yet can I make a price for them, out of juſtice and righteouſneſſe and humble walking? No, not out of theſe neither. The Lord doth not require theſe, for the paiments of our debt, as we are ſinners, but for the paiments of duty, as we are creatures. There is a double debt to God: a debt to the juſtice of God for ſins commited, and a debt to the law of God for duties enjoyned. The former no man is able to pay, but with p. 689eternall ſufferings. The latter, the Saints (through grace) do pay by their dayly holy actings.

There is a three-fold deficiency in al that man can do, to ſatisfie the juſtice of God.

Friſt, all is imperfect and defiled, our ſervices ſmell of the veſſell, thorough which they paſſe, and taſte of the caske into which they are put. There is a ſtampe of our ſinfullneſs even upon our holy things. And can that which is ſinfull ſatisfie for ſin?

Secondly, whatſoever we doe is a debt, before we doe it. All our duties are owing before we performe them. And can we pay the debt of ſin, by thoſe duties which were due, though ſin had never been commited?

Thirdly, The greateſt deficiency is this, our works want the ſtampe of Gods appointment for that purpoſe. God hath no where ſet up mans righteouſneſſe, as ſatisfaction for mans unrighteouſneſſe. Hence, if it ſhould be ſuppoſed, we had performed perfect righteouſneſſe according to the whole will of God commanded, yet we could not ſatisfie the juſtice God offended, unleſſe God had ſaid, that he would accept that way of ſatisfaction; it is the appointment and inſtitution of God, which renders what we doe acceptable unto himſelfe. Surely, all that Jeſus Chriſt did or ſuffered for us in the fleſh, had not ſatisfied the juſtice of God, if God had not appointed that Chriſt ſhould come to doe and ſuffer thoſe things for the ſatisfying of his juſtice. It was the compact between Chriſt and his Father, which made him a Saviour, Sacrifice and offering thou didſt not deſire. Sacrifices were refuſed by God, it being impoſſible, that they ſhould purge ſin (Heb. 10. 4.) Then the eare of Chriſt was opened or bored; as a ſervant, according to the law in that caſe, Exod. 21. 6. to receive and doe the will of his Father. Or, as the Seventy interpret, which the Apoſtle follows, God prepared him a body. Then Chriſt undertakes the worke, And ſaid, loe I come to doe thy will O God. Why? In the volume of the booke it is written of me. That is, thou haſt decreed and ordained from everlaſting; The record is cleare for it, that I am he, whom thou haſt ordained to doe thy will: Hence the Apoſtle concludes at the 10th verſe, That we are ſanctified (that is, ſaved) by that will through the offering of the body of Jeſus once for all: As inſerting, that the very offering of the body of Jeſus Chriſt could not ſave us, but by the will and ordination of God. His hanging and dying on the croſſe had not delivered us from p. 690death, unleſſe it had been written in the volume of the Booke. There is nothing ſatisfactory, but what the law, or the will of the Law-giver makes, or agrees to accept, as ſatisfactorie. In the volume of the booke, there is nothing written, which appoints man ſuch a work, and therefore he cannot doe it.

There is ſome what to be done by way of thankfullneſſe, but nothing can be done by way of paiment. That queſtion (Pſal. 116. 12.) affirmes as much, What ſhall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits? We muſt render unto the Lord for his benefits; but we cannot render to the Lord for our ſins. We ought to take up the Cup of Thankſgiving: but Chriſt hath, and he alone was able, and he alone was ordained to take and drinke the Cup of Satisfying.

Secondly, obſerve (which depends upon the former.)

That pradon and forgiveneſſe of ſinne, come in at the doore of free-grace. Free-grace doth all. What can I do? J can doe nothing, O thou preſerver of men; J can only (nor that without thy helpe) acknowledge my ſin: it muſt be thine infinite goodneſs to pardon it. When a man hath travell'd through all duties and doings, he muſt at laſt ſit downe in Gods love, and reſt in this, that God is mercifull to poore ſinners, Iſai. 55. 1. Come unto me, O all yee that are thirſtie, come without money or without price: There is nothing in the creature that God requires as a price of his favor: his milk and his hony, his bread and his water are al gifts and bounties unto his people. He cals us to buy theſe becauſe we ſhall have them, as willingly from God, as any things from man, for our mony; & he cals it a buying without mony, becauſe no value can be ſet upon it high enough, nor any heart receive it freely enough. To offer mony, that is, to think to obtain any of that favor, by what we do, is the moſt dangerous offer in the world. We read how dreadful the iſſue was to Simon Magus, when he offered mony, for the gifts of the holy Ghoſt, and yet thoſe gifts were ſuch, as a man may have, and go to hell with them, for they were but gifts of miracles and of healing, and the like: But this gift of the favour and love of God in the pardon of ſin, is ſuch a gift, as whoſoever hath it, is ſure and ſafe for ever: And therefore (the gift being much more precious than that of Simon Magus) Take heed of offering this kind of mony for it, your works and doings. To doe ſo is the worſt Simonie in the world. Better offer literall money for thoſe gifts of the holy Ghoſt, then this figurative money for the favour p. 691of God in the pardon of ſin. What Peter threatned Simon Magus, may be affirmed of them. Their money muſt periſh with them, That is, their prayers and teares, their ſorrows and their humblings, their almes and good deeds, foraſmuch as they have thought, that this gift of pardon may be obtained by ſuch money. They have neither part nor lot in that mercy, for their hearts are not right in the ſight of God. A good worke truſted to, is as mortall, as a ſin unrepented of.

Againe, There is ſomewhat to be done, when we have ſinn'd but nothing to be paid. That's Goſpel-language, when a man hath ſinned, to ſay, What ſhall I doe? Thoſe converts in the Acts who enquired, What ſhall we doe? were told by the Apoſtles of ſome what to be done, Repent and be baptized, believe and thou ſhalt be ſaved. Theſe are waies wherein ſalvation is tender'd, not works for which it is beſtowed. It is a dangerous error, ſo to lift up the grace of God, as to deny the induſtry of man through grace, & becauſe he can do nothing by way of ſatisfaction, that, therefore he muſt doe nothing. The Apoſtles gave Goſpel-counſell, yet when men asked them, what ſhall we doe to be ſaved? They ſaid not, ye muſt doe nothing, God will ſave you by his free-grace: no, they called them to repent and beleeve, &c. Take heed, when ye have ſinned, to ſay we need not mourne for ſin, we need not be humbled, we need not repent, for, Lord, what can we do unto thee, O thou Saviour of men? Theſe are the inferences of our own ſpirits, not of the Spirit of Chriſt. They who lift up the grace of Chriſt, to leſſen the neceſſity of gracious actings in themſelves, ſhew they know not the meaning of his grace, and have not indeed taſted how gracious the Lord is. To deny our owne righteouſneſſe, and to be very active in the waies of righteouſneſſe is the due Goſpeltemper. The Apoſtle, Phil. 3. 8. counts all things but loſſe and dung; all duties and humblings, all legall righteouſneſſe and obedience, not that he refuſed righteouſneſſe, or neglected duties, but he would not mingle them with Chriſt, or bring them in as contributions to the purchaſe of bleſſedneſſe. Our righteouſneſſe and holy duties are dung and droſſe in juſtification; but they are gold and precious things in ſanctification: without theſe, we cannot walk worthy of our holy calling, or, as it becomes the Goſpel of Chriſt.

So much for theſe words, what ſhall I doe unto thee?

p. 692O thou preſerver of men!

Here is the Compellation, or the title, under which Job beſpeaks the Lord (and it is a royall one) The preſerver of men. foreign Narſar conſervavit, obſerva. vit, cuſtodivit, diſe dit, de qualibet cuſtodia dicitur & ſignificat etiam ſe ris vectebaſ que elaudere licet proprie cuſtos foreign dicitur, ſed confundi ſcias. Druſ.The words ſignifies, both to preſerve and to obſerve; and hence it is applied to our keeping the law of God, Pſal. 119. 22. I have kept thy teſtimonies, I have kept them, by obſervation, that is, I have obeyed thy Commandements. The word is often applied to God, in reference to mans protection and preſervation, Deut. 32. 10. Moſes deſcribes the care of God over his people Iſrael, He found them in the wilderneſſe (as a people wandring and going aſtray) and he kept them as the apple of his eye; that is, he looked to them and had a continuall tender care over them. So Pſal. 17. 8. Keep me as the apple of thine eye.

The Septuagint render it, O thou obſerver of men; What ſhall I doe unto thee, O thou who art the obſerver and looker into the very hearts of men? Lord ſaith he, what wilt thou have me to doe? Thou lookeſt quite through me, and ſeeſt all that is in me, I foreign, qui preſpectam habis mentem hominum Sept.need not declare my ſelfe unto thee, thou knoweſt me altogether, Thou who art the ſearcher of the heart, and the trier of the reins; Thou who art a moſt vigilant watcher over all my waies, what have I done, or ſpoken, but thou knoweſt and canſt eaſily obſerve. Thus Job ſpeaks at the 14^th of this booke, verſ. 16. Thou numbereſt my ſteps; a man obſerves another curiouſly, when he tels how many ſteps he treads, it is an expreſsion, noting the exacteſt obſervation. Salomon joynes the act of keeping with obſerving, Prov. 24. 12. If thou ſaieſt, behold he knoweth it not (this is the refutation of an Atheiſt) doth not he that pondereth the hears, conſider it, and he that keepeth thy ſoule, doth not he know? He that preſerves us in our wayes, muſt needs ſee us in all our waies.

Again, Preſerving or keeping may be underſtood two waies.

Firſt, There is a preſerving or keeping of man, that he ſhal not eſcape. And

Secondly, A preſerving or keeping of man, that he ſhall not Cuſtos hominu, ſc. qui homine talibus malis quaſi quadam cuſtodia includis it non ſit effugium.take hurt. Some underſtand it in the firſt ſence, O thou preſerver of men! that is, O thou, who art ſo ſtrict a keeper and watcher over men, that they cannot eſcape thine hand. A man is ſaid to be in ſafe cuſtodie, when he is a priſoner, and ſo the ſence is thus given, Lord, thou haſt me faſt enough, I cannot breake away p. 693from thee, I am lockt up within iron-gates and barrs, what wouldeſt thou have me doe unto thee? Thou maieſt put what conditions thou pleaſeſt upon me, I muſt ſubmit. Such language we have (Lam. 3. 5, 7.) which may illuſtrate this, He hath builded againſt me, and compaſſed me with gall and travell, he hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out, he hath made my chaine heavie. You ſee, he ſpeakes of God (as we may ſpeake with reverence) as of the maſter of a priſon, who ſaith to his under-officers, there is ſuch a one, looke to him well make his chaine heavie, that he may not get a way, put him in a place, where there is a ſtrong wall, leaſt he breake priſon. This ſence of the word makes Job ſpeaking like Jeremy, He hath builded againſt me, he hath compaſſed me about, he hath made my chaine heavie upon me.

