Exposition of Job 8-10, Commentary on Job · Chapter 8 · Verses 11-15

Exposition of Job 8-10 · Commentary on Job · Chapter 8 · Verses 11-15

p. 72JOB Chap. 8. Verſ. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15.

Can the ruſh grow up without mire? Can the flag grow up without water?

Whilest it is yet in his greenneſse and not cut down, it withereth before any other herb.

So are the paths of all that forget God, and the hypocrites hope ſhall periſh.

Whoſe hope ſhall be cut off, and whoſe truſt ſhall be a ſpiders web.

He ſhall lean upon his houſe, but it ſhall not ſtand: he ſhall hold it faſt, but it ſhall not endure.

THis context from the 11^th to the 20^th verſe, contains an illuſtration (for ſo are ſimilitudes) of the former argument; and it is taken from a three-fold ſimilitude. Firſt, of a ruſh, which is explained, verſ. 11, 12. and applied in the 13^th verſe. The ſecond is, of a Spiders web, explained and applied, verſ. 14, 15. The third, of a luxuriant flouriſhing tree, explained, verſe 16, 17, 18. applied, verſe nineteenth. Behold, this is the joy of his way, &c.

The ſumme of all may be given in this brief;

That it is as equall and ordinary in the courſe of divine juſtice to deſtroy wicked men; as it is in the courſe of nature, for a ruſh to wither when it wants water; foreign Iuncus à foreign bibit, ingurgi tavit, quia juncus eſt aquae immerſus, & eam ſemper imhibens. Conſ…ritur hibula Memphytis cymba papyro. Luc. l. 4. Per que papyriferi ſeptemflua flumina Nili.or, for a spiders web to break when it is leaned upon; or for a tree to be hewen down, when it either undergrows or overgrows its owners houſe, when caſting it's roots under the foundation, it looſens the ſtones, and weakens the ground-work; or, when it ſpreads its boughs and grows ſo high that it drops upon the roof, or darkens the windows of it.

Ver. 11. Can the ruſh grow without mire?

It cannot. The originall word for a ruſh ſpeaks its nature; the root ſignifying to ſuck and drink in, or alwaies to be guzling down. The ruſh lives in liquour, and is alwaies drinking. Theſe abounded neer the banks of Nilus in Aegypt. There Moſes was put into an Ark or skiff made of bulruſhes, Exod. 2.3. The Prophet (Iſa. 18.1, 2.) p. 73tels us of a land, ſending Ambaſſadours by the ſea, even in veſſels of bulruſhes upon the waters.foreign Elatus, eminuit, eſt mediae ſignificationis, ſumitur pro vitioſa elatione, quae eſt ſuperbia, etiam pro magnificentia & decore. Rivet. in Hoſ. 5.5. Limoſu… juncus, paluſtres junc…. Amphibia.Hos 5:5

Can the ruſh grow?

In ſtrength, luſtre and beauty. The word implies growing with a kinde of pride, ſo plants doe in a rich or proper ſoyl, they lift up their heads, and carry it highly.

Can the ruſh grow without mire?

Which is as much as to ſay, can a man live without food? Mire is the ruſhes meat and drink. It loves and delights in a mooriſh ſoyl, and by the rivers ſide. A ruſh upon the dry land, is like a fiſh upon the dry land. At moſt the ruſh among vegetables and plants, is like thoſe fowls and beaſts among ſenſitives, which live part upon the water, and part upon the land.

Can the flag grow without water?foreign Locus graminis ubi paſcuntur pecora, forſan ab foreign frater quod ex una ſtirpe velute multifratres gignantur, quaſi herbarum quaedam fraternitas.

The word ſignifies any fertile place for graſſe, a medow, Gen. 41.2. Pharaoh ſaw in his dream ſeven welfavoured kine, and fatfleſhed, and they fed in a medow. Some render it ſo here, Can the medow grow without water? Both flags and medows are ſuch drinkers, that they quickly wither, if they want water: which Bildad gives us plainly in the next verſe.

Verſe 12. Whileſt it is yet in his greenneſſe, and not cut down, it withereth before any other herb.

Whileſt it is yet in his greenneſſe.] Or, ſhooting up in his ſtemme.foreign Abib eſt spica matureſcens, ve…ſpica cum calamo, inde Ibbo virgultū aut lignum virens in eo, ſc. tempore quo eſt parens novarum frugum & fro… dium. Vel ob foreign pater, q. d. in paternitate ſua. Some derive the Hebrew word from Ab, Father; and ſo it may be rendered from the letter of the Hebrew, though the expreſſion be ſomewhat uncouth. While it is yet in it's paternity, or fatherhood, that is, while it is flouriſhing and procreative. Others derive it from Abib, which ſignifies an ear of corn, or the ear with the ſtalk. Hence the monethmonth Abib among the Jews had its name, becauſe in thoſe climates, corn was then eared and began to be ripe; it was the firſt monethmonth to the Iſraelites, becauſe of their coming out of Aegypt, and anſwered to part of our March, and part of April, Exod. 13.4. Chap. 23.15. This day came ye out in the monethmonth Abib, this monethmonth ſhall be to you the beginning of moneths. So then this greenneſſe of the ruſh implies the ſtrength and beſt of it, the goodlineſſe and beauty of it.

p. 74And not cut down.

That is, before it is cropt and pull'd up by the hand, or is fully ripe.

It withereth before any other herb.

That is, ſooner or more ſpeedily then any other herb of leſſer ſhew, but better rooting. There are two cauſes why trees wither, both which are here removed from the ruſh, and yet it withers.

Firſt, Age, but the ruſh withers while it is young in its greenneſſe.

Secondly, Violence, when it is pull'd up or cut down by force of hand: but the ruſh withers, while it is not cut down. Both argue enough, the little ſubſiſtency which the ruſh hath in it ſelf; to ſeek any further account about it, were but to ſeek a knot in a ruſh.

Verſ. 13. So are the paths of all that forget God &c.

Bildad having explained his ſimilitude, now applies it. The compariſon may be made out three waies.

Firſt, That hypocrites are kept in life and luſtre, by outward, earthly ſupplies only, as the ruſh is by mire and water; and therefore when theſe fail, they fail alſo.

Secondly, As the ruſh dies, becauſe it hath no water; ſo an hypocrite declines and waſtes, becauſe he is not watered by the bleſſings of God, and hath no rooting in grace. The ſeed caſt on the ſtony ground (Matth. 13.6.) withered, becauſe it had no earth. …he lack of earth to the one is the ſame with the lack of water to the other.

Thirdly, In the generall, that as a ruſh flouriſhes a while, but quickly withers; ſo the beſt eſtate of an hypocrite, his greenneſſe is of no long continuance; his ſeeming graces, like his joyes, are but for a moment. Hence obſerve,

Naturall things are ſhadows to us of spirituall.

We may learn many leſſons from ſpeechleſſe creatures. While we turn the leaves and peruſe the contents of this great volume the book of nature, we may finde much of the God of nature. David took inſtructions from it daily (Pſal. 8.) When I conſider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the ſtars which thou haſt ordained, what is man that thou art mindefull of him? I ſay likewiſe, p. 75when we behold the graſſe and flowers of the field, the flag, the ruſh in the water: we may not only put the Queſtion, What is man? but we may reſolve the Queſtion, what the man is: when we look upon the meaneſt creatures, we may ſee peeces of our ſelves, they are as we are in many conſiderations, and we as they; what is man? Man is as graſſe. What is a wicked man an hypocrite? He is a ruſh, He is like the chaff which the winde drives away. What is a godly man? He is like a tree planted by the rivers of water that bringeth forth his fruit in his ſeaſon. The Spirit of God from things ſenſible and viſible, raiſeth us up to things ſpirituall and inviſible.

The Ancients were very frequent in this kinde of ſtudy,Praemifit Deus naturam magiſtram, ſubmiſſurus & prophetiam, quo faciliùs credas prophetiae diſcipulus naturae. Tertul. Familiare eſt Syris & maximè Paleſtinia ad omnem ſermonem ſuum parabolas jungere, ut quod per ſimplex praeceptum teneri non poteſt, per ſimilitudines teneatur. Hier. in c. 19. Mat. peruſing the book of nature, and taking helps to better the underſtanding by every object of the eye. It is well obſerved by one of them, That God ſent us the book of nature, before he ſent the book of Scripture. The minde of God was written upon the things which he had made, before he made tables or books to write his minde in. The Fathers had many revelations from the beginning, but they had not Scripture from the beginning. Some conceive that Iſaac going out into the fields to meditate, meditated upon the text of the creature, and uſed to raiſe his heart by thoſe ſteps of earth to heavenly contemplations. It is ſaid of Solomon (1 King. 4.32, 33.) That he ſpake three thouſand Proverbs, and his ſongs were a thouſand and five, and that he spake of trees, from the Cedar tree that is in Leba…n, even unto the hyſop that ſpringeth out of the wall; which**Cuilibet ſpecie: plantarum ſuam adhibuit parabolam Joſeph. in loc. Joſephus expounds thus, Solomon applied his three thouſand parables or ſimilitudes unto thoſe trees or plants about which he diſcourſed, drawing ſome divine morall from every plant, whoſe nature as a Philoſopher he had deſcribed.