But the ſecond ſence, according to the letter of our Tranſlation, is moſt cleare and apt, O thou preſerver of men! Thou, who keepeſt man, leaſt he take hurt or fall into danger; As if Job had beſpoke God, thus, Thou art the Saviour and protectour of men, thou haſt not only given man a being, but thou provideſt for his well-being: thou art a preſerver of our outward eſtates, and a preſerver of our ſpirituall eſtates; A God, in whom we live, move, and have our being, as well, as we receive being, life and motion from thee; and therefore ſeeing ſuch is thy nature, and this thy office, to be a preſerver of men, what wouldſt thou have me to doe unto thee? Why doſt thou thus deſtroy me, and breake me to peeces? Why doſt thou follow me with affliction upon affliction, till I am utterly ruin'd and undone? Thus Jacob (Gen, 28. 15.) If thou wilt keepe me in the way that I ſhall go, he makes a vow to God, and indents or articles with God to be kept and preſerved by him, The word there is Thomer, but that and this are uſed promiſcuouſly, as Pſal. 121. 4. The keeper of Iſrael, In the word of the text, and Pſal. 31. 23. The Lord preſerveth the faithfull; he preſerveth them, from the reach of dangers and troubles incompaſsing them on every ſide.

So then in this title, we have the worke and office of God held forth, the ſecond act of his power. The firſt is the act of creation, the ſecond is this act of preſervation or providence. Preſervation or ptovidence is a continued creation. Obſerve from this title; Firſt.

Man wants a preſerver. If God having made man, and ſet p. 694him in the world, had left him to his own keeping, what would become of him? When God truſted man to goe a little alone, and did not hold a ſpeciall hand of preſervation over him, to keepe him from or in temptation, how quickly did he fall and looſe himſelfe? Man like a little child (which if the mother or the nurſe leaveth alone unwatched or uneyed) runs into dangers and deaths every moment. Man is a weake creature, therefore he needs a preſerver. Againe, man (as fallen eſpecially) is a fooliſh creature, he hath no underſtanding to guide himſelfe, he is as ignorant as a child (if God leave him) how to diſpoſe of his own waies, and order his goings; The way of man is not in himſelfe, neither is it in him that goeth to direct his own ſteps.

Laſtly, Man walks in the midſt of enemies. He is beſet with dangers, therefore he needs a protectour; what would become of a man, living in a throng of adverſaries, were it not that he hath a God, whoſe name is the preſerver of men?

It is good for us to know God by this Name in every letter of it, in the full extent of it.

Firſt, Immediately, his owne hand and out-ſtretched arme, is our ſafety, Zech. 2. 5. I will be unto Jeruſalem a wall of fire round Mirus ſane Dei amor in populu ſuum, mira previdemia Sanct. in Zech. 2,Zech 2about; If you want a wall, I will be your wall, my immediate providence ſhall be your defence, rather then you ſhall not be defended. Is my ſtrength the ſtrength of ſtones, or is my fleſh braſſe? was Jobs queſtion, Chap. 6. 12. We may reſolve it, the ſtrength of God is more then the ſtrength of ſtones, and he, The Spirit is more firme then braſſe. The Romans in their warrs uſed to call out the Tutelar gods of thoſe Cities they beſieged, &c. as believing them a ſtronger defence to thoſe places, than wals or forts. And yet our God is more then a wall of ſtone or braſſe, he promiſed to be a wall of fire. Now, who can batter downe a fire, that is it's own fewell, or who can ſet up ladders to ſcale the flames?

And as the Lord is a wall of fire, ſo a wall of water for the ſafety of his people, Iſa. 33. 21. there will I be a place of broad rivers, and of ſtreames; that is, I will be their preſervation; the broad river preſerves a place from the invaſion of enemies: waters are ſtronger then bulwarks of ſtones. And leaſt any ſhould object, though broad rivers keepe of Foot or Horſe, yet they give advantage to ſhips; therefore it is added, I will be ſuch a river to thee, as wherein ſhall goe no galley with oares, neither ſhall gallant Ship paſſe thereby. But if any ſhall venture their Navies upon p. 695theſe ſtreames to thy annoyance, then know (as the 23. verſ. intimates). Their tacklings ſhall be looſed, they ſhall not well ſtrengthen their maſts, they ſhall not ſpread their ſailes; They ſhall be ſo ruffled and entangled, that the lame ſhall take the prey, that is, the weakeſt reſiſtance ſhall ſubdue them and make prize of their whole fleete, even of their invincible Armado's. I love the Lord my ſtrength, my rock, my tower, my fortreſſe, my buckler, the horne of my ſalvation; Pſ. 18. 1, 2. all theſe titles meete in this one, The preſerver of men.

Secondly, God is a preſerver of men mediatly by inſtruments: he preſerves man by man, and man ſometimes by the beaſts of the earth, and fowles of the ayre, but chiefely he preſerveth men by Angels; Are they not miniſtring ſpirits, ſent out for the good of thoſe that ſhall be heires of ſalvation? (Pſa. 91.) He ſhall give his Angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy wayes, they ſhall beare thee up in thy wayes, leaſt thou daſh thy foote againſt a ſtone. A promiſe ſo full of ſweetneſſe for faith to feed on, that the devil hath no way to elude it, but by tempting us (as he did Chriſt) to over-act it, & ſurfet faith into a preſumption, by a wilfull needleſſe throwing our ſelves into danger.

And there is a neceſſity that God himſelf ſhould thus take upon him the preſervation of men: This neceſſity is three-fold.

1. None are ſtrong enough to preſerve us without him, our enemies would breake thorough all ſtrength below God: ſo that, if he were not our preſerver, none could: In vaine is ſalvation hoped for from hils, and from the multitude of mountains; truly in the Lord our God is the ſalvation of Iſrael. Jer. 2.

2. None are wiſe enough to preſerve us, except the Lord. As evill ſpirits are powers, for ſtrength; ſo likewiſe ſerpents, for policie and craft; this craft of hell cannot be diſcovered, much leſſe diſappointed, without wiſedome from Heaven.

3. None but God are patient enough to be the preſervers of men, I beleeve if the Angels left to their naturall temper, were ſet to be keepers of men, they had all given over this charge long before this time, as it is ſuppoſed, they who fell, refuſed to undertake, or take it up, at firſt, Angels have not the patience to keepe ſuch a froward peece as man. It is a wonder God doth not give over that care, and in ſtead of preſerving daſh him in peeces. When the Lord told Moſes, he would ſend an Angel before him, and drive out the Canaanite (Exod. 34. 2.) For I will not goe up p. 696in the midſt of thee, for thou art a ſtiffe-necked people, leaſt I conſume thee in the way. The text ſaith, when the people heard this evill tidings, they mourned, and no man did put upon him his ornaments. Why, what was it that troubled them? was it that the Angel is ſent now to conduct them to Canaan? That was told them (Chap. 23. 20.) and they well ſatisfied with it, Behold, I ſend an Angel before thee, to keepe thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. I anſwer, The Angel in the 23. Chapter is by all (that I meet with) agreed to be the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, the great Angel of the Covenant; but the Angel, chap. 33. appeares to be a created Angel and rather threatned them, then promiſed them. And though the Lord is pleaſed to ſignifie a reaſon of ſending this Angel in favour to them, namely, leaſt he himſelfe conſume them in the way, for their ſtubborneſſe. Yet the people are not ſatisfied with this tidings; ſurely they thought if the Lord was not able to bear their provocations, much leſſe could an Angel, and therefore if he ſhould ſend an Angel, and withdraw his own preſence from them, they muſt periſh; A meere Angel could not have borne their manners as the Lord did; receiving provocations from them, and continuing preſervations over them thoſe forty yeares.

It is yet further obſerveable, that the Hebrew is not only ſingular, but a particular: The preſerver of Adam, or, of that man, which hath ſome ſpeciality in it, We tranſlate in generall, the preſerver of men; but the preſerver of man, or of that man, is more emphaticall. God preſerveth all, but he hath a ſpeciall eye of preſervation upon ſome, Thou preſerveſt man and beaſt, ſaith the Pſalmiſt, the beaſts of the earth are preſerved, but man is preſerved more: And among men, ſome are more preſerved. It is a truth, the great God preſerveth his greateſt enemies; a wicked man were not able to lift up a hand or a tongue againſt him, if God did not uphold him: but God is the ſpeciall preſerver of that man, that is, the preſerver of a godly man, or of godly men. As Chriſt is the Saviour of all men, but eſpecially of thoſe that beleeve; ſo the preſerver of all men, but eſpecially of thoſe that beleeve; he hath a care of them, beyound the care he hath of the world. The care which God hath of the reſt of the world, compared with that towards his own, is but careleſſeneſſe, and he (as it were) neglects the whole world to looke to his own people. As it was ſaid of Conſtantine, that for the love he bare to Conſtatinople, he undreſs'd p. 697and unadorn'd al the other Cities of the Empire, to beautifie and adorn that: God ſeems to take off from al men in the world, to lay it on, upon his people; The very gleanings of thoſe mercies which his people have, are better then the whole vintage of the world: And the Lord is therefore a ſpecial Saviour to his people, becauſe,

Firſt, They are more precious than the reſt of the world: and that cals for moſt care, which hath moſt worth. A man takes more care of his jewels, then of the lumber in his houſe; Theſe are my Jewels, ſaith God (Mal. 3.) A man carries his jewels about him, or keeps them in a ſafe cabinet.

Secondly, Neereneſſe of relation calls for that care; will not a man perſerve his wife, his ſpouſe? The Church is the ſpouſe of Chriſt. Will not a man preſerve his children? if his houſe be on fire, bring my children out ſaith he: The heart of God is towards his children, he muſt provide them a porton. Yea they are his portion, he makes a revenew of them (Deut. 32. 9.) A man will preſerve his revenew, that wherein his eſtate lies: All that God hath on earth (though he hath ſuch a fulneſſe in himſelfe, that he needs nothing from his Church, yet, al that he hath) he is pleaſed to ſay, he hath it from his Church: and therefore God is ſaid to be great in Zion; He is the ſame great God all the world over, but it appeares not ſo, what he is, to the men of the world, as to the Saints in Zion it doth: yea he is little in the eye of the world, in compariſon of what he is in Zion, therefore he takes great care to preſerve his Zion. Laſtly obſerve.

The preſerving care of God over man, eſpecially over that man, over his own people, is a perpetuall care. Preſervation is a continued act, if God ſhould leave us one moment, and ſtop providence, creation would be diſſolved: This continuance of his care, is eminent towards his Church; Iſa. 27. 3. Leaſt any hurt it, I will keep it night and day. Night and day divide all time between them: to do a thing night and day, is to do it continually. Pſa. 121. 4. He that keepeth Iſrael, neither ſlumbreth no… ſleepeth; A ſlumber is leſſe than ſleepe; but God will not ſo much as ſlumber in his thoughts towards us, all his, are waking thoughts. Futher, his love is without intermiſſion, that knowes no ſtops nor breaches, therfore his care is ſo too. His peoples dangers are without intermiſſion, therefore his preſervation is ſo too. Enemies oppoſe his people without intermiſſion, therefore he protects them ſo too. The Devill goeth about like a roaring lion, he is ever in motion, he p. 698goeth about as an Abaddon or Apollyon, the deſtroyer and devourer of men: The care of Chriſt prompts him to a like vigilancy, He goeth about preſerving; his act of preſervation runs parralell with that of the enemies oppoſition: God watches that his people may have ſome quiet reſt and ſleep. As the ſtory reports of Alexander the great, that he told his Souldiers, I watch more Certo ſcio me plus vigilare quam vos, ut ipſi ſomnos quietos capere poſſitis, Arian. l. 8.than any of you all, that you may ſometimes have quiet ſleepe: his care diſpenſed with ſome of their careleſſneſſe. It is moſt true of God, he wakes for ever, and he watches for ever, to preſerve us, that, we may ſleepe in quietneſſe and confidence. Solomon reprooves ſome ſecure ones, who are as they, who ſleep on the top of the maſt (Pro. 23.) But the Saints may ſleep (in regard of fear, though not of endeavour) on the top of the maſt, while they remember that both the helm and the winds are in Gods hands. As our ſpiritual eſtates, ſo our temporal are kept (as with a garriſon in their degree) by the power of God through faith unto ſalvation. So much for the title, O thou preſerver of men.