More diſtinctly for the ſpiritualizing of this ſimilitude, conſider wherein a wicked man or an hypocrite, is like unto a ruſh; the ruſh may be of good value to us, being thus improved.

Firſt, The ruſh is a very ſpungy, hoven, hollow ſubſtance, it is not ſolid or cloſe-grain'd: An hypocrite hath no ſolidity, we call him a hollow-hearted man.

Secondly, Hypocrites are well compared to a ruſh or a flag, becauſe in windy weather they ſit which way ſoever the winde ſits. They take no ha… by a ſtorm, becauſe they yeeld to every turn: let the winde blow which way it will, the ruſh breaks neither body nor branch. Let things turn which way they will, hypocrites p. 76can ſhift, and bend, and yeeld with them. And therefore when ſtorms ariſe, which pull down and deſtroy many goodly trees of Gods own planting, theſe ruſhes continue. Hypocrites keep their ſtanding, becauſe they never ſtand. A great man being asked how he kept his honour and preferment in ſo many changes of winde and weather, of times and Princes, anſwered, By being a willow, and not an Oak. He that can ſway, ſeldome breaks. Hypocrites in the Church and State, live by the ſame principles.

Thirdly, A bulruſh or a flag in time of a ſtorm hangs down the head, but when the ſtorm is over, it holds up the head, and ſtands upright again. This reſemblance between the hypocrite and a bulruſh is given by the Prophet (Iſa. 58.5.) Is this the faſt that I have choſen, a day for a man to afflict his ſoul? Is it to bow downe his head as a bulruſh, &c? The bulruſh in a ſtorm ſeems to be humbled to the very ground, but in fair weather it is as high as ever. Hypocrites in times of publike humiliation, hang down their heads, and ſeem to lay their mouths in the duſt, but when the day is paſt, they quickly forget their ſorrows, If I (ſaith the Apoſtle, Gal. 1.18.) build again the things which I have destroyed, I make my ſelf a tranſgreſſour. Hypocrites are the worſt ſort of tranſgreſſours, for they ſeem to deſtroy their ſins one day, but they indeed build them again the next.

Fourthly, The ruſh and the flag grow only in miry places, where they may have abundance of water and moiſture, which notes a kinde of ſenſuality in them, and therefore they have their names from drinking. So hypocrites ſeem to be heavenly, but are indeed earthly: they are like the ruſh, they cannot live without ſtore of water, they are ſenſuall, they muſt pleaſe their appetites, and delight their palates. The Apoſtle deſcribes them ſo, They ſerve not the Lord Jeſus, but their own bellies; they muſt be ſupported with the affluence of outward things, elſe they cannot hold out, in profeſſion. Whereas the godly and true believers can live, when the water is drain'd or dry'd away, when outward things fail and are gone. So the Prophet Habakkuk profeſſes, Chap. 3. ult. Although the fig-tree ſhall not bloſſome, neither ſhall fruit be in the vines, though the fields ſhall yeeld no meat, and there be no herds in the ſtalls, yet I will rejoyce in the Lord, and will joy in the God of my ſalvation. A godly man will grow when all the world decaies to him; he will rejoyce in God when all outward comforts fail him; hypocrites muſt have ſenſuall ſupplies, or they are loſt. A feigned love p. 77of spirituall things is ever joyned with a true love of worldly things. Chriſt ſpeaks of ſome who followed him more for the loaves then for the word. And Judas followed his Maſters bag, more then his Maſter.

Fifthly, Bulruſhes or flags yeeld no fruit at all, they only make a fair ſhew; hypocrites how green ſo ever they are, what ſhew or profeſſion ſoever they make, yeeld no fruit of holineſſe.

Sixtly, A bulruſh or a flag withers ſooner then any other herb, that is, then other herbs that are not ſeated ſo near the water. And this agrees well with the hypocrite, for when the hypocrite begins once to wither, he withers quickly. He never had any true life, and he will not long appear to have any. When one that hath made a fair profeſſion begins to decay, he decaies ſooner than a meer civil man; a civil man will hold out in honeſty and juſtice a great while, but a hypocrite gives over holineſſe and godlineſſe preſently. Beſides, God blaſts and withers an hypocrite ſooner than any other man, becauſe he hath abuſed and wronged God more then any other man. When judgements come they fall firſt upon hypocrites, The hypocrites in Zion tremble, Iſa. 33. Trembling will take hold upon the prophane and openly wicked, but trembling takes hold fooneſt upon hypocrites; they have moſt cauſe to tremble, who were confident without a cauſe. Falſe hope is the parent of reall fear; and they who believe without repenting, ſhall repent without believing.

Verſe 13. So are the paths of all that forget God, and the hypocrites hope ſhall periſh.

So are the paths.] So, that is, thus it comes to paſſe,Sic ſane illis accidit & uſu venit, talis eſt eorum conditio. Druſ. this is the way and the end of all thoſe who forget God.

The path of a man is taken two vvaies.

Firſt, For his ſtate and condition, Pſal. 1. The way of the wicked ſhall periſh; that is, the vvhole ſtate of a wicked man ſhall periſh.

Secondly, For his courſe and converſation, Job 33.11. He putteth my feet in the ſtocks, he marketh all my paths, that is, he takes notice of the vvhole courſe of my life; all my converſation, all my tradings and dealings are before God. This path of mans courſe and converſation is two-fold. There is an internall, and there is an externall path. The internall is that of the minde; the minde hath it's courſe, the heart hath a vvay, Iſa. 57.17. He went on frowardly in the way of his heart. The external path is that of outward actions: p. 78That which we uſually doe, is our path. Thus the actions and works of God are called the paths of God, Job 40.19. Behemeth is the chief of the waies of God. Prov. 8.22. The Lord poſſeſſed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. Pſal. 77.13. Thy way, O God, is in the ſanctuary; that is, thy actings and doings are ſeen there.

Our actions are compared to a path in two reſpects. 1. Becauſe we are frequent in them, that which is a mans courſe he treads every day. 2. They are called our paths, becauſe they lead us to ſame end; every path leads us to ſome place or other. Some actions lead to life, and ſome to death, ſome lead to heaven, ſome to hell, ſome to Chriſt, and ſome to Satan, to one of theſe ends, we are travelling and journeying all the daies of our lives.

Of thoſe that forget God.

To forget God imports theſe four things.

1. Not to think of God, we forget that which we minde not. The firſt act of remembring is thinking. The thief on the croſſe prayed, Lord remember me when thou commeſt into thy Kingdom; that is, think of me for good. God is not in all the thoughts of a wicked man …o obey or honour him, and a wicked man is not in all the thought of God (in this ſenſe) to bleſſe or pardon him.

2. To forget God, is to diſobey God, or not to doe the will of God, Deut. 8.11. Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God in not keeping his Commandments. As to remember God is to do the will of God, Eccleſ. 12.1. Remember thy Creatour in the daies of thy youth: that is do the will of thy Creatour in the daies of thy youth: ſo to forget God, is to diſobey God, not to doe his will. God is ſaid to forget us when he doth not our will, that is, when we in prayer propoſe …u…d…fe to God to doe them for us, the not doing of thoſe things for us, into forget us. David expoſtulates, Pſal. 77.9. Hath the Lord forgotten to be gracious? He had praied much at the beginning of the Pſalm with ſucceſſe, I cried unto God with my mouth, even unto God with my voice, and he gave ear unto me. He puts up other requeſts, which finding no preſent anſwer or ſenſible acceptance, he cries out, Hath the Lord forgotten to be gracious? Now, as when the Lord doth not our will, he is ſaid in Scripture to forget us, ſo when we do not the will of God, we indeed forget him.

p. 793. To forget is lightly to eſteem, to ſleight the Lord. That which a man highly eſteems, he keeps in his memory, and treaſure it up there; and when a man forgets a thing,Oblivio affert contemptum. eſpecially when he wilfully forgets it, he diſreſpects it, he ſleights and contemns it, Jer. 30.14. All thy lovers have forgotten thee; that is, thy lovers care not for thee, they ſleight and eſteem lightly of thee. When a man comes not at one, whom he loves, he is ſaid to forget him, Jer. 2.32. Can a maid forget her ornaments. or a bride her attire? A maid hath a great eſteem of her ornaments; eſpecially of her wedding ornaments, and therefore ſhe is often thinking of them; it may be ſhe can hardly ſleep the night before, for thinking of the rich garments, yea the bracelets and bables ſhe is to wear upon the wedding day. Can a bride forget her attire? Will ſhe throw theſe by the walls (as we ſpeak) or caſt them at her heels? Yet, ſaith the Lord, My people have forgotten me daies without number. They have lightly eſteemed me, I am not ſo much to them as new clothes, who am indeed their life; I am not ſo much remembred as unneceſſary curioſities, from whom they receive all things neceſſary, and whoſe favour is the one thing neceſſary.