Why haſt thou ſet me as a marke againſt thee, ſo that I am a burden to my ſelfe.?

Why haſt thou ſet me as a marke againſt thee?] The word ſignifies foreign Occurrit obviam factus fuit. Quare poſuiſtime contraium tibi, Vulg. In occurſum tibi, Pagn. Objectum tibi; Tygur. Offendiculum in quem ſemper impingas Vatab.to meete one, to come the oppoſite way; Hence ſome tranſlate this, why haſt thou ſet me contrary to thy ſelfe? becauſe he that meets another, comes the contrary way, the way oppoſite to him: Why haſt thou put me as an object againſt thee? or, as an enemy to thee? the object ſtands directly before us, and we deſire to have an enemy right before us. And the word may be taken ſimply for an enemy, or adverſary, who ſtands oppoſite to us, both in his actions and deſignes, and againſt whom we direct both ours. We render, wherefore haſt thou ſet me as a marke? and that ſuites the ſence of the word fully, becauſe a marke at which a man aimes, is ſet in direct oppoſition to him; we levell our atrowes or bullets at the marke right before us, Job thought himſelfe thus placed, why haſt thou ſet me as a marke to meete with, or intercept thy ſhot, thy arrowes, thy bullets, thy blowes upon my breaſt? Wilt thou make the boſome of thy ſervants, like the breaſt of an enemy, a But to receive all thy arrows? A mark is as a ſtanding enemy; and an enemy is a moving marke to ſhoote at: a marke is a liveleſſe enemy, and an enemy is a living marke: his meaning then is; Thou haſt ſet me againſt thee, as if I were an enemy, p. 699as if I were one, againſt whom thou reſolveſt to direct all thine arrows, and aim every ſtroke: ſo the word is uſed, Judg. 8. 21. where Zeba and Zalmunna, two Kings taken captive by Gideon, ſaid to him, riſe thou and fall upon us; it is this word, ſet us before thee as a marke for thy victorious ſword: So the Prophet (Amos 5. 19.) tels us that a man in hopes to eſcape the hand of God, ſhall be as if a man did flee from a Lion, and a Bear met him, ſuch a man is but a mark for a Bear, who thinks to out-runne this Lion. That expreſſion (1 King. 5. 4.) is very clear to this ſenſe, where the peacefulneſs of Solomons reigne is deſcribed, thus, there was neither adverſary nor evil occurrent; the word we tranſlate, evill occurrent, it is that in the text, no evil met or befel them. So then the ſum of all is, That Job expoſtulates or complaines before God, that he was as it were, the man choſen out amongſt all the men in the world, to be as the mark and But againſt which God ſhot his afflictions, and level'd all his arrows: As if he had ſaid; There are many mo about me, and thou doeſt not ſo much as touch one of the hairs of their heads, there are men that receive not ſo much as one ſhot from thee, but I am made thy ſtanding marke, why is it thus Lord? So he expreſſeth himſelf, in other words, but to this very ſenſe, chap. 19. 11. chap 13. 24. Wherefore holdeſt thou me for thine enemy? or (according to the letter of the Hebrew) among thoſe who ſtraighten thee, as an enemy ſtraightens a City, in the time of a ſiedge: And this he doth to move God to pity and compaſſion; Lord, ſaith he, I am ſet as a mark againſt thee. You would be much moved (a tender heart would) to ſee a man bound faſt to a poſt, and another ſtanding off with his bow bent, and his arrow on the ſtring, with his gun or piſtoll cockt, aiming at his breaſt: Job preſents himſelf in ſuch a poſture, as if the Lord had bound him faſt to a poſt or to a tree, and were pouring vollies of ſhot, and ſending ſhowers of arrows upon him continually.

Obſerve, firſt the manner of the language, which is by way of a vehement queſtion, or expoſtulation, Why haſt thou ſet me as a marke againſt thee?

Man is very inquiſitive to know the reaſons of Gods dealings with him. That's one thing.

And ſecondly which is near the ſame,

It is ſome ſatisfaction and eaſe to the mind ſmitten by the hand of God, to know the reaſon why he wounds, why he ſmites. Why p. 700hast thou ſet me as a marke? as if he had ſaid; if I could but learne this, and ſee the reaſon of it, ſurely I ſhould receive thy wounds as kiſſes, and take thy ſtroakes as embraces. When Gideon ſaw ſo many evils and troubles upon Iſrael, Jud. 6. and the Angel told him, the Lord was with him, Then, why is it thus (ſaith he) Can you give me a reaſon, why God being with us, it is thus with us? To know the reaſon of our paine, is a great eaſe, and almoſt the care of it. If the people of God did but know what infinite reaſon he hath (reaſon of the higheſt temperament of wiſdome and goodneſs) why he layes affliction upon them, and makes them as his markes, they would be abundantly ſatisfied with it. What is the reaſon why the Saints coming out of great affliction, are willing to confeſſe, it is good for us that we were afflicted, and bleſſed be God that we were chaſtned. It is, becauſe then they ſee more cleerly the reaſon why God afflicted them, and they then begin to taſt the fruit of thoſe afflictions. If while the affliction is upon us, we knew what good God meaneth us, what honour he intendeth us, we ſhould beare it, not onelyonly with courage and with patience, but, with joy. If Iob had been but fully acquainted with this, that God therefore ſet him up as a mark to ſhoot at, that he might be to all the world a mirror of patience: that God intended him this honour, that his name ſhould be upon record in his Book ſo long as there was a Church, ſurely he would have borne all with more patience and eaſe than he did; But he was groping in the darke, and therefore enquires, wherefore haſt thou ſet me as a marke against thee? The words are not only, or not ſo much, an expoſtulation, becauſe he was ſet as a marke, as an inquiſition, why he was ſet as a marke. Thirdly note,

God ſometimes ſeemes an enemie to his faithfull ſervants. For one to be before God as a But continually ſhot at, what other interpretation can ſenſe make of it, but this, that God looks upon him as an enemy? Iacob ſaith of Ioſeph (Gen. 49. 23.) the archers have ſorely grieved him, and ſhot at him. Joſeph was as the common marke of his Bretherens envy. But in this caſe, as it is ſaid of Joſeph (Gen. 42.) when his brethren came to him, he made himſelf strange to them. (Joſeph ſtrained himſelfe, and uſed his art, to overcome his nature, he made himſelfe ſtrange: Joſeph was of a meek and loving diſpoſition, and therefore like a Player upon a ſtage, he only acted the part of a rigid maſter or governor.) Thus many times the Lord takes upon him the p. 701poſture of an enemy, and forces a frowne upon a poor creature, whom he loves and delights in with all his heart; he makes him as his marke to ſhoot at, whom he layes next his own heart. Thus the Church ſpeakes, Lam. 3. 12. He hath bent his bow, and ſet me as a marke for his arrowes; And (Job 16. 13.) that, you may ſee how his language agrees with other Scriptures; His archers compaſſe me round about, he cleaveth my reines aſunder, and doth not spare. He poureth out my gall upon the ground. How exactly he ſpeakes! A man ſhootes at a haires bredth that ſhootes thus; when God ſends his archers, their bowes ſhoote ſo true, that they cleave the reines aſunder: the reines are in the middeſt of a man, and to cleave the reines, is to ſhoot level: as pouring out the gall, or unbowelling, imports to ſhoot dead.

Fourthly obſerve this, Why haſt thou ſet me as a mark?

God takes the most eminent and choiſeſt of his ſervants, for the choiceſt and most eminent afflictions. He makes a Job the white. Why haſt thou choſen me? There was great reaſon, God ſhould chooſe him, he was the moſt eminent in holineſs and grace of all about him: he was the moſt remarkable man for grace and goodneſs, therefore he muſt be the marke. They who have received moſt grace from God, are able to bear moſt affliction from God. God doth this in infinite wiſdome: as the Apoſtle, Rom. 14. 11. gives an excellent advice in reference to weake brethren, ſuch as are weak receive, but not to doubtful diſputations; take heed how you ingage your weake brethren in doubtfull diſputes, you may looſe them ſo; take thoſe that are ſtrong and able, ſuch as have their ſenſes exerciſed to diſcern both good and evill, ſuch as are well ballaſted for a ſtorme, take theſe men, if you will, to doubtfull diſputations, but doe not take weake brethren. If God will not have us take a weak Chriſtian to a doubtful diſputation; ſurely then, he calls ſuch to ſufferings, of whoſe ſtrengh he is well aſſured: A man under great affliction, is brought to a very doubtful diſputation; therefore the Lord will not bring a weak one, one low in grace to it, but he takes out the ſtrong: As the General of an Army chooſes out the valianteſt and moſt experienced veterane Souldiers, to put them upon hard adventures, it is not wiſdom to venture a freſh-water Souldier upon difficult ſervices. God will not put new wine into old bottles: as it is in acting duties, ſo in ſufferings. And as Chriſt orders the word in ſuch wiſdom, that he will not have counſel given, to any ſoul, who is unprepared to p. 702receive it, or unable to bear it. Iohn 16. 12. I have many things yet to ſay unto you, but you cannot beare them now; therefore I will deferre, until you have got more ſtrength: So God ſaith of a young Chriſtian, one that is newly come in; thou haſt great afflictions to undergoe before thou dyeſt, but thou art not fit to beare them yet, I will defer thy triall till thou art grown more hardie, through more communion with me, to fit thee for that encounter. As our Lord Chriſt told Peter (Joh. 21. 18.) When thou waſt young, thou girdest thy ſelf, and walkedst whither thou wouldest; but when thou ſhalt be old, thou ſhalt stretch forth thy hands, and another ſhall gird thee, and carry thee whether thou wouldest not. That is, when thou waſt young and unexperienced thou enjoyeſt thy liberty; but when thou ſhalt be grown older in years, and ſtronger in grace, thou ſhalt willingly ſtretch forth thy hands, and quietly ſuffer thy ſelf to be bound to the Croſſe (Peter was not nailed as Chriſt, but tied to the Croſſe) and there die in witneſs of my truth; for this Chriſt spake, ſignifying by what death he ſhould die and glorifie God, ver. 19.

Fiftly, In that he ſaith, Why hast thou ſet me as a marke against thee? Why doest thou run thus against me? Obſerve,

Man in ſinning, runneth contrary to God, and God in afflicting ſeemeth to run contrary to man. Every act of ſin, is a direct oppoſition unto God: we ſet God as a marke, and ſhoot arrows of diſobedience againſt him; ſin is a miſſing the mark of duty, but it ames to hit the Lord, as a mark, who charges us with that duty. In affliction God runneth upon us, and makes the trangreſſor his marke. Moſes (Levit. 26. 41.) ſpeakes both wayes; If your uncircumciſed hearts be humbled, and ye acknowledge that ye have walked contrary unto me, and that I have walked contrary unto you, that I have made you a marke, and ſhot at you by my judgements, and that you have made me a marke, ſhooting at me by your ſins; then I will remember, &c. So that our ſinning is a walking contrary unto God, and Gods corrections are his walking contrary to us: There is an excellent expreſſion, noting how ſin ſtrikes, (and as it were) ſhoots at God (Iob 15. 25, 26.) He stretcheth out his hand against God ſpeaking of a wicked man) and strengtheneth himſelfe against the Almighty; (here this word is uſed) he runneth upon him; even on his neck, upon the thick boſſes of his bucklers. See how he deſcribes a wicked man in his natural courſe; what doth he? he runs upon God, he p. 703runneth upon him, even upon his neck; as a man that encounters an enemy, runs upon him, and ſets his feet upon his neck; he runneth upon the thick boſſes of his bucklers, a warrier hath boſſes upon his arms, both for beauty and defence. The enemy runs upon the very boſſes and fears nothing: ſuch is a wicked man He runs againſt God; wil not God run upon him? He wil certainly be upon the boſſes of their bucklers, and upon their necks too, one time or other, till they ſhall be forced to cry out, that as they have been burdens unto God, ſo now they are burdens to themſelves. Thus Job concludes in his own caſe.

So that I am a burthen to my ſelf.foreign Tulit onus à tollendo ac ferendo dictum. Sum ſuper te onus, foreign, alii vertunt foreign, oueroſus, moleſtus quo alluditur ad importunos peccatores, qui auribus Iudicum perſtrepunt. foreign, tibi, quod ſcriba mutarunt in foreign mibi, quòd indignum divina majeſtate arbitrarentur, ut homuncio et oneri eſſ…t. Abe Ezr. Druſ.

The former words, are the cauſe, and theſe the effect. Thou haſt ſet me as a marke; what follows? O, I am a burthen to my ſelfe! The Septuagint reade thus, ſo that I am a burthen unto thee, or, ſo, that I am burdenſome to thee. And then his meaning may be conceived thus, Lord thou ſetteſt me as a marke, ſo that I become burthenſome unto thee; I have ſuch a weight of afflictions upon me, that I am forced to complainings and expoſtulations wherein I am afraid, I am burthenſome to thee; as poor Suters when they cry long in the ears of a Judge or Magiſtrate, he ſaith forbear, you are very troubleſome, very burthenſome to me.

The Rabbins obſerve, that this was the ancient reading of the Text, I am a burthen unto thee, and that the Scribes, who wrote out the Bibles in Hebrew, made this alteration, a burthen to my ſelf; becauſe they conceived it was unbecoming the Majeſtie of God, that Job ſhould ſay, he was a burthen to him. There is a general truth in that tranſlation, a burthen unto thee; The ſins of man are burthenſome to God, the frowardneſs and impatience of men, are burthenſome unto God: But I conceive our tranſlation carries the ſenſe fairer, in a reflection upon his owne tired ſpirits, So that I am made a burthen to my ſelfe, that is, thou doſt even throw me upon my ſelf, whereas heretofore thou waſt wont to bear me, and take my burthen upon thy ſelf. Alas I faint, I cannot ſtand under my ſelf, I am weary of my life, becauſe I am left alone to bear it, I know not what to do with my ſelf, I am ſo burthenſome to my ſelf. Hence obſerve. Firſt,

Outward afflictions, poverty, ſickneſs, want, &c. are burthens, and they make a man burthenſome to himſelf. It is a great burthen to have our comforts taken away from us. The removing p. 704of comforts lies like a heavy weight upon the ſpirit: the removing of health from the body is a weight upon the ſoul; fear is a burthen, care is a burthen, and ſo is pain. Therefore God cals us to caſt all thoſe burthens upon him, Pſal. 55. 22. Secondly, obſerve,

Man left to himſelf, is not able to bear himſelfe. Man is much borne down by the weight of natural corruption. Hence the Apoſtle cals it, A weight and the ſinne which doth ſo eaſily beſet us, (Heb. 12. 1.) or dangle about our heels, to burden us, as long garments do a man that runneth. Our ordinary callings and affaires, left upon our own backs preſſe us to the earth, much more do our extraordinary troubles and afflictions. And therefore he adviſeth, Caſt thy burthen upon the Lord (he aſſures in the next words) and he ſhall ſuſtaine thee. As implying, that man cannot ſuſtaine or beare his owne weight. And though, it ſhould ſeem we have ſtrengh to ſpare for others, and are therefore commanded to bear one anothers burthens, (Gal. 6.) yet no man of himſelf, no not the holieſt Atlas, nor the ſpiritualleſt Porter on earth, is able to bear his owne ſelf, unleſs Chriſt be his ſupporter, who is alſo, therefore, ſaid to uphold all thiags by the word of his power, Heb. 1. 3. Becauſe no creature in a natural, or man in a ſpiritual capacity can bear his own weight.

Thirdly, From the connexion between theſe two phraſes, Thou haſt ſet me as a marke againſt thee, ſo that I am a burthen to my ſelf; what is it that makes my life to be ſo burthenſome to me? It is this, becauſe I am ſet as a mark before thee, that is, becauſe thou ſeemeſt to be an enemy to me: And ſo the note from the connexion is this.

That which preſſes and burthens the ſoule ahove all, is the apprehenſion that God is against us. Job in many things looked unto God under theſe temptations, with ſad thoughts, as if he were his enemy: ſo he expreſs'd himſelf in the ſixth Chapter, The poyſon of his arrows drinks up my ſpirits, he ſetteth himſelfe in battel array against me. In theſe temptations and deſertions, this was the burden of his ſpirit, that God appeared as an adverſary, Why doest thou ſet me as a marke against thee? Let the Sabians and the Chaldeans ſhoot at me as much as they will, let fire and windes contend with me, and make me the marke of their utmoſt fury; I can beare all theſe. Job was light hearted enough, when he thought he contended onelyonly with creatures, and that creatures onelyonly p. 705contended with him; but in the progreſſe of this triall he finds God againſt him, withdrawing comforts from, and ſhooting terrours at him; now he is a burthen to himſelf, he can beare this no longer. As Caeſar ſaid in the Senate (when he had many wounds given him, yet this wounded him moſt, that he was wounded by the hand of his ſon) What thou my ſonne? So when a believer looks this way and that way, and fees many enemies, Satan and the creatures, all in armes againſt him; he can beare all their charges and aſſaults, but if he apprehend God oppoſing and wounding him, he weepes out this mourneful complaint, What thou my Father? What thou my God? Thou who haſt ſo often ſhined upon me, doſt thou darken thy face towards me, and appeare mine enemy! Theſe apprehenſions of God, will make the ſtrongeſt Saint on earth, a burden too heavy for himſelfe to beare. That which cauſeth the moſt burdenſome thoughts in the Saints, is the inevidence of their pardon; Sin unpardon'd is in it ſelf a burden: and our not knowing ſin to be pardon'd, is a greater burden: but our jealouſies and fears, that it is not pardon'd, is the greateſt burden of all, and that which adds weight, yea an intolerableneſs to all other burdens. Hence Job in the next verſe, and with the laſt breath of his anſwer, points directly at that which pincht him.

Verſe 21. And why doeſt thou not pardon my tranſgreſſion, and take away mine iniquitie? for now ſhall I ſleep in the duſt, and thou ſhall ſeek me in the morning, but I ſhall not be.

In the former verſe we found Job humbly confeſſing his ſin, and earneſtly enquiring of the Lord a reaſon of his ſorrowes, why he had ſhot him ſo full of arrows, that now he was not ſo much wounded as loaded, And become a burthen to himſelf.

In this verſe he ſues for the pardon of thoſe ſins, and ſo for the removal of thoſe ſorrows. That the bow might ſpeedily be unbended, and not a ſhot more made at his bleeding breaſt. In the anſwer of which ſuite, he deſires ſpeed and expedition, leſt help being retarded, come too late: for he profeſſeth that he cannot hold out his ſiedge long, he muſt needs make his bed in the grave, and then being ſought for, he ſhall not be found.

And why doſt thou not pardon my trangreſſions?

We may conſider the words two waies.

p. 7061.

In the

Forme

of them.

Matter

2.

In the forme, they are a vehement expoſtulation. Jobs ſpirit hath been heated all along with the fire of his ſufferings, and here he ſpeakes in the heat of his ſpirit, and with fiery deſires after merciemercy: He keepes up his heart to the ſame height and tenour ſtill, There it was, Why haſt thou ſet me as a mark againſt thee? Here's another Why, and why doſt thou not pardon my tranſgreſſion? As before he was grieved to be ſet up as a mark for afflictions to aime at; ſo now he deſires to be made a marke for mercy to aim at.

I ſhall note one thing from hence, before I come to open the words; They who are ſenſible of the evill of ſinne, will pray heartily for the pardon of ſinne. Expoſtulation is earneſt prayer; expoſtulation is a vehement poſtulation, a vehement enquiring after or deſiring of a thing, Why doſt thou not pardon my ſinne? may be reſolved into this, O that thou wouldeſt pardon my ſinne! Or, Wilt thou not pardon my ſinne? The matter of this prayer requires ſuch a forme, ſuch a vehemency of ſpirit in him that prayes. If there be any petition in the world about which the ſpirit ſhould be fired, it is in this, when wee pray for pardon of ſinne.

Will not a man whoſe body is defiled by falling into the mire, call haſtily for ſome to cleanſe and waſh him? Will he not ſay, if it come not ſpeedily, why do ye not bring away the water there, ſin is the defiling and bemiring of the ſoul, and pardon is the cleanſing of it.

If a man be deeply and deadly wounded, will hee have onelyonly ſome few feeble deſires, or make cold requeſts for a Chyrurgion. Will hee not call and call aloud? Call and call again for helpe and healing? Sins are the wounds of the ſoul, and pardon is the only cure of it.

If a man hath broken his bones, will he not be very earneſt to have them ſet again? Sin is the breaking of the bones, and pardon is their ſetting. How doth David cry to the Lord (Pſal. 51. 8.) That the bones which he had broken might rejoyce; Sin had broken his bones firſt, and the hiding of Gods favour from him, was a ſecond breaking.

If a mans peace, or the peace of a Nation be diſturbed, is there not earneſt crying (as at this day) to have it repaires and re-eſtabliſhed? p. 707Sin troubles our peace, the peace of the ſoul, and the peace of Kingdomes, Sin is the great make-bate, and pardon is the returning of our peace, and quieteth all again, and therefore no marvel, if we cry out, Why doeſt thou not pardon our ſinnes?

He that is greatly in debt, and fears every hour to be arreſted and caſt in priſon, is trying all friends to get ſecurity, and protection. Sinning is a running in debt with God, and it brings us under the danger of his arreſt every-moment: forgiveneſs cancels the bond, when the ſin is pardoned, the debt is paid, and the ſoul diſcharged; And therefore no wonder if in this caſe, we hear or make ſtrong cries, Why doeſt thou not pardon our ſinnes. My ſon (ſaith Solomon, Prov. 6. 4. ſpeaking about ſuretiſhip) if thou be ſurety for thy friend (if thou haſt ingaged thy ſelf for another) Give not ſleep to thine eyes, nor ſlumber to thine eye-lids, deliver-thy ſelf as a Roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler. Not to give reſt to the eye, nor ſlumber to the eye-lids, notes the hotteſt purſuit and greateſt intention of ſpirit about a buſineſs; Thus buſie Solomon adviſes a man to be, who becometh ſurety for another. Then what ſhould we do, who have contracted huge debts our ſelves? How ſhould we in this ſenſe give our eyes no reſt, and our eye-lids no ſlumber, till our ſouls be delivered, as a Roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler; that is, from all the power and challenge, which the Law without us, conſcience within us, Satan purſuing us, and the juſtice of God threatning us, can any way make or have againſt the peace of our ſouls. That's the firſt thing from the manner or form in which Job ſues for the pardon of ſin. His ſpirit doth not fall, he grows not flat upon this point, but is as high and earneſt here, for the pardon of ſin, as in any of his requeſts for the eaſe of his pained bodie, or the diſſolution of it.