4. To forget God is to depart from God. We ſtay with God no longer then we remember him: as we cannot have communion with truth, ſo not with the God of truth, without an act of memory (Heb. 12.5.) Ye have forgotten the exhortation which ſpeaketh unto you as unto children, My ſon, despiſe not thou the chastening of the Lord &c. A word forgotten is to us of no more uſe then a word never ſpoken. We are without all the good we forget; and to forget God is (Epheſ. 2.12.) to be without God in the world, or, to live on earth as if there were no God in heaven, either in regard of mercy to be received, or of duty to be performed. Hypocrites forget God all theſe waies; though their naturall memory may be good, yet ſpirituall memory (and that only holds ſpirituall things) they have none. Obſerve hence,

Firſt, That the hypocrite is a forgotter of God.

Every wicked man is forgetfull of God. Hence we finde theſe put together, Pſal. 9.17. The wicked ſhall be turned into hell, and all the Nations that forget God: But this is the ſpeciall character of an hypocrite, he is a forgetter of God. Conſider this (ſaith the Pſalmiſt) ye that forget God; that is, ye hypocrites conſider this (… 50.22) for he ſpeaks of ſuch as had taken their covenant of God in their mouths; What haſt thou to do (verſ. 16.) to take my Covenant p. 80in thy mouth? As if he had ſaid, thou profeſſeſt to be in Covenant with me, to have an intereſt in me, Yet when thou ſawest a thief, then thou conſentest with him, and haſt been partaker with adulterers, thou giveſt thy mouth to evil, &c. Hypocrites take the Covenant of God in their mouths, but caſt it out of their lives, God is near in their mouths, but from their reins (Jer. 12.2.) If the hypocrite did not forget, that God is about his bed, and about his path, and eſpieth out all his waies, he could not be ſo falſe with God, ſo polluted in his waies, ſo rotten in his inward parts. If an hypocrite did not forget, that God being a ſpirit delighteth to be worſhipped in Spirit, he would never be ſatisfied in worſhipping him with his body. If he did not forget that God is jealous, that he will not hold them guiltleſſe who take his name in vain, he durſt not (which is his every daies work) take the name of God in vain.

Secondly, obſerve, That forgetfulneſſe of God (howſoever it ſeems no great matter, yet) is exceeding ſinfull, a wickedneſſe of the higheſt ſtature.

Forgetfulneſſe of God is therefore a great wickedneſſe, becauſe God hath done ſo many things to be remembred by. What could the Lord have done more to make himſelf remembred then he hath done, Have I been a wilderneſſe to Iſrael, or a land of darkneſſe? (ſaith the Lord, Jer. 2.31.) the words are an aggravation of their forgetfulneſſe. As if the Lord had ſaid, I have been a light to you whereſoever you goe, and whereſoever I goe my ſteps drop fatneſſe for you, and am I forgotten? Where can we ſet a ſtep but we tread upon a remembrance of God? Every creature holds forth God unto us. He hath left his remembrance upon every ordinance, Doe this in remembrance of me, ſaith Chriſt in that great ordinance of his Supper: yea all the works of his providence are remembrancers of him. He leaves an impreſſion of his wiſdome, holineſſe, juſtice, power upon all he doth. Now for us to forget God who hath (as it were) ſtudied ſo many waies to faſten himſelf in our remembrance, muſt needs be extreamly ſinfull. Further it is very ſinfull to forget God, becauſe God doth ſo abundantly remember us. He hath not only done that which may cauſe man to remember him; but he hath man alwaies in his remembrance, eſpecially his own people, He hath graven them upon the palms of his hands, and they are continually before him. They who deſire to preſerve their friends freſh in memorie, get their pictures in their houſes, or engrave them upon rings and jewels which they wear p. 81alwaies about them. But he that cuts the image of his friend in his fleſh, or draws it upon his skin, how zealous is he of his friends remembrance? Pictures and annulets may be loſt, but our hands cannot fall off. When the Lord would ſhew how mindefull he is of his Church, he aſſures her that he carries her picture alwaies about him, not drawn upon a Tablet, or engraven upon the ſignet of his right hand, but upon the palms of his hands; as if he ſhould ſay, I muſt loſe my ſelf, before I can loſe the ſight of memory of thee (Iſa. 49.16.) He remembers her ſo, that he cannot forget her. And becauſe the characters and ſtamps of nature are more abiding and indelible then thoſe of art, therefore he ſaith (verſ. 15.) Can a woman forget her ſucking childe, that ſhe ſhould not have compaſſion on the ſonne of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will not I forget thee. A woman may break the bonds of nature, but God will never break the bonds of his own free-grace. May not all this raiſe us into Davids rapture of holy admiration, Pſal. 8. Lord, what is man that thou art mindefull of him, and the ſonn… of man, that thou viſiteſt him with ſuch remembrances? What is a wicked man, that God ſhould give him bread to eat, and clothes to put on? And what is a godly man that God ſhould give him Chriſt to eat, and cloath himſelf withall? That, God ſhould remember us is a wonder of mercy; but what a wonder of unthankfulneſſe is it, that we ſhould not remember God? What, or who is God, that man ſhould be ſo mindeleſſe of him? Is not God worthy of all our remembrance? Is it loſſe of time to call God into our thoughts? Do we ever, or in any thing remember our ſelves ſo much, as when we remember God moſt? It is a wonderfull favour that God ſhould be mindefull of us at all; and is it not a wonderfull ſinne, that man ſhould be ſo unmindefull of God?

Thirdly, Obſerve, That, Forgetfulneſſe of God is a mother-ſinne, or the cauſe of all other ſins.

It is the cauſe of this ſinne of hypocriſie, Bildad puts it as a fruit of forgetting God. Forgetfulneſſe of God is three-fold.

Firſt, A forgetfulneſſe that there is a God.

Secondly, A forgetfulneſſe who, or what manner of God he is, Thou thoughteſt that I was ſuch an one as thy ſelf (Pſal. 50.) Thou forgetteſt what manner of God I am: thou preſumeſt that will ſerve my turn, which ſerves thine, or that every thing will pleaſe me which pleaſes thee: thou ſaieſt, becauſe it is no great trouble to thee to ſteal and lie, &c. therefore it is no great trouble unto me neither.

p. 82Thirdly, To forget God, is to forget what God requires; this Forgetfulneſſe of theſe three ſorts is productive of any, of every ſin.

Laſtly, Obſerve, They that forget God ſhall quickly wither, how great and flouriſhing ſoever they are.

The reaſon is this, becauſe the forgetting of God, is a departing from God, and he that departs from God departs from the fountain of life. If the ruſh go out of the water it quickly withers, and if men will depart from God, they ſhall quickly decay, neither grace nor comforts can hold out ſeparated from Chriſt. Why is the godly man compared to a tree planted by the river ſide, which brings forth fruit in his ſeaſon, whoſe leaf alſo ſhall not wither, and whatſoever he doth ſhall proſper? Why is the man that truſts in the Lord compared to a Tree planted by the waters, that spreads out her roots by the river, and ſhall not ſee when heat commeth? Jer. 17.7, 8. is it not becauſe the Saints alwaies keep cloſe to God, by Jeſus Chriſt, who is as an everliving fountain of water to them, refreſhing and moiſtening them ſo, with continuall ſupplies of the Spirit, that they ſhall not ſee when heat commeth? that is, they ſhall not be afflicted with thoſe evil effects of heat, drought and barrenneſſe. They who keep Covenant with God, may poſſibly feel ſome decaies, but die they ſhall not, they ſhall revive and ſprout up again; They ſhall again put forth their leaves as a plant, and their fruit as the garden of Eden; They ſhall bring forth fruit in old age, they ſhall be fat and flouriſhing.

And the hypocrites hope ſhall periſh.

foreign Similavit, diſſimulavit, ce ulte peccavit, per Metaphoram, pollutus, contaminatus.The word which we tranſlate hypocrite, comes from a root that ſignifies cloſe and covered, and by a Metaphor, polluted, defiled, contaminated, becauſe an hypocrite, though he be outwardly covered, and beautifully painted over, yet his paint is a ſpot upon him. All painting is but a ſpot, in compariſon of naturall beauty. An hypocrite is not ſo much painted, as polluted. Hence he is called a vile perſon (Iſa. 32.6.) The vile perſon will speak villany, and his heart will work iniquity to practiſe hypocriſie, and to utter errour againſt the Lord. We have the character of hypocrites, Iſa. 58.3. They daily call upon my Name as a people that would know the Lord: As a people; an hypocrite doth but play a part in religion, he doth but perſonate another; like an actour upon a ſtage, who puts forth the ſeverall poſtures and geſtures of a King, when as himſelf is ſome mean fellow. An hypocrite is deſcribed acting a p. 83double part; the one is, ſimilation: he labours to appear what he is not, he would ſeem to have ſome good which he hath not.Externaſa…ie internam ſanctitatem mentitur. And the other is, diſſimulation; he labours, not to appear what he is, he would hide and cover the evil that he hath. An hypocrite is one who ſeems to be what he is not, and would not ſeem what he is. He is a Jew outwardly, and his religion, circumciſion outward in the fleſh, Rom. 1.18. He ſeems to be religious (Jam. 1.26.) He is a whited ſepulchre (Mat. 23.27.) ſtately on the out-ſide, within nothing but rottenneſſe and dead bones. The hypocrite hath a divided heart, Hoſ. 10.3. and a double minde, Jam. 1.8. He is not half enough for God, and too much for himſelf.

Hypocrites are of two ſorts, ſome in a large, others in a ſtrict ſenſe. Moſt wicked men are hypocrites in a large ſenſe, though ſome are above hypocriſie, they are arrived at impudence. The Prophet ſpeaks of ſuch (Iſa. 3.9.) The ſhew of their countenance doth witneſſe against them, and they declare their ſin as Sodome, they hide it not. They declare it not as the mourners in Zion declare their ſinne, who are aſhamed of it; but they declare it as Sodome her ſin, that they may delight in it. But though there are ſome ſuch as theſe, yet the greateſt number of wicked men fall under the notion of hypocriſie in a large ſenſe, becauſe they keep their ſins cloſe and hide them. Hence the works of ſinne are called works of darkneſſe. Wicked men uſually hide their wickedneſſe, and ſhew that which hath but a ſhew, their goodneſſe. But in a ſtrict ſenſe, he is an hypocrite that ſeems to be very religious, who hath nothing but God, and Chriſt, and heaven in his mouth; but in his heart and ſecret practices nothing but earth and hell. The hypocrite is like the Onyx-ſtone, of which Naturaliſts write, that it is clear and bright in the ſuperficies, but the center is dark and earthy. This generation is pure, not only in their own eyes (Prov. 30.12.) but in the eyes of many men, poſſibly in the eyes of all men, yet are they not cleanſed from their wickedneſſe.

The hypocrites hope ſhall periſh.] That is, the time ſhall come when he ſhall give over the hope which he hath hoped, or the thing ſhall fail him, wherein he hoped. Firſt, the object of his hope ſhall fail him, that is, thoſe benefits, bleſſings, accommodations and comforts which he looked for in the profeſſion of religion, theſe ſhall fail him and prove falſe hopes. Hypocrites (Mat. 7.) plead with Chriſt for heaven, Lord, we have propheſied in thy Name, and in thy Name caſt out devils, &c. but their hopes periſhed, Depart from p. 84me (ſaith Chriſt) I know you not. His hope periſheth when he cannot have the things he hoped for. Secondly, The act of his hope ſhall fail, his hope ſhall be ſo long deferred that his hope ſhall die: he never had any true ground of hope, and at the laſt he ſhall not have a ſhew of hope. His hope ſhall periſh.

Obſerve from the name given hypocrites. Firſt,

That hypocrites are filthy and polluted perſons. None are ſo ugly in the eye of God, as they who paint for ſpirituall beauty. Pretended holines is more unlovely then profeſſed unholines to them that can diſcern it. As it is ſaid of Nabal (1 Sam. 20.) Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: So we may ſay of an hypocrite, filthineſſe is his name, and filth is in him. Nabal had his name from folly, and hypocrites have theirs from filthines.

Obſerve, ſecondly, Hypocrites may be full of hope for a time.

They have ſomewhat (though it be unſound) upon which they build, they think what they do and are will ſerve turn, and go for currant with God. This raiſes up their ſpirits. Some hypocrites will be full of hope, even while they are deſcending to the pit of deſpair. Some hypocrites are not convinced of their hypocriſie to the very laſt: ſuch die in peace, while they are going down to eternall warre; They go away (as we uſe to ſay) like lambs, when their ſouls are among lions, and they are tumbling into the place of dragons.

Obſerve, thirdly, The hope of hypocrites will deceive and fail them. God rejects their confidences, they ſhall not prosper in them, Jer. 2.37.

Laſtly, Obſerve, That to loſe our hope is the utmoſt of evils.

Bildad doth not ſay that the hypocrite is damned, and ſhall go to hell, and endure the wrath of God for ever: This one expreſſion, Their hope ſhal periſh, amounts to all this and more, if more can be. Do but ſit down and imagine in your thoughts, and contrive the utmoſt of all evils felt by men, yea, the utmoſt (were it poſſible) of all the evils of puniſhment that are in the thoughts of God, and all are wrapped up and comprehended in this one word, Their hope ſhall periſh. Hell, and wrath, and fire, and brimſtone, and the worm that never dies meet in this one word.

p. 85Bildad goes on to illuſtrate this by a further inſtance.

Verſe 14. Whoſe hope ſhall be cut off, and whoſe truſt ſhall be as a ſpiders web.

Verſe 15. He ſhall lean upon his houſe, but it ſhall not ſtand: he ſhall hold it faſt, but it ſhall not endure.

The hypocrite clings about the object of his hope, as a man that is ready to drown takes hold on any thing, upon a ſtraw or a rotten ſtick; but though he lean upon his houſe, it ſhall not ſtand, &c.

Theſe words contain the ſecond ſimilitude, which is both a confirmation and a further illuſtration of the former; for having concluded in the 13. verſe with theſe words, The hypocrites hope ſhall periſh; he (as it were) doubleth and reſumeth it here again, Whoſe hope ſhall be cut off and whoſe trust ſhall be a ſpiders web.

The originall beareth different interpretations, and from that, ſeverall ſenſes have been given of theſe words.

The word here uſed for [hope] is not the ſame in the Hebrew,foreign which we had in the laſt clauſe of the former verſe, His hope ſhall periſh. This word was opened at large in the fourth Chapter at the ſixth verſe, where we tranſlate it confidence, Is not this thy hope, thy confidence, the uprightneſſe of thy waies? Now, beſides, that the word ſignifies hope or confidence, it ſignifies alſo folly, inconſtancy, frowardneſſe of ſpirit, vanity and levity of minde. And thus ſome render it here.

This hope ſhall be cut off. foreign Debilitatus lā guef actus fuit, per Metaphorā, maeſtitia, …olore, taedio affectus fuit, propriè, tanquam foreign, i. e. rem putidam, et quae nauſeam parit, averſari, & eam abhorrere. Non enim plac… bit ei ve…ordia ejus. Vulg.] That word alſo beareth different interpretations.

1. To be weakned, to languiſh; and becauſe thoſe things which languiſh and are weak, either are cut off, or are ready to be cut off; therefore it ſignifies likewiſe cutting off.

2. Further, the word imports gradually, 1. diſpleaſing, 2. loathing or abominating, 3. chiding or contending.

The words yeelding theſe ſenſes, receive different tranſlations and interpretations.

Firſt thus, taking the former for inconſtancy or folly, his folly ſhall diſpleaſe him, or, His folly ſhall not pleaſe him: So the Vulgar, Hypocrites never pleaſe God, and at laſt they ſhall not pleaſe themſelves. The waies and works of hypocrites are ever diſpleaſing to God, and they ſhall at laſt be diſpleaſing to themſelves. Thats the ſenſe of their tranſlation.

p. 86And not only ſhall the waies of an hypocrite be diſpleaſing, but they ſhall be a loathing, an abhorring to him: the Lord loaths him now, The prayer of the wicked is an abomination, and he ſhall loath himſelf hereafter.Haec displicentia cum faſtidio quodam & tabeſcentia conjuncta eſt. There is a double loathing. There is, a loathing of repentance. And there is, a loathing of deſpair. The former (though it be unpleaſant, yet it) is an happy loathing of our ſelves. Such loathing of our ſelves is pleaſing to God in the act, and will be pleaſant to us in the fruit (Ezek. 6.9.) They ſhall loath themſelves for the evils they have committed. And again, Ezek. 16.47. and 20.43. the word is taken for this loathing of repentance. But the hypocrite ſhall have another kinde of loathing. What? a loathing of deſpair, ſeeing himſelf utterly loſt, and his hopes quite cut off, he ſhall be an abhorring to himſelf.

There is yet a third ſtep or degree of ſenſe in this word, He ſhall not only be diſpleaſed with himſelf, and loath himſelf, but he ſhall fall out with himſelf; his hope ſhall diſpleaſe or vex him, into ſelf-anger.Secum ipſe liti gabit, rixabitur, quae omnia ad mentis commotionem & animi cruciatum pertinent. Pin. Some render the word by contending or chiding: as a man that is diſpleaſed with another, falleth out with him, wrangleth and contendeth with him; ſo an hypocrite, at laſt ſhall chide, contend and wrangle with himſelf: he ſhall contend as much with himſelf at laſt, as ever the word of God contended with him before. An hypocrite never commeth to a Sermon, but God chides him, the Word of God contends with him, and the Spirit of God hath a controverſie with him; this man will not be warned by the chiding of God, nor take that to heart, he ſtill goes on in his hypocriſie. But when no reproofs nor chidings can prevail upon his heart, he is left to the reproofs and chidings of his own heart: which will read him ſuch a lecture, and give him ſuch a ſchooling as he never had in all his life. Conſcience may be long ſilent, and it may long flatter, but when once it begins to ſpeak, and to ſpeak right, it is the moſt terrible Preacher in the world. There is no Boanerges or ſonne of thunder hath ſo dreadfull a voice. Mount Sinai it ſelf did not thunder ſo loud as conſcience will. And as conſcience ſpeaks loud, ſo it ſpeaks long. An hypocrite ſhall reprove and chide himſelf for ever; What a fool was I? What a beaſt was I thus to flatter my ſelf, thus to mask mine own filthineſſe, and to dawb over the rottenneſſe of my heart with the fair covering of a verball profeſſion? Why did I wilfully deceive my ſelf into irrecoverable perdition?