Why doeſt thou not pardon my ſinne, and take away mine iniquity? I ſhall firſt ſhew what is meant by pardoning and taking away; and then, what by tranſgreſſion and iniquity, and ſo put the ſence of all together.

Why doſt thou not pardon my tranſgreſſion?

The **foreign. accipiunt. foreign tanquam à foreign oblitus fuis.Septuagint reads it, Why dost thou not forget my tranſgreſſion? Or bury it in the grave of oblivion: and the word may p. 708ſignifie to forget, as well, as to take away. But generally it imports the lifting up or taking away of that which lies heavy upon us, either in a morall or in a natural notion, Hoſ. 11. 4. I was to them, as they that take off the yoak; And becauſe pardon is the taking away or lifting off of ſin, therefore it is often put for the act of pardoning.

Hence alſo it is applied to that geſture of the Prieſts, when they foreign Tollere, levare; per Metaphoram donare, cò quòd munera & donaria in altum elevari ſolerent, ſicut ſacrificia cum Deo offerebantur.received gifts and ſacrifices, becauſe they were wont to elevate and lift them up. Hence Chriſt the ſubſtance of all the Sacrifices, is ſaid to be lifted up, himſelf ſaith, As Moſes lifted up the Serpent in the wilderneſs, ſo muſt the Sonne of man be lifted up, (Joh. 3. 14.) we may ſay, as Aaron lifted up the Sacrifices at the altar, ſo the Son of man was lifted up. This lifting up, noted alſo the acceptance of thoſe Sacrifices, and the favour of God to thoſe who brought them. When Pharaoh beſtowed a great favour upon his chief Butler, Gen. 43. 30. according to his dream, he lifted up his head: Ioſeph expounded ſo, After three daies Pharaoh ſhal lift thine head; that is, he ſhall freely pardon thy offence, and beſtow ſome great honour, gift or reward upon thee. And in this ſence it is proper to the text, when ſin is pardoned, a mans head is lifted up himſelf is advanced indeed.

The Lord proclaimes his name in this tenor, (Exod. 34. 7.) The Lord, the Lord, forgiving (or lifting up) iniquity; and Pſal. 32. 1. Bleſſed is the man whoſe tranſgreſſion is forgiven or lifted up.

Further, this word ſignifies, not only, to take or lift off a burthen from another, and lay it down: but ſo to lift it off from another, as for a man to take it upon himſelf, and bear it in his ſtead, from whoſe ſhoulders it was taken. And in this ſtrict ſence, we are eſpecially to underſtand it in the point of pardon; for pardon is not the taking away of ſin from a man, and laying it, none knows where: but ſin being taken off from man, ſome other ſhoulders are prepared to bear it, even the ſhoulders of our Lord Chriſt, on him our ſin is laid, All we like ſheep have gone aſtray, we have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all, Iſa. 53. 6. when the burthen of dept was taken off from us it was charged on Chriſt. He did not take or lift the burthen of ſin from us, and throw it by, but he bare it himſelf; nothing but this could compleate the work of pardon: therfore it was alſo prophecied, Iſa. 53. 4. Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our ſorrows, And (1 Pet. 2. 22.) who his own ſelf bare our ſins in his body on p. 609the tree; that is, in his humanity or humane nature, while he dwelt with us in the body. Body is not here oppoſed to Soul, but includes it; as ſometime the whole work is laid upon the ſoul of Chriſt, not excluding his body, Iſa. 53. 10. When thou ſhalt make his ſoul an offering for ſin. By the whole man this offering was made, and the whole man bare our ſins on the tree. That paſſage, Mat. 8. 17. (where the firſt prophecie of Iſaiah is quoted, is very emphatical) when Chriſt had heal'd many of their outward diſtempers, this reaſon is added, That it might be fufilled, which is written (ſc. Iſa. 53. 9.) himſelf took our infirmities, and bare our ſickneſſes. Now Chriſt took our infirmities, and bare our ſickneſſes, when he took and bare our ſins: when he took ſin, he took that which was the neceſſary fruit of ſin, our ſickneſſes and our ſorrows; For as in Scripture Chriſt is ſaid to be made ſin for us; that is, with the ſin he bare thoſe affiictions and ſorrows, which are the conſequents of ſin; ſo here, when it is ſaid, He bare our ſorrows and our ſickneſſes, it takes in the bearing of thoſe ſins, which procured and produced thoſe ſorrows.

The Greek words uſed by the Evangeliſt are ful with this ſenſe, foreign aſſumpſit ſccum, atque recepit, quaſi ad ſe tranſtulit.He took them to him, he received them upon himſelf; he (as it were) tranſlated them from poor ſinful man, to his owne body.

The word alſo imports his taking our ſins and ſickneſſes upon him, as a veſture or a garment, and ſo wrapping himſelf in them. We know our ſins by nature cloath us as a garment, ours, is not only a burden, but a cloathing of ſin and filthineſs, Take away his filthy garments (ſaith the Lord concerning Joſhua the high-Prieſt) then follows, and unto him I ſaid, I have cauſed thine iniquity to paſs from thee, and I will cloath thee with change of raiment. Man ſaw not his own nakedneſs, till he was cloathed with ſinne, Gen. 2. Chriſt to anſwer that, cloaths and wraps himſelf with our ſins, as we our ſelves were wrapped about and cloathed with them; he cloaths himſelf with our ſorrows, as we our ſelves were cloathed with ſorrow. In which ſence (among others) Chriſt may be called a man of ſorrows; as we may call a man cloathed with raggs, a man of raggs; and a man cloathed with ſilke, a man of ſilkes.

The ſecond word of the Evangeliſt, Mat. 18. 17. ſignifies to bear foreignas a Porter bears a great burthen; Chriſt took up that burthen onder which all the Angels in heaven would have ſunk, he took p. 710it up like a mighty Sampſon, and carried it out for us. The ſcape-Goate was a type of this, Levit. 6. 22. And the Goat ſhall bear upon him all their iniquities into a land not inhabited; or a land cut off and ſeparated from other lands and people, figuring hereby the total aboliſhing of our ſins, which being carried into a land, where no man dwels, ſhall be as loſt and gone for ever, not to be found when they ſhall be ſought for: who can find that, which is, where no man ever was; pardon'd ſin is carried and (as it were) hid out of the ſight both of God and man, for it is not; and that which is not, is not (according to man) to be ſeen. In alluſion to all which, Chriſt (Jo. 1. 29.) is pointed at by the Baptiſt, with, foreign.Behold the Lumb of God that takes away the ſins of the world; he takes ſin off from the world, upon himſelf, and carries it away no man knows whither. That for the firſt word, pardon, why doeſt thou not pardon my ſin.

The ſecond word is rendred by our Tranſlatours, Take away, foreign Eſt, 1. ſimpliciter praeterire, 2. interire, perire, evaneſcere, mori.why doeſt thou not take away mine iniquity? Others thus, Why doeſt thou not cauſe mine iniquity to paſs away? Or, Why doeſt thou not put away mine iniquity? So we rranſlate, 2 Sam. 12. 13. where aſſoon as David confeſt his ſin, ſaying, I have ſinned, Nathan anſwers, and the Lord hath put away thy ſin; he hath made it to paſs away.

The word ſignifies, firſt, ſimply, to paſs away or to paſs by.

Secondly, to die, periſh or vaniſh away, that which paſſes by us is vaniſhed, as to us: So the word is taken, Pſal. 37. 36. where David ſpeaking of the flouriſhing eſtate of wicked men, ſaith, I have ſeen the wicked in great proſperity, flouriſhing as a greene bay tree, yet he paſt away and loe he was not: A man unpardoned, ſees, or ſhould ſee, his ſins growing up as a mighty tree: ſin unpardoned, flouriſhes like a green bay-tree, it roots in the ſoul, and guilt nouriſhes it; but when pardon comes, ſin paſſes away, and it is not, becauſe, that which gave it ſap, is not.

Further, this word (which is very conſiderable) is applied to Quando dicitur de mandato pacto, juramento, ſignificat tranſgredi, violare, peecare.the committing of ſin, as well as to the pardoning of ſin: For, when it is joyned with thoſe words, The Commandements of God, the Statutes of God, the Word of God, or the like, it ſignifies to violate, to break the bounds, to tranſgreſs: for in ſinning a man paſſes by the Word and Commandement of God, the precepts which God hath given, and the charge God hath laid upon him, he goeth away from all; when man ſins he paſſeth by the p. 711Commandment of God, and when God pardons, he paſſeth by the ſin of man, or he cauſeth his ſins to paſs away.

So that this word, Take away, put away, or cauſe to paſſe, Tranſire facis, e. i. impunitum retir quis, condonas.notes the removing of ſin, both in the guilt and puniſhment; When ſin is paſt by, all the puniſhments due to ſin are paſſed by, the ſinner ſhall never be toucht, or feel the weight of Gods little finger in judgement; when God comes with his revenges, he paſſes ſuch by, as in that plague of Egypt, the ſlaying of the firſt born, which was therefore called the Lords Paſſeover, in memorial whereof, that great ordinance was appointed the Jews, of keeping the Paſſeover, and eating the Paſcal Lambe, Exod. 12. 13, 14. In this ſenſe the word is uſed, Amos 7. 8. when God was reſolved to puniſh and charge the ſins of that people upon them, he ſaith, Behold I will ſet a plumbe-line in the middeſt of my people, Iſrael, and what follows? I will not again paſs by them any more. God came before, once, and again, armed to deſtroy them, but when he came, he paſt by them, he put up his ſword, he unbent his bow, he ſtopped up the vials of his wrath; when a cloud of blood and judgements hung over their heads, he ſent a breath of mercy, and cauſed it to paſs over them; but now (ſaith he) I will not again paſs by them any more; that is, I will ſurely puniſh them, ſo the next words interpret, the high places of Iſaac ſhall be diſſolate, and the ſanctuaries of Iſrael ſhall be laid waſt.

Some tranſlate that in Amos, I will not any more diſſemble Verbum Ebraicum foreign quoties in ſcripturis ſanctis ex perſona Dei ponitur pro poena accipiendum eſt, ut ncqu…quam apud eos maneat ſed pertranſeat, Hieron. in Amos 5. Non ultra diſſimulabo ei ſcelera tua, Pang. Merc. foreign.Amos 5your wickedneſs or your ſin; and that carries a fair ſenſe, for when a man pardons or will not puniſh an offence, he ſeemes to take no notice of it, for that (properly) is to diſſemble a thing; (as ſimulation is to pretend that which is not, ſo diſſimulation is to take no notice, or not to hold forth that which is;) God paſſeth by and diſſembles the ſins of men, in a gracious way when he will not obſerve or look upon them to queſtion or puniſh them.