Again, Obſerve from, Whoſe folly ſhall displeaſe him.

p. 87That the whole courſe of hypocriſie is nothing but fooliſhneſſe.

Of all fools the hypocrite is the greateſt; and the reaſon is, becauſe he takes a great deal of pains in profeſſion, and hath no good at all by profeſſion: he ventureth himſelf many times in the world to perſecution; he runs the hazard of his credit, of his eſtate, of liberty and life. What a fool is this to take ſo much pains, and ſubject himſelf to ſo many dangers in the outward profeſſion of Chriſt, yet at laſt to loſe the fruit and benefit of all? This folly muſt needs displeaſe him: he ſhall at laſt ſee what an extreme fool he hath been, to trouble himſelf about that which bringeth him in no reall good, but will really double and encreaſe all evil upon him. No man ſins at ſo dear a rate as the hypocrite.

A ſecond tranſlation takes the Noun (as we) for hope, and not for folly, and retains the former ſenſe of the Verb; and ſo the words are thus, Whoſe hope ſhall loath him; that is,Quem faſtidit spes ſua Jun. Eum quaſi faſtidius fugit idipſum quod ſperat. Jun. The thing which he hoped for ſhall loath him; how loath him? It ſhall loath him, not formally, but equivalently, becauſe it ſhall doe that which man doth, when he loaths any thing; when we loath a thing, we flee or turn away from it; ſo, His hope ſhall hath him, that is, the thing which he hoped for ſhall flee farre away, and quite depart, it will not come near him. Good ſhall remove from the hypocrite when he expects and makes after it. An hypocrite at once loaths true grace, and hopes for true comforts: but comfort here and glory hereafter ſhall loath him, heaven ſhall ſhut againſt him.

Or take it for the act of hope (as others) he ſhall loath his hope; Spes ei moleſta erit, quòd eâ excidat, nec id conſequatur quod expectarat. Merc.that is, the very hope which he hath had ſhall be grievous and vexatious to him; nothing ſhall grieve him more then this, that he hath hoped ſo much. His hope ſhall grieve and afflict him as bad as all his afflictions; Raiſed expectations diſappointed, prove our greateſt ſorrows. That man ſinks loweſt in grief, whoſe heart was higheſt in hope. How extremely ſhall the hypocrite be grieved, who fals as low as hell, when his hopes were raiſed up as high as heaven? The hypocrite both in his way, and in his end is like the King of Babylon. He ſaith in his heart, I will aſcend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the ſtars of God, I will aſcend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the moſt high, yet, he ſhall be brought down to hell, to the ſides of the pit, Iſa. 14.13, 14.

Take the words as we tranſlate, ſo they yeeld a clear ſenſe, and very agreeable to the originall, Whoſe hope ſhall be cut off. **Sumitur Melaphoricè, quòd ij quos taedet ſeſe torquent, & veſtes, & ſe membra que ſua d…ſcindant ac lacerant. & v…lut diſſecent. Merc.The word is rendred, Cut off, by a Metaphor, becauſe when a man is p. 88exceedingly diſpleaſed and vexed (as the word properly ſignifies) he many times tears his garments, and even cuts his own fleſh, like the idolatrous Prieſts of Baal, who were ſo angry, becauſe they could not get an anſwer, that they cut themſelves after their manner with knives and lancers, till the blood guſhed out upon them, 1 King. 18.28. Grief cuts the heart alwaies, and ſometime cauſes cutting of the fleſh. The Lord complains (Pſal. 95.10.) Fourty years long was I grieved with this generation, it is this word, fourty years long was I vexed and cut with this generation, with their murmurings, backſlidings and unbelief. They did (as it were) cut the Lord to the heart; as in another place, They broke him with their whoriſh hearts, Eze. 6.9. God ſpeaks there as a man, whoſe patience is almoſt ſpent, or, as an husband grieved with the diſloialties of an adulterous wife.

And thus we may joyn it with hope, either as hope imports the act of hope, or the object of hope, Whoſe hope ſhall be cut off; the expectation which the hypocrite hath had ſhall come to an end. Or, a time is at hand when an hypocrite ſhall be paſt hoping. Obſerve hence,

Deſpairing is the cutting off of hope, and ſuch is the condition of an hypocrite. To have hope cut off, is the greateſt cut in the world. Will the hypocrite pray alwaies? No, at laſt his prayer ſhall be cut off; Will the hypocrite hope alwaies? No, at laſt his hope ſhall be cut off. The Saints in heaven have (in a ſenſe) their hope cut off, becauſe they are above hope: and at laſt all wicked mens hope ſhall be cut off, becauſe they are below hope. It is better to have all our poſſeſſions cut off, then our hopes. Better have the threed of our lives cut off, then the Anchor-cord of our hope cut off, and ſo we left to the rage and tempeſt of deſpair.

Again, joyn it with the object of hope, thus,

All that an hypocrite hopeth for or expects, ſhall be utterly taken away, and cut off from him.

His worldly comfort will be gone, and heavenly comforts will never come. He ſhall finde that he hath been in a golden dream, that he hath been, as one that is hungry, who dreameth that he is eating, but when he awakes his ſoul is empty; or, as a thirſty man, that dreams he is drinking, but he awakes, and behold, he is faint, Iſa. 29.8. When dreams ſatisfie hunger and thirst, the hypocrites hope ſhall be ſatisfied. Hypocrites ſhall have as good as they bring. They bring God nothing but words and empty profeſſions; and they p. 89ſhall have nothing from God, but air and empty expectations; their reall hopes, or the thing they hoped for ſhall be cut off. When hypocrites awake out of their ſleep, their hopes vaniſh as a dream. Not only doth the world, but the Chriſt on whom they hoped, prove a ſhadow, a fancy, an image, an idoll of their own making; Their hearts were filled with leaves, inſtead of gold, as the devil coſens his greedy votaries, Their hope ſhall be cut off.

And whoſe truſt ſhall be a spiders web.

As hope before, ſo here truſt, may be put either for the act or object of truſt: and both (by a Synecdoche) for the whole profeſſion of an hypocrite.

Hope and truſt are often taken promiſcuouſly. There is a graduall difference between them, not an eſſentiall. Truſt being the ſtrength of hope, or the acting of a ſtrong faith.foreign The originall word ſignifies a very quiet, ſecure, ſetled truſt; when a man truſts upon, or about a thing, w…thout caſting ſo much as a jealous thought after it. Thus the hypocrite truſts; he never ſuſpects himſelf; his heart ſaith all is well, Levit. 25.18. Ye ſhall dwell in the land in ſafety; the word is, Ye ſhall dwell in the land in truſt, becauſe an opinion of ſafety is the companion of truſt; when we truſt our condition is good, then we think our ſelves ſafe.

There are two things noted by this word:

Firſt, Boldneſſe and confidence.

Secondly, Security and peaceableneſſe. The hypocrite feels no trouble, and he fears none; The language of his heart is like that of Babylon the mother of whoredoms and hypocriſie, who ſaith in her heart, I ſit a Queen, and am no widow, and ſhall ſee no ſorrow, Revel. 18.6.

This truſt where it is true hath a double effect. The want of which diſcovers the falſeneſſe of it in the hypocrite.

Firſt, It confirms and ſtrengthens the heart againſt all oppoſitions. And

Secondly, It encourages the heart againſt all dangers. He that truſts in God will walk thorow the valley of the ſhadow of death, and fear no evil. He dares take a bear by the tooth, or a lion by the beard. In both theſe the truſt of the hypocrite faileth. He will work and go on boldly till he meets with oppoſition: he will work in a fair day, till he meets with a ſtorm, and dangers threaten; but there he gives over. He that is not acquainted with the aſſurance office p. 90of heaven, will ſeldome, if at all runne hazards here on earth. True truſt brings God and the ſoul together, but the hypocrite never comes near God: and then no marvell if he be afraid to come near danger.

Note from it, before we put the words together, thus much,

That an hypocrite hath a trust of his own, a truſt like himſelf.

Whoſe truſt. An hypocrite doth moſt things which the upright and ſincere hearted doe, and he ſeems to have every thing which the upright and ſincere hearted have. Doe they pray? ſo doth he. Doe they hear? ſe doth he. Do they faſt? ſo doth he. Have they faith? He hath a faith too. Have they the fear of God? he alſo hath a kinde of fear. Have they zeal? ſo hath he; yea, the zeal of hypocriſie burns hotter for a blaſt, then the zeal of ſincerity. He hath grace proper to his ſtate; falſe grace for his falſe heart; he hath truſt, ſuch as it is, a truſt which belongeth to all of his rank; ſee the character of it in the next words.

It ſhall be a spiders web.

foreign Tam animal, quam rete ejus, quod ſolet contexere, ſignificatThe Hebrew is, It ſhall be the ſpiders houſe; the web is the houſe of the ſpider. We have the ſame word, Iſa. 59.5. They weave the spiders webbe. Iſaiah ſpeaks of ſuch pretenders, They trust in vanity, and ſpeaklie. Theſe were the ſpiders web, which they weaved.

But why is the truſt of the hypocrite compared unto the ſpiders web? I ſhall clear that in four or five particulars, which will be as ſo many notes upon this text.

1. Becauſe the profeſſion, and all the works of an hypocrite are very weak and unſtable, as the ſpiders web is. There is a kinde of curioſity in them, but there is no ſtrength or ſtability in them. The ſpider works very curiouſly, but her houſe will not bear any ſtreſſe of weather, much leſſe force of battery. The ſpiders web is no match for a broom or a whisk. Thus it is with the profeſſion, the truſt of hypocrites; you may ſee a neat ſpinning, a fine threed of profeſſion, accurate weavings and contrivances, but when it comes to a puſh, it is not able to ſtand; if you doe but touch it, 'tis gone. Some will ſtand out longer then others, yet all fall, as Chriſt aſſures us (Mat. 7. ult.) it is the hypocrite who buildeth his houſe upon the ſand; to have a houſe built upon the ſand, is no better then to have a houſe built in the cicling; when the ſtorm comes that houſe fals; and when the broom comes, this muſt down.

2. The truſt of an hypocrite is called a ſpiders web, becauſe he p. 91fetches and frames it (as it were) out of his own bowels: that whereunto he truſteth is wrought out of himſelf. That's the nature of the ſpider, ſhe hath no extrinſecall materials to build her houſe with; ſhe doth not hew her ſtones out of any quarry, or fetch her timber from any foreſt (as we may allude) the materials which ſhe hath ſhe fetcheth out of her own bowels. The Bee makes an houſe, and fetcheth the materials from this and that flower: ſo the Bee makes a comb for a houſe: but the ſpider ſucks no flowers. Thus it is with hypocrites, their truſt and hope is as the ſpiders web, made out of their own ſubſtance; they eviſcerate themſelves, they fetch all out of themſelves. The meaning is, all their truſt is in their own duties, in their own ſtrength, in their own ſtock, in their own gifts, upon theſe they build, theſe are their houſe. We finde the Phariſees truſt thus grounded, ſuch was his houſe (Luk. 18.) I faſt twice a week, I give alms, I pay all men their due. He was very exact in righteouſneſſe according to the Law, upon this, and out of this he makes his houſe; this is to make an houſe like a ſpider. Though it be our graces we truſt upon, our truſt will be a spiders web. The believer is well compared to a Bee, the Bee hath an houſe and honey, but the Bee fetcheth all from abroad, from herbs and flowers: Believers have their houſe to dwell in, and their honey to feed upon, but they ſuch all from the promiſes of Chriſt; yea, they ſuck it from Chriſt himſelf, they reſt not in the letter of the promiſes, but they go to Chriſt who is the matter promiſed, and the accompliſher of all the promiſes. Here they build their houſe, and hew out the pillars of it.

3. Their truſt ſhall be a ſpiders web, in the iſſue it ſhall periſh like a ſpiders web. How is that? Aſſoon as the houſe comes to be cleanſed, down go the ſpiders webs; when the houſe is ſwept, the cob-webs are firſt ſwept away. Thus it is with the truſt of all hypocrites: when God ſweeps his houſe, his Church, he quickly ſweeps out theſe ſpiders webs (Iſa. 14.23.) the Prophet ſpeaks of the beſome of God; the judgements of God are the beſome of God, by which he ſweepeth his houſe. God hath a double beſome, or a double uſe of his beſome; he hath a beſome of deſtruction, and a beſome of purgation. It is a beſome of deſtruction to hypocrites, and it is a beſome of purgation to his Saints. When either the beſome of deſtruction, or the beſome of purgation is in hand, the truſt of hypocrites is ſwept away. When the Prophet deſcribes the Lord in his great and terrible judgements (Iſa. 33.14.) the text p. 92ſaith, The ſinners in Zion are afraid, fearfulneſſe ſurprizeth the hypocrite, who ſhall dwell with devouring fire? God provoked is a devouring fire. How ſhall ſtubble and ſpiders webs ſtand before him? When trouble comes, the truſt of hypocrites goes to wrack, they tremble then, for their truſt is but a ſpiders web, it cannot ſtand one ſtroak, or endure the flaming heat. The hope of a godly man grows ſtrongeſt in times of trouble, he is purified in the fire; and the hope of an hypocrite weakens, till it be none at all in times of trouble, it is caſt out of doors amongſt the rubbiſh, or is conſumed with the fire.

4. Take this parallel between the ſpiders web, and the profeſſion of hypocrites. The ſpider makes his web to catch and enſnare others, to catch the poor flies. She hath a double uſe of her houſe, to lie in it, and to entrap flies in it. Her houſe is a ſnare. The profeſſion of an hypocrite is a ſpiders web in this notion; he makes it to catch flies with, to enſnare and deceive the ſimple, that he may prey upon them: He would count godlineſſe a poor thing, did he not make a gain of godlines; That brings him in food and cloathing, he lives upon it. This his deceitfull web is ſo fine ſpun, and fairly woven that you cannot eaſily diſcern any thing, but truth and beauty in it: Hypocrites cannot be diſtinguiſht by the out-ſide of what they do; their lewdneſſe is under a cover. Some tell us that the Hebrew word for an hypocrite, may be derived from another, which ſignifies a cloud;Nebulo, à neb… la, qui men laciis ſuis nebulā quandam & tenebras objicit the wickedneſſe of ſuch is wrapt up in a cloud; whence the latine word for a crafty, diſhoneſt man, imports one who caſts a cloud or a miſt before his diſhoneſty: So that it is hard to make this diſcovery, till effects and iſſues make it. Only God looks quite thorow all clouds and coverings, he ſees what is in the heart, though man cannot. God ſees his contrivances are only to ſerve his turn, and attain earthly ends.

Anima…culum illud valde imbec…llum & ma licioſum at que meditabundu… poti…s quam pru…ens domicilium aedificat in quo …e tutum exiſtimat Bol.5. The hypocrite like the ſpider, thinks himſelf ſafe and out of harms way, when once lodg'd in this profeſſion. He is ready to boaſt that the gates of hell ſhall not prevail againſt it. So much for the ſimilitude.

Now follows the application of the ſimilitude in the fifteenth verſe.

Verſe 15. He ſhall lean upon his houſe, but it ſhall not ſtand; he ſhall take hold of it, but it ſhall not endure.

Bildad goes on to bring down his ſimilitude to this particular. p. 93Thus the ſpider doth, and thus the hypocrite: the ſpider leans upon his houſe, there he dwels; and ſo the hypocrite he leans upon his houſe, there he dwels and reſts himſelf.

The word which we tranſlate lean, foreign Ni… innif… eſt, re…inotus fuit, incid…uit to…is viribus, per M…taphorā, conſidit.is often uſed in the old Teſtament, to note the vitall act of faith, the act of recumbency; Faith in the vitall act of it is a reſting upon another. Now falſe faith imitates true faith, that will be reſting and leaning. Faith whether true or falſe cannot ſtand alone, it muſt have a lean-to.

He leaneth upon his houſe.

It noteth leaning upon a ſtaff, or upon any ſtay (1 Sam. 1.6.) Saul leaned upon his spear being weary in the battell. And, Prov. 3.5. Lean not to thine own understanding. Wiſe men, men of deep reach and judgement, lean to their own underſtandings, their wits are their props (Iſa. 10.20.) The remnant of Iſrael ſhall no more ſtay themſelves upon him that ſmote them but they ſhall ſtay upon the Lord, or, they ſhall lean upon the Lord, the holy One of Iſrael in truth. (2 Sam. 22.19.) they prevented me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my ſtay. God prevents his people with mercy, and their enemies prevent them with unkindeneſſes, but the love of God out-runs the malice of man; His love ſtaies up thoſe whom malice would caſt down. The Lord was my ſtay. And hence, the Noun of this Verb in the Hebrew, ſignifies a ſtaff, becauſe we uſe a ſtaff to lean and reſt the body upon (Iſa. 3.1.) Behold, the Lord of hosts doth take away from Jeruſalem and from Judah, the ſtay and the ſtaff, the whole ſtay of bread, and the whole ſtay of water. The ſtay of bread, or, the ſtaff of bread; becauſe bread is that upon which the life of man leans or depends, as we depend or lean upon a ſtaff.Scita eſt Metaphora …um fulcimentum paniuſurpat pro pane fulciente, ſ… nificans foris vim illam panū accedere Ʋt enim greſſus ſenum reguntur baculo, ita panis dicitur habere …acu um Mol. in Iſa. 3.1.Isa 3:1 Bread is elegantly called a ſtaff, becauſe bread ſupports the life of man, as a ſtaff doth the body. It implies this alſo, that the power, vertue and ſtrength by which bread doth ſuſtain us, comes from without; The ſtaff of bread; he doth not call the bread it ſelf a ſtaff, but he ſaith, there is a ſtaff of bread, the bread muſt have a ſtaff (of bleſſing from God) or elſe it cannot be a ſtaff (of ſtrengthening to us) as the bread is the immediate ſtaff of our bodies: ſo the bleſſing of God is the immediate ſtaff of the bread: the bread leaneth upon the bleſſing of God, as we lean upon the bread. As an hungry man leans upon his bread, ſo an hypocrite leans upon his houſe, He ſhall lean upon his houſe. That's his ſtay.