The Greek word (Matth. 26. 39.) anſwereth this Hebrew, where our Lord Chriſt ptayeth earneſtly about the removal of the cup, Father (ſaith he) if it be poſſible, let this cup paſs away from me; In the ſame ſenſe that ſin is ſaid to paſs away, the cup of Gods diſpleaſure and wrath paſſes alſo away, when ſin is pardoned: therefore Chriſt prayed thrice, that the cup might paſs away from him, that he might not be dealt with as a ſinner, but that there might be a courſe found out to ſpare him, and ſave the glory of his fathers juſtice: Yet (he ſubmits) not my will but thy will be p. 712done, if it muſt not paſſe away, I am contented it ſhould not paſſe. Thus far we have ſeen, what is meant by pardoning and taking away.

A word upon thoſe two terms, tranſgreſſion, and iniquity (which are the objects on which pardoning mercy workes) Why doeſt thou not pardon my tranſgreſſion, and put away mine iniquity? Trangreſſion and iniquity, are words of great ſignificancy: for in them all manner of ſins, eſpecially ſins of a greater ſtature are comprehended.

The former tranſgreſſion, notes a violation of the Commands foreign Propriè rebellio peccatum ex ſuperbia. Non ſimplex & qualiſcun que ſed malitioſa & temeraria tranſgreſſio.of God with a high hand, or a rebellion of the mind, when pride of ſpirit ſhews it ſelf very much. There is a ſpice of pride in every ſin: Becauſe of pride (ſaith Solomon) cometh contention; all the contentions we maintain againſt the word and will of God, riſe from the pride of our own hearts, becauſe we cannot ſubmit to the will of God; but in ſome ſins, pride holds up her head more proudly. Such ſins this word notes, it is not (ſimply) any ſin, but ſin very proudly and rebelliouſly committed.

The latter word Iniquity, imports the crookedneſs and inequality foreign Incurvationem, declinationem à recta via & ad animum tranſlata, ſignificat per verſitatem & melitiam. Curvi mores.of a thing; when it turns this way or that way, and extends not in a ſtraite and right line. Hence it is applyed to the vitioſity and perverſeneſs, to the crookedneſs and inequality of mans nature. Our nature is a crooked peece, and that makes all the crookedneſs in our lives. The Latines ſpeak ſo, in a moral ſence, they call ill manners, and ill manner'd men, crooked men, and crooked manners. David, Pſal. 51. 5. bewaileth his birth ſin under this notion, I was born in iniquity: And he that was firſt borne in the world, applied this word to himſelf, ſaying; my iniquity (the Peccata denotat quae fiunt ex foreign, & deſtinata malitia ſeu propoſito, cum ſc. mens videt quod aequū eſt, & tamen indulgens cupiditatibus ſequitur deteriora. Moller. in Pſal. 106 6.Ps 106:6perverſeneſs, the crookedneſs of my waies) is greater than can be forgiven, or made ſtraight, Gen. 4. 13. So that this word alſo (take it ſtrictly) implies more than a bare act of ſin, ariſing from infirmity, weakneſs or inanimad vertency; it rather notes thoſe ſins which are committed from a crooked purpoſe, from an ill or falſe bent of the heart: when the mind ſees that which is right and good, juſt and ſtraite, and yet turns to crooked paths, and follows that which is perverſe and worſe.

Take one thing further. This word in Scripture, ſignifies not only the act of ſuch ſins; but ſecondly the puniſhment of them, Pſal. 31. 10. Gen. 19. 15. And thirdly, it is put for the means of expiation or pardon, Hoſ. 4. 8. They eat up the ſin of my people, and they p. 713ſet their heart on their iniquity. But how did the Prieſts eat up the ſin, and ſet their hearts on the iniquity of the people? Sin can make us but a hungry banquet. The text bears variety of interpretations. But to the point in hand, ſin is here put for the ſacrifices offered up for ſin, out of divers of which, the Prieſts had a portion for themſelves to eat; ſo that the Prophet here deſcribes the horrible prophaneneſs of thoſe degenerate Prieſts, who ſet their hearts upon the ſacrifices, becauſe themſelves were fed by them, not becauſe the people came to ſeek the favour of God, and make their peace by them, when they had ſinned. As Phyſitians may be ſaid to eat the diſeaſes of the people, and ſet their hearts upon their ſickneſſes, when they (becauſe their own gain is in it) are pleaſed to hear of ſpreading ſickneſſes, &c. Or as Lawyers, eat the contentions and quarrels of the people, when they are glad to hear of Suits, &c. becauſe they grow rich by it. So thoſe baſe-ſpirited Prieſts were ſaid to eat the ſins of the People, and ſet their hearts on their iniquities, becauſe they were glad to have of a multitude of ſacrifices, their proviſions being inlarg'd by them. So that then, iniquity is the ſacrifice for iniquity, in which ſenſe alſo Chriſt is ſaid to be made ſin for us, namely, a ſacrifice for ſin, 1 Cor. 5. 21.

From the words thus opened, we may obſerve;

Firſt, to whom Job addreſſeth himſelf for pardon: is it not unto God? And why doeſt not thou pardon my tranſgreſſion?

God onelyonly can, pardon ſin. Pardon is his act, his proper and peculiar act, he can do it, and none can, but he. We read it among his royal Titles (Exod. 34. 7.) the Name of God is proclaimed in this ſtile, The Lord, the Lord God, mercifull and gratious, long ſuffering, and abundant in goodneſs and in truth, keeping mercy for thouſands, forgiving iniquity, tranſgreſſion an ſin. Pardoning ſin, is put the laſt of thoſe ſeven attributes, in which the Lord manifeſted himſelf to Moſes, as being that, wherein all the former are ſumm'd up, and into which they conveigh their ſeveral bleſſings, to make man compleatly bleſſed; or to ſhew that none can be a pardoner of ſin, but he who is veſted with all thoſe foregoing glorious titles, and therefore none, but God alone. Hence the Prophet Micah (chap. 7. ver. 18.) puts the queſtion, and challenges all the world; Who is a God like unto thee, pardoning iniquity? Shew me one if you can, there is no ſin-pardoning God beſides thee. Who is a God like unto thee, pardoning? As if the Prophet had ſaid, ſome will be, or have been offering at this work, but they all have been, p. 714or will be found meere bunglers at this work. None can pardon as thou doſt. None can pardon, 1. So freely. 2. None ſo fully, 3. None ſo continually, 4. None eternally, 5. None ſo indifferently, whether in reſpect of ſinners or ſins, as thou doeſt. It is all one to thee, what the ſins are, and all one to thee, whoſe the ſins are, ſo they come to ask thy pardon. And that which is a diſadvantage to ask pardon of man, is an encouragement to ask it of God, the greatneſs of our ſins. The Pſalmiſt did, and any man may make that his plea, Lord pardon my ſin, for it is great. Dare any be a competitor with God in this work? The Phariſees put the queſtion right, if they had not miſtook the perſon to whom they put it, Mark 2. 7. Who is this that forgiveth ſins? none can forgive ſin but God alone. Again ſin (in one ſenſe) is committed onelyonly againſt God, and for that reaſon alſo, God onelyonly is the pardoner of it: Pſal. 51. Againſt thee onelyonly have I ſinned. OnelyOnly the creditor can remit the debt, and he the offence, to whom we have done the wrong. God is wron…d in all ſins chiefly, and the wrong is ſo much his, that it may well be called only his, therefore without him no pardon.

But man is charged to forgive his brother: Luke 17. 4. Forgive thy brother ſeven times; and Chriſt hath taught us to pray for the forgiveneſs of our treſpaſſes, as we forgive thoſe that treſpaſs againſt us, Mat. 6. 12.

I anſwer, there are two things in all ſecond-able ſins; Firſt, diſobedience againſt God; Secondly injury to man; That which man can, or is required to forgive, and be a pardoner of, is only the injury done unto himſelf, ſo as not to revenge it; he cannot take off the ſin againſt God, or ſtay him from taking vengeance.

But other Scriptures ſpeak of a power committed to man, to remit and forgive ſin, John 20. 23. Whoſe ſins ye remit are remitted, and whoſeſoever ſins ye retain, they are retained.

I anſwer, This power is not authoritative and magiſterial, but miniſterial and declarative. God hath ſet up ſuch an inſtitution, that man ſhould pardon man, becauſe many men, yea moſt men are not competent judges of their own eſtates, whether they be fit for pardon or no: Many wicked men, would remit and looſen themſelves when as their ſins are to be retained; they ſee not their ſins, as another man may and doth ſee them: The Apoſtle Peter could ſay to Simon Magus, Acts 8. 23. I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterneſs, and in the bond of iniquity; Simon p. 715Magus did not perceive it, he did not know his own condition, he flatter'd himſelf, and thought all well, becauſe lately ſprinckled with the water of Baptiſme; therefore ſome muſt declare theſe men bound, and hold them ſtill under ſin.

Again, There are others, whoſe hearts are upright and ſincere, ſuch as are indeed reconciled to God, and all whoſe ſins are pardoned; but they are not able to make it out, and they cannot clear up this thing from the word to their own hearts: therefore they need a helper, to declare them pardoned, for they cannot ſpeak or declare it to their own ſouls: in ſuch caſes, both for the conviction of preſuming ſinners, and the help of upright-hearted, yet weak and doubting Chriſtians, God hath left this power with his Miniſters, whoſe ſins ye remit they are remitted, and whoſe ſins ye retain are retained. As in the caſe of leproſie, Lev. 15. The Leper was brought to the Prieſt, and ſet before him as a Judge in that point; many were not competent Judges of their own diſeaſes, they could not reſolve it, whether they had the leproſie or no; ſome perceiving a ſcab or a ſore riſing upon them, thought (preſently) it was the leproſie, when indeed, it was not, and ſo wronged themſelves; Others who were indeed infected, would not be perſwaded that they were, therefore the Prieſts office was, to determine theſe caſes, to bind and reſtrain, to looſen and let them go, as he ſaw cauſe: In which ceremonial practice, we have the ſhadow of this Goſpel practiſe, in the power of remitting or retaining, of binding or of looſing ſin, according to the various conditions of men. Yet all this while God keepeth the great work in his own hand, he is the pardoner, and therefore Job (as the whole tenour of the Scripture rules it) made his addreſs to him, why doeſt not thou pardon my tranſgreſſion, and take away mine iniquity?

Secondly, From theſe expreſſions about the pardon of ſin, we may learn what the pardon of ſin is; Pardon of ſin, is the removing or the lifting off, the paſſing away of ſin from the ſinner; that properly is pardon of ſin. Scripture language is very various and copious about this thing, and yet all runs into this general; I ſhall inſtance ſome of them.

Firſt, Pardon is often expreſſed by a Metaphor from paying of a debt, 1 Joh. 2. 12. I write unto you little Children, becauſe foreign.your ſins are forgiven you; the word notes, your ſins are paid, your debts are ſatisfied; the ſame word the Apoſtle uſeth, Rom. 8. 32. in reference to the ſufferings of Chriſt, God spared not p. 716his Sonne; He did not ſpare him the debt, that is, he neither forgave the whole, nor compounded with him to take half, or a part, and remit the reſt; no, he made him pay all fully down. So, to be pardoned, notes the ſparing of the debt, letting the debt paſs, without calling us to account about it.

Secondly, Pardon of ſin, is the remooving it out of ſight (Iſa. 38. 17.) Thou haſt caſt all my ſins behind thy back, ſaith Hezekiah, that is, thou haſt put them out of thy ſight. As when man is ſaid, to caſt the Word of God behind him, Pſal. 50. 17. or behind his back, Neh. 9. 26. The meaning is, he regards it not, at all to obey it; ſo when God caſts the ſin of man behind his back, the meaning is, he will not regard or ſee it all, to puniſh it. That phraſe uſed by the Prophet Micah, is of the ſame importance, though of a deeper ſence, chap. 7. 19. Thou wilt caſt all their ſins into the depths of the ſea. Who can live thither to fetch them up? But, may they not riſe up or ſwim, out of themſelvs? Surely no; our ſins are not cork or wood, but they are iron or lead, they are like ſtone, or like a mil-ſtone. To ſhew how irrecoverably the Egyptians were deſtroyed in the red-Sea, it is ſaid, they ſank like lead in thoſe mighty waters (Exod. 15 10.) and to ſhew how irrecoverably Babylon ſhall be deſtroyed, the holy Ghoſt ſaith, that, Babylon ſhall be like a great mil-ſtone caſt into the Sea by a mighty Angel (Rev. 18. 21.) The caſting of a ſtone, iron, or lead into the ſea, **Phocenſes ferream maſſ…m in mare demerſerunt, & jurarunt non prius ſc in Pho…aean reverſuros, quam hac maſſa è fundo maris emergerit, at que in ſumma aqua extaret, Herod. l. 1. b Montanus ex iib. Mifna cap. de phaſe.was anciently the Emblem of everlaſting forgetfulneſs, or of a reſolution, never to recal that which was reſolved. † A learned Hebrician obſerves, that it was a cuſtome among the Jewes, to take thoſe things which they abominated as filthy and unclean, and caſt them into the ſea; which act, noted either the purging of them, or the overwhelming them out of ſight for ever: And a like uſage is noted by **Ioſephus Aeoſta, l. 5. de Hiſtoria Natur & Moral. Novi orbis.a reporter of the manners of the Americans, that thoſe barbarous people either deſciphering ſome wicked thing upon a ſtone, or making a ſymbole or ſign of it, uſed to throw it into a river which ſhould carry it down into the ſea, never to be remembred.

Thirdly, Pardon of ſin, is noted by waſhing and purging, to ſhew that the filthineſs of it, is removed from us, Pſal. 51. 2.

Fourthly, By covering, Pſal. 32. 1. and by not imputing, ver. 2.

Fifthly, By blotting out, Iſa. 43. 25. and blotting out as a thick cloud, Iſa. 44. 22. All theſe notions of pardon concurre in this one, that ſin paſſes away, is lifted up and taken off from the Conſcience of the ſinner, when it is pardoned: The ſumme of all which is p. 717read in that one text, Jer. 50. 20. In thoſe daies, and in that time, ſaith the Lord, the iniquity of Iſrael ſhall be ſought for, and there ſhall be none, &c. (why?) For I will pardon them, whom I reſerve. So that pardoned ſin, in God's account is no ſin; and the pardoned ſinner, is as if he had never ſinned: Forgiveneſs deſtroys ſin; as forgiving a debt deſtroyes the debt, and cancelling a Bond, deſtroyes the Bond. Thirdly obſerve,

When ſin is pardoned, the puniſhment of ſin is pardoned. Both words ſignifie both the puniſhment, and the ſin; and Job having complain'd that he was ſet up as a mark, and wounded by ſharp afflictions, now ſeeks eaſe in the ſureſt and ſpeedieſt way, the pardon of ſin, why doeſt not thou pardon my tranſgreſſion, &c.

There are three things in ſin; The inward matter, the foul evil, the ſtock, the root of ſin, which is natural corruption dwelling in us, and flowing out by actions. Secondly, The defilement and pollution of ſin: Thirdly, The guilt; when we ſay ſin is pardoned or taken away, it is not in the former (though in pardoned perſons corruption is mortified, and the actings of it abated) but in the latter, the guilt is taken away, which is the Obligation to puniſhment, and ſo the puniſhment is taken away too; nothing vindictive or ſatisfactory to the juſtice of God, ſhall ever be laid upon that ſoul, whoſe ſin is pardoned: Hence Iſa. 33. 24. the Prophet fore-ſhewing, how happy a pardoned people ſhall be, aſſures them; The inhabitant ſhall n… ſay, I am ſick, the people that dwell therein, ſhall he forgiven their iniq…ty; When iniquity is forgiven, our infirmity is cured: When the ſoul is healed, the body ſhall be recovered, Both the body natural, and the body politick. Plague, and ſword, and famine, and death, all theſe evils go away, when ſin goes; Judgments are nothing elſe but unpardoned ſins; ſin unpardoned, is the root which giveth ſap and life to all the Troubles which are upon man or Nation: And as ſin committed, is every judgment radically, that is, there is a fitneſs in ſin to produce and bring forth any evil upon man; ſo pardon of ſin is every Mercy radically; when you have pardon, from thence every other particular Mercy ſprings; you may cut out any bleſſing, any comfort out of the pardon of ſin; particular Mercies are but pardon of ſin ſpecificated or individuated, brought into this or that particular Mercy; of all bleſſings you may ſay, this is pardon of ſin, that's pardon of ſin, and t'other is pardon of ſin. Forgiveneſs deſtroyeth that wherein the ſtrength of ſin lies, it p. 718deſtroyeth our guilt, and to us aboliſheth the condemning power of the Law: in theſe the ſtrength of ſin lies. Hence when the people of Iſrael had committed that great ſin in making the golden Calf, the firſt thing Moſes did, was, to pray for the pardon of ſin, and he did it with a ſtrange kind of Rhetoricke, Exod. 32. 32. Oh, this people have ſinned a great ſin, and have made them gods of Gold. And now if thou wilt forgive their ſin; what then Moſes? There's no more ſaid; Moſes is ſilent in the reſt, it is an imperfect ſpeech: a pauſe made by holy paſſion, not the fulneſs of the Sentence. Such are often uſed in Scripture, as Luk. 13. 9. And if it bear fruit, what then? Our own thoughts are left to ſupply the event: Our tranſlaters add, well. The Greek tranſlators ſupply that in Exodus, thus; If thou wilt forgive them their ſin, forgive them: We may ſupply it with the word in Luke, If thou wilt forgive them, well. As if Moſes had ſaid, Lord forgive them, and then though they have done very ill, yet, I know it will be very well with them; God cannot with-hold any mercy, where he hath granted pardon, for that with the antecedents and requiſites of it, is every mercy. Moſes knew what would follow well enough if they were pardoned, and what if they were not: therefore he adds; And if not, blot me I pray thee out of thy book which thou haſt written: If their ſins muſt ſtand upon record, Moſes would not; he knew, if they were an unpardoned people, they were an undone people, all miſeries would quickly break in upon, yea, overwhelm them, and he deſired not to out-live the proſperity of that people. If Iſrael muſt bear their ſins, they muſt alſo bear the wrath of God, and if their ſin be but taken off, then his love is ſettled on them: God gives quailes ſometime, but he never gives pardons in anger. Fourthly obſerve,

The greateſt ſins fall within the compaſs of Gods pardoning mercy. The words in the text are of the higheſt ſignification. Job ſpeaks not in a diminutive language, he is willing to lay load upon himſelf; they whoſe hearts are upright will not ſtand mincing the matter, and ſay they have ſins, but theirs are ſmall ones, ſins not grown to the ſtature of other mens. As the ſins of a godly man, may be very great ſins, ſo (when they are) he acknowledges that they are. I know not where to ſet the bounds, in regard of the nature or quantity of ſin; what ſin is there w^ch a wicked man commits, but a godly man (poſſibly) may commit it, excepting that againſt the holy Ghoſt? Theſe Job did, and the Saints may put to God p. 719in confeſſion: and as he did not, ſo they need not be diſcouraged to ask pardon for them, becauſe they are great. The grace of the Goſpel is as large as any evil of ſin, the Law can charge us with. The grace of the Goſpel is as large as the curſe of the Law; whatſoever the Law can call or ſhew to be a ſin, the Goſpel can ſhew a pardon for it; whatever the Law can bind us with, the Goſpel can unlooſe. The Mercy-ſeat covered the whole Ark; The Mercy-ſeat noted the forgiveneſs of ſin; and if you read the deſcription of it (Exod. 25.) you ſhall find that it was exactly, to a hairs breadth, of the ſame dimenſions with the Ark, wherein the Law was put: intimating, that there was mercy and pardon for ſin, let it come out of any part of the Law laid up in that Ark. As the leaſt ſins muſt of neceſſity have a pardon, ſo the greateſt ſins are in a poſſibility of pardon: And the truth is, there is no ſin, as it is an Anomy, a tranſgreſſion of the Law, without the compaſs of pardon. It is not the malignity of the ſin, but the malignity of the ſinner, that makes it incurable; the ſin againſt the holy Ghoſt is not unpardonable, becauſe there wants mercy large enough to pardon it, but becauſe it refuſeth the mercy which ſhould pardon it, and the medicine that ſhould heal it.

Fifthly, Obſerve, who it is that here preſſeth thus for pardon; it is Job, and was Job never pardoned till now? Or was this, (think you) the firſt time that ever Job prayed for pardon? Had not Job thought of this buſineſs before? Without queſtion he had; he was one of whom God gave this teſtimony, that he was a juſt and an upright man, one that feared God and eſchewed evil; He that did all this, and was all this, muſt firſt be in favour with God, and yet Job cryeth out, Why doſt thou not pardon my tranſgreſſion? Whence obſerve,

They whoſe ſins are pardoned, muſt yet pray for the pardon of ſin: Yea, they who, upon good grounds, have aſſurance, that their ſins are pardoned, muſt yet pray for the pardon of their ſins, 2 Sam. 12. 13. When Nathan told David, God hath put away thy ſin; he aſſured him that he was pardoned, and doubtleſs the heart of David opened by Faith to let in that gracious Meſſage; he was not faithleſs, but believing. Yet David in his penitential Pſalm penned afterward, prayes, (O how earneſtly!) for pardon, again and again? That which a man is aſſured he hath, he may pray to have and enjoy: make it ſo high, which ſome make the grand objection againſt this point. Why ſhould we pray (ſay they) for that p. 720which we have already: I ſay, a man may pray for that, which he hath already, and is aſſured he hath. Chriſt himſelf was aſſured of the love of his Father, and that his Father would ſtick to him for ever, and he knew God was neer unto him, yet he cries (Mat. 27. 46.) My God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken me? Which Queſtion may be reſolved into this Petition, My God, my God, do not forſake me. When David had received a Meſſage by the Prophet concerning a great temporal Mercy, the eſtabliſhing of his houſe, that, God would ſettle him and his Poſterity in the Throne for ever; the text ſaith (2 Sam. 7. 15.) he preſently went in, and ſate before the Lord, and there makes a moſt earneſt Prayer; and what is it about? He prayeth that God would ſettle and eſtabliſh his Kingdom, verſ. 25, 26. And now, O Lord God, the thing which thou haſt spoken concerning thy Servant, and concerning his houſe, eſtabliſh it for ever, and do as thou haſt ſaid, &c. and let the houſe of thy Servant David be eſtabliſhed before thee.