But, what is his houſe? He ſhall lean upon his houſe.

p. 94The houſe of this hypocrite it is two-fold; or he hath two houſes. He hath a worldly houſe, and he hath a ſpirituall houſe. He hath one houſe made out of earthly materials; and another made out of heavenly materials.

Domum impij vocat bona & facultates ejus quibus homines ſe fulciant, juxta illud, opes divitis arac ejus valida. Druſ.He hath an houſe made out of worldly materials, and ſo ſome interpret this place, He ſhall lean upon his houſe; that is, upon his riches, upon his relations, upon his greatneſſe, upon his friends, upon his correſpondencies, upon the eſtimation that he hath abroad in the world, upon his reputation with his neighbours at home.

Theſe framed and put together are a houſe which the hypocrite builds for himſelf, upon theſe he reſts: and that's a truth, the world is an hypocrites ſupport, the houſe upon which he leans. The money in his cheſt upholds him, not faith in his heart; his goods pleaſe him more then goodneſſe. He eaſily believes that he is in the favour of God, becauſe he hath ſo much favour among men. That's one houſe.

Bildad might aim at this, becauſe Job was a man of a full and vaſt eſtate, the richeſt and greateſt of all the men in the Eaſt; as if he had ſaid, Job, thou haſt leaned upon thy outward abundance, upon thy ſheep and oxen, upon thy children and ſervants, and now thou findeſt all but a spiders web, ſwept away in a moment. Yet (I conceive) he means rather a houſe built of heavenly materials. And there are three ſorts of heavenly materials, out of which the hypocrite builds his houſe.

1. Gifts: he hath knowledge and underſtanding in the word and waies of God, the gift of prayer, the gift (it may be) of tongues, of prophecy and preaching. Theſe are excellent materials, and upon theſe he builds his truſt, that he is in a good eſtate.

The ſecond ſort of materials, are holy duties, he praies, he hears, he faſteth, and he gives alms, and the like; Theſe he doth, and out of theſe materials he builds his houſe, very ſtrongly he hopes.

Thirdly, He hath finer ſtuff then all this to build his houſe of, he buildeth upon ſuppoſed graces; he can tell you, he hath faith, he hath love, he hath patience, he hath humility, and he hath ſorrow for ſinne; he can count all theſe things, and out of theſe he buildeth himſelf an houſe of ſpeciall confidence, ſuch a houſe as he doubts not will ſtand all windes and weathers: he hopes to ſtand ſafe in judgement, under the roof and goodly fabrick of this houſe.

p. 95Out of theſe three ſorts of materials, ſpirituall gifts, ſpirituall duties, and ſuppoſed ſpirituall graces; upon all theſe, and out of theſe he buildeth, and thinks he hath made an houſe that ſhall ſtand for ever.

The point I ſhall give you, taking in thoſe three ſorts of materials is,

That gifts, duties and ſuppoſed graces are the ſtay and the ſtaff, the houſe, and the ſtrength of hypocrites.

Upon theſe they lean, and in theſe they ſecure themſelves; they reſt upon this bottom for eternity. Hence they even dare to plead with God himſelf about it (Mat. 7.22.) Many will ſay unto me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not propheſied in thy Name, and in thy Name caſt out devils, and done many great wonders? They truſted upon, Have we not propheſied? Have we not praied? Have we not done wonders? They thought thoſe ſufficient materials to build them a tower which ſhould reach heaven it ſelf; who can doubt but they who do ſuch things as theſe ſhall do well? The gift of prophecy, the power to caſt out devils, and work miracles, ſound high, and make a great noiſe. Yet at laſt, this tower of their confidence proves but a Caſtle in the air, or a ſpiders web. How confident were they who could plead thus with God: He hath opened the ſecrets of heaven to us, and do you thinke he will ſhut the gates of heaven upon us? We have preached, we have been inſtruments of ſaving others, and ſhall not we be ſaved ourſelves? We have caſt out devils, and ſhall we be caſt to the devil? We have not walked in an ordinary tract of Profeſſion, but we have traded in wonders and done miracles, we have amazed the world with reports of the great things we have done, is all this nothing? Thus they plead with Chriſt, as if he were bound to ſave them by the law of theſe ſervices: yet Chriſt tels them, Depart from me. I know you not: Surely, thought they, God will fetch his fewell for thoſe everlaſting burnings from among the rude Heathens,foreign, &c. Chryſoſt. or debauched drunkards, adulterers, &c. not from among us. Were it not a wonder greater then any we have wrought, if we who have wrought great wonders ſhould not be admitted? One of the Ancients repreſents them in ſuch an amazement. What means this ſtrange, unexpected anſwer from Chriſt, Depart, &c. Muſt we depart who have lived ſo near thee? Muſt we be damned, whom thou haſt thus honoured?

The Apoſtle Paul (Rom. 2.17.) ſpeaking of the hypocriticall Jews, p. 96diſcovers ſuch a confidence, Thou reſteſt in the Law, as a man reſteth in his houſe, there he ſleeps, & is quiet, ſo theſe in the Law, there they were quiet; that is, in the priviledges and outward profeſſion of the Law, or in a literall and outward obedience to the Law. The Jews built their houſe upon, or with legall righteouſneſſe, Thou reſteſt in the Law; Tibi appl…u lis quod legem ſcriptam acceperis, quòd frequenses in lectione & auditione legishe ſpeaks both by way of narration; and likewiſe by way of redargution. He tels what they did, and how ill they did in doing ſo. Paul rejects this as refuſe ſtuff, as hay and ſtraw, as droſſe and dung, as confidence in the fleſh (Phil. 3.3, &c.) Thoſe things which acted or enjoyed, are ſpirit, being truſted, to are fleſh. So Prayer is fleſh, ordinances are fleſh, the righteouſneſſe of the Law is fleſh; yea, Grace it ſelf truſted to is fleſh. The duties which Chriſt hath appointed are the houſe of the hypocrite: but Chriſt himſelf is the houſe of the upright; He would be found in him, (Phil. 3.9.) not in duties or inherent graces. Saints deſire that much grace may be found in them; but they dare not be found in graces; they would ever be acting graces, but never thruſting to them.

Secondly, Obſerve,

An hypocrites hope is high and ſtrong, that his estate is good now, and that he ſhall receive good at the laſt.

He leaneth upon this houſe. Some are without hope in the world, of whom we may ſpeak as the Apoſtle of an heretike (Tit. 3.11.) they are condemned of themſelves. Some men have the ſentence of condemnation in their own hearts. But there are others, as you ſee here, who have great and ſtrong confidences in themſelves, who live and die with this confidence too; This they do upon the former witneſſe. As the Apoſtle John ſpeaks concerning the witneſſe which the Saints have for heaven, There are three which bear witneſſe &c. and theſe three are one: So there are three which bear witneſſe to the hypocrite, and theſe three are one; they agree in one to deceive, as the other to give aſſurance.

Firſt, The world that giveth many a man a witneſſe and letters teſtimoniall, that his eſtate is good, his neighbours ſay ſo, they flatter him and cry peace peace to him.

Secondly, Satan applauds him, the devil gives him his good word, and tels him that certainly his eſtate is very good.

Thirdly, His own heart will ſeal to all, he ſhall have the witneſſe in himſelf, as it is ſpoken of the true believer. So that the hypocrite having ſuch witneſſes, a witneſſe within himſelf, a certificate under p. 97the hand of Satan, and letters commendatory from the world, all this muſt needs give him ſtrength of hope, that his houſe ſhall ſtand for ever.

But ſee the iſſue, He leaneth upon his houſe, What then?

It ſhall not ſtand.

The word ſignifies to ſtand firmly and ſtrongly,foreign Stetit, ſubſiſt it, manſit. or to continue ſtanding. He thought that the materials which he had brought together, and the hopes which he had raiſed upon them, would have been as Mount Zion, that cannot be removed, but he leaneth upon it, and it ſhall not ſtand.