Might not the Lord anſwer (according to this Objection) why doeſt thou trouble me about this? Did not I ſend thee a Meſſage even now, that I would eſtabliſh thy Kingdom? Doſt thou think I have forgotten my Promiſe, or will be unfaithful to it? We find not David thus chidden for praying thus. Nay at v. 27. you ſhall ſee how David makes this the very ground of his prayer, Lord (ſaith he) thou haſt revealed to thy ſervant, ſaying, I will build thee an houſe, therefore hath thy ſervant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee, &c. Even becauſe thou haſt revealed this unto me, that thou wilt build me an houſe, therefore upon this very ground I make this prayer, that thou wouldeſt build it. And to ſhew, that he was full of Faith, the thing ſhould be done, before he prayed it might be done, he adds, v. 28. Thou art that God, and thy words be true, and thou haſt promiſed this goodneſs unto thy ſervant. Now therefore let it pleaſe thee, to bleſs the houſe of thy ſervant. No man could be fuller of Aſſurance, or fuller of Prayer than David was. Likewiſe Chriſt knew and was aſſured, that his ſheepe, his elect people, ſhould continue for ever, and that none ſhould be able to take them out of his hand, yet how abundantly doth he pour forth his Spirit in prayer about theſe things, Joh. 17. Again, Chriſt was aſſured he ſhould be delivered and upheld in death, Yet in the daies of his fleſh he offered up prayers and ſupplications with ſtrong cries and tears to him that was able to ſave p. 721him from death, and he was heard in what he feared, Heb. 5. 7. He was not afraid of the event, whether he ſhould hold out and prevail or no, whether he ſhould conquer and obtain the victory or no, he doubted not the ſucceſs of this war, though it were with principalities and powers; His fear was only a natural paſſion, which he took upon him, when he took our nature upon him. He was certain of the iſſue, and knew he ſhould carry the work through againſt all the armies of hell, he would never have undertaken it elſe: yet he prayeth with ſtrong cries, that he might be ſtrengthened. So then, it is no argument, becauſe a Believer knoweth his ſin is pardoned, that therefore he ſhould not pray for pardon; for many things, of which there was clear and certain evidence, that they were, or ſhould be, have been prayed about; it is our duty, for it hath been the practiſe, both of Chriſt, and of his people to pray in ſuch a ſtate.

Further we may Anſwer: Matters of Faith are of Two ſorts:

Firſt, Such as are fully accompliſhed, acted and compleated in all the parts and circumſtances of them: for, and about ſuch things, we are not to pray. No man is to pray for the Redemption of the World, for that is a thing paſt, and yet it is a matter of Faith: But the pardon of ſin, though it be compleat in it ſelf, and a matter of Faith to us, yet it is compleating and perfecting every day more and more. Pardon is given us, yet we feel not all, which pardon gives. It is a ſetled act on Gods part, yet it is in motion on ours; that is, in a perfective motion. Therefore, though we are aſſured that our ſins are pardoned, and ſhall ſtand pardoned for ever, yet we may pray about the pardon of them.

Thirdly, Suppoſe a man know his ſins are pardoned, yet he may pray to know it more, and that his evidences may be made yet clearer to him; for though ſin cannot be more pardoned in reſpect of God at one time, than at another; yet in regard of man it may. He apprehends the pardon of his ſin more now, than before, and may hereafter apprehend it more, than now: And it is worth the while to beſtow pains in prayer for pardon, to have the pardon a little more inlightned: The degrees of any grace or favour, as well as the matter and ſubſtance of them, are worthy all our ſeekings and moſt ſerious enquiries at the throne of Grace.

Fourthly, He that hath aſſurance of the pardon of ſin, is to pray for the pardon of ſin, becauſe he continueth ſtill to ſin: And though p. 722it be a truth, that ſin uncommitted is pardoned in the decree and purpoſe of God, yet we muſt not walk by the decrees of God, but by his commandements and rules. His decree pardons ſin from all eternity; but his rule is, that we ſhould pray for pardon every day, as we pray for the bread we eat every day, Matth. 6. 11, 12. We muſt not ſay, God hath pardoned all ſin at once, therefore no matter to ask it again: or I have once had the ſight of pardon, and therefore the ſight of ſin, ſhall never trouble me; ſeeing we are directed to ſearch our hearts for ſin, and to ſeek to God for pardon continually. So long as we ſin it becomes us to be ſuitors for the pardon of ſin. He that hath ceaſed to ſin, may ceaſe to ask the forgiveneſs of ſin, till then, I know neither rule nor promiſe, that gives a diſpenſation for this duty.

To cloſe this point, there are two Caſes wherein believers are eſpecially to renew their ſuits about the pardon of ſin.

Firſt, (which though it be lamentable, yet it is poſſible) in the caſe of falling into ſcandalous and groſs ſins: Theſe not only weaken aſſurance, and be-night the ſoul, but exceedingly diſhonour God, and grieve the holy Ghoſt. This cauſed David to pray and cry for the pardon and purging of his ſin, as freſhly and as ſtrongly, as if he had never received a pardon, or any evidence of Gods love (of which yet he had great ſtore) before that day, Pſ. 51.

Secondly, In times of great troubles and trials, whether perſonal or National, the Saints re-inforce prayer about pardon: This was Jobs caſe, his perſonal afflictions occaſion'd him to begg the remiſſion of ſins; and not only remiſſion for ſins, then committed, but for all the ſins, he had committed either before or after Converſion. Even our formerly pardon'd ſins, need pardon, when we looſe the ſight of pardon, and when the ſoul hath no viſions, but viſions of terrour, it muſt ſeek viſions of peace, in the free-grace of God, renewing and ſealing pardon in the bloud of Jeſus Chriſt.

Job having thus breathed his ſpirit in arguings, complaints, and prayers, moves the Lord, for a ſpeedy end and gracious anſwer: otherwiſe he ſees no way, but he muſt breath back his ſpirit into the hands of the Lord who gave it, and lay his body in the duſt, from whence it was taken.

p. 723For now ſhall I ſleep in the duſt, and thou ſhalt ſeek me in the morning, but I ſhall not be.

Now ſhall I ſleep in the duſt.

What he means by this ſleep, hath been handled, (Chap. 3. foreign Propriè est cubare, hinc mortui foreign vocantur, ut etiam foreign.13.) where it was ſhewed that death is called a ſleep, why, and in what manner, death is a ſleep. The word here tranſlated, to ſleep, ſignifies properly to lie down: but the ſence is the ſame, becauſe men lie down, when they compoſe and fit themſelves to ſleep. And the dead are called down-lyers, as well as ſleepers in the Hebrew. The Septuagint reads it, now ſhall I go to the earth. David ſpeaks near this language, Pſal. 22. 15. Thou haſt brought me to the duſt of death.

Obſerve hence, whether we are travelling, and where we muſt take up a lodging for our bodies, ere long. They whoſe heads are higheſt, they who lie in beds of Ivory, muſt lie down in a bed of earth, and reſt their heads upon a pillow of duſt. Moſt ſleep in the duſt, while they live, but all muſt ſleep in the duſt, when they die; Earthly men have earthly minds, and they cannot reſt, but in earth, for it is their Center. OnelyOnly he who hath laid up his heart in Heaven, can comfortably think of laying down his head in the duſt.

Further, it is remarkable in how pleaſing a notion Job ſpeaks of death, when his life was moſt unpleaſant to him. He complained of reſtleſs nights in the third, fourth, thirteenth, and fourteenth verſes of this Chapter: yet he could think of a time, when he ſhould lie quietly in his bed, and not have ſo much as a waking moment, or a diſtracting dream. And when he was once gone to this bed, the curtains of darkneſs being cloſe drawn about him, he ſhould open his eyes no more, till the eye-lids of that eternity-morning opened, therefore he concludes;

Thou ſhalt ſeek me in the morning, (ſc. of time) but I ſhall not be.

In the Hebrew, Thou ſhalt ſeek me in the morning, is but one foreign Si dilucula veris me, ficto verbo.word. And ſome cut out a latine word fit to ſerve it. We may Engliſh it ſtrictly to the letter▪ If thou morning me, that is, if thou commeſt to ſeek me (as the force of this word hath been formerly given) with never ſo much diligence and care, I ſhall not be found, thou wilt not have Job alive upon the earth to beſtow thy mercies upon, For

p. 724I ſhall not be.

The Hebrew is, And not I, that is, I ſhall not be alive, I ſhall foreign Non ego, ſubaudi ſum, vel ero. Cum jam in iſtonot be to be had, he means a non-exiſtence, not, a non-eſſence: a being he ſhould have, but he ſhould not appear to be. It is as if he had ſaid, Lord I ſhall not be a Subject capable of outward deliverances and bodily comforts, unleſs they come ſpeedily, Lord if thou wilt give me any help, give it, for death hastens upon me, as if it hoped, to be too nimble for, or, to out-run thy ſuccours.

Mr. Broughtons tranſlation ſeems to intend another ſence, pulvere decumbam? aut quid non tempeſti ivè requiſiviſti me, ut non eſſem. Jun.which others of the learned Hebricians favour too. He renders the latter part of the verſe thus, Whereas I lie now in the duſt (referring it to his preſent condition; I am now lying in the duſt, to be pitied of the keeper of men, ſo he himſelf expounds, Lord I lie in the duſt, a pitiful object, then) Why doeſt thou not quickly ſeek me out, that I ſhould no more be, which he interprets, I would by a quick death be rid from theſe pains. As if in theſe words Job had again renewed his former deſire of death; concerning which, many things have been ſpoken from preceding paſſages of his reply, and I will not double upon them here.

But I take the former reading and meaning of the words, as moſt proper to the coherence, & concluſion of Jobs diſcourſe: and ſo they are but a repetition or re-inforcement of what he ſpake at the 7, and 8. verſes: There he ſaid, O remember that my life is wind, mine eye ſhall no more ſee good, the eye of him that hath ſeen me ſhall ſee me no more, Thine eyes are upon me, and I am not. Here he ſpeaks the ſame thing in ſome variety of words, Thou ſhalt ſeek me in the morning, and I ſhall not be. The ſeverity of my ſickneſs threatens to prevent thy earlieſt preparations for my relief.

Thus (through the ſtrength of Chriſt) ſome diſcoveries have been made about this firſt congreſſe, or charge between Eliphaz and Job. But Job hath not yet done; Behold a ſecond and a third Combatant, ready to enter the liſt againſt him; And when theſe three have once tryed their skill and ſtrength upon him, they all three charge him a freſh, a ſecond time, and two of them, a third: Was ever poor ſoul held ſo hard to it, as he! How much doth the life of grace make him exceed man, when he (as a man) could ſcarce be reckon'd among the living? Truth and grace will triumpth and prevail, notwithſtanding all the diſadvantages of fleſh & nature. Is it not ſtrange, that a man ſhould not be weary p. 725with arguing, while he often profeſſes he was wearied with living? That while he could ſcarce fetch his breath for pain, he ſhould do ſo much work (in a manner) without a breathing. For, as the Meſſengers of his troubles gave him no reſt; But while one was yet ſpeaking, there came another alſo and ſaid, &c. And while a ſecond was yet ſpeaking, a third came and ſaid, &c. So neither did theſe diſputants about his troubles. While Eliphaz and Job were yet ſpeaking, Bildad anſwered and ſaid, &c. While Bildad and Job were yet ſpeaking, Zophar anſwered and ſaid. What Eliphaz ſaid, and Job anſwered in this firſt undertaking, you have heard: The opening of what Bildad had to ſay, and Job to anſwer, waits (till the Lord ſhall be pleaſed to vouchſafe it) a further opportunity. What is now (as himſelf hath pleaſed to enable his unworthy inſtrument) offered, waits upon him for his bleſſing. To him all bleſſing is for ever due; on him let praiſes ever waite, for all his bleſſings. Amen.

FINIS.