Whence obſerve, All that an hypocrite truſteth unto ſhall deceive him at the laſt.

It ſhall not ſtand. Their webs ſhall not become garments, Neither ſhall they cover themſelves with their works, Iſa. 59.6. The language is proverbiall, importing higheſt diſappointment: Who would weave a web, if he knew he ſhould never have a garment by it? Or work hard, when himſelf muſt go naked? Jer. 7.1, 2. the Lord ſends to the people by his Prophet, Say to this people, Truſt not to lying words; that is, words which will deceive and fail you, you truſt and lean to them, but they will fall away from you: What were thoſe words? Even that they had a goodly houſe to lean to, they cried, The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord: but I hope that's a ſtrong houſe, as well as a beautifull, a man may lean upon that, upon the temple of the Lord, and do well. No, The temple of the Lord leaned upon will be but a ſpiders web; God gave the Jews a temple to worſhip him in, and many of them worſhipped the temple. We adore every duty we depend upon, and give the Ordinances of God the honour of God. We can ſtand no more by ſuch truſt to Ordinances, then we ſhall by the neglect of them.

Theſe, and all the materials before mentioned, will be found too weak, they ſhall not ſtand. Gifts cannot commend to God. If a man had the tongue of men and angels, if all the knowledge that ever was ſcattered in the world were brought together into one head; this cannot commend him unto God. The devil is as full of knowledge as he can hold, and yet he is as full of wickedneſſe as he can hold. Duties cannot commend to God.

And there are two ſpeciall reaſons why the hypocrites duties cannot.

p. 98Firſt, He is not at all changed in duties. He praies and ſins, hears and ſins, profeſſes and continues wicked cloſely, if not openly.

Secondly, He leans upon his duties. Could we ſuppoſe true grace leaned on, that could not ſtand. Nothing is a ſufficient ſtrength for us to ſtay upon, but the free grace of God, and Jeſus Chriſt: Lean to theſe houſes, for they will ſtand for ever. Of all other houſes you ſhall ſay as Adam did of his wife,foreign Deducitur à Gnamad, mulier quam dediſti mihi, ut adſtaret, juvaret, eſſet que vicarium auxilium, ipſa author hujus mali exſtitit. Fagius in loc. foreign Quafi apud me ſtans. Gen. 3.12. (and it is the word here uſed in the Text) The woman which thou gaveſt to be with me, to ſtay by me, to be a helper and a ſupport to me, this woman hath given me, and I did eat, ſhe hath been the cauſe of my ruine. The ſame will be ſaid of all the gifts, and duties and graces, which we ſtand upon. God hath given them us, and he hath given them us as meet helpers, but they will deceive and ruine us, if we lean on them. We ſhall fall by them, if we hope to ſtand by them (Pſal. 23.4.) Thou art with me in trouble (ſaith David) therefore I ſhall not fall; it is this word, Thou ſtandest with me. Chriſt will ſtand by us at all times, Thou ſtandeſt with me, or by me: When the world faileth, and when gifts fail, and when duties fail, yea, when graces fail, in degree and activity, then Jeſus Chriſt, and free grace will ſtand by us, Iſa. 26.7. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whoſe minde is ſtaied on thee. Chriſt is the only lean-to.

There is one clauſe further, He ſhall hold it faſt, but it ſhall not endure.

This clauſe is of the ſame importance with the former, only the ſenſe is ſomewhat heightned. It notes, that the hypocrite ſhall not only lean upon his houſe, but he ſhall take ſtrong hold upon his houſe, He ſhall faſten on it; ſo M^r Broughton. A man may lean to a thing, and have no hold of it; he that takes hold of a thing would make it firm to himſelf, and himſelf firm to it. Thus the hypocrite leans upon his houſe, and takes faſt hold of it; if it would fall from him, if any attempt to pull him away from it, or he ſticks to it, he will not let it go.

foreign Eam mordicus tenens, ſe in ea ſtabilem & firmum ſemper fore putans. Merc.The word ſignifies to hold faſt, ſtrongly and prevailingly. Jobs wife (Chap. 2.) ſpeaks thus, Doſt thou ſtill hold faſt thine integrity? And God himſelf ſpeaks in the ſame language concerning Job, Doeſt thou not ſee, though thou haſt moved me to afflict him without cauſe, how he holdeth faſt his integrity? The hypocrite (after his manner, Mordicus tenet) holds his duties, performancies, gifts, tufly, or (as it were) with his very teeth, he will hold them to p. 99the very death, and not let them go, the hypocrite will not give over, will not be beaten off from truſting to theſe falſe and weak props, here he ſets up his reſt, he will die by his gifts, his duties, his outward profeſſion, and go no further.

It is our glory to hold integrity faſt, to hold grace faſt, yea and duties in point of practice and obedience; but it is our ſin and danger, to hold them faſt in reliance and confidence.

It is a ſad uſe which ſome make of this truth, when they hear that hypocrites hold faſt upon duties, &c. they let go their duties; they let praier go, repentance, and ſorrow for ſin go; they ſay, it is no matter for duties, they need not trouble themſelves, Chriſt doth all. This is to turn the grace of God into wantonnes. We muſt let go both our graces and our duties in point of juſtification, but hold them we muſt as our lives, in converſation, and the tenour of our lives. Praier, hearing, faſting, repenting muſt not die, while we live; Do them we muſt, but glory in them we muſt not.

He holdeth them fast, but (yet) it ſhall not endure. foreign á radice foreign Surrexit, ad ſtandum erectus, ſtabilis, ſolidus manſit, perſeveravit.That's the laſt thing. We ſee as often as the hypocrite riſes to take hold of his hopes, ſo often his hopes fail him: (before) It ſhall not ſtand (now) it ſhall not endure.

The word ſignifies, it ſhall not be eſtabliſhed to him, he would eſtabliſh this houſe to himſelf, but it ſhall not be eſtabliſhed, his worldly eſtate ſhall not be eſtabliſhed, his duties, his graces, his gifts, ſhall not be eſtabliſhed.

The word notes that eſtabliſhment which is made by a politike act or edict. It is the Jews operative word, in which they enact laws, Eſth. 9. The word is uſed three times (v. 29, 31, & 32.) for a politicall eſtabliſhment of that decree about the deliverance of the Jews from the conſpiracy of Haman, they eſtabliſhed or made a Law for it. Laws are for continuance, therefore they are eſtabliſhed and ſetled. An hypocrite would do ſo too, he would enact and eſtabliſh what he doth, but it ſhall not endure, it will be null'd and repeal'd quickly.

The word alſo ſignifies, that which is ſubſtantiall (it ſhall not endure) that is, it ſhall not be as a ſubſtance, it ſhall appear at laſt to be but a ſhadow, Gen. 7.23. Every living ſubſtance was destroyed; it is this word, that is, every thing that ſtood up and ſubſiſted. So, Deut. 11.6. the word ſignifies the ſubſtance and outward eſtate which Korah, Dathan and Abiram had, They and their ſubſtance went down into the pit. The hypocrite thinks his eſtate is a p. 100ſubſtantiall eſtate, yet both his worldly houſe, and his ſpirituall houſe, builded as was before deſcribed, ſhall moulder away and rot, they ſhall not endure. 1 King. 7.21. Solomon ſet up two pillars in the Temple, and an hypocrite in his building ſets up two pillars, and he calleth them after the name that Solomon called his, the text ſaith, The one he called Jachin, and the other, Boaz; Jachin, he will eſtabliſh, and Boaz, ſtrength. Which may note that the people of God, who worſhip him in his temple, have two pillars, two everlaſting pillars, they have Chriſt, and the free grace of God to truſt upon; theſe are the two pillars of the Temple, that ſupport our hopes, and the one is truly called Jachin, eſtabliſhed, and the other, Boaz, ſtrength. The hypocrite hath a Temple, an houſe, and two pillars, upon which he makes theſe inſcriptions, Ʋpon his worldly estate he writes Jachin, Eſtabliſhed. Ʋpon his ſpirituall eſtate he writes Boaz Strength; but he will be deceived in both, They ſhall not endure, When a wicked man begins to fall, nothing ſhall ſupport him. As it was ſaid of Haman in regard of his outward honour, If theſe men be of the ſeed of the Jews, before whom thou haſt begun to fall, thou ſhalt fall utterly: So, though when an hypocrite ſees his houſe falling, he takes faſt hold of it, and endeavours to ſupport it, yet it ſhall not ſtand, fall it ſhall.Ʋbi ſemel corruerit impius non erigetur. Merc. The righteous fals and riſe again, he fals ſeven times in a day, and yet is raiſed up again, Prov. 24.16. but when an hypocrite begins to fall he falleth down, down, for ever. It is ſaid of the righteous (Pſal. 37.24.) Though he fall he ſhall not utterly be caſt off, for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand; but when the hypocrite falleth he ſhall be utterly caſt away, for his duties only hold him by the hand, he hath only ſomewhat of himſelf to ſupport himſelf with, therefore though he take hold of it, It ſhall not endure.